 |
Saturday,
May 26, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
|
Melting
glaciers a flood threat Inter-state
meeting of security forces held
Govt
neglecting Kangra: Cong MLA Nitish to
flag off train at Una |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Girl
‘raped’ by grandfather Notification
on land opposed PM has day’s rest Union seeks CBI probe into murder
|
|
Melting
glaciers a flood threat Shimla, May 25 The Bara Shigri glacier in Himachal Pradesh and the Pindari glacier in Uttaranchal are shrinking at an alarming rate of about 36 metres and 135 metres per year, studies have revealed. The deep cracks in the Chhota Shigri glacier of Himachal indicate that it was receding. Studies indicate that it was shrinking by 6.7 metres per year and the Trilokinath glacier was receding by 15.4 metres. The 26-km-long Gangotri glacier in Uttaranchal was shrinking by about 18 metres a year. Regular visitors to the area point out that it was receding at an alarming rate. Similar was the fate of the Milam glacier which was shedding about 13 metres of snow every year. The size of the Bara Shigri glacier reduced by 650 metres between 1997-1995, while the Trilokinath glacier got reduced by 400 metres between 1969 to 1995. Despite a severe winter in 1997, the 5-km-long Dokriani Bamak glacier in Himachal Pradesh shrunk by 20 metres, while its average melting rate had been 16.5 metres a year. The glacier might soon vanish in case it continued to melt. Studies have indicated that almost all 335 glaciers in the Sutlej, Beas and Spiti basins were receding. These have created artificial lakes which might cause floods in the lowlying areas. The volume of water in the lake created due to melting of the Gepang Gath glacier increased to 8.46 cubic metres in 1998 against 7.56 cubic metres in 1990. The size of the lake has also increased to 0.47 sq. km in 1998 from 0.27 sq. km in 1976. |
|
Inter-state meeting of security forces held Dalhousie, May 25 Giving details about the meeting, Mr K.C. Sadyal, DIG, Himachal police, told mediapersons that inputs of intelligence agencies and strategies of the security forces were discussed. The DIG said it was decided at the meeting to launch an anti-insurgency and combing operation in a big way on the alpine ranges of the border areas to prevent any untoward incident. He said the Himachal Pradesh police had drawn a strategy keeping in view the possibility of infiltration of militant outfits from across the state’s border with Jammu and Kashmir. The DIG said the problems of Gujjars and shepherds with regard to grazing land were also discussed at the meeting. The security authorities of Jammu and Kashmir were requested to keep a watch on their movements so that infiltration of anti-national elements in the guise of Gujjars and shepherds could be prevented. Mr Sadyal said it was decided to provide security cover to the local people whose main means of livelihood was herb extraction. He said security cover would also be provided to the pilgrims undertaking the Manimahesh Yatra from Jammu and Kashmir. The inter-state meeting was also attended by Mr Rajan Gupta, IG, Border Range, Punjab, Mr Jasminder Singh, DIG, Border Range, Punjab, Mr Shalinder Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Doda, Mr Ashkoor Ahmed Vani, SSP, Doda, Mr Sanjay Kundu, SP, Chamba, and senior officers of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police. |
|
|
Speaker
gets ‘fake’ resignation Shimla, May 25 It is learnt that someone played the mischief of faxing the resignation of Mr Rattan Singh, the only Sikh MLA here representing the Paonta Sahib constituency of Sirmaur district. Not only from the Assembly seat, but his “resignation” from the Congress Party was also faxed to the CLP leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh and the PCC chief, Mrs Vidya stokes. On being informed about the “resignation” Mr Rattan Singh dashed here from Paonta Sahib today and gave in writing to the Speaker that the letter was fake and he had never faxed any resignation. Mr Rattan Singh, who is a supporter of Mr Virbhadra Singh, is seeking police investigation into the incident. The reasons cited for the “resignation” in the letter were that certain senior leader was interfering in his functioning and because of old age he wanted to devote time to religious matters. Sources said an over two-year-old letterhead of Mr Rattan Singh was used for writing the resignation which was faxed on May 22 when the Speaker was on a tour. |
|
|
Govt neglecting Kangra: Cong MLA Dharamsala, May 25 Addressing a press conference here today, he said the 11 BJP legislators from Kangra district were answerable to the electorate. “It is during the tenure of the Congress regime that major projects like Tanda Medical College, HP State Education Board, offices of the IPH, PWD and electricity chief engineer, were opened here”, he said. Refuting BJP allegations that it was the Congress who scuttled the Apollo Hospital project at Holta near Palampur, he said the government had not only transferred land, but also given its share of Rs 2 crore for the project. Big corporate houses who had promised to give donations backed out and, therefore allegations of the diversion of funds were baseless. He said the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Mr Shanta Kumar, too, had failed in attracting private investment in the Kangra area. Accusing the government of non-performance, he said at a stage when the state was facing acute water shortage, the government had taken the retrogative step of reducing water consumption per person both in the rural and urban areas. “The water consumption has been brought down from 70 litres to 40 litres per person in the rural areas and from 120 litres to 70 litres per person in the urban areas,” he said. Mr Chander Kumar said the drought relief measures taken by the government were still to reach those affected. The government’s decision that those farmers who took less than 50 quintal of fodder from Punjab would not be given transportation charges by the government was a big hindrance for poor farmers, he said. He also criticised the government for winding up some subdivisions of the PWD, IPH and electricity and treasuries at the tehsil level. “It is just a question of shifting staff from one place to another, but at the cost of inconvenience to the public,” he said.  |
|
|
Nitish to
flag off train at Una Shimla, May 25 With the electrification of the 171-km Una-Nangal dam-Sirhind rail section, the Himachal Express and four passenger trains, namely Ambala-Nangal dam, Saharanpur-Nangal dam, Nangal dam-Ambala and Una-Himachal-Nangal dam, will be running on electric traction. Besides, there is a heavy goods traffic on this route, involving the transportation of coal, iron ore, gypsum, lime stone, cement, etc. The project, completed at a cost of Rs 44.08 crore, covers 17 railway stations en route. This single-line section provides a vital link between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. The route connects a thermal power station at Ropar, a fertiliser plant at Nangal and the hydrodectric power-generating station at Bhakra. Holy places like Fatehgarh Sahib, Anandpur Sahib and Kiratpur Sahib are also covered by the route. |
|
Girl ‘raped’
by grandfather Palampur, May 25 A police spokesman said here yesterday that the incident took place on Wednesday evening when the victim was alone in the house. The suspect took the child to the first floor of the house and made an attempt to rape her. The child resisted and raised an alarm. On hearing her cries her mother rushed to the scene of the crime and found her daughter in a distressful condition. The matter was reported to the police. The suspect, Bachittar Singh, was yet to be arrested. |
|
|
Notification
on land opposed Chamba, May 25 Talking to mediapersons here yesterday, Ms Asha Kumari charged the BJP leaders with issuing the notification with the motive of benefiting a private enterprise through underhand methods at the cost of the local poor having small holdings. She alleged that the land was acquired on nominal rates. Ms Asha Kumari described the relief and rehabilitation plan drawn by the Himachal Pradesh Government as a “sellout” of the interests of the residents living in and around the proposed cement plant. There was no provision in the plan for the employment of the local people, she regretted. |
|
|
PM has day’s rest Manali, May 25 Mr Vajpayee spent the whole day with his family members in his farm house at Preeni village, near here. No date has yet been fixed for deputationists to meet the Prime Minister. It is expected that Mr Vajpayee might meet them after May 27. The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, is likely to host a dinner in honour of the Prime Minister on May 28. Mr Vajpayee had a stroll in the lawns of his cottage last evening when suddenly weather changed and the area experienced rainfall.
UNI |
|
Union seeks CBI probe into murder Bilaspur, May 25 A resolution passed at the rally demanded a CBI inquiry into the murder of prominent NGO leader Chhote Lal Verma, who was personal assistant to the Deputy Commissioner here, and who’s murder case was suppressed allegedly due to political pressure. Addressing the rally, union leaders said the present government leaders had promised during the last Assembly elections that if they came to power they would order either a CBI or a Judicial inquiry into the murder. But now three years have lapsed and nothing had been done in this regard. |
|
|
Ayurveda
camp held Shimla, May 25 He said the ayurvedic system had a cure for even such diseases for which there was no treatment in allopathy. |
 |
| 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 | |
