Shimla, August 7
The prices of apple crashed further in the Delhi market due to glut, causing concern to growers who have to spend almost 20 per cent more on transportation of produce due to increase in the cost of packaging material and freight charges this season.

The prices of the superior grade of the royal delicious variety plummeted today to Rs 900 from Rs 1,100 per box, almost 50 per cent of last year’s rates. The rich-a-red-variety is fetching only around Rs 500 per box. As many as 840 trucks carrying over 4 lakh apple boxes left the state for various markets over the past 24 hours as harvesting reached its peak as the region got some respite from incessant rain. The maximum 557 trucks were sent out from the Shimla region.

In all, 58 lakh boxes of apple have been exported out to various markets from the state till yesterday as against just 7 lakh boxes last year when the state had a poor crop. Even in the bumper year of 2008, only 37 lakh boxes had been sent out. Indeed the record crop, with estimated production of over 3 crore boxes, is not proving to be a very profitable proposition for the growers. In fact, marketing apple is a huge task given the dismal condition of roads and shortage of trucks. The dispute over payment of commission has only made things worse for them.

The only silver lining in the otherwise bleak scenario is that the upcoming markets within the state are doing very well this season. So far 21 lakh boxes, almost 36 per cent of the total produce market till date, have been sold in the markets within the state. In previous years, the percentage did not touch even 20 per cent. The maximum of 8 lakh boxes were in markets in Kulu, followed by Shimla (7.13 lakh boxes) and Solan (4.37 boxes).

On an average, 25,000 to 30,000 boxes are being sold at the Dhalli market near here where maximum of 5.37 lakh boxes have been traded.

However, transporting produce even up to Dhalli is not an easy task as trucks got stranded in long traffic jams at a dozen places over the 70 km stretch of the main road from Jubbal to Dhalli due to landslips, slush and ongoing road widening works. Even today, there were traffic jams between Kufri and Kharapathar.

Dharamsala, August 7
Two year, eight transfers and over 3,000 pending cases. This is the sorry state of the divisional commissioner Kangra’s office where litigants from Kangra, Chamba, Hamirpur and Una districts have been waiting for years to get justice in revenue or administrative cases.

The government has shifted the current divisional commissioner Omkar Sharma after a stint of just 7 months. However, data collected by The Tribune revealed that previous divisional commissioner had even shorter stints.

Manoj Kumar, who was posted as divisional commissioner in February 2008, was shifted just after 4 months in June 2008. Divisional commissioner JR Gupta joined in June 2008 and was shifted in October 2008 again after 4 months. Sanjay Gupta, next divisional commissioner, remained here for just two months. He joined in October and was transferred in December.

Ajay Prasad joined in December 2008 and left after six months in June 2009. Subhash Ahluwalia was placed here as divisional commissioner in June 2009. He also stayed here for less than a month and was transferred in July 2009. Ahluwalia was replaced by TC Janartha in September 2009. He was also transferred after three months in December 2009. He was replaced by Omkar Sharma who has now been replaced by Sanjay Gupta, who has joined here after the revocation of suspension in a corruption case.

The office of divisional commissioner, Kangra, assumes significance as it caters to about 40 per cent population of the state. Since the work of land settlement has not been finished in the district, thousands of revenue cases are pending in the court. People have been reeling for years to get justice in cases where lower revenue officials have committed small mistakes, landing them into trouble. The frequent change of the officer’s is a major reason for long pendency of cases.

Dharamsala, August 7
The Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha (BJYM) national president, Anurag Thakur, has termed the Union Finance Minister’s, Pranab Mukherjee, clarification on price rise as a joke with common people. The Finance Minister in his reply on debate on price rise has stated that high rate of inflation is an indication of economic growth.

The higher inflation, especially in case of essential and food commodities in the country, is a result of black marketing and hoarding. The UPA government has failed to check hoarders and black marketeers. It is strange that despite record production the prices of essential commodities are going up.

Anurag Thakur said this while talking to a section of media at the Dharamsala cricket stadium here today.

He also said the country was reeling due to lack of sustainable policies for foreign affairs and internal security. The situation in Kashmir had deteriorated after the reduction of armed forces in the valley. The policy of the present Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir to allow residents of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) in the valley has backfired.

Incidents of Naxal attacks on our national installations and security forces have become rampant. However, four major UPA ministers have different viewpoints over the issue that is being aired publicly. If just indifference in ruling alliance prevails, it is strange that how they will govern the country efficiently.

Anurag also chided the present government for failing to clear the air over corruption charges been levelled against the organisers of Commonwealth Games. The corruption charges against close aides of Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi, who is also a senior Congress leader, are serious in nature. He has offered to resign in case Congress president Sonia Gandhi asks him to do. Now the ball is lying in the court of the Congress president.

Earlier, Anurag inaugurated the NIIT institute at Dharamsala.

Hamirpur: Anuarg Thakur has expressed his serious concern on alleged reports of “bungling in the Commonwealth Games” and thorough scrutiny of all allegation concerning the Games.

Talking to media persons at Nadaun on Saturday, he expressed his doubts over the CBI investigation in this affair and said, “With the alleged interference of the central government in the working of the CBI there is little hope of fair investigation into this matter.”

Shimla, August 7
Chairman of the State Wool Federation Trilok Kapoor has been appointed general secretary of the BJP Janjati Morcha.

He has earlier remained vice-president of the morcha. A large number of leaders from the hill state have been given key positions in the BJP at the national-level. Apart form Shanta Kumar (vice-president), JP Nadda (general secretary) and Anurag Thakur (BJYM president), long-time state organising secretary Mohinder Pande has been appointed coordinator of all frontal organisations of the party.

Recently, former MP Suresh Chandel was given reins of Bhartiya Janata Party Kisan Morcha and another state party leader Baldev Bhandari was made its treasurer. Now the name of Trilok Kapoor has been added to the list of state leaders in national set up of party which seems to be becoming longer by the day.

Shimla, August 7
A major part of the Spiti valley was cut-off from the state due to a heavy rain and landslides and the 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri project remained closed for the third consecutive day today due to excessive silt in the swollen Sutlej.

While the only road linking Spiti with Lahaul was blocked by landslides, traffic on the highway from the Sumdoh side was disrupted due to waterlogging caused by the overflowing river near Tabo and slush at Malling.

Power was partially restored in Spiti and work was on to restore generation in the Rong Tong and Lingti projects which were shutdown after debris choked the intake.

The turbulent water of the Spiti river has further raised the level of silt in the Sutlej which has crossed 36,000 ppm (parts per million) at Nathpa. The discharge also remained high at 2300 cumecs. Resident of Tashi Gang village in Kinnaur complained that the district administration had not provided any relief to those whose houses were damaged by landslides on July 26 and again on August 3.

In Shimla, a tree fell on the Circular Road near Knollswood disrupting traffic for several hours.

Solan, August 7
In a daring broad daylight act, two motor cycle-borne youths broke a windowpane of a Nano (CH-01-A-8670), parked outside the Baddi branch of HDFC Bank, and vanished with Rs 2.61 lakh this morning.

The car belonged to Pritam Singh, manager of Torque Pharma. He had withdrawn the cash but left the bag in the car after he was informed that his car had been challaned for parking in the no-parking zone soon after coming out of the bank.

He went to collect the challan slip from the traffic policemen, standing nearby when the two motor cycle-borne youths, in a swift move, broke the windowpane and vanished with the cash, leaving the policemen baffled.

Though the policemen tried to stop them by hurling stones and requested the onlookers to make some vehicle available to chase the miscreants, none offered any help.

The miscreants were riding a numberless motor cycle, as was the case in several such instances in the past, thus leaving little clue for the police.

The policemen, while lamenting the lack of public support, said timely vehicle availability would have helped them catch the youths. 

Kangra, August 7
Himachal Pradesh pensioners demanded that 8 per cent dearness allowance (DA) due from January this year be released on the Punjab pattern. They also demanded that 5 per cent and 10 per cent increase in the pension of those pensioners be released who have attained the age of 65 and 75 years, respectively, as was done in Punjab.

PR Agnihotri, president of the local unit of the Himachal Pradesh Pensioners’ Sangh, said the resolutions to this effect were passed here during the meeting of pensioners. He said pensioners also demanded that 90 per cent of the arrears due from January, 2006.