Shimla, May 17
In a major embarrassment to the Congress, the BJP today released the charge sheet prepared by the Opposition party against the Dhumal regime, which was yet to be unveiled in the state despite several deadlines being set for its release by the charge sheet committee.

State BJP chief Satpal Satti today took everyone by surprise when he released the 61-page charge sheet prepared by the five-member committee of the Congress which had been assigned the task by the high command. Though the document does not bear the signatures of either charge sheet committee chairman GS Bali or any of the other members, it contains all issues that the Congress has been raising.

Satti, while handing over copies of the document to mediapersons here today, said it appeared that the Congress had no time to prepare or release it so the BJP had decided to present it. “The Congress has launched a slander campaign against the BJP inside the Assembly as well as outside it and these very allegations are included in the charge sheet, but there is not an iota of truth in these allegations,” he said, rejecting the Congress document prepared to highlight acts of omission and commission by the Dhumal regime in its over four-year rule.

The BJP chief said none of the allegations, including the ones on hydro-power projects, had been substantiated with documentary proof and they are very general in nature. “As far as the eco-tourism issue is concerned, we have been following the policy laid down by the Congress and everyone hailing from Nagpur is not associated with the BJP,” he quipped.

On Vivekananda Hospital being set up at Palampur, he said a sum of Rs 28 crore had been raised through public funds and representatives from the Jaypee Group and the Trust formed by Shanta Kumar were managing it and the state government had no role in it.

He dismissed the Congress allegations of special favours being showered on the HP Cricket Association (HPCA) for holding IPL matches by stating that this was not unusual as even for other big events, including Sonia Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s rallies, such arrangements were made. “Had Anurag Thakur not been the president of the HPCA, the Congress would not have even spared a glance at the affairs of the sports association,” he said.

Satti said had there been any kind of irregularity in spending central funds under MNREGA or rural electrification, the CAG would have pointed it out and, moreover, the state had won accolades from the Centre in so many sectors. “Not even a single inch of government land has been provided to private universities and can we stop people from selling their private land,” he quipped. He alleged that some Congress leaders, too, were involved in selling land for institutes. 

Bilaspur, May 17
The Congress here has condemned the BJP government’s hostile attitude towards problems of the district. It said the BJP government had failed to solve even a single problem of the district despite its election promises more than four and half years ago.

Talking to mediapersons here today, district party spokesman Pravin Chandel, said the state government had taken no interest in the relocation of temples of the 13-century-old town of Bilaspur which now stood submerged for most part of the year in the Gobind Sagar. He was accompanied by more than a dozen party leaders, including Bilaspur Nagar Parishad members Sonia Sharma, Meena Devi and Aditya Kashyap.

He said the government was not at all worried to preserve this ancient precious heritage of Bilaspur with which religious sentiments of lakhs of people were attached.

Chandel was very critical of the BJP government not adding a single brick to the Rs 50-crore Berry Dadollan bridge to provide a direct link to Bilaspur from Gehadwin and Ghumarwin constituencies, which had been separated by the Gobind Sagar and people had to traverse long distances to reach this district headquarter every day.

He said this government boasted of national awards in the “best health services”, but had failed to run even essential facilities in its hospitals.

He said no medicines were available to the poor; there were no doctors and technicians to operate costly diagnostic machines; machines were not repaired for years when these developed fault; and some very costly machines given by the Central government for running a Regional Diagnostic Centre here were lying idle for the past five years.

He said the party would hold a district-level mass protest against anti-people policies of the BJP government and expose leaders for their involvement in corruption cases.

Shimla, May 17
Flabbergasted by the release of its charge sheet, the bizarre move has sparked off speculation in Congress circles as to how the document got leaked with some even pointing fingers at their own senior leaders who, they feel, may have obliged the BJP to cause embarrassment to rivals within their own party.

The timing of the release of the charge sheet is interesting as chairman of the five-member charge sheet committee GS Bali is at present in the UK. The committee had earlier said the document would be released by March 31, but later it was said it would be ready by the end of the winter session of the Assembly, which ended on April 6.

Senior Congress leaders admitted that the BJP act was a clear reflection of the deep chasm and bickerings among their senior Congress leaders. “The draft copy of the charge sheet had been provided to all senior leaders who had attended the important Congress meeting held at Parwanoo earlier this month; so it is obvious that one of them has given it to the BJP,” said a senior Congress leader on condition of anonymity.

“I do not know how the document has reached the BJP, but our charge sheet has many more pages than the 61 released today,” said Bali on the telephone from the UK. He said the draft of the charge sheet was still being vetted by the legal cell of the AICC.

“The release of the document is a serious matter and it only reflects the frustration and desperation of the BJP, but I assure that we will provide documentary evidence of each and every allegation,” he said. He added that the Congress would get a probe done as to how the document reached the BJP when it assumes power in Himachal.

The Congress leaders have been taken completely by surprise as to how the document reached the BJP when it was still being vetted by the legal cell of the AICC. Bali, along with other members, had handed over all documents to the AICC and it was after scrutiny of each and every document that it was to be submitted to President Pratibha Patil for seeking a CBI probe into all allegations.

With Bali still awaiting clearance from the AICC, it is uncertain as to when the Congress will release its charge sheet. He is expected to arrive here within two days and it is only then that a clear picture will emerge.

Shimla, May 17
Power generated by the 900 MW Arun-III hydroelectric project in Nepal, being constructed by the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN), will be imported to India and injected in the eastern gird.

As there is not much demand for power in Nepal, the power generated from the project will be evacuated form Nepal and injected into the eastern grid at Muzzaffarpur. The SJVN will construct a 312-km-long 400 kV transmission line for the purpose. The project has reached the take-off stage as the SJVN has already submitted the detailed project report to the Central Electricity Authority. It has also completed all studies required for obtaining environment clearance from the Nepal government.

Work on the Rs 5,140-crore project will commence as soon as the detailed project development agreement is signed with the government of Nepal. Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the SJVN RP Singh visited Nepal in this connection early this week. The accord is being delayed as the process of forming a national government is under way in the country. Officials of the SJVN reveal that unlike India, the company is getting much support from the local people who are very enthusiastic about the project, which will boost the local economy.

Estimated to cost Rs 5,140 crore, the project comprises a 68-m-high concrete dam across the Arun river, the main tributary of the Kosi, from where water will be diverted for power generation. After de-silting, the water will flow into a 11.74-km-long head race tunnel having a diameter of 9.5 m. The project will generate 3,596 million units of electricity annually. The tariff for the first year will come to Rs 3.99 per unit and the long-term levelised tariff will be around Rs 3.10 per unit, which is quite economical.

Initially, the Nepal government had awarded a 402 MW project, but later raised the installed capacity to 900 MW.

The project will be completed within five years of signing the project development agreement with the government of Nepal.

Manali, May 17
The snow-clad 13,050-foot-high Rohtang Pass is the main attraction for tourists here, but is still out of bounds for them. The tourists have to face many a hardship as roads are in poor shape and the Delhi-Kullu flights remain erratic as well as unaffordable. Interestingly, the Kashmir valley is denting the tourist arrivals here this season, which has started worrying hoteliers.

Over 600 tourist vehicles from outside the state are crossing the Green Tax barrier here every day, which is around 70 vehicles less than last year. During the peak summer, Manali gets over 1,500 tourist vehicles daily.

There is also a fleet of over 2,400 local taxis involved in carrying tourists, but the district tourism office here has no system to check the number of tourists these are bringing in daily.

Hoteliers and travel agents say tourist arrivals have been hit in the state due to poor road and air connectivity. Besides, tourists are going to the Kashmir valley and Leh, which have better infrastructure.

The Barmana-Swarghat-Kiratpur stretch of the National Highway No. 21, the main tourist traffic lifeline, is choked with cement-laden trucks, keeping tourists at bay. The main Kullu-Manali and the left bank Naggar-Manali road are in bad shape, says AR Thakur, a local hotelier.

High-end summer tourists are heading for the Kashmir valley, which receives eight flights daily. Leh has been attracting tourists since March 15. The Srinagar-Leh highway is open since mid-April, but the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is yet to open the Rohtang-Lahaul-Spiti road to tourists, though connectivity has been restored on the 473-km-long Manali-Leh highway, says Tash Deleg, a hotelier from Keylong.

In contrast, the Kullu-Manali airport receives three flights of Air India in a week and a 48-seater Kingfisher flight daily, says Anil Sharma, president, Manali Travel Agents Association. “However, the tariff is on the higher side at Rs 5,000-Rs 13,000 per seat. Besides, flights often remain erratic,” he adds.

The tourist season is yet to pick up this year, says Gajender Thakur, president, Manali Hoteliers Association. “April was below average with less than 40 per cent occupancy and in May it remains below 60 per cent so far, while last year May 15 had hit a peak in Manali,” he adds.

However, Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation AGM OP Sharma says the occupancy has reached 93 per cent in May till today. In April it was below 65 per cent, he adds.

Hoteliers claim that travel agents in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad are getting more commission from Kashmir. “We are getting tourists from Gujarat, Punjab, Delhi and Maharashtra. However, there aren’t many foreign tourists this time,” says a hotelier.

District Tourism Officer-cum-SDM, Manali, Balbir Thakur does not buy the hoteliers’ point of view. He says the season has picked up and they will open the Rohtang Pass for tourists next week as the BRO is creating parking lots at Marhi and Beas Nullah on the way to the Rohtang Pass.

He says they have put up a barrier at Kothi for not allowing outside vehicles. This is being done to regulate traffic to the Rohtang Pass as per an order of the District Magistrate.

Solan, May 17
The State Pollution Control Board is now undertaking air and water quality monitoring of various industrial areas, including the state’s industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN), as per the revised parameters noticed by the Central Pollution Control Board in November 2009.

The revised guidelines said 12 pollutants, including sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter of size less than 10 and less than 2.5 m, ozone, lead carbon monoxide, ammonia, benzene, benzo (a) pyrene, arsenic and nickel, are supposed to be covered as per the national ambient air quality norms.

Likewise, water quality will be classified in five categories depending on the pollutants present. The board that had entrusted the task to IIT, Kanpur, held a meeting with the IIT team led by Mukesh Sharma at Parwanoo.

Sanjay Sood, member secretary of the board, said 70 samples of water, which include 40 samples from the BBN and 15 from Parwanoo and others from the rest of industrial areas.

Out of 25 air samples, 15 will be withdrawn from the BBN area, 12 from Parwanoo and the remaining from the other industrial areas.

Sood said they would identify reasons for the air and water pollution and devise pollution mitigating strategies.

The samples would be withdrawn by June 15 and the report is slated to be submitted by August 15.

Earlier, air monitoring conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board in March 2011 had detected the presence of volatile organic compounds - benzene, toluene, m-xylene, bromo benzene, 135 methyl benzene, 124 methyl benzene, p-iso pro toluene, n-buytl benzene and 124 trichloro benzene - at alarming levels in the BBN area.

Prior to this, a similar air sampling conducted in August 2010 by a local environment action group, Him Parivesh, in association with the Chennai-based Community Environment Monitoring (CEM) had also detected the presence of 11 noxious chemicals.

Despite these toxic pollutants posing risk to the health of people residing in the vicinity of industrial units, no step had been taken to check air pollution by the board even after a lapse of over one year.

Balkrishen Sharma, general secretary of Him Parivesh, an NGO, said it was worrisome that the board had turned a blind eye to the results of their own CPCB and nothing had been done to check pollution till now.

Sood, when quizzed, said he was not aware of the recommendations of the CPCB’s report.

Chamba, May 17
The Himachal forum of the All-India Association of Senior Citizens Forum has urged the state government to extend travel concession to senior citizens in all HRTC bus fares, including semi-deluxe, deluxe and Volvo buses, and enhance the bus fare concession from 20 to 40 per cent as has been given by the Centre while travelling in the railways and Air India service on producing the necessary proof of age.

In a press statement here today, district president of the forum PC Oberoy, requested the state government to abolish the system of procuring HRTC concession passes by senior citizens on yearly payment of Rs 50. “The senior citizens should be allowed to avail the concessional travel facility on showing the proof of age,” Oberoy averred.

Oberoy demanded that a provision should be made to earmark four-five seats for senior citizens in all the buses.

He urged the government to take suitable steps constructing “senior citizens home” in each district where “day-care centres” could be started.

Palampur, May 17
Over 3,000 residents of three sub-divisions of Palampur, Baijnath and Jaisinghpur today moved to Palampur town and took out a procession in the town in support of their demand for immediate grant of district status to Palampur.

The procession, including women and children, under the banner of the Palampur Zila Banao Sangharsh Samiti, marched though the main streets of the town and raised anti-government slogans and urged Chief Minister PK Dhumal to declare Palampur as a district with immediate effect.

Later, a rally was also held outside the SDM office where several speakers criticised the state government for adopting delaying tactics over the demand of seven lakh residents of the Palampur region, who had been fighting on this issue for the past four months.

They said the BJP government time and again made false promises with people of Palampur, but never implemented those.

Addressing a rally, Jagmel Katoch, president of the samiti, said residents of Palampur had always supported the BJP.

In the Assembly elections held in 2007, out of the five Assembly seats four went in favour of the BJP, while the Congress got only one.

He said if this time the BJP government failed to concede the demands of residents of Palampur, it would adversely suffer in the Assembly elections and people would oust it from power.

He appealed to all the five MLAs of the Palampur region to come forward and support the public demand, keeping aside their political differences. The elected legislature should respect the public sentiments.

Later, Katoch submitted a memorandum to the SDM and urged him to forward the same to the state government.

New Delhi, May 17
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal wants the country to know that his Lokayukta model is the best in the country.

A 71-page booklet about the Himachal Pradesh Lokayukta model with a colourful picture of Dhumal is being sent across the country. Containing the entire Himachal Pradesh Lokayukta Bill, 2012, the booklet claims that while the Congress-led UPA government is still struggling with the Lokpal Bill, the Himachal Pradesh model is the best.

Published by a New Delhi-based non-governmental organisation, the Parliamentary Studies and Research Foundation, the booklet points out that the HP Lokayukta Bill is a strong and effective law to control corruption and bring transparency in the hill state.

For Dhumal, the Lokayukta Bill is one of his many top achievements on the basis of which he is hoping to win the next Assembly elections. Himachal Pradesh is one of the few states which had established the institution of the Lokayukta way back in 1983.

However, over the years, it turned out to be weak in achieving its goals.

Talking to The Tribune over the telephone from Shimla, Dhumal said, “The aim of our Lokayukta model is to provide a corruption-free regime and to save the misuse of our hill state’s resources.”

When told that Team Anna, which had launched a movement for a Lokpal Bill to be passed by Parliament, was not happy with the HP model, Dhumal said, “We know what is the best for our state. We brought this Bill after having a detailed discussion with all stakeholders, including retired judges of the Supreme Court.”

“However, we will continue to remain open to suggestions to make changes in the Lokayukta Bill to make it more effective,” Dhumal said.”

Dhumal on April 2 had cancelled a meeting with Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal as he had attacked the BJP-ruled state saying that “it appears that the Saffron party and the Congress are on the same page on the legislation”.

Kejriwal had described the HP Lokayukta Bill as “very weak and ineffective” and also asked whether the BJP was disowning the “strong” law passed by the then BJP-led Khanduri government in Uttarakhand earlier this year by bringing such a Bill in the state.

Shimla, May 17
The state high court today directed the Central Government to notify petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas within three months and thereafter issue guidelines for opening of new retail outlets.

Justice Rajiv Sharma observed that it was high time that the Centre should take a conscious decision to regulate retail outlets across the country to remove uncertainty.

The Centre and oil companies were directed to maintain the status quo qua allotment of new retail outlets.

The court added that the decision required to be taken by administrative bodies must be certain and consistent.

The persons who are in the business must know what the stand of the Centre is.

This order came on a petition filed by the Himachal Pradesh Petroleum Dealers

Association alleging that the Centre and oil companies were arbitrarily opening petrol pumps in the state.

The petitioners added that there was no consistency, certainty or clarity in the government orders for opening retail outlets.

The petitioners added that the board had been constituted under the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006, but the provisions of the Act had not been enforced by notifying petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas.

Oil companies contended that retail outlets in Himachal were opened after conducting feasibility study, adding that the petitioner was not entitled to file this petition.

The court has also directed the respondent, Central Government and oil companies, to comply with the decision of June 9, 2011.

The Centre had issued circulars, but no material had been placed on record to show that the decision of June 9, 2011, was implemented before setting up new retail outlets.

Shimla, May 17
The CPM today lodged a formal complaint with the State Election Commission against Health Minister Rajeev Bindal for allegedly pressuring doctors and other employees of Dr Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital to vote in favour of the BJP in the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) poll.

Vijender Mehra, secretary, Shimla local committee of the CPM, urged the Secretary of the EC to stop such violations of the model code of conduct. “The minister today asked doctors and other staff at the hospital to vote for the BJP, which is a clear violation of the model code of conduct,” he said. — TNS

Nurpur, May 17
The Mand Area Environment Conservation Samiti that had been spearheading a dharna of villagers of around 20 panchayats of the Mand area in lower Kangra district since May 10 against unscientific mining on the banks of the Beas at Bella Thakuran yesterday decided to defer it till May 31.

Sat Pal, pradhan, Riyali panchayat, who is leading the dharna, told mediapersons that agitating villagers following a telephonic conversation with Chief Minister PK Dhumal yesterday has decided to submit a fresh demand charter to the Chief Minister, Kangra Deputy Commissioner, the mining and BBMB authorities and suggested the government to constitute a high-level committee to undertake table talk with the the samiti in connection with the demands of the mand area.

Samiti’s demands include declaring the mand area a no-mining zone, canalisation of Beas banks that have developed gigantic ditches due to unscientific mining by stone crushing units, resetting of changed course of the Beas following excess release of water from the overflowing Pong Dam reservoir in rainy season, to install sirens in every panchayat in the mand area to raise alarm for inhabitants before releasing reservoir water by the BBMB and to revoke police cases registered against agitating villagers while staging dharna on May 10 on Shah Nehar road culvert,” he said.

He added that the samiti would further hold its protest dharna on June 1 onwards after holding a protest demonstration in Indora.

Solan, May 17
Peeved at the long-pending demands and abysmally slow progress of various development works, elected members of the Subathu Cantonment Board have returned their salary cheques for the month of April.

As a gesture of annoyance towards the stoic attitude of the board, they said they had returned the salary cheques in disgust.

In a letter to the board president, the elected members have stated that the slow progress in various developmental works had compelled them to return their salaries.

The six members, including vice-president Dinesh Gupta, have alleged various irregularities in the style of operation of the cantonment office as they said there was no time bar for any work.

Illustrating their point, they said sewage works passed by the board meeting held on March 2012 had not even begun till today as the work order had not been issued and eight applications for a doctor’s post had been received 15 days ago, but no interview for appointment had been called yet.

An ad hoc doctor had been working, but no regular appointment had been made.

Besides, tenders for various development works were issued 15 days ago, but they remain unapproved by the board.

Various public development works thus suffered and little was being done to provide infrastructural facilities to people.

The members rued that demands of residents remained unfulfilled for long, adding to their peril. This included posting of a regular Chief Executive Officer, works like mutation, composition, NoCs, GLR and permissions for building works, beautification of the Chowk Bazar, Salaria Park, Madhuvan Park, Kutia Park, posting of a regular doctor, laboratory operator for X-ray and lab facilities, an English medium school, fair annual administration report for 2011-2012 and inaction in complaints relating to violations of the Cantonment Act, 2006, against a former junior engineer.

Dharamsala, May 17
VVIPs scheduled to visit Dharamsala for an IPL match between Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils on May 19 are keeping the local administration on tenterhooks.

Sources said the local administration had received a tentative programme regarding Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s visit from the Resident Commissioner of the state in Delhi. As many as 40 security personnel will accompany the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister. Besides, four Jammu and Kashmir ministers will also come along with him.

The local administration has been requested to provide the entourage of the visiting VVIPs board and lodging facilities and vehicles. A specific demand has been made by Omar Abdullah’s staff that he should be accommodated in a five-star facility. However, Dharamsala has no five-star hotel or an equivalent government facility. Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal is also expected to visit Dharamsala for the May 19 match. Sukhbir will also have similar security.

However, Sukhbir’s tour programme is yet to be received by the district administration.

In case both dignitaries visit Himachal, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal is also likely to accompany them during the match. This will mean that the local administration will have to handle three VVIPs. Besides, many Himachal ministers and bureaucrats are also expected to arrive.

Dharamsala, a small town having a population of about 30,000, has just one Circuit House, having about 15 rooms, that is used by visiting VVIPs for stay. The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) has five hotels, including Dhauladhar, Kashmir House and Kunal, at Dharamsala and Hotel Bhagsu and Club House at McLeodganj. However, all these hotels have just a few rooms that can suite the requirements of VVIPs.

Most private hotels in the area are already packed due to the influx of tourists during the IPL season. Many hotels have also been booked by the HPCA on behalf of the visiting teams.

The sources said all hotels within a radius of 15 to 20 km from Dharamsala were packed.

With security for the IPL matches already tight, the movement of VVIPs in the area is likely to cause more hardships for local residents. Today also some school buses had to be diverted and children had problems reaching their houses.