H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Centre’s decision to help improve wildlife habitat
Shimla, April 28
The decision of the centre to create two new categories of protected areas and empower forest officers to evict encroachers from national parks and sanctuaries will enable the state to manage wildlife habitats on scientific lines and more effectively.

Plan to build 3 satellite towns
Mandi, April 28
Himachal Pradesh Housing Board plans to these satellite town in the state to ease housing problem and check build congestion in Shimla, Mandi and Dharamsala towns.

Cong candidates win BDC poll
Nurpur, April 28
Congress candidates won the election to the posts of chairman and vice-chairman of the block development committee (BDC) in the native Assembly constituency of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Sat Mahajan today.

Sena to enrol 50,000 members
Hamirpur, April 28
The Shiv Sena has decided to work for becoming the third force in the state. The party will enrol 50,000 workers during its organisational drive, according to Mr Anil Tara, state Shiv Sena chief.

Due to an acute shortage of water in the summer season, women wait for water with their utensils at a municipal tap in Chintpurni, Himachal Pradesh, on Monday. — PTI

Lawrence School Headmaster dismissed
Solan, April 28
The Board of Governors of Lawrence School has dismissed the Headmaster, Mr Andrew S. Gray, following a series of complaints and subsequent inquiry constituted to look into the matter.

Three houses, temple gutted
Nahan, April 28
Three houses were gutted at Tipra village, near Chou Boghar, about 80 km from here, on Saturday evening. No loss of life was reported. Details about the loss of property and the reason for the fire could be assessed after police reports were received.

Martyr cremated
Bilaspur, April 28
Lance Naik Prakash Chand of the 127 Battalion of the BSF was cremated with full state and military honours near his native village of Bhatoli falling under the Malyawar panchayat, near here, this afternoon.

Steps to check FMD

Centre’s decision to help improve wildlife habitat
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 28
The decision of the centre to create two new categories of protected areas and empower forest officers to evict encroachers from national parks and sanctuaries will enable the state to manage wildlife habitats on scientific lines and more effectively.

The state already has about 12.5 per cent of the total geographical area under sanctuaries and national parks as against around 4 per cent for the country. The provision made by amending the wildlife Act to create conservation reserves and community reserves will help bring the areas in the vicinity of the sanctuaries and national parks under effective wildlife management. Conservation reserves will be created adjacent to sanctuaries and national parks in government-owned areas for protecting the landscape and the habitat of fauna and flora. Such reserves could also be set up in corridors linking two protected wild life areas.

Similarly, community reserves could be created on private or community land provided members of the community or individuals concerned agree to offer such areas for protecting wildlife and also traditions, cultures and practices.

These reserves will be managed through local committees comprising representatives of panchayati raj institutions, non-government organisations and the Animal Husbandry and Agriculture Departments, besides forest officials. The basic aim is to improve the socio-economic conditions of people living in these areas along with the conservation of wildlife. The reserves will be managed on the principles of sustainable utilisation of forest produce with the effective participation of the local communities. Advisory committees will also be set up for the existing sanctuaries.

A provision has been made in the act to empower the Assistant Conservator of Forests to evict unauthorised occupants from protected areas, whereas the Deputy Conservator of Forests has been empowered to remove any construction and confiscate tools and implements. This will enable the department to act swiftly against encroachers. Another important feature is the provision to ban the commercial sale of forest produce removed from national parks and sanctuaries to ensure better management of wildlife.

The wildlife advisory boards have been given statutory status. New protected areas or changes in the boundaries of the existing ones will be notified only after approval from the state wildlife board. Earlier, the power was vested in the secretary concerned. The state wildlife board will now be headed by the Chief Minister in place of the Forest Minister. Commercial tourist lodges, hotels, zoos and safari parks will not be allowed inside national parks and sanctuaries except with the prior approval of the National Board for Wildlife.

Mr Pankaj Khullar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), has issued instructions to the field staff to identify areas which could be notified as conservation reserves and community reserves. These new types of reserves would, he said, enable the department to bring under effective management small stretches of forests, which were important for the conservation of biodiversity.

Plan to build 3 satellite towns
Our Correspondent

Mandi, April 28
Himachal Pradesh Housing Board plans to these satellite town in the state to ease housing problem and check build congestion in Shimla, Mandi and Dharamsala towns.

Stating this here today, chief Parliamentary Secretary and Chairman of the Housing Board Mr Mukesh Agnihotri, said the town would be built between Shimla and Solan, Mandi and Sundernagar and Dharamsala and Palampur. Many financial institution, including HUDCO, would come forward for financing these projects.

He said in the Behna area of Balh valley in Mandi district, 1800 bighas of land had been indendified for building a satellite town for Mandi district to accommodate a population of 25,000.

He said 46 bighas has already been acquired in Sanyardhi on the outskirts of Mandi for building a small housing colony. Over 70 per cent of the land belonged to the government and the rest was not cultivable.

Mr Agnihotri said that the housing board provided plots, semibuilt houses and fully built houses. He cautioned plot-holders that it had been decided to cancel the allotments of plots where no construction work had taken place over the past 15 years .

It had been planned to refurbish the housing board so that it could take up works of over Rs 10 crore to utilise its existing infrastructure to the optimum, he said.

Mr Agnihotri said the housing board was bearing the brunt of the land mafia, which had raised haphazard settlements at Shogi, Barog, Kasauli, Shimla, Dharamsala, Mandi and several other places in Himachal Pradesh by purchasing benami land at throwaway prices in connivance withe officials of revenue and other departments. The government was aware of the murky affairs of the mafia and a crackdown would be launched against it, he warned.

Mr Agnihotri declared that the Housing Board Act, 1972, would be suitably amended to arm it with more powers, as at present it was a “teethless Act”.

He lamented that due to faulty planning, houses of over Rs 15 crore were lying unsold at Baddi for want of proper infrastructure like roads etc. To link the colony with an all-weather road, talks were going on with the Haryana Government he added. 

Cong candidates win BDC poll
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, April 28
Congress candidates won the election to the posts of chairman and vice-chairman of the block development committee (BDC) in the native Assembly constituency of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Sat Mahajan today.

Mr Baldev Pappi and Mr Chain Singh were elected chairman and vice-chairman, respectively. Nineteen of the 29 BDC members took part in the elections. A controversy arose over the quorum required for conducting the elections. BJP members of the BDC and BJP supporters led by former HPTDC chairman and former MLA Rakesh Pathania protested against the election process, which they said, had been taken place with 19 BDC members. They claimed that two-thirds majority was required for the election.

Later, they submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner of Kangra, demanded that the election be declared null and void. Mr Karan Oberoi, president of the Nurpur block Congress Committee, alleged that after losing the Assembly elections, the BJP had been showing its frustration.

Sena to enrol 50,000 members
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, April 28
The Shiv Sena has decided to work for becoming the third force in the state. The party will enrol 50,000 workers during its organisational drive, according to Mr Anil Tara, state Shiv Sena chief.

He said the people were fed up with the misrule of the Congress. They had seen the rule of the BJP and were for a third force, he said. The Shiv Sena would try to come up their expectations, he added.

Mr Tara announced the formation of various districts units of the party till regular elections, were held. Mr Mangel Pande, Mr Ajay Singh Rana, Mr Naresh Sharma, Mr Vinod Thakur, Mr Prithi Pal Singh, Mr Ashwani Kumar Billa and Mr Brij Mohan Salaria were made district presidents of Bilaspur, Mandi, Una, Hamirpur, Sirmaur, Kangra and Chamba, respectively.

Lawrence School Headmaster dismissed
Ambika Sharma

Solan, April 28
The Board of Governors of Lawrence School has dismissed the Headmaster, Mr Andrew S. Gray, following a series of complaints and subsequent inquiry constituted to look into the matter. The board while conferring the powers to the Deputy Headmaster has directed him to act as the officiating headmaster till a permanent appointment is made.

The Deputy Headmaster, Mr Mountford, while addressing the staff members at a meeting held on Saturday conveyed this decision of the board. He could not be contacted for comments despite repeated calls at his office. The staff members who were strictly warned against speaking with the media maintained a silence over the issue when contacted for confirmation of the news.

It is however learnt that the Headmaster’ who hails from Scotland, was on an eight-year contract with this 154-year-old school, founded by an Englishman, Sir Henry Lawrence, and had spent a little over three years.

It was during his tenure that the staff members endeavoured to form a union. Though the union could not be formed but it led to unsavoury quittal of senior members.

It is learnt that he has been given three days time to leave school. Mr Gray who proceeded to Delhi after receiving the expulsion orders on Saturday is back and is contemplating going to court.

New technology to check paper mill pollution
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 28
The technological breakthrough in the productive utilisation of black liquor, the most polluting effluent generated by the paper industry, will go a long way in controlling pollution caused by agriculture-based paper mills in the country.

The industry has not been in a position to adhere to pollution norms mainly because technology to effectively treat black liquor was not available. However, ABC Paper Mills, Hoshiarpur, has in collaboration with the Biotechnology Department of Himachal Pradesh University developed technology to recover lignosulphonates from lignin, a polymer which is present in a large quantity in black liquor.

Explaining the process Mr A.K. Chatterjee, president of ABC Paper Mills, who is also a member of the technical committee of the Indian Pulp and Paper Industry Association, said that lignosulphonates could be produced from lignin by the sulphonation of black liquor in a reactor with either sulphur dioxide or sulphite at an elevated temperature and pressure. He said the total cost of a 50 tonne capacity plant required for the purpose would be Rs 3 crore. The unit would, however, be able to recover the cost within a year by getting high-value lignosulphonates, which have widespread application as an emulsifier and binder in the oil and glass industries and the cement industry. Besides, these were used as an ingredient along with other chemicals in adhesives, binders and explosives and as a medium additive in tissue culture.

Mr Chatterjee said the breakthrough was important as out of a total of 500 Paper mills as many as 380 used agricultural waste as raw material. The effluent from agro waste-based units could not be treated by normal methods as different raw materials like rice, wheat, sarkanda and other farm waste were used for manufacturing paper over the year. These mills could now fulfil the pollution norms by using the new technology.

Dr Arvind Bhat, scientist of the university involved in the research project, said that biotechnology had emerged as an important tool for developing eco-friendly and economically viable technologies for the paper industry.

The use of microbial enzymes for pre-bleaching of pulp had helped reduce the use of chlorine and other chemicals substantially which, in turn, had brought down the level of toxic contents in effluents.

All these technologies would help make highly polluting agro waste-based paper mills, which accounted for 34 per cent of the total of 8 lakh tonnes of paper produced in the country, environment friendly.

CM flags off NCC trekkers
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 28
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, has underlined the role of the NCC in inculcating discipline and a spirit of nationalism among the youth and called for intensifying its activities.

Addressing a gathering after flagging off the last batch of the one-month-long All-India Girls NCC Trekking Expedition-2003 at Kalyani helipad, near here, today he said there were 13 lakh NCC cadets in the country which was low in comparison to the population. He said the performance of cadets from the state had been adjudged the best for the past many years, which was a matter of pride.

The Chief Minister sanctioned Rs 50,000 for the promotion of NCC activities in the state and gave away prizes to the cadets.

Mrs Asha Kumari, Education Minister, said Himachal Pradesh provided ideal settings for trekking expeditions and congratulated the NCC authorities on organising the expedition.

Mr B.B.L. Butail, Revenue Minister, said the NCC helped build self-confidence among the youth.

Col Vijay Singh, expedition manager, gave details of the expedition.

Three houses, temple gutted
Our Correspondent

Nahan, April 28
Three houses were gutted at Tipra village, near Chou Boghar, about 80 km from here, on Saturday evening. No loss of life was reported. Details about the loss of property and the reason for the fire could be assessed after police reports were received.

The fire broke out due to thunder and heavy pressure of air in the area. Before fire broke out, there was a blackout in the area. The double storeyed houses of Bhoop Singh, Prem Singh and Tholu Ram were gutted.

In another incident, the Shirgul Dev temple at Kanti village, about 98 km from here was gutted on Saturday morning. 

Martyr cremated
Our Correspondent

Bilaspur, April 28
Lance Naik Prakash Chand of the 127 Battalion of the BSF was cremated with full state and military honours near his native village of Bhatoli falling under the Malyawar panchayat, near here, this afternoon.

He laid down his life while fighting three terrorists during the attack on the AIR and Doordarshan office in Srinagar on April 26. He is survived by his wife Sunita Devi, son Mukesh, daughter Komal and another daughter. Industries Minister Ramlal Thakur paid tributes to the martyr by placing a wreath on behalf of the Chief Minister.

Steps to check FMD
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, April 28
The Assistant Director of the Animal Husbandry Department here has claimed that steps are being taken to check the spread of foot-and-mouth disease. The disease has claimed many lives of cattle in Mandi district.