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HP chosen for 540-cr WB forestry project
Oral health problems plague children Gastro scare in Hamirpur villages NHPC wins award for environment
management Industrial
plot rates hiked |
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Paswan urged to extend aid to farmers Rivulet raided to check mining Govt approves carton subsidy DGP denies Javed, Ishrat visited HP 56
students scale Indhrahara pass Rain wreaks havoc in Chamba region 
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HP chosen for 540-cr WB forestry project Shimla, June 22 According to sources, the Ministry of Economic Affairs has forwarded the project to the World Bank, whose mission was expected to visit the state any time. The WB has chosen Himachal as the priority state from among Uttaranchal, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh where smaller projects are being implemented. “It is the decentralised planning, creation of livelihood opportunities, especially for women, along with an increase in the irrigated area under the Kandi project that impressed the World Bank, which has chosen the state for continuing cooperation programme,” informed a senior official. He added that though the finer details of the project would be worked out with the World Bank team later, the endeavour would be to cover the entire mid-hills of the state under this integrated project. Sources said the World Bank teams which visited the state rated the achievements under the Kandi project very high, as a result of which Himachal Pradesh was chosen for the Rs 540-crore project. Since the project amount is quite big, areas like improving water retention in nullahs by the construction of check dams and water harvesting, afforestation and soil conservation steps, improved horticulture and agricultural practices would be incorporated. The Kandi Phase-II project, which will culminate in March, 2005, is worth Rs 171 crore, out of which Rs 136 has already been spent. A sum of Rs 58 crore was spent on the Kandi Phase- II project which concluded in 1998. Under the project, the priority areas include organic farming, wherein women will be encouraged to take to vermin-composting for income generation, which has been a major success in the Nahan and Parwanoo areas. “Another area which has found favour with the World Bank is the concept of ‘stall grazing’ so as to reduce the disadvantage attached with open grazing of cattle,”
informed another official. Based on the successful experiment of encouraging growers to take to cultivation of high-value crops like medicinal and aromatic plants and floriculture, efforts would be made to increase the area under these crops. |
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Oral health problems plague children Sundernagar, June 22 Complicating the dental health here is that the children do not brush their teeth and do not maintain oral health hygiene after they eat sweet foods. In over 50 per cent cases, the dental caries are caused by the sweet food while in the rest problems like gum decay and caries are caused because children do not brush their teeth properly, revealed the dentists. As there is no awareness about oral health and hygiene, the children including their parents suffer from gum health problems that lead to the tooth decay and oral cancer, noted the dentists. The patients come here from Mandi, Bilaspur and other parts of region, says Dr Upadhayaya. “The college has the mobile van fitted with the dental chair for treatment of the patients”. Singling out the preventive steps, the dentists said purpose of the free dental camp was to increase awareness among the villagers and children as to how to brush teeth and maintain oral hygiene that can prevent dental caries. |
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Gastro scare in Hamirpur villages Hamirpur, June 22 There are reports that the disease spread due to the consumption of water from a local bowli, which was flooded after heavy rains on Sunday. Mr N.K. Sharma, Assistant Engineer, Irrigation-cum-Public Health
Department, Dhaneta, visited the area and took water samples of the bowli and the water used by the villagers. Mr Rakesh Dhiman, SDM, Nadaun, also visited the area today and met the affected people and others at the hospital as well as their villages. He told villagers to ensure precautions while using the bowli water. Dr Sudershan Sharma, Block Medical Officer, Nadaun, also accompanied the SDM to the villages. Dr Sharma claimed that the disease was under control. |
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NHPC wins award for environment
management Chamba, June 22 Mr B. B. L. Butail, Himachal Revenue Minister, gave the award to Mr Nain Singh, General Manager, Chamera hydroelectric project (stage-II) of the NHPC, at a function held at Palampur this week. The award was given on the basis of statement of facts and the factual data presented to the World Environment Foundation and the NHPC was chosen amongst 130 applicants hailing from different parts of North India for the Golden Peacock Environment Management Award. The World Congress on Environment Management appreciated the major environmental thrust areas and the mitigatory steps taken to overcome the negative environmental impact of hydropower development. The efforts of the NHPC for socio-economic and community development in this region were also applauded. The award gave recognition to the NHPC’s commitment towards sustainable development.
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Industrial plot rates hiked Solan, June 22 The plots in export promotion industrial park I and II at Baddi which were earlier available at Rs 550 and Rs 650 respectively have been revised to Rs 1,000 each. Even the hitherto unexplored plots figuring in the new policy have been fixed. The industrial plots in areas like Mamlig, Vaknaghat, Nalagarh, Domehar and Manjhol, which had registered no industrial activity, have been pegged at Rs 100, 700, 1000, 250 and 200 respectively. Officials in the Industrial Department opined that the rates have been fixed after keeping in view the prevailing market rates of the adjoining areas. Factors like cost of infrastructural development of the industrial sites have also been considered while fixing the rates. Optimistic of making a good bargain from the increasing rush of investors officials said the plots would draw a good response as the investors would have to pay only 30 per cent of the amount in the beginning while the rest was payable in equal installments within the next five years. With rates of private land touching a high of Rs 4 to 9.5 lakh in Baddi and Nalagarh areas the officials feel the revised rates could fetch a neat profit to the government. The fact that the revised rates were calculated keeping in view the prevailing market rates the department may not benefit much in the bargain as evasion of stamp duty led the buyers to get their land deals registered at much lower rates. This besides keeping the market rates low led the government to calculate the revised rates from the market rates. The efforts of the department to make the industrial plots competitive vis-à-vis private plots may not yield much for the department feel revenue officials. While a private plot was selling at Rs 9-9.5 per bigha at Baddi an industrial plot would merely sell at Rs 3 lakh. The officials when quizzed about lack of plots availability said not enough funds were available for acquiring more area by the government. |
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Paswan urged to extend aid to farmers Shimla, June 22 The Chief Minister, who met Mr Paswan here today, urged him to provide maximum benefit to Himachal Pradesh under the various schemes sanctioned by his ministry for various states. He apprised Mr Paswan of the various welfare schemes and benefits being extended by the state government to fruit growers and agriculturists. He said a large chunk of the population in the state was dependent on horticulture and agriculture. Mr Paswan assured him that Himachal Pradesh would be given top priority in granting benefits under various schemes of the ministry. Others present during the meeting were Ms Pratibha Singh, MP, the Industries Minister, Mr Ram Lal Thakur, Mr Singhi Ram, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, and the Deputy Speaker, Mr Dharam Pal Thakur. |
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Rivulet raided to check mining Nurpur, June 22 One JCB machine, used for quarrying and two trucks carrying mined extract were challaned under the Illegal Mining Act. Two vehicles were also challaned under the Motor Vehicles Act during the raid. According to the SDM, the administration will conduct raids regularly to curb illegal and unscientific mining in Chakki rivulet. The owners of the challaned vehicles will be penalised under the Anti-Mining Act, he added. It is learnt that the district administration has directed the SHO, Nurpur, to conduct raids at Chakki rivulet once a week and the SDM, once a fortnight. Meanwhile, the local police arrested Surjeet Kumar of Haghwal village yesterday under the NDPS Act and seized 4 kg of poppy husk from him. The suspect has been remanded in five days’ police custody. |
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Govt approves carton subsidy Shimla, June 22 An official spokesperson said here today that the subsidy on APIL cartons of 20 kg had been kept at Rs 8 per carton and the grower would be allowed to obtain cartons from the APIL at not more than Rs 26.50 per carton. The maximum limit of subsidy on cartons would be Rs 9600 per grower. No grower would be eligible for subsidy in excess of 1,200 cartons and there would be no phasing out of subsidy. The subsidy would be available only to growers who owned less than 10 bigha under apple cultivation. The HPMC, the HIMFED, the HPAIC and the KINFED would be the designated agencies for the AIPIL-manufactured cartons and no subsidy would be available for cartons procured from the private sector. The transport subsidy would be available at the rate which was during the previous year and would be allowed to farmers holding orchards upto 10 bigha. The carton subsidy would be allowed to orchardists upto December, 15. |
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DGP denies Javed, Ishrat visited HP Shimla, June 22 In an official press note here, the DGP stated that he had got this information checked and found that there was no truth in it. Certain dailies had reported that Javed and Ishrat had stayed at Chail prior to carrying out their aborted attempt to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Javed and Ishrat along with two of their associates were killed in an encounter with the Gujarat police last week. — UNI |
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56 students scale Indhrahara pass Dharamsala, June 22 Mr S.R. Sahni, senior mountaineering officer of the centre, said the group was also trained in rock climbing and snow and ice craft. He said the group scaled the Indhrahara pass and covered a distance of more than 150 km despite hostile weather conditions.
— TNS |
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Rain wreaks havoc in Chamba region Chamba, June 22 There were also reports of perishing livestock including sheep and goats following lightning in the Bagga and Chhatradi belts of the region. Meanwhile, farmers of this area have requested the authorities to assess the losses caused to them following rains and report to the state government for enabling them to get relief.
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NSUI demand on compartment cases Dharamsala, June 22 |
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