Shimla, July 11
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the state would welcome any move by the Centre to set up a battalion of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) but till such time, it has been decided to have a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) at Pandoh in Mandi.

Presiding over the Himachal Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority meeting here, he said Himachal would have its own SDRF comprising well-trained and motivated team of young recruits.

To begin with, three Companies of the 3rd Police Battalion, Pandoh, in Mandi comprising 300 personnel would be given operational training from disaster response, prevention, mitigation and capacity building.

“We were keen to have an NDRF battalion at Nurpur and land too had been identified for the purpose but despite our repeated reminders, there has been no response from the Centre,” he said. He added that 30 trained police personnel would be deputed in each district so that they could act promptly in case of any emergency. The equipment required to be used during disasters would be made available down below to the tehsil level, he said.

Expressing concern over the Thalot incident involving the death of 24 engineering students from Hyderabad, he said bilingual hoardings with warnings should be installed at vulnerable points, mainly on riverbeds or areas prone to landslips so as to avoid any mishap and warn the locals and the tourists venturing out into the rivers or such areas.

“It should be ensured that warnings boards and hoardings are put up at all vulnerable points along the river and such areas be fenced and if possible, place a police guard at such sites,” he suggested.

Virbhadra also stressed for adopting modern warning systems and using GPRS technique so that in times of any mishap or disaster, the people in the nearby areas could be informed through SMS.

“Optimal utilisation of scarce resources for rescue, relief and rehabilitation is possible only with detailed planning and preparation,” he said. He directed all District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) to ensure timely, effective and coordinated response to disasters.

He said the maintenance of essential services, stocking of essential commodities, medicines, safe drinking water, relief camps and relief material should be ensured timely. He expressed satisfaction over activation of control rooms at the district and sub-divisional level and asked the authorities to keep these on track.

Earlier, Health and Revenue Minister Kaul Singh Thakur, who is also co-chairperson of the Himachal Pradesh State Management Disaster Management Authority, said the government was still awaiting the balance amount from the Centre in lieu of the losses suffered due to heavy rains last year. 

Shimla, July 11
Former Chief Minister PK Dhumal today met Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking a special allocation of Rs 100 crore for the strategic Mandi-Manali-Leh rail line, which would help India match up to the infrastructure build up by China close to the border.

Dhumal, who met Modi in Delhi today, expressed gratitude for Himachal being given an Indian Institute of Management (IIM) and Rs 1,000 crore budgetary allocation for meeting the long-pending demand of one-rank one-pension for ex-servicemen.

“The Budget is balanced and development-oriented, but there is a need for having separate budgetary allocation for the hill states to ensure policy formulation and its implementation which meets their specific requirements considering geographical constraints,” he said.

Dhumal also urged Modi to make budgetary allocation for the completion of the ongoing work on the Una-Nangal-Talwara broad gauge line. “I have made a special request to the Prime Minister to make Rs 100 crore allocation out of the Rs 1,000 crore set aside for strengthening of infrastructure in the border areas in the Budget so that the Bhanupalli-Barmana-Mandi-Kullu-Manali-Leh rail line can become a reality,” he said.

He said the Mandi-Manali-Leh rail line was not important just from the strategic point of view but would also go a long way in giving a fillip to tourism. “Developing this strategic rail link, which will prove to be an important link for taking supplies like ration, arms and ammunition to the border areas, is the need of the hour considering the build up by China along its borders with India,” he stressed. He added it would also help save huge amount as the supplies currently being by air would be sent through rail.

Dhumal thanked Modi for the survey that would be undertaken for proposed two rail lines in Himachal. “The relief given in income tax will go a long way in making the middle class, especially the service class, feel comfortable,” he said.

Shimla, July 11
In a bid to attract high-end foreign tourists and domestic visitors, Himachal will aggressively promote the Himalayan Triangle of Kinnaur-Lahaul Spiti-Ladakh, jointly with Jammu and Kashmir. At the same time, it will develop new habitat centres away from the saturated destinations.

Addressing a press conference here today, Chairman of the State Tourism Development Board Vijai Singh Mankotia said there was immense potential to attract tourists in the Buddhist Circuit. “We should resort to aggressive publicity with complete public participation, be it hoteliers, travel agents or even taxi drivers so that we can attract tourists,” he said. He admitted that the poor road infrastructure and rail and air connectivity was a drawback. There was a need to decongest the over-saturated tourist destinations, he said.

“The traffic congestion that plagues these towns is a nightmare for the first-time visitors and it is for this reason that we need to develop habitat centres in the virgin unexplored areas,” he said.

Mankotia, who has remained Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation on two previous occasions, said efforts would be made to develop infrastructure and sell new destinations of Rajgarh-Churdaar, Chanchal-Narot, Jhatingri-Barot-Bir-Billing, Jot-Khajjiar-Chamba and Maharana Pratap Sagar.

He said there was immense potential for temple tourism and for this the Naina Devi-Vaishno Mata circuit would be developed. “We will prepare a circuit starting from Naina Devi and linking all other temples of Chamunda-Bajjreshwari-Chintpurni with Vaishno Devi,” he said.

He said the Asian Development Bank had already approved funds to the tune of Rs 570 crore out of which the Rs 198-crore first tranche had already been received and this would be utilised by June 30, 2017. Mankotia said Himachal would have to improve rail, air or road connectivity. “We only have three airports which too are connected by small carriers and the service is erratic,” he lamented. He said there were no flights from the Jubbarhatti airport in Shimla as the runway had sunk and the Director General, Civil Aviation, had rendered it unusable.

He admitted that traffic snarls afflicting Shimla and Manali were a big drawback and there was a need to decongest these and develop parking lots. “It is time we explore the possibility of developing alternate transport system so that the traffic congestion can be reduced and for this the Department of Urban Development has readied a proposal to have monorails in Shimla and Dharamsala,” he said. 

Solan, July 11
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has rejected the project of four laning a stretch of National Highway 22 lying between Parwanoo and Shimla today as it failed to confirm the norms.

The much-awaited land award was announced by Tashi Sudup, SDM-cum- Land Acquisition Officer.

Confirming the development, Satish Kaul, project officer of the Kalka-Shimla four laning project, said they would ask for re-examining the award as various norms of the acquisition were not considered.

As per the norms, various factors like circle rate and average rate of sale deeds in the preceding years are taken into consideration while deciding upon an award. Apart from this, a hike of 10-12 per cent is worked out in the areas where land transaction has not taken place in the last few years or in cases where a person becomes landless or his business establishment is closed.

The award announced by the SDM has neither mentioned the year of circle rates nor the average rate of land existing in an area on the basis of which compensation has been decided. This has led to an abnormal hike in the compensation amount at several places confided in the NHAI.

There is a tendency to affect an artificial hike in the average rate of land by land owners by indulging in sale and purchase. After notification, the average rate of land prior to notification is taken into account to decide the award.

As many as 1,600 families are being affected by this process and Rs 1,091.67 crore has been worked out as the compensation amount of the land. While the award for the built up structure was yet to be worked out. The total project of 90 km has been pegged at Rs 3,300 crore.

Since the compensation for the built up structures was yet to be worked out, the NHAI officials were cautiously examining the award announced by the SDM.

In Kasauli tehsil, Mangoti revenue village had been awarded the highest award of Rs 6.40 lakh per biswa. Likewise, in Kandaghat tehsil, Dehu area was given the highest award of Rs 5.55 lakh and in Solan tehsil, Bada area was awarded Rs 7.20 lakh per biswa.

Dharamsala, July 11
The hike in excise duty on cosmetics in the first Budget of the NDA government might prove a blessing in disguise for the industry in Himachal. Since the Budget announcement regarding the increase in excise duty on cosmetics, big cosmetics corporate houses have started exploring Himachal.

Sources in the Department of Industry while talking to The Tribune said they had been receiving calls from officials of big companies such as L’Oreal and Hindustan Lever since yesterday.

They said the officials of these companies were looking to take over units that started production in 2010. By taking over these units, the cosmetics companies could save excise for a period of 10 years.

The state got an industrial package in 2003. Under the package any industry coming up in Himachal was exempted from Central excise tax for a period of 10 years. The package was withdrawn by the previous UPA government in 2010. However, the units that came into production in 2010 can avail excise holiday for a period of 10 years.

Now the big cosmetics corporate houses can take benefit of the lacunae in the law for saving excise duty by setting units in the state. In case the cosmetics corporate houses take over any industry in Himachal that began production by 2010 and that was producing identical products like allopathic or ayurvedic medicines of cosmetics they can save excise duty for another 10 years.

The lacuna in law was that the companies that started production in Himachal by 2010 can continue availing excise tax holiday even if they change their product produce. The big cosmetics companies can take over units that came in production in 2010 and can change their production to cosmetics and continue to take benefit of excise tax holiday till 2020.

The officials of the Department of Industry said they were going to suggest the government to take benefit of the opportunity and invite big companies to the state. This can uplift the sagging investment scenario in Himachal. After the industrial package for Himachal was finished by the previous UPA government, there was a considerable drop in investment in the state. Many big units like Asian paints have also closed their operations in Himachal.

However, now the industry department officials are hoping that industry, for which excise has been increased by the present NDA government like soft drinks and cosmetics might look for greener pastures in Himachal. The industries department was also planning to reach out to investors in Delhi, Bangalore and other metros. 

Kangra, July 11
Rain lashed the Kangra valley plummeting the temperature in the region by a few notches today.

The day was as usual hot and humid, but at 4.30 pm the sky was overcast with dark clouds followed by rainfall. The rain provided relief to the residents from humidity and heat. The valley had experienced mild showers last night also. Reports of rainfall were received from Dharamsala, McLeodganj, Nagrota Bagwan, Mallan, Palampur and Maranda. 

Kangra, July 11
Tension gripped MCM DAV College here this afternoon when students belonging to the Students Federation of India (SFI), National Students Union India (NSUI) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) raised slogans against one another. As the situation seemed to reach flashpoint, the college authorities called the police.

Principal Virender Bhatia said the college was going to the polls next month, but students associated to the NSUI, ABVP and the SFI raised their banners at the college gate and started raising slogans. He said sloganeering by these groups of students led to tension at the college gate.

He said members of the faculty tried to persuade them, but when the situation reached flashpoint and students were about to clash, he called the police to avert any ugly situation.

As the police, headed by SHO Mohinder Singh Manhas, reached the spot, students started dispersing.

The SHO and the Principal, along with other senior faculty members, held a meeting. The SHO was requested by the college management to depute police daily from 10 am to 1 pm at the college gate to avoid any untoward incident.

Some faculty members were of the opinion that the college polls were vitiating the educational atmosphere of college campuses. 

Shimla, July 11
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh laid the foundation stone of Rs 4 crore 8-storeyed Aajivika Bhawan near the HPTDC Lift on the cart road here today. It will rehabilitate 222 street vendors in the city.

The building will consist of 222 shops. As many as 168 registered vendors, including 76 Tibetans, sitting in the bazaar area and 27 other vendors from the Rivoli road, will be rehabilitated in the complex.

Shimla, July 11
The standard telescope apple carton of 22.5 kg and half carton of 11 kg finally saw the light of day. The new marketing provisions for apple would come into force from tomorrow in the state.

Violators of the new regulation for standard carton, whether farmers, commission agents or wholesalers, will attract three-month imprisonment or a fine of Rs 1,000.

According to sources, the standard carton for apple packaging amendment Rule, 2014, came into force as Governor Urmila Singh gave her assent to the proposal for the same after Horticulture, Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes met her today.

Like earlier, the HP Agricultural Marking Board, assisted by the State Tax and Excise Department and the police, would be responsible for enforcing the new provision at barriers, sabji mandi and marking yards in the state. Stakeholders, including farmers, commission agents and manufacturers, would have to adhere to the new regulation or else they would be penalised for violations, a senior law official said.

As per the new provision, the 22.5-kg standard telescopic carton will contain 20 kg fruit. “The standard carton for apple is the first step towards preparing the apple industry in the state for global challenge from the World Trade Organisation and foreign apple,” said Prakash Thakur, vice-chairman, HPMC. Farmers hailed the new carton for apple packaging as it would check commission agents, said Laxman Thakur, chairman, Ecohorts, Nandpur. 

Una, July 11
Group Commander of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), Brigadier JS Chopra, inspected the ongoing annual training camp of the corps, organised by the 6 Independent NCC Company, Una, at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Pekhubela village late Thursday evening.

Camp Commander and Commanding Officer of the NCC company, Lt. Col. Mangat Saini, said 496 cadets undergoing the ‘A’ certificate course from Una, Kangra, Hamirpur and Bilaspur were getting training at the camp. 

Una, July 11
The Una unit of the Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) Retired Employees Welfare Association yesterday staged a protest against the non-payment or delayed payment of pension to their cadre. Ramesh Chand, state president of the association, while leading the protest at the Una depot of the HRTC, said the management was not giving a satisfactory response in this matter.

Retired Employees Welfare Association members, including Mohan lal, Jagdev Singh, Satpal Sharma, Puran Lal, Subhash Chand, Baldev Singh and Ramesh Dogra, stated that there was a need to streamline the pension distribution system.

The departmental benefits, as applicable to pensioners, were also being denied to them. The association has warned that if their pensions were not regularised, they would be forced to intensify their stir.

Mandi, July 11
The Jogindernagar unit of the PWD Workers’ Union affiliated with CITU staged a dharna in front of the Chief Engineer’s office here today demanding regularisation of daily workers as per court order.

The workers also held a rally on this occasion which was addressed by district president of CITU Bhupinder Singh and Kisan Sabha leader Kushal Bhardwaj.

Addressing the rally, they said the workers’ union had been raising the issue of regularisation of daily workers with the Executive Engineer, Joginder Nagar, for quite some time, but nothing had been done in this regard.

The union said the labour court had given direction to the department to regularise the services of workers as per state government policy, but the department had regularised only a few of the workers, while other had been left out.

The union has demanded that the department should implement the court orders and regularise all daily workers.