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Weather upsets HPSEB purchase plan
Special winter games conclude
Patsio coldest at -28°C
5 cops to get PM’s medal
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Scholarship plan for minority students
Plea to abolish house tax
IGMC finally came to her
rescue
CM’s word to professionals
15 villages crave for irrigation facilities
Naina Devi-Anandpur Sahib Ropeway Project
TCP Act to be extended to 27 towns
Tragedy averted at Gobind Sagar
Training course in self-employment
OSD finds doc absent
Priority for development
District-level races organised
BJP to adjust women in organisation: Jain
Denial of wages: Memo to SDM
Residents of the Hadal gram panchayat submit a memorandum to the Nurpur SDM on Friday. — Photo by Rajiv Mahajan
284 TB patients treated
Cancellation of CRI licence flayed
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Weather upsets HPSEB purchase plan
Shimla, February 1 The board imposed heavy power cuts, particularly on the industrial sector, but even then it could not manage the situation without making additional procurement. The State Electricity Regulatory Commission had approved a purchase rate of 6 per unit but the board has been forced to buy power from various sources, including unscheduled interchanges, at rates ranging from Rs 8 to Rs 8.54 per unit. A much higher than the approved procurement rate is likely to cost the board an additional Rs 25 crore to Rs 30 crore. The fund-starved state utility wants the state government to reimburse the additional expenditure incurred by the board on power purchase. It has already written to the government in this regard. The demand for electricity went up dramatically as as people required more power to combat extreme cold conditions. The states like Punjab and Haryana, which supply power to Himachal Pradesh during the lean winter months, could not spare enough power to help meet the winter shortfall. The ultimate sufferer was the state power board as it had to buy additional power, including a huge quantity through unscheduled interchanges, which cost it dearly. As the mercury dipped below the freezing point across the state the consumption touched 185 lakh units per day. However, the availability came down to around 140 lakh units pre day as generation in the state’s own projects and various other hydroelectric projects in which it had a share came down sharply. The state’s own generation declined from 30 to 22 lakh units per day. Overall Himachal has been surplus in power but it faces a shortage during the winter when the demand goes up and generation in the hydroelectric projects declines due to reduction in discharge of various rivers and streams. The state supplies its surplus power to Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and other states during the summer under a banking arrangement. These states, in turn, return the power to the hill state during the winter to meet the shortfall. This season these states did not have enough power to fulfil commitment under the banking arrangement. The industrial boom following the package of incentives granted by the Centre has led to a quantum jump in demand for power. The daily requirement during the winter, which ranged between 105 lakh units and 120 lakh units three years ago, has reached 185 lakh units this winter.
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Special winter games conclude
Shimla, February 1 Speaking at the closing of the National Winter Games for special children by the Special Olympics Bharat here today, he said better health facilities, including physiotherapists, would be provided in the state. He lauded the HP Chapter of Special Olympics, Bharat, for having organised the five-day championship for 715 special children from 21 states. “We will also ensure that these children get maximum possible benefit under various schemes being run by the Welfare Department,” he said. Bindal read out a message of the Chief Minister, who could not make it due to his busy schedule. He announced Rs 1 lakh grant on behalf of the Chief
Minister. Bindal gave away the prizes in various categories. In the male floor hockey championship, Delhi emerged as the winners while the second and third prizes went to West Bengal and Maharashtra in Division -I category. In Division-II Himachal were the winners while Goa and Rajasthan won the second and third prizes. In Division-III, Karnataka was adjudged the best followed by Jharkhand and In the female category Delhi stood first followed by Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh in division-I. Karnataka bagged the top position in division-II, followed by Maharashtra and West Bengal. Gujarat stood first in division-III with Goa and Himachal bagging the second and third positions. |
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Patsio coldest at -28°C
Shimla, February 1 The weatherman has predicted light to moderate rain or snow at many places in the state on February 3 and 4 under the influence of the western disturbance. With temperatures hovering around the freezing point in most parts of the state another spell of snow will only help prolong the cold wave sweeping the region. The weather remained dry with sun shining brightly over the past 24 hours. However, the mercury remained at uncomfortably low levels. Patsio was the coldest at -28°C, followed by Keylong -19.3°C and Dhundi -18°C. Kalpa was slightly warmer with minimum temperature rising from yesterday’s -13.2°C to -10°C and maximum to -2°C. Sundernagar and Bhuntar were coldest in lower hills, both recording a minimum of -1.8°C, followed by Una with a low of -1.6°C. Shimla warmed up a little with minimum temperature rising from -1.4°C to -0.8°C and the maximum from 6.7°C to 10.6°C. Dharamsala recorded a minimum of 4.7°C and a maximum of 13.4°C. According to Met office, the night temperatures are likely to increase gradually over the next few days. |
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5 cops to get PM’s medal
Shimla, February 1 They are CID inspector Purshotam Dass, head constables Mohammed Naseem Khan, Nazar Singh, Gurdev Singh and Manjeet Singh, a press note here said. The awards will be presented at the closing function of 51st All India Police Duty Meet in March. —
UNI |
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Scholarship plan for minority students
Shimla, February 1 Termed “Post Matric Scholarship”, it aims to provide scholarship to meritorious students, from the economically weaker sections of minority communities, and enable them to pursue higher education, Social Justice and Empowerment spokesman said here. The scholarship will be given to students, pursuing studies from class XI to Ph.D. from the government or recognised private institutions, including technical, accordingly with vocational courses of class XI and XII level in industrial training institutions affiliated with the National Council for Vocational Training, he added During the current financial year, 113 scholarships will be provided to 49 Muslims, 4 Christians, 30 Sikhs and 4 Buddhists, he said. The spokesman said the students should have not less than 50 per cent marks in the previous final examination to be eligible to avail this scholarship. Students from BPL families, having the lowest income will be given preference, and 30 per cent of the scholarship will be earmarked for girl students, he said
-UNI |
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Plea to abolish house tax in Jawalamukhi
Dharamsala, February 1 The state government should bear the financial burden of the Nagar Panchayat by allocating special funds in the annual budget plan of the next financial year. She was of the view that instead of imposing taxes on the people the government should come forward to bail out the Nagar Panchayat from the financial crunch. She demanded the setting up of a high-level committee to study the historical background of the town and bring it on the international map of pilgrimage. This town acquires significance because it attracts thousands of pilgrims daily who come here to pay obeisance in the famous shrine of Jawalamukhi. She said that lakhs of rupees were being earned daily by the government from the visiting pilgrims in the form of donations in the temples and taxes |
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IGMC finally came to her rescue
Sundernagar, February 1 This is the state of affairs here, after the BJP government made tall promises to provide all facilities at the village level. In reality, even the zonal hospitals are lacking the basic medical facilities. Patients are often advised to shift to private hospitals, where they have to pay exorbitant amount and are forced to undergo unnecessary tests. Sunita (26), a wife of an Army man, had been visiting Civil Hospital, Sundernagar, for antenatal check up. On Wednesday, when the labour pains began she was immediately taken to Civil Hospital, here, but the medical officer on duty referred the case to Zonal Hospital, Mandi. According to Sunita’s father-in-law he was told that she would be operated upon but earlier the medical officer did not tell him so. Anyway, she was taken to Zonal Hospital Mandi, where she was admitted and later told that no specialist medical officer was available at Mandi so the patient was referred to Bilaspur. The family members then brought her to IGMC in a vehicle, where she delivered a child after being operated upon. Later on, the matter was brought to the notice of the Health Minister, who has ordered inquiry into
the matter. |
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CM’s word to professionals
Shimla, February 1 The Chief Minister, talking to the Resident Doctor’s Association of the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here, said the medical, teaching, engineering and allied disciplines interest would be taken into consideration during policy formation. He further said the state government had taken the decision to carry the recruitment to professional cadres on 50
per cent batch wise and 50 per cent by way of direct recruitment. He maintained that complete transparency would be maintained in carrying the recruitments to different positions so that right persons were selected for the right positions. —
UNI |
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15 villages crave for irrigation facilities
Kangra, February 1 Satish Kumar Sharma, a resident of Ladoh village, said the land in Parnoh, Ladoh, lower Ladoh, Panchrukhi, Saliana, Banurie, Tatial, Mewa Brigade and other villages had practically gone barren because of the government apathy. Farmers in these villages depended on rain for irrigation and had to face hardship when there was no rain. On the other hand, water flowing in rivers and nullahs went waste as there had been no effort by the government to create water-storage facilities in the area. Farmers said the "kuhal" in the area was in a dilapidated condition. Had it been repaired, it would have been of immense help. Farmers had approached ministers in the Virbhadra government from time to time but to no avail. Sharma said it was in 2006 following the taking over of the kuhal that a Rs 40.21-lakh plan was prepared by the department and the DPR submitted to the principal adviser-cum-secretary (planning) vide letter dated June 19, 2006, but no approval was accorded. Following a news report in ' The Tribune' last year the authorities prepared a revised Rs 129.13-lakh plan and submitted the DPR again in early 2007 but no approval was granted. Sharma said the farmers were now pinning hopes on Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal to come to their rescue. |
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Naina Devi-Anandpur Sahib Ropeway Project
Mandi, February 1 According to the Union Government notification issued on September 14, 2006, as per its objectives of new environmental policy, all aerial ropeways need prior approval from the central environmental impact assessment authority (CEIAA) set up for the purpose. All aerial ropeway projects, which are located within a distance of a wildlife sanctuary, the protected area or eco-sensitive sites declared by the state pollution control board, need prior approval from the authority, sources said. As per the new rule, the state government has to constitute the state-level environment impact assessment authority (SEIAA) for the purpose. “All aerial projects, including modernisation or expansion of existing projects, including state and national highways, which have impact on the environment and involve acquisition of land, need a prior approval of the CEIAA”, the sources said. The Naina Devi-Anandpur Sahib ropeway project is located near the Nanadevi wildlife sanctuary and hence it needs prior approval of the CEIAA. Even the present Jhakhu-Shimla ropeway under progress in the capital is located within a distance of 10 km from the wildlife protected area of the Wildflower Hall and Charabara, disclosed the sources. After falling in disarray for the past five years during the Congress governments, both in Himachal and Punjab, the present government has now expedited the process to take up the ambitious Naina Devi-Anandpur Sahib that would give boost to religious tourism in the state. The present government has taken up the BJP party manifesto as the government document in which aerial ropeways- BijliMahadevi-Kullu, Baba Balaknath, Dharmashala-Triund and pilgrimage ropeways projects- would be taken up for their inclusion in the coming budget, the sources said. Secretary, Tourism, Manish Nanda said the government was making budget estimates of aerial ropeways more particularly pilgrimage ropeways in the state. The government will get all clearance for the projects. But she was not aware about the new regulation, she added. |
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TCP Act to be extended to 27 towns
Shimla, February 1 The haphazard growth along the national highways is a matter of concern and it is being felt that the Town and Country Planning Act, 1977, should be extended to all left out 27 towns of the state. So far this act is applicable only in 22 townships, which covers the main towns and district headquarters. The regulations of the act are not applicable in the cantonment townships of Kasauli, Dagshai, Jutog, Yol, Dalhousie, Bakloh and Sabathu. The state has a total of 20 planning areas and 34 special areas. “Since the ribbon development along the national highways and main roads emanates from the towns, which become focal areas, the act will have to be extended to all left out 29 towns,” a senior TCP official said. He said the process of identifying the urban corridors and active strips emerging in the state due to haphazard and unregulated construction activity along the highways would have to be expedited so that they can be covered under the TCP Act. “Once all towns are brought under the TCP Act, the growth will take place according to the development plan and in a regulated manner with prior permission,” officials said. The areas which have been found to be most prone to this ribbon development and urban corridors includes the valleys of Kangra, Kullu, Poanta, Balh in Mandi and the belts falling in Shimla-Parwanoo, Bhota-Hamirpur, Mehatpur-Una, Barotiwala-Nalagarh and Ghaggas-Barmana. The government will have to extend the act to include 150 m wide strip along the national highways and 100 m along the state highways to combat this trend, which is bound to have far reaching negative impact. It is being felt that the state government must take some timely steps so that this ribbon development can be curbed. In states like Punjab one does not witness these kind of urban corridors due to the enforcement of Scheduled Roads Act, which earmarks buffer zones along the national and state highways where no construction activity is allowed to come up. It has been witnessed that there has been a major spurt in construction activity along the national, state and district highways posing a threat to the efficiency of the roads on which the government invests major share of its budget. Besides that, even from the tourism point of view it was essential to prevent these massive concrete structures from becoming eyesores on the national highways used by visitors to the state. |
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Tragedy averted at Gobind Sagar
Bilaspur, February 1 Reports here said one of the motorboat was coming to Bilaspur from Beri-Darolan Ghat while the other was coming to the town from RishiKesh Ghat. Both were loaded with commuters. The rudders of the motors of these boats got entrapped in the slush and the boats started trembling furiously as it got surrounded by huge mass of marshy silt, which could devour anyone within minutes who dared to come out of the boat. The other bank was dozens of yards away as the water current of virtually drying up Gobind Sagar had suddenly changed its course away from the motorboats. The passengers got panicky and were frightened but the motorboat drivers cautioned them to remain calm and keep sitting on their seats silently and let them take out the motorboat from this crisis. Few persons also helped them to extricate the entrapped motorboats from the sticky slush while some others shouted for help. When strenuous efforts for about an hour failed, some other motorboats came forward for their rescue and threw ropes to be tied to these crippled motorboats and succeeded in taking them out of the ordeal. |
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Training course in self-employment
Shimla, February 1 The cooperative societies were required in the field of labour and construction, energy generation, floriculture, medicinal plants, vegetable cultivation and tourism development which had maximum potential for employment generation in the hill state. These societies will serve as vehicles for large-scale self-employment generation. During the training programme, issues relating to promotion of cooperatives in specific fields will be discussed and unemployed youth will be encouraged to form cooperative societies to take up self-employment ventures. In all 60 persons will be selected for the training programme on first come first serve basis. |
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OSD finds doc absent
Hamirpur, February 1 OSD went to inspect the hospital at about 10.45 pm and found that no doctor was on night duty and only one staff nurse was doing her duty at that time. The district hospital has three doctors and 2 staff nurses at present. Though 12 indoor patients were admitted in the hospital, the telephone installed in the hospital was also locked and there was no body else except the nurse through whom an emergency call to the doctor could be sent. Dr Ashok Sharma taking serious note of the absence of the doctor on night duty has sent a report to director of the Ayurveda Department and health minister for initiating action in this matter. Confirming the absence of the doctor Dr Ashok Sharma told The Tribune: “I went to hospital at about 10.45 pm and found that no doctor was on night duty though according to duty roaster Dr Mohinder Kumar Chauhan was on night duty though indoor patients department was full to its capacity.” He said, “It would not have been possible to send an emergency call for a doctor since no doctor was living in the hospital premises and few patients complained that they were not given adequate medicines.” Health minister Rajiv Bindal on being asked what action would be taken against the erring doctor said, “The government would initiate action after getting report from the OSD and lethargy in the department would definitely be checked.” |
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Priority for development
Palampur, February 1 Addressing a news conference at the PWD rest house here this afternoon, Sharma said the top priority of the government would be widening and maintenance of roads. He said a new bypass for the town would also be constructed to ease out frequent traffic jams. Sharma said the national highway authority had already cleared this project. He admitted that that heavy traffic in the town had become a major problem. Sharma said the new complex of the local hospital was almost complete which would be inaugurated by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal in February. Besides, the Chief Minister would also inaugurate the new building of Capt Vikram Batra Degree College, which was ready for commissioning.. |
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District-level races organised
Bilaspur, February 1 In 5,000 meters Rajesh of Ghumarwin was first, Anil of Ghumarwin was second and Nishant of Bilaspur was third while among girls Dinam of Deoth was first, Dimple of Daslehda second and Sima of Daslehda was third in this event. District sports officer Ved Prakash Upadhyay said prizes worth Rs 1,500; Rs 1,000 and Rs 600 were given to the winners respectively in each event. Principal K.D. Gautam inaugurated the event and Dr Chand Sharma general manager Industries distributed the prizes. |
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BJP to adjust women in organisation: Jain
Solan, February 1 The state BJP in-charge Satpal Jain, while lauding their historic decision said here today that it was unfortunate that though two key parties -The Congress and the BSP - were being headed by women but they had done little to ensure significant reservation to the women. Addressing mediapersons here today on the eve of a two-day state executive body meeting here, he said even the so called left parties, who had been labelling them as conservatives hardly had adequate women representatives. He ridiculed the Congress for having failed to introduce the 33 per cent women reservation Bill. |
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Denial of wages: Memo to SDM
Nurpur, February 1 These labourers today submitted a memorandum to the local SDM demanding his intervention in releasing their dues forthwith. When contacted the local block development officer clarified that the office had released payment due under NREGA to all gram panchayats but the failure of disbursement of the payments might be at the panchayat level end. Meanwhile, residents of the Hadal panchayat led by ex-pradhan Subash Singh also submitted another memorandum to the SDM demanding a probe into the alleged misuse of funds being utilised under the Watershed Development Project in the panchayat. In the memorandum it has been alleged that the panchayat had withdrawn allocated funds six months back but did not spend on the spot. The SDM assured the villagers to get the matter investigated and action would be taken if irregularities were found. |
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284 TB patients treated
Bilaspur, February 1 Sankhyan said a total of 222 DOT centers have been opened throughout the district where this drug is available free of cost. Sputum testing centers, where this disease can be easily detected have been provided at government health centers of Barmana, Ghwandal, Markand, Malokhar, Panjgain, Barthin, Bharari, Ghumarwin, Harlog, Jhandutta and Talai apart from the regional hospital here in the town. Chauhan exhorted concerned officers to launch a concerted campaign throughout the district to ensure that the disease was brought under control. |
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Nurpur, February 1
