Shimla, August 6
The Himachal Government is keen on attracting Chinese investment in the tourism, hydropower, agriculture, forestry, cultivation of herbs and medicinal plants and other sectors in which the neighbouring country has the requisite expertise.

Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal told a visiting Chinese delegation headed by Peng Gang, Counsellor (Economic and Commercial) at the Chinese Embassy, that the state government had already awarded two major road projects to Chinese companies and it was keen to have more such venture in other sectors. China had many geographical, dialectical and cultural similarities with the hill state which provided immense scope for economic cooperation for mutual benefit.

The state has a vast potential for tourism, hydropower and agriculture sectors and the government would welcome participation of foreign companies in all such sectors. China has expertise in cultivation high altitude herbs, which had great demand in the pharmaceutical industry, and it was an area in which collaboration would be highly beneficial for the economy of the state. He said that the state had vast high altitude area suitable only for growing valuable wild herbs.

The Chinese system of medicine had been using such herbs for preparation of a vanity of medicines and the same could be done in Himachal utilising the services of Chinese experts to grow herbs as cash crops and give boost to herbal tourism in the state.

Referring to road projects being executed by Chinese companies Dhumal said that survey and other initial modalities must be completed expeditiously and construction started on priority to ensure that projects were executed in the allotted time frame. The projects would provide a fair idea of the expertise available with the company whereafter the government could consider awarding more infrastructure projects.

The Chief Minister said that the state would take up the mater with the Centre for opening the traditional silk route passing through the state for pilgrimage to Mansarovar. It is the major trade route between the two countries.

He said the pilgrims had been undertaking pilgrimage to Mansarovar through Uttrakhand under the supervision of the Union Home Ministry and the Government of China but no route had been made available through Himachal Pradesh.

Peng Gang said the Chinese Government was keen to have collaboration to exploit the tourism, hydropower, agriculture, forestry and other sectors. China would extend all help to the state in cultivation of high altitude herbs and infrastructure projects.

He invited the Chief Minister to visit China to interact with the investors interested to invest in various sectors in the state.

Dharamsala, August 6
The board of directors of the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education has decided to issue a notice to former chairman of the board B.R. Rahi to pay Rs 12.3 lakh that the board had spent on expunging the alleged “rude remarks” made by him against the teachers community and his name from the introductory pages of 1.2 crore NCERT books. The amount will be recovered as penalty from Rahi.

An official spokesperson said the board directors held a meeting yesterday and made it clear that Rahi was not supposed to give his name on the introductory pages of the books. Both, the alleged “rude remarks” and the name of Rahi on the introductory page, needed to be expunged. This resulted in an expenditure of Rs 12.3 lakh and an unwanted burden on the board.

The directors decided that a notice be served on Rahi asking him to deposit the amount in the board’s account.

Meanwhile, the directors also decided to approach the Vigilance Department to initiate action against Rajesh Gupta, owner of a private school, for the alleged misappropriation of the funds collected for carrying out a tournament organised by the board for privately managed schools in the state. The audit had detected 29 discrepancies in the accounts.

The board also decided to simplify the process of affiliation with reduction in cost of application form for affiliation from Rs 500 to Rs 300. The number of documents to be submitted with the application for affiliation have also been reduced. — UNI

Shimla, August 6
Concerned over the depleting green cover in Shimla, the forest authorities have decided to adopt the ‘root ball’ method to tackle the situation. Under this method, six to eight-year-old deodar trees from the catchment area will be uprooted and planted in the Jakhu area to ensure a good survival rate.

With natural regeneration and survival rate of saplings planted by the Forest Department in the town being extremely poor, the authorities are now experimenting with the ‘root ball’ method where the entire root system of the trees along with the surrounding ball is dug out and planted in areas where the green cover is required.

Initially, about 25 healthy deodar trees will be dug out from the catchment area and planted in the Jakhu area. If the experiment proves successful, it will be replicated in other areas.

The ‘root ball’ method is in use in America and Europe. Although the success rate in this method is above 80 per cent, the practice is not much prevalent in India as the cost factor is very high.

Considered the crown of the town, the forest authorities feel that since there will be minimum interference in the Jakhu area, they should first test the success of the project there. With a miserably low survival rate of saplings (around 30 per cent) in the town, the Forest Department is keen to introduce some new methods with better survival rates.

The “root ball” method is highly scientific where the pit size, adding of the required hormones and digging out the plant without damaging its roots has to be done very carefully. Even if the department is able to achieve a survival rate of 70 per cent with this method, it can be used at other places.

Shimla, August 6
G.S. Gill, a 1974-batch IPS officer who is currently serving with the Border Security Force (BSF), is tipped to be the next director-general of police (DGP) as the state government today wrote to the Centre to repatriate him back to his home cadre.

Gill is the senior most IPS officer in the Himachal cadre after Ashwani Kumar, who has been appointed as the CBI director. Last week, Gill had met Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal and reportedly expressed his desire to return to the state.

With the government deciding to go strictly by seniority, the screening committee constituted by the government today decided to approach the Centre to grant permission for the repatriation of Gill back to Himachal.

Besides Gill, D.S. Manhas, another ADGP-rank officer of the 1977 batch, was the front-runner for the top police post in the state. Sohan Singh, an ADGP-rank officer of the 1974 batch, has been given the charge of acting DGP.

Once the Union Home Ministry grants approval for the repatriation of Gil to Himachal, his formal appointment to the post would be a mere formality, sources said.

Gill has served on various important posts in the state. He was the IG (law and order) when the carnage of 35 labourers took place in Kalaban in August, 1998. In fact, he was instrumental in setting up police posts along the 260-km border that Chamba shares with Jammu and Kashmir.

Gill is due to retire in June, 2012. He proceeded on deputation to the BSF about two years ago while he was holding the charge of the ADGP (enforcement).

Bilaspur, August 6
The state unit of the Congress has demanded a judicial inquiry into the recent Naina Devi tragedy.

State president of the Congress Kaul Singh Thakur said here today that the incident had exposed the mismanagement at the shrine that was visited by people from all over the country.

He said the absence of doctors at the nearby Ghawandal Primary Health Centre complicated the situation. All injured were rushed to a hospital at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab for treatment instead of making arrangements in Bilaspur district itself. The bodies were also taken to that hospital for post-mortem examinations.

All these things spoke volumes about the quality of health services being provided in state, he said. People could be seen blaming the officers concerned for the tragedy, he said. Only a judicial inquiry could help pinpoint the lapses that ultimately led to the stampede, he said.

Mandi, August 6
The stampede at the Naina Devi temple that killed more than 145 pilgrims on Sunday has underlined the importance to maintain pubic address systems and pilgrim guidance cells at the all shrines during the peak times.

The pilgrims and tourism experts said there was a need for public address system and guidance cells at the shrines to guide the pilgrims.

The public address system would go a long way to check the rumourmongers, who create panic.

Pilgrims, tourism officials and members of the shrine trusts believe that the public address system and pilgrims monitoring cells would check the anti-social elements and rumours that led to stampede and consequent tragedy at Naina Devi shrine. 

Hamirpur, August 6
The district administration has decided to regulate flow of devotees at Baba Balak Nath temple, Deothsidh and also started registration of people.

Talking to mediapersons, DC, Nandita Gupta, said the place was visited by a large number of devotees, besides heavy rush during festivals and the step was important to regulate the flow of devotees.

She said to avoid any incident the flow of visitors would be allowed from one side and entry would be allowed with slips. She said slips would be available at two places for the visitors coming from Shahtalai.

Gupta said exit gates would also be erected and not more than 900 devotees would be allowed from one gate to the other at a time.

The temple would remain open from 4 am to 10 pm on Sundays and adequate number of security personnel would be deployed with wireless sets.

Fourteen close circuit TVs are being installed to keep a vigil in the temple complex.

The DC has directed CMO to make all arrangements to deal with emergency, especially on Sundays.’

She said the development work would be undertaken in the temple complex and a map was being prepared. 

Mandi, August 6
The police has found a prima facie case against ASI Bansi Lal posted at the Aut police station in connection with the graft charge levelled against him by a garlic trader from Banjar. He has already been put under suspension, while four other policemen have been asked to join the inquiry in the case.

Mandi SP M. Chander Sekhar said there was a prima facie case against the ASI. “The three police constables, who had gone with him to frame two garlic traders, are on duty at Naina Devi while the fourth one, who had gone on leave, has been asked to join the inquiry,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Mandi ASP is conducing inquiry into the case. A departmental action would follow against the ASI and others involved in the case. The two traders had alleged that the ASI had taken Rs 1.8 lakh from them and framed them in a false case of gambling. They had brought that money to buy garlic from a farmer at Gara Gushaini, they had said.

Shimla, August 6
A workshop on “Identification and prioritisation of forestry research needs in Himachal Pradesh” was organised by the Himalayan Forest Research Institute (HFRI) here today.

Principal chief conservator (wildlife) Vinay Tandon stressed the need for undertaking more research in new emerging areas, including rural energy, urban forestry, seed certification and biodiversity.

HFRI director Mohinder Pal told participants that from this year onwards the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) had started a new concept of assessing forestry research needs.

More than 50 participants attended the seminar.

Mandi, August 6
Congress president Kaul Singh Thakur today said the party would launch a public awareness campaign in the state exposing the propaganda of the Dhumal-led BJP government. The Chief Minister was misleading the people by taking “undue credit for the Centre-sponsored projects like IIT in Mandi, central university in Dharamsala and IRB battalions.

He was addressing party workers at a function organised by the district unit of the party in the honour of newly appointed state Youth Congress chief Manmohan Katoch here. He said the party workers would take achievements of the Manmohan Singh government to the village level and unravel the truth about the BJP’s false propaganda.

He alleged Dhumal tried to shift the IIT from Mandi to the NIT, Hamirpur, and now he was trying to get set up central university at Dehra, a segment in the Hamirpur Lok Sabha constituency represented by his son Anurag Thakur. But the Congress put pressure to start the IIT at Mandi and the central university at Dharamsala, he added.

He alleged the Dhumal government had an anti-Mandi approach. Dhumal had withdrawn the notification for starting a government medical college at Mandi. “We will take the issue to the village level and expose the anti-Mandi face of the Dhumal government,” he claimed.

Katoch said he would cut down the state Youth Congress body of 147 members to a 21-member team. “We will launch a block-level campaign gearing up the party cadre to make public aware about the nuclear deal and its importance for the nation,” he added.

Mandi, August 6
Tensing Psundu, a Tibetan arrested three days ago under the Foreigners Act for not having proper documents with him, was today admitted to the zonal hospital here. His condition had deteriorated as he had gone on fast demanding release from the police custody.

“He is out of danger, but he has not broken his fast yet,” doctors said.

Psundu claimed his arrest was illegal as he had registered at the foreign registration office (FRO) at Dharamsala. Even a Tibetan delegation from Riwalsar had met the Mandi SP requesting him to release Psundu as he was registered at the FRO, Dharamsala. Meanwhile, SP M. Chander Sekhar said Psundu had no permission from the FRO, Dharamsala, to visit Kullu and Mandi areas.

Mandi, August 6
A 10-day NSS camp started at Shahid Capt Deepak Guleria Government Senior Secondary School, Cholthara. It was inaugurated by principal PR Garga, which aimed at inculcating scientific temper and a sense of community feeling, cooperation, team work and dignity of labour among students.

Project officer Balam Guleria said the main motive of the camp would be to develop a sense of "dignity of labour" among the students. It also aimed to develop a sense of cooperation, cohesion and leadership among the students, he added.

NSS teacher Dr Sachin Thakur said the camp had roped in retired teachers of the surrounding areas as resource persons guiding the students about ecology and environment.

He said the students would be repairing sports ground of the school. They were shown a documentary on water conservation, pollution and global warming in collaboration with the Gyan Vigyan Samiti, an NGO, he added.

Kangra, August 6
The police today arrested a driver of an HRTC bus for allegedly outraging the modesty of a 24-year-old girl at Daliara.

Kangra district police chief Atul Fulzele said today that Payal Thapa, student of MBA in Delhi and a resident of Dari, was on her way from Delhi to Dharamsala in an HRTC bus. The bus stopped at 2.30 am at Daliara and the girl went to answer the call of nature. The driver, who has been identified as Nand Lal (42), followed her and allegedly outraged her modesty.

When the bus reached Dharamsala, the girl told about the incident to her parents and the matter was brought to the notice of the police, the SSP said.

A case was registered against Nand Lal under Section 354 of the IPC at the Dehra police station. The driver was arrested immediately and investigation was in progress, the SSP said.

Meanwhile, A.N.Salaria, regional manager, HRTC, said Nand Lal was suspended soon after the matter was reported to him by the police.

Shimla, August 6
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today demanded a probe into the PMT scam involving fake marksheets and irregularities in the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education. They demanded an end to the exploitation of students, who were under the garb of privatisation of education.

The ABVP activists from all over the state held a rally outside the state secretariat in support of their demands here today.

The ABVP leaders later met education minister I.D. Dhiman and handed over a memorandum, listing its demands for the betterment of the education system.

The rally was addressed by Sriniwas Murti, national secretary of the ABVP.

“As a result of privatisation, educational institutions in the state are being run by businessmen and not by educationalists,” Murti said.

He said to bring reforms, an education policy must be framed in consultation with academicians.

State organising secretary of the ABVP Umesh Dutt said, “During the Congress regime there were several scams, including the PMT paper leak. These scams should be probed and the guilty should be punished.”

“The government must also restore the autonomy of Himachal Pradesh University by withdrawing the amendments made in Section 35-A of the Himachal Pradesh University Act,” he said.

Kangra, August 6
Resentment prevails among passengers of HRTC buses over the alleged failure of its management to provide them with proper facility of trans-shipment at Trilokpur on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway after the blocking of the Kotla-Soldha-Trilokpur road due to a landslide.

After the Soldha road was blocked due to the landslide, the passengers had no option but to go for trans-shipment at Trilokpur. Although private bus operators had made arrangements for their passengers after crossing the damaged bridge, HRTC passengers had to wait there for hours.

Tilak Soni, a passenger, said the HRTC had made no arrangement for trans-shipment at Trilokpur. He waited there for hours and ultimately boarded a private bus to his destination, Amritsar. There was no HRTC official to guide or help the passengers, he said.

Regional manager of the HRTC Vijay Singh Sipayia said the buses were diverted from Nurpur via Ladoo Suinta Draman after the landslide, so buses were not available for trans-shipment in the morning hours.

Divisional manager Biri Singh Thakur said the HRTC was suffering huge losses due to such blockades as the buses had to take alternative routes. In the present case, the buses had to cover additional 35 km via Ladoo Suinta Draman route, causing a loss to the HRTC. The delay in trans-shipment was due to non-availability of adequate number of buses at Kotla, he said.

Her was critical of the PWD that not even a single official had visited Soldha after the road was blocked around 1.30 am and road could not be cleared. Had the PWD acted in time, there would have been no need of arranging for trans-shipment, he said.

Shimla, August 6
Four candidates, who contested the recently held Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha election, have been banned from contesting parliamentary and State Vidhan Sabha elections for coming three years for not submitting their election expenditure statements.

The Election Department spokesman said Vandana Rani of the Samajwadi Party, who contested election from Poanta Doon, Dinesh Kumar of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Karam Singh of the Lok Janshakti Party from Rajnagar and Munish Kumar, an independent candidate from the Bharmour constituency, would be ineligible to contest elections for coming three years from July 7, 2008 onwards. — UNI