H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

CM discusses Parchu with
Chinese team
Shimla, June 25
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, took up the matter of the Parchu lake with a high-level Chinese delegation, led by Chinese Ambassador, Sun Yu Xi, which called on him here today. He told the delegation that the artificial lake due to debris accumulation in China posed a grave threat to the life and property on the Indian side as it could affect the people living on the banks of the Sutlej.

Govt may sell surplus power in open market
Shimla, June 25
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the government would consider the offer of the Power Trading Corporation of India to sell the surplus power available in the state in the open market.

CPM’s stir against oil price hike from June 28
Shimla, June 25
The CPM has urged the UPA government to either roll back oil price hike or create a price stabilisation fund to absorb the fluctuations in the global rates of crude oil, failing which the party will launch a protest.

Review decision on DA merger, say doctors
Kangra, June 25
Medical Officers have demanded that the state government should review the decision to merge 50 per cent of dearness allowance with the basic pay as per the Central Government health services norms and the
non-practicing allowance should be included in the basic pay for calculating the DA.

Nadda’s poser on ticket scam
Kangra, June 25
Former Health Minister J.P. Nadda yesterday alleged that the Transport and Tourism Minister, Mr G.S. Bali, was encouraging nepotism and corruption and said the Government should make public the appropriation of money to the tune of lakhs following the circulation of tickets of the Mumbai musical blast without numbers.

CM inaugurates Shoolini Fair
Solan, June 25
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh inaugurated the three-day state-level Shoolini Fair last evening here by offering prayers before the palanquin of Goddess Shoolini, after whom the town has been named.

Udit Narayan enthrals audience
Solan, June 25
It was pure Udit Narayan magic which kept the audience glued to their seats well past midnight in his live performance on the first day of the three-day cultural show organised here last night.

CM discusses Parchu with Chinese team
Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 25
Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, took up the matter of the Parchu lake with a high-level Chinese delegation, led by Chinese Ambassador, Sun Yu Xi, which called on him here today.

He told the delegation that the artificial lake due to debris accumulation in China posed a grave threat to the life and property on the Indian side as it could affect the people living on the banks of the Sutlej. He said the state government had taken up the matter with the Chinese Government through the Union Ministry of External Affairs and a high-level delegation had visited China in this regard.

Constant monitoring of the water level was being maintained on the Indian side so that people could be warned and evacuated to the safer places, if required. He said the river had floods in 2000 when life and property worth hundreds of crores of rupees got washed away, besides causing damaged to hydel power projects on the Sutlej.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said the state was in touch with the Chinese Government through Ministry of External Affairs to get regular information about the condition of the lake. He requested the Ambassador to take up the matter with his government to find some permanent solution to the problem.

He said the Chinese government would invite 100 Indian students to visit China under educational exchange programme and 100 Chinese students would visit Bangalore for information technology studies. He said it would add to improve bilateral relations between both countries.

Govt may sell surplus power in open market
Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 25
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the government would consider the offer of the Power Trading Corporation of India (PTC) to sell the surplus power available in the state in the open market.

Interacting with the PTC authorities, who gave a presentation with regard to introduction of professional acumen in selling power, he said the state had a hydel potential of about 22,000 MW that was being exploited with environmental safeguards to the optimum.

He said the state was inviting the Centre, public sector undertakings and private entrepreneurs to generate hydel power in the state, adding that the government would not compromise on issues regarding environment, employment to local people and rehabilitation of the affected people, which would be the pre-requisites for any company undertaking power generation projects in the state.

The Chief Minister said after exploiting the identified hydel potential, the state would be in a position to meet the power demand of the entire North India. He said the government intended to sell the surplus power after meeting all its requirements within the state in the open market through some reliable company and the PTC was most reliable amongst all.

Mr Tantra Narayan Thakur, Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the PTC, assured best services to the state and attractive financial returns from selling power.

CPM’s stir against oil price hike from June 28
Tribune News Service

Shimla, June 25
The CPM has urged the UPA government to either roll back oil price hike or create a price stabilisation fund to absorb the fluctuations in the global rates of crude oil, failing which the party will launch a protest.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Rakesh Singha, secretary of the state unit of the party, said there could be no parity in the prices of oil in the country with the global prices as the cost of refining the crude oil was much lower in India.

For instance, it cost only 52 paise per litre in public sector companies and just 36 paise in private refineries.

The retail rates were high because of irrational pricing and various cess and duties. The oil price was Rs 17.51 per litre without excise duty and sales tax.

He said the government should change the existing excise duty structure to avoid a hike in its price.

It should withdraw the permission to private refineries to export oil and review duty drawback payment as it was in short supply. The cess of 50 paise per litre for development of highways should also be withdrawn to keep the price in check.

He said if the government failed to take such measures to bring down the prices of petroleum products, the CPM would launch countrywide stir from June 28.

He appealed to those who were not in a position to join the protest to boycott travel by buses and other petro-driven vehicles.

Review decision on DA merger, say doctors
Our Correspondent

Kangra, June 25
Medical Officers have demanded that the state government should review the decision to merge 50 per cent of dearness allowance (DA) with the basic pay as per the Central Government health services norms and the non-practicing allowance should be included in the basic pay for calculating the DA.

Dr Ajay Dutta, general secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Medical Officers Association, in a statement here today said that the doctors had demanded that the ceiling slab of Rs 25,500 should be increased to Rs 42,000 as per the Central Government health services notification so that all doctors were benefited from the DA merger.

He said the association had also demanded that the services of doctors who had been appointed on contract but had completed two years of service should be regularised.

He also said the appointment to the posts of doctor should be made through the Public Service Commission the pattern of medical college lecturers.

Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh Ayurvedic Medical Officers Association has expressed its astonishment at the DA notification. Dr Annupam Khanna, secretary of the association, said by this notification, the ayurvedic doctors would lose Rs 500 to Rs 1,500 every month.

Nadda’s poser on ticket scam
Our Correspondent

Kangra, June 25
Former Health Minister J.P. Nadda yesterday alleged that the Transport and Tourism Minister, Mr G.S. Bali, was encouraging nepotism and corruption and said the Government should make public the appropriation of money to the tune of lakhs following the circulation of tickets of the Mumbai musical blast without numbers.

Addressing a press conference in Dharmsala, he asked why the government was trying to cover up the ticket scam. He said after the clearance by the DPC, two posts in the Department of Gynaecology in Dr R.P. Government Medical College were to be filled, but in order to accommodate certain candidate, the appointments were delayed from December last year to May this year. Four more posts were created to “accommodate” Mr Bali’s candidates, he alleged.

CM inaugurates Shoolini Fair
Our Correspondent

Solan, June 25
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh inaugurated the three-day state-level Shoolini Fair last evening here by offering prayers before the palanquin of Goddess Shoolini, after whom the town has been named. He also released a souvenir on the occasion and inaugurated exhibitions put forth by various government and non-government departments.

He later gave away prizes to the winners of a lawn tennis tournament organised by the mela committee and announced a monetary help of Rs 3 lakh for laying down a modern tennis court at the Police Lines here.

Udit Narayan enthrals audience
Our Correspondent

Solan, June 25
It was pure Udit Narayan magic which kept the audience glued to their seats well past midnight in his live performance on the first day of the three-day cultural show organised here last night. He began the show with a 1988 song, “Papa kehte hain”, of the hit film, “Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak”, which enthralled the young crowd.

Singing hit numbers like “Mai nikla gaddi le ke”, “Ur jaa kaale kavan”, “Tere naam” from recent films had the audience dancing on their feet.

He was later joined by wife Deepa Narayan to present duets, including “Lal dupatta urr gaya”, “Mehandi laga ke rekhna”, “Dil to paagal hai”, etc.

The other members of his troupe added variety to the entertaining show by singing popular numbers like “Man saath samundar dol gaya” and “Babuje dheere chalna” by Anupama and “Bheege honth tere” by Kumar Rishab, among others.