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Cops to turn men in blue
Renuka Dam to be ‘Bhagwan Parshu Ram Maha Sagar’
HPU Exam Centres
Extend industrial package till 2020: CM
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No respite from cold
Sirmaur to have better educational facilities
Special Kalka-Shimla trains for New Year
Eco-tourism promotion limited to govt lands
Power Line Corridor
Alternative Crops
Another achievement for NHPC
Hotels feel warmth of bookings
Jaswinder is Mr Himachal
Bodies of two fishermen found
Six arrested with charas
Shop raided
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Cops to turn men in blue
Shimla, December 27 After much delay the Police Department is now in the process of placing orders after the rates are fixed by the controller, Stores, so that the switch over can be in place from the next summer. Even though it was almost two years back when the decision to bring about a complete change in the uniform of the cops to blue and black up to the level of inspectors was taken, even now it had not come into effect. “The delay was mainly on account of the fact that the stocks of khaki lying with us had to be exhausted and, moreover, the uniforms already distributed has to outlive their life,” said Director-General of Police GS Gill. He said the new uniform would not only give a smart look to the police personnel but also bring about improvement in their functioning. To begin with it will the police personnel in the districts who will be seen in the blue uniform first, as the 6,000 persons serving in the battalions would shed the khaki look in the second phase. As far as the price factor goes the cost in providing two sets of blue uniforms, a summer and winter, would be the same as incurred on khaki. To ensure that there is no unnecessary financial burden and the already distributed khaki uniform is utilised fully, the cops will be wearing both the uniforms alternately. As such days will be fixed when to wear khaki and when to wear the blue dress. Even though the police personnel had initially resented the change of uniform, now the department had decided to implement it from the coming summer season. In fact the Police Department had even got a survey done to get the feedback on the issue, which was against the switch over to blue uniform. “With Home Guards, NCC, forest, private security and even transport staff wearing khaki, the blue uniform will give the police a distinct identity,” asserted Gill. He said way back in 1976 when he joined the police force there was a move to change the uniform from khaki to any other colour but the proposal did not materialised. |
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Renuka Dam to be ‘Bhagwan Parshu Ram Maha Sagar’
Una, December 27 He said economically backward sections of society were also being provided scholarships to help them pursue their studies. The equal development of all sections of society was must for the overall development of the country. No society could be termed as prosperous and self-reliant, unless, each and every individual of society was empowered economically and socially, he said. Dhumal said Lord Parshu Ram was a great patriot and warrior of his time. The Renuka fair was an annual feature that draws devotees from all over the country. The devotees come to seek blessings of goddess Renuka and Lord Parshu Ram here. The mythical meeting place of Lord Parshu Ram and his mother at Renuka, draws large numbers of devotees from different parts of the country. The Chief Minister, said, the state government had decided to name the Renuka Hydro Electric Power reservoir at Renuka after Lord Parshu Ram, and the dam would now be known as ‘Bhagwan Parshu Ram Maha Sagar’. The Chief Minister said the state government would extend all possible help to the Brahman Sabha. All efforts would be made to lend support for the preservation of rich cultural heritage of the Country, especially related to Lord Parshu Ram. Pandit Vijay Dogra, vice president, Himachal Pradesh Brahaman Sabha, elaborated on the activities of the sabha. He apprised the Chief Minister of the various demands of the sabha. PC Sharma, president of the Una Brahaman Sabha, welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for attending the state-level Sammelan of the Himachal Pradesh Brahaman Sabha. Kangra MP Rajan Shushant, Virender Kanwar, Satpal Singh Satti, Balbir Chaudhary, Parveen Sharma (vice-chairman, Water Management Board) and Kuldeep Bhardwaj, All-India President Brahaman Sabha, were among others present on the occasion.
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HPU Exam Centres
Kullu, December 27 They said the candidates of private colleges being run at various places in the state were allocated examination centres at the home town college or the nearest government college whereas the students from many districts doing MBA through correspondence (ICDEOL) from the university were given no choice than the university campus at Shimla. The students have also submitted a memorandum to the university. They lamented that the ICDEOL students were forced to reach Shimla, arrange accommodation for weeks together and take examinations while the private candidates from private institutions of Mandi and Solan were given Government College, Mandi and Solan, as their examination centre. They further said the allocation of examination centre to the students of Kullu, Mandi and Solan would not invite any additional administrative cost. They urged the university authorities to consider their demand and allocate the nearest centre of examination to the students of respective districts in the next schedule of examinations. The facility of the nearest examination centre would not only save time and money of the ICDEOL students but also open doors for many other students of the state for higher professional education, they added.
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Extend industrial package till 2020: CM
Shimla, December 27 In a letter written to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, he has made reference of the resolution adopted unanimously by the Assembly during the winter session held at Dharamsala recently. “The special industrial package had been given to Himachal till 2013, which was curtailed till 2010, but now in the larger interest of the state it should be extended till 2020,” he wrote. Dhumal urged the PM to expedite the matter and issue directions in this regard at the earliest. He recalled that the Government of India had taken a conscious decision to provide a special package of incentives for small states with hilly terrain like Himachal Pradesh so as to catalyse industrial development in view of limited employment opportunities. He said the curtailment of the industrial package to March 31, 2010, had caused a severe setback to the setting up of industrial units in the state. He specifically pointed out that in the recently held auction of industrial plots there was not even a single bidder in view of the fact that the special industrial package was getting over in March next year. Dhumal said when the matter came up for discussion before the Assembly during the recent winter session, all members cutting across the party lines were unanimous in their opinion that the sacrifices which the state made in various respects, including supply of water to adjoining states, preservation of green cover were not being appreciated and adequately compensated by the Centre. “On the contrary, the dues to Himachal under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, and some other issues were also not being given,” he regretted. The Chief Minister said keeping in view the peculiar needs of the state and also to undo the damage done by the curtailment, the validity period of the industrial package now needs to be extended till 2020 as sought in the resolution passed by the Assembly.
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No respite from cold
Shimla, December 27 Keylong with minus 11 degree Celsius night temperature was the coldest in the state, they said. Kalpa in Kinnaur district registered night temperature of minus 4 degree Celsius followed by minus 0.2 degree Celsius in Bhuntar. Shimla recorded a day temperature of 13.6 degree Celsius as against yesterday's 13 degree Celsius. Night temperature in the Queen of Hills was 2.7 degree Celsius, the officials said. Elsewhere, Sundernagar recorded day temperature of 18.2 degree Celsius followed by Bhuntar (17.2), Dharamsala (17.8)and Kalpa (8.2), they said. The Met office forecast mainly dry weather in lower and middle hills, while high hills could witness rain or snow at isolated places tomorrow. — PTI |
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Sirmaur to have better educational facilities
Shimla, December 27 This was stated by Chief Minister PK Dhumal while addressing the Sirmaur Student Welfare Association’s annual function ‘Prayas-2009-10’ here today. He said it had been decided to set up sixth Indian Reserve Battalion in Sirmaur district, which would generate employment opportunities for the local youth. Dhumal said one polytechnic had already been sanctioned for the district recently, besides a degree college at Haripur Dhar and ITI at Shillai. “Efforts will be made to motivate private players to open medical college in Sirmaur district in the near future, so that all such vocational educational facilities were made available to youth near to their homes,” he opined. He said it was during his leadership that one national highway, Laal Dhank-Paonta Sahib - Ronhat-Rohru, had been sanctioned which passes through the district, with a view to helping people with better road communication facilities. He said more such roads were under execution in different parts of the district. He said funds had never been a constraint in carrying developmental activities at a faster pace, especially in Sirmaur district to bring it at par with rest of the state. He added that youth had vast energy potential which needed to be channelised towards constructive and positive activities. The Chief Minister used the occasion to give a clarion call to the youth to actively involve themselves in the environment protection campaigns launched by the government from time to time. He said the environment needed to be protected for better living conditions of the youth. He said even during the earlier tenure of the BJP regime in the state, added priority had been accorded to the developmental requirements of the district. He said best efforts had always been made to create quality infrastructure all over the district with basic amenities to the people. He assured the people that district would witness revolution in developmental activities in near future. The CM also released the souvenir brought out by the organisation on the occasion. He also honoured the meritorious students on behalf of the association and announced a grant of Rs 25,000 to the association for its cultural promotion activities.
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Special Kalka-Shimla trains for New Year
Shimla, December 27 “Four special trains have been started to cater to the tourist rush to the hill station Shimla. These trains are in addition to five regular trains,” Station Superintendent JS Rajput said. He said the special trains would ply to and fro between Shimla and Kalka in Haryana till December 31. The century-old, Kalka-Shimla railway line, was selected by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as a world heritage site. The scenic journey along the 96-km-long narrow gauge railroad, from 640 metres above the sea level at Kalka to Shimla at 2,060 metres, attracts large number of tourists every year. — IANS
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Eco-tourism promotion limited to govt lands
Dharamsala, December 27 However, the eco-tourism policy till date has remained limited to the properties owned by the Department of Forests. The department recently advertised about 21 Forest Department-owned properties and sites. The entire exercise was intended at giving the said properties on five-year lease to private persons for promotion of eco-tourism. Till date the government has given on lease about 50 properties of the Forest Department in the name of promoting eco-tourism. However, the eco-tourism promotion has eluded the farmers owning private forest. The land of these farmers has been converted into private forest under Section 4 and 5 of the Forest Act. Due to it the farmers cannot use the land for farming purpose. They are only allowed to fell trees after a period of 10 years. The income that comes out of it is very meagre. Some of the farmers while talking to The Tribune said the government instead of giving out forest properties to private persons should encourage them for developing eco-tourism in their private forest. Raghav Guleria has forest land near the Pong Dam lake. He is trying to convert the ruins of an old fort in his village for attracting tourists. However, his basic problem is that the approach to his project has to come through the private forest land. While talking to The Tribune, Raghav said, “If the government provides me the basic support of just providing passage to my proposed site for tents, I will be able to promote eco-tourism in the Pong Dam lake area.” Residents of Chota Bhangal, one of the most remote areas of Kangra district, have also been protesting against the inclusion of their villages in the Dhauladhar wildlife sanctuary area. They even boycotted the last parliamentary elections to register their protest. The Forest Department could have conceived an eco-tourism project in the Chota Bhangal area. It could have provided employment and alternative source of income to the residents of Chota Bhangal and provided them compensation for inclusion of their land in the wildlife sanctuary area. Most of the areas on the banks of the Gobind Sagar lake (the biggest man made lake of the country) of the Bhakra Dam, are also private and government forests. The people residing on the banks of the lake have lost most of their agriculture land to the lake. However, if they were offered some help by the departments of forests and tourism, the areas along the bank of the lake could become good eco-tourism spots. If the people owning private forests were also involved in eco-tourism projects, it would encourage them in preserving the forests in their respective areas.
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Power Line Corridor
Naggar (Kullu), December 27 They have also demanded that the height of towers be raised so that farmers could do the apple tree sprays and other works in their orchards without hazards of electrocution. The farmers have warned the company that if their demands were not met they would resort to open agitation and never allow the company to install the line that passes through their orchards from Prini to Kais and beyond. Lal Chand Thakur, president, Kisan Bagwan Sangharsh Samiti of the farmers hit by the transmission line, said the farmers have decided to take company head-on demanding that they should pay the compensation of the power line corridor and increase the heights of the towers. The line should run straight from Prini and the towers of lower heights should be increased, he asserted. Samiti members Bishamber Thakur, Ramesh Thakur and Ram Lal and Gautam Nath expressed their concerns over the pressure tactics being adopted by the AD Hydro in giving compensation to farmers hit by the transmission line. “If the company does not accept their demands the villagers from all over the areas will gather and never allow the company to install the line even if they will be jailed for that,” the farmers warned. The farmers said the transmission line had ruined the tourism potential as it had shattered their dreams of building resorts or other projects on the left bank of the Beas as line passes through the middle of apple orchards. “This damage is permanent and farmers should be compensated for this,” they added. They have urged the CM to intervene on their behalf and takes immediate steps to save farmers from agony. “We pin hone on the CM as he has been ensuring the interests of farmers,” they said. The district administration had passed the buck saying that the matter lie between the farmers and the company as its role is that of a facilitator as far as compensation was concerned. However, the company claimed that it was laying line as per the provisions of the Telegraph Act. |
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Alternative Crops
Mandi, December 27 More than 60 farmers from five gram panchayats-Damchayan, Vardhan, Latran, Pashakot in Chauhar valley attended the meeting convened by the principal adviser, Malana Vikalp Cooperative Society, OP Sharma, the former Superintendent of Narcotics Control Bureau, Chandigarh. Talking to The Tribune after the meeting, Sharma said the meeting was part of efforts to win away the farmers from the illicit cultivation of opium poppy and cannabis in the valley. The farmers like in Malana are being motivated to grow other cash crops that can yield the same money if they do it with full vigour, he added. Addressing the farmers, Sharma cautioned villagers of the ill effects of drug cultivation in society and how it ruins future of youth who fall prey to drug addiction. Manoj Kumar Sharma, a lecturer, also apprised the villagers about how drug consumption among youth in schools affect their health and ruin them and their families. The future of children lie in drug-free society and other cash crops could bring good health and prosperity. Sharma said they would hold a seminar at Devta Sthal Nala Dehra campus on January 3 so that comprehensive strategy was chalked out for action to be taken in Chauhar valley for alternative development for the villagers in March. He said the Chauhar vikalp cooperative would be formed along the lines of Malana Vikalp to motivate farmers to cultivate alternative crops in the valley. All stakeholders will be mobilised for this, he added. The farmers have agreed that they would attend the seminar in which panchayat representatives from all the 13 panchayats in the valley would participate and chalk out the strategy for the alternative development on January 3. More than 60 farmers, including elected and former pradhans, up-pradhans, ward members, BDC members, educationists and women farmers attended the meeting at Thirtukhod Rest House campus.
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Another achievement for NHPC
Chamba, December 27 Giving this information here today, general manager of the project KK Joshi claimed that the project was poised to complete the construction work of 68-metre high gravity concrete dam as early as possible, adding that the work was going on a speedy pace, round-the-clock. The GM said the work to install requisite equipment relating to the transformers, and other allied apparatus in the transformer gallery, within the underground powerhouse cavern, had also been undertaken. The excavation work of total tunnelling of 9.835 km on various fronts of the project has already been completed, the GM informed, adding that this length of tunnelling also included excavation of the headrace runnel, besides power house cavern and transformer gallery. He further said that the waters of the Ravi had already been diverted through a 366-metre-long diversion tunnel, at Churaid Bagda Dam site in the Bharmour tribal region. The project which was scheduled to be completed and commissioned within a period of five years, most probably in the year 2011, would cost Rs 1,405.63 crore, the GM said, adding that the project would operate under a net head of 200 metre, to generate 1,108.17 million units of electricity in a 90 per cent dependable year, and would provide a minimum of three hours of peaking, during the lean season. The power, generated from this project would be fed to the northern grid, for further distribution to states, like, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan.
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Hotels feel warmth of bookings
Shimla, December 27 “This time the tourist response has been overwhelming in the past few days. Almost all our hotels have got tremendous bookings well in advance. Of course, the extended three-day weekend is an advantage to the tourism industry,” Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation general manager Yogesh Behl told IANS. The corporation has 57 economy and high-end hotels with 1,070 rooms which have 2,320 bed capacity across the state. It is also running 60 restaurants and cafes. According to tourism department estimates, over 50,000 tourists, mainly from Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi are expected to reach Shimla and nearby tourist spots. “This time the response of the tourists is encouraging during Christmas due to a three-day holiday bonanza. Even on any weekday, the response is good,” said DP Bhatia, general manager of the well-known Clarke’s Hotel, here. Manali is also going to attract most tourists in the state due to snow in its nearby hills. Rohtang Pass remains a big attraction for the more adventurous but of late Solang has also started drawing hordes of tourists, for the place remains covered with snow, and snow is a big issue with Indian tourists. “This town will definitely attract a large chunk of tourists in the state because of good spells of snow in the area. At present, this is the only tourist spot where one can find snow just half-an-hour's drive away,” said Tek Chand Thakur, president of the Manali Hoteliers Association. He said almost all hotels in the town had got 60 to 70 per cent advance bookings. The weather across the hill state will remain sunny in the next few days. “There is no possibility of western disturbances approaching the region. So the weather will remain dry in the next few days,” said Manmohan Singh, director of the meteorological office, in Shimla. To cater to the rush, the HRTC has started special luxury Volvo buses from Delhi and Chandigarh to Shimla, Manali and Dharamsala, a spokesperson said.— IANS |
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Jaswinder is Mr Himachal
Nurpur, December 27 In Mr Nurpur championship - Vinod Kumar, Amit Mehta and Sem Singh were adjudged as first, second and third, respectively. In below 70 kg category - Jaswinder Singh from Baijnath, Rameshwar Singh from Kangra and Kapil Kumar from Damtal (Kangra) were declared first, second and third, respectively. In above 70 kg category - Vinod from Nurpur, Rohit Kumar from Hamirpur and Pradeep from Kangra were adjudged first, second and third, respectively. Rahul, Jaswinder and Vinod were the final contestant for Mr Himachal-2009. In the final event, Jaswinder Singh secured first position and was declared Mr Himachal-2009, whereas, Vinod and Rahul were adjudged first and second runner ups. Rakesh Pathania, the local MLA and chief guest of the championship, gave Rs 21,000 to Mr Himachal. He appealed to the state body building fitness association to organise Mr India championship at Nurpur, and announced sanctioning of Rs 51,000 from Himachal Pradesh Olympic Association, as grant-in-aid to the local unit of the association. He also assured the association that he would take up the issue of promoting body building in the state. |
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Bodies of two fishermen found
Nurpur, December 27 According to the police, both had gone for fishing in the reservoir on Friday but did not return till Saturday morning. The police had lodged a missing report yesterday and started search operation for the missing fishermen in the reservoir.
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Six arrested with charas
Sundernagar, December 27 The police from BSL colony, here, recovered 2.3 kg of charas from two youths, Satish and Jaibir, both residents of Ganour, Haryana. In another incident, it recovered 900 gm of charas from Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Moga, Punjab, this morning. The police recovered 2.15 kg of charas from Karam Singh, a resident of Kullu, and in a separate incident, the police yesterday recovered 250 gm of charas from Ashwani Kumar, a resident of Chandigarh. The police also nabbed Ganpat Ram, a resident of Una district and recovered 1.8 kg of charas from him. According to Mandi SP Sonal Agnihotri, the police has launched a special drive to nab the persons involved in the smuggling of the narcotics.
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Shop raided
Shimla, December 27 A police team from Sadar police station raided the shop after having received a complaint from the General Manager of Puma company, Jugal Kishore Ahuja, regarding the alleged sale of fake items under their brand name. During the raid the police team seized some caps, jackets, belts and shirts being sold allegedly under Puma brand name. A case was registered and the shop owner arrested. |
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