 |
Monday,
February 18, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
|
No new
plague case in 2 days Plan to
beautify Shimla HP
University court virtually defunct Dhumal
rejects exit poll predictions |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
CM warns
people against Oppn parties CM
‘leading’ HPSEB towards crisis Self-help
groups bring sea change Hospital
faces govt apathy Decision
to allow 5 storeys ‘a gimmick’ Rs 1-cr
stadium at Kulu soon Panchayats
to get phones by March Travel
agent cheats 20 Haj pilgrims Blind
men sore with HP Govt 2
killed as lorry falls into gorge Rs 4-cr
water supply schemes on cards
|
|
No new plague case in 2 days Shimla, February 17 The administration heaved a sigh of relief as no fresh case of suspected plague came to light over the past 48 hours. The health authorities are confident that the worst is over and the dreaded disease had been contained. Had there been an epidemic, fresh cases would have surfaced over the critical period of seven days during which the disease was expected to spread. Heavy snowfall in the area last week also helped in cleaning the air and thus played an important role in containing the disease. The people have also overcome the panic phase and started moving out. Some could be seen making purchases in the main bazaar, though the usual rush was missing. They were not taking any chances and were either using masks or handkerchiefs to avoid inhaling infected air. Earlier, the health authorities had advised them to stay indoors for a week to help check the dreaded disease from spreading. Yesterday, as many as 450 outdoor patients visited the Civil Hospital, Rohru, which was slightly less than the normal number of around 600. Besides, two babies were delivered and six tubectomy operations performed. Unlike the preceding days, there was no rush for doxycycline, tetracycline, septran and other antibiotics, which were being administered as a preventive measure. Mr Vineet Chaudhary, Secretary, Health, said that over the past one week, almost five lakh tablets of these antibiotics had been distributed in the area, which were enough for over 40,000 persons, much more than the total population of the affected area. Mr Chaudhary had a meeting with the three-member team from National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), which returned to Delhi after visiting the affected area and the hospitals at Rohru and here where the infected patients were admitted. In all, 13 patients were under treatment at the PGI, Chandigarh (7), Civil Hospital, Rohru (5) and IGMC Hospital (1). The team took some more samples and examined the cultures carried out at IGMC hospital to ascertain the presence of “Yersina pestis”, the air-borne bacteria which causes plague. The team will submit its preliminary report by Monday or latest on Tuesday. The final report will be available only after a week. Mr Chaudhary said the investigations carried out so far indicated that it was a bacterial infection with plague-like symptoms and patients were responding to treatment. A few mice trapped from the affected Gallu village were found clean by Dr Kaushal Kumar, entomologist and a member of the team. The team advised the government to come out with a long-term strategy to prevent the frequent outbreak of the dreaded disease in the area. This is the third outbreak of disease in the area since 1960. The steps suggested regular monitoring and surveillance besides strengthening of testing facilities at the microbiological lab of the IGMC Hospital. Equipment like microbilosafety hood filter should be provided to check spread of bacteria through air. Meanwhile, Mr
J. P. Nadda, Health Minister, and Mr Narinder Bragta, Horticulture Minister, visited the affected area and held a meeting with the officers to review the progress of steps being taken to deal with the situation. |
|
Plan to beautify Shimla Shimla, February 17 Shimla, once the summer capital of the Britishers and the
capital of Himachal Pradesh, now is known world over for its scenic
beauty and salubrious climate. Aforestation is being taken up in a
big way so that the environment of this beautiful town is maintained.
During the past four years, 39,778 saplings of the tree have been
planted in the town. Special emphasis is being given on maintenance
of roads of the town. A sum of Rs 27 lakh has been spent on providing
railing on roadside in the recent past. In addition under the national
development programme, an amount of Rs 1.56 crore has been received
for improvement of roads and habitations. During the past few years 45
km of road length has been remettled in the town. A special scheme for
maintenance of roads has been framed. In addition a housing colony is
coming up at Dhalli with an estimated cost of Rs 30 lakh for the
employees engaged in cleanliness. For illumination of roads and
streets of the town about 6,000 streetlights have been installed. For
this, during the past 3 years Rs 1.28 crore has been released to state
electricity board for the purpose. To facilitate the tourists and the
local, a special drive has been launched in the state capital to
create car parkings at various places. Car parking is coming up near
the high court on which about Rs 1.50 crore have been spent so far. In
addition, another car parking is coming up near Cecil Hotel with a
cost of Rs 55 lakh. A car parking at the railway extension point,
Shimla, has already been made operational. The water supply scheme
for the town was constructed in 1875. Steps are afoot to improve it to
meet the ever-increasing demand. Under the 10th Finance Commission, a
sum of Rs 40 crore has been sanctioned for improvement of water supply
and sewerage of the town. Out of this, Rs 27.50 crore has been
earmarked for improvement of sewerage network. Old pipelines are being
replaced in a phased manner. Till now Rs 25.87 crore have been spent
on augmentation of water supply and Rs 12.46 crore on improvement of
sewerage system. The Shimla sewerage project is being implemented
with the assistance of the OPEC Fund for International Development
Vienna, Austria. The cost of the project is Rs 54.80 crore. Out of
this 40 crore is in form of the OPEC loan and remaining Rs 14.80 crore
is state’s share. The work is in advanced stage of execution. Under
this, sewerage treatment plants are being constructed at six different
places. In addition sewerage lines of 179 km length are being laid in
the town. The project is scheduled for completion by December, 2002. A
solid waste management project is coming up at Shimla at a cost of Rs
7 crore with an assistance of the Norwegian Government. It would help
in dealing with the solid waste of the town to a great extent. A
treatment plant has also been set up near Indira Gandhi Medical
College, Shimla, to deal with the hospital waste. In order to check
haphazard construction in the town and ensure well-planned maps of
about 1,137 houses have been approved. In addition, steps are being
taken to ensure that the houses constructed hence- forth in the town
meet the specifications laid down for them earthquake resistant. |
|
HP varsity court virtually
defunct Shimla, February 17 Headed by the Governor, the university court can even exercise powers, which have otherwise not been provided under the university Act and statutes. However, with the university failing to hold its meetings regularly, the supreme body has lost relevance. The fact that the meeting of the court scheduled for February 22 is being held after a gap of three years speaks volumes of the importance the university authorities attach to it. The university has been virtually compelled to convene a meeting to consider the Annual report and the Accounts and Audit report, a mandatory requirement for presenting the reports in the Vidhan Sabha. The callous attitude of the university could also be seen from the fact that its annual and audit reports have not been presented in the House from 1996-97 onwards. The university woke up only after the issue was raised in the House and it has now finalised the reports for the past five years within four months. These reports will be first approved by the executive council on February 20 and thereafter put up before the court for consideration. The failure to prepare and present the two important reports, which reflect the performance of the university, in the House provides an indication of its indifferent functioning. More so, because it has been able to finalise these reports within months once the matter was raised by the opposition in the Vidhan Sabha. The situation would not have come to such a pass had the meetings of the university court held regularly. The court is supposed to review the functioning, programme and policies from time to time and give suitable directions and suggest measures for improvement in various areas. However, with meetings not being held annually this has not been
happening. The students’ council, the highest representative body has also been fully constituted only once in the past 15 years. This year, the process has been initiated to complete the constitution by holding elections to send the students’ nominee to the executive council. |
|
Dhumal rejects exit poll predictions Nurpur, February 17 While talking to the mediapersons here today Mr Dhumal said predictions were prepared by conducting a survey of a fraction of electorate and they could not be reliable. He admitted that these predictions, however, adversely affect the prospects of parties contesting elections in other states. He said it was found that there was considerable divergence between the result produced by different poll agencies. Asked if he was also dissatisfied over the exit poll predictions of Punjab Assembly elections, Mr Dhumal reiterated that he had addressed a number of poll meetings during electioneering in Punjab which were not only mammoth but the crowd too was responsive. He said by observing the mood of electorate in Punjab he could claim that the Akali-BJP alliance would get landslide victory in the Assembly elections, result of which would be declared on February 24. |
|
CM warns people against Oppn parties Hamirpur, February 17 He warned the people against the Congress and its leaders and added that people had not forgotten the previous Congress regime. Earlier, the Chief Minister inagurated the Dughli-Dabrehra road and also laid the foundation stone of a bridge over Pandola khud on the Lambloo-Jhatwar-Sakandar road in his own constituency. Both these projects would be completed at Rs 60 lakh. He gave an account of the developmental activities undertaken in the state and asked the people to compare the past four years’ achievements of the BJP government with that of the Congress government. Professor Dhumal said there was no future of any regional party in the state and the persons who were floating new parties and organising meetings were living in fool’s paradise. These persons were ignorant of the thing that Himachali people would not fall prey to them. He announced on the occasion that the government would permit the plying of 1000 Matadors for the unemployed youth so that they could earn their livelihood. No tax would be charged from them as these would be plied on the link roads. |
|
CM ‘leading’ HPSEB towards crisis Bilaspur, February 17 This would become the Chief Minister’s justification for the trifurcation of the board, a scheme which the employees and officers of the board had been opposing, he said. Addressing mediapersons here today, Mr Thakur said this was for the first time in history of the board that it was showing losses of Rs 10 crore in this year, while it had been earning revenue every year. “This has happened when an additional burden of Rs 25 crore and 25 per cent winter charges have been added to the electricity bills of consumers in the state this year,” he said. He said he had information that the board would again approach the Himachal Pradesh Power Regulatory Commission for a further increase in power tariff after March 31. Mr Thakur said on one hand, the Chief Minister had been claiming that he would turn Himachal Pradesh into a “power state”, while on the other he had failed to properly manage the affairs of the board. He also sought a high-level judicial probe into the alleged scandal of the board going into losses and strict action against those responsible for the same. |
|
Self-help groups bring
sea change Mandi Besides, the
District Rural Development Agency and district literacy wing have also
formed self-help groups. As many as 2000 self-help groups in this
district, involving over 30,000 women, are running the self-help
campaign in their resolve to come out of poverty. As a result of
tremendous response, the self-help drive is fast becoming a mass
movement. These groups are engaged in transforming the status of rural
women. To assess the impact of the self-help programme in the
district, a team of mediapersons recently visited Kathalag village in
the Balh valley falling under Sadar block, which has a population of
about 1000, and found signs of new awakening among the rural women. A
self-help group comprises a maximum of 20 members. One such group,
Jagriti, was holding a meeting when newspersons arrived. The head of
the group, Ms Neelam Kumari, says before the formation of the groups
the women had virtually no identity of their own in the village. A sea
change descended on the village when a spate of self-help groups were
formed. The groups are generating funds by contributing monthly
savings of Rs 100 or more. A revolving fund has been raised and loans
are given to members for launching productive ventures. Roshni Devi
got a loan of Rs 25,000 for starting a pottery unit in the village.
She is doing well and also paying back loan instalments regularly. She
sells here products in Mandi town during festivals. She also got a
stall from the district administration for selling pottery items at
the Red Cross Fair. Another woman, Attri Devi, got a loan of Rs 5000
for purchasing a cow. She is paying back the loan by selling milk.
“I am proud that I am earning with my own efforts and resources,”
she asserts. Jagriti has raised a tent-house of its own. “Now we
can cater to the needs of the village and people no longer have to go
to Mandi town for tent-house items,” says Neelam Kumari. With 208
self-help groups, Sadar block is playing a pioneering role in the
self-help movement. These groups are affiliated with nationalised
banks and loans are given, whenever needed. The main motivating force
behind the constitution of these groups is the Project Officer (Child
Development) Ms Chander Kala. She says in the beginning the village
women were shy and reluctant to join groups and lacked both confidence
and initiative. However, after lot of motivation they came forward and
started forming groups. Newspersons also visited Bhadyal, where first
self-help group, Sahara, was founded in 1999. This group comprised
IRDP families. The head of the group, Maya, said each member of this
group was given a loan of Rs 24,000 for purchasing two cows at low
interest. The members are returning Rs 400 in monthly instalments out
of their income from sale of milk. They are also entitled to a subsidy
of Rs 10,000 each after five years. They showed cows to the
mediapersons and added that a White Revolution has come in the
village. The entire produce is sold locally. Women are emerging as a
powerful section engaged in small-scale and cottage units with the
help of over Rs 15 lakh in loans from banks and their accumulated net
saving has swelled to over Rs 36 lakh. While many
government-sponsored schemes fail to yield the desired results the
self-help groups are proving exceptions, perhaps, because here there
are no funds to be squandered or misappropriated. However, the task of
motivating village women is a challenge, says Ms Chander Kala. The
officials endowed with missionary zeal are doing an outstanding job
and the Sadar block has shown the way. Its groups at Nagwain are
making carpets and earning handsome profits. Women there have
reportedly achieved complete economic independence. |
|
Hospital
faces govt apathy Shimla, February 17 The shortage of staff, particularly Class IV, including safai karamchari, has led to unhygienic conditions on its premises. Sources say there have been no recruitment in the hospital since 1995. The meager budget also adds to the problems of the staff. They complain that their medical bills are often not cleared even after six months. Many posts of Class IV employees have been lying vacant. There are no toilets for outdoor patients. Even laboratory are not up to the mark. The condition of the children’s ward is poor. The patients hve to share beds. Toilets adjacent to the ward often stink as there is no regular supply of water. “No attention is being given to this most sensitive ward. The number of beds must be increased on priority”, said a patient. There is usually a chaos outside the X-ray room. “We have to come very early for getting an X-ray test done. Sometimes we have to wait for more than two hours for our turn”, said another patient. Patients from remote areas of the state open keep waiting for doctors at many OPDs, for hours together. The hospital does not have a watchman and sometimes Class IV employees have to do the job. They say they have repeatedly urged the hospital authorities to fill these posts, but to no avail. When contacted the Chief Medical Officer of the hospital said the issues of vacant posts and security arrangements were under the consideration of the government. |
|
Decision to allow 5 storeys ‘a gimmick’ Shimla, February 17 Addressing a press conference here today the President and General Secretary of DCC, Mr Harbhajan Singh and Mr Nand Kishore Mehta, respectively said the interim development plan of Shimla and other towns had lapsed on December 31, 2001, then how the amendment could be carried out in the plan, which was not applicable. Even the Shimla Municipal Corporation does not accept the building plans of five-storeyed buildings, they pointed out. Congress leaders said the state government had not specified the areas where five or more storeys could be constructed. He regretted that the Congress-dominated municipal corporation was being ignored by the hand-picked. Commissioner of the corporation, Mr Harbhajan Singh said the development of town should not be a political issue of any party. He alleged that illegal and unauthorised constructions were being ignored on political considerations. The Congress urged the state government to prepare interim development plan of town afresh and citizens should be associated with it.
PTI |
|
Rs 1-cr stadium
at Kulu soon Shimla, February
17 He said the state government would provide a share of Rs 12 lakh for this and efforts would be made to start work for construction of stadium on war footing. He also announced the construction of steps for the audience at Dhalpur Ground. In all, 57 teams participated in this tournament and the Balh Cricket Club won the final match against victory eleven. Sat Parkash of Balh cricket club was declared best all-rounder while Lekh Raj and Khamant of the same club were adjudged best batsman and bowler, respectively.
PTI |
|
Panchayats
to get phones by March Hamirpur, February 17 Talking to this reporter yesterday, he said the work of providing 23,000 new connections was going on a war footing and so for 14,126 new connections had been sanctioned. Similarly, the switching capacity of the exchanges numbering 135 was also increased by 9,384 lines as against the annual target of 22,000 lines. He said seven new exchanges were going to be installed in the district out of which one had already been installed at Handola in Bilaspur district. Rest of these exchanges would be installed at Kot, Polian
Purohttan, Morsinghee, Gahliana, Joh and Barota. Mr Sharma said the mobile service of the BSNL would become operative by October 2002. The BSNL had added extra large version to the old exchange to make it more stable and effective. |
|
Travel
agent cheats 20 Haj pilgrims Nahan, February 17 Haj pilgrims yesterday reported the matter to the local police. A delegation of the pilgrims also met Mr S.P. Singh SP, who assured full support and advised them to lodge the FIR. According to the pilgrims, the agent had assured them to arrange their pilgrimage on cheaper rates and send two persons free of charge. But in Delhi the agent failed to make arrangements for their travel and they had to return Nahan on February 14. The agent had charged about Rs 50,000 each from the pilgrims. |
|
Blind men sore with HP Govt Shimla, February 17 The agitating association members alleged that their demands had not been implemented despite repeated assurances. |
|
2 killed
as lorry falls into gorge Chamba, February 17 According to official sources, the driver of the truck, Singhi Ram, who was stated to be in a serious condition had been referred to Chandigarh for further treatment. The three injured, Rakesh, Satish and Jeetu, had been discharged from the zonal hospital. The sources said lorry and six labourers belonged to Jai Prakash Industries. |
|
Rs 4-cr water supply schemes on cards Mandi, February 17 This was stated by Thakur Gulab Singh, Speaker of the state Assembly, while laying the foundation stone of Rs 10.5-lakh Digli drinking water supply scheme in Hargu Nain panchyat at a height of 8,000 ft in Jogindernagar subdivision today. He said 16,916 villages in the state had been provided potable water. He said Rs 58 lakh would be spent on various development schemes in the backward Hargu Nain Panchyat in the current year. He said Digli would be connected by a motorable road this year. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
