Shimla, July 12
The verbal duel between former Chief Minister PK Dhumal and state Congress chief Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has taken a new turn with the BJP leader serving a legal notice on the Congress president. Dhumal’s lawyer has served a notice on the chief, seeking an unconditional public apology, failing which legal action will be taken in accordance with law.

Sukhu confirmed having received the notice from the lawyer of Dhumal. “I will seek legal opinion from my lawyers and proceed accordingly,” he said, when asked about his next course of action. The HPCC chief had been targeting the former Chief Minister, especially after his elevation as the state president and more so during the electioneering for the Mandi bypoll.

“The allegations levelled by you and published in various newspapers are totally baseless, defamatory and motivated,” the legal notice read. It further states that such allegations have been made with the malafide intention of causing harm to Dhumal’s reputation and mislead the public.

The notice makes mention of several newspapers where Sukhu made derogatory and defamatory remarks against Dhumal, his MP son Anurag Thakur and Rajeev Bindal, a sitting MLA and former BJP minister. The notice makes special mention about the remarks made by Sukhu during the campaigning in the run-up to the Mandi Lok Sabha bypoll.

The notice also mentions that the statements made by the Congress chief have been made to gain political mileage and malign the image of Dhumal. “The allegations made by you are a direct, frontal and false attack on the character of the former Chief Minister for which there is no conceivable justification,” the notice reads.

Shimla, July 12
The Himachal Pradesh High Court today directed the state electricity board not to take any coercive action against the local bodies in the state over pending dues as an agreement has been arrived at between the state government and the board to resolve the dispute.

The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice RB Misra passed the orders as the Advocate General informed the court that the state government has decided to own the liability and pay the pending dues of the local bodies other than the Shimla Municipal Corpoartion and Mandi Municipal Council considering the public interest involved and inconvenience caused to public due to disconnection of power to the local bodies.

The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) informed the court that out of the total outstanding dues of Rs 91.88 crore, a sum of Rs 66.83 crore had been recovered by the board and out of the remaining Rs 25.05 crore, the amount of Rs 10.34 crore was payable by the local bodies other than the Shimla Municipal Corporation and the Mandi Municipal Council.

During the previous hearing in the matter on June 21, the Shimla Municipal Corporation had informed the court that the board also owes substantial amount to the extent of Rs 2.30 crore to the Shimla MC even after setting off their claim. The HPSEB had also submitted that the issue was being examined at appropriate level and a joint decision would be taken by the Shimla MC and the board. In view of this, the court had directed the board not to take any action against the Shimla MC in respect of the outstanding dues.

The court also directed the board to take steps to restore supply to the two local bodies once the agreement between the government and the board is finalised. However, the court also directed the board to proceed in accordance with law as regard to the outstanding amount from consumers other than the local bodies and listed the matter for August 6.

Shimla, July 12
The state government will install sophisticated high-speed cameras costing about Rs 1.33 crore at various places here to ensure that the city remains free of crime, especially for women and tourists.

The state government today approved inviting tenders for purchasing these cameras. A committee headed by Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy and comprising Principal Secretary, Finance, Srikant Baldi, Principal Secretary General Administration Bharat Khera, Deputy Commissioner Dinesh Malhotra and Commissioner, Shimla Municipal Corporation, Amarjit Singh was formed.

The equipment will cost about Rs 1.33 crore. After the award of the contract through bidding, 12 weeks will be given to the company to install the cameras and other gadgets. The output control room for monitoring all these cameras will be on The Mall.

The government had also constituted a committee headed by the Divisional Commissioner that will suggest about the equipment. As Shimla receives a huge floating population of tourists, the need for maintaining close surveillance is felt.

As per the plans, 18 automatic number plate recognition cameras will be installed on all sealed and restricted roads in the city to keep record of the movement of all vehicles.

The vehicular movement on these roads is very restricted, barring VIPs. Besides this, seven fixed surveillance cameras and two PTZ zoom cameras will be installed at various locations such as The Mall and entry points into the town.

“Shimla is crime free and peaceful and by installing these speed cameras, we want to ensure that it continues to remain safe, especially for women,” said Sudripta Roy. He added that the installation of these cameras would also help in keeping a vigil on anti-social elements and possible movement of terrorists.

Though there have not been any major heinous crimes in the state, with the recent rape of an American woman visiting Manali has highlighted the need for having some system of close surveillance. The cameras will also be installed at places where tourists alight and board such as the bus stand, the main taxi stand and the railway station.

Even though the district police has brought certain parts of the town under e-surveillance by installing close-circuit cameras at places like The Mall and other crowded places like Sanjauli, Summer Hill and New Shimla, no sophisticated high-speed cameras have been installed despite Shimla being a major international tourist destination.

Mandi/Kullu, July 12
All estimates of apple production are set to go haywire by 20 per cent as the undersized fruit has given sleepless nights to growers in the state, where the spur and other early varieties have already started arriving in the markets.

The fruit size has not developed properly in Karsog, Churag and Seraj in Mandi, the Kullu valley, Anni and Banjar in Kullu and the apple belt of Chopal, Jubbal-Kotkhai, Rohru, Rampur and lower orchards in Kotgarh in Shimla district, said apple farmers.

The estimates that apple production to cross 4-crore standard boxes might go haywire because the fruit-drop in late May and June was on the higher side and the fruit had remained undersized this time, they added.

Laxman Thakur, chairman of the Ecohorts Society of Apple Farmers, Nandpur, said, “It appeared all lower, middle and higher belts have been affected by unfavourable temperatures that may affect the output by 15 to 20 per cent, ” he added.

The size had become a problem in the lower orchards where the crop was on a heavier side this year, but it appeared to be better in orchards where the crop was normal, said Harender Thakur, an orchardist from Naggar. The weather and temperatures were playing truant reducing the fruit size, added Nakur Khullar, an orchardist from Baragarh, Kullu. The farmers, who were expecting about 100 boxes of spur apple this time have ended up with 65 cartons as the fruit size was small, said OP Chauhan and Pramod Chauhan, apple farmers from Kotkhai. Besides, 10-15 per cent fruit dropped premature in May and June which was called June droppings, they added.

Farmers said the apple crop ranged from normal to heavy in the apple belt of Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Chamba this time. The initial estimate was that the crop might cross the production level of 2010, but the fruit size and June droppings had spoiled the estimates, they added.

The fruit size is bound to be smaller as the apple belt had not experienced a “climatic suitability” needed for the good fruit size this time, said Dr Vijay Thakur, a senior fruit scientist at the Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry.

The fruit size would increase a bit as farmers had about one month to go when the season would peak by mid-August, but the ideal temperature should not exceed 28 degree this time for the fruit size to develop, Dr Thakur added.

Mandi, July 12
Three illegal structures were demolished by the Mandi Municipal Council (MC) in the Jail Road locality as the owners had failed to remove these within a six-hour notice issued to them by the council.

The MC resumed the demolition drive today on the directive of the high court which has sought an affidavit on the removal of encroachments on the government land and illegal structures in the town. There are 571 such houses here which faces the wrath of the high court, revealed insiders.

But the council had identified 10 illegal structures raised on the government land. “We have issued them notices to remove the structures in six hours, but they did not and we demolished three structures and the drive to demolish others is on”, said council president Sushila Sonkhla.

The general house meeting of the 15-member house of the MC held here yesterday to carry out the high court order, but only four councillors, besides the president and the vice-president, turned up for the meeting. A majority of counsellors absented from the meeting.

The high court has fixed the next hearing on July 16. The council meeting had been summoned to file an affidavit on encroachments on the government land and the unauthorized constructions in the town.

The general house meeting was attended by president, Sushila Sonkhla and vice-president Gagan Kashyap and four councillors Urmila Sharma, Bimla Kumari, Simranjit Kaur and Yog Raj.

Nine councillors absented themselves from the general house.

Shimla, July 12
The government will set up a 24-hour apple harvesting monitoring cell along with tracking of trucks through Global Positioning System (GIS) to check thefts and monitoring of trucks.

This was stated by Irrigation and Public Health and Horticulture Minister Vidya Stokes, while presiding over a high-level meeting, held here today for making proper arrangements in the apple season. She said all complaints and problems received in the cell in the Horticulture Directorate would be submitted directly to the Horticulture Minister and Additional Chief Secretary, Horticulture, Vineet Chaudhary so that they were addressed promptly.

Stokes said the Horticulture Department had estimated a production of about 3.5 crore apple boxes this year. “Out of this, the total apple production estimated to be about 7.65 lakh metric tonne, 6.89 lakh metric tonne will be marketed out of the state,” she remarked. She said 76,591 trucks were likely to be engaged for transportation of apple for which proper arrangements had been made by the government.

She said 260 apple procurement centres could be set up in the apple growing areas, out of which 175 centres would start functioning from July 22.

“The horticulture sector is vital for the economy which generates more than Rs 3,200 crore annual income and all possible steps are being taken to make proper arrangements,” she said.

She said the Police Department had been asked to make fool-proof arrangements for the registration of purchasers and commission agents.

The minister asked the PWD to undertake maintenance of roads for smooth transportation of the produce. She said apple produce of Rohru could be transported via Sungari and Tikkar to decongest traffic rush on the Hatkoti road and similarly traffic pressure on the Theog road could be reduced by utilising the Chhaila-Oachhghat road.

Panchkula, July 12
The Central Forensic State Laboratory (CFSL) has recovered messages and images deleted from Jyoti’s mobile phone. The Panchkula police will produce the recovered SMSes and images as evidence against Doon MLA Ram Kumar Chaudhary in the court.

The accused had deleted SMSes, images and video clips from Jyoti’s mobile phone after allegedly killing her.

“Since the mobile phone was being used by Jyoti since 2010 and both Chaudhary and the victim were in constant touch with each other, the recovered messages and images will help in nailing the accused,” said a senior police official.

“We have received a communiqué from the CFSL, Chandigarh, about the recovered proofs. These will be producing in the court,” said the official.

The police is now waiting for the CCTV camera footage of a nursing home in Sector 20, Chandigarh, where Chaudhary had reportedly gone with Jyoti to get her abortion done. The CCTV footage was later deleted. The CCTV system has been sent to the Central Forensic State Laboratory at Madhuban.

Police sources said the CCTV camera recordings were sent to the laboratory as it was suspected that some footage might had been deleted which could show Chaudhary and Jyoti visit at the nursing home.

Meanwhile, the court will decide on Chaudhary’s bail application July 22.

Jyoti was found murdered on a road in Sector 21, Panchkula, on November 22, 2012.

Nurpur, July 12
The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) today restored power supply to streetlights of Nurpur town being maintained by the Municipal Council (MC) in nine wards.

The sudden disconnection of power supply by the local authorities of the board alone in this MC in Kangra district due to its old liability of power bills of Rs 65 lakh on Monday had sparked off strong resentment among residents and elected councilors of the MC.

The MC even convened an emergency meeting in the presence of local MLA Ajay Mahajan and expressed its resentment against sudden disconnection of power supply plunging the town into darkness whereas others MCs in other districts of the state had also owed crores of rupees to the HPSEB against outstanding power bills. It also passed a resolution urging the state government to restore power supply in the town. The local MLA and MC’s former president RK Mahajan also discussed this issue with the Chief Minister at their own level.

Meanwhile, the state government reportedly bailed out the MC by releasing Rs 62 lakh to the HPSEB against its old liability. In this connection SK Sharma, executive engineer of the HPSEB has confirmed that he had received an official communiqué from the higher ups to restore power supply to the MC from today.

He said the state Urban Development Department had deposited a sum of Rs 62 lakh to the HPSEB against the MC’s total liability to the tune of Rs 65 lakh and the state high court also ordered today to restore power supply to the streetlights of Nurpur.

Kangra, July 12
A 24-year housewife Sapna, resident of Manoh village in the Jogindernagar police station, who was admitted to Tanda hospital on July 5 with 80 per cent burns, succumbed to her injuries last evening, the police said here today.

The police said the woman with burn injuries was referred from Jogindernagar and was under treatment in Dr RP Govt Medical College at Tanda. The father of the victim lodged a complaint with the police that she was married to Naveen Kumar of Manoh and, after her marriage, she was being tortured for dowry. The police has registered a case and the investigation was in progress.

Palampur, July 12
Residents of Sungal, Dharaman, Pariarkhar and Alihal villages of Palampur today lodged a protest against the frequent power failures in the area. They alleged that despite repeated complaints, none bothered to streamline the power supply.

Villagers alleged that most of the equipment installed by Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited in the area such as transformers, conductors and switch boxes had already lived their life.

KG Butail, a consumer from Sungal village, who also runs a small unit, told mediapersons that he had made complaints at Baijnath for the replacement of old and outdated equipment but all in vain. He said matter was brought to the notice of the local MLA.

Butail alleged that HPPCL had also installed transmission wires at low height in the fields which had become a death trap but HP PCL was unconcerned with the situation and no efforts were made to shift the lines.

A senior officer of HP PCL admitted that most of the equipment needed immediate replacement but because of shortage of funds, maintenance and repair works of power lines were delayed.

Dharamsala, July 12
Minister for Technical Education GS Bali said today that he would not relax the compulsory JEE or state-level tests as mandatory condition for taking admissions in engineering and diploma colleges in the state.

Bali said the decision against allowing admissions without entrance test had been taken by the Cabinet. "I cannot relax the condition as it will compromise with the quality of students in the colleges," he said. However, there is no such condition on admissions in technical colleges located in Punjab.

A chairman of a private institute said the damage had already been done. Private technical colleges in Punjab had already attracted most of the students from Himachal who wanted to take admissions in technical colleges. A few students who had been enrolled by them would also leave if the state government would not relax the condition of entrance test.

Most of the colleges had enrolled the students with an expectation that the state government would relax the condition sooner or later.

Sources in private technical colleges told The Tribune that about 80 per cent of the students had not appeared in any entrance test.

The sources said chairmen of various private technical colleges had met Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and urged him to intervene in the matter and get the mandatory condition of entrance test relaxed.

Bilaspur, July 12
Led by family members of victim Pawan Kumar of Dabhat village in Naina Deviji, who was electrocuted, some villagers met Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Pradip Thakur and presented him a memorandum holding the HP Power Board carelessness responsible for the accidental death of the youth on July 5.

They alleged that electricity department personnel had left wires naked which were touching iron shutter of a shop.

As soon as Pawan Kumar touched the shutter of his shop, he was electrocuted. They demanded immediate action against the employees responsible and also compensation to the family from power board. They also said the police had neither done any inquiry nor taken any action in this matter.

The ADM had assured them in this regard.

Kangra, July 12
The Students Federation of India (SFI), here today, lambasted the UPA government at the Centre and Congress Government in Kerala, for attempting to crush the democratic agitation in Delhi and Kerala.

They demanded resignation of the Kerala Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, for being involved allegedly in the solar panel scam.

Vishal Deep, member, state secretariat said attempt to crush a peaceful and democratic protest organised by SFI in Delhi by the UPA government was deplorable. He condemned the arrest of the national president of the SFI, Shivdasan and other members.

Deep also denounced the brutal lathi charge by the police on the SFI demonstrators at Thiruvananthapuram.

He warned, if the SFI leaders were not released by the Delhi and the Kerala police unconditionally, SFI would be forced to launch a nation wide agitation and set the effigies of the Prime Minister on fire.

The scam, pertaining to the fraudulent deals, has brought the office of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy under a cloud with the arrest of one of his aides and removal of two others from the Chief Minister’s Office, he said.