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Electricity board’s working under the scanner
Farmers want ban on export of monkeys to go
Farmers ill-prepared to face FDI challenge
Forest staff use IPH Dept pipeline to water its garden
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Dhumal wants Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee
Negligence in Detection of Opium Cultivation
Action against ‘tainted’ leader welcomed
Salary hike
War hero dies in road mishap
539 students of 9 govt schools found afflicted with diseases
4 deodars found axed in Pangi
Priyungal to be ‘model village’
Award for PRSI’s Shimla Chapter
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Electricity board’s working under the scanner
Solan, December 25 Power theft going on for the past about 12 years unearthed by a team of the state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau in June this year at Kala Amb and the embezzlement to the tune of crores of rupees in Baddi by board employees have put a question mark on the working of the staff in the crucial industrial areas. The board, meanwhile, appears to have adopted a casual attitude towards these irregularities and departmental inquiries appear to be serving little purpose with the report into the Kala Amb case yet to be submitted even six months after the incident. With staff figuring in the officials of doubtful integrity (ODI) list being posted in districts having industrial clusters and board repeatedly transferring the same staff to the industrial areas despite their adverse reports, the probability of such irregularities remain high. This is despite the fact that the state government had submitted an affidavit in the state high court regarding keeping ODI away from sensitive postings. Inquiry Officer RK Sharma, Chief Engineer (South), said the delay had been on account of the non-availability of records that had been under the scrutiny of the bureau. He added that he would soon enquire into the remaining issues and submit a report. Interestingly, officials of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, too, had to toil for a long time to procure the records pertaining to the Kala Amb power theft case. Another inquiry has been ordered into the Baddi embezzlement scam and board’s secretary MP Sood has directed the chief engineer (south) to submit another fact-finding report in this case too. It remains to be seen what steps the board takes to stem the rot, which has caused loss worth crores to the state exchequer. Though an executive engineer at Kala Amb and an assistant engineer and two clerks at Baddi have been suspended, given the magnitude of these irregularities, accountability at every step is required to be fixed which also includes not transferring such employees to the sensitive areas. Scams Galore
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Farmers want ban on export of monkeys to go
The concern of the farmers is understandable as the cost of protecting crop from monkeys is high. In 2010, farmers in Bhorang block of Hamirpur district had to pool in Rs 65,000 to protect their crop from monkeys. The wildlife menace affects five lakh landholdings out of state’s 9.14 lakh holdings in 2,301 gram panchayats, causing a loss of Rs 2,000 crore every year, said Dr Kuldip Tanvar, president, Himachal Kisan Sabha. The effect of sterilisation will become visible in the long term as the average life span of a monkey is around 25-30 years, he added. He said, “The government must urge the Centre to allow the export of monkeys for biomedical research in the US and Europe”. Dr Tanvar said the farmers appreciated the efforts of the government in checking the menace, but they wanted the monkeys to be removed physically from their fields. Though the government has so far sterilised over 3,500 monkeys in its four sterilisation centers, most of such monkeys would continue to wreak havoc on the cash crop as their average life is more than 30 years, the farmers said. On the other hand, the government intends to sterilise two lakh monkeys by June 2012 by opening 25 centres that would cost a staggering Rs 40 crore, said experts. However, sterilisation can result in rise in the cases of rabies as monkeys when dislodged from their pack or troop become violent and attack humans, the experts said. CB Pande, conservator of forest, said they drop monkeys, which are trapped in groups, back to their areas after the operation. “Sterilisation is the only way to check the monkey population as culling is banned in the state. We have trained persons to catch monkeys and put these safely in cages,” he added. Simian menace
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Farmers ill-prepared to face FDI challenge
Mandi, December 25 Farmers take the FDI with a pinch of salt as neither the Centre nor the state governments have an action plan to prepare farmers for the World Trade Organisation challenge. Though the state government has opposed the UPA proposal of the FDI in retail, farmers take BJP’s stand as politically-motivated one as the World Trade Organisation regime will come into force in 2014, said experts. Farmers said private companies buying fruit and vegetables directly from farmers, would benefit them only by cutting down to size arhtiyas based in cities. But companies would dictate terms on quality, which could push them into an economic crisis, considering that “70 per cent of the produce in the state is of low quality,” farmers point out. Chairman, Himalayan Eco-Horticulture Society, Laxman Thakur said the government was putting the cart before the horse. “There is one testing lab in the name of testing quality of fruit in the state and the Centre expects farmers to welcome Walmart outlets in the hills, where farmers are facing hails, cloudbursts and fungal attacks on crops,” he added. He said multi-national companies were not coming for charity, but they had eyed the big Indian market to do business in multi-brands. “The fruit we are producing is more crunchy and juicy than others imported from China, America, New Zealand and Australia,”
he added. “No farmer exactly knows what is going to happen when the FDI in retail will come into force,” said Dinesh Singha, a farmer from Dalash (Kullu). The government should put in place quality-control labs and do research and development as happens in the West so that farmers produce good quality fruit, he added. Farmers said before the government introduced FDI in retails, they should be empowered with a mechanism to produce quality fruit and vegetables. Private companies would buy the top 30 per cent produce, then what would be the fate of the remaining low quality produce as farmers had no safeguards, questioned farmers. The Adani’s Controlled Atmospheric Stores (CAS) opened with a lot of fanfare. No doubt it had helped stabilised the markets, but the fate of low quality fruit remained the same, said Anup Balaik, an apple farmer from Kotgarh. |
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Forest staff use IPH Dept pipeline to water its garden
Hamirpur, December 25 The department had established one of its prestigious Navagraha Vatika at Deothsidh to grow plants known for their planetary effects a few years ago. Since Deothsidh is a famous place of religious significance and visited by lakhs of pilgrims and tourists every year, the department had planted many plants and beautified the place by landscaping. To the utter surprise of many, the staff deployed by the department to look after the plants in the Navagraha Vatika had been drawing water from a nearby drinking water pipeline laid by the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department, for watering the plants in the vatika. This pipeline carries water supply from the 99 Lift Drinking Water Scheme, Deothsidh, to the Bijahad area and this rupture has affected the water flow in the pipeline as a lot of water is getting waste. Instead of making any complaint regarding the ruptured pipeline to the IPH Department, the department employees are using the free-flowing water from the pipeline. DFO, Hamirpur, PK Thakur said: “We have taken a separate water connection from the IPH Department for watering plants in the Navagraha Vatika at Deothsidh.” Executive Engineer, IPH Badsar division, Dharmender Gill said: “This is not in my knowledge and I will get the matter looked into, besides getting the pipeline repaired.” |
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Dhumal wants Bharat Ratna for Vajpayee
Shimla, December 25 While heading the NDA Government at the Centre, Vajpayee had launched various ambitious schemes aimed at not only strengthening the national integration but also development of all regions across the nation, these included the Pradhan Mantri Sadak Yojna, linking of rivers and construction of express highways, Dhumal said, adding that Vajpayee worked towards the welfare of all states rising above the narrow political and regional considerations. He said he would soon write to the Centre in this regard. Dhumal was speaking at a state-level function on the occasion of former Prime Minister’s birthday, observed as “Sushasan Diwas”. Dhumal also inaugurated the Atal Conference Hall constructed at a cost of Rs 15 crore at Indira Gandhi Medical College here. The Chief Minister said the state government had launched a number of schemes in the name of Vajpayee, keeping in view his affection towards the people of the state. These schemes included the Atal Bijli Bachat Yojna launched in 2008 and the Atal Awas Yojna launched to provide shelter to the homeless and poor families. Besides, a mountaineering institute in Manali and a cricket stadium at Amtar, Hamirpur, had also been named after him. The most popular scheme from among these is the Atal Swasthya Sewa, which was launched on his birthday last year. Dhumal felicitated Bhupender Kashyap, communication officer; Kirpa Ram Sharma, dispatch officer; and his aides for providing facilities in ambulances plying under the Atal Swasthya Sewa. The Chief Minister also honoured blood donors who had volunteered their services maximum number of times at a blood donation camp organised to mark Vajpayee's birthday by the Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha. He also released publications to mark one successful year of the Atal Swasthya Sewa, Jeevan Raksha and the role of “108” service. |
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No ambition to be Chief Minister: Virbhadra
Shimla, December 25 Addressing a meeting of the Shimla district (rural) unit of the party here today, he said having remained Chief Minister for five terms, he had no ambition for the post, but he would do his best to bring the party back to power in the state. He said he did not have differences with any leader and exhorted the party men to work in unison for strengthening the party for the ensuing elections. He said the first test would be the elections of the Shimla Municipal Corporation and the party would have to work hard to maintain its dominance. The party had kept its hold over the urban body for the past 25 years and it should not be lose its hold at any cost. A good performance in the MC elections was all the more important as it would be followed by the assembly elections. Virbhadra Singh accused the BJP government of “pursuing politics of regionalism and crating an emotional divide among the people of the state to achieve its narrow ends”. The Centre had accorded Himachal the status of a special category state and it was being given liberal assistance, but still the BJP was accusing it of discrimination. The fact was that the state government was “misusing” the funds being provided by the Centre for development. Earlier, president of the district unit Kehar Singh Khachi addressed the meeting. Leader of Opposition Vidya Stokes, PCC general secretary Kuldeep Rathore and other prominent leaders were conspicuous by their absence. Only one out of the seven PCC members, two out of four MLAs, three out of seven block presidents and seven out of the total 42 delegates attended the meeting. Party sources said these leaders kept away from the meeting as they were not happy with the manner in which the district party unit was being run. |
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Negligence in Detection of Opium Cultivation
Kullu, December 25 The Revenue and Forest Departments have asked the police to specify the charges against them so that they can chargesheet them. The police has sent the list of 20 patwaris and 16 forest guards to the district revenue authorities and the Conservator of Forest, respectively, for initiating departmental action against them. The police has charged that the patwaris and forest guards had not detected the illegal cultivation on private and forest land and failed to report the matter to the police. According to rules, the patwari is responsible for doing “girdawari” of private land in his patwar circle every year. Likewise, forest guards have to report any case of illegal cultivation of crop or destruction of forest and lodge FIR with the police. Kullu Deputy Commissioner BM Nanta said they had asked the police to furnish specific documents to frame a chargesheet against the patwaris. “But they will not be spared once the specific charges are made,” he added. On this Kullu SP Abhishek Dular said the police had sought jamabandis of each private land on which illegal cultivation was detected. “We have videographed the illegal cultivation and sent the list to the Forest Department as well,” he added. The police has destroyed 390 bighas under cultivation of illegal opium, most of it cultivated on the private land, and booked 50 cases under the NDPS Act this year. The police also destroyed cannabis on 6,700 bighas - 75 per cent in forest and 25 per cent on private land in the district this year and booked 100 cases under the NDPS Act, Dular said. The police investigation found that land mafias have deployed Nepalese labourers, who share the harvested contraband crop. The police found that 90 per cent of the area under cannabis on forest land was mainly in the Rasol-Kasol-Jari-Manikaran belt in the Parbati valley. Cultivators have destroyed a large number of the green forest area to cultivate cannabis, the investigation found. Conservator of Forests, Kullu, Dr PK Sharma said: “Once the charges are framed by the police they will issue show-cause notice to the forest guards to ascertain their culpability in the crime to take departmental action. Moreover, we have yet to receive a complete list of 16 forest guards from the police.” |
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Action against ‘tainted’ leader welcomed
Shimla, December 25 Mohinder Nath Sofat, a former minister and spokesperson for the morcha, said today the woman leader from Kangra, who was involved in a recruitment scam, was currently behind bars, but she was still not expelled from the party. He questioned the wisdom of the party bosses in not taking appropriate action against her “despite her involvement in such a serious crime”. He also demanded a judicial probe into the incidents pertaining to the distribution of currency notes and liquor during the Renuka byelection. He said only an inquiry by a retired high court judge could bring out whether these incidents were conspiracies or had an element of truth. Meanwhile, the Morcha has announced a 42-member state executive committee, including Capt Ramesh Chand, Laxmi Pal, Desh Bandhu and Kirshna Chand (Kangra), Vijay Singh, Narender Parmar, Yashpal and Rajender Bhatti (Una), Mukesh Katoch, Satish Baniyal and Subhash Sharma (Hamirpur), Kuldeeep Thakur, KK Kauchal, Daulat Ram Sharma, Kesh Pathania and Uttam Chand Sharma (Bilaspur), Pratap Singh Tomar, Joginder Singh, Sudhir Gupta, Chander Mohan and Ashutosh Gupta (Sirmour), Ninju Ram, DV Sharma, Rajiv Arora, Ram Swaroop Sharma, Kaini Chauhan and Jaivir Khopan (Shimla), Anil Kapoor, Ranbir Singh, Tej Ram and Sarita Handa (Mandi), Dharmpal Arora, Dharmchand Guleria, Ramchand Pal, Sunder Singh Thakur, Ram Dhyan Singh and Rakesh Gupta (Solan). |
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Snow eludes Shimla, but clear sky delights ice-skaters
Shimla, December 25 Tourists and residents thronged Asia’s oldest natural ice-skating rink here to enjoy the fascinating sport with the young and the old gliding graceful on the ice. They also got an opportunity to witness ice hockey and experience the thrill of speed skating. The ice-skating season was delayed by almost three weeks due to dry and relatively warm weather, but conditions have been ideal since the first session was held on December 14. There have been 23 sessions till this evening and only yesterday, the evening session could not be held due to a partially overcast sky. Snow has been eluding the hill station in December in the recent years due to rapid degradation of environment. However, of late, it has become a craze with the people in adjoining plains to celebrate Christmas and New Year in the hill station. Whether it snows or not, winter revellers have been making a beeline to the hill station this time of the year. Until the late 1980s, a white Christmas and a white New Year were a common feature. However, this year, it has been a lean season so far. While a snowfall always guarantees a busy and relatively longer season, holiday makers descend on the erstwhile British summer capital in strength if Christmas falls on Friday or Monday, making it an extending weekend. This is not the case this time. As a result, the state capital is not overflowing with tourists and the occupancy in hotels is also low compared to previous years. Economic slowdown and high inflation, particularly spiralling petrol prices, also seem to have cast a shadow on the celebrations and dampened the spirits of winter revellers. Worse, the local Met office has ruled out any possibility of snow or rain over the next one week, which means there will be no white New Year as well. Manmohan Singh, in-charge of the office, said the mercury had been rising over the past two days and today, Shimla had a minimum of 6 degree Celsius and a maximum of 17.4 degree Celsius, 2 degree Celsius above normal. The city appeared to have come under an inversion layer due to which the temperature was increasing with height instead of decreasing, he added. |
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Salary hike
Shimla, December 25 Devinder Thakur, association president, said as per the latest notification issued by the Punjab Government, the two categories of officers had been placed in the entry scale of Rs 15,600-39,100 with a grade pay of Rs 5,400 and they had also been granted the three-tier time scales with jumps after 4, 9, 14 years of service under the Dynamic Assured Carrier Progression Scheme. He urged Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to implement the new pay scales without any delay. He said agriculture and horticulture officers, who were highly qualified technocrats, had been agitating peacefully along with their Punjab counterparts since 1996 for the removal of disparity created in their pay scales by the 4th Punjab Pay Commission. The anomaly committee constituted by Punjab recommended parity in pay scales of farm technocrats and other technical services which was ultimately accepted by the
government. The farm officers played an important role in ensuring food security for the ever-rising population and it was a timely decision to grant the long overdue recognition to the two categories as technocrats, he added. |
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War hero dies in road mishap
Chandigarh, December 25 Brig Rattan Nath Sharma was killed after being allegedly hit by a speeding vehicle while he was waiting for a bus near Kharar, near here, yesterday. He succumbed to his injuries today while being taken to the PGIMER. On a complaint by his son-in-law, Gurpreet Singh, the Kharar police has registered a case of negligent driving against Pankaj, driver of the vehicle. A case under Sections 279 and 304-A, IPC, has been registered at the City Kharar police station. According to information, Brigadier Sharma belonged to Palampur and had come to Kharar for some property matter. He was knocked down by the vehicle yesterday and rushed to a local hospital. It was only after the police found a diary on his person containing the telephone number of a CSD in Palampur that his identity could be ascertained. He is survived by his wife, a son, who looks after the family estate in Palampur, and two daughters, both doctors. His daughter and son-in-law reached here at around midnight after the family was informed about the mishap. Brigadier Sharma was commissioned into the Punjab Regiment in August 1949, and decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra for commanding a battalion of the Punjab Regiment in the Poonch Sector of Jammu and Kashmir during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. He had been tasked to capture a strong and fortified enemy post situated on a dominating feature. The then Lt-Col Sharma encouraged his men by his presence and courage to achieve the given task. His cremation is scheduled to take place with full military honours at his native place in Palampur on December 26. |
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Chief Justice pledges to donate his eyes
Shimla, December 25 He inaugurated the campaign by signing the pledge form at a function. He was joined by his colleagues Justice VK Sharma and Justice Rajeev Sharma. In all 110 persons pledged to donate their eyes. Justice Kurian lauded the effort of the Umang Foundation in organising an eye donation campaign on Christmas. It was a “festival of giving” and what better gift could be there than enabling sightless persons to see. A blood donation camp was also organised on the occasion at which 105 persons donated blood. Chairman of the fonduation Ajai Srivastav said under the campaign people living in and around Shimla would be motivated to donate eyes. He said it was the 12th camp organised by his organisation. Medical specialists from the Indira Gandhi Medical College Vijay Gupta, Monica and Mandeep educated the gathering about various aspects of eye donation. |
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Candle light message for Zero HIV
Kangra, December 25 Dr RK Sood, DAPO, Kangra, addressing the RRC, said, “The Red Ribbon programme fosters the creativity of young participants for discussing sensitive issues and they are key to reversing the AIDS epidemic and leading the response.” He said the youth were also playing the role of a catalyst in shaping tolerant attitudes to HIV. MD GS Pathania on the occasion said the RRC was working on the theme of the World AIDS campaign, “Zero New HIV infections” among youth through awareness generation. He said zero usually means nothing. But when it comes to HIV, it means everything - zero infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths. Nodal Officer Charu Kaushal said light symbolised the potential of the youth to act responsible and protect themselves also. They depicted light in the lives of positive persons through increased acceptance by society which enabled them to access treatment and care services. RRC members and students wore red ribbons as a mark of commitment, hope, courage and determination, said
Pathania. |
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539 students of 9 govt schools found afflicted with diseases
Bilaspur, December 25 Reports said these students were inspected for various ailments by a health team of 15 personnel led by Dr Sushma Swaraj, Dr Sunil Kumar, Dr Onkar Parshar and Health Educator Raj Kumar under the Mukhya Mantri School Swasthya Yojna at Cluster School, Sunhani, about 40 km from here, yesterday. Dr Sushma Swaraj said that 80 students were found to be having eyes diseases, 35 ear deficiencies, 120 dental diseases, 100 stomach problems, 136 blood deficiency, seven skin diseases, two mental problems and 57 with other various types of diseases. The health team suggested several precautions to the students to keep themselves healthy and also advised their teachers to be particular about the health of students and ensure that they were regularly checked and instructed to follow important health and hygiene rules.
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4 deodars found axed in Pangi
Chamba, December 25 The report revealed that that a case under Sections 23 and 26 of the Indian Forest Act and Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code had been registered at the Killar police station on the complaint of the Divisional Forest Officer, Pangi. In the complaint lodged with the police, the forest range officer, Killar, had divulged that during an inspection, four deodar trees had been found axed in the forest, the report said. However, the accused involved in the case had not yet been booked though the investigation was on.
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Priyungal to be ‘model village’
Chamba, December 25 Under this programme, functionaries of NABARD and Arpana today visited the village and directly interacted with inhabitants of Priyungal village.
NABARD Deputy General Manager Rahul Shasani said the bank was providing assistance to rural people at their doorstep. He encouraged the villagers to obtain their kisan credit cards. Arpana administrator PC Kapoor appealed to the villagers for their wholehearted participation in the initiative taken collectively by
NABARD, Arpana and government agencies.
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Award for PRSI’s Shimla Chapter
Shimla, December 25 It had bagged the Best Chapter Award thrice earlier in 2007, 2008 and 2010.
— TNS
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Mandi, December 25