Shimla, July 7
Lack of awareness among people, inadequacies in the process of law and lack of initiative on the part of state governments were the main hurdles in the way of effective implementation of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, according to Magsaysay- award winner and an ex-cop Kiran Bedi.

“Not only common people, but also police officials, judges and others concerned with the administration of justice were still not well-acquainted with the new law which came into force in 2006 as a result of which the victims of domestic violence were not getting relief,” she observed while delivering a lecture on “Domestic Violence” at the local Gaiety Theatre.

It was organised by a group of local non-government organisations such as the
Ashadeep and the SEWA.

Moreover, most of the states had been lagging in its implementation as they had not taken necessary steps like setting up of special courts, appointing protection officials and social workers without which victims could not take advantage of the law, she added.

The Act was not confined to violence by husband against wife as was commonly
being understood.

Its sweep was very wide and took care of all violence in a shred household and even economic matters.

A mother, who was not being looked after by her son, or a woman not being provided for the family by the husband, could seek redressal under the law, she said.

Chief Minister PK Dhumal, who presided over the lecture, said the hill state was aware of the problem and it had made much headway in the enforcement of the law.

In all, about 400 cases were reported and relief was granted in 193 cases. The government had appointed 381 protection officials and 14 NGOs had been registered as service providers, he added.

Shimla, July 7
The decision of the state electricity board to award works pertaining upgradation of transmission system to the Power Grid Corporation despite the creation of a separate power transmission corporation has raised eyebrows.

The board has, under pressure from employees’ union, allocated Rs 106 crore for new transmission works, which is the mandate of the newly set up Himachal Power Transmission Corporation (HPTC).

The work should have been awarded to the new corporation in the first place. Further, if the board did not have the competence to execute major works in a time-bound manner, the task should have been assigned to the HPTC.

Employees had opposed to the creation of corporation which they saw as a step towards unbundling of the board.

By assigning works to another agency, the board only conceded that it was not capable of implementing major works, further strengthening the case for unbundling.

All works pertained to the upgradation of systems in the industrial areas for providing power to upcoming units. As a result, the state and the power consumers would both have to suffer.

If the state corporation had been assigned the work, salaries of employees would have been charged to the capital account but with the Power Grid Corporation doing the job, the salaries would be reflected in the revenue head, increasing the aggregate revenue requirement of the board on the basis of which the state electricity regulatory commission determines the tariff.

Thus, the consumers will have to pay for the incompetence of the board and the wrong policies of the government. Moreover, the 2,000-odd employees of the transmission wing will not have any work.

The government had specially set up the new corporation for the implementation of the Rs 4,500-crore transmission master plan to facilitate evacuation of power from various small and big projects coming up in the state.

Meanwhile, the Central Electricity Authority has asked the state to start work on transmission plan immediately for projects with aggregate capacity of 5,359 MW scheduled to be commissioned by 2012.

It has not taken kindly to the creation of a subsidiary of the board to look after the transmission in place of an independent state transmission utility as mandated by the Electricity Act, 2003.

The company executing the 192 MW Allain Duhungan project, which is nearing completion, has been forced to construct its own transmission line.

Solan, July 7
Peeved at being ignored for being inducted as a minister, after giving the highest lead to the BJP in the Shimla parliamentary constituency, HN Saini today refused to accept the post of the Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) which was offered to him by the Chief Minister.

Saini, who was a three-time MLA and ranked high as far as seniority in the SPC was concerned, said, “I have flatly refused to accept the post of the CPS today. The very refusal of the Chief Minister to give a ministerial berth to Nalagarh despite publicly announcing to do so in case we gave the highest winning margin was a betrayal with the people,” he quipped.

The step had also disappointed supporters of Saini who said the CM had gone back on his promise.

They stressed that they had worked hard to ensure the victory of official candidate of BJP in the parliamentary elections and none of the sitting ministers- Rajiv Bindal and Narinder Bragta- could even retain leads from their respective constituencies.

He had managed to procure a lead of 8,000 plus in the parliamentary elections. This had proved crucial for the victory of the BJP candidate.

Saini’s claim also drew strength from the fact that he was a three-time MLA and had already served as a Cabinet minister for the Town and Country Planning in the BJP’s earlier tenure while Bindal had won only two Vidhan Sabha elections and a byelection while Bragta had been defeated once.

Besides, he represented not only the minority community but was a representative of the SC community for which the state Cabinet had no representation at present.

Accepting the post of the CPS after serving as a minister was a mockery of his seniority, quipped a senior BJP leader.

This move had widened the chasm between the two factions of the BJP represented by the CM and former Union Minister Shanta Kumar.

Though there was a strong move to drop Dr Rajiv Bindal after his dismal performance in the polls, he managed to save his berth and despite giving all five seats to the BJP the district failed to earn a second Cabinet berth in the state.

It also proved the systematic ignorance of Shanta’s loyalists in the state Cabinet led by PK Dhumal.

Solan, July 7
The pharmaceutical hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh has been left high and dry with the budget failing to address any of their grievances, including hike in the excise duty and refund on raw materials.

Since the gains of the 2003 Central industrial package had been reduced after two reductions in the excise duty from the earlier 16 to 4 per cent, investors were hopeful of getting some relief from this budget.

They had pinned their hopes on getting the excise duty enhanced to 8 per cent and had also been hopeful of getting refunds on raw materials, as was the case in Jammu and Kashmir.

But with none of the measures being announced, the investors were contemplating other options.

Though a majority of the units were keen to expand their operations and even open new units to avail 10 years’ income tax holiday, but with the excise benefits being curtailed, they had put their plans at bay, confided an investor from a leading pharmaceutical unit of Baddi.

With mere 4 per cent difference in excise duty, which existed between the excise-free and excise-laden states, there was little gain left as the freight charges consumed whatever was saved from the 4 per cent difference.

Hence, there was little wisdom in continuing here and units could start shifting their base to other states including Sikkim, observed RK Arora, chairman, Federation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs.

Quite a few pharmaceutical units had already shifted a majority of their high-volume low-cost products to their units in other incentive states where the excise exemption was still 16 per cent.

Meanwhile, the state government refused to agree that the units had indeed started shifting their products.

Though known as the pharmaceutical hub of Asia as it had attracted the highest number of pharmaceutical units, indifference of the Central government was all set to play spoilsport here.

Investors lamented that despite having two key ministers in the Union Cabinet, they had failed to get the package restored till its original period of 2013.

The hill state could not have had a better representation at the Centre, lamented
the investors.

Solan, July 7
Shanker Lal (45), a policeman serving in the Nalagarh police mess, shot himself with his .12 bore service rifle at his native Jalni village in Ramshehar today around 6 am.

The policeman was reportedly suffering from some mental illness and had to go to Dharampur Mental Hospital for a check-up.

He told his family members to hand him the keys of a room on the pretext of taking out some cash.

He closed the door and shot himself in neck. He was killed on the spot. The police was investigating into the matter.

Dharamsala, July 7
Students’ politics at Dharamsala Government College once again reared its ugly head with members of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the students’ wing affiliated to the BJP, today burning the effigy of the college principal.

They were protesting against the allotment of 8 sq-feet-land to Nescafe company on the college campus.

The students alleged that the land had been given on two years’ lease for a meagre monthly rent of Rs 200. They also levelled allegations of misappropriation in purchase of computers.

Narinder Awasthi, principal of the college, when contacted, alleged that students’ politics was behind the protest.

He said the land was given to Nescafe company on the demand of students. The company had put up a pre-fabricated structure at the spot and was providing drinks to students at concessional rates.

Similar kiosk was also put up by the company in Hamirpur college. If the students found it objectionable, the company was ready to remove it, the principal said.

He also said computers were purchased directly from HP company. Sources available here said students’ politics was behind the recent protest rather than any real issue.

Dharamsala, July 7
Pong Dam Oustees’ Development Agency (PODA) was constituted in Himachal under the Societies Act, 1860, by the state government.

The basic motive of the agency was the welfare of the Pong Dam oustees who had lost their houses and land to the project.

However, information procured under the RTI has revealed that PODA, instead of being a development agency for oustees, has become a source of luxuries for bureaucrats and politicians managing it.

Politicians and bureaucrats managing PODA have been using the funds for purchasing luxury vehicles, making unjustified purchases of the spare parts of those vehicles and also procuring luxury registration numbers from funds meant for the welfare of destitute oustees.

Information sought under the RTI by one of the oustees, Ashwani Sharma, has revealed that till date five vehicles have been purchased using PODA funds.

The vehicles include TATA Sumo, Maruti Gypsy, Scorpio, Innova and Balero. An amount of Rs 27,11,167 from the PODA funds was spent on purchasing the vehicles.

The vehicles also bear VIP numbers. (Gypsy bear HP-39-8888 as registration number, Scorpio HP-37B-007, Innova HP-40B-002).

The amount spent on the repair of vehicles is more shocking. Information obtained under the RTI has revealed that tyres of Innova vehicle were replaced five times in just 18 months. In one case, the tyres were changed within 15 days.

As per record available with The Tribune, five tyres of Innova vehicle worth Rs 29,278 were purchased on September 18, 2008. Just 15 days later, on October 3, once against five tyres were purchased for the same price.

In just about 18 months, agencies managing PODA funds spent about Rs 1.5 lakh on replacing the tyres of Innova vehicle.

The total amount spent on the repair of Innova vehicle in the said period was Rs 3,69,190. On Maruti Gypsy vehicle, Rs 1.75 lakh was spent on repair as per records provided under the RTI.

Ashwani, who is still contesting his case in the court for compensation of land procured for Pong Dam, while talking to The Tribune, alleged that the state government was not contributing anything to PODA funds. Funds were coming from the common land of oustees acquired for construction of Pong Dam.

He also alleged that the post of Deputy Commissioner, relief and rehabilitation, was being held by a tehsildar-rank officer.

In other government offices in Himachal Pradesh, tehsildar-rank official was not provided official vehicle. However, this was not the case with officials associated with the Pong Dam.

Shimla, July 7
The BJP has urged the Centre to share the financial burden on account of the procurement of apple and other fruits under the market intervention scheme, as was the case earlier.

Spokesperson of the party Ashok Kapatia said the state had a predominantly fruit- based economy to sustain for which apple and other fruits were procured on support price by the state government.

Till the 1990s, the Centre had shared the loss incurred on procurement. However, in recent years the Centre had withdrawn from the scheme unilaterally, as a result of which the state government had been finding it hard to pay the growers from whom fruit was procured.

He criticised the UPA government for completely ignoring the state in both the Railway Budget and the General Budget. All issues concerning the state and major projects had been overlooked.

The industrial package, which was curtailed by the UPA regime, had not been restored and no proposal for extension of rail network had been included.

The state’s plea for allowing it to impose generation tax on hydropower had not
been accepted.

It would have enabled the state to raise over Rs 150 crore by levying cess at the rate of 10 paise per unit.

Mandi, July 7
The Health and Family Welfare Department today ordered a magisterial inquiry into the “alleged case of medical negligence” in which a mother delivered a premature baby at the gate of the Zonal Hospital, Mandi, on June 29.

Confirming this to The Tribune today, Health Minister Rajiv Bindal said the government was sensitive to the media report and had decided to order a magisterial inquiry into the case to ascertain the truth. The government would take action if anybody was found at fault, he said.

At a meeting held in Shimla, the Health Minister today marked the inquiry after receiving the report from the director, health services, into the case. The health department marked the inquiry to the home department today, sources revealed.

The case involves Anita Kumari, a pregnant woman, who was rushed to the Zonal Hospital, Mandi, after she suffered acute labour pain on June 28.

However, she delivered a premature 31-week-old baby at the gate of the ground floor of the gynaecology department, which was declared “brought dead to labour room” by the hospital.

The couple had alleged medical negligence as the gate was opened after 25 minutes of their reaching there.

Mandi CMO, in his inquiry into the case, had given a “clean chit” to the staff of the
zonal hospital and had submitted the report to the director, heath services, in that
regard. Bindal, however, said he wanted a fair inquiry into the case as it was a
sensitive matter.

“The Home department will conduct the inquiry and submit its report so that public faith is restored in the system,” he added.

He said the medical superintendent had been transferred to ensure a fair inquiry
into the episode.

Mandi, July 7
Mandi Zonal Hospital turned into a hot bed of “petty politics” when HP Medical Officers’ Association (HPMOA) today locked horns with the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and chief medical officer (CMO), Mandi, alleging that they were hand in glove in misusing the Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) funds.

They also alleged that zonal hospital medical superintendent (MS) was transferred as he had refused to oblige the DC and CMO in this regard.

Members of the association have decided to wear black badge in protest against the transfer of the MS from tomorrow as they believed that his transfer had been ordered at the behest of a “powerful lobby headed by a woman councillor”.

In this blame game its the patients who had to bear the brunt. It also vitiated the atmosphere in the hospital, rued insiders.

“They should focus on the welfare of patients rather than spending funds, time and energy on petty politics,” they added.

Meanwhile, Dr DP Handa, medical superintendent, Zonal Hospital, refused comment on the motive behind his transfer.

He stated that he was ready to face an independent inquiry in the premature delivery case as there was no negligence on his part.

HPMOA general secretary Jiva Nand Chauhan said he took up the matter with the Health Minister today and requested him to revoke the transfer order of the MS.

On the other, Mandi DC Onkar Sharma said he withdrew the order of giving Rs 11,000 to honour employees who had done commendable work. This did not amount to any misuse of funds, he said.

Heath Minister Rajiv Bindal, when quizzed on the issue, denied any pressure in the transfer of the MS.

Sundernagar, July 7
The Beas Sutlej Link (BSL) Raising Day was celebrated today by staff of the BBMB at the Pandoh Dam site by paying homage to workers who laid down their lives during construction of the 990-MW BSL Project, which was started on this day in 1777.

The BBMB organised a function at the Pandoh Dam site where Chief Engineer, BBMB, Sundernagar, SB Sharma paid homage to the martyrs.

Sharma congratulated the gathering for their contribution towards the successful commissioning of the project and also read out the message of chairman of the BBMB UC Mishra.

RS Dogra, SE, Circle (1), along with other officials and employees of the BBMB also paid homage to the martyrs at the memorial.

It had been constructed by the BBMB at the dam site. Later, BBMB officials planted saplings at a workshop of the BBMB at Pandoh.

Nurpur, July 7
Former minister and octogenarian Congress leader Sat Mahajan while addressing a press conference here yesterday urged the state government to conduct soil testing of the area where the Phinna Singh irrigation project would be commissioned so that farmers could grow at least five cash crops in a year.

He said the project was earlier proposed during the Virbhadra Singh regime and was his dream project.

Thanking Chief Minister PK Dhumal for his efforts to get its nod, he said it first appeared in the annual state budget for 1987-88.

“During his previous term the then government had succeeded in taking no objection certificates from the states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan and the BBMB authorities for this project,” he claimed.

He rued that 100-bedded civil hospital built during the previous regime at Nurpur had turned into a dispensary and the HRTC workshop and HIMAGRICO, a unit of state agro industries corporation, were facing closure. He criticised the government for stopping ongoing construction of the Brijraj Swami Stadium at Nurpur.