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No financial crisis in state: CM
Internal assessment of students on cards
Support to state to continue: World Bank
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HPCA will respond to charges, says Anurag
BJP leaders are frustrated: Cong
After one-and-a-half years, the question remains: Who killed Jyoti?
Jyoti’s father dissatisfied with judgement
Doon MLA gets rousing welcome
HPU issues guidelines for nomination to SCA
Three get 2-yr jail in 2005 assault case
BJP to protest over cut in funds to PRIs
CM to visit flood-hit Hamirpur
Nadaun girl’s bullet train model selected
Class VII student beaten up by teacher, hospitalised
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No financial crisis in state: CM
“We are not faced with any financial crisis, but our endeavour is to raise more resources so as to enable further development,” he said. He added that never had the government been faced with a situation where it did not have money to pay salaries to its employees. The Chief Minister said the BJP was unnecessarily making a hue and cry about the grave financial health of the state just to mislead the public and score points. “The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Resource Mobilisation has been constituted so that it suggests measures for generating resources,” he said. He also tried to underplay the resignation of Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur as member of the sub-committee while stating that there were some misconceptions about it. “I fail to understand as to why there is so much hue and cry over Kaul Singh’s resignation when it is understood that the seniormost minister will head any committee or panel,” he remarked. He said since Irrigation and Horticulture Minister Vidya Stokes’ name was added to the committee later, being the seniormost she had to be its chairperson. “Very often, it happens that members of some committees are unable to attend the meeting, but even then the meeting is held, so the Resource Mobilisation Committee will also meet tomorrow,” he said. He also said it was up to the Chief Minister to make additions or deletions in the committee. The first meeting of the sub-committee to be held on September 9 was postponed to September 12. It is headed by Stokes while Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur, Transport Minister GS Bali and Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri are its members. Kaul Singh has already said he has submitted his resignation from the sub-committee to the Chief Minister and will not attend its meetings.
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Internal assessment of students on cards
Shimla, September 11 “Exams should not be considered as punitive action and the Education Department is in the process of formulating
an internal assessment mechanism to judge the knowledge of a child,” he said. He said the Centre could not look into the small details concerning the examinations from Class I to VIII. Virbhadra admitted that the experiment of not having examinations till Class VIII had led to lowering of the education standards. “If a child has not been able to cope with the studies in each class, this will be found out only in Class X. By that time it is too late to take remedial measures,” he opined. He said those teachers, who teach the students, assessed them for promotion to the next class so one could not expect it to be a fair appraisal always. He said by having some internal assessment, teachers would be in a position to assess if a student was weak and required additional help and guidance. He also said the results of the classes being taught by a
teacher were also being assessed to see the teachers’ performance. Virbhadra had directed the Education Department to develop a mechanism where the level of learning could be gauged without holding examinations. The department is in the process of putting in place such a mechanism. The Chief Minister, on the issue of Himachal getting its legitimate share on account of power arrears due from Punjab and Haryana, said he hoped that whatever the Supreme Court decided would be fair, just and acceptable to the state. “I am confident that whatever amount is decided will be with our formal consent and the proportion of our share is fair,” he said. |
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Support to state to continue: World Bank
Shimla, September 11 Stating that the Himalayan Mountain Chain was of critical importance
not only for people of this region, but also to a significant proportion of the
population of South Asia, he said the state was endowed with natural resources
that provided valuable environmental services for the North India. It had five
major river basins and its served as a watershed that was critical to the
livelihoods of about 200 million people in Haryana, Punjab, UP and Rajasthan. Mitra
said Himachal had one of the main sources of clean energy, hydropower, which
could address both energy and peak shortages of power of the northern region.
He added that the state government with the World Bank assistance had
introduced initiatives to enhance environmental stewardship and build a new
platform for green growth and sustainable development. He said the programme
of green growth and sustainable development was aimed at generating economic
development by improved management of its natural resources through sustainable
actions across various sectors. He said the next stage was to build on these
initiatives and strengthen the process of green growth in Himachal Pradesh. During
the meeting, the progress of DPL-II project was reviewed and new project
proposals mainly in the sectors of green growth and environment, roads and
freight corridors, hydroelectricity, sustainable forest management, skill
development, agriculture, rural water supply and sanitation and urban
development were discussed. Country Director, World Bank, Onno Ruhl expressed
satisfaction over the implementation progress of all World Bank-funded projects
in the state and assured that the bank would continue its technical and
financial support to the state. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh urged Country
Director, World Bank Onno Ruhl to include Himachal Pradesh on the list of
priority states for funding of development projects and also sought technical
assistance and support for developing detailed projects reports of projects to
be implemented in the state. Earlier, the team also visited the sites of
proposed comprehensive mobility project for Shimla. |
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HPCA will respond to charges, says Anurag
Addressing mediapersons at Badhera Rajputan village of Gagret Assembly segment, Anurag said the HPCA will respond to the charges on facts and figures in the court of law. He pointed out that the CM had laid the foundation stone of a sports stadium in the Shimla Rural Assembly segment, but even after a year, not even a single brick was laid. The MP said the HPCA had constructed five cricket stadiums in the hill state, which had contributed a lot in promoting the game among the local youth. He said while the Congress leaders were openly giving statements against the HPCA, the cricket association was not seeking any support from the BJP, adding that the HPCA was a sports body and would maintain its non-political status. The MP rapped the state government on the issue of illegal mining, alleging that while the mining mafia was minting money, people were facing shortage of construction material. Making a mention of increasing menace of drug abuse among the youth, he said the efforts of the government and the administration to counter this were insufficient. Anurag questioned Virbhadra as to why a section of Congress ministers and MLAs were unhappy with him and were openly issuing statements against him. Referring to Gagret MLA Rakesh Kalia’s recent outburst against Virbhadra Singh who later tendered resignation from various committees constituted by the government, he said some other ministers and MLAs have also aired their concern over the style of functioning of the CM. Earlier, the MP addressed public meetings in Kaloh, Thaplan, Sanghnai, Chalet and Raipur villages. He dedicated gymnasiums purchased through the Union government grants in Badhera Rajputan and Raipur villages to the public. He also inaugurated mahila mandal bhawans in Kaloh and Sanghnai, besides a community centre building at Thaplan village. Former minister Parveen Sharma, Gagret block BJP president Ram Murti Lath and general secretary Sandesh Dogra were also present.
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BJP leaders are frustrated: Cong
Shimla, September 11 They said BJP leaders were still not able to digest their defeat in the Assembly elections and were feeling frustrated after having been ousted from the power. Taking strong notice of the statement of former Chief Minister PK Dhumal in which he has claimed destabilising the state government and possibility of mid-term polls any time, they said Dhumal was trying to mislead the people but his designs would never be fulfilled. They said the previous BJP government played with the interests of the state and valuable lands were sold on low rates to benefit its favourites besides giving undue advantages to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association. Chairman, Twenty Point Implementation Committee, Ram Lal Thakur, Chairman, HP State Co-operative Bank, Harsh Mahajan, Chairman HP State Pollution Control Board, Kuldeep Singh Pathania and Vice-Chairman, State Planning Board, GR Musafir in a joint statement termed the statement of Dhumal a bundle of lies in which he had blamed the state government for financial crisis. They said it was the BJP government that failed to present its case before the 13th Finance Commission as a result of which Rs 10.725 crore was lapsed and not given to the state. They said the situation had become alarming during the last two years of the award period as the non-plan revenue deficit grants during the financial year 2013-14 had declined to Rs 1,313 crore from Rs 1,883 crore in 2012-13. |
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HRTC to start toll-free helpline, says Bali
Shimla, September 11 Though Bali did not give the timeframe, these announcements have been made in the past as well and he has yet to translate these into reality on the roads. After chairing the Board of Directors meeting of the bus stand management and food and civil corporation, Bali made these announcements at a press conference here today. Bali said the fair for the AC buses would be 10 to 15 per cent more as compared with the normal HRTC buses. The new 24x7 call centre number 9418000529 would also be made available to passengers to lodge their complaint against any operators. The helpline is already made available from 8am to 8pm daily, he added. He said the HRTC also added 20 Volvo buses to its fleet which would be deployed in pilgrimage centres such as Chintpurni, Jwalaji and Nainadevi in the state. The HRTC would open round-the-clock fitness and pollution checking centres in all depots to provide certificate to private vehicles, added Ajay Mittal, Principal Secretary, Transport. Currently seven depots are offering this facility in the state, the minister said. He said the Bus Adda Management Authority had decided to identify points along state and national highways to private rain shelters under the private-public participation mode. Rs
2 cr for expansion of Nagrota Bagwan bus stand
Dharamsala: The state government will spend Rs 2 crore for the expansion of the Nagrota Bagwan bus stand. Minister for Transport, Technical Education and Food and Civil Supplies, GS Bali, said this while addressing a public meeting at Hatwas near Nagrota Bagwan yesterday. Bali said the order for the expansion of the bus stand had been given and its work would start soon. The natural drain near the bus stand would be channelised to increase the space for the bus stand, he said. Besides the expansion of bus stand, a small HRTC workshop would also be opened at Nagrota Bagwan. The place for establishing the workshop had been selected and work on it would be started soon, he said. He also presided over the school sports meet at the Senior Secondary School, Hatwas. |
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4-year delay raises cost of hydro projects
Hatkoti/ Kuddu (Shimla), September 11 As a result, the cost of the Sawra-Kuddu project has shot up by about 28 per cent, from about Rs 900 crore in 2007 when the project was awarded to the HPPCL to the revised cost of Rs 1,250 crore, revealed insiders. Though the HPPCL had targeted commissioning of the project in June 2016, the project, almost four years behind schedule, has been crippled due to a workers’ strike and a sluggish pace of work on the site. The HPPCL is yet to award the fresh tender to the three bidders shortlisted by the corporation for the incomplete head race tunnel. The corporation terminated the tunnel contract of Coastal Company in January 2014 as it failed to achieve construction target, said DK Sharma, Managing Director, HPPCL. “About 1.70-km excavation work of the 11.36-km-long tunnel is left to be done,” said RM Gupta, General Manager, Sawra-Kuddu project. The visit to the project site revealed that the HPPCL had not moved the contractors’ machineries to the hilt as work on the barrage and the power house was going on a snail’s pace. The work on the overhead bridge across the barrage, to the left bank of the Pabbar river, is yet to start and about 7,000 cubic metre of concrete work on barrage is yet to be done. Workers of Patel Engineering, which is constructing the barrage, protested non-payment of their wages on time. Similarly, about 425 daily wagers and 52 staff workers of the Coastal Company are on strike as they have accused the company of not paying their pending wages and terminal benefits till date. The HPPCL has failed to prepare the report for the 60-mw Chirgaon-Mazhgaon project, so far. The corporation has been changing the embankment of the project to reduce its cost ever since the project was allotted in 2007, revealed the managers. But DK Sharma said 90 per cent of the civil works of power house were complete, while the barrage work would be complete in a few months’ time. “We have listed three companies to award the fresh tender for the remainder of the tunnel in a few days’ time,” he added. |
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After one-and-a-half years, the question remains: Who killed Jyoti?
The evidences, which the police termed crucial and the basis for the MLA’s arrest, failed to prove his involvement. Not only this, contradictions surfaced in the statements of the witnesses. The accused walked free as prosecution could not establish any charge, despite having the ‘crucial’ evidences. At the time of the MLA’s arrest, the Panchkula police claimed that the mobile tower locations were enough to arrest him. However, the call locations came under question when difference arose in the mobile locations too. Even as the supporters celebrated the acquittal of the MLA, Buti Ram, father of Jyoti, broke down and said he would go in for an appeal. Buti Ram was present in the court today. The evidences that fell flat
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Jyoti’s father dissatisfied with judgement
Hoshiarpur, September 11 He said he would contest it in the High Court. Buti Ram said, “I have been deprived of justice and I will contest till the last resort. Even if I have to sell everything I have, I will not leave my contest for justice.” Buti Ram said he had no hope of justice from the very beginning. He alleged that the matter was suppressed with exhorbitant use of money and political power by the accused. He said, “I knew that the Congress Government in Haryana will make every effort to save the accused as he is a Congress MLA. I knew it from the very beginning of this case in 2012 and now the decision has proved it. I have been denied justice”. |
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Solan, September 11 Surrounded by his family, including father Lajja Ram, wife Nidhi, two children, brothers- Madan Lal and Harbhajan, Ram Kumar was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd of supports at Baddi. The family first proceeded to pay obeisance at the Haripur temple. Ram Kumar then thanked his supporters for reposing faith in him during the entire trial. While interacting with mediapersons later, he said truth had prevailed. He had had full faith in God, who helped him come clean in the case in which he had been framed by his political detractors. — TNS
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Commuters stranded for 7 hrs at Koksar bridge
Shimla, September 11 The traffic rush on the Manali Leh highway has multiplied manifold in the past one week as the army has diverted its convoys from Srinagar-Zozila Pass highway to the war zone in Ladakh forward sector through the 13,500 ft high Rohtang Pass due to the devastating floods in the Kashmir Valley. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) restored the bridge for the movement of traffic at 4 pm after seven hours, by putting iron sheets on damaged bridge channel. Earlier, traffic was halted at Koksar bridge for 12 hours nearly 10 days ago. “The BRO has decided to close the bridge from 7am to 12am every day from September 12 for maintenance work,” the officials from Keylong said. Traffic lined from Manali between Koksar and Gramphu, a minimum 5 km stretch, and on the Koksar-Sissu stretch of the highway. “We did not get food at the dhabas as thousands of people stranded on the highway zeroed in on these for lunch or snacks, following which it went out of stock,” said Richa, a tourist from Patna who along with her husband Rajesh, were on their way to Manali from Leh. Prem Lal, a local farmer travelling to Manali, said: “Trucks carrying peas were also stranded on the highway and consignments could not reach the markets in time.” The bridge was made functional after seven hours, but even then uncertainty looms about its foolproof functioning, commuters said. BRO engineers claimed that the bridge was closed for traffic for maintenance work, but commuters told The Tribune that a few channels of bridge have bended due to the movement of heavy vehicles moving towards Leh on the 473 km Manali-Leh highway for the second time today. It was the about a fortnight ago that traffic had come to a halt on the Koksar-Keylong stretch as another small bridge at Kuth Bihal, nearly 2 km from Koksar, was damaged due to the flow in the surging nullah. “We have restored the Koksar bride for traffic,” a BRO engineer said. The widening work on the stretch between Koksar and Patri Dhank and between Dolang and Tandi was in progress, he added. Tourists, army vehicles and oil tankers on their way to Leh-Ladakh and civil supplies vehicles on their way to Keylong, Udaipur and Pangi have added to congestion on the highway, officials said. SDM, Keylong, Surjeet Rathaur said the BRO was maintaining the bridge and would need three more days to make it safe for heavy traffic. |
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HPU issues guidelines for nomination to SCA
Shimla, September 11 It has sent the recommendations of the high-level committee constituted to prepare an outline for nomination-based representation in the SCA to the 111 odd colleges affiliated to HPU. As per the recommendations, the nominated body will have a president, vice-president, secretary, joint secretary and 10 members. Two students, excelling in cultural and co-curricular activities, will be nominated by the Dean, Students Welfare, two outstanding sportspersons by the Director, Physical Education and Youth Programmes, and a student from the first, third and fifth semesters each, two from LLM and MPhil and one from PhD. Out of the nominated students, the third and fifth semester students would be nominated president and vice-president and first semester students secretary and joint secretary. The university has asked colleges to finish the process to constitute nominated committees by September 24. |
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Inspiration sought from Vivekananda’s teachings
Kangra, September 11 Prof Yoginder S Verma, Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP), said this while addressing a gathering of youth and intellectuals in the auditorium of the local polytechnic on the occasion of Universal Brotherhood Day today. The event was organised by the local branch of Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, to commemorate the historical speech delivered by Swami Vivekananda at the World Religious Conference on September 11, 1893. Professor Verma was speaking as the chief guest on the occasion. He said the teachings of Swami Vivekananda were more relevant today than when he had addressed the conference in 1893 in Chicago where he gave the call for universal brotherhood. Swami Gangeshanand Acharya of the Chinmaynand Mission, who presided over the function, said youth should make Swami Vivekananda their icon to lead an ideal life. They should follow Swami Vivekananda’s teachings, which would keep them close to their cultural roots and religion, he added. Dr Parveen Kumar Sharma, Principal, Dronacharya College of Education, Rait, guest of honour, narrated different incidents of Swami’s life. Ashok Kumar of Vivekananda Kendra, Kangra, stressed on the adoption of the path of righteousness to have a better tomorrow for India. A declamation contest was also organised on the occasion, in which different colleges participated. Rakesh Kumar of the Rait college was first, Kartik of Government Polytechnic, Kangra, second and Satish Kumar of Rajeev Gandhi Government Engineering College, Nagrota Bagwan, stood third. Winners were given prizes by Prof YS Verma. Dr Ghautam Vetith, Prof Neelam Mahajan and Dr YK Dogra, judges of the declamation contest, were also honoured by the chief guest. Hoshiyar Singh, a 102-year-old freedom fighter and an associate of Subhas Chander Bose and resident of Bara village of the district, honoured the three guests on behalf of the
kendra. |
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Three get 2-yr jail in 2005 assault case
Nurpur, September 11 Assistant District Attorney KS Jaryal said the three Kewal, Sat Pal and Sunil were residents of the Niazpur locality in the town. A case under Sections 353 and 332, IPC, had been registered against the trio on May 11, 2005, following a complaint lodged by the bus driver, he said. The complainant, who had been driving the bus (HP-47-0363) on the Jassur-Hatli-Jawalan route on the evening of May 10, 2005, was stopped by the trio at Chogan in the town. They assaulted and hurt him. In the scuffle, the uniform of the victim was also torn by the culprits and the bus conductor and local residents intervened and saved the driver.
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White-coat ceremony held in Sundernagar
Sundernagar, September 11 He praised the role of the college in imparting quality dental education to students and also appreciated the available infrastructure which matches with one of the best institutions in India. He said he had witnessed such a ceremony for the first time in his life at a dental college. Earlier, the director of the college welcomed the chief guest and highlighted Dr Mazumder’s contribution to the council. Director-Principal Dr Vikas Jindal spoke on the importance of the coat ceremony in the career of a budding dental doctor.
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BJP to protest over cut in funds to PRIs
Shimla, September 11 Demanding the immediate rollback of the guidelines issued to the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in this regard, he warned the government of agitations across the state in case the decision was not taken back. A strategy for holding agitations would be chalked out at a state-level sammelan of the Panchayati Raj cell of the party to be held in Bilaspur on September 14. He said the directions issued by the government defied the spirit of the 73rd constitutional amendment and infringed the right of elected members of the PRIs. The motive behind the amendment was to give financial powers to the PRIs for rural development, he said. He said during the BJP regime, the PRIs were given top priority, but the Congress government was trying to suppress these in the garb of the new guidelines.
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CM to visit flood-hit Hamirpur
Hamirpur, September 11 This will be the Chief Minister’s first visit to the district after the widespread damage on account of heavy rain. The Chief Minister will visit the most-affected villages of Bhoranj subdivision, including Jahu, where the Bailey bridge was washed away by the gushing waters of the Seer Khud and killed three persons, said Himashu Shekhar Chaudhary, Additional Deputy Commissioner. — OC
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Nadaun girl’s bullet train model selected
Hamirpur, September 11 Shilpa prepared a bullet train model for the competition. This bullet train model was adjudged the best in its category and selected for participation in the national competition, to be held later. The train model, based on the magnetic repulsion effect of similar poles of magnets, will now be displayed at the two-day national-level INSPIRE science exhibition that will commence at the Pragati Maiden, New Delhi, on October 6. Thrilled with her success, Shilpa is now working hard to make some further improvement in the model. “I tried to give shape to my ideas and am delighted that my hard work paid off,” says Shilpa. She gave special credit to her science teacher Manju Kumari for guiding her and being there whenever she needed her. Om Prakash, Principal of the school, said all possible support was being given to Shilpa
for the improvement of the model.
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Class VII student beaten up by teacher, hospitalised
Una, September 11 Superintendent of Police Anupam Sharma said the father of the student had lodged a complaint at the Gagret police station and investigation had been initiated. As per information available, some students had made a complaint to the teacher against the student and the former reportedly punched the child on the back. As the child’s condition deteriorated, Principal Rajinder Pal Singh took him to the First Referral Unit in
Gagret, from where he was referred to the district hospital. Usha Devi, pradhan of the Kutheda Jaswalan panchayat, said she had reported the matter to the Deputy Director of Higher Education. Deputy Director Bhajan Singh said he would visit the school tomorrow to decide on the complaint. The Principal said the teacher had been directed to give an explanation
in writing.
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Shimla, September 11
Una, September
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Panchkula, September
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