Pong Dam lake gets Ramsar site status
Streamline power board’s working: Stokes
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 24
Mrs Vidya Stokes, Himachal Minister for Power, has expressed concern over the inability of the project authorities to ensure proper implementation of the Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) plans in hydel power projects and sought a detailed report from the state electricity board in this regard.

She said she was disgusted that hardly any vegetation was visible in various project areas though crores had been even given under the CAT plans. She said she had asked the board to compile details of the funds and its utilization along with the area brought under plantations. Mrs Stokes felt that there had been no proper monitoring of CAT plans. Funds were given to the Forest Department and no effort was made ensure proper utilisation of that what to speak of new plantations. Even nurseries had not been developed to raise the required plant material.

He said the government had also decided to ascertain whether the generation capacity of mini and micro assigned to the private sector had been underrated by the Independent Power Producers (IPP’s). She said this would be an important issue during the overall review of the projects.

Mrs Stokes said that steps were afoot to streamline the functioning of the board and it had been decided to put mechanism in place for constant monitoring of energy supplied by it. The energy would be metered at various levels to check power theft and bring down transmission and distribution losses.

PTI adds: The Pong dam lake in Kangra district also known as Maharana Pratap Sagar has been declared “Ramsar site-wetland of International Importance” by the Ramsar Bureau, Switzerland, Himachal Power Minister Vidya Stokes today said.

She said that a proposal for declaring Pong dam lake as Ramsar site was formulated by the state Council for Science, Technology and Environment, Shimla and submitted to Ramsar Bureau, Switzerland through are Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

For any site to be declared as Ramsar site of International Importance, it should meet the criteria like supporting vulnerable, endangered or threatened species, attract more than 20,000 waterbirds and support a significant proportion of indigenous fish sub-species and Pong dam lake was the first lake in Himachal to get this distinction, she added.

Ms Vidya Stokes said that the declaration would provide an opportunity to seck international technical support for conservation and sustainable use of wetland through participatory mechanism and also ensure international cooperation and financial assistance for wetland conservation. It would increase tourism potential of the site, she added.

She said that Pong had been declared Ramsar-wetland on account of its rich waterfowl diversity. It supported more than 54 species of waterfowl. The sanctuary constituted an important habitat for migratory waterfowls and more than 1,15,000 birds had been recorded during this winter. The fish diversity was also rich and the Pong wetland supported 25 species belonging to five families and fish was being used as an important bio-resource and source of livelihood by the local people. The water level was subject o seasonal fluctuation and beside beas river, wetland was fed by perennial streams emanating from Dhauladhar Range in Kangra valley.

Distribution of wrong potato seeds to be probed
Our Correspondent

Una, April 24
The report submitted by the Deputy Director (Agriculture), which he submitted to his higher authorities when news items regarding the distribution of wrong potato seeds to farmers of Una district appeared in The Tribune and Dainik Tribune, has been rejected by the Secretary (Agriculture), Himachal Pradesh. The Deputy Commissioner, Una, has received a letter from the Secretary to conduct a fresh inquiry.

A press note issued here today by the DC asked the potato growers of Una district to provide information on how much potato seed was distributed to them by the Agriculture Department, how much rate was charged for the seed, how much advance money was collected by the department, in writing.

The farmers of Una district had deposited advance payment at the rate of Rs 500 per 80 kg-bag for the Kufri Jyoti potato seed variety but after bloom it was found that 60 per cent of seed was of the Kufri Chandramukhi variety and only 40 per cent of the Kufri Jyoti variety. On farmers’ complaint, the Additional Director and other officials conducted inquiry but farmers were not satisfied and represented that matter to the Chief Minister.

Deputy Commissioner Rajnesh told The Tribune that an inquiry was being conducted into the matter by Mr Abhitabh Awasthi, Additional District Magistrate. He said the report would be sent to the Secretary within one week.

HRTC to tie up with Telco
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 24
To cut down expenditure and ensure a proper maintenance of its fleet, the Himachal Road Transport Corporation has decided to have a tie-up with Telco, a leading bus manufacturer of the country.

Mr G.S. Bali, Transport Minister, told newsmen here today that negotiations were on with the company for signing an annual maintenance contract for the buses purchased from it. The HRTC would save upto Rs 5 crore every year if the contract was finalised. It would also enable it to check pilferage from its workshop.

He said Telco had already agreed to make some workshops of the corporation authorised service stations for its vehicles. The first two such stations would come up at Dharamsala and Rohru. Mr Bali said permits given to bus operators deviating from the sanctioned routes would be cancelled. There were complaints that some operators were plying buses on unmetalled routes, which was causing inconvenience to commuters.

The recent 25 per cent increase in bus fares had led to an increase of only about 15 per cent in the corporation’s earnings because the revision was effective only in Himachal Pradesh. Inspite of the increase, there was a wide gap in the income, which was Rs 14.38 per bus per km, and the expenditure which was Rs 17.87 per bus per km. He had fixed the target of increasing the income by Re 1 per bus per km and bringing down expenditure by Rs 1.50 per bus per km. The corporation had been told to replace expensive loans with cheaper loans.

To ensure that passengers were not fleeced by owners of wayside dhabas in connivance with the HRTC bus crew, the corporation had decided to approve dhabas along various routes where meals would be available at fixed prices.

The corporation would do away with giving overtime wages and, instead, hire more drivers and conductors on contract for operating in tribal and interior areas where the regular staff was not willing to go.

No plan to regularise encroachments: Butail
Our Correspondent

Palampur, April 24
The Himachal Pradesh Government has no plan to regularise the encroachments made on government and forest land in the state.

Addressing Revenue Officers here today, Revenue Minister Brij Butail said the previous BJP government had invited applications for the regularisation of encroachments on government land but the present government had yet not discussed the matter.

He said there were over 10 lakh cases of encroachments in the state and it was not practically possible to regularise the encroachments, as many of them had encroached upon the government land just 10 days before the announcement of the policy for the regularisation of encroachments in the state by the previous government.

He said it was surprising that in such cases the encroachers had also completed the papers formalities by tampering with the official records in connivance with the revenue officials.

Mr Butail said he had already ordered enquiry into all such cases and no one would be allowed to forcibly encroach upon the government land in the state. He said Tehsildars had been asked to remove such encroachments without any delay. As far as forest land is concerned, the state government had no power to interfere and such encroachments could never be regularised under the Central Act.

Mr Butail said as per the Congress manifesto, the priority of the government would be to allot land to the landless persons and in such cases the government would take liberal view and encroachments made by the landless could also be regularised.

Mr Butail admitted that encroachments on roadside government land had gone up in the past few years. He held PWD officers responsible for such encroachments as they did not take action against the defaulters. He asked the PWD officers to be vigilant and enforce the law.

Enforcement team in Hamirpur
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, April 24
In connection with the alleged recruitment scam by the HP Subordinate Services Selection Board chief S.M. Katwal, a high-level team of the Enforcement Department is here since yesterday. It is recording statements of various persons stated to be responsible in the recruitment process. An IPS officer heads the team with DSPs and inspectors assisting him.

The Enforcement Department, last month had seized vital documents from the office and residence of Mr Katwal regarding the recruitments made by him for Class III posts, especially vidya upasaks and trained graduate teachers.

Work on Uhl hydroelectric project starts
Our Correspondent

Mandi, April 24
With the first blast for the construction of 8.28 km-long head-race turned today, the work on the 100-MW Uhl hydroelectric project stage III, has started. The HPSEB has entrusted the work for the construction of Rs 69-crore tunnel to M/s S.S. Joint Venture Pvt Ltd.

Earlier, on October 16 last year, former Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, had set off a blast for the construction of the tunnel but the actual work was startedtoday.

The project which had been approved in 1987 by the Central Electricity Authority could have been completed at a cost of Rs 97.66 crore (1999 price index) if the work had been taken up immediately. The cost now has increased by five times. Besides, the state has been deprived of the income the project would have yielded over the past eight years.

Located near Jogindernagar, the power house will be constructed on the right bank of the Beas near Chulla village. The project earlier envisaged the utilisation of the tail water of the Shanan and Bassi power houses stage I and stage II, respectively. Later, surveys were conducted to enhance the installed capacity of the project from 70 MW to 100 MW by adding the water of the Neri and Rana rivulets after desilting. Combined water will be carried through 1,145 metre and 700 metre-long open channels to the Bagla reservoir of 17.60 Ha. m capacity to meet peak-load demand in lean season.

The water will further be carried to tunnel intake through 398 metrelong aqueduct over the Rana rivulet. The water will then pass through the 8.28 head-race tunnel from the aqueduct to 36.50 metre-high surge shaft of 13 metre diameter. Two generators of 50 MW each will be installed at the power house.

Cong ‘manoeuvred’ no-trust motion
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, April 24
Mr Rakesh Pathania, former Chairman of the HPTDC, has alleged that the Congress had managed a no-confidence motion against the BJP-supported chairman and vice-chairman of the local Block Development Committee by exerting political pressure of Rural Development Minister Sat Mahajan.

In a statement released here today, Mr Pathania alleged that the BDC members whose family members were government employees had been threatened with transfers and others allured with money.

He alleged that six Cabinet Ministers of Kangra district had failed to protect the interests of the district and had remained mum at the decision of the Chief Minister to close the offices of the Additional Deputy Commissioner at six subdivisional headquarters.

He said the ministers should either safeguard the interests of Kangra or resign.

CM: rural economy to be strengthened
Our Correspondent

Shimla, April 24
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, has said work on the 70 mw Dhamwari-Sunda hydel power project will be taken in hand soon, which would open new vistas of employment to local people in the area.

He was addressing a mammoth gathering while presiding over the concluding function of the three-day state-level Rohru fair yesterday. He said the work on hydel projects would be started after due formalities. The rural economy in the state would be strengthened. Effective steps would be taken on diversification of agriculture to benefit farmers.

The Chief Minister said Dodra Kwar would be connected with the rest of the world by road from the Uttaranchal side as well as via Chanshal. He had taken up the matter with the Uttaranchal Chief Minister recently. He said the Rohru-Dhamwari road would be metalled on a priority basis.

Earlier, the Chief Minister was weighed against coins by the Block Congress Committee, Rohru.

Bhan visits Nirmala in hospital
Our Correspondent

Shimla, April 24
Dr Suraj Bhan, Governor, today visited Indira Gandhi Medical College here to enquire about the welfare of Mrs Nirmala Devi who was grievously injured in a bid to save the life of a teenaged boy from a leopard, which pounced on her near Pipli village in the Balh valley of Mandi district recently.

The Governor lauded the act of bravery and gave her Rs 21,000 from his discretionary fund. The Governor assured her that the Red Cross Society would bear all expenses on her treatment.

Protest against school downgrading
Our Correspondent

Bilaspur, April 24
Hundreds of men, women and children, including BJP activists, of the Harnoda area of the Kotkehloor constituency, gathered at the Salappad bridge this morning and blocked traffic for more than one hour.

They shouted slogans against the Congress government. Led by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha state executive member Shahsi Sharma and BJP spokesman Randhir Sharma, they were protesting against the recent notification downgrading the Government High School of Harnoda to a middle school.

3 cops hurt in clash

Solan, April 24
Three policemen were injured, one of them seriously, in a clash between the police and locals at Bangora village near Arki late yesterday after the police tried to disperse a mob protesting against the opening of a liquor vend in the village. The seriously injured policeman has been admitted to Indira Gandhi Medical College at Shimla, while the other two have been receiving treatment at Community Health Centre in Arki.

Vidya Dhar granted bail
Our Legal Correspondent

Shimla, April 24
Mr Justice K.C. Sood of the Himachal High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Mr Vidya Dhar, a member of the H.P. Subordinate Service Selection Board till April 30.

The petitioner in his bail plea averred that he had been falsely implicated regarding the selection of Shalu Sharma daughter of Chairman, the H.P. Public Service Commission on the basis of false experience certificate.