Shimla, February 5
With the objective of conserving precious heritage, the government is considering getting shop frontage of all commercial establishments in the designated “heritage zone” done for which a detailed study has been completed.

Technical experts from the Kamla Raheja Institute of Environment and Architecture had been engaged to undertake a detailed study so that steps could be taken with regard to conserving heritage on the Mall and other areas, important from the heritage point of view. The report has already been submitted to the Secretary, Town and Country Planning.

The experts, who had submitted the report, will make a presentation here on February 8 so that the issue can be pursued after due deliberations on the issue. It is after seeking the opinion of the State Heritage Advisory Committee that the matter will be placed before the government.

The issue has been hanging fire for more than a year and the State Heritage Advisory Committee too had prepared the guidelines for shop front. The guidelines had been placed before the high court also but later it was decided that technical expertise must be sought.

The task of having a shop frontage has already been done in several pockets of Mumbai, which will help in conserving heritage. Besides heritage conservation, the shop frontage will bring about symmetry, giving a pleasant façade, in conformity with the surrounding heritage structures. In the past also, endeavours had been made in this regard but nothing concrete has emerged so far.

Even though the local municipal corporation (MC) has already taken up the issue of developing the area around the Gaiety Theatre as a heritage zone but no technical experts had been involved. As such, it was decided to seek the opinion of experts who documented the entire stretch from the state Secretariat in Chotta Shimla, to the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS).

“Before we embark on seeking funding for the project, we need to know what exactly are we looking at and the manner in which we need to proceed to conserve the precious heritage of the British Raj,” remarked a bureaucrat. He added that once a final decision was taken, funds can be arranged from various external agencies like Asian Development Bank (ADB) and central departments.

In fact, the local MC has already submitted proposals to the ADB for heritage conservation along the Mall. With the Department of Town and Country Planning stepping in, the task of having proper shop frontage will be accomplished in a more professional manner.

Dharamsala, February 5
The Himachal Pradesh State Education Board has decided to do away with district cadre in entrance test for the JBT (junior basic training) teachers. Single entrance test would now be conducted for admissions to JBT institutions in the state. The merit for admissions would also be prepared at the state level.

This was stated by by board secretary Prabhat Sharma while talking to mediapersons here today.

Earlier, the admissions in JBT institutions were carried out at district levels, keeping in view requirement of the schools in the area.

The secretary also said the board had decided to do away with the system of selling admission forms for the JBT through private vendors.

Admission brochures have been published by the board. These will be available at a cost Rs 250 per brochure at the offices of all SDMs in the state and 19 depots of the school education board, he added.

The cost of examination has been added in the brochure cost and students would not have to undergo the hassle of making drafts.

The first 1,651 meritorious students would be given admissions in government JBT institutes. The remaining would be adjusted in private institutions that have come up in the state.

The admission brochures would be available for sale from February 8. The last date of admission of forms is March 2. For students of tribal areas, the last date is March 17. The entrance test would be held on June 27 and the maximum age limit for the test is 28 years.

“We have made another amendment to allow the students appearing in 10+2 examinations. However, the minimum percentage for admission has been kept at 50 per cent for 10+2 students and 45 per cent for graduates,” Sharma said.

Hamirpur, February 5
Office of the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) here has become the first in the state to introduce reference-monitoring system to keep track of court cases to facilitate general public and for maintaining official record.

The website of this system was launched today by Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Jain at the SDM office.

After introduction of this system, all information related to court cases pending here would be available just on the click of a mouse.

Through the reference-monitoring system, general public, lawyers, any interested person or any official would be able to find out information regarding total number of cases, status of the case, court proceeding in the cases till that date and next date of hearing and daily cause list of hearing etc.

The website would be updated on daily basis by staff dealing with court cases, which have been trained by the Information Technology (IT) Department of the state government.

Telling about the system and website Hamirpur SDM Pankaj Rai, who has played an instrumental role for introducing the system, said, “In fact this reference monitoring system was developed by the IT Department, which was introduced as a pilot project in the SDM office at Hamirpur and now started here too.”

He said, “Though it took several months to upload information about all court cases on the website, now anyone could locate any information through it.”

On the occasion of launching the website, DC Abhishek Jain said, “The system will save the hassle of coming to the SDM court for seeking any information about any court case and everybody will be benefited from it.”

ADM CP Verma, Assistant Commissioner Madhu Chaudhary, lawyers and others were also present on the occasion of launching of reference monitoring system in the SDM office.

Mandi, February 5
Three passengers were killed and 15 others injured, one of them critically, this morning when an own-your-vehicle scheme HRTC bus (HP65-7565) plunged into a nullah near Sidhyani village on the Ner Chowk-Saraghat road after driver Pradeep Kumar lost control over the vehicle at Bazir Bain, about 25 km from here.

Those killed have been identified as Yash Pal from Barswahan, Mandi, Ghainder from Kalehadi village in Sarkaghat and Baldev from Karni Tarkohal, Baldwara.

The injured got the first aid at Rati Community hospital before they were rushed to the Mandi zonal hospital. Ramjidas, conductor of the bus, was reported to be serious and was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, for further treatment.

The condition of 15 injured was reported to be stable and out of danger by the doctors attending on them. They have been kept under observation for 24 hours.

Though the police has registered a case under Section 279, 337, 304A of the IPC against the driver for negligent and rash driving as per preliminary investigation, the police and the road accident committee, under the SDM, have yet to ascertain the exact cause of the accident.

According to victims, the driver lost control over the vehicle before it plunged into the nullah.

The bus was running on the “own your vehicle scheme” of the HRTC launched in 2006 under which the conductor belonged to the HRTC while the driver was provided by the owner.

HRTC regional manager JR Thakur said the committee would submit its report over the cause of accident.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister PK Dhumal and Rural Development Minister Jairam Thakur visited the injured at the hospital and directed the staff to give them full treatment.

Solan, February 5
Tension gripped Bagha village last evening around 9 pm when employees of the JP Cement Plant tried to transport some material in a truck to Uttar Pradesh on the sly without the knowledge of the local transport union.

The locals were peeved at this surreptitious movement as the plant had recently entered into a transportation agreement with the newly carved the Mangal Land Losers and Affected Transporters Society. The locals tried to stop the truck but the security personal of the company, under directions from their vice-president, forcibly tried to scuttle their move. This created a volatile situation and in a bid to scare away the people, a security personal Santosh fired a shot in the air. This infuriated the locals who later sat on a dharna and demanded arrest of the security personal and the company’s vice-president.

The situation could be controlled only after SDM Balbir Thakur and Darlaghat DSP reached the spot and the people were assured of an appropriate action.

The movement of the truck was, however, further impeded at Kharsi village in Bilaspur district where the driver was roughed up along with escorting security men and they had to flee as an irate crowd burnt the two front wheels of the truck in protest against the use of a vehicle from other state.

The police of both the districts had to swing into action to pacify the situation.

Solan SP Prem Thakur said the security guard was arrested this morning and a case under Sections 336, 147, 148 and 149 of the IPC had been registered against him while the vice-president was being interrogated.

While a case under Sections 436 of the IPC had been registered against three individuals after the plant’s management lodged a written complaint. No arrests had been made as yet. Sharma added that they were yet to identify the culprits as the situation was highly volatile.

The locals, however, demanded stringent action against the employees. Local pradhan Deep Chand said the company had violated the transportation agreement and they should be booked under Section 307 of the IPC.

Shimla, February 5
Up in arms against the indiscriminate opening of private universities in the hill state, the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today announced its programme for launching a state-level movement against “commercialisation of education”.

Addressing a press conference here today, state Secretary of the ABVP Naveen Sharma said the student outfit would hold dharnas at all district headquarters on February 25. “A team of the ABVP will undertake a survey of all private universities to assess fee structure, infrastructure, faculty, examination system from March 10 to 20 to see how students were being fleeced in the name of education,” he remarked.

Miffed at the manner in which the BJP regime had granted approval for opening up of 23 private universities in the state, Sharma said based on the report the ABVP would demand appointment of a regulatory authority so that there could be proper monitoring of these private universities.

Citing the two resolutions adopted by the state executive of the ABVP, which met at Jawalamukhi on January 30, he said rather than mindlessly granting approval for opening private universities the government should start new courses in the existing colleges under the self-financing scheme.

Mandi, February 5
Chief Minister PK Dhumal today exhorted panchayat pradhans, up-pradhans, ward members and members of the panchayat samitis to join hands to make Himachal Pradesh an open defecation-free (ODF) by the end of 2010.

Representatives of 2,097 panchayats, which have achieved the ODF status, should not only maintain it, but should also act and motivate villagers in rest of the 1,200 panchayats which have lagged behind, he added.

Addressing the gathering of representatives from panhayats and zila parishads at the state-level Nirmal Puraskar ceremoney here today, Dhumal stressed on urgent need to motivate the panchayats and make the entire block ODF as there was just one Ghumarwin block that was ODF in the entire state.

“Panchayat representatives, specially the up-pradhans, who make extra efforts to achieve this goal, will be awarded by the government,” he assured.

Himachal is referred to as the Dev Bhumi and our efforts is to make the remaining 1,200 panchayats as ODF to achieve cent percent sanitation by 2010 end, he asserted.

Dhumal defended pradhans and appealed to representatives, including others, to attend the gram sabha meetings and take up issues with the pradhans rather than blaming them for committing irregularities in BPL list, schemes.

Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Jai Ram Thakur said though total sanitation was centrally sponsored campaign, the state government had launched the Balmiki Swach Yojna to make total sanitation campaign.

He said the state spent Rs 351 crore on NREGA and expected to spend Rs 500 by this financial year. The watershed programme has been launched to conserve water sources by tapping rain water, he added.

Rural Development Secretary RD Dhiman gave an overview of rural sanitation and lauded efforts being made by panchyat pradhans. The panchayats need to make sustained efforts to make and maintain total sanitation at the village level, he added.

Meanwhile, Dhumal gave away Nirmal Puraskars to 253 panchayats.

Kangra, February 5
Police came forward to look after the murder accused The police today came out with a helping hand to take care of murder accused Ved Prakash undergoing hip fracture treatment at Tanda Medical College. The police will also take care of the accused during the post-operative period.

This was stated by Hamirpur district police chief Ashif Jalal today. He said Ved Prakash, accused of the alleged murder of his wife Vandna, was undergoing treatment under the police observation and two police persons had been deployed there to prevent him from escaping from the hospital.

He said, “We will take care of the accused and go out of the way for the sake of humanity to help him.”

He said on the humanity level, the police would do all that was possible post operation.

Jalal said after his cure, he would be interrogated, investigation in the murder case would proceed and law would take its own course.

Meanwhile, Kangra ADM Sandeep Kumar today gathered information from the Tanda college medical superintendent about Ved Prakash. He later told The Tribune that Ved Prakash was an accused and the police authorities had taken cognizance of the case.

Two cops---Karam Chand and Parmanand---of the Nadun police station are keeping a vigil of the accused.

Medical superintendent Dr Bhano Awasthi, said Ved Prakash would be operated upon early next week as the authorities had assured to provide him post-operative care.