The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Himachal Pradesh Edition

Daily wages up by 10 pc
Our Correspondent

Kangra, January 25
Chief Minister PK Dhumal after unfurling the national flag on the occasion of the 39th Statehood Day at Dehra today announced 10 per cent enhancement in daily and part time wages. Now, workers would get Rs 110 per day from March 1.

He also announced Rs 50 crore for subsidising the essential commodities under the PDS, inclusion of 15,000 more eligible social security pensioners in social security pensioners list; doubled financial assistance provision under Matri Shakti Bima Yojna to Rs 50,000 for serious injuries leading any person to get permanently impaired and Rs 1 lakh in case of death. He further announced Rs 25 crore for improving roads in Kangra district; degree college Haripur to get staff very shortly, Civil Hospital, Dehra, upgraded to FRU; Rs 40 lakh to organise female mortality rate reduction activities, opening up of National Highway Division at Dehra and further relaxation in the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Act, 2009.

The Chief Minister inspected contingents of the Himachal Police, Traffic Police, Women Police, HP Police Dog Squad, Police Band and Home Guards.

Addressing on this occasion, Dhumal greeted the people of the state and counted milestones in different sectors since the state was declared the 18th State of India on January 25, 1971. He credited the successive governments in the state for farsightedness, developmental policies and programmes, besides the honest and hard working people of the state for their significant contribution.

He paid tributes to the first Chief Minister of the state late Dr YS Parmar, who headed the campaign to win state its statehood and thereby laying the foundation of the golden future.

He said road length had touched over 40,000 km mark, every habitation is provided with basic amenities like road, school, drinking water, health and irrigation etc and life in the rural was made comparatively comfortable.

He said the state had attained the literacy percentage of over 85 per cent and the Rs 80 crore Atal Bijli Bachat Yojna had emerged as a role model for rest of the country to save power.

The Chief Minister said with a view to strengthening the agriculture sector Rs 353 crore Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan Baagwan Samridhi Yojna had been launched to construct 28,880 poly-houses and equal number of mini and micro sprinkler and drip water efficient irrigation schemes with 80 per cent government subsidy.

The CM honoured Pushpa of Nounghi village, Sanjo Devi of Kullu district and Arju Kumari of Dadahu village for their contribution towards promotion of women participation in national-level sports events.

He also honoured Ankita of Dharamsala, who brought laurels by winning best shooter title and gold medal in the SAARC Youth Exchange Programme organised in Sri Lanka last year.

Cultural programmes were presented to mark the celebration. The police dog squad gave an impressive exhibition of its skills.

CM lays stone of power project
Our Correspondent

Kangra, January 25
By constructing two HEPs between Pandoh Dam in Mandi district to Dhaula Sidh in Hamirpur district 219 MW power would be generated on the Beas river. This would add an additional income of Rs 300 crore per annum to the state exchequer and the Hydropower Engineering College to be started by the Union Government Undertakings in power sector to produce skilled manpower in hydropower-generation sector.

Chief Minister PK Dhumal revealed this while addressing a public meeting at Shahpur, yesterday, after laying foundation stones of 6.6 MW Khauli Hydroelectric Power Project Phase-II at Rehlu, estimated to cost Rs 57 crore; Lift Water Supply Scheme, Chhau Har Upper Dohab Hamera and adjoining villages estimated to cost Rs 104.32 lakh; Multipurpose Hall of ITI, Shahpur, to cost Rs 65 lakh; Science Block of GSSS, Shahpur, estimated to cost Rs 64 lakh and dedicated Community Health Centre building completed at a cost of Rs 1.25 crore to the people of the area.

He said on completion of 6.6 MW Khauli HEP Phase-II in coming three years it would be capable to generate income of Rs 11 crore to the state electricity board. He said it would not only solve the power requirement problem of the area, but also supply the same to neighbouring states.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Sarveen Chaudhary said the budgetary provisions for social welfare sector had been enhanced to 24.72 per cent of the total budgetary provisions of the state for the current financial year.

She said 17 WSS valued at Rs 14 crore had been got sanctioned for different villages in Shahpur.

Doctors come to rescue of poor child
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 25
Coming to the rescue of a 13-year-old poor patient, the doctors of the Cardiology Department at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here performed a cardiac procedure free of cost to save the life of the child.

Hailing from Banjali village in Chamba district, the child, Sunil, had been suffering from rheumatic fever for the past four years. With the disease progressing further he started complaining of breathlessness and was brought by his parents to the IGMC.

He was referred to Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj of the Cardiology Department by his colleagues in the Paediatrics Department. “The child had severe narrowing of one of his valve called mitral stenosis and leakage from another valve, aortic regurgitation, which was confirmed on the echocardiography,” Dr Bhardwaj said.

With the child being from a very poor family he could not afford the treatment. “I made up mind to help the child by using a sterilised balloon and went ahead with balloon dilation of his mitral valve,” Dr Bhardwaj said.

He explained it was very tough to undertake the procedure on the child without anaesthesia as the vessels were very small and the size of the balloon is comparatively big and that too an old one.

The procedure was performed on January 21 and the child was discharged within two days. Dr Bhardwaj was assisted by Dr Jeevan, registrar in the Department of Cardiology.

Sunil is the youngest child to have been subjected to the procedure in the hospital.

Sarvotam Jeevan Rakshak Padak for gunner
Our Correspondent

Kangra, January 25
General Officer Commanding, Rising Star Corps, Lieut-General GM Nair awarded the Sarvotam Jeevan Rakshak Padak (posthumously) to late gunner (driver special) Jabar Singh Kushwah of the 221 Medium Regiment yesterday. The award was presented to Jabar Singh’s wife Anjana Kushwah at a ceremony at Dhauladhar Auditorium, Yol.

The award included a medal, an appreciation scroll and a sum of Rs 75,000. A cash award of Rs 25,000 was also presented to her by Rising Star Corps. A large number of officers, JCOs and their families were present on the occasion.

The Sarvotam Jeevan Rakshak Padak is the 11th medal in the order of precedence and comes ahead of the Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra.

Jabar Singh had saved a four-year-old girl, Akansha, from being electrocuted on March 22, 2007, at his native place Gormi in Bhind (Madhya Pradesh). He was on leave during those days. Although he succeeded in saving the girl, he himself got severely electrocuted. Later, he succumbed to his injuries.

Youth urged to join Army
Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 25
Brig G.S. Sisodia, DIG in the National Security Guards (NSG), who led his commandos to flush out militants from hotel Taj, in the biggest terrorist attack in the country till date, today interacted with the public at a function organised at the Ridge on the occasion of his birthday. The function was organised by a local daily.

Hailing from Shimla, Brigadier Sisodia is here with his family on a holiday. “The youth must opt for a career in the Army, as it is only then that we can fight terrorists and anti-national elements,” he said.

“The militants are no better than mice that try to find a route into our houses, but the Indian Army knows how to deal with them,” he said. Each and every organisation extended full cooperation to ensure the success of the operation at Taj, he said.

Defending the slow action by the NSG spread over a period of three days, he said the primary objective was to defeat the motive of the militants, ensuring safety of the people.

SAIL clears steel plant for Kangra
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 25
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has cleared a project of bringing a steel plant in the Gangath area of Kangra district. Chief Minister PK Dhumal has received a communication in this regard from the SAIL authorities.

The CM said the project would bring an investment of Rs 105.81 crore in the Gaggath area.

The CM also said after the Swan river in Una district, the Batah river, another river in Sirmaur district that causes intensive damage in monsoon, would be canalised. The state government has made a project of Rs 34 crore for canalisation of the river. The Union Government would contribute 80 per cent to the project while 20 per cent would be contributed by the state.

500 X-ray films seized
Our Correspondent

Nurpur, January 25
SDM Inder Bhardwaj and DSP Bidhi Chand Verma conducted a joint raid at the civil hospital here yesterday and seized 500 X-ray films meant for Jammu Kashmir Government supply.

According to information, the films were supplied to the hospital through the Rogi Kalyan Samiti (RKS) fund. Every film carried an inscription “Not For Sale”.

Man commits suicide

Mandi, January 25
Kishorilal (25) committed suicide by allegedly hanging himself from the ceiling fan at his native house at Gharvan village in the Kolti area of Mandi Sadar on Friday. His family members found the door locked from inside. They said he was mentally upset. However, he did not left behind any suicide note. The police has started inquest proceedings in the case as it ruled out a foul-play in the case. — TNS