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Power producers seek rethink on 15 pc water discharge
CM: Changes in power policy inevitable
Govt restores full grant to colleges
NIT staff approach courts for justice
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Fake degree, passport racket busted
Low Sex Ratio
All set for Navratra fair
Govt to spend Rs 87 cr on roads
767 villages excluded from sanctuaries
5 hurt as students clash
20 hurt
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Power producers seek rethink on 15 pc water discharge
Shimla, September 17 The issue of ensuring 15 per cent water discharge was one of the main issues which was discussed at the conclave of the member organisations of the forum held here today. The power producers urged the government not only to asses the problem by a scientific study but also to have a rethink on the mandatory 15 per cent water discharge. Their plea was that at times it was simply not possible to ensure the 15 per cent discharge with reduced flow. Quantifying the loss due to the condition of ensuring 15 per cent discharge, they said almost two million units of less power was being generated on this account. The forum which was formed in November, 2005, decided to join hands to pursue the goal of eco-friendly energy and to evolve integrated Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) Plan for the Satluj basin. They decided to create, upgrade and share facilities to generate data in respect of discharge, silt and meteorological observations and utilise common laboratory testing facilities. “It is for the first time that the forest department will be setting up posts which will observe the silt levels which will in turn help us monitor the effectiveness implementation of our CAT plans,” said Additional Chief Secretary, Avay Shukla (Forests). He said the problem of excessive silt had been a cause of concern for all power producers and efforts needed to be made to reduce its level through effective implementation of the CAT plans. The problem has in the past affected generation in the Satluj basin, especially at the 1,500 MW Nathpa Jhakri project and 300 MW Baspa. In the coming few years funds to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore would be at the disposal of the forest department for CAT plan implementation. As per norms the size of the CAT plan is 2.36 per cent of the total project cost. So far 8,173 hectares of forestland has been diverted for development works and projects out of which the major chunk of 3,790 hectares has been give to the power sector. |
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CM: Changes in power policy inevitable
Shimla, September 17 He was speaking at the conclave of Forum of Hydro-Power Producers of the Satluj basin organised by the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) here today. “Focus should be on involvement of local people by ensuring them employment, free electricity, medical, road and educational facilities for economic regeneration of the project-affected areas,” he said. He said the government would explore the possibility of having pooled transmission lines for power evacuation from each river basin in the state. “Not only does the network of transmission lines pose a threat to aviation, but also leads to many problems. Hence, we need to have a joint evacuation plan in one valley,” he said. Dhumal stressed the need for a unified policy for exploitation of available hydel potential in the Satluj basin right, from the point it entered India in Spiti upto Bhakra. “Rather than having a fragmented approach, we need to have a unified approach so that problems like excessive silt and other problems can be tackled,” he said. He said in view of climatic changes and global warming, hydro-power sector had assumed greater importance. “Himachal will make its contribution in the national mainstream by ensuring maximum hydro-power generation and to ensure that there is no delay at any level, procedures would be simplified and completed in the shortest possible time,” he said. The Chief Minister called on corporate sector, including power producers, to render their social responsibility to ensure that local residents got good health, education and road facilities. Additional Chief Secretary Avay Shukla said a single window clearance had been set up for forest clearance and the forest department was ensuring proper implementation of CAT plan which was a must from ecological, relief and rehabilitation point of view. Tarun Kapoor, MD, HP Power Corporation Limited, detailed the problem being faced by power producers. |
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Govt restores full grant to colleges
Shimla, September 17 According to the formula worked out by the government to bail out the institutions, the grant-in-aid will be provided only for the staff already covered on individual basis. The grant will be provided until these employees, numbering about 230, were in service and it will be discontinued with their retirement. There will be no additional grant on account of any incremental benefits to be given to these employees. Thus, the quantum of grant will come down progressively with the gradual superannuation of the exiting staff over the next two decades. The institutions will have to raise their own resources to meet any incremental liability of the existing staff and also for appointment of new staff. The issue had been hanging fire since 2006 when the state high court ordered the government to disburse the grants among all private colleges on an equitable basis. Accordingly the government framed new grant-in-aid rules which limited the grant to 50 per cent which was notified in March this year. As a result, the five institutions, which were receiving 95 per cent of the salaries of staff as grant, faced a severe cut. The decision was necessitated as the government had no option but to distribute the limited funds at its disposal among 20 private colleges. At present the private colleges are being given grants to the tune of Rs 5.48 crore. While for the five colleges the grant will be frozen at the existing level, other colleges will be provided grant as per the new rules. The decision has averted an imminent financial crisis but the affected institutions will have to take steps like raising fee and other charges to mobilise resources to cope with the progressively declining government assistance. Besides St Bede’s College, DAV College, Kangra, MLSM College, Sundernagar, DAV College, Kotkhai, and SD College, Bhatoli, were those affected by the new rules. |
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NIT staff approach courts for justice
Hamirpur, September 17 According to sources, many teachers have filed petitions in different courts against decisions of the management and about 24 such cases are already pending. DR DR Rana, assistant professor in the electronics department, who was reportedly suspended by the institute management some time back, has filed a case in the court of District and Sessions Judge, Hamirpur, seeking compensation. Similarly, SR Chauhan, president of teachers’ association and lecturer in the mechanical department, who was allegedly issued a charge sheet for taking up the issues of teaching community, has also filed a case in a local court. The issue of retirement age in the NIT has also created a lot of heart burning and at least two teachers have approached the court to contest their cases. Dr Saroj Thakur, assistant professor in the English department, who was also removed from her job a few months ago, has also filed a petition in the high court to contest her removal from the job. A teacher in the NIT on condition of anonymity, said, “Several decisions pertaining to promotions and recruitments are being taken in an arbitrary manner by the management and teachers are left with no other alternative but to approach the court.” It is pertinent to mention here that the CBI had raided the NIT campus, including office of the director of the institute, a few months back after it received complaints of alleged irregularities in promotion and recruitment of teachers. |
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Fake degree, passport racket busted
Bilaspur, September 17 The police also recovered fake and fabricated round “official” seals of Ghumarwin SDM and Bilaspur SDM from their possession apart from other machines and equipment used in the process. Many unfilled fake forms and certificates were also recovered from the premises. SP Kuldip Sharma said here today that this was a large-scale planned operation in which some more big fish were expected to be involved. He said these people targeted gullible students and other youths who had failed in their examinations or who were placed in a lower division and charged an amount of Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000 from each “client” and accorded them first or second divisions of the same board or university according to the money received. Most of the fake certificates are of either HP School Education Board, Dharamsala, or HPU, Shimla. “Many youths even managed to get government jobs based on these fake certificates,” he said. |
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Low Sex Ratio
Una, September 17 Una Deputy Commissioner KR Bharti, while talking to The Tribune, said he had got a survey done in the district to determine the sex ratio between 0-6 years age group, the data of which was collected using services of anganwadi workers and field staff of the revenue department. However, the survey revealed startling figures. In some of the villages, the sex ratio had gone down to 300 girls per 1,000 male children,
he said. Some of the villages with alarmingly low sex ratio include Majhwani, having sex ratio in 0-6 age group of just 272 girls for every 1,000 male children, Kohdara (329/1000), Nudradi (368/1000), Dowar (307/1000) and Malangarh (310/1000). The health authorities have worked out sex ratio of Una as 837/1000. However, the DC feels that the figure could be even low according to the data collected by anganwadi workers. District health authorities alleged that people were getting sex-determination tests conducted at ultrasound centres located in border areas of Punjab. In fact, the number of ultrasound centres had doubled in Una and the Kangra districts in the past five years. The DC has now planned to use anganwadi workers to keep a track on pregnancies in rural areas. “We have decided to collect data regarding number of pregnant ladies. By this, we can calculate pre-natal deaths of children, which can further be attributed to natural or unnatural reasons,” he said. However, sources here said though the plan chalked out by the district administration was affective in checking female foeticide in hospitals or clinics, steps were also required to check activities of chemists. Many drugs are being sold by chemists that can lead to abortion without undergoing surgical procedure. After sex determination, many people are resorting to the drugs to eliminate the girl child instead of visiting any doctor, they added. However, no chemist has, till date, been booked for the offence. Besides, despite the dwindling sex ratio, just one case has been registered by the district health authorities under the PNDT Act in Una district in the past one year. |
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All set for Navratra fair
Bilaspur, September 17 This was stated by Additional District Magistrate Subhash Chaudhary while presiding over a meeting of the Mela Management Committee organised here to give final touches to ensure foolproof arrangements in the fair. He said all essential commodities would be available at fixed rates and 24-hour uninterrupted power supply, drinking water, health facilities, emergency services, information centre, cleanliness and hygiene etc have been arranged. He said the fair area had been divided into nine sectors and 450 police personnel and Home Guards have been deputed for safety and security purpose. Twenty three CCTV cameras would a keep watch over the traffic control and any unsocial activities and five police check posts would control vehicular traffic. The offering of halwa prasad and coconuts to the deity had also been banned.
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Govt to spend Rs 87 cr on roads
Shimla, September 17 Stating this while addressing a public meeting at Dhamwari, 80 km from here, today, Chief Minister PK Dhumal said the government had regularised the services of about 35,000 daily wagers and contractual employees during the past 20 months and generated vast employment avenues. He said 18,000 posts were being filled in the education department alone out of which 10,697 were being filled through fresh recruitment and the new appointees were deployed in the interior areas. Recently, the State Public Service Commission recommended 650 college cadre lecturers for appointment who would also be sent to the degree colleges in the rural areas. He said the state was making efforts to achieve 50 per cent enrolment of students in the higher educational institutions in coming years. Dhumal said the government had launched Rs 353-crore Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan Bagwan Samridhi Yojna for economic empowerment of the rural people. It was proving a boon for farmers who were now diversifying to high value crops from traditional farming. He announced Rs 1 crore for restoration of rain damages in the entire valley and Rs 5 lakh for Government High School, Chilala, building. He assured the people that their genuine demands would be settled on priority. |
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767 villages excluded from sanctuaries
Shimla, September 17 Stating this here today, Forest Minister JP Nadda informed that it was at a meeting chaired by Union Minister Jairam Ramesh at New Delhi yesterday that
a decision in this regard was taken. “It is due to the sincere efforts of the government that it has been possible to get these villages excluded from the sanctuary areas and the decision will come into effect after the formal approval of the court,” he said. Nadda said it was on the request of the state for rationalisation of wildlife sanctuaries that an expert committee constituted by the National Wildlife Board had visited Himachal in April. “The decision will bring relief to about 1.13 lakh population residing in 767 villages ,” he added. The Forest Minister said for villages located in close proximity of the sanctuaries there was a need to maintain equilibrium between developmental needs and conservation. |
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5 hurt as students clash
Shimla, September 17 Even though counter cases were registered
by the two quarreling groups in the police station, they finally reached a compromise. The clash between the students of semesters I, III and VII took place near Firhill, near the
103 tunnel. Even as the incident was being linked to ragging, Dr Kamaljeet Singh, director of the institute, said the clash between students could in no way be linked to ragging. He added that the matter had been settled amicably by the two groups. |
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20 hurt
Mandi, September 17 According to the police, Ashish Kumar of Sajaopipilu, Sarkaghat, was coming back in jeep (HP01M-7272) along with 15-20 students when Sanju, who was driving the jeep, lost control, plunging it into the nullah. He charged the actual driver Banarsi Dass was sitting with Sanju. All injured were under treatment at the Civil Hospital, Sarkaghat, and were reported out of danger. |
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