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Ropeway promoters seek two more floors
Sale of apple carton factory
Chota Bhangal residents stage dharna
Protest against abattoir site
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RS poll on March 26
Solan-based institute’s affiliation withdrawn
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Ropeway promoters seek two more floors
Shimla, February 23 With the setting up of the aerial ropeway project in the green area where there has been a blanket ban on construction for the past one decade being controversial right from the outset, the Core Area Committee has now decided to seek the opinion of forest and tourism authorities before taking a final decision. The Core Area Committee, at its recent meeting, had sought the opinion of the Forest and Tourism Departments over the request of Jagson International Limited to allow them construct two additional floors. The company is learnt to have taken the plea that construction of two storeys would help them raise the height of the cable, thus saving a number of trees from being axed. While the government has not given any relaxation to plot owners in the green area where the ban on construction continues since 2000, making an exception for a company and that too for habitable floors would not be justified. “Height can be gained by making two floors on stilts. Hence, I see no reason as to why the company has sought permission for habitable storeys, which gives them scope for its use for commercial purpose,” quipped a senior forest official. “We have asked the forest authorities to visit the spot and specify as to how many trees will be saved by construction of two additional storeys, only then shall we take a final decision,” said a member of the Core Area Committee. Sources in the local Municipal Corporation (MC) confirmed that the case of Jakhu aerial ropeway had been referred to the Core Area Committee along with the violations in construction by the company. The company already has permission for construction of 11 floors and that too in the core and green area where the regulations are very stringent for the common man. As far as construction in 17 green belts in the town is concerned, no concession has been made by the government as not even need-based construction is permissible for the common man whose requests are pending with the Town and Country Planning Department for the past several years. |
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Sale of apple carton factory
Shimla, February 23 President of the federation Ravinder Chauhan said the factory catered to the need of growers in the state by producing cartons of high quality and its closure would leave them at the mercy of private manufacturers. Once the public sector unit was wound up, there would be no check on private plants. The prices of cartons in the open market were bound to go up as a result. He pointed out that in the last season, the factory did not produce any cartons which led to an increase of Rs 10 in the price of the carton. The machinery of the plant was not in such a bad condition that it was being sold as scrap. The government should get the value of the plant evaluated by experts and make it public, he added. Further, the loss of corporation was also not very high considering the fact that the financial health of many other public sector undertaking was much worse. The federation hailed the announcement to set up a processing plant in the premises of the factory and said it should be established on the vacant land and not at the site of carton unit. It urged the government to take up the matter regarding illegal commission being charged from growers, particularly in the BJP-ruled states like Gujarat, Karnatka and Madhya Pradesh, which were charging 10 per cent commission from sellers instead of buyers. It also drew attention to the irregular trading and unscrupulous practices in small markets of the state and stressed the need to enforce rules and regulations, which were being violated by traders with impunity. It demanded introduction of market intervention scheme from vegetables and stone fruit from this season itself and take steps to repair roads which were in a bad shape so that growers do not face problems in transporting their produce in the ensuing season. |
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Chota Bhangal residents stage dharna
Dharamsala, February 23 About 300 residents from one of remotest and backward areas of Kangra district travelled about 140 km to stage the dharna. The Chota Bhangal area comprises primarily of 11 villages. They include Tarmehal, Chudarh, Swar, Cherna, Bhujling, Poling, Khari Malah, Andarli Malah, Napota, Ropru and Lowai. The villages are located in remote hills and there is hardly any road to these villages. People have to walk for miles to Loharadi, a centrally located ramshackle market, for their daily needs. The residents of the area are dependent on forest for their daily needs as firewood, wood for constructing houses and fodder for animals. However, since the government included the entire Chota Bhangal area in Dhauladhar wildlife sanctuary, they are
feeling aggrieved. While talking to The Tribune, the residents alleged that according to conditions laid by the Supreme Court, they could not pick even decaying wood from the wildlife sanctuary area. “We cannot graze our animals there and can neither collect fodder for them,” they alleged. The residents of Chota Bhangal have been left on their own fate by politicians. During the last Lok Sabha elections, about 8,000 voters of the area boycotted the elections in protest. However, it failed to draw any response from those in power. Till date, none of the contesting politician has visited the area. |
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Protest against abattoir site
Shimla, February 23 The residents, including a large number of women, under the banner of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), marched from Totu to the DC’s office. The members of the JAC submitted a memorandum to the DC, addressed to the Chief Minister, to shift the abattoir to another site. As a mark of their support to the demand of the locals, the markets in Boileauganj, Totu, Summer Hill, Tanda, Hiranagar, Banuti remained closed. The residents demanded that keeping sentiments of people of the area in mind, the government must shift the project to another site or else they would have to launch an agitation. The residents said despite the opposition by the locals, the municipal corporation (MC) had even awarded contract and work had already started at the site.
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RS poll on March 26
Shimla, February 23 The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the election to Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal on March 26, which will be falling vacant after the completion of term of office of Anand Sharma on April 2. Stating this here today Anil Kumar Khachi, Chief Electoral Officer, said the notification to this regard would be issued on March 9 and March 16 would be the last date for filing
of nomination. The last date for withdrawal of candidature would be March 19. |
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Solan-based institute’s affiliation withdrawn
Shimla, February 23 The decision was taken at the meeting of the executive committee of the HPU chaired by Vice-Chancellor Sunil Kumar Gupta, here today. The council approved the annual accounts for the year 2005-2006 and annual report for the year 2007-08. The EC approved the appointments of Dr SK Sharma, Reader in Physical Education, Dr Kulbhushan Chandel, Dr Om Prakash and Dr Devinder Sharma as Readers in Commerce and Dr Sanjay Sidhu, Reader in Law under the career advancement scheme. The council approved the appointments of Dr Vinay Kanwar, Dr Jyoti Prakash, Dr PL Sharma and Dr Khem Chand as Readers in departments of Mathematics at PG Centre, Dr Vijayata Pathania, Dr Tilak Raj Sharma and Dr Naresh Kumar as lecturers in mathematics in regional centre, Dharamshala, Dr Mukta Sharma as lecturer in geology at Dharamsala, Dr Sanjay Sharma, Dr Hari Singh as lecturers in physical education at PG centre and Dr Balak Ram Thakur lecturer in Geography. |
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