H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Surkhab in Pong wetland
Dharamshala, November 6
Nestled in the sylvan surroundings of the Kangra valley, the sprawling Pong Dam wetland has emerged as a major habitat for migratory birds in the country as also an attraction for bird watchers. As many as 25,000 to 30,000 birds have so far arrived at the Pong Dam reservoir while more than one lakh birds of at least 54 species are expected to visit the lake this year.

NIT students join classes
Hamirpur, November 6
The final-year students of the National Institute of Technology here resumed studies from today. The students had returned to their hostels on Monday evening but could not join classes due to Tuesday being a holiday.

Dhiman protests against delimitation
Hamirpur, November 6
Close on the heels of a revolt by BJP leaders and workers of the Kangra district led by Union Rural Development Minister Shanta Kumar on the issue of delimitation of Assembly segments in the district Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, Education Minister, has also lodged his protest with the Delimitation Commission for making certain changes in his Mewa (R) Assembly segment.

Lahaul-Spiti BJP chief reinstated
Shimla, November 6
Mr Yuv Raj Fakiru will continue as the president of the Lahaul-Spiti district unit of the BJP. The state party president, Mr Jaikrishan Sharma, has quashed the proceedings of the meeting at which Mr Fakiru was removed from the post of the president and Mr Sohan Lal was installed in his place.

Move to delink five panchayats decried
Nahan, November 6
Residents of five Panchayats in the Paonta Assembly constituency today protested at Paonta against the proposal of merging their panchayats with Shillai Assembly constituency by the Delimitation Commission.

Apparao takes over as NJPC CMD
Shimla, November 6
Mr Y.N. Apparao has assumed charge as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation, which is executing the Rs 10,000 crore Nathpa Jhakri Power Project.

Cong to weed out corruption, says HPCC
Chamba, November 6
The Himachal Pradesh unit of the Congress, when voted to power in the ensuing Assembly elections, will wage a campaign against corrupt leaders of the BJP and its coalition partners on the Punjab pattern to weed out rampant corruption during the BJP regime in the state.

Kulu Beopar Mandal dissolved
Kulu, November 6
Forcible closure of shops yesterday by a few villagers, led by a Congress leader, led to the dissolution of the local Beopar Mandal. A few people, led by Mr Sunder Singh Thakur, forced shopkeepers and other business establishments to put up the shutters in protest against the delimitation of the Kulu Assembly constituency.

Three killed in mishap
Shimla, November 6
Three persons were killed on the spot and one injured when a utility vehicle fell into a khud near Baldian, 22 km from here, today.

Bridge, cowshed set on fire
Chamba, November 6
The Banet area in Bhattiyat subdivision of the district was cut off after some persons allegedly set the Salad wooden bridge on fire, according to reports received here today.

Surkhab in Pong wetland

Dharamshala, November 6
Nestled in the sylvan surroundings of the Kangra valley, the sprawling Pong Dam wetland has emerged as a major habitat for migratory birds in the country as also an attraction for bird watchers.

As many as 25,000 to 30,000 birds have so far arrived at the Pong Dam reservoir while more than one lakh birds of at least 54 species are expected to visit the lake this year.

The most common bird species that have arrived and often visit this lake every year include ruddy-shell ducks (surkhab), bar-headed geese, mallards, coots, pochards and pintails besides rare red-necked grebe and gulls. These species come from as far as China, Siberia, Central Asia, Pakistan and Ladakh. According to a census, more than one lakh migratory birds visited the lake last year.

According to Mr D P Chandra, DFO (Wildlife), the migratory birds migrating from the respective countries halt at the Pong Dam wetland en route their destinations in the country.

The swamps in the area between the barrage and Shah Nehar downstream makes , majority of the species to stay here for the season

Built in 1960, the Pong Dam reservoir is the only place in the country after the Bharatpur Sanctuary where the red-necked grebe descends every year.

Similarly, though seashore species, the arrival of gulls on this lake also make the Pong Dam an exception.

It may be recalled that it was in 1920 when a British police officer counted as many as 27 bird species in this region of Kangra district. Subsequently, it was designated as a protected area.

The water body occupies an area of at least 18,000 hectares and extends up to 30,000 hectares at the peak monsoon. An area of about 20,000 hectares within the radius of 5 km has been notified as the buffer zone.

However, there is abundant aquatic vegetation on the lake and mixed perennial and deciduous pine forests on hillsides girding up the lake to provide enough food and shelter respectively to the migratory birds even as under the social forestry programme a large number of eucalyptus trees have been raised in the area to enable migratory birds to seek shelter on these trees.

The department of wildlife has made all possible arrangements to host a comfortable and risk-free stay for these migratory birds at the lake. Mr R C Bargal, Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), supervised the reservoir last week to ensure safety of the birds by stepping up vigilance by the officials of the Wildlife Department deployed there. UNI

NIT students join classes
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, November 6
The final-year students of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) here resumed studies from today. The students had returned to their hostels on Monday evening but could not join classes due to Tuesday being a holiday.

The students were sent back to their homes after violent incidents on August 25.

The students of the first, second and third years had already resumed their studies in two batches last month.

A spokesman for NIT claimed that the scene on the campus was peaceful and students were attending classes regularly.

Meanwhile, Mr L.M. Thapar, Chairman of the Board of Governors (BoD) of the institution, has summoned a meeting of the BoG on November 13 at his New Delhi residence. He has released a list of the members of the BoG. The Himachal Pradesh Government has been given representation in the BoG in the name of Mr S. Roy, Secretary, Technical Education. Mr Des Raj Rana, one of the senior-most Assistant Professors, has been made its member.

Insiders in NIT said the meeting would discuss the happenings that led to August 25 incidents on the campus.

Dhiman protests against delimitation
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, November 6
Close on the heels of a revolt by BJP leaders and workers of the Kangra district led by Union Rural Development Minister Shanta Kumar on the issue of delimitation of Assembly segments in the district Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, Education Minister, has also lodged his protest with the Delimitation Commission for making certain changes in his Mewa (R) Assembly segment. Mewa falls in Hamirpur district, home district of the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Mr Dhiman has reportedly taken strong objections to the inclusion of three patwar circles of present the Bamsan area into his Mewa Assembly segment and linking two of its main areas as of Tarkvari and Doongri with the newly proposed Hamirpur Assembly segment of which Bamsan has also been made a part. Though Mr Dhiman has yet not come out openly in this matter yet he has rushed to New Delhi to meet with the Delimitation Commission and present his viewpoint.

Lahaul-Spiti BJP chief reinstated
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 6
Mr Yuv Raj Fakiru will continue as the president of the Lahaul-Spiti district unit of the BJP.

The state party president, Mr Jaikrishan Sharma, has quashed the proceedings of the meeting at which Mr Fakiru was removed from the post of the president and Mr Sohan Lal was installed in his place. Mr Sharma said the action of the party men in ousting Mr Fakiru in such a manner was unconstitutional and against the party policy.

He said it was an act of indiscipline and warned the party men against indulging in such tactics in future. He said the manner in which the party men had declared the candidate from the Lahaul-Spiti seat for the Assembly election was also unconstitutional.

Move to delink five panchayats decried
Our Correspondent

Nahan, November 6
Residents of five Panchayats in the Paonta Assembly constituency today protested at Paonta against the proposal of merging their panchayats with Shillai Assembly constituency by the Delimitation Commission.

Villagers and political activists of all parties and Presidents of Salwala, Gorkhuwala, Hanpurdevda, Bhagani and Khodri Majri Gram Panchayats assembled at Paonta today and marched in procession raising slogans against the Delimitation Commission and demanded that their areas should not be cut off from the Paonta Assembly constituency.

Protesters threatened to boycott next Assembly election if their demand was not met. They submitted a memorandum to the government through Tehsildar Paonta, Congress DCC Delegate and senior leader of the party Rajender Sharma, Mr Sukh Ram, BJP leader, Lok Jan Shakti leader Devender Chaudhry and Mr Naresh Khapra, Chairman, Municipal Council Paonta, attended the rally. An action committee has been also formed under the chairmanship of BJP leader Raja Ram by the residents of five Panchayats.

Apparao takes over as NJPC CMD
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 6
Mr Y.N. Apparao has assumed charge as the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation (NJPC), which is executing the Rs 10,000 crore Nathpa Jhakri Power Project.

He replaces Mr Yogendra Prasad, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the National Hydel Power Corporation, who had been holding the additional charge of the NJPC since April 2001.

Mr Apparao joined as Director (Civil) in the NJPC in March 2000 and also had been holding additional charge of Director (Elect) since September last.

He favours taking up more projects in the Sutlej river basin and elsewhere.

With over 25 years’ experience in hydro-electric projects, Mr Apparao joined the Military Engineering Services 35 years ago. After monitoring hydroelectric projects of the Central Water and Power Commission, he joined the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation and he worked there for 23 years in the capacity of an engineer and its Executive Director. He was associated with the Devighat Hydroelectric Project in Nepal, the 540 MW Chamera Hydroelectric Project Stage-1 and 15 other hydroelectric projects. 

Cong to weed out corruption, says HPCC
Our Correspondent

Chamba, November 6
The Himachal Pradesh unit of the Congress, when voted to power in the ensuing Assembly elections, will wage a campaign against corrupt leaders of the BJP and its coalition partners on the Punjab pattern to weed out rampant corruption during the BJP regime in the state.

Talking to mediapersons at her house today, Mrs Asha Kumari, former Primary Education Minister and general secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), said the misdeeds of the ruling BJP-led government would be exposed.

Commenting on the statements of some leaders of the BJP, Mrs Asha Kumari said Mrs Sonia Gandhi being a national leader could speak on any national issue and her observations on Himachal Pradesh were based on concrete facts.

Kulu Beopar Mandal dissolved
Our Correspondent

Kulu, November 6
Forcible closure of shops yesterday by a few villagers, led by a Congress leader, led to the dissolution of the local Beopar Mandal. A few people, led by Mr Sunder Singh Thakur, forced shopkeepers and other business establishments to put up the shutters in protest against the delimitation of the Kulu Assembly constituency.

They demanded that the panchayats of the Lug valley which had been merged with the upper Kulu constituency and the remaining panchayats of the valley remain in the newly formed Kulu Sadar constituency.

Meanwhile, traders expressed their resentment against the office-bearers of the Beopar Mandal and held an emergency meeting at which the body was dissolved. They decided to meet on Sunday to elect a new body. The general secretary of the Beopar Mandal reportedly told the disgruntled traders that the president of the Beopar Mandal and a few office-bearers had decided not to participate in the bandh. The traders also condemned the slogans raised by the villagers while forcing them to close their shops. The main market of Akhara bazar here remained closed yesterday.

Three killed in mishap
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 6
Three persons were killed on the spot and one injured when a utility vehicle fell into a khud near Baldian, 22 km from here, today.

The deceased have been identified as Nek Ram, Bhajan Das and Purandas, all of Shanail village. The injured Tulsi Ram has been admitted to the Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital, here.

Bridge, cowshed set on fire
Our Correspondent

Chamba, November 6
The Banet area in Bhattiyat subdivision of the district was cut off after some persons allegedly set the Salad wooden bridge on fire, according to reports received here today. According to Mr Ajay Yadav, Superintendent of Police, Chamba, this link bridge was about 27m long. A case has been registered.

In another incident a cowshed in the area was also set on fire by some miscreants. However, no loss of livestock had been reported, the SP added.