Shimla, July 29
Himachal will take up the issue of illegal mining from the riverbed in the Damtal-Chakki area of Kangra and Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur with the neighbouring states to check the illegal practice.

The state government has decided to take up the issue with Punjab and Uttarakhand with whom it shares an extensive boundary along the riverbed in Kangra district and the Yamuna in the Paonta Sahib area. The illegal activity is not only causing irreparable loss to the environment but is also resulting in a huge loss to the state exchequer.

“Though the staff of the Industries Department keep a regular vigil to check illegal mining of sand and gravel from the riverbed, the absence of a clear-cut demarcated boundary between the states compounds the problem,” said Industries Minister Kishan Kapoor.

He said he would take up the issue with his counterparts in Punjab, Uttarakhand and also Haryana as the boundaries had not been demarcated after the reorganisation of states in 1966.

Many people from both sides of the border indulge in illegal mining, not just for personal use but on a commercial basis to make a quick buck.

Though Himachal has set up two checkposts at Chakki to check illegal mining, but the activity is carried out more during the night when there is no staff to check it.

Though the Industries Department has granted about 30 leases for mining in Chakki and Damtal, and 12 in the Paonta Sahib area, the illegal activity is still going on.

Kapoor admitted that during the monsoon, the problem aggravated as the riverbed changed course and one could not “lay down proper boundaries. “So far, the department has detected 444 cases of illegal mining in various parts of the state and compounded 305, with a fine of Rs 14.16 lakh having been imposed on the violators,” he disclosed.

He said the had seized 160 tonnes of sand and gravel in the Chakki area and 150 tonnes in the Paonta Sahib area during raids. This material would be auctioned by the department in the first week of August.

The high court had also constituted a three-member committee of lawyers to get a factual position about the illegal mining scenario. In fact, the situation in the Haryal area of Punjab near Kandwal, falling on the right bank of the Chakki is the worst as several crushers are working round the clock. At times people from Punjab enter the Himachal territory and indulge in illegal mining.

Shimla, July 29
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has urged the Planning Commission of India to sanction a special package of Rs 121 crore to the state for the construction of a modern agriculture market at Parala along with connecting roads for the convenience of apple growers.

In a letter to Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, he said the upcoming modern marketing yard at Parala was the first of its kind in the state and the government planned to connect it with different terminal markets, including the biggest Delhi market.

He reminded that the matter was raised before the commission during discussions held for finalising the Annual Plan for the current financial year on March 1, 2011, and approval was granted in principle.

He said the main objective of construction of a self-contained market was to save the growers from exploitation at the hands of middlemen.

The proposed Parala-Neripul-Sanaura-Rajgarh-Banethi-Barog-Kanshiwala (Nahan bypass)-Kala Amb-Shahbad-Delhi road would not only benefit the apple growers but facilitate the transportation of other cash crops like ginger, garlic, potato, tomato, peas, pulses, off-season vegetables and citrus fruits from Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur districts. It would also benefit the growers of Kinnaur and some parts of Kullu and Mandi districts as well.

He said the proposed road would also help ease traffic on the national highway passing through Solan, Parwanoo and Kalka. It would not only save time on transportation but also reduce the distance between Parala and Delhi by 50 to 60 km. Since the entire agro-horticulture produce was highly perishable, the timely transportation was important in ensuring a good price.

According to a survey conducted by the Public Works Department, the entire project was likely to cost Rs 121 crore. The state was already reeling under a financial crisis due to the unfavourable recommendations of the 13th Finance Commission and the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission.

Solan, July 29
Alleging that the indiscriminate grant of hundreds of bighas of land to nine private universities in Solan district was leading to environmental issues, the Opposition Congress said thousands of trees had been axed by a private university near Sultanpur in violation of the laid norms.

Addressing mediapersons here today, newly appointed PCC spokesman Kailash Parashar, general secretary Vinod Sultanpuri and other leaders alleged that Maharishi Markandeshwar, a private university, had axed around 4,466 trees while permission had been granted to axe only 800 trees.

As per information sought under the RTI Act by Congressmen, the revenue villages of Laddon and Khalogra, where the said university has been set up on 232.13 bighas, had 4,466 trees of pine and ban species.

The Congress leaders lamented that the state government was allowing land sharks to grab large chunks of fertile land in the district and an objectionable clause permitting a university to run for a period of merely 25 years proved that the land would be put to alternate commercial use after the expiry of that period.

They demanded extension of this period to 50 years and said when the state’s own Himachal Pradesh University, which was in existence for almost 50 years could not fulfil all norms how a private university was expected to meet requisite standards merely within 25 years.

Parashar alleged that the state government had failed to thank the Centre for providing funds to run the 108 emergency ambulance services.

Dharamsala, July 29
In view of the increased demand for panchkarma treatment, the government has decided to start panchkarma departments at four of its ayurvedic hospitals in the district this year.

The ayurvedic hospitals at Dharamsala, Dehra, Haldara Kona and Harsar will have the panchkarma facility at a cost of Rs 63 lakh.

While Rs 35 lakh will be spent on the construction of buildings, the remaining amount will be spent on buying health equipment and other necessary items.

“Special arrangements have been made to provide better panchkarma facilities to patients. Only Rs 50 per day will be charged from the patients for panchkarma treatment as decided by the Patient Welfare Society,” said Kangra Deputy Commissioner RS Gupta.

Efforts are on to strengthen the ayurvedic and panchkarma health facilities in the district. With the demand for these facilities increasing, the government has spent Rs 42 crore in the past three years, according to a government official.

“The demand for panchkarma and ayurveda treatment has increased as these are believed to have no side effects ulnlike allopathy treatment. The patient is treated for seven days under expert supervision. Special medicinal oils, used for the treatment, are brought from Kerala,” said Ashok Chaudhary, an expert.

Nurpur, July 29
The PWD authorities of Rehan subdivision in Nurpur division were today forced to suspend a drive to remove encroachments on the Jassur-Pong Dam state highway from Raja Ka Talab to Barot following opposition by Kangra District Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh.

The department had identified around 140 roadside encroachments and had initiated proceedings to vacate the highway a few months ago. It had served notices on the encroachers.

Yesterday, the PWD had removed 58 encroachments with the help of a JCB machine in the presence of a police force without any resistance.

Today, the department again started its drive in the morning at Rehan town and had removed 20 encroachments till 12.30 pm when it had to suspend the drive following the intervention of Madan Rana of the Kangra District Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, who opposed the department action.

He alleged that the department had turned a blind eye to these encroachments when these came up and now when poor and unemployed youth were earning their livelihood from here after having taken bank loans, these were being demolished.

“I will take up the matter with the Chief Minister in larger public interest,” he added.

Meanwhile, Arun Vashisht, Assistant Engineer, PWD, Rehan subdivision, said the department had only deferred its drive to remove encroachments on the state highway.

He said the local DSP had been approached to providing adequate security to continue this drive.

Bilaspur, July 29
Gammon India, the company which is constructing the state’s costliest Rs 32-crore bridge on the Gobind Sagar at Baghchhal, near here, has assured the state government and Deputy Commissioner Ritesh Chauhan here that the work on the stalled project will be restarted within the next two months and steps will be taken to ensure that the bridge is constructed and completed at the earliest.

This was stated by Chauhan while presiding over the meet-the-press programme here recently as the matter was raised earlier in a similar meeting by mediapersons that the continued stalling of work on this bridge was becoming a cause of concern as it would not only escalate its construction cost, but was also depriving lakhs of people from an essential facility of easy approach to all areas as these remain cut off from three sides on filling of the Gobind Sagar every year.

The Deputy Commissioner said the company stated that it had now engaged its own private bridge expert to give advice to it regarding solving the intricate tangle of one of the main piers (left pillar) of this bridge developing signs of a tilt and virtual collapse in case of the remaining work continued on it. The expert, however, said it could give proper advice within two months.

He said afterwards the work of pier-repair and also the main construction would be started.

Shimla, July 29
Taking a tough stand on the issue of corruption, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed Ashwani Kapoor, Divisional Commissioner, Mandi, and Amandeep Garg, the then Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, to file separate affidavits as to on what basis the Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, had taken a lenient view by imposing a punishment of compulsory retirement despite the fact that the charge of taking bribe against the patwari concerned was proved in the inquiry report.

The court also sought an explanation from the Divisional Commissioner that on what basis he had reversed the order of compulsory retirement passed by the Deputy Commissioner and reinstated him on the job.

The court also directed the officers to explain that why they did not apply their mind to the gravity of misconduct alleged and proved against the petitioner, Dile Ram. This order was passed on a petition filed by Dile Ram, posted as patwari at Jaroli, Patwar circle, and Kummi (Mandi).

He had approached the court against the government for imposing a penalty of compulsory retirement on him.

Ram was suspended from service in December 2009 after the Vigilance Department allegedly caught him red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 1,000 on October 28, 2009, and a case under Sections 7, 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against him.

He was compulsorily retired from service by the then Mandi Deputy Commissioner after he was found guilty in the departmental inquiry. The patwari appealed before the Divisional Commissioner against the orders of the DC and was reinstated in service and posted at Gawalpur, Patwar circle, Karsog tehsil.

The Mandi DC challenged the order of the Divisional Commissioner before the state and it had allowed the appeal and imposed a penalty of compulsory retirement on Ram. Aggrieved from the order of the state, the petitioner filed a petition before the court.

Bilaspur, July 29
As many as 97.72 tonnes of fish worth Rs 49 lakh have been fished out of Gobind Sagar till June 15 this year while last year 662.12 tonnes worth Rs 3.13 crore were caught. Fishing is helping 2,171 fishermen’s families earn their livelihood from this lake.

This was stated by Sunil Mehta, Assistant Director, Fisheries, while talking to mediapersons here recently.

Mehta admitted that the “fish catch” had been constantly decreasing since 2009-10, when it was 1,090.80 tonnes, despite the department taking suitable steps to replenish the fish stock with better-quality fish by adding lakhs of fingerlings into the Gobind Sagar after spending huge amounts of money on their purchase from outside the state every year.

He said this had certainly helped fishermen get more money from the sale of fish despite the fish catch having been reduced.

He said probably the fish catch had been reduced due to heavy silt being added to the Sutlej by the 500 MW Kol Dam project, now under construction at Harnoda, near here, on this river.

Asked about the breach of the ban on fishing during the “closed season” of two months every year (which helps in the undisturbed regeneration of fish during this period), Mehta said the department was taking all precautions to check this illegal activity and the culprits would be fined.

Shimla, July 29
The government has decided to create two ex-cadre posts of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) to end stagnation at the top in the Forest Department. It has also sent a proposal to increase the strength of the Indian Forest Service cadre from the existing 106 to 116 under the the special cadre review being carried out.

The decision has been taken in view of the fact that in some states 1980-batch officers have been elevated as PCCF whereas in Himachal even the 1977-batch officers are awaiting promotions.

With this move, decks have been cleared for the promotion of two senior most Additional Principal Chief Conservators of Forest (APCCF) RK Sood (1977) and RK Gupta (1978). The government has already conducted the meeting of the Departmental Promotion committee.

However, sources said the two officers would continue with their current assignments as managing directors - public sector undertakings. Sood was heading the State Small Industries and Export Corporation and Gupta - the State Forest Corporation and there would be no change in their postings. As such, there would be no consequent promotions.

Director of the Mid-Himalayan Watershed Development Project RK Kapoor, who is also from the 1978 batch, will have to wait till March 2012, when the present PCCF, Vinay Tandon, is slated to retire. The other PCCF, AK Gulati, who heads the wild life wing, will superannuate in September 2013.

The special cadre review exercise has already started and as per the government proposal there will be no increase in the existing two posts of the PCCF.

However, the number of posts of the APCCF is proposed to be increased from the existing four to seven and that of Chief Conservators of Forest from 11 to 14 posts. Similarly, the number of posts of Conservator of Forest is to be raised from 17 to 18 but that of Senior Duty Posts are to be reduced from 31 to 29.

Thus, the number for cadre posts will be increased from 65 to 70 and accordingly the total cadre strength will go up from 106 to 116.