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Glacial recession worries power producers
China sharing data on Sutlej basin: Anand Sharma
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From the Assembly
SDM visits victims’ houses, announces aid
Docs threaten to start private practice
PWD ‘flouting’ norms
HIV bomb ticking, 1,930 cases detected
Parmar memorial lecture
Seminar on female foeticide
Smuggler convicted
One held in oustees’ land-grab case
Partial solar eclipse on March 19
3 held for beating woman
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Shimla gets passport office
Shimla, March 16 This was stated by minister of state for external affairs Anand Sharma while inaugurating the new passport office here today. He said it was the 32nd passport office in the country and five more were proposed to be opened at Amritsar, Coimbatore, Madurai, Raipur and Dehra Dun. It would also provide consular services for those who had to submit attested documents for securing jobs and admission to various courses abroad. The ministry would soon launch a website for the Shimla passport office to facilitate online registration and inquiries pertaining to applications. Collection centres would be opened at Mandi, Dharamsala, Hamirpur and Kalpa to cater to the people living in far-flung areas. The e-passports would have an electronic chip containing biodata and other details of the passport holder. After reaching the destination, the authorities would get all details about the traveller from the e-passport and there would be no need to ask any question. To cut down the time for issuing of passports, the ministry has, in consultations with the Union Home Ministry and security agencies, identified 14 documents on the basis of which passports could be issued. These included PAN number, photo identity cards of employees, SC\ST certificates, driving licence, property documents and ration cards. Any three of these documents would be enough. There would be no police pre-verification and only post-verification would be done to ensure prompt issuing of passports. With all these steps, the time for issuing of a passport under the “tatkal” scheme would be reduced from 20 to 14 days and for renewal from 14 to 7 days. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, was the chief guest at the function.
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Glacial recession worries power producers
Shimla, March 16 They have already entrusted the task of monitoring rapid melting of glaciers to the National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad. It is through satellite imaging that a close watch is being kept over the vertical and horizontal ablation of glaciers and the pace at which it is happening. The shrinking of some bigger glaciers and disappearance of a few smaller ones has forced various power-producing agencies to take a serious note of the disturbing trend that has already started affecting power generation and can become a major issue in the coming years, if corrective steps are not initiated now. Various independent power producers (IPPs) in the state have formed the Satluj Development Forum, to tackle major issues concerning hydel power generation. Undertaking studies on the impact of shrinking glaciers is one of the main objectives of the forum, which includes the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC), the Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB) and others. “Though the study is still at a preliminary stage, one fact that has been confirmed is that while the smaller glaciers are disappearing, the bigger ones are shrinking rapidly,” said Mr Vijay Chopra, executive director, SJVN. He said though their immediate concern was to assess the depletion of the glaciers in the Sutlej basin, where their projects were located and some new ones were proposed, but the fact was that this was a global issue worrying one and all. “We are being regularly provided with the depletion rate of both big and small glaciers and after monitoring the situation for a fairly long period, we will ascertain the causes and take corrective steps,” said Mr Chopra. The Lucknow-based glaciology division of the Geological Survey of India has also undertaken studies on glacial recession in Himachal Pradesh. This study also has confirmed beyond doubt that some of the glaciers like Gnagpo Tokpo and Gara in the Sutlej basin, Sara Umga, Man Talai and Beas Kund in the Beas basin, Bara Shigri in the Chenab basin were receding at a rapid pace.
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China sharing data on Sutlej basin: Anand Sharma
Shimla, March 16 Addressing a press conference, he said the flow of information had already begun and this would help in effectively dealing with eventualities like the Pareechu lake burst. It would be institutionalised to put a mechanism in place for flood warning and other similar exigencies. He said India would continue to push forward its agenda for reforming the United Nations for which it had received wide support. There was an urgent need to expand the Security Council as its composition must reflect the contemporary reality and not the power structure of the 1940's. The largest democracy must find its due place in the body. A framework for reforms was there in the shape of G-4 resolution. African countries and Latin America must also get representation in it, he added. Regarding the menace of terrorism, he said India wanted an international convention so that an institutionalised framework could be provided in dealing with it. The need for having such a convention was felt worldwide as all countries had become vulnerable to the scourge. Referring to the recent confidence-building measures with Pakistan, he said it was too early to make an experimental judgement. The country would have to be allowed time to move in the promised direction. However, it would surely be put to test to ascertain how far it could go in implementing the new mechanism agreed for sharing information by intelligence agencies regarding activities of terrorist and their hideouts.
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From the Assembly Tribune News Service
Shimla, March 16 Replying to Ramesh Dhawala (BJP) in the Vidhan Sabha, he said as many as 11,651 cases of encroachments were recorded up to March 2003, out of which 9,875 had been disposed. The maximum number of 5,263 cases were from Kangra and 5,011 cases were also disposed off from the same district. Further, 4,997 cases of encroachments were detected from March 31,2003 to March 1,2006 and encroachments on 4,495 bighas of land had been vacated over the period and the process was on. Answering another question, he said that the government would seek legal opinion on the “khudra-o-drkhtan-malkiyat sarkar” entry to help provide ownership of trees to land owners. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh informed Jagat Singh Negi (Congress )that environment protection plan had been made mandatory for every project. The final cost of environment management for the 1,000 MW Karcham Wangtu project was Rs 154.46 crore , 200 MW Kashang project(Rs 1.58 crore), 100 MW Shorang (Rs 8.49 crore) and 100 MW Thidong (Rs 9.77 crore). The environment clearance for the Thidong project was still under process.
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SDM visits victims’ houses, announces aid
Nahan, March 16 The SDM said these villages, including one situated in Haryana, were located in the interiormost area of Sirmour in Pacchad tehsil. He had to walk on foot for over three hours to reach the area. He said Indira Devi (13), daughter of Pratap Singh, a resident of Shallya village in Haryana; Veena Devi (14), daughter of Udey Singh of Pandol village and Kiran (14), daughter of Heera Singh, a resident of Kolthi village in Pacchad tehsil, were washed away in the Pandol khud on Tuesday while they were returning after attending their school at Chakli in the Pacchad area. As the khud was flooded, it took villagers two days to locate their bodies. The SDM said a case had already been prepared for providing a relief of Rs 20,000 each to the affected families. A relative of a deceased girl said that Veena and Kiran were born on the same date and time. Residents of the area have demanded the construction of a bridge over the Pandol khud at the earliest.
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Docs threaten to start private practice Kangra, March 16 Spokesman of the Himachal Medical Officers Association ( HMOA) Dr Susheel Sharma said today the assurance by Chief Minister Virbhdra Singh in presence of the chief secretary, finance secretary and health secretary on February 21, to accept their demands was an eyewash. Resentment prevailed among the doctors community for ignoring them in the recent state Budget, while doctors of ayurvedic and veterinary cadre were given benefits. Due to government apathy 50 specialists had resigned from their jobs in the past one year and many more were planning to follow them. He said now the paucity of specialists had resulted in a set back to the National Health Rural Mission (NRHM) programme. He condemned that the government had created stumbling blocks for the doctors to get further education by raising the age slab to 40 besides being regular in the cadre. Dr Sharma said it was unfortunate that the doctors were appointed on contract basis and by the time they got regularised, in most cases, it was seen that they had either crossed the age of 40 or were nearing 40 and thus they were deprived of further education.
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PWD ‘flouting’ norms Dharamsala, March 16 As per the guidelines, the materials such as cement for use should be arranged by the contractors from ACC, Gujarat Ambuja, Birla and JK Cement, which are the principal manufacturers in the state. However, the principal secretary of the Public Works Department has issued written instructions to all its executive engineers who are monitoring the construction works across the state, ‘to make arrangements for the supply of cement to contractors from the rate-contract firms on the basis of which payment will be made by the contractor through your office’. Former minister and a senior leader of BJP Krishan Kapoor has alleged that by issuing such instructions, the Public Works Department has become an intermediary agency between the contractors and the manufacturing firm, which has been clearly prohibited under the newly added clause of the set guidelines.
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HIV bomb ticking, 1,930 cases detected Kangra, March 16 He said over 85 per cent of these cases were due to unsafe sexual habits. He said according to the estimation based on the nationwide HIV Sentinel Surveillance data, there were 5.134 million HIV infected cases in the country. Dr Surender Singh said in Himachal Pradesh, first HIV positive case was detected in 1992 which was followed by occurrence of many cases. He said the maximum number of HIV positive cases were from Hamirpur (476) followed by Kangra (455). He said Hamirpur had a population of 4.5 lakh and had 476 HIV cases, while Kangra, the biggest district had 455 HIV cases so far. In Himachal Pradesh, HIV cases detected in March 2004 were 817, which touched 1,212 in March 2005. It had further increase to 1,474 by September 30, 2005, and by June 30, 2006 it had reached 1,779. Till the beginning of this year, there were 1,930 cases with 397 full-blown cases. He said as on 30th September 2005, out of 48,999 persons screened at the state-level Reference Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres (VCTC) in IGMC, Shimla, 613 were found HIV positive, which included 165 AIDS cases. He said the VCTC in Dharamshala, Chamba, Mandi, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Nahan , Kullu, Solan,Una, Reckongpeo and Keylong have screened 5,282 persons as on September 30, 2005 out of which 861 were found HIV positive which included 154 AIDS cases. During this screening at the centres, 1,474 were detected HIV positive which included 319 AIDS cases till September 30, 2005. Every year HIV cases are increasing in the state, despite the fact that no active surveillance has been been carried out. Dr Singh said carrying out an active HIV surveillance was of no use as there was no treatment for the disease and it would only add to social stigma for those who were suffering from the infection. Briefing on districtwise HIV positive cases Dr Surender Singh disclosed that Hamirpur had 476, Kangra 455, Bilaspur 263, Mandi 198, Una 163, Shimla 154, Solan 69, Sirmour 29, Chamba 36, Kullu 30, Kinnur 09 and Lahul and Sipiti has no HIV positive cases. He said there were 48 HIV positive cases in the state who were non-Himachali's and belonged to other states but were living here. Dr Singh said sero- positivity rate is 27.2 per 1,000 persons screened. He said 87 per cent HIV positive cases were from Hamirpur, Kangra, Shimla, Bilaspur, Mandi and Una districts. According to reports, 60 per cent of the HIV positive cases in state comprised of boys and girls in the age group of 15 to 24 years and total of 89 per cent comprised of people between 15 to 30 years of age. Social and cultural organisations were disturbed about the scenario that HIV was affecting youths .
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Shimla, March 16 This was stated by former secretary to the Government of India, Ministry of Water Resources, M.S. Reddy, while delivering the 4th Dr Y.S. Parmar Memorial Lecture last evening. Projecting the prospective water needs of India in 2050, he said the country would face a 45 billion cubic meter demand-utilisable resource gap in that year. Reddy advocated the need of interlinking rivers in the country for effecting proper utilisation of water resources. Presiding over the lecture organised by the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said besides a programme to check the growth of population, a comprehensive plan for more judicious management of water resources was also required. — TNS
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Seminar on female foeticide
Shimla, March 16 Delivering the keynote address, former IAS officer C.P. Sujaya impressed upon the need to take urgent steps to stop this disturbing trend. In his presidential address, Prof Yogender Verma highlighted the gravity of the problem and said academicians, NGOs and various other agencies must work collectively to improve the situation. More than 20 delegates from various universities, colleges and research centres from Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra are attending the seminar. |
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Smuggler convicted
Sundernagar, March 16 In case of default the convict would further undergo imprisonment of one year. The police while searching the bus had found the convict with one kg of charas which he had kept in a bag.A case was registered under the NDPS Act. — OC |
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Kangra, March 16
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One held in oustees’ land-grab case
Nurpur, March 16 Confirming the arrest, Jawali DSP H.R. Kaundal said a forgery case had been registered against the accused at the Vijaynagar police station in Rajasthan, a few months ago. Inquiries revealed that as many as one dozen murrabbas of the oustees of the Jawali subdivision had been sold by a land-grab mafia in the absence of the owners which forged documents to transfer the ownership and deprived the oustees of their murrabbas allotted to them in Rajasthan. The hapless oustees had then met Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. The Chief Minister had ordered to constitute a special investigating team and had also taken up the issue with the Rajasthan Government. Earlier, the Jawali police had also arrested the kingpin of the land-grab mafia active in Rajasthan in grabbing oustees' murrabbas.
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Partial solar eclipse on March 19 Shimla, March 16 The eclipse would be visible only from a few places in the east, north-east and some places in the northern part of the country, he said. Though it would begin at 6.08 am and end at 9.55 am, it would become visible in Shimla only at 6.27 am when the sun rises and would end at 8.06 am. The eclipse would be total in Alaska, eastern and central Asia, except central parts of Japan and the western parts of Russia, he said. The eclipse would end at 9.55 am when the moon’s shadow finally leaves the earth at local sunset point in the Beaufort Sea, north of Alaska at 73.26 N latitude and 156.41 W longitude. The strongest phase of the eclipse with magnitude 0.876 would occur at 8.02 am at a point in the north-west of Russia, east of Leningrad at 61.13 N latitude and 55.24 E longitude, he added. — UNI
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