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Banking of Electricity
Municipal Corporation seeks early acquisition of Bantony
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Daily Wage Workers
Withdraw 7-hr duty order or face stir: Teachers
Recovery Notices
150 medicinal saplings planted
NSUI for ‘college status’ to private universities
Police officers’ seniority issue settled
BJP hits out at Cong over
pvt varsities
Milk collection centre inaugurated
Redress public grievances on priority: Minister
Man seeks CM’s help to locate missing son
2 temple safai karamcharis held
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Banking of Electricity
Shimla, August 2 With rising demand and increasing prices, the power purchase cost is set to go up from Rs 1,900 crore last year to Rs 2,258 crore in 2011-12. The commission has disapproved of the policy of banking under which surplus power is supplied to other states during summer on the condition that it will be returned to help meet the shortfall in winter. Since rates were usually high during summer when there was a shortage and relatively low in winter when the demand was low, the utility ended up exchanging its expensive power for cheaper one. The commission is of the view that by inviting bids the utility can manage to get higher quantum of power in return during the winter to make up for the price differential. The commission has capped the average rate of power purchase at Rs 3.50 per unit for the 2011-12 as against Rs 5 per unit last year to ensure that the state utility makes serious effort to reduce costs. The rate of power supplied by the state government has also been reduced from Rs 3.19 to Rs 2.96 per unit. The demand for power is set to increase from 6,500 MU (million units) in 2010-11 to 7,090 MU during the current financial year. The state has a surplus of 550 MU in summer but it will have a shortage of 800 MU during winter from November to March when the demand goes up. The commission advised the utility to make consistent efforts to have more shares in ultra mega power projects, increase procurement from renewable sources under long-term agreements as well as through the REC (renewable energy certificate) mechanism and consider a combination of alternatives to minimise the risks. It also underlined the need for a long-term agreement with the state government for the “free and equity power” available to it from various projects or take steps to reduce its perpetual dependence on
the same. |
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Municipal Corporation seeks early acquisition of Bantony
Shimla, August 2 Interestingly, the MC has not made a fresh request before the LAO but has written to the LAO to treat with urgency the request regarding the issue of the acquisition of the Bantony, which it had made almost six months ago. The MC action comes in the wake of a directive from the Chief Minister’s office to initiate proceedings for the acquisition of the Bantony so that it can be preserved. It was last week that the MC received letters both from the Chief Minister’s office as well as the Principal Secretary, Urban Development, to initiate the acquisition proceedings at the earliest. “I have written to the LAO to treat with urgency our earlier request for the acquisition of Bantony which has been pending before him for the past six months,” confirmed AN Sharma, Commissioner, MC. He added that once the property, having almost eight bighas of land, was acquired, the ratable value would be assessed which would be given to the owners. Even though this ratable value would be far less than the market value of the prime property with vast open spaces but it would be rather difficult to use the site for any other purpose considering its immense heritage value. It was after news reports appeared that a London-based businessman, Ranjay Trehan, had sought an essentiality certificate from the Tourism Department for setting up a spa resort at the Bantony that the Chief Minister ordered that the structure would be acquired so that it was conserved and not turned into a commercial venture. The Chief Minister had also directed the Finance Department to provide the necessary amount required for the acquisition of the building which was one of the 97 listed heritage properties of Shimla which are over a century old and are architectural marvels of the British time. In case the acquisition of the Bantony is undertaken, the government is interested in restoring and conserving it. The MC is keen that the building is provided to it temporarily so that it can shift its offices and undertake restoration of the Town Hall building where it is located at present. The Tourism Department, too, is keen that once the structure is restored it should house its office as its vantage location is ideal for the promotion of tourism and related activities. |
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Daily Wage Workers
New Delhi, August 2 The Bench passed the order yesterday after the state government counsel, Mohan Lal Sharma, contended that the HC had passed the verdicts directing regularisation of daily wage workers on an erroneous understanding of the policy instructions issued from time to time. The SC had passed a similar stay order in March this year on another set of petitions filed by the state government. The government has contended that it was faced with an unwarranted financial burden involving several hundred crores of rupees in the wake of the HC orders. The government was bound to follow its latest 2006 policy for regularisation of daily wage workers, not the 2000 policy as directed by the HC, counsel Sharma said. On December 1, 2006, the state government had created for the benefit of daily wage employees a total of 4,941 posts under the policy instructions issued on June 9, 2006. Under the 2006 policy, all daily wage employees who had completed eight years of continuous service as on March 31, 2004 were eligible for regularisation, subject to the condition that they should have worked for a minimum of 240 days in each calendar year. However, after accepting regularisation with effect from December 26, 2006, some of them approached the HC seeking benefits from the March 31, 2004 cut-off date stipulated under the 2006 policy despite the fact that the government had clarified that the policy would not have any retrospective effect. The 2000 policy was not meant to be an “ongoing exercise,” having been contemplated as a one-time measure to address a specific issue that had cropped up that time, the state government argued. |
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Withdraw 7-hr duty order or face stir: Teachers
Shimla, August 2 The association, which held its meeting at Mandi college, termed the government order directing compulsory seven hours’ stay in college as “highly impractical and arbitrary which would hamper their creativity”. “We demand that the order be withdrawn immediately or else we will be forced to protest not just by wearing black badges and observing a pen-down strike but proceeding on an indefinite strike,” said Pramod Chauhan, secretary of the association. He added that the teachers would also not conduct the forthcoming student polls. He said the seven-hour mandatory duty was also impractical for the simple reason that in the absence of proper transportation mode it would become difficult both for teachers as well students to return back home as they came from remote areas to attend
college. He supported the demand for the regularisation of contract college teachers with all benefits as granted to regular teachers. “Teachers should get full pay and other facilities recommended by the UGC and teachers should not be appointed on a contract basis,” he said. |
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Use MNREGA funds on priority, officials told
Mandi, August 2 Responding to queries by mediapersons here today, the minister claimed that the BJP government had achieved new milestones in development in the state and had used Rs 500 crore from MNREGA funds last year, empowering weaker sections. “This year, we will use Rs 900 crore from the MNREGA funds, of which Rs 400 crore will be disbursed among various departments like the PWD, the IPH and Forest,” he added. Refuting Congress allegations regarding the misuse of MNREGA funds, Thakur claimed that the government was using the funds for development of rural areas. As the PWD was facing a labour crunch, the MNREGA funds would also be used for the maintenance of rural roads, IPH schemes and raising plantations, Thakur said. Deputy Commissioners and block development officers had been directed to use the MNREGA funds on a priority basis so that development got a new impetus in the state, he added. Thakur said Rs 38 crore would be spent on training panchyat representatives to make them “development-oriented” this year. Himachal would be declared open defecation-freeon August 15 as only 41 panchayats of the 3,243 in the state were yet to achieve the total sanitation status, he added. Mandi BJP president Dile Ram, who was with the minister, supported BJP national vice-president Shanta Kumar’s campaign against corruption. Dile Ram said the state government would launch the “government-at-your-doorstep campaign” on August 16 in the state, highlighting the Dhumal government’s achievements and the alleged discriminatory policies of the Centre. |
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Only Rs 106 cr given for road repairs, rues state
Shimla, August 2 Addressing a press conference here today, PWD Minister Thakur Gulab Singh said the Centre was yet to compensate Himachal for the extensive damage caused by the rains last year. “We have released a sum of Rs 143 crore for undertaking special repairs to restore the damaged roads,” he stated. He said the department was making efforts to link every village in the state by road as roads were the lifeline for the state. “A total of 3,168 km of motorable roads and 222 new bridges have been constructed in the state during the past three and a half years,” he stated. To a query, he said so far no contractor had been blacklisted for substandard work in the matter of construction and repair of roads, but penalties had been imposed on some people. “We are very particular in ensuring that there are no encroachments along the roads and notices have been issued to about 10 junior engineers for not taking notice of the encroachments in areas under their jurisdiction,” he said. However, the fact remains that the work done on a road does not last even one season and the condition of the roads in many parts of the state is deplorable. “Our endeavour is to provide the best possible road link to all villages and this year the budgetary allocation for the task is Rs 1,074 crore as compared to Rs 788 crore in 2007-08,” he said. The minister said the road density in the state was 57.40 km per sq km, which was far higher than the national percentage and also other hill states. He added that under the Pradhan Mantir Gram Sadak Yojna, 213 road projects worth Rs 293 crore had been sanctioned along with 20 other projects under the Rural Road Project. He said an experiment was being done to make concrete and plastic roads, which were much more durable and at the same time were environment friendly. “Last year, a 42-km road was constructed using waste plastic and this year a target of 150 km has been set,” he stated. |
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Recovery Notices
Mandi, August 2 The villagers alleged that the LAO was harassing them by serving notices on them for the recovery of the money which was given to them for acquiring
their land for the road way back in 1960. The LAO, Mandi, had served recovery notices on villagers belonging to Ratoli, Hawani, Sanehru, Gharwasra, Masthani and Jadharbhani in Sarkaghat subdivision on July 6. There are over 45 affected families who have expressed resentment over the notices. “We got peanuts earlier and were paid the actual compensation for our land in 2008. However, it is shocking that the PWD is demanding the money back,” resented Ami Chand, Inderpal, Bansi Ram, Janaki and Hari Singh, all affected villagers. “We have spent the money received by us as compensation on the education and marriages of our children,” said Vinod and Parmanand, both of whom have received the notices. “How will poor villagers pay back the money. Either we will have to sell our land or commit suicide as we do not have money,” the villagers said. “We are being tortured for a fault on the part of the PWD,” they resented. LAO, Mandi, HR Verma, however, said he was following the instructions of the department as the villagers had been paid compensation twice. “We have no option but to recover the money as directed by the government,” he added. Asked how the compensation was paid twice to the villagers, he said he had no idea about it. “I have joined here recently and am not aware about the exact amount paid, but it runs into a few crores,” he added. |
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62nd Van Mahotsava
Una, August 2 The Chief Minister’s announcement is likely to prove to be a boon for farmers of the state. Under the National Bamboo Mission, the authorities are encouraging farmers to grow bamboo. However, due to restrictions on cutting bamboo, many farmers are not opting for its cultivation. Bamboo can prove to be an effective tool in controlling soil erosion and increasing green cover in areas that are prone to soil erosion. The Chief Minister inaugurated the 62nd Van Mahotsava by planting a sapling of beel patre at Bail village of Una district today. Addressing a public meeting, Dhumal said 704 panchayats were being covered under the Mid-Himalayan Watershed Project in the state and Rs 540 crore would be spent under the scheme. The Swan river watershed project worth Rs 180 crore was being implemented in the district. Under the project 96 panchayats would be developed, he said. He said the rights of people of the state over khair and resin sale had also been restored by the present government. The Chief Minister said the state had forest wealth worth Rs 1.50 lakh crore which had been protected by people to maintain the ecological system of the Himalayan region. People of the state were getting direct and indirect benefits of about Rs 1,100 crore from forests every year, he added. To reduce the use of forest wood, the Mata Sabri Mahila Sashaktikaran Yojna had been launched. Under the scheme, 5,000 Scheduled Caste women would be benefited. They would be provided with stove and LPG connection on 50 per cent subsidy under the scheme, he said. He further said Rs 137 crore was being spent under forest activities during the current financial year in the state. Dhumal said 102 van sarovers would be constructed during the current financial year for water harvesting. Himachal Pradesh was the first state in the world which had signed carbon credit agreement with the World Bank and 4,004 hectares of land would be developed under the scheme. He said the green cover of the state had been enhanced to 26.35 per cent from 21.16 per cent in the past two decades. The Chief Minister also sanctioned Rs 50 lakh for agri centres and also made budget announcement for road construction. |
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150 medicinal saplings planted
Nurpur, August 2 Presiding over the celebrations, local MLA Rakesh Pathania said merely planting of saplings was not the sole motive of celebrating van
mahotsava, but protection of new plants and caring of old ones should be treated as a social obligation by people. He said the Forest Department had targeted to cover 600 hectares of forest land, including 10 hectares of non-forest area under various schemes of fresh plantation in the current year in Nurpur forest division. “Apart from this, around 35,000 plants of various species were also being planted in the old plantation area,” he said.
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Tibetan monks questioned in Tricolour desecration case
Kangra, August 2 A case had been registered under Section 2 of the Prevention of the National Honour Act, 1971. Police sources said the Tibetan monks told the investigating police officials that they had no knowledge about the desecration incident. They said it was following media reports the next day that they came to know about the “unfortunate incident” and they had tendered an unconditional apology through the media before the entire nation. They said they had utmost regards for India and the Indian national flag and there was no intention of any monk and member of the foot march to desecrate the flag. They said Tibetan religious flags too were desecrated on the occasion inadvertently by some young Tibetan monks which was unfortunate. On April 26, the Tibetans on the foot march had been received by former Transport Minister GS Bali and Kangra District Congress chief Suman Lata Verma and other Congress supporters to express support to their demand regarding the Kirti monastery in Tibet. |
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Stop commercialisation of education, says SFI
Kangra, August 2 Vishal Deep, district president, SFI, Kangra district, was critical of the BJP government in the state which was allegedly responsible for the safranisation and privatisation of educational institutions, besides using educational institutions and universities as business centres in the state. He alleged that 24 private universities were set up in the state where students had to pay through their nose. Vishal demanded that the exploitation of students by these universities be stopped. He said 26 per cent population of the state was Below the Poverty Line (BPL) and the present government had pushed this section further down by depriving BPL youth from higher education where lakhs of rupees were been paid as fees. He said the SFI had started a signature campaigned in support of their demands. Meanwhile, the National Students Union of India (NSUI) today, in a meeting presided over by NSUI MCM DAV College campus in charge Praiarna Sharma, condemned the SFI for polluting the educational atmosphere of the college here. |
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NSUI for ‘college status’ to private universities
Nurpur, August 2 He said there was need for affiliating these universities with Himachal Pradesh University so that the quality of education could be maintained. He alleged that the state government had opened the floodgates to 19 private universities in a small hill state and had failed to keep a check on these. “As a sequel, these universities are selling educational degrees with impunity,” he asserted. Ridiculing the claim of the state government that it was making the state an education hub, the NSUI leader said 107 government colleges in the state were plagued with a staff shortage and basic amenities. Lashing out at the ABVP and the SFI, he alleged that these outfits were spoiling the academic atmosphere in educational institutions by indulging in hooliganism. |
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Police officers’ seniority issue settled
Shimla, August 2 It was last week that the Supreme Court set aside the HP High Court judgment where it had been stated that the “seniority of ex-servicemen would not be considered for the purpose of seniority”. Three officers - KC Sadyal, ADGP (Vigilance), KS Rana and JS Monga - had been affected by the high court order. The latter two have, however, now retired from service but Sadyal would continue to get benefit of his Army service for determining his seniority. The latest Supreme Court judgment will now settle the issue of grant of seniority to police officers who have served in the Army as there are many other officers in the state police service who will get the seniority benefit. The issue of determining seniority of ex-servicemen had first of all been decided by the State Administrative Tribunal in favour of IPS officers who had served in the Army. Later, a petition was moved by some other IPS officer whose seniority would have got affected by the SAT order. The high court had observed that the Demobilised Indian Armed Forces Personnel (Reservation of Vacancies in the Himachal Pradesh Administrative Services) Rules - 1974 would be applicable to the police service after October 17, 1981, and the Army service prior to this would not be counted for determining the seniority. |
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BJP hits out at Cong over
pvt varsities
Shimla, August 2 In a statement issued here
today, the state BJP spokesperson said of a total of 273 vocational centres
which had been approved by the previous Congress regime, only 53 fulfilled the
norms. “The opening of 220 institutes was done in a highly partisan manner,
based on political considerations, thus compromising on the quality of these
institutes,” the spokesperson said. He said an inquiry held into the approval granted to vocational centres had revealed that undue favour was given to 161 persons by overlooking the requirements laid down for their opening. |
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Milk collection centre inaugurated
Solan, August 2 Addressing people on the occasion, the Health Minister said villagers were their focus of development so as to benefit the farmer and the common man. The Doodh Ganga Project in the district had promoted milk production all over the state creating secondary job opportunities for rural youth. He said 103 families of more than a dozen villages in and around Waknaghat had directly benefited from this scheme. The society was collecting 5 quintal milk every day and growers had been paid Rs 3 lakh per month for their product. Dr Bindal said the Congress governments had neglected health sector in Solan, especially Kandaghat subdivision where health institutions were run in dilapidated buildings for decades. They laid the foundation stone for the Chail hospital without any budgetary provision, drawings and approval of the Forest Department, just to get poll benefits.The Kandaghat hospital had remained in poor condition for decades. He said they had provided Rs 2.5 crore each for Chail and Kandaghat and an ayurvedic hospital would also be provided the requisite accommodation in the new hospital building at Kandaghat, he added.
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Redress public grievances on priority: Minister
Palampur, August 2 The minister, who was hearing public grievances under the “sarkar aapke dwar” programme at the PWD Rest House at Thural, 30 km from here, said the state government was committed to providing safe drinking water to the people. Besides augmenting the existing water supply schemes, the government had also installed 3,000 hand pumps in drought-prone areas of the state in the past two years. He said the government had simplified the rules for obtaining private water connections. According to the new guidelines, the landowner would have to submit only an affidavit instead of certificate from the
patwari.
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Man seeks CM’s help to locate missing son
Bilaspur, August 2 Shiv Ram, father of the missing youth, has represented to Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to help the family and order a high-level probe into his son’s disappearance and locate his whereabouts. Shiv Ram said Surender was working with a security company for the past one year. He said an FIR had also got registered by him at Nalagarh police station.
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2 temple safai karamcharis held
Bilaspur, August 2 Reports said devotees from Mansa in Punjab had offered a silver “jyoti” and “chattar” weighing about 1.5 kg at the shrine and were to carry these back after getting the goddess’ blessings. They kept the items at the Gita Bhawan of the trust. But when they returned after some time, they found these missing. They informed the police that arrested the two and recovered the items from them.
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