Shimla, November 4
A group of old Ranji players today demanded immediate restoration of the democratic character of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA). They alleged it had been converted to a captive organisation by BJP MP Anurag Thakur by changing its constitution.

Joining hands to form the Himachal Cricketers Welfare Forum under former state Ranji Captain Vijay Sain, they pointed out that by inducting 25 life members, 17 of which were from outside the state, the HPCA had been dominated by “outsiders” and it was promoting the interests of the “outsiders”. They alleged that even former Chief Minister PK Dhumal was made the chief patron and was bestowed with voting right. Even coaches, managers and other supporting staff were from outside the state and they were paid huge amounts, they charged.

A deputation of the forum led by Sain met Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh here today and hailed the takeover of the HPCA properties.

The delegation urged him to take immediate steps to restore the democratic character of the sports body. The Chief Minister said the government had no intention to takeover any sports body or association but it was committed to ensure fair play and transparency in their functioning.

The Chief Minister said he had enacted the Sports Act to ensure proper democratic set up and to make elections mandatory for all the sports bodies, which was repealed by the previous BJP government.

As many as 24 players with fake school certificates or fake bona fide Himachali certificates had been detected and the Vigilance Department was already inquiring into the matter. A case had also been field in the high court by Vikramjit Malik and Kuldeep Diwan, two current Ranji players, Sain said while releasing the details of alleged irregularities under the HPCA.

He said players from outside the state were selected to represent Himachal in various tournaments at the cost of state players.

Anurag earned the dubious distinction of selecting himself as the captain of the state team in the capacity of the chairman of the selection committee in 2000, something unheard of in the world of sports, the forum alleged.

The forum also questioned why the HPCA raised a loan of Rs 12 crore from a bank in Jalandhar against properties in Himachal and what was the need when it was claiming that its annual budgets was over Rs 25 crore and the BCCI was giving liberal funds to it.

Putting in place a democratic body was essential to bring transparency and accountability in the administration of cricket and to protect the interests of the upcoming players of the state, who were being handed out a “raw deal” by the HPCA, the forum said.

The government should act fast and take required steps in the matter so that the game of cricket could be promoted in the interest of the state and its people, it said.

The hype created about cricket did not match with the performance of the state and despite a large number of outside players, it was placed at the second place from the bottom and the team got relegated from the Elite Group to the Plate Group, which was the lowest in standing, the forum added. 

Shimla, November 4
The district units of the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) has condemned the statements issued by certain political leaders against it and its president, particularly with regard to its constitution, functioning and conversion into a company.

The presidents and secretaries of the units alleged that a section of the leadership was bent upon taking over the control of the cricket association under one pretext or the other and defaming the association and its president by levelling frivolous allegations and registering false cases was a part of the conspiracy.

Certain leaders who had no knowledge about working of a sports body and never played the sport were spreading misinformation to achieve their nefarious ends, they alleged.

They asserted that these leaders would not succeed in their “ulterior motives” as the people of the state were aware of the truth and would “expose all those who were trying to misinterpret facts to serve their vested interests”.

The association had grown over the past 13 years and its annual budget had swelled from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 20 crore and it had now assets of over 150 crore. It had thrown up world class players like Sushma Verma, Prashant Chopra, Paras Dogra and Ankush Bains. It had built four international and national stadiums in 10 years and it would develop 10 more in the next 10 years, one each at the district.

The HPCA was a non-profit company formed under Section 25 of the Companies Act, the same thing as a society but more transparent and professional in its working, duly incorporated and registered. All the requisite permissions from the BCCI, company law board and various law bodies have been taken. The company has also taken permissions from various departments of the state government for operating a club and a hotel.

Dharamsala, November 4
Residents of Kalyara village near Dharamsala have adopted a resolution against the sale or consumption of intoxicants or narcotics in their area. Village pradhan Balbir Singh today said that the village adopted the resolution against the sale of intoxicants such as cigarettes, gutka or alcohol in their area in the panchyat today.

“We have served notice on those selling these products in the village,” he said.

The village panchayat has taken the decision to curb the addiction of habit-forming substances among youth of the area.

Members of the panchayat met the senior police authorities at Dharamsala today to seek their support for the decision.

The village pardhan said they had issued notice to those selling intoxicants in the village. The police was also informed regarding the decision and told to prevent any law and order problem in case the shopkeepers do not desist from selling such products.

Though smoking at public places has been banned in the state, the sale of cigarettes still prevalent in the state. The youth are getting more addicted to cheap intoxicants such as gutka. Since gutka products are available at just Rs 2 to Rs 5, youth are getting more addicted to them.

The panchayat of Kalyara village has taken a positive step in checking the sale of these intoxicants. However till a collective action is taken by the community, it is difficult for the law enforcement agencies to curb the sale of such intoxicants.

Shimla, November 4
To make the ‘Queen of Hills’ a more safe place to live in, especially for the elderly, the Shimla police will undertake security audit covering all the 50,000 households with special thrust on registration of all the senior citizens and domestic help.

Aimed at making the town safer, the Shimla police will begin the task of registration next week. Police personnel posted in 30 beats falling under five police stations in the town will be asked to personally visit all the persons above the age of 65 years and counsel them regarding their safety and that of their valuables.

“Our endeavour is to check crime, especially during the winters when a large number of people are out of the town. For this, we will counsel and advice people to voluntarily opt for registration and adopt other precautionary measures,” Abhishek Dular, Superintendent of Police, Shimla, said.

He said under the registration of the senior citizens, their photographs, telephone numbers, their domestic helps as well as details of their tenants would be compiled. “Our beat constable and senior police officials will visit them and provide their numbers so that in case of an emergency, senior citizens can contact them,” he said. “They will be asked to inform the police whenever they go out of the town and leave their house unattended,” he added.

Despite similar campaigns by the police urging the residents to get their domestic helps registered with the police, so far only 100 names have been registered. In most cases it has been witnessed that the domestic help or other helpers working in the house take advantage of the age of the elderly couples and dupe them.

The police will also collect complete details of tenants residing in the houses so that in case of a crime, the police knows whom to contact. “We will counsel people to make their houses more secure by installing close circuit cameras, have back doors or alternate routes properly sealed and not leave cash or gold in a locked home,” said Dular.

The police said another important aspect of the security audit would be educating and cautioning people against fraudsters, who operate through landlines, SMS service or through advertisements. The number of cases where people have been duped after being lured to invest in financial and gold scheme is also on the rise. 

Dharamsala, November 4
Women is Himachal can travel free of cost within the state tomorrow on the occasion of Bhai Dooj festival. Minister for Transport, Food and Civil Supplies and Technical Education GS Bali stated this while addressing a press conference here today.

Bali said women could travel free of cost on HRTC buses from morning to evening within the state tomorrow. The concession had been extended for ordinary buses. The government had decided to extend this benefit to women who want to visit their brothers on the occasion of Bahi Dooj festival, Bali said.

He said 5,000 quintal extra sugar was required at public distribution shops (PDS) during the festival season in the state this month. Out of this, 25 per cent had already arrived at the godowns of the Food and Civil Supplies Department. The depots holders had been directed to lift sugar from godowns for supply to the common public, he said.

The supplies of pulses had also been received and the PDS owners had been directed to lift the supplies from godowns, the minister said.

Sundernagar, November 4
The NTPC has again failed to meet the target to start impounding the reservoir of the 800-MW Kol Dam project even after nine years. The foundation stone of the 800-MW Kol Dam project, the first hydroelectricity project undertaken by the NTPC, was laid by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on June 5, 2000.

It was scheduled to be executed in 2008, but was rescheduled for March 2014. The Sutlej was diverted on October 31, 2004 through Lav and Kush tunnels.

A visit to the dam site revealed that much of the work like completion of control gates, spillway and fillip bucket was yet to be completed.

An NTPC source revealed that the NTPC wanted to start the impounding in November. Some engineers were of the opinion that starting the impounding without completion of work would be against norms and dangerous. Public information officer Parveen said no date for impounding was fixed. 

Manali, November 4
A pall of gloom descended on the village, which was celebrating Diwali, when news came about the road accident. Three persons, including two children, were killed, while 13 others injured after a Tata Sumo, in which they were travelling, rolled down into a gorge, near Barnot village, in Naggar yesterday.

Three of a family lost their lives in the mishap. The deceased, identified as Uday Prakash and his children, Gopal Sagar (3) and Hitesh (1), along with other persons of the same village were on their way back to the village after attending a marriage.

Villagers rushed to the spot after hearing the screams of the victims. The injured were rushed to the Zonal Hospital, Kullu.

As many as 11 people from the neighbouring Nathan village had died on the same link road after their jeep fell into a gorge on June 18.

Solan, November 4
With the Ministry of Commerce and Industries making it mandatory for investors to verify their claims of plant and machinery through various nationalised banks, claims of hundreds of investors for availing capital investment (CI) subsidy has been delayed.

According to new directions, investors have been directed to get claims of plant and machinery installed at units verified from various nationalised banks. Since these banks are reluctant to assess claims of units which have not availed loans from them, investors failed to comply with the new requirement.

Even self-financed units faced this problem as the nationalised banks were not keen to invest time in assessing the claims of plant and machinery installed by them.

The CI subsidy was available to the new industrial units which had invested in the state after the grant of the 2003 Central industrial package and was available at the rate of 15 per cent of their investment in plant and machinery subject to a ceiling of Rs 30 lakh. The existing units were also entitled to avail this subsidy on their substantial expansion.

“Though the industrial units were routinely availing this subsidy after completing formalities, they have been facing problems to get their claims after the expiry of the industrial package in March 2010,” said Arun Rawat, vice-president, Confederation of Indian Industries, Himachal Chapter.

He added that the new instructions of the ministry had made the procedures cumbersome and subsidies were now pending for over a year. He said the new directions were a measure to reject the claims rather than select them.

Another investor Bhupinder Sharma said, “It has been over a year since my claim of Rs 30 lakh is pending and I have been trying to address all the issues raised by the authorities at the earliest but I was yet to get this subsidy”.

The subsidy had lapsed in January this year and the investors were filing claims for their earlier investments as such claims were generally filed within a year, he said.

However, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma had announced continuation of the CI subsidy till March 31, 2017, during his visit to the state on September 8. This subsidy was a major component of the expired industrial package.

Bilaspur, November 4
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh arrived to a rousing reception when he was repeatedly garlanded and welcomed by slogan-shouting crowds led by Congress general secretary Ram Lal Thakur, local MLA Bambar Thakur and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Rajesh Dharmani here on Thursday.

Virbhadra was all praise for the sacrifices of Bhakra Dam oustees which had brought prosperity to neighbouring states, though oustees themselves were still suffering pangs of their uprootment.

He said the state government had decided that now in future no hydro power project would be allowed to form a lake like the Gobind Sagar and all projects would be river type so that people were saved from uprootment.

The Chief Minster said the government had decided to legalise their encroached land in the town into a freehold up to 150 sq yds at token money of Re 1 per sq yd. But, he added that they would have to vacate all remaining encroached land to get this benefit.

He said the government was on the lookout to provide land for plots inside town or near about to give plots to the remaining oustees while he was to give 118 plots to as many families here today. He declared that plots would be allotted to the remaining oustees within two years.

He declared that all Valmikis who had been living here for last several years would be allotted plots and the government would construct houses on these plots.

He also said steps would be taken to see that work on much-awaited Berry Dadollan bridge here was started at the earliest.

Ram Lal, Rajesh Dharmani and Bambar also addressed the function. 

Kangra, November 4
A felicitation function on Friday was organised by the management, staff and students of Pandit Anant Ram Degree College, Baroh, to express gratitude to GS Bali, Transport and Technical Education Minister, for facilitating takeover of this college by the government for which an agitation was going on for quite some time.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had announced taking over of the college by the government during his recent visit to the town. The Chief Minister, in a press conference held yesterday, said it was a conditional takeover. The management should donate land and infrastructure to the government for the college, he said.

Aman Walia and Naveen Sood, members of the college staff, said the function was organised to express thanks to Bali, who represents the area as an MLA too, for his consistent help.

The minister apprised the people of the efforts made by the students, staff and local people to save the college. He also thanked Bali Ram Sharma for donating the land and building required for taking over of the college. 

Manali, November 4
There is no doctor at the Government Ayurvedic Health Centre, Vashisht. Only a Class-IV employee is managing the centre for a long time as all the posts at the centre have been lying vacant.

The government had opened an ayurvedic health centre in Vashisht village about 15 years ago. Two years ago, villagers helped the centre’s functioning by paying its rent with the help of two village committees, including a local temple committee. Later, the centre got its own building on August 6, 2000, after Lal Chand, a local resident, donated land for a good cause. Since then the staff crunch was the major problem at the health centre.

The health centre has five posts — doctor, pharmacist, midwife, auxiliary nurses midwife (ANM) and Class-IV employee. But, only a Class-IV employee has been managing the centre since May, 2013. For the past 15 years, the centre never had a doctor, pharmacist and ANM together.

Villagers and tourists are disappointed as they cannot avail of the facilities of the centre without a specialist.

District ayurvedic officer Dr Baldev Awasthi said orders had been passed to fill the post of a pharmacist soon while higher authorities had been informed to fill the posts of doctor and other staff.

Ahead of the winter season, villagers have requested the government to fill the posts of doctor and other staff for the convenience of residents of Vashisht, Koshla, Mathiana, Chadhiari, Kanchnikoot and domestic and overseas tourists.

Siund (Kullu), November 4
After establishing that “100 trucks of fake cement were shown delivered at the 800-MW Parbati II stores here”, the CBI suspects that the cement supplies meant for use in this project may be diverted to the 520-MW Parbati-III as the NHPC has awarded “Parbati II to Gammon India Limited with material while the Parbati III was awarded to the same company without material”.

“The CBI has established that 100 trucks of cement meant for Parbati II were shown to be fakely lifted from the NHPC Chandigarh stores, but these never reached the Parbati-II stores here,” said a senior CBI official here on Friday.

CBI suspicion gained credence as the NHPC, which is executing both the projects on the Parbati river, has awarded both contracts to Gammon India Limited. The CBI found that the NHPC has awarded “Parbati II to Gammon India with materials, while without materials to Parbati III” raising suspicion.

Recently, the CBI questioned key NHPC officials in the scam, who were booked under Sections 420, 468, 471 of the IPC and Sections 13/2 and 13/8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act in Shimla last year.

Top CBI officials here confirmed that 100 trucks of cement lifted from Chandigarh stores were sown to be delivered at Parbati II project stores, but these never reached here.

“Now the question is whether the cement meant for the project was actually sold. We are investigating whether the cement meant for Parbati II is diverted to Parbati III as the contractor is the same,” said a senior CBI official.

Parbati project-II has been running almost 10 years behind. It took the CBI almost seven months to register a case at its Shimla police station.

Dalhousie, November 4
On the eve of Diwali, 12 persons were arrested for gambling by the police during raids conducted at different places in the Salooni and Chowari areas of the district. These persons were later released on bail, a police report received here today said.

It said the gamblers had been identified as Rajinder, Ambika, Lal Chand, Naresh, Palam Kumar, Amar Singh, Chanalu Ram, Jameet Singh of the Salooni area and Rajdeen, Kakudeen, Bashirdeen and Yasheen Mohd of the Chowari area. A sum of Rs 5,850 had been recovered from their possession on the spot, the report said. It said cases under various Sections of the Gambling Act had been registered against them.

Nurpur, November 4
Following the directions of a court, the local police on Saturday registered a case of dowry harassment against Amit Sharma and four of his family members of Rehan near here.

Mamta Sharma of Nurpur, who was married to Amit Sharma in 2008, had approached the court with her complaint that she was being mentally tortured by her husband and members of his family for bringing insufficient dowry.

DSP Rajiv Atre said a case under various Sections of the IPC had been registered against five persons after the court’s directions. — OC

Bilaspur, November 4
Lata Devi (32) of Jablyana village, Nanawan, died of snakebite at the IGMC, Shimla, last evening. Reports said Lata, a panchayat member, was bitten by a poisonous snake. She was first rushed to the Regional Hospital, Bilaspur, and then to the IGMC, Shimla, after her condition deteriorated about five days ago.

The deceased has left behind two little children. Village led by former Zila Parishad member Jitender Chandel, former BDC member Pawan Thakur and panchayat vice-president Hari Ram have urged the district administration to provide immediate financial grant to the bereaved family. — OC