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Hotel row: IAS officers get 10 days to file reply
Congress goes for BJP jugular
Wait for George Cross may end
New telephone directory fraught with errors |
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Residents rue delay in completion of bypass
Minister faces HRTC staff’s ire
Officers told to complete work in time
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Hotel row: IAS officers get 10 days to file reply Shimla, July 27 Sanan and Gupta were chargesheeted on Friday for allowing commercial use of land by the HPCA for construction of a hotel in Dharamsala. Sanan was the Principal Secretary (Revenue) and Gupta, Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, when the HPCA was allowed the change of land use. Action against Sanan, who is on leave, has been taken under Rule 8 of All India (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969. He has been asked to either admit or deny the allegations in the chargesheet within 10 days. He was issued a show-cause notice on March 29, 2013. Sanan had filed his reply to the notice after obtaining information under the RTI regarding Lease Rules and other Revenue laws. He has been charged with approving the use of land for commercial purpose. The land was initially leased out to the HPCA at Mauja Khaniyara by the Cabinet for construction of a residential building for players. “But the approval of land for commercial purpose was granted by Sanan at his own level by varying the earlier decision of the Cabinet for which he was not competent,” reads the chargesheet. The chargesheet also points out that there was no recommendation from the Gram Panchayat, Upparli Dari, for change of land use. Saran has been accused of abusing his position as a public servant and granting undue benefit to the HPCA. The main allegation against Gupta is that he forwarded the request of the HPCA for allowing commercial use to Financial Secretary (Revenue) without obtaining the NOC from the Gram Panchayat concerned. He has been accused of not following the proper procedure. Gupta had filed his reply to the show-cause notice on April 12, 2013.
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Congress goes for BJP jugular
Dharamsala, July 27 The hotel has been at the target of the Congress since the land for it was allotted by the previous BJP government. The HPCA is headed by Hamirpur BJP MP Anurag Thakur. The hotel was also part of the Congress chargesheet against the previous BJP government before the Assembly elections. The Tribune traced the history of events that led to the construction of the "controversial" hotel at Dharamsala. In 2009, the HPCA moved an application with the then Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, RS Gupta to take 3.28 hectares village common land on lease at Uperalidari village adjoining Dharamsala for developing residential facility for sportspersons. The application was moved as per the old lease rules of Himachal 1993. It was moved by Sanjay Sharma who was authorised for the purpose by the HPCA. The Deputy Commissioner sent the application to the Town and Country Planning Department, the Forest Department and the Dharamsala Municipal Council for getting the no objection certificate (NOC). All the said departments issued NOCs. The district administration called for objections from residents of Uperalidari. As per information available with The Tribune, the village panchayat laid conditions for leasing out the land for the HPCA. The conditions included that local residents should be given jobs, the road to the village should be maintained and the temple located in the land should not be dislocated. The application of the HPCA was forwarded to the government. The Cabinet approval for giving land on lease to the HPCA for developing residential facility for sportspersons was granted on November 16, 2009. A commercial lease amount of Rs 13,40,000 was fixed by the government for giving the land in question on lease. The HPCA then built the Pavillion hotel at the land taken on lease. The previous BJP government framed new lease rules in 2011. The new lease rules were approved by the Cabinet on July 27, 2011. After the approval of the new lease rules, the HPCA again moved an application with the Kangra DC that on non-match days it should be allowed to use the hotel for commercial purpose. In January 2012, the DC forwarded the letter to the government. Deepak Sanan, then Secretary, Revenue, allowed the use of Pavillion hotel for commercial purpose. However, for commercial use the lease amount for the hotel was increased to Rs 27 lakh per annum. The Congress has been alleging that the matter for allowing the use of hotel for commercial purpose should have been sent to the Cabinet. However, the BJP has been maintaining that under the lease rules, the Secretary was competent to allow commercial use of the hotel. Sources here said the HPCA had further sub-leased the hotel to a company for commercial use. The rational for further sub-leasing was provided under the new lease rules. Now, that the government has chargesheeted the officers involved in granting permissions for the hotel, it might initiate proceedings against the owners also. The HPCA built the hotel on a rationale that till five-star residential facilities were provided to players, international cricket matches could not be played at the international cricket stadium of Dharamsala. |
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Wait for George Cross may end
Shimla, July 27 Though the Queen’s Bench, London, had given time till December 31, 2013, for raising of £12,000 (UK) to be paid to Ashok Nath, the claimant of the medallion, with an easy flow of funds it appears that the medal may be returned soon to the widow of the valiant soldier, who was given the award. It was following an out-of-court settlement between Brahmi Devi and Nath on June 5 this year in a London court that it was decided that the medal could be returned to the widow on the payment of the amount. The medal had been given to Brahmi as in 1946 as a 13-year-old widow of Naik Kirpa Ram, who served as a “piffer” in the 8th Battalion, 13 Frontier Force, British Indian Army. “Brahmi’s lawyer Vijay Sharma has been able to raise over £10,000 and once he pays the entire amount to Nath, he intends to visit India with the medal within a month,” said SS Thakur, a close relative of Brahmi. Though Thakur did not divulge the details of donors, he said a huge sum of £8,000 had been donated by one person who could accompany Vijay to India when he comes to hand over the medal. The rest of the money had come from contributions from different people, he added. The Queen’s Bench Division in London put its stamp of approval on the agreement on June 5. The order had stated that Brahmi would pay to Nath by way of contribution to his cost and expenses £12,000, which in the default of payment by the due date - December 31, 2013 - shall be enforceable by the claimant against the defendant without order. It is solely due to the efforts of Vijay, who contested Brahmi’s case free of any charges, that the money has been raised within a short span. Nath had even sought Brahmi’s consent to auction the medal and share the proceeds with her. However, she declined the offer. It was due to the efforts of a retired bureaucrat, Shakti Singh Chandel, that the auction of the medal could be prevented in London in 2010. Later, unsuccessful efforts were made to get the medal back through diplomatic channels. |
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New telephone directory fraught with errors
Solan, July 27 Several mistakes have been noticed in the list of officials and their telephone numbers in Solan district where Nishant Negi has been shown as the DSP, Parwanoo, at one place, while there is no such officer in the district. The cellphone number pertains to Nishchint Negi who is the current DSP posted at Parwanoo. But to add to the confusion, the Sub-Division Police Officer, Parwanoo, has been listed as Rajesh Kumar on the next page, while it refers to the same post. Even the Chief Minister’s staff has not been spared of mistakes as Subhash Ahluwalia has been shown as Principal PS to the CM on page No. 1, while the same officer has also been listed as Managing Director, SC/ST Corporation, on page No. 178 where officers of Solan district are listed. The page relating to MD SC/ST Corporation on page No. 194 is listed as RK Kapoor. The directory, instead of providing information, has added to the confusion where even cellphone numbers are incorrect. A cursory look at the directory shows that even names and cellphone numbers of mediapersons are incorrect as a correspondent of a vernacular daily mentioned in the list of accredited correspondents pertaining to Solan district, who was transferred to another district, is still listed under Solan. The phone number of The Tribune reporter from Dharamsala is also incorrect. Even the designation of a few officers in the Public Relations Department is incorrect as a Deputy Director has been shown to be an Information Officer, while another official, who holds a junior rank, has been shown as a Deputy Director. Several errors in spellings are also noticeable in the directory. At a number of places, it appears to be a work in haste that has led to wastage of money and resources. |
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Residents rue delay in completion of bypass
Hamirpur, July 27 The residents are expecting to get relief from traffic congestion only after the completion of the bypass. Expressing concern over the delay, local resident Ravinder Singh said, “People of Hamirpur are eagerly waiting for the completion of the bypass as traffic congestion in the town is increasing day by day and the project has already been delayed a lot.” The project was proposed more than a decade ago in 2002 during the first term of former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, but work on the project could be started only a few years back. A 6-km-long bypass is being constructed on the National Highway (NH) No. 88 from Mattan Sidh to Krishna Nagar in
Pakka Bharo, bypassing Hamirpur town. Basically the bypass is being constructed to find an alternate route for the traffic passing through the town on NH-88 to ease traffic pressure at a cost of Rs 27 crore provided by the Ministry of Surface Transport. After the construction of this bypass, the traffic congestion will ease to a great extent since vehicles coming from the Bhota and Nadaun side will have the option of avoiding entering the town. Satish Nag, Executive Engineer, NH Division, said, “About 90 per cent work on the project had been completed and it is likely to be made operational by September.” |
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Minister faces HRTC staff’s ire
Hamirpur, July 27 Talking to mediapersons here on Thursday, he said, “Bali is solely responsible for the ban on the entry of the HRTC buses, hired under the Vat-Leasing scheme, at the Chandigarh bus stand. The minister has allowed the hiring of buses despite stiff opposition from the employees. It is a clear attempt to finish the corporation to help certain private bus players.” He said, “The corporation has failed to pay night allowance and overtime to its staff and salaries are not being paid on time, for which the minister is to be blamed.”
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Officers told to complete work in time
Mandi, July 27 Gopal Chand, ADC, Mandi, said panchayats were being asked to complete the social audits of the MGNREGA schemes and submit the reports. He also directed the BDOs to redress all MGNREGA complaints by July 31. |
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Having chargesheeted Additional Chief Secretary, Deepak Sanan and Commissioner, Inquiries, RS Gupta, in a case involving land allotment to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association, the government has asked the two officers to file their reply in 10 days.
