Dharamsala, September 10
Despite a massive loss of life and property by floods in Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, people continue to raise structures along the banks of rivers in the state.

In Dharamsala, a large number of structures have been raised on the banks of rivulets. These suffer destruction during monsoon.

The government helps the owners of such establishments develop embankments along the rivulets to save their houses.

In Dharamsala, even the scientific advice is being ignored while allowing construction in the active sliding zones. In the past two year, two massive landslides in Dharamsala have washed away two villages and displaced many people.

Una district has also a number of monsoon rivulets that receive flash floods. These rivulets have also been encroached upon. Builders have developed colonies in these rivulets. The state government has brought up buildings in the main rivulet passing through Una district. Another interesting fact is that no colony has been cleared by the Town and Country Planning Department.

Massive damage was caused in Una district during the 1988 floods when most of the rivulets breached their banks and flooded the plains. The Swan river had washed away a vast area on the bank.

Since then the encroachments on the riverbed have increased manifold. If a flood hits the region, damage to life and property in Una district might be very high.

Officials of the department said they did not allow any construction near rivers or rivulets. In the urban areas, they issued notice to defaulters. The officials, however, maintained that they did not have the force to remove the encroachments.

The Irrigation and Public Health Department maintains that most of the riverbeds are owned by private owners. The state government has not given them powers to prosecute those encroaching on riverbeds. Colonisers are buying waste lands on riverbeds at cheap prices and raising illegal colonies.

The disaster management authorities in Himachal would have to take some concrete measures to save the state from natural catastrophe. However, the work of disaster management authorities is just limited to holding meetings at state and district levels.

Shimla, September 10
The government has sought suggestions and views of all stakeholders, including locals, living in the Satluj basin on the environmental and social impacts due to already constructed as well as proposed hydropower projects.

The government has asked all stakeholders to study the cumulative environment impact assessment study report prepared by the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE), Dehradun. The report has been provided in all blocks of Kaza, Pooh, Reckong Peo, Bhawa Nagar, Rampur, Basantpur, Anni, Karsog, Sundernagar and Bilaspur falling along the Satluj basin. An official spokesperson said interested stakeholders could give their views and suggestions to the Chief Engineer in the Directorate of Energy before October 31, 2014.

Shimla, September 10
The tourism sector has been excellent with a majority of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC) hotels registering tremendous increase in profits. The catastrophe in Kashmir is likely to divert more visitors to Himachal.

With 2013 floods and cloudburst that wreaked havoc in Uttarakhand and Kinnaur having a negative impact on the tourism sector in Himachal, hoteliers are hoping to make good profits this year. Profits of almost 90 per cent of the 56 units of the HPTDC are likely to be doubled seeing the current trend for the first six months.

“The unfortunate devastation caused by floods in Srinagar is bound to divert a lot of traffic to Himachal and all our units are geared up to tackle the rush,” said Yogesh Behl of the HPTDC. He said September-October was a time when a lot of tourists from West Bengal, Gujarat and Maharashtra visited the state.

President of the Shimla Hoteliers and Restaurants Association Harnam Kukreja also said the business for hotels this year had been good and Kashmir traffic was likely to be diverted to Manali, Dharamsala, Shimla and tribal areas. He admitted that last year the havoc wreaked by the rains had an adverse impact on tourism.

The Manali circuit had a particularly bad season last year as the HPTDC registered a profit of only Rs 1.98 crore as compared to Rs 1.97 crore profit made this year from various complexes till June 30. As such, the profit is likely to be far more than last year. Similarly, the eight units under Shimla had registered a profit of Rs 1.92 crore last year, while within the first half of 2013, the HPTDC had made a profit of Rs 2.18 crore.

Private hoteliers too admit that the business they have got during these six months is more than what they got in whole of last year. “People are averse to travel to Uttarakhand and it will take some time before those horrifying pictures of last year will stop haunting them,” said a travel agent. He hopes that Himachal is likely to emerge as the preferred destination in the remaining period of this year with Kashmir being completely ruled out.

New Delhi, September 10
The Delhi High Court today adjourned the hearing in a PIL petition against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for two weeks.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice G Rohini and RS Endlaw posted the next hearing for September 24 as Virbhadra Singh’s counsel pleaded for deferring it for some time as arguing counsel Kapil Sibal was delayed on his way to the court.

The Centre has told the High Court that the CM was prima facie involved in a case of money laundering. This was evident from the material on record which was sufficient to register a first information report (FIR) against him.

The HC is hearing the PIL petition filed by NGO Common Cause on the issue. According to the petitioner, the CBI is conducting a preliminary inquiry for 18 months without registering an FIR despite the overwhelming evidence.

The plea has pleaded for a CBI and income tax probe into allegations of money laundering, corruption and possession of assets disproportionate to known sources of income against the CM.

Shimla, September 10
The HP High Court today adjourned the hearing on the application filed by former IAS officer SM Katwal for condoning the delay in an appeal against the acquittal of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and his wife Pratibha Singh in an alleged CD case by the Special Judge, Shimla.

After hearing the parties for some time, Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary adjourned the matter for October 8 as the hearing could not be completed today. There is delay of 96 days in filing the appeal.

Katwal has pleaded in his application that the technicalities of law cannot be made applicable strictly to the extent of snatching away the right to appeal earned by the victim. He further contended that he was made to search for the relevant record for the purpose of preparing appeal and in this process some delay has occurred and which is beyond his control.

Virbhadra Singh and his wife were acquitted on December 24, 2012, by Special Judge, Shimla, and Katwal has approached the High Court to file an appeal against the acquittal order. Katwal has alleged that the state government has not filed appeal against the acquittal order as it is headed by Virbhadra Singh himself.

Narkanda/Rohru(Shimla), September 10
Apple markets across the country are in the grip of commission agents and agri-business corporates, such as Adani Agrifresh. Such agents and corporates are stocking good quality apples after these buying at cheaper rates from farmers and selling low-quality fruit in markets, making huge profits in the bargain.

Surprisingly, the prices of apple have dipped even as the supply of the fruit from the flood-ravaged Kashmir valley to Delhi markets has registered a drastic drop in the past five days.

Farmers and consumers are big losers in the apple markets. The farmers are selling the fruit at Rs 63 a kg to Adani, Devbhoomi, Tree Oil and Himagri fresh, Harshna group and commission agents in the apple belt. Consumers are buying the same-variety fruit at Rs 140/160 a kg from retail sellers in cities like Chandigarh, Delhi and Mumbai, say farmers.

Agri-corporates are taking advantage of the labour crunch and lack of Controlled Atmospheric Stores (CAS) in the public sector, where farmers could have stored the fruit rather than selling it at cheaper rates to CAS corporate owners.

Commission agents and private CAS owners have flooded Rohru, Narkanda, Baghi Maroag-Shilgran belt wooing growers. They are buying the fruit at Rs 63/64 a kg from farmers, making them to store it at CAS private chambers, says Ashutosh Chauhan, an orchardist from Ratnari.

Adani, which controls apple CAS markets in the country, had sold the fruit for Rs 70 a kg in mid-August when the apple markets decreased the price. It has now decreased the price to Rs 64 a kg and stored 12,200 metric tonnes (MT) of royal delicious – 3,200 MT in Sainj, 4,000 MT at Rohru and 5,000 MT at Rampur CAS stores, which have a capacity to store 24,000 MT.

Agri-business corporates are procuring the low quality fruit at Rs 16 a kg from farmers and packaging it in cartons, selling it at Rs 60 to Rs 80 a kg through their retail distributors across the country making huge profits, reveal farmers.

On the other hand, farmers are being scared by corporates not to store fruit as the import of 2 lakh MT of apple from the USA would hit domestic markets despite the fact that this quantity is a day’s consumption, say farmers.

Commission agents, who buy the fruit from Kashmir, have flocked Himachal to buy apple directly from farmers. But big farmers have booked chambers in some private CAS stores as the prices of the fruit has dipped in markets due to the commission agents-agri corporates nexus. The agri-corporates made huge profits last year after buying the fruit at Rs 40 a kg and sold it for Rs 140/150 a kg in January to May as the markets are controlled by commission agents and corporates, says Rakesh Singha, president, Himachal Apple Growers” Association.

Shimla, September 10
Apple growers in high-altitude areas of tribal Kinnaur district (beyond Urni), who have been forced to transport their produce through a diversion road from the Chulling Nullah via Urni village to Tapri resulting in increased transportation cost, have urged the government to provide transport subsidy to them.

The Hindustan-Tibet national highway is closed for heavy vehicles due to frequent and massive landslides at Urni, which had become a major traffic bottleneck and growers, have no option but to follow the diverted route resulting in increased cost due to loading and unloading.

The apple marketing season starts in the last week of August in Kinnaur and the transportation of apples from upper Kinnaur areas picks up in the third week of September as crop matures late in high-altitude areas.

“As only light vehicles are plying on the narrow bypass road, more vehicles will be needed for the transportation of apple which will increase the cost and the damage in loading and unloading will be more,” said former BJP MLA from Kinnaur Tejwant Singh Negi, who submitted a memorandum to the Kinnaur DC in this regard today.

BJP workers led by Tejwant demanded a subsidy of Rs 100 per box in view of the increased cost of transportation.

Convenor of the Him Lok Jagriti Manch, RS Negi, a retired IAS officer, said: “Small trucks are carrying only 200-250 boxes against 400-450 boxes transported by heavy vehicles and have to cover additional 21-km distance through the diversion road, which includes a steep climb from the Chulling Nullah to Urni village, thereby adding to the cost.” “Either the boxes are to be loaded in two shifts or small vehicles are required to cross the 21-km diversion road,” he said.

During the apple season, 100-150 trucks carry apple from Kinnaur to different markets of the country every day and about 30-35 lakh boxes are transported during the season, but due to excessive rains last year, 26-27 lakh boxes were transported from Kinnaur and even this year the production was the same.

Deputy Commissioner DD Sharma said the memorandum had been forwarded to the higher authorities. He said Rs 5.47 crore was sanctioned for the widening of the diversion road and the road had been widened at nine vulnerable points, where sharp curves existed.

The police had been deployed to check overtaking causing traffic congestion on diverted road.

Besides setting up a control centre at Chauling to monitor the movement of trucks, current market rates of apple boxes have been displayed at conspicuous points to help farmers and videography of trucks is being done at Chaura – the gateway of Kinnaur.

About 2 lakh apple boxes have been transported from Kinnaur mainly from the lower area and at an average 10,000 boxes are transported from Kinnaur every day, he added.

The way ahead Kinnaur DC said the diverted road has been widened at nine vulnerable points, where sharp curves exist Besides setting up a control centre at Chauling to monitor the movement of trucks, current market rates of apple boxes have been displayed at conspicuous points Videography of trucks being done at Chaura, which is the gateway of Kinnaur

Shimla, September 10
The state BJP today accused the ruling Congress government of implicating BJP leaders in false cases alleging that the latest case of illegal felling of trees for the construction of Pavilion hotel against BJP MP, Anurag Thakur was concocted and politically motivated.

Defending the party MP, state BJP spokesman Praveen Sharma said the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) had obtained all permissions and clearances from the Forest and Revenue Departments and no trees were cut for the construction of Pavilion hotel.

The party spokesman said: “On the one hand the Congress government framed Anurag Thakur in a false case and even presented a challan in the court, on the other hand the process to withdrew the case against sitting Congress MLA from Kasumpti Anirudh Singh was on.”

“Four hundred sleepers were recovered from his ancestral house when he was chairman of the Shimla zila parishad and a case of illegal felling of trees was registered, but instead of taking the case to its logical end it has withdrawn the case to save him,” he said.

He said it was surprising that the investigation agencies were working at the behest of the Chief Minister and framing BJP members in false cases. He said: “The officers who have become puppets in the hand of the government will have to face the consequences of their wrongdoings. The government is setting unhealthy precedents and sending wrong signals by politicising the investigating agencies which did not augur well for the state in the long run.”

Dharamsala, September 10
Former Chief Minister PK Dhumal has termed the move to constitute the Resource Mobilisation Committee by the Congress a bid to befool people.

Dhumal, who was here on a private visit to mourn the death of a leading advocate from Dharamsala, talking to newsmen here today, alleged that infighting had marred the working of the government. Even before the committee could hold its first meeting, it had been in controversy. A minister (referring to Kaul Singh), who was earlier proposed to be the chairman of the committee, was reduced to a member by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh. He had resigned from the committee. The Congress government that could not even hold its house in order could not resolve the issues confronting the state, he said.

Responding to queries from newsmen, Dhumal said till date he had not received any request from the state government to give inputs to the committee as a Leader of the Opposition.

He said the state had plunged into the worst-ever financial crisis due to the mismanagement and lack of governance. The present government was just busy in defending Virbhadra, who is facing a CBI and income tax inquiry and was not taking any policy decision.

Employees and pensioners were waiting for their DA due since January this year, even as the Centre had announced another instalment of 7 per cent. Instead of giving dues to the employees, the state government was making unnecessary political appointments that were adding to the financial burden on the state.

Blaming the Virbhadra government for the financial crisis, Dhumal said in its previous regime between 2003 and 2007 alone, the Congress government had taken a loan of Rs 8,070, but no monetary benefits were given to employees. It was the initiation of the financial mess in which the state was now finding itself.

Charging the government with mismanagement, he said due to various steps taken by the previous BJP regime in green development, the World Bank had given the state Rs 1,500 crore loan from green technology funds in three installments.

“The government should tell where this money hah vanished,” said Dhumal.

He claimed that the during the BJP government, “Himachal was adjudged most rapidly developing state and now when the Congress government is in the helm of affair, we are lacking even in the tourism despite the state having enormous potential in the sector.”

Shimla, September 10
Amid strong protests by student unions demanding rollback in fee hike and deferment of the Students Central Association (SCA) elections, Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) has decided to put nominated student bodies in place and complete the process in the university and 111 odd affiliated colleges by September 24 next.

The process to constitute nominated committees would start from September 15 and all SCAs would be nominated by September 24, HPU registrar said, adding that the principals of the colleges have been directed to complete the process of nomination of SCAs within the set time frame as per the recommendations of the high-power committee constituted by the Executive Council in its meeting held on August 26, 2014.

Protesting against fee hike and deferment of the SCA polls, SFI activists today organised a “nukkar sabha” to apprise students of the dictatorial attitude of HPU Vice-Chancellor Prof ADN Bajpai and the anti-students decisions taken by the university administration.

A street play showcased how SCA members, who were directly elected by students, fought for the rights of the students’ community.

The focus of the members was on how no ragging or eve-teasing case had been registered on the campus so far which was considered safe for girls.

The members alleged that the nominated SCA comprising meritorious students would be a captive body and would not be able to effectively take up the issues and problems of students and would follow dictates of the authorities.

Meanwhile, the fast-unto-death by the SFI entered the 12th day today, while the ABVP activists also started an indefinite hunger strike at the University College of Evening Studies here to protest against fee hike and deferment of SCA elections.

“We will continue and intensify the agitation in case the anti-students decisions are not taken back,” said Vicky Kumar, president of the ABVP evening college unit.

Chamba, September 10
While reminding MP Shanta Kumar of his election promises, of a railway line to Chamba and a cement plant, the Chamba District Progressive Council, in a letter written to him, has apprised him of the priority of the local people— to reduce the distance of the region with the outer world.

For this, the construction of a tunnel between Chamba and Chowari is imperative because the geographic location of Chamba is the main cause of its backwardness.

Healthcare facilities are minimal. Patients are by and large referred to outstations for treatment such as Tanda, Shimla and Chandigarh. Only the creamy layer of society can afford outstation treatment, while a majority of the people leave their recovery to the Almighty.

The distance between Tanda, Shimla, Chandigarh and Chamba is vast. Roads are snaky and pass through mighty mountains. So, most of the patients do not reach the hospital and die en route.

There is only one regional hospital in Chamba. Private hospitals are negligible. In the regional hospital, the posts of doctor and para-medical staff remain vacant mostly. Thus, on the healthcare front, the situation is grim and pitiable.

The position of education is also dismal as there is no engineering and management college or university here. Inevitably, students have to go outside the district for higher education. The economy of people comes in the way. Some brilliant students, who can get admission with ease because of high marks, are forced to stay back as they cannot arrange funds for the purpose.

There are no industries too. To compete for government jobs, most of the candidates cannot bear the expenses to reach Hamirpur or Shimla to appear for tests. Moreover, they are unable to compete with candidates of other districts where the educational facilities are in plenty.

The only shortcut to all these problems is the construction of the Chamba-Chowari tunnel. With this, the distance will be decreased by around 50 km and saving two hours time.

Council president HR Puri and general secretary GS Bedi have expressed hope that Shanta Kumar, whose voice is heard in the corridors of power with attention, will take up the issue with the Centre on priority.

Kangra, September 10
A six-day “Self-Enrichment Programme” for first-year MBBS students of Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College (DRPGMC), Tanda, organised by the Aman Kachroo Trust was held from September 5 till today. The programme was designed and conducted by the Centre for Research in Education for Social Transformation (CREST), Calicut, Kerala, as envisaged by Additional Chief Secretary (Health).

Dr Anil Chauhan, Principal, Tanda medical college, today said the senior students were imparted mentoring skills during the programme. The programme would be followed by a day-long workshop on mentoring skills for teachers on September 15.

The principal said the programme was being conducted at AIIMS, Delhi, for the last four years and but was held at the Tanda medical college for the first time.

Dr Chauhan said the resource persons from CREST were Vinod Krishnan, Nirmal Joy and Vinod. Two resource persons, Prof Abhilash Pillai and Jilmil, were from the National School of Drama, New Delhi.

He said the main three modules of the programme were confidence building, communication and stress management skills. It had been observed that whenever students entered professional colleges from schools, many students were unable to adjust in the new environment, affecting their output.

If students passed through a foundation course where they were trained in handling the challenges of a new professional environment, their performance and attitude towards education and life became very positive, resource person Dr Vinod Krishanan said. After the DRPGMC, Tanda, the team would go to the IGMC, Shimla, to conduct the same activity, Vinod disclosed.

Nurpur, September 10
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had announced toll exemption to accredited mediapersons in the state while presenting the annual Budget in March for the current fiscal year. But the state Excise and Taxation Department has failed to issue any notification or finalise modalities, even after six month of the announcement.

Resentment prevails among the mediapersons in Kangra district over the unprecedented delay in notifying the government’s decision.

Rakesh Pathania, the district president of Dharamsala Press Club, and Pradeep Sharma, president of Nurpur Press Club, in a joint statement issued today, urged Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to direct the authorities concerned to issue notification in this regard and also provide toll tax exemption passes to the beneficiaries.

Pradeep said a memorandum, on behalf of the Nurpur Press Club, had also been given to the Chief Minister during his Nurpur visit in January. The memorandum demanded health insurance cover facility for all mediapersons and their families under the National Health Insurance Scheme, as it had been approved by the previous PK Dhumal government in 2012.

He claimed that the CM had assured to carry forward the decision of the previous government but so far no nothing had been done in this regard too.

Shimla, September 10
The Himachal Pradesh High Court today declared the final result for direct recruitment to the posts of Additional District and Sessions Judge of the cadre of District Judges/Additional District Judge.

As per the result, Vikas Bhardwaj has stood first and Bhuvnesh Awasthi second.

Hatkoti (Shimla), September 10
Work on the 111-mw Sawra-Kuddu power project on the Pabbar river came to a standstill as workers of the two private companies, including Coastal Company, whose contract was terminated in January 2014 by HP Power Corporation Ltd (HPCL), protested at the project site, demanding payment of their wages and terminal benefits.

About 400 workers of Patel Engineering, which is HPCL’s contractor for construction of the barrage work, also joined the protest with the striking workers, demanding payment of their wages.

Though the case pertaining to the demands of the workers of the Coastal Company, which was a contract firm of the HPCL for executing the tunnel work, is pending in the Labour Court, the daily wagers and staff have been on a chain hunger strike at the gate of the HPCL office since July.

Narrating their woes, the workers said the HPCL was their principal employer, but it did not serve them a notice when the contract with the Bhuvneshwar-based Coastal Company was terminated. The wages and other benefits, like EPF contribution, gratuity and bonus, have not been settled by the company as HPCL gave the company a free hand, they resented.

The Coastal Company retrenched its 425 daily wagers and 52 staff workers on the rolls, without serving them notice, which is mandatory under the Contract Act, 1970, said Ajay Dulta, secretary, Swara Kuddu Workers’ Union, which has come under the CITU banner to protest the move.

They cited provision of the Contract Act, 1970, Section 21(4), claiming that it is the responsibility of the HPCL to pay the pending dues. “But it has refused the dues so far and the case was referred to the labour commissioner and now pending in the Labour Court, which has fixed the hearing for November 3, which is too late,” Dulta said.

Also, Patel Company has not paid wages to 400 workers for the last two months.

DK Sharma, Managing Director, HPCL, in a meeting called yesterday, said the Patel Engineering had assured that they would release wages shortly. “We paid the pending wages to the striking workers of Coastal Company, whose contract was terminated due to non-performance. The dispute regarding other terminal benefits is pending in the Labour Court,” he added.

Una, September 10
Kishan Chand (55) of Nalwari village, working as a linesman with the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board, was today electrocuted while working on the power transmission lines at Dumkhar village of Bangana block.

He was working on a pole from where he fell down after getting a shock. He was brought to the district hospital here from where he was referred to the PGI at Chandigarh.

Una, September 10
Maya Devi, a resident of Dhakki village near Daulatpur Chowk in Una district, died after the motor cycle on which she was riding pillion, was hit by a pick-up jeep late at Bhadsali village last evening.

According to SP Anupam Sharma, the deceased’s son was riding the motorcycle (PB 10BH 4216) when it was hit from behind by an unidentified pick-up jeep. He said a case had been registered and investigations were on.

Una, September 10
A youth from Bangarh village in Una district was reportedly looted after being drugged on board the Himachal Express train last night.

Police sources said victim Pawan Kumar (38) had boarded the train, which starts from Delhi. The Railway Police personnel found him unconscious when the train arrived at Una.

Pawan was immediately shifted to the Una district hospital. He has still not recovered consciousness.

His family members said Pawan had gone to Delhi for a medical examination since he was to go abroad shortly. They said cash, amounting to Rs 15,000, which was reportedly in his pocket, was missing.