Strike call worries apple growers
SHIMLA, Aug 21 — The call given by the All-India Truck Operators Union for an indefinite strike from August 22 has caused panic among apple growers in the state.

Army help sought to
nab militants
KULU, Aug 21 — The district administration has sought the help of the Army to apprehend four suspected Kashmiri militants who were spotted by BRO personnel at Gulaba, about 24 km from Manali yesterday.

16,369 Sirmaur students anaemic
NAHAN, Aug 21 — Disturbing figures were revealed in the report prepared under the district primary education programme by the District Health and Family Welfare Department.
17 injured in accident
SHIMLA, Aug 21 — Seventeen persons were injured, one of them seriously, when a private bus carrying them met with an accident at Drang near Palampur in Kangra district today.
3 students assaulted during ragging
KANGRA, Aug 21 — Three first year students of the local Government Polytechinc College were allegedly assaulted by their seniors during ragging last evening.
Plea to regularise teachers
SHIMLA, Aug 21 — Mr Balak Ram, a former MP of the BJP, has urged the Chief Minister to regularise the services of voluntary teachers of secondary schools who have completed five years of employment.

392 kg of poppy husk seized

Body's stench hits hospital services

Father, son convicted of murder

Primary school body threatens stir

HP Haj panel

Strike call worries apple growers
From Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 21 — The call given by the All-India Truck Operators Union for an indefinite strike from August 22 has caused panic among apple growers in the state.

The apple season is at its peak and so far only about 35 lakh boxes of apple, about 20 per cent of the estimated produce, has reached the market. Harvesting has been completed in only lower hills. About 450 to 600 trucks from mid hills were being sent out to various markets from the state.

The growers are a worried lot as the strike will severely hit transportation of not only apples but also vegetables, which are highly perishable, the farmers of mid and upper hill areas, who are totally dependent on horticulture will be doomed if the strike prolongs.

This year, most areas of the state have been experiencing mild rain during the monsoon and as such the roads in the apple belt have been so far in good condition. The growers were hopeful of transporting the produce out of the state without the usual difficulties posed by frequent blockade of roads by landslides. However, they are now faced with a more serious problem because of the strike.

Meanwhile, the government is gearing up to face the situation. Mr Narinder Bragta, Minister for Horticulture, convened a meeting of senior officers at which it was decided to provide security to truck operators in case they agreed to transport the produce in spite of the strike call. Security would not only be provided within the state but also in Haryana, Punjab and Delhi for which the Chief Secretary of the state would contact his counterparts in these states.

Besides, it was also decided to utilise the trucks available with various government departments and corporations for transportation of the produce. There are about 500 government trucks and a good number of these could be spared for transportation of apple.

The government is also exploring the possibility of carrying fruit and vegetable by special trains from Shimla to Azadpur market in Delhi. Mr Bragta has already taken up the matter with the Railway Minister.

The minister has directed the Deputy Commissioners of Shimla, Kulu, Mandi, Sirmaur and Chamba to hold meetings of truck operators and fruit growers tomorrow to find ways and means for transportation of the produce.

This year out of over 1.50 crore boxes of apple about 1.20 crore are yet to be transported out. The authorities are hopeful that at least the truck unions of Himachal Pradesh will come to the rescue of the growers in the larger interests of the state. However, even if they agree to cooperate, it would not be possible for them to carry the produce. There was every possibility of the striking truck operators not allowing their movement through other states.

Army help sought to nab militants
From Our Correspondent

KULU, Aug 21 — The district administration has sought the help of the Army to apprehend four suspected Kashmiri militants who were spotted by BRO personnel at Gulaba, about 24 km from Manali yesterday.

Earlier, the police was informed about the presence of the militants by a local panchayat pradhan following which a search operation was launched.

Police personnel of Hamirpur, Mandi and Bilaspur headed by the DIG, Mandi range, have also launched a hunt in and around the Gulaba forests.

The local police has also started verifying the antecedents of local Kashmiri labourers and blanket sellers.

Forest policy followed ‘more in the breach’
From Ravinder Sood

PALAMPUR: Forests not only contribute to maintaining the ecological balance but also occupy an important place in the economic development of Himachal Pradesh. Forests provide physical sustenance to the fragile eco-system and also act as a source of precious raw material for rural and industrial application.

The growing population has led to the disastrous over-use of forests for fuel wood, timber and boxes for apples. This has caused tremendous loss of forest cover. Over 3000 sq km of forest land has been damaged in 50 years. Trees in the Amazon, the world’s largest tropical rain forest with an area of 5 million sq km, are being felled at the rate of 35,000 sq km per year.

The extensive loss of forests has had serious ecological and economic implications in this small state. The felling of trees has disrupted the habitat of wild life and might even lead to the extinction of certain species.

India has a gross area of 752.3 lakh hectares notified as forests. About 19.47 per cent of its geographical area is under forests. This brings the per capita forest area to a meagre 0.088 hectare — the lowest in the world. In fact, 50 per cent of India’s forest area is actually under tree cover, the rest is in various stages of degradation. The same is the situation in Himachal Pradesh. The recommendation of the national forest policy of 1952, had called for 33 per cent of the country land to be covered under forests. But the present picture is dismal. The natural forests are being destroyed at a rate faster than nature or what man can regenerate.

The data provided by the US spacecraft, Landsat, is quite alarming. It had revealed that India’s forest cover declined from 16.9 per cent to 14.1 per cent in the early eighties. This meant that India has been losing forest cover at the rate of 1.3 million hectares every year. Landsat has also disclosed that the forest cover within 100 km of major cities is diminishing at the rate of 15 per cent every year which would be proved fatal in the near future.

Though the forest policy was revised in 1988, and its main objective was protection, conservation and development of forests in the country, much stress was made to minimise the burden of fuel wood, fodder and other local requirements on forests. But in the absence of any political will, the 1988 forest policy could not be implemented in letter and spirit. The forests in the country remained in neglect and only a few states followed the guidelines in the 1988 forest policy. Despite the alarming situation prevailing in the country regarding destruction of forest wealth and repeated warnings from organisations dealing with environmental problems, states like UP, Bihar and MP did not initiate any efforts to save the forest wealth. Though the Forest Conservation Act 1980 , was amended in 1988 to make it more stringent by prescribing punishment for violation and the central government even issued guidelines for the active involvement of women, social organisations and voluntary agencies for the regeneration of degraded forest land, hardly any efforts were made by the states in this regard.

Besides, reckless and unplanned urbanisation, growing population, over-grazing and over-cultivation by peasants have also been responsible for the shrinking forest cover resulting in climatic changes.

All efforts should be made to maintain the ecological balance and no new projects should be sanctioned which require deforestation. Unless everyone becomes aware of the need to save this planet from destruction, there can be no hope for mankind. If no earnest measures are taken the earth will soon become a graveyard.

16,369 Sirmaur students anaemic
From Our Correspondent

NAHAN, Aug 21 — Disturbing figures were revealed in the report prepared under the district primary education programme by the District Health and Family Welfare Department.

According to report, out of 63,185 students studying in 980 primary schools in Sirmaur district who were medically examined, 37,226 were found to be suffering from one or the other debilitating disease.

This information was given by Mr Rakesh Kaushal, Deputy Commissioner here on Wednesday in a press note issued by the Public Relations office.

Number of students suffering from anaemia were 16369, from intestinal worm diseases 10433, night blindness 211, ear diseases 210, scabies 1262, pyorrhoea 484, eye diseases, including trachoma 1563, gum and tooth diseases 6526 from other diseases 666.

Two students were sent to Snowdon Hospital, Shimla, for further investigation and treatment with the assistance of district Red Cross.

Mr R.K. Duggal, Deputy Project Officer, DIET, said students, found to be suffering from some disease were given medical examination cards and were asked to visit government dispensaries and hospitals in their areas for treatment.

17 injured in accident

SHIMLA, Aug 21 (UNI) — Seventeen persons were injured, one of them seriously, when a private bus carrying them met with an accident at Drang near Palampur in Kangra district today.

Thirteen of the injured were taken to Palampur hospital and three to a hospital at Nagrota Bagwan. The seriously injured was admitted to the district hospital at Dharamsala, police sources said.

The bus was going from Palampur to Kangra.

3 students assaulted during ragging
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Aug 21 — Three first year students of the local Government Polytechinc College were allegedly assaulted by their seniors during ragging last evening.

Parents said freshers were not allowed to sleep and were forced to wash and iron clothes of seniors and smoke.

The Principal of the college, Mr D.R. Shama, when contacted, confirmed the report of the assault and said he would hold a meeting with faculty members before referring the case to the police.

Plea to regularise teachers
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 21 — Mr Balak Ram, a former MP of the BJP, has urged the Chief Minister to regularise the services of voluntary teachers of secondary schools who have completed five years of employment.

In a letter to Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, he has pointed out that regularisation of voluntary teachers has started in the Primary Education Department, but the scheme has not yet been initiated in secondary schools.

The BJP had, in its election manifesto, promised that the services of all voluntary teachers, who had completed five years service, would be regularised.

392 kg of poppy husk seized
From Our Correspondent

UNA, Aug 21 — The police today seized 392 kg of poppy husk from the house of Bhag Singh at Pubowal Majra Wadewal village, 22 km from Una.

The SP, Mr Dharam Pal Sharma, said Bhag Singh had been arrested.

He said the poppy was recovered from his godown.

Body's stench hits hospital services
From Our Correspondent

PARWANOO, Aug 21 — Doctors and the paramedical staff of ESI Hospital could not enter the hospital building due to the intolerable stench emitted by an unclaimed body.

Dr Gurcharan Singh, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said the body was brought for a post-mortem examination on August 18 following a truck accident which killed four persons at Dattyar on the Kalka-Shimla national highway, near here.

He said the body had been decaying for the past four days and had not been shifted out of the hospital despite repeated requests to the DSP and the Assistant Commissioner.

Patients were forced to leave their beds and sit outside because of the stench.

Father, son convicted of murder
From Our Correspondent

SUNDERNAGAR, Aug 21 — The Sessions Judge, Mandi Division, Mr Kuldeep Chand Sood, has convicted Budhi Singh and his son Jai Chand, residents of Barnod village, for murdering Seema Devi, wife of Jai Chand, on December 3i, and sentenced them to life imprisonment.

The accused were charged under Sections 302, 109 and 34, IPC, and Section 25, Arms Act.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 each on the accused.

Primary school body threatens stir
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Aug 21 — The Primary School Federation today threatened to launch a district-level agitation if transfers of teachers in the block on "political grounds" were not cancelled by August 24.

Meanwhile, the dharna by teachers in front of the office of the DEO entered its third day today.

Federation president Kishori Lal and general secretary Susheel Kumar said the agitation might spread to the state if the government failed to withdraw the transfer orders.

HP Haj panel
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Aug 21 — The Himachal Government has reconstituted the state Haj committee.

Headed by Mr Umar Abddullah, the committee will have Mr Jamil Sidiqui, Mr Akhtar Khan, Mr Yaseen Mohammad, Mr Nasir Ahmed, Mr Anwar Khan, Mr Jahoor Ahmed, Mr Wahid Khan, Mr Ajjur Rehman, Mr Mohd Ramzan, Mr Mohd Lateef and Mr Kaleem Butt as members. The Joint Secretary (Home), Himachal, will be the member-secretary.