Shimla, August 6
The government has released Rs 50 crore to the state procurement agencies which had collected apple from growers during the previous apple season under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS).

This was stated by Chief Minister PK Dhumal while interacting with a delegation of apple growers, who had called on him under the leadership of Horticulture Minister Narender Bragta here today.

The Chief Minister directed the authorities to release Rs 12 crore to clear the arrears of apple growers, who had supplied apple to the HPMC and HIMFED, the designated procurement agencies, during the previous apple season when there was a record production.

He assured the delegation that the state government was committed to protect the interest of farmers and growers and had been extending best of the cooperation to them to help them market their produce across the  country.

He said MIS was being implemented with a view to ensure minimum price to the growers in the market thereby protecting their interests.

Dhumal said the government had made all possible arrangement to facilitate the transportation and marketing of the apple produce and would ensure maintenance of roads in the apple-growing areas.

He added that the authorities concerned had been directed to ensure that no inconvenience was caused to the growers of the State during the ensuing 
apple season.

Bragta thanked the Chief Minister for sanctioning Rs 12 crore more to clear the MIS procurement arrears to the growers.

He added that he had been visiting the apple-growing areas to ensure that the growers were getting packaging material at reasonable rates and the road conditions were good.

Pandoh (Mandi), August 6
Apart from awaiting immediate relief, villagers in the Sambal panchayat faced an acute shortage of drinking water as the flash flood in the Sambal Nullah, near here, today washed away the IPH pipeline and two water storage tanks of worth 20,000-litre capacity and wiped out the water source.

Narrating their woes to The Tribune, village women said they did not have water to drink as the IPH line had been wiped out in the flash flood. “Nobody has come here since morning to provide water through a tanker in this area,” they said while carrying empty buckets to collect water from neighbours.

There are more than 150 families that depend upon the damaged IPH water supply. “There is no trace of the water source as it has been dumped under the debris and boulders brought down from the upstream by the flash flood,” said Ramesh Chand, pradhan, Sambal panchayat.

“We have informed the IPH about the acute shortage of water, but nobody has come here till afternoon,” he said. The two storage tanks of 10,000-lt capacity each had been washed away, added Ajay Guleria, a local resident.

The flash flood victims await immediate relief. The flood has damaged Dole Ram’s house, washed away Moti Ram’s five cows and two goats.

The flash flood has also washed away land and maize crop on 17 bighas owned by Karam Singh (5 bighas), Ditu Ram (6 bighas), Prem Singh, Tej Singh and Moti Ram (2 bighas each). Hari Singh and Rattan Chand have lost two gharaat each, including a watermill-cum-garaat that is used to generate electricity. “It was a source of livelihood, but the administration has given nothing here so far,” they rued.

IPH Executive Engineer PC Thakur said they had sent pipes to the area and would energise the hand pump nearby to provide water to the villagers.

“We will provide water through a water tanker as the restoration of the line will take another three to four days as the entire 1-km-long pipeline has been washed away,” he explained.

DC, Mandi, Devesh Kumar said they were assessing the loss and would provide relief as per the relief manual. “We will restore the land through MNREGA funds and provide tankers as well,” he added.

Shimla August 6
The proposed acquisition of the historic Bantony on the Mall here has taken a new twist with London-based businessman Ranjay Trehan stating that he would not let the historic building go and legally fight its acquisition as he had spent the past two years conceiving the luxurious heritage hotel-cum-spa project with the help of international experts.

Trehan, who was in town to meet the Tourism and Municipal Corporation authorities following the rejection of his Spa Resort Project submitted about a month ago, said he would go to any extent to fight the case.

He accused the government of being non-serious about the acquisition move, which he said was the fourth one and prompted more by the lucrative project which he had conceived rather than concern for protecting heritage.

“I am trying to seek an appointment with the Chief Minister to convince him that the project will in no way cause harm to the heritage property and at the same time will be in sync with the hill architecture and keep the green open area intact,” he asserted.

He added that the resort, spread over 28 acres, would provide Shimla with the much-needed high-end resort at a cost of over Rs 150 crore, which had been prepared in consultation with international experts.

Trehan said it was uncalled for the government to issue acquisition of the property when he had already signed a sale agreement on November 15, 2010, with the 11 co-owners of the Bantony.

“In fact the part of the Rs 45-crore sale amount has already been paid to the co-owners in February and we were just awaiting the essential certificate from the Tourism Department to proceed further,” he said.

“I have been taken by surprise at the move as none of the officials gave any indications when I met them,” he laments.

He assures that not even a single tree would be cut while making the resort, which would have only four-storeyed structures, including 75- room hotel complex, medics-spa building, shopping arcade, mini theatre and swim- ming pool.

Questioning the move, he said would the government acquire all the 97 heritage buildings in the town if its concern for heritage protection was so genuine?

“I fail to understand how the acquisition would be in public interest and moreover can the dilapidated structure house MC or any other office when it is in need of extensive restoration and has been declared unsafe,” he further quipped.