Shimla, May 9
The government today gave nod for enhancement in capacity to 23 small hydroelectric projects and allowed IPPs (independent power producers) to dispose of their power in any manner after allowing royalty in the shape of free power to the state.

The decisions were taken at a meeting of the state Cabinet held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister PK Dhumal here today.

The projects will have of give 3 per cent additional free power to the state in case the capacity is enhanced by more than 20 per cent. In the case of projects where capacity enhancement has already been approved, the IPPs, which have already signed the Implementation Agreements for the sale of power, will be at liberty to sign open access clause hereafter subject to above conditions.

The Cabinet decided to recruit 5,000 teachers of different categories in various educational institutions and introduce Informatics Practices as a compulsory subject in the arts stream and as an optional subject in other streams. It gave nod for creation of 970 posts of postgraduate teachers through rationalisation.

It decided to compensate the farmers of Una and adjoining districts whose wheat output was affected due to the high-incidence of yellow rust disease in PBW-343 and PBW-502 varieties.

To bring about uniformity in the salary and commission of all the 528 bus conductors deployed in the HRTC and the JNNURM buses, it decided to provide Rs 2,000 per month as retaining fee with 2 per cent commission, thereby ensuring a minimum of Rs 3,500 to each conductor.

It granted permission to fill 15 posts of extension officer (industries) on secondment basis from the HP State Financial Corporation and absorb 137 employees of the Nahan Foundry in different departments.

It raised the borrowing limit of State Electricity Board Limited from Rs 3,000 crore to Rs 4,000 crore.

It decided to lease out the state-owned outdoor stadium at Nurpur for a period of 30 years to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) for developing it as a cricket stadium.

It also granted approval to lease out 1.61 hectares of land at Mohal Gumma in Shimla to the HPCA for developing it as a cricket stadium.

Shimla, May 9
The rules framed by the government to rein in the private universities provide for heavy penalties for violation of norms, lack of infrastructure and qualified faculty and other shortcomings in the institutions.

With the Cabinet granting approval to the rules today, the Himachal Pradesh Private Educational Institutions (Regulatory Commission) Act will become effective and the process for appointing three-member regulatory commission will get underway.

The Act empowers the commission to impose penalty up to a maximum of Rs 5 crore on the erring institutions and accordingly the rules specify the quantum penalty for various types of violations and irregularities. The maximum penalties have been prescribed for irregularities like a university awarding a fake degree (without conducting examination) or running a distance education course without the specific permission of the regulatory bodies. The minimum penalty for the award of fake degree will be Rs 25 lakh and for an unapproved distance course Rs 10 lakh per month.

In case any university carries out admissions in violation of the prescribed rules the penalty will be double the admission fee. Similarly, if an institution charges more than the prescribed fee, the minimum penalty will be three-times the prescribed fee.

The failure to provide requisite infrastructure and qualified faculty will also attract heavy penalties to be charged on monthly basis. The penalty for the lack of infrastructure will be Rs 2 lakh per month. For each unqualified teacher the minimum penalty will Rs 20,000 per teacher per month and shortfall in faculty will also attract the same quantum of penalty.

The commission will comprise a bureaucrat, an educationist and an eminent public personality. The chairpersons and members will be selected by a search committee comprising the Chief Secretary (chairman), Principal Secretary, Technical Education and Principal Secretary (Higher Education) who will be the member secretary. The commission will ensure that admissions are carried out on merit. It will also protect the interests of the students of private institutions.

Baddi, May 9
Even as Union Minister for Labour and Employment Mallikarjun Kharge is slated to inaugurate the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Model hospital at Baddi tomorrow, it is yet to be completed and only one of the five floors has been completed.

One wonders what is the hurry to inaugurate an incomplete hospital when only 65 per cent of its work has been completed.

The 100-bed hospital, which is being constructed at a cost of Rs 80 crore, is slated to have a staff of about 200-250 with 19 specialists, 38 medical officers and 10 resident doctors once it becomes fully functional.

Though Chief Minister PK Dhumal, who was the chief guest, is reportedly unable to attend the function as he is leaving for Delhi today to attend the CMs’ conclave to be held tomorrow, said his staff.

Union Minister for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Virbhadra Singh is the guest of honour along with state Industries Minister Kishen Kapoor and state Health and Ayurveda Minister Dr Rajiv Bindal.

Medical Superintendent Ajay Raj Kamra, while agreeing that the hospital was yet to be completed, said though the building had been constructed, the interiors were yet to be completed.

A visit to the site revealed that work was underway on all floors and construction material was seen strewn everywhere. Workers were employed to construct the main gate barely a day before the inauguration.

Senior BJP leader Shrikant Sharma said it was beyond comprehension as to why its inauguration was being done in such a hasty manner without proper planning. 

Shimla, May 9
Even as the percentage of free institutional deliveries has gone up in Himachal from 50 to 64 since the launch of “Maitri Sewa Yojna” in August last year, the disproportionate distribution of these births at the health institutions has prompted the government to assess the situation block wise rather than district wise.

No doubt having touched an all-time high of 95 per cent institutional deliveries in Hamirpur district, the scheme has hit off very well, but then within some of the districts there is too much of disparity. While not even one delivery took place in the Civil Hospital at Garli in Kangra district, there were almost 200 deliveries at Haripur Primary Health Centre (PHC), close to Jwalamukhi.

As a major step towards providing the free delivery service to people close to their home, the Health Department last week took a decision that a total of 125 health institutions will be provided with a minimum of three doctors and five nurses. This will include all district and civil hospitals and some of the PHCs where the patient burden is more.

While some of the districts like Hamirpur and Shimla have touched a high of 95 and 92 per cent institutional deliveries, respectively, there are some districts like Chamba where the figure is abysmally low at 34. “Henceforth, we will monitor the statistics of free institutional deliveries at the block level to bring about uniformity and provide services even in the remote areas,” an official said.

A flip side of the free delivery scheme has been that the district hospitals are getting burdened as people avoid going to civil hospitals and PHCs. A perfect example of this is Kandaghat where only eight deliveries took place as a majority offered to avail the free service at Kamla Nehru Hospital in Shimla.

Similarly, while the aggregate percentage for free institutional deliveries in Shimla district is very high at 92, in remote areas like Nerwa, Chopal and Kupvi this figure far low. Though the figure for tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti is satisfactory, that is on the account of the fact that most women delivered at Rampur or at Kullu-Manali.

As such the facility is yet to reach out uniformly to one and all in various parts of the state. The Atal Swashtya Yojna has been a major help, especially in case of deliveries. Statistics of the Health Department reveal that 23 per cent of the total use of these ambulances was by expectant mothers with 114 giving birth while in transit in the vehicle.

Mandi, May 9
Kishori Lal (46), a resident of Palampur, who was arrested by the police in connection with a temple theft case in Jogindernagar, was found hanging from a pipe of a bathroom in a police lock-up under mysterious circumstances today.

Police officials have not ruled out the possibility of a foul play. Even relatives of the accused, who stay near Jogindernagar suspected that Kishori Lal might have been allegedly thrashed to death during interrogation as the police was concocting a story to save its skin.

After the report of custodial death, the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mandi, has ordered a judicial inquiry into the death as per the procedure laid down by the National Human Right Commission (NHRC).

Judicial Magistrate at Mandi Rajesh Chauhan rushed to the spot to hold an inquiry. A police team led by IG, Central Range, JR Thakur also rushed to the police station to take stock of the situation. They took over and started the inquest proceedings in the case. As per the NHRC norms, the judicial team took forensic evidence, and custody of the body and also videography of the lock-up room.

The Jogindernagar SHO claimed that Kishori Lal allegedly hanged himself after he took out his shirt and tied it to the pipe in the bathroom of the lock-up. A sentry on duty spotted him hanging from the pipe, he claimed.

The IG said the police did not ruled out a foul play in the custodial death of the accused. "A post-mortem is yet to be done and finding of the inquiry report is awaited," he added.

He said the SHO reported that Kishori Lal was arrested by the police after he allegedly committed theft at the Kali Mata temple at Seri in Jogindernagar on the intervening night of Sunday and Monday. The police recovered gold and silver jewellery belonging to the temple worth Rs 40,000 or so, he claimed.

Shimla, May 9
Credibility of the judicial system depends on the integrity of judicial officers.This was stated by Chief Justice Kurian Joseph while inaugurating a five-day orientation training programme on revenue matters, the Copyright Act 1957, the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act 1954, the HP Urban Rent Control Act and the Right to Information Act 2005 for the Civil Judges (Senior/Junior Division) from May 9-13 in Shimla which was attended by 14 officers of the state judicial academy.

He also advised the officers to uphold the constitutional rights of the people who approached the court. He also said the judicial officers were the keepers of justice and should ensure that they do not become poachers of it. He also deliberated upon the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act.

Justice Deepak Gupta, High Court of HP, and president of the judicial academy also addressed the officers. He stressed the fact that institutional integrity was most important and the judicial officers should take all measures to ensure that the institution worked keeping the judicial integrity intact.

SL Sharma, director of the academy, said during this five-day training programme, the judges of the High Court and other resource persons would address the officers and enlighten them with their views on different topics relating to these Acts.

Bilaspur, May 9
The Himachal Pradesh State Employees Federation has condemned the attempt on the life of NGO leader Gopal Dass Verma at Mohali in Punjab and demanded the immediate arrest of the culprits. He said it was a conspiracy to kill Verma who was on the hit list of some powerful vested interests of Himachal Pradesh.

Talking to mediapersons here today, after hearing the news of firing on Verma injuring him in his right arm while he was in his car at Mohali last evening, federation president Ram Singh said Varma was a controversial figure due to his mercurial nature. He was known for his boldness and daring in exposing some powerful politicians and big officers.

Verma not only had repeatedly exposed these elements through the print and electronic media, but also presented detailed memoranda against some of them to the PM, the President and the HP CM, along with documentary evidences against them.

Dharamsala, May 9
Concerned over the current unrest at the Kirti Monastery in the Tibetan area of Ngaba in Sichuan province, Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje appealed to the Chinese government and the international community to peacefully resolve the current crisis.

Earlier, he presided over a special prayer session, which was organised by 12 organisations based in Dharamsala.

In a statement issued here today, the Karmapa said: “I join the Dalai Lama and Kyabche Kirti Rinpoche in their appeal to the Chinese government and the international community to resolve the crisis in Ngaba”.

The Ngaba region in western China, where the Kirti Monastery is located, has been tense following the self-immolation attempt and death of a 20-year-old monk, in mid-March.

His self-immolation was said to be in protest against Beijing. Recently, two monks had been sentenced for participating in peaceful protests. The Chinese security forces and police continue to lay siege to the monastery.

After a long quiet period, the Karmapa recently broke his silence in New Delhi where he appealed for peace at the Kirti Monastery and neighbouring areas. He thanked the Indian Government for giving him refuge since his arrival here in January 2000.

He also stated: “I am not a Chinese spy, agent or plant in India. Tibet is under China's totalitarian regime and, unlike democratic India, there is no religious freedom there. India is my home now and I will never do anything against the interest of the country or her people,” he said. 

Shimla, May 9
Unlike last tenders when some highest bidders backed out, all companies which bagged the 15 projects aggregating 1303.25 MW awarded through competitive bidding recently, have deposited the upfront premium.

The deadline for depositing the upfront premium at the rate of Rs 20 lakh per megawatt expired on Thursday and in all, Rs 120 crore had been remitted by the companies. The total premium works out to Rs 260 crore, out of which the first instalment of 50 per cent was to be deposited by May 5. Some companies have deposited part of the first instalment and they are likely to make the full payment shortly.

In the last tenders companies like Moser Baer, which bagged five projects, backed out in case of three projects. Some other companies also faltered in depositing the upfront premium, leading to cancellation of projects. The allottees will be required to sign a pre-implementation agreement after remitting the first instalment. They will be given two years for preparation of a detailed project report and given another two years thereafter for obtaining various mandatory clearances.

Reliance Power will be executing five projects namely, the 300 MW Purthi, 94 MW Teling, 44 MW Shangling (in Lahaul and Spiti) and 130 MW Sumte Kothang and 104 MW Lara Sumta (both in Kinnaur) with the highest bid of 21 per cent free power for the projects.