Mandi-Manali, November 25
Over 35 houses (officially 26) and property worth crores was gutted in a fire that broke out in Solang village around 2.40 pm today. The incident rendered homeless over 40 families, including over 80 children, in the freezing cold.

Fire brigade and police officials reached the spot around an hour late. By that time, the fire had engulfed most of the village. Teams from the mountaineering institute also reached the spot. The delay in the arrival of rescue teams was being attributed the poor road connectivity to the area.

“We are ruined as there is nothing left to sustain life in the tough winter ahead,” rued Radha, a village woman. The devastating fire had devoured everything, including fodder for the cattle and timber to fight the biting cold, villagers said. The night temperature in the areas has already dipped below 0°C.

The fire could only be brought under control by 6.30 pm as hydrants were not readily available there. Thousands of villagers from Palchan, Burwa and nearby areas rushed to Solang to help in the rescue and relief operations.

General secretary of the Paragliding and Hang Gliding Association S.P. Katyal, who was monitoring the paragliding courses at the Solang Nalla ski resort, was the first one to inform the authorities about the fire around 2.40 pm.

Tibbar Ram, up-pradhan of the Palchan panchayat, who lives in Solang village, said over 35 houses had been destroyed. “It is difficult to assess the exact loss immediately as the fire was still continuing. It may run into crores,” he added. A number of domestic cattle tied in cattle sheds had also perished in the fire, he said. A short circuit in the house of a villager, Amar Singh, is said to have led to the fire.

Manali SDM Rajeshwar Goel said, “We are providing blankets, tents and woollens to the fire-hit. They will be temporarily provided shelter in schools and mountaineering hostel and other available government accommodations.”

It was difficult to assess the exact loss as of now as the village was still smouldering and the administration’s first priority was to provide relief to the affected persons. “We will assess the exact loss tomorrow,” he added.

Shimla, November 25
The Forest Department will lease out its 10 guest houses and five sites as the first step towards promoting public-private partnership in popularising eco-tourism in the state.

The department has received 126 proposals from 40 parties in response to the expression of interest floated by it for giving out its properties and sites to private players on lease for five years. The department will take a final decision on these proposals after the parties concerned submit their financial and technical bids by December 10.

Although there has been a talk of preparing a blueprint and identifying sites for promoting eco-tourism for the past sometime, this is the first big step in that direction. “The department has already shortlisted 82 proposals from 25 parties. The department will take a final decision within a week of receiving bids,” said forest officials.

The 10 guest houses that will be given out on a lease are situated at Ala (near Dalhousie), Kangra, Gazta (near Khara Patthar), Theog, Tatta Pani, Majhwar, Dhuna Devi, Urla (all in Mandi), Banethi and Trilokpur (Sirmaur). The five sites that will be given out on lease are Barpg, Shoghi, Sonu Banlah (near Tara Devi), McLeodganj and Dalhousie.

The forest authorities said the lease would be given to private players on strict conditions. They would not be allowed to raise any permanent structures there. Only temporary structures or camping sites could be set up. “We will be very particular about their plans for disposal of garbage and environment protection so that no harm is caused to the fragile ecology of the place,” they said.

The projects will be given out as per the Eco-Tourism Policy of 2005, with the main thrust being on forging public-private partnership. In order to make local people and visitors aware of the rich flora and fauna of the area, the parties will have to appoint nature guides.

The private players have been asked to explain in their technical bids as to how do they intend to tackle issues like garbage disposal, employment generation and tackling the problem of congestion.

Dharamsala, November 25
The relief and rehabilitation department of the Himachal government is keeping improper data regarding the Pong Dam oustees. The fact has come to the fore in a recent notice published in newspapers. In the said notice the relief and rehabilitation department had published names of 1641 Pong Dam oustees. These oustees were asked to move applications for allotment of lands in Rajasthan. It was being presumed by the department that oustees whose names have been published have not been allotted the land earlier.

However, the sources here told The Tribune hundreds of persons whose names have been published have already been allotted land in Rajasthan. One such oustee Baldev Singh Minhas when contacted by The Tribune, said that he was allotted land in the Ramgarh area of Rajasthan in 2002-03. However, his name has still been included in the list published by the relief and rehabilitation department. There are many more like me whose name have figured in the lists published.

The Pong Dam Oustees Sargarsh Committee general secretary Ashwani Kumar Awasthi while talking to The Tribune said that the list published recently illustrated the state of affairs in the relief and rehabilitation department. The department does not even know who are the people who have been allotted land and who still have been waiting since 1972-73. By publishing wrong data in the lists the department is wasting time and money being allotted for the Pong Dam oustees, he alleged.

The deputy commissioner Relief and Rehabilitation Balbir Chand Badalia when contacted said that he did not have any information regarding the said issue. He could say anything after checking the records. If the names of people who have already been allotted land were being republished it was in their favour.

However, the people whose names have been republished said that they were not interested in getting land twice and committing a fraud. ‘We just want that fertile lands earmarked for Pong Dam oustees should be allotted to us,’ the said. However, the department has failed in that.

Another aggrieved section of Pong Dam oustees is one which has not been issued eligibility certificates by the Himachal government. There were 20722 persons who were displaced due to the construction of Pong Dam in1972-73. Out of these 16352 were to be allotted land in Rajasthan. The land was to be allotted after the Himachal government issued them eligibility certificates, certifying them as Pong Dam oustee entitled for allotment in Rajasthan. Till date the Rajasthan government has issued certificates to 15153 persons. About 1500 eligible Pong Dam oustees have still not been issued the eligibility certificates by the Himachal government.

One of such persons Ashwani Kumar Sharma when contacted by The Tribune said that he had been forced to move court to seek eligibility certificate from the Himachal government.

The deputy commissioner relief and rehabilitation when asked to comment on issue said that he could not comment on issue without checking the facts from office.

The oustees on the other hand are alleging that they are suffering as data has not been properly maintained in the relief and rehabilitation department. The department has no adequate data with which our cases can be pursued.

Shimla, November 25
The government today gave its nod for resuming training courses under the SCVT (state council for vocation training) scheme with certain mandatory conditions.

As per decision taken by the State Cabinet today art and craft teacher, P.T.I. and library science course will be permitted only after obtaining clearance by the National Council for Teacher Education. Similarly, the Ayurveda pharmacists course will be allowed only after obtaining no-objection certificate from the state ayurveda department and approval of the Central Council for Ayurveda. The department will be required to be associated at the time of inspections, formulation of syllabus and examination. The courses on pump operation and maintenance, motor winding and electric wiring, beautician, multi purpose mechanic (electronics and electricals), light motor vehicle driver-cum-maintenance mechanic-LMV and plumbing and sanitation will be permitted only after obtaining approval from the National Council for Vocational Training.

Courses in mass communication, hotel management and hospitality services, tourism and travel, marketing and advertising, pump operation and maintenance and textile printing and dyeing will be permitted after associating the department concerned for the purpose of inspection, syllabus and examination. All institutions will be inspected again as per the norms prescribed with regard to staff, infrastructure and syllabus by a team of officers of the department of technical education and the departments concerned having expertise in the field.

It approved a new policy for admission to postgraduate degree and diploma courses in government medical colleges of the state and decided to reserve 50 per cent quota in such courses for general duty officers and contractual doctors. A policy to select senior resident and resident doctors has also been approved in suppression of the existing recruitment and promotion rules. Only postgraduate doctors possessing the qualification recognised by the Medical Council of India will be eligible for selection as senior residents and other post graduates and MBBS doctors will be eligible for selection as resident doctors. It approved amendment to the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj (General) Rules, 1997, incorporating provision of direct election of Up-Pradhans of Gram Panchayats by the Members of the respective Gram Sabha, instead of the prevailing practice of indirect elections. It decided to remove the anomalies in the Resin (crude pine gum) and Khair rates to bring it in line with the VAT regime.

It also gave nod for sale of 254 sqm of land owned by Nahan Foundary Limited at Daurala in Meerut district to M/S Daurala Sugar Works and granted one-time relaxation in the upper age limit from 28 to 33 years in respect of Home Guard volunteers for recruitment as warder in the jail department.

Mandi, November 25
General secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Kashmir Singh Thakur today alleged that the BJP government was cheating labourers and misleading people of Mandi on the issue of ESIC medical college and hospital in Mandi. The ESIC scheme was yet to be started in nine districts of the state, including Mandi, he added.

Addressing a press conference after CITU leaders participated in the chain fast led by the Mandi Medical College Sangharsh Samiti (MMCSS), Kashmir Singh alleged the government had not issued any notification to start the ESIC scheme in these nine districts. The scheme is in force in Shimla, Solan and Sirmaur districts only, he added.

He said the government had came under pressure due to the MMCSS strike and announced the setting up of the ESIC medical college in Mandi. This was despite the fact that over 2.25 lakh labourers working in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Poanta belt had no ESIC hospital college, where it was needed the most as this area had a large number of industrial units. “We welcome the setting up of an ESIC hospital in Mandi, but the ESIC scheme is still not applicable in the Mandi region,” he added.

He charged that without issuing any notification, the government was trying to cheat poor labourers and people of Mandi as they were not entitled for treatment at ESIC hospitals unless they became members under the scheme.

Dharamsala, November 25
The elected members of zila parishad are not taking interest in proceedings despite the fact that powers regarding usage of funds have been delegated to the elected body by the union government. The fact was illustrated in the meeting of the zila parishad that was organized here after about 6 months.

The authorities of zila parishad were finding it difficult to muster the minimum strength required to organise the meeting. The meeting was scheduled at about 11 am. However, the members did not turn up. The Kangra zila parishad has strength of 56 members. At least 42 members are required to conduct the meeting. During the last meeting also the required number of members did not turn due to which the meeting had to be postponed. The members who turned up for the meeting here today were infuriated when they came to know at about 12 pm that the required number of 42 members of zila parishad had not turned up.

Ultimately the required numbers of zila parishad members were mustered after hectic efforts by authorities after and meeting was started late in the afternoon.

The secretary, zila parishad, when asked said that they could take action only if a member is absent concurrently from three meetings. The members make sure that they attend at least one of the three concurrent meetings and so action cannot be taken from them. She, however, admitted that the members are not taking interest in regular meetings. The chairman when asked to comment on the issue said that zila parishad was left with very less work. Most of the work has been transferred to panchayats under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). So the members are not taking much interest.

Shimla, November 25
Curtains finally came down on the controversy over award of two mega power projects with aggregate capacity of 960 MW to the Brakel Corporation today with the State Cabinet deciding not to cancel the allotment despite infirmities in the technical bid.

The decision was taken on the basis of a report of the high-powered committee headed by Chief Secretary Asha Swaroop which concluded that the process adopted by the previous government for the evaluation of bids was vitiated on the ground that the lead member of the consortium and the partner whose financial strength was used for bidding process had made no definite commitment regarding equity participation in the projects. This aspect was consciously overlooked by the previous government but the Brakel Corporation could not now be blamed at this belated stage for it as the government is legally considered to be a perpetual entity.

It asserted that the issues involved in cancellation of allotment of projects already made by the previous government might not stand the test of legal scrutiny as the blame for infirmity in the financial strength based on the records of the evaluation committee could not be attributed to the company.

The committee was of the view that the bid evaluation committee had not shown due diligence while awarding marks for financial strength which was based on somewhat vague intent of such participation by Standard Bank. Further, the infirmity had also been overlooked by the Whole Time Members of the state electricity board.

The issue was debated by the Cabinet which met under the chairpersonship of Chief Minister P.K.Dhumal for over two hours before it decided to drop the move to cancel the allotment of projects.

The issue had been hanging fire since January, 2008 when the BJP government soon after assuming office slapped a show-cause notice for cancellation of the Jhangi-Thopan and Thopan-Powari projects. Subsequently, the government decided to drop the notice and also accepted the upfront premium of Rs 173 crore along with interest of Rs 20 crore deposited by the company. However, the government served a second notice on the company on the grounds that some new facts had come to light. The company had refuted the government stand and asserted that no new fact had been uncovered to warrant a fresh cancellation notice and urged the government to set up a committee, sans the principal secretary, power, to consider its reply.

Director of the company Anil Wahal said justice had finally done.

Sundernagar, November 25
Hundreds of farmers from the plant and mining areas of the proposed cement plant took out a procession here today. They said the MoU signed by the government with the company should be cancelled as Harish Cement Company was cheating farmers.

The procession was organised by the joint action committee of farmers. It was supported by the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh. General secretary of the sangh’s state unit Joginder Singh accompanied the procession.

Many farmers addressed the gathering in front of the SDM office alleging that the company wanted to grab fertile land of farmers at throwaway prices and was alluring innocent farmers to take 10 per cent of the amount by signing unilateral agreements, the conditions of which were never made public.

Presidents of the Kisan Kalyan Samiti from the plant and mining areas, Chuni Lal Sharma and Dharam Suingh Prashar, addressed the farmers. They said the company would not be allowed to cheat farmers. On the one hand, it was asking the government to acquire land for the project, on the other hand it was trying to purchase land through brokers at throwaway prices.

General secretary of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (HP unit) said the price of land prevailing in the Sundernagar area was Rs 1 crore per bigha, but the company wanted to grab the land without paying reasonable price to the farmers, which would not be allowed.

Later, a delegation handed over a memorandum to the SDM for forwarding it to the Chief Minister.

Kullu, November 25
Air India seems to have finally yielded to the pressure of the state government on the issue of Kullu flights. It proposes to operate Delhi-Kullu-Pathankot-Delhi flights from December 1.

The national career had recently withdrawn its Delhi-Kullu-Delhi “twice-a-week” flight from November 21, citing reason of non-viability.

The people in the tourism trade in Kullu, Manali had resented the decision and criticised the airline for discontinuing flights. The Chief Minister reportedly took up the matter with the airline urging the authorities to restart flights.

The Delhi office of the general manager (northern region) confirmed on telephone that the Air India had “not closed its Kullu office yet” and it was planning to start the Delhi-Kullu-Pathankot-Delhi flight soon.

The president of the Travel Agents Association has welcomed the move of Air India. He expressed concern over the “faulty” reservation system being adopted by Air India and booking about 15 seats online.

He alleged the reservation system was the main reason behind poor passenger traffic. He said Air Deccan, now Kingfisher Red, was booking 30 seats online for Kullu-Delhi and 45 seats on Delhi-Kullu sector.

General secretary of the Hoteliers’ Association Subhash Malhan has also welcome the move. He said it would boost tourism and handicraft sectors.

Solan, November 25
Education minister I.D. Dhiman launched the first phase of a yoga training programme for girls here today.

Addressing students on the occasion, the minister said Rs 52 lakh were being spent this year on yoga education in the state. He said the programme would simultaneously commence in 376 schools of the state for girl students. From the next year, it would be introduced in all schools.

He said a training module had been prepared for physical education teachers of the state where these teachers would be imparted training in yoga practices so that they could further train students in schools. He said two reputed organisations of the country, Patanjali Yoga Society and Art of Living, had been engaged to train students in yoga.

Rajesh Sharma, state project director of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, said girls’ schools had been chosen for the first phase of the yoga training programme. The participants would be imparted one-hour of yoga training every day for 15 days.

Solan, November 25
Governor Prabha Rau inaugurated the 35th Jawaharlal Nehru national science exhibition for children here today. The exhibition is being organised under the aegis of the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and supported by the state government.

The Governor stressed upon the need to develop scientific temper among schoolchildren so as to enable them become better scientists and citizens. She dwelt upon the need for the children to understand every activity they were engaged in by asking questions and seeking answers. She said there was a need to inculcate scientific aptitude among children. The knowledge of science should be utilised for finding ways and means of better resource utilisation.

She also expressed concern over global warming. Educated women were more empowered and emancipated, he added.

She also visited the exhibition stalls. Ishwar Dass Dhiman, education minister, also spoke on the occasion.

About 300 schoolchildren from 23 states, three union territories and Navodaya Vidyalayas are participating in the event.

Shimla, November 25
As many as 1,16,689 families will be given compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in Shimla under the Atal Bijli Bachat Yojna and each consumer will be given four CFLs.

Launching the scheme from the Chakkar locality here today, deputy commissioner J.C. Rana said in all over 16.50 lakh families across the state were being provided CFLs free of cost under the scheme.

Consumers would be required to produce the latest electricity bill and four incandescent lamps to get CFLs.

Bilaspur, November 25
Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi played a heroic and historical role in establishing the dignity and honour of the country.

This was stated by chairman of the Ghumarwin Block Development Committee Sunder Ram Vardhan while presiding over the concluding function of the National Integration Week. The function was organised by Nehru Yuva Kendra at Ghumarwin, near here, today.

District youth coordinator Som Dutt Zard said a Ghumarwin block-level planning and review meeting was also organised in which 150 representative members participated in it.