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Decks cleared for Renuka project
High-grade fever in 6 Mandi panchayats
Diarrhoea death
Rly to dedicate museum to Bhalkoo
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Shoghi Factory Shooting
UPA govt urged to restore industrial package
Accord national status to Manali institute
297 BPL cases cleared
3 police stations adjudged best
Police dist likely for Baddi
Residents flee village
Autonomy to MCs likely
Probe sought into tender
allotment
School vacations
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Decks cleared for Renuka project
Shimla, July 10 The Delhi Jal Board yesterday conveyed its consent to Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited for bearing the Rs 300-crore cost for the project. The project has been delayed for more than a decade due to the claim staked by various states, including Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttrakhand and UP in the water to be released from the project. Despite the claim of these Upper Yamuna basin beneficiary states, the Centre has assured the Delhi Jal Board that it would ensure that Delhi gets the maximum benefit from the project as its water requirement is far more being the national capital. As per this agreement, the beneficiary states are to get water on the basis of their area and in this regard Delhi stands to lose as it is the smallest. With the Centre according the status of national importance to the project, 90 per cent of the Rs 2,300-crore cost of the project would be borne by the Centre. As such the beneficiary states of north India would have to pay Rs 270 crore to Himachal. In fact, this is probably the only project where the Centre has even given relaxation with regard to the sanctuary in the Renuka area. It is reliably learnt that Delhi, in view of its water requirement, decided to provide Rs 300 crores to Himachal so that the hill state can at least initiate the process. “Delhi Jal Board yesterday conveyed to us its willingness to pay Rs 300 crore so that we can at least initiate work on the project,” confirmed Tarun Kapoor, Director of HP Power Corporation Ltd. He said 1,500 hectares of land would have to be acquired for the project. The HP Power Corporation which will execute the project has to pay Rs 175 crore to the Forest Department for obtaining clearance. Himachal government has to only bear the expenditure to be incurred on the construction of the powerhouse. Since the eco-clearance for the project has already been obtained work could be started by next year in case the process of land acquisition is completed within this year.
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High-grade fever in 6 Mandi panchayats
Mandi, July 10 These patients generally complain of headache, vomiting, body ache and fever. However, the CHC has just six beds to accommodate patients. Obviously, they have to fend for themselves or go to Sarkaghat for treatment. The fever takes four days to subside and the patient generally needs hospitalisation, say doctors on duty. The CHC doctors have summoned a team of health workers from the nearby sub-centre to tackle the rush of patients. Most of these patients come from Sarskswan, Banal, Langher, Kandapatam, Baroti and Lakhera panchayats. The patients said they had been drinking contaminated water from the IPH supplies and nearby fields for the past one week. Medical officer in charge, CHC, Ajay Verma said, “Over 100 patients come here for treatment daily.”
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Diarrhoea death
Solan, July 10 A team of doctors led by Dr S.P. Singh, who visited the village, said no fresh case had been reported today though 12 cases had come to light yesterday. He said the residents had responded to diarrhoea treatment. Water samples had been lifted from the natural source and it would be sent for testing.
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Rly to dedicate museum to Bhalkoo
Shimla, July 10 The Railways would showcase artefacts associated with the Kalka-Shimla railway line and Bhalkoo in that museum, said divisional railway manager (DRM), Ambala, H.K. Jaggi. He said the museum would be opened in Shimla for which talks were held with Himachal chief secretary Asha Swaroop, seeking allotment of land for the project. The museum would house items like the 903-built signal, record book of 1913, weighing machine, benches, telephone and lanterns still used to stop and give green signals to trains, the DRM told reporters last evening. During his visit to Shimla in 2006, railway minister Lalu Prasad had promised to open a museum dedicated to Bhalkoo. His predecessor Nitish Kumar had also promised the same when he visited Shimla in 2003 on completion of 100 years of the KSR line — a world heritage site now. — PTI
Encroachments to be removed
Shimla, July 10 UNESCO has already issued directions to the Railways to remove all such encroachments to give the track a distinct look. “We have been told to create a buffer zone on both sides of the Kalka-Shimla rail track. The zone can extend even beyond the railway land. The effort will be to remove encroachments, discourage indiscriminate construction and dumping of garbage or any material along the track,” Jaggi said. He said he had taken up with the state government all these points, and the government had assured all help in initiating action against the defaulters as per existing legislations. Beautification of the rail track would be done by planting ornamental plants along the line to make the journey more enjoyable, Jaggi added. — UNI |
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Shoghi Factory Shooting
Shimla, July 10 The police today received a fax message from the lawyer of Malhotra from Mumbai with a request that since he is 74 and suffering from cardiac problems he should not be asked to come to Shimla with regard to the investigations into the case in which one worker died at his factory in Shoghi. The lawyer also pleaded that in case Malhotra has to be questioned about the incident, a police team should be sent to Mumbai. “We have replied to the fax message, stating clearly that he should join investigations here at the earliest or else arrest warrants would be issued against him,” said R.M. Sharma, SP. The request from Malhotra’s lawyer came after the police issued him summons under Section 160 of the CrPC. The name of Malhotra figures along with others in the FIR registered on the complaint of workers under Section 302, IPC. Even though the police has arrested eight persons, including the five who fired at the protesting workers, the workers, villagers and various trade unions have been demanding the arrest of Malhotra, as they say the firing couldn’t have taken place without his consent. Meanwhile the court today rejected the bail application of V.K. Tripathi, CEO of the two factories owned by the Super Max group of companies. Tripathi and seven others are in judicial remand. Meanwhile CITU and Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) today refuted claims of the company management that fire had been opened to avert a disaster due to damage to the ammonia cracker plant. They also rejected the management’s offer of Rs 5 lakh for the family of deceased Amarjeet and said that they should be provided at least Rs 15 lakh.
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UPA govt urged to restore industrial package
Shimla, July 10 In a letter to union finance minister P.
Chidambaram, Leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes pointed out that various concessions and incentives were to be available till 2013 and it was not justified to curtail them. She said the hill state with a difficult topography needed all incentives for industrial growth. Stokes said, if required, she would take up the matter with the Prime Minister. |
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Accord national status to Manali institute
Shimla, July 10 Speaking at a national seminar in New Delhi today, IPH minister Ravinder Singh Ravi said the institute at Manali was much bigger than similar institutes in Delhi, Darjeeling and Pahalgam but no financial assistance had been given to Himachal. “The Centre must grant national status to this institute and grant Rs 3 crore for the construction of a sports climbing wall,” he said. He also urged the Centre to give relaxation in the conditions of panchayati youth sports campaign to make it more effective. “The panchayat should be recognised as a unit under the scheme as it was difficult to fulfil the conditions of the scheme in a hill state like Himachal,” he said. He urged the Centre for increasing the annual grant for the village level up to Rs 1,550 from the existing Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 for the block level instead of Rs 1,000. Union minister M.S. Gill said the Centre would extend all possible help with regard to the issues raised by Himachal so that better sports infrastructure could be created and new schemes implemented.
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297 BPL cases cleared
Kangra, July 10 She said around Rs 30 lakh had been disbursed among the deserving families and no such case was pending with the government now. She said the insured sum, in case of death, had been doubled under the Matrishakti Beema Yojna from Rs 25,000 to 50,000 while the amount had been raised from Rs 12,500 to Rs 25,000 in cases of permanent disability.
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3 police stations adjudged best
Shimla, July 10 The performance evaluation of the police stations would be done on the basis of police efforts (30 per cent), policing results (40 per cent) and public satisfaction (30 per cent). With regard to public satisfaction aspect, it will be evaluated through an annual survey to be conducted by an independent agency, preferably an NGO. The police stations have been placed in three categories on the basis of the number of police cases registered annually. Category A consists of stations which have annual cases of over 300, category B with cases between 100 and 300 and category C with cases below 100. Una police station has been given the award in category A and will receive a cash award of Rs 5,000 along with a commendation certificate for the SHO. Banjar police station has been placed first in category B with a cash award of Rs 4,000 and Kotkhai, first in category C, will get an award of Rs 3,000. |
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Police dist likely for Baddi
Shimla, July 10 Reviewing working of the Industries Department here today, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said the proposed district would function under the overall control of Solan SP. The master plan for Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh had been approved. Besides, offices of the tehsildar, PWD sub-division, drug controller and a new ESI hospital had been opened. A private university and a housing project for industrial workers were also coming up. The Chandigarh-Baddi road would be completed by the middle of next year. Other steps being taken included strengthening of the entry points to the state at Parwanoo, Baddi and Kala-Amb, four-laning of NH-21 (A) passing through Baddi and Nalagarh , connecting Baddi and Mohali with a seven-lane expressway and setting up of a land container depot at Baddi. The state government was considering a proposal to extend the proposed railway line from Chandigarh to Baddi and further connect the same with Bilaspur with the Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Railway line. He said that he would take up with his Haryana counterpart the case for improving the road passing through Kalka, which was in bad shape. In order to solve the housing problem of industrial workers, captive housing units were being created with private participation. The Chief Minister said there was a proposal to create three SEZs in Kangra, Una and Solan. |
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Residents flee village
Reckong Peo, July 10 “Eighty-two families have left their permanent abode in the village, about 65 km from district headquarters of Recong Peo and 200 km from Shimla,” panchayat chief Jay Ram said. Earlier, the stone fall used to be occasional but now it has been taking place frequently particularly in the night which has rendered lives ‘unsafe’ in the village, he added. These families have demanded the state government to rehabilitate them permanently at some safe place. DC P.S. Draike said the residents had been provided tents as ‘temporary’ arrangements. — PTI |
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Autonomy to MCs likely
Shimla, July 10 This was stated by Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal while interacting with a delegation of councillors from Shimla. The delegation was led by mayor Narender Kataria. The Chief Minister said it was important to make all municipal bodies financially viable so that these could meet their expenditure. Dhumal said the government would consider empowering the heads of municipal bodies with financial and administrative powers so that they could emerge as autonomous bodies and function independently. The Chief Minister emphasised the need to generate income from municipal services. |
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Probe sought into tender
allotment
Hamirpur, July 10 He alleged that “these tenders have been withdrawn to allot the works to a few favourites”. Sharma said, “The department has also allotted pipe-laying work under Jabbal-Kharian project for Rs 17 lakh as against the reported estimated cost of Rs 7 lakh.” On the other hand, Dharmender Gill, executive engineer, IPH division, Badsar, said, “We have recalled the 22 tenders since the state government has changed the norms for not inviting tenders for the works up to Rs 1 lakh on the website and instead invite the same by advertising these on the notice board.” About the Jabbal-Kharian scheme tender Gill clarified “this work has not been allotted yet but its cost would definitely go up since Rs 7 lakh was an estimated cost.” |
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School vacations
Shimla, July 10 During the summer vacations schools will remain closed from July 14 to August 22. |
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