HP Administrative Tribunal to be functional soon: Virbhadra

Himachal Pradesh Administrative Tribunal, which was wound up by the previous BJP government, would be revived and made functional within a month, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said today.
The state cabinet has already reversed BJP government's decision and the process of revival of administrative tribunal was underway, and hopefully it would start functioning within a month, he said while talking to reporters here.
Congress had promised to revive the tribunal in its poll manifesto and the promise would be fulfilled. The burden of cases in the High Court would also be reduced, he said.
Replying to a question, Singh made it clear that Kaushal Vikas allowance would be given only to those unemployed youth who fall in the age group of 18 to 35 years and have matriculation as minimum qualification or undertaking technical courses in government institutes or private ITI's approved by the state government.

He cautioned that no skill allowance would be given to students admitted to unrecognised or unapproved institutions.
Taking a serious note of allegations of grabbing forest land by self-styled godman Asaram Bapu in Kunja Matralion village and by Tibetans in Bhoop Pur village under Paonta sub-division, the Chief Minister asked the Deputy Commissioner of Sirmaur to hold an inquiry and take action.

He said every inch of encroached land would be vacated and restored to the state.
Referring to hardships faced by local residents due to a ban imposed on extraction of sand and gravel from riverbeds in the state, Singh said local people who have been sanctioned mining lease can carry on with their work, but transportation of material out of the state was banned.

The Chief Minister said 1,000 new buses would be added in the fleet of Himachal Raod Transport Corporation as old buses would be phased out.