|
|
|
|
|
Dhumal doles out sops to Chhota Bhangal area
Glaring irregularities in private varsity
Now, private students can’t take Class X board exams
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
Scrap Communal Violence Bill, demands Anurag
Court seeks details of selection panel
Centrally Aided Projects
Tension in Kangra village after woman’s death
Declare 5 roads as national highways: State
Coop Bank to hold recruitment tests
Open ICCR centre: Bajpai
SCA members take oath of office
|
|
Dhumal doles out sops to Chhota Bhangal area
Dharamsala, September 13 People came down the hills from remote villages to attend the Prashasan Janata Ke Dwar function presided over by Chief Minister PK Dhumal at Multhan, the sub-tehsil of the area. The Chief Minister, who had planned the visit after the Union Ministry of Environment decided to exclude the 135 sq km area from the Dhauladhar wildlife sanctuary, was also generous to dole out announcements for the development of the area. The most significant of these was the upgrade of Multhan sub-tehsil to the tehsil level. It would come as a relief for residents of 15 villages of the Chhota Bhangal area, who had to travel over 60 km to Baijnath for tehsil works. Earlier, the CM had also planned to visit Bara Bhangal village that is located at an altitude of about 13,000 ft. The village is the only apple-producing area of Kangra district and is located at the source of the Ravi. One has to trek through a mountain pass at a height of about 16,000 ft above the sea level to reach the village. However, the CM’s visit to the village by helicopter was cancelled due to uncertain weather. Touching the soft nerve of Chhota Bhangal residents, who were suffering due to inclusion of their villages in the wildlife sanctuary area, Dhumal said the state government had taken up the matter of re-demarcation of the wildlife sanctuary areas of the state with the Centre. If the proposals were accepted it would take 1.21 lakh out of the limits of the sanctuaries. Public hearing for the purpose would be held soon to invite objections. The locals needed to participate in a majority in these hearings, he said. Dhumal also announced that a marketing yard would be constructed in the Chhota Bhangal area and bridges at Kothi Kohar, Rolling and Bhujang areas. He announced Rs 10 lakh for the construction of a marketing yard to facilitate the marketing of vegetables grown in the area and Rs 2 lakh for the construction of a mahila mandal bhawan at Andarla Malha. Dhumal said the state had launched Bhed Palak Samridi Yojna aimed at economically benefiting the community engaged in sheep rearing. He said providing connectivity to remote areas was on top priority of the state agenda. A team of medical officers would visit the Chhota Bhangal area on September 23, 2011, to medically examine residents and further travel to the Bara Bhangal area. The Swar gram panchayat in the Chhota Bhangal area would also be connected with motorable road, he said. In the Prashasan Janata Ke Dwar programme, 151 applications were received most of which were disposed off on the spot. Dhumal also announced Rs 3 lakh for the construction of a community centre at Dharaman gram panchayat. Ravinder Sood adds from Palampur: Chief Minister PK Dhumal was accorded a rousing reception by people of Kangra and Mandi districts on his arrival at Multhan, a prominent eco-tourism destination in the remote area of this Chhota Bhangal, today. He was welcomed by the locals clad in traditional attires, who had queued up in hundreds on both sides of the road leading to the venue of the public meeting singing folk songs, with traditional musical instruments. The Chhota Bhangal valley was decorated with banners, posters and flowers to welcome the Chief Minister. Dhumal was the first Chief Minister to visit this remote area in the past 13 years. He also visited the valley in 1998, when he was the Chief Minister. He said he was well conversant with the issues being faced by locals as this area had been included in the Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary by the Centre. He said he had raised the matter for re-demarcation of the wildlife sanctuary areas of the state with the Union Government and pleaded to keep the population of 1.21 lakh outside the limits of the sanctuaries, which also included 13,341 population of Bara and Chhota Bhangal. He said the state was also implementing the Mukhya Mantri Vidyarthi Swasthya Yojna, which in the first phase had benefited about 5 lakh students and the second phase would soon be started. Trilok Kapoor, Chairman, HP State Wool Federation, welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for providing the sub-tehsil status when he was the Chief Minister in 1998 and today he had upgraded this sub-tehsil to tehsil to facilitate revenue related services to people. |
|
Glaring irregularities in private varsity
Shimla, September 13 The “classic” case pertains to Manav Bharati University, Solan, which admitted students to the LT (language teacher) course in September 2009, two months before it came into existence. The university was notified on November 3, 2009, and accordingly it came into existence on November 4. The irregularity was detected during an inspection of the records carried out by a team deputed by the Education Department. It was found that the attendance of students was properly marked along with the name and serial number for the month of September but for the subsequent months only the presence was marked without any particulars. Further, the university also failed with the provisions of the Act and advertised courses which were not approved by the government on the basis of the inspection report. The reply given by the university authorities in response to the points raised in the inspection report has not been found satisfactory by the department. With the government already in the dock on the issue of opening private universities, the department has taken a serious view in the matter and issued a notice under Section 8(3) of the University Act to both the university and the sponsoring trust to explain why its endowment fund of Rs 3 crore should not be forfeited in light of these irregularities. The university authorities have been asked to explain the reasons for not complying with the directions issued on the basis of the inspection report that “admission to courses other than those approved by the regulatory body concerned or by the department will not be allowed”. It has also been asked whether or not teaching practice was being provided to the candidates undertaking the LT course and, if yes, the names of the instutions where the teaching practice was provided. It has so far not submitted its reply to the department. It has been asked to explain the reasons for the illegality and discrepancies in the records. The high court had only last month expressed concern over fake degrees being issued and violation of norms by private institutions in the state. |
|
Now, private students can’t take Class X board exams
Dharamsala, September 13 Secretary of the board Prabhat Sharma said this while talking to mediapersons here today. He said from the current academic year, the board would not allow private students to appear in the Class X board examinations. From next year, the entry of private students in the Class XI and Class XII board examinations would also be barred. He said the steps had been taken to curb the mushrooming growth of private academies that were using dubious means to get their students cleared in the school board examinations. A private academy that was run by the kingpin of the examination scam was accused of using dubious means to help hundreds of students pass the board examinations. The secretary said from now onwards the board would take private students only through open schools. The government had decided to open 41 open schools at the subdivision level across the state. The principals of the government schools at the respective subdivision would be coordinators for the open schools in their areas. The students who get themselves enrolled in the open schools would have to attend at least one of the four orientation programmes organised for them in a year. They would apply for the board examinations through the open schools and their examinations would also be held at the identified centres, he said. He said each private student who would appear in the board examinations through the open schools would be given nine chances to clear the papers. Students who had attained the age of 14 would be allowed to sit in the Class X board examinations. |
|
Scrap Communal Violence Bill, demands Anurag
He was here on a tour of Una district, during which he laid the foundation stones of various development schemes. Anurag said the Communal Violence Bill was being opposed even by Chief Ministers of the UPA. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had openly opposed the Bill. “In the Bill, the government has proposed to hold the majority responsible for riots. It has also proposed to create a concept of linguistic majority. If linguistic majority is taken into consideration, original residents of any state can be accused of communal violence by other minorities residing there,” he said. The Bill is against the quasi federal status of the country and aims at taking away the rights of states. Anurag alleged that the BJP had always been opposing the Communal Violence Bill. However, after its contents had been made public, almost every party was opposing it, he added. |
|
Court seeks details of selection panel
The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Sanjay Karol passed the order on the appeal of Shyam Lal, a visually challenged lecturer of chemistry in the school cadre, alleging irregularity in the selection process. The HPPSC had advertised five posts of lecturer (college cadre) in chemistry, out of which three posts were reserved for visually challenged. Only Shyam Lal and another physically challenged person had applied for the posts. Though no post was reserved for a candidate of physical disability, his candidature was considered and he was also interviewed. When the mistake was realised, the entire selection process was cancelled. Shyam Lal has filed a writ petition in the HC, which ordered the commission to finalise the selection as per the process already commenced and interview already held. However, the HPPSC declared the result of the appellant as unsuccessful for securing less marks than prescribed. In its earlier order, the court had observed that it was shocking to judicial conscience as to how the petitioner who was a teacher in the subject for over 15 years had been awarded such poor marks despite his being a postgraduate, MPhil with 1st class and also a PhD in it. The court observed that there was something wrong either with the assessment of the selection committee or the selection process. |
|
Centrally Aided Projects
Shimla, September 13 The court passed this order on a petition filed by Tarlok Chauhan on the issue of non-implementation of the plans under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) in Shimla town. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Sanjay Karol further directed the Centre to inform the court what was the progress of these projects indicating whether any funds had elapsed on account of the implementation of works. The court also asked the state what was the progress in the project of three tunnels and the present factual position today, including the hurdles, if any. It also directed the contractor of the Auckland Tunnel Bridge to complete the construction work of the tunnel by December 20. In its earlier order, the court had directed the contractor to complete the same by December 31, 2011. In this petition, the petitioner stated that the state government and its agencies were lacking in coordination to implement the projects identified under the JNNURM. The petitioner added that the Centre had sanctioned crores of rupees for Shimla town in 2006 and projects to be executed by state government agencies. The petitioner further added that the state had failed to utilise the amount sanctioned by the Centre. |
|
Tension in Kangra village after woman’s death
Kangra, September 13 SDPO, Kangra, Dinesh Kumar said Monu Kumari was married to Rajeev Kumar of the village in 2009. Her father Balak Ram alleged that she was tortured by her in-laws for dowry. He said Monu had some problem last night and was first rushed to Nadun hospital where from she was referred to Jawalamukhi hospital where she was declared brought dead. The cause of the death was not immediately known, the DSP added. The Jawalamuhki police had registered a case under Sections 498-A and 306, IPC, against her in-laws on the application of her father. He further said the body after postmortem was handed over to her parents. The DSP said the victim’s relatives reached Gurer village for the cremation and tension gripped the village. Police force was rushed to the village and following persuasion by the police officers on the spot, calm returned and the body was cremated. He said no arrests had been made as yet and added that after the postmortem report further action would be taken. |
|
Declare 5 roads as national highways: State
Shimla, September 13 He urged the minister to declare the Hamirpur-Palampur-Sujanpur, the Brahmpukhar-Bilaspur-Ghumarwin-Sarkaghat-Ladbharol-Baijnath, the Pathankot-Dalhousie-Chamba-Bharmour, the Taradevi-Jubarhatti- Kunihar-Ramshahr-Nalagarh-Ghamouli and the Chandigarh-Pokhar-Nalagarh-Ramshahr-Arki-Shalaghat roads as national highways. He said the Centre had already conveyed its approval in principle for declaring all these roads as national highways. However, the formal
notification has not been issued so far. Thakur also requested the minister to provide financial assistance for the construction of bypasses at Jogindernagar, Sundernagar and Theog to decongest the cities from heavy traffic. |
|
Coop Bank to hold recruitment tests
Shimla, September 13 A written test will also be conducted for the posts of principal, computer programmer, computer operator and hardware engineer on October 9, 2011. A spokesperson of the bank said call letters, along with information handouts, were being sent to the candidates. Those who did not receive the letters one week before the scheduled date of the written test should contact the head office at telephone number 0177-2804492. |
|
Open ICCR centre: Bajpai
Shimla, September 13 Professor Bajpai was speaking at the general body meeting of the council under the chairmanship of Dr Karan Singh in New Delhi today. The VC said the creation of the centre in Shimla here would give a major boost to the promotion and conservation of cultural heritage of the state. The centre would prove to be a major attraction for visitors, who came here as tourists as they could get a peep into the rich culture and traditions of the hills, he added. |
|
SCA members take oath of office
Kangra, September 13 Abhishek Chandel president, Amit Manhas vice-president, Monika Dadda secretary and Abhishek Mehra joint secretary took the oath. Seventeen class representatives and eight members nominated for the SCA under different catogeries also took an oath. |
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Una, September 13
Shimla, September 13