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Thursday,
May 2, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Joint front fails to break Cong-BJP hold Power
project muck being put to use Sarah road
to be realigned HC order
on execution petition Himachal
IAS officers shuffled Water
scarcity in Una |
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Sammelan
cancelled as Hindus protest Cong men
seek Modi’s ouster Cong
celebrates Shimla MC win Councillors express no confidence
in MC chief Qualification
for sepoys amended Tibetan
centre, cancer society join hands Cable
TV connection rates up in Shimla
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Joint front fails to break Cong-BJP hold Shimla, May 1 In fact, the election results, though not entirely unexpected, have given a serious setback to the efforts of the CPM and Mr Mohinder Singh ,a former PWD minister, to raise a third force to end the hegemony of the Congress and the BJP who have been dominating the political scene for the past over two decades. The Morcha could win only one out of the total 24 seats with an overall vote share of 14.50 per cent. It was expected to do much better as the CPM alone had been securing 10 to 35 per cent votes in the Shimla Assembly constituency. With eight parties coming together to contest the poll the morcha was expected to bag a few more seats and a higher percentage of votes. More so, because a number of congress rebels had contested the poll under the banner of the morcha after being denied the party ticket. To seriously challenge the two well- entrenched parties a third front has to secure around 25 per cent of vote. It has, thus, a longway to go. The Himachal Vikas Congress, which has also been trying hard to emerge as the third political force , contested on its own and drew a
blank. It polled only 4.50 percent of votes which was far below its expectations. The HVC had won the Shimla Parliamentary seat in 1999 when it fought the election in alliance with the
BJP. Things would have been better if the Morcha and the HVC had joined hands to prevent division of non-Congress and non-BJP votes. Elections to the prestigious Shimla Assembly seat had been a two- party affair until 1985 when CPM entered the fray for the first time and made the contest triangular by cornering over 4000 votes. In the 1990 Assembly elections it improved its percentage and eventually won the seat in 1993 securing about 35 per cent votes.
However, its legislator, Mr Rakesh Singha, was unseated and barred from contesting
election. The party could not find a suitable candidate to fill the void as result of which its vote share declined during the last Assembly poll. The party made an
all-out bid to regain the lost ground by roping in as many as eight parties and even sacrificed the party symbol but the move did not pay off. With the infighting continuing unabated in the BJP and the Congress, the morcha could hope to do better during the Assembly elections. |
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Power project muck being put to use Chamera (Chamba), May 1 The project has an installed capacity of 300 MW with an annual power generation potential of 1500 million units in a 90 per cent dependable year, which on its commissioning shall go a long way in catering to the peak power requirements of the Northern grid, which presently due to the demand-supply mismatch is quite deficient in peaking power requirements. Of the 21-km total length of tunnels in the project, the main tunnels consist of headrace tunnel and tailrace tunnel of 7m-dia horseshoes having length of about 11 km. The total underground excavation requires disposal of the excavated muck for which disposal sites have been earmarked and approved by the state Forest Department as well as the Himachal Pradesh Environment and Pollution Control Board. Traditionally, these muck disposal sites are located along the river course or other low-lying areas requiring filling and the same procedures have been adopted while approving the sites for the disposal by the agencies concerned. The NHPC being the pioneer in hydropower generation in the central sector is very particular and aware of the environmental and ecological aspects associated with hydropower projects, says the Executive Director of the NHPC, Mr S. K. Dodeja. As part of the environment management plan (EMP) of the Chamera project is the ‘restoration and muck disposal plan’ which envisages the utilisation of usable debris in filling areas and disposal of unserviceable material at eight identified locations and its utilisation so that it does not mix up with the river water and cause any ecological imbalance. The total debris (muck) is estimated at 17.5 lakh cubic metres. The project has got the excavated muck tested for its petrographic and mineralogical property and found the same suitable for use in concreting and allied works in the entire project components and as such only a reduced quantity to the tune of around 4.5 lakh cubic metres shall require permanent disposal at the earmarked sites, thereby substantially reducing apprehensions about ecological imbalances. Interestingly, local residents of the area are also utilising the muck for the construction of their houses and roads, besides various crusher plant owners. Moreover, in spite of the fact that the stone quarrying has been approved by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for the project, the department has chosen not to quarry the same, but utilise the excavated muck itself for construction purposes. It is asserted that according to plan the muck has been disposed of in earmarked areas along the river courses and adequate measures like breast walling, providing crate walls in line with sound engineering practice have been implemented. It is also brought out that the entire excavation is now complete and no further disposal of muck is anticipated. The continued erosion, heavy rainfall and flood occurrences can sometimes cause damage to the breast walls and as a consequence immediate remedial measures are taken once these weak locations are found. For the purpose, the NHPC has constituted ‘a volunteer committee’ of eminent personalities of the district to monitor the environment protection works, which does so from time to time on regular basis. The committee, apart from other government standing committees, also undertakes their inspections and suggests augmentation and remedial measures. Furthermore, the Chamera project is also sponsoring the catchment area treatment (CAT) plan for which an amount of Rs 10.72 crore has been sanctioned. Around 9890-hectare area has been identified for the treatment under the plan based on the delineation of the critically degraded area through satellite remote sensing data and the ground factual position. According to official information, the CAT plan envisages treatment through biological as well as engineering methods, to be implemented within 5 years from October, 1999 onwards and has been entrusted to the Himachal Pradesh State Forest Department for execution. Till date the Forest Department has been released an amount of Rs 3.6 crore and the works like soil conservation, forestry and pasture development have been taken up. Besides this, compensatory afforestation scheme for plantation over an area of 172.58 hectare of degraded forest land has been got executed by the state Forest Department at NHPC’s cost with an outlay of Rs 45 lakh, in addition to the CAT plan. |
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Sarah road to be realigned Dharamsala, May 1 Officials of the Airport Authority of India (AAI), today held a meeting with the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Prabodh Saxena and the Land Acquisition Officer (LAO), Kangra, to push the formalities regarding the transfer of land . The extended runway can be put to use only if the Sarah road is realigned. “As per mobile traffic norms the movement of vehicles constitutes an obstruction for aircraft if it is within 90 metres distance from the runway,” said one of the officials. The authorities said the matter regarding the realignment of the Sarah road which connects Gaggal to Dharamsala was already underway. Infact, some of the land of the villages adjoining the Kangra airport at Gaggal , had to be acquired to facilitate the extension of the runway from 3900 feet to 4500 feet. Once the work is completed landing facility for bigger aircraft, having a capacity of 50 would be made. With limited scope for extending the runways at Shimla and Kulu airports , it is only the Kangra airport where expansion has been undertaken. It is expected that this will not only help give a fillip to tourism but the air fare might also come down as instead of the present 18 seater Dorniers bigger aircraft can be pressed into service. With Mcleodganj being the abode of the Dalai Lama and the headquarter of the Tibetan government-in-exile, a large number of foreign dignitaries visit the place. With repeated pleas of the state government to subsidise the air fare in Himachal on the pattern of the North East and Jammu and
Kashmir, not being accepted by the centre, the exorbitant air fare prevents people form availing of the facility. At present Indian Airlines is operating flights from Kangra airport thrice a week. With immense tourism potential in the Kangra and Chamba valley, the AAI proposes to develop and strengthen the facilities at Kangra airport. It is learnt that the AAI also proposes to take up work on the erection of a perimeter wall and road around the airport. In the past there have been instances when the villagers along with their cattle strayed onto the airport area, which could prove to be very dangerous. |
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HC order on execution petition Shimla, May 1 Ms Justice Kamlesh Sharma passed the verdict after hearing a petition filed by Ms Padmo, resident of Theog tehsil of the district, in which she has alleged that though the gram panchayat Vassa had directed her husband to pay maintenance allowance but the order had not been executed till date. It was alleged that she had filed the execution petition before the panchayat to execute the order but was rejected on the ground that the panchayat did not have the power to execute the order. Thereafter, the petitioner filed a petition before the Judicial Magistrate, Theog, but the same was rejected due to the absence of provision of execution in the Panchayati Raj Act. The petitioner had filed a case before the Judicial Magistrate Theog seeking directions to her husband to pay the maintenance allowance. However, the Judicial Magistrate allegedly rejected her case holding that the panchayat has already granted the same relief in her favour. The petitioner challenged the order of the Judicial Magistrate and urged the court to direct the respondent to execute the decree passed by the gram panchayat. The High Court held that the Judicial Magistrate of the concerned area could entertain the execution petition. It was further directed that the copy of this order be sent to the Chief Secretary so that the government may make the necessary amendments in the Act for the execution of the decree passed by the gram panchayat. |
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Himachal
IAS officers shuffled Shimla, May 1 Mr T.G. Negi, Registrar, cooperative societies, has been posted as Secretary (Welfare). Mr P.C. Kapoor, Chief Electoral Officer, has been posted as Secretary (Cooperation). He will also function as Secretary, Irrigation and Public Health. Mrs Manisha Nanda, Director of Transport, goes as Chief Electoral officer. Mrs Upma Chaudhary, Managing Director, HP Financial Corporation, has been appointed as Director, Industries and Information Technology. Mr S.K.B.S. Negi, Labour Commissioner-cum-Director of Employment and Training, has been posted as Registrar, Cooperative Societies. Mr Avay Shukla, Principal Secretary, Forests, has been given additional charge of Science and Technology. Mr Diljeet Dogra, Managing Director, HRTC, will also hold charge of Director, Transport. Mr Subhash Ahluwalia, Special Secretary, Youth Services and Sports, will hold additional charge of Labour Commissioner. Mr S.C. Mehta, Special Secretary, Forests, has also been given charge of Departmental Enquiries. The government cancelled the transfer of Mr D.K.Rattan, SDM, Chamba, and appointed Mr Neeraj Kumar as SDM, Sarkaghat. Mr P.D. Chaudhary, Joint Director, HIPA, has been posted as SDM, Theog. |
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Water scarcity in Una Una, May 1 The area, supposed to receive three hours of water supply each in the morning and evening, is getting supply for only one hour each. Similarly, the area that is supposed to get two hours’ supply thrice a day, is getting only for one hour each time. The reason for the reduced water in Una is fourfold: Una town water supply scheme has been extended to nearby villages for political consideration, the level of groundwater has gone down, reduced discharge of tubewells and the
expansion of Una town on all the four sides. As a result, the residents are facing an acute drinking water shortage. The Executive Engineer Irrigation and Public Health told The Tribune that the department had started the construction of an overhead water storage tank near Malahat village and the area beyond Una Khad would get potable water from this tank. This work would take about three months to complete. |
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Sammelan
cancelled as Hindus protest Kangra, May 1 Tension had mounted in the town following exception taken by the Shiv Sena (Bal Thackeray), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), All-India Hindu Mahasabha, Gayatri Parivar Hardwar, Balmiki Sangathan, Seva Bharti and other social and student organisations to this programme planned by Christian missionaries. The organisations had alleged it was an attempt to allure innocent Hindus for embracing Christianity by misleading them. Mr Pastor Timotheus (Bahl), local organiser, Pastor John Stephen (convention manager) and Mr Samson Dharamraj (Evangelist), both from Coimbatore, in a press conference here announced the cancellation of the sammelan. Mr Pastor Timotheus said, “The sammelan has been cancelled as we don’t want any
ill will among different sections of society. We want peace to prevail”. He refuted the allegations that they were forcibly converting Hindus to Christianity because he was not a Christian but a follower of the Bible. He said, “Christianity as a religion has nothing to do with this sammelan. Mr Nazeer Masih, president of the local Christian Forum, said the local members of the St Jame’s Church today approached the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Prabhod Saxena, and the SDM, Dr N.K. Laath, saying that they had nothing to do with this sammelan as they had not been taken into confidence by the organisers before finalising the programme. Meanwhile, Hindus protesting under the banner of the newly formed Hindu Suraksha Manch which is spearheading the agitation, today blocked the Dharamsala-Hoshiarpur highway at Kachari Chowk in Dharamsala against the sammelan. The protesters raised slogans and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, demanding that an inquiry be held to identify the source of the funds being pumped into the state for the purpose of conversions. |
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Cong men seek Modi’s ouster Nurpur, May 1 They submitted a memorandum to the President of India urging him to sack Mr Modi from the chief ministership and end violence in Gujarat. The demonstration was led by Mr Ajay
Mahajan, PCC delegate, and Mr Karan Oberoi, President, Block Congress Committee,
Nurpur. |
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Cong celebrates Shimla MC win Hamirpur, May 1 Talking to reporters after the function, Mr Handa said the Shimla election results had proved that people were for change and wanted the Congress back in power in the state. He said the BJP stood exposed in these elections and its rout in the next Assembly elections was imminent. |
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Councillors express no confidence
in MC chief Solan, May 1 The group of eight councillors also urged upon Mr Khera to fix an early date for a meeting of the full house for “taking up their no-confidence motion”. The names of the signatories are S.S. Jhina, Sunjay Awasthi, Poonam Grover, Kul Bhushan Gupta, Hamesh Jaggi, Ratni Razia, Shamsher Singh Thakur and Roop
Chand. |
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Qualification
for sepoys amended Shimla, May 1 An official spokesperson said here today the categories for which qualification had been amended were sepoy clerk, store keeper, sepoy technical and sepoy nursing assistant. The qualification would come into force from April, 2003. He informed that for the post of sepoy clerk and sepoy storekeeper, the applicant should have passed matriculation examination with a minimum of 45 per cent marks in the stream of commerce, science and English subject. For the sepoy technical category, the applicant should have passed the examination with science subjects, including English, biology and mathematics and in the case of sepoy nursing assistant, the applicant should have passed matriculation examination with science, biology and English subjects. No amendment had been made in educational qualification for the post of sepoy general duty and sepoy tradesmen but for the recruitment as general duty category, the applicant should have passed matriculation with 45 per cent marks. The educational qualification for various states, regions and classes of various castes had been lowered to middle from matriculation. |
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Tibetan
centre, cancer society join hands Dharamsala, May 1 Dr Verma said he would be here till July 25 and a separate clinical room had been set up for the new cases. “The Cancer Detective Society of India and the Tibetan Medical Centre will work together to prevent and control cancer, which has seven million patients in India itself,” he remarked. Dr Verma said the Tibetan Medical Centre(Men Tsee Khang ), has agreed to provide seven days’ medicine to the newly detected cases. He said there was a need to create awareness amongst the people regarding regular check-ups so that there could be early detection . He said it was a myth that every tumour was cancerous and a disciplined life style can go a long way in preventing incidence of cancer. |
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Cable TV connection rates up in Shimla Shimla, May 1 Mr Sudhir Thakur, president of the association, said that the association had been compelled to revise the charges in view of the increasing cost of service. He said various satellite channels had hiked the subscription rate and it was no longer possible to provide the service without increasing the charges. He said the cost of the 20-odd pay channels, which were being provided to subscribers, alone came to Rs 185 per month and after including the cost of hardware, manpower, maintenance, service tax and other charges, monthly cost adds up to Rs 247 per connection. The annual charges of pay channels, depreciation and the return on investment had not been taken into account. If these were also considered a connection would cost over Rs 300 per month. The association wanted the government to take steps to regulate the
satellite channels to protect the interests of the subscribers. At present subscription rates were increased time and again and instead of a single channel, an entire package of channels many of which were not even in demand were being offered. The cable operators had no option but to subscribe to all channels in the package. Mr Thakur said if the rates were not revised the cable industry, which was providing livelihood to thousands of youths, would collapse. Already about 35 operators had crashed out in Shimla town alone and only five had been left. There were in all 142 cable operators in the state, which were providing service to about 40,000 subscribers. |
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4 killed as truck falls into gorge Bilaspur, May 1 Those killed have been identified as Shersingh of Gutrahan-Namhole, Bilaspur district, Rooplal of Bilaspur district, Dharam Singh of Chankan village, P.O. Baruna, Nalagarh, Solan district and Mohinder Singh of Talsari village in Bilaspur district. The injured was rushed to the Regional Hospital. The kin of the deceased have been given Rs 25,000 each while the injured was given Rs 2000 as ex-gratia grant from the government by the District Administration. |
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Leopard
attacks two youths Bilaspur, May 1 |
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KV annual function Kasauli, May 1 The Station Commander and Chairman, Gp Capt S.K. Bhaumik, inaugurated the function. |
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U.N. Sharma Shimla, May 1 Mr S.K.Sharda, Superintending Engineer 4th circle, has been promoted as Chief Engineer, Central Zone, Mandi. Mr V.K. Khurana, Chief Engineer, National Highways, Shimla, has been shifted as Chief Engineer, South Zone, Dharamsala. |
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