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Panic over Sutlej level unfounded
Bailey bridge over Bathu by week-end
Landslide: power board asked to stop blasting
Apple prices surge as MNCs enter market
State plans to hold Winter Olympics
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Nexus between officials, contractors alleged
12 ‘sold’ Bengali
minors rescued
Community-use facilities to be shown in revenue record
1 killed, 6 hurt as boulder hits bus
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Panic over Sutlej level unfounded
Mandi, August 8 According to today's data on flow in the Sutlej received at the 800 MW Kol Dam's river monitoring control room, the Sutlej had maintained the water level of 518 meters, about 12 metres less than what was recorded last year following the breach in the Pareechu river in the Indo-Tibet border straddling the Kinnaur district and Spiti subdivision in Lahaul-Spiti district. Despite reports of the so-called cloudbursts in Kinnaur district, the water level of the Sutlej has been hovering around 500-512 mt for the past couple of days, revealed the inputs. Talking to The Tribune, the spokesperson of the Kol Dam said that diversion tank of the coffer dam had been designed for water level up to 555 metres. "Work on the coffer dam, main dam, power house was going on normally", he claimed, citing today's data on the inflow, which stood at 1600 cumecs. According to the Bhakra Beas Management Board's (BBMB) data on inflow in the Beas river received till 3 pm today, it stood at 28,125 cusecs, while outflow was 28,000 cusecs. The engineers attribute the rising inflow in the Beas to the continuing spell of rain in Kulu district.
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Bailey bridge over Bathu by week-end
Kangra, August 8 The Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has increased the bus fares from Kangra to Ranital via Gaggal, Tiara and Lunj, one of the diversion routes in the absence of the bridge over the Bathu khud, from Rs 12 to Rs 35, putting burden on the people. The commuters, pilgrims and other tourists are the victims of the government apathy. A state government employee today said that he had to spend Rs 46 more and nearly four additional hours to reach his destination daily. It takes more than two hours to cover a distance of 50 km from Kangra to Ranital via Tiara, whereas it was taking less than half an hour to cover 17 km distance via the Bathu bridge. Mr C.R. Mahajan, a retired Executive Engineer and construction expert, said both the link roads had lesser width for such a heavy traffic and this was resulting in frequent traffic jams. More than 10 persons were injured on the Badoh-Suni-Sarotri diversion road yesterday. People blame the government for the delay in constructing a new bridge over the Bathu khud and demanded an inquiry to fix responsibility for ignoring the bridge. Meanwhile Mr S.K. Nag, Executive Engineer, PWD National Highway, who is looking after the bridge, today said that a Bailey bridge would be built over the khud and half the material arrived today from Rampur. He said the remaining part of the Bailey bridge material from Kinnaur was expected to reach the site by Thursday and work would start on Friday and by the week-end it would be thrown open for traffic.
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Landslide: power board asked to stop blasting
Reckong Peo, August 8 However, PWD work force was still conducting blasting close to the landslide point as per the daily routine to widen the old Hindustan-Tibet road. It may be mentioned that local villagers had alleged that the landslide occurred due to intense blasting by both PWD, which is widening the old Hindustan-Tibet road, and state electricity board that is constructing a tunnel right under that area for its 272 MW Kasham hydroelectric power project. “We have asked the authorities concerned of the Revenue Department to assess the total loss due to this landslide so that adequate compensation could be given to the affected families,” said Mr Jagat Singh
Negi, local MLA, who presided over a joint meeting of the villagers and the authorities concerned of the local administration and various departments. He said eight families were evacuated from the landslide-prone area and shifted to a safe place where tents had been provided to them for stay. He promised the affected families that adequate land would be provided to them for constructing new houses. “Those who have lost their cultivable land will also be compensated with alternate land, the matter of which will be taken up with the Forest and Horticulture departments,” he added. In reply to a question, he said a thorough inquiry would be conducted into the incident by a team of experts so as to ascertain whether the landslide occurred due to intensive blasting conducted by the state electricity board or not. “If found guilty, we will demand the total loss amount from the board authorities,” he said. Mr Negi said soon restoration work would be initiated to protect the landslide-prone area from further falling down. Meanwhile, the PWD in a preliminary investigation has estimated the total loss of the damage to the old Hindustan-Tibet road at Rs 32 lakh.
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Apple prices surge as MNCs enter market
Shimla, August 8 The entry of the multinational companies in marketing of fresh fruit has started showing its impact on the price at the start of the harvesting season. The good quality royal delicious variety fruit is selling at Rs 1400 to Rs 1500 per box in the Delhi market, more than double the prices of last year when the state had a bumper crop. Till yesterday 11.50 lakh boxes of apple had been exported out of the state as compared to 21.40 lakh boxes last year. The average price for medium quality fruit ranged from Rs 550 to Rs 600 which too is on the higher side. It has been a lean season after four consecutive bumper crops and in all about 1.70 crore boxes, almost one crore less than last year, are likely to be produced. The high price will, to a large extent, compensate the grower for the low outturn. Officers of the Horticulture Department expect the prices to stay high as the arhtiyas in the Azadpur market, Delhi, where over 75 per cent of the crop is disposed of, feel threatened by the entry of private companies.
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State plans to hold Winter Olympics
Thalot (Mandi), August 8 Addressing a public rally here after inspecting the Larji project and laying the foundation stone for the Rs 3.50-crore drinking water scheme for Thalot and other surrounding areas here on Sunday, he cautioned people to be beware of the self-serving politicians dragging deities into affairs of developmental works and political arena just as a ploy to regain their lost political ground. Lashing
out at former Mandi MP Maheshwar Singh and other BJP leaders, he said
the government had now set up a temple trust with Rs 12 crore for
maintenance of temples so that people do not lose their faith in “devis
and devtas” because of the self-serving designs of such people. He
urged people, including hoteliers, taxi drivers and travel agents, to
treat their guests as “gods” and ensure their security and respect
them. He said the extension of economic package by the Centre till March, 2010, would bring in a new economic boom in the state. Industrialists preferred Himachal because it had uninterrupted power supply, peaceful industrial climate, security, good governance and offered exemption from excise and other taxes, he added. He said the state had received a fresh investment of Rs 18,000 crore in the industrial sector and would employ 2.70 lakh persons as government had ensured 70 per cent employment for residents in hydropower and industrial sectors. He said the two units of the 126-MW Larji Project would be inaugurated soon after the testing of the installed machinery was complete. He announced an ITI and senior secondary school for Thalot, an employment exchange at Aut and upgrading of the GHS Sharti up to class 12. Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, minister, said the government would ensure supply of potable water to the remaining 1,080 villages in two years. He accused former CM and BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal of stalling the work of the Larji project and employing outsiders. Power Minister Vidya Stokes said the government would provide electricity to the left-out houses or habitations under the Rajiv Gandhi Electrification Yojna.
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Nexus between officials, contractors alleged Parwanoo, August 8 The association also highlighted the nexus between the contractor and the officials of the state government over attaining the licences. The association also thanked the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Virbhardra Singh and the Industry Minister, Mr Kuldeep Kumar. for their efforts in getting extended the industrial package to the state for three more years up to 2010. Mr Satish Beri, president of the association, claimed that an extension of three years to the industrial package would not only boost the state economy but also provide more job opportunities to the youth. On the issue of licence nexus, Mr Beri claimed that the contractors have been getting licences by producing “fake” documents and wrong figures. Moreover, they have been showing ‘fake’ number of employees deployed by them. The association has demanded that an experience of five years should be made mandatory apart from a written and practical examination to a contractor before fixing his eligibility for a contract. Moreover, they should also be asked to submit lists of their employees, after proper verification from the concerned Police Stations at the time of seeking licences. Every contractor must be having EPF and ESI number along with a licence from the department of Labour Bureau, the association demanded.
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12 ‘sold’ Bengali
minors rescued
Una, August 8 The police has also arrested a member of gang, Ataulna Rehman, involved in the kidnapping of these minors. The contractor was not arrested yet. The four-member police team, including SI Nitesh Chander, ASI Chanshanker Chowdhary and two constables, recovered the minor children with the help of a team of the Una police, confirmed the SSP, Una, Mr Atul Phuljhele, to The Tribune. The accused, Ataulna Rehman, told the police that the kingpin of the gang was a person famous with the name of “tomato”. The members of the gang kidnapped children from various parts of West Bengal and sold them out of state, he said. Giving details, The SSP said the West Bengal Police arrested Ataulna Rehman in a case of kidnapping of these minors, registered in the Kumarkanj police station in South Dinajpur district of West Bengal.
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Community-use facilities to be shown in revenue record
Shimla, August 8 The directions were issued by the Director, Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department last week as several disputes had arisen as these common use facilities were not indicated in revenue record.
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1 killed, 6 hurt as boulder hits bus
Reckong Peo, August 8 The deceased woman has been identified as Savitri Devi from
Palampur, said Mr N.C. Sharma, Regional Manager of the HRTC of Kinnaur district.
— TNS
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Monsoon session from Aug 21
Shimla, August 8 There will be six sittings in all and one day has been earmarked for private members’ business. — TNS
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