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Decision on Central University in Dharamsala to delay construction
Luhri project scaled down in environmental fallout
Ramdev to arrive despite govt move
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Restore bus stop at Seri Munch in 5 days, says Sangharsh Samiti
Benami land deals to be main poll issue, says Sukhvinder
Three-day Cheshu Fair ends
18 HAS officers transferred
Review panel meets in Shimla today
Residents docs, PG students call off strike
Six more SSB trainees test positive for swine flu
Dist Cong chief denied entry to Secretariat
BJP ex-leader gets support
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Decision on Central University in Dharamsala to delay construction
Dharamsala, February 21 Sources say the decision has been taken after lobbying by Housing and Urban Development Minister Sudhir Sharma who represents Dharamsala. If the decision materialises, it will be Sudhir’s biggest political achievement. There are practical problems in implementing the decision. The previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government had offered land at two places for the campus. It wanted the campus to come up at Dehra and Dharamsala. It had offered 1,000 kanal in Dharamsala and about 6,000 kanal at Dehra. The Central Committee set up by the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development had accepted the proposal to set up the university at two separate towns. The entire land offered is forest land. It had about 90,000 trees at Dehra and about 10,000 trees in Dharamsala. The project was delayed due to the trees as permission from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests was sought. University Vice-Chancellor Furqan Qumar said they were ready with the blueprint for the construction of the campus and were waiting for clearance from the Ministry for Environment and Forests. Following the government decision on the campus, the authorities concerned will have to go through the exercise again. The government will have to send a fresh proposal to the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development. The Union ministry will have to send a committee again for approval to the land allocated in Dharamsala. Architects will have to draw new maps and work out the estimated cost of construction. Since the land will include forest land, the case for clearance will be sent to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests again. The entire exercise will take over a year at least and construction is likely to be delayed. The decision may involve legal and political battles as well. Former minister Ravinder Singh Ravi, who represents Dehra, has said the BJP will take up the decision in the Budget session of the Assembly and move the High Court against it. Residents of Dehra have launched an agitation to protest against the decision and submitted a memorandum to the district authorities against the move. Pros And Cons
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Luhri project scaled down in environmental fallout
Shimla, February 21 Consequently, the public sector undertaking has to abandon its ambitious plan to construct a 38.14-km twin head race tunnel for diverting water for power generation and prepare a revised detailed project report with a single tunnel. The Expert Appraisal Committee
(EAC) of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had expressed concern over the environmental fallout of the proposed project involving the construction of a twin head race tunnel which would effectively dry up almost a 50-km stretch of the river. As a result, the life of people living along the river would be severely affected. It had advised the SJVN to consider options like reducing the length of the tunnel, decreasing the height of the dam and allowing larger environmental flow. The EAC had increased the minimum mandatory discharge to be maintained in the river at all times from the mandatory 15 per cent to 25 per cent during the lean period and to 30 per cent during the monsoon. Therefore, the discharge available for power generation would only be 380 cumecs compared to 480 cumecs earlier. Accordingly, the project is being redesigned for a single tunnel of 10.5-metre diameter, the largest size possible technically, instead of two tunnels of 9-metre diameter each, to utilise a net head of 181 metre for generation. There will be no change in the site or size of the diversion structure and a 231-metre wide dam will be constructed at
Neerath, downstream the 412-MW Rampur project. The revised design will bring down the cost by at least Rs 1,000 crore from the estimated Rs 7,200
crore. The redesigned project will generate 2,430 million units of power annually compared to the 3,142 million units earlier. However, there may not be any appreciable change in the generation cost of Rs 4.90 per unit as the cost of the project will come down. A total of 271 hectare of forest land, including 89 hectare for underground work, will be diverted for the project. Besides, 110 hectare of private land will be acquired and over 75,000 trees axed. Local residents have been opposing the tunnel-based project and agitating under the banner of the Sutlej Bachao Jan Sangharsh
Samiti. Environment research action groups like the Him Dhara have termed the twin-tunnel project a threat to riverine ecology and urged the Centre not to grant clearance. |
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Ramdev to arrive despite govt move
Shimla, February 21 While the state government is working on issuing formal orders to the Solan Deputy Commissioner on the formal cancellation of the lease and a takeover of the land, trust members and Ramdev’s followers say they will stick to the programme as the yoga guru will arrive at the branch on February 26. “Notwithstanding the government decision, he will arrive on February 26. We will hold a meeting and a yoga camp as per the programme,” said Lakshmi Dutt Sharma, ‘praant prabhaari’ of the yogpeeth. “If the campus is sealed before the inauguration, the venue will be changed. But Ramdev will come and hold the function,” he added. Questioning the government move, he said it should have pointed out the shortcomings instead of cancelling the lease. “If there is no option but to cancel the lease, let the government pay the trust Rs 10 crore that we have spent,” he added. He said the trust and its ‘kaaryakartaas’ would not enter a confrontation or force their way to the venue. The state government is working on completing the formalities regarding the Cabinet decision to cancel the lease. “Ramdev is free to come here, but will not be allowed to inaugurate the complex as the Cabinet has decided to cancel the lease,” Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy said. Ramdev’s followers held a meeting at Dhami in Shimla district to discuss the fallout of the move. “Those present expressed resentment at the decision. About 1,000 persons actively associated with the trust will go to Sadhupul for the function,” said Thakur Singh Verma, Shimla district ‘prabhaari’. Trust members said the total cost of the project was about Rs 27 crore and work on a 1,400-square-metre yoga bhavan and a 1,300-sq-metre ‘chikitsaalaya’ had been completed. They added that a herbal park was almost ready and a collection centre for the purchase of herbs and medicinal plants was proposed. No illegality, says Ramdev’s aide
Ramdev’s aide Balakrishan claimed on Thursday that there was no illegality in the land lease given to the Patanjali Yogpeeth at Sadhupul in Solan district. He alleged that the yoga guru was being targeted as part of a bigger conspiracy to launch a campaign against black money and corruption. When contacted in Hardwar over telephone, he said the state government was acting in an immature manner and the trust had not received any notice or official communication so far. “The land lease is in the name of the trust which has spent Rs 11 crore so far on creating facilities in
the interest of the people of Himachal Pradesh,” he remarked. He said the trust and Ramdev’s aides were not in the mood for confrontation and the government was spreading propaganda and creating fear among the people. “We plan to go ahead with our schedule, but will explore other options, including legal recourse, if the campus is sealed,” he asserted. He said the exercise of getting the land lease was done as per norms. He accused the government of being prejudiced. “We have created facilities from our expenses for the spread of yoga and ayurveda in public interest and have never been at the mercy of the government,” he emphasised. |
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Work goes on at usual pace
Solan, February 21 A visit to the site showed that the first phase of the project had been constructed. It included a herbal centre, an outpatient department block and a yoga bhavan. With no communication from Hardwar about the proposed inauguration on February 27, workers here are busy giving final touches. Rameshwar Dutt Sharma, convener for the inauguration, said it was unfortunate that the government was bent on cancelling the land lease despite the project providing employment to residents. Others engaged in work at the site said they had completed the first phase of the construction and work on the second phase would begin as per Ramdev’s instructions. The yogpeeth is yet to set up six collection centres in the state as per its commitment. Five of those were to come up at Balu in Chamba, Neri in Hamirpur, Oel in Una, Kalujhinda in Baddi and Nogal in Rampur Bushahr. The Solan Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police today met the Chief Secretary in Shimla. They discussed issues regarding the land allotment. No direction in writing on the land takeover was issued till the time of the filing of this report. |
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Kol Dam oustees threaten indefinite fast
Harnoda (Bilaspur), February 21 Oustees from Mandi, Shimla and Solan districts joined the protesters from Bilaspur district today. They said they would not leave until Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh accepted their demands here in the presence of the NTPC management. They pointed out that the memorandum of understanding on the project was signed in 2001 Prem Kumar Dhumal was the Chief Minister and Atal Behari Vajpayee the Prime Minister. “The government signed the memorandum of understanding without caring for proper rehabilitation. The NTPC has not developed proper plots and we cannot build houses in the colonies,” rued oustees’ leader Salig Ram Thakur. The oustees warned local politicians against using them as an excuse to grease their palms. They said Rs 15,000 as compensation was not enough even to buy sheep. Oustees from the sulphur bath springs and the pilgrimage centre at Tattapani urged the government to let vendors operate this tourist season as filling of the dam would not take place before November. Karsog Subdivisional Magistrate Sudesh Mokhta said the oustees from Tattapani had moved the High Court on the issue of their displacement from the submergence zone and directions from the court were awaited. Work at the site remained suspended for the ninth day today as NTPC officials did not try to pacify the oustees. Project General Manager AK Nanda and Assistant General Manager (Human Resources) Sanjiv Puri refused to comment. The NTPC is already running four years behind schedule. It will start filling of the dam this year, but work on five spillways is yet to be completed. |
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Ravi accuses Cong govt of political vendetta
Palampur, February 21 He claimed that the government had devoted most of the time in the last two months to reversing decisions of the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government and ordering mass transfers of government employees. Addressing a press conference here, he said the government had ordered thousands of transfers, adversely affecting smooth working at various government offices. He alleged that most of the employees transferred were BJP workers or their relatives. He said the party would raise the issue in the Budget session of the Assembly. He alleged that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was heading a bedridden government which was unable to initiate steps for the welfare of the people. Ravi termed as shameful the decision of the state government to remove Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s name from programmes launched by the previous BJP government. |
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Restore bus stop at Seri Munch in 5 days, says Sangharsh Samiti
Mandi, February 21 But the administration has refused to budge from its order saying the bus stop resultedn traffic jams and the move aims at decongesting the town for residents. The CPM, Himachal Lokhit Party, BJP Mandi Sadar, three members of the zila parishad from Mandi Sadar, Tungal Sangharsh Committee and others today announced the launch of the samiti and threatened to intensify the stir if the status quo was not maintained. Supporting the samiti is Champa Thakur, daughter of Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur, who is a zila parishad member from Mandi Sadar, represented by Congress MLA Anil Sharma, who has remained silent on the issue. Other leaders included BJP Mandi Sadar mandal DD Thakur, CPM general secretary Bhupender Singh, CPM leader Des Raj, HLP leader Harish Chander and zila parishad members Shayam Lal and Krishan Chand who have joined hands to intensify the stir. Passengers heading for Tunagal, Randhara, Kotli, Sarkaghat have been facing problems ever since the bus stop was shifted from Seri Munch to nondescript place near the Mahamirnunjya temple, which has no shelter and proper place, they resented. DC Devesh Kumar said the administration had taken a decision as per the demands of the residents to decongest the town. “We will provide a rain shelter or explore new spot so that passengers do not get inconvenience,” he added. |
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Benami land deals to be main poll issue, says Sukhvinder
Hamirpur, February 21 Talking to mediapersons here on Monday, he said, “Since the issue of benami land deals by Dhumal and his family is a part of the Congress chargesheet, the party will make this a major election issue in the next parliamentary elections, besides other issues”. He said, “I will work with a new determination and act as a bridge between the party and the state government.” In reply to a question about contesting the next parliamentary election from Hamirpur, he said, “I will abide by the decision of the AICC in this regard”. He has welcomed the decision of the state government to allow free travel to school students in HRTC buses and framing policy for the regularisation of PTA teachers. |
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Three-day Cheshu Fair ends
Mandi, February 21 Addressing the concluding ceremony of the three-day Cheshu Fair today, Chaudhary said the repair work on 19 roads in the Balh constituency was in progress. “The government will set up 33-kv substation to take care of the voltage problem in the area,” he added. Apart from folk dances presented by artistes from the state, the special attraction was the cham dance performed by monks as a mark of respect to the Padam Sambhava, believed to be the Second Buddha. Rewalsar Nagar panchayat official estimated that more than 50,000 to 40,000 pilgrims from Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Dharamsala, Leh-Ladakh, Sikkim, Nepal and other parts of the country visited the fair in the last three days. |
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18 HAS officers transferred
Shimla, February 21 Rakesh Kanwar, State Project Director, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan, Special Secretary, Power. He shall also hold the additional charge of the post of Special Secretary, Revenue-Disaster Management Cell. BD Suyal, Indian Forest Service Officer, is repatriated to his parent Forest Department. Lokender Singh Chauhan, Special Secretary, PWD, shall also hold the additional charge of the post of Director, Small Savings, Himachal Pradesh, Shimla. Rakesh Sharma, Managing Director, HIMFED, has been given the additional charge of the post of Controller, Printing and Stationary. Himanshu Shekhar Chaudhary, on his repatriation, has been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Hamirpur. Deva Singh Negi, Additional Director, Urban Development, has been given the additional charge of Executive Director, HIMUDA. Vinod Kumar, Secretary, HP Subordinate Services Selection Board (SSSB), Hamirpur, has been posted Regional Transport Officer, Kangra. Rajeshwar Goel, ADC, Hamirpur, has been posted Additional Director, Secondary Education. Vijay Kumar, Assistant Commissioner to the Kangra Deputy Commissioner at Dharamsala, has been posted as Secretary, HP SSSB, Hamirpur. The government has also changed the Sub Divisional Magistrates of some subdivisions, including Amb, Rohru and
Una. |
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Anandpur Sahib-Naina Devi Ropeway Project
Ropar, February 21 The committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, is likely to look into the possibility of scrapping the memorandum of understanding signed last year between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. Sources say the Himachal Pradesh government sees no purpose in having a tie-up with Punjab in a 50:50 ratio when only a 275-metre-long stretch of the 3,751-metre-long ropeway is in Punjab. The project is to be executed in the public-private partnership mode and on a build-operate-transfer basis. The period of concession to the private partner is 40 years, including three years for construction. The change of guard in Himachal Pradesh has not augured well for the project. Finding the agreement lopsided, the government is mulling over terminating it and has decided to have a relook at it. State Planning Development and 20-Point Implementation Committee Chairman Ram Lal Thakur claimed that the memorandum of understanding was signed without caring for the interests of Himachal Pradesh. He elaborated that there was no logic in including the interests of another state in lieu of setting up a base station only 275 metres inside Punjab. When contacted, Himachal Pradesh Principal Secretary (Tourism) VC Pharka declined to comment on the issue. He said the committee would meet tomorrow and all aspects of the pact would be looked into. |
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Residents docs, PG students call off strike
Kangra, February 21 Resident Doctor Association president Rahul Gupta said today that the strike was called off following an assurance by Additional Director R Ghautam and Medical Superintendent Dinesh Sood. He said issues of mess, common room and other facilities were also raised during the meeting and the college management assured them that these would be looked into. They had been protesting against an assault on a doctor in the Radiology Department by an attendant on Tuesday. The police had arrested Puneet Sharma of Dharamsala, an attendant of a patient, under Sections 232 and 253, IPC. |
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Six more SSB trainees test positive for swine flu
Kangra, February 21 Kangra district Chief Medical Officer (CMO) DS Gurung today said six of the seven samples of the SSB trainees sent for testing to the IGMC, Shimla, yesterday from the DRPGMC, Tanda, had tested positive. The CMO said so far one person from the Bhawarna area of Palampur subdivision of this district had died of swine flu at the PGI recently. He said he had held a meeting with Medical Superintendent, Zonal Hospital, Dharamsala, and the medical specialist to chalk out a strategy to meet any eventuality. There was nothing to panic, he added. Medical Officer in charge, SSB centre, KK Rattan said so far samples of 11 trainees were sent for swine flu testing. Meanwhile, Commandant, SSB, Sappri, SK Sharma said cadets might have got infected from some tourist at Jwalamukhi while using an ATM.
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Dist Cong chief denied entry to Secretariat
Bilaspur, February 21 Santosh said she went to the Secretariat in Shimla as she wanted her husband to be adjusted, but was not allowed a pass despite requests. She complained that she saw several persons from upper areas of the state allowed entry to the Secretariat without even a pass.
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BJP ex-leader gets support
Sundernagar, February 21 A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Kamla Thakur, former president of the BJP unit of Sundernagar. Those who addressed the gathering included Girja Gautam, president, municipal council, ward members and ex-office-bearers of the council.
— OC
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