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BJP for consensus on state party chief
HP to set up thermal plant with Kolkata firm
Winter session from Dec 26
Village in Mankotia’s area awaits link road
Pabbar scheme will redress Shimla’s water woes
BJP protest over delay in medical centre
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Shortage of doctors hits health mission
Inquiry ordered into patient’s death
J.N. Barowalia is Law Secretary
Panel rules out driver’s fault in mishap
Filling of quota posts demanded
80 take part in treasure hunt rally
HP farmers take to organic farming
Man forced to swallow poison, dies
Man killed in accident
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BJP for consensus on state party chief
Shimla, December 5 It is reliably learnt that the high command has conveyed to all senior leaders of Himachal Pradesh that elections in various states all over the country have been unanimous and voting did not take place anywhere. As such, the possibility of election taking place in Himachal Pradesh was bleak. Election of the state BJP chief is pending in three states of Himachal, Rajasthan and Karnataka. Senior leaders Mr Sahib Singh Verma, former Delhi Chief Minister and in charge of party affairs in Himachal and Mr Sanjay Joshi, organisational secretary, have been holding discussions to resolve the dispute in Himachal as the two rival factions headed by former Chief Minister, Mr P.K. Dhumal, and former Union Minister Shanta Kumar have adopted an adamant attitude. In another significant development, the high command has also directed the State Election Appeal Committee not to take any decision in the complaints pending before it. Over one dozen complaints are pending before the three-member Election Appeal Committee, headed by Mr K.D. Dharmani. "The high command is of the opinion that in case a decision on any of these complaints is taken, it might precipitate the already grave situation as far as the state BJP chief election is concerned," admitted a senior leader. The most contentious complaint regarding organisational election to the Kulu and Banjar constituencies is also pending before the committee. With the high command once again conveying its reluctance to hold elections, lobbying by senior leaders who were trying to woo the delegates in favour of their candidate has also stopped. Party sources said in case senior leaders from the state are able to evolve consensus over one name, the issue of holding fresh elections in Kulu and Sirmaur district could be delayed.
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HP to set up thermal plant with Kolkata firm
Shimla, December 5 The decision to this effect was taken by the state Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, here today. A joint-sector special-purpose vehicle will be formed in which the state and the company will be equal partners. The project is likely to cost Rs 3,000 crore. The Cabinet decided to waive the penal rent for government houses occupied unauthorisedly by 16 ministers - 14 of the BJP and two of Congress - and regularised their possession. It also approved the identification of additional 2.32 lakh BPL (below poverty line) families in the state for Targeted Public Distribution System (TDPS), including 2.08 lakh families in the rural areas and 24,000 in urban. The number of BPL families has been increased under the TPDS programme of the Government of India to further improve the nutritional status of families. The Cabinet decided to train 1,000 persons belonging to the Scheduled Caste, the Scheduled Tribe, the Other Backward Classes and Minorities annually in computer applications and activities to help them get employment by replacing the existing scheme for proficiency in shorthand and typing. The candidates will be entitled to a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000 and the state government will bear the training charges of Rs 1,200 on each trainee. It also approved the Urban Reform Agenda of the Jawaharlal National Urban Renewal Mission for further approval by the Centre. Nod was also given to the State Town and Country Planning Act, 1977 (Special Amendment) Bill, 2006, relating to grant of permission for acquisition of land by the Special Area Development Authority, amendment to the Himachal Pradesh Standards and Weights and Measures (Enforcement) Rules and the state Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill. It also cleared the HP Private Universities Establishment and Regulation Rules, recruitment and promotion rules for the posts of Deputy Director (Legal) and Deputy Director Food and Civil Supplies Assistant Controller (Offset Printing) Class-I, gazetted and upgrade of four posts of Senior Assistant to Superintendent Grade-II in the Fisheries Department.
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Winter session from Dec 26
Shimla, December 5 Releasing the tentative calendar for the session, the Speaker, Mr G.R. Mussafir, stated that there would be four sittings during the winter session and December 28 had been set apart for private members business. The House will also consider important legislative business during the session. The winter session was held at Dharamsala last year for the first time. Mr Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister, had announced that it would be made a regular feature.
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Village in Mankotia’s area awaits link road
Kangra, December 5 Baghat Singh (72), a resident of the village, says the village falls in the Shahpur Assembly segment, which is represented by former Tourism Minister Maj Vijay Singh Mankotia. His firebrand image and outspokenness has impeded the development of the village, he claims. The infighting in the ruling Congress has forced the village to remain cut off from the rest of the state, causing inconvenience to villagers. Baghat Singh, who retired as driver in the NHPC, claims with pride that he has driven the official cars of former Union Minister Vikram Mahajan, former Union Minister Sukh Ram, former Health Minister Chandresh Kumari and former Education Minister Asha Kumari. But to drive his ailing wife Kamla Devi back home in the village has remained a distant dream for him. He says old and ailing village folk are usually carried on carts for medical treatment outside of the village. The village is just a kilometer shy of the Dadamb-Dargela link road but there is nobody to pursue their case. He says villagers have on numerous occasions written to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, but as the village falls in the Shahpur constituency, their requests have gone unheard so far. Ward member and village Mahila Mandal chief Sawirti Thakur also rues the delay on part of the government in connecting the village by road with the rest of the state, contending that even the remotest of villages have been connected by road in the state. Baghat Singh says villagers have now decided to take the matter in their own hands and elect that representative to Assembly the who ensures that the 1-km road stretch is build.
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Pabbar scheme will redress Shimla’s water woes
Shimla, December 5 Addressing a meeting at Gumma, he said requirement of drinking water had increased for Shimla town manifold and many small schemes had been added to the original Gumma water supply scheme. However, still shortage of drinking water persisted. He said detailed project report was being prepared and work on the project would be taken up on priority. The Chief Minister said that Haryali and Watershed Programmes were being implemented all over the state to recharge traditional water bodies which fed the water supply and irrigation schemes. He said his government had made it mandatory for every house owner to incorporate rainwater harvesting structures in the building so that drinking water was not used for other purposes. Mr Virbhadra Singh said every gram panchayat had been directed to select beneficiaries under various welfare schemes. He said funds would not be any constraint in providing social security pension to every eligible person in the state. It was already spending Rs 54 crore annually to provide social security pension to 2,12,250 persons.
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BJP protest over delay in medical centre
Hamirpur, December 5 BJP leader Rajinder Rana, who led the protest, said even though sophisticated equipment worth Rs 2.65 crore, including CT scan, ultrasound, X-ray and steam sterilisation were available there, patients have to go to private diagnostic centres, which charge much more than the government rates. The building alone was built at a cost of Rs 98 lakh, he informed. Mr Rana added that the local health authorities were giving the excuse that the issue of inauguration had been taken up several times with their higher-ups but to no avail. The BJP workers also submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, threatening that they would block the national highway in case the diagnostic centre was not immediately thrown open to public. The Chief Medical Officer, Dr I.D. Sood, however, said that the diagnostic equipment like CT scan were being put to use and the formal inauguration of the centre was expected shortly. "Patients are already being provided the facilities, and in a way the entire system is being put to trial before the inauguration, which in any case has not been delayed," he said.
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Shortage of doctors hits health mission
Shimla, December 5 Even though the guidelines of the National Rural Health Mission clearly state that six specialists have to be deputed at each FRU, the Health Department is struggling to even appoint three doctors in each one of them. Out of the 15 FRUs approved by the Centre for the year 2005-06, manpower has been made available in only seven. Out of these seven places also, six doctors have been posted only at select places like Nurpur and Nalagarh. In other places, the endeavour is to have at least three doctors from the basic faculties of gynaecology, paediatrics and anaesthesia. Despite advertising 216 posts of doctor at these 36 FRUs, the response was poor. "Only seven doctors applied for these posts, while we have to appoint six doctors each at these 36 FRUs," said Dr M.L. Mahajan, Director, Health and Family Welfare. He added that despite absorbing all passouts from Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda, there was still a shortage of doctors. With such poor response to the advertisement from specialists outside the state, it is being felt that filling of all six posts at each of the FRU would be next to impossible. "Now our effort would be to at least post three specialists each at the FRU, but in the present circumstances even that appears difficult," admitted a senior health official. Even as doctors at all 15 FRUs sanctioned for the year 2005-06 have not been posted, 21 more FRUs for the current year have been approved and places selected where the facility has to be provided. The biggest problem being faced is in finding anaesthetists, as there is a shortage of doctors specialising in this faculty all over the country. To tide over this problem, the Health Department has started short training courses for MBBS doctors in anaesthesia. So far, 15 medical officers have undergone this short training course so that anaesthetists could be appointed at all the FRUs. The department also intends holding a 42-day emergency obstetrics care course for medical officers at Kamla Nehru Hospital, as there is a lot of patient rush in the gynaecology wing in hospitals.
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Inquiry ordered into patient’s death
Shimla, December 5 The Principal Secretary, Health has constituted a four-member committee to look into the cause of death. The committee has been directed to submit its report within 15 days. Mr Mohan Chauhan, Director, National Rural Health Mission has been made Chairman of the committee.
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J.N. Barowalia is Law Secretary
Shimla, December 5 He has also served as District & Sessions judge Kulu, Una and Kangra.
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Panel rules out driver’s fault in mishap
Solan,
December 5 The two-member committee, which submitted it's report to the government today, held that the driver had tried to avert a head-on collision with a vehicle coming from the opposite side. Then it lost balance and rolled into a gorge. The report, while ruling out any technical fault in the vehicle, pointed out that the bus had completed 2.5 lakh km. The driver's role has been lauded. The officials pointed out that he was an experienced driver who had won two best performance awards.
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Filling of quota posts demanded
Mandi, December 5 Talking to the reporters here today, district SC and ST employee leaders, Mr Dharam Chand and Mr M.R. Negi, said the government should implement the recent ruling as the Punjab and Haryana had already implemented the decision and decided to fill the vacant posts. All the posts for handicapped should also be filled, they added. The leaders demanded that the government should direct the Education Department to tell that the SC and ST members should get quota in the posts being filled by the PTA as the government was paying the PTA teachers.
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80 take part in treasure hunt rally
Dharamsala, December 5 The participants had to follow the mysterious clues to find their way, which also guided them to treasures hidden at different locations. Along with using their skills to manouevre through the hilly terrain, the participants had to use their mind to crack the interesting codes with their families on the way. Resort manager R. Dileep Nair gave away prizes to the winners.
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HP farmers take to organic farming Parwanoo, December 5 Agriculture, which is the main occupation in the state, provides employment to about 71 per cent of the working population. Farmers have now started adopting organic farming in a big way as the demand for organic produce is increasing. The Department of Agriculture has been promoting organic farming for the past three years through large-scale training programmes, demonstrations and increased use of organic manures. Over 27,000 vermi compost units had been set up till last year and 15,000 more are being set up during the current year. To demonstrate the technology, three departmental farms have been converted into organic demonstration farms and 5,657 farmers have so far been registered for organic farming in 41 clusters and 645 villages. For certification of organic produce, a tie-up is being planned with buyers through an NGO to promote organic farming. Central assistance has also been sought under a national project on organic farming. Trained manpower of 100 extension officers and 100 scientists will educate farmers in this regard. For reducing the cost of certification, unemployed youths are being provided training for six months. The first batch has already completed the training and is working in the state. Since 80 per cent of the area in the state is rain fed, organic farming is proving a boon for sustainable agriculture through better moisture conservation for growing crops. The first consignment of organic produce of 272 farmers in an area of 1154 acres has been made available for marketing and the commodities include vegetables, cereals, pulses and fruits.
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Man forced to swallow poison, dies
Nahan, December 5 According to police sources, Prakash Chand narrated the whole story to the doctors before his death in the hospital complex. He reportedly said that around midnight last night two unidentified persons with covered faces appeared near his bed and overpowered him. Before he could raise any alarm he was forced to swallow liquid poison. After the incident the masked persons, disappeared in the darkness. Local residents rushed to his help after they heard Prakash Chand’s cries for help. A case had been registered.
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Man killed in accident
Kangra, December 5 Police sources in Kangra today said that a car ( HP 39 6244 ) which was on way to Dharaman from Shahpur was hit by a truck coming from the opposite direction at Shahpur at 10.00.P.M last night, leaving one person dead and another injured. The dead was identified as Mr. Jagdesh (50), a resident of Hatli falling under Chawari Police station of Chamba district. Mr. Vikas Neherian, a resident of Shahpur, who was driving the car, was injured in the accident. The injured has been hospitalised. The truck driver is absconding. Police has registered a case under the truck driver. |
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