Shimla, May 26
President Pratibha Patil, along with her family members, will arrive here tomorrow on a five-day visit to the hill state.

The government has made elaborate arrangements for her stay at the Rashtrapati Niwas, Retreat in Mashobra.

After a gap of almost 12 years, the President of India will stay for such a long period at the Retreat.

The President will arrive here tomorrow at 5 pm. She will fly from Jammu to Chandigarh and after a brief halt will fly to Shimla. She will drive from the Kalyani helipad in Mashobra to Retreat.

The minister-in-waiting, Narender Bragta, today held a meeting with senior officials to review the arrangements for the President’s visit. He visited Retreat, Kalyani helipad and the Ridge.

The President will be accompanied by 11 family members, who will visit various places in the state.

Efforts are being made by the police and other agencies to ensure proper traffic management and security during the visit of the President, who will leave for Delhi on June 1.

Even though the President is not scheduled to travel much by road, except for a civic reception on May 28 and dinner in her honour at the Raj Bhawan on May 30, efforts are being made to ensure that minimum inconvenience is caused to the public and tourists.

The civic reception will be held on the Ridge at 4 pm on May 28.

There could be an inconvenience to the public for about half-an-hour, as the roads would be sealed, when she would commute by road from Annadale to the Ridge.

She will fly from Kalyani helipad to Annadale and then reach the Ridge via Kennedy House and the AG’s office.

The President is expected to visit Manali on May 29 for a day. She will stay at the Circuit House, which is being refurbished to make her stay comfortable.

She is scheduled to visit the Hadimba temple and the ancient temple at Vashist. District police chief R.M. Sharma said 1,200 security personnel had been deputed for security.

Dharamsala, May 26
A section of officials in the Department of Languages and Culture, Himachal, has allegedly put to naught the efforts of the state government to recognise the work done by Sobha Singh at Andretta, a remote village near Palampur where he spent 38 years of his life and breathed his last.

During his earlier stint as the Chief Minister of the state in 2001, P.K. Dhumal announced that the state Kala Puruskar would be re-christened as Sobha Singh Kala Puruskar. He also increased the amount to be paid as award money from Rs 7,000 to Rs 11,000.

After the announcement, the award named as Sobha Singh Kala Puruskar was given to Prof Harish Chander Rai. However, a strong lobby in the Department of Languages that allegedly treated Sobha Singh as an outsider got the practice stopped and the award was once again named as Kala Puruskar.

Hirday Paul Singh, grandson of Sobha Singh who manages the art gallery at Andretta on behalf of a local society, said the artist did not need any  recognition from any corner.

However, if the government had started an award in his name, it should have been continued.

When asked about the chances of shifting the gallery out of Himachal as reported in a section of the media, he said, “At present, we have no such plans. An area of 10 acres has been earmarked near Chattbir Zoo by the Punjab Government for Sobha Singh Art Gallery. Many fans of Sobha Singh have also offered us space for housing the gallery. However, we don’t want to do that until someone forces us or creates circumstances for the same. Andretta was the favourite place of Sobha Singh where he created some of his best creations. He stayed here for around 38 years. So, shifting from this place would mean going against his wishes.”

He added that the academy was facing certain problems at the hands of bureaucrats. The PWD and the Revenue Department had claimed a portion of the art academy land. 

Dharamsala, May 26
The Kangra administration has found a novel way to use the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. The scheme is being used to de-silt Dal Lake located at Tota Rani village, 11 km from Dharamsala.

The lake that is natural water body at a height of 1,775 metres from sea level and is surrounded by deodar trees. Local people consider it sacred. There is also a small Shiva temple near the lake.

Silt flowing into the lake from adjoining mountains has reduced its depth. About half of the lake area is now filled with silt and converted into grassland.

Due to paucity of funds, the government had earlier failed to maintain the lake. However, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme has provided the administration with an opportunity to redeem the lake depth and area.

Those working at the site said they volunteered for the job as the lake was sacred to them. Over 100 women from surrounding areas are now engaged in the task of de-silting the lake. The effort is to remove maximum silt before the onset of the monsoon.

Experts, however, feel check dams were necessary to check flow of silt into lake. Local residents say the lake used to remain filled with water all through the year around a decade ago, but the situation has changed now. Boating facilities have been provided in a small area of the lake that still has water.

However, increasing silt is making is difficult to continue that facility even in that limited area. The dried up and silted areas of the lake are now being used by local residents to set up kiosks providing various facilities for tourists.

A local festival is also organised at the lake in September. With people being provided employment to de-silt the lake, one can expect that during the festival this year, the lake will be able to redeem its glory.

Sundernagar, May 26
Residents of Sundernagar and adjoining areas have accused Harish Cement Ltd of adapting the policy of divide and rule in order to acquire land for setting up of a cement plant near Sundernagar and further allured the farmers to sell their land to the company at a throw away price.

The district administration convened five meetings in order to negotiate rates with the farmers. The representatives of various farmer organisations’ attended the same and submitted their 31-point memorandum.

The farmers were demanding Rs 80 lakh per bighas where as the company was only willing to pay Rs 8 lakh to 12 lakh per bighas which was not acceptable to the farmers. The negotiation talks failed and the farmers clearly asked officials of the district administration that they should not call them in future as the talks have been failed and further deposed that now they would be opposing the decision of the government to set up the cement plant.

But recently it was noticed that the representatives of the company have paid certain amount to some of the farmers and entered in an agreement with them to sell their land to the company.

The majority of persons who were selected by the company for this purpose were those who had taken loan form banks.

The names of some persons were figuring in revenue records but they were having no possession of land on spot. An interesting fact also came into limelight that more than 95 per cent of these persons were from Schedule Caste families.

On investigation it was found that a senior official of the district administration had been associating the company in this process and conducted meeting with landowners secretly in order to oblige the company officials. Local residents are annoyed over the attitude of this official.

The various farmer organisations have filed complaint before the land acquisition officer, Sundernagar, that the company officials were cheating them.

Even the farmers who were demanding the copy of the agreement were not being provided with it. 

Shimla, May 26
Demanding strict action against black marketeers and hoarders, the CPM today staged a demonstration against the unprecedented price hike.

CPM activists staged a demonstration that culminated in a rally at Sher e Punjab. The rally was addressed by various CPM leaders, including Tikender Singh Panwar (member, state secretariat), Sanjay Chauhan (district secretary, Shimla) and Jagat Ram (secretary).

The speakers said inflation had reached alarming proportions because of the neo-liberal policies adopted by the previous NDA regime and now the Congress-led UPA government. Panwar said, “The government has failed to help the people and to top it all even the subsidies imparted stood virtually withdrawn.” To add to the woes of the people, there was no check on hoarders and black marketeers.

To make matters worse, the government had virtually dismantled the public distribution system (PDS), leaders said. “Universalisation of PDS ration cards, reduction in excise and custom duty on petroleum products to control oil prices and exclusion of 25 agricultural items from forward and future contract system can bring some relief to the people,” they said. They demanded that adequate quantities of rice, pulses, edible oil and sugar be provided through ration depots.

NAHAN: Around 300 workers of communist organisations took out a protest march in Nahan today. They later submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner of Sirmaur against the increasing inflation.

The march started from the bus stand area and up to the DC office. Workers of the CPM, the DYFY, the Kissan Sabha and the Mahila Janwadi Morcha took part in the protest march. They raised slogans against the rising prices and held the Centre and the state government responsible for it.

Shimla, May 26
Members of the State Electricity Board Employees Union will tomorrow observe a pen-down and tool-down strike across the state in protest against the proposed unbundling of the board.

The Union Ministry of Power had allowed the board to continue in the unbundled form till May 31 this year. The government has now requested the Centre to grant extension for one more year. The employees have launched a stir to put pressure on the Centre.

The union maintains the trifurcation of the board was not in the interest of either the government or the consumers. It claimed there had been no improvement in the functioning or financial position of the boards in states where the unbundling exercise had been completed. Unbundling would affect the pay-structure, pension and service conditions of the employees. Not only that, the staff would be forced to take voluntary retirement and there would be no provision for appointment on compassionate grounds.

It alleged the main objective of the unbundling exercise was to hand over assets of the board valued at Rs 3,700 crore to the private sector. General secretary of the union

Deep Chand Bhardwaj said the agitation would be intensified with the support of the national coordination committee of electricity employees and engineers that had already given a call for strike, demonstrations and staging other forms of protests on May 29.

Chintpurni, May 26
There is just one doctor at the local block-level hospital to cater to the people residing in 15 panchayats in the Chintpurni area. This hospital also caters to thousands of pilgrims who visit Chintpurni Temple every day.

According to residents, earlier there were two permanent doctors at the hospital against the sanctioned strength of six. However, both of them were transferred by the present government. After the residents raised a hue and cry, a doctor from the Una Civil hospital was shifted to the Chintpurni hospital. The doctor, however, did not join.

Meanwhile, the health minister and the Chief Minister visited the area. People apprised them of the problem. After that, a doctor has been posted here on deputation.

However, one doctor cannot be expected to handle all emergency cases coming to the hospital besides catering to the local residents’ needs. Residents alleged that in case of any emergency, people have to move to the Una Civil Hospital.

Though many other hospitals in the state were also facing shortage of doctors, the government should make some arrangement at an important religious place like Chintpurni, residents said. 

Solan, May 26
Aimed at improving the efficiency of additional superintendents of police (ASPs), deputy SPs and sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs), the new directions to oversee allocation of work by the police headquarters (PHQ) appear to have served little purpose.

The new instructions have replaced the existing arrangement, where the SP of each district allocated work to its ASPs and DSPs. Now, this crucial task would be looked after by the PHQ.

According to some officials, the new directions will reduce them to mere clerks.

Flaying the new directions, a section of officials said each officer should be a part of the crucial crime-related work and not be confined to administrative tasks.

Now, an officer would be bound to the work assigned to him by the PHQ.

The new instructions have been termed as an attempt to clip the wings of the SPs, who have been left with merely supervisory control.

An SP allocates duties to officers, conducts departmental inquiries and transfers his staff within the district. But with politicians dictating transfers, an SP is just a supervisory officer.

Officials opined that since an ASP is a senior officer on the verge of being promoted as an SP, he should handle responsible tasks. He should be trained to handle the district in the absence of SP and should have lesser clerical tasks.

A section of field officials, while ruing the new direction, said though the orders were to empower the officers, it appeared that the PHQ had centralised the control by issuing such directions.

The officers in the PHQ, however, justify these directions by asserting that the accountability of these officers will increase.

They can bring about qualitative improvement in the functioning of the police as the police staff in their jurisdiction has to be placed under them.

They added that the directions were issued after consultations with the State Police Establishment Committee that examined the issue in consultation with the field officers. 

Rohtang, May 26
High influx of tourist traffic and petrol-run snow scooters have turned Rohtang Pass into a “polluted junkyard”. More than 10,000 tourists visit the spot every day.

As many as 38 snow scooters, carrying tourists for joyrides run across the 1.5 sq km area that is frequented by thousands of tourists daily.

The scooters have sped up the melting process of the snow and added to a “thick brackish layer of carbon” on the snowcap that is caused by the total suspended particulate matter (TSP) emitted by these vehicles.

More than 1,500 vehicles to Rohtang Pass every day cause pollution. The pass smells bad as emissions circulate in the foggy high-mountain area, said scientists.

“You smell gasoline here. The garbage is littered here that ruins its serene beauty,” said J.P Pai, a tourist.

The tourists, on an average, produce over 2,000 kg of garbage daily and dump it in the mountains.

Over 100 dhabas that operate here dump wastes or burn it partially, as there are no dustbins or dumping sites.

Toilets constructed by the Special Area Development Authority (SADA) have been damaged by the heavy snow and tourists and dhaba owners defecate on Rohtang.

The government has constituted the SADA for regulating tourism here, but it just a paper work, as SADA has no staff to take care of solid waste management.

Senior scientist at the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Kullu, Dr JC Kunial, who has been monitoring Rohtang pollution, said, “Pollution at Rohtang has surpassed the permissible limit of 100 microgram per cubic meter of TSP. When inhaled, it can damage the lungs.”

Dr Kunial said regulating tourist traffic and proper solid waste management was the key before things were out of control.

Shimla, May 26
Temperatures across the state continue to remain below normal as the sun played hide and seek behind the clouds throughout the day.

The minimum temperature in Shimla stood at 13.1 °C as against 13.6 °C recorded yesterday. The met office said this was about two degrees below normal.

The night temperatures at Sundernagar and Bhuntar fell by over three degrees to stand at 15.4 and 13 °C as compared to yesterday.

The met office said the minimum temperature at Kalpa in the tribal district of the Kinnuar district also declined by three degrees to stand at 3 °C, while the night temperature at the famous tourist resort of Dharamshala stood at 16.1 °C.

The minimum temperature in Mandi also fell to 17 °C, 12.8 at Solan, 7 at Keylong, 14.4 at Palampur and 17.4 °C at Una town.

Solan was the wettest place in the state with 56.2 mm rain during the past 24 hours up to 8.30 am followed by 13.5 mm at Shimla, .2 at Sundernagar, .8 at Bhuntar, 5.8 at Kalpa and 6.2 at Mandi.

Overcast conditions are prevailing over the tribal districts of Lahaul Spiti, Kinnuar and Kullu, besides Shimla and other adjoining areas. — UNI

Shimla, May 26
Underlining the need for prompt recovery of tax arrears, transport minister Kishan Kapoor has said the private bus operators making timely payment of taxes will be rewarded, while strict action will be taken against the defaulters.

He was speaking at a meeting of regional transport officers (RTOs) here today. The meeting was organised to review revenue targets for the current financial year and the performance of the previous year. He directed the officers concerned to initiate action against all those defaulters whose tax liabilities exceeded Rs 1 lakh after issuing notices to them within 10 days. He said information regarding tax recoveries should be communicated to the directorate of transport regularly.

He called upon all officers to make sincere efforts for achieving the targets in a time-bound manner and congratulated them for the performance of the department that achieved the third position in generating revenue for the exchequer. There was still scope for increasing the revenue collection for which the department had prepared a comprehensive plan for the first time. It would help in making the targets clear to officials, besides removing shortcomings in their functioning.

Kapoor also directed the RTOs to ensure that tickets were issued to commuters in private buses and that they were charged as per the fares fixed by the government. He also asked them to conduct surprise inspections of private buses and driving training schools to ensure quality training. Director transport Rajender Singh welcomed said the department had fixed Rs 136 crore as target for revenue collection. 

Shimla, May 26
The Agriculture Department has directed its field staff to draw samples of vermin-compost and various types of bio-fertilisers to ensure that farmers were supplied products of the prescribed standard.

Director of agriculture J.C. Rana said the fertiliser (control) order had been amended to include azotobacter, rhizobium, azospirillium and phosphate solublising bacteria under bio-fertilisers and town compost, vermi-compost and press mud under organic fertilisers.

He said specification for these had been prescribed and any person who intended to manufacture or sell such products had to obtain authorisation from the notified authority. Any person found selling or manufacturing these products without authorisation would be prosecuted under the Essential Commodities Act.

He said about 4,000 quintals of bio-fertilisers were being supplied through various agencies. These were less costly and enhanced crop production by 10 to 20 per cent. These also improved physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. Bio-fertilisers also helped in sustaining microorganisms in the soil.

Nurpur, May 26
The decomposed body of a four-year-old boy was found on the bank of the Beas at Ghandra village under the Indora police station here today.

The child was later identified as Yakoor Hussain, son of Salim Mohammad of Ghandran village. He had been missing since May 18. A report in that regard was lodged with the police, but the child could not be traced.

The body was packed in a gunny bag. It was noticed by two village youths, Anil and Surinder, who informed the villagers and the police.

The DSP, Nurpur, said a murder case had been registered and the body sent to Tanda Medical College for a post-mortem examination.