H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Parishad’s threat to gherao House
Shimla, January 12
The Himachal Rajya Panchayat Parishad has threatened to gherao the Vidhan Sabha during the budget session if the government failed to carry out devolution of administrative powers and release of funds to these grassroot democratic institutions as envisaged under the state Panchayati Raj Act.

Contempt notice to Shimla MC chief
Shimla, January 12
The Acting Chief Justice of the HP High Court Kamlesh Sharma yesterday issued contempt notice to Mr H.N.Kashyap, Commissioner, Shimla Municipal Corporation, to show cause why contempt proceedings not be initiated against him for wilfully disobeying the directions.

Inclement weather hits tourist flow
Kumarhatti, January 12
Slender flow of tourists from December onwards has hit the business of hotels and dhabas along the Kalka-Shimla national highway, particularly between Parwanoo and Barog.

Limestone reserves ‘must be tapped’
Shimla, January 12
The HP State Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board has decided to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Council for Cement and Building Material (NCBM) the execute consultancy projects in the areas of environment protection and management.

• Tibetans to go on fast today
• 3 die as truck falls into gorge

Parishad’s threat to gherao House
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 12
The Himachal Rajya Panchayat Parishad has threatened to gherao the Vidhan Sabha during the budget session if the government failed to carry out devolution of administrative powers and release of funds to these grassroot democratic institutions as envisaged under the state Panchayati Raj Act.

Stating this at a press conference here yesterday, Mr B.S.Thakur, president of the parishad, alleged that the Panchayati Raj institutions (PRI’s) were being starved of funds under the Dhumal regime, which was undermining their authority in a systematic manner.

He said while the government had not been releasing funds as per the recommendations of the state Finance Commission, even the funds sanctioned by the 11th Central Finance Commission, were not being passed on to panchayats. For instance, the first state finance commission had recommended an annual grant of Rs 7.5 crore for development works but not a penny was given till 2000. The PRI’s should have got Rs 30 crore over the four-year period. Even Rs 2.5 crore recommended for maintenance of offices was not released in toto, he added.

Mr Thakur said instead of implementing the recommendations of the first state Finance Commission, the government set up the 2nd Finance Commission, which was a sheer waste of funds. The government only allocated Rs 6.21 crore out of a total of Rs 26.26 crore sanctioned by the 11th Finance Commission for 2000-02.

Even for releasing this amount, the panchayats were being asked to raise their 25 per cent share, which was quite surprising, as no such condition was laid down when the funds were being released through the Deputy Commissioners, he added.

Even the devolution of administrative powers was not being taken seriously. The Centre had asked states to entrust administrative powers of 29 departments to PRI’s, but in Himachal Pradesh only 15 departments were shortlisted for the purpose. However, out of these, only five departments had actually notified the functions to be carried out by the panchayats over the past six years. He alleged that the panchayats were not being allowed to discharge whatever functions were entrusted to them. The government had set up nominated committees to oversee the implementation of watershed development, Sarswati Bal Vidya Sankalp Yozana and other schemes, which was a responsibility of the panchayats.

The government had not constituted district-planning committees in which 80 per cent of the representatives were to be taken from PRI’s, he alleged. Moreover, the recruitment of water carriers and Vidya Upasak was being carried out through committees dominated by government officers and panchayats did not have the decisive say in this connection, he alleged.

Mr Thakur said Technical Assistants were appointed for panchayats on the understanding that one per cent of the total cost of schemes to be implemented would be paid as salary to them. However, each panchayat was paying Rs 7,200 per year for schemes which were not worth even Rs 50,000. As such the government should either sanction schemes worth Rs 7.50 lakh annually or pay their salaries, he added. 

Contempt notice to Shimla MC chief
Legal Correspondent

Shimla, January 12
The Acting Chief Justice of the HP High Court Kamlesh Sharma yesterday issued contempt notice to Mr H.N.Kashyap, Commissioner, Shimla Municipal Corporation, to show cause why contempt proceedings not be initiated against him for wilfully disobeying the directions.

Petitioner Desh Bandhu Sood filed this contempt petition as municipal commissioner had failed to carry out the directions issued by the High Court on January 2, 1997, asking the Commissioner to start performing his duties to keep the bazars and streets of the Shimla town clear of all projection in order to ensure the free movement of ambulance and fire brigade.

The petitioner alleged in his petition that the commissioner had failed to implement the direction which had resulted in the congestion of already narrow roads and degradation of environment and ecology of the town.

He further alleged that the failure of the commissioner to implement the judgement had also led to large-scale encroachments on the streets, which obstructed the smooth flow of pedestrians and made passage difficult for fire fighters and ambulances.

Inclement weather hits tourist flow
Our Correspondent

Kumarhatti, January 12
Slender flow of tourists from December onwards has hit the business of hotels and dhabas along the Kalka-Shimla national highway, particularly between Parwanoo and Barog. This 30 km stretch has around 40 medium and small hotels and dhabas. Most of these have come up in the past decades, thanks to the mid-way break by Shimla tourists, proximity to Chandigarh and above all, soothing and enchanting surroundings.

In the past years, heavy inflow of tourists, mostly domestic, had led to the improvisation of the highway and appearance of picnic spots on it. The winter season has witnessed sharp decline in tourist flow as there has been no snowfall during Christmas and New Year eve in Shimla and its surrounding tourist destinations since 1999.

The hope of snowfall in the last week of December had remained a big draw among tourists in the past but unfriendly weather conditions in the past few years had played havoc with the tourism potential here, rued a hotelier. The tourists from Maharashtra and Gujarat used to make a beeline for Shimla in winters and during their return journey preferred to spend a day or so in the lower Shivalik hills, he pointed. Tourists from the adjacent plains did visit Shimla in the last week of December but hardly anybody stayed at the local hotels due to their scheduled short visits, he said.

Studies revealed that the tourists flow in the past five years has fallen to 50 per cent in winter.

Limestone reserves ‘must be tapped’
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 12
The HP State Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board has decided to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Council for Cement and Building Material (NCBM) the execute consultancy projects in the areas of environment protection and management.

Dr Rajiv Bindal, Chairman of the board, said yesterday the problems associated with ecological fragility and environmental sensitivity of the Himachal eco-system would be met.

He said the NCBM was an autonomous body attached to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The NCBM which was earlier as the Cement Research Institute of India was an apex organisation for research, technology development and transfer, industrial services and continuing education in the areas of cement, concrete and construction.

He stated that Himachal Pradesh, with its huge cement grade limestone reserve 75 percent of cement limestone belt fall in Bilaspur, Shimla, Mandi, Sirmour and Solan regions — offer tremendous opportunities in terms of economic and social uplift.

In order to ensure sustainable development along with rapid socio-economic growth, it was necessary that the natural mineral resources were tapped through judicious environmental planning, impact assessment and management plans.

Tibetans to go on fast today
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 12
Tibetans will go on a 12-hour fast tomorrow when the Chinese Premier, Mr Zhu Rongji, reaches India on a four-day visit.

Mr Kunga Dorjee, Tibetan Welfare Officer, said the protest was against the human rights violations in Tibet and to urge China to start an unconditional dialogue with the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile to solve the Tibetan issue at the earliest.

3 die as truck falls into gorge
Our Correspondent

Nahan, January 12
Three persons died on the spot and one was injured when a truck fell into a deep gorge near Millaha village, about 100 km from here, yesterday.

According to the police, the truck was going to Millaha village. A case has been registered.

Sia Ram, driver of the truck resident of Shilla village has been injured and is stated to be out of danger. The deceased include Jagdish Chand and Gurudev Singh, both from Shilla village and Sunder Singh of Millaha village.