Shimla, October 16
With promoters of the Himalayan Ski Village (HSV) failing to submit the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report, it is most likely that the government would recommend cancellation of the project which is being opposed by local panchayats as well.

The meeting of the high-powered committee, which was held here yesterday, will take a final decision on the fate of the biggest foreign direct investment (FDI) when it meets next on October 20. Committee members have pointed out that the promoters have failed to even fulfil mandatory conditions as even the EIA report has not been submitted till date.

It was in 2006 during the Congress regime that the promoters signed a pre-implementation agreement with the government for setting up the ambitious project.

“Since the promoters have not even fulfilled the basic conditions, we wrote to them in May, 2008, asking them to submit the EIA report so that necessary relaxations under the Forest Conservation Act could be approved from the Ministry of Forest and Environment,” he said.

However, the promoters have, till date, not submitted the report. “As such, they are totally responsible for the delay in the project as despite reminders, they did not complete the formalities,” he said.

It is being expected that very shortly the high powered committee would take a decision on the issue and place the matter before the Cabinet. They have already sought complete details and documents regarding environmental clearances from the Pollution Department.

The high-powered committee, chaired by Secretary, Tourism, had been constituted on the directions of the High Court to take a decision on the controversial HSV project. It was during the Congress regime that the project had been initiated and even then the BJP, while in opposition, had objected to its coming up in the Kullu-Manali area.

However, what is surprising is the fact that the government has been delaying a final decision on the project. The locals had lodged their strong protest against the coming up of the project at the public hearing that was held at Kothi near Manali on June 6 to ascertain the view of those affected by it.

In the public hearing was pointed out that the coming up of the project would pollute water sources, ruin meadows, create unemployment among the locals and adversely affect flora and fauna of the area. Besides echoing environmental concerns, majority of the organisations had also opposed the project as they felt it would vitiate the socio-cultural environment of the area.

Dharamsala, October 16
The Himachal Government has approved 10th private university in the state. The government accorded permission to the Rayat and Bahra group of institutions to bring up another private university at Kiarighat near Shimla.

The Vice-Chairman of Rayat and Bahra group of institutions Gurvinder Singh Bahra while talking to The Tribune said they had already acquired 200 bighas at said destination near Shimla. Now that they had got the permission from state government, the construction work at the site would be started within a week.

“We would start admissions for the university by the next academic session. The quantum of courses to be started in the next session would be decided on the amount of infrastructure we manage to build till then,” he said.

Bahra further said since Shimla was an internationally known centre we hope to attract students from within and outside the country. The infrastructure in the university would also be built keeping in view the said consideration.

The Rayat and Bahra group is already successfully running engineering colleges at Ropar, Hoshiarpur and Kharar. They also have plans of medical colleges at Hoshiarpur, Kharar and Kundli near Delhi.

The Himachal Government has taken a lead in allowing private universities in the state. Under this move 10 universities have already been sanctioned. The move is being opposed by the Congress and student organisations with a view that it would lead to total privatisation of education in the state.

However, many are of the view that education is a non- polluting industry that can generate employment and provide education facilities to students of the state who are spending about Rs 300 crore on getting education in institutions located outside Himachal annually. Now with private universities coming in, the money can remain in the state.

Dharamsala, October 16
With Pratibha Singh announcing her withdrawal from the ticket race for Rohru constituency, the fact that the Congress is divided into two distinct groups in the state has become obvious.

The said announcement was being viewed as victory by the anti-Virbhadra Singh camp.

Some of the anti-Virbhadra camp leaders, when contacted by The Tribune, maintained that finally the hegemony of the former Chief Minister over the state Congress would end.

The pro-Virbhadra camp leaders are, however, terming the decision as unfortunate. They maintained that he was the only mass leader in the Himachal Congress. This has been proven by the fact that Virbhadra Singh was the only leader who got elected to the Lok Sabha while the party lost all other seats.

While speaking on the condition of anonymity, they maintained that initially Virbhadra Singh was in a mood to give a tough fight to the BJP in the forthcoming Assembly by-elections in Jawali and Rohru constituencies. He also carried out extensive tours in both the constituencies.

However, sudden announcement by Pratibha Singh that she was out of the ticket race, came as a surprise for them.

They were of the view that in case Virbhadra Singh does not campaign, the going would be tough for the Congress in both the Assembly constituencies for which the election is scheduled next month.

According to sources, the decision of Pratibha Singh might be a reaction to repeated efforts by certain leaders in the party high command to marginalise Virbhadra.

Anti-Virbhadra leaders are of the view that it is just a pressure tactic. The anti-Virbhadra Singh lobby has been carrying out a relentless campaign against him since the party lost the last Assembly poll. Initially, in the Lok Sabha elections, Virbhadra allegedly did not campaign in the entire state as he was not provided helicopter by the party.

Later, he was initially not inducted in the Union Cabinet. He was inducted later, allegedly, only after he threatened to resign from the party.

Even after the induction of Virbhadra Singh in the Cabinet, the Union Home Ministry gave permission to the state government to register an FIR against him. The FIR came in handy for the Opposition and his bête noire Vijay Singh Mankotia to launch another tirade against the minister.

Now, with his wife deciding to withdraw from the ticket race in his home constituency Rohru, his camp is waiting for direction for the veteran leader. The Rohru Assembly constituency fell vacant after Virbhadra was elected to the Lok Sabha.

Kullu/Mandi, October 16
Diwali — the festival of lights — has turned into a “festival of air-pollution” that not only damage alveoli in the lungs, but send levels of sulphur di-oxide and nitrogen di-oxide and the total suspended particulate matter (TSPM) soaring in Kullu, Mandi and Shimla and other towns, pushing air-pollution level beyond 126 microgram per cubic mtr.

This level, say scientists, is much higher than the permissible limits of 100 microgram per cubic mtr benchmarked by the Central Pollution Control Board (CBCB).

Scientists and environmentalists assert that at the eve of “festival of lights”, all Himalayan state governments should join hands, making the region an abode of “crackers-free Diwali”.

The study conducted by the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development (GBPIHED), Mohal in Kullu and Kothi, a village 8 km uphill from the tourist town of Manali, paints a grim picture of air-pollution in the Kullu Valley.

“This becomes more harmful during Diwali as bursting of crackers adds hazardous gases in the atmosphere,” observed Dr JC Kuniyal, a senior scientist at the GBPIHED.

The scientists said the CPCB benchmark had fixed 100 micrograms per cubic mtr as permissible limit and the level beyond this was hazardous for human health. “We inhale 126 microns of pollution by inhaling one cubic mtr of air. It damages the alveoli in lungs and causes cancer. Smaller the size, more hazardous these are for human beings and plants,” scientists warned.

Besides, bursting of crackers had triggered the worst fire in the past that gutted dozens of shops on the Mall, Sanjauli and other places. Crackers had also resulted in forest fires and burning of the day grass lands across the state, increasing temperature and aerosols, scientists cautioned.

Abhishek Rai, president, Himalayan Environment Protection Society, said they had been protesting and writing letters to the government to ban crackers in the state, but nothing had happened.

The state government banned polythene bags in the state that evoked good response. But neither the State Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board(SEPPCB), nor the Department of Environment, Science and Technology, have ever bothered to make environment-friendly Diwali in Himachal, he added.

Solan, October 16
With the state’s Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau nabbing several high profile officers in bribery cases across the state, a visible scare was noticed among them who were being extra cautious in their conduct.

The most obvious impact was visible in the manner in which officers preferred to speak very little on their cell phones as they feared that they were under the Bureau’s surveillance. This tendency was corroborated by the fact that several officers were now using more than one cell phone with a very few reliable persons knowing both the numbers.

They had become cautious even while divulging information to the media.

With Diwali being around, the scare of the Bureau zeroing in on officers receiving exorbitant gifts from the industry in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area was so strong that they virtually hung boards outside their offices, informing that no Diwali gifts were being accepted.

This fear was not unfounded as a meeting convened by the Bureau some days back had directed Bureau officers to especially keep an eye on those in the industrial areas, revealed sources. It was also learnt that Bureau officers were checking law books to find out what gifts fell in the category of illegal gratification.

The Tribune spoke to several investors who revealed how Diwali bonanza was distributed despite a seemingly tight Bureau vigil. Interestingly, it did not take long for the information of Bureau keeping an eye on Diwali gifts to percolate down to the BBN area where the innovative officers, instead of accepting gifts, ensured that cash was handed over in envelops as a token of goodwill.

The instructions were conveniently conveyed to the industry through several mediators operating in the area. Even the place chosen to accept such courtesies was none other than the Baddi-Siswan Road where the Bureau officers would have no jurisdiction to operate.

Since majority of the officers as well as the investors commuted from Chandigarh and its periphery, the exchange of cash was a convenient option away from the prying eyes of the Bureau. Others chose their residences at Chandigarh which were considered equally safe.

“If innovation was the buzz in the Bureau, the officers were not far behind to take what they considered their due,” opined an investor.

Hamirpur, October 16
The police arrested a fugitive travel agent from Haridwar on Thursday after about nine months of registration of a case against him for allegedly duping few youths in the name of sending them abroad.

A case against Navneet Kumar, who was running a travel agency named ‘Visa to USA’ at Nadaun, was registered by the police on the complaints of a few youths of the area, who alleged he cheated them.

Navneet Kumar had allegedly taken about Rs 4 lakh from Prakash Chand, son of Sain Kiran, a resident of Nadaun, a few months back promising him visa to the United States.

Similarly, he also collected Rs 1.6 lakh from Rohit Kumar of Dhanoa, Rs 7 lakh from Sushil Kumar of Jatehadi in Una district and a few others. He kept promising them visa for many months and later disappeared from there.

Later, all these youths brought this matter to the knowledge of the police and also filed a complaint.

After registration of a case against Navneet Kumar, the police raided several places to nab the culprit and later succeeded in arresting him from Haridwar.