Sarkaghat (Mandi), March 20
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh addressed two public meetings here today. He accused the previous BJP regime of encouraging encroachers. With an eye on the votes of ex-servicemen, women and unemployed youth, he also announced that separate OPD blocks would be opened at all major hospitals and the National Rozgar Guarantee Programme (NRGP) would be launched in Mandi and Kangra districts soon.

Addressing the first public meeting after inaugurating the new OPD block constructed at a cost of Rs 1 crore at the referral hospital here, he said new blocks would be started at all major hospitals to ensure better health services to patients in the state.

He said the NRGS that guaranteed 100-day employment to the beneficiaries would be launched in Mandi and Kangra districts soon.

On the issue of encroachments on government land, he said the government would not spare big encroachers. However, small-time poor encroachers would be treated sympathetically. He went on to accuse the previous the Dhumal-led BJP government of encouraging encroachers by offering regularisation of encroachments.

Aware of the large number of ex-servicemen in Sarkaghat subdivision, he said there was a plan to open an ex-servicemen bhavan here, besides reserving seats in government jobs for them. He said the government had also constituted an ex-servicemen welfare board.

He said the sewerage scheme for the Sarkaghat town would be completed on priority. On the request of the Bar Association, Sarkaghat, he announced grants of Rs 50,000 each for the library and furniture for the Bar room.

Excise and taxation minister and Gopalpur MLA Rangila Ram Rao said the CM had given Rs 3 crore for constriction of mini secretariat at Sarkaghat. He also requested him to sanction funds for the construction of a fire station, lift facility and a blood bank at the local referral hospital.

Virbhadra Singh laid the foundation stone for the Rs 17.71-crore Bhadrota-Suranga-Baira-Hatli lift drinking water scheme that would meet the water shortage in the area in 96 habitations in the subdivision in the Gopalpur constituency. He also laid the foundation stone of the Rs 50-lakh science block at Bambhla government senior secondary school.

In the evening, he inaugurated the 33/11 KV substation, Bhaderwar (Rakhota), built at a cost of Rs 2.40 crore that would end the low-voltage problem in 90 villages in the constituency benefiting over 24,000 residents. He also addressed a public meeting there.

During his two-days tour, the CM inaugurated the first referral unit (FRU) building built at a cost of Rs 12 lakh at Baldwara and a new school building built at a cost of Rs 18 lakhs at senior secondary school and sanctioned Rs 20 lakh for the upgraded Baldwara tehsil for necessary infrastructure.

Shimla, March 20
High-altitude areas of the tribal districts of the state experienced mild snowfall, while the mid and lower hills were lashed by rain over the past 24 hours, reviving fears of another spell of cold wave conditions in the state.

The high-altitude areas of the tribal districts of Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti and Chamba experienced fresh spell of intermittent snowfall, while the lower areas received light rain last night.

The Met office said Dhundi in Kullu district received 24 cm snow, followed by 13 cm at Patseio in Lahaul Spiti, 12 cm at Kelong and 3 cm at Kaza in Kinnaur district.

Rain lashed mid and lower hills of the state, with Manali in Kullu district, Khajjiar and Dalhousie in Chamba district and Kufri, Narkanda, Fagu Sarahan and Shimla town in Shimla district, experiencing light rain, it said.

The state capital recorded 9.2 mm rain by 5.30 pm, while Sundernagar received 5.2 mm, Bhuntar 13.4 mm, Kalpa 6 mm, Dharamsala 7.4 mm and Palampur 7 mm.

Solang Nullah and Bhang Manali in Kullu recorded 20 mm rain, registering a decline in the day temperature.

The sky remained overcast throughout the day in the state capital.

The Met department said the minimum temperature here was 7.5 °C, 12.6°C at Sundernagar, 9.8°C at Bhuntar and - 0.5°C at Kalpa in Kinnaur district. — UNI

Shimla, March 20
Even though the number of fresh jaundice cases in various hospitals has come down considerably, the first viral hepatitis-related death of a local resident has been 
reported.

Vijay Sharma (52), a senior assistant in the students section at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here, died at the PGI last night. The deceased remained admitted to the IGMC for almost two weeks after he acquired viral hepatitis.

Medical superintendent of IGMC Hardyal said Vijay Sharma was referred to the PGI after his condition deteriorated. Even after being under treatment at the PGI for 20 days, his condition did not improve and he died last night.

Dr Hardyal, however, added though the deceased had jaundice there could be other reasons for his death. He admitted that this was the first jaundice-related death since the outbreak of the disease in the town.

The CMO said 15 new cases had been reported today. The number of cases pouring into hospitals had come down considerably. Jaundice cases from various localities have been pouring into the city hospitals for the past over two months. The localities of Kasumpti, Vikasnagar, New Shimla, Khalini and the adjoining areas reported the maximum number of cases.

With the outbreak of jaundice in the town during the peak of the winters surprising all, the municipal corporation and the health department got water samples tested. In fact, a two-member team from the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, was summoned to ascertain the type of hepatitis infection. The two scientists had confirmed that it was a mixed infection of hepatitis A and E. Even the samples sent to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) had confirmed that it was hepatitis A and E infection.

The municipal corporation has undertaken cleaning of all its storage tanks and reservoirs to curb jaundice. The health and family welfare department has launched an awareness campaign to ask people to take precautions in drinking water and personal hygiene.

Shimla, March 20
With the plan to carry out scientific culling of monkeys and boars not making much headway, the state forest department has decided to liberalise the procedure for granting permission to farmers to kill wild boars.

Under the liberalised procedure, forest range officers have been empowered to grant permission to farmers to kill up to 10 wild boars. Now, they can even consume the meat of the killed animal which under the law is the property of the state. However, they will not be allowed to sell the meat.

Additional principal chief conservator of forests (wild life) Vinay Tandon said the department planned to implement a pilot project for selective "killing" of two species, which had become problematic, to take care of the increasing animal-human conflict. The exercise was to be carried out by involving NGOs, panchayati raj institutions and local farmers but there was no response. Such an approach was necessary as monkeys involved the religious sentiments of the people and any move to eliminate them could lead to a public outcry.

The department had now decided to train its staff for carrying out what he called "legal group hunting" in identified problematic pockets.

There was some delay as the department was having the necessary weapons but not the licences. As such, it could not procure the required ammunition. After licences, forest staff would be provided training at police training college, Daroh.

Shimla, March 20
Failing to get sufficient number of specialists for effective functioning of the first referral units (FRU), the government is considering offering a special incentive-based package to woo doctors willing to serve in remote rural areas, under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

Despite holding walk-in interviews on a number of occasions, the paucity of specialist doctors is proving to be the biggest hurdle in the effective implementation of the NRHM, aimed at providing quality health services to people residing in distant rural areas. As against a requirement of 72 specialist doctors to be posted at the proposed FRUs, barely 12 have joined the service.

With specialists not finding the Rs 25,000 pay package attractive enough to join the RHM, the state government is considering giving additional incentives like house rent, travelling allowance and service or performance-based payment.

Besides providing them with a decent amount as travelling allowance, could be an added attraction. Another incentive being considered will depend on services and additional work being rendered by the specialist.

“The proposal is still in the inception stage and will be considered by the government keeping in mind the pros and cons, but this is certainly one option which could help us tide over the problem of getting required number of specialists,” NRHM project director Mohan Chauhan said.

During the mission period till 2012, the government has to open a total of 66 FRUs in all 12 districts of the state. Out of this, 36 places have been identified where they are to be opened. So far the government has been able to make about six at Nalagarh, Rampur, Sarkghat, Ghumarwin, Fatehpur and Gagret functional.

Dharamsala, March 20
The process of allocation of hydroelectric projects in Himachal has come under the scanner after the Hyderabad-based Lanco group and its associate, Singapore-based Globeleq, allegedly submitted fake documents for getting the 4,000-MW Sasan power project in Madhya Pradesh.

It may be mentioned that the Lanco group has also been allocated 21 small and medium hydropower projects during the past one decade with a total capacity of 700 MW. Construction has been initiated only on five power projects with a generation capacity of 90 MW only.

Till December, 2006, MoUs for 299 projects had been signed by the HP Energy Development Agency. As many as 93 projects have been cancelled or declared unviable for various reasons.

At present, 206 projects with an aggregate capacity of 547.50 MW are in existence out of which eight with an aggregate capacity of 20.65 MW stand commissioned. As many as 90 projects with an aggregate capacity of 299.40 MW are under implementation while the others, with an aggregate capacity of 227.45 MW, have been at the MoU stage for the past many years.

Interestingly, the power-purchase agreements for only 38 projects have so far been signed.

The state agency has left a loophole for the companies to re-assess the cost of the project even after the completion of construction which would help them increase the rates of power after commissioning of the project. For example, the Jaypee group recently asked the government to revise the rates of power from the 300-MW Baspa-II project commissioned a few years back. The existing power purchase rates were determined on the basis of a report submitted by the company with regard to the estimated total cost of the project.

The power policy also needs a fresh look on interference by outside companies with regard to the sites reserved exclusively for Himachalis . As many as 168 micropower projects having the capacity of 2 MW or less have been reserved for state subjects.

It has been made mandatory that local entrepreneurs would have to seek financial assistance from outside companies so as to get projects allotted.

Tarsem Kaistha, director of Task Energies Private Limited, has demanded that the allocation of power project should be based on the individual financial capacity of the applicant company.

Nurpur, March 20
The revocation of eligibility of 160 old age and widow pensioners by the state social, justice and empowerment department in Kangra district has dismayed the beneficiaries. According to sources, the Kangra district welfare officer of the department has served notices, declared them ineligible for these pensions. There are 41,047 beneficiaries in Kangra district who are getting old age, widow and disabled pensions every month.

According to official sources, there are 53 pensioners in Palampur and just one in Baijnath tehsils whose eligibility is being questioned. In Nurpur, Indora, Fatehpur, Jawali, Shahpur, Jaisinghpur, Khundian,Kangra, Jaswan tehsils, 13,9,9,6,6,2,13,31,and 16 beneficiaries are likely to lose their pensions,respectively.

District welfare officer, Kangra, Amar Singh Walia said the department had proposed this action only rejection of eligibility of these beneficiaries. These beneficiaries had been given one month to prove their eligibility.

Dharamsala, March 20
President of the World Environment Foundation, UK, Madhav Mehra has called for initiating steps to ensure that the increasing greenhouse emissions are controlled to make the earth a safer place to live.

He was interacting with scientists, representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and representatives of the local administration at Palampur in Kangra district, today.

He said if immediate steps were not taken to check the greenhouse effect, universal temperature would rise by 3 to 5°C by 2050. It would deprive the high mountains of their snow cover and inundate large areas, thus causing misery and havoc in the world.

In order to ensure a healthy life for the coming generations, it was essential that the today’s generation initiated steps to check this devastation, he added. He said the nature had its own system of recycling its waste and that was the reason that nature left no waste while human beings created huge quantities of waste annually without resorting to ways and means to recycle it. He said an average Indian utilised 6 tonnes of natural resources annually, while the figure was 72 tonnes in case of an American.

Earlier, addressing the gathering, Palampur MLA and CM’s political adviser Brij Behari Lal Butail said whenever humanity had harmed nature, the natural forces had taken their revenge by causing misery to the people. He lauded the role of NGOs for creating awareness about the need to control greenhouse emissions and check environmental devastation.

He briefed about the steps being taken by the state government to control pollution while continuing development. He said efforts were also being made to make Palampur a clean and green town so that tourists and locals could enjoy its natural beauty.

Later, while initiating an interactive discussion on climate change, K.B. Ralhan, regional director of the World Environment Foundation and president of the Palampur Welfare and Environment Protection Forum, said the ozone layer that protects the life on earth by blocking the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun has been severely depleted due to the release of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the upper atmosphere.

Dean of the college of home science of Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, Palampur, Manoranjan Kalia expressed concern over the depleting environment by giving examples of weather changes in the world. He stressed the need to take steps to check environmental degradation at the earliest.

SDM C.P. Verma said each individual should ensure that he was not a polluter. 

Bilaspur, March 20
The BJP has condemned delay in finalising the lists of BPL and IRDP families, which has deprived 4,87,768 poor families of their benefits since August 7, 2003.

District BJP president Daulat Ram Thakur and general secretary Ashutosh Sharma and state BJP spokesman Randhir Sharma said the Centre had directed Himachal to finalise the lists of these families up to August 7, 2003.

Randhir Sharma said as the parliamentary byelection was round the corner, Congress leaders had now started befooling people by making false declarations and enacting a drama of inaugurations of tehsils and subtehsils as was done by forest minister Ramlal Thakur at Suharghat and Namhole recently. — OC