Nathpa-Jhakri project
Dam height issue hangs fire
From Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 7 — While the Nathpa-Jhakri Power Corporation (NJPC) is racing against time to complete the 1500 MW hydroelectric project by the revised deadline of December 2001, the crucial issue of dam height continues to hang fire.

The corporation, which cannot delay work, has decided to go ahead with the construction of the dam designed for increased height so that it can raise the height later after getting necessary clearance from the state and other agencies.

The project ran into difficulties due to an error in calculation of the height of the dam which could be built at the site. Originally, a dam of 60.5 M height was to be constructed. However, some geological constraints, coupled with the raising of the bed level due to a massive landslide, which blocked the river and formed a lake at the site in 1993, made it imperative for the corporation to increase the height of the dam by 7 metres.

The engineers of the corporation maintain that it was essential to raise the height of the dam to keep the peaking power intact. If the height is restricted to 60.5 M, the peaking time will be just 1.66 hours whereas with a dam height of 67 M it will go up to three hours. This will also ensure better capacity utilisation, they explain.

However, the Himachal Government is against increasing the height of the dam on the ground that it will lead to submergence of a much larger area, including the tail race of the 120 MW Bhabha project located upstream. The original height was calculated keeping in view the safety of the Bhabha project.

The matter was entrusted to WAPCOS (Water and Power Consultancy Organisation).

It conducted a detailed study and suggested that height should be increased only after resolving the issues relating to safe operation of the Bhabha project. Raising the height of the dam will certainly increase the peaking power but it will involve fresh environmental clearance and other approvals. It also gave an option to build a dam with foundation designed for 67- metre height so that it could be increased at a later date after all related issues had been resolved.

The NJPC has opted for this and decided to go ahead with the construction of the dam with full stream. Its engineers have suggested that for safe operation of the Bhabha project. Its tail race could be connected to the 734 M diversion tunnel at the dam site to ensure that water from the project is drained direct into the river, bypassing the reservoir.

However, the state power board feels that such measures may not ensure complete safety of the project as rise in the level of the reservoir will lead to increased seepage from rocks into the power houses, which will then be at a lower level and affect the machinery.

The issue is now pending with the Government of India. The Public Investment Board, which has approved the revised cost estimates of the project, said that dam height could be increased as and when the state government gave clearance.

Meanwhile, the World Bank has also agreed to provide funds to meet the additional burden on account of cost escalation. The cost of the project has been revised from Rs 4338 crore to Rs 7666 crore (June, 1998, prices) and it will now be completed in December 2001, three years after the original schedule.

While the World Bank is providing 50 per cent of funds as loan, the remaining cost is being shared by the Centre and the state in the ratio of 3:1. Besides, a loan of Rs 644 crore had been raised from various institutions for the purchase of machinery.

So far, more than Rs 3300 crore have been spent and work on the head race tunnel and power house are nearing completion. Only 1 km of the 27 km-long tunnel remains to be excavated and concreting is in progress. The 301 M has been completed and the work on the world’s largest underground desilting complex, and power house is also nearing completion.

Shanta loyalists stay away
From Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Jan 7 — The absence of three senior ministers and Shanta Kumar loyalists from the first meeting of the District Grievances Committee here today has once again sent signals that all is not well within the ruling BJP.

The three senior Cabinet Ministers, Mr Vidyasagar, Mr Ramesh Chaudhary and Mr Krishan Kapoor, had taken exception to the appointment of Minister for State Rajan Sushant as Chariman of the committee.

It is learnt that the former Chief Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, is displeased at the sidelining of his supporters. Mr Rajan Sushant is known to be a staunch supporter of Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal.

None of the four Congress MLAs from Kangra district were present. Only the chairpersons of the zila parishad, Ms Manbhari, attended the meeting. A majority of Shanta Kumar loyalists were absent. Apart from the chairman, Mr Sushant, no other minister was available. Amongst the legislators, only Mr Rakesh Pathania, Mr Vipan Parmar and Mr Dulo Ram were present.

It has been a tradition that the seniormost minister of the district is appointed chairman of the District Grievances Committee. During the Congress regime, Mr Sant Ram, who was number two in the Cabinet and the seniormost in Kangra, was the chairman. The committee is considered an important body. Crucial matters are raised here in the presence of senior district officers.

One of the issues raised at today's meeting was problems of Pong Dam oustees. It was said that the grievances of the oustees were not being looked into by the office at Talwara. Another complaint was that the D.O. (demi official) letters issued by ministers and MLAs were not being taken seriously by the officials and as such the public was facing inconvenience.

DC, SP’s discourtesy annoys minister
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Jan 7 — The Himachal Minister of State for Co-operation, Mr Rikhi Ram Kaundal, has taken strong exception to the "failure of the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police to accord him proper reception when he went to the mini Secretariat for a departmental meeting here yesterday.

In a chat with reporters a visibly annoyed Mr Kaundal, said that since the offices of both officers were located in the mini Secretariat, he excepted them to at least call on him there as per the normal protocol. It would have been a different thing had I gone to some other office or place in the district as there was no convention of the two top district officers attending upon the visiting ministers in those cases. But when I had gone to their office buildings both of them should have come out to receive him.

The Minister said that he had faxed a message regarding the "discourtesy" shown to him by the two officers to the Chief Minister as well as the Chief Secretary. "If this was the attitude of these officers towards an elected representative of the people only God knew how they must be behaving with common folk", he said.

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Balram Sharma said that he never meant to show any discourtesy to the visiting minister. As per the norms laid in the state protocol, the Assistant Commissioner to the D.C. had been deputed to be present at the P.W.D. Rest House at the time of his arrival. The Additional District Magistrate had also attended the luncheon hosted by the State Co-Operative Department. The S.D.M. too had gone to the rest house to see the minister off in the evening.

Mr Sharma said that he did not go to the minister's meeting as it was a departmental affair. He could not call on him in the evening as he had to go out to receive the Chief Minister at the district borders. "There could never be any question of my being discourteous to Mr Kaundal or any other minister", he added.

The SP, Mr M.L. Negi said that he had presented himself before the minister when he was leaving the mini Secretariat. He had detailed the ceremonial police guard at the Rest House to accord him a formal welcome also. He did not comment on as to why he did not come out to receive the minister when he arrived at his office building.

Crime rate falls in Hamirpur: police
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Jan 7 — There has been a marked improvement in the law and order situation in Hamirpur district during the calendar year 1998 as compared to 1997. Total number of crimes in the district have come down from 679 in 1997 to 633 in 1998, according to Mr Jagjit Kumar Gupta, the district police chief.

Talking with this reporter here last evening, Mr Gupta said only three murder cases were registered in the district last year as against eight in 1997. Similarly, no dowry death case was reported last year as against two in 1997. This, he said, was the result of formation of district-level and subdivisional-level police-public relation committees. Elite of the district and prominent women were made members of these committees. These members educated people, especially women folk about dowry and drinking menaces. This led to awareness among the women. Instead of resorting to suicides, they fought for their rights and got justice.

Mr Gupta said the burglary cases also came down to 36 from 49 during 1997. However, there was an increase in the theft cases in the district last year as compared to 1997. As many as 33 theft cases were reported during 1998 as against 27 in 1997.

He said while the number of rioting cases came down from 19 to 13, the cases of injuries rose from 99 to 124. Similarly, the accident cases also came down from 98 to 91 during 1998.

The SP said only 78 cases under the Excise Act were registered during the year as against 119 in 1997. He said this was because the price of the foreign-made Indian and country-made liquor remained same in all parts of the district last year. Only one case under the NDPS was registered last year. In 1997 also, only one case was registered under the Act.

He said under the Motor Vehicles Act, as many as 3,649 cases were registered as against 3,924 in 1997. However a sum of Rs 7,65,225 was recovered from the defaulters.

Police for quashing of FIR
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Jan 7 — One and half-year old Arti, daughter of Surinder Singh of Mandesar in Kuthar Sub tehsil of this district, who was allegedly abducted and later sacrificed to propitiate some evil spirits by some tantriks, "was eaten up by a man-eating leopard", the police has concluded.

Arti went missing on June 2 last year. After her father, and fellow villagers failed to find any clue regarding her whereabouts even after intensive combing of the nearby wilds, her father lodged an F.I.R. with the Kuthar Police on June 4.

Investigations by the police at that time revealed that a 10-year-old boy of the same village Ravi had seen one Kamlesh alias Kammi, a 13 year-old boy of a nearby village making away with the child. When arrested, Kamlesh named Sohan Singh and Kishan Lal of nearby villages as the persons involved in the abduction. In fact he told the police that he had lifted the girl at the instance of Krishan Lal who had paid him Rs 200 for the "job".

While Kamlesh kept on changing his story about the disposal of Arti after her abduction and handing over to Krishan Lal, the police had come to believe that she had been used in sacrificial rites by some tantriks engaged by a person of Dhar Phasai village, situated nearby, to ward off ‘evil spirits plaguing his household’.

Grand mother of Arti spotted a frock, ribbon, sandals and some hair of the missing child near the village pond some 20 days ago she was seen alive last. Some bones and a skull were also recovered from the vicinity of the pond. Forensic experts had then certified that the bones and skull were of a child of Arti's age. Villagers who had seen the remains said that the frock smelled of vanaspati oil.

Krishan Lal and Sohan Singh, who were taken into custody, admitted having handed over Arti to the Dhar Phasai villager and Sohan Singh had also confessed to have buried Arti's remains in nearby jungle. He also led the police to the burial site from where some bones were recovered. However these bones, according to Forensic experts, were those of either a goat or sheep. Both Sohan Singh and Krishan Lal retracted their ‘confession’ after being produced in a local court.

As the case had attracted wild publicity, some prominent persons and social workers of the area started demanding a more thorough inquiry. The investigating officer was changed after the replacement of the DSP Parwanoo.

Fresh investigations launched under the new DSP Virendra Kanwar revealed that presence of dropping of a leopard from the spot from where Arti’s remains were recovered, laboratory tests showed that those missing at dusk a time normally used by wild animals for preying. The DSP concluded that the presence of Arti’s hair in leopard dropping shows that she was done away with by some leopard.

The DSP, accordingly recommended that the case be filed. The SP Mr ML Negi, thereafter moved the court for the cancellation of the FIR lodged by Arti's father. The case was put up for hearing yesterday when Arti's father expressed his dissatisfaction at the police conclusion and sought the intervention of some higher investigating agency like the CBI for a thorough probe into the whole episode.

Mr Surinder Singh later told reporters that he believed that the leopard droppings were a 'plant'. The whole area had been searched before his lodging of the report with Kutha police post. Nobody sighted such droppings at that time.

He also said that no villager had seen any leopard in a radius of 7 km from Mandesar. No loss of human or cattle life at the hands of any wild animal had been reported in the area for the past decade or more. He said that the fact that the frock and other remains were said to have been recovered from an open space near the village pond a place frequented by scores of people every day. He believed that these remains had also been planted at the spot. Animals of the cat family seldom devoured their victims in such open places, he maintained.

Suringer Singh has also sent a representation the High Court requesting for the calling "of the entire record of the case by it for the purpose of re-ordering of fresh investigations into the case".

Academic laments fall in standards
From Our Correspondent

HAMIRPUR, Jan 7 — Prof Yoginder Verma, Director, Academic Staff College, Shimla, said here today that while institutions of technical education were mushrooming in India, but their quality of education was the greatest casualty.

Participating in a panel discussion on "Technical Education in India" at the local Regional Engineering College today, he said the major points of discord include quality versus quantity, localisation versus globalisation, national concern versus theoretical development. He said the education had to incorporate new knowledge.

Prof R.L. Sharma, of the REC, Hamirpur, said there was no dearth of ideas in India but there was a need for their effective implementations. He pointed out the importance of the technical teacher in the society and expressed his views over the problems of technical education broadly under the areas of academic environment, administrative environment and the social environment.

Prof K.V.G. K. Gokhale gave a wide range of statistics to show the strength and degradation in the quality of technical institutions. He said lack of infrastructure and faulty improvement methods needed immediate attention. He also stressed the need for upgrading the knowledge and course contents using the available information in the age of globalisation.

Prof S.C. Sharma, stressed upon the need of better industry and institutes relations for the benefit of the students and the society. He warned about the entry of many foreign universities in the country offering better courses on competitive fees with a lucrative job guarantee.

HP fruit growers concerned over
delay in payments
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 7 — The Himachal Pradesh Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association has expressed concern over the delay in making payments to apple growers whose crop was procured under the market intervention scheme.

Mr Lekh Raj, president of the association, said the amount of Rs 6 crore released by the Chief Minister would be sufficient to clear only a small part of the arrears which run into several crores. The growers were not able to purchase fertilisers, fungicides and other farm inputs because of non-payment and this could affect the production next season.

The association also urged the government to depute experts to guide the growers regarding the measures recommended by a university scientists to control the disease which caused premature defoliation of apple trees. It also urged the government to execute irrigation schemes to protect the crops.

The other demands of the association, include rationalisation of road tax, abolition of market fee and procurement of certified seed potato from growers of the Chopal, Tikker and Rohru areas.

Muslim leader defends Virbhadra
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 7 — Mr Mumtaz Ahmad Qasmi, a Muslim leader, has asked the AICC chief, Ms Sonia Gandhi, not to be misled by "vested interests" who were trying to tarnish the image of Mr Virbhadra Singh by raising a demand for a CBI inquiry against him.

Mr Qasmi, who is president of Tanzeem-i-Aimma of Punjab, Himachal, Haryana and Chandigarh, has in a letter to Ms Sonia Gandhi pointed out that the Muslims of Himachal appreciate the steps taken by Mr Virbhadra Singh for the welfare of the Muslims during his rule.

He has said the Muslims were brought into the mainstream by Mr Virbhadra Singh who nominated their representatives on various government bodies as well as the Shimla Municipal Corporation. A separate financial corporation for the minorities was also set up during his tenure.

Tibetans' march banned in Lhasa
Tribune News Service

DHARAMSALA, Jan 7 — A procession by Tibetan students to express concern over Tibet's fragile ecosystem was banned by the Lhasa police.

According to information received by the Tibetan Government-in-exile here, the police banned the students from distributing their petition addressed to the Chinese Government and the Tibetan people. The petition was a mildly worded plea for better environmental protection.

According to eyewitnesses, 40 students from Lhasa Teachers Training School, gathered in their school with banners and a one-page petition. They were about to take out their procession when the police arrived and stopped them on the ground that they should have taken prior permission.

A copy of the petition prepared by the students was handed over to the Tibetan Administration here by a refugee, who arrived here in the last of December.

The Tibetan Administration here has made efforts for years to draw the attention of the Chinese authorities to the massive environment degradation that is going on in Tibet because of misguided and short-term official policies. This year, China publicly admitted that rampant deforestation on the Tibetan plateau caused the devastating Drichu floods, which killed 3,656 persons and resulted in great economic loss.

HP's plea on resin import duty
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Jan 7 — The Himachal Government has urged the Centre to reconsider the move to reduce import duty on resin and its products keeping in view the plight of resource starved states like Himachal Pradesh.

In a letter to Mr Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister for Forests and Environment, Mr Roop Singh, has stressed the need for uniformity in the resin trade for providing protection to the industry, which was a major source of livelihood in Himachal Pradesh.

The Forest Minister has also urged the Union Minister to prevail upon the Uttar Pradesh Government to Direct Indian Turpentine and Resin Co Ltd to remain with the consortium of resin-producing states so that the domestic industry can unitedly face the challenge being posed by cheap imports.