DEVELOPMENT DIGEST

VOL.3 1-30 September 2001 NO.6

The Kerala Government has introduced an instant AIDS test scheme. The test costing Rs 10 is aimed at removing the agony that patients go through while waiting for the test results. It is being implemented in 10 hospitals, including six medical colleges. The test comes with counselling services. Patients will get a pre-test counselling. If required, this counselling can be extended even after the tests. If a test finds a person HIV-positive, the result will be send to an expert within half-an-hour and two more tests will be conducted before the final confirmation. The Kerala State AIDS Control Society has developed and supplied special test kits, Elisa Reader and Washer. The expenses for these tests will be borne by the National AIDS Control Organisation.

A housing project of 160 dwellings – Amritakuteeram – constructed for widows, handicapped and members of economically weaker sections by the Mata Amritanadamayi Trust at Ghaziabad inaugurated by the Uttar Pradesh Governor. The two acre land for the project on the Delhi –U.P border was provided by the U.P. Government while the Ghaziabad district administration helped by providing infrastructural facilities like street-lights, piped water supply and paved roads. The project, which started in mid-February and was completed in a record six months, will also provide other facilities to residents which includes a dispensary, prayer hall and book stall. With this function, 15,000

houses have been handed over in the fourth phase of the "Amrita Kuteeram" project which began in 1996 with an aim to construct 25,000 dwellings.

A Medical Grant Commission on the lines of the University Grants Commission to fund and oversee medical education, primary health centres to ensure medical aid to the poorest of the poor and a two-tier urban primary healthcare structure with appropriate population norms are some of the highlights of the draft of the revised National Health Policy (NHP) prepared by the Health Ministry. Releasing the draft Health and Family Welfare Minister said: "we have to make primary health centres and district hospital functional and formulate a regulatory process to maintain minimum standards and efficiency. The new policy proposes to increase the expenditure on the health sector for 5.2 per cent to 6 per cent of the GDP, increasing government contribution from 0.9 per cent to 2 per cent by 2010.

(The Hindu – 6-09-2001)

Concerned over the steep fall in the number of migratory birds visiting the Point Calimere sanctuary and the Great Vedaranyam swamp in Nagapattinam district in the past decade, the Bombay Natural History Society has decided to establish a bird study centre at point Calimere. The district administration of Tiruchi has agreed to allot three acres of land at Kadiyakkadum, and the local panchayat also approved the site.

(Ministry of Information and Broadcasting)

The long coastline had been attracting lakhs of migratory birds during winter form Tibet, Mangolia and Himalayan regions for centuries. Over 260 species of birds including flamingoes spoonbilled sandpiper, spotted greenshank and Asian Dowitcher had been visiting the sanctuary. The proposed centre will also impart training to students, birdwatchers and researchers. It will also undertake special study on birds migrating between Russia and India. The wildlife department of Tamil Nadu, and forest department will also be associated with the programmes.

The Paradip port has achieved a major milestone to its credit changing its standing among the major ports in the country. The port had done remarkably well by registering a growth of 45 per cent form 13.5 million tonnes to 19.9 million tonnes, the highest among all major ports. The PPT, now ranked 6^th in the country, bagged the ISO 2002 award inspite of the devastation caused by the super cyclone in October 1999. With this, it has become the fourth port to receive the certification. Paradip was among the sic ports which had registered a positive growth in cargo handling. With the commissioning of the Rs. 703 – crore Asian Development Bank – assisted Coal handling Plant, the port capacity would increase from 14 million tonnes to 37 million tonnes. The coal handling facility comprises mechanical and electrical equipment, buildings, service and support infrastructure necessary for ship loading from bottom opening wagons and storing and transferring of coal to ships with an annual through put at 20 million tonnes.

Madhya Pradesh has posted an increase of 20 percentage points in literacy level in the last decade. As per the census 2001, the literacy level in Madhya Pradesh has gone up from 44.67 per cent in 1991 to 64.11 per cent in 2001. The male literacy in now

76.8 per cent up from 58.54 per cent whereas female literacy level has gone up by a good 21 per cent. While in 1991 it was 29.35 per cent, it ahs risen to 50.28 per cent. In 1991, the literacy level in Madhaya Pradesh was nine per cent below the national literacy average but within a decade it has been able to catch up with the national literacy level. The male literacy is now above national average in the state. Madhya Pradesh has bagged decades achievement award for female literacy of the union Government. The state condensed progress of three decades between 1961-91 in one decades in increasing female literacy. The performance of Madhya Pradesh in increasing literacy has found it to be the best among the northern State.

People in seven backward districts in SAARC countries are being linked to information through "talking computers", in an initiative by former diplomats and ministers of the seven member countries. The Rainbow Partnership Organisation (RPO), with former prime minister I.K. Gujral representing India as country chairman , plan to provide access to information on everything from education, health and family planning to culture and commerce using simputers. These are computers that can be heard rather than read. It is a low-cost and portable alternative to personal computers, invented by four Indian Institute of Science (IIS) professors. The first lot will be manufactured by the public sector Bharat electronic Limited (BEL). The simputer costs Rs. 9,000 when produced in large volumes, according to the company founded by the four inventors. The first project began in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district on September 1. It would be completed by February. Simputers would be installed in info kiosks in a district each in the other six SAARC countries after the pilot project is reviewed.

Himachal Pradesh is emerging as a pioneer

in the field of fruit production and the time is not very far when it will be identified as the Fruit bowl of the country. It has also won the National and International awards for the quality fruit production besides recently getting the 15the Europe Award for Quality. HP has so far down the prestigious Udyog Rattan Award and Excellence Award conferred by the Institute of Economic Studies during the year 2000-2001 and also the Bharat Jyoti Award for excellent performance during the year 2000-2001.

The Rural Development ministry has released Rs. 5.77 crores under the restructured Central Rural Sanitation Programme for the current year to Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The Rural Central Restructured Sanitation programme has moved away from the principle of State-wise allocations primarily based on poverty criteria to a demand driven approach. The States are now required to formulate total sanitation campaign projects in identified pilot districts. A demand driven approach is adopted with increased stress on awareness building and meeting the demand with alternate delivery mechanisms.

The women folk in remote villages in Himachal Pradesh no longer have to cover long distance in scorching heat carrying empty pitchers on their heads to fetch water from the traditional sources. Thanks to a network of more than 9,000 handpumps these villages are now getting safe drinking water. The time taken to fetch water from far off places is now utlised in other gainful

pursuits. The installation of handpumps proved a boon to the villagers in general and the women in particular when the majority water sources had gone dry. The water supply systgem in the State is mostly based on surface water which gets accentuated in the summer months when the demand is at its peak or human and animal consumption. It was so acute during the lean season that the public demand had to be met through deployment of water tankers and trucks in all the dry areas. In January 1990’s first hand pump was installed at Haritalyanger in Bilaspur district and then the programme of installed handpumps mainly in drought prone and water scarcity areas gained momentum and spread over the past few years in the State. During 1997-98 about 717 handpumps were installed at an expenditure of Rs. 7.64 crores and in 1998-99 about 792 handpumps were installed against a target of 670 handpumps. An additional 790 handpumps were installed in 1999-2000. A target to install 650 handpumps has been fixed for the current year by the Government. The Government is now planning to hand over all the 9,935 handpumps to the village institutions like gram panchayats and gram sabhas which are installed by the irrigation and publich health department. The panchayats have already taken over the 3,015 handpumps under their control. According to a survey the women in these villages are giving more time to the domestic and farm activities. So fare people residing in 55 towns, 16,807 villages and 32,498 habitations have been provided with drinking water facilities.

At least six food parks will be set up in Himachal Pradesh for which the Government of India would extend financial support of Rs. 4 crores each. This was decided in a meeting in Delhi between the Minister of food Processing Industries, and the Chief Minister. Tow parks will be set up in Kullu and Shimla for

processing apples and grapes and in Bilaspur and Hamirpur for processing maize. The parks will be established in Kangra and Sirmaur for potatoes and ginger-based industries respectively.

The Union Cabinet cleared the launched of scheme aimed at providing wage/employment to the rural poor and at the same time, speedy development of the rural infrastructure. Called the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana, the scheme was announced by the Prime Minister from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15 as part of his Independence Day address. An outlay of Rs 10,000 crore would be provided for the scheme during the current financial year. It would be implemented as a Centrally-sponsored scheme on a cost-sharing basis between the Centre and States in the ratio of 75:25. In the case of the Union Territoreis, the Centre would provide 100 per cent of the funds. Thus, while the Centre would provide Rs. 8,750 crores and the States would account of the balance Rs. 1,250 crores crores. A highlight is that part of the wages would be paid as foodgrians – 5 kg per manday. Consequently, half of the outlay or Rs. 5,000 crores would be paid to the Food Corporation of India towards foodgrain cost and the remaining outlay would be used for meeting the cash component of the wages and the material costs. Another significant feature is that the projects would be implemented by Zilla panchayats, panchayat samiktis and gram panchayats to promote decentralisation. The Ministry of Rural Development would be the nodal agency for the scheme. The works to be taken up would be labour-intensive, leading to the creation of durable assests such as school buildings, and roads and projects relating to drough-proffing, such as soil and moisture conservation works, watersheds development and afforestation. The wages, both in kind and cash, would be paid at least once a week .

The Haryana Government intends to spend about Rs 63.33 crore under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme

during the current financial year. This amount included Rs. 27.82 crore for providing supplementary nutrition to children below six years of age, pregnant and nursing mothers. The services provided under the scheme included supplementary nutrition immunization, health check up, referral services, non-formal pre-school education and health and nutrition education of children below 6 years of age and pregnant and nursing mothers and other women in the age group of 15 to 44 years in order to improve their health. The scheme was being implemented in 116 rural blocks and five urban blocks in the state. The services were being provided to 13545 anganwadi centers, functioning under ICDS projects. The 2.33 lakh pregnant and nursing mothers and 9.19 lakh children between six months to six years of age were being given supplementary nutrition whereas 5.29 lakh children between 3-6 years of age were benefited.

A half-century-old cinema theatre has shown the way to the rest of Rajasthan by opening its doors to the disabled. Thanks to the thoughtful gesture, 16 children, al wheelchair users, sat with wonder and disbelief gazing at the silver screen for the first time in their life inside Golcha Cinema in Jaipur. The Rajasthan Minister for Tourism, led to children, all students of DISHA, into the theatre pushing them up a newly-built ramp in the presence of a good number of parents and social activists. The joy was boundless for the in the presence of a good number of parents and social activists. The joy was boundless for the little ones as they watched the latest Bollywood blockbuster, ‘Nayak’. With this facility, families with a disabled child can also watch movies in the theatre. In fact, it is not just the ramp alone. A whole set of facilities has to come along with it to make any place disabled-friendly. At Golcha Cinema now the toilets too have been made to suit the needs of those on

the wheelchairs. The cinema management has deputed an attendant. According to Minister more monuments in the Pink City would have ramps from now on so that disabled persons too can have access to them. In the case of monuments which do not allow any new construction, the option would be to have wooden ramps.

Haryana Chief Minister launched the VIP Gold Card Scheme. The VIP gold Card Scheme aimed at giving due respect to prominent industrialist and exporters and faciliteate their meetings with senior functionaries of the state on a priority. Industrialists eligible for the VIP Gold Card would include CMDs of prestigious units having investment of Rs 30 crore and above. Such units should have an excellent track record of outstanding growth. CMDs of 100 per cent EOUs would also be eligible.

A revolution of sorts is under way in the Delhi State Food and Civil Supplies Department. Taking full advantage of Information Technology, the Department has decided to go in for a computerisation of more than 37 lakh ration cards of all categories. A bid to streamline the public Distribution System , the project – first of its kind in the country – is being implemented under guidance of the government-owned Computer Maintenance Corporation (CMC) which is providing the software and technological assistance. To top it all, a colourful scheme is being introduced for ration cards of various categories. While ration card for the "Below Poverty Line" category would be of yellow colour, those coming under the Antodaya and Annapurana schemes would be red. The consumer Above the Poverty Line would be issued white cards. The laminated computer-generated ration cards would not only have a compterised photograph of the head of the family but would also have electronic signatures which cannot be tampered with. It would have different columns for issuance of various category of essential commodities falling under

the PDS scheme. The back of the card would provide space for information about the family members and would have a column for addition and deletion of names. But this would now be possible only through the compterised process.

A DNA-based vaccine for rabies has been developed by India which may become the first country in the world to launch such a vaccine for either animal or human. Dr. V.K. Vinayak, Adviser medical) Department of biotechnology said that a patent on the product developed by Dr. P. Ramgarajan and Dr. G Padmanabhan of Indian Institute of Science, Banglore and Indian Immunological, a unit of the National Diary Development Board, has been taken. The product is likely to be launched in then next five months. The Rs. 1,5 crore rabies vaccine development programme was part of the Department of biotechnology’s Jai Vigyan project. The DNA vaccine will be very specific and very safe. The gene has been encoded for a G-protein. The G-protein stimulates the immune system which in turn provides protection, he said. One of the major advantages of the DNA vaccine in the Indian conditions is that it does not require cold-chain. The Gene based vaccine will be cheaper than other varieties available.

As the international area prepares for probable military action, a course structured on the principles of non-violence as enunciated by Mahatma Gandhi is being introduced in several parts of the country including the Capital. the Jain Vishva Bharati Institute in collaboration with Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti have jointly launched a three-month Certificate Course through distance education in Non-Violence ad a number of Ph. D programmes that will formally begin on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Theses courses are part of efforts to spread the doctrine of non-violence as preached by Mahtma Gandhi and Lord Mahavira, and to

use it as an active force to promote harmony and peace in situations such as the one at present. Structured in both Hindi and English, the certificate programme seeks to develop non-violent capabilities ad conflict management tactics among the participants. It also includes a practical training session for 10 to 15 days during which the students will be exposed to techniques of conflict management, structural violence, meditation and yoga.