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SJVN to be hydropower giant: Jairam Ramesh
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh and Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the SJVN HK Sharma at the “bhumi pujan” ceremony of the SJVN’s corporate headquarter building in Shimla on Sunday. A Tribune photograph
Rs 500-cr aluminium project to come up in Kangra
Prolonged dry spell hits apple crop |
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Contractual JBT teachers a harassed lot
Virbhadra govt ignored the poor: Dhumal
Central University Issue
Suspension of Jukhala panchayat chief revoked
Resentment among MBBS
doctors
Global meltdown hits investment in state
317 posts of school lecturer lying vacant
Press Club honours doc
Farmers told to adopt traditional practices
Plan to set up herbal gardens
Teacher suspended for beating up student
Rs 2 lakh for school canteen
IHBT to produce saffron cormlets
Power men’s demand
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SJVN to be hydropower giant: Jairam Ramesh
Shimla, February 1 This was stated by Union Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh after performing the “bhumi pujan” ceremony of the SJVN’s corporate headquarter building here today. Besides the ongoing projects in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nepal and Bhutan, the SJVN would also be allocated hydropower projects in Arunachal Pradesh, he added. Since Himachal Pradesh was emerging as the largest hydropower producer in the country, three major central public sector undertakings, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and the SJVN, would jointly establish an engineering college in the state to promote technical education. The SJVN could also establish a polytechnic institute in its area of operations. The minister expressed hope that the state would be able to harness 11,000 MW out of its total hydropower potential of 19000 MW over the next around 4 years. The emphasis should be on protecting the environment and the three power PSUs must work proactively for that purpose in their respective areas. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said the SJVN was emerging as an international organisation after taking up power projects in Napal and Bhutan. He urged the SJVN to establish a polytechnic institute in Shimla to develop technical skills of the youth and provide them employment-oriented education. He suggested that the proposed engineering college to be established by the three central PSUs be located in Bilaspur district for which the government was prepared to provide built-up accommodation instantly. Dhumal said the 40-MW Dhaulasidh hydropower project allocated to the SJVN could have a higher capacity of 60 MW and asserted that the potential of the Beas should be fully harnessed. Though hydropower was the largest source of revenue, the government would not allow indiscriminate setting up of projects keeping in view the fragile hill environment. He hoped the company would be able to complete construction of the complex within three years. Chairman-cum-managing director of the SJVN HK Sharma said the corporate office complex was being set up over an area of 28 bighas. Only one-third of the total space would be covered while the remaining land would be developed for ecological management. The complex would have three office buildings and an auditorium, besides a residential complex. |
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Rs 500-cr aluminium project to come up in Kangra
Dharamsala, February 1 He made this announcement while addressing a public meeting at Ganju-e-da-Galu, near Jawalamukhi, yesterday evening. He also dedicated the sabzi mandi constructed at a cost of Rs 88.22 lakh to the farmers of the area and laid foundation stone of the shopping complex at Jawalamukhi to be brought up at a cost of Rs 1.40 crore. Dhumal said strengthening of the rural economy was very important for the development of the state and country. An ambitious Rs 353 crore farm modernisation scheme had been launched in the state from January with a view to facilitating the farmers with 80 per cent subsidy in various project costs. The farm soil testing ‘Soil Health Card’ project is also in progress and the target of issuing one lakh such cards was nearing achievement, he said. The Chief Minister countered criticism by the political opponents with regard to discrimination with Kangra district by stating that the present regime had got sanctioned a central university, NIFT, disaster management battalion, food craft institute, consumer tribunal, SAIL plant and many such prestigious institutions for the district. Rs 150 crore had been got sanctioned for upgrading Dr RP Government Medical College, Tanda, to bring it at par with AIIMS. Priests of the Jawalamukhi temple presented a draft of Rs 1 lakh as contribution towards the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. After meeting a delegation of Walltech Garuda Structures India Pvt Ltd the Chief Minister also underlined the need for promoting medical tourism in the state. If the health facilities are improved in the state up to the international standards, the foreign tourists can be given package tours. They can come here for medical treatment and also enjoy the pristine environment. He said public and private health institutions will be invited to promote medical tourism. |
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Prolonged dry spell hits apple crop
Mandi, February 1 The average temperature is hovering between 7°C or even more and 23°C during the daytime, leaving the orchards dry and moisture-less for the last more than two months, rued farmers. It needs a temperature of not more than 7°C for orchards to meet the minimum chilling requirement of 1,200 hours, scientists said. The prolonged dry spell has hit farmers as they have not been able to mix up the fertilisers in their orchards till now, more particularly in the farms located in the sunny lower altitude where the dry spell has dried up the soil moisture content for the last two months drastically. Though scientists and progressive farmers still are confident that the required hours of chilling period and the moisture content would be met with if it snows or rains even in February as it had happened a couple of years ago. “The farmers here are worried as the weather conditions has not met the requirement so far,” said Balbir Chajta, an orchardist from Jubbal. “Most hit are orchards located in sunny lower altitude as the dry and warm weather in winter has dried up the moisture drastically. It is advisable to mix up vermin-compost which helps in maintaining the moisture,” he added. The farmers have not been able to mix up fertilisers in January, as there is a little moisture in soil, said Nakul Khullar, a progressive orchardist in Naggar in Kullu district. “We could not plant new trees to replace the old or failed plants this year as there is a little moisture available in the soil,” rued Deepak Banchta, an orchardist from Shantha (Chopal),” the farmers rued. A senior professor-cum-fruit scientist at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, said, “No doubt it had not snowed so far. But still the chilling period will be met with as temperatures dip below 7°C during evening time. It can snow in February and March even”.
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Contractual JBT teachers a harassed lot
Dharamsala, February 1 All batches of JBT passing out in the state have been recruited on permanent basis by the government. To add to it the present government has decided to recruit 2006-2008 batch of JBT teachers that has passed out recently now on permanent basis in government schools. This leaves the 2005-2007 batch teachers a deprived class. They are being deprived of full salary, seniority and other benefits vis-à-vis other JBT teachers working in the government schools. The teachers alleged that the seniority in case of JBT teachers recruited in government schools is decided on the basis of batch in which they passed the course. However, since the 2005-2007 batch was recruited on contract basis and the present batch of 2008 is being recruited on permanent basis, the former would become junior to the latter. By doing this the government would be forcing the senior to work under juniors. The JBT teachers recruited on contract basis are getting a fixed amount of Rs 6825 per month. They are also not getting any salary for the vacation months. Whereas the JBT teachers recruited on permanent basis get more than Rs 10000 as starting salary. They also get other benefits like holidays and vacations. Most of the JBT teachers of 2005-07 who have been recruited on contract basis are girls. They have also submitted their representation to Chief Minister PK Dhumal during his last visit to the area. The teachers are demanding since thousands of posts are lying vacant in primary schools of the state, the government should face no difficulty in absorbing about 60 candidates of their batch on permanent basis. In Kangra district alone about 1200 posts of teachers in primary schools are lying vacant.
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Virbhadra govt ignored the poor: Dhumal
Dharampur (Mandi), February 1 Addressing the public meeting after inaugurating the IPH substation, laying the foundation stone of the Rs 1.4 crore Kandapattan-Dhawali drinking water scheme, the Rs 34 crore Marhi-Dhawali lift irrigation scheme and Rs 4.2 crore college building here today, Dhumal went on to charge that the Congress-led UPA government’s Rs 4 lakh crore economic relief for the economic slowdown was aimed at benefiting the richer sections not the poor sections in the country. “This money should have been invested to enhance rural poor lot and rural infrastructure,” he asserted. In contrast, Dhumal cited that the PM Gramin Sadak Yojna involving funds worth Rs 5,000 crore started by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a benchmark of development and today has brought prosperity in rural India. Dhumal went on to charge that the previous Virbhadra government ignored the poor sections, including SC\ST and women. “We have increased the budget for the SC special component from 11 per cent in 2007 to 25 per cent in 2008-2009 allotting a budget of Rs 593 crore. His government has launched BR Ambedkar and Pt Deen Dayal welfare schemes for the SCs and poor section,” he added. Dhumal said over 38,000 posts of teacher, engineers, doctors and other sections were being filled. He said 1,071 panchayats, which have no dispensaries would get one mahila health worker to take care of health needs of these panchayats in the state. He urged farmers to set up poly-houses to grow off-season vegetables and use organic manures to increase their income. They get 80 per cent subsidies on this and had allocated a budget of Rs 155 crore for poly-houses and Rs 500 crore for vermicompost units, he added. Incidentally, Dharampur segment falls in Hamirpur Lok Sabha seat under the fresh delimitation commission. Dhumal’s son Anurag Thakur made a brief speech urging voters to vote for him, as he would give vikas here. He announced that he would build up a cricket stadium at Dharampur, but he did not allot funds for the purpose.
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Cong MP flays Dhumal
Our Correspondent
Kangra, February 1 He stated this while talking to mediapersons at Jawalamukhi today after paying obeisance at the Jawalamukhi temple. He charged the Chief Minister of politicising the central university issue and creating disharmony among the people of Kangra and Dehra. He said Dehra is part of the Hamirpur constituency, which is represented by his son Anurag Thakur so in view of the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls Kangra was being deprived of this university for politically vested reasons. He asked the people of the area to understand the ‘politics’ behind the proposal to open the university at Dehra. The Congress leader disclosed that the party had even handed over a letter to Union Minister for Human Resource and Development Arjun Singh stating that the central university could not be opened at the proposed site in Dehra as the land suggested by the state government belongs to the Forest Department and apart from this the proposed site was lacking infrastructure, transport and other facilities. He said there was sufficient infrastructure, which could be used to run classes at Dharamsala and even enough land was available for constructing residential accommodation for the proposed university staff and other offices. He said the government land was available at Indru Nag and Sakoh localities, near Dharamsala, and at Shahpur, which is merely 25 km from Dharamsala. He said the suitable site for the proposed university was at Mahal Tea Estate and the second option would be near ITI Shahpur. He, however, said the decision for setting the university was with the Union Government on the recommendation of the team which visited the state in this connection.
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Suspension of Jukhala panchayat chief revoked
Bilaspur, February 1 The DC had held Bhatia responsible for breach of some financial rules under the Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, and passed the orders after a complaint was received and inquiry allegedly confirmed financial irregularities. In his revision petition to the secretary (Panchayati Raj) under Section 148 of the Panchayati Raj Act, Bhatia had challenged the allegations levelled against him saying that the charges were totally vague and based on assumptions. A large number of villagers accompanied by gram panchayat vice-president Saroti Devi and reinstated panchayat president Bhatia met Additional District Magistrate Subhash Chaudhary in absence of the DC and urged immediate issuing of notification for restoration of Bhatia as the panchayat president. Later, while addressing mediapersons at the Circuit House here today, Congress state vice-president and former minister Ram Lal Thakur said suspension of the panchayat president was allegedly under pressure from the BJP leaders and revocation of that order is an ample proof how the BJP is pressuring the Congress elected representatives of the panchayati raj institutions. Thakur alleged that another Congress leader Bimla Chaudhary, a zila parishad member, was also being similarly threatened by the ruling party leaders. Thakur warned that the Congress had taken these illegal actions of ruling party seriously and if such pressures were not immediately stopped, the party would be forced to launch an agitation and expose these politicians. |
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Resentment among MBBS
doctors
Shimla, February 1 They say while the doctors appointed through “rogi kalyan samitis” (RKSs) are being paid Rs 20,000 to Rs 29,000 per month, depending on the location of the institution, the 70-odd doctors directly appointed by the government are drawing only Rs 16,000 per month. They are unhappy that the government came out with a new policy to appoint doctors through these samitis without deciding the fate of those already in service. As a result of which, a situation has been created where those appointed earlier are being paid less than the new appointees. The batch mates of the these doctors, who joined service in 2005 on contract basis, were regularised by the previous government along with their seniors in December, 2006, and January, 2007, by granting one-time relaxation in recruitment and promotion rules. In all, services of around 450 doctors, who had completed service of one year or more, were regularised. The services of those appointed subsequently could not be regularised due to announcement of the Assembly elections in the state. They were expecting that the new government would regularise their services in the normal course on the same pattern, but their hopes had been belied as the BJP government had started fresh recruitment on contract basis through “rogi kalyan samitis” on higher salaries. “Our emoluments have not been raised, as a result of which we are drawing less salary than the subordinate paramedical staff in some cases,” lamented one of the contractual doctors. The government maintains that higher salaries were being paid to doctors appointed through samitis as they were engaged for specific institutions located in remote areas. The new policy of the government was to regularise contract appointees only after 8 years of services. Hence, they could not be regularised. However, the doctors assert that the new policy should be applicable to new appointees. Those appointed earlier should be regularised on the pattern of the 450 doctors who were recruited on the same terms and conditions, they maintain.
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Global meltdown hits investment in state
Shimla, February 1 Since the grant of the central package in 2003, the high-powered single-window authority has cleared investment proposals worth Rs 35,667 crore with a potential to generate 4.08 lakh jobs. In all, 11,404 new units and 321 expansion projects have been approved. Projects worth Rs 5,000 crore have been completed till date. A survey by the Department of Industries has revealed that investment plans have been put on hold and only projects worth about Rs 5,000 crore were actually under implementation. It is clear that the total investment following the grant of industrial package will come to only around Rs 10,000 crore. The projects to be commissioned before the expiry of the package include two cement plants being set up at an investment of Rs 1,800 crore that would have come up even without the package as the main advantage was the easy availability of quality limestone and not the tax benefits. It is quite obvious that despite positive factors like industrial peace and availability of power at reasonable rates, the state has not been able to take full advantage of the industrial package. It is way behind Uttarakhand that has been extended the same package. No major industrial proposal has been received in the recent six months and those submitted earlier were cleared by December, 2008. Senior officers point out that with the economic slowdown continuing unabated, even extension of the package beyond March, 2010, may not help in boosting investment in the state. The lack of demand and reluctance of the financial institutions to provide funds are the major factors discouraging companies from implementing new projects. Further, the steps being taken by the Centre to stimulate industrial growth, like curtailing excise duty, as had been done in the case of the pharmaceutical units, has rendered the industrial package unattractive for entrepreneurs. The only attraction is the exemption from income tax, which will be available up to 2013, irrespective of the fact whether or not the package is extended. While admitting that slowdown had affected investment, Principal Secretary, Industries, Subhash Negi said the strategy of the department was to pursue major projects and ensure maximum investment before the expiry of the package. It was in touch with SAIL, Indo Rama and Solaryan companies that had got clearance for projects involving an investment of Rs 3,000 crore.
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317 posts of school lecturer lying vacant
Bilaspur, February 1 Deputy Director (Higher Education) Sulochana Sharma said the district had 79 government senior secondary schools and only 32 biology school lecturers while other sanctioned 47 posts of these lecturers have been lying vacant since long. She said in chemistry only 34 lecturers were appointed against the sanctioned strength of 80. Similar is in physics where sanctioned posts are 80 but only 34 lecturers are posted. Even in Mathematics 20 posts are vacant against the sanctioned posts of 80. In Commerce 83 posts are vacant against the sanctioned 158 posts with only 75 lecturers being made available to teach the students. The Deputy Director, however, said the position in Arts subjects was much better where there were only 11 school lecturers less in English, 13 in political science, 14 in economics, 12 in Sanskrit, nine in sociology and three in Hindi and one each in history and music against the total sanctioned posts for these subjects. Only five posts were sanctioned for music for 79 schools in the district. Sharma said against total sanctioned posts of school lecturer for these 79 schools 317 posts were lying vacant. She said the government is spending Rs 47.27 lakh in providing free textbooks to students from Scheduled Castes families from class VI to X in the district here.
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Press Club honours doc
Hamirpur, February 1 President of the Press Club DP Gupta honoured Dr Rana by offering him a shawl, pahari cap and a memento. In informal interaction with mediapersons on this occasion Dr Rana shared his experiences in the treatment of kidney-related diseases and modern researches in this field. Dr Rana hails from Dashmal village of Hamirpur district and also runs a modern medical care centre for the people of the area at Dashmal with modern facilities like telemedicine and diagnostic facilities, said he always looks forward to do something for the people of the state and would soon publish a report on the increasing number of cases of diabetes and hypertension among the people.
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Farmers told to adopt traditional practices
Shimla, February 1 As the irrigated area accounts for only about 21 per cent of the total area under cultivation in the state, the farmers are entirely dependent on the weather god for a good harvest. Rainwater erodes the fertile topsoil in the fields laid out on hill slopes, affecting the yield. Director of agriculture JS Rana said the problem could be tackled by adopting traditional practices of levelling the land on slopes and making bunds during the rainy season. It would help retain water and soil in the fields and improve percolation, leading to increase in the moisture content. In the emerging scenario, management of land and water resources were essential for good farm production. |
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Plan to set up herbal gardens
Shimla, February 1 This was stated by Secretary, Tourism, Manisha Nanda while presiding over the joint meeting of officials of the Tourism Department and the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), here yesterday. “Help of the Ayurveda Department will be sought in preparing the herbal projects for which funding will be sought from the Centre,” Nanda said. She informed that the green house concept with low technology cost would be set up on an experimental basis at Palace Hotel complex, Chail and Barog in Solan district. She added that a variety of vegetables and flowers would be grown in these green houses. She also evaluated the progress of other tourism projects being executed in various parts of the state. |
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Teacher suspended for beating up student
Nurpur, February 1 The order came after SDM, Jawali, Mohar Singh Chauhan recommended action against the teacher concerned following a preliminary inquiry. OP Sharma said the lecturer had reportedly beaten up the student mercilessly with a bamboo stick, notwithstanding a ban on corporal punishment in schools. The student had received injuries on his arms. A complaint was lodged in this connection by the school principal and father of the student Joginder Kumar. |
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Rs 2 lakh for school canteen
Bilaspur, February 1 He said the state government had taken all possible steps to develop the state into an ‘education hub’. Nadda announced that a science laboratory building would be constructed soon here while Rs 2 lakh would be provided for the construction of a canteen at the school. Earlier, principal of the school Yash Pal Sharma read out the progress report and achievements of the school students. |
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IHBT to produce saffron cormlets
Dharamsala, February 1 IHBT sources said the effort was aimed at reviving farming of saffron in Jammu and Kashmir. The agreement was signed at HP Krishi Vishvidyalaya, Palampur, in the presence of the Chief Minister and Union Minister Jairam Ramesh. Irrigation and Public Health Minister Ravinder Ravi, Transport and Urban Development Minister Kishan Kapoor, MP Anurag Thakur were also present on the occasion. |
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Power men’s demand
Bilaspur, February 1 They urged the Chief Minister to order a high-level inquiry into the death of board employee Ramesh Kumar at Do Sadaka in Hamirpur district on January 21 and take action against those responsible for the incident. They also demanded immediate financial help for the family of Ramesh Kumar. |
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Public sector company Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) will become a hydropower giant with an installed generation capacity of 6,000 MW and presence in the neighbouring countries by the year 2017.
