Shimla, November 3
Even as the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau tries hard to shed its image of being a tool in the hands of political bosses to unleash a vendetta against opponents, registration of more cases, especially against senior officers, and scientific investigations have helped improve the conviction rate and bring down pendency considerably.

A recent and positive development that goes to the credit of the Vigilance Bureau is that it is not just laying its hands on petty revenue officials or engineers but has registered cases against six IAS, two IPS and three each against state administrative and police officers. It is also handling some sensitive cases, including the ones against Union Minister Virbhadra Singhand former ministers and MLAs, a majority from the Congress.

However, it’s a different matter that the bureau is often accused of adopting different yardsticks for dealing with cases of the same nature, depending on the political proximity of the official concerned with the party in power. It is only now on the directives of the court that the cases against some “tainted” officers are being expedited and prosecution sanction being obtained from the Centre, which had been put on hold for obvious reasons.

“There is no question of anyone exerting political pressure as all cases are dealt with according to the provisions of the law and this is evident from the fact that even senior officers have been booked,” says KC Sadyal. Additional Director-General of Police, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Keen on making its functioning more scientific, the bureau has adopted new means of holding surveillance, scientific investigation and involvement of experts to ensure a more foolproof case. “We have engaged experts like chartered accountants and computer professionals to overcome the handicap and this has helped us bring down the pendency and deal with several old cases more efficiently,” he says.

Going by statistics, the conviction rate in 2010 has gone up to 11 per cent from 9.5 per cent in 2009. “Keen to further improve the conviction rate, we have introduced the maintaining of a court diary where the public prosecutors make weekly entries of the progress and the next court dates for a better follow up,” says Sadyal.

Though the number of complaints that the bureau receives has gone up from 283 in 2007 to 411 last year, the shortage of staff often hampers its functioning. Six of the 12 Vigilance police stations are without an SHO, which obviously affects the functioning.

“To reduce the pendency of cases, we expedited investigations and brought it down from 139 to 22 so that we are able to hold active investigations and ensure conviction,” says Sadyal. Aware of the fact that pendency of cases as well as complaints breeds corruption among its staff, the bureau has also started reverting back complaints, recommending departmental action in trivial issues.

Keen on outsmarting the criminal and remaining a step ahead, the Vigilance Bureau has also effected some changes in its modus operandi and laying of trap cases. “People now avoid making important conversation on the phone which normally gave us a tip-off as they have become all too aware about our functioning so we have introduced new ways which of course cannot be disclosed,” says Sadyal. 

New Delhi, November 3
Even as Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has brought to the notice of BJP president Nitin Gadkari and the party high command the dissident activities of former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar and his loyalists, the high command is still figuring out how to tackle one more dissenting aspirant for the Chief Minister’s post.

Ostensibly inspired by LK Advani’s anti-corruption rath yatra and the BJP’s high-pitched campaign against corruption, the senior-most BJP leader from this hill state and two-time Chief Minister of HP has taken up cudgels against corruption in his home state and has floated a Bhrashtachar Mukti Morcha with dissident BJP leaders like Maheshwar Singh, Radha Raman Shastri, MS Sofat, Shyama Sharma and HN Kashyap.

Taking a leaf out of Advani’s nationwide rath yatra, this dissident faction has announced its intent to tour the state to rouse people’s consciousness against corruption.

The group also hinted that it may welcome leaders from other parties, namely the Congress and the CPM, to join in their endeavour to fight corruption.

However, party insiders here feel that Shanta Kumar, one of the senior-most leaders of the BJP and two-time Chief Minister, who had of late been totally marginalised, is inspired more by Uttarakhand Chief Minister BC Khandhuri than anyone else. He is also aware of Advani’s fears of being confronted during his yatra by questions and insinuations of corruption by his partymen and chief ministers.

Political observers recall how Advani got the party to remove Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and replace him by Khanduri almost on a day’s notice fearing that Khanduri and his supporters may confront him in Dehradun during his yatra on corruption in the BJP state.

Shanta Kumar, too, is raising the pitch against corruption in the hope that the issue becomes big enough to force the party high command to sack Dhumal and make him the state Chief Minister. Advani will touch Himachal peripherally flying into Mandi for a rally on November 16.

The immediate response of the party high command, though conveyed informally was, “We are seriously watching the developments.” But when asked if there was any move to replace Dhumal, sources said, “No way,” and asked if any action was being contemplated against the Shanta camp, “No, not really.”

Shimla, November 3
Perturbed over the stepped-up dissident activities, Chief Minister PK Dhumal held a closed-door meeting with his confidants, including his ministerial colleagues, to chalk out a strategy to counter the onslaught by Shanta loyalists even as disciplinary action against the rebels is likely to be taken only after the byelections.

It is reliably learnt that the Chief Minister held discussions with his ministerial colleagues Ravinder Ravi, Rajiv Bindal, Mahender Singh and senior MLA from Mandi Roop Singh Thakur last night at Samirpur in his home district of Hamirpur.

With the Shanta loyalists firing one salvo after the other as part of their strategy to hit at the Chief Minister and his loyalists, the Dhumal camp, too, held discussions on how to handle the crisis.

Considering the timing chosen by the rebels, it is unlikely that the state party unit will take any action against them as they would want the Jan Chetna Yatra of LK Advani and the two byelections to pass off smoothly.

The fact that the BJP wants to downplay the virtual revolt in the party was evident from the reaction of state BJP chief Khimi Ram. “Our priority at the moment is to make preparations for the Jan Chetna Yatra and ensure the party’s victory in Renuka and Nalagarh,” he said.

Party sources said the high command had already been informed of the latest activities of the rebels, including the floating of an anti-corruption forum by them. “The high command, including Nitin Gadkari, has been apprised of the developments but it is unlikely that action will be taken before the two byelections,” admitted a senior party functionary.

The Dhumal camp is likely to seek action against Kangra BJP district president Ranjit Pathania for targeting IPH Minister Ravinder Ravi. Khimi Ram has already stated that disciplinary action will be taken against those who take the party matters to the media.

However, one thing seems certain that the Dhumal camp will adopt a policy of wait and watch and retaliate only once the byelections are over. Though Dhumal sharply reacted to the formation of the non-political front by the Shanta loyalists, any formal action against them would be initiated only after Advani’s yatra and the byelections.

However, the dissident activities are giving sleepless nights to the Dhumal camp as the Congress will take full advantage of the dissensions within the BJP and try to translate this into victory in the byelections, which the BJP needs to win at all cost.

Hamirpur, November 3
Chief Minister PK Dhumal has appealed to the public to protect the cows and not leave these as stray cattle on roads and in forests.

Addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone of a “gosadan” at Blute village today, he said it was against our tradition and an act of cruelty to leave cows as stray cattle.

The Chief Minister said the state government was trying to open cow protection centres by involving NGOs in this work and in Hamirpur district 11 such centres were functioning while two centres had been established at Lahari Baleta and Khazzian in the state.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated an office of the district consumer forum in the DC office complex. Addressing a gathering there, he appealed to the people to be aware about their consumer rights.

He said the state government was making every effort to expand consumer complaints redressal courts in the state to protect consumer rights.

Later, the Chief Minister launched the second phase of the Rs 14.63-crore ICDS Project at Mattan Sidh.

Speaking on the occasion, he said opening of this project would facilitate co-operative societies involved in milk production and farming of medicinal plants by supplementing their income and boosting the economy.

He said the government had sanctioned two milk production projects for Hamirpur and Sirmaur districts to help the farmers.

Education Minister ID Dhiman, Consumer Affairs Minister Ramesh Dhawala and several other dignitaries were present during these programmes.

Una, November 3
A 50-km stretch of the Mehatpur-Amb road, work on which has been going on for the past more than two years, has become a bane of commuters. The road is being constructed by Longjian, a Chinese company, under a Rs 126-crore World Bank-aided project.

According to the conditions of the contract, the Chinese company was supposed to keep at least one lane on the entire Mehatpur-Amb road, one of the busiest highways in the state, in a working condition. However, but for a 15-km stretch from the Amb side, where the road has almost been completed, the entire remaining stretch is in bad shape. The condition of the road is particularly bad in Una city, leading to traffic jams and accidents.

The Chinese company has to complete the road by February next year. However, given the pace at which the work is going on, it seems that the deadline will not be met.

Sources said the Chinese company had already sought an extension of the deadline for the completion of project till November next year.

Besides the road, the construction of bridges, which are part of the road project, is also slow. The sources said 12 major bridges and many small bridges were to be constructed on the 50-km stretch of the road. However, till date construction work on only seven major bridges is under way. The work on the remaining five major bridges is yet to start.

The work relating to the construction of the bridges was outsourced by the Chinese company to expedite the project. However, the Indian company that was given the task has also failed to expedite the work. The sources said the Chinese company had decided to take back the work from the sub-contractor.

Meanwhile, farmers of Una have protested against the design of the bridges. They have alleged that the box-type design adopted by the Chinese company for the construction of bridges would raise the bed of rivulets that would affect their fields along rivulets, especially during the rains.

The Executive Engineer overlooking the construction of the road, SS Kutlehria, said the government had so far not given an extension in the deadline to the Chinese company. “We are trying our best to meet the deadline, but the construction of the bridges is likely to delay the project,” he said.

The project director of the Mehatpur-Amb road, Pradeep Chauhan, said one-lane of the Mehatpur-Una stretch of the road was likely to be completed with a fortnight. 

Kullu, November 3
Former Kullu SP KK Indoria has been bailed out in a multi-lakh corruption case registered under Sections 7, 8 and 13 (1-D) of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120-B of the IPC as the state Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau has failed to present a challan in the special court at Kullu even after nine months.

Indoria went underground as the state Home Department delayed sanction to prosecute him for months and the special investigation unit of the Vigilance failed to present a challan in the special court at Kullu even after nine months.

This in turn gave Indoria an advantage and he finally got bail after he remained in the police and judicial custody since September 2.

The Vigilance got the voice sample of Indoria in connection with his telephonic conversation in the case and sent it for testing to forensic science laboratory.

The Vigilance gave Indoria a long rope since February when it booked him in a graft case at Kullu. It had arrested three persons - Ramesh Volga, a studio owner in Kullu, and two officials — Abhijit Chakrovarti and associate vice-president Trehan of the Allaian and Duhangan Project company, which has executed the 192-MW hydropower project at Prini village in the fourth week of April, but they were later bailed out.

The IPS officer, who is now under suspension, enjoyed political patronage in the ruling party and mounted pressure on the Vigilance. Volga allegedly acted as an agent between the company and Indoria, sources said.

Indoria proceeded on medical leave as soon as the Vigilance was about to nab him after gathering evidence in the case involving transfer of lakhs of rupees in the account of some stone-crusher owner linked to Indoria.

The Vigilance, in fact, had recorded a conversation involving Indoria and other persons in which he was talking about hiring a tantrik to dispel the bad omens, the sources said.

DG, Vigilance, KS Sadyal said they could not present the challan in the court as the report on voice sample of Indoria was awaited from the forensic science laboratory, which might take a year or so.

“The probe is complete in the graft case,” he added, but he did not divulge the details of transaction of the money involved in the case.

Indoria served as Kullu SP from February 27, 2009, to September 28, 2010.

Later, he was transferred and posted as a low-profile AIG, police headquarters, after the government got complaint against him.

Dharamsala, November 3
Septuagenarian Nirmala Devi, a feeble bodied and illiterate lady from Naddi village, near Dharamsala, is fighting a battle to save her 42-year-old marriage.

It took Nirmala Devi 17 years to muster courage to complain against her husband, Prittam Singh, an ex-serviceman who left her in 1993 and has been allegedly staying with another lady in a village near Shahpur.

While talking to The Tribune, Nirmala alleged that her husband has illegally married another lady and has denied her rights as his first legal wife.

She alleged that she complained against the second marriage to the police, who registered a case under Section 420, IPC, against him in March this year.

Despite registering the case, the Shahpur police has not done anything. Instead of realising his mistake, he was threatening me and my children with dire consequences, she alleged.

In her police complaint, Nirmala had alleged that she was married to Prittam Singh, who was serving in the Army about 42 years ago. They had two sons from the marriage, Ajay Kumar and Vijay Kumar, who are in their late 30s now and staying with her.

After retiring from the Army he came home in 1993. After coming, Prittam allegedly left Nirmala and his children and started staying with another lady in Bhanala village in the Shahpur area.

Nirmala has alleged that Prittam had children from his second wife also. He had mentioned himself as the father of the children of his second wife in school and other records. On the complaint of Nirmala, the police had registered the case against the accused.

However, Ajay Kumar, elder son of Nirmala Devi, has alleged that it had been eight months since the case was registered against his father. The Additional District and Sessions Judge has also rejected the anticipatory bail application of his father upholding the fact that he has entered the second marriage. Still the police has failed to arrest him.

He said: “Our family was left destitute since our father left us for another lady. However, we would fight for the rights of our mother, who still respects him as her husband.” Kangra SP Diljeet Thakur said he would look into the matter. “I would direct the officials concerned to expedite the inquiry into the case and take action against the accused,” he added.

Dharamsala, November 3
The district police has recovered six vehicles on the information provided by arrested members of a gang of car thieves that was busted by the Palampur police.

Kangra SP Diljeet Thakur while talking to The Tribune said five of the six vehicles recovered were Santro cars. Besides, one Indigo car had also been recovered. Three Santro cars that have been recovered were stolen from Palampur while another had been stolen from the Sujanpur area of Hamirpur.

The police was probing the fact that the thieves selected majority of Santro cars. The probable connivance of workers at agencies where the cars were taken for service and private financiers, who used to finance vehicles, was also been probed into, the SP said.

He further said the car thief gang that has been busted was being run by a few unemployed youth from the state and a former Himachal Police cop. 

Mandi, November 3
Under the banner of the Himachal Kisan Sabha, farmers in the district today staged a protest against shortage of fertilisers, hike in its prices, the government’s failure to provide sustainable markets to vegetable growers and its failure to curb the monkey menace in the state.

They charged that the state government was sitting as a silent spectator to the issues being faced by farmers.

The sowing season for wheat, oilseeds and vegetables was at peak in the lower region, but farmers had been facing shortage of fertilisers in the state, they resented while raising anti-government slogans in front of the Deputy Commissioner office here today.

Kisan Sabha leaders Bhupender Singh, Kushal Bhardwaj and Paras Ram said the state government was anti-farmers as it had neither bail out farmers from the losses they have suffered due to the monkey and wildlife menace to their crops, nor from the burden of the Rs 300-price hike in fertilisers this year.

The farmers have abandoned a sizeable portion of cultivable land due to the monkey menace as they are neither compensated for losses, nor does the government did anything to check the wildlife menace, they rued.

They blamed the Centre for not supplying fertilisers on time to the state, the farmers added. The farmers have also demanded more subzi mandis in the Ner Chowk, Janjheli and Balichowki areas, which have emerged as the main vegetable-growing areas in the district.

Meanwhile, HIMFED, the state procurement agency, did not buy fertilisers on time as they have to pay interest on loans raised to buy it, sources added.

However, commenting on the issues raised by the sabha, Deputy Director, Agriculture, Dr Manmohan Singh said they expect that fertilisers would be available in a few days.

“We are encouraging late-sowing varieties among farmers as the sowing season can last till the first week of January,” he said.

Kasauli, November 3
The Central Research Institute (CRI) is now targeting to manufacture seven crore doses of DPT group vaccines for the next year with the coming up of a new laboratory, which is nearing completion.

The lab was being set up as per the WHO’s Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) norms following suspension of the manufacturing license in January 2008.

Though the suspension was revoked a year later and a temporary license was granted in 2009, the institute had to ensure that it started production in the new facility soon so that a permanent license could be procured before 2013.

The temporary license would lapse in 2013 and the institute had to ensure that it produced at least trail batches of its various products, including DTP and yellow fever vaccines, besides various anti-serums.

HG Bramhne, director of the institute, while being optimistic of fulfilling the requisite GMP conditions, said they would manage to produce trial batches of the vaccines from the new facility by July 2012 as they would start the process in January.

He said a target of seven crore doses of DPT and DT vaccines had been sent to the Ministry of Health and Family welfare and they would manage to produce the desired results.

Though the institute was already undertaking vaccine production in the old facility, the WHO’s new norm of affixing vaccine vial monitor (VVM) to each vial as well as on every box of the vaccines had delayed their labelling and subsequent dispatch process.

With barely one global firm supplying these VVMs to all vaccine manufacturers, the staff was awaiting training on how to handle these machines.

The company was suppose to send its team soon to train the staff.

In the absence of training, the old manual labelling technique was being used to label the vaccines.

The setting up of the GMP lab had been delayed by almost one year and it had to be completed in March this year.

Since the lab constructed earlier had failed to adhere to the norms, it had to be dismantled and a new facility was being set up to suit the norms.

Shimla, November 3
Sarojini Ganju Thakur, chairperson of the HP Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission, has stressed the need for making Himachal an education hub and the preferred choice of students from within and outside the state for achieving quality higher education.

She was presiding over a meeting of the commission here today. The focus of the meeting was on “Building a vision for private universities for higher education in Himachal Pradesh”.

“A firm commitment is required to achieve the goal of providing quality education and we all should together aspire to achieve this target by providing a proper set-up for higher education,” she said.

She stressed the need for complete transparency in the admission procedure and strict adherence to norms established by central regulatory bodies like the UGC and the AICTE. Even though the AICTE normally does not have jurisdiction over universities, this should not be a cause for any slackness in adherence to the norms, she added.

Vice-chancellors and registrars of 12 private universities established in the state and the Secretary (Higher Education) and the Director (Higher Education) were also present at the meeting.

Manali, November 3
Vigilance awareness week was observed by the Border Roads Organisation in the 38 BRTF HQ here today.

All members of the organisation were asked to take a pledge to fight the menace of corruption. A number of activities have been organised on the occasion.

The function commenced with an inaugural address by Col Yogesh Nair, Commander, 38 BRTF, followed by an oath-taking ceremony by all officials of the BRO.