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Sanjauli parking project runs into rough weather
Sander wood smugglers have Chinese link, claims police
Pearl farmers to get govt help
State received 3 pc excess rains
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Chopper service for Manimahesh
Rare photos to be displayed at IIAS
Two HPTDC hotels get ISO certification
Suspected swine flu death in Kangra
Proclaimed offender held
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Sanjauli parking project runs into rough weather
Shimla, August 31 Kolkata-based Tantia Construction company had bagged two of the three car parking projects to be executed on the build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis at Sanjauli and the Lift. While the State Infrastructure Development Board, the nodal agency for the PPP projects, has already issued letter awarding contract for the parking lot to be constructed at the Lift, no further progress has been made in respect of the lot to be built at Sanjauli as the land identified for the purpose is occupied by Tibetan refugees. Meanwhile, the company maintains that it had given bids by working out financial viability of the two projects taken together and, as such, delay in awarding the Sanjauli project will hurt it financially. As many as 70 dharas (sheds) have been erected by the Tibetans on the land. The local Municipal Corporation had passed an order for their eviction, which was, subsequently, upheld by the Divisional Commissioner. However, the land cannot be vacated as the Divisional Commissioner, in his order, also observed that Tibetans were asylum seekers and should be rehabilitated at some other place. The Municipal Corporation is on the lookout for land for the purpose and it may take some time. Delay in implementation of the projects will not only deprive residents and tourists of the much-needed parking facility, but also hurt the corporation financially as it would receive a revenue of almost Rs 2 crore annually from the two projects. The company had quoted an amount of Rs 1 crore for the 750-vehicle capacity parking lot near the Lift and Rs 95 lakh for the 450-vehicle capacity lot at Sanjauli. Further, the amount would be increased by 10 per cent after every two years. The corporation is getting only Rs 15 lakh at present from its existing parking at the Lift. The third parking lot of 250-vehicle capacity, to be developed at Chhota Shimla, was bagged by PK Constructions with an offer of Rs 36 lakh and, as such, the total annual revenue from the projects would be Rs 2.31 crore. The companies will invest Rs 65 crore on the three parking lots which will revert back to the corporation on as-is-where-is basis after a period of 30 years. |
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Sander wood smugglers have Chinese link, claims police
Shimla, August 31 The Lahaul-Spiti police today dispatched two teams, one to Delhi and the other within the state, to arrest more suspects wanted in the case. It is trying to verify the confession made by two truck drivers and a resident of Chango in Kinnaur about their links and others involved in the illegal act. According to sources, since the wood was being sent to Tibet illegally, the police managed to get information about the links that the suspects had with a few persons in China to whom the supply was being sent. It is reliably learnt that phone call details of a few officers posted in the border area of Samdon and Lepcha are also being examined. “Even though the arrested persons claimed that they had entered the trade for the first time, we will still look into all possibilities to ascertain if they had managed to send the precious wood across the border in the past,” said SR Rana, Superintendent of Police (Lahaul-Spiti). Senior police officials here do not rule out the possibility of alleged involvement of security forces deputed on the border as they are the ones who had issued them passes for entering the no man’s land. They contest that though permits issued to the two trucks by the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were valid, nobody bothered to check if they were ferrying labourers or sander wood. The valuable red sander wood was transported and stored at Shego village on the outskirts of Kaza since May. However, passes issued by the ITBP manning the Indo-China border were for ferrying about 30 labourers for road construction work in Lepcha. During interrogation it was revealed that the wood was to be carried on mules from Lepcha to Churap village in Tibet on the Chinese side. Trade route between India and China is via Shipkila and carrying of goods from the Lepcha sector is illegal. The wood, valued at over Rs 6 crore, is a rare species and there is a complete ban on its export. It is mostly found in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and is smuggled out of India from the North Eastern border. It is in great demand for use in pharmaceutical industry in China and for making musical instruments in Japan. |
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Pearl farmers to get govt help
Dharamsala, August 31 Pearl farming was first started by Dinanath Sharma, a farmer from Ambera village village of Una district. He successfully carried out pearl farming using freshwater mussels, an aquatic variety of mollusk species. He first got the idea of starting pearl farming in 2002 after watching a TV programme about training being given for the purpose in Orissa. Soon after, he made up his mind and left for Bhubneshwar. “I was the oldest person in the batch of farmers from South India and Gujarat who were there to receive the training,” he said. “Initially, I tried to use local freshwater mussels. However, not much success was obtained. I then procured mussels from Orissa and created a nursery. In the past couple of years, I have sold pearls worth about Rs 10 lakh despite losses in monsoons,” Dinanath added. Unfinished pearls being produced at his ponds are fetching him price ranging from Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per piece for every pearl weighing 0.5 gm. However, he rued lack of polishing or cutting experts in the region. Explaining the method for producing pearls, he said a nucleus (a minute piece of fine calcium) is kept in the body of mussel after a small surgical operation. Then the mussels are tied to mesh and bamboo and kept dipped in water. The crop is taken after about 18 months. The longer the mussel is allowed to survive, chances of recovering bigger pearl from it increases. Farmers carrying out pearl farming in the state were facing certain technical difficulties due to which they had requested the government to organise a training for them.
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State received 3 pc excess rains
Shimla, August 31 The state recorded an overall rainfall of 688 mm from June 1 to August 31, the duration of monsoons, as against the normal precipitation of 666 mm. The highest quantum of 1,166 mm rainfall was recorded in Sirmaur district but it was still 3 per cent less compared to the normal rainfall of 1,202 mm. It was followed by Kangra district with 1,122 mm, 15 per cent less than the normal precipitation of 1,320 mm. In contrast, tribal Kinnaur district recorded 343 mm, which was 171 per cent more than the normal rainfall of 187 mm. However, the adjacent tribal Lahaul-Spiti district received 18 per cent less rainfall than the normal. Other districts which received less than normal rainfall included Bilaspur
(-10 per cent) and Hamirpur (-16 per cent). Kullu district had 94 per cent excess rainfall, 910 mm as against the normal precipitation of 469 mm. Similarly, Shimla district recorded 740 mm, 22 per cent more compared to normal rainfall of 607 mm. The state had a normal monsoon almost after a decade with all districts receiving precipitation within 19 per cent of the normal quantum. |
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Chopper service for Manimahesh
Chamba, August 31 The heli-taxi services will go a long way in boosting religious tourism in the mountainous region of
Manimahesh. In an official communiqué issued here today, Chamba Deputy Commissioner Devesh Kumar said two heli-service operators namely Shiva Heli Service (AS-350B3) and Virat Heli Service (VEL 407) had been pressed into service. He said the helicopters were taking off from Chamba and Bharmour helipads and each helicopter was shuttling seven pilgrims in one go, including pilot. The helicopter service started on Sunday and it makes around 10 trips in a day. They operate from 6 am to 6 pm daily, DC said. He added that fare was fixed at Rs 14,500 from Chamba to Gauri Kund and Rs 7,500 from Bharmour to Gauri Kund, to and fro. “The flight from Chamba to Gauri Kund takes nearly 30 minutes while from Bharmour it takes around 15 minutes,” the DC said; adding that about 500 pilgrims and tourists had availed the services. The services would continue in the region till September 15, the conclusion of Manimahesh pilgrimage, the DC added. |
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Rare photos to be displayed at IIAS
Shimla, August 31 The institute has identified a number of photographs of the Viceregal Lodge which are available at the British Library in London. Out of more than a 100 photographs available with the library, the institute has selected 17. Middlesex University, London, had agreed to help the institute in getting these photographs. The institute plans to add to this collection of rare photographs of the Viceregal Lodge and organise a separate photo exhibition which would be open to general public soon. Prof Michael Driscoll, Vice-Chancellor, Middlesex University, will present these photographs to the institute on September 1 at a formal ceremony. They would soon be put on display for the general public. Besides Middlesex University, the institute has also received 17 photographs from The Bowood Estate of Lord Lansdowne, the second Viceroy to occupy the Viceregal Lodge in 1890 after Lord Dufferin. |
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Two HPTDC hotels get ISO certification
Shimla, August 31 The certification to the two premiere units of the HPTDC has been given by BSI Management Systems (United Kingdom) which was presented by Ravi
Gaekwad, CEO, Corporation Certifications, to Chief Minister PK Dhumal here
yesterday. Dhumal said the HPTDC had emerged as the second organisation in India to receive this certification, the other being the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation. He said the HPTDC would be soon announcing a special package during the ensuing Commonwealth Games to attract visitors from all over the world. The state had already announced free week-long stay for world record holders during the games. |
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Suspected swine flu death in Kangra
Dharamsala, August 31 She was kept in isolation ward as it was suspected that that she was suffering from swine flu. However, she died after 24 hours. Meanwhile, her samples were sent for investigation. The fact that she was suffering from swine flu can only established after the reports are received. Another woman Sita Devi was also admitted with symptoms of swine flu a few days ago. However, her test reports ruled out swine flu. Kangra Chief Medical Officer Kangra was not available for comment despite repeated attempts to contact him. |
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Proclaimed offender held
Bilaspur, August 31 Reports said the accused, along with some others, faced the charge of kidnapping a driver. Later they allegedly killed the driver and fled. A few of the accused were arrested on the basis of the call details of the killed driver’s mobile phone as they had taken it along with them, while Anil could not be arrested and was declared a proclaimed offender.
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