Shimla, September 27
Plans of the government to make the hill state a “knowledge hub” of the country have received a fillip with a number of prestigious organisations making a beeline for setting up private universities.

The private universities Act was passed early this year and so far rules have not been framed. However, still 21 organisations, including some well-established names in the field of education, have come up with proposals. The prominent among these are Apeejay Satya Group, Amity, ICFAI, Chitkara Education Trust, The Bells Education and Research Society, Indian Institute of Ecology and Environment, Ind-Swift Limited and PCPI Education Society.

The Amity is keen to set up a university in Dharamsala and sent a proposal to the government. The Apeejay Group, which runs about 36 educational institutions, has even identified 400 bighas of land near Parwanoo.

The government had written to all applicants to complete the formalities under section of the Act and submit the complete structure of the university along with details of manpower and infrastructure to be created. They will also be required to submit a draft of Rs 10 lakh along with the proposal.

Once the proposal is approved in principle, the promoters will have to create an endowment fund of Rs 2 crore. As per the Act, a private university will only be a “unitary” institution. As such, it will be essentially a campus university, which cannot affiliate other institutions.

Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, asserts that the government would be selective in allowing private university and it would only welcome established names in the field to the state.

The Jaypee University of Information and Technology was the first private university to be set up in the state in 2002.It was set up under a specific Act. Subsequently, the government decided to have a legislation to pave way for a establishing a number of such institutions. 

Shimla, September 27
The main tout in the HP-CPMT question paper leak, Munir Alam, was today remanded in police custody till September 30.

Munir Alam, a resident of Gopalganj in Bihar, was arrested by the local police from Tara Devi yesterday and produced in the court today. A team of the Himachal police had visited Bihar twice to arrest Munir Alam, but had been unsuccessful in nabbing him.

Being a Central Government employee, he had been posted in Shimla when he arranged tutoring for almost 10 candidates keen to get admission in a medical college. He was reportedly in touch with the main kingpin, Dr Goverdhan Singh Gaba, who is also in police custody here.

According to the police, Munir allegedly arranged counselling for 10 candidates in Dehra Dun where the students went with their parents. 

Shimla, September 27
Agro Industrial Packaging India Limited has decided to invite fresh tenders for leasing out its carton making plant at Gumma as the three parties that had applied earlier have not been found up to the mark.

The decision to float fresh tenders to lease the plant on which a loan liability of the government has touched Rs 45 crore, was taken at a meeting here yesterday.

The government is keen to lease out the plant so that some of the losses can be recovered. Last year, 18 lakh corrugated fibre board cartons had been manufactured at the plant. With the manufacturing cost of each carton being Rs 34.50, there is not much demand for these cartons even though they are of a superior quality.

Three parties had shown interest in taking the plant on lease. This included Himachal Indage, a group which is setting up its winery plant near Gumma.

The government is providing a subsidy of Rs 4 on each carton but only growers having holdings of less than 10 bighas are entitled to avail this subsidy. The government had, uptil 2003, provided a subsidy of Rs 10 on cartons made at the plant which had come into commercial production in 1991-92.

The government had made an investment of Rs 17.52 crore with regard to the plant but it failed to generate profit. The machinery at the plant was imported but it was barely able to make running profit because of the high manufacturing cost.

Shimla, September 27
The services of 116 employees of Agro- Industrial Packaging India Ltd have been placed at the disposal of the government as they have been placed in the surplus pool.

The decision was taken at a Board of Directors meeting of Agro-Industrial Packaging India Ltd here yesterday. There are a total of 188 employees in Agro- Industrial Packaging India Ltd.

During the meeting, which was chaired by the Horticulture and Food and Supplies Minister, Mr Singhi Ram, it was also decided that employees would be given 4 per cent DA which they had received only up to June this year.

Shimla, September 27
Engineers and employees of the state electricity board have hailed the move to withdraw the 700-MW Luri and 1020-MW Khab hydroelectric projects from the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam, but it could reopen the issue of sending the deputationists back to the board, creating problems for the state government.

So far no formal decision has been taken in this regard. But the state government has indeed decided to set up new public undertaking, the Himachal Power Corporation, for the execution of major hydroelectric projects and Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, has indicated that the Luri project may be assigned to it.

The Luri and Khab projects, along with the 412-MW Rampur project, were awarded to the nigam to save 726 surplus employees of the board who were on deputation with the nigam from repatriation. At present about 250 employees have been deployed in the 412-MW Rampur project and 220 in the Luri and Khab projects.

In fact, the nigam had initiated the process to send back the 742 surplus employees to the board last year and even ordered repatriation of 64 workmen when the state failed to sign agreement for the Rampur project and commit more projects to the nigam. However, orders were kept in abeyance after the state informed that an agreement for the Rampur project had been finalised. As per the accord signed subsequently, all the 910 employees of the state electricity board, who were on deputation with the nigam, were to be retained on deputation or permanent absorption basis.

At present the nigam has about 1,750 employees, of which over 850 are on deputation from the board. The board of directors of the nigam has approved a staff strength of 1,201 personnel, including a manpower of 570 for the corporate office, for the operation and maintenance of the Nathpa-Jhakri project. The nigam has a permanent staff of 900, including 250 board employees who have opted for permanent absorption. As per the agreement, to begin with 220 employees would be deployed in the project initially and the number will increase to 500 when the work is at peak. Out of these a minimum of 40 per cent will be from the board.

Thus, if the government goes ahead with its threat to withdraw the two projects, 650-odd employees of the board could again face repatriation from the nigam.