Parwanoo, September 12
The bumper apple crop this season has led to the arrival of excess fruit in the Parwanoo-based marketing centre of the state where agencies are finding it difficult to handle everyday arrivals.

Inquiries made from the marketing office of the Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC) at Parwanoo revealed that on an average 20 to 25 trucks were arriving every day, while the processing plant could barely utilise about 10 trucks of 10 tonnes capacity.

The rest of the fruit was sold in the open market by the HPMC and the Himachal Pradesh State Cooperative Marketing and Consumers Federation (HIMFED) to buyers from Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana and other nearby areas.

Piles of rotten apple were seen lying on the 2-3 km stretch of National Highway No. 22 extending to the Sector 6 area of Parwanoo. Since some of the truckers waited for days to sell their fruit, in the absence of timely sales, the fruit was found rotting while still being unsold. Apple-laden trucks were seen parked on both the sides of the road on the NH-22 at Parwanoo, while waiting for sellers.

Explaining their plight, Ram Chauhan, a grower from Chopal, said, “Since the market is flooded with apples, we failed to get good rates and were forced to sell our fruit at prices as low as Rs 700 to Rs 1,000 per 20 kg box as against its market price of Rs 1,250 to Rs 1,400 per box.”

He added that a grower got panicky to sell his fruit for a song if he failed to find a buyer after two to three days as there was no dearth of the fruit.

Terming the current glut in the market as an exploitative situation for the grower, he said those having personal links with commission agents could sell their produce on the first day, while others were forced to wait. He said the bumper crop had failed to benefit growers.

With the availability of trucks becoming scarce, low-grade apples often rotted and were dumped while being shifted from seller to buyer in gunny bags, added Padam Singh Negi, Assistant Manager, HPMC.

He said they could store only 80,000 to 90,000 MT of apples and 10 truckloads of apple were being processed on a daily basis. Since the fruit arrival far surpassed the requirement, they were selling the remaining fruit in markets. However, the lack of availability of vehicles made it difficult for buyers to lift the fruit the same day, he said.

Sellers were forced to sort their fruit and dump the rotten chunk to attract buyers. The government agencies had provided space to dump the rotten fruit in a nullah, near the APMC marketing yard, and this was not only leading to losses, but adding to the stench in the area. Some low-grade apple, which was sorted out on the NH-22, was also seen dumped on the road despite clear directions from the Deputy Commissioner to keep the NH clear of such rotten fruit.

Dogs were rummaging through the rotten apple, thus creating a mess on the road and the situation has aggravated by the rains.

Hamirpur, September 12
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) consumers in the state getting subsidy on LPG refills from the Central government through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme are shelling out Rs 30 to Rs 40 more for each refill in comparison to consumers still getting subsidy on refills through the non-DBT scheme.

In several districts of the state, where the DBT scheme to reimburse the subsidy on LPG refills has been introduced, consumers are charged extra due to the increased Value Added Tax (VAT) and the entry tax as the taxes are being calculated on the entire amount, including the subsidy paid by the Central government.

The consumers who were paying Rs 450 for an LPG refill before the introduction of the DBT scheme in Hamirpur are now paying Rs 480 to Rs 490 for the same. The situation is similar in other districts, where the subsidy on refills is being reimbursed through the DBT scheme.

LPG dealers express their helplessness on the issue saying the price of LPG refills was being fixed by companies in Mumbai and the subsidy to be reimbursed was decided by the Central government.

After several complaints in this regard from consumers, Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ashish Singhmar and Una DC Abhishek Jain had taken up this issue with the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs director.

Rahul Kumar, Field Officer, Indian Oil Corporation, who is looking after the LPG supply division, said, “The extra amount for the LPG refill for consumers getting subsidy through the DBT is being charged due to the variation in the VAT and the entry tax in the state and this issue should be resolved by the state or Central government to help the consumers.”

Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs director Priyatu Mandal said, “I have taken up the issue of the difference in price of the LPG refill between DBT and non-DBT consumers with the state government as the charging of VAT is dealt by the Excise and Taxation Department.”

Palampur, September 12
Yoga guru Ramdev today rooted for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the BJP's next Prime Ministerial candidate. Ramdev, who was here to attend a programme organised to mark the birthday of former Chief Minister and veteran BJP leader Shanta Kumar, said the country wanted Modi as the Prime Minister of the country. Shanta Kumar celebrated his 80th birthday today.

He also took a jibe at senior BJP leader LK Advani by saying, “He is an elder and we respect our elders”. However, Advani should also respect the sentiments of the country and let Modi lead the BJP campaign as the Prime Ministerial candidate, he said.

He said, “I would do anything to persuade Advani for backing Modi as the Prime Minister’s candidate”.

The yoga guru today launched an attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi. He alleged that due to the weakness of both the leaders, the country was feeling leaderless.

While addressing BJP workers at the auditorium of Palampur Agriculture University, he alleged that during the Uttarakhand tragedy in which thousands lost their lives, Rahul was out of the country celebrating his birthday.

About Modi being accused of Gujarat riots, Ramdev said if Modi could be blamed for riots, then the first Prime Minister of the country, Jawaharlal Nehru, should also be “blamed for riots during Partition”.

Later, while addressing a press conference, Ramdev said there was an economic emergency in the country and he would start a yatra from tomorrow to make people aware of the “deeds of the present government”. When asked if he would like Shanta Kumar to contest the next Lok Sabha elections, the yoga guru said he would definitely like to support people with clean image like Shanta Kumar.

Meanwhile, Shanta Kumar’s birthday turned out to be an occasion for the BJP to put up a united face. All the prominent leaders of the BJP from the state, including former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, national general secretary of the party JP Nadda, party in charge of Himachal Balbir Punj and state president of the party Satpal Satti were present on the occasion.

Shanta Kumar said the country needed a change of government at the Centre. The country was facing challenges of internal and external security and the present government was not in a position to tackle them, he alleged.

“The country is facing the worst-ever crises since the Independence. Inflation is at its peak and people are reeling under price rise. The economy is in doldrums and there is no employment for the youth. The number of scams that have been unearthed during the present UPA government are unprecedented,” Dhumal said.

Shimla, September 12
Spokesperson of the Pradesh Congress Committee Naresh Chauhan and senior party leader Kuldeep Singh Pathania have been selected by the high command for a five-day workshop being organised by the All-India Congress Committee to provide training to leaders with potential to become national spokesperson and TV panelists.

They have been picked from among 300 leaders who attended the first workshop from across the country organised at the initiative of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to form a team of articulate spokesperson to effectively put across the party views in print, electronic and the new media. The workshop is being held in Delhi from September 15 to 19.

PCC chief Sukhwinder Singh said it was a matter of pride as two leaders had been selected from the state.

Pathania is a former MLA and currently the chairman of the State Pollution Control Board. Naresh Chauhan has risen from the ranks of the NSUI and has held various posts in the state executive body of the student organisation from 1984 to 1990. He also remained spokesperson of the State Youth Congress from 1998-2001 and general secretary from 1990-1998. He was s spokesperson of the HPCC from 2001 to 2004 and again got the post in 2012, which he continues to hold.

Shimla, September 12
A Rs 1,000-crore integrated plan to make Himachal a horticulture bowl of the country and issues pertaining to education, particularly the failure of Central agencies concerned to regulate private institutions, will come into sharp focus during the second quarterly “performance review” meeting convened by party vice-president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on September 13.

Gandhi had during the first review meeting held in May told the government to prepare a road map for developing Himachal as a horticulture state. Besides Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and PCC chief Sukhwinder Singh, Ahmad Patel, political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, AICC general secretaries Ambika Soni and Janardhan Diwedi will also attend the meeting.

The government has prepared an integrated plan for creating necessary infrastructure for sustained growth of fruits, vegetables, mushroom and floriculture. Modern nurseries, 14 packing and grading houses for fruits and vegetables, modernisation of existing cold stores, upgrade of processing plants at Parwanoo and Jarol and establishment of four beverages plants and an apple juice concentrate plant have been proposed along with a centre for excellence in horticulture.

Other components include introduction of high-yielding rootstock, product development, brand building, capacity building, new auction yard in Delhi and modernisation of existing markets.

As far as higher education is concerned, the state has already an IIT and a Central University and it now wants an IIM and also a Central institute of plastic engineering and technology. A major concern is that in the absence of an effective regulation, ill-equipped private educational institutions are producing “unemployable” youth. Though the state has set up a regulatory commission, the Central agencies are not performing their duties.

The progressive decline in allocation under Centrally sponsored schemes was also creating problems for the funds-starved government and it wants the Centre to maintain its share in schemes, which has come down to 65 per cent in some cases, at uniform level of 90 per cent.

The state has already implemented the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) on the basis of draft rules and it wants the Centre to notify the final rules so that it could secure funds under the scheme. The government and the party will take credit for an impressive win in the Mandi Lok Sabha and the victory of the NSUI in the students’ elections. The PCC has been reconstituted as per the road map and workers meeting for two of the four Lok Sabha seats had been held.

Shimla, September 12
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh inaugurated the All-India Art Exhibition-2013 at the Himachal State Museum here today.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh at the All-India Art Exhibition-2013 at the Himachal State Museum in Shimla on Thursday. Photo: Amit Kanwar

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said a new block, including a cafeteria, reception and sales counter, would be constructed at the museum to facilitate visitors. He evinced keen interest in the paintings, sculptures and other exhibits displayed in the museum. The exhibition has been organised by the Department of Language, Art and Culture.

He expressed happiness over the expansion and improvement in the museum, especially in the library which had been developed on the Tibetan monastery style. He said sincere efforts would be made to make it one of the best museums in North India.

“The museum has a varied and priceless collection of artifacts, showcasing the rich heritage, legacy and culture of various parts of the state,” he remarked. He assured that the state government would provide all necessary assistance to make it more attractive for foreign as well as domestic tourists. He congratulated the artists who had got awards and space in the ongoing exhibition. He distributed prizes among them.

Upma Chawdhary, Principal Secretary, Language, Art and Culture, said efforts were being made to preserve and promote the rich cultural heritage of the state.

Kullu, September 12
The tussle for supremacy over Kullu politics took its toll at the first meeting of the famous Kullu Dasehra festival here earlier this week. The royal brother duo, Kullu legislator and Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) president Maheshwar Singh and Congress Banjar legislator Karan Singh, have queered the pitch for the festival to be held next month.

This time, Karan Singh, who has been tipped for the last vacant ministerial berth in the Virbhadra Singh government for the past nine months, got another shock when he found his name at the bottom of the list of the Kullu Dasehra Committee (KDC) members as per a government notification.

The notification kept Maheshwar Singh at the top in the KDC VVIP list followed by rival BJP Manali legislator Govind Thakur, which raised the ire of Karan Singh and Khub Ram, both Congress legislators, whose names appeared towards the bottom of the Kullu’s VVIP hierarchy.

Sources said Karan had walked out of the first meeting of the KDC here earlier this week saying that the chairperson of the committee, the Kullu Deputy Commissioner (DC), was absent as he was out of station. The meeting was later presided over by the Kullu ADM.

Usually, a minister or a senior MLA or an MP of the ruling party is made the KDC chairperson. Karan had batted for himself and Mandi MP Pratibha Singh for the post, sources said.

However, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had been been walking the tight rope in Kullu and had chosen to keep the “royal brothers in good humour” and made the Kullu DC Chairperson of the KDC, said party insiders.

The major triggering factor was that Karan was not getting supremacy in Kullu district in the presence of his brother Maheshwar as the “HLP is supporting the Virbhadra government”, the sources said.

Also, Hiteshwar Singh, son of Maheshwar, was recently elected from Banjar as Director of Kangra Central Cooperative Bank, which has further marginalised Karan's clout in Kullu.

“No ill-will towards anyone. But the ruling party MLAs should get due place in the protocol list of the KDC,” he said. “The real issue is not that the DC is made Chairperson, but that he was not present in the first meeting. He may have a genuine reason, but the meeting could have been postponed as it is an international festival," he added.

Karan found himself sidelined, considering he had deserted the BJP during the 2009 Lok Sabha elections and supported Virbhadra Singh against Maheshwar Singh, who was the then BJP candidate, said his supporters.

Commenting on the issue, Maheshwar said, "The Chairman (not being present in the meeting) is no issue. Maybe certain people found themselves being ignored in the KDC protocol list.”

Shimla, September 12
The much-touted Himalayan Ski Village (HSV) in Kullu, earlier proposed to be a mega FDI project, is now likely to come up as a smaller modified project in the PPP mode with thrust being on greater community involvement and direct opportunities for locals.

The promoters of the Himalayan Ski Village have responded positively to the consent sought by the Tourism Department for going ahead with the project after a hiatus of nine years. However, they have asked for some modifications in the earlier plan.

Considering the grim economic scenario, the proposed cost of the project is likely to be scaled down from Rs 2,000 crore to almost half of it and the project is likely to be taken up in a phased manner with private, public and community participation.

“If the state government is prepared to engage in a discussion about a modified project, we can get a design that will serve people of the state and villagers of the upper Kullu valley and attract investors back for this modified eco-friendly ski-resort,” stated John Sims, Managing Director, HSV. The ski-resort project, which became a "victim of political prejudice" during the BJP regime, was conceived during the Congress rule.

Subject to the stand that the government adopts in view of the modifications being sought by the HSV, the promoters are keen to have a direct alliance with local companies by incorporating them directly in profits and business opportunities. “Earlier too, the interest of locals had been taken care of in the form of jobs, but now we want them to get direct opportunities and not just mere employment,” said Ajay Dabra, a partner in the project. He said earlier, 93.1 hectares of land, including 16.3 hectares of government land, was required for the project but now, only half of the land would likely be used as the project would be on a smaller scale.

In his response to the government letter, Sims stated, “Despite having spent crores of rupees in undertaking studies and paying professional fees, our international and Indian investors feel cheated and disgusted as the HP Government did not act in good faith after signing the implementation agreement."

He stated that with misconceptions about the project now being cleared, the locals had realised the immense benefits that they would get from the project. He claimed that villagers had now approached him to revive the project.

Shimla, September 12
The Himalayan Adventure Sports and Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA) will organise training programmes to hone the biking skills and educate schoolchildren about environmental benefits of cycling ahead of the MTB Himalaya Rally slated to take off on September 28.

Zoe Beesley and Robert Rankin, expert mountain bikers from the United Kingdom, will be the main trainers. They will hold sessions in local schools. The objective is to promote cycling for health and also as a sport as it enables the youth to realise the importance of perseverance and hard work which help in building a strong character, said Mohit Sood, president of the association.

“Zoe is an avid cyclist as well as a school teacher back home. The warmth and energy she gives to the young will go a long way in building awareness about the sport,” said Akhil Puri, General Secretary of HASTPA.

Zoe and Robert, who are on a month-long tour of the state, are looking forward to meeting students of St Edward’s School and teach them the finer nuances of mountain biking next week.

HASTPA organises MTB Himalaya weekend camps for amateur riders to help them get conditioned to the tough mountain terrain and know the do’s and don’ts of the adventure sport. Training is provided to Himachali riders free of cost.

Nurpur, September 12
The row between a local hospital in charge and a paediatrician took a new turn when a large number of residents and attendants of patients staged a protest against hospital in charge SK Mahajan this morning.

Led by zila parishad member Ashok Sharma and former municipal councillor Dharam Pal, the residents raised slogans in favour of the paediatrician, Dr Ashutosh Joshi, and against the hospital administration for allegedly mentally torturing the former.

Ashok Sharma and Dharam Pal criticised the “poor state of affairs” of health services in the hospital. They demanded smooth functioning of the services in the hospital and action against those who were vitiating the atmosphere of the hospital.

The paediatric OPD remained locked for the second day today following sudden leave of the pediatrician yesterday. A large number of women, who had come with their ailing children from far-off places like Nurpur, Jawali and Chuwari sub-divisions, experienced difficulties after seeing the closed OPD.

Meanwhile, Dr Joshi said he had gone on leave by submitting a leave application yesterday and he could not join an emergency morning duty on Tuesday as he was on court hearing duty at Dharamsala on that day. He said he was unable to work in such circumstances where the hospital “in charge used to mentally torture him on flimsy grounds”.

However, hospital in charge Dr SK Mahajan said the people were “motivated to hold protest against the hospital administration without knowing the ground realities”.

Shimla, September 12
Taking tough stand on the issue of encroachments in the bazaars of Shimla town, the Himachal Pradesh High Court today directed the Municipal Commissioner, Shimla, to furnish details about the number of unauthorised structures in the bazaar area in the corporation records. The court further directed him to file a personal affidavit in this regard within six weeks.

The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice Kuldip Singh passed these orders on a Public Interest Litigation filed by Neelam Sharma on encroachments in the Lower and Ganj Bazaar areas in Shimla.

The court also directed the Municipal Commissioner to examine the issue of encroachments as well as the explanation offered by the respective occupants before taking any coercive action and to consider initiating appropriate action against corporation officials for failing to take action against the unauthorised structures within reasonable time.

The Bench also clarified that the pendency of the petition would not be an impediment for the corporation to take action against unauthorised structures, already identified by the corporation, in accordance with law and listed the matter for October 28.

In another case, the High Court directed the Civil Judge, Senior Division, Court No. 1, Shimla, to decide the maintainability of a suit filed by an encroacher in the Lakkar Bazaar area within a week and report compliance. In this case, the Municipal Corporation, Shimla, had moved the High Court challenging the stay granted to the encroacher by the civil court on the removal of encroachment.