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IAS officer suspended
Power Board
Govt gives priority to roads
Business school plans to open varsity
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Speech-impaired child thrashed
Main accused in car scam held
Gajj ravaged by illegal mining
Bali accuses govt of anti-people policies
Prices of essential commodities skyrocket
Parents thank govt for rise in medical seats
Bear attacks on high
69 challaned for violations
New bus stand sought
One killed, 3 hurt in road mishaps
Cops clueless in burglary case
Man attempts suicide
Two held with charas
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IAS officer suspended
Solan, July 12 Meanwhile, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption sleuths managed to zero in on source of the ill-gotten Rs 2 lakh and its origin has been traced to a private resort (Panjkhoa Resorts), located at Bhud near Baddi. Sources in the bureau said the amount was delivered through resort’s manager Avnish Bhalla to Ashok Sehgal, plant manager, General Industries Corporation (GIC), in the latter’s Parwanoo-based office in the afternoon, a day before the bureau sleuths arrested Gupta and Sehgal. Bhalla was also questioned about this cash exchange by the bureau sleuths. In another astonishing revelation, nearly 2.5 kg gold and 2 kg silver worth nearly Rs 38 lakh has been recovered from one of his lockers from Chandigarh. He and his wife held the locker jointly. It was also learnt that another sum of Rs 2 lakh was delivered to Gupta’s mother at
Panchkula. |
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Power Board
Shimla, July 12 The financial mess being created due to delay in unbundling of the state electricity board has become obvious by the huge revenue gap being bridged through overdraft, almost one-third of the aggregate revenue requirement (ARR) of Rs 2,021 crore approved by the commission for the year 2008-09. The state power utility had already sought a hike of 20 per cent in the ARR for 2009-10. In the situation if the commission decides to cover the deficit through additional revenue generation, the electricity tariff will have to be increased by at least 40 per cent. The average electricity tariff will thus go up from Rs 3.70 to over Rs 5 per unit. Alternately, if the government expedites unbundling, it will have to liquidate the existing liabilities which means additional financial burden of Rs 800 crore. The first step towards unbundling has already been taken by vesting the assets and functions of the board in the government. The more the government delays the process of restructuring, the more financial burden it would have to bear. The financial position has worsened due to the contra-banking of power under which electricity is being supplied to Punjab during summer on returnable basis to meet the demand in winter when the state faces shortage. As a result, power utility is being denied the much needed cash on one hand, and on the other the state is forced to impose power cuts in industrial areas even during summer. The state is not surplus in power as evident from the data in the multi-year tariff application. The commission had approved Rs 1,310 crore for power purchase for the last year against which the board spent over Rs 1,500 crore. The projected requirement for power purchase for 2009-10 is as high as Rs 1,640 crore, mainly because the state has been left with little surplus power due to sharp increase in demand for industrial power over the past three years. It has been left with no option but to purchase more power from other states at very high rates to meet the shortfall during the lean winter months.
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Govt gives priority to roads
Shimla, July 12 With the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna, road network has penetrated the remotest of the villages, opening hitherto landlocked area to the world. In absence of other means of communication, the government has given top priority to construction of roads. Connecting 17,449 villages, some which are located in high mountain ranges, is indeed an enormous challenge. The total road length in the state has touched the 31,000-km mark and the government plans to provide connectivity to villages having a population of 250 by 2012. Over 2,768 km of new motorable roads have been constructed in the past one and a half years. Besides, cross drainage has been provided along 3,647 km. 1,504 km of road length has been tarred and annual surfacing completed for 2,167 km of road. As many as 532 villages have been provided road connectivity over the past 18 months and landlocked Dodra Kwar area in the Shimla has been opened with the completion of 61-km Larot-Kwar road. A sum of Rs 1,280 crore is being spent during the current year under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna, World Bank Project and State road project on construction of new roads and bridges, besides upgradation of the state highways and major district roads. Out of Rs 2,146 crore sanctioned under the PMGSY, Rs 1,213 crore have already been spent on construction of roads and 2,731 habitations have been connected. Public Works Minister Gulab Singh said the government had decided to focus on aesthetics of roads and planned to grow flowering plants along main highways, in view of the state’s importance as a tourist destination.
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Business school plans to open varsity
Shimla, July 12 The ABS specialises in management education and already has five management institutes in and around Chandigarh. The organisation was looking for about 100 bighas of land to set up the university. Himachal was chosen for setting up the proposed varisty after a survey of the northern region. Meanwhile, career counselling camps were held in the state today at Hamirpur, Shimla, Dharamsala, Mandi, Baijnath and Solan during which on-the-spot admissions to various courses like MBA, MCA, BBA, BCA and BSc (IT) were carried out. The group is also running Aryans Institute of Management and Technology and students were already pursuing MBA, BBA and BCA courses. Kataria said at least 60 companies would visit the campus for the placement of students this year.
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Speech-impaired child thrashed
Shimla, July 12 According to information, the speech and hearing-impaired child, Abhishek was severely hit by the senior student in the hostel but the authorities of the school managed by the state child welfare council took the incident rather casually. He was in pain but the authorities did not get him examined or provided medical treatment. Local guardians of the victim came to know about incident from fellow students. They went to the school and found the child’s face badly bruised. The warden maintained that it was a routine incident and that the senior student had been reprimanded. |
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Main accused in car scam held
Palampur, July 12 A senior police officer, while talking to The Tribune, said here today that Acharaya had procured anticipatory bail from the court and was evading the arrest. However, the district courts cancelled his bail yesterday and he was nabbed by the police outside the court at Dharmsala. Meanwhile, the total arrests in this case has gone to six. Out of the seven accused, three were remanded in judicial custody for 14 days by the Baijnath court while three were still in police custody. It was also learnt that Acharaya and his gang had collected over Rs 1.10 crore from customers and promised them to provide Maruti car at half the price. However, some other persons were supplied the cars on these demand drafts. Meanwhile, Mulakh Raj Mehta, spokesman of the car scam victims, while addressing mediapersons here today, demanded the arrest of the manager of Competent Motors, Mandi, who got the demand drafts of victims enchased in the account of the company because of his proximity with Achraya. He said till date the police had not interrogated employees of Competent Motors who were also party to this scam. |
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Gajj ravaged by illegal mining
Dharamsala, July 12 The Gajj is one of the biggest rivers of the region that originates in Dhauladhar mountains. The entire Dharamsala town is dependent for its water supply on the river. Earlier, farmers in its catchment area were also dependent on it for irrigation. However, since its water has been diverted to water supply schemes of Dharamsala, farmers in lower area are crying foul. A survey by The Tribune team in Ansui village revealed large craters in the river bed. Villagers, when contacted, revealed that tractor owners, who get contract for supply of sand and gravel, created these craters. Illegal mining operations were at its height in the river in the past few months as the demand for gravel for construction of roads was at its peak before monsoons. The villagers alleged that craters, almost 15 to 20 feet deep at places, were a threat to them. Many villagers crossed the river even during monsoons. However, the craters once filled with water could prove as life threatening for people trying to cross it. “We have reported the matter many times to the mining department but no action has been taken,” they alleged. The villagers also alleged that illegal miners had not even spared the stone bandh erected along the river meant for preventing agriculture lands from getting flooded. They have, at places, taken pruned stones from the bandh, the villagers alleged. Declining water and illegal mining from the river bed is also destroying the ecology of the Gajj. If the illegal mining continues at the same pace, it might also affect the water level in the surrounding areas. The farmers, who are already reeling due to drying water source for irrigation, might face more problems. Mining department officials lamented the lack of resources as handicap for checking illegal mining. They alleged that there were very few mining officials and they had to supervise the entire district. To add to their woes, they did not have any official vehicle. They had to to go on spot on receiving any information regarding illegal mining on bus which gave enough time to the miscreants to flee. However, sources said the mining department could erect nakas to check illegal mining. In hill areas there were very few exit roads. Nakas raised on them and check on records of vehicles bringing mined material could easily check the illegal mining activity, they added.
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Bali accuses govt of anti-people policies
Kangra, July 12 Bali was addressing a press conference here at his residence today. An emotionally surcharged Bali alleged that both Chief Minister Prof PK Dhumal and Education Minister ID Dhiman had backed out of the assurance given by them to the people of the state that those PTA teachers fulfilling qualification criteria would not be terminated. He said respective SDMs also confirmed their fulfilling qualification criteria but even then those PTA teachers, working particularly in constituencies of opposition MLAs, were terminated with pick and choose policy. He demanded either to retain all PTA teachers or terminate all 15,000 and desist from selective sackings. The former minister also criticised the alleged privatisation of health services and back-door appointments of doctors, specialists, nurses and other paramedical staff under the cover of “Rogi Kalayan Samiti”. He was critical of outsourcing health services in phased manner. Citing example Bali said nine months back, nearly 3,000 youths appeared for interviews before Tanda Medical College authorities for filling of 25 posts of ward boys but the government, allegedly, scraped the list and decided reportedly to outsource the posts. He also alleged that SDO PWD office was shifted from Tanda in his constituency to Kangra and now executive engineer, PWD, too was to be shifted from Tanda and added these actions would prove to be detrimental for the present government. He said he would meet the Chief Minister in this regard tomorrow. Meanwhile, he has approached CLP leader Vidya Stokes to call a meeting to discuss modalities to fight against the anti-people policies of the government.
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Prices of essential commodities skyrocket
Palampur, July 12 The lukewarm attitude of the state government in enforcing the Act in letter and spirit has further encouraged the trend. Though it is mandatory for every shopkeeper to display the price list of all essential commodities, there is hardly any agency to check the same. There was a time when the SDM, DSP, along with the inspection staff of Food and Supplies Department, used to visit markets to check things. A senior official of the state food department said there was an acute shortage of inspecting staff in the department. The present staff available in the department had the capacity to check only 10 per cent shops in the region, he added. Statements issued by Food and Supply Minister Romesh Dhwala in this regard remains confined to official files. Inquiries made by The Tribune revealed that there was a huge difference in the wholesale and retail prices of essential commodities because of the failure of the state government to enforce the Price Control Act. Prices of pulses had registered an increase of 10 to 15 per cent in the past fortnight whereas price of mustard oil had shown an increase of 20 per cent. Price of ordinary rice had touched Rs 25 per kg, whereas last month the same was available at Rs 20.
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Parents thank govt for rise in medical seats
Kullu, July 12 Spokesperson of the association Tek Chand Verma demanded that the decision should be effective from the current session. President of the association Devi Chand alleged that the state governments since 1965 remained indifferent for demanding increase and were satisfied with 65 seats for three decades after getting statehood, while the new states like Uttarakhand and Jharkhand were having 300 seats each in medical colleges. He said dearth of seats in local colleges had not only compelled people to spend huge sums to get their wards seats in private colleges in other states but also forced them to either mortgage property or sell it to raise funds. Devi Chand further demanded that provisional admission to their wards be given before the government completed official procedures so that the “distressed and disappointed” students who had secured more than 75 per cent marks in the PMT test were not deprived of the facility this year. The association said the increase of 300 seats each in IGMC, Shimla, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Kangra, be allocated from the current session as the faculty and infrastructure was available in both the institutions.
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Bear attacks on high
Kullu, July 12 While one child was taken away and killed, another one Ghanshyam of Ani was badly injured last Tuesday. Meanwhile, Hari Ram (20), son of Dine Ram of Kutal village, was attacked on Friday. Hari Ram, along with his friend Dalip, was going through Jani Dhar jungle when suddenly a bear attacked his dog. Hari Ram tried to save the dog but became the wild animal’s victim. He was badly bruised though saved by his friend and rushed to a hospital. His condition was stated to be stable as per doctors attending on him. Wild animal experts cautioned residents to take safety measures as July to September were the months when mother bear roamed near apple orchards and maize fields with baby bear and were usually furious. BS Rana, DFO, Wildlife, said light, smoke or crackers could be used near houses to avoid the animal. Normally, bears did not attack people except when they feared the safety and security of their offsprings, he added.
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69 challaned for violations
Bilaspur, July 12 District Inspector, Weights and Measures, Bilaspur Circle, Prem Lal Chandel said these challans were presented to Assistant Controller Weights and Measures Jia Lal Kainth and fine to the tune of Rs 3.45 lakh was realised from the defaulters while they were warned of more stringent punishment if caught in future. Chandel said these fines were imposed for charging more price than written on the packets, cold drinks bottles and containers etc, underweight oils in containers, packets without full information of the manufacturer, food articles without manufacture and expiry date, weighing sweets with the cardboard carton and not getting weights and measures properly checked and sealed in time after due intervals. He urged all traders and shopkeepers to ensure that whatever they keep in their premises for sale, they must have a bill from the supplier with them and all items in closed packets and containers should carry details on it, including date of manufacture and full address
of the supplier. |
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New bus stand sought
Chamba, July 12 In the memorandum, senior vice-president of the council Major SC Nayyar said during his visit to Chamba last year, the Chief Minister had announced that a new bus stand would be constructed here on priority but nothing had been done so far. The council urged the Chief Minister to meet the long-pending demand of Chamba residents. It may be mention here that the foundation stone of the new bus stand at Zero Point had already been laid by the former Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh, in 2003. The council regretted that the private sector was going to open eight medical colleges in the state but Chamba’s name was missing. He said at least one college should also open here. |
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One killed, 3 hurt in road mishaps
Bilaspur, July 12 Reports received here today said Pravin Kumar (22) of Karog village and Pawan Kumar (25) of Tareda village were injured seriously when the scooter on which they were travelling skidded and fell into a gorge on the Kharsi-Shalughat road, near Malokhar, in this district last evening. Both were rushed to nearby JP Hospital and were referred to the IGMC, Shimla, due to serious nature of their injuries. Later, Pravin breathed his last on way to Shimla while Pawan was admitted in the hospital and is said to be stable. In another road accident, near Suharghat on National Highway No-21, last evening, a car (HP-49 A-5040), going from Manali to Chandigarh, suddenly got out of control and hit the hillside and its driver Omparkash of Manali and another occupant Lok Chand of Nepal were injured seriously. Both were rushed to nearby Primary Health Centre from where driver Omparkash was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, due to serious head injury. The police has registered cases and is investigating into the matter.
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Cops clueless in burglary case
Kangra, July 12 Kangra SDPO Jeet Singh Thakur said burglars broke opened the lock of the type-IV quarter on Thursday between 10 to 11 am when the doctor was on duty. He said Dr Sood and her husband, a bank officer, were on duty and the former’s mother had gone to a hospital for treatment when the miscreants struck. He said the incident came to light when Dr Sood’s mother discovered the broken lock on return. The burglars had broken the steel cupboard and lockers before they decamped with jewellery and cash, the DSP said.
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Man attempts suicide
Nurpur, July 12 According to the police, which had registered a case under Section 309 of the IPC, the victim said that he had solemnised love marriage with Namrata of Gangath in 2004 and she was harassing him due to his poor earnings. He stated that she was pressurising him for divorce and her parents even lodged a report against him with the Gangath police chowki recently. Owing to his humiliation and harassment by his in-laws and wife he took this step. |
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Two held with charas Chamba, July 12 The report said Sadiqu Mohd of Kihar area was arrested while carrying 1.35 kg of charas near Khairi bridge and another person named Ayub Khan, a resident of the same area, was arrested along with 700 gm of charas at Bonkhri Mor in a raid conducted by the police officials. Cases had been registered against the accused under the NDPS Act, the
report said.
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