Shimla, September 29
The government is considering lifting ban on construction activity in the 17 green belts of the state capital where a blanket ban was imposed in 2000 to save trees and green cover from further depletion.

The Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department has prepared a draft according to which the ban on construction activity in the green areas of the town will be lifted permanently. It is likely to be placed before the Cabinet in its next meeting so that construction activity could begin in the green belts considered as lungs of the town.

Intriguingly, in sharp contrast to the earlier proposal of giving only one-time relief to those persons who had bought land in green areas prior to 2000 when a complete ban on construction was imposed on construction activity, the ban is likely to be lifted permanently. About 60 applications had been pending with the TCP Department in which plot owners who had bought land before 2000 had sought one-time exemption to construct need-based structures.

What is even more surprising is that the Green Area Committee, which had been constituted to ensure that the green areas of the town do not shrink further, will cease to exist. The power to allow construction activity in the green areas will be given to the local Municipal Corporation (MC).

Interestingly, the Shimla Development Plan awaiting approval for the last four years had proposed increasing the number of green belts in the town from the present 17 to over 100 so that more trees could be protected. Past efforts of the government to lift the ban on construction activity, even partially, had been opposed by environmentalists and NGOs who were in favour of saving every tree in view of the depleting forest cover.

During the Congress regime there was a move to give partial relief on ban on construction in green areas but since it was felt that it would not only lead to construction activity but also there would be a lot of fresh sale of land, the idea was abandoned.

Even though officials maintain that construction activity will be permitted in the green belts like any other area of the town except that utmost care will be taken to ensure that no tree is felled or damaged, there is no denying that it will shrink the green areas.

The ban on construction activity in green belts for the last 10 years had saved many parts from turning into concrete jungle. A move to lift the ban will undo the results yielded since 2000. 

Dharamsala, September 29
Three-member committee, constituted by the state government for inquiring into the loopholes in Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education (HPBSE) after the expose of the examination scam, has now decided to scrutinise records of the private schools producing toppers in the last 10 years.

Highly placed sources have told The Tribune that the orders to this affect have been issued yesterday evening by chairman of the committee Omkar Sharma.

The records are being scrutinised after some people gave inputs to committee regarding dubious means being used by certain schools to secure top positions for their students. The committee was on three-day visit to Dharamsala-based head office of the HPBSE last week. It had urged the common people to give them information regarding the scam, following which some people came and disposed off before the committee on-camera, the sources told The Tribune.

While scrutinising the records the committee will try to find out if some mechanism has been evolved by certain schools to procure top positions for their children. The schools that will be under scrutiny are from different parts of the state.

Omkar said, “I have directed my team members to seize records of the last 10 years of the schools that are having meritorious positions in the results declared by the board.”

In the present examination scam, the investigating agencies are of the view that examination system has been rigged by a group led by a former government teacher. He allegedly procured a few answer sheets from the government school. The answer sheets were scanned and further used by the accused. The students on rolls of accused never used to appear in examinations or practical examinations. He used the scanned answer sheets to get the papers solved for the students, who paid him to pass the examinations.

The bundles of the answer sheets were sent directly to the evaluation centres by the accused. However, the sources told The Tribune that the entire operation could not have been carried without active connivance of the board employees.

Though the answer sheets were sent by the accused directly to the evaluation centres, the details of marks in the practical examinations were sent directly to the board by the schools. How the board officials accepted fake practical lists sent by the accused is still a mystery?

Presently the education board is carrying out its internal inquiry and has issued show cause notice to about 38 employees. The police has been investigating the case on its own. It has arrested the main accused and his aides, three postmen, who have allegedly delivered registered post of the education board to the accused. However, it has not yet questioned or arrested any of the board employees.

The third probe is now being conducted by the committee constituted under Director (Industries) Omkar Sharma by the state government. However, it remains to be seen what results all these probes yield to restore faith of people in the education board. 

Hamirpur, September 29
The HP State Veterinarians Association has demanded implementation of the state government’s policy of regularisation of contractual veterinary officers in parity with contractual medical officers working in the state.

The contractual veterinary doctors, who have been raising their various demands, have now emphasised the issue of regularisation of their services after completion of six years, as has been done in the case of contractual medical officers.

Citing a Himachal High Court judgment in this regard, general secretary of HP Contractual Veterinary Doctors Association Dr Amit Mahajan told, “Civil writ petition no 4500 of 2010 HP High Court clearly observes and directs the state government “that benefit to employees in certain departments only and not to other similarly situated persons is arbitrary and discriminatory and is violative of the Article 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India”.

He said, “In light of this judgment, the state government should grant them the benefits at par with the medical officers.” Since the state government had already relaxed the term of eight years to six years for regularisation of the jobs of contractual medical officers, the same should be relaxed in their case, many of whom have already been regularised in 2007, but their plea is hanging fire.

Peeved at the alleged apathy of the state government, the contractual veterinary doctors said, “Though, we are implementing important government projects like Doodh Ganga Pariyojna etc, but we have been denied our due by the state government.”

Advocating their case further, veterinary doctors said, “We have to undergo the education tenure equivalent to MBBS doctors to get our degree. We are in equal pay scale and performing the similar duties in far-lung areas of the sate and thus, state government should provide them all benefits at par with the medical officers.”

Shimla, September 29
The State Electricity Regulatory Commission has expressed serious reservations over the “sustainability” of the model adopted by the government for the “unbundling” of the state electricity board and pointed out that the re-vesting of assets is inconsistent with the provisions of the Electricity Act 2003.

In fact, the plethora of problems that will crop up as the government goes ahead with the implementation of the model has forced the commission to invoke its special powers under Section 86 of the Act to give statutory advice to the government.

Pointing out discrepancies in the allocation of the transmission assets under the above transfer scheme, the commission has observed that re-vesting of only the line segments connecting to the inter-state points, without the associated controlling sub-stations, in the state transmission utility (STU) was not a “wise and prudent” decision. The arrangement was not sustainable. For proper maintenance, protection and coordination, the STU should control both lines and the sub-stations.

Also, the transmission lines to be constructed and operated by both STU and board will create coordination and implementation issues. A suitable mechanism should be put in place to facilitate proper coordination for transmission planning and other related aspects.

The STU had not been assigned the control of SLDC (State Load Dispatch Centre that had to be ring fenced as per the guidelines of the Union Ministry of Power. Further, placing the SLDC under the control of director (energy), who undertook trading, too, was against the spirit of the Act and curtailed its autonomy and independence.

Another discrepancy was that the assets of only such transmission lines have been vested in STU that were being utilised for the inter-state transmission of power. It would result in vesting of even those transmission lines with the “HPSEB Ltd”, which do not form a part of its distribution system. This would be basically inconsistent with the Act and also the provisions made in para 3(1) of the notification issued on June 10, 2010, in this regard.

The commission emphasised that the process of assets valuation be completed at the earliest to ensure segregation of the accounts of generation, transmission and distribution activities. Besides proper and appropriate steps be initiated to ensure early inter-se-funding arrangements for the apportionment of pre-vesting liabilities, such as pensionary and terminal benefits (liabilities to be borne by the ”HPSEB Ltd”), as the staff in the newly created transmission and generation companies is to be deployed from the cadre of the HPSEB Ltd. 

Dharamsala, September 29
Scientists from Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya at Palampur have advised farmers to adopt basmati and red rice varieties for better income. Areas up to 1,000 metres above the sea level are fit for basmati rice cultivation whereas areas above that height are good for red rice cultivation,” they said.

Both the said rice varieties are fetching higher price than the normal rice varieties in the market. Basmati rice is being exported and is fetching price three-time more than normal rice varieties. The red rice varieties that are known for their medical value are fetching market price of Rs 80 per kg.

Scientists were addressing the farmers at Rice and Wheat Research Station of the university at Malan, 25 km from here, at a programme organised to mark Rice Day. The programme was inaugurated by Vice-Chancellor SK Sharma.

The Vice-Chancellor stressed on importance of biodiversity and advised the farming community to preserve traditional land races of various crops. “The country is now self-sufficient on food front,” he added.

He also advocated registration of many area-specific crops of the state. He said it was the time of high-tech farming and the university was keen to transfer latest technology to state farmers and was making efforts to reach them.

Dr SP Sharma, director of Research, told that paddy was grown on an area of around 80,000 hectares and asked the farmers to grow quality seeds only. He also cautioned them against adopting unapproved varieties of various crops.

Dr BC Sood, director of Extension Education, appreciated the role of farm women in agriculture and informed about various extension education programmes of the university.

Dr RP Kaushik, scientist in charge of Rice and Wheat Research Station at Malan, said his station had given 19 improved paddy varieties to the farmers, which had enabled the state to produce more even from decreasing farmland. The farming community had been educated about producing quality seed of paddy crop.

Two progressive farmers Kishori Lal and Akshay Jasrotia underlined the importance of scientific farming. A booklet was released on the occasion and scientists answered to queries of the farmers. Head of departments, scientists and officers from the state department of agriculture participated in the programme. 

Shimla, September 29
Even though there have rarely been major incidents of communal tension in the hill state, but as a precautionary measure security has been beefed up in the sensitive areas having sizeable minority population in view of the court verdict on the Ramjanambhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute at Ayodhya.

The SPs of all districts have been asked to hold peace-committee meetings, involving community leaders, police and other prominent citizens. “We have asked the SPs to take extra precaution in the sensitive areas, so that they are prepared to meet any eventuality,” said IG (Law and Order) SR Mardi.

Special vigil is being maintained in Bilaspur, Sirmour, Chamba and Kangra districts having sizeable minority population. With hardly any major communal tension being witnessed in the hill state till now, the police authorities are confident that people will maintain peace and calm.

“We are confident that the people will maintain peace, but as a precautionary measure we have told our officers to take immediate action even in case of a small incident to ensure that there is no provocation that could incite communal violence,” said Mardi.

However, the police authorities in Shimla district are not willing to take any chances in view of the violence that erupted following reports of cow slaughter in the Nerwa area of Chopal sub-division. “A DSP has specially been deputed at Nerwa to ensure that there is no trouble in view of the past incidents,” confirmed Additional SP, Shimla, Anand Dhiman. Special vigil is being maintained around temples and mosques to ensure that there is complete harmony and no untoward incident happens.

Solan, September 29
Four students, Vikram Thakur, Mayank, Jai Kishen and Vivek Negi, of a private educational institute were arrested by the Solan police this morning after the four of them bashed some villagers of Kiar, near their institute, following some altercation late last night.

According to Additional SP Ramesh Pathania, the two students of a private educational institute got into an altercation over some minor issue with some locals, while the former were taking dinner at a Dhaba, near their institute last night. The students were beaten up by some villagers and in retaliation they called up their friends from the hostel and bashed up some villagers by entering their houses. The police help was sought to control the situation.

Talks held with the institute staff and locals till 1:30 pm last night led to a temporary cess in the violence and a meeting was slated to take place today morning to diffuse the situation. The SDM was directed to head the meeting and amicably resolve the situation, but a mob, comprising some locals and including Yashpal and a SFI activist Vishal Kumar, laden with sticks and stones started throwing stones at the institute this morning in the presence of the Solan SHO and ASP.

A stone barely missed the SHO, who was waiting for the SDM to resolve the issue. Three cases have been registered in the matter, while four students of the institute have been arrested after a case under Sections 147, 223 and 452 of the IPC was registered against them.

The two boys, who were beaten up by the institute boys, have been admitted to the hospital and a separate case under Sections 223 and 431 of the IPC has been registered against them. A third case under Sections 147, 148 and 506 of the IPC has been registered against Yashpal, Vijay Thakur and others, who the police alleged had been instigating the locals to rake up a stir outside the institute this morning. Efforts were on to trace these people, added the police officials. 

Kasauli, September 29
After failing to abide by the manufacturing standards of the World Health Organisation for the vaccine manufacture in the past, which had caused revocation of its manufacturing licence, the Director General, Health Services (DGHS), is now being extra cautious in reviewing the construction of a new lab at Central Research Institute (CRI), Kasauli.

A three-member team from the DGHS paid a three-day visit to the Kasauli-based Central Research Institute to assess its working after its manufacturing activities were given a go ahead earlier this year.

The team, comprising Additional Director General Dr Inder Prakash, Director Administration and Vigilance Devyani and Deputy Director Laxmi Narayan held talks with the institute staff and took stock of the new lab.

The team also assessed the institute’s budgetary allocation, its staff strength and administrative strength, so that its working could be improved. The employees took up various crucial issues concerning the institute and employees. A crucial issue regarding 145 vacant posts, including 75 posts of group D, was taken up and the employees sought to know whether they would be filled up in the near future. They also wanted to know the status of 91 abolished posts and the employees raised a demand of getting the staff trained, as per the WHO’s current Goods Manufacturing Practices (GMP) norms.

A key decision regarding posting a regular director was also taken up in the meeting, as employees asserted that ad hoc posting of directors through deputation failed to serve the purpose. They stressed the need to appoint a regular director for the institute.

Issue concerning the manufacture of DPT vaccines was taken up and the employees also discussed the crucial issue of pending stock of Japanese encephalitis vaccine that if not sold off in the next few months would expire, thus causing monetary loss to the institute. 

Kullu, September 29
Additional District and Session Judge Rakesh Kainthla sentenced one Pradeep Kumar of village Rerhdhar in Mandi district for seven years rigorous imprisonment, besides fine of Rs 20,000.

In the event of non-payment of the fine, the accused will have to undergo additional three-month simple imprisonment.

Additional Public Prosecutor Mahesh Sen, who had conducted the case, said the accused had raped a married woman, near Bhuntar in this district, while she went to fetch water from the handpump. The investigations and evidences confirmed that the accused had committed the crime, added Sen.