Dharamsala, December 22
The state government is going to constitute a board for the welfare of labourers working in unorganised sector in the state. However, the welfare for labourers is coming with a cess on those constructing houses or building incurring expenditure of more than Rs 10 lakh.

To generate income for the proposed board for welfare of unorganised labour the government has proposed to levy cess of 1 per cent on all buildings coming at a cost of more than Rs 10 lakh in the state.

Minister for labour and food and civil supplies Ramesh Dhawala while talking to The Tribune said the cess had been as per the policy framed by the Centre. The scheme had already been implemented in other states, he added.

Besides the cess on private buildings, 1 per cent of the total cost of all development works being carried out by the PWD, public health, hydel projects and housing board departments would also be submitted with the proposed board for welfare of unorganised labourers. The government is aiming at collecting about Rs 25 to Rs 50 crore per annum from the said taxation measures.

All labourers, including masons, carpenters or casual labourers between 18 to 60 years of age can get themselves registered with the board. They will have to give a premium of Rs 30 per month to the board for availing the proposed benefits.

The labourers registered with the board will get a grant of Rs 5,100 for their daughter’s marriage and financial aid in case of medical ailment. The labourers can also get a loan of Rs 50,000 from the board at very nominal interest rates. The board would also provide pension schemes for labourers registered with it as per the guidelines of the government.

The minister also said the board was being basically constituted for labourers working in construction activities across the state. Even the migratory labourers working in construction activities in the state would also be covered under the scheme.

However, most of these labourers are illiterate. They stay in temporary shelters constructed for them by the contractors at the work site. The onus of making them aware about the schemes proposed by the board would lie on the government.

The government can also make it mandatory from the contractors to get their labour registered with the board so that benefits of scheme reach those for whom they are intended.

Shimla, December 22
The CPM activists all over the state today staged demonstrations outside various government health institutions right from the primary health centres (PHC) to the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), here in the state capital.

As a mark of protest against privatisation and commercialisation of health services in the state, the CPM leaders addressed a rally outside the IGMC. They also handed over a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal to the principal of the IGMC seeking a complete halt to the rampant privatisation of health services in the state.

The CPM demanded to increase investment in the health sector and withdraw the notification with regard to the setting up of private hospitals under the green field projects. “The government must not hand over the three hospitals at Hamirpur, Mandi and Una to the private hospitals as this will make basic health facilities not affordable for the common man,” CPM leader Sanjay Chauhan said.

He said those keen to set up a private hospital must be asked to set up its own hospital. He said regular appointment must be made to fill over 4,000 posts of doctor, nurse and other paramedical staff lying vacant.

Protests were also held at Rampur, Theog, Rohru, Bhawanagar, Rekong Peo, Solan, Una, Bilaspur, Kullu, Mandi, Nahan, Chamba, Karsog, Palampur, Sarkaghat, Parwanoo and Jogindernagar.

DHARAMSALA: The members of CPM held a dharna in front of the district administrative complex here today to protest against the alleged reducing heath budget and privatisation of health institutions in the state.

The communist party workers alleged that Union as well as the state governments are ignoring the health departments. Under pressure from the multi-national vaccine companies the government is allowing closure of government-owned vaccine making companies. Already three Indian vaccine companies, including the one located at Kasauli in the state, have been closed.

By closing the vaccine companies the government is buying vaccines for mass vaccination campaigns from the multi-national companies.

Mandi: In a state-wide protest, the CPM today staged a protest rally, “Save Health Save Hospitals” in the town here today protesting against the state government’s failure in filling vacant posts of doctor nurse and paramedical staff and its “deliberate efforts at privatisation of the health sector by attaching government hospitals to private medical colleges”.

Shouting anti-government slogans, the CPM leaders and workers staged a protest march from Seri Munch to premises of the zonal hospital, Mandi, and sat on dharna there for over an hour.

Addressing the rally, the CPM leaders alleged that the state government was hell-bent to destroy the heath infrastructure mortgaging it to the profit-making private sector.

CPM general secretary Bhupender Thakur and CPM state secretariat member Kushal Bhardwaj charged that the government was not paying heed to heath of the common man and was not filling vacant posts of in the district hospitals.

Shimla, December 22
The high court today directed the state government and the Brakel corporation to file their response to the petition filed by Reliance Infrastructure challenging the recent government decision with regard to allotment of two hydropower projects (Jangi-Thopan and Thopan-Powari) to Brakel.

Passing the direction, the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla listed the matter for further hearing on January 8, 2009.

Reliance Infrastructure, which had participated in the global bids for the two projects, has filed a fresh petition in the court for setting aside the recent decision taken by the state government whereby it has decided to allot both these projects to Brakel.

In its earlier petition, the company had challenged the decision of the state government with regard to allotment of these projects to Brakel on the ground that the company had given wrong facts with regard to its financial and technical competence.

The state later issued a show-cause to Brakel asking it to explain why the allotment of these projects be not cancelled on the charge of misrepresenting and giving wrong facts to the state.

However, later the state (on November 25) decided to allot these projects to Brakel.

The recent Reliance petition is against that decision of the government.

Hamirpur, December 22
With the Lok Sabha elections round the corner, the state BJP leadership has not only adopted a forget and forgive approach in dealing with the charges of ‘party indiscipline’ against a few party leaders from Hamirpur but also started to assuage the feelings of other ‘disgruntled’ elements within the party.

Party’s veteran leaders and former chairmen of the KCCB Babu Ram Mandial and Prithvi Singh Thakur had caused quite an embarrassment to the party leadership by openly revolting against the decision to field Raseel Singh Mankotia and Jaid Nath for filling two vacancies from Hamirpur district.

While Mandial is former BJP MLA from Nadaun, Prithvi Singh Thakur is one of the oldest members of the party from the Bamsan assembly segment and was considered very close to the Chief Minister.

Though both of them could not manage to win, they had taken up cudgels against the party leadership and the district unit of the party had proposed their expulsion from the party to the state leadership.

Since Raseel Singh Mankotia is the vice-president of the state unit of the party and was its candidate for the chairmanship of the KCCB, he was in favour of action against both rebels.

However, the BJP seems in no mood to expel and lose two of its veteran leaders.

Shimla, December 22
Governor Prabha Rau today called upon elected student representatives to discharge their functions diligently and assist the university administration in creating congenial academic atmosphere.

Rau, who is also the chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), presided over the 22nd general meeting of the university court here today.

She called upon academicians to find out ways and means for channelising the energy of students so that they can excel in academics, sports and other co-curricular activities.

She stressed the need for holding timely meetings of the court and other bodies so as to ensure efficiency and transparency and achieving the set goals in a time-bound manner.

“Above all, the finance-related matters should be dealt within the given time frame so as to ensure financial discipline,” she said.

In today’s world, centres of excellence in the field of education, research and innovation must be set up to provide the best possible education facilities to the students. “Empowerment of women is another area where we need to put in more efforts as this is one step that will help in building a healthy society,” she said.

She said there is need to inculcate discipline and ethical standards among the students so as to prepare them for shaping their career and doing well in life.

Vice-chancellor Prof Sunil Kumar Gupta welcomed the Governor and detailed the activities of the university. 

Solan, December 22
Rail traffic was restored today on the historic Kalka-Shimla track after remaining closed for a day following derailment of three coaches of the Holiday Special train yesterday.

While officials were mulling over the reason for yesterday’s mishap it was worthwhile to mention that it was a new engine, which had been fitted on the ill-fated Holiday Special. Old worn-out engines have been blamed of causing inconvenience to the commuters during the summers with the periodicity being as high as one break down per week.

The train, which was started just three days back, was specially started for the tourists, but this incident had dampened the spirit of tourists who come from all across the country to visit Shimla at this time of the year.

Though engine breakdowns were not new and nearly 300 engine breakdowns had been witnessed on this track in the past three years, this was the first time that an accident had claimed life.

Solan, December 22
In a clear violation of the UGC norms, the case of an information officer working at the Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, has not only been approved by the academic council, but also would be placed before the Board of Management (BoM) for placement as an assistant professor (AP).

The said officer, Anju Sharma, who was appointed in the Department of Biotechnology in 2000, lacks the mandatory National Eligibility Test (NET) condition to be placed as an AP. Despite this, the academic council of the university duly approved her case on December 21 and now it would be placed before the BoM, the highest governing body of the university, on December 26 for placement as AP.

The procedure has put a question mark over the role of the academic council, which is chaired by the vice-chancellor.

Vice-chancellor Dr KR Dhiman agreed that the information officer lacked the mandatory NET qualification. He, however, added that even if the case was approved by the academic council it could be declined by the BoM, as the candidate lacked NET qualification. He, however, explained that since the candidate had made several representations about her case it had come up before the academic council. He also added that her case had been rejected earlier in 2004 also.

Sources pointed out that even approval of such a case was a clear violation as she was placed in the state scale as an information officer and her placement in the UGC scale could not be made without fulfilling the mandatory criteria.

The said officer had also applied for a similar post in 1999 and her case was rejected by the screening committee itself as she failed to fulfill the mandatory NET norm. She was not even interviewed during that time and now the university had chosen not just to approve her case, but had duly sent it to the BoM for final placement.

Interestingly, the BoM is convening its meeting outside the main campus at the Mashobra Research Station and this is perhaps a rare occasion. The VC said this would help the members to visit a research station other than the main campus.

There was sizeable opposition in the campus over this issue and that too at a time when the chancellor had directed the BoM to look into complaints of several irregularities made in the appointments made during the tenure of the former VC.

Chamba, December 22
Resident commissioner (RC) of Pangi GR Bharti today flagged off a 10-seater Mahindra Commander Jeep of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC). This would provide an alternative all-weather route through Gulabgarh via Kistwar and Batot of Jammu and Kashmir for residents of Pangi and Lahaul valleys to come to Chamba district headquarters.

This route will enable residents of Pangi and Lahaul valleys to travel to and fro during winter when the Saach and Rohtang passes remain closed due to heavy snowfall.

According to Bharti, Gulabgarh Border Township which falls in Jammu and Kashmir adjacent to the Pangi valley in Chamba district is 55 km away from Killar. The entire road passes through difficult terrains of the valley, he said.

Foodstuffs and other materials could also be transported through this route, he added.

The RC said a bulldozer had been deployed on this road to keep it cleared of snow.

Shimla, December 22
Former Congress minister Kuldeep Kumar today said the BSP, which was able to get some votes by misleading the people in the recent past, would be completely wiped off from the state that favoured a two-party system.

He said this while addressing a press conference here. “A large number of BSP leaders are in touch with Congress leaders and are keen to join the party as they have realised that the party has no future in the state,” he said.

Kuldeep accused the Dhumal regime of failing to protect the interests of the weaker sections of society, including Dalits. “The Scheduled Caste (SC) and other weaker sections are feeling insecure as atrocities are being inflicted upon them under the BJP rule,” he alleged. Being the state president of the Scheduled Caste Department of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), he also announced the list of state office-bearers.

He announced the state office-bearers of the Scheduled Caste Department of the HPCC. Former MLA Milkh Ram Goma and sitting legislator Prakash Chaudhary have been made vice-presidents. Former MLA Raghu Raj, Tek Chand, Biru Ram, Namita Roshan Lal would be the conveners of the department.

Prof Suresh Kumar has been made the organising secretary. The executive committee members include: Prem Singh, Nand Lal and Sohan Lal (all MLAs), Ishwar Dass, Shonkia Ram and Mast Ram (former MLAs), Sohan Lal (former Mayor), Nirmala Devi, Sanjay Kumar, Amit Nanda, Mohinder Singh, Bachhan Singh, Hira Lal Kaushal, Pradeep Kumar and Prakash Karar.

Shimla, December 22
As numbers of white-backed, slender-billed and long-billed vultures- three of the nine species found in India- decline across the country, migratory vultures have taken their space.

Ornithologists attributed the increase in arrival of the migratory species- the Eurasian griffon, the Egyptian vulture and the Himalayan griffon- in the region to plenty of food being available now.

“Large flocks of the Eurasian griffon, the Egyptian vulture and the Himalayan griffon can be spotted these days feeding on carrion, insects, eggs and droppings of carnivores in Himachal, especially in the hills of Kangra, Bilaspur, Una and Hamirpur districts,” DFO (Wildlife) S.K. Guleria said. “Of late, the arrival of the migratory vulture species has increased,” he added.

“Earlier, the Eurasian griffon was spotted rarely in the Pong Dam wetlands in the Kangra valley. Now, a huge flock of Eurasian griffons along with Himalayan griffons, Egyptian vultures and other raptors can be spotted,” range officer (Pong wetlands) D.S. Dadwal said. He said last week he had sighted nearly 90 Himalayan griffons on a single day around the wetlands. The Pong Dam reservoir has the distinction of being one of the important winter grounds for local and migratory species in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Every winter more than 1,00,000 migratory birds visit the wetlands. Vibhu Prakash, principal scientist (Ornithology), Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), attributed the increase in arrival of the migratory vultures to the easy availability of food.

The BNHS is the largest NGO involved in running vulture-breeding centres across the country.

“The arrival of the migratory vulture species has increased because they have free access to carcasses with the decline of local species of vultures, nature’s most efficient scavengers,” he said.

“Only 200 pairs of the slender-billed vulture are left in the world, primarily in India, Pakistan and Nepal,” he said.

Studies conducted by the BNHS attribute the decline of vultures to the overuse of an anti-inflammatory veterinary drug diclofenac, loss of habitat, use of pesticides, competition for food among other scavengers and change in livestock management.

Prabhat Bhatti, a bird watcher, said, “The Eurasian griffon, the Egyptian vulture and the Himalayan griffon are common these days in the Ropar and Nangal wetlands in Punjab.” “The Egyptian vultures can even be seen sifting garbage near villages and towns,” he added. — IANS

Palampur, December 22
Despite the fact that there is a bumper tea crop in Kangra valley this year, yet there are no buyers for Kangra tea in the international market. Over Rs 3 lakh kg of made tea is piling up in the valley as well as with the brokers in Kolkata, no buyer has come forward to purchase it as the tea had failed to compete with the tea grown in other parts of the world.

The sudden fall in the demand of the Kangra tea has not only caused concern among the tea growers here, but it has also adversely affected the financial health of cooperative tea factories. Because of slump in the tea market and piling up of huge stocks at different places, out of four tea factories three had already been given to private parties.

Whatever the capital state government had provided to these units had already been exhausted in losses suffered in the past five years. Only one tea factory at Palampur is functional these days. The unit had also suffered losses over Rs 3 crore in the past three years.

The tea growers of the valley blame the previous governments, who ruled the state, which adopted anti-tea growers policies and discontinued various incentives being given to the growers by the government. Earlier, the marketing and development of the tea industries was being looked after by the state industries department. The tea growers were satisfied with the functioning of the industry department. But the BJP government in 2004, in its major policy decision, attached the tea cultivation with the agricultural department, which badly failed to deliver the goods. There were no qualified staff in the agriculture department to handle the affairs. During this period the production of tea in the valley also come down by 40 per cent.

K.G. Butail, leading tea grower of the valley says that the tea industry received two major setbacks in the past few years, one at a time. On one side the government of India signed a pact with the WTO and tea was also included in it, secondly the state government discontinued the assistance being given to the growers for the past 20 years.

Hamirpur, December 22
Members of the North Zone Insurance Employees Association (NZIEA), Hamirpur branch, held a demonstration in front of their office here today. They were protesting against the placing of comprehensive insurance Bill in the Rajya Sabha by the UPA government. The association had declared to hold a nationwide protest against the presentation of the Bill in Parliament. It allows 49 per cent FDI in the insurance sector. Branch secretary of the association Pradeep Minhas said, “They are committed to oppose the Bill and call for a nationwide strike for tomorrow has been given by the association.”