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Nalagarh, Renuka Byelections
Contest may prove tough
MiG CRASH |
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State civil services union holds meeting
Training programmes in Obstetrics
Student hangs herself, another found dead
Disability certificate to applicants within 3 days
BJP gets into election mode
Ayurvedic docs to oppose promotion
Use knowledge to preserve culture, astrologers told
Youth Festival: Bilaspur college tops in folk dance
Man found hanging, case of abetment to suicide registered
NGO to divert youth force in social services
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Nalagarh, Renuka Byelections
Shimla, November 7 Vinay Kumar is a son of former MLA from Renuka Dr Prem Singh, whose demise led to the vacancy. A political greenhorn, Vinay, has been thrown into the electoral arena by the party to secure the sympathy votes. Meanwhile, Lakhwinder was in the BJP but contested the 2003 Assembly poll as an Independent after being denied the party ticket. He later joined the Congress and unsuccessfully contested the seat in
the 2007 Assembly poll as its candidate. |
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Contest may prove tough
Nalagarh, November 7 Owing allegiance to the Shanta faction, Gurnaam was riding the sympathy factor following the death of her husband. Political observers now feel the sympathy factor is losing its impact as five months have already elapsed. But Gurnaam’s own rapport with the masses will have a bigger impact on the polls. MLAs and ministers of the Shanta faction are slated to campaign in the constituency. Contrary to assumptions that Nalagarh will be a cake walk for the BJP, Congress’ Lakhwinder Rana is proving to be a tough contender. Rana is also cutting a sympathy figure before voters as he has lost twice while contesting against Saini. Moreover, BJP’s prime area of Pargana Malaun, which comprises five panchayats, has been added in the adjoining Arki constituency after the delimitation exercise for the 2012 Vidhan Sabha polls and its impact will be visible in these polls. Since the area remained ignored from both the MLAs, the BJP can face some exodus of votes from this area. The Congress is banking for an overwhelming support from the Changer area which comprises about 35 to 45 panchayats. Since development in the form of upkeep of the crucial Nalagarh-Swarghat NH-21-A has largely remained ignored, the Congress will harp on this issue. Since Saini had trumpeted the cause of development in Nalagarh, the Congress is using the issue to the hilt. However, with a section of the Congress having opposed the candidature of Rana, some opposition can be faced by him in these polls. Though Nalagarh has been a Congress stronghold, factionalism can play spoilsport for Rana. |
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MiG CRASH
Mandi/Udaipur, November 7 But the IAF is yet to confirm whether the recovered body part is that of the missing pilot, Sq Ldr BS Tomar or it belongs to some animal. Special high-altitude troopers and scouts from Gumarg were today brought back to the base camp from the 17,500-ft-high wreckage site to give them some break as they complained of sickness due to the lack of oxygen there. After taking rest they would resume the operation in a day or two, sources said. The sources told The Tribune that the supersonic MiG probably crashed into the 18,000-ft-high mountain, went into bits and pieces and fell right on the glacier top at about 17,500 ft, about 500 m below that peak. It is possible that it slipped into the front opening of the Gangston glacier, the sources said. But the sub-zero temperature and subsequent snowfall in the region squeezed the debris last week. This, in turn, has complicated the retrieval process as it has frozen everything there, they said. “Now, the team is finding it difficult to cut the icy glacier as the site lies on a steep slope,” the sources said. The team was air-dropped to the site to cut into the frozen debris, they added. Moreover, the wreckage site is also a home to snow leopard, red bear and ibex. “The team wants to be sure whether the body part is that of the missing pilot or some animal and they can tell it only after the DNA testing,” the sources said. Meanwhile, DC, Lahaul-Spiti, Rajiv Shankar told The Tribune that the team had extracted remains, including a body part, and have sent it for DNA testing to ascertain where it belongs to the missing pilot of MiG-29. “However, the team has not recovered the cockpit or the black box so far,”
he added. The brother of the missing pilot, AS Tomar, who had come to Lahaul-Spiti last week from Gwalior, told The Tribune that they have not received any information about the missing pilot from the IAF so far. |
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Tibetans protest against Censor Board’s decision to remove flags from ‘Rockstar’
Dharamsala, November 7 Activists of the Students for a Free Tibet India (SFT India) held a protest rally at McLeodganj today and said they were planning rallies and actions in several cities, including Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Dharamsala, to protest against the controversial decision by Censor Board. “Rockstar” will be released in theatres this Friday. “It is shocking for us that the Censor Board has told film director Imtiaz Ali to either delete or blur the visual of the flag. It is extremely disturbing that such a grotesque violation of freedom of speech is occurring in the world's largest democracy,” said Dorjee Tseten, National Director of the SFT India. By caving in to Chinese pressure, the Censor Board was allowing China to threaten the freedom that Indians enjoyed, he said. “Tibetans are dying for freedom. In the past eight months, 11 Tibetans in Tibet have set themselves on fire in protest against the Chinese rule,” said Tseten. At this critical time, when Tibetans are suffering under Chinese repression, one would expect India to promote and protect Tibetan people's basic human rights and not censure their struggle in a free country simply because China objected to it, he said. The SFT demanded that the Censor Board should reverse its decision before the release of the film. Dorjee Tseten would be seeking a meeting with Chief Executive Officer of Censor Board Pankaja
Thakur this week. The SFT India is the Indian Network of Students for a Free Tibet International which has over 650 chapters in more than 35 countries. |
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State civil services union holds meeting
Shimla, November 7 The prominent demands to be taken up with the Union Government included increase in the promotional quota of state civil service officers for nomination to the IAS from 33 to 50 per cent and increase in the induction age from 54 years to 59 year. It also demanded posting of senior state civil services officers on important posts, including District Magistrate, grant of selection grade after completion of 18 years of service as sanctioned by the Punjab Government, implementation of Assured Career Progression Scheme along with release of promotional scale after four, nine and 14 years of services from January 1 of the year in which the officer becomes eligible for it in accordance with the provisions of the similar nature for the all-India services. The participants were of a unanimous view that the All-India Federation of State Civil Services should be strengthened and made more active to further the cause of the officers. It was decided that its state units would approach the Chief Ministers and member of Parliaments for pursuing their demands with the Centre. The federation would meet frequently to facilitate sharing of best practices of administration among the members so that they worked with dedication, zeal and innovative ideas to bring a qualitative change in the administration. It was also decided that the office-bearers of the federation along with the office-bearers of the HPAS Association would soon call on the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh to sort out various pending issues of the state officers. The meeting was attended by state civil services officers from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana. |
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Gadgets can do wonders for visually challenged: NGO
Shimla, November 7 “User-friendly softwares impart these gadgets the ability to speak and visually challenged persons come to know about the actions being performed on the screen. They can surf the Internet, communicate through e-mails, read books and newspaper and other material available in digitised formats, without the help of another person,” explained Deepika, who was in the city in connection with a workshop on “Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities through Information Technology and Media”, while talking to The Tribune, here today. Visually challenged could perform the functions and the only difference is that instead of looking at the screen they have to attentively listen to the voice of the gadget. They can navigate through the menu of various computer programmes by listening. It also reads the text enabling the user to rectify any mistakes committed while typing, she said while demonstrating these capabilities on her own laptop and cellphone. Herself a victim of congenital glaucoma, Deepika has not allowed the ailment to become an obstacle in pursuing higher education and obtained a masters degree from Lady Sriram College, Delhi, at a time when even audio and Braille books were hard to find. She gives the credit to her parents, particularly her mother who herself
recorded all her text books in cassettes. Armed with a laptop, cellphone and digital player today, she is moving from one city to another motivating other print-disabled persons to use the latest technology to overcome the difficulties she encountered as a student. She suggests that the government should provide these gadgets to the visually challenged from Class I itself, develop websites in collaboration with NGOs for resources needed by them and ensure liberal funding project for digitisation of books. At present less than 5 per cent of books were available in digitised format. The government should exempt the books required by visually challenged from the Copyright Act as had been done in the USA and some other countries. |
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Training programmes in Obstetrics
Solan, November 7 From AAFP, Dr Ann Evensen and from GVK EMRI, CEO Subodh Satyawadi and Director K Krishnam Raju, represented the organisations for signing the MoU. Dr Lau Sanner, Dr Rabecca Reim, Dr Lawrence Leeman, Dr Julianne Falleroni from the AAFP, Dr Mahadevan, Dr Matthew Strehlow from Stanford (USA), Dr GV Ramana Rao, Dr Rajanarsing Rao from the EMLC, GVK EMRI, were among those who were present. The visiting faculty is developing instructors’ teams at the GVK EMRI to conduct ALSO programmes in India. CEO Satyawadi, while explaining the significance of the programme, said it would have a huge benefit for paramedical staff in the country and help the beneficiaries. ALSO helps pregnant women and children in emergency and contributes in reducing the MMR and the IMR. The GVK EMRI plans to take this programme across the country. Dr Ann Evensen from the AAFP, while appreciating the phenomenal work of the GVK EMRI, expressed happiness to be associated in organising ALSO programmes in India through the GVK EMRI platform. The GVK EMRI, which initiated its operations in Himachal last year in December, has managed to provide emergency hospitalisation to as many as 1,30,013 patients with cases of pregnant women being the largest. ALSO helps doctors, midwives, nurses and other healthcare providers to develop and maintain knowledge and skills they need to manage in potential emergencies during the peri-natal period (during delivery). The two-day ALSO event is a structured evidence-based and multi-disciplinary certificate training programme. The ALSO programme has already been conducted in 47 countries. |
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Student hangs herself, another found dead
Hamriprur, November 7 A second-year student of B Tech in the Architecture Department, Tanya Thakur (18) was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her hostel room today at about 11 am when the door of her hostel room was broken open by the police. The girl, who hailed from Dangoh village in Amb subdivision of Una district, was living at Parwati Girls Hostel on the NIT campus. Tanya had gone to sleep in her room last night, but when she did not come out of her room, girls living in adjacent rooms became suspicious and informed the NIT authorities, who called the police. Dr Jaspreet Kaur, hostel warden, said, “Tanya was good at studies and living normally in the hostel.” DSP Anjani Kumar Jaswal said, “The police has not found any suicide note and we are investigating the case.” In another incident, Ashish of Hamirpur, who was a final-year student of B Tech, Electrical, at Green Hills Engineering College, Kumarhatti, has died in mysterious circumstances. SP, Baddi, Gurdev Chand Sharma said, “The deceased had come to Baddi and was staying with his two friends in a room and on Sunday morning when his friends tried to wake him , he did not respond and later after they returned they found him dead.” He said, “Prima-fascia there was no visible injury on the body of the boy.” |
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Disability certificate to applicants within 3 days
Shimla, November 7 The government was already providing free education from Class I to the university level. She said as many as 66,932 persons in the state were handicapped by one disability or the other and the government had introduced several schemes for their welfare. The stipend to disabled students had been doubled and 3 per cent quota had been earmarked for them in government jobs. A hostel was being constructed for them at Sundernagar at a cost of Rs 4 crore. Braille library and computers had already been provided at the schools in Dhalli and Sundernagar. Ajai Srivastava, Chairman, Umang Foundation, which organised the workshop, said it was the first programme of its kind in Himachal Pradesh the main objective of which was to sensitise the decision makers, persons with visual disabilities and other stakeholders about the use of the latest technology in empowering persons with visual disabilities. Deepika Sood, Project Director, Saksham Trust, made a presentation on the use of latest IT tools. |
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BJP gets into election mode
Shimla, November 7 State BJP chief Khimi Ram today said the party candidates Hriday Ram Ram from Renuka and Gurnaam Kaur from Nalagarh would file their nomination papers on November 11. He urged all party men to turn up for the nomination. He said Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta would be the in-charge for Renuka, and state BJP general secretary Ram Swaroop of the organisation. Similarly, Transport Minister Mohinder Singh had been handed over the reins of Nalagarh and state
BJP general secretary Chandermohan Thakur of the organisation. He also asked party men to turn up in large numbers for the two rallies at Mandi and Nahan on November 16 and 17, respectively, during the Jan Chetna Yatra of Lal Krishan Advani. |
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Eid celebrated with fervour
Kullu, November 7 Men, women and children in their colourful clothes gave a gay look to all the markets here today. Reports of Eid celebrations also came from Manali, Bhuntar and Sainj towns of this district. |
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Ayurvedic docs to oppose promotion
Hamirpur, November 7 Talking to The Tribune, state president of the association Dr Ashok Sharma said 20 years ago the state government had promoted 18 doctors “illegally” and now it was planning to appoint one of them as Additional Director in the department. He said the association had decided to oppose the move, besides serving a legal notice on the government. The association has also demanded a vigilance inquiry in the matter. Ayurvedic doctors have also demanded to resolve their long-pending issue of pay disparity in comparison with allopathic doctors. Sharma said the state has failed to take decision in this regard despite the commission, appointed to settle the pay disparity issue, recommending paying them salary equivalent to allopathic doctors. The association has also demanded filling of 206 posts of doctor and 750 posts of pharmacist lying vacant since long. |
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Use knowledge to preserve culture, astrologers told
Shimla, November 7 Dhumal said the traditional knowledge had been passed on from one generation to the other through the “guru-shishya” tradition. He further said the state government had recently signed an MoU with the Punjab Government for connecting Anandpur Sahib with the Naina Devi shrine by constructing a ropeway, which would facilitate devotees visiting both shrines. The Chief Minister honoured Dr Lekh Raj Sharma of Jogindernagar with National Brahamir Puraskar. He also honoured other astrologers on the occasion. Later, he released the book entitled “Aaye Jyotish Seekhein”, written by Hira Nand Sharma. Earlier, Dr Mast Ram Kotiyal, president, Trikaal Jyotish and Paravigyan Research Centre, spoke about the activities of his
organisation. |
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Youth Festival: Bilaspur college tops in folk dance
Bilaspur, November 7 Six colleges of Saraswati Nagar, Rajgarh, Jogender Nagar, Karsog, RKMV, Shimla, and Hamirpur were placed under “commended” category. Fortyfive colleges from all districts competed in this youth festival. In classical dance, Akshita Dhiman of St Bedes College, Shimla, was “highly commended”, while Anjana of Solan college, Usha of Sunni college, Manju of Ghumarwin college and Aarti of RKMV, Shimla, were all “commended”. Education Minister ID Dhiman presented prizes to the winners. Present on the occasion were Dr RS Chauhan, Director, Physical Education HP University, Principals of colleges at Ghumarwin (host college) Dr JS Negi, RP Chopra (Bilaspur) and Jagdish Chaudhary (Bharmaur-Chamba) among others.
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Man found hanging, case of abetment to suicide registered
Kangra, November 7 SDPO, Dehra, Manmohan Singh said this evening that Kapil of Gheori village near Dhera was working as a driver. He had left at 12 noon yesterday from the place of work and was not seen by anyone, including his family, till this morning. The DSP said the family informed the police who rushed to the spot and a team of the forensic science experts also reached there. He said Kapil’s family alleged that he was having an affair with a girl and suspected some foul play in the death. The police had registered a case under Section 306, IPC (abetment to suicide) on the basis of circumstantial evidence and family suspicions. The DSP denied that it was a case of honour killing. He said no arrests had been made as yet. The body after the postmortem was handed over to his relatives for the last rites.
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NGO to divert youth force in social services
Nurpur, November 7 A meeting of members of rural yuvak mandals was held here today which was presided over by Pathania. The NGO named Multi Disciplinary Approach for Social Services will have 5,100 members, including 3,000 males and 2,100 females. The office-bearers and working committee are likely to be constituted within next two days. According to Pathania, this NGO will work for social development and launch an awareness campaign against social evils like female foeticide, dowry, women atrocities and drug addiction. “Apart from this, the NGO will run a house for destitutes and a helpline in the local Civil Hospital.
— OC
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