H I M A C H A L   P R A D E S H

Govt hospital sans gynaecologist
Kulu, October 16
Expectant mothers, who face complications, are facing a lot of inconvenience as the Regional Hospital here has no gynaecologist for last few months. The patients are either being referred to the Zonal Hospital, Mandi, or have to go to private hospitals, which charge hefty amounts.

Hydel projects to face losses due to discharge policy
Shimla, October 16
The condition to maintain a minimum “environmental discharge” in the river for the needs of downstream users in hydroelectric projects, laid down in the recently announced water policy, is likely to cause huge financial losses to the mega-ventures like the 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri project.

Dasehra panel blamed for row over ‘devtas’
Kulu, October 16
With efforts to resolve feud between two devtas from the Banjar subdivision — Balu Nag of Tandi and Shringa Rishi of Kothi Chehni — having failed to satisfy the parties the Kardars blamed the Kulu Dasehra Committee for the dispute over the years.

Project to help school dropouts
Solan, October 16
With a view to inculcating a sense of biodiversity preservation in the children, “biodiversity conservation” has been chosen as the aim for developing guidebooks for the next two years by the National Science and Technology Communication, Government of India.

Makeshift toilets add to patients’ woes
Kulu, October 16
The makeshift toilets, set up by the Kulu Dasehra Committee near the Regional Hospital here, has added to the unhygienic condition that already prevails in this hospital. Patients have been braving the stench and pollution from the diesel-run noisy sideshows on Dasehra Maidan for the last four days.

Private colonisers eye Baddi area
Baddi, October 16
Even as private colonisers are pouring in to get license to construct housing apartments in the state, the Baddi are is all set to witness the emergence of number of colonies in coming times.

Parwanoo road repair work stalled
Parwanoo, October 16
The repair work of various roads here has been put on hold. Though the local municipal committee here had invited tenders twice but on both occasions these could not be awarded.

PWD drive hits vegetable vendors
Parwanoo, October 16
The PWD’s decision, not to allow the setting up of make-shift vegetable vends, along the Kalka-Shimla national highway has come as a blow for small-time vendors. The inability of vendors to set up vends along the highway to sell the fresh pahari produce to crossing motorists has hit their business immensely.

• Govt not to put off panchayat polls: CM

Govt hospital sans gynaecologist
Kuldeep Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Kulu, October 16
Expectant mothers, who face complications, are facing a lot of inconvenience as the Regional Hospital here has no gynaecologist for last few months. The patients are either being referred to the Zonal Hospital, Mandi, or have to go to private hospitals, which charge hefty amounts.

Narrating her tale of woes, Ms Guddi Devi, who is in an advanced stage of pregnancy, rued: “I came from the remote area of Pangi in Chamba district, but have been asked to go to Mandi as there is no gynaecologist here”.

“My sister lives here, but it will be difficult for me to go to Mandi by bus as the delivery is expected anytime”, she said.

There are more such cases. To save herself from complications, another expectant mother from Kulu district chose a private hospital to deliver her baby. “We kept our jewellery as guarantee with a moneylender to fund the emergency delivery that costs Rs 15,000”, lamented her husband.

Patients have added extra beds to this 200-bed hospital in the corridor. “Patients are referred from the Pangi and Killar areas in Chamba and Lahaul and Spiti districts here.

The Chief Medical Officer, Kulu, Dr B.C. Kapur, said a gynaecologist had been appointed here and was expected to join duty within a day or two. “We conduct only normal deliveries here, while complicated cases are referred to Mandi to avoid risk”, he added.

Dr Kapur added that gynaecologist with the hospital left the job for private practice while another doctor retired from the job recently. “The NHPC is yet to honour its commitment to fund the phase III of the hospital that will increase the bed capacity”, he said.

Meanwhile, makeshift toilets and noisy diesel-run “jhulas” and the circus show set up by the Kulu Dasehra Committee (KDC) near the Regional Hospital here have added to the woes of the patients for the past four days.

The area around the entrance to the hospital stinks as visitors to the festival are not using the makeshift toilets, but this area for the purpose. The staff complained that the visitors were using the hospital’s toilets as the makeshift toilets have become unapproachable for users due to stench.

The noisy diesel-run “jhulas”, the circus show and the diverted heavy traffic have polluted the area around the hospital, giving sleeplessness nights to the patients.

While KDC officials, including the Deputy Commissioner, the ADM and the SDM, were not available for comments, health officials expressed their helplessness.

A visit to the hospital revealed that the hospital had no water and was full of stench. Rats were seen running freely in OPDs and wards. Patients, attendants and even the nursing staff complained that the contractor concerned was not maintaining health and hygiene in the hospital. The Medical Superintendent, Dr J.R. Thakur, said the water supply had been restored. 

Hydel projects to face losses due to discharge policy
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 16
The condition to maintain a minimum “environmental discharge” in the river for the needs of downstream users in hydroelectric projects, laid down in the recently announced water policy, is likely to cause huge financial losses to the mega-ventures like the 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri project.

The policy clearly states that the “sustainability evaluation” of projects will determine the criteria of “environmental discharge” which shall not be less than 15 per cent of the total available discharge in the river at any given time. The minimum prescribed discharge will have to be maintained round the year for the survival of aquatic life. The government has decided to impose the condition on the existing projects too. The State Pollution Control Board has already served notices on various projects to comply with the condition or face legal action.

However, the managements of the existing projects are opposing it on the ground that it will bring down generation significantly. Consequently the projects will not be able to achieve the level of energy for which they have been designed. Further, the generation cost will also be pushed up as no allowance for minimum discharge was made while designing the projects and working out their financial viability.

The main problem will be during the lean winter months when the discharge is minimal in the river and the state faces an acute power shortage. It will tantamount to reducing the installed generation capacity of projects by 15 per cent which could even upset the schedule for repayment of loans in some cases.

The Nathpa Jhakri project, the country’s largest hydroelectric venture, will be the worst hit. The discharge in Sutlej is sufficient only during five months and the project authorities will have to release 15 per cent water for the remaining seven months. The project is designed to generate 6950 million units of electricity and the release of 15 per cent water will cost the Sultlej Jal Vidyut Nigam about 300 million units annually. Thus the income of the nigam will come down by about Rs 80 crore annually which is a huge amount. The loss of generation will further worsen the power crisis in the state during winter.

Mr H.K. Sharma, Chairman-cum-Managing Director, of the nigam, maintains that the policy should be implemented prospectively and not retrospectively, as it will create financial problems for the newly-commissioned projects, which have yet to clear loans. Further, if the policy is imposed on existing project, the nigam will have to approach the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission for determining the power tariff afresh after making allowance for release of 15 per cent water. The tariff could go up by 12 paise to 15 paise per unit.

The centre is already under pressure from various states for scrapping the policy of granting 12 per cent free power as royalty to the state in which hydroelectric project is located to reduce the generation cost. The release of 15 per cent discharge will further push up generation cost and could even render some projects unviable.

However, the government has made it clear that protecting the fragile hill ecology was its main concern and it will not allow any project to come up at the cost of environment.

Dasehra panel blamed for row over ‘devtas’
Tribune News Service

Kulu, October 16
With efforts to resolve feud between two devtas from the Banjar subdivision — Balu Nag of Tandi and Shringa Rishi of Kothi Chehni — having failed to satisfy the parties the Kardars blamed the Kulu Dasehra Committee (KDC) for the dispute over the years.

Devotees of the Balu Nag said tat the KDC did not allow them to take part in the rath yatra for the second time this year. “The police cordoned off the devotees and imposed prohibitory order under Section 144 cr on the devta on the occasion, which is unjust”, rued Mr K.R. Sharma the ‘Kardar’.

Highlighting the dispute between them over the right hand-side place with Lord Raghunath during the rath yatra, they alleged that the KDC had not invited them in the past to take part in Dasehra. Balu Nag is an incarnation of Lord Laxman, brother of Lord Raghunath (Rama), who is always in his right side, but his place is occupied by Shringa Rishi, who had been invited every time”.

We have not taken even the “nazrana”, — monetary tribute paid to each god, from the KDC for the past two years as a mark of protest”, the Balu Nag devotees complained. When referred the Kardars’ Sangh’s decision in 2001, which had tried to resolve the dispute by voting by Kardars, the Balu Nag devotees rejected the decision, saying that the “tradition” and “Devniti” could not be decided by human voting”. “Instead, we had agreed that Lord Raghunath would settle the dispute, but the other party disagreed to that”, they claimed.

Pleading their case, Kardars of the Shringa Rishi said that there was no controversy as to who would sit on the right to Lord Raghunath in the procession. “The Shringa Rishi is the guru of Lord Raghunath and always sits to his left it is non-negotiable”, claimed Mr Mohar Singh, pujari of Shringa Rishi. “Out of 175 Kardars, 166 voted in our favour on the issue at the October 26, 2001 meeting of the Kardars”, they claimed.

Former Mandi MP and the BJP leader Maheshwar Singh, who traditionally represents Lord Raghunath as he is the present scion of the erstwhile Kulu state said: “There was no dispute till 1978. The devtas do not fight, they are above politics. The dispute is only an ego clash. Both parties will solve the issue as we cannot take sides”, he added.

Chairman, of the KDC and Kulu MLA Raj Kishan Gaur said that they would settle the dispute provided they agreed to sit across a table. “The committee has to take back Balu Nag from the procession as a precautionary measure”, he added.

Project to help school dropouts
Ambika Sharma

Solan, October 16
With a view to inculcating a sense of biodiversity preservation in the children, “biodiversity conservation” has been chosen as the aim for developing guidebooks for the next two years by the National Science and Technology Communication, Government of India. A workshop which concluded at Dr Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, yesterday deliberated on the subject content of the guidebook.

Attended by about 100 delegates from across the nation, the guidebook thus finalised would be released at the national convention of the Children’s Science Congress’ national convention which would be held at Bhuvaneshwar in December.

Aimed at developing a scientific temper in the school children, lying in the 10 to 17 age group the Children’s Science Congress is devising these guidebooks to provide them the necessary inputs. The project also provides opportunities to the school drop-outs to make area specific projects to ensure their participation. Though not much work has been done to motivate the school drops outs in Himachal, the officials felt a beginning has already been made.

Dr Madhu Phull, Advisor, Department of Science and Technology, who was here to attend the workshop, told The Tribune that there was an inherent need to change our evaluation system as it had made the study of science more theoretical. She felt that it lacked a practical approach and it should be related to what a child can see and study.

Makeshift toilets add to patients’ woes
Kuldeep Chauhan
Tribune News Service

Kulu, October 16
The makeshift toilets, set up by the Kulu Dasehra Committee(KDC) near the Regional Hospital here, has added to the unhygienic condition that already prevails in this hospital. Patients have been braving the stench and pollution from the diesel-run noisy sideshows on Dasehra Maidan for the last four days.

The area around the entrance to the hospital stinks as visitors are not using the makeshift toilets, but this area for the purpose. The noisy diesel-run jhulas and the circus shows and the diverted heavy traffic have polluted the area around the hospital, giving sleepless nights to the patients.

The staff complained that the visitors are using the hospital’s toilets as the makeshift toilets have become unapproachable for users due to stench.

While KDC officials, including the Deputy Commissioner, the ADM and the SDM, remained unavailable on their mobile phones, as they remained busy with the VIPs, health officials are a helpless lot.

The visit to the hospital revealed that the hospital had no water.

The expected mothers are the main sufferer as babies run the risk of infection. Many of them were being referred to the zonal hospital, Mandi, or private hospital as the hospital has no gynaecologist.

“I have come from Pangi in Chamba district, but I have been asked to go to Mandi as there is no gynaecologist here”, rued Ms Guddi Devi. “My sister lives here, but it will be difficult for me to go to Mandi in a bus as delivery is expected any time”, said the woman.

In another case, a local woman had to deliver the child in the private hospital. “We kept our jewellery as a guarantee with the money lender to fund the emergency delivery that costs Rs. 25,000”, complained her husband.

The extra beds were laid in the corridors of the wards as the 200-beded hospital has to cater to over 700-800 patients who visit here daily.

The Chief Medical Officer, Kulu, Dr BC Kapur, said the water supply had been restored. Dr Kapur said a gynaecologist was expected to join the duty within a day or two.

Private colonisers eye Baddi area
Jagmeet Y. Ghuman

Baddi, October 16
Even as private colonisers are pouring in to get license to construct housing apartments in the state, the Baddi are is all set to witness the emergence of number of colonies in coming times.

Most of the builders have applied for license in Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial belt, where at present, most of the workforce has no residential facilities. In fact, lack of the housingfacilities, has come up as a major hurdle in development of the area.

The builders have begun to apply for license, after the state Cabinet gave its nod to the HP Apartment and Property Regulation Ordinance, 2005, a few months back .The ordinance was an outcome of the pathetic condition of housing facilities in the state industrial area, particularly in this area . Under the ordinance there is provision to regulate the promotion of the construction, sale, transfer and management of apartments on ownership basis, to regulate colonies and property transactions . Till date, around 35 such builders or promoters have applied for the license . Out of these a builder has already been allotted license to construct apartments here on over 100 bigha of land.

Before getting the license, the promoter who intends to construct apartments, have to make full disclosure of the nature of his title to the land on which such colony is be developed or such building is constructed or is to be constructed . A promoter to whom a license is issued, has to deposit service charges at the rate of Rs10 per square meter of the plotted area proposed to be developed by him or her as residential, commercial or indus trial into a colony in two equal installments.

Parwanoo road repair work stalled
Our Correspondent

Parwanoo, October 16
The repair work of various roads here has been put on hold. Though the local municipal committee here had invited tenders twice but on both occasions these could not be awarded.

While lack of competition was the cause of postponing the tenders for the first time, second time local contractors, who did not favour the participation of outsiders, stalled the awarding of the contract. This has delayed the work for about two months. The Executive Officer of the municipal committee, Mr Shushil Mittal, said the tenders were finally called on October 6 and the work would be awarded soon.

The undue delay has worsened the condition of various roads in the town, residents said. The poor upkeep of the roads had led to potholes.

Worse still, the renovation of 27-year-old sanitation system of the town was awaiting sanction. Though an ambitious project of Rs 5.5 crore had been prepared and forwarded to the Industries Department for approval yet the sanction was to be finalised. Officials in the Industries Department, while agreeing that the sanitation system needed an overhaul, said they were awaiting funds from the Government of India.

Over 1,000 persons residing in jhuggis with barely no-existent sanitation facilities in Sector 2 were a cause of major pollution. These jhuggis were occupied by industrial workers belonging to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. With an influx of industries after the central industrial package, their population had witnessed a sharp increase. The management of these industrial units had given a little thought to their living conditions, forcing them to take refuge in the jhuggis.

PWD drive hits vegetable vendors
Our Correspondent

Parwanoo, October 16
The PWD’s decision, not to allow the setting up of make-shift vegetable vends, along the Kalka-Shimla national highway has come as a blow for small-time vendors.

The inability of vendors to set up vends along the highway to sell the fresh pahari produce to crossing motorists has hit their business immensely. Over the years, certain points along the higway town, haddeveloped into small vegetable markets.

Most of the vendors are local unemployed youth and migrant labourers from Nepal.They sold vegetable and pahari challis here . However, this year, due to the strict guidelines of the PWD, the number of vends on both sides of the highway have decreased in number. The PWD in order to keep the highway clear from any kind of encroachment has instructed these vendors not to put up their vends inside control width of the highway.

As a result, the vendors have little space to put up their vegetables along the highway. So most of them have quit from the scene quite early in the season.

Due to poor produce of vegetable this year, they have to buy vegetable at a very high rate from growers, a roadside vendor said. Now the PWD drive has virtually left no other option for them than to abandon the idea to sell the produce on the highway , he further added.

Generally in every season i.e. from June to November, each vendor pocketed well over Rs 15,000, but this year they have hardly made any profit. 

Govt not to put off panchayat polls: CM

Shimla, October 16
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said today his government had no intention to delay or postpone the panchayat elections in the state.

Reacting to BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal’s statement, he said it was surprising how he could think of this move. — UNI