Himachal News

Class 10 Himachal board results announced

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:18:00 +0000

Class 10 Himachal board results announced

Himachal Pradesh School Education Board today announced the results for Class X examinations held in December 2008 for winter closing schools. Out of the 33323 students who appeared for the exam, 4857 candidates have a compartment. The pass percentage of successful candidates was 68.03 per cent. Of the 1805 candidates who had appeared to clear the compartment of last year 1310 passed and of the 54 who appeared for improvement in English subject, only 30 students could pass the examination.
Results are available on the website hpeducationboard.nic.in and indiaresults.com. Candidates can also know their results telephonically from the board’s office from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on phone numbers 01892229033-37. Last date for applying for reevaluation and re-rechecking is February 18. The candidates who have a compartment can apply for re-examination on the prescribed form by July 15, 2009.

Water to cost dearer in Shimla

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Water to cost dearer in Shimla

Water would now cost dearer by 10 per cent within the limits of Shimla Municipal Corporation from February 1. The decision was today taken in the monthly general house meeting of the Corporation.
As per the new rates the consumers would now have to shell out nearly Rs. 4.20 for consumption slab of ‘one kiloliter to 30 Kl’. The present rates for this slab were Rs. 3.85 pr Kl. Rates for the next slab of 30 to 70 Kl would now be nearly Rs. 5, against the present rate of Rs. 4.50 and similarly rates for consumers of 70 to 100 Kl would be Rs. 6 per Kl, against the current rate of Rs. 5.50 per Kl.
Hike in the water tariff was due since a long time and now after getting a go ahead from the state government that had advised 40 per cent hike, the MC decided only to implement a 10 per cent increase for now. Two councilors of CPI(M) staged a walk out in protest against the move. Councilors of the BJP as well as the Congress supported and voted in favour of the move.

Good days ahead for Chamba Rumal gets GI status

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 01:00:00 +0000

Good days ahead for Chamba Rural gets GI status
The Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh is famous for not only its scenic beauty but also for its historical temples, archaeological remains and, of course, the Chamba Rumal, a craft fast vanishing into history. But now, with the efforts of the Himachal Pradesh Patent Information Centre of HP State Council for Science, Technology & Environment, a ray of hope has emerged with Chamba Rumal being registered as a Geographical Indication (GI) by the Geographical Indications Registry of Government of India. The Kullu shawl and Kangra tea are already registered as GI.

Once a flourishing centre for arts, Chamba, in fact, got most recognition for the Chamba Rumal, a testimony to which can be found in top museums in Indian and even abroad. The art-form had its golden period under Raja Umed Singh in the late 19th century when the Rumal became a well-known item even in neighboring principalities.
The 'rumal' basically is a name given for embroidery stitched by household women in Chamba region, depicting scenes from the Mahabharata, Raslila. Ramayana and even day-to-day life of hill people. It, in fact, depicts the transitory phase when the style of the miniature school of painting translated itself into the field of needlework. The 'rumals' are generally two to three square feet and depict themes from mythology, pahari miniatures, ragas, etc. The embroidered is dome on coarse cloth with glossy untwisted threads.
The outline is drawn by charcoal and then given to an artist who fills in all the details ranging from the inner composition to the floral or geometric border around the pictures. Both sides of the cloth are stitched simultaneously so that space on both sides is filled up making the design on both faces look equally effective and similar in content. This is why this technique is called Dorukha (Persian term meaning two faces). There is no knot in the thread used. During old days it was an important custom to give Chamba Rumal as dowry.
After embroidery, a frame was mounted to the Rumal, but now due to shortage of skilled carpenters hardly any such frames are being made. The Rumals are anyway available as objects of art these days, and have, therefore, become comparatively costly. The price ranges from Rs.250 to Rs.10,000 depending upon the size, motif and the intricacy in making it.
The Himachal Pradesh government, realising its value, took necessary steps to revive this style of embroidery and started a training centre in Chamba town recently. The Rumals have been made available at all emporia of the HP Handloom & Handicraft Corporation at Shimla, Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai, etc.
The Rumal got national recognition in 1974, when the President of India presented the master craftsman award to Maheshi Devi, known locally as Adhyapika Jee. Following this, in 1993.Lalita Vakil, another Chamba Rumal expert, also received the same award and there have been others too who got recognition at the state level. However, the craft still remains limited as not many locals can find time for the intricate embroidery.
Lately, some NGOs have come forward to save this old tradition and dying art, but due to lack of coordination between the government departments and people running these bodies not much has been achieved. With its new-found status, the Chamba Rumal produced in Chamba region by authorized artisans can now find some protection as no unauthorized person outside Chamba geographical region would be able to sell or produce the 'rumals'. Anyone selling or producing fake Chamba Rumals will be liable to pay a penalty of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh or imprisonment of six months to three years or both under the Geographical Indications Act, 1999.

Maps

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:17:00 +0000

Google Maps JavaScript API Example

Rural women rue urban-centric policy-making

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:00:00 +0000

Rural women rue urban-centric policy-making

While India will remain to be an agrarian society for a long time to come - despite the fast pace of urbanization - the rural population still does not seem to trust policymakers, whom they accuse of being urban-centric. This view emerged at a meet held here in Shimla on the occasion of the International Rural Women Day on October 15. Rural women who had gathered to discuss issues relating to their lives rued that though science and technology has changed the rural landscape in the country, women living in villages are still a deprived lot.
Chandra Thakur from Banjar in district Kullu said that it is the woman who does maximum labour from home to fields, but when it comes to rights in property she has no say. Narrating her tale of woes, Chandra said she was married to a drunkard at the age of 17 and after eighteen long years of marriage her husband deserted her as she refused to transfer the land she inherited from her father in his name. Today she is single, but happy, and is also supporting her widow mother and an aunt. She weaves shawls and also teaches the same to girls for which she earns an incentive from the industry department. Chandra regrets that being an illiterate she was totally unaware of her rights, but after being associated with GVS, she became more aware of her rights.
She recounted how embarrassed she felt when during a workshop conducted in her village she was asked to sign but she could not as she was illiterate. Determined to learn reading and writing, she enrolled herself under the Shaksharta Mission and is today a lettered woman. She shared that she has a daughter who is her legal heiress but when the actual property transfer will take place her male relatives too would claim the right.
"Women have to fight a battle at every step," said Shakuntala Verma from Theog, a former pradhan and presently a Panchayat Samiti member. Shakuntla narrated how she was discouraged by men not to fight elections in the open category and was advised that women should come ahead only where seats for women were reserved.
She admitted that though educated, she still had never seen a panchayat ghar before she fought an election. But now she had made it a point to spread awareness among other women to make them understand their rights better. Shakuntla rued the insensitivity existing among the policymakers regarding problems being faced by rural women.
Similar was the story of Devaki Verma (50) from Baichadi Panchayat near Jutogh in Shimla. She has been helping poor women earn a better livelihood through the agent scheme run by post offices.
Devaki said it was easy to talk about environment conservation and animal rights sitting in air-conditioned offices, but it has hardly been understood that rural women were the most affected by such laws made by government. Explaining it further, she said by not finding a permanent solution to the monkey menace problem, the government has further added to their problems. She also condemned the opening up of liquor shops at every nook and corner in the state and alleged that the same had been the cause of several families ending up on roads.
Most of the women rued that there was no market for their products and no one had ever though about helping them in this sphere.

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Snow clad dhauladhar hills in Kangra Valley welcome tourists

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:49:00 +0000

JAWALAMUKHI(HP): Nestling in the lap of the towering snow-clad Dhauladhar ranges, the Kangra valley of Himachal Pardesh in india beckons tourists with the bounty nature has bestowed — antique miniature paintings, ancient temples and sprawling green tea gardens. There is a mini-Tibet at McLeodganj which attracts both Indian and Foreign visitors keen on getting a glimpse of the lifestyle of the Tibetans and wanting to seek the blessings of the Dalai Lama, revered as the "living Buddha".

All important towns in the valley, including Dharamsala, Palampur, Kangra, Mcleodganj and Jwalamukhi, have reasonable accommodation and most of the hotels there have STD facility. Guest houses in the residential areas are few and far between. There is, however, no arrangement for medical aid to tourists. They like locals have to depend on small hospitals private clinics and whatever little these are equipped with. Dharamsala, McLeodganj, Palampur, Kangra and Jwalamukhi lack adequate parking facilities. The traffic goes haywire during the tourist season with vehicles parked haphazardly by drivers.

A survey of the important towns dotting the tourist map of the valley reveals that not much is being done or arranged by the Tourism Department to make the tourists visit and stay comfortable and memorable. Bad roads, unhygienic conditions, erratic water supply, exorbitant rents in private guest houses, non-availability of standard food items and the level at which these are priced, put tourists off.

This coupled with inadequate publicity of the natural and traditional assets of the valley, makes a large number of tourists pack up earlier than scheduled. Non-availability of guides, lack of proper transport facilities and conducted tours within the Kangra valley are other factors which acts as a damper.

McLeodganj, attracts most foreign tourists all through the year but precious little has been done to tap its tourism potential.

Hotels, especially small ones, are ill-maintained and unhygienic; the food is costly and below standard and the transport costly. "The taxi owners loot us because of tourist are not aware of local conditions" says an American tourist, Chris, adding that even the tourist information centre does not help foreigners. Dal Lake, located at a height in Mcleodganj, has lost the pious touch due to the disposal of refuse and filth into it by the institutions around. Residents of Dharamsala have undertaken cleaning-up operations but the plight of the lake is yet to catch the attention of the Tourism Department.

The plan of setting up a ropeway between Dharamkot and Triund and the key towns in the valley is still hanging fire. The area has good scope for adventure tourism. Place like Jwalamukhi, Kangra, Chintpurni, which have popular temples, fail to sustain the interest of visitors due to lack of adequate accommodation.

Another important factor coming in the way of promoting tourism in the valley is the non-functional Gaggal airport in night which is otherwise equipped to operate 10 flights. "My friends from Britain, Bombay and Madras planned to see the beauty of the Kangra valley but have cancelled the programme this year also as they do not want to waste time travelling in buses or trains", says a medical officer.

Most foreign tourists keen on visiting the Dalai Lama's enclave at McLeodganj also develop cold feet in the absence of regular flights from metropolitine cities of the country. But as of now, there is no evidence to suggest that the authorities have any plans to address themselves to these problems.

Power company accused of illegal axing of trees in Himachal

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:46:00 +0000

Shimla, July 1: The forest department of Himachal Pradesh has booked Trident Power System Ltd for axing trees in violation of the Forest Conservation Act, official sources said Tuesday.

The company, executing the 5-MW Uhal hydroelectric project in Mandi district, has been asked to stop the construction work, a forest officer said.

The forest department had accused the company of dumping debris in a tributary of river Beas and cutting trees in the forest area.

The company had axed 18 trees in violation of a ban imposed by the state government, Kunal Satyarthi, Mandi's divisional forest officer, told IANS.

He said the project authorities claimed they had the permission to cut the trees.

Even "if they had the permission, then the state forest corporation can cut the trees on their behalf", Satyarthi said.

The project authorities had not even demarcated their area, according to the officer. These violations came to the notice of the forest department during the demarcation process in May.

However, the company has denied violating the ban.

"The forest department directed us not to cut trees, so we have moved the high court in this regard. No trees have been damaged by us," said Rajinder Sharma, an official of the power project.

Himachal to open milk bars at tourist destinations

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:40:00 +0000

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh Milk Federation has decided to open ‘milk bar’, retail outlet to sell milk and milk related products, at prominent tourist destinations in the state.

As per the plan, the first ‘milk bar’ would be coming up next week at the famous tourist destination of Manali, Managing Director of the Himachal Pradesh Milk Federation Rajeev Shankar said on Tuesday.

Similar outlets would be opened in Shimla at historic Ridge Maidan, in the first week of July, he said.

In the second phase, the outlets would be opened in famous pilgrimage sites of Solan, Chintpurni and Naina Devi, , he added

Himachal gets 13 crore for agriculture

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:05:00 +0000

SHIMLA: The Union Ministry of Agriculture has approved a sum of Rs.13.33 crore for Himachal Pradesh towards macro management of agriculture for the current year, Director of Agriculture J.C. Rana disclosed here on Monday.

Giving details of the schemes approved under this programme, he said that crop improvement programme would get Rs.3.86 crore, agriculture mechanisation Rs.1.78 crore, integrated nutrient management Rs.2.46 crore, watershed development programme Rs.3 crore, water conservation and harvesting and lifting Rs.1.52 crore, organic farming Rs.29 lakh and crop diversification Rs.40.25 lakh.

He said that in order to increase productivity, high yielding seeds were being provided.

Subsidy of Rs.600 on maize, Rs.800 on pulses and Rs.200 on paddy per quintal is also being provided. The agriculture department is promoting organic farming through large-scale production of vermin compost for which vermin culture is being provided free of cost.

Mr. Rana said that for accelerating growth in agriculture, Rs.15 crore have been approved under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna. He said that for expansion of area under irrigation, Rs.13 crore would be spent under RIDF (NABARD) programme. Rs.1.20 crore is being spent for promotion of maize production.

In Himachal Pradesh 69 per cent of population is directly dependent on agriculture. A target of 16.38 lakh tones of food grains has been fixed for the year 2008-09. The department has also set a target of 11.44 lakh tones of vegetable production in an area of 55,000 hectares, said the director.

Sonia, Priyanka in Shimla

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Sat, 03 May 2008 09:27:00 +0000

Taking time off her busy schedule, Congress president Sonia Gandhi along with daughter Priyanka Vadra on Friday visited a site here of a proposed house for Priyanka near the summer “Retreat” of the President.

“Priyanka had brought Soniaji and her grandmother to show them the site and discuss the design of the house to be constructed on the land the younger Gandhi had bought last year,” district Congress leader Kehar Singh Khacchi, who has been given power of attorney for the land and who is their caretaker here, told PTI.

The three arrived in Shimla on Thursday on a private visit and discussed the construction of the proposed house with an architect who had come from Delhi, he said.

Mr. Khacchi said the family saw a few designs of the house and told the architect that the house should be simple and built in pure Himachali style.

He said it would be a two-floor house built of wood and stone. Mr. Khacchi said in keeping with Priyanka’s wish he had called for samples of stone of black and green colour from Mandi, Kullu and Barog in Solan district

Water crisis hits tourist haven of Shimla

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Sat, 03 May 2008 09:10:00 +0000

Residents of the hill town of Shimla in Himachal are grappling with a severe water crisis that is expected to affect the flow of tourists to this summer destination.

Over sixty per cent of the population of Shimla is affected by the serious drinking water problem.

And the summer of discontent brewing over several years has turned acute this time round.

“The water shortage is of such acute proportions that children have to remain without bathing. The tanker comes once in four or five days. There is a lot of water problem. It has been going on for the past five to seven years,” said Suraj Lal, a resident.

“We are facing a severe water problem here. Tankers that come here are quite small and not sufficient enough. They should either ensure adequate water supply through the taps or deploy tankers on a regular basis. This is the ninth consecutive day without water," added Raksha, another resident.

According to Harish Janartha, Deputy Mayor of Shimla, there is a fifty per cent shortage in the daily total requirement of 42 lakh kilolitres.

Supplies have halved from all four sources. While Guma supplies only 14 lakh kilolitres out of the expected 18 to 19 lakh kilolitres per day, Ashwani Khad provides just three to four kilolitres out of its capacity of nine to ten lakh kilolitres, Churat Nall's share has reduced from five lakh kilo litres to just two kilo litres and it is only Chaid that has constantly supplied the regular 1.5 kilo litres.

“These days, the crisis is acute because resources are drying up. The quantity of water which was supposed to be supplied to us through our four major sources has been reduced to literally fifty percent,” the deputy mayor observed.

He however said that the problem could be ameliorated to some extent through adequate storage and even supplies.

“We had decided that all the sources, all the supply lines where we have been giving water in sufficient quantity, we are trying to cut down a bit two minutes, five minutes and ten minutes on all the sources so that we can store some water and our water level will rise and that can be supplied in these areas. That has been the decision taken on Friday,” said Janartha.

“It will take one to two days to regulate this decision. After that I am sure we will manage something. I cannot commit that we will manage in full capacity but I am sure that places which do not have water for 8 to ten days, as we have the information regarding that, we will provide them,” added Janartha.

He further said that local civic body was trying to ensure water supply through tankers and taps on alternate days.

The water scarcity is expected to hit the tourism industry in the town as well.

Besides the two-lakh population in Shimla and surrounding areas, there is also a floating population of 50,000 visiting the hill town, which includes tourists.

If the water scarcity persists, it can have a serious impact on the summer tourism business in the town. The civic body is gearing up to ensure adequate drinking water supply within two weeks' time.

Himachal Pradesh to get four more private universities

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:44:00 +0000

Letters of intent have been issued to the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysis of India, Hyderabad, Reetanand Balvaid Education Foundation, New Delhi, Centre for Advanced Study in Engineering Baddi, Solan and K.D. Educational Trust for opening four private universities," said P.C. Dhiman, principal secretary (education).

These universities, which will be set up at various places across the state, will focus on quality professional courses.

The state government had earlier this week given its nod for setting up two other private universities - one by the Chandigarh-based Chitkara Education Trust and the second by the Kalgidhar Trust.

All these institutes will have 15 percent reserved seats for Himachal Pradesh domicile students.

The government is examining several other proposals for setting up more private universities in the state, officials said.

There are currently three universities in the state - Himachal Pradesh University, an agriculture university in Palampur, a horticulture university at Solan and J.P. University in Solan district, the only private institute.

North to get power from Himachal

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 08:01:00 +0000

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal announced on Friday that the hill State would provide 2000 MW of power to various States in the northern region, including Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab during the current summer season.

Speaking at the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry seminar “Destination Himachal — new investment opportunities” in the Capital here, Mr. Dhumal said the focus would be on Private Public Partnership (PPP) to ensure accelerated and balanced development of the State. Himachal would generate around 12,000 MW of power by 2012.

To carry the power sector reforms forward and harness the State’s potential, the government had invited bids for hydro electric projects worth Rs. 3,000 crore and invited investments by private players and PSUs.

Mr. Dhumal said a hydro power training institute would be set up on the pattern of the one functioning in United States.

Stressing the need to upgrade infrastructure, Mr. Dhumal said night landing facilities would be introduced at Kangra, Kullu and Shimla airports in the current financial year.

The runways in Shimla and Kullu airports would be extended for bigger aircraft. That would pave the way for cheaper air travel and allow bigger airlines to introduce their services.

He said identity cards would be issued to all workers and employees in the government and the private sector.

The working hours for export oriented units had been relaxed and now workers could work overtime for up to 75 hours in quarter.

The government had permitted women to work in two shifts in factories and in all three shifts in BPO, software and Information Technology-related services.

He said the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area would be provided with an alternative road connectivity from the Ambala-Mohali expressway.

The Central government had agreed to conduct a survey for four-laning the Pinjore-Baddi-Nalagarh road.

Himachal to give four free CFL bulbs for each family

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 07:58:00 +0000

The Himachal Pradesh government Tuesday announced itn would give away free of cost four CFL bulbs to every household in the hill state.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal made the announcement on the Himachal Day celebrations at Kanjian village of the Hamirpur district, some 160 km from here.

The plan, named after former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, is called Atal Bijli Bachat Yojna.

The Atal Bijli Bachat Yojna will provide four CFL bulbs free of cost to every household for which a budgetary provision of Rs.800 million ($20 million) has been made, said Dhumal.

All state government offices in the state will replace old electric equipment with power efficient equipment by Dec 25 (2008), the birthday of Vajpayee,he added.

Himachal Pradesh, which has surplus power, has achieved complete electrification around two decades ago.

The state has a quarter of the entire country's hydel power potential. So far, only around a quarter of this has been tapped.

FIR against former Himachal Minister

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:46:00 +0000

An FIR has been registered against former Himachal Pradesh Minister Singhi Ram for allegedly forging marksheet of his daughter to get her admitted to a prestigious girls college of Delhi.

The FIR was registered by the State Vigilance Bureau against Ram, who was Horticulture Minister in previous Veer Bhardra Singh Cabinet, under various sections of IPC, the vigilance sources said.

Dalai Lama Deeply Concerned about situation in Tebet

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:15:00 +0000

The Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled Buddhist spiritual leader, said Friday he was "deeply concerned" over the situation in Tibet and appealed to China to "stop using force" there.

The statement from the Nobel peace laureate came after Tibet's capital Lhasa erupted in violence Friday as security forces used gunfire to quell the biggest protests against Chinese rule in two decades, witnesses and rights groups said.

"I am deeply concerned over the situation that has been developing in Tibet following peaceful protests in many parts of Tibet, including Lhasa, in recent days," the Dalai Lama said.

"These protests are a manifestation of the deep-rooted resentment of the Tibetan people under the present governance," he said in a statement issued in Dharamshala, the northern Indian town where his government-in-exile is located.

"I therefore appeal to the Chinese leadership to stop using force and address the long-simmering resentment of the Tibetan people through dialogue with the Tibetan people."

"As I have always said, unity and stability under brute force is at best a temporary solution," said the 72-year-old Dalai Lama.

"It is unrealistic to expect unity and stability under such a rule and would therefore not be conducive to finding a peaceful and lasting solution."

On Monday on the 49th anniversary of his escape to India after an abortive uprising in Lhasa, the Dalai Lama had attacked China's human rights record, accusing Beijing of "unimaginable and gross violations" in his homeland.

The violence comes amid an ever-growing international campaign by Tibetans to challenge China's rule of the Himalayan region ahead of the Beijing Olympics in August.

It followed three days of protests by hundreds of monks in Lhasa, India and elsewhere around the world marking the anniversary of the failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959

Himachal Pradesh to sell power to Tamil Nadu

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:11:00 +0000

Shimla, April 8 : This summer, the Himachal Pradesh government would sell power to Tamil Nadu for the first time, a top official said here Tuesday.
State Power Secretary Ajay Mittal confirmed Tuesday that an agreement has been signed between the two states recently.
Normally Himachal Pradesh sells power to the northern grid. This is the first time the state is selling power to a southern state at a competitive price.
According to the agreement, the power supply was scheduled to start from April 1. However, the supply did not take off since there was no surplus power in Himachal Pradesh.
Officials said the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) was currently generating 15.7 million units of hydel power, whereas it actually needs 16.5 million units.
However, they added that as the snows melt rapidly in summer and water levels in rivers rise, in the coming months the power generation in the state will go up fast.
The surplus power will then be sold to Tamil Nadu at a competitive price, which has not been disclosed so far.
Himachal Pradesh already has a 'backing' agreement with neighbouring Haryana and Punjab. In summer, Himachal Pradesh supplies them with surplus power while in winter the two states return power.
The primary source of power for the HPSEB is its hydel projects spread across the state.
At 21,000 MW, Himachal Pradesh has a quarter of the entire country's hydel potential. A quarter of this has so far been tapped by both the private and public sectors.
By 2012, the state government has set a target of tapping 12,000 MW of power out of total 21,000 MW.

HP to conduct survey to identify quacks

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:08:00 +0000

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government on Friday said it would soon conduct a state-wide survey to identify quacks playing with the health of the people. A survey would be conducted soon to catch the quacks and accordingly they would be punished, state Health Minister Rajeev Bindal told the state assembly in reply to a question of Kaul Singh Thakur of the Congress. He said conditions laid down in the rules in connection with private clinics would be followed sincerely and those operating without registration would be dealt with sincerely. In reply to Thakur's question that many of these non-medical practioners active particularly in the interior areas of the state were Himachalis and how many were outsiders, the minister said the figure could be got only in the survey. Bindal said the Prem Kumar Dhumal government has accorded top priority to health and no compromise would be made on providing quality medicare facilities to the common man. The minister said that a committee set up a committee on the direction of the state High Court to deal with doctors, clinics and chemist shops during inspection from November 2007 to March this year has found 90 clinics working without registration and five unauthorised chemist shops in the state.

The Great Khali will return his native village

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:07:00 +0000

NAHAN: The Great Khali,the famous wrestler of WWE is returning to india this month. He will reach at his native village Dhariana in Sirmour of Himachal Pardesh. His younger brother Inder singh told that the Khali will reach here on April 26 this month.But he will first reach at Jallandhar to report his Punjab Police office. During his stay he will stay at least one month in his village.The Great Khali's real name is Dalip Singh Rana. He was born on 27th August 1972 in a poor family of the Dhirana village in Himachal Pradesh, his parents weren't as tall as he is today, but his Grandfather was a tall person of over Six Feet Six inches. He had Seven other brothers and sisters, and was the third oldest among them in age. He didn't attend much school due to poverty but because of his exceptional growth and power, he started working as a Roadside stone breaker at a young age on daily wages to provide bread for his poor family. As he grew up he started playing various sports and prooved to be a really good sportsman. He also took interest in Body building and carved his body in a wonderful shape, at this time he was still working as a Roadside laborer.The Director General of Punjab police M.S. Bhullar (now retired) saw Dalip and his talent in bodybuilding and decided to help him. He got Dalip a job in the Punjab Police as a constable in 1993. Due to the increased wages, Dalip got more financially relaxed and began putting more effort into bodybuilding. He also joined various Gyms and Boxing clubs in Jalandhar. After years of hard work and practice in the local gyms, he won the title of India in 1997 and 1998 out of hundreds of other participants , which gave him a huge boost in terms of confidence and popularity and he quickly became an icon for the youth of Punjab.In 1999, with due support from his colleagues and family, Dalip Singh went to United States of America on a Work permit and joined the wrestling school of All Pro Wrestling. Where he was kept in training for a few months, here he learnt how to use different wrestling moves safely and how to receive them as well, because of his hard working and quick learning attitude, he was made to debut in the year 2000 at All Pro Wrestling. Wrestling Career of the Great Khali Continued in The Great Khali's Wrestling Career page.The personal life of this Legendary wrestler reflects the fully story of poverty, hard work, luck, determination and magnificent achievements. The real name of this man is Dalip Singh Rana. He was from a very poor family background but now he has changed his own destiny to a millionaire status. Physically he looks like a living monster with a height more that 7 foot 3 inches and weights more that 420 lbs. His Village name is Dhirana located in Himachal Pradesh, this place is a very beautiful area surrounded by mountains and it is one of the most beautiful hill stations of India. Dalip Singh is a Rajput Hindu by religion, contradicting to the popular belief of him being a Sikh. Spiritually he is a strong believer of religious Preacher Ashutosh Maharaj and he frequently visits him for his blessings. Moreover he do regular prayer and participate in various Hindu religions Ceremonies thought out the year whenever he gets a free time from his busy schedule. He is married to a Punjabi woman Harminder Kaur; the marriage took place with Hindu rituals. On the wrestling stage he may look like a deadly monster but behind it, in his persona life he is a very soft hearted person with honesty and kindness towards his fans and public. At the Dhirana village in which he lived, he has seen poverty, therefore he regularly visits the village and helps poor people by giving them and their family financial grants, Dalip has also made various Public Places for the people of his village as well as Hospitals and Schools, where all facilities are free.He regularly visits various Gyms in the city and motivates the youth there to excel in life. Whenever he goes out for a walk, people gather to take his autograph, but he never denies anyone and patiently gives them autographs and photographs. Dalip Singh also is a simpleton and never brags about his stature.Dalip Singh strongly believes in non-violence in his personal life and that why he never ever takes disadvantage of his monstrous figure in real life .

H.P. Cabinet decisions

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:02:00 +0000

SHIMLA, April 11, 2008: The Himachal Pradesh Cabinet in its meeting held here today sanctioned 200 posts of Ayurveda Pharmacists to be filled up 50 percent on batch wise and 50 percent by direct recruitment. The Ayurveda Department has been directed to arrange for training of Ayurveda Pharmacists in Government institute for the requirements.Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister presided over the meeting.It decided to enhance the Authorized Share Capital of the HP Power Corporation Limited from Rs. 50 crore to Rs. 200 crore for the present and further enhance the same to Rs. 300 crore by September, 2008.It approved transfer of land measuring 18,092 square meters to National Research Centre for Mushroom at Chambaghat (Solan) for upgradation of the center into a full-fledged institute subject to payment of latest market value of the land to the State Government.It further approved creation of functional organizational structure in the HP Power Corporation Limited subject to the condition that the recruitment process would be carried by the HP State Electricity Board.It also sanctioned two scorpios for the heads of Hydro Electric Projects of Kashang and Sainj being executed by the HP Power Corporation Limited.

Himachal govt to launch awareness campaign in Tribal Areas

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:19:00 +0000

SHIMLA: Ashok Thakur, Principal Secretary Tribal Development said that awareness would be generated among the people of tribal areas about the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Forest Rights Recognition) Act, 2006 in the ensuing Gram Sabha Meetings on 6th April, 2008.

Addressing a videoconference held here Saturday to review the preparations for successful conduction of Gram Sabhas on 6th April, 2008, Thakur directed all the officers of district administration in tribal areas to brief the public about the salient features of the Act so that traditional forest rights of forest dwellers could be recognized and justice could be delivered to them.

He said that in the Gram Sabha meeting, Chairman and Secretary of the Forest Rights Committee would be elected and last date for receiving claims would be decided.

He said that the Act would be implemented in tribal areas of district Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti, Pangi and Bharmour areas of district Chamba during the first phase.

Sharab Negi, Special Secretary Tribal Development also gave necessary directions to the officers for successful implementation of the Act. Resident Commissioner Pangi, Additional Deputy Commissioners Kaza and Pooh, ADM Bharmour and SDM Keylong participated in the video conference and briefed about the preparations regarding implementation of the Act.

Near Nahan

noreply@blogger.com (Arvind Panwar) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 06:38:00 +0000

Trilok Pur Temple
Trilokpur Temple: Raja Dip Prakash built it in 1573 and is situated at a distance of 23-kms from Nahan and 6-kms from Kalka-Ambala highway, the gateway to Nahan from Haryana. Trilokpur is a place of great religious importance. The temple of the goddess Mahamaya Bala Sundri is very famous and attracts lakhs of pilgrims from all over northern India, especially from Haryana and Himachal. A fair is held twice an year during the Navratras in April and October when a large number of devotees visit this temple and pay their respects to the goddess.