Shimla, March 4
With mere assurances trickling in, it is an agonising wait, shrouded in complete uncertainty for the parents of 22-year-old Prashant Chauhan, a hotel management graduate who has been taken hostage after pirates hijacked an Egyptian ship he was working on as a chef on August 2 last year.

It was after relatives of Prashant met Chief Minister PK Dhumal here today that he wrote letters to the External Affairs, Shipping and Overseas Ministers to take up the matter to ensure the captives’ release. His parents, Amar Singh Chauhan, employed in Milkfed, and mother working with Accountant General Office, have been knocking at the doors of Union ministers and officials while camping in Delhi since the ship had been hijacked.

The happiness of Prashant knew no bounds when, after completing his hotel management course from Bhopal, he joined as a chef with Red Sea Navigation Lines, an Egyptian firm. But the happiness turned into a nightmare when the ship, MV Suez, was captured by pirates in August last year, said his paternal uncle, Himal Chauhan, a retired principal.

“All that we have received is hollow assurances and it is only two days back that we were able to meet S.M. Krishna but so far no serious efforts have been made to release the six Indian hostages,” said his father speaking on the phone from Delhi. He said it was on February 22 that he last spoke to his son on the phone of the pirates, who allowed him to speak to their family for 30 seconds after giving a missed call.

Chauhan said another person from Himachal was also on the same ship but he was not in touch with the family of the boy hailing from the Palampur area.

Shimla, March 4
Accusing the Centre of discriminating with Himachal in providing funds for rail network expansion in the state, the Chief Minister refuted a Congress allegation that the state had failed to acquire land and complete the formalities in this regard.

He was replying to a query raised by Rajesh Dharmani during Question Hour about the budgetary allocation in the Railway Budget and the status of the Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Beri railway line in the assembly today.

“Despite Himachal being in dire need of better rail network, the Centre has not shown much concern as meager allocation has been made for the project,” he remarked.

The Chief Minister regretted that despite the Centre admitting that the Pathankor-Manali-Leh rail line was of strategic importance, no allocation had been made. “During the meeting with Vice-Chairman of the Planning Commission (PC), it was pointed out that as per rate of return (ROR) on the basis of which projects were cleared, the Manali-Leh line was not very viable and hence not given allocation,” he remarked.

Dhumal said he had pointed out to the PC that in case the rail link to Leh was made, a huge expenditure being made on airlifting Army equipment and tanks would be curtailed. “During 2009-10 Railway Budget, Rs 20 was provided for Bhanupali rail line and later it was revised to Rs 8.74 crore and during 2010-11 budget, Rs 41 crore was provided which too was later revised to Rs 21.55 crore,” he informed the House.

Replying to a supplementary by Congress MLA Kaul Singh Thakur about the delay being caused due to land acquisition proceedings, he said land acquisition proceedings had been initiated. “Moreover in October 2010, the Railway Ministry asked us to keep in abeyance the acquisition proceedings as a geo-technical survey was on,” he said.

In reply to another question by Sudhir Sharma of the Congress, Dhumal said the case regarding the exclusion of 43 villages from the Dhauladhar wildlife sanctuary on the recommendation of the high-empowered committee was pending in the Supreme Court.

He added that it was expected that the case would be listed within four-week time and normally the court would uphold the recommendation of the high-empowered committee.

Shimla, March 4
The Congress today said the Dhumal regime should express gratitude towards the Centre for providing liberal funding and giving prestigious institutions to Himachal rather than harping about discrimination being meted out to it.

Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s Address, Congress legislator and state party chief Kaul Singh Thakur said the BJP regime should not be ungrateful as the Congress-led UPA regime had provided several institutes and projects to the state.

“When it comes to protecting the interest of the Himachal and its people, the Congress has always extended whole-hearted support to the state government which will continue in the future too,” he said. Dismissing charges of discrimination, he said the Centre had given Himachal an IIT, a central university, an ESI Medical College and a National fashion Technology Institute (NIFT). While crores had been received under MNREGA.

He said the health services and educational institutions were suffering due to thousands of vacancies, especially in the backward and tribal areas. “The countdown has already started as the popularity graph of the BJP has taken a dip as people are fed up with the pick-and-choose policy and undue benefits being given to those close to BJP leaders,” he remarked.

Participating in the debate, BJP MLA Khushi Ram Balnatah lauded the performance of the BJP regime despite severe financial constraints on account of injustice meted out by the Finance Commission. “The Centre is discriminating with us in resource allocation and no allocation had been made for the Manali-Leh line despite it being a project of national importance,” he said.

Gangu Ram Musafir and Sujan Singh Pathania of the Congress and Baldev Sharma and Randhir Sharma of the BJP also participated in the debate.

Shimla, March 4
American company will provide 65,000 grafted plants of apple, cherry, pear and walnut so that growers in various parts of Himachal get good quality imported rootstock for better yields.

Four international firms have expressed desire to provide the rootstock in response to global tenders floated by the Horticulture Department sometime back. It is under the Horticulture Technology Mission (HTM) that the department will spend Rs 3.82 crore on providing the best-imported varieties to the growers.

It is reliably learnt that an American firm will be asked to provide 65,000 grafted plants as they have quoted the lowest prices. In case, they are unable to make available such a huge stock, the French firm will be asked to meet the remaining requirement, as their rates are second lowest. The government is likely to complete the formalities and grant the orders within a day or two.

“It has always been our endeavour to provide the best quality plant material to our growers so that they get good returns by planting the best varieties,” said Narender Bragta, Horticulture Minister.

He said the imported rootstock would help the fruit growers from Himachal to compete in the international market by producing the best variety fruits.

Horticulture experts said the grafted plants would be quarantined for one year at the progeny orchards of the Horticulture Department and kept under strict supervision. “We will check their resistance and suitability of the grafted plants under different agro-climatic conditions so that they are accordingly distributed to the growers after their multiplication,” said an expert.

The government has identified areas, besides the traditional belts, for growing walnut, cherries and pear so that more area can be brought under fruit cultivation. It is only by providing the best quality fruit obtained through improved and high-yielding varieties that the growers can compete in bigger markets.

In many areas, apple and pear plants are to be replaced as part of the ongoing Horticulture Technology Mission. The apple trees in some parts have become too old and are of the poor varieties so the yield is low and quality too not up to the mark.

It is under the Rs 85 crore “Apple Rejuvenation” project that the Horticulture Department intends to provide imported rootstock to the growers in the apple belts falling in Shimla, Kinnaur, Kullu, Mandi and Sirmour districts. Efforts are on to procure the best varieties from apple-producing countries like America, New Zealand, Australia and Switzerland.

Mandi, March 4
Village artisans and small entrepreneurs, including women, will now say goodbye to hand-driven looms. They will now use eco-friendly solar-driven looms to produce their high-end products and sell these in shopping plazas in cities and metros and showcase them online.

Kumud Joshi, chairperson, Khadi and Gramodyog Commission, who along with former Mandi MP Pratibha Singh, today inaugurated the sale-cum-exhibition put up by 72 exhibitors from the country at Paddal Maidan here on the occasion of the week-long Shivaratri fair.

The exhibition is organised by the Khadi Board, the Coir Board, the National Small-Scale Enterprises Corporation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) headed by Mandi MP Virbhadra Singh.

Joshi says that the Khadi Board and the MSME has planned to link each village entrepreneurs to national markets through value additions. The board has planned a pilot project of “women empowerment” that will give them training to use their products and link them to banks and give them access to big markets in the country.

She says the commission in tandem with the MSME has planned to set up over 1,000 units. “We will provide employment to village artisans. They can use solar charkhas and looms to weave shawls and other products using technology to make them competent globally”.

She says they can showcase their products online though the website, www.ruralhaat.com.

CEO Khadi and Village Commission JS Mishra says that the MSME has planned to launch 1000 units in Himachal. He says the MSME has generated output worth Rs 21,000 crore last year and employs 2 lakh persons out of which 10,000 are in khadi units.

Pratibha Singh says the exhibition will benefit visitors and they will work with the state government to take advantage of MSME under Virbhadra Singh.

Mandi Sadar MLA Anil Sharma, OSD to the MSME Amitpal Singh, member, khadi board (north) Ramdas Sharma and others were also present on the occasion.

Dharamsala, March 4
The Army is coming up in a big way in basic, medium and higher education. Till date, 126 professional colleges have been established by it across the country to cater to the needs of serving and retired Army personnel and their families.

Lt-Gen AK Chaudhary, GOC, Rising Star Corps, gave this information while talking to The Tribune here today.

The General said the corps had established an Army Institute of Higher Education at Pathankot in Punjab. It would cater to the needs of Army men, ex-servicemen and their families living in Himachal and Punjab.

The institute had been established as wards of Army personnel faced difficulties in pursuing higher education due to domiciliary conditions put up by many states, which they could not meet due to frequent moves.

“At present, the Army institute at Pathankot is running B.Ed course, keeping in view the demand of Army men and their dependents. Due to overwhelming response to the course, we are planning to double the B.Ed seats. Besides, we are also planning ETT course and B.Ed and M.Ed correspondence courses and one year PG diploma in computer applications”, Lt Gen AK Chaudhary said.

When asked if such an institute would also be opened in Himachal, he said the decision regarding it would be taken by the Army headquarters.

Sundernagar, March 4
The matter of Sundernagar Cement Plant has finally reached the Supreme Court.

While entertaining a Special Leave Petitions filed by Harish Cement, the Division Bench of the Supreme Court of India comprising Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice Deepak Verma today issued notices to the respondents, including the Ministry of Environment and Forests, various state departments and respondents and directed them to file a reply within three weeks. The next date of hearing has been fixed for April 25, 2011.

The court, however, did not pass any interim order pertaining to staying the judgment passed by the Green Bench of Himachal High Court (which was passed on December 13, 2010).

On December 13, 2010, the High Court had quashed the environment clearance along with the proceedings of land acquisition of controversial cement plant, the MoU of which was signed by the state government in 1995 and the Ministry of Environment and Forest granted environment clearance to the plant on the request of then Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh without any fresh public hearing.

Shimla, March 4
Seeking the cooperation of members of the House in smooth conduct of the budget session, Assembly Speaker Tulsi Ram today said he had been deeply hurt by the walkout staged by the Congress legislators in protest against his ruling of expunging remarks made against ministers.

Immediately after Question Hour, an emotional Tulsi Ram said it was probably the first time in the history of the assembly that a walkout had been staged by the Opposition after both Deputy Speaker and he had given a ruling for expunging of remarks made against some ministers by Congress MLA Rakesh Kalia.

“I have always cooperated with everyone and my endeavour is to accommodate all so that each member gets time to raise issues but yesterday’s walkout was not only against the dignity of the Chair but also not in line with proper conduct of the members,” he said.

He added that it was for the Opposition to decide whether he was right and was their walkout justified.

Later, Congress MLA Kaul Singh Thakur assured the Speaker that they too were keen that the proceedings were conducted smoothly and the Congress legislators would fully cooperate. “We have full faith in democracy and do not wish to set a precedent which will become a problem for us,” he remarked.

Manali, March 4
The entire upper Manali region experienced a fresh spell of snow while the lower parts of the areas were lashed by heavy rain resulting in a considerable fall in the day temperature.

The tourist town of Manali recorded about 18 cm of snow this morning.

Due to the snowfall, the roads became slippery and the traffic on the Manali-Rohtang Pass was disrupted at various points. The bus services also remained suspended between the Manali-Solang and Kothi village and on the Manali-Naggar route.

The ski slopes of the Solang valley also experienced heavy snowfall. The higher reaches in the Kullu valley, including the Rohatang Pass, the gateway to the Lahaul-Spiti valley, the Pir Panjal ranges, Marhi, Gulaba, Kothi, Beaskund, Dhundi, and the Chanderkhani pass also received moderate to heavy snowfall.

Dharamsala, March 4
Reacting to the recent incident where the police nabbed a Hizbul terrorist and recovered Rs 1 crore from his vehicle, the Dharamsala police has taken a serious cognisance of the incident and has started challaning vehicles with tinted glasses.

The police said the vehicles with tinted glasses would be made to remove it immediately, adding that the department had stared shortlisting such vehicles.

However, the police has already started challaning vehicles with tinted glasses in the town with a fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 194 and 115 of the Motor Vehicle Act since the last month. But the authorities have now issued the orders that apart from challaning the vehicle, tints must also be removed right on the spot.

Umpati Jamwal, Additional SP, said the action had been taken on security grounds. He confirmed that the tinted glasses of almost 20-25 vehicles had been removed in the past few days.

“If possible, our men help in removing shades from vehicles, otherwise, we challan the owner”.

In yet another move, the police has decided to take action against the vehicles flaunting stickers like press, Army or police.

Any vehicle found violating the rule would have to show proper identification card. In case if they failed to provide the documents, action would be taken, the police added.

Although the ASP said nobody was authorised to use stickers on vehicles.

Dharamsala, March 4
The police arrested wife, paramour and another accomplice for killing Surinder Pal of Manowal village, Hoshiarpur district, Punjab, here today.

Surinder was found murdered in a hotel room near the Chintpurni temple shrine on February 15.

The Kangra police released photos of the deceased in various newspapers of the region, after which Surinder’s brothers provided vital information to the police. Later using the mobile records of the deceased, it was found that he was accompanied by his wife Narinder Kaur to Chintpurni. The wife was later arrested.

According to the police, during interrogation Narinder disclosed that she was in love with Jagdish, who worked as a mason in Dubai and stayed with a friend Bhupinder and the trio planned to kill Surinder. It was found that Narinder brought her husband to Chintpurni on the pretext of paying obeisance at the shrine. Both checked in the hotel where Narinder gave some sedative to her husband due to which he fell unconscious.

She then called her paramour and his friend there, who stabbed Surinder to death. — TNS