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Cabinet decides to convert part-timers into daily wagers
No forest land for religious purposes
Rau urges experts to develop farmer-oriented technology
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Old Pak Cottonians to relive golden moments
Ruskin Bond, Fali Nariman to grace BCS occasion
Teachers, families to observe fast
Accused remanded in police custody
Doc with fake degree held
Thieves nabbed
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Cabinet decides to convert part-timers into daily wagers
Shimla, September 30 The part-time workers who have completed 10 years of continuous service as on March 31, 2009, will be eligible to become daily wagers. The decision will benefit about 3,000 part-time workers. The panchayat sahayaks, who have satisfactorily completed eight years of service on March 31, 2008, and fulfil all other eligibility conditions will be upgraded as panchayat secretaries on contract basis. They will be paid a salary of Rs 4,680 per month. In all 872 panchayat secretaries will benefit form the decision. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal presided over the meeting. The Cabinet also decided to regularise the services of 563 daily wagers who fulfilled prescribed eligibility criteria laid down by the government, besides having completed regular service of eight years up to March 31, 2008, in the irrigation and public health department. It also gave nod for creation of 31 new posts in the class IV category in the department for the purpose. It approved up-gradation of two posts of deputy secretary to joint secretary and creation of one post each of deputy secretary and under secretary in the department of law to cope with increasing work load, particularly drafting of agreements with parties for projects to be executed in the public-private partnership mode. It granted relaxation in educational qualifications to pave the way for regularisation of 26 daily wagers in the department of forest against the existing vacancies and authorised Chief Executive Officer of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Development Authority to sign Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and other relevant documents on behalf of the state with Punjab for construction of access controlled expressway connecting Baddi with Mohali. It agreed to grant one month extension to the allottees of 104 MW Lara Sumta Project, 102 MW Rashil project , 104 MW Tandi project , 126 MW Bardang Project and 60 MW Patam Project to deposit the up-front premium amount with the state government failng which the allotment will be cancelled. The Cabinet directed the additional chief secretary (revenue) to examine possibility of amending the State Ceiling on Land Holding Act, 1972, to permit sale of tea garden land in cases of genuine hardship. |
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No forest land for religious purposes
Shimla, September 30 The policy guidelines, approved by the state government today to prioritise transfer of forest land for no-forestry use and bring transparency in the process, lays down stringent norms for real forest land under effective control and management of the forest department. It adopts a liberal approach in respect of wastelands notified as forest land. The forest land has been divided into two categories. The first category of forest land, comprising protected wildlife areas, reserve, demarcated and un-demarcated forests areas, will not ordinarily be transferred for non-forestry purposes, except for site-specific projects. These projects include cement plants which have to be set up at the site where limestone deposits are available, rail lines, and hydropower plants. However, in case of second category of land consisting of charagah, banjar kadim and other wastelands which does not have standing trees but notified as forests, the norms are less stringent for diversion for non-forestry use. The forest land will be ordinarily transferred for government and public projects. The state has already transferred 8,173 hectares of land with over six lakh standing trees in 1,058 cases cleared under the Forest Conservation Act. Further, another clearance has been granted in principle for diversion of another 1,278 hectares of forest land for various projects coming up in the state. Additional Chief Secretary Avay Shukla said the policy was framed to prioritise cases for transfer of forest as the Forest Conservation Act was silent on the issue. Legally, over 37,000 sq km of the state’s total geographical 55,673 sq km area has been classified as forests. However, out of this about 16,000 sq km comprises high altitude areas above the tree line and as such only about 21,000 sq km could be actually brought under forests. At present, tree cover stands over 16,000 sq km and over 4,000 sq km was yet to be planted. |
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Rau urges experts to develop farmer-oriented technology
Dharamsala, September 30 The Governor said farmers of the state were hard working. However, most of the areas in Himachal was rain-fed. To make a difference in their lives, technologies were required which did not put financial burden on farmers. They should be advised to grow high value cash crops to enhance their income where irrigation facilities were available. She felt 12 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (Farm Science Centres) in the state should become more active to provide specific extension and training services according to the needs of a particular area. Feedback mechanism should be strengthened to improve skill transfer and other farm-based requirements of the farming community. Prabha Rau appreciated the role of the university in formulating uniform academic calendar and effectively controlling the ragging menace. She sought suggestions from members of the senate for advancement of agriculture and transfer to technology. Dr Tej Partap, Vice-Chancellor, while presenting the progress report, highlighted major achievements in academic, research and extension education programmes. He said intake of students under self-financing seats had been increased and modern infrastructure and other facilities had been created to attract foreign students. He said seven projects worth Rs 143 lakh had been submitted to different funding agencies for sanction. Ten new technologies have been recommended to farmers of the state, he added. The VC further said the university had taken new initiatives to transfer the technology by live telecast of farm seminars and telephone help lines. Elected and ex-officio members attended the senate meeting and deliberated on various issues concerning the university. Earlier, the Governor laid the foundation stone of girls’ hostel to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. Fully funded by the ICAR, the new hostel will have 36 double bed rooms and two dormitories. |
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Army ready to deal with Chinese intrusion, says Jaswal
Shimla, September 30 “With its vast undemarcated stretches, the Indo-China border was and continues to be a sensitive area. There has been no increase in its sensitivity as such in view of the reported developments. The Army is fully prepared to take on any challenge on this count,” he said with a sense of assurance. A thoroughbred infantryman, Jaswal, with his enormous experience in counter-insurgency operations in the North East, is eager to make his mark in the militancy-ridden Kashmir valley. He spelt out a three-pronged strategy to defeat the designs of terrorists and help create an environment conducive to smooth functioning of the civil administration. The emphasis would be to effectively check infiltration from across the border and carry out relentless operations against terrorists still active in the valley. The emphasis would be on training of troops and keeping up their morale, which was the key to successful counter-insurgency operations. With state-of-the-art surveillance equipment and modern weaponry, the Army was better equipped to deal with insurgents and any threat from across the border. Preparation had been an ongoing process, which involved persistent training and evolving new doctrines with the changing environment. Referring to the recent incident of a woman gunning down a terrorist in Kashmir, he said it only reflected the changing attitude of the local people and their resolve to take the militants head on. More significant was the fact that the woman had no training in weapons and she learnt to fire gunshots from television. |
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Old Pak Cottonians to relive golden moments
Shimla, September 30 As the euphoria to welcome 12 distinguished “old boys” from across the border who left the school in 1947 surges, the Old Cottonian Association (OCA) views it as their contribution in warming up relations between India and Pakistan. The sesquicentennial celebrations of Bishop Cotton School will take off on October 2 as old students from across the globe descend at the school campus to relive those golden moments. “With thrust being on increased “people to people contact” between the two nations, the visit by old students from Pakistan is our way of helping the cause,” remarked KC Anand, who passed out of the school in 1958. A goodwill 20-20 cricket match between Aitchison College, Lahore, and BCS will be held on October 4. Notwithstanding the hurdles faced in making possible the visit of 28 students from Aitchison College, Lahore, the team from BCS intends making the gesture reciprocal. “It took three visits to Lahore to convince parents and authorities to send across their boys as we assured them that there was no reason for worry,” Anand said. While it is the second visit of the Aitchison boys, who came here three years back, the BCS boys will hopefully be going to Lahore for the first time next year, he added. The 28 boys led by their principal will share the school dormitories with the BCS boys and follow the same routine for three days. It is a different matter that contentious issues like religion and politics will not be broached even remotely. Led by former Ambassador and Foreign Secretary of Pakistan Humanyun Khan, 12 old students accompanied by their spouses would arrive here aboard the Kalka-Shimla train, which was referred to as the “school party” when it would be specially chartered for BCS boys when they left or arrived at the school in earlier days. Agha Khan, school captain, who led the 42 Pakistan boys back home through the central doors of the Irwin Hall in 1947 would be part of the old boys delegation from across the border. “It is the cosmopolitan character of the school with boys from all over the world and the thorough grooming it gives to take on the challenges of life which makes the BCS so distinct and privileged,” says Dinesh Sood, executive member of the Himachal chapter of the OCA. |
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Ruskin Bond, Fali Nariman to grace BCS occasion
Shimla, September 30 Besides Sehgal, there are many others, including Gen RN Batra who completed school in 1936, who will join the five-day celebrations. It is the four chapters of the Old Cottonian Association (OCA) including international, Himachal, Delhi and northern who are organising various events, including sporting and musical events, to be graced by alumni, including Ruskin Bond, Virbhadra Singh, Benjamin Gilani and Fali Nariman. “We owe our success in respective fields to the education, values and coaching we received at the school so we too must ensure that the school stands tall,” says Prithvi Singh Nath of the 1971 batch. He said even today all old boys religiously follow the school’s motto “Overcome Evil with Good” in their lives. In order to ensure that the school maintains its high levels, the OCA has constituted an infrastructure fund, which has already touched Rs 50 lakh. “The entire expenditure of the celebrations is being borne by the four chapters of the OCA and this is besides the Rs 50 lakh that will exclusively be spent on strengthening infrastructure in the school,” said Dinesh Sood, an alumni and executive member of the HP Chapter. Chief Minister PK Dhumal will inaugurate the sesquicentennial function on the evening of October 2, at the school. There will be a musical evening by Adnan Sami and a commemorative stamp will be issued by the Postal Department. Sood said over 350 old boys from the USA, the UK, Pakistan, Australia and Thailand were expected to attend the grand occasion. It may be a long journey of 150 years that the BCS has come through, but even today the old boys share a strong bond as they reach out to each other in times of crisis as well as jubilation. Above all they have always been around to help the school in times of trouble and tide over small hurdles. |
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Teachers, families to observe fast
Kangra, September 30 Disclosing this here today, Rajesh Bhatta, district president, PTA Teachers’ Union, said 16,000 voter indentity cards of PTA teachers and their family members had so far been collected in the state for surrendering before the state Governor for onward submission to the President of India. PTA teachers would boycott their classes on October 8 and hold protest rally outside the DC’s office at Dharamsala to highlight their
grievances, he added.
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Accused remanded in police custody
Sundernagar, September 30 According to a report lodged with the police by Chachoit Judicial Magistrate Yujvinder Singh, he was on his way to Gohar from Kullu on Monday evening in his
car (HP-39-7677). However, when he reached Dayod near Pandoh Dam, the two accused, who were in a truck (HR-38H-8598) threw stones at his vehicle which resulted in breaking of its windscreen. The accused also tried to snatch the keys of the car in vain and afterwards ran away from the spot. However, they were nabbed by the police along at Aut on National Highway 21. They were identified as Mehar Singh, a resident of Karsog in Mandi district and Sidhi Singh, a resident of Kullu. According to Mandi SP Sonal Agnihotri, a case of theft and mischief under Sections 382, 336, 427/34 of the IPC has been registered against them. He further stated that no previous enmity was found in the matter.
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Doc with fake degree held
Hamirpur, September 30 On a complaint, the Hamirpur branch of the bureau today arrested Dr Kuldeep Sharma for possessing a ‘fake degree’. Sharma, who actually hails from the Bada Badoh area of Kangra district, was residing in the Housing Board Colony and practicing there for quite sometime. He was also on the panel of two private insurance companies and thus also issued medical fitness certificates to people for insurance purposes. After a raid today, the said degree of this doctor, which claimed to have been obtained in 1995 from the HPU was found to be fake after verification from the university. Vigilance DSP Ajay Rana said, “On a complaint they raided the doctor’s premises and after verification his MBBS degree was found fake.” |
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Thieves nabbed
Chamba, September 30 Chamba SP Mudhu Sudan told mediapersons that the thieves had been identified as Mohan Lal, Manoj Kumar, Bhola Ram and Tilak Raj, all residents of this area. A case under Sections 379 and 34 of the IPC had been registered, the SP said; adding that further investigation was in progress. The SP said the thieves had come in a private vehicle (HP-46-0727) and broke into the premises of house of a contractor Des Raj at Trala village in the district and stole eight bundles of electric wires. |
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