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Shanta not to contest LS poll
Rights panel meets silent death
Lack of transport fleet hits apple procurement
Hamirpur gets Rs 6 cr for tourism
Arrested teachers released on bail
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Cong playing politics: Assn
Mock quake drill on Nov 7
Sweetmeat sellers warned
Raids on fair-price shops
Ahluwalia’s remand extended
UGC team visits HPU
Cut in grant hits aided colleges
Manali-Sarchu road to be closed from Nov
Singhal expresses concern over conversions
Potholes galore on Kalka-Shimla NH
Cong gears up for poll
Coop bank settles 1985 cases
Ex-Army men up in arms over polyclinic
Two killed in car accidents
Four injured in acid attack
Kullu to witness Ashvmedha yajna
Workshop begins
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Shanta not to contest LS poll
Dharamsala, October 13 Addressing a press conference at a hotel today Shanta Kumar said the time had come that a new person should be given the chance from Kangra parliamentary constituency. The announcement of Shanta Kumar assumes significance in view of the fact that a section of the state BJP is propping up his name as party candidate from Kangra parliamentary constituency. They are projecting that only Shanta Kumar can defeat the sitting congress MP Chander Kumar. They are projecting that the BJP can win the Kangra seat only if he is fielded as
BJP candidate. However, Shanta Kumar who has been recently been nominated as Rajya Sabha member has clarified that he was not interested in contesting the elections. The sources available here say that the Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal group, is also favouring leaving the choice of candidate from Kangra parliamentary constituency to Shanta Kumar. Shanta also said that the BJP would target the UPA government for deteriorating internal security scenario. He said that due to soft attitude of UPA government towards anti-national forces targeted at appeasing a section of voters, is leading to deteriorating internal security situation. The government has failed to save the country from repeated terrorist attacks and increasing naxal problem in the east. The internal security situation has weakened to such an extent that the terrorists are now getting support from within the country. He also said the inflation in the country had hit the poor very hard. The speculative trading that has been allowed by the present government in foodgrains had made life difficult for the poor. Later, Shanta Kumar inaugurated the youth festival at Kangra government college. |
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Rights panel meets silent death
Shimla, October 13 The commission virtually ceased to exist when its only member, B.S. Chauhan, completed his term last month. No separate manpower was provided for the commission, except one post of inspector-general of police, when it was constituted in 1994. It had been making do with the staff of the Lokayukta all these years. In fact, in the beginning the Lokayukta held the additional charge of the commission, which was illegal. An independent chairman was appointed only after the high court made it clear that the neither the Lokayukta nor the chairperson of the HRC could hold any additional charge. The commission remained defunct for the past over three years during which over 400 complaints piled up. A situation was reached when the victims stopped approaching the commission for relief. The BJP government had not been particularly keen on having the commission and scrapped it in 2002. It was reconstituted by the Congress government on the directions of the high court following a public interest litigation. The commission had been without a chairperson since July, 2005, when Justice N.K. Jain quit office to take over as the chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of
Rajasthan. One of the two members in position, I.D. Bali, resigned in November, 2006, in protest against the failure of the government to make the institution functional. With the only remaining member B.S. Chauhan completing his term, the commission has met a silent death. The callous attitude of the successive governments towards human rights could be judged from the fact that they made no effort to make the commission functional all this while. It could have been easily done by appointing an acting chairperson for there is specific provision in the relevant Act. The commission can still be made functional, if the government so desires, by retrospectively extending the term of the last member and appointing another member. One of the two could be made the acting chairperson so that regular meetings could be held for deciding the complaints. The manner in which the commission has been allowed to die shows the abject lack of concern on the part of the government towards human rights, an important indicator of the quality of governance and life in a democratic set-up. |
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Lack of transport fleet hits apple procurement
Solan, October 13 A flaying squad constituted by the Horticulture Department comprising officials of HIMFED and the HPMC has highlighted various laxities in its report compiled after visiting various collection centres. The report has been submitted to the director (horticulture). It terms lack of fleet as a major factor behind low procurement in September. Even when officials themselves arranged trucks to lift the fruit, no freight was paid to them, the report says. This led to lower fruit arrival at the Parwanoo-based auction centre where only a few traders turned up to buy it. The officials said this led to local traders monopolising the auction rates, leading to low prices, causing loss to the exchequer. The report also took note of the fact that in some cases an officer was entrusted the task to look after more than one collection centres located far away. This made it difficult for him to proper oversee lifting. The report mentions that stations like Santoshinagar, Giltari, Nakrari, Nandpur, etc., suffered due to these laxities where apple bags kept lying uncollected or days. Being perishable in nature, it is mandatory that the fruit reaches the markets at the earliest, otherwise it will fetch lower price. The government has authorised two agencies to procure apples under the MIS, including the Co-operative Marketing and Consumer Federation (HIMFED) and the HP Horticulture Produce Processing and Marketing Co-operation
(HPMC). Though a control room has been set up to ensure adequate transportation facilities, lack of fleet has hit smooth procurement. |
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Hamirpur gets Rs 6 cr for tourism
Hamirpur, October 13 Hamirpur, which has been famous for religious tourism so far, will soon have better infrastructure and facilities for tourists. A new parking lot will be constructed by spending Rs 2 crore while Rs 30 lakh have been allocated for establishing a tourist information centre at the district headquarters. Since lakhs of devotees come every year to pay obeisance at the Baba Balak Nath temple at Deoth-Sidh, the government has decided to develop pathways and a park by spending Rs 20 lakhs there. Another sum of Rs 75 lakhs has been allocated for providing better parking facilities to the devotees. A tourist information centre will also be established at Deoth-Sidh at a cost of Rs 30
lakh. Nadaun will also get a parking lot built at a cost of Rs 35 lakh. Another Rs 20 lakh will be spent on improving civic amenities. A tourist information centre will also be established at Nadaun at a cost of Rs 25
lakh. Suajanpur, which is very famous for annual Holi festival and has many places of historical interest, will get Rs 25 lakh for a parking, Rs 25 lakh to civic amenities and Rs 20 lakh for a tourist information
centre. Similarly, a tourist information centre will be set up at Bhota for which a amount of Rs 25 lakh has been allocated, a parking lot will be established by spending Rs 15 lakh while Rs 10 lakhs will be spent on providing civic amenities. The DC, Hamirpur, confirmed the sanctioning of Rs 6 crore for the integrated tourism development plan for the district. “Hamiprur, Bhota, Deoth-Sidh, Sujanpur and Nadaun will get several facilities under the scheme,” he added. |
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Arrested teachers released on bail
Shimla, October 13 The PTA Teachers Association alleged the police had violated legal provisions by not producing the arrested teachers before a magistrate within 24 hours. They were taken from Chhota Shimla to Boileauganj and finally to the Dhalli police station from where they were released. Vice-president of the association Pankaj Kumar said four fasting teachers, Kanwar Singh, Rajender Jhamta, Abhishek and Karn Raj, continued with their fast even in police custody. They would sit at the same venue from where they were arrested and continue the fast, he added. He said the association had filed a petition in the high court to refrain the police from forcibly removing protesting teachers and allow them to stage peaceful protest, which was their democratic right. Meanwhile, the Students Federation of India has condemned the repressive measures being taken by the government to crush the agitation of the PTA teachers. Chamba: A district-level rally was organised by PTA teachers here today in protest against the manhandling of PTA teachers by the police who have been on hunger strike in
Shimla. District leaders of the Himachal Pradesh PTA Teachers Association alleged that the police was acting in a "biased" manner. Extending wholehearted support to the PTA teachers on hunger strike, they demanded suspension of guilty police officials involved in this episode and demanded clarification from the government. |
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Cong playing politics: Assn
Nurpur, October 13 Sushil Sharma, state president of the association, in a statement said the then government had made these appointments as time-gap arrangement to tackle the dearth of teaching staff in the government schools. He said these appointments had been made by ignoring merits and eligibility as unwarranted and poor show of politics. He said there was no justification of opposing revocation of illegal appointments, as the present government had been recruiting teachers on regular basis. |
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Mock quake drill on Nov 7
Shimla, October 13 While the entire state falls in sensitive zone, Kangra and Shimla have been ranked as highly sensitive zones. In view of such a situation, a mock drill was one of the ways to rehearse the response plan jointly by the various government departments and NGOs. Deputy commissioner J.S. Rana said the administration was preparing a disaster master plan to put the response teams in action in minimal time. He asked various departments concerned and the Army and the paramilitary forces to draw their action plans to deal with such situations and submit suggestions within a week so that these could be incorporated in the master plan. He said entire government machinery should work in unison and avoid contradictions to cope with such situations. He said funds would not come in the way of immediate relief and rescue operations to save lives. Each department should submit a detailed report of the available machinery and manpower besides listing their requirements. Rana said Shimla was highly congested and precarious housing structures posed a serious threat in the eventuality of a major disaster. It had been divided into six sectors, each of which would be supervised by a magistrate, while rural areas would be under SDMs, BDOs and
tehsildars. Additional district magistrate Gopal Sharma gave a presentation on earthquake disaster and action plan of the departments concerned. |
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Sweetmeat sellers warned
Bilaspur, October 13 He said weighing carton along with the sweets was illegal and the shopkeepers can be hauled up for the same if any customer complains regarding it. The DC also urged the customers to be vigilant in this matter and pay separately for the carton if they require it and see that the shopkeeper does not deceive them by weighing any carton or container with sweets or any other commodity. He said the government is taking suitable steps to keep proper check on prices here in the district and as many as 11 shopkeepers were challaned by the concerned department during September in Jhandutta and Naina Devi tehsils in the district here. He said total 56 trading premises and shops were inspected for any over charging during
this period. He said these challans were done for less weighing, non-stamping of weights and measures, sale of underweight oil bottles and other containers and weighing carton along with sweets by the
shopkeepers. |
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Raids on fair-price shops
Hamirpur, October 13 The minister raided fair price shops at Nadaun, Baloohn and few other places and reportedly found irregularities at few ration depots in ration distribution. The sudden raid by the minister led to fleeing of few depot holders in the area. Later, while talking to the mediapersons at Nadaun, Dhawala said these raids were being conducted to check irregularities in the PDS ration supply by fair price shops and depot holders. He said, “Few salesmen working in the ration depots were involved in corruption as they were not paid adequate salary and to check this practice the government has decided to pay minimum Rs 3,000 as salary to them.” He said, “The government would also take steps to roping in unemployed youths and ex-servicemen for opening of ration depots.” Dhawala said, “The state government is also trying to improve economic conditions of few societies running ration depots by providing them financial help through the financial institutions.” He said irregularity in the PDS ration would not be tolerated and strict action would be taken against the culprits. |
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Ahluwalia’s remand extended
Shimla, October 13 The court extended the police remand by a day and the final order was likely to be passed tomorrow. The state pleaded for extending the remand by seven days on the ground that further interrogation was required to ascertain the sources of unaccounted money. The accused had remained hospitlised, as a result he could not be
interrogated. Counsel for Ahluwalia maintained that he was fully cooperating with the investigating agency and he was being unnecessarily kept in police custody despite his poor health. After hearing arguments of both the sides the judge reserved order on the application. Ahluwalia who is suffering form high blood pressure and increased sugar level remained hospitalised. He was arrested from his residence in Panchkula on October 8. While no Congress leader has come out in support of Ahluwalia , the President of the Shiromani Akali Dal (A) Simranjit Singh Mann has lambasted the state police for interrogating Ahluwalia in hospital which reflected the inhuman approach of
the authorities. He said that the hill state was emulating Punjab in wreaking political vendetta under the BJP rule which had scant regard for
human rights. The police remand was not required in such corruption cases and it was obvious that the intention was to
torture him. The Dhumal government had set a bad precedent by treating him like a hardened criminal which would have a demoralising effect on
the bureaucracy. The behaviour of the police had been uncivilised and against all norms of democratic set-up. |
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Anganwari workers protest
Hamirpur, October 13 The anganwari workers assembled at the bus stand and marched to the DC office carrying placards and raising their demands in a procession. They staged a dharna in front of the DC office before submitting a demand charter to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal through the DC. The anganwari workers demanded- declaring them as government employees, announce minimum wage for them, to give Rs 500 per month for additional work carried out by them, implement pension scheme and consider them for filling various posts in the government departments. Before this they also held a rally at the Gandhi Chowk, which was addressed by state general-secretary of the union Jayanti Duggal and BMS leader Ramesh Rana, who urged the CM to fulfil demands of the anganwari workers. |
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UGC team visits HPU
Shimla, October 13 Led by vice-chancellor of Panjab University R.C. Sobti, the team interacted with Himachal Pradesh University’s vice-chancellor Sunil Gupta and other professors. The team was apprised of the research activities being carried by the institute through a Power Point presentation. Gupta said a lot of work had been done but a lot of research still remained to be carried out. The institute had significant achievements to its credit and had a bright future. Sobti expressed satisfaction over the progress made in research projects undertaken by the institute and appreciated the work. He advised the executive body of the institute to define focus areas under various projects and work under time limit. |
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Cut in grant hits aided colleges
Dharamsala, October 13 As per the government notification issued in March, the grant-in-aid to these colleges has been restricted to maximum limit of 50 per cent. Earlier, these colleges were covered under the grant-in-aid of 95 per cent, while the private managements running the colleges contributed 5 per cent. Over the years, as per the policy guidelines from the
UGC, the grant-in-aid to private colleges had been decreasing. The said colleges were getting grant-in-aid of just 70 per cent before the present notification. However, the further cut of 20 per cent on the said colleges would force them to generate their own resources either by increasing the fee structures or by starting new self-financing courses. The previous government in order the save the private aided colleges from collapsing after reduction in grant-in-aid had taken over many such institutions across the state. Some of the colleges that were taken in 2006 include DAV College Daulatpur in Una district, SD College Baijnath and a private college in Thural constituency of Kangra district. The government had also taken over
SVSD, Bhatoli. However, its takeover was struck down by the state high court in the recent past. The employees in the aided colleges have condemned the government policy of taking over the aided colleges or reducing their grant-in-aid. They have maintained that present annual liability of aided colleges on the government is Rs 10
crore. The aided colleges are performing better than the government colleges. Such institutions also do not create any permanent liability on the government. So, the government should encourage the aided institutions rather than converting them into government institutions. They have also alleged that the government policy for taking over the aided institutions was not in favour of employees. The employees in aided institutions are also selected as per the norms of Himachal Pradesh University. Still as per the takeover policy the government is considering them as fresh employees. This would mean that any employee even on the verge of retirement in aided institution would be considered as fresh employee after government takeover. In case of SVSD College,
Bhatoli, six teachers who had been teaching in the college for more than two decades were reduced to schoolteachers. They were demoted on the plea that anybody now intending to get recruited in government college should either have clear UGC or should possess M.Phil degree. However, the affected teachers of aided colleges had been maintaining even the lecturers who were recruited in government about 20 years ago also did not have the said qualifications. |
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Manali-Sarchu road to be closed from Nov
Shimla, October 13 A spokesperson for the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) said that weather conditions and snow did not permit any movement of vehicles through these passes during the winter months. The BRO would not be in a position to carry out snow clearance operation for rescue and evacuation in case of any accident after
October 31. In case vehicles got stranded due to bad weather or any unforeseen circumstances the BRO would not be responsible for any loss of life and property thus caused. He advised the general public not to take any chances by plying vehicles on the road. |
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Singhal expresses concern over conversions
Chamba, October 13 Singhal expressed concern over the alleged religious conversions in the country. After the incident of Orissa, the VHP had launched nationwide efforts to strength the organisation, Singhal said. The training camp organised at Chamba was a step in that direction, he said. He appealed to the VHP activists to be ready to meet any threat posed by Maoism and terrorism. The training camp was aimed at brooding over the strengthening of the organisation. State vice-president Vishnu Dutt was also present on the occasion. |
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Potholes galore on Kalka-Shimla NH
Kumarhatti, October 13 The highway condition has also worsened near the roadside dhabhas and eating joints where the owners and workers used to throw water on the road quite often. Similarly, the road has also borne the burnt near the natural sources along the highway where trucks and other utility vehicles stop for cleaning purpose. Ironically, it is unusually a bitter welcome to the state for motorists at Parwanoo where after crossing the heavy traffic jam stretch between Pinjore and Kalka, they witness road full of potholes and cracks. The potholes never allow the motorists to drive smoothly even for five minutes. The condition of the highway, particularly near Sanwara and between Dharampur to this town, has deteriorated badly. These stretches have many potholes whose sizes were increasing with the passage of
each day. At Sanwara, the hub of roadside dhabas, the road has broken at many places. One has to face a bumpy drive while crossing through
Sanwara. Similarly, from Dharampur onward till this town the bad condition of the road forces the motorists to move at a
snail’s pace. |
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Cong gears up for poll
Chamba, October 13 He addressed a series of public meetings in Banikhet, Rajnagar and Chamba assembly constituencies. “The credit goes to the Congress government for the village-to-village level development in the state,” the MP said. He said the National Employment Guarantee Yojna and Bharat Nirman were the flagship programmes launched by the UPA government. |
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Coop bank settles 1985 cases
Shimla, October 13 A spokesperson for the bank said in 719 cases involving an amount of Rs 58,30,822 pertaining to 2006-07 a rebate of Rs 25,44,909 was given. Similarly, in 1266 such loan cases with an aggregate amount of Rs 1,29,31,783 for 2007-08, cases were settled by providing a rebate of Rs 80,87,843. The maximum credit limit of the bank has been raised to Rs 5626 crore for the year 2008-09. |
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Ex-Army men up in arms over polyclinic
Nurpur, October 13 League chairman Lt Col N.S. Pathania in a statement here today alleged that the Defence Ministry had opened 227 polyclinics in big cities and towns in the country under the ‘Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme’, but ignored the interest of nearly 10,000 ex-Army men of this far flung area despite the fact that 90 per cent of soldiers who joined the Indian Army hailed from rural areas. He said the state government had already raised the longstanding demand of polyclinic at Nurpur for the defence authorities. However, no heed had been paid so far. Pathania said every soldier or Army officer used to pay in the ex-servicemen contributory health scheme during the time of his retirement, but health service being rendered to them was far from satisfactory. He stressed the need to provide at least transport facility to the beneficiary to carry him to the nearby polyclinic in case if it was not possible to set up a polyclinic in the Nurpur area in lower Kangra district. |
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Two killed in car accidents
Nahan, October 13 The police said Kanchan Dorje Jhamba, assistant commissioner, Income Tax, Shimla, was today killed on the spot when his Zen (HP03C-0033), which he was driving, fell into over 600-metre deep gorge, near Naina Tikker about 65 km from here. Jhamba was on his way to Nahan from Shimla. The police said he was alone in the vehicle. He failed to negotiate a curve near Naina Tikkar and his vehicle rolled into the gorge. The body has been sent for a post-mortem after registering a case. In another road accident, Vijay Kant (45), a resident of Maryog village, was killed on the spot and Anil Kumar was critically injured when a Maruti car (HP 14-0695) in which they were travelling rolled into over 400-metre deep trench, near Kasar village, on the Maryog-Dharyar road under Pacchad tehsil today. The villagers immediately rushed to rescue them. They were rushed to Sarahan Primary Health Centre from where Anil Kumar was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. The cause of accident was not known immediately. A case has been registered. |
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Four injured in acid attack
Sundernagar, October 13 According to the Mandi SP, the police has registered a case against the accused, Jai
Lal, a shopkeeper in Mandi town, under Sections 452, 307 of the IPC. The police is still searching for the accused. As per the police, the accused and the victim were having shops at Samkheter Bazar of Mandi town and they had stained relations with each other. On Saturday evening around 8.45 pm the accused entered in some altercation with the victim and threw acid on Rajesh
Sehagal, Seema Sehagal, their son Parteek (9) and Sajeev Arora, which he had brought in a jug and immediately ran away from the spot after the incident. The other persons of the locality immediately shifted the victims to the Zonal Hospital,
Mandi, who were still stated to be in serious condition. |
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Kullu to witness Ashvmedha yajna
Kullu, October 13 This was stated by Maheshwar Singh, former MP and chief “chhadibardar” (caretaker) of the chief deity of Kullu and descendant of former ruler of Rupi (Kullu) Raja Jagat Singh, here today. There had been only one instance of such a yajna in the history (by Lord Rama) and this would be the second one, he claimed. Meanwhile, “Chhoti Jagati” was convened at the camp temple of Raghunathji here today. Hundreds of deities participated in it. Jagati is convened to decide the future course of action to cope with feared happenings. |
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Workshop begins
Hamirpur, October 13 Coordinator of the programme Prof Piar Chand said the TEQIP project had been launched in India by the World Bank and through these workshops the team would apprise the students, teachers, parents and elected public representatives of various aspects of the technical education to attract more students from the tribal areas towards the technical education. |
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