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Bridge collapse: Notices served on PWD engineers
Judicial complex-cum-HC guest house inaugurated
The Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, Mr V.K. Gupta, inaugurates a judicial complex in Manali on Sunday. — Photo by M.C. Thakur
Poll in mind, MC doles out sops
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Drug banks to benefit poor
Ayurvedic drug makers oppose draft notification
HPMC launches strawberry wine
CPM to raise voice against
‘undeclared emergency’
Removal of Katoch criticised
4 killed, 2 hurt in accidents
Land mafia active in
Bokrota: Mann
Prisoner escapes from police custody
Kokje, CM greet
people
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Bridge collapse: Notices served on PWD engineers
Dharamsala, December 31 A 65-metre long bridge across the Sutlej, on a link road near the Tashigang village in Pooh subdivision, being constructed by M/s Quadricon Private Limited (Mumbai), had collapsed before being inaugurated on November 19. At that time load testing was going on. It lead to the death of three persons. The three-member technical panel constituted under the chairmanship of Arun Mahajan, a PWD Chief Engineer, to probe into the bridge collapse held department engineers responsible for its collapse. According to a report tabled in the Vidhan Sabha by the Chief Minister here early this week, it was found that the camber was not provided in the bridge, as the approved drawing did not show the same. Otherwise, no camber would result in negative deflection leading to failure. The technical probe has also found that some of the bolts holding the shear connectors in position had loosened during the laying of slab leading to its interlocking thus leading to sudden collapse of the bridge. However, the three-member technical panel has found that the material used for construction was precisely as per the specifications and design of the bridge that was approved by the state government. After serving on the show-cause notices the state government has also asked senior officials of the department to check other bridges being constructed by this company as a precautionary measure so as to avoid such accidents in future. The company has also been asked to reconstruct the bridge at its own cost, provide adequate compensation to those killed and reimburse the financial losses suffered by the public works department. Meanwhile, the Kinnaur police, has asked the authorities concerned of the company to appear before the investigation officer. |
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Judicial complex-cum-HC guest house inaugurated
Manali, December 31 Earlier, District and Sessions Judge Kulu, Sushil Kukreja said the foundation stone of the complex built at the cost of Rs 1.70 crore was laid by the Justice V.K. Gupta on October 12, 2005 and the same was being inaugurated by him. The court will start functioning in the new complex from January 1, 2007. Kanwar Pawanjit Singh Civil Judge Senior Division cum SDJM Manali said the new complex was New Year gift from the Chief Justice to people of the Manali region. Agriculture Minister Raj Krishan Gaur, HPPSC Chairman Lt-General Bhupender Singh Thakur, Chief Judicial Magistrate Purender Vaidya, CJM Lahaul and Spiti Mr Rajesh Verma, Deputy Commissioner Kulu Mr Chamel Singh and Superintendent of Police Kulu G.D. Bhargava and Mr Rajpal Chief Engineer HPPWD (North Zone) were also present.
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Poll in mind, MC doles out sops
Shimla, December 31 The elections of the lone corporation of the state would be held in April,2007. Being the most prestigious local body of the state, the ruling Congress would want to retain its control over the corporation. It is for this reason that the corporation has started showering favours on residents of the town. Another significant decision taken at yesterday’s meeting was the release of 5 per cent DA to the corporation employees. It has also decided to increase the honorarium of the standing counsel by Rs 500. The L and T company would make the solid waste management plant operational by April 30. It is expected that in the coming days residents of the town would be given some more sops so as to win them over in the elections.
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Drug banks to benefit poor
Shimla, December 31 The three drug banks are being opened in the state under the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers’ project of drug banking, making a large number of medicines available to patients at low rates. In the initial stage, the drug banks will be set up at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here and at the district hospitals in Solan and Bilaspur. Later the drug bank facility will be extended to other district hospitals as
well. IRDP and BPL families will be entitled to free medicines from such shops. The Hospital Welfare Society will purchase the medicines from the Civil Supplies Corporation, which will be the procurement agency. The medicines will be procured directly from pharmaceutical companies. The society will levy service charges so that the cost of medicines does not go up. The IGMC authorities intend outsourcing the running of this drug bank and as such, tenders will be invited. Though a meeting will be convened at the hospital on January 2 to discuss the formalities and other details, it is likely to be set up near the
OPDs. They intend launching the drug bank at the IGMC from January 26. A new facility of ICU will be added at the IGMC from January 26. A total of Rs 2 crore has been spent on the ICU and the necessary equipment like ventilators and monitors have been ordered. |
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Ayurvedic drug makers oppose draft notification
Nurpur, December 31 In a joint statement issued here yesterday, Mr Ashok Sharma and Mr Upender Gupta, the president and the general secretary of the association, respectively, said the new notification for which objections and suggestions were sought till January 18 was totally uncalled for and anti-ayurveda industry. They said the Union Government had complicated the licensing of ayurvedic drug units by reducing the period of renewal of licence from five to three years. “Moreover, the Union Government has taken away the state governments’ power of issuing licences for manufacturing of ayurvedic drugs and registration number for production of such medicines,” they said. They alleged the Union and the state governments were discriminating against them. “The Union Department of Ayush has reduced the period for renewal of licence for ayurvedic drug manufacturers from five to three years, whereas for allopathic manufacturers, the period has been enhanced from two to five years,” they said. They urged the Chief Minister to intervene and get restored the licensing powers of the state governments. Welcoming the removal of the Director of State Ayurveda Department by the Chief Minister on Saturday, the association demanded that a departmental technocrat should be appointed on the post. The association also expressed concern over the closure of 46 out of 100 ayurvedic drug units in the state.
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HPMC launches strawberry wine
Shimla, December 31 Production of strawberry wine by the HPMC will fetch good prices for growers in the state, who are unable to market their produce. Apple and plum wine being produced by the HPMC have become quite popular and are in great demand. Bhutan is already buying huge consignments of juices, especially mango, and now wants to import the wine being produced by the HPMC. The sale of juices and other HPMC products have gone up as there is great demand from various quarters. Though jams, jellies, juices, squashes and other fruit products are popular, the introduction of juices and other tetrapacks has resulted in increased sales. With an aggressive marketing strategy, the HPMC has in the recent past signed MoUs with the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, the Indian Oil Corporation and the Goa Government. The HPMC has an agreement with the Indian and the Alliance Airlines. HPMC products will be sold at kiosks at all railway stations throughout the country. Natural apple juice, free from additives and preservatives, has been launched recently. Three days back, the HPMC started production of strawberry wine at its plant in
Jarol.
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CPM to raise voice against
‘undeclared emergency’
Shimla, December 31 In a statement issued here yesterday, the CPM’s state secretary, Mr Rakesh Singha, said the party would launch a campaign against violation of human rights and various civil, criminal and labour laws in the state. Mr Sita Ram Yechury, politburo member, will launch the campaign from Kinnaur. It will culminate at Bharmour in Chamba district. “The party will also distribute 1 lakh booklets and reach out to every house in 17,495 villages and all 57 small and big towns of the state,” Mr Singha said. They would also seek justice for the families of murdered activists Babu Ram, Dhan Singh and Vijay Tomar and the 600 illegally retrenched workers of the Chamera hydel project, he added. He said the state government was trying to muffle people’s voice by frequently imposing Section 144 of the CrPC. “ Within past 15 days alone Section 144 has been promulgated in the Karcham-Wangtoo area in Kinnuar, outside the deputy commissioner’s office in Chamba and at Tapowan in Dharamsala,” he added. Mr Singha said it was unfortunate that the civil and police administration were being forced to serve the vested interest of the ruling party. “These organs of the sate are also extending unethical and undue assistance to private companies like the JP Industries, Hindustan Construction Company and others,” he alleged. Mr Singha said the party
wouldn’t shy away from raising its voice on issues like the Thind episode, HP-CPMT paper leak scam and government interference in university affairs.
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Removal of Katoch criticised
Palampur, December 31 Mr Thakur said today Mr Katoch was an honest and hardworking officer. Mr Katoch checked several cases of financial irregularities in the department which had annoyed several corrupt officers in the department who were lobbying against Mr Katoch, he added. Mr Thakur alleged the Chief Minister was in search of an excuse to remove Mr Katoch from this post. Mr Thakur said Mr Katoch was the only head of the department from the merged areas of the state, who too was removed in an unceremonious manner. He said this reflect the discriminatory attitude of the Chief Minister towards the merged areas of the state.
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4 killed, 2 hurt in accidents
Chamba, December 31 Two persons died on the spot and two others were injured when an Armanda vehicle swerved off the road and fell into a deep gorge near Bhanjraru, 70 km from the district last night. The deceased have been identified as Raju and Ram Dei of the nearby villages while two injured, Kishan and Lebho, have been admitted to the Civil Hospital at Tissa. The condition of injured was stated to be out of danger. In another accident, a scooter skidded off the road and rolled down into a deep chasm near Koti on the Chamba-Bhanjraru road thereby killing both riders on the spot. They have been identified as Chaman Kumar and Subhash Kumar. Both were employees of the Animal Husbandry Department. |
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Land mafia active in
Bokrota: Mann
Dalhousie,
December 31 Besides, this thickly forested area serves as a sanctuary for the endangered Monal pheasant and other wild Himalayan animals and birds. Mr Simranjit Singh Mann, President, SAD (A), has in a letter to Mr S.S. Parmar, Chief Secretary, Himachal Pradesh, sought probe into the clandestine constructions being carried out in Upper Bokrota. Mr Mann has asked the Chief Secretary to intervene and help save the green belts of Dalhousie. |
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Prisoner escapes from police custody
Dharamsala, December 31 The police registered a case against two policemen head constable Satish Kumar and constable Fakir Chand for negligence of duty and had launched hunt to nab the run away prisoner. Prisoner identified as Deepak Kumar son of Amar Nath was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in a case and was lodged in a jail here. Police sources said the police took him from here to Nurpur to produce him before a Nurpur court in another case of robbery. After the court hearing, when they were on the way back to Dharamsala, he fled from the custody of the police. |
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Kokje, CM greet
people
Shimla, December 31 Mr Kokje hoped the New Year would bring happiness and prosperity in the lives of the people of the state. Mr Virbhadra Singh said the state would cover new milestones in development and march ahead on the path of progress. The chief minister also visited Raj Bhavan today to wish Mr Kokje and
his family a happy and prosperous life. |
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Manali, December 31
