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Drug-trafficking network smashed
Another probe into Larji Project cost overrun
State spreads net for fisheries
Migratory birds cost Fisheries Dept 15 lakh
Cattle breeders resent encroachment at Nagaun Khud
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NCW concerned over declining sex ratio
Rain triggers landslides in HP areas
Govt may implement Bilaspur rail link
Appoint Milkfed MD, high court tells govt
Workshop on TB begins
Three arrested for cheating
Summer festival in June
Congress poll from March 27
Simplify VAT, urge traders
Traders’ bandh from March 30
Insurance employees go on strike
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Drug-trafficking network smashed
Nurpur, March 23 According to the DSP, Mr Vimukat Ranjan, Karnail Singh, a resident of Seerat, was arrested when he was carrying 1100 gm of charas in a car for smuggling. He said the police also raided the house of the accused known as main charas trafficker at Seerat and seized Rs 60,280 in cash, weighing machine and bank passbooks containing deposits of about Rs 2.97 lakh. The police suspected that the accused had a widespread network of narcotic drug trafficking in Kangra district and had been working for it for the past over 15 years. In another raid at Seerat, the police recovered 420 gm of charas and 2 kg of poppy husk from the possession of Sunita Devi allegedly having close relationship with Karnail Singh. Both have been arrested under the NDPS Act. The police has claimed for having smashed the network of drug trafficking having its roots in Kangra district by arresting these two traffickers. |
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Another probe into Larji Project cost overrun
Shimla, March 23 The probe will be conducted by a two-member expert committee comprising Mr R.N. Aggarwal, a former Chairman of the BBMB, and Mr C.L. Aggarwal, a former General Manager of the Thein Dam Project. The committee will give its report by May 15. The committee will go into the aspects of project management, including planning, design and construction, and spell out the reasons for the abnormal escalation in cost and huge time overrun. It will also determine the reasonable cost and date of commissioning of the project and fix responsibility for delay in the completion as well as cost overrun. The commission had earlier asked the state electricity board, which is executing the project, to investigate the high cost of the project. The board set up a committee consisting of two Chief Engineers which justified the high cost. The commission rejected the report and ordered an independent probe. The cost of the 126 MW project increased from Rs 687 crore to Rs 1,220 crore, making it the costliest hydel project. The cost of generation comes to Rs 4.08 per unit as against Rs 2.38 per unit for the Nathapa Jhakri project which was constructed during the same period. |
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State spreads net for fisheries
Shimla, March 23 Stating this here today, Mr Harsh Mahajan, Animal Husbandry Minister, said the fisheries had been identified as a thrust area for development by the government. The plan envisaged renovation and expansion of fish farms, massive seed production in farms and their stocking in rivers and reservoirs. The Centre had sanctioned a Rs 2.12-crore pilot project for the promotion of cold water fisheries in the state. He said the spirited efforts made to contain the viral disease, revival of trout-farming programme by remodelling the major trout farms at Holi, Dhamwar, Nagni and Barot, would provide the necessary fillip to boost fish production. The “Vision Plan” aimed at raising the state’s trout production almost 10 times from the existing 50 to 500 tonnes. Efforts were also being made in the two other crucial areas of trout farming — biosecurity of the stock and marketing. A national pathological laboratory had been established at Patilikuhal having latest equipment and Norwey-trained officials had been appointed for the purpose. The three man-made large reservoirs of Gobind Sagar, Pong and Chamera were virtually the “fish reserves” of the state. They had also become the favourite abode of migratory birds with over 1.5 lakh rare avian visitors from the Central Asia and Siberia descend on Pong dam every winter. In all, fish worth Rs 4.5 crore was being netted annually from these reservoirs benefiting over 3000 fishermen families. With a view to increase the fish catch, over 1.15 crore fry fingerlings of commercially important varieties were stocked in these reservoirs. Besides 10 lakh fry of golden Mahseer were stocked in the Chamera reservoir. Mr Mahajan said harnessing the potential of high attitude waters for fish production was another area of focus for the government. About 41 per cent of the state area fell under the tribal belt and to provide animal protein and increase employment opportunities for tribals, a scheme was on the anvil for promotion of sport, and professional
fisheries. Two new species of trout, Lake Trout and Aretic Char, had been identified for introduction in these semi-aretic waters. The development of fisheries in the sub-temperate district viz Lahaul Spiti, Pangi, Kinnaur, would not only provide protein-rich food to the locals but also promote sports fisheries, he added. |
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Migratory birds cost Fisheries Dept 15 lakh
Bilaspur, March 23 Sources in the department said water crows are fish-eaters among the 1.5 lakh migratory birds and consumed 300 tonnes of fish every year. “The birds number has increased over the years as water crows find the dam’s 24,000 hectare of shallow zone an ideal place to look for fish in the dam”, they said. Officials said the fish production in the dam could not pick up from 400 metric tonnes over the years as the birds ate over 1.5 crore small fish every year on an average. Even migratory birds from the Bhakhra dam are being lured to the Pong dam. “The Bhakhra dam has a very small shallow zone for the winged visitors. Thus, the birds have been flying to the Pong dam since 1987. Mr B.D. Sharma, Director, Fisheries, said. “The fish come to surface of the shallow zone rapidly, and the birds catcg them easily. In the Bhakhra, the birds have to dive deeper to catch the fish.” He said the department had released over 53 lakh stock of fresh fish seed this year “No doubt, the birds hit the fish production in the dam but it is part of the ecological heritage,” he added
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Cattle breeders resent encroachment at Nagaun Khud
Sundernagar, March 23 The cattle breeders told The Tribune that the venue for the mela, which was inaugurated by the Irrigation and Public Health Minister, Mr Thakur Kaul Singh, here yesterday, has shrunk as the land had been leased to the private dental college. “Even the private land owners are out to grab the venue “, the farmers alleged. The farmers said three bullocks got injured yesterday at the venue as the committee had made no proper arrangements for the animals. “The chaos governed the fair as there were neither officials nor policemen around to manage the traffic,” they rued. Though trade picked up today as the weather cleared up in the morning, bringing more traders and cattle breeders from across the region, said farmers. The farmers have brought well-bred white, black, and red bullocks from Jai Devi, Seri Batwara, Leeda, Jahu, Dehar, Jadol, Balh, Jogindernagar, Nalagarh and other places in the Mandi district. “We faced hardships to bring the cattle here, but the venue is muddy and unfit for the animals”, said Mr. Dhayan Singh, cattle farmer from Balh. The committee increased fees from 3 per cent to 3. 5 per cent on each bullock, which is sold at the fair, but the contractor has not fixed khundis, no addas to unload the animals, added Mr Tulsi Ram, another farmer. “There are no proper arrangements for the vaccination of the bullocks here. We cleared the debris paying Rs 250 as the contractor refused to do so”, he said. The farmers alleged that the government had leased out the venue to several private institutions and hostels. “If this trend continues, the fair will face closure”, they said. The NFC’s chairman and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Sundernagar, Mr Pankaj Rai, said the case was not brought to his notice so far. “We provide insurance cover to 100 bullocks to take care of their injuries during the fair. The land around the venue has been leased to the dental college by the government few years ago. But no fresh case of encroachment has come to light”, he claimed. |
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NCW concerned over declining sex ratio
Shimla, March 23 The latest report titled “A situational analysis of women and girls in HP” brought out by the National Commission of Women
(NCW) highlights the fact that while India had registered an increase of six points, Himachal had matched the figure but in the opposite direction by losing six points. Interestingly, no urban area in any of the 12 districts indicates a favourable sex ratio. “Unfortunately statistics say the more learned and urbanized we are, the more inferior position females have in the society,” the report reads. As compared to a figure of 951 in the zero to six years age group in the 1991 census, this figure dropped to 897 in the 2001 census. The negative trend is all the more alarming as the urban areas with higher literacy rate are the worst affected by this declining trend. The report points out that in 11 districts of the state there is an inverse relationship between literacy and sex ratio and probably the adoption of two-child norm by educated families has resulted in favouring of one sex over another. Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi and Una districts, which accounts for 48 per cent of the total population, show a wide gap between the sex ratio in the zero to six years and also in the overall sex ratio. “The high literacy rate has not helped HP in checking the declining sex ratio and the state has followed in the footsteps of Punjab and Haryana where the male-female ratio has declined sharply. The problem is real in Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Una and Bilaspur districts where the overall sex ratio combined for all age groups is favourable and strikingly unfavourable in 0 to six years age group. The report makes special mention of the fact that barring the 1941 decade, Himachal has for the last 100 years shown a favourable trend in sex ratio. Even at that time when the sex ratio had dropped from 906 to 897, the subsequent decade witnessed recovery and the sex ratio reached 915. However, results of 2001 census showed for the first time a decrease in sex ratio. |
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Rain triggers landslides in HP areas
Shimla, March 23 Two
persons were injured and about 20 head of cattle buried alive when a big boulder hit Gatta village, near Manikaran in Kullu district, today. The debris of the boulder has buried a 30 bighas of apple orchard. The injured, Daveki Devi and Sanju, have been admitted to a local hospital. The damage to the property is being accessed. The Bhuntar-Manikaran road is also closed because of landslides at many places. The vehicular traffic on the Hindustan-Tibet road beyond Rekong-Peo has also been suspended because of landslides at many places. There have been reports of landslides in Kullu, Chamba, Kangra and Mandi where vehicular traffic has been affected because of landslides.
— UNI |
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Govt may implement Bilaspur rail link
Shimla, March 23 Talking to mediapersons here yesterday, Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, said the project had been hanging fire for the past two decades. The state government had carried out a survey to study the viability of the project by competent authorities at its own expense and submitted a report to the Government of India for its implementation. Besides the construction of the Bilaspur-Bhanupali rail line, the government would also get the construction of the Nangal-Talwara rail link expedited. The Chief Minister said the state government had planned expressways during the next financial year. He said the Rs 1,000-crore tunnel-cum-overbridge project to link Shimla and Kalka would shorten the travel time between the two destinations by an hour. He said the Sanjauli bypass project which made no progress during the preceding regime, would also be taken up. |
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Appoint Milkfed MD, high court tells govt
Shimla, March 23 The court also constituted a committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to consider within a few days from today the entire issue with respect to the fresh appointment of Managing Director on regular basis by direct recruitment or by invoking state’s powers under Section 35(B) of the HP Co-operative Societies Act, 1968. The court also observed that Mr Ashwani Thakur in both the situations shall cease to hold the office of acting Managing Director with effect from April 11, 2005. |
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Workshop on TB begins
Shimla, March 23 Prof B.P. Gupta, Head of the Community Medicine Department, said that 16,191 cases of tuberculosis were added to the existing infectious pool in Himachal. “If the disease is left untreated, each infected person can pass on the infection to about 10 to 15 persons every year,” he said. The workshop is being jointly organised by the Departments of Community Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine and State TB Cell. More than 25 consultants from different departments of surgery, medicine, paediatrics, gynaecology, microbiology and orthopaedics attended the workshop. Dr Anmol Gupta, said that patients from different parts of the state had been coming for treatment to the DOT centre which had been functioning at the IGMC for the past six months. He added that HIV patients were at greater risk of getting tuberculosis infection. Earlier, Dr Chopra, State Tuberculosis Officer for the RNTCP, said that the programme was being implemented in all the 12 districts of the state. He said similar workshops would be held in future to train medical interns and medical students. |
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Three arrested for cheating
Mandi, March 23 The SP, Mandi Mr Ajay Yadav, said the agent Jagdish Kataria, who hails from Sultanpuri, Delhi, was arrested here by the Mandi Sadar police for cheating the Shivratri Fair Committee of Rs 1.50 lakh after four years. The agent had taken money from the committee to bring artistes, including Sudesh Bhonsle, to perform at the Shivratri fair in 2001, which he never brought”, Mr Yadav said. Mr Yadav said Kataria escaped the police net over the years, but was caught when he came here for the Shivratri fair this time. “The police has registered a case under Section 406 of the IPC against Kataria”, he added. Mr Yadav said the two arrested youth have been identified as Lalu Ram, a resident of Gagan in Balh and Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Sakroh in Mandi Sadar. “The duo used to dupe bus conductors and drivers of the private buses,” he said. The SP added that the police had registered a case of suicide against Sapna Devi from Swaradhar village in Mandi Sadar, who consumed poison, he added. “The victim is out of danger at the Mandi zonal hospital”, he said. |
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Summer festival in June
Shimla, March 23 This was stated by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sushil Negi, while presiding over the Summer Festival arrangement meeting held here today. He said the festival was being organised for the past 50 years during the summer season for the entertainment of the locals as well as tourists who thronged the hill town. Local budding artistes and schoolchildren too got an opportunity to perform, he said. “Apart from star nights where renowned names from the world of films and music will perform, a fashion show, dog show, baby show and a painting competition will be part of the festival,” he informed. The administration has also decided to hold a Himachali food festival simultaneously where the local cuisine will be served at nominal rates. |
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Congress poll from March 27
Shimla, March 23 Stating this at a press conference here today, Mr K.C.Lenka, chairperson of the State Congress Election Authority, today said that elections to the 7,000-odd primary committees and over 3,000 panchayat committees would be held from March 27 to 31. In each primary and panchayat committee an 11-member body, having at least four women representatives, would be elected. The total membership was about 7.25 lakh with 29,000 active members. He said the election to 44 Block Congress Committees would be held from April 2 to 6. |
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Simplify VAT, urge traders
Shimla, March 23 Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Ashok
Sood, spokesperson for the mandal, said the traders were opposed to the manner in which the new system of taxation was being introduced. Unlike developed countries where this was the only tax, in India several other taxes like central sales tax, market fee,
octroi, service tax and toll would continue and the net result would be an additional burden of 5 to 10 per cent on consumers if the rate of VAT was kept at 12.5 per cent. The assurance that traders having a turnover up to Rs 10 lakh would be kept out of the VAT ambit would not help as the state did not have a wholesale market and the traders had to procure their requirements from neighbouring states, he said. He said the government should hold discussions with the traders and remove their apprehensions before implementing it. |
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Traders’ bandh from March 30
Mandi, March 23 Talking to reporters here, Mr Kapur said that the traders here would observe the bandh in association with the national bodies of the traders. |
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Insurance employees go on strike
Shimla, March 23 Mr D.P. Dassi, joint secretary of the All-India General insurance Employees Association (Northern India), said that the employees, including officers of all the four insurance companies which included United India Insurance, National Insurance, Oriental Insurance and New India Insurance remained on strike in support of their demands of immediate pay revision, besides privatisation of the insurance companies and foreign disinvestment. He said that work suffered in all branches in Mandi, Hamirpur, Palampur, Kangra and other districts of the state. Mr Dassi said that the employees would continue their strike on the second day tomorrow.
— UNI |
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