Shimla, December 7
With the main tourist destinations of Shimla, Kullu-Manali and Dharamsala getting excessively overcrowded, the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department has decided to undertake a survey to ascertain the “carrying capacity” of each destination by involving the departments concerned.

The views of departments like the PWD, Power, Forest, Irrigation and Public Health, Science and Technology, Language, Art and Culture are being elicited so that the number of tourists a place can accommodate can be known and accordingly restricted. The issue is likely to be discussed threadbare at a meeting of the Tourism Development Council, likely to be held at Dharamsala on December 20.

The long-term master plan, that has been formulated for Himachal by a Delhi-based consultant, also points out the need for assessing the threshold limit of each of the destinations so that infrastructure and facilities can accordingly be created. The consultant has, in fact, projected the threshold limit of some of the old as well as new destinations for 2014, 2019, 2029 that can be developed. These include Shimla, Dharamsala and Manali among the old ones and Rajgarh, Naggar, Paonta Sahib and Prashar lake, as the new destinations.

“Unfortunately we do not have the carrying capacity data for any of the destinations; so as a first step in this direction, we have sought the opinion of all departments concerned so that before arriving at a number their viewpoint can be taken into consideration,” said Arun Sharma, Director, Tourism.

He admitted that the three main destinations of Shimla, Kullu-Manali and Dharamsala were undoubtedly crowded and there was need for developing and promoting new unexplored areas.

The master plan also talks of imposition of a tourism cess that should be collected at the entry point of destinations. This, the report says, is essential in case of weekend tourists who do not contribute to the state revenue but use the facilities. Places like Shimla, Kasauli and Dharamsala have, in fact, become popular weekend destinations, being packed to capacity.

It has been pointed out that the ratio of locals and tourists should determine the carrying capacity of any place and this should be in the ratio 1:1.

Manali, December 7
Breaking a long dry spell, the weather gods finally obliged the region with a fresh spell of snow in upper Manali areas and rain in lower parts of the region this morning.

The 13,050-foot-high Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul and Spiti, experienced fresh snowfall, snapping the road link between Manali and the Lahaul valley this morning. The Manali-Sarchu road, which was to be closed for all vehicular traffic from last month by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), remained open due to the dry spell in the region.

Traffic on the Manali-Rohtang Pass road was disrupted at several places beyond Gulaba, about 19 km from here, this morning. All tourist vehicles had to stop at Gulaba.

Hundreds of tourists, who had come to Kullu-Manali, were delighted to see the hills covered under a white blanket of snow. Tourists made a beeline to see fresh snowfall near Gulaba where a festive atmosphere prevailed as winter revellers threw snowballs at each other and had a gala time. They were also seen enjoying different snow-related activities and having photo sessions.

The fresh spell of snow in the region has brought a smile on the faces of hoteliers, taxi operators and luxury bus operators as it would boost winter tourism in the valley.

High reaches in the Kullu valley, including Rohtang Pass, Marhi Medows, Gulaba slopes, the Pir Panjal ranges, the Chanderkhani Pass, the Hamata ski slopes, the Bhrigu slopes, Beas Kund and Dhundi also experienced fresh snowfall today.

Dharamsala, December 7
Touching a politically sensitive issue, Minister for IPH Ravinder Ravi today said he was in favour of creating more districts and reorganisation of the districts in the state. Ravinder Ravi was talking to mediapersons at the Dharamsala secretariat today.

The statement of the minister, who is considered close to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, has once again raked up the issue of division of Kangra, the biggest and the most populous district of the state. Kangra also has the maximum 15 Assembly segments.

The demand for the creation of Dehra, Nurpur and Palampur districts out of Kangra has been raised many times by sections of residents of the respective areas.

However, many people, including senior leaders of the BJP from the district, are opposed to it. They have been maintaining that the division of Kangra would reduce the political power of the area.

Senior Congress leader from Kangra and MLA from Nagrota Bagwan GS Bali said the timing of the statements regarding the creation of new districts raised suspicions. The creation of new districts needs lot of finances and infrastructure. It would also lead to a financial burden on the state exchequer.

During its previous stint in power also, the BJP had raised the issue of creation of new districts. It had also posted ADCs at subdivisions to give an impression that new districts were being created. However, after the elections, they did not raise the issue of creating new districts, Bali alleged.

The statement of Ravinder Ravi has led to speculations that the government might consider creating new districts out of Kangra just before the Assembly elections next year.

Ravinder Ravi, however, clarified that his statement regarding the creation of new districts was his personal viewpoint. Asked if the Chief Minister also shared his views, Ravi said he could not say anything regarding that.

Meanwhile, a large number of farmers from the Nurpur Assembly constituency, led by Independent MLA Rakesh Pathania, today came to Dharamsala to thank Ravinder Ravi for getting more Rs 200 crore sanctioned for the Phina Singh canal.

Addressing the farmers, Ravinder Ravi said the Phina Singh canal and the Shah canal would be completed during the stint of the present government and these would solve the problems of farmers of the Nurpur and Changar areas.

Shimla, December 7
The state has sought funds from the Centre under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for acquiring 400 more buses to improve the transport services in Shimla city.

It is a last-ditch effort to get central funds as the Urban Transport Management Scheme under the JNNURM is closing in January 2012. The state has already got Rs 6.75 crore under the scheme and has purchased 75 buses, which have been in operation for the past two years.

A Rs 60-crore proposal has been submitted under which both small and big buses of different seating capacities are to be acquired for plying in a radius of 40 km to 60 km for the convenience of commuters.

The plan also envisages induction of additional buses to improve the connectivity to the new bus stand, which is situated at one corner of the city on the bypass road, with various localities and the old bus stand.

The bulk of the funds under the scheme have already been exhausted but the state is hopeful of getting some funds and Transport Minister Mohinder Singh has been personally following the case.

The buses under the scheme are meant for strengthening the local bus services in the state capital. However, the government has convinced the Union Ministry of Urban Transport that people from the peripheral areas located at a distance of 50 km to 60 km commute daily for work.

Interestingly, the Himachal Road Transport Corporation, which manages the local bus services in the city, has been suffering heavy losses in the plying of 75 buses, already operational.

These buses on an average cover about 140 km daily and with a gap of income and expenditure ranging from Rs 6 to Rs 7 per km per bus, it is losing over Rs 2 crore annually.

However, the corporation is hopeful that with extended bus routes covering areas up to 60 km, the plying of bus services will become economical as the average mileage per vehicle will go up.

Dharamsala, December 7
Miscreants continued to torment girl students of the Dronacharya College of Nursing despite the arrest of three persons in connection with a ruckus created by them in the girls’ hostel on Monday night. Last night also, one of the main accused in the case allegedly banged his car against the hostel wall.

When The Tribune team reached the spot this morning, the accused, Aman Dixit, was getting his car repaired. One of the car tyres had been damaged and the axle of the vehicle was also damaged.

Aman, who is a PTA teacher in a government school, however, alleged that his car met with an accident after one of its tyres suddenly burst. He denied the charges that he tormented hostel girls.

Rajni, a first-year student of the college, while talking to The Tribune, said one of the main accused, Aman Dixit, came to their hostel in a drunk state last night also and said, “Namaste, I have come back”.

Manisha, another student, alleged that the miscreants generally follow their bus on motorcycles or cars when they leave from the college and pass vulgar remarks.

Girl students of the college said they were terrorised by the brazenness with which the accused kept returning to their hostel despite police intervention.

The principal of college alleged laxity on the part of the local police in dealing with such a sensitive matter. He alleged that on the night of December 5, the miscreants arrived at the hostel in a drunk state and started creating trouble. “We rang up the local police station, but nobody turned up,” he added.

One of the girls in the hostel, who is taking medication for depression, got restless due to the ruckus created by the miscreants. She called up her parents. Her parents also called up the local police station. “We made about 25 calls to the local police station that night. However, the police came to the spot the next morning,” he alleged. He alleged that earlier also they had made verbal complaints to the local police against the miscreants, but no action was taken.

The Principal and Vice-Principal of the college, both of whom are from Kerala, also alleged that the miscreants were still intimidating them. The Vice-Principal, who received head injuries in an attack by the miscreants, alleged that he was receiving threats from unknown persons that they would deal with him once the present issue subsided.

Meanwhile, the college management today submitted a written complaint against the main accused, Aman Dixit, alleging that he once again created a ruckus in the college.

Shimla, December 7
Accusing the police of killing his son while in custody, Padam Dev Sharma, father of Pawan, who died in the Boileauganj police station, today demanded a probe by a sitting judge of the high court and suspension of the entire staff of the police station.

Addressing a press conference here today, Sharma said he would meet Chief Minister PK Dhumal and seek the registration of a case under Section 302 for killing his son in detention.

“There is no question of my son committing suicide. He was tortured and killed by the police as there were injury marks on his left temple and stomach,” he alleged. In case a high-level inquiry is not ordered into his death, we will be forced to seek justice from the court,” he added.

Sharma, who works in Delhi, said there were several unanswered questions, which clearly indicated to the fact that his son was tortured, resulting in his death. “Though the police has shown that he was arrested on the night of November 30 from Jutogh, the fact is that he was picked up from his room in Saproon in Solan on the morning of November 29 where three cops searched his room and took him into custody,” he said.

“I want justice for my son who was killed by the police in custody. Till date no action has been taken against anyone as if dying in custody is a routine thing,” he said.

Pawan was working as a taxi driver and the Shimla police had said that he was involved in 31 different cases of theft, burglary and snatching in Solan and Shimla districts. The police theory was that he had committed suicide.

Shimla, December 7
Quarterly mock drills on emergency preparedness and response will be carried out in all educational and health institutions and other important establishments to train people to effectively cope with disaster situations like earthquake and floods and other calamities.

Stating this while presiding over the first meeting of the Himachal Pradesh Disaster Management Authority here today, Chief Minister PK Dhumal said educational and health institutions were the most vulnerable and all precautionary measures were required to be taken to avert any mishap in such eventualities. The National School Safety Programme Demonstration Project would be launched in 200 schools in Kangra and Kullu in the first phase. He said in future earthquake-resistant features would be incorporated in all government buildings and the private sector would also be motivated to do the same to prevent loss of life and property.

He said efforts would be made to retrofit the existing school buildings with quake-resistant features. Hoardings would be erected at important places to create mass awareness about the do’s and don’ts during disasters.

Dhumal said Home Guards companies in the state would be equipped with disaster management tool kits to deal with emergencies. The capacity-building programme would be included in all training programmes being conducted by different departments and training institutes to create awareness in society. He said the existing district-level control rooms manned by police would be strengthened by providing additional facilities and a data base of the trained volunteers and paramedics would also be prepared. Disaster risk reduction and urban risk reduction activities would be carried in Kangra, Mandi and Kinnaur districts in the first phase along with Shimla city.

Principal Secretary (Revenue) Deepak Sanan said the state had made all preparations to meet any emergency.

DGP DS Manhas said the existing police control rooms at the district level could be utilised for disaster management services.

Hamirpur, December 7
The state government is likely to create a separate wing for irrigation and flood protection in the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department of the state soon.

Though the IPH Department at present is looking after three works of providing drinking water, creating sanitation facilities and augmentation of irrigation schemes, the main thrust of the department had been on providing drinking water.

On the other hand, creating irrigation facilities had not received focused attention, which this activity requires, so much so that utilisation of irrigation facilities had not been put to the optimum use.

The department had already tapped traditional methods of irrigation and now, there is a need to develop new strategies for the same like building new dams and implementing new irrigation schemes.

Moreover, the Centre has proposed to spend over Rs 50,000 crore for expanding irrigation facilities and flood protection in the country during the next five years and for getting maximum funds the state would have to submit many detailed project reports.

Many state governments are having separate departments for irrigation and flood protection and if the state government here intends to draw maximum funds from the Centre, the department would have to lay more emphasis on preparing new proposals.

The department is likely to create two posts of chief engineer (North and South) and 12 divisions for the separate irrigation wing, besides creating additional infrastructure.

IPH Minister Ravinder Singh Ravi said: “The department has prepared a proposal for creating a separate wing for the irrigation and soon it would be placed in the Cabinet meeting.”

“Since Chief Minister PK Dhumal has already agreed in principle for this proposal it is likely to be passed in the Cabinet meeting soon,” the minister added.

Kangra, December 7
Expressing serious concern over the alleged deteriorating law and order situation in this temple town and its suburbs, sitting MLA from Nagrota Bagwan GS Bali yesterday demanded the immediate shifting of the SHO of the Kangra police station and sending of additional police force to maintain law and order.

Bali raised the demand at a press conference at his residence here. He said it was unfortunate that anti-social elements and miscreants had created an atmosphere of terror in the town and common and law-abiding citizens were a humiliated lot. He said criminal elements were freely using swords and brandishing these publicly to terrorise the people.

Bali said a wine shop near the old bus stand, a stone’s throw from the police station, was ransacked and looted in public view and the police remained a mute spectator.

He alleged that there was a nexus between the drug mafia and the police which had unnerved the residents of the town.