Shimla, September 20
Largely perceived as the political game-changer by the ruling Congress, the Food Security Scheme was launched with much fanfare by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh from a public function on the historic Ridge, here today.

Himachal became the fifth state in the country to implement the Rajiv Gandhi Ann Yojna under the National Food Security Act as the Chief Minister handed over ration bags to 104-year-old Mast Ram and 70-year-old Vidya Devi of the Sunni area.

In all, 37 lakh people will be given 3 kg of wheat at Rs 2 per kg and 2 kg of rice at Rs 3 per kg every month under the scheme while the Antyodaya families will continue to get 20 kg of wheat and 15 kg of rice per month according to past practice. There are 16.99 lakh ration card families in the state, including APL, BPL, Antodaya Yojna and Ann Purna Yojna, which were getting subsidised ration.

Virbhadra Singh said all families identified under Antyodya Ann Yojna at Gram Sabha meetings held on April 7, 2013, would be brought under the ambit of Rajiv Gandhi Ann Yojna. Apart from it, all families being covered under the BPL, social security pensioners and Ann Purna Ann Yojna would also be covered under it.

He said it had been brought to his notice that a few well-off persons had also been included in the BPL list and added that a special Gram Panchayat meeting would be convened in which two government observers would supervise the proceedings to ensure that ineligible families were deleted and eligible poor included. The government would ensure that only eligible persons got the benefits of various schemes for the benefit of poor.

The Chief Minister said that food security was a historic scheme envisaged by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ensure that nobody remained hungry in the country. He said that food, employment and housing were the basic needs of the common man and the UPA government had taken revolutionary initiatives to fulfil these three requirements. Employment was being provided under MNREGA and financial assistance for housing under the Indira Awas Yojna and the Rajiv Awas Yojna. This year the Skill Development Allowance Scheme had been started to help the educated unemployed youth.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister GS Bali said the right to food security was another revolutionary step after RTI, MNREGA and RTE. He said over 70 per cent beneficiaries had been identified under the scheme and the rest would be covered soon. Under the scheme the ration card would be issued in the name of the eldest woman member of the family. In case the age of the female member was below 18 years, it would be issued in the name of the male head of the family.

Irrigation & Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes, Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmori, Social Justice & Empowerment Minister Dhani Ram Shandil, Rural Development Minister Anil Sharma, Chief Parliamentary Secretaries Jagjivan Pal, Nand Lal, Rajesh Dharmani and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, State Congress President Sukhvinder Singh, Chairman 20-Point Programme Ram Lal Thakur, Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board, GR Musafir, Chairman, State Cooperative Bank, Harsh Mahajan, Chairman, State Agriculture Marketing Board, Subhash Manglet, Vice-Chairman, State Forest Corporation, Kewal Singh Pathania, Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy, DGP Sanjay Kumar, other senior officers and prominent people of the town were also present on the occasion.

Dharamsala, September 20
The police arrested 11 students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Kangra, for participating in a rave party at Bhagsunag yesterday.

Sources here said the students had organised a rave party at Shiva Cafe, near the Bhagsunag waterfall. The police received the information regarding the party from the locals who complained of loud music and nuisance in the area. An advance party sent by the police confirmed the organisation of the rave party.

The police then raided the restaurant at 12.30 am and arrested 11 students of the NIFT, Kangra, and two organisers of the party.

The organisers of the party are Hoshiar Singh from Upper Barol village and Ramesh Chand from Bhagsu village. The police recovered 5 gm charas from them. A case under the NDPS Act has been registered against the two accused and they were remanded to police custody.

The 11 NIFT students who were participating in the party were allegedly in a drunken state at the time of the arrest. The police booked them under Section 114 of the Police Act.

A local court imposed a fine of Rs 500 on all the students and ordered their release today. However, a notice was sent to their parents regarding their behaviour.

The hinterlands in the Dharamsala area are famous for rave parties, which are attended in a large number by foreign tourists coming to the area. The availability of narcotics, especially charas that is smuggled to the area from Mandi, is the main attraction at such parties.

Una, September 20
The principal of KC Engineering College at Pandoga in Una was today arrested for allegedly misbehaving with two girl students of the college.

As per the complaint filed by two girl students with the police, Principal Sanjeev Kumar today called them to his office and asked them to accept him as their friend. He also offered them help in clearing their college exams and also a job in the college.

Sources said when the principal forcibly hugged the girls, they raised an alarm. On this, other students gathered at the spot and thrashed the principal. They also damaged many vehicles of the college.

The students calmed down only after the management of the college announced that the principal had been sacked. Una Superintendent of Police Anupam Sharma said the accused had been arrested on the complaint of two girl students and a case has been registered against him under 354-A of the Indian Penal Code.

Mandi, September 20
The future of thousands of students currently being enrolled in private BEd colleges affiliated to Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) is at stake as there is no clarity on the status of 12 private colleges against which an inquiry is pending.

Complaints were lodged in May against 12 private BEd colleges - nine in Mandi-Sundernagar belt, one in Solan and two in Hamipur district - for alleged irregularities, violation of admission norms and absence of adequate infrastructure including, buildings and staff with the National Council of Teachers Education (NCTE), which governs teachers’ educational institutions, at is regional office in Jaipur.

However, four months had passed, but the NCTE did not bother to conduct a formal inspection of the colleges so far, sources said.

What is worrying students is that HPU has started BEd counselling to fill 8,600 BEd seats and the last date is September 25 and they do not know the status of the 12 private colleges against which an inquiry is pending.

There is question mark over the NCTE’s role as there are allegedly many private BEd colleges functioning from residential houses and have no proper campus, buildings, faculty and other supportive infrastructure in the state.

“They fill 100 BEd seats each year and there are others who admit 200 BEd students each year. But they have not enough accommodation to run 50 seats,” the sources said.

But instead of conducting inspection of 12 private BEd colleges, the NCTE has put the onus on the HPU registrar and respective Deputy Commissioners to inquire into the complaints.

It has asked the DCs and the registrar to submit a report without mentioning the time-frame in each case.

HPU Registrar Dr Mohan Lal said they had constituted a committee under the dean, development council, and would submit the report to the Vice-Chancellor for further action against erring colleges.

“The counselling is on to fill 8,600 BEd seats in private and about 250 in two government-run centres,” he added.

Devesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, Mandi, said they had constituted the committee under the Additional Deputy Commissioner and were yet to submit the report. The NCTE, regional director, Jaipur was not available for comments.

Shimla, September 20
The second round of counselling to fill the vacant seats for the General Nursing and Midwifery (GNM) training course will be conducted at the Indira Gandhi Medical College from September 25 to 28.

An official spokesperson said here today that the counselling of candidates from the medical stream with 59.20 per cent to 66.00 per cent marks would be held on September 25. For those in the 40 per cent to 59 per cent marks range (medical stream) and 61 per cent and above marks from the non-medical stream, the counselling would be held on September 26.

The counselling of general, IRDP candidates of non-medical stream with 40 per cent and above marks, Scheduled Castes candidates of medical stream with 35 per cent to 59.80 per cent marks and non-medical stream with 58 per cent and above marks would be conducted on September 27. The counselling of Scheduled Tribes and OBC candidates of arts and commerce stream with 35 per cent and above marks and candidates from non-medical stream with 40 per cent and above marks and arts and commerce stream with 62.80 per cent and above marks would be conducted on September 28.

First preference would be given to the candidates from the medical stream and in case some seats still remained vacant, second preference would be given to candidates from the non-medical stream and thereafter those from the arts and commerce streams.

Hamirpur, September 20
Electricity supply in many villages of Badsar division has not been restored even after five days, when it was interrupted after a storm and strong winds on Sunday last.

The electricity supply in a large number of villages was snapped as many electricity poles were uprooted and electricity lines were broken in many areas of the region.

Though electricity supply in urban areas has been restored but many villages are still reeling under darkness as power lines have still not been repaired. Many villages like Ralli Jajri, Ghanghot and Kotla etc, falling under Badsar subdivision, are yet to get back power supply.

Talking to The Tribune many villagers have expressed unhapiness over slow restoration work and failure of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) to restore electricity supply in villages.

Balbir Singh, Sukh Dev and Virender Kumar of Ralli Jajri said, "The electricity supply disrupted last Sunday due to a storm has not been restored till now and many families are still living in darkness."

Blaming the HPSEBL officials, the villagers have demanded deployment of additional staff for restoring electricity supply, as shortage of staff is hampering the restoration work.

Similar sentiments were also expressed by villagers of Ghanghot and Kotla.

In the absence of the electricity supply, routine work in post offices and such other offices functioning in the rural areas, has also come to a halt.

ML Kalia, Executive Engineer, HPSEBL, Badsar Division, said, "We are trying to restore electricity supply in villages but it is taking time as many poles have been uprooted and LT lines are broken, the electricity supply would be restored in a day or two."

Dharamsala, September 20
Stray cow menace is on the rise in Dharamsala town. Hundreds of cows can be seen loitering on the local roads. Stray cows have become a cause of accidents as it is difficult to spot them on roads in the dark.

Naresh Sharma, a resident of Dharamsala, said travelling during the night was becoming dangerous as stray animals were found sitting on roads and it was difficult to spot them in unlit areas.

The numbers of stray animals in the town have been increasing as people from surrounding villages leave their unfertile cows, that are not in a position to produce milk. Villagers also allegedly push stray cows in towns as they damage their crops.

The onus of removing stray cows from the town is the responsibility of the local municipal council. However, the Dharamsala Municipal Council seems to have no answer to the problem. The only place where stray cows can be sent is “gaushalas” being run by NGOs. However, sources in the local administration said most of the gaushalas in the district were full to their capacity.

“The local municipal council and village panchayats have the power to impose a fine on anyone leaving domestic cattle on roads. However, it is difficult for the municipal council authorities to establish the ownership of stray animals, especially cows,” they said.

Many times a proposal was mooted to open gaushalas in temples of the district. Many temples in the district, including the Jawalamukhi, Brajeshwari Mata and Chamunda Devi temples, are being run under the district administration.

However, none of the said temples has its own gaushala. Only the Jawalamukhi temple is giving fodder aid to a gaushala in the Dadasibha area. The Baijnath temple is the only temple under the control of the government that has its own gaushala.

Since the matter of preserving stray cows is related to religion, famous temples, especially those under government control, should take up the onus of building gaushalas. At present, most of the income of the famous temples of the region coming through offerings either goes in paying salaries to their employees or priest's families.

The state government also has to formulate a long-term policy of tackling the problem of stray animals. As per a study by Palampur Agriculture University, about 25 per cent stray cattle in Himachal are a result of faulty artificial insemination procedures carried out by untrained veterinarian pharmacists or quacks. As per veterinary experts, artificial insemination is a highly specialised procedure. The university has now started a project to train veterinary pharmacists in the technique of artificial insemination.

With the number of stray animals increasing to alarming levels in Himachal, the state government should formulate a policy to tackle the problem, including opening more gaushalas in temples and decreasing the reasons due to which cows are turning unfertile.

Raison (Kullu), September 20
Over a thousand protesters led by CPM leader Rakesh Singha, Kullu legislator Maheshwar Singh today staged a massive protest against the Catch mineral water factory here against the "victimisation" and "intimidation" of 190 workers by the management and the Labour Department and demanded immediate status quo in transfer of five local workers to its Gurgaon unit.

Addressing the workers, who are locals, and other people who managed to make their way to the venue here to join the protest against the management today, Singha charged that the management and the Labour Department were hand in glove to intimidate and victimise the workers by ordering the transfer of five local workers to the Gurgaon

Catch mineral water factory unit. “It is the right of the workers to protest and give voice their grievances but the management was hellbent to suppress the genuine demands and rights of workers, who are locals," he alleged.

Singha alleged that the locals overcame all the barriers put up the police. The management and the Labour Department are hand in glove to quell the legal demands of workers by declaring the strike illegal.

The company was violating the labour laws and paying Rs 6,000-Rs 8,000 per month, whereas according to the current wages, these should exceed Rs 9,000 per month, he charged. The company sells an 8-litre bottle for Rs 60 and is not ready to sort out the issue with workers, he added. He said the workers were ready to negotiate if the transfer of the five workers was revoked. Is it possible to meet the expenses by getting Rs 6,000 in Gurgaon, he questioned.

On the other hand, Maheshwar Singh said the management was trying to crush the workers' right to protest under the union of their choosing, which they condemned. It had not fought with the government, still the people were not allowed to attend the protest 500 metre away from the factory as directed by the high court order, he added.

He said he would take up the matter with the government as it was related to the locals as 70 per cent of the unskilled workers in the factory were locals. “We will not tolerate the attitude of the company”, he asserted.

Labour Commissioner Nandita Gupta said the strike was declared illegal according to a provision of the Industrial Dispute Act as the dispute was pending in the Labour Court -- violation of the minimum wages Act.

The company’s general manager, Sarfaraz Hussain, claimed that the transfers were ordered by the management as they were provoking the workers who wanted to continue the work for others to join the strike, which was hitting the work.

Shimla, September 20
The Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) will switch over to the unit area method for imposing property tax on over 50,000 buildings from October 1, which will bring all self-occupied houses, agricultural lands and even vacant plots under taxation.

Shimla Mayor Sanjay Chauhan today announced the MC’s decision to go ahead with the switch over from the previous annual ratable method of working out property tax to the new unit area method.

“We tried to defer it for over a year, hoping that the government would have a relook at it, but now with the September 30 deadline set by the Himachal Pradesh High Court approaching, we have been compelled to adopt it,” said Chauhan addressing a press conference here today.

It was in August 2011 that the amendment to the Municipal Committee Act was made by the Assembly and the notification issued on January 16, 2012. However, with the MC not agreeing to the amendment, the switch over for imposition of property tax on about 50,000 buildings was put on hold. The new unit area method is based on several parameters like the age of the building, location, its occupancy and usage determined by a Delhi-based consultant, who undertook a survey in 2009.

Chauhan said the bylaws for the imposition of the property tax as per the new system would have to be drafted before September and these would be decided by the House at its next meeting. “Even now, if the government wants it can bring in an ordinance and save the common man from burden,” he said.

He admitted that even a small farmer owning agricultural land would have to pay property tax as there are 28 villages within the Shimla MC since the British rule and now several others have been added in Khalini, Chamiana, Dhalli and Totu areas. He said all central government buildings, including residential as well as office complexes are totally exempted. State government properties, too, are partially exempted from the tax.

The Mayor said though the property tax collection of Rs 8 crore for 2010-11 is expected to double after the adoption of the unit area method but it will shift the burden from the rich to the poor. “Undoubtedly, it is a very scientific method but it is not suited for Shimla and with certain changes it could have been in everyone’s interest including the MC,” said Deputy Mayor Tikender Panwar.

Solan, September 20
Scrub typhus cases are increasing in the district with at least five testing positive from the industrial hub of Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh. The Kasauli-based Central Research Institute (CRI), too, has been receiving several such cases in the last one week.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Shashi Pal Singh confirmed that five persons had been tested positive from the BBN area. He said 200 cases of high fever had been reported in the BBN area since the last week but cases of scrub typhus, which were tested positive, were merely five. These tests were conducted at the PGI, Chandigarh.

Ajay Singh, an employee of a textile mill, said his four-year-old son had contracted the disease and he was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. Parents of two more children also confirmed that their children had contracted the disease and they had been referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.

The health authorities referred suspected cases of scrub typhus to the PGI, Chandigarh, where they were diagnosed for the disease.

Doctors at the CRI, Kasauli, said cases of high fever suspected to be scrub typhus were regularly coming to the fore and some of them had tested positive.

Scrub typhus is a mite-borne infection manifested clinically by high fever, intense generalised headache and diffuse myalgias. The treatment should be initiated early to reduce morbidity and mortality. Even empirical treatment in case of suspected case is recommended. The conventional treatment includes broad spectrum antibiotics like doxycycline (adults) and chloramphenicol (in paediatric population). Rifampicin and azithromycin have been used successful in areas where scrub typhus is resistant to the conventional therapy.

Shimla, September 20
Public sector Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) will be a partner in the world’s largest 4,000-MW solar power project to be set up near the Sambhar lake in Rajasthan.

The mega-venture to be jointly taken up by six public sector undertaking will involve an investment of about Rs 30,000 crore. The SJVN will have 16 per cent stake in the project being set up on 18,000 acre of unutilised land available with Hindustan Salts Limited.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited will have the highest share of 26 per cent, followed by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (23 per cent), Power Grid Corporation of India (16 per cent), Sambhar Salt Limited, a subsidiary of Hindustan Salts Limited, (16 per cent) and Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (3 per cent).

It will be the largest solar power plant in the world and at present a 750-MW plant being set up in the US is the biggest. In the first phase, a 1,000-MW facility will be set up, which will take three years and the remaining 3,000-MW will be executed in six phases of 500 MW each. The project will be fully commissioned over a period of seven years. The partner companies will be required to contribute an equity share of Rs 1,400 crore for the first phase of Rs 7,000 crore in which the share of the SJVN will be Rs 224 crore.

The joint venture will give a big boost to the efforts of the SJVN’s plan to harness solar energy to take advantage of the national solar mission. The company plans to implement a pilot solar power project in the state alongside the Nathpa Jhakri project.

Palampur, September 20
The Zila Banao Sangarash Samiti has announced to revive its agitation to press the government to accord the district status to Palampur.

Addressing mediapersons here today, samiti president Jagmel Katoch and secretary Sanjeev Baghla said during the Assembly elections, the Congress had promised with the residents of Palampur region to grant it district status, if it was voted to power. They claimed it was on record that all four sitting MLAs of the Congress in their manifesto had categorically declared that district status to Palampur would be their top priority. Palampur comprises three sub-divisions - Palampur, Baijnath and Jaisinghpur - and has a population of seven lakh.

They alleged after the elections none of the Congress legislators made any efforts to fulfill their promise in the past nine months and they were left with no option but to revive their agitation.

Katoch cautioned the Congress leaders of the area not to play with the sentiments of people of the region, otherwise they would face the anger of people in the Parliamentary elections. Both Katoch and Baghla appealed to Chief Minister Virbhadhra Singh to grant district status to Palampur without any further delay.

Sundernagar, September 20
Member of Parliament Pratibha Singh today distributed prizes among the winner teams of a four-day-long mega youth festival at MLSM College, which concluded here today.

As many as 700 participants from 47 colleges of the state presented Himachali folk dances and songs.

Dr Ashok Sharma, Principal, along with the staff of the college, welcomed the chief guest and presented a memento to her.

During the festival, the performances of Government Degree College, Rekong Peo, Bilaspur, Joginder Nagar, MLSM, Sundernagar, Government Degree College, Barsar, Government Degree College, Kullu, and Government Degree College, Bharmour, were placed as commendable.

Those who were present on the occasion included MLA, Sundernagar, and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Thakur Sohan Lal and other Congress workers.

Manali, September 20
The PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Germany, in collaboration with the Manali Tourism Stakeholders’ Association (MTSA), will organise a daylong seminar on energy conservation in the hotel industry in the tourist town tomorrow.

MTSHA president Gajender Thakur said the seminar would focus on saving energy during the use of boilers, pumps, motors, blowers and heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, refrigeration and lighting systems commonly used in hotels.

The experts would discuss the techniques for effective energy management, focusing on renewable energy technologies like solar water-heating systems in the hotels, he added.

Experts from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) and Leading Experts from Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), Germany, Thapar University and other private companies will take part in the seminar. — TNS