New Delhi, July 5
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today urged the Centre to once again revive the special industrial package it had once given to Himachal to fast-track development of the hilly state.

Ahead of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government’s presentation of its maiden Budget, Virbhadra Singh called on Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and made out a case for the revival of the package.

He said the Income Tax and Central Excise Duty exemption to industrial units should be provided at least till 2020.

The UPA-II had agreed in principle, a few months before the Lok Sabha elections, to extend the special package for the state till 2017. It was first extended in 2003, but curtailed in 2007, before being restored till 2010.

Virbhadra’s meeting with Jaitley was to pursue the matter afresh with the new government. The special package is given to industrially backward states. It provides for several incentives, including tax holidays, concessions and capital investment subsidy, to the industry. He also sought a uniform funding pattern for all Centre-sponsored \schemes. As Himachal enjoys a “special category” status, the Central funding for schemes should be as per the laid-down norms: 90 per cent by the Centre and 10 per cent by the state.

He highlighted the importance of extension of railway network in the state and urged that the Bilaspur-Leh via Manali-Pathankot-Jogindernagar railway line and Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Berry line be declared as national projects. Not only this, he requested the Centre to release the arrears with regard to damage caused by rain in 2013.

Out of the Rs 240 crore approved by the Centre for the state, only Rs 95 crore was released.

He pointed out that even though the Centre had approved Rs 240 crore, the state loss on account of the natural calamity was to the tune of Rs 2,575 crore.

Shimla, July 5
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, state Congress President Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and other Congress leaders from Himachal met former Defence Minister AK Anthony in New Delhi today.

Virbhadra Singh, wife Pratibha Singh, Sukhu, former Kangra MP Chander Kumar, Youth Congress chief Vikramaditya Singh have been camping in Delhi to place their views before the All-India Congress Committee (AICC) panel, constituted to look into the reasons for the poll debacle, which is headed by Antony.

The other members of the panel include AICC general secretary Mukul Wasnik, AICC secretaries RC Khotia and Avinash Pandey.

AICC secretary and MLA Asha Kumari, ministers Kaul Singh Thakur and GS Bali had met Anthony yesterday to apprise the party high command about the reasons for the party losing all four Lok Saba seats of Shimla, Mandi, Kangra and Hamirpur.

Virbhadra, who had earlier said that the Modi factor was the single-most factor which resulted in the Congress defeat in Himachal, met Antony and gave his suggestions for strengthening the party.

Sukhu is learnt to have informed the panel that there were certain deficiencies and shortcomings which need to be removed to strengthen the party.

He also presented a roadmap and suggested that some drastic steps be taken to overhaul the party.

He emphasised that the size of all bodies, including Block and District Congress Committees, be limited and not jumbo-sized so that they are more effective.

He advocated that old office-bearers must make way for younger leaders who would be more active.

Dharamsala, July 5
To check hoarding of essential items, the government has reduced the storage quota of vegetables, pulses, oil seeds, sugar, vegetable oils, tea and iodised salt to half for wholesalers and retailers in the state.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister GS Bali, while addressing a press conference here today, said: “The step has been taken to check the rising prices of essential commodities.”

He said the Himachal Government was providing cheap foodgrains to residents on the Public Distribution System (PDS). However, apprehensions were being expressed that hoarders were creating artificial scarcity of vegetables in the markets which led to price rise. Wholesalers and retailers violating the reduced limits of storage would be dealt with strongly, he said. Bali said in Himachal earlier there was no limit for storage of onions and potatoes. “Now, the state government has fixed storage limit for onions at 10 quintals for wholesalers and 4 quintals for retailers. For potatoes the storage limit for wholesalers has been fixed at 20 quintals and 4 quintals for retailers,” he said. Bali said the storage limits had been reduced to half by the state government.

Shimla, July 5
Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) is already reeling under severe staff crunch and after the retirement of 14 teachers in June this year, the situation has only turned tense.

The number of vacant posts in teaching faculties has increased to 246 and the failure of the university to recruit new faculty members due to perpetual financial crisis is severely affecting teaching and other academic activities.

The situation has become so grim that departments such as philosophy, environmental studies, linguistic studies, University Institute of Information Technology (UIIT) and University College of Business Studies (UCBS), have no regular teacher. The students depend solely on the guest faculty, while the Hindi Department is functioning with just one teacher against the sanctioned posts of nine teachers.

The staff crunch is having a telling effect on research work and the Executive Council of the university had recently approved a proposal to allow college teachers to act as guides to PhD students.

A majority of the departments are pulling on with 50 per cent or less number of teachers.

The university has demanded that the budgetary support to the university be raised to Rs 120 crore to meet the present liabilities. It had demanded to fill vacant posts for the implementation of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), which had been implemented in spite of heavy staff crunch.

Sources in the university said in case all vacant posts of teachers (246) and non-teaching staff (333) were filled, the salary bill alone would cross Rs 120 crore annually.

Even the International Centre for Distance Education and Open Learning (ICDEOL), which is the main earning department, is grappling with staff shortage and 37 teachers are in a position against 62 posts, while 16 posts are lying vacant in the Himachal Pradesh University College of Evening Studies (HPUCES).

Further, the departments such as visual arts, computer science, Bhoti language and Buddhist studies, Directorate of Physical Education, Academic Staff College, geography, history, chemistry, economics, law and Institute of Management Studies are working with 20 to 50 per cent staff.

The position is inclusive of the teachers promoted under career advancement scheme. Moreover, out of 44 sanctioned strength of teachers created under self-financing scheme for the appointment on contract 30 posts are yet to be filled.

Shimla, July 5
Claiming that three girl students protesting against the implementation of the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) were suspended by the authorities of Sanjauli Government College on the pretext that they had indulged in a scuffle with teachers during a protest, ABVP activists today staged a dharna and demanded the revocation of the suspension of these students.

The ABVP leaders said the trio’s suspension over raising their voice was a violation of the fundamental right to speech.

The activists also protested the implementation of RUSA by Himachal Pradesh University, the proposed fee hike and a delay in the declaration of results outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today.

Shimla, July 5
Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) is an effective mode to mitigate disasters, and the state government is promoting a culture of prevention and preparedness at all levels through the ICT.

This was stated by Rajinder Rana, Vice-Chairman, State Disaster Management Authority, in a communiqué here today.

Claiming that as per a Government of India report, Himachal was among disaster-prone states in the country vulnerable to 25 out of 33 types of hazards, both natural and manmade, he said a crucial meeting to discuss future action would be held on July 11 under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh.

“The Himachal Government is committed to building a safe and disaster-resilient state by developing a holistic, proactive, multi-disaster strategy. It will be achieved by nurturing a culture of prevention, mitigation and preparedness through the use of the ICT,” he added.

He said the aim of the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (HPSDMA) would be to provide clear guidelines for post-disaster relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction codes through its executing agencies all over the state. — TNS

Kullu, July 4
Local NGO, Himalaya Niti Abhiyan (HNA), president, Guman Singh said they were not against awarding UNESCO’s World Heritage Site (WHS) status to the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), but the government should ensure that the traditional and customary rights of area residents were not compromised.

Addressing mediapersons here today, he said: “The government should regulate the extraction of herbs, but a complete ban is uncalled for, as this is the major occupation of area residents.”

He said: “The ban will encourage exploitation of forest resources, while properly regulating the extraction of forest resources will preserve the ancestral occupation of residents and conserve forest resources as well.”

He urged that the Forest Rights Act, 2006, be implemented on a priority to ensure the protection of rights of villagers.

He said he had also presented a detailed report to the Deputy Commissioner, Kullu, at Bachat Bhawan today.

Guman said the Forest Department authorities had stated that the traditional rights of residents had not been hindered after the area was notified as a national park in 1999, but added that there was no mention of these in the said notification, though the traditional practices continued.

Guman said the basic purpose of the organisations involved in achieving the WHS status was promotion of tourism and not conservation. He said people having vested interests strove to achieve the WHS status for the GHNP, whereas the concerns of local residents were not presented before UNESCO.

He said the government should ensure that irreparable damage was not done to the fragile ecology of the area due to extensive tourist influx.

He said local residents should be made major stakeholders to carry out tourism-related activities and mega tourism projects or companies should not be allowed to exploit the region for capital gains. He said: “We don’t want to become porters for foreigners and the rich, but carry on with our ancestral occupation.”

He said only false promises were generally made by big business houses and most of the power projects, cement companies or other big industries in the state had less than 1 per cent Himachalis in the management cadre.

Even normal workforce in such big units mostly comprised outsiders, he said, adding that the struggle to fight for the rights of residents would continue and the outsiders would not be allowed to exploit the region for capital gains.

Una, July 5
Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today said the developmental works worth Rs 2,000 crore that was awarded to the Public Works Department (PWD) were pending due to a ban on mining of sand and gravel from river beds and natural water channels.

During a meeting at Bachat Bhawan, he said the state government had written a letter to the PM requesting him to relax mining norms by the National Green Tribunal.

“The state government is strictly implementing the guidelines of the tribunal and seven mining inspectors are put on duty from today in different districts, while 25 mining guards will be recruited soon,” said Agnihotri.

Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Jain, SP Anupam Sharma and Varinder Dharmani, president of the District Congress Committee, were also present. — OC

Palampur, July 5
Despite the Himachal Pradesh High Court (HC) orders, the district administration has not done anything for the safety and security of hundreds of tourists visiting the Kangra valley.

Neither the roads used by the mining mafia for illegal extraction of mining material have been closed, nor have any safety boards been displayed near the riverbeds to caution tourists.

Tourists visiting Kangra are seen risking their lives as they enter the riverbeds to have fun.

The HP High Court, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) last week, had directed the state government to keep the safety of tourists visiting the state on top priority. The message was flashed to all deputy commissioners in the state.

Twentyfour students of an engineering college from Andhra Pradesh had died last month after they were swept away in the gushing water of the Beas in Mandi.

The Tribune team visited different rivers in the Kangra district today and saw hundreds of tourists risking their lives on the riverbeds. They had reached the riverbeds after following the roads constructed by the mining mafia.

Despite the fact that monsoon was in full swing in the valley and rivers could be in spate at any time because of heavy rain, the tourists seemed unconcerned.

Official sources said most illegal roads had been constructed in the forestland, but the Forest Department was least concerned. Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Palampur, KK Gupta gave the excuse that it was the duty of the Revenue Department to close or dismantle such roads.

However, SDM, Palampur, Bhupinder Attari said mining was going on in the forestland and roads had been constructed there too, hence the Forest Department was solely responsible. He said it should initiate steps to close all illegal roads, adding that he had convened the meeting of all officers and asked the Forest Department to dismantle the roads. He expressed concern that his orders had not been followed so far.

Attari said: “Illegal mining has caused maximum loss to the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department, the Public Works Department (PWD) and the Forest Department, but these departments have become mute spectators and allow the mafia to flourish in the region.”

“The state government has already authorised them to conduct raids and impose fines on the mining mafia, but they hardly conduct any raids,” he said.

He said he had a supervisory role only and had imposed fines on the mining mafia and impounded hundreds of vehicles in the past year. He had no funds to close or dismantle these roads at the moment, he added.

Kangra, July 5
The Kangra sub-divisional authorities removed encroachments in the main market on the second day today. Ajit Bhardwaj, SDM, Kangra, said a drive was launched in the Mandir bazar and bypass road areas yesterday.

He said the encroachments on the road to the Bajjreshwari temple were removed.

He said the shopkeepers protested against the action, but the drive was continued.

Meanwhile, another team, led by Tehsildar Narish Kumar, dismantled two structures on government land on the bypass road of the town.

He said the patwari had issued a notice to the encroachers to remove the structures. But, when action was not taken, the structures were dismantled with the help of a JCB machine.

Bhardwaj said the local Beopar Mandal also sought two days’ time for the removal of other encroachments in the town.

Shimla, July 5
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has directed the Registrar (Vigilance) of the High Court to issue instructions to all the District and Sessions Judges and Deputy Commissioners in Himachal Pradesh and those concerned with the supply of documents, including certified copies of orders and judgments, to issue only legible copies.

Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan said it had repeatedly come to the notice of the court that the copying agencies were providing copies of judgments and orders which were not legible, causing inconvenience to the litigants as well as to the court.

The court passed the order on a petition where the certified copy of an order supplied by the copying agency was not legible.

The court directed the Registrar to issue instructions within one week.