Solan, September 4
With the Andhra Pradesh Drugs Control Administration (DCA) confiscating spurious drugs worth Rs 1.5 crore manufactured by Baddi-based Galpha Laboratories, the working of the drug authorities here has come under a cloud.

Sources said the unit had supplied an antibiotic (Clanox) in 375 mg and 500 mg packing. The supply released under batch numbers CO 702815, COT-80018, COMT-70101B was found to be of below-standard quality. The antibiotic was supplied by the Andhra Pradesh Health Medical Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation to various government hospitals in the state.

Following complaints, the DCA lifted samples from King George Hospital and Central Drug Store at Vishakhapatnam and sent these for analysis. With the active ingredients being a mere 10 to 12 per cent, the DCA had now directed the corporation to recall the stock from the state.

Following this, a team of officials was directed to visit the unit at Baddi and submit its report. Officials of the corporation confirmed that the said firm had supplied about 20,000 tablets in February and barely 300 had been left in the stores. The stock has been recalled and the contract with the firm discontinued.

The revelation has put a question mark over the drug authorities at Baddi. The place now has two drug licensing authorities (DLAs) and one drug inspector for the industrial area alone.

When contacted, DLA Navneet Marwaha said he was unaware of any such development but would now find out look into the case.

What has, however, raised a question mark over the working of drug officials here is the fact that this is not the lone case where such a glaring irregularity has come to light.

Experts said each medicine should have at least 92 per cent active ingredient, otherwise it was considered a spurious drug. With over 300 pharmaceutical firms being located in Baddi alone, one drug inspector could barely do much to check all such cases. Moreover, the authorities were dependent on the Kandaghat-based composite testing laboratory for getting samples tested, but the laboratory is already facing staff shortage for the past several years.

Mandi, September 4
The Health and Family Welfare Department is now resorting to “rationing of doctors” to make up for the shortage of medical experts. Around 30 per cent of the primary health centres (PHCs) are without doctors at present. The regional hospital at Kullu will now get “rationed” services from the IGMC, Shimla, while the PHC, Barot, will get the same benefit from the PHC, Churu.

Though the department has started “rationing” the services of doctors, the move has not enthused residents much. They demand full-time doctors.

“Chhota Banghal and the Barot valley have a population of over 60,000, but there is no doctor to take care of these people,” said Prem Kumar, pradhan of the Bardhan gram panchayat in the Barot valley. “We want a full-time doctor at the PHC, Barot, the central place in the common region falling in Mandi and Kangra districts,” he said.

Since the PHCs at Tarmehar and Kotighor in the Chhota Banghal area have no doctor, the patients have to travel to the PHC, Barot, for treatment. Till today, a pharmacist runs the PHC, Barot. It gets over 70 patients every day.

The story of over 447 PHCs in rural areas is no different as over 30 per cent of these are without a doctor. More than 357 doctors are needed in the state at present, but the department has recruited only 67 doctors so far.

Gynaecologists and paediatricians from the IGMC, Shimla, are being deputed to the regional hospital at Kullu to attend OPDs twice a week there.

The state has just eight anaesthetists and department has offered private doctors to perform surgeries at the rate of Rs 1,000 per surgery or Rs 5,000 for the whole day at the hospital.

Mandi CMO D.K. Arora said Dr Gaurav posted at the PHC, Chuku, had been assigned the charge of the PHC, Barot, as well. “He will examine the patients at the PHC, Barot, for the first three days of the week and then move to the PHC, Chuku, for the remaining three days,” he added.

Director (health services) Sulakhna Puri said, “Only 67 out of 129 doctors selected recently have joined duty. We hope to appoint more doctors from the fresh batch soon,” she added.

Shimla, September 4
Even as the issue of granting permission to Priyanka Vadra for the purchase of land in the high-security zone of Charabra rocked the Vidhan Sabha today, she performed ‘bhoomi pujan’ for starting the work of construction of her house here.

It was a coincidence that the issue of purchase of land by her in Charabra came up for discussion in the Assembly today itself when she performed “bhoomi pujan” on the 4.25-bigha piece of land purchased by her near the Retreat, the official residence of the President of India.

Priyanka, who arrived here last evening, left for Delhi around 9 am. With the performing of puja, it is expected that the construction will begin soon.

Priyanka purchased the land in August last year. She is reportedly keen to have a cottage built in typical hill architecture style here. Her architects visited the spot last week. “She is not willing to compromise on any front and craftsmen from Rajasthan will be brought here to do the marble and stone work,” said a person looking after her property at Charabra.

She has bought the land in her own name after paying an amount of Rs 42 lakh.

The BJP has been time and again raising the issue of giving special relaxation to her for purchasing land close to the Retreat. The party’s plea is that when the requests of many other persons for buying land in that area have been turned down, why a relaxation has been granted to Priyanka.

Priyanka, along with AICC chief Sonia Gandhi, has visited the land at Charabra on several occasions.

Shimla, September 4
Congress legislators today staged a walkout from the assembly against the decision of the government to wind up the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT). The party claimed the tribunal would be re-established if it came to power in the state again.

The House passed the Himachal Pradesh Administrative Tribunal (Transfer of Decided and Pending Cases and Applications) Bill, 2008, by voice vote as the Congress members staged a walkout.

Participating in the debate on the issue of abolition of the tribunal, former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the decision was against the interest of the employees as they had lost the fundamental right to appeal. “In case the Dhumal regime does not reconsider its decision, the Congress will re-establish the tribunal in the first week of its re-assuming the power in the state,” he said.

“I do not know what were the compelling circumstances that led to the abolition of the tribunal in a sudden decision despite the fact that the BJP had promised in its election manifesto that it would set up tribunal’s permanent benches at Dharamsala and Mandi,” he said.

The tribunal was set up in 1986 after holding discussion with high court judges, lawyers, employees and NGOs. It effectively served its objective of providing relief to the employees. When separate tribunals to deal with matters pertaining to income tax, customs and sales tax were being set up, it was unjustified to abolish the tribunal, he said.

CLP leader Vidya Stokes urged the government to reconsider its decision. She said the BJP had gone back on its promise of strengthening the tribunal and setting up its permanent benches at Mandi and Dharamsala.

Participating in the debate, HPCC chief Kaul Singh Thakur said the decision to wind up the tribunal had been taken with mala fide intentions and was politically motivated. “There will be further delay in disposal of over 24,000 cases pending before the tribunal as the high court is already burdened with work and had a pendency of over one lakh cases,” he said.

Gangu Ram Musafir said the government should refer the matter to the Select Committee as it was also a question of the credibility of the BJP. “How will you justify your action before the public when in your election manifesto you had promised to strengthen the tribunal and set up its permanent benches,” he said.

Harshwardhan Chauhan said it was wrong to sate that there was huge pendency in the tribunal as it had a disposal rate of 83 per cent. “The very purpose of providing cheap and speedy justice to employees had been defeated as the cost of litigation in the high court will be far higher than at the tribunal,” he said.

Kuldeep Pathania highlighted the legal position and the problems that would arise due to the abolition of the tribunal.

Shimla, September 4
Chief minister P.K. Dhumal today defended the decision of the government to abolish the state administrative tribunal and refer the pending cases to the High Court.

Dhumal criticised the Congress for staging a walkout during the debate for the passing of the Himachal Pradesh Administrative Tribunal (Transfer of Decided and Pending Cases and Applications) Bill, 2008. “Having lost the elections after it failed to deliver during its regime, the Congress has once again failed to play the role of a constructive opposition,” he said in the assembly today.

Dhumal said compelled by political compulsions the Congress had made up its mind to stage a walkout even before the discussion was held. “The tribunal had failed to fulfil the objective of providing speedy justice to the employees as cases have been pending before it for the last over 20 years,” he said.

He said it was only four states in he country who have tribunals as all others had abolished them. “When a big state like Uttar Pradesh has done away with the tribunal can a small state like Himachal afford to have 11 judges in the High Court and four members in the tribunal,” he quipped. He also said that those officers who had dealt with land cases faced by Congress leaders had found favour in being appointed as Members of the tribunal.

He said it was the collective decision of the cabinet to wind up the tribunal, which in majority of the cases was referring the cases back to the department concerned for decision. “We have ordered transfers to give relief to all those who had been victimised during the Congress regime,” he said.

He said that his government would give full justice to the employees and any cases of victimisation with any employee could be brought to him directly. “Today the Congress is talking of protecting the interests of the employees while during its own tenure people remained terminated for five years,” he remarked.

Roop Singh Thakur of the BJP and Rakesh Pathania (Independent) defended the decision of the government to abolish the tribunal. They said that the Congress was unnecessarily trying to politicise the issue.

Shimla, September 4
Hundreds of PTA teachers today held a protest rally outside the vidhan sabha demanding regularisation of their services and formulation of a policy.

Hundreds of PTA teachers today assembled outside state assembly to lodge their protest against the inquiry being conducted into their appointment during the tenure of the Congress regime. They demanded that their services should be regularised.

Another demand of the PTA appointees who had come from all over the state was that the government should stop the inquiry being conducted into their appointment. “We have worked for the past so many years for a nominal salary and removing us from duty now would be very wrong,” they said.

In fact, there was tension and minor altercation between the police personnel on duty and the protesting PTA teachers as they tried to force their way into the assembly, pushing aside the barricades put up by the police. The police had made elaborate security arrangements to prevent the situation from getting violent.

The PTA teachers demanded that they should not be victimized on political considerations because their appointment was made by the Congress regime. They alleged that the inquiry was being conducted and PTA teachers were being removed. They said despite the earlier assurance given by the chief minister that injustice will not be done with anyone, the PTA appointees were being thrown out.

The PTA teachers said in case they were removed they would be forced to launch an agitation.

Shimla, September 4
The Himachal Pradesh assembly has adopted a resolution seeking Rs 1,000 crore financial assistance from the Centre for relief and rehabilitation for the damage caused due to rains.

Chief minister P.K. Dhumal sought the cooperation of the opposition members in urging the Centre to come to the rescue of the state which had suffered huge damage and loss of 37 lives due to rains.

The chief minister assured the members that relief will be provided purely on the extent of damage and the officers had been asked to take the inputs being given by MLAs into consideration. Dhumal said the damage so had been assessed at Rs 1149 crore and the assessment was still being done by various departments and it was only after the process was over that a consolidated claim would be made before the Centre.

Dhumal said that till now a total of Rs 105.70 crore had already been released as relief. He added that the PWD had been asked to repair the roads but the damage was so huge that it would require lots of funds.

The Congress members, including G.S. Bali and Kuldeep Pathania, while extending full support to the government in pleading Himachal’s case for relief said that certain measures like better drainage system, ban on sand and gravel lifting from river banks and stopping haphazard construction could reduce damage due to rains. The other Congress members who spoke included Mukesh Agnihotri, Yog Raj, Rajesh Dharmai, Nikhil Rajour, Rakesh Kalia.

Those who participated in the discussion from the BJP included Rikhi Ram Kaundal, Mohinder Singh, Roop Singh Thakur, Suresh Bhardwaj, Des Raj, Randhir Sharma, Sukh Ram and B.K. Chauhan and Col Inderjit Singh. 

Shimla, September 4
The survey being carried out by the state academy of language art and culture to locate and register old manuscripts across the state is turning out to be a futile exercise because of failure to collect adequate and complete details of the documents being registered. The government is now considering to review the project to improve the quality of survey work and make it more comprehensive to ensure that some worthwhile information is available regarding the registered documents.

In all so far over 34,000 manuscripts have been registered but requisite details are not available in most cases. Vital information like nature, language and antiquity of manuscripts and from whom the present owner inherited these are not available. In many cases the surveyors were not even allowed to have a look at manuscripts by the owners who maintained that if they opened the box in which these were kept, they could incur the wrath of the ancestors and deities.

The present format in which survey is being conducted only minimal information is entered and the owners mostly do not furnish the details sought. As such the utility of the survey has been virtually reduced to location of manuscripts and as such their registration is of not much help in carrying out research, ascertaining their antiquity and preserving them. Thus, the objective of the national mission launched to locate, enumerate, preserve and catalogue Indian manuscripts within the country and abroad with a view to enhancing their access and conserving them for posterity will not be fulfilled.

Secretary of the department B.K.Aggrawal said that he had directed the academy to come out with a new format for carrying out the survey. At least four pages of information and details, like gist of the manuscript, Photostat copies or digital pictures of important pages which could throw some light on aspects like language and nature of manuscripts, are collected.

Since most of the manuscripts were in “tankri” , it was essential to first preserve and promote the language which was on the verge of extinction. Only a few old people were conversant with it and the department planned to train new generation in the language in the “guru-shishya” traditions. The teacher and his pupils would be given stipend for the purpose.

Meanwhile, the digitisation of about 500 manuscripts available with the state archives and some private owners have been digitised.

Shimla, September 4
The government has formulated a plan to grow medicinal plants on commercial scale through people’s participation. These plants will be grown on forestland.

Under the plan, selected varieties will be grown in Chamba, Kangra, Kullu and Sirmaur districts over an area of 3,000 hectare over the next five years. The work would be carried out by village forest development committees.

Dedicated medicinal plants nurseries will be set up in four districts with a capacity to rise 1.6 crore plants annually.

The department has submitted a Rs 8-crore project to the national medicinal plants board for setting up nurseries.

Forest minister J.P. Nadda said the project would put the state firmly on the herbal road. Unlike the Jan Jan Sanjivani Abhiyan under which over 15 lakh medicinal plants were distributed to people for growing on private land, the new project would enable to raise herbal lots in forests on a large scale.

Shimla, September 4
Transport minister Krishan Kapoor has announced in the vidhan sabha that action would be taken to remove unauthorised constructions in the Dalhousie municipal area in a time bound manner.

He said notices were issued by the municipal council for demolishing unauthorised structure in 14 cases and the concerned parties filed appeal in the court of district judge and subsequently, in the high court which upheld the order of the lower court in 12 cases. Out of these, three persons filed appeal with the municipality and one with the government. In two cases demolition order was passed and in two other cases eviction proceedings had been filed before the sub-divisional magistrate.

Two cases were still under consideration of the high court and representation made to Chief Minister by four persons had been forwarded to deputy commissioner of Chamba for comments.

In a written reply to Kaul Singh Chief Minister said the government would not consider re-opening of the state administrative tribunal. He informed that the tribunal was abolished due to long delay in administration of justice to employees. In several cases original applications filed by the employees were sent back to the respective secretaries of head of the departments after affording a personal hearing to the applicants.

Nahan, September 4
Following the revelations made by Gulzari Lal, an accused in the bank cheating case, the police today arrested Ravinder Dhiman, work inspector, PWD in the Paonta area.

He was produced in a local court today that remanded him in custody till September 8, said V.S. Thakur, Paonta DSP.

Thakur said Dhiman was arrested for preparing forged documents to procure loans from the bank. He said the accused used to charge Rs 20,000 per case for preparing such documents.

After receiving a complaint from the manager, Himachal Pradesh State Co-operative Bank, Paonta, Gulzari Lal, assistant lineman working in Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board, was arrested for cheating the bank.

Gulzari Lal procured a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh from Himachal Pradesh State Co-operative Bank. He procured three more loans of Rs 1.5 lakh each in different names by producing forged documents. 

Mandi, September 4
No fresh cases of high-grade Scrub Typhus (ST) fever were reported from the Mandi zonal hospital today. According to heath officials, the ST fever was under control, as no fresh case of ST was reported here today.

Reports from primary health centres and community health centres say that on an average three to four cases of fever are reported from each centre. Mandi CMO D.K. Arora said there was no fresh case of ST fever in the Mandi zonal hospital today. “The ST is under control and it was being monitored in each centre in the district,” he said.