Shimla, October 8
Decks have been cleared for the allotment of 168 identified projects and various self-identified micro-hydel projects with the government withdrawing the controversial amendment affecting the eligibility criteria made to the power policy midway through the exercise.

While a number of changes were effected in the policy announced in January, the one that affected micro-hydel projects up to 2 MW was the change in the eligibility criteria. Under the original policy, such projects were exclusively reserved for bona fide Himachali entrepreneurs. In case of more than one applicant, preference was to be given to the person of the area or district. This clause was amended and district-specific preference was withdrawn so that any Himachali could get any project across the state. Some of the applicants had moved the high court that stayed the process of allotment.

HIMURJA, nodal agency for mini hydel projects, has received 1,609 application for the projects. Out of these, around 900 applications pertained to self-identified projects. The aggregate generation capacity of 168 projects is 290 MW, out of which 117 projects with aggregate capacity of 103 MW are below 2-MW capacity. The joint inspection conducted by the teams of the state electricity board and the agency to ascertain the feasibility of self-identified projects has come across large-scale overlapping with seven to nine applications for each project.

The board has also invited offers for self-identified projects big projects and conducted spot inspection for 22 such projects. Some entrepreneurs had applied for both big and micro-hydel projects on the same rivers and streams.

Meanwhile, the government has taken a decision not to award any micro-hydel project in the environmentally fragile tribal Kinnaur district which means that at least 54 projects will not be allotted. Hydropower expert R.L. Justa has hailed the decision and said not more than three micro-hydel projects be allowed on a rivulet and no entrepreneur or company be assigned more than three projects. Moreover, virgin high mountain areas close to the glaciers should not be allotted. In case of overlapping of big and micro-hydel projects, the preference should be given to the latter.

Shimla, October 8
Priyanka Gandhi today filed papers for seeking permission from the Union Home Ministry for constructing a house in the high-security zone of Charabra, where Rashtrapati Niwas is located.

Priyanka, who was for the first time accompanied by her mother-in-law to the ‘Queen of Hills’, discussed the design and construction plan of her house. The moment permission is granted by the Union Home Ministry, construction work is likely to begin at the earliest.

Vice-president of the Shimla Congress Committee (Rural) Kehar Singh Khachi moved the papers before the deputy commissioner for seeking permission from the Centre. The DC will forward her case to the government which will send it to the Centre for final approval.

The 4.5 bighas of land purchased by Priyanka near Charabra falls in the VVIP area which is a high-security zone. Priyanka herself enjoys Z-plus security.

Priyanka accompanied by husband Robert Vadra, mother-in-law and her two children was in the state capital to discuss construction plans. She is learnt to have expressed desire to have a home in the typical hill architecture style so that it gels well with the surroundings.

Equipped with six building plans she discussed the matter with Khachi, whom she has given the power of attorney for completing all formalities on her behalf. “She is keen that the narrow stone path leading to the house is retained and a separate drive-in is constructed to the house,” said Khachi.

Priyanka had purchased the land in her name for Rs 46.79 lakh.

Dharamsala, October 8
Managing director of the State Tourism Development Corporation and former principal secretary to the Chief Minister Subash Ahluwalia appeared before the one-man judicial committee headed by Justice O.P. Garg in an open court here this morning. The committee is inquiring into the alleged conduct of former transport and tourism minister G.S. Bali during his birthday party.

Ahluwalia said he was present in the party. He was invited by Bali’s friend Raj Arora, he added. “Bali had neither taken liquor, not danced with the alleged dance girls during the time I was in the party,” he stated.

He said one of the girls was wearing a mini-skirt while others were wearing normal dresses. “I do not know who the girls were and from where they had came,” he added.

When Justice Garg produced a couple of still photographs of the party before him, Ahluwalia identified that he was one of the persons shown in the photographs. Others in the photographs were G.S. Bali, his wife and sister, he said.

He said he remained in the party for a few minutes and left the venue with the minister. He denied remembering any particular words of a Hindi song that was played during the party and said all that he remembered was that some Hindi music was being played in the party.

He refused to identify the person shown in the TV footage embracing one of the girls and also those who were dancing there.

Three-time former MLA from Nagrota Bagwan Ram Chand Bhatia, Chander Bhushan (a resident of Kangra), BJP leader Hind Veer Kohli also recorded their statements. They said such dance parties were against their culture. Kohli also presented a couple of CDs related to the party to Justice Garg.

Palampur, October 8
The government has waived stamp duty on agricultural loans to farmers. Minister of agriculture Raj Krishan Gaur said this while inaugurating an agricultural officers workshop on rabi crops at agriculture university here today.

He said the government had given Rs 100-crore subsidy on various food items available at fair price shops. As the state was still dependent on the Central pool for food grains, the scientists must make all-out efforts to increase farm production to make the state self-sufficient on the food front. This would also help farmers in raising their socio-economic status, he said.

He underlined the importance of striking a balance between traditional and modern farm practices based on scientific lines for growth in agriculture. He appreciated the research and extension efforts of the university in controlling weeds, pasture improvement etc. However, he said there was a need to make specific plans for the emerging problems in view of global warming, ever increasing population and pressure on farmlands.

Vice-chancellor of the university Tej Partap said Indian agriculture was passing through a critical juncture. As per studies of the National Farmers’ Commission, not more than 44 per cent research had reached farmers, he said.

Director of Agriculture Department J.C. Rana gave information about the plans for ensuing rabi crop and availability of inputs. He said a target of 7.28 lakh tonne food production had been fixed and district-level plans were being prepared to make use of the Central assistance.

Director (research) of the university S.C. Sharma said the university had recommended two new wheat varieties (HPW 249 and HPW 236) and a barley variety, Gokul (HBL 391), for the rabi season.

Director of extension education of the university K.K. Katoch gave details of new extension strategies to educate farmers about control of serious diseases in major crops.

Around 200 farm officers and scientists attended various sessions during the workshop.

Kangra, October 8
Journalists of print and electronic media of this town today held an hour-long dharna outside the Kangra Police station this afternoon and demanded the withdrawal of the case of sedition registered against three Shimla-based journalists of a vernacular Hindi daily.

The journalists wearing black badges sat on dharna outside the police station was addressed by the representatives of the journalist community by the former agriculture minister Vidaya Sagar, BJP leader Rattan Jagat Amba, Hindu Maha Saba state chief Nalinder Gautam, CPI leader Tilak Raj and Ravi Shanker leader of the business community.

All speakers condemned the government decision to register a case of sedition against three journalists and described the action amounting to gagging of the media in the state.

Sagar said the government’s action was deplorable. Tilak Raj and Gautam described the government’s action as unfortunate and anti-people.

The journalists later on submitted a memorandum to Kangra SHO Surender Kumar to be passed on to the HP DGP demanding withdrawal of the case against the journalists.

MANDI: The journalists today marched in protest to the DC office and submitted a memorandum addressed to the state Governor, demanding withdrawal of the FIR registered against the three staffers of the Hindi daily, Divya Himachal, immediately.

According to the memorandum signed by the Press Club, Mandi, which was submitted to the Governor through the AC to the DC, it stated that the police had registered the case without getting the clarification from the editor to present their side of the story. The newspaper had the autonomy to carry the news stories as media was the fourth estate in a democracy. The police action was one-sided in this case and as such it should withdraw the case unconditionally, it added.

DHARAMSALA: A group of the local lawyers based here today protested against the slapping of sedition charges by the state police on an editor and two senior journalists of a vernacular daily newspaper being published from here and gave a memorandum addressed to the Governor to the DM demanding immediate withdrawal of the case.

The lawyers said that it was an attack on the media which was the fourth pillar of democracy. No such contents were published in the newspaper that amounted to sedition charges, they said.

Meanwhile, large number of journalists from various parts of the Kangra district gathered here last night and constituted a seven-member committee to launch a stir against the state government in order to press for the withdrawal of sedition charges.

The journalists today also boycotted the police-media workshop organised by the state police at its state training institute at Daroh (Kangra).

Shimla, October 8
The government is considering giving exemption in special road tax to buses plying on rural routes in order to encourage private bus operators’ network in villages and reduce losses of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC).

The matter is being discussed with the Finance Department at the highest level so that a final decision can be taken in this regard. The government is exploring various options to reduce losses of the HRTC and improve the payment of special road tax (SRT) by private operators. The payment of SRT by the private operators is generally poor and the money due towards the government remains unpaid as the vehicles are sold off.

The HRTC has a fleet of 1,700 buses with 70 per cent of its operation in rural areas. On the other hand, private bus operators have a fleet of 3,700 buses and they prefer to ply their vehicles in urban areas and on more profitable routes.

“The stipulation that private bus operators would operate 60 per cent of their fleet on rural routes and 40 per cent in urban areas is not being implemented, resulting in huge losses to the government,” admitted a senior official.

It is being felt that steps must be initiated to encourage private bus operators to ply their vehicles on rural routes. “The annual losses that the HRTC has to bear on account of its vehicles plying on uneconomical routes, mostly in the rural areas, is around Rs 35 crore,” a senior official said. The HRTC could not shirk its social responsibility of providing a transport network even in the remotest corners of the state, he added.

Sources in the HRTC said although effecting a hike in the bus fares was on the cards, keeping in view the Assembly elections due in February next year, it was unlikely that such a harsh decision would be taken at this juncture.

A hike of 25 per cent was made in the bus fares in April, 2003, after a gap of four years.

Mandi, October 8
State BJP president Jai Ram Thakur today warned the BJP men that no indiscipline would be tolerated and party would take action against those who would make their personal tussle public.

He also accused the Congress of making false announcements as they remained unfulfilled. Talking to reporters here after the district BJP meeting, which was attended by BJP north-zone organising secretary Manohar Lal, HP BJP co-convener O.P. Dankar, organising secretary Mahinder Pande and leaders from Mandi district here today, Jai Ram Thakur said the party would not tolerate those who bring their prejudices and factional fights on the public stage.

Replying to the media queries on the issue of fight in front of national vice-president Shanta Kumar at a meeting in Nurpur subdivision last week Thakur said the committee would submit a report and suitable action would be taken against those who violated the party discipline.

Shimla, October 8
The Himachal Pradesh Government has refuted the charges levelled by senior BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal about “irregularities” in allocation of development funds.

“The allegations are baseless, misleading and contrary to the facts,” a government spokesman said. “It is nothing but issued with the ulterior motive to gain political mileage,” he said.

Dhumal, a former Chief Minister, had alleged irregularities in allocation of funds under yhe “vikas mein jansahyog” programme.

The first instalment of Rs 3 crore under the programme was released to 10 non-tribal areas in the state in April last.

Besides, Rs 6 crore was also released from the last year’s sanctioned funds for carrying out works under the programme. The allocation was made as per the demand of the districts, the spokesman said.

In addition, the Planning Department also reviewed the pending schemes under the programme and concerned DCs were asked to send proposals for projects in their respective districts.

He said Rs 676.46 lakh were also released in August 2, following demands from DCs of Bilaspur, Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Solan for pending schemes under the programme.

The spokesman clarified that no demand for the allocation of funds was received from Hamirpur (Dhumal’s home district), Sirmaur and Una. — PTI

Bilaspur, October 8
The Himachal Pradesh State Employees Confederation has expressed shock and surprise over the fact that despite repeated declarations of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to root out corruption in the state, some ministers of the government were giving patronage to some corrupt officers and are helping such officers by suppressing cases of corruption against them.

On the other hand, they are also harassing the employees’ leaders who have given documentary evidence against such corrupt officers.

Confederation state chief advisor and former state president of the Himachal NGOs Federation Ram Singh warned such politicians and officers that if they did not stop their objectionable activities, including victimisation of employees leaders immediately, the body would present a memorandum to the Chief Minister and the Governor demanding a CBI probe against such officers to ensure action against them.

Ram Singh urged the government to release 6 per cent dearness allowance to all employees of the state immediately and also release 5 per cent interim relief, Rs 350 monthly medical allowance and also release TA and DA of all employees who were on election duty during the recent Lok Sabha by-election in the Hamirpur constituency.

The confederation has also demanded that all employees should retire at age of 60 years.

Shimla, October 8
The BJP will hold 300 public meetings all over the state before holding a massive rally to be addressed by party chief Rajnath Singh at Mandi in December.

While senior leaders, including L.K. Advani and Rajnath Singh, will address rallies during the election campaigning the entire state leadership will be involved in the holding of 300 public meetings. The decision was taken at a meeting of the state office-bearers at Solan two days ago.

A massive rally will be organised by the BJP at Mandi towards the end of December in which Rajnath Singh and other senior leaders will take part. The meeting has been planned with a view to boosting the morale of the party just before the launch of the election campaign.

While chalking out the party strategy for the poll, it was decided that 300 rallies would be held between October 15 and December 15. All senior leaders at the Centre, including Advani and Rajnath Singh would tour the state during the run-up to the elections. “Besides holding state-wide rallies, the party has also decided to hold election training camps for all the parliamentary constituencies,” said Thakur.

Nurpur, October 8
INTUC, the frontal organisation of the ruling Congress, has decided to launch an agitation against the management of the State Agro Industries Corporation (SAIC) for its apathy in releasing salaries of workers and failure to revive the HIMAGRICO and Honey Processing Units of the corporation in the subdivision.

INTUC state general secretary Rajnesh Sharma in a statement issued here on Friday evening said INTUC had served an ultimatum to SAIC to disburse salaries of the employees and workers of the units by October 20, otherwise an agitation would be launched on October 25.

He accused the management of adopting dilly dallying attitude in the regular disbursement of salaries of the employees and workers of the units who had not been getting salaries for the past over five months He informed that in the first phase of the agitation they would sit on chain hunger strike along with workers of HIMAGRICO on October 25.

“INTUC state president Baba Amerjeet Singh would launch the agitation on that day and would be present to kick start the hunger strike,” he added.

Kullu, October 8
The government and the district administration have not been able to resolve the “dhur” issue of standing on the right side of the ‘rath’ of lord Raghunath during the Dasehra festival that begins on October 21.

DC Abhishek Jain convened a press conference at the Bachat Bhavan here today in which representatives of the Devta Shringha Rishi and Devta Balu Naag were also invited. He said the issue cropped up in 1997 and since then the government had been trying to resolve it at various levels.

A committee, headed by the Mandi DC, was constituted to go through history books, take views of scholars, historians, authors and senior citizens and submitted report to the government. The committee also referred religious scriptures, but no decision was announced. The decision was left to karkoons of both devtas.

It may be recalled that the dispute of standing on the right side of the ‘rath’ was between Devta Shringha Rishi and Devta Balu Naag, both belonging to the Banjar area of the district. Shringha Rishi did not participate in Kullu Dasehra for 14 years before 1997 because of the alleged politics in giving right hand space to Balu Naag. In 1997, “karkoons” (villagers and organisers) of both devtas fought at the start of the rath yatra and police had to resort to mild lathicharge.

Abhishek Jain said peaceful celebrations would be ensured this year. He cautioned representatives of both devtas to shun violence. He said the decision had to be taken by ‘karkoons’ of both devtas and “if they could not reach any conclusion, the whole responsibility of any action by the administration would be theirs”. He urged both parties to settle the issue in the larger public interest and to maintain the prestige of the international festival.

Dharamsala, October 8
Sixteen Tibetan children, who had entered the country via Nepal by obtaining special entry permit and reached here a few months ago, left the state on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, a senior police official said today.

SP Gyaneshwar Singh had on September 27 issued notices to these children to leave the state in a week apprehending that their presence could lead to a law and order problem.

Sources in the Tibetan community said the children were in New Delhi these days under the protection of the Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society.

There was resentment among the Tibetan community against these children as they were followers of the Shugden sect. The Dalai Lama was opposed to this sect. As such, there were fears of a law and order problem, if these children continued to stay at the Tibetan Refugee Reception Centre, McLeodganj. Therefore, they were asked to leave the state by the SP.

A case with regard to the plight of these children was also pending before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on the complaint of Jampal Yeshi, president of the Dorje Shugden Devotees Charitable and Religious Society. The NHRC had already issued a notice to the Director of the Tibetan Refugees Reception Centre, Dharamsala, seeking reply by October 14.

Chamba, October 8
The Himachal Government Teachers Union (HGTU) today condemned the assault on the officiating headmaster of Government Middle School, Barour, and his family by certain members of the Parent Teachers Association.

The union has demanded a ban on the appointment of PTA teachers in view of such incidents of intimidating and beating up of teachers on duty. The HGTU has sought punitive action against the culprits involved in the episode.

Meanwhile, the Chamba police has registered an FIR on the complaint of victim headmaster Hari Mohan, and arrested two accused while their third accomplice was at large DSP Arvind Choudhary said.