Shimla, October 5
Delay in restoration of a few roads damaged by heavy rain during the recent monsoon has forced the organisers to change the route of the 12th edition of the Raid-de-Himalaya, the world’s highest and one of the toughest motor rallies, at the eleventh hour. The rally will take off from here on October 10 and culminate at Manali on October 15.

Rain Fallout n First stage of X-treme version abandoned n Rally to proceed to Naina Tikker from Pinjore n Will not venture into Chopal n Tanglang La, Lachung La will be avoided

In fact, the first stage of X-treme version on the opening day has been abandoned after a trial run today as certain stretches of the road from Pinjore to Nalagarh, which were completely washed away, could not be restored. These stretches were not fit for the competitive leg, vice-president of the Himalayan Motorsport Association Manjiv Bhalla said.

The rally will not turn to Nalagarh from Pinjore but proceed to Naina Tikker via Mallah and reach Chail via Gaura.

The fifth competitive stage on the first day has also been altered and the rally will not venture into Chopal and instead return to Shimla via Fagu.

There were still doubts about the route for the second day as some portions of the road near Pujarali and Pharog were in a bad shape due to sinking of land and slides.

The rally was already truncated due to flashfloods in Leh as roads were not fit for an international rally. Moreover, the local administration was busy with relief and restoration operations.

A few high mountain passes like 17,3000-foot Tanglang La and Lachung La will be avoided as the rally will return from Nakee La (16,134 ft). The rally will concentrate on the rugged mountainous region of Spiti where it will spend two days.

The overall distance to be covered by the participants will be 1,668 km as compared to about 2,500 km last year.

The Raid-de-Himalaya is the most prestigious Indian motorsport rally, the only Asian event listed on the off-road rallies calendar of the Switzerland-based FIM (Federation Internationale Motorcyclisme).

In all, 175 participants will take part in the event featuring both four-wheelers and two-wheelers in the X-treme and Adventure Trial categories. There are 43 entries of four-wheelers and 54 of two-wheelers in the X-treme category. The remaining 78 will be participating only in the easier Adventure Trial category meant for the less experienced.

There are six foreign participants, all from Austria. Ace driver Suresh Rana will be a part of the Thunderbolt team, competing with Sunny Sidhu, champion of the Moghul Rally, and a team of the Indian Army.

Shimla, October 5
Extensive damage caused to roads during the recent monsoon has drawn attention of the government to its inadequate maintenance. It has now decided to use NREGA ( National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) for proper upkeep and timely repairs of the fast-expanding road network.

Every year about 1,500 km of new roads are being added and the network has penetrated deep in the interiors. However, the public works department (PWD) has limited financial resources to maintain 33,000 km of roads criss-crossing the treacherous hill terrain. The neglect of drainage system and delay in carrying out repairs have been mainly responsible for the ever-increasing damage by rains.

The PWD will now undertake repair and maintainance works under the MNREGS and each field unit has been asked to prepare a “shelf of schemes” as per the norms which lay down that the material component should not exceed 40 per cent to ensure that it remained labour intensive.

Principal Secretary (PWD) PC Kapoor said sub-divisional engineers had been made nodal officers for the purpose. They would prepare schemes in coordination with block development officers (BDOs) who issued the muster rolls.

The PWD would take care of the material part wherever necessary to maintain the norms and the schemes would be prepared accordingly. This year, over Rs 900 crore will be available under MNREGA and the government proposes to utilise at least one-third of the amount for maintenance and repair of damaged roads.

Allocation of funds for maintenance has been almost doubled to Rs 354 crore over the past two years. However, it is still found to be inadequate.

The attention of the government has also been drawn to the quality of road construction and metalling. The asphalt surfacing has come off within months in a few stretches of the recently metalled roads.

Kapoor said the department would conduct inspections to ascertain whether substandard material or poor quality of work was responsible for excessive damage suffered.

Responsibility would be fixed if quality of road construction was not found up to the prescribed standards. In case it was found that roads metalled early this summer had been damaged, the contractors concerned would be asked to carry out repairs at their own cost, as provided under the defect liability clause, the period for which extends to one year. 

Dharamsala, October 5
Next time if you are on trip to any Himachal hill station and found spreading plastic packing in unspecified areas, you could be challaned. To enforce ban on plastics strictly, the state government has decided to delegate powers for imposing fine for spreading plastic litter up to the level of head constables. The amount of fine is yet to be finalised.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said this while talking to mediapersons here today. He said the responsibilities of senior officials, including SDMs and deputy commissioners, would also be fixed for enforcing ban on plastics in their respective areas. They had also been given the responsibility for spreading awareness regarding plastic ban among tourists and locals.

He said the local governments, including panchayats and municipal councils, had been given the target for purchasing plastic from locals. They had been asked to purchase plastic at the rate of Rs 3 per kg from local residents in their respective areas. The PWD would further buy plastic from local government at the rate of Rs 4 per kg.

The PWD has been ordered to use plastic in repair work of roads being carried out after monsoon in the entire state, Dhumal said.

Though the Chief Minister has made the announcement, many local government bodies are yet to start collection of plastic from locals. Many locals are also not aware about the government scheme.

The Chief Minister also presided over a function organised by the press club at Kangra. He also visited the Tanda medical college and supervised the health facilities and inaugurated new residential complex for doctors. 

Chopal (Shimla), October 5
Farmers in the high-altitude orchards are a shattered lot as more than 40 per cent of the fruit has dropped in the apple belt in the last leg of the season.

This correspondent found it difficult to walk in the apple orchards as it was almost littered with rotting or freshly dropped apples, presenting a harrowing site.

The visit to the orchards in Shilgran (Shantha), Maroag in Chopal, Ratnadi, Baghi, Ruildhar in Jubble-Kotkhai, Spail valley, Khadrala, Ghanasidhar, Bharal, Tikkar in Rohru was an eye opener as it presented a shocking picture of the rotting apple in orchards and by the roadsides.

The high rate of fruit drop in the high and middle-altitude orchards has given a blow to farmers in the apple belt. “More than 40 per cent of fruit has dropped in the apple belt, causing a loss of Rs 500 crore to apple economy,” said Surat Singh Bragta, an apple orchardist in Shimla district.

“If we pick 200 cartons a day, 200 fell in the orchards next day,” he added. “The picking was delayed by 15 days as farmers faced shortage of cartons, trays and trucks,” said Balbir Chajta, an orchardist from Jubbal.

“We have lost 50 per cent of the crop this year,” rued NS Banchta, an orchardist in Shilgran, Chopal.

The farmers resented that had the Horticulture Department, HPMC and other agencies made elaborate arrangement for packaging, transportation and restoration of link roads they would not had suffered huge losses.

“The apple economy spans an annual business of Rs 3,000 crore out of which 20 per cent goes to farmers while the rest of it goes to labour, truckers and middlemen,” farmers said. However, every year, they suffer losses as the state government had no infrastructure to support apple economy, leave aside cool chains and pre-cooling and post harvest management, they added.

The Directorate of Horticulture remained apathetic as ever about the plight of apple farmers. “We have not done any survey so far to assess the fruit dropping in the apple belt,” said SM Katia, deputy director and in charge of fruit damage assessment, horticulture.

Associate Director, Fruit Research Station, Mashobra, Dr PS Chauhan said the fruit dropped due to delay in harvesting. The season was 15 days early this year due to early fruit-set. The rains also acted as a deterrent delaying harvesting.

Mandi, October 5
The Rs 14-crore interstate bus terminus project in the town here fell into disrepute as Mandi Sadar MLA Anil Sharma accused the state government and Transport Minister Mohinder Thakur of pushing up the project that continued to have the revised provision for only 18 buses as was the case earlier.

Talking to The Tribune here today after he visited the bus stand site and ascertained facts from HIMUDA and other officials, Anil Sharma said, “It is shocking to know that the revised plan of the bus stand has not increased the provision from 18 to 54 buses as promised by Chief Minister PK Dhumal.”

He demanded that the Chief Minister should clarify his stand on the project as the revised plan had made no provision for 54 buses.

Taking the Transport Minister head-on, Sharma said if the Congress was voted to power he would conduct a thorough probe into the whole matter.

He said the present government owes explanation to the people of Mandi as to why it was misleading the public. “It is surprising that the old bus stand has a capacity to accommodate 24 buses but the Rs 14-crore bus stand has reduced its capacity from 24 to 18 buses,” he added.

Sharma said he had raised the question of bus stand’s capacity in the last monsoon assembly session and was told that its capacity would be increased.

He said the government had reduced the number of shops in the bus stand complex to 41 from the proposed 300 shops.

The MLA said the Transport Minister was in a hurry to push up the bus stand by fair or foul means throwing all process to winds. No tender was held and long huge retaining walls are being built at the site, he charged.

On the other hand, Mohinder Thakur said the Congress MLA could not build the bus stand for a decade and when he had expedited it he was getting a setback. 

Shimla, October 5
Even as the BJP regime in the state is exploring various legal options in regard to charging of 8 per cent commission from apple growers at Azadpur Mandi in New Delhi, the issue seems to be snowballing into a major political issue with the BJP now planning to seek help of Congress leaders, including two Union Ministers, and the state Congress chief.

Horticulture Minister Narinder Bragta today said he would seek personal intervention of the two Congress leaders from Himachal, Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh and Union Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma, to take up the issue with the Delhi government where the Congress was in power.

“I will personally write to the two ministers and Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Kaul Singh Thakur to take up the issue with the Delhi government as well as the Centre so that apple growers from the state get relief,” he added.

He said the BJP regime had taken all possible steps to protect the interests of apple growers. However, with the Delhi government now making further amendments in the Delhi Agriculture Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act, growers will now be expected to pay 8 per cent commission.

“The growers have already paid a sum of over Rs 42 crore which was charged illegally. Now, with the latest amendment, the growers will have no option but to pay it,” he said.

Bragta regretted that despite the Congress leaders raising the issue time and again, they had not made any serious efforts to resolve the issue by taking it up with the Delhi government.

“The Congress leaders should not render lip service but raise the issue with their party men since the issue directly affects lakhs of apple growers,” he remarked.

The Delhi High Court, in its order passed on June, 2010, had directed that the amended bylaws be implemented where the commission was to be paid by the buyer and not the seller or the fruit grower. However, with the Delhi government once again mending the Act for the benefit of the buyers, apple growers would be hit.

With the issue of charging of 8 per cent commission from apple growers at Azadpur Mandi bound to become a major political issue, the two major political parties are all set to be engaged in a verbal duel with each trying to put the blame on the other. 

Dharamsala, October 5
Examination scam is the most unfortunate incident and a high-level probe is being conducted by the government to expose the culprits. Those found involved in the scam would be given the strictest possible punishment so that such incidents are not repeated in future.

This was stated by Chief Minister PK Dhumal when asked to comment on the examination scam.

When asked about the possible involvement of board employees in the scam, the CM said though the board officials claimed that they were duped, they cannot be absolved from their responsibility. The inquiry ordered would also look into the possible involvement of board employees in the scam, he added.

Dhumal, however, declined to comment on the possible change of chairman of the education board. The term of present chairman CL Gupta is ending on October 14. It is being expected that the state government might appoint an IAS officer in his place.

Meanwhile, according to sources, Gupta met the Chief Minister at Shimla yesterday and apprised him about the developments in the scam.

The police has rounded up one Manjeet Singh, son of a sub-inspector in Delhi police in this connection, the sources added. Gupta, when contacted, said Manjeet had come to the board office with his mother yesterday. We have referred the matter to the police which is now questioning him, he added.

Manjeet had passed class VIII board examinations through the main accused in the case securing 77 per cent marks. He allegedly paid Rs 20,000 for the service.

Kangra ASP Umapati Jamwal said the boy, who came forward with the information, was merely questioned and had not been arrested as yet.

Another daily wager peon, Sunita Kumari, has also been found to have secured a class VIII certificate for her son through the nexus. Earlier, another peon of the board, Jivan Lata, was put under suspension on the charges of getting her son passed through dubious means.

Though the board has put four employees under suspension and issued show-cause notices to 30 others, the police has been maintaining a stoic silence in the matter.

Meanwhile, the committee headed by Onkar Sharma, director, industries, that is also conducting a probe in the matter, has started checking the records of private schools who had been producing toppers in the past 10 years. 

Nurpur, October 5
With the initiative of the local stone crushers’ association and toll tax contractor, traffic on Chakki diversion bridge, near Kandwal, linking Himachal Pradesh and Punjab was restored this evening.

According to information, flash floods in Chakki rivulet had washed away the causeway of the bridge on July 17 and vehicles on the Pathankot-Mandi National Highway had been diverted by Kandwal-Bhadroya link road.

The association and contractors have pressed 10 JCBs into service to repair the causeway. Meanwhile, Jogindernagar executive engineer PC Katoch said the traffic on the bridge had been restored today.

Hamirpur, October 5
Following the exposure of selling of seats of postgraduate (PG) courses at the PGI, Chandigarh, by The Tribune, parents of those appearing in entrances for PG and MBBS in state colleges apprehend a similar practice here, thus, have demanded a CBI probe into the admissions made in these courses.

Even the HP Medical Officers’ Association has talked of a CBI probe into the admissions for PG and MBBS courses in the state.

General Secretary of the association Dr Jiva Nand Chauhan said: “There have been controversies in this regard earlier too; even State High Court and Supreme Court intervention was sought by parents. In 2006, the merit test was

altogether quashed after papers were leaked by touts and this year, too, admission for MBBS had to be made on two-merit lists on the court’s intervention.”

“Since candidates have been apprehensive about admission for PG courses also, vigilance or CBI probe should be conducted into the admissions made in medical colleges of the state in the past 15 years,” he added.

A professor of a medical college said: “With candidates and their parents ready to spend any amount of money for PG courses, such a possibility cannot be ruled out here.”

Whereas chairman of the action committee Dr Kuldeep Tanwar, who had exposed buying of CPMT entrance test question papers and fought a long battle in the high court to get the merit list cancelled in 2006, said: “Since the scam exposed alleged involvement of some politicians, professors, bureaucrats etc buying MBBS and PG seats, multi-level selection and other measures could put a check on the menace.”