Indian nominated as WHO SE Asia regional director after 44 years
NEW DELHI: India on Thursday regained the position of regional director of World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Region (SEAR) after a gap of 44 years with its nominee Poonam Khetarpal Singh, a former IAS officer, being elected on Thursday by member countries. India had last occupied the post from 1948 to 1968 but has not held it since then. 64-year-old Singh takes over from Samlee Plianbangchang of Thailand, who has served as regional director for 10 years now (two consecutive terms since 2004). She will hold the post for five years. The delegates of 11 countries comprising of WHO-SEAR region elected her at the 31st meeting of health ministers and 66th session of WHO regional committee for South-East Asia. Announcing her election, India’s health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said it is an opportunity to strengthen India’s commitment to perform its role in health and development with WHO as a key partner. He said Singh is an acknowledged public health specialist and administrator with vast experience and recognition in public health and the UN system. She would be able to contribute to regional as well as global initiatives and further strengthen cooperation amongst SEAR members states, Azad noted. “I want to focus and improve upon the public health agenda in the region, which has changed rapidly over the last decade,” Singh told PTI after being elected. A retired Punjab-cadre IAS officer of 1975 batch, Singh has been executive director, sustainable development and healthy environments in WHO at Geneva and has also served the World Bank for three years earlier. She was a member of the cabinet of director-general in Geneva. She was also deputy regional director, WHO-SEAR from 2000 to 2013. (PTI)
Post-Dec 16 Delhi safer for women, says Sheila Dikshit
New Delhi: Security for women in Delhi has improved since the gang-rape incident of Dec 16, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said Thursday, but she admitted that much still remained to be done. “Post-Dec 16, security for women in the city has become better, but it is a long haul, (the change) is not going to be overnight. But the awareness on the security of women has increased,” Dikshit told IANS. Speaking on the sidelines of a conference here, the chief minister said Delhi Police was now more vigilant, and its personnel have been sensitised after the gang rape. Four men have been convicted for the gang rape and murder of a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, who died of the grave injuries she sustained in the attack. Of the six involved in the crime, one was found dead in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. A juvenile was held guilty too, and was sent Aug 31 to a reform home for three years. The quantum of sentence of the four others convicted for the crime will be pronounced Friday. (IANS)
Man moves HC on lax implementation of illegal hoardings order
Mumbai: A social worker on Thursday approached the Bombay High Court seeking a direction to all municipal corporations and district councils to strictly implement its March order to remove all illegal hoardings in the metropolis. The High Court had in March this year directed all municipal corporations and district councils to remove illegal hoardings in their city within a day and see to it that they are not put up again. Social worker Bhagwanji Rayani today approached a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sanklecha stating that several hoardings have mushroomed once again during the ongoing Ganesh festival. Rayani told the court that after the March 2013 High Court order, the civic bodies had cracked a whip on illegal hoardings but have now become lax once again. The bench posted the matter for hearing on September 19. A division bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar had on March 13 this year directed, all illegal hoardings to be removed after observing that it was defacing the city. The direction was passed when the court was hearing a suo moto (on its own) public interest litigation on the issue after perusing a compliance report submitted by the chief of Satara municipal corporation indicating that they have removed all unauthorised hoardings in Satara within a week. “Everywhere we are seeing hoardings defacing the city’s skyline. Majority of these banners are of political parties. The municipal commissioners, by not initiating action against such illegal hoardings, is becoming a co-conspirator in the offence, the court had said. (PTI)
Adult daughters entitled to maintenance, rules Gujarat HC
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has directed a primary teacher to pay maintenance to his two adult daughters holding that they are also entitled to it until they get married or begin to earn their livelihood. Justice S G Shah, in his judgement on Wednesday, while setting aside the order of the Additional Sessions Judge Bhuj, observed that, “I have no hesitation to hold that the adult daughters are also entitled to maintenance till they get married or start earning so as to maintain themselves.” Manjula Parmar, a resident of Kutch district, in 2010 had sought maintenance from her husband Girish alias Ganpat Parmar, for herself and their two daughters- Dipika (20) and Mittal (19). Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) in Bhuj, on December 27, 2012, ordered Parmar to pay Rs 5,000 to his wife and Rs 2,500 to each of his daughters, which was challenged by him before the district court on the grounds that both the daughters had turned major by then and his son Dipak was also earning. (PTI)
Separatist leader found dead on roadside in Baramulla
Srinagar: A separatist leader belonging to moderate Hurriyat Conference was found dead on Thursday on a roadside in Baramulla district of Kashmir. Abdul Rashid Sofi alias Gazi, a member of Hurriyat constituent People’s League, was found dead with an injury on his head this morning on Nowpora-Kreeri road in Baramulla. Sofi had gone to Anantnag district yesterday to condole the death of People’s League chairman Mukhtar Ahmad Waza’s mother but did not return back home at Kakkerhamaam in Baramulla. “The police have sent the body to the hospital where the post-mortem was conducted. An injury has been found on the head. “According to initial investigations, circumstantial evidences of the spot suggest that it is a hit and run case. However, police has taken the cognisance,” he said. Sofi’s family has claimed that he was returning home with his colleagues by train. “They were all together till Amargarh station and he had to get down at the next station. How he reached Kreeri is not understandable?” asked Sofi’s family. (PTI)