Manali, April 6
The entire upper Manali region experienced a fresh spell of snowfall, while lower parts of the area were lashed by rain here today, bringing back the cold wave conditions in the region.

The inclement weather conditions in the higher reaches of the Manali region and the Lahaul valley prevailing for the past couple of days severely affected the snow-clearing operations, by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), on the 474-km Manali-Leh Highway.

Traffic on the Manali-Rohtang Pass road was disrupted due to snowfall at several places beyond Kothi, 12 km from here. The road from Kothi to Gulaba became slippery because of the thick layer of fresh snow on the road.

Famous skiing slopes of the Solang valley, Dhundhi and Beas Kund also experienced fresh snowfall. Hundreds of tourists made a beeline for Kothi and the Solang valley, which witnessed a fresh spell of snowfall.

Snowfall has brought cheer on the faces of taxi operators, luxury bus operators and the hoteliers as they feel that it will boost tourism in the Kullu valley.

The cold wave conditions has led to a further decline in the day and night temperatures.

Shimla, April 6
Cornered by the Opposition Congress in the Vidhan Sabha for allowing realtors to build flats in thickly forested areas in tearing haste, the government today admitted that irregularities had been committed in grant of essentiality certificates (ECs) to some of the private colonisers.

Raising the issue during the Question Hour, Mukesh Agnihotri (Congress) said the anxiety of the government to oblige the builders could be judged from the fact that ex-post facto approval for granting ECs to six parties had been accorded soon after designated areas were notified under the Himachal Pradesh Apartment and Property Regulation Act on November 22, 2010. Due process was not followed and approval was granted even though the then principal secretary, urban development, gave an adverse recommendation in some cases. In Shimla a road had been constructed to oblige a favoured builder on the application of Anant Ram who died in 2002 and on a false plea that it would benefit villages downhill. The fact was that no villages existed. All permissions given were a big scam.

Congress president Kaul Singh said the blatant manner in which the government had been obliging realtors prove beyond any doubt that “Himachal was on sale”. He also wanted to know if the there was a policy decision not to allow new colonies in view of the congestion and lack of adequate water supply and other amenities.

Minister for Urban Development Mohinder Singh admitted that irregularities had been committed in according ECs to six builders but asserted that the file was not put up before him and the ex-post facto approval was accorded at the level of officers.

He said he had closely gone through the files after the issue was raised in the House and also visited one of the sties. There were trees in all sites but it was not true that 1,000 trees had been felled by Optima Construction. There were 1,224 trees at this particular site in Kasuali. Similar, was the case of HMR Developers, MJH Infrastructure and Pearl Road Estate Projects.

He said the matter would be looked into and action would be taken against the officers responsible for the irregularities in grant of ECs.

He informed that in all 248 builders were registered, 62 ECs granted and 56 licences to contract flats had been issued ever since the Act came into force. Out of these 158 
registrations, 42 ECs and 26 licences pertained to the previous Congress regime. There were only 27 registrations during his tenure and seven ECs and 13 licences were granted, the rest pertained to his predecessor K.K. Kapoor. 

Shimla, April 6
The state government today singed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Gujarat Government for setting up a geo-informatics centre in the state to facilitate the use of geo-spatial technologies for decision making and planning of developmental activities.

The proposed Aryabhatta Geo-Informatics and Space Application Centre (AGiSAC) will be set up in collaboration with Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Application & Geo-Informatics (BISAG), Gandhinagar. The document was signed by Ravi S. Saxena, Additional Chief Secretary, Gujarat Government, and Sarojini Ganju Thakur, Additional Chief Secretary, Himachal Government, in the presence of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal.

The Chief Minister said collaboration between Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh would open new vistas of development and the state would immensely benefit from technical expertise of BISAG, which specialised in space applications and geo-informatics services. It would cover all major sectors of remote sensing applications in decentralised planning along with awareness, capacity building and dissemination of information through the satellite network.

The BISAG would provide a link to the AGiSAC through the State Council for Science, Technology and Environment on a “no-profit-and-no-loss-basis”. Saxena said BISAG would provide expertise for conversion of satellite images into ortho images, imposition of data on satellite imageries and linkage of attribute data, connectivity with BISAG, system development, software output and development of HIMSAT. It would also provide training and capacity building to the scientific and technical personnel of Himachal Pradesh.

The duration of the MoU would be of three years, unless extended by mutual consent. 

Solan, April 6
State Drugs Controller Navneet Marwaha today banned two drugs - Gatifloxacin and Tegaserod - following a prohibition on their manufacturing, sale and distribution by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

As per the notification issued here today, all product permissions for the two drugs stand withdrawn from all manufacturing units and any manufacture, sale or distribution of the two drugs will attract punitive action as per the provisions of Section 18(c) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

The decision to ban the two drug stems came from the fact that they have harmful side effects and since safer alternatives are available in the market, the ministry found it prudent to prohibit their manufacturing. The decision was taken after recommendations of the Drug Technical Advisory Board and it would include only those formulations that are used through the oral and injectable mode. The action is in line with the international regulatory action where the two drugs are already banned.

Gatifloxacin is an antibiotic sold under the names like Gatiflo, Tequin and Zymar. Gatifloxacin poses high risk of developing serious hyperglycemia (high blood sugar or diabetes). Medical studies have found that its use can cause liver damage, purpura and hallucinations.

Tegaserod is a drug marketed by Novartis and it is used to cure irritable bowel syndrome and constipation. It was found responsible for increased risk of heart attack and stroke, though research has shown a very low adverse effect on patients.

Marwaha said all manufacturers had been directed to withdraw these drugs from the marker at the earliest, failing which action would be taken as per the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. 

Dharamsala, April 6
The Dalai Lama today inaugurated Maharaja Sansar Chandra museum, a private museum brought up by the erstwhile royal family of Kangra, right next to the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) protected monument, the Kangra fort.

The museum that has been brought up in the name of the celebrated ruler of the Katoch dynasty of Kangra, Sansar Chandra, displays various artifacts related to the family’s history dating back to 4300 BC.

Some artifacts, including the silver throne of Sansar Chandra, his armour and the silver bed have been put on display for the public for the first time. Certain artifacts belonging to the family were on display at the state government-owned Kangra museum in Dharamsala. However, they have now been shifted to the private museum of the family that was thrown open to the public today.

Former curator of the Kangra museum Satish Chandra, who is now advisor to the Sansar Chandra museum, said artifacts, which were displayed at the government museum, were given on loan by the family. The family had never donated the artifacts to the museum.

The Sansar Chandra museum has for the first time in the state added an audio facility for the visitors, which describes the artifacts in the museum in three languages - Hindi, English and Tibetan.

The Dalai Lama said though he had been staying in the place since long, it was for the first time that he had acquired knowledge about Kangra’s history after visiting the museum.

He, however, said the days of war and emperors were over. The entire world was now one entity and there was no place for enmity or war.

Commenting on the photos of 1905 earthquake that devastated Kangra, the Dalai Lama said: “Sometimes I wonder that what will happen if another earthquake strikes the area.”

Founder of museum Aishwarya Katoch said most of the visitors to Kangra know the area just because of the Dalai Lama. The museum would showcase the tourists the history of the region.

Though the museum has been appreciated for displaying the Kangra history, controversy has already started brewing up over its location.

Superintendent archaeologist, Shimla, TR Sharma said a private museum could not be set up right next to the official museum of the ASI. However, certain other officials of the ASI said the ASI director had given permission for the museum.

As per the ASI rules, no new building could be brought up or the existing building altered, within 100 m of protected monuments.

However, sources here are questioning the permission for museum alleging that the ASI has got the construction of the buildings of the mini-secretariat and a government school stopped near the protected monument in Nurpur area of the district.

However, a private museum and a cafeteria has been allowed right along the walls of the protected monument in Kangra, they alleged.

Aishwarya Katoch, however, maintained that they had got the permission to establish the museum from the ASI.

Dharamsala, April 6
National vice-president of the BJP and former Chief Minister Shanta Kumar has extended full support to social activist Anna Hazare who sat on fast unto death demanding implementation of the Lokpal Bill.

Shanta Kumar, while addressing a press conference here today, said the Lokpal Bill could help create a constitution body for checking corruption among politicians. The Bill was first introduced in Parliament in 1968. It had been presented in Parliament eight times but had lapsed. For the past 42 years, the Bill had been pending.

“The BJP supports the movement of Anna Hazare and demands that the government should take steps for implementing the Bill that can help check rampant corruption among those in power in the country,” Shanta said.

He said, “Another legislation, Benami Transactions Prohibition Act, 1988, has been awaiting approval of Parliament for the past 22 years. Most of the black money in the country is going into benami land deals. The government should implement the Act to check the flow of black money into benami land transactions.”

Shanta, however, added that the party should first introspect before launching the agitation against corruption.

“I have asked the Himachal BJP president to ensure that the party has zero tolerance towards corruption before the agitation is launched. The corrupt in the state should be behind bars and not occupying official seats,” he said while responding to a query regarding some tainted officers occupying key posts.

He said, “I personally feel that we have lagged behind in launching a campaign against corruption. The people are themselves coming forward as the corruption has tested the limits of common man’s tolerance. I feel that the BJP should have been at the forefront in the campaign against corruption.”

On the issue of black money, Shanta Kumar said the government was dithering over ratifying the UN convention against black money. “If the government ratifies the convention it can get asses to money stolen from the country and stacked in the banks of other countries,” he added.

When asked about recent outbursts of party leaders Rajan Sushant and HN Saini against the state government, Shanta Kumar said indiscipline of any kind should not be tolerated.

He said he had asked the party president to be soft against Saini as he was 
ill and just took up the issue of development in his constituency.

Taking an obvious hit at Independent MLA from Nurpur Rakesh Pathania, Shanta Kumar said, “I am happy that action will also be taken against certain leaders who burnt the party flag on being denied ticket and opposed the official nominee of the party.” 

Kangra, April 6
One person was killed and 12 were injured in a bus-truck collision at Dehra this morning.

Police sources said an HRTC bus on the way from Chandigarh to Dharamsala dashed against a police picket and then collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction at Hanuman Chowk in Dehra.

A passenger, Ashwani Guleria (40), a resident of Kangra town, who was seated on the front seat of the bus died on the spot.

Twelve passengers who were injured in the accident were admitted to the Civil Hospital at Dehra. Those who were seriously injured were rushed to Dr RP Government Medical College at Tanda.

The police has registered a case under Sections 279, 337 and 304 A against bus driver Om Prakash for rash and negligent driving and arrested him. 

Nurpur, April 6
A team of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Kangra, led by ASP Varinder Tomar, seized unauthorised and illegal liquor of various brands from a liquor vend in Sadwan here today.

Following a tip-off, the team seized over 18,000 liquor bottles stacked illegally in liquor vend and its stores. The team also took assistance of the local staff of the Excise and Taxation Department in conducting the raid.

According to Pritam Thakur, SP, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Kangra, the team seized 8,434 bottles of English liquor, 8,303 bear, 1,215 rum and 82 bottles of country-made liquor. A case under Section 61-1-14 has been registered and two salesmen of the liquor vend, Hem Raj and Chaman Singh, were arrested. Owner of the vend Jaspal Singh is yet to be arrested.

The SP maintained that as per the law, the owner of the vend either had to dispose of the whole liquor stock until March 31 or submit a summary of the balance stock to the Excise and Taxation Department. However, the same was not adhered to keeping an eye on the enhanced prices of liquor from April 1 onwards, he added.