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Govt mulls BOT option for water schemes
Lack of transparency in CPMET
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Shimla diary
14 yrs on, Kullu-Manali highway not restored
The damaged portion of the National Highway at Raison.
ENT camp boon for hearing impaired
Self-help group empowers rural women
Members of Parvati at work. A Tribune photograph
Arya College gets approval for science, commerce faculties
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Govt mulls BOT option for water schemes
Shimla, June 23 Though the Giri water supply scheme has been made operational, the need to have bigger schemes is being felt keeping in view the burgeoning population of the state capital. The two schemes being proposed on the BOT basis are likely to solve the water problem being faced by residents, and give respite to the tourism industry, which is the worst hit in the case of scarcity. Arranging over Rs 750 crore funding for executing the Pabbar water supply scheme is proving to be difficult for the government as the project has been presented before the Planning Commission. Though the cost of the project was recently
estimated at Rs 740 crore, it is said that when the actual work begins, the cost will escalate to over Rs 1,300 crore. As such, the finance and irrigation and public health (IPH) departments have been directed to explore the possibility of executing the projects on the BOT basis so that the long-term water requirement of the state capital can be fulfilled. Since the funds required for the projects are huge, we are now considering giving it on the BOT basis as is the trend in several metropolitan cities, said Ravinder Singh Ravi, IPH Minister. Though the Pabbar scheme will fulfill the water requirement of the state capital for the next more than 50 years, considering its huge distance of over 100 km and the need for axing hundreds of green trees, it is being felt that there would be too many practical problems. Moreover, with funding for the project not coming through, the government has been forced to explore the BOT option. As such, there is a proposal to simultaneously take up the other lift irrigation scheme from the Satluj near Sunni as this was likely to cost about Rs 400 crore. The distance of this scheme is much less and the cost, too, would be far less than the Pabbar scheme so we will push this project simultaneously, said Ravi. With the population of the state capital, including the suburbs, being over 2.15 lakh, the need for having a big water supply scheme is being felt. Added to this number is the huge influx of tourists whose presence makes the situation even worse, especially during the peak season. Though senior officials of the IPH department admit that the long-term cost of the Sunni scheme would turn out to be much more because of the huge power requirement to lift water but its feasibility is far more than the Pabbar scheme.
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Lack of transparency in CPMET
Shimla, June 23 The combined entrance test on the basis of which students are admitted to medical and dental colleges in the hill state has become suspect, as the university has not been following the practices adopted elsewhere in the country to ensure transparency and fair play. Unlike many other universities and boards, the university does not allow the candidates to take home either the test booklet (question paper) or carbon copies of OMR answer sheets. Further, the answer key is not put on the web or published in newspapers after the examination to enable candidates to carry out self-evaluation as was being done by most other examination conducting bodies. With these shortcomings in the conduct of examination in view, an RTI activist Dev Ashish Bhattacharya has posed a set of queries to help bring transparency in the annual exercise to which the fate of meritorious candidates is hinged. He has asked the reasons from the university for not allowing the candidates to carry the question paper after examination and how these were disposed of? Similarly, he has asked the reason for not making provision for carbon copies of OMR answer sheets and if any such proposal was pending? Bhattacharya has attached photocopies of the prospectus of Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University, Lucknow, which clearly states that answer key will be published in newspapers after the examination and that candidates will be allowed to take home the carbon copy of OMR answer sheet for self-evaluation. In case a candidate is not satisfied with the marks obtained, he could apply for scrutiny within eight days of declaration of result. Similarly, the copies of documents pertaining to the test conducted by the CBSE and the Delhi University, it is mentioned that candidates may carry with them their test booklet after completion of test. Taking note of this year’s controversy, he has asked whether teacher of the university can associate with any coaching centre. He has also sought information about the numb of candidates who applied for re-evaluation and how many of them gained marks as a result? The police has already given a clean chit to the coaching centre regarding which allegations were levelled by parents of some of the candidates who appeared in the test for the admission for the 2009-10 academic session. The response of the university to the queries will make it evident whether or not it is interested in conducting a fair examination and ensuring transparency in the whole process.
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Tourist rush leads to traffic jams in Shimla
With the mercury soaring, tourists are seeking the cool climes of the hills for relief. The tourist rush has led to the traffic jams in almost every part of the town due to which not just visitors but even locals are suffering. Though the huge number of vehicles coming from outside are putting additional pressure, poor traffic management and inadequate parking have made the life of the locals miserable. The worst-hit areas are Khalini Chowk, Victory Tunnel, Kaithu, Chotta Shimla, St Edwards, Sanjauli and Lakkar Bazar Bus Stand. What is even more agonising is the fact that traffic jams do not occur only during peak hours but at all times of the day. One has to spend between 45 minutes and one hour to traverse a 15-minute distance. The worst sufferers are the schoolchildren and office-goers who can be seen roughing it out as they try to find space to walk through the traffic congestion. Claims of the police and the tourism department of better traffic management have fallen flat. In the absence of enough parking areas, tourists park their vehicles haphazardly along the roads, which is aggravating the problem. Ahluwalia’s reinstatement
Though both union ministers, Virbhadra Singh and Anand Sharma, called on the Chief Minister, interestingly it is the meeting between Dhumal and the former chief minister, which has everyone guessing about the discussion the duo held. The revocation of the suspension of Subhash Ahluwalia, who remained private secretary to Virbhadra Sigh while he was the Chief Minister also came as a surprise to many. One could hear many BJP as well as Congress leaders talking about some more such surprises, which could unfold in the near future.
Award for HPU professor
Prof DC Gautam from the department of biology of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) will be honoured with the international EP Odum Gold Medal award for his commendable research activities in the field of life sciences. The award was constituted in the honour of Eugene Pleasants Odum, an American ecologist recognised as the father of modern ecology for elevating the idea of ecosystem as the fields dominant concept. Hailing from Ramehra village in Hamirpur district, Prof Gautam completed his doctorate in 1983. Based on his research work, he was offered postdoctoral fellowship by the Royal Commission, London, to undertake research at the Imperial College. Having been selected as a scientist in the DRDO by the UPSC, he declined the offer as he preferred teaching profession. He joined the biosciences department of the HPU in 1985, and worked in developing the field of animal cytogenetics. For his doctorate, he worked on the biology and cytogenesis of woolly apple aphid, which is a serious pest, afflicting the apple crop in the state. He has been one of the youngest visiting professors in various foreign universities and has had the opportunity to work with renowned zoologists and biologists.
— TNS
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14 yrs on, Kullu-Manali highway not restored
Kullu, June 23 The National Highway-21 from Ambala to Manali remained closed between Kullu and Manali for two months. Of course, with the efforts of the PWD, the link between Kullu and Manali was restored with diversions, but these have not been able to cope with the volume of traffic. The diversion road made at Raison is narrow and bumpy causing traffic jams and crying for the attention of the national highway authorities. The 1-km diversion could be avoided by linking the straight road that would not only save the existing road near the Raison bridge, but also provide relief from traffic jams. The local authorities of the national highway revealed that even the estimate of the restoration of the main highway was not prepared. The diversion given at Raison to makeshift alternative was in use for the past 14 years and big vehicles carrying heavy machinery could not pass through that portion, they added. The road was important for defence supplies also, but the flood protection works on the riverbanks were yet to start. The local residents at Raison said the straightening of the road would not only provide them relief from undue noise and air pollution, but also save wastage of fuel. The residents had offered to give their land, if required, for the main road, as the construction of the road would also protect their property. Similarly, the road from Kullu to Raison is in bad shape. The single-lane road is having one-foot deep pits at many places which cause accidents. The volume of traffic on the road, particularly during the summer, is very high besides hundreds of defence supply vehicles pass through the same road during the summer, as the 13,050-foot high Rohtang Pass is open for traffic after the six-month-long winters. The people of Kullu have hopes on the newly elected Lok Sabha member Virbhadra Singh, Steel Minister, and Kamal Nath, Surface Transport Minister, who has his second home near Manali, and urged them to look into the matter and advise the national highway authorities to restore the Kullu-Manali Highway.
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ENT camp boon for hearing impaired
Kangra, June 23 Dr Satish Sharma, SMO, Civil Hospital, Kangra, who is also an ENT specialist, assisted Dr Sachdeva during the surgeries. PR Agnihotri, in charge of the kendra, said eardrums were reconstructed and pistons were fitted during the surgeries. The patients were from Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu, Kangra, Haripur Gulier and Tanda. Nearly 40 patients were also examined by Dr Sachdeva in the Civil Hospital after he completed the surgeries. Dr Sachdeva said with the help of the kendra, his effort was to help people of this hill state to be free from hearing impairment. Local MLA Sanjay Choudary, who sought the consultation of Dr Sachdeva this month, assured that he would get a surgical microscope installed in the OT of the local Civil Hospital for such surgeries either from the Chief Minister’s relief fund or from his MLA fund. Presently, the kendra is arranging the surgical microscope from Delhi for every camp, which proves cumbersome and inconvenient, too. The kendra was holding the surgical camp in Dr RP Govt Medical College, Tanda, but due to non-cooperation of ENT doctors, the kendra was forced to hold the camp at Kangra Civil Hospital. Most complicated ENT surgeries, which are not being carried out either in the IGMC, Shimla, or the DRPGMC, Tanda, were performed earlier during this camp at Tanda, but for lack of facilities at the Civil Hospital, such surgries were not being carried on now. BL Sharma, a senior citizen, said, “It is painful that despite the availability of modern medical equipment at the DRPGMC, Tanda, the patients are deprived of its benefits”.
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Self-help group empowers rural women
Hamirpur, June 23 Several women in the rural areas have adopted new techniques of farming to supplement their income and some of them are even taking to marketing of their products after a value addition. One such woman is Santosh Jaswal of Bulah Baloh village, who has formed an SHG to help herself and other women in the area in achieving financial
independence. Due to the efforts of Santosh, women of Panjot village of the Bamsan area have made a new beginning with several homemade products like turmeric powder, knitwear, pillows etc, which they are selling through a marketing network, after forming an SHG, named Parvati. With their efforts, the SHG has even purchased grinding flour and pulses mills. Kalpna Thakur, president of Parvati, says, “Every week, members of our group visit nearby markets in Toani Devi, Samirpur, Panjot and Bhoranj to sell our products and now we have made many permanent clients”. “From the activities of the SHG, our group has become economically viable while individual members are also supplementing their income,” she adds. Besides this, members of Parvati have also undertaken other activities like installing solar lights and planting medicinal and fruit-bearing plants in the village, besides connecting the village with a
link road.
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Arya College gets approval for science, commerce faculties
Nurpur, June 23 The government’s nod to the faculties has been welcomed by students who earlier had to go to far-off places for admission to science and commerce classes. According to Hardev Katoch, principal of the college, the notification was received on June 19 and admission to BSc (I) and BCom(I) have been started with immediate effect.
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Kullu, June 23
