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New Indian Express
21 hours ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Lights up: Jeelugulova tribals celebrate freedom from darkness
VISAKHAPATNAM: For the first time, the tribals of Jeelugulova, a remote PVTG (Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group) hamlet atop Samalamma Hill in Cheemalapadu panchayat of Ravikamatham mandal in Anakapalle district, have seen electric lights brighten their village. Marking the occasion with joy and emotion, the villagers celebrated the moment with traditional Dhimsa dance on Sunday night. The hilltop village, home to eight families and around 50 people, has long lived in darkness, relying on fire torches and kerosene lamps. Surrounded by dense forest and facing the constant threat of wild animals after nightfall, the villagers spent many years in fear and isolation. 'Even to charge a mobile phone, we had to walk nearly 7 kilometres to Bangaru Bandalu, the nearest village with a power supply. Night travel often came with the risk of snake bites and injuries,' the tribals recalled. Some years ago, a few solar panels were provided to the village by social workers, offering limited relief from darkness. However, villagers recall that these panels often became ineffective during heavy rains, as they were prone to flooding. The residents, belonging to the Kondh tribal community, primarily depend on cashew cultivation for their livelihood, while turmeric farming also supports their seasonal income. Over the years, Jeelugulova's residents repeatedly raised their concerns at Zilla Parishad meetings in the erstwhile united Visakhapatnam district, requesting basic infrastructure like electricity and roads. 'Recognise us as people, give us light,' they had appealed, often holding torches during protests. After repeated protests, their plea eventually drew the attention of the National Human Rights Commission and senior district officials. In 2022, the then District Collector of Anakapalle, Pattanshetti Ravi Subash, along with Narsipatnam RDO Ronanki Govinda Rao and other divisional officials, visited the village. Jeelugulova tribals thank EE & Collector Following the visit, the administration issued Aadhaar and ration cards and promised electricity, drinking water, and road connectivity. However, the promises took time to materialise. Now, under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) Scheme, Jeelugulova finally has access to electricity. The villagers expressed heartfelt gratitude to the executive engineer of the electricity department and the district collector for fulfilling a long-standing need. Residents Korra Balaraju and Korra Mahesh, along with K Govinda Rao, district committee member of the CPI(M), conveyed their thanks to the officials who helped bring light to their village.
Time of India
a day ago
- Health
- Time of India
Conduct mock drills to test readiness of oxygen plants: State issues fresh guidelines to all health officials
1 2 Pune: The state health commissioner on Monday issued fresh guidelines to health officials in all civic bodies, district health offices and Zilla Parishad offices, directing them to conduct mock drills of all the Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) oxygen plants that were operational during the Covid-19 pandemic. State govt has also asked these bodies to reserve beds in case of any surge in respiratory infections while ensuring that all Covid-positive samples are sent for genome sequencing. The circular issued by the commissioner states that there has been a slow but steady rise in acute respiratory infections (ARIs) across the country. Most of the cases are mild and the current SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in circulation is the JN 1, XFG and LF 7.9. Common symptoms include fever, cough and itching in the throat. As of Monday, Maharashtra has 506 active patients; most of them are in Mumbai. There have been 10 fatalities in the state during the current surge since mid-May. Although these cases are mild, as a measure of precaution, health officials have to take a stock update on the availability of the number of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) sets, medical oxygen as well as isolation, ICU and ventilator beds. "A mock drill must be conducted of the PSA oxygen plants to check for oxygen preparedness," said the directive. Further, it has been instructed that about 5% of all influenza-like illness (ILI) and severe acute respiratory infections (SARI) patients' samples must be sent for testing and all positive samples must be sent to the regional Virus Research and Diagnostic Laboratory (VRDL) for genome sequencing. The district surveillance units have been told to keep a close watch on the SARI and ILI trends in their areas. In view of the above guidelines, Dr Nagnath Yempalle, civil surgeon, Pune district, said, "We have conducted a mock drill of all our oxygen plants. While most are in working condition, some will need repairs, especially those in the periphery, where oxygen plants are not in regular use. We will get those repaired as well. We already have a 100-bed Covid hospital that was set up during the pandemic, which we can use to admit patients in need. We have already cleaned the hospital." Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health chief Dr Nina Borade commented, "We have conducted the mock drills of some of our oxygen plants, and most are in working condition. We will inspect the remaining ones on Tuesday, and a final report will be prepared. If any of the plants need repairs, then we will conduct the same. Many of these plants have not been in use for a long time and might need some maintenance. We have also reserved 50 beds at Naidu hospital for Covid-19 patients. " Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) medical officer Dr Laxman Gophane was unavailable for a comment despite repeated attempts by TOI to contact him.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Practising yoga daily is vital for physical and mental health, says Chittoor District Collector
As part of the 11th International Yoga Day celebrations, the Chittoor district administration organised a mega yoga event at the District Police Training College grounds here on Friday. About 5,000 participants, including government officials and the public, took part in the event. Addressing the participants, District Collector Sumit Kumar highlighted the importance of yoga for personal well-being. 'Practising yoga should be a regular feature in everyone's life, irrespective of age. Yoga is capable of making one rich physically and mentally, and it will also phenomenally reduce the medical expenses,' he said. 'The State government had instructed the districts to organise yoga camps between May 21 and June 21. Chittoor district has been given six such events. The forthcoming camps will be conducted at Penumuru, Puligundu, Chowdepalle, Boyakonda, Naniyala and Kangundi Fort in Kuppam,' he said. He said that from June 1, as many as 500 master trainers would impart training to 6,000 individuals across the district, and they in turn would promote yoga awareness at the grassroots level, particularly targeting the rural areas till June 20. 'By making yoga a daily routine in life, one can successfully reduce stress, and improve the functioning of the vital organs, besides the mental health,' the Collector said. District Medical and Health Officer D.T. Sudha Rani, Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Ravi Kumar Naidu, District Fire Officer Peddireddy, and senior officials of various government departments took part in the Yoga camp.
Hindustan Times
26-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
Now Pune Zilla Parishad to construct permanent buildings for 410 Anganwadi centres in district
PUNE: To strengthen early childhood education infrastructure, the Pune Zilla Parishad has come up with a 'master plan' to construct permanent buildings for 410 Anganwadi centres in the district that currently operate from makeshift spaces like community temples, old halls and temporary shelters due to the absence of proper infrastructure. The Pune Zilla Parishad, under the guidance of district collector Jitendra Dudi and chief executive officer Gajanan Patil, has devised a solution in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) to integrate Anganwadi centres within the premises of existing primary schools. A detailed survey is currently being carried out to identify suitable spaces within school campuses where Anganwadis can be constructed. The integration aims to facilitate seamless transition from pre-primary to primary education for children. Patil said, 'Considering the lack of proper buildings for Anganwadis in many villages, the government will now extend support for construction. Once we ensure well-equipped buildings, it will directly contribute to improving the quality of education. The Zilla Parishad is actively taking steps in this direction.' Chandrakant Waghmare, additional CEO of the Pune Zilla Parishad, emphasised the benefits of constructing Anganwadi centres within school premises. 'Anganwadis are now being aligned with primary schools. This will ensure continuity in education from early childhood to formal schooling. We are committed to establishing high-quality Anganwadi centres under strong leadership and planning,' he said. As part of the plan, J B Girase, deputy CEO of the Pune Zilla Parishad, has directed block education officers and child development project officers to conduct joint visits to villages during which they have to identify available land within school premises and discuss the plan with village Sarpanchs, Gram Sevaks, and school principals. Officers must also submit a written report along with photographs of the locations by the end of May 2025. Inputs from School Management Committees must also be considered in the decision-making process. Anganwadis, considered the foundation of the educational system in rural India, cater to children aged three to five years, providing pre-primary education along with key services such as health, nutrition and maternal care. Despite the importance of these centres, many of them in Pune district have been functioning under severe infrastructural limitations. According to officials, while the government provides funds for constructing Anganwadi buildings, there is no provision to purchase land, creating hurdles in areas where space is not readily available. As a result, even approved Anganwadi centres have been unable to move into proper premises due to apathy or inaction by local Gram Panchayats that are expected to provide land through community participation. With the latest initiative, authorities hope to resolve long-standing infrastructural issues that have hindered proper functioning of Anganwadi centres to provide young children a safe, stable and conducive environment for learning and development.
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Teachers' body seeks redressal of issues on transfers
Members of Navya Andhra Teachers' Association on Sunday (May 25) urged Commissioner of School Education V. Vijay Rama Raju to address issues pertaining to reapportionment of teaching staff, transfers, subject allocations and teacher promotions. During a coordination meeting held with the official, the association members put forth their demands. They said the Primary School Head Master (PSHM) post should be allotted to the most senior in-service teachers, dedicated Telugu subject teacher post should be allocated in upper primary schools and teachers who were transferred in 2017 should be granted full eight years of service points. They also demanded amendments to the G.O. on reapportionment of teaching staff, that the number of teaching periods be capped at 32 in high schools and that the minimum size of a class section be fixed at 45 students. Surplus students should be adjusted before initiating the transfer process. They said all the posts relating to DSC-2025 should reflect in the teacher transfer process and no post should be blocked. Raising concern over shifting of Zilla Parishad posts to other managements, they said ZP teachers were already suffering due to a lack of service rules and promotion opportunities for over 25 years. They said that for model primary school headmaster posts, manual counselling should be conducted for only those who explicitly express willingness, and School Assistants who did not wish to opt for HM posts should still be allowed to apply for School Assistant posts during the same counselling.
