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April 23, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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After drought, rain washes farmers’ hopes China ‘taking away’ Tibetan artefacts Citizens’ panel to oppose Section 118 ABVP demands new education policy Engineers: set up soil
conservation circles |
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Governor for TV serials on martyrs HP Govt has failed to
deliver : INTUC World Bank team visits Kangra Wood shortage at crematorium Minister does somersault MLA sees tourism potential in Solan Fish poachers’ paradise Company to pay damages
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After
drought, rain washes farmers’ hopes Hamirpur, April 22 He spoke to a group of reporters who visited various parts of the district today to assess the situation arising out of the drought-like situation prevailing in the district these days. Farmers at all places were upset over the failure of their crops. They are, however, preparing for the next kharif crops. Hamirpur district witnessed a complete failure of crops after a gap of about 30 to 40 years, according to Mrs Narainodevi of the Bhorang area. She said she was young at that time and the failure of Rabi crops then was also due to a drought. However, the present situation was worse even as the population had increased manifold and the number of live stock had also risen. The aged woman lay the entire blame on mankind for the situation. “We don’t believe in God and that is the root cause of the failure of the crops. Secondly, it is due to the indiscriminate felling of trees,” she said. Whereas earlier it was the drought-like situation which did the damage, now it is heavy rains which has dashed their hopes to get a part of their crops. Wheat was sown in 34,795 hectares this time and the Department of Agriculture hoped to produce about 57,000 metric tonnes of wheat. Enquiries reveal that the wheat production has not been more than 5 per cent of the target by the Department of Agriculture for the district. The district administration has already submitted a report on “no crop” in the district this time. The farmers have not witnessed such a dismal situation since Hamirpur became a full-fledged district in 1972. In 1972, the area under wheat in the district was around 20,000 hectares and the production of wheat at that time was 24,406 metric tonnes. Since then, the production of wheat and the area under cultivation has increased but it remained static during the last decade. The failure of the state government to bring more area under irrigation in the district has also led to less production of foodgrains and cereals in the district. Only 3 per cent of the total area in the district is under irrigation and that is considered negligible as compared to the needs of the farmers. Various appeals by the farmers to the successive state governments for bringing more area under irrigation have been futile. Meanwhile, farmers in many parts of the district have started harvesting whatever crops are lying in their fields and are sowing fodder seeds for their cattle. |
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China ‘taking away’ Tibetan artefacts Kangra, April 22 Mr Thubten Samphel, a spokesman for the Central Tibetan Administrator, said: “We are shocked that the Chinese authorities are shipping priceless religious artefacts from Potala Palace to Shanghai and we appeal the international community to stop China from emptying Tibet of its religious treasure. “Potala Palace is declared a world heritage monument and comes under the protection of UNESCO. We appeal UNESCO to stop the Chinese authorities from looting the religious wealth of the people of Tibet”, Mr Samphel said. Mr Samphel was responding to the reports coming from Tibet that China was involved in shipping specific religious artefacts from the tomb of the seventh Dalai Lama to Shanghai. He said the Tibetan were pained to know that the 5-metre bronze and gold statue of Maitriya, the future Buddha, was being shipped to Shangai from the tomb of Dalai Lama, besides statues and artefacts from another shrines of Potala Palace were kept in readiness to be shippted to Shanghai. Mr Samphel said: “The significance of China shipping the 5-metre statue of future Budha to China may be in its intention of hijacking the future of Tibet.” He said it was not for the first time that China had looted the treasures of Potala Palace, which were accumulated more than 300 years. He said Namse Bangzo was denuded of its treasures, which included gold, silver and precious items. |
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Citizens’ panel to oppose Section 118 Shimla, April 22 Mr Ramesh Chaujjar and Mr Som Kirti, president and vice-president of the group, said the draconian law had deprived those living in the state of their genuine right to purchase agricultural land on the plea that they were non-agriculturists. Successive governments had admitted that the law was absolutely unjust. Nothing had been done to set the things right. It was odd that agriculturists in the state could take to any other profession while those engaged in private business, industry, transport, medical and engineering professions had been restrained from adopting agriculture as their profession under the Section. They pointed out that there were thousands of cases where prosperous agriculturists were exploiting small land-owners by purchasing their land at throwaway prices because of absence of any genuine buyer. Speakers at a meeting of the group were of the view that the dilution of this law would go a long way in not only protecting the constitutional right of bona fide non-agriculturists of the state, but would also greatly benefit small farmers whose land would fetch far better prices. The Citizens Action Group held the view that in the rapidly changing socio-economic scenario and the resultant gaping employment, it had become even more pertinent to absorb a large chunk of people in the agriculture sector as jobs in the government, the public sector and private business were almost nil. |
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ABVP demands new education policy Shimla, April 22 Mr Atul Kothari, National General Secretary of the parishad, who was here in connection with a survey being conducted by his organisation regarding financing of higher education, said the economic reforms has affected the education sector and raised several pertinent issues which must be addressed immediately. The commercialisation of higher education in the grab of privatisation and the overemphasis on information technology also needed to be looked into. Besides a new policy, he also demanded the setting up of an autonomous national education foundation to end political interference in education at present, the education policy was being changed with change in the political set-up, he said. He said the parishad was studying the changes in the fee structure over the past few years which had taken higher education beyond the reach of a common man. While routine increase in fee was understandable, a majority of the institutions had effected “unreasonable and unjustified” hike. Even the norms laid down by the Supreme Court for professional and technical institutions were being violated with impunity, he alleged. There was an urgent need to set up a national education bank to provide soft loans to students for higher studies. He said the survey would be completed by May 10 and its findings would be discussed at the meeting of the national executive of the parishad to be held at Amritsar from May 25 to 28.  |
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Engineers: set up soil
conservation circles Shimla, April 22 Mr M.S. Mastana, Chairman of the society, said for speedy and effective implementation of soil conservation and other allied development programmes, the government must set up at least one soil conservation circle in each parliamentary constituency, one soil conservation division in each district and one soil conservation subdivision in each Vidhan Sabha constituency in a phased manner. To begin with soil conservation circles should be established at Shimla, Dharamsala, Mandi and Hamirpur, soil conservation divisions at Rampur, Solan, Nahan, Bilaspur, Kulu, Hamirpur, Chamba and Una and subdivisions at Banjar, Bilaspur, Barsar, Baijnath, Amb, Keylong, Theog, Solan, Sangrah, Sundernagar, Jogindernagar, Karsog, Ani, Chopal, Bharmaour, Kaza, Thural and Bangana. He also demanded the frequent inter-disciplinary staff-transfers between soil conservation and agricultural extension wings be completely banned as it affected the quality of work adversely in the field. The soil conservation should be included among the minimum-need programme of each village and it should be treated as infrastructure of agriculture. It also urged the government that the steps to introduce degree courses in agricultural engineering either at Regional Engineering College, Hamirpur or Agricultural University, Palampur, should be taken as the basic facilities for starting these courses at these institutions existed. Besides, project cells both in the Directorate of Agriculture at Shimla and in the office of Additional Director of Agriculture at Dharamsala headed by Joint Directors of engineering be established for the preparation of the various projects relating to soil conservation, farm mechanisation, water harvesting and sprinkler irrigation. |
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Governor for TV serials on martyrs Nurpur, April 22 The Governor, who was addressing ex-Army men here at the Ram Singh Memorial yesterday on the occasion of the Azad Hind Army Day celebrations, said such patriotic TV serials should be screened at educational institutions so that our generation could be apprised of the sacrifices made by the martyrs. The Himachal Pradesh Ex-Servicemen Parishad celebrated this day with an objective to strengthen the ex-servicemen in the national interest. The Governor while lauding the role of the Army said it achieved a major goal by creating Bangladesh in 1971 and also created a history by capturing 90,000 Pakistani soldiers and Army officials but regretted that the people of our country had forgotten this golden achievements. He said it was a matter of satisfaction that the parishad had been celebrating this day every year on December 18. He asserted that our country had not got freedom by begging but our martyrs had laid down their sacrifices for attaining it. Dr Suraj Bhan honoured eight members of the Azad Hind Army from Nurpur subdivision. He underlined the need to extend due respect to the soldiers of the Azad Hind Army. Their grievances should sympathetically be heard and redressed, he added. |
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HP Govt has failed to
deliver : INTUC Nurpur, April 22 He lamented that the BJP and the HVC had promised Rs 60 and Rs 70, respectively, as wages for daily-wage workers in the state but the government had only enhanced the wages from Rs 51 to Rs 55 with effect from August, 2001. He termed it as a joke with the labourers. He alleged that the BJP had announced to regularise daily-wage workers who had completed five years in service but the government had been retrenching those who had completed 15 years. He branded the Dhumal government as “anti-farmer and anti-employee”. The INTUC state President pointed out that he had been touring various parts of the state to find out the problems of the labourers. INTUC would prepare a demand charter and submit it to the state government seeking redressal of grievances of the labourers in the state, he added. Asked about the controversy raised by a former INTUC chairperson, Ms Kanta Sood, regarding the legitimacy of the state INTUC election held in November last at Nalagarh, Mr Amerjeet Singh made it clear that the election had been held unanimously in the presence of Ms Kanta Sood who herself had greeted him on getting elected as the new INTUC chief. He alleged that Ms Sood had misled the central INTUC authority and sought a letter from it for conducting fresh election of the state body on April 27. |
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World Bank team visits Kangra Palampur, April 22 The team also held a meeting with Dr Tej Partap, Vice-Chancellor and Head of Department of CSK, HP Agricultural University, and discussed issues pertaining to the development of agriculture in the state. Dr Tej Partap apprised the experts of various programmes taken up by the university in the past few years. He assured assistance by university experts in the implementation of World Bank programme in the state. Later, Dr Ashok Seth also held discussion with the ATMA governing board, management committee and district heads of departments to review the NATP project. Briefing mediapersons, project director, ATMA (NATP), said the new project worth Rs 7.5 crore had already been submitted to the Government of India and likely to be approved soon. He said under this project, various field management programmes for the farm women, rural youth, small and marginal farmers and SC/ST farmers would be taken up. Besides problems faced by the farmers would also be solved, he added. |
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Wood shortage at crematorium Solan, April 22 Ms Sawhney, while addressing a press conference here yesterday, said some residents had brought to her notice that they faced difficulty in procuring wood for cremation purpose. They alleged that the official entrusted with the job of providing wood for cremation informed them that it was out of stock. This happened on April 6. The bereaved family had to arrange for wood from a distant source which caused delay in performing the last rites of their departed relative. She said inquiries made by her and some of her fellow councillors had shown that but for a few heavy logs, which could not be used for the purpose of cremation, there was no wood available at the municipal wood outlet on that particular day. Ms Sawhney took the opportunity to refute the recent allegations of in efficiency levelled against her by 11 past and sitting BJP councillors. These local BJP leaders had alleged that Ms Sawhney had been unable to utilise nearly Rs 2.5 crore which the state government had provided to the council under various schemes. She said the council had received a sum of Rs 36 lakh under the Central Government’s Integrated Development of Small and Medium Towns Scheme towards the end of the previous council’s tenure last year. This allocation could not be used as the state government had not been able to provide a matching grant for the same. She said she was going to order an inquiry into the alleged misuse of a part of this grant by the previous council. |
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Minister does somersault Shimla, April 22 In a two-page statement issued here on Saturday, Mr Sushant lambasted the Congress leaders for making baseless allegations against Mr Dhumal and said there was no truth in their allegations that Mr Dhumal was giving preferential treatment in employment to those belonging to Jalandhar. He said the present BJP government had brought transparency in the administration and was equally developing all areas. The Congress was unable to digest the achievements of the Dhumal government and was indulging in all sorts of gimmicks to mislead the people. The welfare of the people was utmost on the mind of the government. The rebels had earlier accused the Dhumal government of favouritism in recruitments and giving preference to his own district of Hamirpur. Now Mr Sushant has said the Subordinate Services Selection Board at Hamirpur had recommended 3,399 candidates for employment. Of these, 787 candidates belonged to Mandi district, 518 to Shimla, 504 to Kangra, 377 to Solan, 314 to Hamirpur, 240 to Kulu, 148 to Chamba, 113 to Una, 111 to Sirmour, 53 to Kinnaur and 47 to Lahaul-Spiti. He also defended the recruitments in the university and other departments. He accused the Congress of having indulged in favouritism during its own regime. |
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MLA sees tourism potential in Solan Solan, April 22 He said there were many places in the district which, if properly developed, could prove to be star tourist attractions. The historical Gurkha fort at Dharon Ki Dhar overlooking the picturesque campus of Parmar University at Nauni; the over 6,000-ft high Karol ranges teeming with dense forests and wild life; the fishing resort of Gaura situated at the confluence of the Ashni and the Giri; the ancient Kali temple at Kharin and the waterfalls at Naggali near Chail could vie with any other tourism site in the state for beauty. The MLA thanked the Chief Minister for granting funds for the setting up of a lake at Sadupul and for a musical fountain here. Even as these two projects along with the Chief Minister’s recent decision to abolish toll taxes, which numerous civil bodies and panchayats had started collecting from road users, would go a long way in promoting tourism. |
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Fish poachers’ paradise Shimla, April 22 The poachers, mostly villagers, besides using the net, use chlorine, dynamite and sometimes electric current to kill fish. The villagers consume a part of their catch and sell the remaining stock in market. They are oblivious of the fact that poaching is illegal and that their action is threatening the ecology of the state. Fisheries Department officials say they are understaffed. In the absence of precautionary measures, the poachers have a field day and the state loses crores of rupees as revenue and taxes.
UNI |
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Company to pay damages Nahan, April 22 Mr Mahender Singh
Kala, a local, filed a complaint before the forum that following consumption of Coca Cola, Coke,
Thums-up and Limca purchased from a local dealer, his guests fell ill. He had to spend Rs 1,000 on their treatment and was disgraced in the eyes of his guests. The complainant claimed Rs 40,000 as compensation from the company, M/s Kandhari Beverages (P) Ltd, Chandigarh. The company in its reply refuted the charges. |
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