Shimla, May 29
The government could give the go-ahead for setting up of health institutes and medical colleges in public private partnership (PPP) mode to provide quality health services to the masses.

Addressing a press conference here today renowned cardiologist and Chairman-cum-Managing Director of ‘Medanta- The Medicity’ a multi-super specialty institute in Gurgaon, today said a proposal in this regard had already been submitted to the Planning Commission.

Dr Naresh Trehan in his capacity as Chairman of the Health Care Committee of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and President of India Health Care Federation, said in all probability the government was likely to give the go-ahead to the proposal as a major leap towards providing quality health care at affordable prices. He added that the document would soon be placed before the Prime Minister for consideration.

“We have proposed that 33 per cent beds in such PPP hospitals would be for weaker sections, 33 per cent for middle group and an equal percentage for private patients who can afford to pay,” he said.

He said setting up of hospitals in PPP mode would be a major step, especially in the backdrop of the manner in which medical colleges-cum-hospitals were compromising on quality. He said this would also help tide over the paucity of specialists in tertiary care government hospitals and allow authorities to focus on primary health care.

He said the Medanta was a conglomeration of a super specialty institute having world-class doctors heading various faculties. “Since it is a 1500-bedded hospital the cost of the latest procedures, tests and surgeries works out to be at least 20 per cent cheaper than other private hospitals,” he claimed.

Dr Trehan said the prevalence of heart ailments and diabetes was the highest in India. “Taking preventive measures, better awareness levels, healthy lifestyle and early diagnosis can not only cure serious ailments but can greatly enhance quality of life even in serious ailments,” he emphasized.

Shimla, May 29
She stands tall, courtesy her power-packed performances even in multi-starrer movies which has not only won her accolades, but landed her plum roles in three Hollywood movies.

Actor Divya Dutta could certainly be labelled as a late achiever but the actress has no grudges whatsoever. “Rather than having a meteoric rise and then fading into posterity too soon, I prefer to do meaningful roles which are specifically conceived keeping me in mind,” she says. It is her versatility and ability to mould into any role which has producers lined up to take her in their films.

Her fans will get to see her in at least 10 movies this year in which she has major roles. “Three of my Hollywood movies including ‘Hiss’, based on the life of a snake charmer, and ‘Heartland’, have been shot and I have been signed up for a third one so if you get noticed even foreign directors pick you up for big roles,” she asserts.

Thoroughly impressed with the work and life of Shabana Azmi, both as an actor and as a family person, Divya says she too will like to do meaningful roles. “I am too passionate about acting so I can never imagine leaving films. At the same time, rather than doing a mother or a bhabhi role, I would want to do meaningful cinema all my life,” she opines.

Having worked with almost every prominent producer, director and actor, she says she would love to do a film with the immensely talented Aamir Khan.

She has no particular favourites as such or idol so to say but she has loved Kajol, Rani Mukherjee and Tabu in particular roles which applies to other actors as well. “I am very excited about my film ‘Monica’, based on the life of a journalist and how she uses people and finally gets used in the process,” she reveals.

Television could have a far bigger reach than films in India but Divya is scared of the over-exposure it gives to an actor.

“I would rather do films and be remembered for powerful roles than get stereotyped in a particular role on television,” she opines.

Her take on the oft-asked question about exposure and vulgarity in movies is that if the script and the role demands it, it could be done aesthetically but not just to make a film a hit with the audiences.

Shimla, May 29
Serious initiatives at the government-level to make meaningful cinema available to the masses for free is what will break the myth that art is only for the elite.

This is the opinion of most film directors and actors, including Rahul Bose, Divya Dutta, MS Sathyu, Shyamal Karmakar and Abhishek Pathak who are here in connection with the “Indian Panorama Film Festival” being held here for the first time.

Films of these directors and actors, chosen for screening at international film festivals, are being screened here at the Gaiety Theatre.

“Initiatives like holding of such film festivals in smaller cities like Shimla and Kohima will contribute in a big way to take meaningful and serious parallel cinema to the masses who have neither the access or the means to view it,” stressed Rahul Bose. He said exposure to art for any individual was an essential thing, an idea which must be funded by the government.

Noted film director Sathyu regretted that despite suggestions being given in this regard, very little was translated into action. “At most of these film festivals suggestions are elicited from participants but things remain just on paper with little or no improvement,” he said.

He also regretted that for want of promotion by bigger production houses and lack of aggressive marketing, good films at times did not even reach theatres. “It is not big money but ideas which make good films. However, huge investment in commercial cinema has ruined the quality as vulgar and cheap films are being churned out to guarantee returns,” he rued.

The director of “Garam Hawa”, a film on Partition, also feels that television has been misused in India and very poor quality programmes were being made. “Television is a very powerful medium which has been misused and I hope and pray that this trend will come to an end soon,” he said.

Almost all actors and directors were unanimous in their views about the role of the Censor Board of India. “There is no need for such board as it inhibits the creative expression and moreover there is no 
such agency for newspapers and other publications,” asserted Sathyu. 

Bilaspur, May 29
The Right To Information Act (RTI) is a very powerful and revolutionary weapon in the hands of public and this would go a long way to bring responsibility, transparency and accountability in functioning of all public institutions and departments in the country.

This was stated by Civil Judge (senior division) RK Chaudhary while presiding over a day-long legal literacy camp organised for gram panchayat, Yuvak Mandal and Mahila Mandal representatives at Shikroha, about 35 km from here today.

Chaudhary said under this law, any responsible officer was duty-bound to provide the required information within one month and if there was any resistance for the same, he could be fined and even arrested for trying to hide the information due to obvious reasons.

The judge said the government had also provided another very important facility to all citizens who were poor and who could not bear expenses of their litigation. Such persons with annual income up to Rs 50,000 and also women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, handicapped, industrial labourers, natural disaster victims etc could apply to the district Legal Aid Authority or the Subdivisional Authority and could avail justice free of cost in any court.

Senior advocates RS Parmar, Chaman Thakur and Kuldip Sharma also addressed the camp.

Shimla, May 29
The government today launched the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) facility to dealers registered under the HP VAT Act and CST Act in the state by presenting certificates.

Launching the facility here today, Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal said TIN number would benefit the traders immensely since it would be useful for their tax-related issues. “With the launch of this facility, a very long pending demand of the dealers in the state has been fulfilled,” he said.

He said the state government had taken up the matter of VAT computerisation with the Centre. “The matter is at an advanced stage of signing of agreement with the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers,” he stated.

Dhumal said TIN was a unique number with standard 11 digit format similar to PAN (Permanent Account Number) of the Income Tax Department. He said TIN would provide the dealers unique identification number to identify them either at the barriers or elsewhere with minimum chances of use of other dealer’s number.

He complimented the Excise and Taxation Department for taking a progressive step towards making tax collection facility high-tech. He said the dealers in possession of TIN would be able to trade their goods and commodities hassle- free from other states to Himachal Pradesh which had been made mandatory in many other states.

He urged the traders’ associations and dealers to submit their fact sheets to the Excise and Taxation Department so that they were issued TIN well before the targeted date of June 30, 2010. 

Dharamsala, May 29
Small-scale industrialists of the state are reeling under debt as the Khadi Village and Industries’ Commission has failed to release subsidy to them for the past two years.

According to sources, small-scale industrialists were given loan in 2007 under which marginal money was to be paid as subsidy to them by the Khadi Commission. They were to be given a subsidy of 25 per cent upto the investment of Rs 10 lakh and 10 per cent for amount ranging from Rs 10 lakh to 25 lakh. Investors belonging to SC/ST community were to be given additional subsidy of 5 per cent.

Rajesh, a resident of Una district, had taken a loan under the scheme for setting up a feed mill. While talking to The Tribune he alleged that they had taken a loan from bank with a view that the interest over the amount would come in the form of subsidy from the Khadi Commission. However, it has been two years but the subsidy has not been paid, he said.

According to the scheme, the bank was supposed to keep the subsidy amount with itself before releasing it to the beneficiary. The clause was added to ensure that the unit, for which the loan was being sought, was actually working.

However, the clause would now mean that even if the subsidy is released by the Khadi Commission this year, the beneficiaries would have to wait for another two years to get the amount. This would delay in returning the loan amount and more interest accumulating over small-scale entrepreneurs.

The affected industrialists have demanded that MPs from the state should take up the issue in Parliament.

Officials of the Khadi board, on condition of anonymity, said the amount was not paid as it had not been released by the commission that was under the jurisdiction of the Centre.