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State sees bumper apple crop
Rs 945 crore for taming Swan's tributaries in Una
CM, Dhumal play blame game over state's financial mess
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh with minister Sudhir Sharma during an election rally at Jogindernagar in Mandi on Monday. Photo: Jai Kumar |
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Dhumal govt took loans of Rs 9,110 crore: Minister
The seven-member team that scaled the Everest back at the school in Sanawar on Monday.
Rose without thorns developed by Himalayan institute
Pratibha, Jai Ram cross swords
Retreat on ‘social dynamics of urban’ begins at IIAS
HLP seeks action against BJP leaders for ‘robbing’ state
Security beefed up on Chamba border
INIFD organises grooming session for fashion hunt
93 sports grounds to be constructed in Kangra district: ADC
Advani’s resignation jolt for BJP
Vigilance has sought FIR against ex-minister: Birender
1 dies in road mishap
Fact-finding inquiry report submitted
Reshuffle in higher judiciary Remark against Sukhu flayed
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State sees bumper apple crop
Shimla, June 10 However, dropping of fruit, a normal phenomenon, has been on the higher side and some pockets in the Kotgarh area were hit by hailstorms which will affect production. The estimate for Shimla district, which accounts for almost two-thirds of the production, has been revised from 2.89 crore boxes from the first estimate to 2.50 crore in the second estimate. Last year, the state produced only 2.04 crore boxes and 2011 was worse when the output was a meagre 1.36 crore boxes. If the monsoon arrives in time, as predicted, and there is no dry spell, the production can be 80 per cent to 90 per cent more compared to last year. Director, Horticulture, Gurdev Singh said by all accounts, it was going to be a good crop, but the production would be correctly estimated after the June droppings. Incomplete pollination was responsible for the premature dropping of fruit and unfavourable conditions like dry spells and hailstorms aggravated the problem. Weather-wise, it has been a good year with apple-growing areas experience abundant and timely snow during winter. Snow is considered white manure for apple orchards and will help break the succession of poor crops. It was after several years that the state had good snow as early as the first week of January. It not only fulfilled the minimum chilling requirement, but also improved the moisture level in the soil. The apple production has not stabilised as is evident from the fact that the lowest production of 1.96 lakh tonne was recorded in 1999 and the highest in 2010 when the state produced 6.46 crore of boxes. This year has also been good for cherry. The state has a bumper crop, but the returns have not been good as prices remained low throughout the season. On an average, the rates were 50 to 80 per cent less compared to last year, says Ranjeet Mehta, a leading grower of the Kotgarh area. Boon for growers
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Rs 945 crore for taming Swan's tributaries in Una
The project, which is expected to reclaim about 6,060 hectares of land, will be the biggest channelisation project of North India. It will mainly cover the area between Gagret and Santokhgarh and channelise the remaining 55 of the 72 tributaries which were not covered under the earlier Swan project. The reclaimed land will be put to use for agriculture, horticulture and other allied farming activities. “It will be a big challenge for the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department to execute such a massive project, probably one of the biggest after the Brahmaputra basin in the country,” said Mukesh Agnihotri, Industries Minister, who represents the Haroli constituency. He said the department had laboured hard to get the clearances from various agencies under the CWC and the Indus Water Basin at the Centre. Though the project had been hanging fire since 1996, after it was rejected in March 2012, a fresh model survey was conducted through the Central Power Research Station, Pune, to overcome the lacunae. “The design and technical parameters were changed and it was ensured that this new project will in no way adversely impact the earlier works undertaken under the Swan project and not cause any damage to the bridges constructed,” said RK Sharma, Engineer-in-Chief, IPH Department, while giving out the technical details. The detailed project report (DPR) of the scheme was prepared in April 2013 and submitted to the Hydrology and Design Directorates of the CWC. The cost of the project was earlier pegged at Rs 558 crore which has now been enhanced to Rs 945.48 crore. The State Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) has already given its nod to the project and provision is being made by the Finance Department to make available Rs 90 crore guarantee amount that Himachal government will have to pay. Though a substantial amount has been spent on the channelisation of the Swan river in three different phases, the new project will take care of all 72 tributaries of the river which is commonly referred to as the river of sorrow, considering the huge damage it causes to fertile agricultural land in Una. A sum of Rs 48 crore was spent in the first phase, Rs 184 in the second and Rs 48 crore is being spent under the third and final phase. |
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CM, Dhumal play blame game over state's financial mess
Mandi, June 10 Virbhadra Singh said the previous Dhumal government had landed the state into a debt trap by taking loans worth Rs 33,000 crore. On the other hand, Dhumal claimed that Virbhadra had taken loans of Rs 1,700 crore within five months to run the government. Addressing a series of public meetings in support of party candidate Pratibha Singh in Jogindernagar today, Virbhadra claimed that the previous government had created the financial mess. “We are trying to bring the financial condition back on track as Dhumal did nothing except lodge cases against Congress men, including me,” he alleged. He further accused Dhumal of opening 17 government degree colleges at the end of his tenure without providing budget and infrastructure. The state government would start colleges where these were required, he added. He alleged that Dhumal had misused government machineries against him and registered false cases. Shanta Kumar also had a different opinion on Dhumal's policies and
programmes, but Dhumal had lost all limits of decency in public life in the state, he alleged. On the other hand, addressing public meetings in Kullu district, Dhumal alleged that Virbhadra had taken loans worth Rs 1,700 crore against the state securities in the last five months and was running a government of retired people in the state. “There is no money for paying the salaries of the government staff,” he
claimed. Dhumal said Virbhadra had failed on all fronts as there was no fund under
MGNREGA, milk producers were not getting their dues and the HRTC and Home Guards jawans had not been paid their salaries so far. Time was not far when the government would go bankrupt, he alleged. Addressing public meetings in the
Jana-Nagar-Jagat Sukh belt in Manali, Dhumal accused Virbhadra of misusing official machineries to win the
bypoll. Jai Ram Thakur was a strong candidate and voters had already tested Pratibha Singh, the Congress candidate, in 2004-09, as she had failed to deliver, he claimed. |
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Dhumal govt took loans of Rs 9,110 crore: Minister
Shimla, June 10 In a statement here today, he said the outstanding loan of the state government stood at Rs 21,241 crore as on March 31, 2008, which increased to Rs 28,513 crore on March 31, 2013. Thus, the loan liabilities increased by Rs 7,272 crore during the period. Further, a loan amounting to Rs 1,838 crore was converted into guarantee in 2009-10 and as such, the actual debt was Rs 9,110 crore. He asserted that there was no shortage of funds for development works which were being carried out at an accelerated pace in the state. He said the state government had got a hike of Rs 400 crore in the Annual Plan, which was increased from Rs 3,700 crore to Rs 4,100 crore, that had been approved for 2012-13. Agnihotri said every government took loan for meeting previous repayment liabilities and also for developmental works. The present government had availed a loan of Rs 1,100 crore in 2013-14 and it had a loan repayment liabilities of nearly Rs 1,200 crore up to July, which accounted for 70 per cent of the total repayments scheduled during the year. He said in 2012-13, repayment due up to July was Rs 505 crore and the state had raised loans of Rs 800 crore up to July 2012. Therefore, it was not correct to say that it was facing any financial crisis. |
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Everest team gets rousing welcome on return
Solan, June 10 Their return marked the flagging-in of the Sanawar Everest Expedition 2013 amid much fanfare and gaiety. The team was accorded an ecstatic homecoming reception on their triumphant return after successfully scaling the Everest, an accomplishment which earned The Lawrence School, Sanawar, the recognition of being the only residential public school sending the youngest team in the world to scale Mt Everest. Raghav Juneja of the team also becomes the youngest Asian to conquer the highest top of the world at 15 years and 7 months. While six of the seven, including Guribadat Singh, Fateh Singh Brar, Ajay Sohal, Shubham Kaushik and Raghav Janeja, successfully climbed it, Hakikat Singh Grewal had to bail out at the last lap due to a technical snag. The team members said, “The extremely high altitude leaves no room for error. Danger and death are lurking in the background where the uncautious can face the worst.” The team was received by bursar PK Sharma. They handed over the school flag to the latter who welcomed them back to the
alma-mater. Thereafter, a special assembly in the honour of the team was conducted in the chapel where prayers were offered for the success of the team. |
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Rose without thorns developed by Himalayan institute
Dharamsala, June 10 IHBT scientists have developed a thornless variety of the red rose. Dr PS Ahuja, Director, IHBT, while talking to The Tribune, said the variety had been named the Himalayan Wonder. Since this variety would not have any thorns, farmers would find it easy to cultivate the Himalayan Wonder. Dr Ahuja also said the IHBT scientists had also introduced a pink-coloured rose out of the Himachal Wonder variety. It is for the first time that a thornless variety of rose has been developed in this region and the IHBT is taking a patent for it. Since floriculture is very popular among farmers of the state, the thornless variety developed by the IHBT can provide an edge to them. Later, while listing the achievements of the IHBT on the annual day of the institute, Dr Ahuja said during the last one year the IHBT had forayed into food technology. It had developed Lauli Puff from Buck Weed in Lahaul. The institute had developed a technology for using apple pomace, a waste apple pulp generated at juice factories of the Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Produce Processing and Marketing Corporation (HPMC). Ahuja said the IHBT had made three inventions for using the apple pomace. These included a machine that separated seed and stock from apple pomace. After removing the seed, the stock dietary fibre was created from apple pomace that could be used in bakery products. The remaining part of the apple pomace could be used for making kurkare. The IHBT scientists had developed kurkare from apple pomace. These had 40 per cent content as apple pomace, he said. He said the IHBT had digitised forest fire maps for four forest divisions of Himachal Pradesh so as to highlight fire-prone areas. This service was being bought by other regions across the Himalayan Zone. The institute had also helped the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) on reclaiming dumping sites. The chemical sciences group of the IHBT had developed a nano catalyst, a metal phthalocyanine-based catalyst and ionic liquid mediated organic synthesis for anti-malarial, anti-diabetic and bio-active molecules. For the promotion of apple orchards in Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir, the IHBT had extended its functional and viral diagnostic kits to farmers. Virus-free root stock cultures of apple were extended to commercial tissue culture laboratories in the region, Ahuja said.
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Pratibha, Jai Ram cross swords
Mandi/Kullu, June 10 Launching her campaign today in the tribal Lahaul-Spiti, Pratibha claimed that it was due to the Congress and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi that the 8.82-km Rohtang tunnel had become a reality. She had taken up the matter with Sonia Gandhi when she was the Mandi MP. It was then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who had first conceived the idea of the tunnel to link the snowbound Lahaul valley through an all-weather road to the rest of the country, she added. She claimed that the BJP always raised issues of regionalism and caste to come to power. The BJP had been rejected by people of the state in the last Assembly elections and people of Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and Bharmour had elected Congress candidates as their MLAs, she added. Though Pratibha avoided a direct attack on Jai Ram, Seraj Congressmen Prof Vir Singh Chauhan, Chet Ram Thakur and former MLA Shivlal claimed that Jai Ram could not do much for Seraj which he represented four times in a row, so what could people expect from him as an MP. But Jai Ram took the Congress men and Pratibha head on claiming that she had failed as an MP from 2004-09. “My fight is against Virbhadra Singh, not Pratibha Singh,” he told his supporters at public meetings he addressed in Sarkaghat, an Assembly seat won by BJP MLA Inder Singh Thakur second time in a row. Jai Ram claimed that Virbhadra had failed to fulfil promises made to voters, mainly unemployment allowance to the youth. Instead he had introduced skill development allowance of Rs 1,000 per month, he added. Jai Ram claimed that Virbhadra's charge that the BJP had a weak candidate could be understood from the fact that Virbhadra was campaigning till 12 midnight in support of his wife. Assets Disclosed Assets as per affidavits submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer Pratibha Singh (cong) Moveable assets: Rs 6.47 crore; spouse’s (Virbhadra Singh) Rs 8.21 crore Immovable assets: Rs 80 lakh Bank loans and liabilities: Rs 1.5 crore; spouse (Virbhadra Singh) Rs 2.43 crore Jai Ram Thakur (BJP) Moveable assets: Rs 52.24 lakh; spouse’s:Rs 23.50 lakh Immovable assets: Rs 15.50 lakh; spouse’s: Rs 56 lakh Loans and liabilities: Rs 20 lakh; spouse’s: Rs 4 lakh
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Retreat on ‘social dynamics of urban’ begins at IIAS
Shimla, June 10 The retreat brings together a group of scholars, policy makers and administrators from India, the UK, the US and Europe who specialise in the theme. The seminar will see wide-ranging deliberations on important issues like mass urbanisation in developing countries and migration which pose great challenges for urban dynamics. Also issues relating to governance, crime, identity, along with those concerning livelihood, infrastructure, housing, food and environment will figure in the discussion. Other issues to be deliberated include settlements, community, territoriality, violence, contestations over urban citizenship, public spaces and popular culture, the changing social
organisation, disorder, the underclass, city and civil society
organisations. A characteristic feature of these scholarly discussions at the retreat will be a central focus on people. The deliberations place people centrally in all issues being discussed, since it is strongly felt that cities are primarily about people and not buildings. Thus, a people-centric focus is followed for a fresh understanding of the urban dynamics. In the opening remarks, Dr K
Sivaramakrishnan, Professor of anthropology and Chairman, Council of South Asian Studies at Yale University, and Prof James Manor, School of Advanced Studies, University of London, Prof N
Jayaram, conference convenor and fellow at the IIAS, gave a brief about the seminar. In his welcome address, Chetan Singh, member, governing body,
IIAS, and professor of history, Himachal Pradesh University, deliberated on the importance of the retreat. For a wide dissemination, the papers presented, issues discussed and overall summary will be published in the form of a volume of essays. |
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HLP seeks action against BJP leaders for ‘robbing’ state
Bilaspur, June 10 The meeting also pointed towards the “road mafia” patronised by former government leaders at Ghumarwin and demanded an inquiry into the construction of all roads in Ghumarwin sub-division. The resolution said crores were squandered away on these roads which were still incomplete. The HLP insisted that the construction of the Chehad stadium near Ghumarwin should also be probed. The meeting demanded that the sewage of Ghumarwin town be treated at the earliest. The party demanded Rs 10,000 per bigha compensation to farmers in all these areas for their crop losses. Party leaders presented a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the SDM Ghumarwin. Present on the occasion were district general secretary Brij Lal Sharma, Ghumarwin block president Capt Mast Ram and general secretary Tulsi Ram, secretaries Rattan Singh Chandel and Subhash Thakur, Rajesh Chauhan, Rangil Singh Varma, Jai Ram Thakur, Ram Nath, Hem Raj, Shamsher Singh, Capt Ram Singh and vice-president Amar Nath Sharma among others. |
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Security beefed up on Chamba border
Chamba, June 10 Briefing about the security arrangements, BM Sharma, Superintendent of Police (SP), Chamba, said here today that CCTV cameras had been installed at various susceptible points in the district. The security forces guarding the borders of Chamba adjacent to J&K had been directed to allow entry of an individual only after verifying his antecedents, the SP stated. The SP said paramilitary forces and police personnel, who were on poll duty, had been directed to deal stringently with anti-social elements. The police had also been carrying out "operation night dominance" with its flying squads patrolling round-the-clock in the district, he added. Out of total 137 polling stations in the Bharmour constituency which also includes the Pangi tribal valley, 34 polling stations had been identified as "sensitive" and one polling station at Luj as "hypertensive", the SP said adding that over 500 contingents of paramilitary forces, which included jawans of the Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP), had also been deployed to supervise the election process
in the district. |
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INIFD organises grooming session for fashion hunt
Nurpur, June 10 After an audition organised in Shimla, Dharamsala, Mandi and Hamirpur recently, the selected participants were called for the grooming session where they were provided techniques like personality development, make-up, modelling, basic designing and yoga classes. SP Sharma, Managing Director of the institute, said such grooming sessions would also be organised at Una on June 13 and at Rampur on June 17. He said voting was the main criterion for winning the crown for the fashion hunt. On the occasion, INIFD also organised a social awareness activity through a mini fashion show of dresses designed by its students. There were eight rounds of this fashion show. Messages of Beti Hai Anmol, environment conservation, no smoking and Incredible India were delivered through this event. |
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93 sports grounds to be constructed in Kangra district: ADC
Kangra, June 10 He said in 91 village panchayats in the district, playgrounds would be constructed at a cost of Rs 1 lakh each, whereas in each block two sports grounds would be constructed at Rs 5 lakh each. He said since 2008 a programme was launched under which 577 playgrounds were being constructed and most of the playgrounds were nearing completion now. Rohan said the main aim to construct these grounds was to bring rural children and youth closer to sports activities for physical development, besides keeping them away of the drug menace. He said under this project, this year sports equipment worth Rs 9.50 lakh would be purchased which included sports equipment for games like volleyball, badminton, kabaddi and basketball. Those who attended the meeting included Kangra ADM Rakesh Sharma, Zila Parishad Chairperson Shreshta Koundal,
District Sports Officer Mohinder Brahria. |
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Advani’s resignation jolt for BJP
Mandi, June 10 State BJP leaders are tightlipped over Advani’s resignation but are concerned as his resignation from all BJP posts has come as a major setback for the party which is fighting hard for the Mandi
byelection. The Congress had won two successive Lok Sabha elections in 2004 and 2009 from
Mandi. Though BJP leader PK Dhumal is considered to be the supporter of Narendra
Modi, other group that seek blessings from the octogenarian leader has been left in the
lurch. Advani has a leadership base in Himachal as he had led many big rallies and yatras in the state. He was also expected to address a rally during the byelection in support of Jai Ram
Thakur. |
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Vigilance has sought FIR against ex-minister: Birender
Mandi, June 10 Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Birender claimed that the Vigilance probe had corroborated the charges levelled against ministers of the previous BJP government led by PK Dhumal. Though the Congress did not disclose the ministers' names, he claimed that the Vigilance had recommended an FIR against a minister. He was acompanied by Transport Minister GS Bali, state president Sukhvinder Singh, Excise and Taxation Minister Prakash Chaudhary and CPS Sohal Lal Thakur. |
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1 dies in road mishap
Bilaspur, June 10 Reports said bike driver Gurjit Singh of the same place, who was injured in this mishap and admitted to the Regional Hospital here, told the police that the bus driver did not stop his vehicle and sped away from the scene of the accident. He said when his bike was hit by the bus from behind, his friend on the pillion fell down on the road, while he fell to the other side of the road. The bus crushed his seriously injured friend under its wheels. Later, the police arrested the driver and impounded the bus. The youths were returning home after paying obeisance at Manikaran in Kullu district. |
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Fact-finding inquiry report submitted
Shimla, June 10 Deputy Commissioner Dinesh Malhotra said the report was being sent to the government for further action. The charge sheet included five key issues - the construction of flats in Bemloe, Benami land transactions in Rampur Kyonthal near Tutu, Bentony Castle deal and violation of Section 118 by APG University, Shimla.
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Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha PK Dhumal are blaming each other for the financial mess that has plunged the state into a debt
trap.
Chamba, June 10
Nurpur, June 10
Shimla, June 10