Shimla, July 13
The statutory State Advisory Committee of the Electricity Regulatory Commission has expressed concern over the inordinately high frequency of tripping and called for effective measures to check power breakdowns.

The 6th meeting of the committee, held here today, drew the attention to the fact that despite spending almost Rs 400 crore under the accelerated power development programme, the board had failed to provide “quality and reliable” power to consumers who had to put up with frequent breakdowns and fluctuating voltage.

It underlined that for facilitating better quality of supply to consumers, the board was asked to analyse the frequency of tripping in a time-bound manner so that corrective steps could be taken. The exercise would enable the board to implement schemes for improvement and upgradation of systems in a more focussed manner.

Chairman of the commission Yogesh Khanna presided over the meeting. Suggestions were made on the need for a dynamic power portfolio management in the state.

The objective of the committee is to elicit opinions of stake holders in the sectors of commerce, industry, transport, agriculture, labour, consumers, non-governmental organisations, academic and research bodies that play a pivotal role in the electricity sector on policy and quality of service delivery to consumers. Observations were made by representatives of the PHDCCI, CII, SJVNL, hotel association and other groups on tariff, supply of electricity and consumer issues on the current year order. The commission had taken a pioneering step in its order on renewables in December, 2007, which had now taken the centre stage due to visible climate change and critical constraints of non-renewable resource use.

The chairman presented a detailed national overview of the power sector. The future agenda for hydro sector in the state was mapped in wide-ranging presentations by officers of the commission, which included multi-year tariff order, grid and supply codes, regulations notified on consumer-related issues and power transmission.

Shimla, July 13
The euphoria over improvement in the imbalanced sex ratio at birth has proved to be short-lived for the hill state. Though the sex ratio at birth is looking up, but what is more disturbing is the fact that the infant mortality rate (IMR) has shown a decline, indicating that if the girl child does manage to come into this world, chances of her survival
are bleak.

It is to bring about a change in the mindset and make the chances for her survival in this world better that the Health and Family Welfare Department is launching a month-long special drive “Betiyan anmol hain” from July 15. Religious leaders, anganwari workers and pachayati raj institutions (PRI) will be involved at a large scale so that the message can be taken to every house in the remotest village of the state.

“Despite the fact that girls are stronger than boys and chances of their survival after birth are higher than that of the male child, the female IMR is low which indicates that more needs to be done to save the girl child,” said Dr Sulakshna Puri, director, Health Services.

It was with an intention of sending across a signal that girls were precious that the campaign was being launched.

The sex ratio at birth in Himachal in 2007 was 903 as compared to 885 in 2006. However, the female IMR, as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) in 2008 was 36.1, while that of the sample registration survey (SRS) in the same year was 47. This clearly indicates that the survival rate of the girls are far less than boys, which gives reason for suspicion that people are not too keen on improving chances of survival of a female child.

Admitting the fact that it was superstitions which made people prefer male child, the department will involve religious leaders to clear such misconceptions.

Even though sex ratio of Himachal is better than its neighbours like Haryana and Punjab, but the picture is not all that rosy. Senior health officials admit that sex ratio has shown an appreciable improvement at birth due to strict implementation of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Test (PNDT) Act and check of sex determination test by clinics having ultra sound machines but the fact that the IMR is not improving could be linked to the disliking for the girl child.

Shimla, July 13
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has expressed concern over the increasing localisation of news as a result of which people outside were deprived of the happenings in the state.

Presiding over a meeting of the State Press Advisory Committee here last evening, he said management of newspapers should ponder over the possibility of bringing out a single edition so that people all over the state could keep abreast of the latest happenings in the state.

He underlined the need for projecting the media in a right perspective at the national level. The state had achieved distinction in various fields and its efforts in preserving the environment had been appreciated at national and international levels. It was the only state which had imposed a complete ban on polythene bags, he added.

It had surpassed Kerela in the field of primary education and emphasis was now being laid on raising the standard of education. He said first IT University in Asia was opened at Waknaghat in Solan with an aim to make the state an education hub. The government was focussing its policies and programmes on strengthening the rural economy, he added.

The Chief Minister sought the cooperation of members of press advisory committee in providing maximum exposure to the state so that it could make its mark globally. He said he himself took views and comments seriously so as to guide the future path of progress.

Ram Subhag Singh, secretary, Information and Public Relations, said transparency in functioning and welfare of the common man was the main agenda of the government.

Shimla, July 13
In a major initiative to modernise the revenue administration, the government has decided to digitise the cadastral maps (musabis), the most important document pertaining to land records.

To begin with, a pilot project will be implemented to digitise 1,600 cadastral maps in the state. Subsequently, the entire state will be covered under a state-wide plan to be prepared on the basis of the pilot scheme.

The digitisation of cadastral maps would enable integration of village maps with land records, computerisation of which is nearing completion.

The musabis are prepared during revenue settlement and are not changed till the next settlement. These are kept under the custody of the Collector and it takes a long time for the land owners to get copies which are traced from musabis. With digitisation of village maps, the copies could be provided by click of a button. Moreover, the musabis are difficult to maintain as they get worn out.

BK Aggrawal, secretary, Information and Technology, said the ultimate aim was to create a geographical information system (GIS) based on global positioning system (GPS), using digitised village maps and land record data.

Once the GIS is in place, the entire land record, including musabis, would be made available on the web so that landowners could access land records and download all required documents, including maps with khasra numbers, from anywhere.

The government has also decided to computerise working of the state printing press. The entire functioning of the press, right from store purchase, inventory control, placing of printing orders and their execution, would be computerised.

A project has been prepared for the purpose. Besides checking pilferage, computerisation will bring efficiency as all jobs will have to be carried out in a time-bound manner.

The position of stocks and other required information will be made available on the web and various departments would be able to place orders online.

Shimla, July 13
The Himalaya Power Producers Association has urged the government to provide single window service to small power developers to help expedite various mandatory clearances and avoid unnecessary delay in execution of projects.

Appreciating the decision of the government to allot 256 self-identified mini hydroelectric projects, the association drew attention to the time-consuming process for acquisition of land and obtaining environment, forests and other clearances. The problem could be solved if single window service was provided at the district-level for small projects. It also suggested that various fees charged by the Forest Department for environment protection should be given for the development of the local area.

Further, deputy commissioners should be asked to fix the rates of the land to be acquired for the project to prevent artificial hiking of land price, which would increase the cost of generation.

The Union Ministry of Renewable Energy Sources should be requested to release the subsidy early so that it could be treated as equity for the purpose of raising loans. The regulatory commission had already fixed the electricity tariff for projects up to 5-MW capacity whereas in other states tariff had been fixed for projects up to 25-MW in slabs. 

Manali, July 13
A special advance course in mountaineering for the Border Security Force (BSF) concluded at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, here yesterday.

A press note issued by director of the institute Capt Randhir Singh Salhuria stated that 27 participants from the BSF from different ranks participated in the programme. They were taught advanced techniques of rock climbing, artificial climbing, snow and ice climbing, glacier travel, crevasse rescue, causality evacuation and survival techniques.

Salhuria said 24 of them successfully scaled the 18,400-ft Ladakhi peak and 17,200-ft Shitidhar peak in the Pir Panjal ranges of the Himalayas. He further said the course was conducted under the supervision of deputy director of the institute Rajeev Sharma and course in charge Subedar Amar Prakash.

The graduation ceremony of the special BSF advance course was organised in the auditorium of the institute. Salhuria, who was the chief guest, gave away badges to successful participants.

Inspector Bhupinder Singh Rawat was declared the “Best Trainee” of the course and had a distinction to receive the prestigious badge of the “Best Trainee”. Consolation prize was given to Darshan Tamang and badge for “Keep the Himalayas clean” was awarded to B. Danashekhran.

The director of the institute also congratulated the trainees for climbing the Ladhaki and Shitidhar peaks and highlighted the role of mountaineering in paramilitary forces. He also made an appeal to all young BSF personnel to preserve the fragile Himalayan environment and pristine beauty for mankind and future generations.

Assistant Commandant Dr Gulshan Singh thanked the director and staff of the institute for organising this special advance mountaineering course in a wonderful manner and also appreciated the role of the state government through the mountaineering institute, especially in the field of training in adventure sports.

Hamirpur, July 13
The appointment of three Chief Parliamentary Secretaries (CPSs) on Thursday by the state government has come as a handy tool in the hands of Congress leaders to attack the state government and the BJP leadership on the issue.

The Congress leaders, which were lying low after the party’s defeat from the state during the last parliamentary election at the hands of the BJP, have become aggressive after these appointments.

Almost all Congress leaders from Hamirpur district have become quite vocal in criticising the BJP government for making these appointments and have started targeting the BJP for its ‘alleged double speak’ on the issue.

Since the BJP, while in opposition, during the last term of the previous Congress government, had not only opposed the appointments of the CPS by the then Congress government tooth and nail but also had got these appointments annulled by the high court citing these as unconstitutional and against the constitutional provision of restricting the size of the Cabinets in the states to 12 per cent of the total strength of its legislatures.

Not only had the BJP made it an election issue during the last Assembly election but the Congress had also lost power in the state at the hands of the BJP.

While many Congress leaders were targeting the BJP for its ‘complete about turn’ on the CPS appointment issue, they are blaming the BJP leaders for their “double speak and betrayal with the people of the state”.

Former CPS and MLA from Hamirpur Anita Verma, who had to quit this post after the HC order during the last term of the Congress government, has come down heavily on the BJP leaders, “How can they justify the appointment of the CPS now which they had opposed vehemently while in opposition, this has definitely exposed the hypocrisy of the BJP on every issue and their hollow claims of principled politics.”

Similarly, the state general secretary of the party and Nadaun MLA Sukhvinder Singh (Sukhu) said, “This move has proved that the BJP has no policy and principles in the politics and from the Ram Mandir to the CPS issue they have tried to befool people.”

Shimla, July 13
A three-week multi-disciplinary refresher course on environmental awareness began at the Academic Staff College of the UGC at the Himachal Pradesh University, here today.

Inaugurating the course, former Union Secretary Dev Swaroop sensitised the participants on different environmental issues and adverse effects of advanced technology. “We must ensure judicious use of our natural resources and take every possible step towards protecting the environment,” he said.

Most of the environment problems were our own creation and it was high time that we took corrective measures before it was too late, he added.

Prof Kulwant Pathania, director, Academic Staff College, spoke on various environmental issues arising with rapid pace of development. He said an exclusive environment fund had been created by the government so that protection measures could be taken.

Dr Anand Sagar, coordinator of the course, said various topics like environment awareness, eco-systems, bio-diversity and pollution, would be discussed at length.

Shimla, July 13
The high court has struck off the rule relating to re-evaluation framed by the HP Board of School Education whereby the regulation denies the benefit of marks obtained in re-evaluation for the purpose of drawing up the merit list and for grant of scholarship/awards.

While declaring this regulation arbitrary and unconstitutional, the Division Bench comprising Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice VK Ahuja observed that once re-evaluation tooks place and marks were increased, they failed to understand why such marks should not be considered for drawing up the merit list and giving benefits to the concerned candidate. The candidate is not at fault. When higher marks are granted on re-evaluation, these per se show that the answer sheet was not checked properly on the earlier occasion.

He cannot be denied the benefit of a higher position on merit or other consequential benefits only on the ground that his higher marks were obtained during re-evaluation.

The court also observed that each student must get the just rewards for the labour put in by him. In these days of great competition where even a half a mark could make a great difference, every candidate if not satisfied by the marks awarded to him would apply for evaluation. If after re-evaluation the student obtains higher marks, which would entitle him to consequential benefits such as award of gold medal, scholarship there is no reason why the institution should deny the same to the said student.

The court directed the board to declare the petitioner to be topper and award him all consequential benefits. The court passed this order on a petition filed by one Apurav Chandel challenging the validity of the rule relating to re-evaluation framed by the board whereby rule denies the benefit of the marks obtained in re-evaluation for the purpose of drawing up the list and for grant of scholarship.

The petitioner alleged that after re-evaluation his marks were increased in the matriculation examination and after this increase he should have been declared the topper in the merit list and should have been awarded all consequential benefits.

Bilaspur, July 13
One boy was killed on the spot and another youth was seriously injured in two separate road accidents in the district here last evening.

Abhishek (8), son of Tej Pal of Kandella village near here, was killed when a speeding truck (HP-23 A-3144), loaded with cement and coming from nearby Barmana factory, hit him at Sungal village on the NH 21.

Ajay Kumar, the truck driver of Berri village, tried to escape after the accident but was nabbed by the police near the main police station here.

Abhishek was the only son of his parents .

In another accident, a truck hit Pawan Kumar of Barote village in gram panchayat Barthin, near here. He was riding a motorcycle and was seriously injured when the truck hit him.

The truck driver fled from the scene of the accident.

He was first rushed to the local Barthin hospital and then to the regional hospital here and was later referred to the PGI.

However, relatives of the injured complained that the patient was not treated well, both at the Barthin and Bilaspur hospitals. As a result, he lost lot of blood.

KANGRA: Eleven persons were injured, some of them seriously, when a Haryana Roadways bus rolled down into the Banner khud, on Monday.

According to the police, the Haryana Roadways bus (HR55F-3505), which was on its way to Baijnath from Delhi, smashed the parapets on the Dharamsala-Hoshiarpur national highway and rolled down nearly 100 feet into the Banner khud, near Old Kangra, leaving 11 persons, including the driver and conductor of the bus injured. A major tragedy was averted as the bus did not fell into the Banner river which was swollen following night-long rains.

The injured were rushed to Dr RP Government Medical College, Tanda. Medical superintendent Dr Bhano Awasthi said almost all 11 injured were out of danger. However, some had received grievous injuries, he added. The injured were identified as Ravinder, Surjeet, Virender, Sat Pal, Sushma, Dolma, Kusum Lata, Sanjay Mani, Rajeev Sudhan, Jeevan and VK Singh. The police has registered a case.