Shimla, December 24
A long-pending demand of the industry could finally be fulfilled as the Cabinet today approved the draft MoU to be signed between the governments of Himachal and Punjab for the construction of a six-lane expressway connecting Chandigarh and the industrial belt of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh.

The 67.7-km expressway will originate from Chandigarh and pass through the Mohali international airport to reach Baddi. The expressway with four to six lanes will have expansion provision of up to 10 lanes.

Keeping in view the inconvenience faced by the public in getting revenue work done, a decision was taken to make it mandatory for patwaris to remain available for public works in their patwar circle offices on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

They will also be asked to write about their tour programme on the notice board put up outside their offices. Senior revenue officers would tour and inspect the respective patwar circles under their jurisdiction on other days of the week.

The Cabinet also approved the revival of the extraordinary leave scheme with the prior permission of the Chief Minister so as to benefit the technically and professionally qualified officials in the government to explore possibilities of employment in the private sector within and outside the country.

It also approved the filling of 125 posts of clerks in the Education Department and 100 posts of trained patwaris on contract basis. Approval was also granted for the transfer of pro-rate pension and gratuity benefits to the employees transferred from the forest wing of the Municipal Corporation, Shimla, to the Forest Department.

The Cabinet decided to name the ambitious Rs 154.92-crore poly-house project as the Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan Baagwan Samridhi Yojna. It also approved reduction in the freight charges from the existing Rs 4.50 per additional 10 kg to Rs 3 for different types of cotton yarn by amending the Himachal Pradesh Passenger and Goods Tax Act, 1995.

Dharamsala, December 24
The state government has requested the Centre to extend the time limit for trifurcation of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB).

Chairman of the HPSEB RK Jain admitted that they presented their case for extension to the state power board with the state government. He, however, refused to divulge the proposal put forward before the Centre for extension.

Sources here said the state government had to put forward a concrete proposal for unbundling the board for getting extension.

The chairman said the Centre is yet to respond to the proposal to the state government.

The sources said the extension granted for trifurcating the HPSEB had lapsed on July 31, 2008. On November 19, 2008, the Union Government had written a letter to the HPSEB that the board is no more a State Transmission Utility. It had also warned the state that legal implications due to non-recognition of Himachal as state transmission utility would henceforth be on the board.

The engineers of the board are, however, maintaining that action of the Union Government would have no implication on working of the HPSEB.

As per the Electricity Act, 2003, the Union Government had directed all states to unbundle their power boards into transmission, distribution and generation companies. The idea behind the move was to allow free trade of power keeping in view the entry of private power producers in the country.

However, some of the states, including Himachal and Punjab, have not trifurcated their electricity board’s and have been getting extension from the Centre to comply with the central act.

The boards of both the states are seeking further extension, which is hard to come.

The trifurcation of electricity boards is being opposed tooth and nail by the unions of power employees in both the states.

The employees are alleging that the trifurcation of boards had not yielded any good results in many states. The cost of power is bound to increase due to trifurcation. In the act all three companies created after trifurcation are entitled to 10 per cent profit. This would mean that against the present one utility three companies would charge profit in a single state that is bound to increase the price of power for common man.

President of the HPSEB power engineers association SK Grover said they have requested the Himachal Government to follow the method adopted by Kerala Government to deal with the situation, which had issued a notification declaring their electricity board as a company rather than trifurcating the board.

Shimla, December 24
The government will associate industrial, hydropower and tourism sectors to ensure upgrading of skills of unemployed youths so that they get ample employment opportunities in the state.

This was stated by Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal while presiding over the 35th meeting of the state-level single-window clearance and monitoring authority here today. The authority also granted approval to industrial proposals that will bring in investment worth around Rs 177.62 crore and generate employment for 1,854 youths.

Dhumal said all pending projects had been cleared for the current year. “Vocational qualification has emerged as the need of the hour. There are vast employment avenues as the industrial sector is expanding in a big way,” he said. He added that a number of vocational universities, colleges and technical institutes had been set up in the state.

“We are keen to rope in even the private sector to ensure upgrading of skills of educated unemployed youths so that they can jobs,” he said. He said the government was also trying to bring about such a change in the power, industrial and tourism sectors as these had vast employment potential.

He assured that the aim of ensuing 70 per cent mandatory employment to Himachalis could be achieved only if upgrading of youths’ skills is ensured to to meet the demands of the industry. “Since the grant of special industrial package to Himachal in January, 2003, the state has attracted a total investment of Rs 35,667 crore and created employment for around 4.08 lakh youths. The number of industrial units approved during that period was 11,404.

He said most of the multinational companies had set up their units in Himachal and the climatic conditions were ideal for IT, BT and pharmaceutical units. “We are trying to create the best possible infrastructure in the state so that more investment can be attracted,” he said.

Shimla, December 24
A police case is likely to be registered in connection with the issuing of a fake letter from the Chief Minister’s office to the principal of the Government Dental College, here.

It is learnt that the principal of the Dental College, Ashu Bhardwaj, has referred the matter to the police for registering of a police case. A letter had been received from the Chief Minister’s office on December 11 recommending that former principal of the college, Dr NC Rau, be appointed guide for two post graduation students in dental sciences.

The matter was referred to the police after the official, whose signature had been forged on the said letter, denied having issued any such letter. Sources in the Chief Minister office said since it had been confirmed that the letter was forged the matter had been handed over to the police.

The matter came to light after the principal of the Dental College got suspicious about the letter. She is learnt to have also received some telephone calls after the letter, asking her to appoint the former principal as the guide for the two students, whose name has been mentioned.

The police has already questioned the students whose reference has been made in the letter. The matter is being investigated by the staff of the Chotta Shimla police station, who have already received a complaint in this regard.

Mandi, December 24
The Right to Information (RTI) Act has exposed a case of how bureaucratic red tape work dump the proposed framing of “recruitment and promotion rules” (R&P rules) for the DPEs teaching physical education in the senior secondary schools in the state.

RTI information sought by the three DPEs had revealed that the then Chief Minister, Virbhadra Singh, had stated in his budget speech in 2007 that the DPEs would be designated as lecturers in physical education and they would be getting pay-scale of Rs 6,400 to Rs 10,640. The CM’s budget announcement was taken up by the Department of Education, but even till today the file is moving from one department to another in the Secretariat without producing any desired result for the DPEs, the RTI revealed.

According to RTI information, there are over 118 DPEs till 2007, who fulfil educational and other norms fixed by the National Council of Technical Education (NCTE) for lecturers.

However, the state government had neither framed the R&P rules for them nor given them the pay-scale at par with other school lecturers, not fulfilling the CM’s budget commitment, the RTI added.

The then principal secretary education in his noting dated April 22, 2007 on the file wrote, “The R&P rules have to be amended to include new designation, lecturer physical education, new pay-scale etc. In fact, we have to include educational qualifications in the R&P rules.”

The matter was taken up with the Personnel and Finance Departments, but its fate remind buried in the files thereafter. “Even it came up in the Cabinet in November 2007 and was rejected as there were no R&P rules for the DPEs”.

Meanwhile, the new government took over on December 30, 2007, and the pending DPEs file came up on the Chief Minister’s table on February 20, 2008. “The proposal needed to be re-examined in view of the earlier Cabinet note. May approve,” the note said.

DPEs Association president Dinesh Jhagta said they have been demanding up-gradate of cadre since 1986 and they teach physical education as a subject in all senior secondary schools since 2001. “But unlike other school lecturers, the DPEs are neither getting the pay-scale of Rs 6,400-Rs 10,640 nor there are any R&P rules for them since 1973”.

Commenting on the issue of the fate of DPEs, director education, OP Sharma said, “The proposal is under consideration of the government. The cadre of DPEs will be upgraded and new R&P rules will be made as there is no provision for the DPEs under the present rules.”

Chamba, December 24
Vidhan Sabha Speaker Tulsi Ram yesterday ordered a probe into the irregularities in the selection of poor deserving persons with regard to welfare schemes and asked deputy commissioner Munish Garg and the district welfare officer to find out the facts in this episode.

These directives were issued by the Speaker in the meeting of the District Welfare Committee, which was held under his chairmanship here yesterday on the issue raised by Renu Chadha, MLA, Banikhet.

The Speaker warned that any lapse on the part of functionaries would not be brooked at any cost while identifying the eligible poor persons for the welfare schemes launched by the government, adding that the social welfare had been accorded top priority by the state government and the budget allocated for the eligible poor persons must reach to them for their social uplift.

The Speaker directed the officials to put up reports of their respective departments about the follow-up of social welfare schemes in the next meeting duly abiding by the directions.

Rs 70.67 lakh were being spent on the eligible persons belonging to the SC, the ST and OBC under the Housing Subsidy Scheme, the Speaker further said.

In the meeting, Renu Chadha said the programmes should be organised at the panchayat level with the objective of disseminating the information about the welfare schemes so that these should reach at the village level.

The norms for the selection of deserving poor persons should be taken into consideration while identifying them at the tehsil welfare officers’ level so that undeserving persons could not be selected, she added.

Dharamsala, December 24
The Tibetan government-in-exile today conducted a mock drill to carry the Dalai Lama to Tanda medical college in case of medical emergency.

In the mock drill about five vehicles, including an ambulance, were made to run from McLeodganj to Tanda medical college. It is for the second time that the mock drill has been carried here. Earlier, a mock drill was carried about two months ago.

At Tanda medical college special facility has been created to meet out any kind of medical emergency to the Dalai Lama.

Sources here, however, said when the mock drill team reached Tanda medical college today no doctor was available at the special facility created for the Dalai Lama. The hospital as well as the Tibetan authorities, however, refused to comment on the matter.

The health of the Dalai Lama has been a matter of concern for the Tibetan living in-exile here. When he fell ill in August this year the Tibetan authorities, however, instead of taking the Dalai Lama to Tanda medical college hired a chartered plane and took him to Mumbai for treatment.

Later, the Dalai Lama was also operated upon in a Delhi-based hospital.

Kullu, December 24
The Western Himalayan Mountaineering and Allied Sports Institute, Manali, has announced withdrawal of the ‘rescue posts’ from Marhi and Kokhksar established for pedestrians’ assistance to cross the 13,050 feet high Rohtang pass since Monday.

Captain Randhir Saluriha, deputy director of the institute, said the Rohtang Pass had more than seven feet snow and we would advise people not to cross the pass, as that could prove fatal. He said the withdrawal was an annual practice after the heavy snow and sub-zero temperature.

Salhuria said the Rohtang pass was officially closed for vehicular traffic by the Border Road Organisation (BRO) with effect from November 15, however, the vehicular traffic, including the HRTC buses, was allowed to ply due to the late snow fall this year. He further said the rescue posts were functioning to assist the commuters and the shepherds and were withdrawn keeping in view the safety of the staff posted there.

Hamirpur, December 24
Him Academy Public School organised its 10th annual prize distribution function at Town Hall here today.

Former principal of the school P. Sharma was the chief guest of the function. He inaugurated the function by lighting a lamp. Addressing the gathering, he lauded the achievements of the students of the school in various fields.

Students of the school presented a colourful cultural programme on the occasion.

The chief guest gave away prizes to achievers in various fields. Vice-principal of the school Himanshu Sharma presented the annual report. Director of the school Panakj Lakhanpal thanked the guests. Principal of the school Chander Prabha Lakhanpal, founder of the school R.C. Lakhanpal and a large number of parents of students were present at the function.

Shimla, December 24
Tata Indicom unveiled two new offers for its customers in Himachal today. The offers include free unlimited incoming roaming across India and STD call from the hill state to any part of the country at 50 paisa per minute.

Chief operating officer, Tata Teleservices Limited, Punjab and Himachal, T.P.S. Walia announced the launch of these schemes and gave details about these.

Rajeev Narayan, vice-president, corporate affairs, said GSM services would also be launched shortly.

Una, December 24
The police here has identified a gang of masons that is responsible for many burglaries in the state. The gang has been nicknamed as ‘marble gang’ by the top police officials owing to their modus operandi.

The sources in police here said that the gang members initially came as masons in the area in groups ranging from two to five members. They generally took the work of laying marble in the underconstruction houses. They completed the work and in the process also conducted survey of the area.

After the completion of construction work they leave the area for a few weeks. There after they come in group and commit burglary in the newly constructed houses or the area they had marked as vulnerable during their stay in identified areas.

The SP, Una, Venu Gopal said they came to know about the gang by arrest of one of its members in the recent past. They were about five persons who committed robberies in the area.