P R A D E S H
Tuesday, November 23, 1999
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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
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Tuesday, November 23, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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IGMC to have cancer
centre |
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Can Tanda college meet
deadline? Staff
oppose move to shift offices IAS,
HAS officers "attend" RSS camps Teachers
want HRA from Sept 1997 HP
MLAs to get computers HPCC for Rs 100 as minimum wage |
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IGMC to have cancer centre SHIMLA, Nov 22 — The Union Ministry of Health has decided to set up a regional cancer centre at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital here. Stating this while inaugurating a two-day World Health Organisation (WHO) workshop on "awareness and early detection of cancer" here today. Mr J.P. Nadda, Himachal Health Minister, said a central team would visit the state to finalise plans for the proposed centre shortly. The government would also provide facilities for early detection of cancer at Tanda Medical College, Kangra and Zonal Hospital, Mandi. Subsequently the facility would be extended to district hospitals in a phased manner. The detection and prevention of cancer had been included in ‘Vision 2020’, the prospective plan of the government for the next 20 years for strengthening and expansion of health care facilities. The inhibitions of people, who avoided visiting hospital at the initial stages of disease, could be overcome only through sustained awareness campaign. Mr Nadda lamented that the output of the government effort was not commensurate with the input and called upon the doctors to work with a sense of commitment to make best use of their knowledge and skills for the benefit of suffering humanity. He said an assessment programme was being introduced to evaluate the performance of doctors in which the views of patients would also be taken into consideration. The newly set up Health Systems Corporation would go a long way in strengthening the medical care infrastructure in the state. Dr G.K. Rath, an expert from the national cancer programme, said the Central Government would give an annual grant of Rs 75 lakh for the regional centre. Dr Harbans Kapoor, coordinator of the programme, urged doctors and non-government organisations to pursue the motto of "beware, prevent, detect and cure cancer" with missionary zeal. He said surplus doctors in government hospitals and dispensaries in the areas bordering Punjab, Haryana and UP will be shifted to the interior areas of Himachal Pradesh. The government has undertaken an exercise for filling vacant posts in peripheral institutions. He said this would help in providing better health services as specialist services would now be provided in important referral and district hospitals in tribal areas and subdivisional hospitals. The Health Minister said that a rational policy was being worked out for deployment of doctors, based on a fixed tenure, in hard and very hard areas, to be followed by community health centre level posting. As such doctors who were being posted to peripheral institutions in hard areas should have no fear of getting stuck in these places. He appealed to doctors to join their new places of posting immediately and also appealed to public representatives to 'keep in mind the interest of the community so far as postings of doctors was concerned'. Detailing the rationalisations he said specialist services would be provided in subdivisional level institutions such as the Community Hospital, Rohru, Referral Hospital, Rampur, Referral Hospital Sarkaghat and Community Hospital, Nurpur. Specialist services would be provided in district hospital in tribal areas of Kinnar and Lahaul and Spiti and district hospital, Chamba, which had vacant posts in important specialities. Mr Nadda said junior and young doctors posted to these institutions at present would be posted to nearby peripheral institutions while referral institution would be given more experienced doctors and specialists. Couples would be kept together, he added. He said doctors
completing internship training from IGMC would also be
sent to peripheral institutions. |
Social audit of PDS mooted SOLAN, Nov 22 — The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, Mr Shanta Kumar, said here today that the Rs 10,000 crore food subsidy notwithstanding, 42 crore Indians went without food daily. The minister who addressed a press conference at Kumarhatti, near here today said corruption, mismanagement and inadequacies in the public distribution system (PDS) were responsible for the state of affairs. A recent survey had pointed out that over 40 per cent of the food subsidy did not reach the beneficiaries. He said streamlining the PDS having a chain of 4.5 lakh fair price shops in the country was one of the biggest challenges being faced by the government. Many fair price shops had lifted their quotas of essential commodities on a bi-monthly basis forcing the consumers to go to the open market and buy foodstuffs at prices which they could ill-afford. This led to rampant black marketing of subsidised food items. Mr Shanta Kumar said the mismanagement in the storage of food grains had led to indirect siphoning off of food subsidy benefit. It had been calculated that the cost of storage of wheat in PDS godowns worked out to a staggering Rs 2.70 per kg. The wheat, which was procured at the rate of Rs 5.50 per kg cost the government Rs 8.20 per kg. He said he was preparing a plan to provide for a social audit of the entire PDS panchayats. Such a step would ensure that subsidised food reached the needy with the minimum pilferage and losses. There was urgent need to educate PDS godown keepers, traders and consumers about modern storage techniques. Mr Shanta Kumar said India had buffer stocks of 216 lakh tonnes of wheat which was 88 lakh tonnes more than the stipulated quantity and as such was in a position to meet any food crisis in any corner of the country in the near future. Replying to a question, he said food supplies to the cyclone-hit in Orissa were being maintained on a war-footing. He said he would himself tour the state for an on-the-spot review of the situation on November 26 and 27. Later, Mr Shanta Kumar
addressed a public meeting at Solan. |
Can Tanda college meet
deadline? DHARAMSALA, Nov 22 — The bait of out-of-turn promotions to doctors of Indira Gandhi Medical College to join at Tanda Medical College has failed to yield results. As a prelude to getting permission from the Medical Council of India (MCI) for making admissions for its second batch of students the government is trying its best to fulfil faculty requirements. The MCI had made clear that for admission for the second batch faculty in all departments must be complete. With this in mind the government gave promotions to 14 doctors and asked them to join here. But even after the deadline of November 20 having passed only four doctors have joined so far. The Principal of the college, Dr R.L. Gupta, and professors in the department of microbiology, skin, medicine and physiology were yet to join. Similarly, associate professors in the departments of medicine, pharmocology, and paediatrics had not joined so far. However, Mr Gupta maintained there would be no problem in obtaining permission for starting the second batch as the college had faculty in essential departments. Despite this confidence and with the visit of the MCI expected any time now the college may once again face problems. Admissions for the second batch are due in January next year before which all requirements must be fulfilled. Doctors of the Zonal Hospital here who have been absorbed in Tanda Medical College, complain that despite promotions being given to so many doctors at the Indira Gandhi Medical College Shimla few of them are keen to join. On the other hand doctors like them are being discriminated against. They say they are not being treated on par with other doctors of the medical college and add, that with this kind of discriminatory approach the college will not be able to run smoothly. The staff at the college also complain that due to Principal's frequent visits to Shimla, he has been appointed on contract basis after retirement the functioning of the college itself suffers. Dr Gupta however, is confident of riding out all these obstacles before January. He says that apart from teaching staff other facilities like laboratories would be completed and orders for various equipments are being placed. The boys and girls hostel too are nearing completion and twelve flats for the doctors were ready. Tanda Medical College has faced rough weather right from day one, when the Virbhadra Singh government decided to make admissions even before getting permission from the MCI. The fate of the students who took admission here has remained uncertain with the issue taken to court. With the change of government there was a question mark on the survival of the college itself as it was not certain whether the BJP government was keen to have the college run. Doctors and students
however feel that while these are the usual teething
problems, the government will have to speed up work if
permission for the second batch is to be obtained from
the MCI. |
Hamirpur on hydel power map HAMIRPUR, Nov 22 —Himachal Pradesh is a land of snow and water. Most of the northern Indian states thrive on the water and power of Himachal Pradesh. It has high altitude ranging from 350 to 6975 meters with climatic conditions varying from semi-tropical to semi-arctic. It has vast hydel potential hidden in its rivers. The state government has identified hydel potential in the rivers to the tune of 21,530 MW. It has, however, harnessed only 3,828 MW. It is in the, process of harnessing 3,161 MW of power in coming year. The state has its share of 25.62 per cent of the total potential of hydel power in India. The state government is facing great difficulties in harnessing the hidden potential of the state due to heavy expenditure needed and meagre resources at its disposal. It has already done good spadework in holding negotiations with private parties to harness the hidden power potential. However, after the coming of the new BJP-HVC coalition government into power it has also started a scheme for starting small hydel projects known as micro hydel projects. The Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, says the government had decided to take up such projects due to certain reasons. According to him, the small projects will be reliable, eco-friendly, mature and most suited to the sensitive mountain ecology. Moreover, these can be exploited wherever sufficient water flows along small streams and small rivers. These projects will be non-polluting and require small capital investments. He says the government has decided to give these projects to the unemployed but qualified engineers and others. He is hopeful that work on most of the identified micro hydel projects will start soon. For this, the state government has introduced a window system. One has to deposit his form and get his reply from the same window. Taking a cue from the state government, the HPSEB has drawn an ambitious programme to harness about 60 to 75 MW of hydel power from the Beas near Daulasidh area of Hamirpur district costing about Rs 100 crore this will be first project of this kind in Hamirpur district. Official sources say there is a natural fall of about 40 to 50 meters near Daulasidh where a dam of 40 meters height would be constructed. This site has high hills on both sides of the river and these rocks cannot be shattered by the flow of the water easily. After erecting a dam, a tunnel measuring 200 meters would be constructed and water would be discharged with a speed of 1000 cft. per second to harness about 60 to 75 MW of power. Sources say that only two families will be affected by the construction of the dam. However, the dam will also affect a temple of Daulasidh. The temple needs to be shifted to some other part of the area after observing all religious formalities as it may hamper the dam construction work. Mr Babu Ram Mandyal, local MLA and Chairman of the Kangra Central Co-op Bank, a premier co-operative institution of the state, has offered to raise a loan of about Rs 100 crore for the proposed hydel power project. He says that once completed this project will change the economic condition of the people of Hamirpur district and adjoining Changer area of Kangra district. He is optimistic that the clearance to the proposed project will be made shortly and work allotted to a party accordingly. This project may also
help the people of Jeehan area of Hamirpur district which
has huge forests of various species. Various types of
wild animals like leopards, sambhars, pigs are also found
in this forest. There is also a proposal to convert this
forest into a mini sanctuary. If this area is converted
into a sanctuary and the power project comes into being
in the nearby area this area can be developed from the
tourism point of view. |
Staff oppose move to shift
offices SHIMLA, Nov 22 — The H.P. State Corporate Sector Workers Coordination Committee said that decision to shift six boards and corporations out of Shimla was "anti-employee" and demanded that the orders be withdrawn immediately. The committee submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, his ministerial colleagues and legislators here today and demanded that a tripartite discussion should be held on the sensitive issue before going ahead with the decision. The Cabinet had recently ordered that the six board and corporations start functioning from other districts from December 1. The secretary general of the committee, Mr Rameshwar Gripta, said that the aim of move, to decongest Shimla, would not be served as the departments have a total staff strength of about 175 employees. He said the government should not have taken the sensitive decision unilaterally as the future of the employees and their children was involved. The memorandum pointed out that only two months ago in September, the government had claimed that shifting of the H.P. State Electronics Development Corporation was enviable but now the organisation was being asked to move. Of the 7 corporations the HP General Industries Corporation has a total strength of 32 employees, the H.P. Small Industries and Export Corporation has 21, HP State Pollution Control Board which has 30 already has a regional office at Bilaspur and with its shifting the very purpose of single window clearance would be defeated. The H.P. Minorities
Finance and Development Corporation has only 12 staff
members. The H.P. Mahila Vikas Nigam has just seven. |
IAS, HAS officers
"attend" RSS camps SHIMLA, Nov 22 — The Leader of the Congress Legislature Party and former Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, has expressed concern over the participation of 17 IAS and HAS officers in the RSS camp here recently. In a statement here today, Mr Virbhadra Singh said that the recent camps of the RSS organised at Shimla, Dharamshala, Hamirpur and Kulu in which certain minister, chairman of various boards and corporations, have once again exposed the efforts of the BJP-HVC combine government's efforts to 'saffronise' the administration and educational institutions in the state. He alleged that a large number of government officers, employees and labourers of PWD, IPH and other departments were pressed into service to organise these functions, throwing all norms and propriety to the winds. What is more alarming is that a large number of students were made to attend these functions. It is a matter of great concern that these rallies were also attended by a large number of government officials in total contravention of propriety and civil service rules. Recently, about 17 officers of the IAS and HAS cadre also attended the 'guru dakshina' function held here in contravention of all norms and rules to get favours from the present government. It was strange that a
government which was facing acute financial crises and
did not have money even to meet its current financial
liabilities was spending lakhs of rupees in organising
these functions and promoting RSS, the RSS shakhas were
being regularly held in almost all educational
institutions, including primary schools, to indoctrinate
the student against the ideal of secularism enshrined in
the Constitution, he alleged. |
Teachers want HRA from Sept 1997 BILASPUR, Nov 22 — The district unit of the Himachal Government Teachers Union has criticised the recent announcement of the Chief Minister regarding house rent allowance for December 1,1999, and has said this is a diversion from the Punjab pattern. It has said this allowance is not only less than what has been given in Punjab but it should also be given from September 1997 and not from December 1,1999. Addressing mediapersons here yesterday along with six other union leaders, district president Roshan Lal Sharma said house rent allowance should be given on the Punjab pattern at 5 per cent at village level, 10 per cent at district headquarters and 15 per cent in the capital and it should be given in cash from September 1997. A meeting of the union said the government was deprive Himachal employees from the benefits of salary and allowances on the Punjab pattern. The meeting demanded 6 per cent rural allowance, Rs 250 per month medical allowance and Rs 200 as laboratory allowance to science teachers since September, 1997 and also the DA instalment due from July,1999 in sace on the Punjab pattern. The union decided to
launch an agitation from December 15 if all these
benefits were not provided till then. The meeting
reminded the government and Chief Minister Prem Kumar
Dhumal that the BJP as well as the Himachal Vikas
Congress had both committed to providing all these
financial benefits to Himachal employees on the Punjab
pattern even in their election manifesto during the 1998
Assembly elections. |
HP MLAs to get computers SHIMLA, Nov 22 — Members of the Himachal Vidhan Sabha will be soon provided computers to enable them to discharge their legislative functions efficiently. Stating this here today Mr Gulab Singh, the Speaker, said that a proposal for the purchase of 68 computers, one for each legislator, had already been sent to the government. The computers would be installed at the MLA hostel and the legislators would be given the necessary training. All relevant data regarding their respective constituencies and various developmental schemes would be stored in the computers so that they could monitor the progress on day to day basis. The reporters of Vidhan Sabha would also use computers for transcription of proceedings from the ensuing 11-day winter session commencing from December 9. He said there would be
eight sittings in all and two days had been exclusively
kept for private members business. The House would pay
tributes to ex MLA's Mr Hira Singh Pal, Mr Satya Dev
Bushari and Mr Hargobind Singh, who died recently,
besides all those who lost their lives in the Orissa
supercyclone. |
3 killed in road accidents KANGRA, Nov 22 — Two persons were killed in two different road accidents during the past 24 hours police said here today. According to the police, a youth, Deepak Gularia, died on the spot and three persons were seriously injured when a private bus carrying them late last night rolled down into a khud near Zamarabad bridge after the driver lost control. The driver of the bus is absconding. The three injured persons were admitted to the local subdivisional hospital. In another accident a youth, working in crusher, died after he was hit by a truck at Damtal in this district last night. In a third accident a
30-year-old school teacher was killed in a road accident
at Khapper Nallah village in this subdivision today
afternoon when he was crushed under a trailer which
overturned. |
HPCC for Rs 100 as minimum
wage CHAMBA, Nov 22 — The Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) has sought the government to amend the Minimum Wages Act and increase the minimum wage to rupees one hundred and simultaneously enhance the wages of skilled, unskilled, class three and four employees in the light of inflation. Addressing mediapersons at Chamba today, Mr Harsh Mahajan, state vice-president of the HPCC, flayed the Vajpayee government for 40 per cent increase in diesel prices had led traders to further increase the prices of various commodities thereby putting a huge burden on the common man. Mr Mahajan also criticised the Himachal Government for increasing the bus fare by 20 per cent. He said that in view of the recent hike in diesel prices, the bus fare should have been enhanced by 8 per cent. He alleged that the Dhumal government was on the verge of bankruptcy and travel and medical allowance bills of employees were being rejected because of lack of funds. He accused the Dhumal
government of accepting brokerage while receiving loans
to the tune of Rs 500 crore from various agencies during
this year. |
HP Assembly session from December 9 SHIMLA, Nov 22 (UNI) — The winter session of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly will begin here from December 9. In all there will be eight sittings during the session which will last till December 20. Assembly Speaker Gulab Singh Thakur said that in case there was pending legislative work, the session could be extended. On the opening day, the House will pay tributes to the departed former MLAs Hira Singh Pal, Satya Dev Bushehari, and Hargobind Singh, and all those who lost their lives and property in the Orissa cyclone. Mr Thakur said that many important issues were likely to come up for discussion during the session for which notices had been received from the members.
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SFI flays move to transfer
faculty SHIMLA, Nov 22 — The Students Federation of India has condemned the state government's move to transfer more than 20 faculty members from the Indira Gandhi Medical College to Tanda Medical College. The federation lamented that instead of providing the basic infrastructure and staff at the newly set up college in Tanda the government was undermining the established IGMC. The Medical Council of India had refused recognition to the Tanda college for want of requisite facilities. The move would affect
the students of the IGMC and the MCI might even withdraw
recognition to it. The condition of the dental college,
the regional engineering college and various university
departments was no better, it said. |
Governor greets people on Gurpurb SHIMLA, Nov 22 — The Governor, Mrs V.S. Rama Devi, has felicitated the people of the state on the eve of "Gurpurb", the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev. She said that the message of brotherhood given by Guru Nanak would help in strengthening the bonds of friendship among different communities. Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal,
Chief Minister also greeted the people of the state on
the birthday of Guru Nanak Dev. |
Four buildings gutted SHIMLA, Nov 22 — Property worth about Rs 75 lakh was destroyed in a major fire which broke out at Bhabhanagar in Kinnaur district last night. According to reports reaching here four buildings, housing nine shops and 16 residences; were gutted in the blaze. Initial reports indicated that the fire was caused by electrical short circuits. The district
administration has provided Rs 2000 each as immediate
relief to 20 affected families. |
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