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BJP seeks white paper on prices
Cost of Khauli Project |
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WB funds to be sought for water scheme
Peons managing two health centres
Fund crunch for research worries scientists
Shifting Power Line
Sex Ratio
Mandi medical college in pvt sector opposed
Nabard to train PWD engineers
Residents demand shifting of liquor vend
MC puts ban on stray domestic animals
Drug licensing authority at Baddi soon
Tractor firm penalised
1.5 lakh visit Bajjreshwari temple
Tributes paid to Ambedkar
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BJP seeks white paper on prices
Solan, April 14 He was addressing a thanksgiving rally here as all five seats in the district were won by the BJP. Taking the UPA government to task, he said it had failed to come up with a white paper on the issue till now as it would have exposed its inability to deal with issue. He said it was unfortunate that despite having two leading economists as the Prime Minister and the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, the country’s economy was not in good health. He also blamed the UPA government for adopting a soft posture on the Chinese claim that Arunachal Pradesh was a part of its territory. India’s stand on the issue appeared to be a compromise on national security. While any such claim should have been vehemently rejected, the UPA government failed to take a tough stand on the issue. He criticised the Congress for dividing the country on communal basis by extending special incentives to certain communities and said only poverty and backwardness should be the criteria for any special aid. He praised Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal and Rajya Sabha MP Shanta Kumar for coordinating the party’s victory in the state. He emphasised the need for setting up a fruit processing unit in the district to boost its economy. Earlier, Dhumal said they were endeavouring to provide jobs to the youth. Schemes for subsided ration etc. would be continued as a budgetary provision of Rs 90 crore had been made for that purpose. He dedicated the Rs 62-crore Giri Water Scheme to the people and also laid the foundations stone for the expansion of the sabzi mandi to be constructed at a cost of Rs 5.12 crore. IPH minister Ravinder Ravi was, however, conspicuous by his absence. State party president Jai Ram Thakur, health minister Rajiv Bindal, forest minister J.P. Nadda, housing and transport minister Kishen Kapoor, social justice and empowerment minister Sarveen Chaudhary, deputy speaker Khimi Ram, all MLAs of the district and party spokesman Randheer Sharma were also present on the occasion. |
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Cost of Khauli Project
Shimla, April 14 In the application filed by the board with the Electricity Regulatory Commission for the determination of tariff for the Khauli project, the total expenditure has been put at Rs 126 crore. A such, the per megawatt cost comes to Rs 10.50 crore as against Rs 10.20 crore per megawatt for the Larji project. The
Khauli project is designed to generate 54 million units annually and the cost
of generation works out to around Rs 6 per unit as against the board’s
average sale price of Rs 3.67 per unit. The power purchase cost for projects up
to 5 MW has been fixed at Rs 2.80 per unit and Rs 2.25 per unit for projects
more than 5 MW. The board has spent Rs 1,294 crore on the Larji project, whereas the expert panel appointed commission to investigate the high cost of the project put the total cost at Rs 960 crore. The cost was pegged at Rs 90 crore in 1998 when the prevailing cost ranged from Rs 4 to Rs 4.5 crore per megawatt. The 1500-MW Nathpa-Jhakri project executed in the public sector during the same period cost Rs 5.5 crore per megawatt, while the private sector 300-MW Baspa project cost Rs 5 crore per megawatt. As such, the per-megawatt cost of the Khauli project should not have exceeded Rs 65 crore. In case of the Larji project, the board has been taking the plea that it was a difficult project thrust on the board by the government. However, it has no excuse for completing the Khauli project at almost double the normal cost. Both the Larji and the Khauli projects were commissioned three years behind the schedule. While the government is dithering on the issue of unbundling, the board seems to be in no mood to learn from mistakes committed in the Larji and the Khauli projects. Same follies are being repeated in the 100-MW Uhl-III projects. If insiders are to be believed, Uhl is another Larji in the making. |
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WB funds to be sought for water scheme
Shimla, April 14 Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal stated this while addressing a delegation of the Shimla Beopar Mandal. “The planning has already been done and shortly the World Bank will be approached for funds,” he said. He said the Giri water supply scheme would become operational soon. “In order to meet the future water requirement of the state capital, we are also planning to have another water supply scheme from the Sutlej at a cost of Rs 130 crore,” said Dhumal. The Chief Minister said efforts were being made to restore the lost glory of Shimla. “Funds are being sought under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission for various works like construction of tunnels, roads, aerial ropeways along with beautification of the town and its periphery,” he said. Dhumal said tourism was the main commercial activity of a large number of traders in the town and efforts were being made to develop unexplored destinations. “Special attention is being paid towards promoting rural tourism so as to familiarise tourists with the Himachali customs, traditions and cuisine,” he said. He assured that the government would sympathetically look into various problems being faced by traders. The Shimla Beopar Mandal presented a draft for Rs 1.01 lakh as a contribution towards the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. |
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Peons managing two health centres
Chamba, April 14 The health services are in limbo as seven health institutions are functioning without doctors, two run by peons, while many others are facing acute scarcity of paramedical staff in the district. Amazingly, six primary health centres (PHCs) and one community health centre are functioning devoid of doctors in the district. These PHCs include Baggi, Dandi, Bhageigarh, Dulara (Choori), Saach and Sechu Nala in the Pangi tribal subdivision of the district. The community health centre at Sahoo too is functioning without doctor and is being looked after by the paramedical staff. The newly opened PHCs at Baggi and Bhageigarh are locked as no staff has so far been posted there. The PHCs at Dandi and Dulara (Choori) are being run by a class-IV employee. While PHCs at Saach and Sechu Nala in Pangi tribal subdivision are being run by pharmacist and staff nurse respectively. The only community health centre at Killar, the headquarters of the Pangi tribal a single doctor is manning subdivision. According to Dr Nagesh Verma, chief medical officer
(CMO), Chamba, there are 230 health institutions in the district So far as the staff position is concerned, only 81 doctors are working against a sanctioned strength of 113 doctors, there are no specialists like MD,
ENT, anaesthetist, gynaecologist and surgeon etc, only 41 pharmacists are working against the sanctioned strength of 76, hardly 28 senior laboratory technicians are in position against sanctioned posts of 57. Only 20 trained ‘dais’ are in positing against a sanctioned strength of 54. The posts of many other categories of paramedical staff like physiotherapists, operation theatre assistants and x-ray assistants have been lying vacant for a long time. Chamba is situated at about 150 km from Dharamsala and 120 km from Pathankot (Punjab), which are the nearest towns providing health services. Likewise, Chamba is about 450 km from Shimla, the state capital and about 400 km from Chandigarh having better medical care. Many a time, there have been instances of death on the way while carrying patients to Dharamsala, Chandigarh or Shimla. The district having a population of 4,60,499 (as per 2001 Census) is mainly looked after by the regional hospital at Chamba. Out of 22 sanctioned posts of doctor in the regional hospital, eight are lying vacant. More than 40 per cent posts of other categories of staff have also been lying vacant for a long time in this hospital. The OPD is looking after about 600 to 700 patients daily in the 200-bed regional hospital, besides 50-bed tuberculosis and 35-bed leprosy hospitals at Chamba, the CMO said. |
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Fund crunch for research worries scientists
Dharamsala, April 14 The scientists were speaking at CSK Agriculture University, Palampur, at the inauguration of the 51st annual workshop of the all-India coordinated maize improvement project. Dr P.L. Gautam, deputy director-general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, called upon the scientists to build public-private partnership in research. He said much work was required to be done in the field of maize research so that seed and technology were made available to the farmers at an affordable price. Usefulness of maize was increasing in the industry and growing it in different agro-climatic zones in different seasons could increase the productivity. Dr R.B. Singh, former deputy director-general, FAO, and former member of the Farmers’ Commission, who was the chief guest, said the Union Government had accepted all recommendations of the commission. He said the farmers were not getting remunerative prices for their crops where as food was becoming dearer to the consumers. He asked the scientists to repeatedly make policy makers aware about such problems. Dr Tej Partap, vice-chancellor, said it was imperative to strike a balance between traditional and modern technologies. The increasing gap between urban and rural areas, insecurity and uncertainty were the major problems faced by the farming community. All concerned must join hands to serve the farmers. |
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Shifting Power Line
Haripur (Kullu), April 14 The farmers allege that “the agreement that the company has signed with them, forfeits all their claims to their land, damage to crops, trees or ownership of the land on which the towers have been raised”. Devi Chand Thakur (Chaklari), Sant Ram, Tulak Singh, Jatinder, Rulda Ram, Vir Singh (all from Mansari), Gajinder Kumar, Ganga Ram (Dashal), Kuldip Sharma (Haripur), Lal Chand (Karzan), Tara Devi and Panda Singh (Soel) complained that the company kept them in the dark about the 11 terms and conditions when they signed the agreement. Though there is no provision of acquiring land under the Electricity Act and the Telegraph Act, the agreement said the farmers would forfeit their claim to compensation or ownership of the land, damage to trees or crops. The agreement also said that farmers could not move any court as regards any right for which compensation had been paid. Samiti’s conveners L.C. Thakur and Ramesh Thakur said the company had kept farmers in the dark not only about the hazards of the high-tension line and but also about the “draconian terms and conditions of agreement that aimed at grabbing their land”. “Farmers will never give up their rights to land in orchards and farms. We have reiterated that the government should ask the company to shift the transmission line in the interests of farmers in the valley,” they said. They added villagers under 11 panchayats were united in demanding the shifting of the transmission line. “Moreover, the company has no mandatory clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) for installing the transmission line,” they said. In charge, AD transmission line, Ditto Panikar said the company had not acquired land for towers and but it had paid compensation to farmers for the 15 sq m land for raising towers after signing the agreement. “We have ensured a ground clearance of 7 m from the lower link as per provision of the Telegraph Act. The MOEF clearance to raise towers on forest land is awaited,” Panikar said. Kullu DC M. Sudha Devi said no land could be acquired under the Electricity Act and the Telegraph Act for transmission towers. “We will call a meeting of farmers and officials of the company in 10 days to resolve dispute,” she added. |
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Sex Ratio
Dharamsala, April 14 Other such villages are Tanda Sardarpur (357) and Passu Panteno (333) in Kangra block, Jachh (609) in Nurpur block, Kathgarh (556) in Indora block, Ghorab (500), Kirchamba (500) and Chawri Muhalkad (501) in Nagrota Bagwan block, Diana (500) in Fatehpur block, Jaleri (500) and Bela (571) in Naduan block and Baidi (385) in Rait block. Kshama Metre, director of the Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development (CORD), said they had collected sex ratio data from 44 villages. There had been a steep decline in the sex ratio in 33 villages. Metre said the trend of having smaller families was leading to decline in sex ratio. “People prefer to have just one to two children these days. In case the first child is a boy, they prefer not have a second child,” Metre added. “We have asked health officials to collect data regarding sex ratio during the pulse polio drive,” Metre said. The data so collected could help in redressing the problem. |
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Mandi medical college in pvt sector opposed
Mandi, April 14 The BJP and its frontal organisations were conspicuous by their absence in the collective fast. Jyoti Prasad Kapur (90), who joined the fast here, said: “The private college is run not for charity as it has a profit motive. For a common man the cost of treatment will be higher and unaffordable. India needs 4 lakh doctors and needs more government medical colleges. The government has responsibility to ensure funds, proper staff, for affordable patient care”. The protesters charged that the BJP government was discriminating against the central zone of Mandi, Kullu, Lahaul, Spiti and Bilaspur, withdrawing notification issued on October 7 by the previous government, pleading that the government had no money for the project. They dismissed the government’s plea of shortage of funds as baseless, pleading that central region has contributed to the substantial part of revenue to the state exchequer through various projects. They argued that they deserved the government medical college in the central zone as Shimla and Kangra had been awarded two medical colleges- IGMC and Tanda medical college. President of citizens’ council, P.C. Bisht, president of Rajput Sabha, Man Singh Thakur, presidents, Khatri Sabha, Braham Sabha, DYFI, president Kushal Bhardwaj stated that the central region had been ignored by the BJP government, withdrawing the notification without considering the aspirations of the common public in the central region. President of the Pensioners’ Welfare Association, Veer Singh Chauhan and former director Youth Affairs and Sports T.L. Vaidya said the people of the central region had begun nursing the feeling of discrimination against the present government. The representatives charged that it was Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, who had announced during his election rally here that the government would start a government medical college in Mandi once voted to power. Now he had done the reverse, they charged. The representatives have also launched a signature campaign on a white piece of cloth and target to record one lakh signatures. Those who joined the collective fast included the Brahman Sabha, Arya Samaj, Rajput Sabha, People of India, Kisan Sabha, Pensioner’s Welfare Association, Bharat Vikas Parishad, CITU, IPTA, INTUC, BKS, NSUI, SFI, Janvadi Mahila Morcha, Youth Congress, HGVS and others. |
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Vikram Batra college building victim of politics
Palampur, April 14 The BJP government initiated this project when it was in power during 1998 to 2003. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal had laid the foundation stone of this college on March 19, 2002. This college would help students belonging to the changar area with little educational facilities. Dhumal had then sanctioned Rs 1 crore for this project named after Kargil martyr Captain Vikram Batra, PVC. Later, the Congress came into power in 2003, which on political considerations left this project half way as it was initiated by the BJP government. Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh in 2003 announced that the government would construct the college complex in Palampur and not in the Sulah constituency. After 2003, none in the state government bothered to utilise the land and the half-completed buildings for some other purpose. Over Rs 50 lakh had been spent on this project so far. |
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Nabard to train PWD engineers
Shimla, April 14 This was stated by PWD minister Thakur Gulab Singh, while presiding over the meeting of senior Nabard and PWD officials, here recently. “The training workshop will be held for engineers of all three zones of the state,” he said. He emphasised the need for greater Nabard funding for strengthening of the road network in the state as this sector had been adopted as a thrust area by the state government. He informed that Nabard was implementing 723 projects, including 178 bridges and 545 road projects, in the state. |
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Residents demand shifting of liquor vend
Mandi, April 14 Residents met Mandi DC Onkar Sharma and also lodged their complaint with Mandi SP M. Chandra Shekhar urging them to shift the liquor shop cum ‘ahata’ as it has made their life hell for the past one year. No staff of the company was available for comments as the police have rounded up all of them in connection with a murder that was committed recently near here allegedly involving the staff members. “We cannot move in odd hours. Noise and fistfights are order of the days, complained Rajinder Gupta, Bhup Chand, B. Raj and other residents. They complained that they were never taken into confidence when the government issued permission and the local authority issued the NOC to the liquor shop here. The DC said he would try to find a solution to the problem by finding possibility of relocating it. |
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MC puts ban on stray domestic animals
Chamba, April 14 In order to address the problem of stray domestic animals, the local municipal council (MC) has decided to put a ban on stray animals and the owners leaving their animals ‘stray’. They would be fined from Rs 100 to 200 per stray domestic animal varying from species to species as penalty. According to official sources of the municipal council, to deal stringently with the problem of stray animals, a ‘cattle hut’ had been constructed by the council at Kurahan in the outskirts of Chamba town where the stray animals would be kept. Owners of the stray animals would be charged Rs 180 each day for fodder and rent of the hut, the sources revealed. In case the owner did not claim to get their animals within 15 days, the livestock would be sent to the ‘go-sadan’. |
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Drug licensing authority at Baddi soon
Solan, April 14 He said the problems faced by this industry had been brought to his notice and the government would try to facilitate them. He was interacting with mediapersons here after inaugurating the Rs 62 crore Giri water scheme. He said no agriculture land would be acquired for setting up any SEZ and even the proposed township at Waknaghat would be built up on land other than the agricultural land. Interestingly, the BJP when in opposition had opposed this township tooth and nail but now it was shrugging away from opposing it. Dhumal said they had held fruitful talks with the Punjab Government and the Ambala-Mohali express highway would be extended till Baddi so that our investors too can take benefit of the international airport. He said the widening of the Parwanoo-Barotiwala road would also be taken up soon as it would provide another access route to the industrial area through Himachal. He said the government was encouraging the new investors to invest in the new industrial areas so as to reduce the congestion in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh area. Such investors would be provided the benefit of no sales tax for 10 years and transport subsidy under the state’s industrial policy. He said the ESI hospital at Baddi would soon be constructed and this would benefit the industrial workers there. |
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Tractor firm penalised
Bilaspur, April 14 In case the company did not obey the order in 50 days, it would have to pay Rs 3.6 lakh to Rattan Lal along with an interest of 9 per cent, the forum ordered. Rattan had purchased a tractor from the Ghumarwin branch of company at a cost of Rs 3.15 lakh on April 23, 2002, with a warranty of one year. But the tractor developed a snag and was found technically defective by a mechanic. It later came to light that the vehicle was earlier sold to another customer who had a challan on his name in respect of that very tractor. Rattan approached the company for supplying him a new tractor, but the company did not respond. He then approached the forum.
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1.5 lakh visit Bajjreshwari temple
Kangra, April 14 Pardeep Kumar Thakur, SDM, Kangra, said pilgrims from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir visited Nagarkot to pay obeisance to goddess Bajjreshwari. Temple officer R.S. Sharma said more than Rs 12 lakh were collected as offerings in the temple during Navratras. He said devotees offered 68 gm gold and around 5 kg silver during the first seven days of Navratras. However, devotees complained of inadequate arrangements for the pilgrims. Lacking accommodation and poor sanitation were their main complaints. Residents demanded that the offerings be utilised for improving facilities for the pilgrims. |
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Tributes paid to Ambedkar
Shimla, April 14 Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal was the first to garland his statue at the Chaura Maidan. His Cabinet colleagues, forest minister J.P. Nadda, horticulture minister Narender Bragta, local MLA Suresh Bhardwaj, mayor of the local Municipal Corporation Narender Kataria, prominent citizens the town, leaders of various political parties and senior officers of the state government also paid tribute to the leader. Lauding the contribution made by Dr Ambedkar the Chief Minister said he was a great patriot, a true Gandhian and an intellectual who worked relentlessly for the socio-economic upliftment of the down trodden and weaker sections of society. A session of devotional and patriot songs was also held on the occasion. HAMIRPUR: The Himachal Pradesh SC and ST Welfare Federation today celebrated Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s anniversary by organising a programme here in which education minister I.D. Dhiman was chief guest. Dhiman said the decision of the Chief Minister to build Ambedkar Bhawan in all 68 constituencies of the state is a true tribute to Dr Ambedkar. He said the government had also increased the SC sub-plan by 157 per cent through which 99 anganwari centres in eight districts were approved to given Rs 2 lakh each. Lauding contribution of Dr Ambedkar in formation of the Indian Constitution he said by adopting this Constitution India emerged as the strong democratic nation. |
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