Shimla, January 6
Chief minister P.K. Dhumal today urged the Centre to fully compensate Himachal for the Rs 12 crore security expenditure it was incurring on protecting its porous borders with Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and Uttrakhand and international border with China.

Speaking at the chief ministers’ conference at New Delhi today, he said the Centre was only providing an assistance of Rs 4 crore against an expenditure of Rs 12 crore annually. “The reimbursement by the Centre is restricted only to few items, including the security cover being given to Tibetan governemnt-in-exile and the Karmapa,” he said.

While seeking augmentation of intelligence wing, particularly augmenting manpower and providing training, he sought setting up of a proper mechanism for issuing identity cards to 23,000 Tibetan refugees and 25,000 Nepalese living in Himachal. “Though CID and intelligence agencies are keeping a strict vigil on their activities but a mechanism for issuing photo identity cards must be there,” he said.

While stating that the National Investigation Agency Act should have been brought earlier, he said the state governemnt had not been taken into confidence. “Sections 3,4, 6 and 11 of the Act infringe on the powers of the states and are against the federal structure,” he remarked.

He also urged the Centre to sanction a battalion of the National Security Guards and the sixth India Reserve Battalion in Himachal. He also suggested that an action plan be formulated to deal with bomb threats.

Solan, January 6
Taking stern action in connection with the case of blacklisting of a Baddi-based pharmaceutical unit by the Rajasthan drug authorities, Health and Family Welfare Minister Rajiv Bindal today said he had directed the officials concerned to cancel the licence of the unit.

Talking to mediapersons during his visit to the industrial area, the minister categorically said they would not permit any unit that manufactured substandard drugs to operate in the state. He said the government was not tolerant to such practices that could put the health of the people at risk.

Earlier, Assistant Drug Controller Navneet Marwaha had drawn samples of the said ophthalmic solution from the unit after receiving telegraphic information from the Rajasthan drug authorities. The samples had been sent for testing at the Kandaghat-based composite testing laboratory (CTL).

Consequent to the directions, the drug authorities have for the time being suspended the unit’s licence for manufacturing such ophthalmic drugs. They were now awaiting the report of the CTL to decide the future course of action.

According to information, an ophthalmic solution manufactured by the unit was given as a pre-operative lubricating solution to several people who had come for an eye camp at Suratgarh.

They had initially developed an infection and later lost their eyesight. Three drugs were used at the camp and one of them was manufactured by the Baddi-based pharmaceutical company. The drug authorities there had then informed the officials here about the adverse reaction of the solution.

Since it was the first time that the government had initiated such a strong step after a unit was blacklisted in another state, it had sent strong signals across the pharmaceutical industry.

Hamirpur January 6
The police recovered two antique icons from Hamirpur and Nadaun in separate raids last night. One person was arrested in this connection while two others were detained for questioning.

In a raid at Majhog Sultani village, the police recovered an antique bronze icon of Buddha (weighing around 20 kg) from the house of Narender, while another metal icon was recovered from Naduan (a Pahari icon believed to be from old Himachal).

The police has arrested Narender under the Antiquity and Art Treasure Act and sought his remand for further investigation into the case. It has also detained Rajesh Kumar and Joginder Rana.

The icon from the house of Narender was recovered after the police got a lead from the mobile conversation of the accused, which had been put under observation by the police for quite some time after information about his illegal activities came to its notice.

Hamirpur SP Asif Jalal said, “A recorded conversation of Narender indicated that he was having contact with people in Assam, Mumbai and Rajasthan and was negotiating a deal for quite some time for approximately Rs 1 crore for an icon and had even taken that icon to a local goldsmith, Joginder Rana, for testing its metal.”

“Narender runs a restaurant near the DC office and is also involved in illegal acts like trading illicit liquor, making of licences, passports, OBC and other certificates and arranging recruitments etc. Boxes of illicit liquor were also found during the raid on his premises,” Jalal said.

During the investigation, the police also came to know that Narender had negotiated a deal with Rajesh for purchasing a “katta” for Rs 10,000, who was managing it through a supplier from Kanpur.

The police is sending the icons to the Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi, for further identification and determining their exact value.

“After this breakthrough, the police will try to bust the international idol thieves gang and also trace the persons involved in the illegal sale of arms,” Jalal said.

Shimla, January 6
Tenants in the hill state, particularly in the capital city, are in panic following a spate of eviction notices served by the house owners under the Urban Rent Control Act on the grounds of reconstruction of their premises.

The tenants, mostly businessmen, are a worried lot because the Act is heavily tilted in favour of landlords and there is little protection for the tenants. The immediate cause of commotion is certain recent judgments given by the apex court as per which it is not binding on the landlords to give the first right of tenancy to the existing occupants.

Moreover, the landlord could reconstruct the premises anytime in absence of a definition of old structure.

The fear is that the house owners will be able to throw out the tenants on the grounds of right to reconstruct the premises. With no protection under law the tenants of commercial premises in all major towns of the state will be at the mercy of landlords. It is a serious issue, as all shops in main bazars in most of the towns are more than 100 years old and if the existing tenants were evicted on the grounds of reconstruction they will also lose their means of livelihood.

The local tenants association has now taken up the matter for amending the act to provide adequate safeguards on the pattern of states like Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, so that the house owners were not able to misuse the law to harass and evict them.

Patron of the association Ashok Kapatia said the concerns of tents could be addressed by amending Section 14(C) of the Act to make provision for first right to the existing tenant after reconstruction of the premises.

Further, during the period of construction the tenancy should be suspended and not terminated and the construction period should be specified. A mechanism should be provided in the Act for determination of “fair rent” to be charged from tenants as they will not be in a position to pay commercial rent. For instance, floor-wise rent could be determined by dividing the total cost by number of storeys. The tenants could help the landlords financially in reconstruction of the premises by giving advance rent.aThe association has sought these amendments after discussing the matter with both the landowners and the tenants to ensure that interests of both were safeguarded. It had purposely decided not to oppose the reconstruction of old structures but with adequate safeguards to protect the rights of existing tenants. The Act should be amended at the earliest, as courts had been flooded with eviction petitions.

Mandi, January 6
A three-members team of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) inspected 1,703 bighas of land for the proposed international airport at Ner-Dhangu, the first of its kind in Himachal Pradesh, about 15 km from here, today.

Though the team was supposed to conduct an aerial survey of the site, bad weather and non-availability of a helicopter did not allow the same.

The SDM (Sadar) accompanied the AAI team to Ner Dhangu and Rati for the survey. The team would undertake an aerial survey tomorrow.

The survey of the proposed site was expedited after Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal took up the matter with the Civil Aviation Ministry recently. After completing the survey, the team would submit its report to the ministry, officials said.

“This is the second survey for the project. The fate of the earlier survey remains a mystery,” sources added.

The AAI has demanded 1,800 bighas of land for the airport. Out of the 1,703 bighas of land proposed for the airport, 750 bighas is government land while the rest of it is private land, sources said. The government was facing problem in managing the additional 97 bighas of land for the project. Even the farmers in the Ner-Dhangu area were yet to be taken into confidence for land acquisition.

Mandi DC Onkar Sharma said the district administration had conducted a joint inspection. He expressed hope that the AAI team would complete its survey tomorrow. The government would provide a helicopter for the purpose, he added.

Shimla, January 6
Spirited by the success of the Jan-Jan Sanjivini Abhiyan, the Forest Department has set a target of planting 1.19 crore saplings of various species (medicinal and aromatic) in the state this year. The aim is to Himachal a “herbal state”.

Addressing a press conference here today, Forest and Environment Minister JP Nadda said the department had chalked out a programme to rope in the Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMC) and the National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) for achieving the target of planting 1.19 crore plants this year. Around 15.15 lakh saplings were planted last year, he added.

“We intend to cover 2,677 hectares with various medicinal and aromatic plants. The department will plant 63.65 lakh saplings. The 164 JFMCs will plant 6.34 lakh saplings and the Medicinal Plant Board will plant 48.91 lakh saplings,” said Nadda. Kangra and Kullu districts had been chosen for the first phase of plantation by the NMPB, he added.

The minister said a survey had revealed that the survival rate of the saplings planted earlier was 91 per cent, which was very encouraging. “The saplings required for this gigantic task will be raised at 404 nurseries of the department so that there are no hitches in the effective implementation of the programme,” he said.

For the sub-tropical areas of Himachal (below 4,500-foot level), 9,269 villages had been identified where people would be encouraged to plant pipal or banyan trees. “As a step towards encouraging public participation in protecting environment, it will be the collective responsibility of the village to protect the pipal or banyan trees so planted,” he said.

“For ensuring that the marketing aspect is also taken care of, the Forest Corporation will collect herbs from the growers after grading these so that the farmers get descent prices. Procurement centres will be set up for which a sum of Rs 30 lakh has already been earmarked so that the farmers do not face any problem,” he maintained.

Nadda said eco-tourism would also be given a major fillip. Ten sites had already been given to six organisations for promotion. “More will be advertised later this month so that these can be popularised and developed in private-public partnership,” he said.

Dharamsala, January 6
A one-day workshop on the “Awareness raising and data dissemination” under Hydrology Project Phase-II was organised here today by the HP Irrigation and Public Health Department, Hydrology cell. Ravinder Singh Ravi, Irrigation and Public Health Minister, inaugurated the workshop.

Speaking on the occasion, he said demand in water resource sector is growing at a very fast pace. The issues like fulfilling demand of water in various sectors, water conservation, water harvesting and comprehensive water resources planning have become much more relevant in the present perspective.

The availability of a reliable and easily accessible hydrological data base is must for meaningful planning and management of water resources.

The minister said the main objective of Hydrology Project -II was to improve the existing systems and develop an integrated and comprehensive hydrology data collection and information system in the state. The project is being implemented with the assistance of the World Bank and total cost of this project was 49.50 crore out of which 14.30 crore are being spent during the current financial year.

The minister also said there was provision to install 70 borewells in the state under the project. To assess groundwater quality and quantity and the data obtained from these borewells would be recorded by electronic digital water level recorders and manually for further processing and recording.

RN Sharma, engineer-in-chief, IPH, detailed the activities of hydrology project Phase-II on the occasion.

RK Sharma, chief engineer-cum-project coordinator, IPH, and 50 officers of the IPH and meteorology departments participated in the workshop.

Shimla, January 6
The hill state reeled under severe cold as snow and rain continued to lash the region for the third consecutive day today.

While the higher reaches of the state were having intermittent snow the mid-hills and lower areas were experiencing sporadic spells of sleet and showers. The Hatu peak had 15 cm of fresh snow and Narkanda and Fagu and Kufri had mild snow.

The sky cleared in the morning but only for a while and dark clouds appeared as the day progressed. The city had intermittent sleet and showers which brought down the maximum temperature to 7.7 degree Celsius from yesterday’s 10 degree Clesius. However, the minimum temperature rose marginally from 1.2 degree Celsius to 1.4 degree Celsius. The city remained engulfed in thick fog in the afternoon.

Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti was the coldest with a minimum of -11.9 (minus 11.9) degree Celsius, followed by Kalpa -6.2 (minus 6.2) degree Celsius. Una was the coldest in lower areas with a minimum of 1.2 degree Celsius, followed by Solan 1.4 degree Celsius, Bhuntar 2 degree Celsius and Sundernagar 2.5 degree Celsius.

According to the Met office the cold wave will persist and the state will experience isolated snow and rain over next 24 hours.

Dharamsala, January 6
The only regional centre of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) at Dharamsala is running on crutches of guest faculty. Out of the total 40 teachers at the centre, just one, besides the director, is regular. Four teachers are working on contract basis, while 35 form the guest faculty, who are paid Rs 250 per lecture.

The building of the centre is not spacious enough. Classes are held in a ramshackle building hired from local government college in 1992. Despite the fact that the regional centre was started in 1992, the building for the institute is still incomplete.

Sources said the building of the centre was being brought up at Khaniara. It was supposed to be completed by June this year. However, the authorities at the centre were still not sure if it could be completed this year. At present, about 500 students were enrolled with the centre for various regular courses.

The centre caters to the students from the lower Himachal area, including Kangra, Chamba, Una and Hamirpur districts. However, inadequate facilities like poor building infrastructure and over dependence on guest faculty are the bottlenecks in the fulfilment of the object for which the centre was set up. Non-availability of hostel facility was another big shortcoming. Students who come here from other districts have to rent rooms in and around Dharamsala town due lack of hostel facility. There is no provision for hostel even in the new building coming up at Khaniara.

The authorities can easily rent a private building in the surrounding area for creating hostel facility for students. However, no endeavour has been made for providing relief to students so far.

At present, postgraduate courses in political science, English, mathematics, public administration, economics and zoology are being offered at the regional centre, besides MCom and degree course in law. There are 240 students in the law course alone.

At time a when many private universities have set up their centres in and around Dharamsala, it is unfortunate that HPU has failed to create necessary infrastructure for its regional centre here, especially when that centre has been functional since 1992.

Dharamsala, January 6
The Himachal Pradesh Technical Employees held a silent rally in Dharamsala today in protest against the alleged murder of Ram Kishan, a lineman of the power board, in Nagrota Bagwan. The lineman was murder allegedly by a worker of a political party.

The employees supporting black badges started the procession from their office and went through the town. The resentment over the alleged death of a government servant at the hands of a worker of a political party has been gathering heat. Since the incident has come as an embarrassment for the ruling party, the unions also stand divided. Some of the unions are accusing Congress leaders of playing politics on the issue.

Former minister and MLA from Nagrota Bagwan GS Bali staged a dharna in front of the local police station for about three days, demanding action against the policemen accused of complacency in the case. After the common people from Nagrota Bagwan joined the protest, an inquiry into the role of the police was entrusted to the ASP, Kangra.

Mandi, January 6
Over 200 passengers, including three patients, who have booked helicopter flights from Keylong, Udaipur and other places in the snowbound Lahaul valley to the Kullu-Manali airport, have been waiting for helicopter to land in the landlocked valley for the last four days.

As the snowfall has cut the valley from the rest of world after the 13,050 ft high Rohtang Pass was blocked by six feet of snow last week, the residents including patients, have to depend on helicopter services for their movement from the snowbound valley to Kullu valley.

Residents from Lahaul valley told The Tribune on phone today that they have booked flights from Keylong, Udaipur, Baring and other places, but there has been no flights coming to the snowbound valley for the last four days or so. The passengers who want to move out to the landlocked valley include locals and employees, they informed.

They rued that the state government had sent a three-seater helicopter a few days back but only few passengers, including a woman patient, were lifted from Keylong to Kullu. They need 20-seater helicopter to lift the passengers willing to move out from the valley to Kullu, they added.

In winter, even 20-30 per cent of tribal population migrates to the warmer climes of Kullu-Manali where they own houses, hotels and orchards.

Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner CP Rasu said a20-seater Army helicopter has been requisitioned to launch flights from tomorrow lifting passengers from the Udaipur, Keylong and other places from where bookings have been received. “It also depends on whether condition prevailing in the valley”, he added.

KULLU: Frontal organisations of the Congress Party from Lahaul-Spiti district took out a procession and submitted a memorandum to the Governor through the Deputy Commissioner here today against the indifference of the government to provide helicopter service to the tribal areas.

Jai Ram Thakur, state president of the Tribal Cell of the Youth Congress, and Deepak Thakur, president of the NSUI, Lahaul-Spiti, demanded that the helicopter service to the people and employees of this district should be started at the earliest with a bigger helicopter having at least 20 seats.

Chamba, January 6
Contrary to the claims of the state government’s welfare schemes providing succour to the poor, seven BPL (below power line) families whose three-storeyed house, in which they were jointly living, had been gutted on the night of December 31, were still hoping for the government attention towards their misfortune.

The families belonged to an interior Bathli-Gohadi village of Sunara panchayat in Chamba district.

Earlier, the village was in Chamba assembly constituency, but with the delimitation of constituencies by the Election Commission, the village now falls in Bharmour tribal assembly constituency. Nobody appears to be bothered about there woes.

These seven families numbering to 37 persons, including school-going children, have been living in the burnt house. Three lads from these families are matriculates while others are hardly middle standard. Seven heads of families are illiterate.

Fire sufferers Chand Ram, Ravan Ram, Narad, Tara, Ranjit, Swaran and Kishen said none of their family members was in government job and they had been living in grinding penury.

“We have never seen existence of any government, we do not know what is government and where it lives because despite counting their figure in the lists of BPL families, the government has so far failed to provide government jobs to their matriculate boys,” they lamented; expressing their agony that the leaders only expressed their sympathies without extending any assistance.

The members of these families also met revenue officials at Chamba today, but they were told that additional help for their rehabilitation had been sought from the state government and as soon the sanction was received, it would be disbursed to them.

The fire victims demanded immediate rehabilitation of their families, getting their houses constructed under various welfare schemes of the government and government jobs for three matriculate boys of their families.

Una, January 6
In a joint press statement issued by BJP MLA Satpal Singh Satti (Una), BJP district president and Kutlehar MLA Virendra Kanwar and Gagret MLA Balbir Chaudhary criticising the statement of state Congress president Thakur Kaul Singh that the Congress will win all four seats in the next Lok Sabha elections as the people have been fed up with the BJP rule.

They said Kaul Singh along with other Congress leaders have started daydreaming and building castles in imagination. During the last five-year tenure the Congress failed to come to the expectations of the people. It failed to provide development to the people of the state and even could not manage enough funds from the Centre.

The MLAs questioned the Congress to explain CD scam to the people, false mark sheets issued to the daughter of the then Congress minister, and record breaking corruption.

Nurpur, January 6
Punjab Technical University’s (PTU) local study centre on Tuesday organised an awareness camp on premises of the Government Senior Secondary School here in which students were educated about traffic rules and road safety measures.

A documentary relating to road safety campaign was also shown.

Sanjiv Kataria, director of the centre, said the PTU was organising road safety campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh in the wake of International Road Safety Week being observed since January 1.

He pointed out that as many as 1,500 schools and colleges in identified states would be covered in the campaign.