Shimla, January 31
Holding the UPA regime at the Centre and the state BJP government equally responsible for price rise, the state unit of the CPM has threatened to gherao shops and ration depots indulging in hoarding and other malpractices in the second phase of its campaign commencing tomorrow.

Stating this at a press conference here today, secretary of the party Rakesh Singha said the neoliberal economic polices of the Centre were the root cause of spiralling prices and short-term measures would not help. The only way to contain prices was to review these policies and put an end to forward trading in foodgrains. The Congress-led UPA government had been harping on the slogan “aam aadmi” but in practice it was filling the coffers of “khass aadmi”.

In 2009 alone, corporate houses and multinational companies were given concessions to the tune of Rs 4,18,000 crore. At the same time, as per the Centre’s own estimates, the percentage of BPL (below poverty line) families in the country increased from 27 to 37 per cent.

The BJP government in the state, instead of providing relief to the people, added fuel to the price fire by increasing the rates of subsidised ration being supplied through the public distribution system. The rates of urad dal had increased from Rs 30 to Rs 35 per kg at a time when people were reeling under the impact of three consecutive crop failures. The rate of helicopter flight to tribal areas had been increased from Rs 700 to Rs 2,100. Shortage of cooking gas relief to the extent of 1.48 lakh refills was also causing hardships to people, he said.

Even the Centre had played a cruel joke on the people by providing 5 kg of rice and 10 kg of wheat at Rs 18 and Rs 14.50 per kg, respectively, just for a month. Under neoliberalism the government was no longer a major employer and alternative employment avenues had not come up, leading to sharp increase in unemployment.

The party also demanded universalisation of the PDS to help provide 35 kg of foodgrain every month to each ration card holder at Rs 2 per kg, transport subsidy to the tune of 10 per cent, restoration of rice quota, immediate processing of 9 lakh tonnes of imported raw sugar and inclusion of protection of agriculture crops from wild animals.

Dharamsala, January 31
Employees of Palampur Agriculture University (PAU) are once again at loggerheads with the administrative head of the institution. The non-teaching employees of the university allegedly locked the room of the registrar on Friday.

The registrar reported the matter to the local police that has registered a case against president of non-teaching employees’ union Vishal Kumar.

The non-teaching employee union leaders alleged that the registrar was not giving them a hearing. They had been trying to meet the official to discuss their demands. However, the registrar was not available. “Yesterday also we went to meet the registrar but he refused to entertain us. Hence, we were forced to take the drastic step,” they said.

Earlier, university employees, including teachers, had an altercation with the finance head of the institute. He is the state cadre officer from the Finance Department of the state and had allegedly objected to frivolous expenditures by the teaching fraternity. After a strike by the university employees, the former finance head was transferred.

State cadre officers, who are posted at the university, have generally been at the receiving end from the employee unions of the institute. The officers, while talking to The Tribune on condition of anonymity, alleged that there was no accountability of the amount being spent in the universities.

Employees, especially the teaching fraternity, however, alleged that the state administrative officers did not understand their working.

“Scientists in the university are conducting research most of the time results of which take a lot of time. In some cases, the desired results are not received even after work of years. If the results of research work are quantified and considered in terms of accountability, it will be very difficult for teaching fraternity to work,” they said.

However, the fact remains that the financial liability of universities was increasing with the implementation of new pay scales. State cadre officers, generally under directions from the finance department, are trying to cut down the expenditures. However, this is not going well with employees of the institutions who are seeking their removal.

Shimla, January 31
The decision of the successive governments to allow power intensive steel units to come up in the state is proving out to be an “unmitigated disaster” for both fragile hill environment and precarious fiscal health of the government.

Increasing pollution and debilitating financial position of the fund-starved state power utility have made it more than evident that these power-guzzling arc and induction furnace-based units, which hardly generate any employment for people of the state, only serve the vested interest of politicians. The BJP is a bigger culprit in this regard as it made it a big issue during the Congress regime in 2003 and alleged corruption. However, after coming to power it blatantly followed the same policy and sanctioned many more units, even when power was not available, landing the state into deeper environmental and financial mess. In all 56 new units have been sanctioned since the grant of central industrial package about seven years ago.

With uncontrolled fugitive emissions and high source emission levels of suspended particulate matter ranging from 500 to 600 ppm (parts per million) these units have emerged as major contributors to air pollution in the three main industrial townships of Baddi, Parwanoo and Kala Amb, which have been declared critically polluted on the basis of Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index (CEPI).

Further, these units were a big drain on the resources of the state electricity board, which was being forced to purchase more and more power with each passing year at exorbitant prices and supply it at almost half the cost. The gravity of the situation could be judged from the fact that the state electricity regulatory commission had approved Rs 1,310 crore for power purchase for 2007-08 against which the board spent over Rs 1,500 crore. Similarly, in 2008-09 the approved amount was Rs 1,640 crore and the board ended up spending a whopping Rs 1,962 crore.

The board was spending about Rs 1,000 crore more on purchase of power to meet their demand even though only units with a load of 314 MW, out of the total sanctioned load of 560 MW, have become functional so far. The amount would be virtually doubled if all units were made operational.

In fact, the state electricity regulatory commission had pulled up the board for issuing power availability certificates (PACs) on recommendations of the State-Level Single Window Clearance and Monitoring Authority without proper evaluation, leading to a situation where it would have to buy short term of power from market at very high rates and supply it to power intensive units at a relatively lesser tariff.

Dharamsala, January 31
The Himachal Pradesh Ex-Servicemen League has flayed Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Jain, who is also acting as director of the Sainik Welfare Board, for giving their funds to the Chief Minister’s relief fund.

The DC, on the Flag Day function held at Dharamsala last month, had given Rs 1 crore from the Sainik Welfare Board to the Chief Minister’s relief fund.

The ex-servicemen league members, who held a meeting here today, alleged that the acting president of the welfare board had committed an illegal and unconstitutional act by diverting the organisation funds.

Later, while talking to The Tribune, Vijay Singh Mankotia, president of the ex-servicemen league, alleged that the said money was meant to be used for the welfare of ex-servicemen of the state. According to the constitution of the organisation, it cannot be used for any other purpose, he added.

The ex-servicemen also urged the Union government to implement “one rank one pension scheme”.

“Till date, we have been listening to statement of various leaders regarding the one rank one pension scheme. However, the scheme had not been implemented as yet,” they said.

The lower-rank soldiers were likely to benefit from the scheme. At present, soldiers who retired before the implementation of the new pay scales, were getting pension of just Rs 3,000 per month. However, soldiers retiring now were getting pension of Rs 8,000. In case ‘one rank one pension scheme’ is implemented, many ex-soldiers were likely to be benefitted. Ex-servicemen also alleged that the state government was not serious towards making sainik welfare board effective. At present, 75 posts are lying vacant in the district-level sainik welfare offices. The posts of deputy director in nine districts were also lying vacant.

The ex-service league members also rued the slow progress in implementation of 15 per cent job reservation quota for ex-servicemen in government jobs in the state. They alleged that though the quota had been implemented in papers, the backlog in government jobs since 2000 had not been filled.

Meanwhile, Vijay Singh Mankotia today announced his resignation from the post of state president of the ex-servicemen league. He said he had been heading the organisation for the past 25 years.

“Now, I want that alternative leadership should take over,” he added. The next meeting of the league would be held under the new president, he announced.

Mandi, January 31
Apart from star cultural nights featuring Bollywood and Punjabi singers at the Seri Munch for the show, over 215 traditional devtas from different parts of the district will participate in the week-long international Shivratri fair to start here in this temple town from February 13.

As a tradition, the senior most minister from Mandi district Gulab Singh Thakur, who holds PWD portfolio, and Rural Development Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday reviewed all arrangements being made for the festival here at the meeting attended by president of the Shivratri mela committee-cum-Mandi DC Amandeep Garg. They directed the committee to leave no stone unturned to make the festival a hassle-free show.

Thakur directed Mandi SP SM Agnihotri to make proper arrangements for traffic and maintain law and order during the festival. He also asked the mela committee to make proper arrangements for the devis and devtas, the artistes and maintain proper health and hygiene during the mela. Talking to The Tribune after the meeting, Garg said the mela committee had made all arrangements.

“We have invited 215 devis and devtas for the fair, more than 180 have confirmed their participation,” he added.

He said there would be three traditional jalebs of devtas — February 13, 16 and 19 — during the fair.

The main star attraction for the cultural nights would be Bollywood playback singer Mahalakshmi Iyer, who would perform during the inaugural cultural night on February 13, which would be inaugurated by the Chief Minister. Kumar Sanu would perform on February 16.

The cultural nights would also have a laughter show featuring Chacha Raunki Ram with Punjabi singer Jasbir Jassi on February 18. Bhagwant Mann would also be one of the performers, the DC said.

Garg said the state artistes for the cultural nights were yet to be finalised as the mela committee had received more than 200 applications for the show. Chief Minister PK Dhumal will be the chief guest during the inaugural jaleb and the Governor will be the chief guest on the concluding day.

Solan, January 31
The newly formed Mangal Land Losers and Affected Society, constituted to handle transportation work of JP Cement plant at Bagha, has opposed the proposal to allow retired company employees to handle transportation work.

President of the existing Solan District Truck Operators Union Rattan Mishra, who had taken up the issue in support of land losers, said a similar strategy adopted by other cement plant set up in ‘90s by Ambuja Cements Limited had led to plethora of litigation as the company managed to exercise control over the transportation work. Hence, they would oppose this arrangement right from its inception.

JP Cements, which was now initiating its operations at Bagha, would require as many as 2,000 trucks once the plant was fully commissioned. Meanwhile, the initial work would be handled by lesser number of trucks. The plant’s initiation had led to a dispute where truck operators from Bilaspur were also staking claim in the transportation work.

But with the major chunk of 4,500 bighas of land being acquired from Solan district and barely 150 bighas belonging to Bilaspur, truckers opined that they had a larger claim. While the SDTO was ready to give transportation work to the land losers of Bilaspur district who had lost their land for the company and their share would be proportionate to their share of land.

The SDTO also opposed the formation of three more societies at Bilaspur to share the transportation work of JP Cements. The truckers were also peeved at the dictatorial attitude of the Bilaspur truckers, who were demanding a greater share in the transportation work while they had failed to share transportation work with Mandi district when ACC cements began their operations in 1984.

While the initiation of another cement plant had opened avenues for the truckers, yet the dispute arisen over the issue of sharing transportation work would augur some teething problems for the company.