Shimla, February 6
Rather than just limiting itself to the pulses scam, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau may extend the ambit of its investigations to check for similar irregularities in the supply of other items like atta, cooking oil and salt being given to ration card holders under the public distribution system (PDS).

Sources said with similar irregularities in the supply of other items also suspected, the Vigilance Bureau could investigate the entire PDS record. Sleuths of the bureau are at present engaged in scrutinising the record taken into custody by it from the Food and Civil Supplies Corporation concerning the supply of pulses lifted from Mumbai by dealers who were allotted the tender.

“The scope of our investigation is open and in case some other facts unfold during the investigation, we will probe the supply of any item supplied under the PDS,” said KC Sadyal, Director-General of Police, Vigilance. He said at the moment the bureau was scrutinising the entire record.

The bureau has registered an FIR in the pulses scam under the PDS after it detected irregularities in tenders and alleged attempt to favour some dealers, causing a loss of almost Rs 1 crore to the state exchequer every month. Two officials, one of the rank of General Manager and the other Assistant Procurement Officer, have already been placed under suspension.

“Once we are through with our job of scrutinising the record, we will definitely summon not just the two suspended officers but even their higher-ups to ascertain their connivance in the whole scam,” said a senior Vigilance official. Vigilance teams could also be sent to Mumbai to check if the actual supply of pulses was made from Mumbai or poor-quality pulses were bought in Delhi and Haryana and supplied to the Food and Civil Supplies Corporation.

There are 16 lakh ration card holders in Himachal who are supplied subsidised ration on a monthly basis depending on the number of family members. The items that are made available under the PDS include three pulses - black urd, black gram and dal chana, cooking oil and salt for distribution to consumers. It is suspected that the dealers who got the tender for supplying the pulses from Mumbai formed a cartel and were favoured by the corporation, overlooking some dealers who had quoted lesser rates.

Some of the conditions which were not laid down were added to benefit the cartel of dealers. It was following a complaint that the said tender was cancelled and fresh tenders given on a much lesser rates in January.

Shimla, February 6
The rotational transfer policy framed by the Central Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for the central secretariat services (CSS) in April 2007 to curb corruption is not being enforced.

Of the total 8,675 officials of the central secretariat services from directors to assistants, almost one-third are overstaying at their positions in violation of the policy. Information obtained by RTI activist Dev Ashish Bhattacharya from the department reveals that as many as 2,955 officials, including five deputy secretaries, 269 under-secretaries and 18 directors, are holding on to theirs posts in violation of the policy which laid down that the combined tenure of an official in the capacity as under-secretary, deputy secretary and director should not exceed five years in a ministry.

Similarly, in case of section officers and assistants, the prescribed tenure was seven years and in case of promotion also, the official had to be posted out of the ministry. However, information supplied by the department reveals that 1,273 section officers (SOs) and 1,390 assistants were continuing in their positions in violation of the policy. The maximum number of such officials is in the ministries of Expenditure (108 SOs, 55 assistants), Home Affairs (104 SOs, 72 assistants), Information and Broadcasting (96 SOs, 159 assistants), UPSC (86 SOs, 89 assistants), Higher Education (74 SOs, 39 assistants) and Defence (57 SOs, 52 assistants).

The policy also lays down that once transferred the official will be relieved within a period of 45 days, after which the salary will be stopped. However, two officials in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs were transferred on August 20, 2010, after 34 years but they continued in the old position for more than a year as they were not relieved. After his RTI application, they were relieved after 15 months.

Shimla, February 6
Determined to get back the George Cross awarded posthumously to her husband Naik Kirpa Ram in 1946, Brahmi Devi has approached the state high court to stall the auction of the medal after the British authorities refused to accept the findings of an Indian investigating agency that it was stolen.

She said she had not gifted the medal to anyone and the affidavit produced by Kirpal Singh, who claimed that it was gifted to him, was false. In fact, the affidavit of Brahmi Devi, dated April 29, 2000, and the second affidavit of Delhi-based antique dealer SL Jain, dated June 6, 2000, to whom Kirpal Singh sold the medal, are self-contradictory and no inference can be drawn from them. The matter will come up for hearing on March 6.

Former IAS officer SS Chandel, who has been pursuing the matter for brining back the medal from London where it was listed for auction, said the two affidavits were nothing more than scrap papers as these were not attested by anyone and there were no witnesses. The stamp papers were also not purchased from Ghumarvin. Even the video was shot on a different pretext and it was a clear-cut case of cheating an old illiterate woman who was made to put her thumb impression on an affidavit written in English.

Further, in the first affidavit it was stated that she was giving the George Cross to Kirpal Singh as collecting medals was his hobby. However, in the affidavit of SL Jain it was claimed that Brahmi Devi gave the medal to Kirpal Singh for the service rendered by him.

He said the Indian authorities, particularly the state police, should have relied on their own investigations and brought the infirmities in the affidavits and the fact that these were not legally valid documents to the notice of the British authorities. He said he had also contacted the officers concerned in the Ministry of External Affairs and the impression he got from them was that the state police was not prompt enough in replying to the queries of the British authorities.

Chandel met Director-General of Police DS Manhas in this regard and urged him to take appropriate action in the matter so that the medal was not auctioned and was brought back to India.

Kangra, February 6
A piquant situation has arisen due to government apathy which has resulted in the withdrawal of the maintenance of electricity services in the DRPGMC Hospital Tanda with state government departments at loggersheads and the state government a mute spectator to the trauma that the hospital authorities and patients were undergoing.

The contractor maintaining the electricity services of the 500-bedded DRPGMC Hospital at Tanda round the clock withdrew the facilities from February 1, leaving patients and hospital staff in the lurch.

Executive Engineer, HPPWD, Electricity Division, Palampur, SK Sharma said the hospital authorities had failed to make payments to the contractor for the past three years and the contractor withdrew maintenance services. Sharma said he had sought the intervention of Deputy Commissioner RS Gupta in this connection but without any result.

Dr Anil Chauhan, Principal, DRPGMC Tanda, said Rs 9 crore was deposited with the HPPWD, Kangra, in two instalments in June 2011 and January 2012.

Rakesh Chauhan, AEE, HPPWD, Tanda, refuting the Principal’s claim, said, “Not even a single penny has been disbursed for maintenance purposes, as the college has no budget for the maintenance granted by the government.” He said, “His office has insufficient staff to maintain the electricity services round the clock in the hospital.”

He said the Rs 9 crore deposited was meant for the fresh civil and electricity works and had nothing to do with the maintenance of the electricity in the hospital. He said TMC was to pay maintenance amount of Rs 5.07 lakh to the contractor.

The Principal, in a letter to the AEE, PWD ESD, Tanda, said, “The electric maintenance services in the hospital building premises are very essential and should not be disturbed at any cost in the public interest.” The letter further said, “You are requested to take all effective steps to maintain the services round the clock without fail.”

SK Sharma, XEN, said the hospital was to pay Rs 3.30 lakh for the maintenance of the nine lifts in the building too and maintenance services of these lifts too could be withdrawn shortly.

Rakesh Chauhan, AEE, HPPWD ESD, said the maintenance services of diesel generator (DG) sets and of the central air-conditioning systems too could be withdrawn for non-disbursement of maintenance charges.

Hamirpur, February 6
The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited Employees Union has decided to launch a statewide agitation against the state government and the board management to press for its long-pending demands.

The decision was taken at a state-level meeting held here today in which office-bearers of the union from throughout the state participated.

Announcing the agitation programme, state president and general secretary of the union Kuldeep Singh and Hira Lal, respectively, said, “The union will hold gate meetings at the Chief Engineer’s office and circle offices of the board throughout the state on February 28 to press for its long-pending demands.”

In the second phase of the agitation, employees would hold dharnas at their offices throughout the state while a big dharna would be held later at the board headquarters in Shimla.

The major issues being raised by the union are the alleged failure of the electricity board to hold regular meetings with union leaders, failure to pay allowances on the pattern of the Punjab State Electricity Board, shifting of staff, outsourcing of the billing system and failure to make arrangements to pay pension to its employees.

Kullu, February 6
The state will explore the possibility of setting up a university in the private sector in Kullu district and an industrial training institute in Manali.

This was stated by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal while laying the foundation stone of a government polytechnic college, being built at a cost of Rs 12 crore, at Seobagh village in the Kais panchayat in Kullu today.

The Chief Minister said 37,102 trained professionals were passing out of 251 technical institutes every year in the state.

He said the state had 17 engineering colleges, 30 polytechnic colleges, BPharma colleges and 191 ITIs where various vocational courses had been introduced.

He said the government had approved the proposal for setting up polytechnic colleges in Kullu, Bilaspur, Sirmaur, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts. He added that of these, the foundation stone of a polytechnic college, Kais, Kullu, was laid today and work on the remaining four would also be taken up at the earliest. He said classes would begin in the polytechnic college at Kais from the next academic session and civil, mechanical and electrical diploma courses would be introduced.

He said local youth were being provided vocational training at ITIs set up at Nirmand, Dalash and Shamshi in Kullu.

Dhumal said the construction of a ropeway up to the Bijli Mahadev shrine would be taken up and the maintenance of the road to the shrine would also be conducted.

He announced a financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh for the construction of a stadium and stage, respectively, at Seobagh. He said the detailed project report regarding the construction of a link road connecting the Kais panchayat would be prepared soon.

Dhumal said the first solar power project of the country was being set up at a cost of Rs 2.70 crore at the ITI, Shamshi, Kullu district. He said Rs 3.50 crore would be spent for strengthening the infrastructure at this centre and a course in tourism would be introduced by spending Rs 1 crore.

Khimi Ram, MLA and president, state BJP, welcomed the Chief Minister and said it was under the leadership of Dhumal that the state had achieved new heights in overall development.

Govind Thakur, local MLA, Kishori Lal, MLA, Ani, Chander Sen Thakur, former MLA, Dhaneshwari Thakur, chairperson, State Women Commission, Dharamvir Dharmi, senior BJP leader, Ram Singh, district president, BJP, Reshma Thakur, member, Zila Parishad, were among those present on the occasion.

Bilaspur, February 6
The Krishna Utsarg Sansthan, a philanthropic organisation working at Vijaypur village, near here, in the memory of late Krishna Devi Nadda, mother of former Health Minister and now BJP national general secretary JP Nadda, and another social organisation Chetna collaborated to hold a three-day free health check-up camp at Harlog, Vijaypur and Kutheda which concluded this evening.

Chetna general secretary Mallika Nadda said here today that 890 patients were treated at the camp which included 405 women and children. She said the camps were held under the Himalayan Health Exchange Programme. Some 22 foreign and American specialists were also available.

Mostly patients were treated for gynae problems, eyes and dental ailments, general old-age problems and complicated ortho cases. Spectacles too were given to patients free of cost.

Nadda said some tests were also conducted on the spot by specialists who had arrived with required essential equipments, machines and chemicals.

Prominent among those who inspected patients included Michel Antoniello, Maxton Bergen, Katherine Whitehouse, Lynda Ken, Yulia Ankanova , Avishek Kumar, Navin Chander, KD Singh and Kavish Khanna.

Hamirpur, February 6
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), Hamirpur District Committee, has urged the state government to take over the control of the Shani Dev temple at Lamblu.

The CPM has been demanding the takeover of this temple to bring transparency in the functioning and managing financial affairs of this famous temple.

This temple attracts a large number of devotees every day and estimated offering of about one crore is accrued every year in the temple.

State secretariat member of the CPM Dr Kashmir Singh Thakur said, “This temple used to be under the control of the state government till few years back but present BJP government had divested the control of Shani Dev temple and handed it over to local people.”

The CPM has stated, “At present the finances of this temple are managed by a committee of about a half a dozen members who allegedly are not maintaining transparency in maintaining its accounts and running its affairs.”

The party has urged the state government to immediately take over the control of the Shani Dev temple, Lamblu, and form a temple trust on the pattern of the Baba Balak Nath Temple Deoth Sidh, by involving residents of Sarali, Lambalu and Chamned villages.

The CPM has also decided to start a mass awareness and a signature campaign on this issue in the area. 

Dharamsala, February 6
Seventeenth Karmapa Oygen Trinley Dorjee has stated that constantly depicting the Dalai Lama in hostile terms will not benefit China in any way.

In a statement here, he said even Tibetans born in Tibet decades after the Dalai Lama had gone into exile, still regarded him as their guide not only for this life, but also for life after death. Therefore, striking at the heart of Tibetan faith damaged the prospect of winning Tibetans' trust. This was neither effective nor wise, he said.

He further said, “China speaks of having brought development to Tibet. When I lived there, it was materially comfortable. Yet, prosperity and development have not benefited Tibetans in the way they consider most valuable. Material comfort is of no meaning without inner contentment. Tibetans live in constant fear that they will be forced to act against their conscience and denounce the Dalai Lama. The Chinese authorities persistently portray him as the enemy.”

“I call on the authorities in Beijing to see past the veneer of wellbeing that local officials present. Acknowledging the real human distress of Tibetans in Tibet and taking full responsibility for what is happening there will lay a wise basis for building mutual trust between Tibetans and the Chinese government,” he said.

Reacting to self-immolations by Tibetans in Tibet, Karmapa said reports had just emerged that three more Tibetans had set themselves ablaze within a single day in eastern Tibet. “This comes shortly after four Tibetans had immolated themselves and others died in demonstrations in Tibet in January. As tension escalates, instead of showing concern and trying to understand the cause of the situation, the Chinese authorities respond with increasing force and oppression,” he said.

He further said, “Having been given the name Karmapa, I belong to a 900-year-old reincarnation lineage that has historically avoided any political engagement, a tradition I have no intention of changing. And yet as a Tibetan, I have great sympathy and affection for the Tibetan people and I have great misgivings about remaining silent while they are in pain. Their welfare is my greatest concern.”

Tibetan demonstrations and self-immolations are a symptom of deep but unacknowledged dissatisfaction. If Tibetans were given a genuine opportunity to lead their lives as they wished, preserving their language, religion and culture, they would neither be demonstrating nor sacrificing their lives.

He said, “Since 1959, we Tibetans have faced unimaginable loss, yet we have found benefit in adversity. Many of us discovered our true identity as Tibetans. We discovered a sense of national unity among people of the three provinces of Tibet. And we came to value a unifying leader in the Dalai Lama. These factors have given us all great grounds for hope.”

Rather than treating this as an issue of political opposition, it would be far more effective for the Chinese authorities to treat this as a matter of basic human welfare.

“In these difficult times, I urge Tibetans in Tibet to keep equanimity in the face of hardship and remain focused on the long term. Always bear in mind that your lives have great value, as human beings and as Tibetans,” the Karmapa said.

Paonta Sahib, February 6
Mohammed Faiz (31), hailing from Sehajpur in Uttarakhand, was found murdered in room number 47 of the Paonta Sahib gurdwara today by the police. The murder has shocked both the police and the gurdwara authorities.

According to Additional SP Sanjeev Lakhanpal, Faiz had come to stay in the gurdwara on Saturday evening as he was asked to transport some furniture to Punjab by a Batala resident Savinder Singh.

The room had been booked for three days by Savinder under the fake name of Jagmohan Singh as per the gurdwara records. It appeared to be a well-planned conspiracy. Savinder left for Batala soon after murdering Faiz. Surprisingly though Faiz did not come out of his room for the whole of Sunday, no one bothered to get the door opened.

The police officer said the miscreants were eyeing his new Tata truck (UK-07CA-4882) and had hatched a ploy to kill him and take away the vehicle. To achieve their objective they strangulated him with a rope and his body was found lying in the bathroom with the hands and feet tied with a rope.

The murder came to light when Savinder was nabbed by the Batala police during a routine naka today. After interrogating Savinder, it learnt that the truck had been stolen from the Paonta Sahib gurdwara. They informed the Paonta Sahib police and when room number 47 was opened, Faiz’s body was found lying in the bathroom.

A team of policemen was later sent to fetch Savinder from Batala and a case under Section 302, IPC, registered. The Batala police also has booked Savinder under Sections 371 and 414, IPC.

Lakhanpal said the gurdwara authorities had been strictly directed to maintain records of those staying in various rooms.