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Monday,
July 21, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Electricity board in the red No funds for jail project Licence to Morepen irregular? New HP bus service from
today Cloudburst toll not over 35:
SP
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Sadhu booked for rape Probe ordered into Chamera oustees’ list 15 nominated on marketing committee CM’s assurance to truckers DC’s order on migrants 2 killed in mishap
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Electricity board in the red Shimla, July 20 The Board, which recorded a profit of Rs 6 crore in 1997-98, has accumulated losses to the tune of Rs 269 crore as on March 31,2003. The worsening financial health of the Board can be judged from the fact that its rate of return (ROR) has plunged from a 5.3 per cent to minus 13.09 per cent. The centre had initiated power sector reforms to improve the financial health of state electricity boards, which have been perpetually in the red. However, in Himachal Pradesh, things have gone the other way round. A revenue surplus utility started incurring heavy losses after the implementation of reforms. The reasons are not far to seek. The state government withdrew financial support to the Board in the name of reforms but did take the harsh steps required to improve its functioning. For instance, the state Electricity Regulatory Commission was duly set up but its orders were blatantly flouted. The Commission hiked the electricity
charges on the application of the Board filed in April 2001. The government defended the increase for six months and said the tariff order of the Commission could be challenged only in the High Court. However, it illegally rolled back the hike on the eve of Shimla Municipal Corporation poll. The legal course for the Board was to file a revision petition before the Commission, which would have ensured that it was not put to any loss because of the populist decision by ordering the government to compensate it. The action caused the Board an annual loss of about Rs 22 crore as the government did not make due to the rollback of the hike. Further, the Board is required to file its annual revenue requirement before the Commission for the fixation of tariff. Despite heavy losses, it has not filed application for tariff fixation for the past two years. Not only that, it signed power purchase agreements with private sector companies bypassing the Commission, which were viewed with suspicion. Some of these were stayed by the Commission. Worse, the Board did not show any urgency in implementing the directions issued by the Commission while deciding the tariff application. Out of the 17 directions, only four were implemented. In 10 cases, the Commission issued notices to it for non-compliance of directions and in four cases it imposed heavy fine on the board. The directions were part of the reforms to which the Board had agreed and even signed a memorandum of understanding with the Centre. The Commission allowed an additional revenue of over Rs 3 crore to the Board, with the direction that all dead meters would be replaced within the stipulated period. As the Board failed to comply with the direction, the Commission ordered it to refund the amount charged from consumers. Similarly, no steps were taken to reduce the employee cost of Rs 1.03 per unit of power supplied, which was the highest in the country. The studies for demand forecasting and improvement of voltage in problem areas were also not conducted as per the directions of the Commission. The funds received under the accelerated power development and reforms programme have also not been utilised. In fact, not much work has been done in the Hamirpur, Shimla, Nahan and Solan circles for which Rs 105 crore had been received more than a year ago. |
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No funds for jail project Hamirpur, July 20 The Sub-jail located on the Hamirpur-Sujanpur Tihra road, is a refined version of a judicial lock-up as not even a single brick has been added to the old complex, which was constructed in 1962. The same complex was renamed as Sub-jail in 1972 when Hamirpur was made a district. Though the state government has acquired land measuring about 68 kanals near the Police Lines, no funds have been made available for the model jail project. Visits by senior officers of the Home Department for the construction of a District Jail complex here have gone unnoticed by those managing funds for the project. Mr Vijay Chandan, SDM, Hamirpur, who is also the Superintendent of Sub-jail, says that no funds have been received for the construction of the jail complex at Hamirpur. Former Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal says that the state government had arranged funds for the Hamirpur jail complex under a Centrally-sponsored programme. Where have those funds have gone, he wonders. The Sub-jail has two barracks, one each for male and female undertrials. While the capacity of the male barrack is 11 it is only one in case of female inmates. The situation becomes tense when the number of persons increases. The issue involving the security and safety of the jail came to lime light when BJP leaders and workers entered the inner arena of the jail with the help of the jail personnel in the presence of policemen. This issue has divided the jail staff into two groups with both groups blaming each other for the incident. |
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Licence to Morepen irregular? Solan, July 20 The firm has been manufacturing alpaz (sustained release drug) in tablet form for the past two years. The drug falls under the category of new drugs. As per the norms, the permission for the drug is to be procured from the Drug Controller-General of India. Documents procured by The Tribune, however reveal that Mr Sher Singh, Drug controlling-cum-licensing authority, Himachal Pradesh, had granted licence to Morepen to manufacture alpaz meltab on June 15, 2001. Mr Sher Singh, when contacted, said he was not aware if he had granted permission for the drug manufacture to Morepen labs. He refuted the claim that it was a new drug and claimed that the drug in the sustained release was available in the market since 1992 and said hundreds of firms were manufacturing it. On being asked about the license, he said Morepen was manufacturing it for the past eight years. The Health Minister, Mrs Chandresh Kumari, when contacted said an inquiry would be conducted into the matter and those found guilty would be dealt with lawfully. Sher Singh also concealed these facts during an inquiry relating to Assistant Drug Controller, Satish Chaudhry, who was placed under suspension for issuing licence for a new drug to a Paonta Sahib firm. During the inquiry, all aforesaid facts were also concealed by a Section Officer of the Secretary, Health, who was the presiding officer in the inquiry case of Satish Chaudhry. In the same inquiry, the dealing assistant of Sher Singh’s office, Lekh Raj Gautam had stated that no such licence had been issued to Morepen labs to manufacture the drug. Morepen labs, GM (Works) Mr Sinha, when contacted, said they were manufacturing the drug for the past two years and the licence had been procured from the state drug licensing authority. The fact is further corroborated by the firm records where Alpaz is shown to be manufactured under four different strength. The manner in which the officials of drug licensing authority have concealed facts points towards all not being well in the department. |
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New HP bus service from
today Shimla, July 20 Mr G.S. Bali, Transport Minister, said here today that in the first phase six district headquarters would be connected with the express service. These buses would depart from the district headquarters early in the morning and reach the capital before noon. The return journey would commence in the evening and the buses would reach their respective district headquarter the same day. He said the corporation had acquired mini buses to provide the service for which no additional fare would be charged from commuters. Regarding the agitation threat by various students’ organisations which are demanding withdrawal of bus fare hike, Mr Bali said no one would be allowed to take the law into his own hands. He said the government had not discontinued the concessional travel facility for the students of government schools and colleges. Only those studying in private schools would have to pay more. |
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Cloudburst toll not over 35:
SP Shimla, July 20 This has been confirmed during the inquiry conducted by the police, which scrutinised the records of contractors and ascertained the number of workers present in the four camps from the survivors. The 272 survivors include the injured persons admitted to hospitals in Kulu and Shimla. Mr A.P. Singh, Superintendent of Police, said while 22 bodies had been found eight, persons were missing. He said the death toll could not exceed 35. The two main private companies executing various works for the Parbati hydel project had engaged 10 sub-contractors to carry out the jobs. The maximum causalties occurred in the Puliah nullah labour camp where three contractors were engaged. One of the sub-contractors, Veeru, was washed away along with six of his labourers while eight others in the camp escaped with injuries. The bodies of four of them had been found and three persons were missing. While all 20 labourers engaged by sub-contractor Vinod Sharma escaped the fury of the flash-flood, 10 out of the total 43 labourers of Karma Lama, the third sub-contractor, perished. The bodies of seven of them had been found. There were one or two victims in the labour camps of some other contractors. These included a Nepali couple who were working with Amin Bhadur. The contractor had the highest workforce of 75 at the site. In one case, six members of a family were washed away and the bodies of two children were yet to be recovered. The number of labours engaged by other sub-contractors, including Nain Prakash was eight, Kabir Hussain (25), Mashook Ahmed (15) Mohammad Taj (32), Tej Bhadur (6) and Kuber Singh Pasha (60). Meanwhile, search and relief operations continued today but no bodies were recovered. Kulu (OC): The District Administration has admitted that 300 persons were present when the flash-flood caused by the cloudburst at Pulia nullah occurred recently, the toll was not more than 30. Deputy Commissioner R.D. Nazim at a meeting with mediapersons last evening, said the bodies of 19 victims had been found. He said two of the injured had succumbed to their injuries in the hospitals — one in the local Zonal Hospital here and the other at IGMC, Shimla. On other hand, the committee constituted by the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee headed by Mr Rajesh Dharmani also briefed mediapersons here yesterday. Mrs Indu Patiyal, who was talking on behalf of the committee, said the fact-finding team of the Congress had visited the affected area. She said the reports that appeared in the media regarding the death toll were more authentic than the figures given by the administration. She said the team visited a labour camp at Jhuni village where about 150 labourers, including children, have camped after leaving their camp (48 huts). They are in need of aid, including food. Unfortunately, there was no record of the number of labourers and their families with any of the contractors, she added. |
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Sadhu booked for rape Nahan, July 20 Mr S.P.S. Verma, Superintendent of Police, Sirmaur, said here today that Turtai Nath, on the evening of July 14 went to Malowala village, in civil clothes and asked the woman who was his disciple to follow him to the forest for “Shiv darshan’. When she refused, he reportedly terrorised her and ultimately she was taken to the Shiv temple in the forest where the sadhu has been residing in a kutia for the past 15 years. He reportedly raped her at night and kept her hidden in the bushes. The victim was rescued by her husband and some villagers the next day. The police said she was so terrorised by the sadhu that for four days she could not speak out the truth as she was “depressed”. When her husband, a driver in a government department, approached the SP of Sirmaur, a team of police officers was despatched to her village. When women officers gave her assurance of security, she broked out with tears in her eyes. The police has registered a case under Sections 342, 366, and 376 IPC.
Shimla, July 20 The police is searching for the accused Charan Singh who fled after committing the crime. |
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Probe ordered into Chamera oustees’ list Chamba, July 20 The minister alleged that earlier when lists of the ousted families were prepared by the Relief Committee of the previous BJP government, the claims and objections of the genuine oustees were not heard. The minister warned that those among the already identified list of 192 families of Chamera stage-I and 120 families of Chamera stage-II had been enrolled wrongly would be deleted after verification. The minister also directed the Revenue authorities to re-assess the lists of genuine oustees whose private land had been submerged in the dam waters in 44 mohals falling in the catchments of the Chamera project stage-I. She directed the Revenue officials to settle the package on or before September 30. —
PTI |
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15 nominated on marketing committee Solan, July 20 Election of the Chairman of the Marketing Committee is expected soon. |
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CM’s assurance to truckers Bilaspur, July 20 The truckers alleged that they were harassed by the Punjab police and regional transport officers. |
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DC’s order on migrants Hamirpur, July 20 Under the order, no outsider will be able to engage in any avocation in the district without informing about his past to the police stations concerned. The order has been issued to prevent anti-social elements from entering the territories of the district with the intentions of theft, violence and crime. |
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2 killed in mishap Shimla, July 20 The deceased have been identified as Nika Ram, driver, and Sunita Devi of village Kelodhar in Theog. The conductor was seriously injured in the mishap. |
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