H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Late rain wreaks havoc on paddy crop
Sundernagar, September 24
Late rain in various parts of Mandi district has caused widespread damage to paddy crop. Most of the damages to the paddy crop has been noticed in the Sundernagar, Balh Valley and Mandi Sadar areas of the district, similarly 80 per cent of maize stalks (used as fodder) have been damaged due to which farmers may face problem of fodder in winter.

Paddy crop damaged in Sundernagar in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh due to late rain. — Tribune photo by Karam Singh

Decreasing stress through music
Mandi, September 24
The youth satsang music concerts performed by the Aarohi music band, came as a revelation for the music-crazy youngsters. The Aarohi music band gave a series of youth concerts in Mandi, Solan, and at HP University, Shimla, to mark World Peace Day on September 22.

Commission to order independent probe into Larji project
Shimla, September 24
The Himachal Electricity Regulatory Commission has expressed its displeasure over the failure of the State Electricity Board to carry out its directions to investigate the abnormally high cost of Larji project and made it clear that it will order an independent probe if the report of the Chief Engineer in this regard was not found satisfactory.

Kullu haven for foreigners in search of money, love
Kullu, September 24
More and more foreigners are visiting the Kullu valley and many are settling down here after marrying locals. Reasons are varied, from love at first sight to lure of big bucks that the valley’s drug trade promises. As many as 23 foreigners have married locals over the years.

Trekking expedition concludes
Sundernagar, September 24
A high altitude trekking expedition-cum-environment study trip through Lahaul and Spiti consisting of 12 members, including four women, concluded yesterday.

Mother of murder accused arrested
Kangra, September 24
The police today arrested the mother of an accused, Mandeep, who was involved in the murder of 10-year-old Vivek at Sagoor village falling under Baijnath police, for hiding details of the murder from the police and for destroying evidence, the police said here today.

Supreme Court restores sentence in rape case
Shimla, September 24
The Supreme Court has set aside the judgement of the Himachal Pradesh High Court acquitting a teacher who allegedly raped a minor student, and restored the sentence of seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000 passed by the Sessions Judge, Kinnaur.

HP to host Paragliding Pre-World Cup
Shimla, September 24
Himachal Pradesh will host the Paragliding Pre-World Cup 2004 from November 6 to 9 at Bir-Billing in the Kangra valley.

Late rain wreaks havoc on paddy crop
Mahesh Chander Sharma

Sundernagar, September 24
Late rain in various parts of Mandi district has caused widespread damage to paddy crop. Most of the damages to the paddy crop has been noticed in the Sundernagar, Balh Valley and Mandi Sadar areas of the district, similarly 80 per cent of maize stalks (used as fodder) have been damaged due to which farmers may face problem of fodder in winter,

Rain in the area ended in the middle of August and the paddy crop which was sown earlier was ready. But the spell of rain which started last week damaged the paddy crop due to water -logging in the fields. A visit to various sites in the Balh Valley adjoining Sundernagar, different places in Sundernagar, Chailchok in Gohar subdivision, Baldwara in Sarkaghat and Pangna and the Barl area of Karsog Sub Division, the Chauntra and Harababh areas of Jogindernagar subdivision showed that at many places the paddy crop was completely damaged in the fields. According to farmers about 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the crop had been damaged by rain till now and if the rain continued the damage could be much more.

According to Mr B.C Awasthi, Deputy Director, Agriculture, Mandi, the total area under paddy crop in Mandi district is 23,000 hectare of which paddy crop in 22,000 hectare was sown early but in the rest of the area it could not be planted due to scarcity of water and was sown later, the crop in 22,000 hectare was ready for harvesting but due to rain which started last week according the estimated loss could not be more than 5 per cent and no written complaint had been received from any of farmers. He admitted that the damage was mostly caused in Sundernagar area , Balh Valley and areas of Mandi Sadar.

Last year the yield of paddy was 15 to 16 quintal per hectare but this year the department was earlier expecting 30 per cent to 35 per cent due to untimely rain

Similarly the area under maize crop in the district is 47,000 hectare but by this time most of farmers had harvested the maize crop, only negligible damage was caused to the maize crop but about 80 per cent maize stalks, used as fodder in the winter were destroyed due to the rains. The department had apprised farmers about various crop insurance schemes and if any farmer wanted to take the help of the department regarding the processing of claims they were welcome.

The rain had also destroyed off season vegetables at different places.

According to the Additional District Magistrate Mandi, Dr Prem Bhardwaj, all patwaris of the district had been asked to prepare the damage caused to the crop and the farmers would be compensated as per the norms of Revenue Department.

Mr Yudh Chand Saklani, president, Himachal Kisan Union, appealed to the Chief Minister Mr Virbhadra Singh to direct the authorities concerned to compensate the farmers.

Decreasing stress through music
Kuldeep Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Mandi, September 24
The youth satsang music concerts performed by the Aarohi music band, came as a revelation for the music-crazy youngsters. The Aarohi music band gave a series of youth concerts in Mandi, Solan, and at HP University, Shimla, to mark World Peace Day on September 22.

The Aarohi group has been performing its youth concerts all over the country since 1998 and is devoted to the Art of Living Foundation, an NGO, founded by its spiritual guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Regardless of age and sex, youngsters, including college and schoolchildren, and IPH Minister Thakur Kaul Singh, enjoyed Vedic chants.

Talking to The Tribune, Mr Gautam Dabir, music founder of the Aarohi music band, said: “My mother was a paralytic and I used to sing ghazals and old songs at the college. She inspired me to choose music as a profession and suggested the title.”

But when his mother died in 2002, the rough patch started in his life. “I was in crisis and almost decided to leave the profession. I came in touch with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as my wife is the Art of Living teacher. I did the basic course and since then I love the concert I perform. This music is for the mind. It is universal. It is divine joy that integrates one with something you may call God”.

The environment around is changing fast, and so is the case with youths’ tastes. “The youth is well-informed. Competition, peer pressure, social and individual stress are on the rise. The satsang music relates you to your true nature,” he said.

Dabir could have chosen a more lucrative career as he got an offer from Sony Entertainment, but he chose to continue the Aarohi music band to heal the stressed masses and popularise the secrets hidden in the Vedas. “The Aarohi takes its notes from the Vedic chants born out of the experiences of the sages and seers when they were in deep meditative state and hence they touch human nature regardless of age, sex and religion”, says Mr Dabir. “It invokes all three charkras in human body unlike the popular ‘op and pop music’, which touch the surface”.

Mr Dabir says Aarohi music is a fusion music as it combines contemporary music with the Vedic music. “We use electronic instruments and guitar. The band uses tabla, dholak, dhol and the acoustics and sounds. Soon we are introducing a flute in the concert”, he adds.

Accompanied by co-singers Ms Puja and Ms Mitali, the Aarohi team includes Yadunath on the dhol-dholak, Tejas Parmar on Octopad, Devdutta and Rushik Parmar on the keyboard and electronic instrument, sound engineer Deepak and sound system in charge Manmohan from Chandigarh.

Commission to order independent probe into Larji project
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 24
The Himachal Electricity Regulatory Commission has expressed its displeasure over the failure of the State Electricity Board to carry out its directions to investigate the abnormally high cost of Larji project and made it clear that it will order an independent probe if the report of the Chief Engineer in this regard was not found satisfactory.

As against the estimated cost of Rs 667 crore, over Rs 900 crore had already been spent on the 126 MW project. The final cost of the project, slated for completion in June 2005, is likely to be over Rs 1200 crore.

The cost of Rs 9.50 crore per MW will the highest to date. It will be a losing proposition for the board as the cost of generation will be around Rs 4.80 per unit as against the average sale price of Rs 1.95 per unit for the last year.

The commission had, while passing the tariff order, directed the board to investigate the reasons for the exorbitantly high cost of the project. However, instead of conducting a proper inquiry the board merely asked the Chief Engineer, in charge of the project, to submit a report.

The commission felt that lapses, if any, could not be pinpointed by those directly involved in the execution of the project. To ensure a fair probe the task should have been assigned to some senior engineer, not connected with the project.

With all funds exhausted, the board has been forced to raise additional loan to the tune of Rs 178 crore from the Power Finance Corporation for the completion of the project. The huge cost overrun and delay of over two years in completion of the project has exposed the inefficiency of the board.

How expensive the project has been could be judged from the fact that the per MW cost has been only Rs 5.50 crore for the 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri project, constructed during the same period by the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam, a public sector undertaking.

The engineers and employees of the board have been urging the government not to handover the 400 MW Rampur project to the nigam and instead get it executed in the state sector through the board in the larger interests of the state.

However, the indifferent manner in which the Larji project has been constructed does not inspire confidence that the board is capable of executing such big projects.

Kullu haven for foreigners in search of money, love
Tribune News Service

Kullu, September 24
More and more foreigners are visiting the Kullu valley and many are settling down here after marrying locals. Reasons are varied, from love at first sight to lure of big bucks that the valley’s drug trade promises. As many as 23 foreigners have married locals over the years.

Earlier this month, an Austrian woman Natali (28) married Umesh, who is reported to have been married four times in the past and is now settled down at Vasisht, Manali, and runs a stone crystal shop. But there are cases when the couple got married outside and then came back to settle down in the valley.

“I find Umesh innocent at heart and I love him,” says Natali. “She has been coming here for the past three years and we decided to marry,” adds Umesh.

Incidentally, this trend picked up in the 1990s when charas and hashish became a rage in the West and brought bad name to the valley.

“Over 13 such marriages were registered with the district administration in the last decade,” disclosed a source, adding they spoke the local language and frequented their home countries after the marriage.

But there are marriages that have made Manali proud.

Among the famous who chose to make the valley their home are the niece of the Dalai Lama, Ms Tensing Chuki Samdan Takhla, who came from the USA in 1987 and married Raj Krishan Mahant.

For Gopal Das, it was love at first sight when he met Maria Rosa Fappani, an Italian, at his Manikaran house and married in 1996-97.”We have a son. She speaks Kuluvi and I can speak and understand her language,” he says, adding that they occasionally visit Italy.

As many as five Britons have made the valley their home.

Christopher Old Meadows, a British farmer, came here in 1981 and married Shanti Devi. Two British teachers, Caroline Ann Christi and Adrian Christine Mary, also married locals.

Local villagers revealed that they do not encourage the practice of foreigners marrying local men or women, alleging that they get a passport to stay on in the valley and encourage charas and hashish smuggling.

“The foreigners married locally in the Banjar areas are engaged in the business of fishery and basket making. But we do not support such marriages as there are cases where foreigners do dubious business,” says Mr Budhi Singh Thakur, chairman, Zila Parishad, Kullu.

The police suspects that some of the married foreigners are engaged in the charas smuggling.

“They are free to marry locals. But we have arrested foreigners under the NDPS Act. In a recent case a Dutch national, who had married a local woman, was arrested when he was trying to smuggle 14.8 kg of charas from Manali last week,” said Anand Pratap Singh, SP, adding that the marriage prolonged their stay in the valley as they got special permission from the Home Ministry.

Trekking expedition concludes
Our Correspondent

Sundernagar, September 24
A high altitude trekking expedition-cum-environment study trip through Lahaul and Spiti consisting of 12 members, including four women, concluded yesterday.

This trekking expedition was organized by Northern Railway Trekking and Mountaineering Association.

According to Ms Archna Joshi, Deputy Chief Operations Manager, Planning under whose leadership this expedition was organised, the association was founded in 1977 under the Ministry of Railways with the objective of bringing the Railway officers, staff and their families closer to nature.

She said the association had been conducting trekking in mountains, deserts and coastal areas.

Mr Kaul Singh, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, was the chief guest at the concluding function.

Mr A.R. Rizvi, Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, was also present.

Mr Kaul Singh gave away prizes to various participants.

Mother of murder accused arrested
Our Correspondent

Kangra, September 24
The police today arrested the mother of an accused, Mandeep, who was involved in the murder of 10-year-old Vivek at Sagoor village falling under Baijnath police, for hiding details of the murder from the police and for destroying evidence, the police said here today.

Kangra district police chief S. Zahoor H. Zaidi said today that the arrest of Shukuntula Devi (48) was made today by a special team of the police. The SSP said that after committing sodomy and murder of his cousin, Vivek, the accused had narrated the incident to his mother, Shukuntula Devi.

However, she collected the blood-soaked clothes of Mandeep and washed them to destroy evidence. She also hid the facts of the crime from the police. He said that she had been arrested under Sections 201, 34 and 302, IPC. Mr Zaidi said that she had confessed the crime before the police.

Supreme Court restores sentence in rape case
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 24
The Supreme Court has set aside the judgement of the Himachal Pradesh High Court acquitting a teacher who allegedly raped a minor student, and restored the sentence of seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000 passed by the Sessions Judge, Kinnaur.

A Class IV student of government primary school, Khaneri, the girl was raped twice by Shri Kant Shekhari, a teacher of the same school, in 1993. The girl did not disclose the incident as she was threatened with dire consequences. However, an FIR was lodged on November 11,1993, when she became pregnant.

Subsequently, the Sessions Judge convicted him and, besides seven years’ imprisonment, also directed him to pay Rs 10,000 to the victim as compensation.

The High Court set aside the conviction and accepted the appeal of the accused.

However, a Division Bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Mr justice Arjit Pasayat and Mr Justice Prakash Naolekar, found the High Court verdict “indefensible” and restored the conviction order of the trial court.

HP to host Paragliding Pre-World Cup
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 24
Himachal Pradesh will host the Paragliding Pre-World Cup 2004 from November 6 to 9 at Bir-Billing in the Kangra valley.

The Pre-world Cup will be the third consecutive event being organised at the venue in which about 80 leading pilots from all over the world will participate.

Arrangements for the international event were reviewed at a high-level meeting presided over by the Chief Secretary, Mr Shamsher Singh, here today. He directed the officials concerned to metal the road from Bir to Billing by the end of October and also ensure that the water supply scheme for Billing became functional by that time.

It was informed during the meeting that 14 rescue teams would be positioned at various places during the event and five medical teams will be deployed to provide medial cover to the participants. A helicopter will also be kept ready for emergency.

Mr Ashok Thakur, Principal Secretary, Tourism, said rules for paragliding had been notified and the competition would be open only to those who met the standards laid down.