Shimla, July 11
The state government today cancelled the allotment of the 261-MW Kuther hydroelectric project in Chamba district to the D.S. Constructions that was awarded through competitive bidding.

The decision was taken by the Cabinet that met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, here today. The company had secured the Rs 1,500-crore project by offering the highest upfront premium of Rs 52 lakh per megawatt. It was one of the three projects to be awarded through competitive bidding for the first time in the state.

The other two were bagged by M/s Brakel, a Dutch company, which offered an upfront premium of Rs 36 lakh per megawatt for the Jhangi-Thopan (480 MW) and the Thopan-Powari (480 MW) projects in Kinnaur district.

It was decided that negotiation be carried out with the second-highest bidder for the execution of the project. The allotment was cancelled because the company failed to achieve the set milestones and did not deposit the 50 per cent of the upfront premium of Rs 67.60 crore. It also did not agree to the condition of reverting the project back to the government after 40 years.

It is learnt that the company had written to the government and sought some changes in the conditions. It wanted that the upfront premium should be included in the project cost so that it was taken into consideration by the electricity regulatory commission while determining the generation cost.

It had also expressed reservations regarding the condition that the project would be reverted back after 40 years in running condition and with a stipulation that it would function as per the rated capacity for the next 30 years. The company was of the view that the project could be reverted back with normal wear and tear.

The Kuther project will decide the fate of the state government’s policy to award projects on the basis of upfront premium. As such, the outcome of negotiations with JSW Limited, the second-highest bidder, will be important. What course of action the DS Constructions adopts in the matter will also be significant.

Dharamsala, July 11
At least 20 human settlements falling under four panchayats and the 10 MW Gaj Power Project of the State Electricity Board in Kangra district were completely cut-off due to heavy rains that lashed the district today.

As per reports available, all human settlements falling under Bitlu, Kutharna, Kareri and parts of Batala panchayats were completely cut-off as the 150 metre portion of the link-road was washed away in the heavy rain. All means of public transport were stopped due to the road damage.

The authorities of the power project own the responsibility to maintain the road as per an agreement with the state government, revealed a senior official of the Public Works Department. However, they were yet to begin the road restoration work.

Local people in the area have to travel at least 20 km on foot to catch a public transport to reach the district headquarters that is otherwise less than 15 km from this place.

Meanwhile, the tribal areas of Chota Bhangal and Bara Bhangal panchayats were still cut-off from the rest of the state on the fourth consecutive day after the heavy rain and flash floods struck the region of Sunday.

It may be mentioned that Bara Bhangal village situated at a height of more than 16,000 feet has no road link even after 60-years of independence. One has to trek for at least three days from the nearest road link near Baijnath to reach this village. Heavy rains during the past few days have even cut-off the trekking route used by the people to reach there, said Kanchan Devi, pradhan of the village panchayat.

Chamba, July 11
The cloudbursts on the Bada Bhangal ranges of the Himalayas’ from where the Ravi originates, caused flash floods in the Ravi, completely washing away the coffer dam of the Chamera Hydroelectric Project (stage-III), under construction at Churaid Bagda dam site in Bharmour region of Chamba district today.

The flash floods deluged with a large number of huge logs of different species of conifer trees had clogged up the diversion tunnel of the project with a large number of logs of forest wood, thereby washing away the coffer dam with the high velocity of the flooded Ravi. The flash flood also burst the banks of the river.

The flash floods also washed away the machinery and other equipment kept at the Churaid Bagda dam site.

K.L. Dhar, project controller of the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) disclosed that the flash flood had caused a loss of approximately Rs 5 crore to the coffer dam. He said the coffer dam was almost nearing completion and expected to be accomplished by the end of this month.

“The total damages caused to the project if reckoned in terms of its reconstruction and the time for its completion may go beyond Rs 10 crore”, said Dhar. 

Chamba: As many as 150 houses of Kuleth belt in the Holi rift valley of Bharmour tribal area are on the verge of sinking, following huge landslides triggered as result of widespread rain in Chamba district.

Official reports revealed that around 200 metres of the portion of the Holi-Nayagran road had been damaged due to landslides. Local authorities at Bharmour rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation and to combat with the prevailing situation.

With the washing away of the road, the link between the apple growing areas and the rest of the state has been cut off which might put the apple-growers in huge loss.

Meanwhile, at least 15 houses were damaged by a cloudburst on Sunday night in Authal village in the district, according to a report submitted by the area residents to SDM, R.K. Gautam, today.

Shimla, July 11
Ensuring structural stability, quality audit and professional certification could become mandatory for all builders, as the Union Home Ministry has directed the state government to make necessary amendments for ensuring safety against natural disasters and hazards.

Based on the recommendations made by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) with regard to natural disasters and hazards, the state government will shortly notify the rules and regulations of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1977.

National seismic advisor, Dr A.S. Arya, has also recommended certain amendments in the Act which will ensure better mitigation and preparedness against natural disasters like landslides.

The recommendations sent by the Centre are important with regard to the fact that certain areas in the state like Chamba, Mandi and Shimla fall in the seismic IV and V Zones, which are highly prone to earthquakes.

“Since the recommendations made by the Union Home Ministry are very elaborate and cumbersome, we would exclude the two-storeyed traditional structures being raised for personal residential use from these, but all other structures would have to strictly abide by these,” said a senior officer.

He added that even government structures for community purpose would have to abide by these recommendations.

Though there is no mention of the slope or the number of storeys that would be allowed but officials said this would be dictated by the zone in which the site fell. Like in Shimla there are heritage, core, restricted and green area zones.

The government has been asked to indicate the hazard proneness of an area under Section 5 of the Town and Country Planning Act (TCP), 1977, in the regional plan and development plan.

They have also been asked to define mitigation, natural disaster and natural hazard. Those undertaking construction would have to submit a soil investigation report along with the structural design as per the National Building Code, which would be specified in Section 31-A of the TCP Act.

The builders would have to engage professionals like town planners, architects, engineers, structural engineers, geo-technical engineers and designers, all of whom will have to be registered with the competent government authority. Their registration would be valid for a period of three years.

Shimla, July 11
BSNL employees observed one-day strike today in the state in protest against the Centre’s delay in finalising a global tender to procure 45.5 million GSM connections.

Employees of the country’s largest telecom company stayed away from their offices across the state following a nationwide call for strike by nine unions.

However, telecom services were not affected due to the strike, circle general of the executive employee union Hira Lal Sayal said. He said if the Union Government did not acceded to their demands, the BSNL employee unions would go on an indefinite strike.

The strike was a complete success with over 90 to 95 per cent employees staying away from their work, he claimed.

A senior BSNL official said the attendance in the offices was quite low.

However, the strike remained peaceful and no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the state during the day.

In Shimla, telecom employees took out a rally in the main bazaar and raised slogans against the union telecom minister. Reports of BSNL employees observing one-day strike were also received from other parts of the state.

MANDI: BSNL employees deserted their offices in protest against the union telecom ministry’s “recent deliberated objections” to the global tender called for 45.5 million global service mobile (GSM) lines, the backbone of BSNL’s expansion of the third-generation mobile services in the country.

Five unions joined a countrywide strike in response to a call given by the BSNL’s central joint forum.

The employees at different district headquarters struck work and held protest marches in towns, raising slogans against the telecom minister. Employee leaders said they would be forced to go on indefinite strike if the telecom minister did not clear the GSM tender.

Addressing a rally in front of the GM office, union leaders charged the telecom minister A. Raja with dancing to the tunes of private mobile service providers like Vodaphone-Essar and Hutch by the delaying the clearance of the tender for the expansion of third-generation mobile services in the country.

SNEA general secretary K.R. Sankhayan, BSNLEU secretary Hem Raj, FNTO leader Om Parkash, TESA leaders L. Sharma and Vinod Sharma said former telecom minister D. Maran had granted sanction for the expansion of the 45.5 million GSM lines. “Tender was called and only purchase order for the equipment was to be placed, but the present minister is deliberately delaying it,” they added.

They said the GSM tender was the backbone of the BSNL and livelihood of over 3.6 lakh employees was linked to it. They said they would not tolerate anti-BSNL policies. BSNL top officials said the minister had raised objections on the GSM tender that further delayed BSNL’s plan of expansion of third generation of mobile services. “It is the politics at the higher level,” they said.

HAMIRPUR: Gazetted and non-gazetted employees of the BSNL went on strike on Wednesday in protest against delay in the purchase of G-3 equipment. The employees sat in dharna in front of the general manager’s office and raised slogans against the government.

Members of the joint action committee Rajesh Kumar, K.S. Chauhan and Sushil Kamari said the government was delaying the purchase of the equipment despite 4.55 crore being sanctioned for the purpose. They said purchase of this equipment is important for the expansion plan of mobile services. They said they would resort to indefinite strike if decision in this regard was not taken soon. 

Shimla, July 11
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests is keen to set up a “cold desert biosphere” in the Himalayan region comprising parts of Ladakh, Lahaul and Spiti. A proposal formulated by G.B.Pant Institute, Almora, in this regard is already under consideration and feasibility studies are being carried out to give it a final shape. Preliminary discussions have taken place at a meeting of senior forest officers of the concerned states, the ministry and the institute at Almora last week. The region does not have any biosphere so far.

The Hemis national park in Ladakh, the Pin valley national park and Chandratal and Kibber sanctuaries will be the core areas of the biosphere.

The country has six biospheres so far and three more are proposed. Besides the cold desert biosphere, two more biospheres, Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagur in Mizoram are proposed.

Himachal has some reservations regarding the exercise of rights of the local people who are dependent on forests for livelihood and funding of the project. The people could lose their grazing rights and their entry into the forests for collection of herbs could also be restricted. Himachal wants all these issues to be discussed in detail and settled beforehand. The rights of the tribal people in the sparsely-populated cold desert areas will have to be protected at all costs.

The state has more than 12 per cent of the total geographical area under wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. There have been problems in managing the protected areas because of conflict with the rights of the people. The Nanda Devi biosphere in Uttrakhand has been marred with such problems.

Principal chief conservator of forests Pankaj Khullar who attended the meeting said in case livelihood of the tribal people was affected alternative means of livelihood would have to be provided. He said the department wanted to take the local people into confidence before moving any further in the matter. A meeting is proposed to be held at Keylong in August for which representatives of the people, non- government organisations and environmentalists would also be invited.

Shimla, July 11
The Himachal Cabinet today approved a proposal to raise a development policy loan of Rs 800 crore from the World Bank for carrying various developmental activities in the state. While 90 per cent of the amount will be given as outright grant, the remaining 10 per cent will come as loan through the Government of India.

The bank has sanctioned $4,80,000 grant for carrying out studies, planning and management of hydro-power, improving capacity in the state to manage environment and resources and to promote tourism industry in Himachal Pradesh.

In addition to this, the government has already received Rs 900 crore from the World Bank for road development.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh presided over the meeting of the Cabinet which also gave approval for ‘Group Personal Accident Insurance Scheme for regular, adhoc, contractual, part-time and daily-waged employees’ of various government departments, boards, corporations, universities and autonomous bodies on compulsory basis covering 2.75 lakh employees.

The policy regarding Carton and Transport Subsidy for the year 2007-08 was approved under which subsidy at the rate of Rs 2 per carton, subject to a maximum limit of Rs 2,400 for 1,200 carton boxes, will be given to small farmers having 10 bighas or less land. The rate of Agro India Packaging Limited carton boxes was fixed at Rs 34.50 per carton from April 1, 2007 to December 15, 2007.

The cartons will be supplied by the HPMC, HIMFED, HP Agro Industries Corporation and KINFED ( for Kinnaur only). A target to manufacture 5.60 lakh cartons has been fixed for Agro India Packaging Limited for the current season.

It further approved the introduction of luxury tax at the rate of 30 per cent occupancy for proprietors of hotels, except corporate hotels. By this, the government expects greater tax compliance and relieve the burden of maintaining detailed accounts and undergoing detailed assessment. Besides these, the hoteliers will also be relieved of inspections by the assessing authorities. The existing luxury tax revenue is Rs 16.50 crore out of which corporate hotels have paid Rs 8.13 crore (49 per cent).

It approved the upgradation of 10 existing police posts to police stations and opening of two new police stations. The new police posts will be of New Shimla, Sangrah in Sirmaur, Swarghat in Bilaspur, Darang in Mandi, Bhuntar and Brow in Kullu, Nagrota Bhagwan and Forsyth Ganj in Kangra, Chintpurni in Una, Sundernagar in Mandi and Bagga in Solan.

It also approved 2 to 3 Kanungo circles and 11 to 28 patwar circles for Chirgaon tehsil, 2 to 4 kanungo circles and 15 to 32 patwar circles for Rampur tehsil and 1 to 2 kanungo and 5 to 16 patwar circles for Nankhari sub-tehsil of Shimla district by reorganisation of the same.

It granted relaxation of age-limit for the posts of senior scientific advisor in the department of Environment and Scientific Technologies

It approved lease of land measuring 45 bighas and six biswas for 30 years, for setting up of the Amity University at Dharamsala.

The Cabinet approved the HP Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (Amendment) Rules, 2007, amendment in the General Provident Fund (central services) Rules, 1960, Recruitment and Promotion Rules for the post of private secretary (Class-I gazetted) in the office of Lokayukta.

It approved shifting of the Police Training Academy and Police Training College, Daroh, to Sakoh near Dharamsala and training school for constables to Daroh.

It has sanctioned and created 1,063 posts of different categories in various departments of the state which included 59 posts of various categories for the 100 bedded subdivisional hospital at Nurpur, 66 posts of teaching and non-teaching staff for Government College, Seraj at Lamba. Thach in Mandi, 294 posts of teaching and non-teaching staff for the newly upgraded 14 senior secondary schools in the state, 67 posts of lecturers (school cadre) for DIETS, creation of 115 posts of various categories in the Public Works Department and its regularization, granted permission for 100 posts of agriculture development officers and 300 posts of agriculture extension officers in the Agriculture Department, 12 posts of various categories in the General Nursing Training School in Mahatma Gandhi Medical Services Complex, Khaneri, Rampur to train the GNM and MPW (male and female), created one post each of additional secretary and joint secretary, one post of senior special private secretary and one post of special private secretary, upgradation of one post of junior assistant to senior assistant and approved absorption of 20 clerks and 7 drivers in Himachal secretariat, absorbed 8 employees in State Electricity Regulatory Commission, and 8 posts in the State Information Commission.

It has sanctioned three Maruti Baleno for the judges of Himachal Pradesh High Court, one Maruti Esteem for District and Sessions judge, Solan, one gypsy for SDM, Kandaghat and two vehicles for the HP judicial academy.

• ‘Group Personal Accident Insurance Scheme for regular, adhoc, contractual, part-time and daily-waged employees’ of various government departments, boards, corporations, universities and autonomous bodies
• Introduction of luxury tax at the rate of 30 per cent occupancy for proprietors of hotels, except corporate hotels.
• Upgradation of 10 existing police posts to police stations and opening of two new police stations.

Dharamsala, July 11
The district administration has asked the Food and Civil Supplies Corporation and the Food and Civil Supplies Department to ensure the supply of a six-month stock of 640 quintals of ration under the public distribution system to the tribal Bara Bhangal village in Baijnath subdivision within a week.

Additional deputy commissioner K.D. Lakhanpal said the ration was being supplied to the tribal people in advance because this remote village was not accessible between August and March due to a heavy snowfall.

The Food and Civil Supplies Corporation would supply this ration till Bir village after which the Food and Civil Supplies Department would ensure its supply to Bara Bhangal village.

As many as 100 mules had been hired by the administration to ensure that the PDS ration reaches the village situated at a height of more than 16000 feet as soon as possible, he said.

In order to check black-marketing, the ADC has asked the Food and Civil Supplies Corporation, the Food and Civil Supplies Department and the Cooperative Department to send their inspectors to Bara Bhangal village along with the ration. “These officials will have to give a written report to the district administration that the ration has reached the supply depot of the remote village safely", said Mr. Lakhanpal.

It may be mentioned that 630 quintals of ration meant for 1200 residents of Bara Bhangal village had allegedly gone 'missing' and possibly sold in the open market last year. The police has already registered a criminal case in this regard following a magisterial inquiry conducted by the SDM.

Dharamsala, July 11
The Public Works Department had recently served on notices to 68 shops situated between Darhi and the Yol cantonment area on the Palampur state highway in Dharamsala town to remove encroachments on their own, otherwise, the department would launch a special drive to demolish the illegal structures.

A senior official of the department said the state government had proposed to widen the state highway that had become congested in the recent years due to encroachments by the residents and shopkeepers

Sometimes, it becomes impossible for even a single bus or car to pass through the road because of encroachments and illegal parkings by the shopkeepers on the roadside. For the past few months, after the construction of the Vidhan Sabha complex in Tapowan, the local administration has diverted the vehicles going towards Palampur through another road but still the local people pass from the police checkpoint on the highway often leading to traffic jams in the cantonment area.

Assistant executive engineer of the Public Works Department Arvind Sharma said the department had started the process of widening the road in order to prevent the problem of traffic congestions.

He said the minimum width of the highway within the town and the cantonment limits would be 30-feet along with specified open space at both the ends. In order to carry out this job, it was mandatory to remove all the encroachments from the road sides, he added.

Solan, July 11
With the Revenue Department having put on hold permissions to all housing and commercial projects in the industrial area of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh, the builders are anxiously waiting for the ban to be lifted.

According to highly placed sources, this temporary halt was necessitated to check the progress of ongoing projects and stop misuse of permission for acquiring land by outsiders. A high-powered committee comprising the secretary (revenue), deputy commissioner and the director (industries) had been constituted for the purpose. The government had detected a number of cases where instead of pursuing genuine housing activity the investors were executing clandestine deals to sell land to non-Himachalis. The committee was, therefore, directed to check the progress of all ongoing housing projects.

Secretary (revenue) Diljit Singh Dogra said the committee was assigned the task of physically verifying the status of each housing project. It was entrusted with the job of assessing the actual housing requirement in the industrial areas to ensure that only need- based projects came about.

The builders, on the other hand, rued that they had been made to wait for several months to avail permission under section 118 of the H.P. Tenancy and Land Reforms Act. This despite the fact that they had already been issued an essentiality certificate for setting up their projects from the Himachal Pradesh Housing and Urban Development Authority(HIMUDA). They were now awaiting this permission after which they could seek a licence from HIMUDA and start their projects.

Figures procured from HIMUDA revealed nearly 12 housing projects were coming up on nearly 520 bighas in this area. Inquires revealed that though almost 4,000 housing flats were slated to come up in this industrial area only 2,000 flats were in the process of construction now.

These comprised all categories of flats. The government had also become vigilant after nearly 2,310 cases of fraudulent deals on general power of attorney were detected by the Revenue Department. An inquiry is under way by the state CID into all such cases.

Shimla, July 11
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Viplove Thakur today lambasted senior BJP leader L.K. Advani for violating the Constitutional provisions laid down for presidential elections.

She said by sending a letter to all MPs, Advani had not only tied to provoke feelings against a female candidate, thereby perpetuating gender bias, but also undermined the dignity of the highest office of the nation. The letter betrayed the demoralisation of the BJP and its leaders.

She said Advani was a symbol of communalism in the country and was responsible for propagating casteism and regionalism. He had now downgraded the status of MPs by asking them to vote as per his directions and not as per the norms laid down under the Constitution, she added.

This step of Advani only indicated that the BJP had accepted the defeat of NDA-sponsored Independent candidate.

Shimla, July 11
It is at the ‘dharam sansad’ to be held in New Delhi on July 25 that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) will take a final decision on the course to be adopted to save Ram Setu. Addressing a press conference here today the central secretary of VHP Khem Chand Sharma said they would decide whether to gherao Parliament or proceed to Rameshwaram to save the setu which was a symbol of the rich cultural heritage of the country.

“Senior officials have hidden facts from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a result of which the foundation stone for the proposed setu canal project was laid in haste,” he alleged. He demanded that a CBI inquiry should have been ordered into the matter and action be taken against those responsible for misguiding the Prime Minister.

He said public awareness campaign is being launched through all temples in the country on the issue of saving the setu. “If the government can order shifting of thousands of factory out of Agra to save the Taj Mahal and change the route of the Delhi metro to save Qutab Minar then what is preventing the authorities from taking similar steps to save the setu,” he quipped.

The VHP leader said they would further intensify their agitation depending on the attitude the government adopts on the setu issue.

Bilaspur, July 11
Sonia of Government Senior Secondary School, Dangar, stood first, Suman Bala of Government Senior Secondary School Kalol was second and Swati of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Bilaspur town, was third in the district-level declamation contest on prohibition organised by the district Information and Public Relations Department for senior school students at Government Girls Senior Secondary School,Ghumarwin, near here last evening.

Among juniors Sudiksha Sharma of Gajrehda, was first, Ankit Gautam of Geharwin, was second and Surabhi Kashyap of Barota was third.

In the on the spot painting competition, Suresh Kumar of Panjgain, Harjinder Singh of Kutheda, Manu Thakur of Kandraur, among seniors and Sonia Kumari of Bhaged, Manisha Rani of girls school, Bilaspur, and Shilpa Rani of Barthin among Juniors were declared first, second and third respectively.

In the slogan writing competition, among seniors, Sapna Devi of Barthin was first, Shivani Gautam of Panjgain was second and Apsara Kumari of Dangar stood third while among juniors, Manju Devi of Namhole was first, Kanchan Bala of Behna Jattan was Second and Monica Sharma of Barota was third.

Nurpur, July 11
The local unit of the Primary Teachers Association has urged the state government to protect their rights while implementing elementary education policy in government schools.

In a statement issued here , Prem Kaushal and Kuldeep Pathania, president and general secretary of the association, respectively, demanded to ensure promotion quota on the basis of the strength of JBT teachers. — OC

Solan, July 11
As an accountability measure, the pollution control board here has transferred the regional officers of Baddi and Nalagarh. Baddi’s regional officer Chetan Joshi has been posted to Kullu while Nalagarh’s regional officer S.K.Dhiman has been posted to Solan.

The action was taken after large-scale fish mortality was reported from the industrial area on June 14. Continuing its action against erring units the board has also ordered disconnection of power connections of two more textile units as well as a paper unit.

The units have been directed to upgrade their effluent treatment plants to tertiary levels. This has put the industrial units in a fix as each such system will put an additional drain of several lakhs on the investors.