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Failure to recover dues lands HIMUDA in crisis
Tilted by 1905 quake, temple restored by INTACH
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Sites for 21 monkey sterilisation centres finalised
Construction of Irrigation Drain
Cong hits out at Dhumal on cement prices
Murder case: Police team out to nab 4 property dealers
4 killed in Kangra accidents
Neighbour held for murder of 13-year-old girl
ESIC issues notices to 365 defaulter units
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Failure to recover dues lands HIMUDA in crisis
Shimla, January 4 It has not been able to recover the arrears from private universities which were provided land in Kalu Jhanda. It has also failed to secure the outstanding dues from various government departments for which it had been carrying out construction work. Chitkara University alone owes Rs 7 crore to it and IEC University Rs 2 crore. It has spent about Rs 13.5 crore on the bus stand in Mandi against the administrative approval of Rs 12.99 crore and Rs 3 crore on the Dharampur bus stand. However, the State Bus Stand Development and Management Corporation has released only Rs 6.50 crore so far. This is despite the fact that Mohinder Singh, Urban Development Minister, also holds charge of the Transport portfolio. Similarly, the dues on account of “deposit works” like construction of hostels carried out by it for the Social Welfare Department amount to about Rs 7 crore. The department is refusing to pay the outstanding amount on the plea that the works were executed under a centrally sponsored scheme, which is already over. This situation has arisen due the failure of HIMUDA to submit the revised estimates on time. Instead of recovering the dues, it is raising a loan of Rs 25 crore from HUDCO for the purchase of land at 12 per cent. The interest on the five-year loan works out to Rs 7 crore. It plans to acquire more land even though it does not have the money to pay the electricity board the infrastructure charges for its housing projects in Mandhla (Rs 26 crore), Kalu Jhanda (Rs 12 crore) and Bolian Kalan (Rs 4 crore). The amount of Rs 42 crore is to be paid by March 31. The demand survey also seems suspect as the applicants are not coming forward to purchase houses and plots. For instance, it offered 35 pots in Paonta Sahib for which 179 applications were received but only six persons came forward to actually purchase the plots. In Chamba there were 17 applicants but there were no takers for five houses offered by it. Further, land had been purchased in Trilokpur in Sirmaur for which there was no demand. Insiders say that the public undertaking will be doomed if it goes ahead with its massive housing plan by raising expensive loans as it not only lacks the financial resources but also the administrative and technical capability to execute it. Moreover, in the hills, the value of property depends on the location, but HIMUDA has been invariably acquiring land not suitable for housing purposes and many of its colonies
are plagued by water shortage and erratic power supply. |
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Tilted by 1905 quake, temple restored by INTACH
Dharamsala, January 4 Malvika Pathania, state convener of INTACH, said they had approached Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal for a financial grant for reconstructing the temple. The Chief Minister gave a grant of Rs 7 lakh for the project with which it had now been reconstructed. She said initially the advice of a geologist from Uttar Pradesh, who was an expert in the restoration of old buildings, was taken for the reconstruction. The geologist had said that the temple at one time had many natural water sources and an inn around it. The services of artisans from Orissa were hired for the reconstruction. Each stone of the temple was dismantled and numbered so that it could be put back at the same place during the reconstruction. After dismantling the upper structure, the foundation of the temple was dug up to 6 ft. The construction material from a local mine was used so that the originality of the structure could be maintained, she said. Malvika said the temple had the Shikhar style of old Hindu temple architecture. The architecture of the temple resembled that of centuries-old temples located in Chamba district. Though there was no definite theory regarding the person who got the temple constructed, the locals treated the temple deity as their “kuldevi”, she said. Encouraged by its success in restoring a temple to its original glory with minimum financial resources, INTACH is now planning to submit a project to the state government for the restoration of temples that have been submerged in the Gobind Sagar and Maharana Pratap Sagar in Pong Dam. Many temples of old Bilaspur state and Guler state have been submerged in these man-made lakes formed after the construction of the Pong and Bhakra dams. Malvika said, “We are proposing that the temples submerged in the lakes should be dismantled brick by brick and restored at another place by hiring the services of experts available with INTACH.” |
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Sites for 21 monkey sterilisation centres finalised
Shimla, January 4 The department is likely to make two of these centres functional at Poanta Sahib in Sirmaur and Sarol in Chamba this month. At present, the four sterilisation centres are functioning in Shimla, Hamirpur, Kangra and Una districts. The state government has set the deadline of June 2012 for sterilising two lakh monkeys for which the necessary arrangements are being made by the department. “We have finalised 21 new locations for setting up sterilisation centres to control the monkey menace at the earliest,” said AK Gulati, Chief Wildlife Warden. He said the endeavour of the department would be to make these centres operational at the earliest so that the target could be achieved by the middle of this year. The locations for the centres include Chopal, Jeori and Rohru (Shimla district), Dadahu, Rajgarh and Paonta Sahib (Sirmaur district), Khajjiar, Sarol, Tissa and Bathri (Chamba), Dharampur, Nalagarh and Garkhal (Solan), Dada Siba (Kangra), Chauntrah (Mandi), Takali and Lada. Gulati said nine sites where sterilisation centres are to be set up had already been taken over by the department. He said the first choice among places infested with a huge monkey population were those where there was a veterinary hospital as this saved a lot of expenditure. The staff was being trained to be able to undertake the task of sterilising monkeys. According to a census of monkeys undertaken in June 2004, there were a total of 3.19 monkeys in the state. In the absence of any fresh survey after that, it is not known whether their number has increased or shown a decline. By the end of December 2011, the Wildlife Department had sterilised over 39,000 monkeys at its four
centres. |
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Construction of Irrigation Drain
Dharamsala, January 4 The matter came to light when a large number of villagers from Tanda came to the Dharamsala secretariat to meet the minister. The villagers alleged that no action was being taken against Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Department officials despite the fact that two inquiries conducted by the Rural Development Department and the SDM, Palampur, had established a major embezzlement in the construction of the kuhl. Rajeev Jamwal, who headed the delegation of the villagers that met the minister today, alleged that officials of Panchrukhi block were trying to protect the accused in the case and had given three sets of data following RTI inquires filed by the villagers in the case. They alleged that in a reply to an RTI inquiry by the villagers received on December 8, 2010, the officials maintained that no money had been spent on the construction of the kuhl from 2006 to 2011. However, in reply to another RTI query received on November 22, 2011, the officials maintained that an amount of Rs 18,99,618 had been spent on the construction of the kuhl. In reply to another query received on December 29, 2011, the officials maintained that an amount of Rs 20,09,053 had been spent on the kuhl from 2006 to 2011, the villagers alleged. Himanshu Guleria, who has been fighting the case of alleged corruption in his village, alleged that it was strange that the same public information officer was giving three different pieces of information on the same RTI query made at different times. The villagers also produced bills in which a local gram rozgar sewak had supplied material for the construction of the kuhl and received the payment. They alleged that the gram rozgar sewak was a government employee and so could not supply material to the department in which he was working. The villagers alleged that though an amount of more than Rs 20 lakh had been shown to have been spent on the construction of a pucca drain to carry the water of the kuhl, no such construction had taken place. Minister Ravinder Ravi said though at present the district administration had been asked to look into the case, the matter could be later handed over to the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Department. Nobody involved in the case would be spared, he said. |
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Fresh snow in upper Manali region
Manali, January 4 The famous ski slopes of the Solang valley have been without snow for about a month of this winter. However, ski lovers were taken by surprise as the entire upper Manali region was covered with a white blanket. The fresh snowfall on the famous ski slopes of the Solang valley, which are used for skiing courses, also brought smiles on the faces of winter sports lovers. Hundreds of tourists who were on their sight-seeing tour to the snow point were also in for a surprise to see the upper areas of the region donning an impeccable white mantle. The entire higher reaches in the Kullu valley, including the 13,050-ft-high Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul-Spiti district, the Pir Panjal range, Marhi meadows, Gulaba, Kothi, Dhundi, Bhrighu ski slopes, Hamta slopes and Chanderkhani pass, also experienced fresh snowfall. Due to the fresh spell of snowfall, the cold wave tightened its grip in the valley. Most local residents of the upper Manali region remained indoors as the icy winds lashed the area. However, orchardists and agriculturists of the region have welcomed the snow and rain. They say it is beneficial for the apple crop in the upper region and the standing crops in the lower areas. Snow cuts off Pangi valley Chamba: The far-flung Pangi tribal valley in Chamba district has been cut off from the rest of the district and other parts of the state following heavy snow on the Saach Pass since this morning. The Saach Pass, situated at an altitude of 4,413 metres, has been closed due to the snow. Meanwhile, the Himalayan ranges in Chamba district and the Pir Panjal hills in Jammu and Kashmir have also been experiencing heavy snowfall since this morning. The high-altitude passes such as Jalsu, Chobia and Kugti have also been closed due to the heavy snowfall. The famous Manimahesh Lake has also been covered under heavy snow. Low-lying areas of Chamba district had a light spell of rain. However, there was a sharp fall in the temperature in the entire region. The whole alpine region of Chamba is in the grip of an intense cold wave. Kangra valley shivers
Kangra: The Kangra valley today shivered as the sky was overcast with clouds since morning and higher reaches of the Dhauladhar mountain range, overlooking the lush green Kangra valley, experienced a mild snowfall and drizzle. People since this morning were eagerly awaiting the long-due rains in the valley as the sky was overcast, but hopes of people, particularly of farmers, were dashed when there were no rains. The agriculture sector has been receiving a major setback due to the long dry spell in the valley. It was shivering cold in the valley with icy cold winds blowing. Most of the people remained indoors to avoid chilly winds. Markets and business houses here experienced a day of slump as residents did not visit markets due to severe cold. |
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Himachal Progressive Alliance launched
Mandi, January 4 Though no parties and fronts except the BJP and the Congress have significant base in the state, much will depend on how this HPA shapes up, cutting across the “individual ego hassle and ideological biases”. HPA’s newly-elected state convener, Dina Nath Shashtri, who is a former BJP leader and had defeated state Congress president Kaul Singh Thakur in the Drang segment once, said: “We will do everything to strengthen the HPA”. HPA’s executive president, Anirudh Sharma, who is also the state president of the NCP, told a press conference at the launch of the HPA here that the time for the HPA was ripe as the people of the state were eagerly awaiting for a third effective alternative for a good government and development. HPA leaders said they had invited “all like-minded non-BJP and non-Congress parties, including the VS Mankotia’s anti-corruption front, the CPM, the CPI, the Gaurav Manch of Dulo Ram, a Gaddi leader from Kangra, the Bhrashtachar Mukti Morcha (BMM), the BSP, the SP and other fronts for a joint meeting at Mandi on January 14-15, said general secretary, NCP, Daram Das Yadav. CPM general secretary Bhupender Singh and state secretary of the CPI Des Raj told The Tribune they welcome the HPA in the state. Spokesperson of BMM, Mohinder Sofat, said they were not averse to a non-political front to fight corruption in the state. |
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Cong hits out at Dhumal on cement prices
General secretary of the party Kuldeep Rathore said cement was being manufactured in Hiamchal but it was being sold at Rs 280 per bag at Pinjore and Rs 315 to Rs 320 per bag in Parwanoo. The government was giving the cement companies various benefits like cheap power and tax exemptions and it had all the powers to force these to toe its line and put an end to the exploitation of Himachalis if it so desired. However, there was a nexus between the companies and those sitting at high places in the government. Expressing concern over the deteriorating financial health of the state electricity board, he said the public company was heading towards a collapse due to rampant corruption and mismanagement. |
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Murder case: Police team out to nab 4 property dealers
Mandi, January 4 The police has registered a case of murder and tampering with the evidence under Sections 302, 201 and 34, IPC, at Mandi police station sadar on the complaint of Sajjan Kumar, victim’s brother, a resident of Raichand, Dilwala in Jind. The police suspects business rivalry as a possible motive behind the murder of Vikram. The police has charged four property dealers Manjeet Singh, Dharmender, Balwinder Singh and Ashok from Dilwal (Haryana), all business partners, as accused in the case. The police suspicion gained credence after the four allegedly tried to reach out on a compromise in the case, which Sajjan refused. Vikram had gone missing from the Solan area on November 4 last year. The police fished out a body from the Pandoh Dam on December 5, but as it remained unidentified, it had done investigation under Section 174, CrPC. But now it has converted it into a case of murder. Sajjan came to know from some report about the body. He identified it as that of his missing brother from photographs the police had taken. He lodged an FIR at Mandi police station today and accused the four partners of murdering his brother. The police found that Vikram and four accused used to live in a flat at Panchkula doing property dealership in Solan, Panchkula and Pinjore. ASP, Mandi, HS Thakur said a police team had been dispatched to nab the four accused. Ashok and Manjeet had gone underground. He said the car of Vikram (HP 64 1849) and his mobile phone were still missing. The forensic report on Vikram’s body is awaited from the state forensic laboratory, Thakur said. |
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4 killed in Kangra accidents
Kangra, January 4 The police said Indu Bala (26) had consumed poison, reportedly by mistake, and was rushed to the Civil Hospital, Nadun, from where she was referred to the DRPGMC, Tanda, where she struggled for life and died. Amar Singh (60) of Lunj village, who had received serious burn injuries while extinguishing fire which had engulfed haystacks, was admitted to the DRPGMC Hospital, Tanda, where he succumbed to his burns. He had received 50 per cent burn injuries. Meanwhile, road accident victim Sunmit Kumar (34) of Icchhi village also succumbed to his injuries at the DRPGMC, Tanda. The police has registered a case against the driver of the Jeep, against which his scooty had hit, under Sections 227, 337 and 304-A. Meanwhile, Manohar Lal of Sundernagar, Pathankot, was killed when he was run over by a train near the Sheetala Mata temple at
Damtal. |
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Neighbour held for murder of 13-year-old girl
Hamirpur, January 4 Accused 17-year-old Amit Kumar, a plus I student of Government Senior Secondary School, Jol-Sappad, has confessed to the police of “murdering the girl by hitting her with a stick”. Sarita, studying in class VII in the Jol-Sappad school and a resident of Lambot village, was found murdered in a grassland near her village
by her parents. The girl had gone to buy a few household items from a nearby shop at about 4 pm that day, but did not return home. SP, Hamirpur, Kuldeep Sharma said, “The accused, who lives in the same
village, had met the girl while she was going to the shop that day and proposed friendship.” “On being refused, the accused pushed the girl, who fell down, and later hit her with a stick and killed her. He later went home and washed his blood-stained trousers,” the SP said. The police has also recovered the blood-stained clothes and currency carried by the girl from the accused. The SP said, “Accused Amit Kumar has been booked for murdering the girl under Section 302, IPC, and being a minor he will be produced in the juvenile court today. He is most likely to be sent to a reform home at
Una.” |
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ESIC issues notices to 365 defaulter units
Solan, January 4 This was amply reflected from the latest list of the 365 defaulting units, who had been served notices by the ESIC to recover about Rs 1.35 crore. These recoveries were on account of lack of the ESIC contribution, which despite being charged from employees had not been credited with the corporation, fine and interest due to delayed payments to the ESIC. Officials said 140 such cases pertained to Parwanoo where Rs 37 lakh had to be recovered. A majority of the cases were old and pertained to units which had been closed down as it was among the oldest industrial areas of the state. The Baddi-Barotiwala area, which houses a majority of the industrial units in the state, had 128 such defaulting units where the recoverable amount was Rs 30.73 lakh and in the adjoining Nalagarh, an amount of Rs 46 lakh was to be recovered from 34 units. In the other industrial areas of the state, including Kala Amb, Mehatpur and Paonta Sahib where 23, seven and 33 units, respectively, had defaulted for Rs 60,000, Rs 25,000 and Rs 11.23 lakh. C Negi, Deputy Director, ESIC, said field officers had been given the lists of such units and they would speed up the recovery process. Officials stated that though in some cases the managements of the units failed to deposit the dues due to the unit becoming sick, in other cases it was found that there was a wilful default and cases of concealed employment had come to light during routine inspections of such units. Even MNCs had erred on this account and the ESIC was pursuing recovery of dues worth crores from them. Employees suffer the most in such cases as labourers, who mostly comprise the migrant class, rarely pursue such cases after failing to get their dues on time. |
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SSB volunteers stage protest march
Mandi, January 4 Hundreds of SSB volunteers raised anti-government slogans as it has been a matter of bread and butter for over 15,000 SSB volunteers, including 4,500 women volunteers, in the state. Addressing the protesting volunteers, state president of the sangh MP Bhardwaj said they had been protesting for their rights since 2001 when the Centre closed all the three SSB volunteers’ training centres at Shamshi in Kullu, Kusumpti and Sarahan in Shimla district. But the state governments never took up the matter with the MoHA despite repeated requests for framing a state policy for them, he resented. He said they met the Chief Minister on the sidelines of the winter session in Dharamsala for the third time and urged him to take up the matter with the MoHA, but nothing has been done so far. The Uttarakhand Government had passed a resolution and framed a state policy after the Guhati High Court gave a verdict in favour of SSB volunteers. But nothing had been done for them in Himachal Pradesh, they resented. The protesters said SSB volunteers had been adjusted in the paramilitary forces as per the HC verdict in Manipur. But the state government has done nothing for regularisation of their services so far even as the HP high court has also favoured them, they added. They also submitted a memorandum reiterating their demands to the Chief Minister, the Governor and the President through the Mandi DC and warned that they would oppose the BJP in the coming Assembly polls if nothing concrete was done for
them. |
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Jammu & Kashmir skaters shine
Shimla, January 4 Speed skating results: Male sub-junior: Sunit Tapkir (Maharashtra) I, Aditya (Karnataka) II, Abhishek Bhandari (Uttarakhand) III. Female sub-junior: Sonam Angmo (J&K) I, Ria Reddy (Andhra Pradesh) II, Yati Gupta (Uttarakhand) III. Male junior (1,000 m): Sohan Tarkar (Maharashtra) I, Stanzin Mangyal (J&K) II, Divyank Sood (Himachal) III. Female junior (1,000 m): Padma Cholrol I, Shibina Kawsar II and Rigzen Yangdol III (all from J&K). Male senior (1,000 m): GV Raghuvendra I, Subodh Patil (Maharshtra) II, Akash Aradhya (Kelerla) III. Female senior (1,000 m ): Benazir Meera (Karnataka) I, Rinchen Dolma (J&K) II, Manasi Bhide (Maharashtra) III. Male junior (500 m): Suyog Tapkir (Maharashtra) I, Sohan Tarkar (Maharashtra) II, Akash K Raju (Karnataka) III. Female junior (500 m): Seeliya Simmith (Karnataka) I, Shibina Kawsar(J&K) II, Padma Chorol (J&K) III. Male senior (500 m): GV Raghvendra (Karnataka) I, Subodh Patil (Maharashtra) II, Ali Amir (ITBP) III. Female senior (500 m): Benazir Meera (Karnataka) I, Rinchen Dolma (J&K) II, Mansi Bhide (Maharashtra) III.
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Shimla, January 4