Shimla, June 3
A 1973 batch IAS officer, Asha Swaroop, is all set to take over as the new Chief Secretary of the state.

She will replace the current incumbent, Ravi Dhingra, whose services are being placed at the disposal of the Centre.

Currently posted as secretary, information and broadcasting, at the Centre, Asha Swaroop is likely to take over the new assignment in the third week of June. She will be the second women incumbent to hold the post after Rajendra Bhattacharya, who is currently the state election commissioner.

She was tipped for the post after the BJP came to power in December last. However, Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal decided against immediate change and allowed Dhingra to continue. She is due for superannuation in July, 2010, and if all goes well she will have a minimum tenure of two years. Her husband, Dev Swaroop , a 1969 batch officer, retired in 2005. There are reports that he will be adjusted against a statutory post.

In the meanwhile three officers will attain superannuation. While 1972 batch officer P.I.Suvrathan, currently on central deputation, will retire in September, additional chief secretary J.P.Negi is due for superannuation a month earlier. Another additional chief secretary Parminder Mathur (1974 batch) will retire in August, 2009.

Unlike many of his predecessors Dhingra will not be able to complete his tenure. In fact, he will not have even a full year in the coveted position. He took over only on July 2, 2007, and is due to retire in March, 2009. His predecessor, S.S.Parmar, was more fortunate and remained at the helm for two years and eight months. The three earlier incumbents were not so fortunate and had very short tenures.

Arvind Kaul had tenure of just four months when he was replaced by Shamsher Singh, who also had a short stint of less than nine months.

Kaul found the ignominy of being removed from the post after just four months unbearable and put in his papers. However, a few months later he was made chairman of the State Public Service Commission.

Shimla, June 3
The union government has lauded the power banking system being followed by Himachal Pradesh with the neighbouring states of Punjab and Haryana and the initiatives being taken to reduce transmission losses.

Union Energy Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde lauded the power sector reforms taken by Himachal during a meeting with Chief minister P.K. Dhumal in New Delhi today. Shinde assured maximum possible support to Himachal for harnessing its hydel potential.

Dhumal said the government had decided to introduce complete transparency in allocation of hydel projects and had scrapped the provision of allocating hydel projects through MoUs. “We have now decided that all hydro-electric projects above 5 MW would be allocated through open competitive bidding,” he said.

The Chief Minister stated that a business-oriented system would be set up in the HPSEB with emphasis on providing quality service to the consumer. Special attention would be paid towards investigation, planning and execution of hydel projects.

Dhumal stated that 10 milestones had been set under the MoU signed with the Centre in 2001 on power sector reforms. “Himachal is the first hill state in the country to achieve cent per cent electrification as Comic, the highest inhabited village in the world situated in Lahaul Spiti at a height of 15,124 feet, had also been electrified,” he remarked.

Listing the achievements of the power board, he said metering, billing and collection was cent per cent while Himachal had the lowest accumulated transmission and commercial losses in the country at 15.15 per cent. All categories of consumers were paying electricity charges as there was no provision for free electricity to any category.

Dharamsala, June 3
The political interference in appointments of anganwari workers is having its ramifications in the Department of Social Security. The office of district magistrate is flooded with complaints regarding violation of basic norms in the appointment of anganwari workers during the Congress regime.

The sources available here told that the office of district magistrate, Kangra, has received 1,200 complaints seeking removal of anganwari workers in various villages of the district. Most of these complaints are being endorsed verbally by local ruling party politicians, who are being egged for the purpose by their workers.

Kangra DC K. Pant admitted that large numbers of complaints have been received regarding the appointment of anganwari workers. I have already decided about 250 complaints. Only those anganwari workers are being removed against whom substantial proofs are being received that have been appointed in violation of the laid down norms, he said.

Interestingly, though hundreds of anganwari workers would be removed, no action would be taken against officials who overlooked the fact that they were not fulfilling basic conditions at the time of appointment. No action is taken against the officials, as it is accepted fact that they acted under political influence.

The result of complaints would be that hundreds of anganwari workers are likely to face removal. An anganwari worker gets about Rs 1,500 per month form the Department of Social Security.

However, poor people of rural areas are lobbying hard even for that petty amount. The process of appointments and removal is also likely to increase the litigation and result in wastage of time and energy of the district administration.

The officials, however, maintain that despite litigation the work of anganwari workers is not likely to suffer. Till the cases are decided the existing workers would continue their duties

Shimla, June 3
The Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli, will be restructured by the Centre so that an elaborate plan to expand various facilities can be implemented along with protecting the interests of the employees working there.

Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal said today that the Centre had responded positively to Himachal’s request in public interest. He said Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss had conveyed that an expert team would examine the possibilities of expansion at the CRI so that employees working there could be gainfully employed.

“The union minister has hinted at the possibility of providing requisite training to the employees to upgrade their professional skills,” said Dhumal.

The Chief Minister said the CRI was one of the premiere medical research institutes rendering valuable service by manufacturing rare vaccines for supply within and outside the country. “The suspension of the vaccine production licence by the National Regulatory Authority had raised concern and it was being apprehended that this might lead to closure of the institute,” he said.

Dhumal said the institute had been manufacturing valuable vaccines like anti-rabies, diphtheria, measles, typhoid and tetanus and suspension of their production had led to scarcity in the market,” he remarked. 

Dharamsala, June 3
Octogenarian Harnam Singh, vice-pradhan of Tikkasuggal village in Nadaun area, is a dejected person. Harassed by revenue officials he has been making trips to the office of settlement officer (SO), Dharamsala for the past more than six years.

At this age he is undertaking all this trouble for a community cause in his village. However, it failed to have any affect on the thick-skinned revenue officials.

While narrating his vows Harnam Singh said his trouble started when few landowners, including him, donated nine marla land for a community hall in the village in 2002. However, the revenue officials changed the record of the land, which reduced the land area donated for community purpose. As the land got involved in dispute the community hall could not be constructed on it.

As member of the village panchayat he filed a correction application with the office of SO, Dharamsala. Since then, about six years, he had been shuttling between the office of SO and local revenue officials to get a minor revenue record error rectified.

While talking to The Tribune Harnam Singh alleged that the SO had written to the lower revenue officials many times to rectify the revenue record. However, efforts of the SO office have remained limited to writing a letter. The lower officials are not giving a damn to the letters and are not taking any action.

If this is the state of justice in the state that even for community purposes people have wait for simple revenue correction for more than half a decade what else can be expected from the administration, he rued.

Singh had recently undergone a surgery for brain tumour and now had trouble in speaking. However, that had not dampened his spirit to fight against injustice. Despite, his physical weakness he again visited the office of SO recently to get the revenue correction executed within his lifespan.

He said recently he came to know about the Right to Information Act. “Now I have threatened SO Department officials that I would ask them to provide me the record of his communication with them in the past six years under the RTI.” I hope they now decide his case of revenue correction so that a community hall could be brought in his village.

Singh is not the only person who has been waiting for years to get his minor revenue correction case settled. The SO office, here deals with three districts viz. Kangra, Una and Hamirpur.

Shimla, June 3
The state high court today objected to the state government’s action of initiating vigilance inquiry into the Brakel case even when the matter was pending before the court and pulling up the state for changing stand in the case.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla and Justice Rajiv Sharma asked the state government to take a final decision and directed the chief secretary to file an affidavit within four weeks with regard to its decision.

The court passed this order on a petition filed by Reliance Energy Limited, challenging the allotment of the twin Jangi-Thopan-Powari hydel projects that were secured by the Brakel Corporation in global tenders.

During the hearing of the petition, the Bench observed that when an affidavit was filed by the government supporting the allotment decision and praying for dismissal of the Reliance petition then why it was getting inquiries made through vigilance and income tax authorities. The court objected to it.

The advocate-general said so far the petition was concerned, the state was opposing the petition as the petitioner had no locus to file this petition. The court also observed that there must be consistency in government’s actions.

It may be recalled here that the Brakel had initially not deposited the upfront money with the government and sought extensions, which were granted during the previous Congress regime.

However, the BJP, soon after assuming office, issued notice to the company to deposit Rs 174 crore or it would cancel the project. The company deposited the amount within the stipulated period.

Shimla, June 3
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission is not averse to holding circuit court in Shimla provided the state government creates necessary infrastructure and extends other facilities for the purpose.

This was stated by Justice M.B. Shah, president of the National Commission, during his visit to the State Consumer Commission here today.

Besides reviewing the functioning of the state commission, he visited the office of the district consumer forum, Shimla. The demand of holding a circuit court was raised by the members of the Bar. Justice Shah was accompanied by Justice Arun Kumar Goel, the president of the state commission.

Shimla, June 3
The International Summer Festival got off to a colourful start with known Punjabi singer Hans Raj Hans regaling the audience with choice numbers. The festival was inaugurated by Governor V.S. Kokje last night. Hans was the star performer on the first night which had the audience dancing on foot-tapping numbers in Hindi and Punjabi.

The evening began with performance by Kinnauri folk singers and dancers. This was followed by performance by Pahari singers, Sharda Sharma and Sanjeev Dixit. Students from various local schools also presented colourful programmes that were appreciated by the audience.

It was around 9.30 p.m that Hans started his programme. He started the evening with his number ‘nit khair manga soniya’ and ‘aaja vey maahi tera rasta udikdiyan’. He presented a number of popular songs as well as some sufi renditions. The audience particularly enjoyed the pahari folk song of Chamba ‘kapde dhoan naale royen kunjuan’ that Hans sang.

Shimla, June 3
The police clarified today that at no stage were the telephones of any public functionary or politician tapped or put under surveillance by any CID personnel.

Reacting to the allegations made by former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh that his phones were being tapped, the CID refuted these allegations without naming the Congress leader. “Such allegations are baseless, frivolous, false and not based on facts,” said Diljeet Thakur, SP, Intelligence.

He said allegations of surveillance were also totally baseless as only security as per the norms laid down by the Government of India and approved by the state government was being provided and no CID personnel had been deputed for surveillance on any person.

He further said telecommunication interceptions are done as per provisions laid down under the Indian Telegraphs Act, 1885, and the Indian Rules, 1951. The Indian Telegraphs Act, 1885, provides that directions for interception of any message can be given only by an order of the Secretary, Home.

Dharamsala, June 3
Secretary of the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education Rajesh Sharma would soon submit a report on the alleged substandard work carried out in the construction of the new administrative block of the board.

Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal had recently inaugurated the building constructed at a cost of Rs 84 lakh. After the inauguration, the CM took a round of the building. He expressed displeasure at the quality of work and ordered the board authorities to stop the payment of the contractor.

Rajesh Sharma said the CM had given verbal orders for an inquiry. “I will submit my report soon,” he added. He, however, refused to give any more details in that regard.

Sources said the inquiry could be conducted into the alleged violations in the allotment of contract and the use of substandard material.

There is a rule that a contractor already executing two works cannot be allotted a new contract until he completes the earlier projects.

However, the said rule was given a go-by while allotting work in this case, the sources said.

There has also been an allegation that substandard material was used in the construction.

Shimla, June 3
With the BJP winning Hamirpur byelection with a record margin, senior leaders and party men are eagerly awaiting the appointments of chairmen of boards and corporations.

It is being expected that Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, who is away to Delhi to attend the national BJP executive meeting, might finally take a decision in this regard. So far Dhumal has not made any appointment of party men despite the fact that the party has been in power for over five months.

The delay had been caused as the Chief Minister had said he would appoint the chairmen of boards and corporations only after the Hamirpur byelection. Those who were unable to get the party ticket in the Assembly elections and other leaders who are devoting time for organisational work may find favour in these appointments.

With in charge of party affairs in Himachal, Satya Pal Jain, earlier stating that MLAs or those who had been given party ticket would not be made chairman or given other posts. “As such those who have worked whole heartedly for the party or some leaders like Khushi Ram Balnatah who have time and again contested elections against heavyweights like Virbhadra Singh from Rohru could be adjusted,” said a senior leader.

Even the Chief Minister will be keen to adjust his loyalists who stood by him while the Congress was in power. He had, however, declined that the two vacancies in the cabinet might not be filled in the near future. “With too many aspirants being for these two posts, it is more wise for him to leave them vacant rather than cause heart burn which could eventually lead to dissidence,” admitted a Dhumal loyalist.

The BJP leaders are of the opinion that now when the party had won the Hamirpur byelection with such a huge margin, the Chief Minister could finally make these appointments. Even though the BJP had got good lead from all Assembly segments but it is being felt that those ensured that the party got huge lead over the Congress could find favour with Dhumal in these appointments.

Solan, June 3
With the Solan BDO finding a technical flaw in the no-confidence motion moved by nine of the 17 members of the Solan panchayat samiti, the chair of the Congress-supported chairman appears to be safe for the moment.

According to information received from the BDO office, the vice-president had failed to put his signatures on the motion and instead the executive officer had signed on the requisite place. So, the motion had been rendered technically null and void.

This no-confidence motion was moved on May 24 and June 4 was fixed for the chairman to prove his majority. The authorities had not bothered to scrutinise the papers.

It may be recalled that the president of the Solan panchayat samiti had come under minority with nine of the 17 members moving a no-confidence motion against president Ramesh Chauhan. Officials hesitated to speak on record against this deferment.

The no-confidence motion was signed by nine members and presented before the Solan SDM on May 24.

The nine members included four Congress-backed candidates and they had moved a no-confidence motion against their own party men. The BJP was endeavouring to wrest the seat of the president, but it appeared that they had failed to muster the requisite strength and, therefore, this was a deferment tactic.

While Chauhan, backed by the Congress, was the president of the Solan panchayat samiti, the post of vice-chairman was held by BJP candidate Jeet Ram.

Shimla, June 3
The National Development Society has urged the government to review its decision to supply wheat instead of rice through fair-price shops.

The society pointed out that the people in the state were rice-eaters and eat rice at least once a day. There were over 10 lakh above poverty line families in the state, which would be deprived of their staple food by the decision.

Further, the demand for rice in the open market would go up, jacking up the prices.

The society impressed upon Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal that the supply of rice through the public distribution system was essential in a predominately rice-consuming state.

Bilaspur, June 3
Monkey menace has taken a dangerous turn here in the district. Monkeys have attacked at least two women and a schoolboy within the past two days in the Panjgain area.

Kanchan was attacked when she was busy in her cowshed and Dikshu was attacked when he was returning home from his school.

While Satya devi was also attacked by a wild group of monkeys in the eveninig.

They were taken to the Community Health Centre at Panjgain and were advised anti-rabies injections.

Villagers said there was a sense of fear and terror in the area due to these attacks as women and children were becoming easy targets. They said forest minister J.P.Nadda had been announcing since the past four months that monkeys would be captured. But, nothing has been done to control the menace. They urged forest department officers to catch and contain these monkeys and provide relief to the harassed farmers at the earliest.