Shimla, January 15
In a strong message to violators, the local Municipal Corporation (MC) today issued a show-cause notice for initiating demolition proceedings against a hotel-cum-residential complex on the Mall for violating heritage and construction norms.

It was following completion of the inquiry ordered into the unauthorised construction being carried out in the core-cum-heritage zone that the MC issued notice to the owners of the property, Kapil Mahashay and Minakshi, Albion Cottage, under various Sections of the Himachal Pradesh Municipal Corporation Act, 1994.

The MC action will definitely send a strong signal to all those engaged in unauthorised construction and violating norms with impunity that even the high and mighty will not be spared.

In fact, Chief Minister PK Dhumal had personally directed the MC to act sternly in this particular case when it was brought to his notice.

The show-cause notice for initiating demolition proceedings had been issued for violation of Sections 253 and 242 of the Municipal Corporation Act, 1994. The owners of the property had been given one week’s time to file their reply to the notice.

In the notice issued to the owner, MC Commissioner AN Sharma has pointed out that the construction had been undertaken in violation of Section 242, as he had deviated from the sanction given to him by the MC. Sharma added that all such cases would be dealt with a firm hand.

The said structure had been in the news for the past some time as construction was not being done along the old lines as was the norm for all constructions falling in the designated Heritage Zone. Even in the notice it had been pointed out that the owner contrary to sanctioned plan and heritage norms laid an RCC slab on third storey and then raised a roof above it to create additional space.

The owner also faces action under Section 257 (2) of the HP Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, where the premises are being put to use without obtaining completion certificate from the MC. In the notice it has also been pointed out that the public path leading to Bawa Furniture has been encroached upon, thus, making it a case of encroachment on the government land.

The said structure had been in the news even earlier when a shop was raised overnight without any prior sanction and in violation of the norms. This very temporary structure had now been made permanent and houses the reception of a hotel while the shop had been moved up into the attic, raised in violations of norms.

Solan, January 15
The grant of 50 per cent reservation to women in the recent poll to the panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) has led to 57 per cent women getting elected. This is a big achievement and will ensure women participation in the local development.

Chief Minister PK Dhumal said this after administering the oath of office to the pradhans and up-pradhans of Solan, Shimla and Sirmaur districts in an impressive ceremony held at the Thodo Ground here today.

Addressing the newly elected representatives of the gram panchayats, the CM urged them to ensure total sanitation of their area by March 31 so as to achieve the target of “Nirmal Himachal” in the real sense. He underlined the need to educate the masses about the adverse impact of plastic in degrading the environment and said the government would consider authorising the PRIs to fine the offenders using plastic.

Dhumal said 108 gram panchayats had been elected unanimously and they were entitled to a special development grant of Rs 10 lakh each which would be disbursed in two equal instalments. He said the state government was committed to strengthen the PRIs and ensure decentralisation of power to this strongest grassroot-level unit of democracy.

Dhumal said MNREGA, “Atal Awas Yojna, Indira Awas Yojna, Sampooran Swachhta Abhiyan” etc were the major programmes being executed by the PRIs and they were target-oriented programmes aimed at the uplift of the masses. He said Rs 2.72 crore had been spent on training them last year and Rs 4.7 crore would be spent on the training of new PRIs this year. He said their government had brought about 21 per cent enhancement in their honorarium.

HAMIRPUR: Chief Minister PK Dhumal has asked the newly elected panchayat presidents and vice-presidents to help in making the state plastic-free.

After administering oath of office to newly elected presidents and vice-presidents of Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Una district in a function organised here today at the NIT auditorium, Dhumal congratulated them for their successful election to the new office and gave a clarion call to work with dedication and commitment for speedy development of their respective areas and ensure deliverance of benefits under different the government programmes.

He said the PRIs were the vital organs of democracy which Mahatma Gandhi also felt important for achieving his dream of gram swaraj.

He said the PRIs were deeply connected with the needs of development and welfare of the people at village level.

Talking about the state government’s endeavour to empower these institutions, the CM said with immense powers vested with these institutions these could contribute a lot in the development and the government had made every effort to give them all powers related to development at local level.

Mandi, January 15
Chief Minister PK Dhumal will lay the foundation stone of the Rs 1.78 crore Regional Forensic Sciences Laboratory (RFSL) in this town here tomorrow. The RFSL will cater to the “needs of crime investigation in four districts in the central zone”.

The land for the lab was initially allotted at Pandoh, about 15 km from here, but it was due to personal intervention of the Chief Minister that the district administration allotted the land at Bhiuli, where the offices of Divisional Commissioner, DIG central range, are located.

Talking to The Tribune, RFSL deputy director Dr Arun Sharma said, “The lab will cost Rs 1.78 crore for which the Central and state government have allotted the funds under the Modernisation of Police Forces programme. “It will provide investigation back-up in biology and serology, ballistic and physics and chemistry and toxology in crimes like murder, rape and forgeries etc”.

Sharma said the lab’s need was understandable as the RFSL currently being run from a private building at Gutkar near here had completed forensic examination of 824 cases in 2010, 699 cases in 2009 and 50 cases in 2008, when the lab was set up. The RFSL team examined 20 “scenes of crime in 2010 and 16 cases in 2009 and six cases in 2008, he added.

Sharma said RFSL scientists also gave training to the police investigation officers as to how to preserve the scene of crime and collect the crucial forensic evidence so that crimes were solved factually.

He said the new lab is approved by the National Investigation Agency in case of terrorist-related crimes were reported in the central region.

The RFSL building along with the equipments would be ready in a year and would cater to Mandi, Kullu, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Lahaul-Spiti districts in the central zone, he added. 

Kangra, January 15
The Medical Council of India (MCI) will inspect Dr RP Government Medical College at Tanda for postgraduate (PG) courses in the 15 departments this month. Fifteen inspectors from all over the country have been appointed to carry out the inspection in individual departments.

The medical college authorities confirmed that the MCI had communicated them about the MCI inspection. The college has already started postgraduate courses in medicines (2 seats), gynaecology and dermatology departments (1 seat in each) but now seats are likely to be increased in these three departments.

The MCI will inspect the departments of pathology, biochemistry, pulmonary medicines, ENT, surgery, orthopaedics, ophthalmology, pediatrics, anaesthesia, radio diagnosis, community medicines, pharmacology, and microbiology, besides dermatology, medicines and gynaecology.

According to sources, the college is short of faculty and in some departments there is shortage of both senior faculty members and resident doctors.

During an inquiry, it was found that the college authorities had communicated to the state government in November last year to re-designate, appoint and post doctors in the medical college in order to get a clearance for postgraduate courses in all 15 departments.

Nothing positive was done by the state government even after a lapse of nearly three months. The present position of the faculty and the resident doctors in different departments will prove a stumbling block in getting approval for postgraduate courses.

It is learnt that the higher authorities lack interest in the medical college so much so that even the director, medical education, has never inspected the college to look into its shortcomings, sources divulged.

Despite the shortcomings, the sources said four out of 15 departments which included pharmacology, community medicines and microbiology, were strong contenders and were likely to go through.

The sources said had the government initiated action in time to re-designate, appoint and post doctors in this college there would had not been any hindrance in getting approval for PG in all departments.

Shimla, January 15
Life in most parts of the state was paralysed due to heavy rain and snow during the last 24 hours with not only vehicular traffic, but power supply also being severely affected.

The higher reaches of the state, including the tribal districts of Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti and Pangi, had been experiencing heavy snowfall since last night.

The vehicular movement to Kinnuar, Rampur, Rohru and Jubbal Kotkhai had disrupted due to a heavy snowfall at Kharapatthar and Narkanda. Vehicles had been stranded between Kufri and Narkanada and at several other places in Upper Shimla due to several-foot deep snow.

The local Meteorological Centre has issued a warning that heavy rain and snow is likely to occur at isolated places in the state during the next 24 hours.

The fresh spell of snow, the heaviest of the season so far, brought the traffic in most parts of the state capital to a standstill as the town experienced heavy sleet followed by snow, which was still continuing.

The minimum temperature in Shimla was 1.7 degrees Celsius, Sundernagar- 6.1, Bhuntar- 4.8, Kalpa- minus 3.5, Dharamsala- 3.3, Una- 8.1, Mandi- 7.3, Nahan- 7.5, Keylong- minus 8.4, Palampur- 2 and Solan- 5.

Dharamsala, January 15
The city received the heaviest snowfall in the last 15 years. Snow reached the lower areas of Dharamsala, including the Kotwali area. Residents say that such a heavy snowfall in the lower areas has been witnessed after a long time.

The snowfall disrupted traffic on the Dharamsala-McLeodganj road. The local authorities had to use bulldozers to clear snow near Dharamsala cantonment.

Till the filing of this report, the road to McLeodganj was not cleared. Officials say that more than 2-ft snow had been received in Dharamsala and its surrounding areas.

About 150 vehicles were stranded in McLeodganj and its surrounding tourist spots.

Besides McLeodganj, Dharamkot, Naddi and Bhagsunag were also cut off from the lower areas due to snow. The heavy snow in the area that started last night continued till this afternoon. It has also disrupted water supply in the Dharamkot area, sources told The Tribune.

The snowfall in the Kotwali area enthralled the locals who rushed to the upper areas to witness the snowfall. However, they could not go beyond Chandmari village as heavy snow blocked the road. Youth and children were seen playing with snow at various places.

The lower areas of Kangra district received heavy rain. The rain is good for wheat, vegetable and horticulture crops in the area.

The heavy snowfall in higher reaches has led to a sharp fall in day temperature in the region.

Hoteliers are expecting that the fresh spell of snow may attract tourists from the lower areas. They are expecting better business in this generally lean season in the area.

This is the second spell of snow in the area. Earlier, tourist spots in and around Dharamsala had received a heavy snowfall on December 31.

KANGRA: The Kangra valley was lashed with heavy rainfall last night and the Dhauldhar ranges and its foothills experienced heavy snowfall.

The valley shivered today with icy cold winds forcing people to remain in their houses. The rains were experienced for the entire night.

Reports of snow were received from the Bara Bangal area of the district. The reports of rains were received from Raintal, Jwalamukhi, Dehra, Shahpur, Gaggal, Nagrota Bagwan, Mallan and other towns of the valley. 

Kangra, January 15
Despite prevailing cold conditions, thousands of pilgrims from all over the country on the occasion of Makar Sankranti thronged the local Bajjreshwari temple, one of the 52 “shakti peeths” of the country, to pay obeisance and to have a glimpse of the 14-quintal butter idol on the “pindi” of the goddess.

A week-long festival started here last night after the butter idol was made by 20 priests in 12 hours and was decorated with dry fruits. The idol was completed in the wee hours this morning.

Legend has it that when the goddess was injured during a fight with demons, butter was applied on her wounds on Makar Sankranti by gods who treated her.

The devotees from all over the country donated ghee for this purpose and temple priests with a specific technique (by washing ghee with water 108 times) converted it into butter.

Chief priest Ram Prasad Sharma said they started making of the butter idol on the “pindi” last evening and the process was completed with religious sanctity this morning.

He said the butter would remain on the “pindi” for a week. The butter when removed would be distributed as “prasada” among people and was being used in the treatment of chronic skin ailments and joint pains.

Palampur, January 15
Property worth Rs 3 crore was destroyed in a devastating fire that broke out in a shop at Marnada, 5 km from here today.

According to the police, the fire was first noticed at 11 am and in a short span it engulfed the entire three-storey showroom of Shivam Electricals, having a stock of electrical items over Rs 2 crore.

Three fire fighters were immediately pressed into service but it failed to control it. Later, six fire fighters were requisitioned from Dharamsala, Kangra and other adjoining places to control the fire. After 10-hour struggle, the fire was controlled. Over 50 policemen and Home Guard jawans also helped the firemen in the entire operation.

The shortage of water supply lines hindrered the fire control operation. Later, fire brigade officials carried water from Neugal khud, six km from the site. The building was completely destroyed in the fire. Besides, electrical goods valuing Rs 2 crore were also gutted.

Ranjit Singh Sodhi, owner of the shop, said when he left the shop on Thursday evening, he had disconnected the entire power supply of the building. Therefore, there was no possibility of short-circuit. He said he was away to the Chintpurni temple and shop was closed for the past two days. He did not rule the possibility of sabotage.

SDM Ratten Gautam, along with a team of officers, remained on the spot and supervised the rescue operation. He said with the efforts of fire-fightring men, the adjoining shops were saved. He said the loss caused by the fire was being assessed. He said the cause of fire was yet to be ascertained.

Mandi, January 15
As the hopes of farmers of the Lahaul valley of growing off-season vegetables and lettuce in polyhouses have been shattered, secretary, agriculture, Ram Subhag Singh has ordered a probe into the collapse of the polyhouses set up by Green Tech company in the snowbound Lahaul valley on December 28-29.

The farmers in Lahaul are switching over from growing the traditional peas and potatoes to the off-season vegetables and lettuce and herbs. “It takes less labour in growing crops in polyhouses as compared to traditional crops like peas and potatoes in open fields”, farmers said.

Ram Chand, Bishan Lal, Ranjit and Tek Chand, all farmers from the Lahaul valley rued they had no nurseries to raise crops in the open field in summer months and their future is bleak. Last year, the lettuce fetched Rs 20 per kg and an average farmer earned Rs 50,000.

But this time, most of the 58 polyhouses have been destroyed by the snow as the material was of the poor quality and unsuitable for the snowbound areas, charged farmers. “We have left nothing to grow for the summer season and the government should compensate us for huge loss”, rued Prem Lal, and Tara Chand Thalur, farmers from Sissu village.

District agriculture officers, Lahaul-Spiti, Rajinder Verma said he had got the report that 28 polyhouses had been damaged due to heavy snow. “We will be able to do the inspection in mid-May when the roads will be restored”, he added.

Ram Subhag told The Tribune that the government had ordered the probe. “We will ensure that farmers get proper compensation as the company has insured all polyhouses there”.