Shimla, September 17
The government is exploring the possibility of constituting a ‘citizens committee’ involving the Army, NGO’s and all other agencies to preserve the rich heritage of Shimla through a plan called ‘Grand Shimla Initiative’.

This was stated by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, while discussing the Grand Shimla Initiative with the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) and the district administration, here today.

“The government is committed to preserve the heritage status of the historical town and a number of initiatives have been launched in this regard,” he said.He informed that the ARTRAC in collaboration with the district administration had prepared a Grand Shimla Initiative so that the town emerged as a major attraction for tourists from all over the country.

“Walking plazas, rock gardens, food courts, resting spots and other environment friendly infrastructural facilities would be created to launch the initiative from the heritage zone,” he informed. He said green felling, lopping, construction and anti-environment activities had been banned by the government in certain areas so that heritage structures retained their original shape and size.

“The historical landmark buildings are being restored to their original architecture and the first first building in this regard is the Gaiety Theatre,” he said.He added that a citizens committee had been envisioned where NGO’s, art and heritage lovers, environmentalists, ARTRAC and others would be included. Maj Gen G.G. Diwedi said the command would extend all possible help in making Grand Shimla Initiative a success. He said a musical fountain would be constructed at Lala Lajpat Rai Chowk, barren land would be used for landscaping, artistic paintings put at certain points along with playing of soft music in the heritage zone.

Shimla, September 17
The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) today sought the dismissal of the Virbhadra regime for the violation of Labour Laws, rampant corruption and injustice with the poor.

The BMS today held a rally at the local ice-skating rink to raise various issues and injustices being meted out to daily-wagers and other activists. The state general secretary of the BMS, Uday Rao Patwardhan, and national organising secretary, Om Prakash Ajhi said the government had failed on all fronts there should be an immediate change of rule.

They said the government had violated laws and Constitutional norms and taken decisions which were against workers and employees.

They said there was rampant corruption during the Congress regime and the audio CD against the CM was proof enough of the corruption. They said issues like the birthday bash of former tourism minister G.S. Bali would also be addressed during elections.

State president of the BMS, Surender Thakur, said members of the BMS were being targetted and harassed unnecessarily. “Several people in HP State Electricity Board and Forest Corporation had been terminated, suspended and many transferred as the government was following a policy of political vendetta,” he said.

“The government has not acted on any of the issues raised by the BMS and has taken decisions which were anti-workers and anti-poor,” he said.

Shimla, September 17
Himachal Pradesh has won the third best state pavilion award at the third International Flora Expo- 2007 held at New Delhi. An official spokesperson informed here today

Carnations grown in various parts of the state were displayed at the pavilion which impressed the judges. The varied agro-climatic conditions of the state were ideal for growing a wide range of flowers throughout the year.

The specially cut flowers included carnations, gladiolus, lilium, iris, marigold, narcissus and chrysanthemum. Apart from cut flowers, the state had the distinction in production of flower bulbs, seeds and exotic pot plants, he added.

The area under floriculture had increased to 510 hectare and as many as 2,240 growers were cultivating flowers. He said 48 flower growers cooperative societies had been formed and flowers worth Rs. 19.90 crore were being produced in the state.

Carnations had proved to be a major commercial cut flowers crop for the farmers over the last few years. The international quality of carnations were being produced in the districts of Solan, Bilaspur, Chamba, Mandi, Sirmaur and Kullu.

The annual production of cut flowers was 20-million stems. The carnation boom had been made possible due to incentives being provided under the horticulture technology mission. Till date the Government of India had approved projects worth R. 104 crore under the mission of which floriculture was a major component.

For ascertaining the market acceptability in the international market sample shipment of carnation cut flowers were made to the Aalsmeer Auction House, Holland, during February, 2007.Most of the buyers rated the product quality as reasonably good which opened up the avenue of potential carnations export from the state.

Kullu, September 17
The scenic tourist destinations of Himachal Pradesh are facing a major slump as a large number of tourists are preferring China and Nepal. Travel operators attribute the decline in tourists mainly to a relaxation of inner-line restriction by China and the improved situation in Nepal due to the easing of Maoist conflict.

Tours and travel operator V.P. Singh said this year had recorded a decline of over 20 per cent. "We are experiencing about a 20-25 per cent decline in foreign tourists. A major reason for this is China opening up the Tibet sector for groups and the political situation in Nepal has improved," V.P.Singh said.

The start of the first rail link between Lhasa and China, the world's highest railway, is another attraction that is pulling away tourists from Himachal.

The pan-Himalayan line, which is 5,072 metres (16,640 feet) above sea level and runs across Tibet's snow-covered plateau, known as the roof of the world, has received as many as 1.5 million tourists since its launch.

Meanwhile, adventure sports, which is one of the major attractions of Himachal, is also failing to attract travellers.

Himanshu, an adventure sports operator, said there was divergence of tourists to other Indian states and Nepal due to Himachal Pradesh's comparatively poor infrastructure.

"In Kashmir's Gulmarg, there are very good facilities for winter tourism. So, they have seen a boost in foreign tourists in the winter and during the peak months of July and August, whereas the statistics have gone down here (in Himachal)," said Himashu.

"Nepal had been closed for two to three years. There was panic among people to visit Nepal. Now, Nepal has started opening up its frontiers and foreign tourists feel the comfort level, so, maybe, that is one contributing factor," he added.

A large number of tourists throng the hill state, especially to take on the rapids and cool gushing waters of the several major rivers.

Satish Katchru, General Manager, Sterling Resort, said the government had to make an extra effort to control the decline. "The government has to take care in advance so that a further decline in the tourist inflow can be controlled. Otherwise, all hotels, which survive on in-bound traffic in the lean season, are going to face big losses. " said Katchru.

With more than three million domestic and foreign tourists visiting the state annually, tourism is an important contributor to Himachal’s economic development. — ANI

Nahan, September 17
Former Chief Minister, MP and senior BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal today addressed three public meetings in Paonta Subdivision and raised several questions on the accident of party leader and former Additional Advocate-General Sandeep Kaushik.

Addressing public meetings at Johron, Kundion and Kansar, Dhumal said he smelled a conspiracy behind the accident of Sandeep Kaushik. He stated that even after two days of the accident the police had failed to trace the person responsible for the accident in which Kaushik lost his life and his wife and son were critically injured.

He said in the state every body knew that Kaushik was instrumental in bringing ‘big sharks’ and ‘influential law defaulters’ to books through PILs in the state.

Dhumal criticized the government for patronizing corruption and said the people of the state were ready to repeat what they have done in the Hamirpur parliamentary elections to completely wipe out the ‘corrupt Congress’ from the state.

He said development activities in the state had come to a halt since the past four-and-half years and the present government was concentrating on laying foundation stones only.

He alleged that rising prices had been a big issue which had hit hard the poor in the country. He charged that due to corruption at every level in the Congress and ‘protection to hoarders and multinationals’ the prices had been out of control in the country. Paonta BJP MLA Sukh Ram Chaudhri also addressed public meetings.

Dhumal also dedicated a community hall at Kundion village to the local people. The public meetings which lasted till late evening were organized by Sukh Ram Chaudhri, party MLA from Paonta Doon and Paonta BJP Mandal. 

Solan, September 17
Virender Kumar (26), a resident of Panchkula, was murdered by one Tejinder Singh, alias Raman, after the duo entered into an argument over some minor issue outside Baba Balak Nath temple at Garkhal last night.

Virender had come to pay obeisance at the temple along with his three friends - Ashok Kumar, Anil Kumar and Dharmender.

According to the police, Raman, a resident of Garkhal village and a cook at a school here, was returning home and was under the influence of liquor. He got agitated on seeing the youth who were entering the temple gate and started abusing them.

He picked up a fight with the youth and hit Virender in the stomach. This caused grievous injury to Virender who could not retaliate in return.

Virender’s friends intervened but by that time it was too late and Virender succumbed to his injuries. SHO Kasauli Deep Ram rushed to the spot and arrested Tejinder. 
A case under Section 302 of the IPC has been registered. DSP Parwanoo Bhagat Thakur said the body had been sent for a postmortem.

Dharamsala, September 17
The district Bar Association and the local police are at loggerheads over a piece of government land adjoining the judicial complex.

The Bar Association is of the opinion that the extension of the existing judicial complex building should be done on this land to house the fast-track court, labour court and the upcoming Bench of the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT).

However, the police claims that the land belongs to them and as many as four residences of the police staff are already existing on this land.

The Bar Association has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the high court, which has now asked the state government to constitute a three-member committee comprising the district Magistrate, district Judge and the superintending engineer of the Public Works Department, within three weeks and look into the possibilities of transferring the land for the extension of the judicial complex.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice V.K. Gupta and Justice Rajiv Sharma in its interim order passed last week had asked the district Magistrate to submit an affidavit in this regard on October 24, which is the next date of hearing.

The court also declared the building constructed by the police as illegal and unauthorised contending that the residences constructed by the police were not approved by the Town and Country Planning Department (TCPD).

The court had asked the secretary of the TCPD to hold an inquiry into the illegal and unauthorised construction on this controversial land bearing khasra no. 3342/279 as per the revenue record.

The HC has further banned all construction work on this land till further orders. The HC took the matter so seriously that Chief Justice V.K. Gupta himself came down all the way from Shimla to inspect this controversial land.

ASP Prem Lal said the controversial land belonged to the police and the buildings raised on it were approved by the state government.

Planning officer of the TCPD, O.P. Sharma, said any building whether government or private coming up within municipal limits of a town required prior approval for construction from the department.

Bilaspur, September 17
Deputy commissioner Rajender Singh has expressed confidence that Bilaspur would be brought under total sanitation by December-end and that the district would be the first to get this distinction in the state. He was presiding over a block-level seminar and prize distribution function under the ‘Total Cleanliness Programme’ at Jhanduta, near here.

The DC said panchayats would get cash prizes of Rs 1 lakh, 3 lakh, 5 lakh and 10 lakh at the block, district, division and state levels, respectively, for achieving the first position under the total sanitation program.

Under the “Nirmal Gram Yojna” additional prizes of Rs 50,000 to Rs. 5 lakh would also be awarded. The DC honoured Sanjay Kumar and Ayodhaya Prakash, president and vice-president, respectively, of Bakroa panchayat; Sarita Devi and Suman Kumari, president and vice-president, respectively, of Hirapur panchayat; Ramesh Bansal and Daya Ram, president and vice-president, respectively, of Berry Mian panchayat; and Lekh Ram and Soma Devi, president and vice-president, respectively, of Jangla panchayat on the occasion.

Block development officer Rekha Kumari declared that at least 30 panchayats of Jhanduta block would achieve total sanitation by December-end.

Mandi, September 17
The Sair festival, a festival of farmers, was celebrated with traditional gaiety throughout the state today.The festival was marked with a series of oracle sessions, bull fights, buffaloes fights and exchange of warm greetings and scared food items among people.

Devotees held oracle sessions in temple treasuries under a belief to ward off evil spirits both from “the hills and from the haunted souls” and accorded a warm welcome to devtas who are believed to come back from their “divine exiles” to their respective temple treasuries from today onwards.

In Mandi, the Chamnda temple here was a witness to oracle sessions in which the “gurs”, the man in direct communion with the “devis” walked barefoot in the burning bonfire in front of hundred of devotees. The “gurs” in trance then dispelled the spirit from the haunted souls who specially came here for the purpose, believed the devotees.

In the Gara Gushaini area, the farmers gathered at a ground and organized bull fights. This was to test the real prowess of the best breeds of bulls, Mahinder Singh, a farmer from Gara Gushaini said.

In the Arki area of Solan and Mashobra in Shimla district, the farmers organized buffaloe fights in order to celebrate the spirit of the festival, Murari Sharma, a local writer, said. “The festival is getting modernised but the farmers still celebrate it with the same gaiety and enthusiasm”, he observed. As per the tradition, the young ones present “dhruv”, a sacred grass, with a packet of dry nuts to their elders in the family and seek their blessings. Each family cooks special sacred meals and offers it their family friends and relatives.

They visit temples to celebrate the festival, Dr Jagdish Kumar, a culture writer from Pangna said.

The devtas who are believed to be out from their temple treasuries, re-enter them with the conclusion of the festival today. “The “gurs” of the devtas have oracle sessions and they convey the message to the farmers as to who has emerged victorious in the battle of devtas and demons in the hills", Murari Sharma said. The farmers believe that if the devtas win the battle then the harvest will be a good one and if they do not then it will be a bad time for the farmers.

Shimla, September 17
The plan of the fund-starved government to generate financial resources by exploiting the hydropower potential in the state sector is likely to take off with the Asian Development Bank agreeing to fund three major hydroelectric projects.

A team of the bank, which visited the state recently, has submitted a proposal to provide loans for the 240-MW Kashang, 100-MW Sainj and 400-MW Shongtong-Karcham projects. The projects with an aggregate generation capacity of 740 MW will be executed by the newly setup Himachal Power Corporation. Paucity of funds has been a major hurdle which prevented the government from taking up big projects in the state sector all these years.

In the first phase the bank will release Rs 1,700 crore for the projects involving an expenditure of 4,500 crore. The bank will provide 70 per cent of the amount as a loan while the remaining 30 per cent will be contributed by the corporation. However, the state will get 90 per cent of the amount as an outright grant as the loan will be routed through the Government of India. The corporation is also executing the 100-MW Sawra Kuddu project which is being funded by the Power Finance Corporation.

The government was forced to set up a new corporation following the bitter experience it had with the board in execution of the 126 -W Larji project. Besides huge time and cost over-runs, there were large-scale financial irregularities leading to the registration of vigilance cases against senior engineers. The cost of construction has been more than Rs 10 crore per megawatt as against Rs 5.5 crore in the case of the1500-MW Nathpa-Jhakri project and Rs 5 crore per megawatt for the 300-MW Baspa project. 

Solan, September 17
Lt-Gen Noble Thamburaj, GOC, 11 Corps, today exhorted the students to adopt discipline in their life.

He was addressing students and staff of Chail Military School on the occasion of its 82nd annual day . An alumni of the school, he stressed on personality development.

Earlier, Ms Thamburaj lighted the ceremonial lamp. The cadets presented a cultural programme, including Sarswati vandana by cadet Balwesher.

Principal of the school, Lt. Col. V. Ravinder Kumar, welcoming the chief guest enlisted the achievements of the school. Since its establishment in 1925, he said the school had been producing high-ranking and highly decorated officers in the armed forces and other walks of civil life.

Later, Ms Thamburaj gave away the academic and co-curricular activities prizes to the cadets, while Lt-Gen. Noble Thamburaj gave away the prizes to the cadets who participated in various sports activities.