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Land allotment to eco-tourism projects a scam
Khajjiar Accident
1,400 take part in Green Shimla Run
Schoolchildren participate in Green Shimla Run organised by the SJVN
in Shimla on Sunday. Photo: Amit Kanwar |
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Securing Carbon Credits Sudripto Roy, Addl Chief Secy (Forests) for the state, Hubert Nove Josserand, Deputy Country Director for the World Bank, in the presence of CM PK Dhumal in Shimla on Sunday. Photo: Amit Kanwar
Bamloe Project
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Land allotment to eco-tourism projects a scam
Shimla, May 22 Revenue officials maintain, “An agreement which vaguely indicates location and does not mention the size and details of land can be at best described as a ‘bogus document’, indicating a deep conspiracy to give away the state’s precious assets. With such a benevolent government in place there is no need to enter ‘benami’ land deals.” In the “Expression of Interest” an area of approximately one hectare was mentioned, but at the Shoghi location, close to the national highway, the promoter had occupied over 2.5 hectare. Enquiries by The Tribune reveal that the land had been allotted for a meagre Rs 1.22 lakh per annum. In fact, the annual amount for the 10 projects varies from Rs 80,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh per annum, which is peanuts when compared to the Potter Hill project, allotted earlier, which is fetching over Rs 16 lakh. Even in the remote village of Kareri in Kangra, visited only by nomadic shepherds and trekkers, the local eco-society is earning annual revenue of Rs 48,000. Intriguingly, no reserve price for awarding the projects was fixed. One party from Nagpur bagged six out of the 10 projects. There is an uncanny similarity in the pattern allotment of eco-tourism projects and private universities, most of which have come up in Solan district. Five out of the 10 eco-tourism locations are between Shoghi and Kasuali, close to the national highway, where the value of land is quite high. A 25,000 sq m piece of land for developing a tourist resort will cost several crores of rupees. This is entirely against the eco-tourism policy which provides for constitution of eco-tourism societies under the divisional forest officers to promote environment-friendly activities like trekking, nature walks and mountaineering by involving the local community in the interior areas of the state where no tourism infrastructure is available. There is no mention of activities like bars, spa and restaurants and the arrangement for the stay of tourists has to be made in tents and other temporary structures. Further, the Kasauli-Shimla belt which already has hundreds of hotels, does not qualify for eco-tourism projects the objective of which is to open the unexplored inner areas to tourism without harming the environment. In the case of Kangra Forest Rest House site, the allottee has raised ugly structures in violation of policy, whereas at the Ala site in Dalhousie the old inspection hut has been transformed into a restaurant. |
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Khajjiar Accident
Dharamsala, May 22 Sources said the Chamba administration had sent the bodies of tourists who died in an accident on the Khajjiar road on May 16. The bodies were sent to the native places of deceased as per the request of their kin in a vehicle (HP-73-0645) arranged by the district administration.
On May 19, the driver of the vehicle that was carrying the bodies was stopped by the Punjab police constables near the Kharar bus stand. The driver said he showed the cops special permission from the Chamba administration to carry the bodies to Delhi. However, despite being shown all the valid documents the Punjab police constables allegedly challaned him and demanded a bribe of Rs 9,000. When the driver expressed helplessness to meet the demand of constables, the traffic cops allegedly trashed him and took Rs 2,000 from him. Chamba SDM Rohit Rathaur admitted that the driver of the vehicle carrying bodies was thrashed by the Punjab traffic cops. He said, “I tried to contact the Mohali SSP, GPS Bhullar, but in vain. I then contacted the DSP traffic, Mann, who assured action against the guilty cops. The vehicle driver had noted down the belt numbers of cops who thrashed him, which had been forwarded to the DSP traffic, he added. Meanwhile, the Chamba district administration yesterday registered a complaint into the matter in the office of the Chamba SDM. Officials said they would initiate requisite action into the matter on their own level. The Mohali SSP said on preliminary complaint from the Chamba SDM on phone we had removed the accused traffic cops from duty and posted them to police lines. However, the Chamba administration and the accused driver had not lodged any formal complaint. Since a senior district administration official of Chamba had personally complained regarding the matter we would like to get to the bottom of the incident. In case a formal complaint was lodged by the Chamba administration we would take further action into the matter, he added. The Chamba SDM said he had filed an online police complaint under his name within an hour of the incident. He said, “We will also write to the Mohali Deputy Commissioner regarding the matter”.
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1,400 take part in Green Shimla Run
Shimla, May 22 The participants were divided in different groups and the first group of comprising children (up to 16 years) was flagged off by Deputy Commissioner Onkar Sharma from the historic Ridge. The second group (over 16 years) was flagged off by Chief Vigilance Officer of SJVN BNS Negi. The 3.5-km run from the Ridge via the Mall, terminated at the Indian Institute of Advance Studies and Hotel Peterhoff. Before flagging off the run, all participants were administered a pledge for the preservation of the earth by the DC who was the chief guest. The main slogan was "Start Today to Save Tomorrow”. The top three winners in male and female groups in all the six categories were awarded cash prizes of Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000 and Rs 2,000 each. In the children's group Joel James and Drishti Kaushal won the first prize of Rs 5,000 each, and in the above-16 year category Rakesh Kumar and Manjusha Thakur bagged the top prizes. In the HIMPESCO group, associated with SJVN, Ashish Kumar and Neena got Rs 5,000 each. — TNS
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Securing Carbon Credits
Shimla, May 22 Under the agreement the bank will buy 3.5 lakh temporary certified emission reductions (tCERs) for plantations raised over 4,003 hectares in the first phase covering 2006-2017 period at the rates depending on the growth of biomass. The farmers in 177 gram panchayats of 10 districts covered under the project will receive around Rs 2,000 per hectare annually as per conservative estimates. If the growth is good, the state can avail the benefit of another 1 lakh tCERs in the second phase (2017- 26) for which a fresh agreement will be signed. The agreement was signed by Sudripto Roy, Additional Chief Secretary (Forests), on behalf of the state and Hubert Nove Josserand, Deputy Country Director for the World Bank, in the presence of Chief Minister PK Dhumal. In all the project will help sequester 8,28,016 tonne of carbon over a period of 20 years ending on 2026.
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Bamloe Project
Shimla, May 22 The protestors marched from Kanlog to Beer Khana and staged a rally at the project site which was addressed by senior party leaders, including Kuldeep Singh Tanwar, Tikender Singh Panwar and Onkar Shad. They lambasted the government for allowing the construction of a metalled road without a public hearing, as required under the Environment Protection Act, and the local Municipal Corporation for granting No Objection Certificate in haste. They maintained that Bamloe Developers was a front of the DLF Company. It had forged signatures in the application seeking permission for the use of the road. Out of the 20 persons who had purportedly signed the application, four were dead and another half a dozen publicly denied that they had signed it. The CPM leaders also accused the real estate company of violating all norms, felling trees and spoiling the green area. BJP leaders could be sleeping partners in the project, they alleged. A spokesperson of the Bemloe Developers said no trees had been felled and that the company had obtained all the mandatory permissions before starting work on the project. |
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More than 1,400 peresons participated in the Green Shimla Run organised by Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) Limited in connection with its Raising Day celebrations here today.
The Mid-Himalayan Watershed Development Project today became the world’s largest and the country’s first reafforestation scheme to secure carbon credits through carbon sequestration under the Clean Development Mechanism when the World Bank signed the Emission Reductions Purchase Agreement with the state here today.
With no mention of land details in the agreement the private parties have occupied huge forest areas and built big structures, opened restaurants, bars and spa in blatant violation of the state eco-tourism policy.