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| Monday, March 13, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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NJPC: HP ‘loses’ control |
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| Shivaratri mela concludes MANDI, March 12 — The week-long Shivaratri mela concluded here today. Thakur Gulab Singh, Speaker, Himachal Vidhan Sabha, performed the traditional prayer. Auction of liquor vends yields Rs 10 cr HAMIRPUR, March 12 — There has been an increase of 20.19% in the revenue of Excise and Taxation Department of Himachal Pradesh with the auction of 87 liquor vends in Hamirpur district today. 17 kiosks gutted SHIMLA, March 12 — As many as 17 kiosks were gutted in a devastating fire at Nankhari in Rampur subdivision of the district last night. The total loss has been estimated at Rs 7 lakh. 
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NJPC: HP
‘loses’ control SHIMLA, March 12 — The Himachal Government’s efforts to have effective control over the management of the Nathpa Jhakri Power Corporation (NJPC) have suffered a setback with the appointment of an officer from the National Hydel Power Corporation as Director (Civil). The state government, which does not have any full-time director in the corporation, has been trying to get one of its officers appointed to the key post. It has been pleading with the Centre that since the NJPC was a joint venture, the state should have an effective role in managing the affairs of the corporation. However, the Ministry of Personnel and Training seems to have turned down its plea. The Public Sector Enterprises Selection Board is learnt to have selected Mr Appa Rao, Executive Director (Civil) of the NJPC, for the post. The Himachal Government has been unhappy over the slow pace of work in the Rs 8000-crore project which had already fallen behind schedule by over three years. It wanted that at least two of the total five full-time directors of the corporation should be from the state. So that it could exercise effective control on the day-to-day functioning of the project. Besides, the Post of Director (Civil), it has also been making efforts to get an officer from the state appointed as Director (Personnel). The present incumbent to the post, Mr O.P. Sharma, completed his term on November 30. The state government even sent a panel of three IAS officers to be considered for appointment against the post. However, the Public Sector Enterprises Board has recently notified the vacancy and started the process for filling the post. With this the possibility of an officer from the state being appointed as Director (Personnel) had further declined as under the rules the post is filled on regular basis for a five-year term and not by deputation. Mr O.P. Sharma is likely to be given extension until June when he completes 60 years and by that time a new incumbent would be selected. In the meantime a new post of General Manager (Personnel) has been created in the corporation and Mr Kailash Gupta, an officer from National Aluminuim Company Limited, has been appointed. Mr A.K. Goswami, Chief Secretary, said that the state would again take up the matter with Centre and try its best to secure the post of Director (Personnel). He said the NJPC was not a Central Government undertaking like the NHPC or NTPC, but it was joint venture in which the Himachal Government had 25 per cent equity share and thus state’s demand for posts of two directors was justified. It would plead to the Centre to take an officer from the state on deputation to the post of Director (Personnel). It may be recalled that since the retirement of Mr H.C. Bhardwaj, the first full-time chairman of the corporation, in June, 1995, no officer from the state has found a place in the management. Besides, five fulltime directors, there are also an equal number of part-time directors, which include the Chief Secretary and the Finance Secretary to the Himachal Government. They, however, do not have direct role in the execution of the project. Despite being a joint
venture, Himachal has little say in the affairs of the
corporation. The project was transferred to the
corporation in 1991 but it took over six years to shift
the headquarters from Delhi to Shimla. Even now the
corporation has been mostly functioning from Delhi and
this is one of the reasons for the slow pace work, senior
officers of the government point out. |
Steps to
strengthen HP health network CHAMBA, March 12 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has taken steps to strengthen health network in the state and a number of recruitments of paramedical staff have been made during this year in this connection. Addressing mediapersons at Sarol, about 10 km from here, Mr J.P. Nadda, Himachal Health Minister, said 250 nurses, 150 multipurpose health workers, 50 laboratory technicians and 25 radiographers had been recruited this year and were being being imparted training. He said as many as 150 female health workers were also being recruited besides ophthalmic assistant. Out of 350 vacant posts of doctors, 221 have so far been filled up, he said. He said in order to improve manpower situation in medical institutions in the state 50 ayurvedic doctors had been integrated and added that Himachal was the only state in the country where ayurvedic doctors had been integrated in various ongoing national health programmes. The Minister said 677 ayurvedic institutions in the state had been entrusted with the task of national health programmes to enable people to derive optimum health benefits from the programmes. The state government was seriously monitoring the progress of these national health programmes, the minister added. Mr Nadda said the state government had formulated an essential drug policy in order to provide better medicines to the patients and that the state government would spend Rs 9 crore on the essential medicines and equipment required for health institutions during this year. He said Rs 28 crore had been spent so far on the construction of Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda (Kangra district), which too would be a focal point for the training of the paramedical staff. He said the state government had also accorded recognition to private medical colleges like Bhojia Medical College, Nalagarh, DAV Dental College, Solan and Sundernagar Dental College. Earlier, the minister
inaugurated a in lift the district hospital installed at
the cost of Rs 17 lakh and also inspected wards in the
hospital. He was accompanied by the state Ayurveda
Minister, Mr Mohan Lal and a BJP leader, Mrs Renu Chadha.
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Quarries
auctioned in fragile zone CHAMBA, March 12 — The Himachal Pradesh Mining Department auctioned 10 slate quarries on lease at different vulnerable points in Chamba district last week. The forest and revenue land is involved in these quarries and the department did not obtain any no objection certificate (NOC) from the forest and revenue departments as well as the panchayats. The authorities concerned also failed to take cognisance of the prevailing situation which has led to a bitter controversy over the issue. The large scale quarrying of slate at different places in Chamba district, specially on the Chamba-Bharmour highway has posed a threat to the highway along the left bank of the Ravi. Even a small spell of rain in this fragile region causes the debris to slide down the hills thereby blocking the highway, eroding green forests, damaging cultivable land and villages in the countryside. Consequently, the highway is becoming precarious. Mining and quarrying for slate in Chamba hills has continued unabated for a long time. Geologists working with the ecology and hydroelectric power projects and those absorbed in the study and research of the ecology of the Chamba area, however, view it as a threat to ecology and hydel projects. Despite the exploitation of hills in the catchment area of the Ravi and other rivulets of the region by reckless extraction, one cannot deny the fact that slate is required by the local population for constructing roofs of houses. Yet environmentalists think that the ordinary tin roof can easily serve the purpose thereby protecting the ecology of the hill zone. They say the destruction wrought by slate quarrying is visible to all. But no attempt to divert the trend of slate quarrying and use of slate by local people has been made by the government and voluntary organisations. According to official sources, the major quarries auctioned, included Darbi, Bantroo, Sajot, Chaura Gharat, Mauja Bhadod, Khadak, Khohra, Sunara. These quarries fall in Gehra, Trilochan Mahadev, Kupwara, Tur in Chamba tehsil and some in Churah and Bhattiyat tehsils of the district. The quality of slate being extracted from Sajot quarry in Chamba tehsil is good and the state government gets an annual revenue of about Rs 12 lakh from the auction of slate quarries in Chamba district. The forest officials claim that slate quarries are not being allowed to expand and the state government is also not allowing any quarry to be auctioned without obtaining a no objection certificate otherwise, it is a violation of the Forest Conservation Act. In order to preserve the ecology of the region there is an urgent need to launch an intensive catchment treatment project well integrating with the afforestation schemes.
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Mass
protest against brick-kiln NALAGARH: The proposed construction of a brick-kiln in Chakkan village coming under Nalagarh subdivision of Solan district has emerged as a matter of sharp controversy even before its emergence. The people of the surrounding villages have started waging a joint war against the construction of this brick-kiln and the workers of a nearby factory in existence for several years also seem to be scared of the proposed construction. It is worthwhile to mention that the rapid increase in the number of brick-kilns coming up in this locality is becoming a matter of grave concern for the public of this area as it has become a health hazard for them, besides posing a serious threat to the environment due to a manifold increase in the pollution level. The authorities concerned are turning a deaf ear to the long-standing demand of the public to stop the construction of more brick-kilns in these area. On the contrary, brick-kiln owners are busy in erecting new structures without observing the legal provision. The district leaders of the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) unit alleged that the construction of brick-kiln is being done in contravention of the bylaws of the pollution control board. The rules and regulations set by the state government were also being violated by the kiln owner. On the other hand, the owners of the brick-kiln said the brick-kiln was being established after fulfilling all formalities prescribed by the state government and pollution board. They had received no objection certificates from all the parties concerned like the Pollution Control Board and Health and Industries Departments. They pointed out that an industrial unit was functioning at a distance of less than 300 metres from this construction which would adversely affect the health of the workers employed at the unit. Those residing in the nearby Housing Board Colony were also against the construction of this brick kiln. The Housing Board Residents Welfare Association and the BMS have sent a joint letter to the Chief Minister, requesting him to intervene to get construction stopped. A local social worker has also threatened legal recourse in case this move is not stopped because his orchard located in the area that would be affected by it. He clarified that as per the existing legal provisions, the chimney of any such brick-kiln must be at least 500 metres from the residential area whereas the proposed construction was hardly 300 metres from houses. It is noteworthy that in
view of complaints from the residents of the area, the
Member-Secretary of the H P State Pollution Control Board
has directed the brick-kiln owners that no further work
on the brick-kiln is done, but construction work is in
full swing. |
‘No
new schools, colleges in next academic
year’ HAMIRPUR, March 12 — The Himachal Pradesh Government will not open any new educational institution in the state during the next academic year as it is committed to strengthening the existing institutions, Mr Ishwar Dass Dhiman, Education Minister, said here yesterday. Mr Dhiman, who was presiding over the annual prize distribution function of Government Postgraduate College, said he had suggested this to the Chief Minister at the time of the preparation of the Budget. He, however, clarified that in case of need the government could open any institution on the basis of merit. Mr Dhiman expressed concern over the copying problem in schools and colleges. He sought the cooperation of the people and teachers to end the menace which was harming the careers of hard-working and deserving students. He announced the introduction of MA classes in either history or Hindi in the college from the next academic session He inaugurated a part of the science block of the college. The block is being constructed by the parent-teacher association.
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Regimental
Day celebrated SOLAN, March 12 — The Regimental Day of 4 Gurkha Rifles at celebrated was 14 Gurkha Training Centre (GTC) in Subathu, 20 km from here, yesterday. Speaking on the occasion, Brig Kamal Sood, Commandant 14 GTC, commended the Gurkha soldier’s devotion towards duty. Brig Sood said the 4 Gurkha Rifles had brought laurels to the Indian Army during the World War II and at various wars fought after India attained freedom. He said the Central Government had sanctioned Rs 1.15 crore to 14 GTC for providing financial assistance to the next of kin of those killed or wounded during action. A first instalment of Rs 73.5 lakh had already been received, he added. The Central Government had directed that Rs 50,000 be given to the kin of those who laid down their life between January 1, 1962 to April 30, 1999. A relief of Rs 1 lakh by way of Board pensions’ had been fixed for those wounded between August 15, 1947, and April 30, 1999. The Commandant gave away financial assistance to eight kin of the martyrs. He announced that a similar aid would be given to eligible Gurkha ex-servicemen or the next of kin of those killed in action, presently residing in Nepal, through the Indian Embassy. He said the Army had
recently provided lodging facilities for the attendants
of sick soldiers getting treatment at the Command
Hospital in Chandimandir. |
Shivaratri
mela concludes MANDI, March 12 — The week-long Shivaratri mela concluded here today. Thakur Gulab Singh, Speaker, Himachal Vidhan Sabha, performed the traditional prayer. Idols of hill gods and goddesses which had been brought to the fair from far off places were gathered in the Chauhata Bazar. The concluding shobha yatra marched to the sprawling Padal Ground, the venue of the fair. Thousands of people, including hill deities, contingents of police, Home Guards and NCC cadets wearing coloured turbans participated in the shobha yatra braving bad weather. Thakur Gulab Singh gave away prizes on the occasion.
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Auction of
liquor vends yields Rs 10 cr HAMIRPUR, March 12 — There has been an increase of 20.19% in the revenue of Excise and Taxation Department of Himachal Pradesh with the auction of 87 liquor vends in Hamirpur district today. Mrs Anuradha Thakur, Deputy Commissioner, Hamirpur, presided over the auction proceedings. An official spokesman said all 87 liquor vends fetched a revenue of Rs 10.12 crore as against Rs 8.42 crore last year. He said seven English wine shops would be closed next year. Those selling country liquor would be eligible to sell English wine starting the next fiscal year.
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17 kiosks
gutted SHIMLA, March 12 — As many as 17 kiosks were gutted in a devastating fire at Nankhari in Rampur subdivision of the district last night. The total loss has been estimated at Rs 7 lakh. Mr P.C. Katoch, Deputy Commissioner, rushed to the spot along with a police party to supervise the firefighting operation. The Subdivisional
Magistrate, Rampur, provided immediate relief to the
victims as per the provisions of relief manual. |
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