Shimla, July 18
Finding it hard to appoint at least three specialist doctors at all 36 first referral units (FRU) under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), the Health Department has once again decided to advertise 125 posts.

With the reluctance of specialist doctors to serve in the rural areas under the NRHM, the very purpose of reaching out to the remotest corner of the state is getting defeated

The Department of Health and Family Welfare has sent its requisition to the State Public Service Commission so that the posts can be advertised at the earliest and appointments made. With the reluctance of specialist doctors to serve in the rural areas under the NRHM, the very purpose of reaching out to the remotest corner of the state is getting defeated.

“The non-availability of specialist doctors is certainly coming in the way providing specialists at all identified FRUs, but we will be advertising for125 posts again,” confirmed Dr M.L. Mahajan. He said for the time being three specialists each had been posted at about 15 FRUs. Though the NRHM will continue in the state till 2012, but the state government is supposed to make all 36 FRUs functional at the earliest.

Even though the guidelines of the NRHN clearly state that six specialists have to be deputed at each FRU but the Health Department is finding it hard to even appoint three doctors in each one of them.

The problem is not just restricted in getting specialists but MBBS doctors too are not keen to serve in Himachal. To fill up the shortage of 130 MBBS doctors against the sanctioned posts, only 29 doctors had turned up for the walk-in interviews. The Health Department still has a shortage of 100 doctors in a cadre of 1,700. The department has decided to post a gynaecologist, anaesthetist and paediatrician at the FRU’s as these are the three faculties which are in maximum demand in most parts of the state. It is in very few places like Nalagarh and Nurpur where more specialists have been posted. In the past, the efforts of the Health Department in recruiting specialist doctors have not yielded results. Despite advertising 216 posts earlier for appointing doctors at FRU’s, the response received was very poor. As against a requirement of 150 specialists only seven doctors applied for these 216 posts. 

Sundernagar, July 18
More than 30 cases of diarrhoea have been reported in Palser, Kaslehra, Thala and Arthi villages of Arthi panchayat of Sundernagar, with 12 persons of Arthi panchayat undergoing treatment of diarrhoea at the Civil Hospital, Sundernagar. According to unofficial sources, the number of diarrhoea cases was more than 100.

President of Arthi panchyat, Bimla Devi, said contaminated water being supplied by the Irrigation and Public Health Department was the main cause of the spread of diarrhoea as the department was supplying water directly from the source without treating it.

According to sources though there are about 200 cases of diarrhoea only 30 have sought treatment at the civil hospital.

On the other hand, IPH officials said efforts were being made to ascertain the reason for the spread of diarrhoea.

Shimla, July 18
The government has no intention to review old cases of social security pension. Reviewing the progress of the Social Justice and Empowerment Department here today, minister Rangila Ram Rao said the government was committed to bringing all eligible persons under this fold.

At present the government was providing social security pension to 2,12,250 eligible persons and from this year 25,000 new social security cases would be sanctioned. The government was committed to welfare of the weaker sections of society and it would spend Rs 197 crore on implementation of various programmes for their uplift during the current year.

Further, the government was spending Rs 54 crore on providing social security pension to the needy. He said that 25,000 new cases of pension would put an additional burden of Rs 6 crore.

During the past four years 61,000 new social security pension cases were sanctioned in addition to 20,000 cases cleared by substitution. He said 7354 anganwari centres were operating under Integrated Child Development Programme and added that 10894 more such centres would be opened during the current year.

The government had constituted the OBC Commission and it was providing 18 per cent reservation in government jobs against its interim recommendation of 15 per cent.

The Scheduled Caste sub-plan was being implemented in the state for all-round development of the community and Rs 231 crore was being spent on the same during the current financial year under this plan.  

Palampur, July 18
The Palampur Welfare Forum and Environment Protection Forum today urged the government to extend the municipal limits of Palampur if the government was really interested in planned development of this town.

At a meeting held here today the forum passed a resolution to this effect and sent its copies to Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, chief secretary and the secretary, local self -government for early decision on the matter. The forum said the present municipal council was formed before 1960 when Palampur was a small town. In the past 50 years the limits of the municipal council had remained unchanged.

While the population living within the MC limits is only 3900, over 40000 live outside the municipal limits in the areas governed by six panchayats, the forum president said. A number of housing colonies had come up outside the town but had no facilities like streetlights; metalled roads and a proper power supply system. There was urgent need for the extension of the municipal limits of Palampur.

While the government was spending over Rs 2 crore on the population of 3,900, over 40,000 persons living in the areas governed by six panchyats were not getting a grant of even Rs 1 lakh per annum. He urged the Chief Minister to examine the matter on merits and take a policy decision in the interest of thousand of residents of this town.

Mandi, July 18
The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO)-sponsored Adolescent Education Programme (AEP) for students from class IX to XII has been put on hold in over 2,300 government schools in the state since last year as the State Council for Education, Research and Training (SCERT) awaits clearance for its “new working plan and budget” from the NCERT.

The council also fears an upsurge from the Sangh Parivar and conservative religious outfits over the programme as has been the case in BJP-ruled states across country.

Following a controversy over the NACO’s education kits on adolescent education, Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry had authorised the NCERT in June last to carry out the programme through its state bodies. But the SCERT has received neither funds nor NCERT’s nod for the programme so far, putting the AEP on hold since last year,” sources said.

Many states, in fact, had raised objections over the NACO’s education kits on adolescent education on the ground that the “NACO’s six-point kits were too graphic and explicit on sex. These could prove counter-productive as young minds of the students were highly impressionable.”

To resolve the controversy, the HRD Ministry held four-day workshop-cum-meeting of officials of the HRD Ministry, the NACO, the NCERT, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the SCERT from various state on June 4 and 7 in New Delhi.

The ministry authorised the NCERT to take forward the programme through its state bodies, SCERTs. The HRD ministry has given freedom to each state to carry out the programme as per its own “working plan”, but they will keep the basic NACO guidelines on AIDS and adolescent education in focus while educating students on AIDS, sources added.

The SCERT had launched this programme through the District Institute for Education and Training (DIETs) in the state and had trained some teachers as “nodal trainers” and NSS students as “peer trainers” for educating the students on these issues. SCERT’ state director Shashi Sharma said the programme would continue. 

Shimla, July 18
Noted psephologist Prof Yogendra Yadav said the empirical research formulated in the West for forecasting elections needed to be reoriented so as to suit Indian conditions where credibility of such forecasts could be maintained by adopting proper statistical techniques.

He was delivering the valedictory address at the Summer School on ‘Research Methodology in Political Science’ which concluded at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS) here.

Commenting on the importance of survey research, Yadav said it could play a significant role by recovering and foregrounding public opinion in an age where democracy was all about institutional forms and correct rituals. Explaining the methods employed for forecasting results, he said errors could be easily avoided if proper statistical techniques were used.

Yadav said surveys will have to be not just carried out but also imagined in different parts of the globe. “Designing surveys specific to the political culture might mean giving up on some universal questions and checking some of the global theoretical ambitions,” he remarked.

Chairman of the IIAS, Prof B.L. Mungekar urged the members of the academic community in India to transcend their social background in order to gain a more balanced and objective view of the ground realities.

Shimla, July 18
Committed to cleanse the town, especially the Lower Bazar area, of encroachments by vendors, the municipal corporation (MC) has decided to temporarily allow them to sit in the Subzi Mandi ground till construction of the multipurpose complex begins.

Mayor Narinder Kataria today said no tehbazari (vendors) would be allowed to sit in any part of the town. “To begin with, we are dealing strictly with vendors sitting along the road in Lower and Ram Bazars, but later we intend to cover other parts like Lakkar Bazar, Cart Road and Sanjauli areas as well,” he said.

Though the number of identified tehbazaris by the MC were around 150, the number of such persons in the town was over 300. “We have made temporary provision for 60 vendors to sit in the Subzi Madi ground,” he said. The ground had already been levelled and cemented to save vendors and the public of inconvenience, he added.

Shimla, July 18
The Himachal Power Engineers Association has warned the government that it would oppose tooth and nail any move to grant extension in service to senior engineers in the state power board due for superannuation on July 31.

At an emergency meeting held today the association urged the government and the board management not only to stall the move but also give a categorical assurance that “ no such extension would be allowed to any individual in any circumstances in future” too.

General secretary of the association Suneel Grover said that there was a move to give extension to a chief engineer working as executive director in the State Electricity Regulatory Commission, who was due to retire on July 31. He said extensions caused deep resentment among engineers who were already facing acute stagnation. In fact, graduate electrical engineers who joined the board 20 years ago were awaiting their first promotion. Similarly, those who joined the board 33 years ago and were on the verge of retirement might not ever become chief engineer.

Moreover, for the sustainability of the board and efficient consumer services, essential vacant posts needed to be filled immediately by infusing young blood instead of granting extensions. 

Bilaspur, July 18
District and Sessions Judge A.S. Jaswal distributed laptops to judicial officers of Bilaspur district at a simple function in his chamber in judicial complex here today.

The laptops were given to Presiding Officer of Ghumarwin fast-track court A.K. Sharma, Civil Judge (Sr Division)-cum-Chief Judicial Magistrate, Bilaspur, (through Rajesh Chahaun), Civil Judge (Jr Division)- cum-Judicial Magistrate, Ghumarwin, Rajesh Chauhan, Civil Judge (Jr Division)-cum Judicial Magistrate, Ghumarwin, Parveen Chauhan and Civil judge (Jr Division)-cum-Judicial Magistrate, Bilaspur, Sidharth Sarpal.

S. Jaswal said the laptops had been provided by the high court under the “E-Courts Project”