Shimla, November 19
In sharp contrast to its avowed policy of encouraging Himachali entrepreneurs to undertake mini and micro-hydel projects in the state, the government has effected changes in the policy for processing and allotment of self-identified projects that has severely hit their interests. Still worse, the policy is being changed midway during the processing of applications received in response to the offers invited for 168 identified and self-identified projects which are being dealt with using different yardsticks.

As per the latest changes for self-identified projects of capacity up to 5 MW, independent power producers (IPPs) will be required to give 6 per cent free power as royalty for the first 12 years after commissioning, 15 per cent for the next 18 years and 24 per cent for the remaining 10 years. Under the original policy, the royalty was waived for the first 12 years as incentive and only 12 per cent was payable for the next 18 years and 18 per cent for the remaining 10 years.

As per another decision, an upfront premium of Rs 10 lakh per megawatt will be charged on all projects of up to 5-MW capacity. In the original policy, no upfront premium was payable for projects up to 2 MW and a nominal premium (Rs 45,000 per megawatt) up to a maximum of Rs 75,000 was chargeable on projects with capacity ranging from 2 MW to 5 MW.

The upfront premium is to be deposited within 30 days of the allotment of project, failing which the project will automatically stand cancelled. Engineers of the state electricity board point out that capacity of a self-identified project is only tentative and it can be firmed up after carrying out detailed investigations. In such a situation, on what basis the upfront premium will be charged. In the past, capacities of even identified projects had been raised from four to five times the original capacity after investigation.

The government allotted 19 projects last month for which there was only one applicant. They have been allotted projects on the basis of the original policy. Hence, the allottee IPPs are not required to pay any royalty or upfront premium.

The state government has reserved for Himachalis projects of up to 2-MW capacity. However, certain clauses in the policy put them in a disadvantageous position. For instance, non-Himachali entrepreneurs can sell 49 per cent equity share in the project to anyone, whereas it is mandatory for Himachali entrepreneur to have only Himachali equity partners, which was discriminatory.

Hydropower expert R.L. Justa says the government should allow Himachalis to sell 49 per cent equity to anyone and reserve all projects up to 5-MW capacity for them. Further, no upfront premium should be charged for these projects as they are being encouraged as environment friendly ventures and not commercial power projects.

Dharamsala, November 19
Dalai Lama’s elder brother, Gyalo Thondup, today refuted the claim of Chinese officials that Deng Xiaoping, the Chinese premier in 1979, never issued a statement that everything but for complete independence could be discussed on the issue of Tibet.

While addressing a press conference here today Gyalo Thondup said “ I have read the statement made by Zhu Weiqun, executive vice-minister of the Central United Front Work Department of the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing, November 10, 2008, at a press conference organised by the Information Office of the State Council regarding the offer made by Deng Xiaoping. However, I still recollect that in his response to a Japanese reporter's question Deng Xiaoping had stated in the late 70s that "except independence all other issues can be settled through discussions'' as 
repeatedly claimed by the Tibetan side.”

“I am shocked to hear such a statement from the Chinese officials because it was myself to whom the late leader, Deng Xiaoping, said that ''except independence all other issues can be settled through discussions."

The Tibetans-in-exile have recently proposed a formula for autonomy of Tibet under the Chinese sovereign in their eight-round of talks with Chinese officials.

Meanwhile, the sub-committee formed to discuss the future strategy continued their at house meeting today also.

The sources here said that the issue of succession of Dalai Lama also came up for discussion.

The Prime Minister of Tibetan parliament-in-exile has already stated that they were committed to put forward the views that come out at the meeting of delegates.

The delegates would present their views on November 21st and 22nd.

Solan, November 19
The abysmally poor results of various diploma courses in engineering trades introduced under the Centres of Excellence in the state’s Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) has put a question mark over the faculty.

It was learnt that the result in majority of the institutes was in single figure while in the ITI at Solan barely three students had managed to pass out of 108. This course was introduced with much fanfare in 2006 when the Department of Technical Education had patted its back for having secured this national-level course.

Out of 317 students, who had appeared for this course, only 22 managed to pass putting the pass percentage at a poor 8 per cent. The ITIs at Solan, Rampur and Una were running this course in electronics and automobile streams.

Now after the declaration of results various ITIs when contacted refused to give details about their result. Officials at the Solan ITI, however, said they had not received the result officially.

Sources confirmed that some of the institutes had failed to get even a single student passed in this course and hence they had decided to maintain silence over the result.

The state had upgraded the ITIs as Centres of Excellence and various trades of this course, including production, information technology, electronics, etc., had been introduced. The course was supposed to brighten the employment prospects of the youth. The abysmally poor results had, however, exposed chinks in the system where the lack of staff had acted as a major deterrent for its improper study. It had also put a question mark over the faculty in these institutes who despite being fully trained had miserably failed to deliver.

Director of the Technical Education S.S. Guleria agreed that the results had been poor, but he added that this was largely due to the lack of adequate staff. Since the course was introduced without having an adequate arrangement for staff it had become difficult for the ITIs to complete syllabus in time.

What added to their peril was the fact that the examinations were held after two years as per the norms of the national-level technical education. This added to the poor performance of the students.

Guleria added that adequate staff had now been made available in the ITIs with fresh appointments and this would help improve performance. He also advocated the need for annual examinations of these students and said this proposal had been put forth before the technical education officials from the centre recently.

Shimla, November 19
The H.P.High Court today granted anticipatory bail to Meera Ahluwalia, wife of IAS officer, Subhash Ahluwalia, in a disproportionate assets case.

Justice Surinder Singh while confirming the anticipatory bail to Meera, who is serving as a principal in a government college, directed her to join and cooperate with the investigation of this case as and when, called by the investigating officer. The court further directed that she would not cause any threat, promise or inducement to any witness acquainted with the facts of the case. The court further observed that the anticipatory bail application of Meera is allowed on her furnishing bail bond of Rs 20, 000 with one surety of the like amount.

Subhash Ahluwalia, who has been in trouble ever since the BJP assumed power, was arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption bureau to interrogate him about the bank deposits and properties amassed by him. The bureau had claimed that over Rs 1.34 crore deposits had been made in the 16 accounts held by Ahluwalia, his wife and two children, which was far more than their known sources of income.

After having remained in police and judicial custody, even though he was lodged in hospital all this while, he got relief from the High Court as he was granted bail. Apprehending arrest, his wife Meera too moved the High Court seeking anticipatory bail.

Dharamsala, November 19
The Department of Public Health is supplying untreated water to residents of Chari village and its surrounding areas. Water is being supplied to the residents directly from rivulets, without any purification.

The Tribune visited the area where the department has created tanks to store water after lifting it from rivulets. A facility has been created there for purification of water by adding alum, however the condition of storage tanks indicates that this place has not been visited by any official of the department for a very long time.

The entire area in which the facility has been created is infested with lantana and other wild growth. The hut made for the watchman seems to have been never used by anyone. Thick wild vegetation has made some of the areas unreachable for humans. The covers of water storage tanks remain unlocked.

Residents say they have stopped using water supplied by the Department of Public Health for drinking. “For drinking, we fetch water from handpumps. The water supplied by the department is used for only washing clothes or giving to animals, they say.

Executive engineer (public health) Raghuvir admitted the water was being supplied to Chari residents directly from the source. “Earlier, water was lifted from rivulets. Purification was required at that time. However, now the water is being supplied from a spring source and it does not require purification,” he added.

When asked how the department could ensure that the water was free from biological contamination, he reiterated that there was no need to treat water as it was being lifted from a spring source.

On the other hand, the residents attributed the high rate of epilepsy cases and other diseases in the area to the supply of untreated water by the the Department of Public Health.

Shimla, November 19
Forest minister J.P. Nadda and IPH minister Ravinder Singh Ravi have criticised former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for accusing the BJP government of acting with regional bias, political considerations and nepotism.

In a statement issued here today, the two ministers said it was a well-known fact that nepotism and favourtism was at its hilt during the regime of Virbhadra Singh.

“Even the Congress leaders had accused the Virbhadra regime of favouring and benefiting Rohru and Rampur areas at the cost of other constituencies,” they said.

During the Congress tenure, the lower areas of the state were discriminated against in recruitments, transfers and postings. “He would transfer officers to lower areas, thereby creating hundreds of vacancies to ensure maximum possible jobs for the people of his favoured areas,” they said.

During the Congress regime, 2,912 persons got jobs on chits.

Besides that, 42 of the total of 50 nurses recruited as the 1997 batch belonged to Shimla district.

“Virbhadra Singh should not forget that there was regional discrimination during his tenure and people of only select areas had benefited, be it in case of jobs or getting other benefits,” they said.

During the five-year tenure of the Congress, about 5,000 jobs were provided to youths whereas the BJP regime had provided jobs to 9,000 youths within just 10 months of its coming to power.

Mandi, November 19
BSP’s national general secretary Man Singh Manhera today accused Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal of being anti-Dalit and anti-Bramins. He alleged Dhumal was targeting Dalit leaders like Singhi Ram through vigilance inquiries, besides sidelining Bramin leaders like Pandit Shanta Kumar within his own party.

Addressing a press conference after chairing the district body meeting here, he said Dhumal was pursuing the anti-Dalit and anti-Brahmin polices like the previous Congress government did. “The BSP has emerged as a major force that ousted the Congress from power and would do the same to the BJP government,” he claimed.

He said, “Dhumal targeted Singhi Ram because he is a Dalit while the big fish named in the BJP chargesheet has not being touched by the Vigilance Department so far as they are non-Dalit.”

When asked about state convener V.S. Mankotia’s departure from the party, Manhera claimed that he, Karan Singh, Dharamvir Dhami and others who had left the party recently were opportunists. The BSP cadre was intact and the party would open its account in the coming Lok Sabha elections. It would contest all four seats, he said.

He said the party had appointed Vijay Joshi as the state convener, while Chandramani Sharma and Lala Ram Sharma would be “swaran jati” conveners for Mandi.

He said the people of the country now wanted to see Mayawati as the Prime Minister as they had burnt their fingers by electing Congress and BJP candidates. “She will address meetings in Himachal in December,” he said.

Bilaspur, November 19
Ranit Singh Verma, former industries minister and now chairman of the HP State Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sangathan, has criticised the BJP government for its anti-people policies and also for failure to provide any relief to the common masses during some 11 months of its rule.

Addressing mediapersons here yesterday Verma said this sangathan was devoted to the cause of panchayati raj organisations and it would not only apprise leaders of PRIs regarding their rights, privileges and duties, but would also unite them so that the BJP government does not succeed in its campaign of harassing and troubling them only because they belong to the opposition party.

Verma said the BJP government had failed on all fronts and its performance in field of law and order had been very dismal while it had not succeeded even to repair roads of the state, which have been constructed by the former Congress government. He said the Chief Minister had no time to step down from his helicopter, the PWD minister is unable to walk on the roads due to personal reasons and common people of state have no alternative except to suffer, as there is nobody to look after these roads.

Verma said cheap ration system had been crippled due to wrong polices of the BJP state government while the state government had not even taken a single step up till now to reduce the ever increasing prices of essential commodities while it had given benefit of Rs150 crore to liquor contractors by reducing VAT on liquor. However, it had not reduced VAT on wheat and rice, which is the main diet of the poor masses.

Nurpur, November 19
It is the first case of imposing such a huge fine for violation of the Right To Information (RTI) Act and passing of incomplete information to the applicant by any information officer in the state. The information officer-cum-district panchayat officer (DPO) has been awarded a penalty of Rs 25,000 by the state Information Commission.

According to information gathered by The Tribune in this connection, Parkash Chand, a resident of Jangal gram panchayat in Jawali subdivision, had filed a complaint before the state Information Commission, Shimla, against the information officer-cum-Kangra DPO for not supplying requisite information for which he had applied by submitting three different applications on February 13, 20 and March 15 this year through the Kangra DC.

The Kangra ADM forwarded the application to the concerned information officer-cum-DPO for passing information to the applicant within scheduled time under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act.

The information officer-cum-DPO passed information to the applicant sought through two out of the three applications on May 24 relating to action against pradhan and up-pradhan of the Jangal gram panchayat. On May 30 the applicant wrote to the DPO that he did not received full information as sought in applications. After waiting for complete information he filed a complaint with the state information officer on June 10. The state information commission officer directed the DPO to release complete information to the complainant. However, even then the DPO did not act accordingly.

The state information officer initiated proceeding against the erring DPO under Section 20(1) of the RTI Act and fined him for Rs 25,000 for his failure to release requisite information, remaining absent during proceeding and not adhering to directions of the state Information Commission in this connection.

In this connection the DPO, Chain Singh, refused to comment on the decision and fine imposed by the state Information Commission, but asserted that he had released all available information to the complainant-cum-applicant under the RTI Act.

Chamba, November 19
Following repair works on the water pipelines of the Jadera drinking water supply scheme, the Chamba town today went without water though there was no announcement or information to the media about repair works on the pipelines.

Information was given only to the local cable operator, but many residents are using other services of communication like Tata Sky etc.

When officers of the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department could not be contacted despite efforts, this correspondent contacted the official available on the water supply complaint telephone number: 222310, who informed that the repair work on the pipeline was going on round-the-clock and as soon as the work was completed, the supply of water would be released forthwith. “But I am not sure of the time when it would be released,” the official replied.

Asked about the reason, he said there was some leakage in the water pipelines noticed by the department recently and to replace and repair the pipelines, the department had to take this step stalling the water supply to the town.

Hamirpur, November 19
Former President of India Dr Abdul Kalam would be chief guest in the third convocation at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Hamirpur.

Dr Kalam would confer degrees on 300 students of the institute who have completed graduate engineering courses in different streams, postgraduates and PhD students in the convocation function to be organised on January 3 at the NIT campus.

Confirming this, director of the NIT Prof I.K. Bhatt said, “Former President of India Dr Abdul Kalam has sent his consent to be the chief guest in the third convocation of the NIT and will confer the degrees, which is a matter of great pride for student community, teaching faculty and our institute.”

Shimla, November 19
BSP supremo Mayawati has appointed former minister Vijay Joshi as the convener of the party unit in the state in place of Maj Vijay Singh Mankotia, who recently announced retirement from active politics.

National general secretary of the party Man Singh Manhera said with the appointment of Joshi, the task of strengthening the party in the state would be taken up on a war footing. He said the target was to set up committees right down to the polling booth level. So far, the party had 10,000 office-bearers at various levels and the plan was to raise their number to 40,000 by end of December.

He said the party would contest all four parliamentary seats during the coming Lok Sabha elections in the state. It had done exceedingly well during the Vidhan Sabha elections and ensured the defeat of the Congress at about 20 seats. The objective was to further consolidate the base of the party in the Lok Sabha poll.

Thanking Mayawati for posing confidence in him, Joshi said his aim was to make the BSP an alternative to the Congress and the BJP that had been occupying the centrestage in the state all these years. The social-engineering experiment that had been very successful in Uttar Pradesh would also be replicated in the hill state.

Joshi maintained the Congress was falsely claiming that a number of BSP leaders and workers had joined the party. The aim was to create confusion in minds of the party’s rank and file in the wake of Mankotia’s exit. He said the leaders whose names were mentioned in the Congress press release were non-entities and were never associated with the BSP. The party would soon initiate legal action against the Congress leaders in that regard. 

Shimla, November 19
ABVP candidate Vivek Dogra was elected secretary of the student council of the Himachal Pradesh University (HPU), elections for which were held here today.

ABVP candidates won both important posts of the secretary and the joint secretary defeating the combined panel of the SFI and the NSUI. While Vivek Dogra polled 72 of the total 101 votes polled in the election, Anupama Guleria (SCA president of Government College, Mandi) polled 71 votes as one vote was declared invalid.

ABVP candidates, Manuj Trehan from MCM DAV College, Kangra, and Nishant Sharma from Government College, Chamba, were elected members of the standing committee. Sachin Kumar from Government College, Sanjauli, was the lone winner for the SFI. He was also elected a member of the standing committee. Vivek Dogra, a student of the fifth semester in the Law department at the HPU, will represent the student community in the executive council, the apex body of the institute. He will be a member of the EC.

The elections to the student council were held after a gap of six years as the last elections were held in 2002. Although the matter regarding the holding of student council elections was dragged to the court this year also, the elections were not withheld.

HPU registrar Rattan Singh, returning officer for the elections, said the election results would be subject to the final outcome of the writ petition pending in the high court.

State organising secretary of the ABVP Umesh Dutt said despite efforts of some student organisations to stall the holding of elections, the ABVP had shown that it had the support of majority of the students.

Solan,November 19
The Nalagarh police today registered a case of cheating and forgery against two local residents and a Chandigarh resident after it was found that fake documents were furnished to hand over general power of attorney to a Chandigarh resident.

It was after the receipt of a complaint by the CID that they inquired and found that one Yashpal Sharma, a resident of Dattowal village in Nalagarh tehsil, had given GPA to a Chandigarh resident H.S.Rana. This GPA pertained to a patch of land measuring 11 biswas and a built-up house. Rana sold this property further to one Kashmir Rana, a resident of Maganpura village in Nalagarh.

Interestingly, the GPA could not be given to Rana as, according to the ammended revenue norms, only agriculturists could get this right. Thus it was found that Rana had produced fake documents to get this GPA and hence sell the land. The Nalagarh police today registered a case in this regard and further investigations were underway.

Revenue experts held the view that grant of GPA to a non-agriculturist and more so to a non-Himachali was a violation of the revenue laws and the connivance of the officials at some stage could not be ruled out. The sale deed had been executed in the office of the sub-registrar in Ferbuary, 2007, at Nalagarh.

The industrial area had earned the dubious distinction of such fake deals after the central industrial package of 2003 which had perked up industrial activity. Since land was highly valued in the area plethora of such cases had come up before the investigating agencies over the past five years.

Shimla, November 19
With increasing number of cable theft cases being reported in Shimla district, the police has decided to hold a meeting with over 200 rag pickers and junk dealers so that steps can be taken to check such thefts and other crimes.

As per police records, 52 cases of cable theft were registered in the district by October 31 this year.

The department has taken up the matter with the police on several occasions, but there had been no respite and the thefts cases continue. In 2007, 73 cases of cable theft were reported in the district, while there were 50 such cases in 2006.

“In many cases, stolen cables and other items were recovered from rag pickers and junk dealers. Seeing this we have decided to hold a meeting with junk dealers to warn them against the purchase of stolen goods,” said SP R.M. Sharma.

Nurpur, November 19
The police has arrested Mahesh, Ravinder and Kishori, all residents of Shimla, last evening for allegedly possessing fake foreign currency. A case under Section 489(BC) has been registered against them. The police produced them before the judicial magistrate this evening and took two days remand for further investigation.

According to Kangra SP Atul Phulzele, $ 2,500 was seized from the accused on September 15 during a police naka at Kandwal, near Nurpur.

“After examining these dollars in forensic laboratory at Shimla, they were found to be fake following which a new case was lodged against them,” he added. The police is likely to arrest other five accused in the case.

It is pertinent to mention that following a tip-off the police had tracked two black Scorpio’s coming from Jammu and Kashmir at Kandwal on September 15 and recovered 450 gm of poppy husk, Indian currency notes to the tune of Rs 3.33 lakh and $ 2,500 from these vehicles and arrested eight occupants travelling in them. After preliminary investigation the court bailed out all accused.