Dharamsala, February 11
Farmers in lower areas of the state were sowing un recommended varieties of wheat which resulted in damage to their crops due to the yellow rust fungal disease.

Scientists of CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University at Palampur have expressed this opinion after conducting an extensive survey of damage to wheat crop in Una and Kangra districts due to yellow rust this year.

Dr YS Paul, Head, Department of Pathology in the agriculture university, told The Tribune that university officials during a survey conducted in Una and Kangra districts had found that farmers had opted for HS-240, SS 240, Raj 3777 and UP-2338 varieties of wheat this year. These varieties were prone to attack by the yellow rust fungal disease.

University experts had time and again recommended that these varieties should not be sown by farmers. Last year also, farmers had suffered losses after sowing these varieties of wheat, he said.

Dr Paul said during the survey about 20 to 40 per cent damage had been reported to the wheat crop in Indora, Dehra and Pragpur blocks of Kangra district and many regions of Una district due to the yellow rust attack.

Maximum damage had been found in areas where either adequate irrigation was not available or fields were waterlogged, Dr Paul said.

He further said: “We have recommended to farmers that they should spray fungicides for controlling the damage to their crop. However, when the yellow rust has already struck there is no remedy.”

The university authorities had ordered a survey of wheat crop after reports were received regarding attack by yellow rust in the Una area.

The experts were of the opinion that many wheat varieties were resistant to yellow rust fungal diseases. Farmers were advised through the Agriculture Department to sow those varieties of wheat that were recommended by the agriculture university. The farmers were using the old seed available with them or those which traders were selling to them.

The varieties that are resistant to yellow rust were recommended by the Agriculture Department include: In early sown category VL-829 and VL-616, timely sown category HPW-155, HPW-249, HPW-147, HS-507 and late sown category VL-907 and PBW-236.

Farmers in Changar areas (arid areas that are dependent on rain for irrigation) that had gone for early sowing of wheat had already suffered losses as most of their seed was lost due to no rain in November and December. However, in other areas of the state, climatic conditions were good for wheat crops, according to experts.

Low temperature in February was also good for the wheat crop in hilly areas. The attack by yellow rust fungal disease would definitely impact the yield of farmers in lower areas, the experts added.

Kangra, February 11
Tension gripped Abdullahpur village on the outskirts of this town today when villagers of nearby Icchi village, along with the body of a 21-year-old newly wed woman, reached there and wanted to perform her 
last rites in her in-laws’ courtyard in the presence of her husband who was in police custody.

The woman had allegedly committed suicide by consuming poison yesterday.

SDPO, Kangra, Dinesh Kumar said today that Monika of Icchi village was married to Sanjeev Kumar of Abdullahpur on November 9, 2011, and since then she was being tortured by her husband and mother-in-law Maya Devi, as alleged by Sushma Devi, the victim’s mother.

He said yesterday Monika returned from her father’s house at Icchi and reached her home at Abdullahpur. Sushma Devi told the police that she was informed by her in-laws last evening that Monika had consumed poison. She, along with pradhan Surjeet of Icchi village and vice-pradhan Vinod Kumar, had rushed to Abdullahpur and found her daughter vomiting near the cowshed with no member of her in-laws to take care of her.

The DSP said she alleged that her daughter had been mentally and physically tortured by her husband and mother-in-law forcing her to commit suicide.

Dinesh Kumar said she took her daughter to DRPGMC, Tanda, where she struggled for life till late last night and died later. The police had registered a case under Sections 498-A and 306, IPC, and arrested husband Sanjeev Kumar and mother-in-law Maya Devi.

The accused were produced before the court of JMIC Kangra and remanded in police custody till February 14, 2012.

The SDPO said the victim’s body after autopsy was handed over to relatives, who had then brought it to Abdullahpur and demanded that her last rites be performed in her in-laws’ courtyard.

A heavy police force was called from Dharamsala and deployed in the village to avert any untoward incident.

The SDPO said he, along with ASP Yog Raj, passified the mob and ultimately the last rites were performed at the cremation ground of Abdullahpur.

Solang Valley, February 11
The Alpine Premier League, programmed by the Ski Himalayas Ropeway and Ski Centre with organising partners local ski clubs of adjoining Palchan, Kothi, Ruar and Solang villages and supported by the ABVIMAS, Manali, and Himachal Tourism concluded at the Solang Ski Slopes, 13 km from Manali, recently.

The concluding function of the League was presided over by Anurag Thakur, MP and joint secretary of BCCI. He also gave away prizes to the winners.

The following are the results:

Slalom (Men) - Santosh Kumar (YMWSC), Palchan), 1; H.Jamyang Namgial (Army Sports Control Board), 2; and SPH Sunny Kumar (Army Sports Control Board), 3.

Slalom (Women) - Varsha (Manali Ski Association), 1; Rashael Kanwal (NASCTRC), Narkanda, 2; and Vandana Panwar (Uttarakhand Ski Association), 3.

Giant Slalom (Women) - Varsh (Manali Ski Association), 1; Pooja Thakur (YMWSC), Palchan, 2; and Rashael Kanwal, (NASCTRC) Narkanda), 3.

Giant Slalom (Junior Boys) - Veenit Sharma (YMWSC) Palchan, 1; Satyaban Banon (Ski Himalayas), 2; and Satyam Kanthla, (KASC) Narkanda, 3.

Giant Slalom (Sub Junior Boys)- Yogesh Kumar (DWSC) Ruar), 1; Vinay Beas (HIAS), Burua, 2; Shivansh Sethi, Ski Himalayas, 3.

Giant Slalom (Children Boys), Pranav Thakur (YMWSC) Palchan, 1; Vikas Thakur (DWSC), Ruar, 2; and Nikhil (Him Yuvak Mandal) Shanag, 3.

Giant Slalom (Junior Girls) - Aanchal Thakur (Manali Ski Club), 1; Abida Khan (WGA), Jammu and Kashmir, 2; and Sandhya Thakur, 3.

Ginat Slalom (Children Girls) - Ankita (DWSC) Ruar, 1; Urlisha, (ABVIMAS), Manali, 2; and Riya Thakur (DWSC), Ruar, 3.

Cross Country (Men) - Nadeem Iqbal (Army Sports Control Board), 1; Mohammed Iliyas (Army Sports Control Board), 2; and Chaman Singh (Army Control Board), 3.

Cross Country (Women) - Bhuvnashwary (Ski Himalayas), 1; Phuntsog Yandon (JIM), Pahalgam, 2; and Yashmeen Akhtar (WGA0), Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking on the occasion, Anurag Thakur said a snow groomer machine at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore would be provided to the Solang ski slopes before the next national-level skiing championship. He also promised to raise the standard of winter sports in Himachal Pradesh.

Amitabh Sharma, Managing Director, Ski Himalayas, said 336 participants of the 32 teams of the country, including 25 from different countries, had taken part in the Alpine Premier League.

Shimla, February 11
The CPM today demanded stepping up of vigilance against government officials who were deriving benefits from managements of various power companies executing hydro-power projects by giving them undue favour.

Member, state secretariat of the CPM, Tikender Singh Panwar today sought the personal intervention of the Chief Secretary to step up vigilance against such officials who were conniving with the management of power companies and in return seeking benefits.

He cited several examples of officials, especially those of the Revenue Department, who had changed the land acquisition rates, which lead to benefit worth crores to companies.

“While some of these officials after giving undue benefit to companies quit their jobs and join power companies, others continue to help them at every stage at the cost of the interest of the locals,” he said.

He added that there had been several instances where government officials, including some bureaucrats, came under the Vigilance scanner but ultimately no action was taken against anyone.

Panwar said the government must step up vigilance on officers who were engaged in land acquisition process.

He also sought the intervention of the Chief Secretary regarding compensation to owners of houses, which had developed cracks in the Arki area due to heavy explosive activity by Ambuja Cements.

Mandi, February 11
Away from the set rigours of computer operating systems, the computer scientists now have come out with a “free software operating system that you can use freely the way you please and that is subservient to your need”.

Addressing students and faculty of IIT, Mandi, during the ongoing Exodia function on the campus, Richard Stallman, a proponent of a free software movement launched in 1983 in the US, said computer users could download the GNU operating system started in 1984.

“The GNU is a free software and everyone has freedom to copy it and redistribute it, with or without changes,” he added.

Stallman, a Macarthur Foundation Fellowship and ACM Grace Hopper awardee, said the GNU/Linux system was used on millions of computers today. The user could download it for free or buy it or copy it and store it without hassles.

Stallman urged students to join the free software movement to keep the freedom of using the software as they liked it.

“We have been using the free software operating system as its gives a freedom to operate your computer they way you like,” commented Raj Kamal Singh, IIIrd semester student, computer science, Mandi IIT.

“We are also using high-speed wireless Wi-Fi connectivity on the campus as well,” added Kunal, another computer science student.

Director, IIT, TA Gonsalves said the talks by the top computer experts had given an exposure that would help nurture talent among IIT students.

Mandi, February 11
The Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) connectivity not only has proved to be a boon for students and teachers in the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and other institutes, but it can also be a panacea for farmers, hoteliers and small businessmen in rural areas to attract clients through a network of Wi-Fi hot spots that can be set up in the entire region, Vic Hayes, the “father of the Wi-Fi”, said here.

Talking to The Tribune here on the sidelines of the Exodia-12, annual cultural function of students organised by Mandi IITians today, Vic Hayes, a senior research fellow at the Delft University of Technology, said the broadband Wi-Fi Internet connectivity had turned out to be a boon not only for researchers, students and teachers across the world, but had brought huge benefits for farmers and businessmen and moving public.

Dr Hayes met IIT Director TA Gonsalves and addressed students on the campus during the Exodia-12. He is writing a book titled “The Genesis of Wi-Fi and The Road Toward Global Success”.

Dr Hayes co-founded and chaired the IEEE 802.11 Standards Working Group for wireless Local Area Networks (LAN) and became known as the “father of Wi-Fi”.

He successfully mobilised the computer industry to support the agenda item for 455 MHz of spectrum at the World Radio Conference 2003 and now had a Wi-Fi alliance over 375 firms.

He said the broadband could be taken to rural areas for the benefit of farmers who could access the latest developments in science and technology and trends in markets just at the click of a button.

The network of communication towers could be fitted with long range Wi-Fi devices that costs just $2,000 a piece, Dr Hayes said.

“Now it can cover over 30-km area through the LAN and farmers can connect to Internet in even remote areas, where connectivity is poor,” he added.

From Mysore in India to California in the US and Pokhara in Nepal, the broadband Wi-Fi connectivity could be made available for free at least for hours. It was the best option in trains, airports, hotels, institutions, schools, colleges and departmental stores, he said.

Businessmen and hoteliers and others were using Wi-Fi successfully in Europe, the US, Netherlands, Japan and Australia. Even a small town of Pokhara in Nepal was using wi-fi connectivity saving time and money and attracting more clients and tourists and bringing 
a boom in business there, said Dr Hayes.

The Wi-Fi provides services in private homes and independent businesses as well as in public spaces at Wi-Fi hot spots set up either free-of-charge or commercially, he added.

Solan, February 11
With a view to mobilising community participation in environment protection and conservation, the Department of Environment, Science and Technology has initiated an ambitious Community Led Assessment, Awareness, Advocacy and Action Programme (CLAP) for Environment Protection and Carbon Neutrality.

The programme aims at making Himachal a sustainable and climate resilient state by mobilising community’s responsibility for environmental assessment, its protection and carbon neutrality.

Elaborating about the programme, Additional Chief Secretary, Forests, Sudipto Roy said 1,000 panchayats, which is about one-third of the total number, would be covered under the programme and a cluster approach adopted to create awareness.

Since it was in its nascent stage, they were in the process of covering all the panchayats where thrust was on making it a people’s movement rather than a routine government activity, as its success would largely depend on the quantum of people’s involvement.

It is being implemented in rural and urban areas and comprises three phases of preparatory, development and consolidation and expansion.

Community support is being roped in through field implementing agencies comprising eco clubs, mahila mandals and NGOs under the coordination and facilitation of district coordinating agencies comprising lead NGOs/institutions.

A state-level steering committee helps coordinate the overall functioning of various activities like assessment, awareness, advocacy and action.

Dr Nagin Nanda, secretary, Environment, said: “The assessment protocol prepared after extensive field trials in selective panchayats stands finalised and till the end of January 2012 precisely 226 panchayats have been assessed against the total target of about 1,000 and 57 urban localities to ensure 30 per cent outreach. The Panchayat Assessment Reports in respect of 79 panchayats have been received and rest are being given a final shape with the service support of the AGiSAC.”

Out of the total budgetary sanction of Rs 4 crore, about Rs 1.36 crore have been released to the “Development Alternative”, the programme management agency. The awareness and advocacy protocols have also been developed and after field trial necessary improvisation would be carried out for implementation of the same.

The project aims at making discernible improvement in the environmental quality and reduction in the carbon footprints of panchayats, urban and local bodies, blocks and districts through network of mahila mandals and NGOs.

Efforts would also be made to develop sustainable systems and mechanism that will help sustain the project even after its completion.

New Delhi, February 11
Two forest guards, charged with corruption for allowing illegal export of just 44 scants of timber from Himachal Pradesh way back in 1981, finally got some relief this week with the Supreme Court granting them bail and admitting their appeal for detailed hearing.

Posted at Dhalli and Chambi check posts in Shimla district, guards Prem Singh and Sant Ram allowed the export of 162 scants against a contractor’s permit for 118 scants (437 cubic feet).

The Special Judge (Forest), Shimla, convicted them in December 2000 and sentenced them to three years of imprisonment under the Prevention of Corruption Act and for cheating and forgery.

The HP High Court upheld their conviction in April 2011, but reduced the sentence to one year. They have come to the SC, challenging the HC verdict.

Their counsel Anil Nag contended that the HC had failed to appreciate that it was the responsibility of the Deputy Range Officer, who was in charge of maintaining the ‘khata’ register at the posts, to ensure that timber in excess of the permit limit was not allowed to be taken out of the forest. It was not the job of the forest guards to verify the entries made by the officer and as such they had no role in the crime.

A Bench comprising Justices HL Dattu and CK Prasad granted bail to them subject to their furnishing a bond for Rs 20,000 each and a surety of the like amount in their event of their arrest. 

Hamirpur, February 11
Three students were injured in a clash between activists of the SFI and the ABVP near Annu Chowk here today when their supporters indulged in a free of all.

Three students Sachin Sharma, Ten Singh and Balwinder were injured in the clash. The police has registered an FIR in the case and arrested three students Sachin, Suman and Harish in this incident.