Shimla, January 13
The recent spell of snow, which lashed the “Queen of Hills” after almost six years, has exposed the ill-preparedness of the municipal corporation (MC) and lack of coordination among various government agencies, which resulted in locals as well as tourists facing a harrowing time.

Even five days after the snowfall, normality has still not been restored, as vehicular movement, water, power and garbage collection still remain affected.

The complete failure of the MC is evident from the fact that ambulances are still not reaching up to Kamla Nehru Hospital and Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) even though some people are taking their private vehicles at their own risk.

One could see expectant mothers walking up the slope to Kamla Nehru Hospital along with their attendants from areas like Karsog as they had been referred to the hospital due to complications. Drivers of the 108 ambulance service said with a lot of snow on the steep incline to the hospital, it was not possible for them to drive right up to the hospital.

They were dropping patients near Marina Hotel on the Mall side and on the Cart Road at the lower end.

Contrary to the claims of the MC that all major roads had been cleared, walking on most of the roads in the town in Jakhu, Lakkar Bazar, Snowdown, Sanjauli and Kasumpti was still very dicey. Leave aside clearing other roads, taking a walk on the Mall or the Ridge is highly risky as even sand has not been sprinkled on the frozen snow. Though MC Commissioner MP Sood claimed that a majority of the roads had been cleared with the help of JCB machines and labour, the ground situation is totally different.

The erratic power and water supply added to the woes of the locals who had a tough time braving the cold. The town was littered with garbage as garbage collection vehicles did not ply. “Compared to earlier times when there used to be a far heavier snowfall, we found that the MC is completely ill-equipped to face the challenge,” said a senior citizen residing in Jakhu.

Different agencies like the Public Works Department, the MC, the Electricity Department are often seen shirking their responsibility by stating that a particular area is not under their jurisdiction.

Snow in the winters is certainly welcome from the angle of tourism, power generation, crops and fruits, but the authorities need to be adequately prepared and should not be caught napping as was the case this time.

Shimla, January 13
The death toll in the bus accident which took place last evening near Nerwa in Chopal subdivision of Shimla district has reached 15. Some injured persons are still in a critical condition.

It was with great difficulty that relatives of those injured could bring them to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) due to snow en route. Eleven of the injured persons have been admitted to the IGMC while seven were taken to government hospitals at Nahan and Paonta Sahib.

At around 7 pm, the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus rolled down almost 300 feet, killing nine persons on the spot. Six other critically injured persons breathed their last in hospital. The bus was on its way from Nerwa to Dharchanna when the mishap took place.

The dead include the driver, Naresh Kumar of Jubbar village, Ramesh Kumar (Dhanot), Anil (Janog), Magat Ram (Maslan), Ram Lal (Kiari), Padam Singh (Pasar), Bahadur Singh, Santosh Kumar and Puja (Bhawar), Mohan Singh (Jalas), Brahm Dutt (Dalyanu), Sia Ram (Kaina), Bali Ram (Bhatyori) and Moti Singh (Jabajar).

The injured admitted to the IGMC are Suresh Kumar, Ramesh, Devender, Sonia, Ram Lal, Kamlesh, Naresh, Suresh, Naitik, Reena and Kundan Singh. The injured were brought to the IGMC via the Chopal-Nahan road as the Chopal-Shimla road is still not through due to a heavy snowfall.

Though a magisterial inquiry ordered into the mishap will be able to ascertain the real cause of the mishap, patients undergoing treatment at the IGMC said overspeeding could be one of the reasons behind the mishap. Others said the reason could be technical as they heard a sound.

Governor Urmila Singh and Chief Minister PK Dhumal have expressed grief over the accident, which claimed 15 lives. Dhumal directed the administration to provide all possible relief and help to the victims and their families. He also asked the health authorities to ensure proper treatment and help to the injured to facilitate their speedy recovery.

Mandi, January 13
Female foeticide seems to be gaining ground in the state as the “five most populous and most literate districts bordering Punjab, which also have the highest gender ratio as per the 2011 Census, face an adverse child gender ratio in the age group of 0-6 years”. This has sounded alarm bells in the state.

This alarming trend has come to light in the HP Census Report, 2011. Seized of the adverse child gender ratio issue, the Health and Family Welfare Department will be conducting a “soul-searching” exercise on January 15 in the state capital to chalk out a future strategy to counter the trend.

The five major districts that present a dismal child gender ratio are Una (870 females per 1,000 males), the lowest in the state, Kangra (873), which is also the most populated, followed by Hamirpur (881), Bilaspur (893) and Solan (899).

These districts border Punjab, which has an adverse child gender ratio at 846, and private diagnostic labs flourish in these districts, said heath officials.

Tribal districts of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur, where the diagnostic facilities are controlled by the government, lead the child gender ratio. Lahaul-Spiti has 1,013 females, while Kinnaur has 953 per 1,000 males.

Kinnaur has, interestingly, the lowest gender ratio in the state in 2011 - 818 females per 1,000 males.

Another highlight in the child gender ratio is that the lower literate districts have done better in the child gender ratio - Kullu ( 962), Chamba (950) and Sirmaur (931) followed by Shimla (922) and Mandi (913), which have literacy rates of 84.55 per cent and 82.18 per cent, respectively.

More worrisome is the fact that the top three districts in gender ratio - Hamirpur (1,096) Kangra (1,013) and Mandi (1,012) - in the 2011 Census faces the adverse child gender ratio. These three districts form over 49 per cent of the state population.

Though child sex ratio in Mandi district is better than state average of 906, but it stands less than the national average of 914 females per 1,000 males in the 0-6 year age group, said Balbir Tegta, Director, HP Census.

This depressing trend in child gender ratio is a serious concern as the government has launched over 12 schemes, including the most recent scheme “Beti Hai Anmol”, free education for the girl child and check female foeticide, under the PNDT Act to change the mindset in favour of the girl child.

But these schemes seemed to have bowed before the predominant mindset that still governs the state literate population, said health experts.

Director, Heath and Family Welfare, Dr DS Chandel, said though both child gender ratio in the 0-6 years age group and the gender ratio have improved from 896 and 968 in 2001 to 906 and 974, respectively, in 2011. But the declining trend of child gender ratio in the highly literate districts where the gender ratio was high was a major concern and a meeting was fixed to chalk out the future action plan, he added.

Dharamsala, January 13
The trend of celebrating Lohri festival for the girl child started in the recent past in Punjab and some parts of Himachal as measure against female foeticide. However, Paragpur a heritage village located in Kangra district has the tradition of celebrating the festival for the girl child for the past over three centuries.

According to historical facts, the principality of Jaswan state started celebrating Lohri in Paragpur in the late 16th Century or early 17th century. It was celebrated for Princess Parag Dei of Jaswan state, who is remembered by villagers for organising resistance against the marauding gangs of invaders to the area.

Though centuries have passed since the incident happened, villagers have continued the tradition of celebrating Lohri in commemoration of the Late Princess. Some historians believe that it might be the first incident of celebration of Lohri for a girl child (Princess Parag) in the entire North India.

The government has given the Lohri festival in Paragpur the status of a state festival.

Minister for Social Empowerment Sarveen Chaudhary presided over Lohri festivities at Paragpur today.

The core area of Paragpur village is notified as a heritage village and nearby Garli village as a heritage zone.

The state through a notification issued on December 9, 1997, classified Paragpur as a heritage zone.

Members of the Sood community, who are dominating population in the village. At the time when Shimla was the summer capital of the British, Sood community from Paragpur owned half of it.

Soods are still a dominating community in Shimla. They have, however, retained a bond with their roots in Paragpur. The community organises a meet every year in the Paragpur village when members of the community from across the country come and participate in it.

Paragpur has retained the essence of a heritage village as it has old shops, cobbled streets, ornamental village tanks and mud-plastered slate-roofed houses.

Promoters of the Judges Court, a country hotel being run in the village, have played a significant role in maintaining the original identity of the area and promoting it as a heritage site.

The hotel is spread in a 12-acre area and has a century-old structure that has the mixture of Indian and British architecture.

The structure was brought by Justice Sir Jai Lal in 1918. His family members are now maintaining the property and running it as a country hotel in a remote village of Kangra district.

Shimla, January 13
With vehicular traffic on the Shimla-Kangra national highway remaining obstructed for three days following a heavy snowfall, the Shimla Nagrik Sabha today urged the government to construct an alternative passage from Shimla to Ghannahatti via Tara Devi.

In a representation to Chief Minister PK Dhumal here today, the sabha said an alternative connectivity to the Shimla-Kangra road which is the NH-88 must be provided to ensure smooth plying of traffic even in case of snowfall. “Since the road got blocked at Dhanda, Totu and Tawi Mor due to snow, traffic could not be restored on the NH-88, causing a lot of inconvenience to commuters,” said Tikender Panwar, convener of the sabha.

He said an alternative route via Tara Devi, Badheri and Shilli could help keep the NH-88 through in case of snow. “Buses and other vehicles came to a standstill and even the Dhami-Rampur road could not be utilised for commuting passengers to Rampur and beyond as these could not cross Totu-Dhanda,” said Panwar. He said barely 500 metres of this road had to be constructed as the remaining existed and was still functional.

Solan, January 13
The manner in which the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) has acquired land near Dharmapur at an exorbitant cost of Rs 11 lakh per bigha has put a question mark on the functioning of this public sector enterprise, which is reeling under losses.

Interestingly, HIMUDA has failed to undertake developmental works on 700 plots at Mandhala where possession is being granted to people since October 2011 without proper civil works and power arrangements. Those who have bought the plots are now running from pillar to post to get these works executed. The civil works, which are supposed to be executed by HIMUDA, have been worked out at Rs 27 crore while laying of the power infrastructure would require Rs 46 crore. Only half of this amount has been deposited with the HP State Electricity Board while the buyers will have to bear the remaining cost per kVA basis.

HIMUDA is instead unduly indulging in acquiring land by spending exorbitantly on buying more land and 45.1 bighas have been acquired by HIMUDA near Dharampur.

The land is not only located about 5 km below the national highway in a valley, but the manner in which the land deal was registered yesterday has itself put a question mark on the whole procedure.

As against the norms, the registration of this land was executed at the camp office of the naib tehsildar, Parwanoo, though as per the norms, its registration was supposed to have been executed at the Kasauli office of the sub-registrar.

With a father-son duo testifying as witnesses and no land evaluation committee having been constituted to work out the cost of this land as against the usual norms, a question mark has been put on the whole procedure. The average cost appears to have been worked out on the basis of an isolated land deal executed in April 2011 though the land evaluation committee would have managed to evaluate its cost properly, which appears to have been much lesser.

HIMUDA Chairman Ganesh Dutt, however, justified the land acquisition stating that the demand survey carried out by HIMUDA had assessed an overwhelming demand for flats at Dharampur. He said the engineering wing had conducted the survey for studying the feasibility of this land.

He added that civil works were under way at Mandhala and those who had taken the possession were being provided power and other facilities while work on providing power infrastructure was in progress.

Shimla, January 13
As many as 6,870 candidates from 281 state government schools have opted to undertake the first Students’ Global Aptitude Index (SGAI) in the state in April this year.

There are over 95,000 students studying in Class X in state government schools and as such less than 10 per cent students have opted for the test.

However, the Education Department is satisfied with the response keeping in view the fact that it was for the first time that such a test was being conducted.

There was also some uncertainty until the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) agreed to conduct a separate test for Class X students of government schools in April.

The government has decided to hold the test on the pattern of the CBSE that conducted the first SGAI test for students of its own schools across the country last year.

This year, the CBSE test was scheduled for January 22. Since the state did not have any expertise and experience in conducting such career aptitude tests, it decide to seek the assistance of the CBSE, which agreed to hold the first test for the state in the second or third week of April.

The Department of Higher Education has already entered an agreement with the CBSE and made the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Solan, as the nodal agency for the purpose.

The test will reflect the interest inherent capability, talent or ability and interest profile of students and is aimed at empowering with self-knowledge to enable in making informed choice of subjects.

The different aspects of this test will focus on scientific aptitude, numerical aptitude, social aptitude, behavioural aptitude, art aptitude and interest areas to help assess the inborn capabilities of students so that they could take right decision about their post matriculation stream.

Dr Ramesh Verma, Principal, SCERT, said since there was not much awareness about the test training, a workshop would be organised for teachers, one from each of the 281 schools, to acquaint them with the format of the test. They would further apprise students so that they come prepared for the test.

He added that after gaining experience this year, the state would conduct the test on its own from the next year and it would be a regular feature to help students take the right decision in choosing the stream.

Solan, January 13
Even as the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau is enquiring into the irregularities in the construction of Rs 1.55 crore shopping mall at Nalagarh, the revenue status of this land is under scanner with settlement officials ascertaining its status.

Though according to the revenue records, this 2-bigha plot lying in the ward No. 7 of the Nalagarh Municipal Committee was shown to be a demarcated protected forest (DPF) land from 1954 to 1978, the settlement exercise carried out in 1982 and subsequently in 1999 had placed this land under the possession of the Municipal Committee, Nalagarh. The Nalagarh MC had, therefore, decided to construct a shopping mall over it and the process had begun in 2000. Officials of the Forest Department, however, objected to this change of land from the DPF, and the SDM was requested to enquire into the matter.

The issue came to the fore when some locals raised objections to this stark violation of the DPF land.

The tehsildar was then directed to conduct a fact-finding inquiry by the SDM following which it was known that the land was a DPF, which had instead been mentioned as MC land in the revenue records.

The forest officials approached the settlement officials about four months ago to rectify the revenue records and enlist it as a DPF land.

Since the settlement officials were yet to complete their procedure, forest officials were awaiting the completion of their formalities before taking any action in this case.

This has added another twist to the case where irregularities have already surfaced in its substandard construction and escalation of cost of construction from the initial Rs 1.30 crore to Rs 1.55 crore. It was learnt that several resolutions were passed by the House to escalate the cost time and again.

While it appears that a deliberate mischief has been carried out to change the status of this DPF land to MC land, it remains to be seen who has been benefitted in the process.

Bilaspur, January 13
District Electoral Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Ritesh Chauhan has said though voters’ lists were published on January 5 for all the four Assembly segments in the district here, the Election Commission has given one more chance to those who could not get their names registered in the lists till January 15, 2012.

Chauhan said all those who had attained the age of 18 years on January 1, 2012, should make it a point to submit their details on Form No. 6 at their respective polling booths or with the officers concerned like the tehsildar, the SDM and other registration officers appointed for this purpose.

He also urged voters to get their voter cards and those who did not possess such cards should contact the offices concerned and then get the same by January 25.

Chauhan said now, the total number of voters in the district here had increased to 2,65,967 in which 1,29,278 were women and 1,36,689 men.

In the Jhandutta reserved constituency, there were 33,074 male and 30,914 female voters while in Ghumarwin there are 36,306 male and 35,846 female voters. In the Bilaspur Sadar constituency, there were 35,622 male and 34,074 female voters and in the Naina Devi segment there were 31,687 male and 28,444 female voters till now.