Shimla, April 2
The Assembly today witnessed a piquant situation with treasury and opposition benches debating over the definition of a walkout and dissatisfied Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators leaving the House over reportedly improper recording of proceedings.

The moment the Speaker arrived in the House, BJP legislator Rikhi Ram Koundal registered the protest of the BJP Legislature Party by claiming that proceedings of the House were not being recorded properly and confusion was being created regarding walkouts staged by the BJP on various occasions.

“We have complete regard for the Chair and wish to maintain the sanctity of the House but are time and again getting a feeling that a deliberate attempt is being made not to register walkouts in the proceedings and important questions of BJP legislators are being kept towards the end of Question Hour,” he said.

Even as the Speaker tried to pacify and reason out with opposition members, BJP legislators were on their feet raising slogans against the allegedly dictatorial attitude. Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur remarked that the term walkout needed to be redefined as it could not be registered after the Speaker had adjourned the House and left.

BJP Legislature Party leader PK Dhumal echoed BJP legislators’ sentiments. “Our intention is not to disrupt business but it is the right of the opposition in a democracy to lodge its protest by staging a walkout. Why should anybody make an attempt to deprive us of this right?” he remarked.

He alleged that priorities were being changed and there were not just delay but even changes in Assembly proceedings which should be recorded verbatim. He claimed that the media covering the Assembly session was confused about actual proceedings and walkouts in particular.

“You are the unanimous choice of the House and we expect to get protection from you. The feeling that we are getting time and again is that a deliberate attempt is being made so that the opposition cannot air its views and opinion,” he said. The Speaker’s attempts to convince BJP members that they should not have any doubt about intentions of the Chair failed as members in the opposition left the House raising slogans.

“My intention has never been to hurt sentiments of members in the opposition. I have given them almost two-thirds the session time and fail to understand the reason for this uproar,” he said. He made it clear that reports about walkouts were mediapersons’ independent observations over which he and his office had no control. He added that members from both sides were equal for him and there was no question of discrimination.

“My request to members is that let Question Hour be conducted smoothly as issues concerning the state and the public are raised. They will be given time later,” he assured them. Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri condemned the behaviour of BJP legislators and said the Speaker’s decision must be respected by everyone.

Shimla, April 2
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said a 20-year tourism master plan was being prepared to promote tourism which not only made a significant contribution to the economy but provided employment avenues as well.

He was replying to a call attention motion in the Assembly moved by BJP legislator Govind Ram about developing tourism infrastructure in the state.

Virbhadra informed the House that the Cabinet, in its meeting held yesterday, approved the Vision Document for Manali and adjoining areas.

“We want to take tourism to unexplored virgin areas and develop new destinations as Shimla, Manali, Dalhousie and Dharamsala are saturated and congested,” he said.

“The increase in number of tourist vehicles plying between Manali and Rohtang has led to traffic congestion resulting in environment degradation. We will come out with a detailed traffic plan soon to regulate vehicular movement,” he said.

The Chief Minister said efforts were being made to promote tourism by strengthening infrastructure like road network, air and train connectivity, parking, restaurants and roadside amenities.

“The 20-year tourism master plan is almost ready. We want to accord importance to rural, ecological, adventure, water and pilgrim tourism so that more tourists visit the state,” he remarked.

He said new destinations like Janjheli, Rajgarh, Chindi, Barot, Shoja, Jhatingiri and Rohru-Chanshal would be developed on priority.

“Strengthening the road network would be our priority. There has not been much progress in expansion of rail network and air connectivity is limited and not restored till now,” he said.

Virbhadra Singh said Himachal Pradesh was probably not getting its due as it was a peaceful state whereas the rail network in Jammu and Kashmir had reached Srinagar.

“I have taken up the matter regarding restoring flights to Himachal Pradesh with the Prime Minister and the Union Civil Aviation Minister but so far there has not been any satisfactory progress,” he said.

Govind Ram said the government must accord top priority to tourism and develop road and rail network besides restoring air connectivity.

“Thousands of people in Kullu-Manali are dependent on tourism and the government must take steps to promote it while protecting the environment,” he said.

He suggested that new destinations be developed and attractions like a snow gallery be developed. Participating in the debate, Asha Kumari of tyhe Congress expressed concern over tourist destinations turning into jungles of concrete .

“We must learn from states like Rajasthan where tourism has been developed while preserving architectural heritage and undertaking construction which gels with surroundings and is not an eyesore as is the case in some places in HP,” she remarked.

She suggested setting up of a botanical gardens with exotic flowers as Jammu and Kashmir had done by setting up the Tulip Garden which was a major attraction.

Others who participated in the debate were Rikhi Ram Koundal, Mansa Ram, Maheshwar Singh, Mahender Singh, ID Lakhanpal, Rajiv Bindal, Karan Singh, Virender Kanwar, Ravi Thakur, BK Chauhan, Sohan Lal, Rajeev Saijal, Bambar Thakur and Randhir Sharma.

Shimla, April 2
Justice Ajay Manikrao Khanwilkar of the Bombay High Court will take oath as the Chief Justice (CJ) of the Himachal Pradesh High Court on April 4. He will be administered the oath of office by Governor Urmila Singh at Raj Bhavan.

Born on July 30, 1957, Justice Khanwilkar hails from Pune in Maharashtra. He has been in the legal profession for 31 years and has been practising in the Supreme Court since 1984.

He has been an executive member of the Supreme Court Bar Association and joint secretary of the Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association.

Shimla, April 2
A revamp of the organisational set-up of the state Congress is on the cards with Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s appointment as the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) chief.

Apart from the incessant factional fight among senior leaders which had prompted All-India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi to opt for a younger leader, Sukhu’s performance during his three-month tenure as acting state party president facilitated his elevation.

He had taken some initiatives to enforce discipline during his brief stint and dissolved a few dormant block units to demonstrate his ability to take harsh decisions.

He had organised statewide protests to highlight among the public the issue of illegal phone-tapping and undertaken an extensive tour of the state to get feedback from workers at the grassroots. His appointment is in line with Rahul Gandhi’s plan to bring leaders of the next generation to the forefront.

Sukhu had all through been a man of the organisation. He remained president of the state National Students Union of India for six years and headed the state Youth Congress for the longest term of over nine years.

His real test will start when he undertakes the exercise to revamp the organisation. Maintaining a balance in a faction-ridden party and taking care of conflicting interests of senior leaders will not be easy.

He has been a long-time loyalist of veteran leader Vidya Stokes who is a part of Virbhadra Singh’s camp. Sukhu had played a role in bringing closer Stokes and Virbhadra, then in rival camps. This will help Sukhu maintain a rapport with the government.

An added advantage for Sukhu is that he enjoys the support of Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and has a good rapport with AICC general secretary Birender Singh Chaudhary who is in charge of state party affairs and whose word matters to the high command.

Sukhu has left for New Delhi to meet Sonia and other leaders. He said the revamp would start with the HPCC as many office-bearers had become ministers.

He said he would take senior leaders into confidence while carrying out the exercise and was already in consultation with Virbhadra on the issue. While there is no bar on a minister holding an organisational post, the party will like to have those in charge who can spare time for the organisation.

There is not much of a problem with district units and some changes may be required in two or three districts. A sizeable number of block units which have not been performing well may be reconstituted.

Sukhu will like utilise senior leaders’ experience and the youth’s exuberance to make the party organisation fighting fit for the general election next year.

He will have to take on former Chief Minister PK Dhumal and Dhumal’s son Anurag Thakur who has been renominated as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party Yuva Morcha to do well in his home district of Hamirpur.

Bilaspur, April 2
The District Congress Committee (DCC) and its leaders here have thanked national Congress president Sonia Gandhi and national vice-president Rahul Gandhi for making Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu the state Congress president.

DCC spokesperson Pravin Sharma issued a press note thanking state party affairs in charge Birender Singh Chaudhary, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes and Health and Family Welfare Minister Kaul Singh Thakur.

Those who welcomed it included Planning Development and 20-Point Programme Committee Chairman Ram Lal Thakur, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Rajesh Dharmani, Bilaspur MLA Bambar Thakur, district president Santosh Dhiman, district Mahila Congress president Anjana Dhiman and former MLAs Babu Ram Gautam, Biru Ram Kishore and Tilak Raj Sharma.

District vice-presidents Rajender Thakur and Kamlender Kashyap, general secretaries Gopal Sharma and Ram Prakash Dhiman, block Congress presidents Sarpal Thakur, Col (retd) AP Gautam, Nand Lal and Om Parkash and local leaders Tejaswi Sharma, Rakesh Soni and Dinesh Sharma expressed happiness over the development.

Mandi, April 2
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued show-cause notices to its reportedly black sheep that has raised the ire of veteran party workers.

They termed the move as one-sided and claimed that it could harm the party in the Mandi bypoll this summer and the general election in 2014.

The notices were issued at a time when the BJP was trying to put up a united face to celebrate its foundation day statewide on April 6.

“It is one-sided and the party cannot distinguish between milk and water. I am resigning from the party,” said Mohan Joshi of Balh, a former Milkfed Chairman who had been working for the BJP since 1972.

“After serving the party for 33 years, I realised that I had wasted my life in this party. It is asking me now if I worked against the party,” he said with a heavy heart.

Sundernagar block general secretary Abhishek Thakur and former district general secretary Hari Singh Verma were also issued show-cause notices.

Notices were also issued to BJP activists in Karsog, Sarkaghat, Dharampur, Mandi and Balh. The state BJP had set up a disciplinary committee after the Assembly election results were declared.

Chamba, April 2
The Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Chamba, Kadam Sandeep Vasant, has directed the hospital authorities to prepare a proposal for purchasing a phaco machine (phacoemulsification device) for carrying out eye surgeries, including cataract operations, in the Regional Hospital, Chamba, which is located in the district headquarters.

Presiding over a meeting of the Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) of the hospital here today, the DC who is also the chairperson of the RKS approved a budget of Rs 3.80 crore for the new fiscal year.

The DC said all-out endeavours were being made to equip the hospital with modern equipment for better treatment of the patients; he said special wards had already been provided with all the requisite facilities, including TV sets.

Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Chamba, Dr Rakesh Verma said the hospital was gearing up to receive the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) certification as the hospital fulfilled all the conditions with regard to excellent health services under the 80-point agenda laid down for the certification.

He said thereafter, it would be the third such hospital after those in Una and Dharamsala to get ISO accreditation in Himachal Pradesh.

In this connection, a team of the ISO is expected to visit the regional hospital shortly and submit its report for ISO accreditation, the CMO said. To equip the hospital with the latest technology, three CCTV cameras have been installed at sensitive points in the hospital premises, the CMO said.

Members of the samitti urged the DC to take steps to avoid traffic problems on the hospital premises.

Palampur, April 2
Hoteliers, taxi operators and travel agents who were hoping to make the most of the expected resumption of flights between Delhi and Dharmshala today were left high and dry.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Urban Development Minister Sudheer Sharma had announced last week that SpiceJet had agreed to operate two regular flights in this circuit. However, airport sources said neither SpiceJet had announced its time-table nor had it sought any permission for landing from the Airport Authority of India (AAI) so far which is mandatory for launching flights at any airport in the country.

A senior government official said because of certain technical problems, SpiceJet had failed to operate between Delhi and Dharamsala. He said the state government was in touch with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the AAI and Spice Jet and was trying its best to resume air transport services.

Sources said due of non-availability of small aircrafts, flights could not be resumed and as soon as aircrafts are arranged, SpiceJet would start its services in this circuit.

Meanwhile, the Kangra Valley Travel Agents Association told the state government that the tourist season had begun in the valley and if the resumption of flights was delayed, it would adversely hit the tourism industry. It stated that many overseas tourists had deferred their plan to visit Dharmshala because of the non-availability of flights and only if flights are resumed in April, bookings in hotels for May and June could be expected.

The association appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene in the matter.

Mandi, April 2
Farmers today demanded compensation for their crops destroyed by stray cattle and other animals and said crop protection should be covered under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Act (MNREGA) scheme.

Under the banner of the Himachal Kisan Sabha, agriculturists resented that the previous BJP regime had failed to find a solution to the menace of monkeys, wild boars, bears, ‘amboos’, parrots, bats and stray cattle in the state. “The present government has not taken any serious initiatives like culling of wildlife and revoking the ban on monkey export,” said Kushal Bhardwaj, an HKS leader from Jogindernagar, who led the protest today.

Farmers rued that wild boars, who had been on a rampage in the region, not only destroyed crops but had also started attacking people. They said attacks of monkeys, bears, nevlas, too, had been on a rise in the region. They said animals destroyed about 20-30 per cent of the crops in the state every year.

“Nobody understands the pains of farmers of the hills. The state government blames the Centre for not compensating for natural calamities despite agriculture being a state subject,” said another HKS leader. He said the government had started sterilisation centres for monkeys but it had not found a permanent solution and the breeding is fast.

“The funds should be allocated to each panchayat for controlling stray cattle by building more and more gaushalas,” said a farmer.

“Agriculture has become a non-remunerative profession for over 9.17 lakh families involved in the field,” said Rakesh Singha, president, Himachal Apple Growers Association. “Ninety one per cent of farmers own just two to six bighas of land each. The state should float funds to compensate farmers as relief manual and insurance give a pittance to farmers,” he said.

“Family labour does not make any difference where five family members put 11-12 hours daily with the output coming to be just Rs 3.60 lakh every year. This excludes spending days and nights protecting crops from wildlife,” said a farmer.

Officials of animal husbandry and agriculture departments claimed farmers were compensated as per the relief manual by the government. They said gaushalas were being opened with the involvement of NGOs and monkey sterilisation centres had been started to curb the monkey menace.

Solan, April 2
Residents of the Chambaghat area of Solan are up in arms against the proposed acquisition of land for the four-laning of the National Highway 22 and have urged the administration to carve out routes through government land available in the vicinity.

In a letter to the Sub Divisional Magistrate submitted here today, owners of the Chambaghat Commercial Complex stated that the proposed acquisition would dislodge many small businessmen who operate on the highway stretch between the railway crossing and the National Research Centre for Mushroom.

Residents said it was unfair to acquire a stretch of about 350 m of land belonging to private parties alone and suggested an alternative route which passes through government land and would need lesser private land.

Terming it as forcible acquisition, they said alternative alignments should be considered through vacant government and private land, failing which they would be forced to file a public interest litigation against the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for the project.

With similar protests being witnessed in the Solan Brewary area and Dharampur Bazar, the acquisition of land has become a tedious affair for the NHAI. — TNS

Kullu, April 2
A mechanical engineer of Roman origin, Tuder Martin, was killed today when the motor of a tunnel boring machine fell on him while he was repairing it at Shilagarh, where Parbati project being executed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) is underway. Martin, who was an employee of a private company, was hired to repair the machine, said the police.

They said the engineer was rushed to the Regional Hospital, Kullu, where he succumbed to his injuries in the chest. The police have ruled out the possibility of foul play in the incident and has intimated the embassy of Romania.

The Kullu SP said proceedings under Section 174 were on in the case.

Shimla, April 2
A seven-member team of The Lawrence School, Sanawar, set out to scale Mount Everest today to mark the 60th anniversary of the first conquest of the world’s highest mountain by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

If the attempt is successful, it will etch the names of the participants - Hakikat Singh, Guribadat Singh, Prithvi Singh, Ajay Sohal, Shubham, Fateh Singh and Raghav Joneja - in the history as it will be the first school team in the world to reach the mountain’s summit. The expedition was flagged off by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh here today. Praveen Vashisht, headmaster of the school, said the boys are 16-17 years old and four of them are from Punjab and one each from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

Encouragement to the young boys for embarking on the adventure came from their parents, a majority of whom have an Army background. They provided Rs 17.60 lakh each to fulfil the dream of their sons and some of them volunteered to be a part of the support team.

The boys were selected for the expedition after undergoing a procedure which put their mental toughness and physical endurance to test. Thereafter, they were sent for advanced training to the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute at Darjeeling.

After honing their skills in rock craft, black and blue ice craft, crevices crossing and other specialised trainings, they were given lessons on effective use of mountaineering tools like crampons, pitons, jumars, harnesses, laddering and carabiners and were taught rope techniques. They were also given tips on first aid and survival and mountain rescue techniques. Thereafter, they were made to climb two major peaks in the Kanchenjunga area - BC Roy peak and Frey peak - to provide them practical experience at altitudes ranging from 18,000 ft to 21,000 ft.

From the snowy heights they were taken straight to the deserts of Rajasthan for a cycling expedition during which they peddled about 1,000 km in nine days. It was followed by high altitude training at over 6,000 m in temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius in Ladakh.

The boys will fly to Kathmandu on April 6 and further to Lulka on April 10 from where they will undertake a nine-day trek to the base camp. After acclimatisation, they will begin the trekking on the mountain.

Panchkula, April 2
In a major goof-up in the Jyoti murder case, the Panchkula police had wrongly incorporated in the case Section 4 of the SC/ST Act (negligence of duties by a public servant) even though there was no relevance and it could not be proved.

After the formation of a special investigation team, they admitted the mistake. They deleted the section and incorporated sections of the Prevention of Atrocities act and Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.

Several objections had been raised by the district attorney when the challan was sent to him for conformation. The case would come up for hearing on April 9.

Jyoti was found murdered in Panchkula on November 22, 2012. The police had arrested Doon legislator Ram Kumar Chaudhary and his aides.

Kangra, April 2
A two-day workshop for teachers on ‘Indian Cultural Heritage’ organised by the Heritage Education and Communication Service (HECS) of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), at GAV Public School concluded here today.

As many as 75 teachers from 32 private schools and 15 government schools participated in the workshop. The workshop aimed at sensitising teachers about imparting heritage education to students.

Padma Shri recipient Dr Kshama Metre, who was the chief guest at the valedictory function, said the cultural heritage of India which should be preserved was getting diluted day by day.

She asked young girls to be proud of their culture and exhibit this pride through their dresses.

She said, “Heritage is more about culture, the real wealth of India, which can be seen in Vedanta. If we understand Vedanta in the right perspective, we become one with the universe and the duality goes away.”

Saying that the cultural roots were in the rural India, she asked INTACH members to visit villages to pass on the message of preservation of cultural heritage. She said environmental and material heritage was fast losing its roots from the Indian soil which was a matter of concern.

Earlier, participants gave presentations on natural heritage, building and cultural heritage, material heritage and traditional heritage.

State INTACH convenor Maalvika Pathania said the participants were made to visit Kangra Fort to bring them close to their cultural roots.