P R A D E S H
Thursday, December 2, 1999
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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
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Thursday, December 2, 1999 |
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Leopard population on rise HAMIRPUR, Dec 1 — The spurt in the leopard population in three districts of Himachal Pradesh, is worrying local residents and officials of the Wildlife Department. Govt
apathy hits bee keeping |
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Warm send-off to Rama Devi SHIMLA, Dec 1 — The former Himachal Governor, Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, was given a warm send off at Raj Bhavan, here today. She left for Banglore to take oath as Governor of Karnataka tomorrow. CM: ensure success of "sanjhi
van yojna" Insurance
staff observe strike Withdrawal
of ban on LTC sought Villages
face water shortage Govt
apathy hits development work Council
expresses concern DCI
team to visit dental college Defamation
case against minister |
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Leopard population on rise HAMIRPUR, Dec 1 — The spurt in the leopard population in three districts of Himachal Pradesh, is worrying local residents and officials of the Wildlife Department. A recent survey conducted by the Wildlife Department in the state, revealed that in Mandi, Hamirpur and Kangra districts the leopard population had increased considerably in the past few years. With the leopard population in these districts exceeding the carrying capacity, these animals were invariably seen roaming freely in the human habitat, posing a threat to human life. Though, so far incidents of leopards attacking human beings are not many, but the number of cattle and dogs, who have fallen prey to leopards is quite large. As per the latest census report, which excludes three circles, there are over 945 leopards in the state. This, indicates that their number in the state is definitely above 1,000, but the major cause of concern is their increasing population in these three districts. The highest number of leopards in the state at 225 is in Mandi district. What is more alarming is their concentration in the Sundernagar (96) and Jogindernagar (91) belt. Kangra district has the second largest leopard population. There are 210 leopards in the district. The Kangra and Dharamsala area alone has 110 leopards with over 35 in Palampur and 37 in the Nurpur area. Hamirpur district has a leopard population of over 100. Not only can one spot a leopard on prowl in the main town after twilight, but the forests of Jhaniara, Dhang-di-Kwali and Budsar have a large leopard population. Same is the case with the Chamba district which has a figure of 113 leopards, and Bilaspur having 96. The Conservator, Wildlife at Hamirpur, Mr Wargyal, while admitting that the number of leopards in these three districts had exceeded the carrying capacity said in case the animal becomes a potential threat to human life, permission can be sought from the Chief Conservator Wildlife, for its trapping. People residing in the Palampur, Jogindernagar and Sujan Tira belt say that the increase in the number of leopards had certainly posed a threat to their lives. They feel that instead of the government waking up to the problem only after the animal has taken a few lives, it would be better if it takes steps to avoid such a situation. It may be recalled that a few years ago, leopards had become a virtual terror in the Jogindernagar area, where they took over 20 lives. The situation had become so alarming that people would not venture out of their homes even during day time. The government had to engage professional shooters to get the man-eater animal killed. Situation around Dharamsala town is just the same. One need not go to a zoo to see a leopard, as they can be spotted frequently in the Chilgari, Sukoh, Civil Lines and the adjoining areas. Officials in the Forest Department too point out that they are ill-equipped and not trained to deal with a situation where a leopard becomes a maneater. "In fact, if a leopard gets trapped our staff put its life at risk, as they have no training or tranquilliser guns to deal with the situation," lamented an officer. It is being felt that
the staff of the Wild Life Department, should be given
some training to deal with such animals. The permission
for culling leopards sought by the state government from
the Centre was turned down when the situation became
alarming, a few years ago. |
Govt apathy hits bee keeping KANGRA, Dec 1 — The bee keeping industry in Himachal Pradesh is in shambles and thousands of families connected with the trade are on the brink of starvation. Mr Onkar Singh Choudary, General Secretary of the Friends Beekeepers’ Welfare Association, Himachal Pradesh said here yesterday that the industry had started from Kangra and Shimla districts in the state and later it spread to Chamba, Sirmour, Una and Hamirpur districts, but now the industry was crumbling due to the apathy of the government. He said in 1995, at least 1,500 families in the state were producing 150 metric tonnes of honey annually from 10,000 beekeeping boxes. After improvement in the beekeeping technology, which percolated to the grass root level after 1992, the trade started flourishing and the production of honey was doubled by 1998. The production of honey in the state last year was 300 metric tonnes from 20,000 boxes and about 5,000 families were involved in the trade. Beekeepers blame the state government apathy for the present state of the industry. The traders complain that the government has failed to provide proper storage facilities for the honey and there was no facility to market the product. The use of kail wood for manufacturing boxes for keeping bees has been banned by the government the bee keepers alleged. The support price of the honey was fixed at Rs 32 per kg in 1991-92, the price had gone down by Rs 20 to 22 per kg this year. Expressing concern over the state of affairs the bee keepers said under the present circumstances they would not be in a position to even clear the loans taken from the various financial institutions. Criticising the working of the beekeeping offices of the Horticulture Department, the beekeepers alleged that these offices had failed to deliver the goods. The medicines supplied by these offices to the beekeepers were six times costlier than those available in the open market. Mr Onkar Singh said the market price of sulpher was Rs 20 per kg but the beekeeping office sold it at a price of Rs 130 per kg. They blamed the government for not providing the raw material, medicines, storage and marketing facilities for bee keeping in the state. They demanded that the bee keeping Department in the state should either be closed down or the required material for the trade be made available through these outlets at proper costs. They demanded that the HPMC centres outside the state should be used as distribution outlets for the honey produced in the state. The beekeepers also demanded that the unit run by Dabur India Limited at Baddi, Nalagarh, in HP to be directed to purchase 300 metric tonnes of honey from the honey producers of the state in order to save this industry. The unit purchasing 1000 to 2000 metric tonnes of honey from China at present. They also sent a letter
to the Chief Minister, Prof P.K. Dhumal, apprising him of
the crisis faced by the bee keeping industry in the state
and demanded his intervention. |
Fall in infant mortality rate SHIMLA, Dec 4 — Effective implementation of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) project in the state has led to a marked decline in infant mortality rate in rural areas. A recent survey conducted by the Welfare Department has revealed that the infant mortality rate, which was 63 per thousand for the state, has come down to 34 per thousands in the areas covered under the project. At present about 40,000 pregnant women and lactating mothers both, and 1.90 lakh children up to six years of age are being covered through a network of 7,123 anganwaris. The scheme has indeed, ensured a better implementation of the immunisation programme and also improved the overall health status of the mothers and children by providing supplementary nutrition. The anganwaris have played a key role in bringing about this turnabout, besides pre-school education, they also provide nutrition to the children in the form of "khichadi", "kheer" and sprouted gram six days in a week. The growth and health of the children is strictly monitored and those who are underweight are given a double diet. Regular medical checkups of children and mothers are carried out with the help of the Health Department which also provides referral services. The immunisation has been more than 90 per cent as against 60 per cent in non-ICDS rural areas. Over the past one year the project has been revamped and a uniform curriculum for pre-school education has been formulated. For strict monitoring of physical growth children are weighed on 15th of every month in all anganwaris. The Welfare Department has now decided to give ready-to-eat items like biscuits and roasted gram to children. In order to extend the reach of the project, the department has sent a proposal to the Centre for opening another 2,500 anganwaris in the state. For effective coverage of the entire state the number of anganwaris must be more than primary school which is not the case. While there are over 10,000 primary schools, the number of anganwaris is only 7,123. Besides, the urban areas are not being covered at all. The department has already sent a proposal to the Centre for starting the project in Shimla and surrounding areas which has a population 1.26 lakh. It has also identified 55 urban settlements for implementing the project for which a proposal is being prepared. Encouraged by the success of the scheme in improving the health status of rural women, the department is now focussing on their empowerment through income-generating activities. An elaborate exercise has been started to set up about 2500 self-help women groups. The members of these groups will not only be provided training to undertake income generating ventures but also provide necessary funds. It has already been
observed that the Indira Mahlia Yozna has been better
implemented in areas covered under the project. The
setting up of self-help groups is expected to provide
further impetus to such schemes and enable women to
supplement the family income. |
Warm send-off to Rama Devi SHIMLA, Dec 1 — The former Himachal Governor, Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, was given a warm send off at Raj Bhavan, here today. She left for Banglore to take oath as Governor of Karnataka tomorrow. The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, his Cabinet colleagues, chairpersons of various boards and corporations, the Director-General of Police, and senior officers of the state government were present on the occasion. Mrs Rama Devi expressed her gratitude to the people for the co-operation and affection given by them and wished them a happy and prosperous future. She praised the people of the state for their honesty and hard work and expressed the hope that they would make Himachal a model state in the country. She also thanked the Raj Bhavan staff for their co-operation. The Governor expressed satisfaction over the functioning of the state government and said it was committed to the development of the state and the welfare of its people. Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri, Governor designate, Himachal Pradesh, will take oath tomorrow. Earlier, Mrs Rama Devi honoured four persons for their contribution in the field of social service. Lala Amar Chand Sood was honoured for his contribution to the legal profession and dedicated service for the cause of the poor. Mr Mangat Ram Chauhan for his selfless service to the destitute children. Mrs Saroj Vasishth for her voluntary work in prisons and contribution in the field of art, literature and theatre and Mr Kashmir Chand Sadyal, SP, Kangra for helping underprivileged and handicapped persons. The honour carried a token sum of Rs 25,000, a shawl and a commendation letter. Earlier, Mr Dhumal
hosted a farewell party for Mrs V.S. Rama Devi at his
official residence. |
CM: ensure success of
"sanjhi van yojna" SHIMLA, Dec 1 — Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, has asked government departments to give up the purely sectoral approach of the previous regime and work in close coordination with non-governmental organisations to ensure effective implementation of schemes like "sanjhi van yozna" which aimed at the empowerment of people in the management of forests. Addressing participants at the forest sector review workshop organised by the Forest Department in collaboration with Department of International Development, UK, here today. Mr Dhumal said the mounting concern for preservation and production of forests wealth had been reflected, at least to some extent, in the national forest policy of 1988 which called for major shifts in approach and strategies for forest management that forests first met the requirement of the people who lived within and around forests became imperative. He called for better cooperation amongst the inter-related departments for successful execution of certain plans aimed at development and protection of the forests which would also help in saving unnecessary expenditure caused due to duplication of work. He cautioned the departments liable for creating unnecessary burden on state exchequer, he said that rights of the people in forests would remain intact only if they contributed for their preservation and protection. Without forests neither hydro-electricity nor tourism sectors could develop. The sustainable management of forests should therefore be a matter of vital importance for these departments as many of their activities when carried out in isolation could adversely affect forests. The forests were not only a national but also a global asset to be enjoyed by the tourists for their aesthetic and recreational value. Similarly, an endemic species of local cultural significance could be highly valued globally because of the threat to its continued survival. As a signatory to several international conventions for the conservation of bio-diversity, forests and wildlife, it was obligatory to fulfil the commitment to the global community. Mr Roop Singh Thakur,
Forest Minister, said that Rs 12 crore had been spent on
the ‘sanjhi van yojna’ in the state so far and
its results were encouraging. As many as 194 gramin vikas
samitis had been formed in the state under this scheme so
far. |
Insurance staff observe strike SHIMLA, Dec 1 — Banking and insurance services were partially affected in the state as employees owing allegiance to the Bank Employees Federation of India and The All-India Employees Insurance Employees Association observed a day’s strike in protest against the introduction of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) Bill in Parliament. While the functioning of insurance companies was almost paralysed, impact was partial in banks. There was no strike in the State Bank of India, Allahabad Bank and some other banks. The United Commercial Bank and the Punjab National Bank were the worst hit. The striking employees held a protest demonstration and staged a day-long dharna in front of the divisional office of the Life Insurance Corporation, here. The employees were opposing the Bill which, they alleged, would pave way for the privatisation of the insurance sector. The opening of this vital sector to multinationals would undermine the national interest, they argued. They alleged that the Bill was being introduced under pressure from the World Bank and the IMF. Northern Zone Insurance Employees Association secretary A.C. Chauhan said that the strike by class two, class three and class four employees was complete at all branch offices of the LIC in the state. He said that employees
took out processions and raised slogans against the
government at certain places, including Hamirpur, Mandi,
Bilaspur, Sundernagar, Dharamsala, Kulu and Una. |
Withdrawal of ban on LTC sought HAMIRPUR, Dec 1 — The Himachal Pradesh Government College Teachers Association has demanded a separate directorate for college education and creation of posts of vice-principal in each college. The association felt that teachers were facing great difficulties in getting their various demands accepted. At a meeting of the association held here yesterday, it welcomed the decision of the state government to release the balance payments regarding implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission report but expressed concern over depositing the same in the provident fund account of the teachers. It demanded cash payment of the balance pay amount. Through another resolution, it demanded the immediate withdrawal of the ban on LTC and to grant house rent allowance and medical allowance on the Punjab pattern. The association decided to hold its organisational election before the next academic session and stressed the need for taking the teachers’ association into confidence while making various types of decisions. It decided to hold a
college teachers’ conference at Hamirpur on March 25
and 26. |
Villages face water shortage PALAMPUR, Dec. 1 — More than 12 villages in the Rajgir area of Palampur subdivision have been facing drinking water shortage. Most of these villages have not received water supply for the past 15 days. Residents of these villages told mediapersons here today that despite repeated requests to the officials of Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department no efforts were made to restore the supply. They said in the absence of tapped water supply, villagers had been forced to take muddy water from nearby ponds and nullahs. Mr Balam Ram, President of Rajpur panchayat, said he had sent a copy of panchayat resolution to the Executive Engineer of the Irrigation and Public Health Department about a week ago but no official bothered to restore the supply. Inquiries made by this
reporter reveal that officials and field staff at the IPH
subdivision at Panchrukhi were not attending to the
public complaints causing inconvenience to the common
man. Public complaints were never entered in the
complaint register. |
Govt apathy hits development
work NURPUR, Dec 1 — The development activities at gram panchayats of Nurpur and Indora development blocks have been affected for the past few months because of government apathy which has failed to fill the key posts of block development officers (BDOs). There are 45 and 43 gram panchayats in Indora and Nurpur blocks, respectively. According to the official information, the BDO, Fatehpur block, has been given the additional charge of these two blocks. But keeping in view the heavy workload, the BDO, Fatehpur, relinquished the charge of the Nurpur block on November 24 and the same handed over to the BDO, Rait, in Kangra subdivision. The Nurpur block after
waiting for many months have got a BDO in July. But he
got promoted within two months and was posted at the
district headquarters, Dharamsala. |
Council expresses concern SHIMLA, Dec 1 — The Himachal State Veterinary Council has expressed concern over the move of the Himachal Public Service commission to co-opt Dr B.S. Katoch as technical member of the board constituted for the selection of veterinary officers. In a letter to the Secretary of the commission the president of the council, has pointed out that Dr Katoch did not possess any recognised veterinary qualification and as such was not competent to judge a candidate's skills in the field of veterinary medicine, obstetrics and surgery. It is worth mentioning
that Dr Katoch was not appointed to the post of Dean,
College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences. |
DCI team to visit dental
college SHIMLA, Dec 1 — A team of the Dental Council of India (DCI) will come here on December 6 for the inspection of the controversial dental college of the state government. The DCI team will do the inspection for two days, sources said. The first batch of the BDS course admitted in 1994 has not yet been able to appear in the final examination of the four-year course as it has not been recognised by the DCI. The Chief Minister, Mr
P.K. Dhumal and the Health Minister, Mr J.P. Nadda, held
a series of meetings with the DCI for getting the college
recognised. |
Defamation case against minister DHARAMSALA, Dec 1 — The Kangra District Congress Committee, member and Gurkha leader, Mr Arun Bisht, has filed a defamation case against the Transport Minister, Mr Kishan Kapoor. The case has been filed in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kangra, under Sections 500, 501 and 502 of the Cr.PC against Mr Kishan Kapoor and the Editor, printer and publisher and a reporter of Hindi daily published from Jalandhar. The case had been filed
for the alleged defamatory statement made by Mr Kapoor,
which was reported in the newspaper. |
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