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Absence of social schemes bane of HIV/AIDS patients
Take part in awareness campaigns: Bahuguna
Violations by Ponty Chadha group mines being probed
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Film fest from Dec 3
Link tribal livelihood with income activities: ICFRE chief
‘Govt has failed to
implement forest Act’
Women express concern over male-dominated society
Birender opposes shifting of Directorates from Doon
100 attend Art of Living workshop in Doon
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Absence of social schemes bane of HIV/AIDS patients
Dehradun, November 30 As HIV/AIDS increases social and health care costs, for the poor suffering from the virus social security and concessions are necessary to help them tide over their financial condition. “Though free treatment is available at government hospitals our government has not implemented any scheme targeting persons suffering from HIV. Poor HIV/AIDS patients are getting financial aid in Delhi, but the Uttarakhand government seems to be oblivious of the needs of such people,” said the Lawrence of Horizon for Prosperity and Education (HOPE), an NGO. A total of 1,421 HIV patients were undergoing treatment at the anti-retroviral treatment (ART) centre of Doon Hospital and the ART centre at Haldwani Medical College till August 2012. Most of these patients are under considerable stress and trips to hospitals and ART centres for treatment add to their agony. “In order to provide relief to HIV patients, the Central government had announced the railway pass scheme. As buses are the common mode of transportation in Uttarakhand, we had suggested free bus passes for HIV patients. But there is no unanimity on the method of implementation of the scheme with the Department of Transport,” said Dr PC Kapri, additional project director, Uttarakhand State AIDS Control Society (USACS). Though the number of children with HIV and the population of orphans, whose parents have died of AIDS and who are being looked after by elderly people, is growing in the state, neither the Department of Women and Child Development nor the Department of Social Welfare have tried to reach out to these persons through any schemes. “A total of 109 children (below 15 years) are undergoing treatment at the ART centre at Doon Hospital. We are doing all we could to provide for their medical treatment but in the absence of any nutritional supplement, which many cannot afford, the effect of treatment is slow,” added Dr KS Negi, Senior Medical Officer, ART centre. For the last two years the paediatric HIV treatment protocol has been in place at the ART centre at Doon Hospital for children below 15 years. Earlier the children were administered the adult formulation, which often led to under or over dosage due to human error, causing resistance to the drug.
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Take part in awareness campaigns: Bahuguna
Dehradun, November 30
He called upon educational institutions, the NCC, the NSS, volunteer organisations, media, public representatives and people working in health sectors to contribute in spreading awareness to check the spread of HIV/AIDS. He directed Health Department officials to involve these institutions in HIV/AIDS control awareness campaigns. He appealed to the general public not to hold negative attitude towards HIV patients. Meanwhile, members of Mamta, a social organisation, today took out a rally to make people aware about HIV/AIDS. Carrying banners depicting the message of awareness about HIV/AIDS, they marched through various city roads and reached Gandhi Park. Students of SGRR School also presented a skit at Gandhi Park. |
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Violations by Ponty Chadha group mines being probed
Pithoragarh, November 30 “We have received a letter from the Kumaon Commissioner, Dr Hemlata Dhaundiyal, ordering an investigation into the alleged violation of forest laws by mines owned by the Ponty Chadha group in Bageshwar district,” said V. Shanmugham, District Magistrate, Bageshwar. The District Magistrate said he had ordered the Tehsildar of Bageshwar, Padam Singh Mahar, to investigate the matter as the mines were situated in the Rima area of Bageshwar. The Forest Department has also ordered a probe into the alleged violation of forest laws by the soft stone mines owned by the group in the Bageshwar division. “It has come to our notice that the Ponty Chadha group has installed a cable trolley at Dungari village of the district to ferry soft stones from its mines. The Forest Department has not given permission for the installation of the cable trolley. We are investigating the matter to find out whether the cable trolley is operating without permission,” said RC Sharma, DFO, Bageshwar division. According to district administration sources, the Ponty Chadha group has six soft stone mines in Bageshwar district where more than 500 locals are working at present. “The Chadha group has nearly 60 hectares in the district under the soft stone mines allotted on different names,” said Pankaj Pandey, president of the Bageshwar Nagrik Manch.The Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) of the Kumaon division has also summoned a report from the DFO on the legality of the Chadha group mines in the district. The Mining Department has also started a probe into the allegation that some of the Chadha group mines are being operated on revenue land of farmers. “We are investigating the matter. When it is a crime to keep debris on revenue land, how can one mine it,” said Rajpal Legha, Mines Officer, Bageshwar district.
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Film fest from Dec 3
Dehradun, November 30 He said Hemant Shekar’s directed Garhwal Film ‘Pyar Jeetagay’ would be shown to the viewers on the first day of the festival. He said films like ‘Yaad Ali Tehri’, ‘Ekhri Maya’ and ‘Teri Saun’ would also be screened at the festival. Negi said the entry would be free for the viewers and the screening of the film would begin daily at 4 pm at Natraj. He said the film show was aimed to apprise the people about region’s art and culture. |
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Link tribal livelihood with income activities: ICFRE chief
Dehradun, November 30 Dr Bahuguna laid emphasis on taking immediate steps towards exploring new ways to link tribal livelihood with forest-based income generation activities in the state. While defining the aims and objectives of the newly-established centre under the ICFRE at Gandhigram in Agartala, he also advised the centre to take up new programmes for the promotion of non-timber forest products-based livelihood generation through the development of cultivation techniques. He also said looking into the potential of broom grass and scope of orchids in Tripura, the ICFRE had already sanctioned some extension and research projects on various schemes, including the Direct to Consumer scheme. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Tripura, S Talukdar, and other senior officials of the Forest Department sought support from the Centre to achieve its goal of serving the people of Tripura.
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‘Govt has failed to
implement forest Act’
Dehradun, November 30 “No effort has been made to disseminate information about the Act by the Department of Social Welfare. As a result, the Van Adhikar samitis have not been created at the village, block, district and state levels,” Rawat said. He was speaking today at a workshop on empowerment of Van Panchayats in Uttarakhand organised by Jandesh. “The arrangement by the Forest Department has made us outsiders in our land. We have to seek permission from the forest management committee that came into force after an amendment brought to the Van Panchayat Niti (2205), wherein the Van Panchayats were dissolved,” Rawat said.
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Women express concern over male-dominated society
Pithoragarh, November 30
“Though the role of women in Uttarakhand has changed over the last 50 years but their condition has remained static,” said Prof Rekha Pandey from the Director of Centre of Women Study of the Hyderabad University. Susheela Baluni, chairperson of the state women commission, who was also the chief guest on the occasion, said the cases of female foeticide were on increase as our ‘Sanskaras’ of worshiping women as goddess and culture of respecting the women was depleting from the society. “We have seen success of our movements like Chipko, and statehood agitation due to participation of women in those, but the cause of concern is that even after that success, the respective governments could not give women the right place in the new society which emerged after the creation of separate state of Uttarakhand,” said Susheela Baluni. |
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Birender opposes shifting of Directorates from Doon
Dehradun, November 30 Birender Singh, who was here today to attend a meeting of the State Congress Working Committee at Congress Bhawan, said he was against the shifting of the Directorates of various departments outside the state capital. “You cannot allow MLAs to take Directorates to their respective constituencies. All Directorates should be in the state capital,” said Birendra Singh, referring to the recent moves to shift the Agriculture Directorate from Dehradun to Pauri and the shifting of the Scheduled Tribes Welfare Directorate from Dehradun. He also favoured the reorganisation of the PCC in the near future. “The revamp will be done from top to bottom and the existing flaws in the organisation will be removed,” he said. He said while many PCC members had left the party since the last Lok Sabha elections, there were many who were no more active and thus the reorganisation was very necessary. He, however, categorically denied that the exercise was solely meant to remove the incumbent President of the state unit of the Congress, Yashpal Arya. Birender Singh further said Cabinet ministers would no more be allowed to simultaneously become heads of boards and corporations. “They will be asked to take the choice between the two," he added. Referring to the performance of the Vijay Bahuguna-led state government, Birender Singh said while the government had just completed its nine months, it was still to do a lot more. He further said the party would be holding an orientation programme for its party office-bearers on December 13, followed by a party rally in Haridwar on December 30. “This all is being done in preparation for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The opposition BJP is spreading a false propaganda against us, particularly over the issue
of FDI in the retail sector.,” he said.
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100 attend Art of Living workshop in Doon
Dehradun, November 30 Ayurvedic doctors, Dr Nisha and Dr Manikantan, a couple, who are also holistic living experts from The Art of Living Ashram, Bangalore, conducted the workshop. The participants were made aware of their unique personality-type or what they call ‘prakriti’ in ayurveda. They were also given tips to detoxify the body and mind. Some highly beneficial therapeutic pranayamas and mudras were also learnt by the participants. Nina Lall, one of the participants, said, “The workshop has given me an insight into how my body and mind work and what changes I need to make in my lifestyle to become healthier, both physically and mentally. I have also come to know that ayurveda is not just a disease-curing line of treatment but it is the science of holistic well being. If we follow the rules of aahar (food) and vyavhar (behaviour) as said in ayurveda, we can lead a totally disease-free and healthy life.”
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While medical facilities for people suffering from HIV/AIDS have considerably improved in the state, they continue to face economic and social hardships in the absence of specific government social schemes.
The Bageshwar district administration and the Forest Department have started a probe into the reported violations of forest and mining laws by soft stone mines owned by the Ponty Chadha group.
Dehradun, November 30
