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Ayurveda catches up in state
People with fake degrees might have got govt jobs
Wholesalers’ monopoly hits vegetable growers
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Ambuja Cements-truckers stalemate
vignettes
Panchayats to have vet centres
Panchayats indifferent to selecting kisan mitras
Sufficient foodstock stored for winter
Workshop held on biomedical waste management
NHPC gives facelift to hospital serai
State misses out on solar power projects
Himachal diary
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Ayurveda catches up in state
Shimla, October 26 As against 1.2 crore patients treated at allopathic institutions, nearly 50, 51,214 opted for ayurvedic treatment last year. It is significant as there are only 1,153 ayurvedic institutions, one-third of the allopathic ones. Further, the government was spending over Rs 1,100 crore a year on allopathic services. The ayurveda institutions are being strengthened in a phased manner by providing staff and other infrastructure. A process to recruit 155 more doctors (ayurvedic) has started of late. The number of seats in postgraduate courses has been increased from 24 to 39 at Rajiv Gandhi Ayurvedic College, Paprola. Also, B Pharma (ayurvedic) course is being started at Jogindernagar and BSc Nursing (ayurvedic) at Paprola. A Patanjali Yog Peeth Centre is being set up near Kandaghat in Solan to boost the cultivation of medicinal plant in the state. The process to set up Rs 5-crore Centre of Excellence in 'Dravyughna' and other plants has begun at Jogindernagar.A centre of geriatric healthcare has also been set up, especially for catering to the needs of elderly at Paprola where doctors from Punjab, Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir will be imparted training. The Ayurveda Department has also been a part of the Anaemia-free Himachal Programme under which 8, 98,491 people were covered in the first phase at Kangra. The Panchkarma treatment has been introduced in 16 ayurvedic centres and the kshar sutra therapy in 9 centres during the past three years. Quath laboratories have also been set up in all ayurvedic hospitals of the state. Over 48,000 patients availed "Panchkarma" treatment and 11,903 patients underwent the "Kashar Sutra" procedure.
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People with fake degrees might have got govt jobs
Dharamsala, October 26 With complaints in this regard flooding various government departments, a senior official investigating the episode said, “If we start looking into the number of people who have been benefitted from fake degrees, it might led to shocking revelations”. Investigating agencies are also not concentrating on such complaints. Officials said they were just concentrating on the fake certificate case of the school education board. “If we deviate from the main subject it would confuse the investigation,” they said. A committee, headed by Onkar Sharma, director, industries, has decided to scrutinise the results of toppers of the education board in the past 10 years. The committee, however, is not likely to achieve much success as records, including answer sheets, are destroyed after some years. Sources say though the focus is on fake certificates or degrees from state institutions, there is a scope to scrutinise the authenticity of certificates procured by students or in-service employees from other states. A large numbers of students have procured B.Ed, JBT degrees or other professional degrees from colleges in other states. Many have got government jobs on the basis of these documents. Besides, many government employees have also procured degrees from other states to get promotions in their respective departments. In the recent past, a section of teachers had protested against promotions given to their colleagues who had procured higher qualification from doubtful institutions. Following complaints, the state education department had stalled the promotions. Besides, many private institutions operating from shops-like premises in the state are also offering degrees even up to PhD to students. The government has now ordered a crackdown on such institutions. In Punjab, in the recent past, about 300 teachers recruited by the government had to be ousted as their degrees acquired from other states were found to be fake. The inquiry into the episode was ordered by Punjab and Haryana High Court. Interestingly, all degrees from Magadh university of Madhya Pradesh were found fake. The sources say the government is not likely to extend inquiry into the fake certificates scam to expose those who have got government jobs using fake degrees. They say the inquiry is not being conducted in this direction as it might drag many politicians into the row. Already a minister in the previous Congress government, Singhi Ram, is facing charges of procuring a fake school certificate for his daughter. The name of another senior Congress leader, Kewal Singh Pathania, was also dragged in the case by Vijay Singh Mankotia. Presently, the police has arrested only small operators in the scam, including a few postmen, two low-ranking education board employees, a private teacher and his associates. Many are not convinced with the fact that the racket was being carried out on such a low level and higher officials had no knowledge of it.
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Wholesalers’ monopoly hits vegetable growers
Hamirpur, October 26 The state government had provided funds for the construction of 12 shops in the wholesale vegetable market, which were built in 1995 by the marketing committee. The basic purpose of constructing the shops was to allot them to vegetable sellers for buying the produce of local vegetable growers and sell the same to retail sellers to benefit the local growers and create a competition. However, to maintain their hold on the market, three or four wholesalers have occupied most of the shops through manipulation by acquiring the same through subletting. This has again resulted in the monopoly of a few merchants, who force local growers to sell their produce at reduced prices and retailers to buy vegetables at high prices. Condemning the practice, Rajesh Kumar and Sita Ram, local farmers, said, “The shops were constructed to break the monopoly of a few merchants and benefit local vegetable growers, besides maintaining retail prices of vegetables. However, the occupation of shops by a few merchants has again led to a situation where prices are manipulated”. Pyare Lal Sharma, president of the Hamirpur Market Committee, said, “We have issued notices to merchants who have occupied shops through subletting. We are also trying to create competition to maintain prices of vegetables, besides providing good prices to local growers”.
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Ambuja Cements-truckers stalemate
Solan, October 26 The step has been taken by the truckers so as to avoid unrest in view of the daily protests outside the unit gate since October 6. Rattan Mishra, president of the Solan District Truck Operators Union, said it had been unanimously decided to put on hold all protests as the prolonged strike could have led to some outburst that would defeat the purpose of the peaceful protest. He rued that it was unfortunate that the strike would continue for a month and the state government had failed to resolve the issue despite the intervention of a high powered committee headed by P Mitra, financial commissioner, revenue; TG Negi, principal secretary, transport; Onkar Sharma, director, industries; and Amar Singh Rathode, deputy commissioner. All four truck unions, Ambuja Darlaghat Kashlog Mangu (ADKM), Golden Land Losers (GLL), Baghal Land Losers (BLL) and Solan District Truck Operators (SDTO), which operate around 4,000 trucks for the country’s third largest cement plant, have been left high and dry with the deadlock as they were incurring a loss of Rs 82.41 lakh per day without work on account of EMIs and other recurring expenditure. Conversely, the second plant of Ambuja Cements has managed to achieve 50 per cent utilisation level. The unit, in its third quarter report, has stated that the two units of 1.3-million capacity account for 13 per cent of their total volume. Even as the cement major has been professing inability to hike freight charges for transporting clinker, its third quarter report has clearly stated that it has benefited due to the lower raw material cost of clinker by Rs 300 per ton and the sole reason for the decline in its profit for year-on-year basis were lower realisation and higher power and fuel cost. Thus, hike in transportation cost doesn’t seem to impact its profit margin as per its latest reports. With domestic volumes increasing by 7.7 per cent on year-on-year basis, the unit was definitely not losing out even with the strike being prolonged for a month. Mishra opined that the unit management was not serious to resolve the issue as it has adequate stock at its Ropar plant for production and was therefore conveniently allowing the strike to extend even till Diwali. The final rate quoted by the truckers was Rs 653 per ton, which was scaled down from their initial demand of Rs 709 per ton for transporting clinker, but the unit management had put across a rate of Rs 625 per ton which was not accepted thus sealing all prospects of an amicable solution despite several rounds of talks. The deputy commissioner said it was unfortunate that the issue could not be resolved despite several rounds of talks before the committee as both parties were adamant. The committee was pondering over the next step, although the truckers had received a communication from the Transport Minister for intervention for an early solution.
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vignettes
On Sunday, I was at Dharamsala to receive an award instituted by Him Kesari, a local weekly. Governor Urmila Singh gave away the awards to 23 persons selected for recognizable works in their chosen fields. My first visit here was in the 60s during the rainy season. It was raining heavily when I landed here. I thought of my school geography book that read: 'After Chirapunji, Dharamsala receives the heaviest rainfall in India.'
It was a very green town and Mount Dhauladhar standing right at its back had left an indelible impact on my mind. I compared it with a General standing in regalia with a sword in a green scabbard hanging from his waist. This green scabbard with its lower tip at 460 metres (War Memorial) and the upper at about 1700 m. (McLeodganj) is Dharamsala. A kuhl with sprinkling water was flowing by the side of the road from Kotwali Bazaar to Lower Dharamasla. Leafy surroundings, wetness in the air, sweet sound of flowing waters, tiny hill abodes, pollution-free atmosphere - it was a city with old world charm. Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, had also set up his government of Tibet in exile here in 1960, making McLeodganj his official residence and also home to several Buddhist monasteries and Tibetan refugees. It has since been named as Indian Lhasa or Dhasa because of its being in Dharamsala. Dhasa is a great attraction for tourists today for here are centres that teach and train in Tibetan culture, performing and fine arts, thangka painting and philosophy of Buddha. The businessmen saw money in it and raised structures that have spoiled the ambience that one longs for visiting a hill station. Though the menace is more in McLeodganj, yet the skyline of entire Dharamsala is changing with construction in slabs, bricks and mortar. The stadium with two domes and red roof is an aberration as it matches the environs (See Photo). There are, however, a few places where Byron's words: "In solitude, we are least alone" come alive. The War Memorial at the entrance to the town added in the 70s is one such. It is so well designed that amidst the whispering of pines, one could hear the martyrs uttering: "When you go home, tell them of us and say, For their tomorrow, we gave our today." How did the town get its name which in Hindi means an inn? Kangra District Gazetteer 1924-25 reads: "Dharamsala was originally formed a subsidiary cantonment for the troops stationed at Kangra and was first occupied as a station in 1849 when a site was required for a cantonment to accommodate a native regiment which was at the time being raised in the district." This site was found "on the slopes of Dhauladhar, in a plot of wasteland, upon which stood an old Hindu sanctuary, or dharmsal, the name adopted for new cantonment." I believe it was Dharmsthal (land of religion) corrupted to Dharmsal and then Dharamsala. Though the Himachal Pradesh Government has been using the spellings Dharamshala to tune it with the actual pronunciation, yet the Government of India still sticks to Dharamsala that is why a BSNL directory spells it Dharamsala. As regards the spellings of a state/city, the Ministry of Science and Technology has issued instructions to the effect that the Survey of India will be the only authority for transliteration of names from one script to another according to the system approved by the central government and in the event of disagreement between the Survey of India and the state government, the decision of Ministry of Science and Technology will be final. Anyhow, I want it to grow beautiful like a damsel and those who are responsible for its growth always remember the quote of Edward Abbey: "Growth for the sake of growth is the ideology of the cancer cells."
Tailpiece
A tranquil city of good laws, fine architecture, and clean streets is like a classroom of obedient dullards or a field of gelded bulls whereas a city of anarchy is a city of promise. — Mark Helprin, American novelist
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Panchayats to have vet centres
Palampur, October 26 This was stated by the Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal while talking to mediapersons here recently. He was in the town to launch the "Bhed Palak Samridhi Yojna". Over 1,000 Bhed Palak from Kangra, Chamba and other districts attended the programme. Dhumal said with ambitious cattle and sheep-rearing schemes, necessity of expanding the network of veterinary institutions had been drawing the attention of the government. This was required for ensuring rich and quality livestock. The state government had aptly addressed the need by launching the "Mukhya Mantri Arogya Pashudhan Yojna". The scheme envisages strengthening of veterinary services in the rural areas in a phased manner over the next three years. He said it aims at providing veterinary dispensaries in each of the 1,272 left out panchayats of the state, where no such facility exists at present. Veterinary institutions already exist only in 1,971 panchayats out of a total 3,243 panchayats. The veterinary dispensaries will be established under the control of the gram panchayat concerned and technical supervision and guidance of respective veterinary officer. All necessary articles and equipments required for opening and running veterinary institutions in such panchayats will be provided by the Animal Husbandry Department. Medicines, vaccines, semen straws, fodder seed, record registers will also be made available by the department. Besides, remuneration to the tune of Rs 5,000 per month will be provided by the department to the panchayat veterinary assistant.
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Panchayats indifferent to selecting kisan mitras
Nurpur, October 26 Only nine out of the 52 gram panchayats succeeded in the selection. It is pertinent to mention that the state government had proposed to select one kisan mitra in each gram panchayat who would be progressive and literate farmer of that panchayat and would function as a coordinator between the Agriculture Department and farmers of the panchayat. The main objective of kisan mitras is to assist the Agriculture Department in transferring farm technology to fields and work as a facilitator in this connection. They have to lead programmes relating to agricultural activities and motivate farmers to adopt new farm technology. According to information, the government has, however, not fixed any honorarium for these kisan mitras, but they would be given Rs 4,000 per annum for training, study tours and meeting emergency expenses in carrying out technology transfer mission. In the Nurpur development block, kisan mitras could be unanimously selected only in five panchayats during Gram Sabha meetings held on October 2 and rest four were selected in Gram Panchayat meetings. In the Suliali gram panchayat, voting process was undertaken for this purpose. Sensing poor response of selection procedure in the Gram Sabha meetings, the government has recently issued fresh notification in which gram panchayats had been empowered to select kisan mitras in their panchayats. According to KDS Kanwar, BDO, Nurpur, 43 gram panchayats in the Nurpur block were yet to select kisan mitras and they would be selected as per the fresh notification of the government by passing new directions to the gram panchayats.
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Sufficient foodstock stored for winter
Chamba, October 26 The Speaker said as the tribal valley remained under snow for about seven months, it was indispensable to store essential commodities for the inhabitants of the valley in advance. The Speaker said Rs 39 crore were being spent on various development works in the valley under the tribal area sub-plan and asked the officials concerned to complete the works expeditiously undertaken under the plan. The Speaker hoped time was not far when the Pangi tribal valley would have an adequate share in terms of development as compared to other areas of the state.
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Workshop held on biomedical waste management
Kangra, October 26 The workshop was organised by local NGO DISHA in collaboration with Toxics link, a Delhi-based environmental NGO. The panellists included Dr. Sanjeev Sharma, Dr. S. B Sood, Medical Superintendent, DRPGMC Hospital, Ms. Daksha Gupta, Secretary DISHA, Mr. Anil Sharma Scientific Officer, HPPCB and Dr Mohammed Tariq Senior Programme Officer of Toxics Link. Doctors, Nurses, Interns, Administrative staff from the Hospital attended the Workshop. The delebrations highlighted the status of bomedical waste in Kangra district by Anil Sharma, scientific officer, HPPCB. Dr Mohammed Tariq, senior programme officer of Toxics Link, highlighted the toxic effects of mercury on Healthcare and made some eye-opening revelations about the hazards of extensive use of mercury. This presentation was followed by screening of films on biomedical waste management, hazards of mercury and spill management of mercury. In the end, an open and participatory discussion took place during which queries were answered.
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NHPC gives facelift to hospital serai
Dalhousie, October 26 According to SK Agrawal, executive director of NHPC Region-II, Rs 2 lakh were incurred on the improvement works of the serai, which was earlier in a dilapidated state. He said the work had been done on the request of the state government. The serai would now serve patients and their attendants to stay hygienically and comfortably, he added.
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State misses out on solar power projects
Shimla, October 26 The Union Ministry of Non-Conventional and Renewable Energy Resources has in all allotted projects with aggregate capacity of 100 MW under the scheme on first come first serve basis. The state power corporation had promptly submitted two projects of 3 MW aggregate capacity through the online system but it still drew a blank as some other state agencies and independent power producers completed the job in double-quick time. The corporation has planned a 2 MW and a 1 MW solar power projects near Naina Devi in Bilaspur after the SERC framed regulations making it mandatory for the state power utility to procure over 7 million units of solar power from the next year. Accordingly, the state power utility will be required to purchase 10.1 per cent power from renewable sources from 2010-11, which will go up to 11.1 per cent in the following year and 12.1 per cent in the third year, under renewable power purchase obligation. It will include 0.1 per cent solar power in 2011-12 and 2012-13. The increase will continue to reach 0.25 per cent by 2016. The state has ample renewable power available from small hydroelectric projects to meet the 12 per cent obligation but sourcing 0.1 per cent power to meet solar-specific obligation will be quite a task. The total sale of power within the state is 7,300 million units and accordingly the quantum of solar power comes to 7.3 million units which require 4 MW of installed capacity. By 2016 the quantum of solar power will be 25 million units for which installed capacity of 12 MW is necessary. The SERC has fixed a tariff of Rs 17.90 per unit for the proposed solar plants. However, under the scheme the state utility will get solar power at Rs 5.50 for a unit and the differential will be met by the Centre. Now, the corporation will not be able to get the advantage of the scheme. Managing director of the corporation Tarun Kapoor said the matter was being taken up by the ministry to sanction projects to public sector undertaking so that they could take up solar projects on pilot basis and pave way for harnessing the solar energy on a large-scale. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has mandated a minimum 0.25 per cent solar energy from the current year which should go up to 3 per cent by 2022. In case of shortfall, the companies will have to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) each of which will be equivalent to 1 MW hour of power. The state will have no option but to go for solar energy in a big way.
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Himachal diary The real objective of starting taxi service by the HRTC on the sealed and restricted routes of the state capital has been defeated as senior citizens for whose convenience it was introduced fail to get a seat as the younger lot jostle and push their way through. Though taxi service had proved to be a major boon for most people, the real intended beneficiaries of the scheme are not given preference. There is a lot of scope for improvement as the frequency of taxi service could be increased seeing the demand. It is a common sight at various points like Ritz, Kasumpti, New Shimla, Chakkar, Summer Hill, High Court, Kaithu and Lakkar Bazaar where the younger lot, especially girls and boys, push their way through, leaving the aged with no place in taxis. The HRTC authorities should ensure that preference is given to the elderly waiting for a taxi. Another way of ensuring that the elderly get a seat is that the ticket for them should remain at Rs 10 but for others it should be doubled. People complain that HRTC drivers make only limited rounds when it is just a 10-minute drive on most routes and they can easily increase the frequency and reduce the waiting. Moreover, whenever the drivers of these HRTC taxis are on leave, the vehicles do not ply, causing inconvenience to commuters. At many places, HRTC taxis are used by office-goers in the morning and evening hours leaving the real beneficiaries, the elderly, in the lurch. Exhibition of pen drawings
The sketches of the Viceregal Lodge, a landmark of Shimla, Old Peterhof, Jakhu Temple and the Bhima Kali temple at Sarhan are among some of his most fascinating creations. The art of pen drawing requires exceptional command over perspective to produce a three-dimensional effect on paper with the play of minute line work. All effects to bring alive the sketch of the object are created by varying the density and intensity of lines. Hailing from Kulu, Chaman has been fascinated by the hill architecture, particularly temples, which made him opt for pen drawings rather than landscape painting. Though devoid of colours the pen drawings have their own charm, says Thakur. In the first instance, a pencil sketch is drawn. Once it is completed, the final sketch is drawn using a black pilot pen.
Oppn scoffs at govt move
Most of the fruit, which could not be transported to the market and processing plants due to a shortage of trucks and bad roads, is decaying at the collection centre. The government came out with the ides of converting it into an organic manure centre to recover some of the money spent on procurement at the rate of Rs 5.25 per kg. However, the Congress has not approved of the idea and it maintains that the fruit which should have been utilised for producing juice and jams was being converted into cow dung due to the inefficiency of government agencies and gross mismanagement. Out of the total fruit procured only about 10,000 tonnes is being processed by the state-owned HPMC and some sold in the market. More than half of the quantity will be used for making manure. The CPM terms it as a proof of the government’s apathy towards apple growers and failure to make proper arrangements for the marketing of the record crop. Not only that it has made the move to sell off the carton factory at Gumma a major issue and alleged that its closure had left the growers at the mercy of private manufacturers.
Shahidi Diwas
The police force throughout the country observe Shahidi Diwas (martyr day) on October 21 to pay tributes to thousands of security persons killed while performing duty in different parts of the country. A function to mark Shahidi Diwas was organised on October 21 at the police lines, Hamirpur, to commemorate their martyred colleagues from all state police forces, BSF, ITBP, CRPF, CISF, SSB and other paramilitary organisations, who had lost their lives during last year while discharging their duties. The names of 685 officers and police personnel were read out by Hamirpur SP Kuldeep Sharma in this ceremony who was later joined by everybody to offer flowers at the martyr’s column (see photo) at the police lines ground and salute them in a parade. Other police officers were also present in this programme. (Contributed by Pratibha Chauhan, Rakesh Lohumi and DP Gupta)
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Solan, October 26
The exhibition of pen drawings by emerging artist Chaman Thakur at Shimla’s Gaiety Theatre portrays almost all important buildings of Shimla, besides famous temples of Shimla and Kulu that stand out for their typical wooden architecture. 
The government move to make organic manure from apple procured under the market intervention scheme has been ridiculed by the opposition Congress and the CPM. A record apple production of over 4 crore boxes this season has also resulted in all-time procurement of fruit. Over one lakh tonnes of apple has been procured, more than double the quantity procured in 2007 when the state had a record crop of 2.97 crore boxes.