Shimla, November 6
Delayed for the last many years, six aerial ropeways in the state may finally see the light of the day with big names like Tata, Usha Breco and Damodar sending their bids for executing the ropeway projects.

The last date for sending the bids was November 10, but some interested parties had sought some more time to complete bid formalities. The government had then extended till December 15 the date for sending bid documents.

Prospective bidders include Tata, Usha Breco, Damodar, the JLPL and Himalaya Ski Resorts. “With the kind of response we are getting this time, we are quite confident that the aerial ropeway projects which have been delayed for one reason or the other will finally take off,” stated a senior official.

The ropeway project in Shimla has a span of 2.4 km. It is aimed at easing traffic on Cart Road and provide easy accessibility to the Mall.

It will start by the Tourist Information Centre near the bypass and connect Fir Hill Hotel and Inter State Bus Terminus. It will link the Lift on Cart Road and approach Rani Jhansi Park.

The governments of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab had signed a memorandum of understanding for the Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi ropeway project, but it was later scrapped.

Not keen to go ahead with the memorandum of understanding signed during the previous BJP regime, Virbhadra Singh government had cancelled it last year on the grounds that Punjab stood to gain more. The new 2.3-km project will link Toba and Naina Devi in Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.

The ropeway connecting the old Himani Chamunda temple in Kangra district will have the longest span of 4.1 km. The Dharamsala-McLeodganj and Dharamkot-Triund projects are in Kangra district as well. The Shah Talai-Deod Sidh ropeway will come up in Hamirpur district.

The ropeway proposals were prepared almost two decades back. It is now that those have begun to take shape. All projects will be executed in the private-public partnership mode and the period will be 40 years.

The state government is keen to get the projects executed as those will go a long way in promoting tourism and reducing traffic congestion.

Ropeway project Span (in km) Shimla 2.4 Naina Devi-Toba 2.3 Shah Talai-Deod Sidh 1.8 Himani Chamunda 4.1 Dharamsala-McLeodganj 2.1 Dharamkot-Triund 2.4

Shimla, November 6
Himachal Pradesh’s dream of having its own film city to lure film-makers to shoot at picturesque locales in the state may pay dividends as proposals have been received for setting up a film city in the state.

The initiative by the government to attract investment in tourism and agro and food processing units by way of holding a meet of investors in Mumabi seems to be paying off as offers for setting up a film city, food parks and other units were received on the second day today. Shravan Rathod, who met Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, sought land for setting up of a film city.

Scaling Heights Entertainment (Private) Limited tabled a proposal for setting up a film city near Palampur and expressed the desire to invest more than Rs 500 crore.

Another proposal for setting up a film city was made by the Triumph Institute of Performing Arts for promoting local talent in the state.

The meet, organised together by the state government and the Confederation of Indian Industries, was attended by 500 industrialists.

Virbhadra Singh said the purpose of the meet was to acquaint entrepreneurs with the vast investment potential in the state, especially in infrastructure, hydroelectric power, agro processing, tourism and education. Virbhadra Singh will interact with entrepreneurs in Bengaluru tomorrow.

Assuring industrialists that all modalities regarding clearances would be be done within 90 days under a single window clearance, he said Himachal Pradesh was ideally suited for investment as it had low-priced and dependable power supply. He said tourism had wide potential with projects like ropeways, ski slopes, resorts and cable cars proposed for various destinations in the state.

The Chief Minister appreciated the proposal of setting up a food park and a skin care product centre by Global Health Group using aloe vera. He said they should sent the written proposal and the government would seriously consider the proposals. Gini and Jony extended a proposal for investing in the apparel industry. Architect Hafeez, working with the Leela Group of Hotels, made a proposal for design and architect industry.

The Tata Group of Companies proposed to invest in construction and real estate in the state and extended multiple proposals.

Another big industrial house which interacted one on one with the Chief Minister and Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri was WeikField Foods Private Limited. It sought investment opportunities in food beverages and agro-based food parks.

LR Active Private Limited, dealing in edible oils and similar products, showed interested in food parks and environment-friendly cement bags.

American Global Health Group, a major player in organic aloe vera, energy drinks and beverages and skin care products showed investment interest in the state .

Stanford English Academy showed interest in setting up a vocational university in the upper belt of Himachal Pradesh with projected investment of Rs 250 crore.

Representatives of Ruchi Soya Industries Limited, interested in agro packaging, food processing and cold stores had a lengthy discussion of investing in the state. Ireland-based CRH Cement Company proposed to set up a cement plant in the state. Agnihotri said the Vardhman Group intended to invest Rs 500 crore on various projects in the state.

The Tata group was keen to invest in real estate, power and tourism sectors. It deliberated on the issues today. Agnihotri said Cadbury, TVS and Dabur, besides many mineral water producing companies, had entered Himachal Pradesh.

He said Godrej, Procter & Gamble, Ranbaxy and L’Oreal were keen on expansion and investment worth Rs 500 crore. Citing the example of the Vardhman Group, the minister said it intended to invest Rs 500 crore in various projects in the state.

Kullu, November 6
Kullu MLA and Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) chief Maheshwar Singh has approached Kangra MP Shanta Kumar to persuade the Central Government to revoke ban on export of monkeys to check the growing simian menace.

While addressing mediapersons here today, he said there was a provision under the Wildlife Act to curtail uncontrolled growth of the wild animal and the Himachal Pradesh High Court had sought government’s opinion to do away with excessive simians to check their growth. He added that the state government should quickly act to resolve the issue, as farmers in many regions had been forced to give up crop cultivation.

He said while various political parties had pledged to check monkey menace in their election manifestos, the problem had intensified with increased attacks on humans. He said the policy of sterilising male monkeys to reduce their population was to be re-analysed, as this might be increasing the wild behaviour of the simians.

He said the monkey threat loomed large even on the Vidhan Sabha campus in Shimla as well.

He raised question on the geological feasibility of the four-laning of the Kiratpur-Ner chowk national highway. Maheshwar Singh also took a dig at roadside dhabas and workshops, stating them to be a major cause of traffic jams on national highways. He said the government should develop multiple locations en route and set up petrol and diesel filling station, workshop and dhabas at a wide space to facilitate bus travellers and other commuters.

He said while the Chief Minister had declared to provide free bus travel to students, private bus operators were not directed to extend the facility. He said while HRTC buses were overloaded during peak hours, the timings of buses on some routes were not very favourable for students.

He said private bus operators should also be directed to provide free travel to students and relief on taxes should be provided to compensate their expenses.

He said a number of accidents were on the rise due to overloading of vehicles and miserable condition of roads.

He said due to uncertainty about the special session of the Vidhan Sabha in November, the HLP was not able to decide its future course of action. He said the winter session was generally held in the third week of December, while some issues required urgent attention of the government.

Mandi, November 6
Forty students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here have received campus placement offers with the highest package of Rs 26 lakh.

Talking to The Tribune, faculty adviser for placement Samar Agnihotri said eight or nine companies, including Microsoft and Amazon, participated in the campus recruitment drive, which started on October 24. The drive would continue till next week. He said 40 of the 110 students from the computer science and electrical and mechanical engineering departments had been recruited so far.

He said the highest package of Rs 26 lakh was given to a computer science student. Last year, the highest package of Rs 20 lakh was given to a student of the computer science department.

“Students of the computer science department get higher pay packages whereas students from the electrical and mechanical engineering department generally get packages in the range of Rs 10 to 12 lakh,” he added. He said two more campus placement drives would be organised before the end of the academic session.

“This is the third year of campus placement. On an average, 85 per cent of the students get recruited through these drives every year,” Agnihotri said.

He added that most of the remaining students did not take part in the drive.

Shimla, November 6
Former Horticulture Minister and BJP vice- president Narender Bragta’s call for the November 14 satyagrah march, from Rohru to The Ridge, has kicked up a political storm. Various bodies of apple growers have decided to support the march while Horticulture and IPH Minister Vidya Stokes today termed the march as a political stunt to mislead the public.

Bragta has called the march on the issue of the controversial 90-km-long Rohru-Hatkoti-Theog state highway.

“The condition of the Theog - Kharapathar - Hatkoti – Rohru road is deplorable and the executive committee of the society has decided to participate in Bragta’s call for the march on the road between November 14 to November 20,” said Vineet Sarjolta, secretary, Himalayan Apple Growers Society (HAGS) today.

“It is the life line for the apple economy and concerns everyone. We will join the march from Hatkoti to Jubbal on November 15 at 10 am,” he said.

Harish Chauhan, president, Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, said they would join the march at Rohru on November 14. “The protest march should have been started three years ago, but it is better late than never,” he added.

The agitated residents, including farmers, transports and commuters, cutting across the party lines, have decided to join the protest march.

Earlier, Jai Bharat Gramin Vikas Samiti (JBGVS), Ghansu, an NGO in Jubbal, had given a 15-day ultimatum to the Chief Minister till mid-November, demanding to speed up the work or face a chakka jaam.

“The company has done just five per cent work in a year’s time. It appears it would take another decade to complete the work”, said Virprakash Baltoo, president of the JBGVS. “The NGO would decide the course of action on November 8 at Hatkoti,” he added.

On the other hand, Vidya Stokes charged that the BJP was politicising the issue to mislead the people of Shimla district by covering the failures of the PK Dhumal regime. The Congress had sanctioned Rs 228 crore for the improvement and widening of the road, after it was declared a state highway, she claimed.

The road was awarded to a Chinese company and was to be completed by 2010, but only 10 per cent of the total work was done during BJP’s regime, due to which the cost of the project escalated to Rs 322 crore, she said, contesting Bragta’s charge. “BJP is answerable to people for the cost overrun worth Rs 94 crore”, she added.

Stokes said it was the Congress Government which accelerated the pace of work on the Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru road with seriousness and in a time-bound manner. The BJP should apologise to the people for the delay in the work.

Stokes claimed that the Congress re-allotted the work to CC Company to speed it up and about 70 per cent of the cutting work was complete. “The works of retaining walls, bridges, gabion walls, cross drainage structures is in progress and the target is June 30, 2016, failing which the private company will have to face legal action”, she asserted.

But the farmers’ bodies rejected the government’s claim as there is no visible progress on the road after almost a year of the work being allotted. “The 19-km-long stretch of the road is yet to be widened and has become travelers’ nightmare,” resented the residents.

Nurpur, November 6
The residents of lower Kangra district, comprising Nurpur and Jawali sub-divisions, are likely to get smooth roads within the next few months, thanks to the recent directions of the High Court on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Rakesh Mankotia of Jawali.

Before filing a PIL on September 9, 2013, he had served a legal notice to the Public Works Department (PWD) and chief engineer, PWD (north), Dharamsala, in April, under Section 80 of the Civil Procedure Code, seeking maintenance of Pathankot-Mandi National Highway and state link roads in lower Kangra areas within three months.

Mankotia said the PWD authorities did not repair the roads and so he filed the PIL.

The court, while disposing the PIL, ordered the respondents- Engineer-in-Chief, PWD, Shimla, Chief Engineer (North), Superintending Engineer (SE), PWD circle, Nurpur, and Executive Engineer, PWD, Jawali, to take necessary steps to maintain the roads within eight weeks. The petitioner alleged that the departments concerned were indifferent and negligent in this regard.

Mankotia asserted that he would further file a contempt petition in the high court if the respondents did not act within the stipulated period.

A K Abrol, Senior Engineer, PWD circle, Nurpur, said he would give his official version after reviewing the court’s order. The department was already repairing potholes on the roads, he added.

Meanwhile, the commuters have also demanded repair of the roads on war footing, keeping in view the increasing road mishaps.

Shimla, November 6
Governor Urmila Singh said the Renukaji area had a huge tourist potential and efforts should be made to develop it further, which would in turn increase the tourist influx and generate employment avenues for the local youth.

Addressing the concluding ceremony of the five-day International Renuka Fair at Renukaji in Sirmour district, Urmila Singh said the fair upheld the rich values of the Indian society.

She said fairs and festivals were symbols of the rich cultural heritage of the state. She urged the public to preserve them at all costs as they strengthen the bonds of brotherhood and unity. People should take lessons from the traditions and respect elders and also keep promises to maintain high standards of conduct in lives, she added.

The governor said nature had blessed Himachal with scenic beauty that attracted lakhs of tourists every year. Renukaji’s tourist potential should also be tapped, she said.

Earlier, she performed pooja in Lord Parshuram ji and Mata Renuka ji temples and also participated in the ‘Dev Vidai’ procession.

She also visited the exhibitions put up by various government departments and organisations. She gave away prizes to the winners- first prize was won by NABARD, second prize by the Horticulture Department and third prize was won by Khadi and Gramudyog Broad.

Vinay Kumar, Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Chairman of Renuka Development Board, Ritesh Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner and vice-chairman, Renuka Development Board, Ajay Bahadur, Chairman of HIMFED and office-bearers of Renuka Development Board, prominent residents of the area and senior officers of the district were also present.

Chamba, November 6
The functioning of the local municipal council leaves much to be desired. The post of the executive officer (EO) is vacant for the past many years. As of now, the additional charge of the post has been entrusted to the executive officer, Dalhousie.

Likewise, the post of superintendent and assistant engineer is also vacant. The additional charge has been given to assistant engineer, District Rural Development Agency.

In the ministerial staff, most of the babus are class-IV. The people are on crossroads as to whom to contact for their problems.

The municipal rest house constructed with government grant is being used as a store. Most of the rehris in the town are unauthorised and within the knowledge of the MC. The fiscal health of the MC is not at all encouraging. Nevertheless, the rent of shops in the Rajiv Gandhi shopping plaza, besides other shops and stalls in the town, is not being realised.

The grant-in-aid received from the government remains to be utilised. The recovery of house tax is minimal. The sanitary condition of roads, lanes and drains is not up to the mark. In effect, the scenario is grim. This is because there is none in the supervisory category.

A deputation of the Chamba District Progressive Council, led by president HR Puri and general secretary GS Bedi, met the Deputy Commissioner recently and submitted a memorandum with regard the problems of the town.

Meanwhile, municipal council president Anita Thakur maintained that she was doing her best to cope up with the present situation, despite limited resources.

Nurpur, November 6
Himachal Pradesh State Forest Corporation’s vice-chairman Kewal Singh Pathania has come down heavily on the reported statement of former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal for making a Congress-free state in near future.

Addressing a press conference here today, Pathania said earlier during the Lok Sabha elections, Dhumal had announced change of government in the state after the Lok Sabha polls if all four parliamentary seats were swept by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but now he had started spreading political canards of a Congress-free state.

“It is ironical that Dhumal, who had been ousted from power by electorate in the state two years ago, is in a hurry to regain it without waiting for the next Assembly polls. By making such statements, he is misleading the people of the state,” he said.

He sought white paper on the rising prices of all commodities during the past five months of the Modi government, which had promised to control inflation if it was voted to power. “It had also promised to bring back money stashed in foreign banks within 100 days after forming the new government,” he added.

Talking over the burgeoning monkey menace in the state, Pathania said he had urged Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri to hold debate on this issue in the winter session of the Vidhan Sabha which is round the corner and try to pass resolution in the House for permitting export of simians so that this monkey menace should be rooted out for ever.

Admitting that monkey menace had reached an alarming proportion in the state, he said sterilisation of simians had no immediate effect to this menace but their export was the only option for quick results.

Mandi, November 6
The State Election Commission released a programme for the byelections to the vacant posts of Panchayati Raj Institutions yesterday.

District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kadam said candidates could file their nomination papers between November 13 and 15 and the scrutiny of documents would take place on November 17 and candidates could withdraw their nomination papers on November 19.

The DC said a list of polling booths would be published on November 13 and if required, the polling would be held on November 30 between 7am and 3pm.

He said counting of votes for the posts of village president, vice-president and members would be held after the polling in the respective panchayat office and the results would be declared after counting of votes. — TNS

Kangra, November 6
Srikant Sharma, BJP National Secretary, media coordinator and in charge for Himachal Pradesh, today launched the party’s membership drive for Mission- 50 (2017).

The party’s target is to enrol 15 lakh people in the Kangra-Chamba Lok Sabha constituency by December end.

Srikant has asked the party cadre to reach youths who are not politically active but convinced by the development programmes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They should be brought into the party fold as members through digital membership drive. He was addressing the party cadre of the Kangra-Chamba Lok Saba Constituency.

Later, addressing mediapersons, Srikant said popularity graph of PM Narendra Modi had gone up during the last five months.

The party cadre was asked to push the popular achievements of Modi Government to reach the common people and give a boost to further his popularity at the grossroot level.

During the past five months of the Modi government, following the crude oil rates slashing down globally, the petrol prices had dropped by Rs 10 per liter and that of diesel by Rs 5 in the country, he added.

When asked if BJP politics was revolving round Modi and was detrimental for the future of the party, Srikant said, “We are proud of a visionary party leader as Narendra Modi in the party.”

He was critical of the Congress leadership for putting the country in dock during the past 60 years. Regarding the Delhi polls, he said people should prefer a stable government with better proximity with the Central Government.

BJP had won all the four seats in the state and in the membership drive too, he hoped for the best results, Srikant added.

Earlier, Lok Sabha MP and former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar said after 60 years of struggle, history was created during the 2014 Lok Saba polls and time had come when dreams of national reconstruction would be realised.

He said decades-old problems would take time to get redressed and the party cadre must make common people understand this. The Modi wave, which gave a historical victory, needed to be stabilised for which the membership drive was the first move, he added.

State BJP Chief Sat Pal Sati, Vipin Parmar and other BJP leaders were also present.

Hamirpur, November 6
Former Chief Minister PK Dhumal today demanded reduction in prices of items sold under the public distribution system (PDS).

Addressing a press conference here, he said the state government had not only deprived the public of relief being given by the Centre, but reduced the quota of PDS items as well.

He said it was unfortunate that mustard oil, which was used most by people in the state, had been removed from the list. He criticised the government move of increasing value added tax on petrol and diesel.

“The government must reduce bus fares and freight rates for carriage by road so that the relief given by the DA regime could reach the common man,” he said.

Dhumal said people of the state were being deprived of low-priced petrol and diesel due an increase in VAT by the state government.

He claimed that people had a diluted Diwali this year as not enough quota of sugar had been made available to the people in the state.

He alleged that the Congress government had failed to pay unemployment allowance to the unemployed youth in the state.

“The government deceived the youth and employees of the state by not giving them allowances on time. Over 400 applications from Hamirpur district are awaiting government attention,” he said.

Dhumal lashed out at the decision of the government to set up the State Administrative Tribunal, terming it as anti-employee.

“The government should refrain from resetting it as it would cost the state exchequer heavily,” he said. He said poor fiscal policies of the state government had led to poor financial health of the state.

He said ever since the Congress regime had taken over, it had only initiated false cases on frivolous charges against political rivals and representatives of panchayati raj institutions affiliated to the BJP.

Referring to the decision to invite investors in housing schemes, he said the government should invite industrialists to the state as it would help in employment generation and revenue. He said the government should refrain from allowing investors in housing projects as it could lead to dilution of Section 118 of the Tenancy and Land Reform Act, which protected interests of the people of the state.

Shimla, November 6
Citizens, including parents, teachers and old school students associations of the capital, today made a clarion call demanding a common school holiday calendar in the city. They plead that the private, public and government schools declared holidays at their whims and fancy.

The convent and other private schools, DAV College Management Committee-run schools and government-run schools have no common holiday calendar, resented the various teachers and parents associations. They declare summer festival and other holidays on different dates, putting wards and parents at their mercy, they rued.

“Our daughters are in the convent of Jesus and Mary while sons study in DAV New Shimla, but both schools follow different holiday calendars,” a couple said. “We cannot go out because of the clash in the holiday calendar,” they added.

The convent schools like St Edwards, Sacred Heart Convent School and others follow five-day week. But the DAVs follow six-day week and there is complete mismatch in holidays in convents and DAVs and other schools, despite the fact that they are being run in the same city, said Dr Dinesh Jhagta, president of the state DPEs association. He demanded a common school holiday calendar in the city.

“If you are teaching in a convent school and your children are studying in the Dayanand or DAVs, you cannot go anywhere because of this mis-match in holidays. The district administration should come out with a common holiday calendar,” said Balwant Dutta, a local resident.

“We will discuss this point at the meeting of the association on November 9”, said Vijay Sood, treasure of the DAV Old Students Association.

“All the convent, private, public and other major schools in the city must be brought on a single platform on the issue by the district administration as the city schools fall in the winter closing schools”, demanded HP Government School Teachers Association and the College Lecturers Association.

All the cities generally have common holiday calendar for schools so that the teachers and their wards can enjoy the holidays, said Sanjay Chauhan, Shimla Mayor and an old student from the St Edwards. “The administration must sort out the holiday mess so that residents get respite”, he added.

Dinesh Malhotra, Deputy Commissioner, Shimla, said all the schools have to follow the national and state holidays calendar. “The institutions have different calendar, but we can have a broad common holiday calendar as well and will sort it out with the schools in the city,” he added.

Dalhousie, November 6
Dalhousie MLA Asha Kumari today flagged off direct super-fast Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus service from Dalhousie to Bharmour via Chamba. The distance between Dalhousie to Bharmour is about 120 km.

The HRTC bus service from Dalhousie to Bharmour has been introduced by the state government to give a much-needed fillip to the tourism industry in the Dalhousie-Chamba tourist circuit.

Speaking on the occasion, Asha Kumari said the ancient towns of Bharmour and Chamba were famous for their historical and cultural grandeur, adding that tourists would now be able to visit these places conveniently in a day’s trip.

Expressing gratitude to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Transport Minister GS Bali, she said the bus would go a long way in providing comfort to tourists thronging the region.

Hamirpur, November 6
The wildlife wing of the Forest Department is finding it difficult to meet the challenge of providing safe habitat to migratory birds that flock Pong Dam International Wetland and protect them against poaching.

The wetland, that is spread over 240 square kilometres, was declared as Ramsar Wetland for its bird friendly environment and geographical conditions.

The only patrolling boat available with the wildlife wing of the department had broken into pieces during the recent storms. It is learnt that Divisional Forest Office (Wildlife), Hamirpur, had demanded funds for the construction of new boat from the state head quarter but has not received any finances.

With the increase in the number of migratory birds in the wetland area the threat of poaching looms large. Every year, a number of poaching incidents are increasing and the department can do nothing to impose restrictions on it.

Having limited number of employees and wide area of wetland, the department can do little to check poaching in the area. The migratory birds were spotted in the basin of the Beas.

Lakhs of migratory birds from across the Himalayas flock the Pong Dam wetland in winter. Most of these birds migrate from their breeding places in trans-Himalayan region in Russia, Siberia, Central Asia, Austria and Tibet. Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife), Hamirpur, Subhash Prashar said the patrol boat had broken and a requisition for Rs 6 lakh had been sent.

Chamba, November 6
The condition of the road from Hardaspura to Balu, via the TB Hospital, is in a dilapidated condition. Heaps of debris and muck can be seen near the hospital and Panch-Pandav Temple of Sarotha Nullah, creating a hurdle in the smooth flow of traffic.

Such deposits at the nullah can wreak havoc in the vicinity at any time.

About half a century ago, soil and muck thrown in this nullah had resulted in landslides during monsoons, which damaged the Bhuri Singh Power house at Bheod and killed two persons on duty.

It is apprehended that the negligence on part of the Public Works Department (PWD) may result in the same scenario if preventive measure are not taken up soon.

The plants grown on the slopes of the Sarotha Nullah have also been damaged by the debris and muck.

The Forest Department is also not paying any heed towards the problem.

In a representation to the authorities concerned recently, RK Mahajan, president of Chamba Welfare Association and SK Kashmiri, general secretary, have demanded necessary steps to curb the problem.

Kangra, November 6
Dr BM Gupta, Chief Medical Officer, Kangra, said today that there were more than 200 different kinds of cancers, each with its own name and treatment.

He said early diagnosis could often make a difference to how easily cancer could be treated and the chance of recovery. He said the National Cancer Awareness Week would start from tomorrow.

He said awareness about cancer, which had become a big threat to human beings globally and now one of the top causes of death in India, was very important.

The CMO said cancer accounted for 8 per cent death in men and 12 per cent in women. “The country has some of the world’s highest incidences of cancer, including cervical, gall bladder, oral and pharynx,” he said.

He said total cancer cases were likely to go up from 9.8 lakh in 2010 to 11.5 lakh in 2020 and 70 per cent lives were snuffed out in the first year in the country due to late detection.

Dr Anil Chauhan, Principal, DRPGMCH, Tanda, said in India there were 28 lakh cases of cancer at any point of time and new cases every year and annual mortality were estimated to be around 11 lakh and 5 lakh cases, respectively. He said young doctors could be sensitised to act as catalyst in society for prevention and awareness of the disease.

He said in India only 33 per cent cancers were diagnosed in the early stages and 66 per cent in the advanced stages. He said with healthy lifestyle and early detection, a large number of cancer cases could be prevented and effectively treated. 

Mandi, November 6
A local court has sentenced a woman to six months in prison in a cheque bounce case.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vivek Khanal, after convicting Kiran Sharma, a resident of Samkhetar in Mandi, in the cheque bounce case, sentenced her to six months in jail and directed her to pay Rs 5 lakh to the complainant.

According to the prosecution, Kiran had borrowed Rs 5 lakh from Gopal Das, a resident of Aarnoti, under Kotli tehsil in the district, for the study of her daughter and business expansion.

Kiran had given a cheque for Rs 5 lakh to the complainant, but the cheque was dishonoured due to insufficient funds in her bank account.

Chamba, November 6
The female literacy rate in Chamba district is still 59.73 per cent, according to an official survey coducted in the district in 2011.

Chamba Deputy Commissioner Sudha Devi, in an official communiqué, revealed today that the male literacy rate in the district is 81.51 per cent.

Taking into account the low literacy rate amongst the women in the district, the Saakshar Bharat Mission would now be a part of the agenda of gram sabhas so that the focus of the campaign could be on enhancing the literacy rate of the women.

To give impetus to the Saakshar Bharat Mission, 16,000 illiterates of the district would appear in the examination scheduled to be held in March next year, the Deputy Commissioner stated.

The Deputy Commissioner directed all the departments to furnish information about those daily-wagers and class-IV employees in their departments who were still illiterate within 10 days.

Dharamsala, November 6
The Dalai Lama will deliver teachings on Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland of the Middle Way from November 11 to 13 at the main Tibetan temple in McLeodganj. A request in this regard was made to him by a group of Koreans.

The teachings of the Dalai Lama are likely to give a boost to tourism in Dharamsala in this lean season. Last year, most of the teachings of the Dalai Lama were shifted out of Dharamsala.

Those were held in Delhi, parts of South India and Ladakh. Local traders’ associations had asked the state government to request the Dalai Lama to hold teachings in Dharamsala.

During his teachings, private taxi and bus operators do a brisk business. Hotel rooms get occupied as well.

Hamirpur, November 6
The Haryana cricket team defeated Punjab by three wickets in a one-day match of Vijay Hazare Trophy at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Cricket Stadium in Nadaun today.

Punjab won the toss and decided to bat first. The star player of the Punjab team, Yuvraj Singh, disappointed the crowd with his knock of 23 runs off 31 balls.

Two players who performed well were SR Rana, who scored 71 runs off 79 balls and remained not out, and AA Barot, who scored 53 runs off 53 balls. The team scored 252 in 50 overs.

The Haryana team achieved the target of 253 in 49.1 overs for the loss of seven wickets.

Gitansh Khera’s performance was best as he scored 86 runs off 95 balls.

Bowler AA Hooda was best as he took three wickets for 53 runs.

The next match will be played between Punjab and Delhi on November 8.

Una, November 6
The body of a 37-year-old man was found lying on the bed of a tributary of the Swan in Takoli panchayat of Bangana block here today. Some local residents saw the body and informed the police.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Surender Sharma said the body, identified as that of Ranvir Singh of Barota village had an injury mark on the head, which appeared to have been inflicted with a sharp-edged weapon.

Foul smell was emanating from the body, which had apparently been lying there for the last two or three days, he said.

Surender Sharma said forensic experts from Dharamsala had been requisitioned and the body sent to the district hospital.

He said as per preliminary investigation, Ranvir Singh who was working at a private shop in Nangal had been married twice.

His first marriage had ended in divorce while his second wife was staying with her parents in Chandigarh.

Investigations into the case are on.

Nurpur, November 6
The Fatehpur police registered a case against Tarun Pathania of Tiara village for allegedly beating up and harassing his wife Shobha Rana last evening.

The complainant, hailing from Barot village, had filed a petition in court under Section 156(3) of the CrPC, seeking the registration of a case by the police.

The couple married in 2012 and Tarun allegedly started beating up and torturing her after three months of the marriage. In June, 2013, she was beaten up and forced to leave her in-laws’ house by her husband.

Jawali DSP DC Verma said the police, after receiving court directions, registered a case under Section 498-A, IPC, against Tarun and started investigation.

Kangra, November 6
A 48-year-old woman of Mamta village falling under the Nagrota Bagwan police station died of poisoning at DRPGMCH, Tanda, today.

Inder Singh, SHO, Nagrota Bagwan, said the woman consumed poison by mistake at her house last evening and was rushed to the hospital where she died today. A case has been registered and further investigations are on.