The deal
4.68 hectares of land in Kangra was purchased by Kumud Bhushan
Education Society through its secretary Prashant Bhushan.

govt stand
The HP Land Revenue Act prohibits the sale of land in the state to outsiders. The authorities of the Revenue Department have begun scrutiny of documents pertaining to the purchase of land by the society.

Shimla, February 28
While hinting that the by-election to the Mandi Lok Sabha seat vacated by him might be held with the general election next year, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said today that there would be no change in the portfolios of ministers, who had just completed two months in office.

Interacting with mediapersons here today after his return from Delhi, he said Anil Sharma, son of former minister Sukh Ram, would be inducted into the Cabinet before the budget session of the Assembly starts.

“I would like to put to rest all the speculations about a change in portfolios of ministers as there is no need for it as they have just completed two months in the office,” he said.

He admitted that some of the first-time ministers might take some time to settle down and become familiar with the official functioning. “I have asked all the ministers to be available in their office here for at least four working days in a week as this will reduce the burden which I suffer in their absence,” he said.

He said there was no change in the already approved name of Karan Singh, MLA from Banjar, for being inducted into the Cabinet, though he is likely to be administered oath only after the Assembly session.

“Some chief parliamentary secretaries (CPS) and parliamentary secretaries (PS) will be inducted later on, but this will be in a staggered manner and not in one go,” he said.

The Chief Minister said the state government had acted in accordance with law with regard to Ramdev’s project. “Let me make it clear that the UPA regime had no role whatsoever in the takeover of the campus at Sadhupul. The state government is on a very strong footing as the decision has been taken after due deliberations,” he said.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said today that the housing project approved by the BJP regime in Bemloe would come under the scanner of the government.

Dharamsala, February 28
The Dalai Lama was today conferred Doctor in Philosophy degree by Central University Himachal Pradesh on the first convocation of the institute in Shahpur, about 20 km from here.

From left: Chancellor Arun Maira, the Dalai Lama and VC Furqan Qumar at the first convocation of the CUHP at Shahpur near Dharamsala on Thursday. Photo: Kamaljeet

Speaking on the occasion, the Dalai Lama said the main purpose of education was to reduce ignorance.

“There is a difference between appearances and realty. Education can bridge this gap,” he said.

Referring to dress and other protocols being followed by the university officials during the function, the Dalai Lama said he did not like too much formality. The comment of the septuagenarian Tibetan spiritual head evoked applause from guests, especially students present at the function.

He said the main goal of every human being was to achieve a happy life. “The country has produced the greatest philosophers in the world. However, the modern education system here is ignoring its rich tradition. The Indian education system should blend its traditional knowledge with modern education to create good and happy humans,” he said.

He said corruption was becoming a problem in society as the rich tradition of the country had been ignored in the education system.

He congratulated the first pass-out batch of the institution. He advised the students that the real test of their life would begin after this and they should be prepared for it.

While accepting the doctoral degree, the Dalai Lama said he was a lazy student and did not think he deserved the honour.

While listing the achievements of the institute, Furqan Qumar, Vice-Chancellor of the university, said despite constraints, the faculty of the university had produced 200 research papers in various national and international journals.

He said the university had adopted unique model under which students studying here could opt for inter-disciplinary courses.

He said most of students who have passed out of the institute were doing well in their respective fields.

Qumar lamented the fact that the university was still functioning from its temporary campus due to non transfer of land allotted by the state government for the institute campus. However, he expressed hope that the next convocation of the university would take place on its own land if not the campus.

Arun Maira, Chancellor of Central University, thanked the Dalai Lama for gracing the first convocation of the institute.

Shimla, February 28
Concerned over a sharp decline in learning levels of students in government schools at the primary and elementary levels, the government has decided to undertake periodic third party assessment to monitor progress.

The scrapping of Class V and Class VIII and introduction of continuous board examination at system of continuous comprehensive evaluation (CCE) has proved counterproductive as is evident from the falling learning levels brought out by the Annual State of Education Report (ASER). “It is obvious that the CCE is not functioning properly and the only remedy is to put in place a credible system for monitoring the learning levels of students,” said Sanjay Murthy, Secretary, Education.

The department had decided to carry out independent evaluation of learning levels through third parties thrice a year on a quarterly basis, he said.

“To begin with, a baseline survey will be conducted to assess learning levels from Classes I to VIII in-house and the process will be completed by April. Thereafter, a third party assessment will be conducted in July, November and March,” he said.

"The new system will enable the department to pinpoint the shortcomings in teaching standards and the gaps in the learning levels. Effective steps will be taken to bridge the gaps and remove the shortcomings,” he said.

A comparison of the CCE and the independent would bring out whether the system was being followed in letter and spirit. The shortcomings in study materials and training of teachers would also be highlighted. The department would be able to device strategies to provide training to teachers to help bring qualitative improvement in education delivery in schools, Murthy said.

“The department has already prepared assessment tools to ascertain the level of understanding of mathematics, science, social sciences and languages for various classes. The outcome of the periodic assessment will enable the teachers to focus on students who were not doing well,” he said.

Other steps to be taken include laying emphasis on libraries to inculcate habit of reading among students and teachers, implementation of programme for improvement of management and leadership skills of school heads and distribution of grants to schools on the basis of their performance for which an objective criteria will be put in place.

Shimla, February 28
Notwithstanding a severe financial crisis looming large over the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC), Mayor Sanjay Chauhan today presented a tax-free budget of Rs 216.32 crore for 2013-14.

While presenting the budget in the house today, the Mayor said the MC was passing through a severe financial crisis. While the income of the corporation from various sources was Rs 113 crore, the budget reflected a deficit of Rs 31.54 crore.

He sought Rs 100 crore annually as Capital Development Grant for Shimla. He also sought an additional Rs 300 crore from the Centre and the state.

Chauhan said there was such a huge gap between the income and the expenditure of the MC that sources of additional income would have to be explored.

“While the estimated income of the MC from various grants and other heads for the current financial year is merely Rs 36.65 crore, the expenditure incurred so far is Rs 43 crore,” he said.

Despite the increasing liabilities of the MC, there was no proposal to levy any new tax during the next financial year. The MC owes Rs 163 crore to the HP State Electricity Board and the Irrigation and Public Health Department.

“As against an estimated expenditure of Rs 250 crore during the current financial year, only Rs 43 crore has been spent and by March end, this figure will touch Rs 63 crore,” he disclosed.

He added that despite having made the budgetary provision of Rs 139 crore on various development works, this amount could not be spent as the money was yet to be received from various agencies, including the government.

Though the MC budget reflects an expenditure of Rs 10.68 crore for street lights, Rs 13 crore for repair and maintenance of its properties, Rs 87 lakh for parking, Rs 1.60 crore for sewerage, Rs 50 lakh for creating dumping sites and Rs 85 lakh for providing housing to the rural poor, but the MC has no money.

The Mayor said the income of the corporation from water connections was on the decline. “To tide over this problem, we propose to charge Rs 150 per month as charges on domestic water consumption and levy 15 per cent sewerage charges, with a provision of 10 per cent hike every year,” he stated.

Mandi, February 28
Backed by the Citizens’ Council, Mandi, the general house of Shivratri has approved the shifting of the venue of cultural events from Seri Munch to Paddal, to avoid chaos and traffic congestion in the town, as the Seri Munch has only limited capacity.

There is no question of changing the venue now as the general house on Shivratri fair had, in early February, approved that the cultural events be held at Paddal stadium, said Devesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner-cum-president of the Shivratri Mela Committee.

“Seri Munch has a limited space and creates a lot of traffic hassles as it is located on the main link within the town,” he added.

But others have taken the view of the mela committee with a pinch of salt. “Shivratri is our rich cultural heritage and everybody should mingle in the fair. There is no question of inconvenience during cultural nights at Seri Munch,” said Col MK Mandyal, senior member, Rajput Sabha.

President, Citizens’ Council, Mandi, YN Vaidya backed the decision of the mela committee. “Time has changed. If we try a new venue and a stage at Paddal, there is no harm. Traffic and crowd chaos during the cultural nights had become bizarre at Seri Munch,” he added.

But the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today sat on dharna demanding special guest status to devlus of devis and devtas and retaining Seri Munch as the venue for cultural nights for the International Shivratri fair starting from March 10.

“Seri Munch is a traditional venue of the Shivratri fair and should continue like that,” said Des Raj, member AAP, who was leading the dharna. But others dubbed the AAP dharna only as a stunt to grab public attention. 

Mandi, February 28
‘Kardars’, ‘devlus’ and ‘bajantris’ of ‘devis’ and ‘devtas’ decried lack of facilities during the Shivratri fair as most of the funds are spent on cultural nights and welcoming VIPs.

As per official figures, the Shivratri Fair Committee spent Rs 84 lakh on cultural events, Rs 52 lakh on welcoming VVIPs, Rs 24.70 lakh on lodging celebrities in private hotels and Rs 7.50 lakh on sports events in 2012. It spent just Rs 34.22 lakh on ration out of the Rs 1.07 crore collected in 2012. There is no account of how much the committee is spending on artistes.

“A few fair mafias act as middlemen while hiring artistes and are in league with certain mela committee staff,” a few insiders said.

Col MK Mandiyal, senior member of the Rajput Sabha, Mandi, said ‘devis’ and ‘devtas’ were the fountainhead of the fair, but the committee failed to provide proper facilities to them.

“The funds should be utilised for their benefit rather than spending on useless activities,” he said.

Mandi Deputy Commissioner Devesh Kumar said they were now adopting a transparent system of tenders for cultural events. “We have to depend on event managers for cultural events. The committee has to strike a balance among all the stakeholders and funds are spent transparently,” he said.

He said they had proposed a Dev Sadan for ‘devtas’ on 4.10 bighas and Rs 25 lakh had been earmarked for the purpose.

“We are making arrangements for ‘devis’ and ‘devtas’ in temples, gurdwaras and schools,” Mandi ADM Pankaj Rai said.

“The committed showed an increase of 30 per cent in its funds in 2012, but failed to provide proper sheds and washrooms to devlus, kardars and bajantris,” said ‘kardars’ and ‘bajantris’.

Shivpaul, president, Kardars Sarvadevta Committee, said they had been demanding 50 per cent mela budget for ‘devis’ and ‘devtas’. Even traditional deities had to spend money from their treasuries as the mela committee provided a limited ration, he added.

YN Vaidya, president, Citizens’ Council, Mandi, said the mela committee had failed to improve basic civic amenities like toilets, parking lots and sheds for mela visitors as the existing facility was not enough for local residents. 

Mandi, February 28
Students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here will celebrate the second annual technical-cum-cultural festival Exodia on the campuses in Mandi and Kaman from March 1 to 3.

Event manager Aditya said Exodia would feature technical, cultural, literary, informal events and competitions for students from the IITs in Ropar and Kanpur and NITs in Hamirpur and Kurukshetra.

He added that technical events would comprise competitions in computer programming, making automobile from scrap, electronic circuit design and virtual stock market.

He said cultural events would include singing, dancing, documentary making, theatre and biggest band competition. He further said debate, writing, river crossing and archery would also be held.

Shimla, February 28
Terming the alleged phone tapping by the state police during the last BJP regime as a very serious and sensitive issue, the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) today demanded a high-level probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the matter.

Led by lone HLP legislator Maheshwar Singh, party leaders today met Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and made a formal request in this regard by submitting a memorandum. “We outrightly reject former Chief Minister PK Dhumal’s demand that a judicial probe be held into the matter,” said Maheshwar while addressing a press conference here today.

Accompanied by state spokesperson of the HLP Mahender Nath Sofat and newly appointed state vice-president Khushi Ram Balnatah, former BJP MLA from Rohru, Maheshwar today met the Chief Minister. “We also demand an inquiry into the dilution of Section 118, Tenancy and Land Reform Act, by the previous BJP regime to benefit a few individuals and facilitate land deals,” he alleged.

Elaborating the issue, he said changes were allegedly made in the Revenue Manual so that the mutation was done by the patwari and not publically where suggestions and objections could be filed by anyone.

The HLP leaders also sought a probe into the purchase of 108 ambulances. “Instead of making direct purchase of ambulances, carrier vehicles were bought and then these were got fabricated from Karnataka, resulting in financial loss,” alleged Maheshwar.

Sofat said even though the HLP had won only one Assembly seat, the objective of the party to keep corrupt forces out of power had been achieved. 

Hamirpur, February 28
The state government has decided to revoke its decision of withdrawing powers of municipal council presidents to sign cheques.

The decision to revoke this decision was taken by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh after the Himachal Pradesh Elected Representatives Association (HPERA) met him at Shimla today. The elected presidents of municipal councils in the state had decided to oppose the decision of the state government to withdraw their powers to sign cheques on behalf of the urban local bodies.

Kul Rakesh Pant, president of the Himachal Pradesh Elected Representatives Association Urban Local Bodies, who is also the president of the Solan Municipal Council, said, “We met the Chief Minister today to oppose this decision. But after hearing our point of view, he agreed to rescind this order and restored our powers to sign cheques”.

He said, “The Chief Minister has also directed the Urban Development Department to revoke the decision of withdrawing our powers of signing cheques”.

The HPERA had convened a meeting in Shimla today to oppose the government order and had met the Chief Minister and the Urban Development Minister.

The state government had withdrawn the powers of municipal council presidents to sign cheques last week and given these powers to executive officers and secretaries.

This decision had left municipal council presidents fuming since they were terming this as a direct move of the state government to curtail their powers.

The HPERA president thanked the Chief Minister and the Urban Development Minister for restoring their powers to sign cheques. 

Nurpur, February 28
Five persons were sentenced to imprisonment in two separate cases in Indora, near Nurpur. Hardeep Singh of Bhai-Indoria was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and fined Rs 5,000 for smuggling wood.

In another case, Girdhari Lal, Bishan Singh and his sons Budhi Singh and Joginder Singh of Tiora village got two months’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,500 for beating Sandeep Kumar and his family members of the same village.