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Road project redesigned to save commercial structures
State to engage experts to check road accidents
PCC chief reallocates organisational work
Virbhadra takes up Assembly poll issues with Rahul
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Construction of Express Highway
Come forward to save environment: CM
Medical officers oppose cut in arrears
Ex-servicemen hold protest rally
Panchayat awards launched
Para-teachers to be regularised soon, says Dhiman
Woman NGO chief held for assault
Three injured as car falls into chasm
Probe sought into Chamba bus mishap
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Road project redesigned to save commercial structures
Shimla, August 13 The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has decided to go for eccentric (one-side) widening instead of concentric (both-sides), as planned earlier, in Jabli, Dharmapur, Kumarhatti and some other stretches that have a large number of structures along the road. After realignment of the road, almost 60 to 70 per cent of the structures, which earlier faced demolition, will be saved. The state has been pressing the NHAI to expedite the four-laning of the most important national highway connecting the state capital. The issue was also raised during the 26th meeting of the Northern Zonal Council at Chandigarh last month. The realigned four-lane highway will have two railway over bridges, a tunnel and a flyover and its total length from timber trail to Chambaghat will be 39.138 km as against 42 km earlier. However, the total cost of the project, to be executed on Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis, will also go up from Rs 664 crore to Rs 808.39 crore. The widening in Jabli will be carried out only on the hill-side as there were several structures on the valley side. A flyover is proposed at Kumarhatti to avoid destruction of structures along the narrow stretch of the highway from where two bifurcations to Nahan and Barog take off. The four-laning between Kumarhatti and Solan will be carried out on the bypass road and it will also have a 1.3 km tunnel, which will reduce the distance by about 3 km. A major bottleneck has been Dharampur where there is a rail track close to the highway on one side and a lot of shops and other structures on the other. The NHAI authorities have been assured by the administration that encroachers will be evicted to pave the way for widening of the highway. Environment clearance has already been obtained for the project and the case for forest clearance was also being prepared. Acquisition of 15 hectares was underway and the process for taking over another 10 hectares will commence shortly. Fact file
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State to engage experts to check road accidents
Shimla, August 13 Though a final decision about the agency to be assigned the task is yet to be taken in consultation with Chief Minister PK Dhumal, three agencies, including Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System Ltd (DIMMTSL), Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) and Transed, have been shortlisted so far. The agency will be asked to look into various factors like traffic safety, undertaking of road safety audits, assessing the total capacity of roads and the passenger load. “We have some of the premiere institutes in mind who are looking after traffic management and road safety so that steps can be taken to help avert accidents,” said Sudripta Roy, Chief Secretary. He admitted that the grave road accidents taking place in the state was a matter of concern, which the government was keen to look into and adopt solutions suggested by experts. The DIMMTSL is engaged in creating quality infrastructure and transportation system and works towards providing reliable, safe, comfortable and affordable transport system. With factors like overloading, flawed privatisation policy and bad road condition resulting in fatal accidents, killing about 1,200 annually, the state government has decided to get a survey done to assess the carrying capacity of roads and transport requirements of the public. Each time there is a fatal accident there is talk of taking remedial measures but all that is forgotten in a short span. The fact that the Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) has a fleet of 2,018 buses against 3,400 being plied by private operators will also be looked into. The haphazard allotment of routes to private operators on recommendations is not only making large number of routes uneconomical for the HRTC, but also resulting in some areas under-serviced. Overcrowding in buses in some of the remote areas and people travelling on buses is a common issue, the answer for which lies solely in having proper statistics by way of a survey. Some of the worst accidents in areas like Chamba, Chopal and Shillai have proved that overcrowding is one of the main factor coupled with bad road conditions. Though the PWD had identified the black spots that are prone to accidents and work has been done in some areas, a lot still needs to be done to meet the transport requirement of people with complete safety. |
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PCC chief reallocates organisational work
Shimla, August 13 Kangra district, which has 15 constituencies, will be looked after by two teams. Sohan Lal, general secretary, and Krishan Pal Sharma, secretary, will take care of Baijnath, Jaisinghpur, Palampur, Sullah, Nagrota Bagwan, Dharamsala and Kangra Assembly constituencies and Rakesh Kalia, vice-president and Rakesh Chaudhary, secretary, Dehra, Jaswan, Pragpur, Jwalamukhi, Fatehpur, Indora, Nurpur and Shahpur segments. Other districts of Shimla (rural and urban) would be looked after by BB Butail, treasurer, Vinod Sultapuri, general secretary, and Krishan Pal, secretary. Hamirpur - Sudhir Sharma, general secretary, and Amit Pal, secretary. Kinnaur - Biru Ram Kishore, vice-president, and Kewal Pathania, secretary. Sirmaur - Ram Lal Thakur, general secretary, and Amit Nanda, secretary. Una - Chander Kumar, vice-president, and Namita Roshan Lal, secretary. Bilaspur - Sujan Singh Pathania, vice-president, and Ajay Verma, secretary. Mandi - Ram Kumar, general secretary, Pawan Kumar, secretary. Lahaul-Spiti - Harsh Mahajan, vice-president, and Kirnesh Jung, secretary. Kullu - Sukhwinder Singh, general secretary, and Kirnesh Jung, secretary. Sajjad Mirza, secretary, has been given charge of the Minority Department and coordination with the AICC. Ajay Verma Ex-servicemen Department, Krishan Pal Panchayati Raj Department, Amit Pal Singh Intellectual Department, Namita Roshan Lal - Mahila Congress, Susheela Negi SC and ST Department. Rajish Kita - Sewa Dal and to assist Kuldeep Rathore in the Media Department Amit Nanda will assist Rathore in the Youth Congress and Kewal Singh Pathania will assist Rathore in the NSUI. |
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Virbhadra takes up Assembly poll issues with Rahul
Shimla, August 13 Sources said Virbhadra Singh also apprised Rahul about the approach and strategy of the BJP which was making a determined bid to retain power in the wake of the BJP-SAD triumph in Punjab. He said the Congress should not take chances and field the best candidates leaving no room for the BJP. Various surveys being conducted by the BJP to know the pulse of the electorate and shortlist candidates with good prospects was also discussed during the meeting. Virbhadra also drew Rahul’s attention towards the fact that names of a large number of candidates were being propped by various candidates which would only harm the interests of the party. He said “win-ability” should be the sole criterion to select a candidate. However, the all-important leadership issue did not figure during the meeting, which focused on the strategy for the polls. Virbhadra stressed that the party should announce a leader ahead of the polls. The meeting was part of several rounds of meetings with Central leaders held over the past 10 days to resolve the issues raised by him. He had been seeking a greater say in the selection of party candidates and revamping of the poll camping committee and other party panels related to the elections. |
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Construction of Express Highway
Bilaspur, August 13 Committee president Mian Kishan Singh Chandel said here today that the meeting of the committee at Auhar yesterday unanimously demanded that they be given compensation on conditions already prescribed in an Act, which was pending for adoption in Parliament and that they must be given royalty on the basis of their total land acquired. The meeting said the oustees be allotted double land of the acquired land on roadsides for earning livelihood, houses be provided to them before acquiring their land and they be given total compensation along with Section 4 notices for acquirement of property. The meeting demanded that state government engineers be associated with private company engineers doing survey work to check their illegal activities and service be provided to one member of each oustees’ family. Villagers stressed that their roads, link roads, paths, water sources and other amenities for each village be kept intact in every case and government officers should be deputed to come to villages to listen to their grievances and be authorised to solve their issues on the spot. They said revenue records be revised and updated, and compensation paid, according to present real position of land and not based on old record as farmers have worked hard and have spent huge amounts of money to improve quality of earlier allotted lands. The committee decided to see the minister concerned in Delhi and to present a detailed memorandum to the Chief Minister to ensure that they are protected by the Central and the state governments from excesses of a powerful construction contractor of Four Lane. Prominent kisan leaders Bali Ram Garga Auhar, Deep Chand Sharma, Lekh Ram, Bali Ram Sharma, Shrawan Kumar Kallar, Santosh Kumari Behna Jattan, Vishnu Behlag, Vijay Dammli, Brij Lal Sharma Kothi and Krishni Devi were among those present. |
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Cut in Central package played spoilsport: Dhumal
Baddi, August 13 He said the untimely curtailment in the package had drastically reduced employment opportunities for youth in the state. The Chief Minister was addressing representatives of the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industries after inaugurating a pharmaceutical unit at the newly developed industrial area at Lodhi Majara in Baddi today. He said the government’s efforts to continuously enhance the facilities and upgrade the infrastructure in industrial areas had helped attract investment worth Rs 10,202 crore since 2008. During this time as many as 4,307 industrial units have been established, which have employed 57,817 persons. Dhumal said reduction in electricity duty and VAT for certain categories of industries had benefited thousands of industrial units in the state. The state has been continuously taking steps to improve the infrastructure for the benefit of the industry. New Industrial Area at Lodhi Majara has been developed, which had helped attract an investment of Rs 347 crore. Besides, worth Rs 300 crore have also been received for investment at Lodhi Majara where Rs 12 crore have been spent for the construction of roads and others facilities. In order to facilitate industrial workers, a working women hostel at Jharmajri, constructed at a cost of 11 crore, was almost ready and another labour hostel for men was in progress. The government had spent Rs 60 crore on the construction and repair of roads in the BBN area, he said. President, BBN Industries Association, Arun Rawat lauded the efforts of the state government for streamlining the tax structure for the industry. |
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Come forward to save environment: CM
Baddi, August 13 He said the deficient rainfall was an indication of global warming and serious efforts were needed to protect environment. Dhumal was addressing delegates during a seminar on Environmental Advocacy and Sustainable Development organised by the Rural Development Department at Baddi today. The Chief Minister said development and environment protection activities should go hand in hand and the developmental activities should be environment friendly. Elaborating on various development activities undertaken by the government, he said the state had emerged as a role model of development among other states. The average income per person had increased in the state, thereby bringing in prosperity and higher standard of living. The Chief Minister said vehicles and poor condition of roads were also responsible for enhancing pollution. He said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had not provided adequate funds for the maintenance of national highways where vehicular traffic was more. As against Rs 150 crore that was due from the NHAI only an amount of Rs 5 crore had been received. Jai Ram Thakur, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister, while addressing the gathering said representatives of panchayati raj institutions were being imparted about implementation of various welfare programmes and schemes. Vinod Chandel, MLA, said residents of the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh area were benefited by rapid industrialisation during the past over four years. Rajeev Bindal, BJP general secretary; Chander Mohan Thakur, chairman, HP State Coop Bank; Laj Kishore Sharma, Chairman of Jogindra Bank; Meera Mohanty, DC, Solan; Gurudev Sharma, SP, Baddi; Hans Raj Sharma, CEO, BBNDA; were among those present. |
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‘Education bandh’ a success
Shimla, August 13 A final decision on the elections as well as the date will be taken at a meeting of HPU executive council tomorrow. The Vice-Chancellor, ADN Bajpai, in his meeting with the representatives of the JCC, today indicated that the elections could be held on August 23. He also clarified that he was not opposed to the student elections but the recent violence that had erupted in the hostels had compelled him to rethink on the issue. The call for bandh given by the three main student outfits received tremendous support as teaching remained suspended in the university as well as all the 98 colleges in the state today. The JCC of students has warned the HPU authorities that the move to cancel holding of elections for the student bodies will be met with stiff opposition. They warned that the students would be forced to intensify their agitation, the responsibility for which will be on the HPU authorities. He also urged the students not to resort to any kind of violence or indulge in dirty politics for peaceful polls. He also appealed to them not to raise slogans as well as aggressive canvassing, which could lead to violence. |
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Medical officers oppose cut in arrears
Kangra, August 13 Dr Sushil Sharma, spokesman of Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA), today said the association was also against the recent decision of the state government regarding withdrawing the incentives of medical officers working in rural areas under the NRHM scheme. He said, “It is a retrograde step. Instead of increasing the incentives, the government has withdrawn these.” He also demanded that the incentive be restored at the earliest. Sushil Sharma said the association had urged the state government to release the seniority list of doctors according to the service commission at the earliest. He said the association had also urged the government to fill the vacant posts of Joint Director, Deputy Director and Block Medical Officer at the earliest. The doctors’ body has also demanded that the ceiling of the pay limit of the doctors after rendering 25 years of service in the department should be raised to Rs 85,000 from Rs 79,000, which could prove an attraction for the doctors to join the department. |
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Inter-University National Youth Leadership Camp
Dalhousie, August 13 Director, Dalhousie Public School, Capt GS Dhillon (retd), who was the chief guest at the closing ceremony of the camp, distributed prizes among participants of universities yesterday. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Dhillon said students were nation-builders and hoped that they would go on maintaining the ethos of the country. During the ceremony, students presented various cultural items organised in the honour of Dr Dhillon. Dr Jagjit Kaur, Director, Youth Welfare Department, GNDU, also presented a memento to the chief guest. During the camp, the day started with the yoga and morning prayer. Students enjoyed the beauty of nature while trekking valleys and the environs of Dalhousie hills, which included the itinerary of Kala Top, Panchpulla, Den Kund, Bara Pathar and Khajjiar. Extempore speeches, poetical recitations, folk songs, debates and other dance competitions were also held during the camp. As many as 70 students from 12 universities of various states took part in the activities of the camp. |
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Residents protest against water shortage
Palampur, August 13 Villagers alleged that despite repeated requests no one from the department got the motors repaired to restore water supply. Villagers said they had approached the Assistant Engineer and the Executive Engineer of the IPH Department many times, but their mobile phones were switched off. Baijnath residents are also facing drinking water crisis. Residents of the Mukat Nath Mandir area said there had been no supply of drinking water over the past four days. Likewise, there was no drinking water supply at the Rajiv Gandhi Government PG Ayurvedic College complex, Paprola, over the past two days. There was no one to listen to the villagers’ complaints because of holidays. A senior officer of the IPH Department said the department was aware of the problems. The water crisis had developed because of some technical problems. Efforts are on to resume water supply. |
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Ex-servicemen hold protest rally
Palampur, August 13 Addressing the rally, CD Singh Guleria, former president of the league, said, “Our major demands include the implementation of one-rank one-pension policy, so that disparity in the payment of pension to ex-servicemen was settled; restoration of recruitment quota for Himachal Pradesh in the Army, as it was before 1995; opening of recruitment offices for the Navy and the Air Force at Palampur and up-gradation of Palampur ECHS centre to category one”. Guleria said these demands had already been submitted to the Union government. Ex-servicemen demanded opening of tehsil offices at Panchrukhi, Chadhiar and Darang. They also demanded district status for Palampur. Guleria said till date the Union government had failed miserably to come out with a proper rehabilitation policy for ex-servicemen. He said the government should come with legislation, so that their services could also be availed in private sector. |
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Panchayat awards launched
Mandi, August 13 In all three panchayats at the divisional level and 12 panchayats at the district level and 78 panchayats at the block level would also get cash prizes for doing outstanding work, he added. Addressing the state-level prize distribution function of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan here today, in which 323 panchayats were awarded, Chief Minister said the government would spend Rs 2.66 crore on the
AAGPY. The divisional-level awards would carry three cash prizes worth Rs 10 lakh each, the district-level awards would carry 12 prizes worth Rs 5 lakh each and the block- level 78 prizes worth Rs 2 lakh each, he added. He urged the representatives of the panchayats and zila parishads to become brand ambassadors of developmental schemes launched by the
government. Dhumal said each family should have its own toilet and panchayats should strive to make the state plastic-free. The government has enhanced the honorarium of all representatives of panchayats from chairman, zila
parishad, to pradhan and up-pradhan of panchayats. Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Jai Ram Thakur said people in rural areas have become aware of cleanliness and preservation of environment as a result of which the state had emerged as a role model for other
states. BJP MLAs Roop Singh Thakur, Dile Ram and Col Inder Singh were among those present.
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Para-teachers to be regularised soon, says Dhiman
Bilaspur, August 13 Earlier, association state president Chitranjan Mahant had demanded that the para-teachers also be regularised after eight years of service and this announcement be made on Independence Day. Dhiman claimed that the government had fulfilled all its poll promises and para-teachers would also be regularised soon. BJP state executive member Rajender Garga and State Para Teachers Association general secretary Desh Raj Chaudhary and senior vice-president, Manoj Kumar, were among those present. |
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Woman NGO chief held for assault
Nurpur, August 13 The victim was rescued by his colleagues when the accused entered into an altercation with the victim over the payment pending towards the NGO. The accused allegedly assaulted him and tore a file lying on his table. The state government owed Rs 13.50 lakh to the NGO for publicity of a sanitation campaign. The office of the BDO had released Rs 8.90 lakh, but the remaining grant had not been released which allegedly infuriated the accused.
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Three injured as car falls into chasm
Bilaspur, August 13 Superintendent of Police (SP) Santosh Patial said here today that the police arrived on the scene immediately after receiving information and extricated Ram Chand (43,) son of Sher Singh, Janki Devi (33), wife of Ram Chand, Bina Devi (30), wife of Ramesh Chand, and Master Kartik (3) from the car and rushed them all to the Regional Hospital here. The SP said Master Kartik was safe and had received no injuries, but all the other three occupants of the car were rushed to the PGI, Chandigarh.
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Probe sought into Chamba bus mishap
Chamba, August 13 Both leaders have conveyed their heartfelt condolences to bereaved families and hoped early recovery of the injured.
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