Shimla, September 16
The state electricity regulatory commission has ordered an inquiry into the huge time and cost overruns in respect of the 12-MW Khauli hydroelectric project, which happens to be the most expensive project executed by the state power board till date.

The inquiry will be conducted by retired chief engineer of the BBMB K.K. Khosla. He will go into all aspects of the project management, including planning, design and construction to ascertain the reasons for the exorbitantly high cost and delay in completion of the project.

He will also determine the reasonable date of commissioning and the reasonable cost of the project.

The inquiry ordered under the regulation 26 of the (Conduct of Business) Regulations, 2005, will also fix the responsibility, both in terms of the delay in execution and excessive escalation in cost.

He will also make recommendations for efficient, economical and competitive project management. He has been asked to submit the report in 60 days.

The commission was forced to carry out investigations at its own level to determine the reasonable cost after the board filed a cost of Rs 146 crore for determination of tariff.

The cost of the project works out to over Rs 12 crore per megawatt as against the average cost of Rs 5 crore to Rs 6 crore per megawatt. The generation cost on its basis works out to Rs 7.23 per unit, almost double the average sale price of Rs 3.68 per unit.

In case of the 16-MW Patikari project executed in the private sector, the board has signed a power purchase agreement for buying electricity at Rs 2.25 per unit.

The commission maintained that consumers would not be penalised for the inefficiency and incompetence of the board and the unjustifiably high costs would not be passed onto them.

The tariff would be determined on the basis of reasonable cost to be ascertained through an independent investigation.

The commission has been forced to order an independent inquiry to determine the reasonable cost of the project for the second time.

Earlier, a similar inquiry instituted in case of the 126-MW Larji project had uncovered gross financial irregularities and serious shortcomings in the implementation of the project. The inquiry had indicted the management for the mess. 

Shimla, September 16
Governor Prabha Rau today requested the Centre to depute national-level experts to advise the state government for undertaking renovation work of the 91 British era heritage buildings in Shimla.

Speaking at the conference of Governors in New Delhi today, she said there were 37 heritage buildings in the designated heritage zone and around 54 outside that zone in the state capital. “There is an urgent need to undertake renovation of all these buildings. The work on Raj Bhawan (Barnes Court) and Town Hall should be started immediately,” she said.

She requested the Central Government to provide financial assistance of Rs 11 crore immediately for starting renovation of these two buildings. Rau pleaded for increase in quota of the state in the armed forces keeping in view the tough topography and the excellent gallantry track record of soldiers of the state.

She also requested for the implementation of the “one-rank, one-pension” scheme for ex-servicemen and demanded handing over of Annandale ground to the state government. She sought assistance from the Centre for combating illegal cultivation of cannabis in certain parts of the state. “Since drug trade is linked with the growth of terrorism, it is essential to launch a fight against drug menace,” she stressed.

Rau also urged the Centre to regularly monitor Pareechu lake situation through satellite imagery. “The Centre should allow Himachal to levy a generation tax of 10 paisa per unit on all power units in the state.

This will generate a revenue of Rs 300 crore per annum,” she said. She also pleaded for provision of 12 per cent free electricity from all power projects commissioned prior to year 1990 and requested the Centre to grant due share of the state in all power projects like Bhakra Dam, Dehar Dam and Pong Dam where state share is even less than 1.6 per cent and state is losing annual revenue of Rs 400 crore due to denial of legitimate share in all such power projects.

Shimla, September 16
Although the government has yet to take a final decision on the controversy over the supply of CFLs under the Atal Bihari Bijli Bachao Yojna, there is a possibility that the government invites tenders again.

The matter has been informally discussed by senior officials of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) and a consensus has emerged that fresh tenders be issued to avoid any allegations of irregularities.

A formal decision in this regard is likely to be taken at a meeting of the board to be held on September 18. Incidentally, the Cabinet will also meet on the same day and the matter of CFLs could be discussed there as well.

With allegations of formation of a cartel being levelled in the award of contract for the supply of CFLs to four companies, chief secretary Asha Swaroop sought a detailed report from the HPSEB on August 23.

She had said a detailed report be submitted to the government about the technical aspects and the procedure followed while giving the supply order to the four companies.

She had also directed that till a final decision in that regard was taken by the company, supply from the companies should not be accepted.

The board had equally distributed the supply order to four companies that had quoted the same rate of Rs 429 for supplying four CFL lamps of .85 power factor. The fact that four companies quoted the same price for a pack of four bulbs raised doubts about their forming a cartel to get the contract.

The companies that have been given the supply order include Surya Bulbs, Asian, Havels and Phinix.

It was following allegations by two other companies, Philips and HCL Sucomac, that the government had asked the chief secretary to look into the matter. The two companies had alleged that there had been irregularities in the award of contract and their bids were not considered as proper procedure was not followed.

Shimla, September 16
Apart from leading industrial houses, some major scientific institutions will also be a part of the $ 500-million Nano Technology Park proposed to be set up by Nanobiosym, a global nano-business company, at Aduwal in Solan district. The project will be set up in collaboration with the state government and the Centre.

Research and technology development and business incubator will be the major activities of the mega project that will also include a knowledge park, medical education and health care facilities. The science and technology department of the Government of India has committed to provide 10 per cent of the cost of the project as seed money for setting up research and development centre, health care and other required common facilities on the basis of business plan. The state government will provide land, power, roads and other infrastructure on terms and conditions to be decided at the time of signing the MoU. Even as the business plan is being given the final shape, the company is in touch with SP Biotech, Larson and Tubro, Tatas, ICIC knowledge park, Niper, Bharat Biotech and some other business organisations that are likely to invest in the project. In fact, Rattan Tata, chairman of the Tata group, has joined the global advisory board of the company, providing some indication that his company may invest in the project. Besides US-based organisations like Boston Science Museum and Harvard University, and IITs based in Delhi and Mumbai, IMTECH, Chandigarh, and various universities and scientific institutions were also likely to be associated in the project as knowledge partners.

The final project report will be submitted to the Government of India after the finalisation of the business plan being prepared by the consultant, Ernst & Young. The project will go a long way in making the hill state a nano-business hub of the country.

The project to be completed in three phases over 10 years will focus on technology innovation and its commercial exploitation. It will have a strong R&D set-up, health care facilities for practical application of products like DNA diagnostic kits and incubators attached with manufacturing units.

Shimla, September 16
Levelling of allegations and counter-allegations continues over the issue of setting up of a medical college at Mandi. Senior BJP leaders, including state BJP chief Jai Ram Thakur and PWD minister Thakur Gulab Singh, today lashed out at the Congress for politicising the issue.

With the Congress leaders keeping the issue of setting up a medical college at Mandi in the government sector alive and accusing the BJP of discriminating with Mandi, the two leaders clarified that this was a malicious propaganda of the Congress.

The two leaders hailing from Mandi district said it was surprising that the Congress regime announced the setting up of the medical college at Mandi shortly before the assembly elections were announced. “If the Congress was so serious about its commitment, it should have issued a notification and created necessary infrastructure,” they said.

They said the BJP regime was committed to provide quality medical education and health facilities in the state and for this five medical colleges would be opened. “The setting up of the medical college would be done as per the report of the appointed consultant,” they said.

They said the Congress was trying to play the card of regionalism by misleading the people of Mandi on the issue. “The IIT will be set up at Mandi and the Centre has already sanctioned Rs 760 crore for the national-level institute for which 530 acres of land has already been identified near Mandi,” they said. They added that it was due to the efforts of the Chief Minister that the Centre had approved a broad-gauge rail line project for connecting Pathankot, Jogindernagar, Mandi, Rohtang, Keylong and border areas.

Chopper snag delays CM
Tribune News Service

Hamirpur, September 16
A technical sang in the chopper delayed Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal’s tour to Hamirpur district by several hours today.

Dhumal, who was scheduled to reach Badu helipad, near Hamirpur, around 1.30 pm, had to travel by road from Kolti, near Arki in Solan district, as the chopper could not take off.

OSD to the Chief Minister Sanjeev Katwal said, “The Chief Minister left from Kotli for Hamirpur by road around 3 pm as the chopper could not take off due to some technical snag.”

He was scheduled to inaugurate a new building of the industrial training institute at Bhoranj, hear grievances of the people and later visit Baba Balak Nath temple complex at Deot-Siddh to finalise the tourism development plan for the area.

Chamba, September 16
The state government is spending Rs 8.77 crore on various welfare schemes in Chamba district during the current fiscal year.

This was stated by Tulsi Ram, Speaker, Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, while presiding over a meeting of district welfare committee here today.

The Speaker directed the officers to supply the information about disabled scholarship scheme to all the schools in the district.

The district welfare committee would send its recommendations to the state government about the simplification of the process for admission to children of orphanages, the Speaker said.

Bilaspur, September 16
A deputation of village leaders of the Hatwaad area, led by former zila parishad member Bhagwandass, met SDM Sumit Khimta at Ghumarwin today.

They submitted a memorandum for the consideration of the Chief Minister.

They protested against the order of shifting of the office of junior engineer, IPH, from Hatwaad to Kutheda. They demanded the immediate withdrawal of the orders.

They warned of an agitation if these orders were not withdrawn.

Panchayat presidents and vice-presidents of Hatwaad, Bamm, Pantehda, Ham bote and Kot accompanied the deputation.