Sundernagar, July 30
A team of BBMB officers and workers yesterday took out one of the emergency gates at Baggi control works near Sundernagar for its repair and maintenance. The gate will be installed again after one month.

According to the BBMB officials, the operation was successful which was technical in nature and could be completed with the help of a team of 50 workmen and officials along with the help of machinery.

In order to divert water of the Beas river, a 250 ft earth-cum-rock fill dam was constructed at Pandoh and water had been diverted through a 13.10 km long Pandoh-Baggi tunnel and it was further collected at Balancing Reservoir at Sundernagar after it covered a distance of 11 km to Hydel channel. From the Balancing Reservoir water was taken to Dehar powerhouse in a tunnel where 990 MW was produced.

During the operation, water level of the Pandoh Reservoir was controlled and fixed at 2918 ft for its successful operation. According to the workers, the repair of emergency gates was equally important as it controls the flow of water from the Pandoh Reservoir.

Shimla, July 30
The state electricity board will be a major beneficiary after more and more mini and micro-hydel projects (up to 5 MW) start generation over the next few months. In fact, these projects will become a major source of power for the board, surpassing the generation of the Larji project, by the end of the current financial year. Some of these projects were allotted more than 10 years ago.

The allotment of projects to independent power producers was started in 1995. However, only 15 projects, with aggregate generation capacity of 51 MW, have come into operation so far. Fourteen more projects will be commissioned by March, 2009. With a combined generation capacity of 122.7 MW, the 29 projects will together generate 600 million units of  power annually.

At present, the 126-MW Larji, which generates about 560 million units of electricity, is the board’s main source of power, along with the 120-MW Bhabha project. Since the power purchase agreements for most of these projects were signed before 2006, the board will have to pay only Rs 2.50 per unit for the power as against the cost of Rs 5.43 per unit in case of the Larji project.

The Electricity Regulatory Commission enhanced the rate for the purchase of power from mini and micro-hydel projects to Rs 2.87 per unit last year. The rate will be applicable to the PPAs signed after 2006.

The tardy pace at which the potential for small hydropower projects was being harnessed could be judged from the fact that out of the total 259 microhydel projects allotted so far, only 15 projects have been completed. While 54 projects were under construction, work was yet to commence on ground in case of 193 projects. Out of these, implementation agreements have been signed only for 97 projects and the rest of these are still in the process of obtaining various  clearances.

The government allows three years for various clearances and two for construction. As such, the projects should be commissioned in five years. However, out of 259 projects, 135 were assigned more than six years ago. During the past five years, 112 MoUs were signed for executing projects with aggregate capacity of 338 MW. Of these, 44 were allotted more than three years ago. However, the construction work has commenced at only eight projects so far. The government has now decided to serve notices for the cancellation of allotment to 29 IPPs for failing to achieve the milestones as per their respective MoUs.

Palampur, July 30
The 220-km Pathankot-Mandi national highway which is the lifeline of northern region of Himachal is in a state of neglect. Over half a dozen major bridges on the highway are on the verge of collapse. The chakki bridge linking Himachal with Punjab had collapsed last year. Despite this national highway authorities who are well aware of the situation are making no serious efforts for the construction of new bridges.

The state Public Works Department has been making efforts for the past five years for the sanction for the construction of the bridges but their estimates has been either turned down or sent back with certain objections. During this period, the situation of the highway has gone from bad to worse.

After the disturbed conditions in Jammu and Kashmir this road had gained more importance because the Army authorities were using this road for sending supplies to Leh and other border areas.

With the opening of the Rohtang Pass the Army authorities have resumed the defence supplies to Leh but the condition of the road between Pathankot and Mandi has gone from bad to worse. Approaches of bridges and retaining wall at various points has breached. The vehicular traffic on the highway has come to a standstill at Kholinala bridge for the past one week because of the breach in the approaches of bridge.

Shimla, July 30
With the strategic Manali-Leh highway being on the hit list of the ‘Huji’ militants, the police and security agencies have beefed up security along the link. The highway has become the main route for carrying supplies to the border areas after the Kargil aggression.

The police has been alerted by the intelligence agencies that the highway can be targeted by militants in view of its strategic importance for the Army. There has been some specific information that this vital road link is on the hit list of ‘Huji’ militants.

Another factor that makes this link very sensitive is the fact that the region is flocked by foreign tourists, who start arriving here in August. It is a well-known fact that militants generally target foreigners to create media hype and get international coverage.

“No doubt, the Manali-Leh link is very important from the defence point of view, but the presence of foreigners along the trekking routes makes the area more vulnerable,” admitted a senior police official.

What is causing more anxiety to the police is the fact that most of the trekking routes in the state are further connected to Jammu and Kashmir, from where the possibility of infiltration of militants is very high.

Moreover, the Army cannot afford to get its convoy targeted as all its supplies are made through this route. “Ever since the Kargil aggression, the movement of Army supplies from the Jammu and Kashmir side has become almost negligible, and it is the Manali-Leh road that has assumed significance from the defence point of view,” police officials said.

As the route remains open for only around six months every year, a militant attack on this route can upset calculations of the Army. The Army has to ensure that all supplies reach the border areas before the road closes down with the first heavy snowfall.

Shimla, July 30
The Youth Congress will organise a “padyatras” to mobilise the youth and educate masses about the policies, programmes and achievements of the UPA regime.

Stating this at a press conference here today, newly appointed state Youth Congress president Manmohan Katoch said the main padyatra would take off from Chamba and culminate at Shimla. It would pass through various parts of the state in stages. Besides highlighting achievements of the UPA government, the focus would also be on the failures and anti-people policies of the Dhumal regime. The effort would be to touch most of the districts and cover maximum parts of the state.

He said the BJP government was only seven-month-old in the state, but resentment had started brewing among various sections of people due to its lacklustre performance. It made price rise an issue, but it did nothing to contain prices after coming to power. The issue now was what the state had done on this front after assuming the office.

Similarly, the youths were also getting disillusioned as no concrete steps had been taken to address the problem of unemployment. All these issues would be highlighted during the proposed “padyatras”. The Youth Congress would also stage protests and, if required, gherao the Vidhan Sabha to expose the BJP.

Referring to the constitution of the state and district units of the organisation, he said he would carry out the exercise after extensively touring the state and holding consultations with members right down to the block level. It could take about a month and the new bodies would be in place by the first week of September.

Once the new bodies were constituted, the organisation would start the membership drive. The target was to enrol about two lakh new members, he added.

Shimla, July 30
Bomb blasts in Gujarat and heavy rain in Maharashtra have sent apple prices in the Delhi market crashing over the past two days.

The price royal delicious variety has plummeted by Rs 150 to Rs 250 per box, while that of rich-a-red by Rs 100 to 150 per box. Every box of “A” grade royal delicious apple was selling at 1,050 to 1,100 per box on Saturday, but it was now available around Rs 850 per box. Similarly, the rate of every box of rich-a-red variety has come down from Rs 750 to Rs 600 per box.

The main reason for the slump in the market is the sudden decline in the further supply of fruit from the Azadpur market that caters to various markets in Maharashtra and Gujarat. Transporters are wary of passing through Gujarat in the wake of the serial bomb blasts, while deluge in Maharashtra has affected demand and flow of traffic.

Even some inferior varieties, like red golden, which had good demand in Nepal, Bangladesh and some eastern areas of the country, have taken a beating due to the entry of Chinese apple this season. As the government agencies were still in the process of opening apple-procurement centres under the Market Intervention Scheme, some poor quality fruit has also found its way into the markets, thus affecting the prices.

So far 20.35 lakh boxes have been transported out of the state. Around 230 apple-laden trucks move out from the state daily and the number is likely to increase gradually. As the total production is estimated to be around 2.74 crore boxes, the number of outgoing trucks during the peak season is expected to cross the 900-truckloads mark.

The president of the State Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association said the impact of the downslide in the prices would be more pronounced as the cost of packaging and transportation had increased steeply. “The cost of carton and packing trays together have gone up by Rs 6 to Rs 8 per unit while the transportation charges have increased by 20 to 25 per cent. Lower market rates for the produce will further dwindle returns,” he said.

Shimla, July 30
The state government would consider withdrawing the amendments carried out in the Himachal Pradesh University Act with a view to restoring the autonomy of the institute.

This was stated by Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, while laying the foundation stone of the guest house of the Academic Staff College of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), here today.

“The government will examine the issue of withdrawal of amendments and consider the case on merit, taking all aspects into consideration,” he said.

He also assured the HPU of enhanced financial assistance, but at the same time stressed on the need for starting job oriented vocational courses on self-financing basis.

“In this age of cut throat competition the HPU must equip itself with the required resources to meet its future expansion and quality maintenance needs,” he said.

He, however, assured that the government would provide an enhanced grant-in-aid to the HPU as compared to Rs 24 crore granted during 2007-08.

Dhumal said, “The teachers are entrusted with the responsibility of shaping the future of the students and they must deliver their best so that the products of the institute achieve great heights.”

He announced a grant of Rs 1 crore to strength the Bio-technology Department and to start B-tech in the department. 

Kangra, July 30
The Himachal Government has decided to fill 28,000 posts in different departments which include 18,000 in the Education Department in coming six to eight months.

I.D.Dhiman, education minister, said the state had 713 posts of principal of higher secondary schools vacant but the government had filled only 550 posts by promoting headmasters to the cadre. He said 150 more posts of the principal would be filled soon.

The education minister said out of 650 vacant posts of the headmaster 450 had been filled by the state government and remaining 200 posts would be filled within six to eight months.

He said in connection with the 28,000 posts to be filled, the Subordinate Service Selection Board and the JBTs Education Board had been asked to initiate the process. He said the state Public Service Commission would also be asked to initiate the process of filling the posts.

Dhiman said the government had implemented the new transfer policy recommended by the Thakur Gulab Singh Committee and teachers and headmasters serving in the urban areas would have to serve in the interior areas for at least three to four years.

Shimla, July 30
By rechristening the country’s premier mountaineering institute based at Manali as Atal Bahari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports the state government has expressed its gratitude to the former prime minister who considered Manali as his second home.

The hill state has been indebted to Vajpayee who, as prime minister, provided all the support for speeding up development and approved some major projects like Rs 1,400 crore Rohtang tunnel and five national highways.

He not only bailed out the fund-starved state by extending special financial assistance but was also instrumental in sanctioning the industrial package for the state to make it economically self-reliant.

It was his love for the mountains and the hill people and their culture which made Vajpayee build a home at Prini village close to Manali. He has been regularly visiting the place every summer and maintained the routine even as prime minister.

Naming the institute after Vajpayee was a befitting honour to the veteran leader who has been frequently visiting it. He was fascinated by the salubrious surroundings of the institute so much that he held all his official meetings and press conferences in the premises.

Established in 1961 to promote adventure activities like skiing, mountaineering and allied sports, it is spread over 20 acres of land amidst thickly wooded deodar forest.The institute provides specialised training in mountaineering, rescue operations, skiing, water sports and rock climbing.

It has training facilities for basic and advance climbing. More than 96,000 youth have been trained in different adventure activities since its inception under the guidance of experienced instructors, including four “Everesters”, who have wide experience in skiing and mountaineering in Himalayas, Alps (France) and Norway.

Shimla, July 30
The police complaint lodged by the construction company working at the Kuddu Sawra project in Rohru against the labourers has turned out to be false, as the firing incident was allegedly stage-managed to falsely implicate the workers.

The police has arrested Rohit Kamta, sub-contractor, and Pradeep Negi in connection with the stage-managed firing incident, which they reported had taken place at the residence of the DGM H.K. Singh on July 26 in Anti village.

The DGM, hailing from Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, and Pramod Negi had fled after the police found out that the complaint was false.

The police today converted the case that was registered against the workers under Section 307 of the IPC on July 27 against the management under Sections 25-54-59 of the Arms Act, Section 120-B, 182 and 211 of the IPC.

R.M. Sharma, SP, said after visiting the spot he suspected that the firing incident at the residence of the DGM was managed to book the workers and put them under pressure.

During the search the police found two empty cases from the shop owned by Rohit Kamta.

On being interrogated, he admitted that they fired on the night of July 26 and blamed the workers.

He also told the police that they had undertaken a rehearsal of the firing before enacting it at the residence of the DGM in Anti.

Solan, July 30
Crucial investigations into a case of extortion and cheating registered against B.S.Thind, additional director-general of the police, have been delayed, as the official is not available.

The Parwanoo police had sent four envoys to serve him summons at his official residence in Shimla, but he was not available.

A similar exercise to trace him at his Chandigarh-based residence too proved futile.

Thind has sent a telegram from the CTO, New Delhi, stating that he should be exempted from the probe till August 8, as he was undergoing a treatment for some heart ailment. This telegram was received by the police yesterday.

This case was registered on June 15 after a Parwanoo-based businessman, Ashok Mittal, made a written complaint to the local police. Thind had allegedly demanded lakhs from Mittal in lieu of getting his shop vacated. Mittal had allegedly recorded the conversation in an audio CD.

Confirming the receipt of a telegram, Ramesh Pathania, Parwanoo DSP, the investigating officer, said a telegram was received by them yesterday.

“Thind was required as the police had to compare his voice with the voice in the CD,” he said.

It is interesting to note that though the ADGP was not available for the receipt of any summon, he was aware of the fact that the police was looking for him. So he sent a telegram to the Parwanoo police justifying his absence. Senior officials, however, opined that it was an evasive tactic adopted by the officer.