Shimla, January 22
The development of tourism had been the top priority of the previous BJP regime, but according to official data, the growth of tourist arrival in the state has been declining for the last three consecutive years with 2012 recording the sharpest fall of almost 7 per cent.

As per the latest data, 1.61 crore tourists visited the state last year, an increase of less than 7 per cent over 2011, when the state had 1.51 crore visitors. In absolute numbers, the total tourist arrivals increased by about 10 lakh, but the growth rate plunged from last year’s 13.74 per cent. The number of foreign tourists increased only marginally from 4,84,518 to 4,97, 850, an increase of just 2.7 per cent as against 6.81 per cent the last year.

The growth rate had declined for the third consecutive year. In 2009, the number of tourists visiting the state crossed the one-crore mark for the first time and the state played host to over 1.14 crore visitors, registering an increase of 17.30 per cent. However, the growth rate declined in 2010 to 15.98 per cent, though the total arrivals increased significantly to 1.32 crore. The growth rate slipped further in 2011 to 13.74 per cent even as the total tourist arrivals crossed the 1.50-crore mark. The decline in the growth rate of foreign tourists was even sharper. It fell from 13.24 per cent in 2010 to 6.81 per cent in 2011 and further to 2.6 per cent last year.

The huge slide of 7 per cent in the growth in a single year is indeed a matter of concern and makes it evident that the much publicised “Incredible Himachal Campaign” and schemes like “Har Gaon Ki Kahani” and “Har Ghar Kuchh Kehta Hai” have not helped. The overall growth rate has fallen by over 10 per cent over a period of three years. The contribution of tourism to the gross state domestic product has been hovering at around eight per cent for quite some time now.

However, the fact is that the state is fast losing out to Jammu and Kashmir, where law and order situation has improved considerably, due to the ‘failure’ of the government to provide basic infrastructure like good roads, parking place, adequate water supply and transport facility.

Here, roads are in a bad shape and all the main destinations like Shimla, Manali, Dharamsala and Dalhousie lack adequate parking space. These places are also facing water shortage during summers. The endless traffic jams, fleecing by hoteliers, taxi operators and porters add to the miseries of tourists. In fact, 1.61 crore tourists are far too many for the state, given the lack of basic infrastructure. 

Solan, January 22
Harmful chemicals like lead, arsenic, poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organic carbon and elemental carbon, besides an alarming level of particulate matter (PM) of 2.5 and 10 aerodynamic diameter, have been detected in the industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) in a latest study conducted by IIT Kanpur.

These findings have been highlighted in a preliminary study on “Environment Pollution Sources and their Apportionment to Ambient Environment”, a copy of which is available with The Tribune.

The study suggests that the PM10 concentration at 15 sites in the industrial area of BBN exceeds the national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) while PM2.5 concentration of six sites exceeds permissible limit and sulphur dioxide concentration at two sites and lead concentration at three sites exceeds the NAAQS. Even the toxic lead concentration at five sites exceeds the permissible limits.

Besides, the presence of poly aromatic hydrocarbons has also been detected. The presence of all these chemicals is considered an alarming revelation as its prolonged exposure can lead to various health ailments, including cancer, heart, lung and kidney problems, both in humans and animals.

However, this was not the first study which had pointed out the presence of noxious chemicals in the air of BBN. An earlier report of the Central Pollution Control Board released in August 2010 had also pointed out the presence of volatile organic compounds, which are carcinogenic. Prior to that, a private study conducted by an NGO had also confirmed the presence of such chemicals.

The State Pollution Control Board had, however, failed to initiate any action to improve the ambient air quality of BBN till now.

The board did not even have the infrastructure to monitor air quality as per the 12 parameters of revised national ambient air quality standards in November 2009. Despite collecting fee worth crores from investors, no environmental infrastructure has been set up in the BBN area. This fee is collected as per the provisions of the Air Act, 1981, and is supposed to be used for mitigating pollution.

Sanjay Sood, member secretary of the board, said IIT Kanpur would submit its detailed report by the next month and they would prepare an action plan to upgrade their labs and also enhance staff strength.

He added that they were monitoring air pollution on various parameters, including respiratory suspended particulate matter, and labs would be upgraded soon to enable monitoring of all revised parameters.

Chandigarh, January 22
The historical rail motor car is back on the Kalka-Shimla heritage line from today. With a hike of Rs 50 in its fare, now its ticket will be of Rs 255. The motor car has started its journey after a halt of six months. Interestingly, the motor car with a capacity of 12 passengers has a waiting list of double the number this weekend.

According to the record of the Railways, there is a waiting list of 26 persons in the motor car for January 26.

Sources in the Railways said around six months ago, due to some technical fault in the train, the authorities had withdrawn its plying. They said there was a major fault in the tires of the motor car and the authorities were struggling to find its replacement. The trail run of the motor car was conducted last week and order to commence its services was issued today.

Railways Senior Divisional Commercial Manager GM Singh said the motor car services were withdrawn due to a technical fault, but they were being resumed from today on the time table followed earlier. The bookings of the rail car have been opened.

As per schedule, it will start at 5.10 am from Kalka and the return journey from Shimla will be at 4.25 pm. A group of 12 passengers can be accommodated in this vintage locomotive, which resembles buses used during World War II.

The officials said it had become quite challenging to maintain and continue to run these heritage vehicles of the British era as there were no manufacturers for supplying spare parts of old machines. This rail car was introduced by the British between 1927 and 1930. It was the last rail car running on this track as three others had been discontinued earlier.

The officials said the motor car was preferred by tourists for a non-stop journey with only a 10-minute halt at Barog. The four-and-a-half hour journey provided travellers with a panoramic view of the Shivalik Ranges as it passed through 864 bridges, 102 tunnels and 900 sharp curves and turns.

Kangra, January 22
A controversy has arisen regarding the opening up of a new engineering college here on the campus of the existing polytechnic with the BJP coming out in the open against establishing an engineering college at the cost of the polytechnic.

Former MLA Sanjay Choudary said yesterday that it was ironical that the government was planning to shift the existing polytechnic to some other place and set up an engineering college in its place.

He said the engineering college was a welcome move, but not at the cost of the polytechnic.

Choudary said though he had raised the issue of an engineering college during the BJP regime time and again, never supported shifting of the polytechnic from here.

He said as it was an issue related to the common man, therefore, the state government should seek views of people in this regard and consider them in a right perspective.

The polytechnic in Kangra was established by the BJP government in 1994 in view of the development of the area.

Dr BK Pawa, a physician from the town, said if the engineering college was established here, it would be a great thing and to shift the polytechnic to a nearby area would not affect those studying there. Ajay Gupta, a flour mill owner, said an engineering college was a better proposition and had a wider scope. He said for DRPGMC, Tanda, a TB sanatorium was shifted, then why not the polytechnic for an engineering college.

Technical Education Minister GS Bali was not available for comments. 

Nahan, January 22
Sessions Judge RK Verma today sentenced Kalyan Singh of Pab village in Sirmaur district to life imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 for killing his wife.

He was further sentenced under Section 201, IPC, to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years and a fine of Rs 2,000 for destroying evidence. However, Surender Kumar, a co-accused, was acquitted for lack of evidence.

The case pertains to 2007 when Kalyan married to Satya Devi and the duo had remained together for two months. Later, she left his house and remained missing for one year. Meanwhile, Kalyan had solemnised his second marriage. Satya Devi, however, returned in May 2008 and gave birth to a son in June.

During the aforesaid period, she remained associated with Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa (Haryana) and after coming back she became the second wife of Kalyan Singh. However, their marriage remained conflict-ridden.

On July 15, 2009, Kalyan severely beat up Satya who sustained grievous injuries and later succumbed to her injuries. He buried her mortal remains in a forest.

Guman Singh, brother of the deceased, registered a case and during investigations nearly two years later the skeletal remains of Satya’s body were exhumed and her synthetic clothes were found intact. This helped in identifying her body. A subsequent DNA test proved that it was Satya’s body.

Shimla, January 22
The bad blood brewing between the Congress and the BJP over the renaming of the 108 Ambulance Service called the Atal Swasthya Yojna in the state has led to the scheme being given a uniform name of the National Ambulance Service all over the country by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Kaul Singh Thakur today issued directions in this regard following the decision by the Centre to give the scheme a uniform name all over the country. “I raised the issue with Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad earlier this month and now he has decided to give the scheme a common name all over the country, putting to rest all controversies,” said Thakur.

Not only will the scheme be rechristened as the National Ambulance Service, but the photograph of the former Prime Minister will also be replaced by the emblem of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). In fact, as per the directions from the Union Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, all the ambulances will now be white in colour and will bear a light green stripe all around.

Thakur said he had directed officials in the department to closely scrutinise documents regarding tendering process and other formalities that were followed while awarding a contract for the 108 ambulance scheme, as there had been allegations of irregularities.

Different state governments have given unusual names to the scheme to take credit for it even though it is a Centrally sponsored scheme. It is called Janani Express in Orissa, Mahatari Express in Chandigarh, Mamta Vahan in Jharkhand and Haryana Swasthya Vahan Sewa in Haryana.

Senior BJP leaders in the state, including former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, had been miffed with the Virbhadra regime for its attempt to rechristen the scheme, which was launched during his tenure. The Congress on the other hand had contended that since it was a Centrally sponsored scheme, it should not be in the name of any political leader.

Interestingly, both the BJP and the Congress have tried to take credit for the scheme which is a big hit with the people in the state. Under the scheme, so far 125 ambulances have been introduced as model of referral transportation service in the state. The government intends adding 35 more vehicles to the existing fleet soon so that travel time to reach out to patients can be further reduced.

Solan, January 22
Dr Anuradha Shandil (56), wife of Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dhani Ram Shandil, died last night at AIIMS, New Delhi, following a liver ailment.

Ailing Dr Anuradha was admitted to AIIMS some days ago. She was working as Chief Medical Officer at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi.

SHIMLA: Governor Urmila Singh and Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh have expressed grief over Dr Anuradha’s death. The Governor and the Chief Minister prayed for the peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family. Shandil’s Cabinet colleagues Vidya Stokes, Kaul Singh Thakur, GS Bali, Sujan Singh Pathania, Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Mukesh Agnihotri, Sudhir Sharma and Prakash Chaudhary also expressed grief at her death.

Shimla, January 22
Arrested Congress legislator from the Doon Assembly constituency Ram Kumar will take oath as an MLA on January 24 in the Vidhan Sabha here.

Kumar, who is currently lodged in the Ambala jail, has already been suspended from the Congress for his alleged link to the Jyoti murder case. He was unable to take oath on January 8 along with other legislators at Dharamsala as he was on the run evading police arrest.

Assembly Speaker Brij Bihari Lal Butail today confirmed that Kumar would take oath here on January 24 at 11 am. He said it was in response to the request by Kumar’s lawyers that time had been given to him.

Shimla, January 22
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on his return from Jaipur and Delhi today directed officials to take effective steps to open blocked roads and to ensure supply of electricity, water and other essential commodities to the people.

Taking stock of the situation arising due to heavy snowfall in the state, he asked the officials to undertake the work of restoring normalcy on a war footing.

Dinesh Malhotra, Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, told the Chief Minister that all the major roads in Shimla town were opened. He said Narkanda, Rampur and Sarahan roads would also be opened soon. He said efforts were on to restore traffic on the Kotkhai-Hatkoti road as well.

Malhotra said the road to Chopal via Nerwa had been opened and efforts were also afoot to open it via Deha. He said the Fagu-Matiyana road had been opened, but as a single lane road and double lane traffic would be restored by tomorrow.

According to the forecast by the local Meteorological Centre, a feeble western disturbance could cause rain and snow in the higher reaches of the state tomorrow. However, the weather is likely to remain dry in the mid and low hills of the state.

The state continues to remain in the grip of a severe cold wave. Many parts of the tribal districts of Kinnaur and Spiti are still without power and frozen water pipes have added to their woes.

Vehicular movement in the state capital is also inching towards normal, though traffic to the upper parts of Shimla district still remains disrupted due to heavy snow at Narkanda and Khara Patthar.

Bharmour, January 22
The recent heavy snowfall in high-altitude terrains of Chamba district is expected to prove a boon for the apple crop and orchardists of the region are quite upbeat as it is the first stage of the snowfall of the season. This will help produce better apple crops thereby revitalising the economy of the orchardists, reports said.

The reports revealed that the apple-growing areas of Bharmour, Salooni and Tissa contributed about 15 per cent of the total production of the apple crop of the state.

One of the owners of apple orchards Uttam Chand Thakur of the Khanni area of Bharmour said the apple orchards still needed more snowfall from time to time in the next two months. The experts believed that the chilling time for the apple plants had started and it was high time for the orchardists and other farmers planting apple saplings, pruning the apple plants and adding manure to the apple orchards, the reports stated.

Meanwhile, the snowfall and rain was also said to be very beneficial for farmers growing vegetables in abundance, the report added.

Mandi/Kullu, January 22
As many as 12 villages in the snow-bound area of the Seraj and Chauhar valleys in Mandi district and upper Manali, Manikaran, Malana, several areas in Tirthan, Neoli-Shamshar belt and Anni and Banjar subdivision in Kullu district remained without electricity for the past one week.

Apart from electricity, the Public Works Department (PWD) is yet to restore the bus services in most of the snow-bound areas in the Mandi-Kullu.

Though HPSEB has deputed its field staff to restore the electricity in snow-bound areas, the recent spell of snowfall has damaged wooden poles and transmission lines extensively. There are villages in the higher areas of Seraj, Karsog, Chauhar, Anni, Banjar and upper Manali where villages are facing shortage of water as pipes have frozen.

Superintending Engineer Kapil Bisht said they had deputed the field staff to restore the electricity in these villages. The power supply in these areas was likely to be restored by tomorrow, he claimed. 

Nurpur, January 22
The All-Indian Gujjar Mahasabha has demanded that the Union Government sanction Gujjar Rifles Regiment in the Indian Army on the pattern of Dogra, Gorkha and Punjab Regiments. The sabha organised its first sammelan at Jachh, near here, Sunday evening.

Presiding over the sammelan, national president of the sabha Chowdhary Majahir Rana said such sammelans were being organised to bring the Gujjar community on one platform so that it could unite to establish its own identity in the society. He asserted that the mahasabha had played a vital role by rehabilitating van Gujjars in Uttarakhand and strengthened the community by launching a stir in Rajasthan in 2007 for according reservation to them.

He also urged the state government to accord reservation to the Gujjar community in government jobs and Assembly seats in the state so that political exploitation of this backward community could be stopped. He also underlined the need to open schools in remote areas .

The sammelan was also addressed by mahasabha national general secretary Mohammad Hasan Gujjar, president of UP Chowdhary Mohammad Nasir and president of HP Rustam Khan.

Dharamsala, January 22
Another Tibetan has committed self-immolation in Tibet. Sources in the Tibetan community-in-exile here said with the present self-immolation the number of those killed in such incidents had gone up to 98.

They said as per reports coming out of Tibet, another Tibetan set himself on fire in the Bora region of Labrang at around 12 pm today in an apparent protest against China’s continued occupation of Tibet.

The deceased had been identified as Kunchok Kyab (23). He died in his fiery protest and is survived by his wife and a 10-month-old infant.

This is the third self-immolation in the first month of 2013. On December 2, last year, Tibetan Sungdue Kyab had set himself on fire on a road leading to the Bora Monastery. He survived his self-immolation protest and was reportedly being kept in a fortified hospital in Kanlho, the sources said.

Since 2009, as many as 98 known Tibetans have set themselves on fire demanding freedom and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile.

Despite repeated appeals by the Dharamsala-based Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) to refrain from such drastic acts, Tibetan self-immolations have persisted.

The CTA maintains that the self-immolations represent a new threshold of Tibetan despair and resentment, and a worsening of the vicious cycle of unrest-repression-more unrest. They also attribute the current crisis in Tibet to the political and religious repression, economic marginalisation, social discrimination, cultural assimilation and environmental destruction in Tibet.

The sources also said representatives of the CTA were meeting various political parties in India to lobby for a resolution in Indian Parliament regarding the precarious situation in Tibet. Recently representatives of the CTA met the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister in this regard. The members of the CTA are relying on support of the BJP that had shown its commitment to the Tibetan cause.

However, the situation of the Indian Government over the issue of Tibet is ironic. India is the host country to the CTA that was previously called Tibetan government in exile. However, the Indian Government officially maintains that Tibet is a part of China and it does not recognise the Tibetan government in exile.

With India eyeing to improve relations with China, Parliament may find it hard to adopt a resolution on Tibet.

Mandi, January 22
The parents accused their son-in-law of abetting the suicide of their daughter, who committed suicide after she was tortured and harassed over a period of time. The police has registered a case under Sections 498-A and 306, IPC, at Balh police station on a complaint lodged by Vidya Devi, mother of the victim.

According to the police, Vidya Devi of Chanohali, Sarkaghat, stated that her daughter Lata Kumari was married in 2006 to a resident of Dashera. She charged that he had been torturing and harassing her ever since and she was forced to commit suicide last week. The police said the investigation had been started in the case.

Solan, January 22
Jagdish Kumar, who had sustained grievous injuries while working at the Suli-based unit of Ambuja Cements Limited, Darlaghat, on January 12 succumbed to his injuries at Fortis Hospital, Mohali, today.

Solan SP Prem Thakur said Section 304 A for death due to negligence would be added to the FIR registered against the company management.

Jagdish who was working as an operator had been seriously injured when the production work had developed some snag and the door of a machine was opened to rectify the fault.

Out of the eight others injured in the accident two had been discharged while six persons were still undergoing treatment at Fortis Hospital. The police is investigating the case and looking into aspects of negligence. Interestingly, five plant officials comprising engineers were among those who had been injured.

Being the most experienced operator Jagdish had remained at the forefront when molten material at high temperature of as much as 500°C had splashed over the workers as soon as the door was opened. Plant officials claim that the production process was halted after the computerised machine detected some blockade. But since statements of all injured were yet to be taken, the police investigations had not reached a conclusive stage.