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| Saturday, December 2, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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No-trust move by Cong likely in
HP Dissidents firm on Mohinder’s
ouster PWD Minister threatens ‘action’ A seven-year-old
surgeon! Civil Hospital in poor
health |
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Dies awaiting
pension 12 villages growing
cannabis spotted
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No-trust move by Cong likely in
HP SHIMLA, Dec 1 — The Congress is likely to move a no-confidence motion against the faction-riddled ruling BJP to put the Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, in the dock in the coming winter session of the Assembly. The Congress is expected to make the move in view of the current crisis faced by Mr Dhumal with some of his ministers alleging corruption, nepotism and other irregularities by the government. The Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Mr Virbhadra Singh, said the party was seriously considering moving the no-confidence motion against the Dhumal Government. He said as an Opposition, the Congress would highlight the “failures” of the government. Mr Virbhadra Singh alleged that law and order had completely collapsed, corruption had touched new heights, there were large-scale irregularities in public appointments and the financial position was in a mess. The dissident ministers and legislators had alleged serious irregularities in the selection of candidates by the Public Service Commission, the Services Selection Board, Himachal Pradesh University and the Kangra Cooperative Bank, he pointed out. Interestingly, the Congress had raised these issues even before these were highlighted by the three BJP ministers and legislators. |
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Dissidents firm on Mohinder’s
ouster SHIMLA, Dec 1 — The removal of Mr Mohinder Singh, the controversial PWD Minister from the Cabinet and Mr Onkar Thakur, OSD in the Chief Minister’s secretariat, continues to be the main issue of contention delaying a solution to the weeklong crisis in the Dhumal government. The talks appeared inching towards a settlement after Mr Mohinder Singh and Mr Onkar Thakur, who were targets of the dissidents, reportedly submitted their resignations last evening. However, the response of Mr P.K. Dhumal, Chief Minister, that he would take “appropriate action at an appropriate time” did not satisfy the dissidents. They refused to budge from their stand. The four-member negotiating team comprising Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, Vice-President of the state BJP, Mr K.D. Dharmani, Chairman of the 20-Point Programme Implementation Committee, Mr Jai Ram, Vice-Chairman, Civil Supplies Corporation, and Mr Karamvir, a senior BJP leader, held several rounds of talks over the past 24 hours with the dissidents. The parleys were followed by a meeting between representatives of the dissidents Mr Dulo Ram and Mr Khushi Ram Balnatah, and Mr Dhumal. Mr Dhumal and the dissidents maintained that the talks were moving in the right direction and solution was in sight. Earlier, the dissidents met the Governor, Mr Suraj Bhan. The meeting lasted an hour. They apprised him of the political situation in the state at the meeting, which they termed as a “courtesy call”. |
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PWD Minister threatens ‘action’ SOLAN, Dec 1 — PWD Minister Mohinder Singh currently under fire from the BJP ‘group of six rebels’ today threatened to ‘adopt an appropriate line of action of his own’ in case Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal did not order an inquiry into the allotment of government contracts for boring tubewells to three companies which he claimed were associated with Town and Country Planning Minister H.N. Singh. Mr Mohinder Singh, who held a press conference here today, named these companies as M/s. H.N. Singh and Co; M/s. Avtar Singh and Co. and M/s Sukhdev Singh and Co. The three firms were based at Nalagarh, the home town of Mr H.N. Singh and were in the business of boring tube wells and hand pumps. The PWD Minister claimed that numerous persons in the Nalagarh-Baddi, Una-Gagret and Jwali-Nurpur areas of the state had complained to him that the three firms had allegedly defrauded the exchequer by submitting false statements regarding the actual depth of bores dug by them while executing IPH contracts allotted to them at several places. He said he had a list of sites where the bores were actually dug to far less depths than those claimed by these firms in the bills submitted to the IPH Department for the collection of payment. He demanded that all documents relating to the allotment and execution of tubewells and hand pump boring contracts to these firms be sealed immediately to prevent tampering with the records. This would be a prerequisite for a free and fair inquiry, he said. In a thinly veiled warning, Mr Mohinder Singh also mentioned that Mr H.N. Singh could face criminal prosecution in a case of having illegally demolishing private property for getting a road constructed in his constituency sometimes back. Referring to the revolt within in the BJP, the minister said that the very fact that the rebels had become active on the eve of the crucial panchayat poll showed that there was a preplanned move to destabilise the Dhumal government. He named Mr Sukh Ram and Mr Vir Bhadra Singh as the brains behind the revolt but refused to name Shanta Kumar as an associate of the rebels. |
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A seven-year-old
surgeon! SHIMLA, Dec 1 — Ankit Pran Jaswal, a seven-year-old child of Hindora Gharat village in Kangra, may have created medical history by performing surgery to rectify ‘Dupuytren’s contractures’ on an eight-year-old girl. The feat by the “wonder” child, if recognised by the medical fraternity, will make him the youngest ever surgeon in the history of medical science. The young wizard surprised reporters with his “profound knowledge” of medical science during a press conference. Here the other day at which video-recording of the operation was also shown. He explained the minor details of how the contractures were formed due to a burn injury received by Anju five years ago and the surgery performed by him on November 19 at his home. He was assisted by his father, Dr K.S. Jaswal, an economist, and mother in the operation. Ankit has never been to school but he has studied and understood medical books all by himself. In fact books, besides his parents, have been his real companion. He has been studying at home and then visiting hospitals to have discussion with doctors. “Ankit has been an exceptional child. He never mixed with children and devoted most of his time and energy in his quest for knowledge,” Dr Jaswal says. He tried to provide everything the child needs to bloom into a master surgeon and even sacrificed his job at Delhi as export adviser to spend time with him. Ankit is keen to acquire a postgraduate degree in anatomy but he is not being given permission. He has knocked at every door and even met the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, who referred him to the Medical Council of India but to no avail. The idea of obtaining a postgraduate degree struck him when he heard about Tathagat Avatar Tulasi of Bihar who completed MSc (Physics) at the age of 13. Dr Jaswal, however, is disappointed at the indifference of the authorities and considering sending the child to the USA so that he can pursue higher studies. The main problem is that he does not have the necessary financial resources. Ankit aspires to become a neurosurgeon. The brain controls the entire human body and he would like to pursue research to unravel the mystery of the mind, emotion and brain. According to PTI, Dr Jaswal said that he had already met some top medical specialists, including Prof Inderjit Dewan, former Head of the Department of Anatomy at the PGI, Chandigarh. Doctors were flabbergasted when the “boy” pointed out that a patient had been administered an overdose of medicine. Ankit, who spoke in fluent English answered questions of newsmen with amazing confidence. Ankit said that he had also identified a herb which, he claimed was panacea for arthritis. He claimed that study of anatomy was incomplete and he would endeavour to make the further research in this discipline. Ankit did not show any signs of subconscious memories of previous birth’. A big hoax, says Dr Dewan Dr Dewan, who has several decades of experience of dealing with anatomy, when contacted by Tribune News Service at his Panchkula residence, said that the so-called child prodigy had never met him. He called the whole story “a big hoax” which needed to be dismissed as a thoughtless piece of fiction. He pointed out that nobody below the age of 17 could be admitted even to the MBBS course. The child and his parents were reportedly demanding admission to the post-graduate course in anatomy. |
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Civil Hospital in poor
health DEHRA GOPIPUR: The local Civil Hospital, which caters to more than three lakh patients every year, is in bad shape due to the apathetic attitude of the state government. More than 300 patients visit the hospital daily. It receives patients even from the Jaswan, Pragpur and Guler areas. The number of beds earlier was 25 which has now been increased to 100.The strength of doctors has also been raised from three to eight, including four specialists. Patients complain that medicines are always in short supply at the hospital. In most cases they are asked to arrange their own
medicines, including life-saving drugs. Oxygen and glucose, too, are not available easily. There is also a shortage of bedsheets and blankets at the
hospital. The blankets provided to patients are not cleaned on a regular basis. Unhygienic conditions prevail on the premises. The bathrooms and latrines stink. Patients say most of the latrines are usually not cleaned for days together. Heaps of garbage can often be seen lying in the backyard of the hospital. There is also an acute shortage of drinking water on the premises. The Public Works Department, which is supposed to look after the supply of water, remains unconcerned over the plight of the patients. Many a time doctors have to cancel their operations in the absence of adequate water. The hospital is also short of paramedical staff. It needs more nurses and pharmacists. In the rainy season general wards leak, causing inconvenience to patients. In the absence of adequate facilities at the
hospital, serious cases are mostly referred to Chandigarh and Ludhiana hospitals. Patients are advised to go to private clinics for an X-ray examination and ECG. It is surprising that in the multistoreyed building, which was constructed about four years ago, there is no lift facility. Residents have also demanded the provision of a mortuary at the hospital. Mr Ramesh Chaudhary, the local MLA, says that the government will soon look into the problems at the hospital and take steps to solve them. |
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Dies awaiting
pension MANDI, Dec 1 — After a year-long wait for pension and other arrears, Mr Chander Shekhar, a retired Science teacher of Bardwar village in Sarkaghat subdivision, who was suffering from cancer, breathed his last on Monday. This was stated by Mr Parmanand, general secretary of the Union of Retired Employees (Sarkaghat), told mediapersons here yesterday. He said the deceased, went through acute physical and financial hardships for over a year. He has sought voluntary retirement from service. Numerous representations to release his dues made by the deceased to the Education Department fell on deaf ears, he alleged. |
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12 villages growing
cannabis spotted KULU, Dec 1 — Twelve villages in Mandi district have been identified where cannabis is being grown, using hybrid seeds imported from Afganistan and other countries. This was stated by Mr Somesh Goel, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, here yesterday. The DIG said after a dismal working for the past three years in the field of drug and narcotics control, the police in the district had shown promising results this year. He said 200 kg of hashish, 4 kg of opium and 83 gm of brown sugar had been seized this year, as against 159 kg of hashish seized, in the past four years. The DIG pointed out that there was a need for providing training to the police personnel to make them people-friendly. |
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Lawyer jumps to
death SHIMLA, Dec 1 — Mr Rajiv Mehta (46), lawyer, committed suicide here today by jumping from the fifth floor of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), where he was admitted a few days ago. He is survived by his wife and a daughter. |
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