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Kullu airport runway extension a costly affair
Forest officials find it hard to implement ban on tree felling
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Una leads in exporting timber
Delay in Goods and Service Tax implementation costs investors
dear
700 fish die in Rewalsar Lake
Chartered flight from Chandigarh to Shimla in the offing
Delay in workers’ registration irks CITU
Use of paper bags carrying porn pictures resented
500 officials deployed for counting
Ex-DGP dubs Virbhadra govt most corrupt
CPM opposes privatisation of public sector undertakings
Patients suffer as city roads cry for repair
Army recruitment rally in Kullu from May 22
CPM demands repoll in 1,000 booths in Bengal
HC reserves verdict in HPCA case
CME at Tanda college tomorrow
Patanjali samiti writes to EC against BSP leader Residents sans water for 6 days Bodies of two men found in Kullu
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Kullu airport runway extension a costly affair
Shimla, May 14 The Airport Authority of India (AAI) is sceptical about the proposal to divert the river, especially in view of the huge expenditure that will have to be incurred. The Kullu District Collector has been asked to expedite the identification of the areas which will have to be acquired. “The runway, which is 1,189 metres, will be extended by 1,000 metres, but for that the river will have to be diverted. This is by no means an easy task, especially in view of the compensation that will have to be given to those who own houses, hotels, farmhouses or lands in the area,” said a senior official. There were two options for extending the runway either diverting the river or building a bridge over it. Technical experts have ruled out construction of the bridge. He added that the airstrip would be extended by 1,000 metres along the right bank and 279 metres along the left bank to enable landing of bigger aircraft which would help bring down the air tariff. “Even though the entire exercise of trying to divert the river is being undertaken, experts remain sceptical about landing of bigger aircraft,” an official said. The state has three airports - at Jubbarhatti near Shimla, Bhuntar near Kullu and Gaggal near Kangra - where flights have always been erratic and unreliable. At present, flights have been operating from Bhuntar and Gaggal after remaining suspended for almost a year. Not only is the airstrip at Jubbarhatti in a state of disrepair but also it
has a shorter runway of 3,900 feet, proving to be insufficient for landing of bigger planes. There is a plan to extend the airstrip. The matter is still pending with the AAI and flights are not operating from Shimla airport. Money matters
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Forest officials find it hard to implement ban on tree felling
Dharamsala, May 14 A senior forest official said on condition of anonymity, "We are finding it difficult to implement the decision. In case we get the information that a person has felled a banyan or peepal tree on his private land, we do not know what action has to be taken against the person under the Forest Act." "For stopping people from felling banyan and peepal trees on private land, the government needs to frame separate rules to implement the Cabinet decision. In the rules, special powers would have to be given to the field-level forest officials to penalise or arrest those violating the government order. At present, we do not know what action could be taken against those violating the government order," he said. In case a tree is felled on government or forest land, the forest officials can take action against the violators under the Forest Act. Kedar Sharma, a resident of Una, said earlier, felling of peepal and banyan trees was considered a sin in a particular religion. This tradition saved peepal and banyan trees in the state, some of which, in villages, are over a century old. These days, religious traditions are being forgotten even in villages. The cost of land is increasing evening in villages and people are now not dithering when it comes to felling sacred banyan and peepal trees, he said. Besides banyan and peepal trees, old mango trees are being felled recklessly in Una and Kangra districts. In the recent past, a large number of old mango and jamun trees were felled along the Bagli-Mataur road. The trees were felled by the forest corporation allegedly on the pretext of widening of road. The PWD has not procured any land for widening of the said road. At certain places, where there was apparently no scope of widening, trees were felled by the forest corporation. The felling of trees was stopped only after some environment activists held a protest and met Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who was on tour to Dharamsala. The CM ordered the officials to stop felling of trees. Certain activists had also opined that translocation of old trees along the roads should be considered instead of felling them for widening of roads. Translocation of trees is being done in southern states. In Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, some real estate builders have taken up the cause of saving old trees along the roads by translocating them. |
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Una leads in exporting timber
Una, May 14 This means, at an average, about 20 trucks laden with the forest produce cross the inter-state borders from Una district every day. Forest officials said on an average, a truck carries about 15 to 18 cubic meters of wood and it takes about 30 to 35 felled trees to fit in a truck. When the annual legal trade from the district is calculated in these terms, about 2 lakh trees of varying girths are cut and transported annually. According to data available with the Forest Department, species like
kachnar, shehtoot, siris, oyee, drek, viyuna, bamboo, eucalyptus and poplar do not come under the Himachal Pradesh Forest Transit Rules. These species grow abundantly in Una district on government and private forest lands. Some of these also fit into the category of fodder species and if their cutting is regulated, the pressure on wheat fodder could reduce considerably. Divisional Forest Officer RK Dogra admitted that about 6,000 trucks of wood produced here crosses the barriers every year, adding that the trade was legal and was fetching excise tax, besides advance goods tax to the government. The DFO said besides pine pulpwood amounting to Rs 12 crore, resin amounting to Rs 2 crore, timber worth Rs 6 crore, charcoal worth Rs 3 crore and khair products worth Rs 3 crore, was being traded from the district through Himachal Pradesh State Forest Corporation every year. In addition, the DFO said 1.3 lakh quintals of khair heartwood, 50,000 quintals of khair fuel wood and 80,000 quintals of broad leaved fuel wood valued at Rs 60 crore is also being derived from the forests of Una division. In all, the total trade in the Una forest division is calculated at Rs 100 crore. Some forest contractors, on condition of anonymity, said if trees from the forests of Una district were cut at such an exorbitant rate, there would be no wood left in private forests here by the next
decade. Dogra said species such as poplar and eucalyptus, which are planted by farmers, should be opened to annual trade while other species, which grow spontaneously, should be included in the ten-year felling plan. This, he said will enable a regulated trade of forest produce and check indiscriminate felling. Besides, he said the ten-year felling plan will also check the felling of young plants. The DFO did not rule out smuggling of banned produce under the garb of permitted legal trade. He said it was possible that some vested interests were illegally transporting some logs of banned species hidden in the legal transactions. He, however, said during the last four months, as many as 41 trucks carrying illegally felled wood were impounded by the vigilant departmental staff. |
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Delay in Goods and Service Tax implementation costs investors
dear
Solan, May 14 Several renowned names such as Asian Paints India Limited have closed their units and small pharmaceutical manufacturers too are keen on selling their plants. This is adversely affecting the flow of investment and employment in the state. The investors now hope that the much-awaited Goods and Service Tax (GST) system is implemented at the earliest, as it would not only put an end to fiscal barriers between states, but being a single national uniform tax, it would be levied all across the nation thus ending tax disparities. It was supposed to come into force in 2012, but the failure of the Union government to work out a consensus among various states has delayed its implementation. Vinod Khurana, president, Nalagarh Industries Association, said: “The new government that comes to power at the Centre should implement this tax regime at the earliest. They can even consider compensating the states in case they fear the loss of revenue.” He said its speedy implementation would replace the existing multi-indirect taxation system. Investors are also hopeful that the GST regime would help lower the fiscal deficit and boost the economy thus promoting business. Umesh Kumar, an investor, said: “The industry is going through recessionary times since the past few years. Due to this, not only has manufacturing hit an all-time low, but the tedious procedure of seeking permissions in the state has further disheartened the investors from undertaking expansion.” Interestingly, when the state enjoyed all benefits of the 2003 Central industrial package, the investors were opposed to such a uniform taxation regime. But the scenario has undergone a drastic change after the expiry of major incentives in March 2010 and they are now pressing for the speedy implementation of the GST regime, which would bring uniformity in taxes.
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700 fish die in Rewalsar Lake
Sundernagar, May 14 He said there was a need to formulate a plan with the help of local residents and other stakeholders so that a solution could be arrived at. According to local residents, the death of fish is a regular feature here as thousands of devotees overfeed them at the lake during Tsheshu and Baisakhi festivals. The lake is considered holy among the Hindus, the Sikhs and the
Bodhs. They said the leftover food contaminated the water as a result of which the dissolved oxygen level went down and the fish started dying. The Irrigation and Public Health Department had removed vegetation from around the lake which used to act as a natural filter and stop impurities from flowing into the lake directly. The department had constructed drains around the lake and even constructed a concrete structure around it. But due to ineffective drainage system, the polluted water of the town flows directly into the
lake. Yadvinder Sharma, a social activist, said: “Contaminated water flows from the catchments area directly into the lake as a result of which fish die. Moreover, there is hardly any effective drainage system.” Also no one wants to kill the fish in the pond as they consider it unholy, as a result the population of fish had increased manifold, he added. Residents claimed that some religious institutions had constructed septic tanks along the lake due to which the sewage flows directly into it, but no one had tried to stop the practice. They said they had raised the issue several times, but to no avail. |
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Chartered flight from Chandigarh to Shimla in the offing
Chandigarh, May 14 The company — which has already made a trial run on the Chandigarh-Shimla air route — is still working on the flight’s time-run, feasibility and time schedule. The Shimla airport is located in Jubbarhatti, 22 km from Shimla. “At present, we have an eight-seater chartered flight. We hope more visitors hop onto the chartered flight with Shimla as its new destination. The actual plan is to connect Kullu with Shimla and then Chandigarh. Hopefully, we will get a good response,” said Pankaj Bakshi, one of the owners of the company. Asked about the timings and the feasibility of the flight, he said, “We are still in the dark over the availability of the schedule timings as we are a non-scheduled air operator. We rely on permissions and availability. Our ongoing Chandigarh-Kullu flights are receiving a good response. We have to maintain that service too. We will meet the
authorities concerned on May 20 and chalk out a further plan.” Regarding the travel fare, Bakshi said, “We
are yet to decide on this. The fare will be decided after we get the approval.” Even as summer vacations are round the corner, holiday packages to foreign locations have failed to evoke interest among the city residents. According to the local travel agents, the tourism market is low as compared to last year. "Compared to last year, there are only a few takers for holiday packages to foreign locations this year. Thailand, Singapore, Mauritius, Europe and Australia continue to be the favourite destinations. The business is likely to pick up by June," said the owner of Link World
Travellers, Sector 17. At present, we have an eight-seater chartered flight. We hope more visitors hop onto the chartered flight with Shimla as its new destination. The actual plan is to connect Kullu with Shimla and then Chandigarh. Hopefully, we will get a good response. We are still in the dark over the availability of the schedule timings. Our ongoing Chandigarh-Kullu flights are receiving a good response. We have to maintain that service too. We will chalk out a further plan with the authorities concerned on May
20. — Pankaj Bakshi, one of the company owners
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Delay in workers’ registration irks CITU
Mandi, May 14 The welfare board, which was constituted in 2009, has been giving several benefits and have launched different schemes for construction workers. To get these benefits, workers have to be registered with the department. Ram Singh and Tilak Raj, engaged in the construction activity here, said, “We had submitted our forms for registration with the department a few months ago, but registration is still pending.” District president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Bhupinder Singh, who is taking up the cause of registration of workers said, “CITU has submitted the forms of workers through the Building and Road Construction Workers Union, but these were not accepted by the department.” “The Union is now sending the forms for the registration by posts and through courier service, “he added. The welfare board provides soft loans for buying tools and implements, insures workers to pay them pension after 60 years of age, annual scholarships to wards of workers, grant of ~25,000 at the time of marriage of their children, pension to their family in case of sudden death or on becoming handicapped, payment of ~10,000 on child’s birth, besides 15 benefits to
women workers . A department official said, “There is shortage of staff and a few employees have been engaged for the election duties.” |
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Use of paper bags carrying porn pictures resented
Nurpur, May 14 A paper bag manufacturer revealed that while importing paper from abroad, an importer has to submit an affidavit to the Director General, foreign trade at his regional office declaring he would not import any porn or obscene material in any form. Use of these paper bags in rural markets here was noticed by Sanjeev Kumar, a resident of Giora, general secretary of HP Paper Bag Manufacturers’ Association. Babli Devi, chairperson of Kangra district Human Rights Manch (women's wing), taking exception to use of such paper bags carrying objectionable pictures, demanded the local administration should take action against those who had supplied these to grocers in the area and take possession of stock lying with grocery stores. The Free Thinkers’ Club and Yuva Club Nurpur have condemned the unidentified paper bag manufacturer for supplying such material to the markets. These NGOs have demanded action against the paper importer and paper bag manufacturer and have sought destruction of the stock.
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Ban on entry of heavy vehicles sought in Palampur
Palampur, May 14 In its meeting held here today, both the social bodies urged the deputy commissioner, Kangra, to issue a notification immediately as the traffic movement in the town had moved from bad to worse in the past one year. Addressing mediapersons here today Dalip Sharma, spokesman of the two social bodies, said the narrow Mandi- Pathankot national highway passing through the town had become a major traffic hazard. He said despite the fact that the Holta bypass through the HP Agricultural University was open to traffic, all heavy vehicles, including long route buses, were entering town resulting in frequent traffic jams. He said it had become difficult to move in markets. Though the traffic police was well versed with the situation, no steps had been initiated to improve the traffic system. He also demanded shifting of taxi stand outside the town as it was causing traffic congestion. He said the present taxi stand should be converted into a parking lot for light vehicles. |
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500 officials deployed for counting
Chamba, May 14 Addressing a joint press conference here today, the Deputy Commissioner, District Election Officer Kadam Sandeep Vasant and Superintendent of Police DK Chaudhary said, as many as 500 officials had been deployed for the counting, while 120 security personnel, including personnel of paramilitary forces, had already been deployed to cordon the premises of the counting centre. Mobile phones had been strictly prohibited inside the counting centre, the DC said, adding that the results would be declared only after obtaining the permission from the Election Commission. Bhattiyat, Dalhousie, Chamba, Churah (SC) segments fall in the Kangra Lok Sabha constituency, while the Bharmour (tribal) Assembly segment falls under the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency. Counting agents should bring identity cards provided by the authorities concerned on the counting day, he said. The DC said the progress of counting would be conveyed instantly to the media centre set up on the same premises. Preparations over in 4 Assembly segments in Kangra too Nurpur: All preparations have been made for the counting of votes of four Assembly segments-Nurpur, Indora, Jawali and Fatehpur-in lower Kangra district at Nurpur. Ashwani Sood, Assistant Returning Officer-cum-SDM, Nurpur, told mediapersons here yesterday that the counting of these four Assembly segments would start on May 16 at 8 am and end till the declaration of the results. He said the counting of Nurpur Assembly segment would be done at Bachat Bhawan, whereas the counting of Indora, Jawali and Fatehpur Assembly segments would take place at Arya Government College. |
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Ex-DGP dubs Virbhadra govt most corrupt
Shimla, May 14 “The present government is the most corrupt government and I am hurt at the treatment meted out to me. I am worried over how the voice of honest police officers is being throttled,” he said, while talking to mediapersons here. Bhandari said four-to-five officers in the state police and bureaucracy, including two officers against whom he had probed the corruption charges, have fabricated cases such as illegal phone-tapping and bugging of a VIPs room. Categorically denying that the telephone of any politician was ever tapped or that he had any role in sending the policemen to spy over a senior politician during his stay in Chandigarh, Bhandari said all insinuations against him have been made without any documentary evidence. “No bugging was done and I am being framed in the case without any documentary evidence or verbal corroboration and have been chargesheeted on the basis of statements of an inspector and an SP, who nowhere talk about my role anywhere,” he said, adding that he had replied to the chargesheet, which was too weak and would not stand judicial scrutiny. |
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CPM opposes privatisation of public sector undertakings
Shimla, May 14 The CPM has raised its opposition here as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan is visiting Shimla tomorrow. In a statement, CPM state secretariat Tikender Panwar further accused the Congress and the BJP of following the same neo-liberal polices of privatistaion of the PSUs at the behest of the international agencies without realising the fallout of the economic crisis. The CPM claimed that the former chairman of Axis Bank PJ Nayak headed the panel appointed by the RBI just before the LS polls were announced. The committee has come out with its report to privatise public sector banks (PSBs) submitted in May promptly just before the formation of the new government, the party stated. The CPM opposed Nayak committee’s recommendations on the ground that privatisation of PSBs went against the government’s objective of financial inclusion. Moreover, more than 500 private banks collapsed between 1947 and 1969 while more than 25 private banks became bankrupt thereafter in which the PSBs were forced to bear the brunt, Panwar claimed. The CPM alleged that main reason behind the suicide of lakhs of farmers in the past decade is lack of institutional credit. This would further aggravate if the PSBs were privatised, Panwar claimed. |
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Patients suffer as city roads cry for repair
Shimla, May 14 Adding to the woes is the digging of roadsides for laying of cable wires by a private communication company. The work has started near the Kamla Nehru Hospital, Himuda Colony,
Kagnadhar, and Sector 2, 3, 4 and Sector 5 in New Shimla. Potholes and craters on the roads have made driving risky for commuters, especially patients, rued. Traffic jams is a routine affair as one side of the road has been occupied for parking of vehicles. The digging work which was recently completed on the Mall Road has left behind scars giving a shabby look to the road, rued members of the Mall Business Association. “The MC needs to take care of the roads. The
Sector 5 phase-III road needs attention as it has debris on one side and parked vehicles on the other,” said Satish
Chauhan, a visitor to the Kagnadhar area. “We have urged both the Public Works Department and the MC to repair the road at the earliest, but to no avail,” said Mamta
Mokta, president of the Residents’ Welfare Association, Himuda Colony Sector 5,
Kagnadhar, New Shimla. Shimla Mayor Sanjay Chauhan said the corporation had started the repair work on the Indira Gandhi Medical College Road, New Shimla, and completed the tarring work on the Boileauganj and the Summer Hill road. “We will make the city roads smooth for
travelling. All repair and tarring work will be started soon as works have been allotted to contractors,”
he asserted.
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Army recruitment rally in Kullu from May 22
Kullu, May 14 He said recruitment for general duty soldiers for candidates of Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti districts will be held on May 22 while the it is scheduled for Sadar
Mandi, Chachyot, Thunag and Ladbharol subdivisions of Mandi district for May 23. He said general duty recruitment for Sundernagar,
Jogindernagar, Padhhar, Sandhol and Karsog regions of Mandi district will be held on May 24. He said recruitment for soldier clerks and storekeepers for Mandi district candidates would be held on May 25 while it was scheduled on May 26 for the candidates of Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti districts. |
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CPM demands repoll in 1,000 booths in Bengal
Shimla, May 14 CPM state secretary Tikender Panwar said the party lodged a protest in support of CPMs’ nationwide call for re-polling in West Bengal. The entire state machinery and the police in West Bengal connived and manipulated the elections, he charged. The elections were marked with widespread violence as TMC goons captured more than 1,000 polling booths by driving away polling agents
of opposition parties, he alleged. The party accused the Election Commission of India of not taking any cognisance of vulnerable constituencies in the country. It was shocking that the ECI was unable to intervene during this round of polling, even though there was warning about what was to come after the earlier two phases, CPM alleged. CPM said the ECI should intervene urgently to order re-polling and ensure free and fair poll. |
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HC reserves verdict in HPCA case
Shimla, May 14 After hearing the case, a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan reserved its order. The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association has challenged the decision of the state government to cancel the lease granted to the HPCA and take over its premises. The high court had earlier decided the matter by dismissing the application to implead the Chief Minister and other government functionaries. Aggrieved from this order, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association had moved the Supreme Court, which remanded the matter back to the high court for deciding it afresh. |
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The state government had, a few months back, completely banned felling of banyan and peepal trees in the state. A decision to this effect was taken by the state Cabinet.
More than 700 fish have died in the past three days at Rewalsar Lake situated in the Rewalsar town of Mandi district.
Employees of Rewalsar nagar panchayat said none of the officials of the Fisheries Department had visited the
spot. Bansi Lal, president, Rewalsar nagar panchayat, said: “As soon as I came to know about the incident, a team was deputed to take the fish out of the lake.”
Chamba, May 14
Shimla, May 14
