Shimla, February 16
The clearance granted by the World Bank to the Baglihar project in Jammu and Kashmir has paved the way for the opening of the Chenab basin for hydropower development.

The government has been keenly awaiting the report of the neutral expert engaged by the bank as the Chenab basin accounts for 3,000 MW out of the state’s total 21,386 MW of identified hydropower potential. As such the findings of the expert were extremely important for the hydropower development in the state.

The government had all these years cautiously avoided taking up any big hydroelectric projects in the basin as it could have had international ramifications. So far only five micro-hydel schemes with aggregate capacity of 5.30 MW had been set up to meet the local requirement. Further, out of the 14 identified projects only 240 MW Gyspa to be set up on the Bhaga stream is under investigation.

A senior officer said now that the air had been cleared the government would focus on the Chenab basin and more projects would be taken up for investigation. The official does not foresee any problem as there was no bar on non-consumptive use of Chenab waters and more importantly all projects were essentially run-of-the-river projects involving dams of only medium height.

Only seven of the 14 projects are on the main Chenab. They include Reoli (715 MW), Dugar (360 MW), Sachkhas (210 MW), Tandi, Rashil and Seli (150 MW each) and Bardang (114 MW). Chandra and Bhaga, the two main tributaries, account for five projects while the remaining two are on Miyar nullah.

So far only 6,045 MW potential has been harnessed. Projects with aggregate capacity of 2,720 MW are under implementation and detailed project reports have been prepared for another 3,011 MW and they were ready for execution. Projects with aggregate capacity of 3,671 MW were under investigation, while projects with 4,187 MW capacity were yet to be investigated.

Hamirpur, February 16
Those with a family history of diabetes and hypertension should go for regular health check ups of their children, besides monitoring their food habits, to avoid kidney-related problems at later stage.

In an interview with The Tribune, Dr D.S. Rana, Chairman of the Department of Nephrology, Sri Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, said though the (WHO) had predicted that India would become the ‘diabetic capital’ of the world in 2020, but we have the dubious reputation of having the largest number of diabetes cases in 2006 itself.

Dr Rana is in Hamirpur to receive the ‘Son of the Soil’ award from the Indian Medical Association’s Hamirpur chapter tomorrow.

“Of total diabetes patients, 5 percent of top 10 per cent have the chances of suffering from kidney failure. This can be avoided with early detection of a kidney disorder through urine test and blood pressure check-up. Schools should also encourage regular health check-ups,” he said.

However, contrary to the age-old belief that diabetes is a disease of the rich and it runs only in the family, doctors have come across the X-syndrome, wherein diabetes is catching up in people with no family history of diabetes.

“It is primarily due to change in lifestyle _ harmful food habits, sedentary life and genetic changes — that new cases of diabetes are coming up. There is nothing like diabetes prevalent only among the affluent,” he said.

He added those with even one diabetic parent should mind what they ate. High fat food and meat should be avoided if the lifestyle suggests that such stuff would not be digested easily. Parents should educate children right from the age of three years on these issues,” he said.

Dr Rana, who is also the honorary secretary of the Board of Management of Sri Ganga Ram Hospital, has also been instrumental in setting up of a tele-medicine hospital at his birthplace, Dasmal village of Hamirpur.

It is being set up by Sri Ganga Ram Hospital, in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, which besides a one-time financial aid of Rs 16 lakh, would also provide the tele-medicine link through V-SAT.

Mandi, February 16
Amid a political controversy over the opening of the Mahashivratri fair, Shivratri Fair Mela Committee president-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Mandi district, Subhasish Panda performed the traditional puja at the Bhootnath temple here today. With this, the stage has been set for the week-long international Shivratri fair, beginning tomorrow. Over 215 devtas are expected to participate in the fair.

The Mandi Lok Sabha MP, Ms Pratibha Singh, who is the wife of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, will inaugurate the fair.

The district BJP has accused the committee of breaking the “tradition of the mela inauguration either by the Chief Minister or the Governor.

The district BJP vice-president, Mr Ajay Rana, said the party men, including BJP councillors, would participate in the mela ceremonies tomorrow, but they won’t be available for their felicitation by the committee.

Terming the accusation as politically motivated, district Congress president D.D. Thakur said by inviting Ms Pratibha Singh to open the mela, the committee had honoured women of the district. He has urged the BJP leaders to participate in the mela.

Mr Panda said the committee had requested the Governor to open the mela, but he expressed his inability to do the same due to his prior engagements. On the other hand, the Chief Minister consented to preside over the closing ceremony of the mela on February 23, he added.

Mr Panda said the fair had been opened or closed by state dignitaries over the years, and the committee had broken no tradition.

Shimla, February 16
The festival of Shivaratri was celebrated with religious fervour and gaiety.

Devotees converged on Shiva temples to worship the Lord. Long queues were seen at temples everywhere.

Mr V.S. Kokje, Governor, visited the local Sankat Mochan Temple. Underlining the need for involving the community in the management of religious places, he said that by organising "bhakat mandals" comprising local people could prove beneficial in this regard.

Earlier, he performed puja and installed an idol of Lord Shiva in the Rudraksh Temple in the complex. He expressed happiness over the facilities available in the Sankat Mochan complex for visitors and said by adding some more facilities it could become a centre of attraction.

Mr O.P. Kant, SDM, who is also the Chairman of the temple committee, talked about the plan chalked out for the beautification of the complex.

Mr Kriti Wasan, priest of the Rudraksh Temple, said that the idol of Lord Shiva was kept in the open for "darshan" only on the occasion of Mahashivaratri.

Nahan, February 16
Passengers of Haryana Roadways buses, bound for Dehra Dun, are a harassed lot as private bus operators of Uttrakhand allegedly prevent their entry into Harbatpur.

Mr Omkar Singh, a resident of Karora village, said certain private operators of Uttrakhand, carrying arms and lathis, blocked the Haryana Roadways bus (No. HR-37-8936) at Harbatpur recently. They didn’t let the driver to proceed on the route and he had to take a route, which passed through a jungle.

Mr M.B. Naatu, Assistant General Manager, Uttrakhand Roadways, said the route had been given to the Haryana Roadways on a mutual agreement. Bus operators should lodge a complaint with the police whenever they faced bullying by private bus operators. Mr Roshan Lal, president of the Anti-corruption Karamchari Sangathan, has said he will meet Randeep Singh Surjewala in that connection.

Chamba, February 16
The Himachal Government has issued a notification for the opening of a polytechnic college at Chamba from the ensuing academic session. With the opening of this institute, a long-cherished demand of Chamba district would be fulfilled.

According to Animal Husbandry and Urban Development Minister Harsh Mahajan, the opening of a polytechnic institute at Chamba had been announced by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh as a gift in token of the Chamba millennium celebrations.

Mr Mahajan said the institute had been named as Government Millennium Polytechnic College which would start functioning at Sarol in the suburb of Chamba town under the Department of Technical Education.

To begin with, five main technological branches would be commenced in the college, electronics and communication engineering, computer sciences engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, Mr Mahajan informed.

Shimla, February 16
Several parts of Shimla and Sirmaur districts had mild snow even as weather cleared in the rest of the state.

The snow covered areas recorded sub-zero temperatures as a clear night sky caused mercury to fall sharply as a result of which the region continued to reel under severe cold conditions. Water in pipes froze in some areas. The fresh round of snow and sleet, though mild, cheered up the devotees as snow on “Shivratri” is considered auspicious.

Much like yesterday the residents woke up to a clear sky and sun came out brightly. However, dark clouds covered the sky by the afternoon and it started snowing towards the evening. The snow and sleet was accompanied with lightning and thundering.

Besides Shimla, Kufri, Narkanda, Fagu, Chail and Hatu peak were also having intermittent snow since afternoon.

Meanwhile, vehicular traffic had been restored to most of the areas, except Chopal, where snow clearing operation was still on. The state road transport resumed normal bus services through Narkanda and Kharapathar, making Rohru and other areas accessible from Shimla side.

Buses on the Chopal route were plied up to Deha. One bus was sent via Tiuni and Nerwa.

Snowfall in Narkanda brought cheers to skiing enthusiasts who had been disappointed by lack of snow during the entire winter. The slopes were under 3 ft snow enough to start skiing courses. However, it was still not good enough to hold the national junior winter games which had to be cancelled last week.

In case there was another spell of snow only then a decision to organise the games will be taken, a spokesperson of the state winter games association said.

Shimla, February 16
With assembly elections in the state due in a year, the Cabinet will discuss sops to woo voters, in the budget at a meeting on February 19.

Highly placed sources said Budget proposals, especially populist decisions before the state goes to polls in February next year, will be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting. Since this will be the last Budget to be presented by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh before the Assembly elections are held, a large number of concessions are expected to be announced to impress the electorate.

The Cabinet will discuss Budget proposals and the Governor’s address at the Cabinet meeting. The Budget session of the state Assembly will start on February 22, when the budget will be presented by Mr Virbhadra Singh, who holds the Finance portfolio.

Senior officials of the Finance and other departments are busy preparing the Budget, which this time has to be extraordinarily people-friendly in view of elections. “The Chief Minister is keen on getting inputs and feedback from all his ministerial colleagues before he finalises the Budget proposals,” informed a senior official.

It is almost certain the Chief Minister will present a Budget sans fresh taxes, as he had done last year. This being the election Budget there is no scope for imposing additional taxes on the people. “The Chief Minister has already certain sops in mind like providing unemployment allowance to jobless youth whose number is on the rise,” officials said.

Besides this the government could also consider increasing age of retirement for state government employees.

This would be an important decision affecting a large section of the electorate — employees. Moreover, employees in Himachal play a major role in state’s politics and winning them over can sway the results in anybody’s favour.

Shimla, February 16
A major fire broke out in a hotel on Mall Road here early this morning, forcing the panic-stricken tourists from Haryana to jump off the third floor.

As the fire, reportedly caused by an electric short-circuit, engulfed the suites on the third floor of Hotel Ghar at around 3 a.m., the panic-stricken tourists, sleeping in the third-floor rooms, jumped off to Mall Road to save their lives.

Three of them sustained multiple injuries on the arms, while others escaped with minor nicks and pulled muscles.

The baggage of the tourists, who had come here to enjoy the snow in Shimla, was destroyed. Two fire engines from Bioleauganj and Chhota Shimla fire station battled the blaze for about half an hour before it could be fully doused.

Beds and other furniture in one set of the hotel were destroyed, while three other rooms were partially damaged, fire station sources said. — UNI

Baddi, February 16
The delay in appointing five nominated members in the newly formed Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Development Authority (BBNDA) has caused widespread resentment in the industrial fraternity of the Baddi belt. As per the notification, the state government had to appoint five nominated members in the BBNDA. The members were to be chosen from the industrial circle with the recommendation of the Baddi-Barotiwala -Nalagarh Industries Association (BBNIA).

The idea behind the move was to give a due representation to the local industrial representatives in helping the BBNDA manage operations here. Almost three month have passed since the formation of the authority, but the nominations were still pending, lamented the BBNIA officials. "We have forwarded the name of the members to the government. No reply has been received from the government so far". The delay in appointing the nominated members could harm the industry benefits, feared the BBNIA official.

Meanwhile, Dr Amandeep Garg, CEO, BBNDA, said the nomination of members was a must. Ironically, nobody from the industry has approached him over the matter, he pointed out. — TNS