Dharamsala, February 12
Illegal mining in Chaki rivulet is going on despite a ban by the state government. A recent visit to the Chaki river area, along the Punjab border near Nurpur, revealed that trucks carrying illegally mined material from the river bed were openly doing rounds. A crusher was operating just about 50 m away from the new bridge being constructed on the river to link Punjab and Himachal.

Mining officials of Himachal blamed lack of proper demarcation of Punjab-Himachal boundary as the basic reason for continuation of illegal mining.

Kangra district mining officer Madal Lal said he had written to the Gurdaspur DC to demarcate the boundary along the Chaki river.

“We had given the proposal that a police check post should be brought up on the demarcated Himachal boundary to check illegal mining by crusher owners in Punjab.

Many a times, we followed the trucks carrying out illegal mining and challaned them. However, often the Punjab police comes in and raises questions over the jurisdiction of areas,” he said.

When asked about the crusher operating just near the new bridge, he said the report regarding the matter had been sent to the higher authorities.

According to sources, the ecology of the Chaki river has been destroyed by the mining mafia, especially near the Punjab and Himachal border areas. Daily, about 800 to 1,000 trucks of material was being lifted from the Chaki river bed by over 300 crusher owners operating on the border. The mining lease of river is taken by influential politicians due to which, hardly any authority stands in their way. Due to illegal mining, the bed of river Chaki has gone down by about 40 feet. This has almost finished the water retaining capacity of the river.

The Himachal government, in the recent past, after strong objections from the irrigation and public health department, had banned mining in the Chaki river. Public health authorities of the state had alleged that their water supply schemes worth crores had been rendered useless due to illegal mining. Though Himachal in future has decided not give any mining lease in the river, illegal mining will not stop till the crushers operating along the borders area are not stopped. 

Solan, February 12
With a view to checking the ever-increasing menace of spurious drugs, the Ministry of Health is in the process of constituting a central drug authority, which would replace the state drug and licensing authorities, to ensure effective regulation.

The process of putting in place this central drug authority had already been started with the Ministry of Health appointing 64 inspectors who would be placed in different states and union territories. Sources in the Health Ministry said this would reduce the role of the state drug controller and licensing authorities who would ensure implementation of laws.

Suggestions had been sought from all states regarding constitution of this authority and it was known that some states had resented the move. A bill was in the offing and it would pave way for the constitution of this authority.

The need to set up this authority was first cited in the Hathi Committee Report in 1975 and was reiterated by Drug Policy (1986) and Drug Policy (1994). The report had, however, remained unimplemented. The committee while citing weak regulatory systems in the states, including inadequate testing facilities, shortage of drug inspectors, etc, had advocated the need for setting up this authority.

Dispersed role and responsibility between the state and central drug authorities deterred the global companies to invest in India despite huge potential in pharmaceutical industry. Global companies often get perplexed while dealing with different states in India owing to different procedures of drug regulation. Hence, the proposal to set up a central drug authority ensuring uniform and effective implementation of laws was being mooted, opined sources in the pharmaceutical industry.

With states having inadequate testing facilities, shortage of drug inspectors, non-uniformity of enforcement, lack of specially trained cadres for specific regulatory areas, non-existence of data bank and non-availability of accurate information, the implementation of laws was suffering and this adversely effected the industry’s global image.

Earlier, in 2008 former Union minister for health and family welfare Anbumani Ramadoss had initiated constitution of this central drug authority, which was to be set up on the lines of the US Federal Drug Agency. A bill had been introduced in Parliament and the Clinical Establishment Act thus enacted would have enabled creation of a more transparent and accountable medical and health services. The bill was, however, opposed at all levels, including the states who thought that it would reduce their role in the regulatory system.

Bilaspur, February 12
Led by Deputy Commissioner Nandita Gupta, a team of concerned departmental officials, including district controller (Food and Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs) CP Zistu and district food and supplies officer BS Katwal, raided a number of shops here in the town last evening and found 19 quintals of sugar without any licence at Himachal Karyana Store in the lower Main Market and ordered its seizure.

However, the shopkeeper explained that his licence has expired. The shop also did not display any rate list of essential commodities.

The DC has ordered the department to initiate action against the shopkeeper for serious lapses despite repeated warnings of the government.

The team also visited many other shops and found that though most of the shops were selling commodities according to fixed profit rates, a large number of them did not displayed the prices.

The DC said the campaign of suddenly checking shops at various places would continue in future also. She appealed to all shopkeepers to cooperate with the government and ensure that only reasonable profit was charged on essential commodities and all prices were daily displayed in the shop.

Kullu, February 12
Cremation of the Army jawan, one among the 17 killed in Gulmarg avalanche on February 8, was done with full military honours at Bhootnath cremation ground here today. The body was brought by an Army vehicle to his home at Math Sultanpur here this morning. Hundreds of people attended the funeral.

Family members of Sepoy Kalijang Dorjee (27) were in deep shock and were seen consoled by Army personnel and the district administration, besides others at the cremation ground. He is survived by his father, mother, two brothers and two sisters.

His father Tashi Yangphal, also an ex-serviceman, said Kalijang was his fourth child and had joined 5 Ladakh Scouts.

“His grandfather died on February 5 this year and four days later, the news of his death came in,” he said.

His father further revealed that Kalijang had made a phone call on February 7 and told about the heavy snowfall at the place of their training. He said they were ordered to go uphills despite the inclement weather condition. However, two days later they were informed by the Army authorities that Kalijang had died as an avalanche struck in their training camp at Khilanmarg, 8 km from Gulmarg.

His father lamented that when the weather conditions were not favourable and defence organisation SASE (Snow Avalanche Study Establishment) had also given warnings, some steps should have been taken for the safety of the contingents.

When contacted, Kullu Deputy Commissioner BM Nanta said the district administration had received information on Wednesday about the death of Kalijang and expected arrival of the body on Thursday.

Kullu SDM Amrit Sharma attended the funeral on behalf of the district administration. 

Mandi, February 12
Even as the president of the Shivratri mela committee revived the age-old ritual of performing “hawan” at the Raj Mahdav temple here today after about 25 years, devlus expressed concern over commercialisation of the Damdama palace, which houses the Madhorao temple, nerve-centre of the international Shivratri fair.

The Town and Country Planning (TCP) has declared Damdama, Baba Kot temple, including Raj Mahal hotel, Bhiwani palace and several other temples, as heritage under the notification issued on May 31, 1984, under which no land use of the buildings can be changed. But the district administration has failed to implement the TCP Act and protect these traditional properties, the devlus resented.

Eminent scholars and writers have also expressed concern over the increasing commercialisation of the Damdama as the present scions and representatives of the erstwhile Mandi state have modified the outer Damdama that houses sweetshop restaurant, workshop in the Baba Kot, beauty parlour, even two government offices and bank.

The TCP Act prohibits change in land use and look of heritage properties. But violation has been going on in the name of converting the Damdama into “Maharaja Joginderpal Sen museum”.

The devlus and pujaris rued that the mela committee was not receiving the devtas on the outskirts of the town with symbolic “jhari badadars” of Raj Madhorao. “We will take up it with the mela and devta committees as to why this tradition is being broken,” said pujari of the Ganpati Devta, Salor.

DC-cum-mela committee president Amandeep Garg said the mela committee welcomed all devats traditionally on the outskirts. “Legal status of Damdama is that ground floor belongs to Rajmadhav, first floor to royal family and the government is yet to notify the area as heritage,” he added.

He said they invited the present scion for puja but he could not take part due to death in the family, but we have revived the hawan tradition after decades.

NURPUR: Shivratri was celebrated here with immense religious fervour. The temples of lord Shiva in the town, historical Dibkeshwar temple at Suliali and Shiva temple at Kathgarh in this subdivision were decorated colourfully. Pilgrims paid obeisance at these temples.

Hamirpur, February 12
A resident of the district has approached former police officer Kiran Bedi over alleged agony inflicted on him by his wife.

He has already received invitation from the Star Plus channel to present his case before the police officer and his wife is also likely to be summoned in this programme.

Kamlesh Kumar, a resident of Nagrota Gajjian village under the Bhoranj subdivision had been making complaints to the Bhoranj police about the alleged ill-treatment of his wife towards him and his family.

Kamlesh, who is working as a supervisor in a private hospital, married Usha a few years back and was blessed with two sons.

Talking about his woes, Kamlesh said, “Though I got married to Usha a few years back, she has been torturing me by her activities for quite some time.”

She ran away from the house a few weeks ago without leaving any information, he added.

“While I have sought help of the police to trace her, my family has been experiencing mental distress by her activities,” he said.

Kamlesh had already made a complaint with the Women Rights’ Commission in this regard and has now approached super cop Kiran Bedi.

“Now I will seek expert opinion from the former police officer in ‘Aapki kachhari’ programme and narrate the story of my agony,” he said.

In charge of the Bhoranj police station said, “We have received a complaint from Kamlesh Kumar and looking into it. We are also making efforts to trace his wife Usha.”

Shimla, February 12
Overzealous attempt of the government to flood the hill state with private universities without any regulatory authority to oversee their functioning and safeguard the interests of the students may end up as a “costly 
misadventure”.

The government has drawn flak from all quarters for the undue haste in which proposals to set up universities are being cleared. Eyebrows have been raised as a small state like Himachal does not need such a large number of universities and the government is being accused of promoting private interests in the name of making the state an education hub.

Not only the opposition Congress, but all three major students’ organisations, the SFI, the NSUI and even the ABVP, have come out strongly and openly against the government. The Congress has dismissed the whole plan as a ploy to give permission under Section 118 of the Land Reforms and Tenancy Act to outsiders for acquiring huge chunks of land in the state to outsiders and alleged large-scale corruption.

The SFI has launched a campaign urging students not to take admission in such universities as it could jeopardise their future. The NSUI and the Youth Congress have decided to take up the matter with Union Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, while the ABVP has outrightly rejected the private universities and termed it as crass “commercialisation of education” which the people of the state do not need.

The Dhumal government seems to have learnt no lesson from the BJP regime in Chhattisgarh which has ordered closure of 17 out of the total 19 private universities on the recommendation of the state regulatory authority. Institutions are coming up in blatant violation of the Supreme Court verdict and even without fulfilling the norms laid down by the state government.

Srikant Baldi, Principal Secretary, Education, says a proposal to set up a regulatory body is under consideration. In the meantime it has been decided that fee structure would be approved only after they get clearance in respect of prescribed infrastructure and faculty from concerned national council like the AICTE, MCI, DCI and NCTE.

The state had only one university and two farm universities all these years. Now suddenly nod has been given to 18 private universities. The fact that only 25 per cent seats have been reserved for Himachalis only indicates that the purpose was not to serve local people. Further, most of them are being set up in Solan district in hilly areas which face perennial shortage of water and do not have the environmental capacity to support large habitations.

Dharamsala, February 12
Despite strong diplomatic threats from China, US President Barack Obama has finalised his meeting with exiled Tibetan leader Dalai Lama. The sources available here said that the Dalai Lama who would leave for the US on February 14 was now scheduled to meet US President on February 18.

During the last visit of Dalai Lama to the US, Obama had not given audience to him. The reason for that was the proposed visit of Obama to China. However, the move had evoked strong response from the supporters of the Dalai Lama as they termed the move as weakness of Obama in countering the pressure from China.

The sources here further said that Obama's meeting with the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader was likely to set off new diplomatic initiatives from Beijing, which was already protesting against Washington like arms sales to Taiwan.

Obama during his visit to Beijing in November last year had informed the Chinese authorities of his intention to meet the Dalai Lama. The US administration had made clear in recent days that it would shrug off Chinese opposition and go ahead with the talks.

China has become increasingly vocal in opposing meetings between foreign leaders and the Dalai Lama.

Strains over the Dalai Lama meeting and other issues have raised worries that China might retaliate by obstructing US efforts in other areas, such as imposing tougher sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.

Beijing is already irate over US proposals last week to sell $6.4 billion of weapons to Taiwan.

Shimla, February 12
Communal tension gripped Nerwa and the surrounding areas in Chopal today following incident of cow slaughter as villagers went on the rampage damaging mosques, madrasas and shops owned by people belonging to minority community.

Contrary to expectations of the police that only about 500 persons would take out a silent protest march, the gathering of over 5,000 irate villagers this morning at Nerwa left the handful of policemen helpless.

The villagers burnt down the mosque at Nerwa, madrasa at Kuthar and damaged about half a dozen shops owned by minority community people at Nerwa, Kuthar and Piunthra under the Chopal subdivision.

This is the first ever incident of communal violence in Himachal as even in the aftermath of Ayodhya demolition, the hill state remained peaceful. There is heavy deployment of police in the Nerwa area as the situation remained tense but under control.

SP RM Sharma rushed to the area after reports of the rampage, sparked off by the incident of cow slaughter in the forest adjoining Pujarli near Nerwa by Abdul Rehman and five others yesterday, reached the state capital.

Despite the fact that the police arrested all five accomplices of the main accused Abdul Rehman this morning and shifted them to Rohru rather than Chopal to be produced before a judicial magistrate, the agitated villagers started pouring into Nerwa at around 11 am.

The agitated villagers, after damaging the mosque, four shops, including two dhabas, a bus and motorcycle in Nerwa, headed for Kuthar where the madrasa and some shops were damaged. While on their way to Kuthar, the mob also caused damage to shops at Piunthra village.

“The situation is under control but we have deployed police personnel in the area to meet any eventuality,” said the SP.

He said all six accused---Abdul Rehman, Samaul, Ghumal Rasool, Musa, Bagh Ali and Zakir Hussain---had been sent to five days police remand. A case had already been registered at the Nerwa police station under Section 153-A and 295 of the IPC and other Sections of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act last evening.

“Today, we have registered a case under Section 147, 148, 149 and 153 of the IPC for rioting, damage to property and flaring communal tension,” said Sharma.

Sensing the mounting tension, the police has made elaborate security arrangements in the state capital and at all mosques in Shimla district. The Dharam Raksha Manch has already given a call for Shimla Bandh from 10 am to 2 pm tomorrow and protests at all district headquarters all over the state.

Other organisations, including the Bajrang Dal, VHP, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and Patanjali Yog Peeth too condemned the incident and demanded strict action against the guilty.

Shimla, February 12
The state government proposes to introduce a “learn and earn” scheme to help bridge skill gap and ensure 70 per cent employment to Himachalis in industries.The scheme has been formulated following basis of the initiative taken by a private industrial unit, Raychem RPG Limited, which has two transformers and energy meters manufacturing units in Nalagarh.

The company picked up 139 boys and girls, mostly plus two passouts (science), from government schools who would be able to pursue tailor-made B.Tech course while working for the company. They were imparted 90-day induction training on behavioural, operational, business communication and physical and mental fitness aspects at College of Engineering and Emerging Technology at Baddi before providing employment.

Special Secretary to Chief Minister Arun Sharma said he had already taken up the matter with the Vice-Chancellor of Chitkara University who was willing to frame syllabus for the course which would be slightly different from the normal curriculum. The focus of the course would be more on practical training and less on theoretical aspect. Classes would be conducted on Sundays and holidays and in the evening session according to the arrangement arrived at with the university.

Such an experiment had been conducted in Dr Reddy’s plant at Baddi where the first batch, recruited in 2006, had graduated to third year and they would get BSc, Drug Sciences, degree from BR Ambedkar University. It was a tailor-made course for which classes were conducted by Panjab University on Sundays and every first and third Saturday.

In all, 159 boys and girls have been inducted over the last three years and they are the only employees, except senior personnel running the unit. Sharma said the plan was to implement the scheme on a large scale after entering tie-ups with universities to help develop skills customised to suit the industry.