Shimla, June 20
Rescue and relief operations finally got a momentum today with Indian Air Force helicopters and state helicopter making 13 sorties to evacuate over 300 persons stranded in Sangla, Reckong Peo, Pooh and Nako.

The Nathpa Jhakri and Karcham Wangtu power projects resumed generation as discharge in the Sutlej fell to 650 cumecs and the level of silt also declined to 3,500 ppm (parts per million).

The authorities also air-dropped food, clothing and other items at Gyabang where a large number of nomadic shepherds were trapped. A team of the National Disaster Response Force was dispatched to Ropa to locate 12 shepherds who were reported to be missing along with their livestock.

As many as 24 persons were airlifted from Sangla, followed by 121 from Reckong Peo, 36 from Pooh and 20 from Nako. However, there were still about 450 persons stranded at these places. The authorities were yet to reach a large number of tourists stranded in places like Raksham in the Sangla valley and Chhatru in Lahaul.

Anju Juneja, a tourist from Panchkula, said on the telephone that she had been stuck in Raksham along with about 100 tourists since Saturday. They did not have woollens and food.

The stranded former BJP MLA Hridaya Ram reached Gramphoo from Kaza by walking about 60 km. He said he was at Kaza, along with party workers, for campaigning when the area received unexpected snow.

Meanwhile, the authorities were facing difficulty in arranging adequate JCBs to clear the blockades as large stretches of roads have been washed away. JCBs of private companies had also been damaged or located at places from where these could not be deployed at the affected places. It may take more than a week to resume the movement of men and material through the national highway.

Mandi, June 20
Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today released Rs 10 crore to provide immediate relief to victims and the Border Roads Organisation for the restoration work on the Hindustan-Tibet Road till Reckong Peo and airlifting of 400 stranded persons in the next two days.

Reviewing a high-level officials' meeting here today, the Chief Minister said Rs 3.50 crore had been sanctioned for Kinnaur district, Rs 1.50 crore each for Mandi, Sirmaur, Kullu and Chamba districts and Rs 50 lakh for Lahaul-Spiti district.

He said life was disrupted in Kinnaur and Sirmaur districts which received 1,229 per cent and 798 per cent above normal rainfall. He directed the departments to restore roads, electricity and water supply in the affected areas.

He directed officials to ensure a supply of essential commodities, LPG cylinders, kerosene, petrol and diesel in the affected areas and evacuate the stranded tourists and other people on a war footing.

He said 279 people had been airlifted, while another 400 were expected to be rescued in the next two days from Kinnaur and Kaza.

Kaul Singh Thakur, Revenue and Health Minister, also revealed that two disaster units had been set up at the IGMC, Shimla, and DRPGMC, Tanda, and DCs had been directed to assess the losses and ensure immediate relief.

Chief Secretary S Roy said relief and rescue operations were being monitored and the Superintending Engineer, PWD, had been stationed at Reckong Peo. Besides, two officials were assisting the Kinnaur administration and food and other assistance were being provided to the stranded persons at relief camps.

BRO Chief Engineer B Kataria said the road to Reckong Peo would be opened to vehicular traffic within three days, while the Tapri-Powari road would be opened tomorrow. He said Wangtu-Karchham, Pooh-Samdoh and Samdoh-Kaza-Gramphu roads would be opened by June 22.

Kullu, June 20
John Sims, Managing Director, Himalayan Ski Village, today shot off a letter to former Chief Minister PK Dhumal, accusing him of spreading misinformation at public meetings he had been addressing for the Mandi byelection for the past few days.

In a signed letter, a copy of which is in the possession of The Tribune, Sims alleged that the former Chief Minister was misleading the public.

Dhumal had told public gatherings that the BJP had opposed the ski village as locals were opposing it and accused the Congress of proposing the project.

Sims claimed that no forest land had been allotted by the government, leave alone 6,000 bighas as pointed out by Dhumal. “We neither proposed to make artificial snow on 600 acres that will pollute water and nor to sell 300 villas to foreigners as we are a tourism company not a real estate one. We only proposed to sell shares to properties like Club Mahindra, Sterling Holiday Resorts etc which is legal,” Sims claimed.

The project would affect 60,000 acres and the Congress was allotting 6000 bighas of land to the company was false, Sims said. The Congress had never allotted land to the company till date and it needed only 17.5 hectares of government land for the project, he added.

Sims claimed that no hotel would come up on forest land, which would have only aerial ropeway and gondolas. Nobody would be displaced and no religious place was touched by the ski village.

He said the ski village fell in the Palchan panchayat, not in Rohtang-Chandra Khani and would feature Kullu haat for artisans, give Rs 50 crore revenue to the government every year, employ 3,500 people and provide world standards skiing facilities and Apollo-like health institution in Manali.

Sims said, "Tenders for the Rohtang ropeway, Bijli Mahadev and other places were awarded during your tenure without studying the problem of locals. Tell us your real concern about the ski village so that they make adjustments in it,” he asked Dhumal.

Solan, June 20
With the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) fixing the price of 151 drug formulations after they were notified among 346 essential formulations on May 15, consumers will finally benefit by the availability of cheaper drugs under the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy, 2013.

This was the first batch of 151 formulations, the price of which has been fixed as per the Drug Price Control Order, 2013. The new price will come into effect within 45 days of the notification of the NPPA, which was June 14.

While drug manufacturers have been refraining from manufacturing drugs that figure in the essential list, the measure helps provide essential medicines to consumers at cheaper rates.

As per the NPPA notification, those manufacturing these formulations will have to revise the maximum retail price if it is higher than the ceiling price fixed by the NPPA. The manufacturers may add local taxes only if they have paid to the government on the ceiling price mentioned in the new order.

The ceiling on prices has been based on the simple average of the prices of all brands of that drug which have a market share of at least 1 per cent. The national list of the essential medicines lists 348 bulk drugs, which are sold as 650 formulations.

In case a manufacturer wants to discontinue the manufacture of these drugs at the prices notified by the NPPA, he will have to inform the authority at least six months prior to the date of the intended discontinuation. The manufacturer not complying with the ceiling price and notes specified in the notification will be liable to deposit overcharged amount, along with interest, under the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, read in the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.

SL Singla, president, Himachal Drug Manufacturers Association, said a realistic price had been fixed by the authority that would be favourable to small as well as big manufactures.

Since this formula has been adopted for the first time, it has helped fix prices that are acceptable to the industry while providing relief to the common man.

Bilaspur, June 20
A team of the Excise and Taxation Department impounded a truck carrying material worth lakhs from outside the state without any valid papers at a naka near Jamli, 20 km from here, last night.

The truck was carrying rubber for retreading tyres worth Rs 6 lakh without any valid papers.

The team also charged Rs 2.35 lakh as tax and penalty from the trader driving the truck.

Led by Excise and Taxation Officer Lalit Poswal, the team consisted of Assistant Excise and Taxation Officials VS Mankotia and Tilak Raj.

Reports said the truck was on its way to Bilaspur from Chandigarh. — OC

Kangra, June 20
Padma Shri Dr Ananda Shankar Jayant is an inspiration for cancer patients throughout the world. She has fought breast cancer with her determination and dedication towards her dance. She gave a spellbinding performance at DRPGMC, Tanda, yesterday.

Ananda’s dance performance was organised by the Society for Promotion of Indian Classical Music and Culture Amongst Youth (SpicMacay).

Principal Anil Chauhan said the college had been regularly conducting cultural programmes by renowned artistes.

He said Ananda had undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy just like any other cancer patient, but despite the weakening effect of the treatment, she persisted in dancing.

He said she forced her doctors to reschedule their treatment according to her dance routine. It was her love and passion for dancing that saved her from the clutches of cancer and she presented herself to the world once again as a magnificent dancer. Her talk on cancer was one of the 12 most inspiring talks on Youtube, Dr Chauhan said.

Ananda was welcomed by nursing students of the college and the programme was conducted by the Students’ Central Association, DRPGMC, in association with SpicMacay.

A quiz on cancer was also organised on the occasion. The first prize was won by a team of interns.

Dr Chauhan thanked the artiste for paying a visit to the college. He said she had already become a role model for patients and families of cancer patients. He also said the super-specialty wing of the college was going to be completed at Tanda, which had a separate wing for the cancer patients.

Hamirpur, June 20
District Food Safety Officer Atul Kayastha intercepted a milk supplying van in Hamirpur today and took samples of milk, ghee and curd being supplied by a supplier from Punjab.

The milk van was stopped near the Bhota Chowk at about 6.30 am.

Kayastha said, “Eight samples of pasteurised standard and toned milk, curd and ghee were collected and have been sent to the state laboratory at Kandaghat for scientific analysis.”

The department had also drawn samples of tea leaves, vinegar and ghee etc at many places during the past few days.

Hamirpur, June 20
The Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Hamirpur, will start its new batch of the Hunar Se Rozgar Tak programme soon.

PK Gupta, Principal, IHM, said candidates for this course were selected on the first-come first-serve basis and should be in the age-group of 18-28 years with middle school qualification.

He said he had so far conducted batches in food production, two batches in food and beverage service programmes and one batch each in bakery, skill testing and certification. These courses are fully funded by the Union Ministry of Tourism. — TNS