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October 30, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Male lions to be sterilised Healthcare plan
for children Dismissal of Cong
petition hailed Shot in arm for anti-Virbhadra camp Shortage of timber in Chamba Fire destroys 18 houses |
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Two killed in mishap Bishop Cotton School
shooters excel Illegal sale of Wakf
property alleged
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Male lions to be sterilised SHIMLA, Oct 29 Belatedly though, the State Wildlife authorities have decided to sterilise all male lions in the Renuka Safari to prevent inbreeding, which has already caused serious health problems among the captive animals. The State Forest Department has requested the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) to send a team of experts from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in November to
perform sterilisation operation on the animals. Although qualified veterinarians were available in the state to carry out the job, the department sought the help of the CZA as it did not want to take any risk. The unchecked inbreeding over the years had already rendered the animals vulnerable to diseases. The mortality rate particularly among the cubs had been very high in the Safari. Mr A.L. Sharma, Chief Wildlife Warden, said local veterinarians, particularly those looking after the animals, would be associated with the team so that they could learn the technique. The team would perform only a few operations and rest of the animals would be sterilised by local veterinarians, he said, adding that November was ideal for the sterilisation of lions. There are 24 lions in the Renuka Safari and the Gopalpur Nature Park all of whom were from the same genetic stock. The recurring outbreak of diseases and death of animals was finally traced to inbreeding early this year. The experts of the CZA had asked the State Wildlife Authorities to take immediate steps to check unnecessary breeding. The male and female animals were segregated for pending sterilisation. While sterilisations will prevent inbreeding in future, the health of the existing stock will remain a matter of concern for the wildlife authorities. The animals produced through inbreeding had very low immunity as a result of which not only the cubs but even the adult animals have not been keeping good health. The wildlife authorities have now decided to maintain a complete record of the parentage of animals so that inbreeding could be avoided in future. Simultaneously, Health Card Scheme had also been started. A proper record of the health status of each animal will be maintained under this scheme. In case of sick animals, a complete record of treatment given to them will also be maintained. The scheme will be extended to other important animal species kept in various zoos and parks in the state in the second phase. |
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Healthcare plan for children SHIMLA, Oct 29 (UNI) the Himachal Pradesh Government has formulated an action plan to provide better health care to children and mothers in the state. The plan will be implemented with the help of unicef by the Health, Education and Rural Development Departments in coordination with the Social and Women Welfare Department. Its target will be achieved in a phased manner by 2002 and 2005, according to an official spokesman here. Under the plan, it has been envisaged to reduce infant mortality rate to less than 60 per 1000 births by 2002 and 55 per 1000 births by 2005. The pre-natal mortality rate will also be reduced to less than 35 per 1000 births by 2002 and 30 by 2005. The spokesman said the maternal mortality rate would be reduced to 2 per 1000 by 2002 and 1 per 1000 by 2005. At present, the maternal mortality rate was 3.5 per 1000 births against the national average of 4.4 per 1000 in the state. Prevention of increased incidence of
HIV/aids infection has also been given priority in the plan. The spokesman said to reduce malnutrition among children the integrated child-development scheme would aim to improve the nutritional status of children up to the age of six years. He said the nutrition of women would also be improved and special emphasis laid on the nutrition of pregnant women and lactating mothers. Anaemia among them would be reduced to 40 per cent by 2002 and to 30 per cent by 2005. The spokesman said efforts would be made to eliminate gender disparities in feeding practices in order to reduce malnutrition among girls. |
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Dismissal of Cong
petition hailed SHIMLA, Oct 29 The state BJP spokesperson, Mr Ganesh Dutt, said today that the dismissal of the petition, challenging the constitution of the Kainthla Commission, by the Himachal High Court had refuted the Congress charge that the commission was set up to settle political scores. Hailing the verdict of the court, he said Mr Virbhadra Singh, the leader of the Congress Legislative Party, should apologise for trying to mislead the public on the issue. He said it was for the first time in the history of the state that the Leader of Opposition had challenged the setting up of an inquiry commission in the court of law and lost the case. He said the BJP government had set up the commission to inquire into the violent incidents which took place from March 5 to 12, 1998, when the Virbhadra Singh government lost power in the state. Obviously, the Congress leader moved the court in a bid to forestall inquiry which would have exposed the deeds of his government, he added. He said now that court had dismissed the petition, the inquiry could proceed to expose those behind the sordid incident. |
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Shot in arm for anti-Virbhadra camp SHIMLA, Oct 29 The anti-Virbhadra Singh camp scored a major victory in the Congress organisational poll with the central election authority reportedly approving the list of PCC delegates finalised by the pradesh election authority without any changes. While the supporters of Mr Virbhadra Singh expressed ignorance about the approval of the list and still hoped that the central election authority would take action on its complaints, the rival faction made available to the press a copy of the list duly signed by Mr Hanumant Rao, chairman of the pradesh election authority, this evening. The list contained names of 64 PCC delegates and 13 district Congress committee presidents. The result of the election process to Chopal, Dharampur, Karsog and Kinnaur block Congress committees was not completed. Sources in the anti-Virbhadra Singh camp claimed that the list would be officially released tomorrow and the central election authority approved it after rejecting the appeals. The electoral college for the election of the pradesh Congress committee chief will be completed after co-option of 18 women delegates to ensure 30 per cent representation and election of six delegates from the Congress Legislative Party. There will be about 110 delegates, including district presidents and seven former pradesh party presidents. The election of the new pradesh party president is likely to be held on November 12. With both Mr Virbhadra Singh and Mr Sat Mahajan supporting the candidature of Mrs Sonia Gandhi for the presidentship of the All India Congress Committee, the prospects of electing the PCC chief by consensus have brightened. |
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Shortage of timber in Chamba CHAMBA, Oct 29 During the past few years, sufficient trees have not been marked by the Forest Department, however, it continues to sanction applications for this purpose without keeping in view the actual availability of timber in the depot here. This has led to resentment among locals who have to buy illicit timber on the black market for the purposes of construction. According to official sources, 2.1 lakh cubic feet timber has been sanctioned to 1,862 applications since 1992. The Himachal Pradesh State Forest Corporation has supplied 1,560 cubic feet timber to the sale depot of the Forest Department. Surprisingly, the depot is devoid of timber at the moment. Moreover, the ban on the felling of trees by the government has aggravated the problem. The same is the case with the supply of fuelwood and charcoal. The gap between the demand and supply is due to an insufficient number of marked trees. Chamba residents do not have the right to get standing trees at a concession. For them, there is a provision for sanctioning converted timber from the sale depot. For getting timber from this depot, they have to pay a nominal amount. Which is mainly the cost of conversion of standing trees and carriage to the depot. The state government sanctions timber only to those who have settled here before 1939. Fire destroys 18 houses SHIMLA, Oct 29 As many as 18 houses were destroyed in a major fire which broke out in Anu village of the Kotkhai area in Upper Shimla last night. The total loss of property has been estimated at Rs 1.30 crore by the district administration. According to Mr P.C. Katoch, Deputy Commissioner, 21 families have been rendered homeless due to the fire. Mr Ajay Sharma, Additional Deputy Commissioner, visited the site and distributed 60 blankets and Rs 85,000 as immediate relief among the affected people. Mr Narinder Bragta, Horticulture Minister, also visited the affected families. |
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Two killed in mishap KANGRA, Oct 29 Two persons were killed on the spot and one was injured when a Jeep collided with a tree at Kairian village on the Pathankot-Mandi highway today, the police said. According to the police, the ill-fated Jeep, carrying newspapers for distribution, was on its way to Baijnath when it hit a tree here at 5.30 a.m. Two persons of which one was identified as Choto Ram (35), of Old Matour village, were crushed to death. One person was injured in the accident. The driver of the vehicle has absconded and a case has been registered. |
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Bishop Cotton School
shooters excel SHIMLA, Oct 29 The seven-member team of the local Bishop Cotton School made a clean sweep of all the events in fourth Kumar Surendra Singh All India Inter-School Shooting Championship held at Gaziabad last week. In the air pistol events Wasant, A.S. Brar and I.P.S. Gill scored 363, 329 and 321 points, respectively, winning gold medals. The junior team consisting of Wasant, Himanshu Chawala and Abhimanyu Singh won three gold medals in air rifle events aggregating 330, 282 and 271 points, respectively. In the sub-junior category the air rifle team comprising Rohit, I.P.S. Gill and Rahul Mehta scored 302, 282 and 249 points to win three gold medals. Wasant scored 363 points to win the gold in the individual air pistol event and qualify for the international shooting events. He bagged the silver medal in air rifle. |
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Illegal sale of Wakf
property alleged SHIMLA, Oct 29 Maulana Mumtaz Ahmed Kazmi, Secretary, Jamiyat-ulema, Himachal, Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh, has charged the state government with selling off Wakf property illegally. He said the government had started the process for the auction of exchange building on the Mall which was owned by the Wakf board without even informing it. He demanded immediate halting of the auction process and cautioned that anyone who purchased the property would face problems. He said he would expose the conspiracy to sell off Wakf properties by launching a campaign with the support of Muslims of the state. |
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