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Cabinet approves sites for five, seven-star hotels
Pays tributes to Rau
NCP looks for foothold in hill state
Four houses gutted
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Ritu Suicide Case
3 labourers injured
Complete bandh observed
Forest dept to promote eco-tourism
Society chief held for fraud
4 killed in jeep-bus collision
State fails to act against dubious study centres
Charas Seizure
Two killed in road mishaps
District reels under water shortage
Man held with fake revenue papers
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Cabinet approves sites for five, seven-star hotels
Shimla, April 27 The decision was taken at the meeting of the Cabinet chaired by Chief Minister PK Dhumal here today. The proposed locations are at Baddi in Solan, 15 Miles at Baragaon, Manali in Kullu, Suketi in Sirmour, Jhatingri in Mandi, Shoja in Banjar area of Kullu and Bilaspur, where land patches ranging between three bighas and 380 bighas are available. The Tourism Department intends setting up five and seven-star hotels with an investment ranging between Rs 50 crore and Rs 300 crore. It will also help in generating vast employment and self-employment opportunities for the local youth. Another important decision taken by the Cabinet was the approval for development of identified parking slots under the PPP mode at Sanjauli, Chhota Shimla and Lift. The Cabinet authorised the Shimla Municipal Corporation to enter into an agreement with selected parties so that the town could get rid of congestion and ample parking space created for tourists. It also decided to requisition the services of 482 “Bus Sahayaks” on commission basis to sell tickets to passengers in HRTC buses within and outside the state. It was also decided to fill vacancies of bus conductors in the HRTC. It decided to introduce e-stamping system for collection of stamp duty on pilot basis in Shimla and Solan districts which shall be extended to rest of the state in a phased manner. The Stock Holding Corporation of India Limited, approved as central record-keeping agency by the central government, shall be the authorised agency to sell stamp papers electronically. A Cabinet sub-committee of five ministers, under the chairmanship of Revenue Minister Gulab Singh Thakur, has been constituted to study the proposed Amendment in Himachal Pradesh Lease Rules, 1993, and submit the report to the Cabinet during the next meeting. It also decided to introduce the Minimum Wage Act, 1948, in private sector to pay daily wages to labourers at the rate of Rs 110 to bring them at par with others. The Cabinet decided to bring about a legislation to do away with “Haq-Chuharam” practice in forest circles of Kangra and Bilaspur districts and govern the same under prevailing practice in rest of the state. |
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Pays tributes to Rau
Shimla, April 27 The Cabinet remembered services rendered by her to the state. Two-minute silence was observed to pay tributes to the departed soul. Employees of Raj Bhawan also held a condolence meeting today to mourn the demise of the former Governor. They also paid floral tributes to the departed soul on the occasion. Rau remained Governor of the state from July 19, 2008, to January 24, 2010. |
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NCP looks for foothold in hill state
Shimla, April 27 Addressing a press conference here he said the party had drawn up a plan for expanding its organisational base under which state executive and district units wound be constituted by the end of next month. The party would prefer to induct youth and leaders with clean image to effectively carry forward its agenda. However, its doors would be open to good leaders from other parties. Since the objective to expand both the organisational and electoral base to help emerge as an alternative, the party would contest the next assembly polls on its own and there would be no alliance with the Congress as was the case in some other states. Referring to price rise he said it would be wrong to blame union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar as it was a complex issue involving various departments and the Centre had already constituted a group of ministers to monitor prices. He said the impact of inflation could be minimised by increasing the income of people. |
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Four houses gutted
Bilaspur, April 27 According to reports, the fire could not be controlled as all householders were away in the fields when the fire broke out and it was too late when it was detected. However, they saved one of the houses in imminent danger with the help of fire brigades of the NTPC and BBMB. The houses belonged to villagers Prem Singh, Hari Singh, Bhag Singh and Kalawati. The police has registered a case. A short circuit was said to be the cause of the fire. |
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Cops blame family for delay in probe
Pratibha Chauhan Tribune News Service
Shimla, April 27 In his reply filed before the court, Director General of Police DS Manhas, while giving the sequence of events following Ritu’s suicide, clearly refuted aspersions being cast on the investigation by the family of the deceased. “The family members have neither joined investigations nor handed over her mobile phone to the police, expressing doubt about the fairness of the probe considering that it involves a senior IPS officer,” he said. The petition filed by the family of Ritu, seeking a CBI probe into her death, is scheduled to come up for hearing tomorrow. Ritu committed suicide on March 28 after her relationship with the son of Pradeep Kumar, IG (Law and Order), failed to materialise into marriage. “Since I have received the reply only today, we want more time to collect additional documents and evidence for which we require time,” said Pankaj Bhardwaj, Chandigarh-based lawyer engaged by Ritu’s family. “The reply is misleading as there is a clear attempt to save the IG and at the same time the police is trying to project that the CID inquiry is being done impartially,” said Gopal Krishan Verma, Ritu’s maternal uncle. He said there was no question of joining the CID inquiry as they had no faith in the agency. We would not hand over Ritu’s mobile phone and other evidence to the state police agency as we want a CBI probe, he said. It is also learnt that the family of Ritu is in possession of Siddharth’s ATM card which was found lying in the room where Ritu committed suicide. Ritu had known Siddharth, son of the IG, for more than a decade and both were keen to get married.
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3 labourers injured
Bilaspur, April 27 The injured were rushed to the regional hospital here by their companions who were also sleeping in the same tent. Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims had no animosity with anybody and the motive of the attack was still unknown. —
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Complete bandh observed
Shimla, April 27 The bandh was also observed in other parts of the state. CPM leaders Rakesh Singha, Sanjay Chauhan and Tikender Pawar lambasted the UPA regime for failing to check price rise which had burdened the common man immensely. They said as far as the issue of hike in bus fares was concerned, the future course of action would be decided later. HAMIRPUR: Activists of Left parties on Tuesday held a protest demonstration here on a call of ‘bharat bandh’ given by the Left and a few other political parties in protest against price rise. Though there was no response for ‘bharat bandh’ in the district, CPM and CPI activists led a protest march carrying placards and raising slogans against the Center and state governments. A corner meeting was also organised which was addressed by CPM leaders Kashmir Singh, AC Chauhan, Joginder Kumar, Anil Mankotia and CPI leader Mukesh Kumar. Addressing the rally these leaders blamed the policies of the BJP and the Congress for unprecedented price rise in the country. They said the forward trading in foodgrains was introduced during the previous NDA government through a bill in Parliament which was also supported by then opposition Congress party. Holding present Congress regime responsible for the forward trading in foodgrains, the MANDI: The joint Left parties - CPM and CPI - bandh call in protest against price rise hike against the state and the central governments on Tuesday evoked a mixed response in the district as the police booked Left activists under unlawful assembly when activists staged a dharna in Chota Baazar. CPI state chief Des Raj Sharma and CPM district leaders Bhupender Singh and Kushal Bhardwaj accused both the state and the central governments of responsible for price rise in the country. The BJP and Congress follow the same anti-farmers and anti-common man polices, they alleged. Shouting anti-government slogans the Left protesters carrying party flags and banners sat on a dharna near Gandhi Bhawan that impeded the movements of traffic in the town. Meanwhile, the normal life was partially hit in the main towns of the district. |
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Forest dept to promote eco-tourism
Shimla, April 27 Tourists would be taken in groups of 15 to 20 and would also be acquainted with the local flora, fauna and culture. In all, 11 trekking expeditions for two, each for four long treks, and three for the one-day trek, would be organised starting from May 15. The trekking would conclude by the end of June. Chief conservator of forests, eco-tourism, Harsh Mittar said local people would be involved through eco-tourism societies and would be the main beneficiaries of the programme. The ultimate objective was to train the local people so that they could organise such activities on their own. The role of the department would be that of a facilitator as had been in the case of eco-tourism villages, he added. The single-day trek to Shali Tibba, near here, will cost Rs 1,500, while Rs 5,000 will be charged for the four-day trek to 12,500-ft Churdhar. The three long-duration routes are in and around the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in Kullu. The two eight-day treks, one across the GHNP and the other in Tirthan valley, will entail an expenditure of Rs 11,200, while the six-day trek in Sainj valley will cost Rs 8,100. Private parties and local people were now coming forward to run eco-tourism villages and about a dozen such resorts would be in operation in various parts of the state during summer. They include Moti Kuna Hills near Dharampur, Barog, Barog bypass, Shoghi, Narkanda, Jalori pass, Naldehra, Narkanda and Potters Hill. |
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Society chief held for fraud
Nurpur, April 27 According to police information, following complaint by Joginder Singh, a resident of Samker and a member of the society, a case was registered against the accused for allegedly drawing Rs 20,000 through a cheque in a forged way. The accused in his statement to the police confessed the withdrawal of amount from the society’s account but claimed that the money was given to society’s secretary Ravinder Kumar who was under treatment. Meanwhile, the accused was produced in the court for police remand. —
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4 killed in jeep-bus collision
Hamirpur, April 27 The four passengers who died in this mishap were identified as Chamaru Ram (85), his wife Sumbi Devi (75), Sahil (3) and Sansar Dev (60). All belonged to the Tihari area. According to information, the driver of the vehicle, which was carrying 16 passengers and coming from the Jawalaji side, lost control over it and collided with a DAV school bus coming from the opposite direction carrying schoolchildren. Twentyone persons, including nine school students of DAV school, were injured in the accident. While seriously injured were referred to Dr Rajender Prasad Medical College at Tanda others with minor injuries were treated at the government hospital at Nadaun. |
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State fails to act against dubious study centres
Dharamsala, April 27 The students have been duped due to inaction on the part of the state Education Department and respective district administrations that are acting as mute spectators to the entire illegal operations and are allowing exploitation of poor students. According to the judgment by the Andhra High Court, a copy of which is available with The Tribune, only universities that have joint approval of the UGC, distance education council and the All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) can run courses through distance education mode. The court has held only such courses can be imparted through distance-education mode that are approved by a letter jointly signed by the UGC secretary, member secretary, AICTE, and director, distance education council. There are some state universities that are offering courses through distance education mode and are claiming to have the approval of distance education council, according to sources. However, the said judgment by the Andhra High Court has clarified that the difference between the UGC and the Open University is that the former is an agency to recognise and confer status of university on an educational institute, whereas the later is a university by itself. The Open University or the distance education council does not appear to have been conferred with the power to recognise any other universities or institutions, the court has held. To avoid multiplicity of inspections and duplication of work, all three agencies had signed an MoU in May 2007. As per the said document, only a joint inspection and further approval letter signed by all three agencies can empower any university or deemed university to offer courses through distance-education mode. None of out-of-state universities, offering courses through the distance education mode through off-campus centres in the region, has the joint approval letter from all the said agencies, the sources added. The Andhra High Court judgment has held that degrees issued through education mode by AISE Rajasthan deemed university as invalid. The UGC had also written to all state governments, including the Himachal government, that state universities could not operate outside their respective state jurisdictions as per the judgment of the Supreme Court. The sources here also told The Tribune that many employees from the state had acquired such invalid degrees from various out-of-state universities or deemed universities to get promotions. |
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Police fails to nab key accused
Kuldeep Chauhan Tribune News Service
Kullu, April 27 The Thane police team arrested the alleged receiver of the consignment, Vashewar Mukherji, from Mumbai recently, while Gagan Awasthi, a cousin of Rakesh Awasthi, the Kullu-based transporter who was arrested earlier by the police under the NDPS Act, surrendered to the police recently, the police said. Though the investing team has tightened its noose around Rakesh and his cousin, it is giving “benefit of doubt” to Parvesh Wadhava, a Thane-based travel agent, and his driver Chunilal, who allegedly were transporting the consignment in 12 HP apple cartons to Mumbai. Enforcement officers here have expressed surprise that the Thane police was giving a benefit of doubt to Wadhava and Chunilal who were caught transporting the consignment in a private Tavera. “Tavera is a passenger vehicle and no goods can be transported in such vehicle. Also, the consignment was recovered from their vehicle not from the Kullu-based transporter,” they asserted. Thane crime branch police investigating officer in the case, Chandrakant Joshi, who led the team to Kullu, told The Tribune that Wadhava, Chunilal and Awasthi, arrested earlier, were on police remand till today. Gagan and Mukherji were still in police custody. He said the kingpin “Commando”, from Patlikuhal, and two others wanted in the case, had gone underground. Prashant Burde, ACP, Mumbai police crime branch, who is monitoring the case, told The Tribune that all five persons arrested in the case had given vital leads. “We are in touch with the HP police to nab those still wanted in the case,” he said. Meanwhile, Kullu Bar president AS Thakur claimed that no member of the Bar was involved in the case of bribery. The police should come clean on it, he added. Anurag Garg, DIG, central range, said the state police was cooperating with the Mumbai police and was investing the case with inputs from them.
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Two killed in road mishaps
Kangra, April 27 In another incident, van driver Naresh Kumar was killed and six occupants of the van were injured when a truck dashed against the ill-fated van at Chhatri. All victims belonged to Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. —
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District reels under water shortage
Bilaspur, April 27 Since the district is one of the most drought-prone districts in the state, the government envisaged the situation to meet the challenge. Deputy Commissioner Nandita Gupta said here today that since 28 areas of the district were facing acute drinking water scarcity, 28 drinking water tankers were being pressed into service to supply clean and chlorinated drinking water in these areas from tomorrow. She said more tankers would be pressed into service if the same was considered necessary and when requirement was confirmed from IPH officials. Meanwhile, even the Bilaspur town was experiencing acute shortage of drinking water while Raura sector was having only a morning time supply for the past six weeks. The IPH authorities said water depletion in the sources had forced them
to enforce one-time supply of drinking water in the Diara sector also from today.
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Man held with fake revenue papers
Solan, April 27 According to sources, one Mohammed Imran Shaikh prepared fake GPA for a piece of land measuring 18.9 bighas located at Haripur village in Solan tehsil. A resident of Patta Brewary village, Shaikh gave the fake GPA to one Virender Singh, a resident of Bhollar village in Solan district, for a sum of Rs 2.5 lakh for allowing him to sell his land. The naib tehsildar had registered the GPA, bearing registration number 60/2010, on February 18 this year. He failed to detect any foul play as Shaikh had prepared a counterfeit revenue stamp from Ambala and it was similar to the original stamp. It was after a lapse of two months that the naib tehsildaar realised that the revenue papers were fake as no such land existed anywhere after inquires made by the patwari. Even a fake note of the patwari was attached to get the revenue papers made. The fraud was detected when the signatures failed to match with those of the patwari and no such land was found in the said village. The naib tehsildaar, after inquiring into the case, today referred the matter to the Solan SP who later instructed the Dharampur SHO to inquire into it after registering an FIR. It is interesting to note that not only was the GPA fake, but the patwari’s signatures were forged to make revenue papers which were never issued to anyone.
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Shimla, April 27
