Solan, December 1
The Forest Department has seized a JCB that was being used for diverting demarcated protected forest (DPF) area for non-forestry purpose (laying a road) in the Dharot area.

Though the department has booked the offender under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and compounded the offence, legal experts opined it also attracted action under the Forest Conservation Act.

The offender could not produce any permission letter for undertaking that activity on demarcated protected forest (DPF) area.

The department was informed about the activity by villagers on Saturday evening. DFO Y.P. Gupta visited the spot to take stock of the situation.

He found that work of clearing the forest was underway around 11 pm and a JCB was being used for the purpose.

The JCB owner failed to produce any document permitting him to undertake any such work. He was, therefore, directed to stop the work and the JCB was impounded.

It being a holiday, no action could be initiated yesterday. The DFO today sent a team of forest officials to the area to file a report.

The team filed a report mentioning illegal clearance of about 25-m stretch. The offence was being compounded as per prevailing rates, Gupta said. Moreover, the use of JCB after sunset was prohibited under the law.

The owner was booked under the Indian Forest Act for having changed the nature of the forestland, Gupta added.

Village pradhan Anita Devi said the villagers did not want any such road as it would damage their water resources.

Since their economy depended on the cultivation of off-season vegetables and tomatoes, the villagers were strictly against the road and they had hence requested the DFO to get the work stopped.

Solan, December 1
Close on the heels of rape and murder of a woman from a village near Kasauli, another girl hailing from Kiyari village, near Kandaghat, was raped last night at a local hotel located on the NH-22, near Saproon bus stand.

The case has sent shock waves among the town residents, as the prime accused Vijay Kumar, alias Tantu, is the son of a prominent BJP leader of the town.

The incident came to light when the aggrieved girl along with her boyfriend Rajesh Kumar came to the local police station in the wee hours to register an FIR.

Giving information Solan SP S.P.S. Verma said the girl, who was working as a hotel receptionist at a Manimajra-based hotel, had come to Solan last night with her boyfriend Rajesh.

They had checked in at hotel Krishna, near Saproon, and were supposed to stay there for the night.

According to the police, the arrangement for their stay was made by Rajesh’s friend Vijay Kumar, who also dined with them.

The duo also consumed liquor and it appeared that Rajesh was given a drink laced with some intoxicant, which drugged him.

He, therefore, went off to sleep. After that hotel manager, Naresh Kumar, entered the room through a window and allegedly tried to lift the girl out of the room.

He, however, failed to do so and he then asked Vijay Kumar to do the needful. Vijay successfully lifted the girl out of her room and allegedly raped her after taking her to another room.

The girl after coming back to her room tried to wake up her boyfriend, but he was fast asleep.

It was after throwing water on him that she managed to wake him up and the duo then rushed to the local police station to complain about the misdeed.

Acting promptly, the police arrested Vijay Kumar from his Basaal-based residence near here and later Naresh was also arrested.

Shimla, December 1
Functions were held in various schools and colleges in the town to create awareness about AIDS here today.

A district-level function was held at St Bede’s College. Painting and slogan writing competitions were also held. Officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department distributed red ribbons to officials of other departments.

The State AIDS Control Society and the Health Department will hold functions all over the district till December 12.

Workshops and awareness campaigns will be held to make people aware about the precautions and testing facilities against the disease.

Workshops will be held for inmates of the Kanda jail, industrial workers, police personnel, hotel workers and shopkeepers.

The society is running a number of target-intervention projects for the vulnerable sections with the help of various NGOs.

Coming to the assistance of children of AIDS victims, the state government has launched a scheme where monthly financial assistance will be extended to meet their educational and other needs.

Although Himachal is still considered a low-prevalence state as far as AIDS is concerned, the government has come up with the scheme to provide better living to children of those who have unfortunately contracted the infection.

The exact number of full-blown AIDS cases in the state is 477, while the number of HIV-positive persons is 2,511.

The highest number of AIDS patients (106) is in Hamirpur, followed by Shimla (93), Mandi (91), Kangra (70), Bilaspur (65), Solan (18), Kullu (10), Una (8), Sirmaur (7), Chamba (2), Kinnaur (1), while there are six non-Himachali patients.

There are 2,511 HIV-positive persons in the state. The highest number is in Hamirpur (592), followed by Shimla (310), Bilaspur (296), Mandi (235), Una (231), Solan (80), Chamba (42), Kullu (41) and Sirmaur (31).

The society is already providing free anti-retro viral drugs to over 150 AIDS patients at the department of medicine at the IGMC.

It is also running two drop-in-centres at Paonta and Barmana, besides 20 target- intervention projects.

Chamba: The “World AIDS Day” was observed here today by organising a massive rally by the Health Department which included members of local NGOs.

The deputy commissioner of Chamba, Manish Garg, flagged off the rally with
the appeal of disseminating the message of compete eradication of the fatal
disease like AIDS.

Shimla, December 1
With the setting up of “van thanas” in selected areas of the state, field staff of the Forest Department will soon be able to arrest offenders under the Indian Forest Act.

The forest officials have been wary of exercising their powers under the Act all
these years.

It is one of the main reasons for the failure of the department to effectively curb illicit felling, timber smuggling, encroachments and other unlawful activities.

They have been mostly compounding cases and invariably looking towards the police for arresting culprits.

All this will change with the establishment of the “van thanas” that are being set up on the pattern of police stations.

Each “van thana” will be headed by an official of the rank of deputy ranger and have a team of five to six forest guards for carrying out patrolling of forests. Young and energetic guards from amongst new recruits will be selected for these thanas.

The selected officials will be provided training at Daroh police training college for two weeks and also attached to police stations for another week to help them get acquainted with the functioning of thanas, says additional chief secretary, forests, Avay Shukla.

The staff and other required resources will be provided by reorganising and merging existing forest beats.

In the first phase, five “van thanas” are being set up at Balu in Panarsa, Deha in Theog, Habban in Rajgarh, Tikker in Rohru and Mohal in Parbati division.

The staff at each thana will have at least a pistol and two rifles, a vehicle and
mobile phones.

Proper buildings with provision for kitchen on the pattern of police stations will be provided in due course.

These thanas will also be provided a “munshi” for recording complaints and for
maintaining records.

The department already has flying squads that keep moving across the state, but these have not proved very effective.

The thana system will enable the department to focus on selected areas where forest mafias are active.

Dharamsala, December 1
Stress is being laid across the country in campaigns sponsored by union and state governments to spread sex education for preventing spread of AIDS in the country.

However, state heath minister Dr Rajiv Bindal is against sex education in schools. For him sex education in schools is against our culture and we would prefer ‘yog siksha to yon (sex education) siksha in schools’.

The BJP after coming to power in its first meeting had decided that the government would not allow sex education in the government schools. The sex education is so obscene that one feels ashamed at it, Bindal said.

Interestingly, the minister said this after presiding over a function organised by the district AIDS control society.

The function was organised to mark the World AIDS Day. Further commenting on sex education the minister said the morals in Indian society are so high that we do not need sex education.

While stating this, the minister, however, forgot that India now has highest number of AIDS patients in the world.

He, however, added that state government was opening 20 Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres (VCTCs) for free counselling to AIDS patients across the state.

The minister said Rog Kalyan Samitis have been formed across the state for localised purchase of medicine and other equipment in government health institutions across the state.

These samitis are being issued funds worth Rs 16 crore. The samitis have been formed for decentralising the purchases for government hospitals.

The idea behind forming the committees is that hospitals can purchase medicine and equipment as per the specified need for their area. Till date 472 local samitis have been formed in the state.

The samitis at zonal hospital would get Rs 5 lakh per annum, at district hospital level Rs 2.5 lakh, at primary health centre level Rs 1.75 lakh and at dispensary level Rs 20,000 per annum for purchase of medicine and other equipment.

He also said 211 out of 350 vacant posts of doctor have been filled while the process has been initiated to fill the remaining posts.

Dharamsala, December 1
Parthenium hysterophorus, commonly known as congress grass, is posing serious threat to open lands in the state and other parts of the country.

It is also a threat to the health of animals and humans that live in its vicinity. However, the scientists of the Palampur Agriculture University (PAU) have found atleast one use of this obnoxious weed that was introduced accidentally in India along with imported foodgrains.

Dr N.N. Angiras, senior agronomist (weed science), PAU, in an exclusive interview with The Tribune, said they had developed a technique to produce fertiliser from parthenium. In the technique the farmers have been advised to dig out parthenium plant before flowering in the morning or evening hours.

The dug out plants are dumped in a 3 feet deep and wide pit dug in open places. The uprooted parthenium plants are kept in pit with alternative layers of dung.

A little NPK fertiliser is also added to the pit and it is covered from top in the
shape of a dome so that no water enters. The compost fertiliser is ready within
four or five months.

The interesting compost fertiliser produced from parthenium is three times better than any other fertiliser of its kind.

The test results of parthenium compost fertiliser has three times more nitrogen content than any other fertiliser, three times more phosphorus, double potassium, cadmium and magnesium.

He also said that once the parthenium plant flowers there is no cure for it. A single parthenium plant produces about 25,000 spores in a year that can lie dormant for periods ranging to 30 years.

Dr Angrias said parthenium and other seeds such as lantana were leading to extinction of medicinal plants, grasslands and other useful vegetations from open areas of the state.

The studies conducted by the scientists of the agriculture university have proved that the weeds have reduced 90 per cent productivity in the natural grasslands of the state.

The university had developed integrated technologies to restore the natural grasslands. In integrated technologies weeds are managed by live samples of Mexican beetles, herbicide samples and spray equipment.

In certain areas the university scientists have demonstrated successfully the application of technologies in areas infested with weeds, he said.

However, unfortunately the technologies developed by the university have remained limited to the institution.

The government had not taken any endeavour to use the technologies in fighting the growing menace of weeds in the open and wild areas of the state.

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme is a programme in which the people can be employed to use university technologies for restoring the natural grasslands by eradicating weeds.

Chamba, December 1
Contrary to the claims of the ruling BJP government in the state for providing efficient administration with speedy developmental activities, various government departments in Chamba district are lagging behind in executing plans and projects launched by the government for development of the area and welfare and uplift of the people.

This was revealed in the minutes of the review meeting of the Scheduled Castes sub-plan held recently under the chairmanship of Chamba deputy commissioner Manish Garg.

In the meeting the waking of key departments was not found up to the mark during the second quarter of the current fiscal year.

The minutes of the meeting released here divulged that the Forest Department had been earmarked a budget of Rs 109.21 lakh out of which Rs 102.55 lakh had been allotted to be utilised on the “Mid Himalayan Watershed Development Project”.

However, these funds had not been spent on the works undertaken under the significant project even till the end of second quarter of this financial year.

The DC had taken a serious note on the despondency shown by the department with regard to the slow pace of development.

Likewise, the Panchayat Department had also been provided funds to the tune of Rs 400 lakh under the “Backward Area Grant Fund Scheme”, but this amount had not so far been utilised under the scheme.

Same was the case in primary education, higher education, language and culture, youth services and sports, ayurveda, urban development and fisheries departments which had also been directed by the DC to spend the budget allotted by the government for various schemes within the time frame so that the financial and physical targets could be achieved; the meeting further revealed.

Chamba, December 1
A naturalist coterie of Chamba has urged state government to undertake a breeding programme of western tragopan that has been declared ‘state bird’ by government.

One of the naturalists of the region Navneet Chowfla alleged the Wildlife Department had failed to take steps to increase the number of the endangered species in the snowy ranges of north-western Himalayas in the district although the area was best suited for its breeding.

He said the authorities should initially take up the project on a small-scale level and the local residents be involved in the effort.

“If the government undertakes this project from the next year, it would be very successful and yield pragmatic results across the state,” he claimed.

Bilaspur, December 1
Gauri Sharma of Aryan Public School stood first, Maya Devi of Mahila Mandal Kanaun second and Madhu Sharma of Mahila Mandal Berri Mian third among juniors while Renu and Shilpa of Nursing School were bracketed first, Madhu of Government Girls Senior Secondary School (GGSSS) at Bilaspur, and Nisha Thakur of Nursing School were bracketed second and Nisha Sethi of Nursing school was third among seniors in the declamation contest held here today on the occasion of celebration of district-level “World AIDS Day”.

It was jointly organised by the District Nehru Yuva Kendra and District AIDS Control Society. In poster competition Sapna and Anupama both from Nursing School were declared first and second, respectively, while Sapna of GGSSS at Bilaspur was declared third.

In slogan writing Madhu Sharma of GGSSS Bilaspur stood first, Ranjana Sharma and Shikha Chopra both of Nursing School stood second and third, respectively.

Presiding over the function, DC Amar Singh Rathore urged the youth and mahila mandals to spread awakening in every house of their villages for prevention of spread of this dreaded disease.

The DC also flagged off a rally of participants, which was organised through town bazars for spreading awakening regarding AIDS.

Those present on the occasion included ADM Subhash Chaudhary, CMO Dr BD Sharma, district youth coordinator Som Dutt Zard, district AIDS control officer Dr Savita Mehta among others while some 16 youth clubs and mahila mandals and students of government and private schools of town participated in this programme.

Kangra, December 1
An Integrated Community Testing Centre (ICTC) for creating awareness among people regarding steps to be taken for preventing AIDS and holding HIV testing and counselling was inaugurated by health minister Dr Rajeev Bindal at the local civil hospital today on the occasion of 'World AIDS Day'.

Dr Bindal said Rs 16 crore had been disbursed to Rogi Kalyan Samities in the state so that the medical officers could make necessary purchases for their hospitals without wasting much time.

He said out of 572 health institutions in the state so far, 472 Rogi Kalayan Samities had been formulated in 472 health institutions and remaining samitis would be constituted by the end of this year.

He said to create awareness among the rural people of the state about AIDS so far 22 ICTCs were already functional where as 20 more were being opened in the state.

He said that in Kangra district alone there were five ICTC centres with three inaugurated today at Dehra, Palampur and Kangra.

He made an inspection of the Civil hospital after the inauguration and expressed concern over the sanitation and toilet conditions in the hospital.

He later on told The Tribune that out of two X-ray machines in the hospital one was not functional and he had ordered its repair.

He said in order to improve sanitary conditions of the hospital and repairing the toilets Rs 2.5 lakh were granted.

He, however, did not concede to the demand for more doctors. The hospital lacks services of a physician and a surgeon, the doctors disclosed.

They demanded that doctors from Lunj, Takipur and Icchi should be shifted to Kangra civil hospital as there was no indoor facilities in those hospitals and services of those doctors could be put on use here.

He said it might take a month or so to start flight. The airlines with a small aircraft was operating Delhi-Kangra flight from 1999 till 2002.

He said the management had formulated a strategy to revive these sick units but the steps did not produce expected results.

In senior category Sumna, Anjali and Diksha Sharma were respectively declared first, second and third.

An action committee of NGOs and political workers headed by Jasmat Singh was constituted to launch a stir.

Shimla, December 1
Members of the State Bank of India Officers Association held a lunch-time demonstration here today in protest against the negative attitude of the management in resolving issues at the circle level.

Zonal president of the association Jiya Lal said that several round of talks had been held to resolve the issues over the past three years but the management had failed to acknowledge the sentiments of the officers and had not shown any inclination to settle the genuine demands.

The officers were left with no option but to resort to agitation. The various branches of the bank were already facing an acute shortage of staff but more branches were being opened by shifting staff on deputation.

As a result customer services were being affected in both the existing and the new branches. The association is demanding proper infrastructure and minimum required manpower for new branches and provision of adequate staff in the existing brunches and other offices of the bank.

“The government should restore TD and other forest rights to the people, provide relief to farmers against monkey, wild boar and stray animal menace,” he said.

Shimla, December 1
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 167 crore to the state for the agriculture diversification project and execution of various rural infrastructure development schemes.

With this the total sanctions during the current financial year have reached Rs
374.76 crore.

Besides, Rs 119.93 crore project on diversification of agriculture through micro irrigation and related infrastructure like sprinkler and drip irrigation, funds have been provided for construction of 16 rural roads, two bridges, six minor irrigation schemes, five water harvesting schemes and seven rural drinking water supply projects.

Under these projects, 96.31 km of all-weather roads, 19.45 km of untarred roads, 212.4 m span of road bridges will be constructed for the benefit of 101 villages.

Connectivity will be provided to 63 rural and urban marketing centres and two pilgrim centres. Irrigation facility will be extended to 888 hectares and drinking water will be provided to a population of 22,819. Besides, an area of 20,000 hectares will get sprinkler and drip irrigation facility.

The bank has in all sanctioned Rs 2187 crore to the state under all the tranches of the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund till date for 1353 irrigation projects, 598 rural road projects, 184 road bridges, 118 watershed development schemes, 34 flood protection works, 1213 primary school buildings, 16,500 poly houses and 361 rural drinking supply schemes.

Kullu, December 1
The BJP Kullu block has opposed the BJP candidature of Maheshwar Singh, a former state BJP president and Lok Sabha member for three terms.

Office-bearers, members and in charge of Shakti Kendras in a resolution unanimously passed at the meeting today held at the residence of bock BJP president Ram Dayal Sharma at Dobhi, about 18 km from here, have urged the BJP high command and state BJP leadership not to allot BJP ticket for the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency to Maheshwer Singh, blaming him for indulging in anti-party activities and for supporting BSP candidates during Vidhan Sabha poll in Kullu and Banjar Assembly constituencies.

In an interesting political development, the BJP unit of the Kullu constituency resolved that if Maheshwer Singh was allotted party ticket it would be difficult to win the seat, as most of the party workers were unhappy with him due to his anti-party activities during the Assembly elections.

The resolution further alleged that during the Vidhan Sabha polls, on the visit of Lal Krishan Advani, Maheshwer Singh intentionally abstained from attending the public meeting held at Dhalpur Maidan to throw impression to the voters that Singh was not favouring the official BJP candidates.

The Kullu Block BJP had sought the allotment of the BJP ticket either to state BJP chief Jai Ram Thakur, Deputy Speaker Khimi Ram or youth leader Ajay Rana.

Earlier, the Banjar Block BJP had also passed a similar resolution opposing the candidature of Maheshwar Singh.

He lauded the steps of constructing the houses under the Atal Awas Yojna for
the fire victims.

Shimla, December 1
The BJP today blamed the UPA regime for the shortage of chemical fertilisers in the country, which was affecting horticulturists and fruit growers in Himachal as well.

In a statement issued here today, horticulture minister Narender Bragta and food and civil supplies minister Ramesh Dhwala said the UPA regime had failed to tackle the problem of chemical fertilisers.

“There is an acute shortage of phosphetic and potashic fertilisers in Himachal that can severely affect the rabi crop,” they said.

They said the state government had sent its demand to the ministry of agriculture, which in turn gets in touch with the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers.

“Despite sending our request, fertilisers have not been released in accordance with the demand, ignoring the interest of the farming community,” they said.

They said the demand had been sent both month-wise and category-wise, but the Centre did not come to the rescue of the state.

“The fertiliser requirement of the state was assessed by the departments of agriculture well before sowing season and communicated to the Centre,” they said.

They said there was a deficit of fertilisers to the extent of 2,500 MT in October and 6,800 MT in November.

Moreover, IFFCO allotted only 7,500 tonnes of fertilisers to Himachal against a requirement of 15,000 tonnes, affecting crop sowing.

They said the shortage was due to less allotment by the Centre. “The UPA
regime has not bothered to release additional fertilisers in the interest of the
farmers,” they said.