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Transfer policy on anvil, says CM
Cops go high-tech to combat drug menace
‘Water studies can predict quake’
High-statue plan worries environmentalists
Reverse two-child norm, says Sat Mahajan
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Town planning office headless for long Church clock to chime again
Beopar Mandal clarifies on bandh
Five-yr-old killed in Mandi
Migrant labourer
dies in mishap
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Transfer policy on anvil, says CM
Shimla, April 5 Giving this information during question hour in the Vidhan Sabha today, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, said the government paid Rs 60.50 lakh in all as transfer travelling allowance but the employees who had sought transfer on request were not paid any allowance. He said the government was in the process of framing a transfer policy and the task had been assigned to a committee headed by Mr Kaul Singh, Irrigation and Public Health Minister. In response to Mr Sukhwinder Singh’s query, he informed that under the Scheduled Caste component plan 118 new roadworks had been sanctioned during the 2003-05 period. In all, Rs 15.02 crore had been sanctioned for these works over the period. The maximum number of 10 new roads were sanctioned for Ghumarwin and Rajgarh divisions, followed by nine for Mandi (Division-I) and eight for Karsog. The maximum amount of Rs 2.76 crore was sanctioned for Sundernagar division followed by Rs 2.17 crore for Ghumarwin and Rs 1.68 crore for Karsog. Mr Rangila Ram Rao, Excise and Taxation Minister, informed Mr Ravinder Ravi that as per the policy panchayats and local bodies were entitled to Re 1 per bottle on sale of liquor and during 2000-01 an amount of Rs 2.54 crore was paid. It increased to Rs 2.87 crore in 2001-02 and 2002-03. In a written reply, Mr Rao informed that during 2003-4 and 2004-05 the state exported 2.12 crore and 2.25 crore boxes of apple, respectively. The road tax on transportation of apple yielded Rs 4.13 crore in 2003-04 and Rs 4.65 crore in 2004-05. The Chief Minister said in a written reply that from March 1, 2003, to January 31, 2005, as many as 114 road bridges were constructed at a cost of Rs 62.81 crore. Another 143 bridges involving an expenditure of Rs 109 crore were under construction. |
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Cops go high-tech to combat drug menace
Shimla, April 5 In a bid to strengthen its noose around those engaged in drug smuggling in the state, the police has bought bugging devices which can keep a tab on calls being made from mobile phones. “With the help of the bugging device, the police will be in a better position to keep a tab on at least four mobile phones of suspects we wish to keep under surveillance,” informed Mr I.D.
Bhandari, Inspector-General, CID. The Narcotics Control Bureau, which has been undertaking operations in Kulu, Mandi and Chamba districts, has provided Rs 8 lakh to the state police for strengthening its surveillance and intelligence collection. The police has also placed orders for
purchase of six Japanese land mowers, which will help the police destroy
the cannabis crops which is cultivated on thousands of hectares by villagers, especially in
the higher and inaccessible areas. In the absence of any machinery, police personnel along with NCB staff have to destroy and burn the cannabis crop manually. The state police has identified six districts — Kulu, Mandi, Chamba, Shimla, Sirmaur and Kinnaur — to check illegal cultivation and trafficking of cannabis and opium. “We have also purchased five motorcycles to bring about efficiency and enable free movement of police personnel in these areas,” said Mr Bhandari. The NCB has provided the state police with drug identification kits to help police personnel in knowing exactly the kind of drug they have seized. Police sources say 95 per cent of the cultivation and trafficking is of charas, while the remaining
drugs are opium and a negligible percentage of smack and brown sugar. The NCB has asked the state police to prepare projects, against which funds can be allotted to the state, to combat the growing menace of drug trafficking in the state. “As per our requirement we are preparing projects so that funds can be sought from the NCB,” confirmed police
officials. The NCB is also trying to get a foreign aided project, especially for Kulu, to wean away locals from cultivating drugs. “Under this project, we will try and encourage locals to undertake cultivation of alternative crops like medicinal herbs and plants, flowers and off season vegetables,” said NCB officials. According to police estimates, there is barely 250 gm consumption of smack and brown sugar in the state, while the opium is in demand mainly in the districts of Una, Kangra, Bilaspur and border areas of Punjab. |
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‘Water studies can predict quake’
Palampur, April 5 On the second day of the seminar organised by the GSI to commemorate the centenary of the major earthquake that hit Kangra district, the joint research work of S.N. Pandey, Hemant Kumar and Krishna Singh highlighted that the irregular chemical behaviour of the spring and underground water after an earthquake in an active seismic area suggest a precursory signal. Therefore, regular and systematic monitoring of the springs and underground water samples can be an important parameter for earthquake prediction, they said. The monitoring of radon (a radioactive gas produced by the decay of radium) in ground water on a regular basis was done near Amritsar for six months way back in 1987-88. The anomalous change in radon concentration was recorded on December 23, 1987, with a peak value three times higher than the average. According to the experts, two successive earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 each followed the increase on December 24-26, 1987, having their epicentres in the Kangra area, 150 km from the monitoring site. Several relatively small radon peaks were recorded during the last days of February 1988 and were followed by an earthquake of magnitude 4.2 on March 19, 1988, again having epicentre in Kangra valley. Another noticeable radon anomaly was again recorded on May 10, 1988, that was followed by an earthquake of 4.8 magnitude with its epicentre at about 400 km in the Hindukush range. The chemical behaviour of springs and underground water in the active seismic area shows there is drastic modification in water quality after the earthquake. These changes in the water quality depended on the distance of the spring from the epicentre and the magnitude of the earthquake, said the experts. Radon concentration in ground water is the most studied parameter for earthquake prediction. Anomalous changes in radon concentration in ground water have also been reported for several earthquakes, say the seismologists. They added that enrichment of carbon dioxide in thermal water also acts as a precursory signal of an earthquake. The presence of CO 2 rich springs may indicate a potentially hazardous seismic region and regular monitoring of CO 2 discharge could be useful in earthquake prediction. It was found that the chemistry of these hot springs displayed significant changes in the post-quake scenario. Discharge temperature of hot springs showed marginal decrease after the earthquake and specific conductivity of the discharge water showed a general decreasing trend. |
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High-statue plan worries environmentalists
Riwalsar, April 5 The top officials at the Zigar Drupka Kargyud Institute of Buddhist Studies and Meditation (ZDKIBSM) here, which is executing the project, claimed that the new statue will ring in “world peace” and would not damage the wetland. “The complex will boost pilgrimage tourism in Mandi district”, they said. Contesting their claims, local environmentalists argue that the “giant concrete statue” would unleash an unhealthy trend among rest of the religious sects here who can vie for the same. The central environment and forest department is playing a dual role. “On the one hand, it has declared Riwalsar Lake as wetland, third after Chandertal and Pong Dam, on the other, it is promoting massive concrete structure in its vicinity”, they charged. The NGOs which are working in tandem with the State Council for Science Technology and Environment revealed that the “high rise concrete structure that will rise over 200 ft from the ground will affect flora and fauna as the Riwalsar is home to fish, birds and animals, all being preserved in the sanctuary here. “This can encourage other religious lobbies here that can change the face of this quaint township popular for its temple of Lomas Rishi, the second Buddha, and his caves, gurdwara, an ancient monastery and a Shiva temple”, they said. The locals living along the lower hillside feared that the high-rise structure towering over their houses can be a hazard as the area falls in the high seismic zone IV and V. “The cracks have appeared near the site, but Tibetan builders have covered them up”, they said. They cite the examples how the influential “Tibetan lobby” has managed to build up another statue and converted a serai into a four-storeyed hotel under the nose of the district administration and the Riwalsar Nagar Panchayat (RNP). “But no structure more than three storeys is allowed within the RNP limits”, they disclosed. But the RNP expressed its helplessness as the technical clearance and sanction is granted by the Central Government. “We can do a little about this as they show us the NOC and technical clearance from the Centre”, said Mr Surinder Singh, Chairman, RNP. “The second statue on the lake side has been built on the land that belongs to the Mane-Mane Trust”, he added. ZDKIBSM’s general sectary-cum-teacher Mr Thupten G. Hara said the project had been approved by the government. “The quake does not necessarily damage higher structures”, he added. Mr Hara said that the statue, consecrated by the Dalai Lama in March 1, 2004, is likely to be completed by 2006. “The complex will house a peace park and a Buddhist library”, he informed. Mr C.S. Singh, Conservator of Forests, Mandi, said that he would inspect the site personally. “But so far it has not been brought into my knowledge. The statue complex will not affect the wetland as such as it is located away from the lake”, he added. |
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Reverse two-child norm, says Sat Mahajan
Shimla, April 5 It provides for the deletion of the clause under which is liable to be disqualified for having more than two living children on the plea that it had created social problems dubbed as anti-women. However, the provision to debar encroachers is to be made more stringent by providing for the disqualification of an elected Panchayat functionary in case any of his family members had encroached on government land. In the existing act an office bearer of a Panchayat is disqualified only if land is encroached by him. It was observed that the encroachment was shown in the name of family members of the office bearers who indirectly benefited from it. |
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Town planning office headless for long Parwanoo, April 5 As a result, all powers of the ATCP had been delegated to the Planning Officer. Ironically, the work in department was affected following the transfer of the Planning Officer last month. For over a week, it was a total chaos in the office in absence of the local officer. The files are being piled up in the office causing resentment among those who have to get clearance on many matter. The delay in approval of map for new construction, getting NOC for electricity and water connections, approval of change in land use and sale of land have affected the industrial growth. The additional charge of Planning Officer has been given to an officer in Solan a few days back. It has reduced some burden but routing of files through Solan is causing delay. Functions of the department were being affected said the authorities concerned. Mr J.R. Verma, Director, TCP, could not be contacted. |
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Church clock to chime again Parwanoo, April 5 |
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Beopar Mandal clarifies on bandh
Shimla, April 5 In a statement issued here, the president of the Beopar Mandal, Mr Om Prakash Sood, said the confusion in this regard had been created because of the media reports pertaining to wholesale traders of Delhi only. Mr Sood said the Himachal Pradesh State Beopar Mandal would meet at Palampur on April 10 to formulate its future strategy. He added that all the branches would be participating in the meeting.
— TNS |
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Mandi, April 5 A report here said the children were playing along the roadside near the construction material stocked by the contractor engaged in the construction of the Patikire hydropower project. A Heavy iron rod slipped from the stockpile and hit the boy, killing him on the spot. The manager of the company executing the project has given a sum of Rs 20,000 as compensation to the family of the deceased. — UNI
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Migrant labourer
dies in mishap Baddi, April 5 |
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Kulu, April 5
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