Shimla, March 5
The government has stepped up efforts to establish an international airport in the state under green project by roping in some private company so that it can come up under public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

The Tourism Department is in touch with a number of private firms to set up an international airport under the PPP mode so as to give a fillip to tourism. In fact, some of the firms have responded and are in contact with the department and their teams could visit the state shortly to inspect the proposed sites and assess their suitability.

One of the private firms, GMR, has sought certain queries from the government as they, too, are keen to set up a green airport of international standard. The Tourism Department on its part has identified the prospective sites where vast expanse of land could be made available and all other infrastructural facilities are also there.

The tourism authorities in consultation with the concerned district administration have identified land in Shimla, Kangra and Mandi districts. While the land measuring about 1,300 bighas is located on the border of Kangra-Hamirpur, about 1,500 bighas have been identified near Chambaghat in Solan district. The other site is in Sundernagar area of Mandi district.

With erratic and unreliable air connectivity and limited rail link in the state, the government is keen that the hill state with immense tourism potential has an international airport. The absence of an international airport hampers tourism growth to a great extent and as such the state government has also taken up the issue with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) on a number of occasions.

Though the state at present has three airports at Jubbarhatti near Shimla, Bhuntar near Kullu and Gaggal near Kangra but with a shorter runway it is not possible for bigger aircraft to land, resulting in the air fares being very high. Since there is practically no scope for expansion of these airports due to hilly terrain, having an international airport is the only solution.

The repeated pleas by Himachal, seeking subsidised air fares on the pattern of North-East and Jammu Kashmir, have not yielded results so far. The Tourism Department has launched its heli-taxi service but barring the globe-trotting high-end tourists, it would be difficult for others to afford it.

Poor air connectivity and the pathetic road condition is a major handicap to tourism promotion in the state.

Dharamsala, March 5
The Tibetan New Year, Losar, started today amidst prayers and celebrations. According to Tibetan lunar calendar, it is year 2037. Generally, Losar comes in the month of February. However, as per the Tibetan Lunar calendar, the passing year had one extra month. According to sources, the Tibetan calendar had predicted that there would be extended winter this year due to which extra month was added in the passing year.

Losar marks the end of winter and start of spring season. Today was the first day of New Year according to the Tibetan calendar and as per the tradition, the Tibetan exiles paid obeisance to their spiritual guru, the Dalai Lama.

The sources here told The Tribune that on the first day of the New Year, the Tibetans avoid making any purchase or spend money. The behaviour is guided by the belief that if they spend on the first day, they would be under debt for the entire year.

Besides, every Tibetan grew in age by one year today. In Tibetan tradition, the first day of New Year is considered as a measure of increase in age rather than the birthday as per other tradition among other communities.

Losar or New Year celebrations is the biggest festival of Tibetans. Celebrations during the festival can extend up to 15 days.

As per the tradition, the preparations of Losar start on 29th day of the last month of Tibetan year. On the 29th day of last month is called Nyi-shu-gu in Tibetan language. On this day, all members of family come together. They clean up the house, especially the kitchen. Thupa, traditional Tibetan food, is prepared for dinner. The food is cooked in a single utensil and served to all collectively.

Since most of Tibetans were nomads living in cold desert areas of Tibet, as per the tradition on 29th day of the last month, men used to take bath and clean themselves after extreme winter. The women members of the family take bath on 30th day of the last month.

A game is played by members of the family on 30th of last month. In game things are distributed to members according to which their behaviour in the last year is evaluated.

The major festivities and public celebrations for the festival would take place on 3rd day of Losar i.e. on March 7. On this day, circular dance is performed by Tibetans. The visitors are also allowed to participate in the dance.

Today, most of the Tibetans here celebrated Losar staying within their families or visiting the Dalai Lama temple.

Some of the Tibetans, however, admitted that now a days festival is not celebrated with fervour as it used to be a few years ago. Tenzin Tsundue, a Tibetan activist, said the feeling of being exile dampens the spirit of Losar.

Losar is also supposed to be good time for tourism in Dharamsala as many foreigners come to see festivities of the Losar. However, visit to Mcleodganj today revealed that very few foreign tourists have come this year on the eve of Losar.

Shimla, March 5
The HP High court today issued notice to the State Government on a petition for the appointment of President in the HP State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which is lying vacant for the past five months. While issuing the notice, the Bench headed by the Chief Justice Kurian Joseph further directed the Principal Secretary (Civil Supply & Consumer Affairs) to file reply within four weeks and listed the matter on April 25.

The court passed this order on a petition filed by Jagdish Thakur stated that the post of President fell vacant in October, 2010, due to completion of tenure of the then President and in January, 2011, another woman member of the Commission also demitted her office after the completion of her tenure. Now as on date the Commission is being run by a single member resulting in delay in redressal of consumer cases for which the Commission was constituted. He further stated that it is more than five months since the Commission is running without its President and has devoid of the statutory strength as provided in the Consumer Protection Act.

As per the provisions of the Act, the Commission constitutes one President and not less than two members - one of whom is required to be woman. Due to these vacancies, the Commission has virtually become redundant and its functions cannot be performed without the statutory corum. This has not only caused inconvenience to the lawyers but the public at large.

The petitioner urged the court to direct the state to take immediate steps for the appointment of President and woman member of the Commission without any delay.

Dharamsala, March 5
After the start of Class XII examinations of the Himachal Pradesh School Education Board (HPSEB) yesterday, the board examination of Class X began today. This year, the number of students appearing as regular candidates from all over the state is 1,14,666. The number of private candidates appearing for Class X examinations is 17,605. Today was the English paper for which 1,690 centres have been set up across the state.

The examinations of Class X is being conducted in the morning shift from 9am to 12 noon whereas the students for Class VIII compartment exam have been appearing in the evening shift from 2 to 5pm. Similarly, the Class XII students have been appearing in the morning shift whereas Class XI students take their examination in the evening shift.

The school authorities have been instructed by the board to keep a strict vigil on the students to check copying cases. “Flying squads consisting of SDM, tehsildar, Naib tehsildar and even DC, have been visiting centres after receiving complaints related to copying,” said Anju Pathak, public relation officer of the HPSEB.

Till the filing of this report, 20 copying cases had been reported. The board sources said authorities need time to consolidate data received from all over the state which would come only after the second shift gets over.

VC Pharka, chairman of the HPSEB, said the authorities concerned have been maintaining a strict watch on the examination centres.

Mandi, March 5
Youth Congress president Manmohan Katoch today said they would launch an agitation against the BJP government’s failure to check drug abuse among students in private universities and its failure to provide 70 per cent employment in private companies as envisaged in the government’s policy.

Talking to reporters here today, Katoch said the blatant violator of the MoU is JP group. “It has enhanced its power capacity of 1,000 MW Karcham-Wangtoo project to 1,400 MW which has resulted in a loss to the state exchequer and employs not more than 20 per cent people from Himachal.”

Katoch alleged that Yuva Morcha chief Anurag Thakur was indulging in cheap political stunts dragging tricolour, religion and region to gain cheap publicity.

Katoch alleged that Chief Minister Dhumal had claimed that he would give employment to 26,000 youths, but on the contrary, he removed over 16,000 PTA teachers and Sahayaks employed by the previous Virbhadra Singh government.

He claimed that youth in particular and public in general were disillusioned with the BJP government as it has failed to deliver. The government shielded former board’s chairman and others in the infamous HP Board certificates scam while only clerks were arrested and it was yet to fix the accountability in the case, he said.

He said the drug menace was spreading among students in private universities under the nose of the police. The private universities and certain ministers are involved in benami land deals, he charged.

He said he has covered over 34 blocks under its “Chalo Gaon Ki Aor” campaign, which have linked village youth to the Congress. “We will launch an agitation this month against the government at block level,” he said.

Shimla, March 5
Even as more than 12 retired bureaucrats and Army officers are in the race for the post of Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), the hunt is still on for filling up the post which fell vacant on the retirement of PS Rana.

The government today notified the constitution of a committee headed by the Chief Minister PK Dhumal which will decide on the name of the person to be appointed as the next CIC. The other members of the committee include leader of Opposition in the Assembly Vidya Stokes and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ravinder Ravi. The committee is likely to meet this week to finalise the name of the person who will become the second CIC of Himachal.

Even though there are more than 12 contenders for the top post but a senior retired Army officer, Lt Gen BS Jamwal, is being considered as a strong contender. Besides this, former Chief Secretary, Asha Swaroop’s name is also doing the rounds.

The name of a senior IAS officer, who is due to retire next year, is also doing the rounds so that the significant post that he is holding could be assumed by another officer close to the powers of corridor.

The Commission at present has only one member, SS Parmar, a former Chief Secretary. It is being speculated that he might tender his resignation despite two years tenure remaining in case an IAS officer junior to him is made CIC.

Though there is a provision to have a maximum of up to 10 Commissioners in the Commission but Himachal so far has only one besides the CIC.

Shimla, March 5
Taking serious note of indulging in illegal mining activities on the forest land, the HP High Court has imposed a cost of Rs 10 lakh on a stone crusher owner of Chabba village of Shimla district. A division Bench comprising Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjay Karol directed the state government to neither renew the lease agreement nor grant any fresh lease in favour of this stone crusher. The court directed the crusher owner in an open court order to pay this cost to the state government.

The order came on a petition filed by the residents of Chabba village of Shimla district. The petitioner alleged that the crusher owner was running a stone crusher in the Chabba village. It was alleged that the state government had granted him lease for mining in Khasra numbers 194/190 in Mohal Chhaba but he had not established his crusher on this land. It was alleged that the respondent encroached upon the government land and raised unauthorised Dharas upon such land for establishing stone crusher. The petitioners further added that the lease deed granted to petitioner had expired on January 18, 2005, and since then the respondent was involved in illegal mining activities.

In reply to this petition, Divisional Forest Officer had submitted that notices were issued to crusher owner for encroaching 848 sqm land. The DFO ultimately prepared a report for damaging forest land and proceedings on the same is pending in the court of Judicial magistrate, Shimla. The court after considering entire facts on record found that the stone crusher owner was indulging in illegal mining activities and had caused a loss to the state exchequer by extracting mines and minerals in complete violation of the law.

Hamirpur, March 5
The Himachal Pradesh Government has released Rs 17 lakh to provide aid to HIV positive and children having AIDS, who are getting treatment through the Atro-Viral Treatment (ART) centre at Hamipur. The state government is providing cash relief to HIV positive children to buy them nutritious diet, besides providing free treatment and travelling allowance to them and their attendants.

About 400 HIV positive children are registered with the ART centre at Hamirpur and patients from Mandi, Bilaspur, Una, Chamba and Hamirpur are also under treatment here.

The state government provides them cash aid ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 300. They and their attendants are also being paid to and fro fare from their places to the ART centre.

Under the Hamirpur-based ART centre 25 HIV infected children up to 3 years of age, 55 from 4 to 6 years, 115 from 7 to 9 years, 110 from 10 to 13 years and 60 children from 13 to 15 years of age group are registered and getting this relief.

Shimla, March 5
The much-awaited meeting of the Executive Council (EC) of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), which was to be held today, has been postponed indefinitely.

The meeting of the apex body of the HPU was being considered significant as the name of the candidate selected for the post of Controller of Examination (CoE) would have been disclosed.

The appointment of the CoE had become controversial ever since Naresh Kumar Mahajan had been appointed on secondment basis.

The EC meeting was deferred due to the pre-occupation of most of members and the secretary (Education) because of the Budget Session. The HPU was asked to defer the meeting as most of the people were busy with the Assembly session as well as preparations for the Budget, which would be presented by Chief Minister PK Dhumal on March 9.

It was also pointed out that since the budgetary allocation for the HPU would also be known in the Budget, it would be more appropriate to hold the EC meeting after the Budget Session.