Dharamsala, April 19
Agriculture scientists have opined that if just 10 per cent farming in the country is turned organic, it will lead to net saving of about Rs 25,000 crore in the country. The saving will be in terms of savings on farm inputs like fertilisers and pesticides and subsidies given on these by the Union Government.

The scientists are attending a two-day national symposium-cum-brainstorming workshop on organic agriculture at Palampur Agriculture University. Around 150 scientists, planners and farmers from all over the country are participating in the workshop jointly organised by the Organic Agricultural Society of India, Department of Agriculture, HP, and the National Centre of Organic Farming.

Dr Tej Partap, Vice-Chancellor (VC), Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science and Technology, Kashmir, who was the chief guest today, asked the scientist community to empower the farmers with useful technologies.

Dr SK Sharma, VC of the host university, said the university would consider introducing certain certificate, diploma or degree courses in organic farming and also give impetus to training programmes on organic agriculture for the farmers.

He said there was a vast scope of organic products due to the increasing demand and Himachal Pradesh could take a lead in this direction.

Dr JC Rana, Director of Agriculture, HP, said there were around 24,000 registered organic farmers in Himachal Pradesh and the government had decided to organise organic produce festival annually.

Dr AK Yadav, Director, National Centre of Organic Farming, said it was imperative to restore soil health and fertility for sustainable agriculture. The country had limited options and organic agriculture was need of the times.

Dr SP Sharma, Director of Research, CSKHPAU, suggested that a special lab to test organic inputs should be established in the state. Dr YS Paul, Prof and Head, Department of Organic Agriculture, elaborated about various activities related to teaching, research and extension education and Dr JP Saini also expressed his views. 

Shimla, April 19
The HP High Court has expressed displeasure over the delayed approach of the state government in the setting up of common effluent treatment, sewage treatment and municipal waste plants in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area and non-compliance of the order of the High Court and observed that the court may take action against officers not assisting it in a proper manner.

A Division Bench comprising Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Sanjay Karol observed: “We are not happy with the manner in which the orders of the court are being treated by senior officials of the government”. The court added that in public importance matter, “we expect officials of the state to act with alacrity”.

The High Court had observed in August 2007: “We once again wish to impress upon the state government the paramount importance of development of the area for the sake of the growth of industries in our state and for providing amenities and facilities to entrepreneurs, the people working in the industries, and the residents of the area as well as to enhance the public image of our state in larger public estimation with respect to activities going on in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh area”.

The court further observed that unfortunately when the state government had failed to pace up its machinery to establish the plants, the High Court in August 2010 constituted a committee of different departments of the state government and directed these to consider the feasibility of construction of the common affluent plant and other plants in larger public interest by December 2011.

The state government approached the court with the proposal to construct the plant by April 2013. The court, however, extended the time till April 2012 by observing that it could not accept the prayer of the government.

“We want to impress upon the respondents that a project of this nature cannot brook any delay. At this stage we can only say that if the work for setting up the effluent treatment plant is not taken up on a war-footing, this court may be constrained to order that no further industry should be permitted in the area in question”, it said.

The court after passing this order had directed the respondent state government officials to file the latest status report of the work, and adjourned the case on three occasions, but the state government failed to respond to such orders. The court has listed the case on April 29 and directed the government officials to file the latest status report about the progress of work of establishing the plants.

Shimla, April 19
While Amity, a leading group in higher education, has given up its plan to set up a university in the hill state, Symbiosis is likely to get nod for setting up a university in Bilaspur district soon.

With 11 private universities already functioning in the state, some of the parties, issued the Letter of Intent (LoI) for setting up universities, are having second thought because some existing ones are not finding enough number of students, raising doubts about their viability.

Amity, which was allotted land in Dharamsala, has backed out and out of the remaining eight, which have been issued LoIs, some more are likely to follow suit. The increase in endowment fund from Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore and other changes in the norms have also discouraged some promoters.

However, the case of Symbiosis is in the final stages as it is likely to be given the LoI for setting up its campus in Bilaspur shortly. ICFAI University will be functional at the Atal Shiksha Kunj in Kalu Jhanda from the coming academic session.

The other universities which are taking steps in compliance of the LoI include Maharaja Agrasain University (Kalu Jhanda), the Gopal Bali Foundation (Hamirpur), the Vocational Education Foundation and APG University.

The Hydrocarbon Education and Research Foundation, which was issued an LoI for Kangra, has not taken any steps and, thus, been denied extension of LoI. The fate of universities to be set up by the Shikhar Education Trust and the Global Knowledge Network is also uncertain.

Besides Symbiosis, ICL, Haryana, and Marketing Times have applied for an LoI for setting up universities in Chamba and Mandi. The government, which has been under attack for opening the floodgates for private universities, has of late become selective in giving nod to new institutions. 

Kangra, April 19
The teaching and non-teaching staff of MCM DAV College here has threatened to intensify the ongoing agitation against the DAV management and the state government as they were not paid last month’s salaries despite their peaceful dharna outside the Principal’s office in the college premises for the past 10 days.

Dr NK Sharma, president of the local unit of the HP Non-Government College Lecturers Association, said 60 teaching and non-teaching employees of the college had not been given last month’s salaries as the state government had failed to grant 95 per cent grant in aid to the college. They had been protesting against the delay since April 6.

He said the agitating lecturers had received an assurance in writing from Prof RK Ohri, Principal of the college, that their salaries would be deposited in their accounts by the end of this week, but it did not happen.

He said they would intensify their agitation against the delay in their salaries with more intensity, and the mode of the agitation would be decided in the general body meeting on Monday.

He described the delay in salary a matter of injustice and human rights violation.

Professor Ohri said the state government was irregular in providing grant in aid to the college for the past nine years.

Ohri said about Rs 5 crore, due as 95 per cent grant in aid to this college, was still outstanding with the state government. He said his college had raised a loan to the tune of Rs 71 lakh from the DAV management, Delhi, to disburse the salaries to the staff. Last month the college withdrew Rs 8 lakh as a bank overdraft to sustain the financial burden of the employees’ salaries.

He said all the resources of the college had been exhausted. Thus, the salaries could not be disbursed for the month of March.

The Principal demanded that the grant in aid to the college be disbursed quarterly and regularly as was done before 2002. 

Shimla, April 19
The HP High Court today summoned the investigation officer (IO) in the fake degree case and directed him to file his report before the court by May 3.

A Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Sanjay Karol passed this order on a petition filed by a former Principal VP Ahluwalia who had obtained information under the RTI regarding the degrees of four employees from Magadh University and Rajasthan University, which indicated that the documents were fake.

In its earlier order, the court had directed the DGP to depute a competent officer to investigate the matter involving four employees of the Education Department, who allegedly secured jobs on the basis of fake documents and file the investigation report by April 19. The IO failed to file the report within the stipulated time.

The petitioner alleged in his petition that he had brought the matter to the notice of the Secretary, Education, Director of Education and also the SP, Vigilance. However, the authorities had not taken any action in the matter. He urged the court to direct the government to register a case of cheating and forgery against the four accused for taking action under the service rules.

Dharamsala, April 19
The Department of Technical Education is going to make computer education compulsory for students of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in the state. Minister for Horticulture and Technical Education Narinder Bragta gave this information while addressing a press conference here on Sunday.

The minister said the government had decided to make computer education compulsory for all the 2,310 students passing out from various ITIs in the state. This would give them an edge over others. Already there was 70 to 80 per cent placement in all the ITIs in the state. The remaining students opted for higher education, he said.

The minister said the state government had decided to invest Rs 25 crore for improving technical education in Kangra district. The investment would include improving existing infrastructure and creating new avenues.

He said an engineering college dedicated to the hydro power industry was being brought up in Bilaspur district. Besides, polytechnic colleges were also being opened in the Poanta Sahib area of Sirmour, Bilaspur, Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti and Kinaur districts. Each polytechnic would involve a cost of Rs 12 crore. With this, all the districts of the state would have polytechnic institutes.aThe minister also said the crop insurance scheme had been launched in nine blocks of Kangra district to protect farmers from natural calamities. The farmers got their horticulture crops insured against frost, excessive rains, drought and hail storm.

Bilaspur, April 19
A multi-purpose stadium for various sports events will be set up at Chehad village near Ghumarwin and the local wrestling committee should prepare and send a detailed report to the government so that immediate steps are taken for it.

This was stated by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal addressing a largely attended Bharat Kesari wrestling match at the village late last evening.

He announced a grant of Rs 10 lakh for this stadium and said the entire amount, would be spent by the government as wrestling was the main traditional sport of people of the state.

The Chief Minister enjoyed the bouts for above two hours but had to leave before the final bout due to an urgent meeting in Delhi. Later after the conclusion of the bouts in the night, HP Vidhan Sabha Deputy Speaker Rikhi Ram Kaundal distributed the prizes and trophies to the winners. Naina Devi MLA and BJP state spokesman Randhir Sharma honoured those who had given donations for wrestling bouts.

The Bharat Kesari title was won by Kamaljit of Dhumchedi, Punjab, and he was given a golden mace and Rs 1 lakh cash 
prize, while runner-up Soni of Ludhiana was given a cash prize of Rs 75,000 and a pitcher.

The title of Bharat Kumar was won by Johanny Chaudhary of Sundernagar, who got a golden mace and a cash prize of Rs 51,000, while runner-up Pappu of Sonipat got a cash prize of Rs 41,000 and a pitcher.

The title of Himachal Kumar was won by Satish Kumar of Kangra who got a golden mace and a cash prize of Rs 31,000, while runner-up Jitender of 
Sundernagar got a prize of Rs 25,000.

Shimla, April 19
The government has decided to raise the number of institutional delivery centres from the existing 75 to 100 in the current financial year.

Stating this while presiding over a meeting of senior officers in his department here, Health Minister Rajiv Bindal said the Matri Sewa Yojana was launched on August 15, 2010, to provide free institutional delivery to all expectant mothers in the state. The percentage of institutional deliveries had increased as a result from 50 to 69 per cent by March 2011. He said encouraging institutional delivery was the only way to reduce infant and mother mortality rates.

He said under the Chief Minister Students Health Programme, cluster camps for health checkups of students of government schools were being organised and the target was to cover all the schools by June, 2011. The 2nd phase of the programme would start soon and the students diagnosed in the 1st phase for various ailments would be treated in the 2nd phase.

The Atal Swasthya Sewa would be strengthened by introducing Inter Hospital Transportation to avoid inconvenience to patients. The Hospital Management Information System would be started on the analogy of Deen Dayal Upadhayay Regional Hospital, Shimla, in 22 other hospitals of the state and there would be a common user ID throughout the state in future so that data could be accessed from anywhere.

He said 32 surgical camps would be organised in the state out of which seven each would be held in IGMC, Shimla, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda.

Bilaspur, April 19
The Dawin Ghati Kisan Vikas and the Mela Samiti have taken an exception to the allotment of meagre budget by the district administration for development activities connected with farmers and orchardists during the recent state-level Nalwadi fair, which has gone under the management of district officers here.

In a statement to the media yesterday, samiti president and zila parishad member Babu Ram Thakur, samiti general secretary Lachhu Ram Thakur, vice-presidents Rattan Lal Thakur and Nand Lal Thakur and others said though a huge amount of money had been spent on this fair, yet it was sheer injustice that the administration had not yet paid the prize amount declared for those who excelled in their agriculture and horticulture produce.

The samiti said now the paucity of funds was being given as the reason for the non-payment of these prizes, though lakhs of rupees were spent on Mumbai artistes in a single night under the “cover” of a culture programme.

They urged the Chief Minister to order that in future such fairs should be managed by taking public representatives into confidence and sufficient amount be kept for activities connected with villages. 

Shimla, April 19
Upgrade of facilities in the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, and development of the Dr RP Government Medical College, Tanda, on the pattern of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences are a part of the state’s plan to provide specialised health services to people.

A Rs 150-crore project has been sanctioned under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Surakasha Yojna for developing the Tanda college and work on the Rs 80-crore 200-bedded speciality hospital has already been started. A New Cath Lab will be started in the IGMC on an advanced course like the doctorate of medicine in cardiology and master of cheirology in cardio-thoracis and vascular surgery will be introduced.

The number of seats in the MBBS has been increased from 65 to 100 in the IGMC and in various postgraduate courses from 39 to 74 from the 2010-2011 academic session. The Medical Council of India has already issued a Letter of Intent to start DM in cardiology and MD in psychiatry and pulmonary medicine and MCH. The Government of India has provided Rs 5.2 crore for the upgrade of a nursing school into a nursing college with the intake capacity of 60 students.

The state government has granted the permission to increase the number of MBBS seats from 50 to 100 in the Tanda medical college and the matter was being pursued with the Centre. The fifth batch of the students has been admitted to the BSc (paramedical) course and the process to start another paramedical course for ophthalmic assistant is under active consideration.

A 64-Slice CT Scan Machine has been installed in the department of radiology and a new telecobalt unit has also been made functional at the IGMC along with the first eye bank of the state.