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Tribesmen face hardships as flood washes away road stretch
Virbhadra singh’s 50 Years in Politics
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Punjab mining cartels eyeing mines of HP
Roorkee IIT to be consulted on Lawyers’ Chambers issue
Cong to submit charge sheet in 20 days
Rahul Gandhi to visit state on June 27
DM issues notice under Sec 118 to Tibetan school
Govt Cost on Engaging Pvt Counsel
4 students, intern of Tanda Medical College suspended
2 arrested for setting forest areas on fire
Half-marathon on June 24
SFI demands roll back of fee hike in DAV College
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Tribesmen face hardships as flood washes away road stretch
Mandi/Kaza, June 20 The district administration moved all the five Israeli tourists stranded there since June 5 to Kaza today. But, residents in the two remote panchayats of the Pin valley remained cut off since June 5. The essential commodities have run out of stock for the past 10 days as the Kaza-Sagnam-Mud road that connects this valley to Kaza, the sub-divisional headquarters of Spiti, remained unrestored since June 5, residents resented. The artificial 1-km-long road stretch on the Pin river upstream from Kiri nullah blockade has started overflowing and as such poses no threat downstream as there was no human settlement located along the Spiti river, said DC, Lahaul-Spiti, SS Guleria. Chering Dorje, an expert mountain guide, told The Tribune that flood in the Pin river recurred on June 5 for the second time in 10 years. Due to summer heat, ice formed under the debris melts and releases large volumes of stored water,” he added. “We have to scale a hazardous steep rugged mountain in order to reach the Atturgu bridge that takes over four hours,” said Ringzin, a local resident. Besides, BSNL telephones are dead for the past two days in Kaza and other villages in the region due to some fault that had made communication difficult here, said hoteliers. The resentment of locals in Kungri and Sagnam panchayats in the Pin valley is understandable as they gheraoed Lahaul-Spiti MLA Ram Lal Markande yesterday and shouted anti-government slogans in protest there. Guleria said they would supply essential commodities in a day or two and restore connectivity in a week as they have to lay the trek and a “jhula” afresh. “It is not possible to construct a road immediately as the entire stretch is surrounded by the steep mountain,” he added. |
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Virbhadra singh’s 50 Years in Politics
Shimla, June 20 Never before in the political history of the state has a function on such a massive scale been organised to felicitate a leader. Though dubbed as a non-political event, it is by all accounts a show of strength by his supporters who want their leader, who was carted away from the state politics, back in the saddle. They have been busy preparing for the big day for the past quite sometime and the tangible outcome of their meticulously planned exercise are now becoming visible with appearance of king-size flex banners, posters and booklets highlighting the milestones in his political journey. The celebrations will also include cultural items. In all, 1.50 lakh posters, 400 flex banners and 20,000 invitation cards have been printed. Besides members of the Congress Working Committee, the AICC and the PCC, Chief Minister PK Dhumal and veteran BJP leader Shanta Kumar have also been invited to make the whole show appear apolitical. All the 68 sitting members of the Vidhan Sabha are among the invitees. On an average, 250 cards have been sent for distribution in each Assembly seat. “There has not been such a celebration in the past and there will not be one in the future as a colossus like Virbhadra will not walk again in the political arena of the state. Only he deserves such an honour as there is no other leader in the country who got elected to the Lok Sabha five times and to the Vidhan Sabha seven times” says Kehar Singh Khachi, convener, Nagrik Samman Samaroh Samiti, who is also the president of the Shimla District Congress Committee. He said necessary permission had already been obtained from the administration for holding the function at the Ice Skating Rink. People from all walks of life, including prominent freedom fighters, academicians, retired officers and social activists, would be the part of the celebrations. “Virbhadra is the tallest leader of the state after Dr YS Parmar and what goes to his credit is that fact that despite being a ruler of the erstwhile princely state of Rampur Bushair he has established himself as the “man of masses” through continuous selfless service,” observes vice-president, state Congress, Harsh Mahajan. A fighter to the core, Virbhadra has an uncanny ability to win over his arch rivals when required. He managed to befriend towering leaders like late Ram Lal and JBL Khachi, Sukh Ram and Vijay Mankotia to name a few. He will have to pull out some more tricks from his hat to convince the high command and clinch the leadership this time. |
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Punjab mining cartels eyeing mines of HP
Dharamsala, June 20 As per the state’s mining laws, stone crushers set up in the state can just sell only the crushed material. There is a total ban on carrying raw material, including big stones, out of the state. However, sources here said a large number of trucks could be seen carrying stones and other types of raw material mined from the rivulets of the state. Excise and Taxation officials were manning almost all the exit points on the borders of the state. Yet trucks with 35 to 50 tonnes of raw material have been easily passing through these barriers despite the fact that there was a total ban on shipping of raw material out of the state. The sources said the mining mafia from the adjoining state had established a rapport with local politicians, who were facilitating this illegal trade. The illegal trade was being carried out under the aegis of local political and illegal mining cartel nexus. The mining officer in Una admitted that they had also received information regarding raw material mines from the district being taken out by certain unscrupulous elements. He said they had conducted raids in coordination with the local police and impounded many trucks carrying raw material, including stones. Fine had been imposed on trucks carrying raw material out of the state. The mining officer also admitted that the raw material mined from rivulets of the state could not be taken out of the state as per the mining rules. He said besides the Mining Department, 15 other government departments have also been authorised by the government to check illegal mining. However, at present none of these departments was playing an active role in checking illegal mining, he said. SP, Una, Sumedha Dewedi, said special teams had been formed to check the illegal trade of carrying raw material mined from the rivulets out of the state. “In the past few days we have impounded several trucks and trolleys carrying raw material out of the state, she said. The ban on mining in Punjab has created a lot of pressure on mines in Himachal. While it has served as a boon for the mining and stone crusher industries of Himachal, it has also promoted illegal mining. There is a strong demand of crushed material due to huge infrastructure projects being implemented in the private and the public sector. Mining in the Nurpur area of Kangra district also saw a tug of war between Minister for Industries Kishan Kapoor and local Independent MLA Rakesh Pathania. |
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Roorkee IIT to be consulted on Lawyers’ Chambers issue
Shimla, June 20 The high-level committee chaired by the Chief Secretary today took a holistic view of the situation to assess what needs to be done to prevent further damage. The meeting, which was attended by Principal Secretaries of the PWD, Urban Development, Town and Country Planning, Commissioner, MC, state Geologist and other officials, were of the view that the site be handed over to the PWD. The future of the Lawyers’ Chambers will now depend on the report that the Roorkee IIT will submit after surveying the area. The IIT, Roorkee, will be asked to suggest remedial measures for undertaking the restoration work and at the same time assess if the site can bear the load of such a structure and is it feasible,” said MP Sood, Commissioner, MC. “There is no other option but to stop the work immediately and hand over the site to the PWD so that the restoration work can be undertaken and the road constructed,” said Sood. He added that it had been decided to direct the Himachal Pradesh Toruism Development Corporation to operate its Lift till 10pm for the convenience of local residents as well as tourists. Signages will also be put indicating the alternate routes via Metropole and Bemloe for the convenience of outsiders. It was about three weeks ago that the road below the Oberoi Clarke Hotel, connecting the Cart Road to Richmond, Jakhu, and US Club and Chotta Shimla collapsed, snapping the connectivity. However, it was two days ago that heavy shower resulted in further damage and the retaining wall along with the backyard of the hotel caving in. The restoration work of the road was at present being undertaken by a private contractor engaged by the MC. It is on the recommendation of the Commissioner, MC, that the government decided to hand over the area to the PWD and start the large-scale restoration work to ensure that in the ensuing rainy season there is no more damage. Chairman of the Lawyers’ Chambers Committee Sharavan Dogra said the issue of restoration of the site had been discussed with HC Chief Justice Kurian Joseph where the Commissioner, MC, was also present. He said all the facts had been placed before the Chief Justice and it had been decided that the Chief Engineer (South) would visit the site tomorrow and give his report. Committee members also met Chief Secretary S Roy. Lawyers said the main issue at the site was on account of the seepage due to leakage from the water supply pipes of the MC, which had still not been plugged. They said the site where their chambers were being made had huge debris from other construction works so the area was bound to collapse and cave in. “The restoration work is in full swing and within the next few days the pedestrian path is likely to be restored and the area stabilised,” they added. |
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Bali’s yatra gets impressive welcome in Una
Una, June 20 However, leaders of the Virbhadra Singh camp were not present to welcome the yatra. Bali interacted with local youth in Una district and said he was organising the yatra to highlight their plight. He alleged that the number of unemployed in the state had increased to 10 lakh. This number was significant for a small state like Himachal that had a population of just 68 lakh. The present government had failed to generate employment avenues for the youth, he alleged. He also claimed that his yatra was getting impressive response from people of the state, especially youth. Government agencies were trying to sabotage the yatra, Bali said. Later, while addressing a press conference at Una, Bali alleged that a nexus of officers and officials and politically backed contractors had caused loss to the state exchequer by illegally waiving of penalties that should have been imposed for delayed works in the Swan Channelisation Project. The funds for this project were sanctioned by the Congress-led UPA government. “I will write to the Centre to get the usage of funds in the Swan Channelisation project verified from a central agency,” Bali said. Bali will travel on foot in Una district today and take a halt at Chintpurni. Tomorrow his yatra will enter Kangra district and the second phase of the event will end at the Kathgarh temple. Ramnath Sharma, a former MLA from Bangana, was among other prominent leaders who welcomed Bali in Una district. |
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Cong to submit charge sheet in 20 days
Baddi, June 20 He said it would be a full-proof document of containing evidence of various charges of corruption involving the BJP government. Bali, who arrived in the industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh during the second phase of his rath yatra, said the PK Dhumal-led state government had failed to provide employment to the state’s youth. He said if every hydel project invested a small percentage of their investment in setting up a professional college to equip the youth as per their needs the issue of unemployment would not have assumed an alarming proportion in Himachal today. He was welcomed by PCC general secretary Ramkumar Chowdhary, chairperson of Baddi MC Madan Chowdhary, BCC president Doon Sohan Lal and activists of the Youth Congress and other frontal organisations. |
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CPI, CPM mull third front
Mandi, June 20 Besides, state secretary, CPM Rakesh Singha, announced that the CPI-CPM would contest Assembly poll on 35 seats. “We had preliminary talks with HLP leader Maheshwar Singh and Kangra MP Rajan Sushant and Gaddi leader Dulo Ram on the possible third front providing a political alternative to people in the state,” he said at a press conference here today. Singha said victory of the CPM winning two top posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in the MC elections was a sign of public anger against the corrupt BJP regime and the inept Congress as they represented the two sides of the same coin. Dispensaries in rural Himachal were either locked or have no staff and medicines and most of the services - health, public transport, IPH and electricity - had been outsourced and this had shut down employment opportunities for youth in the state, he said. Agriculture in the state was also affected, forcing farmers to commit suicide, he charged. He said they would hold a meeting in this regard on June 30 or July 1 with HLP leader Maheshwar Singh, MP Rajan Sushant, Gaddi leader Dulo Ram and others who were ready to desert the Congress and the BJP. “We are not proposing any precondition for the third front”, he clarified. CPI member Des Raj said the public was revolting against the government for supporting big projects of companies that had harmed the environment. The third front would provide an alternative in the state and the CPI would contest elections on the Karsog and the Mandi Sadar Assembly seats, he added. CPM district secretary Bhupinder Singh said the CPM would contest Assembly elections on the Balh, Seraj and Jogindernagar seats. |
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Rahul Gandhi to visit state on June 27
Shimla, June 20 In the first meeting, members of the PCC, AICC, strategy committee, media committee, election committee, disciplinary committee and heads of various frontal organisations and departments will be present. Later, he will address a meeting of district and block presidents of the party and five prominent party workers from each block. In the final meeting, he will address chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of zila parishads, panchayat samitis and urban local bodies associated with the Congress. |
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DM issues notice under Sec 118 to Tibetan school
Dharamsala, June 20 The notice has been issued to five persons in whose name the land on which the school building has been brought up, was purchased. Sources here said the notice had been issued on the plea that the authorities running the TCV had bought land in the name of locals that amounted to benami transaction. In case the transaction was proved to be benami, the land on which the TCV had been brought up could be vested in the name of the government. The said school building is not the only property owned by Tibetans in Kangra district where allegations of benami transactions have been levelled. In the recent past the DM vested the Trilokpur Monastery Association with Karmapa sect in the name of the government. The monastery was brought up on land bought in the name of Seva Devi Negi, a resident of Kinnaur district of Himachal. The Enforcement Directorate authorities had also conducted an enquiry to know about sources through which funds were sourced for creating the infrastructure of the monastery. Most of the Tibetan properties, but for those in the name of Dalai Lama Society, are either benami transactions or encroachments on government land. In Dharamsala area, over 200 cases of encroachments on forest land have been registered against Tibetans. The cases are continuing in various courts, but hardly any action has been taken to remove the encroachments. Even about 78 properties owned by the Tibetan government-in-exile have been brought up on benami properties. Previous Congress government had adopted a policy to regularise the said properties owned by the Tibetan government-in-exile. However, the present BJP government has not moved ahead with the policy. The support groups of Tibetan exiles on the other hand have been maintaining that the state government adopted a firm policy regarding them. They alleged that the Dalai Lama society was allotted certain land in Dharamsala when the population of Tibetan exiles was just a few thousand. However, they now have been staying here for the past more than 50 years now. The population of Tibetan exiles in increasing and the younger generation is competing with locals for livelihood. Since their no policy in place to rehabilitate the increasing population of Tibetan exiles in Dharamsala, the number of benami transactions is increasing. Certain unscrupulous elements are selling lands to Tibetan exiles by taking benefit of lacunae in law. |
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Govt Cost on Engaging Pvt Counsel
Shimla, June 20 It further directed the Chief Secretary to furnish the details by way of filing an affidavit and asked him whether in such cases the government had duly looked into the justification for the engagement of a counsel other than the Advocate General/government advocates. The court also directed the Chief Secretary to clarify in the affidavit as to what was the expenditure incurred for defending government officials in contempt petition by engaging private counsel. The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary passed this order during the hearing of a contempt petition filed by Rajinder Mohan Sharma against the state for not complying with the order passed on September 9, 2010, passed in a writ petition. Sharma had filed the petition against the state for stepping up his pay at par with the pay being drawn by Indian Police Service officers, especially KK Indoria and Himanshu Mishra, who were juniors to him and had been promoted to the IPS after him. He had also demanded the arrears of salary w.e.f January 1, 2006, with the interest at the rate of 9 per cent. The petition was allowed by the court. When the aforesaid order was not complied by the state, then the petitioner had filed the present contempt petition for not complying with the order against Ajay Mittal, Principal Secretary (Home). During the hearing of the contempt petition, it came to the notice of the court that the huge amount on the account of counsel fee was being spent by the state in contempt petitions for government officials. In its previous order, the court had observed that the contempt was a personal action. It had nothing to do with the official discharge of duties. |
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4 students, intern of Tanda Medical College suspended
Kangra, June 20 It was found that they had indulged in indiscipline on June 17 night, and further action would be taken against them after the Disciplinary Committee submitted its report wihin two days. Dr Anil Chauhan, Principal, DRPGMC, said an incident of indiscipline by a few students of this college was reported on Monday morning when a final-year, part I, student was brought to the Emergency Department at 3 am with a rumour that he was ragged. But it was found that an altercation by students in a drunken condition had taken place. He said Chief Warden RK Bharti and Warden Milap had been asked to submit a report in this connection. The students had not yet been asked to vacate the hostel, Dr Chauhan said. |
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2 arrested for setting forest areas on fire
Nurpur, June 20 Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Nurpur Forest Division, JC Katoch, said the miscreant who had been identified as Ashok Kumar of Ghatta village in the Kotpalari gram panchayat was caught by field staff with the assistance of local villagers and handed over to the police. DSP Rajinder Jaswal said after preliminary investigation the accused was arrested yesterday and a case under Sections 435 and 504, Indian Penal Code, and 32-33, Forest Act, had been registered against him. The Tata Sumo jeep used in the crime was also impounded by the police. In another case, the Forest Department has also lodged a similar case against Arjun, son of Darangi Ram of Thehar, for allegedly setting Nihar-Sanoh forest on fire after recording statements of eyewitnesses. He was also arrested by the police yesterday. Meanwhile, the Divisional Forest Officer revealed that so far 85 forest fires had been reported in the forest division during the past one and a half months and First Information Reports (FIRs) had been registered at Nurpur, Indora and Jawali police stations in all fire cases.
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Half-marathon on June 24
Shimla, June 20 The 21.5-km half-marathon, for men and women, will be held on June 24 at 8 am on the Ridge. The registration for the marathon can be done is at the Police Assistance Room on the Mall here between 11 am to 5 pm daily. Registration forms can also be downloaded from HP police website, www.hppolice.nic.in. There will be three separate events, viz 21.5-km half marathon, 10-km mini-marathon and 3-km dream run.
— TNS
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SFI demands roll back of fee hike in DAV College
Kangra, June 20 Abeshek Chandel, SFI unit secretary and SCA president, in a statement here today said the meeting regarding the roll back of the fee hike between the SFI-led SCA of DAV College and the college management remained inconclusive today. He said from June 21 to 23 the SCA would launch a signature campaign in support of their demand. — OC
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