Dharamsala, July 11
A case of encroachment on forest land by M/s Subhash Hydro Systems and Marketing Ltd (Ikku II), a micro hydel project company in Kangra district, has come to the fore.

The fact that a hydel project of the company has been brought up on forest land came to the fore in an inquiry marked to Dharamsala SDM Sandeep Sood.

The inquiry report, a copy of which is available with The Tribune, states that revenue officials, after spot inspection, have come to the conclusion that the power project has been set up 300 metres downhill from the spot originally allocated for it.

The SDM declined to comment on the matter. He, however, admitted that in the inquiry report, revenue officials have found that M/s Subhash Hydro Systems and Marketing Ltd (Ikko II) had brought the project downhill from the land originally allotted to them. He said the report had been submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, for further action.

The Deputy Commissioner had ordered the inquiry into the matter following a complaint from 12 panchayats of the area that the power project authorities had encroached upon government land.

The panchayats had complained that due to shifting of the power project site, their kuhls (traditional water sources) had stopped receiving water as a result of which they faced an acute shortage of drinking and irrigation water in June.

The panchayats had alleged that as per the original project report, the water from penstocks of the powerhouse was to be released at a site from where their kuhls started. However, the project authorities themselves shifted the site 300 metres downhill. Due to the shifting of the project site, water from the powerhouse was released in an area downhill. Since almost the entire water from the Ikku stream on which the powerhouse had been built was taken in penstocks by the powerhouse authorities, hardly anything was left for the fields during summer, the panchayats had alleged.

Only an electrical engineer was present at the project site when The Tribune team visited it. Asked to comment on the charges that the project had been brought up on encroached forest land, he declined any knowledge regarding the matter. He said only the management of the project could say anything regarding the matter.

At the office of the company in Palampur, an executive, Nitin, was available on the phone. He also declined to comment on the matter.

Sources said forest officials were also contemplating action on the report that the project had been brought up on forest land.

The revenue officials who conducted the inquiry said the complaint lodged by the panchayats was found to be true as there would have been no loss of water discharge in the kuhls in case the project come up on land originally allotted to it.

Shimla, July 11
Having been away from the state for over eight years, the Himachal Government has forwarded the case of IAS officer Rahul Anand, currently serving with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, to the Centre for considering his absence from service as deemed resignation.

Anand will become the sixth IAS officer of the Himachal cadre to quit his service for an assignment with international agencies such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) and the IMF. Among those who have quit their jobs earlier are Pradeep Monga (1980 batch), Vivek Srivastava (1979 batch), Sandeep Madan (1979 batch) and Ashish Dev (1977 batch).

Anand, a 1996 batch officer, had proceeded on study leave in 2005 for a period of five years to do a doctorate. Following completion of his study leave, he had been asked to report back for duty in the state. However, he requested that he had an offer of appointment and should be allowed three more years’ leave. The state government had declined his request since as per the rules, he had to report back after a gap of five years. “As per the All-India Service Rules, we have forwarded his case to the Centre for getting permission for considering his absence from duty for such a long period as deemed resignation,” confirmed Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy. He said the case would be dealt with as per rules.

Sources said Anand had been served a show-cause notice last year by the state government. In his reply, he has sought time to complete his assignment before returning. It was following his failure to report back on duty that the state government decided to move his case to the Centre.

Anand, a chemical engineer hailing from Bihar, has served as the Deputy Commissioner in Chamba and Sirmaur and also served as the Additional Deputy Commissioner in Kangra. He has been working with the IMF in Washington for over two years.

Another IAS officer, Manisha Sridhar, had also resigned from service last year. In her case too, she had proceeded on study leave following which she served with the World Bank. She returned to the state last year. However, with a notice being issued to her, she chose to quit though much against her wishes.

Most of the IAS officers who have quit service chose to serve with international agencies as they found it not only financially more rewarding but also professionally more satisfying.

Shimla, July 11
Delay in the release of its arrears on account of its share in the BBMB projects in accordance with the Supreme Court verdict and reimbursement of expenditure on central forces deployed along the Jammu and Kashmir border will be among the main issues to be raised by the state at the 26th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council being held at Chandigarh on July 13.

The state government has already carried out the exercise to work out the arrears since 1966 in the BBMB projects in accordance with the court verdict upholding its claim of 7.19 per cent instead of the 2.5 per cent ad hoc share it had been getting all these years. The total amount following the enhancement of the share in the Bhakra, Dehar and Pong Dam projects has been pegged at Rs 3,996 crore. As per the judgment of the apex court, the issue was to be settled within six months. However, more than nine months have passed, but not much headway has been made.

The other important issue is the reimbursement of the security-related expenditure incurred by the state for preventing terrorist activities from spilling over from across the Jammu and Kashmir border. The state has deployed the ITBP along the sensitive border and it asserts that the entire expenditure on this account should be borne by the Centre. Its plea is that Himachal is a peaceful state and had been forced deploy ITBP companies only because of the trouble in the neighbouring state. As such, it was the responsibility of the Centre to provide funds for such security-related expenditure thrust on the state because of a problem elsewhere.

The state will also seek the release of Rs 17 crore still to be paid by Punjab towards the cost of the Shah Nehar project. The Planning Commission had provided Rs 52 crore, but the remaining amount has not been paid by Punjab so far. Other issues concerning the power sector like difficulties being faced by the state in the sale of its surplus power due to reluctance of distribution companies in the neighbouring states are also likely to figure during the meeting.

The Renuka Dam project, in which Haryana, Uttarakhand and Delhi are also involved, will also figure during the meeting. The state’s stand is that it will not hinder the construction of the project to help provide water to Delhi, but it will not bear any cost on this account as it would generate a meagre 40 MW of power.

Some inconvenient issues like the alleged restriction on vehicles from outside to ply up to the Rohtang Pass are likely to be raised by other states during the meeting.

Shimla, July 11
Former President APJ Abdul Kalam will deliver the keynote address in the public colloquium on fundamental duties to be held on July 14, 2012, at the Gaiety Theatre, Shimla.

This is the last colloquium in the series of public colloquiums on fundamental duties of citizens being organised by the HP State Legal Services Authority in association with the Directorate of Language and Culture, Swarn Education Welfare and Awareness Trust, and the Shimla chapter of the Public Relations Society of India.

The public colloquium will focus on Article 51 (A) (j) of the Constitution of India that lays down that it is the duty of every citizen “to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement”.

Justice Kurian Joseph, Chief Justice of the state high court, will preside over the function. This initiative was started on October 15, 2010, by the Chief Justice when a public discussion was organised on the fundamental duties. The colloquium on July 14, 2012, will be attended by school and college students, professionals from all walks of life who will get an opportunity to interact with Dr Kalam. So far, nine such colloquiums have been organised and there has been meaningful discussion and interaction.

This initiative has spread awareness among the public about their duties that are so closely linked to the fundamental rights.

Shimla, July 11
Terming Chief Minister PK Dhumal’s tour of the apple belt a big disappointment, the opposition Congress today maintained that he had nothing to offer to the people of Jubbal and Kotkhai, who had been a victim of neglect under the BJP regime.

Former MLA from the area Rohit Thakur said apple growers were not impressed by Dhumal’s claims as many of them had not yet received the payment for fruit procured under the Market Intervention Scheme in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Roads were in bad shape and work on widening the Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru state highway, the lifeline of apple growers, was progressing at a snail’s pace.

The people were well aware that announcements made during the visit were a political gimmick to hoodwink people on the eve of the Assembly poll. The fact was that most of the projects started by Dhumal had been a failure. These included the winery project for which 66 bighas were allotted to the Indage Group, the Theog-Rohru road-widening scheme, a kisan bhawan at the Dhalli market, an agriculture market at Kharapathar and Paralla. The government had only provided Rs 8 crore for the Rs 100-crore project and only levelling of land had being done at Paralla.

Health and educational institutions in the area were without staff as evident from the fact over 1,200 posts were vacant in the Health Department and over 6,000 in the Education Department.

The present government had closed down the apple carton factory for which land was provided by growers and had sold out the machinery as scrap to a private party.

Shimla, July 11
Lambasting the UPA regime for premature termination of the central industrial package granted by the NDA government, Industries Minister Kishan Kapoor today claimed that the state had still managed to attract a handsome investment over the past four years by creating an investor-friendly environment.

Addressing a press conference here, he said there were a total of 38,790 industrial enterprises, including 488 medium and large-scale units, involving an investment of Rs 16,287.27 crore and providing employment to about 2.67 lakh persons as on May 31, 2012.

During the term of the present government, 5,437 industrial units with a proposed investment of Rs 18,280.82 crore and a potential to provide employment to 2,11,158 persons were approved. During this period, 4,265 industrial units, including 115 medium and large enterprises, were set up with an investment of Rs 10,167.15 crore. As many 57,441 persons, of which 45,919 were Himachalis, had been employed in these units.

The investment would have been much more if the Centre had not curtailed the industrial package granted up to March 2013 to March 2010. Despite this, the government had approved 69 new industrial projects and 81 proposals to expand the existing units involving an investment of Rs 11,776 crore over the past two years. A land bank, with 8,000 bighas of land, had been established to ensure easy availability of land to prospective entrepreneurs in various parts of the state.

Kapoor said a new single window clearance agency office had been opened at Nalagarh with a single-line administration system to ensure timely delivery of services to entrepreneurs. To overcome the shortage of housing, workers’ hostels were being constructed at Baddi with a capacity to lodge about 1,000 persons with an investment of about Rs 23 crore.

The Container Corporation of India was constructing an inland container depot at Baddi at an estimated cost of Rs 57.45 crore which would function as a container freight station as long as rail connectivity was not available. The Centre had sanctioned a Rs 18.83-crore project to set up a mini tool room at Baddi and the state had initiated a proposal for setting up a trade centre at the place at an estimated cost of Rs 10.81 crore. A hazardous waste management plant at Majra village in Nalagarh and a common effluent treatment plant were also being set up to help protect the environment.

Shimla, July 11
Perturbed over the aspersions cast by Alena Adamkova, a former curator at the International Roerich Memorial Trust (IRMT), a team of experts from the International Centre of the Roerichs (ICR), Moscow, currently on a visit to Naggar in Kullu, has brought the matter to the notice of the state government while blaming Adamkova for the deteriorated state of many a memorabilia at the centre.

The team from the ICR, which arrived in Naggar on an invitation of the Himachal Government last month to undertake the exhaustive work of preparing an inventory of the art works of the great Russian painter, Nicholas Roerich, today brought the matter to the notice of Chief Secretary S Roy as well as Principal Secretary, Language, Art and Culture, Manisha Nanda.

The team termed Adamkova’s remarks as an attempt to discredit the activities of the ICR and the IRMT to impede the constructive cooperation between the two in fulfilling the will of its founder, Svetoslav Roerich. “The remarks reflect her disrespectful attitude towards both Russia and India, where she has been enjoying hospitality for so many years,” they said.

The team said some conclusions could already be drawn. “We have not revealed any general museum ledger with systematic numbered inventory of the museum objects, which is normally the basic document of any museum and the foundation for all subsequent museum work,” they said. They added that the accounting done by means of electronic media could not replace a regular main inventory ledger.

The most important remarks of the ICR team are on the extremely poor condition of the heritage preserved in the estate. “Many of the memorabilia of the Roerichs have deteriorated, since Adamkova did not consider their value as museum objects and organise their accounting,” they said.

The same applied to many archival documents, library and research collections of the Urusvati Institute of Himalayan Studies, much of which had come into disrepair due to improper storage, they added. They said Adamkova was not keen on taking help of the ICR.

They took objection to Adamkova’s claim that Svetoslav Roerich blessed her to work at the estate while alleging that she was covering up her actions with the name of an illustrious person and at the same time doing everything to prevent the execution of this person’s will.

Solan, July 11
A four-storeyed building situated near Mohan Park here collapsed following heavy rain today. No loss of life was reported till late evening though search operations were under way to find out if anybody had been trapped inside the debris.

The occupants of two flats were lucky as they were not in the building at the time of the mishap. The owners of the two flats reportedly do not stay here permanently.

The ownership of the building, according to preliminary inquires, is disputed. The police is, however, on the lookout for the contractor, Paras Kumar, who was untraceable after the mishap.

Officials of the HP State Electricity Board Limited, who are housed in the adjoining building, said a tree got uprooted and fell on the building and soon they heard a loud thud with smoke engulfing the area as the building had collapsed.

They added that the vibrations due to the building collapse shook their building as well as an electricity pole and the power supply was snapped within seconds. Assuming it to be an earthquake, the staff ran out of the office.

Onlookers said the presence of large boulders on a kutcha road being carved out above the structure might have trigged landslides which might have fallen on the building with the onset of the monsoon. A JCB machine, which was deployed to construct a wall along the road, added to the disaster.

SDM Harbans Negi said rescue operations had been initiated soon after the incident and the fire brigade and ambulances had been kept ready to provide immediate medical help. He added that nobody had been traced till late in the evening and there was no information about any missing person.

Since labourers were engaged in construction activity, the possibility of some people having been buried under the debris could not be ruled out.

Help from the Army was sought at around 6 pm to assist in the search operations. The Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police also visited the spot to take stock of the situation.

Chamba, July 11
The highway from Chamba to Killar, crossing over the snowy Saach Pass situated at an altitude of 4,413 m linking the Pangi tribal valley with its district headquarters at Chamba, has been opened for vehicular traffic, including tourist traffic and pedestrians, according to an official communiqué received here today.

The communiqué said the work to remove snow from the highway at the Saach Pass, which was 35 to 40 foot deep in snow, was undertaken three months ago.

Beguiled by the scene of snow at Saach and its environs, tourists had started making a beeline to the tribal region, the communiqué informed.

The Saach Pass overlooking the snowy Pir Panjal ranges of Jammu and Kashmir had been closed for transportation services and pedestrians due to snowfall in November last year.

The Pangi valley, having a population of about 22,000 in 54 villages of 16 panchayats, remains cut off from the outer world during winter due to snowfall for about eight months.

Earlier, the Pangi valley was accessible by vehicle through Kangra-Mandi-Kullu-Lahaul-Spiti districts covering a distance of over 700 km with a journey time of over 40 hours. But now with the construction of a road and launching of bus services through the Saach Pass in 2008, the valley is accessible by vehicle covering a distance of only 170 km with a journey time of fewer hours.

People of the Pangi tribal valley are now in a position to travel conveniently to their district headquarters and market their valuable horticulture and agriculture produce including apple crop in the open markets.

HP Vidhan Sabha Speaker Tulsi Ram who represents this tribal area applauded the efforts of the workforce of PWD opening the highway.

Sundernagar, July 11
Excessive rainwater that had entered the Rewalsar Mini Zoo maintained by the wildlife wing of the Forest Department damaged the enclosures of bears and sambars on the night of July 8.

As a result, a bear and 32 sambars ran out of their enclosures and two barking deer were killed by a leopard which had entered the damaged enclosures.

Local residents said on July 8 due to heavy rainfall in the catchment area, water came in excess along with the silt, which choked the drainage which passes through the zoo.

As a result, a bear ran out of the enclosure. Another enclosure in which sambars and barking deer were kept was also damaged and 32 sambars ran out.

It was midnight and the staff there immediately informed higher officers.

A 10-member team of wildlife staff, led by Kashmir Singh, Range Officer (RO), Wildlife, Sundernagar, started a rescue operation around 3am.

Kashmir Singh said: “Our first priority was to control the bear that was running around dangerously and could have created havoc in the locality.

After four hours, the team managed to catch the bear and put it in the enclosure. After working the whole day, the team tried to control the 32 sambars.”

The team also noticed that a leopard had entered the enclosure that was damaged by the rainwater. It had eaten a barking deer and taken away another barking deer with it.

In the mini zoo, the total number of animals was 71, out of which seven were spotted deer, six barking deer, two ghorals, 50 sambhars, four black bears and two porcupines. A visit to the zoo revealed that all were not kept in a good condition as the space in the enclosures was less.

The issue further aggravated due to the faulty drainage of the Rewalsar-Durgapur road as water is drained out on the slope of the zoo that has taken the shape of a nullah.

DFO, Wildlife, Kullu, PD Dogra, under whose jurisdiction this zoo falls, said it was a natural calamity.

He said he visited the zoo yesterday and asked the staff to prepare an estimate of the damages. The Zoo Authority of India had earlier asked the Forest Department to close the zoo, but on account of public pressure it was not closed.

Shimla, July 11
The Himachal Power Engineers Association has urged the government to fill all posts of director in the State Power Corporation (SPC) and the State Power Transmission Corporation(SPTC) from among senior chief engineers of the state power board.

In a representation submitted to Chief Minister PK Dhumal here yesterday, the association drew attention to the fact that three posts of director were being filled through direct recruitment in the two corporations for which competent and experienced engineers were available in the board. The appointment of competent chief engineers to these posts, purely on the basis of seniority, would help bring radical changes in the working of the two public sector undertakings as the young incumbents would render five to seven years of service.

It further pointed out that besides eligible chief engineers from the board, some outsider candidates, who never served as Chief Engineer but rather voluntarily retired as Superintending Engineer for working in the private sector, had also been called for interview for the post of Director (Electrical) in the SPTC. Earlier too, interviews were conducted for these posts in both the corporations, but the appointment was made purely on the basis of seniority.

Further, Punjab and Haryana were also adopting the same principle for selection to the posts of director, recognising the fact that engineers from within the utilities possessed core competence and could deliver more for the welfare of the organisation. 

Solan, July 11
With a view to enhancing the employability skills of youth, Bahra University, Waknaghat, has joined hands with the Union Ministry of Youth Welfare and Sports. Two national-level workshops will be conducted for the faculty and students on its campus.

Vice-Chancellor of Bahra University Dr SK Bansal said these workshops were being conducted for the first time in the state and would be run on a regular basis from July 13 to 22 for students and from July 23 to August 1 for the faculty.

As many as 45 delegates from across the country will participate in the workshops and trainers will be allotted by the Union Ministry of Youth Welfare and Sports.

Elucidating on the idea, Dr Bansal said the first workshop for students would focus on “national employability training”, which will emphasise on the employability characteristics and traits that a student needs to ensure for a suitable and gainful employment after completion of his course.

The target group of students will consist of third year engineering and MBA final-year students.

The second workshop which will be conducted for the faculty from July 23 to August 1 will be attended by 45 renowned academicians from across the country.

It will focus on how to enhance leadership qualities among youth and the target faculty for this workshop would include a teacher from each stream.

Shimla, July 11
Apart from gathering routine information, the latest sample survey on urban areas will also collect data regarding roads within and approaching the slums, electricity, drinking water, sewage system, drainage and garbage disposal along with change in the status of these facilities over the past five years.

Stating this while inaugurating a state-level conference of the 69th Round of the National Sample Survey (NSS), economic adviser Pradeep Chauhan said the data generated during the survey would be useful for the government in its endeavour to effectively implement the “total sanitation” programme and ensuring safe drinking water to people in rural as well as urban areas.

The last survey was conducted in the 65th Round of the NSS (July 2008-June 2009).

The focus would be on ascertaining the living conditions of people by collecting information like major source of drinking water and availability of electricity.

The main objective was to obtain reliable data on dwelling conditions and status of basic facilities so that the government and the Planning Commission could formulate appropriate strategies.

The survey will start from the last week of this month and complete by the end of December 2012.

The NSS is a joint venture of the state and the Centre and it would be conducted in 88 rural samples and 24 urban samples, which will cover the whole geographical area of the state.

Chauhan appealed to people to cooperate with the field staff of the Economic and Statistics Department and provide correct and authentic information when they visit their households.

Shimla, July 11
In an unusual case where a complaint has been filed by a government official alleging that a person tried to give him a bribe of Rs 10,000, the state high court sent Narinder Singh of Chamba to six-month imprisonment for offering bribe to the official under Section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

According to the prosecution, on December 10, 2002, when Rakesh Kanwar was working as the Additional District Magistrate, Bharmour, Chamba district, the accused, Narinder Singh, entered the office of Kanwar, had some talk with him and then tried to give a bribe of Rs 10,000 to him by putting the same in his drawer.

Thereafter, Kanwar rang up the SHO, Bharmour, and lodged a complaint in this regard.

But the trial court acquitted the accused on the grounds that there was no occasion for the accused to offer the bribe and there was no motive to give the same.

It said it was not proved by the prosecution as to what conversation actually transpired between the accused and the complainant and therefore gave the benefit of doubt to the accused. The state has filed an appeal challenging the acquittal of the accused before the high court.

While setting aside the judgment passed by the Special judge, Chamba , the court further observed that “the judgment delivered by the trial court is totally perverse and has been passed without appreciating the evidence or the legal provisions. Therefore, the same is set aside and the accused is convicted for having committed an offence punishable under Section 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988”.

Shimla, July 11
The government today promoted Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers to fill the additional posts created at various levels following the special cadre review.

While five Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) DP Sinha, Sanjeeva Pande, Avtar Singh, GS Goraya and SS Negi were elevated to the posts of Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests within the department, another seven officers, who were on deputation, were given proforma promotions.

Further, 10 Conservator of Forests (CF) Savita Sharma, SK Sharma, CB Pande, Suresh, Rakesh Sood, Samir Rastogi, ARM Reddy, Rajeev Kumar, Ajay Srivastav and PL Chauhan were promoted as CCF and nine granted proforma promotions.

Besides, 13 Divisional Forest Officers were promoted within the department and four were given proforma promotions. 

Nurpur, July 11
Following a court order, a criminal case has been registered against Kangra district BJP president Ranjit Pathania, a loyalist of the national BJP vice-president Shanta Kumar, and his son Rahul for allegedly committing criminal intimidation and breach of trust on Monday evening.

The police said Shashi Kant, proprietor of Saab Construction Company, Pathankot, in his complaint stated that being a construction engineer he had entered an agreement with Ranjit Pathania, who is the chairman of an education society, on November 16 last year for the construction of a hostel block at Thapkor village in the Nurpur subdivision.

He had raised the construction of the hostel building up to ground floor and on demanding payment of wages of labour, the accused allegedly created a dispute and ordered him to stop further construction of the building.

He alleged that the accused who were political bigwigs had illegally withheld his construction material, along with steel shuttering plates worth Rs 14 lakh, lying on the construction site.

He was allegedly threatened with dire consequences and false prosecution by the duo.

Meanwhile, reacting over the criminal case registered against him, Pathania said the allegations were false and baseless and he would reply in the court over the matter.

Daljeet Thankur, SP, Kangra, confirmed that following the court directions a case under Sections 406 and 506, IPC, had been registered against Ranjit and his son Rahul and it would be investigated as per law.

A forgery case had already been registered against the Kangra BJP chief in June 2010 by the local police, which has put the challan into the court for its trial. He is taken interim bail from the district sessions court, Dharamsala.

Bilaspur, July 11
The police nabbed four ATM money thieves after they took out Rs 15,000 from the ATM account of Binta Devi, wife of Armyman Shavinder Kumar and belonging to Gurjadu-Ghumarwin, near here, today.

SP Santosh Patial said two youths were following this woman. Binta, who was accompanying her father, went to the ATM of the State Bank of India and took out Rs 10,000 from it.

Luckily, her husband, who had received two SMSes of withdrawal of money from the bank, rang her up to enquire why she had taken out Rs 10,000 and Rs 15,000 one after the other.

Binta and her father raised an alarm and a large number of people gathered there and the police was informed.

This alerted the ATM thieves and they were seen fleeing in a car (HR-32C-0870). The police set up nakas at various escape routes. It was after a chase the car was stopped by the police.

The police took into custody four persons, Inderjit (25) of Kaithal (Haryana), Mahender (23), Mahender (25) and Ranjit (25), all of Hisar (Haryana), from this car.

On their search, the police found 19 ATM cards of various banks and Rs 50,000 cash. A case under relevant sections was registered against them. 

Shimla, July 11
Counselling for BEd seats at the postgraduate institute in Himachal Pradesh University will be held from July 16.

Chairperson of the department Dr Sudarshna Rana said those candidates who had not submitted their detailed mark sheet of the final year should do so at the earliest so that they could appear for the counselling from July 16.