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Shanta blames govt for poor roads
Govt to fall under own weight: Shanta
Rajan Sushant ‘exposes’ Shanta without proof
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Sukhu says Shanta has no achievements to list
HPCA needs to be revamped: Virbhadra
Tainted leaders feel jittery
38 left in fray after withdrawal
Excise officials told to check illegal flow of liquor in state
ECI gives go-ahead to pension allowance
SSB volunteers to support Sushant
Polls over in plains, tourists now rush to the hills
Free travel in HRTC buses a promise unkept
HC lays down guidelines on ‘runaway couple’ cases
Delay in transport subsidy irks investors
Renal failure, gastric ulcer alarmingly common: Study
Workshop on faces of analysis concludes
Quantitative analysis workshop
Man held for duping woman of
Rs 25,000
Una RTO suspended
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Shanta blames govt for poor roads
Bhanjraru (Chamba), April 23 Bhanjraru is one of the remotest areas of Chamba district. It was part of the Churah Assembly constituency that is represented by BJP MLA
Hans Raj. He said the performance of the government was reflected from poor road conditions. Earlier, it was seen that the government used to maintain roads before elections. However, this time the condition of roads was very poor,
Shanta said. He said in 1977 after the Emergency, people fought elections for opposition parties. The way they were getting response from people this time, it seemed again that people were fighting elections for the NDA. Addressing a public rally in Bhanjraru, Shanta said the UPA government had shamed India. The country had been listed as the most corrupt country. Two books released by former aides of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had again shamed the country. The books illustrated how the country was plundered while the Prime Minister remained as a mute spectator. He said the Supreme Court had asked the Union Government to form a special investigation team to investigate the black money stashed in foreign banks. The Supreme Court had issued similar direction in 2011. However, for the past three years, the government did not take action. It was a shame that the Supreme Court had issued a reprimand to the government, Shanta said. Shanta said, "I praised Modi for issuing a
statement that toilets were more important than temples." Shanta also held workers' meeting in Bhanjraru and urged them to work hard till elections. It was the fourth tour of Shanta to this remote area of Chamba district.
The district, especially its remote areas, has always been the stronghold of Shanta Kumar. In this election also, Shanta Kumar was expecting a handsome lead from the four
Assembly constituencies of Chamba district. |
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Govt to fall under own weight: Shanta
Chamba, April 23 When asked to comment about the statements being made by BJP leaders that they would pull down the Congress government if the NDA government was voted to power, Shanta said it was against the principles of the BJP. "We had criticised the Congress when they pulled down the BJP government in 1992. How can we perform the act? The BJP won't act against the Constitution," Shanta said. He, however, added after the Lok Sabha elections, many forces within the Congress would try to topple the government. There was deep dissent within the party. Many leaders wanted a change in the leadership. So, the Congress government was likely to fall under its own weight, Shanta said. Responding to a query, Shanta Kumar admitted that the party made hectic efforts to rope in Maheshwar Singh, Himachal Lokhit Party president, from Mandi seat. At times, he also displayed interests in rejoining the party. However, due to unknown reasons, he refused to rejoin the BJP. The BJP ticket from Mandi also got delayed due to efforts made to persuade Maheshwar, he said. Shanta Kumar said the BJP had been strengthened in the state due to re-entry of rebels. The party had suffered in the last Assembly elections due to dissent in the party. Now that almost all rebels had returned, the party was likely to sweep all four seats in Himachal. When asked the allegations that prime ministerial candidate of BJP Narendra Modi had become stronger than the party, Shanta said if the party was voted to power, all decisions would be taken collectively. Since Modi had been declared as the PM candidate by the BJP, it was obvious that vote was being sought in his name also. However, it did not mean that the party had taken a back stage. Still all decisions in the BJP are taken collectively. He said, "I was persuaded to come back into politics and contest the elections by the party high command and Swami Ramdev." Addressing a press conference in Chamba this morning, Shanta claimed that it was for the first time that in Himachal a reversal in the trend was being observed. The fact was exhibited by difference in attendance in the rally of Modi in Sujanpur and Rahul Gandhi in Nurpur. While over one lakh people attended the rally of Modi despite bad weather, just about 25,000 people attended the rally of Rahul at Dharamsala, he said. |
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Rajan Sushant ‘exposes’ Shanta without proof
Dharamsala, April 23 Sushant had given Shanta time till 3 pm today to come for open debate with him pending which he had threatened to expose him on corruption. Today Sushant turned up at Gandhi Stadium in Palampur around 4 pm. He had arranged two dais. However, Shanta was away campaigning in the tribal areas of Chamba district. Sushant levelled allegations of corruption against Shanta Kumar. However, most of his allegations pertained to the Vivekanand Medical and Research Trust (VMRT) that is headed by Shanta Kumar. Sushant alleged that two Chinese companies had donated Rs 35 lakh each for the VMRT. He also alleged that many corporate houses, including Adani and Reliance, have given donations to the VMRT. Sushant, however, did not provide any documentary evidence to mediapersons to substantiate his allegations. Shanta has already clarified on the issue of the VMRT. He has maintained that he was just a symbolic head of the VMRT and the trust also had government nominees. He had maintained that he had not taken any personal benefit from the VMRT. Sushant also alleged that during his stint as CM, Shanta allegedly helped transfer some land in the name of his son against the rules. However, Sushant did not provide any documentary proof. Sushant also threatened the media and said it was not publishing his views. He said the media was playing in the hands of those in power. |
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Sukhu says Shanta has no achievements to list
Nurpur, April 23 Sukhu urged voters in Nurpur and Indora Assembly segments of Kangra district to reject a person who, despite being the chief minister, had failed to do anything substantial for the state. “He is making tall promises to the people of Kangra but when he was the chief minister, he would say “asambhav” (impossible) for every work so people should not be misled by his false claims,” he warned the people. The Congress chief, who addressed election meetings in Fatehpur and Jawali areas yesterday, said Himachal had progressed under the Congress government. “It is due to the efforts of the Congress that Himachal has been ranked on the top in health, education and infrastructure development,” he remarked. He said the Congress was seeking votes on the basis of performance. “The Virbhadra regime in its 15-month rule too had taken several steps such as providing Skill Development Allowance, enhancing daily wages and social security pensions and opening three new medical colleges in Chamba, Sirmour and Hamirpur,” he said. Sukhu said in sharp contrast to the Congress, the BJP was banking only on Modi as he had become larger than life and was overshadowing his own party and all other leaders. |
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Modi will never be PM, says CM
Palampur, April 23 The Chief Minister, who was addressing an election meeting at Pharehar, 10 km from here, said the BJP was contesting elections only over 350 seats mostly in North India. In southern part of the country, the BJP had no existence, therefore, the BJP alone could not get more than 150 seats. He stated that at the same time the BJP, except the Shiv Sena and the Akali Dal, had no other alliance partners who could support it after elections. He stated that even after the elections, it would not be possible for the NDA to get the support of 272 MPs. Virbhadra said even within the BJP, there were a number of leaders who were opposed to Modi and they did not want to see him as the PM. He said BJP leaders were misleading the public over providing a stable government. He clarified that the UPA, which remained in office for 10 years, provided a stable government and brought a number of laws for the welfare of people. He said MGNREGA, the Food Security Bill, the Land Acquisition Bill and the RTI brought revolution in the country. He said economic policies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saved India from economic disaster during the global economic crisis between 2009 and 2011. Making scathing attacks on former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, he said it was the BJP which brought the culture of political corruption to the state. He said when the BJP ruled the state, it ruined the system of governance. He said his government would punish the corrupt BJP leaders involved in the HPCA, phone-tapping, shoe purchase scams. He said the government had also ordered the probe into all benami land deals. Besides, taking over such properties, persons involved would also be prosecuted by the government, he
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HPCA needs to be revamped: Virbhadra
Shimla, April 23 The Chief Minister addressed an election meeting at Kandraur in favour of Congress candidate from Hamirpur Rajinder Rana. “The decision of the BCCI to appoint Sunil Gavaskar as the president of the board is a welcome step and something similar needs to be done in Himachal as well,” he remarked. Launching an attack on Anurag Thakur and former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, he alleged that the two had illegally occupied land worth crores under the garb of the HPCA by converting it from a society into a company through forged means. “They got the company registered in Kanpur but I want to clarify that our government will not allow anyone, howsoever mighty he may be, to illegally occupy even an inch of government land,” he remarked. Hitting out at Dhumal, he said he was propagating to dislodge the state government time and again after May 16 and by doing so he was not only disobeying the provisions of the code of conduct but also shows his lack of knowledge of the constitutional provisions. “The Congress came to power with full majority due to the mandate given by the people of the state so no one can dislodge our government,” he said. Virbhadra said Dhumal was making such baseless statements out of frustration and in anticipation of the defeat of his son Anurag Thakur. “Dhumal has deteriorated the level of politics and was doing politics of vendetta by misleading the people for his personal motives,” he alleged. He appealed to the people to vote in favour of Rana, who was a deserving person. “During his brief stint as an MLA for 15 months, he has proved that he is a dedicated person who serves people and solves their problems,” he said. |
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Tainted leaders feel jittery
Shimla, April 23 Both BJP and Congress leaders in the state have been levelling serious corruption charges against each others and criminal cases registered against many elected representatives. There are allegations of corruption against several leaders but no cases have been registered and if the process of sending the guilty to jail is hastened, there will be demand for booking all leaders facing corruption allegations, said a BJP leader. The process of trading charges will become a continuous process after the government targeted the elected representatives allegedly involved in criminal cases and atmosphere will be vitiated, said another leader owing allegiance to the Congress. However, the state Secretariat member of the CPM and Shimla Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor Tikender Singh Pawar dubbed it as a political gimmick and said if he was serious about it, he should follow the motto of "Charity begins at home". |
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38 left in fray after withdrawal
Shimla, April 23 In Kangra, there are 12 candidates while in Mandi, the number of candidates stands at nine. In Hamirpur, the contest will be among 10 candidates while the lowest number of seven candidates are in the fray in Shimla. The main candidates in the fray include former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar (Kangra), two-time BJP MP from
Hamirpur Anurag Thakur. Pratibha Singh, two-time MP and wife of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, is trying her luck
from Mandi. Sitting BJP MP from Shimla Virender Kashyap is in the fray from Shimla while BJP Member of Parliament (MP) from Kangra Rajan Sushant is contesting on the Aam Aadmi Party ticket this time. Former minister Chander Kumar is the
Congress nominee from Kangra while Kamal Kanta Batra is the AAP candidate from Hamirpur. |
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Youth, first-timers to play key role
Bhanu P Lohumi Tribune News service
Shimla, April 23 They feel real issues have somewhere been lost in the election din due to aggressive media campaigns in support of top leaders such as Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi. Besides youth wings of political parties such as the Youth Congress, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the student wings such as the SFI, NSUI and ABVP are actively involved in the poll campaign. Students adorning colourful scarves having symbols of political parties around their necks is a common sight these days and a sizeable number of youth is seen in rallies of political parties. BJYM cadres are more active as their national president Anurag Thakur is seeking re-election from the Hamirpur seat, while SFI activists are aggressively campaigning for their own candidates. State Youth Congress president Vikramaditya Singh (24), son of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, is also campaigning intensively in the state to emerge as a youth leader. A large number of youth are disillusioned with the system and want to see a change. They are, however, skeptical about the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and feel that the movement launched by its leaders to cleanse politics has derailed and lost momentum. Gaurav Sharma from Solan, said: “There are no employment opportunities. Extensions and re-employment of favourites has further squeezed job opportunities and no efforts are being made by the government to create jobs in industrial and agriculture sectors.” Khushi Verma, a resident of Karsog studying at Himachal Pradesh University, said: “Employment is essentially a major issue, but privatisation of education has come as a big blow to the youth, as these universities are churning out unemployable youth. The government should focus more on the education sector and spend a significant percentage of the GDP on it.” Dinesh, a young orchardist from Khara-Patthar in Shimla, rued: “In the absence of good government schools in the area, people are forced to send their children to Shimla, Solan or Chandigarh. This increases the expenditure and burden families.” Pinki from Kotkhai, who studies in Chandigarh, said: “Political parties are wooing youngsters from rich families. Politics in rural areas is centred around influential people, which does not augur well for democracy.” Ajit Sharma, who participated in the agitation launched by Anna Hazare against corruption, is disappointed that the movement which enthused a large number of youth did not sustain. He also sat on the hunger strike. “AAP is not an alternative in Himachal and I may opt for NOTA to express my anguish,” he said. The supporters of major political are sticking to party lines. While the BJP supporters are banking on the Modi wave, the youth aligned with the Congress are projecting Rahul Gandhi as their youth icon. Ajay Thakur, ABVP state secretary, said: “Issues lend credence to leaders and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has a lot to explain about the ‘non performance’ of the UPA government during the past 10 years, and, for this reason, the youth is now with Narendra Modi.” Rimple Chaudhry, state NSUI president, however, feels that leaders, issues, ideologies and policies are equally important and the Congress stands firm on these parameters, while achievements are an advantage for the party. Meanwhile, the educated youth population feels that it is better to stay away from politics, which has become a dirty game as personal attacks by leaders have overshadowed the issues of public interest. Going by the enthusiasm of youth and campaigns by the Election Commission and political parties to motivate 100 per cent voting, the youth is likely to turn up at polling booths in a large number. FIRST-TIME VOTERS
Between 18 and 19 years: 62,133 Between 20 and 29 years: 10, 22,690 Between 30 and 39 years: 11,60, 638 Total voters in the state 47,40.044 Percentage of voters below 40 years: 48.04 per cent |
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Excise officials told to check illegal flow of liquor in state
Solan, April 23 Since elections are already through in the bordering Haryana and will take place in Punjab on April 30, the supply of liquor can be diverted to Himachal which goes to poll on May 7. Since several districts, including Una, Kangra, Solan, Chamba, Kangra and Sirmaur, share their boundary with other states, officials of the Excise and Taxation Department have been directed by the Election Commission to coordinate with their counterparts in the bordering states and share information about smuggling of liquor and stop its transportation. A circular in this regard has been sent to officials of the districts. They have been directed to ensure that liquor was neither collected in large quantities nor distributed to lure voters. Superintendent of Police, Baddi, S Arul Kumar said they had requisitioned three companies of the Central Industrial Security Force and they were slated to arrive a week before the elections. He said the situation was under control, but once the Punjab elections got over, the focus could shift to Himachal and this had necessitated the need to deploy more force after April 30. Interestingly, though Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) is known for a large-scale liquor consumption during the Vidhan Sabha poll, a little activity has being witnessed for the ensuing Lok Sabha poll. With several escape routes leading into the BBN from the neighbouring Punjab and Haryana, the BBN authorities are keen to enhance vigil to detect illegal flow of liquor as tax evaders have been frequently using such routes to evade tax. A similar situation is witnessed in the neighbouring Paonta Sahib and Kala Amb which share a border with Haryana and Uttarakhand. |
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Development is Cong poll plank: Pratibha
Bharmour, April 23 The Bharmour tribal Assembly constituency is a part of the Mandi parliamentary constituency. Pratibha said the UPA Government had brought vast development during its 10-year regime and the Congress was campaigning on development as its main poll plank for the General Election. She said Chamba was the first district in the state to have the Centrally-sponsored schemes such as Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) which had benefitted people of the area to a great extent. She said the Right to Information (RTI) Act
and the National Food Security Act were the landmark achievements of the UPA government. She said the state government had achieved new milestones of development in various fields such as skill-development allowance to unemployed youths, roads network, education and health services during a small period of one year rule under the able leadership of Virbhadra Singh. During the public rallies, Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri and Chamba zila parishad chairperson Amit Bharmouri highlighted the achievements of the UPA. ‘Virbhadra wave in state’
Chamba: There is neither Modi wave nor BJP wave, it is only ‘Virbhadra wave’ in Himachal Pradesh. Pratibha Singh, Congress candidate from Mandi, said this while addressing mediapersons at Chamba today. Denying the hype given by the BJP, Pratibha asserted that the reality could be witnessed among the masses where there was only one wave that was Virbhadra wave which would sweep all four seats in the state. |
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ECI gives go-ahead to pension allowance
Shimla, April 23 An official spokesperson of the state government said here today that the enhanced pension allowance would be given from April 1, 2014. He said 5 per cent of the basic pension or family pension would be payable to the pensioners between the age of 65 years to less than 70 years, 10 per cent of basic pension or family pension to the pensioners of 70 years to less than 75 years of age and 15 per cent of basic pension or family pension would be payable to pensioners between the age of 70 years to less than 80 years. Hari Chand Gupta, secretary general, Pensioners Welfare Association, Himachal Pradesh, had approached the ECI to allow the grant of pensionary benefits to retired employees and their families to which the Commission gave its nod. “We are grateful to the ECI as well as the Himachal Government for allowing grant of this benefit to retired people who had been awaiting its grant,” Gupta said. The official spokesperson said the pension allowance shall not form the part of basic pension or family pension for the purpose of grant of dearness relief, meaning, thereby, no dearness relief would be admissible on pension allowance. He said the pension allowance shall not be admissible to government pensioners or family pensioners who have attained the age of 80 years and above as they were already getting additional pension on their basic pension or family pension. The pension allowance would be admissible from the first day of the month in which his date of birth fell. He said the pension allowance shall also be admissible to the All-India Services Pensioners of Himachal Pradesh cadre. |
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Congress cheated people, says Satti
Una, April 23 Satti claimed the BJP was getting support of all sections of society since the Congress had cheated people for the past one decade. He said if voted to power, the BJP would make pro-businessmen policies, adding that multinational corporations would not be allowed to do retail business in the country. The BJP president said personal meetings with the electorate was the key to success during the Lok Sabha elections. BJP workers have fanned out into the people to educate them regarding the policies and programmes of the future Modi government. Satti said former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal would visit the Una sadar Assembly segment on April 27 and address five public gatherings. |
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SSB volunteers to support Sushant
Nurpur, April 23 Anand said Sushant had raised the association’s demands with the Home Ministry during his tenure as the MP. The association has directed all volunteers to render open support to him, keeping in view his contribution in raising genuine demands before the Government of India.
— OC
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Polls over in plains, tourists now rush to the hills
Manali (Mandi), April 23 AR Thakur, president of the Manali Hoteliers’ Association, said: “The flow of tourists to Manali has increased during the past few days. The parliamentary elections had kept people busy. But since the elections are over in the plains, they have started arriving. Electioneering in the state, however, is not affecting the flow of tourists.” The sporadic snowfall in the region has also helped in attracting tourists, as there is always a craze among tourists to see fresh snow on the hills. However, incessant rain during the past few days is proving to be an impediment. Vijay Thakur, a local hotelier, said: “The national highway from Kiratapur to Manali is in a very bad condition.” “The air service to Bhuntar, which became operational a few days ago, has not helped in providing an alternative mode of transportation, as many people cannot afford to travel through the air as the fare is quite high. The airfare to Srinagar from Delhi is just
Rs 4,000, but it costs about Rs 10,000 to Bhuntar,” he added. Ashwani Kumar, District Tourism Officer, said: “The tourist flow to Manali has increased in the past few days and is higher in comparison to the last year with hotels having about 50 per cent occupancy.” |
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Capt Batra’s mother vows tough fight in Hamirpur Hamirpur, April 23 The moment one is introduced to retired government school teachers GS Batra and Kamal Kanta Batra, a vivid image of their son Capt Vikram Batra in uniform shouting ‘Yeh dil mange more’ in a bunker at Kargil’s Tiger Hill comes alive. A decade after the 24-year-old was posthumously honoured with the Param Vir Chakra and became a national hero and a household name in the region, Kamal Kanta has taken the electoral plunge as the AAP’s Hamirpur candidate. As the 69-year-old struggles to find her feet and take on the mighty Congress and the BJP, her mission is simple: Vikram sacrificed his life for the nation. I want to fight for a clean and corruption-free India. The couple, unfamiliar to the world of politics, is battling a funds and cadre crunch. Their biggest challenge, for now, is hiring an open jeep so they can hold rallies and reach out to more voters ahead of polling on May 7. “We are more comfortable doing road shows in an open jeep, but no one is willing to hire their vehicle to us out of fear of the Congress and the BJP. We are trying to get an open jeep from Punjab,” she says. Though Kamal Kanta’s parents were from Hamirpur, they married in Palampur and lived there. The couple, too, lived and worked in Palampur, some 50 km from Hamirpur. Capt Vikram Batra was born and brought up there. A room in a small hotel here is the Batras’ base from where they deal with the rigours of a hectic campaign schedule, taking only a two-hour break in the afternoon. “It is the party’s decision and we agreed to contest from Hamipur,” is all they say to a query on why AAP chose BJP ex-MP Rajan Sushant over them from their home turf, Kangra. “I felt it was a big honour being extended to a martyr’s parents but owing to my health problems, we decided Vikram’s mother would enter politics for a cause,” says GS Batra about taking the political plunge. Kamal Kanta is pitted against BJP’s Anurag Thakur, a cricketer-turned-politician and the son of former Himachal chief minister PK Dhumal, and ex-MLA Rajinder Rana, the Congress candidate. Though the Batras have held road shows and rallies in Una and Hamirpur, large-scale support is yet to pour in, especially from the two lakh-strong “fauji” community in the state that is divided along political lines under various associations and bodies. Prominent ex-servicemen such as former minister Maj Vijai Singh Mankotia is supporting the Congress, Brig Kushal Thakur has joined the BJP and was a contender for the BJP Mandi ticket. “Though I am non-political, but if the BJP is pseudo patriotic, the Congress is pseudo secular. There is a need to support selfless persons such as Mrs Batra to cleanse the political rot,” say some retired and serving Army officers who were closely associated with Vikram Batra and the parents of Capt Saurabh Kalia, an Army officer who died during the Kargil War while being held as a prisoner of war by Pakistan. “Wherever we go, we are known by our son’s valour. Now, it’s time for us to help the deprived and underprivileged,” said Kamal Kanta. “We had never thought of joining politics, but when the offer came, it seemed the perfect opportunity to serve people. We were convinced with the ideology of the AAP’s common man approach,” adds GS Batra. “Initially, my son and Vikram’s twin also had reservations about my contesting elections considering our age and health problems. He got convinced as it is for a cause,” says Kamla.
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Free travel in HRTC buses a promise unkept
Sundernagar, April 23 When the Congress government came to power last year after winning the Assembly election held in the end of 2012, it announced free travel
in Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses for students of government schools. In the past, many students of various schools in Sundernagar and adjoining areas complained that the Himachal Road Transport Corporation staff did not stop the buses on seeing the students. Now, the students have been complaining that the Himachal Road Transport Corporation staff has been charging money
from students despite their protest. Recently, students of a government senior secondary school at Salwana village in Sundernagar complained to the school principal that the HRTC staff deputed on the Sundernagar-Salwana route used to charge fare from them despite their protest. According to the principal, a complaint had been received and it had been forwarded to HRTC officials for necessary action. Uttam Singh, Regional Manager, HRTC, Sundernagar, when asked about it, said he had no knowledge about it. He went on to state that students might not have been wearing school uniform. When he was told it was a daily routine, he said if anyone was found charging the fare from students, action would be initiated. According to students, they have been complaining about charging of money by the Himachal Road Transport Corporation staff in the past. The practice has not stopped till now and they have to pay for travelling every day. The government claims it has given free travel facility in Himachal Road Transport Corporation buses to government school students. |
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Snow-hit orchardists seek relief for loss to apple crop
Ratnari-Baghi (Shimla), April 23 Prem Thakur, who, along with his two brothers, was seen piling up stacks of broken branches in his orchard at Sundarnagar village, said: “We spent Rs 6 lakh on setting anti-hail nets to save our crop, but to no avail. We are ruined now. The nets have been worn down to shreds and trees been have ruined due to snow and sleet.”
What worries them more is the damage caused to trees that runs a high risk of developing canker which in turn will kill these forever. Orchardists Sunder, Suresh, Mohan and Ratan rued: “The nets collapsed under the weight of snow and sleet that piled on it and destroyed the apple trees. We did not sleep the whole night and tried our best to save the trees, but in vain.” Ashutosh Chauhan, an orchardist, said: “In 2011 a similar hailstorm had devastated our produce and we were still trying to come to terms with that loss. Farmers are still recovering, but this destruction has further dashed their hopes.” “The loss to the nets and trees varies from 20 to 80 per cent in orchards at Ratnari, Nihari, Mail, Spoil, Bashnal, Kashtnadi, Salkhari, Bakhrala and other villages in this panchayat,” said Gyan Thakur, Ratnari gram panchayat pradhan. Laiq Ram Austa, an orchardist at Ratnari, said: “The blow has come within three years. April is the time when a tree blooms, but it snowed instead, which is very unusual. This has become a cause of concern among farmers having orchards in high-altitude areas.” On being asked whether they were offered any compensation, Prem Thakur said: “The compensation is peanuts. The horticulture team inspected the damage here yesterday, but do not have any clue as to how the loss will be compensated.” “The farmers got Rs 140 per tree last year, whereas they paid Rs 7,000 as premium to insurance companies. The parameters are hard to understand,” he added. Residents of Kalbog, Baghi and a Dalit village in Deori Khaneti panchyat have a similar story to tell. Seven farmers, including Mohinder Kholta, Vinod Rohta, Piyare Lal, Rakesh Kokhta, Pratap Rajta, Ranjit Sagroli, Pawan Kholta Naredenr Dogra and Vijay Chauhan of Baghi and Kalbog areas, narrate the same tale of woes. “The farmers in the area have suffered a huge loss running in crores. The risk of trees getting affected with canker runs high, as canker makes these dry,” said Rajinder Kholta, Baghi panchyat pradhan. Farmers said they had no option but to file a public interest litigation (PIL) in the High Court. As per the preliminary assessment done by the Revenue and Horticulture Department, the loss to the nets varies from 20-60 per cent. They said 50 per cent subsidy on the nets has been released, adding that they had given free chemicals and provided technical advice to farmers. They said they had compensated the farmers as per the relief manual. “The farmers are entitled to get compensation under weather-based crop insurance scheme, which has been notified,” Hans Raj, Deputy Director, horticulture, said. |
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HC lays down guidelines on ‘runaway couple’ cases
Shimla, April 23 It further said if the girl is a major, she cannot be forcibly taken away by the police to be handed over to her parents against her consent. Criminal force cannot be used against the boy. The Bench further said whenever any representation is received by the Superintendent of Police of the district concerned regarding the marriage of a young couple under threat or an apprehension of infringement of the right of life and liberty at the instance of the family members of one of the spouses or even at the instance of the police, the SP concerned will consider the representation and will himself look into the matter and issue necessary directions to maintain a record of the said intimation as per the police rules. It further said that on receipt of the said intimation of marriage by any police officer, necessary directions will be issued to the police station concerned to take necessary steps in accordance with law to inquire into the matter by contacting parents of both the boy and the girl. A division Bench comprising Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan further said in case of any threat from the family members of either of the couple, it will always be open to the state authorities to take up the security proceedings. The Bench further said if despite the intimation having been sent to the SP, there is an apprehension or threat of violation of right of personal life and liberty or free movement, the remedy of approaching the High Court should be the last resort. The court clarified in its order that nothing will prevent the immediate arrest of a person who fraudulently entices a girl with false promises and exploits her as per the statement of the
girl. What the court says
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Despite ban, use of poly bags continues
Palampur, April 23 The main markets in Palampur town are littered with polythene, which sometimes chokes water channels as well. Official sources said only two dozen cases of polythene ban violation were registered or filed in different courts in the past one year. A senior police officer said the police had limited powers to enforce the ban and conduct surprise raids. He said executive officers such as the SDM and tehsildars should exercise their power and punish defaulters. Officers such as BDOs, SDMs, tehsildars, naib tehsildars and their inspectorate staff have been given the power to conduct frequent checks on the violation and punish defaulters. But one can hardly see any officer exercising his/her power. KB Rahlan and Daleep Sharma of People’s Voice, a social organisation, said there was no one to implement the order issued by the state government due to the absence of “administrative will”. Besides, due to the lack of initiative on the part of implementing agencies such as SDMs and tehsildars to keep regular checks, polythene is still coming to the state and can be seen littered everywhere. At wholesale vegetable and fruit markets of Palampur, Baijnath, Paprola, Bhawarna and Jaisinghpur, shopkeepers are openly seen selling vegetables and fruits in polythene bags. |
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Delay in transport subsidy irks investors
Solan, April 23 Industrial units which had put forth their claims for the subsidy included Ambuja Cements Limited, Jaypee Cements, Khanna Polymers, Himalayan Cattle and Poultry Seed Mills, Nityanand Industries and Mukteshwar Minerals. Their claims have been rejected for want of pre-registration in the last state-level subsidy approval committee meeting held in January. While claims of the two key cement units -- Ambuja Cements Limited and Jaypee Cements -- was around Rs 27 crore, others like Khanna Polymers had filed a claim of Rs 2.15 lakh, Himalayan Cattle and Poultry Seed Mills for Rs 4 crore, Nityanand Industries for about Rs 2 crore, Mukteshwar Minerals for about Rs 20 lakh. These claims were, however, not approved by the state-level subsidy approval committee which met on January 30 and included an official of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industries. The committee
was headed by the Director, Industries. Since some of the industrial units were to get claims since 2010, the rejection
of their claims has come as a setback. An official of a key cement unit said they were contemplating to move court now as the transport subsidy had been put on hold for no fault of theirs, but due to frequent change in the norms by the ministry. Since these units had not got themselves pre-registered with the Department of Industries prior to commencing production as per a circular issued by Ministry of Commerce in 2011 and later a notification issued in January 2013, their claims had not been approved by the committee. Interestingly, the transport subsidy scheme had been extended for four years by the Ministry for Medium and Small Scale Enterprises last year after the earlier scheme had expired. Investors, however, said failure of the ministry to grant subsidy in time had defeated its purpose and the new scheme would serve a little when
the ministry was not interested in granting any subsidy. Under this scheme, the investors are eligible for 75 per cent to-and-fro freight charges from
the nearby rail head for raw material and finished goods. The ministry had been changing its norms every now and then and small entrepreneurs had been dissuaded from availing its benefits due to the lengthy paper work putting an additional financial strain, rued Arun Rawat, president, Himachal Chapter of
Confederation of Indian Industries. Though the ministry had notified in September 2013 that it would not accept more than a year-old claim, the subsidy committee was yet to approve claims of even 2010. Interestingly, the norm of pre-registration was not much in practice and units got themselves registered after commencing commercial production only, though a preliminary registration was done to seek approval. |
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Renal failure, gastric ulcer alarmingly common: Study
Palampur, April 23 Excessive dose of painkillers given to patients for long periods is said to be one of the main causes behind diseases like renal failure and gastric ulcers. During a recent study conducted on this subject by a team of experts of the state, it was established that medicines like paracetamol and analgesics were more harmful and should not be prescribed for long periods. Of 100 patients taking painkillers for a long period, 40 could become victims of such a disease. A senior physician confirmed that a heavy dose of painkillers of substandard companies given for a long period could cause renal failure and gastric ulcers, which could aggravate diseases like ulcer colitis. He said doctors working in the state's rural areas are largely not updated with the latest medicines. Therefore, they have often been prescribing drugs not approved by the US FDA. He said a number of painkillers, mostly analgesics, being prescribed in the state, have proved quite harmful and could damage the liver or result in liver cancer. Many of these medicines have already been banned in the US and European countries. Doctors working in the state should take care while prescribing such medicines, he added. Another dreaded disease, tuberculosis, has also been spreading in the state. It has posed a serious threat to human health, particularly in Kangra district. In the absence of proper infrastructure and medical care and there being poor management of the Health Department and lack of indoor facilities in state hospitals, most tuberculosis patients are not attended to properly. Despite the fact that medicines are often given free of cost to these patients, in the absence of indoor facilities, patients are advised to take medicines at home. Barring a few district hospitals, there are no separate isolation wards for tuberculosis patients in the state. No doctor admits them in general wards because from those patients found to be sputum positive, if admitted in general wards, infection could spread on to other patients. Worrying statistics
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Farmers want relief for loss to apple crop
Ratnari-Baghi (Shimla), April 23 Prem Thakur, who, along with his two brothers, was seen piling up stacks of broken branches in his orchard at Sundarnagar village, said: “We spent Rs 6 lakh on setting anti-hail nets to save our crop, but to no avail. We are ruined now. The nets have been worn down to shreds and trees been have ruined due to snow and sleet.” What worries them more is the damage caused to trees that runs a high risk of developing canker which in turn will kill these forever. Orchardists Sunder, Suresh, Mohan and Ratan rued: “The nets collapsed under the weight of snow and sleet that piled on it and destroyed the apple trees. We did not sleep the whole night and tried our best to save the trees, but in vain.” Ashutosh Chauhan, a local farmer, said: “In 2011 a similar hailstorm had devastated our produce and we were still trying to come to terms with that loss. Farmers are still recovering, but this destruction has further dashed their hopes.” “The loss to the nets and trees varies from 20 to 80 per cent in orchards at Ratnari, Nihari, Mail, Spoil, Bashnal, Kashtnadi, Salkhari, Bakhrala and other villages in this panchayat,” said Gyan Thakur, Ratnari gram panchayat pradhan. On being asked whether they were offered any compensation, Prem Thakur said: “The compensation is peanuts. The horticulture team inspected the damage here yesterday, but do not have any clue as to how the loss will be compensated.” |
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CUHP’s workshop on films concludes
Kangra, April 23 Filmmaker Ramesh Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director of Moving Picture Company, was the chief resource person for the workshop. Addressing the students, Sharma said the film was a complex art form which brought together several aspects of different art forms like painting, music and theatre. Screening works of classic filmmakers like Sergei Eisenstein, he talked about the power of film to create a third dimension of visual experience for the audience. "The technique of montage which puts unrelated visuals together to create a different meaning, has made the film a powerful medium," he said. During the initial sessions of the workshop, scenes from classic films like "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge", "Battleship Potemkin" and "Godfather" were screened. Sharma dealt with topics like the process of filmmaking, script-writing, editing, choreography and costume designing. Emphasising the roles of producers and directors, he said while shooting the film, a sense of truth and realism should be created to involve the people. "Making documentaries requires a lot of hard work and research. Documentaries make for an effective tool for communicate with the society," he said. Addressing the audience at the inaugural session of the workshop yesterday, Vice Chancellor Prof Furqan Qamar said apart from its creative potential and artistic quality, the film was amazing for the kind of teamwork behind its production. He said, "As a student of management, I am always amazed about the kind of management and teamwork that goes into production of films." During the workshop, documentaries, including "Jai Bheem Comrade", "The Journalist and the Jihadi - The Murder of Daniel Pearl" and "Portrait of the Director - Raj Kapoor", were screened. |
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CUHP management students’ industrial visit concludes
Kangra, April 23 Dr Ashish Nag, coordinator, Training and Placement Cell, today said industries visited by the students were the Aquamall group of Eureka Forbes (Baddi), Janus Packaging Pvt Ltd (Baddi), Crown Caps Private Limited, franchise of Coca Cola (Amritsar), Mother Dairy (Delhi) and Creations Modular Private Limited (Manesar Gurgaon). He said during the visit, various managerial practices were observed and students had an insight into practical functioning in the industrial world. |
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Workshop on faces of analysis concludes
Kangra, April 23 Dr Surinder Pal Singh from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar and Dr BS Komal, Former Professor & Head, University of Jammu, were resource persons and along with faculty members of the Department of Mathematics, conducted this workshop. Dr Singh delivered a series of lectures on Henstock-Kurzweil Integral, Mc-Shane Integral, Hake’s theorem and Fundamental Theorem of Calculus etc and their applications, with appropriate examples, and challenges for research. Prof Komal spoke on the Hilbert spaces, Finite dimensional operator theory and their requirements in Quantum Mechanics, Ergodic theory, Fourier Analysis and Partial Differential Equation.
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Quantitative analysis workshop
Kangra, April 23 The varsity has signed an MoU with Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy to get access to ‘Prowess and Industry Outlook’ database of CMIE. Experts from CMIE will hold a workshop on data mining on April 25. — OC
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Man held for duping woman of
Rs 25,000
Una, April 23 With the police close on his heels ever since, the accused had given the Himachal police a slip on April 18 at the RTO barrier in Mehatpur. According to police sources, on July 26, 2013, a migrant labour Saraswati Devi, who was a resident of Katihar district in Bihar, had gone to the Mehatpur branch of the State Bank of India to deposit
Rs 25,000. The accused had cleverly taken away her cash and handed over a bundle of paper, covered with a handkerchief, before fleeing. The victim had identified the accused in the CCTV footage of the bank and the police had launched a search for him. Another of his accomplice, Babu Lal had already been arrested on the day of the incident. |
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Una RTO suspended
Una, April 23 In March this year, there were media reports of the allocation of route permits having been issued from the Una RTO office to a non-existent bus, merely on the basis of a chassis. Preliminary inquiry by Additional Transport Commissioner Sanjay Sharma had confirmed the occurrence of the irregularity. Upon suspension Ramesh Thakur has been attached to the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Una, and Assistant Commissioner SK Parashar has been given the additional charge of the RTO
Una. — OC |
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HRTC Una regional office catches fire
Una, April 23 He said till the time fire-fighting officials doused the flames, furniture, computer and documents had destroyed. He said fire and police officials were investigating. |
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