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HP leads in providing aid to HIV+children
Diabetes on the rise in state
Power generation dips as water level decreases in Sutlej
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Mini-secretariat lacks basic amenities, in bad shape
Now candidates bank on postal ballots
vignettes
Himachal diary
Construction of Finna Singh Irrigation Project begins
Employment for the locals a bleak prospect
Senior citizens resent police ‘harassment’
Palampur boy in “Bigg Boss”
First Convocation Ceremony
NIT students celebrate silver jubilee festival
Host Pinegrove lift inter-school hockey trophy
Dhauladhar Convent School celebrates National Education Day
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HP leads in providing aid to HIV+children
Nurpur, November 20 According to reports, under the special financial support scheme, 460 HIV positive children are getting the benefits in Kangra district alone and the highest number of beneficiaries have been enrolled in Dehra and Palampur followed by Nurpur sub-division. Meanwhile, Kangra district AIDS programme officer RK Sood claimed that the state Health Department had made strides in the treatment and prevention leading to transition of HIV from a terminal illness into a chronically manageable one. “Keeping Kangra district in view, the facility of the scheme has been decentralised to all 27 integrated counselling and testing centres (CTCs) set up in various state health institutions in the district for the convenience of the beneficiaries. A beneficiary gets Rs 300 to Rs 800 per month as financial support,” he said. Significantly, children do not have to travel to the district headquarter to claim their financial succour. Instead, funds are transferred to the bank accounts of beneficiaries directly on a quarterly basis after submission of an application and supportive documents at the ICTCs. A sum of Rs 14.7 lakh had been disbursed among the beneficiaries for the first and second quarters in the current fiscal year in the district. Even banks are assisting beneficiary children by opening their accounts with zero balance.
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Diabetes on the rise in state
Mandi, November 20 The people here are spending 40 per cent of their income in treating diabetic complications as only 17.9 per cent of patients take treatment religiously, say doctors. In a recent study, doctors at Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, have examined 857 diabetic patients across the state and have come out with shocking figures. Dr Jatinder Mokta, Associate Professor, IGMC, who has been spearheading diabetes awareness campaign in the state, said what concerns more was that 34 per cent patients were not taking any medicines to manage other complications considering that diabetes was a major cause of heart disease, neuropathy, renal failure, hypertension, stroke, amputation and blindness. Dr Balraj Singh of IGMC, who along with Dr Mokta conducted the study, said only 17.9 per cent patients were taking regular treatment and out this, only 62.8 per cent were taking allopathic treatment and 27 per cent were taking ayurvedic medicines. They observed that only 11 per cent were taking anti-lipid (statin) and 26 per cent were taking medicines for lowering blood pressure and just 3 per cent were on insulin. Dr Mokta said the abdominal fat was the main cause of obesity among diabetic patients. “Type I and Type- II diabetes is prevalent among both boys and girls because of wrong food habits and lack of physical activities,” he said. Myths abound among patients, complicating the treatment. Ratan Singh (80), a diabetic patient from Karsog, said, “It is our karma and is bound to ail us in advanced age”. “The children in the hills are spending more hours indoors, in front of TVs and computers, rather than playing outdoors or doing some physical activity. It is a family problem and can be tackled by family as a whole,” Dr Mokta said.
Dos & don’ts
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Power generation dips as water level decreases in Sutlej
Rampur, November 20 RK Bansal, director (Electrical), SJVN, said, “Water level has deceased from about 17-25 per cent, which has decreased the total energy generation”. “We are increasing the efficiency of our plant, so that our units are available round the clock and if units decrease during the downtime, this is also in the benefit of the country,” he said. Locals are facing water shortage due to the depletion of natural water resources caused by enormous construction in the region. Locals alleged that the water channels are shrinking as various companies are using the waters of Satluj's tributaries for the generation of power. Decline in power generation is a normal phenomenon during winters as the discharge comes down rather quickly due to low temperature in the higher reaches, which affects the melting of snow. However, environmentalists believe that such projects pose a serious threat to the surroundings as it is polluting the water sources and no pure water is left for the cattle on the rivulets.
— ANI
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Paprola town lacks basic amenities
Palampur, November 20 Most of the interior streets needs an immediate repair. Due to overflowing drains, water accumulates on these streets, making it difficult for the residents to even walk. Some of the paved streets here have been damaged because of the overflowing drains. Garbage can be seen on every nook and corner of the town. There is no sewerage system in the town, thus creating a number of health hazards for the locals. There are frequent traffic jams on the narrow Pathankot-Mandi National Highway, which passes through the town. Despite repeated requests, the state government has “not cleared” the project for the construction of a bypass for the town. At present the town is governed by a panchayat. There has been manifold increase in the population here and the panchayat is finding it difficult to maintain the town with the meagre funds allotted to it every year. The resident of the town demanded that a plan should be drawn to provide them basic amenities on par with the other towns of the
state, liberal funds should be sanctioned to the panchayat for the installation of streetlights, panchayat should be permitted to charge toll tax from
vehicles and tax on the sale of liquor should be directly deposited in the bank account of
the panchayat so that it could raise its own resources for the development of the town.
Raj Kumar Kaura, former panchayat pardhan, said the town needed municipal council at the earliest. Besides, sewerage system should be maintained and potable water should be made available to the people, he added.
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Mini-secretariat lacks basic amenities, in bad shape
Palampur, November 20 Over three thousand persons visit this complex daily in connection with their work in different offices located here. Twelve important offices like EE Public Works Department, SDM, Tehsildars, SDPO, AE IPH, TO, etc have already shifted their offices to the new complex. Even after the expiry of a year, the state government has failed to provide basic amenities to the visitors and the staff posted here. Most of the washrooms and toilets here are choked for the past one month, causing great inconvenience to visitors. In many washrooms, no equipment is seen. Either these have been stolen by someone or removed by the Public Works Department. Heaps of garbage, including empty liquor bottles, can be seen inside and outside the building emitting foul smell. It seems that the building has not been cleaned for months. Though the state government has banned the use of liquor in all public places, these orders are yet to be implemented in this official complex as empty bottles show that there is no check on the consumption of liquor. Since the sewerage system is blocked, officials posted here have to use the toilets of adjoining buildings which are away from new complex. Before making the new complex functional, no provision was made for a proper entry and parking
of vehicles. The parking area of the complex is yet to be cemented or black coated. Stray animal can be seen languishing in the mini-secretariat complex all the times. In the absence of basic amenities, many other departments are reluctant to shift their offices here. A senior officer admitted that in the absence of maintenance, toilets are choked and have become non-functional. He said there was no coordination between different departments located here to maintain or repair the new building and to pay the electricity and water bills. This was
the only reason that the new complex was in a bad shape.
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Now candidates bank on postal ballots
Shimla, November 20 Officials of the Election Department said of the total 4,608,359 electors in the state, over 74,000 defence personnel were posted across the country. The department has sent them postal ballots and these should reach the respective returning officers by December 20, the day votes will be counted. Chief Electoral Officer Narinder Chauhan said a majority of postal ballots were yet to reach the returning officer concerned. Official sources said Hamirpur, Kangra, Una and Bilaspur districts had the highest number of serving defence personnel. “Most the candidates have been reaching out to the families of the defence personnel and pursuing them to ensure timely return of the ballot paper,” the sources said. Some candidates, they said, had contacted security personnel on the phone. Political observers said candidates, mainly of arch-rivals BJP and the Congress, were anxious this time as they believed there was a neck-and-neck contest. Moreover, rebels from both the parties, who are in the fray as independents, are likely to upset poll calculations. “Even the heavy voter turnout (73.92 per cent) is giving sleepless nights to both the ruling BJP and Congress candidates. They are speculating whether the turnout is against the anti-incumbency of the Central government or state government,” said a political observer. Both the BJP and the Congress are keeping political channels open with their estranged men, who contested as independents or joined the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP), an outfit formed by BJP rebels last February. Five-time Chief Minister and Congress leader Virbhadra Singh, who refused to open his cards about the party's strategy of getting support in case of a hung Assembly, has hinted that a few party rebels and the HLP would not be averse to extending support to the Congress to keep the BJP out of power. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, replying to a question about taking rebels back into the party, said whatever decision would be taken, it would be with mutual consent of the party and the rebels. “The political family should grow in numbers,” he added. Of the 459 candidates testing political waters this year, 106 are independents. In 2007, the BJP won 41 seats, the Congress 23, the BSP one and independents three. The BSP legislator later joined the BJP.
— IANS
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vignettes
The past week I received two books on poetry written by the authors belonging to Himachal Pradesh, the first one came to me through post and the other was
presented to me by the author himself. The one that was brought to my residence by the postman is ‘Naati ka Samay’ by Tej Ram Sharma (see photo).
It is hardbound, has 71 poems in 136 pages and costs Rs 250. It is published by Suryaprabha Prakashan of Delhi. I appreciated its title “Naati ka Samay’” because Naati is the chief folk dance of Himachal Pradesh and the poems much like the slowly swaying trees, soft hilly breeze and smoothly flowing rivers, like this dance, reflect the languid elegance of the hill state.
As compared to bhangra and other fast-beat dances of the plains, our dances,
especially Naati, is slow-paced. I always tell the onlookers that Naati gives you the excitement that Champaign gives - slow and steady - and the fast-paced dances give you the elation that rum or local-brewed one gives - quick and nippy. A very small foreword to the book by another poet and litterateur Dr Mahendra Sharma ‘Surya’ says that Tej Ram’s dancing; singing and playful poems will not only agitate the minds
of the readers but also refresh them.The poem ‘Naati ka Samay’ is second in the anthology. It starts with “Taaron bharaa aakaash ho/ Chandni ho/ Pahaar par samtal aangan ho/ Kaavya si laya ho/ Ek doosre se mile hon haath/ Naati ke liye.” As a flower is threaded to
another in a garland, so hand of a dancer is joined with that of another in Naati and that is what the poet emphasises in second but last line in the above paragraph. He winds up the poem with “Par kaavya sa yadi Naati ke liye/ Lupt ho rahaa ho samay/ To chor na denaa ek doosre se bandhe haath/ Badalwaa laana is samay ko/ Samay ke paas bahut hotaa hai Samay.” The poet laments that the world has become so much with the people that they find no time for enjoying Naati and poems today. But he directs to let the hands remain bound, i.e., love among the humans live, the lost
Time shall return in due course. Punches drawn from the social life of the day are the forte of Tej Ram's poems. In ‘din ginate rehtein hain’, his punch lines are “Upekshit poorvajon se dono/ din ginate rehtein hain.” He forces the
attention of the readers towards ‘neglected ancestors’ or ‘ill-treated
elders’ through these lines. Tej Ram, who is 69 years of age, is a known name in Hindi poetry. The second book is titled ‘Rangoli’ by 80-year-old Ram Krishna Kaushal. It is hardbound, has 39 poems in 72 pages and costs Rs 120 (see photo). I want to inform Kaushal that an old idiom is that ‘the poets are the
unacknowledged legislators of the world’. If that is so, then letters from Private Secretary to the President and Shanta Kumar
published in the book do not, in any way, enhance the persona of the author. The beauty of Kaushal’s poems is that their appeals defined by the word KISS — keep it simple and straight — so readers are free of obscure imagery that poets generally make use of. In ‘Shimla, Mera Shahar, Mera Gaon’, the poet eulogises the past of Shimla and bemoans its present condition: “Sehatafza tha magar/ Idhar kuchh arse se/ Beemar hai Shimla/ Lagta hai havas ka shikar hai/ Chapet se jiski/ Na kabristan na shmashan bacha hai.” His use of metaphors in “Akash ne barsaye hain Phool” where Jakhu hill is Lama, Surya is Tathagat, Devadaru is Bhikshu is appealing. He taunts the powers that are in ‘Dhritrashtra’ by addressing them: “-Tumhe chinta hai praja ki- kehte hue/ Raho sukhi/ Kyonki yehi rajniti ka/ Takaza hai.” Kaushal’s present anthology of poems has come after a long silence of about 40 years. His last prior to the present one was “Teen Ayaam”, a collection of plays. Both the poets have painted, in words, their feelings. Truly said: ‘painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks’.
Tailpiece
The best bad metaphor: “Her two front teeth looked like a couple of Chiclets that weren’t on speaking terms.” — coined by Chuck White
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Himachal diary
As many as 23 theatre groups will stage as many plays during the festival. While a majority of participants will be from within Himachal, some established theatre groups from far-off places like Allahabad and Kanpur have also been invited. The opening play “Phir Yaad Aie Papa” was based on the eminent writer Kamatanath’s story “Skraman” which deals with the issue of the generation gap through three monologues, featuring the father, the mother and the son. The director of he play, Dr Kamal Manohar Sharma, successfully portrayed the situations of the worried parents who find their children completely out of tune with their mindset. They ignore the advice and feelings of their parents while they are young and face the same situation when they themselves become parents. The director also introduced the third generation as a character Laddo, played by Raghav
Sood. Kamal Sharma played the role of father, while Sanjay Sood acts well as his son. The character of the mother was played by Archana Sharma.
Treasure of gold coins
Shankar, a resident of Shrikot village near Patlikuhl in the Kullu valley, has stumbled upon a treasure of old coins. It was during excavations near his house about a year ago that some coins were found for the first time. However, more coins were found subsequently and till date he has collected as many as 28 coins. He said most of the coins were of the size of a button and made of metal. The signs and script on some of the coins were not
very legible. However, some of these had words in Arabic on one side and pictures of animals like tiger and birds. He said archaeologists from Shimla maintained that these types of coins pertained to 11th century. The treasure only confirmed that Kullu was on the ancient trade route which connected Asia, Arabian countries and Europe. A member of Bharatiya Itihas Sanklan Samiti, Chhering Dorje, says that
coins could help throw new light on the political history of Kullu. Kullu was on the old silk route through which most of the trading activity among China, Europe, India and the Arab world was carried out.
Overall trophy
The athletics team of Netaji Subhash Chander Bose Post Graduate College, Hamirpur, has won the overall trophy in the 38th Inter-College Championship, held recently at Hamirpur. While the girls’ team of the college bagged the first place in athletics, the boys team bagged the second place in different games. The first place in the boys’ sections was won by the athletics team of Government
College, Una. Rajat Thakur of Government College, Una, was adjudged the best athlete among the boys and Jyoti of NSCB College, Hamirpur, in the girls’ section. In the concluding races, Jyoti set a new record by winning the 400 m race and Sonika and Rishu of Gautam College,
Hamirpur, bagged the second and third place, respectively. In the 100 x 4 relay race, the boys’ team of Hamirpur College emerged the winner and Government College, Una, and Government College, Joginder Nagar, were placed at second and third positions, respectively. Director, Higher Education, Dinkar Burathoki, who was the chief guest at the concluding function, gave away prizes to the winners of different
competitions. (Contributed by Rakesh Lohumi and DP Gupta)
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Construction of Finna Singh Irrigation Project begins
Nurpur, November 20 The construction work tender has been awarded through e-tendering to Punjab-based NICC construction company. A water reservoir (dam) is to be built in Chakki rivulet at Lahru and water from Kalamnala will be brought in this dam through link canal
(diversion weir). In the second phase 1,100-metre-long diversion weir is to be built. Ultimately, this dam will provide a key water source for irrigating farmers’ fields. The project
tunnel will be linked by 1,350-metre long main canal that will pass through Lodorri and Suliali areas of Nurpur subdivision. According to Susheel
Sangrai, the construction work for the first phase of this irrigation project has been awarded for Rs 46 crore and tunnel construction was started which will be complete in three years. He said 4,225 hectares of land would get irrigation through distribution channels to be drawn from the main project canal. He added that
this project would be completed in five years. After commissioning of this irrigation project, 70 villages of Nurpur will get irrigation which will
ultimately ameliorate the socio-economic status of the farmer community. It will benefit 30,000 population of the Nurpur area. After Shah Nehar and Sidhatha irrigation project, Finna Singh project is the third biggest irrigation project in Kangra district which will usher in a green revolution. Intriguingly, this project was a major issue during the recent Assembly election. The Congress candidate from Nurpur, Ajay Mahajan, shared the credit of a final nod to this project to the previous Congress regime as it was a dream project of his late father and former minister Sat Mahajan who had initiated steps for its approval. It was proposed over three decades ago and first mooted by late Mahajan with the idea
conceived by an ex-Army man, Finna Singh, a resident of Niari village. But local MLA Rakesh Pathania, who was contesting as an Independent candidate, accused Congress leaders for talking about this irrigation project as an election gimmick in the past and claimed that it were only his concerted efforts which had brought the
project to fruition.
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Employment for the locals a bleak prospect
Chamba, November 20 Moreover, a number of mini hydel projects in the district have been approved and allotted to private hydropower
enterprises, some of which have been commissioned, yet these projects have hardly any scope for generating employment for the locals, who are still hoping against hope to get jobs. The Chamba district is endowed with a vast hydropower and a tourism potential, thanks to the bounteous nature particularly in this alpine region. Therefore, the availability of potential hydroelectric and tourism assets
provides a wide scope for the development of these two major industries in the region. These assets can generate employment directly and indirectly for the uplift of the poor of the poorest living on these high-altitude areas. The grouse of various organisations and trade unions of the region is that the BJP and the Congress, which have ruled the state one after the other, have so far failed to improve the lot of the people of this region. Various organisations have suggested many ways of bringing about a revolutionary development in the hydro and tourism sectors in the area. Merely opening of schools and dispensaries without staff is not
development, they say. The revenue subdivisions of Churah, Bhattiyat, Bharmour and Pangi are devoid of sub-judge courts. There is no divisional office even of the Public Works Department (PWD), Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) and Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) in the outlying areas of Churah and Bhattiyat of the district. The organisations that included the Chamba
Welfare Association and the Chamba District Progressive Council suggest that building cottage and small-scale industries is possible if public
representatives pay a little attention. The proposed cement plant project at Sikridhar in the district, if undertaken, can provide a lot of employment to over 15,000 people directly or indirectly. Official sources, however, maintain that more than Rs 200 crore are being spent annually on the development of
the district under various state and centrally sponsored schemes.
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Wild animals destroy crops worth Rs 500 cr a year
Palampur, November 20 There are more than six lakh monkeys and wild boars in the state. The gravity of the situation can be judged from the fact that 2,700 out of total 3,300 panchayats in the state have been affected by the problem. Though the state government is ‘well conversant’ with the situation, no scientific method has been adopted to check the problem till date. In the recent Assembly elections, wild animal menace remained a major poll issue and all the political parties assured that it would look into the problem if voted to power. However, in the last Assembly election, the BJP had also promised to come out with a legislation to check this problem, but everything remained on paper. Several farmers’ organisations and social bodies have approached the state government in this regard time and again and hundreds of farmers staged a demonstration in Shimla and other parts of the state, but nothing has been done so far. Earlier in 2010, the state government had allowed killing of monkeys and wild boars, but because of a stay order of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, farmers were restrained and the problem still persists.
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Senior citizens resent police ‘harassment’
Kangra, November 20 According to a report, a senior citizen and a prominent journalist were travelling on the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway last Friday, from Palampur to Kangra. When they reached the main market at Nagrota Bagwan at 11.30 pm, they were stopped by a police party headed by an Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI). The senior citizen stopped his vehicle, which had five occupants, including three women and two men. The journalist showed his accreditation card, issued by the state government, to the ASI to prove his identity. But the police officer, who was visibly drunk, demanded for the registration certificate of the car and did not let the vehicle go. The victim then rang up the sub divisional police officer Dinesh Kumar Sharma from the spot for his intervention because the police personnel had surrounded his vehicle. The Police harassment victim informed the Director General of Police ID Bhandari about the incident and sought his intervention to avoid such humiliation to women and the aged. The victim said instead of reposing faith in the people in uniform, common people were losing faith in the police force by such actions. Bhandari assured the victim that the matter would be inquired into before an appropriate action was taken. DSP Kangra, Dinesh Kumar Sharma, said he had visited the spot and assured that such incident would never take place in the future. General Secretary, Senior Citizens Forum, ML Sharma asked the police department to take appropriate steps to avoid such harassment of the elderly.
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Palampur boy in “Bigg Boss”
Palampur, November 20 In 2008, he appeared on the same TV channel for another reality TV show MTV Splitsvilla Season 1, where he emerged as the winner. Continuing his spree with MTV India, he hosted a show called Couplesutra. During his association with Colors he did two TV serials in a row -- ‘Bhagyavidhata’ in 2009 and ‘Rishton Se Badi...Pratha’ in 2010. Vishal was also seen on Imagine TV in a serial ‘Dwarkadheesh - Bhagwaan Shree Krishna’ where he played the lead role of Hindu God Krishna. Vishal made his debut in the Punjabi film industry with “Aappan Pher Milange” which was released in May 2012. Now his latest entry is in celebrity reality TV show, Big Boss Season 6 on
Colors, as a wild card contestant.
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First Convocation Ceremony
Solan, November 20 Baba Iqbal Singh, former Director, Agriculture, who is also the Chancellor of the university, was the chief guest on the occasion who conferred degrees on the students. Vice-Chancellor Manmohan S Atwal read out the annual report which highlighted the achievements of the university. While urging the students to follow the principle of “Work is Worship”, he said both spirituality and discipline in work could help an individual excel in any field. Renu Bala of MSc (chemistry), Mandeep Maan, BTech (ECE), Navneet Singh BTech (CSE), Amanpreet Singh, BSc (nursing), Maninderjit Kaur, BSc (economics) and Balvinder Kaur, BA (music) were the toppers who received medals on the occasion. Around 301 students had passed out of the university out of which 200 received their degrees.
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NIT students celebrate silver jubilee festival
Hamirpur, November 20 On the first day of the festival, several items were performed by the students, which included dances, musical recital, a poetic symposium, a drama
and a mime. Day-time fun events like archery, paintball and blind-date competitions were held during the day. On the second day of the Hill Fair, the programme began in the afternoon and various fun games, prem patra lekhan, nain-mattaka and such other items were presented by the students. These events were widely applauded by the audience and a large number of students gathered to watch these events. The most-awaited event of Hill Fair and the centre of attraction on the second evening of the festival was the fashion show in which students of various colleges participated to showcase their sense and taste of designed attire. The young, would be engineers, came forward to display fashion designs on the ramp. Several musical performances were also presented on the second evening of the function. Hundreds of students joined in the jam session organised on the last evening. On the third and last day of the Hill Fair, incredible dance performances and amusing events were held during day time and the festival came to an end with a resolve by the NIT students to take the Hill Fair to grater heights in the coming years.
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Host Pinegrove lift inter-school hockey trophy
Solan, November 20
Pinegrove boys created regular opportunities but were met with stiff resistance from the Mayo team. As the energy and pace escalated during the match, each missed opportunity was answered by the other side. Three minutes into extra time, Aryan Sikka of Pinegrove pivoted around a defender and rammed a backhand effort into the goal post which was deftly deflected by Harkanwar into the net much to the excitement of the home crowd bringing a sudden end to the exciting extra-time. Earlier in the first semi-final match, hosts Pinegrove outplayed Daly College, Indore 2-0. Jeevan and Harkanwar scored one goal each for Pinegrove to lead their team into the finals. In the second semi-final, Mayo College defeated YPS, Patiala, by a huge margin of 6-0. The winning goals for Mayo came from Suryaveer, Dushyant, Raghav and Yashovardhan. The Highest Scorer Award went to Ankit Sastia of Daly College, Indore, the Best Goalkeeper Award was given to Suraj Kathpal of Pinegrove School while Vinayak Mahawar of Mayo College was adjudged the best defender. Dushyant of Mayo College, Ajmer, walked away with the Best Upcoming Player Award and Aryan Sikka of the host school was awarded as the Best Player of the Tournament Lt Gen Pradeep Khanna, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (retd) was the chief guest for the closing ceremony and gave away the prizes.
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Dhauladhar Convent School celebrates National Education Day
Kangra, November 20 She told students that following India's Independence, he became the first Union Minister for Education, a man with true secular mindset. He said Azad was posthumously given the Bharat Ratna in 1992. He was commonly known as Maulana Azad and had adopted Azad (free) as his pen name. His contribution in establishing the education foundation in the country was recognised by celebrating his birthday as National Education Day, he said. A rangoli competition was also organised on the occasion, in which Rani Luxmi Bai House stood first.
— OC
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Sharad Rang Mahotsav, a 23-day theatre festival, commenced early this week with the staging of “Phir Yaad Aie Papa” (see photo) by the local cultural group
Natyanukriti. The main objective of the festival, being organised in collaboration with the Gaiety Dramatic Society, is to promote theatre activities in the state.