Warmer nights in Shimla
By Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 17 — Nowadays if you want to spend a night away from the chilly plains, head for Shimla. Yes this is unbelievably true. Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh, has been experiencing "warmer" nights and mornings than other cities in the north-western plains. Last night was the third such successive night.

The suggestion of going to Shimla in the middle of December sounds bone-chilling. But, then, nature has its own ways. Cities in the plains like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Hissar, Ambala and Ludhiana, among other places, have recorded lower temperatures during night and early morning hours than Shimla. The recordings for the lowest temperatures in Shimla are startling when compared with cities in the plains.

Located at a height in excess of 7000 feet above sea level, Shimla is the ideal summer destination. Nature, however, has played a role that has led to this unusual weather in the past three days. Meteorological officials in Chandigarh explain that such a thing can occur only if fog or clouds descend on a place in the early evening hours. The fog and clouds trap the temperature and it does not slide down further. On the other hand, temperatures in the plains keep on sliding down.

During the day time, temperatures in the cities in the plains are more than those at Shimla. The sole exception is the holy city of Amritsar where the day-time temperatures are surprisingly lower or on a par with the temperatures in Shimla.

The lowest temperatures in the past three days at Shimla have been 8.5, 8.6 and 8.2 degrees Celsius, respectively. Interestingly, Kulu, located at a height much lower than that of Shimla, has recorded 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4 degrees Celsius, respectively, in the past three days.

Met authorities say the day-time and night temperatures in the plains are well within the laid-down normal limits. In Shimla the night temperatures are between 4 and 5 degrees above normal. Thus the temperatures are even higher than those in the plains.

Dry spell hits Winter Games
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 17 — The current dry spell has upset the Winter Games schedule in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir where the ski slopes are waiting for snow.

It is mid-December, but there is no trace of snow. The sun is exceptionally bright these days.

The trials for the Indian ski team for the fourth Asiad were postponed as there was no snow at Gulmarg in Kashmir. The team was scheduled to reach Jammu on December 20 for its onward journey to Srinagar.

Mr B.K. Prabhakar, chairman of the Records Committee of the Winter Games Federation of India, told this correspondent here today that all the famous ski slopes in the three northern states were without trace of snow.

He said that the trials for the Indian team which would participate in Asiad in South Korea, were scheduled to be held from December 22 to January 4. Fresh dates for the trials would be fixed only after the snowfall.

Mr Prabhakar was hopeful that the ski slopes at Auli in Garhwal hills might shine with snow to host the 10th National Winter Games in February.

The Manali Cup Winter Games scheduled for January are also in doldrums as the Solang slopes were still green. The Naldehra slopes in the Shimla district might also not see the fun early this time.

While the dry weather has put a question mark on the Winter Games, the blue sky is favouring the ice skaters here who are having excellent sessions this time. The ice skating rink is buzzing with activity in both the morning and the evening sessions.

It was not even a monthlong ice skating season last year. However, this time skating started on December 1 for the morning sessions and the evening sessions were also started a couple of days ago.

Mr Prabhakar hopes that it will be a full skating season this time. A fancy dress carnival will be held on the ice on December 26. Last year the carnival had to be put off as ice did not freeze at the rink.

The skating rink in the heart of the town here is the only one in the country where ice freezes naturally. However, bad days have come for the skaters as the area of ice has reduced due to felling of the big deodar trees near the Ridge which earlier protected the rink from direct sun to enable freezing of water.

Govt not to 'spare' culprits
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Dec 17 — The government will take stern action against political big wigs illegally selling land under tea plantation in the state.

Addressing a press conference here today, the Minister of State for Cooperatives, Mr Rikhi Ram Kaundal, said a departmental inquiry was already on to identify those who had indulged in benami sale of land. Big structures have already come up on the tea estate land sold by certain persons with political influence and the government will not spare anyone violating the law," he stated.

He said if need be the government would frame a new legislation to check benami deals.

Mr Kaundal said a project worth Rs 3.45 crore would be taken up to increase land under tea in non-traditional areas. The areas to be covered under the project would include the changer area of Baijnath, Siuntha area in Chamba and Jogindernagar area in mandi district. He said the four cooperative tea factories at Bir, Sidhbari, Palampur and Baijnath were running in profit and a large number of people of the area were getting employment.

"We are planning to attach another project with the tea factories so that the workers here can get employment the year round," he stated.

Mr Kundal said the government was keen to promote floriculture in Kangra and Mandi as the farmers could make handsome earnings. He said an inquiry was being conducted by the Registrar, Cooperative Societies, regarding some farmers being duped by a private firm in Kangra. "In case we are not satisfied with the inquiry report, the government will not hesitate to hand over the case to the Vigilance Department", he emphasised.

In another case pertaining to loan irregularities committed in the Kangra Central Cooperative Bank, Mr Kaundal said a report had been sought from the bank and whosoever found guilty would not be spared. He said the government was satisfied with the functioning of the Kangra Central Cooperative Bank and was committed to paying bonus and ex gratia to its employees as recommended by the Board of Directors of the bank.

Mr Kaundal said the government would take all possible steps to strengthen the cooperative network in the state. He said the emoluments of secretaries of societies would be increased as soon as the report in this regard was submitted within three months. He also said in the near future some items being handled by the Civil Supplies Corporation under the public distribution system would be handed over to the Cooperative Department.

In order to provide assistance to farmers the department would extend financial assistance to societies formed at the village level to augment irrigation facilities. He said experts from the IPH Department will also be directed to extend technical assistance to the people to make use of the water flowing in "kuhls".

Regularisation of services sought
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 17 — The Himachal Public Works Department Graduate Engineers Association had expressed resentment over the failure of the government to regularise services of graduate Junior Engineers even after the completion of 12 years of service.

These Junior Engineers would have been eligible for promotion as Assistant Engineers after eight years of service had the government regularised their services. In other departments and various boards and corporations, Junior Engineers had been promoted even before the completion of three years of service.

There was no fresh recruitment of Assistant Engineers from 1988 to 1996 due to the ban imposed by the government. Thus the graduate engineers were forced to join as Junior Engineers.

In state like Rajasthan, the government had framed a one time policy to remove stagnation. All the posts of Assistant Engineers were filled by giving preference to those graduate engineers who were already working as Junior Engineers.

HP hydrogeologists up in arms
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Dec 17 — Hydrogeologists working with the Department of Irrigation and Public health in Himachal Pradesh are up in the arms against the state government for not regularising their services.

As many as 21 hydrogeologists have been appointed by the successive State Governments since 1991. The minimum basic qualification for the post is M.Sc (geology). A number of them possesses ever higher qualifications.

According to Mr K S Mandhotra, state President of the HP Hydrogeologists Sangh, these employees have to identify sites, bore holes and then to install the hand pumps, for which they get a meagre salary of Rs 128 per day.

Despite repeated requests to the state government to regularise the hydrogeologists services and fill all vacant posts in the department, nothing had been done so far, he claimed

Hamirpur to have technical university
From Our Correspondent

KANGRA, Dec 17 — The Himachal Government has decided to open a technical university, a college of architecture, four industrial training institutes and two polytechnic colleges in the state by next year end.

Mr Ravinder Ravi, State Minister for Technical Education, said here today. He said the university was likely to be set up at Hamirpur, where Regional Engineering College had been functioning.

He said two new courses had to be introduced in Government Polytechnic College, Kangra, from the coming academic year.

The Minister, however, refuse to disclose the places where the institutions were to be set up.

He said the government had been planning to improve conditions of the engineering college at Kala Amb.

Varsity exams postponed
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 17 — The examinations of the Himachal Pradesh University were postponed today till February following a gherao of the pro-Vice-Chancellor, Mr N. Sharda, here by activists of the NSUI and SFI.

The student organisations alleged that examinations were earlier postponed on selective basis by the university authorities.

The NSUI and SFI announced that the authorities accepted their demand for postponing examinations till February 20.