H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

HP to have new wildlife, zoo policy
Kangra, December 26
Himachal Pradesh will have a state wildlife and zoo policy by the end of March next year and some sanctuaries may be merged while some closed down in view of inadequate staff and lack of funds in the Wildlife Department.

Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee handing over the first installment cheque of Rs 50 lakh to Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, as Central assistance for the International Roerich Memorial Trust, Kullu, in Himachal Pradesh.  — PTI photo

MLA, minister lock horns over relief to fire victims
Nurpur, December 26
The issue of rehabilitation of nine persons of Rehan town of the subdivision whose kiosks had been gutted in a fire a few days ago has become a bone of contention between a minister and an MLA of the ruling party.

Himachal MLAs go high-tech
Chandigarh, December 26
A special training course for making the MLAs computer savvy was started in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly today. All 68 MLAs were provided with laptop computers on the last day of the winter session on December 24.

HP to have new wildlife, zoo policy
Our Correspondent

Kangra, December 26
Himachal Pradesh will have a state wildlife and zoo policy by the end of March next year and some sanctuaries may be merged while some closed down in view of inadequate staff and lack of funds in the Wildlife Department. This was stated by Dr Pankaj Khullar, Principal Chief Conservator Forest, Wildlife, Himachal Pradesh, during a press conference here today.

He said there were 32 sanctuaries and two national parks in the state. Instead of providing self-loading guns to wildlife employees for protection from poachers, he said tranquilizer guns worth Rs 6 lakh should be procured for Renuka, Gopalpura, Chamba and Shimla sanctuaries and zoos.

He said a four-day statewide census of wild animals would be conducted in February. He said 12 Rangers and Deputy Rangers would be imparted training in this regard in Dehra Dun.

He said the department was contemplating to develop a system of secret informers for controlling the activities of poachers.

He said wildlife eco-tourism was not possible in Himachal Pradesh as wild animals in this terrain were not in groups.

MLA, minister lock horns over relief to fire victims
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, December 26
The issue of rehabilitation of nine persons of Rehan town of the subdivision whose kiosks had been gutted in a fire a few days ago has become a bone of contention between a minister and an MLA of the ruling party.

Sources said the owners raised the kiosks by encroaching on government land at Rehan. Therefore, they were not entitled to any relief by the government. The victims reportedly approached a minister for their rehabilitation and sought permission to raise kiosks at the same place. But the gram panchayat pradhan and a Block Development Committee member approached a politically influential MLA and demanded to construct a park and public toilet on the land.

The MLA not only got Rs 2 lakh sanctioned for this purpose but also asked the Public Works Department to start construction on 2.5 kanal of vacant government land, the sources said.

The PWD has put 50 workers on the job of developing a park on the land. It is learnt that the Revenue Department has so far taken no notice of the minister’s order.

Himachal MLAs go high-tech
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 26
A special training course for making the MLAs computer savvy was started in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly today.

All 68 MLAs were provided with laptop computers on the last day of the winter session on December 24.

The Speaker, Thakur Gulab Singh, inaugurated the training class and himself participated in it. About 20 MLAs attended today’s training programme in which engineers of the IBM and HP Electronics Corporation guided them in handling the computers.

The Excise Minister, Mr Parveen Sharma, Parliamentary Secretary, Mrs Urmil Thakur, Chairman of the HPTDC, Mr Rakesh Pathania and Congress members Thakur Kaul Singh, Mrs Asha Kumari, Mr Chander Kumar, Mr Singhi Ram, Dr Prem Singh and Mr Ishwar Dass were among those who participated in the today’s training programme.

According to Mr.Ajai Bhandari, secretary of the Assembly, an extensive one-week training programme will follow from January 2,2002.

Panel to check trafficking in women
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 26
The Himachal Pradesh Government has constituted a state-level coordination committee under the National Plan of Action to combat trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of women and children. It will be headed by the Chief Secretary.

The Chief Secretary will be its Chairperson. The Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Home), the Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Welfare), the Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Health), the Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Education), the Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Rural Development and Panchayati Raj), the Director General of Police, the Secretary (Law), the Chairperson, State Commission for Women and the Chairperson, State Social Welfare Advisory Board, will be its members. The Director, Social and Women’s Welfare will be its member secretary.

The committee will biannually review the implementation of the plan for the prevention of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of women and children.