Keylong (Lahaul-Spiti), August 12
The state government has proposed three 400-KV power transmission systems to tap about 3,000 MW from the Chenab river basin in the eco-sensitive Lahaul-Spiti cold desert. However, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and the Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCI) face an uphill task to propose a transmission system that fits the bill for the basin.

The Power Ministry’s task force has proposed three transmission systems: 470-km-long Lahaul-Rohtang Pass-Kullu-Hamipur grid, Lahaul-Killar-Kishtwar system and Lahaul-Hamirpur transmission gas-insulated cable system through a special Rohtang tunnel, said sources.

Initially, HP Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (HPPTCL) had proposed to the Rohtang tunnel project authorities to allow them to put the gas-insulated cable transmission system through the tunnel. But the proposal never reached the authorities that is constructing the 8.86-km-long traffic tunnel, without considering the system, said the sources.

Hydropower experts believe that the Lahaul-Rohtang transmission tunnel system to Hamirpur can be put in place by constructing a special dedicated tunnel for extracting power from Lahaul.

However, the experts warn that the transmission system across the 13,050-ft-high Rohtang Pass was fraught with danger as the high-velocity cyclonic winds prevailing in the pass mainly in winter may damage the transmission system.

Even the power projects allotted to independent power producers in the Chenab basin have miles to go to get environment clearance. Residents are up in arms against the projects like 400-MW Seli project and 300-MW Jispa project. However, the power producers are interested in the new projects as generating 3,000 MW of power will involve an investment of about Rs 30,000 crore, which may go up also.

“It is encouraging to know that the ministry has proposed the transmission system for the Chenab basin, the toughest in the country, as the working season is limited,” said SK Khare, Head, Moser Baer Projects, which has been allotted the two projects in the valley.

The gas-insulated cable transmission system cost 15 to 20 per cent more than the overhead transmission system, but the state corporation had not submitted a proposal to the Rohtang tunnel project authorities so far, the sources said.

“The three proposed transmission systems are under consideration of the CEA and the PGCI. They have to take the final call on this and convey it to us,” said RK Sharma, Director, HPPTCL.

Solan, August 12
Failing to fill even one-fourth of the seats in various courses, private polytechnics and engineering colleges are a worried lot as they feel running the institutes has become unviable.

A delegation of private polytechnics is now planning to meet the Chief Minister to press for some relaxation in the admission norms, which includes allowing filling of polytechnic seats without the mandatory Polytechnic Admission Test (PAT) and lowering the minimum 65 per cent in various subjects as the qualifying norm for admission to various engineering courses.

The state government had earlier made the Joint Engineering Entrance Examination mandatory for BTech admissions. However, this had been resented by the managements of private universities, which feel the number of students taking admissions has reduced drastically as only limited students appear for the national-level exam. They have also pleaded that this has led to students taking admissions in educational institutes of Punjab, thus denying them a fair share of students.

Following their pleas, the Cabinet had earlier granted one-time permission to various private universities and institutes to admit students in various BTech courses on the basis of qualifying exams provided that the candidate secured 65 per cent marks in physics, mathematics and a subject from chemistry, bio-technology, computer science and biology.

The owner of a private polytechnic institute said out of 800 seats for engineering and polytechnics, he had barely managed to fill 72. This had made it difficult for him to run the institute and bear the financial costs for the entire session, he added.

Only 253 seats have been filled in all private polytechnic institutes after a majority of students opted for the government-run colleges in the state. Another polytechnic institute owner said barely 12 seats had been filled in his institute and if the government did not allow filling of seats without the PAT, it would become difficult for him to run it.

RK Abhilashi, who runs a number of institutes, said it was not fair to bind the students by the 65 per cent eligibility criterion as AICTE norms did not have such binding on admissions. 

Palampur, August 12
Dr KK Katoch, Vice-Chancellor, CSK Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University (HPAU), has called upon students to fully utilise facilities for achieving academic excellence. He was addressing the newly admitted students of the constituent colleges, teachers and non-teaching staff of the university here today.

The Vice-Chancellor, while talking about the traditions and track record of the university in academics, exhorted the students to optimally use academic, sports, cultural and other facilities provided by the colleges and the students’ welfare organisations for blooming into fine human beings. He promised to provide them a conducive environment for academic pursuits and overall development. He also spoke on time management, discipline, adjustment etc and advised them to simultaneously prepare for national-level competitive examinations to bring laurels to the university. He said efforts had been initiated to form an alumni association.

Dr Katoch said the university had a ragging-free campus and the tradition would be continued. He advised senior students to provide a congenial atmosphere to new entrants and make them feel comfortable. The Vice-Chancellor said besides strengthening the existing advisory system, a qualified counsellor would be engaged so that students could share their problems with him.

Dr YS Paul, Students Welfare Officer, informed students about the various committees.

Dr GL Bansal, AC Varshney and Relkha Malhotra, Deans of the constituent colleges, also addressed the students.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor held a meeting with members of the HP Agriculture University Teachers’ Association, the Veterinary and Animal Science Teachers’ Association and the HP Agriculture University Non-Teaching Employees Union and discussed programmes for the development of the university. He also told them to take austerity measures and persuade staff to volunteer for outstation transfers at Krishi Vigyan Kendras in the state.

Shimla, August 12
Himachal has suffered massive losses amounting to Rs 2767.48 crore to due to excessive rains during this year's monsoon.

A spokesperson of the state government said here today that 41 persons lost their lives in the state, 23 in Kinnaur, seven in Shimla, three in Sirmour, four in Kangra, one each in Chamba and Hamirpur, while two in Mandi district. Besides, 23,871 animals perished due to excessive rainfall and snowfall.

He said 3,802 houses were fully or partially damaged in various parts of the state due to landslides with overall loss to private property being worth more than Rs 100 crore. More than 4,100 roads in the state had been affected due to rains and floods resulting in a huge loss. The total losses on this account had been assessed at Rs 1,218.71 crore.

The entire stretch of the national highway from Wangtu to Sumdo has been washed out at various stretches. The loss on this account of the road maintained by the BRO is Rs 40 crore.

Heavy loss has been reported to the government infrastructure as well as irrigation schemes in the state. The loss in terms of money has been estimated at Rs 240.63 crore affecting 2,622 schemes, including 84 flood protection schemes.

The state government has assessed damages caused to standing kharif crops affecting 20,573 hectares of land, because of the recent rains, to the tune of Rs 200 crore. There have been losses of Rs 323 crore to horticulture crops with 81,457.5 hectares being affected. The electricity infrastructure has also been severely damaged, especially in Kinnaur and other districts. The total loss of power has been assessed at Rs 455.55 crore.

A lot of community assets in the state like mahila mandal bhawans, community centres, village paths etc have been extensively damaged due to rain resulting in a loss of over Rs 165 crore. A loss to the tune of Rs 5 crore has been estimated to the fisheries sector.

The spokesperson said funds amounting to Rs 129.24 crore had been released for immediate relief to the districts and different departments, including Rs 57.57 crore to Deputy Commissioners and Rs 71.67 crore to various departments.

Nurpur, August 12
Workers of the BJP Nurpur organisational district staged a dharna and held a protest demonstration in front of the SDM's office here today in the wake of party’s "Badla-Badli Virodh Saptah". The demonstration was led by district BJP president Arjun Thakur. Workers from four Nurpur, Jawali, Fatehpur and Indora Assembly segments joined the protest.

Before submitting a memorandum to the Governor through the local SDM, a rally was organised by the BJP activists which was addressed by state BJP spokesperson and former Rajya Sabha MP Kripal Parmar and district BJP president Arjun Singh. They lambasted the Virbhadra Singh government for defaming and framing state leaders of the party in false cases and alleged that it was working in political vendetta against BJP supporters.

In the memorandum the BJP alleged that the state government was victimising dedicated and honest officials and employees in the state and targeting BJP supporters in settling scores. It lamented that the development in the state had come to a standstill, roads were in a bad shape, government fair-price shops were without sugar for the past three months and the government machinery had been indulging in framing BJP leaders and supporters in false cases.

“If the Virbhadra government doesn’t leave its vindictive attitude, the BJP will launch a statewide agitation against its misdeeds, and today's dharna-demonstration of the party is just a beginning,” it threatened. 

Mandi, August 12
The BJP staged a protest rally here today and accused the Congress regime under Virbhadra Singh of targeting BJP workers and employees transferring them time and again on political considerations.

Addressing the rally, Seraj BJP MLA Jai Ram Thakur and Jogindenagar MLA Gulab Singh Thakur alleged that the Congress regime was busy in transferring and implicating BJP men in false cases. The prices of commodities had gone through the roof as corruption in the UPA government at the Centre was at its peak, they alleged.

Gulab Singh charged that the Congress government was wreaking political vendetta while all development works in the state had come to a standstill.

The BJP would hold protests in the state and Delhi as the Congress had failed to bring relief to the common man, BJP leaders added.

Bilaspur, August 12
The state BJP unit has given a call to all its party workers and activists to get ready to face the challenge of Parliamentary elections due next year. The party exhorted its workers to expose “wrong and anti-people” policies of the state and Central Congress governments and propagate what the Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government at the Centre and the Dhumal government in the state had done for the masses.

This was stated by BJP state general secretary and MLA Randhir Sharma, while addressing a largely attended committee meeting of the BJP Ghumarwin Mandal at Nihari, 40 km from here, today. The meeting was presided over by mandal president Narender Thakur. Sharma has also been made in charge of the Hamirpur Parliamentary constituency for the party election. He said workers should also give a befitting reply to “machinations and fabrications” of the Congress government as the top BJP leaders were being dragged and framed into false cases and attempts were being made to tarnish their image for getting political mileage. “Such attempts will never be allowed to succeed. These will be foiled,” he added.

District president Rakesh Gauttam, state executive members Rajender Garga, Vikram Sharma, Ashutosh Sharma, Navin Sharma and Dr Shyam Bihari Sharma, zila parishad members Ganga Devi and Indu Sharma and other leaders Usha Thakur, Krishan Singh Thakur, Sandip Sharma, Chaman Sharma, Vikas Rao, Mahender Pal, Ramzan Mohammed, Mohar Singh Thakur, Rajesh Guleri, Zorawar Singh, Prem Sagar were also present on the occasion. 

Hamirpur, August 12
On the direction of the State Election Commission, Hamirpur district election officer Ashish Singhmar issued a notification today for the revision of the voters list of panchayati raj institutions.

This notification envisages the publication of the voters list, entertaining claims and objections from August 13 to 22, revision officer to take decision on claims and objections from August 23 to 29 and appeals against this decision to be filed within seven days.

Singhmar said the final voters list would be published by September 16. — TNS

Chamba, August 12
Flash floods have caused damage to roads and bridges in the mountainous district of Chamba in the past over one month. The Public Works Department (PWD) has pegged the loss to the tune of Rs 61 crore.

The PWD Superintending Engineer (SE), Dalhousie Circle, said remote areas of Chamba, Sahoo, Salooni and Sihunta had been badly affected by the rains. Roads, bridges and retaining walls had been destroyed by flash floods at various places. At some places, roads had caved in, he added.

Landslides triggered by downpour had hampered interior link roads, thereby disrupting normal life.

The SE, however, said PWD employees were carrying out the restoration of roads so that people did not face any inconvenience and the tourist inflow to the region did not get hampered.

Besides, water supply lines had also been damaged in hilly terrains, causing heavy losses to the department.

Shimla, August 12
Expressing concern over the issue of alleged kidnapping of a minor girl from Kangra district by an Army man, the Himachal Pradesh High Court (HC) has directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to search the girl as well as the soldier and report further progress in the case to this court.

A Division Bench comprising Justice DD Sud and Justice Sanjay Karol passed this order last week on a petition filed by Yadav Chand of Kangra alleging that his minor daughter had been abducted and kidnapped by an Army man Yash Pal Arya of Rewari on January 3 this year. He further alleged that an FIR was lodged by him on the same day, but the police was not performing its statutory duties or taking any action to recover his daughter.

During the course of hearing it was stated by the police authorities that a team was constituted by the police to locate the kidnapper and also the daughter of the petitioner, but no progress could be made despite their best efforts.

In its earlier order, the court had directed the Army authorities to trace Yash, who was a soldier in the Army. During the course of the hearing it was stated by the Army authorities that Yash had been declared a deserter as he had been missing from the unit since December 31 last year.

The court also directed the Army authorities to make all efforts to trace Yash as he was their employee. It also said the petitioner would also submit any information which he might receive about the whereabouts of the missing persons.

Shimla, August 12
Lack of propagation of literary work being undertaken in different languages in various parts of India is resulting in people remaining unaware of it.

Literacy scholars and writers from all over the country today deliberated upon the topic, "Waves in the Silent Pool: Literatures of the Modern Indian Languages" at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) here today.

The participants expressed concern over the visual medium taking precedence over the traditional culture. National Fellow at the IIAS Rajivinder Singh, who was the coordinator for the seminar, stressed the need for proper propagation of literature in various Indian languages so that people in other parts of the country remained updated about these developments.

He emphasised the role that the media could play in effectively disseminating literature in different languages. "The space devoted to literature in newspapers is shrinking and if this trend continues, the day is not far when books will be virtually wiped off the minds of people," he opined.

Referring to it as "short-cut" culture, he lamented that if everything was available on the screen at the click of a mouse, people would unfortunately give up the habit of reading books.

Sitanshu Yashaschandra, poet and former Vice-Chancellor of Saurashtra University, reflected upon the declining emotional quotient in our day-to-day life, which was another reason for literature moving away from people's mind.

Participating in the seminar Rana Nayar from Panjab University said with literature being accorded very little importance in school education, not many had any knowledge or interest in the field.

Hamirpur, August 12
Former Chief Minister PK Dhumal has criticised the state government for allegedly not taking action against the mining mafia engaged in large-scale illegal mining in different parts of the state.

“Illegal mining in many rivers and rivulets is continuing unabated in many parts of the state. The mining mafia is minting money by extracting gravel and sand from the rivers of the state, especially in border areas like Una, Indora and Baddi,” alleged Dhumal in a press note.

Dhumal further alleged that while there was no check on the mafia carrying out illegal mining, the state government was targeting small tractor owners carrying sand and gravel form the rivers to earn their livelihood.

He urged the state government to take immediate steps and stern action against the mining mafia to check illegal mining in the state.

Chamba, August 12
Police officials reportedly seized logs worth Rs 20,000 from Nasrulla’s cowshed at Sonda village of Churah sub-division of the district on Saturday evening. No arrests have been made so far.

A report received here today stated that a police party, led by Sub-Inspector Darshan Singh, got a tip-off that Nasrulla had stolen nine logs of tosh trees from a nearby forest.

A case has been registered at Tissa police station under Section 379, IPC. — OC

Bilaspur, August 12
Devki Devi, wife of Krishnu Ram of Syotta village under Tanbol gram panchayat, was got an electric shock when she accidentally touched a live three-phase electric wire while searching for fuel wood in a nearby forest, 50 km from here, last evening.

She received serious burn injuries on her hands and feet. Devki was reportedly trying to lift a dry wood which had gone wet due to rain. However, she survived the electric shock as she was thrown away some distance. She was rushed to the Suharghat Primary Health Centre, where she is said to be out of danger and recovering.

Village elders said this incident happened because electric wires had not been laid and covered properly.