Shimla, August 22
The government is proposing to install 20 CT scan machines at various hospitals in the state under public-private partnership (PPP) so that the facility can be made available at the maximum possible medical institutes.

The health department is keen to rope in manufacturers of such machines so that their running and maintenance is the responsibility of the manufacturers.

Even though modalities of the proposal are still being worked out, big names like Philips, Wipro, Siemens and Toshiba have already evinced keen interest in being part of the venture.

Rates to be charged for the CT scan will be fixed by the government and will be the same as being charged at health institutes at various places in the state.

At present, CT scan machines have been installed only at the two medical colleges at Shimla and Tanda and six of the 12 district headquarters.

Health Minister Rajiv Bindal confirmed that his department was in the process of preparing such a scheme.

“By roping in manufacturers under the PPP mode, maintenance will be ensured and moreover providing radiologists will be their responsibility,” he said.

With a shortage of radiologists all over the country, installing a CT scan machine is not so much of a problem but getting a radiologist is the main task.

With a big company being a part of the proposal, they would ensure the availability of the radiologist.

It is proposed to provide CT scan facility at all district headquarters and the maximum possible subdivisional headquarters where the patient load is more.

At present, the facility is available at Indira Gandhi Medical Colege, Shimla, Dr Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda and at district hospitals in Chamba, Mandi, Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Solan and Nahan.

Under the scheme, the government will provide manufacturers space in the hospital to install their machinery which will be run by their radiologist and supporting staff.

“However, we will have to assure them a minimum possible number of patients everyday. Besides that, the entire responsibility of running the show and above all providing a radiologist will be that of the company,” said Deepak Sanan, Principal Secretary, (Health).

There have been instances when despite having a CT scan machine installed at a health institute, the government has faced problem in arranging a radiologist.

Hamirpur, August 22
We are thoughtful people and an integral part of society and our basic aim is to ensure that everyone gets speedy justice and we all must work with this supreme aim for building a better nation.

This was stated by Justice RB Mishra, acting Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, after inaugurating a new judicial complex here today.

Talking about the role of advocates in the judiciary system, Justice Mishra said, “An advocate should not be a person who speaks too much, but he should be one who makes presentation with concern and humility to help the process of law.” Resources and infrastructure also played an important role in the judicial system, he added.

Justice Mishra said, “Since our society is plagued with multifarious problems, it is also important everybody works with devotion, dedication and determination. Legislature, executive and judiciary have to work in harmony to provide easy justice to all.”

Dharamsala, August 22
The panchayat finally acted and suspended the pradhan of Amlela village on charges of misuse of funds provided under the forest scheme.

Sources available here said the department had ordered suspension of village pradhan Subhashana Devi. The scam was first brought to the fore in these columns.

Under the Sanjhi Van Yojna scheme which was implemented in 90 villages across the state with DFID assistance, Rs 20 lakh was issued to Amlela village in 2003.

The amount was meant to be used for construction of water harvesting structure (WHS), crate wire spurs, water storing structure (WSS), dry stone check dams and planting saplings on 10 hectares of land in forest area of the village.

However, a survey revealed gross irregularities. The water harvesting structure was brought up on Chanoli drain passing through the village at a cost of Rs 5 lakh.

However, the structure was set up in such an area that it was of no use to the village. In addition to that, it was found damaged and filled with silt.

The sources said RCC was to be used for construction of wall. However, it was constructed using stones and the cement plaster had peeled off at certain places, revealing the stone structure beneath.

Another structure brought up in Ghiran khud was washed away. Plantations that were carried out under the scheme were also missing. Prabhat Chaudhary, a zila parishad member, complained against the irregularities in vain.

The Tribune had in its possession an inquiry report conducted by a committee of forest officials in the village.

In the report, forest officials had themselves admitted to gross irregularities in the development works. The report stated that plantation carried out in the village had been grazed by cattle as wires erected to protect them had fallen apart.

It had also reported that nine check dams were washed away and 10 were partly damaged. Despite the inquiry report, no action has been taken.

Later, it was revealed that forest officials had given contradicting reports in the case. While one inquiry report indicted officials, another carried out by assistant conservator-level officer stated that villagers were making full use of structures raised under the scheme.

Mandi, August 22
Drug inspectors of Mandi and Kullu have come under the scanner of the director health services after the duo attended a “secret unofficial welcome function” organised by favour-seeking druggists, chemists and pharmacists from all over the district on Friday night.

There was no banner of the function at the venue which was attended by Mandi drug inspector Kamlesh and Kullu drug inspector Manish Kapur.

This “secret welcome party” has put a question mark on the health department’s drive against “spurious drug trade and drug abuse” in which certain dubious chemists and druggists are allegedly involved and are hand in glove with drug inspectors.

Kamlesh claimed that he was invited by the association to discuss problem related to the delay in providing licence.

But insiders charged that the drug inspectors had breached the public trust as they had compromised on the health department’s drive of checking spurious and unbranded drug sale in the state.

He, however, admitted that he had joined recently and the Kullu drug inspector was handling the additional charge.

“We were getting acquainted with pharmacists, chemists and druggists to discuss the problems they were facing. I have taken four samples so far and will be taking at least 15 samples in a month,” he said.

On the other hand, Mandi CMO Dr DK Arora said he was not aware about the secret meeting attended by the two.

When Dr Sulukshana Puri, director, health services, was contacted, she asserted that the department would not tolerate such attitude on the part of the drug inspectors as it went against the drive launched to check sub-standard drug-sale in the state. “We will make inquiries and then initiate appropriate action,” she claimed.

Mandi, August 22
The Congress-supported NSUI today locked horns with Kusum Bakshi, principal of Valabh Postgraduate College, Mandi, over the issue of recounting of votes of the central students association (CSA) and accused her of “acting as an agent of the BJP government, favouring the ABVP”.

Five hundred votes cast in favour of the NSUI were declared invalid and agents of the party were not allowed at the counting tables, the activists claimed, demanding recounting of votes.

They raised slogans against the principal and warned that they would drag her to the court of law to seek justice.

After submitting a memorandum to the Governor, Mandi district president Yogesh Patial, who contested the poll, charged that the college administration had not acceded to their demand of recounting as she had acted in a partisan manner, favouring the ABVP.

He said the college administration declared 500 votes invalid- 144 votes against president, 117 votes against vice-president, 118 votes against general secretary and 121 votes against joint secretary posts.

The votes were declared invalid on flimsy ground and it was a deliberate attempt on part of some pro-BJP minded counting officials who favoured ABVP, they charged.

They further alleged that since the margin of victory in all four seats range between 52 to 88 votes, the figure of 500 invalid votes only substantiate that the college administration had conducted polls in a partial manner.

Patial claimed that the college administration had done the recounting in 2002 in which the results were reversed.

He said, “The college principal is acting as an agent of the BJP government. The ABVP panel- Abhinav Verma (president), Rakesh Kumar (vice-president) Divya Thakur, Pankaj Verma (joint-secretary) defeated their nearest NSUI rivals Pravin Kumar by 61 votes, Yashpal (Independent) by 52 votes, Rohit Kumar by 88 votes and Kusum by 85 votes.”

However, Kusum Bakshi remained firm on her stand of not accepting the NSUI’s demand claiming that the NSUI’s charges were baseless as the counting was done in the presence of NSUI, ABVP and SFI agents and results were declared after cross-checking every details signed by all three wings.

“Still we will take up the NSUI application to the grievance committee as records have been sealed in the presence of the ASP yesterday. They are welcome to move court,” she asserted.

Shimla, August 22
As part of the Family Welfare Organisation (FWO) Day celebrations, a cultural programme was organised by families of army personnel at the Army Training Command and at a school in Summer Hill.

The Army Wives Welfare Associations (AWWA) now renamed as FWO was set up on August 23, 1966, with the motto of “sharing and caring”.

The regional president of FWO, Ritu Jaswal, interacted with families of army personnel and gave away prizes.

She stressed the need for creating a congenial and happy atmosphere at home so that the morale of the soldiers was high and they could perform well under stress-free conditions.

The FWO has been instrumental in helping families of army personnel and creating health awareness and holding events like healthy baby and better homes.

Kangra, August 22
Former Transport and Tourism Minister and sitting MLA from Nagrota Bagwan GS Bali today lambasted the BJP for its double standards within and outside the party and for its opportunistic alliance to grab power at any cost.

Bali, while addressing a press conference at his residence here, said the BJP had gone directionless and the RSS was trying to give direction to the party, which the BJP had started ignoring.

He alleged that BJP leaders Jaswant Singh and LK Advani tried to give secular colour to the saffron organisation by praising Pakistan’s founder Jinnah and even latter paid homage to Jinnah at his ‘mazar’ in Pakistan but in this bid only Jaswant Singh was made the scapegoat and Advani emerged stronger.

AICC member Bali alleged that the BJP was talking about alliance of opportunism for grabbing power and not of an alliance of ideology.

He said he knows that the Congress had no right to interfere in the internal affairs of the BJP but as a national party we were within rights to oppose its double standard, which would result in a national disaster at one point of time.

Bilaspur, August 22
The police today arrested seven students for allegedly assaulting four youths, including one college student, in a clash after the declaration of the result of the Students Central Association (SCA) of the local Government Postgraduate College.

The police booked Jitender Surrender, Amit, Sanjiv, Surjit, Manohar and Manoj, all activists of the Bilaspur Students’ Association (BSA), under Sections 147, 148, 149, 323 and 506 of the IPC.

All four seats were bagged by the BSA which defeated its nearest rival, the ABVP. SP Kuldip Sharma said one of the students, Kanchan, received eye injury and had been referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, for treatment.

Four students, three of them outsiders and one a student of the college, were injured last evening following a scuffle between activists of the BSA and the ABVP. The police had to intervene to separate the clashing groups.

The ABVP has lodged an FIR against the rival group, naming these arrested students as allegedly responsible for the clash.

Both groups raised slogans against each other which culminated into the unsavoury clash between the two.

Earlier, the BSA won all four seats of president (Ranjana Thakur), vice-president (Bhanu Priya), general secretary (Naresh) and joint secretary (Sushil Kumar).

The ABVP swept the polls at Ruldu Ram Degree College, Naina Devi and at Government Swami Vivekananda Degree College, Ghumarwin, where its candidates Shashank Gauttam, Raj Rani, Bittu, Dharmander, Sushma, Suresh, Rahul and Amit Kaushal were elected.

At Jukhala Government Degree College, the NSUI won three seats of president (Pankaj), general secretary (Rohit) and joint secretary (Poonam), while ABVP’s Nanak Chand won the post of vice-president.

He said this would improve general health and working capacity of villagers, apart from saving them from water-borne diseases and epidemics like diarrhoea, cholera, gastroenteritis etc.