Shimla, August 15
Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta said today that Himachal had emerged as a model hill state by being a leader in the field of education, health and IT sectors during the Independence Day function.

The minister unfurled the Tricolour and took salute of the parade at the historic Ridge Maidan.

“Social security pensions and wages of daily workers have been enhanced which has directly affected thousands of people,” he said. He added that 50 per cent reservation had been made for women in the panchayati raj institutions and local bodies besides starting several schemes for their welfare.

More polytechnics would be opened in the state so that youth could go in for vocational education, which in turn would help them to seek employment and set up their own ventures, he added.

“Shimla district already has seven ITIs and a provision of Rs 11 crore has been made for the current financial year for technical education,” he said.

Floriculture was being given a boost and apple and mango crop had been brought under crop insurance scheme, he added.

HAMIRPUR: Independence Day was celebrated with great fervour and enthusiasm here on Saturday. The main function was held on the school ground where Transport and Urban Development Minister Mahender Singh Thakur unfurled the National Flag and took salute from marching contingents of the police, Home Guards, NCC cadets and schoolchildren.

While lauding progress made by the present government, Thakur also expressed concern over climatic changes and felt the need of adoption of new farming patterns by agriculturalists and orchardists.

He said, “In the wake of deficient rains, we have to conserve every drop of water through rainwater harvesting, especially in Changar belt. By doing this, Himachal Pradesh will not only become self-sufficient in its needs of water, but also can provide water to needy neighbouring states.”

“We also have to plant more trees since the forest cover on government land has decreased in the past few years,” he added.

He announced to open a circle office of HIMUDA, preparation of master plan for Hamirpur, starting of Volvo bus from Hamirpur to New Delhi, a deluxe bus from Hamirpur to Haridwar and a night service busfrom Hamirpur to Una connecting janshatabdi train.

DC Abhishek Jain, SP Asif Jalal, ADM Vijay Chandan, SDM Pankaj Rai and many other dignitaries were present on this occasion.

A cultural programme was also presented by students of different institutions.

MANDI: Vidhan Sabha Speaker Tulsi Ram today urged people of the state to remember supreme sacrifices made by freedom fighters from the country, including the state, and come forward to make the state progressive.

Addressing the Independence Day ceremony held here at Seri Munch today, Tulsi Ram said the Himachal Pradesh had contributed to development of the country. The state government had given it an impetus by giving pension to the weaker sections and linking villages by the roads.

Later, Tulsi Ram gave prizes to the eight girl sportspersons and awarded the two district-level prizes of Rs 3 lakh each to two panchyats for total sanitation, block-level prizes of Rs 1 lakh each to 10 panchayats for their performance in total sanitation in the district.

The Speaker gave prize to Vishal Kumar, a boy from Khaliyar, for his honesty. He had found a purse containing five ATM cards and Rs 10,000 in it on the roadside. He chose to contact the owner and return his belongings to him.

Meanwhile, NSS students of the Senior Secondary School, Thalot, started the anti-female foeticide campaign in the surrounding villages urging villagers to say no to sex-selection test. This village-to-village campaign ha been a part of the government’s “Beti Anmol Hai” campaign to mark the spirit of Independence today, said Mehar Thakur, who headed the NSS students.

UNA: Independence Day was celebrated at a district-level function with great enthusiasm here on Saturday.

Education Minister ID Dhiman unfurled the National Flag and took salute at an impressive march past presented by the contingents of the police, Home Guards, NCC, NSS and scouts.

Dhiman complemented people for their contribution in rapid development of the hill state. He said it had been a matter of pride that the state had maintained its cultural heritage and traditional values, besides preserving its nature and environment.

Dhiman said a medical college in private sector had been in offing in Una district and that the district was marching ahead towards becoming an educational hub. He said the second phase for flood protection and integrated project for taming the seasonal Swan River was being implemented.

The Education Minister said the ongoing work on the broad gauge rail line from Chururu-Takarla to Amb was being speeded up and that the section of the rail track would be completed during the current year.

He said, 7,169 merritorious students were being given scholarships worth Rs 1.16 crore in Una district, which included 4,700 students belonging to below poverty level families.

On the occasion, the minister honoured 22 eminent personalities of the district, who had excelled in their respective fields. These people include captain of the national volleyball team, Surjit Singh, belonging to Hatli village of the district.

A colourful cultural programme was also presented by various local schoolchildren on the occasion.

BILASPUR: Himachal Pradesh has made tremendous progress since Independence and the state is moving ahead fast in all fields of activity under the leadership of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. This was stated by Himachal PWD and Revenue Minister Thakur Gulab Singh while unfurling the National Flag during the district-level Independence Day function attended by a large number of officers, freedom fighters and citizens despite heavy downpour here today.

Thakur paid glowing tributes to freedom fighters and lauded Bilaspur district for its pivotal role in the freedom struggle.

He said the district had always remained ahead in all aspects, including the war front. In the recent Kargil war, Havildar Sanjay Kumar gave the state the unique honour of winning the nation’s highest gallantry award the Param Vir Chakra while another hero of the district, late Havildar Udham Singh, got the Vir Chakra.

MLA from Naina Devi constituency Randhir Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Nandita Gupta, Superintendent of Police Kuldip Sharma and several BJP leaders along with senior citizens were also present during the occasion.

KULLU: Independence Day was celebrated at Dhalpur Maidan here with patriotic fervour. Rikhi Ram Kaundal, Deputy Speaker, Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, took salute from contingents of the Himachal Pradesh Police, the ITBP, the CISF and Home Guards.

While greeting people on the occasion, Kaundal called upon the youth to emulate sacrifices of martyrs and maintain communal harmony.

He said promoting spirit of nationalism and patriotism among the younger generation would be real tribute to the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the nation.

Independence Day was also celebrated at Parbati Hydro Electricity Project at Nagwain and all subdivisional headquarters of the district

NURPUR: Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal announced to implement recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission with effect from January 1, 2006 on September 1 this year on Punjab pattern and release of 6 per cent DA instalment to employees.

Presiding over state-level Independence Day function at Fatehpur in Jawali subdivision on Saturday, he unfurled the National Flag at an impressive march past by contingents of the police, Home Gaurds and NCC.

Dhumal paid tributes to the freedom fighters and exhorted to maintain hard earned independence, unity and integrity of the nation. He announced to waive off three-month imprisonments of 734 prisoners throughout the state on the Independence Day.

He also announced monthly pension of surviving freedom fighters from Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 and for widows and daughter the same was enhanced to Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000

Chamba, August 15
The state government has accorded top priority to link every panchayat headquarter in the state with road network with a view to revitalise the economy of rural people, said Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Jai Ram Thakur while addressing a district-level function of Independence Day celebrations here today.

The minister expressed grief over yesterday’s Salooni bus accident in which 23 persons lost their lives and conveyed his sympathy to the bereaved families.

Earlier, the minister unfurled the National Flag and took salute by contingents of the police, Home Guards, NCC cadets and school scouts.

Later, the minister gave away prizes to individuals and panchayati raj institutions under “Maharishi Valmiki Sampoorn Swachhata Puraskar”.

Only patriotic songs were presented by schoolchildren to mark the Independence Day celebrations. Cultural programme was suspended in the wake of the fatal bus accident.

Local MLA BK Chauhan, BJP district president Mohan Lal, district market committee chairman Bhupinder Chouhan besides other officers were present on this occasion.

Meanwhile, pilgrims’ death toll en route Manimahesh pilgrimage in Chamba district has risen to 10.

This includes a car mishap of six pilgrims with one more pilgrim reported to have died in Sandi Nala near Hadsar, according to a report received here today. Hadsar is the base camp of Manimahesh lake climb.

The deceased had been identified as Harbans Lal resident of Jawali in Kangra district; the report revealed.

Shimla, August 15
Transport Minister Mohinder Singh said terms, conditions and design of the bus stand being constructed in Shimla, were changed after award of tender to a private company.

Replying to a question of Suresh Bhardwaj in this regard, he said the previous Congress government had messed up the project to such an extent that he was unable to say anything with certainty whether it was being executed on BOT basis, joint sector or a government venture. Its foundation stone was laid in December, 2000, but work actually started in 2006.

The Rs 16-crore project was to be executed in BOT basis but the government, which received Rs 10 crore from the 11th Finance Commission for the purpose, provided Rs 6 crore to the private company.

He said the company submitted revised drawing making vast changes in the original bid document.

There was no provision for a hotel in the project but in the revised document, not only the design was changed, but a provision for hotel was also included. The total area in the original document was 10,689 sq m which was increased to over 13,000 sq m and in such a situation the government should have invited fresh bids but that was not done.

Congress leader GS Bali, who was the Transport Minister during the Congress regime, asserted that there was no irregularity and he asked counter questions whether or no the board of directors of the State Bus Stand Authority had approved the revised document.

He also wanted to know if deviations in the project were approved or not.

Intervening during the Question Hour, Chief Minister PK Dhumal said the government had an open mind on the shifting of Kamla Nehru Hospital (KNH) to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) complex.

Health Minister Rajiv Bindal said there was a perennial problem of inter-hospital shifting of patients and new-born babies as pre-natal and neo-natal care was being provided at the KNH whereas post-natal services were available at the IGMC. Similarly, for the treatment of mothers, the obstetrics and gynaecology department was located in the KNH but for childcare, the paediatric department was in the IGMC.

The government intended to prepare a comprehensive plan to take care of issues before implementing any proposal to shift the KNH, he added.

Shimla, August 15
While the entire country celebrated Independence Day, for these harassed men, most of them in the prime of their bright careers, the day holds no significance when those very laws meant for protecting women are being misused to hit back at their innocent mothers and sisters who too happen to be women.

Demanding the setting up of a separate ministry for Men’s Welfare and a National Commission for Men, over 100 members from the Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF) from all over the country held their second national meet here today. They chose August 15 specifically to highlight the fact there were no provisions to address the blatant misuse of dowry harassment and domestic violence act by a fairly sizeable section of women.

It was with the launch of a website in March, 2005, by two IT professionals, Anil and Kutty, grappling failed marriages in Bangalore that the idea to join hands and fight women centric laws took shape. Today, SIFF has its presence not only in India but across the globe with a spurt in failed marriages and divorces resulting in bitter legal battles affecting the entire family.

“We too respect women and believe they need to be protected but what must stop is the misuse of these gender-biased laws which are proving to be the very antithesis of the objective of such legal provisions,” says Suresh Ram, convener of the Chennai Chapter of SIFF. He adds that women who have a failed marriage invariably misuse the legal provisions as a weapon to unleash vendetta and seek revenge not just against their husbands but also their innocent families.

Another aggrieved husband, Rajesh Vakharia from Nagpur, points out that it is not just the mental agony of the legal wrangles they suffer but their bright careers take a nosedive as a result of marital discord with their elderly mothers and young sisters being dragged to police stations and courts even while being innocent.

“Has anyone ever spared a thought for the agony of the mother and sister whose son or brother commits suicide after failing to suffer the pain of martial discord and the resultant legal battle with the odds being heavily in favour of women even if the man is innocent,” quips Uma Challa, who is lending support to these aggrieved men in the form of the All-India Forgotten Women Forum.

She points out that society is so drowned by the voices of the so-called harassed women that everyone is made to believe that men are guilty and women innocent.

“It is high time that law makers spare a glance at the figures of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) which indicates that 58,000 married men as compared to 26,000 women committed suicide in India,” says Purshottam, a bank employee from Mumbai who despite being thrashed by his wife is facing domestic violence charges. Even video tapes of his physical assault by his wife did not help in the police station or court.

Shimla, August 15
Being a single parent if Jawaharlal Nehru could groom his daughter to become the Prime Minister of India, why can fathers not be trusted by the law in being responsible and sensitive towards children of failed marriages?

Putting their brilliant careers as top IT professionals in the US, a master chef owning four hotels, top notch businessman or an Army officer on hold, it is such fathers who have put everything at stake to seek the right of “shared parenting” to save their children from the trauma of legal and emotional battle in a failed marriage.

Espousing the cause of shared parenting is Kumar Jahgirdar, entangled in a legal battle for his child’s custody with his former wife now married to cricketer and former skipper Anil Kumble.

Jahgirdar, a stockbroker, along with such other fathers who have formed an NGO, Children’s Rights Initiative For Shared Parenting (CRISP), met here today to discuss the issue.

Recognising the serious effects of “parental alienation” on children due to single parent families on account of separation or divorce, CRISP advocates the rights of children to remain connected with both biological parents.

“Judiciary presumes the child to be the property of the mother and the visitation rights given to a father for an hour once a week is like a meaningless television show,” opines Jahgirdar.

Similar is the case of a strapping Army officer for whom taking on insurgents and gunning down four dreaded militants in Kargil was hardly a task as compared to the battle he is fighting for the custody of his four-year-old child.

“Both biological parents ought to be responsible for emotional and psychological well-being of their child even if things did not work out between them for whatever reasons,” he feels.

Research indicates that children do best when both parents are actively involved in the emotional and psychological well-being of the child. Parents contemplating divorce should go in for shared parenting as this would eliminate avoidable child custody battles, they feel.

They say in many cases the child is kept with the maternal grandparents as the ambitious mother pursues her career.

CRISP is seeking two days per week with the child for the non-custodian parent along with the right to spend half of the vacation with the child as this will ensure quality time.

“Even getting visitation rights to see my own child took me three long years, so we demand that this arrangement must be put in place within three months of the filing of petition,” stresses an IT professional, who moved from Malaysia to India to spend time with his child.

Kullu, August 15
District health authorities here have taken steps for surveillance and awareness of swine flu epidemic. Chief medical officer Sudershan Kumar Sharma said a rapid response team, comprising three senior medical officers, has been constituted to combat the virus, besides storing of proper medicines.

“Panic-stricken patients have been visiting hospitals but we are treating them for common flu as the symptoms of swine flu have not been found in any case till date,” he added.

However, he stressed that the hospital had viral transport media for tests for swine flu and as of now the NICD, New Delhi, was the only available laboratory in the region for the tests. He said CSI, Kasauli, was also identified as a laboratory for tests but the district medical authorities had no instructions to forward samples there.

He further said an isolation ward had been opened for the probable cases.

Dr Sushil Chander Sharma, district surveillance officer, said they had organised sensitisation workshops for all block medical officers of the district and had also invited private practitioners to attend these seminars.

Awareness among masses was more important and people must avail information from the nearest health institution, he added.

Sudershan Kumar said the regional hospital here was ready to tackle cases of swine flu and people with slightest doubt about the symptoms should contact health authorities.

Shimla, August 15
His scrupulously honest ways and abiding faith in the philosophy that an officer is only a trustee of the state property and financial resources invariably saw him dumped in inconsequential postings throughout his long political career.

The news that he was being rewarded for enforcing austerity measures and curbing wasteful expenditure in the twin buildings housing the state Secretariat, thus, came as a surprise for Jai Sen Chauhan, Additional Secretary, State Secretariat Administration, who is due for superannuation in November, 2009.

His painstaking efforts in checking wasteful use of electricity, discontinuing purchase of coal for space-heating and unnecessary expenditure on maintenance of the Ellerslie and Armsdale, led to savings running into several lakhs of rupees.

“As a middle-rung functionary in the Secretariat, I performed my duties with same penchant and dedication as I had been doing all through my career, the only difference is that the government took notice of my effort as it resulted in tangible savings,” said a visibly elated Jai Sen who never expected such an honour to come his way at the fag end of his rather “uneventful” career.

“I always believed that government resources were not meant to be squandered away and used as frugally as we use our personal resources. My revenue background only helped me in taking concrete measures to help save public funds,” he said.

He often faced problems because of his inability to compromise on his principles and earned the wrath of political bosses, senior offices and also people when he thwarted the efforts to pay high compensation for land in Namhol a few years ago. The amount was brought down from Rs 2 crore to Rs 14 lakh, which was the actual value.

His decision to donate the entire reward money of Rs 51,000 and other Rs 1,000 from his own pocket to the Chief Minster’s Relief Fund is in line with his philosophy of life---not to hanker for material gains. He is the first officer to win the award under the scheme of incentive for deserving employees introduced last year.

By adopting measures like switching off lights in rooms having adequate natural light, withdrawal of electric heaters which were being used in centrally air-conditioned buildings and optimising the use of air conditioner, Chauhan enforced reduced power consumption by 1,20, 262 units, resulting in a saving of Rs 7.39 lakh. 

Kullu, August 15
Two persons were killed and one injured in an accident when a car (HR-51Y-4488) in which they were travelling rolled down in a 300-feet deep gorge at Khobar in the district today.

The dead have been identified as Aman Mann (22) son of Raj Roop Mann of Panipat and Arya Mittar (28) son of Raghubir Singh, resident of Smalakha in Haryana. The injured Satish Kumar (25), son of

Ram Chand of Panipat, had been admitted to the government hospital at Rampur. Two kg charas had also been found from inside the ill-fated car, the police sources added.

Superintendent of Police, KK Indoria said the victims were indulged in the Charas trade and might have lost control over the vehicle in the fear of being caught, as the police had the information and was prepared to nab them at the naka in Bagipul.

In another mishap, Prabha Rani (35), wife of Sushil Kumar Singh of Gurgaon died in a raft accident today near Bandrol in the Beas River. Eight tourists were on the raft that flipped in the muddy river water and guides operating it could not control the river-rapids while it overturned. Seven of the occupants had a lucky escape in the flooded river, while the body got stuck at a distance of about 500 metres at Didri Nallah near Sabji Mandi Bandrol.

Keeping in view higher volume of the river, the rafting had been stopped in Kullu-Manali during the rainy season (15 July to 15 September) by the administration.

SP KK Indoria here said the matter was under investigation as to how the rafting company operated during the banned period.