Hamirpur, November 17
The Higher Education Department has decided to give increments and pension benefits to all tenure teachers working in the department since 1989, benefiting hundreds of them in the state.

This decision has been taken by the Education Department in the light of a state high court judgment pronouncing such benefits in case of ad hoc teachers after which tenure teachers had demanded the same benefits through representation made to the department.

These teachers were appointed way back in 1989 for a fixed tenure, and services of most of them were later regularised by the department, but still they were not given increments and pension benefits for the services rendered for the tenure period.

The department had also recruited teachers on ad hoc basis, who had approached the state HC for seeking increments and the court had granted them increments and other benefits in 2009 through a court order.

Later, a few tenure teachers who had approached the HC were granted similar benefits on the analogy of ad hoc teachers, but others were not given these benefits by the department.

Now, the Education Department has given these benefits to all teachers appointed on tenure basis working without any break in service in the state.

The increments for their tenure period would be counted to fix their pay scales for notational purpose, but actual financial benefits, along with arrears, would be paid from the date of regularisation of their services in the department. The period of tenure service of these teachers would also be counted for fixing their pensions.

Director, Higher Education, Dr OP Sharma said since tenure teachers and ad hoc teachers were appointed for a fixed tenure with similar service conditions and after the HC’s decision in favour of ad hoc teachers, the department had given increments and pension benefits to the former also.

The department had issued instructions to all Deputy Directors to give these benefits to all tenure teachers in the state, he added.

Shimla, November 17
Having faced stiff opposition from locals, the much delayed solid waste management plant at Baral, near Tara Devi, has finally been completed as it will be put on a trial run from tomorrow, relieving residents of the town from the stench emanating from the earlier site on the bypass.

The local Municipal Corporation intends to run the plant on trial basis for the next three or four days before it formally comes into operation. Though it was way back in 2005 that a site had been finalised and clearance was obtained from the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment, owing to strong opposition from the people residing in the vicinity of the new site, the project had to face a lot of rough weather before seeing the light of the day.

The shifting of the plant to the outskirts of the town will come as a major relief to residents of many areas like Bemloe, Lower Bazar, Sabzi Mandi, Mall, Bus Stand, Krishnanagar. The cost of the plant with all its components has worked out to be over Rs 16.50 crore.

The project is complete and will be put on a trial run from tomorrow with Mumbai-based Hanjer Biotech Energies Pvt Ltd being entrusted the task of running it under the public-private-partnership mode. “If all goes well during the trial run, the project will start functioning within the next four days,” said AN Sharma, Commissioner, MC.

He said about 85 metric tonnes of waste was generated in Shimla daily, which would be taken to the plant in Baral.

Though 2.5 hectares had been diverted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to the MC for shifting its plant in 2005, work could not started.

Following the HC directives, the Forest Corporation had even cleared the plot by felling 250 trees for which permission had been granted in 2005.

The plant was earlier located at Darni Ka Bagicha, but the HC had directed that it should be shifted to the outskirts of the town, so that it was remain away from the thickly inhabited area. The Union Ministry of Urban Development had even sanctioned Rs 4.50 crore for the shifting of the plant to a new site.

Bilaspur, November 17
Spreading surprise all around, rates of vegetables and fruits have suddenly collapsed at the pilgrim town of Shah Talai, about 70 km from here, and all these items are now mostly selling at one-third or at least half of the earlier prices ranging till last week for the past three months.

Reports said now cauliflower, which was selling at Rs 15 to Rs 20, cost Rs 5, while green beans selling at Rs 80 per kg last week were now available at Rs 50 and carrots at Rs 15. which earlier cost between Rs 25 to 30 per kg.

Tomatoes, which never came down from Rs 40 to Rs 50, were now selling at Rs 30. Potatoes, which were being sold for Rs 10 to Rs 12, were now selling at Rs 5. Radish has come down from Rs 15 to Rs 5 per kg.

Similar has been the case with most of the fruits. Apples have come down to Rs 50 to Rs 60 from Rs 80 to Rs 100 per kg and bananas to Rs 30 to Rs 35 from Rs 50 to Rs 60 per dozen.

It was said this had been possible as most of the produce of nearby villages was flooding the market there.

Thus, the arrival of these items in local markets had discouraged some profiteers who were importing these items from outside the state and selling them at very high prices. 

Mandi, November 17
Buoyed by rapid strides made by China in apple production and its aggressive marketing, a 12-member team of fruit farmers and scientists of the Himalayan Eco-horticulture Society (Ecohorts), Nandpur, will participate in the Modern Agriculture Expo-2011 beginning at Zhan Zhou, near Shanghai, in China from November 18-21 and bring back the best technology suited for farmers of the state.

Talking to The Tribune, Laxman Thakur, Chairman, Ecohorts, who himself is a progressive farmer from Nandpur in Shimla district, said: “China has set an example in modernising agriculture. We will participate in the Agri-Expo-2011 in China. Over 26 countries from across the world are participating in the event.”

Thakur said they would share their experiences with farmers of China and other countries.

“We will display our products and knowledge about how the hill people in Himachal have set an example of cultivating apple and other fruits and vegetables and what problems they are facing to deal with issues like crop failures, hailstorms and fungal and blight attacks on crops,” he said.

China has shown a way to the world by modernising agriculture and providing cheap inputs and fertilisers making profitable returns to its farmers. Since there will be farmers and scientists from 26 other countries, it will be a multilateral give-and-take session for farmers, Thakur said.

“We will bring in the best technology from the expo that will suit and benefit local farmers in the state,” the team members claimed.

The team will be led by Dr Jagmohan Singh, former Vice-Chancellor of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Thakur said.

“The team has seven farmers and three consultants of Ecohorts. They will be accompanied by scientists and experts from Amity University, Noida,” he added.

Kangra, November 17
The Kangra airport had become vulnerable to vultures, resulting in five bird-hit incidents so far this year.

The vulture menace has been forcing pilots to delay their takeoff, resulting in flights getting delayed, Airports Authority of India (AAI) sources said here yesterday.

Director, Kangra airport, KK Sharma said the vulture menace at the Kangra airport was posing a threat to aircraft and there was need for cooperation from the authorities as well as from people residing around the airport to help eradicate this menace.

Sharma said there were five bird-hit incidents this year at the airport, but luckily there was no loss of life or major damage to the aircraft.

He said the five bird-hit incidents took place on January 10 and 19, March 28 and October 15 and 28.

He said the Manji rivulet was on one side of the runway while the Banoori rivulet was on the other side. Both rivulets were full of solid waste and attracted vultures, resulting in bird-hit incidents.

He said a meeting of the Airport Environment Management Committee was held on Tuesday in this connection which was chaired by the committee chairman-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, RS Gupta and was attended among others by pradans of villages surrounding the airport, SSP DS Thakur, the SDM, Dharamshala, and representatives of the AAI and the Tourism Department.

KK Sharma, who is also convener of the committee, said environment-related issues outside the airport were discussed. During the meeting it was discussed that the solid waste management system should be improved and slaughterhouses removed from the area.

Shimla, November 17
The Himachal Pradesh Medical Officers Association (HMOA) has opposed the proposal of the government to enhance the retirement age of doctors who are teaching in the two medical colleges.

Senior members and office-bearers of the HMOA recently held a meeting with Principal Secretary, Health, Ali Rizvi to discuss their long-pending demands.

“We have urged the government that instead of enhancing the retirement age of doctors, they should order time-bound promotions in the two medical colleges,” said Dr Yash Pal Ranta, senior vice-president, HMOA.

He said the HMOA brought to the notice of the Health Secretary, various issues, including PG increments, exemption in two years mandatory rural service for those who had cleared Public Service Commission test and finalisation of the seniority list.

Dr Ranta added that the HMOA had also raised the issue of restructuring of the health cadre and promotional avenues for specialists on the ratio of 75:25. 

Kala Amb, November 17
Former Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani’s Jan Chetan Yatra reached Kala Amb this afternoon on the 33rd day of his yatra spread across 27 states.

Since the earlier planned public rally at Nahan had to be cancelled in lieu of the byelections, eager BJP workers were left high and dry as Advani spared barely 5 minutes to address the gathering that had been waiting to hear him.

He was greeted by state BJP president Khimi Ram and Chief Minister PK Dhumal, along with his Cabinet colleagues, including Health and Ayurveda Minister Rajiv Bindal, IPH Minister Ravinder Ravi, HIMUDA Chairman Ganesh Dutt, HP State Cooperative Bank Chairman Chander Mohan Thakur, MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sukh Ram, representatives of the Mahila Morcha and other local leaders.

Advani was accompanied by co-in charge, Himachal, Shyam Jaju, party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad, convener of the yatra Anant Kumar and his daughter Pratibha Advani.

BJP workers from Solan, Shimla and Sirmaur had arrived in strength to greet their national leader. Elaborate security arrangements had been made with police personnel being posted in strength to ensure compliance of law and order.

After a brief address to the gathering from his rath, Advani headed for Paonta Sahib and later reached Uttarakhand in the evening.

He also addressed a gathering at Paonta Sahib from his rath. The former Deputy PM gave a terse message to the partymen and emphasised on his three-point agenda of raising issues of corruption, price rise and black money before the Parliament.

He said the yatra spread across 27 states had been extremely successful and this was the 33rd day of his sixth such yatra.

He said even in states like Tamil Nadu where they had no elected representative, public support for the yatra was immense.

Advani expressed regret at having flown to Mandi for a rally yesterday as he felt it defeated the purpose of a rath yatra, but said he was forced to do so in states like Arunachal and Himachal, where rath yatra was not possible.

He, however, said his visit to Kala Amb and Paonta Sahib had given him the opportunity to undertake his rath yatra in Himachal also, which was a satisfying experience.

He also visited the Paonta Sahib Gurdwara later and was presented a siropa by the Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee there.

Renuka, November 17
With both the Congress and the BJP filing new candidates for the Renuka byelection, an interesting contest will be witnessed in this reserved constituency which has been the forte of the Congress all these years.

Congress’ Vinay Kumar was given the party ticket following the death of his father and sitting MLA Dr Prem Singh, while the BJP has opted for a bureaucrat, Hriday Ram, who resigned from his job days before being nominated as the official candidate. An Independent, Sunder Singh, is also in the fray. Dr Prem Singh had represented this constituency in the state Assembly for six consecutive terms and his son Vinay Kumar is likely to garner sympathy votes but being a greenhorn in politics his personal rapport is slated to play a major role in swaying voters in his favour.

With the constituency having remained bereft of development and illiteracy being a major factor, the educated electorate is hopeful that BJP’s Hriday Ram will manage to muster some support in his favour as his experience as a bureaucrat, who served in Kinnaur, would help break the ice with the educated electorate.

Both parties are devising strategies to win the favour of the voters. While Union Minister Virbhadra Singh is slated to address public meetings in the constituency, BJP’s senior leaders, including Dr Rajiv Bindal and Mahinder Singh, are analysing the in-depth voter leanings till the panchayat level to know their weaknesses and strengths.

Congress district president Harshwardhan Chauhan said they were hopeful of winning the seat as the state government had ignored the constituency and its failure to fulfil the announcements for various developmental works made by various ministers had deceived the voters who would give them a befitting reply in the poll.

Dr Rajiv Bindal, however, claimed that several hospital and college buildings had been constructed by the government, besides upgrading schools. Though the constituency always had a Congress MLA, the area had remained backward and illiterate. He said they were asking the people to give them one chance so that they could prove themselves. The Congress, he added, had no right to seek votes as the common man was unnerved with the price rise.

Bilaspur, November 17
The Himachal Pradesh State Lambardar Public Welfare Mahasangha presented its long-pending demands at a state general house meeting which was specially attended by former MP and now BJP National Kisan Morcha vice-president Suresh Chandel at the Dholera Temple complex here recently.

Mahasangha state president Chuni Lal Thakur, general secretary Lekh Ram Chaudhary and Bilaspur district press secretary Lachhu Ram Thakur said after the meeting Suresh Chandel assured them that their demands would be taken up with Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal at the earliest and their old status, honour and dignity in villages would be restored once again.

Chandel urged Lambardars to come forward to fight social evils and also help in spreading programmes of public welfare of the government among villagers and ensure collective effort during any catastrophe, including a house or cowshed catching fire or a forest fire raging near their villages during summer months. He said the role of Lambardars in present-day setup could not be ignored as they were capable of moulding themselves to face challenges in villages as they were well read and experienced people.

Present on the occasion were some 200 Lambardars drawn from all districts of the state, including Rup Lal Lakhanpal, Hem Singh Sharma, Ranjit Singh, Narender Negi, Ishwar Dass, Sardip Thakur, Pawan Kumar, Ganga Ram, Ravinder Singh, Anant Ram, Surender Kumar and Kartar Singh, and a number of prominent BJP leaders, including Dr Ashwini Dogra, Roshan Thakur, Bhim Singh Chandel and Pankaj Thakur among others. 

Nurpur, November 17
The Himachal Pradesh Government School Cadre Principals’ Association has underlined the need to formulate a new policy by amending recruitment and promotion rules for the direct recruitment of deputy directors in the Education Department so that the administrative set up in school education could be made more effective to meet burgeoning challenges.

RK Prashar, state press secretary of the association, in a statement here today maintained that in the existing practice school heads were posted as deputy directors at the district level when they were at the fag end of their government service and usually were found lacking administrative acumen. “As a sequel, prompt decision-making and action-taking exercises remain shelved, which ultimately deteriorates the education system,” he claimed.

Prashar, on behalf of the association, suggested that the school cadre Principal with a minimum three-year administrative and 15-year teaching experience in the state-run government schools should be made eligible for direct recruitment to the posts of deputy director.

“Besides, they should undergo a three-month intensive administrative training at the Himachal Pradesh Institute of Public Administration after their selection by the state Public Service Commission,” he added.

Mandi, November 17
HS Thakur, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mandi, today ordered a probe into allegations levelled against Lachhi Ram, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI), Rewalsar police post, by a woman complainant of Rewalsar.

She charged that she was thrashed by the ASI yesterday when she went to lodge a protest at the police post and he also threatened to put her behind bars.

Though the police has not lodged an FIR in the case, the Additional Superintendent of Police has asked DSP (Headquarters) Ashish Kumar to probe the case and submit his report soon.

The woman alleged that the police sided with her neighbour and dismissed her complaint in a dispute over the construction of a staircase between the two houses earlier.

But when she went to lodge her complaint, the ASI tore her clothes and bashed her up, she alleged.

It all started when the police went to the spot following a complaint from an executive engineer at Rewalsar that his labourers had a close shave when his neighbour removed the bamboo shuttering on which they were working.

He had complained that she was troubling his labourers unnecessarily as her house was located some distance from his, the police said.

The ASI claimed that the police went to the spot and called her there, but she did not come.

“After a while she came to the police post, barged into my office room and threatened me saying she would take off my uniform,” he charged.

Lachhi Ram claimed that she banged her head on the wall and misbehaved with him. After a wordy duel, she left the police post for home, he claimed and denied the allegations made against him.

Commenting on the incident, the Additional Superintendent of Police said the DSP (Headquarters) would hold an inquiry in the case and action would be taken after he submitted the report in the matter.

Mandi, November 17
Farmer Manchand of Takaryar village in Paddar subdivision, who was grazing his herd in the Katola jungle today, was mauled by a bear. The beast inflicted grevious injuries in his eyes,face and body.

According to his companions, Jagdish and Het Ram, Manchand was grazing his goats in the jungle when they heard his alarm for help.

They rushed to the spot and found him soaked in blood, while bear ran away into the jungle. He was rushed to the Mandi Zonal Hospital late in the evening in a serious condition by the villagers for treatment.

Paonta Sahib, November 17
The Paonta Sahib police seized 10.5 kg of cannabis from a couple travelling in an Uttarakhand State Transport Corporation Volvo bus around 4.45 am this morning during a routine checking in view of BJP leader Lal Krishan Advani’s Jan Chetna Yatra here today.

Additional SP Sanjeev Lakhanpal said a team of police officials, including head constable Rajeev Kumar, Amar Singh, Pawan Kumar and Sunil Dutt, nabbed the couple with the contraband which was valued at Rs 10.5 lakh and was being transported from Jammu to Haridwar.

He said the officials got suspicious when they saw a couple sitting in the bus who were holding a black bag and a suitcase that was placed on their lap. While checking their luggage they found several currency notes, which were placed in a polythene bag, and cannabis wrapped in newspapers. A total of Rs 45,000 currency notes were found from the duo.

The man had identified himself as Mukesh Kumar hailing from Thane in Maharashtra and the woman was identified as Lalita Devi of Matunga, also in Mumbai.

The accused were arrested and a case under the NDPS Act has been registered against them.