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Friday,
April 11, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Drugs seized, guilty not booked Nothing illegal in Bawa’s release:
police Contempt proceedings against 3 IAS
officers Notice to Kol project
management Himachal alerts CMOs on SARS |
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Zila Parishad chief voted out Passengers to pay 25 pc more bus fare Punjab to give jobs to
Thein Dam oustees Provide jobs to dam
oustees: HVC Judicial officers to move HC Leopard attacks trader Dhumal turns 60 Bus service
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Drugs seized, guilty not booked Solan, April 10 It is worth mentioning that despite the detection of 30 such cases by the drug inspectors in Solan between 1992 and 2001 precious little was done to prosecute the erring drug manufacturers. This is despite the fact that the former Health Secretary, Mr Vineet Chawdhary, had instituted an inquiry into all such cases highlighted by the media in July, last year. The committee headed by Mr B.R. Verma never submitted its report though it was slated to be completed in a month’s period. Even assurances given by the former BJP Health Minister, Mr J.P. Nadda, proved hollow. Interestingly, the authorities concerned did not take up the issue regarding the failure of the drug licensing authority to prosecute 30 cases. Mr Sher Singh, the drug inspector who detected cases of spurious drugs, did not pay heed to constant reminders from the state Family Health and Welfare Department to prosecute the erring manufacturers. Being encouraged by this attitude of the authorities certain drug manufacturers continue to sell spurious drugs in the markets. However, Mr Sher Singh, now drug licensing authority, when quizzed about the failure of the department to book the erring durg manufacturers, said prosecution was launched only in cases where drugs were found to be of sub-standard quality and in all other cases administrative action was initiated against the firms. While prosecution was launched in one such case administrative action was taken in 29 cases. It is worth mentioning here that the only case where prosecution was launched was dismissed by the court for being time barred as such cases are required to be prosecuted within three years. Surprisingly in a number of other cases, despite the drug samples having failed, the officials deemed it fit to only initiate administrative action. As a precautionary measure the entire stock of drug samples found spurious are withdrawn from the market and their manufacturing suspended for six months, Mr Sher Singh stated. But certain samples of drugs declared spurious in 1995 were neither withdrawn nor destroyed at Dharamsala and it was after Vigilance raids that they were seized last year. Later these cases were dismissed by the court when moved for prosecution for being time barred exposing the department’s claims of supporting administrative action as an effective measure. Now with a change of guard in the state government not only are the erring officials trying to set the records straight but are on the look out for a way to come clear of the controversy. It was learnt that the files pertaining to the records of prosecution cases were not found from the office of the Secretary, Health. The new Secretary, Health, was not available for comment. |
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Nothing illegal in Bawa’s release:
police Shimla, April 10 Expressing disgust over the conflicting versions appearing in the media about the arrest and subsequent release of Mr Bawa, the Director-General of Police, Mr A.K. Puri, said there was no truth in the allegation that the higher authorities had intervened to get him released. The fact was that Mr Bawa had been booked in two cases by the Kalka police on charges of rioting, attempt to murder, intimidation and causing injury. During the anticipatory bail hearings the state informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the charge of attempt to murder under Section 307, IPC, had been deleted. The high court granted anticipatory bail in both cases. The Haryana police party, however, took Mr Bawa into custody at 4 a.m. from Shimla without informing the local police. It was by chance that the arrest of Mr Bawa came to the notice of the officers of the police station, Dharampur and was told about the anticipatory bail of Mr Bawa, on which they accepted a bail bond and released him. As such there was no high handedness or illegality on the part of the staff of the Dharampur police station. |
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Contempt proceedings against 3 IAS
officers Shimla, April 10 A Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Vinod Kumar Goel, and Justice Arun Kumar Goel, directed the Advocate General to produce the three officials — Mr Kanwar Shamsher Singh, Mr Abhay Shukla and Mr Narainder Chauhan — in the court on April 21, 2003. While dealing with the matter, the Division Bench observed that the above mentioned officials had violated the directions issued by the court regarding holding a meeting in pursuance of the court’s order on March 13, on the issue of traffic congestion and parking problem in Shimla town. The committee was directed to hold its first meeting by March 31, and thereafter to hold meetings once a week till April 30. As per the information placed before the high court, the first meeting of the committee took place on April 7 and the second meeting was fixed for April 24. Thus in spite of the court directions the committee chose to hold the said meeting after almost more than two weeks. The Division Bench took the non-compliance of its orders seriously and issued show-cause contempt notices on April 7, and directed Mr Abhay Shukla and Mr Narainder Chauhan to appear personally before the court today. The Division Bench observed that apparently and prima-facie the three members of the aforesaid committee seemed to have committed contempt of the court and issued notices accordingly for April 21, 2003. |
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Notice to Kol project
management Nurpur, April 10 He reiterated that the state government would ensure that the MoUs with private companies were implemented in letter and in spirit in general and for rendering employment opportunities to the people of Himachal Pradesh in particular. Mr Mahajan, who is also Rural Development Minister, pointed out that the government had prepared a two-point programme to make the departments of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj efficient and to bring transparency in them. He informed that delegations of representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions and officials concerned would tour Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka to study the working and programmes of the Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Departments there. Mr Mahajan termed the resignation of Union Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar as unfortunate. |
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Himachal alerts CMOs on SARS Shimla, April 10 A spokesman of the state government said here today that directions had been issued to all Chief Medical Officers to deal with SARS cases . |
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Zila Parishad chief voted out Shimla, April 10 The no-confidence motion against Mr Dulo Ram chairperson, and Mr Het Ram, vice chairperson, was passed with 13 members supporting the motion. All BJP members abstained from voting. The Congress had only nine members as against 13 of the BJP and two of the CPM. The BJP lost majority after two of its members, Mr Het Ram and Mr Joginder decided to support the Congress. Mr Sushil Negi, Deputy Commissioner fixed the meeting of the Parishad on April 17 to elect chairperson and vice-chairperson. |
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Passengers to pay 25 pc more bus fare Shimla, April 10 The basic fare, as per the notification issued today, has increased from 59.07 paise to 74 paise per seat per km in the hills and it will be 47.50 paise per seat per km in the plains. However, the actual hike will be much more as 25 per cent extra fare will be charged for night and express bus services. The fare for deluxe bus services will be double that for ordinary buses and 50 per cent more for semi deluxe services. |
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Punjab to give jobs to
Thein Dam oustees Chamba, April 10 Giving this information here today, Ms Asha Kumari, Himachal Education Minister, disclosed that she talked the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh in this connection who had assured the Himachal Pradesh Government that the process of providing the jobs was in the pipeline. She said there were 311 left out families in Dalhousie tehsil and jobs would be given to them taking into account their qualifications. She stated that the ongoing ‘sarv shilsha abhiyan’ was a centrally-sponsored programme being implemented in Himachal Pradesh with an outlay of Rs 450 crore. The programme would be completed in the next five year, she added. She further said this programme envisaged the universalisation of elementary education up to middle standard adding that the programme was being launched on the same guidelines of the district primary education programme (DPEP). For this, the state government had formed a state-level primary education society which would monitor the working of this programme at all levels. Under this programme additional houses would be constructed in the near future, she said. She said the state government was keen to formulate a policy to fill the vacant posts of teaching staff in the backward and distant areas of the state and added that this process would be completed by the end of May. Earlier, the Education Minister inaugurated a building of district primary education center. |
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Provide jobs to dam
oustees: HVC Chamba, April 10 In a press statement issued here today, Mr Oberoy who himself is an oustee said that out of the 537 affected families, only 322 persons (one member of each family) had been given jobs by the Punjab Government in the project. |
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Judicial officers to move HC Bilaspur, April 10 This was decided unanimously at the executive meeting of the association yesterday. General secretary S.L. Sharma (Chief Judicial Magistrate) said the government had agreed to release the revised pay scales in September, 2001, but had with held the payment, pending framing of terms and conditions by the Punjab Government.” While the terms and conditions should have been framed by the HP government itself in consultation with the Himachal High Court. |
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Leopard attacks trader Mandi, April 10 The leopard attacked Negi near the police post around 11 a.m. and disappeared into the nearby fields, reports
said. He has taken to the zonal hospital at Mandi. PTI |
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Dhumal turns 60 Hamirpur, April 10 He celebrated his birthday at his Samirpur residence with Puja on the occasion. He also visited Maan Awahdevi temple. A large number of party leaders, workers and his friends wished him well. A large number of people felicitated him on his birthday. Mr Dhumal later left for Shimla to take part in a religious function to be held at Sankat Mochan temple tomorrow. |
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Bus service Dharamsala, April 10 Speaking after inaugurating the Dadh-Chamunda Road near here the minister said that this bus service would facilitate pilgrims coming to Kangra to visit Bhima Kali temple of Sarahan. The minister later said that efforts were on to make HRTC officials accountable to minimise losses. |
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