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Sunday,
June 23, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Wildlife Dept seizes three shahtoosh shawls It ‘taxes’ commuters’ patience Dhumal tells cops to earn people’s trust Delegation of tribals meets Dhumal SP leaders to
visit Himachal |
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Cong promises ST status to Labanas Concern over misuse
of oxytocin injections Nod to HP to
export apple under WTO Entry tax issue taken up
with CM
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Wildlife Dept seizes three shahtoosh shawls Manali, June 22 According to official sources, the Wildlife officials from Delhi and Amritsar on an information about the sale of the rare Shahtoosh shawls here at some Kashmiri shawl emporiums conducted raid there. These raids were conducted by a team of officials of the Forest and Wildlife Department consisting of Mr Rajiv Sharma, Range Officer, the Manali, Mr B.D. Suyal, Divisional Forest Officer, (Wildlife) Kulu, Mr K.N. Thakur, Deputy Director (Wildlife), New Delhi, Mr B.S. Gurm, Assistant Director (Wildlife), Amritsar, assisted by Mr Mehar Chand, Deputy Range Officer, Manali, and Mr Roop Lal, Forest Guard. A joint strategy was planned by the Wildlife and Forest staff. Mr K.N. Thakur, Deputy Director, Wildlife, went to the Kashmir emporium, acted as a decoy customer and asked about Shahtoosh shawls. When the shopkeeper started showing Shahtoosh shawls, other officials of the team entered the shop and caught the shopkeeper, Mohammad Aslam, selling these shawls. According to Mr Rajiv Sharma, Range Officer, Manali, Shahtoosh shawls are made of wool of chiru known as Tibetan Antelope (Pantholopes Hodgsoni) which is an endangered species and listed under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. He said Mohammad Aslam was arrested under Section 50 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. On Friday, he was produced by the Forest Range Officer, Manali, in the court of the Judicial Magistrate, First Class, who released him on bail. The shawls, as per an order of the court, are being sent to Wildlife Institute, Dehra Dun, for analysis, test and verification. CHANDIGARH: The sale price of one shawl manufactured from shahtoosh wool, the trade of which is prohibited not only in India but in 132 other countries, is around Rs 1 lakh in the international market. Mr Gurm said that Mr Suyal had been told to file the case against the shopkeeper in the court after completing all legal formalities. There is a minimum imprisonment of one year under the Act. As the Tibetan antelope is an endangered species, there is a complete ban on the trade of goods made from the wool of Chiru in about 133 countries. Wool derived from chiru is smuggled into India from China mostly via Leh and Ladakh especially through Darchule, Rexol and Jaya Nagar routes. The main reason for its smuggling is that artisans are available only in Srinagar to manufacture shawls from this wool. And following manufacturing, these shawls are smuggled to countries like France and the UK where these fetch a very high price. Mr Gurm said that last year one consignment of Shahtoosh wool weighing about 120 kg was detected at a railway station in New Delhi. In this connection, a resident of Jaya Nagar was arrested. He is now in Tihar Jail. In November last, another consignment of 130 kg Shahtoosh wool was seized at the international airport in New Delhi. It was on the way to Srinagar and smuggled from China. |
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It ‘taxes’ commuters’ patience Parwanoo, June 22 Thousands of people in the region, who are scurrying off to Kasauli, Barog, Shimla and beyond, in order to beat the heat , have to suffer on account of traffic jams here. Queues of vehicles stretch for over 3km, from Kalka main bazaar to the toll tax barrier here. During peak hours (from 9 am to 2 pm), it may take anything between one-and-a-half hour to 40 minutes to cross over this narrow stretch of the highway. According to information available, approximately 4,000 vehicles cross this barrier on an average these days . Officials in the Road Transport Office here say that the traffic flow has increased since the beginning of this month and is likely to remain so till mid of July. The traffic flow increases by about 500 to 700 vehicles per day on weekends, it is learnt. The reason for traffic jams is more man-made than the narrow width and curvaceous nature of the road. Though there is no central verge, a rope has been tied covering three fourth of this road to create a passage uphill. This passage has been further divided into three lanes — one each for heavy vehicles, light vehicles and for pedestrians and two wheelers. Interestingly, even as the hapless cops stand around, heavy vehicles seem to be getting into the lane for light vehicles and vice versa. Also, with the highway being on a steep slope from this point, it becomes difficult for motorists to keep their vehicles on the slope. They, instead, go out of lane to use a slight plain area near the barrier, thus disrupting the smooth flow of traffic from the opposite side. With only a handful of cops deployed there, managing traffic becomes a difficult task. While the police accuses private contractor of creating these jams, the latter accuse the police of dereliction of duty. “They hardly get out of the police post to control the traffic,” says one of the men on tax collection duty. The police, on its part maintains that the problem has been persisting ever since the toll tax collection was privatised from the People visiting Timber Trail Resorts, which is merely 4 km from this barrier, allege that they have to pay as much as visitors to Shimla and beyond (Rs 30 for light vehicles, Rs 40 for taxis, Rs 50 for canters and Rs 60 for trucks). Mr Pawan Kumar, a businessman from Chandigarh, complained that it was unfair to charge so much money, if one was going only up to Dharampur, Timber Trail Resorts or Barog, the favourite spots for most people in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali for spending weekends. Even the residents of Kalka, Pinjore and Parwanoo claim that they are facing inconvenience on account of these traffic jams. Mr Manoj Sharma, president of the Parwanoo Welfare Society, and Mr Chander Thakur, vice-president of the Parwanoo Beopar Mandal, said the industrialist and their workers were generally caught in the traffic jams, thus affecting their work. They said “we are being made to pay for coming to Parwanoo each day, which is quite heavy on the pocket.” We have given a representation in this regard to the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, along with members of panchayats of surrounding villages, but to no avail so far,” they added. |
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Dhumal tells cops to earn people’s trust Shimla, June 22 He was addressing senior police personnel and other dignitaries on the occasion of launching a video film “Aap Aur Ham” to educate people about the police’s functioning. The Chief Minister said that in the changed scenario image of the police required radical change. He said that Himachal was one of the few states where the role of the police had been in keeping with the aspirations of the people. He said although maintaining law and order and protecting life and property of people were prime responsibility of the police but winning confidence of people was the need of the hour for maintaining communal harmony and peace in society. He said that the government had taken several measures to modernise the police by providing modern arms, ammunition and vehicles etc. so that the force could perform its duty with efficiency. He said that the mass contact programme with school children in the state was giving encouraging results. He said that the decision of the government to post three women constables in every police station had built confidence of women who earlier hesitated to report grievances in police stations. Mr A.K. Puri, Director-General of Police, said that efforts to win confidence through various schemes launched by the Police Department was showing strong results. He said that the community policing and “vishwas” schemes were popular among students and public. He said that the girls were being provided self-defence training through judo and karate camps organised in Kangra, Una and Solan districts and 553 senior citizens were being provided security service and 12,500 students have been covered under “Vishwas” scheme. He added that 1000 video cassettes of ‘Aap Aur Hum’ would be distributed amongst various educational institutions in the state. |
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Delegation of tribals meets Dhumal Shimla, June 22 He said the tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur rank among the first five district of the state with the highest per capita income. The delegation thanked the Chief Minister for sanctioning a bridge over the river Sutlej which will link the twin-villages of Ramni and Jamni with the national highway and requested him for early execution of the works on this bridge. Presently, these two thickly populated villages even after 54 years of independence are linked by a ropeway for pedestrian traffic and transportation, Mr Negi said. The delegation also thanked the chief minister for getting HP included under the Border Area Development Programme under which the Government of India had so far released over Rs 20 crore in addition to the tribal sub plan and Special Central Assistant. |
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SP leaders to
visit Himachal Dharamsala, June 22 Stating this here today, the state President of the SP, Mr Deepak Sharma, said that senior party leaders including the all-India General Secretary, Mrs Usha Yadav and Mr Ram Gopal Yadav, MP, and younger brother of the party chief, Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav would visit Dharamsala on June 30. “Apart from chalking out the party’s strategy for the Assembly elections, these leaders will also start the process of selection of the candidates for the poll,” he said. Mr Sharma said that the state level party leaders would meet here tomorrow to get the feedback from party workers. He said that his party would give 70 per cent of the seats to women and the youth. Applications from the contenders for the party ticket were being received and the names of candidates from Palampur, Dharamsala and Dharampur seats had already been finalised, he added. Accusing the BJP and the Congress of treating the SC, ST, OBCs and weaker sections as mere vote bank , he said that the SP had won the faith of the voters belonging to these categories as it had fought for their rights. He claimed that the party’s base in the state had increased as more and more like-minded people felt that it was the only alternative to the BJP and the Congress. |
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Cong promises ST status to Labanas Dharamsala, June 22 Addressing a press conference here today, the Kangra District Congress Committee chief, Dr M.R. Goma, said that there was great resentment among the Labana community, whose case for ST status was not pursued with that of the Gaddis and Gujjars, accorded ST status recently. “I want to ask Union Minister Shanta Kumar, as to why the Labana community, which too is migratory like the Gaddis and Gujjars was deprived of this facility,” he quipped. Dr Goma, said that though the Labanas fell in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category, but in real sense they were tribesmen as they accompanied the Gaddis and Gujjars to the higher reaches carrying their load. He said that the Labana Hitkarna Sabha was planning an agitation as injustice had been done to them by not treating them on a par with the Gaddis and Gujjars of the new Himachal areas. He added that the proposed Rs 5 crore drinking water scheme for the Labana-dominated area of Tanda in the Rajgir constitunecy near Palampur, was only an election gimmick to appease the community. He claimed that so far, no budgetary provision had been made for the scheme. “I caution the Labana community not to get misled by the political stunts of the BJP which had failed to plead their case for the grant of ST status,” he stated. Dr Goma, further said that the Bill regarding the granting of ST status to the Gaddis and Gujjars was yet to be passed by Parliament and the Congress would play crucial role for getting approval of Parliament. He advised the Gaddis and Gujjars to take the Congress into confidence on the issue. Dr Goma, said that morale of Congress workers after the Shahpur rally was very high and it was prepared fully for the elections. “With an eye on Assembly elections, AICC chief, Mrs Sonia Gandhi will address rallies at Shimla, Kulu and Sirmaur in coming days while other senior leaders from the Centre would tour the state,” he disclosed. |
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Concern over misuse
of oxytocin injections Nurpur, June 22 Having multifarious qualities, this injection is being used by the bootleggers and farmers of the area. Lust for earning more money has tempted the farmers and bottleggers to use these injections having side effects on the health of people. Enquiries reveal that the users are ignorant of these effects. The bottleggers use these injections for brewing illicit liquor, which almost doubles liquor’s intoxication. The fruit and vegetable growers have also adopted the same method. They first administer oxytocin to the plants and climbers which grow more fast and get ready for delivery. In the second phase the farmers again administer it to fruits and vegetables to enlarge their size in a short time. Sources reveal that these injections are being administered to pumpkin, watermelon, bringle and cucumber. Such vegetables and fruits are being sold in the sabzi mandi in the area. Medical experts observed that these vegetables and fruits had been affecting the health of children. Similarly, owners of the milch cattle are also using these injections to get more milk discharge. The injection is administered one to two hours before milking cattle. The frequent use of oxytocin injections is considered harmful to consumers of milk. There is a demand to ban on the sale of these injections. Some chemists of the subdivision have admitted that there has been a sudden spurt in the sale of these injections during the past few years. |
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Nod to HP to
export apple under WTO Una, June 22 Mr Rudy said the apple crop produced without use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides would be exported. He said a new assistance scheme of Rs 10 crore had been prepared for the states to develop infrastructure for export. He said under the Prime Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojna, Rs 5000 crore would be spent till March 2003 to connect villages with a population of 1000 or more by roads. He added that there had been a record increase in Indian exports during 2000-2001. |
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Entry tax issue taken up
with CM Parwanoo, June 22 The delegation told the CM that the people of this town have to visit neighbouring towns for work and pay the tax on return. Since the collection of the entry tax is through a private contractor, the problem of commuters has increased due to long traffic jams at the barrier. Commuters feel unsafe while crossing the barrier because the contractor’s staff is rude and violent. These men have, several times, broken windshields of passing vehicles. The CM assured the delegation that he would look into the problem. |
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Cops
leave for J&K Dharamsala, June 22 Superintendent of Police, Kangra, Sanjay Kundu, said efforts were being made to secure police remand of Abdul to bring him here for interrogation. After his arrest by the Ludhiana police, Abdul had confessed that he masterminded the attack on the Army personnel at Damtal, on January 1, this year. |
Brake
van, coach derailed Shimla, June 22 According to Railway officials, no one was injured. Preliminary
reports said that the coaches jumped the rails on the crossing. Rail
traffic was restored by afternoon. |
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MBA entrance test postponed Shimla, June 22 |
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