Dharamsala, February 22
A section of aware citizens are abusing the dowry and Domestic Violence Act. They are using their awareness to settle scores with the in-laws. These views were expressed by chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Women’s Commission, Ambika Sood.

While talking to The Tribune here today, she said in the past one year, she had settled over 300 cases through the state women’s commission.

“In some cases, I felt that even women were exploiting the legal protection given to them. Legal provisions should be invoked only in genuine cases. In such cases, we try to persuade and counsel them into settling the disputes through consent. However, in case they do not agree, the parties are free to go to the court,” she said.

She said, however, the number of dowry dispute cases in the state was quite low as compared to the other states. In Himachal, awareness regarding the Domestic Violence Act, which is comparatively a new legal provision, is increasing.

The women’s commission is receiving increased number of complaints under the Domestic Violence Act, she added.

The women in the state, especially from the poorer sections, are finding the commission more cost- effective and easy platform to resolve their domestic problems rather than going to the police. However, lack of judicial power with the women commissions to give direct punishment sometimes acts as a bottleneck.

Women commissions in the country do not have any power but for summoning the accused through the police. “In my personal opinion, the commissions should be given some power to impart direct punishment or fine to make them more effective for solving the problems of women,” she said.

She further said the commission had issued directions to all government departments to form committees to check abuse against women at workplaces. Many of the departments have abided by the direction and formed the committees. Till date in Himachal, the commission has not received any complaint of abuse at workplace.

She said she had surveyed various jails in the state. None of the women prisoners had lodged any complaint. However, the commission has received complaints regarding girl child abuse from ‘Bal Ashrams’. The commission would recommend strict action against the culprits in such cases, she said.

There were 514 cases pending before the commission in 2009. However, in the past one year, 303 cases have been settled. About 207 cases are still pending.

She will be listening complaints of women in the Kangra district tomorrow.

Bilaspur, February 22
The World Bank financed Mid-Himalayan Watershed Development Project, which is being implemented in 602 gram panchayats of 10 districts in the state with active cooperation of villagers for uplift of their economy, has proved beneficial in solving 
various problems of the agrarian economy the state.

Deputy Commissioner Nandita Gupta said this while presiding over “Meet the Press” programme at the Circuit House here today.

She said the project had proved a boon for farmers of the Changar area of the district where under the project 17 rainwater harvesting tanks were being constructed, which would save them from shifting along with their cattle to river-sides during summer months.

Giving details of the project, AK Anand and Kishore Kumar, divisional watershed development officers posted at Suharghat and Namhole project divisions, respectively, said the project involved an expenditure of Rs 365 crore for reducing ill-effects of adverse environment changes by construction of rainwater harvesting reservoirs, raising production capacity of the land and strengthening economy of farmers by all means while also providing employment avenues to poor farmers.

A total of Rs 7.96 crore are being spent in the district during the current financial year with active participation and association of the gram panchayats and even beneficiary individuals in 43 gram panchayats of Namhole division and 31 gram panchayats of Suharghat division. The activities taken in hand include afforestation with community participation, soil conservation, channelisation, path making, water management and conservation by all means, land development, animal wealth health care and fodder production etc.

Nurpur, February 22
Timely intervention by the police and administration today foiled a bid by Om Parkash, son of Hari Chand of Chhatar Jogian gram panchayat, to self-immolate in this subdivision. He had given an ultimatum to the district and local administration a month ago. The SDM and DSP persuaded him to desist from taking extreme step and assured him justice.

According to information, Om Parkash had complained against the gram panchayat pradhan and ward member for their alleged involvement in the embezzlement of funds utilised under NREGA in the construction of village path in the gram panchayat during 2007-08. The local Block Development Officer had also conducted an inquiry and found embezzlement of funds.

Om Parkash had revolted against the alleged irregularities and embezzlement of funds and sought action against the erring panchayat representatives.

When he failed to get any response, he last month announced to self-immolate in front of office of the Nurpur SDM on February 22.

Following his written complaint, the police swung into action and lodged a case of forgery under Section 420 of the IPC. According to the police, action will be taken in the matter after thorough inquiry into his allegation.

Meanwhile, SDM IS Bhardwaj told The Tribune that the Nurpur BDO had also been directed to conduct an inquiry into alleged embezzlement of NREGA funds.

Palampur, February 22
Traffic jams in the town have become a regular feature with the situation turning from bad to worse. Thanks to the apathy of the local administration who is not bothered about the problems being faced by the residents here.

Despite the fact that the Kalu-Di Hatti-Holta bypass is operational and has been converted into a double lane by the national highway authority, still the major influx of traffic, including heavy vehicles and long route buses, comes via Palampur town, where the narrow Pathankot-Mandi National Highway has become a major traffic hazard.

Earlier the administration diverted all heavy vehicles via Kalu-Di-Hatti bypass. However, today none in the administration is bothered to regulate the traffic of the town as all heavy vehicles are again entering in the town.

Besides, heavy vehicles are daily seen unloading goods in front of shops causing frequent traffic jams.

There has been manifold increase in the number of heavy and light vehicles in the town with over 200 vehicles added every month. However, width of most of the roads are the same as it was 25 years back.

During peak hours, commuters have to wait endlessly due to traffic jams at one place or the other.

Increasing political interference in the functioning of the police has made the matter worse. Decision of the local municipal council to allow fruit and vegetable vendors to set up their stalls on the national highway near the bus stand has further aggravated the situation as it has become an accident-prone area.

Bilaspur, February 22
Dr A Prabhaharan, research director of a world movement called “Students for Harmony”, is here in the district for propagation and is ensuring maximum participation of students in his social and cultural crusade, which he calls as essential for solving all ills of various communities and countries. He would interact with students at Swami Vivekananda Government Degree College at Ghumarwin tomorrow.

Talking to mediapersons at the Circuit House here today, Prabhaharan said his “vishva andolan” was committed to change through peace by involving students who had been proving an effective instrument in the social change of bringing all nations and people together by making them understand futility of all violent controversies.

He said nothing was more effective than a convinced student determined to bring home to the masses that peace was the soul of all development and message of “brotherhood of humanity” was the hallmark of progress and happiness.

Prabhaharan said the movement had been operating since the past 15 years and it had now spread among students of 15 countries. Social and cultural harmony is the main aim which is better achieved through cultural exchanges, social interaction and considerate understanding of others point of view without entertaining any acrimony, he added.

Shimla, February 22
In a rebuff to the state electricity board for “persistent non-compliance” of its directions, the state electricity regulatory commission has refused to admit the tariff petition for the year 2010 and directed it to file an affidavit showing the latest status of compliance in respect of directions as well as the updated status on utilisation of capital expenditure.

Expressing anguish and total dissatisfaction over the status of compliance of directions submitted by the board with the petition, the commission reiterated that the tariff approved for the licencee and the directions issued, as contained in the last tariff order, were a quid pro quo and mutually inclusive. The board had been availing the benefits of the approved tariffs without bothering much about complying with the directions contained in the tariff order.

The commission directed that after filing an affidavit the Whole Time Members (WTM) of the board should discuss it with the commission.

Several important directions pertaining to segregation of accounts of generation, transmission and distribution, implementation of public interaction programme, valuation of assets, capital works in progress, debt sustainability, manpower planning, determination of generation tariffs of board’s own projects, energy audit and implementation of AMR, to name a few, were still to be effectively complied with.

Further, the board had slipped badly in the utilisation of the capital investment approved for the MYT (multi-year tariff) period. The commission decided to monitor the information to be submitted by the board on the prescribed formats annexed to the tariff order on a regular basis.

The consumer representative also pointed out that the board had been very casual in complying with the directions over the past several years and it was time it showed some seriousness in implementing the directions issued by the commission.

The board has projected an aggregate revenue requirement (ARR) of Rs 2,872 crore for 2010-11 as against the expenditure of Rs 2,340 crore approved by the commission for the current financial year. The average tariff will shoot up from Rs 3.60 to Rs 4.49 per unit if the ARR is approved as it is. Even if the commission goes by its multi-year tariff scheme, which projects the requirement at Rs 2,750 crore, the tariff will work out to Rs 4.29 per unit.

Shimla, February 22
Reiterating the demand for expediting work on the ongoing railway projects, Chief Minister PK Dhumal has urged the Centre to implement the Manali-Leh rail project on priority in view of its strategic importance.

He lamented that the hill state had been given a raw deal by the Ministry of Railways as a result of which there had been little expansion of the rail network since Independence.

Work on the Nangal-Talwara track was started in 1971 but it was still awaiting completion. Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh had announced that it would be completed by the end of 2008, but the pace at which work had been progressing, it would take several more years, he said.

Similarly, the Bhnaupali-Beri rail project had also not taken off on the ground. The state government had earmarked Rs 37 crore for the project last year and Rs 25 crore in the current year. However, the work had not started.

He said he had already met Union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee and urged her to ensure that the work got underway on the project without any further delay.

He claimed that private companies were willing to implement the Manali-Leh project and if the government was not in a position to execute it, go-ahead should be given to the private sector.

The Chandigarh-Baddi rail line project had run into rough weather due to non-availability of land. The Chandigarh administration had said that an IT park had come up on the land and it could not be given for laying the trial track. Alternative proposal to link Baddi by constructing a link from Kalka to Ghanoli was being considered. He urged the government to take a prompt action in the matter so that the biggest industrial hub of the region got much-needed rail connectivity.

Shimla, February 22
The Himachal government has urged the Centre to set up an apple processing plant at Pragatinagar in Kotkhai through the state nodal agency, HPMC .

Horticulture Minister Narinder Bragta called on Union Minister for Food Processing Industries at New Delhi today and took up the matter with him. He said the proposed plant, with a capacity to process 20,000 tonnes of apple, would cost Rs 25 crore.

He informed the minister that at present the state produced 6 to 7 lakh tonnes of fruit annually and besides apple, stone fruits and hill fruits like peach, plum, apricots were also produced. Despite heavy demand of fruits in the open markets, the culled fruit, which accounted for about 25 to 30 per cent of the total production, did not find a ready market and needed to be processed into value added products.

He said fruit processing industries needed to be encouraged in the state and added that the existing processing unit, which was established in 1980, was not sufficient to process the increasing produce. Besides, the existing plant had become obsolete and needed immediate replacement, he added.

He requested that the state be given special assistance on the pattern of north eastern states for establishing fruit processing plant under the cold chain scheme.

He urged that a grant of Rs 10 crore be given to the state immediately.

The Union Minister appreciated the steps taken for the welfare of the fruit growers by the state government and said the Centre would provide all possible help for establishing the plant at Pragati Nagar.

Bilaspur, February 22
The state government is making all efforts to keep a check on prices of essential commodities. A total of 4,14,565 consumers are being provided cheaper rations through 198 ration depots spread in all nook and corners of the district.

Presiding over district-level supplies and prices control review committee meeting here recently, Additional District Magistrate BR Kaundal said essential commodities worth Rs 20.47 crore had been sold to consumers in this district on cheaper prices during September to January through 94,847 ration cards.

Kaundal asked officers concerned to ensure that the LPG cooking gas cylinders were not misused by the commercial establishments and dhabas etc. and within the limits of the availability of these cylinders, fair distribution was ensured to the consumers despite paucity of the gas.

He said officers of the department raided 332 business premises and shops during this period and a spot-fine of Rs 26,969 was charged from some violators, while 17 shopkeepers were served show cause notices and a case had been referred to the police.

Shimla, February 22
Himachal will seek funds from the World Bank (WB) to develop its own model for environmentally sustainable development of the Himalayan region and extension of the ongoing mid-Himalayan watershed project to at least 2,500 panchayats.

Stating this on his return from Costa Rica, considered a role model for green initiatives, Chief Minister PK Dhumal said the small country inCentral America haddone exceedingly well on the environment front but its model could not be replicated in Himachal because the topography, climate, soil, availability of private land for afforestation and other resources were totally different. It was located on the equator and had very fertile soil, which made afforestation quite easy, whereas the hill state had vast stretches of precipitous, rocky, high mountain terrain where not even a blade of grass could be grown.

As such, Costa Rica model could not be replicated and a different model would have to be evolved for the Himalayan region.

Costa Rica had suffered extreme degradation due to large-scale deforestation and its green cover came down to just 21 per cent in 1987. Realising the gravity of situation, the government took several initiatives to preserve and expand the forest cover as a result of which the effective forest area has again increased to 51 per cent.

Some of its concepts like payment of environment services could be put into practice.

The state government would formulate a detailed project to secure programmatic development policy loan of $450 million from the World Bank regarding which he had discussions with the bank authorities in Washington. A master plan for environment was already being prepared.

The government was also keen to see that the Rs 365-crore mid-Himalayan project, under which 602 panchayats were being covered, was extended to at least 2,500 panchayats out of the total 3,243 panchayats in the state. The government will formulate a project for the purpose to seek $500 million funding from the bank.

Bilaspur, February 22
One person was killed on the spot and two others were seriously injured as an Alto car (HP-23 B-2440) fell about 15 feet down in the grain field at Naswaal village near Ghumarwin last night. The injured were first rushed to Ghumarwin civil hospital and then to the regional hospital here.

Those injured are Amin Chand, son of Bardu Ram of Palasala village and Shiv Kumar, son of Munshi Ram of Kularu village near Ghumarwin.

The police has registered a case and is investigating the cause of the accident.