ISI, CIA network around cantonments
KASAULI, Sept 14 — The Inter Services Intelligence and the Central Intelligence Agency are learnt to have spread their network around some cantonments of the state to steal Army secrets, lure local youth into indulging in anti-national activities and disintegrate society in the name of religion.

3.5m Indians HIV infected
SHIMLA, Sept 14 — India has the largest number of 3.5 million people living with the human immunodeficiency virus, human development report said

Need for effective regulation of ropeways
SHIMLA, Sept 14 — The government is promoting ropeways but has not taken the necessary steps to ensure effective implementation of the State Aerial Ropeways Act.

Horticulture varsity claim disputed
SOLAN, Sept 14 — Dr Jagmohan Singh Chauhan, Director of Horticulture, has described the claim of Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry of having evolved effective control measures for the early leaf-fall disease in apple trees as premature.

• Petitions against minister dismissed
• CBI probe demanded into murders
• BJP ‘creating’ transfer panic

ISI, CIA network around cantonments
From Our Correspondent

KASAULI, Sept 14 — The Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) are learnt to have spread their network around some cantonments of the state to steal Army secrets, lure local youth into indulging in anti-national activities and disintegrate society in the name of religion.

According to sources, the CIA and the ISI are working together to spread their network in these areas. The CIA lends a helping hand to the ISI whenever it fails to get the desired results. The ultimate goal is to steal vital information about the weapons stored in the cantonments. The alleged efforts to steal information are either made directly or through "associates". The "associates" are usually the local people possessing knowledge about weapons. The "associates", according to the sources, are paid hefty sums for spying activities.

Sources say the activities in and around the cantonments are being kept under strict vigil to foil the attempts to steal secrets. Kasauli, Solan, Dagshai and Subathu cantonments which are also tourist destinations are suspected to be the centres of alleged spying activities. Intelligence sources do not rule out the possibility of "associates" in the area, disguised as tourists, may pass vital information to the ISI and CIA agents.

According to these sources, more than 80 different foreign tourists, including those belonging to Pakistan and the USA, visited Kasauli last year. A couple of attempts to steal Army secrets were foiled in one of the aforesaid cantonments some time back.

Activities of the land mafias in Kasauli have not only posed a threat to its pristine beauty but also its security. Though a ban on construction activities is in force there is no check on the movement of strangers which has worried the intelligence agencies. Three suspected Kashmiris were reportedly taken in custody recently following the Chamba carnage. As many as three Pakistani air force officers were caught red-handed while trying to inquire about the local Army establishments in 1994. In another incident reported in 1978, one ISI agent was nabbed here who had successfully traced 80 secret Army maps from various parts of the country.

The intelligence sources also do not rule out the possibility of certain ISI "associates" active in the area. The sources confirmed the activities of some people belonging to two different communities are being kept under strict vigil. They have amassed sizeable wealth in a small period and regularly pay visits to one of the neighbouring countries. The sources also do not rule out the possibility of some retired Army officers in the ISI network as the two attempts foiled in 1978 and 1994, respectively, were masterminded by two top-level retired Indian Army officers.

A strict vigil in and around the cantonments is the need of the hour as the movements of strangers, most of them of dubious character, in these areas have become common. The Dharampur incident in which some dreaded criminals were chased and the alleged firing incident which took place in the Mashobra area of Kasauli in early May this year (unreported) have put a question mark on the working of the local security agencies. The criminals reportedly stayed in a Dagshai house and frequently roamed in and around Solan.

3.5m Indians HIV infected
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 14 — India has the largest number of 3.5 million people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

This was revealed in the human development report 1998 which was released here today by the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, at a two-day workshop organised jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Himachal Pradesh Government.

The report says that the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was fast growing the population of orphans in the world. The virus had reduced the expected life span in many countries. Life expectancy in some parts of Uganda had already been cut by 16 years.

The report indicated that HIV/AIDS had claimed nearly 12 million lives since it started 18 years ago.

At the end of 1997 nearly 31 million persons were living with HIV against 22.3 million the year before.

As many as 16,000 persons were being infected with the disease every day. It was estimated that 40 million persons would be living with HIV by 2000.

Of the 16,000 persons infected each day, 90 per cent were in developing countries, 40 per cent were women and 50 per cent were between in the 15-24 age group.

The report said with a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, more than 10 per cent of all children under the age of 15 would have lost atleast one parent 5 to 10 years from now.

In the urban centre of Francistown in Botswana, 48 per cent of pregnant women were HIV-positive, and at Beit Bridge, Zimbabwe, nearly 60 per cent were HIV positive. In Namibia more than twice as many people of all ages died of HIV-related illness as die of malaria, the country's number two killer.

The report said India ranked at 139 in the human development index with 1422 real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita purchasing power parity as in 1995.

Canada, France, Norway and USA ranked at the top. Among the developing countries, Cyprus and Barbados were at the top.

The report said that new estimates showed that the world's 225 richest people had a combined wealth of over one trillion dollars, equal to the annual income of the poorest 47 per cent of the world's people.

The enormity of the wealth of the ultra-rich was mind boggling in contrast to low incomes in the developing world.

The three richest persons had assets that exceeded the combined GDP of the 48 least developed countries. The 15 richest had assets that exceed the total GDP of sub-Saharan Africa.

The country with the biggest share of the world's 225 richest people was the USA followed by Germany with 21 and Japan with 14.

The resident representative of the UNDP, read the keynote address and also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Himachal Pradesh Government on the state human development report.

Mr Dhumal thanked the UNDP for having chosen Shimla as the venue for regional release of the human development report and also for holding the workshop here.

Farmers allege government grading apples
From Our Correspondent

KOTKHAI , Sept 14 — First it was delayed rains and now the unremunerative price which is troubling the apple growers this year. All estimates of a bumper crop this time have failed as an almost drought-like situation arose in the lower and middle belts.

The fruit could not gain the required size and remained very small to be filled in the boxes. Most of the growers are giving the bulk of fruit in gunny sacks to certain government procurement agencies on a support price of Rs 3.75 per kg.

Surprisingly, these agencies, instead of processing the procured fruit, for making juice, jams and other by-products, are selling it in the open market and thereby affecting the prices of quality fruit. Apples have been given in different markets of Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, according to some growers. About 16,000 metric tonnes of apple have been procured from growers by the HPMC and about 7,000 metric tonnes by Himfed, so far. Selling the apple produce in far-off markets like Madhya Pradesh and Bihar will not have any adverse effect at all, says some officers from these agencies.

The HPMC has refused to take very small and mite-affected apples from the farmers. They are even doing grading of the fruit, says Mr Sanjay Chauhan, a grower from Rauni near here. "Four kilogramme extra fruit is taken from us, and the price of a bag, which costs Rs 15, is not reimbursed to farmers, adds Mr Chauhan.

This is not market intervention scheme (MIS) where the culled apple is taken from the growers and then sold in the market, says Mr Ravindra Machaik, a Kotgarh orchardist. Under MIS, the government should stabilise the price of produce and intervene if it is going down, he says. The government should stop the commission agents in Delhi for charging unauthorised 8 per cent commission, says Mr Chauhan.

The procured fruit should be processed, distributed free of cost to patients or schoolchildren or even destroyed but should not go to the market, feel most farmers.

The major cause of concern for most growers is the successive crop failure. Excessive and early sprays of different pesticides have resulted in this continuous failure, as a number of farmers are realising now. Till 1983, just one very mild spray of insecticide was given at the fruit set stage, says Mr Machaik. But now various insecticide and pesticide companies have mushroomed and they are pushing their products through various universities.

The farmer is confused and ends up ultimately using a barrage of sprays, resulting in pestilential and toxic repercussions on the plants. Massive leaf fall is already occuring in the Kotgarh area. The process of photosynthesis for forming carbohydrates cannot take place and the overall plant remains malnourished and the fruit remains undersized.

More than 50 per cent of fruit dropped from the trees this year in the Kiari area, says Col M.K. Chauhan, an orchardist from Kanletta. Immoderate and outrageous use of medicines on plants for an early ripening of fruit has also resulted in loss to farmers as they are getting very low rates in the market.

It is the small and marginal farmer who is affected most by the successive failures of the apple crop. It is not possible even to meet the orchard inputs, says Dr Onkar Shad, an apple grower and a kisan sabha leader.

There was a great fear of shortage of trucks and packing boxes this year in case of a bumper crop. But the delayed rains overturned the apple-cart of farmers and now there is no dearth of trucks and boxes. The district administration with a control room at Bhakalti and sub-control rooms at Kharapather. Hartkoti, Chopal, Rampur and Narkanda has surplus trucks now. Timely arrangement is made with the operators from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. Goods tax has been exempted. Roads have been repaired and cranes fixed in different locations for helping stranded trucks by the government nodal agency.

Need for effective regulation of ropeways
From Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 14 — The Himachal Government has gone all out to promote ropeways but has not taken the necessary steps to ensure effective implementation of the State Aerial Ropeways Act which regulates the construction and working of ropeways.

While two major aerial ropeway projects — one near Parwanoo and the other at Naina Devi — are already functioning in the state, about six are in the pipeline. The Ropeways Act also covered numerous cableways used for carrying passengers, goods and animals set up mostly across rivers in interior areas.

However, the government has not provided a separate set-up for regulating their working. The mechanical engineering wing of the Public Works Department has been entrusted the additional responsibility for enforcing the ropeways Act. The Executive Engineers (Mechanical), who are looking after the maintenance of construction machinery and construction of bridges, have been designated Inspector Ropeways but have not been provided any additional staff or facilities to effectively carry out the job.

Under the Act, the mechanical engineering wing virtually becomes the nodal agency for regulating the working of ropeways, which the engineers of the department point out, is a full-time job. The mechanical wing was already overburdened and thus in no position to carry out this additional responsibility in an effective manner.

According to the State PWD Engineers Association, as per norms, 16 divisions, four circles and one Chief Engineer were required in the mechanical wing, whereas only six divisions and one circle were in place. Things had been made worse by the government by placing mechanical engineers under the control of civil engineers who did not possess the requisite technical knowledge of the mechanical field.

Technical experts feel that the government should set up a separate inspectorate to regulate the functioning of aerial ropeways on the pattern of the Chief Inspector (Electrical), in the state power board. The Chief Inspector (Ropeways) should be a mechanical engineer of rank not less than Superintending Engineer and also provide supporting staff ranging from Foreman to Executive Engineers. This wing could also, look after the maintenance for various other cableways, jhoolas and cable stayed suspension bridges which also required periodic inspection and maintenance. The suspension bridge at Sawara collapsed mainly because of the negligence in maintenance, engineers point out.

The construction and maintenance of aerial ropeways was a specialised job and the government should try to develop the required expertise in the mechanical wing of the PWD for the purpose. By the time all planned ropeways come up, the department should be in a position to regulate their functioning effectively. Already a major mishap and some minor ones have taken place and their number would only increase with more ropeways coming into operation.

Horticulture varsity claim disputed
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Sept 14 — Dr Jagmohan Singh Chauhan, Director of Horticulture, has described the claim of Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry of having evolved effective control measures for the early leaf-fall disease in apple trees as premature, adding that the fungicides recommended by the university had not produced the desired results.

Dr Jagmohan Singh said that apple crop was estimated at 2.57 crore boxes valued at around Rs 800 crore this year. Owing to the draught conditions prevailing in June, July and a good part of August, which resulted in a smaller size of the fruit, a loss of about Rs 100 crore worth of apple production was expected on this count.

The appearance of the disease and its spread in a near-epidemic form in some pockets of the apple-growing belt had caused a net shortfall in production of apples valuing about Rs 300 crore this year.

He claimed that all fungicides recommended by the university authorities had proved futile. As against the estimated minimum production of 2.57 crore of apple boxes, this year it would hardly be 1.5 crore boxes.

Dr Jagmohan Singh, who was Professor and Head of the Horticulture Department at the Parmar University, opined that in addition to the fungus "marssonina blotch" identified by the university scientists as the cause of the premature leaf fall, other fungi and deficiency of some micronutrients could also be the causative factors of the disease.

Had the university's claim of the premature leaf fall having been controlled by its recommended schedule of sprays of fungicides been true, the farmers would not have suffered losses of over Rs 300 crore this year.

Dr Jagmohan Singh emphasised the need for more comprehensive research and field trials for the control of the disease.

The premature leaf fall results in shortage of certain nutrients that the trees derived from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. Nutritional deficiencies caused heavy shrinkage of the size of the fruit and also its premature fall.

CBI probe demanded into murders
From Our Correspondent

JAWALAMUKHI, Sept 14 — A meeting of the state unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Dalit Smaj Kalyan Parishad, held here today, under the chairmanship of Mr Gangu Ram Musafir, a former minister, expressed concern over the law and order situation "which had created a feeling of insecurity among the Dalit community" in the state.

The parishad demanded a CBI probe into the murders in Kangra district and Jawalamukhi police station since March. It felt that most of the murder cases were not being investigated.

Mr Musafir demanded a compensation to the tune of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of Sikino Devi and others. The parishad also expressed concern over the Chamba massacre. It demanded a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to those who have been affected by these killings. It demanded government job for at least one member of the affected families.

The parishad demanded a white paper on the large-scale transfer of Dalit employees in the state.

Petitions against minister dismissed
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 14 — Mr Justice P.K. Palli, judge of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, today dismissed two petitions challenging the election of Mr Mansa Ram, Food and Civil Supplies Minister, from the Karsog Assembly constituency of the Mandi district.

The petitions, one filed by Mr Ganga Ram, whose nomination papers were rejected by the returning officer, and the other by Mr Mehar Singh, challenged the election on the ground of wrong rejection of form. The counsel for the petitioner contended that the returning officer could have ascertained the age of the Mr Ganga Ram from the affidavit submitted along with the nomination form.

Further the returning officer was duty bound to give opportunity to him to prove his age.

The counsel for Mr Mansa Ram argued that the petitioner had left the column of age blank in the form with the mala fide intention to create grounds for filing an election petition.

The returning officer had no authority to consider the age from the affidavit and he had no option but to reject the incomplete form.

Mr Mansa Ram had won the election by a margin of 1932 votes.

BJP ‘creating’ transfer panic
From Our Correspondent

NURPUR, Sept 14 — Mr Karan Oberoi, Director, Himfed and newly appointed general secretary-cum-spokesman of the Nurpur Block Congress Committee in a press statement today alleged that the BJP had created transfer panic in the area and its activists had started minting money through untimely transfers of government employees. He said all development activity had come to a standstill in the area.

He alleged that the law and order situation was deteriorating in the area. He said the Block Congress would soon launch an agitation and hold demonstrations to expose the misdeeds of the BJP in the area.