Shimla, September 1
Over 750 government schools in the state would be closed as the number of students in most of these institutions is below 10. However, children, who are forced to shift to other places, will be provided with a travelling allowance to ensure that they continue their studies without any hitch.

The Education Department undertook a survey to identify such schools where the strength of students was below five, 10 and 50. It zeroed in 750 such schools. However, the move, being termed as “rationalisation” process, will be undertaken in a phased manner.

According to sources, majority of these schools were opened on political considerations without assessing the requirements of the area and in many cases, just before the elections.

Interestingly, students who will be forced to join another school in the vicinity, will be provided with a travelling allowance so that no child discontinues studies.

The survey indicated that in a few schools, there was just one child and a teacher had to be deputed there to provide the facility along with a building even if it was rented. “The number of such schools is fairly large and it was thought that it would be wiser to merge it with the nearby schools ,” said a senior official of the Education Department.

Meanwhile, Education Minister ID Dhiman had already clarified that in hard and difficult areas, a few of such schools with low strength would be allowed to run. It is felt that the criterion of strength and the distance of the nearby school would be relaxed, keeping in view the geographical constraints.

Though successive governments in the state have pondered over the issue of winding up schools opened merely on political considerations, it is now that the move seems to be coming through. Though there was no justification for opening these schools with barely any strength, fearing serious repercussions, especially during the elections, nobody went ahead with the merger proposal.

The issue of winding up these schools came up for discussion even in the Assembly on several occasions. It was noticed that in many schools, the results too were very bad as teachers did not bother to take classes due to less strength.

Shimla, September 1
A few rare photographs of the majestic Viceregal Lodge, housing the prestigious Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), obtained from the British Library in London, indicate that the over 120-year-old heritage complex has been undergoing change all through.

A close look at the set of 17 photographs, formally presented to the institute by Prof Michael Driscoll, Vice-Chancellor, Middlesex University, here today, reveals that the structure has been undergoing change continuously.

“It has been undergoing change all the time over the past 100 years or so,” director of the institute Peter Ronald d’Souza said while formally receiving the photographs.

Out of more than a 100 photographs available with the British Library, the institute has selected 17 photographs.

However, it could secure them only after Middlesex University came into picture and helped to obtain these digitised photographs for the institute.

Driscoll said he was fascinated to see the building representing the joint heritage of India and Britain, the two countries with a deep connection. “The picturesque settings made it an ideal place for academic pursuits. My university will be happy to enter any sort of collaboration with the institute. Fellows from the institute will be welcome to visit the university to have interaction and forge an academic partnership,” he said.

He said the photographs were mostly taken in the 1920s and he was not aware of the exact dates and the identity of the photographer or the occasion.

“I will try to trace the photographers and get other details for the benefit of the institute,” he added.

The photographs have been displayed in a section of the library. The institute has also received a few photographs from The Bowood Estate of Lord Lansdowne, the second Viceroy to occupy the Viceregal Lodge in 1890 after Lord Dufferin. It is now setting up its own gallery where these photographs will be displayed along with other collections.

The wealth of photographic evidence will provide new insight and clues about the complex, personalities and historic events associated with it.

Shimla, September 1
NABARD has sanctioned Rs 110.27 crore to the state government for various rural infrastructure projects like roads, bridges and irrigation and water supply schemes.

With this the aggregate sanctions during 2010-11 under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) have reached Rs 179.25 crore.

Rs 65.42 crore has been sanctioned for construction of 28 rural roads and 10 bridges in Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, Bilaspur, Chamba, Solan and Una districts. In all 80 km of all-weather roads, 58 km of kutcha roads and bridges with a total span of 478 m will be constructed. These roads and bridges will benefit 221 villages with a population of 70,348 and also provide connectivity to 123 rural and urban marketing centres.

A sum of Rs 27.84 crore has been sanctioned for 26 Minor Irrigation Projects to bring 1,947.49 hectares under assured irrigation and Rs 6.25 crore for 14 Rural Drinking Water Supply Projects to cater to the needs of a 36,475 residents who will be provided 70 lpcd (litres per capita per day) of drinking water.

Rs 10.76 crore has been sanctioned for constructing two central veterinary dispensaries and 109 veterinary dispensaries in 109 villages with a cattle population of 1,55,870.

The NABARD has so far sanctioned Rs 2,871 crore to the state, of which Rs 1,789.97 crore has already been disbursed. The sanctioned projects include 1,472 irrigation projects, 754 rural road projects, 216 bridges, 118 watershed projects, 36 flood protection works, 1,213 primary school buildings, 64 science laboratories, 25 IT projects, 513 rural drinking water schemes, 397 animal husbandry centres and 16,500 poly houses with related minor irrigation structures.

Shimla, September 1
The Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has given nod for the preparation of detailed project report (DPR) for construction of Theog bypass in Shimla district.

Public Works Minister Gulab Singh said here today that terms of reference for the DPR had been approved, clearing the decks for the construction of the bypass which would go a long way in easing traffic congestion on the Hindustan-Tibet road and provide respite to fruit growers in particular. The government would soon invite tenders for preparation of the report.

He said bypass roads were being constructed to prevent traffic congestion at various places in the state. The Hamirpur bypass was being constructed at a cost of Rs 24 crore, while the Palampur bypass would cost Rs 5.35 crore. A Rs 6.8 crore bypass road was being built to ensure smooth flow of traffic through the famous tourist resort of Kufri.

The government also planned to construct bypass roads for Sundernagar, Jogindernagar and Manali towns, for which alignments had already been approved.

Shimla, September 1
With the possible involvement of an international gang in the smuggling of red sander wood to China from the border Himachal shares with Tibet, the police could consider handing over investigations to the CID.

Even though the district police has arrested a few suspects and is investigating all possible links, it is being felt that since there could be inter-state or international links, the CID would be in a better position to investigate the case.

“If, at any stage, there is proof of involvement of inter-state or inter-country link, we could consider handing over investigation to the CID,” confirmed DS Manhas, Director General of Police.

In fact, two police teams from the tribal district have already been sent to Delhi and other places within Himachal to look for those allegedly involved in the racket. However, it is being felt that the CID is better equipped to deal with a case which has international links. Moreover, since it is an issue involving the sensitive border area, senior police officials are not willing to take any chances.

It was a few days back that the Lahaul-Spiti police got a tip-off that red sander wood worth crores was being transported in two trucks to the border area of Kaurik and Lepcha to be smuggled into China. The trucks were intercepted by the police team and impounded.

The fact that red sander wood is in great demand world over, its smuggling is very lucrative. Normally its smuggling takes place from the North Eastern borders. However, it is for the first time that such an incident has come to light from Himachal side. The wood is found only in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and is used in pharmaceutical industry in China and for making musical instruments in Japan.

Nurpur, September 1
The first district-level Janmashtmi fair was celebrated in the historical Brijraj Swami temple situated on the premises of old Nurpur fort here with religious fervour on Wednesday.

Presiding over the fair, the local MLA Rakesh Pathania thanked the Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal for declaring Janamshtmi as district-level fair in the town and expressed hope that it would prove significant in developing religious tourism in the area.

He said to take up the issue of granting state-level status to this fair. Earlier, he led Shobha Yatra taken out from Municipal Council (MC) hall to the temple.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had visited this temple on Janmashtmi fair last year and announced to grant district status to the fair.

Thousands of devotees visited the temple to pay obeisance to Lord Krishna. Long queues of devotees were seen throughout the day. 

Shimla, September 1
A local NGO Umang Foundation organised a blood donation camp to mark IndianOil Divas in collaboration with IndianOil here today.

Industries Minister Krishan Kapoor inaugurated the camp in which 60 persons donated blood. He lauded the efforts of the organisation which made 700 units of blood available to local hospital last year and this year the figure has reached 500 units till date.

General secretary of the foundation Yashwant Rai donated blood for the 30th time, while Aarti Gupta donated the 26th time. Other prominent donors included Vineet (32nd time), Naresh Gandhi (29th time) and Rajneesh and Vinay Thakur( both 25th time).

Manali, September 1
The Srinagar airport in the Kashmir Valley has been shut down for three weeks for repair and Ladakh is out of bounds for tourists due to the Leh cloudburst tragedy. But even in peak foreign tourist season, the Manali-Kaza-Kinnaur Buddhist circuit has not witnessed any significant gain as the Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation (DTCA) has failed to rope in tourists who were headed for Jammu and Kashmir this season.

Hoteliers are offering 40 per cent discount on room tariff, even then occupancy remained as good as 10 per cent in Manali. They blamed the DTCA and the Ministry of Civil Aviation for lean season as they have not increased chartered flights to Kullu-Manali and the highways are choked with traffic jams caused by cement-carrying trucks between Bilaspur-Swarghat and Roopnagar.

The poor inflow of domestic tourists in the state in July and August has exposed the DTCA’s hollow claims that it has made Himachal as the “tourist destination of all seasons with all reasons”.

The tourist inflow has hit a new low in Manali as occupancy rate in hotels dipped to 10 per cent during the last one-week, hoteliers said.

The DTCA neither organises trade fair nor does it make efforts to market Himachal in lean tourist season in big metros, resented hoteliers and travel agents.

The Chandigarh-Manali National Highway-21, Manali-Leh highway and Manali-Rotang-Kaza roads remain in pathetic conditions, tourists rued.

The Public Works Department the Border Roads Organisation have failed to maintain the roads to make a hassle-free journey to the cold desert Buddhist circuit, travel agents added.

International tourists who have planned their trips to Spiti, Kaza and Kinnaur have cancelled their trips as the highway from Kinnaur is breached time and again. Few tourists visited Spiti this time, said Nima, hotelier at Kaza.

The tourists who were willing to travel to Kashmir and Ladakh have cancelled their bookings. Instead of choosing Himachal as the second option, they are going either towards the monsoons-free south or have cancelled their bookings, the travel agents said.

DTCA’s district tourism officer, Manali, Rajeshwar Goel said despite floods, landslides and lean tourist season, about 12,500 foreigners visited Manali in July and 16,000 in June. “We have no figures for August”.

Shimla, September 1
The ruling BJP will hold a three-day training camp from September 6 at Naina Devi in Bilaspur district for office-bearers of the state executive.

In charge of the BJP training camps Kripal Parmar said keeping in view the thrust on training by the high command, camps would be held for the party workers at all levels in the state.

He said the camp at Bilaspur would be attended by state office-bearers, state executive members, permanent invitees, special invitees, chiefs of all morchas, district chiefs and general secretaries.

“There will be a total of 13 sessions during the three-day camp which will be attended by senior leaders,” he added.

He said similar three-day camps would be held for various parliamentary constituencies also. It would begin for Hamirpur seat on September 13, Shimla seat September 14, Mandi seat September 15 and Kangra seat from September 16 onwards.

Solan, September 1
With the railway authorities agreeing to share 50 per cent cost of erecting a railway crossing in the sector-5 area of Parwanoo, the traffic problem will be settled as an alternative route will be available for motorists.

Though the Railways has given the written consent to the government, the Parwanoo Industries’ Association (PIA) has now been asked to bear the remaining 50 per cent cost which includes salaries of two gatekeepers as well as expenditure for the road construction to connect the crossing.

The project was mooted more than 10 years back and an estimate of about Rs 16 lakh had been made but it is likely to increase now.

The railway crossing will provide residents an alternative route to enter Parwanoo which in turn will help ease traffic congestion on the already congested roads. A major problem is being faced by people on the Kasauli road where the presence of buildings on either side has reduced the width of the road, resulting in traffic jams.

Since the town is the state’s gateway, there is a huge flow of tourist vehicles and apple trucks on the roads making traffic jams a frequent problem.

The project is facing a major impediment as the land initially earmarked for connecting the road to the crossing had been reduced from the earlier 15m to 5m as the remaining land had been allotted to solid waste dumping site. Though this proposal was initially put forward by the district administration to the state government after a survey had declared the proposal feasible, the sudden allotment of the land for the waste dumping site has crippled the prospects of this project.

“The PIA has taken up the issue with the principal secretary (planning and finance), deputy commissioner, Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban development Authority, and the local MLA but nothing has been done so far,” PIA general-secretary Rakesh Bansal said.

He added that it was also unfair to ask the industry to share the expenses for constructing a small patch of the connecting road as it was the state government’s responsibility to provide such facilities.

Executive engineer of HIMUDA Umesh Sharma said the land had been allotted to the municipal committee but since a waste dumping plant was also urgently required, there was no alternative.

Kangra, September 1
Dr Rajender Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, has denied any swine flu death in the hospital as the test reports indicated today that both patients tested negative for the swine flu whose samples were sent to the IGMC for testing.

Dr. S.B. Sood, Medical Superintendent (MS) of DRPGMC, Tanda, said Ranjna Devi, 27, who was admitted to DRPGMC on Sunday and died in 24 hours, had tested negative for the swine flu. He further said another woman Sita Devi, who was undergoing treatment in the hospital, too, had tested negative for the diease. He said both patients were from same village. He said there was no suspected swine flu case in the hospital.

Meanwhile, resentment prevails among residents and patients here as the hospital has no facilities of swine flu tests despite the assurance of the Health Minister Dr. Rajeev Bindal a few months back.

Bilaspur, September 1
Former minister and state vice-president of the Congress Ram Lal Thakur has said the state government has failed to protect the interests of Bhakra dam oustees of Bilaspur in the Himachal High Court. Now, it is the duty of the government to take suitable steps to ensure the welfare of the oustees.

He said they were uprooted by the government and their rehabilitation was its responsibility and the government could not escape from this responsibility.

He said the Congress government had been particular to solve the problems of the oustees. It was the Congress government led by then Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh which had waived their loans.

Thakur said Virbhadra Singh was coming to Bilaspur on September 6 and would be given a reception by people at Namhole, the main gate of Bilaspur district. He would later attend the concluding function of the four-day Kisan Mela at Dawin Ghati, Jukhala, before leaving for Mandi in the evening.

Nurpur, September 1
In order to implement the School Health Programme announced on the Independence Day by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, a meeting of officials and field staff of Nurpur medical block was held at Gangath today. It was presided over by the SDM, ID Bhardwaj.

According to official information, in the meeting strategy was formulated to implement the programme in all 354 government schools in the area. Thirteen medical teams were constituted comprising 13 members each.

Nurpur block medical officer BM Gupta said initially multi-purpose field health workers would conduct screening of schoolchildren of the government schools by October 15.

“After identifying ailing children doctors’ teams will visit the treatment centres set up in 92 government middle and senior secondary schools,” he added.

He said the identified ailing children would be provided free treatment and medicines.

Kangra, September 1
Former editor of Urdu Milap Brij Krishen Labroo, popularly known as Sagar Kashmiri, died late last night at Dr RP Government Medical College, Tanda, near here after a brief illness. His cremation was attended by a large number of people and officers at Churan Khad Ghat this afternoon.

Sagar Kashmiri was 77.— OC

Bilaspur, September 1
The local Nagar Parishad has removed five roadside ‘jhuggies’ and ‘kutcha’ structures of a few families who have come here from outside the state.

This was done in consequence to the orders of the Himachal Pradesh High Court which directed the executive officer that all encroachments on the government land be cleared before October 5, failing which he would be held “personally liable” for violation of orders.

The families claimed that they had been living in these structures for the past several years.

Nagar Parishad president Ashish Dhillon said these people were given due notices to remove unauthorised structures from the government land, but they did not respond and action was taken in accordance with the court order.

He said these structures were not only obstructing the main road but also encroaching upon the path that leads to the “Vyas Gufa”.

He said these structures were removed earlier also, but they reconstructed the same despite warnings.

Shimla, September 1
Two residents of Kinnaur were killed when an apple-laden truck met with an accident near Khopri Mandir on the outskirts of Rampur, last night.

The deceased include 32-year-old Tilak, a resident of Panvi village, and 20-year-old Sanjeev, hailing from Ramni village. They were travelling in the truck bound for Delhi.