Shimla, January 30
The government will soon lay down norms for the deployment of medical specialists in various levels of health institutions before undertaking the exercise for rationalisation of postings of doctors. It will also frame a policy for utilising the services of superannuated doctors to help meet the shortage of medical staff in government institutions.

There has been a perennial shortage of medical specialists, doctors and other staff and the problem has been aggravated due to non-availability and uneven distribution of the available manpower. The staffing norms will enable the government to ensure optimum utilisation of manpower and assess the shortfall so that appropriate scheme could be formulated to utilise the services of retired doctors.

“While formulating norms for various levels of public health facilities, the number of patients, remoteness of location and other such factors will be taken into consideration. There is a shortage of over 200 doctors in the state and the exact requirement will be known once the norms are framed,” said Health Minister Kaul Singh.

He said the previous government had “tinkered” with norms and deployed doctors in an “irrational” manner due to which people were denied services of doctors, particularly medical specialists.

As many as seven doctors were surplus in Solan, whereas many institutions were without doctors. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Hospital in Shimla had more specialists than required, he said.

After rationalisation of postings, a scheme for hiring the services of retired doctors would be framed for which an exercise had been started, he said.

The idea was to outsource the services in the public private partnership (PPP) mode to meet the shortfall without compromising the quality. As the job of surgeons, radiologists, gynaecologists and other medical specialists was quite different, the hiring pattern should be different, the minister added.

Surgeons and gynaecologists could be paid case-wise, whereas in case of consultants in other specialities, they could be hired on per day or per hour basis, he said.

All these aspects would be discussed while framing the policy to provide the best possible health services to people at the earliest, he said.

Shimla, January 30
Reviewing the decisions of the previous BJP regime, the state Cabinet today decided to reopen all the 149 government schools, which were de-notified. These include 34 primary, 66 middle, 25 high and 24 senior secondary schools.

It also reversed the decision to convert the cadre of paramedical staff from state to district cadre. The Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh here, decided that all the nursing institutions for which NOCs were given by the previous government, would be inspected to ascertain whether or not they fulfilled the norms prescribed by the Indian Nursing Council.

It decided to invite global tenders for purchasing pulses under the subsidised ration scheme and gave approval to sign a tripartite MoU for creating a national optical fibre network for panchayats in the state with the Department of Telecommunications, the Government of India, and M/s Bharat Broadband Network Limited.

It decided to review the MoU signed to construct a ropeway between Naina Devi and Anandpur Sahib and set up a committee headed by the Chief Secretary for the purpose.

It approved a consolidated salary of Rs 26,250 per month to all the dental medical officers appointed on or after August 18, 2010, and decided to regularise services of 64 dental medical officers appointed in 2007 on a contract basis.

A regularisation policy for dental medical officers on the analogy of medical officer (general) appointed under the Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) was also approved.

It was also decided that all the medical officers appointed under the RKS contract would be moved to government contract.

The Cabinet decided to repeal the sixth amendment made in the Himachal Pradesh Right to Information Act-2006 in public interest. The amendment allowed the public information officer, the first appellate authority, and the Information Commission to dismiss appeal of a person, who claims information under the RTI Act, on the basis that he or his representative fail to turn up for hearing .

The Cabinet gave its approval for shifting of the North Circle Office of HIMUDA from Hamirpur to Dharamsala along with the existing staff and the Tube Well Sub-Division at Amb to Jhelara and decided to open a flood control sub-division at Jhelara.

It amended the admission policy as per which the admissions to postgraduate courses would be made on the basis of 66.6 per cent quota for general duty officers (GDOs) and 33.3 per cent direct quota under 50 per cent state quota. As per the prevailing norms, 90 per cent seats were reserved for GDOs, which were to be increased to 95 per cent from 2013-14 session, which was impractical as adequate number of GDOs were not available.

It gave its approval to fill up 205 posts of forest guard on contract, create 28 posts of clerk in the Settlement Department on supernumerary basis, create 20 posts of assistant professor in IGMC, Shimla, and Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College, Tanda, Kangra, and eight posts of additional advocate general and one post of deputy advocate general.

Shimla, January 30
In another administrative reshuffle, the government yesterday shifted 11 IAS officers and 12 state Administrative Service Officers.

Vineet Chawdhry, Principal Secretary, Irrigation and Public Health, has been given an additional charge of the Cooperation Department, while Dr Ajai Bhandari, Secretary, Sainik Welfare Department, has been posted as Managing Director (MD), HP State Industrial Development Corporation. Bharat Khera, Secretary, General Administration Department, has been given additional charge of the Sainik Welfare Department.

Rajender Singh goes as Resident Commissioner, Pangi, vice Man Singh Verma, who goes as Additional Director, Land Records. Madhu Bala Sharma, Director, Women and Child Development Department, has been given additional charge of Director, SC, OBC and Minorities Affairs, currently with Abhishek Jain who takes over as Deputy Commissioner (DC), Una.

Dr Sunil Kumar Chaudhary, DC, Chamba, has been posted as MD, HP Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation, Kangra, relieving Hans Raj Chauhan of the additional charge.

Kadam Sandeep Vasant, DC, Una, takes over as DC, Chamba, and Iva Sahay, Assistant Commissioner-cum-Block Development Officer, Bhawarna, has been posted as SubDivisional Officer (SDO) Civil, Arki. Yunus, Assistant Commissioner-cum-Block Development Officer, Una, goes as SDO (Civil), Nalagarh, Solan district, HP and Sudesh Kumar Mokhta, Assistant Commissioner-cum-Block Development Officer, Nichar, as SDO (Civil), Karsog, vice KK Sharma who takes over as joint Excise and Taxation Commissioner (HQ), Shimla.

Beer Singh Thakur, Additional Director, Social Justice and Empowerment, has been posted as DC, Lahaul & Spiti, vice SS Guleria, who takes over as Secretary, State Information Commission, Shimla.

Sanjeev Bhatnagar, Special Secretary (PWD), has been shifted to the post of Additional Director, Social Justice and Empowerment, while Shubh Karan Singh, SDO (Civil), Nalagarh, goes as SDO (Civil), Mandi, vice Rajesh Kumar who takes over as Deputy CEO, BBNDA at Baddi.

JC Patial, Sub Divisional Officer (Civil), Arki, has been posted as Secretary, HP Ex-Servicemen Corporation, Hamirpur, and Yash Pal Singh Verma, who goes as SDO (Civil), Theog, goes as DTDO, Solan, vice LR Verma, SDO (Civil), Sundernagar. Kailash Chand, SDO (Civil), Kandaghat, has been posted as Chief Executive Officer, HP Khadi and Village Industries Board, DTDO, Solan, as Mandi district, HP.

Mani Ram Bhardwaj presently under order of transfer as SDO (Civil), Banjar, is SDO (Civil), Theog.

Kangra, January 30
Kangra town will have a Rs 4.48-crore parking lot in its first phase on the campus of Yatri Sadan at Gupt Ganga with a capacity to accommodate 100 vehicles, including 11 buses.

The incomplete building of bathing ghats near Achra Kund in Kangra. Photo: Ashok Raina

This was decided during a meeting of subdivisional authorities headed by SDM Ajeet Bhardwaj and District Tourism Officer Ashwani Kumar Sood held here yesterday. The SDM said as this temple town was witnessing a heavy influx of pilgrims, who visited the Bajjreshwari temple, one of the 52 Shakti peeths, there was a dire need of the parking lot.

He said the three-storeyed parking lot would have 5,200 sq m area and work on the project would start in March and be completed by April next year.

He said the drawing estimate was prepared by the Department of Tourism by hiring a Shimla-based consultancy firm. He said work would be outsourced. The parking lot would be earthquake resistant and an exemplary one.

He said for this project 33 per cent funds would be contributed by the state government and remaining 67 per cent by the Asian Development Bank.

He said as the authorities were searching for land within this temple town or in its vicinity to construct more parking lots.

The SDM said a green park spread over 4 kanals of land had been developed near the Yatri Sadan at Gupt Ganga and the plantation work in the park by the Horticulture Department would start soon.

During the meeting concern was shown regarding the amount of Rs 20 lakh spent on the construction of bathing ghats near Achra Kund on the Kangra bypass road without any fruitful results. The construction was a big hole in the government exchequer and the project now needed about Rs 10 lakh for its completion.

Sources said resentment prevailed among tax paying residents here over the misuse of government funds. The District Tourism Officer when asked why the construction was not monitored by the Tourism authorities, who funded the project, said there was no engineering wing to monitor the construction activities.

Residents have demanded that a high-level inquirybe ordered and guilty officials punished.

Hamirpur, January 30
After the failure of the Mining Department and the district administration in reining in illegal mining in Dugh and Poong rivulets, near Hamirpur, by “politically influential” people, agitated locals detained a truck in the Dugh rivulet for allegedly loading gravel from the riverbed this morning.

Scars of digging created during an illegal mining in the Dugh rivulet.

The illegal mining, which has been going on for a long time, has resulted in deep digging in several km areas of the rivulet.

Sanjay Kumar, vice-president, Khyah Lohakhariyan Panchayat, ward member Madan Lal and other villagers, who had detained the truck in the Dugh Khad, told The Tribune, “Illegal mining is going on unabated in the Dugh Khad for many months. Gravel is being extracted during night hours despite our several complaints to the Mining Department. The local panchayat has also passed a resolution against the practice”.

The issue of illegal mining in the Poong rivulet was brought to the knowledge of the district administration some time back after which the SDM, Hamirpur, challaned a few tractor owners involved in it.

“The rivulet has turned into a motorable road and traditional bawlies and Kaseeri-Mahadev drinking water scheme has been adversely affected,” the villagers said.

Blaming owners of two stone crushers installed on Poong rivulet, they said, “The stone crusher owners, who were close to the previous BJP government, have been illegally lifting gravel since the place is secluded”. They demanded strict action against the owners of the stone crusher.

Sanjeev Kalia, district mining officer, said, “We have been issuing notices to the crusher owners, but have a limited staff to carry out the orders”.

Ashish Singhmar, DC, Hamirpur, said, “I will speak to the Mining Department and take necessary action in this regard”. 

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh lays a wreath on Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on the Ridge in Shimla on Wednesday.

Shimla, January 30
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh paid floral tributes to Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 65th death anniversary by laying a wreath on his statue on the Ridge Maidan in Shimla.

Virbhadra said Mahatma Gandhi was the epitome of peace, truth, non-violence and high moral values. He said the teachings and philosophy of universal brotherhood and co-existence that were dear to Mahatma Gandhi were more relevant today than ever before.

A session of patriotic songs and bhajans was also held on the occasion. Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri, chairman of the state-level Planning Development and 20-Point Programme Committee Ram Lal Thakur, MLA Mohan Lal Brakta, Shimla Mayor, Municipal Corporation, Sanjay Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner Dinesh Malhotra, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Amarjit Singh, and other officers also garlanded Mahatma Gandhi’s statue.

Shimla, January 30
While the state has yet not recovered from the impact of a blizzard that lashed Shimla, Kullu and Kinnaur district two weeks ago, the local Met office here has forecast more snow and rain over the next week.

A fresh western disturbance in the upper air system will affect the Western Himalayan region from February 2 onwards and its impact in the state will be felt from the night of February 3.

Under the influence of the system, heavy snow will occur at a few places over the mid and high reaches of the state, including Chamba, Lahaul and Spiti, Kangra, Kullu and Shimla, from the night of February 4 to 6.

The lower areas of the state, including Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Solan, Mandi, Sirmaur and Kangra, will experience widespread rain.

The state was lashed by heavy snow on January 17 and 18 which disrupted power supply, telecom network and traffic in Shimla, Kinnaur and Kullu districts. While the main highways have been opened to traffic, a few link roads in the interior areas are still blocked. The mid and higher hill areas in these districts are still under a thick blanket of snow. 

Solan, January 30
The presence of a mysterious balloon fitted with an advanced GPS system at Kanni village in Bayla panchayat of the Nalagarh sub-division early this morning has created flutter among the locals with assumptions of the balloon being used for spying gaining ground.

Praveen Dhiman, DSP, Nalagarh, said an Indonesian-made GPS system was recovered from the site and it appeared it was fitted inside a large balloon which appeared to have burst and fallen in Kanni village.

He said the device had been handed over to the CID for further inquiry, which would help ascertain what kind of information had been gathered by the device and its origin.

The balloon was noticed by a local, Paramjeet, who informed up-pradhan MP Kaushik, who further informed the police about the presence of this mysterious device fitted with an antenna.

Ramshehar Shiv Kumar Sood, SHO of the area, visited the spot soon after receiving the information from the villagers. He took the device into possession for conducting an inquiry.

Dhiman said since they lacked necessary infrastructure to decipher the information collected by such devices, they had referred the matter to the CID.

Solan, January 30
With the National Board for Wildlife making it mandatory for states to chalk out site-specific plans for declaring eco-sensitive zones around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, activities like creation of a buffer zone protecting these areas will finally be created now.

The move follows directions from the apex court. The state government is now drafting site-specific plans for its 33 sanctuaries and two national parks. As many as 24 proposals have been drafted, while a few others are in the process of being finalised.

With the deadline for constituting these site-specific plans fast approaching, officials are busy preparing a list of activities which will help create a buffer zone to ensure upkeep of natural habitat in these restricted areas in the state.

The Ministry of Forests and Environment (MoEF) has formulated guidelines to facilitate states in drafting such plans. A committee headed by conservators of respective areas along with DFOs, prominent ecologists of the areas, representative of Revenue Departments and representatives of the local panchayats has been constituted for various circles of the state.

These committees will help ascertain the extent of eco-sensitive zones to be set up around protected areas and evaluate the requirement of such eco-zones to act as a shock absorber. Though as per guidelines, an area of about 10 km is supposed to be used to set up such eco-zones, the officials are trying to explore the possibility of setting up such zones within an area of 2 to 3 km around these sensitive zones.

A monitoring committee to ensure compliance of activities listed in the site plans is also being set up which will include members of NGOs, officials of the state Pollution Control Board, senior town planner, besides a representative of the MoEF.

Solan, January 30
With little check on building norms, the town and its surrounding areas are fast becoming a concrete jungle with high-rise buildings exceeding the stipulated norms coming up at every nook and corner.

One can see blatant violations of norm where against the stipulated height of three-plus-one storey, five-storey buildings have been raised. While travelling from Dharampur to Solan, several such buildings can be seen raised in flagrant violation of the TCP norms.

With several educational institutes, industrial units and vehicle showrooms dotting the highway, the demand for a building space has gone up, thus encouraging builders to erect high-rise structures to make maximum gains.

Violations regarding straight cutting of hill slopes by more than 45 degree slant and raising buildings above the road height are slowly reducing the National Highway-22 into a tunnel. This situation is especially visible between Kumarhatti and Barog.

As per the norms, builders, who undertake construction over an area of 1,000 sq m or raise more than six flats, are supposed to avail a licence from the Town and Country Planning Department after getting themselves registered. However, there were a few takers for this on the NH-22.

Officials of the TCP Department said notices were issued in case of violations, but it appeared they served little purpose in deterring wrongdoers.

Interestingly, a few builders managed to avail water and power connections, too, thus making a mockery of the law.

Facing paucity of staff, the TCP Department failed to regulate its own bylaws and despite educating villagers in routine workshops about building bylaws, it failed to discipline erring builders.

Despite the area falling in Seismic Zone IV, which is highly prone to earthquakes and several buildings having collapsed in Solan and its surrounding places in the last decade, it appears builders have learnt no lessons.