Shimla, May 31
In its final report submitted to the government today, the commission probing Benami land transactions in the state has recommended that action be taken in 34 cases of land violations while 49 cases be dropped where allegations of flouting of norms had not been substantiated.

Chairman of the commission Justice (retd) DP Sood today submitted the final report to Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy after scrutiny of 321 files in addition to the 122 pending complaints.

The commission in its final report running into 125 pages has recommended that in 34 cases action be taken as per rules against violators.

“We have received the final report from the commission and it is after close examination that we will act on the recommendations made by it,” said the Chief Secretary.

He said the report would be placed before the Cabinet and if there was need for any new legislation, it would be done during the monsoon session of the Assembly.

He, however, added that the government would look at the quantum of violation and, if possible, give the individual a chance to rectify. But in case of gross flouting of norms strict action as per law would be taken.

The commission had earlier submitted its first report in April earlier this year while the Budget Session of the Assembly was on. It had prepared the first report after examining 2,197 files and looked into 282 complaints made before it by individuals and organisations. With the submission of the final report today, the commission has wound up its work after getting one extension.

The commission, which had been set up on June 1, 2011, closely examined all benami transactions that took place in the state in violation of the Tenancy and Land Reform Act, 1972, since January 2003 to March 31, 2011.

In its earlier report it had recommended scrapping of the HP Apartment and Property Regulation Act and suggested vesting of land of 42 promoters with the government for violating Section 118.

Shimla, May 31
The race for the post of the lone Information Commissioner (IC) is hotting up with the present incumbent, SS Parmar, former Chief Secretary, retiring next month as several retired and serving IAS and IPS officers have expressed the desire to take up the responsibility.

In fact, a meeting, to be chaired by Chief Minister PK Dhumal, has been convened for June 6 where a final decision will be taken on the name of the person who will replace Parmar. The other members of the committee are Irrigation and Public Health Minister Ravinder Ravi, CLP leader Vidya Stokes and Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy.

Though there are seven persons who have formally applied for being appointed as the IC, DS Manhas, DGP, along with KD Batish, a lawyer and a former Additional Advocate General, are the front-runners. Others who have applied include two Additional Chief Secretaries, SK Dash and TG Negi, both of whom are retiring next month.

Though Manhas was being tipped as a hot contender for the post in view of his proximity to the Chief Minister, Batish, who has strong links in the BJP of late, has emerged as a possible choice.

However, it will solely be the prerogative of the Chief Minister as Stokes is a mild-mannered person who is unlikely to take a hard stand on any name. Others in the race include a retired IAS officer Kashmir Chand and SK Shad, former planning adviser.

Shyama Dogra, a former member of the Central Administrative Tribunal, Chandigarh, is the lone woman aspirant for the post.

At present, Bhim Sen, an IAS officer who took retirement prematurely, is the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). He is the second CIC after PS Rana, a former IAS officer who was the first to assume office after the enactment of the Right to Information Act.

Though there is a provision to have a maximum of 10 ICs in a small state like Himachal, at present there is one CIC and one IC. About two months ago a proposal had been placed before the Cabinet for increasing the number of posts of IC from one to two but at the last minute the government decided to drop the move.

“It was felt that in a small state like Himachal where volume of work is limited, the CIC and the IC were more than sufficient to handle the workload,” admitted a senior officer. He added that the Cabinet was also of the opinion that it would amount to unnecessary financial burden and a place to adjust retired bureaucrats.

Shimla, May 31
Tourists as well locals were today put to a lot of inconvenience as the town witnessed a complete bandh with all shops and commercial establishments remaining closed and the plying of vehicles also severely affected.

The entire market area, including the Mall, Lower Bazaar, Lakkar Bazaar and all other commercial areas, wore a deserted look as all shutters were down. The CPM and the BJP had given a call for Bharat Bandh to protest the hike of Rs 7.50 in the prices of petrol.

Chief Minister PK Dhumal also expressed his solidarity with the party by walking from his residence to the Secretariat. The BJP workers also staged a protest against the hike in petrol prices.

Tourists were put to a lot of inconvenience as even dhabas, hotels and eating joints remained completely closed. Vehicular traffic was disrupted for more than one hour at the Victory Tunnel by CPM activists who were led by their state secretary Rakesh Singha, Mayor Sanjay Chauhan and Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar.

Shimla, May 31
The decision of the government to change the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Shimla within a month and give additional charge of a key department to the new incumbent has raised the ire of RTI activist Dev Ashish Bhattacharya who has shot off a letter to the top bureaucrat of the state in this regard.

In his letter to Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy, distributed among mediapersons here today, he pointed out that Manish Garg had been replaced as DC even before he could complete 30 days on the chair by Arun Kumar Sharma.

Further, Sharma had been allowed to hold the additional charge of Director of Tourism, which was a matter of surprise.

It was perhaps the only case of its kind as nowhere else in the country the district collector had been given the additional charge of a department.

He said as per the Department of Personnel and Training no DC could be given the charge of any other department because it could create a conflict of interest between the two duties.

Therefore, keeping in view the sensitivity of the issue either the charge of the Director of Tourism or the DC should be withdrawn as a corrective measure.

Garg shifted within 30 days of his appointment as the DC and wanted to know the public interest involved behind the move, it was further stated in the letter.

Bhattacharya said of late postings were being ordered throwing all norms to winds.

Managing Director of the state Tourism Development Corporation Vineet Kumar (a secretary-level officer of the IFS cadre) was suddenly replaced by Lokender Thakur, the then Additional Deputy Commissioner of Sirmaur. It was a glaring example of degrading the post which was always held by a senior-scale IAS officer.

Earlier, one officer was given charge of three posts - Managing Director of the Tourism Corporation and also Director and Secretary of the Tourism Department.

Dharamsala, May 31
Uncertainty prevailed over the state-level rath yatra planned for the next three months by GS Bali, Congress leader from Kangra.

Local sources said a section of Congress leaders had opposed the proposed rath yatra. Due to their opposition, the Congress high command has directed Bali against going ahead with his plans to launch the yatra on June 6. Bali left for Delhi today to discuss the future of his proposed campaign just before the Assembly elections in the state.

The sources said instead Bali might be given the responsibility of organising the Congress rally being planned in Kangra district in the first week of June.

The way the proposed campaign of Bali is being torpedoed by other factions of the Congress, it again illustrates the deep factionalism in the party that is refusing to die down even just a few months before the Assembly elections.

Earlier, Union Minister Virbhadra Singh had started organising rallies across the state on his own. However, his campaign was also brought to a sudden halt after the intervention of the party high command.

The congress campaign had almost died down across the state since the past one month but for individual activities by prospective candidates in their own Assembly constituencies.

Bali tried to take up initiative by announcing his own statewide programme, however, the sources said he had also limited him to his constituency after resistance to his campaign.

Bali, in a press conference organised recently, had claimed that the party high command had given him a go-ahead to launch the yatra on the issue of unemployment among youth.

Bali had got prepared a specially modulated TATA winger vehicle to carry him across the state in three phases during the next three months. He had also got CDs, posters and banners prepared for the same.

However, a section of senior Congress leaders felt that he was trying to project himself through the campaign and so torpedoed his proposed yatra.

The sources said state Congress leaders were spending more time in jeopardising each other’s campaigns rather collectively taking on the ruling party.

However, Bali denied that his proposed yatra had been jeopardised. He added that it had just been postponed in view of proposed programmes of the party in Hamirpur and Kangra district in the first week of June.

Ser Baloni (Hamirpur), May 31
Chief Minister PK Dhumal during his one-day tour to the district yesterday sought votes for the ruling BJP in the state for the next Assembly election due by the end of this year and detailed out various development schemes and benefits given to various sections of society.

Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating a forest rest house at Ser Baloni, Dhumal said: “The BJP government has tried to give benefits to every section of society and several schemes were implemented during the past over four years and it is the turn of people to vote for the BJP and bring this government back into power.”

Talking about various development schemes undertaken by the government, he said development works of Rs 3.33 crore have been completed by the PWD in the Hamirpur Assembly constituency and several works are underway.

He also made an appeal to people to come forward in extinguishing forest fires and saving forest wealth and said the state government had launched a project to revive 148 water ponds in forests under the Van Sarovar Yojna.

He also laid the foundation stone of an irrigation scheme at Har village. Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur and MLAs Urmil Thakur and Baldev Sharma accompanied the Chief Minister during these programmes.

Shimla, May 31
The Education Department has decided to launch a pilot project to introduce the Communication Skills and Personality Development programme in 24 government degree colleges in the private public partnership mode in an effort to enhance the employability of youth.

The department has adopted a cluster approach under which the programme will be started in four clusters, comprising six colleges each at Shimla, Mandi, Solan and Dharamsala.

Under the programme three modules - a certificate course (60 hours), diploma (90 hours) and an advanced diploma (120 hours) - will be offered to provide enough flexibility to students.

The project will be outsourced to an external agency and the request for proposal has already been invited for the purpose, said Director of Education Dinkar Burathoki.

The government college at Sanjauli will be a coordinating institution for the Shimla cluster comprising RKMV, Shimla; government college (GC), Chaura Maidan; GC, Rampur Bushar; GC, Seema; and GC, Reckong Peo. The cluster at GC, Solan (coordinating college), will include government colleges at Nalagarh, Nahan, Paonta Sahib, Una and Amb, the GC, Mandi cluster will comprise GCs at Sarkaghat, Ghumarwin, Kullu, Kukumseri and Bilaspur and the GC, Dharamsala cluster colleges at Chamba, Palampur, Dehri, Hamirpur and Nadaun.

Only companies with an average turnover of Rs 7.5 crore exclusively from education services over the past three financial years will be eligible and no party will be allotted over two clusters and these will be the clusters for which it has quoted the lowest proposal rate.

A student can enrol for the advance diploma course after completing the diploma course (90 hours) for additional 30 hours.

The focus of the three courses will be on developing effective communication skills (spoken and written), presentation skills, business correspondence and business reports writing skills, leadership skills and inter-personal skills for the overall personality development.

Listening effectively, mock social situations, mock interviews, listening and responding to questions, telephonic conversation, developing fluency, extempore and group discussions, exposure to specimens of spoken English through audio-visual aids, reading skills (focus on stress and intonation), correct pronunciation, vocabulary building, etiquettes and other soft skills will be the part of the course.

Shimla, May 31
The latest survey report released by the Health Department has declared all district headquarters in the state as smoke-free in view of the effective compliance of Smoke Free Rules under the Tobacco Control Act, 2003.

This was stated by Chief Minister PK Dhumal at a state-level function held here today on the occasion of “World No Tobacco Day.”

He flagged off a bike rally of youth carrying the message of ill effects of consumption of tobacco. Students also took out rallies to create awareness among people and motivate them to refrain from the use of tobacco.

The Chief Minister said consistent endeavour of the government along with the cooperation of people had yielded positive results.

He said a smoke-free campaign had successfully been launched by the Health Department in collaboration with the Himachal Pradesh Voluntary Health Association and fulfilled norms laid down by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

He said Shimla had already been declared as a smoke-free town about two years ago. Tashi Jong village in Kangra district had been declared as the first tobacco- free village in the state.

“With a view to discouraging tobacco use, VAT on tobacco products had been increased substantially,” he said.

The WHO also conferred South East Asia Regional Office (SEARO’s) Award-2012 to the state for its outstanding achievement in the anti-tobacco campaign.

The award was presented to Health Minister Rajeev Bindal by Dr Nata Menabde, a WHO representative, at a function held in New Delhi today.

Kangra (OC): World No Tobacco Day was observed at the DRPGMC, Tanda, here today with “tobacco industry interference” as the theme this year.

The function was organised by the Department of Psychiatry as a part of its two-day programme. Dr Anil Chauhan, Principal, DRPGMC, Tanda, was the chief guest on the occasion.

Dr Chauhan said WHO had called on national leaders to be extra vigilant against the increasingly aggressive attacks by the tobacco industry.

Dr (Major) Surjit, HOD, Psychiatry Department, said a nationwide campaign was a launched today to show many harmful illnesses caused due to tobacco use.

Shimla, May 31
The hill state literally started feeling the heat of summer with most places recording the highest temperature of the season today. The mercury has been soaring over the past one week, particularly in the past two days.

Shimla recorded 31.9°C, as many as 7°C above normal and just 0.5°C short of the all-time high of 32.4°C. Una was the hottest place in the state at 45.2°C and most of the other places also reeling at temperatures from 4°C to 7°C above normal.

Solan recorded a maximum of 37.2°C, Dharamsala 36.6°C, Nahan 38.9°C, Kullu 39°C and Sundernagar 41.7°C. Even Kalpa, the headquarters of tribal Kinnaur, was quite warm at 26.4°C.

The local met office said the hot weather would continue in the state and there was no likelihood of rain over the next couple of days.