Shimla, June 8
The government ordered transfers of 26 IAS officers, including 10 deputy commissioners and 28 HAS officers.

Barring the two districts of Shimla and Sirmaur, the remaining 10 districts will have new deputy commissioners. Balbir Tegta, MD, HP State Cooperative Bank, has been posted as principal secretary to the Chief Minister in place of Subhash Ahluwalia, who has been posted as MD, HP Tourism Development Corporation.

Parminder Mathur, additional chief secretary, food and supplies and consumer affairs and financial commissioner (revenue) has been given the charge of Industries and FC (Appeals).

Avay Shukla, principal secretary (Transport and Tourism) will hold the additional charge of Cooperatives relieving Prem Kumar of the charge. Prem Kumar, principal secretary (Town and Country Planning, Animal Husbandry and Cooperation) as principal secretary (Revenue and R and R). Tarun Shridhar, MD, (HPTDC), as secretary (TCP). He will also hold the additional charge of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries.

S.K. Baldi, MD, HRTC, has been posted as MD, Himachal Power Corporation. Anil Khachi, MD, HP Financial Corporation, has been posted as director, Industries. He will also hold an additional charge of MD, Small Industries Development Corporation and MD, Nahan Foundry.

A.J.V. Prasad, awaiting posting has been appointed as the divisional commissioner, Shimla. R.D. Dhiman, registrar, Cooperative Societies has been posted as member (administration), HPSEB. T.C. Janartha, MD, HP State Civil Supplies Corporation has been posted as MD, HRTC.

B.S. Nainta, director, Industries, has been posted as MD, HP State Civil Supplies Corporation. Kashmir Chand, labour commissioner-cum-director Employment will now function as MD, General Industries Corporation.

Ajai Bhandari, MD, HP Minorities and Financial Development Corporation has been posted as MD, HP Financial Corporation. He will also function as MD, SC and ST Development Corporation and Mahila Vikas.

Rakesh Kaushal, director, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, as director, Urban Development. He will also function as director, TCP. T.D. Negi, director, Urban Development has been posted as registrar, Cooperative Societies.

Bharat Khera, DC, Kangra, has been posted as director, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. Anita Tegta, DC, Una, has been posted as MD, HP State Cooperative Bank. B.K. Verma, DC, Kinnaur, has been posted as labour commissioner-cum-director of employment.

Rajneesh, DC, Hamirpur, has been posted as additional director, Industries. He will also function as director, Youth Services and Sports. Devesh Kumar, special secretary (Finance and Bio-technology) has been posted as commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Shimla.

Pushpender Rajput, DC, Bilaspur, has been posted as DC, Chamba. R. Selvan, DC, Lahaul Spiti, has been posted as DC, Hamirpur. Abhishek Jain, ADC, Kullu has been posted as DC, Kullu. Sudha Devi, ADC, Mandi has been posted as DC, Kinnaur.

Shekhar Gupta, commissioner, MC, Shimla, has been posted as DC, Una. Mohan Chauhan, additional secretary, Health, has been posted DC, Solan. Rajinder Thakur, director, TCP, has been posted back as DC, Bilaspur. Amar Singh Rathore, additional excise and taxation officer has been posted as DC, Lahaul Spiti.

Madan Chauhan, has been appointed as additional secretary, Health. Ashok Sharma, GM, HPMC, is being posted as additional director, Higher Education.

Palampur, June 8
A three-day convention on ‘Corporate Response to Climatic Changes’ being organised by the World Environment Foundation began here today on a dim note as most of the dignitaries whose names were included in the brochures failed to turn up.

The schedule included the names of Hollywood filmstar-turned-governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and political heavyweights from the state including, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, minister of power Vidya Stokes, chief secretary, principal secretaries and managing directors of power, tourism and food processing departments. But none of them attended the programme.

The only political person who was present at the inaugural show was MLA and political advisor to state government, B.B. Butail.

Butail presided over a meeting of an eco-investors forum during which he talked about various eco-friendly business opportunities, including those on ski resorts, golf courses, health and herbal resorts, ropeways, theme and recreation parks, special and rural tourism hub water resorts, and construction of new airport and helipads.

An evening session included presentations by representatives of various corporate houses on various ways they had devised to combat climatic changes and control hazardous emissions and discharges.

The presentations were adjudged by a five-member jury headed by former Prime Minister of Sweden and chairman of the World Council for Corporate Governance, Ola Ullsten, for the presentation of the Golden Peacock Awards.

A presentation by Maruti Udyog Limited was quite impressive with the company claiming zero per cent discharge, reduction of energy consumption by 26 per cent, reduction of water consumption by 63 per cent and reduction in emission of carbon dioxide by 39 per cent.

There were presentations by various public sector and private companies, including MALCO, BALCO, Narora Atomic Power Station, JK Tyres, Sri Cement, ITC Hotels, GAIL and ONGC.

Shimla, June 8
The proposal of the Fisheries Department to declare certain tributaries project free of the Beas and the Satluj may not come through as the HP State Energy Development Agency (HIMURJA) has asked for reconsideration of the move which aims at protecting aquatic life.

Not only has the HIMURJA asked the state Fisheries Department to reconsider its decision, but has also gone ahead and signed agreements for the setting up of micro and mini hydel projects on certain nullahs and tributaries which were to be declared power project free.

The government had sought the views of the HP State Electricity Board (HPSEB) and the HIMURJA, the two main agencies which are engaged in power production before declaring certain tributaries project free.

“While the HPSEB has given a positive response, it is the HIMURJA which has asked the fisheries department to reconsider the move,” confirmed a senior official.

Moreover, as a decision on declaring certain tributaries was pending with the government, the HIMURJA sanctioned projects on many of the tributaries which formed part of the survey undertaken by the Fisheries Department.

The department also intends to take up a fresh survey to reassess the tributaries which can still be declared power project free. The matter will finally be decided by the State Cabinet.

So far the government has only declared the Tirthan khud and its tributaries in Kullu district to be free from hydel projects so as to promote angling from the tourism point of view. As per a survey undertaken by the Fisheries Department, certain tributaries of the Beas, Satluj and Ravi are to be completely closed for setting up of hydel-power projects so as to promote fisheries and protect bio-diversity.

The Fisheries department had some time back refused to grant a non-objection certificate (NOC) for the setting up of two projects on the Khaniara khud, a tributary of the Pabbar in Rohru and another proposed Lamba Dug near Barot in Mandi district. This is to ensure proper water supply to the fisheries farms at Dhamwari and Barot.

It is only recently that the government has made it mandatory to obtain a NOC from the Fisheries Department for the setting up of power projects. “Within the last one year a sum of Rs 3.08 crore has been received by the Fisheries Department as a compensation from power projects, which is being spent on upgrading farms,” informed an official.

The committee has recommended that several stretches of rivers in Kangra, Kinnaur, Shimla, Sirmaur, Kullu and Mandi be closed for any power project so that there is breeding of fish in the river.

Solan, June 8
The passengers of 246 and 242 trains had to undergo a lot of inconvenience last evening after power failure delayed their journey by several hours. Both trains were on their way to Kalka from Shimla when the engine gave way near Kandhaghat.

This forced the railway authorities to halt both trains at Kandhaghat as a result of which the passengers were stranded there for hours. Though 246 down tried to resume its journey after some time it failed to negotiate the steep gradient and gave way after a few kilometres. The railway authorities had to arrange about 32 taxis to get the passengers transported to Kalka, incurring an expenditure of Rs 36, 120.

A piquant situation cropped up when 252 passengers of 242 down express demanded that their train should be allowed to move earlier as they had paid a higher fare. These passengers had shelled out Rs 280 per seat while those travelling by 246 down express had spent money ranging between Rs 38 and Rs 228 for various classes. It was after much persuasion that the situation could be eased and it was 9:45 p.m that 242 down train could depart.

With the intense heat currently sweeping the region, these old engines have been giving way almost every alternate day putting both the railways staff and passengers to great agony. Since no spare parts are available for these old engines they often develop snags once the temperature rises, rued railway officials. The staff had to go through a lot of toil and turmoil to arrange 32 taxis late in the evening from a small place like Kandaghat. — OC

Palampur, June 8
Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Shanta Kumar today asked Chief Minister Virbhadara Singh not to drag the Vivekanand Medical Research and Education Trust (VMRT), Palampur, into dirty politics and refrain from leveling baseless charges against the trust.

Talking to mediapersons here today Shanta Kumar said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh should not involve the trust in dirty politics without any substantive evidence with him.

Shanta Kumar regretted that the Chief Minister who was earlier appreciating the functioning of the VMRT and issuing statements to this effect in the media was now accusing the trust as a centre of irregularities. It was most unfortunate that as and when the Assembly or Parliament elections were due, the Chief Minister raised the issue of VMRT for political gains, the senior BJP leader lamented.

He said the Chief Minister was misleading the people by saying that Shanta Kumar had become a life trustee as he was, in fact, a simple trustee. As all documents of the trust were with the state government, the Chief Minister should verify the facts before issuing any statements to this effect. He said being a health minister the Chief Minister was one of the ex-officio trustees and part of this trust.

Referring to the charge of financial regularities in the VMRT, Shanta Kumar said the trust maintained proper books of accounts and balance sheets were regularly sent to the state government. The entire record of the trust was open for any inspection.

The trust had so far spent over Rs 25 crore on buildings but further construction had been suspended for want of funds. 

Kangra, June 8
Tension gripped Shoura village near hear today when a mob, including local women, carried the body of 24-year-old Reena Devi, who died under mysterious circumstances yesterday, for cremation in the courtyard of her in-laws' house. However, timely intervention by the police saved the situation from getting worse.

When the parents and other relatives brought the body after a post-mortem at Dr. R.P.Govt Medical College, Dharamshala, to her parental house in Donga Bazar here, a mob collected there who along with Reena's relatives took the body in a procession to Shoura for cremation in the courtyard of her in-laws' house.

When the mob reached the village, members of the family of her in-laws had abandoned the house which the mob tried to break open. It was with the intervention of the police that the situation was controlled.

None from her in-laws's village participated in the last rites of the deceased woman, which was carried out under police bandobast. The police has arrested husband Ashok Kumar and mother-in-law Maya Devi.

The parents of the deceased alleged that the whereabouts of the victim's three-year-old daughter were not known. — OC

Palampur, June 8
While delegates from India and abroad began their discussions on saving the ecology, it faced a major setback due to a massive fire that erupted yesterday.

Scores of pine and deciduous trees on the foothills of the Dhauladar range were burnt.

Thick and huge clouds of smoke could be seen from any corner of the city, even from the SM Convention centre where the World Environment Foundation is holding a three-day discussion on “Corporate response to climatic change”.

As The Tribune team reached closer to kandi area near Neugal Khud, a long belt of trees were engulfed in smoke that kept on spreading wide.

Residents complained that forest fire was a routine affair in summers as some villagers who wanted to remove wild shrubs, often themselves set the forests on fire.

They said villagers who reared their goats on the mountainous tracks wanted their animals to feed on fresh grass, which could grow only when the wild shrubs were removed. They said the burning of forests produced huge carbon emissions which led to an ecological imbalance and rising temperature in the region.

Divisional forest officer A.R.M. Reddy confirmed that the fire had erupted and was on for the last two days. He said men had been sent to douse the fire. He claimed that since it was a ground fire, the loss would not be much.

Superintendent Parkash Bakshi, too, said that since each forest guard was responsible to take care of 35 to 40 hectares of forest area, it became difficult for the guard to manage due to lack of resources.

Dharamsala, June 8
The District and session’s court of Kangra based here today sentenced one person to life imprisonment for murdering a woman in his neighbourhood.

Deputy district attorney K.K. Sharma said the accused Vipin Kumar, a resident of Pahlu village, had forcibly entered into the house of Simro Devi and killed her by firing a gun shot at her on March 27, 2005.

He said the additional district and session’s judge S.L. Sharma today held guilty Vipin Kumar of murdering the woman and sentenced him to a life imprisonment of 14 years and also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on him.

The accused would have to undergo another one year in imprisonment if he failed to deposit the fine, said the DDA. This amount of the fine collected from the accused would be paid to the family members of the deceased woman.

In the same case, the accused has also been sentenced to another five years of imprisonment and fined a sum of Rs 5,000 on having found guilty of trespassing. He would have to undergo another six months in imprisonment if he failed to deposit the fine. 

Nurpur, June 8
After running from pillar to post and fighting a legal battle, Kusum Lata of nearby Tallian Bassa village in Hathidhar gram panchayat, has got justice. She is now hopeful of her selection on the post of primary assistant teacher (PAT) in government primary school at Bassa Januniya for which she applied in October, 2003.

Despite being an MA in political science and history with over one-year teaching experience, Kusum was rejected and a plus-two candidate Ankush Mahajan of the same gram panchayat was appointed on the post by a selection committee headed by the local SDM. Interviews were held on October 28, 2003.

She filed a petition before the State Administrative Tribunal (STA) and challenged the appointment on the basis of a certificate issued by the then gram panchayat pradhan who was also one of the member of the selection committee. The certificate showed that she had got 10 out of 15 marks in the interview. However, the marks sheet maintained by the selection committee mentioned that only four out of 15 marks had been awarded to her for the interview. The leaf indicating marks for the personal interview did not bear signatures of any member of the selection committee.

On November 29, 2005, the STA quashed the appointment of Ankush Mahajan and directed the secretary education to initiate selection process for the post in accordance with norms laid down under the PAT policy.

The STA judgement was challenged by Ankush Mahajan in the high court that recently upheld the order of the STA with slight modification giving three months to the government for selection of the PAT and allowed the petitioner (Ankush Mahajan) to continue serving so that students did not suffer for the want of a teacher.

Sundernagar, June 8
Preliminary investigations regarding the cause of fire at the 990-MW Dehar Power House, which broke out on the night of June 4 revealed that the fire was an outcome of monkey menace.

According to Dehar Power House suprintending engineer Subash Bhasin the fire was noticed in the 220-KV switchyard portion of the power house on the high tension bushing of 40-MVA transformer, the fire tenders from BBMB, Kol Dam and A.C.C, Barmana were immediately requisitioned and the fire was controlled with in 34 minutes.

While investigating it was found that the fire was caused due to bursting of a nearby 11-KV oil-filled current transformer on which monkeys jumped due to which the ignition/flashing started leading fire to the transformer.

It was further clarified that no loss to the generation was caused as another transformer of the same capacity was running parallel with the burnt transformer.