H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Power tariff hike draws flak
Shimla, October 30
The BJP-HVC government in Himachal Pradesh has been accused of putting a huge financial burden on the people by sharply increasing the electricity tariff. Several political parties and social organisations have demanded that the “anti-people” decision be withdrawn immediately.

POWER TARIFF HIKE
It’s pro-rich step: Mahajan
Dharamsala, October 30
Criticising the hike in power tariff for the third time since the formation of the BJP-HVC combine government, a former HPCC chief and senior Congress leader, Mr Sat Mahajan, today said like all its other decisions, this move, too, was pro-rich and anti-poor.

HC notice to Education Secy
Shimla, October 30
A Division Bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court comprising Chief Justice C.K. Thakkar and Mr Justice M.R. Verma yesterday issued notices to the Secretary, Education, the Director, Primary Education, and the District Institute of Education and Training, Jukhala, on a petition, filed by a lecturer appointed on a contract basis in the institute.

First panel to set guaranteed standards
Shimla, October 30
The state Electricity Regulatory Commission has in its power tariff order issued certain important directives which will go a long way in improving the functioning of the state electricity board and make it accountable to consumers.It is the first commission in the country to set guaranteed standards and provide for token compensation in case of proven violations to ensure efficient service to consumers.

• 2 killed, 25 injured in mishap

• Governor opens tribal fair

Power tariff hike draws flak
Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 30
The BJP-HVC government in Himachal Pradesh has been accused of putting a huge financial burden on the people by sharply increasing the electricity tariff. Several political parties and social organisations have demanded that the “anti-people” decision be withdrawn immediately.

In bitter criticism of the Dhumal government, these organisations today alleged that the common man was being made to pay through his nose for power and water. The power tariff had been increased for the third time in the past three years.

The Congress and the CITU have threatened to launch an agitation in case the hike is not withdrawn.

The PCC President, Mrs Vidya Stokes, described the hike as a gift of the “vikas yatra” of the BJP to the people. She said out that by imposing the winter surcharge (25 paise per unit) the government had broken the back of the people already reeling under the spiralling prices.

The CLP Leader, Mr Virbhadra Singh said the hike was totally unjustified and the state government should have tried to meet the losses of the HPSEB by plugging leakages.

The Citizens Rights Protection Forum headed by Mr Deshbandhu Sood said the state Electricity Regulatory Commission had betrayed the people of the state by allowing the HPSEB to increase the power tariff.

The Mayor, Mrs Jenny Prem, and 12 councillors of the Shimla Municipal Corporation, said the common man had been hit hard. They accused the Dhumal government of being ‘anti-poor” as it had also levied users charges in hospitals.

Mr Kul Rakesh Pant and Mr Dev Raj Duggal, president and vice-president of the Samajwadi Janata Party, said they would launch an agitation against the hike along with like-minded parties.

Mr Nand Kishore Mehta, general secretary of the DCC (Urban), said a meeting of the party had been convened here for November 9 to chalk out an agitation programme.

Mr I.C. Gupta, Secretary-General of the Janata Dal (Secular), said the hike exposed the “hollow” claims of the Dhumal government of being sympathetic to the common man.

The CITU announced that its activists would stage a dharna here tomorrow and hold a procession in the town against the hike.

POWER TARIFF HIKE
It’s pro-rich step: Mahajan
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 30
Criticising the hike in power tariff for the thrid time since the formation of the BJP-HVC combine government, a former HPCC chief and senior Congress leader, Mr Sat Mahajan, today said like all its other decisions, this move, too, was pro-rich and anti-poor.

He said the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, had gone back on his word in which he had assured the people of the state that this time no winter surcharge would be imposed. “A government which makes tall claims of making Himanchal a power state of the country has made hike in tariff an annual feature,” he said.

Mr Mahajan said the government had not even spared the farmers and the small-scale industries which were going through a severe recession. He added that the concessional night time tariff effective between midnigh and 6 a.m. was of no use as hardly anybody would benefit from it.

“It would have been wiser if the government had made earnest efforts to check the transmission leakages rather than putting the burden on the common man,” he said. He added that the Chief Minister was now trying to cover up the hike in the power tariff by putting the entire blame on the previous Congress regime.

He added that the people of the state will give a befitting reply to the government by voting the BJP out of power for its “anti-poor” policies.

Mr Mahajan said the entire purpose behind lifting restrictions on the export of khair had been defeated as the government had imposed a heavy export duty.

Meanwhile, the state president of the Lok Janshakti, Mr Ramesh Singh Bhadiyal, today said the government would not succeed in befooling the people of the state through gimmicks like the “vikas yatra” as its “anti-poor, anti-farmer and anti-employee” policies had hit one and all.

Mr Bhadiyal said the hike in power tariff would severely hit the industry, besides putting burden on the common man. “During its three-and-a-half-year rule the BJP-HVC government has given to the people is increased power and water tariff, user charges on health facilities, 35 per cent increase in fee in educational institutions, unemployment, corruption and skyrocketting prices,” he alleged.

Mr Bhadiyal said the Himachal Vikas Congress could not wash its hands off the decisions of the government as it was also part of the government. “The HVC will have to share the responsibility with the BJP for all anti-people policies as the decisions of the government are against the promises made by the HVC in its election manifesto,” he said.

HC notice to Education Secy
Legal Correspondent

Shimla, October 30
A Division Bench of the Himachal Pradesh High Court comprising Chief Justice C.K. Thakkar and Mr Justice M.R. Verma yesterday issued notices to the Secretary, Education, the Director, Primary Education, and the District Institute of Education and Training, Jukhala, on a petition, filed by a lecturer appointed on a contract basis in the institute. The lecturer’s appointment was quashed by the state administrative tribunal on an application filed by Mr Surjit Singh.

The petitioner, Mr Kishori Lal, alleged that the order passed by the tribunal on the petition filed by mr Surjit Singh of quashing his appointment was arbitrary and illegal.

Mr Surjit Singh and Mr Kishori lal had appeared in an interview for the post of music lecturer on a contract basis in April, 1997, in the institute.

Mr Kishori Lal was selected following which Mr Surjit Singh challenged the appointment before the state administrative tribunal stating that Mr Kishori Lal had lower merit in MA than him and besides he himself had three years’ experience in a private school.

The tribunal accepted his petition and said the appointment of the lecturer on the basis of interview alone amounted to a back-door entry and was illegal. Hence, the appointment of Mr Kishori lal is quashed and set aside and a fresh process of appointment should be initiated in accordance with law, the tribunal observed.

First panel to set guaranteed standards
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 30
The state Electricity Regulatory Commission has in its power tariff order issued certain important directives which will go a long way in improving the functioning of the state electricity board and make it accountable to consumers.

It is the first commission in the country to set guaranteed standards and provide for token compensation in case of proven violations to ensure efficient service to consumers. Not only that, the board has been directed to put in place a complaint-handling mechanism and procedure for establishing violations beyond doubt.

The standards and bench-mark approved by the commission lay down that the board will have to respond to complaints of interruption of power supply due to main fuse failure between 9.00 am and 9.00 pm in urban areas within six hours and between 9.00 pm and 9.00 am within 12 hours.

In case of rural areas, it will be 24 hours for complaints received any time during the day. The supply will have to be restored within the shortest possible time. Similarly, estimate of charges for new and additional supply and issue of demand notice to the consumer has to be completed within three weeks in urban areas and four weeks in rural areas.

Besides, a 24-hour notice has to be given for interruption of supply to carryout maintenance works and investigation of complaints regarding low or unstable voltage has to be carried out within four weeks. In case of violation of these standards, the board will pay a token compensation of Rs 10 to the consumer. The provision has been to make the functionaries of board accountable for the lapse.

New power connections for domestic and commercial connection will have to be provided within a month after deposit of charges. In case of small and medium industrial units he connections have to be given within three months.

The commission has revealed startling facts which show the board in poor tight. For instance, the employee cost per unit of the electricity supplied was the highest at Rs 1.03. It was only 16 paise in Andhra Pradesh, 34 paise in Rajashtan, 38 paise in Uttar Pradesh and 40 paise in Delhi. The tariff can be lowered by 90 paise per unit if the employee cost can be contained anywhere near to the level of other states.

The commission has directed the board to submit long-term and short term plans to rationalise manpower and improve its productivity through scientific engineering resource management to reduce the employee cost by March, 2002.

At present there is an employee for every 45 consumers as compared to 400 to 450 consumers in other countries. The commission wants the board to reduce the employee cost by 5 to 10 paise per unit every year and achieve a level of 250 consumer per employee.

The concession of 20 paise per unit for night hours is also a new concept which will help reduce the peak load during morning and evening hours and encourage more commercial and industrial consumers to install electronic meters. The commission hopes to extend the concession to domestic consumers in the long run.

The board has been directed to reduce its overall transmission and distribution losses from 23.5 per cent to 22.5 per cent. It has expressed concern over the failure of the board to promptly complete capital works. In all, works involving an expenditure of Rs 1100 crore are under progress for the past many years. The commission has directed the board to get its assets verified by an independent agency.

It has also been told to introduce competitive conditions between various circles in the generation, transmission and distribution departments. It has also been told to study the Malana project to reduce the cost of its hydel power projects, besides rationalising its material management policy to ensure timely availability of materials.

Another HP girl chosen for Army
Subhash Sharma

Kulu
 In another achievement by the NCC Air Wing unit in this Himachal Pradesh town, a girl cadet has been selected to become an Army officer.

Malvika Sharma has been selected for the 19th Non-Technical Women’s Short Service Commission course, commencing from September 17.

She had joined the NCC Air Wing during her graduation with the aim of joining the defence services. To get acquainted with defence services, she attended many NCC camps at the national level. She was adjudged the best cadet at the Vayu Sainik Camp. She is the first girl from Kulu district and second from Himachal Pradesh to be chosen for training as an Army officer.

Wing Commander Ravi K. Tripathi, the Commanding Officer of the 1 (HP) NCC Air Squarden, Kulu, was proud to tell that his unit (Kulu) had the credit of having first woman pilot (Nidhi Handa) in the Indian Air Force and that too from HP. Now another girl as slated to be an Army officer, besides Anand Malhotra, already a commissioned officer in the Army. He stated that his Under Officer Vineet Katoch had gone to Vietnam under the NCC youth exchange programme.

Malvika Sharma, on being contacted, said: “I am a great believer of God and with His blessings, I got such parents who have struggled more than me for my career. They have encouraged and supported me in my ambition to become an Army officer. They were not over-protective, which helped me to develop a personality and enabled me to achieve the goal of life.”

She further acknowledged the efforts and guidance of Wing Commander Tripathi, who “always encouraged me and appreciated my work”.

2 killed, 25 injured in mishap
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, October 30
Two persons were killed and 25 injured when a private bus rolled down a khud in Badotu village, near Balakrupi, in Palampur sub-division today.

According to the police the deceased includes a 32 years old teacher Ms Savita, who was posted at Lahroo. The other deceased has so far not been identified.

The bus was on its way from Sujanpur to Lahroo when the accident took place.

Eight of the injured are in a critical condition and have been admitted to the Hamirpur District Hospital. While others are at the Sujanpur hospital.

Governor opens tribal fair
Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 30
Dr Suraj Bhan, Governor, today inaugurated, a four-day state-level Kinnaur tribal fair at Rekong Peo where he stressed on the need for strengthening and protecting tribal culture. He said fairs and festivals not only strengthened national unity, but helped create a feeling of brotherhood.

He said 542 soldiers had sacrificed their lives during the Kargil conflict, out of which 52 were from Himachal Pradesh. The families of these soldiers must be given due regard and efforts made to ensure their welfare.