New Delhi, March 10
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today met the Congress leadership in the Capital and put his foot down for the candidature of Rajinder Rana, a BJP rebel, from the Hamirpur Lok Sabha segment.

In a late evening meeting with Congress general secretary in charge of Himachal Ambika Soni, Virbhadra said Rana was the best bet for the party in the segment which is traditionally represented by Rajput leaders and which former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal’s son Anurag Thakur will again contest.

Speaking to The Tribune exclusively after the meeting, Virbhadra Singh rejected as “rumours” the talk that Rana had been charge sheeted in any criminal case or that any charge currently stands against him.

"Ï have told the high command in so many words that it is an absolute falsehood if anyone says that Rajinder Rana is chargesheeted or that any charge is pending against him. His name is clear,” Singh said adding that he as CM of the state had made a responsible suggestion to the party keeping in mind the winnability of a candidate in Hamirpur which has become a bone of contention between the CM and Himachal Congress chief Sukhwinder Sukhu who has been raising the issue of Rana’s name figuring in the charge sheet filed against the former BJP Government on Congress’ complaint.

The Chief Minister has also batted openly for Chander Kumar, an OBC leader as a candidate from Kangra segment, even though Union Culture Minister Chandresh Kumari is also in the running from the segment.

Asked who could be a probable candidate from Hamirpur if Rana is not chosen, the Chief Minister said he had suggested to the Congress that in the event of Rana not fighting despite being the best candidate, Sukhwinder Sukhu should himself fight from the seat.

“Sukhwinder Sukhu is also a state leader; he could fight,” Virbhadra Singh told TNS adding that one miscalculated move of strategy in Hamirpur could cost dearly in other places in the state.

“Elections are won on strategy. The strategy has to be right. When you field a winning candidate from a segment you energize party rank and file in his favour and in the favour of other candidates in other areas. If you field a losing candidate, you have already demoralized your cadres. I have communicated my view point to the leadership and it is now up to the high command to decide,” the Chief Minister said.

Counting the positive points of Rana, the Chief Minister said Rana had a deep support base in Hamirpur; he was a Rajput leader and favourable for the Congress as Hamirpur had traditionally been held by Rajput leaders; most of all, he knew the weaknesses of Dhumals as he had worked closely with them.

A decision on Himachal LS seats is expected on March 12 when the Congress Central Election Committee led by party president Sonia Gandhi meets again.

Kullu, March 10
Only four women have contested the Lok Sabha (LS) poll in Himachal since the first general election in 1952. No woman has ever contested in Shimla and Hamirpur.

The BJP has never fielded any woman, but the Congress had favoured women candidates having strong political background.

Congress candidate Rajkumari Amrit Kaur won from Mandi by securing 47,152 votes in 1952. Ambika Kumari of the Swatanter Party secured 20,600 votes in the 1962 election and lost the Mandi seat to Lalit Sen by 26,250 votes. Congress candidate Pratibha Singh, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s wife, lost the Mandi seat by a huge margin of 1,31,832 to Maheshwar Singh of the BJP in the 1998 election.

She reciprocated the defeat in the 2004 election by defeating Maheshwar by 66,575 votes.

Pratibha again ensured the victory of the Congress in the 2013 byelections by securing 3,53,493 votes as against 2,16,786 secured by Jai Ram of the BJP.

Chandresh Kumari, also belonging to the Congress, won by securing 2,32,287 votes from Kangra in 1984, while BJP candidate Shravan Kumar lost securing 1,14,854 votes.

Dharamsala, March 10
The district administration has cancelled tenders through which 10 kanals of the Bhagsunag temple was given on lease. The cancellation of land lease has been effected after a controversy was created regarding its allotment to a person from Batala.

Minister for Housing and Urban Development Sudhir Sharma said, "After the matter came to my notice, the district administration has been ordered to cancel the tenders. As per my knowledge, the tender for allotment of 10 kanal land in Bhagsunag has been cancelled."

Officials of the district administration also confirmed that the tenders had been cancelled.

The allotment of temple land had also evoked strong reaction from local residents. They had been alleging that the district administration had kept the non-officio members of the Bhagsunag Temple Trust in the dark while allotting the prime land for 50 years.

Omkar Nehria, member of the temple trust and vice-president of Dharamsala Municipal Council, had alleged that the district administration had allotted the assets of the temple, including the swimming pool that is open for everybody.

The BJP had also targeted the Congress that had been accusing the party of violating the norms in allotting land on lease to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association.

In a press note issued here today also, BJP spokesperson Himanshu Misra said the Congress government should come clean on the developments that led to allotment of the Bhagsunag temple land.

He said the Congress government was adopting double standards on the allotment of government lands. While on the one hand, the government had cancelled the land allotted to the Baba Ramdev Trust, on the other hand, it was allotting prime temple land for commercial exploitation.

Kullu, March 10
All is set to conduct the Lok Sabha elections after a survey and discussions with different departments and the police. This was stated by Rakesh Kanwar, District Election Officer and Deputy Commissioner, while presiding over a meeting with Assistant Returning Officers and other Nodal Officers here today.

According to the District Election Officer, over 2,75,326 voters will execute their voting right at 500 polling booths in this district out of which 28 have been declared as hypersensitive and 50 sensitive.

He said to conduct fair elections, various committees had been framed which included video surveillance team, video-viewing team, accounting team, flying squad, media certification and monitoring committee and intoxicant surveillance team.

He added that a special committee would keep vigil on the expenditure of the candidates.

He further said all committees had started working to ensure that the model code of conduct was not violated.

He maintained that strict action would be initiated against the offenders.aControl rooms had been set up. Voters could contact these control rooms to resolve their grievances, he said. 

Shimla, March 10
As many as 7,000 voters await their identity cards as the last date of making the cards ended today. The exercise was hit by a fresh spell snow in Lahaul-Spiti, Pangi, Bharmour, Kinnaur, Kullu and Shimla districts.

Sources revealed that officials and residents remained indoors due to fresh snowfall.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has extended the last date for making the voters ID cards till today.

Lahaul-Spiti could add 100 voters during the latest exercise as most of the polling stations remained cut off due to snow.

“In Hanse, Giu, Koksar and other areas in the valley, we can add about 100 new voters on the list of 22,905 voters," said BS Thakur, District Returning Officer, Lahaul-Spiti.

DD Sharma, District Returning Officer, Kinnaur, said he braved snow and chill to reach out to people and had added 371 voters.

“We also met our oldest voter, Shayam Sharan (97), at his residence at Kalpa and sought his advice," he said.

Similarly, in Shimla district, poll officials received about 2,400 applications which would be decided by the respective assistant registrars, said DC-cum-District Returning Officer Dinesh Malhotra.

“We will issue the identity cards (ID) cards in seven days,” he added.

There are about 7,000 applicants who have sought to make ID cards today. “The enrolment of voters is about 66 per cent in the state, which is one of the highest. We have yet to receive final voter lists from the districts, but we may add 7,000 voters more,” said State Electoral Officer Narender Chauhan.

Brand ambassador

A 97-year-old teacher Shayam Sharan, resident of Chinni village in Kalpa, has emerged as a brand ambassador of the ECI. He has been casting vote since 1952. His mantra to voters is: “Always cast your vote and choose an honest candidate who can take up our issues in the Lok Sabha”. 

Mandi, March 10
The three-day Tsechu festival, which is famous among the Tibetans and Buddhist monks, began at Rewalsar today and was inaugurated by Devesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner (DC), Mandi.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion, the DC said the festival was celebrated evey year on the birth anniversary of Buddhist Guru Padamsambhav. He said people celebrated it with great enthusiasm, which also symbolised non-violence and religious goodwill.

Dharamsala, March 10
A delegation, led by Henri Malosse, president of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) of the European Union, attended the 55th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day in Dharamsala today, the seat of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) in exile.

Malosse reiterated the EESC’s commitment to support the CTA’s middle way approach and engage the Chinese government in dialogue with the Tibetan leadership to resolve the issue of Tibet.

He said the delegation visited Dharamsala to show support to the case of Tibet. “Tibet has been deprived of its dignity and freedom for a very long time. So, I have come here to express my solidarity with the Tibetan people and other people oppressed by the Chinese government, including the Chinese people,” he said.

He reiterated support for the middle way approach as a pragmatic and realistic way proposed by the Tibetan people, based on the principle of inter-dependence to seek genuine autonomy in Tibet through dialogue with the Chinese government. He said the approach would produce a result in the interest of both Tibetan and Chinese peoples.

Malosse applauded the democratic governance of the CTA as a model organisation and its effective welfare and education of Tibetan refugees.

Later, while addressing a press conference, Malosse spoke about his recent meeting with the Chinese ambassador, who told him not to interfere in China’s internal affairs in view of his visit to Dharamsala. He told the Chinese ambassador that the issue of Tibet was a global concern and dialogue on human rights in Tibet a part of EU-China Strategic Dialogue.

Malosse said he had been invited by the Chinese government to visit Tibet and expressed hope that he would be able to go there soon.

Responding to questions, Malosse said the EESC would make efforts to have EU Special Coordinator for Tibet.

Sikyong (Leader of Tibetan people) Lobsang Sangay thanked Malosse for coming to Dharamsala and expressing solidarity with the Tibetan people. "In your position as president of the EESC and partaking in the 55th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day sends a strong message to the international community that freedom is universal and hope to the Tibetans inside Tibet that we have friends around the world who hear them and support them as well," he said.

“I thank your gesture for coming here to support Tibet and the Tibetan people despite pressure from the Chinese government. Secondly, your acknowledgement of the CTA as a successful organisation or an entity which is taking care of the Tibetan refugees can serve as an example for other marginalised people around the world. We take pride in saying that the CTA is functioning quite effectively for the last more than 50 years and have been quite successful not just in looking after the welfare of Tibetan refugees, but also keeping our culture, identity alive and vibrant,” Sikyong said.

Shimla, March 10
The higher reaches in the state had another spell of moderate snowfall, while the mid and lower hills were lashed by rain and sleet, reviving the intense cold-wave conditions in the region.

The high-altitude tribal areas and higher hills had another spell of moderate snow, while Shimla and its surrounding areas had light snowfall, followed by sleet and rain. Kufri, Narkanda, Sangla and Khara Patthar had sleet and rain, followed by moderate snowfall. Solan, Chamba, Tissa, Mandi and Kotkhai experienced scattered rain and sleet.

Icy winds lashed Manali which was the wettest in the region with 29 mm of rain, causing a sharp fall in day temperature which dipped to 4°C. The higher reaches in Chamba and Kangra also received moderate snow while Udaipur received 12 cm of snow, followed by Keylong 4 cm and Bharmaur 3 cm.

Moorang in tribal Kinnaur district had 20 mm of rain, while Chamba received 13 mm of rain followed by Tissa 12 mm, Dalhousie 11 mm, Chhatarari and Saloni 9 mm and Kotkhai 5 mm.

Bharmour was the coldest in the region with the minimum temperature at -9°C, while Keylong, Kalpa and Manali recorded -5.1°C, -1.4°C and 1.8°C, followed by Bhuntar 5°C, Shimla 6°C, Sundernagar 6.4°C, Solan 6.8°C, Una 7°C, Dharamsala 7.4°C, Palampur 8°C and Nahan 10.2°C.

However, there was no significant change in the maximum temperature and Una was the hottest with a high of 26.6°C, while Sundernagar recorded 23.6°C, followed by Nahan 18.2°C, Solan 17.6°C, Dharamsala 15.8°C, Bhuntar 14.5°C, Shimla 13.7°C and Kalpa 6.4°C.

The local Met office has predicted rain, thundershowers and snow at many places over the next two days due to western disturbances.

Shimla, March 10
Legislators are planning to move the Supreme Court against the directions of limiting the use of red beacon on vehicles to only constitutional authorities.

The legislators from the ruling Congress and the BJP are already in touch with legal experts to see how to move about on the issue. With the Himachal Government implementing the Supreme Court directions, limiting the use of red beacons on vehicles of only the constitutional authorities from today, the legislators are exploring all options.

"It is not a question of status symbol, but maintaining the dignity of the elected representatives," says Sanjay Rattan, MLA from Jwalamukhi.

Incidentally, he also heads the association of the 26 first-time legislators in the Assembly.

He said the MLAs were even willing to move the Supreme Court. He says just like the executive and the judiciary, the legislative is also important so why should they be denied the use of red beacons.

Former minister and sitting BJP legislator from Shahpur Sarveen Chaudhary too terms the exclusion of MLAs from the list of dignitaries wrong. "As elected representatives, we have to travel to remote areas and it is the use of red beacon on our vehicle which gives us protection," she asserts.

She says being a woman, she has to interact with different kinds of people who also get agitated and aggressive and having a personal security officer and a red beacon on the vehicle gives her a sense of security.

Most MLAs also rue the fact that when the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police have been allowed red beacon, why have the MLAs been left out. They also hasten to add that a Deputy Commissioner has been allowed the use of blue beacon, but the MLAs have not been included in the list.

A majority of the MPs, MLAs and senior bureaucrats have removed red beacons from their vehicles immediately after the Cabinet decided to enforce the SC directives on red beacons. However, some middle-rung officers are finding it hard to part with the red beacons which gave them the feeling of having an exalted position. Red beacons though covered still adorn the vehicles of many such officers even now.

Exploring options

Legislators from the ruling Congress and BJP are already in touch with legal experts to see how to move about on the issue. With the government implementing the Supreme Court directions, limiting the use of red beacons on vehicles of only the constitutional authorities from today, the legislators are exploring all options.

Kasauli, March 10
The Cantonment Stall Holders, comprising 70-80 men and women, today took out a protest march here against the orders of the local Cantonment Board which has directed them to vacate shops and pave way for fresh auctions.

While these directions have forced the 55-60 stall owners to close their shops since March 1 after a receipt of notices from the board, the latter was yet to take any decision on how to go about the fresh auctions.

The board officials have directed the shopkeepers to first vacate the shops and hand over the keys to them. But the shopkeepers, who have been operating here for the last nearly 30 years, are fearful of losing their livelihood if the stalemate continues for some more time. The shops have already been closed for the past 11 days and even tourists are greeted by a closed market in this popular tourist town.

Krishna Murthy, president, Cantonment Stall Holders Association, said they did not want to take any such step which would create any law and order situation. Hence, they had only taken out a peaceful protest march from the Main Bazar to the Tehsil Office here today.

A memorandum was also handed over to the naib tehsildar. It pressed the need for an early amicable solution which would not only end the 11-day stalemate, but would also not deprive people of their source of livelihood.

The stall owners, while ruing the 11-day-old stalemate, said they were suffering daily as the closure of the shops had put an end to their livelihood and if they did not get the shops again in the new auction as proposed by the board, they would lose their only means of earning bread.

The stall owners, who had also approached the Deputy Commissioner for chalking out an early solution, were, however, hopeful that some solution would be worked out soon.

It is worth mentioning that the cantonment had decided to invite fresh auctions for the shops and a decision in this regard had been communicated to the stall owners in November last year. They were given two-month time to vacate their premises and pave way for fresh auctions. But since the stall owners are fearful of losing the shops if fresh auctions are undertaken, they have not vacated the premises, but had closed these after the receipt of notices from the board on March 1. 

Shimla, March 10
Around 50 persons trapped in the Miyar valley and Gondola in the Chandra valley said they were yet to receive helicopter service from Bhuntar. The Tribal Welfare Department failed to run trial flights at the Gondola helipad as the weather played a spoilsport.

Residents here are a worried lot as the district administration has sounded an avalanche threat in the district. The fresh snowfall has further added to their woes. Residents said the Public Works Department (PWD) extended the helipad at Gondola to enable the chopper to land, but no trial flight had been launched so far.

The Chandra valley has received more than 3 foot snow, which had worried residents, said Himal Thakur, an area resident.

Gopal Shashni, a resident of the tribal Miyar valley, rued that the valley was ignored as just one flight was launched last week in the entire season.

The local transport had come to a standstill in the valley due to fresh snowfall, an official said, adding that the Border Roads Organisation was trying to restore traffic.

BS Thakur, Lahaul-Spiti DC, said most of the students, patients and others willing to move out of the valley were flown to Bhuntar from Waring, Tindi, Tingret (Miyar), Sissu and Stingri on Saturday. The flights would be resumed as and when the weather improved, he added. 

Avalanche threat in Lahaul

An avalanche threat has been sounded in the valley, said BS Thakur, Lahaul-Spiti Deputy Commissioner. Parents and teachers have been asked to take extra care as school examinations are on in the district, he added.

Shimla, March 10
The government will not demote the 25 Indian Forest Services (IFS) officers who were promoted during the previous regime.

The government, after receiving the reply from 14 IFS officers who had been asked to explain their position, decided not to demote them. The issue had been hanging fire ever since the Congress came to power in December 2012.

The 25 IFS officers, who had benefited by the “bulk” promotions resulting in the strength of 32 Additional Principal Chief Conservator Forest (APCCF), have heaved a sigh of relief.

The decision has come as a big relief for the juniors too whose promotion had been put on hold. This includes seven IFS officers serving as Conservators, who had been awaiting promotion of Chief Conservator for the past few years and some Divisional Forest Officers (DFOs).

“With the issue being finally settled, we can also hope to get promoted,” said one of the hopefuls who have given representations for their promotions.

The 14 officers, who had been asked to explain their position, had urged the government to take a sympathetic view on their promotions. They had pointed out that their batchmates in other states had already been promoted and they too had completed the mandatory 25 years of service.

They had pleaded that the decision to promote them had been taken by the Screening Committee, headed by the Chief Secretary after taking all aspects into consideration.

The issue of demotion of these officers was deliberated upon thrice by the Screening Committee and the opinion of the Law Department was also sought. Keeping all aspects in mind, including the fact that these officers could moved court, it felt not to unsettle them. Though there were 32 officers who had benefited from the promotions, with some of them getting adjusted against the vacancies, reply was sought from only 14 officers.

It was in July-August 2012 that the BJP regime had promoted 25 officers in two batches within one month. This had taken the total number of APCCF up to 32, an all-time high for a small state.

After the latest cadre review, the Centre had approved a strength of 114 officers for the Himachal IFS cadre. This included two posts of PCCF and seven of APCCF. The strange cadre management, resulting in 32 APCCF, had led to widespread criticism and making the Forest Department top heavy.

Relief

* None of the 25 IFS officers serving as Additional Principal Chief Conservator, Forest, (APCCF) to be demoted

* It was in July-August 2012 that they had been promoted

* As against seven posts of APCCF, 32 IFS officers were made APCCF

Shimla, March 10
National and state highways and links roads, lifelines of an economy that has apple and tourism as its mainstay, are dotted with back-breaking slushy potholes. Due to poor maintenance and allegedly sub-standard tarring, roads have given way in the wake of snow and rains.

Farmers, hoteliers, tourists and local operators are a disillusioned lot as both the ruling Congress and the BJP are busy in a blame game.

What to talk of roads in rural areas, roads within the capital city at the IGMC, Sanjauli, New Shimla Sectors 5, 4 and 3, Baleaoganj-Tuttu, Shimla Bypass and Sanjauli Pass are virtually littered with potholes and craters. The Shimla Municipal Corporation is yet to fill potholes.

The Congress, when in opposition, had blamed the BJP government for the poor condition of roads and made it an election issue in the 2012 Assembly elections. But the condition of roads did not improve even after a year since the change of guard.

The PWD claims that maintenance, repairs and tarring will begin on a war footing as soon as the weather improves. “We awarded tenders to contractors in December and January, much ahead of the model code of conduct coming into force and face no bar on this as such,” says Naresh Sharma, Engineering-in-Chief, PWD.

Farmers are the worst sufferers as are tourists and hoteliers.

Farmers cannot transport their produce to markets in time if the repairs and tarring are not done in March, April, May and mid-June before the onset of the monsoon, which coincides with the harvesting season every year, says Balwant Dutta, a farmer from Kalgaon.

In 2010, more than 50 per cent of the fruit rotted in orchards as link roads were snapped by rains. The plight of farmers is the same even today. The repair work will start this month and roads will be in a good condition before the start of the monsoon, adds Rajiv Bragta, a farmer from Maroag.

Though the PWD claims that the new contractor has started work on the Theog-Hatkoti-Rohru highway, travelling on this pothole-ridden slushy road has become a nightmare. Rampur-Pulzara-Sungri-Rohru, Sainj-Pulwahal, Chopal-Bamrahar-Jhiknipul-Bamta, Chopal-Shantha-Dewat, Chopal-Sarahan and Chopal-Nerwa-Tiuni roads are in a miserable condition. Narkanda-Ghanasidhar-Tikkar and Rohru-Kutara-Dalgaon roads are in a bad shape too.

It takes eight to 10 hours to reach Shimla from Rohru, rue commuters. The Kotkhai-Kharapathar stretch has been rendered unmotorable due to snow. Ditto for other roads in Shimla district, they resent.

The condition of Manali-Leh, Mandi-Pathankot, Chandigarh-Manali, Kullu-Jalori Pass-Ani and Mandi-Karsog roads figures as an issue among voters.

The Ani-Khanag-Banjar-Aut road was opened for traffic only after two months on October 1 that had cut off Ani sub-division from Kullu district for two months.

The bad condition of roads has hit tourism in the state where air and railways connectivity are not available. The PWD claims that there is a separate budget this year to improve trouble or black spots and they have put up crash barriers, but passengers remain stranded on trouble spots on most highways with falling boulders posing risk to commuters.

Drains are clogged, and spill dirt and muck on highways and in towns nearby during monsoons. But no party has an agenda for tourism and farmers.

The RTOs and traffic police have failed to book overloaded oil tankers, cement and clinker trucks and tractors with the absence of amber lights posing danger to commuters on highways.

In every 100 fatalities on the roads in the state, as many as 30 persons are killed and 150 are injured, who in turn suffer life-long deformities in many cases, reveals a recent sturdy.

In fact, road safety remains shaky on risky hilly roads. Traffic congestion and bad roads, lack of safe driving culture and rash and negligent driving are contributing to road rage that has resulted in accidents, the study observes.

The bitumen and tarring scams, use of sub-standard materials in building roads, threst and retaining walls, tarring work, drains and parapets and in erecting roadside crash barriers have evoked the ire of the travelling public as the PWD’s quality control enforcement remains woefully inadequate.

Shimla, March 10
Private educational institutions in Himachal are having a field day as the government has failed to put some “alternative mechanism” in place to rein in the unbridled institutions after quashing of the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Commission by the high court in October 2013.

The government has challenged the HC verdict in the Supreme Court and the next hearing is fixed for April 7. But it failed to initiate any steps to entrust the functions of the defunct body to any other agency.

Consequently, the powers to deal with issues like beginning of new courses and increasing the number of seats now vest in the government, and owners of private institutions with strong political connections are lobbying against the revival of regulatory regime.

Immediately after the Regulatory Commission was quashed, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had declared that the government would take effective steps to regulate the private institutions but it did nothing more than filing an appeal in the SC.

The defunct Regulatory Commission officials even prepared a draft Bill to amend various Acts under which private universities were opened to incorporate the provisions of the Regulatory Commission and it was expected that an ordinance would promulgated or the Bill would be passed during the Budget session of the Assembly, but nothing happened due to the pressure of private institutions.

The government is having control over the institutions affiliated to Himachal Pradesh University and a committee for fixing the fee and regulating the admission is in place, but there is no such control over private universities.

The Regulatory Commission was set up by the previous BJP government after it came under fire for permitting over 12 private universities and allowing them free play, giving permission to purchase huge chunks of land in relaxation of Section 118 of the Tenancy and Land Reforms Act that barred
any non-agriculturist from purchasing any land in the state without permission of the government.

Intriguingly, the Congress, which made a big issue of private universities while in the Opposition and made it a major poll issue, has not said a word about restoring the regulatory mechanism. Some of the senior Congress leaders have now developed “love” for private universities and are frequently visiting these institutions, sending a wrong signal to the public.

The BJP is also silent on the issue and the CPM is the only party vocal against the failure of the government in providing some mechanism in place to regulate the private universities.

“There has been a spurt in private educational institutions in the past few years and in spite of the fact that the seats in these colleges are going abegging, the government has not reduced the seats, but lowered the percentage for admission in BEd colleges, which is detrimental to the interests of students and the state,” Tikendra Singh Panwar, CPM leader and Deputy Mayor, Shimla Municipal Corporation, said.

The government must slash the number of seats in private institutions as there were no jobs and these institutions were churning out “unemployable” youth, he added.

Shimla, March 10
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will go hi-tech and make the best use of information technology to reach out to people and propagate its policies and programmes in the Lok Sabha (LS) poll, state BJP president Satpal Singh Satti said here today.

Addressing members of the IT cell of the party, he said apart from launching a door-to-door campaign and making personal contact with voters, the party would use all modes of information technology (IT), including websites, social networking sites, WhatsApp and SMS. It had directed party workers keep abreast with information technology and make it an integral part of the campaign.

Convener of the party IT cell Aditya Baniyal said the party would use tools of information technology in the election campaign from the block level to the Assembly segment level in all Lok Sabha seats comprising 68 Assembly constituencies.

As many as 1,500 youth have been registered and trained to guide workers about the use of information technology and
use it effectively to woovoters and counter the propaganda of rival
political parties.

The local BJP workers have already opened account in Facebook under the name "NaMo" to project Narendra Modi as the next Prime Minister. 

Kullu, March 10
It's a relief to LPG consumers who had not linked their Aadhaar card either with the bank account or the dealer. Domestic refills in the state are being provided at subsidised rates, irrespective of the Aadhaar linkage, from today.

The cap for yearly supply of refills was raised from nine to 12 on January 30. The announcement by Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily to withdraw the Direct Benefit Transfer for LPG (DBTL) scheme took well over a month to materialise.

Consumers being denied LPG subsidy since January 1 after being covered under the DBTL, were given refills at full rate.

Consumers urged the government to ensure that the oil companies adjusted the excess amount charged in their future refills.

The transparency portal further revealed that while some distributors provided subsidised cylinders to consumers who had not submitted Aadhaar cards, most of them decided to provide refills at full market rates to all consumers, denying the benefit to those who had not gone in for the Aadhaar card linkage.

It was further learnt that an LPG dealer in Kurukshetra in Haryana had exercised discretion in providing subsidised cylinder to an LPG consumer on February 12, while providing a full rate cylinder to another consumer on February 7. Both the consumers had not submitted their Aadhaar cards.

In the absence of clear guidelines or proper checks by oil companies or enforcement agencies, LPG dealers seem to implement self-perceived rules.

Another finding from the portal was that some of the consumers were provided with more than 12 subsidised cylinders.

The transparency portal of the oil companies further revealed that many distributors kept bookings of some consumers pending for long, while providing others with refills within a much shorter period.

There is, however, no effort by the government to ensure that first-come, first-serve basis is adopted for the bookings or refill. The bookings orders for refills are taken verbally. In fact, these are at the distributors' discretion.

Most of the distributors refuse bookings in case four to seven days have not elapsed since the previous booking.

For want of a proper system of enforcement, the distributors are not bound to follow or implement the online or SMS booking method.

It was further learnt that no system was prevalent for the maintenance of signed delivery receipt by the consumer, as generally adopted by the Postal Department or even private courier services.

This implies that cylinder delivery within a specific time-frame is also a matter of discretion.

The Kullu District Food and Supplies Controller said the department could act upon a consumer complaint related to discrepancy in the payment receipt. With distributor agencies generally being owned by politically influential people, the consumers are a hapless lot.

There are no checks by an external enforcement agency. This leaves the masses at the mercy of the distribution agency staff. State governments are yet to take any initiative to formulate or enforce regulations for the protection of consumers by taking up the matter with the Centre.

Shimla, March 10
Power distribution companies have to either buy 3 to 10 per cent of their electricity from renewable sources or purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) under the renewable energy purchase obligation (RPO) being made mandatory by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

The requirement is a move to promote green and clean energy to stem climate change. According to sources, power developers in the state will have to add 3 to 10 per cent renewable energy source to their energy portfolios under the new regulation. In case they do not do this, they will have to buy RECs to comply with the new provision.

Hailing the initiative, environmentalists and clean energy promoters are of the view that the state regulator, including Central Electricity Authority (CEA), should enforce the RPO policy to attract investment in the renewable energy sector like solar and micro-hydropower and wind energy. This will help achieve a target of adding 20,000 MW of grid-connected solar power by 2022 as targeted under the Jawaharlal Nehru Solar Energy Mission in the country, they say.

The government-run Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) has already diversified into solar and wind energy to meet the RPO initiative. The private producers are yet to invest in solar energy in the state, said officials. Even the power companies show no interest in buying RECs. While solar power remains expensive, Himachal has little scope for harnessing wind energy and the state regulator has not started the process here so far, claim private power producers.

Promoters of green energies have called for penalties to be imposed on companies not complying with RPO. The strict action will speed up investment in renewal energy, they add.

SKBS Negi, Principal Secretary, Power, said they expect the 3 per cent renewable energy slab to be made mandatory for the distribution companies. Many states have started this and the process is on, he adds.

Power producers cite the National Tariff Policy (NTP) 2006, that requires each state regulator to fix a minimum percentage of RPO from renewable sources, taking into account availability of such resources in the region. "It will impact retail tariffs and procurement by distribution companies, which always buy power at lower tariff determined by the state regulator," they add.

Mandi, March 10
Though the Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education has tried to make the appointment of examination superintendents foolproof during the ongoing board exams, many school teachers have managed examination duty.

To check cheating by students, the board authorities have made strict rules for exam duties in schools.

The board has put a condition that for performing the examination superintendent duty, 10-year service is a must and for deputy superintendent, five-year service made mandatory.

However, there are reports that many teachers and lecturers have managed to be exam superintendent in the schools through manipulations.

A few lecturers joined sometime back in the Education Department have also manipulated their seniority for this purpose. These lecturers have included their services rendered in aided schools to get the duty of exam superintendents.

This despite the fact that the Education Department while appointing them had made it clear that their previous services would not be counted for any purpose and their appointment would be considered fresh.

Local people and lecturers' association have opposed the appointment of local teachers as exam superintendents through manipulations.

Secretary, Himachal Pradesh Board of School Education, Baldev Thakur, said, “This is not in my knowledge and the board will look into the matter immediately.” 

Throwing rules to the wind

* To check cheating by students, the board authorities have put conditions that for performing the examination superintendent duty,10-year service is a must and for deputy superintendent, five-year service made mandatory

* The lecturers have included their services rendered in aided schools to get the duty of exam superintendents

Shimla, March 10
The Students Central Association (SCA) at the Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) today urged the Additional Chief Warden to lodge an FIR against erring officials, who allegedly misbehaved with university students during a raid on boys' hostel on Saturday night.

SCA president Rajan Hartta and secretary Piyush Sewal, in their complaint, said: “The police illegally raided the hostel in the absence of the hostel warden, misbehaved with students, roughed up research scholars and used abusive language against them.”

Releasing a video CD in which the policemen were seen misbehaving with students, Sewal said the cops manhandled Sanjeev, a genuine border of SBS Hostel and even misbehaved with research scholars, including Hoshiyar Singh.

Demanding action against DSP-cum-Security Officer Shiv Chaudhary, the SCA urged the university authorities to register an FIR against him on behalf of the students and call a meeting within a week to find a permanent solution to the problem. They further threatened to launch a stir.

They alleged that the students had opposed the university authorities on "deputation issue", following which they misused the police to build pressure on them.

DSP Shiv Chaudhary, however, refuted the allegations saying that they had information that some outsiders were staying illegally in the hostels, following which they conducted the raid in the presence of wardens. He said the raid was conducted on the directions of the Superintendent of Police, Shimla, who was also present on the spot.

He said three persons were arrested on Saturday following a complaint by one Manoj, who said he was thrashed by three to six persons staying in the hostel. He said it were the students who had used foul language and not the police.

Solan, March 10
The six inter-state toll tax barriers of Baddi excise district were auctioned today for about Rs 16 crore while six toll barriers of the Deerowal unit could not be auctioned as bids of amount lower than the reserve price had been received for it.

Though an increase of 11.34 per cent over the last year’s value was received in the six barriers that were successfully auctioned, the department had pegged the reserve price at Rs 11.67 crore for the six barriers of the Deerowal unit.

Fresh bids would be invited for the Deerowal unit now, said Deputy Commissioner Madan Chauhan, who was present during the auctions. KK Sharma, Joint Director, Excise and Taxation Department and Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer Kulbhushan were among those others present. Five bidders had turned up for the Baddi unit while merely a single party had turned up for the Deerowal unit.

Departmental sources said since this unit had earned an unusual hike of 20 per cent last year, it was considered overpriced.

The sources said since a toll tax barrier at Bilaspur had been auctioned for lesser amount than the reserve price yesterday, the contractors were trying similar tactics here to bargain for a lesser amount.

Though RS Negi, Commissioner of the department, was yet to approve this auction, the contractor was trying to make the most of this situation by presenting a lower bid.

Mandi, March 10
The parking of vehicles on the road from the Vishvakarma temple to Ram Nagar and Samkhetar Bazaar to Victoria Bridge here has been banned.

Mandi DC Devesh Kumar said any vehicle found parked on the roads would be towed away.

He said the district administration was also planning sterilisation of monkeys and stray dogs in the town in public interest. — TNS

Sundernagar, March 10
A case of misappropriation of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has come to the fore from Mahadev village near here.

Sources said the village panchayat was misusing the money meant for development works, by carrying out construction work on the government land thereby “helping” some area residents. A pond here covered 12 bighas, but the area had now been reduced to 6 bighas, as some residents illegally encroached upon the land around it, they added.

Residents against the decision informed the tehsildar, who further directed the field revenue staff to conduct the demarcation. The demarcation had not been conducted so far, but even then, some panchayat representatives allowed raising a protection wall along the pond, they said. On being asked, Naveen Kumar, president of Mahadev village panchayat, said the work started without his consent and without any demarcation.

He said he had brought the matter to the notice of higher officials, but to no avail. Kartar Singh, Sundernagar BDO, said he would take cognizance of the matter and initiate action against the guilty.

Nurpur, March 10
A joint CID team from Dharamsala and Nurpur arrested a 24-year-old youth from Jassur railway line near here yesterday and recovered 850 gm charas from him. 

Police arrested Rahmat Ali of Phakuwan village (Churah) in Chamba district following a tip-off. Badri Singh, DSP, CID, Dharamsala, said the accused had been arrested and booked under NDPS Act.—OC