H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Arvind Kaul is new Himachal
Chief Secretary
Shimla, September 29
Mr Arvind Kaul, Additional Chief Secretary and the seniormost IAS officer of the state cadre, has been appointed Chief Secretary to the Himachal Government. He replaces Mrs Rajendar Bhattacharya, who is retiring on September 30.

Guma salt mine caves in
Mandi, September 29
The centuries old Guma salt mine, near Jogindernagar, run by Hindustan Salt Mines Ltd., has caved in due to seepage of water caused by sinking of the entire rock salt hill under which the mine has been constructed. A huge loss has been reported, but there is no loss of life. The extraction of salt has come to a halt.

St Bede’s celebrates 100 years
Shimla, September 29
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh felicitated the management and teaching fraternity of St Bede’s College here for maintaining high academic standards during its long journey of 100 years and making its place among the best educational institutions for women not only in India, but also abroad.

A Repository of state’s culture
Shimla, September 29
The state museum here is a repository of the hill state’s rich cultural, artistic and archaeological heritage. With a collection of 9000 invaluable objects, the museum is playing an important role in preserving the cultural heritage of the hills. It provides a fair idea of the wide range, uniqueness and the quality of the traditional art and crafts of the hills.

Move to reorganise wildlife habitats
Chamba, September 29
A proposal for reorganisation of wildlife habitats in the district has been submitted to the government, taking into account their area, topography and density of fauna and avifauna.

Irked at doctors’ absence, patients lock hospital
Mandi, September 29
When no doctor turned up till 1 p.m., a large number of patients who came for treatment at the Community Health Centre at Gohar on Saturday held a demonstration in the premises of the centre and raised slogans against the government and the Health Department, according to a delayed report.

• Kulu Army officer becomes C-in-C
• Ram Lila artiste hurt in attack

Arvind Kaul is new Himachal Chief Secretary
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 29
Mr Arvind Kaul, Additional Chief Secretary and the seniormost IAS officer of the state cadre, has been appointed Chief Secretary to the Himachal Government.

He replaces Mrs Rajendar Bhattacharya, who is retiring on September 30.

Mr Shamsher Singh, Additional Chief Secretary and chairman of the state electricity board, has been given additional charge of the Industries and Information and Technology Departments.

A postgraduate in economics from the Delhi School of Economics, Mr Kaul also holds a postgraduate diploma in development studies from Cambridge University.

Some other top-level officers have also been shuffled. Mr S.S. Parmar, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, has been posted as Principal Secretary, Finance, Planning and 20-Point Programme, in place of Mr I.P. Suvaratan, who has proceeded on central deputation.

Mr T.G. Negi, Secretary, General Administration, takes over as Secretary to the Chief Minister and Secretary, Information and Public Relations and Town and Country Planning, relieving Mr Ashok Thakur of the additional charge.

Mrs Upma Chaudhary, Commissioner-cum-Director, Transport, has been posted as Director of Tourism and Civil Aviation. She will hold additional charge of managing director of the state tourism development corporation.

Mr V.C. Pharaka, managing director of the tourism development corporation, goes as Secretary, General Administration. He will continue to hold additional charge of Divisional Commissioner, Shimla. Mr Sanjiv Gupta, Managing Director of the General Industries Corporation, has been posted as member (finance and administration) in the state electricity board relieving Mrs Rashima Gupta of the additional charge.

Mr R.D. Dhiman, managing director of the state industrial development corporation, takes over as managing director of the state food and civil supplies corporation. Mr C.R.B. Lalit, Settlement Officer, Shimla, has been posted as Managing Director of the HPMC. He will continue to hold additional charge of managing director, state agro-packaging India Ltd.

Besides, some officers have been given additional charge of various departments.

Guma salt mine caves in
Kishori Lal

Mandi, September 29
The centuries old Guma salt mine, near Jogindernagar, run by Hindustan Salt Mines Ltd., has caved in due to seepage of water caused by sinking of the entire rock salt hill under which the mine has been constructed. A huge loss has been reported, but there is no loss of life. The extraction of salt has come to a halt.

Mr Virender Kumar, manager of the company, said geologists and mine scientists from Roorkee have been called for remedial measures. The Chief Engineer, IPH, has also been consulted. The mine yields an annual revenue of Rs 60 lakh to the company.

The inordinate delay in modernising the twin-salt mines in the state located in Mandi district — Guma and Darang — has resulted in the mishap. The files containing proposals for upgrading of the techniques of salt extraction have been gathering dust in New Delhi for the past over two decades.

A series of surveys conducted by the Central Government and Hindustan Salt Mines Ltd have explored a potential of gross turnover of about Rs 600 crore which can be harnessed by investing Rs 70 crore on the solution mining plant.

In 1982, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly had passed a resolution urging the Central Government to get the vast salt mine potential at the Guman and Darang salt mines harnessed. A team of experts had been sent to European countries to study the possibility of establishing a solution mining unit in Himachal Pradesh. The purest salt water here has been flowing down to the river unused for centuries. Even a small refinery costing about Rs 2 crore has not been set up.

Experts say that a huge quantity of edible salt can be produced through the technique of solution mining. A German company, KBB, had submitted a comprehensive report in response to global tenders floated by Hindustan Salt Mines Ltd. The rock salt deposits here had the potential to cater to the need of entire northern India.

St Bede’s celebrates 100 years

Shimla, September 29
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh felicitated the management and teaching fraternity of St Bede’s College here for maintaining high academic standards during its long journey of 100 years and making its place among the best educational institutions for women not only in India, but also abroad.

Speaking on the occasion of a function organised by the college last evening to mark its centenary celebrations, he said women were making their presence felt at all the leading fronts. This revealed an awakening and progress among them to prepare themselves to meet the forthcoming challenges in their lives. Institutions like St Bede’s College were a major contributor to this achievement, he added. He added that with the education of a girl, a complete family was educated.

He said in Himachal Pradesh, women were better placed. Female literacy had crossed 68 per cent which was much higher than the national average. He said efforts were afoot to improve the female literacy further and a programme, “National Programme for education of girls at elementary level”, in seven development blocks, which had lower literacy, had been launched recently. The Chief Minister announced Rs 30 lakh for the centenary celebrations of the college.

Sister Dr Melba, Principal of the college, welcomed the Chief Minister and gave details about the centenary celebrations.

Present among others on the occasion were Pratibha Singh, Vice-Chairman of the Red Cross Society, Harbhajan Singh Bhajji, MLA, B.R. Rahi, Chairman, HP Board of School Education, Mother-General, former Principal and students of the college. — UNI

A Repository of state’s culture
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 29
The state museum here is a repository of the hill state’s rich cultural, artistic and archaeological heritage.

With a collection of 9000 invaluable objects, the museum is playing an important role in preserving the cultural heritage of the hills. It provides a fair idea of the wide range, uniqueness and the quality of the traditional art and crafts of the hills. The exhibits, which include paintings, costumes, sculptures in stone and metals, pieces of woodcarving, metal craft and terracotta are fine specimens art and crafts, reflecting the artistic skills of the hillfolk.

The archaeological gallery of the museum has a unique collection of stone sculptures from different parts of the state. The sculptures of Simhavahini Durga from Hatkoti, Surya from Kulu, and Lakshmi from Nirmand, Kartikeya from Karsog and Nidhi from Kangra are the main attraction.

The specimens of woodcarving are mostly panels retrieved from old ancient temples, old houses and other structures. Some peculiar masks, which are still used in various religious and cultural ceremonies, have also been displayed.

The world-famous Kangra miniature paintings are also on view along with specimens of other schools of paintings like Mandi, Bilaspur and Guler. The wall paintings in the museum have been retrieved from the Rang Mahal of Chamba.

Coins recovered from various parts of the state have been displayed in a chronological order, while weapons used by erstwhile rulers of princely states adorn the arms gallery. A philatelic gallery has also been set up with the help of the Postal Department in which stamps pertaining to the flora and fauna of the western Himalayas, great personalities of India and cultural traditions are on display.

Move to reorganise wildlife habitats

Chamba, September 29
A proposal for reorganisation of wildlife habitats in the district has been submitted to the government, taking into account their area, topography and density of fauna and avifauna.

This was stated by Mr Harsh Mahajan, Minister for Animal Husbandry, while talking to mediapersons at the local Circuit House today after the first meeting of the district-level grievances committee.

Mr Mahajan said a sum of Rs 350 crore had so far been utilised by the Forest Department on various works executed under the catchment area treatment (CAT) plan, launched in the district with an outlay of Rs 11 crore funded by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).

A committee member from the far-flung Pangi tribal valley, Mrs Jai Dei, had raised several problems faced by tribesmen in the tough terrains of the valley such as shortage of doctors in hospitals and dispensaries and teaching staff in schools.

Irked at doctors’ absence, patients lock hospital
Our Correspondent

Mandi, September 29
When no doctor turned up till 1 p.m., a large number of patients who came for treatment at the Community Health Centre at Gohar on Saturday held a demonstration in the premises of the centre and raised slogans against the government and the Health Department, according to a delayed report.

Angry demonstrators locked the hospital and took away the keys with them. A memorandum was submitted to the SDM, Gohar. Residents have threatened to launch an agitation if the vacant posts of doctors are not filled.

They allege that there were five doctors during the BJP rule, but when the new government came in the power, all were transferred and no substitute provided.

Kulu Army officer becomes C-in-C
Our Correspondent

Kulu, September 29
Lieut-General B.S. Thakur, who hails form a small village, Batahar, of this district has been appointed Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the Andaman and Nicobar Command. He will assume his new appointment on October 1.

An alumni of the NDA and the IMA, General Thakur was commissioned into the Central India Horse (Armoured Corps) in June 1965 and is the first Army officer to head the Tri Service Command.

Ram Lila artiste hurt in attack
Our Correspondent

Kangra, September 29
A group of around 20 students of Dr R.P. Government Medical College, Tanda, armed with hockey sticks and chains in search of a man entered the dressing room of a Ram Lila stage, when a few thousand spectators were watching Ram Lila. An artiste was injured in the attack.

Mr Tilak Soni vice-president of the local Ram Lila Committee, today said the organisers of the Ram Lila persuaded the students to leave the dressing room, but they injured a stage artiste, Lucky.