Dharamsala, August 21
Hem Lata (56), a resident of Relu village, near Shahpur, in Kangra district has alleged that she was ignored in the selection for the post of anganwari teacher. She is a widow and belongs to a BPL family. She has alleged that Shrishta Devi (25), whose husband was doing a private job and owns a piece of cultivable land, was given priority over her while making the appointment.

At present, Hem Lata earns her livelihood by selling paper bags that she makes at her home. She has a 30-year-old daughter living with her, who could not be married due to some physical deformities. There is no male member in the family to support them.

Another physically challenged woman Seema Rani (33), who also belongs to a BPL family of the same village, has also filed a similar appeal with the DM’s office. “I have 10-year experience in teaching and two-year experience as a community worker with a national-level NGO, but I was not considered for the post of an anganwari teacher,” she alleged.

Antaj Kumari of Tika Khas village, Rekha Devi of Jawali village and Suresh Kumari of Mariari village were also among hundreds of other women in the district who were not satisfied with the selection process for the said posts. They have also filed an appeal with DM’s office at Dharamsala.

Confirming that hundreds of women have complained against the selection process, Bharat Khera district magistrate said he had started summoning the record of the panchayats concerned so that justice could be done with the deserving candidates.

When asked about the number of such representations he has received, the DM said he could not give the exact figures at the moment as these were under scrutiny.

Shimla, August 21
CPM leader and member of the central committee Subhashini Ali said today there was no scope for compromise on the issue of nuclear deal with the USA as the issue was much larger than the continuation of the government.

Addressing a press conference here today she said if the Prime Minister failed to address the concerns of the CPM, the party could exercise any option, including the withdrawal of support. “It is not important whether the government goes or stays but we are certain that the nuclear deal must not be made operational in the interest of the country,” she said emphatically.

Replying to a query that the withdrawal of support by the CPM could lead to a mid-term poll she said it was for the political management of the UPA to see the survival of the government. “As a political party we have every right to echo our concerns as the treaty, if made operational, could have far-reaching implications for the country,” she stated.

Stressing the need for an honest debate on the issue she said that not looking at the fine prints of treaties signed earlier had got India into trouble earlier also. “It is very clear that the USA does not treat India as an equal nuclear partner and it is for this very reason that the Hyde Act has been passed to prevent India from conducting nuclear tests,” she said.

She said the central committee of the CPM would meet in Delhi to discuss the issue as efforts were being made at the government level to “allay our fears and see how much of strength is there in our concerns on the issue.”

She said the CPM had for the past three years been echoing its concerns on the earlier nuclear deals also and the one signed now was better but was still not in the interest of the nation. “The Left parties’ stand of not joining the government and only supporting it from outside has been justified as right from the beginning as we have certain basic differences with the Congress on foreign and economic policies,” she said.

She said it was wrong to say that the Left parties were keen that someone else becomes the Prime Minister. “All such statements are totally unfounded as it is UPA’s prerogative as to who should be the Prime Minister as our only concern remains the interest of the party,” she said.

She said that certain issues listed in the minimum common programme of the UPA like the Women’s Reservation Bill, strengthening the public distribution system and greater budget for the health and education sectors had not been fulfilled.

Shimla, August 21
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has underlined the need to introduce new vocational courses to meet the requirement of industries and opening training institutions in interior areas for the convenience of local people.

Presiding over the 10th meeting of the State Council for Vocational Training (SCVT) here today he said the government had registered 237 vocational training centres in the state which were providing training to youth in different trades which had good employment potential.

The government had granted recognition to all degrees and diplomas passed from within and outside the state upto the year 2005 by liberalizing the policy to enable them to avail employment opportunities in different government departments and the industrial sector where over three lakh jobs had been created in the past four years. He said there was no dearth of employment opportunities in public and private sector for technically qualified persons.

Virbhadra said his government had been liberal in permitting the opening of the SCVT centres so that the youths could get training at their doorstep. He said the Technical Education Department should undertake extensive inspection of all institutions registered with it and ensure that they had the required infrastructure.

It must be ensured that the teachers were well qualified and experienced to train the students in various trades. The laboratories and other practical training material should be provided to the trainees.

The Chief Minister directed the authorities to include maintenance and plumming with the diploma course for pump operators so that the trainees were acquainted with the basics of the pumping machinery. If required the duration of the diploma could be increased from existing six months to one year.

Similarly, the motor winding course must include the basics of electronics. He also emphasised the need to introduce more courses which could generate self employment for women, especially rural women, so that they could earn their livelihood remaining at home.

Education principal secretary P. Mitra said SCVT courses were in great demand all over the state as trained youth were finding employment and self-employment opportunities after qualifying these courses.

Nahan, August 21
Police recruitments in Himachal Pradesh have become hi-tech and it is for the very first time that such a system has been introduced by state Police Department to avoid all controversies faced by the department in the past.

Every event of the recruitment was videographed. Field activities like physical tests were being monitored and recorded by the officials of the State Sports and Youth Services Department and results were being compiled on the spot by the officials of the State Electronics Corporation in full view of camera. The computerized results of field tests were declared on the ground. This is the scene of police recruitment in Nahan. currently on.

There was no hassle and candidates who applied for the recruitment were sitting peacefully waiting for their turn. There is tight security and no unwanted person is allowed to enter the ground except mediapersons.

DIG Southern Range and Chairman of the recruitment Board R. L. Sood said the hi-tech system of recruitment had been would make recruitment of constables fully transparent. All police officers involved in this task had been deputed from other districts.

Sood said during last recruitments some outsiders by transferring their names in the employment exchanges of other districts had managed to enter in the recruitment process, after they failed to pass such tests in their own districts.

He said to avoid this kind of error, the department had declared cut out dates for registering and transferring the names of applicants in the employment exchanges of particular district which was July 2.

Sood said after the physical test, the written examination would be conducted through the system of optional marking of answers on computerized sheets.

He said in Sirmaur, process was going on for the recruitment of 10 females and 94 male constables for which more than 1,700 applications had been received. After this, recruitment in Kinnaur and Shimla would take place, he added.

Hamirpur, August 21
Scrub typhus has spread in several villages of Hamirpur district with over 12 patients testing positive for the disease during the past few days.

The Health Department has asked all health centers to submit daily reports to enable it to take effective steps.

At least 15 patients reporting at health centers with symptoms of scrub typhus have tested positive and are under treatment. A few of them have been hospitalised too.

Four patients, Salochna, Sapna, Shilpa and Shakuntla, are being treated in the local zonal hospital while others are under treatment at other centers.

The disease, identified a few years ago, is generally reported in the monsoon in moist conditions with complaints of high fever, conjunctivitis and red rashes on the body.

Medical experts are of the opinion that scrub typhus is caused by a mite present in green grass and transmitted to human beings through mice and other such animals. Though cure for the disease is possible it could lead to death in certain cases if not treated well in time.

District medical officer G.R Kaushal said: “15 patients have tested positive during the past few days and we are monitoring the situation, seeking daily reports from the regional and other health cantres.”

He said “while medicines have been sent to all health centres people should not sleep on the ground or at damp places, avoid contact with animals, observe other general precautions and visit the nearest health centre in the case of any symptoms of scrub typhus.”

Shimla, August 21
The BJP today expressed surprise over the statement of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh that he was unaware of the permission granted to some private companies for setting up thermal power plants up to 25 MW.

In a statement issued here today, state BJP chief Jai Ram Thakur said it was surprising that Virbhadra was unaware of this fact, especially when there was extensive media coverage of the protests made by locals in this regard.

He said it was hard to believe that the sanction had been granted by the electricity and pollution control board officials without his approval. “In case the Chief Minister was serious about the inquiry ordered into the matter, then why was the suspension of the member secretary of the pollution control board revoked even before the inquiry report had come,” he quipped.

The BJP leaders said the government record in protecting the environment and ecology was dismal as various units in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh area were flouting the pollution norms. “The government has failed to check illegal dumping which has resulted in silt problem, which was affecting various water supply schemes,” he said.

He questioned the approval granted by the Cabinet for the setting up of the Himalayan Ski Village without seeking the approval from the Ministry of Forest and Environment.

Shimla, August 21
The country’s largest hydroelectric venture, the 1,500-MW Nathpa-Jhakri Project resumed generation on Thursday night after six days. However, the project was being operated at 1,250 MW to avoid damage to turbines due to excessive silt in the Sutlej.

The project was shutdown due to high silt content in the Sutlej on August 11 as a result of which there was loss of generation to the tune of 170 million units. The project can be operated only up to a silt level of 4,000 ppm (parts per million).

However, the silt-level started rising on August 11, following heavy rain in the catchment upstream and reached 89,000 ppm on the following day. It declined to 4,000 ppm later.

The discharge in Sutlej was over 800 cumecs but the project was not being operated on full capacity to prevent damage to turbines. Only five out of the total generating units, each of 250 MW, were being operated to help reduce the speed of water. At high speed the silt particles cause extensive damage to the turbines.

However, with a total generation of 3,700 million units to date, the project is still ahead of the target. The project was designed for a slit-level of 5,000 ppm but the Union Power Ministry scaled down the level to 4,000 ppm, in view of the damage caused due to turbines.

The number of days for which the project could be closed in a year was also increased from 4 to 11. This year has been good as the project has remained closed only for six days. Last year the shutdown extended to 32 days.

Meanwhile, the 126 MW Larji Project has generated 322.12 million units as against the target of 300 million units up to August 16.

Shimla, August 21
The state government will consider exempting rural tourism units upto 5 bed room capacity from procedural formalities of registration, luxury tax, sales tax and commercial charges of electricity. Stating this while presiding over the 2nd meeting of the Tourism Development Board held here today, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the government was keen to give a boost to home stay and rural tourism to ensure participation of villagers in the sector and make it a house hold affair.

He said the government would adopt liberal attitude towards rural tourism and encourage people to create basic infrastructure to cater to the basic requirements of tourists visiting remote areas for which additional incentives would be provided.

The Chief Minister said the government would prepare a master development plan for Kufri as high end tourist destination extended up to Durgapur with a special focus on sanitation, garbage disposal system, type of construction to be carried out for tourism activities and develop Craignano as alternate tourist destination.

He said the executive committee of the boards would appoint consultants to undertake surveys and offer projects which include ski resort-cum-rope-way at Chanshal, ski resort-cum-rope-way at Bashal, ropeway from Dharamsala to Triund, rope-way to Bijli Mahadev and ropeway from Manali to Rohtang. Golf course and resort at Baddi, Bara Gaon, near Manali and health resort at Shatinari. He said other possible areas would also be explored to create quality tourism infrastructure.

Shimla, August 21
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said that no fresh construction was being allowed in green of the town so as to conserve its ecology and add to greenery.

He was speaking after inaugurating a three-storeyed parking lot constructed by the HP Tourism Development Corporation at a cost of Rs 1.75 crore near Hotel Holiday Home. The parking would accommodate over 100 vehicles.

“All constructions in the heritage and core areas of the town had also been banned,” he said.

With the increase in the number of vehicles there was an urgent need to add more parking lots. “In order to reduce traffic congestion in the town, the government was undertaking widening of the Circular Road,” he said. He said a tunnel was being constructed near Auckland House School, which would further ease the traffic problem and provide additional parking space.

Local MLA Harbhajan Singh Bhajji, Mayor Narender Kataria, Secretary, Town and Country Planning Tarun Shridhar and MD, HPTDC, Subhash Ahluwalia were also present on the occasion.

Palampur, August 21
At least 25 persons were injured, seven of them seriously, when a private bus carrying over 30 passengers, which was on its way from Palampur to Dharamsala, met with an accident near local bus stand this evening.

According to the police, the driver failed to negotiate a sharp curve near the IPH office, making the vehicle fall into a gorge. It was raining heavily when the accident took place. It is learnt that 15 of the injured passengers were admitted to the local civil hospital while five who were injured seriously were referred to Dr Rajinder Parshad Medical College, Dharamsala. Four passengers were discharged after first aid

The police has registered a case against the driver.