|
|
|
|
Illegal land deals threaten Kangra’s tea gardens
Traffic chaos bugs Kangra
|
|
|
Revenue officials get promotion sans power
Dharamsala’s beauty marred by hoardings
Staff crunch in agri dept, farmers at receiving end
Deputy Speaker for preserving hill culture
Need to enhance apple productivity discussed
Scrap dealers polluting rivers
Dehra temple Haridwar of state
|
|
Illegal land deals threaten Kangra’s tea gardens
Palampur, April 19 The development has also posed a threat to the existence of the local tea industry. Despite the fact that the Himachal Pradesh Land Revenue Act prohibits the sale of tea gardens in the state, the government is liberally allowing outsiders to buy tea estates in Kangra valley for purposes other than tea cultivation. One wonders how the sale deeds are being registered in such cases. According to sources, a number of middlemen have been active in the business of getting the transactions go through in state secretariat. A senior officer of Revenue Department maintained that permission for the sale of tea gardens could be granted in cases of utmost importance like setting up of defence units or cantonment and other government establishment. He said in the past few years, the successive state governments had misused these provisions and a number of persons with political backings had managed to get permission for the sale of land under tea cultivation. It is surprising that outsiders, including Tibetans, have succeeded in buying tea gardens and other landed property in the region through benami land deals. Residents of Palampur, Bir, Baijnath, Gopalpur and Dharamsala have expressed concern over these developments. The laxity on part of the state government has posed a threat to the environment of this hill region as most tea gardens are being converted into concrete jungles. Prior to 2000, the government never granted permission for the sale of big land holdings in the valley and that too to the outsiders. Today, the tea industry of Kangra valley is in crisis, thanks to the apathy of the state government. Instead of initiating steps for its revival, it is allowing the sale of area under tea cultivation. Various social organizations like Palampur Citizen Council, Palampur Welfare and Environment Protection Forum, Palampur Bachao Samiti and Save Palampur have condemned this policy of the government. These organisations have asked the Chief Minister to enforce the Act strictly otherwise they would be forced to launch an agitation.
|
|
Traffic chaos bugs Kangra
Kangra, April 19 The number of vehicles is increasing with each passing day. In fact, the number of two-wheelers and light motor vehicles has risen manifold in the past few years. There is no improvement in the road network. In fact, it has gone worst with the rising menace of encroachments on public property, including the already-narrower roads. With the authorities playing the role of mute spectators, commuters are at the receiving end. Nearly 2,000 vehicles enter the town on a daily basis. The congested Tehsil Chowk on the Tanda road witnesses frequent traffic jams as the road leads to Tanda Medical College which is visited by a large number of people every day. Besides, vehicles carrying pilgrims take this road to reach Gupt Ganga. There is also a wholesale vegetable market on the road, which further adds to traffic pressure. A large number of pilgrims arrive in this temple town daily to pay obeisance at Bajjreshwari temple and visit Kanga Fort. While the Dharamsala road remains clogged due to wrong parking of vehicles by people visiting various banks there, on internal roads, it is rash and negligent driving by youths that haunts locals. Some senior members of an NGO have even taken an initiative to convince youths to follow traffic rules, but there is no such effort from the authorities. Recently, Matour-Shimla national highway remained disrupted near Zamanabad road following the breakdown of a truck in the middle of the road and the alleged failure of the police to regulate traffic. Tourist buses, local traffic and Army vehicles were seen caught in the mess for hours. The hapless people tried to regulate the traffic on their own, but that did not solve the problem. When the local police station was informed about the chaos, the official failed to listen.
|
|
Revenue officials get promotion sans power
Hamirpur, April 19 According to the policy, the government has fixed 20 per cent quota for the promotion of senior assistants to naib tehsildars. The promoted tehsildars do not get executive powers for five years. They are given two years’ time to qualify the exam and in case, they fail to qualify, they are reverted to the previous posts and there are instances when some of them have actually been reverted. The naib tehsildars promoted under this category remain without any power for five years, which makes them incapable to deal with revenue or land registration cases. Even under this category there is an eligibility criterion. Only graduates among this category are given executive powers and those who have only studies till matric are neither given powers nor are they eligible for further promotion. Since the post of NT is a technical post dealing with complex revenue matters, naib tehsildars without powers do not justify the post. P Mitra, principal secretary, revenue, said, “Naib tesildars promoted under this quota are not given executive power till they qualify departmental exams and in case they fail to clear the exam they are reverted. This is the policy of the government and I cannot comment on it”.
|
|
Himachal temples to melt holy gold
Shimla, April 19 The state government has come out with a provision that allows temple trusts to melt gold and silver lying in their coffers and convert them into coins and mementoes for sale. An amendment to the Himachal Pradesh Hindu Public Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Act of 1984 was made recently that allows conversion of 50 per cent of the precious metal reserves in temples into mementoes. “A notification that permits temples to melt the gold will be issued by the government soon. It will help temples to part with loads of gold and silver which have been lying there for decades and check pilferage,” Prem Sharma, in-charge of state-controlled temple trusts, said. The proceeds from the gold coins and other mementoes would be used by the respective trust for development and social activities, he added. The hill state, also known as the “Land of Gods”, has 28 prominent Hindu temples that have combined cash reserves of Rs 98 crore. The popular shrine of Mata Chintpurni in Una district is the richest with Rs 41.78 crore in its kitty. The shrine of Naina Devi in Bilaspur district has cash reserves amounting Rs 10.33 crore whereas the shrines of Baba Balak Nath in Hamirpur district and Jwalaji in Kangra district have Rs 11 crore and Rs 8.67 crore in cash, respectively. Other millionaire temple trusts include Chamunda Devi and Brajeshwari Devi in Kangra district and Bhimakali and Hateshwari in Shimla district. A government official said Naina Devi Temple Trust had over 120 kg of gold whereas Mata Chintpurni Temple Trust had around 130 kg of the yellow metal. Sharma said after melting a portion of their gold stock, the temples would make mementoes and coins with inscription of their respective deity. The souvenirs would be made available in the temple trust-run shops at the current market rate of gold and silver. “The purification of metal and conversion into souvenirs will be done on the pattern of Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board in Jammu and Kashmir and the Tirupati temple authorities in the south,” he added. At present, the gold and silver are lying idle in strong rooms of the temple trusts. Hilltop Naina Devi shrine, some 175 km from state capital, attracted around 2.3 million devotees in 2009 and the number went up to 2.5 million last year. The shrine of Naina Devi saw record offerings of over Rs 11 crore in 2010 apart from gold and silver. “There was an increase of Rs 2.03 crore in cash offerings at the shrine last year as compared to 2009. It broke the earlier (2009) record of Rs 9.29 crore,” said temple trust chairman Vinay Singh Thakur. He said the temple got offerings in cash worth Rs 11.32 crore, 5.4 kg of gold and 338 kg of silver in 2010. An officer of the rank of commissioner has been made in charge of every temple trust to run and manage its affairs. — IANS
|
|
Dharamsala’s beauty marred by hoardings
Dharamsala, April 19 Despite the previous orders, hoardings are still standing tall at all main locations of Dharamsala, McLeodganj and upper Dharamsala. The Deputy Commissioner office has also issued the orders to remove the advertising hoardings of private companies from the town. This season the town is expecting a good response from the tourism point of view. A big rush was witnessed during the recently concluded Navratras, and with the IPL matches to take place,
more tourists are expected. In this case, the administration, the MC and the tourism department have been gearing up to present the best picture to tourists from
India and abroad. MC officials have decided to erect their own hoardings at the main gates of the office welcoming visitors to the town. A council official said, “Notices will be sent to private companies using MC sites for placing their hoardings”. “Advertising posters and billboards have been spoiling the beauty of the town. It leaves a bad impression on tourists and visitors,” feels a local.
|
|
Messiah of the downtrodden and Shimla
by Shriniwas Joshi Born as the 14th child of Ramji Maloji and Bhimabai Sakpal Ambedkar on the April 14, 1891, at Mhow (Madhya Pradesh), Bhimrao Ambedkar could get school education because his father was serving the British Army and the then government had special schools for the wards of Army personnel. Ramji, after his retirement, settled at Satara (Maharashtra) where Bhimrao, as a student in a local school, felt disgraced because of the caustic treatment of the teachers as he belonged to Mahar caste. Despite experiencing caste discrimination, he graduated from Elphinstone College in 1912. Scholarship from Baroda took him to Columbia University, US, where he was awarded Ph.D. Later, he joined the London School of Economics and obtained a degree of D.Sc. (Economics) and was called to the Bar from Gray's Inn. He returned to India in 1923 and continuously worked for uplift of the downtrodden to whom he gave the immortal words: “Educate, agitate, organise and have faith in yourself”. The Viceroy’s Executive Council was the cabinet of the government of British India then. The Indian Councils Act, 1861, had changed it from its advisory form into a cabinet run by portfolio system. Dr BR Ambedkar joined it on July 20, 1942, as Labour member and in this capacity, he came to Shimla in 1943 when Bhagwan Das met him here. Who Bhagwan Das? Bhagwan Das was born in a sweepers' family on April 23, 1927, at Jatogh Cantt. His father used to term Ambedkar as “Ummedkar”, a hope-giver to the untouchables. Sixteen-year-old Bhagwan decided to meet the man on whom his father had such great trust. He waited outside Cecil for three hours to meet Ambedkar who patiently heard his story and within a fortnight Bhagwan received a letter appointing him as a clerk in the Labour Department. He, however, got frustrated with the intrigue inside the department and left the job and joined the Royal Indian Force where he served for several years, but could not continue there. Bhagwan ultimately settled in Delhi and studied law, practised as an advocate in the Supreme Court. In August 1983, supported by a coalition of Dalit organisations, Bhagwan Das gave a testimony on unsociability before the UN sub-commission on Human Rights in Geneva, much against the wishes of the official Indian delegation at the conference. He edited “Thus Spoke Ambedkar” and earned a name for him. The man from Jatogh died last year in Delhi and his obituary reads “The historian of ‘his people’”. Bhimrao Ambedkar next visited Shimla in June 1944, to attend Shimla Conference and pleaded for the uplift of downtrodden, besides making immense contribution towards the agenda of the conference. I have no evidence to prove that Dr Ambedkar attended the second Shimla Conference on May 11, 1946, but excerpts from his book “Pakistan and the Partition of India” and paper “Weakening of Defences” were so hotly discussed that he appeared to be present here. His precious gift to independent India was the Constitution that he drafted as the chairman of the drafting committee. Granville Austin described it as “first and foremost a social document”. He was the first Law Minister of independent India and was awarded Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1990. At the time of his death on December 6, 1956, he was a Buddhist, embracing the religion just 50 days earlier. Dr Ambedkar came to Shimla again on April 14, 1993, in the form of a statue sculpted by Sunil Kumar Pal of Bengal erected at Chaura Maidan, renamed Ambedkar Chowk, (see photo) and has been standing there since then to be remembered every year on the 14th of April while majority of his followers have forgotten the most important one of his 22 vows “I shall not take intoxicants like liquor, drugs etc”.
|
|
Staff crunch in agri dept, farmers at receiving end
Nurpur, April 19 According to information, Nurpur development block has sanctioned posts of one subject matter specialist, two agriculture development officers (ADOs), one assistant agriculture development officer and nine agriculture extension officer (AEO). The posts of the ADOs and six posts of AEOs are lying vacant. The posts of AEOs at Nurpur, Panjara, Jachh, Jonta, Chowki and Pargana are lying vacant whereas both sanctioned posts of ADOs at Rehan and Nurpur are also unfilled. Three AEOs are shouldering the responsibility of 52 gram panchayats. Owing to these vacant posts, about 80 per cent farmers from far off places have to come to Nurpur for seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and agriculture implements. The progressive farmers and growers of the area have appealed to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who is also holds the agriculture portfolio, to fill these posts soon so that the farmers could take benefit of the government-sponsored schemes launched for the welfare of the farming community of the state. Subash Pathania, chairman of the farmers’ advisory body of the Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), Nurpur block, while expressing resentment over the vacant posts in the Agriculture Department, said no extension programmes for guidance of the farmers were being organised for a long time for the want of AEOs and ADOs. Deputy Director (Agriculture), Palampur, Ramesh Gupta said he had submitted the report in the matter to the Director (Agriculture), Shimla, many times and government was aware of the situation. “Newly selected candidates for these posts could not be posted here as their appointments have been challenged in the court,” he added.
|
|
Deputy Speaker for preserving hill culture
Bilaspur, April 19 Kaundal said: “Such fairs and festivals where thousands of people gather and participate in a number of activities together are a reflection of our ancient heritage and cultural unity.” He said the state government had started a number of schemes and projects for the welfare of the common people and also for the economically weaker sections, and people should take full advantage of the same. Kaundal assured that steps would be taken to provide a befitting mela maidan at Ghumarwin when the Nagar Parishad presented a suitable plan for it. The Deputy Speaker appreciated the spirit of the masses who still admire the local wrestling bouts called “chinj” and enjoy this most popular sport of the hill state. He presented a “malli” (silver mace) and cash prize of Rs 21,000 to the best wrestler, Soni of Punjab, while the runner up, Rinka of Patiala, got a prize of Rs 15,000. The coveted title of “Kehloor Kesari”, awarded to the best young wrestler of Bilaspur district (up to the age of 21 years), was won by Balbir of Chilla village. He was given the silver mace and a cash prize of Rs 11,000 while runner up Yogvir of Panol village got a prize of Rs 7,000. Local MLA Rajesh Dharmani, Nagar Parishad president Rita Sehgal and vice-president Rakesh Chopra, state Khadi Board member Vikram Sharma and state Education Board member Rajendra Garga were also present on the occasion. The festival was inaugurated by DC Ritesh Chauhan at the mela ground in a traditional manner after he led a procession of turban wearing citizens and punchayat representatives through the market. He had also announced a grant of Rs 1 lakh for levelling of the mela ground.
|
|
Need to enhance apple productivity discussed
Solan, April 19 University Vice-Chancellor Dr KR Dhiman said the yield of apple was barely 7 to 8 tonne per hectare in the state while it was as high as 50 tonne in New Zealand. Therefore, to enhance productivity adoption of better management practices and planting new varieties was the need of the hour for the state. Dr PS Chauhan, Professor and Head, Department of Fruit Science, gave a presentation on the present scenario and future thrusts in apple cultivation in the state. He informed that this activity was undertaken under rain-fed conditions in the typical temperate zone which had multiple problems like poor soil fertility, soil erosion and water run-off, thus, leading to limited apple yield. A detailed discussion was held among progressive farmers and faculty members on the appropriate steps to be taken for the enhancement of apple productivity in the state. A delegation of progressive orchardists, who were also present on the occasion, opined that coloured and sweet varieties of apple were preferred by consumers and emphasised the need to procure the genotypes of such varieties from abroad as the old plantations failed to match the market demand. Kamalender Kanwar, a progressive orchardist from Kumarsain, stressed the need to introduce new rootstocks of Cornell Geneva series and Brook Field variety of apple for the replacement of senile and very old orchards raised on seedlings. The team later visited kiwi orchards, pomegranate and apple nursery and bud wood bank of the Department of Fruit Science. A collaborative and strategic blueprint for the enhancement of productivity of apples would be formulated through this interaction, the VC said. Those present during the discussions included Dr RC Sharma, Dean, College of Horticulture; Dr AK Sharma, Director of Extension Education; Dr NP Dohroo, Joint Director of Research; Dr SS Chandel, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Solan; Dr ID Gupta, Deputy Director of Horticulture, Shimla; Dr SS Mehta, District Horticulture Officer and progressive orchardists from Shimla and Kinnaur.
|
|
Scrap dealers polluting rivers
Solan, April 19 Casual attitude adopted by the pollution board is clear from the fact that so far no steps have been taken to curb this menace. Though the board had initiated a system of giving licenses to the scrap dealers, who had installed requisite cleansing equipments, and had authorised them to collect chemical-ridden drums but many do so without any authorisation. The board was unable to check the proliferation of these illegal dealers and since they charge less for disposing off the chemical drums, the industrialists prefer to avail their services. These dealers wash the chemical-ridden drums openly in various riverbeds of the BBN area. This is a matter of grave concern, but the board appears to have shut its eye to this practice as no steps have been taken to check such practice that threatens the environment. No lessons appear to have been learnt from the adverse Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index (CEPI) ratings of the area where BBN was found to be on the verge of being critically polluted that could force the Central Pollution Control Board to take over the control from the state board. With no action for restoring water quality, the state board appears to be waiting for another such report. Rather than enforcing the norms, the board officials have failed to even inspect the dealers who seek authorisation for collecting chemical drums and scrap. This observation came through in a recent complaint made by a resident to the Chief Minister where despite no inspection, field reports had been forwarded to the head office of the board for grant of authorisation. Though the complaint was forwarded from the CM’s office to the board, Member Secretary of the board SK Singla refused that the office had received any such information. When quizzed about unauthorised scrap dealers, Singla said they had notreceived any such complaint. Interestingly, a copy of this complaint was obtained by The Tribune from the office of the Member Secretary itself. With the officials even failing to acknowledge existence of any such practice, there was little that would be done to check it. A visit by The Tribune team to Sarsa river, however, led to revelation that such activity was going on unchecked wherein the chemical-ridden drums were being washed openly in the river. It was also found that the units failed to give the actual number of chemical drums used by them and while they managed to give a part of these drums to the authorised dealers for official record, a much larger number was disposed off illegally to the unauthorised dealers. CEO of Shiwalik Hazardous Waste Management Plant Ashok Sharma said the investors were shying away from using authorised facilities. A system of manifest was then introduced where each investor was directed to give details of their drums and to whom they were disposed off, this has again led to some improvement and the number of drums received by them had started increasing. But there was no system to check erring investors.
|
|
Students to undergo training in harvesting technology
After having made roof-top rainwater harvesting structures mandatory in buildings to help conserve water, the government has now decided to include water harvesting technology a part of the curriculum. Students of engineering colleges and polytechnics will undergo practical training in the harvesting technology for which the institutions will be required to have models. A model is being built for the purpose at the directorate of technical education in Sundernagar. The model will enable engineers to learn how to integrate rainwater harvesting system in the design of buildings. The government had earlier drawn a plan to built over 200 “van sarovars” to harvest rainwater by raising appropriate structures in forests. The objective was to utilise the water for raising nurseries and plantations in forests. The storage structures will also help recharge the natural sources of water. The wildlife will also benefit as animals will get water during the lean summer months. Philanthropist honoured
Veteran philanthropist CD Khanna was honoured at the Himachal Day function held in Delhi recently. (see photo) Hailing from Kangra, 97-year-old Khanna had donated Rs 1.17 crore to the Rogi Kalyan Samiti of Dr RP Tanda Medical College, Tanda, in October 2010. He has been carrying out his social activities through the Himachal Higher Education Foundation, a charitable public trust set up by him for the purpose. Former Union Secretary MK Kaw, who was the chief guest on the occasion, presented him a Himachali cap, shawl and Kangra paintings during the felicitation ceremony in which a large number of Delhi-based Himachalis were present. Khanna donated funds for strengthening the infrastructure of Tanda Medical College, particularly the school of nursing, and providing scholarships and fee concessions to poor meritorious girl students. A postgraduate from University of Punjab (Lahore), Khanna had a brilliant career during which he held several important assignments. He remained an associate of the Institute of Bankers, London, and a fellow of the Economic Development Institute of the World Bank, Washington. He had held many responsible appointments. Khanna served as non-executive trustee of the Unit Trust of India, director of Industrial Reconstruction Corporation of India Limited, Calcutta, and was a nominee of the Central government on the Board of the Bank of India immediately after the nationalisation of banks. He retired as the chairman of the Industrial Finance Corporation of India. After retirement, he served as an adviser to the Merchant Banking Bureau of the SBI, and honorary chairman of the Risk Capital Foundation. Even, now he is a non-executive director on the board of several reputed companies.
Narco test for politicians?
The NARCO test that is now quite widely used by the investigating agencies to extract the truth from hardcore criminals is also being seen as a very effective weapon to unmask the corrupt politicians. Kangra MP Rajan Sushant had recently suggested top leaders of the BJP to offer themselves for the test to prove utmost integrity in pubic life. His statement triggered off a war of words between him and Nurpur MLA Rakesh Pathania, who in return asked Sushant to undergo the NARCO test first. Not loosing the opportunity, Congress spokesman Deepak Sharma also joined in and demanded that all of them should undergo the NARCO test to come clean on the allegations of corruption. BJP leaders have also demanded such tests on the Congress leaders and UPA ministers facing allegations of corruption. The people are demanding use of the NARCO test to rein in the corrupt leaders and other high profile persons but those who know about the test maintain that it was not as easy as was being made out. Though the test is quite useful in scientific investigations, its not so simple as it also involves the issue of privacy and requires permission from court. Moreover, it will require a large number of forensic experts to conduct the test which the country does not have as of now. (Contributed by
Rakesh Lohumi and DP Gupta)
|
|
Dehra temple Haridwar of state
Dharamsala, April 19 Kaleshwar has religious as well as tourism potential which is needed to be exposed. The government has been making efforts in making the annual Baisakhi fair as a state affair by holding various cultural programmes on the occasion. The fair began here on Wednesday and the three-day-long celebrations will end on April 15. It is believed that taking a dip in the temple pond during Baisakhi holds a special significance. After the Ujjain’s Kaleshwar temple, it is the only temple where Shivlingam is present at the garbhgrih. According to historians, the temple has an association with the Pandavas. As per the belief, they came here during their vanvas and brought the holy waters of five main pilgrim destination- Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain, Nasik and Rameswaram with them. They mixed the waters in the pond situated at the temple. That is why the place got its name panjteerthi. The temple houses nine other temples of 20 different gods. As per a research, the temple was built in the 15th century by the queen and king Guler of Kulaihad and Jammu. Another story tells about the connection of Goddess Kali with the temple. According to the Rig Veda, a demon named Jalandhar ruled at the Shivalik hills of the Himalayas. Therefore, Goddess Kali appeared to kill the demon and brought peace in the hills.
|
|
||
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
The sale of tea gardens in Kangra valley has become a matter of concern as in past three years, over 1,000 kanal area under tea cultivation has been sold in violation of the rules.
Kangra, April 19
vignettes
Himachal diary
Dharamsala, April 19
