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| Tuesday, January 4, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Farmers pray for snow KZF ‘behind’ train blast Once 'queen of hills' now a jungle of concrete Hijackers were ‘good at’ tackling crisis Time to restore sanctity of temples: Governor |
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| Double-lane bridge need of hour KOTLA (Nurpur): The local Dehar khad bridge on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway is locally known as "killer bridge" as several fatal accidents take place here owing to congestion. The burgeoning vehicular traffic on the highway, leading to congestion, calls for immediate attention. Levy sugar quota increased Badiyal's removal not motivated 3 die in mishap near Theog Suspected militant held in Shimla Building destroyed in fire
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Farmers pray for snow SHIMLA, Jan 3 — The continuing dry spell has been giving sleepless nights to farmers, particularly apple growers of the mid and high hill areas whose crop will be severely affected for second successive year unless the weather gods obliges with snow. There has been hardly any rain in the region since August and barring a light snowfall on December 7, the weather has remained dry throughout. In the absence of snow, apple orchards will be deprived of the minimum "chilling hours" required for a good crop. According to scientists of Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry on average 1500 to 2000 hours of chilling, with temperature remaining below 7 degree centigrade, are required for proper flowering. For this a minimum of 3 ft (36 inches) of snow is essential during the winter from December to February. Dr R.P. Awasthy, Vice-Chancellor of the university, feels the situation, though alarming, is not altogether irretrievable as a good fall of snow as late as January 15 could save the crop. Any further delay will affect production as the temperature starts rising soon afterwards. Curtailment in chilling hours affects the biochemical activity in plants which, in turn, hampers production of substances that induce, flowering. Besides lack of moisture in soil also affects the intake of nutrients and fertilisers. A second successive crop failure will spell doom for apple growers, says Dr Jagmohan, the director of horticulture. A lean crop is usually followed by a good crop and the state had expected a decent output after the total failure of the crops last year when production came down to just 20 per cent. The dry spell has also affected rabi sowing. Normally, the sowing of wheat and other crops is completed by late December. However, Farmers in most parts of the state are still waiting for rain. Any further delay in sowing will affect tillering of the crop. Farmers, however, have no option as over 80 per cent of the area under agriculture is rainfed. It has been seen in the past that a dry spell in winter is followed hail in February and March the time for flowering and fruit setting. Inadequate snow during winter also causes water scarcity during summer in the hills, where most sources of water are snowfed. |
KZF ‘behind’ train blast PALAMPUR, Jan 3 (PTI) — The Kangra Police claims to have made a major breakthrough in the Puja Express bomb blast case in which 16 persons were killed at Chakki bank on the Kangra-Pathankot border on November 11 last year. Disclosing this at Dharamsala today the SSP, Mr K.C. Shadyal said the group responsible for the blast had been identified as the Khalistani Zindabad Force (KZF) headed by Ranjit Nitta, who himself planned and executed the operation. He said Nitta was on the pay roll of the ISI but was inactive for the past 18 to 20 months and the action was aimed at resumption of flow of money from the ISI which had since been stopped. Nitta whose gang comprised of 25 people was at present hiding in Pakistan and efforts were being made to nab those who had been identified. Mr Shadyal said the police had been able to get the list of 16 persons of the gang of which three were in jail and the whereabouts of 13 were not known and none of them was found at their native places. He said the investigations revealed that the blast was conducted with a time device and 2 kg of RDX was used. The bomb was not planted by some trained terrorist but by some hired persons like coolie, vendor or rickshaw puller as 80 per cent of its impact went outside the train. Had the bomb been properly planted the impact would have been five to six times more causing heavy casualties. The bomb was planted in the train at the Jammu railway station and the police was looking for two suspects whose broad identity had been established. |
Once 'queen of hills' now a jungle of concrete SHIMLA, Jan 3 — Shimla witnessed its rise under British rule but has lost most of its imperial grandeur over the century which has just gone by. The town is fast losing its charm and serious efforts are required to restore it. With greenery all around, the town was once the "queen of hills" but lost its charm when it was allowed to be turned into a concrete jungle in the latter part of the century. Many historic monuments built when the town was the summer capital of the British have been consumed by flames. Most of the remaining edifices have been lying in neglect. Among the prominent historic buildings gutted in the recent years are: Walker Hospital, Peterhoff, Kennedy House and Wildflower Hall. The town began to thrive around 1827 when the Governor General, Lord Amherst, started the practice of residing here during the summer. However, the growth of the town actually picked up after 1864 when the Viceroy, Lord John Lawrence, made it the summer capital. It became the capital of Himachal in 1971. Virtual slums have been created in many parts of the town where haphazard and unplanned construction was being allowed. The town, planned for a population of about 16,000 by the British now has a population of about 1.50 lakh, sharing almost the same infrastructure. Traffic chaos is just like most of the towns in the plains. Many areas of the town have started sliding down because of haphazard constructions. The famous Lakkar Bazar has been sliding at a few places. The Walker Hospital, which was the latest to fall prey to the flames, was constructed in 1902 for European patients. It was converted into a military hospital in 1954. The Earl of Eligin was the first Viceroy to reside in "Peterhoff" on his arrival here in 1862. The magnificent building was gutted in 1981. A concrete structure has now come up in its place. Nathu Ram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, was held in "Peterhoff", which housed the Punjab High Court. Other Viceroys, who resided in "Peterhoff" were Sir John Lawrence, Lord Mayo, Lord Northbrook, Lord Lyton, Lord Ripon and Lord Dufferin. The Kennedy House, which was the headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief with Lord Stapleton Viscount Combermere as its first occupant, was gutted some time ago. The "Wildflower Hall" which was the residence of the Commander-in-Chief, was reduced to ashes after it was converted into a hotel of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC). Lord Kitchner was the first Commander-in-Chief to occupy the building after securing lease of the charming building on the Mahasu range, about 14 km from here. The historic "Barnes Court", constructed in 1832, was converted into Raj Bhavan in 1981 after "Peterhoff" was gutted. The Simla Agreement between India and Pakistan was signed in the "Barnes Court" after the 1971 war. The building with rich woodwork was constructed by Sir Edward Barnes. The Mall, which is the centre of activity, has lost its glory over the years as many additions and alterations have been made in the buildings on its sides. The Asia's only open air natural ice skating rink near The Ridge has also lost much of its charm over the years. The "Viceregal Lodge", the summer residence of the Viceroy, which was constructed by Lord Curzon in 1888, has now been plunged into a controversy with reports of its present occupant, the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, being asked to shift. The building is a fine specimen of Elizabethan renaissance style. The Supreme Court has ordered the Archaeological Survey of India to maintain the dominating building on the observatory hill. Gaiety Theatre, designed on the model of the Royal Albert Hall, London, was built on The Mall in 1887 and has been renovated recently. The Ripon Hospital, built in 1882, is in bad shape now with poor upkeep. Not only the common residents, but the state government is also to be blamed for degeneration of the town. A large number of government buildings have been constructed in total violation of laws. |
Hijackers were ‘good at’ tackling crisis UNA, Jan 3 — The hijackers who hijacked an Indian plane from Kathmandu were well-versed in crisis management, Mr Ikbal Singh Kaundal, chief executive of the Society for Advancement of Village Economy at Sainj village in Kulu, and onboard the plane, said while talking to this correspondent at his residence today. He said the hijackers — "Burger", "Doctor", "Bhila", "Shankar" and "Chief" — received orders from "Chief" who remained in the cockpit throughout. Mr Kaundal said the hijackers spoke chaste Hindi and seemed to have planned the hijacking in a mechanical way without any fault or lapse. He said when one of the hijackers who was wearing a monkey cap and brandishing a pistol announced the hijacking after about 20 minutes of take off from Kathmandu, some of the passengers who were near him thought that he was joking and asked him to sit down. But when another hijacker joined him, they realised it was for real. The hijackers made separate seating arrangements for women, children and couples. Foreigners were asked to sit separately. This took about 10 to 15 minutes. He said when their demand for the release of three militants was accepted, the hijackers asked the passengers to take some cash to the Taliban authorities and collected about Rs 71,000 and hand it over to them. He said he was informed that Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal through the Chief Secretary would talk to the Centre to inquire about his welfare, however, no district officer had visited his house to express sympathy with his wife and parents. Mr Ikbal Singh said when the hijackers announced the hijacking, the pistol and handgrenades which they were carrying were ordinary ones, but at Kandahar they had new and modern pistols. |
Time to restore sanctity of temples: Governor JAWALAMUKHI, Jan 3 — The Himachal Governor, Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri, has proposed that the affairs of various temples in the state should be managed on the Vaishno Devi pattern. He said it would not only attract pilgrims but would also boost the economy of the state. During the course of an interview with The Tribune, he said time had come to bring radical changes in the present set-up which had itself, become irrelevant in view of the changing complexion of the society, culture and religion. He observed that there was lack of religious decorum and divine serenity, in various government controlled temples. Commercialisation had entered the divine sanctity of the temples. He bemoaned that particular communities which had been looking after the temples for years together were themselves deviating from even the routine rituals. He felt the need for improvement in the recitation of Sanskrit shalokas and pointed out that as far as priests were concerned, they should concentrate on their qualifications. In this context, he stressed the need for introducing a two-phase study system. One would be for the children of the priests and the second would be 15-day refresher course at the university level. Meanwhile, the local unit of the Akhil Bharatiya Brahmin Sabha has welcomed the viewpoint of the Governor in connection with government-controlled temples of the state. The local convener of the sabha, Mr B K Upmanyu, told mediapersons here on Monday that the Brahmin Samaj had decided in principle to give full support to the radical move of the Governor. He was of the opinion that it was the most appropriate time to stream line the affairs of the temples in the state. Mr Upmanyu demanded that the state government should draw up a comprehensive plan for the promotion of temple tourism. He wanted the state government to declare Jawalamukhi a holy town. |
Double-lane bridge need of hour KOTLA (Nurpur): The local Dehar khad bridge on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway is locally known as "killer bridge" as several fatal accidents take place here owing to congestion. The burgeoning vehicular traffic on the highway, leading to congestion, calls for immediate attention. This single-lane bridge is 4.25 metres wide and is enclosed by an iron framework. Owing to its low height, loaded heavy vehicles like buses and trucks find it difficult to cross it. Most of such vehicles can be seen unloading goods before crossing the bridge. Loaded trucks sometime get entangled in the iron framework of the bridge, resulting in traffic blockades on the busy highway. According to sources, a tender for the construction of a new bridge across the Dehar khad was awarded in 1979-80 to a private Chandigarh-based company. The state PWD was responsible for the maintenance of the national highways at that time. The government also earmarked budgetary allocation for the construction of this bridge. The company abandoned the construction work mid way due to a dispute with the PWD. The proposed bridge has since been handing fire, with the funds allocated for its construction diverted to other projects. There is a demand for building a double-lane bridge within a specific period. |
Levy sugar quota increased NURPUR, Jan 3 — The Centre has enhanced the quota of levy sugar for Himachal Pradesh from 2200 to 3500 tonnes per month. This was stated by Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, while addressing a public meeting at Jassur near here today. Inaugurating the 100-line local telephone exchange he pointed out that the Union Government had also increased levy sugar distribution from 425 gm to 700 gm per person in all hill states. Mr Shanta Kumar who dedicated the new telephone exchange to the people revealed that Rs 1.80 crore had been spent on it and it would solve the telecommunication problems of the area. The Union Minister said the recent hike in the import duty of sugar, wheat and edible oil was aimed at protecting the domestic industry. The frequent import of sugar had adversely hit the domestic sugar industry and the sugarcane growers, he added. He pointed out that the Union Government had also imposed certain conditions on the import of sugar. Mr Shanta Kumar said he would soon formulate a new policy for the public distribution system with a view to strengthen it and make it more viable, after having consultation with the Food and Civil Supply ministers of the states. He announced a grant of Rs 6.5 lakh for a level crossing at Jalara Rs 4 lakh for the construction of the library block of Wazir Ram Singh Memorial at Nurpur and Rs 75,000 for public urinals at Jassur bus stand from the MP's fund. The public meeting was also addressed by Mr Rakesh Pathania, Chairman, HP Tourism Development Corporation, Ms Malvika Pathania, Chairperson of the HP Social Welfare Advisory Board. |
Badiyal's removal not motivated NURPUR, Jan 3 — The Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) has denied any petty politics behind the sudden removal of Mr Rumel Badiyal from the post of Kangra district President. HVC general secretary Tanuja Bhardwaj said here last evening that the high command wanted to utilise his services and political expertise in the state executive where he had been appointed joint secretary and convener of the party's state kisan cell. She claimed the HVC had emerged as a third force in state politics. After coming in power of the BJP-HVC Government the pace of development had increased in the state. Both Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal and HVC supremo Sukh Ram had the necessary coordination for smooth functioning of the government. Ms Bhardwaj, who was here along with the recently appointed Kangra district president Harnek Singh, underlined the need for forming the BJP-HVC workers' coordination committees and reiterated that the HVC would pressure the Chief Minister to form such committees at the grassroots level. She also demanded the inclusion of HVC supremo Sukh Ram in the Cabinet. |
3 die in mishap near Theog SHIMLA, Jan 3—Three members of a family were killed when the Maruti car by which they were travelling met with an accident near Theog about 30 km from here today. Those killed have been identified ad Haminder Chauhan, his wife Raj Chauhan and son Rahul. Upasana his 12-year-old daughter was injured. She is stated to be out of danger. The family hailed from the Jubbal area. |
Suspected militant held in Shimla SHIMLA, Jan 3—The local police has arrested a suspected Kashmiri militant on the basis of intelligence reports. The suspect, who was remanded to judicial custody till January 9, was being interrogated. His antecedents were being verified from the Jammu and Kashmir Police. The police has also taken into custody a woman who was moving in Dhalli area in suspicious circumstances. She told the police that she hailed from Bangkok. Her antecedents were also being verified. |
Building destroyed in fire MANDI, Jan 3 — A two-storeyed building in Thalaut, 39 km from here on the Mandi-Kulu road was destroyed in a fire which broke out at 8 pm last night. The water tankers of Satyam Co working at the Larji Hydel Project rushed to the site. Fire tenders from Mandi, BSL Pandoh and Kulu, Thalaut saved other shops. A video parlour was being run in the ground floor, while a few families lived on the first floor. |
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