Cess on hydel power okayed
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 8 — The Centre has agreed to the proposal of the state for imposing a cess on hydel power generation.

Disclosing this at Rewalsar in Mandi last evening, Mr P K Dhumal, Chief Minister, said that as per the Centre's decision, two-third of the revenue raised through the proposed cess would go to the State and the remaining to the development of the hydro-power sector.

He announced the setting up of a development authority for planned development and beautification of the Rewalsar and Prashar lakes which attract a large number of tourists every year.

He criticised the "pseudo-secularists" for opposing "Saraswati Vandana" during the meeting of education ministers recently, saying that it was an attack on the cultural unity of the nation as "Saraswati Vandana" was also an integral part of the education tradition in the country.

Mr Dhumal said that state government had decided to give a boost to tourism with a view to generating income and creating employment opportunities for the youth. Adventure, pilgrim and nature tourism had vast scope and government proposed to exploit this untapped potential in a phased manner.

He said Rs 1 crore had been earmarked for the construction of "sulabh shochalyas" at important tourist places and halting points along the roads for the convenience of tourists and commuters.

The Chief Minister said his government was giving top priority to the creation of employment opportunities. One thousand youth would be recruited for the newly sanctioned India Reserve Battalion and 400 more posts would be filled in the police department soon. He said that on his request, the Chiefs of Army and Air Force had agreed to organise recruitment rallies in Himachal Pradesh.

He advised the youth not to run after white collar jobs and instead, set up their own self-employment ventures as there was little scope for jobs in the government sector.

He said "Kisan Bhavan" was being constructed in Delhi at a cost of Rs 2 crore. Farmers would get information of different markets of the country on the Internet.

He Chief Minister sanctioned Rs 2.5 lakh for the construction of a ‘sulabh shochalaya’ at Rewalsar, Rs 1 lakh for additional accommodation in the High School, Kalkhar and Rs 1 lakh for a stadium at Rewalsar.

He was addressing a public meeting after inaugurating a lift water supply scheme at Rewalsar.

Mr I D Dhiman, Education Minister, said that 10,000 poorest of the poor students of Scheduled Caste families would be imparted education free of cost at ten plus one and plus two class levels every year.

Mr Roop Singh, Forest Minister, said that Rs 35 crore was being spent on various irrigation and water supply schemes in Mandi district during the current financial year.