Shimla, December 1
The government will launch an integrated project in the 12 most drought prone blocks of the state, using the latest technology and advancements in agriculture and irrigation sector being used efficiently in Israel, which barely has 20 mm rainfall a year.

The government has drawn up an ambitious project involving the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH), Agriculture and Rural Development Departments to ensure that there is optimum utilisation of water resources, including rain water. Following the visit of Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal to Israel earlier this month, an Israeli firm will be making a presentation here on December 3 about efficient use of water for drinking and irrigation, which could be incorporated in the project.

Considering the fact that all 12 districts of Himachal were declared drought-hit, the project is being considered very important and the Chief Secretary would personally monitor its implementation. With the drought situation being very grave in certain parts, supply was made through tankers which made 44,000 trips entailing a huge expenditure.

“If Israel with a scanty rainfall of 20 mm can manage its agriculture so well, there is no reason why Himachal with over 1300 mm rainfall should have the problem of drought,” said Narender Chauhan, Principal Secretary (IPH), who was a member of the delegation that visited Israel.

The 12 blocks of the state which will have been chosen for the project includes Bamsan, Badsar, Bijri, Pragpur, Sadar, Jhanduta, Kot Kehloor, Kunihar, Kutlehar, Dharampur and Gopalpur. Chauhan said Himachal would be seeking dedicated funding from the central government and convergence of funds under NREGA.

The IPH department will basically undertake works pertaining to water harvesting, construction of dykes and creating ample storage structures. Even though the exact estimates are still being made but around Rs 20 crore would be earmarked for each block by the IPH department. As far as the Agriculture Department is concerned, the funding might be much more for each block and Asian Development Bank could be approached for the purpose.

The IPH department is also considering acquiring sophisticated water purification machinery which will bring down the cost, manpower and above all acquiring of huge chunks of land for setting up the elaborate paraphernalia. “These will cater to the water purification requirements of a population of about 10,000 to 20,000 and the machinery will be vertically installed doing away the need for having sand bed filters and changing of pebbles,” he said.

Shimla, December 1
The week-long relentless efforts of the state police to stall the auction of the gallantry medal bore fruit today when the Indian High Commission in London was informed by the UK police that the George Cross, awarded posthumously to Naik Kirpa Ram of Bhapral village in Bilaspur in 1946, has been withdrawn from auction slated for December 2.

Assistant Solicitor General of India Sandeep Sharma informed the state High Court that he had received a communication in this regard from Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs. A division bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice RB Misra and Justice Rajeev Sharma, disposed of the matter accordingly. The High Court had taken suo motu notice of the matter on the basis of media reports regarding proposed sale of the bravery medal which was allegedly stolen in 2002 according to an FIR lodged by Brahmi Devi, the widow of Kirpa Ram, at the Bharari police station.

The medal was listed for auction by the London-based Dix Noonan Webb Limited, a leading specialist auctioneers and valuers of coins and medals. The base price indicated for the item was £ 20,000 to £ 25,000 and its current price in the global market of antiquities was worth over Rs 50 lakh.

Additional Director General of Police ID Bhandari, who has been pursuing the matter with the UK police, said the current owner of the medal, Ashok Nath, had said he had withdrawn the item from auction. He had, in an e-mail, stated that he had acquired these medals in good faith nine years ago from SL Jain, who was a reputed coin and medal dealer, after being shown two affidavits along with a video which convinced him that the medals had been acquired in a proper manner. Efforts were on to locate the video which would be handed over to the Scotland Yard for further investigation.

Nath further stated that he sympathised with Brahmi Devi but, at the same time, if Kirpal Singh was implicated by powerful state machinery and the media that appeared to have come to a foregone conclusion, it would be unjust. He would be the first person to return the medals to her if it was found that they were stolen. Being a victim of circumstances Brahmi Devi would still have his sympathy even if she had indeed given the medals to Kirpal Singh, he said.

Information regarding auction of the medal was given by historian Marion Hebblethwaite, who had authored a 12-volume series on lives of George Cross awardees worldwide, to Shakti Singh Chandel, a retired IAS officer, who took up the matter with the state authorities to stall the sale.

Shimla, December 1
The three gallantry medals, including the George Cross, awarded by the British government to Naik Kirpa Ram of village Bhapral in Bilaspur in 1946, were sold for Rs 3.25 lakh by Kirpal Singh to Delhi-based coin and medal dealer SL Jain.

This was revealed during interrogation of Prakash Jain, a Kharar-based goldsmith, in whose premises the deal was struck. Prakash, who was brought to Bilaspur for questioning, told the police that he had no role in the deal. It was a mere coincidence that it materialised in his presence. Jain had been visiting him in connection with business related to ornaments and other valuables and it was just by chance that Kirpal Singh, who also dealt in such articles, arrived at his place.

Brahmi Devi, the 85-year-old widow of Kirpa Ram, and two witnesses Nirmala Devi and Sita Ram, who signed the disputed affidavit, had been denying that the medals were ever sold to Kirpal Singh. They have been maintaining that the signatures on the affidavits were obtained by Kirpal Singh, who, along with another person, came to her village posing as an Army personnel to pay Rs 20,000.

The police is now investigating the matter as a case of fraud and cheating. Superintendent of Police Kuldeep Sharma said now that the medal had been withdrawn from the auction, the matter would be investigated thoroughly from all angles, though, prima facie, it appeared to be a case of fraud and cheating.

There are several facts to indicate that the old widow might have been duped. The two affidavits, one stating that Brahmi Devi had gifted the medals to Kirpal Singh, and the other pertaining to the further sale to SL Jain, have not been attested by any authority. Further, if the medals were purchased on payment, why it has been falsely stated in the affidavit that they were gifted. And finally, even if it was presumed that the medals were sold, the amount paid was a meagre Rs 20,000 for medals worth over Rs 3 lakh. The police is now likely to question SL Jain to check the veracity of the version of the deal as narrated by Prakash Jain.

Dharamsala, December 1
The former minister and congress MLA from Nagrota Bagwan GS Bali has called upon the government to form a trust for preserving heritage articles of the state.

While addressing a press conference here today Bali said a large number of heritage articles were lying in the possession of people of the state. However, people are selling them for petty sums as they had no source of livelihood. The recent case in which a medal stolen form Bilaspur is being sold at a hefty price in England is illustration of the fact how precious heritage articles of the state are at risk of being lost permanently.

The government should ask the people to furnish the details of the heritage articles lying with them. The experts should be hired to evaluate the worth of these articles. The government should then maintain a record and advise the people against selling the articles. In case the people possessing the heritage articles are facing financial crises some scheme, like reverse mortgage scheme started for old people by the banks, can be started to discourage them from selling precious heritage of the state.

Bali also criticised the state government for demolishing the old district administrative complex at Dharamsala. He alleged that the deputy commissioner’s office at Dharamsala was started by the British in 1830s. The old buildings of the administrative complex were heritage buildings. In case the government wanted to construct a new building it should have constructed it elsewhere, instead destroying the heritage buildings.

Bali also alleged that the BJP leaders in the state were flaying the union government on the issue of affidavit filed in the Supreme Court regarding 12 per cent royalty from Chakra Dam. The union government could not have stated anything beyond the record in the Supreme Court. However, it was the Congress government in the state that filed a case for getting 7.5 per cent share in the Bhakra Dam on account of merged areas of Punjab in Himachal.

He said leaders of organisations from which the BJP has been formed had in fact opposed the formation of Himachal. They were lobbying for Maha Punjab that included Haryana also. It was the Congress leadership under YS Parmar and Jawaharlal Nehru as Prime Minister at the Centre who were instrumental in the formation of Himachal state, he said.

Hamirpur, December 1
Education Minister ID Dhiman, while speaking on the World AIDS Day here today, exhorted all to come forward to support AIDS-infected persons since social support helped in boosting will power of the patients which could lead in prolonging their lives and living a better life.

“AIDS awareness is very important since one contacts this disease due to ignorance. Though it cannot be eradicated, but life of a person affected by the disease can be prolonged by counselling and proper treatment,” Dhiman said.

The minister also felt the need for mobilising more people for such awareness programmes to prevent spread of the disease.

He said, “AIDS is one of the most dreaded diseases since its virus destroys the immunity of a person to fight various attacks on our body and people suffering from TB, diarrhoea etc are the worst suffers.”

The Minister said people using intoxicants were more prone to fall prey of this virus and it was our prime duty to create awareness about drug abuse too.

Earlier, the minister flagged of a rally taken by students of Raj Rajeshwari College on this occasion. The students, while raising slogans against AIDS, also marched through the market place, carrying banners and placards.

BILASPUR: Awareness, safety and precautions were the only ways to guard from the dreaded disease of AIDS and people in all nook and corner should be made aware about these aspects. This was stated by Forest Minister JP Nadda while presiding over the district-level World AIDS Day here today.

He pleaded that the name of this campaign should be changed to “World AIDS Awareness Campaign” to send its proper message to the common masses.

The Forest Minister expressed satisfaction that the dreaded disease was mostly in check in the state as compared to other states but there was no reason to be complacent as the disease was still spreading and required as much vigil as possible from every citizen of the state.

CHAMBA: In order to curb the deadly menace of AIDS, concerted efforts are required for creating public awareness in society.

This was stated by Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Speaker Tulsi Ram while speaking on the occasion of World AIDS Day at the auditorium of Chamba regional hospital here on Tuesday.

The Speaker said the state government was giving top priority to health services in the state and efforts were also being made to promote a better understanding of HIV infection among people, especially students and youth, to generate an awareness about the nature of its transmission.

Tulsi Ram disclosed that 48 cases of AIDS had been detected in Chamba district which was a matter of deep concern.

Earlier, an awareness rally was also taken out by school students in the main bazaar of Chamba town.

NURPUR: Under the world AIDS campaign, an Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC) was inaugurated at the civil hospital here by Irrigation and Public Health Minister Ravinder Ravi on the occasion of district-level World AIDS Day on Tuesday. Addressing the gathering, he said this centre was sixth in Kangra district and would provide free testing for HIV and counselling to HIV-infected patients. He said the government was also rendering financial succour to the destitute kids infected with HIV to the tune of Rs 300 to 700 per month and free milk powder to HIV-infected mothers to feed their children. He exhorted the youth to resort to self-restrain and be aware of dreaded AIDS disease. Speaking on this occasion, local MLA Rakesh Pathania underlined the need to educate children within family by debating the serious issue. Kangra district AIDS programme officer RK Sood and Dr Subash Thakur briefed the causes, symptoms and precautions of AIDS.

The minister also inaugurated an exhibition on HIV and flagged-off a march by the youth from Red Ribbon Club of local Arya Government College and students of government schools to raise awareness among masses about the HIV and AIDS.

Shimla, December 1
Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal today said though not even a single new case of AIDS had been reported from Himachal during the past one year but as part of awareness campaign against the dreaded disease HIV tests must be conducted by the bride and bridegroom as a safety measure.

Launching the 25 days’ long HIV/AIDS awareness campaign here today he emphasised the need for creation of mass awareness amongst the people. “Awareness had resulted into reduction of positivity rate from 9.1 per cent during 2006-07 to 1.1 during the current financial year while the number of persons living with the HIV was 4013,” he said.

Dhumal said Himachal had established two anti-retroviral centres at Shimla and Hamirpur and soon one more such centre would be established in Kangra district to provide free treatment and medicines to full blown AIDS cases.

He underlined the need to check the HIV infection transfer from mother to child so that its transmission could be stopped completely at the time of birth.

He said the youth needed to be educated about the dreaded effect of the HIV/AIDS and the fact that drug abuse was one of the major causes which was giving the infection to them.

He said the number of testing and counseling centres for AIDS and HIV had increased to 44 from the earlier 21.

The chief minister said 166 Red Ribbon Clubs had been established in educational institutions and 23 such clubs would be set up in HRTC workshops and 77 gram panchayats in the near future.

Manali, December 1
The rescue team of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, recovered one more body near Rhani nullah, about 46 km from here, on the Manali-Rohtang Pass road this afternoon.

The death toll due to high velocity winds and severe cold conditions while crossing the 13,050 ft-high Rohtang Pass has now risen to 15. Most of the Rohtang Pass victims were migrant labourers from Jharkhand, who were stranded in the Lahaul valley due to early and heavy snowfall on November 9.

According to Border Roads Organisations (BRO) sources when the snow clearing team from Marhi was clearing the snow on Manali-Rohtang road near Rahni nullah with the dozer, they saw a body covered under snow and with the help of the BRO team they retrieved the body.

According to in charge of the Marhi rescue post, Jagat Ram Negi, said the BRO snow-clearing team informed the rescue post at Marhi, about 35 km from here, on Manali-Rohtang Pass road regarding the body. He further added that the rescue team from Marhi rushed to the spot and retrieved the body.

Manali, DSP, Ashish Sharma, said the recovered body of the pedestrian was brought to Manali from Marhi this evening. The body could not be identified and a post-mortem examination would be conducted here tomorrow, he added.

Solan, December 1
The silver jubilee celebrations of Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, acclaimed to be one of its kind in Asia, remained a low-key affair with a mere farmers’ training camp marking the occasion.

The fact that the university had been celebrating its foundation day every year in a big way with a farmers’ fair, release of books, its achievements, etc., being the major attractions, lack of celebrations in its silver jubilee year had left the farmers and faculty members disappointed.

Set up in 1985, the university was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. It was named after the state’s first Chief Minister Dr YS Parmar as a befitting tribute to his contribution to the state. Floral tributes were paid before his statue by the Vice-Chancellor and faculty members.

The university was, however, abuzz with news that since the VC and registrar were facing serious charges of contempt in the state High Court and some sign of relief had come through only yesterday, hence no celebration could be planned.

The university had remained in news more for its controversial promotions and appointments with several cases being referred to the courts in the past several years. Though it was a popular tradition to organise an impressive function where the state’s chief minister used to preside over the function, no such event could take place this year.

VC Dr KR Dhiman, however, addressed the training camp organised for more than 100 farmers where he emphasised the need to cultivate medicinal plants. He said it was useful especially in those places where road connectivity was poor as it had a longer shelf life. Their cultivation could also help in environmental protection and could help supplement the farm income of the farmers. He advised the farmers to adopt scientific methods of cultivation by taking proper training.

Shimla, December 1
Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal today said the UPA regime was discriminating with the smaller states and was taking undue advantage of the fact that Himachal was a peaceful state.

Addressing a press conference here today he said the UPA regime had let down the people of Himachal by filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court against giving of free power to the hill state in the Bhakra Dam. “The Centre is far more sympathetic and open to the demands of the people of states who resort to violence and pick up the guns to seek their right,” he said.

“The case for seeking Himachal’s rightful claim under the Punjab Reorganisation Act should have been filed against the central government and not the adjoining states, even though it was the duty of the Centre to get Himachal its due,” he remarked.

Contesting the stand of the UPA regime that Himachal could not seek free power from the Bhakra as it had not made any investment, he said then how an agreement had been signed for giving 15 per cent free power from Kol dam. “Chandigarh which did not invest a penny in Bhakra is getting 3.5 per cent free power while Himachal is getting 2.5 per cent power, which is totally unjustified,” he said.

Dhumal said Himachal had not only lost fertile lands which got submerged under the Bhakra water but thousands of people had been rendered homeless.

Solan, December 1
With charas worth Rs 50 lakh being confiscated in the district in the past few days in various cases, the police sees it as a major achievement. In the latest case the Dharampur police seized 7.5 kg of charas from a HRTC bus (HP-25-0481) which was en route Reokong Peo-Delhi around 11:30 pm last night. Despite rigorous checking in the last one week there was no let up in its smuggling.

Though the police could not trace the conduit who was transporting the charas illegally as it was stacked on the luggage racks but it led to the belief that large scale smuggling was underway on a regular basis. The contraband was priced between Rs 8 lakh and Rs 9 lakh in the market.

In yet another case the Dharmapur police recovered 2.8 kg of charas from one Tula Singh while he was travelling in another HRTC bus (HP-06A-7501) outside Dharampur police station. SDPO, Parwanoo, Ramesh Pathania said they were trying to trace the origin of this contraband. Tula was a Nepalese youth who was working in a liquor vend located in Sector 43 in Chandigarh and prior to that he had worked in a dhaba at Parwanoo. He confessed to the police that he had been lured to transport it from Shimla to Chandigarh by a Bihari youth. The police was investigating the matter and a case under the NDPS Act had been registered.

CHAMBA: A police party, while on a patrol duty near Hardaspura, arrested one Dev Raj, a resident of Dudei village, with 3 kg of charas in his possession. It was during a routine operation that the police team searched the luggage of the accused and procured the contraband.

A case under Section 20 of the NDPS Act has been registered by the police, according to sources. Further investigations were underway, the sources added.