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| Thursday,
November 16, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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400-yr-old Lavi Fair losing
charm ST remittances through banks
allowed Himachal power staff hold
rally Plea to
exploit mineral resources HP Cong leaders
camping at Delhi Bank employees go on
strike |
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HVC moves EC
on party name Cong man’s plea on
MLA fund rejected Four arrested for possessing
charas
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400-yr-old Lavi Fair losing
charm RAMPUR, Nov 15 — The 400-year-old Lavi Fair is losing its charm with improvement in communication, ensuring year-round availability of essential goods even in the remotest of villages. The fair has undergone a sea change in recent years with a large-scale entry of modern goods which are edging out traditional items like Pashmina wool, kalazira, chilgoza, walnut, almonds and other dry fruits. In fact, these items, which dominated the fair for centuries, are now confined to a small section of the mela. The mela is now flooded with goods like readymade wears, shoes, furniture, utensils, television sets, refrigerators and other gadgets by traders from Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. Instead of Khampas, nomadic tribal traders of Tibet and Kinnaur and traders from plains dominate the fair. The Khampa community maintains herds of horses and mules to carry good across the Himalayas from Tibet and China to Nepal, India, Burma, Kandhar and other Asian countries. However, the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959 changed the life of the Khampas for ever. The trade was discontinued, forcing the members of the migratory community to settle down at various places in Tibet,
Kinnaur, Ladakh, Rohru, Kulu, Lahaul-spiti, Shimla, Rampur and Nahan. The reopening of the Indo-China border trade through Shipkila in Kinnaur since 1995 has not helped much. The trade has not picket up due to the “cold” response of Chinese traders, laments Ms Chhotten
Chhomo, President of the Khampa Welfare Organisation. In the olden days, when the barter system was in vogue, the Lavi mela was an international fair. Traders from as far as Nepal, Kandhar, Tibet and China, besides India, converged on Rampur where tribesmen exchanged their produce for salt, tea leaves jaggery and other necessities. This year, the fair was held under the shadow of the Satlej disaster, which disrupted road network in the Kinnaur region. The tribesmen from the cut off areas managed to reach Rampur via Kunzum Pass and Manali or walking down the old Hindustan-Tibet road from Rekong Peo to Choeling. However, the volume of trade was much less compared to previous years as not many buyers turned up. Moreover, the prices of almost all goods were higher as the tribesmen had to spend Rs 400 to 500 per quintal more on transportation. The much sought-after Pashmina was absent, mainly because of the decision of the Chinese authorities to make bulk purchases at an exorbitant rate of Rs 1,800 per kg. While there was not import from Tibet, the tribesmen of Kinnaur also sent their produce across the border for sale. There were, however, few takers for ordinary wool which was available in plenty. The main reason for this Mr Lakhbir Negi of Nathpa pointed, was that big factories were importing raw wool from Australia and other countries and the young generations of tribesmen were no longer willing to undertake spinning and weaving work. He said the marketing problem could be solved if the State Wool Federation made bulk procurement at the rate of Rs 60 to 65 per kg. Wool producers of Kinnaur have submitted a memorandum to the government in this regard. The prices of chilgoza ranged from Rs 240 to Rs 300 per kg, about Rs 30 to Rs 50 per kg higher than last year. With a majority of areas still cut off, the tribesmen kept most of the over 1,000 cheegu (high mountain goat) and biyangi (high mountain sheep) brought from Tibet for themselves. Over 150 horses, including 72 chamurtis from Spiti and a dozen from Tibet, were sold during the fair. The sure-footed chamurti horses are much in demand in high hill areas. This time the highest price was Rs 24,000. Although, the fair officially concluded yesterday, trading will continue up to November 20. The four-day official fair is more of a public attraction, the real trading takes place over the next six days. Chief Minister, P.K. Dhumal, presiding over the closing ceremony, expressed satisfaction over the fact that so many tribesmen and traders converged for the fair despite the calamity which hit the tribal areas early this year. He said the government had arranged a loan of Rs 15 crore from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development for the reconstruction of the 14 bridges which were swept away by the flash floods. |
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ST remittances through banks
allowed SHIMLA, Nov 15 — In a step to help traders, the Himachal Government today decided to allow remittance of sales tax through all scheduled commercial banks. Announcing the decision while presiding over a meeting of the state Beopar Mandal here, Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, said the traders would be able to deposit sales tax in banks from January 1, 2001. He assured the traders that the government would ensure that casual dealership was given for a specific period and implemented strictly so that regular traders did not suffer. It would also ensure that market fees from the traders was not charged at more than one place. Referring to certain demands of the traders regarding the rates of sales tax, the Chief Minister said the Centre had been pressing for the implementation of a uniform sale tax slab all over the country, failing which it would stop grant to the state. The government would also examine the possibility of granting loans to the traders in case of any natural calamity at a lower rate of interest. The government had simplified the tax system and new schemes had been introduced that the traders did not face any difficulty in remitting taxes. The Chief Minister said to ensure the speedy disposal of tax cases, a sales tax tribunal had been set up. He said awareness camps would be organised to inform the traders about various Acts and their implication in case of default. |
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Himachal power staff hold
rally SHIMLA, Nov 15 — Agitating engineers and employees of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board held a rally here today in protest against the move to privatise the power sector, dismantle the state electricity boards and introduce electricity Bill-2000. The activists of eight trade unions of the board representing various categories of employees assembled in front of the Vidyut Bhavan to warn the government against taking any hasty step for the trifurcation of the board. The call for the protest rally was given by the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers. The speakers, including Mr Suneel Grover, general secretary of the Power Engineers Association, Mr K.K. Vaidya, president of the Project Engineers Association, Mr Chander Singh Mandyal, general secretary of the Employees Union and Mr D.S. Dhatwalia, general secretary of the Junior Engineers Association, alleged that precious assets and infrastructure facilities built over the past 50 years would be sold off to the MNCs under the garb of structural reforms. The power sector reforms implemented in state like Orissa and Andhra Pradesh had worsened the situation, they alleged. The rally accused the government of following the policy of escapism by not facing the reality and rectifying the shortcomings and loopholes in the existing system. They warned that if the government went ahead with the electricity Bill-2000, the employees would observe a bandh on December 12 which would disrupt power and water supply in the
state. |
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Plea
to exploit mineral resources SHIMLA, Nov 15 — Mr P.K.
Lahiri, a former Secretary, Ministry of Mines and Minerals, Government
of India, and presently Secretary-General of the Indian Newspapers
Society, New Delhi, yesterday delivered a lecture on the prospects of
Mineral Development in India in the context of economic reforms at the
Indian Institute of Advanced Study here. Mr Lahiri said if India was to develop its mineral resources clearly the rate of consumption of the minerals had to go up. In view of the imperatives of preservation of our ecology, it was also essential that mineral resources were exploited in a sustainable
manner. Mr Lahiri highlighted major challenges faced by the sector
and the inability of the major public agencies like the ONGC and the
Geological Survey of India to break new grounds. |
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HP Cong leaders
camping at Delhi SHIMLA, Nov 15 — Most of Congress leaders have rushed to Delhi to stake their claim for the PCC chief’s post in Himachal Pradesh. The faction opposed to Mr Virbhadra Singh has reportedly got a document signed from some PCC delegates asking Mrs Sonia Gandhi to appoint Mrs Vidya Stokes as the party chief. However, it is being said that a number of delegates, whose election has been challenged in the central election authority, have also signed the document. So far this faction had been urging Mrs Sonia Gandhi to nominate the PCC chief of her own choice. The Virbhadra Singh group has been campaigning for Mr Chander Kumar, a former minister belonging to the OBC section, who enjoys considerable support in the Kangra region. Another MLA from
Kangra, Mr G.S. Bali, has been reported to be pushing his case on the Brahmin net. The Congress hardly has any senior Brahmin leader following the death of Mr Sant Ram. |
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Bank employees go on
strike SHIMLA, Nov 15 — Work in various banks in the north was affected as the employees observed a full day strike today. The call for the strike was given by the Union Forum of Bank Unions. The strike was held to pressurise the government from introducing a Bill in Parliament allowing dilution of government share in banks from 51 per cent to 33 per cent, implementing voluntary cessation services and to reduce the retirement age from 60 to 58 years. Reports of the strike poured in from Kangra, Hamirpur, Dharamsala, Srinagar, Amritsar, Bathinda, Sunam, Sonepat and Hisar. |
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HVC moves EC
on party name SOLAN, Nov 15 — The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) has filed a caveat with the Election Commission, seeking that no political party by the name of Himachal Vikas Party, be granted registration. HVC chief Sukh Ram, while addressing a press conference here last evening, said that while the Indian National Congress was called the Congress, his party, in common parlance, had come to be known as the Vikas Party in the state. As such recognition by the Election Commission to any other party like the recently-floated Himachal Vikas Party by PWD Minister Mohinder Singh, was bound to create confusion amongst the common people. Reiterating his resolve to continue HVC’s support to the Dhumal-led government, Mr Sukh Ram expressed hope that the regional parties would continue to hold the balance of power in the state. |
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Cong man’s plea on
MLA fund rejected SHIMLA, Nov 15 — A single Bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court consisting of Mr Justice R.L. Khurana has dismissed the application of Congress leader Mahender Pal who had pleaded that the MLA Constituency Development Fund amounting to Rs 25 lakh should not be released in favour of Mr Ram Das Malangad, Deputy Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha. The court observed that it had no powers to stop the release of the fund to the MLA concerned. |
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Four arrested for possessing
charas MANDI, Nov 15 — Four persons were arrested and 2.6 kg of charas was seized from a Maruti van near Aut last
night, according to a press note issued by the police today. The van has been impounded. In another case 15 litres of illicit liquor and 15 kg of lahan were seized from the house of Chaman at Suhra mohalla this evening. The accused has been arrested. |
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