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BJP-Cong tussle delays central varsity project
Marriage festivities leave children’s park untidy
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Proactive judiciary to the rescue of common man
School heads scoff at new promotion rules
Music to beat agony in hospital
BJP legislator auctions caps to raise funds
ICTC – a boon for HIV-infected persons
vignettes
Nauni Varsity Campus Notes
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BJP-Cong tussle delays central varsity project
Kangra, December 8 Congress leadership blame Chief Minister PK Dhumal for his alleged ‘deliberate’ attempt to shatter the proposal of the central university in Kangra district. Prof Chander Kumar, former MP, alleged that the state government was eager for setting up of the central university at Dehra as it was part of the Hamirpur parliamentary constituency which was represented by Anurag Thakur, son of the Chief Minister. Chander allege that the Dhumal government kept the visiting central team away from other available and suitable sites for the project despite the repeated requests of a former Health Minister Chandresh Kumari and former Revenue Minister BBL Butail, besides former MLAs Jagjeevan Pal and Surender Kumar. He said papers of the undisputed government land at Dharamshala were submitted, but the state government was eager for Dehra which was forestland. Former Forest Minister Chander Kumar disclosed that the forestland, according to the Forest Conservation Act - 1980, could not be transferred to the government for non-forestry use. He said the state Assembly in no way could revoke the Forest Conservation Act - 1980 back to the 1952 position. He expressed shock that in central universities in other states, which were notified with Kangra Central University, classes had already started, but here the BJP government was delaying the project of the university. On the contrary, HP Minister for Civil Supplies Ramesh Dhawala claimed that the state government had submitted revenue documents of 1,200 acres of the grazing land spread over from Dhawala village to Mangarh and denied that the land was a forestland. Ramesh claimed that the inspection team had recommended Dehra as the most suited place for the university where as Chandresh Kumari had submitted revenue papers of the private land at Dharamshala and to pay compensation for the private land was not possible for the Centre. He said the Chief Minister was eager for Dehra because the required undisputed non-forestry land at centrally located place in this district was available there. He categorically said there was no land available at Dharamshala for this purpose. He said accommodation for starting academic session from 2009 was selected at Jawalamukhi and even the site for the university rest house was selected, but unfortunately the alleged political conspiracy of the Congress shattered the dream. He said he was told by senior HRD officials in Delhi that it was a political tussle that had put the central university project in the state on the back-burner. The residents, including senior citizens and retired senior bureaucrats, expressing concern over the situation said for petty politics the setting up of central university project was delayed. They described it as the most unfortunate that both political parties were giving preference to the party interests and not to the development of the state. They ridiculed that Jammu and Kashmir instead of one central university got two because all political parties unitedly fought for the purpose and contrarily in this hill state tussle between the BJP and the Congress was leading to deprive the state even of one central university. They suggested that both the Congress and the BJP should help the state in general and Kangra in particular to have a central university before it was too late.
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Marriage festivities leave children’s park untidy
Hamirpur, December 8 Recently, a marriage party took place at the park, leaving behind heaps of litter, empty plastic bottles and glasses with waste food splattered on a large area. Dismayed by the poor condition of the place, local residents and environmentalists have expressed concern over its long-term effects. They say such events would lead to degradation of the park. Bal Vatika is situated in the serene and dense forest surroundings amidst pine trees. It is considered as the most beautiful place of the town and is a favourite destination for morning walkers. The forest department has also established a Navgarah Vatika at the park by planting sacred plants revered for their religious and planetary effects. A war memorial has also been planned here. A large number of people visit the place daily for getting fresh air and enjoy its serene environs. Nitin, a daily visitor, said, “Such events should not be allowed to take place here as they spoil the environment and beauty of the place. During such events, some people even use the open space for defecation. In such condition, one does not feel like coming here for several days”. Interestingly, the forest department, which is making efforts to bring this park nicely for nature lovers and for popularising tree plantation, through a notice board, has restricted the entry of people after 9 pm and use of alcohol in the park, but perhaps not during such functions. Rakesh Rani, Nagar Parishad councilor of the area, said, “It’s totally wrong to allow marriage functions at the children’s park”. DFO Hamirpur Sanjay Sood said, “The use of park for holding marriage parties is allowed in special cases where users are directed to maintain cleanliness and not to cause any harm to the place. The department might consider completely banning its use for such functions”.
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Proactive judiciary to the rescue of common man
Shimla, December 8 Last week saw the court taking cognisance of a number of reports appearing in the media and treated these as Public Interest Litigations (PILs), seeking response from the authorities. Whether it was the issue of environment, welfare of women or the auction of George Cross gallantry medal, the court took them seriously and issued appropriate directions to the state government and authorities. In one of such case, the court took a serious notice of a news item published in The Tribune regarding illegal felling of trees near the area where 100 MW Malana-II power project in Kulu is coming up. The report highlighted the damage such activities were causing to the environment in the ecologically fragile mountain ranges. Taking suo motu action, a division Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice Ram Bhawan Misra and Justice Rajeev Sharma, promptly constituted a two-member commission and directed it to inspect the spot and submit a report as to whether or not the construction activities carried out by Everest Power Private Limited for the project were in conformity with the environment, forest and mining laws. In a similar matter pertaining to illegal mining in and around the Pabber river in the Rohru area highlighted in the print media, the court sought reply from officials. The court also took cognisance of a news item pertaining to non-utilisation of 27 buses purchased under the Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Mission funded by the Central government and directed principal secretary (transport) PC Kapoor to look into the matter and file a reply within four weeks. The court asked Kapoor, who was present in the court, whether it was possible to run special buses for women in Shimla town during peak hours to save them from harassment. The officer stated in the court that the matter would be looked into and necessary steps would be taken within four weeks. Earlier, the court had set up a committee to help resolve the problem of traffic congestion in the town. The proactive approach of the court is actually empowering the common man as most of the news items which attracted the attention of the court highlighted the woes of the common people. The government can no longer afford to ignore the concerns of the common man. However, it is a sad state of affairs and reflects poorly on governance with court having to intervene in routine matters like traffic regulation.
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School heads scoff at new promotion rules
Kangra, December 8 Mr Prem Chand Vishavkarma, president of the association, and Mr Onkar Rana, president of the Himachal Govt. Teachers Union (HPGTU), Kangra district, said the amendment was against the law of natural justice as the general age could not be considered as a disqualification for promotion when the employee was well within his retiring age. They urged Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal and Education Minister I.D.Dhiman to roll back the amendment in the interest of the entire teaching community. They laid stress on creating a few posts of additional deputy director in the districts to assist deputy directors in inspection so crucial to achieve the goal of quality education in schools. Prem Chand demanded an increase of Rs.1500 in the administrative allowance and car facility on duty. He advised the government to should nursery classes in the primary schools to raise the educational standards at the grossroots, besides introducing the English medium in government schools.
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Music to beat agony in hospital
Hamirpur, December 8 For changing stereotype image of a hospital, the hospital has installed a music system, making it the first in the state to provide World Space radio with speakers in every ward. The music system relays different channels - bhakti sangeet in the morning and evening and classical music, old songs, qawwalis etc during other time. Besides, pictures of gods of
various religions have been put up on walls. The hospital authorities have also strengthened the feedback system through suggestion boxes, collecting information on questionnaires from patients and their attendants during their stay here and at the time of discharge. The suggestions are being considered thoroughly, claim the authorities. Showing human concern and respect for dead bodies, the authorities now hand over the body to relatives after wrapping it in a 5-m cloth. The hospital has also set up a medicine bank in the premises and people are urged to donate spare medicines for distribution among poor patients. The rights and duties of patients have also been displayed at prominent places in the hospital. Dr DS Chandel, CMO, Hamirpur, said, “All these steps have been taken to change the perception of people about a hospital and make the hospital staff and atmosphere more patient friendly and humane”.
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Target: Heritage status for Masrur rock-cut temple
Shimla, December 8 Deliberations have begun to get the Masrur case prepared from the point of view of history, architecture and exclusivity with a technical team having experts from INTACH, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Departments of Language, Art and Culture and Tourism so that the monolithic temple can figure in the list of world heritage sites. It is learnt that the services of Romi Khosla, a renowned conservation architect, are being engaged so that after the Kalka-Shimla rail line, the ancient temple too can make it to the list of the rarest of the rare monuments in the world. Currently under the control of the ASI, the place has not been able to attract much attention, considering its uniqueness and heritage value. "We now plan to have the complete documentation of the temple so that serious initiatives can be made with regard to the grant of a world heritage site status to the temple," said an official. Besides the ASI, expertise of other organisations like the National Mission of Monuments and Antiquities and the Institute of Urban Designer is also being sought. Efforts are being made to promote Masrur as an international tourist site as it is a priceless heritage treasure tucked away from public glare. Even though the influx of tourists in Himachal has grown tremendously, Masrur is not visited by as many visitors keeping in view its aloofness and relative remoteness. The endeavour now is to promote the site at the international level and in case it is granted a world heritage site status, it will automatically make it to the world tourism map. One of the only four rock cut temples in India and popularly known as "Ajanta of Himachal" the exquisite monolithic Masrur temple will be the third site in Himachal after Kalka-Shimla rail track and a stretch of the Kangra rail line which would make it to the list of the UNESCO world heritage sites. Masrur is located 32 km from Kangra on the Nagrota Surian link road and is famous for its remarkable group of rock-cut temples. There are only four rock-cut temples in India, including the famous "Rathas of Mammalapuram", "Kailashas at Ellora", "temple complex at Masrur in Kangra" and the "Dharmnatha temple at Dhamnar" in Rajasthan. The complex at Masrur is a group of 15 monolithic rock-cut temples in the Indo Aryan style which are richly carved and date back to the seventh or eighth century. These richly ornamented cave temples at Masrur are the only rock shrines in the northern part of India. The main shrine contains three stone images of Ram Laxman and Sita but the presence of the figure of Shiva in the centre of the lintel affords a strong presumption that the temple was originally dedicated to Mahadeva. Rock-cut style is much more difficult than the structural one. In the latter, the artist shapes the material as he likes, whereas in the former the material determines the way the artist should move. The limitation makes the artist's job of creatiing something out of a rock a most difficult task and the ability with which artists of the seventh and eighth centuries carried out their job is superhuman. Only a few of the original shikharas stand and some of the most beautifully carved panels are now in the State Museum, Shimla. The main shrine at Masrur dominates the centre. The remote location of these temples protected them from the invading army of Mahmud Gazni and their stone construction prevented severe damage in the 1905 earthquake. Though rock-cut caves are common in south India, the Masrur temple is the only one in north India. Cut out of free standing rocks, archaeologists and art critics point out that there are only four of these in India. Carvings and ornamentation at Masrur are of a much superior order and the temple group is on top of a 2500-foot-high hill range, making it even more imposing.
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BJP legislator auctions caps to raise funds
Shimla, December 8 Tejwant Negi, a young legislator from tribal Kinnaur district, sold more than 600 Himachali caps at various auctions organised in his constituency and generated Rs.81,000 from its sale. "I had collected more than 600 Himachali caps in the past two years. Most of the caps were presented to me at various social and other functions. I decided to auction these so that the funds raised could be used for charity," Negi said. "From the auction of the caps, I collected Rs.81,000. Each cap fetched Rs.100 to Rs.150. Some of the buyers even purchased the caps in bulk," he added. The amount collected was given to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. "I presented a draft for Rs.81,000 to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal in Shimla on Saturday for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund," the legislator said. He said more funds would be contributed towards the fund by auctioning other items like shawls and mementoes presented by the public at various functions. Dhumal appreciated the gesture of Negi and said other legislators should also follow this practice. "It's really a noble gesture on the part of Negi. The other legislators and high-profile people should also follow the practice of raising funds for the relief fund," he said. Himachal Pradesh started the Chief Minister's Relief Fund soon after the BJP government assumed power in December, 2008. Gujarat Ambuja Cement Ltd, the Bilaspur Truck Operator Society of Barmana, Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Bank and ALEO Manali Hydro Power Private Ltd are among the major contributors to the relief fund.
— IANS
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ICTC – a boon for HIV-infected persons
Nurpur, December 8 “The main features of these ICTCs are total privacy of beneficiaries who will be given codes in official record and clinical test for HIV will be undertaken thrice before declaring anyone HIV positive. Apart from this, HIV patients will get moral support by taking free counselling with human and social approach in the ICTC,” he revealed. Under the programme, the government has opened ICTCs in various civil hospitals in the state and free Anti-Retroviral Treatment (ART) facility has been made available in IGMC, Shimla, and Regional Hospital, Hamirpur. This treatment enables people living with HIV to enjoy longer and healthier lives. Meanwhile, enquiries reveal that existing ICTCs in Kangra district had rendered services to as many as 12,000 persons in the current year which is five times more than the previous year and 1,040 HIV positive patients have been identified so far which is 0.07 per cent of the total population of the district. The new ICTC set up in the civil hospital premises here will also benefit pregnant women whose HIV clinical test is mandatory. They are now not required to undertake the same test in private laboratories by spending hundreds of rupees.
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Himachal diary
Founded way back in 1837 by British army officers, the local Amateur Dramatics Club (ADC) came to life again, with the staging of a one-act play "Taj Mahal Ka Tender" (See picture). The performance came after a hiatus of seven years during which Gaiety Theatre was undergoing a major restoration and conservation work.
The first performance by members of the ADC, which has a rich history of dramatics and other cultural activities, came several months after Gaiety Theatre was thrown open. The play, "Tak Mahal Ka Tender," a contemporary satire on the unholy nexus among politicians, builders and bureaucracy was performed with élan by members of the ADC in the 20--70 age group. The play juxtaposes Shah Jahan and his cherished dream of building an everlasting monument in memory of his wife. The red tapism, scheming government officials and contractors and the endemic corruption take the Emperor on a virtual rollercoaster ride. The ADC has been in the present location in Gaiety Theatre since 1887. Its management was transferred to the Army Training Command in 1993 after the Western Command was shifted to Chandi Mandir. The unique style, architecture, beauty and acoustics of the theatre is matched only by that of Royal Albert Hall in London. The completion of the exhaustive restoration work at the Gaiety has paved the way for revival of cultural activities, including staging of plays and a host of other events.
Physically challenged
display talent
The physically challenged children from Hamirpur district not only displayed their skills in different activities organised on the World Handicapped Day but also made all those present to take note of talent hidden in them. While they mostly participated in games like jalebi race, musical chair race and ball games, some of them also showed their skills in painting and poetry. In this context, a poem recited by Joginder of Day Care Centre, Jaladi, ˜ashaaye nahin viklang bache, hamar irade hote pakke" reflected their determination to achieve high goals and live a better life. More than their performances, it was the delight on the faces of these children which was a matter of joy for everybody. They proved that they did not lack in talent and all that they need was persistent persuasion from society at large to prove themselves.
"Women only" buses
The intervention of the high court has worked. The HRTC has introduced "women only" buses on two routes to save them from unnecessary harassment. While one bus is "mudrika" service, plying continuously on Circular Road starting from Sanjauli via Lakkar Bazar, the other has been introduced on the Vikas Nagar -Bus Stand route. The corporation plans to introduce two more such bus services, one of which will be "mudrika" service on Circular Road in the reverse direction and the other will ply from Chakkar to Bus Stand. The high court had asked the government to explore the possibility of introducing "women special" buses during peak hours so that they could commute conveniently.
(Contributed by Pratibha Chauhan, DP Gupta and Rakesh Lohumi)
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vignettes
I have a very old map of Shimla and Jatog where the name of Kensington Hall figures by the side of a tonga road. This tonga road was an old road joining Kalka with Shimla at Boileaugaunj. Kensigton Hall was the property of Raja of Nalagarh in 1898 and its agent was Latooria Vakil. The lavatories of the building were so unsatisfactory that the Secretary, Municipal Committee (MC), H. Clayton, wrote a letter to Latooria on 28.11.1898, saying that "the privy (archaic for lavatory) of the above-named estate is altogether unsatisfactory and unsanitary. A new four-seat, all of iron according to the new Municipal Standard Privy, be installed." It shows that as far back as 1898 there was a standard privy bylaw with the MC. Latooria appeared to be either an influential or a take-things-casually type of man as he slept over the letter for quite sometime before replying on 13.1.1899 in his own English: "I request the favour of your kindly granting me 30 days more leisure (spelled it as leasure) for complying with the order as I am out of station with the Deputy Commissioner on tour." By 1906, the agent had changed and Bali Ram Singh had taken over. The fellow was no less than Latooria because the notice given to him regarding the leakage of roofs of the outhouses of Kensigton Hall was replied to by him: "How could you prove in the court that the roofs leak now that the rains have stopped?" The MC replied: "The roofs of the houses are of mud and nothing is done to repair the roofs as old grass is growing on it. The earthen roofs will leak again if there is rain." He remained blind towards the notice. The MC lodged a criminal case against him. JP Thompson, Magistrate (1st. class) inflicted a fine of Rs.20/- on him on 11.12.1906.
SN Sharma who was the agent in 1941 requested the MC to allow the construction of a motorable road joining Nalagarh House with Cart Road. It was not approved till 1942. The road that now exists came up after 1942. The building today houses the Agriculture Directorate and is known as Krishi Bhawan. LC Sharma, an old timer, says that he had joined the Agriculture Directorate in 1960 when it was in Wingate, near Akashvani, and from there the directorate was shifted to Nalagarh House in the mid-60s. The new building, at present, is ideal to accommodate an important office like the Directorate of Agriculture.
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Nauni Varsity Campus Notes
The CCS university of Meerut won the Northeast Zone interuniversity kabaddi (women) championship by winning all three matches played with GND university, Amritsar; KU, Kurukshetra; and PU, Chandigarh; while GND University and KU bagged the second and third positions, respectively. The championship concluded at the Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, recently.
On the final day, CCS beat PU by 47-7 with Sanahambi and Annu displaying excellent talent to score several points for the Meerut university team. They were ably supported by Anita and Krishna to win the match by a comfortable margin of 47-7. GND University defeated KU by 22-18 in a well-contested match with the former leading by 11-9 till half time. For GND University, Sanju, Pinki and Amanpreet secured several points to help the team emerge victorious. VC Dr KR Dhiman gave away prizes to the winners. Best player of the tournament
was bagged by K San Hambi and the best catcher prize was given to Meena Kumari, both from CCS University. Dr Dhiman also presented a memento to Rama Sarkar, Arjun awardee 1986, who had captained the Indian kabaddi team.
Gate rally
The non-teaching and technical employees union held a gate rally on December 4 in protest against the failure of the university authorities to grant them revised pay scales as per the recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission. The employees, about 600 in number, while protesting the partisan attitude of the authorities said it was unfair to implement these for select officials like registrar and comptroller while denying a majority their due. The employees have granted a period of 10 days to the authorities to consider their just demands failing which they intensified their stir. Association leaders, including OP Thakur and Ramesh Kumar, said since a vast number of employees were affected by this injustice they could not remain silent.
Constitution of new
board delayed
Despite the tenure of the last Board of Management ended in August this year, the university is yet to constitute a new body. Since it is the apex decision-making body of the university, its constitution is important. Sources said the list was yet to be finalised which would be sent to the university's chancellor and state's Governor for their consent. The body constitutes several ex officio members and five non-official members who are generally nominated by politicians and it was the selection of these members which had delayed the whole process. Though these posts are supposed to be filled from among prominent orchardists, woman social worker, engineer, etc, they have become synonymous with political appointments and those wielding political clout are nominated. The BoM is crucial as it takes significant decisions, including final approval to the various appointments made in the university as well as financial decisions.
— OC
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RTI activist awarded
Shimla, December 8 By effectively raising a host of national and state issues, ranging from foreign trips of Supreme Court judges to failure to post doctors in interior areas of Himachal Pradesh, he has amply demonstrated that the RTI Act is indeed a powerful tool in the hands of a common citizen. He has over the past 30 months filed 130 RTI applications and obtained over 8,000 pages of information at his own expense. Many of his RTI applications not only revealed startling facts that often caused embarrassment to the authorities concerned, but also generated enough pressure on the government for taking remedial measures. Bhattacharya has indeed the knack of extracting relevant information and, more importantly, he ensures that it reaches the public through the media to create the necessary pressure on the authorities. The response to some of his RTI applications has provided facts and information to MPs for raising issues in Parliament. The information sought by him regarding foodgrains damage in the FCI godowns revealed that over the past decade more than 10 lakh tonnes of stock was lost. It was enough to feed six lakh people for over 10 years. Further, a whopping Rs 243 crore was spent on preserving these foodgrains and another Rs 2 crore on disposing of the damaged stock. BJP MP Anant Kumar raised the issue in Parliament, leading to an assurance from Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar that corrective measures would be taken. The repeated controversies over the combined pre-medical entrance test conducted by Himachal Pradesh University prompted him to file an RTI application which not only revealed lack of transparency but also brought to the fore the fact that it was being used as a source of income by selling the prospectus at exorbitantly high rates. He filed such applications with various other institutions across the country and after compiling the information shot off a letter to the Union Minister for Human Resource Development for taking steps to ensure uniformity in the test and that the students were not fleeced. Another recent RTI application revealed that more than 25 per cent posts of doctor were vacant in Mandi and Shimla districts but there was not a single vacancy in the border districts of Solan and Una. Other important RTI applications pertained to unsolved murders, ineligible state guests, interest paid by the Income Tax Department on account of delayed refunds, lack of action on Law Commission reports and duties of MPs and MLAs. Born and brought up in Himachal Pradesh Bhattacharya is currently working as an assistant regional manager with a multi-national company in Delhi but pursuing issues pertaining to Himachal Pradesh and its people continues to be his main concern. With no godfather to manage postings in good stations, his father, a doctor in the state Health Department, had to serve in backward villages where others were not willing to go. He had his education entirely in government schools in remote villages but still managed to do well and ended up with an MBA degree. He feels that the simple, peace-loving and honest hill people do not assert their rights as much as they should and it was partly for this reason that he started this campaign.
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Plea to revoke doc's transfer
Nurpur, December 8 The protesters raised slogans demanding revocation of the transfer in the larger public interest. They claimed that the paediatrician was not only catering to thousands of child patients in Nurpur subdivision but also from neighbouring Jawali and Bhatiyat subdivisions. They later submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal through the local SDM, demanding immediate cancellation of the transfer orders. Copies of the memorandum were also submitted to local MLA Rakesh Pathania. Meanwhile, hospital in charge Deepak Sharma clarified that Dr Joshi had not been relieved yet. Keeping the public interest in mind Dr Joshi has started a free OPD at his residence.
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Kensington Hall Estate was a huge complex then with many trees that looked like a forest. An application moved in 1908 to cut 30 pine trees is evidence to it, "The trees are so numerous that the removal of these will not affect the forest, land and climate." Sanction to cut down 10 trees was given provided these were previously marked by the ranger. By 1916, there were several European tenants living in Kensington Hall. They required better facilities that were slowly and gradually provided. It was an improved building by 1925 when the Raja of Jubbal had it in his custody. Since then it was known as Nalagarh House. The Raja managed the estate through Pandit Daya Nand Vakil and made elaborate plans for rejuvenating the building and improving the infrastructure with provision of five garages there through contractor Sayyed Nazaf Shah. The plan was approved in 1926. When Jubbal left the custodianship, a known firm of Shimla, Lehnu Mull Thakur Dass, took ove r as an agent and perked up the ground and the first floors of the building.