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Civil supplies medicine shops fleecing patients
To-be-mothers share beds here!
TB patients on rise in border areas
Plea to upgrade Chadhiyar
health centre
Rift in Kangra Congress
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Ten Congress
councillors return to party
HP Govt reduces tax relief following Punjab’s objection
State to have five more sub-jails: CM
2nd phase of ropeway project in doubt
NHPC submits feasibility reports of 41 schemes
Ex-servicemen to intensify stir
Capt Salaria remembered
Court rejects government’s application
Woman falls from staircase, dies
Two killed, 7 hurt in
road accident
Panel formed for POTA cases
2 forest officers promoted
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Civil supplies medicine shops fleecing patients
Palampur, December 5 The state government had provided shops without rent to the corporation at all zonal, district and subdivisional hospitals in the state with an aim to provide medicines to poor patients at low rates. Information gathered by The Tribune from all over the district revealed that medicines being sold by the corporation were costlier than medicines available in the open market. The corporation had given its medical stores on contract to certain influential persons close to ministers and MLAs. There was no check on these contractors, who had been fleecing poor patients. This correspondent has the sale and purchase bills of a number of medicines, including life-saving drugs, being sold in these medical stores. The patients who come to these government-owned shops are being overcharged. Since these medical stores are in hospital complexes, patients prefer to buy medicines from these shops. Most of them have the impression that the medicines sold through these government-owned shops are cheaper and genuine. The cost price of an IV set, which is always in demand, is Rs 5.30, but its sale price in corpopration shops is Rs 140. The cost price of a 2cc disposable syringe is Rs 7.30, but its sale price is Rs 15. The cost price of the lifesaving drug Fibrokinase 1.5, which is given to heart patients during a heart attack, is Rs 1,504, but the corporation has been selling it at Rs 2,487. The margin of profit in this comes to 65 per cent. Another life-saving drug, ST Pase 1.5 cc, given to women immediately after delivery, is being sold for Rs 2,300 as against its cost price of Rs 1,100. The margin of profit is 109 per cent. In private medical stores, these drugs are being sold at competitive rates and are much cheaper than the civil supply shops. In the open market, the average margin on these drugs is between 15 per cent to 30 per cent whereas the average margin of profit in the corporation shops is between 70 per cent to 120 per cent. Meanwhile, Mr K.B. Rahalan, president, Palampur Welfare and Environmental Protection Forum, and Ms Neelam Sood, president, Save Palampur, in separate press notes issued here today, demanded a high-level probe into the functioning of corporation shops in the district. The organisations urged the Chief Minister, to initiate stern action against the culprits. |
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To-be-mothers share beds here!
Dharamsala, December 5 Doctors at the hospital admit that though doubling of patients is done at almost each of the beds, sometimes four patients have to squeeze themselves on one bed. In the absence of a pre-labour room, they have to be there till the time they are shifted to a labour table. “The hospital has a sanctioned bed strength of 45 in the gynaecology ward, but on any given day, more than 100 patients are admitted to the hospital. There is no option but to make them share the beds,” says doctor. The hospital has only four labour tables and due to mounting pressure, two makeshift ones have been put up. “This affects the overall working conditions. The sharing of beds is equally troublesome for doctors and patients. In the absence of a pre-labour room, the patients cannot be handled in a planned manner by keeping the urgent ones in a separate lot,” said the doctor. Dr Praladh Duggal, president, Resident Doctors’ Association, says it is also not possible for a single Registrar per shift to handle the pressure of so many deliveries. “He has to take care of casualties in the operation theatre, emergency patients and caesarians. The authorities should depute more staff so that doctors are not overburdened,” he says. Mr Lekh Raj, who has come for his wife’s delivery from Dehra, says, “Given the conditions at civil hospitals in subdivisions, this hospital still has more experienced and qualified doctors and most people prefer coming here despite all problems. If they add more beds to the ward, the number will rise further”. The carietocography equipment, used for monitoring heart beats of the foetus, has also been out of order for months. “Even though the hospital is a referral one, patients pour in from far off places like Hamirpur and Chamba, and it becomes impossible to refuse them admission,” says a doctor. Dr J.R. Azad, Medical Superintendent, says the situation has immensely improved in the last six months. “Ever since we have given a whole floor to the Gynaecology Department, adding over 12 beds, the practice of sharing is resorted to rarely. In case the number shoots up, we shift some of the patients to the ENT ward,” he says. He denies that the department is facing shortage of staff. “We have nearly the required number of doctors and only some of the posts have to be filled,” he says. |
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TB patients on rise in border areas
Nurpur, December 5 Enquiries made from the local Directly Observed Treatment Short (DOTS) Centre reveal that there was an invariable increase in the number of TB patients in these subdivisions during the past three years. The ailments of the patients was being diagnosed by microscopic centres set up at Indora, Nurpur, Rey, Jawali, Gangath and Rehan. Owing to more prevalence of TB patients, an increase in the mortality rate has also been recorded during the past few years. Under the World Bank-aided RNTC programme, the patients are assured free treatment along with medicine at their nearest government health institutions. Earlier, before 1998, the old National Tuberculosis Programme (NTP) prevailing in the state had not ensured free treatment to the patients. Though the RNTC programme has been attracting patients, a number of them fail to take anti-TB drugs regularly and even leave the treatment midway. The rise in the number of TB petients and the mortality rate in the border areas in the district causing concern. Under the programme, the beneficiaries are supposed to take anti-TB drugs at the health institutions in the presence of the Health Department staff. However, there is a need to educate the patients about the regular intake of medicines for a specified period. According to Dr Vyom Bhardwaj, Kangra district TB control officer, the Health Department has divided the whole district into five sub-units having their headquarters at Nurpur, Kangra, Palampur, Dharamsala and Dehra. Each sub-unit has as many as 28 microscopic centres which provide the facility of clinical examination and diagnosis to the beneficiary. He said as many as 500 DOTS centres under the RNTC programme had been working in the district having a population of 13.80 lakh. Dr Bhardwaj also
attributed the rise in TB patients’ registration to a burgeoning awareness among the general public that the RNTC programme had been providing treatment free of cost to patients suffering from TB. He added that before the programme there was no record of TB patients in the district. |
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Plea to upgrade Chadhiyar
health centre
Palampur, December
5 This demand was made at a special meeting of the regional panchayat Presidents and the Family Welfare Consultative Committee held under the chairmanship of Mr Gulab Singh
Rana, President of the Bhirdi Chadhiyar Panchayat. Mr Prithi Singh claimed that the government had earlier earmarked Rs 13 lakh for development work in the village but not a single penny had been spent so far. The meeting also passed a resolution to upgrade the hospital at
Chadhiyar. It was decided to approach the government for additional staff for the hospital, besides residential accommodation for doctors. |
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Rift in Kangra Congress
Kangra, December 5 One public meeting was addressed by the Transport, Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister, Mr G.S. Bali, at the Jogipur school and another was addressed by Mr Surender Kaku, local MLA and chairman of the OBC Financial Corporation, at the annual day function of Government Senior Secondary School, Kachiari. Supporters of both leaders were trying to gather maximum public support for the meetings. At Mr Bali's meeting at Jogipur, District Youth Congress President Ajay Verma alleged that the youth in the Congress was ignored. He demanded measure to give proper attention to younger generation in the party. Mr B.D. Shukla, former block Congress president, alleged that the local MLA Surender Kaku threatened him on phone with dire consequences. The MLA decided to hold the public meeting at Kachiari only to counter the public meeting of Mr Bali, he said. Mr Bali said he had taken the views of the speakers seriously and expressed concern over the situation. He said the grievances of the youth should be looked into. He said the Chief Minister would attend meetings in Kangra soon to sort out differences among the party workers. He said, "I am not bothered if I am in the Cabinet or out of it but I am bothered about the future of 11 lakh unemployed youth of the state who need our prime attention." He said the state was passing through difficult times and could not provide jobs to every person. Speakers hinted that Mr Bali might contest from the Kangra Assembly constituency in the next elections. It was neither denied nor confirmed by the minister in his speech. At another public meeting, Mr Surender Kaku denied that he organised the public meeting to counter any party leader meeting. He said his public meeting was scheduled in advance to inaugurate two centres and lay foundation stone of certain building. He said both he and Mr Bali would make the party stronger in this constituency. He denied there was any communication gap or misunderstanding between the party leaders and workers. A senior officer told The Tribune that both leaders wanted them at their meetings so they kept running from one venue to another for the entire day. Meanwhile, Mr Bali announced that he would be available to attend to problems of the people on 4th of every month at the office of the local municipality from 8 am to 1 pm. He announced a bus services from Kangra to Katra, Dharamsala to Kangra via Kachiari and Jogipur besides a new route to the Changer area of the Kangra constituency. Within three months a major tourism project would be launched in Kangra, he said. He also announced grants for constructing two rooms and a toilet block for the Jogipur school and sinking a tube-well in the area. Mr Surender Kaku announced a grant worth Rs 2 lakh for setting up roads in the area, Rs 15 lakh for the construction of the Kachairi Kholi link road and two rooms for the school building. He laid the foundation stone for the Rs-1,44,000 basket ball ground at Kahairi. He inaugurated a tube well in the area. |
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Ten Congress
councillors return to party
Shimla, December 5 The 10 councillors, including three nominated ones, had resigned from the membership of the party yesterday in protest against Mr Sohan Lal being given a second term as Mayor. They had handed over the copies of their resignation to Mr Virbhadra Singh. The Councillors — Mr Shashi Shekhar, Deputy Mayor, Mr Ashok Sood, Mr Devinder Chauhan, Mr Harish Janartha, Ms Mala Singh, Ms Archana Dhawan, Ms Maya Kataria, Mr Om Parkash Sood, Mr Inder Dutt Lakhanpal and Ms Kusum Chauhan — met the Chief Minister in the afternoon. "The Chief Minister has assured us that there would be no discrimination in development work and allotment of funds in the wards as has been the case in the past. So we have taken back our resignations," said Mr Ashok Sood. The councillors, said Mr Virbhadra Singh had assured them that they were free to raise issues concerning the public, irrespective of party affiliations in the house as they were duty bound to do so. They rued that during the last two years they had been humiliated and given a raw deal by the Mayor, as a result of which they had taken the extreme step of resigning from the party. |
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HP Govt reduces tax relief following Jalandhar, December 5 In the same breath, the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, who was accompanied by the Punjab Health Minister, Mr Ramesh Chander Dogra, justified the entry tax charged by the Himachal Pradesh Government on vehicles of other states, including those belonging to Punjab. He, however, said the points of entry tax barriers could be changed at places where these caused traffic jams. Dubbing Punjab as Himachal Pradesh’s “big brother”, Mr Virbhadra Singh clarified that no tax holiday was accorded to the hill state by the Central Government, but, it was put in the list of special category states along with Jammu and Kashmir and other hill states for extension of tax relief on industry. “I think there are misgivings in Punjab about the relief. Anyway, the period of tax relief was reduced from 10 to seven years following objections raised by Punjab. We feel that Punjab should not have objected to the relief and in our case we would here in any such relief for Punjab by the Central Government. In our case,we hope to get justice from the Center. I have talked to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the UPA chief, Ms Sonia Gandhi in this regard,” Mr Virbhadra Singh said. The Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister said the reduction of tax relief period was not justified. Justifying imposition of entry tax on vehicles entering Himachal Pradesh from neighbouring states, he said it was like any other octroi charges. But when asked as to whether he did not consider it an injustice in case of vehicles of Himachal’s “big brother” Punjab, and particularly when he had no objection to extension of any tax relief to it, Mr Virbhadra preferred to keep mum. “We can change the places of barriers where these are causing, traffic jams,” the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister said. Similarly, Mr Virbhadra Singh found himself in a tricky situation when asked whether the recent change of the President of the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee was done in accordance with the Congress norm of one-party-one post. Initially he said the change was effected considering the one-party-one post principle. But when his attention was drawn to the new incumbent Mr Kuldip Kumar, who was also the Industries Minister apart from being the HPCC chief, Mr Virbhadra Singh, said the appointment of Mr Kuldip Kumar, was made by the party high command.
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State to have five more sub-jails: CM
Shimla, December 5 Mr Virbhadra Singh, was reviewing the progress of Home Guards, Civil
Defence, Fire Services, Prisons and Prosecution Department, here. He said additional accommodation would be constructed for the inmates at
Nahan, Dharamsala, Mandi, Bilaspur and Chamba jails. He added that the repair and renovation work of Kanda,
Nahan, Dharamsala and Bilapur jails was also being expedited. “Efforts will be made to procure products like durries, shawls, blankets, bed sheets and towels being produced by the jail inmates for use by different government departments, boards and corporations,” he said. He informed that at present there were 23 prisons and 14 judicial lock ups, where 1098 inmates had been lodged. Stressing the importance of fire services, the Chief Minister said a fully equipped fire station with latest equipments would soon be constructed at Shimla east. He directed the authorities to complete all formalities in this regard. He said the state had received Rs 3 crore from the 11th Finance Commission for the modernisation of the fire stations with the latest equipment. He also stressed the need for having prompt, efficient and courteous ambulance services, being provided by the Civil
Defence. |
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2nd phase of ropeway project in doubt
Dharamsala, December 5 Even though both the District Administration and the Department of Tourism believe that the ropeway to Triund would become a major tourist attraction, the availability of easy road transport from Dharamsala to McLeodganj, and its effect on the ropeway business is being studied. Transport and Tourism Minister G.S.Bali said that the first phase of the Rs 15 crore project was expected to get underway soon. “We would take the trolleys to the snow point in Triund. Besides promoting tourism, it would also be an easy mode of communication as presently there is no road link to Triund,” he said. The survey for the first phase has been done and its designing is presently in progress. “Travelling to the area would become much easier with the ropeway and we are taking care to maintain quality to make it safe and enjoyable,” he added. Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, Shrikant Baldi, said that a final report on the link connecting McLeodganj to Triund, extending nearly 3 km, had been sent to the Department of Tourism for approval. “Once we get clearance from the Forest Department, the project would be thrown open for private investment, which would include things like setting up of a restaurant at the site in Triund, run by private parties. Work in the project is expected to begin soon,” he said. He further said that the fact that travel by ropeway would be about 10 times costlier than road transport from Dharamsala to McLeodganj, the second phase of the project was still under consideration. “We do not want to take a decision in haste. Even the tourists might prefer to go by the road link considering the difference in ticket prices,” he said. Mr Manohar Dutt, a travel agent in McLeodganj, said that ropeway definitely had great potential in the area. “Given the high-altitude terrain of McLeodganj and Triund and the scenic view of Kangra valley, it would bring in more tourists to the area. Triund is famous to be an ideal picnic and trekking spot,” he said. Mr Baldi added that the link to Triund was, however, expected to become a hit with tourists, as the area was snow-covered for nearly four months in a year. “Detailed study of the project has shown that the lack of competition from road transport and the entire area still being unexplored by most tourists, would surely make it popular. The Public Works Department and other departments are already working on finalising the nitty-gritty,” he said. |
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NHPC submits feasibility reports of 41 schemes
Dalhousie, December 5 In a press note issued here today, Mr Yogendra Prasad, Chairman and Managing Director of NHPC, said the corporation had decided to generate 20,000 MW of power from a number of projects by the end of 11th Five-Year Plan. Mr Prasad said the corporation already had eight power stations with a combined installed generation of 2,475 MW. Six units of 125 MW each under the Indira Sagar Project had also been synchronised ahead of the schedule under the joint venture named the Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation (NHDC) with the Madhya Pradesh Government for execution of 1,000 MW Indira Sagar and 520 MW Omkareshwar Projects. Other projects with a total installed capacity of 32,000 MW were under various stages of development. In Arunachal Pradesh alone, NHPC had taken up projects with a total installed capacity of 22,000 MW, Mr Prasad added. He said NHPC was also keen to undertake all hydroelectric projects of Himachal Pradesh and had forwarded a request to the state Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh in this regard. Apart from it, Mr Prasad said the corporation had been generating additional revenue through its consultancy services. The corporation was registered as a hydropower consultant with international funding agencies like World Bank, Asian Development Bank and African Development Bank. He claimed that during the last financial year, new consultancy assignments worth Rs 9,740 lakh were received. The payments received during the period for various consultancy assignments was Rs 1,707 lakh. Regarding corporation’s priorities, Mr Prasad said NHPC was striving hard to bring the hydropower ratio to 40 per cent. |
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Ex-servicemen to intensify stir
Hamirpur, December 5 Sqn Ldr Brij Lal Dhiman (retd) of Hamirpur has been spearheading the agitation of the ex-servicemen. They have organised four rallies in Hamirpur. The main demands of the ex-servicemen are the creation of a separate pay commission for the personnel of armed forces, restoration of quota for Himachal Pradesh in the Army and the implementation of one-rank-and-one-pension scheme. They say the successive central governments have failed to solve their problem. There are around three lakh ex-servicemen in the state and the number of the serving soldier is also the same. Talking to The Tribune here today, Sqn Ldr Dhiman said the injustice was being meted out to those who had sacrificed every thing for the nation. He had sent three representations to the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, the Army Chief and the Prime Minister in connection with their demands, he added. He said while those who had lost their bread earners were facing various problems and difficulties, those who had won the elections by exploiting their sentiments were thriving at the cost of serving soldiers and their families. Former Union Defence Minister George Fernandez had told the ex-servicemen at Chakmoh in Hamirpur two years ago that the issue of one rank one pension was in the final stage. However, it was not understood why the present Congress-led UPA government had so for taken no sincere efforts to take a final decision in this regard, he added. The ex-servicemen leader said the previous Congress governments had done injustice to the people the state by reducing their quota in the Army. There was a need to increase the quota to create more job avenues for the people of the state who had done a commendable job in wars with China and Pakistan. He said the HP Ex-servicemen Corporation had become the centre of the activities of the ruling Congress due to appointment of a politician as the Chairman of the corporation. Regarding the functioning of the Directorate of Sainik Welfare, he said it was working on old lines and had failed to provide any help to the ex-servicemen and their families. However, Chairman of the HP Ex-servicemen Fiscal Corporation Col Mohinder Singh denied the allegations of Sqn Ldr Dhiman as baseless. He said the corporation was doing its best to help the ex-servicemen and hundreds of ex-servicemen had been benefited from the schemes of the state government. Major Vijay Singh Mankotia (retd), Congress MLA and Chairman of the HP Ex-servicemen League, is also unhappy over the facilities being given to the ex-servicemen of the state. According to him, this problem could be solved once the concept of Himalayan regiment was achieved. The EX-servicemen leader said that he would take up the demands with the Central Government. He said if need be, the ex-servicemen would go to New Delhi in support of their demands. |
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Chandigarh, December 5 A wreath-laying ceremony was held at the Salaria Park that had been set up in his memory. It was inaugurated in 1996 by the then Army Chief, Gen S. Roychowdhary, who was also Captain Salaria's course mate. The GTC Commandant, Brig S.S. Sambyal, and other officers of the centre paid floral tributes to the fallen hero. Wreaths were also laid on behalf of Lieut-Gen Arvind Sharma, the Colonel of the Fourth Gorkha Rifles and Brig P.C.S. Khati, Colonel of the First Gorkha Rifles. — TNS
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Court rejects government’s application
Chamba, December 5 According to the orders passed by the court, the Government of Himachal Pradesh had filed a criminal case against the accused, including Mrs Asha Kumari, Himachal Education Minister, and her husband, Mr Brijendra Singh, alleging that they in connivance with revenue staff and others had grabbed a valuable piece of land in Dalhousie tehsil of Chamba district. The allegations against the accused, Mrs Asha Kumari and her husband Mr Brijendra Singh, were that by influencing public servants and by misusing her status to be an MLA, she had got the revenue entries changed by fraudulent means thereby creating forged and fictitious wills and power of attorneys of persons who were not the actual owners of the said land. |
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Woman falls from staircase, dies
Solan, December 5 The woman, who was taken to Kasauli Military Hospital late last night, succumbed to her injuries. The police was informed about accident at 10.30 pm. The DSP, Parwanoo, Mr Surinder Verma, who visited the spot today morning said though no fowl play was evident but the statement of her parents would throw more light on the relationship between the couple, he added. They were slated to arrive here by Tuesday. A case under Section 174 of the CrPC had been registered. |
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Two killed, 7 hurt in
road accident
Shimla, December 5 One of the deceased has been identified as Budhi Singh and the other was the driver of the ill-fated Jeep. He is yet to be identified. G.S. Sharma, DSP, said the driver was killed on the spot, while Budhi Singh died at Ratti hospital. All injured, including three children, were shifted to zonal hospital at Mandi after the first aid at Baldwara hospital. The accident victims were going to attend a marriage ceremony at Sundernagar.
— UNI |
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Panel formed for POTA cases
Shimla, December 5 The Ministry of Home Affairs, had appointed Justice P.N. Nag as Chairman, Ms Beenu Sen, former secretary Government of India, and Mr D.K. Arya, former Director General SSB, would be members of this committee. |
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2 forest officers promoted
Shimla, December 5 Mr Kuldeep Tanwar, DFO (Publicity) has been promoted to the post of Conservator and posted as Director (SLUB). The government has also transferred two IFS officers, Mr Suresh Kumar, Conservator (Wild Life), Shimla has been posted as Conservator (Wild Life), Dharamsala. Mr U.K. Banerji, Director has been transferred as Conservator (Wild Life) at the state headquarters here. |
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Labourers booked
Kumarhatti, December 5
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