Bathinda, July 11
Just four months after it was inaugurated, the Jan Aushadhi, a generic medicine store located at the Civil Hospital is not only finding it tough to keep itself afloat but is also causing a major loss to the already existing Red Cross Medical Store (RCMS) there.

Shortage of medicines, lack of trust in doctors towards prescribing brands available with the Jan Aushadhi and the varying rate of margin, are some factors creating hurdles in the running of the shop.

The store was aimed to provide medicines at a cheaper rate, with the motive to reduce the economic load on the patients. The shop has a list of 120 approved salts, which is also given to all the doctors, to keep it as a priority while prescribing drugs to a patient.

At the time of the opening of the store, a condition was imposed on the RCMS that it cannot sell any medicine having the same salt that was allotted to the Jan Aushadhi.

Jan Aushadhi is being run by the Red Cross Society, Bathinda. It is an initiative of the department of pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Government of India, and was supported by the Bureau of Pharma, PSUs of India (BPPI).

Sources informed that five such medicine stores were opened throughout the state. Five production houses, under the Union government, were selected to supply medicines to these stores.

Employees of the Jan Aushadhi said that at the time of opening, the companies sent the consignments on their own, irrespective of the requirement. As a result, medicines worth thousands are still lying here without any purpose, they said.

Moreover, when some medicines ran out of stock, orders were placed with the companies but the supply remained poor, they said. “Even after passing of over a month, some medicines for which orders were placed are still pending. It is badly affecting the reputation of the shop. Moreover, due to the condition imposed, the RCMS too cannot sell it. So, patients have to go out of the hospital to get such medicines at the print rate,” they added.

As per the statement of account, the total sale at the shop was estimated at Rs 4 lakh in the past four months. The shop gets a margin of 10-20 per cent at the print rate of the medicines, which they have been finding to be less in comparison to the expenses incurred at the shop.

Sources in the hospital informed that doctors too lack trust in the brands available at the shop, so the prescription slip goes to other shops.

Seeking anonymity, an employee of the RCMS said, “The administration should be a bit liberal. When the Jan Aushadi goes out of stock, it should allow us to sell the same salt of the other brand as we sell all the medicines at a discount. It would be beneficial for the patients and the Red Cross both.”

When contacted, Secretary, Red Cross Society, JR Goyal said, “We too are worried over the issue. It is for this that a meeting was recently held to discuss the issue. We are hopeful of sorting it out soon.” 

Bathinda, July 11
Members of ‘gaushalas’ of Punjab and Haryana have decided to start an agitation on a massive scale if the government failed to take action against the 14 persons from Uttar Pradesh, who were accused of butchering over 35 cows in Dabwali.

In a letter to the chief minister of Punjab today, members of the Shree Gaushala, Bathinda, have asked for declaring cow as the national animal and enforcing the Cow Protection Act in the state.

About 200 persons held at meeting at Dabwali today to decide upon the steps to be taken if government failed to nab the 14 accused persons. The meeting was attended by Krishna Nand, president, All-India Gau Raksha Samiti, besides Dharmaveer Walia, Rajinder Bawa and P.C. Saraswati from Bathinda.

According to sources, a villager heard a cow screaming in a field near his own field on Thursday night. When he went closer, he saw 13 people butchering the cow. He informed other villagers and the matter was reported to the police, which reached the spot next morning. By then, the accused had fled, the sources added.

The accused had taken a place on rent on the outskirts of Dabwali in the fields of one Ajaib Singh, who charged Rs 60,000 as monthly rent. The police arrested Ajaib, whom a judicial court sent on a six-day police remand today.

The accused were still absconding, the sources said, adding that police parties had been dispatched to Saharanpur and Moradabad to nab them.

“After visiting the spot where butchering took place, we expect that carcasses would be found if the spot is dug. Our religious sentiments have been hurt and we plan to take stringent steps in this regard, if the government shows inaction,” Sadhu Ram Kusla, member, Shree Gaushala, said.

Meanwhile, people blocked the road traffic for hours in Dabwali today and the markets remained closed. 

Bathinda, July 11
Frustrated over the extra-marital affairs of her husband, a woman, Vandaana, who was in her late twenties, committed suicide at the house of her in-laws in Pujan Wala Mohalla, here today.

Police arrested the accused and his beloved — who is also married and has two kids — for abetment to suicide.

According to information available, Vandana married Ashok Kumar of Pujan Wala Mohalla, who runs a medical store there, about seven years back and had two kids.

About today’s incident, police sources said the father of Vandana alleged that his son-in-law had illicit relations with a married woman of his locality due to which his daughter was depressed.

A few days back, he had eloped with his beloved. Later, their families came to know that they had gone to Shimla. By the time they returned, the matter had become so serious that her husband too had lodged a complaint with the police.

With the intervention of the police, a compromise was reached between both the parties but Vandana went to her paternal house at Balianwali village. She used to ask his husband to end his relations with the woman but in vain. Frustrated, late on Friday night, she consumed some sleeping pills, due to which her blood pressure became low. Finding her condition deteriorating, the family gave her a medicine for low blood pressure but she did not survive.

Receiving information about her death, her father along with the panchayat of village Balianwali reached her in-laws’ house in the morning.

While the in-laws’ family said she died due to some disease, the father of the girl openly accused his son-in-law and his beloved of killing his daughter.

Acting upon the basis of his statement, Kotwali police booked Ashok and his beloved under section 306 of the IPC.

Confirming the details, SHO Kotwali, GS Romana said both the accused have been arrested and further investigation was on.

Abohar/Hanumangarh, July 11
Rallies, processions, plantation of saplings and discussions marked World Population Day in Hanumangarh and adjoining areas on Saturday. Officiating district collector Shobha Lal Moondra was joined by Rajinder Makkasar, chairman of the Zila Parishad, in flagging off a cycle rally at Bhagat Singh Chowk.

During the seminar, Urmila Bijrania, chairperson of the Nohar Panchayat Samiti, was awarded with Rs 4,00,000 bank draft for leading in the task of stabilising population growth in her region.

Mansa : A district level function was held in the Civil Hospital Khiala on the world population day. This function was presided over by the district health officer Rupinder Kumar Singla. Village panchayats, doctors and persons involved in family planning schemes also participated.

Bathinda, July 11
Two B.Ed colleges from peripheral area of Bathinda were found to be guilty in a report submitted by ADC (D) C. Sibbin to the Deputy Commissioner, Bathinda, after a complaint was lodged by one Paramjit Kaur from village Tadhe in Rampura Phul which stated that her application was turned down by these colleges that also demanded Rs 70, 000 from her for offering a B.Ed seat.

The Deputy Commissioner had received a complaint from Paramjit Kaur in which she alleged that Swami Dayanand College of Education, Lehra Gega, and Baba Moni Ji Maharaj College, Lehra Mohabbat, had ruined her academic year.

According to the information available from ADC (D) office, Bathinda, the Punjab and Haryana High Court in November 2008 had passed an order that all B.Ed colleges of the state were supposed to receive applications for admission till November 28, 2008.

Following these orders, Paramjit Kaur sent her application a week before November 28, 2008, to both the colleges. But, according to her, her application was turned down by both the colleges on the ground that no seat was left. She also stated that the colleges then demanded Rs 70, 000 from her for offering her a seat in B.Ed.

Following this, she submitted a written complaint to the DC who further deputed the ADC (D) to look into the matter.

ADC (D) C. Sibbin, when contacted, said, “I called both the parties to my office and asked for all the relevant documents. Statements of both the parties were recorded before filing the report.”

The report submitted by ADC (D) finds both the colleges guilty of indulging in unfair means by asking for money for a B.Ed seat and also violating the HC’s order of receiving applications till November 28.

Acting on the report of ADC (D), the DC has written to the registrar of the Punjabi University, Patiala, to which both the colleges are affiliated, about what the colleges did.

Kesar Singh, managing director of Baba Moni ji Maharaj College, when contacted, refrained from commenting much on the topic saying he was away and that the ADC (D) had called the college authorities and had asked for relevant documents.