Dharamsala, December 13
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has ordered officials to the local government to act in a case in which a building owned by the municipal council, Dharamsala, was sublet further by a tenant.

In an interesting case while the municipal council, Dharamsala, had sublet a building to a private person at a monthly rent of about Rs 16000, he further gave it on rent to commercial organisations.

By this act the person by acting just as tenant of municipal council was earning rent times more than what he was paying to council. The government in a recent past had ordered a magisterial inquiry into the case.

The inquiry had indicted the former executive officer of the council of causing financial loss to the institution by allowing the tenant to further give government building on rent. However, no action was taken by the government even after the magisterial inquiry.

The Chief Minister while talking to The Tribune said that the action would be taken in the matter at the earliest and no official involved in the case would be spared. He directed the deputy commissioner to provide him all the details in the case.

The issue pertains to leasing out a rest house built by the council to a private person. The sources available here said that the council initially built the guest at an approximate cost of Rs 25 lakh. The building was then leased out to a private party.

After the allotment of lease the then executive officer of the council issued a no-objection certificate to the tenant concerned to further rent out the building.

The scenario is such that that the council is getting rent of just about Rs 16000 per month for the building constructed using public money.

The person to whom the building has been sublet is earning many times more rental income from the building.

The Dharamsala municipal council might find itself in a tight spot in another scam. It pertains to allotment of contract for parking lot in Macleodganj near church.

As per the information received by The Tribune under the RTI Act in 2002 the parking lot was given on contract for a period one year at a cost of Rs 31000.

The contractor deposited the initial amount of Rs 9330 with the council and did not pay any amount for the rest of the year.

He continued operating the parking place and at the end of contract pleaded that he did not do good business due to failure of administration to force people to park their vehicles in parking place.

Interestingly, the council in a resolution admitted the plea and allowed the waving off of the rest of amount by contractor.

The SDM, Dharamsala, DC Rana struck down the council resolution and imposed a penalty of 12 per cent per annum on pending amount on the contractor.

Dharamsala, December 13
The state farmers are reeling under acute shortage of fertilisers. Lot of hue and cry is being raised by farmers who are protesting in different parts of the state against shortage of fertilisers.

However, the apathy of certain bureaucrats is such that they are not lifting railway rakes of fertilisers that had been sent for the state.

The union ministry of fertilisers had sent two rakes of fertilisers for Himachal Pradesh. For the past two days the fertilisers have not been lifted by the departments concerned of the state.

The union ministry yesterday evening sent a message to Dhumal that the rakes were not being lifted from Chandigarh. The CM after receiving a message pulled up the department officials.

Though he could not contact the officials concerned, he called the secretary concerned to galvanise the officials into action.

The CM lamented the fact while he had lobbied hard with the union minister for fertilisers and chemicals Ram Vilas Paswan for getting the fertiliser quota released for the officials were not lifting it, that is likely to delay the supplies to the farmers.

The intervention of the CM might have got fertilisers lifted to state stores today but issue has brought to the fore laxity on the part of officials concerned.

The sources, however, told The Tribune that the demand for fertilisers has gone down in the state. The farmers required the fertilisers at the time of sowing wheat.

Mandi, December 13
Even as the Department of Education has implemented the NCERT pattern in class I to XII in all government-run schools in the state, but still the teachers are not using textbooks published by the HP Board of School Education instead they use guidebooks despite the ban on them.

Investigation by The Tribune revealed that, “Most of the teachers are using MBD guidebooks rampantly and they are not bothered to teach students from textbooks. The board spends crores of rupees on publication of school textbooks every year.”

Sources in the board revealed that it has over 20 distribution stores in the state, which are overflowing with textbooks, as there is no demand in the open markets.

Cross section of teachers and students revealed that they have to upgrade their knowledge through the guidebooks, which flood the markets before the textbooks are made available.

“We have never used textbooks in schools as teachers encourage us to use the MBD books,” said students of the senior secondary schools, who wished not be named.

“Even we are told that most of the questions are set from the guidebooks and not from the textbooks so we never thought the need to buy textbooks,” they added.

Though the board provides free textbooks to girls students up to class VIII, including students from the IRDP, OBC, SCs and ST, the demand for textbooks for these categories is sent to the board from each school through the deputy directors in each district each year, the sources added.

The queries from the teachers and the students revealed that the use of guidebooks in the senior classes is rampant.

“The syllabi for the higher classes have changed in the recent years and as such teachers are not well-versed and take help of guidebooks and encourage students to use them,” they added.

The insiders revealed that there was a nexus of the publishers of the guidebooks, teachers, private sellers and those who hold powerful posts in the department.

Director of the Education O.P. Sharma said it was the duty of the board to make the textbooks available in the markets.

The use of guides is banned in schools both for teachers and the taught and those found guilty action should be taken against them, he asserted.

Sharma said the department provides free textbooks to the reserved categories students, including girl students, in schools every year.

Nobody had brought the matter to his notice so far, he claimed, blaming the board for the shortage of textbooks in the markets.

On the other hand secretary of the board Prabhat Sharma said, “There was no shortage of textbooks of all classes with the board. We dispatch textbooks as and when we get demand from the schools and open markets.”

Sharma said there might have been shortage of some textbooks in some cases, but the board had brought out the publication of textbooks meant for the coming academic session. “We publish and supply textbooks on demand,” he added.

Shimla, December 13
Measures taken by the state secretariat administration to check wasteful use of electricity has drastically brought down the bill.

Power consumption in Ellerslie and Armsdale, the two multi-storeyed buildings housing secretariat, has come down by 1,41, 262 units over the past seven months, resulting in a saving of Rs 9,26,421.

The saving was huge considerate the fact that it has been achieved through small measures like switching off lights in rooms having adequate natural light, withdrawal of electric heaters which were being used despite the fact that the buildings were centrally air-conditioned and optimising the use of air-conditioners.

The employees have been instructed to switch off lights and computers before leaving for home after close of office.

It also reflects the casual and callous attitude of the employees who were least bothered about saving energy and did not bother to switch off the lights after closure of office.

The air-conditioning system was switched on as a matter of routine without giving a thought if it was really required in the prevailing weather conditions. To cap it all sahibs and babus have also been using electric heaters.

At the same time it has been decided that the exiting tubelights and other lighting devcies will be replaced by energy-efficient compact florescent lamps (CFL).

The normal incandescent lamps will not be purchased anymore, says additional secretary, state secretariat administration, Jai Sen Chauhan.

The government has launched the Rs 80 crore Atal Bijli Bachat Yozna under which 72 lakh CFLs are being distributed to the domestic consumers free of cost to help reduce consumption of power.

It has now decided to switchover to CFLs in all the offices. The state electricity board has already sent instructions to various departments for purchasing only the energy-efficient CFLs only.

Another interesting feature which has come to light is that the secretariat was paying about Rs 16 lakh to the state electricity board for use of air-conditioners as contract demand charges for the full year even though it was used only for four months from November 15 to March 15.

Apart from slashing the electricity bill such measures will leave more energy at the disposal of the board which could be sold at much higher rates to other states.

Shimla, December 13
The Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, Justice Jagdish Bhalla, has called upon the judges to inculcate all qualities associated with a good judge and be role model for society which had high expectations from the judiciary, the strongest wing of the constitution.

Inaugurating the ninth judicial officers conference here today, he said the responsibilities were more on judicial officers to deliver speedy justice to all, which had been declared a fundamental right under Article 21 of the constitution.

In the justice delivery system of the country criminal matters were given precedence over civil matters.

He said various ways had been suggested to tackle the problem of judicial arrears and delays to avoid suffering of the litigant public.

The Chief Justice said besides litigants, lawyers and judges were also facing great hardship due to delays.

He said the people blamed the judicial officers for delays, but they did not know and understand their difficulties.

Though the strength of judicial officers were less, quality should not suffer in the name of quantity.

He said the judges are making best efforts to reduce the backlog yet because of heavy filing and huge pendency it is not possible to carry this massive load.

Justice Bhalla said among the noble aims and objectives of the constitution the justice had been accorded the highest place to secure social, economic and political justice to all its citizens.

He said in country like India there is one unified judicial system with Supreme Court as the highest court and a high court in every state. Justice should not be denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities.

Talking about relationship between Bench and Bar, Chief Justice Bhalla said there was strong relationship between both and they have certain responsibilities. He said the institution would function best when both Bar and Bench respect each other.

He said this conference would help in strengthening judicial system and suggesting ways and means to mitigate the problems being faced by the judicial officers.

All judges of the high court and judicial officers from all over the state were present on this occasion.

Shimla, December 13
Noted theatre artiste Amala Rai, who has been working with jail inmates for the past more than a decade, will organise a month-long theatre workshop for undertrials at the local Kaithu Jail from December 15.

The workshop is being held under the aegis of Delhi Kala Karam (DKK), a non- government organisation, and sponsored by the National School of Drama (NSD).

After providing training in theatre skills to the prisoners, a play “Muabja” written by Bhishm Sahani will be produced and staged within the jail precincts.

Amala Rai said she had deliberately selected a comedy highlighting the socioeconomic reality of the poor as the objective of her effort was not only to help provide an outlet to the inmates for giving vent to their pent up emotions, but also to calm down their tense nerves.

The play had all male characters and only one female character which would be enacted by one of her fellow artists Jaineb Chandel.

General secretary of the DKK Saroj Vashishth said she had been working with prisoners for a long time and had found them very enthusiastic in theatre, yoga, writing and other activities organised from time-to-time.

Una, December 13
The district police has managed to crack an inter-state gang of dacoits. The gang comprised five members from Bassi Pathana in Fatehgarh district and Mandi Gobindgarh areas of Punjab.

The police sources here said the gang looted Rs 11.50 lakh from a businessman of Mandi Gobindgarh from the Bangana area of Una district on December 10.

The victims were employees of the Prem Steel company located in Mandi Gobindgarh. They had come to Una district on December 10 to make financial collections from their dealers.

The accused members of the gang had been allegedly keeping tap on the movements of steel company employees. They stole a Maruti car from Punjab and came to Una in it to commit the crime.

On the said day the company employees were coming back after making money collections from their dealers.

The gang members intercepted them in the Bangana area and snatched the cash from them. The driver of car and company accountant who were travelling in Indica car were beaten up.

The accused fled in the Indica car of the employees. However, the police got information about the crime and nakas were laid within 16 minutes.

This helped the police nab four culprits on the same day. However, the fifth accomplice managed to flee to Punjab.

The Himachal police yesterday evening tracked down the fifth member of the gang, tracing his mobile phone that was provided to them by already arrested gang members.

The arrested gang members have been identified as Sukhwinder Singh, Bahadur Singh, both residents of Bassi Pathana, Davinder Bir Singh of Jassran village in Mandi Gobindgarh, Karamjeet Singh and Rikki, both residents of Fatehgrah Sahib district.

Later, investigations by the police also revealed that the driver of Indica car that was looted by gang members Gurpreet Singh was also accomplice in the crime.

He has also been arrested. The police said the gang was active in Patiala and Fatehgarh district of Punjab.

Bilaspur, December 13
A number of leaders of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have objected to and have squarely condemned what they called “a calculated and conspiratorial attempt” to attack a family of Dalits at Dhaun Kothi gram panchayat near here on Thursday.

Led by former state president of the BSP Tulsi Dass Bansal and district general secretary Jitendera Dhiman around 24 Dalit leaders of this area said it is highly unimaginable that some people should still think of suppressing the Dalits even after more than six decades of Independence.

They warned the government that the Dalits would not tolerate such excesses any more and the BSP would be forced to make it an issue and start an agitation if no action was immediately taken in this matter.

These leaders said six Dalits, including women, were injured in this sudden attack and were rushed to the regional hospital here with multiple injuries.

They said though a case had been registered under Sections 506 and 354 of the IPC at the Barmana police station near here, no action had been taken against the guilty, who are men with resources and are now pressurising to suppress the case.

They said the accused should be arrested immediately and action ensured against them under the Scheduled Castes Prevention of Atrocities Act.

Meanwhile, SP Kuldeep Sharma said here yesterday that DSP Vinod Sharma had rushed to the spot of the incident and is investigating the whole matter and a case has already been registered under the SC Atrocities Act and strict action would be taken according to the law.

He said another counter case of rioting had also been got registered by the accused against this Dalit family, which is also being investigated.

Earlier, a Dalit woman of Dhaun Kothi village had registered a case of alleged assault on her by a panchayat functionary when she had gone to fetch milk from him at his house in Panjgaain village.

Later, it is alleged that the members of this Dalit family were attacked by the persons connected with the accused, though they were invited by an intermediary for talks to settle the matter amicably.

Large numbers of devotees throng to pay obeisance in the temple from all parts of country during these fairs.

Bilaspur, December 13
All people should co-operate in government’s endeavour to reduce power bills of the consumers apart from saving as much power as possible and the use of compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) was the only way to perform this miracle.

Kot Kehloor MLA and BJP state spokesperson Randhir Sharma said this while inaugurating a district-level distribution of free CFLs organised by the state electricity board here today.

Addressing the function, Sharma said the state government had named this project after former Prime Minister and top BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee as “Atal Bijli Bachat Yojna” and is distributing free CFLs to 16 lakh families at the cost of Rs 80 crore in the state.

In Bilaspur district, a total of 92,000 families were being provided these bulbs costing about Rs 4.5 crore.

Sharma said these new bulbs would save 242 million units of power in the state within a year and save Rs 88 crore in power consumption apart from reducing consumers’ monthly bills by 40 to 50 per cent.

He said this is a very beneficial deal as it would benefit all, including the government, the consumers and the state power board, as it would save power which could be utilised for other purposes, including expansion of industrial base of the state and also by selling the surplus power to the deficit states.

Superintending engineer D.S. Jamwal said each consumer is being provided with two 15 Watt and two 20 Watt bulbs in exchange for four conventional bulbs and the new bulbs would provide power equivalent to 75 and 100 Watt of power, respectively, provided by the conventional bulbs.

He said consumers can get these free CFLs from their bill counters after showing their last paid power bill.

This is against the provisions of the labour laws that the workers should get the payment of their wages before the seventh of every month.

Hamirpur, December 13
State general secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) and spokesperson of the party Kuldeep Rathor said the Congress would prepare a chargesheet on the alleged “misrule” of the BJP government in the state on completion of its one-year-rule on December 30.

He said, “While the BJP is organising a big rally on completion of one-year-rule in the state the Congress would prepare a chargesheet on its misrule to expose the BJP.”

He said: “The BJP government is claiming to have fulfilled 80 per cent of promises made in its election manifesto, in fact they should come out with a white paper on the works carried out by the government since most of the decisions made by the government are against its manifesto.”

Hamirpur, December 13
A campaign by political parties and a few other organisations opposing handing over of the district hospital at Hamirpur to the proposed private medical college by the state government has got a boost with the support from the Mandi Sangharsh Samiti and the Congress.

Addressing the convention organised jointly by the CPM, CPI, BSP and other organisations here today, president of the Hospital Bachao Samiti, Mandi, Prof Sunder Lohia not only rendered a wholehearted support to this movement, but also former district president of the Mandi District Congress Committee assured full support of his party.

Addressing a gathering of about 400 participants from different organisations, including elected members of the panchayats, Lohia said: “Though our constitution clearly talks of establishing a social welfare state with the government ensuring free education and medical facilities for the people, the government is bent upon handing over of the government hospitals to private parties, which has to be opposed.”

He said, “The movement launched at Mandi for quite sometime have got overwhelming response from the people and appealed the people to hold block and village-level conventions to mobilise support for this campaign.”

CPM leader D.R. Kashmir Singh said, “The private parties should establish their own hospitals if they want to establish medical colleges since this would not only deprive the common man the medical facilities, but also make the treatment costly being provided in district hospitals.”

Former district Congress president of Mandi district Kundan Singh Thakur assured full support of HPCC president Kaul Singh Thakur for campaign against handing over of government hospitals to private medical colleges.

State leader of the CPI Desh Raj Sharma, BSP district president Lal Singh Mastana and other leaders also expressed their solidarity with this campaign while addressing this convention.

Hamirpur, December 13
The Department of Applied Sciences and Humanities is organising a national conference on “Advances in Mathematics and its Applications” (AMA 2008) at the NIT, Hamirpur, from December 19 to 21.

Giving information about this conference, organising secretary of AMA-8 Dr Pawan Kumar Sharma said the conference is being organised to provide a platform to scholars and resource persons to interact and exchange information about their activities and latest advances in their areas of research in mathematical science.

He said the conference would have plenary talks by eminent mathematicians (from both pure and applied) and presentations by the contributors.

The faculty and researchers from the university regional centres, colleges and institutes of basics sciences and engineering from all over the country would be participating in this conference, he added.

Renowned persons from the field of mathematical sciences like Dr M.B. Banerjee (Bhatnagar Awardee), Prof M.B. Banerjee (Institute of Engineering, Lucknow), Prof P.R. Sharma (University of Rajasthan, Jaipur), Prof Rama Bhargava and Prof R.R. Bhargava (IIT Roorkee) and others would be attending this conference and 50 research papers are likely to be presented, the organisers said.

Palampur, December 13
The Palampur Welfare and Environmental Protection Forum (PWEPF) has urged the state government to impose a complete ban on the feeding of monkeys on various highways of the state by the visitors.

The state government should initiate effective measures in this matter and tourists should be discouraged to offer eatables to monkeys.

A letter regarding this was sent to Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal by member of the forum K.B. Rahlan. The forum brought to the notice of the Chief Minister that the Gagret-Chintpurni and Jawalamkhi-Kangra highways had become dangerous as groups of monkeys keep on roaming there in search of food.

A large number of tourists from Punjab, Haryana and other neighboring states come to Chintpurni, Jawalamukhi, Kangra and Chamunda temples daily, they feed monkeys because of religious reasons.

The government should initiate effective measures and install more signboards on the highways directing tourists not to offer eatables to the monkeys.

It was stated that the problem is acute on the Mubarkpur-Chintpurni and Jawalamukhi-Kangra highways in the district where large number of monkeys keep on waiting for tourists to come and offer them food.

People generally carry bread and channa for them in their vehicles, which had not only changed the habits of the monkeys, but they were gradually shifting to populated areas in search of food and creating problems for the residents.

Monkeys are not only creating problems to the residents residing near highways, but have also become a major environmental hazard, as empty food packets and wrappers of bread can be seen in large quantity on the highways and forests spoiling the clean atmosphere of the area.

The PWEPF said if feeding of monkeys was stopped, the environmental pollution could be checked.

Kullu, December 13
The Central Board of School Education (CBSE) had selected 30 students; 15 girls and 15 boys, from all over India under the exchange programme to Japan on the basis of excellence in academics and co-curricular activities.

Uday Singh Kanwar of the La Montessori School (LMS) at Kelheli in Kullu has the honour to be the only student from the Northern Region (Haryana, Punjab, Himachal, J&K and Chandigarh) as the young ambassador to represent India among the 30.

The student group had been sponsored by the Ministry for Human Resources and Development. Lalita Kanwar, principal of the LMS, said the school had earned many distinctions in the field of education and other activities at national-level and now we have been honoured to have our student to go international.

Lalita said these students after staying and getting orientation classes in Delhi reached Japan. She said the group would have educational exchange seminars, besides experiencing Japanese social, economic and scientific developments.

The principal further said the experiences in Japan would include home stay and exchange programmes in West High School Nagano, Prefecture Otemae High School Osaka, Prefecture High School Kyoto, and Amagi High School Kurashiki.

They would also attend farewell parties with host families, visit the Hokuto Company and Mitsubishi. They would attend different workshops in Japan and also get a chance to experience Japan’s pride its high-speed train system.