Hamirpur, September 18
The state government has launched an ambitious programme in the state for the proper health check-up of all students studying in government schools.

The programme, named Mukhyamantri Vidyarthi Swasthya Karyakram (MVSK), is aimed at ensuring better mental and physical health of the students.

Under this scheme, a medical team comprising 16 medical specialists and health workers will visit the students and check their health stauts at clusters formed for the purpose.

The state government intends to address the health needs of school students in the form of health education, take up environment and sanitation issues and promote safe drinking water and nutrition through the MVSK.

Among the prime objectives of this programme are prevention of diseases through early intervention, health education through talks, early diagnosis, medical advice and referral, and follow-ups.

All schoolchildren from Class I to XII will be examined by the medical team at the clusters. As many as 2,703 clusters have already been formed for this purpose. Parents will accompany them to the health check-up camps and children having serious health problems will be referred to specialists at district or state hospitals.

While all schoolchildren will be examined thoroughly for any kind of health problem, special focus will remain on anaemia, skin diseases and problems related to dental, ENT, eye, mental, cardiac and physical disabilities.

Any medication for the children, if needed, will be administered in the presence of the parents and they will also be explained the precautions and side effects of the medicines. De-worming of every children will be done free of cost.

The follow-up of every health check-up camp will be undertaken after six months through which the impact of this exercise will also be assessed.

The state government has formed district-level committees for the effective implementation of the MVSK under the chairmanship of the respective Deputy Commissioner.

Hamirpur Deputy Commissioner Rajinder Singh Thakur said, “We have already formed clusters and medical teams for the health check-up of schoolchildren in the district and the health check-up will begin in the last week of this month.”

Kangra, September 18
Farmers of 15 panchayats and their supporters held a mahapanchayat at Banohie today against the government decision to allot 943 kanals of government land located in Tika Bohe Moza Charri in Shahpur tehsil for the establishment of a BSF Battalion camp. They resolved that the land would not be given to the BSF and announced that a satyagrah would be launched from October 2.

Kewal Singh Pathania, who is spear-heading the agitation, said the present government must come out with a clear stand on how had the Cabinet given a nod to transfer 943 kanals of agriculture and forest land to the BSF during its meeting on December 23, 2009, violating the Land Acquisition Act.

The government must state whether permission had been sought from the Forest Department for the transfer of this land as 1,144 green trees would face being axed in the process.

The mahapanchayat was attended by farmers of the 15 affected panchayats, besides other Panchayati Raj representatives and farmer leaders from the district. It was also attended by former Kangra MP Chander Kumar and former MLA Surender Kaku and several women.

The mahapanchayat was not averse to hand over the land to some big industry or Kangra Central University as it would generate employment avenues for local youths.

He said Union Minister Virbhadra Singh had taken up the issue with the Home Minister for his consideration.

The mahapanchayat resolved that a delegation of BSF officers from Delhi should come here to hear grievances of people of this hilly area and know the ground reality.

President, Sangharsh Samiti, Gurcharan Singh said no NOC was sought from the 15 panchayats which was confirmed under the RTI replied by the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Speakers, including Prof Chander Kumar, Surender Kaku and pradhans and farmer leaders, were critical of the government on the issue.

Shimla, September 18
With senior officers in the Forest Department taking a diametrically opposite stand on whether or not “salvage marking” should be allowed in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP), the matter will be putup before the state Cabinet for a final view.

The issue was discussed at a high-level meeting three days ago and it was decided to seek the views of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) based on the instructions and guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests from time to time.

Senior officers of the department maintain that only green felling is banned in the ESZ and there is no bar on “salvage marking” under which only fallen trees are worked and commercially exploited. However, Adviser (Forestry) Vinay Tandon has a different viewpoint. In a letter to the government, he pointed out that the ESZ had to be managed strictly in accordance with the approved management plan for the GHNP.

Further, all interventions relating to wildlife management in the core area were also being carried out in the ESZ as per the management plan and any tinkering with it could have legal implications.

The forest contractor lobby wants “salvage marking” to be allowed in the ESZ, but environmentalists fear that once contractors are allowed to enter the area there will be no stopping and it will encourage illicit felling as was happening elsewhere.

If the forest mafia develops a stake in dead trees, mysterious fires and drying up of trees will become a common feature.

Additional Chief Secretary, Forests, Sudipto Roy said fallen trees worth over Rs 30 crore were rotting in the ESZ and it was a national waste. The government would not do anything which would prove detrimental to the scientific management of the protected wildlife areas.

The department plans to use satellite imageries to pinpoint the fallen trees to ensure proper monitoring. After taking all views into consideration, the matter will be put up before the state Cabinet for a policy decision.

ESZs are aimed at creating a buffer around national parks and sanctuaries extending up to 10 km where development can be regulated in a manner that will eliminate the negative impact on the fragile eco-system and provide an interface between habitation and forests. At present mining, saw mills, polluting industries, hydropower projects and certain tourism-related activities are prohibited in the ESZs.

The Supreme Court had in December 2006 directed all states to submit a proposal for the declaration of ESZs. However, only few states like Gujarat, Haryana, Meghalaya, Assam and Mizoram have notified ESZs, prompting the Centre to issue detailed guidelines for carrying the exercise.

Solan, September 18
With the “truck” (HP-14-2098) used for transporting 500 quintals of farm yard manure to the Department of Floriculture and Landscaping in Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, in 2010 turning out to be a scooter, the case regarding embezzlement of funds in this process is becoming stronger.

The state Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau had visited the university yesterday to probe the matter and procure records pertaining to this case. Bureau DSP Ramesh Sharma said since the records were bulky, they could not bring these along, though they would procure these soon.

The university had invited quotations during 2010 for the purchase of 500 quintals for manure for trial activities for research and production of flowers. The lowest rate of Rs 90 per quintal was quoted by a Koti village resident who resides in the neighbourhood of a university official and this was approved on January 21, 2010.

The new revelation about the vehicle used in transporting the manure being an old scooter, which was registered in May 1995 as per the records of the Registration and Licensing Authority, Solan, the official claim of the vehicle being a truck has proved to be false.

This has lent credence to the fact that no manure was supplied to the university and bogus bills to the tune of Rs 45,000 were raised for this purchase. Records proved that even the registration No. HP-14-A-2098 belonged to a Maruti van.

Information under the RTI Act has stated that a truck (HP-14-2098) had transported this manure in 13 trips to the university from Koti village on January 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18, February 14, 15, 25, 26 and 28 and March 1.

This means that even the information supplied under the RTI Act by the university authorities was false as the vehicle shown to have transported the manure was a 16-year-old scooter and not a truck as claimed.

Bilaspur, September 18
The district police today celebrated Grievances Solution Day in all the seven police stations. Superintendent of Police Santosh Patial said he himself presided over the function at Ghumarwin police station where more than five dozen persons turned up and presented 10 complaints, out which six were settled on the spot, while remaining four required further serious inquiry. He said these would also be disposed of according to the law at the earliest.

Patial said in all 35 complaints were received at these police stations and 24 of these were settled on the spot. — OC

Shimla, September 18
The state government is paying special attention to the socio-economic uplift of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and it has increased the allocation under the sub-plan from 11 per cent in 2007-08 to 25 per cent this year. Accordingly a provision of Rs 816 crore has been made.

The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation is providing loans on a low rate of interest under various schemes for self-employment like “Ambedkar small loan”, “Him-swablamban”, education loan and “handicraft development” being implemented in the state.

During the past over three years, the corporation has provided financial assistance of Rs 60.48 crore to as many as 14,691 persons for setting up self-employment ventures under these schemes. Besides, 982 eligible persons were imparted vocational training.

Under the self-employment scheme, a loan assistance of up to Rs 50,000 is being provided to BPL, SC and ST families at 4 per cent rate of interest and subsidy on the cost of the project up to a maximum of Rs 10,000.

Similarly, a loan assistance of Rs 30,000 at 4 per cent is available under the Ambedkar small loan scheme and under the Him-swavlamban scheme, the SC and ST youth are being motivated to take up self-employment avenues in the transport sector by acquiring taxi, minibus, truck and tractors or to start dhabas, dairy farming units and other such ventures. A loan assistance of Rs 5 lakh at 6 per cent and up to Rs 30 lakh at 8 per cent is being provided for this purpose.

A loan assistance of Rs 7.50 lakh at 5 per cent is available in respect of educational loan for higher, technical and vocational education and SC and ST women are being charged 1 per cent less interest for the loan.

To promote traditional vocations under the handicraft development scheme, organisations involved in such trades are being provided interest-free loan assistance of Rs 5,000 per worker for a period of two years and under the small retail centre scheme, a loan assistance of Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 at 4 per cent is being made available to the youth to set up shop.

The youth from families whose annual income is less than Rs 22,000 are being imparted training free of cost and are also being provided a stipend of Rs 500 to Rs 750 during the training period.

Palampur, September 18
The Public Works Department (PWD) has launched a massive campaign to remove encroachments from PWD land on roadsides, which had become a major traffic hazard causing frequent accidents. The PWD had earlier served them notices to remove illegal structures from the roadside after necessary demarcation given by the revenue authorities.

Jagota, Executive Engineer, HPPW, Palampur, said even after serving notices, a number of persons had failed to remove shops and other structures. The Public Works Department was left with no alternative except to press JCB machines in Ram Chowk areas to demolish the shops. He said heavy police arrangement was made and a team of PWD officials was present on the spot. In the next fortnight all illegal structures would be demolished, he added.

It may be recalled that the Himachal Pradesh High Court had taken a serious note on roadside encroachments all over state. The Principal Secretary, Public Works Department, had directed all the executive engineers to remove all encroachments under a time-bound plan. The PWD on Saturday claimed that over 85 per cent encroachments had been removed in Palampur divison.

Manali, September 18
Two-day workshop on “Cyber Laws and the Prevention of Corruption Act” organised by the HP Judicial Academy concluded here today. On the concluding day of the workshop, Justice Deepak Gupta, Judge, Himachal Pradesh High Court, presided over the first session of the workshop and apprised the participants of emerging trends in cyber crimes.

Justice VK Ahuja of the court chaired the second session and threw light on the major provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and collection of digital evidence.

In the valedictory session of the workshop, Justice Kuldip Singh of the court, addressed the participant-officers. Justice Singh said there was a great need of collective cooperation and coordination by all the stakeholders involved in the criminal justice delivery system to control the menace of cyber crimes and corruption.

AC Dogra, LR-cum-Principal Secretary (Law), Dr JN Barowalia, Principal Secretary, Law (retd), Jawahar Sharma, Director, Prosecution Department, HP, Anurag Garg, IG, State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Ashok Sharma, IG, Southern Range, Shimla, and NK Sharma, Joint Director, Prosecution (retd), also spoke on cyber laws and the Prevention of Corruption Act.

According to SL Sharma, Director, Himachal Pradesh Judicial Academy, the lectures will help all the wings of the criminal justice delivery system to discharge their functions effectively and efficiently.