'Arrest erring traders' to check prices
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 29 — Housewives here attribute the unprecedented rise in prices of essential commodities to BJP's "bad governance".

They say that never in their lifetime had they witnessed such a big hike in the prices of almost all essential commodities.

Mrs Trisha Sharma, a practising lawyer, points out that in spite of anti-hoarding laws being so stringent, the government had failed to take action against erring traders to bring down prices.

"It is a shame that at a time when the common man is being crushed under the burden of rising prices, the government is acting as a mere spectator," she asserts.

She points out that the BJP, which claims to be a saviour of the poor, was not taking any steps to enable them to have two square meals as onion and potato prices have gone out of their reach.

Mrs Sharma laments that there was not a single food item which has not been affected by the price rise.

The government was simply trying to attribute the price rise to bad weather conditions. Why has the price of green peas and potato increased here although both these items were grown in Himachal Pradesh where crops were not damaged, she asks.

She wonders how the poor must be facing the brunt of the price spiral.

Mrs Richa, another housewife, complains that the quality of food has gone down because of the rise in prices. This has not only upset the budget, but has pushed many food items out of reach of the common citizen.

Mrs. Richa says that the price rise has neutralised any increase in her husband's salary. With her husband being the only serving member in the family, she says that it had become difficult to have two decent meals a day. She had to cut expenses on other things for running the household. Common people would be forced to change their eating habits, she adds.

Mrs Geeta Sharma, a government employee holds the government responsible for the unbridled price rise. It was reluctant to release the enhanced allowances to employees, which had further tightened their financial position. Earlier the poor man could depend on potatoes and onions for the main meal, but both these were out of reach now.

She says that her daily expenditure on vegetables and fruit, which was earlier around Rs 50 has now jumped to Rs 150. Green vegetables were costlier here than in the plains. The prices of pulses and mustard oil have also sharply increased.

The prices of vegetable and pulses in Shimla today were: Potato Rs 18, Ginger Rs 20, Onion, Rs 60, Caluliflower Rs 14, Cabbage Rs 14, Beans Rs 16 (all per kg) and Bananas Rs 20 per dozen. With respect to pulses the prices were rajmash Rs 32, arhar Rs 45, dal channa Rs 21, moong dal Rs 30 (all per kg), vegetable oil (packed) Rs 56 and mustared oil Rs 77 per litre.

Lecturers seek higher promotion quota
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 29 — The Himachal Government Senior Secondary School Lecturers Association has expressed concern over the indiscriminate opening of plus two schools without providing the basic infrastructural facilities, jeopardising the future of students.

Mr Kamaljit Thakur, president of the association, said the government upgraded a large number of high schools without bothering to ensure the necessary facilities like classrooms, laboratories, libraries and teaching staff.

The situation had been made worse by the irrational recruitment and promotional rules under which Headmasters and lecturers had been given 60 per cent and 40 per cent quota for promotion as Principals. There were only 980 Headmasters and over 5,000 lecturers and as per the strength, the latter should be given a promotion quota of 80 per cent in neighbouring Punjab, the lecturers had been given a 60 per cent promotion quota.

He said the promotional avenues had been further squeezed due to the induction of ex-servicemen who were given seniority from their dates of joining the Army. As a result while ex-servicemen appointed in 1994 had been promoted, those belonging to the general category had been awaiting promotion for 20 years.

Other demands of the association included the setting up of a separate directorate for secondary education on the Punjab pattern, restoration of gazetted status, creation of posts of Deputy Director at the district level and Block Education and Inspection Officer at the block level.

HP seeks 30 cr from Centre for relief work
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Oct 29 — The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, has urged the Centre to provide additional financial assistance of Rs 30 crore for accelerating relief and restoration operations in the state, where heavy losses occurred due to the recent unprecedented rains. Mr Dhumal’s request was conveyed on his behalf here today by the Himachal Pradesh Minister of Horticulture, Mr Narinder Bragta, to the Union Minister of State for Agriculture, Mr Sompal.

Mr Bragta told the Central Minister that 58 persons had died in incidents of house collapse, landslides and flash floods, triggered off by the recent rains. He said 309 head of cattle perished and 2982 houses collapsed and 575 water mills were washed away in the rains. Besides, public properties like national highways, irrigation and water supply facilities, fruits and crops had also been damaged in the state.

He said Shimla, Kulu, Chamba, Una, Hamirpur and Kangra were the worst hit in the rains. He said Rs 14 crore had been allocated to all Deputy Commissioners in the state for providing relief and for repair work of roads, bridges, water supply schemes and communications network.

Mr Bragta also urged Mr Sompal to release the last instalment of calamity relief fund to the state in advance so that the state could meet the pressing demands for funds.

Mr Sompal asked the state government to submit a memorandum regarding the damages caused by the rains and said the Centre would send a survey team to Himachal Pradesh for assessing the damage.

Corruption blamed on adhocism
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 29 — The Himachal Pradesh Forest Corporation Employees Federation has blamed the prevailing adhocism in the corporation for growing corruption and mismanagement.

Expressing concern over the fast deteriorating functioning of the corporation, Mr Govind Chatranta, general secretary of the federation, said the continuing deputation system had over the past two-and-a-half decade encouraged financial irregularities, corruption and other malpractices which, in turn, had started telling upon the performance of the corporation. Officers, who were taken on deputation from the Forest Department, were not accountable for their acts of omission and commission.

A strong nexus had emerged between 'van' mafia and officers which was not in the interest of the state or the corporation.

The management, the federation alleged, had also been indifferent towards the problems of employees and its apathetic attitude had caused widespread resentment. The issues like cadre management, pension, promotion rules, bonus and diversification of activities had been totally neglected.

He urged Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, to look into the functioning of the corporation and end the deputation system to end malpractices.

Symposium on hill agriculture
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Oct 29 — Hill people need to be adequately compensated for safeguarding the abundant natural resources, which are feeding the people in the plains.

These views were expressed by the Director-General of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Mr Egbert Pelinck, in his inaugural address at a three-day symposium in Palampur.

"Despite being the custodians of the fragile mountain ecology, the hill people are left out of the mainstream of development," he observed. The hill people are conserving water, minerals and the fragile hills, which are providing facilities to the people living in the plains.

Mr Pelinck said Himachal had emerged as a model hill state, which had made good use of limited opportunities and resources.

He said commercial agriculture was spreading fast but this was also resulting in reduced agro diversity. He said commercialisation of agriculture had led to environmental degradation. "Hill women are being burdened with agriculture and family life, which needs to be taken care of," he observed.

The Deputy Director-General of the ICAR, Dr Mangla Rai, stressed the need for striking a balance between biodiversity and development.

The Chairman of the Society for Sustainable Agriculture Resource Management expressed concern that 11 million hectares of forests were being destroyed every year, which was one of the reasons for global warming.

Plea to Himachal Housing Minister
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 29 — The Himachal Pradesh Housing Board Association has urged the government to merge the State Urban Development Authority and the Housing Board.

A deputation of the association met Mr R.D. Kashyap, Housing Minister, and told him that a small state like Himachal could not afford to have two parallel organisations performing the same function.

It also demanded pensionary benefits for the employees of the Housing Board on a par with their counterparts in the government.

Corruption blamed on adhocism

Kisan Sangh for redefining MIS
From Our Correspondent

KUMARSAIN, Oct 29 — Mr Jai Chand Singha, general secretary of the Pragatisheel Kisan Sangh here, has said that there is a need to redefine the market intervention scheme (MIS) of the government.

Mr Singha said apple growers suffered heavy losses this year when government agencies sold the procured fruit in the open market that affected the price of "A" grade fruit.

He said, on an average, an apple grower got just Rs 100 for an "A" grade apple box, which was too little. He said the government should intervene and stabilise the price as Rs 250 at least, which was also fixed as procurement price in a Union government document brought out a few years ago.

He said the government should categorise the procured fruit into two categories i.e, "B" grade and "culled". The "B" grade should be used for processing various products and the culled apple should be destroyed, he added.