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EC nod paves way for Kasauli development plan
Hamirpur Candidate
Anurag blames Cong for people’s
miseries
Cong, BJP trade charges on yajna issue
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Obscene SMS Case
Ragging case: Cong seeks judicial probe
Law alone may not help end ragging, say academics
Magisterial probe to be over by March 26
Don’t politicise issue, says Bindal
Man duped of 20.15 lakh in e-mail scam
Book released
Nalwari Mela begins
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EC nod paves way for Kasauli development plan
Shimla, March 17 In view of the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections being in force, the state government had referred the matter to the Election Commission of India through the state election department. Sources confirmed that the clearance from the commission for going ahead with the approval of the development plan was received by the state government today. As such, the plan is likely to be approved by the cabinet shortly. A public interest litigation (PIL) with regard to preservation of the Kasauli area from environment point of view has been pending in the high court. As such, it is on the directions of the high court that the Town and Country Planning Department has prepared the development plan for the Kasauli planning area. The plan can be submitted in the court only after the cabinet grants approval to it. The approval of the plan will now pave the way for regulated construction activity in the Kasauli area, which is under strict control now. In fact, it is on the directions of the high court that a committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner, Solan, has been constituted to keep a check on unauthorised structures being raised in violation of norms and high court directives. At present, there is a complete ban on construction of big projects above Rs 25 lakh in view of the fragile ecology of the area. Although the development plan of Kasauli was approved in 1996, in view of the excessive construction activity on the periphery of Kasauli, the government included nine villages in the plan and called it Greater Kasauli. The area, which will be covered under the Kasauli planning area, includes the entire area outside the cantonment area along with the recently included nine villages. As per the PIL filed by the Save Kasauli Society in 2006, it had been demanded that there should be strict regulation on construction in view of the threat to environment. It has been pointed out that the new structures were beyond the carrying capacity of the area and the excessive earth cutting had adversely affected the water table. The approval of the Kasauli development plan will pave the way for undertaking regulated construction activity in the area, which, at present, is under strict regulation. |
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Hamirpur Candidate
Hamirpur, March 17 Sources in the party said the observer had been sent at the instance of AICC chief Sonia Gandhi since various committees of the party had not been able to reach unanimity on the issue. “The purpose behind sending an observer is to assess the winning prospects of various probable candidates,” they said. “While Narender
Thakur, who joined the Congress after revolting against the BJP, seems to be a front runner for the party ticket, a section of state Congress leaders have been trying to stall his candidature by raising the issue at various meetings of the party,” they added. Besides Narender
Thakur, the name of former cricketer Madan Lal has also been doing the rounds in political circles. The latter has reportedly shown his willingness to contest from
Hamirpur. As the Congress has already almost decided other three candidates from the state and BJP candidate Anurag Thakur has already started campaigning, the Congress high command also intends to finalise the candidate for the Hamirpur seat soon, sources maintain. However, no Congress leader is ready to come forward to comment on the issue. |
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Anurag blames Cong for people’s
miseries
Hamirpur, March 17 Addressing corner meetings at Sanai, Badehla, Ansara, Kirpal, Majhian and Jhaleda, he took a dig at the Congress for not finding a suitable candidate to contest against him from Hamirpur. He said, “The Congress has not been able to find a candidate to contest from Hamirpur and different names like that of actress Priety Zinta and former cricketer Madan Lal are being floated everyday. However, as soon as these people come to know about the ground reality, they withdraw from the contest.” Criticising the previous state government, he said, “The Congress government had even played with the studies of school students and opened hundreds of schools without infrastructure and budgetary provision. The present government is now providing funds for these schools.” He said, “the policies of the UPA government at the Centre has led to large-scale unemployment in the country. Around 1.5 crore employees have lost their jobs while the state government has provided thousands of jobs to the unemployed youth.” Thakur said, “The state government has increased the plan outlay for OBCs substantially and launched various other schemes for their benefit.” |
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Cong, BJP trade charges on yajna issue
Mandi, March 17 The Congress has accused Meheshwar Singh of misusing his position as the chief representative of Lord Raghunath to whip up public sentiments over the yajna to draw benefit in the elections. “It was at Maheshwar Singh’s deliberated instance that the Raghunath Samiti had started the three-month-long yajna from March 13,” the party has alleged. Congress spokesperson for the Mandi constituency Vikas Kapur today said Maheshwar had been playing with religious sentiments of the people in the region. The Congress had brought it to the notice of the chief election officer to stop the yajna as it amounted to using religion for political gain, he added. On the other hand, Maheshwar Singh has refuted the Congress allegations and claimed the samiti had taken a decision to organise the yajna on February 20, while the election dates were announced on March 2. “The samiti does not take permission from the administration for organising religious activities,” he added. The Congress was trying to mix religion with politics, he alleged. State Chief Election Officer Anil Khachi maintained no candidate or party could use religion for political gains as per the model code of conduct. “As the code of conduct is in force, the ashvamedh yajna has been postponed by the organisers till elections are over,” he added. |
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Obscene SMS Case
Dharamsala, March 17 In a judgment passed today the CJM has decided to monitor the investigation in the case. He has directed the investigating officer concerned to file a weekly report of investigation in the court till challan is filed before the judicial magistrate at Palampur. Serving a reprimand on the vice-chancellor of the university the CJM has held that record shows that certain girl students made a written complaint that was received by the vice-chancellor on November 18, 2008. Subsequent complaint was made on February 3, 2009. However, no action was taken by the VC that shows indifferent attitude on his part towards the problem being faced by girl students. The vice-chancellor should have acted in a fair manner and tried to see that girl students are not harassed in any manner. The VC should have reported the matter against the head of the department to the police, instead of trying to shield him. Therefore, inaction on the part of the VC has to be depreciated in strongest words. The court has also pulled up the police authorities for not registering the FIR in a cognizable offence (allegedly sending obscene SMS to girl students). As per the order in Lalita Kumari Vs Govt. of UP case, the Supreme Court on July 14, 2008 has given clear directions to all states and union territories that a CJM or metropolitan magistrate will initiate action against the police officers who fail to register FIR in such cases. The court has also observed that the FIR in matter was registered under Section 354 of IPC after the court sought information from the VC and the SHO on the basis of this newspaper report. Both the above authorities tried to hush up the matter as FIR was registered just under Section 354 of the IPC and accused was bailed out. The court later asked the investigating officer why action was not taken under Section 67 of the IT act to which state had no answer. Today the SHO who was present in the court stated that action under the said IT act was being taken. The VC through the registrar has also been directed to circulate the copies of judgment among the girl students and hostel wardens. The girl students, including day scholars, will also be intimated by the registrar that if they have any complaint of criminal misbehavior they will be free to report the matter directly to police or to the court. The matter pertains to alleged sending of an obscene SMS by a head of the department of Palampur Agriculture University. He is now under suspension. |
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Ragging case: Cong seeks judicial probe
Shimla, March 17 General Secretary of the party Sukhwinder Singh said that as per available information the victim had informed the college principal and the local administration that he was being harassed 12 days before the incident but no action was taken in the matter. The authorities woke up only after Aman died after being beaten up by the seniors. It was a case of “administrative breakdown” for which the government was equally responsible. The unfortunate incident, which prompted the Supreme Court to intervene, had lowered the image of the peaceful hill state and dealt a serious blow to the plan of the government to make the state an education hub of the country. He said good governance had been the main casualty under Chief Minister PK Dhumal who had failed to provide clean, transparent and performing government. It was functioning only in the media and had nothing to show on the ground to back its claims on the development front. He said the popularity graph of the BJP had nose-dived rather fast and it would reflect in the ensuing Lok Sabha poll. Regarding the delay in finalisation of party nominee form Hamirpur seat he said that there was no controversy and all the party men would strive for the victory of whosever was given ticket by the high command. He said anyone who was a member of the party had the right to seek ticket but the final decision rested with the high command. Replying to a question he said no one was invincible and P.K.Dhumal himself lost the 1996 Lok Sabha polls from the seat. His son would meet the same fate in the ensuing election as people wanted to teach a lesson to the
BJP. |
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Law alone may not help end ragging, say academics
Shimla, March 17 There are several other aspects of the problem which create ideal environs for seniors to torment the juniors. The use of drugs and liquor has become common and there is no effective check on such undesirable activities within the campuses. Almost all serious incidents of ragging and violence on the campus involve students who were in the state of intoxication. The secluded locations away form the main towns, where most of the institutions have come up in recent years provide conducive environment for drug peddlers and liquor smugglers who are on the look out for young boys and girls. The fact that as most of the institutions lack basic facilities like eating joints and shopping complexes make the students dependent on dhabas and tea shops which come up in the periphery within no time. Liquor and drugs are freely available at such dhabhas and the management could not do anything as they are located outside the campus, laments director of a well-established professional institution in Solan district. As anti-social elements also converge on such joints it becomes more of a law and order problem the impact of which is felt inside the campus. Once under the influence of drugs or liquor the students could do anything. Proper policing around the instutions is the only solution but the responsibility rests with the administration, he points out. Such problems emerge as the safety and security of students is not taken into consideration while setting up institutions and it is hardly surprising that most of the new institutions are coming up at most inconvenient and unsafe location from the students’ point of view. Even the police and administration is not in position to keep a regular watch on the happening around the campuses. A senior professor of the local Indira Gandhi Medical College, however, maintains that the main reason behind the failure to curb ragging is that the managements usually succumb to pressure from various quarters, particularly politicians, and show leniency. The offenders are more often than not let off with light punishment. It only emboldens the wrong doers who know that they could get away with anything. The woes of the new entrants could be mitigated if the freshers’ party is held within the first week and they were introduced to seniors in the presence of the faculty, he suggests. |
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Magisterial probe to be over by March 26
Kangra, March 17 He was talking to the mediapersons at Tanda today. He said former principal of the college Dr Suresh Sankiyian, present prinicpal Dr Anil Chouhan, suspended hostel warden Dr Bansal, the doctor who conducted the postmortem and the SHO deposed before him. He said Dr Rajinder Kachroo, father of the victim Aman Kachroo, has been asked to depose before him in person or through mail on March 20. Meanwhile, the students and the faculty members of Dr RP Government Medical College (DRPGMC), Tanda, today took a pledge to make the college ragging free and paid tributes to Aman Staya Kachroo, 1st year student who died allegedly of ragging on March 8. Rajesh Sharma, president, Teachers Association, TMC, read out the pledge which was followed by the students and the faculty members. Earlier Dr. Parveen Sharma delivered speech on the concept of ‘ ‘Sankalapa’ and its implementation for the betterment of the self and society as per the guidelines of Bhagwat Geeta. Prinicpal Dr Anil Chouhan and medical superintendent Dr Bhano Awasthi headed the faculty members while taking the pledge. They took the pledge to make the DRPGMC to ‘Zero Ragging Campus’.
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Don’t politicise issue, says Bindal
Solan, March 17 Addressing mediapersons, he appealed not to politicise the issue as the state’s image had taken a drubbing at the national level. He said while the magisterial inquiry would look into each and every lapse whether at the level of the college administration or the doctors who failed to provide him timely help. When mediapersons brought the issue of rampant ragging in various professional institutes of Solan district, the minister said such incidents were taking place and the colleges adopted a casual approach to such complaints. Dismissing the demand of the opposition Congress, which sought his resignation, he said, “Though it was unfortunate that such incidents had taken place but the congressmen should introspect themselves and see what their government had done when acid was openly thrown on girls and murders took place in the educational institutes during their regime.” Dr Bindal also negated any laxity on his part in taking prompt action in the Aman Kachru case and said as soon as he received a phone call from a journalist on March 8, he had alerted the college administration to look into the incident. On the apex court serving a contempt notice to the state in the sordid Tanda incident, he said the state government would study the notice and do the needful. |
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Rohtang Pass to re-open by April 10
Manali, March 17 Mathur said massive efforts were being made to open the pass and to reach the top by the first week of April. The Manali-Leh highway had now become an alternative route to the frontier areas of Leh and Ladakh, he said. The 475-km Manali-Leh highway also played a crucial role in ensuring regular Army supplies, he added. The work of clearing snow was going on at a fast pace. Three independent groups had been deployed for clearing the 222-km Manali-Sarchu stretch of the Manali-Leh road, he added. Commander, 38, BRTF, SK Doon said the team from Manali was just short of the Rohtang Pass, The second team was clearing snow between Kokhsar and the Rohtang Pass while the third team (clearing snow towards the Baralacha Pass) had reached Patseo. He said the Manali-Leh road was also likely to be thrown open for traffic by the first week of May this year. The early opening of the Rohtang Pass would save money for the Border Roads Organisation and the state government that had to operate helicopter service to tribal areas in Lahaul-Spiti until the road link was restored, he added. |
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Man duped of 20.15 lakh in e-mail scam
Nurpur, March 17 The victim, in his complaint stated that he had remitted Rs 20.15 lakh on different dates with different amounts but later on he felt that a criminal conspiracy of cheating had been committed to him through the lottery scam. In this connection, Atul Fulzele, SP, Kangra, said ASP Ashok Kumar had been entrusted the investigations into the crime. The lure to become rich has deprived the victim of his hard-earned money for the time being. |
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Book released
Shimla, March 17 Chaudhary, a Shimla-based writer who has already penned several books on various aspects of Himachal, including its pristine beauty, unexplored areas and personal experiences of people during their stay here. Her latest book is a collection of articles based on the personal experiences of eminent people during their stay here in the hills. The book has articles contributed by Dalai Lama, Khushwant Singh, Ruskin Bond, Pankaj Mishra, Satish Gujral, Vepa Rao, V.S. Rama Devi, Vipin Pubby, Vidya Stokes, Deepak Gupta and Raja Bhasin among others. This book is not just a collection of articles but a tale flowing through time and space ‘ a story that beats with the hearts of people relating to their experience. The book captures the spirit of life in Shimla hills depicting the people, their culture and lifestyle.
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Nalwari Mela begins
Bilaspur, March 17 The Deputy Commissioner JS Rana honoured the chief guest by offering a shawl and memento. Earlier, Rana welcomed the chief guest and said all attempts had been made to make this fair enjoyable and useful for all those who would attend it. He said hundreds of renowned wrestlers would compete in its four-day wrestling bouts and the best wrestler would get a cash prize of Rs 51,000 apart from the silver mace called Bhim Gada. |
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