 |
|
|
Power scenario worsens in state
CM assures 50 pc quota for women
FIR through SMS soon
Cold days, colder nights
Sowing of wheat affected
29 IAS, HAS officers shifted
Agriculture varsity seeks funds for farm projects
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Factionalism in Cong comes to the fore
Labourers not paid wages
HAS exam centre sought
Two get life term for murder
Chief of Army Staff in Shimla
Police postings
2 in race for education board chief
|
|
Power scenario worsens in state
Shimla, January 4 According to sources, the delay in arrival of liquid fuel and gas supplies coupled with inadequate arrival of imported coal had created a shortage o 2,775 MW of power in the country. Himachal Pradesh which faces shortage during winters has been hit as the availability from the central pool has come down accordingly and even the state with which it had bilateral arrangements are not in a position to spare enough power for it. Further, the extreme-cold conditions which has slowed down the flow in rivers and streams to a trickle have also severely affected state’s own generation. As against the normal 24-lakh units, the daily generation these days is around 20-lakh units. The gap between demand and supply has been increasing and the overall shortfall ranges between 25 to 30 per cent. Against the daily demand of 185-lakh units, the availability has come down 140-lakh units. Haryana is supplying two -lakh units less and Punjab one-lakh less than committed. A spokesperson of the board said the shortage was country-wide and there was no option but to resort to power cuts on both industrial and domestic consumers. Overall Himachal Pradesh has been a surplus state for the past several decades but it has been facing an acute shortage of power during winters. KULLU:
The unannounced power cuts in Kullu to the tune of about 10 hours a day from today has created inconvenience to the consumers, besides the business community, including hotels. The power supplies in the Kullu area kept kept playing hide and seek throughout the day today. Executive engineer R C Kaundal here said these cuts were from the 132-KVA sub station, Bajaura, and he was not aware about the directions from the power controller of Himachal Pradesh. He said “We needed 302 amperes, whereas, the allocated load is 175 amperes. We have to adjust and distribute accordingly”. The assistant executive engineer at 132-KVA station, Bajaura, said they had been advised and given schedule by the power controller to use only 29.62 per cent to 29.8 per cent power from 11 am to 24 hours. The power supply will remain affected till the instructions were not revised. Power controller Sunil Grover from Shimla said he had announced a “uniform power cut of 25 per cent in all 37 stations of 132 KVA in the state” and could not monitor the supplies of the 33-KVA stations. When asked that there was no cut in Mandi today, the power controller said “Better sense should prevail over them” to have uniform cuts in all areas instead of centralising that to one area. He said the chief engineer of the respective zone was responsible to distribute the load. Three-hour cut from today
NURPUR: Owing to sudden shortfall in the hydropower generation due to poor discharge in the rivers of the hill state, the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) has started resorting to power cuts in the state. The local 220 substations of the HPSEB has imposed three hours power cut from Friday through its 10-33kv outgoing power feeders catering to the need of thousands of consumers of Nurpur, Jawali and Bhatiyat sub divisions. According to assistant executive engineer of the substation
R.K. Sharma, the cut has been imposed following the direction of the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) of the HPSEB, Shimla. |
|
CM assures 50 pc quota for women
Bilaspur, January 4 He said the government would soon employ 5,000 women under the Asha Project of the Central Government. He said the government would finalise para-teacher policy before March 31 and see to it that all wrong appointments were cancelled. He said 50 per cent of the appointments henceforth would be on batch seniority and the remaining on merit. He declared that his government has adopted BJP election manifesto as a policy document of government and was determined to implement every point of it. He said the declaration of Rs 100 as daily wages would not only apply to government, semi-government organisations but also to private sector and projects under the National Employment Guarantee Scheme. He said the government was fully aware of monkey menace throughout state and a scheme would soon be launched to contain monkey population by opening sterilisation centres in at least nine districts. The stray cattle menace would tacked through “go- sadans”. He said his government was determined to solve the problems being faced by common people. Roads, education, health and drinking water supply would be the priority areas, he added. He said the government was fully aware of the difficulties of Bhakra Dam oustees of Bilaspur district and an effort would be made to solve these difficulties at the earliest. The Chief Minister was also welcomed at Nauni, Bilaspur town, Kandraur and Nihari in the district. |
|
FIR through SMS soon
Mandi, January 4 These police stations are being brought under the ISO certification as per the e-governance initiative of the central government to provide prompt services virtually at the click of a button. The citizens can registered their FIRs and pay off their challans online through the credit cards or through cash at any of the branches of the State Bank of India. But the police has decided to go for the ISO certification of three police stations to provide people-friendly prompt services online to citizens in the state. The top police officials said the police personnel were being trained to handle the ISO certified three police stations to begin with, before these services are extended to other police stations in the state. The citizens can send their complaint through the mobile phone through SMS and policemen at the ISO office will registered the complaint instantly. “Even citizens can register FIR online through e-mails or through telephone as they may please”, the officials disclosed. As the cases of traffic rules violations are on the rise following the 10-fold rise in traffic in the state over the past few years, the police has also decided to start the online payment of traffic challans through the Internet or through credit cards at the web-address, hppolice.gov.in or through cash that can be deposited at the branches of the SBI on the designated police account number under the Motor Vehicle Act and the motor vehicle rules. This is being done to keep the courts out from being getting clogged with “challan cases” that result in delays and unnecessary hang-ups for citizens in courts, said the police officials. “There are over four dozens police stations online in the state and more are in the pipeline”, they informed. Mandi district ASP Rajesh Kumar said, “The training of policemen for Mandi ISO police station will begin tomorrow. They will be taught as to how to lodge the FIR and other aspects of the service. The ISO online office is expected to start its services from April as it is expected”.
|
|
Cold days, colder nights
Dharamsala, January 4 In some upper hill areas of Kullu, Shimla, Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba districts, the freezing weather conditions amid blowing winds had forced the people to stay inside their houses. The higher reaches in these districts were already covered with snow. Many lakes in Kullu, Kinnaur, Chamba and Lahaul-Spiti districts had also frozen amid reports of decline in water flow of the potable water supply channels in almost all parts of the state. In the past 24 hours, there were reports of clouds hovering in the sky in various parts of the state. The night temperatures in Una, Bhuntar, and most parts of Kinnaur were below the freezing point for the past few days. As per the official report available from the meteorological department, the minimum temperature at Shimla was 3.1°C, Sundernagar 3.4°C, Bhuntar -0.5°C, Kalpa -1°C, Una 0.5°C, Mandi 4.7°C and Nahan 10°C. There were reports that the dry cold wave conditions had hit the wheat and vegetable crops in the hill state. Due to the sudden decline in night temperatures and prevailing dry spell in the lower hill areas, an estimated 40 per cent of the vegetable crop and 25 per cent of the wheat crop had been damaged. However, the agriculture and horticulture departments were yet to ascertain the exact loss. The agro scientists of state agriculture university had advised farmers to cover the small plants of fruits and vegetables with straw to prevent them from frost. |
|
Sowing of wheat affected
Kumarhatti, January 4 The farmers in certain pockets in the area have failed to sow wheat on time for want of rain. The low level of moisture in the earth has further added to the farmers woes. The sowing season has been delayed for over two weeks now, rued a farmer of the Banasar area under Dharampur block. No rain in the near future would mean no sowing of crop this time, lamented another farmer of the same area. The wheat sowing generally starts in November and by this time it is almost complete. However, a random survey of the area falling under Bhojnagar, Kabakalan, Neri Kalan and Bohali panchayats showed that the farmers were yet to start the sowing. The seeds were procured well in advance to complete the process timely, farmers of Dharon village under Bohali panchayat said. But all projections have failed to take a practical shape, the farmers rued. The farmers’ worries were increasing with each passing day as the sowing season was about to end. Moreover, the dry weather has also cast its shadow on peas crop in the area. The weak monsoon followed by the clear weather conditions has badly affected the arkel variety of peas. The peas crop is immediately sown after the harvesting of maize crop in mid-September but lack of rain has eclipsed the healthy prospectus of the crop. While admitting the delay in sowing of wheat a senior agriculture official has said that till now around 3,000 quintal of wheat seeds have been sold by the department as against the normal expected sale of 3,500 quintal. The seed sale could reach to its annual average of 5,000 quintal in case the rain was occurred on time, he pointed out.
|
|
29 IAS, HAS officers shifted
Shimla, January 4 Principal secretary, general administration and secretariat administration,
V.C. Pharka has been posted as the principal secretary, administrative reform organisation, while Nisha Singh, managing director of small-scale industries corporation, goes as the divisional commissioner, Shimla, vice
A.J.V. Prasad, who takes over as the commissioner of the Shimla municipal corporation. B.K. Aggrawal, secretary to the Chief Minister, will also function as the secretary, food and civil supplies, and Sanjay Gupta, managing director of the general industries corporation, will also hold the additional charge of the state industrial development corporation. On returning from the Central deputation, Ram Subhag Singh takes over as the managing director of the state tourism development corporation, vice Subhash Ahluwalia, who goes as the settlement officer, Kangra, at Dharamsala. R.D. Dhiman, member of the state electricity board, takes over as the excise and taxation commissioner, vice Sushil Negi whose posting orders will be issued
later. Dalijit Dogra, secretary, revenue, will be the new secretary, personnel, GAD and SAD, while J.S. Rana, director, urban development, takes over as the director transport, vice Rajesh Kumar, who goes as the commissioner, departmental inquiries. Rana will also have the addition charge of the director, tourism and civil aviation. Balbir Tegta goes as the director, urban development, and Amandeep Garg, chief executive officer, Baddi, Barotwala Nalagarh Development Authority, has been posted as the deputy commissioner, Solan. Tegta will continue to hold the present charge. Madhu Bala Sharma takes over as the additional director,
HIPA. R.N. Batta, special secretary, finance and tourism, has been posted as the additional registrar of cooperative societies. Akshaya Sood, secretary, electricity regulatory commission, takes over as the special secretary, finance. S.C.
Kalsotra, settlement officer, Kangra, has been posted as the additional deputy commissioner, Kangra, and
L.R. Chauhan, secretary, state information commission, goes as the LAO, HPSEB. Rakesh Kumar Sharma, secretary, HPSEB, has been posted as the LAO, Chamera project, vice Bhuvneshwari Vohra whose posting orders will be issued later. Ashok Sharma, additional director, higher education, has been shifted as the additional director, elementary education, while K.D. Lakhanpal, additional district magistrate, Kangra, goes as the LAO, Parbati Project, Kullu. M.P. Sood, additional director, elementary education, takes over as the secretary, HPSEB. Rajesh Kumar, additional district magistrate, Pooh, has been posted as the secretary, state board of school education, Dharamsala, vice Manohar Lal, who will be the new sub-divisional officer, Rohru. Sandeep Kumar, sub-divisional officer, Rohru, goes to Paonta in the same capacity, vice Amrjit Singh, who takes over as the
ADM, Pooh. S.C. Pal, additional director, HIPA, has been posted as the joint secretary, personnel, vice Man Singh, who goes as the sub-divisional officer,
Churah, vice Rajiv Kumar, who is proceeding on leave. He will also hold charge of the assistant commissioner to the deputy commissioner, Shimla. Uday Singh Negi, additional secretary to Chief Minister, has been posted as the additional secretary, education, and Brij Lal Verma, deputy secretary, education has been shifted as the deputy secretary to Chief Minister. |
|
|
Agriculture varsity seeks funds for farm projects
Palampur, January 4 He said that a systematic and sustained campaign to educate the farming community about advantages of green and healthy farming and dangerous consequences of chemical farming would be launched soon by the scientific community of the university. He said that special training programmes for the young unemployed farmers and farm women were also on the cards. “The university is likely to start a large number of certificate and diploma courses to increase the existing strength of the students and attract NRI’s to generate funds”, he said. In addition, a massive seed production programme had also been formulated to generate income. The VC hinted at the major reforms in teaching, research, extension and education programmes and in the administrative system of the university. “The college of basic sciences is being upgraded to college of biological and environmental sciences and students counselling and placement cell is being strengthened to assist the students in having better interaction and jobs with industry, banks, etc.”, he said. Adding that cells on entrepreneurship, income generation and administrative reforms were being created with a team of scientists and other staff, he said there were sufficient funds as far as research was concerned but there were little funds to plan and formulate the state’s need-based and farmer-friendly research projects. |
|
Factionalism in Cong comes to the fore
Hamirpur, January 4 In their separate assertions, both candidates held the people close to Virbhadra Singh, who contested as party rebels against them, responsible for their defeat in the election. They have even decided to take up the issue with the party leadership. They have gone to the extent of accusing former Chief Minister of indirectly supporting the rebel candidates and harming their and party’s prospects in the elections as they were given the ticket against Virbhadra’s wishes. Party rebels, Prem Kaushal and Avnider Rani, wife of former MLA Manjeet Singh Dogra, who are considered close to Virbhadra Singh, were strong contenders for the ticket. They later contested as Independents against the party nominees from the Mewa and the Nadaunta constituencies, respectively. Prem Kaushal had lost the 1998 Assembly election as the Congress candidate. This time, he secured 6,836 votes contesting as an Independent, while Congress candidate Suresh Kumar got 14,046 votes. Similarly, Avnider Rani secured 5,629 votes while Congress candidate Vidya Zar got 10,070 votes. Vidya Zar has accused Virbhadra Singh of being soft towards Avnider Rani. Suresh Kumar and Vidya Zar have gone to the extent of accusing the former Chief Minister for secretly holding parleys with Manjeet Singh Dogra and Prem Kaushal at the Bhota rest house during his election campaign in Hamirpur district.
|
|
Labourers not paid wages for 1 yr
Chamba, January 4 Despite repeated requests, the payments pertaining to the wages of labourers amounting to about Rs 5 lakh are still pending for which they are waiting for the past one year as a result of vacant post of panchayat secretary, thanks to the apathy of the government. A deputation of the residents of Badka area yesterday met deputy commissioner of Chamba Pushpendra Rajput in this connection and apprised him of their livelihood condition and grinding poverty. The officers on deputation also brought to the notice of DC that it was owing to the vacant post of panchayat secretary that residents of the area were facing a great hardship in obtaining certificates of the IRDP, getting registration of births and deaths done besides many other problems. Various works had come to a halt following the vacant post of panchayat secretary in the area, the officers on deputation further divulged to the DC. |
|
HAS exam centre sought
Nurpur, January 4 Inquiries reveal that the HPPSC has been conducting main examination against 31 vacancies for the Himachal Administrative Services (HAS) and allied services in the state at Shimla on February 9. Earlier, the HPPSC had conducted the preliminary examination in July last year to shortlist 620 candidates at six examination centres set up at Shimla, Solan, Mandi, Una, Dharamsala and Nahan. But now the main examination to shortlist candidates for final interviews is being conducted in single examination centre set up at Shimla. There is a lot of resentment among the examinees in general and unemployed in particular to set up only one examination centre, for which hundreds of candidates hailing from merged areas and far-off districts like Chamba, Kangra, Una have to travel hundreds of kilometers to appear in the main examination. The HPPSC has to take eight examination papers of different streams so the examinees of distant places have to stay for about 10 days at Shimla. |
|
Two get life term for murder
Nahan, January 4 On the basis of evidence produced before the court, Babu Ram, son of Raghu Ram, and Naresh Kumar, son of Jarnel Singh, both residents of Hamid Pur village (Ambala), were found guilty and were convicted for the murder of Ram Swaroop. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment and each fined for Rs 10,000. They were also awarded five-year imprisonment and fine of Rs 5,000 each Under Section 34 of the IPC. A. K. Nadda, deputy district attorney, Sirmaur, said Brij Lal, son of the deceased, had lodged a complaint with the Paonta police on June 25 (2005) that his father had gone along with tractor- trolley with two persons belonging to Haryana on June 21, but did not return home. On the same day, the police recovered a body spotted by a forest officer near Palhori Bridge. Later, the body was identified as of Ram Swaroop. After postmortem, it was established that Ram Swaroop was killed by strangulation with a muffler worn by one of the accused and was also hit with stones on the head. The accused had also sold the tractor in the Ambala district for Rs 27,000 and trolley in the nearby village for Rs 16,000. |
|
Chief of Army Staff in Shimla
Shimla, January 4 Accompanied by his wife, Kirti Kapoor, he is here on a two-day visit. General Kapoor held a meeting with GOC-in-ARTRAC Lieut-Gen J.K. Mohanty to discuss various aspects of doctrinal and training nature. Commissioned into the regiment of the artillery on June 11, 1967, he has held important staff and command appointments during his illustrious career. He has also represented the country as the Chief Operations for the UN Forces in Somalia for which he was awarded the Vishishth Seva Medal in 1996. He also commanded the AERTRAC in Shimla before he took over the command of the sensitive Northern Command.
|
|
Police postings
Shimla, January 4 Thind was currently holding the post of the ADGP and the commandant-general home guards, fire services and civil defence. Sohan Lal, ADGP (headquarters) has been posted as the director-general of prisons
against a newly created post. Prem Singh has been posted as the director-general and commandant-general, home guards, fire service and civil defence, against a newly created post. He will continue to hold the additional charge of the post of the ADGP, law and order.
|
||
|
2 in race for education board chief
Kangra, January 4 R. C. Jeewan, former principal of DAV College, Chandigarh, and Dr R. D. Sharma, former deputy director of education have approached the state government for the same though the post is politically allotted, yet the duo have applied on the merit basis.
|
||
|
Road mishap
Hamirpur, January 4
|
||
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
