Palampur, June 19
The sale of substandard drugs at exorbitant prices in this part of the state has become a matter of serious concern. Though the state health authorities are well conversant with the situation, no steps have been initiated to check the menace.

The state has emerged as a big market for the sale of substandard drugs and over 80 per cent of the drug market is captured by generic drug companies. There is a huge difference between the cost price and the maximum sale price of drugs.

Information gathered by The Tribune from various hospitals and primary health centres revealed that medical officers were repeatedly prescribing particular brands of substandard medicines to their patients in lieu of 30 per cent to 40 per cent commission being given to them by companies on the sale of such drugs.

In various hospitals, a prescription slip of the doctors carries five to eight drugs costing Rs 500 to Rs 900, which is beyond the reach of poor patients. Indoor records of the hospitals also reveal that doctors prescribe high number of drugs in one prescription slip with an intention to meet the target of sales given by the companies.

The Tribune had in its possession the wholesale and retail price list of over 12 major pharma companies reflecting the prices of 1,000 brands of generic medicines that are being used by every third Indian daily. There is a huge gap of 500 per cent to 3,000 per cent between the cost price and the maximum retail price.

Not only private chemists, but also medical stores owned by the HP State Civil Supply Corporation have also been selling substandard drugs in their medical stores and earning high profit margin ranging from 500 per cent to 3,000 per cent with no check at the government level.

The HP Civil Supply Corporation has over dozens of retail medical stores situated in key locations inside hospitals and medical colleges in the state. Patients always prefer to buy medicines from these government-owned shops with an impression that they will get standard or ethical drugs at reasonable rates in these stores, but contrary to it the corporation was cheating the patients by charging high profit margins.

Rekha, a patient outside the Civil Hospital, Palampur, said she had only Rs 100 in her pocket, but the doctor had prescribed her medicines valuing over Rs 500.

Likewise, Kali Devi, a widow from Bhawarna, came to the hospital for the treatment of stomach-related problem, but a doctor in the Civil Hospital prescribed her six medicines valuing Rs 598.

It was also learnt that most of the medicines were available in the hospital, but the patents were directed to purchase the same from the market.

It may be recalled that Himachal Pradesh is the only state in North India where the Essential Commodity Price Control Act is in existence and medicines are also covered under the law. Besides, the state has other sufficient laws to deal with the menace.

Solan, June 19
Pinegrove School boys made history by lifting the under-14 IPSC (Indian Public Schools’ Conference) Soccer Tournament 2012 and directly qualifying for Subroto Cup 2012, which will be played in Delhi in November.

The tournament was hosted by Phoenix Public School, Belgaum in Karnataka, where Pinegrove lads completely dominated the tournament by winning all their league matches convincingly against Sainik School, Bijapur, by 2-1, Mayo College Boys’ School, Ajmer, by 3-1, Mann Public School, Delhi, by 4-1, and the hosts Phoenix Public School, Belgaum, by 2-0 on their way to the finals and got the better of Mann Public School, Delhi, by 1-0 in a keenly contested final match.

Shubham Behal, Rushil Negi, Rajvansh Thakur, Aryan Chawla, Aryan Bajaj, and Aradhaya Makkar have been selected to represent the IPSC in the nationals this year.

The champion team was accorded a grand reception on their arrival back to the school where the parents also arrived to honour their heroes.

Kangra, June 19
The Department of Forensic Medicine of Dr RP Government Medical College, Tanda, has become the first medical college in North India to perform pathological autopsy on a three-day-old baby with congenital anomalies here recently.

Dr Anil Chauhan, principal, DRPGMC, Tanda, said the mother of the deceased baby, in the service of humanity, offered the baby for the first pathological autopsy, which was conducted by the forensic medicine department.

He said the pathological autopsy would apprise the doctors about the definitive diagnosis of undiagnosed patients who die without being diagnosed. He said the benefit of pathological autopsy would help them to know about the nature of disease.

Dr Chauhan said Dr Rahul Gupta and Dr Vijay Arora of forensic medicine department and Dr Bal Chandran, HOD Pathology, performed this first autopsy here.

He said the college management had acknowledged and paid gratitude to the mother who had given her baby for the first pathological autopsy.

Dr Rahul Gupta said forensic medicine was a liaison between world’s oldest noble professions: medicine and law.

The department had urged the public to participate in this noble cause for the benefit of humanity.

This facility would be provided to the public without putting any financial burden on them, Dr Chauhan added.

Shimla, June 19
If all goes well, the historic Town Hall here could be restored to its Gothic glory and people will be able to saunter on cobblestones on the famous Mall Road.

The Town Hall, one of the 91 British-era buildings in this Himachal Pradesh capital, and the Mall Road are to get a facelift, thanks to a Rs 19 crore loan from Asian Development Bank (ADB). Of this, Rs 14 crore will be spent on the Town Hall and Rs 5 crore on beautifying the Mall Road and creating leisure plazas, an official said.

Built in 1908 with stone and timber, the Town Hall currently houses the Shimla Municipal Corporation.

“The entire building will be restored and conserved aesthetically, keeping in mind its original Gothic style architecture, within two years. For this, a loan of Rs 14 crore to the Department of Tourism has already been approved by ADB,” Arun Sharma, its director, said.

He said the exteriors and interiors of the building, built in the half-timbered Tudor style - all wooden frames and shingled eaves - would undergo massive restoration work.

“The process has begun to move the municipal corporation out of the Town Hall building and start the restoration work as early as possible,” Sharma said.

Officials involved in its restoration said the use of slate for roofing, glazing work inside the complex and ornamental stonework on the outer walls would be done as per the original pattern.

“Its revival is really a herculean task. Before starting its renovation, we have to carry out research to ascertain that the restoration will gel with the original architecture and style,” an official added.

He said like the restoration of Gaiety Theatre in 2009, lime mortar would be used in place of cement.

As for the Mall Road, it is set for a facelift with the asphalt road surface being replaced with European-style cobblestone patterns.

Welcoming the decision to restore the Raj-style structure, Intach (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) Himachal chapter co-convener Raja Bhasin said: “We welcome it. The restoration should be done carefully and aesthetically like the Gaiety Theatre.”

The conservation project of Gaiety Theatre was completed in 2009 after six years. Tracing the Town Hall’s history, Bhasin said it had been the centre of municipal activities in Shimla right from the day it was opened in 1908.

The municipal committee of Shimla passed a resolution on October 21, 1880, for setting up a public building to serve as town’s civic offices as well as for public meetings, banquets and concerts, Tourism Department archives say.

“Any other town in the world of the same size or importance as Simla and a seat of the government would not be absolutely without a public hall as Simla now is. There is no room in any building in Simla where the Viceroy or the Lieutenant Governor can hold even a small durbar or where public meetings can take place without any inconvenience,” the resolution reads. The “Queen of Hills”, Simla, as the town was then called, was the summer capital of the British colonial rulers. More than 60 years after the British left, this town still attracts their descendants who are eager to explore their roots.

Sadly, the imperial grandeur of the buildings that were once institutions of power are slowly fading into oblivion. Some of the monuments and buildings have been damaged or refurbished, while others have simply vanished.

“Shimla is far from the city the British had visualised. Its glorious past is now history. So many relics have disappeared - either stolen or damaged,” MR Kaundal, an octogenarian who has been settled in Shimla since 1950, said.

“The hydrants, once used to clean the Mall and the Ridge, are either missing or have been rendered useless. Even stately emblems, which once adorned the majestic banisters along the buildings housing government offices, have disappeared,” he added. — IANS

Nurpur, June 19
The Regional Water Sports Centre, Pong Dam reservoir, in lower Kangra district, imparted special training in water disaster management to eight Deputy Superintendent of Polices in Police Training College, Daroh. The training for the DSPs took place between June 3 and 10. The centre has been imparting such trainings to the HPS probation officers for the past four years.

Rakesh Kumar, trainer-cum-inspector of the centre, said the probation officers first learnt swimming to dispel water apprehension and anxiety. “They are imparted special lifesaving and rescue training followed by river crossing and river rafting. Apart from this, the centre is also imparting technical know-how of repelling, climbing, country boating and kayaking requisite in rescue operation during floods,” he said.

This is the first government sector water sports centre in the country where basic to advance water sports activities are available. Moreover, the non-polluted Pong Lake where the centre has been established is the lone manmade water body in the North India where all requisite infrastructures with normal temperature round the year is available. This centre is also imparting water sports training to the trainees of Indian Air Force, Para-military forces, NDA, and Indian Military Academy, Dehradoon, and Coastal Guards.

I had served in Mandi district for more than three years, still had no chance of visiting Janjheli. This time I got the opportunity and when I reached there, I was stunned by the beauty that Mother Nature had poured on this child of hers. I felt like amending Khushwant Singh who had once commented: ‘See Muscat, the capital of Oman, before you se’. I say the same for Janjheli that falls in Saraj area of Mandi district.

My camera clicked one of the many villages which appeared to me as emerging out of picture postcards (See photo). The village is still an unpolluted one -no modern structure to nip the eye. The river Bakhli that rises in the Magru range runs through the village to meet the Beas at Bakhal. Ripened wheat and potato shrubs give yellow and green tinge respectively to the plain, terraced fields. A small bridge over Bakhli adds to the enchantment. I stood mesmerised. This and many, many more villages present vistas of unparalleled beauty.

Jahangir’s words: ‘Agar Firdaus bar ru-e-zamin ast, Hami ast o-hami ast o-hami ast’ - ‘If there is ever a heaven on earth, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here’ came to my mind. I wanted to know the expressions of other visitors to the place. One has blogged: “Everyone wants to see heaven but no one wants to die. This maxim no longer seems to be rational because heaven has landed here on earth for you and me to admire. At a mere distance of 67 km from Mandi lies a paradise by the name of Janjheli. Beautiful is an understatement of sorts while one is describing the breathtaking vistas of this hilly pocket.” The other one says: “Break free from the spell of modernity and rejuvenate your senses amidst the lavishness of Mother Nature.”

Saraj was earlier part of Kullu but Raja Sahib Sen (AD 1554) of Mandi assisted Raja Jagat Singh of Kullu in an attack on the Raja of Lag valley. At the partition of territory after the victory, Mandi received what is known as Saraj Mandi and Kullu took the portion which goes by the name of Saraj Kullu (Ani etc.). The Rajas of Mandi ran the administration of Saraj through the Wazirs. The death of Wazir Uttam Singh in 1888 spread discontent among the people here because they had no liking for Jawahir Lal, freshly appointed Wazir by Raja Bijai Sen of Mandi. A disturbance broke out there. District Gazetteer of 1920 reads: ‘The Raja, therefore, asked for the assistance of a British officer, and HJ Maynard, ICS, was appointed for a year. Sardar Jawala Singh was at the same time appointed to the office of Wazir.”

The Saraj area also witnessed another disturbance in June 1893. This time it was because of the said use of buffalo lymph for vaccination purposes and that resulted in the exit of Jawala Singh’s Waziri and Udham Singh’s entry. Janjheli Saraj is now a development block where sits the Block Development Officer.

At the entry of Janjheli, by the side of the main road, there is a huge rock stationed on another rock buried on earth. It is said to have been placed there by Pandav Bhim and it fulfils all your wishes when you throw a stone at it. I am a non-believer but I threw a stone and wished too. What attracted me was that this huge rock, called Pandav Shila, feebly sways to and fro with a slight push. I enjoyed its tango.

Does natural beauty provide a sense of aesthetics to people? I do not know but I saw well-designed, exquisitely wood-carved temples of Mahakali-Lambodar, Shiva and Vishnu temples at Kelodhar, Bagsiad and Janjheli respectively. The temple at Janjheli is still incomplete but the folkish-wood carving is par-excellence (See photo). The Shesh Nag depicts that the temple is of Lord Vishnu but the snakes are carved in almost all the temples and the hill people worship them as the weather-gods of the hills, the creators of the springs, streams and lakes. Janjheli shall stay with me as joy forever.

Hamirpur, June 19
The work on a parking complex, being constructed adjacent to the Hamirpur DC office, has been stuck due to paucity of funds.

The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (HPTDC), the agency which is undertaking this project, has reportedly sent a communication to the contractor to wait for some time for completing this work.

A major portion of about Rs 2 crore received by the State Tourism Department from the Centre under the Integrated Tourist Circuit Plan had already been exhausted and the state would have to provide additional funds to complete the complex.

Residents of Hamirpur town are eagerly waiting for the completion of the parking complex.

Chief Minister PK Dhumal had laid the foundation stone of this parking on November 2, 2009, and the government was planning to complete the work by the end of May this year and get it inaugurated from the Chief Minister himself. Even Dhumal himself had shown much interest in completing the parking complex at the earliest. The execution of the work on the project was initially delayed for some time as the architects, entrusted with the job of designing the parking, had prepared a plan of an ambitious multi-storeyed parking complex for which about Rs 11 crore was required.

The HPTDC has now made a request for providing an additional Rs 26 lakh for completing the project. DC, Hamirpur, Rajinder Singh Thakur said, “It is not in my knowledge that the parking work had been stuck due to paucity of funds. However, the matter will be taken up with the state government.”

A three-day art exhibition at the Gaiety Theatre showcased the efforts of two local girls who have managed to exploit the commercial potential of their skill (See photo).

The works of Deepa Seth, a trained artist and Payal Bambah, who has been pursuing fine art as a hobby, provided quite a contrast. Pursuing different styles, both have managed to make their passion into a lucrative profession. Both of them have captured the beauty of nature on canvas with Deepa excelling in landscapes and Payal using abstract and modern art using birds, flowers and other features as symbols.

With her deft brushwork and by infusing human emotions, Deepa has lent a mystic charm to her landscapes. She also specialises in murals and two of her murals adorn the entrance to the Himachal Vidhan Sabha complex. She is now a well-established professional artist and works mostly in Delhi.

Nurpur, June 19
The Himachal Pradesh Ex-servicemen League has strongly supported carving out new districts from the biggest district, Kangra. They underlined the need to declare Dharamsala a second capital of the state for bringing administrative equivalence in the hill state.

Major Vijay Singh Mankotia (Retd), state president of the league and a former minister, who recently visited the place to support “Nurpur Zila Banao Sangharsh Samiti”, lambasted politicians who are opposing the creation of new districts under the pretext of division of biggest and political significant Kangra district.

He said the future generations would not forgive them as they were just opposing it with their political motives by ignoring basic reasons.

“It is shameful that Kangra is considered most significant and biggest district in the state but it is the most industrial backward district in the state. The information procured by him under RTI Act also reveals that two biggest districts Kangra and Mandi, comprising 15 and 10 Assembly segments, have the lowest per capita income across the state,” he said.

He alleged that the biggest size of Kangra district had become a curse for the economic growth of its people and creation of new districts from it could only save it for further economic fall.

He attributed the present state of affairs of Kangra district to the failure of the people who had not generated a leader but only elected MLAs and MPs from the district. He urged the Chief Minister PK Dhumal to kick start the exercise of creating new district without further delay and to declare Dharamsala as the second capital.

He also demanded to set up divisional high court bench and open office of the Additional Chief Secretary at Dharamsala so that people from maximum districts could be benefited.

Shimla, June 19
The state government has decided to set up a centre for science learning and creativity at Shoghi, near here, for popularising science and environment education among students. The centre would be set up with the assistance of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali.

Stating this while speaking at a function organised by the State Council for Science, Technology and Environment to webcast the celestial event ‘Transit of Venus’, chief secretary Sudripta Roy said a virtual centre for science learning and creativity facility had already been set up till the proposed centre started functioning. It would help students understand the finer details of scientific phenomena, besides broadening their scientific vision. The students could interact with their counterparts in other states through the web portal and seek answers to their queries from scientists.

Roy said the council was making earnest efforts to develop techniques and tools for better governance and provide updated information for chalking out developmental strategies. It was organising various events to develop scientific temper among students and endeavours had contributed in enhancing the existing knowledge levels.

He also gave away prizes to the students who prepared outstanding models in the exhibition held on “Transit of Venus”.

Sonika, Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Lakkar Bazaar, Tapinder, GSSS, Fagli, Rishabh, Himalayan Public School, Kaithu, and Himanshu Thakur, SVN Himrashmi Parisar bagged the first, second, third and consolation prizes, respectively.

Bilaspur, June 19
Anurag Thakur Hamirpur MP and national president of the Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha has given a call to the youth to ensure that the BJP is brought back to power in the state under its “Mission Repeat.” He also said the UPA government at the Centre required to be replaced by the BJP-led NDA if this country is to be saved from impending economic disaster.

Addressing a public meeting in the presence of his Chief Minister father Prof Prem Kumar Dhumal at Jukhala recently Thakur said despite various financial difficulties and problems, the BJP government has made a sort of record by bagging 66 prestigious awards in various fields of activity.

He said the UPA government had increased petrol prices 14 times during the past 12 months and had made the life of common masses difficult.

Thakur said it was the BJP government which increased social service pension from mere Rs 50 to Rs 400 and increased daily wage from mere Rs 75 to Rs 130 and which brought benefit of Rs 4,000 crore to the state in Bhakra Dam project by pursuing this case properly in the Supreme Court.

Thakur said the Congress had been pursuing the policy of dividing people on the basis of region, religion and caste, while the BJP had been following the policy of faster development of its people so that their economic standards are improved and their youths can get suitable employment by equipping themselves with necessary academic and technical qualifications. Opening of 12 universities in four years was the result of this positive pro-youth policy of the Dhumal government, he asserted.

He said it was due to this policy that this government provided employment to 30,000 youths during the past four years, while the former Congress government could provide employment only to 3,000 youths in five years.

He announced that lakhs of youths would come to the roads in the entire country on June 22 on Yuva Morcha call of “Jail Bharo Andolan” with a view to removing Congress governments from states and the Centre while the “Congress Hatao-Desh Bachao” agitation was presently going on.

Palampur, June 19
Every year hundreds of people die in road mishaps in Himachal Pradesh. Difficulty topography was considered one of the factors responsible for heavy number of casualties. Every third day fatal accidents are reported from different parts of the state.

Despite ever increasing accidents in the state, the government has failed to check overloading tucks to ply on roads. Travelling on roof top of buses is yet another menace that the government has failed to curb.

Though the government is well conversant with the situation, 98 per cent of the total population of the state is dependent on road transport. The safety of passenger has completely been neglected and overloading and roof travelling has become a common feature in rural areas of the state.

Last year the government constituted a high-level panel to distribute quick relief to the accident victims. It is surprising that instead of initiating corrective measures, like improving narrow curves, widening roads, keeping checks on roof travelling and overloading in buses, banning the use of cell phones while driving, the government anticipated rise in accidents and preferred to go ahead for a relief panel.

Perhaps, Himachal Pradesh is the only state in the country with an Accident Relief Panel.

The government spends over Rs 2,500 crore in construction and maintenance of roads in the state per year. Yet the condition of most of the internal roads remains bad. Though there has been manifold increase in light and heavy vehicles in the state in the past five years, the state government failed to improve the roads accordingly. The width of most of the internal roads is same as it was 30 years ago.

Though the state government has announced various steps for the widening of roads, but little improvement has been done. Even the condition of national and state highways is no better. In the absence of administrative and political will, most of the road projects initiated under the Central government funded plan have been hanging fire.

Rampant corruption prevailing in the State Public Works Department is one of the major factors for delay in the completion of road projects. According to official sources, 50 road projects launched under the PMGSY or other Central-sponsored schemes have been either left halfway or delayed due to the lukewarm attitude of PWD officials.

According to official figures in the past eight years, over 6,000 people in the state have lost their lives in different road accidents. Around 45,000 
were injured.

The government orders probe after every accident but no follow-up is taken on such cases.

Dalhousie, June 19
The six-day International Students Summer Camp organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) of the Union Ministry of External Affairs concluded in a promising note at the youth hostel here last week.

The ICCR organises such programmes to encourage cultural exchange between nations. Thirty-two students from eight countries, including 12 girls, attended the camp. The students came from Afghanistan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

During this camp, the foreigners visited Chamba, Khajjiar, Kalatop, Dainkund and Chamera Lake and took part in rock climbing and river crossing activities. The valedictory function was held at Kathlog village. The students got the chance to taste Himachali cuisine, which is locally known as ‘dhaam’.

The foreigners interacted with the villagers and enjoyed Himachali dance performed by village children. The students from Afghanistan and Nepal also performed their regional dance. 

Palampur, June 19
Shubham Thakur, a third year veterinary science student of HP Agril University, put his training at his best by saving an injured eagle in spite of the fact that he had to appear in final examination yesterday.

The helpless bird was lying on the road near Vikram Batra Stadium. It would have been crushed under speeding vehicle or eaten by dogs if the student hasn’t saved it. Nobody dared to touch the bird because it was in pain and was attacking everyone coming near to it with its sharp claws and beak.

Shubham was also injured in an attempt to catch the bird. He immediately contacted Dr RS Kishtwaria, a wildlife expert and an active member of PWEPF. Dr Kishtwaria treated the bird and advised that it should be kept under observation at Veterinary Clinic.

He said the bird was struck by electric wire and but was stable after the treatment. After complete recovery, the bird would be released or sent to the Gopalpur Rescue Centre.

Shimla, June 19
Even in her wildest dreams she could never imagine that her life would take such a turn-that she would be acting on screen.

For Shivani Sharma, it was her daughter’s role in a film “Akkad Bakkad Bam Be Bo” which landed her the lead role. Shivani, a wife and mother of two girls, suddenly discovered the hidden talent in herself-acting. Till now, she was leading a happy life with her daughters, Siddhatri, Swadha, and her husband, Rajesh Sharma.

“Since my daughter Siddharti along with three other children were chosen to act in a film after they emerged winners at the “Danace Mania” show held here, I used to accompany her to shooting locations. That is how the offer came my way,” said Shivani. She said the script of the film, which was released all over the country on March 16, required an actor for the role of a teacher around whom the story revolves.

“Since, I was always there on shooting locations, the film unit felt that I suited the role,” she said. She admitted that she doesn’t have any prior acting experience, but she agreed as she wanted to venture into something new. She already has a second children’s film “Chu Chu Ka Murabb” in her kitty. The second film too is being produced by JSR production and directed and produced by Dwep Raj Kochhar.

The film “Akkad Bakkad Bam Be Bo” is a film about the 11 children whose parents are lodged in jail for having committed different crimes. The teacher, played by Shivani, nurtures and guides them so that they can come up in life despite all adversity. “I could relate well with the film as I am so involved with my children that I understand their psychology and needs, which helped me give a good performance,” she said.

Interestingly, the film which has other Bollywood actors like Mukesh Khanna, Raju Kehr, Beeju Khote, Avtaar Gill, Rakesh Bedi, Sonika Gill has about 11 children from Shimla and other parts of Himachal acting in it. The film has been shot at various locations, including Shimla, Kullu-Manali, Chandigarh, Solan and other parts of Punjab.

“The film, a comedy thriller, was well received all over the country as I thoroughly enjoyed doing it as it has a message for both parents and children and their upbringing,” said Shivani. She is now looking forward to her second film, whose shooting will start shortly.