Shimla, April 28
Chief Minister PK Dhumal has urged the Centre to start special funding to create new transmission assets to enable evacuation of power at reasonable rates.

Speaking in Power Ministers’ Conference in New Delhi today, he said the government had formulated a Rs 4,500-crore master plan for expansion of the transmission network for evacuation of power from various big and small projects coming up in the state.

He said the government would set up a pithead-based captive thermal plant in West Bengal to bridge the winter shortfall when hydroelectric generation falls due to reduction in discharge. The gap of supply and demand during winter is likely to touch 800 MW in coming years. He urged the Centre to enhance the allocation of power from ultra mega power projects to the state from the present 145 MW to 400 MW keeping in view the enhanced energy requirements.

He said projects worth Rs 118.75 crore were being executed under Accelerated Power Development Reform Programme (APDRP) and proposals worth Rs 92 crore had been submitted to the Power Finance Corporation for undertaking IT-related projects under the scheme. He said all major urban locations and high intensity electricity consumption areas had been covered under the APDRP scheme in the state.

Dhumal pleaded that all hydroelectric projects, irrespective of their date of commissioning, should provide 1 per cent free power for Local Area Development and called for appropriate action under the National Hydro Policy in this regard.

He demanded that states should be empowered to give techno-economic clearance for projects costing up to Rs 2,500 crore and reiterated the demand for 12 per cent free power from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

He said 600MW additional capacity would be created with the commissioning of the Allain Duhangan, Malana-II, Budhil, Chamera-III and some mini and micro hydroelectric projects during the current financial year. The 1000 MW Karcham Wangtoo project was also likely be commissioned in the current financial year. An additional 3,200 MW capacity would be added by the end of 2011-12 and the target was to have 17,000 MW of installed capacity by the end of the 12th plan.

New Delhi, April 28
Himachal Pradesh today told the Supreme Court that the Centre was siding with Punjab and Haryana in the matter of allocating electricity from the Bhakra and Beas projects, ignoring the mountain state’s claim to its legitimate share.

Arguing for the state, senior counsel JS Attri and AK Ganguly said HP had been denied of its right to 12 per cent of free power from the hydel projects on the basis of their location within the state, 7.19 per cent proportionate to the population and 2.5 per cent under the sharing of the assets and liabilities of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB).

Appearing before a Bench headed by Justice RV Raveendran, they said the development of the state had been stunted due to several reasons, including non-allocation of free power, other due share of electricity and the indifferent attitude of the Centre.

Industrialisation implied tampering with the forest cover but Supreme Court restrictions prevented that. Finances could be augmented only if there was industrialisation.

Unfortunately, the Centre was also not cooperating with the state and had rather sided with Punjab and Haryana. To this, Additional Solicitor General Mohan Jain said the Centre was prepared to implement any order the court passed in the matter of power allocation on the basis of population.

The Centre has, however, filed an affidavit in the court earlier, sticking to the stand that HP was not entitled to 12 per cent free power as the projects were not that of the central government. Also, this entitlement was applicable only to those projects which were commissioned after September 7, 1990.

According to HP, it is getting only 2.5 per cent of free power from the Bhakra project and 15 MW from the Beas project. Communication between the Centre and HP on various occasions clearly showed that the existing arrangement was only temporary.

Shimla, April 28
The state government proposes to hike the charges for land provided on the lease basis substantially through linkage with market value.

The Cabinet Sub-Committee, constituted under the chairmanship of Revenue Minister Gulab Singh to study the proposed amendment to Himachal Pradesh Lease Rules-1993, which met here today to finalise its recommendations, proposed to link the lease charges with the market value of the land.

Accordingly, the companies willing to set up hydel projects, tourism units or industrial establishments in the state would be provided land on lease at the rate of 18 per cent of the latest highest market value of the land leased or double the average market value of five years, whichever is higher.

Gulab Singh said land would be leased to societies of any charitable, literary and scientific purpose registered under the Societies Registration Act at the rate of 8 per cent of the latest highest market value of the land leased or double the average market value of five year whichever was less. For the promotion of sports activities by the registered bodies, land would be leased at the rate of 8 per cent of the latest highest market value of the land leased or double the average market value of five years.

In case of ex-servicemen, war widows, IRDP families, the unemployed youth and disabled persons, land for setting up of petrol pump and other self-employment ventures would be charged at the rate 5 per cent of the latest highest market value of the land leases or double the average market value of five years.

He said to ensure the optimum use of land, the lessee would have to submit an affidavit in support of use of land for the purpose it had been leased. If the lessee failed to take possession of the land within six months of the execution of the lease, it would be cancelled, he said.

In no case, the possession of the land would be handed over without execution of the lease deed. No government land would be granted where suitable private land was readily available for the purpose for which the lease had been applied.

Further, to ensure complete transparency in providing land on lease, the proclamation would have to be published in two widely circulated local newspapers and pasted at a place in vicinity of the land. After publication, a copy would have to be pasted at the offices of the collector and the tehsil concerned, he said. 

Dharamsala, April 28
The 40-year ordeal of a Pong Dam oustee to get justice in his own state has finally come to end. The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ordered the secretary, revenue, HP, to issue him the eligibility certificate within two weeks. It has also ordered the state government to file a detailed affidavit within two weeks, stating that the eligibility certificate and other related papers have been sent to the Rajasthan Government.

With the eligibility certificate, Ashwani Sharma can now apply to the Rajasthan Government for allotment of land in lieu of his land acquired for the construction of Pong Dam in 1960s.

A relieved Ashwani Sharma, who is now in late sixties, while talking to The Tribune, said his 242.8 kanal land was acquired on March 13, 1961, for the construction of the Pong. The entire land was acquired for the purpose and he was virtually rendered landless and homeless. Since then, he had been trying to get land that was allotted to Pong Dam oustees in Ganganagar district of Rajasthan.

The Himachal Government, in its own affidavit in the court, has admitted that he had submitted his application for the eligibility certificate and allotment of land on May 26, 1970, along with other 509 families. While the names of other families were sent to the Rajasthan Government in 1972, the then officials of the Himachal Government did not recommend his name for allotment.

Ashwani Sharma said that he had run from pillar to post and held talks with the authority of the Himachal Government to get his due. However, when all channels exhausted, he was forced to move a writ petition in the Himachal High Court in 2007.

He also said though he had just won a part of battle in more than half of his life time, the struggle to get the land allotted from the Rajasthan Government lay ahead.

The Rajasthan Government has not allotted 1,100 hectare land that was earmarked, especially for the Pong Dam oustees as per a Supreme Court order issued in 1996. Most of the irrigated lands earmarked for the Pong Dam oustees have been encroached upon by locals or influential land lords.

“The Rajasthan Government has recently offered barren land in Bikaner district to the Pong Dam oustees. They have, however, refused to take land in the area. I will at least now join the league of oustees, who have been issued the eligibility certificates but have not been given land” said he.

“However, my grudge remains with the parent state, Himachal, that it made me wait for 40 years to issue to eligibility certificate”, Ashwani said.

Hamirpur, April 28
Though the state government has started the process of seeking options from the agriculture extension officers (AEO) working on contract for new pay scales, delay in renewal of their contracts have left many of them without salaries for months.

In some districts the renewal process had not been completed even after four months and a large number of AEOs have not been paid salary till completion of the process.

The state government had appointed 240 AEOs in the Agriculture Department in various parts of the state sometime back on contract basis.

According to the policy of the state government, the contracts of the AEOs are to be renewed every year on existing terms and conditions. However, the Agriculture Department has undertaken the process to renew the contracts this year too through disbursing and drawing officers (DDOs) at district-level.

However, this contract renewal process in case of many AEOs has not been completed even after four months resulting into non-payment of their salaries since expiry of the last renewal.

Ruing delay in non-payment of their salaries, an AEO said, “We have been working on meagre salaries and delay in contract renewal process has left us without salaries for many months making it difficult to meet the needs for our families.”

For this delay, while the Agriculture Department is holding the AEOs responsible for not giving their options in time, the AEOs are blaming few DDOs for delaying their files.

Additional director of the Agriculture Department HR Sharma said, “The contract renewal process is a routine one but this year we have sought options for giving new pay scales after pay revision to AEOs along with contract renewal and many of them have not given this option which is causing delay; otherwise there is no delay on our part in renewing their contracts.”

Kangra, April 28
Rains lashed Kangra this evening and dropped the temperature considerably, gaving residents a respite from the scorching heat.

The valley had been reeling under heat-wave conditions and the maximum temperature had been 8 to 10 degree above normal in April and the minimum temperature too had been remaining 6 degrees above the normal. The day was very hot this morning, but at 6 pm it rained. — OC

Palampur, April 28
A salesman of the Rakh Agricultural Service Cooperative Society in this subdivision has been fined Rs 74,000 by the State Food and Supply Department for irregularities committed in the sales of foodgrains.

A high-level team of the department had inspected the society’s record and godown and found that rice meant for supply on subsidised rates to consumers to be short by 4.2 tonnes.

Joint Director, Food and Supply (north zone), Som Dev Thakur said he had received complaints that the society was selling rice meant under the PDS to non-eligible consumers, thereafter, a team was constituted to investigate into the matter.

During investigation, number of irregularities were found and rice over 4.2 tonnes was short in the godown, which was a serious matter. Therefore, action was taken against the culprit salesman and he was fined Rs 74,000. The Cooperative Department would also initiate departmental action against the salesman separately.

He said alternative arrangements had been made for the supply of consumer goods in the area to avoid inconvenience to ration-card holders.

Solan, April 28
Known for wit, humour and acting prowess, actor Jaspal Bhatti took forward his mission to fight growing drug and liquor addiction in North India by staging a lively street play, “Thekeon Theke” here last evening.

The students of his Mad Arts Film School were at their hilarious best while staging this play penned down by Bhatti. The play which has hit the streets of various towns and cities of Haryana, Himachal and Punjab managed to establish an instant cord with the audience as it showcased how the entire region would soon be drowned in the wave of drug and liquor addiction if allowed to proliferate unchecked.

Drawing huge applause from the audience who clapped in response when the two students posing as drunkards merrily sang, “Theke khul gaye ne tha tha te….ghar ja ke ki karma biwi kardi hai kan kan ve….”

Bhatti through his famous comic style managed to portray with ease the deep-rooted nexus of politicians, smugglers and the police which led to thriving of this social menace.

Directed by Anoop Sharma, Dean and Acting Faculty, Mad Arts, the team of performers comprised Narinder, Himank, Davinder, Harjot, Gursewak and Amrinder. They were aptly lent company on dholki and chimta by Charvi and Channa.

The school endeavours to stage this show all over Himachal so as to disseminate the message of curbing addiction before it was too late. The school has already performed in Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Abohar, Sriganganagar, Barnala, Mohali and Kharar. 

Bilaspur, April 28
Giving a new and practical meaning to the second phase of the statewide “Polythene Hatao-Paryavaran Bachao” campaign, Deputy Commissioner Nandita Gupta along with all district officials and staff of the offices located in the DC’s office complex today collected littered polythene and plastic waste, filled the pits and ensured removal of all types of garbage on the premises.

Eye witnesses said it was an experience to see these officials, Additional District Magistrate BR Kaundal, SDM Vinay Singh Thakur, Assistant Commissioner Kumud Singh, district public relations officer Amar Singh Thakur, District Industries Centre general manager Chand Sharma, district language officer Anita Sharma, regional transport officer Rakesh Varma and officials of the district Election and Revenue Departments etc, doing the job of cleaning and collecting garbage.

Shimla, April 28
The traditional institution of “rakha” in forest management will soon pass into history with the government deciding to bring a legislation to do away with the system.

“Rakhas”, who functioned as village forest guards, was one of the four institutions of pre-Independence era along with patwari, khewatdar and lumberdar prevalent under the practice of ‘Haq-Chuharam’. All these village-level functionaries were entitled to a fixed share in the forest produce in lieu of services rendered by them. After Independence the services of patwaris were taken over and they became government employees. The category of khewatdars also became extinct with the enforcement of Himachal Pradesh Village Common Lands Vesting and Utilisation Act in 1974. The lumberdars, who were also affected by the law, moved court which directed the government to frame a policy.

The rakhas somehow survived all these years even after the advent of modern forest management system and constitution of village forest committees under joint management. The responsibility was passed on in the family from one generation to the next. Though the system had been prevalent for a long time, it was documented in the 1872 forest settlement. With regular forest guards in place they only served as helpers to them.

There are still about 300 rakhas in forest divisions of Dehra, Nurpur, Hamirpur and Dharamsala who got substantial amount as share till a moratorium was imposed on green felling in 1984. Thereafter, their income shrunk drastically and the aggregate amount came down to around Rs 12 lakh annually.

The government wanted to frame a policy to abolish the practice but the Law Department advised enactment of a law. It gave the opinion that it was not a fundamental or legal right but a traditional right which could be extinguished by legislation and not a policy.

After abolition of the institution of rakhas, the forests will be managed by the village committees constituted under the joint forest management programme.