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Sunday, February
17, 2002,
Chandigarh, India  
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Need to reorganise districts: Dhumal Virbhadra’s challenge to two
ministers
Work on Nathpa project
accelerated Rs 13 crore ‘spent’ on modern market
yards Move on opportunity cost |
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Bypass turns into waste dump Free registration
for second phone connection Truck operators
call off stir Child dies due
to doctor’s ‘negligence’ Teachers threaten
indefinite fast Milk producers
cautioned Probe corruption charges against govt: NSUI Minister opens
bridge HAS officers
reshuffled Increase in test form fee criticised
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Need to reorganise districts: Dhumal Nurpur, February 16 Mr Dhumal claimed that the BJP-HVC government had carried out uniform development in all areas of the state. The government had laid major thrust on the exploitation of hydel power potential, laying of new roads and maintaining old roads. He said the government had made a headway in this direction by launching work on hydel project having generation capacity of 7155 mw during the past four years. He said 2337 km of new roads had been built and 2877 km out of 8300-km existing roads, had been metalled by January 31 this year. He said the Centre, which under the Prime Minister Gramin Sarak Yojna had earlier allocated Rs 120 crore to the state had sanctioned Rs 10 crore more under this scheme for the
current fiscal year. Mr Dhumal said the government had given top priority to the information technology and made strides in this sector. The JP Institute of IT, was setting up an IT institute in Solan district at a cost of Rs 60 crore. “Our state will be on a par with other advanced states”, he claimed. He said a software technology park had also been set up at the cost of Rs 7 crore in Shimla. Himachal Pradesh was being considered a pioneer in hill development and would become a model state to inspire other hill states in the country, he added. Reacting to the allegation of Mr Mohinder Singh Thakur, MLA and Chairman of the newly formed Himlok Tantrik Morcha, that he was responsible for the split in the Himachal Vikas Congress (HVC) Mr Dhumal said the entry of the two MLAs—Mr Mansa Ram and Parkash Chowdhry — into the BJP was the decision of the HVC leadership and Mr Mohinder Singh was well aware of their joining when he was in the HVC. Talking on the incidents of pneumonic plague in the Jubbal area of Shimla district, Mr Dhumal said all preventive measures had been to control this infectious disease. Seven teams of doctors were rushed to the affected area. Steps were taken to disinfect the area. Experts’ team from the National Institute of Communicable Disease; Delhi had reached Shimla to find out the cause of the disease, he added. |
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Virbhadra’s challenge to two
ministers Shimla, February 16 In a statement here, Mr Virbhadra Singh accused the two ministers of having concocted stories of land grab against him. He said the allegations pertaining to his ancestral land holdings were totally baseless, mischievous and contrary to facts. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the statement of the ministers itself was not only incoherent but also a poor attempt to concoct a story to mislead the people. He said he had already made his position amply clear in this regard. He reiterated that the land, including the forest land, held by him was in accordance with the law of the state and rules and regulations and after the surplus land was vested in the state the land held by him today was within the limit prescribed by the Land Ceiling Act. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the allegations made by them that “I” had tampered with revenue records or changed the classifications of forest land as “banjar kadeem” was simply preposterous and totally false and a figment of their imagination to malign “me”. They should have first verified the facts before making such “false, frivolous and defamatory” statements, he added. He said lately it had become a habit with some ministers of the Himachal Pradesh Government to make “baseless and scurrilous” statements against “me” in order to please the Chief Minister who was “masterminding” the vicious campaign of character assassination and disinformation. In some cases the ministers were not even aware of the statements purportedly to have been issued in their names, he alleged. Mr Virbhadra Singh said it was strange that the ministers should talk about democracy, honesty, integrity, fair play and adherence to law and rules and regulations as these were the biggest casualty in the government presided by Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal. |
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Work on Nathpa project
accelerated Shimla, February 16 He said during January overt concrete lining of 1,069 metres in Head Race Tunnel was achieved against a target of 972 metres. With this, more than 20 km of overt concrete lining of the 26.30 km has been completed. Similarly, during December last, a unique milestone of concrete lining of 1053 metres of Head Race Tunnel had been achieved. In the 27.39 km-long Head Race Tunnel, steel-lining erection of 1085.56 metres at Manglad and Daj was involved which has also been completed. The heading excavation of this one of the world’s longest 27.39 km and largest 10.15 metres dia meter water-conductor tunnel had been completed earlier and the benching of same has been completed in January. The project’s 57.5 meter high dam involves a concreting of 1,83,950 cubic metres. During January this year 7714 cubic metres of concreting was achieved against a target of 7,000 cubic metres taking the total concreting to about 70 per cent. In the dam intake about 65 per cent of concreting has been completed. In the desilting chambers excavation in chamber 3 and 4 is in progress and a total of over 64 per cent excavation has been completed. Beam concreting of 856 metres was achieved during the month against a target of only 400 metres thus taking the total to about 54 per cent. The concreting of the 301 metre- deep surge shaft was also completed. The excavation of the transformer hall and the machine hall as well as the pressure shafts has already been completed. The three pressure shafts of a total length of 2,057 metres involved erection of steel ferules (lining), which has also been completed. Concreting of the transformer hall is complete and all activities in machine hall and caverns is in an advanced stage of completion. After dismantling of the flood-damaged electro-mechanical equipment of unit 1,2,3 and 4 the restoration works in respect of turbines for units 1 to 4 and for the main inlet valve (MIV) for units 1 to 3 are in progress. |
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Rs 13 crore ‘spent’ on modern market
yards Mandi, February 16 Addressing a news conference at the local Circuit House today Mr Kashyap said a sound marketing network had become paramount in the wake of adoption of modern techniques for farming and massive production of fruits, food grains and vegetables. He said the Board did not get any aid from the government and executed vital marketing projects all over the state with its own funds generated through 1 per cent market fees. Replying to a question he said the Board’s income was Rs 11 crore and establishment and other expenses were about Rs 1 crore. An impressing Rs 8 crore marketing complex had been constructed at Solan, the largest exporter of off-season vegetables. A Rs 2 lakh complex had been approved for Mandi for which land had already been acquired and work would be started soon. These complexes were being constructed at subdivision, blocks and remote pockets also depending on the quantum of production there. All modern facilities were being provided to ensure that the produce of the farmers fetched remunerative price. Asked why the market fees was being charged at a number of places where no marketing yard or any facility had been provided, he said the market fees was being charged to provide the facility in future. Replying to another question Mr Kashyap asserted that with the implementation of a sound market strategy for the first the present government had succeeded in preventing exploitation of the growers by the middlemen. The role of ramps had virtually been eliminated, he added. He said the Board had established 10 marketing yards in the state, each having a 6 member governing committee for the mitigation of hardships of farmers, traders and consumers. These committees would also warrant the implementation of the Agriculture Produce Marketing Act, 1969, issue and renewal of the licences of the traders, examination of the commission structure and would take up the construction of new market yards, wherever justified. |
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Move on opportunity cost Shimla, February 15 The state Forest Department has prepared a proposal under which opportunity cost will be charged at Rs 8 lakh per hectare for forest land with reasonable tree cover and Rs 5.5 lakh per hectare for forest land devoid of trees. Hitherto, the government had been allowing diversion of forest land for non-forestry use free of cost. The idea of charging for the forest land never attracted the attention as land was provided mostly for roads institutions and projects set up in the government sector. However, with the increasing thrust on privatisation and downsizing of the government set-up most of the projects were being assigned to private companies. Moreover, by diverting huge chunk of forest land for hydroelectric projects, cement plants and other industrial projects, the state was losing the direct and indirect benefits, which would have accrued from it. Before drawing up the proposal, the department got a study conducted from the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), Bhopal, under the United Kingdom aided forestry project. The Institute worked out that the total direct and indirect benefits from 37,000 sq km, legally notified as forest land will amount to Rupees one lakh crore. This included the value of growing stock indirect benefits like release of oxygen, absorption of toxic gas and other environmental benefits. Reasonable tree cover actually stands only on 21,000 sq km, the rest of the land classified, as forest comprised high hills beyond tree line ravines where no vegetation grows. According to the study total benefits to state that would accrue from land over tree growth over the years worked out Rs 8 lakh per hectare and from land without trees Rs 5.5 lakh per
hectare. The department has based its proposal on the study and since only the land use is changed and the ownership of forest land diverted for projects rests with government. The department has decided to charge opportunity cost and not the cost of land. The cost is proposed to be charged from all corporations, boards and private companies for projects involving more than two hectare of forest land. However, nothing will be charged for the forest land diverted for government scheme like roads, schools, hospitals and other institutions. On the basis of the direct and indirect benefits worked out by the IIFM, the opportunity cost of the land diverted so far works out Rs 4000 crore, which was a huge amount for the fund-starved state. Senior officers of the department, however, say that the cost could not be charged retrospectively. The proposal if approved could be made applicable for cases where transfer of forest land so far not taken place, besides all future projects. |
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Dusty roads eating into health Sundernagar Residents of more than 30 villages in the subdivisions and those of this town living near unmetalled roads along the 12 km-long Baggi-Sundernagar hydel channel and the 5 km circular road on the bank of the balancing reservoir have been suffering for the past 30 years. A large number of them are reported to have respiratory diseases. The construction of the BSL project started in the mid-sixties. The water of the Beas was diverted to Baggi from Pandoh and taken to Sundernagar via a 12 km-long channel and stored in the balancing reservoir. The roads on both sides of the channel and on the circumference of the reservoir remained unmetalled. These roads were constructed along the channel and used for transporting men and machines to Baggi and back to Sundernagar. Earlier vehicular traffic was light but with the passage of time it has increased manifold. At present thousands of vehicles, including project vehicles, run on these roads. The villages affected the most are Baggi, Kot, Rathoa, Pali, Chunahan, Rao, Rara, Dayargi, Segali, Dhamol, Masoh, Bhulahan, Lower Behali, Upper Behali, Chowk, Dhanotu, Mahadev, Ghori Padhar, Dhaneseri, Kaholad, Doduhan, Phagyara, Gheyodan, Takrawari, Dhadyal, Bhojpur, Pung and Changer. Residents of an equal number of other villages are affected partially. Barring the rainy season, conditions over the rest of the year are deplorable. Residents say the traffic is usually heavy for nearly five hours every day when the conditions worsen. They say the dust is turning the fertile Balh valley into a barren area. Besides, the fodder yield has decreased, affecting the milk output. Animal diseases, too, are increasing. Crop yields have also declined. They claim that there has been an increase in respiratory diseases in this area. Officials of the BBMB say that water is sprinkled on these roads daily. However, residents allege that sprinkling is done only when senior officials of the BBMB visit the area. Residents of the affected area have been demanding metalling of the roads but the BBMB has ignored the demand. The HP Government has taken up the matter several times with the BBMB authorities, who say that the roads cannot be metalled due to technical reasons. The national Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, conducted studies in this area and submitted an environmental management plan to be implemented by the BBMB. It suggested that a road along the hydel channel should be tarred and used for traffic. Shrubs should also be planted at appropriate places along the roads to control dust. The cost of the scheme worked out to be Rs 90 lakh to be spent by the BBMB. The institute submitted the plan in 2000, but so far no action has been taken. |
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Bypass turns into waste dump Shimla On the patch between Khaleni and the site of the interstate bus terminal, debris are indiscriminately being thrown into nullahs and on the roadside. The Municipal Corporation and various government departments are adding to the problem by using the roadside for disposing of waste material. Dangerous hospital waste is also being dumped there. It tends to contaminate the water supply system. Stomach ailments are increasing in the town. The district authorities had recently issued orders for taking action against those disposing of waste material on the roadside, but these have remained only on paper. During a drive on the bypass one can see private vehicles carrying debris and waste for dumping there. Debris from construction sites in the town are generally dumped there These get washed downhill during rain resulting in landslides on the main roads. Establishments dealing in construction materials have kept their stocks on the roadside and there is no one to take action against them. The HPSEB has kept a large number of concrete electric poles on the highway towards Dhali, while the IPH Department has stocked water and sewer pipes on the roadside. The corporation has also narrowed the bypass at the point where it has placed its dustbins. |
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Free registration
for second phone connection Shimla, February 16 According to Mr N.S.Gill, Chief General Manager (Telecom), the scheme will be open till March 31, under which no registration charges and security deposit will be levied from existing subscribers applying for the second or subsequent telephone connections without STD/ISD facility. However, the security deposit will be levied in case STD/ISD facility is sought. Habitual defaulters of telephone bills will not be able to avail of the scheme, he said. The towns covered under the scheme are Shimla, Mandi, Bhiuli, Chatrokhari, Sundernagar, Jogindernagar, Nurpur, Chamba, Dalhousie, Chowari, Bakloh, Hamirpur, Rakkar, Solan, Kasauli, Parwanoo, Baddi, Kulu, Manali and
Bhunter. |
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Truck operators
call off stir Solan, February 16 The agreement was struck after a seven hour-long marathon meeting between the representatives of the three transport societies — Bagal Land Losers Transport Society, the Arki-Dara-Kashlog-Maangu Truck Operators Society and the Solan District Truck Operators Society and the company management at Darlaghat. The transporters claimed that the company management had conceded most of their demands concerning the
deduction of losses of materials during transport, inordinate delays resulting in long waiting periods at the company’s dumps and introduction of a mutually acceptable system for determining length of distance actually covered by a truck in moving the company material. It was also claimed, in this connection, that the company will soon constitute a committee, in which the transporters would be given due representation, for sorting out any issue relating to future grievances. |
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Child dies due to doctor’s ‘negligence’ Nurpur, February 16 According to information, the child with stomach ailment was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday. The child’s condition turned serious the next morning and the alleged negligence on the part of doctor further aggravated the situation. The doctor on duty was, however, sounded in time but the child died of vomiting. Mr Yakub Khan, a local BJP Yuva Morcha activist, who was incidentally present in the ward at that time, said he had informed the doctor about the serious condition of the child. Had the doctor attended the child properly and in time, the life of the deceased could have been saved. Dr T.K. Roy, senior Medical Officer on duty, when contacted clarified that there was no negligence committed in the treatment of the child and the best possible treatment was rendered to him. |
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Teachers threaten
indefinite fast Kangra, February 16 In a statement issued here today, the union spokesman, Mr Neeraj Sood, said the state government was adopting a step-motherly treatment towards these schools. He said the state government was now feeling these schools as a “burden” on the state exchequer but their contribution in spreading education in the state in the far flung areas of this hill state could not be ignored. He said the apex court had directed the state government to treat these teachers on a par with the government school teachers but contrary to this direction the state government under the pretext of the financial crunch were even depriving these teachers of their salaries. Mr Sood said as the one-week ultimatum given to the state government given earlier was expiring and the Union had decided to resort to a chain fast outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office at Dharamshala from February 18 in support of their demands. |
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Milk producers
cautioned Mandi, February 16 He stressed the need for improving the quality of milk and observing the highest standards of hygiene to survive the competition. He said unless the quality of the milk was improved at the collection points, it would become very difficult for the milk federation to market it. He said the secretaries could play an important role by educating the milk producers about the stark need of upgrading their produce in their own supreme interest failing which they would not be able to survive the competition. He also called upon the officials of the federation to rise to the occasion and take all possible measure to ensure that good quality milk was collected and marketed. He said the plant and the machinery at collection centres would be modernised and upgraded in the changed scenerio. Officers of the Animal Husbandry, Cooperative and Agriculture Departments also addressed the seminar and stressed the need for adopting modern techniques of rearing milch cattle. |
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Probe corruption charges against govt: NSUI Shimla, February 16 He alleged that certain ministers were being accused of amassing wealth in the past few years and there was a need to probe their assets. |
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Minister opens
bridge Kangra, February 16 Addressing a public meeting on the occasion, Mr Sagar said the state government had fixed a budget of Rs 461 crore for the construction of roads and bridges in the state. He said the government had decided to connect all villages in the state which had a population of more than 250 with the road network under the Prime Minister’s Sadak Yojna. Regarding power production, Mr Sagar said within 10 years the state would produce 10,000 mw of power and would be self-reliant in the power sector. He said the government had spent Rs 1 crore on the construction of two tubewells and a canal in the Changer area of this constituency during the current financial year. Later, he inaugurated a branch of Kangra Central Cooperative Bank at Zamanabad-Abdullahpur. He said the bank had deposits amounting to Rs 1,400 crore and had lent loans to the tune of Rs 406 crore. Mr Babu Ram Mandiyal, Chairman, KCCB, said last year the bank earned a profit of Rs 34 crore while in the current financial year it earned a profit of Rs 50 crore. |
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HAS officers
reshuffled Shimla, February 16 Mr Himanshu Shankar Chaudhary, SDM, Dharamsala, has been posted as the Assistant Commissioner to Deputy Commissioner Kangra. Mr Beli Ram Kaundal, who is under transfer as Assistant Commissioner to the Deputy Commissioner, Kinnaur, has now been posted as the Land Acquisition Officer, PWD, Mandi. Mr Piar Singh Verma, Land Acquisition Officer, Mandi, has been transferred and posted as the Assistant Commissioner to the Deputy Commissioner, Kinnaur, at Rekong-Peo. Ms Shashi Thakur, District Tourism Development Officer, Kulu, would also hold the charge of the Assistant Commissioner to the Deputy Commissioner, Kulu, in addition to her own duties. |
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Increase in test form fee criticised Shimla, February 16 He alleged that the government had been generating revenue in the guise of entrance test fee from unemployed youth of the state. He added that for every entrance test, a heavy fee is charged. In the name of conducting interviews, no transparency is seen in the process, he alleged. He demanded that a fair and transparent method of selection be adopted. He further sought that the application fee be scrapped and the interviewers be given interview allowance for state subordinate services as well as for other interviews. He said proper arrangements should be made for their lodging and meals be provided at subsidised rates for those appearing for interviews. |
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Special bus services
withdrawn Shimla, February 16 |
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