H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Centre’s move to affect HP
Scrapping of royalty on hydro-electric projects
Shimla, May 25
The fresh move initiated by the Centre to scrap the provision for granting royalty in hydro-electric projects will have serious implications on the fund-starved hill states like Himachal Pradesh where hydel power is a major source for revenue generation.

Chamera (stage II) to be commissioned ‘soon’
Chamba, May 25
The Jaiprakash Hydro-Power Limited (JHPL), which is one of the premier industrial conglomerates, is executing three hydropower projects with a total capital outlay of Rs 11,500 crore on a “build, own, and operate” basis in Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

• Meeting on Chamera oustees on June 2

BJP claims rise in membership
Hamirpur, May 25
The BJP which suffered badly during the last assembly elections in the state but won three of the five assembly seats in Hamirpur district has once again tried to consolidate its position in the district through its membership drive.

Rajesh Kaushal of Hamirpur along with his rare collection of currency notes and coins. —Photo Chander Shekhar Sharma

HRTC told to compensate passenger
Dharamsala, May 25
The District Kangra Consumers Disputes Redressal Forum has found Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) guilty of deficiency in services and has ordered ti to pay a sum of Rs 1500 as compensation to a woman bus passenger.

ITBP jawans booked
Chamba, May 25
The Himachal Pradesh police has registered a case against jawans of Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) at Tissa police station in Chamba district on a complaint against the beating up of border villagers of the Mangli belt of Churah subdivision.

Lecture on population growth
Shimla, May 25
Prof Ashis Bose, a renowned demographer who was a member of the team which formulated the National Population Policy-2000, has emphasised that the population was not that a big problem for India, but the fallout of population growth was more dangerous.

Engineers demand transfer policy
Shimla, May 25
The Himachal Power Engineers Association has expressed concern over the utter neglect of technical issues and urged the state electricity board to adopt a comprehensive human resource development policy to provide requisite technical training to the staff.

Recruitment scam: 1 more trapped

Issue notice to violators: Forest Department
Sundernagar, May 25
The Forest Department has issued directions to the District Forest Officers (DFOs) to take action against the individuals who have hanged hoardings on the trees. The department has also taken a serious view of the fact that the Larji project authorities are dumping debris at the Beas. 

Physical test for forest rangers

Centre’s move to affect HP
Scrapping of royalty on hydro-electric projects
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 25
The fresh move initiated by the Centre to scrap the provision for granting royalty in hydro-electric projects will have serious implications on the fund-starved hill states like Himachal Pradesh where hydel power is a major source for revenue generation.

The move has come as a big setback to the state which has been for the past quite sometime striving to secure 12 per cent free power as royalty in projects completed before September 1990 when the principle of granting royalty in hydel power projects was first accepted by the centre. These included the BBMB projects in which the state had been denied its 7.19 per cent share to which it was entitled under the Punjab State Reorganisation Act. Its plea has been that once a principle has been accepted it should be applied to all projects uniformly and retrospectively.

The state had also been vigorously pursuing with the Centre its case for the imposition of generation cess on hydel power at the rate of 10 per cent per unit.The issue was taken up with Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee, during his recent visit to the state and he had assured that the matter would be looked into. The latest move, if pushed through, will not only deprive the state of royalty in projects to be constructed in future but also undermine the state’s case for levying generation tax.

It is a matter of concern for Himachal Pradesh that some states like Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal have already agreed not to insist on 12 percent royalty in the projects to be set up in their states. It will have to join hand with other hill states which have vast potential for hydel generation to get the move stalled.

It was after a prolonged struggle that the state was able to persuade the Centre to accept the principle of granting royalty to the state in which project is located. In fact, the 540 mw Chamera project in Chamba was the first scheme in which the decision was implemented.

The argument of the Union Power Minister, Mr Anant Geete, that the scrapping of the provision for royalty was essential to bring down the cost of generation does not hold as hydel power was the cheapest, though the initial cost and gestation period was on the higher side. Unlike the thermal projects there is no recurring expenditure involved. Moreover, if the state has no stakes it will not be interested in having hydel projects, which, in turn, will hamper the development of hydropower in the country.

Mr s Vidya Stokes, Minister for Power, said the state would oppose the move tooth and nail and put the issue before the Centre in a proper perspective. The principle of royalty was accepted after much deliberation taking all aspects concerning hydel generation into consideration. It had to stay to ensure expeditious exploitation of the hydel power potential and protecting the ecologically fragile Himalayas in the larger interest of the country.

This is not for the first time that such a move has been initiated. Persistent efforts have been made in the past to get water declared as a national resource. The state which is hoping to find a permanent solution to its financial woes by exploiting its hydel power potential of over 20,000 mw has no option but to wage a determined battle to protect its economic interests.

Chamera (stage II) to be commissioned ‘soon’
Our Correspondent

Chamba, May 25
The Jaiprakash Hydro-Power Limited (JHPL), which is one of the premier industrial conglomerates, is executing three hydropower projects with a total capital outlay of Rs 11,500 crore on a “build, own, and operate” basis in Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

The JHPL is also having an annual turnover of Rs 2500 crore. Presently, it has undertaken Indian hydropower projects worth Rs 7,000 crore. It is simultaneously constructing 10 underground powerhouses, eight concrete dams and one rock fill dam with a total generating capacity of 8,320 mw in the country.

In a press note issued here today, Mr Jai Prakash Gaur, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the JHPL said the JHPL being specialised in civil engineering construction, hydropower projects and information technology was committed to the development of Himachal Pradesh and was shortly going to commission the prestigious hydroelectric projects of 300 mw Chamera (Stage II) in Chamba district and 300 mw Baspa (Stage II) in Kinnaur district.

He said the Jaypee University of Information Technology had been set up at a cost of Rs 65 crore at Vaknaghat in Solan district.

He claimed that the university had established its academic tie-up with the University of California at Berkley, USA.

Meeting on Chamera oustees on June 2
Our Correspondent

Chamba, May 25
The Himachal Government to hold a high-level meeting with the Chairman and Managing Director of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) at Shimla on June to resolve the issue of Chamera oustees of Chamba district.

According to authoritative sources, the Deputy Commissioner, Chamba, Mr Rahul Anand has been directed to submit the official record of oustees at Shimla. It is hoped that the issue of financial package of Rs 8.76 crore approved for 312 families, which included 192 families of the Chamera project (stage-I) and 120 families of Chamera project (stage-II) could be resolved amicably.

BJP claims rise in membership
Our Correspondent

Hamirpur, May 25
The BJP which suffered badly during the last assembly elections in the state but won three of the five assembly seats in Hamirpur district has once again tried to consolidate its position in the district through its membership drive. According to information, the overall membership figures of the party in the district have seen an upward trend. Party sources said that the number with regard to primary members has goneup from 26,641 to 31,525 this time. There are 1,075 new “active” members as against 635 last time.

The party has decided to hold its organisation elections at the local level from August 1 to August 30, for mandal level from September 1 to September 15 and that of the district body on September 20. The party plans to hold the election of its state president on October 19.

Sources say that the party’s membership drive got a boost due to the failure of the new Congress government to give adequate representation to Hamirpur district. People feel that the district got many development works during the BJP regime but the Congress forgot to implement its promises given to the people to give Hamirpur district a major share in the state ministry.

BJP: Virbhadra protecting criminals
Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 25
The state unit of the BJP has accused Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, of protecting and encouraging corrupt and criminal elements which would lead to criminalisation of politics in the state.

Mr Baldev Sharma, spokesperson of the party, said here today that he said it was common knowledge that Mr Amarjit Bawa, self-styled INTUC leader, against who several criminal cases had been registered, enjoyed the patronage of Mr Virbhadra Singh. He had also appointed some tainted supporters chairpersons of boards.

Mr Sharma alleged that Mr Virbhadra Singh had also appointed some close relatives of those connected with judiciary as legal counsel for various boards and corporation.

HRTC told to compensate passenger
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala, May 25
The District Kangra Consumers Disputes Redressal Forum has found Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) guilty of deficiency in services and has ordered ti to pay a sum of Rs 1500 as compensation to a woman bus passenger.

The forum President, Mr B.R. Chandel, and member Ms Sonia Sood also directed the HRTC to pay a sum of Rs 350 as taxi fare and Rs 500 as cost of litigation to the complainant. The amount is to be paid within 30 days and interest at the rate of 9 per cent from June 30 last year on taxi fare of Rs 350.

Mr Sudarshan boarded an HRTC bus at the Chandigarh bus stand for Kangra as she was on her way to Palampur and was travelling alone. The bus was to reach Kangra around 7 pm but due to frequent tyre punctures on the way, it reached the destination after 10 pm requests by passengers at Dehra for he replacement of bus and telephones to Regional Manager, HRTC, Dharamsala, failed to yield any result.

The hapless woman had to hire a taxi for Palampur as there were no connecting buses available at the time. She filed a complaint before the Forum on September 3, last year claiming Rs 15000 as compensation and Rs 1500 as cost of litigation.

The HRTC refuted the claim by claiming that the bus whose number had been quoted did not belong to the corporation and as such there was no deficiency in service.

The forum upheld the complaint and directed the HRTC to pay the compensation within one month along with cost of litigation and taxi fare with interest.

ITBP jawans booked
Our Correspondent

Chamba, May 25
The Himachal Pradesh police has registered a case against jawans of Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) at Tissa police station in Chamba district on a complaint against the beating up of border villagers of the Mangli belt of Churah subdivision. As a consequence, panic prevails among the residents of the entire border belt.

According to the complaint, residents of Mangli village alleged that Pal Singh and his family members were beaten up by ITBP jawans at their house on the evening of May 22. Thereafter, they were taken to a nearby ITBP checkpoint where they were again beaten up and threatened.

Meanwhile, a team of the police from Tissa police station has rushed to the site to investigate the case.

State government officials have taken strong exception to this incident and directed the police to submit the complete report to the government at the earliest for initiating action against the defaulters.

Mr Surinder Bhardwaj, MLA from this area, has taken up the issue seriously with the Chief Minister seeking probe into the incident.

Despite best efforts, the authorities of the ITBP could not be contacted for comments till the filing of the story.

Lecture on population growth
Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 25
Prof Ashis Bose, a renowned demographer who was a member of the team which formulated the National Population Policy-2000, has emphasised that the population was not that a big problem for India, but the fallout of population growth was more dangerous.

Delivering a lecture on population growth at Himachal Pradesh University here yesterday, he said one of the important fallouts in the past three decades was mounting unemployment among the educated and uneducated youth. He was of the view that self-employed people would suffer in the era of globalisation. It was very difficult for India’s small industries to survive in the globalised world. In the last 50 years, the rate of corruption had increased much more than the population.

The other negative fallout of the population growth was seen in terms of ageing of population. Old-age security was missing in India and the government must make provisions for social and economic security of this ageing population.

The other negative fallout of the rising population was violence against women at home and outside. The two-child norm in the country had taken a very different shape as the couples wanted to have at least one son. In order to fulfil this desire they resorted to female foeticide. As a result the overall sex ratio was declining and the number of female children was drastically coming down.

The lecture was organised by the Population Research Centre of the university.

Engineers demand transfer policy
Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 25
The Himachal Power Engineers Association has expressed concern over the utter neglect of technical issues and urged the state electricity board to adopt a comprehensive human resource development policy to provide requisite technical training to the staff.

Mr Suneel Grover, general secretary of the association, said technical skills had to be upgraded to acquaint the staff with high-tech equipment, which was being increasingly used to manage and control power systems. He lamented that there was no human resource development policy in the board at present and unless its functioning was professionalised, it would not be able to survive for long.

He urged the management to strengthen the state load despatch centre, design wing and various other important units by posting adequately qualified persons.

Recruitment scam: 1 more trapped

Una, May 25
A special investigation team set up to probe the Subordinate Services Selection Board (SSSB), Hamirpur, and to investigate a case against Mr S.M. Katwal, Chairman, SSSB, and others for alleged corrupt practices and irregularities in recruitment scam yesterday raided the house of Sudhir Nishchal Chadda, of Rainsary village near here and seized some documents pertaining to appointment of TGT teachers and some letters written by former Deputy Speaker Ram Das Malangar. The team was led by DSP Ramesh Chhajata. The DSP said yesterday the documents seized from the accused included one affidavit pertaining to receipt of Rs 1.25 lakh for helping in procuring a job. When this document was shown to mediapersons, the accused said he had already refunded Rs 50,000 to Surinder Kumar as the job was not done and the remaining sum of Rs 75,000 would be paid to him shortly. OC

Issue notice to violators: Forest Department
Our Correspondent

Sundernagar, May 25
The Forest Department has issued directions to the District Forest Officers (DFOs) to take action against the individuals who have hanged hoardings on the trees. The department has also taken a serious view of the fact that the Larji project authorities are dumping debris at the Beas. According Mr C.S. Singh, who is posted in the Mandi circle, he has asked all DFOs to issue directions to the violators to remove the hoardings themselves or strict action will be taken.

The department would not allow any project authorities to dump the debris along the river banks. He said the matter of dumping debris would be dealt strictly and compensation would be recovered from them.

Physical test for forest rangers
Our Correspondent

Shimla, May 25
The Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission has decided to hold physical test on June 3 and June 4, 2003 for the posts of forest ranger written examination which was held on February 12 and 13 this year.