H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Aided schools’ staff to begin stir tomorrow
Kangra, October 28
More than 1,200 members of the Himachal Government Recognised and 95 per cent Aided School Employees Union today decided to launch a statewide agitation on October 30 with an indefinite chain fast in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office at Dharamsala in protest against the non-implementation of the agreement reached between the state government and the union on March 7 this year.

Haphazard growth Khajjiar’s bane
KHAJJIAR (CHAMBA): The wildlife sanctuary of Kalatop-Khajjiar in Chamba district is sick these days. Human settlements in the sanctuary area have shown grave disregard to nature and wild beasts.

Dhumal inaugurates Town Hall complex
Hamirpur, October 28
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal dedicated to the people of Hamirpur the new complex of the Town Hall, built at a cost of about Rs 88 lakh. It has been named after the late Jagdev Chand Thakur, who was a senior BJP leader.

• Cong men burn Dhumal’s effigy

Pensioners take out protest march
Hamirpur, October 28
Pensioners in Himachal Pradesh are up in arms against the alleged anti-pensioner policies of the state government. Hundreds of pensioners today took out a protest march in support of their demands and raised slogans against the government. Mr B.D. Sharma, state president of a pensioners union led the pensioners.

2-day theatre fest from today
Palampur, October 28
Mr S.S. Boparai, Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala, will inaugurate a two-day theatre festival tomorrow at Andretta, 12 km from here. The festival is being organised by the Punjabi University’s Department of Theatre and Television to commemorate the birth anniversary of Norah Richards.

Tomato blight growers’ plight
Shimla, October 28
The effect of an early blight on tomato crop has left vegetable growers in the district high and dry. The disease causes an early fall of tomatoes, resulting in heavy losses to the vegetable growers.

• ASI electrocuted

Aided schools’ staff to begin stir tomorrow
Our Correspondent

Kangra, October 28
More than 1,200 members of the Himachal Government Recognised and 95 per cent Aided School Employees Union today decided to launch a statewide agitation on October 30 with an indefinite chain fast in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office at Dharamsala in protest against the non-implementation of the agreement reached between the state government and the union on March 7 this year.

The spokesman for the union, Mr Sanjeev Kapoor, told mediapersons here today that the strike was deferred from October 25 to 30 following an assurance of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal that their demands would be fulfilled. Mr Kapoor said as nothing had been done on this regard, they had decided to launch the agitation.

Mr Kapoor said the state government, despite a written agreement, had not paid the employees 35 per cent of their salaries by June 30 this year.

He said the employees of the primary wings of these schools had not been paid salaries for the past 20 months.

He said a protest rally would be staged against the state government at Dharamsala on October 30, which would be attended by employees of these schools from all over the state.

The union has also demanded that the state government should pay the remaining 95 per cent of the Employees Provident Fund.

He said the Himachal Shikshuk Mahasang had extended its support to the demands of the union.

Haphazard growth Khajjiar’s bane
Balkrishan Prashar

KHAJJIAR (CHAMBA): The wildlife sanctuary of Kalatop-Khajjiar in Chamba district is sick these days. Human settlements in the sanctuary area have shown grave disregard to nature and wild beasts.

The famous Khajjiar lake, the main water source in the sanctuary area where wild animals used to come at night to quench their thirst, has railings and barbed wire around it. As a result wild animals are now afraid of taking water in the lake.

Many works done in the name of development in and around the Kalatop-Khajjiar wildlife habitat have disturbed wild beasts as well as the eco-system, nature lovers observe. Haphazard housing is a serious threat to Khajjiar. It appears that the entire system has failed due to complicated legal procedures to curb the menace. Situated at an altitude of about 2150 metres, Khajjiar has a picturesque setting surrounded by deodars on hill slopes. It has a beautiful lake amid a verdant glade, with an ancient temple alongside of Khajji Naga, which dates back to the 11th century. This quiet hill resort, accessible by a metalled road, is 24 km from Dalhousie and 22 km from Chamba, the district headquarters. The area under a thick forest cover near the glade of the beautiful Khajjiar lake on the Khajjiar-Chamba road is being overburdened with massive structures turning it into a concrete jungle.

Multi-storeyed hotels constructed right on the road are becoming hazardous to vehicular as well as pedestrian traffic. The thick forest cover is being eaten into by numerous high-rise structures coming up here and there, distorting the visual impact of the surrounding scenic beauty.

If the present state of affairs continues, the future of the landscape of Khajjiar seems uncertain. There is apprehension that these slopes, made of loose soil, may not be able to withstand heavy pressure, thereby increasing the chances of massive landslips.

The state government has constituted a Special Area Development Authority (SADA) for the planned development of Khajjiar, taking into account the stringent provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act. An official spokesman maintains SADA would do everything possible under the law to preserve the charm of this hill resort. But it is alleged that the HP Town and Country Planning Act lacks political and public support. 

Dhumal inaugurates Town Hall complex
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, October 28
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal dedicated to the people of Hamirpur the new complex of the Town Hall, built at a cost of about Rs 88 lakh. It has been named after the late Jagdev Chand Thakur, who was a senior BJP leader. The Chief Minister said the state government was doing its best to honour those who had made a contribution to the state. He said statues of various national-level leaders and war heroes had been installed at important places in the state.

He said the government had named the Gurukul Awas Yojana after the late Yashwant Singh Parmar, a former Chief Minister. Under the scheme, semi-furnished accommodation was being constructed for teachers working in tribal and remote areas of the state. He said under the scheme the Lahaul and Spiti district had achieved its target and accommodation had been provided to the teachers working in senior secondary and high schools of the area.

Mr Dhumal announced a grant of Rs 20 lakh for the district library and Rs 50 lakh for the Hamirpur Zonal Hospital. Ms Urmila Thakur, Parliamentary Secretary, welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for dedicating the Town Hall in memory of Jagdev Chand Thakur, who was her father-in-law.

Ms Raj Kumari, widow of the late leader, unveiled his bronze statue at the Town Hall complex. Family members of Ms Thakur and BJP leaders were also honoured on the occasion. Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated a timber treatment plant and the office of the Divisional Manager of the Himachal Forest Corporation.

He also laid the foundation stone of a shopping complex near the main bus stand. Eighty shops would be constructed in this complex. Most of these would be given to those who would be dispossessed from the construction site.

Attending the closing function of the two-day Hamir Utsav here last night, Mr Dhumal said such fairs and festivals helped to preserve the cultural heritage of the state.

The Hamir Utsav committee honoured the Chief Minister on the occasion by presenting him with a shawl and a cap. A cultural programme by local artistes and those from other areas was also held.

Cong men burn Dhumal’s effigy
Our Correspondent

Bilaspur, October 28
A large number of Congressmen and Youth Congress activists burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and raised slogans against the state government for its alleged failure to fulfil election promises and for allegedly adopting “anti-Bilaspur policies”.

They charged the government with failure to bring any government office here from Shimla for the economic rehabilitation of Bhakra dam oustees. 

Pensioners take out protest march
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, October 28
Pensioners in Himachal Pradesh are up in arms against the alleged anti-pensioner policies of the state government.

Hundreds of pensioners today took out a protest march in support of their demands and raised slogans against the government. Mr B.D. Sharma, state president of a pensioners union led the pensioners.

They held a rally at the local Gandhi Chowk, where union leaders criticised the state government for not accepting their demands.

Speakers at the rally alleged that ruling party leaders used to make big promises when they were in Opposition, but now they had backed out of their promises. They warned them that if they did not mend their ways they would be in trouble in the next Assembly elections to be held in February next year.

The pensioners demanded facilities on a par with serving employees, due respect and facilities in the government offices and medical institutions and enhanced pensions.

Mr Sharma said while pensioners were getting proper facilities in other states, they were not getting the same in Himachal Pradesh. He warned the state government of a state-wide stir if their demands were not fulfilled.

2-day theatre fest from today
Our Correspondent

Palampur, October 28
Mr S.S. Boparai, Vice-Chancellor of Punjabi University, Patiala, will inaugurate a two-day theatre festival tomorrow at Andretta, 12 km from here. The festival is being organised by the Punjabi University’s Department of Theatre and Television to commemorate the birth anniversary of Norah Richards.

Directed by Dr Yogesh Gambhir, a noted director from the National School of Drama, and Dr Sunita Dhir, a film actress, Balwant Gargi’s “Mirza Sahiban” will launch the festival on October 29.

Tributes will be paid to Norah Richards on the same day. A play based on Waryam Sandhu’s story, “Nau Baran Das” will be staged on October 30. The play is directed by Dr Navindra Behi, a renowned theatre personality.

Local schoolchildren will give performances depicting Himachali culture.

The Vice-Chancellor will dedicate Norah Richards’ house to Punjabi Theatre. The house has been recently given a facelift by Punjabi University.

Tomato blight growers’ plight
Our Correspondent

Shimla, October 28
The effect of an early blight on tomato crop has left vegetable growers in the district high and dry. The disease causes an early fall of tomatoes, resulting in heavy losses to the vegetable growers.

Vegetable scientists have recommended Banitoxs, Copper Chloride and Diathene M-45 to save the crop from an early blight. The vegetable growers are in despair as earlier, drought had destroyed the crop.

In upper Shimla areas, vegetable growers grow tomatoes in winter, but this year local tomatoes are missing from mandis. Vegetable sellers are getting tomatoes from Solan district.

ASI electrocuted
Our Correspondent

Shimla, October 28
Mr Narpat Singh, an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI), was electrocuted yesterday at Holy Lodge, residence of Mr Virbhadra Singh, former Chief Minister. He was 48 and in charge of Mr Virbhadra Singh's security.

According to sources, the incident occurred when the ASI put his hands in a bucket containing a live heating rod. The ASI belonged to Sirmour district and was in the security of the former CM for a long time.