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Repeat Tribal Area Posting
Green solution to tackle landslides
One drowned, 5 had miraculous escape
Drugs in Kullu - IV Last |
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Cong to expose BJP’s double-face
Sale of free CFLs alleged
2-year jail term for excise inspector
Pharmacist booked
Girl hurt as horse runs amok
3 youths nabbed in theft case
Woman’s body found hanging
One killed in road mishap
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Officials under vigilance scanner
Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service
Shimla, July 29 It is reliably learnt that it has come to the notice of the bureau that a large section of the employees, including senior officers, feel happy to get a repeat posting at tribal areas, as there is no dearth of funds meant for tribal development, a large percentage of which does not reach for whom it is meant. This includes tribal areas of Kinnuar, Lahaul Spiti and Bharmour-Pangi. Even though a few cases have come to the notice of the bureau where huge amounts of money were siphoned off, it is being felt that there is a need for probe into the role and functioning of officials, who choose to go there for repeat posting. The bureau has figured out that in departments like PWD, IPH, Soil Conservation, Agriculture, Horticulture and Forest, officers like JEs and SDOs generally seek a repeat posting. This is in a sharp contrast to the fact that employees in departments like health and education avoid posting in tribal areas and posts remain vacant for years. Interestingly, suspended IAS officer Sanjay Gupta, too, had faced vigilance cases with regard to alleged irregularities in funds meant for tribal development under the Desert Development project while he was posted at Pooh in Kinnuar. “It has come to our notice that employees of certain departments are preferring to go back to tribal areas, which is not the normal practice, so we would like to look into this area,” said DGP (Vigilance), DS Manhas. He cited the example of a case in the Soil Conservation Department where check dams constructed under one project were shown in another project and the money sought for their construction. The fact that the presence of monitoring agencies like the police and the vigilance authorities in the tribal areas is almost negligible, it leaves an ample scope for mis-utilisation of funds and irregularities in funds meant for development. An issue of huge vacancies remaining vacant in tribal areas, especially in departments like education and health, has always remained a point of discussion even in the Assembly debate.
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Green solution to tackle landslides
Shimla, July 29 “The gabion structures constructed using big, corrosion-resistant wire mesh boxes to confine stones of various sizes are not only strong and more durable but also 20 to 25 per cent cheaper compared to stone masonry walls which require more labour. More importantly, they are breathing structures and support growth of vegetation in void between the stones” she explained during an exclusive conversation with The Tribune, here today. The gabion structures allow enough flexibility to take care of settlement of strata and they also absorb the stresses and strains generated during sliding earth mass. With the growth of vegetation, the roots of bushes and trees further binds the soil to set the process of natural slope stabilisation in motion. In contrast, it had been observed that the stone masonry walls give way rather frequently in the hilly areas where large-scale construction of roads trigger off numerous landslides, observed Korulla, who currently heads the world design centre of Maccaferri Environmental Solutions, the global leader in geo-technical engineering. Geo-technical engineering has made remarkable advances with advent of new synthetic materials in the recent past. The new materials were not only strong but also corrosion-resistant had made it possible to design retaining and other structures to for all kinds of strata and geological conditions right from unstable hills, river banks and coastal areas. She said gabion structures were being used all over Europe but states like Himachal where terrain was similar these had not been introduced as yet. In fact, Kerela, Maharasthra and some other southern states had used the new technology to solve some intractable geological problems. |
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One drowned, 5 had miraculous escape
Solan, July 29 The driver of the Indica car was waiting for the Innova car (HR-39-B-1511), which was standing ahead on the bridge to cross through the water as there had been heavy downpour. The Indica, however, failed to withstand the heavy gush of water and it turned turtle. Its occupants tried to save themselves by locking themselves in the car. According to eyewitnesses, the Innova, which was carrying three students- Chaitanya, Arvind and Ajit- all hailing from Hisar, was trying to cross the bridge when it got stuck in the middle of the bridge due to the heavy flow of water. The vehicle, however, began sinking in the temporarily constructed bridge and this alarmed its occupants. They then waved out to a passing HRTC bus to help them. Its occupants were pulled out from the river with the help of ropes after a three-hour operation by the HRTC staff. The Innova, which was hired from Chandigarh for a journey till Manali, was found stuck in the river this morning. While the police managed to locate the Indica, which had drifted about 8 to 10 km away from Sallewal village. There was no sign of its driver Rakesh Kumar, who hailed from Ambala. Probe revealed that a Kolkata-based resident Vinod Kumar had hired this Indica from Ambala and he had a miraculous escape near Sallewal village, where he was drifted in the vehicle. He managed to get out of the car while there was no sign of the driver. Vinod said he waited till morning and then sought help from the villagers. The Chikni bridge was washed away in August 2007 and though a temporary structure had been erected after incurring about Rs 20 lakh, the approval for the new bridge awaited a budgetary approval from the central NH authorities. Its Executive Engineer Bhuvan Sharma when asked said though the detailed project report had been submitted almost a year ago and a proposal of Rs 7.5 crore had been prepared, it still awaited a budgetary approval.
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Trekking trips cost foreigners their lives
Kuldeep Chauhan Tribune News Service
Chalal/Tosh (Kullu), July 29 Police officials claim that on trekking trips several adventurous tourists drown after slipping into Beas or Parbati. They also admitted that some of the bodies are never found. However, there is no information on how many of them could be related to drugs and how many bodies could never be retrieved. All that official statistics indicate is that 116 foreign tourists lost their lives in the Parbati Valley (Manali, Manikarn, Kasol, Malana, Pulga etc) and MacLeodganj between 1988 and 2009 so far. Most of these deaths have been attributed to accidents, drowning and illness. But four of these deaths, the police admitted, were cases of murder but the accused were never nabbed. Moreover, these cases were closed for lack of any headway. Significantly, three of these four ‘murders’ have been recorded during the past four years. In June 2005, a foreigner undertrial was allegedly found murdered at a jail in Jabli. Next year, one Michael Balakev, holding a British passport, was allegedly murdered in Dharamsala and a year after, an Israeli tourist was also found murdered. However, the oldest unsolved murder in the region is that of a Dutch tourist, who was found dead way back in 1991. That there is a drug mafia operating in the region is a fact acknowledged by residents and the police. But there is a little evidence to indicate the worsening situation. The murder of one Tara Chand, who was found dead in his car, near Manikarn, is cited as an example of the reach of the mafia. Chand was said to be an accomplice of Shazi Mohan, a zonal director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) posted at Chandigarh, who was held for his alleged links with drug traders. But Chand’s murder was attributed to the mafia’s desire to silence a “potential approver”. Chand’s “Herbal Garden” guesthouse, too, has been in the news for wrong reasons. In August 2006, an Australian tourist was reported missing from there. Chand told the police that the tourist had gone out in the morning but never came back. His body was also not traced. Rasol is mentioned in hushed tones by residents, who feel the village is used as a camp by drug traders. But the only bit of evidence to link the village to the mafia is when the police chose to honour a policeman, who showed courage and lead a group of policemen there, where they were manhandled and were sent back. On the issue, former NCB superintendent OP Sharma says, “Narco mafias have established their links in the valley, but there is a little urgency in evidence to deal with the menace.”
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Cong to expose BJP’s double-face
Shimla, July 29 Interacting with the mediapersons informally she said the BJP was opposed in principle to appointment of CPSs and had moved the high court to get such appointments quashed during the Congress regime. It termed the appointments as unnecessary burden on the state exchequer, illegal and against the spirit of the law limiting the size of ministry. However, after assuming power it had turned a volte face and appointed three CPSs, obviously to quell the growing discontent in the party. On the one hand the government was proposing hike in goods tax to mobilise more resources and on the other increasing wasteful expenditure by making such appointments. Moreover, they could neither be assigned any official work nor allowed to see government files and as such there was no need for appointing CPSs. Worse, the BJP leaders had no qualms in justifying the move by stating the appointments were made under the act passed by the Congress government which the party opposed tooth and nail. The BJP had virtually given a go-by to principles and moral values and it was pursuing politics of convenience which had led to its downfall at the national level. Replying to a query she said the Congress would not move court against the decision, instead it would launch a campaign to expose the BJP in public. She said the BJP had already been pushed to backfoot on the issue of violation and dilution of section 118 of the land reforms and tenancy act and eligibility for a domicile certificate. The government had increased the condition of minimum stay for domicile certificate from 15 to 20 years after the Congress raised the issue. It was threatening to initiate vigilance inquiry into permission granted during the Congress regime just to draw attention to its own
deeds. |
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Sale of free CFLs alleged
Shimla, July 29 A spokesperson of the board said no CFL consignment had been diverted and the packs being sold in Moga did not have any link to the ones being supplied free of cost under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bijli Bachat Yojna in the state. Order was placed with Phoenix Lamps Limited on October 27, 2008, and the supply was completed by the firm on January 23, 2009. He said the general manager of the company had informed the board that packing boxes meant for the board supply was inadvertently used for other supplies. All such packs had been withdrawn from market after the mistake came to the notice. The manufacturing date of lots sold in Moga was April, 2009, whereas the board’s supply was completed by January, 2009. |
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2-year jail term for excise inspector
Dharamsala, July 29 The district attorney, vigilance, AK Pattarwal, while talking to The Tribune said Jugil Lal was posted at Ajouli excise barrier in 2003. Bakshish Singh, manager of the Bharat Transport Company of Una, complained to the vigilance that the accused was fleecing money from them at the barrier. On his complaint a trap was laid by the vigilance and the accused officer was caught red-handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 1700.
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Pharmacist booked
Hamirpur, July 29 A married woman, who had gone to get herself injected for some ailment in PHC, had complained that the pharmacist working in the PHC not only made sexual overtures towards her while administering the injection but also attempted to outrage her modesty. The victim brought this incident to the knowledge of her husband, who made a complaint to Medical Officer Dr Sanajy Ranaut. The Medical Officer later reported the matter to the Badsar police station, but the pharmacist Ram Moorti managed to flee from the scene. Hamirpur SP Asif Jalal said, “we have booked Ram Moorti on the complaint against him under Section 354 of the IPC and he will soon
be arrested.” |
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Girl hurt as horse runs amok
Shimla, July 29 The incident took place when the attendant lost control over the horse, as it
suddenly started jumping and running. A 10-year-old girl, who was riding on the horse at that time, was dislodged from the saddle and received injuries. She was taken to a nearby Tara Hospital from where she was later referred to the Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital for a suspected fracture in her nose. A large crowd gathered there as the attendant struggled hard to bring the horse under control. |
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3 youths nabbed in theft case
Solan, July 29 The culprits - Rintu Paswan, Pramod and Rahul, all hailing from Bihar and presently working at Ludhiana had made the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area their area of operation. SDPO Nalagarh, Sanjiv Lakhanpal said that tracing of the cellphone details helped them trace the culprits from Ludhiana. A .305 bore pistol, a country made weapon, was recovered from their possession, which lent credence to the fact that the labourers from Bihar and UP had an easy assess to them from their native states, where they were manufactured illegally. It was also found that after committing crimes, inter-state gangs escaped to neighbouring states. |
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Woman’s body found hanging
Kangra July 29 According to investigating officer Rakesh Kumar Veena Devi had allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a tree adjacent to her house. Her body was found hanging from the tree this morning. The postmortem report today confirmed death due to hanging. Her husband Prakash Chand who is serving in the Indian Army was on duty. The police said there was no obvious reason for committing suicide. She has been survived by her son, an engineering student, and her daughter, a plus II student. A case has been registered.
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One killed in road mishap
Kangra, July 29 District police chief Atul Fulzele said the car was being driven rash when it met with the incident. The police has arrested the driver of the car, Hitesh Kumar of Gahli village, and a case has been registered. |
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