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7 licences of drug units suspended
Attend mobile calls 24X7, officers told
Gen VK Singh calls on Dhumal |
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Mid-Himalayan project to be showcased as model
Fodder and saplings grown under the
Mid-Himalayan Watershed Development Project.
IPL Matches in Dharamsala
Members of the Himachal Blind Persons Association stage a protest march in support of their demands in Shimla on Tuesday. Photo: Amit Kanwar
JBT trainees during a protest demonstration in Dharamsala on
Tuesday. Photo: Kamaljeet
Solar light scam: Director seeks report
Land Allotment to Jaypee
Mandi Municipal Council removes encroachments
CD case: Hearing adjourned till May 22
Forest clearance for rural roads sought
Seek CBI probe, BJP dares Cong
2 youths get life term for murdering taxi driver
People watch the rent defaulters’ list at Indira Market in Mandi on Tuesday. Photo: Jai Kumar
Two die of poisoning
Restoration work of Bailey bridge on
Man gets 7-year jail in rape case
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7 licences of drug units suspended
Solan, May 15 In the latest case, various ferrous ascorbate and folic acid tablets manufactured by two manufacturers of the BBN area have been found to have more than the prescribed limit of certain ferrous salts. While this was considered hazardous for health, manufacturers have not only been directed to withdraw these drugs from the market but also the same have been enlisted as substandard by the drug authorities of Maharashtra. Besides, other drugs like Cavimox, Diclofenac Poatssium and Paracetamol Tablet, Ronizyme Digestive Enzyme Syrup, Ondiozet, Orlin Suspension, Amoxycillin Disp Tablet, Capsules OD Ginseng, Multi Berry syrup and Aceclofenac tablet were among those drugs declared substandard by various states after their samples failed to confirm to prescribed norms in the latest list of substandard drugs released by the Drugs Control Organisation. As many as 29 units have been found erring in abiding by the prescribed norms. Drug units in other parts of the state, including Solan, Paonta Sahib and Kumarhatti were also found lacking in quality and they too figure in the list of substandard drugs. It was observed that in Solan many industrial units were running their operations in rented buildings and different floors of the same building were also used for residential purposes. It was found that drugs were stacked in godowns that had no equipment to maintain optimum temperature as against the prescribed norms and this adversely affected the quality of drugs. The authorities appear to have turned a deaf eye to such conditions. Drug Controller Navneet Marwaha, however, said they were seriously viewing all cases of substandard drugs which came to their notice. He added that cases where the content of certain ferrous salts was found higher than the prescribed limits have been dealt with serious concern and show-cause notices have been slapped on the units. Besides, their product licenses and other products in that composition have been cancelled and the units concerned have been directed to withdraw all batches from the market. Marwaha said seven manufacturing licences had been suspended and one cancelled as they were found not adhering to various norms as laid down in the schedule M of the Good Manufacturing Practices as laid down by the World Health Organisation. He said no compromise on quality would be tolerated and 27 prosecutions had been initiated so that the erring manufacturers did not go scot-free. |
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Attend mobile calls 24X7, officers told
Shimla, May 15 The General Administration Department (GAD) today issued a circular to all senior bureaucrats, heads of departments, managing directors and officers in the districts to ensure that they do not switch off their cell phones and attend all calls round the clock. The government directive comes in light of the fact that complaints were being received that officers do not respond to calls on their mobile despite the government bearing the expenditure on the mobile phones. There have been several instances when officers could not be contacted even by their higher-ups in emergency situations as either their phones were switched off or they did not bother to respond. In August 2008, mobile phones were provided to all gazetted officers as it was felt that this would help accelerate efficiency in the administration and in execution of government policies in the best possible manner. Another important objective behind providing phones to the officials was to bring about accountability. “We have been receiving complaints that officers do not take calls or keep their mobile phones switched off; so we thought of issuing the directive,” said Ajay Bhandari, Principal Secretary, GAD. He added that the mobile phones of officers, on which the expenditure was being borne by the government, had been notified in the government directory; so it was mandatory for them to attend calls at any time of the day. The officials have been asked to ensure strict compliance of the circular. The government bears the expenditure of the landline phone provided at the residence of officials and an additional fixed bimonthly bill of the mobile phone. Though there is no limit fixed for the Chief Minister, ministers, the Chief Secretary, additional chief secretaries and the DGP, but for others a limit has been fixed. The 35 secretaries and 85 heads of departments are provided Rs 2,800 bimonthly for their landline phone at their residence and Rs 1,000 for mobile phone. The limit for the landline phone at home for the Additional DGP, deputy commissioners and superintendents of police, managing directors, chief engineers and the Chief Conservator of Forests is Rs 2,200 and Rs 800 for mobile. Special, additional and joint secretaries have a limit of Rs 1,400 for the landline phone and Rs 600 for the mobile phone. Other officers get Rs 800 for the landline phone and Rs 400 for the mobile phone. |
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Gen VK Singh calls on Dhumal
Shimla, May 15 General Singh called on Chief Minister PK Dhumal in his office here today. “The Chief Minister and the Himachal Government have always been very supportive on all issues concerning defence and Army personnel. We did discuss the Annandale issue for which I am sure we will find a mutually agreeable solution,” he confirmed after his meeting with Dhumal. With an Army press note accusing the Chief Minister and the state government of shielding the land mafia, the Chief Minister had raised the issue with the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister. He had vehemently objected to the Army’s accusations and stated that the Army was illegally occupying the Annandale ground since 1982 even after the lease period was over. It is learnt that the two also discussed the heightened Chinese build-up along the India-China border in the two tribal districts of Kinnuar and Lahaul-Spiti, which share a boundary with China. Dhumal also brought to General Singh’s notice the intrusion of airspace by China on two different occasions. Remaining non-committal on a query whether he would consider Anna Hazare’s offer to join him in his anti-corruption crusade, General Singh said he had not yet made up his mind on his post-retirement plans. During the day, he also held a meeting with officers of the Army Training Command here.
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Mid-Himalayan project to be showcased as model
Shimla, May 15 The CoP, which is the governing body of the Convention on Biodiversity, will provide a platform to the project to facilitate global knowledge sharing so that other countries can learn from the technology that has been developed and adopt the best practices for watershed development. It is quite an achievement as it is one of the three projects to be showcased at the Co. The other two are from Jamaica and Vietnam. The project has been appraised for its success in involving the community and achieving tangible results in enhancement of water sources and farm productivity. Besides showcasing the project as a model, a detailed programme will also be chalked out for capacity building of communities in various parts of the world where similar projects are being implemented. Modalities are being worked out for organising a training workshop to disseminate the expertise developed under the project. The programme will be finalised in pre-conference meetings, says Chief Director of the project RK Kapoor. The main feature to be highlighted at the world forum will be the afforestation-based bio-carbon project under which farmers will be provided direct benefits through the carbon credit mechanism. However, focus will be on technological tools developed to monitor and evaluate the outcome of various interventions in conserving the biodiversity and improving livelihoods. Kapoor said it would be a great opportunity to showcase the project to the world community as the knowledge-sharing platform was supported by multi-lateral and UN agencies like the UNEP, the IYCN and the World Bank. The main idea was conservation of nature by promoting sustainable use of biological diversity which, it recognises, is not only confined to plants, animals and micro organisms and their ecosystems but also encompasses people, their need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water and shelter. |
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Far-off parking slots to bother spectators
Lalit Mohan Tribune News Service
Dharamsala, May 15 From there they will have to travel in one of the 10 buses provided by the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) to the stadium. After the match is over, once again they will have to travel to the Zorawar stadium in an HRTC bus. The buses, carrying all categories of viewers, ranging from those who purchased tickets for Rs 250 to Rs 12,000 per match, will act as social equalisers during the matches. The biggest parking area right alongside the Dharamsala cricket stadium that had been accommodating more than 1,000 vehicles in the past two IPL seasons has been converted into a synthetic athletics track. Now, no vehicle can be parked there. The PWD authorities have tried to create a new parking slot near the stadium. However, it can accommodate just about 100 vehicles. The organisers are planning to keep the area reserved for the team managements. Since the area in which the parking slot has been created has been levelled recently, the authorities fear that if it rains, the area will be rendered useless. Kangra SP Diljeet Thakur said the Sakoh road would be closed for private vehicles from 11 am to 8 pm. The private vehicles would be diverted from Chaitru to the Sheila crossing. The public parking nearest to the stadium will be the police ground. About 1,000 vehicles can be parked there. The parking will be open for the public on a first-come-first-served basis. The second nearest parking would be in the Dari ground where about 250 vehicles can be accommodated. Those who park their vehicles in the Dari ground will have to trek about 2 km to the stadium. The next parking would in the Zorawar stadium, about 7 km from the stadium, the SP said.
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Visually impaired stage protest
Shimla, May 15 President of the association Shobhu Ram alleged that many persons with fake disability certificates had been given jobs by medical boards and had been recruited against the disability quota. Their other demands included immediate release of backlog posts of Class I and Class II posts, allowance to visually impaired on the basis of qualification, free bus pass with an attendant and setting up of a Class XII school for visually impaired. The association deferred its indefinite dharna after Additional Chief Secretary, Social Justice, SK Dash held a meeting with representatives of the association and assured that the government would consider their demands sympathetically. He said the government would take strict action against those who had submitted fake certificates to get jobs. He asked them to file fresh complaints against those who had obtained jobs on the basis of fake certificates. Dash assured that the government would take necessary steps to provide quality education to visually impaired. Special Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment, JC Chauhan, said the state would also ensure visually impaired persons were posted near their homes.
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JBT trainees hold protest march
Dharamsala, May 15 Over 100 trainee teachers of JBT institutes gathered at the Martyrs’ Park this morning and took out a procession to the Mini Secretariat in Dharamsala. They raised slogans against the present government and submitted a memorandum to the district administration. Neeraj Chauhan, spokesperson for the protesters, said the state government had equated the degrees of those doing JBT from Himachal with those doing ETT and diploma courses from other states. Earlier, students who used to do JBT from the state were absorbed directly into government primary schools as teachers. However, now they would have to compete an entrance test with those who have done the ETT or certificate courses from other states. They alleged that in case the government did not restore the old system for their recruitment, they would resort to traffic blockade and other forms of agitation. JBT trainees also demanded that no admissions in JBT courses in the state should be allowed till they were absorbed in government jobs. Earlier, trainees who had done the ETT and other similar courses from other states had launched a long agitation for their demand that they should be considered at par with those who have done JBT from institutes within the state. |
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Solar light scam: Director seeks report
Kangra, May 15 The Director said following a report in The Tribune, he had sought a detailed report in this connection from the BDO, Kangra, before an inquiry would be ordered in the case. He said it would take the BDO some days to submit the report as solar lights were installed in different panchayats. The Congress had levelled charges against the BDO here for allegedly purchasing solar lights without inviting tenders and without consulting Him Urja, thus putting a hole in the government exchequer, and had demanded a high-level probe into the alleged solar light scam to fix the responsibility and punish the guilty. The Congress had alleged that local BDO here had purchased 400 solar lights for the panchayats at a cost of Rs 30,000 per light and the office had released Rs 24,000 per light to the panchayats when the Him Urja Department was providing 90 per cent subsidy on such lights for rural areas.
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Land Allotment to Jaypee Hamirpur, May 15 Talking to mediapersons here today, Dr Kashmir Singh Thakur, state secretariat member of the party, said, “The decision of the HP High Court to scarp the Jaypee thermal plant at Bagheri in Solan district has once again exposed the favours showered by BJP and Congress leaders on Jaypee Industries for violating the norms for setting up various projects in the state, ignoring the interests of the people.” He said, “While the Congress government allowed the Jaypee Industries to set up the Karcham-Wangtu and Baspa hydel projects despite local people’s opposition to these projects, the BJP government had allotted cement and thermal power projects to the company ignoring environmental concern and people’s interests.” “Jaypee Industries spent a huge amount on the publicity campaign of a cricket tourney organised by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA), headed by Anurag Thakur, son of Chief Minsiter PK Dhumal, which proves a deep nexus between the firm and top BJP leaders,” the CPM leader alleged.
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Mandi Municipal Council removes encroachments
Mandi, May 15 The anti-encroachment team, led by council executive officer Urvashi Walia, demolished “a toilet and a kitchen allegedly raised on government land near the Deputy Commissioner’s residence. Owner of the house Yog Raj was not at home. However, his wife Krishna Devi said, “The land belongs to us. We are seeking justice from the court. The action is illegal.” The second structure on Victoria Bridge on the Mandi-Pathankot national highway demolished by the team was a garage raised by Dr Ramesh Thakur, a retired paediatrician, who is a close relative of state Congress president Kaul Singh Thakur. The drive will continue tomorrow. Affected residents said the executive officer was in a hurry to “become a hero”. A petition seeking a stay on the drive will come up for hearing tomorrow in the HC. “We have full faith in the judiciary and will get justice,” they said. On the other hand, Walia said the HC had directed the council to take action in the case of 47 encroachments in the town. “We had given a week’s time to the 47 encroachers to remove the encroachments on government land. However, they did not respond to the notices issued by the council and we have no option but to remove them,” she added. Walia claimed the labour cost for the removal of the encroachments would be charged from the encroachers. “We need a JCB machine to remove the concrete structures,” she added.
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CD case: Hearing adjourned till May 22
Shimla, May 15 During the course of the hearing, the counsel for the prosecution placed an audio cassette pertaining to this case before the court and urged it that the cassette was seized during the investigation. However, counsel for Virbhadra contended before the court that in the challan itself there was no mention of the cassette whereas it only mentions a CD. There is nothing on record which could show when the CD was prepared from the audio cassette as such this cassette cannot be looked into. The Special Judge observed that since the cassette is part of the charge sheet, the other party, Virbhadra Singh and others, is entitled to the copy thereof. On this, the special prosecutor sought time to make the copy of the cassette. The prayer was allowed by the court and listed the matter for further hearing on May 22. An FIR was registered against Virbhadra and his wife on August 3, 2009, on the basis of an audio CD released by his political adversary Vijay Singh Mankotia in 2007 during the Lok Sabha byelections.
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Forest clearance for rural roads sought
Chamba, May 15 Delivering an ultimatum with regard to its demands to the state government, president of the district Non-Tribal Development Manch Lalit Thakur said here today that the rural roads that had been awaiting forest clearance for the past about five years included Mehla-Bahiyaar, Gehra-Upper Jouva, Gehra-Lech, Dunali-Brehi, Lihl-Annehar, Radi link road and Dhidla-Samra road. Thakur said these rural roads had been approved by the state but the construction work on the same had been stalled following the delay in getting the forest clearance. Thakur appealed to the government to accord forest clearance to these roads, addressing the woes of residents of several remote villages situated on the hill slopes who had to trudge long distances to reach the Chamba-Bharmour highway. |
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Seek CBI probe, BJP dares Cong
Shimla, May 15 In a statement issued here today, party spokesperson Ganesh Dutt said the Congress had been thoroughly exposed on the issue and now it was trying to mislead the public by presenting factually incorrect information. “If the Congress has nothing to hide, it can seek a CBI probe into the issue as the Congress is in power at the Centre,” he said. He said JAL had applied for setting up the cement plant on April 8, 2004, while the single window clearance committee had approved the project in September 2004. “Finally, the MoU was signed in July 2007 and work on the project was started while the Congress was in power in the state,” he said. Dutt said it would have been better if the Congress had sought an apology from the public for its wrongdoings rather than accusing the BJP. |
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2 youths get life term for murdering taxi driver Solan, May 15 Jitender Kumar and Surinder Singh, alias Chinda, both residents of Manga village in Dasuha tehsil of Punjab, had hired a taxi (DL 3 CAC-4353) from the taxi stand at Nalagarh on June 6, 2010, for Nurpur and Garhshankar from Rajinder Kumar of Brahman Majra. Rajinder, however, went missing after taking the two to Punjab and the Indica car was later found in a deserted area by the Mahilpur police in Punjab. The driver’s body was recovered near the Pojewal police station, Punjab. The Nalagarh police later traced the accused through the cell phone details as they had taken along the driver’s cell phone after killing him. An FIR was registered on June 15. The police had successfully recovered the cell phone from the accused which had been used on the day of committing the offence. The two had later admitted to having committed the crime along with their third accomplice Taranjeet Singh of Pojewal village in Nawanshahr district of Punjab. Taranjeet was declared a proclaimed offender and has not been traced till today.
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Mandi MC displays rent defaulters’ list
Mandi, May 15 Curious residents gathered around the hoarding displaying the list of the defaulters in Indira Market. Among the defaulters is a restaurant owner whose bill has exceeded Rs 7
lakh. Executive Officer, Mandi, Urvashi Walia said the 54 defaulters owed Rs 54 lakh to the council. The total rent bill was in excess of Rs 94 lakh and the list of smaller defaulters would be displayed soon, she added. She said if the defaulters did not pay the rent, they would auction the shops. |
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Two die of poisoning
Kangra, May 15 The police said Bunty (23) of Diwan Bagh village in Nagrota Bagwan was a psychiatric patient and under treatment. He consumed some poisonous thing by mistake. He was rushed to the DRPGMC, Tanda, where he died. Kamlesh (25) of Rohara village in Jawalamukhi was a patient of hypertension. She had consumed some different medicine by mistake on May 13 at her residence and was rushed to the Dehra Civil Hospital and from where she was referred to the DRPGMC, Tanda yesterday.
— OC
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Restoration work of Bailey bridge on Chamba, May 15 Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha Speaker Tulsi Ram said here today that the services of the General Roads Engineers’ Force had also been requisitioned in addition to the workforce of the state PWD. The Speaker said the work to remove the debris of the landslide, which slid down from the hillside yesterday and had damaged the Bailey bridge, had been started in a big way. The Speaker said the movement of pedestrians to and fro across the Bailey bridge at Mahlu nullah was likely to be resumed today with the construction of a temporary bridge which in local dialect called
“trangari”.
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Man gets 7-year jail in rape case
Dharamsala, May 15 CB Acharya, District Attorney, Kangra, said Karnail had abducted the victim and raped her near her house.
— TNS |
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Shimla, May 15
