WORLD BANK MISSION CALLS ON THE CHIEF SECRETARY
Chandigarh May 01, 2008
A group of 12 Executive Directors of the World Bank namely Mr.Felix
A.Comarasa, Mr.Rogerio Studart, Mr.Shuja Shah, Mr.Toru Shikibu,
Mr.Nuno Mota Pinto, Mr.Sid Ahmed Dib,Mr.Michel Mordasini, Mr.
Agapito Mendes Dias, Mr. Mat Aron Deraman, Mr.Merza Hussain Hasan,
Mr. Dhanendra Kumar and Mr.Julijana Amiel Operations Analyst today
called on Mr.Ramesh Inder Singh, Chief Secretary Punjab to discuss
the status of a few ongoing world bank aided projects and follow
up of the completed world bank projects in the State.
During the course of the meeting the State Govt. has also proposed
four new projects to be executed with the world bank aid in the
coming years .These projects include Ground Water Management Project,
Multi State Agricultural Competitiveness Project, Urban Infrastructure
Project and Education Improvement Project.
Referring to the Ground Water Management Project, the Chief
Secretary said that world bank assistance was required to strengthen
and upgrade technical know how and to have cost effective, environment
friendly, efficient and latest technology based measures. The
state was already facing acute problems of water logging, declining
water table and water quality in different parts of the sate and
to set them in order world bank aid was required. He, however
said that Punjab was in a perfect position to repay the loans
raises from the World Bank. Steps were already being taken to
reduce the fiscal deficit of the state for the last few years,
said Mr. Singh.
Referring to the Multi State Agricultural Competitiveness Project,
Mr. Singh said that preliminary project report of Rs.500 crore
has already been approved in January 2008.Similarly to improve
the quality of schools in the state, a comprehensive programme
with world bank assistance of Rs.800 crore which includes teacher
training, teaching methods and materials, school curricula and
teacher evaluation school performance parameters would be initiated.
There is a total enrollment of 2.1 million in 13285 government
primary schools and 5424 in secondary schools whereas the literacy
rate is 69..7% in the sate, said Mr. Singh.
The World Bank Mission has expressed its satisfaction over the
on going projects in the state.
Principal Secretaries of the departments of Finance, Local Government,
Irrigation and Power, School education, Planning and Water supply
and sanitation were also present in the meeting
AYURVEDIC CHEMISTS TOLD TO EMPLOY QUALIFIED AYURVEDIC DISPENSERS
Chandigarh May 1
The Punjab Government today issued instructions to State Pharmacy
Council (SPC) to make it mandatory to appoint qualified Ayurvedic
dispensers (Up-vaids) in every Pharmacy/Chemists shop dispensing
Ayurvedic medicines.
Disclosing this here today an official spokesman said that it
had come to the notice of government that chemists due to absence
of qualified Ayurvedic dispensers in their shops were not able
to identify and dispense correct medicines to the patients.
The spokesman said that this step has been taken by the government
in the larger interests of patients and also to generate employment
opportunities for Ayurvedic dispensers. It may be added that state
government was training more than 500 Ayurvedic dispensers every
year.
