Divali celebrated with fervour
SHIMLA, Nov 7 — Divali,the festival of lights, was celebrated with religious fervour and enthusiasm in Himachal Pradesh today. People in their colourful best thronged various markets in the state and made purchases. Sweets shops made a brisk sale on the occasion.

Crop insurance scheme launched
SHIMLA, Nov 7 — Farmers in Himachal Pradesh will get insurance cover against loss of crops because of natural calamities, pests and diseases.

Divali celebrated with fervour

SHIMLA, Nov 7(UNI) — Divali,the festival of lights, was celebrated with religious fervour and enthusiasm in Himachal Pradesh today.

People in their colourful best thronged various markets in the state and made purchases. They exchanged greetings with each other. Sweets shops made a brisk sale on the occasion.

In the evening, people worshipped Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, and illuminated theirs homes with candles and earthen lamps to mark the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after his victory over demon Ravana. Crackers were burst on the occasion.

Himachal Pradesh Governor V S Rama Devi and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal felicitated the people on the occasion.

They expressed the hope that the festival would bring happiness and prosperity to all.

Crop insurance scheme launched

SHIMLA, Nov 7 (UNI) — Farmers in Himachal Pradesh will get insurance cover against loss of crops because of natural calamities, pests and diseases.

Under the national agricultural crop insurance scheme, which will be effective from this rabi season, wheat, barley in rabi season and maize, paddy and potato in kharif would be covered, a spokesman of the Agriculture Department said here yesterday.

The insurance premium in respect of small and marginal farmers had been subsidised to 50 per cent. The scheme is compulsory for crop loanee farmers but optional for the non-loanee farmers.

The premium in respect of wheat would be 1.5 per cent of the sum insured.

In order to operationalise the scheme, a meeting of the state level co-ordination committee on crop insurance was conducted under the chairmanship of Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Agriculture) Dev Swarop, in which representatives of General Insurance Corporation and government departments and institutions participated.

The scheme will be implemented by General Insurance Corporation in collaboration with the financial institutions like state co-operative banks and other nationalised banks.

The insurance scheme would encourage farmers to adopt progressive farming practices, high value inputs and higher technology in agriculture besides stabilising farm incomes particularly in disaster years.

With a view to enlarge the coverage of the scheme to annual horticulture crops like vegetables, he stressed the need for initiating data generation process.