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Saturday,
October
4, 2003,
Chandigarh, India  
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Little
choice on privatisation of power CM sets
terms on Rampur project Sand mines
violate norms, closed Students
protest over affiliation issue |
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College
where staff outnumber students Nadaun
man wins Cambridge scholarship Maoists
not behind extortions, says police Mankotia
supports demands of ex-soldiers Postal
staff stage demonstration Two
killed in accident Roerich’s
works to be displayed
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Little choice on privatisation
of power Shimla, October 3 According to provisions of the new legislation, which has been specifically enacted to expedite the reform process in the power sector, the board could be retained as a single entity beyond June 10, 2004 only with the consent of the Centre. Since restructuring of state utilities is the most important component of the reforms, the Centre will not be in a position to exempt the state from the unbundling exercise, particularly, in view of the fact that the move has been initiated at the behest of the international funding agencies. The Centre has introduced schemes like the accelerated power development and reforms project to link the release of funds to states with the reforms. Any state, which is reluctant to go ahead with the reforms, is likely to lose funds. Similarly, the Power Finance Corporation is also giving soft loans to states willing to implement the reforms. As such a fund-starved state like Himachal could ill-afford to backtrack from the path of reforms. Moreover, the Congress party is not opposed to reforms and states like Delhi, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and
Rajasthan, where it was in power, had taken the lead in carrying out reforms. The state may not get much support from within the party. The Act also provides for a transfer scheme for the smooth transition from the existing set up to distribution and transmission companies to be created by the government as and when its undertakes the unbundling exercise. The state electricity board under the new scheme of things will be a distribution licensee and a state transmission utility, which would also be owning generation assets. The main objective of the act is to promote private sector participation in generation, transmission and distribution and if a state refuses to carry out reforms like restructuring of the board it will certainly send wrong signals to the private sector. The private sector will be discouraged from investing in the state. |
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CM sets terms on Rampur project Shimla, October 3 Addressing a public meeting at Dhar Gaura in Rampur he said the interests of the state would be safeguarded at all costs while allotting the project to the private sector and Central agencies for execution. He said the government had undertaken an exercise to review the MoUs, power-purchase and implementation agreements signed during the BJP regime with this objective. The Chief Minister took the previous Dhumal government to task for allegedly discriminating against certain areas of the state. He said his government would ensure a uniform development of all areas. He expressed concern over increasing encroachments on government land, particularly by well-off people, and said these should be removed in a time-bound manner. |
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Sand mines violate norms, closed Solan, October 3 The SDM Lokender Chauhan and Mining Officer B.D. Sharma affixed lease closure notices at the four mines on Wednesday. The SDM heading the committee, formed on April 29 this year, on instructions of the high court, was entrusted with the task of monitoring these mines. The four lessees Vinod Kumar, Manmohan, Ramesh Chand and Devender Kumar who had been granted the permission to dig after the approval of their mining plans in August have suddenly been termed as violators. The district mining officer, Mr B.D. Sharma, when contacted stated that the mines were not illegal but since they had not undertaken afforestation on worked out benches and waste disposal areas and had neither constructed check dams or built drains as required they were served notices. The SDM while denying the action as politically motivated said the action was taken consequent to the fourth six weekly inspection where their norms were not found to be confirming to the prescribed norms. It is worth mentioning that while the fourth inspection was due on September 29 no immediate action was taken after this. It was only after the Chief Minister’s announcement of closing illegal mines within 24 hours on Tuesday that the officials swung into action. The committee had found nothing wrong environmentally in its three earlier inspections. |
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Students
protest over affiliation issue Solan, October 3 It claims to be recognised by Gandhi Vidya Mandir a deemed university at Churu in Rajasthan. The future of students who have already spent a year studying in the institute and paid a fee to the tune of Rs 23,000 is at stake. They are now reportedly being asked to deposit this year’s fee of Rs 18,000 failing which they will be debarred from classes. The students, however, said unless affiliation was procured, they would not pay the fee. District administration officials said since the institute was opened without the prior approval of the government, there was little that could be done at this stage. It was learnt that the case pertaining to the affiliation was struck down by a government team after it found that the location of the institute had been shifted without intimation. Institute officials have produced a copy of a letter issued by the Principal, clarifying the stand for grant of the NOC in July. The letter mentions that after the institution of the NCTE Act, 1993, the state governments were required to furnish an NOC for such institutes that were required to have obtained the prior permission of the NCTE for running such courses. |
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College
where staff
outnumber students Dharamsala, October 3 This year despite frantic lobbying only six students have joined the college against 35 seats. The college lost its relevance some years ago when, failing to find job avenues, girls stopped joining the institute in good numbers. Last year only four students were admitted. At present the college has 15 students in fourth year, 12 in third year, four in second year and six in first year. There are 18 teachers, 13 research associates, 10 non-teaching employees, 20 class IV and other employees and 10 persons employed on contract. The high-powered committee headed by the Agriculture Secretary, Mr K.K. Gupta, which was appointed by the previous government to suggest ways and means to bring the working of the university on rails had suggested the closure of the Home Science College and similar suggestion was made by Johal Committee appointed by the Vice Chancellor to go into the working of the university. But due to internal and external pressures, the Vice Chancellor, Dr Tej Partap, did not accept this. His own efforts to start new courses in the college have failed as teachers are reported to have no free time. When contacted, the Vice Chancellor, Dr Tej Partap, agreed that the college was not attracting enough students to justify its existence but said the closure was no solution. Justifying the college to continue, the Vice Chancellor, said even if no new students were admitted, the college had to function till the last student passed out of the college. He said the issue of lack of interest in home science was raised at the recent Association of Agriculture Universities Vice Chancellors’ meeting at Srinagar and thinking is going on how to pool student resource between the universities where the number of students was less. He said this was still in formative stage. He said once the system was introduced, teachers would be available for running other short-term vocational courses which could provide self-employment opportunities to the youths. |
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Nadaun man
wins Cambridge scholarship Hamirpur, October 3 Born at Nadaun in the family of the late Maharaj Krishan, Mr Vats passed out from Senior Secondary School,
Pragpur, in Kangra district. He took admission in REC, Hamirpur. After getting a degree in B.Tech (Civil), he was awarded an AUS AID scholarship by the Human Resource Development Minister to pursue studies in its Macqarie University, Sydney Australia During this period, he got specialisation in the area of environment management. He returned to India and worked with the United Nations Organisation. He has visited many countries and presented papers. He has been again given a scholarship by the University of Cambridge to pursue his interest in the area of developmental studies. He is also keen in adventure. He has done helicopter jumping, hiking on the Great Wall of China, camping in the Blue Mountains of Australia and exploration of world famous Temples in Cambodia. |
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Maoists
not behind extortions, says police Shimla, October 3 Mr Virender Kanwar, Additional Superintendent of Police, said that prima facie it appeared to be handiwork of petty Gorkha criminals who cover their faces to avoid identification by their victims. He said preliminary investigations revealed that in all seven persons were robbed of Rs 950 to Rs 10,000 at the point of “khukharis” (daggers) by six persons. While two persons with faces covered entered the houses of victims, others remained hidden in the darkness outside. Obviously, they were known to the victims and feared that they could be identified. Further, the threatening letter purported to be written by some Maoist leader was on a plain paper and did not carry any logo or name of the organisation. He said there were a large number of Gorkhas living in the district and some of them indulged in various types of criminal activities. A search was on to nab the culprits with the help of the local people. |
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Mankotia
supports demands of ex-soldiers Hamirpur, October 3 Addressing a workshop of ex-servicemen at Tal village in the district yesterday, he said ex-servicemen had played a major role in defending the nation and their claims and demands could not be ignored. Major Mankotia assured the ex-servicemen that the Congress-led state government in Himachal Pradesh would do its best to provide best facilities to them and families of the serving soldiers and the martyrs. He assured the local residents that the Tourism Department would beautify the pond of Tal village. |
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Postal staff
stage demonstration Hamirpur, October 3 They also rose anti-Centre slogans and vowed to continue their stir to get their demands met. Mr Trilok Chand, the president of the Hamirpur Mandal unit of the All-India Postal Employees Sangh (Group D), urged the Prime Minister to intervene in the matter and provide them 64 days’ bonus. The employees warned the Central Government of intensifying their agitation if their demanded were not met. |
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Two killed in
accident Chamba, October 3 According to Mr N.D. Sharma, ASP the deceased have been
identified as Deep Kumar of Jaisinghpur and Naresh Kumar of Shahpur in
Kangra district. The victims were employees of the Telecom
Department. The injured, Prakash of Nagrota Bhagwan (Kangra), is in a
critical condition and has been referred to the PGI Chandigarh. |
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Roerich’s works to be displayed Kulu, October 3 Mr R.D. Nazim, Deputy Commissioner, said the Russian Ambassador would attend the Dasehra festival. The exhibition would continue till October 30, he added. Cultural
troupes from Russia and Uzbekistan will be here to partake in the celebrations. Playback singer Anuradha Podwal will also perform during the cultural show. |
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Vaidya
acting chief of
rights panel Shimla, October 3 A press note said Justice Vaidya would continue at the post until the appointment of a regular head. He was a member of the commission. |
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Science
congress from Oct 10 Shimla, October 3 As many as 900 delegates from all over the country and about 100
resource persons of national and international eminence will take
part. |
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