H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Code of conduct for trekkers formulated
Dumping of garbage
Manali, June 7
Environmental experts, travel agents, and local NGOs today passed a resolution on a “common code of conduct” for the trekkers, mountaineers and camping agents that they would ensure that the garbage would be brought back to the town otherwise it will attract huge fine for violation.

Foreign trips for officers attending Subathu course
Subathu, June 7
Officers attending the prestigious Higher Command Course (HCC) at the Army War College will now get to visit foreign countries in South Asia as part of their course curriculum.

Dhumal urges Advani to reconsider resignation
Shimla, June 7
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal today urged former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani to reconsider his decision on resigning from the presidentship of the party following his statements in Pakistan where he described Mohammed Ali Jinnah a secularist.

7 hurt as car runs over schoolchildren
Nahan, June 7
A Qualis car on the way to Hemkund Sahib from Ludhiana (Punjab) ran over schoolchildren at Katasan on the Nahan-Paonta Sahib road this morning. The vehicle hit seven girl students who were rushed to Nahan District Hospital-1. Two of them in serious condition were referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.

No fleecing, say Manali hoteliers
Chandigarh, June 7
The Manali Hoteliers’ Association has denied the allegations of tourists being fleeced by the hoteliers. The association was reacting to a news-item “Hoteliers fleecing tourists” published in these columns on June 3.

Sherry Mehta is Ms Shimla
Shimla, June 7
Sherry Mehta was crowned Miss Shimla, 2005, at a fashion show-cum-beauty pageant organised as part of the Shimla International Summer Festival here last evening.

Miss Shimla Sherry Mehta (middle) flanked by first runner-up Ms Babita (left) and second runner-up Ms Sugandha (right) in Shimla on Monday.
— Tribune photo by Anil Dayal

Petition against Cong MLA dismissed
Shimla, June 7
The HP High Court has dismissed the election petition filed by a BJP candidate, Mr Des Raj, from the Gangath Vidhan Sabha constituency, challenging the election of the Congress MLA, Mr Bodh Raj, on the ground that this seat was reserved for the Scheduled Caste category and Mr Bodh Raj belonged to Tarkhan caste which was not a Scheduled Caste.

Residents block road
Solan, June 7
Even as the transport minister, Mr G.S. Bali directed the local transport authorities to ensure initiation of the Kunihaar bus stand within 72 hours, a group of about 20 people today blocked the state highway in protest against the order.

Code of conduct for trekkers formulated
Dumping of garbage
Tribune News Service

Manali, June 7
Environmental experts, travel agents, and local NGOs today passed a resolution on a “common code of conduct” for the trekkers, mountaineers and camping agents that they would ensure that the garbage would be brought back to the town otherwise it will attract huge fine for violation.

Talking to The Tribune on the sidelines of the seminar on garbage management during the trekking and mountaineering expeditions that concluded here today, Dr J.C. Kunniyal, a scientist at the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development (GBPIHED), Kulu, said both the private and government agencies were to be blamed for dumping the waste in the mountains. “It is a serious issue and the code of conduct for expeditions and tour operators is the solution for this problem”, he added.

In the Solang, Rohtang and Parbati valley, expeditions by tourists leave behind waste, which create environmental problem in the streams and camping sites, said Dr Kunnial, who delivered lecture at the seminar, highlighting the problems. “We need to enforce the common code of conduct for the groups who take the tourists in the valleys,” he added.

Pleading their case, travel agents suggested that the Institute of Mountaineer and Allied Sports (IMAS), Manali should train porters, travel guides and team leaders on how to deal with the garbage. “The groups taken by the government agencies also leave behind trash and junk,” said a travel agent.

Mr Rahul Sharma, who runs the Manali-based NGO, Mountain Ecosystem Rejuvenant Urge (MERU), which organised the seminar jointly with the Layul Tribal Welfare Association (LTWA), another local NGO at IMAS said the travel agents, NGOs and IMAS had decided to form a code of conduct for the trekking and mountaineering expeditions.

We have met the Forest Minister, Mr Ram Lal Thakur, here in the institute and submitted a resolution to this effect. He has agreed to depute an enforcement officer from the department to supervise the code of conduct guidelines,” said Mr Rahul. “We have agreed that each trekking groups will be registered before it leaves. Then it would be mandatory for it to bring back the garbage to the town where it will be disposed off in the waste plant”, said Mr K.C. Yava, who runs the LTWA in Manali.

They decided that those who violate the provision of the code of conduct should be punished strictly by the enforcement officer. “The NGOs will act as a pressure group”, said Mr Rahul.

The seminar on ‘Strategies and methods for preserving Himalayan environment during the trekking and mountaineering expeditions was organised jointly by the MERU and the LTWA at the institute.

Lt Randhir Saluhuria, Deputy Director, IMAS said each expedition flagged from the institute should bring back even the wrappers of the toffees. “The institute will sensitise the porters, guides, and agents on how to mange the garbage during the trekking expeditions”, he said.

Foreign trips for officers attending Subathu course
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service

Subathu, June 7
Officers attending the prestigious Higher Command Course (HCC) at the Army War College will now get to visit foreign countries in South Asia as part of their course curriculum.

The General Officer Commanding, 2 Corps, Lieut-Gen K.D.S Shekhawat, said instructions to this effect were issued by Army Headquarters in April. With this, the War College has become the first Army institute to send students abroad on study tours. The only other defence institution to send officers on study tours abroad is the National Defence College (NDC), an inter-services establishment.

Each year, 55 officers of the rank of Colonel, who have held a command appointment, are selected for the 40-week course. This includes 10 officers from the Air Force and two from the Navy. The HCC aims to train officers for higher command with particular reference to command of a division and for holding senior staff appointments.

“We felt there was a need to broad-base the training curriculum and give the student-officers more exposure,” General Shekhawat, who was heading the War College’s Higher Command Wing prior to becoming the corps commander recently, said. Otherwise very few officers, who make it to the NDC at the rank of Brigadier, get to travel abroad on study tours.

The course strength would be divided into groups and each group would travel to one SAARC country on a four-day tour, General Shekhawat added while speaking to reporters during the Senior Officers Study Week, here. Presentations on various aspects and visits to different establishments would be the order of the day.

What is significant about the HCC is that it is run only for officers of the Indian armed forces. Two other major courses run by the War College, the Senior Command Course and the Junior Command Course, have 10 per cent vacancies for officers from select foreign countries. Several prestigious defence training establishments, including the NDC, also take officers from foreign countries.

Officers said the HCC is the only course of its kind in the world, with no other army running an equivalent course. It is totally off limits to foreign officers because operations undertaken by the Army in the past are examined and operational plans and concepts are discussed threadbare.

General Shekhawat said a step towards inculcating greater jointmanship among the three services, officers from the Air Force and Navy are now being included in the Senior Command Course. The 13-week course is meant for selected officers of the rank of Major or Lieutenant-Colonel in the tactical employment of a battalion as part of a brigade in cooperation with air and other arms and services. It also trains them in the administration of a unit in peace and war.

Dhumal urges Advani to reconsider resignation

Shimla, June 7
Former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal today urged former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani to reconsider his decision on resigning from the presidentship of the party following his statements in Pakistan where he described Mohammed Ali Jinnah a secularist.

“I feel Mr Advani’s statement has been quoted out of context. He has said nothing that is against our belief and ideology. Some people are trying to malign his name,” he said from Hamirpur over the phone.

Prof Dhumal said there was no reason for Mr Advani to resign. Jinnah was a nationalist and secularist. — UNI

7 hurt as car runs over schoolchildren
Our Correspondent

Nahan, June 7
A Qualis car on the way to Hemkund Sahib from Ludhiana (Punjab) ran over schoolchildren at Katasan on the Nahan-Paonta Sahib road this morning. The vehicle hit seven girl students who were rushed to Nahan District Hospital-1. Two of them in serious condition were referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.

According to police sources, a Qualis car (PB-10-PF-2835) hit seven school students at Katasan, about 25 km from here. All the injured girls were residents of Uttamwala village in Nahan tehsil. Girls were on the way to Kolar Senior Secondary School.

Eyewitnesses told the police that car was running at a high speed. Car driver Gurmeet Singh could not negotiate a curve and lost control over the vehicle which ran over the children who were going to the school on foot. The district administration has given Rs 5,000 to both students referred to the PGI. The Red Cross Society, Nahan, has announced to bear the treatment expenditure of the injured. The police has registered a case in this regard and had arrested the driver of the car.

No fleecing, say Manali hoteliers
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 7
The Manali Hoteliers’ Association has denied the allegations of tourists being fleeced by the hoteliers. The association was reacting to a news-item “Hoteliers fleecing tourists” published in these columns on June 3.

In a communication to The Tribune, the association president, Mr Gautam Nath Thakur, said unscrupulous people were found in all professions. But to generalise things by accusing hoteliers of fleecing tourists was not justified.

Claiming to have conducted inquiries into the allegations, he said the complaint lodged by a tourist against a hotel was found to be totally unjustified and unreasonable. Mr Thakur also denied having issued any statement regarding the existence of touts. 

Sherry Mehta is Ms Shimla
Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 7
Sherry Mehta was crowned Miss Shimla, 2005, at a fashion show-cum-beauty pageant organised as part of the Shimla International Summer Festival here last evening.

Ms Babita was the first runner-up and Ms Sugandha Pandit the second runner-up in the competition. Sherry fell down from the ramp during the second round but the incident failed to undermine her confidence and she exhibited extraordinary confidence to win the title. She also won the Miss Beautiful Skin and Miss Photogenic titles.

Ms Sugandha won the Miss Personality title, while Ms Jennis Kukreja earned the Miss Beautiful Hair title.

“Modelling is not my cup of tea, I would strive to become an air hostess” Ms Sherry said soon after being crowned.

The audience remained glued to the seats even as the contest stretched well past the midnight and continued until the wee hours of today.

Earlier, the folk artists from Uzbekistan performed some fascinating dances.

Petition against Cong MLA dismissed
Our Legal Correspondent

Shimla, June 7
The HP High Court has dismissed the election petition filed by a BJP candidate, Mr Des Raj, from the Gangath Vidhan Sabha constituency, challenging the election of the Congress MLA, Mr Bodh Raj, on the ground that this seat was reserved for the Scheduled Caste category and Mr Bodh Raj belonged to Tarkhan caste which was not a Scheduled Caste.

Residents block road
Our Correspondent

Solan, June 7
Even as the transport minister, Mr G.S. Bali directed the local transport authorities to ensure initiation of the Kunihaar bus stand within 72 hours, a group of about 20 people today blocked the state highway in protest against the order. The protest led to a traffic jam which lasted three hours. A case was later registered against the agitators by the police for obstructing the vehicular traffic.

The situation finally normalised after the Regional Manager of the HRTC, Mr Pankaj Singal, ensured the agitators that the buses would halt at the old bus stand.