Shimla, February 8
The state government may finally do away with the controversial Himachal Pradesh Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 2005, by integrating it with the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act and entrusting the task of regulating colonies and construction by real estate promoters to a state development authority.

The draft proposal for merging the apartment Act with the TCP Act has been finalised by the TCP Department. The matter is likely to be put before the Cabinet shortly so that it can be placed in the Assembly during the Budget session, likely to begin this month-end.

The TCP Department has proposed that the task of regulating the construction of apartments by promoters be entrusted to an agency like the Himachal Pradesh Urban Development Authority (HIMUDA) by strengthening it. The draft proposal lays stress on strengthening grassroots and local bodies, as envisaged in the73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments.

While in the opposition, the Congress had vociferously raised the issue on the floor of the House while citing cases of the Bemloe project in Shimla and some controversial projects in Kasauli.

The Congress was also upset over the fact that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime had sanctioned more projects for builders even after the Select Committee of the Vidhan Sabha recommended that the apartment Act be scrapped.

The issue of taking a final decision on scrapping the apartment Act had been entrusted to the Select Committee during the BJP regime after the Congress sought its scrapping. The BJP had come in for severe criticism for allowing real estate promoters to come up with projects allegedly in violation of norms.

The one-man inquiry commission on ‘benaami’ land transactions set up by the BJP regime had recommended that the apartment Act be scrapped as it was being widely misused. It had also maintained that the government should either implement Section 118 of the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act in letter and spirit or repeal it.

In harshly worded remarks, the commission had observed that a majority of builders were creating a concrete jungle and spoiling the natural forested environment. It had suggested that the apartment Act be immediately withdrawn and all construction activities and control thereof be handed over to HIMUDA.

The apartment Act was meant to regulate colonies and property transactions, check haphazard construction, undertake registration of promoters and promote the construction, sale, transfer and management of apartments on an ownership basis. With gross violations taking place, it was felt that the Act be scrapped and merged with the TCP Act.

Solan, February 8
A cement unit located in the Bir Palassi area of Nalagarh has become a bone of contention for residents of nearby villages with the adjoining demarcated protected forest (DPF) land being used as a yard to load and unload cement, causing pollution and congestion on the narrow village road.

The issue was brought to the notice of the local environment NGO Himparivesh by villagers. After visiting the spot, they found the unit making undue use of DPF land where trucks were being parked and cement found strewn all around. The recent rain had led to slush and big potholes, causing inconvenience to people.

Unit owner Harish Aggarwal said the state government had set aside Rs 1.4 crore for widening and strengthening the road and the sum had been given to the Himachal Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (HPSIDC).

He said he had spent Rs 40 lakh on strengthening the road at the time of setting up the unit in 2006 after the government told him to construct it in the public-private partnership mode. He said he had hired private premises to park the trucks and would ensure that the area around his unit was spared of traffic congestion.

The HPSIDC could not undertake any work on the road as it was DPF land and no such activity could take place on this road. Revenue officials had given an undertaking in writing that the road existed since 1955 and black tar was laid on it several times, but the revenue entry had not been corrected.

Aggarwal said he and local villagers had met the Nalagarh Subdivisional Magistrate to find an amicable solution as funds were available for strengthening the road, but they could not use it till the revenue entry was changed, and he had assured them to take up the matter with the higher authorities.

The strengthening and widening of the road will provide a better mode of transport to the nine industrial units located on it and ease travelling of villagers. It remains to be seen how soon a solution to the problem is worked out.

Shimla, February 8
Tribal and higher reaches of the state are reeling under severe cold wave conditions with the minimum temperature at Kaza in Lahaul-Spiti touching a low of -21°C.

Though the weather has cleared, with both minimum and maximum temperatures in tribal and other higher reaches dipping further normal life has been completely paralysed.

Though power in the Keylong area was restored today after almost a week, power and water supply and vehicular movement in Kinnaur district remained disrupted.

The Border Road Organisation (BRO) has started the snow clearance work in the Lahaul valley. The work was started today from Stingiri to Darcha and Sisu to Satingiri. The BRO has set a target of six days to clear roads of snow to enable vehicular movement. The opening work of the Rohtang Pass will be taken up by the BRO from March 1 onwards.

The BRO has also started removing a big avalanche near Ralli on the Hindustan-Tibet road so that roads can be cleared.

The telecommunication services have also been snapped in Kinnaur district making it difficult for proper estimation of the losses caused by snow.

There are reports that many houses in tribal areas were damaged due to heavy snowfall. About 25 houses in Moorang village in Pooh subdivision of Kinnaur have suffered extensive damage. The building of the Mahila Mandal in Kuno village has also been damaged as it gave way under the weight of snow.

The minimum temperature in Keylong touched -14.5°C. The dip in mercury in the tribal and higher reaches is likely to continue in the next few days. As per the forecast by the local Meteorological Centre, the weather is likely to remain clear during the next few days.

There has been a slight improvement in the temperature in other places of the state with Shimla recording 3.5°C, Sundernagar 2.1°C, Bhuntar 0.6°C, Dharamsala 5.2°C, Una 4.8°C, Saluni 1.5°C, Nahan 4.8°C, Keylong -14.5°C, Palampur 3.2, Solan 2°C and Manali -1.0°C.

Shimla, February 8
While Punjab and Haryana have been opposing the revival of the industrial package to Himachal Pradesh on the grounds that it had resulted in the flight of industries to the neighbouring state, an independent evaluation study requisitioned by the Union Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion does not point to any such trend.

The study was conducted by international consultant Grant Thornton to assess the impact of the package of incentives to help the Centre to decide whether or not the package needed to be extended and if so, with or without modifications.

A comparison with the neighbouring states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on some parameters of industrialisation across time reflected no discernable trends in the study to indicate that Himachal Pradesh outperformed or grew at a much faster pace in terms of industrialisation.

On the basis of the study, the state chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has demanded the revival of the package on the pattern of Jammu and Kashmir and not in any modified form.

Haryana has been consistently above the national average for the last two decades with its share in the manufacturing sector in the gross state domestic product (GSDP) growing from 19.1% in 1990-91 to 20.59% in 2000-01 and then to 21% in 2008-09.

This was much higher than the GSDP of Himachal Pradesh (15.02% in 2000-01 and 13.64% in 2008-09) and Uttarakhand (11.74% in 2000-01 and 14.12% in 2008-09). At the national level, the share was 17 per cent and Punjab was better placed than the two hill states with a share of 15.96% in 2000-01 and 16.05% in 2008-09.

During the post-reform period (2001-09), the growth rate of the manufacturing GSDP was 8.13% for Haryana, 6.18% for Punjab and 6.65% for Himachal Pradesh with the national average being 8.2%.

The share of manufacturing employment rose marginally in case of Himachal Pradesh from 0.3% in 1999-2000 to 0.37% in 2004-05 and Punjab from 2.32% to 2.6%. The increase was significant in case of Haryana from 1.72% to 2.32%.

State CII Chairman CN Dhar said the study made it evident that the assertions of neighbouring states were misplaced and there was a strong case for the revival of the package. He welcomed the recommendation in the study for extending the capital investment subsidy for five years and increasing the cap from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 75 lakh.

He urged the state government to pursue its case for incentive on a par with Jammu and Kashmir where the cap had been raised to Rs 3 crore for the manufacturing sector and to Rs 1.5 crore for the services sector.

It was stated in the study that income tax and excise exemptions had been beneficial and critical to the decision of beneficiaries to set up units in the state and needed to be extended for 10 years on the pattern of Jammu and Kashmir.

The study recommended that the state must continue with the concessional rate of 1 per cent on central sales tax till the switchover to goods and service tax. The study also revealed that the package had helped Himachal Pradesh attract investment and, in turn, generate employment.

It attracted Rs 12,500 crore, which was 300% more than the pre-incentive package investment prior to 2002-03. The number of units set up grew by about 28% while employment generation growth was over 33% for the same period.

In the absence of incentives, sustainability of investment was doubtful as stakeholders were expected to undertake a cost-benefit analysis.

Manali, February 8
A five-day national-level winter carnival will start here tomorrow. The carnival this time will be different as the entire town is covered under a thick blanket of snow. Before inaugurating the festival at Ram Bagh, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh will perform a traditional puja at the Hidimba Devi temple.

Sherab Negi, Deputy Commissioner, Kullu, said more than 17 cultural teams from across the country and the state would perform at the carnival.

He said all the arrangements had been made to make the carnival a success. “We expect that the carnival will draw many tourists,” he added.

“We expect more tourists as the weather has improved now,” said AR Thakur, president, Manali Hoteliers Association.

More than 1,500 artistes are expected to participate in the carnival. Mohan Lal, manager (marketing), HPTDC, said occupancy in hotels was very less as the road leading to the upper Manali area, where log huts were located, was yet to be restored. “However, in Kunjam hotel, we have 50 per cent occupancy,” he added.

Shimla, February 8
The government proposes to set up two eco-battalions in the state to provide jobs to ex-servicemen.

Stating this while interacting with the media, Minister for Sainik Welfare Col (retd) Dhani Ram Shandil said here today that there were over one lakh ex-servicemen and there were hardly any jobs available for them under the 15 per cent quota.

The two battalions would help provide employment to over 5,000 ex-servicemen. The government would seek assistance from the Defence Ministry for the purpose as the state government lacks funds.

Apart from carrying out works for improving the environment, these battalions could be pressed into service during natural calamities. The state would also pursue the matter for setting up a Himachal or Himalayan regiment so that more youth from the state could join the Army.

In fact, serving the Army had been a tradition with the hill people who had made supreme sacrifices but the change in the policy of the Centre to carry out recruitment on the basis of “recruitable” male population denied them a fair opportunity. The government would also make efforts to have a big CSD canteen in Una like Ambala and Pathankot to help meet the requirements of 27 canteens and 55 mobile canteens across the state.

The ‘War Jagir’ amount for the 970 gallantry award winners would be increased from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.

The government also proposed to give 10 per cent reservation to ex-servicemen in PDS outlets. There were 14 polyclinics catering to ex-soldiers in the state and the government proposed to set up five more at Chamba, Sarkaghat, Rampur and Nahan.

Dharamsala, February 8
In a continuing spate of announcements being made by ministers in the new government, Minister for Transport, Food and Civil Supplies and Technical Education GS Bali has said a new scheme, own your own vehicle, would be launched shortly for the unemployed youth in the state.

He said under this scheme, which was being formulated by the Department of Transport, the government would allow the unemployed youth in rural areas to own and operate vehicles in their respective areas. It would provide self-employment opportunities to youth, he said.

However, the department would have to evaluate the viability of operating buses in rural areas. In many cases rural routes in the state were unviable. In case youth are given licenses to operate buses blindly, they might end in debt traps in form of loans to be raised for purchasing these vehicles.

Not just buses, the department has also issued disproportionate licenses for operating taxis at tourist spots. Due to the unscientific manner in which the department issues licenses for operating taxis at tourist places, the trade has become unviable for youth involved in it.

In addition to this, most of the tourist places are clogged with taxis and there is hardly any place for parking of private vehicles.

Bali, when asked, said he would ensure that permits for operating buses in rural areas were issued only after conducting viability studies through competent agencies.

Bali was in Nagrota Bagwan, near here, which is his constituency.

He further said from the next academic session, the Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HPRTC) would provide free travel facility to schoolchildren.

Bali said a proposal was being mooted to start technical education in schools from Class VIII. Students who opt for technical education after Class VIII can be given admission directly in the second year of diploma courses after they complete 10+2.

He said that the state government had also sanctioned Rs 65 lakh for ITI, Baroh, and Rs 43 lakh for ITI, Sakori.

Bali also promised to resume bus services on the Baroh rural route that was stopped during the BJP government regime.

He also announced a grant of Rs 50,000 for the playground of a Baroh school.

Dharamsala, February 8
Minister for Housing and Urban Development Sudhir Sharma today announced that the state government would develop four new satellite townships in the state at Dharamsala, Shimla, Mandi and Solan.

He has tried to revive a project that was also conceived by the previous BJP government. However, the project failed to take off due to non-availability of land.

The previous government had planned to develop satellite townships around major cities and towns in the state. The then Minister for Urban Development Kishan Kapoor had given public statements that in Dharamsala land was identified near Gaggal airport for developing a satellite township.

The idea behind developing satellite townships is to bring up planned habitations to ease population growth in towns. All major towns of the state are presently marred by unplanned growth that is stressing public utilities.

However, the urban development authority in the state has failed to bring up planned housing colonies at a pace at which the population of towns is growing. In Dharamsala, almost all villages around the town have been urbanised. Villages, including Khaniara, Dharamkot, Bhagsu and Dhari, are a part of the main Dharamsala town.

However, just one planned colony has been developed at Khaniara by the authorities.

Private developers are picking up small pieces of land in villages around Dharamsala for carving out plots. However, such illegal colonies are only adding to the woes of the already-cluttered town. The maximum passage that is allowed in such private colonies is just 8 to 10 feet or even smaller, which is not enough even for plying a car. The result is that residents of such colonies have to park cars on main roads adjoining such colonies.

Even office or commercial complexes coming up in and around the town are not adhering to the norms fixed by the Town and Country Planning Department. Most of the complex owners are not keeping any parking places. People coming to these complexes park their vehicles along roadsides.

In Palampur, the government has decided to include a few villages adjoining the town into the local municipal committee. However, villagers are opposing the move vehemently. They are maintaining that villages get much more privileges as compared to towns. They get benefits of the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) and the charges of water and electricity in villages are lower than those in the urban areas.

The state has also failed to promote private developers who can develop townships in interior areas of the state. Private developers cannot take up ventures on their own due to small land holdings and provisions of Section 118 of the Land Tenancy Act. Some developers are selling flats and building apartments in areas around Chandigarh but they have not entered far-flung areas of the state.

However, now even the flats cannot be developed as the previous government had scrapped the Apartments Act. The state government would again have to bring back the Apartments Act to development satellite townships. The present unplanned development is not only straining the resources of the state but also damaging the environment.

The government would either have to use its own agencies for developing planned colonies or frame a policy for encouraging private investment in the area for planned growth of urban areas.

Shimla, February 8
Concerned over the safety of women, the State Social Justice and Empowerment Department plans to start a toll-free, women helpline, which they can call in times of trouble.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dhani Ram Shandil said here that several other measures would also be undertaken in collaboration with the police and other departments to ensure safety of single women.

He said steps like training girls in self-defence techniques like martial arts and making the National Cadet Corps (NCC) course mandatory at the school-level were also be pursued.

The government had decided to raise the monthly social security pension from Rs 450 to Rs 500 per month from April 1 that would benefit 2,82,552 pensioners and entail an additional annual expenditure of about Rs 14 crore. Beneficiaries above 80 years of age would be paid Rs 800 per month.

Shandil said there was a need to expand the ambit of the State Women Commission that had largely confined itself to the domestic violence issue. It required being strengthened and more effective so that it could also address issues like declining female sex ratio and crime against women.

The government was also committed to bring down the infant mortality rate and the maternal mortality in which the network of anganwaris had a major role to play. The government had also increased the quantum of funds provided for the construction of anganwari centres from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4.5 lakh and these could also be built under the MNREGA scheme. At present, only 900 centres had their own buildings and most of these were running in spare rooms of primary schools or panchayat bhawans. The state had over 18,500 anganwari centres and the number was likely to reach 20,000.

Principal Secretary concerned PC Dhiman, Director, Social Justice, Madhubala Sharma, and Additional Secretary, Social Justice, MP Sood, were among those present.

Bilaspur, February 8
The police here has started an inquiry regarding circumstances that led to the sudden death of athletics coach Kamlesh Thakur (42) of Marhana panchayat.

Reports said Chief Parliamentary Secretary Rajesh Dharmani had committed to Thakur’s in-laws to mark a proper inquiry into her death, but despite his attempts the matter was still pending.

The police had earlier summoned Suman Rawat, a Parshu Ram Award winner and joint director of the Youth Services and Sports from Shimla, and had recorded her statement as she was also named as one of the accused who tormented Thakur.

The statement of district sports officer Arun Sharma was also recorded yesterday as he was also named as another accused in a complaint lodged by the family of the deceased.

Two other accused are kabaddi coach Rattan Lal Thakur and ‘tantric’ Rattan Lal of Shikroha village for mentally torturing Thakur by such an absurd allegation.

Thakur had left behind a diary which names all these four persons as accused in the case. She had told her daughter to give the diary to the police.

The state Sports Department on Rawat’s recommendation not only removed Thakur as the in charge of the sports hostel, but also she was transferred to a far off school in Una district when she protested against the shabby treatment meted out to her. Though the then Chief Minister had assured her justice and a high-level inquiry, it was never marked.

Later, she got justice from the high court, which ordered her posting at Una town. However, here a truck crushed her to death, while she was riding a scooter, “an accident which a few people believe was actually an accident”.

Nurpur, February 8
Fire broke out on the ground floor of a double-storeyed house of ward No. 1 at the Chogan locality at 2.45pm today.

According to information, residents of the area noticed smoke emanating from the house as no member of the house was present during the incident.

They informed Ravinder Kumar, the owner of the house, about the incident and started dousing the fire.

Later, police and fire personnel controlled the fire. Electric gadgets, furniture and other articles lying in the house were damaged in the devastating fire.

The police said a loss to the tune of Rs 1 lakh had been estimated. A short circuit is being suspected as the cause of the fire.

Local former MLA Rakesh Pathania has urged the administration demanded to provide relief to the fire victims after assessing loss.

Shimla, February 8
Chairman of the State Co-operative Bank Harsh Mahajan has hailed the initiative taken by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for getting sanctioned an assistance of $100 million from the World Bank for promoting inclusive green and sustainable development in the state.

He said Virbhadra Singh was concerned about conserving the environment and was a true saviour of the state.

He wanted its pristine beauty and green cover to be preserved and maintained at all costs. He said unlike the previous BJP regime, the Congress government would not allow destruction of magnificence of the state as was done in the regime of the previous government.

He said the Chief Minister was also concerned for getting approved the ‘Clean Technology Fund’ worth Rs 500 crore from the World Bank and a proposal was under way.

He appreciated his endeavour in pursuing the case of the state for extending the special industrial package up to 2020 with the Central government and said the present government was committed to accelerate the pace of industrial development. Entrepreneurs were being invited to set up units not only from other states and also abroad, he said.

He said the state had also identified textiles, agro food processing, ayurvedic formulation, precision engineering, electronic and IT-based industry, BT-based industries and a few more such niche sectors to boost economic growth.

Hamirpur, February 8
The Sixth Economic Census in the state will begin on February 11 simultaneously in all the districts of the state except the snow-bound areas.

After a two-day training programme for people engaged in field survey on February 11 in Hamirpur and Una, the survey work will be undertaken.

The Census will be completed by March 15 in all the districts except snow-bound districts of Lahaul- Spiti, Kinnaur and Pangi-Bharmour areas of Chamba district, where this exercise will be undertaken after the melting of snow.

The Sixth Economic Census, 2012, which had begun throughout the country last year, could not be undertaken in the state due to the last Assembly elections.

Nearly 11,000 people would be involved in the field survey with about 7,700 surveyors, 3,300 supervisors and 100 in charges. The state government has roped in anganwadi workers, panchayat secretaries, health workers and unemployed postgraduate youths for field survey, who will be paid an honorarium for the work.

Pradeep Chauhan, economic adviser to the state government, said, “The economic Census is very important since this will cover all the enterprises even at the village level, which are not generally covered under economic surveys”.

“While this Census is important for micro and macro planning, the village economic data will be useful in the changed economic scenario with the new World Trade Organisation taking initiatives and Wall Mart like companies entering the country after allowing the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail,” he added.