A three-day State-level conference of the Indian Dental Association (IDA) was inaugurated by Health Minister Eatala Rajender on Saturday. During the meeting, IDA members urged the State government to provide them resources like dental chairs so that they can extend their services to villages.Principals of colleges, deans, practitioners, academicians, post-graduate and under-graduate students attended the conference, where over 20 experts shared inputs and updates in dental research, science and technology.Lack of data on dental problems among people was pointed out by State president of IDA S. Jagadeeswara Rao. He said that dentists were well-equipped to conduct mass oral health screening programmes to detect diseases like oral cancer in its early stages.Mr. Rajender said that there was a need to extend dental services in rural areas. Vice-Chancellor of Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences B. Karunakar Reddy asked the members of the association to collaborate with other … [Read more...] about Stress on dental services in villages
Universal service bus
Officials bank on satellite bus stands to ease traffic woes
With growing traffic in the city causing regular congestion, there has been a demand for taking concrete steps to solve this problem.Hence, the district administration, in association with the district police, has made several plans and among them is constructing satellite bus stands.As part of that, work on a satellite bus stand is under way near the KSRTC workshop on Athani Road.Prakash Nikam, Superintendent of Police, says that over 2,500 buses enter the city daily which causes traffic jams.“In several big cities, satellite bus stands have been built to ease the traffic. Similarly, we think that such a facility is required here,” he said.He said that after the construction of the bus stand, some buses going towards Belagavi, Maharashtra and Goa could be stationed there.He said that it will divert a good number of buses from the central bus stand and this will ease traffic congestion in the city.He said that this move will also help autorickshaw drivers as they will get … [Read more...] about Officials bank on satellite bus stands to ease traffic woes
Violent stir continues; rail, bus services hit in Bengal
Kolkata / BerhamporeViolent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) continued to rock West Bengal for the second consecutive day on Saturday, as angry mobs torched at least four trains, more than two dozen vehicles and at least six-station complexes in various districts of the state.While chief minister Mamata Banerjee warned of strict action, governor Jagdeep urged Banerjee to demonstrate her allegiance to the Constitution.At Krishnapur station in Murshidabad, an irate mob torched at least four trains and ransacked the railway complex. At least six-station complexes in Howrah and Murshidabad were ransacked and set on fire. Protesters also hurled stones at the Maldah –Katihar passenger train. A toll plaza in Murshidabad was also set ablaze. No injuries were reported from the region. A mob allegedly heckled railway officials and personnel of the Railway Protection Force in Murshidabad district.Protestors also uprooted railway tracks in several areas, blocked roads and … [Read more...] about Violent stir continues; rail, bus services hit in Bengal
‘Acute staff shortage is putting brakes on BEST’s bus services’
Chronic delays of Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking buses in the city are primarily due to a staff shortage, according to an internal analysis. During August, on an average, 483 buses were held back in the depot or started late daily. According to the BEST’s analysis, its fleet utilisation decreased to 86.94% in August from 88.54% in July. A BEST official said holding back buses due to lack of staff was hitting their operations and they are trying to take measures such as running buses without conductors to improve operational efficiency and prevent losses. The official said on an average, just 34 buses were held back or delayed due to maintenance issues.The BEST administration is experimenting with driver-only buses on 17 routes. The buses on all the routes have been hired on a wet-lease basis, where a contractor is appointed to provide the buses and drivers. However, the move has been challenged by the BEST Workers’ Union, which has also … [Read more...] about ‘Acute staff shortage is putting brakes on BEST’s bus services’
Torched Trains, Internet Shut, Exams Delayed: Bengal, Northeast Continue to Burn Over Citizenship Act
Guwahati/Shillong/Kohima/Kolkata: Protests against the amended Citizenship Act continued to jolt the eastern region on Saturday with agitators torching about five trains, three railway stations and tracks, and at least 25 buses in West Bengal, while an oil tanker driver was killed in Assam's Sonitpur district. Amid the unrest, the National Testing Agency (NTA), which conducts the test, announced that the UGC National Eligibility Test (NET) for candidates scheduled to appear in Assam and Meghalaya has been postponed. Suspension of Internet services across Assam was extended for 48 hours till December 16 though curfew was relaxed in Dibrugarh and Guwahati and also parts of Meghalaya, while a six-hour shutdown was observed in Nagaland. In West Bengal, protesters mostly targeted railway properties with Murshidabad, Malda and Howrah districts bearing the brunt of their ire. Official sources said public property worth crores of rupees have either been destroyed or looted. Chief Minister … [Read more...] about Torched Trains, Internet Shut, Exams Delayed: Bengal, Northeast Continue to Burn Over Citizenship Act