Hamirpur, April 27
While the state government had implemented the Academic Performance Indicator (API) for all future promotions of college teachers from June 2010, the government college teachers working in the state have opposed the move threatening a statewide agitation.

The main grudge of college teachers against the move is its implementation from the back date and making the API linked with advance research in their subject compulsory, without creating infrastructure for the research at the college level.

The API was introduced by the UGC) at the time of giving new pay scales to college teachers in 2006. The state government implemented these norms in the state in April 2012 through a notification issued but implemented these from June 2010.

The authorities at the UGC had asserted since the college teachers have been paid handsome pay and perks in new scales, their performance should be evaluated for promotion on the basis of research papers published, guiding research students for MPhil and PhD degrees and carrying scientific research in laboratories. For doing this, the state had started a cumulative point system to adjudge the individual performance for the research work.

“The promotion for the post of College Principal, which is basically an administrative post, had also been linked to the cumulative point system linked with the API, which would deprive many teachers from promotion to this post,” feel college teachers.

The Himachal Government College Teachers’ Association (HGCTA), which is opposing the implementation of the API, argues that these norms cannot be implemented from the back date, they should had been given enough time to implement the norms, consulted before implementing the norms and science labs should be equipped for scientific research.

The HGCTA had boycotted the evaluation of undergraduate classes’ examination papers on April 24 across the state and has threatened to intensify their agitation.

Director of Higher Education Dinkar Bhurathoki said: “We have sent a note to the state government to carry necessary amendments in regard to March 17, 2012, notification about the implementation of the API and the matter is likely to be resolved amicably.”

Shimla, April 27
Six persons of a family were killed when the Indica car they were travelling in rolled down a deep gorge near Sunni last evening while they were returning from the wedding of their niece at Dhar village in Sunni tehsil.

The police said there were eight persons in the ill-fated vehicle when the mishap took place near Tikkar Dhar in Sunni tehsil. The deceased, all belonging to Shauvli village, have been identified as Shyam Singh (57), his wife Soma Devi (52), his son Avtar Singh (29), Avtar’s one-year old daughter Sakshi, Avtar’s cousin Pawan Kumar (22) and Shyam Singh’s sister Manorma Devi (47).

Avtar was driving the vehicle when it rolled down 300 metres below the road, killing three persons on the spot. On hearing the loud noise of the falling vehicle, villagers rushed to the mishap site and pulled out the bodies with great difficulty. All victims had serious head injuries.

Avtar Singh’s wife Rinku and a 19-year-old girl, Kavita, also related to the family, have been admitted to the Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, with serious injuries. The bodies of the deceased were handed over to the family after postmortem.

The family of Shyam Singh, an employee of the Irrigation and Public Health Department, was returning after attending the marriage of his sister’s daughter in a nearby village. A pall of gloom not only descended on Shauvli village but also on the village from where they were returning after attending the marriage as news of the tragic accident was received.

Shimla, April 27
The Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission has pulled up the state power distribution utility, the HPSEBL, for tardy implementation of Information Technology (IT) projects and warned that it would be constrained to disallow certain investment on these projects if performance and the outcome continued to be unsatisfactory.

Asserting that the adoption of IT was the key to improving governance and bringing operational efficiency and accountability, the commission has specifically pointed out the projects pertaining to computerised billing, asset mapping, energy accounting and auditing where the power utility has been lagging.

The HPSEBL should understand the scale and size of the IT system and use the investment properly and take appropriate steps to make the initiatives and the enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation fully integrated and a functional system.

It should be the precondition before sanctioning any proposal for regular strengthening of the distribution system and efficiency improvement, it observed in the tariff order for 2012-13.

Expressing concern over the tardy implementation of the Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme (R-APDRP), the commission stressed that timely completion of schemes was the key to bringing reforms in the distribution sector.

It advised the HPSEBL to focus on getting the Part A and Part B of the R-APDRP to be effectively implemented as it is essential to have a good management of the metering, billing and collection, together with better customer service and reliable power to perform better.

It told the board to coordinate in various activities of the programme right from identification, planning, implementation, execution and completion so as to reap the benefits of the same.

It also noted that the HPSEBL had been able to reduce transmission and distribution (T and D) losses by 2 per cent from 14.5 per cent to 12.66 per cent over the past two years, leading to saving of about Rs 30 crore. However, it expressed serious concern on high T and D losses in rural areas.

Solan, April 27
KR Dhiman, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, has suspended a scientist, Dr Harminder Singh, for indiscipline after an inquiry conducted by the State Vigilance and Anti-corruption Bureau established that he had forged signatures of a dead person to lodge a complaint against embezzlement of funds in the Department of Floriculture and Landscaping.

The VC said they had received a letter from the Home Department directing them to take a suitable action against the scientist as a false complaint had been made on behalf of a dead person by the accused after procuring information under the RTI Act.

He said they would soon initiate an inquiry into 
this case.

The scientist had earlier procured information under the RTI Act last year from the university and this had formed the basis of the complaint where it was alleged that embezzlement of funds worth Rs 45,000 had been made in the purchase of farm yard manure where bogus firms had been awarded the contract to supply 500 quintals of manure in 2010 for trail activities for research and production of flowers.

KC Sadiyal, ADGP, State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, confirmed that it was established during their inquiry that the complainant’s signatures had been forged and this was testified by the daughter of the deceased.

He, however, added that their inquiry pertained to only the merits of the case and they had not recommended any action against the scientist. It was learnt that the complaint had reportedly been made to the bureau in August while the complainant, BL Gupta, had expired a few months ago last year.

Since the records presented in the complaint had been procured by the said scientist under the RTI Act and no one else had those records, the university has suspended the scientist after terming his action as an act of indiscipline.

Bureau officials said there was little substance in the allegations levelled in the complaint though papers procured under the RTI had pointed to embezzlement of funds.

Baddi, April 27
Chief Minister PK Dhumal today said the state government was providing exemplary services to investors in Himachal by reducing procedural formalities and this had helped attract 49 per cent of the industry to the state during its tenure. Himachal had become the first state in the country to have established need-based essential administrative offices close to industrial areas.

He was addressing investors at Baddi today after inaugurating a Rs 200-crore industrial unit. He said heeding to the demand of industrialists, a separate excise and police district was opened at Baddi.

Dhumal said an MoU had been signed with the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) to connect industrial areas with piped LPG supply and concerted efforts had been made to set up a container depot at Baddi and a trade centre. He said the state government had decided to exempt new units of 5 per cent electricity duty and this would help promote industrialisation.

He said efforts were afoot to explore the possibility of connecting Baddi with Kasauli using a ropeway through private participation.

MLAs Suresh Bhardwaj, Vinod Chandel and Rajiv Saizal, chairperson of the zila parishad Sheela Kumari, DC C Palrasu, SP Gurdev Sharma, Rajender Chauhan, Industrial Adviser, and Tilak Raj Sharma, Deputy Director, Industry, were among those present on the occasion.

Shimla, April 27
Chief Minister PK Dhumal flagged off a cycle rally as part of an environment awareness campaign from the historic Ridge to mark Earth Day celebrations here today.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion, he said the government would motivate and actively involve college and university graduates in the campaign to sensitise society about environment issues.

He said it had been made mandatory for all state-owned educational institutions to administer a nine-point environment pledge during morning prayers. Earth Day was just a reminder for the need to save Mother Earth for the sustenance of human life.

He gave away prizes to schools which excelled in the slogan-writing competition. Government Senior Secondary School, Phagli, bagged the first prize, followed by Government Senior Secondary School, Lalpani, and Senior Secondary School, Lakkar Bazar, and SD School, Shimla, the joint winners of the third prize.

Additional Chief Secretary, Forests and Environment, S Roy said the state had emerged as a role model for the rest of the world in endeavours to protect environment. 

Shimla, April 27
Terming the move to create new districts as a political gimmick, Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kaul Singh today said the real objective of Chief Minister PK Dhumal was to divert the attention of the people from the charges of corruption against his government and the “failure to deliver”.

He said the fact that a committee comprising BJP leaders had been set up to deicide the issue left little doubt about the motive behind the move. Any such exercise had to be based on sound administrative reasons and carried out after due deliberations at all levels. The best course would be to set up an administrative reforms committee for the purpose.