H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Govt to give lifetime achievement awards
Shimla, October 15
The state government has decided to give lifetime achievement awards for outstanding contribution in the field of art, literature, folk art, folk music and other forms of art. This was announced by the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, while presiding over the annual general meeting of the Academy of Language, Art and Culture here today. 

35 motorcyclists for dirt track race
Shimla, October 15
As many as 35 motor cyclists will participate in the first Kala-Chaudhary Open Challenge Dirt Race being held here on October 17. The first-ever dirt track motor cross event being organised by the Team Avalanche Promotosports, a motor sports club, will be open to amateurs as well as professionals.

Rohtang Pass opened to light vehicles
Shimla, October 15
With the cold weather conditions relenting today, Rohtang Pass, near Manali, in Himachal Pradesh was opened to light vehicular traffic this afternoon.

Rape accused denied bail
Solan, October 15
Rejecting the bail application of Dila Ram Mehta, accused of raping his minor sister-in-law, the District and Sessions Judge, Mr Surjit Singh, observed that since the wife of the accused and the minor girl resided in the same house, the accused could intimidate the victim if released. The judge today remanded him to a further judicial remand of 15 days.

2 stations to monitor air quality
Solan, October 15
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), New Delhi, has sanctioned setting up of two ambient air quality monitoring stations at Baddi and Kala Amb. Aimed at monitoring the ambient quality of air pollutants like sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxide and other suspended particulate matter in these industrial areas, Rs 25 lakh has been provided for the purpose.

World’s smallest Gita
Kangra, October 15
The 44-year-old unemployed diploma engineer, Mr A.B.Rajbansh, has written Bhagwat Gita in Sanskrit comprising 169 pages. The thickness of each page of the scripture is 1.3 cm. Its length is 2 cm and width 1.7 cm. This is one of the smallest holy books in the world and has been included in the Limca Book of Records.

Rail link to Dalhousie sought
Dalhousie, October 15
Local residents have put forth a proposal of linking Dalhousie and Chamba with a railway line from the north India main railway junction at Pathankot. These senic places are visited by many tourists and the railway link can add much to their facility and help boosting the tourism industry.

Govt to give lifetime achievement awards
Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 15
The state government has decided to give lifetime achievement awards for outstanding contribution in the field of art, literature, folk art, folk music and other forms of art. This was announced by the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, while presiding over the annual general meeting of the Academy of Language, Art and Culture here today. He also announced the enhancement of ‘samman rashi’ of the Literature Award from Rs 7,100 to Rs 11,000.

The Chief Minister also said that the government was considering constructing a moisture-proof complex to house the state archives so that valuable manuscripts and other documents could be kept safe.

It had also been decided to enhance the grant for 100 handwritten pages publication from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000 and the honorarium for monograph writing from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000, with immediate effect. "It is important that we give due recognition and respect to people who have dedicated their lives for the promotion of a particular form of art and given the state a place of eminence in that particular field," said Mr Virbhadra Singh.

"A detailed report would be prepared by the academy regarding the contribution of artistes of eminence in the state so that they can be scrutinised by a panel of experts and due honour can be extended to them," he said. He added that all possible efforts would be made to promote and preserve Pahari language and literature as it was the identity of the state.

Mr Virbhadra Singh directed all government departments and public sector undertakings to prepare projects so that maximum benefit could be derived by availing funds from various agencies at the Centre. "The detailed project report would be submitted to the department concerned at the Centre so that more funds can be obtained for promoting art and culture in the state," he said.

The Chief Minister also released three publications of the academy, 'Saancha', 'Pracheen Bodh Dharam Ka Itihas' and 'Katoch Vansh Ka Itihas' under the rare book series.

35 motorcyclists for dirt track race
Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 15
As many as 35 motor cyclists will participate in the first Kala-Chaudhary Open Challenge Dirt Race being held here on October 17. The first-ever dirt track motor cross event being organised by the Team Avalanche Promotosports, a motor sports club, will be open to amateurs as well as professionals.

Mr Mohit Sood, general secretary of the club, said that event would be held for three categories and the overall champion would be decided from among the winners of the three categories. In the stock category participants would be riding normal motorcycles, whereas modified machines would be used in the second category. However, no modification in engine of the bikes would be allowed. In the third category bikes with more than 350 cc engine would participate.

Rehan Khan, winner of the Gulf dirt track race and Karandeep, winner of the Chandigarh dirt track race , were among those participating in the event.

Mr Sood said the number of participants would have crossed the 50 if some top bikers of the country had not been held up due to snow in the Lahaul valley.

Rohtang Pass opened to light vehicles

Shimla, October 15
With the cold weather conditions relenting today, Rohtang Pass, near Manali, in Himachal Pradesh was opened to light vehicular traffic this afternoon.

Scores of vehicles, including those of the motorists participating in the Raid De Himalaya rally, had been stranded due to blockade of Rohtang Pass due to snowfall for the past four days.

The Keylong SDM supervised the resumption of vehicular traffic following the clearance of Rohtang Pass today. — UNI

Rape accused denied bail
Our Correspondent

Solan, October 15
Rejecting the bail application of Dila Ram Mehta, accused of raping his minor sister-in-law, the District and Sessions Judge, Mr Surjit Singh, observed that since the wife of the accused and the minor girl resided in the same house, the accused could intimidate the victim if released. The judge today remanded him to a further judicial remand of 15 days.

The court took a serious view of the fact that the minor girl was raped at a tender age of 14 years. Though she had lodged a complaint on September 25, but the medico legal examination had established that she had been raped much earlier. 

2 stations to monitor air quality
Our Correspondent

Solan, October 15
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), New Delhi, has sanctioned setting up of two ambient air quality monitoring stations at Baddi and Kala Amb. Aimed at monitoring the ambient quality of air pollutants like sulphur dioxide, nitrous oxide and other suspended particulate matter in these industrial areas, Rs 25 lakh has been provided for the purpose.

Officials in the board said the proposal, which was mooted by the board about two months back, had been readily accepted by the CPCB.

This would ensure a regular monitoring of the air quality in these areas which had registered a rapid industrial growth in the past two years.

While sulphur dioxide posed no immediate threat to the environment in the region, the fast increasing vehicles had created a rather high level of nitrous oxide
in the air.

A limit exceeding 30 mg per cu.m of the nitrous oxide was considered unsafe to the atmosphere.

These stations would enable the board to identify the pollutants by monitoring the air samples at regular intervals. 

World’s smallest Gita
Our Correspondent

Kangra, October 15
The 44-year-old unemployed diploma engineer, Mr A.B.Rajbansh, has written Bhagwat Gita in Sanskrit comprising 169 pages. The thickness of each page of the scripture is 1.3 cm. Its length is 2 cm and width 1.7 cm. This is one of the smallest holy books in the world and has been included in the Limca Book of Records.

Ms Vijaya Ghose, Editor, Limca Book of Records, said, " We will use the book written by Mr Rajbansh as one time entry after which we will drop the category of the smallest holy books". She informed Mr Rajbansh on phone that he would be honoured with a certificate to this effect from the Limca Book of Records by March next year.

Mr Rajbansh who belongs to Ansoli village told mediapersons here today that he completed this feat in three months and 12 days in 2003. He said the Gita contained seven introductory verses on the first two pages and the remaining 700 shalokas of 18 chapters were on 167 pages.

Rail link to Dalhousie sought

Dalhousie, October 15
Local residents have put forth a proposal of linking Dalhousie and Chamba with a railway line from the north India main railway junction at Pathankot. These senic places are visited by many tourists and the railway link can add much to their facility and help boosting the tourism industry.

The elderly citizens said there was an old proposal for laying a railway line from Pathankot to Dalhousie and cantonment, which was okayed in 1910, but the work could not start due to the death of Raja Bhuri Singh of the erstwhile Chamba state. OC