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Parbati-II power project
Mehatpur-Una-Amb road |
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Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru road
Virbhadra should seek early counting, says Dhumal
Prank phone calls hit emergency service
Fly ash causing health hazards in BBN area
NZ keen to collaborate in horticulture, agriculture
Headmaster ‘thrashes’ student
Rs 2.75 cr sanctioned for coop societies
21,000 appear in Himotkarsh scholarship exam
2 killed in Kangra road accidents
2 go hunting; 1 killed, other arrested
Student dies in road mishap
Governor visits Himachal pavilion
Extend time limit to alter option, urge pensioners
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Parbati-II power project
Kullu, November 26 Dogged by scams, Parbati-II has been running almost 10 years behind schedule. It took the CBI almost seven months to register a case at the Shimla police station after the investigating agency detected the fake delivery of cement supplies at NHPC stores at Pabarti project sites in April this year. According to sources in the CBI, 34 fake incidents of cement truck carriage had been verified, which showed cement consignments of 320 cement bags each, over a period of time. The cement supplies were shown to be delivered at the Parbati project stores in Sainj, Ninu Nala and Soma Ropa, but were never delivered. The CBI established a prime facie case worth Rs 25 lakh, that could go up several times, as the NHPC had been using thousands of cement bags in Parbati-II and the 520-MW Parbati-III and the NHPC contractor was the same. Though the CBI is probing the exact dimension of the cement scam, what has come as surprise is that the same contractor, Gammon India, was awarded work of the Parbati-II powerhouse and surge shaft without material. Interestingly, work of Parbati-III has been awarded to Gammon India without material, that has further raised the suspicion of the investigating agency, sources revealed. The dam of Parbati-II is being constructed by Patel Engineering while work of the half-complete head race tunnel has been rescinded from Satyam Company and fresh bids have been invited. Initially, the CBI booked NHPC store in charge Bamdev, his assistant and two truck drivers of the Chandigarh-based Mahalaxmi truck operator firm. But these are small fish caught red-handed by the CBI and the big fish are under the scanner. The CBI has established that the scam could not have happened without a nexus of high NHPC officials and the contractor, commented a senior CBI official. The CBI raided NHPC stores in Chandigarh and at the project site in April after a complaint was lodged with the agency earlier this year. The complainant had mentioned that the cement supplies meant for the construction of a dam, a powerhouse and the 30-km head race tunnel of Parbati-II was shown to be delivered in stores of the contractor rather than NHPC stores. After the CBI detected the scam, the NHPC resorted to a face-saving exercise. It kept the store in charge under suspension and served notices on four officials, including a Deputy Manager, Shilagarh (Barshaini), an Assistant Manager (Civil), Gadsa, and an Electrical Engineer (Sainj). These officials and their heads are under the CBI scanner. A senior CBI official said the case was registered at the Shimla police station two days ago and further investigations were in progress.
cement scam
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Mehatpur-Una-Amb road
Shimla, November 26 The company has stopped work for want of funds even though more than 70 per cent of work on the 44.8-km road has been completed. With little hope of the Chinese firm resuming work despite repeated reminders by the government, the Public Works Department (PWD) is examining the case legally so that a notice for contract termination can be issued. With the project turning out to be a non-profitable venture, the Chinese company is not interested in completing the project. It is prepared for the termination of the project even though a payment of about Rs 3 crore payment is pending from the state government. The state government has already terminated the Rs 228-crore contract awarded to the same company for the construction of the 80-km Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru road. Two days back, the PWD sent copies of the global tenders to be floated afresh to the World Bank for approval. The World Bank has already granted approval for the termination of the contract for the Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru road even though the Chinese firm has moved court against the government action. The contracts for the two roads, about 125 km in length, were awarded under the World Bank-funded project during the Congress regime. Work on the two projects began in June 2008 and was scheduled to be completed by November 2010. Even after seeking repeated extensions, the company had failed to show any progress. PWD officials claimed that the company had failed to resume work even though more money had been released. They pointed out that the company in China had starved the project of funds as it did not want to proceed further due to incurring losses. Work on the Mehatpur-Una-Amb road suffered as the sub-contractor who had been awarded the work left the company in the lurch. Work on four bridges is yet to be completed. With the likelihood of the Mehatpur-Una-Amb road meeting the same fate as the Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru road, daily commuters and residents of the areas remain the worst sufferers. The non-completion and bad condition of the Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru road was one the biggest issues in the upper Shimla apple belt during the recent Assembly elections. |
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Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru road
Shimla, November 26 Accompanied by Project Director Naresh Sharma, Bragta met Mesfin W Jijo, a senior officer with the World Bank and in charge of the South Asian region, and other officers in New Delhi. He underlined the need for the early termination of the contract and re-tendering of the project, funded by the World Bank, so that the incomplete highway could be completed at the earliest. Bragta said the cost of the project had gone up because of the delay by the Chinese company and the cost had been pegged at Rs 303 crore as per a fresh detailed project report. He said he requested the World Bank that instead of awarding the work to a single company, two or three packages could be made and many companies could be involved in the execution of the work to ensure early completion. He urged World Bank officials to accord permission for re-tendering of the project to avoid the inconvenience being caused to the people of the area due to the bad condition of the road. He said the World Bank had agreed to terminate the agreement with the Chinese company and approval for re-tendering was likely to be granted shortly. This was the second meeting of the Horticulture Minister with the World Bank authorities in the last 10 days. Work on the project was taken up during the previous government, but could not be completed in time. |
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Ice-skating likely from December 1
Shimla, November 26 The ground staff at the Shimla Ice-Skating Club has started preparing the rink for the season by spraying water. The low minimum temperature has created conditions for water to freeze naturally. Last year, the ambient temperature rose abnormally towards the end of November. With no ice on the rink, the season was delayed by almost 10 days. As a result, the ice-skating season turned out to be short and only 56 sessions were possible in all. This year, the weather gods seem to be in an obliging mood. The minimum temperature was 4.5°C yesterday, which was 1.2°C below normal. It was quite warm last year, with mercury touching 8°C the same day. “If conditions remain conducive, a trial run will be carried out by November 29 or 30 and the regular season will commence on December 1,” said Bhuvanesh Banga, secretary of the Shimla Ice-Skating Club. The Meteorological Department has predicted the arrival of a western disturbance around November 28 and 29, but it will be weak and the slight cloud cover will disappear without raising the mercury much. Winter set in rather early this season and the entire middle and high hill areas in the state have been experiencing below normal temperatures across the state. Keylong has been the coldest, with a minimum of -3.6°C, followed by Kalpa (-1.9°C). Manali, Sundernagar, Bhuntar, Mandi and other places have also been in the grip of a cold wave, with temperatures remaining below normal. The cold wave had also affected the melting of snow, as a result of which generation in hydro power projects had declined. The ice-skating season has been shrinking due to the change in micro-weather, the environmental fallout of the large-scale construction activity, the indiscriminate felling of trees and the increasing population in and around the capital. Until the early 1980s, between 120 and 150 sessions during the season were normal. The effective area of the rink has also been reduced with the felling of trees on the hillside, which has exposed a large portion to direct sunlight. A study conducted by Dr Manmohan Singh, in charge of the local meteorological office, has revealed that the snow season has been shrinking at 11 days per decade and has shrunk by 22 days since 1991. The quantum of snow has also declined and most of the snow is received towards the second half of the season, which melts in a short time. Th club will have no option but to instal a freezing plant to keep the fascinating sport alive. |
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Virbhadra should seek early counting, says Dhumal
Shimla, November 26 In a statement today, he said the BJP would welcome it. He expressed surprise over Virbhadra Singh’s statement, expressing concern over the safety of EVMs. He said the former Chief Minister was only questioning the integrity of a constitutional body like the Election Commission (EC) by making such a statement. Dhumal said Virbhadra Singh was not aware of the factual position. He said it was possible that the press note was issued to the media without his knowledge. “I have great respect for and faith in all constitutional authorities and have never question their integrity. All poll-related issues are being looked after by the EC,” he said. He added that elaborate security arrangements had been made by providing close-circuit television cameras and deploying paramilitary forces to guard strongrooms. “The state government has also provided security cover as per the demand of the EC to ensure foolproof security for EVM strongrooms round the clock,” he said. He said it was surprising that Virbhadra Singh was satisfied with security arrangements on one hand and on the other, was raising doubts about EVM security. “How can anyone fiddle with EVMs when such elaborate security arrangements exist?” he asked. He alleged that the state Congress chief, apprehending defeat in the hustings, was making such baseless statements. He reminded Virbhadra Singh of putting a question mark on the functioning of the EC in 1998 and 2007. Dhumal said the Congress had demanded early elections in the state and was now pointing a finger at the decision of the EC. “The BJP has never questioned the decision of the EC to hold elections in November. It is solely its prerogative, keeping in view all facts,” he remarked. |
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Prank phone calls hit emergency service
Shimla, November 26 Since the inception of service in December 2010, as many as 1,31,009 prank and nuisance calls have been received, which account for 18 per cent of the total calls. The total number of emergency calls has crossed 2.7 lakh. The company has also to deal with a large number of ineffective calls which do not pertain to emergencies and also do not fall in the category of nuisance calls. With no let-up in prank calls and some habitual callers identified, the company has approached the police for action against such callers. It has identified some numbers from where nuisance calls are being made regularly. The maximum number of 12,541 calls have been made from the number 8679465209, followed by 8,218 from 9069269048, 3,839 from 8894922162, 3,216 from 9459333196, 1,509 from 8679925592, 1,411 from 9882195270 and 1,399 from 9459641098. GVKEMRI state head Mehul Sukumaran has said such calls, which also include abusive ones, directly affect the unproductive workload and consume the precious time of professionals, hampering the process of serving an emergency in time. In all, 99 per cent of the calls are answered in less than three seconds and the staff working at the call response centre are trained in and provided an environment where the level of stress can be controlled and the quality of service maintained, he has said. The increasing number of prank calls is a hindrance as time is the key factor is saving someone’s life or property, he has added. “We request people to call 108 only if there is an emergency,” he has stated. An analysis of such calls has shown that ineffective calls amount to between 65 and 70 per cent of all calls received. As an immediate step, GVKEMRI officials regularly counsel nuisance callers by making them understand the importance of the 108 number. Repeated nuisance callers are further counselled by police officers in the emergency response centre. Those continuing with errant behaviour are treated separately for initiating police action. |
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Villagers stage dharna against illegal mining
Nurpur, November 26 This dharna which blocked traffic on the Indora-Pathankot via Kandrori link road was lifted following the assurance of the Indora tehsildar, who, along with police and transport officials, pacified the agitating villagers. The agitators, who also held a protest demonstration, were assured of one month’s period to redress their problem. The demonstration was led by the Village Sangarsh Samiti headed by Thakur Harbans Singh. Samiti office-bearers said they had met the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, on November 8 and submitted a memorandum to him with an ultimatum of 15 days. The district administration was apprised of the illegal mining in the Chhonchh khad and the damage of the Indora-Pathankot link road due to the passage of overloaded trucks carrying crushed stones and sand, but no action was initiated, samiti members said. They said residents of affected villages were severely under the grip of pollution caused by
overloaded transport vehicles emitting fuel smoke. Their orchards had started drying up. They also warned that they would intensify their stir if their demands were not accepted within 15 days. |
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Fly ash causing health hazards in BBN area
Solan, November 26 The situation becomes grim in the evenings when emission levels are high, especially in the corridor housing forging units, Sandholi, Housing Board’s Phase III and Billanwali areas, said Vikas Shukla, Tehsildar, Baddi, who surveyed the area after receiving complaints from residents. Fly ash is a by-product of rice husk which is used as boiler fuel, primarily in the forging and textile industries. It is blown away from the chimneys if requisite equipment is not installed to scientifically dispose of this ash by the industries. Though the State Pollution Control Board has earmarked sites for its scientific dumping, few industries do so, says an investor. He added that in the BBN where residential areas and industrial ventures co-existed, the impact of fly ash was being felt more prominently. Chetan Joshi, Superintending Engineer of the board, said some problems regarding the authorised site had come to the fore and they were in the process of sorting out the issue. Shukla confided that some erring units shrugged off the onus of scientific disposal and were found dumping fly ash even in the lanes. He said a complaint had been made to the police to register cases against the erring units. S Arul, Superintendent of Police, Baddi, said they were enquiring into the matter. Fly ash can cause abrasive irritation in the eye and prolonged exposure can lead to ulceration of the eye. It can cause dermatitis and various lung ailments, opine medical specialists. |
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PHC still not shifted to new building
Hamirpur, November 26 The PHC building has been built at a cost of Rs 34 lakh and has been built as per requirements of the department. At the time of the inauguration, the Public Works Department (PWD) had prepared a completion report. According to sources in the Health Department, the main reasons for not shifting to the new building are faulty design and not being as per the needs of the department. They say, “The requirements of the department have not been kept in mind while constructing the building. There are many deficiencies in the building, causing the delay in the shifting of the PHC.” PWD officials say the building is complete. Sujanpur PWD Subdivisional Officer Ranjeet Singh says, “The building has been constructed as per the map and design. All facilities have been provided in the building. We have submitted a completion report to the Health Department, but it is not taking over the building.” |
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Implement new traffic plan: Nagrik Sabha
Shimla, November 26 Vijyender Mehra, president of the sabha, accused the State Transport Authority, Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC), and the Traffic Police of being hand in glove with the management of the Tutikandi Bus Stand. “Despite the notification with regard to the plying of buses from the Old Bus Stand during late night and early morning hours, passengers are facing great inconvenience as the orders are not being implemented,” he alleged. He said on September 29, 2011, the notification had been issued, but it was not being implemented. He demanded action against erring officials. He warned that if the new traffic plan was not implemented, sabha activists would gherao the HRTC and other officials. |
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NZ keen to collaborate in horticulture, agriculture
Shimla, November 26 Dhumal welcomed the proposal as 90 per cent of the state’s population was directly or indirectly dependent on the two sectors for livelihood and mutual collaboration would be beneficial. The production of apple in the state is only between 4 tonne and 9 tonne per hectare compared to over 25 tonne per hectare in New Zealand. The state will import high-yielding and early variety root stock of apple from New Zealand for propagation to increase the yield. He said possibilities to meet the demand of fresh apple during the off season could be explored. The state is keen to take the benefit of expertise for creating irrigation infrastructure facilities to fruit growers and farmers so that dependence on rain is minimised. Setting up cold chains with mutual cooperation to preserve fruits and vegetables grown in the state can also be beneficial. Since apple and vegetables are highly perishable, cold chain facilities can help prolong shelf life and fetch remunerative prices. He said Himachal Pradesh was popularly known as the apple state of India and was poised to emerge as the fruit bowl of India. He underlined the need to work out concrete and detailed proposals for collaboration and for more frequent visits of such delegations to explore other sectors. Carter apprised the Chief Minister of the possibilities of mutual cooperation between New Zealand and Himachal Pradesh in both sectors. He said there was a vast potential to increase the apple yield by planting high-yielding varieties and replacing old root stock, wherein New Zealand could lend its support. He said technology transfer in agriculture could be another area for collaboration. He said New Zealand would explore more sectors wherein mutual cooperation could be strengthened. |
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Prolonged dry spell hampers wheat sowing
Nurpur, November 26 According to information, farmers cultivate wheat crops in 9,846 hectares of land and maize and paddy in 4,670 and 5,892 hectares, respectively, every year. After harvesting maize and paddy crops, they have ploughed their fields just for sowing rabi crops. Agriculture experts in the area opine that if fields don’t receive rainfall in time, the sowing of wheat crop will be delayed further. Progressive agriculturists of the area Chain Singh, Subash, Kesar, Babu Singh, Sham Singh and Rakesh Kumar lament that most of the farmers are dependent on the mercy of nature for cultivation, but prolonged dry spell has dismayed them. |
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Kangra school gets Global Partnership Award
Kangra, November 26 She said the school for the past three years had been working on various projects of the British Council like The Great Banyan Project, Olympic and Paralympics Presentation, BBC News Report, Debating Matters etc. She said the council’s annual awards ceremony was held in Mumbai on November 19. Director, British Council, India, Rob Lyne praised GAV Public School, Kangra, for its contribution towards the programme. Coordinators Jagdeep Sharma and Suman Avasthi represented the school in the programme. Principal Sukhwinder Singh thanked the council and promised active participation of the school in future too. |
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Headmaster ‘thrashes’ student
Mandi, November 26 Narrating the incident, Manglu Ram, victim’s father, alleged that the Headmaster had asked students to remove boulders from the school ground. His son could not pick up the big boulder at which the Headmaster lost his temper and thrashed him. The father and the son spent the Friday night at the Primary Health Centre, Thunag, as there was no doctor at there that day. The doctor came there in the morning and the police was summoned. The boy, who complained of back pain, was referred to the Zonal Hospital, Mandi, on Saturday. Assisted by conveyor, RTI Bureau, Mandi, Lawan Thakaur, the boy’s parents met the Superintendent of Police and the Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, and demanded action against
the Headmaster. The police has booked a case and the medical report is awaited. |
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Rs 2.75 cr sanctioned for coop societies
Bilaspur, November 26 This was stated by Roshan Lal Khajuria, General Manager, ICDP, while presiding over the concluding function of a three-day workshop organised by the HP State Cooperative Union and the Krishi Sehkari Sansthan, Sangti, Shimla, here on Sunday. He said till now 1,530 personnel of cooperatives in the district had been given training while construction work on two 50-tonne storage capacity stores was going on in two societies. Further, old buildings of 15 societies were being repaired and five societies provided with office accommodation and shops to extend activities. Khajuria said accounts of seven co-operative societies had been computerised and several societies provided with safes for cash, banking counters, currency counting machines, photostat machines and furniture etc. He said Rs 20 lakh had been provided for the formation of Herbal Cooperative Societies. He urged all to probe possibilities of forming herbal co-operatives so that these could also help in generating employment in a big way in villages of the district. Sita Ram Thakur, Lecturer, Sehkari Sansthan Sangti, and Madan Lal, Manager, District Cooperative Office, were also present. |
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21,000 appear in Himotkarsh scholarship exam
Chamba, November 26 As many as 670 students in Chamba district, which included the Bharmour tribal area, participated in the examination. Disclosing this here today, YK Puri, district president, Himachal Pradesh Himotkarsh Parishad, said one centre was established at the Government Postgraduate College, Chamba, and the second at the Senior Secondary School, Bharmour. Executive members of the parishad, staff members of the college and school teachers took part in the smooth conduct of the examination, Puri said, adding that distinction and merit holders would be provided scholarships and silver medals by the parishad like every year. |
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2 killed in Kangra road accidents
Kangra, November 26 Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Thakur said Yusaf Iqbal Shiek (18) of Doda in Jammu and Kashmir, who was studying at Vaishnoo College, Thapkaur, was critically injured at the Hagwal mode on Friday when his motorcycle (HP-39-A-1501) fell. He was rushed to a Jammu hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries the next day. Cases under Sections 279 and 304-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) were registered in both accidents. In yet another road accident, a driver and Natish Kumar were injured when their Tata Sumo (HP 36-7642) was hit by a Qualis (HP 37-9252) at Bhali village on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway. A case under Sections 279 and 337 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered. |
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2 go hunting; 1 killed, other arrested
Bilaspur, November 26 Pratap was injured seriously with a gunshot reportedly fired by Suresh while hunting. Suresh immediately informed people nearby about the incident. A team of officials from the Talai police station, led by Station House Officer Paras Ram, rushed to the spot and rushed Pratap to a hospital. He succumbed to his injuries on way to the hospital. The police impounded Suresh’s gun and arrested him. Pratap’s body was brought here for post-mortem examination. Some villagers reported that Pratap, while being taken to hospital, said he was injured with a gunshot fired by Suresh. It could not be confirmed whether they went hunting together or separately. |
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Student dies in road mishap
Bilaspur, November 26 His room-mate Rahul Kumar of Chamboh village, Hamirpur district, riding on the pillion was injured seriously and rushed to the Regional Hospital here and is still not out of danger there. Reports said the truck was going towards Ghumarwin while the youths were coming to Bilaspur town. The police has registered a case. |
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Governor visits Himachal pavilion
Shimla, November 26 She said there was a need to create a strong demand for Himachali products and promote these as a brand identified with the state. |
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Extend time limit to alter option, urge pensioners
Nurpur, November 26 SL Gupta, president, local unit of the association, said here yesterday that the government had scheduled the last date of submitting the option till Dec 9 which was too short for pensioners living at far-off places in the state. — OC
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