Shimla, October 13
The state government is likely to slash the rates for regularising unauthorised constructions to half as the draft of the amendments proposed to the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act is likely to be placed before the Cabinet shortly.

Owners of unauthorised buildings, constructed in violation of norms, have every reason to cheer as the government is proposing to reduce the rates for regularisation. It is following strong reaction from individuals over the high compounding rates that the government has been compelled to take such a decision.

The Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department is likely to place the draft of the new amendments for providing relief to those who had built structures in violation of the norm before the Cabinet shortly.

“We intend to reduce the compounding rates by almost half so that the maximum structures can be regularised,” conformed Sudhir Sharma, TCP Minister. He said the amendments had been re-drafted and these would be placed before the Cabinet at its next meeting. He, however, clarified that the special one-time relaxation to be made by amending the TCP Act would not be applicable in the green, heritage and core area of the state capital.

It was keeping all these issues in mind that the state Cabinet at its meeting last month had decided to drop the Ordinance for making amendments to the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act which would pave the way for regularisation of such structures.

The government is firm on the issue of not granting any relaxation to those who own structures in the core, heritage and green areas of Shimla. Though as per the Ordinance, the fee for the core area in Shimla was to be charged at 200 per cent of the regular regularisation fee and 150 per cent for the restricted area, there was widespread criticism that such concessions amount to encouraging violators. As such there was a rethink on the issue, now there will be no concession for such areas.

The commercial value of buildings in these areas is very high and the government is adamant on not giving any concession to house owners here. There is complete ban on construction in 17 green belts of Shimla and only minor alteration and repairs can be made in the buildings falling in the heritage zone of the town. The core area of Shimla, including the Mall, Lower Bazaar. Lakkar Bazaar and other main areas of the town, will remain excluded from the new amendments.

The government has come in for severe criticism for doling out concessions to violators who have committed serious violations. In fact, many individuals and organisations have even registered their objections to the earlier proposed amendments. Even though the government proposes to bring about the amendment to settle the unauthorised status of over 25,000 structures, there has been widespread criticism as it is felt that it will only encourage violators while the law abiding citizens adhere to norms. 

Shimla, October 13
The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) today announced the release of 10 per cent DA to the employees pending since January 1, 2014, claiming that the management has accepted almost all demands of the joint coordination committee (JCC).

Though Roshan Lal Chauhan, president, JCC, Nanak Chand Shandil, general secretary, Jagrup Singh, vice-president, and all trade union members of the JCC were present at the meeting.

RN Batta, Managing Director, HRTC, said the management held the meeting with the JCC today and accepted their demands. “Ten per cent DA due from January 1, 2014, has been released while DA up to September 2014 will be paid in cash and from October onwards be added into the salary”, he added.

The management had decided to withdraw 48-hour roster for making the overtime payment to the crew and the overtime dues would be released on 22nd day of the every month, he added.

He said overtime allowance for three months had also been released.

Though management assured the JCC that 288 posts of driver, 680 posts of conductor and 146 posts of workshop employee would be filled soon, it did not give any time frame.The management also promised that 800 new buses would be added to the fleet of the HRTC.

Batta said the JCC members agreed they would not participate in the strike tomorrow. “If any employee participates in the rally, stern action will be taken against him”, he warned. 

Solan, October 13
The state’s industrial hub comprising the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) area will be developed as a model industrial area where all facilities, including uninterrupted power and water, will be made available to investors.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said this while talking to mediapersons here today after which he left for Una.

He said the guest house at Nalagarh would be upgraded into a circuit house, while a new guest house for the Industries Department would also be constructed at Baddi.

He said the government was exploring the possibility of posting officials of the level of Superintending Engineers of various departments in Nalagarh apart from placing a Regional Transport Officer here to facilitate the industry.

He said an IAS official would soon be posted as the CEO of the BBN Development Authority to ensure planned development of the area. This crucial post had been lying vacant for quite sometime now.

The CM urged investors to undertake social work in the area and spend 2 per cent of their profitability as per their corporate social responsibility and not show works undertaken in their sister concerns in other states as their CSR achievements in the state.

Shimla, October 13
Chief of the Army Training Command (ARTRAC), Shimla, Lt Gen BS Sachar today urged residents, including personnel of different departments and disaster management cells, to pool in their efforts to put in place a ready disaster mitigation plan to tackle disasters, such as floods, fire outbreaks, earthquakes and other natural calamities, in the state.

He urged residents to volunteer their services to rehabilitate a disaster-hit area and population. The fire services, Home Guards and disaster management cells performed a mock drill on the disaster management.

Addressing a state-level awareness campaign on International Disaster Reduction Day on The Ridge here, Sachar said a natural disaster needed joint efforts on the part of the public, the government and other agencies, he added.

Citing the recent floods in Jammu and Kashmir, he said all government machineries should be ready beforehand to beat a disaster to minimise the loss of life, limb and property.

To save the public from the loss caused by earthquakes, residents of areas which fall in the high-seismic zone should be encouraged to build quake-proof houses, he added.

Sachar inaugurated an exhibition put up by the Home Guards, fire services and ITBP. It was aimed at creating awareness about disaster management.

Schoolchildren took out a rally and theatre artistes performed street plays.

Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, Dinesh Malhotra and other officials of the disaster management cells were also present on the occasion.

Dharamsala, October 13
Minister for Transport, Food and Civil Supplies and Technical Education GS Bali assured the District Bar Association of Dharamsala that he would lobby for their demand to have a circuit bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in Kangra district.

Bali was invited by the association today at their Bar room here. The association has been on strike since September 9 to press for their demand to end circuit courts in Kangra district and instead have a circuit bench of the High Court.

Bali said since Kangra district comprised nearly 25 per cent of the state, the demand for having a circuit bench of the High Court here was justified.

He said: “I shall accompany the District Bar Association to the Chief Minister to lobby for their cause.”

He, however, said the priority of the government was to give justice to people at their doorstep. In this direction the establishment of circuit courts was a progressive step, he said.

Bali announced Rs 1.5 lakh for the improvement of the association infrastructure. He also announced a water cooler for common litigants coming to Dharamsala courts.

President of the association Tek Chand Rana said the Dharamsala Bar was the biggest in the state after Shimla and had over 300 members.

“It is a question of the livelihood of over 300 Bar members who have settled in Dharamsala town,” he said.

He said: “We have been on strike for the past one month against the establishment of so many circuit courts in Kangra district. After our request, one circuit court at Kangra has been stopped by the High Court. Still there are six circuit courts in Kangra district, which is the highest for any district in the country.”

He said from tomorrow, the Kangra District Bar Association would start a chain-hunger strike. In case their demand was not met, they would start an indefinite hunger strike after 10 days.

He said earlier also two resolutions had been sent to the Union Government by the state government for the establishment of a circuit bench of the High Court in Dharamsala. 

Dharamsala, October 13
The sale of tickets for the one-day international cricket match between India and West Indies scheduled at Dharamsala on October 17 started here today. A large numbers of students thronged the cricket stadium counter this morning looking for cheap Rs 250 tickets.

The HPCA has appointed Kyazoonga.com, India’s first and largest sports and entertainment ticketing company, as the official ticketing partner for the match.

HPCA officials said the tickets were on sale at www.kyazoonga.com. Venue box-office counters would be open from 9am to 6pm. The retail outlets where tickets would be available are Mc’llo Restaurant, Main Square, McLeodganj, Planet I Ward No. 5, Opposite Head Post Office, Hamirpur, Vibhu Communication, Jeevan Market, Una, and Uth Zone, Airtel SFS, opposite DAV College, Kangra, the HPCA spokesperson said.

He said tickets are priced at Rs 250, Rs 1,000, Rs 1,200, Rs 2,500 and Rs 6,000. Corporate box tickets are priced at Rs 10,000 each.

Anurag Thakur, president of the HPCA, said, “We are delighted to host the 4th ODI of the Micromax Cup 2014. With two quality teams playing, we look forward to bringing exciting brand of cricket to the cricket fans in the region. We hope that fans in Himachal Pradesh and the adjoining areas will come out in full strength to support the Indian team.”

The administration is facing teething problems in making arrangements for the cricket match. The Government College, Dharamsala, is the main ground for the parking of vehicles.

However, on October 17, the match day, Himachal Pradesh University has scheduled the golden chance examination for students in the Government College, Dharamsala. About 500 students are expected to appear in the examination.

The college administration has written to district officials that the student coming for the examination should not be stopped from entering the college. The college administration fears that the restricted entry to the campus on the day may pose problems for the students.

Despite a bitter relations between the ruling Congress government and the HPCA, most of the ministers have booked rooms in rest houses and Circuit House.

Sources here said though the ministers might not come to see the match, they would have booked rooms for friends who might be coming to Dharamsala on October 17.

The district administration has booked the traditional areas as the police ground, the Dari ground and the Sidhbari stadium for parking. It was, however, not clear if the HRTC would provide shuttle service for the match or not.

Solan, October 13
With the Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, failing to get adequate financial grant from the state government, its 640 pensioners have been denied timely post-retirement benefits. They have not received their pensions for the past two months.

The university is battling a financial crisis and its deficit had reached a whopping Rs 43 crore by the end of September. The salary and pension component consumed as much as Rs 72 crore annually while funds to the tune of Rs 48 crore only had been made available. This has made it difficult for the university management to even meet salary liabilities. Though the university had been directed to generate income but only limited income could be generated with enhancement of seats this year.

Comptroller PC Sharma said the deficit by August end was Rs 30 crore and had plummeted to Rs 43 crore in September, with the monthly liability of pensions being as high as Rs 1.30 crore. The situation was slated to worsen as six to eight employees were retiring almost every month and enhancement of benefits like the DA was further straining the university exchequer.

The 640 pensioners, of both non-teaching and teaching staff, are running from pillar to post to get their pensions released in time. The adverse financial situation made the university administration to release the pension of July month barely a few days ago while that of August and September is yet to be paid, confided a scientist, who despite of having retired in 2013, is yet to get leave encashment and gratuity amount.

With no funds available with the university for paying revised gratuity of Rs 10 lakh to each employee since 2006, the pensioners are feeling let down and though some employees had got relief from the court, others were yet to be granted this benefit, further adding to their resentment. The university had also stopped paying commuted salary in the current financial scenario.

Dr SD Bhardwaj said the teaching association of the university, which had met on September 5 to chalk out their strategy, had now decided to approach the court for non-payment of timely pensions. Despite investing 30 years in the university, failure to get pension was a big injustice, he added. 

Mandi, October 13
An indoor hall at a cost of Rs 11 crore will be constructed at Kangani near Mandi, said Rural Development and Panchayat Minister Anil Sharma today, while inaugurating the 13th state-level women sports meet here.

To promote sports, the government had given 3 per cent reservation to medal winners of national and international events, he said, adding that since January 2013, nearly 300 sportspersons had been given jobs in different government departments.

He said to provide better facilities, indoor and outdoor infrastructure was being constructed on priority in the state.

Stadiums had been constructed in several districts of the state at a cost of Rs 24 crore, whereas indoor stadiums had been built in Una, Dharamsala and Bilaspur, he said. He said an indoor sports complex in Shimla was constructed at a cost of Rs 4.50 crore to providing badminton, boxing, table-tennis, volleyball, judo, tae kwon do and shooting facilities.

He said women players were performing well at the national and international levels and in the recently held Asian Games, women players from the state had won three gold medals, one silver and one bronze in different events.

Youth Services and Sports Department Director Kamal Sharma said more than 1,000 players from 12 districts of the state were taking part in athletics, hockey, badminton, table-tennis, volleyball, kabaddi, basketball, kho-kho, and handball competitions.

He said in the current financial year, a sum of Rs 6 crore would be spent on the repair and construction of new sports grounds in the state.

In the 1,500m race, Kanta from Mandi stood first, while Gargi from Una stood second and Heena from Kangra secured the third position.

Shimla, October 13
Students at Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), especially research scholars preparing for their examination, are a harried lot these days.

They alleged that the police forced them to leave the library at 5pm today.

The decision to reduce the timings from 9pm to 5 pm (by nearly four hours) was taken in the wake of students’ agitation against fee hike and restoration of Students Central Association (SCA) elections.

Students today lodged a symbolic protest against the arbitrary decision of the university and refused to leave the library after 5pm.

They alleged that the university was using library timings as a ploy to crush the agitation of students and said it was part of bullying tactics used by the authorities.

“These days are crucial and instead of allowing unlimited access to students to sit in the library to prepare for exams, the university has reduced the timing, which has come as a serious blow to serious students,” a research scholar said.

“The university administration has failed to provide basic facilities to students and is seizing limited facilities provided by it which is unfair. This is harming the interests of students,” he said.

“Student leaders rarely visit the library, but just because of the ongoing agitation, students are being harassed every now and then,” a member of the Research Scholars’ Association said.

“With Section 144 of the Cr PC in force on the campus, we feel like prisoners sitting in the library,” he said.

Students demanded that the library be kept opened for at least 13 hours from 8am to 9pm to help students prepare for their examination.

Meanwhile, the SFI has served an ultimatum to the university authorities to open the library till late hours to accommodate students, failing which they would intensify their agitation. 

Shimla, October 13
The Agriculture Department will launch a special campaign for seed treatment and soil testing to make crops free from disease and insects and pests for better crop management from October 17 to 31 in the state.

According to a statement issued here, as many as 25,000 soil samples will be tested and 50,000 quintal treated seed of Rabi crops will be distributed among farmers.

The department claims that they will give live demonstration to farmers in fields for seed treatment techniques and they will get treated seeds. To ensure the quality of agriculture inputs, 600 seed samples will be drawn and tested at seed testing laboratories at Solan, Palampur and Mandi, while 1,000 fertiliser samples, 150 insecticide samples will be drawn and got tested, the release said.

The department had established 11 soil-testing labs and deployed mobile soil-testing vans for the benefit of farmers. All types of chemical fertilisers, vermi compost, green manures and organic manures would be used in combined ways to maintain soil fertility.

During current Rabi season, 28,000 tonne fertiliser nutrients, 100 quintal bio-fertiliser were being distributed among farmers and assistance of Rs 5,000 was being given for the construction of vermi compost unit.

Shimla, October 13
In a crackdown, seven benami properties bought during the BJP regime in the city and its peripheries have been vested back with the government as these violated Section 118 of the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972. But the proceedings in10 benami properties have been dropped by the district collector.

The inputs accessed by The Tribune revealed that the district collector initiated proceedings in benami properties bought between 2010 and 2013. Seven benami properties were found to be bought in violation of Section 118 and the district collector vested all these back with the government.

The land sharks struck deals with benami buyers in Durgapur, near the prized Naldehra Golf links, Kufri, Pantha Ghati, Taradevi, Malyana and on the peripheries of the city in Kacher which falls in Kumarsain tehsil and Shanel, Guthangi in Shimla rural.

The records reveal that in the case of Durgapur land deal, benami dealer Govinder Singh bought land measuring 0-03-60 hectare on khasra number 142/1 in December 2011, which was vested with government as it violated Section 118 on July 23 this year.

In the second case, Kufri Palace and resorts bought 1-1 bighas of land on khasra number 385/289/3 in mohal Kufri-Junga in March 2012. The court of collector found it benami and vested with government on July 13, 2014.

The collector found the land transaction executed by Sanjay Bhalla in January 2013 in Shanel measuring 0-19-81 hectare as benami and vested with the government on July 9, 2014.

The benami buyers had invented new ways to buy the built-up areas along with the land in the city during this period. Three cases, one in Kacher (Kumarsain), Malayana, Tara Devi, Panthaghati - involving benami dealers - Ashok Kumar, Raman Sharma, Yashpal Bansal and Ram Swaroop acted as dealers and these properties had been vested with the government.

Interestingly, just two violators - one from Solan and another from Mumbai - came to light out of these seven cases. Other violators in these seven cases remained untraced, sources revealed.

But District Collector, Shimla, Dinesh Malhotra, dropped Section 118 proceedings in 10 other cases involving some contractors, resort owners and private buyers. 

Kangra, October 13
A total of Rs 2 crore would be spent on the additional block of the Government Degree College at Nagrota Bagwan, said state Transport, Technical Education and Food and Civil Supplies Minister GS Bali today, after laying the foundation stone of an outdoor stadium on the campus here.

Bali said the stadium, which would cost Rs 1.40 crore, would be expanded further in future to make it an ideal cricket stadium.

He said presently a pavilion, ring track, levelling of the stadium, concrete works and boundary wall besides seating stairs for sports lovers would be constructed by HIMUDA. He asked HIMUDA authorities to take care of the quality control of works and construct it in specific time.

He said more funds would be spent on the construction of another block of Government Degree College besides principal’s office, staff and class rooms.

Bali inspected the Engineering college being run on Government Degree College premises and interacted with students.

He also inspected the works of Rs 1.20 crore project of OBC Bhawan at Keerchamba and directed PWD authorities to complete the project expeditiously. 

Hamirpur, October 13
Employees of the Ayurveda Department are unhappy over the government’s alleged proposal to start the first batch of Government Medical College, Hamirpur, from the newly constructed building of the Ayurveda Hospital here.

It is likely that the new building constructed at a cost of Rs 3.19 crore will house the much-awaited the Government Medical College in Hamirpur. It is learnt that the state government has started the process to transfer the Ayurveda Hospital building to the Health Department for housing the proposed medical college.

This has irked the employees of the Ayurveda Department and the issue has become a tug-of-war between the two government departments.

Since the building is located within the district hospital complex it is being considered as the best option for starting classes for the proposed college. There is also a proposal to place more beds to meet the requirement of the medical college as per the Medical Council of India (MCI) norms.

The medical college complex will come up at the site determined by the MCI team later, but the medical college will be housed in the Ayurveda Hospital temporarily for a few years.

The zonal hospital administration had also given its consent to create a patients’ ward in the administrative floor of the hospital to meet the bedding requirement for the medical college. Thus, the administrative offices, including the Chief Medical Officer, Senior Medical Officer and Medical Officer, will also be shifted from the present location along with offices of food and drug inspectors.

Chief Medical Officer PR Katwal said: “The department is making all out efforts to establish the prestigious institution and has placed a request to the Ayurveda Department to extend help for the establishment of the medical college.”

He said the Ayurveda Hospital building was most suitable as it was near the zonal hospital.

District Ayurveda Officer, Rajender Prasad Agnihotri, however, said the officers and employees of the Ayurveda Department were not against the setting up of the medical college, but against the transfer of the prime property to the Health Department.

He said it was after 30 years that the Ayurveda Department was going to have its own building, which too was being snatched from it.

He said Rs 3.19 crore had been spent on the building so far and more money would be spent to finish the building work. He said the officers and employees of the Ayurveda Department had conveyed their displeasure to the higher authorities and it was now up to the government to take a decision.

Mandi, October 13
Members of the Himachal Pradesh Panchayat Chowkidar Union held a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today.

They demanded the regularisation of the services of panchayat chowkidars who had completed eight years of service, as per the directions of the Supreme Court.

They said the chowkidars should be given daily wages as they had not completed eight years and the government should take back its decision on the post of mobiliser.

Solan, October 13
Study in Solan-based LLR Institute of Professional Courses was paralysed today as the teaching and non-teaching staff went on a strike to protest non-payment of salaries for four months.

No member of the trust, including Parmod Garg and Kailash Goyal, were available to answer media queries or listen to the grievances of the employees.

Thousands of students residing in hostels remained without food and no study could be conducted as employees boycotted all work and raised slogans against the indifferent attitude of the management.

Labour Officer Pratap Verma said they had called the institute management on October 15 to address the grievances of the employees who had handed over a representation to him and added that employees would soon be given their due.

President of the NTEU Mohan Vashisht said the institute management did not bother to even hold a single meeting with the employees and they were forced to take such step.

The employees alleged that the institute was indulging in several irregularities which included non-compliance of minimum wages to its non-teaching staff and non-payment of double wages for overtime.

The employees also pointed out that the institute was deducting 25 per cent of their salary for provident fund (PF) which included an individual’s share as well as the institute’s share but this amount had not been credited to the PF account for the past more than two years. A complaint had now been made to the PF Commissioner. Services of several employees had been terminated in an arbitrary manner.

The management had also failed to register the employees with the Employee Station Insurance Corporation despite this being mandatory and this had bereft them of due medical aid.

The employees demanded immediate grant of salaries with an enhancement of 20 per cent, 22 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively, to the unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled workforce.

The employees alleged that despite being registered as an educational trust, the management was diverting the funds. Even the money collected as fee was used for other purposes by the trust members and this had led to non-grant of salaries to them for four months now.

Chamba, October 13
Residents of the Chhattradi area falling in Bharmour tribal subdivision have urged the state government to fill the vacant post of doctor at the local government dispensary.

They say the dispensary has been running without a doctor for quite some time. As a result, poor patients who cannot afford to go to Chamba have to suffer.

Residents of the distant tribal terrain have also apprised Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri of the vacant post at the Chhattradi Civil Dispensary.

Solan, October 13
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has banned the use of plastic containers for primary packaging of drugs.

The ministry has issued a draft notification on September 29 to invite objections and suggestions from the pharmaceutical industry within 45 days after which a final notification will be issued, banning the use of plastic packaging.

A period of 180 days will be granted to the industry to look for an alternative source of packaging and do away with the plastic packaging, especially for liquid oral formulations.

The step has been taken on the recommendations of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board and it has been stated that and no manufacturer will use the polyethylene terephthalate or plastic containers in liquid oral formulations for primary packaging of drug formulations for paediatric use, geriatric use and for use in case of pregnant women and women of reproductive age group. A penalty is also proposed if the directions are not adhered to.

While the pharmaceutical industry will have to look for alternative packaging, the fact that the presence of endocrine disruptors found in the plastic bottles were found to having adverse affect on the health. A Dehradun-based NGO demanding the ban had emphasised in its representation to the health authorities that leaching took place under varying storage temperatures in the plastic packaging material and when it became old, probability of cancer and physical infirmities were also coming to fore. The issue had also been referred to the Indian Council of Medical Research earlier this year though any scientific evidence on this issue was yet to come.

Oral liquids were earlier packed in glass bottles as primary packaging material for various pharmaceutical products. 

Hamirpur, October 13
Workers who had been deprived of wages under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for the last four months staged a demonstration at the Gandhi Chowk here today.

The protest was led by leaders of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) and CITU. State CPM secretary Kashmir Singh addressed MGNREGA workers. The workers, including men and women from all over the district, participated in the protest in the main market demanding the release of pending payments and resumption of MGNREGA work in panchayats.

He said due to the non-payment of the wages for the works executed so far, workers were no more interested in taking up any work under the MGNREGA and preferred to migrate to other towns in search of employment.

He said if the workers were not paid their wages, they would intensify their agitation.

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was more concerned about building his international stature than feeling for poor Indians.

He said it was disgraceful that the Central Government had reduced the MGNREGA budget, rendering thousands of workers jobless. The delay in payments and reduction in its budget had hampered the development process in rural areas, he added.

Palampur, October 13
The HP Agriculture University Pensioners’ Association has threatened to sit on a dharna if the university authorities failed to release their pension, gratuity and leave encashment before Diwali.

The decision was taken at a meeting held here on Friday as the university authorities have not released the pensions of retired employees for the past seven months

The association said Chief justice Mansoor Ahamad Mir of Himachal Pradesh High Court in an order passed last month had directed the university authorities to release the pension of retired employees before September 25, 2014, but the VC failed to implement the order and only one month pension was given to the retired employees.

The association members said: “As per the Supreme Court decision, pension has been defined as deferred wages payable to a retired employee till his death and it is also a matter of right under the Constitution of India.”

They said as per the Bombay High Court decision, it was the prime obligation of the government to release pension of an employee, which is his social security in his old age as his right to survive.

The employees who retired after 2010 have not received full payment of leave encashment and other pensionary benefits so far. Even death cum gratuity has not been paid to those who retired after March 2014.

The height of financial mismanagement has reached a crescendo when over a thousand non-teaching and teaching retirees have not been paid their pensions for the past four months.

A senior officer of the HP Agriculture University said since the university had not received financial grants from the state government, the pensions and other benefits of retired employees have not been paid. He, however, failed to give a satisfactory reply on how the university managed to pay the salaries of its staff without any break.

Dr Sushil Kumar Phull, president, HP Agriculture University Pensioners’ Association, said: “Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has time and again claimed that there is no financial crunch in the state. Then why has the government retained our pensions?”

He said the government should give top priority to clear the payments of pensioners or these senior citizens so that they could utilise this amount before they leave this world.

He also appealed to the HP High Court to initiate suo-moto contempt petition against the university authority that had already filed an affidavit before the High Court that they would make payments of pensions regularly.

Kangra, October 13
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s clean India campaign, started from October 2, is certainly difficult but not impossible to achieve when the society as a whole joins hands for the purpose.

Dr Pardeep Kumar, HoD, Department of Economics, MCM DAV College, said this yesterday. Such type of ‘gramin swachchhta karyakram’ was started in 1986 by taking an oath and subsidy was given for making toilets for the poor.

He said in 1999, complete swachchhta abhiyan was launched in place of gramin swachchhta karyakram and as a result, 33 per cent rural households had toilet facility as per the census 2011. In Himachal Pradesh, 31 per cent panchayats had achieved nirmal gram purskar but that was not sufficient. A lot of work was to be done in this regard, he added.

Kangra, October 13
Brahma Kumaris today laid stress on self-transformation for every individual to achieve the goal of transformation on the global level.

Speaking at a programme, attended by followers of the faith from Punjab and Himachal, BK Raj from Amritsar said, “Individuals of all ages and backgrounds regularly attend classes at more than 8,500 centres of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University located in 110 countries and study spiritual knowledge that nurtures respect for all faiths.”

Earlier in the day, the followers took out a shoba yatra through the main markets of the town carrying flags and kalash. The yatra concluded at the auditorium of the local Polytechnic College.

Nurpur, October 13
To check illegal mining activities on riverbeds in the area following the directions of the state government, three flying squads had been constituted in this bordering subdivision around three months ago. But these squads have failed to bring the desired results as people and environmentalists are not aware of how to approach heads of these squads in this connection.

As per information, the squads had been directed to conduct raids to check illegal mining activities in the local rivulets and khuds. Till now, only local police had taken an initiative in conducting raids and succeeded in confiscating a large number of JCBs, tippers and tractor-trailers involved in such activities in the area as people were used to report mining activities only to local police officers.

DSP Manoj Joshi today said the whole of Nurpur subdivision had been divided into three zones. “In the first zone comprising Kandwal, Lodwan, Raja ka Talab, Rehan, Chhatar and Khanni area, the flying squad will be led by the Nurpur tehsildar. In the second zone comprising the Damtal and Dhangu-Mazra area, the squad will be led by the Indora naib tehsildar, and in the third zone comprising the whole of Mand area, Bain-Atarian and Milwan areas, the squad will be led by the Indora tehsildar,” he said, adding that these squads comprised officers of different government departments and local police personnel as team members. 

Nurpur, October 13
The local unit of the Himachal Pradesh Government Pensioners’ Association convened a meeting here yesterday. It was presided over by its president SL Gupta.

The association expressed resentment against the state government for its apathy towards pensioners in the state and non-fulfilment of their long-standing demands.

While referring to a recent announcement of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh of accepting the demand of basic pension increments to the pensioners after their attaining the age of 60, 65 and 70 years, association president SL Gupta urged Virbhadra to implement the demand accepted in principle. 

Mandi, October 13
Employees of the Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS), perturbed over the indifferent attitude of the state government towards their demands, constituted HP State Medical, Paramedical and Contractual Employees Association here yesterday.

In the general house of the association, Tejendra Kumari was elected president, Rakesh Kumar Sharma vice-president, Haneesh Thakur general secretary, Deepika Dhadda additional joint secretary, Savita Narang joint secretary, Lalita cashier and Krishan press secretary.

Haneesh said their main demands included the conversion of all medical and paramedical employees, appointed and posted with the RKS, into a government contract, release of monthly salary of all employees on time on the pattern of government contractual employees posted in the Health and Family Welfare Department, consideration of RKS tenure for regularisation and seniority from the date of joining the department and giving an annual increment of 3 per cent to all medical and paramedical RKS employees posted in the Health and Family Welfare Department.

He said they would urge the government to resolve their issues at the earliest.

Shimla, October 13
Students at Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), especially research scholars are a harried lot these days.
They alleged that the police forced them to leave the library at 5pm today.

The decision to reduce the timings from 9pm to 5 pm was taken in the wake of students’ agitation against fee hike and restoration of SCA elections.

Students today lodged a symbolic protest against the arbitrary decision of the university and refused to leave the library after 5pm.

They said university was using library timings as a ploy to crush students’ agitation. — TNS

Kangra, October 13
A person was killed and two others were injured in two different road accidents here today, the police said.

The police said Ashwani Kumar Sood of Chountra in Mandi district was travelling on his Scooty, along with his 15-year-old son, on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway at Manoon when he was trapped by the loose rope of an unidentified truck, leaving him seriously injured.

He was rushed to the Civil Hospital, Palampur, from where he was referred to the DRPGMC at Tanda where he succumbed to his injuries.

The body was handed over to the relatives after a postmortem. The police have launched a hunt to nab the absconding truck driver who fled the spot in his vehice. The police have registered a case under Sections 304-A and 279, IPC, and Section 187, MV Act.

In another accident, Lakhanpal of Kachairi village was seriously injured when he was hit by a motorcycle at Kholi village on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway today. He was rushed to the Tanda medical college, where he is undergoing treatment.

The police have identified the driver as Vicky of Hoshiarpur. A case under Sections 279 and 337, IPC, and Section 187, MV Act, has been registered.

Kangra, October 13
The CID wing of the Kangra police today nabbed a proclaimed offender couple from their residence at Pathankot. They were produced in the local court today.

The police said Harminder Singh and his wife Harjeet Kaur had allegedly attempted to commit suicide in a hotel room at Nagrota Bagwan in 2002 by consuming poison and a case under Section 309, IPC, was registered against them. The court here declared the couple as proclaimed offenders in 2004.

The duo was nabbed after 10 years. 

Shimla, October 13
A two-day Himachal Pradesh University inter-college men and women judo championship started at Rajkiya Kanya Maha Vidyalaya (RKMV) here today. As many as 18 teams are participating in the championship.

Inaugurating the programme, college Principal Meera Walia said such events helped understand the importance of discipline and team spirit. She said the sport was a self-defence art.

In the women’s category (44 kg), Meera Kumari from Kullu and Rajkumari from Sundernagar entered the final, while the third place was bagged by Pooja of RKMV and Sapna of Government College, Hamirpur.