 |
|
Construction of IGMC psychiatry wing to be probed
Hold meeting on dues, Chief Secy, power board chief told
Rana takes Virbhadra
to task
Steam engine ready for dream journey
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seminar on democracy and media marks Press Day
Ban sought on sale of oxytocin
Civil Hospital in bad shape
Private players to enter healthcare
US students in India on education trip
|
|
Construction of IGMC psychiatry wing to be probed
Paddar (Mandi),
November 16 Addressing a public meeting to mark the centenary of the cooperative movement in the country and the 51st state-level Cooperative Week here after laying foundation stone of the Rs 77.96 lakh bridge at Gran, near Pandoh, Mr Virbhadra Singh warned that those who had committed irregularities would not be spared. “The chips used on the floors of the IGMC’s new building have come out. I saw this when I visited patients a few days ago. I have ordered a probe to fix accountability”, he asserted. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the board of directors chosen by members of cooperatives would run cooperatives in the state. “The audit will be done every year as the cooperatives are public trusts and nobody will be allowed to misuse public money. The nominated members will not be eligible to be elected as chairpersons to bring about transparency in the affairs of the cooperatives", he added. Drawing personal reference from the period when as an MP from Mandi, he was one of the members of the now defunct cooperatives in Delhi, Mr Virbhadra Singh said the major reason why cooperatives had failed and had become a den of corruption was that these did not have accountability. “Now we will ensure that accountability is fixed, be it roads, bridges or school buildings, or cooperatives”, he said. Urging women to take part in the affairs of the cooperatives in the various government-run programmes in the state, Mr Virbhadra Singh said women’s participation would infuse integrity, honesty and a change in the development works. He announced that the state highway linking Kangra, Mandi and Kulu districts through the backward block of Drang constituency would be completed on a war footing under the Central Roads Fund. “The road will shorten the distance by over 70 km, benefiting villagers in the Chuhar valley in Mandi district. The government has started development works worth Rs 13 crore”, he added, referring to media reports that work had come to a standstill due to lack of funds. Announcing a grant of Rs 15 lakh for the BDO office building and Rs 10 lakh for the stadium at Paddar, headquarters of the Drang constituency, Mr Virbhadra Singh said the town would developed in a planned manner. “Rs 3 crore has been allotted for the speedy completion of the zonal hospital, which has suffered during the BJP regime”, he added. The IPH Minister and Drang MLA, Mr Kaul Singh, demanded that the Drang block, which had been declared as one of the backward blocks in the state, be declared the fifth subdivisions in the district to speed up development work in the constituency. The Cooperative Minister, Mr Kuldeep Kumar, who gave a round-up of cooperatives in the state, said the vigilance cell would keep a tab on the affairs of cooperatives in the state. The chairman of the Agricultural Marketing Board, Mr Satya Prakash Thakur, emphasised refinancing of cooperatives though central cooperatives banks. Mr S.R. Chauhan, president of the HP Cooperatives Sahakari Sangh, and Mr Kehar Singh, Seva Dal chief, urged members to strengthen the cooperative movement in the state. |
|
Hold meeting on dues, Chief Secy, power
Shimla, November 16 It also expressed displeasure over the non-compliance of its tariff order dated July 5,2004, and directed the board to approach the government to clarify its stand regarding release of subsidy committed to domestic consumers and opening of a letter of credit in favour of the board before November 25. “A meeting of the full board, of which the Principal Secretary, Finance, and the Principal Secretary, Power, are members, be convened to discuss the issue of subsidy and the outstanding dues payable by the government to the board and vice versa” the order passed by the commission after a review hearing here today said. It was revealed during the course of the hearing that the Irrigation and Public Health Department alone owed Rs 141 crore to the board and the arrears of subsidy, including Rs 22 crore payable on account of illegal rollback of electricity charges for domestic consumers by the previous Dhumal government, amounted to Rs 35 crore. On the other hand, the board had collected Rs 9.5 crore as electricity duty and received free power worth Rs 17.50 crore from the government. Thus, in all an amount of Rs 27 crore was due to the government from the board. Under the Electricity Regulatory Commission Act, the board can only charge the tariff approved by it. Subsidy committed by the government to any category of consumers is to be paid in a transparent manner as per its order. The board had been billing the domestic consumers at subsidised rates even though the government had not been releasing the subsidy, which comes to Rs 3.26 crore per month. During the last hearing, the commission had made it clear that non-compliance of the order could attract penal action under Sections 142 and 146 of the Act. |
|
Rana takes Virbhadra
to task
Chandigarh, November 16 During the Dhumal regime, the government had constructed 4500 km of roads, a number of bridges and started projects to generate 8000 MW of electricity. Prof Dhumal, Mr Rana said, was able to get Central aid to the tune of Rs 1700 crore whereas Mr Virbhadra Singh had not been able to get anything though he had arranged the visit to Ms Sonia Gandhi. |
|
Steam engine ready for dream journey
Solan, November 16 The journey which comes for no less than Rs 1,08,100 for the entire troop is primarily a joy ride which the society members undertake twice or thrice every year. Earning the distinction of being the best engineered narrow gauge railway track comparable to the best in the world the officials are now preparing the engine for the ride. The Station Superintendent, Shimla railway station, Mr Praveen Kumar, while enlisting various preparations to make the steam engine functional said, “Special technicians are summoned from as far as Saharanpur and Kalka to conduct the test trial a day before and keep the engine in order for the special day.” Manufactured in 1905 by the North British Locomotive, it is one of the 56 other steam engines in the country which went off the track in 1971. Its services were revived 30 years later in September 2001 when an enthusiastic group of foreign tourists from UNESCO requested to run it along the
Shimla-Kandhaghat track for shooting a film on Jim Corbet. The Station Superintendent stressing that its maintenance was a crucial factor said since it remained non-functional during the rest of the year over 10 persons had been assigned the job to make it operational. Requiring 5,682 litres of water and 3.5 tonnes of coal for its operation it can pull a maximum speed of 40 km per hour. Being purely a pleasure trip foreign tourists make most of the short journey clicking photographs and feasting their eyes on the panoramic evergreen pine forests which transform into the majestic deodars as one reaches Shimla. The group, which had earlier booked the locomotive in January, has also made bookings for the next year. Being an old engine it is unable to undertake the uphill journey on its own. Another engine would be attached to its rear for its return journey from Kathlighat to Shimla, revealed officials. An earlier attempt of the Railways to permit a UNESCO troop had lead to a massive fire in a five hectare forest area in December 2001. Damages worth Rs 1.85 lakh had been worked out by the Forest Department for the 7,500 young pine saplings which were burnt. Forest officials revealed that mandatory permission for the November 19 venture had been granted to the Railways on the condition of paying the damage amount soon. |
|
Seminar on democracy and media marks Press Day
Shimla, November 16 Touching various aspects of democracy and media in the light of Constitutional provisions and needs of people, the speakers underlined that democracy could flourish only in a well-informed society. The responsibility of keeping society informed rested with the media and thus its role became important in sustaining and strengthening the roots of a democracy. The media could play this role effectively only if the right to information was guaranteed, they added. Mr Uday Kumar, Resident Editor of the Chandigarh edition of Amar Ujala, lamented that the Freedom of Information Act passed last year has not been enforced in majority of the states so far. He said those at the helm of affairs were becoming increasingly intolerant to criticism and this did not augur well for a democracy. Even the mediapersons had become instruments in the hands of vested interests. While speaking about the declining credibility of the media he cited the example of the opinion poll conducted by the electronic media during the Lok Sabha poll. Mediapersons had been unable to read the pulse of the people, he added. Mr Girish Misra , Resident Editor of the Chandigarh edition of Dainik Bhaskar, said the degree of freedom enjoyed by the media reflected the health and status of a democracy. Mr Prem Kumar, a veteran journalist and a former editor of the Indian Express, said that the media had been divided by vested interests in polity and
business. There was an abject lack of social sensitivity and responsibility as a result of which the issues which deserved urgent attention were getting relegated to the back seat. Presiding over the seminar, Mr Mukesh Agnihotri, Chief Parliamentary Secretary who also holds charge of the Information and Public Relations, also spoke on the occasion. Chamba: Journalists of the district today came down heavily on owners of newspapers and the electronic media who were “commercialising” the profession and ignoring the ethics of journalism. This has put a question mark on the duties and responsibilities expected from a journalist, they said. This was the gist of a symposium on the “Role of media in democracy” held on the occasion of “National Press Day” organised under the chairmanship of Mr A.P. Bagalwan, a retired District Public Relations Officer, here today. Speakers stressed that the newspapers should appoint full-time scribes rather than part-time correspondents so that they could concentrate on performing their duties and responsibilities without thinking how to earn their living. Hamirpur: The role of media in a democratic set-up was discussed at a function held here today in connection with Press Day. SDM Narendra Sharma was the chief guest on the occasion. The Department of Information and Public Relations organised the function. |
|
Ban sought on sale of oxytocin
Palampur, November 16 Mr K.B. Rahalan and Mr Ravinder Sood, president and secretary respectively, of the forum said blatant and indiscriminate use of oxytocin had become a big environmental and health hazard among human beings and animals. Oxytocin is a synthetic drug normally used on women during the labour hours to ease the relaxation of muscles. But today this drug is widely used on milch cattle to extract more milk. Ms Neelam Sood, who headed this study on behalf of the forum, said administration of this injection minimises the resistance of animal to release milk. Though it is a banned drug and can only be sold on the prescription of registered medical or veterinary practitioners, but there is no check on the sale of this drug and it is being sold openly. Ms Sood who talked to many veterinary and medical professionals on this subject disclosed that milk extracted through oxytocin is very harmful. She said the use of milk extracted through this synthetic hormone could result in early onset of menstrual cycle in girls, miscarriages and deformities in infants. The study further revealed that the administration of oxytocin had also resulted in infertility in the milch cattle. Due to this, hundreds of cattle have been deserted by their owners. These herds of the stray animals sitting on the roadside have become traffic hazards. The study also showed that those animals who were administered this drug for longer periods died
prematurely. Members of the forum during their visit to over 50 villages in the region found several carcasses of animals emitting foul smell, but no vultures were seen anywhere. The villagers said the population of vultures had reduced considerably in the past few years. |
|
Civil Hospital in bad shape
Dehra, November 16 In the absence of qualified anesthetists, no operations are
being conducted at the hospital and all cases needing surgery are immediately referred to the Zonal Hospital at Dharamsala. Though normal delivery cases are admitted at the hospital, but patients have to be rushed to Dharamsala in case of even minor complications. The hospital also does not have even a gynecologist. “There is no other option,” rues Dr Puran Chand, Senior Medical Officer (SMO). “The hospital needs at least 16 doctors but it has to make do with only eight. Also, it has only nine staff nurses against a need of 20,” he said. Two of the total four stories of the hospital are lying unused due to non-functioning of the labour rooms, operation theatres and the laboratories. “We can conduct only small surgeries. Cases involving complications are not admitted,” said Dr Puran Chand. he hospital is also short of para-medical and supporting staff. There are only two pharmacists against a sanctioned strength of eight and the hospital is functioning with only three Class IV employees though it needs at least 20. There is not a single lab technician, driver or clerk with the hospital, which the patients feel is seriously affecting the functioning of the hospital. The hospital has only one radiographer, who has to take care of the ultrasound, ECG and X-ray needs of all the patients coming to the hospital. The Health Department has been informed about all these problems and we are still waiting for a reply, he said. Mr Surinder Chand, an attendant, said a majority of cases were only referred to the zonal hospital for the lack of staff or equipment. “Considering that such a large population is dependent on this hospital, the government should at give us the sanctioned strength of doctors so that innocent lives are not put at risk,” he said. Mr Malkit Parmar, president of the Beopar Mandal, said in several cases, delivery cases were referred to the zonal hospital at the eleventh hour due to subsequent complications and this creates a major problem. “The existing doctors are overburdened and there is no eye surgeon or ENT specialist,” he said. Mr Karam Kumar, an old timer said the hospital was functioning with the same strength of staff that was sanctioned decades ago when the hospital was set up. “Even though the hospital was later upgraded to a 100-bedded hospital, no new posts were created. ,” he said. |
|
Private players to enter healthcare
Shimla, November 16 The Health Department has already identified 35 such health institutions in the state where despite repeated efforts the staff has not been performing their duties as a result of which proper healthcare is being denied to the residents of the area. The proposal to hand over these institutions to the private sector is part of the proposed reform programme, which the government is already implementing in a phased manner. “The basic objective of the public-private partnership is to provide the basic healthcare facility to people residing in the under served areas where there are problems like high infant and maternal mortality,” informed Director Health and Family Welfare, Dr R.N. Mahanta. The government has already identified an external agency which will help in identifying the areas of possible cooperation. After preparing a complete data base about the existing NGOs, their strengths and handicaps will be identified after which they would be made partners in the healthcare delivery. The authorities are hopeful that by the end of the year they shall be able to rope in the NGOs to help in community participation and delivery of better healthcare. |
|
US students in India on education trip
Kumarhatti, November 16 The 12 student group would stay in school for two days under the cultural bridges students exchange programme. The Sallie B. Howard School in Wilson, North Carolina, USA, in collaboration with Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clarita, the William Hart School District Board and Santa Clarita Valley International Programme have sponsored the trip to India. The Executive Director of Sallie B. Howard School, Dr. Jo Anne Woodard is leading the group. The exchange programme known as ‘Cultural Bridges’ is organised to develop understanding among school students of
different nations worldwide. The objective of the trip is to give visiting students an insight into Indian
culture. At Pinegrove the students will attend classes and stay in the school hostel. They will also visit the surrounding villages besides undertaking various village development projects with the help of the Rotary Club, Kasauli and Shimla Mid Town of Rotary District 3080. |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
