Shimla, August 31
Himachal Pradesh will be a big loser in the proposed mega merger of Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVNL), Tehri Power Corporation Ltd and the Northeastern Power Corporation with the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC). The SJVNL has opposed the merger.

With a change of guard at the Centre, the ministry has convened a meeting of all central power utilities, including the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and the NHPC, in Delhi tomorrow to discuss the proposed merger of all thermal power stations with the NTPC and of all hydropower corporations with the NHPC.

But the Himachal-based SJVNL has opposed the merger with the NHPC on the grounds that “The SJVNL’s annual profit has zoomed to Rs 1,052 crore.

Himachal earns an annual revenue of about Rs 400 crore as it has 25 per cent share in the 1500 mw Nathpa Jhakri project and 12 per cent as free power. If the SJVNL merges with NHPC, Himachal will lose its profit share as the NHPC and other merged companies will reduce its share drastically, said project engineers.

“We have opposed the merger of the SJVNL with the NHPC on several points”, said RP Singh, Chief Managing Director, SJVNL, who would represent the SJVNL at the meeting. “We will convey our opposition to the ministry tomorrow”, he asserted.

Himachal has larger stakes in the SJVNL as it has commissioned Nathpa and Jhakri and 420 mw Rampur power project. It has taken up power projects in Uttarakhand and Bhutan and the Northeast, including 1320 mw thermal project in Buxar.

On the other, the NHPC profit stands at Rs 979 crore against the installed capacity of about 6000 mw in the country. Its power projects, 800 mw Parbati-II and 520-Parbati III, are behind schedule. It has huge employee strength that costs Rs 1,916 crore as against Rs 109 crore in the SJVNL, revealed the data.

The ministry has proposed to make the NTPC the mega brand for all thermal power projects, while the NHPC as main hydropower body.

Shimla, August 31
Power generation by state-run projects located in rain-fed rivers, has witnessed an unprecedented crisis as a deficit of 63 lakh units is being suffered every day.

Due to this, the state suffered a generation loss of about 25 per cent to 30 per cent in August resulting in unscheduled power cuts in the north. “Situation looks grim in the coming days, though the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd (HPSEBL) has assured consumers that it will raise additional power through energy exchange to deal with the crisis,” power engineers said.

Not only this, power demand shot up by 15 lakh units per day, thereby raising the demand of 270 lakh units every day in the state.

Pratap Negi, managing director, HPSEBL, said: “From mid-August till today, the state recorded 38 per cent deficit in rains while the region recorded 28 per cent deficit, which in turn decreased the water discharge in rivers and power generation dipped by 30 per cent.”

Today, the state suffers a deficit of around 63 lakh units per day, he said.

“To deal with this crisis, we have requisitioned the entire power from government sources being put in the energy exchange for today. All power cuts have been lifted. We will monitor the situation tomorrow when the industries operate,” he said.

Not only this, the thermal stations also suffered nearly 25 per cent to 30 per cent loss in generation in the north, adding to the grim power situation in the region, he revealed. The HPSEBL gets nearly 30 lakh less units a day from different sources.

“We are procuring additional power from 107 mw Rampur power projects and 83 mw from Chamera-III and if the need arises, we will procure more power from energy exchange to meet the additional demand from the industry and other consumers in the state,” Negi said.

“It was because of this unusual shortfall in generation, that the Board had to resort to unscheduled power cuts in the past five days as HPSEBL got less power from both hydro and thermal plants for mitigating electricity demand in the state,” Negi said.

During monsoon, HPSEBL used to have at least 30 lakh units power surplus every day. But the deficit monsoon and coal and gas shortage has triggered a crisis with power shortage hovering around 78 lakh units per day in the state.

HPSEBL projects suffered losses worth 43 lakh units daily, as it got nearly 35 lakh units less power per day from power projects of SJVNL and NTPC, the power engineers said.

Meanwhile, the Meteorological department in Shimla said the rain deficit increased from 28 per cent to 38 per cent today. It was 87 per cent in Lahaul and Spiti, 81 per cent in Kinnaur and 71 per cent in Chamba, it said. 

Sundernagar, August 31
Sessions Judge, Mandi, SC Kainthal upheld the conviction of nine persons, including relatives of a minister of the state governmant who entered into the house of an advocate and thrashed him and his family members on Janurary 24, 2005.

The court sentenced each convict a simple imprisonment for six months under Section 147, IPC, simple imprisonment for nine months under Section 148, IPC, simple imprisonment for three months for offence under Section 323 with Section 149 IPC, six months for offence 504 with Section 149, IPC, and simple imprisonment for six months under Section 506. The court further observed that the sentences would run concurrently.

They were Shobha Ram (ex-president of Gram Panchayat, Nagchala) his son Chaman, Laxman Dass and his wife Shakuntla Devi (relatives of Excise and Taxation Minister Parkash Chaudhary), Ram Singh, Bhagi Rath, Ramesh Chand, Hasnu Devi and Kubja Devi, all residents Nagchala, Balh.

Shimla, August 31
Travelling in the town has become a nightmare. Most of the roads are in pathetic condition and full of potholes. Private contractors have dug roads to lay electric and communication cables making the movement of vehicles difficult.

Even as a fortnight has passed without rain, the Municipal Corporation and the Public Works Department (PWD) are yet to start repair works of the roads in Shimla.

Residents say the roads are full of potholes, craters and heaps of debris have been left behind by private contractors. The famous Cart Road is in a shambles.

Naresh Chauhan, an office-bearer of the Residents Welfare Association, Sector 5, said: “The New Shimla road in Himuda Colony, Sector 5, Phase III, is in a pitiable state. Commuters brave big potholes every day negotiating their vehicles through never-ending trails of pits.”

The roads leading to Sectors 1, 2, 3 and 4 in New Shimla too are in bad shape as the MC has not bothered to fill potholes after rain, leave alone tarring these.

New Shimla residents said: “The plight of road from Kagnadhar to DAV School remains pathetic. It’s the duty of the local councillors to get the paths and roads improved, but they too have failed.”

The condition of the Shimla bypass road is no less pathetic. The patches between Tuti Kandi and Khalini and Panthaghati and Bhattakufar are full of craters and potholes as the NH authorities have not repaired these rough patches, commuters say.

The Sanjauli bypass road from Government College and Dhalli give rough rides to commuters. Residents demanded that the PWD start repair works as the weather had cleared.

Municipal Commissioner Amarjeet Singh said the corporation would start repair work as the rains had subsided and clear drains and debris from the roads maintained by the corporation. 

Shimla, August 31
With the state in turmoil due to the deferment of the Students Central Association (SCA) elections and hike in fees, the Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) authorities and students continue to be at loggerheads.

After students organised a statewide “Education Bandh” yesterday and threatened to intensify the agitation, HPU Vice Chancellor Prof ADN Bajpai has said, “There are democratic ways of solving issues. Actions such as holding of an education bandh, threats of aggressive agitation and disruption of normal life is unjustified.”

“The fee structure proposed by the resource mobilisation committee is based on the fee structure in Punjab University and universities in the neighbouring states and the decision to approve a 10-per cent increase in fees per annum as well as the revised fee structure of the Himachal Board of School Education has been taken by the executive council,” Bajpai told The Tribune.

Bajpai said, “The university is facing a financial crisis and if the students have any alternative option to mobilise resources for the university, their suggestions are welcome.”

“The decision to defer the Students Central Association (SCA) elections for a year was also taken by the executive council after consulting the principals of affiliated colleges. It was a general view of the principals that the elections in the present format triggered violence and vitiated the atmosphere and therefore, indirect election to the SCA were proposed.”

“We are maintaining a constant vigil on the agitating students and action would be taken against those who indulge in violence and non-democratic protests,” he added.

The Vice Chancellor said it was observed that frequent clashes were taking place between student groups in the university and colleges across the state and cases had been registered against 127 students in Shimla alone.

He said the SCA of the university was dissolved during 2012-13 and 2013-14 due to violent clashes and 12 students had remained in jail for eight months, 52 students had been issued notices and some of them had been suspended.

However, major students’ organisations such as the ABVP, SFI and the NSUI are on a war path with the authorities. The student leaders allege that deferring the SCA elections was a well-planned move to deprive the students of having duly elected representatives for raising their issues and have “puppet” student bodies in place.

They said the hike in fee would adversely affect poor students. 

Una, August 31
A free polio camp was organised at the Baba Bal Ashram and Temple in Kotla Kalan village, adjoining Una city, today, by Narayan Sewa Sansthan Trust of Udaipur, Rajasthan. Anurag Thakur inaugurated the camp, in which around 200 persons were examined.

Sansthan state president Rasil Singh Mankotia said the trust had conducted almost 370 surgeries on patients from Himachal at Udaipur in the last two camps. He said the surgeries were performed, free of cost, at the organisation’s hospital at Udaipur by a team of experts.

Later, Anurag Thakur gave away tricycles, cruches and other equipments to patients. BJP state president and Una MLA Satpal Singh Satti, Kutlehar MLA Virender Kanwar, former Gagret MLA Balbir Chaudhary, retired Chief Medical Officer Shiv Paul Kanwar and Himotkarsh president Kanwar Hari Singh were also present. 

Nurpur, August 31
An Army man was killed and his colleague seriously injured when the Swift Dzire car (HP-40B-2256) they were travelling in met with an accident on the Bodh-Chakki-Dhar road near here yesterday.

The police said the deceased was identified as Deepak of Baranda (Nurpur) and the injured as Ranvir Singh of Jikli Hatwas. Deepak, who was driving the car, lost control of the vehicle near the Dakki bridge and the car fell into a 15-foot-deep gorge. He was rushed to the Nurpur Civil Hospital, but was later shifted to the military hospital in Pathankot.

The duo was in the same Army unit and on leave nowadays. They were going to Ondh village.

A case under Sections 279, 337 and 304-A, IPC, had been registered and the body handed over to the family after a postmortem. 

Chamba, August 31
Seven of those injured in a pick-up vehicle accident at Dhraul near Hadsar in remote tribal area were referred to Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (DRPGMC) Tanda, for further treatment, the report said today.

One person died on the spot and 17 others were injured when a pickup vehicle overturned and rolled down the road near Dhraul, midway of Bharmour and Kugti, in Bharmour subdivision of Chamba district on Friday afternoon. 

Palampur, August 31
Union Minister for Energy and Environment Piyush Goel will convene a meeting of owners of small hydro projects, state officials and MPs from the state to look into their problems on September 3 in New Delhi.

Disclosing this to mediapersons here, Shanta Kumar said the meeting would be convened to look into the problems being faced by 400 small power projects under construction in Himachal Pradesh. The meeting would discuss the issues related to environment clearance, transfer of forestlands to power projects and advancement of loans from government financial institutions to the projects.

Shanta Kumar said all MPs from the state and a representative of the state government would also be present at the meeting. He said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh informed him that the Power Minister of the state would represent the state at the meeting.

He said for the first time in the past 10 years, the Union Government had convened this meeting. The main objective would be to avoid delay in the completion of power projects in Himachal to cover up the power deficit. — OC

Dharamsala, August 29
The pearl farming experiment, which was started in Una district by a farmer, has failed for want of government support. Most of the farmers in the district who followed Dinanath Sharma of Ambera village by starting pearl farming have given up the effort.

Baljit Tur, a leading fish farmer of the state, had started pearl farming in a big way. While talking to The Tribune, he said the practice required constant guidance from experts. “I tried to rear fresh water mussels in my fish farm. However, there was a high mortality rate and nobody was available to provide proper guidance. So I gave up the initiative,” he said.

Shiv Kumar, another farmer who had tried his hand at pearl farming, too has given up. “As there was nobody to provide technical guidance over the subject, my effort at pearl farming failed to yield results,” he said.

The farmers who had shown interest in pearl farming had demanded that the state government should arrange a technical expert who could guide them about rearing pearls from fresh water mussels. The state government had once arranged a trip for some farmers to Orissa for taking training in pearl farming. However, that short training failed to provide necessary skills to the interested parties.

The experiment was started by Dinanath Sharma, a semi-literate farmer from a remote area of the district. He had illustrated how pearl farming, with the help of fresh water mussels, could be carried out successfully in lower areas. After reading his success story, many farmers tried to carry out pearl farming in Una. However, due to the lack of proper training, they could not attain any success.

Farmers said the most sensitive and technical part of pearl farming was inducing an incision in a mussel and placing a calcium nucleus in it that later developed into a pearl. The farmers said the mortality rate in the mussels that they reared after the incision of nucleus was very high. Placing nucleus in the body of mussels was a very technical job and they needed sustained advice and technical training to do it perfectly, they said.

The unfinished pearls produced at his Una farm by Dinanath were fetching him prices ranging between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000 for every pearl weighing 0.5 gm. Local customers, including ayurvedic practitioners, were buying pearls from Dinanath for use in medicines. He is not fetching good price for his pearls as no polishing or cutting experts are available in the region. 

Mandi, August 31
Members of various organisations took out a march in protest against lack of facilities at the 150-year-old cremation ground at Hanuman Ghat here on Wednesday.

In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner, members of the Mandi Nagrik Adhikar Manch and 20 other political and religious organisations said more than 1 lakh residents of the town and nearby villages use the century-old cremation ground. They said the ground lacks basic facilities, including drinking water and public toilet. Not only this, there was no shed to protect people from rain and sun, they said.

Demanding renovation, expansion and beautification of the ground, they said people who live close to the cremation ground face air-pollution problem. The government must take steps to mitigate their problem also, they said.

Mandi Nagrik Adhikar Manch president Harmeet Singh Bittoo said they would hold a demonstration on September 22 in front of the DC office if the authorities failed to take any step in this regard.

Meanwhile, local MLA and Rural Development Minister Anil Sharma said a project report had already been sent to the government for the renovation of the cremation ground.

Nurpur, August 31
The police arrested a proclaimed offender (PO), Bir Singh of Thora Bhaloon, from his village here on Thursday evening. He had been booked and held under the NDPS Act in 2010.

DSP Manoj Joshi said he did not attend court proceedings after being released on bail and finally the court declared him PO. He said following a tip-off, he had been arrested from his village and produced in the court on Friday. The court remanded him in judicial custody for six days. — OC

Nurpur, August 31
Resentment prevails among residents of Harsar and its surrounding gram panchayats, including Baldoya, Barot and Panalath, as the 10-bed ayurvedic hospital at Harsar in Jawali subdivision hardly has any staff.

Despite announcements, successive governments have failed to create new posts to make this hospital functional. Sources said following public demand, the government had upgraded the ayurvedic dispensary to 10-bed hospital in 2003 and issued a notification in this connection as well. But Assembly elections were held and the government changed.

No government created any new posts to make this hospital functional. As per the Health Department’s yardstick, three ayurvedic medical officers, one pharmacist and four nurses are required at the hospital. But at present only a single ayurvedic doctor and a pharmacist are running the hospital.

As a result, local residents are not being provided round-the-clock emergency and indoor ayurvedic treatment.

A lot of resentment prevails among local residents for not providing sufficient staff to the hospital. The state government had spent lakhs on the construction of the hospital building, but have not appointed the requisite staff.

Local MLA and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Neeraj Bharti had inaugurated the new building last year and publicly assured the posting of requisite staff. But no one had been appointed at the hospital so far.

The Ayurveda Department has reportedly provided beds for indoor patients and some other infrastructure as well, but did not bother to appoint the requisite staff to make this hospital functional.

Deputy Director, Ayurveda, Dharamsala, Dr Rakesh, when contacted, declined to comment on the issue. Residents of local gram panchayats and elected representatives of beneficiary gram panchayats have urged the state government to appoint adequate staff to make this hospital functional.

Nurpur, August 31
A man allegedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance after shooting his younger brother at Panjara village, near Nurpur, this morning. Babu Ram (62) had a land dispute with his brother Dev Raj (58).

Sources said Dev Raj was getting some work done by a plumber, Pushpinder, when Babu Ram entered his house and fired two shots at him. Dev Raj died on the spot with injuries on his leg and stomach.

Later, Babu Ram was found unconscious in his room as he had consumed some poisonous substance. The duo were taken to the Nurpur Civil Hospital where they were declared brought dead.

A case has been registered. The bodies were handed over to their family members after a post-mortem examination. — OC

Shimla, August 31
The Horticultural Produce Marketing and Processing Corporation (HPMC) on Friday said about 570 metric tonnes of apple had been procured from farmers under the market intervention scheme (MIS). Besides, cold storage facilities were available in Parwanoo for farmers, it added.

Jagdish Sharma, Managing Director, HPMC, said as there was no demand for cold storages in 2012 and 2013 from farmers, HPMC-run Controlled Atmospheric Stores (CASs) at Jarol Tikkar and Guma were leased out to private players. “In CAS stores, we have reserved 25 per cent space for farmers,” he said.

The HPMC had taken the decision last year when it was found that cold stores booked for farmers remained vacant as very few farmers came forward to avail the cold store facilities. “Farmers can store their fruit in cold stores at Parwanoo, which are equally well as the HMPC had stored fruit there last year,” he added.

The corporation had procured 520 metric tonnes of apple till today and started their crushing for processing purpose at its plants, said HPMC managers. The procurement centres were being opened as per the demands of farmers as last year many such centres returned disappointed as no fruit was procured by them, they added. 

Mandi, August 31
The Tourism Department has prepared a detailed project report for beautification and restoration of various urban and historic structures in the town, also known as “Chhoti Kashi”. A senior official of the Tourism Department in Shimla told The Tribune that the project would cost nearly Rs 35 crore.

He said a fact-finding team of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) would visit the town of temples in the first week of September over funding of the project.

The official said among other plans, a fountain would be built in the Sunken Garden for attraction of tourists, a convention centre be constructed for holding of marriages and other functions near Visco resort. Several streets, markets and other structures would be illuminated with lights, he said and added that Seri Manch would be renovated and the century-old Victoria Bridge would be refurbished.

Deputy Director, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mandi-Bilaspur, Vivek Chandel said a team of the ADB had also visited various sites of historic and cultural importance in the town earlier, including the famous Bhootnath temple, ghats around various temples and Vijay High School.

He said the department had shortlisted several historical and culturally important structures for conservation, restoration and beautification.

Chandel said under the project, beautification of Chauhata Bazaar, pedestrian steps from Sunken Garden to the Tarna Mata temple, a park near the temple, Gandhi Chowk and ghats around major temples and restoration of the historic Vijay High School were on the cards.

On promotion of tourism in the town, the Citizen Council general secretary Harish Chander Behl said they had given a proposal to the state government to develop an artificial lake on the Beas, which flows through the town, for boating. He said the Hanuman and other ghats should be developed and the pristine glory of old buildings and temples should be restored.

Former college principal Sunder Lohia said: “Tourism requires not good hotels but also clean environment and literature the on cultural heritage. Our ghats have been reduced to dumping spots, they should be restored.”

Sundernagar, August 31
A meeting of all six units of BSL Project Visthapit Pariwar Sangh was held here today, where the members unanimously resolved to meet Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh again and acquaint him with the problems being faced by them.

Sangh president Hem Singh Thakur said: “Earlier also a delegation of oustees had met the CM in support of their demands. The CM had directed the district administration to resolve our problems by devising a one-time formula, but so far no efforts have been made to resolve the problem. Hence the Sangh has decided to meet the CM again.”

The oustees of Beas Sutlej Link Project from Pandoh up to Slapper have formed a common platform to fight for their demands. They said several oustee families had not been given land under the rehabilitation policy so far and hence demanded that the surplus land be given to them. 

Shimla, August 31
Aimed at attracting tourists to experience the ultimate joy of living on a farm with fruit-laden trees around, the Tourism Department is planning to organise an apple festival by involving orchardists, hoteliers, the Horticulture Department and travel agents in September.

The department plans to organise the apple festival in September end so that it coincides with the World Tourism Day celebrations.

The main objective is to attract tourists to the state during the apple season which commences in August and continues till November depending on the height where the apple orchards are located. The venue for the apple festival will be the Christ Church on the Ridge.

It was only once in 2003 that such a festival was held when Major Vijai Singh Mankotia was the Tourism Minister.

Back in the government as the Vice-Chairman of the State Tourism Development Board, Mankotia is keen on making the apple festival a big and regular event, which can sustain tourism during the lean season from July onwards.

A lot of tourists can be encouraged to visit the districts of Shimla, Kullu, Solan, Mandi, Sirmaur and Kinnaur, where there are apple and other fruit orchards.

“Unfortunately, we in Himachal have failed to develop the concept of Home Stay Scheme in farms whether it is apple, peach, apricot, plum or other fruits,” he said.

He has already held meetings with some farm owners, Horticulture Department officials as well as hoteliers so that the apple festival can be gradually developed into a major festival with a host of other activities.

Mankotia said the concept, where everything is farm fresh has failed to develop the way it has been promoted abroad as well as at some places in India.

“If promoted properly tourists, including schoolchildren, can be encouraged to visit farms when fruit trees blossom in March and later when these are laden with fruits,” Mankotia said. The visitors can get the feel of local culture, traditions and cuisine by staying in orchards.

A host of events are being planned, including inviting the owners of some processing and canning units, who are doing excellent business by producing fruit jams, marmalades, juices, squashes and other fruit products.

The state government launched the Home Stay Scheme in 2008 to encourage people to develop their houses as guest houses, but not too many people have availed the incentives offered under the scheme.

By encouraging the scheme, tourism benefits can reach rural people, decongest the already saturated popular destinations and showcase the local culture and cuisine.

Dharamsala, August 31
The state government has now decided to regularise over 25,000 illegal structures in the state. However, uniform and irrational town and country planning rules, which are similar both in hill and plain areas and have not changed with the increasing population in urban areas, are leading to the mushrooming of illegal structures.

The Floor Area Ratio (FAR) in the entire state is 1.75. This means that a person cannot raise more than 1.75 per cent of the total floor area. The ratio is the same for lower and plain areas.

The plain areas of the state are similar to the plain areas of Punjab. However, they are still being forced to follow the rules that are made for hill areas. In Punjab, FAR is fixed as per the plot size and nature of land whether it is commercial or residential. In commercial areas and plots of small sizes, FAR is up to 2 in the adjoining areas of Punjab, inquiries by The Tribune revealed.

In Himachal, FAR for the industry is even lesser, which is 1.5.

Due to the lesser FAR, the industries have to acquire more area to meet their needs. If FAR is increased in Himachal, industries can go vertical and save precious land. The Department of Industries has recommended to the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department that FAR for industries should be increased. Sources here said FAR for industries might be increased to 1.75.

The TCP Department has been opposing the increase in FAR on the plea that people would not leave open areas in their houses and commercial complexes. Moreover, high-rise buildings would lead to other problems in urban areas.

However, with the value of land in lower areas going vertical seems to be the only solution in the long terms. The government is not allowing high-rise buildings that are coming up illegally in Dharamsala that falls in high-risk zone in terms of earthquakes.

The increase in FAR is also necessary as the land was scarce in Himachal. Most of the village common lands have been converted into forest land. To convert their land use, the permissions have to come from the special-empowered committee of the Ministry for Environment and Forests. If FAR is increased, it would mean that high-rise buildings can come up in lesser land and in turn more green area would be left.

Director, TCP Department, Sandeep Kumar said the government was considering the proposal for increasing FAR. The matter was under consideration of the government and the decision would be taken soon, he said.

Shimla, August 31
The Central Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme (CCISS), 2013, being implemented in Himachal Pradesh, is applicable to all industrial units on their substantial expansion (minimum 25 per cent).

This was stated by spokesperson of the Industries Department here yesterday.

He said the scheme was also applicable for specified thrust industries, including eco-tourism units located in the state. The subsidy was available at 15 per cent rate of investment in plant and machinery subject to a ceiling of Rs 50 lakh for micro, small and medium enterprises and Rs 30 lakh for large enterprises.

“However, this benefit is not available for negative list of industries,” he added.

He said for availing benefit of the scheme industrial units must register themselves with the District Industries Centre (DIC) at the time of filing Entrepreneur Memorandum-I (Provisional Registration) or at the time of seeking approval of the state-level single window clearance and monitoring authority.

The registration should be done prior to the date of commencement of commercial production and operation for new units or undertaking substantial expansion for existing units, he added.

He said the new eco-tourism units except guest houses should also get themselves registered under the scheme with the DIC concerned at the time of getting other necessary approvals before commencing construction work as under the subsidy scheme.

“The eco-tourism units will also receive a subsidy at 15 per cent rate of investment in plant and machinery as well as building,” he added.

He said the claims needed to be submitted to the DIC concerned in the prescribed application forms within one-year from the date of commencement of commercial production and operation.

“All transactions in respect of the cost of plant and machinery and the project must be made through cheque or demand draft. Cash payment will not be considered eligible for the computation of subsidy,” he added.

Kangra, August 31
After a long dry spell, Kangra received heavy rainfall this afternoon, giving relief to farmers.

It was hot and humid day since morning but around 2 pm, the sky became overcast with clouds, followed by heavy rains. The rains continued for two hours, leaving roads flooded.

The rains threw life out of gear for commuters but brought cheer for agriculturists. Farmers had been eagerly waiting for rains, which were delayed by over a fortnight. Nearly 40 mm rains were recorded in Kangra today. KK Sharma, Director, Kangra airport, said the Gaggal airport too received heavy rains about 3.15 pm without affecting air traffic.

Kangra, August 31
Seventeen pilgrims from Jalandhar district of Punjab were injured when a tempo in which they were travelling in overturned near Dhaliara today, the police said here today.

The police said a tempo (PB08 BP 7077) carrying pilgrims from Jalandhar were on the way to Jwalamukhi from Chintpurni when the tempo overturned on a sharp curve near Dhaliara on the Dharamsala-Hoshiarpur national highway.

They said some local people rushed the injured to the Civil Hospital, Dehra. No case has been registered against the driver for want of the complainant.