Shimla, November 12
The plan of the Forest Department to sterilise two lakh monkeys over the next one year by setting up 21 more centres is unrealistic because of financial constraints and physical limitations in trapping the simians.

At present, four sterilisation centres are in operation and so far, over 36,000 monkeys have been sterilised. As per the headcount conducted by the Forest Department, there are 3.19 lakh monkeys and over 55,000 langurs in the state. Thus, when all the proposed sterilisation centres are established, the job will be completed in 18 months. The centres, on which the department will have to spend from Rs 35 crore to Rs 40 crore, will become redundant thereafter, and it will be wasteful expenditure. Further, it will require much time to set up new centres and make them operational.

Moreover, catching two lakh monkeys in a year is almost impossible because of physical limitations as integrity of the troops has to be maintained and the animals are to be released after operation in the same area from where they were trapped. The job has to be carried out under the guidance of the forest officials. Any lapse on the part of monkey catchers disturbs the troop, after which they are difficult to trap. Moreover, in the past the catchers also lost interest due to unnecessary delay in payments. The remuneration of catchers has been increased to Rs 500 per monkey, but steps are also needed to bring transparency, and a mechanism to ensure time-bound payments must be put in place.

A more practical way out is to strengthen the existing centres and set up two mobile centres. The experience so far indicates that a veterinary surgeon can comfortably operate 50 monkeys in about four hours and if two more surgeons are deployed in each centre, along with supporting staff, it will be possible to conduct 150 operations in three shifts of four hours each. Thus, each centre can easily operate over 3,000 monkeys every month. The four centres together can sterilise 1.50 lakh monkeys in a year. Some mobile centres can be set up by modifying the buses for far-off areas.

Additional Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy agreed that the target of sterilising two lakh monkeys was too ambitious, but asserted that setting such goals were essential for speedy results. The department would approach a practical and, if required, the decision to open 21 centres would be reviewed. The basic idea was to accelerate the pace of the programme. He said he would personally monitor the programme and ensure prompt payments to catchers. 

Shimla, November 12
The state government has authorised the state Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board to build transit hostels at places having more than 300 construction workers.

Addressing a meeting of four trade unions of the state here last evening, Chief Minister PK Dhumal said the government had taken a number of steps for the welfare of workers. A fund had been created for the purpose by imposing 1 per cent of the total project cost as cess on the builders. The benefits, accruing to members of the fund, included monthly pension of Rs 500 per month to the members completing five years of service, Rs 10,000 as maternity benefit to female workers, while male members would be entitled to Rs 1,000 as paternity benefit.

Further, disability pension of Rs 500 per month with ex-gratia grant of Rs 10,000 was also being provided in case of more than 50 per cent disability and Rs 5,000 in other cases. Loan facility up to Rs 6,000 for purchasing tools was also available and the board was competent to sanction funeral assistance of Rs 5,000 to dependents of a deceased. The women workers could avail conveyance grant of Rs 2,000 for purchasing a bicycle.

He said all the financial benefits under the rules, other than death benefits and medical assistance in cases of accidents, were payable six months after a person became a member of the fund.

He said it was during the present term of the government that the daily wages of workers were increased by Rs 45, which was a record hike benefiting lakhs of workers in the state. He said workers in tribal areas were entail to 25 per cent additional wages.

The representatives of the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) attended the meeting. They included BMS Chairman Surender Thakur, INTUC Chairman Hardeep Singh Baba, AITUC Chairman Jagdish Bhardwaj and CITU Chairman Jagat Ram.

Shimla, November 12
Most of the natural lakes in the state’s higher reaches have started freezing as snowfall in the past few days has brought down the temperature, the Weather Department said here today.

In Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Chamba and Kullu districts, the night temperatures have been below the freezing point, a Met official said.

The Chandertal, Surajtal, Prashar and Manimahesh lakes have started freezing.

While the Manimahesh lake is located in Chamba district, Chandertal and Surajtal are in Lahaul and Spiti district. The Prashar lake is at a height of 9,000 ft in Mandi district.

Reports said the 475-km-long Manali-Leh highway remained blocked for several hours in Lahaul and Spiti district yesterday after heavy snow. The Rohtang Pass (13,050 ft) and the Baralacha Pass (16,020 ft) located on the highway experienced fresh snowfall.

Traffic on the Saach Pass in Chamba district was restored today after a day's closure.

Kalpa, some 250 km from Shimla, today recorded a low of 3.2° C, while it was 3.8° C in Manali and 13.3° C in Dharamsala.

However, Shimla and its surrounding areas have been experiencing sunny days even as the nights are cool. The town recorded a low of 10.3° C.

The Met office predicts mainly clear weather across the state till Monday. — IANS

Dharamsala, November 12
Vascular surgery can save limbs of people suffering from gangrene and other similar ailments. However, due the lack of knowledge regarding vascular surgery, many people are being forced to undergo amputation of limbs.

Dr Ravul Jindal, Head, Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, Fortis Hospital, Mohali, gave this information while talking to newsmen here today.

He said ignoring blackened toes might not only lead to amputation of the foot or leg, but could also cause an onset of heart ailment. This peripheral arterial disease (PAD) was associated with old age, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension.

Dr Jindal further said people living in hilly terrain were more prone to these diseases because of old age and high incidence of smoking. Those from the hills had to walk a lot and hence developed symptoms of the disease in the form of pain in the calf or thigh while walking.

The incidence of diseases varied from 4-6 per cent in the population aged more than 50 years. Risk factors resulted in blockade of blood vessels in the leg resulting in loss of blood supply to the foot with consequences such as infection, non-healing ulcer and gangrene (blackening of toes), he said.

Though there were no figures for vascular patients in the country, the fact that there were over 25 million diabetics was just a small pointer to the vast numbers of undiagnosed vascular cases.

Dr Jindal said it was very important that the doctor checked pulses in the feet every three months.

Lowering blood pressure, bad cholesterol levels, managing blood glucose and regular exercises were the best ways to prevent these diseases, he said.

Hamirpur, November 12
The second day of Hill Fair-2011 started with speeches of chief guest Director Rajneesh Shrivastava and guest of honour, RTO, Hamirpur. The star performer of the day was Anuj Sharma second runner-up of Indian Idol-2 fame.

Performers of the Dance Club mesmerised the crowd on the “Ishq hua” medley.

The audience couldn’t stop laughing when the Dramatics Club, headed by Akhilesh, gave a superb performance. The Natti, a folk dance, left a mark on the audience performed by final-year students of Architecture Department.

In the fashion show, models from NIT, Hamirpur, displayed glitz and glamour on the stage through their graceful catwalks. A fashion parade by them was the most appreciated performance of the evening. English and Hindi clubs presented their plays.

A dulcet atmosphere was created by the suave performance of the Music Club.

Solan, November 12
Virender Chowdhary, state general secretary and in charge of the AICC, today gave a clear message to the party’s rank and file to desist from sabotage within the party and work in unison to ensure victory of Congress candidates in the Nalagarh and Renuka seats. He said indiscipline would be dealt with seriously and responsibility would be fixed if leaders were found lacking in campaigning.

While assigning duties to the leaders after holding a meeting at Parwanoo today, Chowdhary urged the Congress leaders to closely monitor the misuse of official machinery by the ruling BJP, which, he alleged, would indulge in casting fake votes. He directed five Congress leaders to monitor one booth each to ensure fair polling.

Later addressing mediapersons, he said the BJP had acquired the role of a broker with Shimla and Solan district being the worst affected where the state’s prime land was being sold for a song to non-Himachalis. He questioned the rationale of the rath yatra undertaken by LK Advani at a time when the state BJP government was steeped in corruption and its image had taken a drubbing.

He said the constitution of a Bhrashtachar Mukti Morcha by BJP leaders, which comprised a former state president and an MP, spoke volumes about the poor governance in the state.

He said the BJP was indulging in a campaign to mislead the masses and trying to belittle the achievements of state’s first Chief Minister Dr YS Parmar by harping on the lack of development in Sirmaur.

PCC president Kaul Singh Thakur, leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes, AICC secretary Asha Kumari and media committee chairman Mukesh Agnihorti were among those present on the occasion. 

Solan, November 12
Congress candidate Lakhwinder Rana today filed his nomination before the SDM for the Nalagarh seat. He was supported by a huge rally of Congressmen and senior Congress leaders, including PCC president Kaul Singh Thakur and leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes.

Rana, who was contesting the third election from Nalagarh, managed to muster the support of a large number of Congressmen owing allegiance to various leaders of the party. Besides several MLAs, several leaders of the BDC and Zila Parishad were also present on the occasion to support him.

Rana is a graduate and appears to be a better bet among the educated youth in comparison to the BJP’s Gurnam Kaur, who is an under matric.

Kaul Singh, while addressing people, said the BJP government had slapped politically-motivated cases against 550 Congressmen for burning the CM’s effigies, while no case was registered against their own party men, who burnt the PM’s effigies.

Ram Lal Thakur, a former minister, was also present.

Three independent candidates, including Rajesh Kumar, who was pursuing PhD, Sunder Singh and Jagdish Chand were among those who had filed their nomination from the Renuka seat. 

Mandi, November 12
Budding college artistes, inspired by stand-up comedy shows on TV channels, left the audience, including teachers, students and policemen, red-faced at the mimicry show introduced for the first time during the ongoing HP University Youth Festival (theatre) at the postgraduate Valabh College here.

Over 15 college artistes performed mimicry items, but the panel of judges - Dr Narendra Awasthi, PS Joshi and Ravi Kumar - found only three items fitting in the mimicry art. The rest of them were rejected as “unpalatable, even ribald, and did not fall in the mimicry art form”, sources said.

Two mimicry items presented by students of Sundernagar and Dharamsala kicked up a row as yoga guru Ramdev, Mallika Sheravat, chemistry teacher and a fat, moustached cop figured in the mimicry hit list.

The artistes rather than mimicking gesture, movement and behaviour of their “mimic men” went on to make a comment that left the audience, including chief guest IG, Central Range, JR Thakur, with a bad taste.

The performers were grilled later by the organising committee.

College Principal and in charge of organising committee MS Jamval said the items turned out to be in bad taste.

RS Chauhan, Director, HPU Youth Affairs and Sports, said mimicry was introduced for the first time at the festival after it was recommended by the Association of Indian Universities. “A letter from the government clearly states that action will be taken against the head of the institution which does not adhere to decorum on the stage,” he added.

Dagshai, November 12
Army Public School (APS), Dagshai, entered the national-level debate competition by emerging winners at the command-level competition held here today, where schools from five different corps in the Western Command participated.

The participating schools included APS, Jammu cantonment; APS, Yol; APS, Ferozepur; and APS, Dhaula Kuan (Delhi); besides host APS, Dagshai.

Students debated on the topic “Scams are a blot on emerging India” and gave figurative details of scams which had rocked the country since Independence and how it had impacted the nation’s economy with the FDI declining steeply.

The debating team of APS, Dagshai, comprising Karan Sethi and Shruti Dabas bagged the individual first two positions, while the third position was bagged by Anchal Dev of APS, Ferozepur. Nicky J Collins of APS, Dhaula Kuan, was judged the best interjector. APS, Dhaula Kuan, managed to bag the second team position, while APS, Ferozepur, came third.

Col SK Lohtia, Additional Director, AWES, Western Command, who was the chief guest, gave away the prizes to the winners.

He said it was pertinent to pursue a profession in which one had a keen interest as that helped an individual perform one’s best.

Vijay Datta, principal of APS, Dagshai, gave a word of advice to the students on various aspects of effective communication.