Palampur, April 14
Sudhir Sharma, Congress MLA from Baijnath, projected as a potential party candidate from the Palampur Assembly constituency in the rally of Union Minister for Micro, Small And Medium Enterprises Virbhadra Singh in Palampur today. Various leaders of the Virbhadra camp while addressing the rally termed Sudhir Sharma as the next Congress MLA from Palampur.

Virbhadra while addressing the rally at the Gandhi ground, Palampur, said after the reconstitution of Assembly constituencies, many panchayats of the Baijnath area had been merged in Palampur.

Taking a snipe at former Congress MLA from Palampur Brij Behari Butail, he said any constituency could not be considered as a “heritage right of a particular leader”.However, later when asked if he supported the candidature of Sudhir from Palampur, Virbhadra said he would disclose his cards at an appropriate time.

A close confidant of HPCC president Kaul Singh, Butail, who is also the treasurer of the HPCC and four-time former MLA from Palampur, did not come to the rally of Virbhadra.

When contacted he said nobody had invited him for today’s rally. On April 10, Union Minister for Industry, Commerce and Textiles Anand Sharma in a programme organised at Palampur had supported the candidature of Butail from Palampur. Virbhadra also took a shot at the rally of Anand Sharma organised here a few days ago. He said Congress rallies were organised under the open sky at public venues and not in private properties or marriage palaces of certain leaders. The rally of Anand Sharma was organised in the Villa Camellia, a property owned by Butail.

The rally had mustered moderate strength as local sources told The Tribune that supporters of Butail tried hard to stop people from participating in the event. The rally once again brought to the fore infighting in the Congress. Virbhadra, however, tried to play down infighting in the party.

He said it was for the party high command to decide the chief ministerial candidate.

Those aspiring for the post of CM in the party should first ensure that they win for their respective constituencies, he said. Virbhadra also referred to Anand Sharma as his younger brother and said though the Centre was giving a large number of facilities for promotion of tea industry of Kangra, the area under tea gardens was reducing at a rapid pace.

While responding to a query from newspersons, Virbhadra termed the Lokpal Bill passed by the state as a piece of trash.

Many leaders from the Virbhadra camp and MLAs, including former MP and vice- president of the HPCC Chander Kumar, Yog Raj, Kewal Singh Pathania, Sujjan Singh Pathania and Prakash Chaudhary were among those present.

Manali, April 14
The inclement weather conditions prevailing in the upper Kullu valley for the past couple of days worsened today as upper areas of the Manali region received a fresh spell of snowfall, while lower parts of the areas were lashed by rain. This brought the temperature substantially down in the region.

The 13,050-ft-high Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul-Spiti district and the main attraction for domestic and overseas visitors also experienced fresh snowfall today. Hundreds of tourists, who had arrived in Manali from the neighbouring state on the week-end holiday, made a beeline for Gulaba, 17 km from here on the Manali-Rohtang Pass road, to see the fresh snowfall today. A festive atmosphere prevailed in different places in Gulaba, as they were seen enjoying the fresh snowfall and having their photo sessions.

The entire higher reaches in the Kullu valley also had fresh snowfall. According to sources, the fresh snowfall in the higher reaches also disrupted the snow- clearing operation of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on the Manali-Leh highway.

The inclement weather conditions prevailing in the entire upper Kullu valley for the past couple of days have severely affected the flowering apple crop in the Manali region.

Shimla, April 14
The unusually low temperature on account of heavy rain and hailstorm has caused extensive damage to the apple crop in the middle belt with there being no let-up in the adverse climatic conditions.

With higher reaches in the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and Rohtang Pass experiencing snowfall, there has been a steep decline in the temperature across the state. The worst-hit has been the apple crop, which was in the flowering stage. Hailstorm earlier this week has also caused damage to vegetables even in Solan district.

There was a widespread rainfall in parts of the state today, including Dharamsala, Shimla, Mandi, Manali and Sundernagar. The minimum temperature in Shimla was recorded at 9.4°C, Kalpa 2.3°C, Keylong 2.2°C, Solan 9°C, Manali 5.2°C, Bhuntar 11°C, Sundernagar 12.3°C and Nahan 13.6 °C.

“Though it is not unusual to have such rains in April, the temperature has dipped resulting in higher reaches experiencing snowfall,” said Dr Manmohan Singh, Director, local meteorological centre.

He said the rain was likely to continue for another day or two before the weather clears up.

“The middle belt, which is the main apple producing area has been the worst hit as the blossoms were in full bloom and the hail storm has reduced chances of fruit setting to a great extent,” said Dr SP Bhardwaj, a senior scientist and crop expert.

“Stone fruits like apricot, peach and plum have only sustained physical damage as the blossom period was over and the fruit had already been set,” said Dr Bhardwaj.

Though the weather was likely to clear up on Monday, the high moisture levels were likely to cause formation of local clouds, which could bring more rain, Singh said.

“We have been getting calls from fruit growers and farmers enquiring about the weather as they are keen to spray pesticides and insecticides on the crop,” he added.

Teams of the Revenue and Horticulture departments are also assessing the damage caused to apple, stone fruits and other crops on account of hailstorm.

Nurpur, April 14
Local independent and BJP’s associate MLA Rakesh Pathania today came out in support of the agitating tractor owners who have been protesting against the alleged forcible collection by musclemen of mining contractors by parking hundreds of tractor-trolleys at the Chogan ground here for the past two days. They had also threatened to block traffic on the national highway here today, but deferred the same following the intervention of Pathania.

Addressing the tractor owners, Pathania rued over the alleged inaction of the local police and administration on the highhandedness of the mining contractors’ musclemen. He said the Mining Department had only leased out Ganhi-Lagor and Chhatrolli rivulets, but unemployed youth who had bought tractors by raising bank loans were being stopped on the roads. Money was being collected from them on the pretext of royalty by issuing M forms (receipts) of other leased rivulets in the district.

He alleged that the authorities had failed to check illegal and unscientific mining being done with JCBs on the Chakki river bed in the night, but harassing tractor owners in the area. He said royalty collection should be within the periphery of rivulets which had been auctioned by the Mining Department.

He assured the agitators that illegal collection during the plying of loaded tractors would not be tolerated and if the situation warranted he would lead their agitation.

Meanwhile, SP, Kangra, Daljeet Thakur said following a joint complaint of the tractor owners of the area, the local police had registered a case of extortion under Sections 384, 147, 148 and 149 against unidentified persons.

He clarified that no extortion of tractor owners would be allowed and added that to check illegal mining in the area 30 police personnel had been dispatched at Nurpur. Thakur also said the district mining authorities had been asked to ensure that no illegal mining should be carried out in the rivers here.

Shimla, April 14
Keen to capture the post of Mayor in the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC), the ruling BJP is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that it is able to benefit from the election to the top post being direct for the first time in the otherwise Congress- dominated body since 1986.

Sources said the BJP was getting a survey done from an outside agency to ascertain the winning prospects of probables for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor in the otherwise-Congress dominated MC.

Winning the MC elections is vital for the BJP as the outcome would definitely reflect on the party’s prospects in the Assembly poll, due by the end of this year.

With elections for the top post being direct for the first time, this would be a golden opportunity for the ruling party.

State BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti said a meeting would be held on April 20 with local MLA Suresh Bhardwaj and other local leaders to ascertain their views.

He said since the reservation of seats had just been done, the party was yet to decide on the prospective names for the posts of MC.

The issue of MC elections is also likely to be discussed by senior leaders and the core group in its meeting scheduled for April 19.

The names of some of the local leaders, including Ashok Kapatia and Ramesh Sood, convener of the Beopar Cell, is doing the rounds. Though names of some bureaucrats, including JS Rana, Director, Industries, is also being taken, those associated from the party organisation are opposed to the idea as they feel a person from the party or social field would be suitable and acceptable.

Senior BJP leaders, including Chief Minister PK Dhumal, are keen that the BJP will wrest the post of Mayor from the Congress in the 25-member MC. At present, the Congress has 15 councillors, BJP eight and the CPM two.

“This is a golden opportunity for us as we can have a Mayor from our party even without getting a majority as it is for the first time that direct election for the post of Mayor is being held,” said a senior leader.

The Shimla MC, one of the oldest in the country, has been under the control of the Congress since the first elections to the MC was held in 1986. Adarsh Sood became its first mayor in 1986, followed by Jaini Prem, Manoj Kumar, Sohan Lal, Narender Kataria and now Madhu Sood.

Shimla, April 14
Chief Minister PK Dhumal today flagged off a Environment and Health Awareness cycle rally from Chaura Maidan here today.

The rally was organised by an NGO, Ashadeep, under the banner of the ICE Club.

Dhumal appreciated the efforts of Ashadeep in making people aware of environmental and health problems, especially caused due to traffic hazards. He said people should walk where the use of bicycle was not possible to solve traffic problem in the state.

Sushil Tanwar, president, Ashadeep, said 50 bicycle riders participated in the rally.

Shimla, April 14
Keen to popularise the concept of “green buildings” which is yet to catch up in the hill state, the Department of Environment has decided to make its Centre of Climate Change building, here in the Bemloe area as the first structure, which will be environment-friendly and non-degrading.

The building for Centre of Climate Change being set up here with the assistance of The Energy Resource Institute, New Delhi, will be the first building in the state capital and among the very few in the state to qualify as a “green building”. So far, it is only one or two buildings in the Baddi industrial area that have been built as green structures but otherwise the concept is yet to catch up in the state, which has taken several steps for protecting the environment.

To give a fillip to the idea of “green buildings”, the Department of Environment has decided to even upscale the Solar Passive Technology Centre located at Sundernagar into a green building technology centre. This, in turn, will help in popularising and selling the concept of “green buildings” to people.

“Though the concept of “green buildings” falls under the domain of the Town and Country Planning Department, we are keen to popularise it as it is environment-friendly and does not have any adverse impact,” said Sudipto Roy, Additional Chief Secretary (Environment and Forest).

He said the Department of Environment would try and popularise the concept and motivate not just the private sector, but also government departments to adopt it.

With Shimla already turning into a concrete jungle and its water and other civic resources being under tremendous strain, the construction of “green buildings” could help in saving water and energy.

“Though for a hill state like Himachal the economics of the concept of ‘green buildings’ might not seem too attractive considering the already high cost of construction, the cost-benefit analysis prove that these are definitely more beneficial in the long run,” Roy added.

The main concept of buildings like these is reduction in the use of water and energy, reduction in waste and energy consumption, use of natural light, solar passive energy, waster reduction, rain water harvesting, use of natural material that is available locally and recycling of waste.

Himachal has in the past too taken the lead by moving towards and becoming the first carbon- neutral state in the country and encouraging use of CFL bulbs, which are energy efficient.

Chamba, April 14
The Himachal Pradesh Government has approved the setting up of a medical university at Bhadela near Kakira in Bhattiyat sub-division of Chamba district.

This was disclosed by Bharatiya Janta Party district president Gp Capt Bhupender Singh Chauhan while addressing mediapersons here today. He said it was for the first time in Chamba district that the BJP government in the state had decided to open a university of medical sciences.

Expressing gratitude to Chief Minister PK Dhumal, the BJP district chief Chauhan said the medical university was being set up in the private sector, adding that the process to acquire sufficient land for the construction of the university complex was in the process.

Speaking about the developmental activities in Chamba district, Chauhan informed that the state government had undertaken a Rs 43-crore project of widening the Hatli-Sinhuta-Draman highway which would link far-flung areas of the district with the Pathankot-Manali national highway.

Chauhan said the construction work on the highway had been hampered near Lodhargarh forest cover due to heavy landslides uprooting a number of trees in the green forest following incessant rains some months ago.

Chamba, April 14
The 121st birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Baba Saheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar was a grand occasion at an outlying Jadera village in Chamba district today.

RTI Chamba Bureau chief Swami Bhuvneshwar Sharma presided over the function which was organised by the Jadera gram panchayat today. Sharma paid rich tributes to the architect of the Indian Constitution Dr Ambedkar on his birth anniversary.

Jan Vikas Ambedkar Youth Club Thanoti president Madan Kumar, along with other office-bearers, participated in the function.

On the occasion, several programmes were organised in the village to remember the Father of the Indian Constitution. Gujjar community president Ghani Mohd read a poem on corruption.

Students of the Government Senior Secondary School, Jadera, and Islamia Laleem-ul-Koran Madarsa presented a cultural programme.— OC

Shimla, April 14
The state high court yesterday issued a notice to the state government and the Central Administration of Tibetans (CTA), McLeodganj, Dharamsala, and Jigger Kagyud Studies and Mediation Centre, Riwalsar, Mandi, on the issue of alleged encroachments over forest land by Tibetan refugees.

While issuing notices to the state authorities and others, the court directed them to file its response within eight weeks and listed the matter for further hearing on May 14.

Apropos of the news item, “Recently carpeted road in tatters, blame game on”, the Executive Engineer, PWD, Kangra, has maintained that the condition of the road is quite good in areas where tarring was done.

The portion of the road shown in the picture in the said news item does not belong to the Dharamsala-Chambi road, which had been executed by the PWD division, Kangra, under the periodical maintenance work funded by World Bank, he added.

However, The Tribune stands by its story.