Youth Congress bodies disbanded
SHIMLA, Dec 13 — Mr Sukhwinder Singh, President, Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress, has disbanded the state and district bodies of the organisation with immediate effect.

HP to harness rivers for
12,000 MW
SHIMLA, Dec 13 — The Himachal government has prepared a programme to harness 12,000 MW hydro power potential by involving the private sector on a selective basis.

'Cong on verge of split'
JWALAMUKHI, Dec 13 — Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, has denied that he was promoting regionalism.

Workshop on growth of hill areas
SHIMLA, Dec 13 — The three-day national workshop, on "Socio-Economic Development in Mountain Areas", has underlined the need for providing special assistance to Himalayan border states to speed up development.

Bharmour library needs attention
CHAMBA, Dec 13 — The library at the tribal subdivisional headquarters at Bharmour is in a shambles. According to an official information, an office of Government Senior Secondary School has been accommodated in the library which has spoiled the study atmosphere.

Youth Congress bodies disbanded
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 13 — Mr Sukhwinder Singh, President, Himachal Pradesh Youth Congress, has disbanded the state and district bodies of the organisation with immediate effect.

Announcing the decision at a press conference here today he said the new body would be constituted in two phases. In the first phase, to be completed within one month, 11 office-bearers would be inducted. Unlike the previous jumbo size body, which had as many as 64 members, the reconstituted team would have only 25 members.

He said he would take all senior party leaders into confidence and ensure proper representation to all areas. In the outgoing body 21 out of 64 members were from Shimla district which was on the higher side. He would like to have small, but an effective body.

Mr Sukhwinder said sincerity of leaders from rural areas not their factional loyalties would be taken into account while selecting the new team. He would intensively tour the state and appoint new office-bearers in consultation with Mr Manish Tiwari the national president of Youth Congress. Women would also be given due representation.

He said he would do his best to come up to the expectation of Mrs Sonia Gandhi who had reposed her faith in him. He admitted the previous body, despite its huge size, could not function very effectively for various reasons.

A membership drive would be launched as soon as the new team assumed office. Over the next six months about two lakh members would be enrolled. In order to mobilise its cadres, he would take up issues affecting youth like unemployment. A state-wide campaign would be launched to muster support for its demand for grant of "unemployment allowance" to all eligible persons. Besides, it also wanted the government to ensure that 80 per cent of jobs in the private sector should be earmarked for Himachalis.

Besides highlighting the problems of youth the Congress would also engage in constructive social activities like blood donation and tree plantation.

He appealed to all those who had left the organisation for one reason or the other to return to the party fold. He said the doors of the party were open to all. Replying to question he said Youth Congress would welcome the return of any leader, including Mr Sukh Ram, if the high command decided to take him back.

Mr Harbhajan Singh, General Secretary of the Pradesh Congress Committee, who is also in charge of the front organisation, said the former presidents of the Youth Congress should be suitably accommodated in the state Congress and those coming out from the National Students Union of India should be inducted into the Youth Congress to strengthen the entire organisational network.

Mr Sukhwinder revoked the expulsion of Mr Vishwa Raj Chauhan, a former vice-president of the Youth Congress from Sirmaur, who was expelled for anti-party activities.

HP to harness rivers for 12,000 MW
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 13 — The Himachal government has prepared a programme to harness 12,000 MW hydro power potential by involving the private sector on a selective basis.

The state has an untapped hydro-electric potential of 24,000 MW in its five river basins of Satluj, Beas, Ravi, Yamuna and Chenab. In addition, the state has number of rivulets. So far only 4,000 MW potential had been tapped. Out of this about 300 MW had been harnessed by the state power board and remaining by the Bhakra and Beas Management Board.

So far at least 14 projects of various capacities have been completed and the work on 1,500 MW Nathpa-Jhakri hydel project, a joint venture of the Himachal Government and the Government of India, is likely to be completed by the year 2001. Work on Ghanvi (22.5 MW) and Larji (126MW) hydel projects is in progress.

Some mini and micro projects including 3 MW Holi, 2 MW SAL-II and the Bhaba Augmentation Power House (3 MW) is also in progress. These projects are expected to be completed in 1998-99. The Larji project has been reverted to the state sector bringing the total capacity of projects presently under execution to 154 MW.

To involve private sector in a big way the memorandum of understanding has been signed for eight projects totalling 2000 MW. With various promoters the implementation agreements have been signed for Baspa-II (300 MW), Dhamwari Sunda (70 MW), Malana (86 MW), Neogal (15 MW) and Uhl(100 MW) projects. Out of these, work on Baspa-II and Malana hydel projects had already been started. The global offers have been invited on comparative bidding basis for the execution in joint sector of Budhil (70 MW), Sawra-Kuddu (162 MW) and Kol dam project (800 MW).

The agreement has been signed with the National Hydel Power Corporation to execute an ambitious 2,051 MW Parbati hydel project. The project comprises three hydroelectric projects, viz stage-I (750 MW), stage-II (800 MW), stage-III (501 MW). It will generate about 8,500 million units annually and state will get 12 per cent free power, besides the 18 per cent central share at generation cost.

At present detailed project reports totalling 4,000 MW are ready and under consideration. In order to ensure continuity in the availability of hydroelectric projects in the future the government has initiated an ambitious time-bound programme for conducting detailed investigations.

In order to provide electricity to far-flung areas of the tribal belt the state government has decided to harness small and minimicro hydel projects. As many as 85 projects with 104 MW capacity involving an investment of Rs 600 crore are under various stages of execution by private investors.

Hydel project for upper Shimla
From C.M. Kumbhkarni

THE 22.5 MW Ganwi hydro-electric project, being constructed by the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board in the high hills of Shimla district, is nearing completion, testifying to the expertise and determination of the engineers.

The HPSEB engineers seem hopeful of commissioning the project by the end of 1999. A run-of-the-river project, it is based on the Ganwi rivulet which originates from the snow ranges of Srikhand Dhar at an altitude of about 5,700m and carries a perennial discharge. It is fed, in addition to rain and snow, by a glacier spread over an 8 sq km area.

A significant feature of the project is its underground powerhouse, which is 77m by 11.20m in size, located on the left bank of the Ganwi khad. It is to house two turbines of 11.25 MW each. The erection of the units is in progress, and are likely to be completed by mid-1999, according to Mr G.R. Panwar, Superintending Engineer of the project.

Explaining the project, Mr Panwar said the water conductor system of the project had been designed to carry a discharge of 7.25 cusecs to generate a power of 22.5 MW in the underground powerhouse situated the confluence of the Ganwi rivulet and the Sutlej river facing Jeori on the other side of the river.

While construction of the diversion structure has already been completed, the construction of a desilting tank is in an advanced stage. The intake tunnel and the power channel too have been completed. A length of about 800 metres of power channel downstream of the desilting tank has already been completed, while the balance reach is expected to be completed by mid-1999. The excavation of a forebay tunnel is over and the lining work, now in progress, is scheduled to be completed by the middle of next year, according to Mr Panwar.

The project will also have a forebay tank which shall provide storage for about 10 minutes. Its excavation too has been completed, and concreting work is likely to be taken up soon. The 548-metre long penstock, which is on surface except for a 158-metre portion underground, is likely to be ready within the next six months.

Almost all the components of the project, of which construction is in progress, are expected to be completed by mid-1999. The 108m-long tail-race tunnel to carry the water from the powerhouse to the Sutlej has already been completed.

The Ganwi hydro-electric project has been coming up quietly and unnoticed in contrast to the mighty Nathpa-Jhakri project which was executed with fanfare.

Ray of hope for disabled children
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Dec 13 — For the mentally retarded and deaf and dumb children, the integrated education project for the disabled children has definitely brought a ray of hope.

About 50 such children from Dharamsala and the adjoining areas attend school along with normal children so that they, too, can face life independently, without having to depend on others. This opportunity has been provided to these children under the integrated education project for disabled children conceived by the Government of India in 1998. Under the project 40 deaf and dumb and nine mentally retarded children come to the Government Senior Secondary School for Boys here where special facilities have been made to enable them to receive education.

Apart from receiving education, they are trained in sports, yoga, tailoring, cutting, music and dance. The teaching aids used for their benefit include models, maps, charts and hearing aid. The group hearing aids have facilitated them both in hearing and speech and helped the disabled children in learning alphabets. Speech therapy specialists are being invited to examine the children and take regular sessions to enable the deaf children to learn how to speak.

The District Red Cross Society has adopted the centre to augment the facilities for the handicapped children. On its part the district administration is constructing two additional rooms and a bathroom and providing three instructors.

An annual budget of Rs 3 lakh is being provided by the Central Government for this centre. A stipend of Rs 600 is being provided to every child, of which Rs 400 is being spent annually on books and Rs 200 on uniform. The students are entitled to free travel.

In the beginning it was planned that the centre would cater to the physical and mental development of the deaf and dumb, mentally retarded and visually handicapped children, but so far the blind children have not been able to benefit from this centre.

By attending school, these children have gained immensely and one can hardly differentiate them from the normal children. Some of these children are preparing to appear for the annual examinations to be conducted in March. The setting up of the centre has as such been a blessing for the parents of these handicapped children who were worried about the way these kids would have faced life.

Congress on verge of split in HP: Dhumal
From Our Correspondent

JWALAMUKHI, Dec 13 — Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, has denied that he was promoting regionalism. He made it clear that his government did not believe in the policy of discrimination.

Talking to mediapersons before he left for Jalandhar last night, he said he was surprised to know that such a baseless propaganda was being made in the media with a view to tarnishing his image. He added that narrow-minded people were playing this dirty game.

He said his government always advocated a uniform and balanced development of the state. Regional discrimination was the policy of the Congress regime.

Mr Dhumal denied any difference of opinion with Mr Shanta Kumar, MP. "I have advocated his induction into the Union Council of Ministers," he said.

Answering a question about the Himachal Vikas Congress, he said the Mr Sukh Ram would never go back to the Congress.

What makes me confident is the fact that the Congress in Himachal Pradesh is on the verge of split. The moment its high command starts sidelining Mr Virbhadra Singh there are indications that he will retaliate and in the process split the party. In fact, there is already serious trouble in the PCC and some MLAs are in touch with me to join the BJP," Mr Dhumal claimed.

Answering another question, he said the Central Government had been quite liberal in providing financial assistance to Himachal Pradesh. But we shall raise our resources at the state level. The state government would introduce some plans to generate more resources", he said.

Workshop on growth of hill areas
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 13 — The three-day national workshop, on "Socio-Economic Development in Mountain Areas", has underlined the need for providing special assistance to Himalayan border states to speed up development.

So far the central government is giving special treatment only to states affected by militancy. States like Himachal Pradesh which despite being a special category state, had not been getting requisite financial assistance, it observed.

It also recommended the setting up of the Himachal Pradesh Development Forum to promote a meaning-ful dialogue on development needs of rural and tribal poor. Special efforts were required to be initiated for the education of migrant workers and the nomadic Gujjars and Gaddis.

It also suggested a tie-up between the State Council of Science and Technology and the National Agriculture and Rural Development Bank to propagate locally relevant and low-cost rural technologies.

To encourage micro-enterprise development among the poor with appropriate credit support, a catalogue of non-farm occupations in rural areas be prepared.

Besides, studies be initiated to document experiences in the dynamics of working of the village forest development committees to identify the quality of community participation and the ownership of joint forest management process. Studies were also required on forest diseases, removal of deadwood from the forests and man’s mismanagement of natural resources resulting in natural disasters.

Bharmour library needs attention
From Our Correspondent

CHAMBA, Dec 13 — The library at the tribal subdivisional headquarters at Bharmour is in a shambles. According to an official information, an office of Government Senior Secondary School has been accommodated in the library which has spoiled the study atmosphere.

This has resulted in resentment among the library lovers. They are demanding that the authorities concerned should take steps to improve the atmosphere.