H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Quake prediction centre in Dharamsala soon
Dharamsala, November 14
The Department of Science and Technology has decided to set up an earthquake prediction centre in Dharamsala, which falls in the seismologically most active zone.

Mankotia: economic development slow in Kangra
Dharamsala, November 14
Congress leader Major Vijai Singh Mankotia here today said that his concern over the regional imbalance and growing corruption in the state could not be termed indiscipline as these issues were based on facts like the poor per capita income of the lower Himachal region.

Draft report on Chamba’s heritage ready
Chamba, November 14
In the light of ensuing mega event of Chamba millennium in April next year, the Himachal Government has drawn up a draft report on Chamba’s heritage under the Town and Country Planning Act, 1977. Copies of the draft report are available with the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba, besides the office of the local Assistant Town Planner, for scrutiny and inspection by the general public.

India needs more public toilets: minister
Mandi, November 14
The Irrigation and Public Health and Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, today asserted that “India needs more public toilets than temples” and the state government had launched a sanitation campaign in the state to provide public health and sanitation facilities to make each town clean and waste-free.

BJP petition void: ex-Chief Parliamentary Secretaries
Shimla, November 14
While the Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje, has issued notices on the petition of the BJP seeking disqualification of 12 former Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS) and Parliamentary Secretaries (PS), the latter maintain that the petition lacked concrete facts.

New hydel projects on anvil: CM
Shimla, November 14
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, said today that a number of new hydel projects were being finalised on the Sutlej basin so that work could begin at the earliest.

Bears wreak havoc in Mandi-Kulu belt
Mandi, November 14
The black bears are wreaking havoc in maize and fruit orchards and attacking nearby villagers in the Kulu-Mandi-Shimla belt for the past two months. In the Mandi-Kulu wildlife areas, as many as five incidents of bear attacks have come to light in the past two months.

12 kg of charas seized, 3 nabbed
Chamba, November 14
In a major breakthrough on a tip-off, the Himachal police today seized 12 kg of charas from a private vehicle which was intercepted by a team of the CIA at Ludera checkpoint in Chamba district.

• Sirmaur Addl DM dead

Quake prediction centre in Dharamsala soon
Vibhor Mohan
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, November 14
The Department of Science and Technology has decided to set up an earthquake prediction centre in Dharamsala, which falls in the seismologically most active zone.

First of its kind in the region, the centre will use the advanced technique of studying the changes of percentage of radon gas to predict an impending quake in the area.

According to sources, the centre will be set up in Government College, Dharamsala. Besides experts from the Department of Science and Technology, geologists from Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, will also work with the local researchers to work on earthquake predictions.

Out of the total budget of Rs 1 crore for the centre, Rs 61.30 lakh has already been sanctioned to the college for setting up a sophisticated laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment.

A team of scientists will take round-the-clock readings of changes in percentage of radon gas and devise a method to correlate it with predictions of earthquakes on the Richter scale. On the basis of the feedback from the centre, the Department of Science and Technology will use its advanced research to predict the intensity of the earthquake and time of its occurrence.

The Kangra region was rocked by a major earthquake on April 4, 1905, which led to widespread destruction, measuring nearly 8 on the Richter scale. More than 20,000 persons had been killed due to the intense tremor. Commemorating the centenary year of the earthquake, a series of events were organised in the district early this year, including a seminar on earthquakes and an awareness drive launched in the district.

Dr Narinder Awasthi, college Principal, said the centre was expected to become functional this year.

Even though the GND University authorities were keen on getting the centre set up in Amritsar, the Department of Science of Technology was convinced that since Dharamsala fell in the most active Zone V, the centre had more relevance here.

He added that Himachal Pradesh University had also given the college the go-ahead to start MPhil and Ph.D courses in geology, considering this was the only college in the state which offered a course in MSc (Geology).

Mankotia: economic development slow in Kangra
Tribune News Service

Draft report on Chamba’s heritage ready
Balkrishan Prashar

India needs more public toilets: minister
Tribune News Service

Mandi, November 14
The Irrigation and Public Health and Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, today asserted that “India needs more public toilets than temples” and the state government had launched a sanitation campaign in the state to provide public health and sanitation facilities to make each town clean and waste-free.

Delivering the inaugural address as the chief guest at the University Grant Commission (UGC)-sponsored national seminar on “The Individual and the State: An Exploration in Modern Indian Thought”, organised by the Vallabh Government Postgraduate College, Mandi, here today, Mr Thakur said the forces of communalism, separatism and religious bigotry were misleading the youth on the temple issue.

“We need more public toilets than temples and we are providing public health and sanitation in towns on priority basis in the state”, he asserted.

In his keynote address, Prof T.R. Sharma, fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies, Shimla, and former Head of the Department of Political Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh, said the modern Indian political thought was influenced by the western thought.

Mr O.C. Malhotra, Principal — Patron, welcomed the participants from New Delhi, Chandigarh, Rajasthan, Shimla and other parts of the state.

BJP petition void: ex-Chief Parliamentary Secretaries
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 14
While the Governor, Mr V.S. Kokje, has issued notices on the petition of the BJP seeking disqualification of 12 former Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPS) and Parliamentary Secretaries (PS), the latter maintain that the petition lacked concrete facts.

Joining issue with the BJP leaders, Mr Harsh Wardhan, Mr Mukesh Agnihotri and Mr Sudhir Sharma, whose appointments as Chief Parliamentary Secretaries were quashed by the state high court, today asserted that there was no provision in the law to disqualify them from the membership of the Vidhan Sabha as their assignment fell in the category of "office of no profit". They pointed put that Section -3D of the Himachal Pradesh Removal of Disqualification Act-1971 clearly stated that the offices of the CPS and PS were offices of no-profit.

The article 191 of the Constitution specifically mentions that if an MLA held any office of profit, he would be disqualified under article 192 by the Governor on the opinion of the Election Commission of India. As such, the BJP petition was void ab initio.

The state high court, had, in its previous decision mentioned nothing regarding disqualification of the members. The Governor had forwarded the matter to the CPS and PS for their comments in the normal course.

The practice of appointing CPS and PS had been in vogue for the past quite sometime and Mr P.K. Dhumal, former Chief Minister, had also made such appointments. Further, similar appointments had also been made in the BJP-ruled states such as Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh. If the BJP leaders were so particular about the issue, they should advise the Chief Ministers of these states to remove them.

New hydel projects on anvil: CM
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 14
The Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, said today that a number of new hydel projects were being finalised on the Sutlej basin so that work could begin at the earliest.

He was speaking at the closing of the week-long international Lavi fair at Rampur today. "Attention is being paid towards exploitation of hydel generation with ecological safeguards so that there is additional income to the state exchequer," he said.

He added that the Sutlej had vast hydel potential and was a major contributor towards creating irrigation facilities in Punjab and Haryana. "Himachal is way ahead of many states in providing best of basic infrastructure facilities to the people," he stated.

He assured that the condition of ensuring 70 per cent jobs to Himachalis in all projects coming up in the state was being implemented and there would be no compromise on this account.

"All census villages have been provided electricity and are being given safe drinking water facility," he said.

The Chief Minister said fairs and festivals were symbol of rich culture, heritage and customs of the state. "Lavi is one of the oldest fair of the country where trading activity from Tibet, China and Afghanistan has been taking place since centuries," he said.

Mr Virbhadra Singh gave away prizes and trophies to the winners in various categories. He also released a souvenir brought out by the organisers to mark the occasion. Later, he laid the foundation stone of a commercial complex to be constructed at a cost of Rs 3.21 crore at Rampur.

Bears wreak havoc in Mandi-Kulu belt
Tribune News Service

Mandi, November 14
The black bears are wreaking havoc in maize and fruit orchards and attacking nearby villagers in the Kulu-Mandi-Shimla belt for the past two months. In the Mandi-Kulu wildlife areas, as many as five incidents of bear attacks have come to light in the past two months.

According to information, a bear killed a woman in the Banjar subdivision yesterday and injured another, while they were collecting firewood from the forest. In Katola area in Drang constituency, a bear mauled a boy and damaged both his eyes last month. In another incident, a bear caught hold of a man in the same area and mauled his face two months ago.

12 kg of charas seized, 3 nabbed
Our Correspondent

Chamba, November 14
In a major breakthrough on a tip-off, the Himachal police today seized 12 kg of charas from a private vehicle which was intercepted by a team of the CIA at Ludera checkpoint in Chamba district.

Disclosing this here, Mr J.P. Singh Superintendent of Police, Chamba, said three persons who were carrying charas were arrested on the spot and the vehicle (DL8C-0816) in which they were travelling was impounded.

Those who were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act were Parveen Kumar, Mohinder Singh and Balwant Singh, driver of the vehicle — all residents of Amritsar (Punjab), the SP said. The value of the seized charas is Rs 24 lakh, the SP said.

Sirmaur Addl DM dead

Nahan, November 14
Several social and cultural organisations of Sirmaur district expressed their deep grief over the sudden death of Mr S.P. Rolta, Additional District Magistrate, Sirmaur, today. Mr Rolta, an HAS officer, was known for his administrative efficiency and honesty. He was posted as Additional District Magistrate here one and half years back. — OC