Shimla, December 19
The High Court today granted six weeks’ more time to the police team investigating the HP-CPMT paper leak case to complete investigations and make the remaining arrests.

The police had moved an application on December 12 seeking some more time as some of the persons wanted in the case were still at large. They had pointed out that almost 70 persons were involved in the case which include touts, tutors and parents, many of whom were from outside the state.

Prior to this also the High Court had granted two months’ time to the police team to complete investigations. At that time also the police had taken the plea that since charge sheet had to be prepared against 70 persons, it required some more time.

It is learnt that the mastermind behind the paper leak, Ahtsham Ahmed, a resident of Motihari in Bihar, was still wanted to complete the investigations. "Everyone was working for Ahtsham Ahmed who was the recipient of all financial gains but he was known to all of them as Dr Mullick," informed a police official.

A team of Himachal police is still camping in Bihar and in the past also several raids have been made at his native place in Motihari. Ahtsham is wanted in a number of cases by the police of four states in the country but has managed to evade arrest so far.

Another person still wanted for his involvement in the HP-CPMT case is Ajmer Singh Kalra, a resident of Makhu village in Ferozepore district of Punjab. His accomplice, Goverdhan Singh Gaba, had been arrested by the police and was granted bail by the court.

Hamirpur, December 19
The ‘hathli khud’, which feeds nearly a dozen water supply schemes in the area, is being contaminated by garbage dump collected from Hamirpur town by the Municipal Council.

Even though a solid waste management plant has been set up at Dagnedi village, a few kms from the city, most of the garbage is being dumped into the adjoining ‘hathli khud’ instead.

Since a portion of the retaining wall has caved in, the garbage is spilling over into the water stream of the khud.

The water stream from the khud flows into ‘Kunah Khud’, which is around 500 m downhill and feeds many drinking water and irrigation schemes of the Irrigation and Public Health Department, catering to nearly 40 villages in the area, informs an official of the department.

The key water supply schemes include Masiana, Bari Farnol, Har Nalti, Baleta, Jhaniari and Sasan schemes. The water stream in ‘Kunah Khud’ eventually merges into the Beas, near Nadaun sub-division of Hamirpur.

The solid waste treatment plant has been set up at a cost of Rs 55 lakh with the objective of converting garbage into manure.

Employees admit that a large portion of the garbage, which can not be converted into manure, besides residue from the manure-preparation process, is being dumped into the ‘khud’, defeating the very objective of setting up the solid waste treatment plant.

They add that till now 95 sacks of manure have been prepared and a sample has been sent to Shimla so that it can be sold.

Incidentally, the plant was inaugurated by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on October 22, 2005.

When contacted, Mr R.P.Tandon, Superintending Engineer, IPH, assured to look into the issue and said samples from the water schemes would be taken to make sure there was no contamination.

"Even though water is taken from sub-soil level and it is properly treated before supply for drinking and irrigation, the level of contamination would be checked up to make sure there are no traces of unwanted elements in water even after treatment.

“At the same time, the Municipal Council should definitely ensure that garbage is not dumped into the natural water resource," he said.

Mr Ajmer Singh, Executive Officer of the Hamirpur Municipal Council, said another retaining wall would soon be constructed to make sure that garbage thrown into the khud did not spill over into the water resource.

"Only bio-degradable waste is treated in the plant and some of the residual is thrown near the khud. Recently, officials of the Pollution Control Board had also visited the area and did not find anything objectionable. However, we would look into the matter to make sure there is no contamination of the water stream," he said.

Shimla, December 19
Contrary to government expectation of generating crores from the retention policy, the response to the policy has been lukewarm. Last date for applying, December 31, draws near.

The Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department had assessed that nearly 10,000 unauthorised constructions would be regularised all over the state but very few people have applied for regularisation so far. Officials admit that the number will certainly be over 30,000.

It is surprising that in the state capital, which virtually has become a concrete jungle, only 31 persons have applied for the regularisation of structures. Though 1,300 forms were sold for seeking regularisation of unauthorised structures but only 13 building plans, maps and other related documents had been deposited.

With enhanced rates of compounding the illegal structures, the government was anticipating that over Rs 8 crore would be generated by way of this retention policy. It is expected that a majority will apply after December 25 but seeing the poor response, the number of cases for regularisation could be fewer than expected.

In Shimla itself, where a number of unauthorised constructions would be more than 10,000, very few applications for retention have been received. “One of the main reasons for fewer people applying for regularisation could be enhanced rates for compounding but there is possibility that people are awaiting the outcome of the public interest litigation filed against the retention policy in the high court,” commented an official.

In Shimla, residents of Shoghi, Kufri and Ghannati would apply to the Special Area Development Authority (SADA). Residents of New Shimla, Tutu and Dhalli after their merger will apply to the municipal corporation.

Another factor coming in the way of more people applying under the retention policy could be the condition of 50 per cent overall setback. Officials point out that a large number of unauthorised constructions have not qualified for regularisation as these do not have setback of 25 per cent.

Under the retention policy floated for the entire state, one can apply to the Special Area Development Authority (SADA) in the 35 special Areas and to the TCP office concerned in case of the 20 Planning Areas. Besides this at 12 places, mostly municipalities single window facility has been provided for the convenience of the people.