Shimla, July 19
The state Cabinet today gave nod to advertising 18 hydroelectric projects with an aggregate generation capacity of 1,357.5 MW, including three self-identified projects, under the revised policy.

The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister PK Dhumal here today also approved the revised bid document and notice inviting proposals for projects above 5 MW. The projects approved for advertising included Suil (13 MW), Kilhi-Bahl (7.5 MW), Cho Tundah (9 MW), Danchho (12 MW), Dugar (236 MW), Purthi (300 MW), Tingret (81 MW), Lara Sumta (104 MW), Rashil (102 MW), Tandi (104 MW), Patam (60 MW), Sumte Kothang (130 MW), Teiling (94 MW) and Shangling (44 MW).

The three self-identified projects---Jobrie (12 MW), Nesang (10 MW) and Malana-III (30 MW) will also be advertised and the parties which identify the project will also be required to participate in the bid. However, they will have to match with the highest quote in case their offer fall within 70 per cent of the highest bidder to avail preferential right over the respective identified projects.

The Cabinet also decided to introduce the Chief Minister’s Rainwater Harvesting Award’ to motivate non-government organisations, gram panchayats, urban local bodies, institutions, corporate sector and individuals to adopt innovative practices for groundwater recharge programme, rooftop rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge. The first prize will carry a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh and second prize of Rs 75,000. There will be two third prizes of Rs 50,000 each. Besides, three awards of Rs 25,000 each will be given at zonal level. It decided to constitute a committee under the chairmanship of Education Minister ID Dhiman with Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta, Health Minister Rajiv Bindal, Officer on Special Duty Rajwant Sandhu, Additional Chief Secretary Avay Shukla, Principal Secretary (Finance), Ajay Tyagi and Principal Secretary (Health), PC Dhiman as members.

Principal Secretary (Education), Srikant Baldi, will be the member secretary. The committee will make its recommendations on the draft of the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions (Regulatory Commission) Bill, 2010, by the first week of August. It granted permission for recruitment of 39 block engineers, approved regularisation of 16 vidya upasaks of Karsog block and sanctioned seven vehicles for the additional district and session judges in different districts.

Shimla, July 19
Even as there is a buzz about a few more IAS, IPS, IFS and state administrative officers being on the radar of the government for non-performance and corruption, certain high-ranking officials have objected to their names being put on the officers with doubtful integrity (ODI) list by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Following representation by a few senior officers, including bureaucrats and revenue officials, the Vigilance Bureau has removed part II and III of the list which have names of officers facing inquiries and those having a tainted image.

Now, the ODI list in its part I has only names of those officers who have either been convicted by court, charge sheeted or charges confirmed by their parent departments. The ODI list, in its part III, has names of almost 100 officers, including IAS, IPS, IFS, HAS and other senior functionaries, mainly from the PWD, Revenue, Health and Excise and Taxation departments.

The ODI list, which had earlier been put on the website of the police department, now shows only part I.

Following compulsory retirement of two IAS officers--- Desh Deepak and Vijender Kumar---by the government last week, there is a talk about a few other officers facing the music along similar lines.

“Since judicial proceedings or departmental inquiry has still not concluded against these officials, we thought it would not be judicious to put them on public domain by way of the website,” said DGP DS Manhas.

He confirmed that representations had been received by a few officers having objection to their names being part of the ODI list.

Even though the ODI list is prepared on the directives of the Central Vigilance Commission, many of these officers find favour with regard to plum postings, including being posted as DCs and S P.

Notwithstanding clear directions of the CVC that officers whose name figure in the ODI should ideally not be given important public dealing postings, several bureaucrats and other seniors in various departments in Himachal still continue to hold important positions.

Mandi, July 19
Parents and relatives of over 135 patients, most of them children and women, who fell ill following food poisoning at Kamand mela near Rohanda, raised slogans in protest as there was no doctor at the Rohanda community health centre last evening to attend them.

Over 11 patients, 10 of them children, are still recovering at Mandi zonal hospital.

The villagers raised slogans against the Rohanda block medical officer (BMO) and Sundernagar MLA Roop Singh Thakur who reached Rohanda around 10 pm along with a team of doctors from Sundernagar.

According to villagers, children started vomitting after they had “stale” chana-potato and ice cream being sold at the fair near Rohanda. They were rushed to the CHC at around 4.30 pm. However, there was just one pharmacist at the centre, the patients alleged.

Till 9.30 pm, no doctor turned up at the centre and the lone pharmacist handled patients who started pouring in from surrounding areas of Rohanda, Nieri, Dundwala, Kouri Kothi and other villages.

The incident has highlighted the genuine demand of villagers for proper staff and doctors at the Rohanda CHC.

Shimla, July 19
Apple season has taken off on a dismal note for growers even as the state is set to reap a record harvest of over 3 crore boxes. The bumper crop has only added to their woes as the hail-spoilt fruit has failed to fetch due returns.

Harvesting has picked up over the past one week and yesterday over 300 trucks left the state for various markets.

On an average, over 1.50 lakh standard boxes are being transported out everyday. However, prices in the Delhi market, where over 60 per cent of produce is disposed of, have been disappointing from the day one.

For instance, the superior grade of royal delicious variety is fetching only around Rs 1,100 as against Rs 1,800 per box last year. Similarly, rich-a-red is being sold at Rs 1,000 per box as against Rs 1,600 per box last year.

The relatively inferior varieties like tideman and red gold are fetching around only Rs 500 per box, almost half the last year’s rate. The reasons are not far to seek. The market has been flooded with fruit at the outset and already over 12 lakh boxes have been sent out till yesterday as compared to 33,220 boxes last year when the state had a lean crop with production falling to 1.40 crore boxes from 2.56 crore boxes in 2008.

Lower areas, which are not known for high-quality apple, are having a good harvest almost after a decade but the downtrend in the market is not helping their cause. Further, the hike in prices of cartons and freight charges had increased the cost of marketing by Rs 20 to Rs 25 per box, which will further bring down net returns. Experts have advised growers not to harvest crop in haste and wait for rains to help increase the size and colour.

The government agencies have, so far, not started procuring fruit under the market intervention scheme as collection centres will become functional only from July 20. They will have to work overtime as the total procurement under the market intervention scheme, given the poor quality of fruit, may cross the 50,000 tonnes mark. Last year only 950 tonnes was procured as the low return ensured that prices remained high all through the season.

However, this year even bulk procurement of fruit is not likely to help much in maintaining market prices due to large arrivals.

Shimla, July 19
The union ministry of road transport and highways has sanctioned Rs 145.72 crore for strengthening existing carriageways on two major national highways.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said here today that union minister Kamal Nath had through a letter informed the government that Rs 19.61 crore had been sanctioned for widening of the Paonta Sahib-Yamuna Bridge section of the National Highway-72. The Rani Taal-Kangra Railway Overbridge section and Kangra bypass-Matour section would be widened and strengthened from intermediate lane carriageway with geometric improvement to double lane carriageway at a cost of Rs 55.15 crore and the Nadaun Bridge to Rani Taal portion would also be widened and strengthened to double lane at a cost of Rs 70.96 crore on National Highway-88. In all 89 km of road length on the two highways would be improved and strengthened.

The Chief Minister said the ministry had recently sanctioned five more national highways,Tara Devi-Jubbar Hatti - Kunihar-Ramshehar-Nalagarh-Ghanauli of 106.4 km, Hamirpur-Sujanpur-Palampur - 59.77 km, Bharmour -Dalhousie-Pathankot - 133 km, Chandigarh (PGI) - Baddi - Pokhran (Punjab) - Nalagarh - Rahshehar - Arki - Shalaghat - 83.90 km and Brahmpukhar - Bilaspur - Ghumarwin - Sarkaghat - lad Bharol - Baijnath - 111.80 km.

In addition to the national highways the union ministry had agreed to construct a 1.7 km long Kainchi ka mod tunnel below Swarghat reducing the distance between Chandigarh and Bilaspur by 21 km.

Shimla, July 19
Chief Minister PK Dhumal sanctioned Rs 1 lakh for treatment of a 16-year-old Scheduled Caste boy Pritam Chand of Barsar village who is suffering from renal failure.

Taking notice of reports published in the media highlighting the plight of the young boy, Dhumal immediately ordered release of the amount from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to enable him undergo an operation at the PGI, Chandigarh.

He said the relief fund had been created to help those who could not afford expensive life-saving medical care. The state was already providing health insurance cover up to Rs 30,000 to members of BPL (below poverty line) families and up to Rs 1.75 lakh in case of critical ailments.

The Chief Minister appealed to the people to donate liberally towards the relief fund to help the suffering humanity.

Nurpur, July 19
Members of the local unit of the ABVP observed token fast in protest against their demands on the premises of Arya Government College here today.

Five members of the unit after protesting sat on a fast under the leadership of unit president Ranvir Singh and state ABVP delegate Sabhya Lohtia.

The ABVP has been demanding inauguration of newly built science block, construction of girls’ common room, facilities of toilets and parking on the college campus. It also demanded creation of department of physical education in the college.

Earlier, the agitating members of the ABVP raised slogans against commercialisation of education in the state.