H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

CM announces housing scheme for Valmikis
Mandi, October 17
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, today announced the launch of a housing and land allotment scheme for the Valmiki community in the state and directed the district administrations to identify land for plots and allot these for housing purpose to the members of the community.

BJP on comeback trail, says Dhumal
Chandigarh, October 17
The former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and leader of the Opposition, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, claimed here yesterday that the BJP was on the come back trail in the state as had been proved by a number of byelections for the Assembly and the local bodies.

35 nominated to AICC
Shimla, October 17
The Congress high command has performed yet another balancing act in making nominations to the AICC from the state by accommodating even the leaders who have been of late raising a voice of dissent.

Unit fails to conform to WHO standards
Kasauli, October 17
The working of the Central Research Institute here has come under a cloud as it has been unable to take possession of Rs 13.3-crore new building despite lapse of more than two years. The fact that a vaccine manufacturing unit is supposed to confirm to schedule-M of good manufacturing practices, crucial upgrading in the manufacturing process is a prerequisite.

Protecting forests, their mission
Nestled in the greens of Chail, Himachal Pradesh Forest Training School has been producing the protectors of nature’s reserves — forest guards and rangers. With the formation of Himachal Pradesh, comprising 30 princely states, in 1948, a need was felt to impart training to the lower subordinate staff (below range officers) within the state.

5-hour power failure in Nahan
Nahan, October 17
Due to failure of electricity this evening the town remained without power for over five hours. Shopkeepers and residents of the town had a hard time today as people were celebrating festival of Sharad Purnima locally known as “Garbade”, which lost its charm in the absence of light.

CM announces housing scheme for Valmikis
Tribune News Service

Mandi, October 17
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, today announced the launch of a housing and land allotment scheme for the Valmiki community in the state and directed the district administrations to identify land for plots and allot these for housing purpose to the members of the community.

Addressing the state-level Valmiki Jayanti function here today, he said the state government would focus on areas and people who had been left out from the benefits of development in the state.

Charging Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, former Chief Minister, of playing divisive politics of regionalism and casteism, he said the BJP leaders had no issue left and were dividing state on the basis of regions and castes. The Congress was, however, instrumental in creating the state and taking it to new heights as regards development, he said.

“The BJP never got mandate to rule the state and it was an accident that it came to power,” he claimed.

“Our greatest achievement was the emotional integration of the people of Himachal,” he added.

He urged the people to follow ideals set up by Valmiki, which were later propagated by Mahatama Gandhi to uplift Dalits and under-privileged sections of society.

He announced Rs 7 lakh for the Valmiki Bhavan in Mandi. He also said that the new building of the zonal hospital would be equipped with enough staff to take care of the patients.

The Excise and Taxation Minister, Mr Rangila Rao, the Chairman of Cooperative Bank, Mr Natha Singh Thakur, and Mr Anil Sharma, ex-Rajya Sabha member from Mandi, also spoke on the occasion.

Chamba: Vacant posts of safai karamcharis in different government departments would be filled in a phased manner, said Mr Harsh Mahajan, Animal Husbandry and Urban Development Minister, while presiding over a function organised by the local Valmiki Sabha on the occasion of Balmiki Jayanti here today.

He said the government was committed to the uplift of the Valmiki Samaj and had launched various schemes to benefit its members.

The state government would start the process of filling of 2,000 vacant posts of assistant teachers in the Education Department soon, he added.

About the Chamba area, he said eight dispensaries and 20 schools had been opened during the past one year.

BJP on comeback trail, says Dhumal
Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 17
The former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and leader of the Opposition, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, claimed here yesterday that the BJP was on the come back trail in the state as had been proved by a number of byelections for the Assembly and the local bodies.

The BJP leader said in an interview that the defeat has forced the government to withdraw the controversial professional tax.

For the forthcoming panchayat and local body elections, he said, his party was telling the electorate that “while defeat in the Kaithu ward in Shimla led to abolition of professional tax, a defeat in the panchayat and local body elections will lead to abolition of other anti-people policies of the state government.”

He claimed that all sections of society had been disenchanted by the performance of the Congress government, which had come to power on the promise of “one job per family.”

He said the government signed an MOU with the Union Finance Ministry for economic reforms in the state. This resulted in abolition of vacant jobs and non-upgradation of certain posts, leading to unemployment because in Himachal the government still was the biggest employer.

Prof Dhumal also criticised the Virbhadra Government for introducing the system of labour contractors, who, he alleged, had been bringing cheap labour from outside the state, leaving the local youth in the lurch.

He said the biggest failure of the Congress government was to fritter away the gains made by the BJP under the NDA government. The then Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, had announced an industrial package for the state for 10 years starting from March 2003. However, the UPA Government had reduced this period to four years. The Virbhadra Government also failed to create infrastructure for the new industries coming to the state.

Accusing the government of having failed to mobilise resources, Prof Dhumal said all development works in the state had come to a standstill.

The BJP, which completed its full tenure of five years in government under Prof Dhumal, was the only alternative before the people.

He did not agree that a leadership crisis at the central level would have any adverse affect on the prospects of the BJP in Himachal Pradesh.

35 nominated to AICC
Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 17
The Congress high command has performed yet another balancing act in making nominations to the AICC from the state by accommodating even the leaders who have been of late raising a voice of dissent.

All the ministers, except Mr Raj Krishan Gaur and Mr Singhi Ram, have found place in the committee and most of the senior leaders have been included in the 35-member list. Much like the Pradesh Congress Committee, prominent leaders of both pro and anti- Virbhadra Singh camp have been accommodated. The most notable is the inclusion of Maj Vijay Mankotia and Mr Kewal Pathania, both former ministers who openly expressed their reservations on the state leadership and even suggested that a person from Kangra region be made the Chief Minister.

The following is the complete list: Mrs Viplove Thakur, Mr Virbhadra Singh, Mrs Vidya Stokes, Mr Kuldeep Kumar, Mr Sat Mahajan, Mr Rangila Ram Rao, Mr Anand Sharma, Mr Kaul Singh, Mrs Chandresh Kumari, Mr K.D.Sultanpuri, Mr G.S.Bali, Mr Sukh Ram, Mrs Asha Kumari, Maj Vijay Singh Mankotia, Maj Krishna Mohini, Mr Sukhwinder Singh and Mr T.S. Bharmouri.

Presidents of all frontal organisations are ex-officio members.

The co-opted members are: Mrs Pratibha Singh, Prof Chander Kumar, Col Dhani Ram Shandil, Mr Ram Lal, Mr Satya Prakash Thakur, Mr Kuldeep Rathore, Mr A.N.Vidyarthi, Mr Kashmir Singh, Mr Harsh Mahajan, Mrs Anita Verma, Mr Phunchug Rai, Mrs Sushila Negi, Mr Vikram Singh Katoch, Mr Kewal Singh Pathania, Mr Harbhajan Singh, Mrs Kunjana Singh, Mrs Sukriti Kumari and Mrs Vijay Laxmi.

Unit fails to conform to WHO standards
Ambika Sharma

Kasauli, October 17
The working of the Central Research Institute (CRI) here has come under a cloud as it has been unable to take possession of Rs 13.3-crore new building despite lapse of more than two years. The fact that a vaccine manufacturing unit is supposed to confirm to schedule-M of good manufacturing practices, crucial upgrading in the manufacturing process is a prerequisite. It also needs to be WHO approved. The building was constructed for upgrading its existing vaccine production facilities.

According to sources, the building is not in confirmation with the requisite vaccine manufacturing norms that included having leakage-proof walls to provide a sterile environment. Eyebrows are now being raised at the Delhi-based Hospital Services Consultancy Corporation, a sister concern of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which was given the contract to construct the building. The institute has failed to get WHO approval despite being the oldest vaccine manufacturing institute of the country.

Intriguingly, the cost of construction escalated several times from the initial estimate of Rs 4.85 crore to Rs 13.3 crore. The deal for the building construction was sanctioned in 1998 by the then Director, Dr Usha Soren. A year later, soil testing was completed. It was in 1999 that the actual construction began. Its plan was, however, modified in 2000 when it was suddenly decided to change the basic terms of enhancing the construction part and reducing the renovation part which was contrary to the initial plan. This change escalated its cost from Rs 4.85 crore to Rs 9.8 crore in 2001.

As a cosmetic exercise, a committee comprising top six officials of the institute was constituted to monitor its construction. The committee regularly conducted inspections and filed reports about the shortcomings. In another major modification, it was decided in 2002 to bring about some more alterations. Another sum of Rs 90 lakh was sanctioned for these new changes and the cost went up to Rs 13.3 crore.

Officials lament that despite incurring this much cost, the building, did not conform to the requisite standards. With leaking walls, damp room and doors that cannot be closed properly, the building is of little use. The fact that vaccine manufacturing is a highly sensitive task, damp rooms can increase the probability of fungus appearing on the walls. This can have an adverse bearing on the manufacturing process. Further these is no provision of power supply in the building.

The Union Health Minister, Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, had taken strict note of these irregularities during his recent visit when the issue was raised by The Tribune. Though he had promised to take the consultancy body to task for the substandard construction, little appears to have been done in the matter till now.

Protecting forests, their mission
Paramvir Singh Bains
Tribune News Service

Nestled in the greens of Chail, Himachal Pradesh Forest Training School (HPFTS) has been producing the protectors of nature’s reserves — forest guards and rangers.

With the formation of Himachal Pradesh, comprising 30 princely states, in 1948, a need was felt to impart training to the lower subordinate staff (below range officers) within the state. This led to the inauguration of the lower subordinate training school at Junga in 1949.

A view of the Himachal Pradesh Forest Training School.

The school was first shifted to Solan district in 1952 and later it changed its address to Mashobra in Shimla district in 1956. Meanwhile, a soil conservation school was also opened in Dalhousie. Both were merged in 1964 and the new school was then based in Solan. From here it was finally shifted to its present address on April 15, 1968.

Chail, situated at an altitude of 2,200 m above sea level in the sylvan surroundings of temperate forests of cedrus deodara, at that time was part of the erstwhile Patiala state and hence this school has inherited some infrastructure of that time.

Giving details about the courses, Mr Gulab S. Verma, Divisional Forest Officer, HPFTS, says the school runs two five and a half months long regular courses for forest guards and a three months capsule course for senior forest guards and deputy rangers each year.

Mr Verma says, “As on date 2,550 personnel have passed out, which include 1,941 forest guards and 609 deputy rangers, under regular courses. Both courses are being run on modular basis. Each module is a bundle of several competencies required for the job of a forest officer.”

For the staff also there are short-term refresher courses to make them aware of the newly introduced Joint Forest Management Scheme and other relevant topics such as seed and nursery technology, forest offences and laws, etc.

Till date 589 personnel of the fields staff, including 224 newly regularised forest workers have been imparted training. Since 1998, the school has also been running five need-based modular courses.

Efforts have been made to put the school infrastructure to better use by sub-letting it to its sister concerns. In line with this a 10-day course for Himachal Pradesh State Forest Corporation was organised in 1998-99. Similar courses were held for NAEB under a Government of India scheme for the staff of Himachal Pradesh and adjoining states.

Following this, since 1999 a one and a half months special training course for the field staff of HPSFC has been introduced. Specialised courses were also run for DRDA (Himachal Pradesh), Kandi project (Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir). Besides, nature awareness camps are also held for schoolchildren from time to time.

To initiate participatory approach in nearby villages, which can serve as a location for trainees for trying out their skills, Sakori and Banjani have been adopted. Under this programme villagers were taken to the University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan district, to provide them with the latest on animal husbandry, floriculture, etc.

Interestingly, girls can also join the school and for them a hostel has been provided on the premises of the school.

5-hour power failure in Nahan
Our Correspondent

Nahan, October 17
Due to failure of electricity this evening the town remained without power for over five hours. Shopkeepers and residents of the town had a hard time today as people were celebrating festival of Sharad Purnima locally known as “Garbade”, which lost its charm in the absence of light.

The festival mainly celebrated by the children who moves from one place to another place with small mud pots in their hands. It is also celebrated as a festival to welcome the Deepawali which comes after 15 days of this celebration.

Supply of electricity could be restored late in the evening. As power HPSEB sources cause of power failure was burning of ‘electric jumper’, which took five hour for restoring the electric supply of the main portion of town.