The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Apple gets good price despite bumper crop
From Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 11 — The apple growers of Himachal Pradesh are a happy lot. Despite a bumper crop, the market has, by and large, remained stable throughout the season, fetching reasonably good return for their produce.

Over 90 per cent of the crop has already been harvested. Until yesterday 1.70 crore boxes of apple had been exported out of the state. Besides 49,000 tonnes of fruit had been procured under the market intervention scheme (MIS) so far. The total production was likely to be over two crore boxes. About 10 lakh boxes less than the out turn of 1998 when a record 2.16 crore boxes were produced in the state.

Barring a brief slump midway during the season, which sent the prices crashing, the market remained stable mainly due to the bulk purchases made by the government agencies under the market intervention scheme. Even at the fag end of the season the average price in the Delhi market, where 80 per cent of the produce was disposed of, had been Rs 375 per box, about Rs 75 more than 1998. The prices of superior grade of apple averaged upto Rs 700 per box in the first half of the season. Some lots even fetched up to Rs 1300 per box.

Another significant fact which helped the growers was that unlike previous two years there was hardly any import of apple. Thanks to the decision of the Centre to increase the import duty to the maximum 55 per cent which made import of the fruit economically unviable. The enhancement of duty had been a major achievement of the Dhumal government as unrestricted import of apple under the WTO agreement had severely hit the apple industry over the past two years.

The encouraging feature, which will have bearing on apple prices in future, had been that Parwanoo had firmly been established as terminal market for disposing of apples. The bulk of the 49,000 tonnes of processable grade of fruit procured under the MIS was auctioned at Parwanoo itself. Traders from other states made a bee line to this recently set-up market, which meant that growers would no longer be at the mercy of arhtiyas from Delhi.

The procurement agencies not only saved on transportation but also secured a much higher price than 1998. The average sale price was about Rs 2 per kg, the net returns came to Rs 1.25 per kg, which was 150 per cent more than the return of 50 paise per kg in 1998.

The traders sent the fruit to non-traditional markets like Saharanpur, Gorakhpur, Sasaram, Bhind, Morena and other far off towns and earned good profits. Unlike 1998, the sale of processable grade of apple in the open market did not have any adverse impact on the prices. In 1998 about 75,000 tonnes of fruit was procured and the government lost Rs 24 crore in the process. This time the loss would be cut down to about half.

It had, however, not been a good year for the growers of flood-ravaged Kinnaur district. The disruption of road link had made transportation of the produce to the market a difficult proposition.

The total production in the district was estimated at about 10 lakh boxes. It would be possible to transport out only five lakh boxes and rest would be procured by government agencies and auctioned locally. So far 2.5 lakh boxes had been exported. As many as 500 boxes of superior grade apple and 200 bags of processable fruit were airlifted by helicopters. The superior grade fruit was being procured at Rs 10 per kg, while the purchase under the MIS was being made at Rs 3.75 per kg.

The state-owned Agro Packaging India Limited produced a record 57 lakh telescopic cartons and in all 75 lakh such cartons were supplied to growers during the season.

HVC (M) on lookout for tie-up
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 11 — After being denied the status of the real Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) to his faction by the Election Commission, the Minister for Public Works, Mr Mohinder Singh, is now probing the possibility of a tie-up with some national-level party supporting the BJP government at the Centre.

Mr Mohinder Singh left for Delhi yesterday reportedly to meet certain leaders in this matter.

Sources said he might discuss the issue with the central ministers, Mr Nitish Kumar, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan and Mr Sharad Yadav. His supporters were inclined for having some sort of understanding with the Samata Party of Mr Nitish Kumar.

A Mohinder Singh supporter said they would not mind completely merging their set-up with the Samata Party or any other national party which was supporting the Vajpayee government.

The HVC(M) has already decided to set up a separate regional party after having been denied the party symbol by the Election Commission. The party of Mr Sukh Ram was declared as the real HVC by the Election Commission recently.

Supporters of Mr Mohinder Singh have convened a meeting of their office-bearers here on October 14 to discuss the issue of a tie-up with some national party and also consider a suitable name for their own set-up and get it registered with the commission.

It is learnt that certain supporters of Mr Mohinder Singh were keen for a tie-up with some NDA partner which could watch their interests at the top level at the centre. Mr Mohinder Singh was caught in a political storm as a section of the ruling BJP, Mr Sukh Ram and the opposition Congress were mounting pressure on the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, to drop him from the ministry.

They believe a tie-up with some national party will help ward off the uncertainty.

Mr Mohinder Singh has already created a base for his party in the state by extensively touring various areas and enrolling members. However, he will not be in a position to claim himself as a member of the new outfit as he has already been declared an unattached member of the assembly, thereby debarring him from joining any other party or floating a new one.

Congmen unhappy with poll panel
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Oct 11 — The Kangra District Congress Committee president and a sitting MLA, Mr B.B.L. Butail, along with senior party leaders today expressed dissatisfaction over the party’s State Election Authority (sea’s) summary dismissal of election complaints.

A number of party leaders including Mr Butail, former minister, Mr Kewal Singh Pathania and Congress candidate from Sulah, Mr Jagjivan Pal, regretted the manner in which the Sea dealt with the complaints at a number of places.

Commenting on reports that one of the members of the Sea, Mr Mangat Ram, had not been consulted before issuing the list of delegates, Mr Butail, said that individuals do not have the right to take a decision as the committee functions as a unit. He added that it was essential that all three should have sat together to discuss the various complaints before the final lists of PCC delegates was issued.

Former minister, Mr Kewal Singh Pathania, said that the disagreement between the three members of the Sea, was in itself a clear indication that the organisational elections were not fair. He said that the objection raised by Mr Mangat Ram, that he was not taken into confidence before issuing the final list of delegates, was also brought to the matter of the party high command.

Mr Butail, however, went on to add that one has to abide by the decision of the SEA.

When asked if he was in the race for the post of DCC chief, Mr Butail replied in the negative.

Meanwhile, Congress workers yesterday took out a procession against the price hike and presented a memorandum, addressed to the Governor, to the Deputy Commissioner. They pointed out that due to the steep price hike of practically all essential commodities life had become unaffordable for the common man.

Yellow dust bathes HP hills
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 11 — The long dry spell has turned the town yellow with a thick layer of deodar pollen spread over tin rooftops as well as the ground.

Housewives say that they have to clean the house more than once a day as the yellow powder blows in with the breeze. Household articles are also covered with pollen which has triggered and aggravated asthma among the residents. Even clothes put out to dry get yellow by the day.

It is after many years that the flowering season has stretched so long. Earlier, the pollen beans would be lashed by rain and fall on the ground. But this year the dry beans are breathing pollen with the breeze or whenever a monkey agitates a branch.

Tourists as well as locals have to get their cars cleaned again and again as the windscreen get covered with the yellow dust, the problem is acute around Jakhu, U.S. Club, Richmond, Housing Board Colony, Lakkar Bazar and Sanjauli areas Commercial establishments on the mall are also facing a problem with the pollen settling on their merchandise.

Even children are not immune from the asthametic allergies caused by deodar pollen. Some residents have even been forced to shift out of pollen prone localities to avoid debilitating asthma attacks.

The problem is not confined to Shimla alone as in the mid and lower hills the pollen of pine trees is causing similar problems.

The fine pollen of deodar and pine trees is inhaled with the breath and deposited along the respiratory tract triggering asthma attacks.

Sat Mahajan denies deserting Virbhadra
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Oct 11 — Mr Sat Mahajan, Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee chief has denied any factionalism in the party on the eve of AICC organisational election. Talking to mediapersons here yesterday he said that there was a complete unity in the party and it would prove this by extending its unanimous support to Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

Commenting on the impression given in a section of the press recently that he had changed sides by deserting CLP leader and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in view of the organisational elections, Mr Mahajan categorically denied any differences with Mr Singh. He said he had organised a number of party workers meetings jointly with the CLP leader.

He said as PCC chief it was his primary duty to watch party interests by extending or taking support and cooperation from every partyman. To desert one or to take side of another was meaningless.

Mr Mahajan said that as PCC chief his priority would be to evolve consensus over the choice of state unit president. This would be initiated from Kangra district.

On allegations of rigging and irregularities in organisational elections aired by a faction of the Congress, he said the PCC chief had no role to play in hearing such complaints. The complaints were before the party high command and central and state election authorities which was looking into them.

Compensation hike on cards
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 11 — The Himachal Pradesh Government is considering a proposal to enhance the compensation to the families of those killed by wild animals from Rs 25,000 to Rs 1 lakh.

Stating this at the concluding function of Wildlife Week, here last evening, Mr Roop Singh Thakur, Forest Minister, underlined the need for reducing the conflict between human beings and animals. He said protection of wildlife was essential for maintaining the ecological balance.

The government had taken several steps for protection of wildlife and set up 32 sanctuaries and two national parks which accounted for 12.92 per cent of the total forest area in the state. This had led to a considerable increase in the population of endangered species like snow leopard.

During the current year, over Rs 6 crore was spent on the wildlife projects which included central assistance of Rs 1.19 crore. Mr Thakur also released two books — one on fire safety and the other on the five-year silviculture action plan for the state prepared by the department.

The minister also gave away prizes to the winners of various competitions organised by the department during the week.

JE, lineman held for taking bribe
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Oct 11 — The Vigilance Department has caught a junior engineer (JE) and a lineman of the state electricity board while accepting a bribe of Rs 2,800 from a shopkeeper at Dadh Gulera village in Indora.

According to the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Vigilance), Mr N.D. Sharma, a shopkeeper from Dadh Gulera village complained to them that the JE and the local lineman had demanded a sum of Rs 2800 for changing his meter. The shopkeeper, Mr Raj Kumar wanted a heavy duty meter for which he had given an application in the office of the SDO at Indora.

Probe ordered into bus accident
From Our Correspondent

UNA, Oct 11 — The Deputy Commissioner here has ordered an inquiry into a bus accident which took place on October 3 at Bharwai, 48 km from here, in which six persons were killed. The bus belonged to Gupta Travels and was returning to Bundelkhand in UP from Jwalaji Chintpurni when it fell into a gorge. A six-member committee, including SP, Una; SDM, Amb; Executive Engineer PWD, Bharwai; Executive Engineer PWD workshop, Gagret; Regional Transport Officer, Hamirpur; and Works Manager HRTC, Una; has been asked to probe the reasons behind the accident and submit its report within 10 days.