Absence of lab for detecting TB a stumbling block
Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 7
Failure to set up an intermediate referral laboratory in Haldwani for testing Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) tuberculosis among patients from the Kumaon region is proving to be a hindrance in the detection of MDR TB cases that continue to rise in the state.

Uttarakhand is already grappling with the Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) TB cases which manifests when a TB patient fails to take medicine.

While Dehradun is already equipped with the State Intermediate Referral Laboratory (IRL), similar facility proposed at the Haldwani Medical College has failed to take off, forcing patients to flock to Dehradun.

''At times the distance for patients living in the Kumaon region proves fatal, leading to deterioration of the condition. For this reason the Government of India had proposed setting up of the IRL laboratory in Haldwani, so that the patients from the Kumaon region could access the testing facility. While the Dehradun laboratory that became functional in 2012 was funded by the Central Government, it urged the Uttarakhand government to use it's own resources for setting up a laboratory at the Medical College situated in Haldwani, but the college authorities expressed their inability to do so due to lack of funds,'' said RP Badoni, State Tuberculosis Programme Officer.

In Dehradun, till March 2013, a total of 115 patients were diagnosed with MDR. Out of which around 54 are being treated. While in 2012 the total number of patients diagnosed with MDR were 435, out of which 121 were provided treatment.

''We have to bridge the gap existing between the total patients being diagnosed with MDR and the total number of patients being treated for MDR. This can only take place, if the cases of MDR are detected early and the patients do not interrupt the treatment regime,'' said Badoni.

The programmatic management of Drug Resistant TB has been conceptualised by the Central Government under which free treatment and medicines are provided to the patient. For pre-treatment evaluation, as no medical colleges exist in Dehradun , the Department of Health has tied up Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (HIHT) where a separate ward for MDR TB patients has been set up.

Only recently a similar ward was set up at the Haldwani Medical College. But in the absence of IRL Laboratory in Kumaon, early detection of MDR cases continue to pose a problem. 

Uttarakhand grappling with TB cases

Uttarakhand is already grappling with the Multi Drug Resistant (MDR) TB cases which manifests when a TB patient fails to take medicine

Dehradun is already equipped with the State Intermediate Referral Laboratory, but the facility in Haldwani Medical College has failed to take off

Medical relief posts to be set up en route to Char Dham Yatra
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 7
For the upcoming Char Dham Yatra, the Department of Health and Family Welfare will set up medical relief posts (MRP) en route to Kedarnath Dham and also strengthen the existing subcentres falling between Gauri Kund and Kedarnath Temple.

At the meeting of the Department of Health, the Uttarakhand Health Minister, SS Negi, directed the officials to set up MRPs at Jungle Chatti, Rambara, Ghingurparni, Garud Chatti on the way to Kedarnath temple and ensure the subcentres are equipped with the necessary manpower.

Further the MRPs would also be set up en route to Yamnotri Dham, at Janki Chatti, Ram Mandir, Bharion Mandir.

The Minister sought from the officials present at the meeting the progress made on strengthening existing sub-centres and establishing MRPs en route to Gangotri Dham at Bhojwasa and Ghangariya and Hem Kund Sahib.

Negi also sought information on the availability of medicines, medical officers and para medics on the Char Dham route.

Already at the initiative of the Minister, Dev Sanskriti Vidyalya has given it's consent to deploy 16 ayurvedic doctors on the Kedarnath and Yamnotri route which can only be accessed on foot.

Further in both Rishikesh and Haridwar the entry points to the Char Dham Yatra, the doctors from the Dehradun branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Himalayan Institute would undertake the physical examination of all the pilgrims.

The IMA will also provide an orthopaedic surgeon, gynaecologist and two general duty medical officers to run the trauma centre at Karanprayag . 

Gangolihat, Kapkot civic bodies without offices, employees
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, May 7
The Gangolihat and Kapkot nagar panchayats have no offices and permanent staff to carry out their activities.

“We could not convene the introductory meeting of our newly elected nagar panchayat members as we have no office to seat them,” said Puran Singh Rawal, chairman of the Gangolihat Nagar Panchayat. Rawal said after taking the oath of office all seven elected members assembled at the tehsil office for the first meeting of the board. But after the board meeting it was not clear whether the office would continue to function from the tehsil office.

“We have no office nor staff and budget. In such conditions, it will be difficult to fulfil promises made to local residents during the civic bodies’ elections,” said Rawal.

The Gangolihat sub-divisional administration has said it will issue a notification for the office of the urban civic body and depute some staff there till employees are appointed for it. “We have shortlisted some employees to be posted at the nagar panchayat and sent a proposal for land to the government for the construction of a nagar panchayat building,” said Anurag Arya, SDM, Gangolihat.

The newly formed Kapkot Nagar Panchayat in Bageshwar district, which went to the polls for the first time, has started functioning from a room in the SDM office at Kapkot. The local civic body has neither an office nor staff. “We have demanded funds for an office and staff from the government. We hope we will soon get the funds and start working properly,” said Champa Shah, chairperson of the Kapkot Nagar Panchayat.

The civic bodies in other towns also have a bitter experience as they have no infrastructure or staff to serve the people. They have long been operating from rented accommodations or from the rooms in the district or sub-divisional offices. “We got our own office and staff 20 years after the urban body was constituted in our town for the first time. We still lack some basic facilities like a sufficient number of sanitation workers and other ministerial staff,” said Kavindra Shahi, chairman of the Didihat Nagar Panchayat. 

RLEK seeks withdrawal of eco-sensitive zone notification
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 7
The Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK), a voluntary organisation, has demanded the withdrawal of the notification of the eco-sensitive zone in Uttarkashi and restart of the stalled hydro-electric projects.

The RLEK appreciated that Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and Congress MPs had presented their case before the Prime Minister and the Union Minister of Environment. But, he said, their suggestions to bring some changes in the notification on the eco-sensitive zone in Uttarkashi and form a multi-ministry committee to look into the issue was just an attempt to buy time.

Awdhash Kuashal, chairperson of RLEK, in a statement, said the people of Uttrakhand had not forgotten that Uttarakhand Water Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani along with thousands of villagers had sat on a dharna at Jantar Mantar in Delhi with Satpal Maharaj, MP, a few months ago. They were demanding the restart of the work on the Srinagar hydro project. The Prime Minister and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi assured them that the project would be restarted soon.

The managing committee of Dhari Devi temple and the then Chief Minister of Uttarakhand B.C Khanduri had given a written permission for the uplift of the temple, but nothing had been done yet. The Prime Minister and Minister for Environment had not done anything for any hydro project, he alleged.

The plea of the state government for changing some provisions of the gazette of the eco-sensitive zone was an eyewash to befool the people of Uttarakhand.The government should stop pleading about changes in the provisions in the gazette and ask for its immediate withdrawal, he said.

During the state elections, Congress President Sonia Gandhi had assured that all three stalled hydro-power projects, i.e Lohari Nagpala (600 MW), Pala Maneri (480 MW) and Bhairon Ghati (381MW), fully owned by Uttarakhand, would be restarted. These hydro-power projects are still lying in a half-constructed state and caused destruction in Uttarkashi during the last monsoon. A disaster of a similar magnitude would occur again if work on the projects did not start immediately, he feared.

“Our MPs should not forget that elections are round the corner and the state government should get the permission to restart the incomplete hydro project of Uttarkashi and also insist on total withdrawal of the gazette notification on the eco-sensitive zone before the start of the rainy season. Otherwise, the credibility of the MPs and state government will be eroded,” Kaushal said.

CM must not ignore hill areas: Barthwal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun May 7
Former state president of Samajwadi Party Vinod Barthwal has advised Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna to spend more time in hill areas of the state, rather than Delhi. In a press conference held at the office premises, he said it has been long time since the state government was formed in the state.

Bahuguna should let Congress president Sonia Gandhi take charge of Delhi and he should take care of his own state, particularly most ignored hill pockets. Or else, Congress will lose it's hold over the state. He cited the example of recently held civic elections, saying the

election bore testimony to the Congress' receding popularity in the state. The way Independents broke into the citadel of Congress, he said it proved people wanted change. It is here the regional parties could make all the difference, provided they got over their petty hassles and battles and get united.

He also objected to the extension of eco-zone in the state by the Centre, which he said would harm the developmental projects and livelihood of people of the affected areas. He suggested to bring a mid- way which could ensure the development as well as protection of environment.

Barthwal expressed concern over the poor state of infrastructure in the wake of Char Dham pilgrimage which is about to begin. He said the shoddy state of roads, paucity of parking space at important juncture Gauri Kund en route and shortage of doctors and civic facilities have not improved at all, while only few days were left for the beginning of Char Dham pilgrimage.

He also demanded a separate traffic directorate in view of increasing traffic load on the city roads. He raised the issue of capital once again, saying that the state government should stop doing politics on Gairsain, which has only resulted in Congress sliding to fourth position in the civic poll. He said the state government must declare the capital of the state and call an all-party meeting to discuss the subject.

MLA supporters protest campaign by CPI (ML) leaders
BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, May 7
Congress workers today burnt effigies of CPI (ML) leaders at different towns and villages of the Dharchula Assembly constituency in protest against a slanderous campaign launched by the party against local MLA Harish Dhami.

The protesters accused the CPI (ML) leaders of defaming the MLA by launching a deliberate propaganda against him in the name of court warrants though the process of withdrawal of the case had started.

Meanwhile, Dhami has moved the Nainital High Court for stay on the orders of the lower court that had issued non-bailable warrants arrest him. “Dhami can get stay under the provisions of a writ petition as he has lost time for a revision of the court order,” said MC Bhatt, president of the Pithoragarh Bar Association.

According to legal experts, the Didihat court had rejected the government application for the withdrawal of the case pending before it. It found no ground to allow the withdrawal of the case as it was ready to pronounce the judgment in the case after a long hearing. “The court is empowered to do so under Section 320 of the CrPC if the prosecution fails to give logical reasons to withdraw a case,” said Bhatt.

Dhami supporters held protests at Dharchula and Madkot and Baram towns of Munsiyari. They said the people who had no goodwill among the people had now started a heinous propaganda to defame the popular MLA. “The popularity of MLA Harish Dhami is increasing due to his efforts in creating employment opportunities in the area. This has become a cause of envy for the people who are now out to defame him,” said Hira Singh Chiral, a Youth Congress leader from Madkot village. The MLA also belongs to Madkot village.

BJP workers burn effigy of UPA government
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 7
BJP, Dehradun, workers today burnt the effigy of UPA government at the Centre accusing it of being neck-deep in corruption.

Led by BJP Yuva Morcha leader Vinod Kandari, BJP workers gathered at Clock Tower and set UPA government's effigy ablaze. They alleged despite involvement of Union Railway Minister Pawan Bansal in an act of corruption, the Union Government was trying to shield him.

They said similarly Law Minister Ashwani Kumar too intends to hide the corrupt acts of the Centre.

They said the people of the country had made up their mind to teach Congress a lesson in 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Mahanagar Dehradun president Neelam Sehgal, Aditya Chauhan, Rajendra Nawani, Harish Narang were prominent among the protesters. 

Approvals for Bowla power project by May end
Tribune News service

Dehradun, May 7
The 300 MW Bowla-Nandprayag Hydropower project will soon get approval from the Central Electricity Authority. Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar held a meeting on the issue with Central Electricity Authority Chairman AS Bakshi in New Delhi today. Bakshi assured him that the clearance for the project would be given by month-end.

The Rs 3,000 crore run-of-the river project on the Alaknanda would increase the power production capacity in the state by 300 MW.

The Chief Secretary said the Bowla-Nandprayag project already had 18 out of the 20 clearances required. A formal approval from the Central Water Authority and the technical-economic clearance from the Central Electricity Authority remained. The technical-economic clearance would be obtained and the final clearance would be given by month-end.

No loud music after 10 at night 
Tribune News Service

Dehradun May 7
The wedding point operators and representatives of various public committees in their meeting with Circle Officer, City, Harish Chand Sati, have agreed to stop playing loud music in weddings or other functions after 10 in the night. 

At the meet were Ishwar Chand Sharma, operator Shivaji Dharmashala, Umesh, operator, Manbhawan Wedding Point, and Rajesh Gupta, owner, Raj Palace, among others.

Girl on fast hospitalised
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 7
A girl from Haldwani, Mukta Mehra, who had levelled allegations of sexual harassment against SP Parmender Dobhal and sat on fast outside police headquarters yesterday demanding the official’s arrest, is lying in Doon Hospital.

Last night the girl who was feeling giddy was taken to Doon Hospital.

She was fed some fruit and juice there.

The police later sent her to Nari Niketan as she feared for her safety.

But since she refused to eat or drink anything, she was admitted in Doon Hospital. 

Registration of workers a must, says Durgapal
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 7
Uttarakhand Labour and Employment Minister Harish Chandra Durgapal has stressed on compulsory registration of labourers working at various construction sites in the state.

Durgapal was addressing an awareness camp for labourers held at the Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, today. He said by registering themselves the labourers could avail of various schemes started by the state government for their benefit. He added registration was being done at a nominal charge of Rs 100 for an year.

The minister distributed tool kits and identity cards to 14 workers. Additional Labour Commissioner, Uttarakhand, D Lal, Director, IIP, Dr MO Garg were also present on the occasion. Meanwhile, 54 workers registered themselves at the camp.

Impressive cultural show by students
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 7
The annual cultural programme of Forest Research Deemed University was organised last evening. Dr P. P. Bhojaviad, Director, Forest Research Institute, and Vice-Chancellor of FRI Deemed University, was the chief guest of the programme.

The programme was started with a Ganesha Vandana in classical dance form of bharatnatyam and Odissi. Dances like ghoomar, Garhwali, bhangra, gesture dance, Chinese martial arts, puppet dance, fusion dance, dhollu kunitha (a martial dance form) and a Bhutanese dance were the main attractions.

Besides the entertainment quotient, the students raised burning national issues like corruption, pollution in the Ganges, rapes and others by mime, skit and plays. The three-hour extravaganza was enjoyed by a housefull audience of more than 500 people.

Dr Bhojavaid appreciated the efforts put in by the students and research scholars of the university. He emphasised that besides academics, extracurricular activities were important and helped develop moral and cultural values among the students.

Dr N. S. K. Harsh, president of the Students’ Club of FRI Deemed University, welcomed the audience. He said the title of the programme was rightly named “Sangam” because the university receives students from different parts of the country as well as from SAARC countries.