Dharamsala, September 17
Kangra Deputy Commissioner C Paulrasu has ordered vestment of the Prashant Bhushan’s Kumad Bhushan Education Society land in the name of the government.

In an order passed today, the Deputy Commissioner in its court has held that the society was allotted land for the construction of a school. However, it failed to bring on record any evidence before his court that a school has been brought on the land purchased by the society at Kamlegarh village, near Palampur. The society has thus violated the provisions under Section 118 (H) of the Land Tenancy Act of Himachal. The society was also accused of violating the provisions laid in essentiality certificate issued for allowing the purchase of land.

In the essentiality certificate, the Kumad Bhushan Education Society had proposed to bring up educational institute on the land in question.

Bhushan, a Supreme Court lawyer and social activist, had bought about 6 hectare tea garden land in the name of the Kumad Bhushan Education Society at Kamlegarh village in Palampur tehsil of Kangra district. The society had earlier tried to get permission for purchasing land during the Congress government from 2003 to 2007. However, at that time the permission was denied.

The society later again applied for permission during the stint of the previous BJP government. The government asked the society to obtain an essentiality certificate for buying the land from the state Education Department.

Sources said the Education Department issued an essentiality certificate to the society for opening up a school at the land that the education society intended to purchase.

Later, it was granted permission under Sections 6-A and 7-A of the Land Revenue Act and Section 118 of the Land Tenancy Act to the Kumad Bhushan Education Society for establishing an educational institute on the land.

The then Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, RS Gupta, issued a notice to the Kumad Bhushan Education Society in 2012. The society in its reply said it had already started construction on the purchased land. It also sought an extension of one-year from the government for completing the construction.

Meanwhile, the Congress came to power in the state. The party had already been targeting the previous BJP government allowing change in nature of tea garden land for the society.

The Congress wrote to the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, in January 2013 seeking clarification on the land deal of the society. The government asked the Deputy Commissioner to find out if the society had put the land to use within a stipulated period of 2 years. It also asked the Deputy Commissioner to verify if the land in question was recorded under tea cultivation and whether permission to sell the tea garden land to the society had been sought by the sellers after completing all formalities. It asked the officials concerned to verify if the sellers had availed exemption from the ceiling limit under the HP Ceiling on Land Holdings Act, 1972.

Revenue officials told the government that there was no violation on the above said points and the sellers had taken permission from the government before selling land to the society.

However, the Deputy Commissioner had sought clarification from the government on what action should be taken on the show-cause notice issued to the society by the previous Deputy Commissioner regarding not completing building within the stipulated period of 2 years.

Since till date the government had not given extension to the Kumad Bhushan Education Society for carrying out construction, it had asked the district administration to proceed in the case.

Shimla, September 17
A Pakistan delegation led by its Commissioner, Indus Waters, will visit the site of the upcoming 120-mw Miar hydropower project being set up by Moser Baer on the tributary of the Chanderbhaga near Udaipur in Lahaul Spiti.

It is under the 1960 Indus Water Treaty that Indian and Pakistan can inspect sites of development works such as projects or dams to check that no diversion has been created to the river flow, which could deny it the unhindered flow. The Pakistan Commissioner, along with two Advisers, will arrive at Manali on September 21 from where they will proceed to Udaipur the next day.

It is for the first time since the treaty was signed on September 19,1960, by Jawaharlal Nehru and Ayub Khan in Karachi that Pakistan has expressed the desire to visit the Chenab basin, which is called the Chanderbhaga in Himachal. K Vohra, Commissioner, Indus Water, PK Saxena, Senior Joint Commissioner and P Dorje Gyamba, Director, Central Water Commission (Himachal), will accompany the delegation from across the border.

The visit of the Pakistan delegation is being considered significant as Pakistan has raised the issue of diversion of water and denying its farmers unhindered flow.

The Pakistan delegation only wishes to visit the site of the Miar hydroproject,” confirmed P Dorje Gyamba, Director, Central Water Commission (Himachal).

The Miar project has been awarded to Moser Baer in 2009 and the company has obtained all clearances from the Centre and the state but is yet to begin work. Though several mega hydro projects have come up in the Sutlej and Ravi basin but as far as the Chenab basin is concerned, sites for projects have been identified and none of the projects has been completed.

So far, 11 hydropower projects have been allotted on the Chanderbhaga and its tributaries by the Himachal Government. This includes Miar (120 mw) and Seli (400mw), both allotted to Moser Baer and Barding (90 mw), Tandi (120 mw) and Shuling (90 mw). However, work on these allotted project has not begun.

Solan, September 17
Reckless construction by builders along major roads is not only endangering the fragile hill strata, but also leading to frequent landslides due to unscientific straight cutting of hills.

The trend is more in Kasauli where the roads have been encroached upon to pave the way for approach roads by builders. The field staff have failed to ensure compliance of the norms.

The situation was more pitiable in case of village roads abutting on main roads where builders do not hesitate even to illegally carve out roads from a reserved forest area. A road leading to one such site on the Dharampur-Sanawar road is an illustration of this fact where despite registration of an FIR last year no one has been found guilty for this illegal activity.

The crucial Dharampur-Kasauli road faced the maximum damage as constructions were coming up on both sides of the road, posing threat to various culverts. Landslides are common on the stretch and movement of heavy earth-moving machinery has reduced the road to potholes.

In another case, an ambulance road carved out by villagers for facilitating the movement of sick to hospitals has been widened illegally by cutting trees and clearing revenue land by a builder in the Hurang panchayat abutting onto Sanawar village.

The reckless widening of the road without erecting any breast walls has made the road prone to landslides where movement of vehicles carrying heavy machinery, cement, iron and other construction material ply.

Tehsildar, Kasauli, Narayan Chauhan, who visited the spot after receipt of a complaint from the locals, said he had sought a report from the police about the plying of heavy vehicles on this narrow road and added that other violations involving forest and revenue land would be inquired into.

Though as per the norms of the Town and Country Planning, Department, straight cutting of hillsides is not safe and it supposed to be done scientifically.

Engineer Rakesh Kumar said a hill when cleared is prone to landslides till it regained its original slope thus increasing the probability of landslides.

With the field staff of the PWD turning a blind eye to such violations, the fragile hills are not only becoming prone to landslides but also endangering the lives of those commuting on these roads.

Palampur, September 17
The Ministry of Defence has cleared the Pathankot-Leh rail line project via Manali linking Pathankot with Leh, Ladakh and other forward areas. This was disclosed by Shanta Kumar, MP from Kangra-Chamba.

Shanta Kumar said Deputy National Security Adviser Arvind Gupta had conveyed to him that the ministry had given its clearance to this project keeping in view the defense requirements of the country. He said efforts were also on way to declare this rail project as “national project” on the line of rail projects being executed in Jammu and Kashmir and other borders areas by the Centre.

Shanta said besides the Pathankot Leh rail line project, the ministry had also given its approval to the Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Mandi rail line. He said Gupta also said both projects would be funded by the Centre.

Shanta Kumar said this project would also boost the tourism in the state.

He said he had taken up this issue during the UPA government with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who had got a survey conducted for this project but because of heavy funds involved, the government kept the project pending.

He said later he had also discussed the issue with Prime Minister Narendra Modi who had shown keen interest in this project and directed the Ministries of Defence and Railways to prepare a detailed note and place it before the PMO for the final approval.

He said China and Pakistan had expanded its rail network in border areas and had linked Lahasa with modern rail network while the government of India had not added even a single brick to its existing rail lines in the border areas.

He said after the recent flood in Kashmir, the country needed strong alternative rail route to Leh and Ladakh for carrying its defence equipment and food supplies.

Palampur, September 17
People of the Bara Bhangal valley reconstructed a bridge over the Hanny khad, which was washed away in the recent flash floods and rain.

Villagers were earlier waiting for the state government to construct the bridge, but because of certain bottleneck and financial constraints, there was no response from it.

Thereafter, the villagers came forward and reconstructed the bridge over the khud within five days. They said now foodgrains could be stored for winters in the village. Almost 4,000 quintals of foodgrains were held up at Bara Gram and Bir in the absence of a mule track to the valley.

Village panchyat pardhan said the villagers had also repaired the mule track, which was the only way to the valley. He said if the bridge was not constructed timely, there would have been foodgrain crisis in the valley as snowfall was expected by the end of this month and the Thamsar Pass would be closed.

Shimla, September 17
With the problem of monkey menace in the state still not under control, experts from the Primate Research Centre, University of California, have arrived here to examine the problem as they will suggest means and ways to check their growing population.

Experts are camping here to see how to tackle the problem. The wildlife wing of the Forest Department is setting up a hi-tech laboratory at Tutikandi where sterilisation of the monkeys is being undertaken. Two mobile sterilisation vans costing about Rs 1.20 crore have also been purchased to facilitate catching and sterilisation of the simians in the rural areas.

The government had approached the Primate Research Centre, University of California, to assist in combating monkey menace in the state. The experts will guide Himachal and Uttrakhand in tackling the problem.

With a sizeable population of 2.26 lakh monkeys as per the latest estimation, monkeys damage crops, forcing many to give up agriculture activities. The state government has so far sterilised about 85,000 monkeys at its various centres in Shimla, Gopalpur near Palampur, Una and Sastar in Hamirpur. The government has been pleading with the Centre that monkeys should be declared as vermin so that it becomes easy to kill them and check their growth.

“The mobile sterilization vans will help us in tackling the problem in the remote and rural areas where monkeys are causing a lot of damage to crops,” said Lalit Mohan, Principal Chief Conservator (Wildlife). He said the experts from California University would suggest ways how to enable stress-free capture of the monkeys.

“Another important aspect which has so far not been looked into in detail is the possible threat of diseases that these monkeys can pass on to the humans, with whom they are coming in close contact,” he said.

A survey undertaken in 2004 had put the number of monkeys in the state at 3.19 lakh and langurs at over 50,000. Though there has been a decline of almost 93,000 monkeys between the first survey and the latest, the problem still persists.

The department also proposes to set up monkey sites which will spread over about 10 hectares and the emphasis will be on habitat improvement. Plantation drives will be undertaken to help meet-the-food requirement of simians. These sites are being identified by the department in places where there is no human interference and there is ample food.

Shimla, September 17
Shoolini University, Solan, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China, for joint research work, exchange of teachers and students and teaching of Chinese language to students of the university.

The MoU, based on the principle of reciprocity, was signed during the 12-day visit of a three-member delegation of the university, headed by Vice-Chancellor PK Khosla, to China and Taiwan from August 24 to September 4. A roadmap of academic activities was finalised with Deans and Directors of Chung Yuan Christian University, Taiwan.

Besides, Professor Dun Jong of the Taiwan National University of Science and Technology would be visiting Shoolini University towards September-end to finalise the MoU, he added.

During the visit, the delegation attended a Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) meeting from August 24 to 26 and the Cultural Roundtable Conference on the Silk Road Economic belt from August 23 to 27 at Lanzhou University, China.

The HUC meeting was attended by delegates from India, China, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, along with a host of experts on mountain development from Scandinavian countries, Europe and the USA.

Professor Khosla said Prof M Hadi Hedayati, Vice-Chancellor, Kabul University, had requested Shoolini University to assist them in establishing a College of Biotechnology and Biomedical Engineering at their university. Professor Hadi would be visiting Shoolini University in mid-October for signing the MoU.

Shimla, September 17
The High Court today adjourned the hearing on the petitions filed by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his family members challenging an order of the Income Tax Commissioner, Shimla, to transfer the cases relating to investigations into their income tax returns to Chandigarh for September 24.

In its earlier order passed on August 4, the High Court had stayed the order of the Commissioner, Income Tax, Shimla, whereby he had ordered to centralise and transfer the cases relating to investigations into the income tax returns of Virbhadra and his family members from Shimla to the Deputy Commissioner of Income Tax, Central Circle-I, Chandigarh.

The matters were listed before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan.

It is pertinent to mention that against the order of the Income Tax Commissioner, Virbhadra and his family members have filed the petitions before the court. Apart from Virbhadra Singh, his wife Pratibha Singh, son Vikramaditya Singh, daughter Aparajita Kumari, and Anand Chauhan (caretaker of Virbhadra Singh’s orchards), Chunni Lal Chauhan (proprietor of Universal Apples) had challenged the orders of the Income Tax Commissioner to transfer their cases.

They have stated that the joint investigation of all cases can be done in Shimla also and there is no need to transfer the cases to Chandigarh as this will only result in harassment to them.

Hamirpur, September 17
Former Chief Minister PK Dhumal today said the Congress was highly mistaken that its popularity graph had suddenly shot up as India was all set to become a world power under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Addressing a press conference here today, he said Congress leaders had a misconception that the Congress had gained popularity after the drubbing in the recent Lok Sabha elections. “If they are so confident, let them go in for an Assembly poll in the state along with Haryana and Maharashtra so that they can see the ground realities,” he dared the Congress. He added that the BJP would sweep the polls in the two states though it could not do so well in the byelections which could be a result of local issues.

He refuted the Congress charge that the BJP regime at the Centre had not provided any relief to Himachal in wake of the loss due to the rains. “Though the relief as per the government manual could not meet the needs of the people in distress, even the Deputy Commissioner cannot release a penny without the loss assessment certificate from patwari,” he added.

“There is a provision in the budget where all states are given funds for such calamities and Himachal Pradesh gets around Rs 400 crore every year. But if the government has failed to utilise this money, how can it seek more funds,” he said.

He further said when the state government did not have enough staff to get the loss assessed, how could they seek funds from the Centre. “Rather than blaming the Centre, it will be better if the state speeds up its work on loss assessment so that the Centre can make allocation based on the survey,” he remarked.

“Our government had increased the relief amount, but the UPA government had reduced it in 2013,” said Dhumal. He demanded that the relief manual should be reviewed so that affected people could get substantial amount though they cannot be compensated.

Earlier, Dhumal flagged off a jeep load of relief material for the flood-affected people of Jammu and Kashmir to mark the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the relief material comprising 16 quintal rice, three quintal pulses, salt, sugar, ghee and 180 blankets were sent in the first phase collected by local BJP mandal.

He said all BJP mandals would send relief material to the state. He appealed to the public to contribute generously to help the people in distress.

Chamba, September 17
Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu impressed upon party workers to gear up for Mission-2017 of the Assembly elections.

Presiding over a meeting of the Block Congress Committee, Pangi, falling in the Bharmour tribal Assembly constituency yesterday, Sukhu asked workers to highlight the achievements of the government, and appealed to them to wage a ‘public contact campaign’ in their respective areas.

He categorically stated that the magic of Narendra Modi was gradually disappearing, as was evident from the excellent performance of Congress in the recently held by-elections in various states.

Sukhu said after the defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress was bound to bounce back in the ensuing Assembly elections of Haryana and Maharashtra and win the elections with absolute majority.

Seeing the mounting victory graph of Congress, the disgruntled opposition was playing gimmicks and misleading the public, he added.

He said though the Congress had lost the battle in the Lok Sabha elections, it was not disappointed. The party was fast regaining its position as the oldest and the largest party.

Denying that there was factionalism in the party, Sukhu said the Congress was fully united to face all the challenges, in any of the elections in future, across the country.

Shimla, September 17
SFI activists, protesting fee hike and direct elections to the Students Central Associations (SCAs), today laid siege to Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) and blocked its main entrance at Summer Hill Chowk for more than three hours. They even barred the entry of the Vice-Chancellor into the campus.

More than 600 students sat on a dharna at the chowk and did not allow any vehicle to enter. The Vice-Chancellor was virtually mobbed by students and the police had to cordon him to safety.

SFI president Hoshiyar Singh alleged that the police had resorted to cane charge on peacefully agitating students and eight students, namely, Narender Kumar, Ajay, Dinesh Mehta, Prem, Prem Kumar, Khem Raj, Dharamvir and Shaurya were injured.

Asserting that the days of submitting memorandums had gone, the students also served a one-day ultimatum to the Vice-Chancellor and the university administration to start negotiations with the students, failing which the agitation would be intensified further.

The student body accused the administration of being “insensitive” to the demands of the students and ignoring the protests continuing for the past two months. It warned that the university would witness aggressive agitation everyday and administrative officers would not be allowed to enter the campus till the decisions of fee hike and deferment of SCA elections were not taken back.

SCA secretary Piyush Sewal said the SFI would resort to hunger strike, dharna and road blockade in all the affiliated colleges of HPU till the university accepted the demands. Meanwhile, the hunger strike by SFI members, which entered the 19th day today, would also continue.

Taking serious notice of the today’s incident, HPU Vice-Chancellor ADN Bajpai warned the student organisations against taking law into their hands and said any unlawful action that disturbed peace in the campus would attract stringent action.

He stated that deterrent action would be taken against those involved in the incident at the earliest. He called upon the students and their parents to extend cooperation in maintaining peace and congenial academic atmosphere in the campus and affiliated colleges.

Una, September 17
Activists of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) and the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today joined hands at the Government College, Daulatpur Chowk, to press for complete government takeover of the institution.

Presently, the arts wing of the college is being run by the state government, while the science and commerce wings are being run under the self-finance scheme.

The college was originally managed by the DAV organisation, but on public demand, government takeover of the institution was proposed. During the previous Congress regime, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had announced the takeover during a function at the college. However, only the arts wing was taken over then. During Virbhadra’s visit to the college about 10 months ago, he had announced that the science and commerce wings will also be taken over soon. However, there had been no notification to this effect till date, said students. About a week ago, Rakesh Kalia, Congress MLA from Gagret, had alleged bias against the Gagret segment by the Chief Minister. He had also resigned from a few government committees to express his resentment.

Hundreds of agitating students today boycotted classes and locked the college gate. Meanwhile, two former presidents of the College Student Central Association, Sunny Kumar and Avinash Kumar, continued with their two-day-old hunger strike.

The college management said since their condition deteriorated today, the 108 Ambulance service was called, but the students did not allow it to enter the campus. Amb SDM Charanji Lal and DSP Jitender Chaudhary reached the college on the request of the college administration, along with a posse of policemen, but they were denied entry by the students for about an hour. After prolonged deliberations, they assured students that their concerns would be communicated to the CM through the DC.

Solan, September 17
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today inaugurated the two-day Sair Festival at Arki, which is also known as the “Festival of Bulls” and is famous for the exhibition of rare breed buffaloes.

On the occasion, Virbhadra said fairs and festivals were an inherent part of our traditions, customs and culture and were required to be preserved.

He said though people of the state comprised one big family, some tried to differentiate and divide them on the basis of caste, region and culture. Divisive politics did not pay dividends and proved to be detrimental in the long run, he said.

Disturbed by the hooting from an impatient crowd who were awaiting the bull fight, he did not make any announcements, though the local Congress leaders raised demands for upgrading schools, repair of roads, etc.

Virbhadra Singh also released a souvenir brought out by the mela committee and inaugurated the exhibitions set up by various
government departments and NGOs, showcasing development activities.

Col (Dr) Dhani Ram Shandil, Social Welfare and Empowerment Minister, congratulated people on the occasion of the fair and gave a figurative account of achievements of the state government.

Seema Sharma, president, Nagar Panchayat, Arki, welcomed the Chief Minister and other dignitaries on the occasion. She also raised the demands of the area.

Others present on the occasion were Congress MLAs Govind Ram Sharma, Ram Kumar Chaudhary, former block Congress committee president Sanjay Awasthy and officials of the district administration.

Earlier, the CM inaugurated a sub-division office-cum-residence of the assistant engineer, national highway, and laid the foundation stone of 50-bed Civil Hospital at Arki, which will be constructed at a cost of Rs 8.10 crore.

Shimla, September 17
To provide speedy justice to victims of motor accidents, the HP High Court today directed the state to create a motor accident claims monitoring cell in each district headed by the Deputy Superintendents of Police to monitor the compliance of the mandatory provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act.

The court also directed the state police to start a website with all relevant information and documents regarding road accidents, which can be accessed by claimants, insurance companies as well as the motor accident claims tribunals. The court also directed the police to supply copies of FIR and other documents to the claimants/tribunals and to maintain registers at police stations with details regarding the date of dispatch of FIR and Form-54 of the Motor Accident Claims Tribunals.

The court also directed the presiding officers of Motor Accident Claims Tribunals to convene a meeting once in a month with the police, prosecution agencies and insurance officers to ensure that compliance is made and grievance of sufferers is redressed without delay.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed this order on a public interest litigation wherein the issue of several bus accidents had been raised.

The court posted the matter for further hearing on November 3.