H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Cabinet okays excise policy
Shimla, March 3
The state Cabinet today approved the new excise policy, in which the government has for the first time allowed its corporate bodies to enter the retail business by putting their bid during auction of liquor shops to curb the tendency of pooling by contractors.

Pak cricketers to visit mosque today
Dharamsala, March 3
The sole mosque in Dharamsala has been spruced up for Pakistani cricketers and guests from across the border. The players will visit the mosque to offer namaz tomorrow.

Ribbon development along highways to be curbed
Shimla, March 3
The Himachal Government is considering freezing of land use along the national and state highways to curb the vicious trend of ribbon development and urban corridors, affecting transport efficiency.

NSUI seeks White Paper from PSUs on jobs
Chamba, March 3
The National Students Union of India (NSUI) has sought a White Paper on employment to Himachalis in the hydropower projects from various public sector undertakings (PSUs), including the NTPC and the NHPC, which have commissioned their projects and are executing projects in the state.

Power board told to phase out manned substations
Shimla, March 3
The Himachal Electricity Regulatory Commission has directed the state power board to phase out manned substations by unmanned ones and introduce pre-paid energy meters to reduce its exorbitantly high employee cost.

Horticulture officer alleges sexual  harassment
Parwanoo, March 3
A Horticulture Development Officer of local Pushp Nursery has accused his junior officer for sexual harassment.

Charas, liquor seized
Parwanoo, March 3
The police has seized 1.8 kg of charas and 30 bottles of foreign liquor from bus passengers in three separate cases last evening. The charas was seized from two bus passengers of Haryana Roadway (HR-68-0894) at a special naka put up on the Kalka-Shimla national highway.

 

 

Cabinet okays excise policy
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 3
The state Cabinet today approved the new excise policy, in which the government has for the first time allowed its corporate bodies to enter the retail business by putting their bid during auction of liquor shops to curb the tendency of pooling by contractors.

The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, here today, approved the new excise policy. It is reliably learnt that hardly any new fresh taxes have been imposed as it was felt that the Excise and Taxation Department had registered a satisfactory profit of around Rs 175 crore.

“In order to curb the tendency of pooling by contractors, the government has for the first time authorised government-owned corporate bodies like the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), HIMFED, the Civil Supplies Corporation, the HPMC and others to put in their bid during auction so that there is no loss of revenue,” sources said. This had been done so that the department had an option in case the desired bids were not received.

The Cabinet also turned down a proposal to increase the price of beer as it was felt that it was already priced on the higher side. It is learnt that no substantial increase has been made in the price of indian made foreign liquor (IMFL). The government has also liberalised the norms for sweet wine and the requirement for a no-objection certificate for the hotel industry with a view to giving boost to tourism.

The sources said the directions regarding opening of liquor shops at a distance from temples, bus stands and schools, especially in the temple towns and shrines would be enforced strictly.

The state Budget to be presented in the Assembly on March 11 was also discussed and approved by the Cabinet.

The issue regarding release of funds to the Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) also came up for discussion informally. The Chief Minister is learnt to have directed the Finance Department to release funds to the HRTC to enable payment of salaries to employees.

A proposal to increase the state road tax (SRT) also came up for discussion, especially in view of the subsidy being given to the HRTC being reduced from Rs 48 crore to Rs 27 crore and the increase in the prices of diesel. It was pointed out that though the HRTC had already initiated steps like reduction in its fleet of buses and attachment but still the need for increasing the SRT was being felt.

The Cabinet also approved waiving off the recovery of sales tax for khadi and village industries for the period March, 1999, to August 15, 2002.

Pak cricketers to visit mosque today
Vibhor Mohan
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, March 3
The sole mosque in Dharamsala has been spruced up for Pakistani cricketers and guests from across the border. The players will visit the mosque to offer namaz tomorrow.

Talking to The Tribune, Mohammad Kamil Jamie, Qazi, said a delegation of the local Muslims along with members of the Aman-e-Awam Welfare Committee and officials of the Haj Board met with the players last night and invited to visit the Jama Masjid here.

“They said they would spare some time to reciprocate our sentiments. As citizens of Dharamsala, we also wanted to welcome both teams. Since namaz is offered at 5 pm, 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm these days, they can come at any time,” he said.

No wonder, the Jama Masjid, located in Kotwali Bazar, wears a new look. It has been given a fresh coat of paint and arrangement for illumination has also been done. Sheds have also been put up in the mosque keeping in view the untimely rain, he said.

The district administration and the management of the Wakf Board had, however, refused to offer any financial help to the organisers. “We wanted to make the visit of the players a memorable one but funds could not be arranged. We met with the Deputy Commissioner yesterday and Board officials. They asked us to do everything on our own,” said the Qazi.

“The locals, along with the welfare committees, have chipped in to help us in making the arrangements,” he said.

Ribbon development along highways to be curbed
Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 3
The Himachal Government is considering freezing of land use along the national and state highways to curb the vicious trend of ribbon development and urban corridors, affecting transport efficiency.

It is being proposed that district-wise notifications be issued in this regard after identifying the urban corridors and active strips emerging in the state due to haphazard and unregulated construction activity along the highways. The government will have to extend the Town and Country Planning Act, 1977, to include 150-metre-wide strips along the national highways and 100-metre-wide along the state highways to combat this trend, which is bound to have a far-reaching negative impact.

It has been decided to constitute special areas and other authorities under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners so that the provisions of this notification can be enforced strictly. “After such potential areas, prone to ribbon development, are identified in each district, notification will be issued to freeze of land use along these highways which are the lifeline of the state,” explained a Town and Country Planning official.

The areas, which have been found to be most prone to this ribbon development and urban corridors, include the valleys of Kangra, Kullu, Poanta, Balh in Mandi and the belts falling in the Shimla-Parwanoo, Bhota-Hamirpur, Mehatpur-Una, Barotiwala-Nalagarh and Ghaggas-Barmana areas. “This is very negative trend as a result of which the back land is getting locked and wasted and most importantly the efficiency of transported is getting seriously affected,” officials point out.

It is being felt that the state government must take some timely steps so that this ribbon development can be curbed. “In states like Punjab one does not witness these kind of urban corridors due to the enforcement of the Scheduled Roads Act, which earmarks buffer zones along the national and state highways where no construction activity is allowed to come up,” informed an official.

“The area falling along the National Highway-22 is highly eco-fragile and most of the constructions are neither in accordance with the hill architecture nor environment friendly,” officials say.

It is being felt that from the tourism point of view also it was essential to prevent these massive concrete structures from becoming eyesores on the national highways used by visitors to the state.

Another proposal of the Town and Country Planning Department is to pursue dhaba owners to adopt elements of hill architecture like sloping roof, facade and arcade so that their structures are in conformity with the surroundings and as envisaged in the regulations.

NSUI seeks White Paper from PSUs on jobs
Our Correspondent

Chamba, March 3
The National Students Union of India (NSUI) has sought a White Paper on employment to Himachalis in the hydropower projects from various public sector undertakings (PSUs), including the NTPC and the NHPC, which have commissioned their projects and are executing projects in the state.

Speaking to mediapersons here today, Mr Kewal Singh Pathania, state president, Himachal unit of the NSUI, alleged that during the previous BJP regime about 125 doctors were recruited from outside the state even some of these doctors were having fraud degrees who had been given appointments by accepting kickbacks.

Mr Pathania said the state government had already instituted a high-level inquiry into doctors’ appointment and those found guilty would face punitive action. Mr Pathania said Mr Virbhadra Singh had given top priority to generate jobs for the people of the state, adding that so for 22,000 persons had been absorbed in various jobs during two years.

Mr Pathania said the government had already decided to encourage only those private enterprises of the hydropower sector, which could ensure employment to the local people.

Castigating the BJP on “employment issue”, Mr Pathania questioned its leaders to explain to the masses what they had done during their regime.

Refuting the opposition’s claim that Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Kangra, was still awaiting affiliation from the Medical Council of India, he pointed out that out of 145, 50 doctors had been appointed from Dr Rajendra Prasad Tanda Medical College, Kangra.

Power board told to phase out manned substations
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 3
The Himachal Electricity Regulatory Commission has directed the state power board to phase out manned substations by unmanned ones and introduce pre-paid energy meters to reduce its exorbitantly high employee cost.

There are over 150 power substations in the state manned by about 1800 employees. On an average the annual salary bill of staff posted at a substation comes to about Rs 18 lakh. As such the phasing out of manned substation will lead to saving of over Rs 27 crore annually. At present the employee cost was the highest in the country at Rs 1.33 per unit of power supplied. In states like Andhra Pradesh it has come down to 11 paise per unit following reforms. Even in the neighbouring Punjab it was 56 paise per unit.

The commission has also directed the board to introduce pre-paid energy meters and install bill payment machines to reduce billing costs. The board is, on an average, spending as many as Rs 57 on delivering a bill, whereas there are over 1.50 lakh domestic consumers, including 80,000 Antyodaya families which are charged at the rate of 70 paise per unit, whose monthly charges are less than the billing cost.

It has asked the board to give details of the billing staff and employees manning the substations along with the date of retirement so that a plan to phase out manned substations and replacement of existing energy meters without any retrenchment could be prepared.

The new power policy announced by the Centre last month also lays emphasis on installation of substation automation equipment and pre-paid energy meters. The policy also makes it incumbent upon the commission to put in place independent third party meter testing arrangements.

Held for killing brother
Tribune News Service

Mandi, March 3
The Mandi Sadar police today arrested Prem Singh (30), a resident of Mahtianidhar Gavani village, about 20 km from here, for allegedly murdering his elder brother, Bhagat Ram (48), and registered a case against him under Section 302, IPC.

According to police sources, Prem Singh beat Bhagat Singh with an iron rod. The vicitm succumbed to his injuries on the spot.

“The duo used to have fights over land and property in the past also.

They shared a common house. The accused was today produced before the court and has been put to three days’ judicial remand,” the police said.

Horticulture officer alleges sexual harassment
Our Correspondent

Parwanoo, March 3
A Horticulture Development Officer of local Pushp Nursery has accused his junior officer for sexual harassment.

In a complaint to the police yesterday, Ms Shivani Thakur has accused Mr Udai Singh Tomar, Horticulture Extension Officer, for sending her a letter containing objectionable matter.

The letter was sent through a labourer.

A case under Sections 292 and 506, IPC, has been registered.

Charas, liquor seized
Our Correspondent

Parwanoo, March 3
The police has seized 1.8 kg of charas and 30 bottles of foreign liquor from bus passengers in three separate cases last evening. The charas was seized from two bus passengers of Haryana Roadway (HR-68-0894) at a special naka put up on the Kalka-Shimla national highway.

Over 1 kg of charas was seized from Dilbagh Singh of Kalva village in Jind district of Haryana. On further checking 800 gram of charas was seized from Mahinder Singh from Galva village in Jind district. Both have been arrested.

A case under Section 20-61-85 of NDPS Act has been registered.