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Illegal mining goes unabated in
Kangra valley
Himachal reviving Chamba art form
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Gram panchayats to go online in Nurpur
Race hots up for BJP ticket in Palampur
vignettes
Baddi unit gets National Safety Award
Month-long blood donation campaign concludes
Nurpur Civil Hospital lacks basic facilities
Even after protest, work goes on at Jogni Falls hydro project
Himachal diary
Contractors asked to use quality products
St Edward’s School holds reunion
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Illegal mining goes unabated in Kangra valley
Palampur, November 1 According to information gathered by The Tribune, there are over 2,000 tractors in Kangra district which are registered for agricultural purposes, but all are put to commercial use and the majority of tractors do not carry even proper documents, such as insurance and registration certificates, and when they are caught, the Mining Department do little to take punitive action against them. Many times the drivers desert their vehicles on riverbeds and flee. As per the law applicable in the state, if a tractor registered for agricultural purposes is used for commercial purposes, the authorities can collect taxes with penalty from retrospective effect from the owner, besides, impounding the vehicle. But there is none in the administration to implement the legal provisions. It is on record that majority of tractors in the district have been registered for agricultural purposes but the owners of these tractors often indulge in indiscriminate quarrying, mining and digging up stones and sand from riverbeds. On a 40-km stretch of the Neugal river between Palampur and Alampur, the state government has prohibited quarrying and mining as per the directions of the Supreme Court, but the ban is only in papers. Numerous tractors can be seen being used for digging stones and sand daily from the river at different points.Neither the Mining Department, nor the administration is bothered to the check the illegal mining, which has resulted in a large-scale damage to forest lands, irrigation channels and drinking water supply schemes. Ashok Sharma, District Mining Officer, has an excuse that in the absence of manpower with him it is not possible to check illegal mining. He says there are over 200 points in the district where illegal mining usually takes place. The Mining Department alone cannot check these points, government should also involve the Forest Department, PWD, IPH and SDMs in checking the illegal mining, only then fruitful results can be expected. Ajit Baghla, president of the Palampur Welfare and Environment Protection Forum, says unchecked entry of tractors carrying stones and other material in the town has become a major traffic hazard. During peak hours, it becomes difficult for small children to move on the roads. Besides, these tractors also cause sound pollution. The government should fix time for these tractors for entering the town, he adds. He regrets that the government had several times assured that it would come out with a legislation to check illegal mining and restrict the misuse of tractors, but in the past five years, nothing has been done. He says Chief Minster PK Dhumal is well-versed with the situation that the existence of over 100 drinking water supply schemes, which get water from small rivers in Kangra district, are in danger because of reckless mining by the owners of tractors, still he seems indifferent toward the problem.
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Himachal reviving Chamba art form
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“Under a Central government scheme, programmes have started in Chamba town to train new artisans and upgrade the skills of others,” Lalit Mohan, MD, Himachal Handicraft and Handloom Corp, said. He said special training was being given in the art of embroidery on Chamba rumaal and Chamba School of Miniature Paintings, metal artefacts and leather products, mainly Chamba slippers. The art of embroidery on the Chamba rumaal originated and flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries where the Chamba School of Miniature Paintings got royal patronage. Mohan said the handloom corporation was also implementing three major projects sanctioned by the Centre. These are Kullu handloom cluster, Gohar (Mandi) handloom cluster and Rekong Peo handloom cluster. The hill state is also known for hand-knitted woollens like shawls, stoles, mufflers, socks, gloves, pullovers, caps and carpets, Kangra paintings and jewellery items.
The Kullu and Kinnauri shawls with intricate borders in bright colours are made on traditional looms by tribals and are sold all over the country and abroad. “We are also extending pre-loom, loom and post-loom facilities to the weavers through 15 production centres," he added. The demand for handicrafts and artefacts of the hill state is quite high among foreigners. The handloom corporation is operating 15 sales outlets, including one each in Bangalore and Delhi. One can also place orders for the products through e-shopping. The state government has got the Chamba handkerchief, the Kullu and Kinnauri shawls and Kangra tea registered under the Geographical Indications (GI) of the Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, by the Chennai-based Geographical Indications Registry. The GI registration is a community patent in which instead of an individual, the entire community of artisans, producers and other stakeholders of a particular area are benefited. The income of the handloom corporation has increased from Rs 2.73 crore to Rs 6.53 crore by holding exhibitions during the past three years. It recently participated in exhibitions in Birmingham in Britain and in Budapest in Hungary. — IANS
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Gram panchayats to go online in Nurpur
Nurpur, November 1 According to official information, an order had been issued from the office of the director, Panchayti Raj Department, to all district panchayat officers and Block Development Officers directing them to make gram panchayats, equipped with BSNL landline connections, online. These panchayats have been provided broadband facility. Earlier, computer operator on every block development office used to function as data operator, but with gram panchayats going online, Gram Rojgar Sewak (GRS) is handling this job at panchayat level. One GRS has been entrusted the task of three gram panchayats for loading data of MNREGA works for the time being. They will also upload data relating to all rural development activities later. Local BDO KDS Kanwar said in the first phase 25 gram panchayats were brought online and process of data entry relating to MNREGA had also been embarked upon. He maintained that the basic objective of the government to make the gram panchayats online was to ensure transparency in all rural development works being undertaken. “Apart from data entry of MNREGA, all government schemes are going high-tech that will assist to check alleged irregularities in the government sponsored rural development works,” he asserted. Meanwhile, local MLA Rakesh Pathania claimed that the ongoing process of making gram panchayats high-tech was a revolutionary step of the Dhumal government and added that remaining 27 gram panchayats of Nurpur would also go online by the end of current fiscal year.
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Race hots up for BJP ticket in Palampur
Palampur, November 1 In Dhumal faction, IPH Minister Ravinder Thakur is lone contender for the ticket from Palampur. He is considered the right hand man of the Chief Minister. Earlier, Thakur had been contesting election from the Thural constituency of the Palampur region and was elected to the Assembly five times from Thural. But after the delimitation of constituencies, the Thural constituency was abolished by the Election Commission of India, thereafter Thakur has shifted all his political activities to Palampur and is seen in all social gatherings here. Dhumal Being a resident of Palampur for the past 30 years, it goes in Thakur’s favour. In the present political scenario, Thakur is one of the strong contenders for the party ticket who has capacity to win the election. In Shanta faction, there are three main contenders for the party tickets. BJP MLA Parveen Kumar Sharma, who was given party tickets at the behest Shanta Kumar in the 2007 Assembly election, is also making efforts to get party ticket for the second term from Palampur. But Shanta Kumar may not support his candidature as his son Vikram Sharma is also keen to contest the election from Palampur. Besides, Bhartiya Yuva Janta Morcha general secretary Vinay Sharma is also making all efforts to manage the party ticket. In the 2007 elections, he had missed the party ticket at the last moment. He is considered a confidant of Shanta Kumar and is active in the youth wing of the party. Trilok Kapoor, tribal leader and chairman, HP Wool Federation, is also willing to contest the election from Palampur, it being a tribal-dominated constituency. He has strong connection in the BJP high command, therefore he is banking upon the senior party leaders in Delhi for the party ticket.
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vignettes
I am delving on an article ‘Contribution of Moravian Missionaries’ by Balram because the role of these missionaries in lifting the economy of the region and spreading education. The theological history of these missionaries is often traced back to John Hus, a 15th century reformer, but truly the Moravian Church started making impression in the early 18th century from a small town Herrnhut in the Oberlausitz in Germany. The Moravian Missionaries started spreading in the world 1730 onwards after the voice of Mark and Matthew in the Bible, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” The missionaries came to Lahaul in 1853 and established their office at village Kardang. They started their work in Lahaul in 1854, but found that the sun sets early in Kardang while the village of Keylong (now Headquarters) enjoys the sun for a longer period. The office was, therefore, shifted to Keylong. The founders of the mission in Lahaul were AW Heyde and his wife. He worked in Keylong till 1905 and then left for Germany, where he died in 1907. His wife and two children had died earlier and were buried in the Mission House complex at Keylong. The formal education in Lahaul-Spiti was an unheard thing till then, a few Buddhist monasteries did exist where monks and nuns used to impart basic alphabetical education and religious teachings. Heydes made a beginning by starting a Primary School at Keylong with a branch at Tholang in Pattan valley in 1861. It may be added here that the first regular school by the Kangra Board was started in 1919 in Lahaul and in 1932 at Kaza in Spiti. The contribution of Moravian missionaries in the field of agriculture and horticulture changed the economy of the region when in 1857, they introduced potato and cabbage in Lahaul and on the horticulture side, they brought apple, apricot and pear to the valley. The fruit cultivation except pear was successful. The missionaries taught handicraft to the women of the area resulting in marketable hand-woven woollen gloves, socks and sweaters. Their input in the economic and educational fields on the lives of the Lahaulis has lifted them up. A printing press too was established at Keylong, where some of the forms during the 1904 Census were published. Balram is all praise for the missionaries. The real reason behind Moravian’s footsteps towards development was conversion of the people living in this isolated corner. The religious teachings of the missionaries were mainly to spread Christianity, so some of the hymnal gospels were translated into Lahauli dialect and Tibetan language. Strongly established Buddhism and the uncooperative attitude of the Lamas, however, did not let the missionaries succeed in their aim. The people of the valley stuck to their religion and the missionaries left the place in 1940. The book is a must for him who wants authentic information on Lahaul-Spiti.
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Baddi unit gets National Safety Award
Solan, November 1 Elin Appliances has bagged the 12th NSCI National Safety Award “Sarva Shreshtha Suraksha Award” in New Delhi, which was awarded by Union Minister of Labour and Employment Mallikarjun Kharge and received by the unit’s directors Kishore Sethia, Kamal Sethia, Sanjeev Sethia, JS Kang, factory manager, and Manoj Sharma, material manager. While maintaining quality has been the pursuit of Elin Appliances, stress on quality has been its constant endeavour. Set up in 2008, the unit management believes that safety, health and sustainable growth of an enterprise are co-linked with the work environment and facilities provided by any management. The relationship that an entrepreneur shares with his workforce is symbiotic and needs to be complimented from both ends to achieve a sustainable growth. With manpower being the asset of the company, their safety is of prime significance and the organisation has laid down its own policies to enforce occupational health and safety so as to create an ambient environment for growth. Rigorous efforts of the unit management to maintain a safe working environment has led to an impeccable nil rates of accidents in both fatal and non-fatal categories in the past three years. This has created a hard to maintain nil Weighted Accident Frequency Rate in the past three years and there has been no loss of man days. With nil dangerous occurrences, the unit has achieved 13,18,120 accident-free million man hours spanning the longest period of 904 days from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2009. This has led to nil prosecution and conviction. With other crucial awards like the “Safety Award” from the “National Safety Council of India” being bestowed upon Elin Appliances in October 2010, the management’s resolve to maintain highest Kang explains: “Safety being an interlinked subject, stress is laid on creating awareness among the employees through regular trainings which include firefighting, first aid and mock drills. Our efforts were appreciated when we were given the “Greentech Safety Award - 2011”. “The management ensures that emergency plan awareness through regular trainings in hazardous waste and chemical handling, firefighting and first aid ensure that employees are aware of the basic emergency handling. This 28-hour training has been given to 212 regular and 70 contractual employees in 2009. An accident reporting, investigation and analysis system has been set up to ensure that such mishaps do not recur as ‘Known safety, no injury. No safety, known injury’,” added Kang.
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Month-long blood donation campaign concludes
Palampur, November 1 Dr Sushil Phull, organising secretary of the poetic symposium, said over 10 poets attended the workshop and expressed their views on blood donation. A seminar on blood donation was held where myths and misconceptions, barriers and promotion of voluntary donation and retention of blood donors, health promotion among donors and potential donors for safe blood were discussed. Dr Virendra Kaul, in charge of the ICTC and a leading blood donor, said any person between the age of 18-60 years having a weight of 45 kg could donate blood. A blood donor gets a free health checkup, besides free screening for five diseases like HIV 1/2, hepatitis C, malaria and syphilis. Dr RK Sood, district AIDS programme officer, said the Red Ribbon Clubs were promoting voluntary non-remunerated blood donation among youth through the Pledge 25 campaign. He shared about the objectives and activities of the Pledge 25 initiative and stated that members should overcome their fears and misconceptions through peer dialogue and pledge to donate blood 25 times in their lifetime. Dr Sood elaborated that the Pledge 25 represents a revolution in blood banking. Dr Omesh Bharti, a prominent expert in blood banking, elaborated the importance of blood donation. He stated that haemorrhages account for 25 per cent of maternal deaths and availability of safe blood goes a long way in reduction of maternal mortality and achievement of MDGs on health. Blood transfusion had been identified as one of the eight life-saving functions that should be available in a first-referral level health-care facility providing comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care. Prof YK Sharma, Head, Department of Medicine, highlighted the importance of healthy lifestyle and health promotion for blood safety, health issues directly related to remaining a low-risk donor, such as diet, exercise, avoiding alcohol, tobacco and drugs. He added that under the research project for pregnant women, ayurvedic medicines have been found to reduce anaemia from 27 per cent to 4 per cent. Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer, Kangra, Kultar Dogra, while inaugurating the workshop, shared that blood storage centres would be opened in Baijnath and Dehra soon to increase access to life-saving intervention, adding that a mobile blood bank would be set up in the district from November 7, 2011.
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Nurpur Civil Hospital lacks basic facilities
Nurpur, November 1 Inquiries reveal that the body, in its meeting in the presence of local MLA and Chief Medical Officer, Kangra, convened in June last year, had put certain demands and approved a number of proposals for better health facilities. The governing body had resolved to provide Lipid Profile test facility and new dental X-ray machine in the hospital. But none of the facility has been provided in the hospital so far. The dental X-ray machine is out of order for three years, causing inconvenience to the dental patients. Apart from this, the proposals to recruit nine ward boys and supporting health staff under funding of the Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) was submitted to the Department of Health and Family Welfare, but so far no communication had been made. DS Chandel, Director of the department, clarified that hospital RKS were autonomous bodies and their proposals were to be implemented by the executive body of the RKS. “It is the responsibility of the executive body to ensure health upgrading facilities in the health institutions,” he maintained.
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Even after protest, work goes on at Jogni Falls hydro project
Jogni Fall (Manali), Nov 1 The company has built a concrete structure for a power house and laid a pipeline heading towards Narol, the head of the holy Jogni Fall. The company has neither a lease deed nor an NOC from the Vashish panchayat, which as per revenue records of 1948-49, has “full rights over Narol, Chhod Nala, and Jogni Fall”, charged residents. “For us, it is a do-or-die battle to save this religious place of Jognis Mahamayi from ruin,” asserts Bhikan Ram, aged 80. “We cannot break silence here, what to talk about project here,” adds Kardar Jognis, Gupt Ram. “If fall dies, it will be an act of eco-vandalism,” said Scotland travellers Tim Flood and his wife Marioan Normand, who visited Jogni Fall. “It is a holy place and more beautiful than what we read in Lonely Planet. Everybody should respect it,” they said. Vashisht residents cited revenue records of 1948-49 and documents obtained through the RTI Act in support of their charges against the company. The company did not take an NOC from the panchayat as the Narol area and Jogni Fall come under the Vashish panchayat, not under the Shenag panchayat which gave it an NOC. Even the location of the project is stated as Chhod Nala project, Bahang, not Vashisht, as per documents with The Tribune. The project is stated to be on the bank of the Beas, whereas the project is located at the Jogni Fall, reveal documents. The villagers met Chief Minister PK Dhumal twice at Shimla and during Kullu Dasehra. They rejected the project at a public hearing conducted under Kullu DC BM Nanta, Manali SDM Manali Balbir Thakur and CEO Himuraj Harsh Mittar on September 5 at the Circuit House, Manali. “The company has not stopped work here though the villagers are in angry mood,” resents AR Thakur, DIG retd, a resident of Vashisht. Even Kardar Sangh, Kullu, has supported “save Jogni Fall” issue saying that they will not allow anybody to play with the religious sentiments of people in the valley. The revenue records and land settlement in 1948 mentioned Narol and Chhod Nala as an abode Mahamaya Jognis, still worshipped by villagers all over the valley. Besides the project will also ruin SASE’s drinking water supply from Chhod Nala, about 30 m downstream from the Jogni Fall. Nanta said, “The public hearing report has been sent to the government for further action and a decision is awaited. The land lease deed of the company is sent for approval and is pending.”
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Himachal diary
Scintillating performances by maestros Jayant Kastuar (Kathak), Baldev Raj Verma (Vocal) and Shrikrishan Sharma (Guitar) marked the two-day festival of classical music and dance (See photo) organised by the Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh, at the historic Gaiety Theatre in Shimla early this week. The programme was organised in memory of late ML Koser, founder of the Pracheen Kala Kendra, who had an intimate bonding with Shimla during his performing career in 1950’s. A truly promising artist Shrikrishan cast a spell on the audience with his with his dazzling display of permutation and combination of musical notes and mystical presentation of the melody on guitar. A trained musician, he has learnt intricacies of music in guru-shishya parampara from his father Pandit Gopal Krishan Sharma, the foremost vichitra veena exponent. He started off with “Raga Shree”, rendering alap, jod followed by jhala and concluded with a dhun in “Raga Khamaj”. He was ably supported by Akram Khan, foremost exponent of Ajrara gharana, on tabla. Pandit Baldev Raj Verma commenced his recital with khayal in “Raga Yaman” which he rendered with good verve and lungpower. Good accompaniment was provided on the harmonium by Parmita Mukherjee and by Kale Ram on the tabla. The programme concluded with a Kathak performance by Jayant Kastuar, who is not only a versatile dancer but also the secretary of the Central Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi. He was accompanied by Yogesh Gangani (Tabla), Amjad Ali (Vocal), Mahavir Gangani (Pakhawaj) and Kamaal Ahmed on sarangi. Director General of Police DS Minhas was the chief guest of the function. The event was organised in collaboration with the Department of Language, Art and Culture. Bhai Dooj in jail
Well-known social worker and general secretary of the Delhi Kala Karam Saroj Vasishth celebrated the morning of Bhai Dooj with the inmates of the Kaithu jail in Shimla. Out of total 70 inmates, almost half had not received the teeka from their sisters as they landed in jail a few days ago and had not informed their families about their plight. The inmates were offered sweets after the teeka ceremony. A poetry workshop was also held, which was inaugurated by jail Superintendent Kameshwar Sharma. Two poetry collections, “Sulagte Sawaal” authored by undertrial Viajy Singh and “Maa” by Kasog-based labourer Bhupender Sharma, will be released next week at a function to be held on the jail premises by Director General of Police ID Bhandari. The inmates will also sing and perform folk dances to showcase their talent on the occasion.
Pine tree needles as fuel
Ambuja Cement Company has taken an initiative to use pine tree needles as fuel to generate power. It will not only help in making use of the forest waste, which is a major cause of forest fire in the state, but would also enable to tap a new source of energy. The pine forests are in abundance in the state and frequent forest fires cause great loss of flora and fauna. The company has established a biomass plant at Ropar to generate 30 MW power using pine needles as fuel. It has set up several collection centres in Hamirpur district, where pine needles are found in abundance, by involving local people of the area who are being paid Rs 1.50 per kg of pine needles. During last year, 206 quintals were purchased by the company and a target of 1,000 quintals has been set for this year. The company will soon establish five needle pressing machines to make bundles and extend the pine needle collection work to other districts too. (Contributed by
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Contractors asked to use quality products
Bilaspur, November 1 Addressing district officials here recently, Thakur said the departments which were in the direct contact of the public while implementing various schemes should ensure that there were no lapses on their part. He said the Food and Civil Supplies Department should remain particular regarding quality of rations supplied through various ration depots, adding that the Agriculture Department should take the responsibility for the better crop production. He said the works which were presently incomplete under the MPLAD should be completed at the earliest. The committee reviewed the progress of works of various departments in the district. Those who attended the meeting included MLAs Sujan Singh Pathania, Rajesh Dharmani, Urmil Thakur and Pravin Kumar. The committee also visited ACC Cement Factory at Barmana and JP Cement Factory at Bagha and interacted with truck operator unions and oustees of the cement plants.
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St Edward’s School holds reunion
Shimla, November 1 It was a nostalgic moment for many such fine gentleman, separated by decades, as they all got together to relive the old classroom and on-field memories at the reunion, held every alternate year. Organised by the St Edward’s Old Boys Association, the meet had alumni turn up for the even from all over with a sizeable number of locals making their presence felt. In fact, there was Dr Kailash Sood from the 1956 batch, Capt Ved Sood from 1958 batch and Kapli Dev Sood from 1957 batch. Set up in the year 1925, the school is managed by the Shimla Chandigarh Education Society, under the bishop of the Shimla-Chandigarh Diocese. The alumni of the school include Vice President Hamid Ansari, super cop KPS Gill, former Chief Secretary of Himachal Harsh Gupta and a score of others who made it to the rank of Generals in the Army. There are many who had an excellent record as civil servants, including CM Vasudeva, Union Foreign Secretary and VK Sibal, former Foreign Secretary. Presently three judges of the Himachal High Court, Justices Deepak Sood, DD Sood and Sanjay Karol are also alumni of the school and they made it a point to mingle with old buddies as well as the more recent pass-outs at the reunion. “Four us from the batch of 1986 decided to drive up specially for the reunion, more so because it happens to be our silver jubilee since we left the precincts of school, which has given us all that is required to face ups and downs of life,” said an ecstatic Amit Vaidya, an architect based in Delhi. He along with other friends went around spotting their classrooms right from nursery, the playfields where it was all dust and sweat as they battled out in a game of hockey, football and cricket. For the old boys, the reunion is not just confined to party time and catching up with old school buddies but also a payback time, where they try to contribute towards the betterment of their alma mater in some way. Various batches, especially those celebrating their silver jubilee, try to pitch in to meet various needs of the school like computers and construction of a basketball field, for which the Old Boys Association has pledged Rs 5 lakh, most of which has been paid. “We would want the school to have a bigger auditorium, a swimming pool and other such needs which will complete what we missed out on as students,” says Anil Walia, 1985 batch and presently the general secretary of the association. He along with other team members is aiming to make the school the best with able guidance from Kapil Dev Sood, an eminent lawyer and president of their body.
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The large-scale misuse of tractor-trailers in Kangra valley has given rise to illegal mining and quarrying. The administration finds it difficult to handle the situation.
A poetic symposium-cum-seminar on blood donation was organised at the Rajiv Gandhi Postgraduate Ayurvedic College,
Paprola, by the Integrated Counselling and Testing Centre (ICTC), in collaboration with the Rachna Sahitya Evam Kala Manch to mark the conclusion of the month-long blood donation awareness campaign under the aegis of the State Blood Transfusion Council.
Shimla, November 1
The Himachal Pradesh Academy of Art, Culture and Language have recently released a book on the life and culture of Lahaul-Spiti. The paperback edition of the book comprising twenty-nine articles costs only Rs 150 (see photo). Dr Tulsi Raman, editor of the book, claims, “This region of Himachal has several attractions, so many a writer has written liberally about it and published the material, but the present volume contains works of such people who are connected to the land by birth and through their quill, so the articles chosen for the volume assure of ingenuity and credibility.” The main contributors are Tobdan, Balram and Chhering Dorje, besides George D Roerich, Gagan Gill, Krishan Nath, Molu Ram Thakur, Dr VC Ohri and others.
