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Agro corpn staff without salary for 10 months
Varsity Location
Team members of the Union HRD Ministry at one of the sites for Central University in Dharamsala on Sunday. Photo: Kamaljeet
‘Need to create awareness on knee arthritis’ |
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Protest against abattoir construction tomorrow
Death of accident victim
Staff shortage ails Kangra hospital
Good response to sanitation awareness campaign
CAG finds financial irregularities in agri varsity
HPU affairs: Governor’s intervention sought
Irrigation Project
PG courses recognised
VHP ceremony held peacefully
Case filed against victims in firing incident
Lack of amenities in market
resented
Prize distribution function held
Cop found dead
CM’s intervention sought
DC assures help to post office staff
School named after martyr
Concession on air fares sought
One booked for rape
Dhumal to present Budget on March 9
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Agro corpn staff without salary for 10 months
Hamirpur, February 21 More than 120 employees working in different branches of the corporation have not been paid salaries for the past 10 months and are reportedly facing worst period of their lives. Also crores of rupees are pending towards retirement benefits of about a dozen employees retiring since February, 2008, and even contribution towards the CPF is reportedly not been made. The HP Agro Industries Corporation, incorporated in the seventies to support agricultural activities by the state government, was running few production units and marketing centres involved in multifarious activities. Though till a few years back the corporation was earning profits, due to shift in some of its profit-making activities and few other reasons it started making losses. An employee of the HP Agro Industries Corporation on anonymity said, “We have not been paid salaries for more than 10 months, we do not know what to tell our families at home. While majority of us are finding it difficult to run households as shopkeepers have stopped giving credit and children of some of our colleagues had to discontinue their studies in the want of school expenses.” Even employees getting retired have not received any of their dues or salaries, sources said, adding that Rs 2 crore are pending towards salaries dues, Rs 2 crore towards retirement benefits and about Rs 2 crore are also pending for making the CPF contribution. The employees of HP Agro Industries Corporation are peeved at the alleged step-motherly treatment towards them as employees of the HP State Electricity Board and few other loss making PSUs have been granted new Punjab pay scales and they have not even been paid bare minimum money to feed their families. Sources in the corporation said, “If our business activities like sale of insecticides, steel, cement and bitumen, etc, through which we were doing business of about Rs 3 crore per month are restored our routine money circulation will begin ending our payment crisis.” Managing director of the corporation Kashmir Chand said, “I am taking up the issue of payment of due of employees with the government and held a meeting with the Chief Secretary and Secretary Finance and the government is working on a solution to this problem.” |
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Central team zeroes in on two sites
Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, February 21 According to sources, the team might finally shortlist two sites. The two sites include the one suggested by the Congress MP from Jodhpur and former Dharamsala MLA Chandresh Kumari and the other by the state government. Chandresh Kumari is lobbying that the university should be brought up on the government land near Indrunag temple, about 7 km uphill from Dharamsala. The state government under the directions of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal is for locating the university on forest land, just 2 km from Dehra. Chandresh Kumari came to Dharamsala yesterday, especially to accompany the visiting team to the site proposed by her. She was also accompanied by other Congress leaders, including former Kangra MP Chander Kumar and HPCC spokesman for Kangra constituency Kewal Singh Pathania. The district administration, on the other hand, had deputed revenue officials to display the suitability of land near Dehra for locating the central university. The sources said both sites proposed for setting up the central university would involve forest land and felling of trees. In both the cases, the state government would have to seek permission from the Central empowered committee of the Supreme Court for diverting the forest land for bringing up the university. The state would also have to deposit the amount for compensatory forestation with the Department of Forest for diverting the land. While taking final decision for locating the university, the visiting team would have to consider the cost for bringing up the institution and wishes of the state government as it has to chip in the cost of land. Though the site being suggested by the Congress leaders near Dharamsala is environmentally more congenial, the cost of construction here would be almost double than that the site being suggested by the state government near Dehra. Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal in a recent statement had maintained that he was open to location of central university at any place in Kangra district. However, the sources here said still the state government would lobby for Dehra site for locating the university. The state has also offered the place for temporary campus of university at Jawalamukhi that is close to Dehra site. The visiting team would now have to take a decision regarding the site of central university amidst hectic lobbying by the Congress leaders and the state government. The visiting team members included joint secretary in the Union Ministry for HRD, Sunil Kumar, secretary, UGC, Renu Batra, the newly appointed VC of central university in Kangra, Fukran Kumar, and professor of Banaras Hindu University, JP Singh. The team would submit its report to the Union Ministry for HRD for final decision.
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‘Need to create awareness on knee arthritis’
Shimla, February 21 “In a country like the USA as many as 15 lakh total knee replacement surgeries are being carried out annually, whereas in India only about 46,000 such procedures are taking place. If one takes into account the population the minimum number of such surgeries should have been in excess of 80 lakh,” he pointed out. The huge difference, he said, was indicative of the low level of awareness. People mostly ignored the symptoms of knee arthritis and tried to manage the problem by taking painkillers. They consulted the specialists only when the disease had reached an advanced stage and there was no option except replacement surgery. Worse, a large number of people, who were confined to bed by the disease, were unaware that surgery could enable them to lead a normal life. The people of northern region, including Himachal Pradesh, where climbing slopes put more stress on knees, were prone to this problem. The disease could be managed without surgical intervention in almost 95 per cent of the cases if patients consulted the specialists in early stages. Those above 50 years of age were more vulnerable to knee arthritis and the ailment inflicted every three out of five people aged 65 or more. Dr Wadhwa, who is currently working with Fortis Hospital in Mohali, informed that of late younger generations too were showing signs of the ailment with one out of every five people in the 18 to 44 years age group suffering from it. Similarly, more than two out of every five individuals, in the 45 to 64 year age group had arthritis symptoms. Besides genetic factors, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy diet make people prone to the disease. The country now had the advanced technology, surgical skills and other required infrastructure for carrying out knee replacement surgeries on par with the USA, the UK and other advanced countries. An added advantage was that it cost around Rs 2.7 lakh to replace both knees, which was almost one-tenth of the expenditure one had to incur in the USA. It was thus an affordable proposition now. The cost could come down by about Rs 1 lakh if high quality implants could be manufactured within the country. The latest painless and bloodless knee replacement surgery techniques ensured swift recovery and patient specific implants with higher flexibility modified pain control concepts and minimal bleeding suited even the elderly patients. |
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Protest against abattoir construction tomorrow
Shimla, February 21 The committee, which met under the chairmanship of its acting convener Nagender Gupta, decided to hold a silent march from Boileauganj to the Deputy Commissioner’s office on February 23 and submit a memorandum to Chief Minister PK Dhumal in this regard. Gupta pointed out that the proposed abattoir was not a slaughterhouse for the Shimla city as was initially made out, but a regular industrial unit where thousands of poultry birds, pigs, sheep and goats would be slaughtered daily. The daily requirement of the city was only about 80 goats and six pigs whereas over 1,000 goats and 150 pigs would be slaughtered and supplied throughout the state. The site was not suitable for such a huge unit as it would not only require over one lakh litres of water but also pollute the Banothi Pphal khad on which as many as five drinking water supplies were based and one more was proposed. The Rs 19.60-crore project would spell doom for the residents of these villages and also hurt religious sentiments as some temples were located in the close vicinity. As animals would be brought from the neighbouring states and meat would be supplied to far-off towns there was no justification for setting up the abattoir on the outskirts of the city. It would make a better economic sense to locate it more towards a border where cost of transportation of animals would be much less. |
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Relatives allege medical negligence
Kuldeep Chauhan Tribune News Service
Mandi, February 21 Narrating their tale of woes here today, the family members and friends of the accident victims charged that they were neither provided emergency treatment nor ambulance within three critical “golden hours”. Amardeep, a fourth semester student of architecture and Gunjan, a sixth semester mechanical engineering student, were studying at Polytechnic College, Sundernagar. They suffered serious injuries after the private bus hit them. Their friends, who had rushed them to the hospital, said they did not get emergency treatment at Sundernagar. They were then referred to Mandi, but on the way they took them to private Harihar Hospital at Gutkar, but the hospital refused to entertain them saying that “it was a police case”. They then reached Zonal Hospital, Mandi, at around 7 pm. But, there was a nurse and pharmacist in the hospital who put them on drip and oxygen. “We made 25 phone calls to the CMO-cum-medical superintendent Dr AB Gupta, but he did not respond and another doctor said he was busy”, the friends alleged. “Even the nurse on duty asked us to take care of the drip”, they said. Both the students were then referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, at 9 pm. They took them in a private ambulance without oxygen after the hospital refused them both ambulance and oxygen, the students alleged. “We arranged two ambulances given by the Saket hospital at Sundernagar”, they said. They warned that if the government did not take any action, they would launch an agitation. Jai Kumar, a family member of Amardeep, said they had lost him because of the medical negligence. The CMO of Mandi, Dr AB Gupta, claimed that patients were attended to in the hospital. “I reached the hospital after 15 minutes, but the patients were referred to the PGI as their condition was critical”, he said. On ambulance, Dr Gupta said one ambulance was on VIP duty at Shivratri fair at Paddal and another ambulance had no driver as there was only one driver. “I have ordered an inquiry into the matter”, he claimed.
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Staff shortage ails Kangra hospital
Kangra, February 21 BL Sharma, spokesman of the Senior citizens Forum, alleged that the political leadership was not sincere in solving the problems plaguing the hospital. On the one hand, the upgrade orders remained in files, on the other, instead of providing more staff the existing one was transferred, depriving the needy of genuine medical care, Sharma further alleged. The 100-bedded hospital has a requirement of 17 doctors but there are four doctors only. Instead of seven pharmacists only one is available. Even the nurses are over worked, with six instead of actual requirement of 14 cater the patients here. Against 20 class IV employees there are only 4 in the hospital. Presently, the hospital has no surgeon, physician, radiologist, eye-specialist, child specialist,
Gynaecologist, anaesthetist, skin-specialist, ENT-specialist and other doctors. Surprisingly, during a visit to the hospital yesterday, this reporter found only one doctor battling the situation with a large number of patients waiting in queue as the SMO Dr BM Sharma had gone for a day’s training, Dr Gurdharshan Gupta an orthopaedic surgeon had gone for the court evidence and to attend a camp and Dr Archana Ghautam reportedly had an off. The government’s claim that Tanda Medical College, just 4 km from
Kangra, caters to the needs of people of the area falls flat. The hospital witnessed the highest number of OPD patients, i.e. 1,28,668, last year against 1,08,051 in 2008. Due to unavailability of specialists, indoor patients were reducing day by day. In 2007, around 9,893 surgeries were performed which reduced to 9,512 in 2008. Last year, the figure further dropped to 6,877. The doctors on the condition of the anonymity blamed the present government for its faulty recruitment policy. They alleged that doctors had no job security when appointed through RKS and had to wait for eight years for their
regularisation. They informed that only 271 doctors joined against 350 posts and within days 100 of them left their jobs and remaining 170 were looking for an opportunity to leave. Health Minister Rajeev
Bindal, refuting the charges of the doctors, said 490 doctors were appointed during last two years and areas of Kinnuar and Lahul and Sipiti had more doctors now. He assured doctors would be posted at Kangra Civil hospital shortly. He said that doctors were lured by better incentives outside so they preferred to leave jobs here. |
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Good response to sanitation awareness campaign
Shimla, February 21 The state had started various programmes, schemes and sanitation awareness campaign in this direction, the results of which were now visible on the ground. There has been a tremendous increase in rural sanitation coverage from less than 30 per cent in 2001 to over 80 per cent in 2009. The campaign to stamp out open defecation is eliciting encouraging response from the rural masses and yielding a positive outcome. The gram panchayats, which achieve 100 per cent sanitation coverage in terms of individual household toilets, schools and anganwadis, defecation-free and clean environment are being provided fiscal incentives. As many as 22 gram panchayats were given the “Nirmal Gram Puraskar” in 2006-07 and the number rose to 245 in 2007-08 and 253 in the following year. Gram panchayats receiving the incentives could use the funds for maintaining sanitation facilities in their respective areas. The blocks and districts could use the funds to set up monitoring mechanisms for sanitation. However, the gram panchayat is derecognised if it fails to maintain the ODF status. The maximum number of 125 Nirmal panchayats was in Mandi, followed by 29 in Kangra, 23 in Shimla, 25 in Hamirpur, 15 in Solan, 13 in Sirmaur, 7 in Chamba, 8 in Bilaspur, 3 each in Kullu and Lahaul and Spiti, one each in Una and Kinnaur. They were given cash rewards ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh A sum of Rs 3.65 crore would be disbursed among the ‘Nirmal Gram Panchayats’ so that the remaining panchayats were also inspired to follow their footsteps. The government has decided to honour the people who contribute in the implementation of total sanitation programme in their respective areas. The government has also started the ’Maharishi Valmiki Sampuran Swachhata Puraskar’ to help achieve the goal of safe and hygienic sanitation facilities for all and to motivate the panchayati raj institutions. School sanitation reward scheme and Mahila Mandal Protsahan Yojna has also been started. |
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CAG finds financial irregularities in agri varsity
Palampur, February 21 According to information gathered by The Tribune, it has come to light that the university authorities had given undue and illegal promotions to 30 teachers in last 10 years. Due to the illegal promotions these teachers had withdrawn Rs 66 lakh excess from the state exchequer in the form of pay and allowances. Vice-chancellor and other university officers who were well conversant with this scam remained silent spectators and no action was initiated against the culprits. It is learnt that teachers who were working under the scale of 3,000-5,000 were given undue promotions and their salaries were fixed to the scale of Rs 16,400-22,400. According to audit report, 21 teachers had withdrawn Rs 66,47,620 in excess of their salaries while in 20 cases the audit report was still awaited. Besides, the auditors had also called for the record of few head of departments who had also availed undue promotions and had drawn excess allowances. Total financial irregularities were likely to touch Rs 1.5 crore. An official of the university said the legal experts had advised the vice-chancellor long back to take up this issue in the Board of Management of the University for the final decision. However, the vice-chancellor was adopting the delaying tactics and this matter was not tabled in the previous two meetings of Board of management. It was also revealed that number of files relating to this case were missing from the record of the university. The CAG had asked the university to reconstruct the missing files so that necessary and final report could be sent to the state government and AG Himachal Pradesh for final action. A senior officer of the state government while talking to The Tribune said matter had already come to the notice of CM Prem Kumar Dhumal.
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HPU affairs: Governor’s intervention sought
Shimla, February 21 In a representation to the Governor who is also the Chancellor of the university, he has pointed out that the decisions of the executive council, the highest decision-making body of the university, pertaining to disputes concerning pay-fixation, promotions against upgraded posts, regularisation of staff after completion of eight-year service and release of UGC pay scales had not been implemented. Vacant posts were not being filled due to delay in securing the necessary approval from the state government under the provision of Section 35A and superannuation of employees was only adding to shortage of staff. Although the governing organs like executive council had decided various issues pertaining to promotion against upgraded posts, regularisation, pay-fixation and revised pay scales long back, these were not being implemented. The uncalled for controversy and delay in notifying the revised UGC pay scales in respect of “administrative officers” had led to unnecessary litigation and a civil writ petition was pending before the high court. The university officers had been, in departure from normal practice to allow “equivalent grade” to them on UGC pattern, left out. The matter regarding non-implementation of decisions taken by the executive council were discussed threadbare in its last meeting held on September 29 last but still no steps had been taken for implementation.
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Environment team visits proposed site
Our Correspondent
Nurpur, February 21 Team comprising experts of bio-diversity, forestry and soil science and environment economics assessed the impact relating to environment degradation and any negative effects on local populace after commissioning of Rs 147 crore irrigation project. The team also sought opinion of the locals in this connection. After visiting the site, Thakur told The Tribune that authority would finalise its report with consensus of all experts of the team and submit it to the director environment, Shimla, for final nod on the project. He informed that the authority had to ensure that no adverse effect could occur on environment keeping in view the larger interests of the local populace. Meanwhile, local MLA Rakesh Pathania claimed that the Central Water Commission (CWC) had given its nod to the long-standing proposed project, which would benefit 44,000 farmers in 16 gram panchayats and usher the area into green revolution. He informed that the CWC and the state government had to bear 90 and 10 per cent cost of the project, respectively.
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PG courses recognised
Shimla, February 21 The government has received a communication in this regard which says that recognition has been granted to the postgraduate courses in oral and maxillofacial surgery,
periodontics, and orthodontics and community dentistry on the recommendation of the Dental Council of India
(DCI). A team of the DCI had carried out an inspection to ascertain the availability of faculty and infrastructure for the courses. Principal of the college Ashu Bhardwaj said the effort made by the college authorities and the state government had yielded results and all batches would get recognised postgraduate degrees. It is worth mentioning that it took seven years for the college to get the recognition for the degree course and as such securing recognition for postgraduate courses in three years was quite an achievement. |
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VHP ceremony held peacefully
Shimla, February 21 Elaborate security arrangements had been made for the ceremony and senior officers, including Superintendent of Police RM Sharma and Additional District Magistrate Rakesh Kapoor had been camping in
Nerwa. After purification ritual a “yajna” was performed at the local ground. In charge of the state
VHP, Ram Mohan Sharma and some other religious leaders addressed the gathering. Sharma said cow was not only a holy animal but also economically beneficial to the people. At a time when the focus was on preserving environment, there was no justification for slaughtering the animal which played a key role in sustainable and environment-friendly farming.
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Case filed against victims in firing incident
Chamba, February 21 The case has been registered on the complaint of Kanveer Krishan Sharma, a representative of the hydropower enterprise executing the 4.5 MW Hul hydroelectric project on the Hul nullah in Jadera area of the district. In his statement recorded in the case registered with the police, Sharma complained that on February 14 at Chungah in the Jadera area, these persons allegedly beat up the employees of hydropower enterprise without any reason and fled away after stealing the survey equipment of the hydropower company from the project site. While filing the case, Sharma alleged in his statement that company’s employees had threatened to harm him. |
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Lack of amenities in market
resented
Nurpur, February 21 In the meeting presided over by association’s
president Ravinder Kumar, it was alleged that the committee had failed to
provide amenities like rest house, streetlights, urinal, drinking water and
sanitation in the mandi, notwithstanding lakhs of rupees being deposited in
state exchequer in the from of various taxes by the mandi’s agents every
year. The association also rued that due to the apathy of the market committee a number of sabzi mandis have flopped. It also took a strong exception of failure of the committee to check the selling of vegetables and fruits by unauthorised persons in their vehicles in sabzi mandi. In this connection, Jit Thakur, secretary of the Kangra District Market Committee, said the demand of a rest house in the sabzi mandi had been turned down, whereas urinal would be built shortly. He clarified that the committee usually check unauthorised selling in the mandi and fine them.
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Prize distribution function held
Bilaspur, February 21 Dr Mallika Nadda, chairperson
of state’s Special Olympics and general secretary of a social organisation, Chetna, stated this while presiding over the annual prize distribution function of Glory Public School here today. Attar Singh, a veteran educationist and a former deputy director of education, said the leaders have
consistently ignored quality education in schools and this has resulted in the present mess, including strikes, agitations, disturbances and even destruction of careers of
our youth. He, however, expressed satisfaction that at least some private schools were conscious of their responsibilities and were devoting time and energy to give their best to the students. Managing director of the school JS Varma and Principal Ashok lata also addressed the function and gave details of the school activities, while the students presented a colourful cultural programme. |
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Cop found dead
Bilaspur, February 21 Pankaj’s motorcycle was found parked on the bridge and somebody informed the police regarding the body which lying in the fields. The police recovered a suicide note from the body od the deceased which apologised for this step, but his parents doubted the genuineness of this note pleading that Pankaj had no reason what so ever to take such a step. However, his body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem
examination. Superintendent of Police Kuldip Sharma said a case had been registered and the police was looking into all aspects of this death. However, more would be known after receiving the report of the suicide note from a document examiner at Junga, Shimla. Pankaj Kumar, son of businessman Sohan Lal, belonged to the upper main market of this town. In another case, a body of missing fisherman Balbir Singh, alias Bhola, of Kadohghat village in Jaddu Guljyar gram panchayat in the Kot Dhar area, 90 km from here, was found in the Gobind Sagar. The police has registered a case. However, his parents expressed suspicion that he had been murdered and thrown into the Gobind Sagar. |
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CM’s intervention sought
Bilaspur, February 21 The federation asked the CM to ensure repeated benefits of these reimbursements not only to the controlling offices but also to the lower offices that are mostly deprived of this payment for years together. It also asked the CM to ensure that this budget is proportionately distributed. Addressing mediapersons here, state president of the federation Ram Singh said the federation had been receiving repeated complaints from various districts and offices of the state. While the officers and employees of some controlling offices have no pending reimbursement bills, several lower rank officials and employees of lower offices do not get reimbursements for long periods and in some cases, these bills are pending since two to three years. The state federation has urged that these payments should be properly streamlined and an enquiry should be held in to this matter, while for future the higher offices should be asked to allocate these funds according to the strength of the employees. They should also be asked to file regular return of the payments from all offices and pending payments.
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DC assures help to post office staff
Bilaspur, February 21 The deputation complained that they were being forced to purchase a calendar for Rs 200 each while they were also being threatened to face “serious consequences” if they did not cooperate in this matter. They said as a pressure tactic the time for depositing amounts for the small savings at the post office had been changed between 9 to 11 am with view to putting them to inconvenience, which actually, was seriously affecting the collection of small savings at the post office here. The DC, who is also the chairperson of the District Small Savings
Organisation, assured to look into their problems and do the needful.
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School named after martyr
Hamirpur, February 21 Addressing the gathering, he said, “Although thousands of army men families are serving the nation through their family members, it is distressing that the serving-soldiers get very little recognition from the government”. He further said, “Even ex-servicemen are also not getting their due recognition and the issue of ‘one rank one pension’ is still hanging in fire, despite repeated appeals”. He paid tributes to martyrs on the occasion.
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Concession on air fares sought
Hamirpur, February 21 In a letter written to the Union Civil Aviation Minister, state president of the sangh BD Sharma said the concession was available for the senior citizens till sometime back but was withdrawn abruptly. Sharma said since many senior citizens like to visit religious places by air due to health reasons fare concession would be of great help to them. The sangh has also requested the Union railway minister to announce uniform 50 per cent railway concession to both male and female senior citizens.
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One booked for rape
Chamba, February 21 A case under Sections 376, 506 and 190 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against the accused at a remote Kihar police station in the district. Sharma said the accused was at large and the search was on to nab him. |
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Dhumal to present Budget on March 9
Shimla, February 21 “The Chief Minister will present the Budget in the Vidhan Sabha on March 9,” a government spokesperson said. The Budget session will be held from March 2 to April 13 and have 26 sittings, including three days for private members’ bills.
— IANS
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Youth hit by train, dies
Nurpur, February 21
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The site selection team of the Union Ministry for HRD today completed its two-day survey for deciding the location of central university proposed for Kangra district.
