Mandi, February 14
The much-hyped heli-taxi services aimed at roping in high-end tourists from across the globe, have failed to take off in the state as the Department of Tourism and Civil Aviation (DTCA) has failed to come out with “packaged heli-tours with affordable tariff charges for the tourists in each tourist circuit in the state”.

But on the other hand, the DTCA blamed it on the Central Government which had refused permission to park helicopters at airports in Kullu and Shimla and passed the buck on companies as air travel is a commercial venture. Not even single a heli-taxi had operated for the past two years, they claimed.

According to travel agents, hoteliers and tourists, the state government has failed to make the heli-taxi service operationalised as the DTCA has made it a publicity stunt even though three years have passed.

The department has roped in two private companies for heli-taxi service, but they remained confined to papers only, resented travel agents. The companies could not set up their bases of operations at Manali and Shimla, they resented.

Even the tentative tariff fixed by the DTCA ranges from Rs 2,000 per person for a 5-minute joyride at Manali to Rs 10,000 for Manali-Tandi in the Lahaul valley remained on a higher side. “It is better to avail packaged weeklong trip to an offshore destination for Rs 30,000 than make a heli-tour to Manali,” said Vikram Batra, a tourist from Delhi.

Even telephones of the two companies, Shiva Heli Services from Punjab and Simn Samm Airways from Mumbai, are switched off, resented travel agents.

President, Hoteliers Association, Manali, Gajender Thakur said the heli-taxi service could not take off as none of the companies could set up their bases in Manali and Shimla. “We have also taken up the issue of tariff and asked the DTCA should come out with some heli-taxi packaged tours during a meeting of the HP Tourism Board, but the problem is only two meetings of the board was held in two years,” he added.

Despite the fact that Himachal Pradesh has a network of helipads in Lahaul-Spiti, famous for its monasteries and gompas, Pangi-Tisa and Bharmour, Sangla, Peo and Pooh in Kinnaur and Dodra Kuar in Shimla district, but the DTCA heli-taxi services remains a non-starter so far.

“Even when a private helicopter is asked in an emergency from the two companies listed by the DTCA, a chopper is not available,” said Anil Sharma, president, Travel Agents Association.

“The company says it will charge right from its base in Punjab and cost over Rs 2 lakh,” he added.

When this correspondent tried to contact the office of the two companies, all the phones were switched off.

On the other hand, DTCA Director Arun Sharma said the government had not got permission for night parking at the Annaldale ground in Shimla from the Ministry of Defence, and private companies are not getting assured business from hoteliers and agents. “The private companies are not getting assured business from hoteliers and have to seek the Director-General of Civil Aviation’s permission for using the Kullu-Manali airport for the parking and operation,” he added.

Hamirpur, February 14
Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Galod, has achieved a distinction of winning four national awards for vocational training.

While a lecturer of the school, Amit Kumar Mehta, and a student of the school, Manohar Lal, have been given the best teacher and the best student awards for vocational training, respectively, the school has also been awarded by the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi, for outstanding contribution in vocational training at the national level.

GSSS has also been awarded the best school - industry linkage award by the NCERT.

The NCERT presents these awards every year in recognition of the contributions of individuals, institutions and industries to promote excellence in vocational training. The awards would be presented on February 28 at a function in Bhopal.

The staff of GSSS, Galod, had been organising vocation training for the school students for quite sometime.

While many teachers of the school had contributed in providing vocational training to the students, the initiative of Amit Kumar Mehta had been appreciated by the NCERT to give him the best teacher award. Mehta, who is doing PhD from the National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, had been holding short-term courses for the students in the school.

After organising the short-term courses, many students of the school participated in the state-level vocational training tests and Manohar Lal had topped the competition in the state. In the campus placement organised in the school in which Havells and Campco companies had participated, 105 students of the school were given employment in these two companies.

Joginder Pal, principal of the school, has congratulated the staff for winning the awards.

Kangra, February 14
Dr RP Government Medical College (DRPGMC), Tanda, one of the primer medical institutes of the northern India, is reeling under financial crunch. There are no budgetary provisions made by the state government for the diet of patients, medicines, X-ray films, reagents, maintenance of the building, machinery and equipment. Moreover, the institute is being run on the funds of the Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS).

Sources in the hospital said for the current financial year, there were no budgetary provisions made by the state government for the diet of the patients, which was annually amounting to nearly Rs 50 lakh as it costs Rs 1 lakh for the diet of patients for a week.

The sources said the hospital administration managed the diet expenditures for the current financial year from the Rogi Kalyan Samiti funds.

During the last financial year, the government had made budgetary provisions for the diet of patients.

There were no budgetary provisions made by the government for the medicines for the hospital and the authorities there managed it by spending Rs 86 lakh from the RKS funds for purchasing the medicines.

The sources added that X-ray films reagent and other consumable items were purchased from the RKS funds as no budget was meant for these items too.

The sources said the salaries for the employees, who were appointed through the RKS, were also now being paid by the RKS. The state government provided Rs 2.95 crore during the current financial year under the salary head for these employees, but the RKS was now under burden to the tune of Rs 1.10 crore which it had spent on the salaries of the employees, the sources added.

Every month a salary of Rs 40 lakh was being paid to the employees.

The hospital had no budgetary provisions for the maintenance of the building, machinery and equipment, putting the hospital management to a dock. The medical college hospital was being run on the RKS funds collected through user charges, thus, putting it under sever financial crunch.

Ali Raza Rezvi, Principal Secretary, Health and family Welfare, told The Tribune that RKS funds were meant to sustain medical and other activities of the hospital.

He, however, said even if there was financial burden on the RKS, the matter would be taken up with the Finance Department.

Kangra, February 14
Dr Seema Sharma, assistant professor in the Department of Paediatrics of Dr RP Government Medical College (DRPGMC), Tanda, has brought laurels to her department and the college as she was awarded the first prize at the 49th National Conference of Indian Academy of Paediatrics, PEDICON-2012, at Gurgaon recently.

Dr Munish Saroch, spokesperson of the DRPGMC, Tanda, said Dr Sharma presented a paper on gunther disease, a rare disease condition, for which she was awarded the first prize during the annual conference of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, PEDICON-2012.

He said Dr Sharma had served the state in various capacities and was actively involved in research projects under the ICMR, New Delhi, and had many national and international publications to her credit.

Sundernagar, February 14
The recent directions passed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests has further disappointed a cement company, which intended to set up a plant near here.

As per the latest guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), none of the project authorities, including government agencies, could start the execution of work even on non-forest land till the final approval of the MoEF was received (for the entire project) under the Forest Conservation Act-1980 to use the forest land for non-forest purposes which was also part of the project land.

Earlier, the project authorities used to start work on non-forest land in anticipation that they have applied for diversion of forest land falling in the project and afterwards they used this method to seek final forest clearance. They raised the plea that they had already invested a huge amount on construction on the portion of land that was non-forest land.

Now, the ministry has decided not to allow any construction on the non-forest area of the project till the final approval from the ministry was given.

This direction of the MoEF has given a setback to the proposed cement project, Harish Cement Ltd, various clearances of which has been set aside by the Green Bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in December 2010. Even after the decision of the High Court, the government allowed the project authorities to purchase land directly from the farmers.

In the project, which was being set up by Harish Cement Ltd, around 10,000 bighas was required and out of which around 6,000 bighas was forest land and the rest was private land.

The company has managed to purchase some of the portion of the land with the help of the government. Even it continued purchasing the land after the judgement of the Green Bench of the High Court.

Afterwards, the company wanted to fell trees and raise construction on non-forest land, which it had already purchased. Sources said the company even talked with the higher officials of the government.

However, in order to oblige the cement company, the Mining Department has executed mining lease of around 9,000 bighas without any final forest clearance. In this chunk of land, around 3,000 bighas were private land, where the company wanted to start its activities so that they could take the benefit of it. However, the local residents are opposing the mining project on the ground that it was being set up in a thickly populated area on agriculture land.

Solan, February 14
The deplorable condition of the Dharampur-Kasauli road leading to the key hill station of Kasauli has become a cause of major deterrent to commuters who have been forced to drive through the pot-holed ill-maintained road for months now.

Though the Public Works Department (PWD) had undertaken some repair work that included the filling of potholes in October, the sub-standard repair work has failed to sustain and the condition of the road has worsened. Driving has not only become bumpy, but has also become a dilemma, especially for two-wheeler drivers who fail to see potholes during nights. The nearly 8-km stretch of road, where Rs 5 lakh was spent in October, had started wearing away weeks after the repair work.

“The deplorable condition of this road has increased the wear and tear of tyres and I almost rammed into a bike while trying to drive past potholes on this road,” rued a daily commuter.

Executive Engineer OP Verma, however, said Rs 5 lakh to Rs 6 lakh was spent on this road in October and the condition was not so deplorable. He said they would seek more funds for its repair this year.

Since the metalling of roads is not undertaken during winter months, one has to wait till April for the overall repair of the road. What had made matters worse was the slow pace of repair of the alternate road via Sanawar where the widening of the road, which was underway since last year, was yet to be completed.

Motorists shun this road as its condition was even worse than the Dharampur-Garkhal road.

With the PWD now inviting estimates from the field for sanctioning funds under the Annual Maintenance Funds, the road could get adequate funds if field officials manage to present its actual picture before the authorities concerned.

Even the other roads leading to Kasauli from Parwanoo via Jangeshu and one from Baddi through the Patta Mehlog-Baand are in bad shape.

Solan, February 14
With ETC Punjabi tying up with the Kalgidhar Trust, Baru Sahib, for the telecast of Gurbani, audience will feel the reverence of live Gurbani from Gurdwara Baru Sahib from February 14 onwards.

Aptly called, “Dhur ki Bani”, the word of the Lord, this Gurbani recital by young Sikh students of the Akal Academy, Baru Sahib, has a distinct flavour of reverence which pervades the soul and spirit while heightening the meaning and impact of religious singing.

It will be an exemplary motivation for the viewers to watch the young students balancing their scientific pursuits and knowledge with the inner discovery through spiritual education. This form of simple, serene, soulful and pious music is a special offering for ETC Punjabi viewers spread across the globe and coupled with the calm undisturbed environs of the lush green valley; is a feast for the eyes.

The daily telecast will be aired both in the morning and evening time bands between 4.30 am and 7.20 am and 6 pm and 6.45 pm, respectively, on ETC Punjabi.

Nestled in the Himalayan foothills amongst serene mountains, The Kalgidhar Trust is a humanitarian charity organisation which primarily builds educational institutions for the rural poor and underprivileged, presently benefitting 60,000 rural students while operating through 111 schools, 24 colleges, 2 universities, 1 hospital and 3 de-addiction centres in North India.

The Trust works on the mission of establishing permanent peace in the world through synthesis of value-based scientific education and moral rejuvenation of creating good global citizens.

Nurpur, February 14
Almost all ongoing development activities have been stalled within 300-metre radius (regulated area) of the remains of the Nurpur Fort in the town, thanks to the restrictions imposed by the Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) in 2010 on raising any construction, alteration or repair of old structures.

Virtually, the local residents and even government agencies have become the victims of the enforcement of the amended Ancient Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act as the ASI authorities are not allowing undertaking new construction, completing the ongoing construction, repairing or maintaining old structures.

However, one can do construction, repair or alter the existing structure in the regulated area by taking prior permission of the National Monuments Authority (NMA), Government of India.

All the development activities have come to a halt for the past two years. However, so far the ongoing construction of the development projects, including an almost completed building of the Mini-Secretariat, additional building of Government Girls’ Senior Secondary School and a new court complex, for which tender had been floated, have been left in the midway.

Roofs and walls of some rooms of government boys’ senior secondary schools, which had been damaged in April 2007, could not be repaired, forcing the students to sit in the open.

Government funds for this purpose are lying unutilised. Moreover, a number of government buildings, including the police station, sub-jail, offices of the SDM, tehsildar and municipal council, are also situated within the jurisdiction of the regulated area of the ASI. No expansion or extension can be undertaken in the affected area in the town after the enforcement of the ASI restrictions.

The ASI authorities have even stopped the ongoing construction of a foot bridge being built on Dehar rivulet by the PWD at Kotla near here as it also fell in the regulated area of the Kotla Fort.

According to BS Thakur, superintending engineer, PWD circle, Nurpur, the department had applied for requisite permission for undertaking the construction of a number of government buildings at Nurpur through proper channel about a year ago, but so far the NMA did not respond in this regard causing unprecedented delay in undertaking the construction of the sanctioned government buildings in the town.

Taking a serious note of the restrictions of the ASI in the town, local MLA Rakesh Pathania alleged that the amendment in the ASI Act was of draconian nature and grabbed the fundamental rights of the people in the urban area.

“In order to seek relaxation in the restrictions of the ASI, I have decided to file a PIL in the High Court within the next few days so that civil rights of the citizens can be safeguarded,” he said.

The Gaiety Theatre came alive with a lively performance of Bhisham Sahni’s famous play “Muawaze” (see pic) organised by the state department of language, art and culture in collaboration with the NZCC, Patiala.

Directed by Gurcharan Singh, the play depicted how politicians with vested interests use anti-social elements to trigger off communal riots. The play is an amalgamation of three short sorties and gives insight into the ongoing degeneration of the democratic system with criminals getting elected and calling shots in the government.

It also brings out the seamier side of a society in deprivation as reflected in the story of a poor rickshaw-puller who agrees to die so that his family could get compensation and lead a good life. It provides an idea about the socio-economic decline that has set in due to corruption and lack of morality in politics.

The story of a dacoit, who commits atrocities but manages to get elected, reveals the flip side of the democratic system. He loots the compensation meant for riot victims and distributes it among the local people. The people, with whom he shared the booty, were so obliged by his gesture that they not only supported him but also ensured that he wins the elections.

Solan, February 14
Solan Deputy Commissioner C Paulrasu has initiated the process of an instant land-mutation facility in the tehsil office that will make available the mutation certificate immediately after the registration of a sale deed.

The DC said the state government had recently made certain changes in the revenue processes and various revenue Acts. The mutation process could be now done at the time of the registration of the land, he said.

He said the government had authorised all revenue officers for issuance of various revenue-related certificates, whereas earlier tehsildar and a few designated officers were authorised. He said the facility will benefit people and save their time.

He said the government has started e-stamping services through banks, which was earlier being executed through the treasury office. He said with this procedure, the possibility of use of duplicate stamp can be minimised. The government has also made uniform changes in the stamp duty being charged at the time of registry of land and has fixed it at 5 per cent and 2 per cent surcharge will be charged.

The DC said the method of calculation of market value of land has also been changed and now this will be fixed keeping in view use of land and road connectivity. He said value of land will be fixed for one-year period which will benefit the people.

He added that two posts of kanungo were filled and 13 new patwaris were being recruited in Solan district, for which the process was underway.

District revenue officer LR Verma and other revenue officers were also present on the occasion.

Chamba, February 14
The Pangi Kalyan Sangh, a leading organisation of the Pangi tribal valley, has urged the state government to construct a tunnel beneath the Chehni Pass to link Churah sub-division of Chamba district with the Pangi tribal sub-division for all-weather transportation services.

In a memorandum submitted to the state, president of the sangh PL Thakur said the construction of the tunnel underneath the snow-capped Chehni Pass would be significant to ameliorate the lifestyle of the tribals.

“During winters, the Pangi valley remains snowbound due to heavy snowfall for about seven months from November to May and the life of the residents of the valley becomes arduous, especially for those suffering from various ailments,” Thakur said.

The proposed tunnel, if constructed, would go a long way in the all-weather power supply as transmission lines could be passed through the tunnel protecting it from the damage caused by heavy snowfall during winters every year, Thakur said.