• Commerce classes sought at Kasauli
• NSUI flays arrest of office-bearers
• Scientists control apple disease
• Engineers plan ‘protest day’

Rs 2 cr child health plan for Kinnaur

SHIMLA, Sept 13 (UNI) — Health facilities are expected to improve in the tribal district of Kinnaur with the implementation of a proposed child health programme.

The programme is aimed at opening primary and community health centres, strengthening the infrastructure for training and laboratory, improving hygienic conditions, increasing awareness about child diseases and enhancing immunisation of child and mother to achieve the 100 per cent target in the district in a phased manner. The district hospital at Rekong Peo will be provided with blood bank facility, according to official sources here.

Under the Rs 2 crore programme, it was proposed to construct health sub-centre and primary health centre buildings at villages of Aasrang, Chulling, Tashigang, Nesang, Dubling and Ropa (Pooh) and Sapni and Batwis (Sangla), an official spokesman told UNI.

Women would be involved in the management of the reproductive health project in the district and arrangements made for emergency transport of pregnant women and sick children and providing emergency medical services to them at Teckong Peo, Pooh, Nichar and Sangla.

The spokesman said that under the proposed scheme child health services would be ensured and much needed care provided to the new-born babies.

About 80 per cent health institutions in the district would be provided family planning information and counselling facilities. It was proposed to provide contraceptive method facility at the district hospital, two community health centres and referral hospitals.

The spokesman said anganwari workers would help female health workers in the dissemination of information about health and clinic maintenance. "Mahila Swasthya Sanghs" would assist in the cleanliness of health sub-centres. An award scheme had been proposed to seek their participation. A mahila mandal in the district had been trained in the assembly of a "safe delivery kit", named "Shubham dai kit".

As many as 228 community workers would distribute condoms, oral pills, ORS and chlorine tablets under the programme.

At present, there was one district hospital, two community health centres, one rural hospital, one civil hospital, 17 primary health centres, one civil dispensary, 32 sub-centres and 34 ayurvedic institutions in the district having a population of more than 71,000.

Doctors stand by ‘errant’ colleague
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, Sept 13 — The district unit of the Himachal Pradesh Medical Officers Association yesterday submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner giving details of its version of events leading to the death of Sarla Devi. Sarla Devi died after delivering a baby on September 2 in the hospital here.

The memorandum claimed that the doctor on night duty, Piar Singh Bains attended on Sarla Devi several times and there was no dereliction on his part and Sarla's husband Hari Singh has allegedly filed a "false FIR" against Dr Bains.

It may be recalled that Hari Singh had alleged that when the condition of his wife Sarla Devi deteriorated at night the doctor on duty, Dr Bains did not open the door of his duty room despite repeated knocks at the door and when he attended on his work it was too late.

The police arrested the doctor after several witnesses confirmed the statement of Hari Singh that Sarla Devi died due to the alleged negligence and callous attitude of Dr Bains.

Meanwhile, a large number of leaders of various political parties have condemned the attitude of doctors making it a common cause with an "errant doctor" and exploiting trade unionism for giving protection to a person who is allegedly responsible for death of a young woman due to his "criminal negligence". They have urged the Chief Minister and the Health Minister to look into the functioning of the district hospital.

HVC 'not treated as equal partner'
From Our Correspondent

BILASPUR, Sept 13 — The district unit of the Himachal Vikas Congress has charged the Chief Minister with partiality and favouritism in the appointment of chairmen and vice-chairmen of boards and corporations in the state and has said the HVC is not being treated as an equal partner in the government.

The HVC unit's meeting, which was presided over by the district president, Major Shivram Sharma, at Gandhir (Balh Seena), yesterday, adopted a resolution urging Mr Sukh Ram to take up the matter with the Chief Minister and to ensure a share in all spheres of power in the state failing which the HVC high command should reconsider its support to the BJP.

The meeting said at every step HVC leaders were being "ignored" and BJP ministers and other legislators were "harassing" HVC cadres.

The meeting adopted a resolution stating that the district unit would have no alternative except to decide to oppose all "anti-people" policies of the Dhumal government.

In another resolution the meeting said the party should put up its own candidate in the Baijnath assembly constituency. It also demanded that the procedure for the selection of IRDP families should be revised so that only the deserving got the benefits.

Firecracker unit gutted, 1 killed
From Our Correspondent

MANDI, Sept 13 — A plus two student Rakhi was killed and four others sustained burns when a small unit manufacturing firecrackers in Purani Mandi caught fire last night.

The injured include Ashok Kumar and Surinder Kumar, factory workers from Saharanpur, and Rama Devi and Archana.

According to the police, the factory owner had the licence to store only 15 kg of explosive material, but it is alleged that excessive material had been stored when the accident took place.

The Administration has given an exgratia relief of Rs 5,000 to the parents of the deceased and Rs 2,000 each to the injured.

A case has been registered.

Congress blamed for fiscal mess
From our Correspondent

PALAMPUR, Sept 13 — Mr Krishan Kapoor, State Transport Minister, addressing a press conference said here today that the state government was making efforts to check the price rise.

He said during the past 10 days, 177 raids had been conducted and samples of mustard oil taken. Deputy Commissioners and Subdivisional Magistrates had been directed to monitor the situation.

The Transport Minister accused the previous Congress government for creating a fiscal mess which had adversely affected the economy of the state.

He said state highways would be widened and stern action taken against corrupt officers. Vigilance and enforcement agencies would be made more effective and pending cases would be disposed of soon.

He asked senior officers to attend open darbars, failing which they would be suspended.

Commerce classes sought at Kasauli
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Sept 13 — The president of the Kasauli Cantonment Youth Congress, Mr Amit Vij, in a press note issued here today demanded the immediate starting of commerce classes in Government Senior Secondary School, Kasauli.

He said in the absence of such classes students, including girls, had to travel a distance of 30 km to Solan everyday.

NSUI flays arrest of office-bearers
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Sept 13 — The Himachal unit of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) has condemned the arrest of Mr Munish Anand and Mr Sartaj Singh, office-bearers of the Chandigarh unit of the NSUI, by the police on Friday. They were arrested in a case of alleged firing incident on Panjab University campus.

The senior vice-president of the NSUI, Mr Sandeep Kumar, said the inclusion of the names of the two arrested leaders in the police report after 15 days of the incident showed that they were falsely implicated in the case.

He said the arrests were made only a few days before elections to students council. He demanded the release of arrested leaders.

Scientists control apple disease
From Our Correspondent

SOLAN, Sept 13 — Scientists of Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry have claimed success in controlling the premature leaf fall disease afflicting apple trees.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof L.R. Verma, told mediapersons here yesterday that Dr J.N. Sharma, pathologist, Apple Scab Laboratory, Kotkhai, had identified the disease as marssonnia blotch.

The culture of the fungus were deposited with the Indian Agricultural Research Institute. Delhi, the International Mycological Institute, UK and an institute of Japan. All of them had confirmed Dr Sharma's findings.

The trials conducted by Dr Sharma in the past three years had shown that the disease was fully controlled by the application of the broad spectrum fungicides. The schedule for spray was available with field stations of the university and the office of the Director, he added.

Engineers plan ‘protest day’
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Sept 13 — HPSEB engineers will observe Engineers Day on September 15 as "protest day" following the dismissal of two of their colleagues.

Mr K.K. Vaidya and Mr Sunil Grover, leaders of the HPSEB engineers, today said engineers would hold a rally at Vidyut Bhavan.

The call for observing the "protest day" has been given by the Northern India Power Engineers Federation.