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Panel clears names for three more Addl Chief Secys
Speed up road work, CM warns firm
Work on Theog-Hatkoti road at snail’s pace
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Applications for gun licence flood police department
Dial 108 for fire, police help: ADM
FCI to build four godowns in HP
Wildlife officials to map disease profile of migratory birds
Nod to develop Pandoga industrial area
DC to open Red Cross fete in Lahaul
ENT camp in Kangra on Oct 25
Residents protest against water scarcity
Guv, CM greet people on Diwali
BJP leaders greet people on Diwali
Make Chamba literate: DC
70-yr-old held for minor’s rape
Youth ends life
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Panel clears names for three more Addl Chief Secys
Shimla, October 22 The committee, after holding lengthy deliberations, recommended the names of all three officers - Tarun Sridhar, Principal Secretary (Revenue and Forest), Narinder Chauhan, Principal Secretary (Public Works Department) and PC Dhiman, Principal Secretary (Education), for being promoted as ACS. The Cabinet had sanctioned three more posts of additional chief secretaries at its meeting held last month but it was only today that the screening committee cleared the names of the three officers belonging to the 1984 batch for promotion. However, the approval to the recommendations made by the committee is likely to be given after October 27. Chief Secretary Mitra is expected to return on October 27 as he left the town this afternoon. Sources said while in the case of Sridhar and Chauhan, there were no issues but with Dhiman’s name figuring in one of the Vigilance cases, all legal aspects were taken into consideration. “Unless and until an officer is suspended, chargesheeted or faces a criminal case in a court of law, he cannot be denied promotion. So there was no reason to stall his promotion,” said sources. Moreover, it is not even certain if the government has granted sanction to the Vigilance Bureau to prosecute Dhiman in the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) case. His name figures in the case as he was the Principal Secretary (Education) when the lecturers’ flats adjacent to the stadium were demolished . With the approval on the names of three ACS, their total number will go up to eight. The five Additional Chief Secretaries are Deepak Sanan, Ajay Mittal, Vineet Chawdhry, Upma Chawdhry and VC Pharka. The Cabinet had primarily given the nod to three more posts of ACS so that all those belonging to the 1984 batch could be made ACS. Two other officers of the 1984 batch Ajay Tyagi
and Arvind Mehta are currently serving in Delhi on Central deputation. Nod to officers
The three officers who will be promoted as Additional Chief Secretaries are Tarun Sridhar, Principal Secretary (Revenue and Forest), Narinder Chauhan, Principal Secretary (Public Works Department) and PC Dhiman, Principal Secretary (Education). |
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Speed up road work, CM warns firm
Shimla/Shantha, October 22 The Chief Minister said the apple was the mainstay of economy of the people here but he advised the people to adopt cultivation of off-season vegetables for increasing their income. Presiding over the concluding ceremony of three-day wrestling championship at Kotkhai organised by the Kothkhai Environment Sports and Cultural Club, he said the state government was endeavoured to promote the rural games and create better sports infrastructure in rural and far-flung areas of the state so that the budding players could get an opportunity to perform better at the state, national and international sports events. Virbhadra said kabaddi players and shooters had brought laurels to the state by winning medals in the Asian Games and yesterday three players Jeewan Kumar from Jogindernagar won gold in powerlifting championship in Las Vegas in the US while Ajit Singh from Rait and Dhruv Singh from Bhawarna in Kangra won silver medals in the event. He congratulated the players for achieving the feat at the international level. He directed the officials to expedite works on the building of Government Girls Senior Secondary School and improving the stadium. He said many wrestlers from Himachal and neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana participated in the championship. Jagrup from Punjab won the final match defeating Abdul Gani of Chamba district. |
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Work on Theog-Hatkoti road at snail’s pace
Theog (Shimla), October 22 The project had been mired in controversies from the beginning and the Chinese company, which was awarded the contract, failed to show progress and could complete only 22 per cent of work in five years. But even after the termination of the contract with the Chinese government-backed Longijian Road and Bridge Company and re-tendering the project, the pace of work has not picked up. The Rs 321-crore contract for the upgrade of the 80-km stretch, Rs 179 crore for the 48-km road from Theog to Kharapathar and Rs 142 crore for the 32-km road from Kharapathar to Rohru, was awarded in two packages to Gurgaon-based Chadha and Chadha Construction Company on November 19, 2013, with a deadline to complete the work by June 2016. However, as per information procured from the State Road Projects, Himachal Pradesh Roads and Other Infrastructure Development Corporation, only 15.85 per cent of excavation work had been completed till date. As per the data furnished by the corporation, 5.64 per cent of work of excavation, 5.38 per cent on embankment and 7.59 per cent of retaining walls and protection work has been carried out on the 48-km stretch from Theog to Kharapathar, while the construction of one box culvert is in progress. In the 32-km stretch from Kharapathar to Rohru also, 10.21 per cent of excavation and 5 per cent of protection work has been finished, while the construction of one bridge is under progress. During nine months from November 2013 to August 2014, the payment of Rs 19,44,87,842 had been released to the company in seven instalments against the gross amount of Rs 21,36,71,574. Due to cost and time overrun, the actual cost for the project has increased to Rs 383 crore. |
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Applications for gun licence flood police department
Shimla, October 22 The applicants are citing “frivolous reasons” and exaggerating threat perception. Verification of their claims is becoming a headache for the police which are already reeling under the pressure of work. To discourage the craze of arms licences, the police have decided to ask the applicants to give details of “threat perception” in writing so that the reasons mentioned in the application could be verified. Several businessmen have asked for arms licence sighting that they carry cash to the banks and vice versa but the police have urged them to shun the practice and instead hire private security agencies. Of late, wielding a gun had become a fashion and the trend had to be reversed by issuing arms licences “very selectively”, top police officers said. Earlier, licences were issued to farmers in rural areas for protection of crops from wild animals but since killing of animals is banned, the Licencing Authorities have imposed stringent conditions for issuing the licence. “The large-scale rejection of applications for licence would discourage people from applying for it for frivolous reasons and the number of applications would decline sharply,” the sources added. The Home Department had also issued a letter in this concern, specifying that arms licences should be given only if threat perception exists and the appliciant would have to mention the name of the person from whom they fear threat to life. In case the licences sought was for Himachal, along with the three adjoining states or for extension to adjoining states, the threat perception assessment done by the police should clearly state that there is threat to the licensee in the adjoining state. There are around 12,000 gun holders in Shimla district alone, with about 18,000 licensed weapons. But during elections, when the gun holders were asked to deposit their arms, less than 50 per cent of the licensees responded. Further, there is no record of unlicensed arms and country-made weapons in possession of the anti-social and criminal elements. Gun culture
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Dial 108 for fire, police help: ADM
Chamba, October 22 This was stated by Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Subh Karan Singh while presiding over a meeting of the district-level executive council of the National Ambulance Service here today. He said so far, delivery services had been provided to 341 pregnant women by ambulance service. In ailment and accidental cases, the lives of around 2,332 persons could be saved with the help of the service in the district. Chief Medical Officer Ashok Gupta said 17 ambulances were available in the district while four ambulance inter-facility transport had been based in at Chamba, Dalhousie, Tissa and Bharmour. |
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FCI to build four godowns in HP
Shimla, October 22 The Centre has given its nod and the FCI has taken land from the state government to construct the godowns, revealed FCI officials. The capacity of FCI godowns will be
increased to the tune of 35,000 mt under the Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee Scheme of the
Central Government, which is underway at various centres. Daljit Singh, general manager, FCI, said Himachal was getting 9,101 mt wheat and 6,395 mt rice under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and 17,891 mt wheat and 8,946 mt rice under other provisions in a year. He said the state was getting a quarterly quota of 2,612 mt wheat and 6,253 mt rice under other welfare schemes. At present, the FCI has 17 depots in Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kullu, Mandi, Karga, Nerchowk, GKT, Una, Nagrota, Chamba, Ranital, Dehra, Parwanoo, Dhalli, Solan, Nahan and Tapri which has a storage capacity of 33,730 mt. But, with four new centres the capacity will increase by 11,020 mt. “There has never been any complaint from the state government with regards to the quality of stocks and food grains,” said Daljit. |
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Celebrating Diwali in traditional ways
Shimla/Shantha, October 22 The residents of Bateuri village do not burn crackers, light diyas or exchange gifts. They gather on the Diwali night around the temple of the Kulva devta, a deity who takes no animal sacrifice as it has taken its avatar of lord Shiva here with his roots traced to Badrinath. The villagers of Shantha, famed as Bhadhans, who consider themselves sovereign, go as guests to Bateuri village, where the Kulva devta resides, and invoke the deity in the night-long jagrata. They gather around a bonfire after taking dinner, cooked in the name of the rugged lord. The oracle session goes on throughout the night while the participants play nati around the bonfire. The next day is the day of rest for the villagers. The Bhadhaans celebrate the day as ‘parhei’ and cook the pahari dish of siddoo-ghee. The third day of the festival of lights is Khila-Bharaach- a friendly test of physical prowess of the Rajputs, who are entrusted the task of guarding the Bhadhaan territory. The Bhadhaan and Bhaat (Brahmins) enter into a tug of war over the sacred Khila, a stick of thorny Bhekhal, which was once believed to have blocked the passage of the Ravana when he had taken Sita to Lanka. Pt Mela Ram, care taker of the devta, said the 1-foot ‘magic’ stick is dug atop the hill where the devta sits and no outsiders dare to enter the competition as they can invoke the wrath of the devta and Bhadhaan Brahmins fraternity. The devta’s rath gets off from the spot and the armies of Bhadhaan and Bhaat converge, raising slogans of the devta who rules the area. The participants pull out the khila towards their designated sides showing full physical force and unity. They fall into thorny bushes and boulders but never get hurt. The one wins is blessed by the devta, said Pradip Banchta Sharjai, another care taker of the devta. The devta goes as guest to Shantha, where the temple of the devi, Shatbahi, is located. All the Bhaats also go there as guests and the day witnesses a dance festival. The rath then goes back to the Bateuri temple the next day. In Nirmand, villagers celebrate Diwali much after it is celebrated in the rest of the country. “They call it Budhhi Diwali (old Diwali) and celebrate it a month later,” says Kulwant Sharma, a local resident. The scene at Budhhi Diwali is different: the representatives of devtas and rakshas Bhakshasur gather around a bonfire at the Dashnami Akhara in Nirmand. Singers recreate the Rigvedic lore in front of the sacrificial fire, consigning the devils to flames as a mark of victory of good over devil. In the Sarkaghat region, villagers celebrate Chhoti Diwali on the eve of Diwali. The villagers in Saklana, Boor, Dhalra, Thamor, Bari, Dhwali, Dharwar and Sari panchyat in Sarkaghat subdivision still celebrate Diwali in the age-old tradition. They make bundles of dry grass (ghirnu), tie each bundle to a Ramban herb stick and torch them one by one from a bonfire. Bhutasan, a local resident, said children carry back the Ramban torches to their respective homes shouting deoli-deoli in the local dialect. They then light clay diyas. Tradition beckons
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Wildlife officials to map disease profile of migratory birds
Solan, October 22 The step has been necessitated with several diseases like avian flu spreading through such birds that are also responsible for causing large-scale human and animal mortality in various parts of the world, confides Dr Lalit Mohan, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife Wing. He said Rs 25 lakh had been set aside for this project and as the BNHM specialised in such studies, it would help them prepare a disease profile of the visiting birds by taking their blood samples. This would help in detecting disease-carrier birds and the area from where the virus had been carried. Radio collars will also be used to study the origin of such migratory birds and in case any disease is detected it can help in stepping up preparedness, including taking steps to check its outburst. Officials of the Wildlife Wing were finalising its nitty-gritty and it would include aspects like species visiting major wetlands like Pong Dam where more than one lakh migratory birds, including bar-headed geese, which comprised more than 40 per cent of the visiting birds, are seen every year. According to a census conducted by wildlife officials, earlier as many as 37 different species of birds which come from as far as Russia, Mongolia, etc, are seen at the Pong Dam every year. The project would later be extended to other wetlands like Renuka, Chandertal, Rewalsar, etc, depending on the results of this project. The Bombay Natural History Society is one of the largest non-governmental organizations that is engaged in preserving nature and natural resources, education and research in natural history. The conservation of the scientific data is its key endeavour and it is done in a pure scientific way. Since the society is already engaged in conducting scientific studies relating to migratory birds, the project will further help in collecting reliable data which can be put to use in case a contagious disease strikes the state or its neighbouring area. The study, first of its kind, will help in identifying other threats relating to migratory birds which can affect human lives. |
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Nod to develop Pandoga industrial area
Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of a water harvesting structure at his ancestral village of Gondpur Bulla, Agnihotri said Rs 113 crore would be spent to create the basic infrastructure in the proposed industrial area, which will come up in the Bankhandi area near the Una-Hoshiarpur road. He laid the foundation stones of two water harvesting structures, one each in Gondpur Bulla and Dulehar panchayats. These structures, to be developed by the Forest Department, will come up by rejuvenating existing village ponds. The Gondpur Bulla water body, having a capacity of 1.5 hectare meter, would be constructed at a cost of Rs 35 lakh, while the one in Dulehar, having capacity of 2.5 hectare n\/meter, would be constructed at a cost of Rs 47.5 lakh, Agnihotri said. He said two such water bodies had already been developed in Kangar and Panjawar panchayats, where the panchayats had introduced fish fingerlings as income generating activity. The rejuvenated structures would have pavement on the periphery for running and strolling. These would recharge the ground water aquifer, the minister added. Dr Suresh Kumar, director of the Swan River Watershed Management Project, RK Dogra,Divisional Forest Officer, Dhanvir Thakur, Haroli SDM, and DSP Surender Sharma were also present.
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DC to open Red Cross fete in Lahaul
Kullu, October 22 The DC said the two-day fete, starting on October 27, would be held at the Police Ground in Keylong. The DC said various stalls would be put up by different departments. Various sport competitions, marathon race, baby show, tug-of-war and other contests would be organised during the fete, he added. He said the Police and Fire Departments would present a drill on disaster management and various cultural programmes would also be organised. He said through this event masses would be encouraged to indulge in activities of the Red Cross Society. |
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ENT camp in Kangra on Oct 25
Kangra, October 22 Dr Sanjay Sachdeva, Director and Head of ENT, Head and Neck surgery, Max Group of Hospitals, will examine visitors during the camp. Free audiometric tests of patients in collaboration with Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development (CORD) will
also be held. He said in view of the increasing number of needy patients the kendra decided to hold the camp for the second time this month. |
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Residents protest against water scarcity
Palampur, October 22 Agitated residents also raised slogans against the department and demanding action against the erring officials. Briefing mediapersons, Tanu Bharti, panchyat paradhan of Bhawarna, said despite repeated requests and written submission made to the Executive Engineer, IPH Department, Palampur, no steps were initiated to provide regular supply of water to the affected villages. He said there had been increase in the population in the area but department had failed to augment the existing drinking eater supply lines laid 20 years ago. He said the matter was discussed at high level and with the local MLA. “The unhelpful and non-cooperative attitude of the department has forced the residents to go to the streets” said
Bharti. |
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Trees felled for road widening block traffic
Dharamsala, October 22 The forest corporation felled more than 100 old mango and banyan trees along the Bagli road, which is posing hazard for vehicles plying on the road, especially during the night, as the stumps, nearly 1 to 2 feet above the ground, are not visible at night. The PWD authorities have whitewashed some stumps as a danger signal. However, environmentalists are questioning the logic behind cutting decades-old trees for minor widening work. Ram Singh, a local environmentalist, said the forest corporation had not removed stumps from the road. “The widening of the road cannot be carried out till the stumps are removed from the ground. It will require heavy machinery to carve out stumps of decades-old trees. Not only this, their roots might have spread to an area of 7 to 8 feet,” he said. “In some cases, the stumps of trees are located very close to residential buildings and removing these won’t be possible as it may damage private buildings,” he said. “The marking of such trees for felling was lack of application of mind on the part of forest officials. If the corporation or the PWD did not have the plan to remove these stumps, what was the logic behind felling decades-old fruit trees?” he questioned. Initially, when the forest corporation started felling trees here, a number of environmentalists and schoolchildren had launched a protest. They carried out rallies and submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as well. The CM immediately ordered the corporation to stop felling trees. Following the CM’s directive, the felling of trees was stopped for some time. The forest corporation, however, started felling trees again and now almost all marked trees have been felled. The Cabinet had in the recent past banned the felling of banyan and peepal trees in the state. Sources said no land acquisition had been carried out by the PWD to widen the Bagli road after felling such valuable trees and would be able to widen the road by just 4 to 5 feet on either side. |
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HPU students not to celebrate Diwali
Shimla, October 22 “We were expecting some good news before Diwali but now it looks as if it will be a black day for the students agitating against exorbitant and unreasonable fee hike for past two months,” said Dinesh Mehta, member, Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising SFI and ABVP members. The committee on fee hike, headed by former High Court Judge V K Sharma, has submitted its report to the government, but it appears that it
has given only marginal relief in the name of balancing and rationalising the free structure. It has been a bad year for students who were burdened with hefty fee hike and lost their democratic right to elect the Students Central Associations of Himachal Pradesh University and 100 affiliated colleges. Nominated bodies have been thrust on students at the behest of the government. The JAC, which had suspended the stir for 10 days on October 17, will review the situation and chalk out the strategy to revive and intensify the agitation if the issue was not settled. The semester examinations will commence on November 27 and there will be little time left for students to prepare for these and if the examination fee for different courses is not reduced, the students will be forced to pay hefty fee. The government should take immediate decision on the committee report to provide relief to the students and take a decision to roll back the fee hike even if the recommendations of the committee fell short of it.
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Guv, CM greet people on Diwali
Shimla, October 22 The Chief Minister expressed hope that Diwali would shower enlightenment on the
people of the state and would bring prosperity to them, besides strengthening the bonds of brotherhood and unity. Virbhadra also advised people to celebrate the festival in a traditional manner and wished them a safe and happy Diwali. The Council of Ministers and Chief Parliamentary Secretaries also extended their wishes to the people of the state on the occasion of the festival of lights. |
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BJP leaders greet people on Diwali
Shimla, October 22 The leaders, including Leader of the Opposition P K
Dhumal, MP Shanta Kumar, Ram Swaroop Sharma, Virender Kashyap and Anurag Thakur, Chief Satpal Singh Satti and state spokesperson Ganesh Dutt hoped that the festival of lights brings happiness and prosperity. They advised the public to take safety measures while celebrating the festival. |
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Bhalei temple to launch website by year-end
Chamba, October 22 Kamal Thakur, Chairman of the committee, in Monday said the website would go a long way in providing facilities to devotees and acquainting them about the activities of the temple committee. “Now, devotees can visit the shrine for paying obeisance on sacred occasions conveniently,” Kamal stated. The website was under construction and the staff deployed at the office of the managing committee would update the website portals continuously, he added. Kamal Thakur said more than five lakh devotees visited the Bhalei Mata shrine every year. In addition to the ancient temple complex, another temple had also been erected at Brahan Baabli, about 3 km above the existing temple, on a hill. |
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Make Chamba literate: DC
Chamba, October 22 This was stated by the DC while gearing up the ZSS staff for taking up this noble campaign speedily. She asked the staff to keep the exact data of their respective gram panchayats with them so that they could cover their rural areas. Speaking on the occasion, Dr OP Bhureta, Director of the State Resource Centre, gave comprehensive information about the mission in the district through video slides. Earlier, addressing the saaksharta staff, District Project Coordinator of the ZSS Suman Minhas, who is also the Principal of the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET), Chamba, said around one lakh persons above the age of 15 had been identified as illiterate in the district as per a household survey conducted by the ZSS from 2011 to 2014. Out of the one lakh, 48,000 persons had been made neo-literate in the first phase, Minhas said, adding that 52,000 would be made literate in the second phase which had been commenced. To give a much-needed fillip to the mission, a training programme for 566 saaksharta pareraks, 50 resource persons and block coordinators of 283 gram panchayats of the district would be organised in November, Minhas added. |
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70-yr-old held for minor’s rape
Nurpur, October 22 Jawali DS saidthe police have registered a case under sections 376 and 506 of the IPC and Section 4 of the Prevention of Child Sex Offences Act after getting a written complaint by the father of the victim. The accused was arrested last evening. The accused was living near the house of the victim and she used to go to his house. The family of the victim got suspicious when the victim developed physical appearance of a pregnancy. On inquiring, the victim divulged rape committed by the culprit around five months ago.
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Youth ends life
Kangra, October 22 SHO MS Manhas said the Gaggal police post received a message from the DRPGMC that a youth, identified as Sandeep Sharma , a bachelor , was brought to the hospital in a critical condition by his relatives.
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22