Dharamsala, August 14
The Himachal government has decided to launch crop insurance scheme to protect farmers from the impact of uncertain climate.

This was stated by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal while talking to The Tribune
at Indora today. The CM was at Indora to inaugurate the building of degree college
and girls’ hostels.

He said crop insurance scheme had already been launched for tomato in Solan, apple in Shimla, Kullu and Mandi. It would also be extended to citrus and mango crop in Nurpur subdivision and potato crop in Nagrota Bagwan area.

Under the scheme, the farmers would have to give just a part of the insurance, while the rest would be borne by the state government.

The farmers adopting the insurance scheme would be able to get compensation for the loss to their crops, the CM added.

He further said to promote horticulture in the state, the government was providing 80 per cent subsidy for poly houses and other horticulture ventures.

He inaugurated the building of the degree college in Indora and expressed
satisfaction over the fact that the number of girl students in the college was
higher than boys.

The building of the college has been set up at a cost of Rs 5.68 crore. The CM also announced additional Rs 10 lakh for remaining works in the girls’ hostel and Rs 75 lakh for the college campus.

Local MLA Des Raj, while speaking on the occasion, demanded that Indora should be upgraded to subdivision level. The CM, however, evaded from making any reference on the issue during his speech.

Another development during the CM’s programme that baffled many Congressmen of the area was that former MLA and a permanent member of the AICC, Vikram Katoch, took part in the CM’s function.

Later, he also arranged a tea party for the CM and other Cabinet colleagues at his house. This peeved many leaders who have sent fax messages to the state party high command, expressing their resentment.

They alleged that on one hand the Congress was at loggerheads with the state government over the issue of the FIR against Virbhadra Singh, and on the other, a senior Congress leader was trying to build ties with CM of the rival party.

Shimla, August 14
As part of its efforts to restore the lost glory of the “Queen of Hills”, the Forest Department will revive old walking trails, water bodies and undertake plantation of ornamental species along with landscaping to promote eco-tourism.

Having already launched its “Revival of deodar trees in Shimla” project in association with 11 voluntary organisations on August 8, the Forest Department is now considering expanding its ambit to cover other components as well.

To restore the old-world charm of Shimla, thrust will be on undertaking maximum possible plantation whether it is that of the majestic deodars, colourful hydrangeas or other herbal plants which are fast dwindling.

“We are considering making an action plan where these 11 voluntary organisations will be involved in other tasks such as developing water harvesting structures like ponds and restoring old walking trails,” said Rajesh Sharma, DFO, (Shimal Urban). Many of these trails have been identified and listed by the Tourism Department.

Another area which will be taken up is restoration and developing of walking trails of the British time which are practically lying abandoned.

There are plans to restore these and develop them from eco-tourism point of view by fixing names of plants, especially herbal, and listing its uses and benefits.

Some of these old trails near Tara Devi, Viceregal Lodge, Glen and Jakhu area
were very much in use during the British time as there were very few roads and
hardly any vehicles.

“These old trails are dotted with British time reminiscences and have a history associated with them, which still evokes a lot of interest in foreign tourists, especially those from England,” said officials.

In fact, quite a few foreigners come here looking for places and houses where their forefathers lived during the days of the Raj.

They also scan old records of the local municipal corporation for details about their forefathers and in which cemeteries they were laid to rest.

Besides this, to ensure a high success rate and have accountability in the revival of deodars in Shimla, each deodar sapling will be given a band, identifying its number.

“By doing so, we will know the status of each and every plant as all 3,000 saplings will have a number,” said Sharma.

Shimla, August 14
Director of the Pharmacopoeial Laboratory for Indian Medicine (PLIM) Dr DK Lohar is hopeful that the recent notification of good manufacturing practices (GMP) conforming to WHO standards for traditional Indian medicines will give the much-needed push to export of indigenous medicines.

“Laying down standards and good manufacturing practices for indigenous drugs has been a Herculean task as, unlike the allopathic medicines, not much research inputs are available. The achievement was all the more creditable because the PLIM carried out the sophisticated work of pharmacopoeia with a moderate infrastructure and manpower,” Lohar, who is in the city in connection with a workshop, said with a sense of accomplishment.

“The country has not been able to realise its huge potential for exports of traditional medicines mainly because of lack of standardisation of drugs and quality control which discouraged importers and also created problems for the exporting companies. With internationally accepted WHO-GMP and pharmacopoeial standards for herbal medicines in place, there will be no issues concerning quality assurance before the importers,” he explained.

He said at present about 200 companies, which were engaged in exports of traditional Indian medicines, were producing world-class natural medicines.

Once they comply with the WHO-GMP and secure the necessary certification, they would be able to get their products registered for market authorisation in foreign countries and spread out to new markets and supply much larger quantities.

The PLIM had already published seven volumes of Ayurvedic, Unani and Siddha Pharmacopoeia of India and in all 541 single drugs and 21 metal and minerals have been covered. Besides, two volumes of compound formulations for 101 drugs had also been published.

So far, only half the job had been done as standards for over 1,000 indigenous drugs were yet to be developed.

Evolving standards as per global requirements was a sophisticated job as no data was available outside the country and moreover the traditional medicines involved a number of molecules and not a single molecule like allopathic drugs, he observed.

Solan, August 14
With a shortfall of nearly 40 per cent in power availability in the Baddi and Nalagarh industrial area, after the August 4 burning down of the Katha-based sub-station, the state electricity board is trying in vain to meet the demand of the industry.

Though no inquiry has been instituted to look into the cause of the incident that led to a loss of nearly Rs 6 crore, reliable sources said efforts were been taken to make suitable changes in the log sheet so that the projections of the sub-station being overloaded does not appear anywhere.

Board officials when quizzed, however, declined to accept this fact but it was learnt that the load of 180 MVA had been exhausted in 2007 itself.

Whatever power was being distributed to the industries later had led to the sub-station getting overloaded. Now, clandestine efforts were being made to make suitable changes in the log sheet.

Board officials and industry representatives jointly worked out a plan to distribute the available load till the sub-station could be restored in about three-month time.

Though officials said efforts were being made to get a 100 MVA sub-station at Naya Nangal, commissioned in October, it remained to be seen if this could be achieved.

Sources said the industry had agreed to use diesel generations (DG) sets to generate as much as 40 MVA power and this would help the board distribute the existing power between the units lacking DG sets.

The exercise would put an addition strain of nearly Rs 35 crore. The board would pool in at least 50 per cent of amount while remaining would be borne by consumers.

This, however, required an approval from the electricity regulatory commission. A proposal would soon be put before it, sources in the industry have informed.

The DG sets available in the units were meant for peak load hours and could not run for continuous periods, opined the industry.

According to the plan worked out, the industrial area of Barotiwala had been exempted from any power cut, while Nalagarah area was to bear power cuts every third day and Baddi every second day.

This, too, had become an issue of contention. Separate meters have been proposed for the units where power generated through DG sets could be taken into account.

Mandi, August 14
The audio CD case, involving Union Steel Minister and Mandi MP Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh, might boomerang on Chief Minister PK Dhumal as his detractors are likely to apprise the BJP high command of “Bindal and BS Thind cases” during the BJP’s Chintan Baithak at Shimla from August 19-21.

What the BJP’s worry is that the Central Forensic Science Laboratory’s (CFSL) report dated August 8, 2008, on the audio CD has an element of “benefit of doubt”.

The CFSL report said it was “highly probable” that it was Virbhadra Singh’s voice and about Pratibha Singh’s voice, the CFSL report said, “It is probable that it is Pratibha Singh’s voice in the CD, which is over 20 years old,” sources revealed.

Even Dhumal is not happy with “his comrades-in-arms” to pin Virbhadra Singh on
the CD front.

It was Dhumal who bore the brunt as the Congress burnt his effigies while Major VS Mankotia, who had exploded the “CD bomb” on the eve of Hamirpur byelections, has remain unscathed.

Besides, the audio CD issue has failed to achieve its target of ousting Virbhadra Singh from ministry.

Even Congress’ Kaul Singh Thakur and Leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes had to issue statements in support of Virbhadra Singh after media reports pointed out “their tacit nod in pinning a common political foe”.

In this light, Bindal’s case of irregularities in the Solan Municipal Council and the “controversial BS Thind affidavit” had assumed political significance.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Randhir Sharma claimed the audio CD had exposed the Congress. “It has no link with the Bindal case and Thind episode,” he said.

Shimla, August 14
Members of the Vidhan Sabha expressed concern over degradation of the erstwhile British summer capital and called for concerted efforts to stem the rot.

Every speaker lamented the decline of the once beautiful hill station, which had degenerated into a veritable concrete jungle with high-rise structures coming up all over the place in a haphazard manner.

Not only that, it was plagued with problems like shortage of water, insufficient parking place and traffic congestion.

Chief Minister PK Dhumal blamed influential people who broke the law for the present dismal state of affairs.

It was time that politicians, bureaucrats and the rich and influential businessmen to join hands and work to save the capital city.

The influential people, who had raised big unauthorised structures, had to be dealt sternly, he added.

Initiating the discussion on the master plan for the regulation of traffic and construction activity in the city, local MLA Suresh Bhardwaj rued that unauthorised structures were allowed to come up on a large-scale even after the enforcement of the Town and Country Planning Act.

Multi-storeyed concrete structures stood out like eyesores and only way out was to implement a one-time settlement policy to regularise unauthorised constructions.

Traffic congestion was the most serious problem and woes of the local people would further compounded with the shifting of the bus stand to Tuti Kandi.

The city was not getting enough water even after the commissioning of the Giri water supply due to unchecked leakage.

Replying to the debate, Urban Development Minister Mohinder Singh said the previous Congress regime had not submitted Rs 3,700-crore plan for funding under the Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renwal Mission.

He said a Rs 180-crore sewerage improvement plan had been submitted and there was also a proposal for constructing seven parking lots. He added that the period of retention policy had been extended by three months.

Shimla, August 14
The two-day regional workshop on quality control for traditional Indian medicines organised here by the union ayush department concluded last evening.

The workshop underlined the need for separate regulations for classical, patent and proprietary ayurvedic medicines.

Experts, who deliberated on various aspects of ayurvedic medicines, recommended that all medicines with ingredients of schedule E-1 should be sold in market only on prescription by qualified registered practitioners.

Further, the ayurvedic medicines should not be treated as food supplements. The consultative committee on ayush should develop a special model of good manufacturing practices for small drug manufacturers.

Ayurvedic medicines should be sold by licensed ayurvedic chemists only for which separate rules be framed and degree holders in ayurvedic medicine and graduates and diploma holders in ayurvedic pharmacy be allowed to sell drugs, they added.

Considering the expanding use of ayurvedic drugs, there was an urgent need for introducing new category of over the counter (OTC) non-prescription medicines to help ethical self-medication. The Government of India should frame a definite policy for the sale of OTC products.

Indora, August 14
The Youth Congress entered into a tiff with the local administration over the alleged violation of Lyngdoh committee recommendations in the Indora college that was inaugurated by the Himachal Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today.

The tiff started when the state president of Youth Congress Manmohan Katoch reached the college campus. He found banner of the ABVP hanging over the main gate of the college campus.

He demanded its removal on the plea that elections have already been announced in all colleges, so the banner of a political outfit of students during government function should be hanged.

After many other supporters of the NSUI, the student outfit of the Congress also gathered at the venue and started raising slogans against the local administration.

The clash between students was averted by police officials. But, they had a hard time convincing the ABVP activists who were not in a mood to remove the banner.

They maintained that it was their government that had brought up the college and so they had every right to welcome the chief minister.

The banner was removed after the district administration officials intervened and persuaded the ABVP activists on the plea that it was illegal.

Kasol/Manali, August 14
In the absence of an all-purpose foreign registration office (FRO) at Bhuntar, the HP police and tourism department grope in the dark when it comes to monitoring foreigners in this infamous haven of hashish smuggling.

Regulation under the Foreigners’ Act remains poor as hoteliers do their best to defy mandatory C-form compliance to gulp down 10 per cent luxury tax.

The tourism department coughs up figure painting a rosy picture of tourist arrivals, mainly foreigners. But it turns out to be a “repetition of tourists reporting at different destinations” that mismatches with the C-form compliance, registration and luxury tax collected by the Excise and Taxation Department.

This “mismatch” is proved by what the police and tourism officials say about Kullu district. Manisha Nanda, Special Secretary, tourism, said 15,522 foreigners visited Kullu in June this year.

But KK Indoria, SP, Kullu, said the police had received only 2,955 C-forms in June and 5,797 C-forms in July from guest house owners and hoteliers.

The case of the missing Israeli tourist Amichai Shtainmetz highlights this laxity. He stayed at guest houses at Kasol, Kalga, Kheerganga before he disappeared on July 21 from Kheerganga ashram, but his name neither figures in the mandatory C-form nor at the FRO in SP office, Kullu.

Nanda admitted mismatching but claimed compliance was increasing and was reflected in collection of luxury tax.

Excise and taxation officer, Kullu, Sunil, said Rs 4 crore had been collected as luxury tax from hoteliers, guest houses and tents in Kullu district this year till July.

After cross-checking, state excise and taxation commissioner RD Dhiman said luxury
tax collection for the first quarter was Rs 2.44 crore in Kullu as against last year’s
Rs 2.2 crore.

But this increase is not due to compliance on part of hoteliers but due to the fact that inflow of domestic tourists was about 20 per cent higher this year as compared to last year.

“Laxity lies on the part of the police and the tourism department which has no all-purpose FRO at Bhuntar,” said hoteliers. But the police blames hoteliers and the tourism department for the laxity.

However, the laxity leaves behind a question mark in view of the fact that 235 foreigners have been already booked under the NDPC Act in the past 18 years in Kullu district, the police said.

Indoria, however, said the foreigners staying for more than six months were under police surveillance. Tek Chand Thakur, president, Manali Hoteliers’ Association (MHA), said, “Most foreigners avoid police eye or they check in at odd hours and leave for the next destination.”

Shimla, August 14
Accusing the state government of turning a blind eye towards acts like bonded labour employed by the JP management handling the Karcham Wangtoo project, the CPM today said it would launch a state-wide campaign to expose such doings.

The party’s member of state secretariat Tikender Panwar said the JP management did not allow the formation of a union due to that reason.

“What is worse is the fact that labourers are being exploited with the connivance of the state government and the police,” he said. He said a large number of workers had been held as bonded labourers.

“Lucca, Baden Mistry and Gopal who worked in a tunnel were being held as bonded labourers before they managed to escape after being detained by the contractor,” he said.

He added the CPM would campaign against the JP management and other companies handling power projects to avoid exploitation of labourers.