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McLeodganj-Baghsunag road picture of chaos
Dumping of garbage into Gobind Sagar goes unchecked
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Palampur residents forced to consume muddy water
Pensioners rue govt apathy
180 cases settled at ‘Sarkar Aap Ke Dwar’
Hailstorm damages 80 pc mango crop
NGO out to promote traditional crops
An achiever in quest of research
vignettes
Himachal diary
MNREGA helps lift rural infrastructure
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McLeodganj-Baghsunag road picture of chaos
Dharamsala, June 29 Tourists had to remain in their vehicles for hours due to traffic jams. Locals, too, have resented the lackadaisical attitude of the administration in addressing the problem. Vikas Nehria, a hotelier, says Bhagsunag and Dharamkot are the only places where locals have set up tourism infrastructure. In McLoedganj, most of the hotels and shops belong to Tibetans. “However, the government has failed to provide us a good road. Traffic jams that have haunted tourists during the entire season might discourage them from coming to this place in future,” he says. Dinesh, another local who runs a guesthouse at Bhagsunag, alleges that suggestions given by locals to ease out traffic have been ignored by the administration. The locals have suggested that a small bypass from Dharamkot road can help vehicles avoid the major bottleneck on the Baghsunag-McLeodganj road, which is its initial portion where many illegal structures have been raised by Tibetans that has reduced the road width to just 10 ft. However, if it is bypassed by constructing another link to the road, traffic can be regulated. Another long-term solution to the problem, as suggested by locals, is connecting Baghsunag with the Indrunag road. If constructed, one-way traffic rule can be implemented that would help eliminate traffic blockades. The locals have also suggested that traffic lights can be installed on the congested portion of the road. Only one-way traffic should be allowed on the narrow stretch with both sides manned traffic cops. This can prove to be an affective short-term remedy. Inquiries reveal that parking along the narrow road and encroachments are also a major reason for traffic jams. Most of the hoteliers along the road have not left any place for parking due to which vehicles are parked along the road. The problem can be solved by either forcing hoteliers to provide parking space in their establishments or construct a bigger public parking lot. In many cases, tourists are being allowed to take their mini-buses till Baghsunag even during peak hours. Such vehicles create traffic jams as they need more space. The entry of such vehicles should be restricted.
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Dumping of garbage into Gobind Sagar goes unchecked
Bilaspur, June 29 All efforts of a number of social organisations here to make the government aware of its onerous responsibility to take care of garbage and ensure its right disposal like setting up of a working incinerator or arranging to turn it into useful compost and manure at a suitable place away from the town and Gobind Sagar have not borne any fruit. The matter has not gone ahead than false assurances and repeated unfulfilled declarations. Gobind Sagar is a source to a number of drinking water schemes downstream, the major one being for the hill shrine town of Naina Devi and also indirectly to Bilaspur town itself at Nalyan Ka Naun. Presently, the garbage is being dumped into Khairiyan at a slope of Gobind Sagar on the outskirts of the town which leads most of the garbage and filth into Gobind Sagar, while the stink and the unseemly sight has been a cause of constant irritation for the residents of five villages living nearby who repeatedly protested against the dumping and have asked the government and the deputy commissioner to shift the place of dumping away from there. The All-Party Bhakra Oustees Rights Protection Committee here has presented a detailed memorandum to the Chief Minister on the subject last month and the Chief Minister has assured to look into the matter and solve the problem at the earliest.
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Palampur residents forced to consume muddy water
Palampur, June 29 Though the state government had spent over Rs 3 crore on the water treatment plant installed at Bundla village near the town, it hardly functions to the satisfaction and residents were left with no alternative except to consume muddy water. It is feared that if no timely action was taken, any epidemic could break out in the region. The department has so far failed to initiate any action against Om Power Corporation, a Andhra-based company who was executing a 15-MW hydel project near the town and had damaged its water sources. A senior official of the department alleged that because of reckless cutting of hills by the company, water sources and water supply lines carrying water to the town and the adjoining areas had been damaged at various points. He said in the present circumstances, the water treatment plant could only treat water to a certain limit, when there was a heavy flow of silt it stops functioning. He said so far the company had caused a loss of Rs 3 crore to the department and he had submitted a bill to the general manager of the company to deposit the money in the state exchequer immediately so that the entire water supply system and the treatment plant could be repaired. He said the matter had also been brought to the notice of IPH Minister Ravinder Thakur recently. On the spot visit, it was seen that water tanks of the department were in a bad shape. There is no regular cleaning of water tanks. Most of the water tanks were filled with silt, mud, leaves and insects. In the absence of a proper boundary wall, stray animals were freely roaming inside the water treatment plant complex. It may be recalled that in Dhauladhar ranges falling between Dharamsala and Baijnath, half a dozen small hydel projects were being executed by private companies, mostly from Andhra Pradesh. Since these companies had strong political connection inside and outside the state, therefore they were playing havoc with the nature and flouting terms and conditions of the MoU signed with the state government. These companies even do not bother to reply legal notices served by the SDM and executive engineer, IPH, Palampur. Unfortunately, there was no government agency here that could ask these companies for the proper implementation of the MoU. The State Forest Department and the HPSEB had been made the nodal agencies by the state government to keep a check on these companies. But these departments were also dancing according to the tunes of power companies and extending unwanted favours at the cost of the state government. These companies have not only caused loss to the environment, but have also damaged as many as 24 drinking water supply schemes in the region. Water sources of all major drinking water supply schemes had been covered with debris and clay thrown by these companies.
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Pensioners rue govt apathy
Bilaspur, June 29 District association president Rama Nand Sharma, general secretary Jagdish Dinesh and spokesman Hukam Sigh Thakur said here that the association demanded that the government should keep its word and immediately release all financial benefits to them. The association also demanded Rs 500 as a monthly medical allowance, increase of 5 per cent and 10 per cent in pension on attaining the age of 65 and 75 years, respectively, immediate release of 8 per cent dearness allowance on the pattern of Punjab, payment of all pension arrears on the central government pattern. Pensioners express anguish over delay in overdue medical bills.
Release medical bills
CHAMBA: The Himachal Pradesh Pensioners Welfare Association has shown anguish and ire over the inordinate delay in the payment of their medical bills pending for the past over one year. Association spokesman PC Oberoy regretted that about 200 pensioners of Chamba district had been waiting for their medical bills amounting to more than Rs 22 lakh for a long
time. Oberoy urged Chief Minister PK Dhumal to constitute a ‘pension
adalat’ at the state headquarters which should undertake monthly tours of all districts in the
state. Oberoy also urged dhumal to take necessary steps to deal with the cases of revision of pension of those who retired after December 31, 2005, as many such cases had been pending with the Accountant-General,
Himachal, Shimla, for a long time.
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180 cases settled at ‘Sarkar Aap Ke Dwar’
Palampur, June 29 As many as 358 applications were registered, out of which 180 were disposed of instantly delivering immediate relief to the aggrieved parties, while the rest were handed over to the departments concerned for time-bound disposal of the same under intimation to the applicants. The programme lasted for over 4.30 hours. The Chief Minister said the government had launched the programme with a view to providing an opportunity to the aggrieved people to get their grievances redressed by the authorities concerned. He said he had himself been holding such programmes during his tour to different parts of the state which had been helping people to get their problems solved instantly thereby saving them from unnecessary travel to Shimla or other offices. He said it had also been saving the time and trouble people used to take to bring such cases to the notice of higher authorities. He said all authorities had been directed to accord top priority to public grievances and deliver immediate relief to them by taking prompt action in the matter. Dhumal sanctioned additional funds for the completion of various ongoing development projects in different parts of the district over and above the already sanctioned budget. He sanctioned Rs 1.95 lakh in favour of Naresh Sharma of Bharmar village for muscular dystrophy operation expenses at Sion Hospital, Mumbai; Rs 1.50 lakh for Mahila Mandal, Khadi Manah; Rs 2 lakh for Mahila Mandal, Andarli Manah, Rs 20 lakh for the reconstruction of GSSS building at Lohardi in the Chhota Bhangal area. He directed the authorities to complete the construction of government degree college, Baijnath, building by December 2010, and restore regular drinking water supply to Sansai-Koti-Majhoti village. RS Gupta, deputy commissioner, Kangra, welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for holding the first-of-its-kind programme in the state at Baijnath providing an opportunity to the people of the area to address their grievances one to one with the Chief Minister and get relief. Ravinder Ravi, IPH Minister, Kishan Kapoor, Industries Minister, Ramesh Dhwala, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister, Sarveen Chaudhary, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Vipan Parmar, Parveen Sharma, Sanjay Chaudhary, MLAs, Des Raj Bagi, chairman, Zila Parishad, RS Mankotia, chairman, Kangra Central Cooperative Bank, Chaman Lal Grover, president, Baijnath BJP Mandal, Trilok Kapoor, chairman, Woolfed, senior officers of different departments and prominent people of the area were present on the occasion.
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Hailstorm damages 80 pc mango crop
Nurpur, June 29 According to Bajinder Singh, Horticulture Development Officer, Nurpur block, said 80 per cent loss had been reported to the mango crop. “The citrus fruit and litchi crops have also experienced about 30 per cent loss due to the hailstorm,” he added. Shamsher Rana, tassociate director, regional horticulture research station, Jachh, near here , said hailstorm had not only damaged fruit crops but also polyhouses in the area. He also admitted that hails of this size and weight were noticed in this area for the first time . Local MLA Rakesh Pathania said as the hailstorm had broken the backbone of growers in the Nurpur assembly segment, he would take up the matter with Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.
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NGO out to promote traditional crops
Shimla, June 29 To begin with it has decided to focus on buckwheat, the staple food of tribal along with barley for centuries. Its nutritive value not only enabled the local people to combat cold and remain healthy even while forced to live a sedentary life locked indoor during the prolonged winter due to snow. With the opening of the land-locked area over the past three decades and easy availability of wheat, rice and other commodities through the public distribution system, local people gradually stopped growing traditional crops and switched over to apple and other cash crops. Things have come to such a pass in recent years that those growing traditional crops like buckwheat were looked down upon as it got identified with the poor. The only way to make local people revert to the traditional crops is to make them realise the health benefits and nutritive value. Not only that, with increasing health awareness buckwheat and other traditional products are much in demand and, thus, fetching a good price. The problem is that few tribal farmers were growing these crops nowadays, points out Dr Lal Singh, Director of the HRG The idea to promote local farm produce struck him during the Sangla Household Tourism Festival, a brainchild of Dr Tej Pratap Singh, Vice-Chancellor of Chaudhry Shrawan Kumar University of Agriculture , Palampur, started three years ago. The objective was to sell agri-tourism to high-end visitors on the pattern of Sweden and some other European countries. While planning the festival we realised that tourists were served the standard cuisine for which every item was procured from far away and local dishes were not available even in hotels and eating places in the valley. Thus, we decided to make local food court an important part of the festival for which some special tribal delicacies were selected. By the third year the local cuisine emerged as an attraction,particularly dishes like “Joota” (jalebi made from buckwheat flour) served with honey or yak butter. There are several other dishes made from buckwheat from the two varieties grown in Kinnaur. The coarse dark variety locally called phaphra (Fagopyrum tatricum) with somewhat bitter taste used to make chiltas flat cakes baked like chapattis on iron plate was the commoner’s daily food. A finer sweet variety called ogla (Fagopyrum esculentum) was the staple food of better-off people. Lal Singh informs that one cup (168 gm) of buckwheat contains 154 calories, 33 per cent manganese and 22 per cent magnesium. Its rich supply of flavonoids, particularly rutin, protects against disease by extending the action of vitamin C and acting as antioxidants. Buckwheat's lipid-lowering activity is largely due to rutin and other flavonoid compounds. They help maintain blood flow, keep platelets from clotting excessively and boosts high ratio of HDL (health-promoting cholesterol) to total cholesterol. IT also helps in bringing down the level of blood sugar by up to 19 per cent and prevents post-menstrual breast cancer among women. The HRG will document all scientific data pertaining to the local varieties to create awareness about the health benefits not only among the tourists but also the tribal farmers so that they again start growing these vanishing crops on commercial scale.
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An achiever in quest of research
Shimla, June 29 It is precisely for this very reason that he has been chosen for a research fellowship by Chungyaun Christian University, Taiwan. He has earned the distinction of being the first student from his institute for being chosen for the distinguished international graduate student (DIGS) two-year fellowship. Having completed his BE Honours) from Birla Institute of Science and Technology (BITS), Pilani, in Electronics and Instrumentation, he has his eyes set on bigger things as he plans to make the most of this honour bestowed on him. "Rather than picking up a job and earning big bucks I want to do dynamic research in micro-electronics and this fellowship would definitely provide me the best possible opportunity for higher research," he says. Having completed his 12th from the local St Edward's School in 2006, he got admission to BITS, Pilani. He has the area of research in applied nano instrumentation and microelectronics as his subject for higher studies which he would be able to pursue very well after going to Taiwan University. He gives the credit for his success goes to his parents and teachers. His father TC Bhalla and mother S. Bhalla are teaching in HP University.
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Old lady Gaiety in new make-up
by Shriniwas Joshi The Gaiety of Shimla completed one year in its new avatar on June 25 this year. Heralding the occasion, the State Language and Culture Department organised a three-day variety entertainment festival. The department, however, continued sleeping over the pending financial and other issues of Mumbai-based architect Ved Segan whose commitment and dedication in conserving the over 100-year-old Gaiety gave this gift to Shimla which, today, is the cultural heartthrob of the state capital. My purpose, however, is not to touch the paining nerve. On the happy occasion, I compliment the department for enriching the cultural life of the natives and tourists in the past one year, when it could manage to keep the theatre complex humming for more than 200 days. It is indeed a great achievement. I recall the good old days when I shared this stage with actors like Manohar Singh and Anupam Kher. I remember a renowned dancer doing Shiv-tandav falling into the music pit and taken to hospital, have seen those portraying ‘dying for each other’ friends on stage indulge in fist-fighting in the green room, was embarrassed to hear the conceited director passing cuss-words to the backstage staff. I have also read the ‘dedication in admiration’ to the off-stage staff in the ‘Centenarian’ by PH Denyer, published in 1937, which I think is the fittest of all the texts that I have gone through, “To all those ladies and gentlemen, who since the beginning of amateur theatricals in Simla have undertaken the many onerous but unseen duties without which no play could ever be staged - to mistresses of the robes, scene painters, prompters and stage managers of various plays, and to those who, between plays, have laboured back stage, in auditorium, office and green room. Their names are legion. They receive small praise and no plaudits, but denied their assistance, actors might pose and producers strut in vain.” Miss Eden, sister of Governor-General Auckland, wrote in 1838 about a man playing a women’s role presenting his enormous flat back to the audience and the lover observing with great pathos, “Upon my soul that is a most interesting gurl.” Then there was a gentleman who insisted on doing a woman’s role with his ‘as they were’ moustaches. Was there a dearth of girls stepping onto the stage then? Sixty years after, The Yeoman of the Guard played in 1899 had women in numbers (See photo). Then there is the story of Lord Lytton, Viceroy (1876-80), directing a self-written play Walpole. It was a play dealing with Jacobite plots in rhymed Alexandrine verse. “Some of the actors found the length of verse anything but easy matter to commit to memory; but then a Viceroy as stage manager (called director now) doesn’t appear every day, and no doubt both audience and actors hid their troubles with a becoming show of enthusiasm.” A successful play of 1934 was Interference. Its leading lady, Mrs. Elwin, fainted off-stage. Her understudy, Mrs. King, who had learnt her lines just two days earlier, was summoned. She was going to bed but rushed to the Gaiety and performed her part splendidly in the third act. Then there is the story of Mrs. W’s dress that she wore for ‘The Scarlet Pimpernel’ in 1911 and wanted to sell it to the Gaiety. It refused to buy that. W left the dress and went out in a huff. Lo! Mrs. H was seen wearing the same dress at the Black Hearts Ball. The Gaiety had to pay the price to W. How did it happen? Did W persuade H to wear that? Or stage properties were being hired out by an unknown member? The records are silent.
Tailpiece
When cinema made its way, Noel Coward wrote: “Who’s going to pay four rupees to see the Simla amateurs when you can get Greta Garbo (Hollywood film actress) for eight annas.” Some one scribbled: ‘The public wants flesh and blood - not cheesy photographs.’
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Theatre, other forms of art thrive
Restored to its original shape, Shimla’s historic Gaiety Theatre completed one year of existence in its "new avtar" on June 25. The year gone by has been full of activity. After its restoration not only was theatre revived but other forms of art like painting exhibitions, film festivals and other important events were also held on a regular basis. The majestic Gothic structure was restored at a cost of Rs 12 crore and the painstaking effort to create its original ambience took more than five years. The restoration of the theatre has also revived artistic activities in the city in a big way and it has been used for enacting plays but also painting exhibition, live musical performances and other creative forms. The Language, Art and Culture Department organised a special three-day festival to mark the occasion during which a dance-drama, folk music, folk dances and plays were performed. A dance-drama "Jhansi Ki Rani Laxmi Bai" (See photo) enacted by school children and directed by Poona Sharma drew much acclaim. The Lalit Kala Academy (LKA) also put up a new exhibition featuring 30 works of some prominent artists. It was dominated by acrylic paintings though some pencil sketches and unusual works in charcoal were also on display. This was the fourth exhibition over the past year by the LKA. The paintings made by master artists from across the country during a workshop organised at Gaiety early this year were also exhibited.
BSNL gears
up to improve service
BSNL mobile subscribers can hope for better services with the public sector undertaking deciding to take immediate steps to ease traffic congestion. It has drawn up a plan to the increase the number of BTS(base transmit stations) for 2G services from the existing 918 to 1438 while 3G services would be expended to 15 stations in the state to help maintain its top position in the hill state. The issues related to traffic congestion were discussed at the 7th regional traffic planning committee meeting of the north zone held at Barog early this week. The company has the highest 23 per cent market share in the state with 13 lakh mobile subscribers and 3.4 fixed line customers. It has set a target of expanding its network by 40 per cent by improving services. It has identified 33 traffic spots with large concentration of subscribers. It plans to install VSAT-based mobile services in 21 far-flung areas in the tribal belt.
Ready audience
School children are the most readily available audience to add numbers to functions of politicians and other VIPs. Little kids from the primary section to higher classes are lined up with garlands in their hands to welcome the chief guest in functions, raise slogans and at times to give standing ovation by clapping their little hands. It is usually the duty of the teachers to escort children to functions during school hours or even after the school. They not only have to spend long hours to rehearse for cultural items to be presented before the "netas" but even become part of the gathering to make it more presentable with their colourful dresses. The government schoolteachers are looking for such opportunities to please top politicians to serve their vested interests. They are eager to use student power to attract the attention of political masters who play a decisive role in transfers. The ultimate sufferer are school children, who have to stand in queues for several hours during their long waits for the VIPs, as no one is bothered whether they are thirsty , hungry or exhausted. It is hardly surprising that students often collapse during such functions. They are even made to sit in the audience, most of the times unwillingly, till the end of the function and made to clap intermittently. They are also the last to be served food or refreshment to ensure that they do not run away midway during the function. In one such function, where many school children were present, everybody else had taken for food except for school children. When some mediapersons inquired from a teacher why they were not taken for lunch he replied casually that they have had their midday meals in the school. An old timer said: "Nowadays teachers' major concern is to please their political masters rather than teaching students. Gone are the days when teachers acted like parents of students". (Contributed by Rakesh Lohumi and
D.P.Gupta)
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MNREGA helps lift rural infrastructure
Mandi, June 29 Major highlight of the success story of the scheme in the district is that the District Administration roped in the Mandi Saksharta Samiti, an NGO, who has done a commendable work in the literacy recharging traditional water sources, including ‘baolis’ and tanks in the district. Sharing the MNREGA success story with mediapersons at a “meet the press” programme here recently, Mandi deputy commissioner Amandeep Garg said the Act was launched in the district in 2007 at Paddar and today over 1,86,349 job cards have been issued till May in the district. As many as 32,643 works have been started under the programme, out of which 12,825 works have been completed and 19,768 works were under progress, he added. The main highlight of the programme is that women participated in the scheme in a big way that generated over 40.67 lakh workdays in the past three years. “We issued 1.86 lakh job cards in the district, out of which 41,262 card holders sought 100 days’ work,” the DC said. He said the works were executed under the MNREGA guidelines by opening 1.24 lakh bank accounts and 17,330 accounts in post offices in the district. The centre allotted Rs 40 crore and the state government gave Rs 17.2 crore this year, he added. The MNREGA charted a success story in conservation of over 10,397 traditional water sources spreading in 473 gram panchayats. In 1,821 water conservation works, over 2.85 crore litres of water was stored at the cost of Rs 10.91 crore in the last three years in the district, giving succor to the water-starved villagers, he added. Even the villagers heaved a sigh of relief getting village roads. Over 7.49 lakh village roads were built in the past three years here, he added. Garg said as man as 408 various works worth Rs 5.2 crore have been launched in 20 gram panchayats on a pilot basis. Block-level committees are keeping a tab on the progress of works to bring about transparency and accountability, he added. He said the district has also set-up a target of constructing 772 houses under the Indira Awas Yojna and 611 houses under the Atal Awas Yojna this year. “We have popularised the Deen Dayal Kisan Bagwan and Dugdh Ganga Scheme among farmers in the district”. Garg said the administration roped in the NGO and involved the participation of women. The programme has brought about social solidarity and consolidation. He said the grievances were addressed and actions were taken against the erring pradhans or other panchayats representatives in cases of misuse of funds or other bungling. “We have an agricultural expert who guides the programme,” he added.
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Dharamsala, June 29
Over 50,000 residents of Palampur town and its adjoining areas are forced to consume muddy and contaminated drinking water during the rainy season every year as water treatment plant of the Irrigation and Public Health Department has virtually become non-functional due to the large-scale inflow of silt and mud because of reckless cutting of hills by a private company executing power project near the water source.
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal presided over a programme “Sarkar Aap Ke Dwar” organised by the Kangra District Administration at Baijnath in Kangra district last week to listen to public grievances and resolve the same in consultation with senior officers accompanying the Chief Minister’s entourage.
The recent hailstorm on June 22 night, accompanied by rain, played havoc with the standing mango and other fruit crops in lower Kangra district. The fruit growers this time were expecting a bumper mango crop this year after the failure of the past two consecutive crops due to natural calamities. Earlier during setting of the mango fruit, a storm hit their crop causing 30 to 40 per cent damage but now colossal hailstorm hit the mango, litchi and citrus fruit crops dashing the hopes of growers. A large number of birds also died in the hailstorm.
tourism initiative to boost the local economy of in the picturesque Sangla valley in tribal Kinnaur district, the Himalaya Research Group now proposes to preserve the vanishing local crops by creating awareness among the tribal people about their nutritional value and abundant health benefits.
