Shimla: Waking up to the reality of mounting man-monkey conflict in the hill state, the Himachal cabinet today decided to set up 25 additional monkey sterilization centres and even made a provision for giving cash incentives for those who capture the simians.
Presided over by chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, the cabinet also approved equipping these centres with trained manpower for sterilizing 2 lakhs monkeys by June 2012.
A cash incentive of Rs 500 per monkey captured would provided, for which even forest guards have been made eligible. The scheme to be implemented under wild life wing of the forest department has also been asked to deal firmly with thouse found feeding wayside monkeys.
In the wake of landmark Supreme Court order about transfer of lands through General Power of Attorney, the cabinet directed for issuing necessary instructions to registrars for implementing the court’s decision.
The cabinet has laid down that the any violation of the law laid down by the Supreme Court and the provisions of Land Reforms Act would be the responsibility of the concerned registrar, said a cabinet spokesman.
Cabinet granted permission for importing Indian made foreign liquor upto Rs 2,000 per case and decided levy of lease fee on the distillery or bottling plant located within the state.
Approval was granted for change of ownership and possession of estate from technical education department to National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur. A total of 1771 kanals of land would change ownership by this cabinet decision.
Cabinet approved issuing of an letter of intent for setting up Dhauladhar Hills University in district Mandi to Marketing Times Education Foundation, New Delhi.
Daily wages of home guards were enhanced from Rs 170 to 200 by the cabinet with a provision for 25% additional allowance for those deployed in tribal areas.
The cabinet also decided to declare winter carnival of Manali as a national level festival, the Dussehra festival of Jaisinghpur as a state level festival and Fateh Divas of Nadaun, Rishi Markandeya Krishak Vikas Avam Pashupalak Sayar Mela, of Bilaspur, Historic Piplu Mela of Bangana in Una and Ekadasi Mela Devthi, Majhgaon in Sirmour as district level fairs.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
The intention of the govt. to strelize monkeys is good but keeping past experinces, it has not succeeded. A feed back from villagers & residents of towns should be taken. My personnel views are that they need to be eliminated to large extent to save fields as well movement of general public in towns rather adopting steriliation.