Dharamsala, December 16
Minister for irrigation and public health Ravinder Ravi today said in the Vidhan Sabha that there was no endangered wildlife species in the state.

He was replying on behalf of the state forest minister after Nalagarh MLA Hari Narian Singh raised a question about endangered wildlife species.

Obviously, while making this statement, the minister forgot that many animals and bird species in the state were on the IUCN red list of endangered species.

These included snow leopard, sarus crane, ibex (a Himalayan antelope) and cheer pheasants. The Chief Minister, however, corrected the minister and named certain endangered species.

HPCC president Kaul Singh stressed the need to protect Monal bird that was the state bird earlier.

Ghumarwin MLA Rajesh Dhirmani asked whether the government would provide facilities to retired paramilitary personnel on a par with ex-servicemen.

Dhumal said the state was willing to cooperate in setting up a canteen for paramilitary personnel, but the decision had to be taken by the Centre.

Shimla MLA Suresh Bhardwaj expressed concern over reduction in rice quota for the above poverty line (APL) families in the state by the Union Government.

The minister concerned said the request regarding increase in rice quota had been sent to the Centre, but there had been no response so far.

Sundernagar MLA Rup Singh asked about various steps being taken by the government to improve security in the state in view of Mumbai attacks.

The CM said security had been tightened around all temples and tourist places. Quick reaction teams had also been formed at the district level.

The state would also urge the Centre to set up an NSG training centre in Himachal Pradesh, he added.

Members of the House urged the government to increase the area under the carbon credit scheme of the World Bank.

At present, there were just 274 villages under the scheme. The CM said the matter had been taken up with the World Bank.

Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh drew attention of the House towards the protest being organised by villagers against the stone crusher proposed to be set up in the Sullah constituency.

The CM said people of the area would be taken into confidence before giving permission for the stone crusher.

Dharamsala, December 16
The report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for the last financial year that was presented in the Vidhan Sabha today has pulled up the state Forest Department for short recovery of Rs 88.34 crore that amounts to about 40 per cent of the total under recoveries (Rs 218.62 crore) detected in the report.

In the report it has been stated that from the records of six DFOs it has been found that cost of 20,880 trees (including samplings) of deodar, kail, rai, fir and chil species having volume of 15,656 cubic metre was charged at rates fixed in 1999-2000 and 2006-07.

These trees were felled as they fell in areas of projects and transmission lines. As per rules rate of trees should have been increased at a rate of 10 per cent per annum from the rates fixed in the said years.

However, concerned officials charged old rates causing loss of revenue worth Rs 3.72 crore to the state government.

The report has also pointed that the department has not charged cost of 2.84,906 fence posts used for maintenance of compensatory forest from the user agencies. The posts were purchased in 2002 to 2007 period. This led to loss of Rs 3.20 crore to the state government.

The Forest Department has also been accused of not disposing off the seized timber. The records of 17 DFOs revealed that 1,136 cubic metre timber of different species seized between 2002-03 and 2006-07 has not been disposed off. The value of timber was worked at Rs 2.72 crore.

In Theog and Churah forest divisions deodar and kail trees having 61.1 cubic metre timber were seized from offenders between 2003-04 and 2006-07. The seized timber valued at Rs 18.66 lakh was not accounted for in the register of forest produce.

There was nothing on record to verify whether seized timber was auctioned by the department or sent to sale at the Forest Corporation Depot.

The Forest Department has also been accused by the CAG report for under assessment of damage and compensation, short recovery of value of illicitly felled trees and loss of revenue to the cases becoming time barred.

The report has stated that no court takes cognisance of forest offence cases after the expiry of limitation period, which ranges from six months to three years.

Records of nine DFOs in the state revealed that damage reports involving 163
trees of deodar, kail and ban species were issued between 2002-03 and 2004-05
against offenders.

The department, however, failed to take the cases to the court of law that resulted in loss of revenue worth Rs 32.43 lakh.

In Theog forest division also 47 trees of deodar were felled illegally, but the offenders were not taken to the court of law, the CAG report has stated.

Dharamsala, December 16
The Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has caught Vijay Kumar Kaul, an assistant manager of the Forest Corporation posted at Dharamsala, while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 4,000.

SP (vigilance) Santosh Patial, in a press note issued here today, said a contractor, Sushil Sharma, had complained to them against the accused officer.

The contractor had alleged that he was given a contract for supplying 28,000 tins at the Shahpur depot of the corporation.

These tins were meant for collection of resin from pine trees. The report for the final payment was pending with the corporation’s Dharamsala office.

Kaul was demanding Rs 4,000 for clearing the payment. A trap was laid and the accused officer was arrested accepting the bribe.

Dharamsala, December 16
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal paid floral tributes to the martyrs on behalf of the people of the state by laying a wreath at the martyrs’ memorial here today.

The ceremony was organised by the Rising Star Corps on the occasion of Vijay Divas. Dhumal also honoured Major Anshul Shukla, a Shaurya Chakra winner from the state, and presented him a draft of Rs 10 lakh as recognition of exemplary courage shown by him while serving in the eastern region.

The war memorial at Dharamsala was constructed in memory of martyrs from Hiamchal Pradesh who laid down their lives for the nation during various operations since Independence.

The foundation stone of the memorial was laid by the then Chief Minister Y.S. Parmar in 1972. It has names of 1,241 martyrs inscribed on five faces of the memorial.

GOC, Rising Star Corp, Lieut-Gen Vinay Sharma and minister Kishan Kapoor were also present on the occasion.

Dharamsala, December 16
A committee headed by chief secretary Asha Swaroop has found many anomalies in the controversial BOT project at McLeodganj.

The chief secretary said she had visited project site along with committee members. She said a specially empowered committee of the Supreme Court had directed the state government to make operational the bus stand part of the BOT project.

“A committee was formed under my leadership to look into the possibility of making the bus stand operational. During our visit to the site, the contractor showed us seven bays that would form bus stand. However, the gradient approach to these bays was very narrow,” she said.

The committee members were of the view that the gradient approach should be widened. However, more forest land would have to be acquired for widening it and the permission for it would have to be sought from the specially empowered committee of the Supreme Court.

The approach to the proposed taxi stand was also narrow. The committee was of the view that it should be widened for smooth plying of vehicle.

The committee also observed that the contractor was bringing up commercial structures at the top of the proposed bus stand building.

The structures were not being brought up as per the original plan approved by the Town and Country Planning Department.

The contractor said since the hotel structure had not been allowed by the Supreme Court, he had to bring up certain commercial structures to make the project viable.

The chief secretary said the committee headed by her would submit the report to the government after going through the record.

The specially empowered committee of the Supreme Court had earlier recommended the demolition of a part of the BOT complex as it had been brought up on reserved forest land.

It had also recommended imposition of a fine of Rs 1 crore on the state government for failing to check encroachments on forest land.

Minister for urban development Kishan Kapoor had stated that the government would wait for the final decision of Supreme Court to act on the issue.

Dharamsala, December 16
Dr Divya Singh hailing from Dharamsala has secured first rank at the PGIMER, Chandigarh, MD/MS Entrance Examination held on December 13.

She did MBBS from the Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, securing gold medal.

Her father Brig Devinder Singh is a serving defence officer and mother Jyotika Singh is a housewife.

Solan, December 16
The manner in which the press stickers were being blatantly misused to evade tax came to light today when a Maruti van (HP14-A-4775) was found carrying cosmetics for sale worth about Rs 62,000 without paying any tax.

The vehicle bearing a press sticker was seen conveniently crossing the Mall Road, near the DC Office, and it was found carrying large quantities of cosmetics supposedly for sale.

The traffic policemen on duty when inquired about the authenticity of the driver found that he could produce no valid document to entitle him to use a press sticker.

He produced an identity card belonging to Punjab Hulchul while it did not mention whether it was an electronic channel or a newspaper.

The police was now verifying whether it was genuine or not though prima facie it looked like a fake identity card.

The police was, however, surprised to find that driver Tarsem Lal, a resident of Housing Board Colony here, did not even possess any driving licence.

The policemen later challaned him under Sections 174 and 181 of the Motor Vehicle Act for unauthorised use of press sticker and for not possessing any driving license.

The excise officials who were later called by the police evaluated the price of goods and charged him Rs 15,000 as tax.

Several such vehicles were often seen moving about in the town bearing press stickers and this was not the lone case where such tactics were used to evade tax by businessmen.

The police had geared up to check such vehicles after intelligence agencies had pointed out the imminent use of press stickers by anti-social elements to perpetuate terror nationwide.

In lieu of such information the mediapersons had been cautioned to ensure booking of rooms in government-run-guest houses after following proper written procedures.

Shimla, December 16
The move of the Centre to declare the Chhatisgarh Electricity Board as illegal and forcing the state to unbundle it has set the alarm bells ringing for the state power board that has ceased to be a legal entity after denial of extension to continue in the unbundled form.

Senior officers, who are currently busy with the winter session of the vidhan sabha, are likely to go to New Delhi on December 22 to discuss the matter with the ministry.

Sources said the state was not likely to get any relief unless it went with a concrete plan for unbundling and started the process immediately.

Experts maintain once the transmission licence expires the state has no option but to unbundle the board as the Centre had no power to grant licence.

As per the Electricity Act 2003, only the state regulatory commission is competent to grant licence to a transmission, distribution or generation companies set up in accordance with its provisions.

Thus the state government to first unbundle the board and set up independent companies which would then approach the commission for licence.

The state take immediate steps to strengthen the recently set up the Himachal Power Transmission.

It continues to function without manpower as the board has not relieved the staff to be taken on secondment by it.

The main reason for the board not sending staff to the new corporation is that the government had not transferred the entire transmission work to the new utility.

It has been only assigned construction of new transmission lines of 66 kv and above, planning and implementation of Rs 4,500 crore master plan for transmission.

The existing transmission network and lines of less than 66 kv are with the board.

The state load dispatch centre has also not been separated in accordance with the Electricity Act 2003 which also mandates setting up of an independent government transmission company.

The reluctance of the government to unbundle the board has only hardened the stance of the Centre which refused to pose the Rs 2,500 crore transmission project for funding by external agencies.

Shimla, December 16
A forum of non-government organisation, the Himalaya Neeti Abhiyan Samiti, has urged the state government to spell out its policy regarding the establishment of special economic zones before starting the process for identification and acquisition of land for purpose.

Chairman of the samiti Kulbhushan Upmanyu has pointed out that the main policy issue was whether or not agriculture land would be acquired for SEZs in the state.

The samiti was against acquisition of farm land but the government had not made it stand on the issue clear. Farm land in the hills was scarce and farmers were already having very small holdings which were uneconomical.

He said Chief Secretary Asha Swaroop had on the plea of the samiti ordered a fresh survey for identification of land for the proposed SEZ at Gagret in Una but it would not serve any purpose until the government comes out with a policy regarding acquisition of farm land.

There was need to introduce community farming to make the small holdings economically viable but it should not lead to a situation where the farmers were deprived of their land and traditional means of livelihood.

Shimla, December 16
Higher reaches of the state today experienced snowfall, aggravating the cold wave condition in the region.

Reports from Keylong, the district headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti and Recong Peo, the district headquarters of Kinnaur, said its higher reaches experienced mild snowfall during the day, reducing the mercury considerably in the areas.

Residents of Shimla braved the prevailing cold wave condition amidst cloudy weather for the day.

At Keylong, the minimum temperature recorded was minus 4.9°C while it was minus 0.6°C at Kalpa in Kinnaur district.

In Shimla, the minimum temperature was 10.5°C while it was 10.3°C at Dharamsala, Sundernagar 6.5°C, Bhuntar 5.8°C and at Una it was 4.8°C. — PTI

Sundernagar, December 16
To oppose the government decision to set up cement plant near Sundernagar the Sundernagar Sangharsh Samiti has given a call for Sundernagar bandh on December 17 and demanded that it should be shifted to a far off area.

According to representatives of the Sundernagar Sangharsh Samiti, the majority of population was against the setting of cement plant elsewhere, but the samiti had adopted moderate approach and demand it away from the Chambi area to a far off place and that too on barren land.

For the last few days volunteers of the samiti have been visiting various localities of Sundernagar with an appeal to make the bandh successful on December 17.

They are also distributing an appeal stating therein the hazards which would be faced by residents if the plant is allowed to set up near Sundernagar.

According to former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, the Congress government had signed an MOU to set up the cement plant at Nalni at far off area in 1995, but the BJP government was responsible to bring site to the Chambi area within thickly populated area and on agricultural land.

He said the Congress would extend support to agitating farmers on this issue as they were not opposing any industry, but were demanding shifting it to a far off area and that too on a barren land.

Nurpur, December 16
The Indora police today arrested Sanjiv Kumar, his father Ram Kishan, mother Raj Kumari and sister Manju of Hara village allegedly for harassing and beating Surekha Devi (24), wife of Sanjiv Kumar.

According to Nurpur DSP, Surekha’s body was fished out from a village well last evening by the villagers.

She left her in-laws house on Sunday and did not return. The villagers spotted her footwear and knitting sweater near the well and suspected her drowned in it.

Rekha Devi of Ganhi Lagor village with whom the deceased had been living before marriage and who had even solemnised her marriage lodged a police complaint against Surekha’s in-laws alleging harassment.

She also alleged that the accused used to beat her. She was married two years back and was had an 11-month-old child.

The police has lodged a case under Sections 306 and 34 of the IPC against all accused for forcing married woman to commit suicide.

A post-mortem examination was conducted and the body was handed over to the family for last rites.

Bilaspur, December 16
Dhaun Kothi gram panchayat vice-president Mehar Singh, his brother Gyan Singh and another person Shyam Singh, earlier arrested from Panjgaain village, near here, in connection with a case registered against them at the Barmana police station under the SC Atrocities Act, were released on bail by the court here yesterday.

Mehar Singh was released on furnishing Rs 30,000 and bond of the like amount and was also bound with certain conditions by the court like he would not leave his place without informing the police station of his residence.

SP Kuldeep Sharma said the police had also arrested nine persons of the other group against whom a case of rioting was earlier registered.

Those arrested include Kishan Dass, Roshni Devi, Nikka Ram, Ramjaani, Rajesh Kumar, Promila and Sanjiv Kumar.

They were arrested under various sections of the IPC, including illegal trespass, criminal intimidation, causing simple injuries, threats and rioting etc.

It may be recalled that a woman of a Dalit family had got registered a case against Mehar Singh that he had attempted to assault her when she had gone to fetch milk from his house and later this had resulted into two groups of these parties getting involved in a clash resulting in various injuries to members of both the groups and both parties had got registered counter cases against each other.

Bilaspur, December 16
Deputy divisional manager of the NABARD R.L. Negi inaugurated the district’s twenty second kisan club organised by the Himachal Pradesh State Co-operative Bank at Gaah village, under Jejwin bank branch, about 70 km from here, on Sunday.

Addressing the function, Negi said these clubs are meant to help farmers to give them full advantage of latest technology and advancement in matter of agriculture, horticulture and allied subjects through interaction with experts from time to time.

The clubs also organise demonstrations and hold camps so that they learn to adopt latest techniques for improving economically.

He said at present a campaign had been launched to give maximum benefits to the farmers by helping them in adopting latest method of poly-houses for growing off-season, better variety and highly priced vegetables, fruits and flowers so that they can earn more money.

Negi declared that very soon the state Agriculture Department is coming out with a scheme of constructing a poly-house with local material like bamboos which would be far cheaper in construction cost, but would be equally beneficial as conventional iron based poly-house.

The department would also provide 80 per cent financial grant for construction of such poly-houses in the state.

Bank manager Amar Singh Sehgal said his bank branch had provided 38 Kisan Credit Cards, 18 self-employment cards and financial help of Rs 3.60 lakh for setting up dairy farm units in that backward area.

He said all farmers’ families of Gaah village would be covered under the Kisan Credit Cards very soon.

Sehgal said his branch had total deposit of Rs 3.12 crore and branch had extended loans to farmers to the tune of Rs 1.35 crore.

District manager J.N. Sharma said the bank would achieve its target of setting up of at least one Kisan Club under its every branch here in the district by end of this financial year.

Bilaspur, December 16
Youths should use their energy for constructive work and should assert themselves against all social and customary evils that have been plaguing some of our village folks since long.

This was stated by director of the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan Anil Kaushik while presiding over concluding function of the five-day residential “Youth Awakening Camp” organised by the district Nehru Yuva Kendra at Youth Hostel in Jabbali near here last evening.

He said youths could bring a silent revolution by taking positive interest in all affairs of villages and gram panchayat as they are fully informed and have talent and zeal to work for the betterment of society.

District youth co-ordinator Som Dutt Zard said a number of district officers and officers from other organisations like banks and social groups also addressed the trainees during the camp on subjects of their specialisation and also apprised them regarding various schemes and programmes launched for welfare of people.

Total 35 trainees drawn from various yuvak and mahila mandals participated in the camp in which they were also trained regarding successful functioning of these mandals and their constructive role to solve a variety of problems of their villages.