Mandi, March 1
New India Insurance (NII) has paid heath insurance claims worth Rs 22 crore against a premium of Rs 32 crore to 156 government and private hospitals in the state empanelled under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (RSBY) during the past three years.

After the Vigilance authorities detected a multi-lakh racket pertaining to heath insurance claims involving a private hospital at Ghagas yesterday, the NII has struck off the name of the hospital from its empanelment list with immediate effect.

Besides 22 private hospitals, even government hospitals empanelled by the state Health Department under the RSBY in the state have also come under the Vigilance scanner.

The NII, a Government of India undertaking, has paid about Rs 4 crore as heath insurance claims to private hospitals since 2008, when the scheme was launched in Shimla and Kangra districts. Now, the scheme covers all 12 districts in the state.

Eight private hospitals in Kangra, four in Solan district, two each in Shimla and Una and one each in Kullu, Chamba, Bilaspur and Sirmaur districts are in the RSBY list.

Though Solan is among the smaller districts, it has 14 hospitals (10 government and four private) in the RSBY list.

Kangra, being the biggest district, has 28 hospitals, including 20 government, Shimla has 18 government hospitals and Mandi has 15 government hospitals under the scheme.

Senior Manager, NII, Mohan Singh said they had struck off the name of the private hospital from the list and would wait for the Vigilance inquiry report.

“The hospital has sought Rs 7.5 lakh as claims. We have released Rs 2.5 lakh, but the rest of the amount has been withheld,” he added.

He said the company had paid about Rs 22 crore (80 per cent to government and 20 per cent to private hospitals) as health insurance claims during the past three phases of the scheme in the state till January 2012.

“We have received Rs 32 crore as premium from the government, 75 per cent of which has come from the Centre,” he added.

“Patients should have been admitted to hospital for more than 24 hours to get insurance claims under the RSBY,” he added.

Asked about cross-checking of the patients’ list submitted by hospitals, the NII manager said they generally went by the list and paid the amount to the respective hospitals. “However, now that irregularities have come to light, we will cross check,” he added.

Shimla, March 1
Wary of raking up a controversy in the election year, the government has dropped the move to divert funds available under the tribal sub-plan to non-tribal areas.

Chief Minister PK Dhumal made it clear that the government was not embarking on any such move, though there was a demand from tribals living outside the scheduled tribal areas.

There would be no diversion of funds to non-tribal areas and the present system would continue. As many as 9 per cent of the funds under the annual plan are allocated for the tribal sub-plan.

Accordingly, Rs 333 crore would be available for the next year for which an annual plan of Rs 3,700 crore had been proposed.

The move was opposed by elected representatives and people of tribal areas. A deputation of tribal people, led by Dr Ram Lal Markanday, who represents the Lahaul-Spiti Assembly constutency, met Dhumal here yesterday and urged him not to give the nod to the proposal for the diversion of funds.

He said already about Rs 8 crore to Rs 9 crore was being spent on various schemes for the benefit of the tribals living outside the tribal areas in places like Kullu.

The present system was working fine and no change was required.

At present almost the entire amount is being spent for undertaking development activities in the notified tribal areas of Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Pangi and Bharmour.

The proposal for diversion of funds was mooted on the plea that 60 per cent of the tribal population has moved out from the scheduled tribal areas and settled in other parts of the state.

The government had last year dropped a proposal to review the status of the 551 panchayats covered under the Backward Area Sub Plan, most of which have moved forward on the development front and no longer fulfilled the criteria on the basis of which these were classified as backward.

According to a survey conducted by the Economics and Statistics Department, only 11 of these fulfil the criteria. However, with the government avoiding a review for political reasons, as many 540 panchayats will continue to get special funds, while some relatively more backward areas will be denied such special dispensations.

Dharamsala, March 1
The Wildlife Department has decided to take remedial measures to check the mortality of monkeys during the sterilisation process.

Chief Wildlife Warden of the state RK Sud said, “We are issuing instructions to the staff concerned that forest guards should be given training in handling monkeys for the sterilisation programme.”

The Tribune had earlier reported that hundreds of monkeys had died due to poor and unscientific handling by the staff during the sterilisation programme in Kangra district. He said the department would adopt a more scientific approach to make the sterilisation process more effective.

It had been observed that in many cases untrained persons were capturing stray monkeys. Sterilisation of such monkeys was not helping the cause of controlling the population as it was not affecting the monkey troops that contributed towards the maximum increase in the population of monkeys in the wild, the Chief Wildlife Warden said.

Sud said they had asked the field teams of the Forest and Wildlife Department to concentrate on monkey groups and try to capture alpha males for sterilisation.

He admitted that the department was facing problems as there was no provision for tagging the sterilised monkeys. Due to it, many monkeys that had already been sterilised were again being brought to the centres.

From February 24, directions had been issued to the staff at the sterilisation centres to put marks with a dye or simple henna on sterilised monkeys. This would help check the number of monkeys that had been sterilised and also check repetitions, the Chief Wildlife Warden said.

Sources said about 50,000 monkeys of an estimated population of 3 lakh monkeys had been sterilised in the state.

The maximum sterilisation had been done in Shimla and Kangra districts. In Kangra district, about 9,000 of an estimated population of 29,000 monkeys had been sterilised. This means that about 30 per cent of the total monkey population in Kangra district has been sterilised according to the records of the Wildlife Department.

Quoting experts, the Chief Wildlife Warden said about 75 per cent of the monkey population in the wild could be sterilised. Still the remaining 25 per cent could sustain the animal species in the state.

He, however, admitted that till now no data was available regarding the success of the sterilisation programme in controlling the monkey population in the state.

Kaloh (Hamirpur), March 1
Chief Minister PK Dhumal has reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to creating more facilities in rural areas to improve the basic amenities in villages.

Addressing a public meeting here today, the Chief Minister said, “According to the last census report, Himachal Pradesh has achieved another feat. The report indicates that the state has registered the least migration of rural population to urban centres during the past decade.”

He said, “The migration to urban centres in the state has been checked as the government has laid emphasis on linking villages with roads, creating health facilities there, improving the quality of education in rural areas and generating employment opportunities.”

The Chief Minister said, “Since these are some of the main reasons for the migration of rural population to cities, less rural population is shifting to the urban centres in the state.”

He said the government had laid a good network of roads in rural areas, besides prociding free medical services like the 108 ambulance service, free medical check-up of schoolchildren and free medical facilities at the government health centres.

Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated a community health centre at Batehad.

He announced Rs 3 lakh for the Kakkar link road, Rs 60,000 for a crematorium, Rs 2 lakh for constructing a community heath centre in the area and announced to start the Tauni Devi- Faridabad bus service next week.

Manali, March 1
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has launched an operation to clear snow on the 475-km-long Manali-Leh highway, one of the highest roads in the world. The operation was started near Gulaba, 23 km from here, today.

The Manali-Leh highway winds its way through the 13,050-foot-high Rohtang Pass, the Baralacha Pass (4,883 m), the Lachlung Pass (5,065 m) and the Tanglang Pass (5,359 m).

The Manali-Leh road played a key role during the Kargil conflict as it was used for carrying food, arms and ammunition for Indian troops in Leh and Ladakh.

The Commander, 38, BRTF (GREF), Col Yogesh Nair, said efforts were being made to open the Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul and Spiti district, by April 15. Efforts were also being made to open the Manali-Leh highway from the other side of the Rohtang Pass in the Lahaul valley, he added.

He said four independent snow-clearing teams were deployed for the 222-km-long Manali-Sarchu section of the road. The teams would be assisted by snow-cutters and other modern machines.

The first team from Manali is clearing snow from the Gulaba camp, the second team between Sisu-Khoksar and Rohtang Pass and the third from Darcha towards the Baralacha Pass. The fourth team will start clearing snow between Marhi and the Rohtang Pass.

The early opening of the Rohtang Pass for vehicular traffic will bring relief to the people of Lahaul and Spiti district.

Solan, March 1
The implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, has been hit with no independent budgetary provision or separate staff available.

The Centre had replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act with the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and notified its nationwide implementation from August 5, 2011.

Though the state government, too, had notified this Act last year, with no new staff to ensure its proper implementation, the Act has failed to achieve its purpose of increased surveillance and speedy prosecution of erring manufactures and sellers.

Officials said a district-level food safety official was now supposed to perform various functions like granting food licences right till the block level, thus adding considerably to the workload.

Little has been done to upgrade the food laboratory where the seized item is supposed to be tested within 15 days.

The state has a lone composite testing laboratory at Kandaghat and it has been battling with staff shortage for years now.

Field officials said in the absence of any uniform format, they had not been able to send adequate samples for testing.

The directorate has made the required format available and the staff has been asked to take at least 10 samples in a month.

While this will greatly increase the workload of the laboratory, meeting the 15-day deadline will be an arduous task for the staff.

With no legal adviser yet having been made available to officials, they have little help in pleading their cases before the designated courts.

Director, Health and Safety Regulation, Rajesh Sharma said they were in the process of implementing all provisions of the Act and they had sought a separate budget from the state as well as the Union Government.

He said uniform formats had been made available to the field officials and regular training programmes were being organised to educate them about the provisions of the Act.

Shimla, March 1
With all commercial vehicles, including private buses, remaining off the road throughout the state, the public, including schoolchildren, faced inconvenience as they totally relied on limited buses of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC).

The strike by the Commercial Vehicle Operators Union was complete as not even a single private bus, truck or taxi plied. A majority of office-goers and schoolchildren reached their destinations late in the morning as they had to either walk or rely on HRTC buses.

Even though the HRTC had made arrangements to ferry commuters, with there being 3,500 private buses in the state, there was bound to be a issue. Crowds of commuters could be seen at bus stops as they waited for the scarce HRTC buses.

Tourists also had a harrowing time as they could not commute without taxis. In the state capital here, there was a major traffic jam near schools and the Victory Tunnel in the morning as schoolchildren coming from long distances totally relied on private vehicles.

The union had given a call for strike in protest against the decision of the state government to enhance taxes and permit fees.

HAMIRPUR: A complete strike was observed by taxi operators in Hamirpur district, on Thursday to protest the recent increase in taxes of transport vehicles in the state, which was also joined by private bus operators and mini transport carriers.

The strike had widespread impact as schoolchildren, office-goers and other daily commuters had to face difficulties in reaching their destinations and a large number of them were seen standing on the roadside waiting for HRTC buses.

Transport vehicle operators did not ply their vehicles in the district and also held a protest march raising slogans against the state government through bazars of Hamirpur.

President of Veer Bhoomi Taxi Operators’ Union Rakesh Thakur said, “over 5,500 taxi operators and thousands of private bus operators and mini transport vehicles also joined the strike.”

“Transport operators have also threatened to go on an indefinite strike on March 5 and resort to traffic blockades if the decision to increase the transport vehicles tax was not withdrawn by March 4,” he added.

Shimla, March 1
Chief Minister PK Dhumal today said Himachal had emerged as an education hub and the state government was making all-out efforts to ensure quality education in all educational institutions.

Speaking at the annual prize distribution function of Rajkiya Kanya Mahavidalaya here today, he said the setting up of the Education Regulatory Commission was also a step in this direction. He said teachers should also instill moral values in students so that they could face future challenges boldly.

The Chief Minister said learning should not only be confined merely to classroom teaching, but should provide overall knowledge to students. “Teachers themselves need to be updated and full of innovative and creative ideas. Only then they can ensure quality education,” he said.

Dhumal said the state government had accorded top priority to the education sector and Rs 3,164.54 crore was being spent in this vital sector during the current financial year, which was 19 per cent of the total state budget. He said 25,000 posts of teacher had been filled up and the recruitment process to fill up 5,000 more posts was underway. He said special emphasis was being laid on technical education for providing job-oriented education to the youth of the state.

He said the government was ensuring that every child in the state went to school and now free uniforms would be provided to students enrolled in government schools twice a year. He said the scheme to be implemented from this year had been named Atal School Uniform Scheme and entailed an expenditure of Rs 60 crore annually on the state exchequer.

Speaking on the occasion, local legislator Suresh Bhardwaj said the government had accorded top 
priority for the education sector and students from economically weaker section could now receive higher education.

Kangra, March 1
Swami Vivekananda’s teachings are more relevant today, particularly for the youth of the country, and the youth must follow these teachings to see a strong, vibrant and fully developed India.

KD Lakhanpal, Registrar, Central University of HP, said this while addressing participants on the second day today of the five-day national integration camp being organised by the Nehru Yuvak Kendra at Geeta Bhawan in Jawalamukhi. He said need was for self-transformation among the young generation to see the dream of Swami Vivekananda of prosperous India comes true in the right perspective.

During the camp, seminars on good governance and promotion of national integration, women equality and gender bias, common origin of Indian languages, highlighting the role of language in nation building, youth parliament on sexual reproductive health and HIV/AIDS and various cultural activities were organised.

ML Kapoor, youth coordinator of the kendra, Dharamsala, said the objective behind organising the camp was to create nationwide opportunities for the largest-ever participation of youth, especially non-student rural youth of India, irrespective of their caste, creed, family background sex, language etc.

Ram Singh Thomas, in charge of the kendra, Chamba, and Madhvi Parashar also spoke on the occasion.

Dharamsala, March 1
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today arrived for the second phase of his winter sojourn at Dharamsala. He is scheduled to stay in Kangra district till March 6.

The winter sojourn of the state government at Dharamsala, the headquarters of Kangra district, the biggest and politically most significant district in the state, was very short this year.

The Chief Minister stayed here for just two days in January in the first phase of the winter sojourn. Thereafter his visits were restricted to Una and Hamirpur districts.

The winter sojourn was also shortened due to the elections in Punjab and Uttarakhand.

However, the short stay of the Chief Minister in Kangra district gave his political opponents, especially the Congress, a chance to hit out at the BJP.

HPCC president Kaul Singh, during his visit to Dharamsala, alleged that Kangra district was being ignored by the current BJP government due to Shanta Kumar, the estranged senior leader of the party from the district.

The charge was, however, vehemently denied by the Chief Minister, who said Kangra district had the maximum representation in the current Cabinet.

The second phase of the winter sojourn of the Chief Minister also assumes significance as Kangra district is the stronghold of the Shanta group.

During the current five-day winter sojourn, efforts might be made to mend fences between the two warring factions, the sources said.

Meanwhile, Kangra Deputy Commissioner RS Gupta, said during the five-day stay here, the Chief Minister would inaugurate development schemes worth Rs 258 crore and lay the foundation stones of schemes worth Rs 66 lakh in Kangra district.

The most significant inauguration would be that of Phina Singh Canal worth Rs 205 crore in Nurpur sub-division.

Kangra, March 1
Chief Minister PK Dhumal will inaugurate a bridge on the Banner river near the Kangra Mandir railway station on March 4. The bridge was completed in December last year and was awaiting inauguration.

A news item, “Bridge awaits VIP for inauguration”, was carried in these columns yesterday.

The Chief Minister will inaugurate the bridge on March 4 and lay the foundation stones of six Type II houses for NGOs and a scheme for the augmentation of the water supply to this town.

A piquant situation had arisen with this bridge on the Banner river, connecting Kangra with Dr RP Government Medical College, Tanda, having been completed last year at a cost of more than Rs 1.90 crore and awaiting a VIP for its inauguration.

The 40-metre-long bridge with a width of 7.5 metres is a vital link between Kangra town and the DRPGMC, Tanda.

Shimla, March 1
In a relief to candidates who had approached the state high court against the cancellation and change of answers in the revised answer key for preliminary examinations of the Himachal Administrative Services (HAS) by the HP State Public Service Commission, the high court has decided that petitioners who have attempted the questions scrapped out of general studies or aptitude test be given marks if they have answered the questions correctly.

The court further said petitioners would also be given marks for questions as per the original answer key, whose answers had been varied in the revised answer key. However, the court made it clear that the exercise would be limited only to those petitioners who had approached the court and not to all candidates who appeared for HAS preliminary examinations.

The Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary passed this judgment on a bunch of petitions filed against scrapping and cancellation and changing of answers of certain questions by the HP State Public Service Commission for the preliminary examination of HAS held on September 4 last year and the result of which was declared on December 15.

The Mains examinations are to be held from March 10 to 30. The court also directed that the petitioners who have qualified for the Mains examinations in this exercise be allotted roll numbers before March 8.

Shimla, March 1
Up in arms against the failure of the local Municipal Corporation (MC) in restoring an old road leading to the Dalit Colony, near Annandale, the Shimla Nagrik Sabha has decided to hold a demonstration here tomorrow to highlight the apathy and inaction by the authorities.

Stating this here today, Vijender Mehra,spokesperson for the sabha, said: “Despite the construction of a stone wall blocking the century-old road leading to Sheel and damaging the Dhobighat-Gwahi road, the MC has not made any efforts to take action against violators,” he said.

The MC as well as the district administration had virtually turned a blind eye to the violations because violators were close to the ruling party, he said.

Mehra alleged that owners of Modern Nursing and BEd College at Annandale had raised the wall, blocking the road being used by Dalits and other residents of the area.

“The hands of the MC and the district administration are tied because the owner of the nursing college is close to the ruling party,” he alleged.

He alleged that the college authorities had also cut trees, but forest officials failed to take any action in this regard.

Vijender Mehra demanded that action be taken against the violators and the road restored as soon as possible.

Palampur, March 1
Private medical practitioners and doctors owning 24 nursing homes in Kangra district have opposed the move of the State Excise and Taxation Department for their forcible VAT registration.

Private doctors alleged that they were being harassed by the authorities, their premises were inspected and they being treated as tax evaders.

A spokesman for private medical practitioners and nursing home owners said here today that as per practice, they purchased medicines from within the state after paying VAT at the first stage and they never sold medicines and other medical products directly. They only dispensed the same with other services to their consumers. It was difficult for them to bifurcate medicines and other inputs from their daily receipts that included other services rendered to patients.

He said neither they were covered under the definition of seller nor the disbursement of medicines by them could be treated as sale under the provisions of the HP VAT Act 2005. Still they were being pressurised and forced by the Excise and Taxation Department for VAT registration.

Even officials of the department were not ready to follow the judgement of the apex court, which had favours them.

He added that most of doctors did not import medicines form outside the state and, therefore, they could not be forced for VAT registration.

Despite their repeated requests, no officials of the department listened to them.

Doctors have termed the action of the department illegal and uncalled for. Even in the adjoining states like Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh no private doctors were registered under VAT.

They appealed to Chief Minister PK Dhumal today to intervene in the matter.

They said they were responsible citizens of the nation and never wanted to evade taxes.

Legal provisions should be implemented honestly by the department and the state government should come out with new amendments in the HP VAT, 2005, to specifically cover private medical practitioners under the purview of VAT with proper guidelines for easy payment of taxes, they added.

Nurpur, March 1
A private school bus (PB-06-9532) of Sandeepni Public School, Pathankot, carrying students, collided head-on with a tipper (HP 68-2779) coming from the opposite side near Niazpur this morning.

The schoolchildren had a narrow escape, barring Manav (9) and bus conductor Dilbag who were injured in the mishap. Kamlesh Kumar, tipper driver, also sustained injuries. The injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital here.

According to DSP Rajinder Jaswal, a case under Sections 279 and 337, IPC, has been registered against Malkiat Singh, school bus driver.

In another mishap, a motorcycle hit Kamal Kishor, a student of an ITI at Jachh, near here, today. A case has been registered against Mukhtiar Singh who was plying the motorcycle.