Shimla, February 27
The intense cold wave sweeping the state further tightened its grip today. Tribal areas and other higher hills had another spell of moderate snowfall while the lower and mid-hills were lashed by intermittent rain and sleet, accompanied by strong winds.

Rain and snow lashed Shimla and its upper areas. Adjoining tourist resorts of Kufri and Narkanda had mild snow, causing the mercury to fall sharply.

Sangla and Reckong Peo in tribal Kinnaur district received 20 cm and 15 cm of snow and the Karchham-Sangla road was blocked. However, the Hindustan-Tibet National Highway was open for vehicular traffic.

Solan, Chail, Kasauli, Palampur, Dharamsala and other places in lower hills had rain and sleet while the Dhauladhar ranges in Kangra as also the Churdhar ranges in Sirmaur, the Saach and Chansel passes had another spell of moderate to heavy snowfall. Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti received 5 cm snow while the Rohtang Pass had 20 cm of fresh snow.

Keylong and Kalpa recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.9°C and minus 2°C, while the key tourist resort of Manali shivered at zero°C, Shimla 3.5°C, followed by Solan and Bhuntar 5°C, Una 5.5°C, Nahan 7.2°C, Palampur 7.2°C and Sundernagar 7.9°C.

The maximum day temperature remained moderate and Una recorded a high of 24.6°C, followed by Sundernagar 19.9°C, Nahan 19.2°C, Solan 17.2°C, Bhunter 15.5°C, Shimla 8.9°C and Kalpa 0.6°C.

The local Meteorological Office has predicted rain and snow in the region during the next five days.

Dhauladhar receives fresh snowfall

Kangra: Some parts of Kangra valley were lashed by rain, while the Dhauladhar range experienced fresh snowfall in the wee hours today.

Temperature reduced considerably leaving life out of gear, as the Dhauladhar range experienced fresh snowfall during the night and in the morning, which dropped the mercury.

Dharamsala, Maranda, Palampur, Paror, Malan and Nagrota Bagwan experienced rainfall, while mild drizzle was reported at Icchhi, Gaggal, Ranital and Dharman. 

Shimla, February 27
A fresh controversy has erupted over the cancelled Sai Koti hydropower project in the wake of levelling of allegations by Arun Dhumal, son of former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, that the note of February 2005 by Chief Engineer KK Vaidya, who retired in October 2005, was used to justify the re-allotment of the project to Venture Energy and Technology Ltd (VETL) in 2007.

He was addressing a press conference here today. Rubbishing the CM's claims that the project, which was cancelled in September 2004, was re-allotted on the orders of the court, Arun Dhumal said a PIL was filed by the Citizens Rights Protection Forum in the High Court on February 18, 2005, against the government.

As the reply filed by the government was not appropriate, the court imposed a fined of Rs 10,000 and asked the government to file a supplementary affidavit.

Meanwhile, between the interim and final order, a Cabinet meeting was held. The project was allotted to the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) and after filing of a supplementary affidavit that the project had not been restored to VETL, the court dismissed the application.

Subsequently, VETL approached the Supreme Court, but no relief was given by the court for restoration of the project. As such, the Cabinet decision of April 28, 2007 to re-allot the project to VETL on the note of a retired chief engineer would be tantamount to "contempt of court" as the government had given an undertaking in the High Court that the project was terminated on merit, would not be restored to VETL and had been allotted to HPSEB.

The Sai Koti project, which became a hotbed for political battle between Dhumal family and Virbhadra Singh, was again cancelled in November 2013 on the ground that the promoter had not deposited the money within the stipulated time.

Reiterating the demand for issuing a white paper on the issue and a CBI inquiry on the chargesheet submitted by the BJP to the Governor, senior state BJP leader Suresh Bhardwaj said the Chief Minister had also misled the Assembly by stating that the matter was pending in the court and subjudice whereas the reality was that the court had not taken cognisance of the matter yet.

Rewalsar/Kotli, February 27
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh has said the Congress government is committed to ensuring uniform development in the state and is trying to take the state ahead in every sphere despite limited resources.

Virbhadra stated this while addressing a public meeting here today after laying the foundation stone of a government degree college building. The CM said due to the failure of the previous BJP government in pleading the case of the state with the 13th Finance Commission, the state received about Rs 10,500 crore, Rs 1,250 crore less from the Central government.

The state government was facing a financial crunch as the BJP government took several hasty decisions to allure voters, he added.

Talking about various demands being raised by government employees, Virbhadra said the Punjab Government had given many benefits to its employees on the recommendations of a Cabinet sub-committee to woo them before the last election. But we were not bound to pay the same benefits to our employees due to financial crunch. The state employees should only raise their genuine demands, he added.?

Virbhadra said the ESIC medical college at Ner Chowk and the IIT at Kamand were started by the Congress government. A cancer hospital, to be built at a cost of Rs 45 crore, a mother-child hospital and a rock salt mining plant to manufacture chemicals were being opened in Mandi district.

He also announced the upgrade of Chowki-Chunahan high school to +2, middle schools of Halyatar, Bathwan and Sakroha to high schools and the Galma primary school to middle school.

Earlier, addressing a public meeting at Kotli, Virbhadra announced the upgrade of high schools of Baggi (Tungal), Sadyana, Barhi-Gumanu and Talyahar to senior secondary schools, besides opening an ITI and a police station at Kolti. The CM also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of several buildings today.

Chamba, February 27
The state government has made a provision of Rs 30 lakh for carrying out a survey of the proposed tunnel beneath the Chehni pass to link the mountainous Pangi tribal valley of Chamba district, which remains snowbound for about six-seven months during winter and cut off from the outer world.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh stated this while speaking to a deputation of inhabitants of Devikothi, Tepa and Banjal areas of the adjoining Churah subdivision of the district recently.

Kullu, February 27
Mahashivratri was celebrated with great fervour here today. Devotees were seen in long queues to pay obeisance at Shiva temples in the district. Devotees had to pass through zig-zag queues to reach the Shivlingam at the Bhootnath temple. Local deities “Sangam Mahadev” and “Shivrari Mahadev” also reached the temple.

The gates of Bijleshwar Mahadev, locally known as the Bijli Mahadev temple, were opened after three months today.

Hundreds of devotees reached the temple to worship the lingam.

Bashesara Mahadev temple of Bajaura, Sawayambhoo shivling of Bajaura, Pirdi Mahadev, Juanu Mahadev, the historical Manikaran Shiv Mandir and Shrikhand Mahadev of the district witnessed a huge rush of devotees.

Mahashivratri fair off to a colourful start

NURPUR: Transport and Technical Education Minister GS Bali yesterday inaugurated a three-day-long district-level Mahashivratri fair at Kathgarh Shiv temple in the Indora Assembly.

He led a colourful shobha yatra in a traditional way. Thousands of devotees from different states paid obeisance at the temple.

Bali lauded the activities being undertaken by the temple committee and announced a sum of Rs 20 lakh for the facelift of the temple premises.

He said the government had sanctioned Rs 50 lakh for the construction of a bus stand at the Indora town and its construction would begin next year.

He also announced Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus service from Kathgarh (Indora) to Tanda via Dharamsala and Chamunda.

A cultural programme was presented by schoolchildren. Students were also awarded cash prizes, trophies and certificates on the occasion. 

Chamba, February 27
Panchayat Secretaries and Panchayat Assistants working on contract have urged the state government to enhance their honorarium in view of the prevailing dearness all over.

A deputation of the Panchayat Secretaries and Assistants Association recently met Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh during his tour to the district and submitted a memorandum of demands to him. The main among other demands was to regularise their services by formulating a policy, association president Arshad Ahmed said. — OC

Solan, February 27
The state government has increased the entry tax on raw materials used by industries in manufacturing chemicals from the existing 1 per cent to 2 per cent. KK Sharma, Joint Director, Excise and Taxation Department, said they earned nearly Rs 70 crore annually through the entry tax, which was levied on raw material.

The enhancement of this tax to 2 per cent would double the revenue generation, he said, adding that a decision regarding it was cleared by the Cabinet last week.

As per an estimate, goods worth Rs 3,000 crore, manufactured in the state, were transferred to other states through corporate offices. Since there was no system of levying tax on outward processing of goods, the state had failed to earn revenue from the manufactured goods.

The state was also losing revenue on the account of consignment sale where dealers were assigned to sell goods on an agreed commission. Revenue lost through this mode was also slated to be covered through the entry tax. This tax is applicable to pharmaceutical companies, which engage in branch transfer.

The Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh region, which accounts for more than 70 per cent industrial production of the state, is a major source of this revenue. Other industrial hubs in the state, includes Kala Amb, Paonta Sahib, Sansarpur Terrace, Gol Thai, Mehatpur, Parwanoo and Chambaghat.

Interestingly, though no fresh tax had been levied by the state government in the Budget. The demand of investors for reducing the central sales tax from the existing 2 to 1 per cent had not been fulfilled. 

Shimla, February 27
New Shimla residents were a harried lot as they were without power for nearly 10 hours owing to short circuit in the cable box of high-tension transmission line at Kagnadhar that supplies electricity to the area.

Residents faced power blackout from 12.30am till 10 am. The blast was so loud that it created panic in the area. “I could not make out what exploded in the neighbourhood when I woke up after the blast,” Deepak Sharma, a resident of Kagnadhar, said.

“My neighbour told me that the cable box of the transformer has exploded due to short circuit,” he added.

Not only this, there were reports that cable joints at other places in the transmission line also developed similar faults which resulted in power blackouts in different parts of the city today.

The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board deployed its staff in the morning as soon as the fault was detected.

“There was an internal short-circuit in the cable box, which damaged. The cable box has been temporarily been restored. We will replace it tomorrow,” Junior Engineer, in charge of the area, said.

Meanwhile, residents had a tough time.

Naresh Chauhan, Dinesh and Rita Sharma, all residents of New Shimla Sector 5, said: “We had to pay obeisance to Lord Shiva, but could not take bath in the morning as there was no electricity till 10 am. Instead we used the LPG stove to serve the purpose.”

BD Sharma, another area resident, said: “Our batteries discharged due to non-availability of electricity due to which we could not greet friends and relatives on Mahashivratri.” 

Kullu, February 27
Suresh Thakur, national vice-chairman of the Non-Gazetted Judicial Employees Welfare Association and president of the HP unit of the association, said if the recommendations of the First National Judicial Pay Commission (Justice Shetty Commission) of 2003 were not implemented, employees would stage a protest.

He said the apex court had ordered on October 10, 2009, to implement the recommendations from April 1, 2003, but the government did not follow the order.

He said, “The High Court ordered the government to implement the recommendations but the state government has not initiated any move to comply with the orders so far”.

A delegation had already met the CM and requested him to implement the recommendations. He urged the government to increase the grade pay of bailiff, process servers, daftari and translators. He demanded that judgement writers completing 6 years of continuous contractual services, should be regularised.

Chamba, February 27
Over 5,000 posts of different categories in various government departments are lying vacant in Chamba district. District Non-Gazetted Employees Federation president Sat Pal Thakur said this here on Tuesday.

Satpal Thakur said there was hardly any department which was not short of staff, adding that around 500 posts were lying vacant at the Health Department alone.

He urged Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to fill the vacant posts in a phased manner.

Una, February 27
President of the Himachal Padesh Cricket Academy (HPCA) and Lok Sabha MP Anurag Thakur today announced that Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh would open cricket academies in Una and Bilaspur districts.

Addresing a public gathering at the Indira Gandhi stadium after honouring budding cricketers of the district, he said a meeting with the two had been fixed for March 2 to chalk out the details.

Anurag said about 11 years ago when he was elected president of the HPCA, the annual budget of the association was Rs 20 lakh, which now stood at Rs 28 crore.

Five cricket stadiums, including the Dharamsala stadium and three academies, were set up in the state, while the fourth one was functional in Chandigarh.

Anurag, who is also the joint secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, said Himachali players such as Rishi Dhawan, Vikram Jit Malik, Paras Dogra and Karan Veer were playing in the Indian Premier League, while Ankush Bains was a member of the Indian U-19 World Cup team.

Anurag said in return for the facilities to the players, the Congress government rewarded the HPCA with court cases and Vigilance inquiries.

On behalf of the District Cricket Association (DCA), Anurag honoured the under-15, under-19 and under-25 boys district teams. The U-15 team was the state champions, the U-19 were the runners-up, while the U-25 team had performed well in the state tournament. He also honoured coaches and ground staff members at the Una stadium. HPCA treasurer Attar Singh Negi, DCA president Madan Puri and general secretary Narinder Kapila were also present.