Shimla, July 9
The government enhanced the procurement price of apple to Rs 5.25 per kg from the present Rs 4.75 under the market intervention scheme (MIS) today.

This was announced by Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal while addressing a public meeting at Jubbal. “The procurement price for citrus fruits has already been enhanced and now efforts are being made to bring apple under the crop-insurance cover for which the Centre has already agreed in principle,” he said.

Dhumal said a Rs 27-crore project for acquiring anti-hail guns to protect apple crop had been sent to the Centre for funding. “A sum of Rs 30 crore would be spent on various horticultural activities in the Jubbal-Kotkhai segment alone,” he added.

The Chief Minister said the lift irrigation scheme valued at Rs 50 crore had been sanctioned to irrigate apple orchards. All schemes would be implemented in a time-bound manner. He said Rs 4 crore would be spent on various drinking water supply schemes, besides Rs 3.15 crore under the NABARD assistance.

He said work on the 11-MW Savra Kuddu hydroelectric project would be expedited. The cost was likely to touch Rs 728 crore. “A sum of Rs 3,200 crore has been sanctioned by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for hydroelectric projects in Hiamchal,” he said.

Dhumal laid the foundation stone of the Jubbal bus stand that would be constructed at a cost of Rs 1 crore and a Rs 6.21-crore lift irrigation scheme for Surachli village. He also laid the foundation stone of the office-cum-residential complex of the Savra-Kuddu hydroelectric project at Hatkoti and a parking complex to be constructed at a cost of Rs 45 lakh.

Transport minister Kishan Kapoor said a bus stand management authority had been constituted to modernise the network of bus stands in the state. He said the inter-state bus stand was under construction while others were also being built on BOT basis.

Horticulture minister Narender Bragta accused the previous Congress regime of diverting projects worth Rs 55 lakh outside the Jubbal-Kotkhai segment.

Shimla, July 9
With a view to maintain smooth flow of traffic, timely lifting of apple and charging of freight at approved rates, the government today announced the setting up of a control room-cum-barrier at Fagu on the national highway near Theog.

Issuing orders to this effect, deputy commissioner J.S. Rana said the decision had been taken to maintain law and order and ensure that apple, vegetables and potato growers did not face any difficulty in sending their produce to the market.

He said the control room would function round the clock from July 15 to October 15. While the Theog naib tehsildar would be the duty magistrate, the control room would be manned by horticulture officials. Some police personnel would also be deployed there to ensure that there was no law and order problem, he said.

He said the entire staff at the control room would function under the overall supervision of the SDM, Theog. He said the drivers of goods transport vehicles would have to give information about the goods being transported and the destinations to which they were headed. “The empty vehicles reporting at the control room will have to strictly move within Shimla and adjoining districts as per the slip issued by the control room,” he added.

The officials posted at the control room would have the authority to check documents relating to the vehicles and ensure that there was no overcharging of freight.

Shimla, July 9
Buoyed by the world heritage site status to the 104-year-old Shimla-Kalka rail line, the Railways today unfolded a plan to attract tourists by taking measures like increasing the average speed of the trains, ensuring reliable services by inducting new locomotives and beautifying the track by raising ornamental plantations.

Divisional manager of the Railways H.K. Jaggi, who was here to discuss the plan with the state government, said the Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation and the State Tourism Development Corporation would jointly work out special packages with an eye on foreign tourists and those interested in history and heritage.

Besides, the track with its unique multi-layer arch bridges, long and curving tunnels and other features was an engineering marvel to attract engineers.

Provision of chartered luxury coaches and chartered trains would also be made for such tourists.

As many as four new locomotives were being acquired to ensure reliable services and combat the problems of frequent breakdowns. The locomotive would be available by the end of September.

The Railways also planned to increase the speed of trains by redesigning coaches. At present, the maximum speed limit was 25 km per hour and the objective of the exercise was to raise it beyond 30 km per hour.

He said possibility of electrifying the section would also be explored as some narrow-gauge tracks had already been electrified in various parts of the world.

The heritage site status would not come in the way. The tracks were maintained and the focus would be to preserve the heritage features for which steps would be taken to remove encroachments and check haphazard construction along the track.

The wooden sleepers had already been phased out with steel ones and the process of track renewal had also been completed.

A museum dedicated to Bhalku, who made it possible to lay the track, would also be set up in Shimla and a budget hotel for the convenience of tourists was also being planned.

Jaggi held discussions with chief secretary Asha Swaroop, tourism secretary Manish Nanda and other officers.

Shimla, July 9
Reiterating that shots were fired on the protesting workers in self-defence, the management of Super Max company has demanded that a judicial inquiry by a retired judge of the high court should be ordered into the incident so that the facts can be brought to light.

Addressing a press conference here today, HRD (global) head of the company S.D. Chaudhary said the security personnel at the factory were compelled to open fire in self-defence as the workers had kidnapped and brutally beaten up members of the senior managerial staff.

“The biggest threat was to the ammonia cracker plant in the factory, which could have led to a disaster worse than the Bhopal gas tragedy in case the workers had not been stopped,” he explained.

Coming out in company’s defence for the first time since the shooting in the factory at Shoghi in which one worker was killed, Chaudhary said the management was keen to run the factory, provided the government helped in creating a conducive environment. “What is most unfortunate is the fact that the police has not arrested any person till date or investigated the case lodged by the management,” he said.

He alleged that even now some members of the managerial staff were being threatened by workers that they would be eliminated, if they came to Shoghi. “In the present circumstances, none of the employees, who were working here, are willing to come back and resume work,” he said.

Terming the firing at the factory on June 30 as unfortunate, he said the management would extend all possible help to the family of the deceased and Rs 5 lakh would be given as ex gratia to the family.

“We are a socially committed company and are keen to help provide employment to people. However, it is shocking how R.S. Malhotra has been named in the FIR despite the fact that he was in Mumbai when the incident took place,” he said.

He said the main reason behind the situation turning ugly was the issuing of show-cause notices to nine employees who had been suspended for misconduct. Even the Labour Court had refused to grant them stay. “We have issued them show-cause notices and our further action will be in accordance with the court directives as the case is sub judice,” he maintained.

He said Super Max was the second largest blade producer in the world after Gillette and had its presence in 240 countries. “In no other country have we ever faced such a problem and the way events have taken place here, it appears there are some vested interests,” he said.

Chaudhary said the government should come out with an assurance that there would be no law and order problem in future.

Hamirpur, July 9
Education minister I.D. Dhiman has assured the state Vidya Upasak Sangh that their demands would be placed before the Cabinet. Dhiman said this while speaking at a conference of the State Vidya Upasak Sangh at Town Hall today.

The minister said the government would revert the Vidya Upasaks, who were transferred by the previous government, on the basis of region and review the policy after the decision of the court case.

Dhiman said Vidya Upasaks, working regularly since 2003, would be issued JBT certificates and word untrained from their category would be removed after taking a decision in the Cabinet meeting in this regard.

He said the transfer of the girls working as Vidya Upasaks in other districts was under the consideration of the state government.

Dhiman said capital fund was increased by the government from Rs 51 crore to Rs 197 crore which would be spent for the construction of school and 1,000 posts of headmasters and school principals would be filled up soon.

Education minister also appealed to the teachers to increase the strength of students in government school.

Speaking on the occasion, Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur said the government was trying to solve the problems of people and carrying uniform development.

President of the Vidya Upasak Sangh Satish Mehra presented a charter of demand to the education minister in the conference. 

Shimla, July 9
The state government will consider raising the maximum age limit for recruitment as home guards to 35 years.

This was stated by Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal while reviewing the working of the Home Guards Department. He said home guards supplemented the efforts of the police in maintaining law and order and the government would take steps to strengthen the set-up. The enhancement in the age limit would enable more persons to join regular service in the state police, he added.

He emphasised the need to make all fire hydrants active all over the state and directed the authorities to launch a drive to check all such points in the towns to ensure that the department was well-equipped with fire-fighting facilities. He also directed to carry out mock exercises in fire fighting.

The government had accorded top priority to the maintenance of law and order in the state and enhanced the budgetary allocations for the current financial year by 23.29 per cent by making a provision of Rs 293.95 crore. He said additional funds would be made available under Central schemes for police modernisation.

He said the housing projects being implemented in the state for the police personnel needed to be expedited and coordination should be maintained among all authorities concerned to complete these in a time-bound manner.

He said the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) should be implemented strictly to save the youth from falling prey to anti-social elements. Police personnel in mufti should be deployed at different points, especially near educational institutions, to check that no such activity was taking place in their areas. He said the NDPS division had already been set up and had started functioning while the DNA test facilities would also be made available in the state in near future.

He said every case related to corruption should be investigated thoroughly. The government would not spare any person involved in corruption while honour of others would be protected at all costs. He also emphasised the need to pursue the cases pending in various courts of law vigorously and get the same decided on priority.

Shimla, July 9
The high court here today granted 10 days to the state government to place on record its decision with regard to allotment of the Jangi-Thopan and the Thopan-Pawri power projects to the Brakel Corporation.

However, the state informed the court that it had decided to serve a fresh show-cause notice on the company to explain as to why the allotment of these projects be not cancelled.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Jagdish Bhalla and Mr Justice Sanjay Karol passed the order in connection with a petition filed by Reliance Energy Limited, wherein it had challenged the allotment of these projects to the Brakel Corporation on the ground that it had given wrong information to the state government with regard to its financial and technical competence.

The state had sought 10 days to place on record the fresh decision of the state government with regard to the allotment of these projects.

Dharamsala, July 9
The land settlement work in the state started in 1952 from Chamba district. It has been 56 years, but the work is yet to be completed in the state. It is still going on in many districts, including Harmirpur, Kullu and Una. Now, the new technology procured by the settlement office in Dharamsala, which caters to northern region of the state, can speed up the work. The settlement office here has procured total solutions machines of Nikon to carry the settlement work. Earlier, the Department of Revenue used calibrated iron chains or ropes for measurements in field. The system was time consuming and prone to errors.

But the new total solutions machine uses infrared technology for measurements. The officials of the department said the machine could be installed at one point and the measurements of all visible points could be taken from the machine by just carrying the prism to other points.

The officials claimed that the work that was earlier done in two months could now be completed in two days.

The settlement office in Dharamsala has two such machines. These machines have been put to use in Dharamsala and Kullu.

The department has requested the government to send two such additional machines to speed up the work.

However, the request is still pending in files of the government despite the fact that it involves Rs 10 lakh.

Officials of the department also rue the lack of computers in the settlement office. The officials said the department just had four computers, but it required at least 20 more computers to digitise the record within their preview.

People have to travel from Kullu, Una and Hamirpur districts to Dharamsala to get copies of ‘Musavi’s’ (basic survey reports of settlement department). In Madhya Pradesh, the government has created copies of Masavi’s and given them to booksellers for its sale in respective areas. The advantage of the scheme is that the people get records at their doorsteps.

The proposal to set up similar system was sent to the government by the settlement office, Dharamsala.

However, the government is yet to act on the system.

Sundernagar, July 9
Virender Singh Thakur, legal advisor of district unit of the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, Mandi, has met Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and handed over to him memorandum of demands to shift the cement plant to a far of area from its present site, which was close to the town.

In the charter of demand, which was handed over to the Chief Minister in Shimla, it was urged that setting up of the most polluted industry within the thickly-populated area would not be in the interest of public.

He further appealed the Chief Minister to tour the plant site and order directions to shift the plant.

Kangra, July 9
Former transport and tourism minister and sitting MLA from Nagrota Bagwan G.S. Bali yesterday expressed gratitude to UPA chief Sonia Gandhi for accepting the demand of the previous Virbhadra Singh government of granting AIIMS status to Tanda Medical College.

He was addressing a press conference at his residence here. He said the previous Congress government had been constantly urging the Centre to upgrade Tanda college and now it had been done.

Kangra, July 9
Resentment prevails among the Kashmiri migrant students, who had applied for the admission to the polytechnic colleges in the state and arrived at Sundernagar yesterday for the scheduled counselling, as they were denied admission for the want of permission from the ministry of human resource development in this connection.

Students said here today that they had applied for the admission to the polytechnic diploma under the Kashmiri Migrant Quota before the director of the Technical Education, Himachal Pradesh, and were called for the counselling yesterday. But they were refused admission saying that the ministry of human resource development and the AICTE had not issued any letter to this effect this year.

P.P. Sharma, in charge of the Polytechnic admission at the directorate-level, said today that only three students had applied under the Kashmiri Migrant Quota and confirmed that the sanction in the connection was not received by the directorate of the Technical Education from the ministry of human resource and the AICTE.

Sharma said, “If we receive a communication from the ministry and the AICTE by August 1, these students can join the second phase of the counselling, else the admission will not be granted.”

The Kashmiri migrant students demanded intervention of the Indian government for their future.

Shimla, July 9
The Society for Promotion of Himalayan Indigenous Activities (SOPHIA) has urged the state government to allow nomadic Gujjars from Uttarakhand to enter the Churdhar and Tarla Chappar areas for grazing cattle until they were finally settled in accordance with the recently enacted Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act.

Representatives of the organisation met forest minister J.P.Nadda and brought to his notice that forest officials were not allowing Gujjars into these areas where they had been traditionally grazing their cattle citing a Supreme Court order of 2004. However, Parliament had enacted an Act in which it was provided that the rights of such communities would not be curtailed till they were settled in accordance with the new law.

They informed the minister that they were stopped at the state boundary early this year and allowed to enter these areas only after SOPHIA took up the matter with the higher authorities. Even then, they were allowed to stay in the grazing area only for three months on verbal instructions. No written orders were issued. The period would expire by the end of this month and they would face problems if the issue was not settled.

Mandi, July 9
The block development officer, Dharampur, sealed the record of the Sari gram panchayat here today.

Acting on a complaint filed by villagers Kashmir Singh and Dinga Ram under the NREGA, a team led by the BDO sealed the panchayat record. The complainants had alleged that the Sanor-Sari village path was shown as complete in the panchayat record, but it was not actually so.

The pradhan had made forged entry in the record to get payment for the same, they had alleged.

The pradhan had already received Rs 50,000 in two instalments, they said. The path was to be constructed at a cost of Rs 80,000 and the pradhan had applied to get the final instalment of Rs 30,000.

Shimla, July 9
Kapil Raina of the Shlooni Institute, Solan, has topped the BSc (honours) biotechnology examination conducted by Himachal Pradesh University (HPU). The result was declared today.

Kapil stood first by scoring 1,140 marks out of 1,400. All top 10 positions have been bagged by students of the Shlooni Institute. The course is also available at two other institutes at Baddi (Solan) and Nehar Chwok (Mandi).

Others in the merit list are: Nidhi Kaushal (1,438), Vinay Kumar Thakur (1,437), Pallavai Khanna (1,426), Abhishekh Ray (1,392), Nidhi Jindal (1,389), Yamini (1,371), Divya Kaushal (1,370), Sapna Badhan (1,368) and Vivek Sharma (1,365).