Shimla, March 25
In a significant order the state information commission has ruled that record pertaining to tapping of phones by government agencies cannot be withheld and issued notice to the public information officer (PIO)-cum-under secretary, home, for imposing penalty for delay in supplying the desired information in accordance with the provisions of the Right to Information Act.

In a detailed order the complaint of Sanjay Gupta, an IAS officer, State Information Commissioner S.S.Parmar rejected the plea of the PIO that such information was exempted from “disclosure” under Section 8(1,h). The PIO had miserably failed to provide even an iota of justification or reasons to substantiate his findings that it would “impede the investigation” of criminal case lodged against the complainant. Moreover, the order under the Indian Telegraph Act was to be made by the home secretary prior to the factum of registration of the FIR and how it can impede the investigation by a separate field agency is beyond one’s comprehension. Disclosure under the RTI Act is the rule and denial the exception, he observed.

The RTI Act was a direct descendent of the fundamental rights and the Supreme Court had further held that right to privacy emanated from the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression, embracing in its ambit the right to hold telephonic conversations. More seriously, the procedure under Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act was a result of the directions of the apex court in the interest of transparency and accountability. As such denial of information by the PIO may tantamount to flouting of the mandatory directions of the court.

The order of the PIO suffered serious infirmities being “non-speaking, peremptory and unsubstantiated” and set aside accordingly as bad in law.

Gupta had sought record vide which the security agency made request to secretary, home, for tapping the phone of Ashok Singhal, manager of the public sector country liquor plant at Parwanoo, and the order passed on it. He had also sought the details of the decision of the review committee on the order passed by the secretary and the directions issued to the telecom service provider for intercepting the cell phone of Singhal. The PIO had refused to furnish information on the ground that such record was exempt from disclosure. 

Dharamsala, March 25
Uncertainty over extension of industrial package to Himachal is generating political heat in the state. With less than a week remaining for the package to expire, Minister of Industries Kishan Kapoor has threatened to stage a protest in Delhi to seek an extension.

The minister, while addressing a press conference here today, said he would take along Himachal residents to Delhi to stage the protest. The state government was also considering legal options on the issue, he added.

He also flayed two Congress ministers in the UPA government — Anand Sharma and Virbhadra Singh — for failing to protect the interests of the state. Kapoor said he had met Anand Sharma and the latter had assured him that the package would be extended.

The industrial package had lured 36,300 large, medium and small-scale industrial units to set up base in the state. These units brought in an investment of Rs 8,936 crore and generated employment for about 2,35,113 persons, he added.

The package for the state was initially announced till 2013 by the former NDA government. However, the present UPA government, after coming to power, reduced it till 2010, he alleged.

Talking about achievements of the ruling BJP government, he said it had got sanctioned Rs 84 crore for common affluent treatment plant for industries at Baddi, in-land container depot, workers’ hostel and affected an agreement with GAIL for a gas pipeline in Baddi.

In Kangra district, the Industries Department had decided to create a land bank of 15,000 kanals for any industry willing to come to the state.

The industrial package had helped mushrooming of industry in border areas of the state. It had helped improve the economy of the areas by creating jobs for locals and increasing land prices. However, the package was being opposed tooth and nail by the Punjab and Haryana governments for they felt entrepreneurs of their states were setting up base in Himachal.

In fact, the Chief Ministers of both the states had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to oppose grant of industrial package to Himachal.

Shimla, March 25
With the final decision on the fate of the Himalayan Ski Village (HSV) still pending, the government has agreed to grant a personal hearing to company managing director John Sims and other promoters of the company on April 3.

According to sources, it was almost a month back that promoters of the HSV had approached the Tourism Department to grant them a personal hearing before taking the final decision. The government was yet to take a final decision on the reply filed by the company in response to a show-cause notice issued to them earlier.

It is being expected that it is only after the hearing on April 3 that a decision would be taken by the government on the HSV project which ran into rough weather ever since the BJP assumed power in the state.

The promoters of the HSV had sought certain documents and clarifications from the Tourism Department after filing a reply to the show-cause notice issued to it. “It is on the basis of their request that we have decided to grant them a personal hearing so that they can put forth their views before the government,” confirmed Arun Sharma, director, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

It was on December 7 last year that the cabinet had decided to issue a show-cause notice to the HSV for cancellation of the agreement on certain grounds. It was more than a month later that the Tourism Department actually issued the notice, giving one month’s time to the HSV to file its reply.

The department, after deliberations with the Law Department, had made absence of the environment clearance, either from the Centre or Himachal in its Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report, as the main issue.

Besides this, opposition to the project by the local community on grounds of losing their traditional grazing and other rights, pollution of water sources and vitiating of their socio-cultural life, was also highlighted.

It was in June, 2006, that the implementation agreement (IA) for the much-publicised project was signed during the Congress regime. The Tourism Department had pointed out that since the detailed project report (DPR) was sans the IA report, it was an incomplete document.

Mandi, March 25
Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh alleged that Chief Minister PK Dhumal and his team of ministers were targeting Congress men out of political vendetta and were blaming the UPA government for their own failures to check the prices in the state.

Addressing public meetings at Janjheli in Chachiot and Karsog, Virbhadra said instead of taking concrete steps to check the price rise and to plead its case before the Centre for extension of industrial package, the Dhumal government was blaming the UPA regime for its failures on all fronts.

He said the Congress had always stood for politics of ethics, positive development and maintained high ethical standards. However, Dhumal was indulging in political vendetta which, in turn, was vitiating political atmosphere in the state.

The Mandi MP claimed that the Congress was the main force behind the development of the state while the present regime was taking credit for it.

Speaking on the occasion, Chachiot leader Vir Singh Chauhan urged the Union minister to declare the Mandi-Janjheli-Rampur road a national highway. He also urged the minister to declare Bali Chokwi as a separate block as people of the tehsil had to travel 90 km to reach Gohar, the subdivisional headquaters. Thunag should be linked to Thata as it would cut down the distance to just 15 km, he said.

“For development of tourism, the government should construct a helipad and tourist huts at Shatadhar, the highest point in the valley,” he demanded.

Congress leaders accused the present government of ignoring Karsog and asked Virbhadra to take up the proposal to declare the Mandi-Karsog road and Karsog-Shimla road as highways so that its vast tourism potential is explored.

Virbhadra assured them that he would take up the matter with the ministry concerned.

Prominent Congress leaders Rangila Ram Rao, Tek Chand Dogra, Parkash Chaudhary and district president Puran Chand also accompanied Mandi MP at Janjheli rally.

Shimla, March 25
With the final decision on the fate of the Himalayan Ski Village (HSV) still pending, the government has agreed to grant a personal hearing to company managing director John Sims and other promoters of the company on April 3.

According to sources, it was almost a month back that promoters of the HSV had approached the Tourism Department to grant them a personal hearing before taking the final decision. The government was yet to take a final decision on the reply filed by the company in response to a show-cause notice issued to them earlier.

It is being expected that it is only after the hearing on April 3 that a decision would be taken by the government on the HSV project which ran into rough weather ever since the BJP assumed power.

The promoters of the HSV had sought certain documents and clarifications from the Tourism Department after filing a reply to the show-cause notice issued to it. “It is on the basis of their request that we have decided to grant them a personal hearing so that they can put forth their views before the government,” confirmed Arun Sharma, director, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

On December 7 the cabinet had decided to issue a show-cause notice to the HSV for cancellation of the agreement on certain grounds. But more than a month later the department actually issued the notice, giving one month’s time to the HSV to file its reply.

Shimla, March 25
Power supply to the town remained disrupted for the second consecutive day today as efforts to replace the burnt current transformer by the staff of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) at Jutog did not succeed.

Power supply to most parts of the town, though improved, remained erratic throughout the day, thereby causing discomfort to residents.

Attempts by the HPSEB authorities to replace the transformer by getting another one from Kunihar yesterday and one from Solan today failed to pay off.

As such, it could take some more time before normal power supply could be restored in the capital town. Work in most government and private offices suffered due to repeated shut down by the HPSEB.

Shimla, March 25
The HP High Court today granted anticipatory bail to IAS officer Subhash Ahluwalia and his wife Meera Ahluwalia in the Rs 8 lakh cash case, where an attempt was made to influence Ashok Mittal, a complainant in the infamous BS Thind case.

The bail was granted by Justice Surinder Singh on the bail applications filed by Subhash Ahluwalia, private secretary to former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

It was alleged by the persecution that the couple had handed over Rs 8 lakh cash to one Ram Vilas Gupta which was supposed to be given to Ashok Mittal.

It was further alleged since the cash was being handed over to prevail upon Mittal to deny his statement given by him earlier before the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, it had given an edge to the police.

Shimla, March 25
It was on the basis of the recording made by the close circuit camera of Punjab National Bank (PNB) in Ghora Chowki area that the police today arrested a person who had attempted to break open the chest last year.

SSP RM Sharma said it was on the basis of the pictures captured in the camera that help of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Chandigarh, was sought. A person, Hem Raj of Sanol village near Ghannati, was today arrested in connection with the theft attempt.

“We sent the photographs of all suspects whom we thought could be behind the theft attempt and the CFSL report confirmed that it was Hem Raj who tried to break open the chest even though unsuccessfully,” said Sharma.

It was in August, 2009, that Hem Raj had tried to loot the PNB branch. — TNS