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Melting glaciers threat to hydro projects: CM
Karol new judge of HP High Court
Row over
collection of tax BJP shifts
venue of April 6 rally to Hamirpur Bali for
probe into Wangtu project scam |
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Retail outlets for products of women’s self-help groups
2 kids die in mishap
Two found dead
Snowfall raises hopes of good apple harvest
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Melting glaciers threat to hydro projects: CM
Shimla, March 8 Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh informed the vidhan sabha during question hour that studies carried out by the Space Application Centre, Ahemdabad, and the State Council of Science and Technology had revealed that the glaciers had been melting to the extent of 21 per cent in the Sutlej, Beas, Chenab and the Ravi basins since 1962. The 466 small and big glaciers and snowfields had shrunk from 2,017 sq km to 1,628 sq km over the period. The glaciers had shown both vertical and horizontal shrinkage. He said if the trend continued the snow-fed water sources, which sustained life in the country, would vanish. The hydroelectric projects would also be severely hit as a result of this. It was a serious matter but state could not do much to ameliorate the situation as the main factor of the melting of the glaciers was global warming caused by green house gases released from vehicular emission, industries and carbon fuels. The vanishing green cover added to the problem as it reduced the capacity to absorb the harmful gases. This problem required a global effort and the state would take up the issue with the Centre and urge it to initiate steps to tackle the problem at the national level. There were reports that green house gases would increase by 70 per cent in India over the next few years. The Council for Science and Technology was preparing an inventory of snowfields and glaciers for various river basins to help generate data for taking up remedial measures. Replying to another question the Chief Minister informed the house that over the past four years 962 schemes related to the PWD were proposed. Detailed project reports had been prepared for 562 schemes. About 355 schemes, involving an expenditure of Rs 750 crore, had been sanctioned and another 172 would soon be sanctioned. As many as 435 detailed project reports could not be finalised due to involvement of forest and private land and technical constraints. He said the experience of out sourcing the DPR work had not been a good one and there had been problems in designing roads.
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Karol new judge of HP High Court
Shimla, March 8 The chief justice VK Gupta administered the oath to Karol in the presence of Himachal High Court judges. With the elevation of Karol, the HP High Court now has seven judges, including the chief justice. Karol (45), enrolled as an advocate in 1986 and became advocate general of the state in 1998. He practiced in the Supreme Court and other High Courts and was on the senior panel of the Central government. He was also the chief law advisor of the Delhi Cantonment Board. |
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Solan, March 8 Since chief minister had announced the separation of the collection of these taxes in his budget speech officials association of the excise and taxation department had become active in opposing the move. There was a demand for the separation of these taxes by both tourism and transport departments to streamline the system. Officials of the tourism department opined that they had no account of how many tourism units were functional as the luxury tax, which is 10 per cent of their turnover, was collected by the excise and taxation department. They, therefore, had no record to know which tourism projects was functional or had misused its licence. Similarly, the transport department demanded the collection of this tax on the plea that it basically concerned their department. While it would enhance revenue of these two departments it had disheartened the excise officials. The HP Excise and Taxation Officials Federation felt that the tax payers would have to deposit tax in three departments as against the earlier arrangement of a single department. They asserted that ever since the collection of the special road tax (SRT) had been handed over to the transport department the pending tax arrears had increased from Rs 13 crore to Rs 66 crore. They were not only better equipped to collect these taxes but had more barriers as compared to the transport department. The officials of the transport department, however, said this arrangement had been made after demands by the truckers who had to visit two offices earlier for tax deposition. A single window system put in place would now facilitate tax collection they opined. Justifying their demand the officials stressed that the outstanding tax arrears had increased due to a drastic increase in the penalty to as much as 100 per cent while the actual arrears were much lesser.
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BJP shifts venue of April 6 rally to Hamirpur Shimla, March 8 The BJP today announced the shifting of its state-level rally scheduled to be held in Shimla on April 6 to Hamirpur. Incidentally, the decision to shift the venue to Hamirpur came after the Congress announced its rally at Una on the same day. Both Hamirpur and Una districts form part of the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat, along with
Bilaspur district. Though main reason cited by the party for the shifting of the venue is paucity of space and parking area at the earlier venue in Shimla but it is being felt that the move is aimed at a more impressive show which would not be possible in Shimla district where the Congress party is well entrenched. The BJP had proposed to hold a ‘parivartan’, rally in Shimla on March 6, on the completion of four-year Congress rule but with the Ice Skating rink venue not being available, the party decided to hold it a month later at the same place. The Congress held a public meeting here on March 6, on the completion of its four-year rule in the state. With the party practically launching its election campaign at the rally it is being expected that the BJP would do the same at Hamirpur rally. Majority of the senior leaders felt that the party would be able to give a more impressive at Hamirpur rather than Shimla. Hamirpur, being the home district of leader of the opposition, P.K. Dhumal, is considered to be a BJP stronghold. Outcome of the Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat which fell vacant after the unseating of the BJP MP, Suresh Chandel will reflect the mood of electorate. As such it is crucial for both parties to win the Hamirpur seat in case these wished to form their government in the state. All senior leaders of the BJP, particularly from the lower areas have been asked to mobilise workers so that it turns out to be a show of strength and launch of the election campaign by the party.
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Bali for probe into Wangtu project scam Shimla, March 8 He said it was the biggest financial scandal of the Dhumal government as the state would lose thousands of corers of rupees over the 40 year period after the commissioning of the project. He said he would soon write a letter to the chief minister and seek a probe to expose those involved in the scandal. The tourism minister said the BJP was making a hue and cry about the construction of bus stands on the BoT(Build Operate and Transfer) basis whereas the fact was that the scheme was started by the Dhumal government which even engaged a consultant to prepare projects reports.
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Retail outlets for products of women’s self-help groups
Shimla, March 8 He was speaking at a state-level function organised on the occasion of International Women's Day by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. He said there were over 35,000 women self-help groups out of which 17,000 were operating under the guidance of aanganwari workers. He said the government would open outlets in all the 12 districts to ensure good returns to these women SHG, who were making products like juices, jams, jellies and many other items using locally grown fruits and other stuff. "The women SHG in the state having a membership of over two lakh have saved Rs 24 crore which was being used for generating income through internal loaning," he said. He added that this had not just improved the economic position of women in the state but had empowered them. Virbhadra Singh said 21,788 women rural women would get employment close to their home as 10,894 aanganwari centres would be opened. This will increase the number of aanganwaris from the present 7,354, he added. "The government has increased the honorarium being given to the aanganwari workers and helpers by Rs 300 per month" he informed. The Chief Minister said Himachal was the only state in the country where girls were being provided free education up to the highest level.
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2 kids die in mishap
Mandi, March 8 Pradyuman (5), son of Ramchander Shah (Jharkhand), was declared dead at the Civil Hospital, Sundernagar, while Gudu (5), son of Natraj (Karnataka), both employees of the Gammons, which is contractor of the NTPC, Kol Dam, died on the way to Chandigarh. The two critically injured Aryan Patial (3) and his sister Kamya Patial (6), who had fractured her leg and sustained serious multiple head injuries were in a state of trauma at zonal hospital Mandi, said doctors attending on them. Pratiyush (6), Ishank (5), Shashank (6), Srishti (5), and Puru (6) were under treatment at Sundernagar and Suket hospitals. The sources revealed that the company had been allegedly risking the life of the children for the last one year as the mini-bus was in a dilapidated condition. Driver Sohan Lal and the conductor Sawarup sustained minor injuries. The bus was taking the ill-fated children from the Kol dam to DAV School, Barmana. The SHO, Barmana Shiv Chaudhary, who is investigating the case said that the police had registered a case of negligence against the driver and the Gammons under sections 279, 333, 304 of the IPC. General manager, Gammons KM Prasad, when contacted said defiantly: "I do not know anything about the condition of the bus as I have just come from Dehra Dun and visiting the injured in the hospital. You should not ask these things from me. I have no list and you should get it yourself". NTPC spokesperson Prashant said that the NTPC provided first-aid and ambulance services to the victims and is not responsible for the condition of bus, which belonged to the Gammons.
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Two found dead
Dharamsala, March 8 He was identified from the medical slip he was carrying in his pocket. The medical slip revealed that he was suffering from tuberculosis and had come from home for medical check-up and purchase medicines. The body was sent to the local hospital for a post-mortem examination to ascertain the cause of his death. In the second incident, Kulwant Singh (60) found dead in an abandoned well at Sakari village near Baijnath in Kangra district. His body was also recovered by the police today. Preliminary investigations revealed that the he had poor eye sight and he fell into the well accidentally. The police has registered separate cases and initiated inquest proceedings under Section 176 of the CrPC. |
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Snowfall raises hopes of good apple harvest
Chandigarh, March 8 With almost no snowfall in the upper reaches of Himachal Pradesh till the mid of February, the orchardists here had lost hope of a good harvest. They were expecting a poor crop, just like last year, on account of the drought like situations prevailing for most of the winter months. The apple crop in Himachal Pradesh - the largest apple growing state in the country -was expected to fall by almost 50 per cent. Even last year, scanty rainfall in the hill state had led to a sharp fall in the April production of apple (2.68 lakh metric tonnes), as compared to 2005 when the production was 5.40 lakh metric tonnes. However, with the apple growing belt having received almost 150 cm of snowfall in February and March. Good snowfall helps in the vegetative growth of the apple crop. Mr Gurdev Singh, Director, Horticulture, Himachal Pradesh, said after the crop harvest in September, apple trees shed their leaves and remain dormant till the spring season. “During this period, chilling of inside of the soil is required (through snowfall) because it is a period of replenishment. With a good snowfall in February and March, there has been good precipitation and the crop has got the right chilling, thus raising hopes of a good harvest,” he said. Last year there was no snowfall all through the winter months, but in mid March. “When the apple crop was at a flowering stage, there was unexpected hailstorm, which ruined large tracts of apple orchards,” said R S Chauhan, a Kotkhai-based orchardist, who is also president of the Apple Growers Association of India. Thus the total apple crop production last year was just 3.63 lakh metric tonnes as compared to 6.96 lakh metric tonnes in year 2005. But in spite of a poor apple production last year, apple growers made a good profit because of the gap in demand and supply. Initially apples sold for Rs 1400 per box, giving good returns to the growers. But because of poor marketing and poor supply chain facilities, apple prices crashed later to as low as Rs 500-Rs 600 per box. Also, corporates like Reliance Fresh, Adani Exports and ITC picked up the best quality crop for their own retail operations and paid the apple growers good prices. Orchardists are now rejuvenated at the signs of a good apple crop this year. Said Jaichand Singha, a Kotgarh-based orchardist, “With a good crop this year, we hope that more apples will be procured by the corporates and we will make a good profit. Now, we are just keeping our fingers crossed that there is no rainfall/hailstorm in March and April,” he said, while expressing fears that a poor crop could actually ward off these retail majors.
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