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MISERY FOLLOWS SNOWFALL
A vehicle skids off a slippery road in Shimla on Sunday.
Photo: Amit Kanwar
Cabinet expansion before Budget session: Dhumal
Rs 4.38 crore for training of village heads
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Farmers grow aloe vera to keep simians at bay
‘Ban use of govt vehicles for personal purpose’
Weavers, consumers not aware about GI logo
Joint working group to help farmers
Check hoarding, black marketing, says Dhawala
Controller of Examination in HPU
SAI Training Centre
Congress wins Kangra BDC
Rs 1.38-cr van for blood donation launched
Woman gangraped, 2 nabbed
Drive against drug abuse
CM lays forensic lab stone
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MISERY FOLLOWS SNOWFALL
Shimla, January 16
There was not even a trace of cloud in the sky and the sun shone brightly throughout the day but it brought no warmth to mitigate the Arctic conditions. Taps went dry in most of the areas which received snow yesterday as water in pipes was frozen due to extreme cold. The people beyond Shimla had to go without newspapers, milk, bread, vegetables and other daily necessities as all roads in the upper region were blocked due to snow. The Hindustan-Tibet road was blocked between Shimla and Odi and beyond Karcham and Rampur and Kinnaur-bound traffic was diverted through Basantpur. All roads leading to Rohru, Jubbal, Kotkhai and Chopal areas were also blocked. The snow also affected telecommunication and power supply in several areas. Slippery conditions in Shimla made walking on the road a nightmare for the local people and tourists. The Municipal Corporation was slow in clearing roads and till this evening only a few stretches had been cleared. Keylong remained the coldest with a minimum of minus 12.7°C, followed by Kalpa which recorded a minimum of minus 9°C. Shimla recorded the lowest minimum temperature of minus 3.3°C (5.1°C below normal) and a maximum of 5°C (4°C below normal). Dharamsala, Sundernagar and Solan also reeled under sub-zero temperatures. The widespread snow, second of the season, in the Shimla region brought cheers to apple growers. It will not only ensure minimum chilling hours required for a good crop but also help maintain moisture level in the soil. The rain in lower hills is considered beneficial for the rabi crop. Life back to
normal in Manali
MANALI: After a fresh spell of snow, the tourist town of Manali witnessed a bright sunny day today and tourists and local residents got relief from the cold. Clear blue sky greeted visitors this morning and all nearby tourist places were buzzing with tourist activities who had thronged the valley. Hundreds of tourists visited the Hadimba Devi temple and many of them trekked to the Vashisht Rishi temple, which is also famous for its hot water springs. The snowfall also brought smiles on the faces of hoteliers. They felt that the snowfall would boost the winter tourism in Manali. The internationally famous ski slopes of the 14,000-ft-high Bhrighu slopes and 12,000-ft-high Hamta slopes, which were famous for its helicopter-skiing in the Western countries for the heli-ski lovers, had also experienced a heavy snowfall. Meanwhile, the Manali-Kullu national highway opened for all vehicular traffic and tourists started thronging Manali. The Public Works Department cleared the snow on the Manali-Naggar (left bank) road. However, buses from the Manali-Naggar-Kullu road were not plied today. Only light vehicles were allowed to ply. |
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Cabinet expansion before Budget session: Dhumal
Dharamsala, January 16 He also hinted at filling the Cabinet berth vacated by JP Nadda, former Forest Minister. Nadda after being elevated to the post of national general secretary of the BJP, vacated the post last year. Thereafter, the CM retained the forest portfolio. There is a hectic lobbying within the party for the Cabinet berth. BJP MLA from Shimla Suresh Bharadwaj and the MLA from Kot Kehloor in Bilaspur district are the front runners for the Cabinet berth. Sources said even state Assembly Speaker Tulsi Ram had expressed his desire to be a minister. The CM, while responding to queries from mediapersons, also indicated that there might be reshuffle in the present Cabinet. Dhumal criticised the UPA government for the rise in petrol prices. He said in the last few months the oil companies had increased the petrol prices by about Rs 10. “The petrol prices in the country are among the highest in the world now. By doing so the government is encouraging people to use diesel vehicles which will pollute the environment more,” he added. He said this was being done at a time when the people were already reeling under high inflation of food items. On being asked about the dismal performance of the BJP in the municipal council poll in Kangra district, Dhumal said the party had in fact improved its performance in the municipal councils of Kangra district as compared to last elections. The CM was here to administer the oath of office to elected pradhans, vice-pradhans and members of panchayats of Kangra and Chamba districts. Pradhans from many areas of Chamba and Pangi (tribal area of Chamba district) failed to attend the oath ceremony due to heavy snowfall in their areas. Those pardhans who failed to reach here would be administered oath by their respective block development officers. Industries Minister Kishan Kapoor, IPH Minister Ravinder Ravi, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ramesh Dhawala and Vidhan Sabha Speaker Tulsi Ram were also present in the oath-taking ceremony.
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Rs 4.38 crore for training of village heads
Mandi, January 16 He said this after administering oath to newly elected pradhans and up-pradhans from Mandi and Kullu districts here. He said the pradhans would get TA/DA and facility in rest houses for the tour or training. Training will ensure that they get proper information and ideas as to how to implement state and Centre-run development schemes like MNREGA, Atal Awas Yojna, Indira Awas Yojna, Deen Dayal Yojna, he added. Dhumal urged the rural functionaries to bail out the MNREGA scheme from the general perception that it was steeped in corruption that in turn had deprived the poor villagers of development. He said unlike earlier now the two instalments of Rs 10 lakh would be disbursed to 108 panchayats elected this time unanimously in the state. The government has kept Rs 10 lakh each for panchayat elected unopposed for development, he added. The Chief Minister urged the pradhans to meet the deadline of March 31 in making each panchayat open defecation-free. The pradhans would also ensure there participation in the state government’s endeavour to make Himachal polythene-free. Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Jai Ram Thakur highlighted the ministry’s blueprint for the panchayats and budgetary provisions for MNREGA and other schemes. PWD Minister Gulab Singh Thakur, Congress president Kaul Singh Thakur, Mandi Sadar MLA Anil Sharma, chairman civil supplies corporation Ram Swarup Sharma and former Mandi MP Maheshwar Singh were also present on the occasion. |
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Farmers grow aloe vera to keep simians at bay
Shimla, January 16 The simians, which have been causing extensive damage to crops, have no liking for the medicinal plant. It did not take much effort on the part of forest officials to convince the farmers in monkey-infested areas of Naina Tikker and Bagthan to plant aloe vera. With the active involvement of the Forest Development Agencies (FDAs) the field staff in Rajgarh persuaded the people to diversify from the traditional crops and take to cultivation of medicinal plants which would not only help in promoting health but also ensure remunerative returns. As a result, plantations of three important species, aloe vera, amla and bahera, have come up over 15 hectares. In all, 15,600 plants have been raised and aloe vera is ready for marketing with an expected yield of about 20 quintal. The produce, which is used for making ayurvedic medicines, pulp, juice and other natural products for skin and body care, will be supplied to the Patanjali Yogpeeth at Haridwar. Encouraged by the success, more plants are being raised by the department for distribution among farmers and about 18,000 aloe vera plants are ready at Rajgarh and Sarahan. The planting material will be supplied through the Joint Forest Management Societies under plantation schemes of “Sanjha Van Sanjeevani Van” and “Apna Van Apna Dhan” for plantation on common and private lands. The department is now planning to promote aloe vera cultivation in other areas of the state where simians are causing problems. If the programme succeeds in areas and farmers get good returns, the monkey menace may turn out to be a boon for the farmers who were reluctant to diversify to cash crops all these years. The state government had been making efforts to make Himachal the herbal state and it has launched a number of schemes “Ghar Ghar Sanjivani” under which more than 15 lakh plants were distributed to all rural and urban households in the state. Besides, people-centric plantation schemes were also implemented by involving the Joint Forest Management Societies and encouraging individuals raise medicinal plants on private land.
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‘Ban use of govt vehicles for personal purpose’
Bilaspur, January 16 Addressing mediapersons here, Ram Singh, state president of the federation, accompanied by a number of state leaders, said most of the officers leave on Saturday evening for their homes in government vehicles and return on Monday morning to their offices. This is the sheer misuse of government vehicles, which were provided to them for performing government duty. He said there was also a need to check the misuse of telephones by government officers who had been provided with mobiles and landline connections by the government. This facility should be streamlined so that it was not be misused. Such steps would certainly assure saving of crores of rupees. Ram also criticised the policies of the Centre, which had made lives of the common man difficult by not controlling the prices of essential commodities. He said the Centre had increased oil prices six times during the past one year and had allowed exports of onions and sugar despite shortage of these commodities in the country. Ram added that on the other hand the Centre had reduced the grant of the state government under the 13th Finance Commission which has resulted in state facing serious financial crunch which had further resulted in Class three and four employees of the state not getting their due arrears of the 6th Pay Commission. The federation has urged the Centre and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to do justice with the state by providing a “special package” of at least Rs 1,000 crore so that the state can meet its financial obligations.
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Weavers, consumers not aware about GI logo
The fact remains that despite the Patent Information Centre of the State Council for Science, Technology and Environment getting GI registration for Kangra tea, Kullu shawl, Kinauri shawl and Chamba
rumaal, the benefit has not percolated down to the beneficiaries like weavers, artisans and growers. There is little awareness among the weavers or the tea growers about the significance of having a GI logo on their product and the consumers too do not know what a GI product means. “The council will undertake a pilot study to see if the weavers have benefited from the GI registration of Kullu shawls in any way and accordingly, we will make certain recommendations to the government,” said Dr Alka Sharma, coordinator of the Patent Information
Centre. She added that the council had done its bit by getting the products registered under the GI Act but it was the responsibility of various government agencies like the industries department, agriculture department and the Handicraft Corporation to create awareness about it and help the weavers and growers. Since Kullu shawl was the first product to get the GI registration, the council will study the impact that GI registrations has had on the sales, value and demand of these colourful shawls. It is common knowledge that despite GI registration, poor quality shawls, made on machines in Ludhiana factories, are being sold everywhere. Under the GI Act, an individual can face legal action if he tries to sell off a cheap imitation as the genuine product. Registration under GI ensures a particular status for a product of a specific region having certain exclusive characteristics, which no other product can claim. In fact, Dr SS
Chandel, who was instrumental in getting the GI logos for these products, stresses the need for issuance of a notification and formulation of a marketing strategy, which will help the weavers and growers to benefit from the GI registration. |
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Joint working group to help farmers
Mandi, January 16 Talking to The Tribune after the meeting with IIT director here, Ram Subhag Singh, who took the cognizance of the report on IITs fresh initiatives published in these columns, said: “We have constituted a joint working group with members from IIT and department of agriculture that will first identify the three key areas of vegetables and fruit. IIT will come out with low-cost post-harvest technology for vegetables and fruit for farmers”. Ram Subhag Singh said after identifying the key areas, the group would interact and chalk out the strategy to apply these technological interventions among the farmers. The IIT would come out with a package of good practices and the department would replicate them among farmers using its extension network, he added. He said the director had also said the IIT would be working on using the mobile telephony in rural Himachal for the benefit of farmers. The broadband was not available in the rural areas so the IIT would suggest the easily available network of mobile telephony as to how to keep the farmers updated on markets, use of fertilisers, insecticides, rainfall and other technological interventions, he added. Ram Subhag Singh said the IIT would also suggest some low-cost effective technology for water harvesting.
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Check hoarding, black marketing, says Dhawala
Shimla, January 16 He said Himachal Pradesh was a consumer state and foodgrains and essential commodities were imported from other states and as such the government had little control on the prices. Dhawala also directed the officers to ensure that price list was displayed by all shopkeepers and to take action against those who failed to comply with the law. Further, a close watch should be kept on the prices of foodgrains, onion and vegetables. He said the Centre had reduced kerosene quota of the state by 32 per cent from April last and only 3,352 kilolitre of kerosene was being supplied every month against the demand of 5,627 kilolitre. He said efforts were being made to provide kerosene to workers in the industrial areas under
the “Open Market Scheme” of the state. He said the government would request the Centre to set up an auto LPG dispenser gas station in the state at the earliest. He added that a proposal to set up an auto LPG dispenser gas station on experimental basis in
all district headquarters of the state was under consideration. |
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Controller of Examination in HPU Tribune News Service
Shimla, January 16 Chairman of the committee Sohan Singh Thakur has said the manner in which the incumbent had been appointed without following the laid down procedure and bothering about the eligibility in blatant violations of the Himachal Pradesh University Act, Statutes and Ordinances, it might lead to litigation. The action of the Vice-Chancellor has compelled non-teaching employees to launch an agitation and hold protest rallies on the campus. Member of the Executive Council Waryam Singh Bains said the appointment of controller of examination is contrary to the provision of rules and demanded the repatriation of the deputationists. As per Section 15-A of the Act, the controller of examinations will be equivalent in status to registrar. He will be appointed by transfer of the incumbent of the office of the registrar or prescribed by the Statutes which laid down that the incumbent must be a whole-time salaried officer of the university and be appointed by the Executive Council on the recommendations of the Selection Committee constituted for the purpose. Similarly, as per the Ordinance, for the selection to the post of registrar a person must have a Master’s degree in any faculty with five years’ experience as a principal in a college affiliated to or maintained by the university. In addition to the registrar, the Executive Council may appoint a person for the office of the Controller of Examinations, either temporarily or permanently. He said the person did not fulfil any of the criteria and thus eligible for appointment. Bains has urged the Governor, the Chief Minister and the Education Minister to intervene in the matter and ensure that a qualified person was appointed as CoE following the laid down procedure.
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Entrance test from Jan 19
Bilaspur, January 16 SAI Training Centre in charge Kuldip Singh Thakur said here that admission would be done in disciplines of athletics, boxing, kabaddi and volleyball for residential students and for athletics, boxing, kabaddi, volleyball, hockey and badminton for non-residential students. He said students between the age groups of 14 to 19 years and those who had participated in district, state and national-level tournaments could come to compete. Other promising sports students are also welcome to come and compete in these tests for admission, he added. Thakur said candidates must bring their biodata, educational qualification certificates, age proof and certificates of sports events they had participated in, both originals and attested copies along with four passport size photos. — OC
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Congress wins Kangra BDC
Dharamsala, January 16 Devi Lal was elected as president of the Kangra BDC and Asha Rani was elected as vice-president. Election for the office-bearers of the BDC was held in Kangra yesterday. In many other BDCs the elections could not be conducted due to lack of adequate strength. As per rules, 75 per cent
elected BDC members have to be present in house to elect the president and vice-president. Bali also claimed that the Congress would win the Nagrota BDC with a thumping majority. The elections to Nagrota BDC are scheduled for tomorrow. |
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Rs 1.38-cr van for blood donation launched
Bilaspur, January 16 Nadda also inaugurated one-month-long “youth day campaign” for encouraging youth to donate blood. Project director, AIDS programme, Dr. Sulakshana Puri, chief medical officer Dr. Sudershan Sharma and senior medical officer Dr. Ashwini Sharma also addressed the function among others. A total of 17 youth donated blood while Nadda also honoured several NGOs, the District Nehru Yuva Kendra, the Satya Sai Seva Samiti, the Sant Nirankari Mandal, the Chetna Sanstha, Government Postgraduate College, Bilaspur, the Vyas Nagar Samiti, ITI Bilaspur, the Youth Club, Badhyaat, the LIC of India, Government Degree College, Jukhala, the ABVP, the Seva Bharti, the Patanjali Yoga Samiti, and the Nagar Uthaan Samiti. Ten youth, Vijay Raj Upadhyaya, Tejaswi Sharma, Vipin Chandel, Hemant Sharma, Basant Ram Sandhu, Vipul Gupta, Shyam Lal and Pyare Lal, were also honoured for donating blood for more than 10 times. |
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Woman gangraped, 2 nabbed
Mandi, January 16 Two of the accused have been arrested and sent in five-day police remand today, while the third accused Pawan was still absconding, the police said. SP Mandi DP Prasad said the woman stated that she was abducted and then raped by the accused in a nearby jungle under Sarkaghat police station on December 14. The police has nabbed the two accused under Sections 366, 376 and 34, IPC and are in police remand for five days. The police said the victim was abandoned on the spot by the accused after committing the crime. The local villagers rescued the victim after they heard her screams, the police said. The police said the trio picked her up in the jeep and took here to the isolated spot and raped her.
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Drive against drug abuse
Shimla, January 16 This was decided in a meeting of State Advisory Committee on the Population Education of the Council held here recently. Presiding over the meeting, Shrikant Baldi, Principal Secretary, Education, said it was essential to create awareness about these two issues. The committee also approved organising of two training programmes for school lecturers on population and adolescence issues and organising of Tobacco Day, Population Day and World AIDS Day.
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CM lays forensic lab stone
Mandi, January 16 The RFSL will house biology and serology, chemistry and toxicology, physics and ballistic divisions to carry out the examination of various samples collected by investigating officers from time to time in the central region. PWD Minister Gulab Singh Thakur, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Jai Ram Thakur were also present on the occasion.
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Normal life in the middle and the upper hill areas of the state has affected even as the weather cleared today after two days of rain and snow.
Shimla, January 16