Shimla, May 1
Chief Minister PK Dhumal has urged his Punjab counterpart Parkash Singh Badal to accord top priority to Anandpur Sahib- Naina Devi ropeway project so as to enable early start of construction work.

In a letter written to him today, he said the project was important to connect both the religious shrines with ropeway so as to facilitate devotees visiting these shrines round the year. He said it would also give a boost to religious tourism in a big way.

Dhumal said both the state governments had agreed at a high-level meeting held at Chandigarh on March 8, 2009, to undertake the construction of ambitious ropeway project connecting Anandpur Sahib in Punjab with Naina Devi shrine in Himachal Pradesh.

He said meetings were held at different levels to chalk out the modalities to start the construction work in the past.

Dhumal regretted that a year had passed without any concrete results emerging from the talks. “With the passage of time, the project would become more expensive due to escalation in cost. As such, work should have started immediately to save unnecessary wastage of funds,” he asserted.

The Chief Minister said all queries raised by Punjab government officials had been responded while the MoU draft forwarded by the HP Tourism was yet to be vetted and signed by both the governments.

Unless all such modalities were chalked out, the construction work on the project would not take-off, he added.

He said it had been agreed upon that revenue from the project would be shared by both states in proportion to the investments made by each state.

Himachal had no reservation with regard to engaging a nodal agency as consultants for the project. Rather, all possible assistance would be extended to get the project work started, he added.

He said it would be the first ropeway project to connect two states’ prominent religious shrines. “More importantly, coming up of the ropeway will greatly help reduce congestion on the road leading to the shrine,” he said.

Shimla, May 1
The Vigilance Bureau (VB) has arrested Rohru SDM BR Kamal for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 2 lakh from a hydropower company for facilitating compulsory land acquisition proceedings in its favour.

It was last night that a team of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, led by Additional SP Arvind Negi, arrested the SDM from his official residence with the money allegedly given by the NSL hydropower company, which is setting up a project in Rohru area.

Vigilance officials said they had prior information about the alleged deal and, as such, they were keeping a surveillance on the official.

During the course of the raid the Vigilance team chanced upon a startling revelation that four minor girls, aged between 14 and 17, were residing in his house. “The official, when questioned about their presence, said since all of them belonged to poor socio-economic backgrounds, he was trying to educate them, which we found rather absurd and strange,” said a Vigilance official.

Kamal had taken over as the Rohru SDM almost two years back after having remained the Regional Transport Officer (RTO) at Hamirpur.

A case has been registered against the SDM under Section 7 and 32 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Though no case has, so far, been registered in connection with the presence of the girls in the house of the official, it is reliably learnt that the matter is being taken up separately with the government to initiate departmental action against him.

SPS Verma, DIG (Vigilance), said the VB was also probing details of the properties owned by Kamal. This includes a house in Chandigarh and Kangra, while details of all his bank accounts and other savings too have been collected.

All records of the SDM office at Rohru had been sealed so that proper investigation can be held.

Dharamsala, May 1
The Centre is planning to replace the existing companies Act with a new Act. This was stated by R Bandyopadhyay, Secretary, Corporate Affairs, while talking to The Tribune here today.

He said the present companies Act was of 1956 origin. As many as 22 amendments had been affected in it from time to time.

However, these had proved to be inadequate. Due to it, the Centre was contemplating to replace it.

A parliamentary committee was studying Acts of various countries. The new Act would be formulated as per recommendations of the parliamentary committee. The basic emphasis of the new Act would be to fulfil the needs of corporate world in view of the changing business scenario.

The secretary was here to preside over an interactive session on corporate governance organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

While responding to a query, he also said the Himachal government could write to the Union Government if it wanted to have an office of registrar, companies, in the state. Presently, there is office of registrar of companies at Jalandhar in Punjab and Chandigarh that are catering to the needs of the region. However, since Himachal has also come up as an industrial state now, the government can seek the establishment of registrar of company’s office here.

Earlier, while speaking during the interactive session, the secretary said there were 8.5 lakh companies in the country that included 83,000 public sector firms. Problems being faced by these companies were being studied so that they could be removed in the new Act.

He also urged chartered accountants (CAs) to help the government in gathering feedback regarding the problems being faced by the companies.

“India has the second largest pool of CAs in the world. There 1.65 lakh registered CAs in India that include 25,000 company secretaries. The Indian Council for Industries (ICI) is also starting capacity building programmes across the country to improve accounting practices being followed in companies. The programme would be implemented in Himachal too,” the secretary added.

Dharamsala, May 1
“Come arrest me, I am waiting for it,” said Union Minister for Steel Virbhadra Singh in virtual challenge to the state government while referring to the CD case against him.

He said Chief Minister PK Dhumal had used former Congress minister Vijay Singh Mankotia to flare up the CD case against him.

“I challenge the CM to bring another Minhas, who has been promoted as DGP, Himachal police, now to further pursue the CD case against me,” said Virbhadra while taking to mediapersons this evening.

He alleged that during its last stint in power, the previous BJP government had submitted a charge sheet containing 24 allegations against him. However, despite all propaganda, he was given a clean chit by the CBI, he added.

Virbhadra also did not spare his own party men for allegedly going soft towards the present government.

While responding to a query, he said the present leadership of the Congress in Himachal assembly had failed to project failures of the present government.

Regarding the organisation elections of the party, Virbhadra said he just wanted free and fare elections.

About the news reports that certain Congress leaders were trying to bring back his bête noire Vijay Singh Mankotia back into the party fold, Virbhadra said those who were thinking that his return would strengthen the party, were living in a fool’s paradise.

Virbhadra also claimed that due to efforts of the previous Congress party, the Supreme Court had now directed the Union government to hold a meeting of partner states of the BBMB to resolve the issue of Himachal’s share in project. This had kindled the hope that the state would get 7.19 per cent share in the BBMB on account of the merged areas, he added.

He also alleged that the present government was just trying to take benefit of the development works started by the previous Congress government.

Earlier, Virbhadra presided over the “Thanks Himachal” event being organised by the Tibetan government-in-exile. 

Kangra, May 1
Irrigation and Public Health Minister Ravinder S Ravi yesterday lauded the decision of the Centre to open a Central University at Dehra, notification of which had already been issued recently.

The minister lauded the contribution of Chief Minister PK Dhumal in getting the Central University to the state. He said Dehra was the most appropriate place for the university and would cater to the needs of students for higher education in the state. He also expressed gratitude to HRD Minister Kapil Sibal for approving the university for the state.

The minister stated that about 1,500 kanal of land had already been transferred for the university and a case for forest clearance had also been sent to the government and the same would be transferred to the university after getting clearance. He said decision to transfer 1,500 kanal to the university was recently taken at a Cabinet meeting.

He further said the university would introduce dental, engineering, medical, health, life sciences, social sciences, ecological and environment courses.

He said the opening of the university at Dehra would not only provide opportunity for higher education to students of the state, but also would generate avenues of employment for the educated youths of the state.

Vikram Singh Thakur, vice-chairman, Himachal Pradesh Forest Corporation, and Navin Dhiman, former MLA, Pragpur, also hailed the decision of the Centre for opening the university at Dehra.

Nalagarh, May 1
The Congress today lambasted the BJP government for its failure to protect the rights of labourers in the industrial areas and said the government was merely pursuing the interests of industrialists.

Speaking at a well-attended public rally organised here on the occasion of International Labour Day, PCC president Kaul Singh Thakur said the government was acting on the whims and fancies of industrialists while ignoring the interests of industrial workers. The government failed to ensure compliance of 70 per cent employability norms and the adverse practice of contractual labour was being practiced with impunity in the industrial areas. Workers were forced to put in 12 to 14 hours of work with no extra remuneration.

He said the BJP government had brought about a drastic cut in the ration quota and this affected the common man. The Congress was aggressively pursuing the cause of extension of the industrial package and the issue had been taken up effectively with the PM by Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma as well as the PCC.

Thakur lambasted Chief Minister PK Dhumal for castigating the Union Government for failing to provide due aid to the state and said assistance worth Rs 25,000 crore had been granted to the state.

The BJP government was surviving on the alms extended by the central government, he said. With the Congress’ main labour union wing INTUC being missing at the crucial Labour Day rally, it presented a divided image of the Opposition. This was more so as the INTUC had otherwise been active in taking up day to-day issues of this industrial belt on public platforms.

CLP Leader Vidya Stokes, while addressing the gathering, said the law and order situation had declined abysmally in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial areas and corruption was at its prime with officials being caught with cash every now and then.

Shimla, May 1
Terming discrimination against Himachal by the Centre as the main issue, the BJP today said the rally to be addressed by national BJP president Nitin Gadkari here on May 9 had been aptly named “Nyay” rally.

Addressing a press conference here today, in charge of BJP affairs in Himachal Satya Pal Jain said since the state was being ignored by Congress-led UPA regime, the party had decided to bring the issue to the notice of the central leadership.

“The rally will symbolise the fight by the BJP for protecting the rights of Himachal by raising our voice against the injustice being meted out to the people of the hill state,” he said.

Jain said whether it was the question of extension of the special industrial package to Himachal or reduction in quota of rice and wheat, the state had always been at the receiving end. The BJP would now raise its voice against such discriminatory approach of the Centre towards non-Congress ruled states, he added.

“It does not behove a responsible leader of his stature to make such absurd allegations that the telephone of the Chief Minister was being tapped by the Vigilance Bureau as this is under the purview of the Centre and not state,” he said in response to the remarks of HPCC chief Kaul Singh Thakur on phone tapping.

Lashing out at the Congress leader for politicising sports, he said people of all political parties were associated with sports bodies but not along political lines. “The improvement of infrastructure in Dharamsala would benefit people at large and it is a practice followed by all governments alike. Even in the case of preparation for Commonwealth Games, the government was spending a huge amount to give Delhi a facelift and improve civic amenities,” he remarked.

Jain, when asked about a final decision on the resignation of Forest Minister JP Nadda, said this was a decision to be taken by the CM.

Shimla, May 1
The Department of Posts will soon start issuing postal identity cards in the hill state and introduce core banking in 59 branches for account holders and foreign exchange service at selected branches.

Stating this at a press conference, Chief Postmaster General, Himachal Circle, Humera Ahmed, said here yesterday that the postal identity cards would serve as a valid proof for residential address and the scheme had already been started in Tamil Nadu. She said the identity card would be valid for six years.

She said the core banking service would enable account holders to withdraw and deposit money from any branch of the post office which had the facility. The foreign exchange service was being started in collaboration with the HDFC Bank in Shimla, Mandi, Kullu, Dharamsala and Kangra to begin with. Later, it would be extended to head post offices at Bilaspur, Chamba, Hamirpur, Keylong, Nahan, Palampur, Rampur, Reckong Peo, Solan, Sundernagar and Una. 

Kangra, May 1
The NH-88, connecting Kangra with Shimla, remained blocked following an accident between a bus, crane and a motorcycle at Bathu Bridge yesterday for more than three and half hours, leaving hundreds of vehicles stranded on both sides of the bridge.

Traffic in charge Gamanda Ram said a crane was on way to Kangra from Ranital and a private bus (HP 40 5275) was coming from Kangra. They had a head-on collision at Bathu Bridge at 1.30 pm yesterday. A motorcycle was also hit by the crane in the accident, leaving two persons injured. The bus passengers had a narrow escape.

Gamanda said after he reached the spot the traffic from Kangra was diverted from Dhaulatpur via Baroah road and traffic from Ranital was diverted by another link road.

The traffic movement was restored only after 5 pm. The traffic in charge stated that the cause of the accident was under investigation.

Kangra, May 1
Registration of land and revenue records, including ‘jamabandi’ of land, of 359 villages of Kangra and Nagrota Bagwan tehsils of this subdivision have been made online. This will make people free from the cumbersome process of visiting patwari and kanungo offices of the Revenue Department.

Kangra tehsildar Des Raj Jariyal said out of 360 villages only one village was left untouched but remaining 359 villages have been put on the ‘intra-online’ facility.

He said now onwards land registration at the tehsil office would be computerised and people could avail revenue records against a fee of Rs 10 per page from the Land Record Office in the tehsil.

Jariyal said as land records would be available online the state subject certificates too could be made available to the applicants without wasting their time.