The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Man gets 10-yr RI in rape case
Shimla, April 4
A Division Bench of high court comprising Mr Justice R.L. Khurana and Mr Justice M.R. Verma sentenced a teacher AT Kenwali Government Primary School to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 for raping a student.

4 houses gutted
Kulu, April 4
Four houses were gutted at Shirar village, about 15 km from here, last night in a devastating fire.

Ban orders

Leopard kills boy
M.C. Pandey

CAG unearths Health Dept scam
Rakesh Lohumi
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 4
The state Health Department made irregular and excessive purchase of hospital equipment, medicines and other material worth crores of rupees at exorbitantly high rates during the 1997-2000 period.

The glaring irregularities pointed out by the Comptroller and Auditor -General in its latest report reveal that officers of the department not only made purchases from a fake firm in the name of Super Bazaar to bypass the codal formalities but also tampered with the record to unauthorisedly divert Rs 2.18 crore sanctioned by the government for procuring material and supply for purchase of machinery and equipment. Instead of inviting competitive tenders, the department purchased hospital equipment, furniture and medicines from a Delhi-based firm which was neither on the rate contract of the Controller of Stores nor was it a registered supplier of the Super Bazaar. To avoid the process of tendering, bulk purchases were made from a fake firm misquoting the name of Super Bazaar, New Delhi.

The entire dealings were carried out directly with the firm, the mention of Super Bazaar was obviously done to ignore the rate contract firms. Further, the purchases were made at very high rates as evident from the test checks. While the Directorate of Health Services procured hospital equipment and furniture at a cost of Rs 93.32 lakh, these items were available with the rate contract firms for Rs 34.64 lakh. Thus, the favoured firm was benefited to the tune of Rs 58.68 lakh at the cost of the state exchequer.

The department also purchased these items valued at Rs 13 lakh from another five firms which could be procured from rate contract firm at a cost of just Rs 8 lakh. Thus, it paid Rs 5 lakh in excess.

Besides, the department purchased certain items without requirement. The government sanctioned Rs 1.01 crore in March, 1998, for the purchase of equipment and machinery for 152 newly opened health sub centres. The department, however, unauthorisedly purchased labour tables and drip stands, which were not required, in place of essential items like stethoscopes, baby weighing machines and instrument trays for which funds were actually provided. This resulted in unauthorised diversion of Rs 46.69 lakh.

The department drew Rs 2.23 crore from the Treasury in an irregular manner in March, 1999. The amount was converted into bank drafts in the name of Director of Health Services and two firms. Fictitious entries of payment were made in the cash book. The action adversely affected the ways and means position of the government, besides giving undue favour to the bank concerned.

While purchasing medicines valued at Rs 1.06 crore, the mandatory requirement of recording the manufacture and expiry dates of medicines in the invoice and bills of suppliers was not fuflfilled. Besides, Rs 3.03 crore meant for the purchase of drug kits was diverted for the purchase of general medicines without obtaining sanction from the government.

Hospital equipment purchased at a cost of 77.06 lakh was lying unutilised, mainly due to the failure of the government to post trained operating staff, delay in repairs and non-availability of power connection. In 13 primary health centres X-ray plants were lying idle due to non-posting of radiographers. Of these, in nine centres posts had not been even sanctioned.

China frees longest serving Tibetan prisoner
Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, April 4
Welcoming the release of the longest serving political prisoner in Tibet, the Tibetan Prime Minister, Prof Samdhong Rinpoche, hoped that this would not just remain a token gesture as hundreds of prisoners were languishing in Chinese jails.

In a statement here today, he said that though he welcomed the release of 76-year-old Tanak Jigme Sangpo, who had served more than three decades of sentence but hoped that this would not merely turn out to be a token gesture.

“We plea to the Chinese Government to release other Tibetan political prisoners languishing in various prisons and sincerely hope that the Communist leadership will find the courage, wisdom and vision to solve the Tibetan issue through negotiations,” he said.

Jigme was released on medical parole on March 31. He was first arrested in 1960 while teaching at Lhasa Primary School on charges of corrupting the minds of children with reactionary ideas.

HVC to contest all 68 seats
Our Correspondent

Bilaspur, April 4
The Himachal Vikas Congress will put up candidates on all 68 Assembly segments of Himachal Pradesh in next year’s election.

Addressing a party meeting here last evening, HVC Acting President Vijay Kumar Joshi said that while the HVC was committed to supporting the Dhumal government for five years, it was not responsible for the “anti-people decisions” taken by this government since the Chief Minister never took the HVC into confidence before enhancing power rates, giving concessions of crores of rupees to big industrialists or taxing drinking water.

Mr Joshi said that HVC was opposed to the setting up of cement plants in state as they were highly polluting.

Deadline set for Chamera project
Our Correspondent

Chamba, April 4
The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has set a deadline of March next year to compete the 300 MW Chamera Hydroelectric Project (Stage-II) on the Ravi in the district. The project would cost about Rs 17,00 crore.

Mr S.K. Dodeja, Executive Director for the NHPC, said the work on other remaining fronts of the project had been stepped up on the targeted project by a workforce of engineers under the supervision of Mr Parminder Singh, General Manager of the project.

He said most of the concrete lining of the 21-km tunnel of this project had so far been completed within a record time, eight months ahead of schedule.

Mr Dodeja said the construction of the dam, along with lining work on the tunnels, were under way round-the-clock. He appreciated the efforts of local residents, environmentalists and the representatives of the state government, who were extending their wholehearted cooperation towards the speedy completion of the project.

Power board staff’s rally today
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 4
Members of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Employees Union will hold a rally tomorrow in protest against the failure of the management to implement their demands.

Mr Chander Singh Mandyal, general secretary of the union, alleged that activists of the union were being victimised by ordering their transfers. The recruitment and promotion rules had been thrown to winds and departmental promotion committee meetings were being conducted to suit the interests of selected candidates.

The main demands of the union include enhancement of electricity allowance on the pattern of the Punjab State Electricity Board, grant of bonus to C and D group employees, including daily wage staff, redesignation of various categories of staff, regularisation of daily wage workers who have completed minimum required period of service and filling of vacant posts.

‘Biased’ promotion policy opposed
Tribune News Service

Shimla, April 4
The Himachal Pradesh Corporate Sector Workers Coordination Committee has flayed the management of the state financial corporation for implementing a biased promotion policy benefiting only the officers’ cadre.

In a representation to Mr P. K. Dhumal the committee pointed out that the policy remained in force from 1988 to 1996 only for the officers. The corporation did not hesitate to promote a general manager to the post of chief general manager even though there was no provision for it in the rules.

Consequently, there were as many as 40 officers in the corporation with a total strength of 116. It urged the Chief Minister to undo the injustice being perpetrated on the lower-rung employees by implementing a just and impartial promotion policy.

Man gets 10-yr RI in rape case
Legal Correspondent

Shimla, April 4
A Division Bench of high court comprising Mr Justice R.L. Khurana and Mr Justice M.R. Verma sentenced a teacher AT Kenwali Government Primary School to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 for raping a student.

The prosecution alleged that the victim, along with other fellow students, had gone to attend a tournament at Nand Primary School.

It was alleged that on October 6, 1999, at about 7 pm, the accused came to the room where the victim was staying along with other students and took the victim along with him in a lonely room and raped her.