Shimla, June 20
Even as the Ministry of Power has yet to respond to the state government’s report seeking its reply on whether or not the Northern Region Load Despatch Centre (NRLDC), a body that controls the power generation in the country, has directed load-shedding for HP State Electricity Board (HPSEB)-run power projects, including the 126-MW Larji power project.

On June 8, 24 students from Hyderabad were washed away in the Beas when the Larji barrage released additional water.

A Tribune report on June 11 highlighted how only HPSEB-run project such as Larji, Bassi, Bhawa and other projects were shut down on the SLDC’s plea when the grid frequency had touched 50.5 level, the highest permissible level, while the 1000 MW Karcham Wangtoo, 192 MW Alaian and Duhangan, 100 MW Malana-1 and 82 MW Malana, 1500 MW Nathpa-Jhakhari and 300 MW Baspa were not touched on June 8.

The comprehensive inquiry report submitted yesterday to the High Court by Divisional Commissioner, Mandi, Onkar Sharma also observed that load-shedding was ordered by the SLDC in the evening of June 8 in respect of the Larji Hydro Electric Power Project and Bhawa Hydro Electric Power Project. The Baspa Hydro Electric Power Project, owned by Jai Prakash Hydro Power Limited, was allowed to run at full capacity whereas the Larji project was directed to reduce the load periodically. The SLDC should have looked into the issue of pro-rata basis load-shedding across the state.

Larji scaled down its production from 138 MW to just 32 MW on June 8 when the Larji barrage had released 800 cumecs of water between 5 pm and 7 pm (450 cumecs was released at 7 pm as per the log sheet of the project) on June 8 that washed away the students at Shala nullah.

After the Ministry of Power sought the report from the state on the incident, the state government also sought the Centre’s reply where the NRLDC flashed an order to shut down the powerhouse to save the northern grid from collapsing, said official sources.

The injunction schedule available for June 8 revealed that private producers got free run producing over 10 per cent of their installed capacity and, thereafter, while load-shedding was imposed on HPSEBL-run power projects.

“We have not got a reply from the Centre on this so far, though we have mentioned whether the NRLDC asked HPSEBL to shut down its powerhouses,” said an official of the multi-purpose power project department.

HPSEBL Managing Director PC Negi said Karcham Wangtoo, AD Hydro and Malana came under the NRLDC, not SLDC. 

Mandi, June 20
One more body of an engineering student from Hyderabad, washed away in the Beas on June 8, was recovered from the Pandoh dam today. The student has been identified as M Sai Raj.

Shimla, June 20
State Congress president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu today dissolved 34 of the 68 Block Congress Committees (BCC) in the Assembly segments where the BJP had managed to get a lead of over 5,000 votes.

Addressing a press conference here today, Sukhu said the step had been taken to strengthen the party and bring in people who would work wholeheartedly for the party. “It is within a month’s time that these BCCs will be reconstituted in consultation with grassroot party workers,” said Sukhu.

The 34 BCCs include the ones represented by Transport Minister GS Bali (Nagrota), Sujan Singh Pathania (Fatehpur), Sudhir Sharma (Dharamsala), Dhani Ram Shandil (Solan), Anil Sharma (Mandi) and Prakash Chaudhary (Balh), Chief Parliamentary Secretary Jagjivan Pal (Sulah) and Assembly Speaker BBL Butail (Palampur). The MLAs whose BCCs have been dissolved include Asha Kumar (Dalhousie), Sanjay Rattan (Jwalamukhi) and Ajay Mahajan (Nurpur).

Sukhu said he would start his tour of the state from June 29 and take feedback from party workers so that they could be involved in decisions. “I decided to dissolve these 34 BCCs as the BJP had a lead of over 5,000 from here. I felt we needed to make changes,” he remarked.

He also did not rule out a major revamp in the party. “We are in the process of making lots of changes and brining in new and young faces and some of the district Congress presidents could also be changed within the next three months,” he said.

He, however, said it was not a question of blaming anyone for the defeat but to strengthen the party by taking stock of the reasons for the debacle. “The defeat is never of an individual but of the party or the ideology, so everyone needs to take steps to ensure that the party is strengthened,” he reiterated.

He remained non-commital on the issue of enforcing one-man, one-principle. “Some people have expressed the desire to give up the organisational posts as they have been appointed chairmen or vice-chairman, but we are still working out who goes where,” he said.

He added that if some leaders were able to devote time for both party and organisation, they could continue holding both posts. “A decision will be taken in consultation with the party high command,” he said.

Shimla, June 20
The state government has promoted six Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers to the rank of Chief Conservator of Forest. The notification of the promotions was issued on June 17. All six officers belong to the 1989 IFS batch.

JS Walia, Additional Principal Chief Conservator, Forest, has been promoted as Principal Chief Conservator, Forest. Those who have been promoted as Chief Conservator of Forest include Amitabh Gautam, Rajesh J Ekka, GR Sahibi, KS Thakur, HK Gupta and Manoj Bhaik.— TNS

Solan, June 20
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh inaugurated the three-day state-level historical Shoolini fair here today. It marks a three-day sojourn of goddess Shoolini to her elder sister goddess Durga’s place located at the Ganj Bazaar and is celebrated with much fanfare and enthusiasm.

People from all walks of life visit the fair to pay obeisance to Goddess Shoolini.

Virbhadra along with local MLA DR Shandil received a bedecked palanquin of Goddess Shoolini after paying obeisance to the local deity and participated in the auspicious shobha yatra.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated a newly constructed tennis court at the Durga Club.

He listened to the grievances of people at the Circuit House and directed officials concerned to redress them as soon as possible.

Cultural programmes and games such as badminton, volleyball, karate, kick-boxing, tennis, table tennis, wrestling, flower show and painting competitions will be held in the three-day fair.

Others present on the occasion included Deputy Commissioner Madan Chauhan and Superintendent of Police Ramesh Chajta and senior Congress leaders. 

Solan, June 20
Chief Minister Virbhadra today said haphazard and unplanned constructions in Solan had become a cause for concern. He was addressing mediapersons at the local Durga Club, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary.

He said the need of the hour was to create more infrastructure for sports and make playfields for children, but it was being observed that buildings were coming up at every nook and corner of the town in a unplanned manner. In case of a mishap or natural disaster, it could lead to large-scale destruction, he said.

Virbhadra cautioned those who were flouting the construction norms and directed the administration to keep a check on unauthorised structures coming up in the town.

“The time has come to de-congest important cities and towns in the state and keep the environment green and clean,” the CM said.

The CM said the government was planning to construct satellite towns and measures were being taken to de-congest Shimla town in the first stage. The suburbs of Shimla are being explored and places like Ghannahatti and Kandaghat are the available options to shift some wings of the IGMC to such places.

Virbhadra said the construction norms should be strictly followed in future and directed the Solan Deputy Commissioner and the Municipal Committee (MC) to ensure the imposition of house tax and cess from big business establishments. Strict action would be taken against those who refused to pay such taxes, he added.

The CM said the required parameters of construction were being ignored and the Town and Country Planning Department and the MC were responsible for ruining the beauty of Solan.

The Chief Minister also announced Rs 10 lakh for the Durga Club.

Jabli (Solan), June 20
While the entire district administration was busy attending the inauguration of Shoolini fair, thousands of tourists faced a major traffic jam here today.

The traffic came to a halt on the 14-km stretch (between Kumarhatti and Jabli) due to the re-carpeting of the road by the PWD.

Thousands of vehicles lined up along the highway and the tourists were put to a great hardship due to alleged poor traffic regulation.

The worst affected were patients, children and elderly persons travelling by buses and other public carriers.

Tourists heading towards Shimla had a harrowing time. They complained that there was hardly any policeman deployed by the administration to regulate the traffic.

Mahesh Singal, Executive Engineer of the PWD (National Highway), Solan, claimed that they had deployed five policemen to regulate the traffic on the highway.

He said the motorists, carrying tourists, created traffic jams as they violated traffic rules.

He, however, cautioned public that the re-carpeting of the highway would continue for three days. 

Palampur, June 20
Jagjivan Pal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS), Irrigation and Public Health (IPH), an MLA from Sulha constituency in Palampur, has become the first legislator of the state to have gone hi-tech and open accounts on Facebook and Twitter, social networking sites, to entertain complaints and grievances of his constituents.

Addressing mediapersons at the IPH Rest House here today, Pal said he had asked his constituents to contact him through internet and they could also register complaints on his accounts on these sites. He said people could now access him easily.

The CPS said he had also asked the officials of different departments of the state government to access his accounts twice or thrice a day to sort out the complaints pertaining to their department.

Pal said he had taken the initiative to save money and time of the people. Earlier, they had to move from pillar to post to get their problems solved. Now it would be the duty of the officials concerned to attend to the online complaints. In case of any failure or delay, they would be answerable to the government as well as people, he added.

In many states like Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Tamil Nadu, legislators are already taking assistance of social sites for good governance and speedy disposal of public grievances, he said.

CM Virbhadra Singh had advised all legislators to take help of electronic system to serve people in a better way. He had also clarified that there was no shortage of funds for this purpose and the state government would provide electronic equipment and internet services at its cost to MLAs, Pal claimed.

Kangra, June 20
A 16-year-old girl from Khirote village, falling under Shahpur police station, has allegedly been kidnapped. The police have registered a case under Section 363 of the IPC on the complaint of the father of the girl.

Police sources said Pala Ram, father of a 16-year-old girl, today lodged a report that his daughter had left home on June 16, for the house of her maternal uncle in Charri village.

On June 18, when his wife went to Charri, she found that her daughter had not reached there and was missing.

Pala Ram, along with his other relatives, started looking for his daughter but could not trace her during a two-day search.

During inquiry three phone numbers were recovered from the bag of the girl and police have asked for the call details of these numbers. All these were from outside the state, sources disclosed.