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New tariff system hits power generation
Privatisation of HPSEB by year-end, says Stokes
African countries keen to adopt Indian technologies
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Youth ‘prefer’ govt jobs
Impart quality education, says Kokje
Promote Hindi as world language, says Governor
Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrations begin
Tourists prefer countryside to Manali
6,030 hamlets to be provided drinking water facility
Home Secy visits ITBP battalion
Seven officers shifted
1 killed as vehicle falls into gorge
14 tourists escape as bus catches fire
Boy crushed to death by recovery van
Driver
electrocuted
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New tariff system hits power generation
Shimla, June 12 This situation has been created due to the introduction of the new system of availability-based tariff (ABT). The system is not designed to maximise generation but to stabilise the grid and maintain quality of power. The 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri project is finding the new system an impediment in achieving its maximum generation. With discharge in the Sutlej increasing, the project has been doing exceptionally well for the past two weeks with all its six generating units in operation. The machines are designed for overloading up to 10 per cent, and as such it could generate up to 1650 MW. However, the Northern Region Load Dispatch Centre (NRLDC), Delhi, has not been allowing it to generate more than its installed capacity and at times it has been asked to scale down generation to 1400 MW. Power is supplied at a frequency of 50 Hertz and the new system has been designed to maintain the frequency within the 49.5-50.5 Hertz band. The overdrawal of power from the grid results in the lowering of the frequency. Conversely, if the power being drawn from the grid is less than the generation, the frequency tends to increase. To discourage overdrawals which affect the stability of the grid, the power drawn in excess of the committed demand attracts a higher tariff. It is as high as Rs 5.70 per unit at a frequency level of 49 Hertz. Erring on the side of abundant precaution, various state electricity boards are drawing less power from the grid and resorting to load shedding. The net result is that despite shortage less power is being drawn from the grid than generated. This is evident from the fact that the frequency has been on the higher side for the past several days and two days ago it even crossed 51 Hertz. The generating companies are required to furnish 24 hours in advance the schedule of generation for every 15 minutes to the NRLDC. Similarly, the boards have to submit the demand schedule in advance for every 15 minutes. Any unscheduled interchanges attract a higher tariff for the buyer. However, excess generation is treated as secondary energy and fetches only 60 paise per unit. Engineers of the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam feel that the guidelines for the ABT should be suitably modified to maximise generation. If the project is allowed to operate at its full generation of 1650 MW, an additional 150 MW of power will be available in the northern grid, which is a huge plus as the biggest hydroelectric project of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board generates only 126 MW. |
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Privatisation of HPSEB by year-end, says Stokes
Palampur, June 12 Addressing mediapersons at the local PWD rest house, she said in the next six months three-tier systems would be introduced in the HPSEB. This was being done in accordance with the policies and programmes initiated by the Union Government. The privatisation would not affect the services of the employees of the HPSEB, she added. It had also been decided that after the privatisation process, employees of the board could form societies and set up 5 MW power houses in the state, for which the state government would give guarantees for raising
loans. She said the government had also decided to introduce golden handshake under the VRS scheme in the HPSEB to reduce the staff strength. |
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African countries keen to adopt Indian technologies
Chandigarh, June 12 A high-level delegation of experts from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Rawanda and Tanzania led by Dr Oginosako Zenroku, a plant ecologist, who is working with the World Agroforestry Centre, Nairobi, Kenya, yesterday visited various integrated land and rainwater management projects developed at Mandhala (Solan) and other places in the Shivalik foothills by the local Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute. They were accompanied by Dr J.S. Samra, Deputy Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, who briefed them about the technological and functional aspects of these projects, also popularly known as rain water harvesting projects. These are operated by villagers themselves and there is no interference of government officials at any level. While interacting with TNS, members of the delegation said over 80 per cent of people in their respective countries survive on agriculture which was primitive in character. People in most of these countries have been facing poverty because of the non-introduction of modern technologies in the agriculture sector. Various agencies such as World Agroforestry Centre, which has also tie-up with the Indian Council of Agriculture Research, are working for sustainable and productive land use in those countries. Dr Zenroku said that Indian technological model applied in the lower hills and other arid areas suited African countries. There are lot of climactic and topographical similarities between India and African. Moreover, the technology developed by Indian scientists and experts for harvesting of water and the development of agro-forestry in lower hilly regions and arid lands to restore the soil fertility was far cheaper then the Western technology. “ It is easy to apply and is more effective”, said Ms Biruktayet Assefa, who is from Ethiopia. In fact, most of the developed Western countries and the USA are focusing on Africa keeping in view its tremendous agriculture potential. However, Africans have some sort of lack of faith in Western and the US governments and experts. “ They have been sending us financial aid etc for various projects and taking back the same through their consultancy firms, which charge heavy fees for preparing the blue prints of development projects”, said a delegate from Kenya. Americans and Europeans are very clever. They never transfer technology and are only interested in implementing projects on their own. India, which has been doing exceeding well as far developing of modern technologies for agriculture and new generation seeds is concerned, is also keen to be a major player in the regeneration of degraded dry lands and for the conservation of bio-diversity in Africa. India is offering all sort of help to the African experts for the applicability of various technologies developed by its experts. As many as five delegations from African countries have visited India in recent past for interaction with Indian experts and on the spot visits of various agro-forestry projects. Dr Zenroku said land in African countries was very fertile but also fragile. Tree cover was dwindling. There was an urgent need to restore the forest covers. People are being persuaded to grow more trees. Harsh environmental conditions and extreme poverty in rural belts have been proving big handicaps in the development of those regions. |
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Youth ‘prefer’ govt jobs
Shimla, June 12 As many as 1,26,637 applicants got registered in different employment offices from April 1, 2003, to March 31, 2004, taking the total number of persons registered in various employment exchanges in the state to 8,95,133. Since recruitment in government department is carried out through the employment exchanges usually those keen on government employment get registered. A large number of those employed in the private sector also get themselves registered in the hope of securing employment in the government sector. It is hardly surprising that the state has the highest percentage of population in government employment. At the national level 4 per cent of the total population is registered with various employment exchanges, whereas in Himachal Pradesh the percentage is nearly 8. Further, at the national level only 2 per cent of the total population is employed in the public sector, whereas in the state 5 per cent of the total population is employed in the public sector. During the last about two years more than two lakh employment opportunities have been created in the state, which include more than 25,000 opportunities in the government sector itself. The Labour and Employment Department has been providing guidance and employment counselling to unemployed youth, apart from providing them professional information. It is also providing special help to unemployed youth from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections. At present, the state has three regional employment offices, nine district employment offices, 55 employment sub-offices and two university employment information and counselling centres. There is a special employment office for physically challenged persons at the directorate level and one central employment cell to take care of technical and highly qualified youths. There is also a foreign employment and manpower export bureau for youth interested in getting employment abroad. The state government has made it mandatory that at least 70 per cent employments are provided to domicile of Himachalis in all the industrial establishments coming up in the state. The industrial package granted by the Centre had provided fillip to industrial activity in the state. |
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Impart quality education, says Kokje
Shimla, June 12 Presiding over the concluding function of a six-day training programme on planning and management of participants and administrators here last evening. Mr Kokje stressed the need for maintaining proper teacher-student ratio in education institutions and added that academic sides should not be overburdened by administrative duties. The Governor lauded the efforts of the National Institution of Educational Planning and Administration in improving education by proper planning and administration in the country. He said that it was promoting and coordinating research in educational planning. He said that orientation training programmes and courses should be frequently organised to provide an opportunity for updating the technical knowhow. He said that the training imparted to the educationists during the programme would immensely benefit them and they would also make use of it in their day-to-day working. Dr L.R. Verma, Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University, also stressed on improving the quality of higher education. Prof Sudhanshu Bhushan, Senior Fellow and Head, Higher Education unit, NIEPA, said the institute was laying stress on improving the quality of planning and administration by generating new ideas and techniques. |
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Promote Hindi as world language, says Governor
Shimla, June 12 Inaugurating a seminar on “Manav Jiwan Main Swadeshi Bhasha Ka Mahatva” here today, he said that India was a multilingual country and Hindi had a vital role in promoting national integration. He expressed concern that even after 57 years of Independence, all the administrative works in the country could not be carried out in Hindi and added that there was a dire need to promote Hindi as a language of the entire nation. Dr Ratnakar Pandey, president, National Hindi Council, detailed the activities undertaken for the propagation of Hindi by the council. He said that Hindi was a revered language and it should be promoted as world language. Mr Vasudev Sharma, a representative of the council, said that the endeavour of the council would be to work for its promotion and propagation throughout the country. He said that there was a need to propagate Hindi in foreign countries so that it emerged as an international language. |
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Dalai Lama’s birthday celebrations begin
Dharamsala, June 12 Officially the birthday of the Dalai Lama will be celebrated on July 6. Since as per the Tibetan calendar it falls on June 12, the long-life offering ceremony was organised four days in advance on June 8 due to his prior engagements. Religious leaders of the four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and Bon, including Gaden Tri Rinpoche, Drubwang Penor Rinpoche, Gyalwa Karmapa Rinpoche, Drikung Chesang Rinpoche, Taklung Shabdrung Rinpoche, Menri Trizin Rinpoche and Sharpa Choje Rinpoche took part in the ceremony. Speaking at the ceremony, the Dalai Lama said the collective long-life prayers would be answered. He cited the example of the first Dalai Lama, Gendhun Drupa, who lived 80 years and the fourth Panchen Lama, Lobsang Choegyal, who lived for 108 years. |
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Tourists prefer countryside to Manali
KULU-NAGGAR: Thanks to the peak summer congestion and traffic jams in Manali, tourists are skirting the Kulu-Manali right bank approach and making a beeline for resorts and village guest houses on the left bank of the Beas, where a monastery, the art gallery and the heritage village of Naggar have emerged as the major attractions for them.
From Gramshila bridge to the Naggar castle, the tourists are arriving in droves, visiting the monastery, Naggar castle and the art gallery, skirting the right bank highway to Manali. Tourism picked up in the left bank of the Kulu valley ever since the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee made Prini village his summer retreat. The road is kept in a better condition, more particularly when he was in power, inform the residents. From Aleo and Jagatsukh through Haripur, Jonjhar and Naggar, scores of guesthouses and resorts have come up in the villages and orchards in the recent years, catering to the tourists, reveal the locals. Earlier, tourists would go to Manali through the right bank, but now they prefer the left bank, because it commands a better view of the valley and it has less traffic on the highway, said Mr Nakul Khullar, an orchardist at Baragarh estate near Naggar. The tourist inflow has increased over the years as tourists look for green and peaceful surroundings in contrast to the traffic congestion and crowds of Manali, said Mr Jatinder Thakur, who runs the Heritage village hotel, 5 km short of Naggar on the left bank. Mr Vajpayee and his family had come here for lunch last month on a personal invitation and he relished pahari cuisine like siddo-desi ghee, red rice-karhi and trout. Even tourists now ask for ethnic cuisine, he informed. Manali is too crowded during the summer season, so they came here for a week, said Mr Raghuvansh Shah, a chartered accountant, from Mumbai, who along with his family camped at a private resort in Karzan, about 7 km from Naggar. The high-budget foreign tourists, Russians, Japanese and European’s have witnessed a surge here because the Kais monastery and Naggar castle and the art gallery. On an average, they receive 60-70 tourists here, informed Mr Sonam Tenzing, in charge of the Dhakpo Shedrupling monastery at Kais on the left bank, which was inaugurated the Dalai Lama last month, when it received over 200 guests from France, Singapore, Indonesia, Holland, South Africa and other parts of the world. We have almost cent per cent occupancy here, revealed the HP Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), Divisional Marketing Manager, Manali-Naggar- Kulu, Mr Rajinder Sharma. “The Heritage village project and art gallery in the green and peaceful surroundings the are a major attraction here,” he informed. |
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6,030 hamlets to be provided
Shimla, June 12 Speaking after laying the foundation stone of a Rs 31.60 lakh lift water supply scheme at Devgarh in
Kotkhai, he said as per a survey conducted during 1993, 45,367 hamlets were not fully covered under the potable water scheme and up to March 31, 2005, 39,337 hamlets had been provided the drinking water facility. He said 7,989 drinking water schemes were catering to the needs of people of the state, out of which 1,498 are lift water supply schemes, 91 tubewells and 6,402 gravity water supply schemes. Besides, 13,747 handpumps had been installed in the state so far. Mr Thakur said the work on the Rs 88 lakh lift water supply scheme Pandhi near Kotkhai was in progress and the work on the 90 lakh lift water supply scheme Pharola would be started soon. He said Rs 2.65 crore would be spent on the Kotkhai sewerage scheme and Rs 2.52 crore on the Jubbal sewerage scheme, which would cover all seven wards of the town. |
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Home Secy visits ITBP battalion
Shimla, June 12 He was apprised of the operational and logistical aspects of the functioning of the 17th battalion. He also interacted with the jawans and enquired about their well-being. He was accompanied by Mr S.S. Parmar, chief secretary. Mr Duggal held detailed deliberations with senior state government officials, including the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police, on various issues. He assured the state government that its demand for handing over of various properties vacated by the SSB in different parts of the state would be considered. He also promised support from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs for the modernisation of police and prisons. However, he urged the government to improve the utilisation of funds granted for police modernisation and also show a substantial progress in the modernisation of state prisons. Mr Duggal also urged the state government to submit the annual action plan on police modernisation by the end of June so that it could be considered at the earliest. Certain other issues relating to the reimbursement of security related expenditure were also raised by the state government, which would be looked into on priority by the Union Home Ministry. The state has also submitted a proposal to the Narcotics Control Bureau for undertaking developmental programmes in various pockets of five districts in the state, where some segment of the local populace is engaged in narcotics trade. The Union Home secretary assured that the proposal would be examined at the earliest and all possible support extended for the endeavour. The Union Home Secretary also had detailed discussions on all these issues with the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, during his three-day visit to the state. |
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Seven officers shifted
Shimla, June 12 Mr Sharma has been Adviser (Education) to the government. The government also shifted six state administrative service officers. Mr Kanshi Ram Bharti, Additional Director, Food and Civil Supplies, has been posted Additional Secretary, Education, vice Mr J.R. Katwal, who has been posted Land Acquisition Officer, Parbati Project, Kulu, relieving Mr Rohit Jamwal, Sub-Divisional Officer, Banjar, the additional charge. Dr M.P. Sood, Joint Secretary (Health) has been posted Land Acquisition Officer, PWD, Kangra, vice and Mr Amrit Lal Sharma, who goes as Assistant Commissioner to the Deputy Commissioner Kangra. Dr Sandeep Bhatnagar on return from deputation from Chandigarh, has been posted Additional Secretary, Health. |
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1 killed as vehicle falls into gorge
Palampur, June 12 According to reports received here, the vehicle was on its way from New Delhi to Baijnath. When it reached Dehra Gopipur, the driver of the vehicle lost control and it fell into a deep gorge. Six masons from Rajasthan were also travelling in the truck. One of them was killed on the spot while five others received injuries. The dead has been identified as Gulab Singh (42), a resident of Chandraval in Rajasthan. The injured were Kishan Chand, Jai Chand, Ram Sewak and Mahesh Chand. The police has registered a case against the driver of the truck under Section 304-A of the IPC for negligent driving. |
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14 tourists escape as bus catches fire
Dharamsala, June 12 The McLeodganj-bound bus was coming from Chamunda and the passengers consisted of two families, including four children, who got down in time. According to the police, the fire was sparked off around 11.45 a.m. due to short circuit in the engine of the bus. On seeing smoke coming out of the engine, the passengers immediately got down and also downloaded their luggage. |
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Boy crushed to death by recovery van
Nahan, June 12 The van (UP-07-H-1377) was on its way to Shillai from Dehra Dun (Uttaranchal). According to eyewitnesses, the boy died on the spot. The police has registered a case under Sections 279 and 304-A, IPC, and has arrested the driver of the van. Driver
electrocuted Baddi, June 12 The factory management had earlier requested the local electricity department to lift the electric wires as it were hanging down dangerously, said police. A case under section 304 A of the IPC has been registered against electricity department. Khair recovered Meanwhile, the police has recovered 36 logs of Khair wood from a Swaraj Mazda (HP-11B-0234) on Manpura-Banbirpur road under Barotiwala police station in wee hours of this morning. The mazda driver Rajesh from Arki, Gulab Singh from Kandaghat and Hukum Chand have been arrested. A case under section 41,42 of Forest Act and 379 of the IPC has been registered.
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