H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Rewalsar zoo to close down
Shimla, July 2
The Central Zoo Authority has directed the state Wildlife Department to close down the Rewalsar zoo in Mandi district. The CZA has found several shortcomings in the zoo. 

Hydel sector opened to jobless youth
Shimla, July 2
Detailed project reports of all identified mini and micro hydel projects will be prepared in advance by the departments concerned so that the prospective entrepreneurs could immediately start work on projects.

• Minister challenges Dhumal’s claims

Fish farm project awaits execution
Mandi, July 2
The work on Rs 4 crore national mahasheer fish farm proposed to be set up at Sidhpur in Sarkaghat sub-division of this district, which will be the first of its type in the country, for the development of Himalayan mahasheer, has not yet been initiated despite the fact that the Central Government while approving this key-project about three years ago had agreed to bear half the cost and had immediately released Rs 1 crore.

HC tells Secretary to appoint petitioner
Shimla, July 2
The Himachal Pradesh High Court today directed the Secretary (Power) of the Government of India to give appointment to Nanak Chand on compassionate ground on or before September 30. The court further directed that he may be appointed by the Government of India or it may direct the National Hydro Power Corporation to give him appointment.

Work begins on 15 water schemes
Nahan, July 2
Work has commenced on 15 drinking water schemes currently being launched under the drinking water pilot project in Sirmaur district, while approval has been granted for 90 other schemes to be implemented at a cost of Rs 6.40 crore.

Interview dates for ‘vidyaupasaks’
Jaisinghpur, July 2
Mr Rakesh Sharma, SDM, Jaisinghpur and Chairman, selection committee of ‘vidyaupasak’ and water-carriers has declared interview dates for ‘vidyaupasak’ and water-carriers in Lambagaon and Chadhiyar education blocks.

Rapist gets three years’ RI
Sundernagar, July 2
The Additional Sessions Judge, Mandi division, has sentenced Hari Singh a resident of Khalbutt in Mandi district, to three years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 under Section 376 of the IPC for raping a minor Dalit girl.

Shimla faces power cuts
Shimla, July 2
Power supply to some parts of Shimla town and its surrounding areas will be affected tomorrow as the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board’s will carry out periodical testing and maintenance of three sub-stations in the town.

BJP men asked to be aggressive
Shimla, June 2
The state BJP convened a meeting of office-bearers of its organisations and cells here yesterday. Addressing the meeting, Mr Jai Krishan Sharma, state BJP chief, said the partymen should adopt an aggressive posture to counter the Congress propaganda against the Dhumal government.

Rewalsar zoo to close down
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 2
The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has directed the state Wildlife Department to close down the Rewalsar zoo in Mandi district. The CZA has found several shortcomings in the zoo. The area of the zoo is too small for keeping such a large number of animals in captivity and it does not have adequate staff to properly manage the zoo. There are 69 animals and 15 birds in the zoo built on an area of just 4.5 hectare. Moreover, the enclosures are not up to the mark and there is no boundary wall. Hundreds of monkeys enter the zoo and disturb the animals.

The construction of boundary walls and carrying out other required improvements will cost over Rs 1 crore, and the fund- starved department cannot afford it.

The CZA is against ill-maintained small zoos. It wants that animals should be kept in captivity at a few places only keeping in view the larger objective of conservation of endangered species. Proper veterinary services should be provided to the animals and emphasis should be on developing centres for breeding of endangered species.

Set up in 1983, the Rewalsar zoo has 31 sambars, 14 barking deer, 13 cheetals and some hog deer and bears. The department plans to shift the sambars to Simbalwara near Poanta where they could be released even in the wild. The barking deer will be released in the nearby Bandli sanctuary in Mandi district. The black bears will be sent to the Gopalpur Nature Park or the Himalayan Nature Park, Kufri. The pheasants will be shifted to the Manali pheasantry. However, it will take some time to close down the zoo.

A Cheetal yard at Simbalwara was recently closed down on the directions of the CZA and the animals were released in the nearby forest. Earlier, the CZA ordered the closure of Kalapull zoo in Dharamsala and another zoo at Solan manage by the local municipal committee.

The CZA also wants the department to either improve or close down the pheasantries at Manali, Khartum and Blossom. Ultimately, animals in captivity in the state will be kept only at five places — Lion Safari at Renuka, Gopalpur Nature Park (Palampur), Himalayan Nature Park, Kufri, the Sarhan Pheasantry and Leopard Rescue Home (Shimla).

Hydel sector opened to jobless youth
Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 2
Detailed project reports of all identified mini and micro hydel projects will be prepared in advance by the departments concerned so that the prospective entrepreneurs could immediately start work on projects.

This was stated by the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, while addressing the general body meeting of the state chapter of Institution of Engineers (India), here yesterday. He said the state would give preference to educated unemployed youth and cooperative societies to take up the mini and micro hydel projects. However, entrepreneurs from outside the state would also be welcomed to execute these projects.

Mr Dhumal said the state had one fourth of the country’s total hydel power potential which, if fully exploited, would make it the power house of the country, besides making it self-reliant. His government had given priority to roads, education, health and power.

The hydel power generation remained on top of the agenda and work in 7556 mw projects had been started to generate 10,000 mw additional power by 2008.

He said to ensure early completion of various projects the government had introduced the scheme of efficiency-linked incentives, which would help check escalation of the cost. Besides, cash rewards and commendation certificates were also being given to such employees. Mr Yogendra Prasad, Chairman, NHPC, said 1500 mw Nathpa Jhakri project would be completed by 2003 and work on all other projects being executed of the NHPC would also be accelerated to complete them before scheduled time.

Mr H.C. Malhotra, founder Chairman of the Institute of Engineering, Mr S.N. Kapoor, Secretary, and Mr S.S. Juneja, officiating Chairman of the Institution also spoke on the occasion.

Minister challenges Dhumal’s claims
Our Correspondence

Bilaspur, July 2
Mr Ramlal Thakur, MLA, has challenged repeated declarations of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal that his government is turning the state into a power-rich one and is set to earn hundreds of crores of rupees as income during the next few years. He alleged that on the contrary the power project implementation MoUs that have been signed with some private parties and industrialists, were a “total sell out” of the interests of Himachal Pradesh and its people, probably due to extra considerations and benefits which the ruling party might have received as its election party funds in this process.

Addressing mediapersons here today, Mr Thakur said the entire 20,000 MW total power potential of the state was investigated and identified during the regime of the former Chief Minister of the Congress Virbhadra Singh when he was Minister for Power and Multipurpose Projects.

He said the Chief Minister should give details of any power projects which his government had investigated and identified. He alleged that earlier electricity board used to repair its unfunctional power meters through its own technicians and thus saved crores of rupees for the board but now this job had been assigned to a firm of a minister’s son of Mandi District and as many as 40,000 metres had been given to this firm.

Fish farm project awaits execution
Our Correspondent

Mandi, July 2
The work on Rs 4 crore national mahasheer fish farm proposed to be set up at Sidhpur in Sarkaghat sub-division of this district, which will be the first of its type in the country, for the development of Himalayan mahasheer, has not yet been initiated despite the fact that the Central Government while approving this key-project about three years ago had agreed to bear half the cost and had immediately released Rs 1 crore. The amount is lying unused with the Deputy Commissioner here.

It is learnt that the work of executing the project has been assigned to State Agro Industries Corporation. When contacted on telephone at Shimla, the Managing Director of the Corporation, Mr K.C. Verma, told this reporter today that so far only a tender of Rs 40 lakh had been approved for the site development which included leveling of land, fencing and construction of two huts.

When asked about the inordinate delay in executing the project he said it was not the fault of the Agro Industries, Corporation, but of the Fisheries Department which had to make the funds available.

A scanty provision of Rs 6 lakh was made in the annual budget of 2000 and Rs 4.75 lakh last year which speaks volumes about the apathy of the government to take up this vital project.

The Central Government is understood to have taken a serious note of the inordinate delay in the execution of the project for which it had released money about three years ago. After the Centre took cognizance of the delay a meeting of senior officials of the government was held at Shimla in February this year in which it was decided to start the project work at the earliest. The meeting was chaired by the Secretary, Animal husbandary. More than four months after the meeting only tenders for site development have been accepted.

IPH officials present at the meeting had submitted an estimate of Rs 60 lakh for the flood protection work. Nothing has been done in that direction too.

The Sidhpur project will be the second golden mahasheer fingerlings development farm in the country. The lone existing mahasheer farm in this country is at Lonawala in Maharashtra set up by the Tata hydro-electric company here.

The Himachal Pradesh Government had invited the manager of that farm, Mr S.N. Ogale, the September 1999 to assess the potential of Himalayan mahasheer in the state.

Kandapattan sanctuary was found to be the most ideal site.”Pong Dam also abounds in Mahasheer”, Mr Ogala had reported.

He had further reported that the Fisheries Department of Himachal Pradesh had world class modern infrastructure, technical know-how and a network of qualified officers and staff who after acquiring some upgraded training could easily propagate huge quantity of Mahasheer seed.

He had recommended that the proposed project should be taken up in two phases. In the first phase the seed target should be fixed at five lakh while in the second phase it should be multiplied five times.

HC tells Secretary to appoint petitioner
Legal Correspondent

Shimla, July 2
The Himachal Pradesh High Court today directed the Secretary (Power) of the Government of India to give appointment to Nanak Chand on compassionate ground on or before September 30.

The court further directed that he may be appointed by the Government of India or it may direct the National Hydro Power Corporation to give him appointment. This order was passed by the Chief Justice W.A. Shishak and Mr Justice Arun Kumar Goel, after hearing the writ petition filed by Nanak Chand. The court has directed the Secretary to file the affidavit of compliance of the said order.

According to the petitioner, the father of the petitioner Shakti Parshad was beldar in the Bairasiul project in Chamba which was under the Government of India and later in 1976, it was transferred to the NHPC. The father of the petitioner died in harness in 1976, leaving behind a wife and three minor children. Nanak Chand, who was the eldest son of the deceased, was eight-year-old at that time. In 1986, the petitioner became a major and applied for the job. He ran from pillar to post to get the job but all in vain. Finally in February 1993 he filed the writ petition before the court.

While allowing the writ petition, the high court directed the Secretary (Power), to provide him a suitable job or direct the NHPC to engage him is any of its project. In case, the NHPC showed any reluctance, the Union of India was directed to deal with this case. The court also directed the respondents to pay him the back wages from February 1993.

Work begins on 15 water schemes
Our Correspondent

Nahan, July 2
Work has commenced on 15 drinking water schemes currently being launched under the drinking water pilot project in Sirmaur district, while approval has been granted for 90 other schemes to be implemented at a cost of Rs 6.40 crore.

This information was given by the Deputy Commissioner, Sirmaur, Mr Onkar Chand Sharma, here today while presiding over a meeting of the district water and sanitation committee. He said that water testing laboratories would be set up at 10 places in the district at a cost of Rs 12.80 lakh to ensure continuous supply of drinking water under the project.

Mr Sharma asked the IPH Department to coordinate with the Education Department in selection of schools where these laboratories would be set up.

He further said that 18 NGOs had been selected with a view to giving momentum to the project. These NGOs would be involved in the implementation and maintenance of these schemes, besides creating awareness about the project.

The Deputy Commissioner directed the IPH officials to conduct study tours for village-level committees.

Interview dates for ‘vidyaupasaks’
Our Correspondent

Jaisinghpur, July 2
Mr Rakesh Sharma, SDM, Jaisinghpur and Chairman, selection committee of ‘vidyaupasak’ and water-carriers has declared interview dates for ‘vidyaupasak’ and water-carriers in Lambagaon and Chadhiyar education blocks.

According to a press note issued by him, interviews for ‘vidyaupasak’ in Kuhan, Ouach, Dhupkiyara and Kathala schools would be held on July 10, whereas for Badhala, upper Lambagaon and Amb school would be held on July 12.

Interviews for water-carriers in Kuhan, Bal-Bhurian, Berghatta, Ridkal, Netru, Sandroa, Aashapuri, Jalag, Ladhi, Bhagalala, Siyara-Kudana, Kuru-Kelan, Kohala and Kotalu would be held on July 15, whereas date of interviews for water-carriers in Balakrupi, Dehru, Aalampur Dhar-Charotrain, upper-Bardam, Sakoh, Tikkari, Dhupkiara, Dandel, Bhalunder, Jalari and BPEO office, Lambagaon, has been fixed for July 16.

Inteviews for the post of ‘Vidyaupasak’ and water-carriers in Maila, Tamber, Dagoh, Majhera, Mungal and Jhamunh schools Chadhyiar education block would be held on July 9 at BPEO office, Chadhiyar.

Rapist gets three years’ RI
Our Correspondent

Sundernagar, July 2
The Additional Sessions Judge, Mandi division, has sentenced Hari Singh a resident of Khalbutt in Mandi district, to three years’ rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 under Section 376 of the IPC for raping a minor Dalit girl. The case of the prosecution was that the girl had left her house on November 26, 2000, to fetch water from public tap at her village Khalbutt when she was overpowered by Hari Singh who raped her. In the meantime, the mother of the victim reached there and took her to their house in a semi-conscious condition. The victim was 13 to 14 years old at the time and was a Dalit girl. The police had registered a case under Sections 376 and 506 of the IPC and arrested Hari Singh.

The court held Hari Singh guilty of the offences he was booked for. The convict was also a minor at the time of the commission of offence. 

Shimla faces power cuts

Shimla, July 2
Power supply to some parts of Shimla town and its surrounding areas will be affected tomorrow as the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board’s will carry out periodical testing and maintenance of three sub-stations in the town.

The testing and maintenance work will be carried out on the 132KV Jutogh sub-station, 66kv Tutu sub-station and 66KV Gumma sub-station for three days from tomorrow, according to a spokesman for the HPSEB here.

He said efforts would be made to make alternative arrangements of supply as far as possible.

He said no power would be available on July 6 from 11 am to 5 pm for Gumma water pumps, fed from the 66kv Gumma sub-station, and the Suni-kudarghat area of Suni tehsil. UNI

BJP men asked to be aggressive
Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 2
The state BJP convened a meeting of office-bearers of its organisations and cells here yesterday. Addressing the meeting, Mr Jai Krishan Sharma, state BJP chief, said the partymen should adopt an aggressive posture to counter the Congress propaganda against the Dhumal government. He urged them to focus on the achievements of the government. He said the party would seek votes in the next poll on the basis of the performance of the BJP-led government at the Centre and in the state.

Mr Ram Swaroop Sharma, general secretary, and Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, vice-president, underlined the importance of the front organisations for the elections and ensuring close coordination among them.