Solan, December 2
The Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, is facing de-recognition as the Indian Council of Agriculture and Research (ICAR) has not revised its accreditation following acute shortage of staff in the university.

The university has been facing staff shortage for the past eight years. If the pending issues are not addressed by March next year, axe may fall on its various research grants.

No vacant post has been filled for the past 5-6 years and there are fewer replacements for the faculty which is retiring every year.

The grim staff situation could be gauged from the fact that the university has only 219 faculty members while 131 posts are lying vacant. The requisite staff strength as laid down by the ICAR is 350. This has not only overburdened the existing staff but is also adversely affecting the university research and teaching work.

The ICAR and the Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) gives accreditation for three years and the university authorities had been pleading exemption for its staff shortage time and again.

It had, however, been directed to either abide by the norms by March or face de-recognition of its degrees.

The university is running 14 departments in its two colleges of horticulture and forestry on the main campus, besides having a college at Neri, 13 research stations and two directorates where study and research activities are being carried out.

As against the required strength of eight scientists in the departments, only four or five are available while the research stations are facing a 50 per cent staff shortage with only six scientists being available as against the requirement of 11.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Vijay Thakur, accepting this shortage of the staff strength, pleaded before the Chief Minister yesterday during the 29th foundation day celebrations, for making available adequate funds and the faculty. He requested the Chief Minister to make available an additional grant of Rs 32 crore to deal with the financial crunch.

Nurpur, December 2
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is constructing a toilet adjoining the Government Senior Secondary School (Boys) building on the premises of the protected historial monument Nurpur Fort, throwing its own rules and restrictions to the winds.

The ASI had imposed restrictions on carrying out any construction activity within 300 metres radius (regulated area) of Nurpur Fort in 2010 following amendment in the Ancient Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. The ASI authorities had stalled construction, alternation and repair of the old structure.

Local residents alleged that the ASI was adopting double standards by constructing toilets on the premises of a protected monument and not allowing even the necessary repairs of school rooms.

As a result, teachers and students are left risking their lives in a ramshackle school building. A few months ago, the ASI had tried to construct a toilet in front of this fort on government land, but after the issue was raised in the media, the authorities had got the construction stopped.

The ASI had declared Nurpur Fort a protected monument in December 1992 and had imposed a blanket ban on any repair of the dilapidated school building. Intriguingly, the school premises had come into existence in 1928 during the British rule. The roofs and walls of some classrooms of this school were in damaged in 2007 and could not be repaired, forcing the students to sit in the open. The state government funds for carrying out repairs remained unutilised since 2007-08.

In this connection, ASI Superintendent-cum-Regional In-charge, Shimla, Julfikar Ali, asserted that these toilets were being built on the fort premises for the tourists visiting this fort and added that the ASI was free to raise construction in public interest.

Nurpur Municipal Council Chairperson Krishna Mahajan, while expressing surprise on this pucca construction on the fort premises, said the 85-year-old government school building was on the verge of collapse and the Archaelogical Survey of India was not allowing the required repair.

"Is the repair of the ramshackle and unsafe school rooms not in public interest?" she questioned. She demanded permission to undertake repair of the school building in larger public interest.

Una, December 2
The Una Municipal Committee (MC) is dumping solid waste on the Swan river banks in violations of pollution norms. However, a solid waste management plant, constructed at a cost of Rs 60 lakh, has failed to function ever since it was built about 10 years ago.

MC officials said the solid garbage generation in the city was about 6 metric tonnes daily, which meant six truckloads a day. Under a Norwegian Aid Agency funding programme, Rs 50 lakh was sanctioned in 1998 for setting up a plant in Una. A plot near the Malahat khud was purchased by the MC for constructing the facility.

Mahesh Datt Sharma, Executive Officer (EO), Una MC, said about a year ago, a decision was taken to put the plant to use. After spending another Rs 10 lakh for repairing the dilapidated structures and constructing quarters for the plant management staff, some pits were filled up with waste and about 5 quintals of compost generated. The compost samples, sent to the Pollution Control Board, had failed the tests as it was found harmful for plants, said the EO.

Sharma said last month, the work for segregation of the garbage into non-degradable and degradable material along with its conversion into compost was awarded to a private firm at a cost of Rs 40,000 a month. However, the workers at the site said they had received only eight truckloads of garbage till date, which was insufficient for the plant to be viable. They further complained that they were not supplied with gloves and other protection material to deal with the hazardous material.

While Rs 60 lakh, spent on the plant, is a criminal waste of public money, the MC is dumping waste on an open space adjacent to the Swan river in Rampur village. The dumping yard is teeming with insects and there is foul smell within the 1 km radius.

Mandi, December 2
The sale of fresh fruits and vegetables in the retail market resumed in the town after three days as the boycott of auctions in the Subzi Mandi ended on Friday morning.

The Retail Fruit and Vegetables Sellers Union reached an agreement with the district administration on the issue of fixing margins for retail sales.

The district administration agreed to allow 20 per cent overhead charges for fixing the margin along with 25 per cent margin to make it 45 per cent.

The Retail Fruit and Vegetables Sellers Union and commission agents agreed to send signed Q and R forms, mandatory under the Essential Commodities Act, by 12 noon.

The commission agents also agreed to supply rates for sold fruits and vegetables in the morning on their writing pads to the district administration.

Those would be displayed by the latter in Chauhta bazaar to determine the actual rates of the fruits and vegetables that day after including 45 per cent margin to retail sellers.

The Fruit and Vegetable Growers Union started a boycott of auction in the Subzi Mandi on Tuesday resenting fixing 25 margins on retail sale in the market to the consumers.

They were saying they were incurring overhead charges like market fee, transportation charges and wastage and had demanded at least 50 per cent margin.

On the other hand, the district administration was sticking to allowing 25 per cent margin and signing forms Q and R for sale and purchase between growers, commission agents and retailers.

Additional District Magistrate Pankaj Rai said, “We had fixed the margins in public interest to regulate prices of essential commodities to check price rise and allowed 45 per cent margins, including 20 per cent overhead charges.”

“The commission agents would submit forms Q and R by 12 noon, which would be displayed in the Chauhata bazaar and they would supply the rates on their writing pads as per morning sales to determine the prices after margins,” he added.

Shimla, December 2
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the government would not hesitate in opening more schools to ensure 100 per cent enrolment in the state which had made a remarkable progress in literacy.

Presiding over the annual function of Government Senior Secondary School for Girls, Portmore, here, he said the government had made functional all schools which were de-notified by the previous BJP regime. The government was committed to opening more schools to facilitate children with better infrastructural facilities. The government had accorded the top priority to education and a budget provision of Rs 3,836 crore had been made for this sector which was 17 per cent of the total budget. The literacy percentage had reached 83.78 per cent and the enrolment levels of the state were one of the highest in the country.

The state was endeavouring to maintain the highest education standards so that the students could compete globally. The government was providing free travel facility to students.

Virbhadra said the Portmore school was one of the best in the state. Students of the institution had been excelling in educational and co-curricular activities and more facilities would be provided.

He directed the Public Works Department for the fencing of the school complex and construction of an alternative path for the school auditorium. He said the government would also consider providing one more hostel for the school.

He released the school magazine Vatika and distributed prizes among meritorious students.

Paonta Sahib, December 2
The police today registered a case of the Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, against unknown persons for breaking a boundary wall of a sealed ashram of Asaram at Kunja Matralia village in Paonta Sahib. It had been vested with the Relief and Rehabilitation Department on September 27.

SHO Bhisham Thakur said a case had been registered against unknown people after the receipt of a complaint by Naib Tehsildar, Relief and Rehabilitation Department, Ravinder Kanwar, who, after visiting the site, had found that some bricks had been removed from the boundary wall to seek entry in the ashram. It had been declared an evacuee property in August which had been vested with the government.

Some activity had been witnessed in the ashram and musical instruments were found, indicating human presence in the premises.

Occupants of the remaining portion of the ashram, which belonged to the Asaram Trust, failed to give any clue about the illegal occupants to the visiting team of officials.

Solan, December 2
After cracking down on illegal land sale by non-Himachalis in the district, the Solan SP has finally recommended cases of wresting 85.9 bighas land to the state government.

These cases have been recommended to the Deputy Commissioner (DC) for further action. Solan SP Ramesh Chajta said since the police had detected several such cases where non-Himachalis had bought land in Himachal by violating various provisions of the HP Tenancy and Land Reforms Act, 1972, they had conducted a thorough investigation.

He said in two cases, recommendations had been sent to the DC for wresting the land back.

One such case involves 35.4 bighas of land in Solan and 5 bighas in Sirmaur where a fake agriculturist certificate had been prepared for the illegal buying of land by outsiders. He said the involvement of the officials of the Revenue Department had also been found in this case and further action was being contemplated.

The Kasauli police have registered a case of cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy against Delhi resident Sudhir Marwaha and Harminder Singh. They had connived to make a fake Himachali agriculturist certificate which formed the basis of several land deals executed in Solan and Sirmaur districts.

The case came to light when a complaint was made by Ramesh Chauhan, Dinesh Kumar, Bhupinder and Rajinder Singh to the state government that a fake certificate had been used to purchase land in Solan and Sirmaur districts.

The case was referred to the Kasauli police which found that Sudhir Marwaha of Delhi had used a fake stamp of the Pacchad tehsildar and forged signatures of a revenue official with a fake serial number 482/2011 to prepare a fake Himachali agriculturist certificate which was the basis of several land deals in Kasauli and Sirmaur.

The other case involves a stretch of 50.5 bighas of land in Chail where a Chandigarh-based builder had bought land in the name of two Hamirpur residents.

A company represented by three partners had bought land in the name of two persons from Hamirpur, but an investigation into their financial status proved that the land was bought by the Chandigarh-based builders and this formed the basis of registration of a case against them.

Shimla, December 2
Acting Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court Mansoor Ahmad Mir is the fourth dignitary in the state to be provided with the Z-plus security cover, enjoyed so far only by the Governor, the Chief Minister and Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama.

A high-level meeting was held here today to review the security of the Acting Chief Justice, who was already under the Z-plus security cover in Jammu and Kashmir and assumed office here on November 21.

The meeting was chaired by Officiating Chief Secretary P Mitra, who is also looking after Home, and attended by Director General of Police Sanjay Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (CID and Vigilance) SR Mardi and other senior police and Central Intelligence agency officials.

“It has been decided to seek directions from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the Jammu and Kashmir Government before taking any decision to review the security of the Chief Justice,” said official sources. Till then, it has been decided to continue with the existing Z-plus security for Chief Justice Mir, who hails from Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, an area which has remained the hot bed of militancy.

If the Z-plus security continues for the Chief Justice, security arrangements in the High Court will have to be beefed up. Being a peaceful state with no insurgency, the High Court has routine security and it is easy for anyone to enter the premises of the court.

Security arrangements will also have to be beefed up at the official residence of the Chief Justice in Chaura Maidan.

Prior to this, none of the Chief Justices of the HP High Court were provided with the Z-plus security.

Governor Urmila Singh and Virbhadra Singh have been provided the Z-plus cover by virtue of their position. Besides them, only the Dalai Lama is provided with the Z-plus security as the threat perception to him is very high.

Shimla, December 2
The government has decided to frame a breeding policy with the objective of increasing milk yield and conserve the local germ plasm to help maintain the genetic diversity of cattle.

A woman milks a cow in Shimla on Monday. Photo: Amit Kanwar

An exercise has already been started and draft breeding policy circulated for suggestions and improvements before giving it a final shape. The average yield per animal has been around 5 litre per day and the objective of the policy is to double it by 2020 through systematic improvement in the livestock.

Besides, the existing policy was flawed as it did not take into consideration the topographical and climatic variations into consideration and envisaged uniform upgrading of the local hilly (nondescript) cows with Jersey bulls and maintaining exotic inheritance level at 50 per cent and further inter-se mating using half-bred (desi X Jersey) bull semen.

The draft policy proposes genetic improvement of milch cattle to varying extents depending on the agro-climatic conditions. The state has been divided into four zones for the purpose based on elevation and agro-climatic conditions.

In Zone-I encompassing low hills and valleys, the upgrading may be done with Jersey or Holstein Friesian (as per farmer's preference) up to 50 per cent and further with Red Sindhi and Sahiwal to keep local inheritance at bare minimum.

In the high hills, categorised as Zone III and IV, the present policy of limiting the upgrading of local hilly cows with Jersey bulls up to 50 per cent is proposed to be continued. In the mid-hills comprising Zone-II, a mix of policy to be followed in low hills and high hills is to be adopted.

Regarding the conservation of native hilly cattle, the only native cattle germ plasm resource of the state, the draft policy proposes in situ conservation by establishing hill cattle breeding farms needs to be undertaken at suitable locations in agro-climatic Zone II or III.

These farms will also serve as pedigree bull mother's farms for production of pure hilly males for breeding.

To implement the breeding policy, infrastructure at State Breeding Farm, Jeori, will have to be strengthened for producing and rearing pedigreed hilly bulls to be further used as sires for further semen production.

Liquid nitrogen plant will be required for conserving the semen of pure hilly males for future requirements. The embryo transfer technology lab at Palampur is to be equipped to produce embryos of elite animals of exotic breeds, particularly high-genetic merit bull calves which can be maintained at cattle breeding farms in the state.

Besides enhancing the overall milk production, the policy is expected to improve production potential of low-yielding hilly cows, encourage people to undertake commercial scale dairy farming and also help in the conservation of local hilly cattle.

Kullu, December 2
The Youth and Sports Department and the Directorate of Scheduled Caste, Other Backward Classes and Minorities jointly organised the sixth state-level sports meet for special sportspersons at the Dhalpur ground here today.

Director Sharab Negi inaugurated the two-day event being organised in the eve of World Disability Day.

In his address he said this meet provided an opportunity to special children to display their skills. He said the government was going to spend Rs 24.64 crore this financial year for the benefit of the disabled. To provide an equal growth opportunity to them, the rules framed in1995 had been fully implemented, he added.

He said there was facility of free education from Class I uptil the university level for disabled students and they were provided scholarships as well. Disabled youth were being given free training at Industrial Training Institutes and provided Rs 1,000 as monthly scholarship.

Joint Director, Youth Services and Sports Department, Suman Rawat Mehta earlier welcomed the chief guest. A cultural programme was presented by students of the Girls Senior Secondary School, Sultanpur.

SDM, Kullu, Suresh Jaswal and office-bearers of the Social Justice and Empowerment Department, Education Department, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan, Health and other departments were present.

Una, December 2
The Una police today apprehended a Hamirpur youth in connection with the death of a 19-year-old college girl Poonam Sharma who died at the Community Health Centre, Bangana, on November 28 under mysterious circumstances.

The victim, who hailed from Dodmin village in Hamirpur district, was found lying unconscious on the roadside and died at the health institution. A postmortem had revealed that the girl had consumed some poisonous substance.

Additional Superintendent of Police VS Thakur said cell phone records of the victim had revealed she was constantly in touch with Hamirpur resident Shammi Thakur, who worked as an engineer in Madhya Pradesh.

Thakur said the girl's mobile had SMS messages which said she was ending her life. He said the youth admitted that the two knew each other well.

Deceased Poonam was a second-year polytechnic student at MIT, Bani, Hamirpur district. She had left her house for the college on November 28 to deposit her dues and get her roll number.

Shimla, December 2
Public sector firm Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) has been awarded the gold shield at the two-week India International Trade Fair (IIFT), 2013, being held in New Delhi by the India Trade Promotion Organisation.

The shield was awarded by the organising body of IIFT to SJVN, which participated in the fair. — TNS

Bilaspur, December 2
A total of 350 cases of complaints of gastroenteritis have been reported at the Regional Hospital here till this evening.

After the outbreak of the disease, near here, seven new patients were admitted to the hospital today. These included three children. Twenty two patients were released from the hospital today. These were 11 adults and 11 children. This was stated by Chief Medical Officer ML Kaushal while talking to mediapersons here today.

Dr Kaushal said two teams of specialists from Shimla were on the job in the three affected villages. They were going to different households, scanning patients.

He said at present, a total of 49 patients were admitted to the hospital. These included 26 adults and 23 children.

He said the results of testing of two samples of water which the health department had taken and sent for examination at a Kandaghat laboratory are expected to arrive by tomorrow when it may be possible to spot the real cause. Meanwhile, RK Virmani, Superintending Engineer, IPH Department, claimed all samples of water in affected village taps and storage tank had been found safe. Accompanied by Executive Engineer PC Thakur and SDO SR Chaudhary, Virmani said “super chlorification” of all sources and drinking water tanks was being done and water taps regularly checked.