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No forest land for Renuka Dam project
Expedite land allotment to the poor: CM
195 houses to be constructed at Yol
Kinnauri shawls get GI registration
Don’t downsize power board: Staff
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Kasauli to have 5-star health resort
Beant Assassination Viresh Shandilya
Tussle with truckers
Pvt doctors oppose Clinical Establishment Act
Pilgrims throng Bajjreshwari temple
Man crushed under bus
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No forest land for Renuka Dam project
Shimla, October 13 The ministry declined to accept the recommendations of the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) which had examined the case in June this year. The report was placed for approval before the government which refused to accept it on the grounds that the proposal involved high-density forest area requiring felling of a very large number of trees. Initially, 901 hectare of forest land was proposed to be diverted but later the area was reduced to 775 hectare. However, the government still felt that it was too large and significant from the environment point of view to be diverted for the project. Local people and environmental groups were opposed to the project basically meant for fulfilling the Delhi’s increasing demand of water. They joined hands under the banner of Renuka Bandh Sangharsh Samiti and groups like Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, People’s Action for People in Need, Lok Vigyan Kendra, Jan Ekta Samiti, the Environment Research and Action Collective and South Asian Network on Dams, Rivers and People to wage a battle against the project at various levels, maintaining that granting of the forest clearance would be illegal and in violation to the Forest Rights Act. Almost 1,000 families in 37 villages, especially the poor and the landless, were the most dependent on the forest lands for grazing cattle and fuel wood. Apart from lakhs of trees on forest land, there is thick vegetation on shamlaat (private) forests which would also be lost. The environment clearance to the project granted in October 2009 had also been challenged in the Appellate Authority by these groups. They are now demanding that the environment clearance to the project be withdrawn, land acquisition procedures brought to an immediate halt and permanent cancellation of the Renuka Dam project. They also pointed out that the agreement between the five states for the Renuka waters had been ignored and the demand for a detailed Social Impact Assessment report not met. The project was also being opposed on the grounds that Delhi was a wasteful user of water and the authorities should look for better non-dam options to meet its justifiable water needs.
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Expedite land allotment to the poor: CM
Shimla, October 13 Presiding over a meeting to review the functioning of the Revenue Department, he asked the divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners to ensure that the scheme under which landless were to be provided 2 biswa in rural areas and 1 biswa in urban areas be implemented in letter and spirit so that poor could build their own houses. He said the kisan passbook had been accorded legal status and all financial institutions and banks would be required to extend various financial benefits to farmers on its basis. So far 8, 86,436 kisan passbooks had been distributed and 1, 91,936 were ready. He expressed concern over the increase in fallow land from 5.76 per cent to 6.75 per cent during the past five years and added that it could increase further if remedial steps were not initiated on time. He underlined the need to motivate farmers to reclaim fallow land to grow various cash crops. Referring to computerisation of the Revenue Department, he said digitisation of cadastral maps should be carried out after thorough scrutiny of the records available for the online access. He said 96 per cent of the record had already been computerised covering 98 tehsils, besides integrated land records and registration, HIMBHOOMI (land record system) and HIMRIS (revenue information system) introduced in 86 tehsils. He said cases relating to demarcation, partition, mutation and encroachment correction be accorded top priority and should be decided within the available time frame. |
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195 houses to be constructed at Yol
Dharamsala, October 13 Minister for Industries, Labour and Employment Kishan Kapoor said this at a public meeting after laying the foundation stone of two parking lots at the Kotwali Bazaar here today. These parking places would be constructed at a cost of Rs 1 crore. He said the state government was according top priority to develop every town of the state in a systematic and planned manner, with a view to reducing congestion. In Dharamsala region, additional parking places have also been identified at the Bhagsu road and McLeodganj. Budget of Rs 4 crore is being earmarked for their construction. Besides, the construction of two parking places at McLeodganj and Kotwali Bazaar is already in progress. These parking places will have a capacity of 325 and 276 vehicles, respectively, he added. Kapoor said it was a matter of pride that the municipal committee, Dharamsala, had got the first prize of Rs 1 lakh for sanitation in the town. He informed that Rs 2 crore were being spent for channelisation of different drains and more than Rs 20 lakh had been spent for the improvement of the slum areas of the town. |
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Kinnauri shawls get GI registration
Shimla, October 13 Kinnauri shawls with intricate borders in bright colours is the fourth product after Kullu shawl, Kangra tea and Chamba rumal to be registered under the Geographical Indications (GI) of Goods Act, 1999, by the Registrar, GI, Chennai, recently. The registration move was jointly moved by the State Council for Science, Technology and Environment and the Kinnauri Handloom Weavers Association, Kalpa. “This registration will help in enhancing the market value of the product as it will bear the GI logo which is a proof of the authenticity of the product from the area where it is made,” said Nagin Nanda, Member Secretary, State Council for Science, Technology and Environment. He said it would provide protection to the product against imitations that were being sold in the market. The council now intends to organise workshops for the stakeholders, mainly weavers at Kalpa and Reckong Peo, for formulating an action plan for marketing strategy. It is the Patent Information Centre in the council, which painstakingly undertook complete documentation about the shawl, how it is made, the raw material and other such detailing. “The moment a product is registered under the GI, the authenticity is assured and as such a handsome price is assured in the international market,” said Nanda. It was in December 2005 that the council was able to get the GI registration for Kullu shawl and Kangra tea followed by Chamba rumal in September 2009. Himachal was the first state in the country to formulate a policy for the GI registration in September 2004. The Patent Information Centre of the council is the nodal agency, which is engaged in preparing case of other products from the state for the GI registration. The other products include red rice, Kangra miniatures, etc. The GI registration goes a long way in protecting the interest of the artisans who undertake a lot of pain and labour to create a beautiful product. “Since under the GI Act, infringement of the product by anyone other than those from the particular region can lead to imprisonment of three years and a fine of Rs 2 lakh, the chances of imitation are reduced,” Nanda added.
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Don’t downsize power board: Staff
Shimla, October 13 In a representation to Chief Minister PK Dhumal, it stated that the management of the HPSEB had recently declared about 700 employees of various categories as surplus in its project and generation wing, causing resentment among the staff. The union requested the Chief Minister to withhold the implementation of the directions of the commission regarding staff norms in various wings. It added that the state power corporation authorities should be directed to retain their entire staff. It alleged that the management of the corporation had been making recruitment from an open market and was also absorbing staff from other public undertakings. On the other hand, around 250 employees of the HPSEB had been declared surplus, it said, adding that the strength of the board had been reduced from 44,000 to 22,000 over the years and despite all odds the employees were still maintaining additional infrastructures efficiently. |
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Kasauli to have 5-star health resort
Shimla, October 13 The Tourism Department today issued essentiality certificate to Escort group who will set up the resort at Kasauli. Despite being a very popular tourist destination, Kasauli has very limited accommodation and on weekends it is practically impossible to get place. “We have issued essentiality certificate to Escort group at a site in Kasauli as the place has very limited hotel capacity,” said Arun Sharma, director, Tourism. In fact, the Tourism Department too is expanding its hotel Ross Common at Kasauli. Interestingly, the hotel can be linked by an aerial ropeway, which will take-off from Baddi and connect with Kasauli. The Escort group had submitted a proposal for the ropeway almost 18 months back to the government, which is still under consideration. There is also a proposal to have a gold course spread over 173 bigha, which will be an added attraction. “The setting up of a ropeway in the private sector will not only prove to be a major tourist attraction but also help reduce traffic congestion on the Kalka-Shimla highway with sizeable traffic getting diverted for Kasauli,” says Sharma. The span of the ropeway will be 1.8 km and the estimated cost is likely to be around Rs 22 crore. After obtaining approval from the Cabinet for setting up of five and seven-star hotels, the Tourism Department has identified six sites. The list includes sites at Fossil Park, Suketi (600 bigha), Nalagarh (374 bigha), Baragaon near Manali (102 bigha), Jhatingri in Mandi (60 bigha), Shoja (3 bigha), and Bilaspur (6 bigha). The government is keen to hand over these sites to already established names in the hospitality sector with sound financial and technical skill. It is reliably learnt that certain established names in the hospitality sector like Taj, Marriott, Hilton, Blue Coast and Orchids have expressed keen interest in making investment at these sites. Barring a few five-star hotels at Manali, it is only Shimla which has five and seven-star hotels owned by the Oberoi group. The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) is now in the process of setting up its hotels in Dharamsala after IPL matches were held there. |
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Beant Assassination
Shimla, October 13 President of the front, Viresh Shandilya, said here today that the organisation was opposed to any kind of leniency to terrorists involved in crime against humanity. He added that those involved in anti-national activities and grave crimes deserved no mercy. He expressed concern over the circulation of an inflammatory audio CD in which one Tarsem Singh Morawala had sung songs eulogising the killers of Indira Gandhi. He said he had sent copies of the CD to the Union Home Minister and Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for action. |
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Tussle with truckers
Solan, October 13 The SDM said the key issue revolved around discount and efforts were afoot to find out an amicable solution. After days of insouciant demeanour the management today showed signs of relenting and this had raised some hope of chalking out a solution. The truckers persistently asserted that all they demanded was withdrawal of the discount which was 20 per cent both on to and fro of goods and additional 5 per cent on every inter-state distance of 150 km travelled by a truck. They justified this on the plea that the unit’s efficiency had decreased and as against 30 days work they barely got work for 12 days in a month. Besides, the truckers insisted that out of the mere 53 per cent revision of freight ever since the plant had initiated its operations 15 years ago, 22.5 per cent was borne merely for fuel while the remaining 30.5 per cent was the actual hike received by them in the last decade-and-a-half which they considered a pittance. The management was now pondering over a formula whereby some of the demands could be met as it felt that each change would incur a financial burden of several crores annually on the plant. The SDM added that since some resilience was shown by both parties today they were hopeful that some solution could be arrived at in the coming day or two.
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Pvt doctors oppose Clinical Establishment Act
Dharamsala, October 13 However, private practitioners alleged that Act had been framed keeping in mind corporate hospitals and health insurance schemes at the cost of poor patients and doctors doing private practice. While taking to The Tribune, medical practitioners alleged that the Act prescribed minimum standards for up to 10 bed clinics and hospitals. If the minimum standards for buildings, equipments and trained manpower as prescribed in the Act were implemented, the cost of running 10 bed hospitals would go up to about Rs 3.5 lakh per month. The Act also prohibits examination, diagnosis and treatment of patients at unregistered places. It means that in future, doctors would not be allowed to hold free medical camps, eye camps or first aid posts, especially in rural areas. Even home deliveries, which were common in a state like Himachal, would be illegal after the implementation of the Act, medical practitioners added. The Act also makes it mandatory for all hospitals registered under it to treat and stabilise all emergency cases. The Act defines stabilisation as “means to provide such medical treatment of the condition as may be necessary to assure with probability that no material deterioration of the condition is likely to result from or occur during transfer of patient from a clinical establishment”. However, doctors alleged that they were carrying out private practises in their own discipline. How could an eye surgeon or a child specialist was expected to treat an emergency patient suffering from heart problem, they said. The doctors were also upset at heavy penalties proposed in the Act. As it says registration of a medical establishment can be cancelled if convicted under the Act and there is no provision for revocation of cancellation.
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Pilgrims throng Bajjreshwari temple
Kangra, October 13 However, poor lighting arrangements on the Railway Station road, Gupt Ganga road, Zamanabad road and the old bus stand drew flak from many pilgrims. Meanwhile, tight security arrangements were made at the temple in view of terrorist threats during the festive season.
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Man crushed under bus
Chamba, October 13 The body of the deceased has been handed over to his kin after conducting a post-mortem examination, the SP added. The SP said a case of rash and negligent driving had been registered against bus driver Pradeep. Further investigations in the case are underway, Sharma added.
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Shimla, October 13
