Shimla, June 23
Acute shortage of specialists in the hill state has virtually crippled effective implementation of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) as lure of big money in corporate hospitals prevents them from serving in rural areas of the hill state.

Despite having 51 first referral units (FRU), where a minimum of four specialists are to be posted according to the NRHM norms, it is only 12 district hospitals which have these number of postgraduate doctors. Rest all FRUs only exist on paper as they do not have the required number of specialists, especially in faculties of gynaecology, paediatrics, orthopaedics, medicine and anaesthesia.

Out of a total sanctioned strength of 1,598 doctors in the Health and Family Welfare Department, there is a vacancy of 350 doctors. Despite a minimum requirement of 204 doctors in the 51 FRUs, there is an acute shortage, especially in departments of anaesthesia, medicine and surgery.

Against a requirement of 51 doctors in medicine, there are only 34, in surgery there are 20, in gynaecology 23 and in paediatrics only 27. The situation is worse in the faculty of anaesthesia where there are only 13 specialists.

With specialists not keen to serve in Himachal despite the best efforts of the government, other ways to tide over the problem, including engaging services of retired doctors and having an arrangement with private specialists on per case basis, has also not improved the situation.

There has been a formal tie-up with some private doctors at places like Kullu, Bilaspur, Kangra and Hamirpur. However, in most places they are not available.

The other experiment of giving nine-week training in gynaecology and diploma course in anaesthesia to MBBS doctors is underway. “This too has proved to be meaningless as those undergoing these special trainings are doing it only to get a urban posting and rural places, where they are required, are still vacant,” admitted a senior doctor.

Out of 3,243 panchayats in the state, there are 2,071 sub-centres with more than one being in one panchayat. As such, almost 1,200 panchayats are without a sub-centre and over 190 primary health centres without a nurse.

Shimla, June 23
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 68.98 crore to the state government for creation of rural infrastructure.

A sum of Rs 14.81 crore has been sanctioned for 14 rural drinking water supply projects in seven districts, Rs 35.8 crore for construction of a minor irrigation project in Mandi district and Rs 18.37 crore for a rainwater harvesting-cum-minor irrigation project in Una under tranche-XVI of the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).

More than 9,500 families will get assured drinking water supply on completion of schemes, while two minor irrigation projects will provide assured irrigation for 1,554 hectares to boost agriculture.

With this the NABARD has in all so far sanctioned Rs 2,760.73 crore to the state out of which Rs 1,722.93 crore has already been disbursed.

Dharamsala, June 23
Indian Air Force (IAF) authorities today test landed C-17 Globemaster Boeing military transport aircraft at the Gaggal civil airport.

According to sources, the large transport aircraft landed at the short strip of Gaggal airport at 11.03 am. Earlier, it had taken off from Agra this morning.

The Gaggal domestic airport strip is just 4,500-ft-long and is fit for landing 50- seater aircraft. Experts of Mc Donnel Douglas Company, that produces C-17 aircraft, displayed its efficiency to land at short air strip like Kangra domestic airport, the sources added.

The IAF had, in June 2009, selected C-17 to fulfil its very heavy transport aircraft requirement.

After the deal is approved by the Indian Defence Ministry, C-17 would replace Illushin 11-76 as the largest heavy lift transport aircraft in service with the IAF. The C-17 has bigger load carrying capacity than the said transport aircraft available with the IAF.

In January this year, the Indian government had requested the US government for sale of 10 C-17 aircraft through the US government’s foreign military sales programme. Recently, the US Congress approved the sale of the aircraft to India. However, signing of a formal contract over the matter is still awaited.

C-17 is one of the largest military transport aircraft in the world. It was developed for the US air force by Mc Donnel Douglas company.

It is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to maintain operating basis and has the ability to rapidly deploy a combat unit to a potential battle area and sustain it with ongoing supplies.

It is also capable of performing tactical airlift, medical evacuation and air drop missions.

If the deal materialises, it would be worth about Rs $2.5 billion, the sources stated.

Meanwhile, military sources in Rising Star Corps command here, when asked, refused to comment on the landing of C-17 aircraft at the Gaggal airport.

Dharamsala, June 23
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has justified the opening of private universities in the state. When asked to comment on agitation by the Akhil Bhartiya Student Union (ABVP), the student’s wing of the BJP, against privatisation of education, the CM said some people had doubts regarding the concept, which would be cleared.

Justifying the opening of private universities, the CM said the government did not have finance to open university in each district. It had to be done with private participation and students preferred taking admissions in some good private universities rather than government institutions these days.

In addition to that, the government is taking all precautionary measures to check exploitation of students and commercialisation of education. The private universities coming up in Himachal are not being allowed to affiliate colleges, the free structure and seat limit are being fixed and quota has been fixed for students of the state, he added.

He added that University of Information Technology was started in the state. Now once again for the first time in the country, a private university of biotechnology was also coming up in the state. He said earlier students from the state had to go to southern states for technical education. Girl students used to go to disturbed areas of Jammu and Kashmir for BEd courses. However, now students can have higher and technical education in their own state, the CM said.

Dhumal was here to inaugurate various development projects in Sulah and Baijnath assembly constituencies of Kangra district today.

He refused to comment on the expansion of Cabinet in lieu of resignation of Forest Minister JP Nadda who was given the position of general secretary in the national BJP. Evading the query, he said it would be done at an appropriate time.

In an unusual display of solidarity, all ministers and MLAs of Kangra district, including Minister for IPH Ravinder Ravi, Minister for Industry Kishan Kapoor, Minister of Social Justice Sarween Chaudhary and Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Ramesh Dhawala, belonging both to Shanta and Dhumal factions, were present at the function. However, Shanta Kumar was conspicuous by his absence.

While addressing various rallies, the CM said textile, food and IT parks would soon come up at industrial areas in Kangra district generating employment for about 36,000 youths. The public health centre at Dheera would also be upgraded to Circle Health Centre from next year.

Hamirpur, June 23
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said several national- level educational institutes were being set up in the state, which would soon emerge as an education hub in the country.

He said this after laying a foundation stone of electronics and mass communications block at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) today.

Dhumal said NIT was a prestigious institute of the country and the state government would provide every help for its expansion. He said the central government had approved five national highways for the state and out of these three would pass through Hamirpur district.

Dhumal said classes in national-level hotel management institute being built at Hamirpur would start from this year and new parameters in quality education would be set through this institute.

He said the National Institute of Fashion Technology, which is the first such institute of North India, had been established in Kangra district, the IIT in Mandi district has started functioning and the ESI hospital is also being built in Mandi district.

Shimla, June 23
Inserting advertisements in newspapers to greet important political leaders on their birthdays has, of late, become a common practice. However, birth anniversary of Union Minster for Steel Virbhadra Singh, who turned 76 today, was used by Congress men to send across a political message to party bosses and the people at large.

As usual, a large number of people turned up at Holy Lodge, private residence of the five-time Chief Minister, to greet him. However, the focus was on the advertisement. It was for the first time that a joint advertisement was published in prominent Hindi newspapers on behalf of as many as 18 out of the total 23 party MLAs, extending good wishes to the veteran leader on the occasion.

The advertisement carried photographs of all 18 MLAs. As expected, names of Leader of the Opposition Vidya Stokes, PCC chief Kaul Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Rajesh Dharmani, all staunch opponents of Virbhadra, were missing from the advertisement.

It assumed added significance in view of the ongoing organisational poll, the process for which is already underway, and rival camps, headed by Vidya Stokes and Virbhadra Singh, are involved in an intense battle for supremacy in the party.

More importantly, there was no print line in the advertisement and also no indication regarding the person or organisation which inserted the advertisement.

Intriguingly, a few MLAs like Nikhil Rajour and Rakesh Kalia, who are not known supporters of Virbhadra Singh, also featured in the advertisement.

The obvious purpose behind the move was to send across the message that an overwhelming majority of MLAs were still with Virbhadra Singh, who is being marginalised in the party. The “show of strength” by way of advertisement by the Virbhadra Singh camp is bound to become a subject of debate in the party.

Meanwhile, Pradesh Returning officer for the party organisational poll, Rajani Ashok Patil, today appointed assistant returning officers for 60 out of the total 68 block party units. She has accommodated all sitting MLAs and former ministers, with a few exceptions. However, Stokes’ influence has been visible in the remaining appointments. Her group dominated the list of district retuning officers.

Birth anniversary apart, Virbhadra Singh has a battle to fight during the organisational poll, the outcome of which will provide an indication as to who will lead the party in the next Assembly poll.

Hamirpur, June 23
Though united show by faction-ridden Hamirpur district Congress leaders during the visit of Union Steel Minister and former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to town has boosted the moral of Congress men, heaping praises on him by some of his known detractors during a function here has baffled many.

Hamirpur district Congress, which has been divided in factions for the past many years, joined hands to honour their leader during his maiden visit after becoming Union Cabinet minister. They welcomed him by offering caps, shawls and mementos.

This was quite surprising since district Congress leaders are reportedly divided in factions according to their allegiance to top leadership of the party and district Congress committee has many detractors of Virbhadra Singh.

Surprisingly, all district committee leaders, except Nadaun Congress MLA Sukhvinder Singh, participated in this function despite open differences with supporters of Virbhadra Singh group here.

More so, since many of these leaders have been open critics of Virbhadra Singh for allegedly ignoring them during his tenure as Chief Minister or for openly opposing their candidatures in ticket allotment during the Assembly elections.

Leaders like Rajinder Zar and Suresh Kumar, who have unsuccessfully contested elections from Nadaunta and Mewa Assembly constituencies, respectively, had even accused him in the past for patronising a few leaders who were contesting as rebel candidates against official Congress nominees.

Interestingly, all district leaders, who are otherwise openly critical of Virbhadra Singh, in their addresses, praised him for carrying development works during his tenure as Chief Minister and his leadership qualities.