Chamba, June 12
Tension continues to prevail in the Bharmour valley in Chamba district following yesterday’s killing of three persons, including CITU district president Baboo Ram, at Dakog here. The people of the area are agitated over the ghastly act.

The police has registered a case under Sections 302, 147 and 149 of the IPC at the instance of the lone eyewitness to the incident, Parmod, who was also injured by the assailants. However, no arrest has been made so far.

The bodies of Baboo Ram and Vijay Singh were today sent to the Chamba Zonal Hospital for autopsy, while the body of labourer Dhan Singh was still missing.

The angry mob had reportedly set on fire 12 vehicles last evening.

The District Congress Committee (DCC), the Youth Congress, the Congress Sewa Dal, the Mahila Congress, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) and the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) have submitted a memorandum to the Governor alleging that a private company doing construction work at the project site was not only violating labour laws, but also exploiting labourers physically, mentally and economically.

These organisations have demanded immediate arrest of the accused involved in the murders, compensation to the next of kin of the deceased and steps to check law and order situation in the area.

The CPM, the Kisan Sabha, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and CITU have also lodged protest with the government over the killing of three persons.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) has categorically denied any involvement of the company in the incident. The company had nothing to do with the incident, the spokesman added.

Mandi: Though the workers resumed work at the Larji, Uhal and other projects after a 24-hour bandh today, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), including the CPM and CITU, staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner offices at Mandi and Kullu in protest against the Dakog killings.

They demanded that the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), which, according to them, played a role in the killings, should be blacklisted and its agreement terminated in the interest of workers.

DYFI president Kushal Bhardwaj led the protest rally. Addressing the workers, he alleged that the HCC repeated the Jhakri firing incident in Dakog yesterday by intimidating workers and then eliminating them as they were pressing for their genuine demands.

Mandi, June 12
The Ministry of Tourism and Culture Affairs has given the first grant of Rs 50 lakh for the project that aims at planting blooming trees along the 240-km stretch of the Chandigarh-Manali National Highway (NH)-21 between Swarghat and Manali to cheer up tourists round the year.

Talking to The Tribune here today, the Divisional Commissioner, Mandi Zone, Mr K.J.B.V. Subhramanyam, who is monitoring the project, said Rs 75 lakh had been raised for the bloom-highway project from various private and government sources. “The 16-km stretch from Bilaspur, planted last year, has shown 75 per cent survival rate, which is a good sign,” he added.

Mr Subhramanyam said pits were being dug up for plantation along the NH-21 to be carried out after July 15. The idea was to give a real feel of blooming fragrant Himachal Pradesh to give the drivers a memorable experience, he added.

The bloom-highway project is unique in that its stakeholders are not only the PWD and the district administration but also panchayats, students, NGOs and private companies.

“The students, yuva mandals, mahila mandals and panchayat pradhans, showing higher success rates both in plantation and maintenance will be rewarded financially,” he said.

Sports enthusiasts will also get the green feel as saplings will be planted on the premises of the three stadiums — Paddal Stadium in Mandi, Dhalpur Maidan in Kullu and Lunu Ground along the Gobind Sagar in Bilaspur — under this project. Besides, blooming trees will also be planted along the 18-km Swarghat- Naina Devi road leading to Naina Devi and the Baba Balak Nath road in Hamirpur district to welcome the pilgrims.

The saplings will be planted along the 240-km NH-21 stretch between the Gara Morh Himachal-Punjab border post and the tourist corridor of Manali.

The project authorities will rope in 300 panchayats which fall in the highway stretch in the districts of Mandi, Kullu and Bilaspur.

Reckong Peo, June 12
There is an acute shortage of cooking gas at the district headquarters here even as the district administration of Kinnaur has asked the Department of Food and Civil Supplies to keep adequate stock of LPG cylinders in view of the possible flood threat in Sutlej.

There is only one gas agency here of Indane company. It is run by a consumers’ society, which is directly under the control of the Food and Civil Supplies Department.

No matter, the stock situation at Pooh and Bhavanagar is satisfactory , claimed an official of the department. He said, however, the consumers at the district headquarters were facing problems in getting LPG cylinders refilled in time.

Sources in the District Magistrate’s office revealed that the administration today faxed an urgent message to regional office of the Indian Oil Corporation at Shimla to immediately send additional 2,000 gas cylinders at the district headquarters.

Meanwhile, sources in the refilling station at Baddi revealed that the company had initiated a move to replace old cylinders with new ones. Since there was a fall in the supply of new cylinders from the manufacturing units, the refilling station was unable to supply refilled cylinders as per the demand.

On the other hand, only one truckload of filled gas cylinders came at the district headquarters this morning. There was a huge rush of local people to get the filled gas cylinders, but the available stock was not sufficient given the demand of the people. 

Shimla, June 12
Despite concern being expressed over depleting forests in the capital town, the government is all set to give partial relaxation for construction in the green area, where a complete ban had been imposed in 2000.

With many influential persons, including an MP, an MLA and a senior bureaucrat owning land in the green belt, the government seems to have succumbed to pressure as the matter is in the final stages with the Principal Secretary, Town and Country Planning, and is likely to be placed before the Cabinet shortly.

As per the proposal, drafted by the Town and Country Planning Department, the ban will be lifted only in areas falling below the circular road starting from Sanjauli Chowk, St Bede’s College, Ram Chandra Chowk, Ritz and Lakkar Bazar. “Need-based construction will be permissible only for the land owners and only one floor and an attic will be allowed,” said sources.

Though the department has received 57 objections from plot owners in the green area to allow construction on private land, it is being felt that the number of people who stand to benefit will be much more. Despite environmentalists, architects and planners being strictly opposed to lifting of the ban on construction in the shrinking green area of the town, the government seems to be adopting a soft approach on the issue.

The authorities claim that the complete ban on construction in the main green area, the Jakhoo area above Forest Road, will continue.

A committee constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary to assess representations given by individuals to the government for giving some relaxation in allowing construction in the green area had in its report in 2004 recommended continuation of the ban.

As per the proposal for relaxing the ban in the green area, the government is unlikely to allow any land transactions like sale of land even though there are some influential persons who are keen on disposing of prime land owned by them.

The issue of giving relaxation to land owners in the green area was deliberated at length during discussions held with various NGOs, environmentalists and other associations at the time of finalisation of the development plan for the town, which is awaiting approval of the government. A majority of those who participated in the deliberations were of the opinion that the continuation of the ban was essential as unregulated construction activity had already played havoc with the fragile ecology of the town.

Shimla, June 12
The state government’s move to scrap four wildlife sanctuaries has met a roadblock with the National Wildlife Board deciding to have minute scrutiny, including on the spot inspection of the protected areas proposed to be de-notified.

The proposal to scrap Norgu, Naina Devi, Daralghat and Sili sanctuaries was mooted under the rationalisation exercise carried out by the Forest Department. Boundaries of 15 other protected areas are also proposed to be re-drawn by excluding inhabited and cultivated areas and including those important for wildlife conservation.

The case was put up before the National Wildlife Board last week for approval. It was decided a committee of experts be constituted to inspect the sanctuaries proposed to be denotified. Further action in the matter will be taken on the basis of the recommendations of the committee. In case, it gives a favourable report the matter will be placed before the central empowered committee set by the Supreme Court.

Environmentalists are not in favour of tinkering with protected areas frequently as it affects wildlife. In the instant case no plan had been formulated to protect the wildlife that exists in the sanctuaries proposed to be de-notified.

However, the department maintains that these sanctuaries will not serve the purpose of providing a safe habitat for wild life because of “too much human interference” or “very small area”.

The department asserts that even after scrapping the sanctuaries there will be a marginal increase in the total protected wildlife area as some left out areas will be made part of the sanctuaries. 

Shimla, June 12
The Municipal Corporation has decided to supply water to the residents every alternate day following a sharp decline in water availability from various sources.

The suburbs under the Special Area Development Authority (SADA) are already being supplied water every third day. According to Mayor Sohan Lal, the availability of water had come down to 45 lakh gallons per day, whereas the demand had increased to 75 lakh gallons.

The discharge in the Gummah and Ashwini Khuds, the two main sources, had declined sharply.

He urged the residents to use water judiciously and ensure that there was no wastage.