Shimla, May 28
President Pratibha Patil has sought details about the demands of Himachal Pradesh pending with the Centre so that she could take these up at her own level.

Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal said here today that he had detailed talks with the President regarding important issues relating to the state and he would prepare a detailed report to be presented to her. “She has asked me to provide her in writing the details about all demands of the state pending with the Centre as she also agrees in principle to all such issues,” he said.

“We are hopeful that the President will help in getting these demands cleared from the Centre,” he remarked. She spoke about all such issues, including ayurveda, cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants and information technology, he said.

Being the Supreme Commander of the forces, she could get quota for Himachali youth enhanced in Army recruitments, which was otherwise done on the basis of population. “With the youth from Himachal showing extraordinary valour during Army operations, the recruitment quota should not be in proportion to the population,” he said.

He said another issue where the President could help Himachali cause was in getting the Pathankot-Jogindernagar rail line extended up to Kullu-Manali and link it further with Ladakh. “Since it is a question of India’s security, there can be no compromise on the issue and the President can take up the matter in the interest of the country,” he said.

He said even the issue of “one rank, one pension” pending with the Centre for several years needed to be pursued as the number of ex-servicemen in the state was huge. He said the President could also help Himachal in getting its due in terms of carbon credits and the share that was due to the state from the neighbouring states after the reorganisation in 1966.

Dhumal also took up the issue of handing over of the Annadale ground by the Army authorities to the state government as its lease had expired in March, 1982. “The state must be compensated by the Centre by giving Rs 1,000 crores for protecting its forests and be allowed to impose water cess on hydro-power generation,” he said.

Shimla, May 28
President Pratibha Patil has called for a second “Green Revolution” to meet a possible global food crisis. She also underlined the need for inclusive growth to ensure that its benefits percolated down to the underprivileged and the needy.

Speaking at the civic reception hosted in her honour by the local municipal corporation at the Ridge here today, she said the first Green Revolution enabled the county to become self-reliant in food. “Now, the world appears to heading for a food crisis, which makes it imperative to strive for a second such revolution to ensure food security,” she said.

With its abundant technical manpower and expertise the country had already achieved the top slot in the field of information technology and it was time to put in concerted efforts to build a strong, prosperous and progressive nation. The focus should be on inclusive growth so that every section of society and every city, town and village progressed, she said.

She also said there was a need to promote ayurveda, cultivation of herbs and aromatic plants besides protecting biodiversity. Promoting environment friendly industries like information technology and tourism was also needed. She also highlighted the need to strengthen and expand basic infrastructure like roads, airfields and communication network.

She also expressed concern over haphazard construction activity that marred the beauty and distinct identity of cities and called for regulated development.

Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal also spoke on the occasion.

Earlier, mayor of the Shimla Municipal Corporation welcomed the President. Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla, ministers, councillors, senior officers and prominent citizens were present at the civic reception.

Dharamsala, May 28
Palampur Agriculture University has conceived an ambitious plan to revive Kangra tea. The university has developed organic tea under the brand name ‘Dhauladhar Tea’.

The university authorities said tea gardens in the university were kept without any chemical fertilisers or pesticides for five years. The produce of the farm could now be certified as an organic produce.

The university would launch organic tea under five brands. The price would range from Rs 65 to Rs 95 per 250 gm, depending upon the grading. The product is being presently processed in the university tea factory. The Chief Minister would formally launch it on May 30.

The idea to develop organic tea was conceived by Vice-Chancellor of the university Dr Tej Pratap. According to university experts, the demand for organic tea is increasing in the international market. Kangra district is a region where minimum amount of pesticides or fertilisers are used in tea plantations. The tea farmers of the region can take to organic tea farming very easily if a ready market is available for their product. After initial success, the university also plans to motivate farmers to process organic tea using traditional methods.

The university will play a pivotal role in creating a market for this variety of tea. The experts plan to target tourists coming to the state to popularise this tea. The university plans to provide organic tea at most of the resorts and hotels as tourists can act as brand ambassadors for the produce.

The Kangra district had 2,300 hectare area under tea plantations. Out of it, 1,100 hectare has been abandoned by the farmers as they are not finding tea farming viable.

Shimla, May 28
The absence of police force on the Himachal Pradesh University campus due to security arrangements for President Pratibha Patil’s visit led to a situation arising out of a clash between SFI and ABVP activists go out of hand.

About eight students and a police head constable were injured in a clash between the varsity students outside the arts block. The clash that began around 1 pm continued till the arrival of the police force late in the afternoon. Vice-chancellor Sunil Kumar Gupta held an emergency meeting with the DC and the SP to take stock of the situation.

The police organised a flag march and searched the hostels on the university campus. The VC said the situation was under control and additional forces had been deployed to ensure that there was no further problem. He said all necessary steps would be taken to ensure that the academic atmosphere was not vitiated.

The problem started after a confrontation between SFI and ABVP activists engaged in career counselling. In the absence of police personnel, it was free-for-all as sharp-edged weapons like ‘khukris’ and sickles were used along with sticks. A large number of students, many of whom had come for appearing in an entrance examination, were present on the campus when the trouble started.

There were reports of clashes even in the new boys’ hostel. Efforts by the dean, students welfare, (DSW), hostel wardens and university staff to control the situation proved futile as students indulged in pelting of stone and did not allow them to enter the hostel.

The students clashed at Deendayal Upadhayay Hospital again where they had been taken for medical examination. In fact, it was in the hospital that a police constable was injured while trying to prevent students from clashing again.

Chamba, May 28
Airtel today announced that its customers would get CBSE class X results on their mobiles. The customers will have the option of registering their roll number in advance, and the result would be informed to them once it is declared by the CBSE. The result would be declared tomorrow.

Airtel customers can register their roll numbers through the interactive voice response (IVR) system or through an SMS. Through IVR, the customer needs to call 54321202 and enter the roll number of the candidate. Alternatively, the customer can send an SMS by writing CBSE10 <Rollnumber> to 54321202. More than one roll number can be registered from the same mobile.

Shimla, May 28
Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal has urged the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the construction of a six-lane expressway between Parwanoo and Shimla keeping in view the future requirements.

Addressing senior officials of the NHAI and the state government at a meeting convened to review the progress of the proposed expressway here yesterday, he said the state government was keen to start construction of the expressway on priority. He directed that necessary modalities be worked out by the executing agencies well in time.

Initially, the 40.78-km stretch between Parwanoo and Solan was being taken up for widening under the four-laning project. In the second phase, the highway between Solan and Shimla would be upgraded, he added.

He said the NHAI had proposed to construct the entire stretch of the road as four-lane expressway, but the state government wanted the authorities to complete modalities at the same time for the construction of a six-lane road. The volume of traffic was increasing with every passing year and one must plan for the next 50 years. The construction of the four-lane expressway between Parwanoo and Solan was likely to cost Rs 440.56 crore.

He said since the Kalka-Shimla rail track had been proposed to be declared as world heritage by UNESCO, there could be no change in its present status and the entire pressure would be on the road. The volume of traffic per day on the road had been estimated around 23,000 passenger car units (PCUs), which was likely to reach 66,541 PCUs by 2030. This data must be kept in mind while preparing the DPRs for the proposed expressway.

Hamirpur, May 28
After brining a few ministers, bureaucrats and other officials close to the previous Congress government in the net of vigilance probe, the state government has also ordered a probe against former chairman of the Ex-Servicemen Corporation Col Mohinder Singh (retd) for alleged irregularities during his tenure.

The probe has been ordered by the government acting on a complaint filed by an ex-serviceman to Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal. The inquiry has been entrusted to Hamirpur DC Nandita Gupta, who is likely to submit the report to state government shortly.

Mohinder Singh has come under the scanner for “alleged irregularities in the construction of the top floor of the office of the corporation at Hamirpur and a few purchases made during his tenure.” It has been alleged that the former chairman not only spent Rs 35 lakh on the construction of the top floor of the corporation building without any administrative sanction, but also incurred additional expenses worth Rs 20 lakh without even the approval of the board of directors (BoD) of the corporation in 2007.

Chairman of the corporation M.C. Pramar said, “The matter came to my knowledge when the issue was placed in the BoD for approval sometime back.”

Shimla, May 28
The State Consumer Commission has directed New India Insurance Company to pay Rs 2 lakh to Promila Devi of Rampur as compensation for the death of her husband.

President of the commission Justice Arun Kumar Goel (retd) held the secretary, PWD, and the insurance company jointly and severally liable for the payment compensation with 9 per cent interest. The commission also imposed a cost of Rs 10,000 on both of them. Since the deceased was covered under the Janata Personal Accidental Policy, the entire amount would be paid by the insurance company alone, the commission held.

The husband of Promila Devi was an employee of the state government. He died on August 19, 1999, due to heart failure. As he was covered under the above said policy issued by the insurance company, she claimed a sum of Rs 2 lakh. As her claim was not settled, she filed a complaint before the consumer forum, Shimla. However, the same was disposed of by the forum without giving any relief to her. Later, she filed an appeal before the commission. The state and the insurance company contested the appeal on the ground that the deceased had died due to heart failure (i.e. natural death), hence the risk was not covered under the policy.

Allowing the appeal, Justice Goel said as per the dictionary meaning “accident means something unexpected and not attributable to person concerned, like the deceased in this case”. Therefore the husband of the appellant was squarely covered under the policy and the insurance company was liable to pay the insured amount to the appellants, the commission held.

Nurpur, May 28
The office of the local block development officer (BDO) will appoint 17 gram rozgar sevaks (GRS) in the block to keep account of work being done under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

According to BDO Sanjay Dhiman, 52 gram panchayats have been divided into 17 circles and an equal number of GRS will be appointed for maintaining accounts under the scheme. He said no fixed remunerations would be given to gram rozgar sevaks. Rather, they would get 1.5 per cent of the total amount to be spent in respective panchayat circles under the scheme.

The minimum educational qualification would be class X in second division or class XII with basic computer training. The candidates could submit their applications to the BDO by June 16, he added.

Mandi, May 28
The politics of opportunism has once again raised its head within the 13-member Mandi Municipal Council (MMC) here with 10 councillors absenting themselves from the meeting held for the final passing of Rs 4.65 crore budget which was sent yesterday finally for approval to directorate without their nod.

The MMC was a divided house over the budget meeting as 10 councillors were absent from the meeting held here on May 24, and again on May 26, pleading that they were not informed properly by the council president as date mentioned in the circular was June 26 not May 26 as the case should have been. The council officials, however, claimed that each councillor was informed separately on phone.