Shimla, May 2
This financial year has begun on a promising note for the authorities of the Nathpa Jhakri hydroelectric project with generation surpassing the target for April.

There had been a sharp decline in production during 2012-13. The project owned and operated by the Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) has generated 449 million units in April against a target of 410 million units.

It was after a gap of more than a year that the project exceeded the monthly target thanks to favourable weather conditions which brought abundant snow in the mid-hills during winter leading to an early upsurge in the Sutlej.

With the mercury rising after a prolonged winter, snow has started melting fast which is evident from the increase in discharge which has touched 212 cumecs by the end of April compared to 137 cumecs during the same period last year.

The generation plunged from 7,610 million units in 2011-12 to 6,777 million units last fiscal due to unfavourable weather conditions marked by inadequate snow during winter and delayed monsoon arrival.

The downslide in generation forced the Union Ministry of Power to reduce the generation target for current fiscal from 7,000 million units to 6,875 million units.

The generation fell below 7,000 million units for the first time in five years. The 1,500-MW project generated 7,140 million units in 2010-11 and 7,018 million units in 2009-10.

The revenue from the project which increased from Rs 1,260 crore in 2008-09 to Rs 1,927.5 crore in 2011-12 was set to decline by over Rs 220 crore in 2012-13.

While favourable weather conditions have raised hopes of good generation this year the SJVN will gain from the 412-MW Rampur project and the 47.6 MW wind power project at Khirveri in Maharashtra.

The latter is slated for commission in the second half of this year. The Rampur project will annually generate 1,770 million units and the wind power plant 85.65 million units.

The installed generation capacity of the SJVN will increase to 1,960 MW with a designed energy of 8,805 million units. The state has 30 per cent equity in the Rampur project. Its share will increase by about 680 MW.

Nathpa Jhakri Power project Sharp decline in production during 2012-13 Generation surpasses target for April 2013 Project exceeds target after more than year Favourable conditions brought ample snow

Shimla, May 2
In a move aimed at expediting the probe into the allegations in the Congress charge sheet, the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau today submitted to the Home Department a list of 16 shortlisted charges, seeking approval to proceed as the accusations pertain to half a dozen Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh directed the bureau on April 30 to focus on select charges instead of a simultaneous probe into all 52 charges in the charge sheet against the previous Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime. “We have sought permission to proceed as per the directions as names of senior IAS and IFS officers are linked,” said an official.

The list includes bringing under the scanner the alleged land deals by former Health Minister Rajeev Bindal and former Chief Minister PK Dhumal’s son. Another issue that will be probed as well is the allotment of shops by state BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti.

The allegation of irregularities in allotting land, constructing a hotel and setting up a ground in Dharamsala by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association figures in the list. “Since the names of some senior bureaucrats are being linked, we have sought the permission of the government,” the official said.

The probe will include the issue of the money spent by the previous government on Indian Premier League matches in Dharamsala. The bureau has sought the permission for allegations pertaining to three IAS and one IFS officer who were close to Dhumal.

The allegation of favouritism by the previous BJP regime in allowing the Bemloe Construction Company a housing project will be probed as well. Another major area of probe will be the land bought by individuals around the Annandale ground, 5 bighas of which is in the possession of the Army and farmers.

The allegation of irregularities in the purchase of land by private universities will be probed as well. Details have been sought from the Revenue Department. The Vigilance is keen to conduct an inquiry into the allotment to the JP Company of 6,818.04 bighas. This excludes the land for various projects and a university.

The other charges selected by the bureau include the reported scams in the purchase of compact fluorescent lamps and police shoes, the allotment of forest land to private parties for 10 eco-tourism projects and the misuse of National Rural Health Mission funds.

Mandi, May 2
The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) Programme has hit a major roadblock as the State Rural Development Department is wrestling with teething troubles of switching over to online management information system to comply with the Centre’s directive of giving direct transfer benefits to MGNREGA workers.

Several district rural development agencies (DRDAs) are not getting the funds for the expenditure incurred on the works completed and workers are also not getting timely payments. Several DRDA officials are making rounds of the National Informatics Centre, New Delhi, to upload the data.

Project officers are not getting payments on time as the latest data is not uploaded online, revealed insiders. “The payment worth Rs 5 crore in Mandi and Rs 9 crore in Chamba district are pending as the system is not uploading old data online,” they added.

Partly marred by internet connectivity problem and belated efforts to upload, DRDA and Block Development Officers are not issuing fresh muster rolls in several panchayats. “We do not have funds as old payments are not made,” official sources said.

The Central Rural Development Department was disbursing payments to MGNREGA online under its direct benefit transfer scheme to the MGNREGA job cardholders, said the officials. “States which have not uploaded will not get fresh funds unless the backlog is cleared,” they added.

Chamba has 21,564 and Mandi 12,006 MGNREGA workers. A total of 61,646 are enrolled in the state.

MGNREGA Deputy Director BD Sharma said they released Rs 35 crore yesterday. “Of the 78 development blocks, we have put the records of 64 online,” he added.

Solan, May 2
Officials of the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) have served a three-day notice to Parwanoo-based Pronto Industries for causing air pollution in the area.

Reacting to a news item published in these columns, where the plight of residents of nearby villagers, including Dhagger, Taksal and Dangiar, who had been facing the brunt of air pollution, the officials of the SPCB issued a notice to the unit.

Confirming this, Deepak Aggarwal, executive engineer of the Board, said since the unit had been served notices time and again to ensure that smoke was not let-out in the early morning and evenings when people went for walks, a short-time notice had now been served to the unit directing them to furnish their reply following which the case for disconnection of their power connection would be recommended to the head office in Shimla.

It was worth mentioning that the residents were fed up with the heavy air pollution where plumes of smoke emanating from the unit was not only enveloping the nearby area, but also creating health problems to asthma patients and elderly people.

Though, the unit was located near the office of the SPCB in sector 4, its pollution had remained unchecked and had become a cause of constant concern to the residents.

It, however, remains to be seen what action the board would take to ensure compliance of its directions as earlier efforts to check pollution had remained unproductive. The unit was located on a lower elevation while the villages were located at a higher gradient, thus creating a situation where the residents continued to suffer. 

Shimla, May 2
Former Chief Minister PK Dhumal and state BJP chief Satpal Singh Satti have expressed grief over the demise of Sarabjit Singh, following an attack on him inside a Pakistan jail, where he was lodged.

Dhumal said it was part of a well-hatched conspiracy under which Sarabjit was attacked and killed in the most inhuman and merciless manner. “The attack and the events that followed clearly indicate that Pakistan was very much the part of this conspiracy,” he remarked.

He added that there was anger and anguish in the minds of the people whose misfortune was that they were led by indecisive and incapable leaders.

Lashing out at the UPA regime, he said it was the weak leadership that had emboldened Pakistan to behead Indian soldiers. “It is most shameful that despite such insult by Pakistan, the UPA regime is rolling out a red carpet welcome to ministers from across the border and hosting dinners for them,” he lamented.

He also regretted that despite the Chinese Army intruding into the Indian territory, the UPA regime was silent over the entire issue. “This kind of attitude of the UPA regime is making the entire nation and our soldiers very demoralised,” said Dhumal.

He said it was high time that the UPA regime gave a befitting reply to Pakistan for all its act of omission and commission.

Satti criticised the UPA regime for failing to protect its innocent citizens like Sarabjit, despite knowing the truth about Pakistan’s activities.

Bilaspur, May 2
The state government is taking special precautions to overcome the challenge of paucity of drinking water in commonly draught-affected Bilaspur district this summer and 25 new hand pumps would be set up in each subdivision this summer here in the district.

This was stated by Ram Lal Thakur, chairman, HP State Planning Development and 20-Point Implementation Committee, while talking to mediapersons at Suharghat, 42 km from here, on Tuesday.

Thakur said all IPH officials and field staff have been alerted to get ready to face any eventuality so that people do not suffer due to paucity of drinking water as they did for two months last year as the BJP regime leaders remained indifferent towards the suffering masses.

He said all hand pumps, which were lying idle and unused for want of repairs, had been ordered to be repaired at the earliest so that these could help villagers in the supply of drinking water this summer.

Thakur said seven years ago, then Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had laid foundation stone of state’s costliest Rs 32 crore-Baghchhal bridge after providing funds for the same near Jagatkhana, but the BJP kept work of this bridge stalled during its tenure of five years, taking advantage of some defect in construction. It did not make any serious attempt to restart the construction, depriving lakhs of people of Jhandutta and Naina Devi constituencies from its benefits.

Thakur thanked Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for his initiative to summon the construction company to his office and order the construction of the bridge to be restarted at the earliest and completed as soon as possible. He said the work is expected to be restarted soon. 

Mandi, May 2
They are many small town girls bubbling with a big time dream of a career in modelling, bollywood and fashion designing. They sashayed down the ramp at Hotel Raj Mahal, turning this tiny temple town into a mini 'Milan' with a social message: 'Save the girl child'.

As many as 17 girls participated in the audition test for the Himachal Fashion Hunt 2013 organised by Hamirpur-based International Institute of Fashion Design (INIFD).

Earlier, as many as 17 girls from Shimla and 19 girls from Dharamsala had tried their luck in the audition, seeking a greater role in the glamour world.

They are inspired by success stories of Preity Zinta, the Bollywood star-cum-cricket co-owner of Kings XI Punjab from Shimla and Kangna Ranaut, a popular cine star from Bhambla, Mandi. They have hit the tinsel trail with a bang.

"It is no longer a bad world and girls with good social background are seeking careers in modelling, bollywood and fashion designing," quipped Shikha and Shweta, the two contestants at the show. "There is no harm if they get a break in fashion shows or other beauty pageants," added Bhanupriya and Urvashi, who are trying their luck in the competition.

What makes these new-age beauties different is that they come from a middle-class background and have no direct exposure to the world of glamour. They are studying in senior secondary schools or college in small towns in the state.

Managing director, INIFD, Satpal Sharma, said the idea behind the competition was to give a platform to the talented girls, who otherwise get no opportunity to participate in the glamour competitions. "They can further try their luck in higher competitions like Lakme Fashion Week, bollywood, INIFD Fashion Show and other events and get exposure to visit Milan," he added.

The organisers are also holding two more competitions-Himachal Face of the year-2013 and Himachal Designer of the year 2013- for which the contestants have to qualify three rounds to win the title.

The next audition would be at Hamirpur on May 4 after which the contestants would be shortlisted by a panel of judges for the three rounds of competition and be organised shortly, Sharma added. 

Dharamsala, May 2
Sarla Sharma, a veteran freedom fighter from Himachal, Senior Congress leader and mother of Viplove Thakur, former HPCC president, passed away today at 1.30 pm.

According to the family members, Sarla passed away peacefully. She was 92.

She was honoured by the President of India for her meritorious services as a freedom fighter on August 9 last year.

Born on January 13, 1922, Sarla Sharma joined freedom struggle at the age of 19. She worked in various areas assigned to her by the Congress during the freedom struggle. She was jailed during the Quit India Movement in 1942.

For about six months, she was kept in Dharamsala Jail and then shifted to a jail in Lahore. After independence she was posted in Lahore, where she recovered Hindu and Sikh girls ,who had been kept back forcibly in Pakistan and helped them return them to their respective families. Later, she did the same for the Muslim girls during her posting in Rajasthan.

In 1957, Sarla Sharma became the member of the Legislative Assembly from Hamirpur in the Punjab Assembly. She also remained as a Minister of State and HPCC president in Himachal Pradesh. She also remained as a chairperson, HP Khadi Board, and HP State Small Industries and Industries Corporation.

Her son Nikhil Rajour said Sarla Sharma would be cremated tomorrow at 3 pm in Chamunda.

Governor Urmila Singh, in her condolence message, said Sarla Sharma actively participated in the freedom movement and contributed a lot for the development of the state. She prayed to the almighty to give peace to the departed soul and strength to the bereaved family members to bear the irreparable loss.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said Sarla Sharma was a true Gandhian and as a minister, she propagated the Gandhian philosophy in every nook and corner of the state. Her efforts of taking up the matter regarding merger of hilly areas of Punjab in Himachal would always be remembered, he said.

Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Transport and Technical Education GS Bali said Sarla Sharma was the pillar of the Congress in Himachal Pradesh. People and leaders across the party lines used to respect her. Her loss was irreparable for the people of the state, he said.

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats Anil Sharma said Sarla Sharma was a role model for her. He had always put the interests of the common people and country before her own ambitions.

Sanjay Rattan, MLA, Jwalamukhi said Sarla Sharma was a great freedom fighter and played a pivotal role in the freedom movement. He said that she propagated the Gandhian ideology, while being the state Congress president.

BBL Butail, Speaker, HP Vidhan Sabha, Vidya Stokes, Irrigation and Public Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sujan Singh Pathania, Power Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri, Forest Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Industries Minister Sudhir Sharma, Urban Development Minister Prakash Chaudhary, Excise and Taxation Minister Dhani Ram Shandil, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Anil Sharma, Rural Development Minister Jagat Singh Negi, Deputy Speaker, HP Vidhan Sabha, Rajesh Dharmani, Vinay Kumar and Neeraj Bharati, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries have also condoled Sarla's death.

Nurpur, May 2
A burglary in Ward No. 2 here has been reported this morning. The family of the house owner, Rajiv Kumar, was away for attending a marriage ceremony in Amritsar and the house was locked since April 30.

The thieves broke opened the doors and decamped with Rs 40,000 cash and silver and gold ornaments worth Rs 1.20 lakh.

According to DSP Rajiv Atre, a team of forensic experts have been requisitioned from Dharamsala which took samples and finger prints from the spot.

He informed that a case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC had been registered in this connection. — OC