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Manipal varsity launches MPH course

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Source : The Hindu Date : 21.06.2009

Manipal varsity launches MPH course

Staff Correspondent

Manipal: The Manipal University will be offering a Master of Public Health course (MPH) from this year.

A press release issued by the university here on Saturday stated that there was an increasing demand for MPH degree-holders with national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), public and private sector organisations, and in the field of research.

The university has established a Department of Public Health offering a Master of Public Health (MPH) course, including an Epidemiology track (2009). The course would commence in August this year.

This programme is targeted at healthcare professionals, administrators in government and non-governmental organisations, academicians, physicians, as well as others with health-related backgrounds.

The duration of the course is 24 months, structured into four semesters of 25 credit hours each. Three semesters will be course-based, and the fourth semester will be research-based.

Students with a Bachelor’s degree in Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Life Sciences, or Allied Health Sciences from a recognized university are eligible to apply for the course. Selection of candidates will be based on merit and personal interview.

Last Updated on Sunday, 21 June 2009 13:54
 

Uniform for VMC students still a dream

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Source : The Hindu Date : 21.06.2009

Uniform for VMC students still a dream

G.V.R. Subba Rao

Opposition parties cry foul

 


Last year, the allocation made was dropped from RBE

This year’s plan is likely to materialise in a month: Mayor


VIJAYAWADA: The general body of the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) religiously makes every year a budgetary provision for supplying school uniforms to students of municipal schools. But, it is never implemented. There are “no signs” of supplying school uniforms to students this year too.

The VMC officials, according to sources, have never made any estimate for providing school uniforms to students, though the ruling Congress last year made a budgetary provision for the same. But there is no follow-up by leaders of the ruling party either. Instead, the provision was removed in the Revised Budget Estimates (RBE) presented this year as well as last year.

The issue propped up during a meeting convened to felicitate the top 20 students in the SSC examination a couple of days ago. Corporators of the ruling party and Mayor M.V. Ratna Bindu were taciturn when TDP floor leader Y. Ramana pointed out that the school uniforms were not supplied last year though budgetary provisions were made. “I could not speak at length about the issue as it was a felicitation meeting. Our party will raise the issue in the general body meeting,” Mr. Ramana says.

‘False hopes’

The VMC made an allocation of Rs. 5 lakhs for the students last year but dropped it from the RBE. The opposition parties question the rationale behind this.

They view it as a “gimmick” of the ruling party to present a rosy and pro-poor budget.

CPI (M) floor leader Ch. Babu Rao expresses the view that the ruling party ought not to have gone back on its budgetary allocations. If the “wasteful expenditure” incurred by the corporation on several heads is taken into account, the funds to be spent on uniforms would make more sense, he feels.

CPI floor leader D. Sankar says that his party feels that the idea is confined only to papers.

The Congress has utterly failed to keep the promises it made and “raised false hopes among the poor students,” he criticises.

The Mayor is, however, confident that the Congress would keep its word. She said, when contacted, that they were planning to provide uniforms this year and it was likely to materialise in a month.

Officials sceptical

The corporation would have to spend at least Rs. 7.5 lakhs a year if the school uniforms are to be provided to 25,000 students studying in more than 100 schools run by the VMC. Roughly, Rs. 300 would be required to provide two pairs of uniform to each student.

Even if the allocation is made, it is difficult to achieve the budget targets if the funds available are taken into account, and “there are no such signs,” officials say.

Last Updated on Sunday, 21 June 2009 13:45
 

Scarcity of land hits JNNURM housing project

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Source : The Hindu Date : 21.06.2009

Scarcity of land hits JNNURM housing project

G.V.R. Subba Rao

VMC on lookout for sites for more than 14,000 units

 


Land identified at Gangireddula dibba for constructing 416 houses yet to be cleared

Controversy over move to acquire 44 acres of residential locality


VIJAYAWADA: Scarcity of land appears to have badly hit the prestigious housing project taken up by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

As many as 28,000 houses were sanctioned to the city under JNNURM in various phases. But land is available for the construction of just about 13,000 and odd houses. The land identified at Gangireddula dibba for constructing 416 houses is yet to be cleared. In short, the corporation is on the lookout for land for more than 14,000 houses.

The VMC zeroed in on a piece of land near Devinagar recently. The district administration even issued land acquisition notices to the owners of about 124 acres here. But, it soon got mired in controversy because a residential locality – Gadde Venkataramaiah Nagar – exists there in a stretch of about 44 acres. Residents of this locality raised a hue and cry when they received the notices. And, it attracted widespread criticism from various quarters, including the opposition parties. The VMC officials are now “rethinking and reassessing” their plans. They are said to be in a dilemma about how far “it is justified to clear a residential locality to take up a housing project,” sources say.

Agriculture land

As the remaining 80 acres are stated to be agricultural land, the officials are contemplating going ahead to acquire it. They are also exploring the possibility of replicating the Jakkampudi model by involving the farmers as partners. While land acquisition would cost about Rs. 124 crores, Public Private Partnership (PPP) model would not be a burden on the exchequer. Hence, the officials are contemplating involving the farmers like in Jakkampudi on 60:40 basis. But, it is still in an “embryonic stage.” Moreover, there is no scope for “purchasing the land” under the JNNURM programme as the Centre gives grant only for the cost of the dwelling unit, officials point out.

As many as 4,896 houses, including the ones planned at Gangigreddula dibba, are at various stages of construction in places like Disneyland, New Rajarajeswaripeta, Machavaram, Radhanagar, Payakapuram, Sundaraiah Nagar and Kundavari Kandrika. Similarly, 8,608 houses are at various stages of construction at Jakkampudi. In addition, The Andhra Pradesh State Housing Corporation Limited is constructing 1,152 houses. It may be recalled that the government issued GO Ms. No. 875 approving the district administration’s proposal to acquire and develop land at Jakkampudi on the basis of 60:40 ratio with the VMC executing the programme though there was stiff opposition from the farmers to the proposed housing scheme.

Last Updated on Sunday, 21 June 2009 13:41
 


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