Dehradun, June 13
The state government, which has been pleading with the Centre to extend an industrial package in the state to woo industrialists from outside to set up their units here for revenue and employment generation, is on the verge of losing those who have already set up their ventures in the state, all because of the highly inadequate power supply to the industrial sector.

Around 2000 big industries are facing acute power crisis with cuts ranging from 14 to 19 hours, though the official figures of power cuts in the records of Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) have been 8-9 hours to the non-continuous industries in Garhwal and Kumaon regions.

MD, UPCL, AK Johri, blamed drastic reduction in power generation of almost 6- 8 million units (MU) and increase in power demand of almost 2-4 MU on an average every day for precipitating the power crisis. He, however, said that the power was snapped only for 8 hours today for the industrial belt. He also stated that the UPCL purchased power for eight hours from Indian Energy Exchange for Rs 70 lakh at Rs 7 per unit. With intense competition for power purchase, the costs for bidding in this regard have gone much higher.

Sources claimed that the other states are ready to pay even Rs 18 per unit to buy power; in such a situation it is becoming difficult for UPCL to vie for the power purchase at a low price. It is learnt that last year power could easily be bought for Rs 3 per unit.

The industrialists are extremely furious with the existing power situation and have threatened Managing Director AK Johri of closing down their industries from the state and shifting elsewhere in the country. Vishal Kumar, vice chairman of Bhagwanpur Industries Association, said; "More than 450 industries situated in Bhagwanpur are facing power shutdowns for 14-19 hours for the past one month. The diesel generators of 1000 KVA which I used to run my industry have developed snags for pulling off more than their capacity. The same is the situation with others. This all is happening when we are paying extra for having continuous power supply from UPCL under an agreement signed with it."

Prem Goya, General Manager, Hanung Toys and Textiles Limited, Haridwar, said whatever power supply they were getting, it tripped all the time. "It requires two hours to get the desired heat to begin the manufacturing but it is no longer possible. The plastic items are getting distorted. If the situation persisted, then we will shut down our industries from here and would go to other states, such as

Bihar, which is offering a good package to the industrialists." Punit Mahindra, who came from Ludhiana to set up his steel factory at Kashipur in the state, said the steel industrialists could not even depend on diesel generators as they needed huge quantums of energy to light their furnaces. He said if they did not get supply for 12 hours, then they had to shut down the plant, something which the steel industrialists are doing so quite often these days.

Gautam Kapoor, owner of Ramson Polymer Industries Limited, Sikandarpur, said if the power crisis did not get over soon, then the industrialists with their thousands of workers would hold a protest in UPCL premises and lock their office.

Dehradun, June 13
Fresh from a 12-day study trip to Australia, Social Welfare and Transport Minister Surinder Rakesh has returned with a bagful of ideas. The minister, who missed the just concluded budget session of the Assembly, is raring to implement these ideas in the transport sector provided CM Vijay Bahuguna agrees to bear the burden of operational losses of the Uttarakhand State Transport Corporation incurred in the hill areas.

Inspired by the Australian model, the minister said it could be emulated in Uttarakhand “if the government brings the transport sector under essential services”. “In Australia around 60 per cent of the funds in the transport sector are provided by the government as grant, while the remaining 40 per cent are earned by the sector. This pattern can be implemented in Uttarakhand, especially in the hills where the state transport utility losses stood at Rs 25 crore annually. Unless the government agrees to bear the losses, these will continue to multiply,” he said at a press conference here today.

Rakesh said there was no other way that the bus operations in the hills could be streamlined but by bringing them under essential services. He added to keep the buses fit the Transport Department was keen to reduce the fitness period from 15 to 12 years. He said he would present the report of his study tour to the Chief Minister.

Among other things that the minister was keen to implement in Uttarakhand was the introduction of e-ticketing that would almost negate the role of conductors, introduction of a single ticket system and facilities for physically challenged persons.

“In the beginning we will try to implement some of the ideas that we perceive could be carried out on an experimental basis with our city bus operations in Dehradun.

But first these buses will have to brought under the Transport Department, as of now the city bus service is being run on contract through private operators,” said Rakesh. As of now, the state transport utility is short of 450 buses.

It has a total of 1,150 buses in its fleet against the requirement of 1,600 buses. About 200 buses are required in the hills.

The minister reiterated that on routes where the roadway buses of other state transport utilities were running there were no losses.

“There were no losses on routes on which the Uttar Pradesh Roadways or other state roadway buses were running,” he said.

Significantly, the minister said 176 buses plying in the hills had completed 15 years and were awaiting a complete overhauling.

Dehradun, June 13
The Congress and BJP have finalised the names of their two candidates for the byelections of ward numbers 37 and 38 to be held on June 29. However, quite interestingly, Congress is not backing it's

candidates with it's symbol and fielding them as Independents instead. BJP is fielding Bhupinder Fhrasi for ward 37 and Dinesh Sati for ward 38, whereas Congress has chosen Vimal Uniyal for ward 37 and Jyoty Baloni for ward 38.

The nomination will take place on Thursday.

Taking a jibe at the current situation, Mayor Vinod Chamoli said the BJP had fielded winning candidates in the election arena and was fully supporting it's candidates. Contrary to this, he said, Congress had a history of intra-party squabbling among it's leaders, owing to which it was not even supporting it's candidates and projecting them as Independents. According to sources, it is due to the tussle between MLA Umesh Sharma Kao, who represents ward no 37, Mata Mandir Road, and

state Minister Dinesh Aggarwal, who represents ward no 38, Race Course, over the selection of the candidates, that the party decided not to represent any one in the election, and left the area open for those willing to vie as Independents.

Congress councillor and whip Vijender Pal Singh, however, reasoned, saying: "State Congress does not have a city president and even state president is not present in the city these days who would have taken a decision on this matter. So the party decided not to back any one."

It is not this time, but four years ago also, that councillor Abdul Aziz, who despite being from Congress, was fielded as independent from ward no 40 by the Congress. He said: "Since my seat had become

controversial, so Congress decided to field me as Independent. It is a 'use and throw' attitude of the party. The issues of my ward are taken sincerely neither by Congress nor BJP in the Municipal Corporation."

With less than 10 months left for the election of new DMC board, the byelection for these two seats at this juncture has been slightly odd. Vinod Chamoli said: "The new councillors will get little time to

perform in their wards. Then 50 per cent of seats had been reserved for women in the Municipal Corporation elections now. Various other reservations would certainly change the seat equations and their areas in DMC election next year; so the new councillors would not even know if they would be able to stand from the same wards, or they would be able to reap the benefits of the hard work put in their respective wards."

Haridwar, June 13
A reality-based television serial being shot in the the city these days is attracting the attention of residents.

The serial, ‘Gumrah’, is being aired on Star Plus, which is based on the lives, travails, disappointments and dreams of younger generation.

Daily soap actor Karan Kundra is hosting the show. Talking about the serial, he said, “In the crowd dance-song based shows, this reality show brings a wave of freshness.”

Talking to The Tribune, Karan Kundra, who has enacted in ‘Jara Nach Ke Dikha’ besides a few others, termed the Haridwar experience a unique one.

Kundra said cities like Haridwar had their own charm.

Lead female actor in the serial Ayesha Kamga, who has won the Star World Fresh Face of the Year award and a teen beauty pageant in Mumbai, was also excited to shoot in the state.

“It’s a privilege to be here and I would love to come again in future,” said Ayesha.