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Prerna Case
Building Deviations
Cong ticket to Madan Lal |
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World Water Day
Octogenarian beaten up at old-age home
Employees of Red Cross societies form union
Programme on protection of plant varieties
Resentment among JEs over promotion
Office-bearers of BJP’s SC morcha
Villagers raze freedom fighter’s house
8 injured in bus mishap
Tension in village after woman’s death
Himalaya Bachao Rally on April 9
BJP: Won’t be allowed foothold
Farmers to court arrest on April 12
Trees felled illegally
Ex-servicemen’s body to enter poll fray
Havildar dies in Pak firing
Army man killed
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Prerna Case
Mandi, March 22 The department has shut down the school being run by the NGO. It has also directed the deputy commissioners heading the “child welfare committees” in each district to “put in place preventive measures or
face action”. Most of the NGOs or trusts in the state are working in violation of the RCI norms and the PD Act as there is no system in place to monitor their functioning. Most of these organisations target to get funds and do not comply with the RCI norms. Under the RCI norms and the PD Act, NGOs and government agencies must have trained male educators and attendants for male children and trained female educators and attendants for female children. There are umpteen number of societies registered at district and sub-divisional level under the Registration of Societies Act, but there is no system to check their functioning, sources say. There are 12 state government-funded agencies and 12 central-funded agencies that have started orphanages and schools for special children in the state. Now, the district welfare officers have been asked
to enforce compliance with the RCI norms. Though most of the orphanages and schools for special children are run separately for boys and girls, but the Mahila Kalyan Mandal, Chamba, the Sisters Charity for Mentally Challenged, Una, and the Dinbandhu Seva Mandal, Bharnal, Mandi, have reportedly admitted both boys and girls in the same schools. The officials claimed these schools had been asked to run “either all-male or all-female schools”. “They will comply with the direction in the next session after March,” they added. Not only this, there are over 100 societies registered at district and sub-divisional levels in the state under the Registration of Societies Act and are involved in social welfare activities. “But there is no system to check their functioning,” sources said. Director, Social Welfare and Empowerment, Subhasish Panda said the department had asked all DCs to monitor that the provisions of the PD Act and RCI norms were being complied with by these organisations. “We are ensuring that all ashrams, schools, orphanages under the control of or funded by the department function separately for male and female children. The Sisters of Charity has separate rooms for boys and girls,”
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Building Deviations
Shimla, March 22 An official spokesperson today clarified that compounding of deviations on the valley side would be carried out up to the prescribed number of storeys, subject to the limit of 1.5 m above the road level. The cases permitted with lesser setback than 8 m in view of the rules and regulations in force at that time could also be considered for compounding. A no objection certificate would be required in such cases from the competent authority even after the date of submission, provided the application for compounding was filed within the stipulated period. He said parking floor was to be taken into consideration while calculating the prescribed number of storeys and it would have to be ascertained whether it had been converted for some other use. If so, it would have to be restored for parking and in case the height of the floor was more than the permissible limit of 2.3 m, it could still be compounded if within the overall height of building if it was being used
as parking. Attics could be considered for regularisation, provided these were of the prescribed height. These would count as a separate storey. In case any applicant by whom the permission had been obtained for lesser number of storeys than prescribed, permission for additional storeys could be granted, provided the construction was carried out prior to June 30, 2006. Owners of structure where only pillars had been raised on the top floor would be eligible for permission, provided the same was within the permissible floor area ratio and prescribed number of storeys for the area concerned. In case a slab had been laid on the top floor, compounding could be done irrespective of the prescribed FAR and coverage as specified in the rules and regulations, he added. |
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Cong ticket to Madan Lal
Shimla, March 22 The electoral arena will be virtually transformed into a cricket turf as captain of the World Cup winning team and the chairman of the ICL Kapil Dev will extensively campaign for Madan Lal. The game plan of the Congress is to give Anurag Thakur, who made his achievements as the president of the state cricket association as the main plank to win the byelection for the seat last year, a bit of his own medicine. How far the strategy will succeeds only time will tell, but an engrossing contest with a surfeit of cricket flavour is on the cards. The Dhumal government and the state cricket association instantly came forward to host IPL matches at Dharamsala after some other states expressed their inability to do so for security reasons. Kapil Dev and company will be also keen to humble a candidate from the rival cricket league in the electoral arena. The decision of the Congress high command to give nod to Madan Lal ahead of Narinder Thakur, son of late BJP stalwart late Jagdev Chand, has disappointed a large section of the electorate, who considered the latter as the strongest candidate to take on Anurag. Hamirpur has been a stronghold of the BJP, for which much credit goes to Jagdev, who was the main architect of the party in the region. By not giving the ticket to Narinder, the Congress has lost an opportunity to dent into the BJP stronghold. Further, the tag of “outsider” could pose a few problems for Madan Lal, who belongs to Hamirpur, but has settled outside. Over the past 20 years, the Congress has won the seat only in 1996 when it made a clean sweep at all four seats in the state. On the other hand, the BJP has won the seat seven times, including two byelections, during the period. While PK Dhumal won in 1989, 1991 and 2007 byelection, Suresh Chandel bagged the seat in 1998, 1999 and 2004. Anurag Thakur won the byelection last year after Dhumal resigned to take over as Chief Minister. |
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Swaroop inaugurates Nalwar fair
Sundernagar, March 22 While addressing gathering at the Jawahar Park after hoisting the flag she declared open the centuries-old fair where animals not only from the state but also from various adjoining states are brought for sale or exchange. She said the Nalwar fair of Sundernagar was not only the biggest cattle fair in Himachal Pradesh but also in the northern part of the country. She said with the passage of time now the dependency of farmers on bullock had decreased as the farmers were using tractors for agricultural operations so in order to make this fair more successful other animals just as cow, buffaloes, etc we also brought in the fair for sale, purchase and exchange. She also appealed the farmers not to abandon the cattle as this tendency was increasing in this hill state. She also inaugurated various exhibitions on this occasion. Earlier to it, Swaroop led a colourful procession from the PWD rest house to Naugan Khad where she performed puja of a pair of bullocks as per traditions and declared the fair open. Sundernagar MLA Roop Singh Thakur; president of the Municipal Council, Sundernagar, Husan Lal Sharma; chairman of the Marketing Committee, Mandi, Ved Sharma; Mandi DC Omkar Sharma; Mandi SP S Agnihotri; Sundernagar SDM RK Gautam and representatives of various organisations were present on the occasion. |
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World Water Day
Kullu, March 22 The activists cleaned the banks of the river and also the garbage stuck inside the river. President of the society Abhishek Rai expressed concern over the increasing pollution of rivers and water sources in the district. He revealed that according to a survey of GB Pant Institute, Mohal, near here, more than 58,000 kg of garbage was thrown into the Beas river everyday. In Kullu, from Ramshilla to Gandhi Nagar, most of the residents have connected their drainage pipes and even the overflow of the septic tanks constructed by the riverside to the Beas river. Earlier the Municipal bodies of the three towns, Kullu, Manali and Bhuntar, were throwing the solid waste into the river, but now these organisations have started using solid waste for organic fertilisers under the Norwegian project. However, even now more than 20 per cent of the waste was still thrown into the river by these local bodies, he alleged. The matter was repeatedly brought to the knowledge of the authorities, but to no avail. The indifference of the district administration and the local Municipal Council (MC) with regard to the practical approach about the deteriorating condition of the water sources, including the rivers, had become a matter of concern, Abhishek added. He said the administration believed in organising road march of children shouting slogans and holding placards. He alleged that the society had informed the district administration and the MC about the river cleaning function but none participated. General secretary of the society Shailesh Sharma alleged that the MC was also ignoring the directions given by the high court for keeping the rivers clean. He alleged that the garbage was being thrown in both the rivers passing through Manali, Kullu and Bhuntar towns. |
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Transmission line threat to environment
Sundernagar, March 22 The project situated at Prini in Kullu district has been violating the environmental and forest laws in the past and penalised to the tune of Rs 6 crore by the authorities. In order to transmit electric energy the project authorities have designed a 174-km long transmission line and about 600 towers would be constructed. The cost of this line would be Rs 250 crore. According to sources, the company has already erected 420 towers on private land and has done stringing of wires on 34-km land. The sources said the company would fell around 27,000 green trees (17,000 from private land and 10,000 from government land) and if the saplings were counted the number of trees would be much higher. The principal approval had been accorded by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, but no provisions for the dumping site had been made. The sources further said that the company had paid the compensation of trees to the farmers (in crores) and asked the farmers to remove the trees of their own. This act of the company was against the order of the state high court. While erecting the towers the executing agency had already removed a large number of green trees in violation of the high court orders but as per the existing provisions of law no execution of work could be done till the project is cleared finally. The innocent farmers who have received compensation for felling trees feared that they would be booked by the Forest Department. Forest officials confirmed that the government had not given any permission to fell trees on private land so far. A senior officer of the AD Hydro, Sundernagar, avoided to talk, however, an other officer said they were not in a position to talk with mediapersons as the person who was authorised to talk hold his office at Noida (UP).
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Octogenarian beaten up at old-age home
Bidhi Chand, 85-year-old inmate of an old-age home managed by the state government at Baijnath, was allegedly beaten up by an employee of the same centre. He had received several injuries on his body. Other employees of the centre tried to hush up the matter and no report was lodged with the police, senior officers of the state government or the Welfare Department. He was not even shifted to the hospital for treatment. On a visit to the centre this morning it was revealed that the incident took place last week. An employee of the centre thrashed the old man with a stick without any cause and threatened him not to disclose the incident or else he would be shunted out. Being helpless he remained silent for a week and continued to bear atrocities of the employees there. The old age home is situated in the Sabzi Mandi complex and there are total nine inmates, including three women. The state Welfare Department had posted six employees, to look after the inmates. Inquiries revealed that every third day there was an incident of beating in the old-age home. The employees of the centre instead of cooperating with the old persons harass them on one pretext or the other. The women inmates said there was no separate toilet for them in the old age home. No one bothers about their problem, when they complain, they were beaten up by the staff. They named two employees who gave then inhuman treatment. In charge of the Old-Age Home Nirmal Devi said the employee who was involved in the incident of beating had proceeded on a leave. Inquiries from the Baijnath police station revealed that no case had been registered, as the in charge of the home had not informed the police. All efforts were made to contact Welfare Minister Sarveen Chaudhry and director of the Social Welfare Subhashees Panda, but they were not available for comments. |
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Employees of Red Cross societies form union
Mandi, March 22 President of the Red Cross union KS Rana and general secretary Sanjiv Patial said there were over 200 employees working in 12 districts but most of them were getting monthly salaries at the whims and fancies of the secretaries. They have put in more than 10 to 20 years in service but were not regularised so far as they do not have any union to press on their demands, the leaders rued. Meanwhile, RTI bureau president Lawan Thakur, who chaired the meeting, said RTI information revealed that secretaries get Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 as salary, but most employees were not even getting salary as per provisions of the Minimum Wages Act. Each district Red Cross society gives 30 per cent as donation to the state-level society, the RTI information said. On the other hand, the state government gives Rs 5 lakh as grant to each district society and hence it must frame service rules for the employees as well, the leaders said. He said employees from six Red Cross societies- Mandi, Kangra, Hamirpur, Chamba, Kullu and Bilaspur attended the meeting here today and formed the union. The next meeting would be held in Hamirpur to chalk out strategy to
push their demands in which the RTI bureau would act as the coordinator, Lawan added. |
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Programme on protection of plant varieties
Palampur, March 22 Director of research SC Sharma underlined the importance of protecting intellectual property rights and cited the example of seeds of traditional crop varieties that needed registration with appropriate authorities. He said farmers must be made aware about the prevailing Farmers’ Right Act, 2001. The Centre had introduced a scheme to award farmers who conserved seeds of traditional crops. He also spoke on the strengths and weakness of Indian agriculture. Principal scientist of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Sudhir Kochhar expressed his views on intellectual property rights. Technical officer, Union Ministry of Agriculture, Sushil Kumar spoke about legal aspects of the Act. Scientist in charge, rice and wheat research centre of the university, RP Kaushik and head of the department of crop improvement, forages and grassland management BC Sood also spoke on the occasion. |
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Resentment among JEs over promotion
Kangra, March 22 State president of the IPH Junior Engineers Association JP Dutt said promotions of the JEs were withheld for a long time. He said concern was shown by the JEs today in a zonal-level meeting over the prevailing stagnation in the cadre. He alleged that the IPH Department had failed to accelerate the promotion process of JEs despite the fact that number of posts had already become due in their promotion share. Expressing shock Dutt said some of the JEs retired on the same post and some were likely to retire shortly. They remained craving for a single promotion throughout their service careers spanning over 30 years. Adviser to the state executive body of JEs SN Sood said the JEs demanded that IPH Minister Ravinder Singh Ravi should issue instructions to the concerned authorities to finalise the promotion process as the code of conduct does not come in the way as already clarified by the Election Commission. He urged the state government to prepare a common seniority list of degree and diploma holder engineers keeping in view the latest apex court ruling in which it was decided to treat degree and diploma engineers at par for the purpose of promotions to the higher cadre. During the meeting Trilok Dhiman was elected as zonal president, Sheer Singh as secretary and Vinay Batnagar as finance secretary. |
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Office-bearers of BJP’s SC morcha
Shimla, March 22 Roop Das Kashyap and Suresh Kashyap will be the in charge and co-in charge, respectively, for the Shimla seat, Desh Raj and Ganga Rma Teja for Kangra, Dile Ram and Kishori Lal for Mandi and Balbir Chaudhary and NR Shama for Hamirpur. He also appointed in charges and co-in charges for all 12 districts. Sukh Ram and Pradeep Kashyap will discharge the responsibilities for Shimla, Yashwant Negi and Ram Lal for Kinnaur, Harmel Dhiman and Fateh Singh for Solan, Balbir Chauhan and Hem Raj Kashyap for Sirmaur, Dhani Ram and Amarjit for Bilaspur, Damodar Das and Joginder Pal for Mandi, Gian Chand and Suram Singh for Una, Ruia Ram and Dinesh Kumar for Hamirpur, Ramesh Kumar and Shiv Chand for Lahaul-Spiti, Atma Ram and Naveen Dhiman for Kangra, Jai Singh and Hans Raj for Chamba and Tikambandhu and Door Singh for Kullu. |
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Villagers raze freedom fighter’s house
Mandi, March 22 The villagers were clearing the way for the link road to the Sundernagar canal, they claimed. As soon as the irate villagers started razing the two-roomed house at Samkal village, about 20 km from here, around 9 am, Lajja Sharma fled from the house in shock
and fear. Narrating her tale of woe she alleged more than 15 villagers, including a ward member, came there and started razing her house. “The roof and wooden plinth were broken and they threw her luggage and utensils outside the house,” she rued and burst into tears. She said her two brothers, sons of freedom fighter, had died about four years ago. She had been staying in the house over the years alone as her husband had deserted her, she said in a local dialect. Padnabhan’s wife was living alone in another house. When they intervened and informed the police the villagers fled the place, relatives said. It was some relatives of Lajja who informed the police around 5 pm. The villagers involved in the case disappeared from the spot. There was some dispute over the land between the two parties. Lajja had told them that they should first build up a house for her before they raze the old one, the police investigation revealed. Mandi SP Sonal Agnihotri said the police was lodging the FIR in the case and would put all those involved in the crime behind bars. |
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8 injured in bus mishap
Palampur, March 22 According to the police, a bus belonging to Prem Bus Service, which was on its way to Kangra, hit a recovery vehicle at Kaloo Di Hatti as its driver lost control over the vehicle because of brake failure. Driver of the recovery vehicle Manjit Singh received serious injuries while seven of the bus passengers were also injured. All injured have been admitted to the local civil hospital. According to police sources, it was a brand new bus and was purchased two months ago by the company. It had the latest power brake system. The police has registered a case against the driver of the bus for negligent driving. |
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Tension in village after woman’s death
Kangra, March 22 Kangra SDPO OP Jamwal said Reetu was married in Haar village in 2002. She received serious burn injuries on March 13 and was admitted in the Civil Hospital Dehra. He said Reetu in her dieing declaration before the Dehra SDM deposed that she was suffering with epilepsy and during a fit she fell on the burning stove when she was preparing food in the kitchen and caught fire. He said on the basis of this dieing declaration the police initiated investigation in the case under Section 174 of the CrPC. Jamwal said being in critical condition she was shifted to DRPGMC, Tanda, where she succumbed to her burn injuries this morning. He said when her body was taken to Dharamsala for post-mortem her relatives from parental side suspecting foul play in her death rushed to Haar village. A group of by six persons, including five women, attacked the house of her in-laws and damaged the slate roof of the house and took some belongings of the house and burnt them in the court yard. |
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Himalaya Bachao Rally on April 9
Shimla, March 22 Coordinator of the samiti Guman Singh said prominent environmentalists like Sunder Lal Bahuguna, Medha Patkar and Ashok Chaudhary were likely to participate in the rally. The objective was to highlight the problems being faced by the local people due to the setting up of hydroelectric projects, cement plants, special economic zones and indiscriminate mining and urbanisation. It would be followed by a two-day conference to evolve a new model for ensuring environmentally sustainable development of hills. He said the focus would be on mega projects like the Bhakra Dam and various ongoing hydroelectric projects in Kinnaur, upcoming cement plants at Sundernagar and Baga, Himalayan Ski Village at Manali, industrial hub at Nalagarh and the proposed SEZ at Gagret. The manner in which such projects were being implemented was not only affecting the traditional livelihood of the local people, but also taking a toll of environment. The policy of attracting investment at the cost of the fragile hill ecology would have to be discarded forthwith and a paradigm shift in the development policy was needed to save environment. The conference would also enable representatives of various NGOs in the state to interact with their counterparts in other hill states and evolve a joint strategy to save the hills.
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BJP: Won’t be allowed foothold
Shimla, March 22 Convener of the party’s media cell Ashok Kapatia said only two day ago, the Pradesh Congress Committee chief had said that he was not aware who had brought in the name of Madan Lal for the party ticket. The decision showed how much the high command cared about the state leadership. He was an outsider and always considered himself more of Delhi than Himachal Pradesh. He said Madan Lal had come to the state as a guest and the people of the state would treat like one. He would not be allowed foothold in the state politics by the wise voters. Madan Lal did nothing after hanging his bat and now suddenly he had entered the electoral arena. On the other hand, Anurag Thakur had done much for the promotion of cricket and put the state on the international cricket map, he said.
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Farmers to court arrest on April 12
Nurpur, March 22 A meeting of the sabha was held at Makroli in this sub division this evening in which 300 farmers participated. It was presided over by sabha president Jagdeep Samyal. The sabha criticised the government for not paying any heed to the demand of the farmers. It also criticised the government for lodging FIRs against 18 farmers who had took part in blocking traffic on the National Highway (NH) at Jassur a few months ago and demanded either to withdraw cases or frame 3,000 farmers who had staged dharna on the NH. The sabha also decided to boycott coming Lok Sabha elections if no political party supported the cause of the farmers and would announce its decision just one week before the elections. |
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Trees felled illegally
Mandi, March 22 The incident has once again exposed that the department has failed to check timber smuggling in the area. Following a complaint by Karsog forest ranger officer Hira Lal, the police today lodged an FIR under Section 379 of the IPC and Sections 32 and 33 of the Indian Forests Act. A manhunt has been launched to arrest the culprits. |
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Ex-servicemen’s body to enter poll fray
Hamirpur, March 22 The decision comes after a meeting of the organisation held at Hamirpur. Col Malkiat Singh (retd) will be its candidate for the Hamirpur seat. President of the organisation Squadron Leader Brij Lal Dhiman (retd) said, “The ex-servicemen of the state will contest this election under the banner of the Rashtriya Raksha Dal and will soon discuss the names of other three candidates to be fielded from the Kangra, Mandi and Shimla seats.” Samiti president Dhiman said, “We are determined to highlight our grievances during the Lok Sabha elections.”
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Havildar dies in Pak firing
Nurpur, March 22 According to Nurpur SDM Inder Singh Bhardwaj, the body of the deceased martyr is being brought to his native village. It would reach here late in the night today. The cremation will take place on Monday with full honours. According to information, the deceased is survived by his parents, wife and two kids. |
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Army man killed
Hamirpur, March 22 Anil Kumar, son of Dhian Singh of Tapre village under the Bamsan assembly constituency of Hamirpur district, was on patrol duty when a gun battle broke out with terrorists. |
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Baijnath, March 22