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Maya promises reservation in army, judiciary
Retention policy draws poor response
Pvt schools forced to buy unsold stock of books
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Ragging Death
Cong urges EC to look into cricket academies
CM lashes out at Cong
Nigerian e-mail fraud busted
LJP announces Kangra candidate
Yuva morcha leader calls a spade a spade
Ex-servicemen’s samiti to contest elections
EC bans banners
Amendment to Drugs and Cosmetics Act irks manufacturers
Advocate’s agent attacked
Step-motherly treatment to language alleged
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Maya promises reservation in army, judiciary
Una, April 2 Reading her written speech at the Indira Gandhi cricket stadium today Maya promised that if voted to power she would ensure proper implementation of reservation in jobs for lower castes and economically backward from the upper castes. She also promised to implement reservation policy in army and judiciary. She alleged that both the Congress and the BJP during their stints in power had diluted the reservation policies meant for the benefit of poor and lower classes. The policies of both the Congress and the BJP are pro-rich. The naxalite problem in the country has increased due to the failure of both the Congress and the BJP to redress the problems of poor. Speaking a few lines on the state concerning issues Mayawati said that she had been appraised about the problems of state ex-servicemen and would take up the matter with the union government. Mayawati did not speak anything on issue of invoking National Security Act (NSA) against Varun Gandhi. She also announced all the four party candidates from the state that included three from upper caste and just one from the reserved category at the reserved parliamentary constituency of Shimla. The BSP candidates that Mayawati introduced to public here today include Mangat Ram Sharma, a mink blanket industrial unit proprietor from Tahliwal industrial area of Harmirpur parliamentary constituency, Col Narinder Singh Pathania (retd), an ex-serviceman from Kangra, Lala Ram Sharma, a businessman from Mandi and Som Nath from Shimla constituencies, respectively. Gain Chand, a former Congress MLA, also joined the BSP on the occasion. Mayawati also announced that the BSP would not enter into poll alliance with any party in the forthcoming elections from Himachal and would contest the elections on its own. The first major election rally of BSP in the state was attended by about 3000 workers. However, the sources available here said that majority of BSP workers who participated in today’s rally had come from adjoining areas of Punjab. The penetration of BSP cadres even in the remote areas of the state was also evident from the fact some party workers also arrived in the rally from Lahaul and Spiti. |
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Retention policy draws poor response
Shimla, April 2 With March 31 being the last date for applying for compounding of the structures, only 950 cases have been received in the local Municipal Corporation (MC) while only 65 cases have been received in the TCP office from the three Special Area Development Authority (SADA) of Ghanati, Kufri and Shoghi. With the state government bringing about an amendment in the rules of the Town and Country Planning Act to give benefit to owners of structures, which had some kind of deviation, it was being expected that large number of people would seek regularisation of their unauthorised structures. In fact, the BJP leaders from Shimla and the adjoining Kasumpti area had said the policy would benefit thousands of house owners. Interestingly, the total number of cases that had been received under the fifth retention policy floated by the previous Congress regime, which could not be implemented because of a petition in the court, was 3,235. Out of 3,235, the number of cases received from the state capital alone was 2,100. Sources in the TCP said though information from the field offices was still pouring in, the number of cases this time would be less than the previous occasion. “However, from the initial feedback that we have received the number of cases is far less than expected as the policy is silent about the number of storeys and large number of cases pertain to an additional storey being raised without permission,” said an official. Moreover, many cases do not qualify, as the extent of deviation is more than the prescribed 40 per cent. Last time total 3,235 applications for regularisation under the retention policy had been received from the 34 Special Areas and 20 Planning Areas in the state. Large number of cases in Shimla pertains to regularisation of five storeys built in violation of the norms while in other parts of the state there are applications for regularising four storeys. The floating of the retention policy by the previous Congress regime just before the elections had come in for a lot of criticism even from the BJP, which after assuming power did exactly the same. However, the major difference this time being that it had been clearly stated that unauthorised structures would not be compounded and only deviations up to 40 per cent would qualify. |
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Pvt schools forced to buy unsold stock of books
Shimla, April 2 The board has made it mandatory for the private high schools and plus two schools to have at least 20 books each of three specified titles in their libraries to help provide additional knowledge to students about the great leaders of the country like Subhash Chandra Bose and Mahatma Gandhi from academic session 2009-10. Not only that, the principals of schools have been, through a letter, directed to purchase the specified number of books entitled “Netaji Subhash Chander Bose” and “Satya ke Prayog Avam Atma Katha” (Part I and II) from the nearest sale depot of the board by April 30,2009. The middle schools have been asked to procure 10 copies each of the book on Subhash Chandra Bose. The managements of schools are not averse to procuring books on great leaders which will cost less than Rs 1000 but they are against the manner in which they are being compelled to purchase old books. Their objection is that board, which has been saddled with dead stock of books purchased more than a decade ago, was trying to dump these in the library of private schools. “While the board is empowered to prescribe textbooks and it can also recommend books to be maintained in the library, it cannot force private schools to buy books from it. The schools could have been supplied books free of cost if the intention is to enrich knowledge of students”, said the principal of a private school. The objective was to clear the dead stocks at the expense of private institutions otherwise the board would not have insisted on 20 copies of each title, he added. Chairman of the board Dr C.L.Gupta when contacted said these were really good books which every student must read. The schools normally had funds for this purpose, however, if any institution had objection in purchasing the books it could apply for exemption, which would be granted.
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Ragging Death
Shimla, April 2 The persons who have been issued show-cause notices include two former principals, JR Thakur and NK Kaushik, in whose tenure ragging incidents had taken place. The remaining persons who have been issued the notices include former wardens and members of the then disciplinary committees of the college who were responsible to check ragging. The 40 persons have been asked to file their replies by April 23. “It is depending on their reply that action will be initiated against them,” a senior official said. He added that in case they were found guilty of gross negligence, they could even face suspension otherwise action would be initiated under service rules like stopping increments. The report of the magisterial inquiry following the death of a first year medical student, Aman Kachroo, has information of the past incidents of ragging at the institute. It has been mentioned in the report that had the authorities not adopted a casual and negligent attitude towards ragging at that stage, the incident involving death of Kachroo could have been averted. The incidents of ragging that find mention in the inquiry report have taken place in 2001, 2004 and 2005. |
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Cong urges EC to look into cricket academies
Shimla, April 2 Addressing a press conference here today, party general secretary Kuldeep Rathore said the announcement was made with a view to benefiting the BJP, which was the violation of poll code. He said the BJP had thrown all rules, conventions and norms to wind to help Chief Minister PK Dhumal’s cricketer son to win elections. He lambasted Dhumal for raising an accusing finger on the UPA regime over the purchase of missiles from Israel even before the deal was granted approval. It clearly reflected that the BJP wanted to win the elections by making false accusations. He also criticised the Chief Minister for alleging involvement of former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi in the bofors scam. He said Gandhi was a victim of conspiracy hatched by the BJP and its allies as a result of which he suffered for over 17 years and he was given a clean chit by the apex court after his death.
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CM lashes out at Cong
Shimla, April 2 In a statement issued here today, Dhumal said the Congress owes an answer to the people of the country on this account. “The fact that the UPA regime has made no efforts to recover crores of money lying in Swiss banks is an indication that somewhere the party is itself linked to these scams,” he alleged. He said it was surprising why the Prime Minister and the UPA regime was maintaining a silent on the issue when several other nations had stepped up efforts to get this money out. “I want to know that why the Congress is silent on the issue as it is estimated that almost Rs 70 lakh crore black money has been stashed away by politicians and industrialists in Swiss banks,” he said. |
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Nigerian e-mail fraud busted
Mandi, April 2 The accused was caught while allegedly withdrawing an amount of Rs 25,000 from an ATM of the ICICI bank in the posh South Extension Market in New Delhi. He was produced before a judge here today, who sent him to police remand. After getting inputs from OP Bhatia, a Joginder Nagar-based victim of the Nigerian e-mail fraud, the police laid a trap to nab the accused and caught him red-handed when he was allegedly withdrawing Rs 25,000 from the victim’s account through the ATM. The Nigerian has been identified as Ageon Benson from Nigeria, who clamed that he lived in Colaba in Mumbai. Police investigations revealed that the Nigerian e-mail fraud has its links in north-east and other parts of the country as well. Similar cases of the fraud have been reported from Nurpur and Kangra as well. The kingpin of the fraud also operates lottery frauds online. OB Bhatia fell into the Nigerian trap when he came across an officer through e-mail, promising him a bounty of $50,000 about three years ago. The Nigerian got access to the account of the victim, who had already paid Rs 20 lakh to cash in on the bounty. Later, Bhatia lodged an FIR at the Joginder Nagar police station on October 21, 2008, when he was rendered bankrupt by the kingpin. The mailer had demanded Rs 20 lakh as processing fee before he could pass on the amount to the victim. The police cautioned Internet surfers that they should not fell prey to the online frauds. Most of such offers without verification could land them in trouble, the police added. Mandi SP Sonal Agnihotri said the police laid the trap after getting the complete address and location of the accused and arrested him while he was allegedly withdrawing money from the victim’s account. The police is further investigating into the case, he added. |
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LJP announces Kangra candidate
Dharamsala, April 2 The party will field its state president Keshav Chauhan, an MES contractor from Palampur, from the Kangra parliamentary constituency. The statement to this affect was issued by national general secretary of the party Deepak Sharma at a press conference held here today. Sharma said national president of the party would visit Kangra to campaign in favour of Keshav Chauhan. Paswan, during his stint as the Union Minister in the UPA government, allotted two major projects to Kangra district. He laid the foundation stone of SAIL plant and a potato chip factory in the district. Sharma said the party was contesting on its own and was not seeking support from any other party in the state. With LJP announcing its candidate from Kangra, the number of candidates contesting from the constituency has increased to five. The BJP, Congress, BSP and Shiv Sena have already declared their candidates from the Kangra constituency. |
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Yuva morcha leader calls a spade a spade
Shimla, April 2 Addressing a press conference, Jamwal said one could not ignore the contribution that Anurag Thakur had made in promoting cricket in Himachal. “Congressmen should stop harping on promoting dynastic rule when there is no dearth of leaders like Virbhadra Singh and Chander Kumar who have promoted their wives and sons in politics,” he remarked. He said Anurag had been given party ticket not because he was the Chief Minister’s son, but because of his contribution to the game
of cricket. Taking a strong exception to the use of indecent language against Dhumal and Anurag by the Youth Congress chief, Manmohan
Katoch, the BJP leader said he should be more concerned about his party. He said the infighting in the Congress had reached such a level that the police had to intervene to prevent party workers from coming to blows. “The achievements of the 15-month rule of the BJP will ensure that the party wins all four Lok Sabha seats,” he
said. Jamwal said the BJYM would hold a state-level rally on April 16 at
Palampur, seeking the dismissal of the UPA regime. |
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Ex-servicemen’s samiti to contest elections
Hamirpur, April 2 After holding a meeting here today, ESWSS state convener Squadron Leader Brij Lal Dhiman
(retd) announced to field Col Thakur Singh (retd) from Mandi and Col Malkiat Singh Ranaut
(retd) from Hamirpur. They have also decided to support BSP candidate from the Kangra parliamentary constituency NS Pathania and Congress candidate from the Shimla constituency Col Dhani Ram Shandil
(retd).
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EC bans banners
Hamirpur, April 2 Telling about various proviso of the model code he told them that public meetings and election rallies should be held after seeking prior permission, without causing any traffic disruption or public inconvenience and place for the same would be allotted on first come basis. The election commission (EC) has banned the display of election material like banners, posters etc on public places. |
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Amendment to Drugs and Cosmetics Act irks manufacturers
Solan, April 2 The March 19 gazette notification while amending the Act has enhanced the quantum of punishment in such cases for a life term and a fine of not less than Rs 10 lakh or three times the value of drugs confiscated. But since the notification lacks any implementation date its enforcement is yet to see the light of the day. Controversy has, however, started brewing up as the drug manufacturers asserted that the amendment was equivalent to the draconian Terrorist Activities Disruption Act whereby a drug
manufacturer had been deprived the right to justify his position by making it completely a non-bailable offence. Chairman of the India Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs RK Arora said, “The amendment has been drafted in haste and it lacked working conduct for a drug inspector who was supposed to enforce the Act. The Act in the present form will not only punish a poor manufacturer but also has failed to accord him a fair chance to prove his innocence.” He said, “A vitamin if not stored in proper conditions and exposed to heat could become spurious and there were several such drugs which required refrigeration facilities at the retail level. In case a drug is inadequately stored a manufacturer will be made to bear the brunt of its deteriorating quality.” The issue has now been referred to the Drug Technology Advisory Board, which was looking into its ramifications after various drug manufacturing organisations presented their concern at the lacunas visible at the very inception. |
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Advocate’s agent attacked
Kangra, April 2 The Kangra SDPO, OP Jamwal, told mediapersons that three persons arrived near the local court premises at around 5 pm and allegedly attacked Sudhir of Kalaid and stabbed him in his leg. Sudhir was rushed to the Kangra Civil Hospital where his condition is stated to be out of danger. He said preliminary investigations into the case revealed that the trio was reportedly trying to kidnap him. Jamwal further said traffic constable Kamarjeet Singh managed to nab one of the culprits identified as Soni of Nandared. He said other two accused identified as Goldy of Gaggal and Vijay Kumar of Icchhi, however, managed to flee at that time but later Vijay, too, was nabbed by the police during a raid at Icchhi. The accused, Soni, told the police that there was some dispute between Goldy and Sudhir. But Sudhir refuted the charges and said they were not known to him. |
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Step-motherly treatment to language alleged
Nurpur, April 2 Talking to mediapersons here today, he alleged that the language was being meted out step-motherly treatment, as three local languages — Kashmiri, Dogri and Urdu — had been enlisted in the schedule. Guleri, who has been selected for the Bhasha Samman by the Sahitya Academy for his contribution in the development of Himachali language and literature, appealed to the CM to direct all heads of the state government department to use the language along with Hindi so that it could get recognition in its own state. |
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