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Fresh constructions in Shimla may be banned: CM
Power board engineers want issues resolved
Congress policies ‘spreading terrorism’
Solan boy to take part in NASA contest
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Unrest at Cadbury’s Baddi unit
Plan to settle 1,420 Gujjar families
Steps to prevent water-borne diseases
Dhumal sold HP’s interests: Congress
Minor raped
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Fresh constructions in Shimla may be banned: CM
Shimla, July 12 This was stated by the Chief Minister while reviewing the Rain Water Harvesting Scheme implementation in the state. “The unplanned growth of concrete housing is fast eroding the concept of a hilly town and valley side construction obstructing the view are a matter of grave concern,” he said. He directed the authorities to expedite survey work to identify sites for the setting up of satellite townships near Shoghi, Junga, Mashobra, Fagu and Kufri. The government would engage a consultant who would advise on the systematic and planned development of such satellite towns. Each satellite town would be for a population of 10,000 to 15,000 persons, which would help decongest the capital town. He said the government would make amendments in the existing Town and Country Planning Act or enact a separate law banning constructions of the valley side. “People owning land on the valley side would be allowed house construction with 45 degrees slanted roofs which would not obstruct the view from the road,” he said. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the state government in association with the local and urban bodies would identify national, state highways and other roads which would be governed by the new Act for development. The government intended restoring the lost glory of the town as crore of rupees would be made available to the state under the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM). He said funds under the JNURM would be utilised on creating additional facilities to meet the growing requirements of the locals as well as tourists. “We also propose to freeze new construction after the completion of Phase III in New Shimla area,” he said. Heritage building would be identified and no reconstruction activity would be allowed. The Chief Minister said rooftop rain water harvesting had emerged as the top priority keeping in view the water scarcity in the town, which was likely to aggravate in the coming years. He said having rooftop rainwater harvesting provision had been mandatory for all government buildings and while new buildings, too, were being asked to have this facility for their convenience.
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Power board engineers want issues resolved
Shimla, July 12 As per an agreement the NTPC was bound to take the services of 30 executives from the board against proposed strength of 100 such personnel. As the number of executives working in the project has doubled to 200, proportionate share of executives from the board works out at 60. However, only 14 engineers from the board have joined the project so far. The main reason for reluctance of board engineers to join the project is that the terms and conditions of the deputationists have not been settled , according to the Project Engineers Association. It maintains that the corporation authorities have been deliberately denying proper parity to the deputationists at various levels with the intention of discouraging the board staff from joining the project. It has been violating the agreement signed with the state but blaming the government and the board for the non-participation of the agreed to staff. As a result the fund-starved board was bearing an avoidable burden of Rs 2 crore every year on account of salaries. The engineers are offered posts which were two to three levels below the levels attained by corporation’s own engineers with same length of service. The engineers who serve as assistant engineer (Class -I) with six years of regular service in the board are considered for a post one step below the entry level for fresh engineering graduates. The gap widens further at higher levels. To drive home its point the association cited a recent advertisement for appointments by the NTPC in hydro sector in which executives having up to five- year experience and with three year of service in the pay scale of Rs 8000-13,500 were considered for E-3 level whereas for the same post board engineers are supposed to fulfil the criterion of nine years. The board engineers are in general offered posts two to three levels below the levels attained by their own engineers with same length of service The matter regarding fixation of pay has also not been resolved so far despite requests as a result the deputationists are drawing the minimum grade salary. The government and the board sent its proposal on terms and conditions, emoluments and other benefits to the NTPC in March, 2005, but nothing has been done.
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Congress policies ‘spreading terrorism’
Chamba, July 12 Mr Dhumal alleged that the Congress government had come to power at the Centre being in league with the ULFA and the same was being repeated in the light of the ensuing assembly elections in certain states. Referring to the recent blasts in Mumbai and Srinagar, Mr Dhumal stated these incidents were the evidence of the unbalanced and unfair policies of the Congress government, thereby spreading terrorist activities across the country. “Repealing POTA (Prevention of Terrorist Act) by the Congress government soon after its assuming power at the Centre was a clear indication that the Congress had no interest in rooting out terrorism,” Mr Dhumal said. Speaking about Himachal Pradesh, Mr Dhumal alleged that the Congress government had failed to safeguard the interests of the people of the state. Quoting a recent instance of the appointment of the Director (Personnel) and Chief Engineer (Civil) in the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam from outside the state, Mr Dhumal stated that this move would certainly overlook the interests of the state. Regarding Himachal’s power share in the Bhakra Dam project, Mr Dhumal disclosed that under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 7.19 per cent power share was to be given to HP, but he regretted that at the moment Chandigarh was getting more power than Himachal.
— OC
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Solan boy to take part in NASA contest
Shimla, July 12 Neeraj, along with 15 other members of his team from Apeejay School, Jalandhar, will leave for Thompson Space Centre, Houston. He is a final year student of electronics and communication at the IT University at Vaknaghat and hails from Solan. He is the topper of his course in the JP University of IT. He will be participating in “The Space Settlement Design Competition”, being organised by NASA and AAAS from July 14 to 17 the Space Design Centre, Houston, Texas. “After reaching there we will be given details whether the colony on the Mars would be set up on the surface or in the atmosphere and we will have to prepare a 50-page proposal,” he explained. In the 50-page proposal, they will have to tackle technical data, mathematical calculations and scientific simulations and observations. NASA will select the best proposal out of the ones prepared by the eight teams out of which four teams are from the USA, three from India and one each from Australia and Malaysia. Having keen interest in astronautics and aeronautics, he is subscriber of the NASA News Letter, from which he got know about the competition, which is finally taking him closer to his dreams. He had to compete not just at the national level but Asian and international level to be member of one of the eight teams chosen from all over the world. “I am viewing it as a stepping stone which will pave the way for my entry into NASA or ISRO,” he says with big dreams in his eyes.
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Unrest at Cadbury’s Baddi unit
Baddi, July 12 According to the BMS leader Mela Ram Chandel, the company which had been operating for the past one year, has not paid any attention to their demands. He said they were made to work in inhospitable conditions with temperatures surpassing 60 degrees and no fan facility. This had caused severe skin problems to them. He further alleged that facilities like provident fund, EFP, etc., were not provided to them. The company had even failed to provide the mandatory identity cards to them. A group of Himachali workers had met the Chief Minister yesterday. Company had done little to diffuse the issue, alleged the striking workers. The Labour Inspector, Mr Rajinder Chauhan, said he found the workers at fault as they had failed to issue a demand charter before proceeding on strike. He added that talks were underway with the management and workers to end the stalemate. He, however, could not explain if workers from Haryana and Punjab were working in the unit and said it had not been brought to his notice. The BMS, however, asserted that they had duly issued a written letter to the management on July 5 and had warned them that if their demands were not met they would proceed on strike. They further alleged that the management had been deploying workers from Haryana and Punjab which had been brought by the contractors. The company which did not give them even a weekly off and paid nothing for overtime was now getting work done during the night hours.
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Plan to settle 1,420 Gujjar families
Shimla, July 12 Out of the identified families, 1,270 had opted to settle in different districts permanently. He said that identification of suitable land for development of settlements was nearing completion and adequate land was being identified for allotment to such families. The settlement process would be started after the initial process was completed. He said the government had decided to extend the date of re-survey of the Gujjar families to ascertain that all the eligible families were brought under the fold of settlement programme. He appealed to the non-official members of the board to cooperate with the administration in identifying eligible families so that they were also benefited and settled permanently. He said after completion of the survey the list of eligible families would be displayed in the Deputy Commissioners’ offices and members of the community would be free to raise queries which would be replied by the district administration before finally carrying out the settlement programme. The Chief Minister said his government was committed to the socio-economic uplift of the Gujjar community.
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Steps to prevent water-borne diseases
Mandi, July 12 Reviewing the progress of measures taken here yesterday, Deputy Commissioner (Mandi) Subhasish Panda directed the CMO, IPH engineers and the BDOs to coordinate efforts to meet any emergency arising out of flash floods, cloudbursts or landslides. Villagers and labourers living along the banks of the Beas, the Sutlej and other khuds had been asked to move to safer places. The CMO, Dr K.S. Katoch, said health workers would distribute chlorine tablets among villagers.
— TNS
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Dhumal sold HP’s interests: Congress
Shimla, July 12 Reacting sharply to the statement of Mr Dhumal alleging that the Congress regime had failed to secure 12 per cent share in power projects, Mr Rangila Ram Rao, Excise and Taxation Minister, and Mr Harsh Mahajan, the Animal Husbandry Minister, said the BJP leader had been making such false allegations to keep himself afloat politically.
— TNS
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Minor raped
Solan, July 12 She was finally found at Girdhari Lal Rawat’s house, who also works in the same unit. Seeing her plight, the parents took her to a private clinic at Barotiwala. The doctor, Dr Sudhir Gupta, confirmed that she had been raped. The poor illiterate parents lodged a complaint yesterday at Barotiwala police station. The police has registered a case under Section 376 of the IPC and a manhunt had been lodged for nabbing Girdhari Lal.
— OC
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