H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Rites surveying rail line
SHIMLA, Dec 22 — The Rites has been assigned the job of techno-economic survey of the Rs 944 crore proposed broad gauge railway line between Bhanupali and Bilaspur by the Himachal Pradesh Government.

HP to regularise encroachments
SHIMLA, Dec 22 — The Himachal Pradesh Government is formulating a policy to regularise encroachments on over 1.45 lakh bighas. This was announced by the Minister of State for Revenue, Mr Rajan Sushant, while replying to question by Mr Rakesh Pathania (BJP) in the Vidhan Sabha today.

Quarrying worries environmentalists
KASAULI, Dec 22 — The indiscriminate quarrying of clay, stones and sand from the riverbeds, located near the Baddi-Barotiwala industrial belt, about 40 km from here, has created a contention among environmentalists. A voluntary organisation, Save Environment Joint Society, has taken a serious view of the anti-ecological activities which have been continuing in connivance with government agencies.

Division Bench refers compensation case
SHIMLA, Dec 22 — A Divison Bench of the Himachal High Court comprising Ms Justice Kamlesh Sharma and Mr Justice M.R. Verma, has referred the case relating to the payment of interest on compensation to person whose land had been acquired by the state to construct a road near Kunihar in 1968 to a larger bench.

Repatriation of Tibetans: US officials concerned
DHARAMSALA, Dec 22 — The US Coordinator for Tibetan Affairs, Ms Julia Taft, has expressed concern over the reported repatriation of Tibetans by Nepal under Chinese pressure.

• MC’s steps to deal with snow

• Laptops for MLAs in Himachal

Rites surveying rail line
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 22 — The Rites has been assigned the job of techno-economic survey of the Rs 944 crore proposed broad gauge railway line between Bhanupali and Bilaspur by the Himachal Pradesh Government.

This was announced by the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, in the Vidhan Sabha today while replying a question tabled by Mr Ishwar Dass and Mr G.S. Bali (both Cong).

Mr Dhumal said the Railways had made it clear that they would share only 25 per cent of the total cost project and the state government shall have to arrange the remaining 75 per cent cost by equity contribution from the beneficiary industries and market borrowings.

He said a high-level meeting of the Railway Board and the state government was held in May last at which it was decided that the Railways would not contribute to the operating losses which would be made good by the state government, either all by itself or through the beneficiary industries.

He said The Rites had started the survey last month and had been asked to complete it within six months.

As to the financial appraisal of the project, the state government approached the IDBI and the IFCI. However, the IDBI was not in a position to undertake the work. The cost estimates of the IFCI for the financial appraisal were found to be very high.

Mr Dhumal said as such it had now been decided to seek open competitive bids from other financial institutions which could undertake the work quickly and in a cost-effective manner. Other statutory and procedural clearances would be obtained after these studies were accomplished.

As the project required clearance by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, the state government would furnish details of the project on the basis of financial appraisal.

The Chief Minister said the Ministry of Railways had approved the work relating to the preliminary engineering-cum-traffic survey for gauge conversion of the 164 km Pathankot-Jogindernagar-Kangra valley railline. This also included extension of the broad guage from Baijnath to Bhanupali via Mandi and Bilaspur (130 km). The anticipated cost of the survey was Rs 26.10 lakh.

In a written reply to a question regarding the Kangra and Kulu airports, the Chief Minister informed Mr Chander Kumar (Cong) that the Airport Authority of India had released a grant of Rs 3.80 crore for expansion of these two airports.

He said for expansion of the Kangra airport, the Centre had provided a grant of Rs 10 crore through a special purpose grant from the Tenth Finance Commission. An MoU had been signed for the purpose and the airport would be completed within 18 months of handing over possession of additional land.

HP to regularise encroachments
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 22 — The Himachal Pradesh Government is formulating a policy to regularise encroachments on over 1.45 lakh bighas. This was announced by the Minister of State for Revenue, Mr Rajan Sushant, while replying to question by Mr Rakesh Pathania (BJP) in the Vidhan Sabha today.

The minister said as many as 54,823 cases of encroachment in the state had come to the notice of the government. There was no move to amend the law to initiate criminal action in these cases of encroachment. The revenue law had been amended to impose a penalty of Rs 5,000 per bigha on the first encroachment and Rs 10,000 per bigha and a year’s imprisonment in case of subsequent encroachment.

Replying to supplementaries, Mr Sushant said the highest number of encroachments (50,187) were in Shimla Division. Congress members urged the government to formulate a policy on encroachments as promised long back.

Mr Sushant said the government had received valuable suggestions from some legislators and panchayats and it was his endeavour to finalise the policy before the Budget session.

The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, announced that the legislators would be provided laptop computers and funds for purchasing these would be withdrawn from the MLAs development fund.

He was replying to a question tabled by Mr Singhi Ram (Cong) regarding the purchase of computers by various departments. As many as 919 computers at a cost of Rs 7.50 crore had been purchased during the past two years.

Mr Dhumal said the target of the government was to start computer education in all secondary schools by next year. Some private parties had offered to install computers and impart computer education in schools. Open bids would be sought for the purpose.

Replying to a question by Mr Kaul Singh (Cong) regarding power projects in the state, the Chief Minister said the Centre had proposed the transfer of the Nathpa Jhakri project to the National Thermal Power Corporation as the former was facing financial problems.

He said the interests of Himachal Pradesh would be safeguarded in case the project was transferred to the NTPC. The project was initially estimated to cost about Rs 1658 crore, but its cost had escalated to Rs 10,000 crore because of repeated delays.

Mr Dhumal said the state government was paying its equity in the project by raising loans from the open market. The equity amount would be repaid to Himachal along with interest in case the project was transferred to the NTPC.

Mr Kaul Singh expressed concern at the delay in the execution of power projects which had pushed up their cost.

The Health Minister said training to laboratory and x-ray technicians was being imparted by five unrecognised institutes in the districts of Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kulu, Kangra and Mandi.

Quarrying worries environmentalists
From Our Correspondent

KASAULI, Dec 22 — The indiscriminate quarrying of clay, stones and sand from the riverbeds, located near the Baddi-Barotiwala industrial belt, about 40 km from here, has created a contention among environmentalists. A voluntary organisation, Save Environment Joint Society, has taken a serious view of the anti-ecological activities which have been continuing in connivance with government agencies.

The society contends that large scale quarrying has eroded arable land here and has also threatened the nearby human settlements due to widening of riverbeds. Though the lease of these quarrying operations generates an annual revenue of Rs 50-60 lakh to the government, but nothing has been done for the protection of the environment. Besides, tractors bought for agricultural purpose, are being used for lifting sand and stone without the necessary permission and no royalty is paid on this account.

In July 1999 society had agitated against this trade due to which some control measures were initiated by the government. But soon after these were eased owing to pressure from the quarrying lobby. The society has presented a memorandum of demands to the Industries Minister, Mr Kishori Lal, on his recent visit to the area. The president of the society, Mr Gyanender Bhardwaj, while talking to this correspondent revealed that the minister had promised to look into the matter and visit the area after the ensuing winter session of the Vidhan Sabha.

The demands include not to grant permission to any new stone crusher, prohibit tractors bought for agricultural purpose from carrying stone, sand and clay, take punitive action against those transporting these items without permission and punish lessee who are violating the law and hampering irrigation channels.

Division Bench refers compensation case
From Our Legal Correspondent

SHIMLA, Dec 22 — A Divison Bench of the Himachal High Court comprising Ms Justice Kamlesh Sharma and Mr Justice M.R. Verma, has referred the case relating to the payment of interest on compensation to person whose land had been acquired by the state to construct a road near Kunihar in 1968 to a larger bench.

The controversy in this case is whether the interest is payable from the date when the acquisition notice was issued by the government or from the date when actual possession was taken over. The matter was referred to larger bench because there were conflicting judgements of two Divison Benches of the Himachal High Court in this regard. One is by the Divison Bench consisting of Chief Justice C.K. Thakkar and Mr Justice R.L. Khurana in which they held that the interest payable to person from the date of actual possession was taken over and another one is delivered by the Divison Bench comprising of Chief Justice D. Raju and Mr Justice L.S. Panta in which the court held that the interest is payable to person from when the date of acquisition notice issued by the government.

A Divison Bench of the Himachal High Court consisting of Chief Justice C.K. Thakkar and Mr Justice K.C. Sood has issued notices to the Union of India and the Secretary (Forest) of the HP government on a petition filed by Mr Bachan Singh, retired Chief Conservator of Forests of HP government. He filed this petition against the judgement of the Central Administrative Tribunal in which tribunal dismissed the petition of Mr Bachan Singh in which he prayed the tribunal that his pension may be given on the basis of revised pay scale. It is recalled here that after the retirement of the petitioner the state government upgraded the post of Chief Conservator of Forests to Principal Chief Conservator of (Forest) who will be the head of the department with effect from that notification of upgradation. The main grievances of the petitioner is that when he was Chief Conservator of Forests at that time he was the head of the department so according to that the pension may be given to him according to revised pay scale.

Repatriation of Tibetans: US officials concerned
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Dec 22 — The US Coordinator for Tibetan Affairs, Ms Julia Taft, has expressed concern over the reported repatriation of Tibetans by Nepal under Chinese pressure.

Ms Taft, along with other American officials, had recently visited Nepal in her capacity as Assistant Secretary for Refugee, Migration and Population. She was there to see how Bhutanese refugees were being treated.

The Secretary in the Department of Information and International Relations of the Tibetan Government, Mr Thubten Smaphell, said Ms Taft was concerned at the repatriation of Tibetans fleeing Tibet. “The representative of the Dalai Lama in Kathmandu is in constant touch with the Nepalese Government over the issue”, he stated.

Mr Samphell said Tibetans returning from India were being made targets as the Chinese considered them to be separatists who were close to the Dalai Lama. “Not only had the number of checkpoints been increased but Tibetans caught trying to cross the border have been sent back”, he stated.

MC’s steps to deal with snow
From Our Correspondent

SHIMLA, Dec 22 — The Municipal Corporation of Shimla has taken up various steps to deal with the snow during impending winter season. A control room has been set up which will function round the clock. Its telephone No. is 258916 and this will entertain all sorts of complaints pertaining to Shimla. Residents may bring the complaints regarding water supply, roads, paths and fallen trees to the notice of the aforesaid room.

Laptops for MLAs in Himachal

SHIMLA, Dec 22 (PTI) — The Himachal Pradesh Government will provide all MLAs with laptop computers and start computer education in all senior secondary schools next year, the Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, told the state assembly today. The MLAs would get laptops from the Legislators Development Fund, Mr Dhumal said during the question hour, adding that computer education would also be started in the high schools in the next phase.