Nainital, February 15
An alleged fraud to the tune of Rs 2 crore that surfaced during a surprise check by Cabinet Minister Bansidhar Bhagat at a medicine factory today at Haldu Chaur has led to his ordering a detailed probe into the matter.

It is learnt that irregularities to the tune of more than Rs 2 crore came to light when Bhagat carried out a surprise check at the Uttarakhand State Medical Pharmaceutical Limited (USMPL) facility at Haldu Chaur. The minister had been getting a series of complaints with regards to the alleged corruption in the facility dealings.

Talking to The Tribune, the minister said, “I have asked the Managing Director of the State Co-operative Authority to carry out a detailed probe into the matter and submit a report on the same to me by February 18. It is on the basis of the findings in the report that the future course of action in the matter will be chalked out.” He added that the guilty would not be spared.

According to sources, Bhagat, who holds the co-operatives portfolio, discovered a large number of irregularities in the bills pertaining to the purchase of certain machines. It was related that it was in 2006 that certain new machines were to be purchased for the facility, but the machines that were actually purchased were second hand and not in good condition.

Ironically, the purchase committee constituted to ensure that the machines purchased were ideal for the facility had given its approval on the purchase. It was also related that large scale irregularities have also come to light from a sister concern of the USMPL at Ranikhet by the name of Co-operative Drug Factory.

The sources disclosed that the medicines procured from a pharmacy in Haridwar were procured by the authorities at this unit and re-sold after putting its own stamps and labels on the products procured.

It is learnt that the cost of delivering medicines worth Rs 2.11 crore had been shown at Rs 95 lakh in the papers and the money had allegedly been given to a private party in the name of trade discount.

An interesting fact that will be the centre of the probe is why the medicines were not being manufactured at the said facility and being procured from the private pharmacy to be supplied further. Bhagat said action against the guilty was likely to be initiated from February 29 onwards. 

Haridwar, February 15
While the first phase of the ongoing panchayat elections in Haridwar district saw the seizure of liquor worth lakhs, the second phase doesn’t seem to be unaffected from the flow of liquor by parties to woo voters.

A large number of cases are reportedly coming to light from the interior places like Lakshar and Bhagwanpur where the second phase of the three-tier panchayat elections is to be held on February 19.

Despite police vigil and election code of conduct in force, candidates are openly violating the norms. Today, an excise team seized 24 bottles of English wine and 105 quarters of country-made liquor from a house that reportedly belongs to Prakash Gupta, who is contesting for the Zila panchayat member seat from ward number 35.

Meanwhile, Gupta expressed ignorance about the seizure.

Notably, the seized bottles of English wine were purchased from the CSD canteen, New Delhi cantonment. The excise officials said legal action would be taken against the candidate and more such raids would be carried out.

Meanwhile, SP (Rural) RS Sharma stated intense vigil was being carried out in the three blocks where the second phase of the panchayat elections was to be held.

Nainital, February 15
The hydrological survey for allowing mining activity in the basins of the Kosi and Dabka rivers in the Terai belt has been completed. Scientists of the Soil and Conservation Research and Training Institute, Dehradun, on the request of the Forest Department, carried out the survey.

The report will be prepared by the scientists and sent to the Ministry of Environment and Forests for the final go-ahead on mining in the basins of these two rivers, the demand for which has been pending for a long time.

It is learnt that the mining in the riverbeds of these two rivers has been officially closed for almost one-and-a-half years. However, there have been frequent complaints of illegal mining being carried out on regular basis.

Meanwhile, the issue of granting permission for mining in the Gaula riverbed is gradually becoming a contentious political issue. After the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) openly coming out in support of the agitators, the BJP, too, has sought that the mining be allowed to continue till May 31.

The BJP and the Congress leadership have been trading charges on the impasse that keeps returning on the issue of mining in the Gaula riverbed. Members of the Gaula Khanan Sangharsh Samiti gheraoed Union Minister Harish Rawat at Haldwani yesterday and once again handed him a memorandum asking him to persuade the Ministry of Environment and Forests to grant permission for the mining till May 31. Rawat said he was doing his best to get the permission.

Meanwhile, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) from the regional office in Lucknow Azam Zaidi visited the Lal Kuan area yesterday to take stock of the elephant corridor and the impact the continuous mining will have on it.

Zaidi is expected to meet the Chief Conservator of Forests (Uttarakhand) RBS Rawat soon and submit a report to the Environment Ministry.

Nainital, February 15
District Magistrate at Udham Singh Nagar BVRC Purshottam has asked officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to keep in mind the water and flood levels recorded during the recent monsoons before preparing the project for widening the Jaspur-Khatima stretch of the road.

At a meeting held with the NHAI officials at Rudrapur today, Dr Purshottam said another point that needs to be kept in mind was the growth of population and number of vehicles in the district on account of the rapid industrialisation. There was a proposal for the widening of the Hardwar-Khatima road.

Legislator from Jaspur Shailendra Mohan Singhal said the quality of the road to be constructed should be such that it could handle the plying of trucks and other heavy vehicles that transport the mined materials from different parts of the district. He also called for proper water discharge arrangements on the new bypass roads that were to be constructed in the district, as water logging was a major problem in the region.

Legislator from Kashipur Harbhajan Singh Cheema expressed his displeasure at the failure of the Centre to allocate funds for repairs of bridges and roads.

Rudrapur legislator Tilak Raj Behed announced the construction of a bypass road outside the town and a flyover to ease the traffic problems in the district. He called for a fresh survey for the two projects.

All the legislators present at the meeting asked the NHAI officials to provide them with reports on the villages that would be impacted by the construction of the proposed roads, so that suggestions could be given on various related issues.

During the presentation by the NHAI officials it was related that the road from Jaspur to Sitarganj would be made four-laned and after that the stretch would be made double-laned.

On the proposed road, there was a provision for construction of bypass roads on Jaspur-Kashipur-Kelakheda, Gadarpur-Nanakmatta-Khatima stretches. In addition to this, there was a proposal for a fresh alignment in the Sitarganj area.

Haridwar, February 15
The issue of wounding ears of more than 18 students with a wire has created mass resentment in the city with strong condemnation of the cruel act of the teacher, who had been torturing students on a regular basis.

In view of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) commandant in charge ASP Janmayjay Khanduri allegedly in controversy for siding with the accused teacher, the investigation of this case was being dealt by a five-member high-level team lead by Sub Divisional Magistrate Harveer Singh.

The investigative team today visited the school, questioned the accused teacher, principal, school management, students and parents. Accompanying the SDM were Additional Magistrate, District Education Officer Anil Kumar Bhoj, Additional Education Officer, both basic and primary, and deputy commandant of the PAC.

Shocked by this incident that took place in PAC Modern Public School injuring 40 students of Class III and IV by school mathematics teacher Vimal Chauhan, parents and local people have demanded stringent action by the school management and legal course of action for the inhuman behaviour that has affected the students both physically and mentally.

Taking cognisance of the incident, the District Education Officer has also set up an inquiry into this matter with Additional District Education Officer KK Gupta supervising the matter, assuring that strict action would be taken against the accused teacher if charges found are correct. Gupta admitted in the preliminary inquiry that the accused teacher had admitted being aggressive with the students, injuring them in the process.

The outraged parents have alleged that the school management has been trying to shield the matter and strongly condemned the behaviour of the school management and the PAC officials.

District Magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram has also assured of stringent action as per the special investigation team submits its enquiry report into the matter to bring the culprits to the book.

Most of the parents, along with the students, revealed that the said teacher used to instill fear among the students.

“Two-three classmates had been little mischievous, but we, too, were beaten with our ears pierced with a wire. I do not want to go to this school,” said a weeping Master Sanket, a student was complaining of pain in his ear.

Similarly, other students seemed to be trembling with fear and this spoke of the horrible act going on in the school that incidentally was meant for students belonging to the PAC and the Police Department.

Dehradun, February 15
Protesting against the cancellation of advertisement (September 2010) by the government in which 42 posts of physiotherapist were advertised, unemployed and contractual physiotherapists staged a sit-in today at the Gandhi Park here today.

The physiotherapists said not a single post for physiotherapists has been filled in the past 10 years. “Though the Director General, Health and Family Welfare, has been advertising for the posts of X-ray technicians, optometrists, radiographer, dental hygienist, ECG technician, lab technician, nursing staff and pharmacist and are also given appointment in the stipulated time, the physiotherapists have been unlucky,” said Dr Yogesh Dangwal, an unemployed physiotherapist.

Raising slogans against the Director General, Health, and the state government, the unemployed physiotherapists said every year batches of the physiotherapists were passing out, but very few had been absorbed in the government sector.

“Several posts of the physiotherapist are lying vacant in Dehradun, Rishikesh, Srinagar, Pauri, Chamoli, Almora, Nainital and Pithoragarh hospitals,” said Dr Ramesh Shah.

“Though this did not stop the government from procuring machines and other equipment for the physiotherapy departments, most of the machines and other equipment are lying idle in these hospitals. The government could have run these departments by appointing physiotherapists,” said Dr Anil Joshi.

The members later submitted a memorandum to DG (Health) Dr Asha Mathur and Secretary (Health) Dr Uma Kant Panwar.

Dehradun, February 15
The National Union of ONGC Employees (NUOE) held a gate meeting to address their problems, including the non-payment of performance related pay (PRP) since 2007, non-compliance of terms and conditions of contract, opening of tenure employment for contractual workers and the R&P policy issues.

President of the state INTUC Hira Singh Bisht said the managements of all public sector units and private firms should pay more attention towards the contractual labour and their salaries should be hiked based on equal work and equal pay.

Mussoorie MLA Jot Singh Gunsola demanded for the absorption of contingent workers as regular employees. He also drew the attention of the managements towards the burning issues and warned that if these issues were not resolved well in time, then the union would take more rigorous steps.