Shimla, January 18
Taking battle against the victimisation of union minister for steel Virbhadra Singh and other party leaders by the Dhumal government to Delhi, Congress legislators have urged the union home minister P.C. Chidambaram to appoint a central agency to obtain details of telephone tapping by the state police from telecom service providers.

According to party sources 17 MLAs have sent a representation to the union minister last week in which director-general of police, vigilance, has been pinpointed as the key officer in the harassment of Congressmen.

Alleging that phones of politically inconvenient persons were being tapped they urged him to get the details of requests received from the state CID for tapping cell phones from the BSNL and Air Tel, the two main service providers. Further, it should also be ascertained as to how many of these phones taps resulted in either apprehending of criminals or preventing crimes.

“While the state government is indulging in its share of dirty politics, the conduct of the police officer is even more appalling,” they alleged. Maintaining that a case had been registered against Virbhadra Singh on the basis of a frivolous CD, they pointed out that the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) had even asked the vigilance department for the original recording equipment but it expressed its inability to provide the same as none existed. An opinion was obtained without even registering an FIR which was contrary to the norms the CFSL abides by.

They asserted that his intervention in the matter would be able to curb the zealousness of the police officer who was singularly pursuing a political agenda and acting with impunity to only further his personal career.

They have urged him to ensure that procedure established by law was followed both in letter and in spirit, otherwise the rule of law would eventually suffer a serious breakdown. 

Shimla, January 18
The changes effected by the Congress in enrolment of members to eliminate scope for fake membership has yielded the desired result. In all, over 3.5 lakh members have been enrolled which is significantly lower than the previous years when the party claimed anything between five lakh to six lakh members.

Apart from doing away with the system of active members, a provision for affixing the photograph of the applicant on the membership form was also made to ensure that no fake member was enrolled.

State party president Kaul Singh said there had not been any decline in membership and the enrolment reflected the genuine membership of the party.

He said state and district-level scrutiny committees were being set up to handle disputes related to membership. The last date for filing objections before the district scrutiny committee was January 22 and for their disposal, January 31.

Appeals against its decision could be filed upto February 10 before the state election authority which would dispose of the appeals by February 20.

Further appeals in the matter could be made before the central election authority upto March 2. The authority would dispose of the appeals by March 15. The final list of names would be published on March 25 and presidents of primary committees at polling booth level and the election of block committees would be completed from April 1 to 30.

Election of president, vice-presidents, treasurer and block Congress committee will be held between May 15 to 31 and identity card issued to District Congress Committee (DCC) and Pradesh Congress Committee members.

The election of state party chief, vice-presidents, treasurer, PCC executives and AICC members would be completed between July 5 to 25 and identity card to AICC members would be issued up to July 31.

Shimla, January 18
An enchanting spectacle of over 42,000 common pochards at a single site near Haripur at the upper end of the sprawling Pong Dam Wetland was the highlight of the three-day winter bird count from January 15 to 17 during which a record number of 1,44,000 migratory winged visitors were enumerated.

It was for the first time that the annual bird count at Pong Dam Lake Sanctuary was made a “festive” event involving experts and people from various walks of life to help create awareness about migratory birds, particularly waterfowl, which descend on the man-made reservoir in thousands. While experts from the Wildlife Protection Society of India, Delhi Bird Society, Wildlife Institute of India and other such organisations participated in the bird count, famous wildlife film-maker Mike Pandey captured fascinating spectacles of thousands of birds flying around the lake in his camera.

Global positioning system (GPS) was used for the first time to record the exact locations where the winged visitors from Central Asia are sighted during the census. Apart from common pochards, bar-headed geese (40,000), common coots (21,000), pintail (10,300) and great common cormorants (8,050) were other birds found in plenty. Besides, as many as 30 common sheldok, which are rather rare, were also spotted. The census conducted last winter from January 30 to February 1, revealed a presence of around 95,000 water birds of 89 species.

Principal chief conservator of forests Vinay Tandon said the man-made water body provided an ideal destination for the winter migratory birds from the trans-Himalayan zone, as far as Siberia, Russia, Central Asia and Tibet.

The highest ever bird count also reflected on the quality of the water body, said Sanjeeva Pandey, chief conservator of forests, faunal diversity and protected areas.
Pollution had affected the quality of water and overall environment in Harike Lake and this could be one of the reasons to more birds landing up at Pong Dam for winter sojourn.

Created in 1976 by impounding the Beas, the Pong reservoir has already been accorded the status of a Ramsar site keeping in view its increasing importance as a destination for migratory birds. So far over 220 bird species belonging to 54 families have been recorded.

Dharamsala, January 18
Farmers who have got a chance to earn from their forest produce are an exploited lot. They are being paid petty price for the khair trees, which they have been allowed to fell after a period of about 10 years, have a high market value.

Farmers from the Nurpur and Indora areas have alleged that forest contractors were paying them just Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,500 per tree. The contractors are threatening the farmers that the trees on their land can be felled just till March this year. In case the farmers miss the opportunity, they would not get a chance to earn form their forest land for another 10 years.

In panic, the farmers are felling their priced forest produce and selling them at petty rates. The threat under which the farmers are being forced to sell their produce at low rates is valid. The farmers, whose lands are covered under Section 4 and 5 of the Forest Act, can fell trees only as per the management plans drawn by the forest officials. As per the management plans, the private forests are opened for felling after every 10 years. The trees that can be felled are marked by forest officials.

However, this doesn’t mean that if they miss the deadline, they will have to wait for another 10 years. In case the farmers fail to fell their trees within the given time period, ranging from December to March, they can once again give an application after about six months, citing valid reasons for being allowed to fell trees.

One of the most valuable trees in forests of lower Himachal is khair (acacia catechu) tree. It is valuable for the katha, an extract taken from the stem of the tree. The katha is an ingredient used in ‘Pan’. It is also used in pharmaceutical industry. Since it is available in limited quantity, its price is very high in the domestic market.

The contractors or traders ideally should buy trees from farmers. However, due to hassle involved in the procedure, they connive with lower forest officials carry out the entire procedure form carrying out the marking of trees to their felling, which leads to exploitation of farmers.

The farmers allege that the state forest corporation provides minimum support price to them for khair trees. Since the trees are valued high in market, the corporation can earn profit even by offering minimum support price to the farmers. However, this exercise can generate dual benefits. This can prevent the exploitation of farmers at the hands of contractors and also check illegal felling of khair trees.

Nurpur, January 18
All-India Youth Congress (YC) general secretary and in charge of the state Amrinder Singh Brar has stated that organisational election of the Youth Congress in all states will be completed by next year and inactive youths would be shown the door in these elections.

Talking to mediapersons here today before leaving for Chamba, Brar asserted that only active, loyalist and hard-working youths would get place in the elected bodies being constituted under the guidelines of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi. He said it was for the first time in the country when YC units were being constituted through election process.

He added that the senior Congress should also follow this democratic process. Brar said in the state there would be a three-tier election process. “Presidents will be elected in every Assembly and Lok Sabha constituency followed by state YC president,” he informed.

He admitted that the democratic way to elect YC units had discouraged influential big wigs to capture organisational posts with their money power or high-profile links.

Brar clarified that Rahul Gandhi’s brigade in the state, which had come into existence a few years back, was not any frontal organisation of the Congress and had no connection with it. 

Solan, January 18
Emphasising the need to develop infrastructure vis-à-vis industrial growth, the CII Himachal stated that lack of it hampered industrial growth. Further, with a view to enhancing employability special emphasis should be given on bridging skill gap in youths.

Illustrating the CII pre-budget wish list its chairman Anil Sehgal said, “An enabling environment for private sector growth needs to be created. The upcoming budget should impart an impetus for growth through a reforms-based agenda and needs to reflect the new set of priorities. A comprehensive and composite plan needs to be chalked out that addresses economic issues with the active participation of all stakeholders.”

On the issue of infrastructure development, special attention was required in terms to improve and extend road, rail and air connectivity in order to attract more investments, reduce transportation cost and facilitate inter-state trade.

Similarly, for tourism sector, the CII has recommended that there should be a quantum leap in the budgetary allocation to develop adequate infrastructure keeping in mind the huge inflow of foreign tourists. Destination development, automated parking lots, and preparation of a long-term vision for the Tourism Department were some of the recommendations made by the CII in order to harness the unlimited tourism potential of the small hill state.

The CII also recommended the state government to consider the provision of concrete roads with an emphasis on the National Highways as these roads can withstand weather changes very effectively and also the life of these roads is 40-50 years.

The CII has also sought permission from the state government for renting out surplus built up spaces in the industrial buildings built after obtaining permission under Section 118 in order to attract fresh investments to the state. It has also been requested to the state government to abolish the rent sharing policy and to reduce the processing charges for the same as against actuals.

The CII is confident that if the fundamental developmental issues outlined in the memorandum were addressed the state would emerge as a role model for other states of the country.

Nurpur, January 18
PCC chief Thakur Kaul Singh has alleged that Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal is adopting double standards in accusing the UPA government of discriminating against the state.

Addressing a meeting of Congress workers at Indora in the Gangath Assembly segment of this subdivision yesterday, he ridiculed Dhumal for levelling charges against the UPA government for meting out step motherly treatment to the state on the one hand, and on the other, presenting bouquets to Central ministers for financial aid. He reiterated that so far the UPA government had extended financial assistance to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore through various development projects to the state, whereas during the NDA government regime merely Rs 500-crore aid had been given to the hill state.

Accusing the BJP of following the policy of dividing people, the PCC chief said the Dhumal government had been discriminating against the biggest district of the state, Kangra, adding that the saffron party was creating roadblocks in setting up of an approved Central university at Dharamsala.

On this occasion, former minister Asha Kumari, former MLA Bodh Raj and PCC general secretary Ajay Mahajan were also present.

Kangra, January 18
The Medical Council of India (MCI) has granted approval to Dr RP Government Medical College at Tanda for holding postgraduate courses in 10 departments from the next session subject to inspection by MCI inspectors in each department hopefully to be held by the end of this month.

Disclosing this today, Health Minister Rajeev Bindal said the MCI in its meeting of January 12, 2010, had in principle agreed to grant an approval to DRPGMC at Tanda to hold PG courses in 10 departments subject to the report from individual inspector of the MCI who would carry inspections in individual departments hopefully by the end of current month.

The minister expressing his gratitude to the MCI for granting the approval hoped that the inspection reports of individual inspectors would also prove up to the mark on the MCI scale.

“We have left negligible deficiency of 2.5 per cent during the previous inspection so I am confident that PG classes will start in this college from next session as the coming inspection report will certainly favour us,” he added.

He described the MCI approval as a major achievement for his government and for the people of this state.

Principal Anil Chouhan said all 10 departments were fully equipped with adequate manpower, infrastructure and equipment and nothing had been left to chance.

Nurpur, January 18
Presiding over a foundation stone laying ceremony of a divisional data centre under the hydrology project, Irrigation-cum-Public Health Minister Ravinder Ravi said the state government had aimed to implement the World Bank funded Rs 50-crore hydrology project by the end of 2012.

He said the main objective of this project was to strengthen and modernise the system of collecting water-related data so that the future water schemes could be formulated accordingly. He informed that the data centre would cater to the need of the Nurpur area and Chamba district. “The government has set up two divisional and six sub-divisional offices under the hydrology project in the state,” he added.

On the occasion, following the demand of the residents of Nurpur sub-division, the Minister said Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal was in favour of carving out new districts and Nurpur would get justice as and when new districts were carved out. Local MLA Rakesh Pathania hanked the Chief Minister and Ravi for giving nod to the Rs 147-crore Finna Singh Irrigation Project for the area, which had been pending for quite a long. Later, Ravi presided over a meeting of IPH officials at the PWD rest house and directed them to complete the ongoing work of IPH schemes within the scheduled period.

Bilaspur, January 18
The district administration here has made special arrangements to expedite action on all letters, communications and complaints etc received from the chief minister and members of Parliament by constituting a special wing named Chief Ministers’ Cell headed by additional district magistrate BR Kaundal to ensure speedy, time-bound and immediate disposal of all these cases. Deputy Commissioner Nandita Gupta said this here yesterday.

She said the cell had already started functioning and special staff of the DC office have also been placed at the disposal of this cell.

The DC said all heads of offices have also been asked to ensure speedy and immediate implementation of all letters and communications received from the CM and MPs and to keep a track of the action. She said all such communications would be printed on special pink coloured paper to distinguish these from other documents.

Shimla, January 18
In an initiative to take advantage of the fast growing e-commerce sector, the Himachal government today launched its e-shopping web portal to enable customers across the world to buy handicrafts produced in the state online at a click of the mouse.

The web portal run by the state handicrafts and handlooms corporation hosts around 1,000 products, including traditional hand woven shawls, Himachali caps, mufflers, Kinnauri pashmina shawls, stoles, and other woollen items, jewellery, metal craft items, miniature paintings and various other products. Payment could be made through credit card and the product will be sent through courier service within three weeks of placing the order.

Launching the web portal, Industries Minister Krishan Kapoor said while craftsmen of the state would get a global marketing platform, customers would be able to buy genuine products. He said the initiative was a part of the government’s efforts to raise the socioeconomic status of craftsmen by providing market for their products.

The corporation was also implementing three major projects involving an expenditure of Rs 2.65 crore under the handloom cluster scheme in Kullu, Gohar (Mandi) and Reckong Peo providing employment to 5,714 weavers. Besides two design development projects were also being implemented for creating shawls and Chamba chappal.

Regarding the financial health of the corporation, he said the accumulated losses had touched Rs 17 crore but the situation had started improving from the last year when the loss came down from Rs 66 lakh to Rs 12 lakh. Further, improvement was likely this year. The total sales of corporation had increased from Rs 23 lakh to Rs 4.05 crore. The exhibition-cum-sale being organised had helped marketing of products. In all 30 exhibitions were organised within and outside the state.

Chamba, January 18
The Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress today held a rally here to highlight the ongoing policies and programmes of the UPA government.

Addressing the rally, All-India Youth Congress general secretary Amarender Singh Brar stressed on the significant initiatives taken by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi. He said the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme was providing livelihood to the poor.

Chamba, January 18
The police seized 11.5 kg charas (bhang) from the possession of two persons at Gunnu nullah on the Chamba-Bairagarh highway yesterday.

According to the police, it had put a barrier at Gunnu Nala when two persons, Mousam Deen (35) and Madho Ram (27), who were riding a motorcycle, were given a signal to stop. However, instead of halting they picked up speed and ran away.

This raised suspicion on the riders and a police party was immediately rushed to chase them. Both of them were nabbed at Kandla. On searching their luggage, the police recovered 11.5 kg of charas from their possession, the report divulged.

A case under Section 20 of the NDPS Act has been registered against them at the Tissa police station. The accused belonged to the remote areas falling in Churah sub-division of 
the district.

Sundernagar: The Jogindernagar police on Monday arrested six persons with 2.1 kg of charas and impounded a motorcycle and a car from them in two separate cases. All of them have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

The police nabbed Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Ajhu, and Sanjeev Kumar of Matru village at Radha Bakhehar near Jogindernagar and recovered 1.1 kg charas from them. The motorcycle on which they were travelling was also impounded.

In another incident, the police while checking traffic at Ghatta recovered 1kg of charas from a car (HP-68-9494) and arrested four youths - Mahesh Walia from Thakurdwara, Monu and Bharat Bhushan from Bidravan, Sidharth Sharma from Dehan, Kangra.