Hamirpur, January 30
The Communist Party of India (CPI) has demanded a White Paper from the state government on the alleged large-scale distribution of land to industrial houses and other institutions in the state during the past four years.

A resolution to this effect was passed in the 12th district conference of the CPI, which concluded here yesterday.

The party has blamed the BJP and Congress governments for the price rise and corruption and said it would try to present a third alternative before the
electorate of the state during the next Assembly election with the help of like-minded parties.

CPI leaders said corruption had taken a new turn after the implementation of the new economic policy promoting privatisation and liberalisation in the country and, thus, the fight against the corruption had to be targeted against the new economic policy too, which was the fountainhead of corruption.

Former state secretary of the CPI and veteran leader Basudev was the main speaker in this conference. In his address, he appealed to party workers to strengthen mass organisations and prepare themselves for agitations during the coming time.

He said the party would discuss the political situation of the state in the state conference of the CPI, being organised at Nalagarh from February 10 to 12.

A nine-member district committee was also elected in this conference and Mukesh Kumar was elected the district secretary of Hamirpur district again.

Shimla, January 30
The Congress has refuted the BJP charge that it was politicising the financial crisis by demanding a White Paper on the financial situation of the state and asserted that with the state already under a debt of over Rs 27,000 crore, people had the right to know the facts.

General secretary of the Congress Kuldeep Rathore said the claim of the government that it gave financial benefits to the tune of Rs 5,300 crore to employees was misplaced as it was the responsibility of the government to pay salaries and dues. Moreover, the fact was that the government had still not paid the arrears of the pay revision amounting to Rs 1,200 crore.

Further, even pensioners had not been given all the benefits after the pay revision, which reflected a dismal state of finances. The government was surviving on the funds being provided by the Centre, and under the MNREGA scheme alone over Rs 600 crore had been given.

Shimla, January 30
Even as the departmental inquiry into the multi-crore pulses scam that has rocked the Food and Civil Supplies Corporation clearly points towards gross irregularities, the government has chosen to go slow on the issue with the two officials who have come under the scanner still not placed under suspension.

Almost a fortnight ago the report of the departmental inquiry was submitted to the government, but no concrete action has been taken so far. It is reliably learnt that the report has raised questions on the role of Civil Supplies Corporation officials for allegedly favouring a group of firms which formed a cartel to keep others out of the race to get the supply order meant for 16 lakh ration card holders in the state.

“Though the exact amount will be worked out later, it appears that a loss of over Rs 7 crore was caused to the government exchequer by declaring the firms with lower rate as ineligible by imposing unnecessary conditions not even specified by the government,” said sources. One of this was the insertion of the word “required pulses” and making it mandatory for the firm to have its own processing and packaging unit.

Food and Supplies Minister Ramesh Dhawala said having received the inquiry report today, he would ensure that action was taken against the erring officials as the government had suffered a huge loss worth several crores.

Despite the Vigilance Bureau taking the entire record of the procurement of the three pulses meant for the public distribution system (PDS) into its custody, there has been no headway and the two officials though chargesheeted have not yet been suspended. It is still not certain whether the firms supplied the imported pulses actually lifted from Mumbai for Himachal or bought inferior quality pulses locally and supplied it for distribution under the PDS.

The scam was unearthed in December when the minister on receiving a complaint found that gross irregularities had taken place in connivance with corporation officials. He terminated the order given to the firms from Haryana and Delhi and awarded the supply of pulses to a Delhi-based firm at a rate almost Rs 2.50 per kg less than being supplied by earlier firms.

Following the unearthing of the scam, Dhawala has effected some major changes in the entire procurement process, including payment of Rs 25 lakh each for the three pulses as security along with a bank guarantee and insurance. The mandatory condition of having a processing and packaging unit has also been relaxed. 

Shimla, January 30
The Food and Civil Supplies Department today directed the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) to confiscate the issued ration cards that the corporation had got printed from a private printer in violation of the laid-down norms.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Ramesh Dhawala today directed the department staff to ask the local MC to destroy all the 1,000 ration cards, including those already issued to people, which it had got published on its own. While some of the ration cards have been issued to people, the rest are lying unused with the local body.

“I have asked officials of the department to destroy the issued ration cards as well as those lying unused so that the ration cards printed by the Food and Civil Supplies Department are issued,” he said.

He said the MC could not get ration cards printed on its own under Rules 14 and 15 of the Specified Article Control Order as it was the duty of the department to provide the same.

Senior officials said it was the department that printed and supplied ration cards to the issuing authorities as it had the record of the exact number of cards printed.

This, they added, automatically kept a check on fake ration cards and duplication.

These cards, each usually printed at the rate of Rs 2.30 by the Food and Civil Supplies Department, were printed at Rs 15 per card by the MC, thereby causing a loss to the government.

Shimla, January 30
In an important move to woo the general classes, the government has decided to set up an autonomous commission for the welfare of the economically backward section (the Samanya Varg Nirdhan Kalyan Aayog) of the general category.

The decision was taken by the state Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister PK Dhumal here today. The commission will be a permanent body to examine all issues relating to the integrated development and welfare of economically backward classes and give suggestions to the government for envisioning new schemes and amendments to the existing schemes. It will also ensure all constitutional and legal safeguards for their protection.

The Cabinet granted approval to the Atal School Uniform Scheme under which two pairs of school uniform will be provided to nine lakh students of government schools up to Class X annually in April and October in a year. It decided to constitute a committee under the chairmanship of the Additional Chief Secretary (Forests) and having the Principal Secretary, Finance, the Principal Secretary, Industries, the Principal Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, the Secretary, Education, and the Directors of Higher and Elementary Education as its members for effective implementation of the scheme and procurement of uniforms by March 31.

It decided to sell power available to the government from the Nathpa Jhakri hydropower station on a yearly basis through the bidding process and granted permission to the State Power Transmission Corporation to enhance its share capital limit from the existing Rs 50 crore to Rs 150 crore, besides enhancing the borrowing limit of paid-up capital and free deposit. Approval was granted to the proposal of the State Power Corporation for the creation of a separate category of project-affected family namely “MPAF-Shamlat” for the Renukaji dam project and made it eligible for providing grants, scholarships, sponsored admission to ITIs by amending the rehabilitation and resettlement plan of the project.

It was decided to extend the Himachal Pradesh e-Stamping Rule-2010 to the entire state in a phased manner by authorising the Stock Holding Corporation of India to implement the process. It also extended the date for removal of dead stems of deodar trees in different parts of the state subject to the condition that the extractors will fill the pits and plant a minimum of three saplings of deodar in compensation for the removal of each stem.

It was decided to make Jawaharlal Nehru Government Engineering College, Sundernagar, a constituent college of State Technical University, Hamirpur. The Cabinet granted approval to fill 187 posts of different categories for the establishment of five government polytechnics at Paonta Sahib, Kullu, Kinnaur at Kalpa, Bilaspur and Udaipur in Lahaul and Spiti, 156 ayurvedic medical officers on a contract basis and 12 posts of Civil Judge (Junior Division) by direct recruitment through the State Public Service Commission.

Shimla, January 30
Strongly objecting to the state’s plea for exempting the Chenab basin from the mandatory process of Cumulative Impact Assessment Studies (CIAS) for hydropower projects, several representative organisations of the local tribal people have urged the Centre not to allow any projects in the environmentally fragile region.

Taking a serious notice of the letter written by Chief Minister PK Dhumal seeking exemption from the Centre for a cascade of hydroelectric projects proposed on the Chenab and its tributaries, these organisations have shot a strongly worded letter to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests alleging that the government was bent upon “killing the only living river” left in the state by proposing 20 projects to harness 3,000 MW of power. A preliminary report entitled “Beginning of the End” on the Jispa Dam and other hydropower projects in the Chenab basin highlighting their disastrous environment fallout prepared by the Him Dhara Environment Research and Action Collective has also been sent along to enable the ministry to know the consequences.

The Jispa project alone will submerge an area of 12 sq km of the narrow cold desert valley adjacent to Ladakh, which is not only ecologically fragile but also geologically and seismically sensitive. The reservoir will submerge 10 villages and also wipe out the natural resource base which sustained the livelihood of the tribals. The structural safety of such big dams in the area with unstable geology, prone to avalanches and landslides, and proximity to China border will be a matter of concern.

The campaign of the tribals is being spearheaded by the Jispa-Darcha Bachao Sangarsh Samiti and supported by the Him Lok Jagriti Manch, the Gramin Yuva Sangharsh Samiti, Udaipur, and various local panchayat bodies, besides Him Dhara.

The first three projects, Miyar, Seli and Jispa, are in different stages of clearances and Miyar already has been recommended for environment clearance despite serious objections raised by local communities during a public hearing. “There was no independent carrying capacity study or assessment of the environmental impacts of the cascade of projects that are coming up in the state and until and unless this process is carried out, there should be no further commissioning and clearance to the projects, asserted Prakash Bhandari of Him Dhara.

Chamba, January 30
A 20-seater helicopter undertook a flight between Bhuntar, Killar and Chamba, and back today to carry patients, officials and people.

In the wake of the recent heavy snowfall in the mountainous tribal areas, which are almost cut off from other parts of the state, the state government had announced to arrange helicopter flights for carrying patients, officials and people residing in the snow-bound tribal areas.

Shimla, January 30
Tributes were paid to Mahatma Gandhi on his martyrdom day across the state today.

Students of Government College take out an awareness rally on leprosy on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary in Dharamsala on Monday. Photo: Kamaljeet

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal led people of the state in paying the homage to the Father of the Nation and other martyrs. He offered flowers at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Ridge Shimla.

Leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes, president of the state BJP Khimi Ram, MLA Sohan Lal, Chairman, Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee Gyan Chandel, government officials and other prominent citizens also paid floral tributes.

A session for patriotic songs was also held and earlier in the day. Prabhat pheris were also taken out in which a large number of people participated. A two-minute silence was observed to mark the day and in the memory of those who gave up their lives in the struggle for India's freedom at the Raj Bhawan. 

Shimla, January 30
Hitherto locked in almirahs of the Language, Art and Culture Department, a large number of books, old manuscripts, files and other old documents, including some rare ones, will now be available to scholars and the public.

The department has decided to set up two libraries, one in the state museum and the other in its archive section, so that those interested can access these like other libraries. However, the rare documents, manuscripts and books will not be issued to members or scholars, but they will be allowed access to these so that they can gather the required information.

The library at the state museum will have unique interiors marked with ornate wood carvings, providing a glimpse of the hill architecture and lending it the ambience of a monastery. There will be no chairs or tables like other libraries and the scholars will sit on the floor in the traditional monastic style for which mattresses will be provided.

Though small with just about 6,000 books, the library being set up will be a rich resource for scholars and all those keen on knowing about Himachal Pradesh, its people and culture, says Rakesh Kanwar, Director of the department. It will have books on archaeology, temples, historic monuments, Pahari miniature paintings, handicrafts, history, culture and all other aspects of the hill state and its people. The repository will also include old district gazetteers, travelogues and other publications of the British era which provide in-depth knowledge about the hill culture, flora and fauna and other resources.

The second library is being set up in the archive section which has been shifted to the main department in Kasumpti. Both the libraries will be opened next month.

There are a host of documents, including about 20,000 old files, a majority of which pertain to the Shimla municipal committee of the pre-Independence era. They reveal much about the meticulous planning the British carried out while developing the hill station as the summer capital. 

Hamirpur, January 30
Hamirpur MP Anurag Thakur today laid the foundation stone of the Lift Irrigation Scheme and also inaugurated a cattle dispensary at Kehdru.

Addressing a public meeting after the function, Anurag said the state government had spent over Rs 53 lakh on water schemes in Dharog panchayat during the past four years, besides installing four hand pumps.

He said after the completion of the Lift Irrigation Scheme at Kehdru, 47 hectares would be irrigated, which would help in improving the irrigation facilities in the area and enhance yields of agriculture and horticulture crops.

The MP said the efforts were also being made to generate employment for unemployed youth in the district and polytechnic institute, Hamirpur, was giving free training to youth to upgrade their technical skills.

Shimla, January 30
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal released a book titled “Man, Mountain and Architecture”, brought out by the office of the Architect-in-Chief, Himachal Pradesh, here today.

The book published under the guidance of Vishwakarama awardee Vijay Uppal, Architect-in-Chief, contains photographs and architectural details of important buildings across the state designed by the architectural wing of the state. It exhibits the best of the architectural monuments created by the department.

The Chief Minister lauded the efforts in bringing out the book and said Himachal, being a hilly state, required different architectural parameters to create infrastructure keeping in view the climatic conditions of the area specific. He said undoubtedly the architects of the state had been successful in incorporating ethnic traditional hilly architect with modern designs to construct buildings, bridges and other structures in the state.

He underlined the need for designing buildings which were eco-friendly, energy efficient, with solar passive features, earthquake resistant, cost effective and suitable for the local climatic conditions. These should also have rain-harvesting structures.

Uppal thanked the Chief Minister for releasing the book and briefed him of its contents.

Chamba, January 30
The district administration today succeeded in recovering the bodies of the five persons who had been buried alive under an avalanche at Pindi Nala near Bihali village in the outlying Churah subdivision of Chamba district since January 19 when they were crossing the area.

Deputy Commissioner (DC), Chamba, Sharabh Negi over the phone said here today that the search operation to extricate the bodies from under the avalanche could be successful with the involvement of local youths.

“It was only owing to the determined endeavours of the local youths and the sunshine, the huge mass of snow could be removed to find the bodies,” the DC asserted.

The deceased had been identified as Lal Hussein, Usuf, Mohammed Rafi, Abraham, all local residents, and Baag Hussain of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Deputy Commissioner said an immediate relief of Rs 10,000 each to the next of kin of the deceased had been disbursed.