H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Law on shamlat land may be amended
Nahan, June 7
The government may bring one more amendment in the revenue law of the state in the next Assembly session regarding the return of the shamlat land to its owners in the state, according to Mr Rajan Sushant, Revenue Minister, Himachal Pradesh, at a press conference at Circuit House yesterday.

Nalagarh awaits grants for tubewells
Baddi, June 7
Even as farmers of the Doon constituency in the industrial belt of Baddi-Barotiwala await the grant for boring of tubewells in their area their counterparts residing in the Nalagarh constituency are getting even the revised costs of Rs 1.29 crore sanctioned by the state government for the completion of these works in their area.

Dhumal: protect bio-resources
Dharamsala, June 7
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has emphasised the need for protecting and cultivating bio-resources. He was speaking at the inaugural function of an international mountain convention organised at Palampur by the World Environment Foundation.

Fires consume forest wealth
Kumarhatti
Recent forest fires have taken a huge toll of fauna and flora in the region. It is hoped the arrival of the monsoon towards June-end will put an end to the menace of forest fires. Various campaigns launched by forest officials to curb forest fires have turned topsy-turvy as a record number of fire cases have been reported in May. 

Tourism plan for Buddhist areas
Shimla, June 7
The lesser known destinations in the tribal areas will be put on the world tourism map soon with the Centre agreeing to provide funds for the development of two monastic tourist circuits in the state.

Law on shamlat land may be amended
Our Correspondent

Nahan, June 7
The government may bring one more amendment in the revenue law of the state in the next Assembly session regarding the return of the shamlat land to its owners in the state, according to Mr Rajan Sushant, Revenue Minister, Himachal Pradesh, at a press conference at Circuit House yesterday.

Mr Sushant said at present only the land on which the possessions of its actual users were recorded in the revenue records were being returned to the farmers. He said in the process one third of the returnable shamlat land had been returned to 40,000 farmers in the district.

Giving tehsil-wise details of the beneficiaries the minister said the process of the transfer of shamlat land to its actual owners would be completed within the next three months. He assured that those shamlat lands on which the possessions of the farmers were not recorded in the revenue records would also be returned to its owners by making a law in this regard.

The Revenue Minister clearly stated that he would not tolerate corruption at any stage in the department.

Mr Sushant refuted the charges of the opponents that the decision to regularise encroachments on government land would benefit outsiders and financially strong persons. He added that in the notification there was no provision to regularise unauthorised encroachments of non-Himachalis.

Earlier, addressing a meeting of the officers of Sirmaur district Mr Sushant stated that all watershed projects in the state would be linked with bio-technology for balanced development.

He further said mentha pioprata and lemon grass would be promoted in Paonta Sahib block on commercial basis and added that extraction units would be installed with a view to marketing the processed product.

Nalagarh awaits grants for tubewells
Our Correspondent

Baddi, June 7
Even as farmers of the Doon constituency in the industrial belt of Baddi-Barotiwala await the grant for boring of tubewells in their area their counterparts residing in the Nalagarh constituency are getting even the revised costs of Rs 1.29 crore sanctioned by the state government for the completion of these works in their area. The amount is in addition to the sum of Rs 2.72 crore sanctioned for the Nalagarh area for boring as many as 22 tubewells by the Nabard during the past about four years.

The local residents lament that this bias is allegedly due to the fact that a Congress MLA represents the Doon area and a legislator of the ruling government represents the Nalagarh constituency. Consequently, all funds have been diverted for carrying out developmental works in the Nalagarh area. In addition to this Rs 2,33,67,000 were also sanctioned for tubewells in the Nalagarh area which were approved in 1999. This is despite the fact that Rs 2.20 crore for digging as many as 19 tubewells in the Doon area, which were approved in the same year still await sanction by Nabard. The local MLA, Mr Lajja Ram, echoed the same sentiments about the disparity in grant of funds of the boring of tubewells in his constituency.

The Nabard Deputy General Manager, Mr Dhoop, when asked about this disparity in grant of funds stated that funds were sanctioned according to the report submitted by the government. The government decides and accords priority to the projects, which requires funding by their bank. The Executive Engineer of Irrigation and Public Health Department, Mr Raghuvir Singh, while defending the “biased” attitude stated that some amount has been sanctioned for boring three tubewells in the Doon area. Work on two other irrigation augmentation schemes, including Sattiwala scheme, had also been completed and awaited only an electricity connection.

However, the local residents stated that the grant of some funds for the two tubewells was just a face-saving exercise undertaken by the IPH Department and the reality belied such assertions made by the Department.

Dhumal: protect bio-resources
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, June 7
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has emphasised the need for protecting and cultivating bio-resources. He was speaking at the inaugural function of an international mountain convention organised at Palampur by the World Environment Foundation.

He said 7.33 per cent of the total bio-resources of India were in Himachal Pradesh but the geographical conditions were hampering their scientific extraction.

The Chief Minister said the state was going to sign an agreement with a British firm for the sustainable exploitation of the bio-resources.

Union Consumers Affairs and Public Distribution Minister Shanta Kumar said population explosion in the mountains had affected development.

Dr Madhav Mehra, president of the World Environment Foundation, said mountains constituted 10 per cent of the world area but provided 50 per cent of the resources.

Fires consume forest wealth
Jagmeet Singh

Kumarhatti
Recent forest fires have taken a huge toll of fauna and flora in the region. It is hoped the arrival of the monsoon towards June-end will put an end to the menace of forest fires. Various campaigns launched by forest officials to curb forest fires have turned topsy-turvy as a record number of fire cases have been reported in May. Factors such as an abnormal hike in the mercury, squalls that triggered premature heavy accumulation of dried pine needles on forest floor, human faults, ill-equipped Forest Department and, to some extent, failure of the department’s anti-forest fire plans can be held responsible for the high rate of forest fire cases this summer.

According to forest officials, most of the fire cases originated either from private land set on fire to burn residue by villagers in the hope of getting better grass or by careless throwing of smouldering matchsticks and cigarette butts in forests. Dried pine needles are highly inflammable in nature and a just spark can cause a wild fire.

The practice among villagers to set their fields residues on fire often proves fatal as a fire in private lands later engulfs the surrounding forests whenever it remains unattended. However, villagers complain that inaction of the department makes the fire spread. The claims of forest officials that most of the fire incidents have caused little impact on fauna are not correct as burnt forest areas falling under the Dharampur forest range of Solan forest division showed a record number of small plantations, including of pine trees, having fallen prey to the deadly fire. Small plantations in affected areas have virtually been wiped out. Though medium-sized burnt pine trees would manage to regain their greenery with the passage of time, the same would not happen to small plantations, opined forest officials.

Meanwhile at Barog, villagers have complained of burning of their “ghasins” on a large scale in a major fire last week, causing a scarcity of fodder for their cattle. In a representation to the district administration they have demanded the supply of fodder.

Tourism plan for Buddhist areas
Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 7
The lesser known destinations in the tribal areas will be put on the world tourism map soon with the Centre agreeing to provide funds for the development of two monastic tourist circuits in the state.

While the circuits, which are being developed with an eye on foreign tourists, will mainly focus on Buddhist monasteries, mostly in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts, they will also help open several lesser known destinations en route.

The Chandigarh-Manali-Leh circuit will take care of places like Rewalsar, Janjiali in Mandi district, the Pirdi and Rohtang passes in Kulu, besides, about six Buddhist Gompas in the Lahaul and Spiti. Similarly, the Chandigarh-Narkanda-Kalpa-Keylong circuit will unfold to the tourists the exotic charm of the largely unexplored pockets of Zangi, Kanam, Kibber in the cold desert.

The Union Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation has asked the state to send a detailed proposal indicating works to be undertaken for beautification of tourist destinations on these circuits and to provide various facilities to tourists.

The tribal areas had been virtually out of bounds for tourists until recently due to the restrictions by the Union Ministry. Not only foreigners even Indians, except the local people, were barred from entering the sensitive frontline areas without permission from the Union Home Ministry. The restrictions were relaxed in 1994 and, subsequently, lifted completely paving the way for free movement of tourists in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts.

Tourism, however, failed to pick up as these areas lacked the basic infrastructure. While the state government did not have funds to develop the basic facilities, the private sector had not been coming forward, keeping in view the remoteness of the destinations. Even the much publicised millennium anniversary of the Tabo monastery failed to boost flow of tourists to these areas.

Now the Centre stepping in liberal funds will be available for the purpose. A major project to be undertaken under the monastic circuit scheme is relocation of temples of Bilaspur, which have been submerged in the Gobind Sagar. The state has sought permission of the Archaeological Survey of India. Rewalsar, which has religious significance for the Sikhs, Hindus and Buddhists, will be beautified, while a trekkers hut will be constructed at Janjiali. In Kulu, major works include development of a centre for white-water river rafting at Pirdi, landscaping of the Buddhist monastery at the Rohtang pass.

In the twin Lahaul-Spiti valleys beautification of six Buddhist places, including Hardong Gompa, Shasur Gompa, Guru Ghantal Gompa, the Trilokinath temple and the Lehmur monastery will be undertaken, besides setting up wayside facilities at Gispa Darcha and Sirchu.

In the Kinnaur circuit the Buddhist monastery at Rampur, Zangi, Kanam, Kaza, Losar will be beautified and wayside facilities will be provided at Pooh, Nako, Kibber and Chattar.

The development of these circuits will help reduce congestion in the tourist destinations like Shimla and Manali.