Shimla, February 26
The 24 newly elected first-time legislators elected to the Himachal Vidhan Sabha are undergoing a three-day orientation seminar which started at the Lok Sabha secretariat in New Delhi today.

Speaking on the occasion, Speaker, Himachal Assembly, Brij Bihari Lal Butial said the orientation programme was a must for the new legislators as they would be made familiar with parliamentary practices and procedures.

Butail hoped that this orientation programme would not only help the legislators to know about the role of legislators, but also make them aware about decency and decorum to be maintained in the House.

Butail thanked Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar for conducting the orientation programme for first-time legislators of the Himachal Assembly. 

Shimla, February 26
The Education Department has decided to review the norms on the strength of students for starting streams and subjects at the senior secondary level. Instead of introducing more subjects with the student strength, new streams will be added so that students can have more options.

“Under existing norms, students have problems in choosing combinations. For instance, economics cannot be introduced without mathematics. A better option will be to introduce combinations. While framing new norms, subjects and streams will be introduced on the basis of student strength, but care will be taken to ensure that proper combinations are available,” said Dinkar Burathoki, Director for Education.

At present, schools up to class XII having up to 50 students offer only six subjects in the arts stream, which are English, informatics practice, physical education and Hindi and two out of history, political science, economics and mathematics. One more subject is taught at schools with an enrolment of between 51 and 75 students.

Three subjects are allowed out of history, political science, economics, mathematics, music, Sanskrit, geography and sociology with home science only at schools for girls. If science and commerce streams are functional, either economics or mathematics is the seventh subject.

Schools with between 76 and 100 students have one more subject. An additional subject is allowed for the increase in every 40 students. If the school management committee wants to start a new subject beyond norms, it can engage a teacher with the approval of the Education Department.

Under new norms, only six subjects will be allowed in the arts stream in schools having up to 50 students. The number of subjects will be increased keeping in view the combinations. The commerce stream will be started at schools having an enrolment of over 100. The science stream will be introduced at schools having more than 150 students.

Shimla, February 26
The high-powered committee constituted to review the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Himachal Pradesh and Punjab for the Naina Devi-Anandpur Sahib ropeway project has decided to seek the opinion of the Law Department and get a fresh viability assessment done before arriving at a final decision.

The committee headed by Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy met here today to have a relook at the project perceived to be lopsided and in favour of Punjab. Legal opinion is being sought with regard to rescinding the MoU as Himachal Pradesh is keen to go it alone and get more revenue instead of sharing it with Punjab.

Director, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Subhashish Panda, who is the member-secretary of the committee, has been told to submit a viability report at the earliest. The other members of the committee are the Secretaries for Law, Public Works Department and Finance and a representative of the Himachal Pradesh Infrastructure Development Board.

With barely 274.58 metres of the 3,751-metre-stretch of the ropeway in Punjab, it is being felt that sharing revenue on a 50:50 basis is lopsided and not in the interest of Himachal Pradesh. The matter has been discussed and the government is keen to cancel the MoU signed here on July 26 last year in the presence of the two Chief Ministers.

“While Punjab will get a major part of the earnings by way of the amusement park and other facilities at the takeoff point at Rampur, Himachal Pradesh will have to contend itself with the profit from earnings from the ropeway which will be shared equally by the two neighbouring states,” an official said.

Once the final report of the committee is submitted, the government is likely to cancel the MoU and go it alone. As per surveys conducted by some private agencies, the ropeway is equally feasible and more in the interest of Himachal Pradesh if Toba is the takeoff point. The cost of the project is about Rs 85 crore.

Of the 70 lakh pilgrims who visit the Naina Devi temple in Bilaspur district every year, 90 per cent are from Punjab. As per the MoU, the ropeway will have three terminals, one each at Rampur in Punjab and Toba and Naina Devi in Himachal Pradesh. It will ferry at least 800 persons per hour with a tariff of Rs 150.

Mandi, February 26
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders will reportedly be dwarfed by the BJP move of creating five new organisational districts. The BJP will appoint new district presidents for the 17 organisational districts on March 1.

The move will reduce the political mileage and bargaining power of Shanta Kumar in Kangra district, Jai Ram Thakur in Mandi district and Suresh Bhardwaj and Narender Bragta in Shimla district, claim party members.

Supporters of PK Dhumal and JP Nadda support the move on new districts. Dhumal is from Hamirpur district and Nadda from Bilaspur district which are smaller and lack bargaining power, claim party workers who have opposed the move.

The creation of the Sundernagar organisational district will reportedly dwarf the stature of ambitious leaders from Mandi district like Jai Ram and they will not enjoy a direct say in the new district.

Party workers ask why did the party lose the elections in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts if it had lost only on account of bigger districts. It should quell the factional fight, they add. “The party has decided to go ahead with new districts. There is no question of opposing it now. Organisational elections for district presidents are due on March 1,” says Jai Ram.

Many district units and mandals have reportedly not fully supported the creation of new districts. The rank and file in Shimla district are reportedly not happy with dividing the district, claim sources.

The party units at the state and national levels have imposed their will on the party cadres to go ahead with the implementation of the decision on new organisational districts, claim insiders.

Former minister Gulab Singh Thakur of Jogindernagar has claimed that the party is united and the state executive has unanimously created the new organisational districts.

He has added that BJP leaders say the experiment had worked to its advantage in Bihar and Chhattisgarh and the only item on the agenda was to strengthen the party.

Bilaspur, February 26
Hundreds of oustees affected by the Kol Dam project from the districts of Mandi, Shimla and Solan, besides Bilaspur, held a demonstration in the town today.

They carried banners and placards displaying their demands and raised slogans against the Kol Dam management of the NTPC and the district administration.

They alleged that both had collaborated in trying to end forcefully their peaceful agitation and the latter had tried to vitiate the atmosphere at the dam site.

They criticised the imposition of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code at the dam site. Led by coordinator Babu Ram Thakur, their leaders addressed a rally in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office.

They alleged that the police had filed false and fabricated cases against many to frighten them. They claimed that such tactics would not succeed in putting to an end the agitation.

They announced the launch of a 24-hour-chain fast outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Ten women proceeded on a 24-hour fast amid noisy slogans. They said their agitation would continue till their demands were accepted.

Dharamsala, February 26
World Spay Day was organised at the Sub-Divisional Veterinary Hospital here today. The event was organised to create awareness among pet owners regarding upkeep of their pets and getting them spayed and neutered free of cost.

Dr Sujay Sharma, Dr Atul Puri, Dr Gaurav Mahajan, Dr Mukesh Mahajan, SVO, Dharamsala, performed 12 ovariohysterectomy procedures and three castrations. The animals were also given anti-rabies vaccine shots.

It was organised under the guidance of Dr Rishi Raj Khajuria, Deputy Director, Dr Kushal Chand Katoch, Assistant Director, and Dr Anil Gupta, Assistant Director of the hospital.

Spaying refers to performing ovariohystrectomy (removal of uterus and ovaries in females) so that they are no longer in a position to give birth. Castration is performed in males. Both the procedures are collectively called neutering.

Stray dogs menace is a great problem everywhere in the country. In India one person dies every 30 minutes due to rabies. Around seven million people in the country are bitten by rabid animals every year and about 20,000 deaths in a year are caused by rabies here.

Dr Katoch said the control of stray dogs was earlier done by killing them (mass euthanasia), but now as per the directions of the Supreme Court, mass euthanasia of dogs was replaced by systematic ABC-AR (animal birth control- anti rabies vaccination).

He said veterinary hospital at Dharamsala had undertaken the ABC programme for the last four years by involving local NGOs like HNS and Tibet Charity. Till date, 634 castrations and 850 ovariohystrectomy procedures had been carried out, he said.

Dharamsala, February 26
Tibetans in exile here held a candle-light march as the death toll due to self-immolations by Tibetans in Tibet rose to 107.

Three young Tibetans immolated themselves in Tibet in three separate incidents in apparent protest against ongoing Chinese brutal repression in Tibet.

Yesterday, 21-year-old Phakmo Dhondup set himself on fire at the Jakhung Monastery in Tsongon area, eastern Tibet. Resident monks immediately took him to a nearby hospital. It is not known whether he survived his burn injuries or not, sources here said.

They further alleged that in another incident yesterday at around 1.30 pm Tibet time, 27-year-old Tsezung Kyap immolated himself in front of the Shitsang monastery. He died instantly, according to sources from Tibet.

Tsezung Kyap’s self-immolation is the sixth such incident from Luchu district of the Amdo region in eastern Tibet. Tsezung was a cousin to self-immolator Pema Dorjee, who died in a similar fiery protest in the same region on December 8, 2012.

In a third case in the Ngaba area of the Amdo region, 19-year-old Sangdak immolated today. No further information is available.

“It pains us deeply to see the rising number of self-immolations in Tibet. It is time for the international community to intervene and help Tibetans stop self-immolations,” said Tashi Lamsang vice-president of the Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, Dharamsala. He further said, “The global trade with China not only ignores Tibetans’ suffering, but the trade money also helps China maintain repressive military oppression in Tibet”.

The Regional Tibetan Youth Congress, the Regional Tibetan Women’s Association, Dharamsala, and the Students for a Free Tibet participated in the candle-light march held here today.

Kangra, February 26
The Anti-Ragging Committee of Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (DRPGMC), Tanda, today expressed concern over the increasing alcohol and drug usage among students.

The meeting was chaired by Dr Anil Chauhan, Principal of the college, and attended by all the members. It was suggested in the meeting that in consultation with students, other activities like yoga, sports and music should be introduced and space and other facilities should be provided to them by the college management.

It was decided to make a faculty member in charge of different squads to conduct raids on hostels during nights.

Dr Chauhan said a new chief warden would be appointed by the government and he would appoint wardens after seeking suggestion from faculty members.

The committee expressed concern about accommodating the new batch of 100 MBBS and 50 postgraduate students in the coming session as accommodation for them was not available.

The meeting was told that 32 CCTV cameras would be installed in the hospital building and other parts of the college. It was also decided to raise check posts at different places of the college.

Stress was laid on holding workshops on change of lifestyle and communication skills so that there should be a better communication between teacher and student and doctor and patient.

The committee was told that Aman Kachroo Day would be observed on March 8 this year. Those who attended the meeting included Dr Kshema Metre, national director, CORD, R Ghautam, additional director, TMC, DSP Dinesh Kumar, member secretary Dr Parveen Sharma, media representative Ashok Raina and other faculty members and SCA members of both the MBBS and nursing students.

Nurpur, February 26
Ex-Naib Subedar Uttam Singh of Dogra Regiment and resident of Gharoh village in Kangra district after running from pillar to post for 39 years got justice through the Armed Forces Tribunal’s Regional Bench at Chandigarh. He was awarded honorary rank of Naib Subedar in 1974. He retired as Naib Subedar the same year. But the Army authorities denied him his new rank pension.

Even after approaching the Army authorities several times, this 77-year-old ex-Army man did not get justice. He filed his petition for a revised pension to the Armed Forces Tribunal’s Regional Bench at Shimla through his counsel last year.

The tribunal accepted the petition and directed the Army authorities to grant a revised pension of Naib Subedar rank to petitioner Uttam Singh with effect from January 2006 onwards within the next three months.— OC

Bilaspur, February 26
The police here has claimed to have solved the murder mystery of an 18-year-old girl of Bhated village, near Naina Devi, yesterday.

According to reports, the police has arrested Balbir Singh of Meoth village under Tarwaad gram panchayat, and his paramour for the murder. The body of the victim, Champa Devi, was found from a nearby jungle.

The police said Balbir, with whom the deceased was engaged some time ago, had fallen in love with Champa’s cousin during his several visits to her house. According to the police, the accused called Champa to the jungle where both Balbir and his paramour killed her.

After committing the crime, Balbir consumed poison at night. When his condition deteriorated, his family rushed him to a nearby hospital, where his condition is said to be out of danger.

The police said both the accused had confessed to their crime and were later arrested.

Sundernagar, February 26
The police has arrested three persons and recovered 115 logs of pine tree from three different places in Sundernagar Forest Division.

Mandi SP RS Negi said the police recovered 23 logs from two tractors on February 24. The police recovered 18 more logs on February 25. However, 74 more logs were recovered from the Sainji area of Jai Devi Range of Sundernagar Forest Division today.

A case under Section 379, IPC, has been registered and further investigations are on.

A deputation of local residents met the police today and alleged that the illegal felling was going on under the supervision of forest officials.