Shimla, June 25
Heavy pre-monsoon showers lashed several parts of Himachal Pradesh today, but there was no significant change in the temperature.

Shimla received a heavy downpour this afternoon and the town received 48 mm rain, throwing normal life out of gear.

A large number of tourists roaming on the Mall Road and other tourist spots had to rush indoors as heavy showers accompanied by sleet brought normal life to a standstill. The main bazaars of the town wore a deserted look and people took shelter in shops and offices.

Sundernagar in Mandi was also drenched and the town recorded 43 mm rain in just an hour, while Sunnibajji and Arki recorded 31 mm rain, followed by Dharampur 30 mm, Dharamsala 17.6 mm, Kandaghat 16mm, Chail 13 mm, Rampur 11 mm and Kahu 10mm.

Manmohan Singh, Director at local Met office, said moderate rainfall would continue at isolated places for the next five days and heavy rainfall was expected from July 1 next.

The monsoon was delayed by a week and expected to hit Himachal in the first week of July, he added.

Una in the Shivalik hills was the hottest during the day with maximum of 37.4°C, while Nahan and Sundernagar recorded a high of 32.9°C, followed by Bhuntar 32°C, Dharamsala 30.8°C, Solan 29.5°C, Shimla 24.9°C, Manali 23.2°C and Kalpa 23°C.

The minimum temperature dropped by three degrees in Shimla to stay at 12.9°C, while Keylong, Manali and Kalpa recorded a low of 8.9°C, 9.6°C and 9.8°C, three degrees below normal after scattered rain.

Solan recorded minimum temperature at 14.5°C, five degree below normal, while Bhuntar recorded a low of 16°C, followed by Sundernagar 17.7°C, Nahan 19.7°C, Palampur 20°C, Una 21°C and Dharamsala 22.4°C.

Kangra valley drenched

Kangra: Rainfall, accompanied by low-velocity winds, lashed the Kangra valley today further dropping the temperature and providing relief from the scorching heat.

The day was sunny, hot and humid at first, but later the sky became overcast and it rained in the afternoon.

Reports of rain were received from Dharamsala, Gaggal, Palampur, Maranda, Nagrota Bagwan Dehra, Jawalamukhi and Shahpur.

Palampur, June 25
The local administration today vacated Sorabh Van Vihar, a tourist resort, on the left bank of the Neugal river and shifted all tourists to safer places following a cloudburst and flash flood in the river.

Sources said an official of the power company executing a power project in the Dhauladhar ranges had informed SDM Bhupinder Attari about the flash flood and cloudburst on the phone. He told the SDM that the river was in spate and water could reach the resort any time.

The SDM, along with Divisional Forest Officer KK Gupta, immediately reached the Kandi bridge near the resort. The tourists were shifted to safer places. Later, the resort was vacated as the water had entered it. The SDM said due to the timely intervention, a major tragedy was averted. He directed the tourists not to enter the river again as heavy rain was predicted for the next two days. 

Bilaspur, June 25
Self-immolation reportedly by a farmer under debt in Bilaspur district has created a sensation here as this is, perhaps, the first case of suicide by a distressed farmer in the state. Kushal Chandel (56), an ex-serviceman, had reportedly immolated himself by sprinkling kerosene in his house on June 21 around 7 pm and had received about 90 per cent burn injures”.

He was shifted to the PGI and from there to a private hospital at Sohana in Mohali, where he died around 9.30 am yesterday.

The ex-serviceman, a resident of Talnu Khaggar, after his retirement had reportedly taken a loan of about ~40 lakh from a bank to raise polyhouses to grow vegetables. The loan had swelled to about ~70 lakh. Son of the deceased Ankit Chandel said, “Though my father was quite bold, he had told me about problems in repaying bank loan as the Horticulture Department had not paid him subsidy on time under the government scheme and was under tremendous pressure since then.”

“My father had taken up this issue with the bank and at the government level as he was unable to pay the instalments of the loan,” he added.

Himachal Pradesh Green Growers Kissan Bagwan Samiti president Baldev Thakur said, “We had been taking up the problems of farmers involved in raising polyhouses with the state government which have gone unheeded and an FIR should be registered against officials of the bank and the department.”

Sandeep Sankhyan, a polyhosue owner from Bilapsur district, said, “Polyhouse owners are facing a crisis in repaying loans to banks as these are becoming unviable due to several problems and they are demanding waiving loans.”

“We have taken up this issue with the Prime Minister, the Chief Minister and others, but nothing much has been done and the deceased had also sought waiving his bank loan,” he added.

Deputy Commissioner, Bilaspur, Ajay Sharma said, “Kushal Chandel had received government subsidies of ~14,80,199 under different schemes for the farmers from 2008 to 2013 and was paid the subsidy of about ~8 lakh under the polyhouse scheme during this period.”

“The issue of waiving loans is in the purview of the Central or state governments, but banks are agreeing to waive the interest on loans if the principal amount is paid in one-time settlement,” he added.

Superintendent of Police, Bilaspur, Ashok Kumar said, “We are still investigating the case but it has been revealed from the statements of family members of the deceased that he was under stress due to debt.”

Save farmers, CM urged

Shimla: The Himachal Kisan Sabha (HKS) today demanded that the state government should convert the 25 per cent subsidy on polyhouse scheme into the 80 per cent Deen Dayal Upadhayay Polyhouse Subsidy scheme so that farmers were saved from the debt trap.

President, HKS, Dr Kuldip Tanvar, said hundreds of farmers had been pushed into debt trap after they availed the 20 per cent subsidy scheme for polyhouse before the last BJP regime started the Deen Dayal Upadhayay scheme which gave 80 per cent subsidies on polyhouse.

But the material was not good and many farmers went into losses as the polyhouses collapsed in many parts, including Bilaspur and Lahaul-Spiti, he added.

Dr Tanvar urged the Chief Minister to get the matter probed and take steps to stop the humiliation of the debt-ridden farmers. Bankers and the Horticultural Department should not humiliate farmers by putting up their photos on the list of defaulters, he demanded. The HKS would launch an agitation. 

Shimla, June 25
After registering 83 per cent growth in sales, the Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation Ltd (HPMC) is gearing up for the coming apple season. But it still awaits government’s nod to market standard telescopic 22.5-kg cartons for packaging among farmers this year.

Though the state government has mulled an ordinance on the standard carton packaging after it was approved by the Cabinet recently, the HPMC has decided to launch an awareness programme on standard cartons among farmers.

Prakash Thakur, vice-chairman, HPMC, said: “We have achieved a growth of over 83 per cent as compared to last year’s turnover on our products such as juice concentrate, tetrapack juices, jams and other products.”

The apple cider has become a hit among tourists, but the HPMC is facing a problem in marketing it in the metros.

Jagdish Sharma, HPMC Managing Director, said: “It needs a licence from the Excise and Taxation Department as it contains alcohol. We are trying for a one-time licence for Chandigarh so that we can sell it there.”

The apple juice concentrate, tetrapacks and bottles are popular in Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi and Punjab and within the state.

“We sold 244.98 metric tonne apple juice concentrates, most of it in metros worth Rs 3.70 crore. The new 900 gm and 500 gm juice bottles worth Rs 62 lakh and 40 lakh, respectively, tetrapack trays worth Rs 7.55 crore, 11,040 bottles of fruit wine or apple cider worth Rs 21 lakh were sold in various markets till March this year,” he said.

“In all, the HPMC is on a revival path and in operating profit,” Sharma said, expecting a good growth in the coming season

“We have paid most of the payment to farmers for fruit procured under the market intervention scheme as we give tree spray oils cartons and other products,” he said.

The HPMC has achieved a sales turnover of Rs 59.18 crore as against Rs 32.31 crore in March 2014.

“It has sold processed products worth Rs 5.58 crore in May as compared to Rs 4.13 crore in May last year,” the officials said.

The government outsourced cold-storage facilities and restarted cold stores at Rohru, Guma Patlikuhl, Jarol-Tikkarand to benefit farmers when the market slumped, Hortilculture Minister Vidya Stokes had said.

“We are gearing up for the coming season and will launch carton packing awareness camps in the apple belt,” Prakash Thakur said.

The HPMC procured 18,889.548 metric tonne apple last year.

“We processed 9,705.033 MT apples and extracted 840.30 MT apple juice concentrate as compared to 418.55 MT last year, a growth of 100 per cent in a year’s time,” said HPMC MD.

“We are awaiting government’s direction for the packing standard,” he said. 

Shimla, June 25
In a bid to encourage eco-tourism and rake in revenue, the Forest Department is contemplating giving out about 20 of its rest houses and vantage sites on lease under the private-public partnership (PPP) mode.

The Himachal Pradesh Forest Corporation has been asked to undertake a study of rest houses and sites which can be leased out as possible eco-tourism sites. Seeing the good business that some advertised projects are doing, about 22 more rest houses have been identified.

These new sites, proposed to be given out, include Triund near Dharamsala, Naggar, Shoja and Kasol in Kullu.

All these places have small rest houses, but figure high on the list of foreign and domestic tourists, seeking adventure tourism. The rest houses at Triund and Naggar have already been leased out, but to a society and not on the PPP mode.

“Though we have identified 22 sites, it is only after the Forest Corporation submits its report regarding the viability that the Eco-Tourism Wing of the Forest Department will take a final decision,” said a senior official. He also said the department could also expand these rest houses by adding more rooms as the demand was very high.

It was in 2009-10 that 10 sites had been leased, but only five became operational and the remaining were surrendered. These five sites are - Ala Fort Rest House, Dalhousie and Shoghi camping site given to Tarangan Developers, Barog camp sites and Chewa Camping site near Barog and Moti Kunah Hill Top camping site.

The department enhanced the lease money and rent for these five properties given out in 2009 for five years when their term expired in January earlier this year. The government is getting Rs 27.90 lakh which has now been enhanced to Rs 98.75 lakh. These five sites have been given out for another five years subject to the condition that no permanent structures are constructed and no damage is being caused to forests.

Sources said the department was contemplating inviting bids for the five sites which had been surrendered and another 40 which had been identified as potential eco-tourism sites in a survey carried out earlier. Though there has been a lot of talk of promoting eco-tourism considering its vast potential, there has been little headway.

These new sites, proposed to be given out, include Triund near Dharamsala, Naggar, Shoja and Kasol in Kullu. 

Shimla, June 25
The fate of 85 students, who appeared for the counselling for two government medical colleges in Shimla and Tanda (Kangra), hangs in balance as the issue of renewal of these seats by Medical College of India (MCI) remains unresolved.

The MCI has not renewed 50 MBBS seats of Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda (Kangra) and 35 seats of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla, virtually reducing the seats in two colleges from 100 each to 50 and 65.

The counselling was done for 200 seats, but admissions have been made against 115 seats only. The students who have not been admitted are in a quandary as in case the seats are not renewed, they will be deprived of admission in the MBBS course and lose a year. Dr Jaishree Sharma, Director Medical Education (DME), reportedly met the MCI president in Delhi on June 23 and presented the case of the state.

Vineet Chowdhary, Additional Chief Secretary (Health), said: “We have sent the case to the Union Health Ministry and the same has been forwarded to the MCI. The case will be put up in the MCI’s internal meeting in the first week of July after the MCI president returns.”

The MCI reportedly told the state officials that the seats have not been reduced but the additional seats have not been renewed for 2014-15.

While the MCI did not renew the seats of 48-year-old IGMC in Shimla, it issued a letter of permission to Maharishi Markandeshwar Medical College (MMMC) in Kumarhatti, which has been illegally affiliated to Maharishi Markandeshwar University, to admit 150 students in the first batch of MBBS.

There is no mention whether the MCI permitted MMMC to admit 150 students during 2014-15, but it has not taken any action against the university or the college for affiliating the college with a private university which has no powers to affiliate any college under the Act.

The state government has clearly told the college to get affiliation from HPU. It also intimated the MCI about the alleged misrepresentation of facts, but no action was taken by the MCI against the college.The government has repeatedly told the college to get affiliation from HPU and admit students through counselling by the university, but to no avail. 

Dharamsala, June 25
Activists of the Youth Congress burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. They were protesting the hike in rail fares. The activists gathered at the Khachehri crossing this morning to lodge their protest. They raised slogans against the NDA government.

Vjay Karan, a Youth Congress worker, said the Modi government was voted to power on the promise of checking prise rise, but within days of taking over the reins, it had affected an unprecedented hike in rail fares. The hike in railway freight charges would trigger inflation, he added.

The prices of sugar and onions had also been increased, the Congress workers alleged. 

Shimla, June 25
Members of the Students Central Association of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) today demanded a probe into the incident wherein the police cane-charged protesting girls on the university campus here on Tuesday.

In a letter mailed to the DGP, Women Commission and Human Rights Commission, students alleged that policemen cane-charged girls who were protesting against the proposed fee hike. They said Monika Dhadha, Priyanka Chauhan, Kiran, Neha, Romi Harta and Sujata were among those who sustained injuries.

SCA president Rajan Harta said when the girls complained about the cane charge, policemen removed their nameplates.

He said: “On the one hand, the union and state governments are talking about women’s safety, but on the other no action has been taken against policemen publicly manhandling girl students.”

Urging the DGP to intervene, he asked him to bring the erring policemen to book.

SCA secretary Piyush Sewal said the students would be compelled to launch an agitation if nothing concrete was done in this matter.

Dharamsala, June 25
Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal alleged that the Congress government had failed on all fronts. He said the BJP would corner the government on development in the coming session of the Assembly.

Addressing a press conference here today, Dhumal said the development projects had come to halt. Many big industrial units had left the state and no new investment was coming. Unemployment was on the rise and the government was busy unleashing political vendetta against opponents, he said.

Dhumal was here today on a visit to mourn the death of the mother of a BJP worker.

He further alleged that most of the roads were in a poor state. Jobless youth were not getting promised allowance and government employees were waiting for their pending dues. The free uniform scheme that was started by the previous BJP government had been stopped. Farmers in various parts were alleging shortage of fertilisers, Dhumal alleged.

He said people had given the mandate to the Congress on these issues, but the government failed to redress the grievances of the people.

“The Congress defeat in the Lok Sabha poll in Himachal was the result of the state government’s policies,” said Dhumal.

Dhumal said Congress leaders had started evaluating the 27-day-old Modi government. They should first tell what the Congress had done in its 60-year rule.

Congress leaders from Himachal should tell which project they had brought to the state during its 10-year rule.

He also accused the Congress of complicating the issue of setting up of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh (CUHP) campus.

“The Congress is trying to divide the people of Kangra. Our stand is clear from day one that the university should be set up where suitable land is available,” said Dhumal.

Solan, June 25
Investors have failed to avail the benefits of the transfer policy for industrial plots despite the fact that it was an essential clause of the Industrial Policy-2004.

The fact that the clause had not been notified for plots owned by the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA), investors could not avail its benefits in the Parwanoo industrial area, where a majority of the plots belong to the Authority.

The investors were compelled to follow the old norms where each time a plot was sold, the lessees had to pay the differential amount, which was the difference of the premium of plot at the time of its allotment minus 50 per cent unearned increase on it.

Investors are now hopeful that the new industrial policy, which is likely to be announced soon, will not only carry this clause afresh, but the state government will notify it at the earliest so that its benefits can percolate to the users, opined Rakesh Bansal, a senior member of the Parwanoo Industries Association.

As per the policy, an investor is supposed to pay 2 per cent of the differential cost ie the difference in the premium of the plot at the time of allotment and the prevalent allotment rate or Rs 5,000, whichever is higher, if the original allottee transfers his share or changes his manufacturing activity.

As per the existing policy, in the event of an industrial enterprise being in commercial production for a minimum period of five years, the unearned increase in premium shall be realised at the rate of 20 per cent. In case of commercial activity being less than that of five years, the increase is supposed to be 30 per cent. However, in case an enterprise has not been set up or has not commenced production, 50 per cent of the unearned increase in premium shall be realised.

While the policy is worked out on the rationale that the older a unit is, its resale transfer amount will be reduced, an allottee continues to pay more despite being in production for years. This is acting as an impediment in the re-sale of plots as nearly 30 per cent plot owners have suffered on this account in Parwanoo alone. 

Una, June 25
To increase the production of fish and diversify fish species in the Gobind Sagar reservoir of the Sutlej, the Fisheries Department yesterday added 40,000 fingerlings of the mirror carp species in the lake on the banks at Lathiani village of Bangana block.

Fishery Officer Surinder Patial said the fingerlings were raised at the fish reproduction farm situated at the Ghagas and their size ranged from 40 to 60 mm.

The mirror carp could grow to a weight of 20 to 25 kg. More fingerlings of various other species would be introduced in the lake during the next one month, he added.

Patial said during this time of the year, there was a complete ban on fishing in the reservoir as this was the breeding season for fish. The ban would continue till July 31 and a strict vigil was being kept by the department staff on illegal fishing, he said. 

Palampur, June 25
The Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department discontinued the drinking water supply to various state government offices, residences of officials and the Public Work Department (PWD) rest house at Jaisinghpur on Tuesday as they had failed to clear their outstanding bills.

Sources said despite repeated requests, they did not pay the bills.

Milap Chand, Assistant Engineer, IPH, said several notices were issued to the government departments before taking the decision.

He said the total liability of the PWD rest house had crossed Rs 36,000. Before discontinuing the water supply, senior officials of the IPH Department were told about it, he added.

A senior officials of the PWD said the bills would be paid within a day. Visitors to the rest house faced inconvenience in the absence of drinking water.

The Jaisinghpur tehsildar said he had joined only two months ago and did not know about the non-payment of bills. He said he would look into the issue. 

Holi (Chamba), June 25
Grazing grounds in Kangra and Hamirpur districts of Himachal are becoming unsafe for gaddis of the Holi region. Gaddis allege that their migratory route has become unsafe as several thefts are reported here.

Brahmanand, a pradhan from the Holi region, said some of his family members were looted this year by unidentified armed persons in the Fatehpur area of Kangra district, where they were camping with their sheep.

They said they threatened them with dire consequences and fled with 18 sheep.

“Not only this, my relatives were forced to load the sheep in their vehicle. Each sheep was worth Rs 5,000.”

“Generally the gaddis who migrate to the Dhauladhar range are afraid to approach the police and, hence, are forced to leave this traditional profession of rearing sheep by migrating across forests and grazing grounds in Himachal,” Brahmanand said.

Shamu, another gaddi, who is still following this traditional of rearing sheep and goats, had a similar complaint.

He said some goons targeted his sheep in Hamirpur district and fled with 10 of these. “I could not lodge a police complaint as I could not leave my sheep alone,” he said.

Most of the gaddis migrate to lower plains in Kangra and Hamirpur district during the winter months from December to February.

In summers they return home in the Bharmour and Holi regions of Chamba district after crossing high mountainous passes in the Dhauladhar ranges.

Due to power projects coming up in the tribal areas of Chamba district, several gaddis have left their traditional profession and taken to the construction business.

A section of influential gaddi community members have benefited from power projects and become prosperous. Several gaddis have also switched over to apple farming and jobs in government and private sectors. However, those residing in remote areas like Holi and Bharmour still practise this profession.

Una, June 25
Rajesh Chauhan, Civil Judge-cum-Judicial Magistrate (JM), on Sunday appealed to people to settle petty disputes at the panchayat level instead of directly approaching the courts.

Speaking at a Legal Literacy camp organised at Badheda Panchayat in Haroli block, he said this would save time as well as money.

Chauhan, however, said justice was never denied to any citizen. The under-privileged and weaker sections of society, including women, were entitled to free legal aid, when required, through the Legal Services Authority, he added.

He said the facility could be availed through a simple application addressed to the president of the authority at the sub-divisional level.

Advocate Anjana Kumari spoke about domestic violence and women’s legal rights. Advocates Manoj Bagga and Suresh Kumar informed the gathering about the Right to Information (RTI) Act and legal aid available to physically challenged persons, respectively. Rakesh Kumar, panchayat pradhan, and Ramesh Chand, up-pradhan, were also present.

Dharamsala, June 25
Government Engineering College, Nagrota Bagwan in Kangra district, may be made the designate or constituent college of Himachal Pradesh Technical University (HPTU) after the All-India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) has denied approval to the college. The government may issue an ordinance soon, sources said.

Sources told The Tribune that the AICTE had rejected the approval to the college on the grounds that the institute still had no land in its name, no college building and faculty was also not in place.

The state government wanted to start classes in the college from this academic year. Since the AICTE had denied the approval to the college, the only option left before the government was to make it the designate college of Himachal Pradesh Technical University.

The foundation stone of Nagrota Bagwan Government Engineering College was laid by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh just before the Lok Sabha elections this year. Nagrota Bagwan is the Assembly constituency of the Minister for Technical Education, Food and Civil Supplies and Transport GS Bali.

The government had proposed to start the classes of the engineering college in Government Polytechnic College, Kangra. The government has transferred the faculty from various government diploma colleges to Kangra. However, the AICTE inspection has disapproved the proposal to start the college from the temporary building of Kangra Polytechnic College.

RK Sharma, VC, HPTU, said they could allow admission to new Government Engineering College in Nagrota Bagwan only after the government issued an ordinance to make it a designate college of the university. He denied any knowledge about the denial of the approval to the college by the AICTE. 

Kangra, June 25
State Congress president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu today slammed the Central Government for the hike in sugar prices. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had started repaying the corporate lobby, which had funded his election campaign.

While addressing mediapersons at the electricity rest house in Jawalamukhi, Sukhwinder Sukhu said the hike in sugar prices would hit the common man, who had been misled by Modi. He said the Bharatiya Janta Party government was following the policies they opposed when the UPA government was in power.

“There is no indication that the Modi government has any road map for the common man. They have misled the people of the coutry during the election campaigning for the Lok Sabha poll,”the state Congress president added. 

Shimla, June 25
Following the Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) Executive Council (EC) decision to stop active politicking by teachers, a faction of university teachers today dubbed the decision as undemocratic and an attempt to divert the attention from major issues such as staff and financial crunch.

Prof Mahavir, former president of Himachal Pradesh University Teachers’ Association (HPUTA), said resentment prevailed among teachers as the privilege to participate in political activities was being given by the Vidhan Sabha . — TNS

Shimla, June 25
Two persons were killed and six others were injured in two accidents in Shimla today. Ashok (42) died on the spot when his car was hit by a truck near the Kasumpti Dhalli bypass. Those who were injured in the accident included Jeetram, Kuldeep, Dharampal and Sunil.

Nurpur, June 25
The Jawali police which had arrested Shanshak Garg, husband, Girdhari Lal, father-in-law and Suresh Kumari, mother-in-law of Karuna Devi of Kandor village yesterday, produced them in the local court today. The trio was released on bail by the court.

According to the police, complainant Karuna Devi had got married to Shanshak Garg of Kardial village near Jawali five years ago. In her complaint she alleged that the three accused had been torturing her for the past three years to make her bring more dowry. — OC

Kullu, June 25
Two persons were burnt alive last night after the wooden shed in which they were sleeping caught fire in the Shishamati area of Kullu town.

The deceased were identified as Pradeep (28), alias Dipu, and Rakesh Kumar (29) hailing from Shishamati.

According to eyewitnesses, the two were charred to death after the shed caught fire while they were sleeping. They said the fire-fighters tried to douse the fire with the help of residents.

The reason for the fire, which struck at 10.15 pm, were not known. SP, Kullu, Surender Verma said there was no electricity connection to the shed and the police was investigating the cause of the fire. He said a case under Sections 285 and 304-A, IPC, had been registered and the bodies of the victims were handed over to the relatives after conducting the postmortem.