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| Wednesday,
July 18, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Flash floods hit life in HP
villages
Sukh Ram unfolds
job schemes CPM flays govt Call for ‘education bandh’ on July
20 |
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Rs 126 cr for HP school
buildings 12 booked for disrupting panchayat
meeting Cantonment board seeks more
funds Students ransack VC’s
office HC can issue notice to Speaker Probe water scheme bungling:
minister Multi-facility centre for Chamunda
temple 18 cr sanctioned for agriculture
schemes Driver washed away, believes
police Bus operators stage dharna
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Flash floods hit life in HP
villages Nurpur, July 17 Mediapersons who visited the flood-affected area found that the local Jabber khud had changed its course and washed away 10 metres of the Simbli-Nagabari road near the Baduee bridge. Villagers feared that if the flooded khud did not resume its course, there could be heavy loss of life or property. KULU: The villages of Shanag and Goshal, near Manali, in the district have been cut off from the main road due to the flash flood on Sunday. A house belonging to Krishan Chand in Shanag, three cottage flour mills and about seven bighas of an apple orchard were washed away. Standing crops in eight to 10 bighas were badly damaged. Mr Vinod Kumar, Subdivisional Magistrate, Manali, when contacted, said the Beas had changed its course due to the blockade by trees and logs floating in the river. He said the river had also damaged the bridges at Neharu Kund and Shanag. However, no loss of life was reported. The new bridge at Neharu Kund had been closed for vehicular traffic, the SDM added. No loss was reported from the establishment of the Ministry of Defence at Bhang Pura. HAMIRPUR: Normal life in various parts of Hamirpur district was badly affected on Tuesday due to heavy monsoon rain. Power supply, water supply and telecom services were badly affected. Traffic was also hit on kutcha roads of the district in its interior areas. Dailywage workers of the Public Works Department were busy removing debris to clear the roads for the traffic. Due to the rain, the Dang Di Kwali area of the town has started sliding. The lower portion of land adjoining the official residence of the Deputy Commissioner, Hamirpur, and the 132 kva power substation at Anoo is also reported to be sliding. Reports from interior areas of the district said small and big rivulets were in spate. The Beas flowing through the district was also in spate and full of muddy water. Meanwhile, a spokesman of the Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday that the department hoped to achieve the target of producing about 55,000 metric tonnes of maize in the district due to favourable weather conditions. Hamirpur, July 17 Due to the rain, the Dang Di Kwali area of the town has started sliding. The lower portion of land adjoining the official residence of the Deputy Commissioner, Hamirpur, and the 132 kva power substation at Anoo is also reported to be sliding. Reports from interior areas of the district said small and big rivulets were in spate. The Beas flowing through the district was also in spate and full of muddy water. Meanwhile, a spokesman of the Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday that the department hoped to achieve the target of producing about 55,000 metric tonnes of maize in the district due to favourable weather conditions.
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Sukh Ram unfolds job
schemes Shimla, July 17 The HVC leader was made Chairman of the committee with Cabinet rank, following his resignation from the Council of Ministers in the wake of filing of charge sheet against him by the CBI. It was being seen as a political adjustment and his adversaries have been for the past quite some time alleging that the committee had become redundant due to its non-performance and demanding his resignation. Mr Sukh Ram today released the copies of five schemes, which he submitted to Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, yesterday. He said he had earlier sent three schemes to the government about a year ago, but no action was taken on them so far. He said the schemes would not only provide employment, but also help in spreading the much-needed green cover over the vast expanse of cultivable wasteland available in the state. He said while forests actually stood over an area 9,000 sq km, the culturable wasteland accounted for 21,000 sq km in the state. If the objective of bringing 67 per cent area in the hills under forests was to be achieved, plantations would have to be raised on the wasteland. With this in view, he had come out with some innovative afforestation schemes. The employment through forestry scheme envisages allotment of 2 hectares of land to two lakh families for raising fast-growing forest species. The families from the poorest among poor will be selected over a period of nine years. Besides, 20,000 families will raise kisan nurseries to provide plant material. The families will be given free plant material and Rs 1,000, including Rs 500 as loan, per month for maintaining the plantation. The return from the harvest of plantation after nine years from 2 hectares will range between Rs 24 to 26 lakh. Thus, in all Rs 50,000 crore will be yielded. While 50 per cent of it will go to each family (about Rs 12 to Rs 13 lakh), the government will get 35 per cent (Rs 16,000 crore to Rs 18,000 crore) and the panchayats 15 per cent (Rs 7,000 crore to Rs 8,000 crore). The additional forest produce will encourage setting up of wood-based industries in the state to manufacture paper, pulp, plywood and packing cases. Under the resin-tapping scheme, about 3,200 families are proposed to be allotted 600 blazes each to tap resin from government forests. The outturn will be shared equally by the government and the beneficiaries. The earning for each family will be around Rs 20,000 per year. The third scheme envisages the raising of olive plantation over 50,000 hectares through the involvement of 50,000 families. The total cost of the project will be Rs 350 crore and the income to each family Rs 12,000 annually (including Rs 6,000 as loan) and Rs 1.77 lakh after six years when the plantation starts bearing fruit. The Angora farming scheme proposes to set up 400 rabbit units for 50,000 families to produce 3.84 lakh tonnes of wool annually. Each family will earn Rs 1.39 lakh per annum. It will also help reduce the country’s dependence on imports for wool. The mushroom cultivation scheme envisages employment for 50,000 families through 400-tray production units. The total cost will be Rs 300 crore and the annual returns Rs 68,000 per crop per family. Mr Sukh Ram said he had submitted the schemes to the government well in time so that these could implement over the next two year. |
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CPM flays govt Nahan, July 17 Mr Mohar Singh criticised the government for imposing user charges in hospitals and increasing water charges and school fee. He said his party would continue its agitation and would further intensify it after July 20 if the user charges were not withdrawn. He said a chain hunger strike would be started in Shimla and agitations would be held in all districts. Mr Mohar Singh criticised the government for not coming forward to bail out ginger growers of Sirmaur district who had been facing crop failure continuously for the past 25 years. He demanded research on ginger and other facilities to the growers on the apple pattern immediately. He lambasted the government for signing hydro-electric projects, including the Parvati project, without assuring the state’s 25 per cent share in the projects.
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Call for ‘education bandh’ on July
20 Shimla, July 17 The federation, which finalised its action programme at its state convention here yesterday strongly opposed the decision of the university to introduce courses in astrology and “Karmkand” in the universities and announced that 500 of its workers would participate in the proposed protest in front of the office of the University Grants Commission in Delhi on August 10. The federation also decided to file a public interest litigation to get the recent appointments of teacher made by the university quashed. The federation passed a resolution opposing the saffronisation and privatisation of education and introduction of self-financing schemes, which, it alleged, would take higher education beyond the reach of the common man. The number of NRI seats was being increased at the cost of general seats to raise funds. The National Council for Teachers Education had not granted recognition to B.Ed. courses started by various private colleges as a result of which over 1000 students faced uncertain future. It alleged that the Vice-Chancellor had been misusing his emergency powers and taking decisions without taking important matters to the Executive Council and the Academic Council. It demanded more powers for the Students Central Association by nominating its members to finance committees and the Executive Council so that they could play an effective role in checking the misuse of funds and preventing the university from taking anti-student decisions.
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Rs 126 cr for HP school
buildings Kulu, July 17 He said there was a provision of Rs 126 crore in the budget for school buildings and other infrastructure. He assured that the work on construction of roads in the district would be accelerated. He said Rs 2.60 crore had been earmarked in the budget for the Bhekhali-Jindore. Mr Thakur lauded the achievements of the students of Government Middle School, Doghari in various sports competitions. Mr Thakur announced a grant of Rs 40,000 for the boundary wall of the school and Rs 25,000 for the repair of the Samana road. |
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12 booked for disrupting panchayat
meeting Una, July 17 Ms Saini, in her complaint to the police, said the meeting was called to select the members of the panchayat vigilance committee. But these persons tried to disrupt the
meeting. They also attacked the pradhan and other panchayat members with brickbats. The assailants allegedly tried to snatch official record from the panchayat secretary and threatened the pradhan and others with dire consequences. Mr Abhishek Trivedi, SP, said a case had been registered in this regard and the culprits would soon be arrested. |
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Cantonment board seeks more
funds Kumarhatti, July 17 Giving details of the past three years, Mr Sushil Garg, member of the board, said the board had received Rs 50 lakh as against a demand for Rs 80 lakh for 1998-99, Rs 45 lakh against a demand for Rs 85 lakh and Rs 40 lakh against the Rs 85 lakh in the last financial year. |
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Students ransack VC’s
office Shimla, July 17 The two student organisations had been trying to out do each other in raising the issues with an eye on the ensuing elections to the Students Central Association. The parishad staged a dharna on the campus and later held talks with the Vice-Chancellor. The demand for waiving the condition of 40 per cent aggregate marks or 20 per cent marks in the subject in which a student was placed under compartment in the plus two examination for admission to the next class was accepted. The activists of the SFI who were holding a rally in the campus in support of the demand descended on the Vice-Chancellor’s office. They broke a few glass panes, threw flower pots and furniture all around and also removed the nameplate of Dr Gupta. They alleged that Dr Gupta was in league with the ABVP and had accepted the demand to give credit to the parishad. They wanted Dr Gupta to accept some more demands, particularly the one for granting a golden chance to failed students. Dr Gupta was holding talks with the SFI activists till the filing of the report.
Shimla, July 17 While disposing the preliminary issue, a Division Bench comprising Ms Justice Kamlesh Sharma and Mr Justice L.S. Panta observed that there was nothing wrong in issuing notice to the Speaker. Mr Kashmir Singh had filed the petition in the high court challenging the validity of the order of the Speaker passed on July 26, 1999, in which the Speaker rejected his petition seeking to declare the membership of Mr Mansa Ram and Mr Prakash Chowdhary, both ministers, void.
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Probe water scheme bungling:
minister Kangra, July 17 Mr Sagar, in a letter to the Chief Minister, said the scheme was started in 1989 with a total budget of Rs 4.076 crore, and Rs 3.18 crore was spent when the town fell under Dharmasala division. He said the work continued even after the completion of the scheme. People started raising objections to the laying down of pipes alleging that the scheme was faulty. |
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Multi-facility centre for Chamunda
temple Dharamsala, July 17 The centre will be constructed by Sulabh International keeping in mind the needs and problems faced by thousands of pilgrims from all over the country. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Shanta Kumar said the temple complex lacked certain basic facilities which were needed for the convenience of the pilgrims who thronged the place, especially during the navratras. He said the Central Warehousing Corporation
(CWC) would bear the cost of the construction of the centre. “As compared to last year’s profit of Rs 48 crore, the CWC registered a profit of Rs 70 crore this year and decided to spend 1 per cent of this on the promotion and development of various pilgrim centres in the country,” he disclosed. The centre would make provision for toilets, baths, lockers, a bio-gas plant, a pump house and residential quarters for those taking care of the centre. “The centre will provide all basic facilities to the pilgrims to prevent the area near the temple from becoming dirty and prevent the pollution of the river,” he stated. It would be the responsibility of Sulabh International to not only maintain the place, but also run it for the next 30 years. The Managing Director of the CWC, Mr N.K. Choubey, said the corporation had decided in principle to spend 1 per cent of its profit every year on social obligations and the construction of the sulabh suvidha kendra at Chamunda was a part of the decision. The parents of Capt Saurabh Kalia, who had made the supreme sacrifice while fighting Pakistani infiltrators in Kargil, donated a cheque of Rs 5 lakh for the setting up of Vivekananda Medical Institute at Palampur. Apart from donating a sum of another Rs 10 lakh, Dr N.K. Kalia and Mrs Vijay Kalia, parents of the martyr, said 10 per cent of the profit from the gas agency given by the government would be given to the trust. A school-going girl Mamta, who had got a scholarship of Rs 10,000, donated the amount for the noble cause. Another girl, Neelam Sharma, donated an amount of Rs 50,000 received as wedding gift for the setting up of the hospital. The Transport Minister, Mr Kishan Kapoor, donated an amount of Rs 11,000 and Mr Vipin Parmar, MLA, gave Rs 25,000 for the construction of the hospital. |
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18 cr sanctioned for agriculture
schemes Kangra, July 17 Stating this here today at a press conference, the Agriculture Minister, Mr V. Sagar said Rs 7.8 crore would be spent on agriculture, Rs 5.20 crore on horticulture and Rs 5 crore on forestry. An amount of Rs 116.5 lakh had been allocated for crop improvement programmes for cereals and Rs 49 lakh for the production of off-season vegetables. The minister said Rs 32.55 lakh would be spent on the transfer of technology. Schemes for the pest surveillance and monitoring would cost Rs 46 lakh and Rs 95 lakh would be spent on the mechanisation. He said the government would spend Rs 50 lakh this year on the schemes for participation of women in agriculture. The schemes for the promotion of the quality seed production and integrated nutrients management programme for the balanced use of fertilisers at the cost of Rs 63.10 lakh would be completed during the current financial year. |
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Driver washed away, believes
police Kangra, July 17 Kangra district additional police chief N.D. Sareen said all police stations had been alerted and police parties had been rushed along the bank of the khud to find the body of the driver. Prabat Singh who was found missing from the scene of the accident site last evening was declared absconding by the subdivisional authorities and a case of negligent driving was registered against
him. Today, relatives of the driver identified his slippers at the accident site, making the authorities to search for him. The injured were recovering at the Kangra and Government Medical College Hospital at Dharamsala. The Transport Minister, Mr Krishen Kapoor, and the Agriculture Minister, Mr Vidiaya Sagar, visited the Kangra hospital today. Relief of Rs 15,000 each was given to the next kin of the dead and Rs 5,000 each to the injured. |
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Bus operators stage dharna Shimla, July 17 He said the increasing cost of operations had made the plying of buses an uneconomical proposition on most of the routes. The government must reduce the special road tax to provide relief to bus operators, he demanded.
He threatened that the union would give a call for a statewide strike if the demand was not accepted. |
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Panch saves Dalit from being raped Kulu, July 17 The woman raised an alarm, following which, the woman panch reached the spot and saved her. |
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