Dharamsala, November 7
The Dalai Lama’s envoys, Kelsang Gyaltsen and Kasur Lodi Gyari, have returned empty handed from China after the eighth round of talks with the Chinese authorities.

They have refused to give any statement regarding the outcome of their week-long talks. In a statement issued here, they have maintained that they will not like to comment on the outcome of the talks before the special meeting of Tibetans to be held at Dharamsala on November 17. The meeting has been called to decide the future course of action as regards the campaign they have been carrying against China.

Certain sections of Tibetans are reportedly in favour of changing the stance from seeking autonomy to seeking complete freedom. Certain Tibetan NGOs, including the Tibetan Youth Congress that spearheaded the agitation against organising Olympics in China in March this year, is in favour of seeking complete independence for Tibet.

Recently, the Dalai Lama, who has been seeking autonomy, had also expressed frustration over no headway in talks with China. He has also stated that the Tibetans-in-exile would be allowed to decide on the future course of action.

Meanwhile, sources said the Chinese officials had told the envoys of the Dalai Lama that not even semi-independence to Tibet was acceptable to their government.

The Dalai Lama has been advocating meaningful autonomy for Tibet. They have been proposing that three provinces of Tibet should be converted into Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) under the sovereignty of China. However, the Chinese officials have completely rejected any form of independence for Tibet in the recent talks.

Meanwhile, the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) here today alleged that the Chinese officials were arbitrarily convicting Tibetans on flimsy charges. It alleged that 55 Tibetans had been so far convicted on various charges since the March uprising and sentenced up to five-year imprisonment. It has demanded that an international fact-finding committee should be allowed to look into convictions of Tibetans.

Hamirpur, November 7
While more than four years have elapsed after an inquiry indicted some office-bearers of the water users’ association of Thana village and an officer of the Agriculture Department in a case of alleged embezzlement of over Rs 2 lakh under the watershed development project, the administration has not been so far able to recover the money or initiate any legal action.

The information about the case has been obtained under Right to Information Act.

The case pertains to 2004 when the then DC of Hamirpur had ordered an inquiry acting on a complaint against the water users’ association of Thana village for alleged embezzlement of Rs 2.19 lakh under the watershed development project funded by NABARD. The inquiry was entrusted to the deputy director (agriculture), who submitted his report on June 1, 2003.

The report said: “No official record like measurement book (MB) was maintained and even forged bills were raised for carriage work and other items.” The inquiry also brought to light that the bottom of water reservoir had started leaking immediately after its construction due to substandard work.

The report was submitted to the DC about four years ago. It clearly pointed out that there had been embezzlement of government funds. However, it was only a few months ago that the DC ordered to recover Rs 2.19 lakh from the persons concerned.

There are reports that the people involved in the episode are trying to exert pressure through some politicians to delay the recovery process.

Action in the case is important since about 40 more inquiries are pending in connection with 133 watershed projects for which NABARD had given Rs 7.29 crore.

Hamirpur ADM Vijay Chandan said, “We have asked the Agriculture Department to recover money from the people concerned in a time-bound manner.”

Deputy director (agriculture) A.S. Rana said, “We have already issued two notices for the recovery of funds. After the third notice, the matter will be sent to the DC for further action as per law.”

Shimla, November 7
Demanding the scrapping of the agreement signed with the JP group for the setting up of the Vivekanand Medical Research Trust (VMRT), the CPM today accused the BJP regime of privatising health services.

The state secretariat of the CPM met here today. It condemned the government for hoodwinking the people of the state on the transfer of Vivekanand Trust to the JP Industries under the guise of the JP Trust. “A sum of over Rs 25 crore were mobilised by way of donations right from the top industrialists to the common man and now it has been handed over to the JP group whose credentials are well-known,” said Rakesh Singha, secretary of the CPM state committee.

He said a piece of prime land measuring 41 acres was provided to the VMRT on 99-year lease for Re 1 and now it was being given to the JP group. “The BJP regime is hell bent upon privatising health services and making it out of reach of the common man,” he said.

He said initially it was said that this would be a super-speciality hospital but a ‘kaya kalp’ centre was set up that would now pass into the hands of the JP group.

Shimla, November 7
In an initiative to ensure quality medical services at the Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital here, the government has decided to get the institution accredited with the National Hospital Accreditation Board.

A master plan will be drawn up for additions, alterations and upgrading of the existing infrastructure with the help of a private consultant to ensure that it conforms to the standards laid down for accreditation. The Health Department has invited “expressions of interests” (EoI) for the purpose.

The diagnostic laboratories will be got accredited separately with the National Board for Accreditation of Laboratories. Once this happens, the patients will have little reason to doubt the reports of various diagnostic tests conducted at the hospital.

An exercise has also been initiated to put in place a hospital management information system to take care of all aspect of day-to-day functioning of the institution. The IT-enabled system will also help the authorities in effectively monitoring the functioning of the hospital and evaluate the performance of doctors and other staff to pave the way for the optimum utilisation of manpower.

The master plan will help restructure the hospital various blocks of which have come up as subsequent additions without much planning. One of the main objectives of the exercise is to shift the Kamla Nehru Hospital, which houses the gynaecology department of the college, to the main IGMC complex.

If the government succeeds in getting accreditation, it will be the first medical institution in the state to secure this recognition. The integrated information system will also help in disease surveillance.

Shimla, November 7
The Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam organised a lecture session covering various aspects of corruption as part of the vigilance awareness week programme, here today.

Chairman-cum-managing director of the nigam said corruption was a complex moral, social, political and economic problem that transcended the limits of law, crime and punishment. It affected society as a whole and undermined the rule of law.

Additional director-general of police I.D. Bhandari assailed the lax enforcement of anti-corruption laws for rampant graft in the country along with the depleting human values in materialistic society. He emphasised the need for extensive use of the Right to Information Act by common citizen for effectively fighting corruption.

Dr. S.L. Sharma, a former director of the Regional Institute of Correctional Administration, Chandigarh, called for a multi-directional approach to effectively deal with the multi-dimensional phenomenon of corruption.

The awareness week began with the administration of oath to employees in all projects and offices of the organisation. The celebrations concluded today with a quiz in which a large number of employees participated.

Shimla, November 7
Meera Ahluwalia, wife of IAS officer, Subhash Ahluwalia, booked in a disproportionate assets case was today granted anticipatory interim bail by the High Court.

Justice Surinder Singh while granting interim bail to Meera Ahluwalia, who is serving as a principal in a governemnt college directed the police authorities to present the entire records pertaining to the case before him on November 11.

Subhash Ahluwalia, who has been in trouble ever since the BJP assumed power was arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau to interrogate him about the bank deposits and properties amassed by him. The vigilance bureau had claimed that over Rs 1.34 crore deposits had been made in the 16 accounts held by Ahluwalia, his wife and two children which was far more than their known sources of income.

After having remained in police and judicial custody, even though he was lodged in hospital all this while, he got relief from the High Court as he was granted bail. Apprehending arrest, his wife Meera too moved the High Court today seeking anticipatory bail.

Having remained the principal private secretary to the chief minister during the Congress regime, Ahluwalia had been on the BJP hit list. His name had prominently figured in the charge sheet that the BJP while in opposition had submitted to the Governor for a probe. 

Shimla, November 7
Suspension of route permits for violation of traffic rules, installation of speed governors in buses, cancellation of driving licences of habitual offenders and provision of photo identity-badges for drivers are some of the measures proposed by the government to check road mishaps in the wake of the recent bus accident near Kufri that claimed 45 lives.

Transport minister Krishan Kapoor said here today that the government was considering delegating powers to the director of transport for taking punitive action, including suspension or even cancellation of route permit, if an operator violates traffic rules. It had been decided to install speed governors to ensure that vehicles plied within the prescribed speed limits.

A number of drivers had got fake driving licences made from distant states. The authorities concerned had been directed to verify all licences before renewal. Within the state, licences would be granted only to those who had undergone training in driving schools.

He said it had been noticed that the private transporters often make conductors or untrained persons perform duties in the absence of regular drivers. The government had now decided to issue photo identity badges to authorised drivers which they would require to wear while at the wheel. This would enable the passengers to make out whether or not a trained driver was at the wheel. A state-level control room would also be established.

Shimla, November 7
Even as the politics of taking credit for the opening of a medical college at Mandi refuses to die down, Health minister Dr Rajeev Bindal today refuted Congress claims that it was due to their efforts that the Centre had approved the mega project for Himachal.

In a statement issued here today, the minister said it was the BJP regime which took the initiative and completed all the formalities during the past eight months for the setting up of an ESI hospital at Mandi. “In case the Congress was so keen on setting up of a medical college at Mandi why did it not do in their five-year tenure rather than issuing a post-dated notification which had no cabinet approval or budgetary provision,” he said.

He said it was on October 22 that the Director General of ESIC, Prabhat Chaturvedi informed the state governemnt about the approval to the project for setting up an ESI hospital and medical college at Mandi. The state governemnt has already identified a chunk of land measuring 25 acres for the setting up of the project, he added.

He lashed out at the HPCC chief, Thakur Kaul Singh for indulging in petty politics and misleading the people of the state.

Shimla, November 7
State Congress president Kaul Singh has charged the Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal with misleading people on the Mandi medical college issue and asserted that the previous Virbhadra Singh regime had notified the institutions only after taking a Cabinet decision.

Reacting to the statement of Dhumal that the Congress government had proposed a medical college in the private sector, here today, he said in Cabinet memorandum the proposal was for a private institution . However, after discussion the Cabinet decided to set up a college at the headquarters of the central zone in government sector taking notice of the fact that the two other zones had a government medical college each.

He said the notification regarding opening of a government medical college at Mandi was issued in pursuance of the Cabinet decision. Institutions could not be notified without a proper Cabinet decision, he pointed out.

He said Dhumal was in the habit of taking credit for the projects and programme initiated by the previous government. He was even terming the Rs 3600 crore Asian Development Bank loan negotiated by the Congress regime as his achievement. 

Shimla, November 7
On the occasion of World Cancer Awareness Day today, the Departments Of Community Medicine And Radiotherapy of the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) launched an awareness campaign, which will continue throughout the month. A rally by students was also organised to aware public about it.

An exhibition has been put up on the Ridge, informing people about symptoms of the disease. The campaign to generate awareness about the disease would include holding of camps, rallies, seminars, poster competition, information and education campaign throughout the month.

Awareness camps will be held at Mashobra, Shoghi, Dhami, Boileauganj and Padam Dev Complex at The Ridge. 

Nurpur, November 7
The alleged irregularities in the PTA appointments, which has generated much heat between the ruling BJP government and the opposition congress party, has been exposed at Jawali subdivision following the annul of 26 out of 28 appointments made during the previous regime in nearly 19 government schools.

SDM Jawali Mohar Singh said the inquiry was conducted for 33 PTA appointments, of which five inquiries were yet to be completed and only two out of the 28 appointments found justified.

He said in 26 cases, merits were ignored and experience certificates submitted by the beneficiaries had been found manipulated.

“Moreover, in some cases marks in viva during interviews were found twisted at the cost of eligible candidates,” he added.

The SDM said inquiry reports with recommendation of the cancellation of appointments were being submitted to the PTAs concerned and heads of the schools for further action.

Meanwhile, the state president of the Unemployed Trained Graduate Teachers’ Association Sushil Kaushal sought inquiry into all appointments made during the previous regime.

Hamirpur, November 7
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today held a meeting with DC, SP and other officers of the district to review the progress of various ongoing projects in the district. He directed the officials to be more sensitive and responsive towards the problems of people and try to solve these at the earliest.

He said the state government was committed to the development of the state and the administration should take every step to realise the commitment. Deputations of different organisation also met Dhumal.