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Relaxation in admission norms eyewash, say private colleges
CM insensitive to public: SattiCM insensitive to public: Satti
Restoration work on in rain-hit areas
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4 Manimahesh yatris die
Delay in procurement irks apple growers
Sewerage plant works only on paper
40-yr-old man dies of burns
Janmashtami celebrated with religious fervour
Plantation campaign kickstarts in Chamba
Fruit consultancy comes in handy for farmers
Tourism projects stuck in red tape
Negi takes oath as HPPSC member
KS Tomar, Chairman, HPPSC, administers oath to Rajinder Singh Negi (left) as a member of the HPPSC in Shimla on Friday. Tribune photo
Fate of Sheli hydropower project uncertain
Bali inaugurates tehsil office building
Class IX boy rapes, kills 8-yr-old
Artistes perform in Kangra school
Woman commits suicide
VIGNETTES
Landslip warnings being ignored by people
World Bank to fund horticulture industry
2 held in car snatching case
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Relaxation in admission norms eyewash, say private colleges
Shimla, August 17 The decision to reduce the minimum marks in the qualifying examination to 50 per cent for the 2014-15 session of private institutes came only a day before the closing of admissions. Most private institutes say they had not yet received the notification while the deadline of August 15 for admissions was over and unless the government extended the date, the relaxation in admission norms would be a futile exercise. Vice-Chancellor of Shoolini University, Prof PK Khosla, said "The relaxation is pointless and we have already written to the government to extend the date till September 15 so that 100 students, whose cases were earlier rejected, could benefit from the decision. “We made only one admission on relaxed norms from Dharamsala on August 14 as the student deposited the fee online relying on media reports”, he added. "The decision came too late and is just eyewash and we cannot admit a single student as only one day was left for enrolling the eligible students", Vice-Chancellor of Maharaja Agrasen University, Prof SP Bansal, said, adding that, “We have rejected 150 admissions and is paying the price for following the norms. Vice-Chancellor of APG University, Dr G Sriniwas, who was a petitioner in the case, said, "We were ready with admissions and about 10 to15 per cent admissions were made on the last day. The government must extend the last date for admission so that the Himachali students could get admissions, he added. The institutions also lamented that the relaxation would marginally improve the admissions and a large number of seats would still remain unfilled. "Private universities and technical institutions were hopeful that the government would give relaxation in admission norms but the decision came at the last minute and we will again approach the government for extending the date of admission," a spokesman of the Unaided Private Technical Institutions Association said. However, academicians say that they are at a loss to understand that why the government has relaxed the norms when it had maintained that it would not lower the qualifying marks and not compromise with quality of education. Another aspect of the development is that the government has given the “one-time relaxation” for the second time even after the petition by technical institutions was dismissed by the High Court last month. The government had given similar relaxation in October last year in the interest of students and stated that it was a one-time measure and the erring institutions would also be liable to imposition of fine by regulatory bodies. There are about 16 private universities offering engineering courses, 16 engineering colleges and 24 private polytechnics in the state. Too late
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CM insensitive to public: SattiCM insensitive to public: Satti
Una, August 17 Addressing party workers at a block-level meeting at circuit house, Satti said the state government had been insensitive towards issues like damage to life and property due to heavy rain, bad roads and bridges and damage to crops. He said a few ministers too had no time to address public grievances. “A large scale of maize crop has been damaged in the lower areas of the state. While people in the upper reaches are concerned about the apple crop,” he added. He said a bridge in Hamirpur district was washed away along with three persons. “Fatal accidents are happening almost every day, but the government has no time to address public grievances,” he added. Satti said during the monsoon session of the state Assembly, the ruling party had evaded discussions on corruption issues against the Chief Minister. He said it was for the first time in the history of the state that the Chief Minister was neither facing the public, nor the opposition in the Assembly. “The BJP will launch an agitation to oust Virbhadra Singh from power,” he added.Satti congratulated Rajya Sabha MP JP Nadda for being re-nominated as the national general secretary of the party and Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur to be re-nominated as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha for the third time by the new party president Amit Shah.Una block BJP president Ramesh Bhadolian and other party workers from Una block were also present at the meeting.
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Restoration work on in rain-hit areas
Shimla, August 17
“The rains have causedextensive damage to roads, bridges, private and public property and agriculturallands. The Revenue Department is making a detailed assessment of the loss anddamage,” a spokesperson said. Heavy rain in some parts of the state in some districts in the past one weekhave reduced the monsoon rains deficit from 39 per cent to 28 per cent and thestate received 427 mm rain against the normal rainfall of 592.9 mm. Barring tribal districts of Lahaul and Spiti and Kalpa, where the shortfall was86 per cent and 77 per cent and Chamba district which received 67 per cent lessrain, the rain deficit has come down significantly. Una, Mandi, Shimla and Hamirpur received 15 per cent, 11 per cent, 7 per centand 4 per cent excess rain, while the shortfall was 11 per cent in Solan and 13per cent in Kullu and Bilaspur, which is considered near normal. Sirmaur and Kangradistricts received 23 per cent and 20 per cent deficient rain from June 1 toAugust 17, 2014, said Manmohan Singh, director, local Meteorological Department. Saluni in Chamba district received 34 mm rain while Bhandal and Dalhousie had18 mm rain, followed by Kalatop 14 mm, Kandaghat 13 mm, Ramshahar 11 mm and,Bilaspur 10 mm. The local Met officehas predicted light to moderate rain at isolated places in the next six days. |
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4 Manimahesh yatris die
Bharmour, August 17 The SP said two persons died on the spot and two others were injured when their car fell off the Chamba-Bharmour highway near Gehra into the Ravi. The deceased had been identified as Raman Kumar and Kaku alias Avtar while the injured identified as Raj Kumar and Vinay Kumar of the Bungal area of Pathankot district of Punjab, the SP said. In another incident, two more pilgrims died when boulders hit them near Sundarasi last night. The bodies of the deceased had been recovered and identified as Sunil Kumar of Jawalaji and Narain Singh of Gurdaspur (Punjab), the SP said.
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Delay in procurement irks apple growers
Shimla, August 17 This has worried orchardists in the state as poor quality fruit has entered into local as well as Chandigarh and Delhi markets leading to crash in the prices of top quality fruit, due to the delay in the procurement of centre under the MIS. “The procurement centres should have been started in the month of July when the season started, but the state bureaucracy is still in deep slumber,” said Yogesh Azta, an orchardist and pradhan of gram panchyat Dewat in Chopal, where the season has concluded and farmers have no choice but to sell the low-quality fruit. “We have put forward a demand that the procurement should start as soon as the apple season starts as it prevents the entry of low-grade apples in the markets,” said Vineet Jasrolta, secretary, Himalayan Apple Growers’ society (HAGS). Former horticulture minister Narender Bragta slammed the Congress government for pushing farmers into problems. “The season is coming to a close in the lower belt and has started in the middle belt, but the state government has not started procuring fruit from farmers so far,” he said. Bragta said the BJP government used to announce support price under MIS in advance and start procurement of fruit as soon as the season used to start in July. The delay in procurement of fruit would adversely affect the markets as farmers have no option other than selling the fruit in the markets, he said. On the other hand officials said: “The state government blamed the delay on a letter from the Central government, which partially funds the procurement price of fruit, stating that the state should first procure fruit for a month before the Centre releases funds.” Prakash Thakur, vice-chairman, HPMC, which is the main procurement agency, said: “They expect that the Horticulture Department will issue a notification in a day or so for procurement of fruit under MIS. We have proposed 150 procurement centers this time and HPMC is ready for this as soon it gets government’s nod.”
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Sewerage plant works only on paper
Palampur August 17 Agitated residents said despite their repeated visits to the office of the Executive Engineer, IPH, Palampur, no steps were taken to repair the plant. Residents also met local MLA Brij Behari Lal Butail, who is also the Speaker of the Assembly, and complained against the non-cooperative attitude of the IPH Department. They said the plant was emitting foul smell making the lives of the residents hell. Besides, the department was also releasing the effluents to the Bhiral khud which is a source of drinking water. Enquiries made by this correspondent revealed that the department had spent over Rs 45 lakh on the maintenance of the sewerage treatment plant at Palampur in past three years. However, the plant hardly functioned even for a week. A senior officer of the department admitted that pumping sets and recycling units had developed major defects, therefore, the plant had become non-functional. However, on the paper, the IPH Department had shown this plant fully operational and also released Rs 15 lakh per year as maintenance charges to a private party. However, no maintenance work was carried out. During a visit of mediapersons, a caretaker of plant disclosed that since he had joined the duty, the plant never functioned. He said the pumping sets had become non-functional and recycling system had collapsed. Therefore, he had no other option to release the entire effluent to an adjoining water stream. He said officials of the department were well aware of these facts. It was also seen that recycling beds of the treatment plant were covered with thick layer of wild grass which substantiated that these beds of plant were never used for recycling of sewerage for the past many years. Dr Karan Sharma, resident of Ghuggar Tanda, said he along with local residents had taken up the matter with senior officers of the IPH Department and the local MLA but all in vain. He said he was fighting for the cause for the past three years but there was none to listen. He said now he had decided to approach the High Court. He also asked the state pollution control board to initiate action against the department.
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40-yr-old man dies of burns
Palampur, August 17 The police reached the spot and sent his body for postmortem examination. Thereafter, his body was handed over to his family members. In another incident, an 18-month-old girl was washed away in a local stream near Neharanphukhar in Dehra Gopipur subdivision. The police said a couple from Ludhiana had come to the village for some social function. In early hours, when they were crossing the river, their daughter slipped from them and was washed away. The police launched a search drive in the lower areas but failed to trace the body.
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Janmashtami celebrated with religious fervour
Kangra, August 17 Devotees, including women and children, wearing colourful dresses visited temples and other religious places in the area. They visited the famous shrine of Jawalamukhi. The Radha Krishna temple, Nag Mandir, Karyara, along with the famous Satya Narayan temple and other temples of Jawalamukhi town, were decorated and illuminated. Devotees were also seen visiting the Bajjreshwari temple, Virbhdra temple and the famous Radha Krishan temple at Baba Baroh village since morning. Bhajan and kirtan were organised at different places of worship and the Gita was recited to mark the occasion. Janmashtami was also celebrated in the Sandeepny Himalayas at the headquaters of the Chinmaynand Mission near Sidhbari.
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Plantation campaign kickstarts in Chamba
Chamba, August 17 The drive was started amid a downpour with District and Sessions Judge RK Sharma, Chief Judicial Magistrate Aparna Sharma and Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) ARM Reddy planting a sapling of silver oak at Sarei on the outskirts of the town. The concept was envisioned by the HP State Legal Services Authority and executed by the Forest Department in association with schools, judiciary and the district administration, which would carry on with afforestation on vacant lands in the In the first phase of planting on July 15, 6,540 students from 65 schools planted 6,628 saplings in Bharmour and Pangi tribal forest divisions of the district. In the second phase, the remaining 358 schools in Chamba, Dalhousie and Churah divisions would carry out afforestation. Speaking to mediapersons on the occasion, Reddy said 423 middle and senior secondary schools, including government and private ones, participated in the campaign. Nearly 56,590 seedlings were being planted covering an estimated 52 hectares adjoining schools. The areas would be fenced by the department. After the drive, the schoolchildren were given refreshments, Reddy said.
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Fruit consultancy comes in handy for farmers
Shimla, August 17 As per the government spokesperson, farmers collect leaf samples and get them tested in labs to get the exact position of nutrients in fruit plants. The government has set up five fruit plant nutrition laboratories at Navbahar, Kotkhai and Thanadhar in Shimla district, Dharamsala in Kangra district and Bajaura in Kullu district, while the two drying grinding units are working at Reckong Peo and Bharmour in Chamba district. These laboratories have a total analysis capacity of 25,000 samples of leaves. Of the target of analysing 12,000 samples of leaves, 12,199 samples were collected from different districts which benefited 7,756 orchardists in the state. Up to June, over 3,871 samples from different districts of the state were received by various laboratories. Out of these, 2,775 samples were processed and 1,117 analysed, said an official note. Leaves should be collected from July 1 to August 15 or after flowering between 8 to 12 weeks from the middle parts of the branches of the deciduous plants like apple, peach, cherry, pear, plum, apricot and almond.
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Tourism projects stuck in red tape
Solan, August 17 Figures procured from the Industries Department revealed that as many as 70 cases, involving subsidy of Rs 12 crore, were pending as investors failed to fulfil the formalities required to file claims. This subsidy is available at the rate of 15 per cent for tourism projects on investments made in building, plant and machinery with the maximum ceiling of Rs 50 lakh for new units and Rs 30 lakh for old units which undertake substantive expansion. Though the scheme lapsed in March 2013, it was again extended in February till March 2017 and the Union Government has directed all units which have come into operations in this intervening period to file their claims till September. Following this extended period for filing claims, the investors are now completing the formalities, though the lengthy exercise involved in availing the subsidy is itself a big hassle. With hoteliers lacking adequate information about the scheme, many investors could not avail the benefits, revealed Ajay Kumar, who is coming up with a hotel near Kasauli. He said the tedious formalities involved in filing claims deterred many and issues like pre-registration of their units with the Industries Department were not known to many investors, who merely registered their projects with the Tourism Department. The biggest deterrent is, however, another new direction whereby the subsidy would be considered only for the plant and machinery existing at the time of registration of a unit and any additional machinery installed would not be considered for subsidy. This new norm has created a contention as the units which have already obtained subsidy have been getting their claims on additional machinery installed after registration and it could invite litigations, an official of the Industries Department said. He said similar conditions were also creating problems for the industrial units as claims were lying pending and unapproved for years, thus defeating the very purpose of promoting new investments.
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Negi takes oath as HPPSC member
Shimla, August 17 Negi is the first member of the commission who hails from tribal areas of the state since its formation. He hails from Shong village in Kinnaur district and has held important posts during his over three-decade career as a bureaucrat. He remained Secretary of the HP Board of School Education, Sirmaur Deputy Commissioner and was posted as Excise and Taxation Commissioner till he was appointed to the board. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Jagjivan Pal, Chief Secretary P Mitra, members of the commission Prof JC Sharma and Pradeep Chauhan, senior officials of the state government and other eminent persons were present on the occasion. |
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Fate of Sheli hydropower project uncertain
Shimla, August 17 The land acquisition will be done afresh under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTRR) Act, 2013, that has come to force in January 2014. The controversial project has run into fresh uncertainty as the project needs consent of the 80 per cent of the project affected people (PAP) considering the fact that tribals have already come under the banner of Sheli Project Sangharsh Samiti (SPSS) in Udaipur opposing the project. According to sources, principal secretary, power, has shot off a letter to the land acquisition officer-cum- sub divisional magistrate, Udaipur, to cancel the land acquisition process for the project under the old Land Acquisition Act and start a new process under the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The SPSS has hailed the state government’s decision saying that the power company has not got PAPs consent as majority of them oppose the project. The move has come as a big blow to the Moser Baer Sheli Hydel Project Company, now renamed as Hindustan Power Company, which is executing the project. “The government has cancelled the land acquisition proceedings in Lahaul and Spiti after farmers from Udaipur, Madgram, Salpat, Ratouli under Udaipur panchayat and Tindi panchayat approached the state government and the President of India against the forceful land acquisition under old law, terming it unconstitutional and illegal and that only favours private company,” said convener, SPSS Sudershan Thakur. SPSS cited that the power project would be an ecological disaster in the high-altitude Himalayan cold desert of Lahaul-Spiti, as over 12,800 big or small trees and 44,386 saplings would be destroyed or affected in 276.1875 hectare forestland to be diverted for the project. “We want that the project should be scrapped or the height of the dam be reduced from the proposed 80 m to save the greenery of Pattan valley, which is the only major green island in an otherwise cold desert,” Thakur said. The government had issued Section 4 notification under the Land Acquisition Act on April 25, 2013. But farmers filed a written objection against forceful land acquisition before LAO-cum-SDM, Udaipur, within one month. But surprisingly notices under Section 6 of Land Acquisition Act were issued later, tribals said. Since the one year period of the Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, lapsed the government has freshly asked the LAO-SDM, Udaipur, to start proceedings under RFCTRR Act, 2013. LAO-SDM Udaipur Amit Guleria told The Tribune over phone that the government had cancelled the land acquisition proceedings and a fresh exercise would be started under the new Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
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Bali inaugurates tehsil office building
Kangra, August 17 GS Bali, Minister for Transport, Technical Education and Food and Civil Supplies, inaugurated the tehsil welfare office. He said it was a long pending demand of people of the area. The office would help people of 68 panchayats of the Nagrota Bagwan Assembly segment. He said the office would prove as a succor for physically challenged, dependent and helpless children, besides widows of the area. “There are around 570 physically challenged, five leprosy patients, 630 old age persons, 947 widows getting pensions, while 205 widows are getting benefits under the Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Programme in Nagrota Bagwan Assembly segment,” he added. He said around 1,122 old age people were being benefited under the Indira Gandhi Old Age Pension Programme in his constituency. Bali said in Nagrota Bagwan constituency, around 450 pension cases, besides 153 house building cases were sanctioned during 2012-13 and 2013-14. “Around 200 people, who had applied for pension under different schemes, will be benefitted from this office,” he added. Bali said more land for Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College at Tanda was being looked around for its further expansion. He said efforts were on to set up a training centre for inspectors at Bussal village of Changer area. Bali handed over financial aid cheques to Arjan of Hatwas area and Prakash Chand of Baldhar area. He also heard the grievances of people and directed the authorities concerned to redress their problems.SDM Kangra Ajit Bhardwaj, District Welfare Officer Narinder Jariyal and BDO Rajeev Sood were also present.
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Class IX boy rapes, kills 8-yr-old
Solan, August 17 The girl, a student of Government Primary School, Haripur, waited for him after her school hours at around 3:30 pm as the boy, a student of Government Senior Secondary School, got free by 4 pm. DSP (Headquarters) Hemant Kumar said according to the preliminary investigations, it was found that the duo were seen together and as against the usual practice of the girl taking a shorter route to go home, the duo took a longer route and went around a small hillock. The girl was later dragged into bushes and signs of resistance were visible at the site as her stationary itmes were scattered around. The DSP said the boy raped her and throttled her mouth and neck leading to her death due to asphyxiation. He then tried to bury her body in a nullah by covering her feet and head and returned home by 8 pm. The girl’s parents tried to find their daughter but couldn’t trace her till morning.Her body was found by some women who had gone to cut grass around 150 metre away from her school bag near the nullah. The police was later informed about the gruesome act. DSP Hemant Kumar said a case under Section 302 of the IPC had been registered and the boy being a juvenile had been detained for interrogation. He said the body had been sent for a post mortem examination. The case has sent shock waves among the villagers.
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Artistes perform in Kangra school
Kangra, August 17 He said singers in old times used to have control on nature and bring about rain and light lamps with the power of Indian music. “It is very important to introduce the youth of this hill state to our country’s music,” said Nitin. Tabla players Sachin Sharma, guitar player Vipin Kumar and kathak dancer Dharmendar Jain also performed on the occasion. College staff, local MLA Sarveen Choudhary, the Director of HIET, former minister Vidyasagar and yoga guru Swami Vijay Kumar were present on the occasion. — OC |
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Woman commits suicide
Sundernagar, August 17 The police registered a case under Section 498-A, IPC, and arrested Sita Ram. As the victim had suffered around 90 per cent burns, she was referred to the PGI in a serious condition. Earlier a case was registered under Section 498-A, IPC. Now Section 306, IPC, was also added today since the victim expired.
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The scandal that never was
Shriniwas Joshi
He writes about a “post office situated in the centre of Simla” and not near Scandal Point. Nowhere does he mention Scandal Point. Doz writes in “Simla in Ragtime”? in 1913, “a little further up, opposite Hussain Bux’s Stores is the area known as Scandal Point.” And Hussain Bux was there where Alpha is. It is reasonable to infer that the scandal, if any, occurred between 1904 and 1913. OC Sud writing “The Simla Story” in 1997 confirms the year “a great scandal that rocked the Simla Society in the early 1900s emanated from this point.” The fingers of doubt are raised towards Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala and the daughter of Lord Curzon who was the Viceroy of India from 1899 to 1905. A few chroniclers also involve Commander-in-Chief, Lord Kitchener’s wife in it. But he was unfortunate in love as his first heartthrob, Hermoine Baker, died in her teens in 1885. Thereafter, he unsuccessfully courted Helen Mary, daughter of Lord Londonderry. He was buried in a watery grave in 1916 when his ship sank north of Scotland, so he died unmarried and is out of the scandal we are discussing. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala was an amorous personality. Natwar Singh in his book “The Magnificent Maharajah” characterises him: “…till almost the last few weeks of his life, the attraction to women was to remain very high on his life’s agenda. Every temptation was available to him and he resisted none.” But his year of birth is 1891 and, no doubt, he ascended the throne in 1900, he was only 14-year-old and the Viceroy’s eldest daughter Irene, a sex kitten in later years, was only nine years of age when Curzon left Shimla. Though Charles Allen, in his “Lives of Indian Princes”, speaks of banning of the Maharaja’s entry into Shimla for his amorous overtures towards the Viceroy’s daughter, yet the age-factor of the two actors compels me to shut it. I agree with Pamela Kanwar, who, in her book, “Imperial Simla” calls the scandal “a timeworn myth”. The Point is scandalous because here, according to Harrop, “the transmitters of gossip are ever at work and savory and unsavory secrets of our society are flashed to the uttermost limits of Simla with all speed of wireless.” Hence, the name Scandal Point. What about Allen’s conjecture that the entry of Maharaja Patiala was banned in Shimla? Recently I read that a British traveller scrutinised the archives-papers of the Curzon era and unfolded the true story in 1990, about 90 years after the episode had happened. Maharaja Rajinder Singh of Patiala had purchased three buildings in Shimla by 1882 — Oakover, Cedar and Rookwood. Maharaja lived in Oakover. He had, sometimes in 1899-1900, played host to Lady Curzon there. Her maiden name was Mary Victoria Leiter and she was six feet tall striking beauty with a curvy figure. She had large grey eyes set in an oval face, glossy chestnut-brown hair drawn back into a loose knot at the nape of her neck, and delicate hands and feet. During the party, the maharaja persuaded her to wear a saree and some jewels from his treasure. The Vicereine looked Niagara of diamonds in a gold-laced saree. A diamond coronet of the maharaja was placed on her head after which she was photographed. The incident got leaked to Lord Curzon. He was furious and banned the maharaja’s entry into Shimla so that such happening might not be repeated. It was Maharaja Rajinder Singh and not Bhupinder Singh, who designed Chail, whose entry was banned in Shimla. TAILPIECE
When Lady Curzon reached Mumbai in 1898, awestruck by her beauty, Indian poets waxed lyrical about her prettiness, "A rose of roses bright/ A vision of embodied light". Another, "Like a diamond set in gold/ The full moon in a clear autumnal sky." |
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Landslip warnings being ignored by people
Dharamsala, August 17 Last year, Tirah Lines village, located on the McLeodganj-Dharamsala road, was destroyed. In both cases, there was no loss of life as residents were shifted out of their homes well in time. However, all affected families were rendered homeless. In the Tirah Lines tragedy, besides the houses, 12 quarters of the Army came about 100 ft down as the hill sunk. Another 25 houses became unsafe due to the sinking hill. The incidents should be considered a harbinger that ignoring scientific warnings regarding constructions in geologically sensitive zones can cause natural catastrophes. The areas in which the landslide took place had been declared active sliding zone in a study conducted by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology. The study had stated that the area had rotational slide involving debris, with moderate slopes at the top and steeper slopes at the toe level. Clay and small angular fragments of sandstones are the main constituents of the over burden material in the area. However, nobody cared about the findings and the Army and civilians carried out unabated construction in the area. The slides have now affected the lower areas also and people are being evacuated from Sudher village, downhill from Tirah Lines, amidst fears of sinking of a hillside. The study conducted by the Dr AK Mahajan of Wadia Institute of Himachal Geology had put many zones in Dharamsala, including Tirah Lines, Barakoti, Kajlot, Jogiwara, Dhial, Gamru and Chola, under the category of active sliding zones. However, all these areas now have multi-storey buildings and are thickly populated. As per the study, the main factors for the areas being active sliding zones are geology, topography, high-slope gradient, thick loose soil deposits made of clay material mixed with non-uniform cobbles and blocks. The study states that Dharamsala is located between two major thrusts. These tectonic thrusts have developed a number of splays that cause a lot of tectonic material in the area. Due to tectonic movement, rocks in Dharamsala are highly deformed, folded and fractured. The fracturing of rocks and presence of loose material coupled with high seepage leads to the increased risk of a landslide. The campus of the Central University of Himachal Pradesh is also proposed to be constructed in Gamru and Chola villages, active sliding zones as per the study. Chola village witnessed the latest landslide two days ago. Tragedy waiting to happen
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World Bank to fund horticulture industry
Shimla, August 17 According to sources, a World Bank team headed by consultants Mani Pathy and A Srivastva held a series of consultation with farmers, government officials and other stakeholders, including government agencies, recently here. “The team had preliminary consultation with various stakeholders and its response was positive,” Principal Secretary, Horticulture, Tarun Shridhar said. “The World Bank will fund Rs 1,000 crore and aims at rejuvenating the horticultural industry by the post-harvest technology,” he said. The project, approved by the Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, aims to rejig the state’s sick horticulture industry in the next five years. The project would be funded in the ratio of 90:10 by the state and Central governments and seeks to add Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 crore to the Gross State Domestic Product every year, officials revealed. “But apple, the main fruit crop of the state, will get a special focus as the project seeks to increase productivity from the present 7-8 tonnes per hectare to 40 tonnes per hectare to make the apple industry globally competitive,” the officials said. The project aims at setting up post-harvest management techniques, cold chain, processing, marketing and R&D activities, covering new districts of Una and Kangra to tribal Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba, Pangi and Bharmour. It aims at producing hazel nuts, olive, citrus fruit as well as other fruits in low-lying areas. Besides new latest varieties and cultivars of crops such as litchi, guava and kinnow will be encouraged among farmers. Dr Vijay Thakur, Vice-Chancellor, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, said: “The university will provide institutional support providing the certified plant materials on root stocks and other fruit varieties to farmers. We will provide the bud wood bank on imported varieties to multiply and propagate them among farmers.” Farmers need training and inputs from scientists on raising new nurseries and water conservation in the hilly region, value addition such as bee keeping for fruit setting, he said. “The transfer of technology and improvement of production line and best and certified plant material to farmers will be the role of the university,” he added. Prakash Thakur, vice-chairman, HPMC, nodal agency, said: “The team has given a positive response after having consultation with farmers and other stakeholders. The project will benefit farmers in the state and prepare them to make their fruit globally competitive.”
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Nurpur, August 17 The Nurpur police through Gangath chowki officials had registered a case under Sections 382 and 34 of the IPC on July 24. The accused had left the car abandoned near Gangath and taken away its tyres and battery. DSP Manoj Joshi said the police had kept the mobile number of the snatched cell phone under surveillance and succeeded in tracking its user, a youth of Gangath town, who had bought the instrument from Abhi. The police had arrested both culprits, who were remanded in police custody till August 19, the DSP said. The police suspected their involvement in other looting and theft cases for which surrounding police stations would be contacted.— OC
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Bharmour, August 17
Palampur August 17
Kangra, August 17
Shimla, August 17
Shimla, August 17
Kangra, August 17
Dharamsala, August 17
Seven years back, I had written in this column that the most narrated story here that the Maharaja of Patiala had lifted the daughter of a Viceroy from the Scandal Point (See photo) in the Prithviraj-Samyukta style was tittle-tattle and had no link either with the spot or with the history. My reasoning for that is based on evidence. I refer to “Simla Past and Present” by Edward Buck published in 1904.