The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Tibetan NGO helps teach children of rag-pickers Lalit Mohan Dharamsala, December 18 The Tibetan monks are generally seen in Dharamsala getting involved in ritual worship or participating in protests organised against China. However, 34-year-old Jamyang is different. While talking to The Tribune, the simple and generally quiet monk said that he wanted to repay in some way to the Indian society for giving unconditional refuge to Tibetans living in exile for the past more than 50 years. Jamyang escaped from Tibet in 1992. He came to India through Nepal. The Dalai Lama sent him for spiritual studies in Tibetan exiles camp in Karnataka. He was moved by the poverty in many areas of the country. Jamyang returned to Dharamsala in 2001. Thereafter he came into contact with British philanthropists and started helping the poor. He started teaching the children of rag-pickers who were living in the slum area of Dharamsala, near Charan rivulet. Jamyang told The Tribune that his initial efforts to teach the children of rag-pickers were met with resistance. The children were a source of earning for their parents and they did not want to spare them for education which they considered as a useless exercise which could not fetch any immediate gains for them. However, he started giving food and clothes to the parents of children following which they relented and allowed him to teach their children. After continuing for three years in an unorganised manner, he got registered at a charitable trust in the name of Tong Len to carry out the work further. Now he had adopted about 100 children of rag- pickers. The children are being kept in hostels hired by the organisation for the said purpose. The children have been admitted by the organisation in a local private school. They are being provided good boarding and lodging facilities and tuitions for competing with other students in their school. Their parents are also paid Rs 150 per month to spare their children for education. Many of the children, currently adopted by the Tong Len organisation, have secured fair grades in the school’s annual examinations. Their parents were invited by the organisation to share in the success of their children. Jamyang said that some of the children adopted by them are proving to be very good at studies. We intend to provide them free professional education like engineering, in case they want to go for further studies. For children, the hostels of the Tong Len organisation are like a second home. They are taught, allowed to play and given hygienic conditions to live. Besides providing education to children, the Tong Len organisation is also providing medical care to the poor of the area. Every Tuesday the NGO organises medical checkup camps in the slum area, wherein the patients are given free medical treatment. The patients suffering from serious ailments are adopted by the organisation and sent to super-specialised hospitals for treatment. The Tong Len is helped by philanthropist donors from United Kingdom. John and Sharan Brown, two UK residents, set off on their trip in December last year from the UK to raise funds for Tong Len. They will be travelling through France and Corsica and then on to Italy. After this they plan to travel the length of Africa and then on to the USA. Their route then takes them through Central America, Ecuador, Peru and Chile, finally ending up in Ushaia, Argentina - the southernmost city in the world. Their trip will take in 23 countries in four continents.
	Prescription of generic drugs will ‘hit poor patients’ Ravinder Sood Palampur, December 18 The recent notification of the Himachal Pradesh Government directing all medical officers posted in government hospitals in the state to prescribe only generic drugs to the patients visiting government hospitals has attracted widespread criticism. Several voluntary organisations of the state have demanded immediate withdrawal of this notification since generic drugs are very costly and have a high margin of profit -- up to 2000 per cent. If these orders were implemented, it will only benefit the companies and “encourage corrupt practices” in the health sector of the state. Two social organisations of the district, ‘Save Palampur’ and ‘Palampur Welfare Forum’, have asserted that there is a huge difference between cost price and retail price of generic drugs. Because of the high MRP, generic drugs have high margins of profits and no chemist sells these for less than the MRP. If a free hand is given to medical officers to prescribe only generic drugs, it will adversely hit poor patients visiting state hospitals as they will be left with no choice except to buy these drugs. It is also feared that if doctors are allowed to prescribe only generic drugs, it will encourage corrupt practices as doctors will prescribe drugs of substandard companies, who will pay commission and incentives to them. It is already in the notice of the state government that a number of doctors are getting commission and incentives from such companies in lieu of prescribing their products. Till date, the Health Department has failed to initiate action against such doctors. The notification of the state government will further aggravate the situation. Meanwhile, Dr Jiva Nand, general secretary, HP State Medical Officers Association, while talking to The Tribune, urged Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to intervene. He said the Health Department should not switch over to the prescription of generic drugs hurriedly without streamlining its price first. He asked the government to review its notification and initiate steps to check the prices of these drugs. He added that generic drugs were costly and the state government should save its patients from being cheated by the drug companies that fix a high MRP on its products. The wholesale and retail price lists of generic drugs reflected the prices of 1,000 brands of generic medicines being used by every third Indian daily. The difference between the MRP and cost price clearly indicates that these drugs have a high margin of profit.
	Glaciers melting down due to vehicular pollutants: Rohtang Pass report Ambika Sharma Solan, December 18 The heavy influx of vehicles to Rohtang Pass is triggering melting of glaciers as the chemical pollutants released by the vehicles adhere to the glaciers and enhance their melting by absorbing heat. The use of petrol and diesel-run vehicles is thus not only disturbing the ecosystem but is also contaminating the water formed due to melting of ice. It has also become a health hazard and causes climate change as the vehicles release aerosols which are suspended particulates causing various diseases and triggering climate change. These findings have been revealed by a recent study conducted by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, following directions by the Green Bench of the state high court to ascertain the impact of high vehicular influx in Rohtang. The study conducted a vulnerability assessment study of the area which lies 4,111 meters above sea level. The study has concluded that due to cold weather and walls of snow along the road, the pollutants released through the exhaust get adhered to the glaciers and remain there till melting of snow starts. These pollutants absorb heat and enhance the melting of glaciers thereby disturbing the ecosystem. In the Himalayas, the glaciers cover approximately 33,000 sq km area and this is one of the largest concentrations of glacier-stored water outside the Polar Regions. Black Carbon (BC) is emitted in the atmosphere due to incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, bio-fuel, and biomass. When black carbon is deposited on ice and snow, it absorbs sunlight, raises the surface temperature and causes the snow to melt. The water from these glaciers forms an important source of run-off into the north Indian rivers during the critical summer months. It was found that a concentration of 15 micrograms kilograms inverse of Black Carbon (BC) in snow may reduce the snow albedo by 1 per cent approximately. BC has emerged as a major contributor to climate change, possibly second to carbon dioxide (CO2) as the main driver of change. Increase in melting of Glaciers is one of indicators of climate change and glacier retreat provides a clear indication of warming phenomenon. The two wheelers and cars comprised 82 per cent of the total vehicle population whereas the commercial vehicles account for only 18 per cent of the total vehicular population. This composition of vehicular population coupled with high growth rates of personal vehicles had caused serious problem of traffic congestion, accidents and pollution. The maximum number of tourists (both Indian and Foreigners) recorded during June 2011 was 4,15,000 and about 3,458 vehicles would ply every day. The total number of vehicles from Manali to Palchen and back during end of May 2012 was 6,359 and this would grow at a rate of 9 per cent per annum. Given the present growth rate thus the discharge of particulate matter, the various oxides of Nitrogen and CO for the years 2012 and 2022 without any control for a distance of 43 km from north of Manali to Rohtang would be more than 100 per cent of the current emission load, if measures are not taken to check this heavy vehicular influx. The report has therefore recommended restricting traffic by encouraging use of public transport, setting up a vehicle fitness centre at Manali and allowing only commercial vehicles with less than 4 years of age to ply from Manali to Rohtang, introducing low cost buses, rope-ways, introducing air routes and battery operated scooters, ensuring better fuel availability and phasing out old vehicles. The report has also recommended creation of a Clean Rohtang Fund for undertaking various activities to improve the environment of the area.
	Vignettes From a dispensary to a state hospital by Shriniwas Joshi Snowdon, which houses the grandiose and stately Indira Gandhi Medical College today, was a small dispensary in 1873-74 and the building was owned by General Peter Innes. Lord Roberts, who became Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army in 1885, purchased the building from Innes in 1873; threw the dispensary out and without delay commenced to materially improve his property. The then Commander-in-Chief General Sir Donald Martin Stewart who lived in Woodville deserted the place in 1881 to shift to Snowdon to which Lord Roberts had given status and dignity. Snowdon since then up to December 31, 1947, when General Sir Roy Bucher left for Britain, remained the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army. Its architecture varied from Gothic to mock Tudor and was set amongst the rhododendrons and the tall cedars (see photo). The name Snowdon has been borrowed from old English for Snow Hill. Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales and the highest point in the British Isles outside Scotland. Considering the cold zone where the building was structured, the first British owner decided to name it Snowdon. General Sir Fredrick Sleigh Roberts took over as C-in-C on November 28, 1885, and resided in his own house, Snowdon. Edward Buck writes in “Simla Past and Present”, “Simla was more than usually gay in 1887 in consequence of the numerous entertainments held in celebration of the Queen’s (Victoria) Jubilee, and a fancy dress ball was given at “Snowdon” to inaugurate the opening of a new ball-room.” Lord Roberts left Shimla in 1892 and wanted to sell the building to the Nizam of Hyderabad but the Home Department did not allow the deal to materialise as after 1880 the Raj had decided to put a curb on the princes of states buying property in Shimla. The Government of India purchased the building for Rs 79, 817 and declared it to be the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief in India. Later improvements carried out by various C-in-Cs, especially by Lord Horatio Herbert Kitchener (1902-1909), made it a house worthy of a soldier who, out of England, held the most important army office under the crown. He had gone so contemptuous with the clerical system of files that he directed his aid-de-camp in 1902-03 to pound up the official files into papier mache to be used for moulding on the ceiling of the new dining hall at Snowdon. With the independence of the country and the carving of Himachal Pradesh; Shimla, though in Punjab, became the capital of HP. It was a capital outside its territory. The state felt the necessity of having its own hospital because the other two hospitals in Shimla -- Lady Reading and Ripon -- were with Punjab. Snowdon, therefore, donned the mantle of HP State’s hospital and was called Snowdon Hospital. The reorganisation of Punjab in 1966 brought Shimla to the fold of Himachal Pradesh. And Himachal Pradesh Medical College (HPMC) was started with admission of 50 students in the first batch in 1966 at Snowdon. It was developed into a huge complex and was renamed Indira Gandhi Medical College in 1984 (see photo). The number of seats was also increased to 65 in 1978 and then to 100. Postgraduate courses in 16 disciplines were started here in 1981. Further addition of PG Courses in Radiotherapy (Oncology), Skin and VD was done in 2002. Total number of PG seats here is 81 and that in diploma courses is 13. The Departments of Radiotherapy and Oncology of the IGMC is an approved Regional Centre of India for Cancer (RCC). It was founded in 1977 as a Tumour Clinic of the hospital and was granted the statue of RCC in 2001. Buck writes: “Fire has undoubtedly been answerable from time to time for marked improvements of Simla.” The fire on the night of December 31, 1971, gulped the old heritage building of Snowdon and what we have today is the result of necessity is the mother of ‘expansion’. Tailpiece “A man and wife entered a dental hospital. The wife said, "I want a tooth pulled. No gas or anesthesia. I'm in a hurry. Just pull the tooth." “You're a brave woman, show me the tooth.” The wife says to husband, “Open your mouth and show which tooth it is.”
	Himachal diary HPU to modernise its system of conducting examinations Belatedly though, Himachal Pradesh University has decided to modernise its system of conducting examinations using the computerised integrated examination management system. The new system will not only enable conduct of examinations smoothly but also bring efficacy and reduce costs. Instead of printing question papers and sending these physically to various examination centres, only soft copies will be transmitted online. The principals of institutions and the superintendents of centres will be given codes using which the question papers will be downloaded just before the start of examination and after and required number of printouts will be taken out for the candidates appearing in the examination. The university will provide printers for all examination centres which could be operated even with battery to ensure that the conduct of examination was not affected in anyway due to power breakdown. Going a step further, the university also proposes to do away with the system of sending the answersheets physically for evaluation and instead get these scanned. Thereafter, the scanned answersheets will be made available to the teachers at evaluation centres for marking for which they will be provided computers. Every evaluator will be given a code using which he will be able to check the answersheet assigned to him for marking. The teachers will prepare the award list after marking in the prescribed format, which will make it easier for the examination branch to compile the result. No rubber stamp A freelance journalist from Kullu, Dev Kanya Thakur, has been conferred “Laadli Media Award” for the year 2011-12 (see photo) for her article on gender sensitivity. The award was presented to her by Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav at a ceremony organised by the Population First in collaboration with the United Nation Population Fund in Lucknow recently. The article “Gramin Mahilayan Sirf Rubber Stamp Nahi” was published during the panchayat election in the state in December 2010 and she won the award under the Best Opinion (editorial) category. It highlighted the double standards of society in its treatment of women, particularly in the hills states where women are known for their active role in society and economy. They are the bread-earners and home-makers in villages and yet not given the chance to participate in politics or decision- making. This point was raised effectively by her to counter the opposition to the government’s decision to grant 50 per cent reservation to women in the Panchayati Raj Institutions. Magic of music The people of the state capital had for the first time an opportunity to witness a laser dance with techno-music early this week. Such shows have of late become an integral part of major festivals, opening ceremonies of important sporting events and product launches mostly held in big cities. The coordinated movements of the danseuse, with the myriad pattern formed by a maze of laser beams, thrilled the select audience. The techno-music added to the excitement and the overall experience. The show was brought to Shimla, courtesy the United Breweries Limited, a company closely associated with fashion and music, which plans to organise fashion shows in the erstwhile British summer capital. The occasion was to announce its entry into the hill state to take advantage of the booming tourism industry. “We plan to capture 8 per cent of the beer market share in Himachal in 2013-14 with our premium brands like ultra beer,” Gurpreet Singh, vice-president, marketing, United Breweries, said. The focus would be on major tourist destinations like Manali, Kullu, Dharamsala, Hamirpur, Mandi and Solan. The company plans to enter Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and some other states shortly. Back to home As the date of counting of votes for the Assembly elections in the state is nearing, candidates in the fray are getting anxious. Since there was a pretty long gap between the polling and counting of votes, many of them, after having a feedback from their supporters, had moved out of their constituencies to relax in peace. Some of them have gone to have longish sojourns to exotic tourist places in the intervening period while a few proceeded on foreign jaunts. Having enjoyed their trips, they are all now returning to their homes and gearing up for the counting of votes. Even Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has chosen to be in Hamirpur for the counting of votes, scheduled to take place on December 20. (Contributed by Rakesh Lohumi and DP Gupta)
	Traces of Kashmiri stag found in Gamgul reserve Balkrishan Prashar Dalhousie, December 18 The naturalists of Chamba region have drawn the attention of the Jammu and Kashmir Government and the public at large, especially wildlife enthusiasts, about the illusion they have about the presence of ‘hangul’ (Kashmiri stag) in Dachigam National Park, Srinagar, only. Hangul always existed in the royal reserve of Gamgul of the princely Chamba state in Himachal Pradesh. “For evidence, lately we do have mounted heads of hangul today in a few houses of “Royal Court Hunters” at Gamgul. Today hangul was believed to be extinct in the Gamgul notified wildlife sanctuary. But now through the confirmation of gaddi and gujjar nomad shepherds, its presece has been felt as there are summer grazing pastures on the fringe of the sanctuary,” reveals Navneet Chowfla, one of the naturalists of this alpine-wooded region. The Government of J&K and wildlife enthusiasts all over the world mistakenly believe that the rare red dear species is confined to the Dachigam national park. For sure, we did and do have it in the Gamgul wildlife sanctuary, spreading out in Chamba’s mountainous ranges bordering J&K, confirms Chowfla. Their revival in the habitat could be because this area and its periphery is well protected today by special battalions of the security forces deployed by the Union Home Ministry after a brutal massacre in the area by militants a decade ago.
	Mining Dept fails to check illegal mining Ravinder Sood Palampur, December 18 Despite a complete ban on mining, except a few sites in Neugal and other rivers, large-scale illegal and non-scientific mining and quarrying is going on unchecked in the Palampur region of the state. The situation has gone from bad to worse as in most cases, the state Mining Department is yet to clearly demarcate the mining areas. Therefore, it has become a free-for-all to indulge in illegal mining. This is not only creating environmental imbalances but also causing a huge loss to the exchequer. Over 20,000 hectares of land has been affected seriously by the mining, quarrying and other activities resulting in a drastic reshaping of the landscape. The situation is alarming as illegal mining has posed a serious threat to the existence of over one hundred irrigation and drinking water supply schemes which get water from these small rivers. The existence of Kirpal Chand Khual, feeding over 30 panchyats comprising 100 villages of Palampur, Bhawarans and Daroh Blocks, and Charnamati and Lower Baijnath (LB) Kuhals feeding 15 panchayats of the Baijnath block is in danger because of continuous mining in the catchment areas of Neugal and Binwa rivers. Despite repeated requests by the Irrigation and Public Health Department, the state Mining Department has failed to check illegal mining. The local authorities have failed to implement the directions of the Himachal Pradesh High Court in this regard. A senior official of the IPH Department while talking to The Tribune said if no timely action was taken, these drinking water supply schemes would go dry in the next three years. Water level of not only Neugal but other khuds like Binwa, Gaj, Baner, Awa, Bathoo, Mol and Bhiral has also gone down during the past five years.
	Palampur Civil Hospital cries for care Ravinder Sood Palampur, December 18 The local Civil Hospital that looks after the medical needs of over seven lakh residents of the Palampur region of the state is crying for the attention of the authorities. Despite spending crores on health services in this town, the situation is far from satisfactory. Though the state government has posted 17 doctors, including six specialists, people are visiting other health institutions like DRPGMC, Tanda, or hospitals in Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Chandigarh during emergencies. The hospital is working without gynaecologist for the past 18 months and neither deliveries are conducted nor surgeries are performed here since then. Nearly 12 gynaecology cases are daily referred to the Tanda medical college or to private nursing homes. Surgical specialist has been deputed in family planning camps and due to the same, surgical operations in the hospital has also come to a standstill. Such cases are also referred to the DRPGMC. The hospital is catering to the needs of Palampur, Baijnath and Jaisinghpur sub-divisions of Kangra district. It has indoor capacity to admit 100 patients. Over 300 to 500 patients visit the hospital daily for treatment. There is no provision in the hospital to attend emergencies. Serious cases are seldom treated here and most of the time referred to other institutions. Many times patient dies on way for want of medical care. There is always a shortage of beds in the hospital and patients are accommodated in corridors. Washrooms and toilets needed immediate repair. Though the state Health Department is well conversant with the situation, no efforts were made to fill the posts of postgraduate doctor and other paramedical staff.
	Biotechnology can ‘change our living conditions’ Our Correspondent Bilaspur, December 18 “Biotechnology has attained a very important position in the 21st century and it has the potential of changing our living conditions and also this world at a fast pace.” This was stated by Dinkar Buratholki, Director of Higher Education, Himachal Pradesh, while addressing the ‘Teacher-Student Interaction Programme’, organised by the Biotechnology Department of the Government Post-Graduate College, here recently. Presiding over the programme as the chief guest, Buratholki said students who had chosen biotechnology had accepted a challenging career as it would open new vistas of development and faster growth and also bring a revolution in society in several ways. He said its special branches like bio-fresh foods and bio-fuel had already made a mark and were heading for a world entirely different from the present. He said it was a new science, which had the capacity and capability of bringing ‘unthinkable’ reforms. Buratholki said all aspects of our life, including food and fruit preservation, agriculture production, industrial advancement and development and even our travel facilities, would undergo a sea change due to research in this subject. The subject would also provide employment opportunities to the youth. The programme coordinator, Dr Neelam Sharma, of the Biotechnology Department gave details of the achievements and activities of the department while staff members, including Dr VK Sharma, Prof Pushpender Chauhan, Prof BB Sankhyayan, Prof Neena Vasudeva and Prof Anju Bala Sharma, Rohini, Hina and Anu were also present. Buratholki also gave prizes and certificates to students who excelled in “Power-Point Presentation Competition”- Jyotika (1st), Swati and Gaurav (2nd) and Pallavi (3rd).
	Villagers for restart of bridge construction Our Correspondent Bilaspur, December 18 Led by several village leaders, the Mahila Mandal and the gram panchayat representatives and other NGOs, villagers of Balghgad and Dharaad in the Jhandutta area, near here, have urged the PWD authorities to complete the construction work of Piplu ghat bridge at the earliest. The work has been stopped for the past several months and has not been restarted, despite repeated requests. Mahila Mandal President Saroj Kumari and General Secretary Salindra Kumari, BDC member Brahmi Devi, former BDC member Captain (retd) Sarvan Singh and other office bearers of these organisations-Savitri Devi, Kashmiri Devi, Rekha Kumari, Usha Kumari, former panchayat member Bina Dhiman, former panchayat Vice-President Onkar Singh, Subhash Verma, Suram Singh, Sher Singh Thakur, Dhani Ram, Garja Ram Dhiman, Milap Chand, Amar Singh Thakur, Budhi Singh Verma, Prem Singh Verma, Pratap Singh and Kartar Singh have all expressed great resentment over the negligent attitude of the department towards the bridge construction work and said this problem was causing great inconvenience to the villagers. They warned district administration and PWD authorities that if the construction work was not started at the earliest, the villagers would have no alternative but to start an agitation against the concerned officers.
	Sewerage for panchayati areas demanded Ravinder Sood Palampur, December 18 A dozen panchayat pardhans and Block Development Committee (BDC) members of satellite areas of Palampur town demanded sewerage for the panchayat areas of the town. They said over 50,000 residents residing in a dozen panchayat areas did not have the facility. The panchayat members said the state government had provided sewerage to residents of Palampur Municipal Council, with a population of 4,000. However, no steps had been initiated to extend this facility to the adjoining panchayat areas having a population much larger than the municipal areas. It was also stated that in the year 2006, the Congress government had agreed to provide sewerage to the left-out areas of the town. A project of over Rs 9 crore was also approved in the year 2007. But later that year the BJP came to power and the project was abandoned. In the absence of “political will”, no headway was made in the project and no funds were allotted, causing inconvenience to the residents of these satellite areas of the town. An officer of the IPH Department admitted that proposal for extending the sewerage facility to satellite areas had been hanging fire for the last 10 years. He said the detailed project report (DPR) and other documents had already been sent to state government for allocation of funds but to no avail. Brij Butail, former MLA and senior Congress leader, who got the project approved from the state government in 2007, told mediapersons that the Department of Planning had cleared the project and only funds were to be sanctioned. But due to the change of government in 2007, the project could not take off.
	Hopes of white Christmas in Shimla Shimla, December 18 Tourists are drawn by snow in Shimla on Christmas. Will the Queen of the Hills see a blanket of white this Christmas? This year, after a gap of over two decades, there are hopes of a white Christmas here. Met officials, however, are wary. They say it is still too early to predict whether Shimla will have snow cover this Christmas. Christmas snows have been eluding Shimla since 1991 when heavy snowfall occurred on Christmas eve. Except in 2010, there has been no white New Year's eve either in the past nine years. The town this month experienced significant snow after a gap of five years, Manmohan Singh, director of Met office, Shimla, said. He said it was December 14, 2007, when the town recorded 19 cm of snow. “Except in 2010, there was no snowfall at all in the town in December. In that year (2010) too, there was just mild snowfall on the New Year's eve," he said. The state capital saw a light spell of snow, the season's first, on December 14. Nearby places like Kufri and Narkanda also experienced moderate snowfall in December this year. “It's too early to predict snowfall on either Christmas or New Year's eve. But prevailing higher moisture content and extremely low temperatures indicate good chances of snow if the western disturbances are active again in the region,” the director of the Met office said. Snow cover is a big draw for tourists, and the hospitality industry is excited by the possibility of a white Christmas. “Enquiries have begun about the possibility of snow in Shimla around Christmas and thereafter. Now we are hopeful of getting more snow spells in the days to come,” Clarke's Hotel general manager DP Bhatia said. “Last weekend was good in terms of business. It was mainly due to the season's first snow. More snow means more business,” said Vijay Sharma, assistant general manager of Holiday Home Hotel here, a government-run venture. — IANS
	Need to preserve Chamba’s Akhandchandi Palace Balkrishan Prashar Chamba, December 18 Very soon, the present Akhandchandi Palace premises of Chamba town will fall vacant with the proposed shifting of Government Postgraduate College to the new buildings at Sultanpur on the west end of the local municipal limits. The Union Minister for Culture and Heritage, Chandresh Kumari, who once was Member of Parliament from the Kangra Lok Sabha constituency, is well versed with the importance of preservation and conservation of such old historical sites. She belongs to a royal house and will give a patient hearing to the issue, residents of the town hope. The residents are of the view that the whole building of Akhandchandi Palace needs to be taken over by the central Department of Cultural Affairs and it will be “a step in the right direction”. The building could house five heritage blocks, a culture college for Chamba pahari miniature block, Chamba embroidery Rumaal block, Chamba metal-craft block, Chamba chappal footwear leather block and Chamba folk music and cuisine block. This, in the long run, will prove beneficial for the public at large by generating employment and reviving Chamba’s lost heritage, which otherwise is on the verge of decline. By doing so, the building will regain its pristine glory. It will also enrich an enfeebled ‘Chambalayat’, the residents opined. If it becomes an institute, students from India and overseas will enroll here. In future, it can become one of the finest institutes for the revival of dying art and craft worldwide; otherwise, this magnificent landmark will be ruined, the residents feel.
	3 supervisors for 1,250 anganwari centres Rajiv Mahajan Nurpur, December 18 As many as 1,251 anganwari centres in lower Kangra district comprising Nurpur and Jawali sub-divisions are dependent on only three supervisors against 55 sanctioned posts. Usually one supervisor posted in each circle of the anganwari centres inspects the functioning of around 20 to 24 anganwari centres. According to information, in Nurpur sub-division, the Child Development Programme Office (CDPO), Nurpur and Indora, respectively, comprises 337 and 314 anganwari centres. Whereas in Jawali sub-division, CDPO Nagrota Surian and Fatehpur, respectively, comprises 323 and 277 anganwari centres. All the 15 sanctioned posts of supervisors in Nurpur CDPO have been lying vacant since a long, whereas 14 out of 15 posts in Indora CDPO are vacant. Similarly, in Nagrota Surian CDPO, only two out of 25 supervisors have been posted, but in Fatehpur CDPO, all 12 posts of supervisors are vacant. Over all, 52 out of 55 posts of supervisors are vacant in Nurpur and Jawali sub-divisions. Vacant posts of supervisors are not only hampering the regular inspection of the anganwari centres but also creating hurdles in the smooth functioning of other programmes of the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD). Madhu Sharma, director, WCD, said around 60 per cent (over 400) posts of anganwari supervisors have been lying vacant in the state. “The department has been sanctioned 150 posts, which will be filled mostly from promotions of anganwari workers. The promotion process has almost been finalised and after lifting of the model code of conduct enforced in the wake of Assembly elections, the department will appoint 150 supervisors. It will seek further sanction of more posts from the state government,” Sharma added.
	Shortage of docs, staff hit health services in Nurpur hospital Rajiv Mahajan Nurpur, December 18 The local 100-bedded civil hospital, which caters to thousands of patients from Nurpur, Jawali sub-divisions of Kangra district and Bhatiyat sub-division of Chamba district, is crying for attention as a number of specialists’ posts are lying vacant. Although the hospital has been upgraded from 50 beds to 100 beds thrice in official records, so far the successive state governments have failed to appoint requisite strength of doctors and paramedical staff for it. The hospital has only nine doctors, including six specialists, against the sanctioned posts of 14 doctors. At least 16 doctors, including seven MBBS doctors, 15 staff nurses, five ward sisters and 15 class four employees, are required as per the specification of a 100-bedded hospital. According to information, the post of a physician has been lying vacant since June after voluntary retirement of a physician. The regular posts of orthopaedics and radiographer have also been lying vacant since long. The post of a radiologist is also vacant since September and an ultrasound machine has been gathering dust on the hospital premises. The Health Department has so far made no alternative arrangement to provide ultrasound facility to patients. Earlier, a patient was spending only Rs 125 for ultrasound here, but now they have to travel to Pathankot in Punjab for ultrasound tests in private clinics, which cost at least Rs 600 to Rs 1,000, including travelling expenses. Despite efforts of local MLA Rakesh Pathania, the state government has failed to appoint requisite number of doctors and paramedical staff. However, the civil work of the ICU and CT scan room is under way. The hospital has failed to provide on-call services of hospital specialists to patients during emergency.
	Phone 108 a big success Our Correspondent Bilaspur, December 18 The state government sponsored a ‘phone 108’ Emergency Ambulance Service under the Atal Swasthya Seva Yojna. The ambulance service works 24 hours daily without fail. It has provided services to 18,597 people in emergency cases, including very serious patients and dangerous poisonous snake bite cases, in this district through its six fully equipped vehicles till now. Its trained staff also helped deliver 70 babies in this ambulance itself while being rushed to hospitals and health institutions. This was stated by Deputy Commissioner Ritesh Chauhan while reviewing functioning of this yojna with officers concerned here recently. He said this service also helped in 657 emergency police cases, 142 fire accidents, 2,961 hospital delivery cases, 834 heart attack cases, 1,053 road accident cases and 166 cases of those serious patients who would have hardly been saved but for this fast service to make them reach a hospital just in time. Chauhan said this service reached in Bilaspur town immediately after receiving a call on toll-free No. 108 and within 30 to 35 minutes in any corner of the district during any hour of the day or night. He said this service had proved to be very beneficial in saving hundreds of lives and reducing extreme pain in thousands of patients and suffering people in the district.
	Freshers’ Day celebrated at nursing institute Our Correspondent Bilaspur, December 18 “Those who have opted for nursing as their profession are fortunate, as they would soon be serving the humanity. No other profession is as noble and blessed as this.” This was said by the chief guest, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Khazana Ram, while addressing the Freshers’ Day function at Kol Valley Nursing Training Institute, Harnoda, near here recently. He said the nursing students would have a life-long opportunity to serve people and the society due to their expert training in reducing pain and helping the ill and sick patients recover. DSP (probationer), Yogesh Rolta was present as the ‘guest of honour’ while the institute’s chief adviser Dr Prakash Chand Thakur presided over the ceremony. A number of competitions were also held, winners of which were presented prizes and certificates by the chief guest. Nitika was declared Miss Fresher, Preeti was declared Miss Eve and while Kiran won the Miss Smile title. Others present on the occasion included the Managing Director of the institute Anjana Thakur, Chairman Sulekh Chand Rana, General Secretary Kashmir Singh Thakur, Principal Bhushan Bhardwaj, Vice-Principal Deepak Sharma, Superintendent Dina Nath Sharma and Jagdish Thakur along with a large number of panchayat representatives and parents of trainees.
	AIDS talk show in Pahari dialect Our Correspondent Kangra, December 18 A dialogue to dispel the myths associated with HIV/AIDS through mass media was launched recently from the All-India Radio (AIR), Dharamsala, in Pahari dialect. The talk show “chachuey galaya” was launched by Raj Kumar Sharma, AIR programme executive, and will be aired every Wednesday and Friday evening on FM frequency 103.4. Sharma said the main protagonist of the show was ‘subedar’ who, in dialogue with a villager, shares information about the subject in an entertaining manner. Dr KS Dogra, Project Director, HP State AIDS Society, said media mix was being used to convey the message of HIV prevention, to change attitudes and to foster positive role models for the rural masses. He said the message would be delivered in an interesting and empathetic manner to the target audiences of the show, the farmers and the rural people. Dr RK Sood, District AIDS Programme Officer, Kangra, said the series of programmes was expected to create an enabling environment in rural folks.
	Annual function Tribune News Service Hamirpur, December 18 HIM Academy Public School, Hamirpur, celebrated their annual function for students of Classes VI to VIII today. The programme started with he lighting of the lamp by three students Abhijeet, Nitish and Astik. The students of the school also presented two plays giving a message on honesty and saving our environment, besides other culture items. Director of the school, RC Lakhanpal and Deputy Director, CP Lakhanpal gave prizes to students. Parents of the students also attended this function.