P R A D E S H
Friday, August 28, 1998
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H I M A C H A L P R A D E S H |
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Friday, August 28, 1998 |
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Proposal with Dhumal |
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A District Hospital that
stinks
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Proposal with Dhumal SHIMLA, Aug 27 — The Himachal Government is considering introducing English as a subject at the primary school level on the pattern of Punjab. According to Mr Karn Singh, Minister for Primary Education, a proposal has been submitted to Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal. He said English was being taught in government schools from Class IV onwards. As such the students faced problems in competing with students from private schools. He said the department proposed to introduce English from Class 1 instead of Class IV as it had virtually become an international language and its teaching was essential to keep abreast of the latest developments in various spheres. Besides, it would help build confidence among the rural students. Private public schools had been mushrooming in rural areas mainly because English was not being taught in government schools, he pointed out. The government, he said, had requested the National Council for Teachers Education to relax the qualification plus two for junior basic training teachers for a period of five years and allow the state to appoint matriculates. In a hill-state like Himachal, plus two schools had not been set up in all areas and as such there would be problems in posting teachers in schools located in interior areas. He would take up the issue with the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, next week. The minister said over 5000 posts were lying vacant and the government had appointed 4000 teachers on a contract basis to make up for the shortfall. Besides, it had decided to regularise the services of 4,159 voluntary teachers who had completed five years in service with effect from August 1. Modalities for providing them training under a crash course were being finalised. Mr Karn Singh said he
would also meet Union Tourism Minister M.L. Khurana and
urge him to provide funds for development of tourism in
the Kulu valley. He would also discuss specific projects
like a golf course in either Bran Vihar or Sangar and
improvement of roads and other infrastructure facilities
in the Parbati valley. |
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Himachal ban on 2 brands of edible oil SHIMLA, Aug 27 (UNI) — The Himachal Pradesh Government today decided to prohibit the use of two brands of edible oil in the state in the wake of recent deaths and ailments due to the consumption of certain brands of edible oil in Delhi. State Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, who reviewed the situation in the state at a meeting with officers of the Health and Food and Supplies Departments, here, directed the Health and Family Welfare Department to issue necessary notification prohibiting the import of the two brands of edible oil in Himachal Pradesh. Stressing the need for educating people against the use of prohibited brands of edible oil, Mr Dhumal said necessary instructions were being issued to all District Magistrates and District Food and Supplies Controllers to collect samples of such prohibited brands of edible oil and send them for analysis to authorised laboratories. The Chief Minister said District Magistrates had also been directed to ensure the effective implementation of the provisions of the Himachal Pradesh Hoarding and Profiteering Prevention Order and the Himachal Pradesh Commodities Price Marking and Display Order in the state. Among others present at
the meeting were Chief Secretary O.P. Yadava, the Health
and Family Welfare Secretary, the Food and Supplies
Secretary and senior officers of the Food and Civil
Supplies Department. |
A District Hospital that stinks SOLAN: The residents of this town are sore over insanitation and poor state of amenities at the District Hospital here which also receives patients from far-flung areas of Sirmour district. The bed capacity of this hospital is insufficient to cope with the number of patients. At times the number of patients admitted is so high that one bed is allotted to two patients. A bed in the male medical ward had two patients, Jalam Singh and Chotte Lal, on August 2. Poor patients complain of non-availability of medicines and x-ray films. The staff of night duty, according to patients, invariably dozes off and the patients are not attended to properly. The medicines to be given at night are reportedly handed over to the patients in advance. Insanitation is commonplace in this hospital — be it the wards, indoor passages, toilets, patient registration cell and the courtyard. The passage between the chemists shop and the medical laboratory is a dumping ground. Male and female medical and surgical wards also lack cleanliness and emit a nauseating stink. The toilets, except the one close to the office, are also not cleaned at regular intervals. The condition of the courtyard is no different. Most of the safety tanks are without lids. The latrine pipes on the western and eastern sides not only stink but also spill urine and night-soil on the road and gutter. Litter is also not lifted regularly from the dumpers. Blood-soaked cotton is often thrown into the dumper. Stray dogs at times lift the cotton and throw it hither and thither. The ducts around the hospital need repair. Stagnant rain water and sewage due to faulty drainage produces a foul smell. Surprisingly, syringes are thrown into a drain which come down and spill on to the floor close to the medical teachers' chamber. Orderliness in this hospital has also taken a back seat due to the lackadaisical attitude of the authorities concerned. Outrageous parking of vehicles is the root cause of inconvenience. Certain hospital vehicles are parked at the patient registration cell, which adds to the space problem. The courtyard has become a
dumping ground for discarded vehicles and waste. Four
vehicles — HPA-6523, HP-14-0786, HPA-1093, HIA-813
— and a car without a number plate have been lying
in the courtyard from many years awaiting auction. This
place is also full of hospital waste. |
Vegetable market or liquor den? KASAULI, Aug 27 — The alleged negligence of the local police has turned the vegetable market at Chakki Moar here into a den of liquor smuggling and illicit distillation. The vegetable market which is managed by the state government, despatches more than seven truckloads of vegetables to various vegetable markets located in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ambala, Panipat and Delhi everyday. More than 400 farmers, including women, belonging to the Jabli, Chamo, Banasar, Bhojnagar and Anji-Matla panchayats gather here to sell their produce to commission agents. Smuggled liquor is reportedly easily available at Chakki Moar and Jabli at cheap prices. The smuggling catches up during the vegetable season. Ms Satya Attri, president, Mahila Mandal, Jabli, confirmed the liquor smuggling. She said the sale of illicit liquor had ruined many poor families. Illicit distillation of
liquor is also reportedly common in the entire
trans-Kaushalya area. One of the residents of
Chakki-Moare said the distillation was being done in the
forest areas close to Pratha, Naraini, Banasar, Seri and
Manjhol hamlets. Govt
flayed
for high rate of inflation MANDI, Aug 27 — Congress leader and former Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Thakur Kaul Singh, today criticised the BJP government for its "dismal failure" to check inflation. Addressing a rally at Padhar, near here, Mr Singh said foodgrains, edible oils, and vegetables had become unaffordable for the common man. He said the six-month rule of the BJP had disillusioned even the supporters of this party as it had failed to fulfil even a single promise made during the elections. Referring to the killings
of innocent people in Chamba by Kashmiri militants,
Thakur Kaul Singh said it was ridiculous that the Chief
Minister was blaming the Congress government for the
incidents in Chamba. "Nothing happened when we were
in power", he said. |
Lecturers' threat to launch
agitation SHIMLA, Aug 27 — The Himachal Pradesh School Lecturers Association has threatened to launch an agitation if its demand for restoration of gazetted status for lecturers is not accepted by the government by September 15. The association lamented that the demand was accepted during the meeting of the association with the Secretary Education in September last year but had not been implemented so far. The gazetted status conferred on lecturers more than a decade ago was withdrawn without assigning any reason in February, 1997, it added. The association is also
demanding Rs 7,880-13,500 scale for school lecturers. It
has decided to observe September 5 as a "protest
day" to express resentment over the non-acceptance
of its demands. 2
die of
enteritis in Mandi area MANDI, Aug 27 — Two women of Ghiyun Dhar village of Samlon panchayat in Mandi sub-division today died of suspected gastroenteritis and seven persons affected with inflamation of the intestines and vomiting have been admitted in Ratti hospital. Those who died have been identified as Naina Devi and Chinta Devi. Seven persons admitted in Ratti Civil Hospital are Himmati Devi, Shakuntala, Puran Chand, Puno Devi, Mast Ram, Padma Devi and Rina Devi. They are reported to be out of danger. The SDM, accompanied by a
team of doctors and IPH officials, has rushed to the
village to take immediate curative and preventive
measures. |
Clarification by HPSEB SHIMLA, Aug 27 — A spokesman of the HPSEB has clarified that an investigation division along with a sub-division engaged for the Renuka dam project have been shifted elsewhere from Sirmour only after the investigation works were completed. He said that a sub-division has been retained at Dadahu for looking after hydrological observation and preparation of documents for clearance of the project at various levels. The project
is to be constructed basically for Delhi. Liquor
seized SHIMLA, Aug 27 — The police has seized 1300 pouches of country liquor and 10 bottles of IMFL during a special drive. The Superintendent of
Police, Mr A.N. Sharma, said here today that a motor
cycle was also seized. Two persons had been arrested and
a Maruti van impounded in connection with the smuggling
of liquor. |
MLA supports teachers SOLAN, Aug 27 — Miss Krishna Mohini, MLA and former chairperson of the HP School Education Board, today extended support to the striking college and university teachers and urged the Union Minister for Human Resource Development to concede the "genuine demands" of the teachers immediately. College and university
students would suffer heavily in the event of an
unwarranted prolongation of the strike. They would be
left with little time to complete their courses. Annandale: Army denies tree felling SHIMLA, Aug 27 — A spokesman of Army Training Command headquarters has denied that Army men were involved in the cutting of trees in the Annandale area here. Reacting to a report "Throw open Annandale to public" published in these columns, the spokesman said that the Army was known for maintaining the ecological balance and cordial relations with the civilian population. The spokesman said that
the allegation that the Army was selling grass to the
nearby farmers for their cattle was false. He also denied
that civilians were being prevented from collecting water
from the natural sources in the area. |
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