Shimla, January 10
Dithering over unbundling of the state electricity board is leading to a crisis situation where a number of upcoming hydroelectric projects will be commissioned without the required transmission system for evacuation of power.

The Central Electricity Authority has taken a serious notice of the matter and asked the state to start work on the transmission network immediately for the 100 MW Sorang,70 MW Tedong-I, 111 MW Sawra Kuddu, 65 MW Kashang -I and other projects slated for completion from 2010 and 2012.

However, the board is in no position to carry out the job as it neither has funds nor the manpower required to execute the Rs 4500 crore transmission master plan.

The union ministry of power has made it clear to the sate that it will not forward any proposal for external funding by agencies like the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank unless the board was unbundled in accordance with the Elelctrcity Act 2003.

The ministry has not taken kindly to the creation of a subsidiary of the board to look after the transmission in place of an independent state transmission utility as mandated by the Act.

The Asian Development Bank, which is providing Rs 3800 crore to the state for execution of four major hydroelectric project, has been keen to fund the transmission master plan and the state transmission corporation had sent a proposal to the Centre for clearance.

However, it was turned down as the state had not complied with the requirements of the Act as a result of which the board had ceased to be legal entity.

Further, the state transmission corporation has not been provided the required staff. Even, the staff which had to be shifted from the board had not been released. The corporation virtually exists on papers only.

The state has identified potential of 20,386 MW out of which 6314 MW have been harnesses so far.

The projects with an aggregate capacity of 5359 MW, which are scheduled to be commissioned by 2012 will not be able to evacuate power as the board has not taken up work for construction transmission line for any of the projects.

In fact, the company executing the 192 MW Allain Duhungan project which is nearing completion has been forced to construct its own transmission line because of the indifferent attitude of the board.

Other projects will face problems even if work is started immediately as it will take three to four years to construct transmission line for any project. Acquisition of land, forest clearance and other codal formalities require much time.

Shimla, January 10
The Himachal government is considering setting up a special purpose vehicle for promoting eco-tourism in a big way.

Stating this here today Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said that the hill state with its pristine environment had a vast scope for development of eco-tourism and it was poised to emerge as a major destination in the country.

The plan to promote eco-friendly tourism activities was in line with the policy to preserve and protection of the natural heritage, both flora and fauna, and generate employment opportunities for the people without harming the fragile hill environment.

He said the government intended to encourage private partnership in association with the local communities, non-government organisations, academic institutions and other entrepreneurs to make eco-tourism a household affair in the state.

The state was blessed with immense natural wealth, which needed to be explored for the benefit of the people with all the required environmental safeguards.

The government had launched the home stay scheme under which the private house owners having requisite infrastructural facilities would be able to be host to visitors. Besides, acquainting them with the culture, customs and traditions of the state, they would also be provided local cuisines during their stay. The objective was to promote tourism on a mass scale by involving every household.

The government was also motivating school children from outside the state to visit state during apple season so that they could visit the apple orchards and see for themselves as how the crop was cultivated.

They would also be taken various hydropower projects so that they could get acquainted with the functioning of power projects.

Shimla, January 10
Senior vice-president of the state Congress Gangu Ram Musafir has alleged that the Dhumal government was handing out a raw deal to the Scheduled Castes and that funds of the special component plan were diverted for other purposes.

In a statement here today he said that the government had surrendered Rs 50 crore earmarked under the special component plan during the last financial year.

He alleged that plan funds were being used for paying salaries of the employees of universities which provided a glaring example of the manner in which the present government had been functioning.

The government was indifferent and the implementation of the plan was not being properly monitored at the district level.

The Dalits had not been given adequate representation in the Cabinet and there was only one minister from the community.

They comprised 26 per cent of the population but they were feeling ignored under the present regime.

The BJP had failed to fulfil the promises made for the uplift of the community. The party had promised to restore the TD rights but it was curtailing these rights.

As many as 18,000 posts of reserved categories were vacant in various departments and the government had also not taken any steps to implement the 85th constitutional amendment in letter and spirit as a result of which the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes were being denied promotional benefits.

Shimla, January 10
The efforts of the government to ensure remunerative returns to farmers from their small land-holdings through crop diversification have started yielding results.

Over the past five years 21,000 hectare of area under traditional crops has been diverted mostly for growing off-season vegetables.

The switchover has resulted in significant increase in the vegetable production and in turns returns to the farmers.

In 2001-02 the state produced 6.21 lakh tonne of vegetables grown over an area of 35,220 hectare.

In 2006-07 the production shot up to 9.91 lakh tonne and the area under vegetables increased to 52,053 hectare, generating additional revenue of about Rs 700 crore, besides generating employment by way of transportation, packing and marketing of the produce.

Director of Agriculture JC Rana said the plan was to diversify additional 15,000 hectare during the 11th five year plan as the agro-climatic conditions were most suitable for the cultivation of off-season vegetable which fetched high returns.

Market survey had revealed that there is no supply of vegetables in Delhi, Chandigarh, Ambala, Karnal and other major cities of the northern region from mid-June to September, except a small quantity from Uttarakhand. Himachal Pradesh could supply vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, garlic, potato and tomato, which were produced in plenty during this period.

The income of farmers will further increase with the implementation of Rs 154.92 crore Deendayal Kisan Bagwan Smridhi Yojna under which 16,500 poly-houses and 12,320 sprinklers units would be set up with 80 per cent government subsidy.

Besides, 2,650 tanks and wells would also be constructed under the scheme with 50 per cent subsidy. The project would generate employment for 6,000 people and would benefit 17,312 farmers.

The government had decided to formulate a 15-year master plan for crop diversification and a 10-year action plan after carrying out detailed studies. Funds were being provided for the purpose by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Shimla, January 10
Justice RB Misra of the State High Court has underlined the need for taking serious steps to ensure proper implementation of the provisions of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act 1994.

Inaugurating a two-day colloquium on the subject organised by the State Judicial Academy in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund and the Human Rights Law Network, here today he said the falling female ratio in the society was a matter of concern and said apart from the law enforcing agencies general masses were also required to be made aware of the dangers before the next generation.

He lauded the initiative taken by the judicial academy in the matter and said such events would help in creating awareness about the issue.

Principal secretary, health, Deepak Sanan, said talked about the various initiatives taken by the government to improve the sex ratio in the state and to raised the level of awareness about the Act.

He said the service seekers and service providers worked hand in glove in the sex determination test cases and the society non-government must come forward to eradicate this malpractice.

He stressed the need of coordinated awareness campaign to sensitise all sections of society about the law.

Director of the academy George emphasised the need and importance of the colloquium and the various issues being deliberated.

He said the colloquium would throw light on various problems of gender imbalance, ill effects of declining sex ratio, human rights and legislative steps taken so far.

Shimla, January 10
Three BJP ministers today took on PCC chief Kaul Singh on the Atal Biahri Vajpayee Bijli Bachat Yojna and said the Congress leaders were raising doubts as they were not able to digest the success of the scheme under which CFL bulbs were being given free of cost to domestic consumers.

Education minister Ishwar Das Dhiman, irrigation minister Ravinder Ravi and horticulture minister Narender Bragta said the scheme would enable the state to save about 70 to 80 MW power.

The CFL lamps being supplied were of high quality and the questions were being raised by the Congress leaders were politically motivated.

He said while in power the Congress indulged in scams and scandals and cited the example of the Drabhla road in this regard which pertained to Kaul Singh’s tenure as irrigation and public health minister.

The Congress had promised to provide job to each family but during its five-year tenure it recruited only 3386 persons.

The present government had promised 26,000 jobs in the first year and it had already given employment to 12,000 persons.

Mandi, January 10
Even as the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has decided to start three courses for a batch of 40 students for state’s first IIT in Mandi from this academic session, the ministry has yet to communicate to the state government that whether the Kamand site, which was inspected by its team last year, has been finalised or not.

The sources in the government told The Tribune today that the HRD ministry had communicated to the state that first batch of 40 students would take up three degree courses of electrical, mechanical and computer engineering at Mandi.

The IIT batch would be selected from the merit of students who are selected from the joint-entrance test on all-India basis for the coming academic session 2009, sources added.

Even the ministry has allocated a budget of Rs 760 crore of the IIT for development of infrastructure.

“There is no word on whether the ministry’s high-level team has finalised the Kamand site or not”, sources revealed.

In fact, the state government and the HRD ministry team had jointly inspected the required 500 acre of land at Kamand and the temporary premises for the IIT classes at the new building at the post-graduate college, the PWD rest house, and Mandav HPTDC resort a few months ago.

Principal secretary education PC Dhiman confirmed today that the HRD ministry had decided to start the classes in three streams from this academic session.

The Kamand is the only land site for the IIT, which has the required 500-acre of land, he added.

He said since the IIT was run by the Central government, the state would provide all support, including land and temporary premises for the IIT in Mandi.

“We have not received a communication whether Kamand site is finalised or not,” Dhiman added.

The police has also impounded the private Sumo vehicle (HR 33- A- 0508) of the accused used to carry the consignment to their home town, the police added.

The ASI, Mandi, said that the SIU team intercepted the vehicle in which the accused were smuggling the consignment.

Solan, January 10
With series of cement plants coming up in a close proximity at Darlaghat and its precincts the tourism industry is facing the brunt of pollution.

Since the cement plants employ truckers to transport their raw material and finished goods, their polluting impact has started telling on the tourism inflow.

The Swarghat-Manali national highway (NH)-21, which is frequented by the tourists of the Kullu-Manali belt, is also the route used by the trucks carrying fly ash and clinker from Ropar to this area.

Hundreds of trucks are seen using this route on a daily basis. At least three cement plants - ACC, Ambuja and JP Associates - are located in a periphery of about 45 km.

Apart from the air pollution the excessive wear and tear of the road on account of heavy loads being carried by these trucks has made the NH bumpy and potholed.

This has further reduced the joy of travelling for those wishing to holiday in the hill stations quipped Rakesh Singla from Delhi who travels to Manali every year.

Explaining the adverse impact of the truckers the president of the Himachal Petroleum Dealers Association, Sukumar Singh says, “The tendency of the trucks to over load their vehicles causes maximum thrust on the roads and it weakens not just the road surface but also the bridges. Further, in the absence of adequate repair workshops the trucks halt just anywhere and truckers burn diesel to remedy the snags. This has created a large number of potholes on the roads as the bitumen wears away under such circumstances.”

The area already has about 8,500 trucks and with each plant having doubled its capacity the probability of more trucks being added in the near future cannot be ruled out.

Bilaspur, January 10
Much awaited the state Executive Committee of National Students Union of India (NSUI) has been announced today after approval from the national president of this organisation Hibi Eden.

Addressing mediapersons here today, state president Vivek Kumar said four vice-presidents, five general secretaries and 14 secretaries have been appointed and all sections and districts have been given representation on it.

He said Yashwant Jilta (Shimla rural), Kush Sharma (Shimla urban), Hema Thakur (Kullu) and Sunil Kanwar (Sirmaur) would be the vice-presidents and Sanjay Pathak of Bilaspur would be the state Treasurer.

Vivek said Jasbeer Singh (Shimla rural), Vijender Pal (Kullu), Rajiv Sharma (Hamirpur), Yadupati (Mandi) and Priyanka Sharma (Una) have been appointed the general secretaries. Poonam (Shimla rural), Nishant Thakur (Shimla urban), Dinesh Singta (Sirmaur), Jai prakash (Kinnaur), Dipali Gupta (Kullu), Vivek (Kangra), Anil Sharma (Mandi), Sandip Kumar (Solan), Gajender Patial (Mandi), Amit Sharma (Kangra), Arvind Kumar (Hamirpur), Hitender Thakur (Chamba), Bhanu Sharma (Solan) and Sumita (Shimla) would be the state secretaries.

There would be 41 members in the State Executive Committee but only six names have been declared today and they are Navdip Dhiman (Una), Pradip Surya (Sirmaur), Shally Thakur (Mandi), Deepak Khurana (Shimla rural), Rakesh Jamwal (Mandi) and Sumit Kumar (Bilaspur).

Vivek Kumar said a separate unit of girls under the NSUI named “Priyadarshini” would be formed in all educational institutions and only girls would be represented on it. It would look after interests of girls and would involve them in constructive activities.

Dalhousie, January 10
About 14 private vehicles were smashed while four vehicles were pushed down into the nalas here by some miscreants.

Chander Shekhar Pandit, SP, Chamba, said five persons had been arrested in two different cases registered at the police station.

Two foreign nationals, who were staying in a private hotel, had also arrested for not having their passport and visa with them.

Three miscreants were stated to be inebriated, drove rashly causing heavy damage and destruction to the vehicles. Those arrested belonged to Punjab and Haryana.

Palampur, January 10
Parents of a 17-year-old girl, who was missing for the past one month, have been moving from post to pillar in search of their daughter, but all in vain.

Though they had lodged a complaint in Panchrukhi police station long back, nothing had been done so far.

The father today called on local MLA Parveen Sharma and sought his help. Sharma directed the DSP to look into the matter.

The father said he had given a name of a boy from the same village to the police, who had allegedly kidnapped his daughter.