Shimla, December 7
A booming tourism industry may be the top priority of the state government but with over 88,000 high risk population in the state as per the mapping done to assess the vulnerability to AIDS, stringent steps will have to be undertaken to contain the spread of the killer disease.

Almost 88,036 persons in the state have been found to be vulnerable to the killer disease AIDS in a survey conducted by the ORG Centre for Social Research. The survey was done to assess the high-risk population so that effective strategies could be evolved for target intervention projects. The survey covered all rural and urban areas in all districts barring Lahaul Spiti.

A recent report had alerted that though Himachal fell in the category of low prevalence state but with a spurt in the tourist inflow, it was highly vulnerable to the disease. One of the main reasons being attributed to such a huge high risk population in a tiny state like Himachal is the growing tourism industry which beckons people from every section and part of the country.

A startling factor, which has come to light in the survey, is the presence of large number of non-brothel based commercial sex workers operating through mobile network. The number of such female sex workers has been found to be the highest in Shimla and Kullu, as the two places are the most popular tourist centres. These commercial sex workers are not confined to any geographical boundary as they have high inter-city and inter-state mobility.

The other vulnerable group includes truckers (33,303), migrant workers (52,298) and very small numbers of intravenous drug users and gays.

The largest concentration of high-risk behaviour group of truckers has been found in the districts of Bilaspur, Solan, Mandi and Kangra. The maximum number of migrant work force has been found in districts of Kullu, Shimla and Solan, mainly because of the orchards and vegetable farming.

“In Himachal various factors like high literacy, awareness about the disease and non-existence of professional blood donors has prevented the disease from assuming alarming proportions,” says Mr Mukesh Agnihotri, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, looking after the Health Department. On the basis of the mapping the various projects will be re strategised and made more comprehensive, he added.

Seeing the results of the mapping, the State AIDS Control Cell is planning to start new projects at Manali, Shimla and Dalhousie to cover taxi drivers, hotel workers and porters. The hoteliers here have already been asked by the cell to keep informative literature about AIDS and condoms in every room.

At present nine target intervention projects being funded by NACO are being run in various parts of the state by NGO’s.

Chandigarh, December 7
A Himachal Cadre IPS officer, Mr Deepak Bagai, based in Mumbai on an assignment with an NGO, has claimed that he was unaware about the fact that the vehicle by which he travelled Chandigarh from Shimla an impounded vehicle. Reacting to news reports accusing him of using an impounded vehicle, Mr Bagai said that he had boarded the taxi at Shimla on November 30 thinking it to be a ‘taxi’ and even paid the driver.

Mr B.S. Thind, ADGP, Himachal Police, whose name appeared in some news reports was neither travelling in this vehicle, nor had anything to do with the incident, Mr Bagai clarified.

“I requested the Shimla Police Traffic staff to arrange a taxi for me to proceed to Chandigarh, which they did. I went to the bus stand at 5 pm, where this Qualis, (CH-03-F-9010) was parked. I was asked to pay Rs. 600 to the driver and we moved on towards Chandigarh”

“On the way, between Dharampur and Jabli, the driver wanted to have a cup of tea, where a young man and woman approached me and enquired where the taxi was going. The man then stated that he was the owner of this taxi and happened to see this vehicle parked there on their way to Shimla.

“They expressed their desire to travel in the vehicle to Chandigarh. Since there was nothing to be suspicions, I allowed them to get into the taxi and the man offered to drive the taxi himself,” he said.

“On entering Chandigarh, the traffic police signalled the driver to stop. When they asked Pawan, who was at the driver’s seat to show the documents of the vehicle, he could not show anything.

“He informed the policeman that the police at Dehra Dun had taken the documents of this vehicle some time ago. He also produced an additional Challan paper issued by the Shimla Police, indicating that this vehicle had been checked and impounded in October.

“As I had disclosed my identity and told them that I had hired the vehicle from Shimla they engaged an autorickshaw for me, and I proceeded to my wards place of stay in Mani Majra”, he added.

Shimla, December 7
The Himachal Pradesh Civil Supplies Corporation has denied that its medicine shops were fleecing the patients and claimed that its average profit from medicine sales came to around 12 per cent.

A spokesman for the corporation asserted that the reports appearing in a section of media were false, motivated and could be a result of misinformation by vested interests who were affected by availability of cheaper alternatives provided by the corporation.

He clarified that space was provided by the government within the hospital premises or nearby, but development of other infrastructure like construction of shop, provision of racks and almirahs was effected by the corporation itself. The corporation was also paying rent at most of the places either to the Health Department or to the Red Cross.

He said the corporation sell only those medicines, which were being prescribed by the medical Officers mostly by brand name. He said it was also incorrect to say that medicine shops had been given on contract to certain influential persons close to ministers and MLAs as recruitment of pharmacists were carried out every year by inviting applications through the employment exchange on the basis of their merit.

Detailed guidelines had been issued from time to time and these pharmacists were working under strict control of the area managers as well as the drug authorities of the state.

He said patients were not being over charged as the corporation sell medicines after giving a rebate of 5 to 30 per cent on the maximum retail price.

Shimla, December 7
The IPH Minister, Mr Kaul Singh Thakur, today said that mid-session transfers in the Education Department should be avoided as these adversely affected at the students.

Mr Singh, who is the chairman of the Transfer Policy Committee, said employees should not treat postings in the tribal areas as punishment as important projects and schemes are being executed in these places. “A majority of the tribal areas are connected with roads and have good facilities, so the employees posted there must work with dedication and complete their tenure,” he stressed.

Mr Thakur said the tribal postings should be made mandatory and nobody should be exempted from serving in these difficult areas. He suggested that panchayat secretaries should not be posted in their home panchayats and inspectors outside their home blocks for bringing efficiency in work. “For having general principles for transfer, the tribal areas can be made into soft and hard areas and postings can be made accordingly,” he suggested.

He asked the heads of departments to start the transfer process in the tribal areas a little earlier so that it could be well-timed and work did not suffer. He added that mutual transfers recommended by employees should also form part of the transfer policy and be given consideration.

Hamirpur, December 7
Uncertainty prevails in the National Institute of Technology (NIT) here over the reports that the present Director of the institution, Prof Chander Shekhar, will leave the institution on December 31, 2004. Prof Chander Shekhar had resigned from his post in June, 2004, and since then his resignation was hanging fire.

Prof Chander Shekhar had taken over as the Director of the institution in August 2003 for a period of five years as per the decision of the Board of Governors (BoG) of the institution.

While the students of the institution and a section of the faculty members have demanded from the Chairman of the BoG, Prof R.S. Nirjhar, not to accept the resignation of the Director, there is another group in the college which is pressing hard for the ouster of Prof Chander Shekhar from the institution.

This group led by one of the senior faculty members, Des Raj Rana has been waging a battle for the ouster of Prof Chander Shekhar from the institution for the past one year due to their reported differences on various issues.

There are indications that Prof Chander Shekhar will get an extension as the Chairman of the BoG is also in favour of his continuing as the director as he had done a lot for the institution and the students.

However, insiders in the institution say that the Director is keen to leave the institution due to personal reasons.

One of the main reasons is the illness of one of his family members and another is a major project, which he had started in the IIT, New Delhi, before coming to Hamirpur.

Una, December 7
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, in two different complaints filed by M/s Satlej CT Scan and Research Centre, Nangal, has held responsible New India Insurance Company Limited, Mehatpur branch for providing deficient service to the complainant. It has ordered and directed the insurance company to get a camera repaired within two months from the date of receipt of the order and also directed the company to pay of Rs 40,000 as compensation for harassment. The forum also ordered to pay Rs 1000 as cost of litigation.

The complainant had entered into an agreement with the insurance company on May 1, 2002, for insurance of machinery and equipment of the complainant. This included X-Ray, inter-sound, CT Screening in the sum of Rs 3337,268, and premium of Rs 56171 was paid. The complainant insured 40x17 multi-format camera for value of Rs 80,000. The camera went out of order on November 15, 2002, and the opposite party (insurance company) was telephonically informed about the same on the same day and requested to depute surveyor to assess the damage. The same was done by the opposite party.

On several occasions the complainant demanded the result of the surveyor but on January 23, 2003, the complainant received a letter from the insurance company that the claim had been refused on the ground that the damage to the camera occurred due to change and variation in pre-programmed software. The complainant, because of urgent need, had to hire camera from Chandigarh on a hire basis for Rs 500 per day from December 15, 2002, till date and made payment of Rs 41000 up to February 27, 2003.

The forum accepted the allegations of the complainant of deficient service rendered by insurance company and forum president Anand Swaroop Bhardwaj along with O.P. Verma and Santosh Saini passed the order to make compensation to the complainant. 

Mandi, December 7
The joint team of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), New Delhi, and the State Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (SEPPCB), Shimla, has, in principle, okayed Rs 4-crore model solid waste management (MSWM) project for the town that the Mandi Municipal Council (MMC) had submitted a few months ago to the CPCB.

Sources in the district administration said a team led by Mr A.K. Vidyarthi from the CPCB, which visited the town a couple of days ago, has broadly okayed the MSWM project and had asked the MMC to recast it after specifying the exact details of the project.

Officials in the MMC said the town needs tippers, lift vans, loader and compacters to collect and transport the town’s solid waste. “We have suggested a waste disposal site at a defunct stone quarry, 6 km from the town. The site is safe and the team has approved the site to set up a waste treatment plant,” the officials said.

The Additional Divisional Magistrate Mandi, Dr Prem Bhardwaj, said the CPCB had broadly okayed the project. “We have suggested them alternative site for the plant at Kansa Chowk so that the waste generated in smaller towns between Mandi and Sundernagar could use the facility. It would be a pilot project in the state taking care of the waste in the town and its satellite townships,” he informed.

The model multi-purpose waste management plant would be funded by the CPCB and the MMC in the 90: 10 ratio. Under the project, the residents would get dustbins, a door-to-door waste collection facility that would clear the town of its garbage problem. The project will also involve local entrepreneurs and NGOs to make it a success. It is likely to be put in place in a couple of months, the MMC officials hoped.

The MMC has identified over 35 points in the town where waste has created the problem of hygiene. “We spend Rs 6- 8 lakh every month on sanitation in the town, but the existing infrastructure is not enough to cope with the load of waste in the town,” said Mr Vinod Sharma, an engineer in the MMC.

As the town has no waste disposal system, most of the waste is dumped in slopes, Sakeudi and other nullahs, Saketi khud and the Beas.

Shimla, December 7
With the state executive of the BJP meeting for the first time after the Guler by-election on December 12 at Mandi, crucial organisational matters and future strategy are likely to be discussed by senior party leaders.

Senior party leaders, including former Union Minister, Shanta Kumar, former Chief Minister, P.K. Dhumal and state BJP chief Suresh Bhardwaj are expected to attend the meeting. “Even though the party emerged victorious in the Guler byelection, with both the Dhumal and Shanta factions vying with each other for taking credit for this feat, the issue could generate some heat,” said a senior leader.

Taking credit for the Guler victory, Dhumal loyalists had claimed that it was due to the campaigning by the former Chief Minister that the BJP could register a victory, while Shanta loyalists said all this was due to the following of Mr Shanta Kumar in the area.