Mandi Shimla Solan

Dhumal: need to monitor projects
SHIMLA, Dec 19 — The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, has underlined the need for proper monitoring of developmental schemes for their timely completion and said the government would carry out mid-term appraisal to achieve this.

Nathpa project achieves milestone
SHIMLA, Dec 19 — The 1500 mw Nathpa Jhakri Hydroelectric Project achieved an important milestone when a 27.24-km-long tunnel, one of the longest in the world, was completed yesterday.

Dhumal takes Cong along on loan issue
From S.P. Sharma
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 19 — Playing his cards cleverly, the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, has made the Opposition Congress fall in his trap of supporting the BJP government on the issue of raising loans from the open market.

Political observers point out that Mr Dhumal has managed to have the best of both worlds by firstly criticising the Congress government for raising loans and throwing it out of power virtually on that issue and now making the same Congress support his policy of raising loans to meet the current financial crisis. The BJP had succeeded in making the raising of loans an election issue against the then Congress government during the Assembly elections.

Some senior Congress leaders accept that Mr Dhumal has outmanoeuvred them on the issue in both situations. They point out that Mr Dhumal, who had always criticised the previous Congress government for borrowing money from the open market, was now himself following their footsteps and interestingly with their support.

The Congress has offered its support to the Dhumal government for initiating fiscal reforms indicated in his "White Paper". These include raising of loans from the open market.

Mr Dhumal claims that there is greater transparency in the raising of loans amounting to Rs 450 crore through the HPSEB and the Forest Corporation by his government than that of the previous Congress government which had raised loans amounting to Rs 913 crore between 1994 to 1998. The Congress regime did not go in for competitive bedding and also paid upfront incentives for raising these loans, whereas the BJP government has followed the path of competitive bidding without paying upfront incentives.

He also pointed out that the Congress government paid a cost of Rs 13.69 crore to the private parties for raising these loans, while the BJP paid only Rs 61 lakh and the beneficiaries were the public sector banks.

Mr Dhumal said the Congress government paid a service charge of a minimum of 1 per cent for the loans raised during its regime and the BJP government settled for service charges as low as 0.075 per cent.

He claimed from 1994 to 1998 the previous Congress government clothed its loan raising activity under the garb of additional resource mobilisation (ARM) in presenting the annual resources for plan funding. ARM is by definition raising of revenue receipts through tax and non-tax measures and not loan receipts. The BJP government had non-SLR borrowings explicitly included and approved by the Planning Commission as constituting the state's resources for plan financing from this year.

Mr Dhumal also accused the previous Congress regime for plunging the state into a financial crisis by projecting a deficit of Rs 8.79 crore in the Budget of 1989-90 against the actual deficit of Rs 171.75 crore. The Ninth Finance Commission based its recommendations on the "incorrect" figure resulting in a loss to the state. Had the correct figure of the deficit been indicated, the state would have received an additional financial assistance of about Rs 600 to 700 crore between 1990-95.

However, this has been contested by the former Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, who points out that the entire ill lies in the report of the Ninth Finance Commission which overestimated the revenue of the state and underestimated its expenditures.

He said shifting the blame on the previous Congress government could not absolve Mr Dhumal and his government of their responsibility in the matter.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said the raising of loans by his government was not due to any financial mismanagement but was an unavoidable necessity to maintain the pace of development.

He said much ado was made by the BJP when the Congress government raised such loans to manage a "desperate financial position".

He said the Congress could have also adopted the same knee-jerk policy now of crying hoarse about raising of loans by the BJP government, but "we are a responsible opposition and will not indulge in such tactics".

Forest awareness catches on
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Dec 19 — The implementation of the concept of joint forest management has provided a ray of hope for the denuding forest wealth. A team of mediapersons which visited Batheri and the adjoining areas of Chuhar valley yesterday found that the newly constituted village forest development committees had succeeded in generating awareness among the people that forests were vital for sustaining the economy. A women member of Janeteri VFDC, Damodari said. "Our survival depends on the forests".

The new concept was sold to the people by the Rs 51-crore Indo-UK Himachal Forestry Project launched in September, 1994 by the Overseas Development Administration. The project seems to have brought about a sea change in the attitude of the people towards forests.

Newspersons who also participated in the meeting of the village forest development committee in Batheri village heard men and women members speaking the new phrase" our forests". Earlier they considered forests as property of the forest department. The new awareness that the forests belonged to the people, who were the real beneficiaries, had gone a long way in the conservation of forest wealth.

A cluster of villages have formed a VFDC in which one female and one male person of each household has been made a member. The Forest Department's role is only that of a coordinator. These committees are playing an active role in planning, plantation and preservation of the forests, says Mr Kathuria DFO.

Tek Chand Rana of Gokhra village said there was no forest around their village. Our VFDC converted 35 hectares of barren land into a forest near the village.

Hardev Singh of Baggi said musclemen were members of forest mafia engaged in timber smuggling and the villagers were afraid of them. The mafia also enjoys the support of some influential persons and operates in connivance with the police and forest officials.

Jasso Devi, member of VFDC and president of Mahila Mandal, Batheri, pleads for growing deodar trees on the higher hills and the broad leaf trees on the lower hills while the rest should be left for grass and crops.

The Forest Department now interacts with the people and a new process of flexibility has emerged whereby the changes are incorporated on the basis of experience gained over the years.

Dhumal: need to monitor projects
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 19 — The Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, has underlined the need for proper monitoring of developmental schemes for their timely completion and said the government would carry out mid-term appraisal to achieve this.

Mr Dhumal, who was addressing legislators during the second day of the consultation meeting for finalising the annual plan for 2000-2001, said a "work culture" had to be evolved for effective implementation of schemes. He urged the legislators to give priority to schemes which required immediate attention.

Mr Suresh Chandel, MP, said speedy exploitation of hydel potential could help solve the problem of unemployment.

Mrs Shyama Sharma, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, detailed the steps taken to ensure proper utilisation of funds. Mr Kuldeep Kumar, MLA, sought additional funds for the polytechnic college building at Gagret and inclusion of the Marwari-Badsali road under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) scheme of NABARD, Mr Virender Gautam called for urgent steps to check pollution of Mehatpur Khud and the immediate approval of the Swan channelisation project submitted to the Centre.

Mrs Asha Kumari wanted the augmentation of drinking water supply schemes in Dalhousie and Banikhet and upgradation of the Pathankot-Banikhet-Khadi Maral-Bhadarwa road into a national highway.She also underlined the need for releasing at least 65 per cent funds under the backward area sub-plan by the first half of the year for the timely completion of works.

Mr Chander Kumar said funds earmarked for a particular scheme should be utilised for it only. Mrs Viplov Thakur, a former minister, urged for the channelisation of khuds and construction of the Dada Siba bridge in her area, while Mr Brij Behari Butail wanted the upgradation of the 100-bedded hospital at Palampur.

Mr Des Raj, MLA, urged for the installation of tubewells and construction of bridges in his area and Capt Atma Ram for giving special attention for soil conservation works in his area. Mr Dulo Ram called for development of the Bir area as a tourist place.

Mr Vipin Parmar gave priority to communication links in the Changer areas of the Sulah Assembly constituency and Mrs Sarveen Chaudhary wanted opening of a degree college in Shahpur and development of the Lamdal lake as a tourist destination.

Mr G.S. Bali, MLA, demanded river channelisation and installation of more handpumps in his area.

Mr Rakesh Pathania wanted construction of roads under NABARD in his area. He also urged for giving priority to drinking water schemes.

Mrs Nirmla Devi pleaded for providing water and irrigation facilities in her area.

Governor opens women's function
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Dec 19 — The Governor, Mr Vishnu Kant Shastri, inaugurated a campaign organised by the H.P. State Commission for Women for empowerment of women by flagging off a 2000-strong 'human chain' formed by local school students, and Mahila Mandal activists here today.

Later, while addressing a meeting at the local municipal hall, he expressed agreement with the Commission for women's slogan, "Peace for Empowerment and powerment for the Peace", adding that peace and empowerment were essential for the all-round development of society.

Stressing the need for making a girl child aware of her rights, he said that such efforts would only be in conformity with ancient Indian culture.

Reservation for women in Panchayati Raj institutions had led to women playing a more active role in the development programmes.

Ms Indu Goswami, Chairperson of the Commission for Women, said that immediate steps should taken to make education of girls compulsory. This would help create the requisite awareness of their role in all-important process of social reconstruction.

The Parliamentary Secretary, Ms Urmil Thakur, stressed upon the need for paying greater attention to rural women.

The Inspector-General of Police (Training), Mr G.S. Gill, expressed concern at the growing atrocities against women.

Slogan writing and on-the-spot painting competitions were also organised in which local school students participated in good numbers. They also presented a cultural programme. Among those present were a former Minister, Mr M.N. Sofat, former M.L.A. Ms Krishna Mohini, and Chairman, H.P. Scheduled Castes and Tribes Corporation.

Nathpa project achieves milestone
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 19 — The 1500 mw Nathpa Jhakri Hydroelectric Project achieved an important milestone when a 27.24-km-long tunnel, one of the longest in the world, was completed yesterday.

The final blast was carried out by Mr V.K. Sharma, General Manager of the project, at Wadhal down stream Nuegal Seri.

With this, one of the most difficult and time-consuming task of the mega project had been completed successfully, Mr Sharma said.

He said he was confident that the project would be commissioned by December, 2001, when the first unit of 250 mw would start generation. The remaining five units, each 250 mw, would become functional by March, 2002.

The 10.15 metre diameter tunnel will carry a discharge of 405 cumecs (cubic metre per second) to run the underground power house located at Jhakri. The uneven hill terrain posed several challenges to engineers.

In some stretches, the temperature was as high as 65 degree centigrade making it almost impossible to work at the site. The engineers had to make arrangements for circulating cool air and spreading ice to carry out the boring.