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Lahaul tribals supplied ration of expired dates
National Press Day
Road blockades fail to deter apple supply
Pong reservoir tourism potential yet to be tapped
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Border roads, highways hit mining lease roadblock
VIGNETTES
CRI’s lab running on ad hoc licence renewal
HPSIDC pins hope on investors to sell leftover plots
HPTDC hotel in Nurpur wears a deserted look
Long winter session in Dec: CM
Temple fund transferred illegally to coop society
Rs 16 lakh imposed for luxury tax evasion
Minister honours coop societies
Bragta refutes CM’s claim on slow work
Experts discuss radio diagnosis techniques
Periodically maintain buses: SP
CJM lays stress on girls’ education
New Tibetan rehab policy welcomed
T-20 cricket tourney held 3 die in road accidents Una DC to represent HP at Red Cross meet
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Lahaul tribals supplied ration of expired dates
Shimla, November 16 They have lodged a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner, Lahaul-Spiti, and the Director of Food and Civil Supplies Department. It was in October that panchayat representatives detected the haldi powder of expired date given to government schools under the Mid-Day meal scheme, they alleged. Now the Food and Civil Supplies Corporation had distributed food stocks of expired dates to residents, they charged. Atta supplied earlier this year had worms. Now food and civil supplies depots have supplied moong and mah dals of expired dates, charged Jai Ram Thakur, a resident of Udaipur subdivision in Lahaul-Spiti, who has lodged a complaint. “We also urged the Chief Minister to take action because the poor in the tribal area are treated with scorn and substandard atta and dal are being dumped in the area”, he charged. “We have detected the expired date on haldi packets distributed for mid-day meals, which were withdrawn from the school last month, but no action was taken”, the residents complained. Some packets supplied though the deports had the address of Garg Dal Besan Mills, Industrial area, New Delhi, and SS Food, New Delhi, they charged. “We have given worm-infested atta to cows as it was not worth eating”, they resented. The ration card holders suspect that the suppliers sending substandard subsidised ration in Pangi-Bharmour, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Dodra Kuar in Rohru, Kupvi- Chehta areas in Chopal , Shillai, Sangrah areas in Sirmaur, Chota and Bara Bhangal in Kangra and Anni, Mashiar-Gushaini and Sainj valley in Kullu district. While GS Bali could not be contacted for his comments, Director, Food and Civil Supplies, Priyatu Mandal claimed that he had not received the complaint. But they had to stock supplies for six winter months in advance and dals might not get expired due to cold weather there, he added. DC orders probe
DC Lahaul-Spiti Han Raj Chauhan told The Tribune that he had directed the food and civil supplies officer to take samples of dals and other items. “We have received complaints and probe has been ordered”, he added. |
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CM tells mediapersons to focus on healthy journalism
Tribune Reporters
Shimla, November 16 He said the media had an important role to play in creating awareness and bringing the shortcomings to the notice of the government which mades the government responsive and strengthened the bond between the people and the government. He said the media was flourishing and reaching out fast to people in all parts of the state, but there was a need for some self-imposed restrictions to ensure that the freedom of press did not harm the unity and integrity of the country. Industries and Information and Public Relations Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said media had an important role to play in bridging the gap between the people and the government. In his keynote address on the theme “Transparency in Public Affairs: The Role of Press” Om Thanvi, Executive Editor, Jansatta, said the nation was passing through a crucial stage and corruption and communalism have emerged as two major issues of grave concern. He said political parties were only talking about these issues, but not taking any concrete action on the ground to root out corruption and ensure justice to the minorities. Expressing concern over the role of media in the last Lok Sabha elections, he said the media maintained silence over real ground issues and got swayed away by big corporate houses. “It is the failure of the media to highlight veiled issues which raise doubts about the transparency of media itself and the time is not far away when people will raise fingers at the media for failing in its responsibility and shielding the corrupt,” he said. Thanvi said the interests of the nation and society were above all other considerations and it was the duty of the media to report the truth and expose the wrongdoings, irrespective of party affiliation or status of those concerned. Vepa Rao, a senior journalist, said the National Press Day was an occasion for mediapersons to introspect and deliberate issues eroding the credibility of the media. He said: “Value-based journalism has become a thing of the past and corporate houses and market forces have occupied the driving seat.” NURPUR: The Nurpur Press Club (regd) organised an inter-school declamation contest on the occasion of National Press Day on the premises of Noorpur Public School (NPS) here on Sunday. The contest was organised on the topics of “Importance of media” and “Role of media in shaping public opinion”, respectively, for junior and senior categories. Around 26 students of different government and private public schools in Nurpur and Jawali subdivisions took part in the event. In the junior category, Ayush Katoch of NPS, Nurpur, Rishita Kaistha of DAV Public School, Baghni, and Mansvi of IP Adarsh Public School, Nurpur, were adjudged first, second and third. In the senior category, the jury of three members declared Palvi of NPS, Nurpur, Nitisha of Commet Mansa Public School, Dehri, and Kajal of BTC Government Senior Secondary School, Nurpur, first, second and third. The Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Nurpur, who was the chief guest, gave away prizes to the winners. Club president Pradeep Sharma welcomed the guests and participants and thanked those who had extended their operation in organising the declamation contest. A vote of thanks was presented by club patron Kulbhshan Sharma. Role of media discussed
UNA: A workshop on the topic of “Transparency in Public issues-Role of Media” was organised on the occasion of Press Day by the district Public Relations Department in collaboration with the Press Club at the Bachat Bhawan here today. Speaking on the occasion, former scribe and former Vice-Chairman of the Agro Packaging Corporation Omkar Sharma said with a boom in technology and information exchange, particularly after the invasion of social media, the role of conventional media had become more challenging. Superintendent of Police Anupam Sharma said almost every piece of information was today in the public domain and transparency must be maintained by government departments and public offices in all matters of public work. Club adviser Rajesh Sharma presented a paper on the topic, while District Public Relations Officer Gurmit Bedi spoke on the role of government media. Omkar Sharma and Anupam Sharma were honoured on the occasion. Press Club president Surinder Sharma, general secretary Jatinder Kanwar and members OP Dhiman, Rajiv Bhanot and Ravinder Tejpal also spoke. Members from the Bangana Press Club also attended the seminar. CHAMBA: To keep up the freedom of the press and high moral standards of journalism, National Press Day is celebrated. Deputy Commissioner (DC) M Sudha Devi stated this while presiding over a function organised under the aegis the Information and Public Relations Department here today. The DC said the media was a most useful means from which the administration got feedback which helped it in good governance. The DC said problems and grievances of the public living in difficult terrains of the district raised by the media were addressed on priority. Plea to fight social evils
Dalhousie: The Press Club observed National Press Day here today. It was attended by mediapersons of various newspapers, agencies and television channels. Speaking on the occasion, senior journalist Anil Oberoi appealed to all journalists to fight social evils consistently. |
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Road blockades fail to deter apple supply
Shimla, November 16 Normally 30-35 lakh boxes are transported during the season, but due to excessive rain, 26-27 lakh boxes were transported from Kinnaur in 2013 and even during the current season the production is same as last year, Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner DD Sharma said. The 21-km diversion road from Chulling Nallah via Urni village to Tapri was widened at nine points where sharp curves existed and the police had been deployed to check overtaking, causing traffic congestion on the diverted road to help apple growers, he said. A control centre was set up at Chhauling to monitor the movement of trucks, current market rates of apple boxes have been displayed at some points to help farmers and the video of trucks was being done at Chaura, the gateway to Kinnaur, he said, adding that barring some orchards, the apple crop from Kinnaur had almost been marketed. However, RS Negi, a retired IAS officer and convener of the Him Lok Jagriti Manch, said the expenditure on the marketing of apple had increased by 15 per cent as only 250-300 boxes were being transported against the normal flow of 450 to 500 because the 21-km diversion road was fit only for medium vehicles. Additional loading and unloading of apple at two diversion points had further added to the cost but there is no transport subsidy for growers. The apples fetch different price but on an average a box fetches Rs 1200-1500, he added. The total crop was expected to touch about 3 crore boxes against 3.72 crore boxes last year in spite of less crop, sources in the Horticulture Department said. Road still blocked
The administration and residents rue that the apple season is almost over but the NHAI has not been able to open the highway and feel that the situation will worsen during the winter. The Hindustan-Tibet highway was closed for heavy vehicles due to frequent landslides at Urni which has become a traffic bottleneck and growers have no option but to follow the diversion route. |
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Pong reservoir tourism potential yet to be tapped
Dharamsala, November 16 The previous BJP government gave wide publicity to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan for promoting tourism at the Pong reservoir. The first phase of the plan was to develop the area near the dam structure as a tourist destination using the funds sourced from the ADB. It, however, drew criticism from oustees living in the vicinity. They were sore at not being taken into confidence while chalking out the plan. The government has planned to spend Rs 10 crore in the initial phase to develop the area near the reservoir to attract tourists. Sources told The Tribune that as per the plan worked out by the Department of Tourism, most of the amount was likely to be spent in the area near the reservoir. The department had planned to spend nearly Rs 2 crore on constructing a parking place near the dam for tourists. The move was criticised and people living in the surrounding areas said it was wastage of money. Raghav, an area resident, said: “Very few tourists visit the Pong Dam. Instead of creating a parking facility the government should first create a good infrastructure around the lake so that tourists are attracted. There is no need to spend on creating a concrete parking as there is ample open parking place on the banks of the Pong Dam lake.” As per the plan, the Department of Tourism had also planned to bring up a tourist reception centre at a cost of nearly Rs 1.5 crore near the reservoir. The people of the area are, however, saying that the tourist reception centre should be created at the Gaggal airport or any other place from where tourists can be guided to visit the Pong reservoir. The stakeholders, at a meeting held at the district headquarters, had protested the initial plan chalked out for spending Rs 10 crore for developing tourism in the area. Some said developing the entire infrastructure for tourism near the Pong Dam structure would be a waste of funds. Famous destinations such as the rock-cut Masroor temple, the heritage properties of former Guler state and Kangra art centres can attract tourists to the Pong reservoir. Centuries old temples built by the rulers of Kangra and Guler states got submerged in the Pong reservoir after the construction of the dam on the Beas. These temples were at one time centres of activity in the fertile plains of the Beas that formed the Guler state. However, now they lie submerged in the lake and the temples emerge out of water only when the water in the lake recedes. INTACH chapter of Himachal had at one time proposed to reconstruct the temple taking their remnants out of water. Local residents are hopeful that the present Congress government will consider their suggestions before spending the amount generated as loan from ADB for developing tourism around the Pong reservoir. Due to security reasons, there were restrictions on tourists visiting the Pong reservoir. In the near future, the security of Pong Dam is likely to be handed over to the CISF that is going to make things more
complex. Things that can be worked out
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Border roads, highways hit mining lease roadblock
Shimla, November 16 BRO and PWD contractors and builders face an acute shortage of concrete materials in the state, which has yet to put in place a policy to speed up road projects. “We have sought to set up two stone crushers along the Manali-Serchu highway and two along the Powari-Kaurik highway to carry out the tarring work. Though a year has elapsed, the state mining department has not given its permission,” said Brig SK Kataria, Chief Engineer, Deepak project of the BRO. “The 52-km-long stretch of the 222-km-long Manali-Leh national highway is ready for tarring, but we have no concrete material available for it,” he added. The BRO claims it has completed 80 per cent of the road-widening work on the Manali-Serhcu highway. “About 70 per cent of the surface and 25 per cent of the formation works are complete on the 60-km-long stretch of the Powari-Pooh highway, but we have no concrete material available with us as the Mining Department is not bothered about giving them mining lease for setting up two stone crushers,” Kataria said. So is the case with other national and state highways, including the Hatkoti-Rohru road, under the PWD. The Mining Department has not given its nod for mining lease to two stone crushers at Rohru and Sainj, rue builders. “It is a pity that the present government is bringing in investors from outside, but state investors who have contributed to the development of road construction are not getting mining material and permission for lease,” said Ramesh Thakur, a construction company contractor. “We have pleaded several times with the Chief Minister, PWD and Mining Department to solve the problems faced by them, but the government has yet to get its act together,” resented private road builders. ”Neither the state government nor the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) seems serious about introducing a single-window system to give clearance to border and other roads, which are a lifeline for people and defence forces guarding trouble-torn borders along the state boundary,” resented engineers and builders. “We have sought to exempt stone crushers that have an area measuring less than five hectares for mining, but the state has not taken up the matter with the MoEF,” rued builders. The Mining Department has no policy in place for using the debris procured by digging roads, they say. On the other hand, the Mining Department, citing an order passed by the National Green Tribunal, has banned mining on the 119 riverbeds and stopped stone crushers that have got no permission from the MoEF from carrying out mining.
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Chamba Rumal: Different aroma in workshop
Shriniwas Joshi The 10-day Artists’ Workshop arranged jointly by the Lalit Kala Academy and the Language and Culture Department concluded at the Gaiety Theatre in Shimla recently. HPU Vice-Chancellor ADN Bajpai presided over the concluding ceremony and said all art forms were the manifestations of “Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram”; “Sat” was the true value; “Shiv” good value and “Sundaram” beauty value. This value system was the foundation of Indian aesthetics. He said Indian aesthetics had ever been flowing; there had been no break in it despite volatile socio-political and religious upheaval. Prof Him Chaterji of the Fine Arts Department felt that a different aroma in this Artists’ Workshop was the presence of women from Chamba who depicted their skills on Chamba Rumal (handkerchief). Yes, that was. There were 19 artists at the workshop, including five from outside the state, one each from Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Rajasthan and two from Gujarat. All had satchels, colours, brushes and papers, but the three women from Chamba had needles, thread and pieces of cloth. And Suraaj Begum embroidered “Tribal Visit” (See photo). The four characters in it appear to be springing to life any moment – and the landscape with snow on top of the hills makes one shiver and look for warmth through hearth or hides. Though hukkah in the hand of a Gaddi makes him animated, yet as crusader against the use of tobacco, I wish the future painters and craftsmen discard showing its use. A Gaddan in her colourful “luwanchari” (long skirt) treads in the footsteps of her husband. A deft observer will gauge the expression of carefulness in her gait while treading an uneven hill-path without losing the grace that a hill-woman has. And this has been achieved by “do-rukha” (double) stitch used in embroidering the Chamba Rumal, which as its name implies, can be viewed from two sides. The stitch is carried both backward and forward and covers both sides of the cloth, effecting a smooth finish that is flat and looks like colours filled into a miniature painting. No knots are visible, and the embroidered Rumal has no right or wrong side. It views the same from both the sides. It is reversible. Suraaj Begum (See photo) had been working on the craft for the past 50 years and was inspired by her grandmother, Bassi Begum, whose craftsmanship she observed since her childhood. At the age of 10, she started embroidery work in all earnest and her adroit fingers fetched her a government job in the Technical Education Department from where she retired as Head Crafts-Mistress in 1992. At the wrong side of 70, she runs Firdaus Handicraft enterprise in Chamba and gives free training to the girls who want to learn the craft. Presently, there are 10 girls learning the skill in her enterprise. Her earlier embroidered motif on Minjar Fair was pleasure for the eyes. The duo of Masto Devi and her disciple Indu Sharma were equally telling in preparing the Rumals in the workshop. Masto, at present, heads the branch of the Delhi Craft Centre at Sidhpura village (Sarol). She underwent a capsule training course in Chamba embroidery and rose to become a master in her craft. She, these days, gives free training to 15 girls in her centre. She is indebted to God as He chose her to be the tool to spread the craft for which Chamba is known. Her trainee Indu Sharma (32) embroidered Chamba Rumal in the 10-day workshop and said she would price it at Rs 3,000 only. Though her monthly income is fluctuating, yet her average earning is about Rs 4,000 from the sale of Chamba Rumals. Is it what those in the vocation deserve after a month of delicate artistic work that requires total concentration of the mind, eyes and fingers? I call Chamba Rumal - “painting through thread”. Chamba has been the citadel for it since times unknown, but it got recognition when Umed Singh (1748-1764) ruled the state. Raja Bhuri Singh (1904-1919) took a variety of Rumals to Delhi Durbar in 1911 and to make these popular abroad distributed these to the British nobles. TAILPIECE
Life is one stitch at a time taken patiently and the pattern comes out all right like the embroidery. – OW Holmes |
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Health policy within 20 days: Nadda
Hamirpur, November 16 “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Healthy India mission is my top priority and we will take everyone along without any political discrimination to accomplish the mission,” he said. Nadda was given a warm welcome by BJP workers who had thronged the town from
Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Kullu and Una. Nadda said the Centre was ready to extend all help to the state government for development projects. He said the Centre would extend 10 times more support to the initiatives of the state government and added that he was not only a minister but also a representative of Himachal Pradesh and would do everything possible to protect the interests of the state. He said the state had vast potential for the development but it was the state government to identify it first so that the Centre could extend help to the state. He said the state could do miracles in the tourism industry, including eco-tourism, adventure sports, health tourism and religious tourism. If these sectors were tapped, the youth could get jobs. He said as promised by the BJP in its manifesto, the Central Government had succeeded in bringing down the cost of petrol and diesel. The cost of gold had also come down form Rs 31,000 to Rs 24,000 per 10 grams, he added. State BJP chief Satpal Singh
Satti, former state BJP chiefs Suresh Bharadwaj and Jai Ram Thakur, former minister Mahender Singh, Roop Singh
Thakur, Suresh Chandel and other leaders from neighboring districts shared the stage and greeted Nadda for his induction in the Union Cabinet. |
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CRI’s lab running on ad hoc licence renewal
Solan, November 16 The failure of the institute to upgrade the old lab as per the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is forcing the authorities to grant the lab annual clearances. This ad hoc licensing system is adversely affecting the institute’s performance as it cannot fix annual targets for supplying anti-sera and DPT vaccines. In case it commits to produce, but fails to do so owing to limited time of the licence it can land in trouble. “With several procurement issues delaying the manufacturing process, the institute is in dire need of getting its licence renewed for the usual period of three years. We have requested the ministry to do so in a recent meeting with the Director General Health Services in Delhi where renewal of this licence was the key issue of discussion,” said institute Director Dr Sunil Gupta. Illustrating his point, the Director said, “An issue concerning the purchase of vaccine vial monitors which is a prerequisite for the packaging of a vaccine took several months thus delaying the ultimate production of vaccines.” Though the institute has managed to manufacture 35 lakh doses of tetanus vaccines, 17 lakh of DPT vaccines and another 20 lakh doses are in the testing stage, which will take about three months to come up for final production, the handicap of having a mere one-year licence extension had bound the institute not to accept targets from the ministry or cater to supply to other states. Though the institute’s case to upgrade its old manufacturing facility has been discussed time and again with the ministry, no success has been achieved in initiating the process as the procedure involves funds worth several crores. The institute has again submitted its case for renewal of its licence for the old lab. The old lab’s manufacturing licence was suspended by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in January 2008 as it had not upgraded its manufacturing facility according to the GMP. Though the institute was given three years to upgrade to the new norm, it had failed to adhere to the new specifications. The ministry had then granted it one-year extension in February 2010 as per the sub-rule 3 of Rule 85 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, to revoke its suspension. Since then every year an annual renewal is granted to the old facility by the ministry. Institute's performance hit
Ad hoc licensing system is adversely affecting the institute's performance as it cannot fix annual targets for supplying anti-sera and DPT vaccines. Failure of the institute to upgrade the old lab as per the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is forcing the authorities to grant the lab annual clearances. The institute's case to upgrade its old manufacturing facility has been discussed time and again with the ministry, but no success has been achieved in initiating the process as the procedure involves funds worth several crores. |
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HPSIDC pins hope on investors to sell leftover plots
Solan, November 16 The corporation had managed to sell only four plots at Dhanvi in its earlier auction held in August and its reserve price too was much less at Rs 3,500 per sq m, while this had now been revised to Rs 3,993 per sq m. It has received a lukewarm response in selling its developed industrial plots so far despite investing lakhs on setting up the infrastructure. These plots are available in varying sizes ranging from 500, 1,000, 1,800, 2,220, 2,170, 1,815, 1,735, 1,700 and 5,462 sq m. SIDC officials were hopeful of investors making a beeline to the state’s industrial area of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) after the investor meet led by the CM and they were planning to auction these plots by the month end or December first week. SDO MR Kanwar said development works such as roads, sewage, drains, water supply, power streetlights, among other things have already been undertaken on these plots and since no bigger plots were available two or more contiguous plots could be joined in case an investor needed a bigger plot. Inder Singh, an investor desirous of setting up a food processing unit on a plot ranging from 2,500 to 3,000 sq m in Baddi, said: “The state government should ensure easy availability of industrial plots to an investor as it will save time in setting up a unit. The officials should be directed to adhere to the simplified time-bound procedure of clearance under Section 118 of the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972. Delays cost an investor dear, as he has to pay the penal interest even, which is 1.5 per cent higher than the normal rate.” The Industries Department had set up land banks in various industrial areas to ensure the easy availability of plots to investors, but they were forced to suffer on account of the tardy procedures under Section 118. The state government had made a time-bound procedure, where an investor after seeking an essentiality certificate from the Industries Department had to apply to the state government to obtain clearance under Section 118, but investors were yet to see speedy clearances. As per the new procedures, the state government has to refer an investor’s application back to the district collector within seven days after giving an initial clearance and the DC is also bound to decide this case within 15 days and revert to the government giving his opinion on the case.
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HPTDC hotel in Nurpur wears a deserted look
Nurpur, November 16 The HPTDC had also given a facelift to the hotel by spending over Rs 20 lakh two years ago. Former MLA and former chairman of the HPTDC Rakesh Pathania had taken keen interest and initiated efforts for its construction in 2001 during previous Dhumal government regime (1998-2003). A transformer of the state electricity board just on the entrance of the hotel premises had also become an eyesore for hotel customers/users when it was in use. The tenant of the hotel withheld lease money to the HPTDC for want of power and water connections and shifting of electricity transformer. The HPTDC management had moved the state High Court against the lessee. After fighting litigation for years, the court had given verdict in favour of the HPTDC which had taken its physical possession on September 1, 2011. This Spain Spa hotel unit of the HPTDC has been lying idle and kept locked. Even the electricity transformer could not be shifted from its premises after over one decade. Meanwhile, Mohan Chouhan, Managing Director, HPTDC, said: “All efforts are being made to bring back this hotel unit into the running condition in the near future. The proposal to purchase the furniture has been approved and the HPTDC is all set to run this unit on its own.” |
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Long winter session in Dec: CM
Shimla, November 16 The dates of the session will be decided soon and it will be a longer than the normal session of five or six days as important pending business has to be completed during the session, Chief Mminister Virbhadra Singh today said. The monsoon session, which was scheduled to be held from August 6 to August 29 with 14 sittings, was adjourned sine die on August 12 due to constant disruption and only six sittings were held. Important Bills, including the Lokayukt Bill, the Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill and the Sports Regulation Bill, which could not be passed during the session are likely to be taken up during the session and it will be the longest-ever winter session. As per rules of business of the Assembly, 35 sittings of the House should be held during the calendar year but during 2014 only 20 sittings had been held and at least 15 more sittings are required. The Opposition BJP did not participate in the proceedings in monsoon session. Earlier, the government was considering to convene a special session in Shimla and later a short duration winter session at Dharamsala but finally it opted for a single session of longer duration to finish the
agenda. BJP readies agenda
The demand for disqualification of four independent MLAs who have become associate members of the Congress will be the main agenda of the BJP in the winter session. It will also raise the issues such as mining and drug mafia, damage caused by floods and protest following hasty implementation of RUSA, BJP leaders said. |
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Temple fund transferred illegally to coop society
Hamirpur, November 16 Sources said the trust had transferred the amount in instalments at the behest of a trustee who wanted to get the funds transferred to the particular society. He had moved the motion at the meeting of the Board of Trustees. It is alleged that as per the constitution of the trust, it cannot deposit the funds in any financial institution other than a nationalised bank. However, the trust passed a resolution in the presence of then Deputy Commissioner and Commissioner of the
BBNTT. There were two banks operating on the premises of the temple. There were other nationalised banks operating in Deotsidh and Chakmoh villages near the temple. Moreover, the temple trust had its accounts in these banks too. Surprisingly, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate
(SDM) of Barsar, who was also chairman of the trust, transferred the funds in
instalments. It was learnt that the transfer of funds was not even brought to the knowledge of the Deputy Commissioner Rohan Chand
Thakur, who was also Commissioner of the BBNTT. When the last instalment was transferred, the matter came to the knowledge of the Commissioner and he served a notice on the Chairman of the trust and directed him to immediately revert all funds back to the nationalised bank. The
SDM, Barsar, Chairman of the trust, said the money had been received back and deposited to the account of the State Bank of India branch at
Chakmoh. He said Rs 1.82 crore had been deposited, including Rs 1.75 crore principal amount and Rs 7.5 lakh interest on the amount. |
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Rs 16 lakh imposed for luxury tax evasion
Hamirpur, November 16 The department yesterday ordered the payment of the tax penalty to three organisations. Sources said the organisations were running dharamshalas to provide lodging facilities. But, it was found that they were involved in making financial transactions. Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Phagwara, Baba Balak Nath Satya dharamshalas and Baba Balak Nath Temple Trust were evading luxury tax. It is also learnt that Baba Balak Nath Satya dharamshala was asked to deposit Rs 75,000, Baba Balak Nath Temple Trust Rs 46,100, Ludhiana dharamshala Rs 7.16 lakh, Phagwara dharamshala Rs 5.22 lakh and Jalandhar dharamshala Rs 2.66 lakh to the Excise and Taxation Department. Virender Sharma, Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer, Barsar, said the penalty and recovery of the tax was calculated. He said the temple trust had deposited the amount with the department and Satya dharamshala had deposited the first instalment. Ravinder Kumar, Assistant Commissioner Excise and Taxation, said the AETO of the area had ordered the recovery of the tax. |
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Youth told to take to sports
Nurpur, November 16 It started from Jassur and concluded at Arya Government College. Around 100 youth participated. Commissioner, Development-cum-Block Development Officer Rakesh Prajapati flagged off the marathon. Tilak Raj from Rehan, Manpreet from Nurpur and Rajan Singh from Gheta were declared first, second and third, respectively, in the marathan. Local MLA Ajay Mahajan, who presided over the ceremony, presented trophies and cash prizes to the winners. He distributed 6,000 indoor and outdoor sports kits to mahila mandals, youth clubs of all gram panchayats of Nurpur development block on the occasion. A special signature campaign was also launched for youth to shun addiction. On the occasion, local DSP Manoj Joshi called upon youth not to fall prey to drug peddlers and share information if they had about drug trafficking in their area to the police. He exhorted those parents whose children were addicted to drugs to approach the police for their rehabilitation.
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Minister honours coop societies
Mandi, November 16 Excise and Taxation Minister Prakash Chaudhary said this while presiding over a function to mark the district-level 61st All-India Cooperative Week at Rajgarh in the Balh Assembly constituency in the district today. He awarded cooperative societies which stood first, second and third at the district-level. He said the state government was in favour of uplifting cooperative societies. He said weaver cooperative societies had been provided with financial assistance of Rs 10 crore. He said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, during his previous tenure, implemented a Rs 9-crore scheme, under which financial assistance was provided to cooperative societies of the district. Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kadam exhorted cooperative societies to set up an
Amul-like cooperative society so that farmers could get better price for their milk and local residents do not have to purchase milk from neighbouring states. |
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Theog-hatkoti road Tribune News Service
Shimla, November 16 Terming the statement unfortunate, false and contrary to facts, Bragta said as per the information procured through RTI, only 7 per cent of the work had been completed and urged the Chief Minister to visit Rohru by road to get the first-hand experience of the progress of work. Claiming that in 2007, when the tender was allotted to the Chinese company during the Congress regime, the land was not acquired nor were the clearances from forest and environment departments obtained, he sought white paper on the status of the land when the tender was allotted. He said the Congress government even did not took the sanction to cut the trees falling on the route and added that during the Congress tenure, no-objection was taken for only 13 per cent of the land and it was the BJP that obtained 87 per cent clearances from the Forest Department. The march for early completion of the Theog-Hatkoti road reached Kharapathar from Jubbal on the third day today.
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Experts discuss radio diagnosis techniques
Palampur, November 16 He said several times, single technique led to misdiagnoses due to interference of other type of diseases. Prof Rajat Sandhir from Punjab University discussed about the development of drugs particularly with respect to ill-effects on some of the important metabolic pathways. Other top scientists of the country discussed issues related to microbes, technological innovations, advancement in cancer research, among other things. Dr SS Kanwar, organising secretary of the conference, said the deliberations would be helpful to young scientists in designing their research experiments.
— OC |
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Periodically maintain buses: SP
Chamba, November 16 The SP stated this while addressing a meeting of bus operators and other participants to prevent the frequency of road accidents here on Friday. He said it was necessary to sensitise bus operators on a recent bus mishap near Surnala in the Himgiri area of the district in which 14 persons were killed on the spot and 10 seriously injured. “Undoubtedly, the constant increase in the number of vehicles is causing fatal road accidents. Difficult terrains and the poor condition of roads in the district are also a factor for high fatality rate which is certainly a cause for concern,” the SP said.
— OC
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CJM lays stress on girls’ education
Chamba, November 16 The camp was organised with the objective of bringing awareness of legal aid, provided by the government, among people. “It has been observed that generally parents give preference to educating boys instead of girls leading to their remaining illiterate and becoming a curse to society,” the CJM said. Giving information about various laws enacted for the wellbeing of people, the CJM said to accept and give dowry were crimes. The marriage of minor girls was also a crime, she said, adding that intoxication like cigarette and wine were also crimes. |
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An internationally recognised wetland, the Pong reservoir receives maximum migratory birds in the entire North India. Last year it received 1.44 lakh migratory birds.
The 10-day Artists’ Workshop arranged jointly by the Lalit Kala Academy and the Language and Culture Department concluded at the Gaiety Theatre in Shimla recently. HPU Vice-Chancellor ADN Bajpai presided over the concluding ceremony and said all art forms were the manifestations of “Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram”; “Sat” was the true value; “Shiv” good value and “Sundaram” beauty value.
Built nearly 12 years ago, the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation’s (HPTDC’s) furnished Spain Spa hotel-cum-restaurant wears a deserted look now.
Thanks to the apathy of the management that has failed to make it functional. Built at a cost of Rs 1 crore, the property has been kept locked even after taking its physical possession from its leaseholder over three years ago.
Shimla, November 16
Chamba, November 16
