Hamirpur, September 13
Heavy downpour, which started this morning, has caused extensive damage to the standing kharif crops, roads, buildings and private houses in Hamirpur district.

The torrential rains, which started early in the morning, disrupted the normal life as vehicular traffic remained blocked for several hours due to landslides, uprooting of trees and damaging roads at many places on the national highways and link roads.

The rain also affected normal routine of schoolchildren and office-goers due to disruption in vehicular traffic at many places.

Heavy showers and strong winds caused extensive damage to maize, paddy and other crops. According to an initial estimate of the Agriculture Department, more than 45 per cent of the crops have been damaged.

The damaged roads left thousands of passengers stranded at several places as traffic was blocked on the National Highway-88 near Pucca Bharo and Ukhli due to felling of trees and landslides.

Traffic on the NH 70, from Uhal-Kakkar-Toani Devi-Jangal Berri and the Abah Devi-Hamirpur road was also affected. Passengers travelling in an HRTC bus had a narrow escape near Jandadu as the driver managed to steer away the bus from a heavy landslide.

The Beas and all local khuds — Man, Kunnah, Sukrala — were breached for the first time during this monsoon. The administration has issued a red alert and asked the people living near the river bank to shift to safer places.

“Though the administration is still gathering information about the losses, but according to initial estimate, losses worth Rs 2.5 crore have been assessed as crops, houses and roads were damaged at many places,” said the district revenue officer.

KULLU: Continuous torrential rains lashed the region since midnight causing flashflood in almost all nullahs and catchment areas of the Beas river.

Four houses were damaged while slush and water entered many shops in Shastri Nagar and Gandhi Nagar areas of the town today. However, no loss of life was reported.

The link road between Badah and Dhalpur in the town was blocked due to debris, boulders and slush. It remained closed for more than seven hours and was opened later in the afternoon with the help of bulldozers.

Deputy Commissioner BM Nanta announced closure of all schools in the town as roads were blocked at many places. The landslides within the town caused a sense of fear among residents of Sarwari, Sultanpur and Inner Akhara Bazar.

The DC said the revenue authorities had been advised to assess the loss.

KANGRA: The Kangra valley was paralysed on Monday following heavy rains.

The town was practically crippled with almost all roads flooded and lanes and by lanes also experiencing flood-like situation. The Dharamsala-Hoshiarpur National Highway was blocked near Hanuman Mandir, 7 km from here, due to landslide for nearly one hour.

The road between Jawalamukhi and Kundian too was blocked following a landslide. Reports of heavy rains were also received from Dehra, Jawalamukhi, Dharamsala, McLeodganj, Gaggal, Nagrota Bagwan, Mallan, Shahpur and Palampur.

Shimla, September 13
The Rs 900 crore Integrated Cement Project, being set up by the multinational Lafarge India at Alsindi in Karsog, has run into rough weather with the National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA) quashing the environment clearance granted in June 2009.

The environment clearance to the 3 million tonne capacity project has been challenged by two separate petitioners---Pratap Singh Thakur and Ganga Singh Thakur---on the ground that the negative socio-economic and environmental impact of the project was overlooked.

A team of the NEAA, headed by JC Kala, had visited the site of the cement plant and the associated limestone mines in June early this year to assess feasibility of the environment clearance granted to the project last year.

“The dispossession, impoverishment and trauma attached to displacement have neither been captured by the Environment Impact Assessment nor appreciated by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) or the state government,” says the order.

It further takes note that the Majathal Wildlife Sanctuary is less than 5 km from the project site and could have possible impact on the wildlife.

The authority, after viewing the CD of the public hearing, observed that the concluding recommendations of the ADM in the minutes of the meeting were uncalled for.

“The authority is convinced that on environmental and social considerations, it is neither desirable to mine the Telehan village, nor to put up a cement plant at

Ghanger. Both the EAC and the ministry have not correctly assessed the impact of the project on land, water and air and failed to appreciate its effects on the livelihood of people of the area,” it stated.

The company maintains that the committee had not found any irregularities or violations of environment norms. The reservation of the authority is regarding the suitability of the area as a whole but cement plant could be set up only where the limestone deposits are located. The local panchayats and other institutional bodies have supported the project. It is confident that the issue will be settled and the plant will come up.

The company had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government for setting up the project in March 2007 and the latest development has put a question mark over its future. Even if it manages to obtain environment clearance afresh, the project will be further delayed. 

Shimla, September 13
The Tourism Department will shortly be inviting bids from entrepreneurs keen on setting up five and seven-star hotels in the hill state as the Law Department has given the go ahead.

Even though the Cabinet had given an approval for outright sale of the proposed sites, the opinion of the Law Department was sought in this regard.

The Tourism Department has identified six sites in the state, which will be given to private players for setting up five and seven-star resorts, whose presence in the state so far is confined only to Shimla and Manali.

The six sites that have been identified for the purpose include Fossil Park, Suketi (600 bighas) in Sirmaur district; Nalagarh (374 bighas) in Solan; Baragaon near Manali (102 bighas) in Kullu; Jhatingri in Mandi (60 bighas); Shoja (3 bighas) in Kullu; and Bilaspur (6 bighas).

It is reliably learnt that certain established names in the hospitality sector like the Taj, Marriott, Hilton, Blue Coast and Orchids have expressed keen interest in making investment at these sites. In fact, representatives of some of these groups have already visited the sites. So far, Himachal has three hotels owned by the Oberoi group but all in and around Shimla, besides a few good hotels in the Kullu area.

The endeavour of the department is to create five-star facilities uniformly all over the state, including Sirmaur and Solan districts, where there is immense tourism potential. The need for such facilities was felt when IPL matches were held at Dharamsala and there were no good hotels to meet the requirement of international players and visitors.

The Tourism Department is keen that bids should be open only for those who are already established names in the business. The main objective is to have sprawling resorts with facilities that match international standards.

In fact, the Taj group is very keen to have its presence in Himachal and has shown interest in some of the properties owned by the HP Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC). However, with disinvestment of the HPTDC units being a ticklish issue, the proposal could not come through.

Attempts by the Tourism Department during the Congress regime to offer government as well as private properties to investors did not yield any result. In fact, more than 100 such sites were offered to private players at a conclave organised in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry but with hardly any results.

Solan, September 13
Revocation of orders of posting policemen at the Parwanoo barrier has generated heat within the police department. The fact that these postings were revived by former DGP GS Gill after his predecessor Ashwani Kumar had initially ordered their removal, reinforcement of the initial orders have made it a case of one officer proposing and the another disposing.

The immediate cause for revoking these orders was a chance recovery of multi-colour slips and cash worth Rs 800 from a register lying inside a police beat box located at the Parwanoo barrier by DIG (Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau) Anurag Garg last evening while he was caught amidst a heavy traffic jam.

Finding no policeman to help clear the traffic, the DIG himself alighted from the vehicle and made a cursory check of the nearby beat box.

To his utter amazement, he discovered yellow, green and pink slips along with some coded entries made against some truck numbers in a register lying there.

The matter was brought to the notice of the DGP and the Solan SP who immediately took a serious note of this recovery.

SP Hardesh Bisht said he had directed the policemen not to sit inside the beat box soon after joining here as it served no purpose. He added that since these orders were not observed, he had issued a notice to the barrier in charge and an inquiry was being conducted to ascertain the facts.

The SP added that though off and on complaints were being received about the barrier staff indulging in corrupt practices, no such case had as yet come to the fore. Efforts were on to decode the entries and though truckers, whose numbers were listed, were contacted on telephone, they refused to give any statement against them.

Meanwhile, the barrier staff has been removed and shifted to the Solan police lines while bringing it directly under the purview of the Parwanoo police station.

Orders have also been given to lock the beat box and ensure its removal so that the practice of using it for illegal indulgence from the passing vehicles was ruled out.

This was perhaps for the first time that some proof of illegal practices had been detected at the barrier and directions have been issued to regulate traffic movement through the police station.

Shimla, September 13
The Himachal Kisan Sabha (HKS) today demanded that a high-level committee be constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister to look into the problems being faced by apple growers who were suffering huge losses due to insensitivity of the government.

In a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister PK Dhumal, state president of the HKS Kuldeep Singh Tanwar demanded that it was high time that the government spared a thought to address the problems of apple growers. “More than 3 lakh families are dependent on horticulture and 10 districts of the state are fully or partially into apple cultivation, still the government has failed to pay due attention to their problems,” he lamented.

Tanwar sought personal intervention of the Chief Minister to ensure that a committee headed by him along with concerned ministers and heads of departments was constituted at the earliest. He added that had timely steps been taken, the situation would have been under control.

Tanwar said as compared to the rate of Rs 35 per box, this year the rate was Rs 45 while the trays were also being sold at a much higher price of Rs 775.

The HKS leader said seeing the fleecing of the growers by tray and carton manufacturers, the government must start operations at the Gumma carton factory as a public undertaking so that growers get packaging material at reasonable rates.

Mandi, September 13
Director-General, Indo Tibet Battalion Police (ITBP), has ordered the suspension of Lapcha-Giu sector ITBP in charge Sukh Dev Rana and Lapach post in charge Manmohan Singh in connection with Rs 4 crore red sander wood smuggling case.

Besides, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) has asked the DG, ITBP, to submit a detailed report in the case after the Himachal police busted the border smuggling racket early this month.

According to sources, the red sander wood smuggling case has given credence to the fact that the sensitive Indo-Tibet border has become a safe haven for smugglers.

The Himachal police had arrested Rana and Manmohan Singh and charged them with a criminal conspiracy under Sections 319 and 120 B of the IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

“The involvement of key ITBP in charge in abetment of smuggling has put functioning of the sensitive Indo-China border under scanner,” the sources added.

The police was trying to nab the two main kingpins in the case as Prem Singh and Hira Singh, the two locals arrested earlier in the case from Chango 
village in Kinnaur had given important clues to the police.

BNS Negi, IG, Central range, said, “The arrest of two key ITBP personnel has raised security concern in the sensitive border area.”

AS Chawla, DIG, ITBP, said the two accused had been suspended and Assistant Commandant Kali Ram given the sector charge.

“The report has been sent to the DG and the Home Ministry,” he added.

Mandi, September 13
Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Deepak Project officer Capt Vikalp Purohit has been sent to judicial custody till September 23 after the CBI interrogated him in connection with illegal sale of fuel at the BRO camp at Koksar in Lahaul.

According to sources, the accused has moved an application in the CBI special court at Shimla, the hearing for which has been fixed on September 15.

According to the CBI, Capt Purohit was caught red-handed by a decoy team after he sold them 800 l of diesel for Rs 23,000. He has been charged with misappropriation of government funds or property under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The BRO Vigilance had instituted an inquiry in the case under the Army rules. However, the inquiry could not make much headway as the accused was in the CBI custody earlier.

The Deepak Project is responsible for maintaining the 473-km-long Manali-Leh National Highway till Serchu, the border of Himachal Pradesh with Jammu and Kashmir.

R Rupsak, SP, CBI, told The Tribune that the accused had confessed his crime.

However, he did not name anybody involved with him in the illegal sale of fuel.

Meanwhile, ID Mathur, chief engineer, Deepak Project, said they had taken an action in the case under the Army rules and probe would start after the accused was available for questioning.

Shimla, September 13
The state government will explore the possibility of evolving a uniform policy for equitable allocation of cement transportation work from various cement manufacturing plants to different destinations within and outside the state.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said this here today while interacting with a deputation of the Bilaspur District Truck Operators’ Transport Cooperative Society, Barmana, led by MLA Randhir Sharma. He said the policy would be formulated in consultation with major transport societies and unions operating in the state.

He said with the setting up of few more cement plants in the state requirement for transport vehicles would increase substantially. The issue of inequitable allocation of transportation work had been raised by different transport bodies at times as ex-servicemen transport union had also been transporting cement from major cement plants.

The government would take all related aspects into consideration and evolve a suitable policy for the benefit of transporters.

He appreciated the contribution of the transporters in maintaining the supply line to and fro the state as also exporting the farm produce to terminal markets all over the country.

The deputation comprising office-bearers of the union Jeet Ram Gautam (president), Nand Lal Thakur (vice-president), Kuldeep (general secretary) Nand Prakash Vohra (adviser), and other members also presented a draft of Rs 11 lakh to the Chief Minister as contribution towards the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund on behalf of the society.

Shimla, September 13
The post-mortem report of Mukesh Mahajan, a resident of Pathankot, who died here while on a holiday along with his friends, has indicated presence of water in his lungs, which could be the cause of his death.

It was on Saturday night that Mukesh fell sick and rushed to Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here from the hotel where he was staying. However, he was declared dead when he reached the hospital.

“The post-mortem has indicated presence of fluid in his lungs even though the viscera has been preserved and will be sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory at Junga to rule out any other possibility,” said the SSP, RM Sharma.

He said as such the post-mortem report ruled out any foul play in the youth’s death.

Meanwhile, Mukesh’s brother and his relatives have taken his body to Pathankot.