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Govt committed to improve farmers’ lot, says CM
CM proposes special industrial force
14-member BoD proposed for SJVN
Heritage to be part of new TCP Act
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Dhumal loyalist elected BJP dist chief
BSNL to move HC on cable theft
MOU for health insurance scheme
Grant of visas to Chinese may help start work
CPM ‘hails’ reduction in bus fares
Racial attacks blown out of proportion, allege Oz students
1 held for 2.5 cr dacoity in Delhi
Role of Tourism Dept under scanner
Hundreds protest against medical negligence
One held for graft
2 booked for scaring nurse
2,500 patients examined
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Govt committed to improve farmers’ lot, says CM
(Jangal Beri) Hamirpur, January 9 Addressing a public meeting after laying foundation stone of a science building at senior secondary school here today he said,” To bridge a gap between rural and urban area our government has focused to improve education, health and road facilities in the villages besides providing employment opportunities in the villages to make people self-employed and self-reliant.” Dhumal said ,” For developing the farming sector the government has launched about Rs 1000 crore schemes which include Rs 354 crore Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan Bagwan samiridhi yojna, Rs 300 crore Doodh Ganga Yojna and Rs 263 crore vermi compost scheme and farmers should draw full benefit of these schemes to become self- reliant.” Talking about a new health insurance scheme launched in the state yesterday from Shimla, Dhumal said,”On the payment of Rs 30 members of BPL families would be issued health cards through which they can seek medical expenses of Rs 30000.” He said,”Though this scheme has been launched by the central government by providing Rs 8 crore but the state government has decided to cover serious diseases like kidney transplant, heart operation and treatment for cancer etc by adding another Rs 10.85 crore to this health insurance scheme.” He said,”We are also thinking to include APL families under this scheme on payment of premium by them for this insurance.” Dhumal said,”The previous Congress government had shifted the IRB battalion from this place hastily for the political reasons but our government has once again established the IRB battalion here and would be spending Rs 70 for creating infrastructure here and local people would directly and indirectly get benefited from this.” Education Minister ID Dhiman, IPH Minister Ravidner Ravi and MLA Urmil Thakur also addressed the gathering. |
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CM proposes special industrial force
Dharamsala, January 9 The Chief Minister made the announcement while speaking at the passing-out parade at the police training college at Daroh near Palampur. The new force would be equipped to deal with any industrial security requirements and cater to law and order duties in the industrial areas. He also announced a raise in the honorarium of guest faculty. The internal faculty of police training centres would now get Rs 400 while the outside faculty will get Rs 500 per day. A grant of Rs 10 lakh for equipping and furnishing the new gymnasium in the police training complex at Daroh was also announced. The Chief Minister said one more, the 6th Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB), had been sanctioned for the state. It would be established at Kolar in Sirmour district. The work for the 4th and the 5th IRB was already in progress. The recruitment for the 6th Battalion would be carried out soon. He also said 1,190 police personnel had been promoted in the state police. In the current financial year nine DSPs and 545 constables had been trained and 428 women constables were under training in the college. The government has spent Rs. 28 crore over modernisation of the police. One company of the Himachal police was undergoing commando course at Bahadurgarh in Punjab. The training is likely to be completed by the middle of this month. A quick reaction team had also been constituted to meet any emergency and two special task forces have also been created for Shimla and Dharamsala, Dhumal said. The Chief Minister was driven in an open jeep to inspect the passing-out parade of nine probationer DSPs and 46 probationer sub-inspectors of Himachal Police at the Police Training College, Daroh, today. He took salute from an impressive marchpast of the probationer-trainees. Later, the Chief Minister dedicated a multi-purpose hall at the PTC, Daroh, completed at a cost of Rs 93 lakh and laid the foundation stone of a barrack for 60 women trainees that would cost about Rs 1.65 crore. He also dedicated the self-constructed Sahyog Bhawan, Parishram Avam Niswarth Bhawan to the trainees of the college. |
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14-member BoD proposed for SJVN
Shimla, January 9 The issue was discussed at a high-level meeting at New Delhi in which top officers of the state, SJVN and the ministry convened to thrash out various issues pertaining to restructuring of the Centre-state joint venture company. As per the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) regulations, the company will have to appoint 50 per cent independent directors even before coming out with a draft red herring prospectus. The ministry has fixed the deadline of January 18 for finalising the prospectus. At present, the SJVN has five full time directors, six part-time directors, including two from the state, and three independent directors. However, the ministry has decided to have a maximum of 14 directors out of which seven will be independent directors. As only one part-time director from the state will find place in the board the Centre has offered to induct two independent directors of its choice. The ministry has also proposed to accommodate another representative of the state government in the board in the capacity of a special invitee. Another round of talks will be held soon as the state government wants the Centre to settle all issues and ensure that its equity share and other interests were protected before coming out with an IPO. It has already written a letter to the SJVN regarding its concerns over the disinvestment. The Centre and the state hold 75 per cent and 25 per cent equity, respectively, in the company, which owns the country’s largest 1,500-MW Nathpa Jahkri project. The total authorised capital is Rs 7,000 crore and paid up capital Rs 4,108.81. The Centre’s share is Rs 3,081.61 crore and as such Rs 308.16 crore will be disinvested. A ticklish issue to be settled is how to adjust the overall equity of the state in the SJVN, which varies in different projects, without which disinvestment cannot be undertaken. |
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Heritage to be part of new TCP Act
Shimla, January 9 Even though the TCP Department has taken a lot of initiatives with regard to conservation of heritage in various parts of the state but in the absence of any legal provisions in the Act, the department is unable to take any effective steps. It has to primarily rely on other government agencies like the Department of Language, Art and Culture for taking heritage-related decisions. “It is for the first time that heritage-related provisions have been included in the proposed Act which is awaiting the nod of the government,” said a senior official. The earlier HP Town and Country Planning Act, 1977 did not cover heritage and as such the department was facing a lot of problems. In fact, it is due to the absence of legal sanctity with respect to heritage that the heritage towns like Chamba, Dalhousie and Mandi prepared by the TCP Department after exhaustive documentation have still not been notified. It is almost a year and a half back when the task had been completed by the TCP Department. Even though a State Heritage Advisory Committee comprising experts and voluntary organisations has been constituted but its ambit is primarily restricted to the state capital as in some of the other towns the heritage sites or landmarks have been identified but they have not been notified. It is only in Shimla that there are strict regulations with regard to the heritage zone starting from the Secretariat uptill the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS). In the designated heritage zone in the state capital, only reconstruction along old lines is permissible and that too with the approval of the State Heritage Advisory Committee. Conservation architects and voluntary organisations rue that in the absence of strict regulations, precious heritage- be it of the colonial era in towns like Dalhousie or from the days of the princely states in places like Mandi and Chamba- were being ruined due to any serious initiatives on the part of government agencies. Even though there was talk of getting world heritage site status for the ancient town of Chamba, which celebrated its millennium but not much headway has been made eversince and the case is basically confined to files only. With the TCP Department getting legal powers with respect to heritage, it is expected that some positive progress would be achieved towards conserving heritage landmarks dotting the state. |
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Dhumal loyalist elected BJP dist chief
Hamirpur, January 9 Announcing the election of Desh Raj Sharma, Randhir Sharma said the district party leaders had chosen Desh Raj unanimously and his was the only nomination paper filed today for the post and thus was elected as the new BJP president in Hamirpur. Five delegates for the state were also elected today from the district who were: PK Dhumal, Pyare Lal Sharma, Raj Kumar, Jaid Nath and Subhash Banyal. Since no lady was elected as the party delegate from the district Maya Sharma was nominated as an additional delegate as per the BJP constitution. The election of Desh Raj Sharma was was reached among important party leaders after reportedly discussing the matter with the Chief Minister late last evening in Shimla. Sharma who had joined the BJP in 1977 has held several important posts in the party and had also played important role in party organisation of the Bamsan constituency and the Hamirpur district. He also remained Mandal BJP president of Bamsan and was organising secretary in the previous BJP district committee. |
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BSNL to move HC on cable theft
Dharamsala, January 9
The cases registered by the police are those of simple cable theft cases due to which the investigating authorities do not take crime on priority. However, the disruption of communication due to cable thefts was hurting the national interests. Due to it the BSNL has decided to move high court in the matter. We would make plea to the court to consider crimes of cable theft under the National Security Act so that stern action was taken against the culprits. He also said the BSNL would bifurcate the mobile and landline departments. |
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MOU for health insurance scheme
Shimla, January 9
Till now the scheme was being implemented in Kangra and Shimla. Speaking at state-level workshop on National Health Insurance Scheme for BPL families here yesterday, Swarup lauded state for commendable work done under the scheme. “The main aim of the scheme is to provide hospitalisation benefits to BPL families having smart card so that they can avail free treatment at any of the empanelled hospitals where the smart card devices have been installed under the scheme,” he stated. Though the scheme provides a basic package of Rs 30,000 but the state government has decided to provide additional benefit for covering critical illnesses expenses upto Rs 1.75 lakh. The scheme will now be extended to the entire state from March 1, 2010. So far a total of 80,242 smart cards, covering 80 per cent of the BPL families have been distributed in Shimla and Kangra districts under the first phase of the scheme.
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Grant of visas to Chinese may help start work
Shimla, January 9
This included seven officials involved with the Theog-Hatkoti road while four were working in Una. Sources said though the Himacha government had urged the Centre to grant visa to about 100 Chinese workers but the visa of only 11 persons had come through. The absence of all Chinese officials from India after they were forced to return home following visa restrictions had virtually put a question mark on the continuation of work by the Chinese company. “With grant of visa to 11 persons we will at least be in a position to talk to officials about the future prospects of the projects as till recently we were not even able to establish contact with the officials,” said R.C. Kapoor, Principal Secretary (PWD). He said the government was keen that the project was completed by the Chinese company only as starting all over again with a new company would not only cause delay in completion of work but would also lead to financial losses. Sources said even though visas had been granted to 11 persons but it would take some time before work can be resumed as the Chinese company is faced with financial problems and it would take a while for them to restart. It will also have to be seen whether they are in a position to continue work without their workforce of over 75 persons. He said though Himachal had urged the Centre to grant visa to all 100 Chinese workers who were involved with the two projects but it all depends on the Indian Embassy in China whether they are keen on it or not. The embassy is very particular in issuing work visas and thoroughly checks the antecedents of the Chinese before granting visas. Work at the two projects, Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru and Mehatpur-Amb-Una roads, has come to a standstill eversince the visa problem faced by the Chinese almost six months ago forced the entire workforce to leave India. About 100 Chinese, who were here on a business visa and not work visa were engaged in the two road construction projects. The visa complications had forced the government to even consider cancellation of the projects and award fresh work afresh to another company. |
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CPM ‘hails’ reduction in bus fares
Shimla, January 9 The CPM had during the past two months stepped up a campaign against the exorbitant fares ranging from Rs 5 to Rs 15 for travel in the red line local buses. The party besides holding demonstrations had also given a memorandum to the government to reduce the fares at par with other buses. CPM leaders said they would continue their protest against imposition of heavy user charges in government health institutions and price rise. “It is the common man who is hit hard by user charges in health institutions as he cannot afford to go to private hospitals so the government must withdraw the user charges,” said Jagat Ram. |
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Racial attacks blown out of proportion, allege Oz students
Kangra, January 9 Sarah Sattar, an Australian born, whose father is from Rajasthan and mother from Uttar Pradesh, told The Tribune that it had not been happening very often but when it happened it was played by Indian media with a bad taste. Sarah gave a call to the youths of India to come to Australia as lot many Indians were living there safely. It is a wonderful country, she said. Allya, an Indian born medical student said things are not as bad in Australia as was being played by the Indian media. She said one incident was played repeatedly by channels. She said in Australia large number of youths live together and coupled with their late night movements was resulting in such incidents. Stacey, another medical student, a resident of Melbourne, described the incidents in Australia as most unfortunate. She said these incidents had taken place in a particular area of the country but had unfortunately affected the public image of the country. She said there was nothing against any sect or people from any country. She said this visit was an eye-opener for the entire team after witnessing a tremendous hospitality by the people of this state. Dr Padam Dev and Dr Amit representatives of an NGO Volunteering India who had organised the exchange programme said the program was organised to bring students of both countries closer. |
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1 held for 2.5 cr dacoity in Delhi
Palampur, January 9 A police team from New Delhi had reached the village of Milap Chand two days ago and investigated the matter. Since Milap Chand was away to Manali he was not found in this house. Later, the police identified the number of a taxi which he had hired for Manali. Thereafter the police succeeded in arresting him from a hotel in Manali. Milap Chand was brought back to his Jagrup Nagar village yesterday, where the police recovered Rs 50 lakh of dacoity. The police had also detained the taxi driver and five others of the village whom he had taken to Manali for a pleasure trip. However, the six persons were released by the police last evening because they were not involved in the crime. Milap Chand was taken to New Delhi. According to the police, Milap Chand, had admitted his involvement in the Rs 2.5 crore dacoity and told the police that he had already purchased an apple orchard in Kulu district for Rs 15 lakh out of this money and the sale deed was yet to be registered. The information gathered by The Tribune revealed that Milap Chand committed the dacoity in a private firm at New Delhi where he was serving for the last few years. The police was in his search for two months, but due to the absence of his address, it could not trace him. Only last week the police managed to get his proper address, thereafter, it raided the village. |
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Role of Tourism Dept under scanner
Mandi, January 9
The state government has woken up to the “terror links in the state” after the National Investigating Agencies (NIA) probing the alleged 26/11 Mumbai bomb blast mastermind David Coleman Headley of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, who is under the FBI custody in the USA, traced out his “Manali connection” recently.
Moroccan national Faisa Atula said Headley’s girlfriend stayed in Manali at Israeli-run Khabbad on July 8, 2008. Though the NIA is investigating Headley’s links in India, his Manali connection has come as a reminder for the state intelligence and other agencies that certain foreign nationals who double as tourists or business operators do not make Himachal a safe heaven to run their hidden agenda, commented officials. The Tribune tracked down more than half-a-dozen foreigners engaged in running pizza parlours, adventure tourism, cafés and restaurants-cum-hotels and the “organic fruit” business activities in villages of Old Manali, Shanag, Vashisht, Naggar and Nashla in the district over the years. They are having a free run in this tourist town, as there is no full time district tourism officer (DTO) to oversee tourism activities in the Kullu valley. More than two lakh domestic and about 70,000 to 80,000 foreigners visit this destination each year, revealed official sources. The plight of tourism in this tourist corridor is understandable as the department has just one inspector in the name of staff here. There are over 575 hotels registered and many unregistered seasonal guest houses in the district. However, Kullu has no DTO to monitor tourism-related activities in Kullu-Manali, a major tourist destination in Himachal, revealed travel agents and hoteliers. In fact, foreigners frequent the Manali-McLeodganj tourist circuit and the state government’s intelligence gathering on the activities of “double agents like Headley’s Moroccan link remains unsatisfactory, commented officials. The charge of DTO is in the hand of the Manali SDM who remains a burdened lot as the SDM also looks after court cases, land acquisition and local administration, said tourist operators. SDM-cum-DTO Rajeshwar Goel said there was not even a single foreigner-run tourist restaurant in the district. “It may happen that certain foreigners run them in proxy, but we do routine checking,” he claimed. Home secretary Subhash Negi said the foreigners have to seek permission from the RBI to run business or restaurant or pizza parlour in the country. “No such case is registered in the state so far and we are monitoring activities of the anti-national and anti-social elements,” he said. He said the foreigners on tourist visas or married locally cannot run business activities. “For this they have to seek permission from the RBI before the state governments allows such activities in the state,” he added. |
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Hundreds protest against medical negligence
Palampur, January 9 The protesters were carrying placards with anti-doctors slogans written on them. They were demanding complete overhauling of local civil hospital and immediate transfer of such doctors who join hospitals to get commission from pharma companies for prescribing medicines. The residents had alleged that Hans Kumar was not attended in the hospital by the doctor on duty, instead of providing him medical aid he was referred to Government Medical College, Tanda and he died on the way because of excessive bleeding. Family members of the victims were leading the procession and staged a dharna in front of Civil Hospital. Vijay Sharma, wife of the victim alleged that when he was brought to the hospital none of the doctors were ready to attend him. Despite their repeated request no first aid was provided. Doctor on duty was about to leave the hospital, therefore, he was reluctant to attend the patients. The doctor even refused to call the surgeon, they alleged. The wife alleged that her husband died only because of negligence of doctors on duty in Civil Hospital, Palampur, if timely medical aid had been given, he would have survived, because there were no serious injuries on his body. No efforts were made by the doctors to check the bleeding from his leg. |
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One held for graft
Nurpur, January 9 According to SP vigilance, the accused had been demanding bribe from the complainant for sanctioning his loan to the tune of Rs 10 lakh. The complainant had already given Rs 5,000 advance and committed to give balance after getting loan sanction letter. Meanwhile, he approached the district bureau of the vigilance which laid a trap. The vigilance team led by DSP Surinder Sharma caught him on the spot. The accused has been arrested and a case under Section 13 (2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against him.
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2 booked for scaring nurse
Chamba, January 9
Two persons named Dinesh Kumar and Ashok Kumar broke in her duty room and insulted and threatened her.
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2,500 patients examined
Bilaspur, January 9 He said the ACC cement factory had donated Rs 50,000, the Bilaspur District Truck Operators Cooperative Society Rs 15,000 and Canara Bank’s local branch Rs 5,000 for the medicines and other expenditures. The camp would conclude at 2 pm tomorrow. |
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Dharamsala, January 9
Shimla, January 9
Kangra, January 9
