Manali, September 27
World Tourism Day was celebrated here today by joint efforts of Kuoni Academy, the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, the Manali Hoteliers’ Association and the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC).

Many tourists and organisations of Manali took part in the celebrations. All visitors were presented with traditional Kullu caps and garlands. A colourful Kullu folk dance was also presented by local artistes.

President of the Manali Hoteliers’ Association Gajender Thakur and chairman Goutam Thakur spoke on the occasion. SDM-cum-District Tourism Development Officer, Manali, Rajeshwer Goel said the occasion was being celebrated to promote this global event in Manali that would help generate more tourist influx in this region.

Goel said the Rohtang Pass and Solang valley were the most popular tourist destinations. Efforts should be made to keep the tourist spots free from pollution.

Goel said during 2009, 22.24 lakh domestic and 1.19 lakh foreign tourists visited Kullu. He said there were 577 registered hotels and guest houses, with a capacity of 18,752 beds in Kullu district. For promoting rural tourism, the HP Home Stay Scheme was launched in 2008. The Tourism Department had registered 103 home stay units up to March against a target of 75 units for Kullu. 

Shimla, September 27
It can sound like a dream but the local Municipal Corporation (MC) plans to provide round-the-clock water supply in four wards of the city on an experiment basis. If it succeeds, it will be implemented in all 25 wards.

The “Queen of Hills” has been plagued by the problem of water shortage, especially during the summer when the city is flocked by tourists. To begin with, the MC intends to provide 24X7 water supply in four wards of Bharari, Ruldu Bhatta, Kaithu and Annadale by creating a huge reservoir which will increase the storage capacity.

The MC is toying with the idea of providing round-the-clock water supply with the help of Rs 72 crore being received under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The project is aimed at rejuvenating the existing water supply system and replacement of old and worn-out pipes, which results in a lot of leakage.

Another important component of the scheme will be replacement of the pumping machinery at various water pumping stations. Another interesting highlight will be the provision of water harvesting in the catchment area like the Jakhu hill and other areas with elevation which will cater to the requirement of fire hydrants in case of outbreak of fire.

Chandigarh-based consultants have already prepared a detailed report of the Rs 72 crore rejuvenation of water supply scheme and Rs 54 crore sewerage scheme. “We have now asked the consultants to redesign the scheme so that we can create the additional water storage capacity in individual wards which will in turn make it possible for us to provide water all 24 hours,” said A.N. Sharma, Municipal Commissioner.

Sharma admitted that almost 20 per cent of the water was wasted by way of leakage at various points. “Even if we are able to plug the leakages and bring these down to 10 per cent, we will be saving almost 4 MLD,” he said. Normally, the water requirement of the city was met with a supply of 36 MLD but during the summer months this shot up to almost 42 MLD.

Even though the 20 MLD Giri supply scheme was envisaged to wipe out the water woes of the capital, yet with the project being plagued by problems like leakage, it has been able to supply up to a maximum of 12 MLD.

Bilaspur, September 27
All officers and employees in the state are ears and eyes of the government. They must be careful in solving problems of people immediately, apart from performing their duties sincerely.

Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Ramesh Dhwala said this while presiding over a meeting of the District Grievances Committee here today. He said no laxity in solving problems of people would be tolerated.

On the complaint of many non-official members, the minister ordered that a report be immediately sent to the PWD Secretary regarding the bad condition of the National Highway (NH)-21 here in the district.

Dhwala also ordered that steps should be taken by the departments concerned for enumeration and registration of stray cattle and their transportation to “go sadans”. All old wells and traditional water bodies be properly maintained and chlorinated regularly so that clean drinking water could be supplied to people.

He said 80 handpumps had been repaired for restoring water supply in the area while work on Rs 16 lakh Sawahan Lift Drinking Water Supply Scheme had already started.

The minister also ordered restoration of pension of one Sukh Devi, a resident of Ghwandal village, and inquiry against the person who gave a false report against her and got her pension discontinued.

Apart from all district officers, Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker Rikhi Ram Kaundal, MLAs Randhir Sharma and Rajesh Dharmani and Zila Parishad chairperson Anjana Dhiman were also present in the meeting.

Shimla, September 27
The HP High Court today reserved its verdict on a petition filed by Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife, seeking transfer of the CD case to the CBI.

The matter was today heard by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Deepak Gupta. After hearing at length the arguments of both parties, the bench reserved its verdict in the case.

In his petition, the former Chief Minister had stated that the origin of the CD was unknown and the alleged conversation had taken place in the late eighties. He contested that at that point of time, CDs were not in use that time.

During the course of hearing, the counsel for the government, Satya Pal Jain, said the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau would not file the final report before the competent court of law till the verdict in the CD case was not delivered. 

Shimla, September 27
Chief Justice of the Himachal High Court Kurian Joseph today urged the lawyer fraternity to shoulder the task entrusted to them with utmost responsibility and care as they were an important part of society.

Speaking on the occasion of enrollment of new advocates to the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh, Justice Joseph said litigants approached lawyers with a lot of expectations, which they must fulfil. “A lawyer must never misguide a litigant who approaches him only when there is a major problem which cannot be resolved out of court,” Joseph said.

Naresh Sood, Chairman of the Bar Council of Himachal Pradesh, exhorted the lawyers to uphold the ethics of the profession and be appropriately dressed. “The lawyers must be upright and must give right advice to the litigants,” he remarked.

A total of 121 lawyers were enrolled today. With a strength of 6,650 lawyers, the Himachal High Court still has the smallest strength of advocates in the country. When constituted in 1972, the Himachal Bar had made a humble beginning with a strength of only 79 lawyers.

All judges and members of the Bar Council were present on the occasion. R.K. Bawa, Advocate General, and Sandeep Sharma, Assistant Solicitor General of India, also spoke on the occasion. I.N. Mehta, vice-chairman of the Bar Council welcomed the gathering. 

Shimla, September 27
A three-member committee of the Municipal Corporation here has recommended short-term immediate measures to stabilise the sinking portion of the Ridge in front of the Gaiety Theatre.

The committee felt that since the Geological Survey of India, Chandigarh, had so far not given its recommendations, some measures should be implemented without delay and the long-term remedial measures could be put in place after its report was available. Further, the geological wing of the state had only provided geological details of the soil strata and no remedial steps.

The committee noticed that the land slip had been triggered from 7 m above the breast wall of the road leading from Scandal Point to Lakkar Bazaar and to stop its further slide empty bitumen drum filled with earth should be provided. Stone-wire crates should be erected from women toilet to Padam Dev Complex layers to protect the structures. Single layer stone-wire crates be provided at a height of 10 m from the breast wall all through from the Scandal Point to the Lakkar Bazaar bus stand.

A 42-m stretch of the Ridge is sliding following heavy rain, out of which 20 m has sunk by more than 2 m, posing a serious threat to the Tibetan Market located downhill. 

Solan, September 27
A woman Sunita Devi committed suicide at her in-laws house at Dugri village, near Koti, by consuming some poisonous substance around 10:30 pm yesterday.

According to the police, the woman was married in 2003 to Balwant Singh and her in-laws had been harassing her by demanding Rs 50,000 for the past two months. This had been revealed by the deceased to her parents when she had come to her parental home at Dhar Brahmna village near Dharampur about two months ago.

Her parents were informed about this mishap last night by a phone call made by their son-in-law.

The police registered a case under Sections 306 and 34 of the IPC against her mother-in-law Shibbi Devi, brother-in-law Bhag Singh and sister-in-law Kaushalya Devi on a complaint filed by her mother Sheela Devi. The body had been sent for a post-mortem at CHC Dharampur and its report was awaited.

Nurpur, September 27
Judicial Magistrate, Nurpur, Harmesh Kumar today convicted a bus driver Munshi Ram of Samba, Jammu, for rash and negligent driving.

The court awarded an imprisonment of 5-year and six months’ and imposed Rs 12,500 fine on the accused under various sections of the IPC. The local police had registered a case under Sections 279,337,338 and 304 (A) of the IPC against him when a private bus carrying members of a marriage party was rammed into a train on Pathankot-Jogindernagar railway line at Raja Ka Bagh near here on March 7, 2000.

In this mishap, 10 bus passengers had died on the spot and over 20 were injured. After 10 years’ legal battle, the court convicted the bus driver.

Shimla, September 27
Social scientists and scholars have underlined the need to identify social elements behind honour killings, female foeticide and other disturbing trends and rework the tools and methodology to study the ongoing transformation at various levels in the right perspective in relatively prosperous states like Punjab and Haryana.

While the seminar on ‘Modernity and Changing Social Fabric of Punjab and Haryana’ which commenced at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study here today, covered most aspects of social stratification in both states, the focus was on issues like honour killings, particularly the role of khap panchayats. They saw underpinnings of the inherent zeal to control land, women and customs, despite enforcement of modern laws as a main factor behind such trends.

“Given the complexity of the contemporary social formations and the different layers at which transformation was taking place, the scholars must ponder whether there is need for new paradigm and methodology for carrying out research,” professor Peter Ronald De Souza, director of the institute, said while delivering his introductory address.

“Apart from identifying the drivers propelling the change, it must be ascertained if right tools are being used to carry out research. The statistical data generated by researchers and its in depth analysis will throw new light on the issues”, he stressed.

In his paper on khap panchayats, Ajay, a freelance journalist, said the system descended from the tribal order and got integrated with feudal system during the Mughal period and the influential Jats perpetuated their dominance. They used their position to have a good understanding with the British rulers to retina their elite status and exalted titles like Zaildars. In the post-Independence era, the khaps were playing a more assertive and effective role in the modern political set up to scuttle land reforms and other initiatives to bring social change and other such ends to continue their dominance.

Former Vice-Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University JS Grewal in his keynote address provided a complete backdrop of the social stratification that has taken place in the two states, particularly in the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial period.The out-migration, which is indicative of globalisation, is leading to new problems like marriages involving NRIs.

Rajesh Sharma from Patiala University gave a strong critique of the corrupt practices being adopted in Punjab while writing history and other texts.

Shimla, September 27
The government has decided to set up a para-veterinary council in the state to regulate the functioning of para-veterinary institutions.

The decision was taken by the State Cabinet that also approved the Himachal Pradesh Para-Veterinary Council Bill, 2010, here today. There has been no such law and authority hitherto to regulate the services of para-veterinary practitioners in the state.

The council will also register para-veterinarians and prescribe a code of ethics for regulating their professional conduct. It will also have power to take an action against them in case of any negligence.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal presided over the meeting that also gave a nod for leasing out of 126.17 bigha land at Mauja Kanduwal, Baddi, for setting up the proposed Common Effluent Treatment Plant for 30 years after depositing Rs 28, 61,760. It also approved filling of 10 posts of Grade ‘A’ naib tehsildars in Kangra and Mandi divisions.