SPECIAL COVERAGE
CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI


THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
H I M A C H A L    P R A D E S H    E D I T I O N

Delayed monsoon to boost state’s revenue from power
Shimla, July 3
Farmers across the region may be worried over the delay in the arrival of monsoon, but the sharp increase in demand for electricity has brought cheer to the fund-starved state government, which lost much revenue due to a downswing in the power market throughout the summer.

Cong looking for young leaders, not careerists: Rahul
Kullu, July 3
AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi with Birender Singh, Virbhadra Singh and Kaul Singh Thakur at the Dhalpur Maidan in Kullu on Tuesday. All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Rahul Gandhi avoided declaring the chief ministerial candidate and came out instead with a crisp clear one-liner for state Congressmen to oust the corrupt BJP government selling state’s land.
AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi with Birender Singh, Virbhadra Singh and Kaul Singh Thakur at the Dhalpur Maidan in Kullu on Tuesday. Photo: Kamaljeet

Heli taxi service for Himani Chamunda launched
Dharamsala, July 3
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today launched the heli-taxi service for the Himani Chamunda temple. Under the service, tourists and pilgrims can fly in a chopper to the Himani Chamunda temple from Dhad, 20 km from Dharamsala.





YOUR TOWN
Dharamsala
Shimla


EARLIER STORIES



90 Tibetans facing deportation go missing
Dharamsala, July 3
About 90 Tibetans who had come to Dharamsala on pilgrim visa have gone missing. These pilgrims had come to pay obeisance to the Dalai Lama, but had over stayed their visa limit, along with a group of 292 other Tibetans.

Virbhadra hits out at Kaul
Kullu, July 3
Chairman of the Congress campaign committee Virbhadra Singh said today that the state party president who was staking claim for the post of Chief Minister could not do justice to party workers and leaders who disagreed with him.

BJP-ruled states corrupt: Babbar
Kullu, July 3
National Congress leaders today attacked BJP-ruled states, including Himachal, alleging that corruption ruled supreme in BJP governments and the party was trying all corrupt practices and propagandas to come to power.

 

 





Top








 

Delayed monsoon to boost state’s revenue from power
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 3
Farmers across the region may be worried over the delay in the arrival of monsoon, but the sharp increase in demand for electricity has brought cheer to the fund-starved state government, which lost much revenue due to a downswing in the power market throughout the summer.

The rates in the power in the Indian Energy Exchange, which earlier hovered around Rs 3 per unit, was yesterday revised to Rs 4.80 per unit.

The average rate for June has also improved substantially to Rs 3.78 per unit. Last year, the state had supplied bulk of free power available to it as royalty from various projects at Rs 4.30 per unit to Uttar Pradesh. This year there were not many takers despite the shortage of power as the state electricity board was in a financial mess and they had no funds to purchase power.

However, the state will not be able to take full advantage of the upswing in power market as out of the 850 MW of free power available, around 190 MW to 200 MW is being supplied to the board, which itself is facing a shortage.

The government will get only Rs 2.90 per unit for it in accordance with the rate fixed by the State Electricity Regulatory Commission in the tariff order. The remaining 650 MW will fetch a handsome revenue.

Another negative aspect is that this season the generation has been on the lower side compared to last year. The country’s largest Nathpa Jhakri power project has generated 2,169 million units (MU), 558 MU less than last year and 269 MU short of the target for the current year.

As such, the quantum of free power available to the government will not increase much, despite some more projects, including 231-MW Chamera-III, 100-MW Malana-II and 70-MW Budhil, coming into operation during the year.

The total power available is slated to go up from 810 MW to about 900 MW by the end of the year.

As distribution companies are not interested in long-term purchase agreements, the government has no option but to dispose of all the power through the national power exchange.

In recent years, power has emerged as a major resource for the state with revenue shooting up from Rs 29.60 crore in 2003-04 to a whopping Rs 1,255 crore in 2008-09.

Top

 

Cong looking for young leaders, not careerists: Rahul
Kuldeep Chauhan /TNS

Kullu, July 3
All-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Rahul Gandhi avoided declaring the chief ministerial candidate and came out instead with a crisp clear one-liner for state Congressmen to oust the corrupt BJP government selling state’s land.

He gave this mantra to win the coming Assembly elections after he rounded up his two-day state tour comprising six closed-door marathon sessions with Congressmen at the Dhalpur Maidan.

There was corruption in the BJP government, no development in the state and the state land was being sold.

Rahul said Congress dwelt in the hearts and minds of people, but the party was sitting in the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha because it was divided into three groups. “The choice is yours whether you want to sit outside or in the Vidhan Sabha,” he said.

He said the Congress lost Punjab poll because of the wrong distribution of tickets.

“We do not want to repeat the same in Himachal and you should allot tickets to right candidates who have support base and stand for fighting for cause and issues of people,” he said while presiding over the HP Local Bodies Representatives and Youth Samvad Conference of the Youth Congress here today.

Rahul told state Youth Congress members that the Congress was looking for young leaders, not careerists.

Telecom Minister Sachin Pilot, Congress MP and Bollywood actor Raj Babbar, state party in charge Birender Singh Chaudhary and MP Sanjay Nirupam were among those who spoke.

State Congress leaders Virbhadra Singh, Vidya Stokes, Kaul Singh, Dhani Ram Shandil, CWC members, GS Bali, Asha Kumari, Viplove Thakur and former ministers and MLAs were also present.

Top

 

Heli taxi service for Himani Chamunda launched
Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, July 3
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today launched the heli-taxi service for the Himani Chamunda temple. Under the service, tourists and pilgrims can fly in a chopper to the Himani Chamunda temple from Dhad, 20 km from Dharamsala.

The Himani Chamunda temple, constructed with local stones, is located 12 km uphill from the Chamunda Devi temple. Many believe that it is the original Chamunda Devi temple. Presently there is no road to the temple. Pilgrims have to travel on arduous hilly trek of 12 km to reach the temple. There is hardly any facility for boarding and lodging of pilgrims near the temple and people have to return the same day.

The state government had initially planned to develop a ropeway to the Himani Chamunda temple. However, the ropeway project failed to attract investors. Now the heli-taxi service to the temple will be started by Summit Heli Taxi Services Company.

Officials of the company said they would carry out the heli-taxi service to the Himani Chamunda temple around the year. The fare for the service was yet to be decided in consultation with the Tourism Department of the state, they said.

The Chief Minister, however, could not land at the temple today due to bad weather. He took off from in a heli-taxi from Dhad, but had to come back only after an aerial view of the area.

The Chief Minister, talking to newsmen at Dadh, said Himachal had big potential for promoting religious tourism. Maximum shakti peeths were located in Himachal, especially in Kangra district.

The state government had been striving to develop better facilities for tourists at these religious places.

When asked about Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Kullu, the Chief Minister said it was the right of every leader to campaign for his party.

Dhumal then went to Kandwari to meet his spiritual guru. He spent a few hours in isolation with his guru before folding off his visit to Kangra district.

Minister for IPH Ravinder Ravi and Palampur MLA Parveen Sharma also accompanied the Dhumal.

Top

 

90 Tibetans facing deportation go missing
Lalit Mohan
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, July 3
About 90 Tibetans who had come to Dharamsala on pilgrim visa have gone missing. These pilgrims had come to pay obeisance to the Dalai Lama, but had over stayed their visa limit, along with a group of 292 other Tibetans.

Police officials are now going to take up the matter with the Central Tibetan Administration and settlement offices.

About 382 Tibetans had entered India for pilgrimage purpose. Sources said after extending their stay from time to time, the Ministry of Home Affairs in February this year had issued a notification to deport these Tibetans till June 30, 2012.

These Tibetans were supposed to report at the police headquarters here before June 30 with their documents verified by Tibetan settlement officers.

But only 292 of them did so, while 90 failed to appear before the police.

Tibetans coming to India to pay obeisance to the Dalai Lama first report to the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ office in Nepal and the ministry issues them a special entry permit, a kind of visa, after which they are allowed to visit India. Most of them are given permission to stay in India for periods ranging from three to six months, which later might be extended.

Top

 

Virbhadra hits out at Kaul
Kuldeep Chauhan/TNS

Kullu, July 3
Chairman of the Congress campaign committee Virbhadra Singh said today that the state party president who was staking claim for the post of Chief Minister could not do justice to party workers and leaders who disagreed with him.

He rubbished reports that a list of 40 candidates for the state Assembly poll had been considered or finalised.

Virbhadra’s fresh salvo fired at his party rival Kaul Singh came after a dinner attended by 19 Congress MLAs and other several former ministers, all of them Virbhadra’s supporters, hosted by Dharamvir Dhami at his village resort in Kullu yesterday.

Virbhadra kicked up a fresh debate in the state Congress by hitting out at Kaul Singh.

“The Chief Minister candidate cannot head the party as he or she cannot do justice to other leaders within the party,” he asserted at an interaction with the media on the sidelines of the two-day training programme and interactive sessions with Congress men chaired by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

He said the two-day interactive sessions chaired by Rahul Gandhi had infused new energy in the party and mainly among youth.

Seventeen MLAs and former ministers, who are ticket-seekers and pledging support to Virbhadra as the next Chief Minister, attended the “diplomacy dinner”.

MLAs and Virbhadra opponents who did not attend the dinner were Kaul Singh, Leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes, GS Bali and Mandi Sadar MLA Anil Sharma.

Top

 

BJP-ruled states corrupt: Babbar
Kuldeep Chauhan/TNS

Kullu, July 3
National Congress leaders today attacked BJP-ruled states, including Himachal, alleging that corruption ruled supreme in BJP governments and the party was trying all corrupt practices and propagandas to come to power.

Addressing the “yuva samvad” conference of the Youth Congress and training programmes for representatives of the panchayati raj, Congress MP and actor Raj Babbar said BJP-ruled states had become a den of corruption and the BJP was dividing people on the lines of caste and religion to return to power.

Telecom Minister Sachin Pilot, Sanjay Nirupam and Minakshi Natrajan also spoke.

Top

 





HOME PAGE | Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Opinions |
| Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi |
| Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail |