E-Paper
Air quality in villages around cement plants not being assessed: HP government
Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board measures the ambient air quality on daily basis in the nearby areas of Ambuja and UltraTech cement plants situated in the Arki assembly segment
Month-wise national ambient air quality standard is not prescribed for cement plants, but as per notification of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard 2009, on the basis of eight hours only, daily and annual norms are fixed, said Himachal urban development minister Suresh Bhardwaj, while replying on behalf of chief minister Jai Ram Thakur to a question posed by Arki legislator Sanjay Awasthi.
Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board measures the ambient air quality on daily basis in the nearby areas of Ambuja and UltraTech cement plants situated in the Arki assembly segment.
Bhardwaj said no survey has been conducted by the state pollution control board to assess the impact of air pollution on villages in the vicinity of these two cement plants, but it checks the various parameters of pollution level.
He said that 1,812 people are employed in these two cement plants. Of the total employee strength of 617 in the Ambuja cement plant, 507 are Himachali and 110 non-Himachalis.
Similarly, the UltraTech cement plant has an employee strength of 1,195 of which 674 are Himachali and 521 non-Himachali.
In another reply to the question raised by Congress’ MLA from Sujanpur Rajinder Singh Rana, Jai Ram said that the state government has decided to implement a track and trace system to check illicit and spurious liquor trade.
He said the state government had invited bids to implement the system. He said Telecommunications Consultants and its consortium partner C-Tel Infosys have submitted the online bid and is the sole bidder.
In a written reply to another question raised by Kinnaur MLA Jagat Singh Negi on the same issue, the CM said this year, seven people have died after consuming spurious liquor. The victims had purchased the liquor from a vend in the Salapar area of Sundernagar.
He said the matter is still under investigation and details of toxic substances were mixed in the liquor would be known after receiving the forensic report.
However, the viscera reports of victims have indicated the presence of methyl alcohol in the liquor.
He said as of now, people have been arrested in the illicit liquor trade of whom 13 have been found involved the manufacturing of spurious liquor. Illicit liquor factories have been busted in Hamirpur and Nalagarh of the state.
In a written reply to the question asked by Jubbal-Kotkhai MLA Rohit Thakur, the chief minister said that Gudiya helpline was launched in the state on January 26, 2018, to provide help to girls and women in distress. He said that in the last three years up to February 1, 2022, 8,489 complaints were received on the helpline.
He said that 1,740 complaints were received from February 2, 2019, to February 1, 2020, and 65 cases were registered on these complaints. A total of 1,840 complaints were received from February 2, 2020, to February 1 2021, and the number of cases registered was 81.
From February 2, 2021, to Feb 1, 2022, as many as 4,909 complaints were received and 90 cases were registered.
Legal proceedings have been started under the provisions of CrPC in 324 cases, he added.
61,146 criminal cases registered in 3 years
A total of 61,641 criminal cases were registered in the state in the last three years, the chief minister informed in a written reply tabled in the House. The question was raised by the CPM legislator from Theog Rakesh Singha.
He said 19,924 cases were registered in 2019; 20,630 in 2020; 18,830 in 2021 and 1,759 up to February 1, 2020.
Of the total cases, 251 were of murder, 1,076 of rape, 1,564 of molestation, 628 of atrocities on SC/ST, 4,688 of drug trafficking, 227 of cybercrime and 125 of cheating with farmers.
Deployment of the police force is made depending upon the assessment of law and order situation, crime rate, traffic conditions, natural or man-made disasters, relief and rehabilitation operations and VVIP/VIP duties as per security categorisation of MHA.
On account of increased roles and responsibilities of the police, the strength of the police force is augmented from time to time. The government had recently given approval for filling up of 1,334 posts of police constables in the state for which the recruitment process is underway in the department, he added.
