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Sunday,
March 3, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Dhumal
for modernisation of horticulture NWC recommends better deal for women farmers ‘Fund shortage’ hits town’s growth Literacy drive must continue: volunteers Schools refuse to call off stir |
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Chamba sees 15 murders in 13 months BJP, Congress at loggerheads
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Dhumal
for modernisation of horticulture Solan, March 2 The Chief
Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, who delivered the convocation address
at Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Nauni,
near here today, said the introduction of the WTO regime, to which
India became a signatory in 1994, was bound to create a “modernise
of perish situation” in Himachal Pradesh horticulture soon. He said it had been found that imported fruits and vegetables were not only comparatively cheaper but also enjoyed a qualitative edge over our produce. This changed scenario called for the institution of urgent measures for making indigenous horticulture produce competitive in the global context, he said. Mr Dhumal said this could be brought about by evolving suitable strategies aimed at bringing about quantum improvement in productivity, quality and value addition in hill horticultural crops and forest products. Modern technologies like biotechnology, cryo-preservation, genetic engineering, integrated nutrient management and drip irrigation could play a crucial role in bringing about the needed transformation. He said biotechnology had emerged as a potent modern tool for mass propagation of quality plant materials. It had also led to the development of a large number of clone plants and emergence of new, highly lucrative cash crops. In addition to helping produce disease and pest-resistant plants through tissue culture, biotechnology had also enabled scientists in producing synthetic seed technology. The synthetic seeds had already been employed for developing superior germplasms of mango, walnut and litchi, he said. In this connection, it must also be emphasised that the global biotechnology business was currently estimated at $150 billion and was expected to grow at the rate of 15 per cent annually. He hoped that scientists would soon enable Himachali horticulturists to exploit the vast economic potential of biotechnology business and disclosed hat the government had already created a separate department of biotechnology in the state. Similarly, cryo-preservation, which had come to stay as a method for safe storage of live plant materials could, in dedition to conserving our rare and endangered plants, seeds and tissues, be used for storing DNA fingerprints of our indigenous rare plant species. This could provide safeguards against the types of patents piracy which the nation experienced in the case of desi cotton, basmati rice, turmeric and neem and indirectly help the Indian horticulturists by protecting our patents rights on some of our heritage plants. The Chief Minister also advocated the adoption of information technology and introduction of e-commerce in horticulture business. Mr Dhumal concluded his speech by wishing the recipients of degrees and medals all success in their future. The Vice-Chancellor, Dr R.P. Awasthi, later read the annual report. Mr
Dhumal later inaugurated a National Agriculture Technology
Project-funded Rs 30 lakh “Agriculture Technology Information Centre”
on the university campus. The Governor, Mr Suraj Bhan, presided over the convocation in his capacity as the Chancellor of the institution. He also inaugurated a Rs 26-lakh Mushroom Research Laboratory. He also conferred honorary degrees of Doctor of Science on Mr Dhumal and Mr S.P. Kaushal, an exponent of Chinese medicines. |
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NWC recommends better deal for women farmers Nurpur, March 2 Ms Reddy pointed out that the NWC had been holding five regional workshops in the country with a view to interacting with women working in agriculture sector and allied industries facing challenges and hurdles. A two-day workshop was held at Palampur on February 27 and 28 in which women farmers from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir took part. She said by holding such regional workshops the NWC would promote the status of women. She admitted that women engaged in agriculture and allied industries had been experiencing a communication gap with state government agencies and institutions. As a sequel their skills were not bringing fruitful result in their lives. The Himachal Pradesh Government had been asked to remove this gap. She said 85 per cent women in Himachal Pradesh were in agriculture and allied industries, their status must be elevated. Ms Reddy informed that the national commission had sanctioned a ‘mahila lok adalat’ to solve the women-related disputes and two legal awareness camps for each district for Himachal Pradesh. She was accompanied by Dr Ms Geerwani, former Vice Chancellor of Mahila Universities Tirupati, who in the press conference stressed the need for setting up separate health policy and to adopt technologies to reduce drudgery for the women in agriculture. |
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‘Fund shortage’ hits town’s growth Palampur Palampur, earlier known as Palam, means land of great soldiers who had laid down their lives for the country. Capt Vikram Batra (Param Vir Chakra), Major Sudhir Walia (Ashok Chakra) and Capt Saurabh Kalia are the new heroes of this town who had sacrificed their lives during the Kargil conflict. Besides, Major Som Nath, who got the first Param Vir Chakra, also hails from this city. In state politics, Palampur always shared a major part of power whichever party ruled the state. Proper and due representation was always given to the town in the Cabinet. There was a time when there were three ministers from Palampur in the Cabinet. But it is an irony that the present BJP-HVC Government reduced the town’s political importance. Today there is only one minister of state from Palampur in the state government, that too without any independent portfolio. This town is neglected and unrepresentative in the Cabinet. It has become a “no man’s baby”. It is evident from the fact that during 1993 assembly elections when the Congress was voted to power, it won four assembly seats out of five from Palampur. Mr Virbhadra Singh inducted three MLAs into his Cabinet. Two of them — Pt Sant Ram and Rana Man Chand — were Cabinet Ministers while Mr Brij Butail was the Chief Parliamentary Secretary. The same was the situation in the 1998 assembly election, when the BJP won four seats out of five but Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal inducted only one MLA into his Cabinet, Mr Ravinder Thakur, that too as Minister of State, since the remaining three MLAs were from Shanta Kumar’s faction. Political differences between Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal and Union Minister for Consumers Affairs, Mr Shanta Kumar, have virtually stalled the development of this town. It is a sad state of affairs that almost all ongoing development projects have come to a standstill. The local bus stand is one of prestigious projects of the town has been left half complete. Its foundation stone was laid by Mr Shanta Kumar in 1992, when he was Chief Minister. After 1998, when the BJP came to power in the state, not even a single brick was added to this project. However earlier during the Congress regime between 1993-1998 a civil construction division was set up here to execute this project and over Rs 70 lakh was spent on this project. Today engineers and staff of this division are sitting idle for the past four years and drawing only salaries in the absence of construction work. It is on record that the Prem Kumar Dhumal Government has not sanctioned even a single rupee for the project. Similar is the fate of Government Degree College, which was opened during the Congress regime but till date the government failed even to earmark land for this institution and it is still functions from a private building. Though the state government had set up a committee for the selection of land two years ago but its report could not be released till today. Yet, in another case with the earnest efforts of Mr Shanta Kumar, the Union Government released Rs 25 lakh for the first phase of a ropeway from Negual Park to Kandi Hills. From the very beginning the state government was not keen on execution of this project. For months together no tenders were floated for this project and construction could not be taken up. The funds were returned unspent to the Centre. The town has witnessed all-round expansion in past one decade. Its population has gone to 35,000 from 5000 in 1990. A number of new colonies have come up in several areas of town but these are without amenities like roads, water supply, sewerage and street lights. The town is slowly turning into a slum. The Town and Country Planning Department has become a silent spectator and no efforts made to regulate expansion and development of the town. The outstanding demand of the local residents for the extension of municipal limits and to include local panchayats like Ghuggar, Aima, Bundla, Chokki, Bindravan, Maranda and Banuri, where 80 per cent of the town’s population lives, is yet to be accepted. The files dealing with such cases are moving at a snail’s pace in the corridors of government. At present only 15 per cent of the town falls in the municipal limits, though 85 per cent of its residents live outside municipal limits. The Pathankot-Mandi national highway linking Pathankot with Leh, an important defence road that passes through this town, is in bad shape. This narrow road has become a major traffic hazard. There has been a manifold increase in light and heavy vehicles in the town. As a result, the traffic situation has gone from bad to worse resulting in frequent traffic jams. In the absence of funds the construction of a new bypass for the town has been suspended.
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Literacy drive must
continue: volunteers Shimla, March 2 The volunteers had gathered here yesterday to commemorate the completion of 10 years of the programme in the state. They observed that the programme to make illiterate people acquire basic education had been hit because the state government had failed to meet the expenditure of Rs 70 crore for the project. This programme has been implemented so far only in Mandi district despite the fact that all the districts were through with the post-literacy campaign a long time ago the volunteers said. The function was jointly organised by the HGVS, State Resource Centre and Zila Saksharta Samiti. Ms Chandu Devi (67), up-pradhan of Jalet panchayat near Shimla, who herself is a neo-literate chaired the function. She was the first woman to be given the saksharta primer. She became an inspiration for other villagers. She even used to help them out with their routine chores so that they could spare time for “saksharta” classes. In his address, the Director of the state resource centre, Dr Kuldeep Tanwar, said despite some resistance from certain sections, the campaign had brought good results and encouraged people to come forward with issues. |
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Schools refuse to call off stir Kangra, March 2 Mr Rajinder Sharma, state president of the government recognised and 95 per cent aided-private school employees union, in a statement issued here said a meeting under the chairmanship of the Education Minister, Mr I.D. Dhiman, was held at Shimla yesterday for these schools but no member of the union was taken into confidence before holding this meeting. He said the decision of the meeting for the disbursement of arrears by April 15, 2002, was conveyed to the agitating employees through the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, last evening which was rejected by their union. He said they had not been agitating for arrears but for the regularisation of their salary as per the apex court direction. He said the government should take this agitation seriously and accept their demands. He alleged that government had adopted an attitude of harassing and humiliating these employees which was evident from their arrest at Shimla and forcing the agitating employees to vacate the premises of the Deputy Commissioner office at Dharamsala where they had been sitting on a relay fast for the past 13 days. Mr Rajinder Sharma criticised the government for allegedly forcing the agitating employees, including women, last evening to call off their fast and vacate the DC office premises. |
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Chamba sees 15 murders in 13 months Shimla, March 2 Besides, cases of 90 accidental deaths have also been reported. According to a written information provided by the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, to Ms Asha Kumari (Congress) in the Vidhan Sabha yesterday, eight of the cases were under trial, while the others were being investigated. The tribal area of Tissa tops with 6 murders last year. In a written reply to Mr Harsh Mahajan (Congress), the Minister of State for Urban Development informed him that 54 unauthorised constructions had been identified in the Panthaghati, Kasumpti and Mehli areas of Shimla. The Shimla Municipal Corporation has issued notices to the owners of these buildings. The Chief Minister informed Mr Kaul Singh (Congress) that an expenditure of Rs 50,02,635 had been incurred by the government on account of state guests. |
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BJP, Congress at loggerheads Nurpur, March 2 The centre was started in the community bhavan of the panchayat in the previous Congress regime. In view of the inconvenience to villagers, the Pradhan of the gram panchayat, a BJP activist, reportedly shifted the centre in a private building. The row over the shifting of the centre took a new turn yesterday when Anju Bala, anganbari worker with the centre, made a written complaint to the SDM and DSP against the panchayat Pradhan, Mr Ramesh Chand. She alleged that he attempted to outrage her modesty and threatened to close the centre when the latter called her to the bhavan in connection with the functioning of the centre on February 19. When contacted, the panchayat Pradhan denied the allegation saying that Congress activists had hatched a political conspiracy to defame him. |
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Hamirpur BJP discusses rally Hamirpur, March 2 While 1,500 persons would attend the rally from the Hamirpur, Mewa, Nadaun and Nadaunta area, the Bamsan area would send 4,000 persons. |
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Poll results to have ‘no impact’ on HP Kangra, March 2 |
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Environmental centre opened Shimla, March 2 With the inauguration of the centre, the pollution control board will be able to strengthen instruments and institutional basis for environmentally compatible and sustainable management of land and natural resources in this ecologically fragile Himalayan state. |
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Budget anti-poor, says Stokes
Shimla, March 2 She said here yesterday that the Budget of the BJP-led NDA government had added to the problems of the people. The president of the NSUI, Mr Kewal Singh Pathania, criticised the hike in the price of cooking gas.
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Power shutdown Shimla, March 2 |
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