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Industrial areas to have single-window offices
Power project delay to cost Rs 120 cr to state
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Forgery Case
Victims, relatives leave compensation hope
Bringing Chamba on heritage map remains a dream
Govt disputes tourist resort’s loss theory
Govt ‘wrongly’ sacking
panchayati raj officials
Government fails to pay honorarium again
No bus stand, whole lot of trouble
Final round of motorcycle event on Dec 6
Volleyball body denied permission to use sports complex
Addl 7 pc DA to employees
SCVT issue likely to be resolved soon
1.7 lakh families to get CFLs
Villagers rise against land acquisition
Workshop on total sanitation
2 held for assaulting cops
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Industrial areas to have single-window offices
Baddi, November 24 The Chief Minister was addressing a public meeting at Kalu Jhinda in the Doon constituency after laying the foundation stone of Atal Shiksha Kunj, a self-contained world-class education hub, and an integrated township at Mandhala. The township, which is the first of its kind in the area, has been named Atal Nagar. It is slated to come up at an estimated of cost Rs 145 crore. Earlier, the CM dedicated the Baddi police station building to the people and also laid the foundation stone of a truck parking lot at EPIP phase-I, Jharmajri, which would be constructed at a cost of Rs 63.37 lakh and would facilitate parking of 105 vehicles. Dhumal gave details of the funds being spent on bridges, roads and other buildings in the area and also assured the investors that he had taken up the issue of improving road connectivity with the Chief Ministers of Punjab and Haryana and they had assured to cooperate in the effort. He said the decision to open a separate police district for the BBN area was aimed at improving the law and order situation. He said an ESI hospital had already been made functional on the premises of Bhojia Dental College. Expressing concern at the burgeoning number of vehicles in the state, he said the government was identifying additional parking lots in the industrial belt for the parking of trucks. The government would also consider including patwar circles of Kalu Jhinda and its adjoining areas in Baddi tehsil. He said Atal Shiksha Kunj would be developed as a self-contained educational hub in the area where institutions of international standard would be set up. He said 1,706 bighas of land had been acquired and earmarked for it. He said the area had been named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as a mark of respect for him as he had envisioned Himachal Pradesh as a hub of education. The second phase of Atal Shiksha Kunj would come up at Mandhala where the required land had been acquired. He said the scheme aimed at providing world-class educational facilities to students on their doorsteps. He said environmental aspect of the area would also be taken care of while undertaking development activities. The Chief Minister later inaugurated a private packaging unit. Others present on the occasion included health minister Rajiv Bindal, local MLAs and officials of the district administration. |
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Power project delay to cost Rs 120 cr to state
Sainj (Kullu), November 24 Experts say, as per an MoU signed between the state government and the NHPC, the state will lose Rs 120 crore as per its share of 12 per cent free power in the project and the NHPC lose 4,000 million units of electricity worth Rs 1,000 crore every year due to this delay. According to sources in the NHPC, the project was scheduled to be operational by 2009. But the slow pace of work, “geological surprises”, labour shutdown and villagers’ demands for more compensation will further delay the work, claimed NHPC engineers citing these as reasons for
the delay. Though the work was in progress in other project components, the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Kullu-based NGO in the high court stopped its work from August 2007 to April 2008 in the dam site when finally high court dismissed the PIL and vacated the stay. The PIL had challenged that the NHPC was using sand aggregates from the site for the construction of the dam. “The NHPC can use sand aggregates as it has been doing earlier, officials revealed.Ironically, the project is delayed by nearly two years, but the NHPC claims that the project cost will not escalate much from Rs 3,919 crore. The NHPC had no plan to revise the cost at this point of time, said a senior NHPC official. On condition of anonymity, an official said the NHPC had completed 46-km-long tunnel works out of 52 km, while work on the dam and power was in progress. General manager of the project I.D. Dayal has said work on the project is delayed due to some geological surprises and other reasons over the years, but project cost is expected to be the same. It will be operational by 2011-12, he added. |
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Why CM shuns Baddi roads
Solan, November 24 With this, the investors left disappointed, as they were hoping that Dhumal would experience the plight of their daily ordeal while travelling to BBN. Though, using choppers by the Chief Minister to reach BBN is not new, a lone hope of the investors was the visit of Dhumal. This inimical tradition, which kept the Chief Minister away from the ground realities, prompted the investors to ask, “ What made the Chief Minister shun Baddi roads when we can travel everyday?” “We were hopeful of some speedy action to wake up the sleeping authorities had Dhumal used the road. But it appears he, too, understands that travelling via this road would not only prolong the journey, but would be marred by gaping potholes,” confided a top executive working in a pharmaceutical unit at Baddi. Though Dhumal had spoke about having personally raising the issue of developing the Pinjore-Swarghat road as the best in industrial areas and also to widen it into a six-lane road, it looked like repeated assurance with little being done in reality. He also added that both state governments of Haryana and Himachal were examining the matter for the implementation of exploring its joint venture possibilities. However, it looked like a far-sighted dream with roads showing no sign of improvement. |
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Forgery Case
Sundernagar, November 24 All three accused- Desh Bandu, assistant general manager of the bank , Panchkula, (earlier chief manager of the SBI, Mandi), M.K Sood, chief manager of the bank and Jai Parkash Bhatia, one of the proprietors of Jai Parkash Hospital, Mandi- have been directed to appear in the court on December 27. According to sources, Satish Malhotra and Purnima Malhotra, both doctors and residents of Upper Samkheter, Mandi, had filed a complaint alleging that an amount of Rs 1.10 lakh was transferred from their joint account to some unknown account. However, when the fact was brought to the notice of bank officials, it was told that the amount was transferred on telephonic instruction from one of the
complainants. But the complainants further gave in writing to the bank that they never asked any officer to transfer the amount. Earlier, before filing of the compliant, the complainants had moved the Consumer Court against the bank and in return the bank filed reply that the money had been transferred to their account and produced the receipt to this affect. The complainants further alleged that this amount was to be given to them by one of the accused on account of some business transaction. They further alleged the bank officials, along with the other accused, created forged receipt in order to grab the amount. The state Consumer Disputes Redress Commission, while disposing the case, hold that the case was to be filed either before the civil or the criminal court. So the complainants filed a criminal complaint before the Judicial Magistrate, Mandi. The court after hearing arguments summoned all three accused under Sections 409,465,467,468,471 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code. |
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Victims, relatives leave compensation hope
Bhuti-Prini (Kullu), November 24 Dolma carries stones at Bhuti village here to get Rs 100 daily to feed and educate her children- Suraj(10) and Vanita(7). She has not paid rent worth Rs 3,000 for six months as was finding life getting tough. Domla has been pushed into a hopeless situation, as she wants to take her children back to join her in-laws in Nepal, but she has no money to do so. All that company has paid to her is a sum of Rs 30,000 to perform last rites of her husband. Dolma like other workers find themselves trapped in the impregnable barriers raised by the trade union activists, sub-contractor, contractor and the AD hydro company. The company has been telling her that they needed a legal proof that she was Tilak’s wife and other documents before she gets compensation. No body came to meet her, though AD office has her address, rues the poor woman. She is not alone. There are many more victims of company’s apathy. Down in the village Hem Raj (22) from Tibbar village (Mandi), a helper with L&T, was killed when the vehicle rolled back on him on June 23. The SDM court at Manali has awarded Rs 4.48 lakh compensation to his mother, but there is nobody to inform her. Plight of Budhi Singh and Sarki, both labourers injured in the accident on June 6 this year, is pathetic. Budhi was given Rs 1,700 by the company and was discharged from hospital from Manali under mysterious circumstances. “I have constant pain in the shoulder and get fits twice a day as I received a head injury. I cannot work and want to go back to Nepal, but have no money,” he rued. Led Ram, a worker with LT, lost his left arm on October 8 while working in the project. President of the CITU AD Hydro Chaman Lal claimed that they pleaded the cases of labourers with the company for compensation and took no fees. The company pays compensation as and when cases are taken up and legal documents of Dolma have reached the company, he added. Nadia Sood, executive president of the organisation and social responsibilities, SN Power, a Norwegian partner company, said the company has taken serious note of lapses in welfare and safety measures for workers in the project. “We are meeting each and every victim of fatalities in the project to take care of them and initiate corrective measures,” she added. Project in charge Ashok Joshi said he would personally monitor that compensation is paid and the company approaches the next of kin killed in the project or those injured. |
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Bringing Chamba on heritage map remains a dream
Chamba, November 24 The state Department of Languages and Culture in this regard had drawn a comprehensive plan on the directives of the government, which was accordingly submitted for further action. But nothing has been done so far. In order to promote world-class tourism bringing picturesque historic Chamba town on the map, a significant plan was drawn up by the culture department and submitted to the Department of Town and Country Planning in October last. Since the Chamba town has been declared as ‘a heritage zone’ by the country planning department in 1995, the plan needs to be processed under the prescribed norms laid down for a heritage zone so that clearance could be accorded. According to Prem Sharma, district language officer, Department of Language and Culture, after conducting a detailed study on the heritage aspects of Chamba, the department had already forwarded the comprehensive proposal to this effect to the department of country planning in October, 2007. The plan to bring it on the map was prepared following the initiative taken by the union ministry of tourism and culture immediately after the ‘Chamba’s Millennium’ celebrations at Chamba town in April, 2006. As soon as the country planning department cleared the proposal after listing the heritage edifices, temples and other related repository, the plan would be forwarded to the Union Ministry of Tourism and Culture for its recommendations. Thereafter, the plan would be tabled before UNESCO for its consideration, Sharma divulged, adding that before according final approval to the plan of bringing town on the map, a team of heritage experts from UNESCO would visit Chamba to examine the importance of heritage assets. |
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Govt disputes tourist resort’s loss theory
Shimla, November 24 With the state government, which has been terming the agreement entered into with East India Hotels Limited as unfair, has finally decided to put a dissenting note on accounts of the Wild Flower Hall project. With the company pegging its accumulated losses at about Rs 80 crore, the government has not been able to get even a penny out of its equity share, though meagre considering the value of the property. It was through an agreement that the state government had offered the prime property, 13 km from the state, to the Oberoi group in the form of a joint venture for building a resort at the historic Wild Flower Hall. The value of the land, almost 23 acres at that time, was assessed at Rs 7.50 crore with the project envisaged at Rs 40 crore at the time of the agreement. Sources in the East India Hotels Limited said the cost of the project shot up and the government, which has three members in the Board was informed about it. “There was no dissent whatsoever from the government representatives, including the chief secretary, who is the chairman on the issue, to increase the cost of the project to Rs 107 crore, which was approved unanimously,”the sources added. However, later a dispute arose when the East India Hotels Limited inflated the cost of the project to over Rs 100 crore. Finally a retired judge of the Supreme Court was appointed as the arbitrator, who gave his decree in the favour of the government. Even now the dispute is pending in the high court and a final decision is still awaited. “The revenue and occupancy in the hotel is witnessing a progressive growth, but the accumulative losses are on account of the depreciation and the interest payment,” said Ketaki Narayna, director, corporate communication, Oberoi group. She said there were problems of accessibility and poor air connectivity to the place, which is a major drawback in attracting high-end clients. Wild Flower Hall remained the residence of Lord Kitchener, the commander-in-chief of the British. Located at a height of 8,300 feet amidst thick pine and cedar trees, it is one of the most ideally located resort retaining the old world charm and the grand style of the colonial era. The original British time structure had been completely reduced to ashes in a devastating fire after which the state government had entered into an agreement with the Oberoi’s for building the property. Incidentally, the Oberoi group started with its first venture, Hotel Clarke’s from Shimla, which remained the erstwhile summer capital of the British. Besides, the Wild Flower Hall and Clarke’s, the Oberoi group also owns the Cecil hotel in Chaura
Maidan. |
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Govt ‘wrongly’ sacking
panchayati raj officials
Shimla, November 24 He was addressing a press conference here. Under the rules, any individual who had encroached upon government land was not eligible to contest elections, he said. However, the present government was issuing notices and sacking PRI functionaries elected three years ago even if any other member in their family was in illegal possession of government land. The whole exercise was aimed at dislodging the Congress-supported functionaries. The eligibility criteria for contesting elections could not be altered retrospectively. On the other hand, the BJP-supported PRI functionaries against whom proceedings were being conducted under Section 163 for getting encroachments cleared were not being touched at all. He said his party would soon prepare a list of such cases to expose the BJP government. He also alleged that subsidised ration was not reaching the fair-price shops in most parts of the state as the government was not interested in continuing the scheme. It was somehow trying to manage things until the Lok Sabha elections, he added. |
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Government fails to pay honorarium again
Hamirpur, November 24 While these workers have not been paid this amount for such a long period the concerned officers are just trying to pass the buck on each other. The state has more than 40,000 trained MSS activists in the state, who have been working under the sub-health centres and carrying several health programmes of the state and Central governments, besides doing other related works on a meagre Rs 100 per month. It is worth mentioning here that an amount of about Rs 21 lakh due to them was released after much delay last time too. Working in the rural areas of the state for more than 15 years these workers are carrying health awareness, promoting personal hygiene, women empowerment, propagating and adopting several programmes being undertaken by the government under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and disease eradication drives. These bodies not only undertake training programmes by enrolling new members, but also act as a chain between the government and rural masses. State secretary of multipurpose health services employees’ federation Satish Shukla says, “It is really shocking that the state government has failed to pay such a measly honorarium to these workers for such a long period who are playing very significant role in creating health awareness and involved in several health programmes in the rural areas.” Director of the Health and Family Welfare Dr Sulakshna Puri told The Tribune that these payments are made after getting funds from the Central Government and we have asked the officers of the NRHM to make this payment. |
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No bus stand, whole lot of trouble
Kumarhatti, November 24 In the absence of bus stand, all buses, taxis and other vehicles stand on the highway, posing danger to the security of pedestrians. Ironically, both towns also lack space for private taxi parking. They remain parked alongside the road. A long line of buses and taxis leave limited space for the smooth flow of traffic. The worst affected in this situation are locals and shopkeepers who have to face difficulty in crossing roads. The markets of both towns, which are situated on both sides of the highway, have now turned into accident-prone areas. Moreover, due to an insufficient space at the point where buses halt, passengers have to go through an ordeal till they board their buses. The situation goes from bad to worse during rains. Signboards put up by the authorities asking people to follow parking rules are a mute testimony to way the authorities function. |
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Final round of motorcycle event on Dec 6
Shimla, November 24 The final round will witness an all-out battle for the top slot in class 2C where frontrunner Yogesh Lakhani is on top with 28 points. He is followed by round 1 winner Rajan Sidhu (26 points). The only way Rajan can avoid second place in the championship is by winning the final round that will tie the scores between
him and Yogesh. A similar fight is on for the third and fourth spot in class 2C with Rupinder Singh, Narinder Pal Saini and H.L. Sharma having a tally of 12, 11 and 10 points, respectively. In class 4D, the first two spots seem comfortably occupied by Sanjay Kumar Sharma and Pardeep Majotra. However, the battle for the third place is on between Gaurav Pratap Singh and Amardev Singh with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Abhimanyu Sharma, who has 8 points from only one event, could upset their applecart. Similar is the situation in class 4D (Himachal), Piyush Chauhan is comfortably placed at the top with 28 points. Saurav Vyas is at the second place with 19 points. In the fight for the third place, current occupant Vivek Arora faces threat from hot-shot rider Aneesh Awasthi who won the class in round 3. The entry of Umang Saxena, who was the second fastest overall rider in the last round, can also upset the calculations of riders in whichever class he decides to participate. This round will also see the participation of veteran racer Ashwani Rana, who set the national record for the fastest timing in the 350 cc class at the Sriperembedur racetrack in Chennai in the late 1980s, a record which incidentally still stands as the class was discontinued a few years later. The event is being supported by the Department of Tourism, the state government and the Directorate of Youth
Services and Sports. |
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Volleyball body denied permission to use sports complex
Shimla, November 24 It has been forced to postpone the meet and instead hold trials at Kalka in the adjoining Haryana to select teams to represent the state at the national championship being organised at Vishakhapatnam from December 19 to 28. The state championship was to be held from November 28 to 30 and on its basis team to represent the state at the national championship was to be selected. The decision to defer the championship was taken at an emergency meeting of association held under the chairmanship of Thakur here today. Instead, it decided to conduct selection trials at Kalka on December 3. The selected players would be provided coaching for 10 days at the same venue to help them prepare for the national meet. Thakur said given the hostile attitude of the Dhumal government, which was patronising an unrecognised parallel body, no place was safe for holding trials in the state. While the recognised association was being denied permission to use the sports facilities in the state, the Chief Minister had not only misused the state helicopter to inaugurate championship organised by an unrecognised body at Una but also given a grant of Rs 50,000 to it. He said the association would hold the state championship at Bilaspur in due course and fresh schedule would be announced shortly. The attitude of the government could be judged from the fact that it also tried to create problems during the trials conducted for the selection of sub-junior team at the local ice skating rink, which was managed by a club. Policemen were sent to the rink while trials were underway and the club was asked not allow the association to use the premises. However, somehow it managed to complete the trials. The selected team had left for Jammu to participate in the national sub-junior championship. Worse even, the coaches of the Sports Authority of India posted at various places were not being spared to train the team and accompany it for various meets. The association had to engage a private coach for training the sub-junior team. |
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Addl 7 pc DA to employees
Shimla, November 24 This DA installment would also be given to the state government pensioners. An official spokesman said notification in this regard would be issued by the finance department in a day or two. This would put an additional burden on the state exchequer to the tune of Rs 200 crore annually. With the addition of 7 per cent, the total DA would now be 23 per cent of the basic pay. Fifty per cent of the DA had already been merged with the basic pay. The enhancement of DA would add to the pleasure of about 3 lakh state government and pensioners who recently got an additional 5 per cent of interim relief totalling 10 per cent pending implementation of the recommendation of the Sixth Pay Commission.
— PTI |
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SCVT issue likely to be resolved soon
Shimla, November 24 While in opposition, the BJP had alleged that there were a lot of irregularities in the setting up of these centres. After coming to power in the state, it set up a screening committee to look into the matter. Sources said show-cause notices had been issued to many SCVT centres. While some had filed their replies, other had failed to do so. “They had been asked to overcome the shortcomings so that proper courses with proper syllabus and infrastructure can be run,” said an official. |
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1.7 lakh families to get CFLs
Dalhousie, November 24 The superintendent engineer, Dalhousie operation circle, J.P. Chauhan today said the distribution of CFLs would begin within 15 days through cash collection centres where consumers deposit their electricity bills. Each domestic consumer would be provided with a free packet of four CFLs on production of the receipt of their last paid electricity bill. |
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Villagers rise against land acquisition
Mandi, November 24 With majority of villagers in the Kotadhar panchayat opposing the move, the SDM, Sadar, Arun Sharma had to stop the process of public hearing today. Two groups had come face to face over the move. The police dispersed the crowd while the SDM exited from the scene safely. The administration had called villagers for the pubic hearing. Earlier, some villagers had requested the Chief Minister to start the process for acquisition of the land for the project. However, the officials who had come here for the hearing had to run for cover as majority of villagers started opposing the move. The discussion turned hot and opposing groups almost came to blow. However, timely intervention by the police saved the situation. The process was stopped after recording statements of both parties. “We will send the report to the government,” the SDM said. |
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Workshop on total sanitation
Hamirpur, November 24 Addressing the participants, Jain said the Hamirpur block would come under the total sanitation drive on the January 1. He appealed to all mahila and yuvak mandals to carry the total sanitation campaign effectively in their areas to make it a grand success. He said the administration was carrying out a survey of schools that were without toilets and efforts would be made to provide toilets in all these schools. |
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2 held for assaulting cops
Nahan, November 24 Paonta DSP V.S. Thakur said Bahadur Singh and Mohan Singh of the Shillai area had been arrested in that connection. The police had recovered broken handcuffs from the possession of Mohan Singh, who had fled handcuffed from the scene after some persons attacked the police party, he added. A police party, led by sub-inspector Madan Singh, had gone to Shillai on November 20 to arrest some person in connection with a case of timber smuggling. Thousands of residents of the surrounding area had assembled in the market to attend a festival on that day. The trouble started when the police party started thrashing arrested person Mohan Singh in the market. People got agitated and attacked the police party. Policemen, including the sub-inspector, were badly beaten up by the mob and their uniforms were torn. Later, a case was registered under Section 353, 147, 224 and 323 IPC at the Shillai police station. |
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