Shimla, November 6
The World Bank has agreed to fund the second phase of the state road project, but with certain conditions, including an independent setup for its implementation in a time-bound manner.

The state has already held discussions on the issue with the World Bank which wants the government to strengthen the Himachal Pradesh Road and Other Infrastructure Development Corporation (HPRIDC), the implementing agency, and grant autonomy to it to help expedite the process of decision making.

The World Bank has come out with a set of conditions keeping in view problems being faced in the implementation of the first phase of the projects, which led to a huge time and cost over-runs. Consequently, the completion schedule had to be extended by three years from December 2013 to 2016 and the cost of the project was revised from Rs 1,365 crore to Rs 1,802 crore.

A team of the World Bank will visit the state next week to inspect the road upgrade works being carried out under the first phase of the project and hold discussions for the second phase of the project.

“The World Bank is keen on having an independent set up for expeditious implementation of the project by strengthening and ensuring functional autonomy to the HPRIDC to facilitate prompt decision making by its Board of Directors. The issue will be discussed threadbare with its team and there after the government will take a call,” said Narinder Chauhan, Principal Secretary, PWD.

At present the HPRIDC does not have a regular staff and the entire technical manpower has been taken on deputation from the Public Works Department and most of the other staff is also on deputation. Its functioning is affected due to frequent transfers. In Punjab, the Chief Minister is the Chairman of the Infrastructure Development Board, whereas the HPRIDC is headed by the Chief Secretary.

The World Bank also wants the state to have long-term plan for the improvement of road infrastructure in the state and take up upgrade of a few roads at a time to ensure its timely completion. Further, it has also wants mandatory safety audit and introduction of performance-based contract system and maintenance contract for the upkeep of roads, which the bank finds essential for improving the quality of work.

Although the proposal for the second phase of the project will be given shape only after conducting strategic option studies for selecting roads for upgrade, the state tentatively plans to take up about 650 km of important roads for upgrade and another 1,500 km for periodic renewal in the second phase of the project. 

Shimla, November 6
Terming the “outcry of vendetta” raised by the BJP over the action initiated against the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) as a political ploy to pressurise the investigating agencies, Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said the government was duty bound to take cognisance where organisations were violating rules and working contrary to law.

In a statement here today, he said the affairs of the HPCA had been in a controversy for quite some time and there were numerous complaints against its functioning from various quarters, which were being looked into independently by various agencies.

The positioning of the BJP with the HPCA in the matter was on expected lines since party interest was dearer to them than the public interest, which had been totally ignored by its government while doling out benefits to the HPCA, he alleged.

The government was determined to ensure that public assets and facilities provided by it for the promotion of sports were equitably available and accessible to all the people and were not monopolised or misused for mean motives. It also wanted to ensure that sports bodies did not become preserve or private property of any 
individual or their vested interests, he said.

The minister said the charge of political vendetta by the BJP was to detract the investigating agencies which were looking into various irregularities committed during the previous government.

Agnihotri said the government was committed to promote sports activities in the state and maintain the true spirit and sanctity of sports. It would ensure that all the sports were being equally promoted and requisite infrastructure and other facilities being provided throughout the state. The government did not believe in interfering in the affairs of various sports organisations, however, it was its duty to ensure that they functioned in a fair and democratic manner and for the bona fide purpose of promoting sport, he said.

Bharmour, October 6
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh from Shimla today telephonically announced the laying of foundation stones of various projects worth Rs 9 crore for the Bharmour and Holi mountainous tribal terrains of Chamba district.

These projects included a bridge across the Ravi on the Tiyari road in the Holi tribal area to be constructed at a cost of Rs 2 crore, the Rs 2.39-crore Holi Jabal sewerage scheme, the Rs 1.10-crore Sutkar-Banaun-Holi drinking water augmentation scheme, the foundation stone of the Bharmour Community Health Centre to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1.98 crore and an alternate Helipad to be constructed at a notional cost of Rs 1.38 crore.

The Chief Minister’s tour to tribal areas of Chamba district was cancelled this morning due to inclement weather.

In his message to people of the area over the telephone, Virbhadra Singh said the state government had given priority for the development of tribal and far-flung areas of the state and sufficient funds would be made available for various works in these areas.

The Chief Minister said he was keen to perform the foundation stone-laying ceremonies of various projects in the area himself, but due to bad weather it could not be possible. The Chief Minister forwarded his message through the mobile phone of Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri.

The Chief Minister said keeping in view the limited working season, he had performed the foundation stone-laying ceremony of various projects through telephone so that the construction work could be started in time and people could be benefited. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said he had directed all the officers concerned to complete these projects in a time-bound manner.

Shimla, November 6
With over 4.6 per cent increase in electricity generation from its flagship 1,500-MW Nathpa Jhakri Hydro Power Station, the profit of the public sector Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam has registered an increase of 8.05 per cent during the first half of 2013-14.

The net profit of the company increased to Rs 758.87 crore from Rs 702.30 crore earned in the corresponding period of the last financial year. While the company's total revenue increased from Rs 1,110.69 crore to Rs 1,174.10 crore, the profit before tax (PBT) also grew 9.07 per cent, from Rs 851.90 crore to Rs 929.19 crore. Resultantly, the company's earnings per share (EPS) during the half-year ending September 2013 has increased from Rs 1.70 to Rs. 1.83.

The financial results of the company were declared at a meeting of the Board of Directors held in New Delhi today.

During the period from April to September 2013, the Nathpa Jhakri Project generated 5,494 million units of electricity, 4.6 per cent more than the 5,250 million units achieved during the corresponding period the last year.

In an MoU signed with the Union Ministry of Power, a target of generating 6,875 million units of electricity has been set for the financial year 2013-14. The project has already generated 6,058 million units and the plant availability factor (PAF) of the power station during the six-month period has also improved from 106.65 per cent to 107.88 per cent.

The SJVN has already taken over the Buxar Bijlee Company for setting up of Green Field 1,320 MW (2 x 660 MW) Supercritical Technology Thermal Power Project in Bihar. It has also incorporated a subsidiary company titled M/s SJVN Thermal Private Limited for the execution of the project. It has also been allocated 486 million tonne of coal reserves in the 2012 million tonne Deocha-Pachami Coal Block in West Bengal for the project.

The company's 412-MW Rampur hydroelectric project is scheduled to be commissioned during the current financial year and its 47.6-MW Khirvire Wind Power Project in Maharashtra is also ready for commissioning. 

Shimla, November 6
APG University today clarified that it had no plans to start an LLM course in the current session and that the advertisement published regarding entrance test to be held on November 10 was not meant for admission to the course.

Rajan Sehgal, Registrar of the university, said the confusion had been created by an advertisement for the entrance examination, which was meant for the next session. It had no intention to start courses without an approval from the competent authorities as alleged by the CPM.He said the university had already published a corrigendum making it clear that the entrance test was for 2014-15 session and it would be started after taking all the mandatory approvals from the competent authorities. — TNS

Solan, November 6
In a bid to ensure speedy economic growth of the state, global consultant Grant Thornton has recommended adaptation of a cluster development approach for implementing the Centrally-sponsored National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP) in the state.

Since there is a preponderance of small-scale firms where growth is constrained by limited access to resources and inability to achieve economies of scale and scope, Grant Thornton has put forth these recommendations in its diagnostic report for the food processing sector in the state which will form the basis of implementing the NMFP.

Various fruits like apple, orange, pear, sea-buckthorn, plum, kiwi and vegetables like peas, tomato, mushroom, capsicum, ginger and garlic and foodgrains like wheat, barley and maize have been identified to be grown in clusters in various districts where they are grown in abundance in the state.

The report has also recommended the need to enhance raw material availability and facilitate ease of procurement by food processors. Concern has been voiced over the rising monkey menace, which is causing a huge loss to farmers and need to develop strategies to reduce the menace has been stressed.

Developing early maturing and disease, insect, pest-resistant hybrid varieties and their rapid assimilation among farmers through robust extension services is another key recommendation of the report. Faced with challenges like rapid depletion of soil fertility, erratic and changing weather, climatic conditions and increasing competition from cheaper imports, there have been instances where other states like Haryana and Punjab have gained advantage over Himachal in the production of crops like mushrooms, off-season vegetables and seed potato due to adoption of modern technologies.

The report has, therefore, stressed the need to set up food processing value chains in various key sectors like pre-harvest and post-harvest management, logistics, transportation and food supply chain development. Promoting processing and production in segments like dairy provide a good alternate source of income to farmers as the sector is bereft of the vagaries and fluctuations in agriculture.

The food market in the state is estimated at Rs 86 billion in 2012 and it is expected to grow to Rs 363 billion in 2023. Of this, the packaged food is estimated to grow to a size of Rs 60 billion by 2023 at the minimum. A supermarket, which will act as a bridge between the farmer and the processor should be set up in each district to improve the economic vitality of the farmer.

Crop diversification through selective high value crop will help generate incomes, employment and alleviate poverty among small and marginal households, while ameliorating stress on natural resource base.

Hamirpur, November 6
An Army recruitment rally will be organised from December 3 to 11 at Polytechnic College ground, Badu, Hamirpur.

Giving this information here yesterday, Army recruitment director Col SP Mathur said candidates born between December 3, 1992, and June 2, 1996, were eligible for recruitment at the rally.

He said candidates from Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur would be entertained on December 3, 4 and 5, respectively, besides a few other category candidates.

The applicants from Una district of all the sections, wards of serving and ex-servicemen, NCC certificate holders and sportsmen for clerk storekeeper would be recruited on December 6, candidates of these categories from Bilaspur and Hamirpur would be recruited on December 7 and 8, respectively. Medicals of all the candidates would be held on December 10 and 11, he added. 

Nurpur, November 6
Rakesh Pathania, former MLA of Nurpur, where the BJP had lost its security deposits consecutively during the past two Assembly elections by denying party ticket to him organised his workers’ sammelan at his native Lodorri village, near here, last night. He said his support to any political party’s candidate in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections would be decided by his workers who were the real BJP cadre. The sammelan was attended by a large number of Pathania’s supporters from every polling booth of Nurpur Assembly segment and elected representatives of local panchayati raj institutions. He said he would launch a membership drive to form a "Narendra Modi Fans Club" from November 15 and aimed to enroll around 30,000 members within the next two months.

Baldev Pathania and Vinod Sharma, former presidents of Nurpur BJP Mandal, and other senior workers expressed their grouse against the BJP leadership in the state and alleged that it was not serious for the coming Lok Sabha elections as it had politically ignored mass base leaders in the last two Assembly elections and now was again repeating this blunder before the Lok Sabha polls. They claimed that a political party was not formed by leaders, but by masses and party cadre. They lamented that leaders who even could not ensure a lead in their respective polling booths and gram panchayats during the past two Assembly elections in this area had been appointed on top posts in the state BJP organisation by its leadership. And leaders having a mass base and strong cadre were kept away from the party due political reasons best known to it.

Meanwhile, Pathania assured in the sammelan that his entry in the BJP would not be at the cost of his personal cadre.

Dharamsala, November 6
Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) officials got back the possession of the international cricket stadium at Dharamsala from the Kangra district administration as per the orders of the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

Paul Rasu, Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, handed over the possession of the stadium to Sanjay Sharma, spokesperson of the HPCA, this evening. Sources said after the High Court order, the HPCA officials approached the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, for getting the possession of the stadium. However, the Deputy Commissioner asked them to provide a hard copy of the court order.

The HPCA spokesperson said they had handed over the copy of the court orders to the Deputy Commissioner at 3 pm. “However, there was unnecessary delay on the part of the district administration in handing over the possession to us,” he said.

He said, “Tomorrow we will compare the list of our properties inside the stadium and Pavillion hotel with the list available with the coordinator appointed by the state government at the time of the possession. After the list is compared, only then we will be able to say that the entire properties of the HPCA stadium and the hotel are intact,” he said.

He opened the lock of the cricket stadium in the presence of the HPCA members. He said though they had got the possession orders of the Pavillion hotel also, it would be taken over tomorrow.

“We will plead with the BCCI to shift back Ranji matches that were shifted from Himachal after the state government took over the international cricket stadium,” he said.

The staff of Aveda hotel and ground staff of the HPCA were allowed entry into the stadium by the police there. However, it was only late in the evening that the HPCA was handed over the possession of the property by the district administration.

The properties of the HPCA, including the international cricket stadium at Dharamsala and Pavillion hotel, were taken over by the district administration on October 27 after the decision of the Himachal Cabinet to cancel all the lease of land given to the cricket body.

The government had appointed Deputy Director, Sports, as the coordinator for managing the properties of the HPCA.

Hamirpur, November 6
Reservations at the Northern Railway reservation counter of the Hamirpur bus stand remained disrupted today due to an incessant water leak from the roof of the centre.

The leak, which had started last night, continued throughout the day as a result of which computer and other equipment installed at the counter could not be used. The booking staff was busy cleaning water and drying up equipment.

A large number of reservation seekers had to wait for several hours till another computer was brought to the counter.

Uttam Singh, a senior citizen, said, "I came here at the time of the opening of the booking counter and I am still waiting for reservation to resume".

The leak from the roof of the reservation counter is not new and this matter has been taken up with the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) authorities several times in the past.

The HRTC authorities had got the roof repaired sometime back, but the leakage started again.

Pradeep Sharma, Regional Manager, HRTC, said, "The incident of water leak has been brought to my notice and I have asked the bus stand in charge to take immediate steps to plug the leak".

Chamba, November 6
The Senior Citizens Sports Club, Chamba, will be playing a goodwill cricket match against Senior Citizens of Solan on November 10. The Chamba team will leave for Solan on November 7.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Major SC Nayyar, convener of the Chamba club, said, “The aim of these cricket matches is to reinforce the bond of affection and fraternity that will rejuvenate the vanishing physical, mental and spiritual health of the elderly. These goodwill cricket matches will also go a long way in reviving the old traditions”.

“It is evident from the annals of the erstwhile hilly states that Chamba, Mandi, Suket and Kullu used to play friendly matches in their states. For this purpose, the ‘rajas’ had developed pitches known as Chowgan”, Major Nayyar revealed.

Major Nayyar said the Senior Citizens Sports Club, Chamba, had been organising goodwill cricket matches for senior citizens of Himachal Pradesh since 2008. Earlier, such matches were organised against Mandi, Suket, Nahan, and Kullu in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively, and again at Mandi in 2012, Major Nayyar added.

The match between senior citizens of Chamba and Solan would be played day and night under the floodlights for the first time, Major Nayyar further said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner, Chamba, Kadam Sandeep Vasant has conveyed his good wishes to the Chamba veterans cricket team.

Bilaspur, November 6
Himachal Transport and Civil Supplies Minister GS Bali visited the HRTC bus stand at Ghumarwin, near here, yesterday and took stock of the difficulties being experienced by passengers at this very busy station.

Accompanied by Chief Parliamentary Secretary and local MLA Rajesh Dharmani, who had earlier approached him for looking into the problems at this bus stand, Bali went all around the bus stand and also talked to passengers, staff and local traders and others present there.

Dharmani said apart from its repairs, the bus stand had become congested and required to be expanded. Separate incoming and outgoing link roads had to be provided to cope with traffic jams. Also, proper lavatories and sitting and resting arrangements for passengers and crew were a dire necessity.

Bali immediately sanctioned an amount of Rs 25 lakh for immediate repairs and maintenance of the bus stand and said all problems would be solved at the earliest.

Nagar Parishad president Reeta Sehgal, former Nagar Parishad president Sat Pal and members Nisha, Harish Uppal and Amarjeet and BDC member Rakesh Kumar were also present.

Palampur, November 6
A married woman, who was a victim of rape hailing from a nearby village, allegedly committed suicide last night by consuming poison at her in-laws' house.

A senior police officer told mediapersons here today that the victim was kidnapped by a local youth in September last. Later she was taken to Siliguri in West Bengal. A case under Sections 366 and 376 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered at the police station here against the youth identified as Tanu.

He said later in October the police with the help of the mobile location of the accused traced the woman and a police team was sent to Siliguri to recover her. The police also arrested Tanu from Siliguri.

The woman told the police that she had been kept in illegal confinement for more than a month and was repeatedly raped by the accused. Later, the police restored the woman to her parents who sent her to in-laws. Tanu was in judicial custody.

Information gathered by this correspondent revealed that the woman was depressed since the time she was brought by the police to Palampur from Siliguri. On Diwali she refused to perform the religious ceremonies in her house. On Tuesday evening she allegedly consumed poison. She was immediately shifted to the local Civil Hospital where she was declared brought dead.

The victim had also left behind a suicide note in which she had stated that no one was responsible for her death. At the same time the woman's parents had ruled out any foul play in her death and not lodged any complaint at the police station.

The police has taken her body in its possession and sent it to the Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (DRPGMC), Tanda, for postmortem.

Kangra, November 6
Jenifer Guleria of Class X and Droan Guleria of Class VII of DAV Public School, Dehra, have participated in the 10-m open rifle,10-m open pistol and 50-m shooting range competition and bagged three gold and one silver medals, respectively, during a five-day state-level rifle shooting competition which was held at Nahan.

GK Bhatnagar, Principal, Dehra school, today said more than 900 participants from Himachal Pradesh participated in different categories. He said the camp concluded on November 1, last.

Bhatnagar said Jenifer scored three gold medals and got selected for the Pre-National Rifle Shooting competition to be organised in the last week of this month in New Delhi.

Bhatnagar said the two students had brought laurels to the school and its management by winning the medals.

He was joined by the school staff and students in congratulating the duo for their wonderful achievement and wished them to bring more laurels in future too. 

Bilaspur, November 6
Villagers found Suresh Kumar (50) of Badoa village under Hirapur gram panchayat, near here, lying dead on the roadside near Rapaid Hirapur this morning.

Reports said the deceased used to run a clinic at Auhar near his village and seemed to have been struck by some speeding vehicle while returning home late last evening. His body bore serious injuries.

The police has registered a case and handed over the body to his family. — OC