The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Kangra fails to exploit its tourism potential Poor infrastructure and lack of planning a bane of tourist destinations Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service Dharamsala, February 12 The tourism potential of Kangra lies unexploited. Due to poor infrastructure and lack of planning, the government is failing to even retain tourists coming to the district. The Kangra district, with its headquarters at Dharamsala, is one of the biggest districts of Himachal Pradesh in terms of population. Accounting for about 25 per cent population, it has 15 Assembly constituencies. Geographically, the district offers all types of terrains. While the lower areas are plains, along the Dhauladhars- the highest mountain range in the area- are some of most beautiful high altitude tourist places like Macloedganj, Bhagsunag and Dharamkot. The district is the third place in the country besides, Darjeeling and Ooti to have tea gardens that have been unique geographical indicators of the area. The high altitude tracks to Triund, Laka and even Bharmour are among the best available in the state. The presence of the Dalai Lama-an international figure and one of biggest settlement of exiled Tibetans at Macloedgeanj- also called as little Lhasa is another attraction. The district also has a narrow gauge railway line connecting Pathankot with Joginder Nagar. Maximum tourists come to district and its vicinity to visit famous Hindu temples of national importance located at Chintpurni in Una, Jawalamukhi, Chamunda, Kangra and Baijnath in Kangra district. By rough estimates more than 15 to 20 lakh tourists visit the said temples every year. Many tourists, who come to the district return immediately after paying obeisance at temples, due to lack of facilities. Despite the fact that the government has taken over management of all the famous temples of the district, it has failed to add the facilities to attract and retain the tourists. The Department of Tourism does not offer any package tours to tourists coming to visit temples from other states. There is no facility to get online booking for hotels or taxi services. The result is that tourists, who can be retained in the district by offering them package tour for religious and tourist places as Macloedganj, Dharamkot, Bhagsunag and Palampur, return just after a day’s stay in the state. The state has also failed to develop track to Himani Chamunda temple. The temple is located 12km uphill from the present Chamunda Devi temple. Sources said if the government develops the 12km track to the old temple at par with Vashino Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, it could give boost to religious tourism in the district. Poor infrastructure is another drawback due to which the tourist potential of district has remained unexploited. Most of the roads leading to Dharamsala are in a poor state. Even the newly constructed roads have failed to withstand the first monsoon. The Dehra-Mubarakpur road, that is main approach road to the district from Chandigarh, Jalandhar or Hoshiapur area, is under construction for the last two years and a nightmare for the commuters. The road to Macloedganj that is hot spot for foreign tourists is narrow and in a bad state. The poor infrastructure at other tourist places is another drawback. Despite, the presence of large numbers of natural water sources in Dharamsala, the state has failed to tap them to provide adequate drinking water facilities to residents. The tracks to famous tourist attractions at Bhagsunag water fall, is poorly maintained. Though the area comes under the Dharamsala Municipal Council, no facility has been provided near the waterfall. The local residents have developed huts at the spots. However, in the tourist season the area gets filled with litter as no dustbins are available on the spot. The haphazard constructions and dingy surrounding in most of the tourist places also keeps high end customer away. The tourist potential of the district can be exploited only with planned approach by the government. The Tourism Department along with hoteliers can develop long-term plan for the development of tourism in the district. It should use the modern technology by offering online booking and advertisement to attract the tourists. However, first of all the basic infrastructure would be put in place.
	Education a distant dream for slum children Kuldeep Chauhan Tribune News Service Mandi/Kullu, February 12 The poor children, who are living in slums in the state, are yet to be brought under the Right to Education Act, 2010. The government and private schools are yet to ensure their enrolment in schools for the compulsory education, provided under the RTE Act. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has directed the Education Department and the respective Deputy Commissioner to put in place a mechanism to ensure that children are enrolled in schools as per the RTE Act norms. Lawan Thakur, RTI activist and convener of the Himachal RTI Bureau, Mandi, had lodged a complaint in this regard with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights. In his complaint, he stated that poor children were being deprived of the basic education as provided under the RTE Act. He charged that private schools were not following the provisions of the act. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act provides free and compulsory education to all the children, who are between 6-14 years. Though the act came into force in 2010, the Education Department has not made serious and concerted efforts for the enrolment of the children, living in slums. The RTI activist says even after three years, many of the children roam in the streets of Mandi, collecting garbage from bins and polishing shoes. Girls stay back to cook for family Some children are selling rags at the Indira Market in the town, the RTI activist adds. “The adults are forcing these children to work and earn money for them,” the RTI activist said. The RTE Act states that every child in the age group of 6-14 years will be provided eight years of elementary education in the immediate vicinity. The state will not only bear the cost but also share the responsibility of enroling children in schools, ensuring attendance and completion of 8 years of schooling under the act. The act states that no child will be denied admission for want of documents and even in mid-session or at the end of the session. According to the Act, no child will be made to sit in an admission test. Even children with disabilities will be enrolled in mainstream schools. Under the Act all private schools are required to fill 25 per cent of the total seats from weaker sections and disadvantaged groups. No seats under this quota can be left vacant. The state government will subsidised schools as per learner cost. The erring schools can be penalised as per the Act.
	Hamirpur producer to introduce son, Himachali girl in film Dharam Prakash Gupta/TNS Hamirpur, February 12 Ramesh Sharma, a film producer from Hamirpur, has launched his new movie titled “Shuklaji Street”, in which he is introducing his son, Rohan Sharma, in the lead role opposite upcoming Bollywood film actress, Ria Thakur, who also hails from Himachal Pradesh, in her debut role. The film, being made with a budge of about Rs 10 crore, is being directed by Faiz Anwar. Telling about this film, producer Ramesh Sharma, who was recently in Hamirpur said, “This film is based on the novel of writer Abid Surti and deals with the relationship between the underworld and the prostitutes.” He said the film would be shot in Mumbai and outdoor shooting would also be undertaken on a few locations of Himachal Pradesh. The shooting of the film would begin in March 2013 and it would be ready for release in 2014. Frahn Akhtar would be directing the music for this film. Rohan Sharma has acted as a child artiste in “Baggi” and “Aakrosh” and did a film acting course from an institute in London.
	Open Hampta, Bhrigu valleys for tourists: Hoteliers Kuldeep Chauhan Tribune News Service Manali, February 12 Apart from expediting the construction of the Manali bypass and a double-lane bridge on the Beas, the hoteliers and residents of Manali have urged Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to direct the Forest Department to hand over the Kothi-Manchuban and Naggar-Jana- Bijli Mahadev forest roads to the Public Works Department (PWD) and open the Hampta and Bhrigu valleys for tourists . These roads are the vital links to the virgin valleys of Hampta and Bhrigu. This will go a long way in decongesting the chock-a-block tourist town by opening the virgin valleys for tourists and in turn will prolong the stay of tourists in the area, say hoteliers. The members of the Manali Hoteliers’ Association (MHA) will take up these issues with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. Talking to The Tribune, AR Thakur, president, MHA, said the opening of the new valleys was the need of the hour as Manali used to be full during the peak summer season and tourists needed new areas to visit. The Kothi-Manchuban forest road is as good as abandoned. This road along with the Naggar-Jana-Bijli Mahadev forest road should be handed over to the PWD as these will link hitherto unexplored valleys to the town, he adds. The construction of the Manali bypass and the Manali double-lane bridge are still hanging fire. “Besides, we will press for allowing the road to the Allian and Duhangan hydro-power project site for the use of tourists and linking the Chandraghani pass to Naggar,” he added. Thakur says the company should construct the ropeways to allow its road for the use of tourists. It is the only approach road to the Hampta and Duhangan valleys, he adds. “The condition of the National Highway-21 is deplorable and the PWD should make efforts to make it smooth for traffic in the coming season, MHA members said. “We need toilets on the way to Rohtang and a mobile first-aid facility at Marhi,” they added. They further said that they would request the Chief Minister to slash luxury and service tax as was the case in Jammu and Kashmir and Rajsthan.
	Bilaspur BJP Mandal executive panel declared Our Correspondent Bilaspur, February 12 Newly elected president, Bilaspur Sadar BJP Mandal, Kuldip Singh Thakur has declared his executive committee with four vice-presidents, two general secretaries and five secretaries. Kuldip Singh said Dhyan Singh Thakur of Kuddi, Kehar Singh Thakur of Bilaspur, Bansi Ram Sharma of Bandla and Urmila Kaushal of Kulwaadi had been appointed vice-presidents and Purushottam Sharma of Bilaspur treasurer and Surender Minhas of Bamta media in charge. Nand Lal of Rohin and Pyare Lal Chaudhary of Raghunathpura would be general secretaries and Devesh Chandel of Kothi, Amar Nath of Chalehali, Santosh Mishra of Kosariyan sector, Promila Chandel of Harlog and Rajni of Deoli secretaries. The executive committee members were Meena Vashishtha of Mor Singi, Sushma Thakur of Pater, Amita Devi of Nanawan, Jogender Pal Thakur of Chandpur, Dilver Chandel of Tantha, Nand Lal Thakur of Kandraur, Amar Singh Kashav of Delag, Pyar Singh of Bhatoli, Rajender Singh of Madhona, Gyan Chand Sharma of Talyana, Rajesh Sharma of Kutheda, Pratap Chauhan of Mor Singi, Anil Sharma of Ladda, Sukh Ram Bhardwaj of Markand, Jagar Nath Sharma of Kanjyota, Khazana Ram of Deoli and Rajesh Sharma of Kunanu. The others were Jai Nand of Dhon Kothi, Nirmala Devi of Chamyon, Rajneesh Thakur of Banolla, Shyam Lal of Nihal, Ram Lal Pundir of Diara sector Devender Singh of Lakhanpur, Vimla of Chalehali, Seema Sharma of Chandpur, Sandhya of Sindher, Neelam Sharma of Ladda, Manjit Kaur of Main Market, Kaushalya Katoch of College Colony, Nand Lal of Harnoda, Mahender Singh of Parnali, Sohan Singh of Churadi and Raj Kumar of Mandi Manman.
	Minister calls upon scientists to speed up research Our Correspondent Palampur, February 12 Agriculture Minister Sujan Singh Pathania has called upon scientists to accelerate their research to face the challenges thrown open by climate change. He was addressing scientists and students after inaugurating a veterinary fair at the Dr GC Negi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (COVAS) at CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University recently. The minister said due to climate change, animals were getting inflicted by new diseases, which needed research and treatment. He said animal husbandry played an important role in the agricultural development and there were more than 53 lakh animals in the state. While appreciating the college for providing excellent services to the farming community, he expressed the hope that it would continue to face emerging challenges effectively. He drew the scientists’ attention towards infertility in animals and advised them that special attention should be paid towards problems of nomadic goat and sheep flocks. With the active collaboration of the state Department of Animal Husbandry many issues could be solved to serve the farmers at their doorstep. He said he was aware about the problems of the university and would try his best to solve these. Dr SK Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, said a Rs 11-crore multi-specialty veterinary complex with modern facilities was nearing completion and it would be beneficial for livestock keepers of the state. Over 600 students had graduated from COVAS ever since its establishment in 1986 and they were serving the farming community all over the country. Earlier, Pathania visited an exhibition organised by various departments of the college and released a souvenir to mark the occasion.
	Area under forests on the decline in Himachal Ravinder Sood Palampur, February 12 The forests in Himachal Pradesh are under a great stress. It is evident from the fact that the area under forests is reducing year after year. It may be recalled that the forests in Himachal Pradesh not only contribute in maintaining the ecological balance but also play a significant role in the economic development of the state. Cement plants, power projects and other construction activities have played a havoc with the nature and destroyed the forest wealth of the state. Besides, growing population in the state has led to the disastrous consequences in the past decade. There has been manifold increase in the requirement of fuel wood in the state. it has increased to the tune of two lakh tons every year, valued at Rs 160 crores . Likewise, fodder, worth Rs 500 crore every year, is also being collected from the forests. Some times ago, the forests were the major sources of revenue for the state but due to the new forest policy, the government was laying emphasis only on the protection and conservation of forests. The state has already imposed a complete ban on the cutting of the tress in the state. Now, the forests are no more a source of revenue . In the absence any financial assistance from the centre, The state is finding it very difficult to maintain the forest cover. The budget allocations for the maintenance of present forestland and for new plantations are reducing year after year. Even the state has no funds for checking forest fires, which has been causing loss every year. A senior officer of the Forest Department said, “The centre should come to the rescue of the state. If no immediate action was taken then Bhakhra and Pong reservoirs, which were built at a high cost and play a significant role in power generation and irrigation, will be in danger as their catchment areas need large-scale plantation to check the flow of silt in the river Beas and Satluj.
	Govt ‘committed’ to provide jobs to local youth Our Correspondent Kangra, February 12 The state government's decision to implement strictly the provision of providing employment to 70 per cent Himachalis in industrial units and various other projects in the state shows the commitment of the government to provide employment to the local youth. Jwalamukhi MLA Sanjay Rattan stated this while talking to reporters at PWD Rest House, Jwalamukhi. Rattan hailed the initiative taken with the Union Government by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri for extension in the industrial package for the state. He said the recent high-level meeting with the Union Government for extending the industrial package till 2020 and the state government's projected requirement of Rs 1,500 crore for strengthening of industrial infrastructure and facilities would give further impetus to industrial investment. Rattan said this showed the commitment of the government towards establishing more industrial units in the state by inviting entrepreneurs to set up their business houses and ensuring employment to the un-employed youth. Rattan said the main aim was to give a fillip to medium and small-scale industries in the state and invite entrepreneurs to create more employment opportunities for the unemployed youth. He lauded the proposal of the Chief Minister who was committed to make Himachal Pradesh an industrial hub in the real sense. He said the Chief Minister had strongly pleaded the case for extension of Industrial Incentive Package for the state and invite leading industrial houses to invest in the pollution-free environment of the state. He said the Union Ministry for Industries and Textiles, on the request of the State Industries Minister, had agreed in principle to sanction Rs 95 crore under the Assistance to States for Infrastructural Development of Exports (ASIDE) and had also assured to consider proposals under the Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (IIUS) for strengthening industrial infrastructure in the state.
	Kangra tea industry struggles for survival Ravinder Sood Palampur, February 12 Despite the tall claims made by the state as well as Union Government, nothing has been done for the revival of the dying Kangra valley tea industry till now. Over 60 per cent tea gardens in the valley are on the verge of extinction as the government has completely stopped direct and indirect assistance to the tea growers. The state government is well versed with the situation but no action has been take for the revival and improvement of the abandoned tea gardens. Because of the high cost of production, tea growers are finding it very difficult to maintain their tea plantations. The input cost have almost doubled in the past five years. However, the prices of tea in the national and international markets have come down by 30 to 50 per cent. In fact the Indian tea has failed to compete with the tea produced in African countries, Sri Lanka and China. In these countries the production cost of tea is mush less than India. Although in the past few years the tea growers in the valley have made all efforts to improve the quality of tea, yet they could not succeed due to high prpduction cost. A number of tea growers in Palampur, Baijnath, Bir and Chauntra has already abandoned their tea gardens. In papers, the total area under tea is 2,060 hectares with a total production of 1.3 millions kg but in reality, the average production is 578 kg per hectare as against of 800 kg in Assam and 1742 kg at the national level. The tea has been cultivated and manufactured in the Kangra valley since the middle of the last century. It was first introduced between 1830 and 1840 by the European tea planters, known as Nissan Tea Company. The valley grows hybrid China tea, known to be rich in flavor and compared with the tea grown in other parts of the world. In the early years, the tea industry flourished very well because of suitable agro-climatic conditions and availability of plenty of land for tea cultivation. The tea seeds, imported from China, responded well in the valley’s prodozolic grey soil. Perhaps very few people knew that the Kangra tea was awarded gold medal at an exhibition in London in 1886. The earthquake of 1905 proved fatal for the Kangra tea when it destroyed a large number of tea gardens and several tea factories were raised to ground and a number of tea planter were killed. The then British administration declared the valley unsafe and almost all the European tea planters left the valley after selling their plantations to Indians. The Kangra tea industry received another set back in 1914 after the outbrake of the First World War. Many people joined the army and unavailability of labor hit the tea industry and tea prices started falling, which further discouraged and demoralised the surviving tea planters. After 1971, the Himachal Pradesh Government made little efforts for the revival of the Kangra tea industry. Though the state government set up four tea manufacturing and marketing units in the cooperative sector at Bir, Baijnath, Palampur and Dharmshala, today only one unit is functional while the remaining three units have already been sold to private parties due to losses.
	Dwindling tourist flow concerns Dalhousie residents Balkrishan Prashar Chamba, February 12 Dalhousie was founded in 1850 when the Chief Engineer of Punjab, Lt Napier, was enchanted by the scenic spot and visualised the project. The project for the development of Dalhousie as a sanatorium was started in 1851 on a spot where the Dainkund Ridge breaks into spurs and Kathlag. In 1853, 13 square miles of land comprising five hills -- Kathalagli, Potrein, Terah (Moti Tibba), Bakrota, and Bhangora -- was acquired by the British regime from the Raja of the Chamba state. In 1854, Sir Donald McLeod recommended that the estate be named after Lord Dalhousie, the Viceroy of India at that time. In the process, more land was acquired in Baloon and Bakka hills for the construction of barracks of the convalescent depot and as cantonment respectively. With the expansion of the estate, the whole area has come to be known as Dalhousie. After the acquisition, Dalhousie was made a part of the then Kangra district of Punjab state. Later on, it was transferred to Gurdaspur district in August 1861. Only after the reorganisation of states in 1966, Dalhousie became a part of Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh on November 1, 1966, a development plan drawn by the Town and Country Planning Department some time ago reveals. Dalhousie town, situated on the pine-covered spur at the western end of the mighty Dhauladhar mountain range, is a popular and gorgeous tourist destination of Himachal Pradesh because of its serenity, refreshing air and enchanting scenery. A number of picturesque walks run through the oak and pine forests in the town and offer a superb glimpse of the Ravi valley. It is thickly wooded with stately pines and oaks and has lovely picnic spots all around. During the peak season, an average of 650 tourists visit the hill station in a day, the plan further reveals. The heritage of Dalhousie town can be seen in terms of natural vegetation, scenic beauty, British time bungalows, Mall roads, churches, temples, buildings associated with dignitaries like Subhas Chander Bose, Ravinder Nath Tagore and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru etc. Presently, there is nothing new which could help attracting the tourists. The people associated with the tourist business in the Dalhousie hills are worried about the dwindling tourist inflow. They are urging the state government to take effective measure for the promotion of tourism industry in the region capitalising on its landscape and heritage of the hill station and its environs.
	Himachal diary Administration has a hard time dealing with snow There has been no respite from snow and freezing cold to the people living in the tribal belt and other higher hill areas of for the past almost one month. The region was lashed by the second heavy snowfall within a fortnight, virtually pouring miseries on the people in the upper Shimla areas, large parts of Kinnaur and Lahaul Spiti districts that have been cut off from the rest of the state and gone without power and water supply. The tribal Kinnaur district, which received five to six feet of snow, was the worst hit as a number of avalanches made the task of administration all the more difficult. Large stretches of roads were buried under piles of snow brought down by avalanches. The plight of people in parts of Rohru, Jubbal,Theog, Rampur and Chopal, which received much less snow in comparison, was no better as power lines and roads could not be restored. Mobile phones also became useless as there was no electricity for recharging batteries. Some ingenious people used their solar lanterns for charging. The state electricity board took a long time in restoring the main feeding line from Sungri. Shimla and surrounding areas had only a moderate snowfall and most of the precipitation during the latest storm was in the form of rain. In fact, the city recorded 76 mm of precipitation on February 6, which is a record for a single day for the month of February. The previous highest precipitation of 63.5 mm in a single day was recorded on February 2, 1908. Slippery roads did affect movement of vehicles for three days and some areas also remained without power. The power line has still not been fully restored as a result of which the supply has not been stabilised. Indeed the administration is having a hard time in dealing with snow despite all the preparation. Excellent performance Nancy Mehra of Sujanpur has brought laurels to Hamirpur district by topping the MA Hindi final year examination of Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. A student of Netaji Subhash Chander Bose Postgraduate College, Hamirpur, Nancy comes from a humble background. She has been a brilliant student since her school days and has always excelled in studies. Nancy belongs to a poor family, she was helped by a few charitable organisations in pursuing her studies. They have now decided to honour the girl and award her a medal on February 17 at a public function to be held at Una. Nancy gives credit of her success to her parents, especially her mother, Kalpna Mehra, who always inspired her daughter to excel in life. Sujanpur MLA Rajender Rana has also congratulated Nancy for her achievement. Blood shortage in Shimla A Shimla-based charitable trust,Umang Foundation, organised a blood donation camp to pay homage to the security men who sacrificed their lives while protecting Parliament. Senior Medical Superintendent of Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital Ramesh Chand inaugurated the camp by donating blood for the 63rd time. He said the camp would help ease the problem of blood shortage which had become acute due to snowfall. As many as 86 persons donated blood during the camp. He said donating blood did not affect the health a person. He had been doing so since 1984 when he donated blood for the first time. Chairman of the Umang Foundation Ajai Srivastava said it was the fourth camp during the current year and the main reason for holding so many camps in the first few weeks of 2013 was the continuing shortage of blood in all the three blood banks of Shimla. (Contributed by Rakesh Lohumi and DP Gupta)
	vignettes Cigarette, tobacco gateway of addiction by Shriniwas Joshi I was in the Himachal Institute of Public Administration (HIPA) at Fairlawns, Dhalli, recently to deliver a lecture on Cigarette and Other Tobacco Product Act (COTPA), 2003, to the budding administrative officers of the state government. It is a batch of enthusiastic officers who appear eager to imbibe professional civil service quality and to deliver efficient, accountable and responsive good governance (see photo). Caution: one is zealous when one is on the threshold of a bright career but the winner is always one who withstands the pressures and lures of the power that comes with the chair. First, let me talk about the heritage building which houses HIPA (see photo). It was originally built around 1880s when Horace B Goad was the Secretary of Shimla Municipal Committee. The builder is not known. It, however, is a fact confirmed by Edward Buck in "Simla-Past and Present" that R Dixon, an officer in the Foreign Office, owned the building and lived here for many years during the late 19th and the early 20th century developing the fine grass terraces that give beauty to the place and justify the name Fairlawns. Nawab Muzzafar Ali Khan Quizzalbash of Malerkotla later purchased it. It remained his property till he left for Pakistan in 1947. He was not one among the ruling line of Malerkotla but belonged to the royalty. Fairlawns, after 1947, was the property of the Punjab Government and its circuit house. After the reorganisation of the states in 1966, the property was transferred to the Himachal Pradesh Government that started HIPA here on January 1, 1974. It was no surprise to me that only three out of the 16 officers under training had heard of COTPA earlier. I had found the same situations in various development blocks that I had visited in order to make people aware of the provisions of the Act. The first question that I generally face in such gatherings is that why big emphasis is being laid by the government on Cigarette and Tobacco and less on alcohol and other drugs which are being used by the public in large measure. My reply is that cigarette and tobacco are easily available and are the “gateway of addiction”. Starting from here, a person moves to other addictions. A smoker reduces his age by 10 years and like a human-bomb kills himself and others through second-hand smoke, so the worry. When informed that cigarette and other tobacco products are the cause of 21 per cent of total cancers inflicting the mankind; one of them said that pure nicotine was not cancer-causing. I seconded him but also unfolded that it was the most addictive substance in cigarette or tobacco products. It is nicotine that forces one to be habitual smoker. The cigarette industry in order to make people addicted has started e-cigarettes that have nicotine and are battery-operated. These are clandestinely popularised as non-carcinogenic cigarettes because direct or indirect advertisement of tobacco products is banned under COTPA. Exorbitantly priced, these produce vapours which thrill the smoker and he gets addicted. A time comes when he cannot afford this costly cigarette so he turns to that easilyavailable in the market to satisfy his urge of nicotine-addiction. A weighty comment was that a written warning against smoking shown in films with such scenes had limited effect. I told them that I was of very strong view that an adolescent blindly followed his icon or idol in style and manner. And film stars are the icons of innumerable. The term “freedom of expression” or “artist’s licence” under which a character in a film smokes has conclusive harming effects on the immature. Yet another observation was:“The habit of smoking develops during school-education, so stricter control is required at that level.” I shared with the present that when we conducted a survey of adult smokers in Shimla, 80 per cent of the people surveyed had confessed that they started smoking when they were in schools. COTPA provides stringent measures for controlling smoking in schools. The path is arduous; will we ever be able to check the menace? To this, I quoted the common saying: “It is dawn when we get up”; and followed it with its rehashed version: “whether we get up or not, the dawn shall indeed be there.” Tailpiece To know more about LUNG cancer…….keep SMOKING!
	Vulture population on decline With only 1,800 left, Kangra stares at their extinction Ravinder Sood Palampur, February 12 The wildlife authorities and a number of environmental organisations are worried over the decreasing population of vultures in Kangara district of the state. Though the state government has already been apprised of the current situation by the wildlife authorities, nothing has been done to save vultures. If early steps are not initiated, these birds will completely vanish in the coming days. A survey conducted by the state forest department shows that the situation is quite alarming as only 1,800 vultures were left in the district by the end of 2005 . In 1997, the total population of vultures in the district was 12,000. The Wildlife experts have found that the major cause of the death of vultures is renal failure, an infectious disease. The disease is infecting every third vulture in the region. The reckless use of insecticides and pesticides by farmers is resulting in the spread of the disease. Besides, the use of chemicals like forate and colorfast by farmers is another factor responsible for the extinction of vultures not only in Kangra but in the entire state. A senior official of the State Wildlife Department said the use of oxytocin, a mussels relaxant, for milch cattle by cattle breeders to extract more milk was another reason for the reduction of vulture population. He said the medicine had a poisonous effect and when vultures eat such dead animals it acted like a slow poison and ultimately resulted in the death of vultures. He said it was a synthetic hormone, a banned drug in Himachal Pradesh, was easily available in the market at very cheaper rates. He said veterinary and animal husbandry experts could play a constructive role in saving the bird by advising the cattle breeders not to use oxytocin. Secondly, use of pesticides should also be restricted, which could also help in saving the bird, he added. The state government was worried and it had already initiated measures for the breeding of vultures at Nalagarh. After breeding, these vultures will be sent to different forests in the state.
	School celebrates National Science Day Our Correspondent Kangra, February 12 The National Science Day, sponsored by the State Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Himachal Pradesh, was organised in a local Government Senior Secondary School recently. A poster-making competition and declamation contest was organised for the students on the occasion. The topic for the poster-making competition and declamation contest was ‘Clean Energy Option and Nuclear Safety’ in which students of various government and public schools participated and exhibited their worth. The two competitions were organised by the Shivalik Agricultural Research and Extension centre, Kangra, which is a part of the Choudhary Shravan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University (CSKHPKV), Palampur. Students and other audience were briefed about the ‘Clean Energy Option and Nuclear Safety’ by Dr SS Kanwar Director CSKHPKV, Palampur. He threw light on modernisation of energy sources. Gauri Sharma, a Class XI student of GAV Public School, Kangra, was adjudged first in the poster-making competition. The second prize was bagged by Satyam Thakur of the same class and school. In the declamation contest, Reshma of Govt Senior Secondary School, Matour, bagged the first prize and Deevanshi and Deepali of GAV Public School Kangra bagged the second and third prize, respectively. Dr Kanwar distributed the prizes on the occasion. Scientists of variosu departments of the CSKHPKV were also present on the occasion.
	Illicit fishing in Pong Dam to be curbed Rajiv Mahajan Nurpur, February 12 Himachal Pradesh Fisheries Department is all set to check illicit fishing in the Pong Dam reservoir on the foothills of Kangra district. It has recently bought a modern motor boat at a cost of Rs 46 lakh. The boat will assist in curbing illicit fishing in this man-made wetland sprawling over 24,000 hectares with 42 km length and 19 km breadth. According to information, this motor boat will not only guard the wetland in the day but also in the night. It has a seating capacity of 15 persons and is equipped with high-powered lights capable of functioning in foggy atmosphere, too. The rampant illicit fishing in the wetland has become a challenge to the state Fisheries Department and this modern motor boat will now assist in curbing this menace. The Fisheries Department has been registering illicit fishing cases every passing year. It has registered 412 such cases in 2008-09, 416 cases in 2009-10, 422 cases in 2011-12 and 409 cases in 2011-12. Owing to illicit fishing, a fall in the fishing production has also been recorded by the department. Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Forest and Fisheries Minister, said that he had directed the department to check illicit fishing strictly and take measures to enhance fish production in this wetland. He asserted that the new motor boat, equipped with the latest techniques, would help in patrolling Pong dam reservoir round the clock. He said such a motor boat had already started its operation in Gobindsagar lake in Bilaspur district.
	Pong Dam Oustees’ panel Our Correspondent Nurpur, February 12 The state government-recognised Pong Dam Oustees’ Committee was reconstituted under the supervision of Lehri Ram at Shahpur recently. Baldev Singh Pappi was unanimously appointed as the president of the committee. Ashwani Sharma and Sita Ram Saini were elected senior vice-presidents. Madan Lal and Ramel Singh were elected general secretaries and Lekh Raj Bhardwaj was appointed as the cashier of the committee. After the reconstitution of the committee, newly-elected senior vice-president Ashwani Sharma said the committee had been fighting for the rehabilitation of the Pong Dam oustees since 1970. He said a high-powered committee had been constituted following the apex court’s order after contesting the civil writ petition for over four years in 1996. “The committee has failed to implement its decisions even after convening 16 meetings in the past years and the oustees could not get justice. The high-power committee has failed to solve the problems regarding the rehabilitation of the oustees,” he rued. He said that new committee would approach the apex court again for enforcement of the order, given on July 26, 1997.
	DC for boosting farm production Our Correspondent Chamba, February 12 “My top priority will be to give boost to the agriculture production in Chamba district because the sustained growth in agriculture can help in achieving the food security”, Sandeep Kadam, Deputy Commissioner of Chamba, said after assuming the charge of the DC of the district recently. The DC said about 90 per cent of the people of the region were dependent on agriculture, having small land holdings and it would be prudent to boost their morale by enhancing the land productivity and development of climate-resilient varieties of crops and vegetables so that the socio-economic conditions of the farmers could be ameliorated. Citing an instance of the Salooni area in the district, where the residents grew bountiful off-season vegetables and earned remunerative prices, The DC said it was an example for the farmers living in other parts of the district.
	Minors slog to get education Balkrishan Prashar Chamba, February 12 Imagine a tough terrain where children have to trudge an arduous path of about 6 km from their homes daily to get education above Class V. The problem has gone unheard by the department concerned, thereby compelling girls to abandon their schooling. The area is Baat where Government Primary School, Mehla-I, requires to be upgraded to at least the middle-school level to resolve the issue. Otherwise, the children will have to go to Jumhar by travelling about 6 km for getting middle standard education. The children, belonging to Gharauni-I, Gharauni-II, Agahar, Sanautha, Banni, Dibhui, Malethi, Malla, Chauri, Talharoo, Prehla, Shobhei, Banoon, Ghaloon villages and other adjoining hamlets come to attend Government Primary School Mehla-I. Parents are worried about the safety and security of their wards because of the rugged hilly path, which leads to the Jumhar School. In a view of their difficulties, zila parishad member Raj Singh has urged the state government to upgrade the school to the middle standard.