05:24 AM
Wednesday - March 26, 2025
Weather: 
19°C
REGD.-HP-09-0015257
05:24 AM
Wednesday - March 26, 2025
Weather: 19°C
REGD.-HP-09-0015257
🚨EXCLUSIVE | NEET NRI QUOTA SCAM: A TICKING TIME B...
Chief Engineer HP Power Corporation goes Missing:...
HPU Ignites Youth Action for Gender Equality
Chandigarh/Jalandhar, March 25: The Enforcement Directorate (ED), Jalandhar, has tightened the noose around revenue officials and private property dealers involved in a major shamlat land scam in village Seonk.
In a significant action, the ED provisionally attached immovable properties worth ₹12.31 crore on March 24, 2025, belonging to Varinder Pal Singh (Ex-Naib Tehsildar), Iqbal Singh (then Patwari), and private players who allegedly connived to grab community land and sell it off illegally.
According to ED officials, the scam revolves around the illegal allotment of excess shares of 'shamlat land' — common village land meant for the welfare of the entire community — to ineligible individuals.
The modus operandi was simple yet shocking. The revenue officials, in connivance with local property dealers, manipulated records to allot larger land shares to selected individuals.
Once the paperwork was ‘legalised’ on file, the land was sold off in the open market at hefty rates, causing massive losses to the village panchayat and the government.
The ED probe found that Ex-Naib Tehsildar Varinder Pal Singh and Patwari Iqbal Singh played a central role in executing this scam.
"They misused their official positions to fabricate revenue records, which paved the way for the illegal sale of shamlat land to private parties. Private property dealers were roped in to further sell these plots to unsuspecting buyers," the agency revealed.
Sources said that several of these buyers were later found ineligible to own shamlat land, yet the deals had already been executed and the land parcels changed hands multiple times.
"It's a classic case of how revenue officials and land mafia collude to grab community land for personal profits. The scale of the scam is huge, and further probe is underway to unearth more such illegal deals," a senior ED officer confirmed.
ED has invoked provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and attached prime properties that were allegedly purchased using the proceeds of this shamlat land scam.
These include residential houses, commercial plots, and agricultural lands located in and around the area.
Meanwhile, locals of Seonk village said that this scam has exposed the deep-rooted nexus between land officials and property dealers. "Shamlat land is our lifeline.
It belongs to the entire village, but these officers looted it like their personal property. Action must be taken against all involved," said a village elder.
The ED has made it clear that this is just the beginning and more names could surface as the investigation deepens. The action has sent shockwaves among revenue officials and the property lobby, often accused of manipulating land records across Punjab.
The case is being closely monitored, as the ED is likely to file a prosecution complaint soon. Further attachments and arrests could follow.
NHAI Turns Into Corruption Den: GM Caught Red-Handed With Rs 15 Lakh Bribe, Rs 1.18 Crore Cash Recovered — CBI Must Probe Collapsing Highway Projects in Hills
Chandigarh/New Delhi:
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), trusted with building the country’s lifelines, is fast turning into a corruption hub where managers openly mint money.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) busted a major bribery racket, arresting an NHAI General Manager red-handed while accepting Rs 15 lakh from a private company for clearing project bills. Three private players, including a GM of the firm, were also arrested.
In swift raids across Patna, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, Begusarai, Purnia, Ranchi, and Varanasi, CBI recovered a staggering Rs 1.18 crore in cash, besides seizing digital devices and incriminating documents.
The racket, registered on 22 March, involves six NHAI officers — Chief GMs, GMs, and senior officials — along with a private company and contractors.
The officials were hand-in-glove with the company, clearing inflated and poor-quality work bills in return for fat bribes.
No wonder, portions of highways sink or collapse within months of construction. Look at the hill states — Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand — where newly built highways turn into death traps. Multiple stretches of the Kalka-Shimla Four-Lane, Kiratpur-Manali, and Parwanoo-Solan roads have sunk or caved in like cardboard, exposing the sub-standard work and shady deals behind these projects.
Locals often ask — who’s approving these faulty projects and why is no one held accountable when hills are butchered and roads sink? This entire NHAI network of corruption must be probed threadbare, especially in fragile Himalayan regions where people's lives are at risk every day.
It’s high time the CBI expands its probe to all NHAI projects in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and other states where highways have turned into black spots of corruption. Every inch of road built under these corrupt babus must be audited — before more lives are lost.
#NHAI #CBIRaid #HighwayScam #HimalayanLoot #KalkaShimlaFourLane #RoadToScam #HighwayCollapse #CBIProbe #CorruptionInHills #ParwanooSolanCollapse #KiratpurManaliLoot #InfrastructureLoot #TaxPayersMoney #CBIAction #Himachal #Uttarakhand
Shimla, March 24:
The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday directed parties to frame the legal questions involved in the high-profile case of Abhishek Manu Singhvi vs Harsh Mahajan, arising out of the controversial Rajya Sabha election defeat that shook Indian politics.
The court fixed April 2, 2025 as the next date of hearing. A single bench of Justice Ajay Mohan Goel ruled that once legal issues are framed, arguments on the maintainability of the petition and core issues will begin.
Appearing virtually, senior counsels P. Chidambaram and Prashanto Sen argued for Singhvi, while Neeraj Gupta and Vedant Ranta represented him in person. Maninder Singh, Senior Advocate, appeared for BJP’s Harsh Mahajan.
The matter dates back to February 28, 2024, when Congress heavyweight Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, backed by the ruling party in Himachal, lost the Rajya Sabha seat in a dramatic election twist inside the Vidhan Sabha.
Despite Congress having the numbers, the poll ended in a tie—sending shockwaves across political corridors. In a rare move, Harsh Mahajan of BJP was declared the winner by toss, leaving Singhvi and the Congress red-faced.
Singhvi moved the High Court challenging the process, arguing there is “no statutory mechanism” to settle such a constitutional tie-breaker by toss in Rajya Sabha elections.
His petition pleads that the declaration of Mahajan as a winner via toss is “illegal, arbitrary, and unconstitutional”, and demands the result be quashed.
The case has major legal and political implications—questioning the validity of deciding a Parliamentary seat by a toss, raising constitutional concerns never tested before.
If the court rules in Singhvi's favour, it could set a precedent for electoral laws, especially around tie-breaking mechanisms in high-stakes elections.
Stay tuned for April 2. This case is set to reopen political wounds and constitutional debates!
#RajyaSabhaElection #TossPolitics #SinghviVsMahajan #HimachalHighCourt #ConstitutionalCrisis #ElectoralReform #BJP #Congress #AbhishekManuSinghvi #HarshMahajan #HimachalPolitics #RajyaSabhaToss #BreakingNews #PoliticalDrama #IndianPolitics #SupremeCourtNext #VidhanSabha
Shimla, March 24 — The widening gap between demand and supply of medicinal plants is a growing concern in Himachal Pradesh.
Stakeholders flagged the issue during a consultation workshop organized by the Himalayan Forest Research Institute (HFRI), Shimla here today.
Experts said the market is buyer-driven, forcing cultivators to sell produce at throwaway prices.
Dr. Vineet Jishtu, Scientist-E and Training Coordinator at HFRI, stressed the need for proper record-keeping of cultivation and harvesting cycles to help farmers get organic certification and better market rates.
Dr Jishtu also suggested that farmers form groups to build a seller-driven market where they could fix the price rather than depend on buyers.
He pointed out that the biggest challenge is the lack of storage, leading to loss of medicinal quality due to fungal attacks.
Dr. Sandeep Sharma, Director of HFRI, warned that extracting medicinal plants from forests before maturity is destroying their quality and medicinal properties.
"Harvesting should be done only after the Bhado month when plants have the best medicinal value," he said, adding that unethical harvesting is leading to adulteration, causing people to lose faith in Ayurvedic medicines.
Dr. Lal Singh, Director of the Himalayan Research Group, explained that Chirayta cultivation can earn Rs. 30,000 to 35,000 in just 18 months, while Kadu cultivation can fetch Rs. 80,000 to Rs. 1 lakh annually after 3-4 years.
These crops require no fertilizers and remain safe from wild animals like monkeys.
Lal Singh stressed that whatever is cultivated should ensure livelihood, and all expenses from production to market should be calculated.
Proper harvesting time and scientific storage are essential to retain medicinal properties and fetch better prices.
Medicinal plant trader Kailash Sharma demanded that traders be trained in proper storage so that quality material is supplied when demand arises.
"When demand comes, due to lack of storage, suppliers dump anything they have, compromising on quality," he added.
Experts from JICA also shared various government schemes under their project for stakeholder support. All participants raised their queries, which were addressed by experts in detail.
Over 35 stakeholders from across Himachal Pradesh attended the consultation workshop aimed at improving the quality of medicinal plants and reviving trust in Ayurvedic medicines.
@HFRI @ICFRE_INDIA @HPForestDept @AyushHP @AgriGoI @jica_india
#HimachalNews #MedicinalPlants #Ayurveda #OrganicFarming #SustainableDevelopment #ForestConservation #HerbalMedicine #FarmersRights #RuralEconomy #HerbalQuality #SustainableHarvest #MarketReforms #PostHarvestManagement #HealthMatters #HerbalWealth #HimalayanEconomy #MedicinalHerbs #NaturalResources #FarmersVoice #SkillDevelopment #IncomeSource #TribalLivelihood #NaturalHealing #HerbalCare
Auckland House School Faces Flak Over Eid Dress Code, Forced to Withdraw Order After VHP, Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti Uproar
Shimla – Auckland House School landed itself in controversy after it issued a circular asking students to come dressed in kurta-pajama and a cap for Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations scheduled for March 28, 2025.
The directive, which also asked students to bring roti roll with paneer, sevaiya, and dry fruits in their lunchbox, sparked outrage from Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Devbhoomi Sangharsh Samiti.
VHP leader AP Singh lashed out at the school management, calling it a "blatant example of shallow secularism." He questioned why a Christian missionary school was imposing religious attire on students, forcing them to participate in religious rituals in the name of secularism.
"Celebrating festivals is fine, but dictating dress codes for religious events is not acceptable.
Auckland House School must realize it is not a madrasa. If this is secularism, then let them also issue similar orders for Hindu festivals like Ram Navami or Janmashtami," AP Singh said.
Faced with mounting pressure and social media backlash, the school management finally withdrew the circular late evening.
A fresh message was sent to parents, asking students to come in school uniform instead.
The episode has triggered fresh debate on selective secularism and how minority appeasement in the name of inclusivity is being pushed by elite institutions.
#EidRow #AucklandSchoolControversy #VHPProtest #SelectiveSecularism #ShimlaNews #DevbhoomiSangharshSamiti #MissionarySchoolRow
The mainstream media houses dominated by the city- centric editors have been indifferent to the problems and issues faced by the Himalayan people down the centuries. HimbuMail is born to fill this gap and seeks to become their real voice.
HimbuMail is new web newsepaper and is being run on no-profit basis by professionals, who need financial support for sustainable operation of the web news portal.
your support is Supreme!
Himbumail
Install App on Your Device
