Shimla, May 26
Embarrassed by the malfunctioning and lack of facilities at the private nursing institute at Palampur, the state government today decided to re-inspect all educational, vocational and health institutes in the state.

The decision was taken by the Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister PK Dhumal here today.

Taking a serious note of news reports highlighting “murky affairs” of the institute and similar complaints received with regard to other institutes, it decided to conduct fresh inspections to ensure that mandatory infrastructural facilities were available to trainees. Further, if any irregularity was found in any of the institution, strict action would be taken as per legal provisions against members of the inspection committee recommending the no-objection certificate.

It approved a new policy to help motivate young medical professionals to join the state health services, ensure them job security and carry regularisation of medical officers recruited on contract basis by Rogi Kalyan Samitis of different health institutions in the state.

Under the new provisions, such medical officers will be inducted in the state medical services on contract-basis after successful completion of three years of service where they shall be required to serve for another three years, thereby completing six years in all to qualify for regularisation and induction into the state cadre.

It decided to regularise the services of 66 medical officials, who have completed six years of service, in different health institutions.

It decided to implement the “Mukhya Mantri Arogya Pashudhan Yojna” to strengthen veterinary services in rural areas and by recruiting 800 veterinary assistants for training, in addition to 100 others already trained, to fill vacancies in 1,150 gram panchayats where dispensaries are to be opened in a phased manner. It also decided to implement the recommendations of Justice Padamanabhan Committee regarding revised pay scales to the judiciary official of subordinate courts with effect from Jauary 1, 2006.

As per another decision, district-level fairs and festival will be henceforth organised by local bodies to ensure local participation and declared Janmashtmi Mela in Yula village and Guru Chhan Gayad Mela in Rarang in Kinnaur, as district-level fairs.

Other decisions included creation of 18 posts of mining guard and nod for filling 57 posts of different categories in the mining department, shifting of superintending engineer (north) HIMUDA office from Shimla to Hamirpur.

It approved the memorandum of agreement to be signed between the Department of Youth Services and Sports and Ambuja Cements and ACC Cements for providing funds to the tune of Rs 4 crore each for the construction sports stadium at Dharamsala and Hamirpur, respectively.

Shimla, May 26
The government today cancelled the no objection certificate (NOC) granted to the National Public Career Samiti for running General Nursing and Midwifery (Nursing) and BSc (Nursing) courses at Netaji Subhash Institute of Nursing, Paplampur.

The NOC, issued on January 21, 2009, has been cancelled as mandatory provisions and guidelines, issued by various statutory authorities, were not being adhered to.

Only yesterday former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha member Shanta Kumar wrote directly to the Nursing Council of India (NCI), asking how it had granted recognition to the institute which did not fulfil the basic requirements and lacked the requisite infrastructure.

PC Dhiman, Principal Secretary, Health, said the decision to cancel the NOC was taken on the basis of the report of a three-member committee appointed by the government to look into the allegations and complaints made by the students against the management of the institute. He said the NCI, State Nursing Council and Himachal University had been directed to take necessary action to derecognise the institute.

The students had alleged that basic infrastructure, staff, hostels, and other facilities, required under the guidelines of the Nursing Council of India, were not available, excess fee was being charged and number of students admitted was more than the seats sanctioned. These charges were found to be correct by the probe committee.

Shimla, May 26
Normal tenure of three years at a station fixed under the guiding principles for effecting transfers notified by the government notwithstanding, the employees could stay put at a place for longer periods.

This becomes evident from the information obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) by activist Dev Ashish Bhattacharya regarding implementation of the guiding principles for transfers in respect of doctors.

Deputy Secretary, Health, has, in response to his application under the RTI Act, stated, “The normal stay at a station is three years. However, it is linked to performance and administrative requirement. It is evident from this that stay at a station is not the only criterion for transfer and performance and administrative requirements are also taken into account.”

Bhattacharya had sought information regarding the action being taken by the government to enforce the guiding principles in view of data supplied by the government to his earlier RTI application as per which as many as 282 doctors had stayed put even after completing three years out of which 41 doctors, posted in district hospitals, had completed more than 10 years.

He had sought details of approval obtained from the Chief Minister for allowing these doctors to overstay at there place of postings as required under the guiding principles.

Interestingly, the government had admitted in the guiding-principles document that employees of the health and education departments managed to stay at one station, especially in urban areas, for a very long time, depriving other deserving persons of opportunity.

Shimla, May 26
With the Himachal High Court setting the deadline of December for making operational the new solid waste management plant at Baral near Tara Devi, the local Municipal Corporation (MC) has shortlisted a Mumbai-based firm for executing work and has also decided to appoint a consultant for developing the land-fill site.

Mumbai-based Hanjer Biotech Energies Private Limited has been chosen by the MC for executing the work, which will have to be undertaken on a war footing. Bids are also being invited so that a consultant could be appointed for finalising the work with regard to developing the land-fill site near Baral.

It was after the outbreak of a massive fire at the present site in Darni Ka Bagicha that the high court had directed expedition of the shifting process to the new site.

At present, the solid waste management plant is located at Darni Ka Bagicha. However, the high court has directed that it should be shifted to the outskirts of the town.

The Union Ministry of Urban Development has already sanctioned a sum of Rs 4.50 crore for the shifting of the plant to the new site.

Even though 2.5 hectares of land had been diverted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest to the MC for shifting its plant in 2005, the work could not start as the locals had been protesting against the coming up of the plant at the new site.

Following the high court directives, the Forest Corporation had even cleared the plot by felling 250 trees for which permission had been granted in 2005.

“We hope to make ready the plant by year end so that Shimla can be made clean which is one of the basic pre-requisites for tourism promotion,” said AN Sharma, MC (Commissioner). He said as part of the door-to-door garbage collection scheme launched on April 29, more than 50,000 houses would be covered after which all dumpers would be removed.

In the first phase of the scheme only 21 wards are being covered while the four merged areas of Patyog, Kasumpti, Malyana and Vikasnagar would be covered at a later stage.

“So far, 12,000 households have become members of the Shimla Environment, Heritage Conservation and Beautification Society by paying membership of Rs 50 each and monthly charges of Rs 30 for garbage collection,” he said.

Shimla, May 26
Local non-government organisation Ashadeep organised a day-long workshop on stress management at the police lines here today to help police officials cope with their ‘stressful lives.’

Inaugurating the workshop SSP R M Sharma threw light on the stressful conditions in which the cops were working to deliver better to society. He expressed criticised the role of media which mostly projected the police in poor light, despite the fact that the men in uniform were making an earnest effort.

Ashadeep president Sushil Tanwar said his organisation had decided to organise a series of such programmes and it was the second this year and exclusively for the police personnel.

Psychologist Randhir Ranta from Himachal Pradesh University and Sohan Singh of Chandigarh delivered technical sessions and gave tips on stress management. They also conducted self-awareness exercises and stress-relieving techniques to the participats.

Mandi, May 26
Dry weather condition in the region has resulted in the eruption of forest fires in the Gandharva forest around the town and Tarapore area under the Mandi forest division which has already burnt over two to three hectares of forest area so far.

Teams from the forest department, including Home Guards and members of the village committees, are trying hard to keep such fires in check, but the dry conditions have sent the mercury soaring which has made fire fighting a tough task.

Scorching heat conditions have been prevailing in the region for the past 10 days, resulting in eruption of fire in the Gandharva chir and bushy forest near the town.

Meanwhile, firefighting has become hazardous as the teams are not well-equipped to douse fire in scorching heat conditions.

The fire started late last night and was doused. However, it erupted again today and spread around the Gandharva forest, said forest officials.