Shimla, January 5
There has been further decline in the night temperatures as icy cold winds swept most parts of the state with reports of fresh spell of snow in Shimla, Manali and the tribal areas.

While the lower areas were lashed with rain, Shimla and surrounding areas experienced light snow early this morning. The Jakhu Hill, Sanjauli and the higher areas of the town experienced snow in the wee hours of the morning. Vehicular traffic to interior parts of Upper Shimla was temporarily affected after snow at Kharapatthar.

Even though the western disturbance (WD) has already crossed over Himachal but the current cold spell and snow is on account of localised effect.

“The high moisture content in the air leads to formation of clouds, which ultimately result in precipitation and snow due to low temperature in and around Shimla,” explained Manmohan Singh, director of the local Meteorological Centre. He said the weather was likely to clear up during the next 24 hours in most parts of the state.

There have been reports of heavy snowfall at Bhang (11cm), Dhundi (68cm), Solang (39cm), Patsio (13cm). Kalpa in Kinnuar district experienced 5.2 cm of snow. Large number of tourists have thronged Shimla, Manali, Dalhousie and other station with reports of the first snow of the season.

There has been a further decline in the minimum temperatures with the mercury dropping to 1.2 degress Celsius in Shimla. The maximum temperature in the state capital was recorded at 10 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in Sundernagar was 7 and rainfall -7 mm, Bhuntar- 5.6 Celsius and rainfall- 7.4 mm, Kalpa- minus 5.5 degree Celsius and 5.2 cm of snow, Dharamshala- 4.9 degree Celsius and Una - 3 degree Celsius.

According to the Met office, as per the forecast for the next 24 hours there is possibility of snow or rain at isolated places.

Bilaspur, January 5
District unit of the Bharmauria faction of the Himachal Non-Gazetted Employees Federation here has objected to criticism of a parallel federation of LS Machhan regarding unity of two federations of employees, one led by Prem Singh Bharmauria and the other led by Surender Thakur.

Addressing mediapersons here this evening, district president of Bharmauria Federation Lekh Ram Kaundal, general secretary Ranvir Singh Thakur and press secretary Rajendera Gauttam said actually all should be happy that two largest groups of employees have got together in interest of the employees so that their long pending demands are solved at the earliest and solution is no more prolonged only due to quarrel of these factions of employees.

However, on the other hand these leaders, who swear to fight for causes of employees, were actually opposing this unity and that amply proves that for them their personal interests are more important than interests of general employees and they claim to lead employees only for personal aggrandizement.

They said employees still remember these leaders who used to shout slogans in favour of the Congress party ministers and MLAs instead of pleading for the pending demands and difficulties of employees during the earlier Congress rule.

They said now Chief Minister PK Dhumal had been giving benefits worth hundreds of crores of rupees to employees within short span of only one year without even employees clamouring for these benefits and such leaders can hardly bear steps of a government which they have been opposing without any cause but only to please their political bosses who used to use these employees leaders for political purposes.

They also appreciated the latest government order, which gives option to employees either to continue with the old system of salary withdrawal through their respective offices or change to new system of drawing salary from the nearest bank branch.

Dharamsala, January 5
The Union Government has sanctioned a grant of Rs 6 crore to the state government for diverting the flow of the Ravi in Chamba district.

Sources said the river had changed course following massive landslides near Holi village in 2002. The landslides at that time had created a water body in upper hills. Later, the breaching of the banks of that water body led to a change in the course of the Ravi.

After the change in course, the Ravi started threatening the residential areas in about 25 villages near the Holi region. Chief Engineer (North), PWD, ML Sharma said after the change in the course, the Ravi started eroding the base of mountains on which the habitations were located. This led to massive landslides in many areas of the region. Some areas and roads were washed away.

Due to landslides, the stratum in many hills has become weak. Officials in the Department of Seismology have been noticing increased seismic activity in the area.

As a first instalment, the state has received Rs 3.3 crore for initiating the process of diversion of the river course. The Chief Engineer said the department was planning to construct concrete structures along the mountains facing massive erosion so that the damage to their base could be stopped.

The muck that caused the river to divert its path had been cleared. However, the divergent route taken by the river water was yet to be changed. The project report for the purpose was sent to the government that had been accepted. The grant had been received and the work started, the Chief Engineer said.

Shimla, January 5
The Himachal Pradesh State Pensioners Welfare Association has urged the members of the Himachal Pensioners Kalyan Sangh to join hands with them to protect and fight for the rights of retired government employees.

Hari Chand Gupta, press secretary of the HP State Pensioners Welfare Association, said after the decision of the registrar, Cooperative Societies, declaring the Hamirpur body of pensioners invalid as it cannot have the same name as the main body headed by Jiwa Nand Jiwan, all pensioners should join hands.

The HP State Pensioners Welfare Association had served a legal notice to the Himachal Pensioners Kalyan Sangh, Hamirpur, to change its name, failing which they requested the district magistrate, Hamirpur, to cancel their registration. “Finally when we failed to get justice from all these quarters we decided to move before the registrar, Cooperatives, who has given its verdict in our favour on December 30,” Gupta said.

He said the registrar, Cooperatives, had observed that the ADM, Hamirpur, who had registered the body, was not competent to do so.

“Since now the existence of the Himachal Pensioners Kalyan Sangh, Hamirpur, has been declared invalid, it is better that all pensioners get together to protect interest of the retired government employees,” he said.

Chamba, January 5
The state Forest Department has taken exception to the imprudent plantation campaign being adopted by certain departments and agencies in the name of ‘vanmahotsavas’.

Of late, species of the saplings of Pinus giradiana (chilgoza, local name) and other species of pine trees have been planted at different points in and around Chamba town. However, these species are not suited to these sites because they give rise to far-reaching aftermaths of soil erosion and hamper the underground growth like green grass etc.

Chamba DFO DR Kaushal described this plantation move as an ‘unwise step’ taken without proper thought.

He said the agencies planting such species of trees should stall their campaign and take advice from the experts.

“The trees which are of aesthetic value and evergreen or having annual or seasonal flowering nature should be planted in view of strengthening the sub-soil as well as taking into account the scenery and greenery of the area,” the DFO said.

Chamba, January 5
In order to enhance the fertility of soil for better harvest of organic crops, the state government has launched a scheme under the ‘Green Gold Project’ to promote the use of vermicompost among farmers of the tribal areas and accordingly they have been advised to produce vermicompost.

The natural manure like vermicompost will not only improve the fertility of soil, but also grow organic crops and vegetables, which are good for disease-free health instead of artificial produce giving rise to many ailments.

According to official sources, in the initial stage 50 tribal farmers in the tribal belts of Bharmour would be benefited under the project by providing an assistance of Rs 50,000 each to the identified farmers.

It is a pilot scheme launched under the ‘Green Gold Project’, which is beneficial for the farmers in many ways.

Vermicompost is very useful with multi-benefits. It saves human being as well as the crops from chemical effects and pollution.

Vermicompost can be made by collecting cattle dung, decayed leaves and other rotten substances. It is manufactured by digging a pit. Plastic and iron material is not allowed to mix in the process of its manufacturing, sources said.

Shimla, January 5
Even as doubts are being raised about the role of the police as regards investigation into the death of Deputy Forest Ranger Raman Kalthaik and the case being handed over to the CID wing, the report of the post-mortem examination indicates that the officer died almost two weeks ago due to a fall.

Even as the family and friends of Raman suspect that there was a foul play, the report indicates that he died almost two weeks before his body was recovered on January 2. The report said the injuries on the body indicated that he had died due to falling from a height, said SP RM Sharma.

Sharma said the forensic report was still awaited and once that was received, the cause of death would become very clear. “Whether the fall was accidental or he was pushed down the road is a different matter, but the post-mortem report has indicated that he died due to a fall,” he added.

Raman’s body was found from the nullah below the Shiv temple on the Battakufar road on the morning of January 2. Nirmala, the wife of the deceased, and other family members insisted that the role of the police had not been fair. “We had searched that very place earlier also. It is surprising how the body was found there all of a sudden,” said his nephew Randhir Verma.

The family is learnt to have met DGP GS Gill, who finally handed over the matter to the CID.

Raman had reportedly left his house on the evening of December 16 after receiving a call from his relative. Later, he was seen sitting at a workshop near the Dhalli sabzi mandi with four other persons. They were consuming liquor. After searching for him for two days, a report was lodged with the police. On December 23, Raman’s wife got a case registered against three persons. She alleged they had abducted her husband with the intent to kill him.

Not satisfied with the inquiry, the CPM today demanded a CBI probe into the matter. “The role of the police has been doubtful and only a CBI inquiry can bring facts to light,” demanded Tikender Singh Panswar, Member of the state secretariat of the CPM.

Shimla, January 5
The state electricity board faces an uncertain future with the Centre turning down the request of the state for granting extension to the board to continue in the “unbundled” form.

Chief Secretary Asha Swaroop met the Union Power Secretary in New Delhi today to discuss the situation arising out of extension denial, following which the board has ceased to be a legal entity. She sought more time for taking a decision on the issue.
However, adopting a tough posture, the ministry ruled out any possibility of granting extension and advised the state to set up separate state transmission utility in accordance with the provisions of the Electricity Act, 2003, without delay.

The hopes of the state getting relief on the issue suffered a setback following cancellation of Chief Minister PK Dhumal’s January 6 meeting with Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, who has proceeded on a foreign tour.

The government and the employees had been pinning hopes on the meeting as the officer-level meeting held on December 22 between a team headed by the Chief secretary and the Union Power Secretary did not yield any result. The Union ministry insisted that the state should start the unbundling process by separating the transmission wing in accordance with the Electricity Act, 2003, at the earliest to escape the legal consequences of not having a valid transmission licence. It also asked the state to prepare a transfer scheme for the purpose.

The employees and officers who are opposing the “unbundling” met Dhumal subsequently and urged him to take up the matter at the ministerial level and seek extension for the board to continue in the present “unbundled” form. With the cancellation of the meeting, uncertainty over the issue, which has already started affecting the functioning of the board, will continue.

The state’s case is becoming weaker by the day as other states that were pleading for extension had started the process of unbundling. These include Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu. In fact, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh are the only states that have not started the unbundling exercise so far. In this situation, it seems the state would not be able to delay the inevitable for long.

The stakes are really high for the hill state as the Union Ministry of Power has stopped release of funds and put all its proposals on the back burner in view of its failure to trifurcate the board. The defiant attitude of the state could also jeopardise the Rs 3,600-crore Asian Development Bank loan, 90 per cent of which is being granted as outright grant by the Centre as special concession to enable it to become economically self-reliant.

Nurpur, January 5
The Himachal Pradesh Employees’ Federation has taken exception over the protest demonstrations being led by Congress MLA GS Bali from the Nagrota Bagwan assembly constituency after the mysterious death of Ram Kishan, a lineman of the HP State Electricity Board.

Sanjay Kapoor, general secretary of the confederation, while talking to mediapersons here this afternoon alleged that Bali was shedding tears over the unfortunate death of the HPSEB employee and politicising it for his political end. He advised him not to give political colour to the alleged murder of the board employee.

He questioned Bali over his silence when a number of government employees and officials were murdered during the previous Congress regime. 

The confederation has urged Chief Minister PK Dhumal to order high-level probe into the alleged murder of Ram Kishan.

Shimla, January 5
The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Employees Union has demanded that the Electricity Act, 2003, should be amended to enable the states to decide on their own whether or not to unbundle their respective power boards.

The union said the subject of power was on the concurrent list and as such the state governments had the right to take decision on matters pertaining to the sector. The provision of 172(a) of the Act, as per which state power utilities could continue in unbundled form with mutual consent of the Centre and the states, was contrary to the provision of the Constitution and an encroachment on the jurisdiction of the state governments. It should be suitably amended to enable the states to decide the future of their respective power boards, the union maintained.

It alleged the law was not enacted in the interest of the people but on the dictates of the international financial institutions like the Wold Bank and the IMF. The basic objective was to corporatise the board and privatise it. The experience of the states where the power boards had been unbundled was not pleasant as the tariff had gone up there significantly.

Moreover, the position of the state electricity board was different as the transmission and distribution losses were the lowest at 13.5 per cent and the cumulative losses had been brought down to Rs 232 crore. The strength of employees had also been reduced to 22,000 from 46,000 whereas the number of consumers had increased to 20 lakh from 6 lakh.

The union urged Chief Minister PK Dhumal to take up the matter for amending the Act with the Centre at the appropriate level and so that the interests of the board, employees and consumers could be safeguarded.

Nurpur, January 5
The alleged lack of coordination and indifferent attitude of the state Health Department has resulted in sudden shifting of the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) unit from the local Civil Hospital to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at the Gangath assembly segment. This has caused a lot of resentment among TB patients of the area, who visited the hospital unit for their routine clinical tests and free anti-TB drugs.

Inquiries reveal that the Kangra district TB officer issued order of shifting the WHO-funded unit set up here in 1998 to CHC, Gangath, on December 31.

The patients visiting the unit during the past three days had to return without their ongoing treatment, reason being closure of the unit. It is pertinent to mention that there was a tussle between the RNTCP staff and hospital staff over undertaking clinical tests of TB patients visiting the RNTCP unit.

The Health Department authorities were aware of the ongoing tussle, but none tried to settle the dispute.

Hospital in charge Deepak Sharma said he had shifted the unit after receiving order from the district TB officer. Whereas district TB officer Deepak Rana said, “After consulting higher-ups he has issued order to shift the unit to CHC Gangath.”

CMO Anil Mahajan held the hospital administration responsible for shifting of the RNTCP unit.

Mandi, January 5
District Congress president Puran Chand Thakur said the Congress new district executive and workers would take anti-people policies of the BJP government like cut on subsidised ration, rising prices and issue of medical college to villages as the Lok Sabha election issues.

Talking to mediapersons after formation of the 39-member district executive here today Thakur alleged that the district executive would take the anti-people policies of the BJP government to the village-level as these have hit the common man.

Thakur claimed that subsidised ration was not available in depots and the 15 kg quota announced during the previous Congress regime had been cut down to 5kg. The resentment had brewed up against the BJP government in the very first year in office, he claimed.

Asked about the new district body, he claimed that most of the old members of the body have been retained. The SC, ST and women have been given representation in the new body, he added.

He said the new body had 12 vice-presidents and 18 secretaries giving representation to all 10 segments in the district.

Newly appointed treasurer Gulzar Mohammad Bharti and senior vice-president Kahan Singh were also present.

Sundernagar, January 5
Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Sarveen Chaudhary said the state government is committed to the betterment of the persons suffering with disability and has started many beneficial schemes for them.

She stated this yesterday while addressing a state-level function organised by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on the occasion of 200th birth anniversary of Louis Braille, who invented script for blind persons.

She said since the BJP government had come into power it had filled 924 different posts of disabled person and 1,699 would be filled in future.

She said the state government would launch policy for the uplift of disabled persons, the draft of which was ready. She said the government had raised fund for disabled persons to the tune of 10 per cent from January 2009 due to which about 26,000 persons would be benefited in the state.

Students of the Disabled Home presented a cultural programme on the occasion. The minister also distributed prizes to the students for their participation in various events.

Bilaspur, January 5
A day-long environment awakening camp for schoolchildren, teachers and panchayat representatives was inaugurated by Divisional Forest Officer Puspender Rana here today at the Lake View Café.

He pointed towards the deteriorating environment and dire necessity to do our best to control this degradation and save as much of natural resources and flora and fauna as we could. He said the Department of Forests and Environment is out to appraise schoolchildren regarding the dangers ahead and steps which can be taken to save the future generations from disastrous consequences of environment destruction.

Rana said this campaign had been named as “Greening Young Minds” and it was being launched today in the district with this programme. Two teams of specialists would visit 122 schools of the district and create awareness among schoolchildren.

He said in first phase only 43 high schools would be covered under this campaign while others would be covered in second phase which would be completed by March this year.

An environment based quiz was also organised on the occasion and publicity material was also distributed. Several officers, including executive engineer of the Pollution Control Board RK Nadda, also attended the camp.

Dharamsala, January 5 
Rapid smuggling is threatening sandalwood trees in the Jawalamukhi area of the district. The local police in the past one year has arrested 24 people in 10 cases of sandalwood theft. Yesterday also about 60 kg sandalwood was recovered from the culprits who had illegally felled the sandalwood tree from the Jawalmukhi area and were planning to smuggle it out of state.

However, the sources available here said that the arrests and caught sandalwood was just a tip of iceberg. The illegal felling and smuggling of sandalwood has become so rampant in the area that it is very hard to find even a 10- year-old tree. The smuggling sandalwood has become lucrative business for unemployed youth of the area. The heart of sandalwood is sold at a cost of Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 per kg. 

The smuggled sandal from the Jawalamukhi area is being sold in the Kanauj area of Uttar Pradesh which is the biggest market for sandalwood used in cosmetics and perfumes industry.

The naïve youth getting involved in smuggling of sandalwood are wasting more trees for extracting little perfumed oil out of it. The ideal age at what commercially viable oil can be extracted out of sandalwood tree is 40 years. However, the youth involved in smuggling are felling trees of just 5 to 10-year-age that is total wastage. Such felled trees are not of any commercial value as they have very little heartwood out of which perfumed oil can be extracted. They just serve the purpose of firewood.

Instead if the trees are allowed to grow up to the age of 40 years or above, the oil extracted from them can fetch price of 1000 US $ to 1500 $ at current international market prices, experts available here told.

The department of forest officials should carry out an awareness drive among the locals to protect the sandalwood trees of Jawalamukhi. They should be made aware of future commercial potential of trees. This can motivate the residents in protesting the valuable sandalwood trees of Jawalamukhi.

The Jawalamukhi area has the distinction of being the only area in Himachal that has sandalwood trees. The sources available here said that the sandal wood trees were introduced in the area by an ex-army personnel Sohan Lal Sood in late 1970s. He had planted about 15 plants in the area initially. However, owing to ideal conditions prevailing in the area, the sandalwood trees flourished in the area. Even the government planted sandalwood trees in 16 kanal reserve forest area in Jawalmukhi. At one time there were more than 10000 sandalwood trees in the area. However, the numbers of trees has now come down due to rapid smuggling.

Mandi, January 5
Even as the residents have dismissed the state government’s December 22 notification seeking suggestions and objections to the proposed draft retention policy offering 40 per cent deviation on the set-backs as a “pre-election eyewash”, they have also alleged that the notification remains a secrete document that will benefit only the moneyed builders, and not the common man”.

The residents maintain that the retention policies announced by successive governments had benefited builders and contractors, but the common man has not got much. Common people cannot pay the high conversion charges, nor they can accept that the TCP Act is imposed retrospectively, they assert.

The worst sufferers are the residents who have built their houses in panchayat areas that were brought under the Special Area Development Authority (SADA). There are areas like Ner Chowk in Mandi, Manali and Shimla where SADA areas were later brought under the corporation.

Though the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department has no exact data on the total number of unauthorised houses in the state, sources put the number around 80,000.
The residents of Mandi-Ner Chowk, Sundernagar, SADA-Manali have dismissed the new draft policy as another “pre-election eyewash”.

Convener of the Residents Welfare Association, SADA-Ner Chowk, Ravi Rana said even the educated people were not aware of the draft policy leave alone the common man. “We reject the proposed draft policy as it offers nothing for the common man as they have built up houses long before SADA was notified two years ago,” he added.

Residents alleged the successive retention policies were benefiting only the “moneyed outsiders” as they could pay high conversion charges. The government must come out with one-time relaxation regularising unauthorised houses, they demanded.

General secretary of the Upnagriya Nagrik Sangharsh Samiti HR Sharma said no retention police was acceptable retrospectively in the state. “We stand for regularisation of houses on as it is and wherever it is basis,” residents said.

Town planner AN Gautam said public objections had been sought to the draft policy by January 25-26. Residents were free to put forward their suggestions or objection to the policy. “We will send a report to the government after receiving public objections,” he added.