Shimla, May 18
With the High Court deadline of June 30 drawing near, the Transport Department will place before the Cabinet for the final view the issue of installing the Global Positioning System (GPS) for vehicle tracking in all 2.02 lakh commercial vehicles in the state.

Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy today held detailed discussions on the issue with Principal Secretary for Transport Ajay Mittal and other senior officials. It was decided to place before the Cabinet the matter after seeking the opinion of the Finance Department and the Law Department.

The High Court had constituted a committee under the Chief Secretary to monitor and frame a scheme for the purpose. “We have decided to place before the Cabinet the matter so that a decision can be taken on the issue before the deadline,” Mittal said.

He said the order had been placed last year for the GPS in about 1,000 Himachal Roadways Transport Corporation (HRTC) buses and the equipment would be installed shortly. The HRTC has a fleet of over 2,100 vehicles at present. As per the High Court directive, the GPS system will have to be installed in all buses.

The High Court had set a deadline of April but after the government sought more time June 30 had been set as the date by which the GPS had to be in place. As such the state government is to take the final view on the issue.

The opinion of private bus operators and other unions is yet to be taken even though the GPS has to be installed in all commercial vehicles and goods carriers like multi-utility vehicles and private minibuses. The installation of a GPS will cost between Rs 6,000 and Rs 8,000 besides monthly charges.

The state government will have to bear an expenditure of about Rs 30 crore for setting up a nodal centre to track the movement of all vehicles. The government has decided to install the GPS in its vehicles but the bigger question is how it will be done in privately owned vehicles.

The High Court had observed that the maximum accidents were caused due to rash and negligent driving. It had felt that the time had come to take the help of advanced technology to monitor the movement of vehicles.

The GPS will not only help tackle traffic problems but will be of great help in the detection of crime, the prevention of illegal activities and the tracing of criminals as well.

Mandi, May 18
Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary JP Nadda today said the party would launch a nationwide 'jail bharo andolan' on the issues of corruption, price rise and bad governance.

Nadda was welcomed by party workers at Bilaspur, Sundernagar and Mandi today. He said at a press conference that the BJP would organise the 'jail bharo andolan' from May 27 to June 2.

He went on the defensive on the question of the spot-fixing scandal in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Asked why the BJP had not demanded IPL chief Rajeev Shukla's resignation, Nadda said an inquiry was on.

He claimed that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had been ruling the country by default.

Nadda claimed that the state government was being run by bureaucrats. He alleged that Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh always threatened to announce inquiries, but nothing concrete ever emerged.

Nadda said the state government had increased the fee charged by private universities about which the Congress had raised a hue and cry when it was out of power.

Asked about state election body members absent from meetings at Sundernagar and Kullu, Nadda claimed that he was present and represented them.

On his way to Kullu, he was accompanied by Seraj legislator Jai Ram Thakur, former minister Mahender Thakur, state BJP vice-president Ram Swarup Sharma and Mandi district president Jawahar Thakur.

Kaza/Tabo, May 18
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today directed Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited to speed up the renovation of the 4-MW Rongtong power project in Spiti to solve the problem of low voltage and supply additional power from the Pooh substation.

The government would set up micro and mini power projects ensuring employment for the local youth, he added. He was addressing public meetings at Kaza and Tabo.

He said the government was committed to balanced development of tribal areas. He directed all departments to speed up development work as the working season in the area was limited.

He said the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) would widen the Samdhoo-Kaza road on priority. Lahaul-Spiti legislator Ravi Thakur requested the Chief Minister to allow only pollution-free hydro power projects in the valley.

The Chief Minister upgraded the high school at Guling to a senior secondary school. He directed the administration to expedite setting up of two communication towers to enhance connectivity.

Residents said the power supply was low and erratic as the board had been operating only one machine of the Rongtong project. “Two machines are being renovated while the other two are run alternatively to supply power,” said Mahesh Kumar, Bhawanagar SE.

Road connectivity with Kinnaur had been restored but the BRO was yet to clear snow from the 15,000-foot-high Kunjam Pass linking Spiti with Lahaul and Manali. The Chief Minister announced Rs 10,000 for the Tabo Mahila Mandal and Rs 5,000 each for the schoolchildren who presented a cultural programme.

He visited the Tabo monastery and performed puja there. Monastery general secretary Gopal Krishan Negi and other local leaders raised local demands. Former minister Phunchog Rai and Tabo panchayat pradhan welcomed him.

Dharamsala, May 18
Sugar is going to turn bitter for the state government as it will have to shell out more if it wants to continue giving sugar at low rates through the Public Distribution System (PDS).

Each resident of the state gets from PDS shops 700 grams of sugar per month at Rs 13.50 per kg. The state government was receiving the sugar at subsidised rates from the Centre.

Sources here said the Centre had done away with levy sugar. It has decontrolled the sugar sector in the country. This means that market forces will decide the price of sugar.

Either people will have to pay more at PDS shops or the state government will have to shell out more as subsidy. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies GS Bali said the state government would not burden the common man.

He said it would try to absorb the maximum burden. He said that the Food and Civil Supplies Department would soon invite tenders for the supply of sugar to PDS shops.

He hoped that the state government would get sugar at competitive prices. He said average sugar prices in the country were expected to fall as mills would not have to supply sugar at subsidised rates to the government.

The sources said the PDS Department would have to work overtime to ensure the uninterrupted supply of sugar to residents at subsidised rates.

Since levy sugar supply has been stopped the department will have to decide on a supplier from the free market at the earliest to ensure the smooth supply at PDS shops.

The levy sugar issue is likely to give more ammunition to the Bharatiya Janata Party to target the United Progressive Alliance government.

With the General Election due next year the levy sugar issue may prove to be another major issue if its prices are increased after decontrol.

Baddi, May 18
Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Rajesh Dharmani said today that awareness about environmental issues should be created to help preserve nature.

The CPS, who was in Baddi today to finalise the outline of the Green India Mission for the state’s industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN), said those undertaking exemplary work in preserving the environment would be honoured with titles like “Friends of Forest”.

Dharmani, while addressing NGOs, president and vice-presidents of municipal committees of Nalagarh and Baddi, officials of departments and representatives of industry associations, said the increasing emission of greenhouse gaseous had necessitated the need to conserve and preserve environment.

He said it was important to control forest fires, and help from people residing in nearby areas was being sought to check such incidents.

Vacant government land would be utilised for undertaking plantations of various species in the BBN area, he said.

He directed forest officials to identify those realtors who had failed to develop green zones amidst their housing colonies, despite having planned such green ventures and serve them notices.

Speaking on the occasion Arun Rawat, president, BBN Industries Association, said the industry had contributed Rs 26 lakh towards the Chief Minister’s Environment Fund.

Former Nalagarh MLA Lakhwinder Rana, Additional CEO, BBN Development Authority, the SDM and the DSP, Nalagarh, and presidents of local civic bodies were among those present. 

Shimla, May 18
With the announcement of the Mandi Lok Sabha bypoll only a matter of time, the Himachal Lokhit Party (HLP) today said it would work to ensure the defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but would not support the Congress.

Addressing a press conference here, Maheshwar Singh said here today that the party remained committed towards fighting the corrupt. “We are not going to support the Congress or any other party but will oppose the BJP in the Mandi Lok Sabha bypoll,” he said.

The HLP core group met here yesterday to discuss its strategy. “We decided to oppose the BJP but left to the electorate the decision to support any party,” said Mahinder Nath Sofat.

Maheshwar expressed displeasure at the tardy progress on issues like the alleged phone tapping, the pulses scam and irregularities committed by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA).

“A delegation met the Chief Minister and gave him documentary evidence but despite an assurance by Virbhadra Singh there was no progress,” Maheshwar said. He lamented the delay in action against officials who had favoured the HPCA in providing land.

“Despite the issue figuring in the Congress manifesto, nothing has been done,” he said. He sought the reason for not charging from the HPCA the amount pending for security provided during Indian Premier League matches.

HLP leaders rued that there had been no progress in the pulses scam and ambulance scam cases. “The minister concerned is making a mockery of the system by stating that Maheshwar has yet to provide documents,” he said.

He asked how the inquiry could proceed with the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau yet to get possession of the entire record regarding phone tapping even though the Chief Minister had set a deadline of two months for the probe.

Maheshwar said the HLP had welcomed announcements like granting of the skill development allowance.

“The government should review the process as there is a rider that only those whose names have been on the rolls for the last 10 years will be eligible,” he said.

Panchkula, May 18
Jyoti murder case accused Doon legislator Ram Kumar Chaudhary’s wife Nidhi did not cooperate with the police in her interrogation. She remained monosyllabic giving ‘no’ as the answer to all questions.

“When we asked her whether she had conversation regarding buying over Buti Ram, she said no. When we asked her whether she threatened Jyoti, she replied no,” said a police official requesting anonymity.

The police requested the court to allow them to take Nidhi's voice samples to match her voice. She had not turned up earlier despite being issued summons twice.

According to the charge sheet, Nidhi was making attempts to buy over Jyoti's father Buti Ram, as evident in her conversation with her maternal uncle.

She was reportedly offering lakhs through a third person to hush up the case. It was also being investigated whether or not she knew about Jyoti.

Bilaspur, May 18
Eighteen students of the Government Senior Secondary School at Soldha, 55 km from here, fell ill on Thursday reportedly after being given iron and folic acid tablets after the mid-day meal.

Principal Bhal Singh Chandel contacted Dr Nikhil Varma at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Malokhar who rushed to the school with staff members.

He treated most students at the school. Tamanna and Reena of class VII had to be shifted to the PHC for treatment where they recovered.

A Health Department team rushed to the school to ascertain the cause. This was second time students fell ill after being given the iron and folic acid tablets.

Chamba, May 18
A man was killed when a boulder rolled down a hill and hit him here on Thursday. The accident took place in the Purthi area of the mountainous Pangi tribal sub-division in Chamba district.

A report said Lekh Chand (32) of Khajyyar village was on his way to Purthi from Bambbal when the incident took place. Police officials from Pangi police station rushed to the spot and recovered the body. After postmortem they handed over the body to his kin.

Chamba, May 18
A medical camp and an ex-servicemen meet were organised at Chamba, under the aegis of 21 Sub Area and 323 Mountain Brigade. The medical camp in Chamba district was a long-standing demand of veterans. Specialists, including a gynaecologist, paediatrician and orthopaedist, provided consultancy, treatment and medicines to 1,247 patients. Free diabetic screening for all the patients was also carried out.

The camp was inaugurated by Brig RK Raina, SM, Commander, 21 Sub Area at the District Ayurvedic Chikatsalya at Chamba town. An ex-servicemen meet, chaired by Brig Pradeep Sofat, Station Commander, Dalhousie, was also held for the redressal of grievances of veterans.