Chamba, June 22
The state Health and Family Welfare Department has expressed concern over the sharp decline in sex ratio at birth in the state. During the past ten years, the rate of female foeticide in the state has considerably gone up.

Stating these facts at a meeting of the district level pre-natal diagnostic treatment advisory committee held here today, Dr Nagesh Verma, Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Chamba, stated that the sex ratio at birth had dropped from 877 females per 1000 males in 2003 to 872 females in 2004.

In Chamba district, the sex ratio of females per 1000 males had declined to 864 in 2004 as compared to 923 in 2003.

He said that situation was more alarming in Chamba, Bharmour, Tissa and Salooni medical blocks adding that the male and female death rate was 5.2 per cent in the district. The number of male children born in the district were 5921 as compared to 5113 female children.

Taking a serious view of the prevailing situation, Dr Verma ordered the sealing of a private genetic hospital at Hatli in the district where no qualified expert had been deployed in accordance with the provisions of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Act, 1994.

He said that the government had decided to interdict the misuse of pre-natal diagnostic technique (PNDT) for determining the sex of the foetus.

He said that no genetic counselling centres, genetic clinics and laboratories shall conduct, associate and help in conducting the PNDT unless registered. No qualified person in the capacity of gynecologist, pediatrician, radiologist would conduct and help in carrying out, himself or through any other person, PNDT at any place other than that which was 
registered.

“The Act on one hand prevents the misuse of PNDT and at the same time, it permits the use of such techniques for the purpose of detection of genetic abnormalities and disorders for the benefits of the human race. The Act also prohibits the determination of sex of the foetus,” Dr Verma elucidated.

The CMO underscored the need for registration of genetic clinics fulfilling the prerequisites to be put up for scrutiny in the advisory committee for the final grant of registration.

Earlier, by consensus of the advisory committee, Mr Abdul Ghani, a noted blood donor and social worker, was nominated as the Chairman of the committee.

Shimla, June 22
Himachal Pradesh is poised to achieve the target of reducing its Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to 30 per thousand and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) to 100 per lakh by 2010 under the Millennium Development Goal Programme by improving the nutritional and health status of children.

This was stated by the Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, while reviewing the functioning of the Social Justice and Empowerment Department, here today. He said the strategy was to increase the number of pre-school education beneficiaries by ten per cent to help improve the health of children.

As many as 10,984 more ‘anganwari’ centres would be added and a child helpline would be established under the Social Defence programme. He said that the objective was to provide best possible health cover by improving the nutritional and health status of children to reduce the incidence of mortality, morbidity, malnutrition and school dropouts.

He said that for effective functioning of the anganwari centres, implementation of pre-school syllabus, community participation and identification of specific pockets of excellence were being adhered to. He said in all 21,788 local women would get employment as anganwadi workers.

He said that necessary directions had been issued to get the marriages taking place in the state registered compulsorily under the state Registration of Marriages Act. He said that such Act had been adopted by the state government to provide women with marital security and eliminate incidences of child marriages.

He said that the government would identify senior citizens and issue them identity cards on the basis of which they could avail various concessions being provided by the government. He further said that skill upgradation of the handicapped was being done to bring them to the mainstream.

Mr Virbhadra Singh said that the state would be adopt a standard design for the construction of lepers’ colonies at suitable places in the state to rehabilitate persons cured of the disease. 

Shimla, June 22
As part of its ongoing drive against unauthorised constructions in the city, the Municipal Corporation (MC) today removed 16 dharas (illegal structures) in the Shankali area, below Auckland House School.

With June 30 as the deadline given by the High Court for removing all unauthorised structures on forest land, the MC will be removing 25 other structures in Shankali. Three encroachers removed illegal structure on their own today.

During the first phase, the MC had removed 286 dharas from various localities in the town. During the current second phase, the MC has to remove 134 dharas before June 30.

With more than 5,000 encroachments on forest, revenue and other government land in the town, the MC has launched a drive to remove such illegal structures. The owners of these dharas had been given time by the High Court earlier to move out of these structures once the winters were over on their plea that winter time was not right to ask people to vacate their houses. There are about 925 encroachments on forest land in the town.

The dhara owners, some of whom have been residing in these illegally raised structures for decades, had asked the government to provide them with alternate land. Though, the state government has been saying that a scheme will be launched to help the poor by giving them alternate land but no headway has been made so far.

Reckong Peo, June 22
Tension is prevailing in Pooh subdivision of Kinnaur district with the local people opposing the beginning of a preliminary survey on the 1020-MW Khab-Shasho hydroelectric project being commissioned by the Sutlej Jal Vidhyut Nigam (SJVN).

The tribal people have long been opposing this project. Yesterday and today, the tribal people held a huge procession and a protest rally against start of survey work.

On the other hand, the district administration was adamant on helping the SJVN authorities to carry on with the work.

There were reports of clashes between the tribal people and the SJVN authorities late last evening but no one was reported injured. The District Magistrate, Dr Amandeep Garg, and the Superintendent of Police, Mr Arvind Sharda, were also in the Pooh area at that time, but they could not be contacted for official comments due to poor communication lines.

Today, a heavy force was called at Pooh from the district headquarters to handle the situation.

It was learnt that the SJVN authorities had given a complaint to the police that the agitating people had ransacked some of their equipment and manhandled their officials.

Shimla, June 22
At least five new tunnels will be constructed for the smooth movement of vehicles in the city and existing roads will be widened.

Stating this while presiding over the first meeting of the steering committee for the implementation of Rs 1500-crore Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission, Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, said the Kufri Panthaghati-Taradevi, Tutu-Kuftadahr-Naldehra and Ghannahatii-Jubbarhatti-Shoghi bypasses would be constructed. He said all nullahs of the town would be channelised.

More tourist spots would be developed and possibilities explored to adopt alternate means of communication like cablecar, ropeway and monorail. He said overhead bridges and subsways would also be constructed for the pedestrians.

He said proposals had been mooted for the construction of ropeways from Dhingu temple to Jakhoo temple, Jakhoo temple to Sankat Mochan, Sankat Mochan to Taradevi and Taradevi to Kamna Devi temple. The existing airport at Jubbarhatti would also be expanded.

Big commercial complexes were likely to be shifted to more convenient locations to help them function more conveniently.