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| Friday, November 17, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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73 lakh to be spent on
cancer cure: Nadda Make film city in HP: producer Bio-geo database for HP Solan ZPs,
panchayats feel ignored Pulse polio drive from Dec 10 |
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28.2 cr plan for
SCs of Mandi Steps to check
encroachments Petition to
change birth date allowed PWD engineer
commended Parmar varsity to
mobilise funds CM promises
media centre Newspaper hawker
returns with bruises
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73 lakh to be spent on
cancer cure: Nadda SHIMLA, Nov 16 — A mammography unit with stereotactic biopsy attachment will be installed at the Regional Cancer Centre in Indira Gandhi Medical College here at a cost of Rs 35 lakh during the current year. Stating this here yesterday the Health Minister, Mr J.P. Nadda, said in addition to this a sum of Rs 73 lakh would be spent on other programmes relating to prevention and treatment of cancer. Presiding over the governing council meeting of the Regional Cancer Control Society, yesterday he said the society had been given a grant of Rs 1.08 crore from the Government of India for running the only regional centre in the country. The Health Minister said telecobalt unit installed at the college, which had outlived its utility, be decommissioned in 2001 and urged the Government of India to grant financial assistance to equip the centre with the latest equipment in order to detect and treat the cancer, within the state. Mr Nadda said a difficult area sub-cadre for various posts in the Health Department had been constituted and 37 doctors had been posted under the sub-cadre recently. He also informed that functional integration of Department of Indian System of Medicines and Health Department had been ensured by identifying 66 ayurvedic institutions for the purpose of implementation of the RCH and other national programme in the state. This would ensure maximum coverage of population in the state, he added. Mr Ashok Kumar Sarkar, Joint Secretary (Health), Government of India, also participated in the meeting. |
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Make film city in HP: producer HAMIRPUR: There is need for a film city in Himachal Pradesh and the Manali area is most suitable for this, Mr Romesh Sharma, a Bombay-based film producer, said here. Mr Sharma, who has produced films like “Baghi” and “Game” and hails from the Jhaniaridevi area of Hamirpur district, said film producers were finding it difficult to shoot films for want of proper facilities in this state which had been gifted with scenic beauty and a rich culture, he told mediapersons on Tuesday. Anil Mattoo, director of Nana Patekar’s film “Yashwant,” was also present. Mr Sharma said the state government should set up the film city at Manali. A government team should visit Hyderabad and study the concept of the film city there. If such a city was established, Himachal would automatically come on the international map and the tourism industry would flourish a lot. He said he would hold talks with the Chief Minister, Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal, in this connection. He said about 100 acres of land was needed for the purpose. If he was offered the land and a loan on easy terms, he would definitely work for the setting up of the film city in the “Valley of Gods”. He would invite film personalities from all over the world to shoot their films there. At present, one often had to go to foreign countries to shoot important scenes. This involved additional expenditure. But once Manali came on the film city map, the cost of production would go down, he added. Mr Sharma regretted that Himachal had no Doordarshan Kendra from where people of the state could see programmes in the local dialects. The Shimla kendra of Doordarshan was not serving the purpose and its area of operation should be expanded to cover the entire state on the pattern of All India Radio. He said he would like to help the kendra make programmes in the local dialects and based on local stories. This would also help spot hidden talent in the state. He said Himachalis, except Preity Zinta and Anupam Kher, had not yet entered Bollywood. One reason for this was that the state had no centre where the local youth could get training in acting and other film-related fields. He was planning to set up such a centre in Himachal. Mr Sharma, who has also produced “Bazi”, “Ek Tha Raja” and “Akrosh”, said he was producing three more films — “Kab, Kayoon aur Kahan”, “Pyasa” and “Hum, Tum or Woh”. Miss Universe Yukta Mukhi and a famous model, Syed Zulfi, would figure in “Pyasa” and “Hum, Tum or Woh”, which would be filmed at Shimla. He wanted more and more Himachali youth to adopt the film line. So far, the response from the state was lukewarm. Mr Sharma said he would like to make a film on the valiant jawans of Himachal who had sacrificed their lives while fighting the enemy. He was proud to belong to Hamirpur district, which was known as “Veerbhoomi” for the role played by its jawans while safeguarding the borders of India with China and Pakistan. The film producer justified violence in films. He said he wanted to expose the underworld and its working through scenes of violence. When asked whether he was afraid of threats from the underworld, he said everybody in the film industry had to work under tension and threats. He had received bullet injuries once in an attack by an underworld gang. He said he was happy to shoot films in Himachal. For most film-makers, the state was second home after Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Sharma, who was here in connection with the organising of a cricket championship, said he would also like to promote sports in the state. Mr Sharma said he would not like to join active politics. He was satisfied with what he was today. He wanted to devote his entire life to the service of suffering humanity through his films. His main aim was to shoot more and more films in the peaceful valleys of Himachal and to tell the people that it was the only state that was giving the message of peace and harmony and all others should follow in its footsteps. |
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Bio-geo database for HP SHIMLA, Nov 16 — Concern has been expressed by scientists and experts on the depleting resources in the fragile hills. They have stressed the need for development of bio-geo database for the Himalayan regions of Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal. The eight-member task force of the Department of Science and Technology of the Centre is here these days for an interaction with experts and officials of various departments for preparing the first ever such database and ecological model for the Himalaya. Some members of the task force told this correspondent here today that it was for the first time that a database was being developed for the Himalayan region to enable policy makers plan for development. Prominent among those participating in the interaction are: Dr P.B.S. Sarma, chairman of the task force, Dr Vellayuthum, Dr Bhatt, Dr Nisha Mehndiratta, senior scientific officer in the Department of Science and Technology and Dr R.K. Sood, joint member secretary, state Council of Science and Technology. Dr Sarma said India with its immense biological wealth is one of the 12 biodiversity centres in the world. The country has been divided into 10 biogeographic regions. Of which trans-Himalayan, Himalayan and North-East India are three such
regions. The eastern Himalayan region has been identified as biologically diverse. He expressed concern over the very high rate of deforestation in the eastern Himalayas. Dr Sarma said the study will take stock of the natural resources and suggest measures for conserving these. He said that three study zones would be set up at different altitudes in Himachal Pradesh. Dr Vellayuthum said it has to be seen whether development and conservation can go hand in hand. This issue is more important locally and the database of human, animal population and other subjects will help in further development. He said separate approach for development has to be adopted in different areas as a single plan cannot succeed in all places. Dr Mehndiratta said the latest information technology tools will be utilised for creating the database. |
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Solan ZPs, panchayats feel ignored SOLAN, Nov 16 — Ms Nirmala Devi and Mr Arun Sen, Chairperson and Vice-Chairman, Zila Parishad, Solan, respectively, today accused the state government of ignoring the duly elected Zila Parishad and the five panchayat samitis under it in the matter of disbursement of funds under employment generation scheme and other development related matters. Holding a joint press conference here, they alleged that the BJP-led state government had distributed, through the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), over Rs 2 crore under the Employment Generation Scheme purely at the “whims and fancies of BJP activists, bypassing all norms”, during its rule. They said that the Panchayati Raj Act states that no funds meant for panchayat raj institutions could be disbursed without the approval of the zila parishad and the district planning committee. “While the latter body was never constituted, the government never thought it fit to even consult the zila parishad while earmarking funds under the Employment Generation Scheme,” they alleged. The list of expenditure incurred, under the scheme was merely forwarded to the zila parishad for its approval only last month. The two also claimed that the government had flouted the norm of holding quarterly meetings of the DRDA. The two leaders also accused the government of not paying heed to the resolutions passed by the zila parishad concerning the developmental needs of the rural areas of the district. They alleged that the concerned government department never even acknowledged the receipt of Parishad passed resolutions which were consigned to the dustbins. |
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Pulse polio drive from Dec 10 SHIMLA, Nov 16 — A special drive will be launched for the implementation of pulse polio immunisation programme under which all children will be given additional polio drops on December 10 and January 21 in Himachal Pradesh, including snow-bound areas. More than 7 lakh children will be given polio drops by setting up 5,885 polio booths and by involving 28,000 employees and others taken from various government and non-government organisations. Presiding over the state steering committee meeting here on Tuesday the Chief Secretary, Mr A.K. Goswami, directed all departments concerned to coordinate and implement the programme effectively. |
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28.2 cr plan for
SCs of Mandi MANDI, Nov 16 — The Himachal Pradesh Government has drawn a special component plan of Rs 28.20 crore for improving the economic condition of 5,554 Scheduled Caste families in the district in the current financial year. Mr Prabodh Saxena, Deputy Commissioner, yesterday said that Rs 11.40 crore had already been spent on various development schemes, loans, financial help, and welfare programmes in 432 villages inhabited largely by Scheduled Caste families. He said the major portion of the plan would be financed by the Centre, with the state’s share being a mere Rs 2.71 crore. He said as many as 133 families had benefited under the Swaran Jayanti Swarojgar Yojana by getting an assistance of Rs 72.84 lakh. Mr Saxena said as many as 120 villages were covered under the Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojana. A sum of Rs 67.92 lakh was given to 5,180 persons. |
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Steps to check
encroachments KULU, Nov 16 — A committee headed by the Sub-divisional Magistrate has been constituted to check encroachments in the town. Mr Ajay V. Prasad, Deputy Commissioner, said here yesterday that the committee had seven officers, including the divisional forest officer, district revenue officer, town and country planning officer, executive officer of the municipal council and the SHO. The tehsildar sadar would be the member secretary. The committee will start functioning with immediate effect and remove encroachments on government land within the municipal limits here. The Deputy Commissioner said the committee would submit weekly reports and also recommend action against the defaulters. He further said temporary encroachments by traders on the roadside would also be removed. |
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Petition to
change birth date allowed SHIMLA, Nov 16 — A Division Bench of the HP Administrative Tribunal consisting of Mr Justice A.L. Vaidya and Justice Mr V.K. Bhatnagar allowed the application filed by Mr Shayam Lal who was working as Assistant Controller in the DC’s office, Solan. The petitioner had pleaded that his date of birth was not correctly recorded in the service book. It should have been recorded as November 9, 1943, instead of September 7, 1942. The petitioner based his claim for correction on the school leaving certificate and the fact that his date of birth was corrected by Panjab University. Mr D.K. Khanna, counsel for the petitioner, contended that the correct date of birth had to be decided on the basis of documents and records produced by the applicant. In the present case, the applicant produced his school leaving certificate and matriculation certificate in which the date of birth was corrected by Panjab University. |
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PWD engineer
commended MANDI, Nov 16 — The Himachal Pradesh Government in a rare gesture has appreciated the “efficiency and devotion to duty” of the Executive Engineer, PWD, Mr
V. K. Awasthi, for executing various works within the scheduled time in Mandi and Kulu districts. The Financial Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Himachal, in a letter to the official has conveyed the admiration of the government for completing Government Post-Graduate College Mandi and other works in a record time in the two districts. The letter has complimented Mr Awasthi for demonstrating devotion to duty and responsibility and rendering “outstanding service to the government”. The government has directed that the letter of appreciation be placed in his ACR file.
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Parmar varsity to
mobilise funds SOLAN, Nov 16 — Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry at Nauni, near here, plans to mobilise financial resources by laying stress on increasing the yield of good quality plants and their subsequent sale to the growers. The Vice-Chancellor, Mr R.P. Awasthi, told the annual joint meeting of the Universities’ Research and Extension Councils, held here yesterday that the institution had sold plants worth Rs 53 lakh last year and hopes to double the sale this year. He said the scientists had introduced “scarlet gala and red fuzi” varieties of apples at Seobagh (Kulu) and Mashobra (Shimla) research stations, after importing these from the USA last year. Out of these two, scarlet gala had proved to be most promising under Himachal conditions. |
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CM promises
media centre JAWALAMUKHI, Nov 16 — The Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal said here today an electronic media training centre would be set up in the Kangra valley very shortly. Talking to mediapersons last night Mr Dhumal said classes would be started in July 2002, but all efforts were being made to begin the classes in July 2001. |
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Newspaper hawker
returns with bruises NURPUR, Nov 16 — The missing newspaper hawker Raju of Kangra town was found near Jassur this evening. His body bore marks of needle pricks. He was not in a position to talk. According to the police a passerby noticed him crying “don’t beat me” and informed the local police. The SHO, Nurpur, rushed him to the hospital. Raju was missing since Sunday. |
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