Shimla, April 27
Hydel power exploitation in the state sector will get a major boost with the Asian Development Bank sanctioning a loan Rs 3,200 crore to the government for the execution of three major power projects.

Negotiations had been going on for the past more than a year and the bank had agreed in principle to fund projects in September last. The final hurdle was crossed early this week when the Centre gave its approval to the loan deal. The most attractive feature of the deal is that the fund-starved hill state will receive 90 per cent of the amount as an outright grant as the loan will be routed through the Centre. In the first phase, the bank will release Rs 1700 crore for the projects involving an expenditure of 4,500 crore.

The state is likely to receive the first instalment by October. It will have to pay back only 10 per cent of the amount (Rs 320 crore) over a long period. The Centre will pay 5.5 per cent interest on the loan but it will be given as a grant to the state. The Centre is giving 90 per cent of the loan amount as a grant under the plan drawn out to make the state self-reliant by exploiting its huge potential for hydel generation and tourism.

The government has assigned the 240-MW Kashang, 100-MW Sainj , 402-MW Shongtong-Karcham projects and the 111-MW Sawra Kuddu projects to the newly set up Himachal Power Corporation. Paucity of funds has been the main hurdle in execution of the major projects in the state sector. Out of the total 6310 MW of hydel potential harnessed so far, only 468 MW has been exploited in the state sector. The bank will fund only three stages of the Kashang project, which is to be executed in four stages. The fourth stage of 40 MW has not been covered under the loan deal.

The government has 60 per cent equity in the corporation, while the state electricity board holds the remaining rest 40 per cent. It has been constituted on the pattern of the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam for implementing big hydroelectric projects of more than 25 MW capacity. The government was forced to set up a new corporation following the bitter experience it had with the board in execution of the 126-MW Larji project. Besides huge time and cost over-runs, there were large-scale financial irregularities leading to the registration of vigilance cases against senior engineers.

The ADB is keen to provide funds for developing tourism for which the state has a vast potential. Besides Himachal, five other states, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Gujarat, Sikkim and Madhya Pradesh have been selected for funding tourism-related projects by the bank. It has agreed in principle to provide financial assistance up to Rs 400 crore to the state for developing the required infrastructure. The state has been asked to come up with concrete proposals for developing various theme-based tourism circuits so that funds could be provided for putting in place the required infrastructure.

Ani (Kullu), April 27
The force of 20 policemen here is no match for the hybrid poppy cultivation in the Bishlidhar panchayat area in Ani subdivision in Kullu district.

The poppy plants here measure over 6 to 8 feet in length and are ready to be harvested. The farmers have cultivated them in such a manner that some plants are in infant stage, others are in mature stage and the rest are ready for harvesting.

The anti-poppy drive has turned out to be a cosmetic exercise by the police, as the district administration has not been informed by the police about the drive launched in the Ani subdivision today.

The Bishladhar panchayat is not alone where the contraband poppy crop is flourishing under the nose of the revenue and local administration.

The poppy cultivation has been detected in the Karsai Gar Lagoti, Phanioti Raghupur and Ropa areas in the Ani subdivision, which has become a new haven for the opium smugglers coming from all over the country and even abroad.

As soon as the policemen armed with sticks converged on the areas the local villagers fled from homes fearing police reprisals. Local women feigned ignorance about the poppy cultivation and no villagers come forward to cooperate with the police.

Interestingly, the police summoned a local patwari after it detected a large chunk of private land under highly “specialised poppy cultivation”. But he came with the revenue documents, which turned out to be of no use to the police in identifying the owners of the land.

The policemen destroyed over 25 bigha of poppy cultivation in Bishladhar panchayat, revealed police sources. “We are no match to the vast standing crop spread in the vast area in this subdivision,” they added.

Ani subdivision DSP B.S. Negi said, “A police team was dispatched today in the area which is under poppy cultivation. But the team is yet to come back. We have informed the patwaris to come to spot to identify the land. But we are not getting any cooperation from local villagers and patwaris.”

SDO civil, Ramesh Thakur, said the police has not informed him about the anti-poppy drive in the subdivision. “I have joined recently and have no information about the poppy cultivation,” he claimed.

Kullu DC M. Sudha Devi said she was neither aware about the poppy cultivation nor about the police anti-poppy drive in Ani subdivision.

Shimla, April 27
Failure of the UPA regime to control inflation and achievements of the Dhumal government over the past four months will be the BJP’s main issue in the byelection to Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat.

Speaking at a press conference, convenor of the state BJP media cell Ashok Kapatia said here today that the prices of various commodities had registered an increase ranging from 70 to 110 per cent during the past four years. He said the UPA had been harping on the 9 per cent economic growth rate, but was least bothered about the inflation that had made the life of common man miserable.

In contrast, the Atal Bihari Vajpayee led NDA government had adopted the right policies to check inflation. It also maintained a healthy growth rate of 6 to 7 per cent without any inflationary pressures.

The economic policy of the UPA had been a total failure. The party would organise statewide protests on May 2 to highlight the issue by forming human chains.

He criticised the Congress for challenging the BJP government’s right to review the policies of the previous regime. He said an elected government was empowered to review and amend decisions of the outgoing party for public interest. The decisions were being reviewed on merit. The present government decided to continue with subsidised ration scheme as it was in the interest of the people and helped to mitigate the impact of inflation. The government had framed policy for PTA teachers as gross irregularities in such appointments during the Congress regime had led to large-scale litigation with over 400 cases in the high court.

Regarding the achievements of the government, he said over 26,000 vacancies would be filled in various departments and another 70,000 jobs would be generated in the industrial sector. Besides, the installed power generation capacity in the state was to be doubled from the existing 6,000 to 12,000 MW over the next five years.

He said Anurag Thakur fulfilled the criteria of “winnability” and was fully conversant with the constituency, so was given the party ticket.

Dharamsala, April 27
The 24-km Dehra-Ranital road leading to Dharamsala has been in pathetic state for past more than two years. That despite the fact that the government had allotted work for its construction about two years ago to two private construction companies.

The tourists and locals coming to Dharamsala have to spend more than one hour for the 24-km journey.

PWD sources said two contractors were to construct a 12-km stretch each. However, neither of the two was able to start the work on schedule.

The fact that the contractors did not have adequate infrastructure to carry out the work was overlooked by the PWD while allotting the job.

The PWD chief engineer here said that while the contractors were being told to complete the road at the earliest, a penalty would also be imposed on them for inordinate delay. He, however, added that the details of work could only be given by the executive engineer concerned .

Dehra executive engineer B.S Bharadwaj said that one contractor had started the work from the Dehra side. However, the other contractor has been untraceable for the past two months since I have been posted here. “We have issued him two notices. In the recent notice, we have warned the contractor that a penalty up to 10 per cent of the total amount of work could be imposed on him if he did not start the work. A penalty has already been imposed on him for delaying the work,” he said

If M/s New Jehlam Construction Company fails to start the work within two or three days the department might contemplate stronger action against him, the executive engineer said.

However, sources said the cost of cost of material used to construct a road had risen considerably in the past two years, especially after the ban on mining in the state. The contractors might not be able to complete the construction work at the rates decided about two years ago. If the contractors fail to carry out the work the PWD would have to invite tenders again, thereby causing more delay and agony for commuters.

Hamirpur, April 27
The election to the Hamirpur Parliament seat would provide an opportunity to suspended Congress leaders from District Congress Committee (DCC) for their re-entry in the party after the elections.

To meet the challenge of the BJP, the Congress is not only trying to woo their suspended party leaders for a united fight, but has also gone soft towards them.

Few suspended party leaders during the last assembly election attended the DCC meeting today, which was convened by state general secretary of the HPCC and election in charge Ajay Mahajan. The DCC adopted a resolution that party would decide on their suspension after the election.

It is notable that Congress had suspended some of the office-bearers of Hamirpur District Congress Committee for alleged anti-party activities during the last assembly election and had adopted a tough line against them.

The party had given the suspended party leaders an opportunity to prove their loyalty towards the party by working in the byelection, but the party had still maintained a tough stand against the party rebels, who had contested against the party candidates in the last assembly election and were expelled from the party.

Spokesman of the Congress Deepak Sharma said to give a tough challenge to BJP’s candidate Anurag Thakur, the Congress had decided to give an opportunity to the suspended leaders to provide their loyalty towards the party. A resolution was adapted in the meeting that their suspension cases would be decided on merit after the election.

Kangra, April 27
A ray of hope has emerged in his tireless struggle to search out his son Sonu, who is missing for the past more than seven years.

Balloon seller Rajesh Kumar (45) of Backloo village of Chamba district, who had been moving from pillar to post after the district legal service authority, Chamba, decided to provide him legal aid to search his missing son.

Kumar alleges that his son was taken away by a swami and a sadhuvani for providing him education and later told that Sonu was missing from the ashram. In January, 2008, Rajesh had threatened to resort to self-immolation along with his family members outside the District Court, Chamba, if the authorities failed to trace his son. He said at the last meeting of the District Legal Service authority, it was decided to appoint S.S.Sandhu, advocate from Chamba, as his counsel to proceed legally against the swami. He had earlier approached the police to send a team with him to Punjab for raids on hideouts of the swami for the recovery of the child, but the police was allegedly succumbing under the pressure of the swami.

He said the swami got an anticipatory bail from the sessions court on January 21, 2002, and the police did not interrogate him properly because he was influential.

He said he filed a report in the Dalhousie police station, but Sonu was not traced out till date. He said that he had approached the Chamba DC and SP, director-general of police of the state and even the state Human Rights Commission but all was in vain. He said he approached the Prime Minister, President of India and even the Supreme Court through an PIL, but so far the boy was not recovered.

It was when the state high court asked him to move the competent court at Chamba, he approached for the legal aid.

Bilaspur, April 27
The police has succeeded in busting a gang of fake currency note circulators with the arrest of Satpal Singh of Phaggan Majra village in Patiala district (Punjab) after a month of strenuous efforts.

K K Indoria, SP, said here yesterday that the police had earlier arrested Ranjit Singh and his wife, Paramjit Kaur, of Kudpura village (Nabha), Patiala, on March 20 at Naina Devi when they were found circulating two fake currency notes of Rs 100. Fake currency amounting to Rs 3,900 was seized from them subsequently.

Indoria said their interrogation led to the arrest of Paramjit Singh, alias Pammi, of Phaggan village, Patiala, on March 22 along with fake currency notes worth rupees 32,900. Paramjit Singh said that these fake currency notes were provided to him by computer expert Satpal Singh after printing them on his computer and printer.

Indoria said Satpal Singh was under police remand and was being interrogated for the recovery of the equipment being used for the manufacture of these fake currency notes while three accused persons arrested earlier have been released on bail.

Kangra, April 27
Former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the Dhumal government was victimising government employees. He was talking to mediapersons at the Kangra airport. He was on his way to Baijnath to attend the marriage of former forest minister Sant Ram’s daughter.

He said the employees in the state were feeling harassed due to the “politically motivated” transfer policy of the government. The BJP government had failed to control the prices of the essential commodities as promised in the poll manifesto of the party. He said the BJP was blaming the Centre in its bid to cover its own faults.

He said there was a bumper wheat crop in the country, but the state government had not been able to ensure enough supply to the poor.

He said O.P. Rattan would be a strong candidate against the BJP’s Anurag Thakur for the Hamirpur byelection.

Virbhdra Singh was received by former minister B.B.L. Butail at the airport. He accompanied him to Baijnath to attend the marriage ceremony. G.S. Bali also met Virbhadra Singh at the airport. He was leaving for Delhi.

Kumarhatti, April 27
The Giri water scheme instead of yielding benefits to residents has proved to be a bane for them, particularly those residing along the Kalka-Shimla National Highway here. The failure of the IPH department to fill the pits, which were dug by it in the past few days to check blockage in under-ground water pipes alongside the highway, have proved to be a major hassles for the residents.

These pits have not only hit the business of roadside shops, but also become a source of dust throughout the day. The department workers dug the pits to check the pipes and then left them unfilled.

The efforts of the residents to fetch department’s attention towards the problem have failed to find any favour from the latter.

Moreover, the uncovered pits were also proving fatal to motorists on the highway, who quite often met with accidents due to the pits of two-and-a-half feet deep. The number of minor accidents have taken place due to these pits, but the IPH did not take ant action and was silent.

These pits were an open invitation to serious accidents particularly at night. Ironically, the IPH did not even bother to put any warning sign on pit to alert the motorists.

Sundernagar, April 27
The police has asked the BBMB chief Engineer, Sundernagar, to hand over documents pertaining to the controversial dredger deal in 15 days.

Chief engineer H.S Rathi said the police had registered the case a hasty manner. He said his office had received a letter (dated April 19) from the police on April 22 and a case was registered on April 23. There was hardly any time to file a reply. However, the BBMB would fully cooperate in the police investigation, he added.

On the other hand, Mandi SP M. Chandersekhar said three letters were sent to the chief engineer, BBMB, in that regard before that letter, but the official did not cooperate. The police had waited for seven months for a reply, he added.

Many BBMB officials still maintain that the police cannot register a case in this matter as the BBMB has already ordered an inquiry into it.

On the other hand, some BBMB officials have hailed the decision of the police to register a case in connection with the controversial deal.