H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Power project scam triggers war of words
Shimla, November 9
The findings of the high-level committee, which reviewed the MoUs signed by Dhumal government for the execution of hydel power projects, have triggered off a war of words between the Congress and the BJP.

Power project scam triggers war of words
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 9
The findings of the high-level committee, which reviewed the MoUs signed by Dhumal government for the execution of hydel power projects, have triggered off a war of words between the Congress and the BJP.

While Mr P.K. Dhumal, a former Chief Minister, termed the report as confusing and full of contradictions, the Congress ministers maintain that it had revealed the blatant irregularities committed by the BJP regime in awarding power projects to ‘certain favoured’ companies.

Joining issue with Mr Dhumal Mr Chander Kumar, Mr Singhi Ram and Mr G.S. Bali, three ministers, today said the BJP regime had indulged in “indiscrete favouritism” while awarding contracts as reflected in the fact that a company placed at 13th position in the merit list was given the Fozal project.

Parameters for the selection of companies were changed at the behest of the political bosses so that projects could be assigned to the favoured but “undeserving” companies.

They asked Mr Dhumal was it possible for a Chief Secretary to change the decision of the Cabinet?

They said Mr Harsh Gupta, the then Chief Secretary, had changed the criteria laid down by the Cabinet, for the evaluation of companies. This could not have happened without the knowledge and approval of Mr Dhumal.

It was a strange case where fraud had not been perpetrated by the companies but by the government headed by Mr Dhumal. They advised the former Chief Minister to maintain silence in his own interest as more disclosures would mean more embarrassment for him.

Ms Asha Kumari, Education Minister, yesterday said that the exposure of irregularities in the allotment of hydel power projects by a high-level review committee had rattled former Chief Minister, Prem Kumar Dhumal, who was now trying to divert the attention from the findings of the committee by raising frivolous issues.

Reacting sharply to Mr Dhumal’s statement that the report of the review committee was full of contradictions, she said it had been clearly established that the BJP regime had violated all norms, procedures and rules while awarding hydel projects. He said the charge that the government considered the reports of the review committee and the cabinet sub-committee on the same day only betrayed Mr Dhumal’s ignorance. The review committee report was considered on September 9 and a sub-committee was set up to recommend action on it. The sub-committee submitted its report on October 31 and it was accepted by the Cabinet on November 5.

She said that the Sachgharat project was cancelled by the Chief Executive Officer of the Him Urja on the grounds that the allottee had failed to furnish the performance guarantee security.

Para teacher interviews a farce, allege candidates
Our Correspondents

Nurpur, November 9
The interviews being conducted at the subdivisional headquarters here against vacant posts of Trained Graduate teachers (TGTs) for science and arts groups in various government schools, are a farce, allege candidates appearing for interviews. Moreover, these jobs were on contract.

In a surprising move, in the subdivision candidates appearing for interviews for the posts of TGTs (arts) for vacant posts in Government Senior Secondary School, Badhpur and Government High School Hatli Jawalan on Thursday got a shock when they came to know that the vacancies had been filled through regular postings at an eleventh hour by the Education Department.

Inquiries revealed that the post of TGT (art) at Badhpur was filled only a day before the scheduled interviews for which as many as 100 applications had been received. The interviews for this post were then cancelled without prior intimation to the candidates, who turned up next day.

Also in a similar case, the post of TGT (arts) at Hatli Jawalan was filled and the teacher joined duty on the same day on Friday when the interviews for contract jobs were also scheduled. Ninety candidates appeared for the interview for which the post had already been filled.

The Himachal Pradesh Unemployed and Graduate and Postgraduate Teachers Association has flayed this system of appointing teachers in the government school. Mr Susheel Kumar state president of the association, in a statement here today alleged that the state government had been playing a cruel joke with the graduates and postgraduates by inviting them for interviews through contract system and then filling the vacant posts simultaneously through regular postings. He termed the contractual appointments as an eyewash for the unemployed youths and alleged that this system had been adopted merely to render backdoor appointments to the favourites of the ruling party leaders under the pretext of earmarking ten marks for the local candidates only for conducting interviews. He urged the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, to provide jobs to the unemployed teachers through batchwise and public service commission so that transparency could be maintained.

CHAMBA: A large number of candidates hailing from all over the district and the adjoining districts of Kangra, Una, Hamirpur and Bilaspur, appeared for the interviews for the post of para-teacher that are lying vacant in the district.

The interviews for various categories of teachers, lecturers, trained graduate teachers, physical education teachers, C and V etc are being held at all subdivisional headquarters of the district where long queues of candidates could be seen.

Rift in non-gazetted staff body
Our Correspondent

Chamba, November 9
Factionalism in the district body of the Himachal Pradesh Non-Gazetted Employees Federation came to fore when Mr Sat Pal Thakur, district president of the federation, alleged that his opponent employees’ leaders were involved in corruption in their departments while addressing a press conference here last night.

Mr Thakur alleged that his opponents had “double standards” and were misleading the employees about his working. He charged his opponents of taking undue advantage from the posts of the federations to which they had got themselves elected.

Mr Thakur criticised his opponents for misleading the employees that the elections to the district body would be held on November 7 because no such decision had been taken by the district executive.

He announced that the process of elections to the post of district president and other office-bearers of the federation was likely to be completed by the end of this month or so for which they would seek the assistance of district administration to avoid any confrontation between the two factions of employees.

Mr Thakur categorically refuted the propaganda carried out by his opponents that he was an ex-president and could not take part in the recent meetings of the state Federal House at Nahan and state Joint-Consultative Committee at Shimla. He clarified that he had attended these meetings in the capacity of a sitting district president of the federation, as he had not yet dissolved the executive body of the Chamba district unit of the federation.

He stated that he had been working as a district president continuously for the past about 10 years and added that he had never worked under the patronage of the politicians in power from Chamba district whether they belonged to the BJP or the Congress.

Mr Thakur, who is an employee of the Health Department, further alleged that he had been transferred from Chamba to Lahaul-Spiti for reasons best known to his opponent employees’ leaders. He also denied that he had a hand in the transfer of certain employees.

Green signal for Bhanupali-Rampur rail project
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 9
The Railway Ministry has in principle agreed to take up the Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Rampur gauge line project.

Stating this, here today, after discussing the issue with the Minister for Railways, Mr Nitish Kumar the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh said the project which had been hanging fire for the past two decades, could be jointly executed by the Indian Railways and the state with equity participation of other stakeholders. He said if required a special purpose vehicle could be created for taking up the project. All this was a matter of detail which could be finalised as and when the project was taken up.

He also accepted the state’s request for the construction of a multi-storeyed parking at the old railway godown which was no longer in use. He said the project could be executed on revenue-sharing basis by the state and the Railways. The required funds could be raised through loans from financial institutions.

Mr Nitish Kumar announced that the ongoing rail projects would be completed in a time bound manner. He said the project to extend the broad gauge rail line from Kalka up to Parwanoo would be completed within a year. He said the scheme had run into problems due to a dispute over the location of the terminal station and increase in the cost of land.

He also declared that the Nangal-Talwara rail link would be completed up to Takarla near Churuh by March 31,2004. He said with the completion of this stretch the rail line would be extended by 36 km beyond Nangal.

Earlier, Mr Virbhadra Singh, the Chief Minister, had also suggested that the Bhanupali-Bilaspur rail line could be extended upto Mandi and the Pathankot-Jogindernagar line could also be extended up to Mandi to provide a rail link to the heart of the state. At present the rail services only touched periphery areas in the state.

Rs 54.17-crore dairy development plan
Our Correspondent

Mandi, November 9
The Himachal Pradesh Government has drawn up a Rs 54.17-crore integrated dairy development plan under which two dairy plants each of 20,000 litres capacity and four mini milk plants would be set up at Chamba, Nahan, Rohru and Maryog.

Disclosing this at a function held under the auspices of the State Milk Federation at Seri Pavilion yesterday to celebrate the grant of insignia to the federation by the National Dairy Development Board, Mr Kaul Singh, IPH Minister, said at present 291 milk producing cooperative societies were functioning in the state, of which 36 were exclusively run by women. Of the 19,877 members, 5,500 were women.

He said during the current year 136 new veterinary hospitals were being opened in the state. The chairman of the milk federation, Thakur Chet Ram, said adequate arrangements had been made for the marketing of milk and added that in the Gohar area of Mandi 10 bulk milk coolers had been installed.

Water diversion completed at Parbati project

Shimla, November 9
The Parbati hydel project (stage II) achieved another milestone when the river waters were diverted through the diversion tunnel.

The project’s General Manager, Mr M.M. Madan, said here that this was for the first time in the country that the waters of a river had been diverted within a period of one year.

With the successful diversion of the Parbati, engineers would now begin the construction of the main dam, he added.

Mr Madan said the diversion tunnel, too, was completed in record time last month despite unfavourable weather conditions. The 800 MW project is being constructed by the National Hydel Power Corporation. — UNI

Lavi fair gets status of international event
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 9
Lavi fair, which is held every year at Rampur from November 11 to 14, has been granted the status of international event by the state government.

Until the Chinese invasion, the fair used to be an international fair as traders from China and Tibet and various parts of the country gathered at Rampur to sell their produce. In earlier times, traders from as far as Kandhar, Samarkand, Ladakh, Bhutan, Keshgarh and Yarkand also made a beeline for Lavi fair.

It all started with a treaty between the fifth Dalai Lama and the ruler of Bushair, Raja Kheri Singh in the mid-17th century. Horses from Tibet and swords from Rampur were exchanged as a token of friendship after Raj Kehri Singh helped Tibet recover its territory, which was annexed by the ruler of Ladakh.

The treaty recorded that “the friendship will continue till the time the Sutlej goes dry, crows become white, horses get horns and marking the border of the two states produced hair or wool”.

With the establishment of modern markets in almost each and every town, Lavi has lost its importance as for as the trade fair is concerned. It is now more of a cultural event, which allows tourists and locals to interact with tribals from Kinnaur and Spiti, who bring along Pashmina wool, Cheegu (mountain goat) Chamurti horses, handicrafts and chilgoza and other dry fruits for sale.

During the four-day fair, cultural programmes, featuring top artistes from the country, are organised every night. Local folk artistes also get a chance to perform.

Vintage car rally takes off from Parwanoo
Ambika Sharma

Solan, November 9
The Kalka-Shimla highway today witnessed an old versus new motor event, where vintage classics jostled with new vehicles on the hilly terrain. The occasion was Purolator Oberoi Heritage Drive in which 45 vintage classics had a testing time going uphill.

The drive was flagged off from Parwanoo at 9:30 a.m. With vehicles like 1928’s Austin, Mercedes Benz, Rolls Royce, Cheo Jeep of the world War II, Ford Mustang, Chrysler, Riley, MG and many others, it was a treat for passersby to see these heritage classics in action.

The drive was organised by the Heritage Motoring Club of India, New Delhi, as part of the centenary celebrations of the Kalka-Shimla rail track. The president of the club, Mr K.C.Anand, said it was an opportunity to promote tourism in the hill state.

Though the drive was not competitive, two categories were identified for special appreciation. This included the Concord de Elegance, which will bag the Rai Bahadur M.S. Oberoi Trophy and also the most-motivated vehicle, which will be awarded the Shri Dharam Chaud Anand trophy.

Explaining the concept of the two trophies the judge for the occasion, Mr R.N Seth says, “Since Vintage Classics represent a refined, finer taste in cars which is not just driving but comfort and luxury much will depend on the appearance, performance and upkeep of each car. Keeping these attributes in mind, about nine vehicles have been narrowed down.”

Diljeet Titus, driving an impeccable red Chevrolet Belair, lauded the warm reception extended by locals on the way.

The driver of the oldest car, a 1928 model Chummy Austrian Gyan Sharma from Delhi said the car was comparable to Maruti of the present times. Bought at a modest Rs 1,500 in the 1990s from a hotelier it had to be completely overhauled for reviving it from its dilapidated condition. Negotiating the traffic, especially between Kalka and Parwanoo, was a challenge since the old hydraulic system of the vehicle has limited scope for stopping a vehicle, he informed. Also seen were some old motor cycles reminiscent of the old times.

While keeping the vehicle in proper shape is a major challenge, preparations for the drive started almost a month back for Jitender Pandit, member of the club.

The mileage for the diesel driven vehicles registers a steep fall with the hill journey. The vintage classic owners, however, complained that with availability of spare parts becoming a difficult proposition, most of the times they had to be imported.

The heavy customs duty and the lack of registered documents often posed problems for the owners, lamented Manjit Dayal, from Delhi driving a Mercedes Benz. He stressed on the need for the government to help preserve these heritage vehicles.

The cavalcade was flagged off from Kairighat after a brief halt there. Its onward journey to Shimla. considered the toughest due to the steep rise in height, would be the testing time for the decades old vehicles.

NIT students showcase fashion
Our Correspondent

Students of the NIT, Hamirpur, present traditional costumes at a cultural fest on Saturday. — Photo by Chander Shekhar Sharma

Hamirpur, November 9
A fashion show in which modern and traditional costumes were displayed was the main highlight of the second day of the Hill’fair-2003 — a cultural fest of the NIT, Hamirpur, here yesterday. Mr Devesh Kumar Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Hamirpur, was the chief guest on the occasion. Himself, a topper of the IIT, Kanpur, Mr Gupta showed keen interest in the event.

Earlier, Dr Chander Shekhar, Director of NIT, Hamirpur, presented a cap and a shawl to Mr Gupta.

In his address, the Deputy Commissioner exhorted the students to show their talent in all fields. He appreciated the efforts of students of NIT, Hamirpur.

He advised students to work more in their respective streams and earn name and fame for themselves and their institution at the national and international level.

Two killed, 3 injured in car mishap
Our Correspondent

Dharamsala , November 9
Two persons, the driver of a private car and a woman died when their car rolled down the hill here this morning, while three others were injured. The car jumped the road at U-turn near the office of the Chief Engineer, IPH, and fell 50 feet down. According to sources, the car (PB-08-6858) belonged to Jalandhar. The deceased have been identified as Nand Lal and Gayatri Devi of Jalandhar. The injured were admitted to local Medical College Hospital.

The SDM, Mr Rakesh Sharma, gave Rs 10,000 each to next of kin of the deceased and Rs 5,000 to each injured as immediate relief. The bodies were handed over to the relatives after post-mortem.

4 cops booked
Our Correspondent

Dalhousie, November 9
The Bakloh police has registered a case against four police officials following a complaint filed by Darshna Devi seeking justice for the alleged breaking of a leg of her husband, Kewal Kumar, a resident of Kakira in Chamba district, on the night of Divali.

According to official sources, the legal proceedings would be instituted against the defaulter police officials if they were found delinquent while performing their duty.

Meanwhile, according to the complaint, Kewal Kumar was undergoing medical treatment at Pathankot. Darshna Devi had alleged that the police officials had thrashed her husband with canes ruthlessly and broken his right leg. She has also accused the police of registering a false case of gambling against her husband.

Panchayat pradhan suspended
Our Correspondent

Mandi, November 9
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr A.R. Rizvi, has suspended Jassi Devi, pradhan of the gram panchayat of Tung Dhar in the Chachiot constituency, on the charge of alleged misappropriation of funds. She has been accused of withdrawing heavy amounts without legitimate approval of the panchayat.

Taking suo motu action in public interest, the Deputy Commissioner took cognizance of the offence and issued the suspension orders on Friday. It may be recalled that in an identical case Shyam Singh, pradhan of Bali Chowki panchayat, was suspended two days ago.

Speedy justice on petty matters stressed
Our Legal Correspondent

Shimla, November 9
A Lok Adalat was organised at the high court today. While inaugurating the function, the Chief Justice, Mr Vinod Kumar Gupta, stressed speedy justice on petty matters. A Lok Adalat should be organised periodically so that small matters might not have to await justice for a long time, he added.

At the inaugural function the Chief Justice of Karnataka, Mr Justice N.K. Jain, and the Chief Justice of Chennai High Court, Mr Subhash N. Reddy, were also present. High court judges L.S. Panta, Arun Kumar Goel, R.L. Khurana, M.R. Verma, K.C. Sood, senior officials of the insurance companies and the judiciary and members of the Bar were also present.

State BJP chief poll
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 9
The election of state BJP chief will be held after the assembly elections in the five states, according to release of the party.