Shimla, August 29
The government will shortly launch the MMU project in Sirmaur and Solan districts as the vehicles, equipped with all diagnostic facilities, have been fabricated and readied.

The mobile medical units and its clubbing with the school health programme is expected to provide diagnostic facilities to people residing in the far-flung areas of the state where health institutions are plagued with vacancies of doctor and other staff.

The funding for the project has been received under the National Rural Health Mission and all 10 districts, barring the tribal areas, will be provided with an MMU costing over Rs 27 lakh each in a phased manner.

“We intend to utilise the MMUs for our existing school health programmes, so that there is regular monitoring of health of students,” said Vineet Chawdhry, Additional Secretary (Health). He said the MMUs would provide a schedule of their monthly programmes so that all remote areas could be covered.

The MMUs will be equipped with facilities such as an ultrasound, mobile X-ray, ECG and other diagnostic and laboratory tests. The MMUs will have three doctors, including a gyanaecologist, physician and a radiologist, along with other paramedical staff.

The operation of the MMU has been outsourced to the GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI). The GVK EMRI, which is also providing the 108 ambulance service, will engage the staff, including doctors and paramedical staff. Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakaram, the health card of every student has to be prepared and maintained.

The MMUs will help in compiling the health data of students and these will be updated from time to time. In the past, various schemes had been launched, including eradication of anaemia by providing iron supplements. It is during the routine health check-up in schools that many students were diagnosed with eye, heart, dental and other ailments which helped in timely detection and cure.

Dharamsala, August 29
The Himachal Police have increased the security at Dharamkot village, also known as Mini Israel, following “threat” to the Chabad House of Israelis here.

The locals in Dharamkot said nearly 100 police personnel carried out combing operation in the area. The police had increased the security near Chabad House of Israelis in Dharamsala and other entry points to the village.

Police officials, however, denied any report of threat to Israelis. The police were posted in Dharamkot village before Independence Day allegedly following intelligence inputs regarding threat to Israeli tourists. After that the security was reduced. However, yesterday night it was beefed up again.

Different stories were doing the rounds in the area regarding the increased police presence in Dharamkot. Some locals said Israeli tourists had an altercation with some Kashmiri shopkeepers in McLeodganj, after which the managers of Chabad House sought police protection.

The increased police presence was also being attributed to the reports of entry of some Kashmiri militants into Himachal.

Dharamkot is a small village, nearly 2 km uphill from McLeodganj. It is also known as Little Israel due to the presence of a large numbers of tourists from Israel.

About 20,000 Israelis visit the village every year. The Israeli tourists are so fond of the village that some even solemnise their weddings here.

In the past few years, the government had restricted visa for the tourists from Israel to just three months.

A condition had been laid that the tourists, who visit the country this year on a three-month visa could revisit India only after a gap of one year.

Dharamkot is an ideal example of the home tourism industry that the state government intends to promote. Due to persistent demand from visiting foreigners, especially Israelis, most of the residents of the village had converted their houses into guest houses. 

Kangra, August 29
The apparent effort of the HRD Ministry for turning Teacher’s Day into Gurutsav was scoffed at by the state Congress leaders who described it as an attempt to saffronise the education system.

HPCC spokesperson Deepak Sharma, who was in Jawalamukhi, said: “The HRD ministry is trying to saffronise the education system. This is nothing but a gimmick. Instead, they should look into bringing about a change in teachers’ lives and take steps to empower them.”

Pointing towards manhandling by an ABVP mob, which ultimately resulted in professor Harbhajan Singh Sabharwal’s death, he said: “The ABVP is not treating teachers with respect. They should teach the ABVP people to behave in a constitutional manner. The focus instead should be on those who had beaten the professor.” According to media reports, a circular issued by the HRD Ministry regarding Dr Radhakrishnan’s 126th birth anniversary on September 5 omits the term Teacher’s Day and instead terms it as Gurutsav, he said. 

Mandi, August 29
The Central and state governments have sanctioned a sum of Rs 25.8 crore for the solid and liquid waste management in 50 panchayats of the district in the first phase.

Stating this during a seminar on the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan here today, Deputy Commissioner Sandeep Kadam said there was a provision of Rs 7 lakh to Rs 20 lakh under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan for the management of the waste. He said an equal amount of money would also be spent on the scheme from MNREGA.

He said the funds allotted to panchayats by the 13th Finance Commission for sanitation purposes would also be utilised for the management of solid and liquid waste in the district.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Gopal Chand said under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan they would achieve total sanitation in the district soon.

Chamba, August 29
The All-India Senior Citizens Forum has urged the government to introduce a token system which will help give due respect to senior citizens while depositing phone, electricity and water bills and getting bus tickets at bus stands.

In a press note here today, PC Oberoi, state spokesperson for the forum, said the proposed system would help patients in hospitals while waiting for their turn in a queue for medical a check-up. The system would save them the harassment of standing in a queue, Oberoi said.

Shimla, August 28
Keen to give major impetus to Indo-China trade along the Shipki La Pass in Kinnaur, traders living along the Tibetan border areas have demanded the setting up of a single window to save them from frequent frisking by different agencies during their movement to Tibet with their goods.

They said agencies such as the customs, ITBP and Himachal Police frequently frisked them at three different places.

Though the trade along the pass has been going on for quite some time now, it is for the first time that the traders from Namgya, Chango and Pooh villages have formed the Kinnaur Indo-China Traders’ Association. They formed the body so that they could seek government’s help to address the problems being faced by them.

It is for the first time that 125 traders have applied for trade permit, out of which 90 have already been issued the permits. Though the number of traders seeking trade permits to visit the Tibetan region inside China to do business has not been too high in the previous years, local traders are now keen to give it a major fillip.

Last year 63 traders had been issued permits, while in 2012 their number was 46 whereas the number in 2011 was 24.

Hishey Negi, president of the Traders Association, said: “We have approached the government and the foreign trade officials to set up a single window so that traders are not inconvenienced as they have to open the entire goods at three places as the Customs does the checking at Khab, the ITBP at Chappan and the state police at Namgya.”

He said the setting up of a single window where all issues concerning the trade could be dealt would help promote the trade.

He pointed out that the trade was far better regulated in Arunachal Pradesh, where the office of the Department of Trade and Commerce operates.

“The trade here along Shipki La has failed to pick up as not much has been done to encourage local villagers to do trade with China,” he said.

He said the trade could have picked up had a Trade Mart been set up at Chappan and there was provision for canteen and medical facilities at certain points on the trek to Tibet for traders.

“We have now formed a Traders’ Association so that we can raise all issues with the agencies concerned,” said Inder Singh, up pradhan of Namgya panchayat, from where the maximum number of villagers indulge in trade across the border.

Infact, the Indo-China trade picked up in 2012 as 12 new items were added to the list of old items which could be traded.

In 2011, only 24 traders visited Tibet with goods worth Rs 5.77 lakh.

Solan, August 29
Students of Baddi University of Emerging Sciences and Technology went on a strike and raised slogans on campus here today. They were protesting against the suspension of a second-year student of Mechanical Engineering.

Hundreds of students residing in hostels not only blocked the main gate of the university by erecting drums and stones this morning, but also tried to prevent the entry of staff and students to the university. They said they were observing a protest in support of the suspended student who had not been given an opportunity to present his stand. The protesting students who had come to the university were stopped outside the gate and directed to go back.

Sensing trouble, the university administration requisitioned the police to avoid any untoward incident and ensure peace on campus.

A police team, led by DSP Narinder Kumar, rushed to the spot and had to jostle with the students to force their way through the blockade erected by them.

Though the university administration, including Registrar Neeraj Kumar and Col B Gupta (retd), held several rounds of talks with the students throughout the day, they failed to pacify them. Besides, the students also complained of poor quality food and lack of other facilities on campus.

The students also questioned the role of the chief warden and pressed for his removal.

Registrar Neeraj Kumar said the suspended student had made an attempt to enter Junior Boys Hostel on August 20 around 11 pm. But he was refused entry by the security guard with whom the student had misbehaved. The warden had later intervened and the student had also argued and misbehaved with him and he was subsequently found guilty of indiscipline and suspended.

Though DSP Narinder Kumar said the situation was under control, a number of police personnel were positioned inside the campus till this evening as the issue remained unresolved, said Neeraj Kumar.

Shimla, August 29
Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) today staged protests and took out rallies at various places all over the state against the delay of student poll and fee hike.

ABVP leader Arvind Kumar said the manner in which the government had decided to defer student poll, it only reflected the dictatorial attitude of the authorities. “The government should have taken into consideration the financial status of thousands of students who are studying in the university and other colleges,” he said.

He said the government first denied the opportunity for admission to thousands of students by introducing Rashtriya Uchchtar Shiksha Abhiyaan (RUSA). “The annual budget of Himachal Pradesh University has been reduced from Rs 90 crore to Rs 62 crore and the government was trying to put the burden on the students who could not afford to pay the enhanced fee,” he said.

He said thousands of students in Rampur, Rohru, Nerwa, Theog, Solan, Nalagarh, Mandi, Kulu, Palampur, Dharamsala, Nurpur and Chamba staged protest rallies.

“The ABVP has given a call for a bandh on August 30 and if the government does not restore the student poll and roll back the fee hike, we will be forced to intensify our agitation,” he warned.

Dharamsala, August 29
Students of the Regional Centre of Himachal Pradesh University in Dharamsala today held a protest and dharna outside the office of the SP, Kangra. They were protesting against the alleged inaction of the police against some miscreants who were allegedly harassing and eve teasing girls on the Sidhbari-Khaniara road.

The protesting students alleged that most of the students going to the Regional Centre have to trek on the Sidhbari-Khaniara road daily. Some miscreants were involved in eve teasing. When the girls resisted, the miscreants threatened them with knives. The students alleged that they informed the police against the eve teasing, but the police did not take any action. The students lifted their dharna after assurance from SP Kangra, Kapil Sharma.

The SP said he had informed police officials to register a case against the miscreants. He had also asked the officials to increase patrolling on the road. 

Shimla, August 29
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh inaugurated the Primary Health Centre at Totu and laid the foundation stone of the Rs 11-crore Science Learning Centre (Planetarium) at Anandpur in Shoghi today.

He also laid the foundation stone of Sabzi Mandi at Totu to be constructed with an outlay of Rs 5.50 crore in two different phases.

Besides, he also inaugurated the Rs 20.15-lakh ayurvedic dispensary building and laid the stone of Ambedkar Bhawan at Shoghi in gram panchayat Jalel, which would cost
Rs 20.67 lakh.

He said the proposed Remote Sensing Centre to be constructed under the planetarium would help in analysing the nature of glaciers, floods, rivers, The Science Learning Centre would also have a science museum, bio-diversity park and modern laboratories besides a corner projecting the culture and traditions of the state and would be opened for tourists as well, he added.

The CM also inaugurated the road from Chauri Ki Ghati to Charauu and also flagged a bus on the route.

Addressing the gathering of the closing ceremony of Under-19 Zonal School’s tournament at Shoghi in his home segment of Shimla rural, Virbhadra Singh said: “Sports play an important role in shaping the personality of an individual and instils in them a sense of discipline, decorum and responsibility towards the society. The state is trying to provide state-of-the-art education facilities to students near their homes.”

The CM said the government had upgraded and opened as many as 695 schools and 14 new degree colleges in the present tenure.

Besides, the move was taken to facilitate girl students who had outnumbered boys in these colleges and would construct hostels in colleges in far-flung areas of the state.

He said 7,500 meritorious student of Class 10 and 12 were given net books under the Rajiv Gandhi Digital Yojana.

He distributed prizes to students and announced a sum of Rs 20,000 for cultural activities on the occasion.

Shimla, August 29
A two-day workshop and training programme for principals and teachers of schools was organised at Portmore School here today. A financial literacy course for students in high schools is being introduced with the help of the National Stock Exchange (NSE).

Ali Raza Rizvi, Principal Secretary (Education), inaugurated the workshop. He said the course would make students aware about financial savings and investments.

The NSE has entered into a partnership with the Himachal government for starting this course. The financial literacy course has been developed for students of class IX and X. It will be introduced on a pilot basis in about 100 schools in Shimla and Solan districts which includes Basantpur, Chopal, Kasauli and Deothi.

The workshop will be further extended to around 1,000 schools in the 2015-16 academic sessions. As a part of this course, students will learn about income, expenses, importance of savings, banking, basics of financial planning, investing, money management and setting financial goals. 

Shimla, August 29
All cases pertaining to the diversion of forest land for development works under the Forest Conservation Act 1980 will now be submitted online on the portal specially developed by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

Speaking at a daylong training programme, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) RK Gupta said: “The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has developed a portal for online submission and tracking the status of applications seeking prior approval of the Centre under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, for the diversion of forest land for non-forest purpose in a transparent and time-bound manner.”

Gupta said: “From August 15, 2014, onwards, the user agencies are required to submit all new cases seeking diversion of forest land for various developmental activities through this web portal only.

Additional Principal Chief Conservation of Forests (FCA) Ajay Sharma said: “A manual has been devised by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change for online submission and monitoring of forests clearances proposals (OSMFCP) meant for officers, officials of the Forest Department and user agencies supposed to submit and process applications seeking prior forest clearances for diverting forest land for non-forestry purpose from the government of India.”

Mandi, August 29
Members of the management committee of Government Senior Secondary School, Baroti, in Sarkaghat subdivision here have threatened to shift students to other school if the Education Department fails to fill vacant posts.

School management committee chief Vinod Kumar said studies of over 400 students had been affected due to the shortage of teaching staff. He said there had been no language teacher for the past three years and posts of science and arts teacher had also been lying vacant.

Mandi, August 29
In a hit-and-run case, a motorcyclist was killed near Nature Park under the Aut police station here today.

ASI Rajesh Kumar said the victim, identified as Vishal Kumar of Palsehar, was hit by an unknown vehicle near the park.

Vishal was killed on the spot, he said, adding that a case had been registered against the driver of the unknown vehicle.

Mandi, August 29
The Forest Department seized five tractor-trailers and two tippers loaded with illegal sand and gravels near here today.

A team of forest officials, headed by Range Forest Officer Yashwant Thakur, seized the vehicles from NH-21 near here. Later, the impounded vehicles were let off after collecting a fine of Rs 30,000 from them under the Forest Act. — TNS