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Cabinet to take up need-based construction in green belts
Minister, MLA at loggerheads over mining
Surveillance programme extended as swine flu reappears
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Second swine flu death in state
Roerich row: State lodges protest against Russian Embassy
Cong to discuss poll strategy in Shimla on May 1
Project engineers threaten to resign en masse
Miscreants burn 2 trucks in Kala Amb
Inter-school debate begins at BCS
Karmapa case: NGO’s plea dismissed
Conference begins
Now, SMS info on natural disasters
Policemen get rapid action force training
XEN, draughtsman held on bribe charge
Student ends his life
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Cabinet to take up need-based construction in green belts
Shimla, April 25 The two crucial issues are likely to be placed before the Cabinet again on April 30 after the opinion from the Law Department is received. With the court being particular about giving any concessions to those indulging in unauthorised construction, the government wants to tread cautiously. According to the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department rules, only 10 per cent of deviation in construction is allowed, but this time the government could propose to allow 60 per cent deviation so that the status of these structures, whose number runs into several thousands all over the state, can become legal. Last time the TCP Department had proposed 50 per cent deviation, but the court had allowed only 50 per cent deviation. A large number of houses could not qualify for regularisation as the violation in norms was too high. With the local MC expressing its inability to acquire the vacant plots in the 17 green belts of the town, which are a no-construction zone, the issue is likely to be placed before the Cabinet once again. Last week, the Cabinet had directed the MC to explore the possibility of acquiring these plots, numbering about 70, so that the owners could get relief. “Since the MC has already conveyed that it does not have the funds to the tune of Rs 150 crore required for acquiring these plots, the matter will be placed before the Cabinet once again,” said a senior bureaucrat. The MC not only expressed its inability to acquire the plots for want of funds but also said under these circumstances, the owners should be allowed to make need-based structures. As such the possibility of the Cabinet allowing these plot owners, who purchased land before 2000 when a blanket ban was imposed on construction in the green belts, to construct houses is rather high. Though the Cabinet, at its last meeting, approved the Shimla Development Plan and decided to invite objections and suggestions with regard to unauthorised structures, the issue is being dealt with cautiously as the court has time and again said that the government must be particular in giving concessions and bringing about a retention policy as this amounts to encouraging violators. Both the issues are crucial for the BJP regime from the point of the local municipal corporation poll, due next month, and the Assembly elections, likely to be held by the end of this year. |
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Minister, MLA at loggerheads over mining
Dharamsala, April 25 Press notes issued by both leaders have turned out to be an embarrassment for the ruling party and have given ammunition to the Opposition against the government over the sensitive issue of illegal mining. The simmering discontent between both leaders over mining in the Nurpur area started last year after the government auctioned the mines. It was for the first time that the mines were auctioned. The Industries Minister has been maintaining that revenue to the state increased by five times (from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore per annum after sand and gravel mines were auctioned in Kangra district. He has been maintaining that the decision to auction the mines in the state was taken by the Cabinet and was not his individual decision. However, Pathania, who is an associate member of the BJP, has been maintaining that his constituents have been hurt due to the auctioning of the mines. He said the contractors who had bought the auctioned mines should remain confined to their areas that had been leased out to them. However, the contractors were coming to roads and stopping tractor-trailers being used by locals to carry sand and gravel. The contractors, with the help of Mining Department officials, had been imposing a fine for illegal mining on anyone carrying sand and gravel in the area for non-auctioned areas. In the recent past, Pathania supported a protest held by tractor-trailer owners against the imposition of fine. He has also been lobbying with the district administration for action against illegal miners. On his insistence, an ASP was deputed to check illegal mining. However, the officer also could not satisfy the MLA. The district administration has also deployed policemen to check illegal mining. The person who bought the rights of mines has also given in writing to the administration that he wants to quit due to illegal mining by tractor owners. Legally, Mining Department officials are right in imposing a fine on those picking sand and gravel from un-auctioned sites. Mining officials said on condition of anonymity that they were under pressure even from the High Court for stopping illegal mining. The fight between the two leaders over mining in the Nurpur area also rocked the Himachal Assembly during the Budget session. Pathania levelled allegations that illegal mining was taking place at Khaniara, the native village of Kishan Kapoor, and other areas of Kangra, but only poor tractor-trailer owners of his area were being targeted. The miffed minister later alleged that he was being targeted by the mining mafia whose interests had been hit as he auctioned sand and gravel mines. To hit back at Pathania, the minister recently visited Nurpur along with other leaders of the Shanta faction and announced the likely candidate of the BJP from the Nurpur Assembly constituency. To counter the minister, Pathania has now announced to hold a rally at Dharamsala, the district headquarters where he has threatened to burn Kapoor’s effigy. The minister’s supporters in Dharamsala have threatened a counter-attack in case the minister’s effigy was burnt in his constituency. However, at the centre of this entire controversy is illegal mining in the Chaki river in the Nurpur area. The entire ecology of the river has been destroyed due to illegal mining. Two bridges, including a road bridge and a railway bridge, have collapsed due to illegal mining in the area. |
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Surveillance programme extended as swine flu reappears
Shimla, April 25 Now, the programme has been extended for a period of five years. Surveillance will be carried out on a sustained basis under the programme and 30 samples (15 of children and 15 of adult patients) will be tested every week at the microbiology department of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), which has a WHO-accredited regional laboratory and an isolation ward. The Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (DRPGMC) at Tanda, the zonal hospital in Mandi and the IGMC, Shimla, have been identified as the sentinel sites for sending samples and each of them will send 10 samples to the laboratory every week. “Besides monitoring the outbreak and spread of the disease, the main objective of surveillance is to ensure early detection of any new strains of the mutating virus,” said Dr Dig Vijay Singh of the microbiology department. The focus would be on vulnerable sections like children, the elderly and malnourished persons, besides those on anti-cancer drugs or immuno-suppressants or immuno-compromising drugs like steroids. State surveillance officer Omesh Bharti said since the fresh outbreak of the disease, 35 samples had been analysed so far, of which only one case had tested positive. The infected woman from the Sarkaghat area of Mandi died subsequently. He said the H1N1 virus was already in the environment everywhere, but it was manifesting as swine flu sporadically in persons with low immunity. The government had put in place all required measures under the pandemic preparedness and response action plan. He said a meeting was likely to be held at the national level shortly after which fresh guidelines would be issued to deal with swine flu effectively. |
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Second swine flu death in state
Shimla, April 25 The deceased, Chyanu Devi, had been suffering from breathlessness since early last week. The sample was preserved before her death on Monday evening. The samples of two other patients tested negative. Earlier, a 55-year-old woman from Sarkaghat in Mandi had died of swine flu on April 7. |
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Hailstorm ruins apple crop
Bahu (Mandi), April 25 “The area was lashed by hail for more than an hour last evening. We have lost all hopes of sustaining our families for the whole year,” said Parkash of Bahu. “The hailstone has dashed our hopes for a good crop for the next year as well,” said Damodar Das of the Dhar area, which also witnessed damage to the apple crop due to the hailstorm. The hailstorm lashed both sides of the Jalori mountain, battering apple orchards in inner and outer Seraj that falls in Mandi and Kullu districts. The hailstorm has damaged over 80 per cent apple crop in Kalni, Khalwahan, Khali, Thata, Shiva Kutehr, Chet, Sarachi, Bagti Dhar, Shaili Bigha, Toongadhar, Thatchi and parts of Janjehi, interiors of Thunag and Bagshiad in Gohar subdivision in Mandi district. The hailstorm has damaged more than 40 per cent crop in Teel, Bachooth, Mohni, Jhibhi in the Banjar region and the Dalash, Jaban, Kandaghai, Chuwai, Dinghi Dhar, Soedhar, Kuthed and Bingul panchayats in Ani subdivision, which produces over 10 lakh apple boxes in a “good crop year”. The hailstorm in our area lasted for 20 minutes, said Maninder Jishtu, a farmer from Dalash. “More than 40 per cent crop has been damaged in Ani subdivision,” said Gain Thakur from Dadhol in Dingidhar. “I have not experienced a hailstorm like this before,” said Simom Terry, a tourist from London who is touring Seraj. Besides, farmers in the lower and middle apple belt of the state have reported below-average “fruit setting”. “It snowed in higher reaches at the time of the bloom in the first week of April, which resulted in a fall in temperature, damaging the bloom and pollination,” said a farmer. The hailstorm had ruined the economy of the Seraj apple belt, said Prof Vir Singh Chauhan, a veteran Congress leader from Seraj. “The government must assess the loss and farmers should be compensated as it is a matter of survival for them,” he demanded. Deputy Director, Horticulture, Joginder Pal said they were assessing the loss and the field staff had been asked to submit a report. |
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Roerich row: State lodges protest against Russian Embassy
Shimla, April 25 Asserting that “the statement was not only factually incorrect, but also malicious and appeared to have been made intentionally to malign the state”, it lodged a protest with the Embassy of Russian Federation through the Principal Secretary, Language and Culture, an official spokesman said here today. It was clarified that the IRMT, Naggar, was constituted under the Indian Trusts Act and managed in accordance with it. The government had nothing to do with the day-to-day management of the Trust. The decisions regarding the affairs of the Trust were taken by the Board of Trustees (BoT). The tenure of the Russian curator had not been extended beyond December 31, 2011, on the recommendation of the executive committee of the IRMT. The Chairperson of BoT, who is the competent authority, approved the termination of the contract of the curator, but the present curator chose to act in an irresponsible manner. Rather than the harassment of the curator as alleged by the Embassy of Russian Federation, the district administration had acted in an utmost restrained manner keeping in view the friendly Indo-Russian relations. The executive committee had decided to form an Advisory-cum-Implementation Committee to implement the MoU signed between the International Centre of the Roerich (Moscow) and IRMT, Naggar, for increased co-operation so that the affairs of the IRMT, Naggar, were managed in a better way. The chairman, BoT, had agreed in principle to form a panel with state government officials, Russian representatives and representatives of the Union Ministry of Culture to oversee the documentation and handing over of the Roerich collection. An invite had already been extended to the International Centre of the Roerich (ICR), Moscow, by the General Secretary, IRMT, and the Principal Secretary, Culture, to advise and assist the IRMT in making of inventory and systemisation of Museum collections. A four-member expert committee from Moscow was visiting the state next month for the purpose. It had also been decided to celebrate the anniversary of setting up of the IRMT, Naggar, in June with Russian and Indian cultural presentations. |
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Don’t go to media with grouses, BJP leaders told
Dharamsala, April 25 It would be done only by the state leadership of the party, including Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and national vice-president of the party Shanta Kumar. The party leaders should express their grouses on the party platform rather than discussing it with the media, he said. Asked about Rakesh Pathania’s proposed programme in which he has announced to burn an effigy of Kishan Kapoor at Dharamsala on August 27, Satti said they would see that such a situation did not arise. He said even if Pathania had some grievance, he should take it up at the party level. Asked when Shanta Kumar and Dhumal would come on one stage, Satti said from next month both leaders would come together and address political rallies. About the possibility of changes in the Cabinet, Satti said it was the prerogative of the Chief Minister. Nothing of this sort had been discussed at the party level for the time being, he said. He said there would be no major changes at the organisational level before the Assembly elections. On the contentious issue of creating new districts in the state that has divided the BJP leadership in the state, Satti said a decision regarding the formation of new districts would be taken by the state leadership of the party in which both Shanta Kumar and Dhumal would be involved. Any decision on the matter would be taken after thorough deliberations within the party. He directed the party leaders against making statements on the issue in the media. Earlier, addressing BJP workers at Dharamsala, Satti said the BJP would contest the next elections under the stewardship of Dhumal. A few BJP leaders of Dharamsala block warned that they would retaliate if Pathania’s supporters tried to burn Kishan Kapoor’s effigy. |
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Cong to discuss poll strategy in Shimla on May 1
New Delhi, April 25 Congress’ Himachal Coordination Committee will meet on May 1 in Shimla to evolve a consensus on the way forward in the light of factionalism in the state unit where party stalwart and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has been addressing separate rallies of late. The coordination committee meeting will be chaired by Birender Singh, the Congress general secretary in charge of Himachal Pradesh affairs. Speaking to The Tribune today, Birender Singh admitted to the challenges of factionalism in the Congress in Himachal and said the meeting of the coordination committee was being called to pre-empt any chances of derailment by anyone in the party. “In the light of the state elections, we have converted the Himachal Congress Coordination Committee into a Strategic Committee. We are meeting in Shimla on May 1 to discuss the challenges ahead of polls and chalk out a strategy by getting on board the views of everyone involved,” Singh said. Asked if the issue of change of leadership in the state could be considered, the AICC general secretary said although there was no such talk at the moment, “such issues might be considered if need be”. The Congress general secretary said the May 1 meeting was being called to “ensure unity among the leaders and prevent derailment attempts if any”. |
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First medical bulletin released in state
Kangra, April 25 In a statement here today, Dr Chauhan said the Chief Minister was glad to know that this was the first medical publication released by any medical college in the state and congratulated officials for their efforts for the same. The Chief Minister on the occasion said the number of medicines in the present era had increased so much that publication and distribution of right information about the same was an important work to be done by the medical fraternity, Dr Chauhan said. Chauhan thanked the Chief Minister for announcing Rs 1 crore for the maintenance work in the DRPGMC, Tanda, and also for the fact that last year the college had 50 MBBS seats, but this year counselling was going on for 48 postgraduate seats, besides 100 MBBS students would be admitted here in the coming months. |
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Project engineers threaten to resign en masse
Shimla, April 25 A deputation of the association met Chief Minister PK Dhumal here today and submitted a memorandum to him in which all the issues were presented in detail. MK Sharma, general secretary of the association, said project engineers were disillusioned and before taking any drastic measures they wanted to apprise the Chief Minister of the injustice being perpetrated on the cadre after unbundling of the board. The latest irritant was the transfer of the post of Chief Engineer (Planning & Management), a cadre post of project engineers that was vacant since September last, to the power wing (Electrical). It had caused deep resentment among project engineers as earlier also the post of Chief Engineer (Arbitration) was snatched by posting an electrical engineer in place of a project engineer. It also affected the functioning of the board as arbitration cases were piling up. At present, there are four hydroprojects under construction, namely Kashang, Sawara Kuddu, Sainj and Uhl and as the 80 to 90 per cent of the work pertained to project engineering (Civil), the strength of project engineers should be more than power engineers. However, senior-level posts of project engineers were being abolished and that of power engineers being increased. There were seven director-level posts from the power wing (Electrical) and only two from the project wing (Civil). The post of the Chief Engineer (Investigation) was also lying vacant. In other reputed organisation like the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam, the Departments of Planning and Monitoring were manned by project Engineers (Civil). The association demanded that works pertaining to quality control and monitoring of hydroelectric projects allotted to the private sector should also be entrusted to the Chief Engineer (Investigation). All civil works pertaining to the construction and maintenance of buildings, sub-stations, transmission towers and lines and existing power projects in the board and civil works in the Transmission Corporation be entrusted to project engineers. Posts of Managing Director in the HPPCL and the HPTCL be filled from the senior-most chief engineers of the project engineer cadre. |
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Miscreants burn 2 trucks in Kala Amb
Solan, April 25 Trouble arose when the first truck caught fire and it was taken to a nearby tube well to douse the flames. Afterwards, the second truck also caught fire. Timely intervention by the police in dousing the fire with tube well water, near a petrol pump, helped to control the fire though loss worth Rs 6 lakh to Rs 7 lakh was suffered by owners of the trucks. The truckers after loading goods onto the trucks from an industrial unit, Super Nova, in Jori and getting their mandatory excise and taxation clearance done from the Kala Amb barrier noticed that both trucks had caught fire. The trucks had been provided by the Radhika Transport Company and was bound for Delhi. SP, Sirmaur, Rameshwar Thakur said though the miscreants involved in this incident had not been identified till now, efforts were afoot to trace them. He said talks had also been held between the transport union and industry representatives for an amicable solution. The incident has brought to the fore the strife between the industry and the newly formed truck union as both had been at loggerheads over some transportation issue. The industry has been objecting to the presence of trucks of other states in the transport union and the issue became contentious when the industry decided not to allot work to them. The union, on the other hand, has been demanding work for its trucks and objecting to the use of other trucks. Various industry associations, including the Kala Amb Chamber of Commerce, the Sirmaur Pharmaceutical Manufacturers’ Association and the Laghu Udyog Bharti (LUB) have registered themselves as a society, which makes trucks available to the industry. |
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Inter-school debate begins at BCS
Shimla, April 25 The finals of the event will take place on April 28. Rev Slater was appointed the first Headmaster of Bishop Cotton School, Darjeeling, and went on to serve the school for 20 years, thereby laying a solid foundation and transforming the school into a prestigious institution. In 1995, after 136 years of existence, it was felt that there was a need to bring about an four-day inter-school debate to facilitate friendship, exchange of views and ideas with a view to fostering student interactions so that they can have a get-together and debate in a friendly and competitive spirit. It was in 1996 that the event was started with the format of the Cambridge pattern to generate a healthy debate on certain prevalent issues faced by the country. As many as 19 topics were placed before participants, from abstract to topical that reveal relevance of various subjects in the lives of children. |
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Karmapa case: NGO’s plea dismissed
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary passed this order on a petition filed by an NGO, Denzong Nang-Ten Sung-Kyob Tsogpa, alleging that some senior officers of the government were trying to subvert the course of justice to illegally favour the Karmapa and were hurting the sentiments of the Buddhist community. The court dismissed the petition on the grounds that the affected party was not impleaded as a respondent in the petition. |
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Conference begins
Solan, April 25 While addressing students on the occasion, he said everyone must have obligation towards self and community as well as compassion to such an extent that one was willing to risk ones life for others. Praveen Vasisht, headmaster, Lawrence School, Sanawar extended a lesson to students on serving others. In her keynote address, PK Singh, Principal, Vivek High School, Chandigarh, highlighted the importance of service in an individual’s life and stated that schools and educational institutions should instill this sense of service in children from a tender age. The students were divided into six “barazas” and theme-based discussions were held within each Baraza. Student groups got to know each other by participating in ice-breaker games. The day rounded off with enthralling theme-based cultural performances by students from participating schools.
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Now, SMS info on natural disasters
Hamirpur, April 25 This service, designed by the Information and Technology Department of the state, would be effective in providing quick and efficient relief to people hit by natural disasters as the application will inform the authorities concerned regarding the same through the SMS. The sender would immediately get an acknowledgement. This service was inaugurated today by DC, Hamirpur, Rajinder Singh Thakur, in the presence of SDM, Hamirpur, Pankaj Rai.
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Policemen get rapid action force training
Chamba, April 25 In his keynote address, Superintendent of Police Madhu Sudan Sharma said the chief objective of the training was to spruce up police personnel about swift action to deal with law and order management. Moreover, in the event of any emergency, trained police personnel would be present in the shortest possible time, the SP stated. During the training camp, the jawans were apprised of field craft, safety of improvised explosive devices, know-how about modern weaponry, carrying out anti-explosive scrutiny and investigation of buildings, he said.
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XEN, draughtsman held on bribe charge
Mandi, April 25 According to Vigilance officials, a team, headed by ASP, Vigilance, Central Range, Anirudh Chaudhary, laid a trap after they received a complaint from the contractor. The team caught the duo taking the bribe in their office at the project site and recovered Rs 8,000 from the Executive Engineer and Rs 2,000 from the other official. They have been identified as Ramnath and Ganesh Dutta and arrested under Sections 7 and 13/2 of the Prevention of Corruption Act and Section 120 (8) of the IPC. They will be produced before a judge tomorrow.
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Student ends his life
Bilaspur, April
25 The police has registered a case. Reports said Balwinder was under depression for past some time when he was caught copying by invigilators in his annual matriculation exam recently. He had developed fright of failing in the examination and of people and friends mocking at him for the act.
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Shimla, April 25