Shimla, January 15
The World Bank has granted a loan of $400 million to the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) for the execution of the 412-MW Rampur hydel project.

The loan agreement was singed by CMD of the nigam H.K.Sharma, country director of the World Bank Isabella Guerrio, joint secretary (economic affairs), Ministry of Finance, and Rashima Gupta, resident commissioner, Himachal, at New Delhi today.

The project, to be constructed at a cost of about Rs 2200 crore, will be commissioned by January, 2012.

Located downstream the 1500-MW Nathpa-Jhakri project on the Sutlej it will be virtually the country’s largest hydroelectric venture. The cost of generation will be Rs 2.39 per unit and in all it will generate 1770 million units of power annually. It is the most economical project as power will be generated by utilising the de-silted tailrace water of the Nathpa-Jhakri project. No big diversion dam or de-silting chambers will be required to be constructed.

A 15-km-long head-race tunnel (HRT) will carry the tail-race water from Jhakri to Bayal, 10 km from Rampur, where a power house will be constructed. As the power house will function in tandem with the Nathpa-Jhakri project, six turbines, each of 68.67 MW capacity ,will be installed. Nathpa-Jhakri has six units of 250 MW each.

The project will be financed on the 70:30 debt-equity ratio, with the SJVN providing Rs 614 crore from its internal resources. The state will also be entitled to 12 per cent of the power generated free of cost as royalty.

Manali, January 15
State government would extend full cooperation in protecting the environment and natural beauty of the Kullu valley and considering the directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, as a tourist destination on the tourism website of the state, besides, giving boost to rural tourism and eco-tourism.

This was stated by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal while addressing a public meeting here today. He dedicated the Tourist Adventure lodge, within the directorate of Mountaineering and Allied sports, Manali campus, which is completed at a cost of Rs 98 lakh, to the adventure sports lover of the country.

The chief Minister said Kullu-Manali had been attracting people from all-over the world and in order to preserve the nature and ecology of the valley, local people should come forward and contribute actively towards the betterment of the valley. He said the natural wealth needed to be exploited in such a way that the originality and ecology of the state was protected. The development at the cost of environment would not be acceptable. He said if required, the state government would include the name of the institute in the official website of tourism so that it could be one of the tourism points for which more attraction would be added in campus.

He said the people needed to cooperate and work hard to make Himachal Pradesh a role model of development in the country. He said focused attention would be paid to make tourism a vast self-employment generation sector. Rural people would be associated with rural tourism promotion, which would help people in availing employment and self-employment generation activities. Required infrastructure would be created in the villages to make the same favourite tourist destinations for the people.

Chief Minister also thanked former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee for sanctioning the Rohtang tunnel, which was a long awaited demand of the tribal people. He said with the opening of the tunnel, tribal belt would be connected all round the year. He added that Manali Mall would be developed for strolling at international level and announced Rs 2 crore for the infrastructure development and quality facilities of global standard in the tourist town.

He further said the Western Himalayan Mountaineering Institute would also be adding more hostel accommodation at a cost of Rs 1.26 crore.

Chief Minister said Manali was internationally renowned tourist destination for adventure tourism activities. The Mountaineering Institute was providing training to youth in adventure tourism from all over the world and the new lodge would add to facilitate the convenient stay of groups coming to participate in various training programmes. He said efforts were afoot to create modern infrastructure facilities to cater to adventure tourism promotion activities in the state, especially, in tribal areas. The institute was poised to emerge as the pioneer in adventure tourism promotion in the country.

Khimi Ram, Deputy Speaker HP Vidhan Sabha, said tourism is an employment generating industry in the district and require focused development. He said visionary leadership of Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal would revolutionise the overall development of the state. He appreciated the social security pension and daily wage enhancement decisions as landmarks, besides, fulfilling the promises made in the election manifesto of the party.

Palampur, January 15
The Taxation Bar Association Palampur has urged the Union finance minister P. Chidambaram for immediate restoration of the office of commissioner of income tax appeals CIT(A), which was abolished by the Income Tax Department in 2006, arbitrarily without assigning any specific reason.

An emergency meeting of the association was held here today, which was also attended by the members of Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Una, Hamirpur, Nurpur and Chamba Bar Associations. A joint resolution to this effect was passed, in which it was stated that there was complete justification of office of the CIT (A) at Palampur as there was adequate workload. The association said office of the CIT (A) was functional here till 2006. It was covering the Income tax appellate work of eight districts of the state, which included Kangra, Mandi, Una Hamirpur, Chamba, Kulu, Bilaspur and Lauhal Spiti. Since after closing office of the CIT (A) here the jurisdiction of all appellate cases of all eight districts of the state falling in north had been attached with the CIT (A) at Solan, which was not only far away from these places but also very inconvenient for the taxpayers and their counsels to contest their case at Solan.

Briefing mediapersons Romesh Sood, president of the Bar Association said northern region of the state comprising these eight districts contribute over 60 per cent of the revenue of tax to the state exchequer and still the taxpayers from this region were not getting justice at the end of the Income tax authorities. He said after closing of this office the small taxpayers were the worst hit.

He said the CIT (A) Solan already have a heavy work load, additional work load of these eight districts had also been given to it and it was not possible for the officer to hold camps and visit time and again. He said today 250 appeals from the northern region of the state were pending and for the disposal of these appeal cases department should restore the CIT (A) office at Palampur without any further delay.

Bilaspur, January 15
Gobind Sagar Ghats Sudhar Sabha, a social organisation devoted to solve problems of people crossing Gobind Sagar here has drawn attention of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and the government towards incalculable difficulties of the thousands of villagers, college and school students, employees and labourers, litigants and other people who cross Gobind Sagar at Luhanu ghat of Bilaspur town and several other ghats in the district due to tricky silt and slippery slush, which is left behind by receding waters of Gobind Sagar every year and which makes crossing of Gobind Sagar very hazardous as people have to trudge through this ordeal every.

Addressing mediapersons here today and accompanied by a number of sabha leaders, its president Ram Singh said Bhakra Dam ousts have been demanding construction of a bridge on Gobind Sagar between Berry Darolan and Khairiyan since about 50 years, when it was formed along with its consequent problem to local people.

He said last year the Congress government led by Virbhadra Singh made a virtual mockery of this very popular demand when the Chief Minister laid foundation stone of this bridge at Talwara, declaring that it would be connected with Talwara instead of at Khairiyan where it would had been most suitable for all the people coming to the town.

Ram Singh said this foundation laying only proved an election stunt and not a brick was added to the foundation stone laid on March 23,2007, up to the end of the Congress regime on December 29, 2007.

Sabha had urged the Chief Minister to reverse this decision of joining this bridge at Talwara instead of Khairiyan, as connection to Talwara may be cheaper but it would reduce its utility only to 10 per cent while 90 per cent of people would still have to face the same ordeal as they had been facing at Luhanu ghat since last 50 years while crossing Gobind Sagar.

Kangra, January 15
Thousands of pilgrims from all over the country are thronging the Bajjreshwari temple here, one of the 52 Shakti Peeths of the country where left breast of goddess Sati had fallen when her consigned body was taken by Lord Shiva in the Himalayan terrains on his shoulder, to pay obeisance and to have glimpse of the 15-quintal idol of butter on the Pindi of the goddess on the eve of Makar Sakranti.

Chief pujari of the temple Ram Prasad Sharma said the idol of butter weighing 15 quintals was made on the eve of Makar Sakranti. It took 20 pujaris nearly 12 hours in the making process and was decorated with dry fruits.

Sharma said according to legend when the goddess was injured during fight with the demons her wounds were pasted with butter on Makar Sakranti by gods who treated her. Temple officer Ram Swroop Sharma told The Tribune today that the devotees of the goddess donate ghee for this purpose from all over the country and pujaris of the temple with a specific technique convert the donated ghee into butter by washing ghee with water for 108 times.

He said the making of the idol of butter started last evening and the process was completed with religious sanctity at 3.30 this morning. Large number of devotees from different parts of the country witnessed the pooja of the goddess.

The temple officer said the butter would remain on the Pindi for a week and would be removed on the morning of January 20. He said the temple authorities received ghee from the devotees from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Agra, Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, besides, the local people.

He said last year butter idol of 11-quintal was made here while this year it had gone to 15-quintal. In 2006, it was only 9-quintal idol. He said every year the quantity of donated ghee is increasing. The butter when removed is being distributed as prasad among the people, which is being used for the treatment of chronic skin ailments, Kaal and joint pains.

Solan, January 15
Urging the ministry of shipping, road transport and highways to speed up work on the alternate routes linking Baddi to Chandigarh the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh Industries Association said today this work should be made time-bound.

The association in a letter written to the Union minister T.R. Baalu today explained the extreme hardships faced by the investors who commute daily between Chandigarh and it’s satellite towns and this industrial area.

Though the construction of alternate routes between Baddi to Chandigarh via Siswan and Baddi to Chandigarh via Jayantimajra, would considerably reduce the traffic congestion on the NH-22 what was required was timely completion of these crucial works. Since both these alternate routs fall in the territory of Haryana and Punjab the association had requested the Union ministry to take up the issue of expediting this work with these states.

The demand for an alternate route had been long pending with the investors of the region. Since nearly 50-55 per cent of the total traffic on the NH-22 right from Pinjore to Chandigarh and Zirakpur originates from Baddi, Barotiwala and Nalagarh, this alternate route would help smoothen up traffic problem on the route. This would further facilitate widening of the highway from Zirakpur to Parwanoo and would ease the traffic problem to a large extend.

Traffic jams had become a regular feature in and around Pinjore and commuters were daily struck for 4-6 hours. This creates undue consumption of fuel and also creates undue harassment to the commuters.

The association welcomed the widening of Zirakpur-Pinjore-Parwanoo portion of the NH-22 from the present level of two lanes to four lanes. We are also thankful for approving the widening of portion on the NH-21A up to 10 meters from Pinjore to Baddi. This step of the ministry will go in a long way in clearing the traffic on these highly chocked portions of both the National Highways.

Nurpur, January 15
The state National Highway (NH) authorities today opened newly constructed temporary alternative diversion bridge for light vehicles on the NH -20 in this sub-division.

The state government through the NH has proposed the diversion bridge across the Chakki rivulet with an estimate cost of Rs 51 lakh following washing away of the 118 years old inter-state Chakki bridge near Kandwal on the NH in August last year.

The whole connectivity on Pathankot-Mandi highway had been snapped after the collapse of the bridge and the traffic on the NH had been diverted through Kandwal-Bhadroya state link road causing a lot of inconvenience to the commuters who used to visit neighbouring Punjab and Himachal states. The diversion bridge had been built about 15 days back on pipes made up of cement and steel.

According to S.P. Sharma the sub-divisional officer of the NH division Nurpur, a sum of Rs 32 lakh had been spent on the diversion and bitumen work will be carried out after winter. He informed that the diversion had been opened for light vehicles on Tuesday in the initial stage and heavy vehicles would be allowed only after examining the strength of the newly built diversion bridge.

Kangra, January 15
BSP Convener Major Vijay Singh Mankotia today charged the Congress and the BJP with damaging and destroying parliamentary democracy in the country.

Addressing a public meeting in connection with the birthday celebrations of BSP chief Mayawati at Tandon Club here today, Mankotia said the Congress and the BJP had allegedly used money and wine freely in the elections, adding that MLAs were not elected through the ballot box but through wine box.

Mankotia blamed weak party infrastructure and limited time for not winning the expected seats during the December 19 poll.

He said the BSP leadership would analyse the lapses and chalk out a strategy for the next parliamentary poll. Earlier, a big cake was cut to mark Mayawati’s birthday. The meeting was addressed by BSP MLA Sanjay Choudary who demanded Bharat Ratna for BSP founder Kanshi Ram.

BSP vice-president Man Singh Manhera said Mayawati had rejected the resignation of Mankotia, adding that the party had decided to contest the lok Sabha and other elections in the state under the leadership of Mankotia.