Ice melts, Army hopes for troop cut along LAC

The Government today launched its ambitious National Rural Health Mission with the focus on decentralisation of health care at the village a...

The Government today launched its ambitious National Rural Health Mission with the focus on decentralisation of health care at the village and district level. Launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a function in the Capital, the mission aims at providing healthcare facilities to the poor through a range of interventions at different levels — individual, household, community and health system.

While the mission has been allocated an outlay of Rs 6,713 crore for the year 2005-2006, the amount in subsequent years will be dependent on the outlay of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The mission will cover all the states and Union Territories with special focus on 18 states with weak health infrastructure and demographic indicators. It will lay stress on reducing infant and maternal mortality ratio, universal access to public health services, prevention and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases, ensuring population stabilisation, maintaining gender and demographic balance, revitalisation of local and health traditions and promotion of healthy lifestyles.

Inaugurating the mission, PM Manmohan Singh said the Government is fulfilling one of the promises made in the National Common Minimum Programme. Singh added that the slow improvement in the country’s health care system has been a matter of great concern. ‘‘There is no denying the fact that we have not paid adequate attention to this dimension of development thus far. We need to act quickly to bridge the income gap, education gap and health gap of our people,’’ he added.

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‘‘The Indian health care system is perhaps guilty of many sins of omission and commission…That we have grievously erred in the design of our many health programmes,’’ the PM said.

Singh further said the mission will seek to ‘‘radically overhaul’’ the manner of delivery of health care services in the country.

He added that the Government was committed to increasing the budget allocation in the health sector from 0.9 per cent to 2 per cent of the GDP in the next few years. ‘‘A beginning has been made in this year’s budget by increasing it by Rs 2,000 crore,’’ he said.

BSF to send strong message

NEW DELHI: India will convey its plans to complete fencing along the Indo-Bangla border at the bi-annual Bangladesh Rifles-Border Security Force meeting on border management in Dhaka on Wednesday. The issue would be taken up by BSF DG R.S. Mooshahary with his BDR counterpart Jehangir Alam Chowdhury.

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India is also likely to press for coordinated patrolling by the two forces and hand over a list of suspected terrorist camps in Bangladesh for prompt action. — ENS

Police personnel seen to control the situation during a massive protest over the statehood demand and the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, in Leh on Wednesday. (ANI Video Grab)

Statehood protest takes violent turn in Ladakh, BJP office set ablaze in Leh

India46 min ago

Protests in Ladakh turned violent as students and youth organisations demanded statehood and Sixth Schedule status. Two elderly protesters fainted, prompting a shutdown call. A BJP office and security vehicle were set on fire. Activist Sonam Wangchuk urged for a peaceful approach. The demand for Sixth Schedule status is due to Ladakh's tribal-majority population and direct central administration.

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