Hamirpur, July 4
Breaking a long dry spell, rain lashed several parts of Hamirpur district during the past 24 hours, bringing respite to people reeling under scorching heatwave conditions and cheer to farmers.

Several parts of Hamirpur district experienced a good spell of rain. The district was experiencing exceptionally hot conditions for the past many days with the day temperature hovering above the 42°C mark.

The rain brought cheer to the farmers in the district as it has revived the hope for good kharif crops. The long dry spell had delayed the sowing of maize, paddy and other crops as a majority of the farmers are dependent on rain for the moisture required for the germination of seeds.

The deficiency in rain had damaged about 50 per cent vegetable crops in several parts of the district and many vegetable growers were forced to uproot the crops of ladyfinger, beans and capsicum in the vegetable-growing areas of Bharmoti, Kohla, Rail and Basaral.

After the rain now, the sowing season has once again revived in the district with farmers taking to the activity in full swing. Deputy Director, Agriculture, SD Kalia said, “This rain will break the long dry spell and help in the germination of kharif seeds sown in dry conditions.”

KANGRA: The Kangra valley received the first showers of the monsoon on Wednesday morning.

The sky was overcast with dark clouds since morning and it rained heavily for nearly four hours, flooding roads, lanes and bylanes. Kangra town witnessed 125.3 mm rainfall.

Dr Ashok Kumar, an agriculture scientist, said the rain would benefit crops and help transplant paddy.

Rain was also reported from Dharamsala, Gaggal, Ranital, Nagrota Bagwan, Mallan, Shahpur and Lunj. Streams were flooded and water supply schemes, which had suffered a jolt during the past month, started working today after khads received water following the rain.

Shimla, July 4
The appearance of scab, a dreaded fungal disease, coupled with a mild infestation of mites in some pockets of Shimla, Mandi and Kinnaur districts, is causing worry among apple growers.

According to reports, scab has appeared in a few orchards in the Kharapathar area of Shimla and Jhanjheli in Mandi, while mite infestation has come to the notice in Kotkhai and the Pooh area of the tribal Kinnaur district.

Experts of the Horticulture Department confirmed that scab had manifested itself in some pockets mainly due to favourable conditions in March. They maintained that the subsequent dry spell had helped contain the infection. The extent of infection ranges from 5 to 10 per cent and there was no threat of its outbreak in an epidemic form, they added.

Infestation of two strains of mite, red spider mite and European red mite, has been reported. The horticulture authorities have asked the growers to use insecticides only if there is a “threatening increase” in their population. Plant Protection Officer ID Gupta has advised that insecticides should be sprayed only if the number of the shade-loving mites, which are found underside the leaves, exceeded five per leaf. The dry spell had provided conditions conducive to the infestation of mites. However, with the monsoon round the corner, the rains will wipe out the insects and there is no need to worry. Even otherwise sufficient stocks of “miticides” like Naiden, Omite and Magister are available , if required.

However, the growers must spray fungicides like Mancozeb, Carbendazim Dodine to protect the plants from the marssonina and alternaria fungal diseases. The twin fungi have been, in recent years, causing premature leaf fall with the onset of the monsoon. Gupta said for the fungicides to be effective, the growers must spray the orchards only in the afternoon. Very high temperature during the daytime was not desirable for spraying.

The dreaded apple scab disease devastated orchards in the late 1970s but it was almost wiped out subsequently. Of late, the major problem being faced by growers is the twin attack of mite and fungus, which has been causing premature defoliation of apple trees. As a result, the plants are rendered weak which ultimately affects production.

Shimla, July 4
Chief Minister PK Dhumal today said now the people of Himachal would decide whether the voice in the CD was that of former Union Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife even though the court had given its nod for framing charges against him.

Talking to mediapersons here, he said the CD was now a public document as it had been played in court also. “During the elections, the people of Himachal can decide for themselves as to whose voice it is as they are all familiar with the voices of prominent leaders,” he said.

He said rather than accusing the BJP of being behind the CD case against him, Virbhadra Singh should accept the court verdict with humility. “What is most surprising is the fact that he is not willing to accept the investigation undertaken by the same IPS officer into the case whom he specially handpicked to be his private secretary,” he said.

The Chief Minister took exception to alleged threats being issued by Congress leaders to officers. “It is not only highly objectionable but also very unhealthy in a democratic set-up to threaten officers. I urge him not to resort to such tactics keeping in mind his age and stature,” said Dhumal.

He said the resignation of Health Minister Rajiv Bindal had been accepted and the charge of the Health and Family Welfare Department had been given temporarily to Irrigation and Public Health Minister Ravinder Singh Ravi. He said there was no proposal to induct any new minister as of now.

Shimla, July 4
State forensic science laboratories will conduct investigations within a fixed time limit and submit reports in a time-bound manner so that cases are decided expeditiously.

Stating this while presiding over a meeting of the State Forensic Science Development Board here today, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said a maximum of 60 days had been fixed for cases related to “biology and serology” and “chemistry and toxicology”, 45 days for cases pertaining to “physics and ballistics” and 30 days for document, photography and NDPS cases. All cases for DNA investigations would be reported back to the agencies concerned within 90 days from the receipt of the sample.

He said the “tatkal” service was also available in cases where reports were required immediately and investigation or trial was held up for want of reports. The laboratory would examine such cases within a week and submit the report immediately. Bedsides the state laboratory at Junga, the regional laboratories at Mandi and Dharamsala would also follow the schedule.

Dhumal said a laboratory would be set up to test road and building material, unconventional programmes, retrieval of computer and phone data and for testing of samples of petroleum products.

He said of the 5,733 cases received by the laboratories, 5,118 had been examined and disposed of in 2011-12, while of the remaining and fresh 1,617 cases, 1,136 had been disposed of up to May 31, 2012.

He said the government would explore the possibility of introducing a one-year diploma course in forensic sciences in Himachal Pradesh University (HPU).

The State Forensic Science Laboratory had signed an MoU with the Directorate of Forensic Sciences, Government of India, for accreditation across the country and accordingly a quality manual had been prepared.

Shimla, July 4
Faced with paucity of both IAS and HAS officers, the state government is all set to enhance the cadre of state administrative officers by 11 while it will plead its case before the Centre to place more bureaucrats at its disposal by increasing the state cadre of IAS too.

In a significant move, the government has agreed to place a proposal before the Cabinet to enhance the cadre of HAS officers from the present 195 to 206.

The decision was taken at the cadre review meeting held here on Monday .

This will take the tally of HAS officers in the state up by 11 even though at present there are 181 officers serving against a cadre of 195.

Principal Secretary, Personnel, Manisha Nanda will be the Meeting Secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DOPT), at the Centre on July 10, to seek the cadre enhancement.

She will seek enhancing of the IAS officers cadre in Himachal by eight as the state is facing a shortage of officers with several of them being out on Central deputations and study leave.

Some of the officers are serving outside the country in the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) as well.

Nanda will also discuss with the DOPT, the issue of allowing about 30 IAS officers, hailing from Himachal, but having other cadres, to serve in their home state.

Sources said since an inter-state deputation in one’s home state was allowed, Himachal was keen to get these sons of the soil to serve here in various capacities.

“Keeping in view the shortage being faced in having an adequate number of HAS officers at our disposal and the request coming from the HAS officers’ Association, we have decided to enhance their cadre by 11,” confirmed Chief Secretary S Roy.

The proposal will, however, be placed before the Cabinet for its final nod.

“With several new departments having been created, we had urged the government to enhance our cadre. Moreover some of the posts for HAS have gone redundant with the passage of time,” said an office-bearer of the association.

Both IAS as well as HAS officers in the state have lately been sore over the appointment of Indian Police Service and Indian Forest Service personnel on their cadre posts.

They resent that there are almost eight IFS officers who have been posted against IAS and HAS posts. Some IPS and Himachal Police Service (HPS) officers are also serving in the Secretariat.

Shimla, July 4
The HP High Court today restrained the state government from appointing Trained Graduate Teachers (TGTs) only on the basis of the Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET). Passing this interim order, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary directed the government to file a short reply within two weeks explaining how the selection to posts of TGT was permissible other than as per the Recruitment and Promotion Rules and without following the normal mode of selection.

The court has stayed the notification of the Department of Elementary Education issued on June 27 wherein it is provided that in relaxation to the recruitment process, posts of TGT in various disciplines (arts, non-medical and medical) are to be filled on the basis of merit in the TET. The court also made it clear that until further orders, there shall be no appointment to any post of TGT (medical, non-medical and arts) other than in accordance with the Recruitment and Promotion Rules.

The order came on a petition filed by Digvijay Patyal wherein he has challenged the government decision of making appointment of TGTs from among such eligible persons who had qualified the TET. The petitioner has alleged that the state was not making appointment as per the rules/norms existing during the commencement of the selection process and was offering appointment only on the basis of merit in the eligibility test and was not following the procedure as laid down in the Recruitment and Promotion Rules.

The petitioner has prayed to issue directions to the state government to hold a regular test as provided in the “Himachal Pradesh Elementary Education Department and Trained Graduate Teacher Class-III (Non-Gazetted) Recruitment and Promotion Rules, 2009” for the recruitment of TGTs in various disciplines as was followed during the normal course of appointment in the past.

Kangra, July 4
The Dalai Lama today stressed the need for adopting the ayurvedic system of medicine as it was more effective and said corporate hospitals should keep both allopathic and ayurvedic systems of medicine together for treating patients.

The Dalai Lama stated this after inaugurating the Fortis Hospital on the Dharamsala road here today. He said, “It is my own experience that the traditional Indian system of medicine is very effective.”

He said the medical fraternity should be more compassionate towards the needy patients. He said doctors and nurses should not only provide medical treatment to the patients but should shower love and affection on them.

He said he was a strong believer in non-violence and non-violence was based on compassion.

Earlier, the Dalai Lama inaugurated a 95-bedded Fortis Hospital in the town, the first hospital of the group in the state.

The function was presided over by GS Bali, MLA, Nagrota Bagwan.

Col Harinder S Chahal, Zonal Director, Fortis Healthcare, said, “The hospital at Kangra marks our foray into the hill state of Himachal Pradesh, which demonstrates our intention to bring quality and affordable healthcare to the region.”

Aditiya Viz and Shivender Mohan, CEO and Vice-Chairman, Fortis Healthcare, respectively, also addressed the gathering.

Dharamsala, July 4
Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, KR Bharti has pulled up officials of a company, Zoom Developers, for slow progress in making Lok Mitra Kendras functional in the district.

Bharti held a meeting of district officials and those of Zoom Developers to review the progress of the Lok Mitra Kendra scheme.

The Deputy Commissioner told The Tribune that as per data submitted by Zoom Developers, until now 453 certified Lok Mitra Kendras have been established in Kangra district. There are about 700 panchayats in Kangra district and there should have been an equal number of Lok Mitra Kendras. Of the 453 certified kendras, only 250 had been made functional, he said.

He said the company had been directed to make all certified kendras functional at the earliest. The kendras have been opened in villages by unemployed youth. Many of them have invested amounts ranging up to Rs 2 lakh for setting up the kendra.

The Deputy Commissioner maintained that in some kendras, the youth who had set them up were generating up to Rs 10,000 per month.

Shimla, July 4
In a major setback to the unity efforts being initiated by the high command, party legislator from Rohru Khushi Ram Balnatah has resigned from BJP’s state Executive, Core Committee as well as the Disciplinary Committee, in protest against the one-sided and biased action taken against him by serving a show-cause notice on him.

In his reply to the notice served on him on June 14, Balnatah said the action taken against him by the party without knowing his side of the story had left him very hurt and humiliated. “I have come to the conclusion that those people who are conspiring against me have the full patronage of the party as well as the government,” he alleged, in the reply sent to state party chief Satpal Satti dated June 21.

“You are totally free to take whatever additional action you wish to take against me after this,” he wrote in the letter. He added that from this very day he would consider his resignation from all this committees as accepted.

Balnatah had been served a show-cause notice on June 14 for leaking the letter written to BJP chief Nitin Gadkari seeking change of leadership in Himachal to the media. In fact, the issue of taking action against him had been discussed by senior party leadership in the presence of Shanta Kumar, PK Dhumal, Kalraj Mishra and JP Nadda at Chandigrah on June 30 and July 1.

The fact that Balnatah in his reply to the notice had resigned from all the party posts he held could compound the situation which everyone felt had been sorted out, at least for the time being. “I have already apprised the high command of this development and suitable action will be taken on consultation with the high command,” said Satti.

Balnatah, who was in Rohru when contacted, said he was not aware about the reply he sent to Satti being circulated in the media. “I am in a programme in Rohru and am not aware about any such development,” he said.

Solan, July 4
The Solan police claims to have nearly solved the case of murder of BNSL Additional General Manager (AGM) Sushil Kumar with the arrest of Asha Kumari (30) of Arki last evening.

Sushil Kumar was found murdered in his Scorpio car on Sunday. The woman was remanded to six days in police custody by a local court today.

SP Hridesh Bisht said Asha was earlier working as a data entry operator in the office of the deceased and later he had got her placed in some private job at Solan. She is residing in the Rabon area of Solan with her nephew and is the daughter of a retired policeman.

Bisht said Asha had alleged that she was being exploited by Sushil Kumar though the police was trying to find out why she had remained silent for so long. The cell phone of the deceased had been recovered from a railway track where it had been thrown by Asha after the murder.

Her arrest was made on the basis of cell phone details and her location which matched with those of the deceased. The police had also recovered liquor bottles, two glasses and some other objectionable items from the vehicle proving the illicit relations between the two.

More arrests were likely to be made as police teams had been dispatched to arrest the woman's accomplices based on the evidence collected so far.

Shimla, July 4
The Himachal Sanskrit Academy will conduct crash courses to train temple priests (pujaris) in devotional services they are required to perform in temples of the state.

This was stated by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal at the “mahasabha” of the Himachal Sanskrit Academy held under his chairmanship here today He said the devotional services being carried out in temples had to be conducted in accordance with the procedure laid down under Hinduism.

He said the correct pronunciation of words was the most important in devotional services.

The academy would launch a Punascharya programme to train the pujaris. It would go a long way in upgrading their professional skills.

Dhumal laid stress on propagation of the Sanskrit language at all levels, especially in educational institutions. He advised the academy authorities to draw a calendar of activities based on the Hindu calendar so that all activities were organised in accordance with the festivals and days mentioned in the scriptures.

Shimla, July 4
Encouraged by the success of her book, “Ghost Stories of Shimla Hills”, Minakshi Chaudhry has come out with a sequel to it, “More Ghost Stories of Shimla Hills”, a collection of tales based on “facts and experiences” shared by local people.

The book, released by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal here today, contains 16 new stories, full of suspense and thrill, which transport the readers into the mysterious world of the “supernatural”.

Shimla provides the perfect settings for the supernatural beings (the main characters of her stories) to survive the onslaught of modern times. Dark moonless nights, lonely stretches, mist enveloping hills and valleys, something howling in the faraway jungle and all those scary things that lend credence to the existence of unearthly beings, says Minakshi while talking about her effort.

The readers will encounter ghosts and “chudails” wandering in the Shimla hills. These stories also reflect the cultural and religious life of the hill people who grew up hearing tales of ghosts and “chudails”.

Minakshi said she found collecting material for the second venture easier as she came across many people who had not only enjoyed the book but who even expressed their disappointment that she had not included the “real tale” they knew or a popular story from their area was left out.

This is her 11th book and of these “Ghost Stories of Shimla Hills” was a resounding success. It was first published in 2005 and there have been 10 reprints since.

Shimla, July 4
Known for its cool climes, the “Queen of Hills” experienced the warmest-ever June this summer with the average temperature reaching 28.2°C, largely due to deficient rain and a delayed monsoon.

The previous highest average temperature of 27.4°C was observed in June 1995 when the region, much like the current season, witnessed a large number of forest fires. The normal average temperature for June is 24.9°C.

The state as a whole experienced a dry June with a precipitation of just 27 mm as against the normal rainfall of 104 mm. Hamirpur district was the driest with a deficiency of 90 per cent, followed by Chamba (85 per cent), Solan (84 per cent), Bilaspur (82 per cent), Kinnaur (80 per cent), Mandi (78 per cent), Kangra (77 per cent), Shimla (67 per cent) and Lahaul and Spiti (66 per cent).

The first three days of July have also been much warmer than normal. The average temperature varies from 22°C to 24°C. It was 27.6°C, 26.4°C and 26.1°C for the first three days of the month, respectively.

Normally the monsoon arrives in the state around June 24. This year it has been delayed. In charge of the local Met office Manmohan Singh said the monsoon was expected to break over the region soon and there could be widespread rain on July 6.

The delay in the arrival of the monsoon has affected sowing of kharif crops and has also affected fruit crops, particularly litchi and apple. There has been an abnormally high premature dropping of apple due to the dry weather. Some areas in lower hills have not received a drop of rain since the past over 45 days.

Shimla, July 4
The ball has been set rolling for establishing a national biodiversity grid to have a comprehensive database on biodiversity right up to the grassroots level which in turn will help policy makers “prioritise conservation action” through sustainable use of these precious resources.

“Despite several hundred institutions functioning in their own domain and having exhaustive information, there is no baseline data of our biodiversity wealth. So we thought of establishing a biodiversity grid,” said Dr Balakrishna Pisupati, Chairman of the National Biodiversity Authority, Chennai. He was in town yesterday for the formal launch of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) project with the support of the United National Environment Programme (UNEP).

Dr Pisupati said the process for data sharing and networking among 1,500 universities and some premiere institutes had been initiated and 150 of these had already been contacted. “Despite reputed institutes like the National Remote Sensing Centre at Hyderabad and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and many others having exhaustive data, a problem is faced due the absence of any networking,” he said.

He said the Global Environment Facility project, which would be implemented in five states - Himachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, West Bengal and Sikkim - would focus on assessing and quantifying the economic value of biological diversity present at the local, state and national level. “We cannot expect communities, getting affected by our endeavour to conserve biodiversity, to join hands with us till we make adequate provisions to compensate and reward them,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Secretary S Roy said Himachal was in the process of formulating an environment master plan. “We have laid down sectoral guidelines for each and every area like power, forest, tourism and industry so that we can protect and conserve the fragile eco-system of the Himalayas,” he said.

Roy stressed the need for benefit sharing of bio-resources for the betterment of the stakeholders. “In Himachal, we have taken several initiatives in view of global warming, de-glaciation and deforestation,” he said.

Other components of the project include capacity building for strengthening

and implementation of the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, increasing public awareness and education programmes.

Kangra, July 4
Dr Isha Sood, medical specialist, resigned from her government job allegedly following harassment and torture by the SMO, Civil Hospital, Palampur. In a letter to Chief Minister PK Dhumal she has asked the government to initiate corrective measures so that no doctor was harassed by a senior colleague and forced to leave the job.

Isha, MD, Medicines, Palampur resident, was appointed in the Civil Hospital, Palampur, and joined on October 24, 2011. However, she was kept as “surplus” because of political reasons, she alleged.

She further alleged that the SMO neither provided her with a room nor a place to sit from where she could treat patients despite the fact that dozens of rooms were lying unoccupied in the new building of the hospital. She alleged that despite her request even her name plate was not fixed as she was appointed on contract basis.

Isha alleged that she remained a rolling stone moving from medical ward to the OPD for six months. She alleged that on the one hand the SMO tortured her saying that doctors posted

without sanctioned post were “liabilities”, and on the other he availed her services and put her on maximum emergency and night duties.

She was even refused salary for six months and it was following the intervention of the CMO, Kangra, that partial salary was released.

She said the Secretary, Health, sent a letter dated April 23, 2012, to the CMO, Kangra, who further sent the letter of sanction to the SMO, Palampur, on April 29, 2012, with directions

for the immediate release of her salary. She alleged that the SMO refused to release the salary and after a lot of efforts partial salary was paid to her in the end of May.

Fed up with all this, she was left with no option but to tender her resignation.

She regretted that while the state government kept harping on shortage of specialist doctors, those specialists who joined state services were ill-treated.

Isha said, “Himachal is my home state I opted to serve. But I never knew that a woman doctor will face such harassment at the hands of a senior doctor. I had to resign and go for a job outside the state.”

Dr Bharat Bhushan Katoch, SMO, Palampur Hospital, denied the allegations and described them as “false”. He said Isha was appointed on contract basis without any sanctioned post and so was “surplus”. She was to be paid salary from NRHM funds which came to the CMO’s office directly.

Dr Katoch said despite not receiving NRHM funds, he managed her regular salaries from RKS funds. He alleged that she remained absent from duty for two months despite the fact that she was entitled to only 24-day leave in one year.

He alleged that she even failed to produce a medical certificate for the leave period. However, Isha denied this saying she had produced the medical certificate.