Shimla, May 1
The Army today failed to file its reply in the arbitration case involving the dispute between the state government and the Army over the possession of the Annandale ground before the Divisional Commissioner, Shimla. The next hearing in the case has been fixed for June 28.

The Army, which has time and again been seeking more time to be able to file its reply, today also took the same plea. The Army representative who appeared before Divisional Commissioner Ajay Bhandari, who is the arbitrator in the case, said since the issue pertaining to the Annandale ground was a very sensitive defence issue, more time was required to file the reply.

He said since the Army had to get the entire record and the documents from the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi, it was taking longer than expected to file the reply. The last hearing of the case was on April 19 and even then the Army had sought two months’ time, which was declined to it as the hearing had been fixed for May 1.

Counsel for the Himachal Government had, however, objected to the plea by the Army while seeking more time. He said this was merely a deliberate delaying tactics by the Army to get more time. The case will now come up for hearing on June 28.

Though the state government was keen on getting back the possession of the Annandale ground, the situation took an ugly turn when the Army accused the state government and the Chief Minister of shielding the land mafia. Chief Minister PK Dhumal registered a strong protest with the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister.

In 1955, a lease agreement was signed between the Punjab Government and the Defence Ministry where the Annandale ground was given on a lease of 10 years on a token amount of Re 1 per annum. The Divisional Commissioner, Ambala, was made the arbitrator in case of any dispute arising over this agreement.

After the lease expired in 1965, no new lease was signed even though the Army continued with its possession of the ground. Finally in May 1982, a fresh lease agreement was signed between the Himachal Government and the Defence Ministry, whereby the period from 1965 to March 31, 1982, when the Army continued with its possession of the ground was regularised. The arbitrator in case of any dispute was changed from the Divisional Commissioner, Ambala, to Shimla.

Dharamsala, May 1
Students of private universities that are offering integrated BTech courses have been left in the lurch due to a “wrong decision” of the Education Department.

Sources said the government allowed certain private universities in the state to offer integrated BTech courses in 2009. In the integrated courses, the universities were allowed to admit Class X students for diploma-engineering courses. The students were promised that they would be given lateral entry into the second year of the BTech course concerned after completing their diploma. The students admitted to the integrated courses were to get BTech integrated degree in six years after being admitted after Class X.

However, now the regulatory commission established by the government for private universities has found that the integrated course was not in conformity with the rules laid down by the UGC for establishing private universities.

The UGC rules stipulate that no university can admit students having less than Class XII qualification. However, the students who were admitted by private universities to diploma courses were just matriculate. So the regulatory commission has barred the private universities from running the integrated BTech courses in the future.

However, the students who have completed the three-year diploma from private universities are concerned about the status of their education. In case they do not complete BTech, the diploma engineering course offered to them by private universities would not be valid as they do not have the mandate to offer the courses for matriculate students.

In many private universities, they have observed a strike against the discontinuation of their courses.

Indus University in Una is one such university that is offering the integrated BTech courses.

Dean, Academics, Indus University, SK Sharma said the regulatory commission had barred further admissions to the BTech integrated courses. However, the students earlier admitted to the courses would get their degrees.

He claimed that as per the UGC Act, private universities were empowered to offer diplomas and degrees on their own.

The sources said the private universities had been authorised to offer postgraduate diploma courses and not undergraduate diploma courses. The undergraduate diploma courses in engineering fell under the mandate of the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE).

However, in the integrated BTech courses offered by some private universities, the state government will have to devise some method to provide justice to the affected students.

Since the government had allowed the private universities to offer the courses, it should now issue a notification for the recognition of these courses. As per the existing UGC and AICTE regulations, the integrated BTech courses are not recognised. The sources said one such method could be allowing such diploma holders lateral entry into other engineering colleges in the state.

Shimla, May 1
In yet another administrative reshuffle, the government today ordered the transfer and posting of five IAS and nine HAS officers with Chief Secretary Sudipto Roy keeping the Department of Environment and Scientific Technology.

Roy will also be Chairman of the State Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board, Shimla. Bharathi S Sihag has been posted as Principal Secretary, Forest.

Kamal Sharma, IAS, Managing Director, HP State Electronics Development Corporation, shall hold the additional charge of the post of Director, Information Technology, during the training period of Subhashish Panda.

Rohan Chand Thakur, IAS, Block Development Officer (BDO), Sarahan in Sirmour has been posted as Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Bilaspur. Manasi Sahay Thakur, IAS, posted as BDO, Rajgarh, has now been posted as SDM, Ghumarwain.

Rakesh Kumar Sharma, HAS, Special Secretary, Health, has been posted as Controller, Printing and Stationery. Dev Dutt Sharma, Controller, Printing and Stationery, HP, has been posted as Secretary, State Information Commission.

Capt JM Pathania, MD, HIMFED, has been posted as Special Secretary, Health. Ram Kumar Gautam, SDM, Ghumarwin, has been posted as Joint Secretary, Industries. Vinay Kumar, SDM, Mandi, has been posted as AC to DC, Solan. Naresh Thakur, SDM, Reckong Peo, Kinnaur, has been posted as SDM, Bangana, Una.

Bhupender Kumar, SDM, Nichar has been posted as SDM, Palampur. Vivek Kumar, BDO, Nichar shall also hold additional charge of the post of SDM, Nichar. Krishan Chand, AC to DC, Sirmour, has been posted as SDM, Chopal.

Shimla, May 1
The Himachal Pradesh State Handicrafts and Handloom Corporation carried a record trading of Rs 19.60 crore during the financial year 2011-12, which was only Rs 10.60 crore in 2008-09.

This was revealed by Chief Minister PK Dhumal at a review meeting of the corporation held here today under his chairmanship.

He said the corporation was the leading undertaking which had been instrumental in showcasing and trading domestic products of the state in national and international markets.

He said the corporation had built rapport with customers keen on purchasing authentic and original Himachali products and artifacts. “The diversified activities of the corporation have resulted in increasing the sales of the organisation substantially,” he said. He said self-help groups of weavers and artisans had been formed in Kullu, Chamba, Kangra, Mandi and Kinnaur and were producing goods on demand.

Dhumal said effective initiatives were being taken by the corporation by organising exhibitions, craft melas and buyer-seller meets in different parts of the country and abroad, showcasing products of weavers and artisans of the state. He said the state had participated in international meets organised in the US, the UK and European countries where foreign buyers overwhelmingly showered their appreciation and liking for the products.

The Chief Minister lauded the corporation for assured earnings from minimum sales guarantee to Rs 788.57 lakh compared to Rs 211.05 lakh in 2008-09. He said the earnings through exhibitions alone had contributed to the tune of Rs 155.94 lakh compared to only Rs 61 lakh in 2008-09, besides clearing liabilities to the tune of Rs 227 lakh till March 2012.

Lalit Mohan, Managing Director, HP State Handicrafts and Handloom Corporation, placed a detailed account of the business activities and said the corporation had succeeded in meeting its committed liabilities successfully. 

Bilaspur, May 1
The police has arrested two brothers from Haryana for taking out fradulently Rs 2.6 lakh from the bank account of an Army man of Bilaspur district employed at Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Santosh Patial said here today that Des Raj of Lara village under Bilaspur Sadar police station had lodged an FIR in July last year that when he was coming home on leave in May, he had lost his purse on the way.

This lost purse contained cash, several important documents and his bank ATM. He found that Rs 2.6 lakh was missing from his bank account.

The police here had then registered a case under Sections 379 and 420, IPC.

The SP said on the basis of facts the police had arrested Sanjit Kumar and Sunil Kumar, sons of Ram Swarup of Arya Nagar, ward No. 16, Saansi Mohalla Colony, Gohana, Haryana.

Shimla, May 1
With a host of literary and cultural events, the five-day “Pink Buransh” festival, being organised from May 7 to mark the centenary of the local St Thomas School, will not only offer a bonanza of entertainment but also enable students to explore their creative skills.

It will be for the first time perhaps that a school will host events like workshops on film-making, puppetry, pottery, dance ballet, story-telling, poetry, mathematics and a seminar on Tagore during which students will get an opportunity to interact with writers, film directors and masters of various performing arts, including five from Germany. Studnets will not be just passive participants; they will learn the skills and also make a film, perform a ballet and perform other shows to give a practical demonstration.

There will be a book festival, in which some leading publishers will participate, and an exhibition of handicrafts will also be organised.

The participation in various events is not confined to the host school and students of all schools in and around Shimla have been invited, informed Vidhupriya Chakravarti, Principal. Workshops, seminars and other activites will be held simultaneously at the Gaiety Theatre, the YWCA, the Ridge and in the school.

There will a be children film festival, performances by well-known musician Harpreet Singh and the Himalayan Blues Group. Director of the festival Meenkashi Paul said the event had been named “Pink Buransh”, after the state tree rhododendron campanulatum which grows in higher reaches of the state.

School studnets will make a film to educate people about the importance of the right to vote in a democratic set-up and motivate them to exercise it, Vivek Mohan, film-maker, who will conduct the workshop, said. Similarly, about 300 students will come out with a ballet based on Rabindranath Tagore’s “Shishu” during the workshop on dance ballet. They will also give performances on the final day of the festival, which will conclude with a light and sound show.

Multi-faceted cine personality Parikshit Sahni, film director Ajay Kartik, master puppeteer Dadi Pudmjee, film-maker Vivek Mohan, theatre director Shiv Subramaniam, classical dancer and scholar Sandhya Purecha, theatre professionals Shuddho Banerjee and Nandini Banerjee will conduct events pertaining to performing arts, while the pottery workshop will be held by Manisha Bhattacharya, who specialises in ceramics. Besides, there will be a large number of authors and writers, including Deepa Aggarwal, Ghulam Nabi Aatash, Kalpita Sircar, Cheryl Jacob, Minakshi Chaudhary and Madhu Pant.

Kangra, May 1
Resentment prevails among residents of this temple town over the alleged failure of the state government and the Brajeshwari Temple Trust to start the gausadan on the Kangra bypass, which was constructed at a cost of more than Rs 23 lakh.

Swami Virenderanand Giri, state president, Maath Mandir Suraksha Samiti, Himachal Pradesh, in a letter to the Governor, asked that when the state government and the Brajeshwari temple management were not able to run the gausadan, why huge public funds were wasted on its construction.

Swami Giri said hundreds of cows were being pushed on to roads by their owners. These cows kept moving in the main market of the town, at Tehsil Chowk, Dharamshala Road, the new and old bus stand and Sabzi Mandi, and were often beaten by shopkeepers.

These cows were posing a risk for motorists on the national highway, particularly at night.

He was critical of the BJP government, stating that it was misleading the common man.

SDM, Kangra, Vinay Kumar said a few NGOs had come forward to take care of cows at this sadhan, but these were not found competent to deal with the project. He said if there was any genuine NGO to take care of the gausadan, then it would be asked to take this project, otherwise the Brajeshwari Temple Trust would look after it.

Swami Giri said the sadhan was ready last year, but was yet to be inaugurated for reasons best known to the authorities.

He sought the intervention of Governor Urmila Singh in the matter.

Shimla, May 1
Even though the state election committee of the BJP will decide the candidates to be fielded for the posts of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and councillors for the Shimla Municipal Corporation elections, state BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti today interacted with party workers from all 25 wards to get a feedback on the most suitable candidates.

Satti, along with Shyam Jaju, national BJP secretary and co-in charge of the BJP affairs in Himachal, met prominent party workers from each of the 25 wards separately to prepare a list of probable candidates for the MC poll. The exercise was undertaken by the state party chief to get a feedback before deciding on the candidates.

Sources said Satti had a list of about 100 names who, the workers felt, would give a good fight to candidates of other parties.

The list will now be scrutinised by the scrutiny committee, which comprises Satti, Jaju and state BJP general secretary Ram Swaroop.

The criteria laid down by the party for the selection of candidates includes loyalty, contribution to the party, winnability, a clean image and good public dealing. “The state election committee will finally decided on the candidates to be fielded for the posts of Mayor, Deputy Mayor and 25 councillors within three days,” said Ganesh Dutt, party spokesperson.

Shimla, May 1
The state Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission has, in its maiden order, imposed a penalty of Rs 1 crore on Manav Bharti University, Solan, for irregularities in admissions and blatant contravention of the norms pertaining to faculty, laboratories, libraries, equipment and other infrastructure.

The commission imposed the maximum penalty specified for the first contravention, keeping in view the scale and gravity of the irregularities. The university had admitted students to 22 courses and there were deficiencies in almost all programmes. The most serious violation was in respect of the admission norms with the university admitting students who did not fulfil the minimum qualification criteria. The university even gave admission to those placed under compartment.

The university lacked the requisite physical infrastructure like laboratories, equipment, adequate library and other facilities. There were huge deficiencies in the teaching staff, which were woefully short of the prescribed norms. The university had also failed to take the mandatory approval from the government for these courses.

The commission had taken suo motu notice of the glaring deficiencies and constituted an expert committee for carrying out inspection to pinpoint the shortcomings last year. A notice was issued to the university on the basis to the inspection report. The university admitted to some of the irregularities and deficiencies and promised to remove these. The commission also took note of the steps taken by the university after the notice was issued to it.

The order is confined to the courses run by the university during 2011-12. The penalty has been imposed under Section 11 of the state Private Educational Institutions (Regulatory ) Commission Act which also provides for recovery of penalty by way of deduction from the Endowment Fund deposited with the state government or as arrears of land revenue.

The inspection carried by a committee set up by the government for granting approval to courses in May last year had also revealed huge deficiencies, including lack of the requisite faculty in the departments of MBA, MCA, MTech, MSc, MPT, PGDCA, BPT, BCA, BTech and Diploma in Engineering, and asked to fill vacant posts before seeking permission for new admissions. It was specifically refrained from enrolling students for PhD without the approval and asked to obtain permission of the Bar Council of India before starting the three-year and five-year LLB courses.

The subsequent inspection conducted by the commission revealed that the university admitted students without removing the deficiencies, making it liable for action under the Act.

Bilaspur, May 1
The Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) has condemned Health Minister Rajeev Bindal’s attempt to browbeat HLP state senior vice-president and former Transport Minister Mohinder Nath Sofat by organising his “gherao” by some employees of the Nagar Parishad when he had gone to get a copy of the death certificate of Bindal’s father at Solan yesterday. Why was Bindal trying to prevent Sofat from getting this copy, they asked.

Talking to mediapersons here today, HLP state vice-president and former MLA KD Dharmani, state joint spokesman Kesh Pathania and district president Daulat Ram Sharma, accompanied by a dozen other party leaders, said such cheap tactics could never deter HLP leaders from exposing the black deeds of those in power and these would further goad them to pursue corruption cases of top BJP leaders.

They charged that this gherao was led by a person who had been convicted by the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in a case of embezzlement. This fact amply proved what sort of company Bindal had been in for keeping himself in power!

Dharmani, Sharma and Pathania said even Shanta Kumar had now been compelled to say that the BJP had been virtually “hijacked and captured” by newcomers.

Parwanoo, May 1
The Congress charge sheet committee has finally levelled 50 allegations against the ruling BJP government in the state.

Giving final shape to the charge sheet, AICC general secretary and in charge of the party affairs in Himachal Birender Singh, who convened a strategic meeting of senior party leaders at Parwanoo today, urged party leaders to step up their preparedness for the Assembly poll which, he said, could take place around October 15 with those of Gujarat and Karnataka.

He urged the party leaders to work in unison and gave no indication of projecting any chief ministerial candidate. He said at least 45 nominees, who were sure to register victories, would be allotted the ticket at least one and a half months prior to the poll so that they had sufficient time to campaign. Merit and ability to win would be the main criteria for the allotment of the ticket.

Birender Singh said intimation would have to be sent to the party office as well as to him about the party rallies.

The manifesto committee also discussed the charge sheet with senior party leaders and gave it the final touch. AICC president Sonia Gandhi had directed the manifesto committee to show the charge sheet to senior leaders.

Spelling out the poll strategy, he said four big rallies had been planned in the state. One of the rallies would be addressed by Sonia Gandhi. The first rally would be held on May 19 in Sirmaur district while two rallies would be held on June 5 and June 17 in Hamirpur and Dharamsala, respectively.

Various committees, including the manifesto committee, the publicity committee and the campaign committee would be constituted shortly by the AICC.

He said three more members had been inducted into the eight-member coordination committee. They were union ministers Anand Sharma and Virbhadra Singh and former RS MP Viplove Thakur.

Besides, an apex committee had been constituted for the forthcoming poll to the Shimla Municipal Corporation and its meeting would be held on May 4 in Chandigarh. Besides the two union ministers from the state, its members comprised PCC chief Kaul Singh Thakur, CLP leader Vidya Stokes, MLAs of the Shimla (Rural) and Shimla (Urban) constituencies and the presidents of these units.

Those present at the meeting included CWC member DR Shandil, leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes, PCC president Kaul Singh Thakur, union ministers Virbhadra Singh, Anand Sharma, GS Bali, Thakur Singh Bharmori, Asha Kumari, Chandresh Kumari, Anita Verma, Mukesh Agnihotri, Viplove Thakur, Sukhwinder Singh, Kuldeep Pathania and Anita Verma.

Dharamsala, May 1
Promoter of the Miss Tibet event Lobsang Wangyal has announced that he will not organise the event this year. In a press note issued here today, Wangyal said he had decided against organising Miss Tibet-2012 due to the continuing incidents of self-immolation in Tibet.

He said in the past two years, 34 Tibetans had committed self-immolation in Tibet, which had shaken the entire Tibetan community. The Miss Tibet event was not being organised as a mark of respect for the departed souls.

Wangyal first created a stir among the Tibetan community living in exile by organising the first Tibetan beauty contest in 2002. Though no local Tibetan girl participated in the contest, it attracted the attention of the world media. Since then he has been organising the contest in winters every year. The contest has not been recognised by the Tibetan government-in-exile or spiritual leaders. Due to lack of patronage from the leadership, Wangyal managed just a few contestants every year.

The beauty contests of Wangyal were taken as an influence of western culture on the Tibetan way of living. However, Wangyal felt that in this changing world scenario, the Tibetan youth could not stay aloof and isolated.

“As far as I am concerned, I am just concentrating on bringing to the fore the artistic talent of young Tibetan women through the beauty contests,” he said.

About the opposition to such contests, he said that many young Tibetans were appreciating his efforts. However, due to fear of their elders, they were not coming forward openly. Slowly, the contests would help young Tibetans come together and provide them with a platform to air their voice.

Besides the Miss Tibet contest, Wangyal had also organised Tibetan Olympics and Tibetan music awards competitions. He said by organising such contests, he was also finding novel methods to promote the cause of the Tibetans-in-exile.

Wangyal now represents a new generation of Tibetans that was born in India. The generation is slowing starting to express itself and daring to differ from the strong set-up of Tibetan traditions.

Manali, May 1
A day after the Cabinet cancelled the allotment of controversial 1 MW Chhor Nullah Hydro Electric Project near Vashisht village, residents of Vashisht, Koshla, Mathiana, Kanchnikoot and Chadhiyari thanked the state government for its decision.

Residents of the Kullu valley were protesting the construction work as they believed the project was hurting the religious sentiments and polluting the holy shrine of Goddess Jogni, prime goddess of the region. They claimed that the project had destroyed “charan padukas” and “pindis” of the goddess at Narol, the place where Jogni took bath. Nobody is allowed to go near the holy Narol, but the project management was building intake for turbine feeders here.

Hundreds of mahila mandals of the district had staged protest against the project. Fearing tampering with shrines of deities, the Kullu Kardar Sangh also had showed resentment and rejected the project outright.

After the decision of the state Cabinet to cancel the allotment of the project under the chairmanship of Chief Minister PK Dhumal, local residents expressed their happiness along with local MLA Govind Thakur who visited Vashisht village today.

While addressing a huge crowd, Thakur congratulated local residents for their victory and thanked the Chief Minister for caring for their religious sentiments. “Keeping in view the religious connection of residents with the Chhor Nullah and not obtaining the NOC from all gram panchayats, the Cabinet has cancelled the allotment of the 1 MW Hydro Project,” he said.

The villagers thanked people of the Kullu valley, including mahila mandals of Naggar block, devotees of Goddess Jogni from different parts of the state and the Kullu Kardar Sangh for their active participation in the protest against the project.

Meanwhile, the MLA visited the ayurvedic dispensary of Vashisht village which is in a bad condition due to irregularities. Villagers complained that the dispensary had no pharmacist or nurse and the only doctor there was absent most of the days. The MLA assured them of a regular doctor and said the vacant posts at the dispensary would be filled shortly. He also announced Rs 2 lakh for the construction of a mahila bhawan and Rs 3 lakh for an SC and ST bhawan at Koshla village. 

Sundernagar, May 1
Rakesh Kainthala, Additional Session Judge, Mandi, has found Japanese national Toshi Ki Kawa guilty for possessing 500 gm of charas and sentenced him to undergo rigorous imprisonment (RI) for a period of two years and pay a fine of Rs 20,000. The convict has to further undergo simple imprisonment for a period of six months in case of default of the payment of fine money.

As per the facts of the case, a police party of Aut police station while patrolling on November 11, 2009, spotted a Japanese national carrying a bag at Dalasni in Mandi district. On seeing them, he immediately turned back, but the police nabbed him and recovered the contraband from his bag.

The police registered a case under Section 20 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and arrested the accused and filed a charge sheet in the court.

The prosecution examined nine witnesses in its favour, but the accused pleaded that he was falsely implicated in the case. It was further argued that no independent witness was associated during the whole proceeding and there was a major contradiction in the testimony of witnesses.

The Additional Sessions Judge, Mandi, acting as Special Judge passed a 30-page order and held that the deposition of witnesses was trustworthy and there was no contradiction in their testimony.

The convict was taken into custody and shifted to the Central Model Jail, Nahan.

Shimla, May 1
Chief Minister PK Dhumal today released two books titled “Pandrahbeesh Ke Janglon Se” and “Barah Saakshtkar” authored by Rajender Rajan here today.

“Pandrahbeesh Ke Janglon Se” is a collection of memoirs of the author about the remote area of Pandra Beesh in Shimla district, presenting a vivid and informative description about the rural ambience, dense and deep forests in the area, apart from the rich cultural, social, lifestyle and ethos of people in the area.

The other book “Barah Saakshtkar” contains interviews of Mahasweta Devi, Indira Goswami, Amrita Pritam, Gobind Mishra, Chitra Mudgal, Narendra Mohan, Himanshu Joshi, Keshav, Vibhutinarayan Rai and noted Pahari miniature painter OP Tak.

The Chief Minister congratulated the author for bringing two important publications which would provide a peep into the life of people in the Pandrah Beesh area of Shimla district and noted personalities in different fields.

Kangra, May 1
The World Asthma Day, structured by the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) to perk up asthma alertness and concern around the globe, was observed at the Dr Rajendra Prashad Government Medical College (DRPGMC) at Tanda today.

The function was organised in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine of the DRPGMC Tanda to spread awareness about asthma.

Asthma patients from Kangra and Chamba districts attended the function. Dr Rekha Bansal, HOD, educated the patients about various aerosol devices and how to use and maintain these.

Principal Anil Chauhan, chief guest on the occasion, said asthma affected more than 230 million people worldwide, including more than 25 million people in a developed country like the United States. Dr Chauhan said there was no way to prevent or cure asthma and added that the existing treatments focus on preventing or controlling disease symptoms, such as wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath and coughing.

He said despite these efforts, each year more than half of children and one-third of adults with asthma in the USA missed school or work because of the disease, approximately 17 million people required medical attention because of it and more than 3,000 asthma-related deaths occurred. He said in India too millions were suffering from asthma and an awareness programme was important.

Dr Chauhan distributed PFR meters to patients to help them measure their disease state and get help in deciding their treatment.