Shimla, July 17
Several areas in the hills were lashed by intermittent heavy rain in the past 24 hours as the monsoon remained active in the region and the maximum temperature dropped by two to five degrees.

The local MeT office has warned of heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in the next 48 hours.

Rivers are flowing above the danger mark with increase in the water level and people residing downstream dams have been alerted due to the rise in the water level of the reservoir. About 300 sheep have gone missing in Manikaran and Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Kanwar has sent a search team to the area.

The monsoon remained active in Mandi, Kangra, Sirmaur, Una and parts of Hamirpur, Solan and Shimla districts and several areas experienced heavy rain.

Una was the wettest in the region with 140 mm of rain while Renukaji in Sirmaur district, which experienced 300 mm of rains yesterday, recorded 139 mm of rain. Paonta Sahib, Sangrah and Nahan received 110 mm, 70 mm and 62 mm of rain while Kangra received 46 mm rain, followed by Dharamsala, and Bangana 42 mm.

Intermittent rain lashed Palampur, Sujanpur Tira, Rampur Nadaun and Gaggal which received 39 mm, 37 mm, 36 mm, 35 mm and 32 mm , while Sirmaur Nicra had 28 mm rain followed by Shimla and Gohar 26 mm, Saloni 24 mm Sundernagar 24.2 mm, Solan 20.3 mm and Manali 6.4

Shimla, July 17
The drug mafia allegedly involved in the cultivation of opium and cannabis in remote and inaccessible areas of Himachal are on the radar. The satellite mapping done by the police has identified the grey areas where opium and cannabis are being cultivated. The crime rate under the NDPS Act is 7.7 per cent in Himachal as compared to 2.8 per cent in the country. The districts that came under scanner after mapping included Kullu, Chamba, Sirmaur and Shimla and the process of physical verification on the basis of mapping in underway.

During the first six months of 2014, 28,993 poppy plants spread over 33.4 bighas were destroyed and 16 cases of opium cultivation in Kullu, Mandi, Solan and Shimla districts were detected. “The cultivation of cannabis over 41.17 bighas on government land has also been destroyed,” said the SP Jagat Ram.

A new trend has come up with Mandi and Chamba surpassing Kullu district (the hub of drugs) in seizure of narcotic drugs and 349 cases under the NDPS Act were reported during the past six months with Mandi district at top with 81 cases.

Chamba reported 42 cases, followed by Kullu and Shimla (37), Kangra (28), Solan (27) out of which 17 were reported in Baddi alone, Sirmaur (24), Una (19), Hamirpur (13), Bilaspur (12) and Kinnaur (3).

More than 221 kg of charas, 4.9 kg of opium, 631 kg of poppy husk, 217.6 gm of smack, brown sugar and heroin, 9 gm of cocaine and 35,144 tablets were seized in the first half of the year.

New trends

Innocent Himachali students are being targeted in colleges, especially in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh for drug peddling. Earlier, foreigners used to marry locals in Kullu district, but now they take land on lease for cultivating illegal drugs.

Solution

Anti-drug organisations have suggested that replacement of cannabis by some lucrative cash crop is the only solution to the problem. During 1970-80s, Jubbal and Kotkhai were known for production of cannabis, but with the construction of roads in interior areas and introduction of apple as a remunerative crop, the trend has changed.

Shimla, July 17
The Himachal Pradesh High Court today dismissed a bunch of petitions challenging the result of the preliminary examination of Himachal Pradesh Administrative Service (HAS).

The petitioners averred in their petitions that the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (HPPSC) issued an advertisement on January 5, 2013 to fill up nine HAS vacancies, the examination for which was conducted on June 16, 2013.

The answer key was displayed on the website on July 30, 2013, and seven days’ time was given for raising objections. Some of the candidates filed their objections which were considered by the commission by referring the matter to an expert. The examiners took note of the expert’s opinion and result was declared on October 31, 2013.

The petitioners challenged the result by way of filing petitions and sought revaluation.

The HPPSC contended before the Court that the preliminary examination is just a screening and sort of filtration. The petitioners had no right to question the same and the rules did not provide for revaluation or rechecking.

While refusing to interfere, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice V K Sharma observed that the commission had invited objections and asked experts to examine these.

The mistakes found were rectified and thereafter, the result was declared. Thus, there is no case for interference.

Had the commission not invited the objections or had failed to take these into account, judicial review was permissible. Thus, on this count, the writ petitions were not maintainable.

Palampur, July 17
The Ministry of Shipping and Transport has cleared the long-awaited bypass project for Baijnath and Paprola towns. A letter to this effect has already been received by the state PWD.

Official sources today said the Government of India had included the project in the current financial year plan and asked the state to send a detailed project report at the earliest so that necessary funding was made.

Kishori Lal, MLA from Baijnath, while briefing mediapersons, said with the construction of bypass on Pathankot- Mandi National Highway at Paprola and Baijnath, the residents of the two towns would be saved from the frequent traffic jams.

He thanked Chief Minister Virbhadhra Singh for getting the project approved. He said he had taken up the matter with the Chief Minister six month ago. The latter had directed the PWD to seek funds from the Centre.

Meanwhile, the NHAI has also cleared another bypass project for the temple town of Jwalamukhi, where the Kangra – Shimla Highway is squeezed because of the increased traffic and inflow of pilgrims.

Shimla, July 17
The government has given a three-month notice to firms having 90 hydropower projects to deposit the pending lease amount of over Rs 300 crore.

None of these firms has deposited the lease amount in the government exchequer despite all formalities and NOCs being given to these and land being handed over to these before December 31, 2012. More than a dozen projects, including 86 mw Malana-I in Kullu, 16 mw Patikari in Mandi and the Uhl Khud project have started generation without depositing the lease amount.

“All Deputy Commissioners (DCs) have been asked to get the lease deed signed and get the amount from the power firms in their districts within three months failing which compound interest at 18 per cent will be charged from the date of handover of the land,” Tarun Sridhar, Principal Secretary, Revenue and Forest, said.

He added that if the delay in signing of the lease deed had been due to a government official, action could be taken against him.

Some big projects on which work is still underway without depositing the lease amount include 180 mw Bajoli Holi in Chamba, 236 mw Dugar project in Chamba and 140 mw Yangtang in the tribal district of Lahaul Spiti. The highest number of 21 such projects are in Kullu, 20 in Chamba followed by 17 in Kinnaur.

The issue of getting the lease amount from the power firms, which have either started generation or are undertaking work without paying the lease amount to the Revenue Department, had been hanging fire for a long time. In the last Cabinet meeting, it was decided to give all these projects three-month time to deposit the pending amount and sign the final lease deed.

All DCs, who had furnished the details of the projects and the amount due from the projects to the Revenue Department, have been asked to pursue the matter vigorously.

“The government is the biggest loser as neither has it got the lease amount, nor is it getting the free power share from the projects,” said officials. They said if the work on these ongoing projects was stopped by the government, generation would begin late and as such the free power share will also be help up.

Kangra, July 17
Students affiliated to Students Federation of India (SFI) today boycotted classes at MCM DAV College here from 11.00 am till 12.00 Noon and held an hour long dharna at the college gate against the implementation of Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) in state colleges.

Before lifting the dharna, the students raised slogans against HP University and the government for implementing RUSA in the state, which according to them, was against the interests of the student community.

They demanded that RUSA be revoked in order to allow students from poor families get education without any hurdle.

Akhil Choudhary, campus president, SFI, said RUSA had brought degradation in the education system and was putting students to hardships. Admissions to government colleges had been limited under RUSA system, forcing a majority of students to seek admissions in private colleges at higher fees. Students were not free to take subjects of their choice under this system in government colleges for want of teaching staff, he alleged.

Education experts said under RUSA, admissions were provided to students on the basis of merit because seats were limited in all colleges. It was aimed at enabling students to compete in the age of globalisation and to increase the enrollment of students in colleges where the strength of students was very low.

Baddi, July 17
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh inaugurated a slew of schemes at Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial area and laid the foundation stone of works worth Rs 20.5 crore here today.

The Chief Minister also announced that an indoor stadium and a park would be constructed in Nalagarh, which would be named after the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

The park will be constructed on 27 bighas, which houses an old school building.

The Chief Minister directed Sudhir Sharma, Minister of Housing, Urban Develpoment and Town and Country Planning, and Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, to prepare a plan regarding the same and initiate work at the earliest.

He also directed Deputy Commissioner Madan Chauhan to finalise the land acquisition work for four-laning of National Highway 21-A.

The Chief Minister inaugurated the Rs 68 crore Chikni khud bridge, located on the Nalagarh-Swarghat national highway. He also directed the officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to speed up the construction of the highway.

BJP MLA KL Thakur was also present on the occasion and also accompanied the Chief Minister at the inauguration of the Chikni khud bridge and other functions.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated a men’s hostel constructed at a cost of Rs 1.55 crore in Baddi and laid the foundation stone of a bridge over the Sirsa khud at Khera-Nanowal, which would be constructed at a cost of Rs 6.5 crore.

He also laid the foundation stone of Rs 4.5 crore labour hostel in Nalagarh and Rs 95 lakh science laboratory for the local Government Senior Secondary School (boys).

Dr Swati Piramal and Dr Ajay Piramal of Piramal Healthcare donated a mortuary van to the state capital.

The foundation stone of Rs 33 crore sewerage scheme for Baddi was also laid by the Chief Minister.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated the new building of the SP office in Baddi, which has been constructed at a cost of Rs 1 .55 crore. He also kick-started the e-traffic management system, comprising 22 CCTV cameras, which will be installed throughout the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) industrial area for security reasons.

Later, the Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of Rs 8.9 crore pharmaceutical testing lab at Jharmajri, which will be constructed by the Himachal Drug Manufacturers Association (HDMA).

HDMA president SL Singla welcomed the Chief Minister on the occasion. IPH Minister Vidya Stokes, Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri, Minister of Housing, Urban Develpoment and Town and Country Planning Sudhir Sharma, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister DR Shandil, Chairman HP Construction and Other Building Workers Welfare Board Hardeep Bawa and other officials were also present on the occasion.

On inauguration spree

* The Chief Minister inaugurates Chikni khud bridge on the Nalagarh- Swarghat national highway

* Men's hostel and SP office in Baddi

* Lays foundation stone of a bridge over Sirsa khud at Khera-Nanowal, labour hostel in Nalagarh, sewerage scheme for Baddi and pharmaceutical testing lab at Jharmajri

Baddi, July 17
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said he would continue to protect the interests of the people of the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh (BBN) area, though they did not elect the Congress government in the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a public meeting here, he said development was a continuous process and the people should realise who could work for their welfare and who was their true mentor and guide and vote accordingly.

The CM had kick-started the poll campaign for the Shimla Lok Sabha seat from Nalagarh.

Silencing his detractors for raising a hue and cry on the loans availed by his government, the CM said his sole objective was to ensure that the state did not suffer vis-à-vis development and there was no dearth of funds for developmental activities.

He said as many as 15 colleges had been opened in the state to provide quality education to the students of the rural and far-flung areas.

The CM urged the people to strengthen the hands of the Congress so that overall development could be ensured and the state could emerge as a pioneer state in the field of education, health and road infrastructure in the country.

The Chief Minister announced upgrade of Government Primary School, Majra; Government Middle School, Porla; and Government High School, Kundlu.

Expressing his desire to convert BBN into a model investor destination, the CM said the government was committed to provide all possible facilities to the investors such as uninterrupted power and water to run their units. He said sops had been extended to attract investors in a big way and this would help create adequate employment opportunities for the youth.

Later, the Chief Minister interacted with the representatives of local industrial associations and discussed various issues pertaining to the area. He assured them of all possible help.

Irrigation and Public Health Minister Vidya Stokes also spoke on the occasion. Industries Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said the Congress was synonyms with development and it was lamentable that the state’s industrial hub was devoid of rail link as the BJP-led union government had ignored their pleas.

Nurpur, July 17
The local unit of the Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad (ABVP) began a relay fast in support of their demands at Arya Government College here on Thursday.

Gourav Singh, a member of the ABVP, sat on a relay fast on the first day.

Pitamber Thakur, president of the ABVP, said they began the fast against the apathy of the college administration and the state government. They demanded that the problems relating to the facilities for students in the college should be solved.

He said the ABVP had submitted a demand charter to the college principal on July 7 and an ultimatum of ten days was also given to them to accept their demands.

Meanwhile, the agitating members of the ABVP also held protest demonstration against the college administration and the state government and raised slogans in support of their demands.

The demands of the ABVP includes regular lecturers in zoology and economics, filling of two vacant posts of physical education instructor and two lecturers for BCom, posting of permanent security guard at the college gate, keeping a check on outsiders visiting the college campus, repairing of water cooler in the science block, procuring more books for the college library and arranging sanitation and water in the college campus.

Una, July 17
A “Prashasan Janata Ke Dwar” programme was organised today at Daulatpur Chowk nagar panchayat in Gagret, which was presided by Deputy Commissioner Abhishek Jain. Gagret MLA and secretary of the All-India Congress Committee Rakesh Kalia was also present.

On the occasion, 122 grievances came up for hearing of which about 100 were redressed. Most of the complaints pertained to drinking water, drainage, putting up retaining walls near residential areas and social security pensions.

Three land mutations were done by the Revenue Department, while seven certificates and two kisan books were also issued. Cheques amounting to Rs 1.21 lakh were distributed from the CM’s Relief Fund for treatment of people belonging to Economically Weaker Section.

The DC sanctioned Rs 30 lakh from the Chintpurni Temple Trust funds for the treatment of Bhadrakali resident Kuldip Chand, who is suffering from cancer. He also sanctioned Rs 3.5 lakh for construction of retaining and boundary walls for the protection of residential buildings. — OC

Shimla, July 17
The Shimla Municipal Corporation today willy-nilly passed the draft bylaws on the unit area method (UAM) of property tax for the city by decreasing the factor values in each zone.

Putting onus on the state government, the 30-member House of the SMC hoped that the government would amend the Municipal Act, scrapping UAM in the coming monsoon session of the state Assembly on the ground that the UAM would pass the tax burden from rich to the poor in the old and new merged areas of the corporation.

Five councillors of Tutu, Dhalli-Mashobra, Patiyog, Maliyana and Kasumpati wards opposed the UAM and walked out from the House pleading that this method was not acceptable as there were no facilities in the merged areas and they would not allow the corporation to impose property tax on the public there.

A land owner on an average in the merged area would end up paying ~400 to ~600 tax a year in residential area for every 100 sq m, while they would pay more than Rs 600 for the same in the old areas in the city under UAM. In the commercial segment, a house owner would pay ~1,300 or so, revealed officials.

The House began on an unruly note as a majority of councillors did not favour the UAM pleading that the house tax would add to the miseries of the common man.

The Kasumpati mandal of the BJP raised slogans against the corporation, while the CPM and the Kisan Sabha demanded exclusion of the merged areas from the corporation limits.

However, Shimla Mayor Sanjay Chauhan, deputy mayor and Municipal Commissioner Amarjeet Singh told the House that they have no choice other than debating and passing the bylaws as per the Municipal Act as the High Court had given July 17 as the deadline to pass the bylaws to collect the house tax in the city.

“The bylaws on UAM have been passed by the House on the directions of the High Court which has fixed the next hearing in the case for August 13,” said Chauhan.

“The House has no choice as they cannot legislate. The task rests with the state Assembly, which we hope will amend the Act scraping the UAM in the coming session as the UAM is not a rational system,” he claimed.

The UAM formula was borrowed from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in 2009 during the then BJP government while the corporation was dominated by the Congress. “It is not feasible in a hill city like Shimla where topography is the main factor and UAM is not the rational way to charge property tax in the city,” the councillors said.

The UAM Bill was passed by the state Assembly in 2011 and the urban development department had issued notification in February 2012 and amended the Municipal Corporation Act by scrapping the old system of property tax, he added.

Unit area method of property tax

nAs per the draft bylaws, UAM comprises the factor value, zone (A and B) rate of tax on land and buildings in each area in the city.

nTax will be paid by up to April 30 in lump sum or in two half-yearly instalments by April 30 and October 30.

nThe MC will add 18,848 new property in the merged areas, while it has 28,556 property in the old corporation area expecting about ~9 crore tax collection every year. 100% exemption from tax for the plot owners in green areas and cremation grounds and religious places

n50% rebate for SC/ST, single lady, below the poverty line, physically challenged and differently abled under UAM

Chamba, July 17
For the eight-day historic Minjar Fair of Chamba, commencing from July 27, 600 police personnel have been deployed for security and safety of people.

Addressing a joint press conference here this evening, Kadam Sandeep Vasant, Deputy Commissioner of Chamba, and DK Chaudhary, Superintendent of Police, said the police ground would be used as a parking place. For this, special traffic police personnel had been deployed.

To regulate the traffic appropriately, check points had been set up at Sultanpur, Pucca Tala, TB Ward and Hardaspura. At the same time, the border checkpoints had also been strengthened to keep an eagle’s eye on strangers and suspects entering the district, they added.

They said a unified control room had been set up for public assistance and to monitor the crowd of the fair, CCTV cameras had been set up.

They said the arrangements for the Minjar festival had been entrusted to the sub-committees constituted by the Minjar Fair Celebrations Committee.

Also, special emphasis had been laid on the sanitation of the town, thereby maintaining the hygienic conditions during the fair. No food shop and eateries would be allowed in Chowgan number-one so that fertility of the soil of the Chowgan could be preserved, they added.

Solan, July 17
A book titled “Tourism: Concepts, Issues and Challenges” was released by Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State, Tourism (Independent Charge), in Delhi recently.

The book has been edited by Prof (Dr) SP Bansal, Vice Chancellor of Maharaja Agrasen University, Prof Sandeep Kulshrestha, Director, Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management, and Dr Prashant Gautam from Panjab University.

Drawing inspiration for this book from his recent visit for a conference at Bali, Indonesia, Prof Bansal while sharing his experience said he had a wide gamut of discussion on adopting the best practices of the tourism sector of Indonesia. Bali being a small geographically located area in Indonesia has always attracted tourism.

The recommendations and suggestions of the conference have been submitted to the Union Ministry of Tourism and its copy is also available with the Ministry of Tourism, Indonesia. “These recommendations will further act as a base in deciding the future course of action and enhancing the quality of tourism policies of the country as has been explained in the book,” said Bansal.

The minister also discussed the scope of tourism in Bali with Prof Bansal after the function. — TNS