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Dhumal to take up unspent money issue with Sonia, PM
BJP will sweep elections, claims Dhumal
Afghans get training in saffron farming
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Indiscriminate exploitation threatens ‘naag chhatri’
Dengue grips BBN industrial area
Villagers protest against arrests
Bonanza for truck operators
State-level painting competition today
135 kg of walnut wood, 25 kg of ‘naag chhatri’ seized
Notification on firecrackers issued
Air connectivity: HPCC chief meets Union Minister
Minor raped
HLP predicts hung House
Woman dies in mishap
800 phones dead as miscreants remove cable
8-day meditation camp from Dec 6
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Dhumal to take up unspent money issue with Sonia, PM
Shimla, November 8 Referring to allegations levelled by Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi during election rallies that about Rs 10,000 crore, which was given to Himachal Pradesh under Centrally sponsored schemes, remained unspent, Dhumal said the issue was far from forgotten. “I will write to both so that I can get exact details of the money unspent. It is not true that we did not utilise the money,” he said here today. During the run up to the elections, Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Union minister Anand Sharma had tried to counter BJP allegations of the Centre adopting a discriminatory approach to Himachal Pradesh by saying Rs 10,000 crore under various Central schemes remained unspent. “They distorted facts only to mislead the voters so that they could get political mileage. The reality of their claims is far from the truth,” he claimed. He said Himachal Pradesh had spent Rs 16,615 crore during the 11th Five-Year Plan (2007-12) compared to an allocation of Rs 11,400 crore. He said expenditure under the Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme was Rs 236 crore compared to an allocation of Rs 225 crore. He said expenditure under the National Rural Health Mission was Rs 486 crore compared to an allocation of Rs 482 crore. He further said only between 1 and 2 per cent of the amount under the mid-day meal scheme could not be spent due to a decline in the number of students in schools. He said work in case of the MNREGA had to be stopped due to complaints of corruption. He said he would like to know from Sonia Gandhi details of various heads under which Rs 10,000 crore remained unspent. He stated that he would want the Central leadership of the Congress to substantiate its allegations with complete documentary proof. He criticised Anand Sharma for making the false claim that the central industrial package had not been withdrawn.
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BJP will sweep elections, claims Dhumal
Shimla, November 8 “This confidence stems from the fact that we have established our credibility and won the faith of people by working for the welfare of all sections of society and duly fulfilled the promises made to them,” he said. Dhumal termed the high turnout as an expression of the anguish felt by people due to the unchecked price rise and the hike in prices of petrol and LPG. He was quite confident that decisions like providing subsidised ration, free ambulance service and enhancing daily wages would have won support for the BJP in the state. “Fearing the adverse impact of capping on LPG cylinders, the Congress tried to spread misinformation about the induction heaters so that the people do not support us,” Dhumal said. When asked about granting the constitutional status to the CBI, he said it depends on who operates the system and even after granting of the constitutional status, the CVC was being misused and CAG was also under attack from the Congress. On the issue of almost 45 days gap between the polling and the counting of votes, he said the Election Commission (EC) had been approached to give relaxation in the model code of conduct so that routine works and development projects do not suffer. He added that the long gap was due to the fact that the EC felt that results of one state could impact the voting pattern in another state.
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Afghans get training in saffron farming
Dharamsala, November 8 The spokesperson of the university said the programme was sponsored by the Centre for Environment and Economic Development and was being organised jointly by the host university, the Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology and the SK University of Agriculture and Technology in Srinagar. The Vice-Chancellor of the host university, SK Sharma, said saffron, being a high-value crop, had immense potential in Afghanistan, especially in the areas bordering Iran. He said it was introduced in that area in 2000 only and due to favourable soil and climatic conditions, could transform the socio-economic conditions of Afghan farmers. The Vice-Chancellor said in comparison to many other crops, saffron gave more income per unit area and had no marketing problem due to high demand. He suggested that quality of corm, size and agro-techniques should be given importance to fetch more price. He spoke on the processing and value addition of saffron. He also emphasised the need to bring more area under saffron cultivation in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. Dr Desh Raj, Director of Extension Education, expressed the hope that trainees from Afghanistan would benefit from the experience of university scientists and would come forward for more collaborative projects. Dr Ashutosh Mohanty, Director, Centre for Environment and Economic Development, said the trainees would be taken to saffron-production areas in Kashmir. Kaihan Barakzai, Business Development Officer, Ministry of Rural Development, Afghanistan, said efforts were under way to introduce saffron in such areas, where farmers and entrepreneurs were coming forward. He thanked the university for the initiative and expressed the hope that many more such training programmes would be imparted to people from Afghanistan.
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Indiscriminate exploitation threatens ‘naag chhatri’
Shimla, November 8 There is no ban on the collection of the herb, but it cannot be transported out of the state without permit. The sudden increase in demand has also resulted in an abnormal hike in its price, which has shot up from Rs 800 per kg to between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,000 per kg. It has become a lucrative source of income for villagers. ‘Trillium govanianum’ in botanical terms, the plant is known for healing properties. It is traditionally used in ayurveda and the Chinese system of medicine for a range of therapeutic preparations. It is a source of the steroid ‘harmone’ in drug industry. Its demand has increased abruptly in recent years after being used in the Chinese system of medicine. As the demand can no longer be met from Nepal and Bhutan, companies are meeting their requirements from Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, points out Vipan Guleria, forestry scientist with Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Nauni in Solan, who has been working on the conservation of medicinal plants. It is found in small pockets of the Himalayas. The main ‘naag chhatri’ collecting areas in the state are Kalaban, Shutrundi, Sach Pass, Chandru Nag, Kugti Pass, Manimahesh ranges, Chajpur, Rahla and Rohtang. Its root is the most important part as it is a source of the steroid ‘harmone’. The root contains a chemical called ‘trillarin’ that yields ‘diosgenin’, a corticosteroid hormone used in preparations for rheumatism, birth control and regulation of menstrual flow. There little scope for regeneration as the whole plant is uprooted for the roots. “The species has been threatened as it is being harvested prematurely, even before seed formation, affecting its natural regeneration. Traditionally it was harvested after the 20th day of the Hindu month of Bhadrapad (after September), which helped in its conservation,” explains Lal Singh, Director of the Himalayan Research Group. Guleria says the only way out is to encourage large-scale cultivation in high-altitude areas by providing training to villagers. The government should raise nurseries and provide plant material to villagers. It will not only help in its conservation, but also supplement their income. |
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Dengue grips BBN industrial area
Solan, November 8 Gauging the sensitivity of the disease, Joint Director, Health, Naresh Mehta today visited the area and took stock of the situation. He along with BMO, Nalagarh, Harmohinder Singh conducted meeting with the field staff, including supervisors and mahila mandal activists, to spread awareness about measures to be adopted to check its spread. A total of 84 persons have been examined for dengue out of whom 25 tested positive in the BBN area. It is a mosquito-borne infection that causes a severe flu-like illness. Though the mosquito proliferates in stagnant water, people have been advised to remove stagnant water, if any, in their localities and also clean their coolers and air conditioners. CMO Dr MK Sharma said though the department was equipped to deal with dengue cases, it was more important to check its spread by creating awareness. He said hospitals in Baddi and Nalagarh were equipped to handle such cases after conducting tests and the health authorities had been put on a high alert to deal with such cases. The CMO added that he would also visit the BBN area to take stock of the situation. With no figures from several private hospitals being available with government agencies, the exact figure of dengue cases would be much more. The disease appears to have spread both in rural and urban areas of this industrial belt as patients were turning up from across the region to various hospitals in the area. Dr Mehta also directed the
officials to constitute a task force by coordinating with the health authorities of the bordering areas, including Anandpur Sahib, Ropar, Bharatgarh, Kalka, Panchkula, Chandigarh, to monitor such cases. With a large number of jhuggi dwellers in the BBN area, the health authorities had a challenging task of controlling the disease as the unhygienic environs provide ample scope for breeding of this mosquito. |
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Villagers protest against arrests
Nurpur, November 8 They claimed that they were wrongly framed in the case. They approached the local police and raised eyebrows at the ongoing probe into the alleged murder of Shashi Pal Sharma whose body was found in a nullah at Ganoh on October 30 last under mysterious circumstances. Led by Rekha Devi, wife of the suspect Sham Singh, villagers met the police station in charge and apprised him of the ground reality into the arrests of Milkhi Ram and his son Sham Singh, residents of Ganoh village. They demanded an impartial probe into the case. They also alleged that the police was pressurising these suspects to confess the crime. DSP, Nurpur, Rajinder Jaswal said a fair probe was being undertaken by the police in the case. Meanwhile, the five accused were produced in the court by the police and remanded in police custody for five days.
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Bonanza for truck operators
Bilaspur, November 8 He said the ACC cement factory and the society were the two wheels of a smoothly running organisation. He emphasised on unity and alertness against any attempt to snatch their work. He stated that the organisation had been providing livelihood to more than 15,000 families. He said Rs 2.75 crore was being distributed among 500 truck operators in this function and similar amounts were being distributed in other areas as well. Society general secretary Raj Pal Gautam, chief adviser Pyare Lal Chaudhary, adviser Kashmir Singh Chandel and treasurer Des Raj Sharma were present.
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State-level painting competition today
Shimla, November 8 Director (Personnel) NL Sharma said as many as 1,41,498 students from 7,186 schools from all over Himachal Pradesh participated in the first stage of the competition, for which the SJVN was the nodal agency for the state. The number of schools and participants in the competition had been gradually increasing every year. It went up from 178 schools and 7,142 students in 2008 to 7,186 schools and 1,41,498 students in 2012. He said this growth was the result of the relentless efforts put in by the SJVN management in involving more and more schools every year. The competition was organised in the respective schools and the two best paintings from each were sent for the final stage to the SJVN. A total of 14,372 paintings were received at the state level, of which the 50 best paintings had been shortlisted. All these 50 participants had been invited to participate in the finals at the Raj Bhavan. Sharma further said the SJVN bagged the prize of ‘Best Nodal Officer in the Country’ last year. He added that two of the finalists of the state-level competition last year had bagged prizes at the national-level finals in New Delhi. |
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135 kg of walnut wood, 25 kg of ‘naag chhatri’ seized
Mandi, November 8 Walnut wood has become rare in the wild due to its use in making furniture and at religious places. The smuggling of walnut wood has increased in jungles, including Great Himalayan National Park, wildlife sanctuaries and other forests. Walnut wood has been pushed to the brink and is found only in remote corners of protected forests in Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Kinnaur and Chamba. Though the Forest Department claims it has three checkposts at Larji, Sainj and Bajura in Kullu district and Bindrabani and Sundernagar in Mandi district, the Forest and Wildlife Departments have failed to keep a tab on smugglers who use private vehicles for smuggling the forest produce to Amritsar and Delhi markets. The bark of walnut is used locally for dental purpose. But the demand for both bark and wood soared in 1970-80 that led to the largescale felling of trees in the state, revealed sources. Though the trade in this wood is banned, walnut wood still is a prized as a furniture item in cities. Mandi SP Abhishek Dular said the police had seized 135 kg walnut wood and 25 kg ‘naag chhatri’ from Prakash Chand of Gada Gusani, a border area of Mandi and Kullu. He was smuggling it in his private car (HP-32B-0763) and had been arrested under the Indian Forest Act.
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Notification on firecrackers issued
Bilaspur, November 8 The notification prohibits any sale or storage of crackers without specific permission and license from the District Magistrate and has banned sale of all types of crackers in crowded and thickly populated areas and bazaars except at the open space in front of the Neelam Hotel (old PWD store ground), in the main market, basketball ground of Government Boys Senior Secondary School in the Raura sector and the nagar parishad ground in the Diara sector in Bilaspur town. The use of crackers of 125 DV (AI) and 154 DV (C) PK explosives has been banned to control noise pollution and no crackers can be burst from 10pm to 6am. Bursting of crackers is restricted in the 100 m radius of hospitals, courts, schools and religious places and also thickly populated and crowded places like the Champa Park, Gurdwara Chowk, Main Market and bus stand in Bilaspur town. Additional Deputy Commissioner Darshan Kalia and SDM, Ghumarwin, Mansi Sahay Thakur have also been authorised to identify places for sale and bursting of crackers in the district.
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Air connectivity: HPCC chief meets Union Minister
Shimla, November 8 He met the Union Minister at New Delhi today and discussed the issues of the state pertaining to air connectivity. He drew the attention of the minister to the issues being faced by travellers due to the discontinuation of flights by the Kingfisher Airlines to Shimla, Kullu and Dharamsala. He urged the minister to ask the Air India to introduce flights to the three destinations and if it was not in a position to do the same, some other private airline be assigned the responsibility. |
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Minor raped
Nurpur, November 8 According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajinder Jaswal, the accused was identified as Baldev Singh, alias Dev, of Sanyal village, who was absconding. A case under Sections 376 and 452 of the IPC was registered. The medical examination of the victim was also conducted. |
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HLP predicts hung House
Solan, November 8 Maintaining silence on whether they would support the Bharatiya Janata Party or the Congress, HLP president Maheshwar Singh refused to give a clear reply. He said the decision would be taken in consultation with party leaders after the election results were out and talks were already under way to explore various options. Optimistic of playing a key role in the constitution of the government, he said though both parties were marred by corruption, they would lend issue-based support to form the government, respecting the spirit of democracy. He added that they would support the ‘lesser evil’, not making a reference to any party. On the strategy to combat corruption, he said the HLP would press for a Jan Lokpal, which this would be an essential condition for support. He made it clear that they would not merge with the BJP. Spelling out the future strategy, he said the HLP would join the Samast Bharat Party formally on November 25 and talks were under way to work out modalities. Samast Bharat Party’s national general secretary Deepak Gupta was present. Terming the decision of the Election Commission to allow the caretaker government to effect transfers as incorrect, Maheshwar Singh said they would write to it to review and withdraw this decision. He said it would be used to settle political scores and employees who had not supported the BJP in the elections could be victimised and posted in far-flung areas. He added that the caretaker government should desist from taking any policy decision. The HLP earlier held a meeting of its executive body, which was attended by 34 of its 36 candidates and office-bearers from across the state. Maheshwar Singh said they had sought election-related feedback from party leaders and this would help assess the future course of action. MN Sofat, Khushi Ram Balnatah, KD Dharmani, Tikku Thakur, Babu Ram Mandyal, Chet Ram, Nijju Ram and Dulo Ram were present.
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Woman dies in mishap
Bilaspur, November 8 Villagers reported the matter to the police after which an FIR was registered against the motorcyclist. The accused has also reportedly injured two other pedestrians on the Shimla-Kangra National Highway No. 103. |
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800 phones dead as miscreants remove cable
Shimla, November 8 Broadband subscribers who required dedicated lines for carrying out their routine functioning were the worst hit. The mischief was carried out during night hours and it was detected only in the morning. Those affected included the state high court, the Hotel Holiday Home and Punjab National Bank, besides a large number of shops and domestic subscribers, who will be without telecom connectivity for at least two days. Divisional telegraph engineer (DET) Saroj Kumar said it would take at least two days to rectify the fault and restore the lines. Though the staff of the department was working round-the-clock, re-connecting the 32,00 loose ends require much time. The restoration of lines could by done by tomorrow evening, the DET said. |
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8-day meditation camp from Dec 6
Banikhet (Dalhousie), November 8 Giving this information here yesterday, Chairperson, YMVT, Kiran Dodeja said the camp was being held for the uplift and well being of people. — OC
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The din of elections is over, but Chief Minister PK Dhumal is not willing to take lying down the Congress accusations on non-utilisation of Central funds by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime in the state.
The increasing demand of the herbal industry for ‘naag chhatri’, a perennial medicinal plant found in the temperate zone of the Himalayas, is leading to its indiscriminate and excessive exploitation and posing a serious threat to it.
The herb is being smuggled out of the state in bulk. Over the last six months, large quantities of the dried herb have been seized by the Forest Department and other government agencies.
