Shimla, January 12
The inordinate delay in taking up the Rampur Project notwithstanding, the 412 MW plant will still be one of the most economical hydroelectric venture.

The project is essentially the stage-II of the 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri project, the largest hydro-electric scheme of the country, which was commissioned in 2003 by the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN). Work on the project should have started much before the completion of the Nathpa Jhakri project but the state and the Centre, the two partners in the SJVN, failed to arrive at an agreement. In fact, an agreement was finalised in July 2002 but it could not be signed as employees of the state electricity board had opposed it.

The Congress government, which came to power subsequently, had renegotiated the project to get its equity share raised from 25 to 30 per cent and include a provision that at least 70 percent manpower for the project will be recruited from within the state. An agreement was finally signed in October 2004.

In the meantime the cost of the project had escalated from Rs 1734 crore to Rs 2047 crore. The cost of generation, which was less than Rs 2 per unit, has gone up to Rs 2.39 per unit.

It is the most economical project as power will be generated by utilising the de-silted tailrace water of the Nathpa Khakri project. No big diversion dam or de-silting chambers will be required to be constructed. A 15-km-long head race tunnel (HRT) will carry the tail race water from the Jhakri to Bayal, 10 km from Rampur, where the power house will be constructed. It will start from the left bank and crossover to the right bank underneath the bed of the Sutlej from a point 484 m down stream Jhakri. The gross head is 138 m , while head available for power generation will be 119 m. Besides the tunnel a 140-m deep surge shaft will also be constructed.

Unlike Nathpa Jhakri, which boasts of the largest underground power station of Asia, the power house will be constructed over-ground. As the power house will function in tandem with the Nathpa Jhakri project, as many as six turbines, each of 68.67 MW capacity ,will be installed. The Nathpa Jhakri has six units of 250 MW each. In all 1770 million units of electricity will be generated.

The project will be financed on 70 is to 30 debt equity ratio and the SJVN will provide Rs 614 crore from its internal resources. The state will also be entitled to 12 per cent of the power generated, free of cost, as royalty. The total requirement of land is 101 hectare out which 69 hectare is forest land and the rest private land.

Dharamsala, January 12
The State Planning Board has proposed the 11th five-year plan pegged at Rs 14,000 crore. The first annual plan of the 11th five-year plan beginning from the financial year 2007-08 has also been proposed at Rs 2,100 crore.

Decisions in this regard were taken at a board’s meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh. While addressing the board meeting he said the major objectives of the plan would include provision of essential public services for all sections of the society.

He said the annual plan of Rs 2,100 crore for the financial year 2007-08 comprised Rs 1,629 crore for general plan, Rs 231 crore for the Scheduled Caste component, Rs 189 crore for the tribal sub plan and Rs 51 crore for the Backward area sub plan. The Chief Minister revealed that the Scheduled Caste component would be a part of the state plan .He further said his was predominantly a rural state as 90 per cent of its population lived in the villages, sparsely scattered with difficult topography. Under such constraints, creation of socio-economic infrastructure had not only been difficult but expensive as well.

He said the social services sector had been proposed to be accorded highest priority, which would include further expansion of drinking water supply, education and health services to the remote areas.

The Chief Minister announced that his government had decided to continue to accord highest priority to the transport and communication sector. Besides this, the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna, the RIDF schemes of NABARD, the World Bank-aided projects and the state plan would be vigorously executed to increase the connectivity for giving boost to the socio-economic activities.

He said envisaging an average growth rate of 4 per cent to increase the farm incomes would strengthen the agriculture sector. He added a new model of the public-private partnership would be forged to actualize entire hydro-power potential and efforts would be made to allot the remaining major hydro-power projects within the first year of the 11th five year plan, he added.

He said the state was first in the country to constitute District Planning Committees for effective and people-oriented implementation of the plan.

He emphasized on agro-diversity with scientific, exotic and organic approach for strengthening the rural economy.

Kangra, January 12
Swami Vivekananda’s teachings were quite relevant even in the present time. Although the situation had worsened after 59 years of Independence. The only solution to save the nation was to imbibe the teachings of Swami Vivekananda in the right perspective.

Former Union Minister Shanta Kumar said this today on the occasion of 144 birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda, organised by the Vivekananda Kendra, here at the auditorium of the Polytechnic college here.

He said the Swami was a nationalist saint who abandoned the idea of ‘moksaha’ (liberation) and preferred serving the downtrodden people of the country and quoted Netaji Subhash Chander Bose on this.

He stressed upon adopting a positive and optimistic attitude towards the life. Mr Kumar said that Indian culture had a distinct identity in the world, which attracted the western society towards it, and added youth should make efforts to preserve this culture.

He said that his philosophy and his teachings could help in leading an ideal life. He said the Swami’s birth anniversary was observed as National Youth Day in the country and the youth should take inspiration from his life.

He said that Swami Vivekananda gave a new direction to the society by his dynamic ideas and established Rama Krishena Mission to promote Indian philosophy and social service. Mr Shanta Kumar also honoured Mr Bagh Singh, 86 , freedom fighter from INA, an associate of Netaji Subhash Chander Bose, on this occasion. Vivekananda Kendra honours one INA freedom Fighter every year on the occasion of Vivekananda Jayanti.

Twenty-eight students from 20 schools of Himachal Pradesh as well as eight school were given prizes for MCQ competition organised by the Kendra in December last year.

On this occasion Swami Shivasevananda from Ram Krishen Tapovan , Sadhupul, narrated some incidents from the life of Swami Vivekananda and described Swamiji as an ideal for the youth of the modern India.

Mr Parveen Dhobolkar, joint general secretary of Vivekananda Kendra, Kanya Kumari, detailed out the activities of the kendra on the national level. Mr Ashok Raina, convener of the local unit of the kendra, also spoke on the selfless ideals of the Swami to be inculcated in personal lives. He welcomed the guests. Mr Shanta Kumar was honoured by Swami Yogi Varananda of RamaKrishen Tapovan on this occasion. — OC