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Pahari livestock faces extinction
Prolonged winter rains damage fruit crops
HUTA submits memorandum to VC
Jagmohan made Parmar university VC
20-year-old girl gangraped
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Commission gets tough with power board
Himachal to get micro-hydel projects
Inthikhab Alam visits his birthplace
Chemists seek Vat at first point
Bar Council opposes professional tax
Hola Mohalla fair begins at Paonta Sahib
Teacher crushed to death
Minor girl crushed to death
Undertrial prisoner escapes
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Pahari livestock faces extinction
Sundernagar, March 24 Cattle breeders told The Tribune on the third day of the week-long Nalwar cattle fair here today that the Pahari breed was vanishing as the department was promoting the Jersey, Holstein and Red Sindhi breeds in the state under its livestock development policy. The cattle breeders, who have showcased the sturdy “lal baulu” and “kala baulu”, the two Pahari-bred bullocks at the cattle fair, said that they bred and preserved the breed at their own with no incentive from the Animal Husbandry Department. “Our ancestors have preserved the breed down the line and we are doing it now as Jersey and other bullocks become sick here. The Pahari breed suits the hilly areas and they are our prized heritage,” said Mr Balak Ram, a Pahari cattle breeder from Jai Devi in Sundernagar subdivision. Though the traders from Hamirpur, Una, Kangra, Palampur, Kullu, Jammu and Uttar Pradesh have come for the fair, the bullock market for the Pahari breed has decreased by more than 50 per cent this time due to an overall recession in the cattle market. “Last year the best pair was sold for Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000, but this time, it is just Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000 per pair because the weather is cold and traders are less here,” said Mr Hari Saran, another farmer, adding that over 90 per cent of farmers still use Pahari bullocks to till their fields and Pahari cows for milk. Even farmers have evolved a breed of their own that suits the local climate and farm fields. The farmers said that the Pahari breed is getting extinct due to horticulture as the apple and vegetable growers have stopped keeping the Pahari cattle. “They prefer a Jersey cow for milk rather than the Pahari cow and power tiller or tractors instead bullocks. The Deputy Director, Animal Health Breeding, Dr S.L. Kapur, said that the state policy so far has been to promote the high milk-yielding Jersey, Holstein, Red Singhi breeds. |
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Prolonged winter rains damage fruit crops
Nurpur, March 24 But the mango growers, who lost their crop in last year as the mango hopper had attacked the crop were expecting a bumper crop in current season. But the rains have damaged about 75 per cent crops in the area. According to the progressive growers of the area February and March months are the flowering period for mango but the prolonged rains and inclement weather have adversely affected the flowering which ultimately will reduce the fruit setting in the coming months. The growers also apprehended that the humid atmosphere would give birth to various crop diseases. The inclement weather has also dashed the hopes of litchi growers. It is pertinent to mention that mango and litchi are the main cash crops of lower areas of Kangra district and considered as economic backbone of the growers. Meanwhile, Mr D.P. Singh, Block Horticulture Development Officer, when contacted , admitted that over 60 per cent mango crop was likely to be hit by the prolonged winter rains and unfavourable weather conditions. |
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HUTA submits memorandum to VC
Shimla, March 24 The newly created breakaway group of teachers, under the banner of Himachal University Teachers Association (HUTA), submitted a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof L.R. Verma, and members of the EC, seeking revocation of the termination of teachers. The HUTA urged the EC to reconsider and revoke its decision as the case of termination of these teachers was a clear case of victimisation. The HUTA members earlier gheraoed the EC members, expressing resentment over the injustice being meted out to these three teachers. The decision of the EC on the termination of the services of three teachers, taken on February 18, was raised at the meeting by Prof M.K. Sharma, Prof S.C. Chaudhary and Prof S.K. Sharma. It is learnt that these EC members pointed out that the termination issue had led to a feeling of insecurity and demoralisation amongst the teaching community. The members pointed out that the teachers, Dr Mamta Sharma of the Department of Bio-Sciences, and Mr Ajay Srivastava, Reader in Journalism, ICDEOL, were never given an opportunity to place the facts before the authorities. |
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Jagmohan made Parmar university VC
Shimla, March 24 He replaces Dr S.S.Negi, who will complete his term on March 27. There were as many as 23 candidates in race for the top post. Besides Dr Jagmohan, Dr P.L.Gautam, Vice-Chancellor of G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, and Dr L.R.Verma, Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University, were also considered. Dr Jagmohan was chosen as he specialises in horticulture. Dr Jagmohan took over as the Vice-Chancellor of agriculture university, Palampur, in July, 2004. |
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20-year-old girl gangraped
Dharamsala, March 24 According to police sources, the girl has alleged that one of the accused, Panchi, who was an acquaintance of hers, came to her house last evening with a message that her aunt had called her. He took her in a white Maruti van, which already had three other youth, Rajan, Soni (who was driving the van) and Sonu, sitting in it. She told the police that they first stopped the van at a place called Paraur, locked her inside the van and started taking liquor and had their dinner outside. Then they brought her to a house in Khaniara, near Dharamsala, which belongs to Krishan Chand, who is believed to be known to Rajan. They again had a drinking session and also forced her to consume some alcohol, which made her fall unconscious. The three then raped her throughout the night. The girl said when she resumed consciousness in the morning; the accused had already disappeared in the van. The neighbours called in the police, the sources said. After recording the statement of the girl, the police took her for a medical examination at the Dr Rajindra Prasad Medical College and Hospital today. |
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Commission gets tough with power board
Shimla, March 24 It also imposed a stay on the purchases of decentralised items, including those in the pipeline. The commission had in its tariff order given direction to the board to put in position the benchmark prices and rate contracts for decentralised purchases which should not exceed 15 per cent of the total capital budget. Further, material ordered in excess of the requirement lying unused for six months should be automatically recoverable from the officer concerned. It had also made it clear that the audit reports must specifically point out all material so ordered and lying unused and place the amount in the personal ledger account of the officer. The board filed the calendar for the special audit of purchases made by field units up to June 30, 2004, before the commission as per which the audit reports in respect of 79 divisions were to be submitted by February 28 this year. However, the board failed to do so. The commission observed that it was a serious contravention of its directions and issued notice to the board to showcause why penalty should not be imposed on it for non compliance. |
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Himachal to get micro-hydel projects
Shimla, March 24 The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet held under the chairmanship of Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, here today. It also decided that
micro-hydel projects up to two mega watt capacity would be assigned to the local cooperative societies. It also approved amendment to the state legal service authority rules to raise the income limit for free legal aid from the existing Rs 35,000 to Rs 50,000. The Cabinet also approved regularisation of 37 junior engineers in the PWD and nine in the Irrigation and Public Health Department. |
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Inthikhab Alam visits his birthplace
Shimla, March 24 Inthikhab, who is currently the coach of the Punjab cricket team, is here on his first visit to the town along with other players on a holiday. “I had always been keen to visit Shimla as I was born in the hill town while my father was posted here before the family moved to Pakistan after partition,” he said. He added that it was for the first time that he had got an opportunity to visit the town. Inthikhab, who is here on a brief visit for two days, intends looking for the house called “Goodwood” in the Longwood area of the town where he spent the first five years of his life. “It is but natural for anybody to have an emotional bonding with the place of his birth even it happens to be in another country,” he remarked. Inthikhab, who has been putting up with the team at a resort near Naldehra, says Shimla is a very beautiful hill station but he only had faint memories of the town. Airing his views on the performance of the Pakistan team, currently touring India, the former Pakistan captain and coach says the selections have not been made on merit and better players could have represented the country. “This is possibly the weakest Pakistan team which has toured India and the management is responsible for this,” he opined. Inthikhab feels that some of the Punjab team players, who will take on the Railways in the Ranji finals on March 30, stand a good chance of making it to the national team. “Some of the boys have good potential and are shaping up well to make a place in the Indian team,” he says. |
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Chemists seek Vat at first point
Shimla, March 24 The organisation has hailed the move to introduce the VAT as it will help in bringing about uniformity in the tax structure and, in turn, in the prices of medicine in the country. However, due to the unique nature of commodity and multiple laws even the VAT will lead to disparity in the consumer price of a brand of a company having the same MRP. It urged the government to levy 4 per cent VAT on the MRP at first point on all types of medicines until the drug price control order was suitably amended. Mr Sanjeev Pandit, joint secretary of the organisation, said that the formula suggested by his organisation would fetch full revenue to the government with lowest cost of collection the without any extra burden on the consumer.
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Bar Council opposes professional tax
Shimla, March 24 In a statement issued here yesterday, the Chairman of the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh, Mr Pawan Thakur, said in view of statewide protests by lawyers, the government must exempt lawyers from the proposed tax. Mr Thakur said the issue will be discussed at the Bar Council meeting slated for April 3 and, if need be, the presidents of various Bar associations would also be consulted. |
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Hola Mohalla fair begins at Paonta Sahib
Nahan March 24 On this occasion a nagar kirtan was taken out in the town by the gurdwara management committee of Gurdwara Paonta Sahib which took off from the gurdwara complex. Thousands of people took part in this procession. Thousands of pilgrims took the holy dip in the Yamuna river at Govind Ghat today. A large number of devotees thronged Gurdwara Paonta Sahib to pay obeisance. The
gurdwara, which was established by the Tenth Sikh Guru Gobind Singh who spent more than three years here.
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Teacher crushed to death
Mandi, March 24 According to the police, Thakur Das, a BSc teacher from Rati in Mandi Sadar, had gone to get the leave extended for his wife posted at Government School, Thachi, when the truck hit them from behind and crushed him under it. The truck (JK-08-2155) has been impounded and a case under Sections 279, 327, 304, IPC, and 187-A of the Motor Vehicles Act has been registered against the driver, Jagjit Singh, the police added. Suresh Kumar, the pillion rider, got minor injuries and was discharged from the hospital after first aid, the police said. |
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Minor girl crushed to death
Nalagarh, March 24
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Undertrial prisoner escapes
Kangra, March 24 The police said Om Prakash was brought to the Kangra court in connection with a theft case and was accompanied by two police personnel. On the way back to Dharamsala, he escaped. |
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