Hamirpur, June 4
While a Junior Basic Training (JBT) trainee observing indefinite hunger strike since Tuesday in front of the JBT training institute at Gauna Karor fainted today, the police reportedly used force against the agitating trainees beating up about 50 trainees, including a large number of girls.

While leaders of agitating JBT trainees claim beating up of agitating trainees by the police force, but the authorities denied any lathi charge.

Sunil Kumar, district vice-president of JBT Trainees Kalyan Sangh, said, “When we went inside the institute to inform the authorities to send a message to the principal secretary (Education) about deteriorating condition of fellow trainees sitting on indefinite hunger strike for the last four days the police manhandled the trainees and girl trainees were hit by the police sitting in buses.” He said, “About 50 students, most of them girls, were beaten up by the police near the DIET campus and the injured were taken to the Nadaun Hospital.”

On the other hand, ASP Gurdev Chand said, “The police was informed by the DIET authorities during the day that the JBT trainees had locked up the principal and staff inside their offices after which it intervened to rescue them; meanwhile, some of the students got violent and clashed with the police.” He said, “The police did not use lathis against the agitating trainees.”

Meanwhile, fasting trainee Anil Kumar fainted during the day today.

DHARAMSALA: The situation turned tense here, when a Junior Basic Training (JBT) teacher fainted on Friday and had to be hospitalised.

According to sources, Ishan Rana, a student of District Institute of Elementary Training (DIET) at Dharamsala, fainted after viewing the news regarding a girl student from Nahan DIET on TV. The girl student had allegedly cut her wrist vein to protest against the government policy of recruiting them on contract.

Other students of DIET Dharamsala, who took Ishan Rana to Dharamsala zonal hospital, said he fainted immediately after watching the news.

SHIMLA: Observing a fast unto death in support of their demand for regular service bond, the trainees undergoing JBT course from all over the state on Friday blocked traffic on the national highway near 103 Tunnel for almost an hour.

With the fast unto death by JBT trainees in the state capital entering the fourth day on Friday, the condition of some of them worsened. One of the JBT trainees, Anita, was shifted to hospital yesterday after her condition deteriorated. The commuters were put to a lot of inconvenience on account of road blockade before the vehicular movement was restored by the posse of police personnel present there.

The protesting trainees said they would continue with their agitation till the government did not accepted their demand of signing of a regular service bond, guaranteeing them a job after completion of their training.

“Though we have been invited by the government for talks tomorrow but we have rejected the offer as we want the government to first accept our main demand of signing of regular service bond,” said Anil Sharma, president of the JBT Trainees Union.

MANDI: Condition of three JBT students — Praveen Kumar, DR Yadav and Rajesh - who have been on indefinite hunger strike started deteriorating here on Friday as their fast entered its third day.

The JBT protesters gheraoed Gopalpur MLA Inder Singh Thakur when he entered the SP office as the government remained indifferent to their demand.

The protesting students rued that the government was not serious about their future as it had thrown them at the mercy of the bureaucracy.

Shimla, June 4
In its endeavour to make Naggar, the home of Russian artist and philosopher Nicholas Roerich, an international memorial, Russia is keen to revive “Urusvati”, the Himalayan Research Institute set up by his son George, which had to be closed down during the World War II.

In a query relating to strengthening of India-US ties, the diplomat said Indo-Russia relations were so deep-rooted and special that they could not be impacted by other factors. “We are certainly not jealous as India is Russia’s sister and we wish her the very best in getting a good bride for herself,” he remarked. He added India was a rich fiancée whom everybody wanted to court.

Here on a private visit, Russian Ambassador to India, Alexander Kadakin, in an exclusive interview with The Tribune, said talks had already been held with the Indian government with regard to breathing life into the “Urusvati” set up by renowned orientalist George Yuri Nicholas in 1928 at Naggar in Kullu under the guidance of his father Roerich.

An International Memorial Roerich Trust has already been set up at Naggar where an Arts college is functioning with thrust being on promotion of cultural and performing arts.

“A lot of money will have to be pumped into the institute so that research in varied fields can be undertaken as such works were never revived after its closure,” said Kadakin. He added that a vision document would be prepared in this regard.

“Urusvati”, meaning “Light of the Morning Sun”, was founded in 1928 to study the spirit of the Himalayas, history and culture of the region and the traditional Indian and Tibetan medicines.

However, as part of long-term planning, Russia was keen to have a residential complex for research scholars so that they could stay there and study the works of the great philosopher.

Kadakin said India had every right to choose its partners in international cooperation but reminded that Russia was the first country which gave due recognition to India’s prowess several decades back. “We must not revel in the past laurels as we have to forge ahead by strengthening our ties in every sphere,” he opined.

Reiterating Russia’s interest in making investment in the hydor-power sector in Himachal, he said in case a concrete project was submitted, they would be more than happy to share their expertise and knowledge. 

Hamirpur, June 4
DC Abhishek Jain has said 106 farmers have started dairy projects under the Doodh Ganga scheme in the district for which loans of Rs 85.11 lakh have been given by various banks to purchase milch cattle.

Talking to mediapersons here yesterday, he said the scheme, which had been launched by the state government with a basic aim of creating self-employment by enhancing milk production, was a complete concept to give benefit to farmers.

Jain said maximum farmers from the Toani Devi and Panjot area have taken up this activity and he had asked the Animal Husbandry Department to create awareness among farmers since this was a very beneficial scheme.

He said under the scheme any farmer could take a loan from a bank up to Rs 3 lakh to buy 10 cattle. The cattle would be insured by banks and NABARD would provide 50 per cent subsidy on loan interest and a loanee paying regular instalments were given another 50 per cent subsidy on the interest.

He said dairy related other activity like buying chilling machines and opening animal clinics etc could also be started by seeking loans under the scheme by unemployed rural youth.

Groups taking up dairying activity under the Doodh Ganga scheme get special incentives and farmers should approach there nearest veterinary doctor to adopt the scheme, the DC added.

Tattapani (Mandi), June 4
After bidding farewell to arms, ex-servicemen have turned “eco-soldiers” who have charted a success story in greening barren hills along the Sutlej catchments.

They have accomplished in three years’ time what the HP forest department could not do in decades, sending a befitting message on the occasion of World Environment Day tomorrow with its theme, “Biodiversity: Ecosystem management and green economy”.

The odd contingent of 100 ex-servicemen, who joined territorial Army’s 133 Eco Task Force, has already greened 280 hectares of barren hill sides along the Sutlej, the catchments area treatment (CAT) plan of the 800 MW Kol Dam project.

The task force has scripted a survival rate of 85 per cent trees which is much higher than the dismal 20 to 30 per cent trees claimed by the state forest department. In view of this success, it has been assigned the task of greening 2,500 hectares of barren areas under CAT plans of Larji, Parbati and Allian-Duhangan power projects in Mandi-Kullu region and parts of the Chamba district, utilising the CAMPA funds.

Major Ajay Sangvan, Commander, 133 Task Force, said, “We first fence the area and then raise nursery of local samplings for plantation. We started in 2007 and have planted around 2,000 saplings in Tattapani in Mandi district successfully.”

The task force is not only greening the barren hills, it is also sensitising villagers about the importance of greenery in today’s life. Moreover, it has also developed camping sites for visitors to promote eco-tourism in the area that will raise additional income for villagers.

Col DS Chauhan, in charge of the task force, said, “Himachal declared its nine districts as drought-prone. Drinking water problem will aggravate as rains have been scanty. Villagers are now realising that we are planting trees for the benefit.”

He said they did a recce of 1,000 hectares of area assigned to them in the Kullu-Mandi region under CAT plans of the Beas. “We are recruiting a separate eco-task battalion to afforest Larji and other catchments. We target to plant saplings in 250 hectares of land in a year.” he added.

The forest department was in a fix over the use of CAT plan funds after the Supreme Court constituted the CAMPA to utilise the funds for the purpose. The funds were diverted to other purposes, leaving deserted areas all the more barren, sources revealed.

Forest Conservator BD Suyal said the state was getting Rs 30 crore CAMPA funds. “The HPSEB has given Rs 12.8 crore for afforestation of Larji area that fall partly in Kullu and Balichowki and Panarsa range in Mandi along the Beas,” he said.

Solan, June 4
With water bodies of the Baddi-Barotiwala Nalagarh (BBN) Industrial area getting choked with industrial effluents, the Environment Day, celebrated every year on June 5, seems to have lost its meaning.

The level of water pollution can be gauged from the fact that the two prime nullahs---Sandholi and Housing Board---have been found secreting noxious untreated effluents, making the water black and soapy.

This was attributed to effluents let into the nullahs by several paper, textile mills and other such units. Though routine samples were taken by the field staff and sent for analysis, it was learnt that the water quality was going from bad to worse in these nullahs.

Dr Harish Sharma, Regional Officer, Parwanoo, confirmed that routine samples were received and its results served as the baseline data for initiating corrective measures.

Worse still, character of the water suddenly changed with dark chemical-ridden water becoming visible at the place where the Sarsa rivulet confluenced into the Sutlej in Punjab, confided villagers of Khera Kalmot and its surrounding areas.

Various reports generated at the national-level by renowned agencies like the Central Pollution Control Board have placed this industrial area at a critical level after its Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index fared at a high 69.07 last year.

Further, the environment sustainability index placed the state at 13th rank with 61.32 score, showing moderate sustainability. Since parameters like water pollution in the form of untreated waste water discharge and level of biological oxygen demand, emission of NO2, SO2, CO2 and concentration of these gases along with suspended matter were important criteria which led to this conclusion, it was important to control environmental pollution emanating from the industries.aThough the board had undertaken an exercise to upgrade the pollution mitigation devices of the area, the approach seemed to be half-hearted. For instance, the board failed to take serious note of non-operational effluent treatment plant of a unit as its operations were restored within a week of suspension.

Mandi, June 4
Dinanath, a patient from Chachiot, is overwhelmed by the support and help for his proposed kidney transplant to be done at the PGI, but said he need Rs 70,000 more for the surgery.

He expressed thanks to Mandi DC Amandeep Garg who took his case with the Chief Minister and donated money from the Red Cross Society and urged other people to help out the poor patient.

Dinanath said his both kidneys have failed and he was surviving on dialysis. The doctors have told him that he needed Rs 4 lakh for the surgery. “We need Rs 70,000 more for the operation,” he said. — TNS