Palampur, July 23
The Vivekananda Medical Research Trust (VMRT) today started its super-speciality hospital at Palampur, set up with the help of the Jaypee Group of Industries. The hospital, a dream project of former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar, was conceived about 20 years ago. Finally, it started functioning today after its inauguration by Swami Subhodhanand of the Chinmaya Trust in the presence of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.

Speaking on the occasion, Shanta Kumar got emotional and said the project got delayed to such an extent that at times he felt that it would not be completed during his lifetime.

He thanked small and big donors who initially collected Rs 25 crore for Vivekananda Hospital. Shanta Kumar remembered a maid, Bindo Devi, who collected Rs 11,000 from her acquaintances and donated the money for the project. The Dalai Lama also donated a substantial part of the royalty of his books for the project, Shanta Kumar said.

Shanta Kumar thanked Chairman of the Jaypee Group of Industries JP Gaur and the Chief Minister for extending full cooperation in the completion of the project.

Speaking on the occasion, Dhumal alleged that the Congress tried to derail the project.

The Chief Minister urged the Chairman of the Jaypee Group of Industries and Shanta Kumar to start a medical and nursing college along with the hospital. The state government would extend all help in this regard, he added.

The Chairman of the Jaypee Group of Industries said Himachal Pradesh was among the best states of the country and was progressing at a fast pace. He said the Jaypee Group was committed to creating state-of-the-art super-speciality hospital in Palampur under the aegis of the Vivekananda Medical Research Trust.

The Vivekananda Medical Research Trust was founded by Shanta Kumar in 1992 to establish a super-speciality hospital in Palampur. Shanta Kumar is the lifetime chairman of the trust. The then BJP government leased out about 200 kanals of land near Palampur on a token amount for the trust.

The Congress government allegedly tried to scuttle the project. Shanta Kumar collected donations from people and raised about Rs 25 crore for the project. With that money, Kaya Kalap, an ayurvedic health resort, was established.

Work on the hospital was started but could not be completed due to paucity of funds. During the present stint of the BJP government, an agreement was signed between the Jaypee Group and the trust. As per the MoU, the Jaypee Group was to establish a 500-bedded super-speciality hospital on land of the trust.

The work on the project got delayed that caused differences between Shanta Kumar and Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. With the Assembly elections round the corner, the hospital was declared functional today. The hospital has a 200-bed facility. Critics, however, say that as per the agreement, a 500-bedded hospital should have been established.

Shimla, July 23
Chief Minister PK Dhumal and his Punjab counterpart Parkash Singh Badal will sign an MoU for the execution of a Rs 83-crore ropeway project, which will provide an aerial link between the Anandpur Sahib and Naina Devi shrines, here on July 26.

Badal will arrive in Shimla on the morning of July 26 and return in the afternoon after signing the MoU, which has already been approved by the state Cabinet. The two states have already agreed to set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to jointly implement the project, which has been pending for over a decade.

Punjab Chief Secretary Rakesh Singh and his Himachal counterpart Sudripta Roy had finalised the terms and conditions of the project at a high-level meeting here on June 15. The two states will be equal partners in the SPV. The Chairman will be from Himachal while the Managing Director will be from Punjab.

The project, to be executed under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode, will be implemented on a build-operate-transfer basis. The ropeway, having a span of 2.5 km, will have three terminal points - Rampur (lower), Toada (intermediate) and Naina Devi (upper).

The project is expected to reduce the traffic congestion on the road connecting the two pilgrim centres with thousands of people from Punjab and Haryana making a beeline to the hilltop temple.

The SPV will pay for the land acquisition and the compensation accruing to land owners. The rate of return of the project is estimated to be about 140 per cent, considering the volume of pilgrims that visit Naina Devi throughout the year.

Himachal will contribute towards the initial corpus an amount of Rs 3.29 crore, the cost of land acquisition and the net present value to be paid for the diversion of forest land. The concession period has been increased from 40 to 43 years to allow sufficient time for obtaining the requisite clearances before starting work on the project. The two states will share the profit as well as the liabilities of the project.

Kangra, July 23
Members of NGO Jagori Gramin, which works for women’s rights and domestic violence, held a demonstration today against the SNG Security agency for alleged sexual harassment of women members of the agency by their superiors. They raised slogans against the agency at the gate of NIFT.

Women members of the NGO and the victims wearing black badges and carrying placards denouncing the sexual harassment demanded action against the guilty.

Aatreyee Sain, member of the NGO, who was heading the protest, alleged that two women members of the SNG Security were sexually harassed by their two superiors.

She said the agency was providing security to NIFT here. Director, NIFT, Dinesh Rangra said NIFT had no role to play in the incident. However, it had taken immediate action. But the victim and the accused had made a written complaint in the presence of the police.

Rangra said SNG Security had been asked not to provide security to NIFT from tonight.

Aatreyee said one of the victims had moved the labour court too. She told mediapersons that one of the victims was earlier terminated and another suspended today. She said the NGO was protesting against the suspension and termination of the two victims of alleged sexual harassment and also demanded stringent action against the guilty.

Security agency investigating officer Ishwar Singh Shakhawat, Manager Operations, arrived here today to enquire about the incidents to submit a report on July 26 to the head of the agency.

Ishwar Singh said SNG Security today suspended Subhedar Mohinder and SS Gill, accused in the sexual harassment case, and the victims too till the inquiry was completed. 

Shimla, July 23
The World Bank (WB) has finally given its nod for the much-awaited Rs 1,100 crore Development Policy Loan to promote inclusive green growth for sustainable development in key sectors like power, tourism, industry, environment and watershed management in Himachal Pradesh.

The WB approved the project at a high-level meeting held in New Delhi on July 21, with the first instalment likely to be released by the end of August.

The meeting, where the modalities of the loan were finalised, was attended by Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy and Nagin Nada, Secretray, Environment. “The final nod from the WB has come as we finalised the modalities on July 21 and the funds should start flowing by the end of August,” confirmed Roy.

Senior functionaries from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Forest and Environment were also present at the meeting. With the modalities having been finalised, the World Bank will take a formal decision for release of the grant at its meeting to be held in Washington on August 8.

The Rs 1,100 crore loan will comprise 90 per cent grant from the World Bank at the rate of 0.7 per cent payable over a period of 30 years. The remaining 10 per cent of the amount will have to be paid by the Himachal Government. The World Bank team has held five appraisals in the past to ensure that all the ground work and action plan have been put in place by the departments concerned.

As part of the action plan that was a pre-requisite for getting the development policy loan, the Himachal Government has engaged a consultant to prepare a basin-wise digital GIS-based hydro-power potential maps.

The Cumulative Environmental Impact Assessment (CEIA) studies all the five river basins of the Sutlej, Ravi, Beas, Yamuna and Chenab.

The work on the CEIA of the Sutlej river basin was already underway, while its integrated catchment area treatment plan was being implemented.

The Department of Rural Development will adopt and implement integrated community-led watershed development approach at the gram panchayat level, applicable to the hilly terrain.

Amendments have been made in the Local Area Development Fund (2009) to ensure a long-term benefit sharing policy to protect the interest of the affected communities.

The Department of Industry also amended the Industrial Policy (2004) to promote sound environmental management like encouraging a clean industry and placing polluting units in the negative list.

Mandi, July 23
The CPM today accused the state BJP and Chief Minister PK Dhumal of misusing the official machinery for the party rally at Kansa Chowk and also for the two-day state executive meeting of the BJP held here. The CPM has also asked the Chief Minister to clear the air regarding opening a government college at Rewalsar as “the High Court stopped admissions to the college on June 30”.

According to district CPM general secretary Bupender Singh, the BJP misused HRTC buses and government vehicles for the rally.

The entire government machinery was at the BJP’s beck and call for the past three days in Mandi, the CPM alleged.

The CPM sought the intervention of the Election Commission as the BJP was making announcements at the fag-end of its tenure to woo the voters.

Lad Bharol (Mandi), July 23
Continuing with his spree of announcements and laying of foundation stones to woo voters ahead of the Assembly poll, Chief Minister PK Dhumal today announced the starting of a government degree college here from this session itself. He also announced the starting of ambulance services under the Atal Swasthya Sewa from Lad Bharol with immediate effect.

Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating a community health centre at Lad Bharol, the Chief Minister announced the third degree college for the district within 24 hours. He also laid the foundation stone of the science block of Senior Secondary School, Lad Bharol. This is the fourth foundation stone laid by the Chief Minister in the district during the past three days.

He said the community health centre would have 30 beds and an air-conditioned operation theatre, besides a labour room.

Dhumal told the gathering that the BJP was committed to providing services to the common man. He said the government had accorded top priority to the road, health and education sectors, besides creating self-employment opportunities for the youth of the state.

PWD Minister and Jogindernagar MLA Gulab Singh Thakur also spoke on the occasion.

Kangra, July 23
Faculty members of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) here have been forced to vacate their residences on the campus to provide accommodation to the next batch of girl students, who are arriving on July 25, as the Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) has failed to complete the hostel and other building projects.

Dinesh Rangra, Director, NIFT, today said 100 fresh girl students were arriving, but the DSIIDC had failed to ready the hostel building by June 30 last. The building with 75 rooms could not be completed by the agency, he added.

He said NIFT’s boys hostel was located in Kangra town outside the campus, but girl students had to be put up on the campus. He said there was no option, but to ask faculty members to vacate their residences for the new girl students.

He said Kangra NIFT had 20 batches in five trades, but the infrastructure was lacking. He said the DSIIDC had handed over two unfinished halls and promised to hand over two more, but the work at a snail’s pace had left the management in the lurch. He alleged that the academic building blocks too were not completed by the DSIIDC as yet. He said NIFT had 558 students, but without sufficient hostel accommodation for all.

Rangra said the NIFT headquarters was kept informed about the developments about the delay in the Rs 30-crore project. The post of Project Engineer of the rank of an Executive Engineer was lying vacant, thus delaying the project by years.

He said the posts of the Joint Director, Deputy Registrar, Accounts Officer and 50 per cent posts of the subordinate staff were also lying vacant. There were five trades being taught here, but the staff was meant for two trades only. He said despite all these odds, the orientation programme would start on July 25 and new classes from August 1.

Shiv Ashok Singh, Chief Engineer, DSIIDC, whwn contacted on the phone, refused to comment on the extraordinary delay in completing the project and put down the phone. For this construction project an agreement was signed between NIFT HQ in Delhi and DSIIDC.

Hamirpur, July 23
The Himachal Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Board (HPSSSB), Hamirpur, has decided to initiate an inquiry against a “tainted employee” and immediately shift him from his present posting, where he is serving on a sensitive post.

Jeevan Lal, a superintendent in the HPSSSB, Hamirpur, continued to hold the office in the secrecy branch of the board, despite the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Mandi, having filed a challan against him in a court in an alleged case of embezzlement.

The employee was booked by the bureau in July 2010 for a criminal act while he was working as a clerk in Government Senior Secondary School, Sarkaghat, in Mandi district.

The bureau had filed an FIR in this case against him for allegedly “siphoning off an amount of over Rs 1 lakh collected as tuition fee from students of the school”.

The Tribune had highlighted this issue in these columns a few days ago after the HPSSSB, Hamirpur, had failed to take action against the employee, even after the Director, Education, had taken up the issue of disciplinary action against the employee.

Now, the HPSSSB has decided to hold an inquiry against Jeevan Lal, who has proceeded on leave, and shift him from the secrecy branch.

Chairman of the HPSSSB JK Chauhan said, “The board has decided to hold an inquiry into this case.”

Bilaspur, July 23
High drama was witnessed during the District Congress Committee (DCC) meeting held here today as party leaders had heated exchanges with one another. They indulged in allegations, counter allegations and mud slinging in the presence of Central Congress party observer Kamal Kant Sharma who was here to take stock of the party working.

Kangra, July 23
The state BJP government has been practising political vendetta and framing charges against its political opponents, and its performance was dismal, disappointing and anti-people during the past four and half years.

This was stated by block president of the Jawalamukhi unit of the Congress Nardev Kanwar while addressing mediapersons at the PWD rest house at Jawalamukhi yesterday. He alleged that the Dhumal-led BJP government was misleading people through his false claims which were far from the facts. He said this political gimmick and false propaganda would in no way help the BJP to achieve mission repeat, but it would face mission defeat now.

Reacting to the statements of some BJP leaders who had been maintaining that the state government was doing an excellent job, Nardev Kanwar said the Congress would expose the ruling party on the promises it had made in its manifesto during the last Assembly elections in the state. 

Solan, July 23
The State Pollution Control Board has issued show-cause notices to several educational institutes in Solan, including private universities, for allegedly failing to follow norms.

Each educational institute is supposed to seek “consent to establish and operate” before initiating its operations. The norm is particularly applicable to institutes which have a hostel facility for more than 25 students and more than 150 students on their rolls.

Such institutes are supposed to set up a sewage treatment plant (STP) to ensure hygienic disposal of waste generated in hostels and canteens being run on the campuses. The notices have been served under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution Act), 1974.

Member Secretary of the board Sanjay Sood said three educational institutes in Solan had been directed to set up STPs and these had been served show-cause notices to ensure compliance within a specified time period.

He said since there was no provision for imposing monetary penalty on the institutes which did not comply with the pollution-control norms, show-cause notices had been served to ensure safe disposal of sewage and other waste.

Initially, the norm was only applicable to hotels whose bed strength was more than 25.

However, the board decided to bring educational institutes with hostels under its ambit.

It was learnt that unhygienic disposal of sewage had become a cause for concern in the Bhajol area where institutes were letting off waste water openly into nullahs. This had led to contamination of potable water schemes. Villagers had organised a protest in this connection. The board had now instructed all institutes to set up STPs to ensure scientific disposal of waste.

Some institutes, in an attempt to reduce the cost on such plants, had set up under-capacity STPs to complete the formality.

The board is keeping a watch on such plants by regularly monitoring their working.

Solan,July 23
With party observer for Shimla parliamentary seat and Haryana Cabinet minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav meeting ticket aspirants from the Nalagarh and Doon constituencies today, the Opposition Congress has stepped up its poll preparations in the state.

Prominent among the ticket aspirants who met Yadav with their supporters were sitting Nalagarh MLA Lakhwinder Rana, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) general secretary Ramkumar Chawdhary, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) state president Hardeep Bawa, zila parishad member Paramjit Singh and Block Congress Committee (BCC) president Sohan Lal.

Yadav was accorded a rousing welcome at Baddi and Nalagarh by Congress leaders led by District Congress Committee (DCC) president Rahul Thakur.

Yadav held talks with ticket aspirants to gauge their influence and popularity among the masses. He asked the party leaders to be united to defeat to the BJP in the upcoming elections.

Addressing party workers, Yadav said the state government had adopted a vindictive approach towards Congressmen and the employees loyal to the party adding they were being harassed by being transferred.

The Congress-led UPA government at the Centre played a key role in the development of Himachal while the BJP government had failed to work for the state’s development, Yadav said. He said employees in the state were a frustrated lot.

PCC general secretary Ramkumar managed to prove strength by mustering the support of at least 20 former panchayat pradhans, 100 ward members, six BDC members besides leaders of various frontal organisations. Ramkumar is aspiring for ticket from the Doon constituency.

INTUC president who is aspiring for ticket from the Nalagarh constituency had the backing of youth as well as the INTUC behind him while Paramjit Singh vied for ticket on the basis of his clean image.

Lakhwinder Rana in a bid to get re-elected from the Nalagarh constituency projected a clean image of himself among the masses. Other ticket aspirants also put across their views before Yadav and staked their claim for the ticket. 

Shimla, July 23
Knowledge of Sanskrit language can widen the horizon of science students as they can gain insight into the vast scientific information contained in the Vedas and other literary works of the learned sages of ancient India.

These views expressed by Prof Om Prakash Pandey, an eminent scientist and former adviser to the Prime Minister. Pandey was speaking at the seminar today held on “Sanskrit Mein Gyan Vigyan” as part of the foundation day celebrations of Hiimachal Pradesh University (HPU) held here.

He said the Vedas and other scriptures contain valuable scientific information which can help scientists in their quest for bigger revelations.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr KP Paroha from Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidyapeeth spoke on astrology and its scientific base. “Today even the western world acknowledges astrology and agrees that it has is a scientific base,” Puroha said.

Dr Piyush Srivastav, a renowned cancer expert, said Sanskrit is a scientific language and its knowledge can be beneficial. “It is owing to its strong scientific base that India has emerged as a nuclear power and the credit for discovery of zero also goes to our great nation,” he said.

Today was the second day of the 43rd foundation day celebrations at the HPU. 

Bilaspur, July 23
Zila parishad member and former District Congress Committee (DCC) president Hoshiar Singh Thakur today demanded a CBI inquiry into land allotment to the Vyas Transport Society at the main bus stand here which he said was ‘‘illegal’.

The society has raised a commercial complex. Thakur said the society was misusing the land for commercial purpose while hundreds of Bhakra Dam oustees for whom the town was constructed were still awaiting plot allotments for their rehabilitation even after 55 years of their displacement.

Talking to mediapersons here, Thakur said over two dozen oustee families could have been allotted plots at the said land which now was being used by a few individuals under name of a cooperative society.

Thakur said the land allotment was “fishy” since leaders of both the BJP and the Congress were beneficiaries of this. He alleged this all was done in connivance with some ministers of the present BJP government.

Opposing the allotment of two buildings belonging to the Agriculture Department to a private-owned milk society at lower Nihal sector, the former DCC president said at least one dozen oustees could be rehabilitated there. This was yet another example of how the BJP government was selling the state to a few powerful individuals, he remarked.

He also questioned the allotment of land to a contractor who was given over 4,000 square metres of commercial land in the main market of the town under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

He added all these were against the Rules of Allotment of Plots in the new township and 325 oustees families were still to be rehabilitated here and hundreds of additional families were still awaiting land allotment in lieu of the land where Gobind Sagar was developed in the old town of Bilaspur.

Bilaspur, July 23
Several Gobind Sagar Fishing Cooperative Societies working in the district have urged the government and the state Fisheries Department to extend the ban on fishing by at least another 15 days so that the Gobind Sagar fills up to its capacity and fish continue their regeneration and hatching.

A number of fishing societies leaders, including NK Rana, Roshan Lal, Shyam Lal Rana, Narender Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Gopal Dass, Krishan Lal, Ram Lal, Shanker Dass, Mandan Lal and Pawan Kumar, said this year there was very little rain in the Sutlej catchment area and there was hardly any water in the Gobind Sagar.

Due to less water, there had been little hatching activity of fish and if the ban was lifted as scheduled on August 1, fishermen would face virtual starvation as there would be very little catch for them, they said.

All of them have demanded that this closing season be extended till August 15.

Hamirpur, July 23
Former Nadaun MLA Babu Ram Mandial has accused present Congress MLA Sukhvinder Singh of not pursuing the Dhola-Sidh hydel power project, which is likely to bring economic boom in this region.

Talking to mediapersons here recently, he said: “The project, which is the first hydel power project of Hamirpur district, the plan for which was initiated by me and prepared during my term, was not pursued by the MLA, despite having good relations with 
the then Power Minister Vidya Stokes.”

He said: “People of the state have got disillusioned with the policies of the BJP and the Congress and the third alternative presented by the HLP and other parties will try to reach them.”

Mandial added, “I will work to strengthen the HLP in Hamirpur district and contest next Assembly election from Nadaun if the party decides so.”

Nurpur, July 23
Rain lashed Nurpur and Jawali last night, bringing cheer to farmers who were waiting for rain to sow paddy in their fields. The rain also brought relief to people of these areas from the scorching heat being experienced during the past one week.

The rain has broken a dry spell of 10 days in the area which had hit farming activities. Scanty rains this year have dampened the hopes of the farming community in the area as sowing of paddy and maize crops has been delayed by over 15 to 20 days.

Reports of rain were also received from Kotla, Jassur, Rehan and Bhadwar in the area. However, people of the Fatehpur and Indora areas are still reeling under a prolonged dry spell. — OC