Shimla, March 11
Not only does the 17-time increase in applications received under the Right to Information (RTI) Act within a short span of four years reflect the awareness among people about it, but the corresponding decline in complaints also indicates the high-level of satisfaction.

The outgoing chief information commissioner PS Rana said the people of the hill state had effectively used the RTI Act to seek information as the number of applications rose from 2,654 in 2006 to 43, 835 in 2009-10.

“The 17-time increase proves that the level of awareness, too, has improved considerably and the reduction in complaints and appeals proves that they are satisfied with the information provided,” he said.

The HP State Information Commission was constituted on February 4, 2006, and it started functioning within a month’s time. The fact that the appeals and complaints have also reduced to a mere 1.6 per cent in 2009 from 3.2 per cent proves that public information officers (PIO) are responding well to the applications.

Keeping in mind the provision of the Act where a penalty at the rate of Rs 250 per day can be imposed on an officer for not furnishing information because of malafide intentions, the commission has penalised the erring officials. In 2008-09, a sum of Rs 25,000 was imposed as penalty on one officer in a single case, a sum of Rs 37,250 in nine cases in 2009-10 and Rs 17,000 in two cases the next year.

It is only in about eight cases where people have approached the court against the directives of the commission, which include the ones pertaining to a former judge, the HP Public Service Commission and the office of the Lokayukta. Over Rs 27 lakh has been collected in four years as fee for providing information.

Another aspect of the RTI Act is the reduction in the number of rejections at the level of protection officers, which indicates that they are now more conversant in dealing with the RTI applications. “Out of a total of 1,318 complaints received by the commission since its inception, 1,299 have already been disposed and a mere 119 are pending,” said Rana.

Similarly, out of a total of 893 appeals received during the last four years, 876 had been decided and only 108 were pending. “Overall, the people have made good use of the Act and if at all there is any dissatisfaction at any level, it is mainly among those who mistook the commission to be a grievance redressal forum,” he opined.

Solan, March 11
Even as investors in the Nalagarh industrial area are planning to begin a fast unto death from tomorrow after their week-long ultimatum failed to evoke any response from the state government, Industry Minister Kishen Kapoor’s denial on any such development has proved how non-serious the issue is being viewed.

This has exposed the government’s oft-repeated claim of being investor-friendly as no serious step has been taken to resolve the issue.

The investors had demanded rollback of the entry tax, initiation of repair work on the Nalagarh-Swarghat Road and link roads with proper budget allotment, early award of work on the Chikni bridge, reduction in the power duty which was hiked from 13 to 20 per cent for the large industries and other related issues.

Kishen Kapoor, when contacted on the phone, said he was not aware of any such issue and since no demand had been put forth before him, he could not do anything in the matter. When asked if he had not read about the issue in newspapers which had highlighted the plight of the industry for the past one week, he expressed ignorance and added that he had no information.

With the Industry Minister lacking information on the grievances, one could imagine the seriousness of the state government to solve industry’s problems.

Interestingly, the industry had received a letter from the commissioner, Industries, JS Rana, who had asked it to meet him in his office on March 14 where officials of the NH PWD and the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Industries Development Authority too had been asked to come.

But with no official from the departments like power and excise and taxation being directed to be present at the meeting, its president Prem Sharma said it would fail to solve the purpose.

Since all issues had been taken up a number of times with the government, it was well aware of the problems and they were looking for solutions and not discussions.

Though the state government had begun repair work on the Nalagarh-Swarghat road, in the absence of any budgetary allotment, the industry felt this was mere eyewash. Though the state government had decided to send its superintending engineer from the PWD NH Department to take stock of the road condition to the Nalagarh area, it was surprising as to why the government was taking so long.

Shimla, March 11
The state government will prefer to build ropeways in areas where construction of roads involved destruction of forests. This is to help protect the green cover.Stating this during Question Hour, Chief Minister PK Dhumal said at present four ropeways were functional at Parwanoo, Naina Devi, Jabli and Solang Nullah, and another seven were in the pipeline.

These include Palchan-Rohtang, Bhuntar-Bijli Mahadev, Neugal, Shahtalai-Deot Sidh, Dharmakot-Triund, Anandpur-Naina Devi and Jia-Addi Himani Chamunda.

Replying to a question, the CM said the funds collected under green tax could be used for building two ropeways proposed in Kullu, as these would help reduce the movement of vehicles.

The total amount available was about Rs 12 crore. The government proposed to build the ropeways under public-private partnership and BOT (Build Operate and Transfer) modes.

In reply to a question, Dhumal told the House that the income from toll at the 47 toll barriers had increased from Rs 30.84 crore in 2009-10 to Rs 43.19 crore in 2010-11, and for the next financial year the auction of toll barriers had fetched Rs 69 crore.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Sarveen Chaudhary said a statewide survey conducted by her department had detected 41,000 cases of ineligible persons who were sanctioned social security pension. As many as 2,615 such cases were detected in Mandi district alone. Intervening in the matter Dhumal said the individual income limit for social security pension had been raised from Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,000 and the government would consider raising it further only after all eligible persons were covered. 

Shimla, March 11
The failure of Hindustan Salts Limited, a Government of India undertaking, to obtain forest clearance and mining permit led to the closure of its rock salt mine in Drang and Gumma in Mandi district.

Stating this while replying to the call attention motion of Kaul Singh (Congress) in the Vidhan Sabha today, Industries Minister Kishan Kapoor said with no valid mining permit and forest clearance, the mining being carried out was illegal and had to be stopped.

The company had, from 2003 till January 2011 when mining was stopped, extracted 14,088 tonne of rock salt but it had not paid the state Rs 30.71 lakh as royalty. Officials of the company kept assuring that necessary clearances and permission would obtained but did nothing despite repeated notices served on it from May 2007 to November 2008.

The House passed the State Lok Ayukta (Amendmnet) Bill after rejecting the amendment moved by Sukhwinder (Congress) to bring pradhan and up-prasdhan of gram panchayats under its purview. However, Chief Minister PK Dhumal said such an amendment could be considered later if required.

Mumbai, March 11
The Films Division will hold the first edition of its Shimla International Film Festival (SIFF) for documentary, short and animation films from March 18 to 20 at Gaiety Theatre, Shimla, according to a statement issued here.

According to the Films Division, it is partnering with the Directorate of Information & Public Relations, Government of Himachal Pradesh, to hold the SIFF.

"The festival attempts to showcase some of the best award- winning documentary, short and animation films from India and abroad, apart from films of filmmakers from Shimla. This film festival will provide an appropriate forum for film makers, film technicians and artistes of Shimla to discover and discuss the current and latest trend and techniques in this creative art," the Films Division said in its statement.

The inaugural function will be followed by screening of films at the Gaiety Theatre complex on March 18 at 10 am. Subsequent screening of films will be held from March 18 to 20 from 10 am to 8 pm.

The Films Division has been already organising the much-acclaimed Mumbai International Film Festival for documentary, short and animation films (MIFF) since 1990. 

Dharamsala, March 11
The visiting Medical Council of India (MCI) team has raised objection to non-registration of postgraduation degrees of eight faculty members of Tanda medical college.

Sources told The Tribune that the MCI had given seven days to the faculty members to get their degrees registered with the Himachal Medical Council.

The MCI team had also held up the approval for increasing the MBBS seats in the medical college from 50 to 100 for the time being due to the reason. The principal of the Tanda medical college Dr Anil Chauhan admitted that the objection had been raised by the team.

It had pointed out the names of the faculty members who had not got their degrees registered in the state.

“We sent information to the faculty members. One of them turned up and produced his document. However, the other seven have been given seven days to get their degrees registered with the competent authorities in Himachal”, he said.

When asked if the objection could delay the approval for increase in MBBS seats in the Tanda medical college, Dr Anil Chauhan said the objection definitely raised a question mark at the strength of doctors in the medical college. However, the doctors would get their degrees registered and their would be no objection within a week.

The affected doctors said some of them had done their postgraduation degrees from the PGI, Chandigarh, or the PGI, Rohtak.

The registration number was mentioned on the degrees. So, they did not feel prudent to get registered with any other body. Now that the MCI had raised the objection, they would get the degrees registered with the Medical Council of Himachal today.

Hamirpur, March 11
While a large number of posts of steno typist are lying vacant in different departments of the government, the Himachal Pradesh State Service Selection Board (HPSSSB) is finding it difficult to select candidates as a few of them have cleared the typing test.

Having a look at the results of the past few selection tests conducted by the HPSSSB for steno typist, it becomes clear that many candidates have failed to clear the typing test.

In the last selection test, about 30 per cent candidates qualified the typing test and about 70 per cent posts could not be filled. For 46 posts, only 13 candidates could clear this test.

Similarly, in the test conducted last year, only 23 candidates could qualify.

The major hurdle in filing the posts of steno typists is old pattern of selection for the candidates.

According to conditions laid down by the state government for the selection of steno typists, a candidate is supposed to qualify typing test in Hindi and English languages, besides proficient in stenography. At present, the typing tests in both languages are conducted on manual typing machines, which candidates are finding difficult to qualify.

The candidates have also reportedly failed to clear typing tests simultaneously in both Hindi and English.

Many candidates applying for the posts have been pleading with the state government to relax these norms and conduct the typing tests on computers as manual typing machines are almost becoming extinct in government offices.

Chief Minister PK Dhumal was also made aware about this recently who had assured them to look into this matter.

HPSSSB secretary HR Sharma said, “We have requested the government to make suitable amendments in the selection criteria of steno typists as a few candidates are qualifying the typing tests and we finding it difficult to fill all posts.”

Kullu, March 11
Lucky Kumar(5) drowned into Aleo nullah yesterday while playing with his sister. The child was rushed to Mission Hospital, Manali, where he was declared brought dead.According to the SP, the child fell into a drain and died. But the parents of the deceased alleged that the child had fallen into the Allien and Duhangan Electricity Project channel and was washed away.

He was not provided immediate transport by the project authority where his father was a safai karamchari.