M A I N   N E W S

Himachal raises age limit for jobs
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Oct 9 — Faced with the growing problem of naming educational institutions and village roads after martyrs of the terrorist operations, the state Cabinet today set up a three-member ministerial panel for the purpose and asked the partymen not to make promises in this regard.

Sources said that the three-member Cabinet Committee headed by the Industries Minister, Mr Kishori Lal and including the Education Minister, Mr I.D. Dhiman and the Agriculture Minister, Mr Vidya Sagar, will scrutinise each case before clearing the proposal to name any school or road after the martyr of the area concerned.

During Operation Vijay in Kargil, when the atmosphere was emotionally charged as bodies of soldiers who laid down their lives started reaching here, the ministers and other ruling party leaders made announcements of naming the schools and roads in their respective areas after them.

However, this reportedly became problematic after ‘Operation Vijay’ when demand for naming such institutions after soldiers and para-military personnel who were killed in anti-terrorist operations also started coming from certain areas.

The sources said the Cabinet deliberated on the issue of naming an educational institution after a soldier, Man Singh, in the Mandi district and decided to assign the matter to the ministerial panel for a final view. Man Singh was killed while fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.

So far 99 men of the armed and para-military forces belonging to Himachal Pradesh have been killed in Operation Vijay and other operations. These include nine personnel of the Central para-military forces. Kangra district tops the list of casualties with 31, followed by 17 each in Mandi and Hamirpur districts.

The Cabinet also discussed the issue of making reservation for persons belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the panchayat elections. The matter was reportedly referred to the Law Department for examining its legal implications.

Later, an official spokesman told mediapersons that the Cabinet decided to increase the upper age limit for recruitment to government and public sector undertakings to 40 from the existing 38 years.

The Cabinet decided to raise the monthly income ceiling to Rs 2000 from the existing Rs 600 for free treatment of patients in the government hospitals.

It was also emphasised that hospitals would continue to charge only 25 paise registration fee and instructions would be issued that if a higher amount was voluntarily paid by any patient on account of non-availability of change, the receipt for actual amount would be issued and it would be properly accounted for. Instructions for strict enforcement of orders to this effect would be issued.

The Cabinet decided to issue directions for launching a campaign for enforcement of ban on use of polythene bags from November 1, 2000. Urban local bodies, rural panchayats, mahila mandals, yuvak mandals, youth clubs, voluntary organisations and public at large would be motivated and involved to make the campaign a success.

Keeping in view the shortage of para-medical staff, the Cabinet also decided to fill 100 posts of pharmacists in the state.