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Monday,
May 27, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Power commission, HPSEB
on collision course High alert in Chamba Imbibe spirit of patriotism, says Governor Explosives used in hydel projects fatal Himachal steps for quality livestock |
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Panel for uniform law
on cow slaughter BSNL Net facilities by year-end Forum penalises Mandi DFO Ex-servicemen’s rally at Pooh
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Power commission, HPSEB
on collision course Shimla, May 26 The commission has taken serious notice of the “wilful defiance” and “disrespectful” attitude of the management of the board and has issued about 12 show-cause notices for contravention of various directions issued to it while deciding the power tariff. What has hurt the commission the most is that the management of the board has not only defied its orders, but its members have found it below their dignity to appear before it. Initially, instead of issuing notices, the commission had sent simple letters to two members of the board regarding non-implementation of directions on replacement of faulty meters and carrying out a study related to the Malana project. The members had been requested to explain to the commission the problems, if any, in complying with the directions. However, the members never came to the commission and sent officers for the meeting. The open defiance left the commission with no option but to issue show-cause notices to the members. The notice to Member, Operations, concerned the failure of the board to replace all faulty electricity meters with electronic meters by March, 2002, as agreed to during the hearing of the tariff application. The board had proposed a meter rent of Rs 8, but the commission had increased it to Rs 10 per month to enable the board to raise the financial resources required for replacement of meters. The increase of Rs 2 in meter rent fetched an additional Rs 4 crore to the board since tariff revision. The commission asked the board to show cause why the additional funds raised by it be not refunded to the consumer as it had failed to replace the faulty meters with electronic meters. This amounted to betrayal of the consumers. The Member, Civil, was asked to explain why the board had failed to conduct a study of the Malana project with a view to improving its own working so that time and cost over-runs could be avoided. The two members were asked to file their reply by May 30 and the cases listed for June 14. The board had also failed to carry out the studies pertaining to transmission and distribution losses and employees’ cost, as a result of which no further action could be initiated to bring down the losses and rationalise the deployment of staff. The board had an employee for every 41 consumers, as against the ratio of 350 to 400 consumer per employee elsewhere. The direction to come out with a public interaction programme to educate the consumers about their rights and settle disputes had also not been complied with. Under provisions of the state electricity regulatory Acts, contravention of directions of the commission could attract a penalty of upto Rs 1 lakh per contravention. In case of continuing contravention, an additional penalty of Rs 6000 per day could be imposed. |
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High alert in Chamba Chamba, May 26 The District Magistrate, Mr Rahul Anand, said here today the security forces deployed on the border of district had been keeping a strict vigil to check the infiltration and activities of suspects. He, however, ruled out the possibility of terrorists sneaking into the border areas of the district. He added that such media reports had been creating panic among the inhabitants of these villages. He assured that there was normalcy and fraternity among the residents on the borders of the region. The District Magistrate said the jawans of security forces were also keeping an eye on the pedestrians entering into the district adding that everyone entering the district was being screened on the checkpoints set up on the borders of the district, besides checkposts at Tunnuhatti on the Chamba-Pathankot highway and Lahroo on the Chamba-Shimla highway. He said vital installations in the district were being guarded. He said nomad gujjars and shepherds in the Churah and Salooni sectors closely touching the borders of Jammu and Kashmir were being infused with a sense of security. He appealed to the residents of border belts to keep in touch with the security forces and give them any relevant information about the suspects. The District Magistrate added that the pickets of security forces set up on the timberline of the borders of the district had launched a massive combing and search operation to find out traces of any suspects. He said surface patrolling had also been intensified. |
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Imbibe spirit of patriotism, says Governor Dalhousie, May 26 The Governor was speaking at a personality development camp for school students organised by “sankalp”, a project of Delhi-based Jan Kalyan Shiksha Samiti, dedicated to the cause of building ideal leadership and producing able administrators, at a function held here yesterday. The Governor lamented that students knew about the cine stars but hardly had any knowledge of the immense sacrifices made by the freedom fighters and great leaders to attain freedom, which needed to be preserved at any cost. He suggested the screening of TV serials and telecasting these in schools and colleges. Answering a query on unemployment the Governor said there were about 45 crore acres of land lying waste in the country adding that about 20 crore acres of this land could be made cultivable in two-three years with little resources. He opined that this land should be allotted to poor families and some material assistance provided to them initially to make this land cultivable. The Governor suggested prescribing educational qualifications for public representatives. He said it would be in the interest of nation if these were imposed for MLAs and MPs. Detailing the activities of the organisation, Mr Ajay Sirohi of ‘sankalp’ said sankalp was formed in 1986 with the sole aim of inculcating honesty and patriotism amongst students and prepare them for administrative services. He said that as many as 450 students guided by ‘sankalp’ had so far qualified for the Indian Administrative Services and this year alone 124 students were successful in qualifying the IAS. Later, the Governor launched the website of youth hostel, Dalhousie, the website would have details of accommodation for students, other activities and expeditions organised by the youth hostel.
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Explosives
used in hydel projects fatal Kulu, May 26 According to sources, not only government contractors but government departments have also been overlooking the danger involved in the use of such odourless explosives. According to technical experts, there were explosives which had pungent smell that warned the labourers to take the necessary precautions. The State Minister of Environment and Pollution, while talking to this correspondent, said he had directed the organisations concerned to take special measures to prevent any untoward incident. He had also directed the authorities concerned to not use the dangerous products with a false sense of security besides making the workers informed of any kind of mishap. The authorities of the NHPC, the PWD and some construction companies engaged in building of power hydel projects on being contacted, said they took all precautions and did not allow the workers to enter the dangerously-infested area of gases. Labour unions, on the other hand, have alleged that the contractors forced the labourers to work in gas chambers. Some members of the union said the gases had been causing serious health problems to many workers. They have demanded that the government should issue guidelines and instructions to government departments and construction companies for taking special care for the workers and impart training and know how to the labour involved in the underground excavation works. |
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Himachal
steps for quality livestock Shimla, May 26 The Animal Husbandry sector contributes about 12 per cent of the state’s income and there is still much scope to increase it. As per the 1997 census, the cattle population was 52,24,067. Numerous schemes are being implemented to cater to the needs of cattle rearers. A network of 200 veterinary institutions, three semen laboratories, five artificial insemination centres and seven liquid nitrogen plants have been set up in the state during the past four years. Artificial insemination facility is being provided at 1,257 centres to propagate hybrid milch cattle. A central centre is being established at Palampur, which will meet the requirement of semen to a large extent. Initially, artificial insemination was done by liquid semen but now frozen semen, which enables storing of semen for longer period is being used. As many as six liquid nitrogen plants have been set up to preserve frozen semen, besides three semen processing laboratories which produce four to five lakh semen straws every year. There are about 19 per cent hybrid animals and 34 per cent Murra breed buffaloes in the state. The milk production has gone up to 7,60,441 tonnes. A network of 1,996 veterinary institutions is providing proper health care facilities for animals at the doorstep of farmers. Besides, 14 mobile veterinary institutions and seven polyclinics are also functioning in the state. A special laboratory has been set up in the state to check mouth-and-foot disease and other communicable diseases. During the past three years, more than 20.94 animals have been vaccinated. Apart from this, an ambitious Rs 8.86 crore milch livestock development project has been sanctioned for Solan district to strengthen dairy farming. As many as 10,000 cattle breeders will be adopted under the project, besides providing facilities to cooperative societies engaged in milk production. The state wool federation has also been strengthened to benefit sheep-breeders. As many as 10 sheep and wool extension centres and three wool analysis laboratories have been opened. A special feed and fodder programme has been launched in the state to ensure proper rearing of quality livestock. Under this programme every year 3,000 mini-kits and fodder seeds are being given on cent per cent subsidy to the Scheduled Caste families and women and 50 per cent subsidy on total cost to others. Department fodder seed production centres at Kamand and Binog (Mandi), Kotla Barog (Sirmaur) and Sunni (Shimla) have been providing quality fodder seeds to the farmers. A centre has been set up at Chamba to provide training to veterinary pharmacists, while the government veterinary training centre at Sundernagar has been organising training programmes for rural educated unemployed youths to enable them to take up self-employment ventures. The trainees are given a monthly honorarium of Rs 150 and after the completion of training provided a unit of three milch cattle, for which the entire interest is borne by the state in the form of subsidy. They are also provided animal health care and artificial insemination kit. Till date, about 399 educated unemployed youths have been provided this training. |
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Panel for uniform law
on cow slaughter Shimla, May 26 Mr Justice Guman Singh Lodha, the acting Chairman of the commission, told newsmen here today that after visiting various stations and interacting with various people the commission had come to the conclusion that cow slaughter was continuing even in the states where it was legally banned. In all about 70,000 cows were slaughtered daily. Kerala, where there was no law to ban cow slaughter, and West Bengal were the worst states. Cows were smuggled to West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh and from southern states to Kerala. The Mewat region comprising parts of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh was also notorious for cow slaughter. The commission opined that to effectively ban cow slaughter a uniform law by moving the subject from the state list to either concurrent or Central list was essential. Besides, the commission also proposes that induction of exotic blood should be discouraged and indigenous breed, which were of superior quality, should be encouraged. Chemical fertilisers should be replaced with organic manure and “gomutra chikitsa” (medicine system based on cow urine) should be recognised as an alternative system of treatment to develop a market for drugs based on “gomutra”. He said Himachal had a few “gosadans” (cow protection homes). Besides, unlike Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat, the Himachal government had failed to set up a “go seva ayog” which was essential to prevent cow slaughter. West Bengal was the worst state where as many as 2 lakh cows were slaughtered on the festival of “Bakrid”. |
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BSNL Net facilities by year-end Shimla, May 26 Stating this at a press conference here today Mr Prithipal Singh, Chairman and Managing Director of BSNL, said it was looking for a tie-up to start the services as soon as possible. It already had the necessary infrastructure for the purpose. The services like video on demand would also be made available. BSNL had set a target of providing 64 lakh new telephone connections, including 30 lakh fixed line and 24 lakh mobile and 10 lakh WLL (wireless in local loop) based telephones. The mobile phone services would be launched in August and during the year as many as 1,000 major towns of the country would be covered. In Himachal Pradesh, 12,000 mobile telephone connection would be given. BSNL would compete with private mobile phone service providers. The Nigam was setting up as many 65 Base Transmitting Stations in the state as against 19 established by the private service provider. All 16,925 villages in the state would be provided telephone by December. Remote villages would be connected through satellite- based system and 26 such multi- channel per carrier equipments were being installed at various places for the purpose. Referring to the national scenario he said the waiting list of 18 lakh for new telephone connections would be wiped out by the end of the year. The total revenue of the Nigam for the year would be around Rs 24,000 crore, the same as last year, mainly because of the reduction in tariff and introduction of Net telephony, which had made overseas calls very cheap. The Nigam had a Rs 4,000 crore development plan which it would fund from its own resources. Earlier, Mr Prithipal Singh laid the foundation stone of the Rs 1.5-lakh Satellite Earth Station building at Shogi, near here. |
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Forum penalises Mandi DFO Sundernagar, May 26 The forum directed that a licence be issued to the complainant within seven days and the compensation amount be paid from the pay of the DFO concerned. Mr Tilak Raj had applied for a loan from the Industries Department under the Prime Minister’s Rojgar Yojna for running the business. He rented a shop in June, 2000, for Rs 1500 a month and later applied for permission to run a furniture shop on October 16, 2000. The forest field staff recommended the case of the consumer on October 24, 2000, but the DFO did not decide it till April, 2002. The consumer then filed a complaint alleging that he had suffered a loss of Rs 23,000 on account of pendency of his application for permission. He alleged that the act of the DFO fell under the definition of “deficiency in service” as provided under the Consumer Protection Act. The DFO, in his reply, said the consumer court had no jurisdiction to decide the complaint and said the case for granting permission was considered but was not found feasible. The forum, after hearing both parties, held that the DFO had not discharged his legal obligation and made the consumer suffer. |
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Cong flayed over move on dists Nurpur, May 26 He alleged that the Congress leaders had been opposing this proposal out of frustration. Mr Pathania alleged that during the Congress regime, a regional imbalance had been created in the state. With the reorganisation of the districts, the people would get balanced and equal administration.
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Bravery
award for two Shimla, May 26 The awardees will get cash award of Rs 10,000 each. The two have been given the award for showing courage and promptitude in saving the life of a child from drowning risking their own lives. |
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Ex-servicemen’s rally at Pooh Chandigarh May 26 The rally was inaugurated by the Chief of the Staff, Western Command, Lt Gen H.S. Kanwar. In his address, he said the Army was doing its best to help the ex-servicemen. Lauding the contribution of veteran soldiers in nation building, General Kanwar advised them to approach Army Headquarters 36 Sector for redressal of their problems. Commander 36 Sector, Brig Rajinder Singh, in his address, apprised the ex-servicemen of various schemes and opportunities provided by the government for their resettlement. He asked them to avail reservation in government jobs and to set up entrepreneurship with assistance of soft loan schemes. A medical camp was also organised on the occasion. Services of specialists from various disciplines such as medicine, surgery,
gynaecology, dental and ophthalmology were made available. As many as 175 patients were treated at the camp. |
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