Shimla, October 19
The reinstatement of controversial IAS officer Sanjay Gupta and State Drug Controller Sher Singh despite facing serious cases have proved the government’s hollow claims on “zero tolerance” towards corruption.

Despite the fact that the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau has continued its tirade in checking corruption, the manner in which the two officers have been reinstated by the BJP regime, points towards lack of political will in checking corruption. What has taken many by surprise is the manner in which Gupta was reinstated, ignoring the recommendations of the review committee headed by the Chief Secretary.

In yet another controversial move, the government finally reinstated State Drug Controller Sher Singh who was suspended after the Vigilance Bureau had recovered over Rs 4 lakh from him in February last year. Besides facing a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Vigilance Bureau had also registered a disproportionate assets case against him.

The manner in which Gupta has been reinstated has not only demoralised the Vigilance Bureau, but has also put a question mark on the government’s commitment towards eradicating corruption.

“Unlike many other Vigilance cases, Gupta’s case is not a political one as he was arrested with Rs 2 lakh in October. A disproportionate assets case was also registered against him. Hence his reinstatement cannot be justified in any way,” admitted a senior bureaucrat.

“Using his political clout, Gupta may have been reinstated but it has sent a loud and clear signal that the government is not as serious as it sounds in fighting corruption,” admit police officials.

The three-month suspension of Gupta was to end on October 9 and a day prior to this, the review committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, decided against his revocation in view of the report received from the Vigilance Bureau and the fact that investigations in two cases were still on against him. The government ignored all these facts and chose to reinstate him.

After dilly-dallying for a long time in reinstating Sher Singh, the government finally went ahead despite criticism from various quarters.

Moreover, the Vigilance Bureau had even recommended departmental action against him for not penalising over a dozen pharmaceutical companies whose samples had almost 40 per cent less drug than the prescribed limit.

Shimla, October 19
With an objective to cut down paperwork in offices and check corruption, the Himachal Pradesh Government is planning to adopt the e-governance model successfully implemented in Gujarat.

Tata Consultancy Services, which developed the e-budget software among others for the Gujarat Government, gave a detailed presentation to senior government officials here last week.

“We are studying merits of e-governance model prepared by the Tata consultancy which is implemented by Gujarat,” Chief Secretary Asha Swaroop said yesterday.

She said the state had already taken several initiatives to popularise information technology (IT) in the government functioning to make delivery system faster.

Initiatives like SMS gateway, e-samadhan and interactive web-based services have been launched, Swaroop, who had served as secretary in the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry, said.

“We will see how can the model prepared by the Tata Consultancy can supplement our efforts to expand the usage of IT,” she added.

Principal Secretary of the IT Department, BK Aggarwal enumerated the various initiatives by the government to popularise IT in the hill state.

“The IT Department has set up ‘Sugam centre’ in Shimla and Solan where a person can deposit electricity/telephone bills, apply for driving licence and registration of vehicles among others by avoiding long queues. Buoyed by its success, efforts are on to open similar centres at Hamirpur, Mandi and Kangra districts, he said. — PTI

Dharamsala, October 19
The hijack of Pacific International Lines (PIL) ship by Somalian pirates has come as terrible news for residents of Fatehpur village near here.

Raghuveer Singh Pathania, a mechanical engineer from the village, was among one of the Indians on board the hijacked ship.

He was working with the PIL shipping company for the past 10 years as the acting chief engineer.

Today, when The Tribune team visited Raghuveer’s house, there was despair and panic among the family members.

Deepika Pathania, wife of the hijacked chief engineer, while putting up a brave face, was handling the situation with grace. While talking to The Tribune, she appealed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union External Affairs Minister to intervene for securing the release of her husband and the other Indian.

She said the Indian government should exercise pressure on Singapore-based PIL shipping company to force it for immediate negotiations with the hijackers to secure the release of her husband and his counterpart.

She said the ship, on which her husband was acting as chief engineer, was captured by hijackers early morning on October 15. There was no news regarding the ship for the next two days.

“We kept ringing up the shipping company officials to know their whereabouts. They contacted us on October 17, on the Diwali day, and told about the hijacking. The officials have assured us that the company was negotiating with the hijackers for safe release of the crew,” she said.

She said the entire family, including old parents of Raghuveer and their two-year old-son, were worried.

Deepika thanked the media for taking up the issue. “This has generated pressure on the shipping company officials to press for negotiations with the hijackers,” she said.

According to company sources, the ship in which her husband was on board, was hijacked about 300 nautical miles from Somalia. The ship was on its way to Kenya at the time of hijack.

It is learnt that Indian High Commissioner in Singapore is in contact with the Singapore government and also with the shipping company over the issue, she said.

Prittam Singh, father of the chief engineer, said they had also requested Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal to take up the matter with the Prime Minister Office for immediate release of the two Indians.

Chamba, October 19
The National Forum of Awareness and Development has urged the state government to impress upon the hydropower enterprise executing the Kuther hydroelectric project to provide 70 per cent employment to local people of the area in the project.

The 260-MW Kuther hydroelectric project is proposed to be constructed upstream of the Chamera project stage-III on the Ravi in the district.

The forum in its resolution reiterated the implementation of welfare activities in the environs of the project under the policy of the Union Government called ‘corporate social responsibility and community development’.

The forum also decided to meet the project management in this connection in the near future and draw their attention to abide by the policy of the government in letter and spirit providing jobs to the local residents in addition to welfare activities.

Hamirpur, October 19
Perturbed over the alleged “callous” attitude of the state government towards the demands of regularisation and giving other benefits to 180 veterinary doctors working on contract basis, 10 more of them have reportedly resigned from their jobs.

While these doctors were demanding regularisation of their jobs, they were also pleading implementation of the revised pay scales and other benefits.

Veterinary doctors claim that till date as many as 50 contractual doctors have resigned from their posts and have opted for jobs in the private sector.

Ever since their appointments in 2003 and during later years, they have neither been given any additional benefits nor have their services been regularised, they rue.

Dr Amit Mahajan, general secretary, State Veterinary Officers’ Association, while talking to The Tribune, said though about 70 per cent of the total strength of veterinary doctors comprised contractual vets who were working on fixed salaries in tribal and far-flung areas for many years, the successive state governments had not addressed any of their grievances. This was leading to frustration among them which provoked them to tender their resignation.

“While the government should keep in mind professional services rendered by us while deciding any policy regarding their regularisation, it should also ensure other routine benefits given to other categories equivalent to them,” he said.

“The failure to implement the recommendation of the Fifth Pay Panel has added to the frustration among our category since the state government has not fulfilled its commitment to grant basic pay according to the new scales, DP and annual increment to all contractual employees according to the notification of the personnel department dated March 5, 2009, framing of a proper policy for regularisation of professionals, permission to sit in departmental exams, study leave, paternity and maternity leave at par with regular employees, earned and medical leave and allowances etc,” they said.

Director of Animal Husbandry, while talking to The Tribune, said, “We have taken up their case of regularisation and other benefits with the state government.”

Shimla, October 19
The District Consumer Disputes Redressal forum has directed Aradhana Soft Drinks of Panipat to pay Rs 5,000 as damages to complainant Ram Lal Sharma of Solan for selling sub-standard and defective product. While awarding this amount, the forum also imposed Rs 1,000 as cost upon the above said company.

The forum, headed by Sureshwar Thakur, passed this order on a complaint filed by the complainant alleging that he had purchased three crates of soft drink, including one crate of “Slice” soft drink, from a local shopkeeper of Solan for a sale consideration of Rs 600 on July 12, 2007, which were to be used in a function. When he served the said soft drink to one of his relatives, he found wrapper of chewing gum/toffee floating in the bottle. He further alleged that the company, by selling a sub-standard and defective product not fit for human consumption, had indulged in an unfair trade practice.

The forum allowed the complaint and directed the company to pay damages to the complainant for selling substandard product in the market.

Shimla, October 19
Two candidates filed nomination papers for by-elections to the Rohru and Jawali constituencies today.

Congress candidate Manjit Singh today filed his papers from Rohru constituency for the by-elections to be held on November 7. With the party denying ticket to Pratibha Singh, wife of Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh, it was a low-key affair and no senior party leader was present.

While Pradesh Congress Committee chief Kaul Singh was away to Mandi, leader of opposition Vidya Stokes who at her native village Thanedar was indisposed. Virbhadra Singh was himself busy with the meeting of the Union Cabinet at New Delhi.

While party men are blaming differences among the top leaders of the state, but Manjit Singh maintained that the leaders could not make because of short notice. He said originally he planned to file nomination on October 21 but it was advanced to October 19 on the advice of an astrologer.

He said all leaders would be campaigning for him once electioneering started. He was the first to file nomination.

Infighting in the faction-ridden party has indeed intensified after the denial of ticket to Pratibha Singh. Rohru has been a pocket borough of Virbhadra Singh and much will depend on him. The union minister and his wife have asserted that they would campaign for the party candidate.

However, the moot question is whether or not their supporters, who are upset over the denial of ticket to Pratibha, will put their heart and soul into the campaign.

An Independent Ashok Kumar filed nomination papers from the Jawali constituency.

Shimla, October 19
The CPM has launched a 15-day campaign to highlight the anti-people policies being pursued by the UPA regime and the BJP government in the state.

The CPM said the policy of neo-liberalisation and privatisation being pursued by both the central and the state government had affected the common man the most. “The BJP regime here is gradually privatising both education and health services, which will make it unaffordable for the common man,” they said.

During its 15-day campaign, the CPM will be seeking government action in checking issues like price rise, universalisation of ration distribution system and subsidised rice, wheat and oil for every family.

CPM leaders said in view of the assembly elections in 2007, the then Congress regime had made a provision of Rs 100 crore for providing subsidised ration to people.

“Despite making a commitment to continue with the food subsidy, the BJP regime is gradually withdrawing this facility, making it difficult for the common man to make ends meet,” they said.

Solan, October 19
A local woman, who was tested positive for swine flu on October 18, died at a private nursing home in Chandigarh after being referred from here on October 15. The woman, who was in her mid 40s, was a housewife who resided at Kather area of the town.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Ashok Tagra, while confirming the news, said the woman had earlier sought treatment from a private doctor after she complained of sore throat and flu on October 11.

She got the treatment amended after two days on telephone when she failed to get relief and finally visited another private doctor on October 15 as there was no improvement in her condition.

It was on the evening of October 15 that she came to the local regional hospital with complaints of pneumonia and breathlessness.

“We initiated diagnosis but seeing her condition deteriorate, she was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, or the IGMC, whichever she could visit,” he said.

The woman was shifted to a private nursing home in Chandigarh where the doctors kept her in the intensive care unit for two days. They intimated doctors at the PGI to get her HINI test conducted when there was no improvement in her condition.

The reports tested her positive for swine flu two days later but she failed to respond to the treatment and finally died last evening at Chandigarh.

The CMO said as soon as the message about her death was received here yesterday, they started contact treatment and about 35 persons, including the doctor and his paramedical staff as well as their families, had been given due treatment.

He said they were in the process of identifying how the infection had been contacted as the woman had not gone out of Solan in the past few days.

This was the fifth case of swine flu detected in the district with two patients being found in Kasauli, one in Dharampur and another one at Baddi.

While in all other cases the infection had been contacted from the neighbouring states, the doctors here were yet to zero in on the origin.

Chamba, October 19
Eight government senior secondary schools located in distant areas of the district have been identified to teach Urdu language as part of the 15-point programme of the Prime Minister which was launched in the district recently. The identified schools are located in Chamba, Dhulara, Chowari, Banikhet, Raipur, Sundla, Tissa and Chakloo.

Giving the information here today, Chamba Deputy Commissioner Devesh Kumar said Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas were being run at Himgiri Kothi, Kihar, Bagheigarh, Karian, Mehla, Bharmour and Pangi in the district.

The district authorities had submitted 197 applications to the state government for granting scholarships to students belonging to the minority communities in Chamba district under the programme.

Besides this, 274 anganwadi kendras were being run in areas where minority communities were living in a large number, the DC informed; adding that these kendras were being looked after by 35 anganwadi workers and 35 female assistants belonging to minority communities.

The DC said the programme envisaged ensuring equality to the minority communities with regard to economic and employment activities besides providing opportunities in government jobs and self-employment.

The DC said to ameliorate the standard of living, promoting education, curbing communal and violent incidents among the minority communities were the main objectives of the programme.

“The total population of the minority communities in the district is 32,717, including 26,801 Muslims, 2,497 Sikh, 2,356 Buddhists, 1,048 Christians and 15 Janis, according to 2001 census,” the DC added.

Bilaspur, October 19
Though about 15 years are going to lapse since Parliament adopted an Act in the year 1995 making provision for “equal opportunities, protection of rights and full participation in all fields of activity” for physically challenged persons in the country, there has been a half-hearted attempt to honour the provisions of Sections 32 to 41 of this legislation.

This was stated by state president of the Himachal Pradesh Handicapped Persons’ Welfare Association SK Lakhanpal while addressing mediapersons here today.

He expressed disappointment that the state governments, including the Himachal Government, had been very slow in implementing the provision of employment opportunities to them in all fields of the private sector.

Lakhanpal said the central Finance Minister had earmarked a budget worth Rs 1,800 crore for this purpose in the year 2007-2008 under the Act so that at least one lakh handicapped persons were provided employment every year in the country in the private sector but our state had not taken any care to stick to the schedule.

In a representation given to Chief Minister PK Dhumal and Governor Prabha Rau, the association has drawn their attention towards this anomaly and urged them to order that the provisions of the law are strictly honoured by the private sector in the state.