 |
| Thursday,
May 10, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
|
Sukh Ram proposes forestry
scheme HVP-Cong merger ‘a political gimmick’ Gloom engulfs wildlife
officials Drying up of trees rings alarm
bells Digging of roads: HC notice to govt officials |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Tibetan youth resent stopping of
pilgrimage Task force to check misuse of water Rustication of students may
be revoked Police ‘inaction’
resented Gazetted status only for class I officers in HP Poppy in 86 bighas destroyed in Kulu No work on hostel despite funds More cases of fever reported
|
|
Sukh Ram proposes forestry
scheme Shimla, May 9 Giving details at a workshop organised by the Forest Department on “Employment generation through forestry,” he said under the scheme one lakh poor families would be assigned two hectares plantation. The families would be responsible for planting and maintenance, including fence repair and replacement of dead plants. They would be paid Rs 1500 every three months for a period of three years. If the survival rate was more than 80 per cent, they would be paid the sum for the next six years. However, in case the survival rate was between 65 and 80 per cent, they would be paid Rs 1200 every three months after the third year. For a survival rate between 50 and 65 per cent, they would get Rs 1000 per quarter after three years and if it was less than 50 per cent, the department would be at liberty to stop payment and take back the assigned area. Preference would be given to fast-growing species like poplar, bamboo, eucalyptus robinia and morus. Approximately, 4500 trees would be planted by each family which on harvesting after nine years would yield about Rs 25 lakh at the present rate. In all forest wealth worth Rs 25,000 crore would be generated, while 50 per cent of the returns would go to the families, 15 per cent to the local panchayat and the rest 35 per cent to the government. As such, the government would earn Rs 10,000 crore from the scheme. The families would have no rights on the land assigned to them and would not be allowed to construct any structure on it. Once the family was pulled out of the scheme, it would not be entitled to any benefit. Besides one lakh families, 10,000 families involved in raising nurseries would also get gainful employment. Mr Sukh Ram said it was time the Forest Department and the bureaucracy changed their mindset and encouraged people’s participation in afforestion programmes in the right earnest. They should ponder over why the numerous schemes implemented over the past three years had failed to achieve their objectives as evident from the dwindling green cover. As per the record, over 37,000 sq km of land was classified as forests, but the tree cover actually extended to only over 9000 sq km. The remaining barren forest land could be brought under tree cover only by involving people. He said he had already submitted his interim report to the government in this regard and the scheme would be finalised after ascertaining the views of the Forest Department. Mr S.K. Pande, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, however, had reservations about the scheme. He said a number of legal technical and social issues, particularly ones pertaining to the rights of the people, would have to be addressed before taking up such a scheme. He said the forest land, which accounted for 66 per cent of the total area of the state, was the most important resource which required to be exploited by involving the people. Emphasis these days was on sustainable livelihood and forestry schemes were being designed to meet the requirement of the local people. Besides, forest official, scientists from Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry and progressive farmers participated in the workshop. |
|
HVP-Cong merger ‘a political gimmick’ Shimla, May 9 The executive committee of the Lok Jan Shakti held here today under the chairmanship of Mr Rumel Singh Badayal adopted a resolution criticising the HVC chief, Mr Sukh Ram, and the four rebel ministers under whose pressure Mr Dhumal had dropped Mr Mohinder Singh from the Cabinet. A resolution adopted by the party executive said the Chief Minister had been working under the pressure of Mr Sukh Ram who, it alleged, had adopted double standards of supporting the BJP government in the Assembly and
criticising it outside the Assembly at the same time. The resolution urged the Chief Minister to remove Mr Sukh Ram and other HVC leaders from their government positions and induct Mr Mohinder Singh in the ministry and restore the PWD portfolio to him. It said Mr Mohinder Singh had been supporting Mr Dhumal for the survival of his government. It was decided to hold a state-level rally of the party at Balh in the Mandi district in which the Communications Minister, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, would be the chief guest. Mr Mohinder Singh participated in the meeting as a special invitee. Later talking to mediapersons Mr Badayal said Mr Paswan and top leaders of the Lok Jan Shakti, which was an alliance partner of the NDA, had been requested to ask the BJP leadership to induct Mr Mohinder Singh in the ministry. The matter would be taken up with Mr Dhumal in a day or two, he added. Mr Badayal said the HVP was not a registered party and as such there was no question of its merger with the Congress. Of the 85 founder members of the party, 75 were now in the Lok Jan Shakti. None of the senior leaders, except Mr Rattan, had joined the Congress, he claimed. |
|
Gloom engulfs wildlife
officials Shimla, May 9 Veterinary doctors were sent to the Himalayan Nature Park at Kufri to examine her and she is claimed to have responded to their treatment and appeared well during the next three days. But she mysteriously died on Sunday. Park officials say they did not observe any abnormality in her behaviour except on Sunday morning when she collapsed twice and seemed struggling for breath. With the wildlife law providing legal protection to the extinct snow leopard, her death has put the forest officials in Himachal Pradesh in a tight spot although “Rozy” is stated to have died because of renal failure caused due to muscular degeneration. Shekhar, who looked after “Rozy” since October, 1998, when she was brought to Kufri as a four-month-old cub, was visibly upset over her death. She had consumed the 2.5 kg of goat meat which was served to her the evening before her death. There was fresh excreta lying near the nightshed inside the enclosure for “Rozy” and no foul play was suspected. “Rozy” was the most-visited and photographed inmate of the park. She was the star possession of the Wildlife Department as Himachal Pradesh was the only place after Darjeeling which had a snow leopard in captivity. It is learnt the upkeep of animals in the park is not up to the mark as is evident from the dried up water containers in enclosures where leopards and deer are kept. The state of other nature parks and zoos in the state is equally poor. Animals are facing the problem of inbreeding. A lion died at the Renuka safari recently soon after it was sterilised to prevent further inbreeding. Two cubs escaped from the safari some time ago as the fence was broken at some places. |
|
Drying up of trees rings alarm
bells Shimla, May 9 The evergreen coniferous forests have been marred with ugly brown patches at Kotgarh, Janjheli, Mashobra, Shimla and other areas, where trees are drying up at an alarming rate. Many of the trees have already lost their needles. If the region does not receive adequate rain over the next one month or so many more will end up drying. Mr S.K. Pande, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, said about 15 to 20 per cent of the trees were drying up. The main reason for it appeared to be the prolonged drought, which deprived the forests of the snow during the winters. The snow virtually acts as a white manure in the alpines. Besides, the trees, which had lost much of the sap due to drought, had become vulnerable to fungal and insect attacks. While some of the trees were infected with fomus pinni, a fungus, some others, particularly those lopped or damaged, had come under the attack of large pine aphid. The impact of the drought was more severe on kail (pinus wallichiana) as, unlike deodar (cedar), it was a surface feeder and did not have deep roots, Dr V.K. Mishra, Professor and Head of the Silviculture Department, Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, said. Lack of moisture in the subsoil creates a severe physiological imbalance putting the tree under a lot of stress. He said similar drying of trees occurred in Germany and some other European countries in 1977. There was a good possibility of the affected trees turning green again, provided the weather gods obliged with timely and adequate rain. The drying of trees is also an indication of the changing environment. The drought, fungus and insect attacks, which hitherto only affected crops, have started making a discernible impact on forests. Over the past two years a large number of deodar trees have dried up in Chail due to a fungal attack. In the lower hills shisham trees had been affected with the root rot. |
|
Digging of roads: HC notice to govt officials Shimla, May 9 The petitioner, in his petition, alleged that the maintenance of the roads and streets was the statutory duty of the Municipal Corporation but the Shimla M.C. had failed on this front which was violative of the right to life. He further alleged that various government agencies, including the HPPWD, the H.P. I.P.H. and the Telecommunication Department had been frequently digging roads for laying pipes, cable etc without taking steps for the restoration of the roads dug by them. It was alleged that roads were dug without any notice and they were left open for a considerable period of time. He further alleged that the I.P.H. Department had recently undertaken the project of laying the water supply and sewerage pipes
throughout the territorial jurisdiction of the Municipal Corporation and for this deep trenches were dug in the middle of roads but no steps had been taken by the department to black tar the same which was causing inconvenience to the residents. Mr Rajiv Sharma on behalf of the petitioner, contended, that despite the order of the H.P. High Court in 1997 whereby the government agencies were directed not to indulge in indiscriminate digging and to see, that whenever a road was dug all departments coordinate with each other and complete the work. He prayed before the court that the respondents be directed to carpet the roads immediately throughout the jurisdiction of M.C. |
|
Tibetan youth resent stopping of
pilgrimage Dharamsala, May 9 These Tibetan youth were on a pilgrimage from New Delhi to Mt Kailash, to have a glimpse of their homeland, Tibet, which is under the Chinese occupation. The district administration and police of Pithoragarh, yesterday asked the organisers and the Tibetans not to proceed further, as they had the written orders from the Union Home Ministry, to prevent them from going ahead on their pilgrimage. The Joint Secretary of the TYC, Ms Dolma Choephel, said all efforts to convince the police and the administration, proved futile and as they were all deported to Nainital. “The Government of India, should have stopped this pilgrimage at Delhi itself, it they were against it, as it was not right to stop them when they were so close to their destination”, commented Ms Choephel. She said it was unfortunate that the largest democracy in the world should bow down to the diktat of a totalitarian communist regime. “We are pained that India has chosen to adopt a political stand on a purely humanitarian issue, a position which is at odds with the popular sentiments of the people of the country,” she lamented. She said the pilgrimage was undertaken with the motto of truth and peace and the 60 youth wanted to fulfil their lifelong wish to see their homeland, they had never known because of China’s military and colonial occupation of Tibet. Starting from Delhi on April 14, this pilgrimage had passed through many villages and towns including Hapur, Ghaziabad, Moradabad, Rampur, Bilaspur, Rudrapur, Haldwani, Nainital, Almora and Pithoragarh. The TYC, said it was wrong on the part of China to turn religious issues into political moves. |
|
Task force to check misuse of water Shimla, May 9 An irate mob blocked traffic here today in protest against the shortage of drinking water in the Ruldubhatta area. A large number of residents of the Sanjauli area purchased mineral water bottles to meet their daily requirement of drinking water. There were allegations that in certain areas owners of private tankers were selling water which they were fetching from unsafe sources. Some hoteliers have also deployed tankers to fetch water. Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, who is touring Hamirpur, is learnt to have telephoned the Chief
Secretary, Mr A.K. Goswami, and asked him to take immediate steps for meeting the water crisis. The Chief Secretary convened a high-level meeting in which he ordered the Shimla Municipal Corporation to set up a control room to
monitor the proper distribution of water. The telephone number of the control room is 258916. The Commissioner of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, Mr H.N. Kashyap, said a task force had been set up to check the overflow and misuse of water. The Irrigation and Public Health Department had been asked to energise three hand pumps near Churail baoli, Snowdon pump house, New Shimla and other parts of the town. |
|
Rustication of students may
be revoked Dharamsala, May 9 The Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University to whom all rusticated boys of second year had made a representation, will take a final decision tomorrow. It was following the ragging of first year students on the night of April 24 that the Principal of the college had rusticated the senior students for a period of one year. Following the rustication, the examinations which were to begin on May 2, had to be postponed. It is expected that the rustication orders will be revoked as the examinations have to be held at the earliest. Although the first year students, who had been ragged by their seniors, came out in defence of the second year boys, the authorities remained adamant and did not revoke the rustication orders. The first year students even observed a day’s token strike in protest against the college authorities’ rigid attitude. |
|
|
Police ‘inaction’
resented Nurpur, May 9 Mr Purn Chand, general secretary of the state BSP, who visited the village yesterday, alleged in a press note that the police, notwithstanding Dalit victimisation, had not lodged the FIR under the Scheduled Castes Atrocity Act 1989 and tried to hush up the matter by registering a simple case of beating under political pressure. He said the Dalits had also met the local Subdivisional Magistrate in this regard but even then the police had failed to take any action against the culprits causing a lot of resentment among the Dalits in the area. There was a sense of insecurity among the members of the Scheduled Castes in the village. The BSP leader urged Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal to intervene and order a high-level probe into the incident. |
|
|
Gazetted status only for class I officers in HP Shimla, May 9 The government has finalised the norms for classification of posts in the gazetted status. According to instructions, posts with a pay scale of Rs 11,660 and above have been classified as class I. While those between Rs 10,640 and Rs 11,659 have been classified as class II. The posts with a pay scale between Rs 5,160 and Rs 10,639 have been classified as class III while those less than Rs 5,160 have been classified as class IV. Powers of attestation will be exercised by all class I and class II officers. The revised norms will not affect the posts already assigned under a specific or special order of the government, an official spokesman said. |
|
Poppy in 86 bighas destroyed in Kulu Shimla, May 9 According to the Superintendent of Police, Kulu, Mr N. Venugopal, the poppy, which could have produced opium worth about Rs 100 crore, has been destroyed in three special drives. Another drive for destroying poppy cultivation in the district will be launched after a gap of two weeks. He said poppy plants in an area of about 30 bighas were destroyed in Phashi village, Dhari-Seri, upper and lower Khadamgcha and Kamyari in the first phase. In the second phase, poppy plantation in an area of 20 bighas in Bhat-Khanda, Majhas and Mail villages was destroyed and in the third phase poppy plants in the area of 36 bighas were destroyed in Tung, Jalhara, Sihan, Talyara, Gueedi, Lapah, Banugi, Bretha, Shangar, Darali, Tirti and Barshanagar villages. As many as 77 police personnel and three officers were engaged in the drive for destroying poppy plants. |
|
No work on hostel despite funds Shimla, May 9 The Human Resource Development Minister, Mr M.M. Joshi, had laid the foundation stone here for the hostel in May last year. The total cost of construction was estimated at Rs 1.47 crore, of which, Rs 1.40 crore was sanctioned through a centrally-sponsored scheme. But the construction work is yet to be started. According to sources, even the final site has not been approved by the university authorities. Earlier, residents of Chaily village had raised objections to the construction of the hostel. When contacted, the Pro-Vice Chancellor, Prof N.K. Sharda, said the work had been delayed due to technical problems but was scheduled to be started soon. |
|
|
More cases of fever reported Nahan, May 9 Sources said the situation in the village was taken lightly by the medical and the public health authorities due to which more than 200 persons of Munana had to suffer. After the Chief Medical Officer of Sirmour visited the village, a team of specialists has been deployed. The team has visited almost every family of the village and samples of fresh water have been taken for investigation. Villagers told this correspondent that they had been asked to clean the village. |
|
|
Doctors rush to HP village Shimla,
May 9 The director of Health services, Dr Sukh Ram
Chauhan, said 97 cases of viral and enteric fever have been reported in the area in the past fortnight. Of these, 35 patients were under treatment. No fresh cases have been reported during the past three days. He said three doctors, a laboratory technician, two supervisors, two staff nurses along with a health officer have been deployed at the primary health centre at Kmrahoo to strengthen the existing team. HP Cong a divided house: BJP leader Kangra, May 9 He criticised the Congress leadership for levelling baseless charges against the RSS for disrupting the Nagrota Bagwan rally instead of setting its own House in order.  ASI shifted, 2 cops
suspended Solan, May 9 The action was taken in the wake of thefts in two shops in the main market of the industrial township last night. Thieves reportedly decamped with watches worth Rs 25,000 from one shop and readymade garments worth Rs 40,000 from the other. |
|
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 121 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
