Shimla, August 19
The Congress has accused the BJP of adopting double standards over the Jinnah issue and said if the former union minister Jaswant Singh could be expelled from the party, the same treatment should be meted out to party supremo L.K.Advani.

Hailing the action general secretary of the state unit of the party Kuldeep Rathore said it should have come immediately after the controversial book was released. Jaswant Singh had not only eulogised Muhammed Ali Jinnah but also tried to tarnish the image of great patriots Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel. Of late it had become a habit with the BJP leaders to praise Jinnah who was responsible for Partition.

It was strange that the party did not show any such urgency in action against L.K.Advani when he not only sang praises of Jinnah but also termed him a secular leader.

In fact, the party projected him as its prime ministerial candidate and not surprisingly lost the elections.

The BJP had become a party of contradictions with top leaders pulling in different directions. It had virtually become leaderless and without any potent issues which could reverse its political fortunes.

The party was at crossroads and struggling for existence.

Referring to the Chintan Baithak he said the BJP had made hue and cry when the Congress held its “manthan shivir” at Peterhof in 2003 and alleged misuse of government machinery.

It had no qualms in holding its session at the same venue. Referring to drought situation he said the Centre had announced a number of measures to provide relief to the farmers and other sections and the Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kaul Singh had directed all district presidents to ensure that these were properly implemented in the field.

Shimla, August 19
The “Chintan Baithak” being held at the Peterhof has revived memories of the “Manthan Shivir” of the Congress held at the same venue six year ago.

There are too many similarities but also some startling differences in the two “brain storming” sessions even though the purpose of both events was the same — to chalk out the roadmap for the future. Held exactly a year before the general elections the “Manthan Shivir” saw an upbeat and confident Congress discuss various issues and set the political agenda to stage a comeback at the Centre. The strategy finalised by the party actually worked and it upstaged the NDA alliance to pave for the UPA government.

In contrast, the “Chintan Baithak” is being held under the shadow of demoralising defeat the BJP suffered in the Lok Sabha polls. The election results were unexpected for the party which totally shattered the leaders and cadres. The Congress presented a picture of unity but the scenario is quite opposite in case of the BJP which is virtually a shambles.

The Congress session was attended by about 200 top leaders who were divided into various groups to discuss issues threadbare and finalise party’s stand. The atmosphere was festive all through, more so because the Congress had returned to power in the state only months ago. The media centre set up for the press buzzed with activity all through the day.

The BJP meeting on the other hand is being attended only by 24 selected leaders. It is a closed affair and the media has been kept at bay. The atmosphere is gloomy and the party has more of “Chinta” (worries) to take care of than “Chintan”( brain storming) to chalk out the future course.

The Congress “Shivir” was held in May in bright weather whereas the BJP is holding the “Baithak” during peak rainy season. The dark clouds hovering in the sky are a welcome sign in a drought-like scenario but for the BJP they seem to be carrying ominous portent. Not surprisingly, the session has started on a bitter note with the party expelling senior leader Jaswant Singh in the wake of 
controversy triggered off by his book eulogising M.A. Jinnah.

Shimla, August 19
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) has urged the BJP leadership to direct its Chief Ministers attending the Chintan Baithak here to personally monitor the hoarding tendencies among unscrupulous traders and strengthen supply of essential commodities to contain shortages and price rise.

In a note sent to BJP president Rajnath Singh, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha LK Advani and host of other leaders in the party, ASSOCHAM president Sajjan Jindal said one of the economic issues in the Chintan Baithak of the BJP should be as to how it saw the current supply management of essential commodities.

It had come to the notice of the ASSOCHAM that unscrupulous traders were indulging in hoarding to take advantage of current price rise of essential commodities, especially wheat, rice and sugar, so that they further escalate.

Since the festival season was in the offing and complaints of hoardings were widely reported, the ASSOCHAM was of the view that all BJP Chief Ministers should be asked to invoke the Essential Commodities Act if necessary to check hoarding of foodgrains and also ensure availability of drinking water and fodder.

Jindal said as the country was facing difficult times, the BJP should support issues raised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Chief Ministers’ conference concerning availability of essential foodgrains and containment of price rise.

The chamber also suggested that all states should develop and prepare a rabi plan and improve irrigation facilities to make up for the damage caused during the kharif season due to insufficient rainfall.

Shimla, August 19
The government will soon appoint a Commissioner of Food Safety and a Food Safety Appellate Tribunal to check adulteration of food items and medicines. This was stated by Health Minister Rajiv Bindal while replying to the issue of adulteration in food items and medicines, raised by Kuldeep Pathania of the Congress under Rule 63 in the Assembly today.

“The government is aware of the problem and concerns echoed by members of the House are fully justified as it is a very serious problem which needs to be tackled stringently,” he said.

A separate Directorate of Health and Safety Regulations had been constituted to check malpractices, he added.

Bindal said with 450 pharmaceutical units located in the state, 25 per cent of the total medicines being produced nationally were being manufactured in Himachal.

“As such, it becomes all the more important for Himachal to have stringent laws in place so that there is no production or sale of spurious or sub-standard medicines,” he said.

On the issue of doctors prescribing sub-standard medicines for monetary gains, he said doctors had been advised to prescribe only generic medicines of reputed companies.

“Samples are taken from time to time and sent to laboratories in and outside the state and in case of defaulters, licenses have been cancelled,” Bindal said.

He said strength of drug and food inspectors in the state was inadequate and soon this would be increased besides having food safety officers. “I want to assure the House that sampling and checking will never be guided by political considerations,” he stated.

Raising the issue of adulteration in medicines and food items, Pathania said health and safety of consumers was at risk as everything — right from milk, ghee, curd, vegetables, fruits, pulses and other packed items, were adulterated.

“The fact that even some life-saving drugs have been found to be sub-standard, poses a serious question about the efficacy of medicines and the loopholes in the laws and their effective implementation,” he said.

Surinder Bhardwaj (Congress) said the concerned officials must be strict as far as laws are concerned so that anybody guilty of adulteration was not spared.

“There should be no pick and choose policy on political considerations on the issue as it concerns health and life of all,” he said.

Solan, August 19
Stressing the need to produce human resource vis-à-vis demand in the industry, chairman ICAR Accreditation Committee Dr BS Chandawat, who was on a visit to Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, said today that the course curriculum should be in sync with the demand.

The three-member committee, which was assessing various facilities, including research, teaching, extension education and infrastructure developed by the university, visited the College of Horticulture, College of Forestry, farms and research farms, besides other places.

Dr Chandawat also stressed the need to upgrade students’ skill, both in theory as well as the practical aspect, and advised the university to introduce a system of learning by doing. This will also help in improving communication skills of students, he observed.

Dr HS Nanawattee, who was a part of this committee, emphasised the need to highlight the university’s success stories, especially where technological advancements have been introduced by scientists and which had benefited the agrarian community.

Dr RK Mittal, ADG, ICAR, informed that they had developed the course curriculum for undergraduate programme in 2007 and all agriculture universities in the nation had adopted it.

He added that this year a similar effort had been made in 95 subjects for the postgraduate courses. He also stressed the need to assess the impact of the institution on society.

The committee later addressed the faculty and non-teaching employees of the university. 

Shimla, August 19
The government has posed the Rs 1197.60 crore Pabbar gravity drinking water scheme to the World Bank for funding to cater to the water requirement of the state capital for the next 35 years.

This was stated by Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Minister Ravinder Ravi in reply to a question by Roop Singh (BJP) during the Question Hour in the Assembly, today.

“The scheme is being pursued on priority as it will cater to the water requirement of Shimla till 2042 when the population is estimated to be about 6.38 lakh,” he said.

At present, the water requirement of the town was 54.5 MLD which was expected to escalate to 101.92 MLD after 35 years.

“It is on the advise of the Ministry of Economic Affairs that we have posed the scheme for funding to the World Bank and I am hopeful that it will be given approval,” he said.

The minister said the scheme had been excluded from the City Development Plan and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) as it was a big project of Rs 1197.60 crore.

“We are also getting a survey done to assess the feasibility of another scheme from the Satluj but getting the Pabbar scheme cleared remains the priority of the government,” he informed the House in response to a supplementary by Suresh Bhardwaj.

In reply to a query by Randhir Sharma of the BJP, Forest Minister JP Nadda said there were more than 2.90 crore plants in nurseries of the forest department.

“Out of this, one crore saplings are of herbal plants only as we have received a demand of 50 lakh plants after last year’s Jan Jan Sanjivini Abhiyaan,” he said.

He admitted that survival rate of the saplings planted by the department varied between 50 and 55 per cent due to factor like grazing and dry spell.

“Our endeavour is to provide tall plants so that chances of survival are higher whether it is with regard to herbal plants or the deodars to be planted in Shimla,” he said.

Dismissing allegations by Kaul Singh Thakur (Congress) that the scheme had been launched in haste and the survival rate was far poor than shown in records, Nadda said the forest department had prepared well in advance and the overall survival rate in case of the Sanjivini programme was 63 per cent. 

Shimla, August 19
Eighty five per cent of the nation’s requirement for tamiflu, the drug used to treat swine flu, is being manufactured at various pharmaceutical units located in Himachal Pradesh even though there has only been one case of the disease in the hill state so far.

It is a pharmaceutical unit in Baddi which is providing 85 per cent of the supply of tamiflu being prescribed by doctors to treat swine flu.

“In view of the demand for tamiflu from all over the country, a pharmaceutical unit at Baddi will be manufacturing 2.50 crore tablets of the drug, which is much in demand ever since the outbreak of swine flu,” said Rajiv Bindal, Health and Family Welfare Minister.

He added that the supply of this drug would be made within a week’s time, keeping in mind the huge demand from all over the country. Some other pharmaceutical units have already made supply of tamiflu in the past. However, in view of the escalating demand, some other companies have been awarded more contracts to meet the requirement of tamiflu.

With 450 pharmaceutical units located at various industrial estates like Baddi-Barotiwala, Poanta Sahib, Kala-Amb and Una, Himachal is catering to 25 per cent of the total drugs and medicine requirement of the country, whether it is painkillers, antibiotics or other simple drugs.

It was mainly after the special industrial package was given to Himachal along with Uttarakhand in 2003 that a lot of pharmaceutical units set up their units in Himachal. Some of the pharmaceutical companies having units in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab and Haryana, set up their units in Himachal.

All big names in pharmaceutical industry have set up their units mostly in Baddi-Barotiwala area of Shimla district. 

Mandi/Kullu, August 19
Narcotic cells, which were set up with an objective of checking and controlling “drug trafficking and illegal cultivation” of poppy and cannabis in Kullu, Mandi and Shimla, remain as good as non-existent so far.

Chief Minister PK Dhumal’s statement on the floor of the Vidhan Sabha yesterday that narcotic cells in Mandi, Kullu and Shimla had been started to check drug trafficking in the state, has come as a rude joke as these cells remain as good as non-functional over the years. At best, they are engaged in gathering dry statistics in the offices of superintendents of police in each district, sources said.

These cells have yet to launch the “comprehensive crackdown” on drug traffickers and illegal cultivators in the notorious drug haven of Kullu-Mandi. Drug mafias have, instead, spread its tentacles even in the Tisa-Churah area in Chamba, Chota Bhangal and Bara Bhangal areas in Kangra district, where illegal cultivation of both cannabis and poppy have come up in a big way with mafias encouraging poor farmers to make fast money, the sources added.

Police data shows that not more than 10 per cent of charas and opium produced in Kullu-Mandi and other parts of the state is seized by the police. Rest of the consignments end up in the contraband market in neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana, metros and even in Europe and the US, revealed the sources.

A survey by The Tribune revealed that these cells had neither “dedicated manpower” nor infrastructure in Kullu, Mandi and Shimla. Meanwhile, KK Indoria, SP, Kullu, said narcotic cells were functioning in the district and the police had already destroyed illegal poppy in 2,600 bighas of land this year.

“We had sent teams to destroy cannabis in different areas of the district,” he added. However, Sonal Agnihotri, SP, Mandi, said narcotic cells were being revived in the district to check the contraband trade. The police had destroyed illegal cultivation of poppy wherever detected, he added.

ID Bhandari, ADGP, CID, admitted that narcotic cells were not functioning in a professional way as they should have been. “Its functioning depends upon each SP. But we have big fish on the radar and hopefully we will nab them,” he added.

Shimla, August 19
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum yesterday directed the New India Assurance Company to pay Rs 4,81,600 as compensation to complainant Kuldeep Sharma of Shimla for total loss of his vehicle.

While passing this order, the forum headed by Sureshwar Thakur also imposed Rs 3,500 as cost upon the insurance company. The forum passed this order on Sharma’s complaint that he was the owner of Ford Ikon car, which was insured with the company for a sum of Rs 4,81,600 for a period of one year, commencing from June 1, 2006, to May 31, 2007.

He further averred that on the night of June 7, 2006, when the car was parked at the MC Parking, Sanjauli, it was stolen. The fact that the car was stolen was brought to the notice of the company and the police and an FIR was registered on June 8, 2006, at the Dhalli police station.

The forum observed that since the vehicle was stolen during an active insurance policy so the company was liable to indemnify the complainant to the insured sum of Rs 4,81,600 along with interest and litigation costs.