Una, April 15
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal announced 6 per cent DA to all the employees and pensioners of the Himachal government from January 1, 2011, on the 64th Himachal Day today.

While speaking at a state-level function at Thanakalan in Una district, he said the employees would be given the enhanced DA in cash along with the salary to be paid the next month. The arrears from January 2011 would be credited to their GPF accounts, he said.

The Chief Minister said a new scheme, Mukhaya Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojna, would be implemented from this year to create basic amenities like road, water, sanitation and streetlights in villages which had 40% and above SC population.

Two villages in each assembly constituency would be developed this year under this scheme. Another scheme for Scheduled Caste women, Mata Shabri Mahila Sashakatikaran, would also be implemented under which they would be given a 50% subsidy for LPG connections and stoves.

He further said that the present government intends to make Himachal Pradesh as educational hub of the country. This year Rs 3,165 crore had been earmarked for education, which was 18 per cent of the total budget of the state.

Referring to the development of Una district, the Chief Minister said with the efforts of the state government, an Una-Haridwar link train and an Una-Delhi Jan Shatabdi had been started.

He said the Mehatpur-Amb road was being developed at Rs 126 crore.

The CM conferred Himachal Gaurav Puraskar on constable Pawan Vikram, Nerwa, constable Kuldeep Singh, Nerwa, Om Prakash, Assistant Professor in Sanskrit Government College, Hamirpur, and Harinder Raj Gautam, senior scientist, Dr Y.S.Parmar University, Nauni. The winners were given citation, a Himachali shawl, a cap and cash prize of Rs 21,000 each in recognition of the exemplary services they had rendered towards the society.

He also conferred Prerana Sarot Samman Puraskar on Maya Jaswal of Baloh village, Hamirpur, Kiran Kaundal, Paplota Bumehar village, Solan, by awarding them each a citation and cash prize of Rs. 51,000 each.

He also presented the Chief Minister's Trophy to best police station for the year 2009, category A, police station Chamba, Category B, police station, Gagret, Una, Category C, Sundernagar Colony, Mandi.

Earlier at the function, the Chief Minister unfurled the National Flag and took a salute at an impressive march past presented by contingents of the police, the Home Guards and the NCC. Amit Sharma, DSP, commanded the parade.

Shimla, April 15
Irrigation & Public Health Minister Ravinder Singh Ravi today presided over a district-level Himachal Day function at Chopal and said Rs 1600 crore would be spent for providing drinking water and irrigation facilities to the people during the year. He also gave away prizes to the schools and workers for outstanding performance under School Sanitation Programme.

Nurpur: Kangra MP Rajan Sushant, along with his supporters, celebrated Sankalap Divas at the PWD rest house, Jawali, today. He and his supporters took an oath against corruption and vowed to protect the rights and interests of the people of the state. He also threatened to organise a token dharna at at the Jawanawalla Shehar railway station on May 15, if the Central government failed to accept his demands.

Bilaspur: Himachal Industries Minister Kishan Kapoor unfurled the National Flag here today at a function to celebrate Himachal Day. He also paid floral tributes to the martyrs at the Martyrs Memorial, near the Circuit house.

Kullu: The 64th district-level Himachal Day was celebrated with fervour here today at the Dhalpur ground. Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ramesh Dhawala unfurled the National Flag.

Solan: Vidhan Sabha Speaker Tulsi Ram today unfurled the National Flag and took salute at a parade of marching contingents from the police, the home guards.

Mandi/Kullu, April 15
The state vigilance is slowly pushing the multi-lakh money laundering scam in Kullu in a deep freeze like other cases as it is yet to reach the bottom of the racket.

It may open a can of worms as the vigilance has clues that have not ruled out the involvement of certain former DCs of Kullu in this case.

Though the successive governments have been claiming to observe zero-tolerance towards corruption, they have been backtracking when it comes to take action against the corrupt gazetted officers.

There is no regular trial of corruption cases to stem the rot, said prosecution experts.

The cases of two IAS officers, Sanjay Gupta (trap case) and Subhash Ahluwalia (disproportionate assets case), both reinstated, a former drug controller Sher Singh Thakur ( trap case), the Drabla road scam involving two engineers in Mandi and a cash-on-camera case involving Shimla MP Virender Kashyap and now KK Indoria, the former SP, Kullu, are good examples of how the government has ignored these cases, revealed insiders.

As per its manual, the vigilance cannot start investigation against the officers unless the Home Department gives its permission.

Over four dozens officers caught by the vigilance over the years have been reinstated. These cases remain sub judice and the government wants work from them, sources revealed.

Ridiculously, BJP president Khimi Ram told newsman at Kullu yesterday that the party would launch a crusade against corruption. Congress president Kaul Singh told newsmen at Paddar that his party would launch a campaign against corruption in the BJP regime and throw out the present government in the coming assembly polls in 2012.

However, as the successive governments dithered on taking action against the high-profile corrupt officers, the general impression among the public is that a tirade against corruption is hollow as the politicians from both ruling BJP and Opposition Congress allegedly protect the corrupt officials.

Top vigilance officials are tightlipped on taking investigation to its logical conclusion as it has been used as “an instrument to browbeat and settle personal scores rather than checking corruption”.