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| Tuesday, January 1, 2002, Chandigarh, India   
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Rush of winter revellers missing Dhumal, Governor
extend greetings Red-light norms for vehicles PARWANOO DIARY ‘Use pine needles for making boards’ CM to meet MLAs on Jan 10, 11 |
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Chemists meet Health Minister
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Rush of winter revellers missing Shimla, December 31 The clouds of war hovering over the horizon and the impending elections in Punjab have cast a shadow on the New Year celebrations and the usual rush of winter revellers is missing. The hoteliers who used to do brisk business during the last week of December have been forced to offer huge discount to customers. Normally, hotels are full to the capacity during these days and tourists have to often spend nights in their cars. This time the scenario is different. The tension building up along the Indo-Pak border has severely hit the tourist traffic. The apprehension of a war breaking out any time is dissuading people from travelling away from their homes. This is evident from the large scale cancellations of advance bookings of hotel rooms. The tourists from far off places like Maharashtra, Gujarat and even Delhi have cancelled their bookings. “It has been as bad as the lean months. The average occupancy has been only 25 per cent over the past one week as all advance bookings were cancelled,” says Mr Ashwini Sood, the owner of hotel Woodrina. He has been offering 50 per cent discount but there are no walk-in customers. The situation is not much different in other hotels though the occupancy is slightly better in some of them. The state Tourism Development Corporation and some big hotels who have regular winter clientale have not been affected that much. The number of tourists in Manali is also less than usual. The Indo-Pak border build up is having the same impact as the Kargil conflict on the tourist traffic, according to Mr Anil Kant, a tour operator. This is quite unusual, as over the past few years it has become a craze with the people of plains to celebrate the New Year in various hill resorts. The tourists start pouring in a couple of days before Christmas and the season peaks on the New Year eve. Various private hotels and the State Tourism Development Corporation have been organising special programmes, including live orchestras to entertain the winter revellers. Mr Umesh Akre, secretary of the Himachal Hotel Association, says the overall influx of tourists was less than 50 per cent of the normal. His hotel did not have more than 50 per cent occupancy till yesterday. He had some bookings for the New Year eve but full occupancy for a day would not make up for the lost season, he added. Besides, the apprehensions of an Indo-Pak war and the elections in Punjab, from where the maximum number of people throng the hill state to ring in the New Year, the prevailing weather conditions in the region are also discouraging people from moving out. While the plains in the entire northern region have been enveloped in a thick fog, making driving of vehicles a nightmare, the sun is shining brightly in Shimla and other hill stations, which should have been under snow during this time of the year. The winter revellers have been thronging the hills to experience the thrill of snowfall. However, snow is becoming increasingly scarce with each passing year. The winter tourists have to be specially lucky to witness a snowfall; gone are the days when the hills were blessed with a white New Year or white Christmas as a matter of routine. Never the less, the people, particularly those connected with the tourist trade, are still hoping that the weather god will oblige with a snowfall over the next two days which could help revive the lean season. |
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Dhumal, Governor
extend greetings Shimla, December 31 He said the government proposed to set up another software technology park at Baddi in the private sector to give a boost to information technology. He said the work on institute of information technology had been taken up this year at Vaknaghat at a cost of Rs 35 crore, which was likely to be commissioned in ensuing academic session. He said the government was committed to link every village in the state by road and Rs 120 crore were being spent under the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojna this year. He claimed that a fruit based winery on which the work was taken up in middle of this year at Pragtinagar would revolutionise the economy. The Himachal Governor, Dr Suraj Bhan, also felicitated the people of the state on New Year’s Eve. In his message, he expressed hope that 2002 would usher in an era of prosperity in the lives of the people of Himachal Pradesh. Ms Vidya Stokes, Pradesh Congress Committee chief, has also greeted the people on her and the party’s behalf on the eve of New Year. |
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Red-light norms for vehicles Shimla, December 31 Henceforth, the deputy inspectors general of police, deputy commissioners, and superintendent of police will not use red lights on their vehicles outside their area of jurisdiction. All authorised officers will use red lights only while they are themselves using the vehicle. The MLAs have been allowed to use red light only on one vehicle and that too when they are occupying the vehicle. A list of all MLAs and their vehicles allowed the use of red light would be sent by the Secretary, Vidhan Sabha, to the government as well as the Director-General of Police. A government spokesman said it had been made clear that red light should not be used by the families of the authorized users. He said the General Administration Department would ensure that red lights are put only on the vehicles of the dignitaries and officers authorised to do so. |
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PARWANOO DIARY Parwanoo The company had about 50 employees, mostly women, and according to them the company owes about Rs 40,000 to each of them as arrears of salary, overtime, bonus and gratuity. They allege that even the provident fund deducted from their salaries has not been deposited with the PF Commissioner since 1995. The workers have appealed to the Chief Minister to intervene in the matter and direct the departments concerned including the PF Commissioner, to get the workers their due. *** The Insurance Surveyors Association of Parwanoo has alleged discrimination by the branch managers of the subsidiaries of the General Insurance Corporation of India in that they are showing preference to surveyors from outside. The association maintains that surveyors belonging to Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali are getting preference mainly because most of the branch managers also have their residences at these places. This arrangement made by the branch managers, they say, is putting the local surveyor at a disadavantage, besides causing inconvenience to the clients. The association has taken up the matter with the branch managers a number of times but has not found a satisfactory solution. *** The Sood Sabha of Parwanoo and Kalka has decided to hold a Sood Parivar Milan at Parwanoo on January 20. According to Mr Somesh Sood, organiser of the sabha, the event will include games for children besides havan and kirtan. Some prominent residents of Parwanoo and Kalka will also be honoured on the occasion.
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‘Use pine needles for making boards’ Shimla, December 31 He visited the Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training Centre of the Karnataka Forest Corporation in Bangalore on Saturday. He said the model panel boards made from pine needles could help reduce the incidents of forest fires, which were caused by pine needles, besides providing employment to villagers. He also visited the timber yard of the corporation and appreciated the techniques used for making door frames and plywood, which could be adopted in Himachal Pradesh. He visited Vanergatta National Park and was impressed by the arrangements made for housing animals and birds. |
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CM to meet MLAs on Jan 10, 11 Shimla, December 31 The MLAs from Bilaspur, Shimla, Sirmaur and Kinnaur districts will participate in the first meeting on January 10 and those of Solan, Mandi, Hamirpur, Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba districts in the second meeting on the same day. On January 11, MLAs from Kulu, Kangra and Una districts will participate in the meeting. The proposals of the MLAs for 2002-03 will be discussed during the meeting. |
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Chemists meet Health Minister Shimla, December 31 They demanded the closure of the retail chemist shops run by the state Civil Supplies Corporation on hospital premises, issue of retail licences on experience basis to the blood relations of the chemists in case of sudden mishappening with the person running the chemist shops, due representation to the local association in hospital societies and withdrawal of hike in the licence fee. |
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Jawan cremated Hamirpur, December 31 Hundreds of villagers attended the cremation. The Parliamentary Secretary, Ms Urmila Thakur, visited the house of the deceased and consoled the bereaved family. She assured all sort of help to the family. |
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