Dharamsala, January 6
The state government has banned mining in three major rivers of the state. The rivers include Chaki and Neugal in Kangra district and Seer in Bilaspur district.

The minister for IPH Ravinder Ravi gave this information while talking to The Tribune here today.

The most significant among the said rivers is Chaki that would supply water to the Phena Singh canal and Shah canal coming up in Kangra district. There are hundreds of legal and illegal crushers set up on the banks of Chaki river. The rampant illegal mining in rivers had eroded the bed level of river near Punjab-Himachal border by at least about 30 to 40 feet. This has affected discharge in many water supply schemes in the river bed. The government investment worth crores that has been made is likely to go waste due to illegal mining.

The minister also admitted that about 35 illegal crushers were operating in the Chaki river. Besides the crushers in Himachal, about 200 crushers in Punjab territory near the state border have also affected the ecology the river.

The illegal mining in the Chaki was going on unchecked despite the fact that Indian Air Force and civil aviation departments had written letters to respective authorities against it. The illegal mining was affecting the establishments of said organisations in the Pathankot area.

The minister when asked said once the illegal mining was banned in Himachal, the matter of illegal mining in Chaki river would also be taken up with the Punjab government. He further said that to make the ban effective, the powers to challan the illegal mining were also being extended to officers of the electricity and IPH departments. The officers up to the level of junior engineers would be given the powers to challan anyone carrying out illegal mining.

The minister further said in the forthcoming auctions the mining sites in the said rivers would not be put to sale. The mining has been banned in the said rivers as many drinking water schemes in them were getting adversely affected due to uncontrolled mining. There are about 100 drinking water schemes in the Neugal river that feed Palampur and its surrounding areas. However, the illegal mining was affecting these water supply schemes.

He also said that besides the said three rivers, the government was also mulling banning mining in other rivulets where drinking water schemes have been implemented.

He also said that the union government was thinking of making an authority for monitoring the snow levels in the Himalayas.

Shimla, January 6
While monkeys are causing nuisance in major towns like Shimla, the increasing stray dog menace is giving sleepless nights to both tribal inhabitants and conservationists involved in the snow leopard project in the cold desert of Spiti.

A team of the Wildlife Department that toured the area extensively as part of its programme to create awareness among local tribal people about the cat and involve them in the conservation project identified stray dog menace as a major problem. Apart from creating nuisance for residents, they were also competing with the endangered snow leopard for the meagre prey available in the inhospitable terrain.

“We found that almost every small and big village from Sumdoh to Kaza has its own army of stray dogs and they were far too numerous to be ignored,” says the chief conservator of forests, faunal diversity and protected areas, Sanjeeva Pandey.

It is an additional problem to be tackled to make the snow leopard conservation programme a success. A possible way out could be to carry out mass sterilisation of stray dogs on the pattern of monkey sterilisation project being implemented in Shimla and other areas, he adds.

The root of the problem, conservationists point out, is the failure of the authorities to ensure scientific disposal of the ever-increasing quantum of garbage. The unbridled growth of tourism is leading to haphazard urbanisation, which in turn is creating problem of waste disposal. In absence of proper disposal the garbage dumps virtually become magnets for attracting stray dogs and other animals.

Thus, to find a lasting solution to the problem and ensure success of the snow leopard project, the government will have to regulate the growth of tourism in tribal areas and ensure proper disposal of garbage, which is also polluting the clean and ecologically fragile cold desert areas.

Meanwhile, an awareness drive is being carried out in the project area to educate the local people about the peculiar features and habits of snow leopard to bridge the knowledge gap and help them involve in the programme. Most people are unaware that snow leopard cannot roar as they lack vocal cords which enable other animals of the cat family to make such sounds. Similarly, they have a very long padded tail, which helps them maintain balance in the treacherous precipitous terrain. Once the people start taking interest in the animal, conservation will be far easier, explains Pandey.

Shimla, January 6
The death of 38-year-old woman from the Krishnanagar area of the town has taken the total number of swine flu deaths in Himachal to 16.

The woman who had been under treatment at the local sanitarium for the past three days was admitted to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) yesterday when her condition started deteriorating. Her blood samples taken before her death last night have tested positive for swine flu.

“Even though she had been put on swine flu treatment, the moment she was rushed to IGMC but with infection having spread, she died in the evening,” confirmed Dr Vinod Mehta, State Surveillance Officer.

Out of the two samples tested by the Microbiology Department, only one tested positive, which was of the woman who died.

Her family members and close relatives who came in close contact with her have been put on treatment.

There have been a total of 16 deaths due to H1N1 infection in the hill state while the 
number of persons who have tested positive stands at 43.

In fact, most of the deaths have taken place during the past two months, confirming apprehensions that the virus spread more during low temperatures.

Shimla, January 6
Resentment prevails over 10,000 employees working in various government departments on contract basis over discrimination in fixation of pay following the implementation of revised pay scales.

Their main grouse is that the government had decided to grant contract employees a fixed salary equal to the minimum of the pay band plus grade pay, irrespective of the service put in by them.

As a result even those who had put in eight to 10 years’ of service will draw the same emoluments as a new recruit.

Further, unlike the regular employees who were being given revised pay scales from January 1, 2006, the salaries of contract employees is being increased only from the last month.

They maintain that the government claim that after revision of pay scales the emoluments of contract employees will increase by 70 to 75 per cent was far from truth. The actual hike is 30 to 35 per cent.

They have urged the government to follow uniform formula for fixation of pay of regular and contract staff, implement revised pay scale with effect from January, 2006, and allow various other benefits like medical leave, provident fund and leave travel allowance to contract employees.

Shimla, January 6
Senior BJP leader and vice-chairman of the Himachal Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA), Ganesh Dutt, today said that the Congress was indulging in ‘politics of pressure’ to demoralise honest and upright officers.

In a statement issued here today, he criticised the Congress for launching a campaign against DGP (Vigilance), D.S. Manhas. “Such protests and burning of effigies of officials will have a very demoralising effect on the campaign against corruption,” he remarked.

He said in case an official committed some wrong, law would take its own course. “Such petty politics by Congress workers is only making mockery of the party and its leaders who think they can stop the government’s campaign against corruption by such cheap tactics,” he said.

Dutt said the BJP had come to power on the promise of rooting out corruption and this battle would continue irrespective of the Congress propaganda against Manhas, who enjoyed the image of an upright and honest officer.

Dharamsala, January 6
Factionalism in the ruling party came to fore today when IPH Minister Ravinder Ravi said he was not taken into confidence during the organisational elections for the district president of the party in Kangra district.

When questioned by newsmen regarding the election at Dharamsala mini-secretariat today, Ravi said though he was happy that the elections concluded peacefully, no discussion was held with him regarding the process. He said according to his information many ministers and MLAs were informed regarding the election at 3 pm on Monday i.e. just a day before the event.

We had already fixed our schedules for the next day and so could not participate in the elections. If the organisers of the election wanted they could have extended the date of elections by another day and everybody could have participated, Ravi alleged.

Interestingly, two ministers from the district considered close to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal did not attend the elections for the district president held here yesterday.

Another mandal from the Jawali Assembly constituency had expressed displeasure over the election process.

Former MLA from Guler Harbans Rana alleged that the Jawali mandal was not consulted while nominating the district office-bearers. He alleged that the Jawali mandal had proposed certain names for inclusion as district office-bearers and delegates for the state body. However, the organisers did not include any of the names recommended by them. Instead they selected the names on their own. The mandal had recommended the names of Dheraj Atri and Surinder Sharma as delegates into the state body. However, the organisers changed the names and included Uttra Guleria and Indi as delegates. He alleged that complaint in the matter had been sent to the state party chief.

The ignored delegates from Jawali alleged that the supporters of Dhumal have been ignored in the elections.

The said statements have clearly brought to fore the factionalism between the groups led by Chief Minister PK Dhumal and national vice-president of the party Shanta Kumar. The organisational elections of Kangra assume significance in view of the fact that maximum delegates to the state body are sent from the district.

The officer-bearers who conducted the organisational elections, including former district president Vipin Parmar, have declined to comment on the issue.

However, some of them on condition of anonymity said mandal presidents from the area of Ravinder Ravi had participated in the elections.

Shimla, January 6
Even as the picture remains hazy as who will occupy the post of district BJP chief, both Shanta and Dhumal loyalists are confident of victory with the election scheduled to be held here tomorrow.

With none of the two factions enjoying a clear-cut majority efforts are being made to arrive at a consensus so that the election process is unanimous. Senior BJP leaders will be holding a meeting late in the evening today to discuss the issue and forge consensus.

A total of 16 persons, including eight mandal chiefs and an equal number of delegates, will elect the new district BJP chief. While Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta, a Dhumal loyalist, is learnt to be backing Ravinder Chauhan, the outgoing district BJP vice-president; Shanta faction led by Rohru MLA Khushi Ram Balnatah will want his man to hold the reins of the state.

“With many of the elected delegates as well as mandal chiefs not having a clear cut allegiance to either faction, it is uncertain as to who has the upper hand. Since the picture is unclear efforts are on to forge consensus so that the election process is held with unanimity,” a senior leader said.

The Shanta camp headed by Balnatah can back Sher Singh from Rampur. The name of Roshan Lal Banshtu, outgoing BJP mandal chief of Rohru, is also doing the rounds even though it is not certain as to which camp will support him. Another name doing the rounds is that of Bhim Sen from Rampur.

The outgoing district BJP chief, Ganesh Dutt, vice-chairman of the Himachal Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA), is also in the race for the post. The fact that he has only had a one-and-a-half year term after the expulsion of Roop Dass Kashyap from the party makes him eligible for a second tenure. Kashyap was expelled from the party for contesting the Assembly election as an Independent against BJP candidate Tarsem Bharti.

While Bragta has dominance in the Jubbal-Kotkhai, Chopal and Theog areas, Balnatah has his men in the Rohru and Rampur areas.

With representatives from Kasumpti, Shimla (Urban) and Shimla (Rural) not being clearly branded in favour of any group, it is still not clear as to who will emerge as the unanimous choice, efforts for which are being made at the senior level.

Solan, January 6
The non-teaching employees association as well as the technical and class IV employees association today held a rally and dharna at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, protesting the failure of the university administration to grant them the revised pay scale as per recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission.

About 700 employees shouted slogans against the callous attitude of the university administration towards their demands and asserted that it was shocking that while the registrar had himself availed benefits under the Sixth Pay Commission the employees were being denied the benefits.

The associations had earlier raised this demand in December and had given a time period of one month for the university authorities to accede to this genuine demand but the authorities paid no heed to it.

General Secretary of the Joint Coordination Committee setup to address these grievances Hemraj Sharma said apart from verbal assurance to implement the revised pay scale from January 1 the university had failed to do anything.

President of the non-teaching employees association while ridiculing the authorities said they would again hold a rally at 1:30 pm tomorrow as the issue was unresolved. He said none of their genuine demands had been considered. This included no grant of arrears of HRA/DA, conduct of DPCs from beldaar to deputy registrar and a pick and choose attitude had been adopted in the matter, framing of rules on the analogy of HP University for the deputy registrar and assistant registrars since 2000, deputing 30 forest guards as peons and the remaining in the laboratories as well as clerks so as to reduce the work load on the skeleton staff.

The employees also emphasised the annulment of Rule 39(a) which dissuaded any university from appointing staff without finance concurrence.

The employees stressed that the rule was a hindrance to the smooth working of the university as several key functional posts remained vacant for years and ultimately lapsed in the absence of finance concurrence.

Bilaspur, January 6
Himachal government is giving top priority to diversification and modernisation of crop pattern in villages so that even farmers with little holdings get remunerative prices for their produce based on latest techniques and methods and knowledge. This was said by District Public Relations Officer Amar Singh Thakur while addressing a largely attended day-long function organised in connection with the two-week long Jan Sampark Abhiyan presently launched in the entire state by the Himachal Pradesh Information and Public Relations Department at Kothipura here today.

Thakur said 479 new orchards were setup and farmers were provided financial help worth Rs 68.73 lakh under Horticulture Technical Mission here in district during these two years and additional 1,700 hectare of land was brought under fruit orchards, 300 hectare under vegetables and 65 hectare under herbal and medicinal plants and crops helping total 5,755 farmers in the process to increase their income and improve their economic standards.

He said district was heading towards becoming cleanest under the Total Sanitation Programme of the state. About 111 gram panchayats out of 151 panchayats of district have been made “open defecation free” and remaining would achieve this target by the end of this financial year. The government has started a campaign to provide clean lavatories in 391 schools and 328 Anganbaadies of the district.

Shimla, January 6
Property worth Rs 1 crore was gutted in a devastating fire in Bhorad village in Jubbal last night.

According to the police fire broke out in a 25-room building late in the evening. Despite best efforts of the people, police and fire personnel, the fire could not be brought under control resulting in the entire building being completely gutted.

Families of four persons, Nokh Ram, Narender, Pyari Devi and Ishwar Singh have been affected by the fire. The cause of the fire has still not been ascertained though help has been extended to the affected families by the administration.

Horticulture minister Narender Bragta visited the village and gave an immediate relief of Rs 10,000 each to the four affected families. He directed the officials to provide the affected families with blankets, utensils and other material.

SDM, Rohru, B.K. Kamal also accompanied the minister on the occasion.