Shimla, June 25
The government is planning to register an FIR in the contentious phone tapping case. It is also contemplating obtaining a prosecution sanction in the case filed against former Health Minister and BJP legislator Rajeev Bindal.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who returned here today after almost a month of hectic campaigning for the Mandi Lok Sabha bypoll, had a detailed discussion on the phone tapping issue with senior officials. Chief Secretary Sudripta Roy and Principal Secretary (Home) Tarun Sridhar briefed him about the inquiry report submitted by the Vigilance Bureau.

The FIR is likely to be registered for violation of the Indian Telegraph Act and the Information Technology Act only after a nod is given by the Home Department. The Congress after assuming power on December 25, 2012, had seized the hard discs of all computers of the CID and Vigilance wings and sent them for forensic analysis to check if phones were tapped illegally.

Senior officials of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, including Additional Director General of Police Prthivi Raj and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Anand Pratap Singh, apprised the Chief Minister of the inquiry report.

Sources said an FIR could be registered in the phone tapping case in the near future. “The onus for phone tapping clearly lies on the CID. But we are waiting for the inquiry to get over to ascertain as to who was/were directly responsible for the act,” said officials. The Vigilance team also discussed the issue of obtaining prosecution sanction from the Principal Secretary (Urban Development) to proceed in the case against Bindal, said sources.

While the BJP was in power, the Vigilance Bureau had sought prosecution sanction from Speaker Tulsi Ram, who had turned it down. After the Congress took over the reins in December 2012, the Vigilance Bureau withdrew the challan from the court on the plea for undertaking some additional investigation. 

Mandi/Baksiad, June 25
Flash floods triggered by a cloud burst in the Fraili range in Seraj today damaged over 50 apple orchards, flooded 17 houses and washed away six foot bridges. The main Baksiad bridge has also been washed away, cutting off the area from the district headquarters.

Heavy rains, lasting for over six hours, were triggered by a cloudburst on Monday midnight in the Fraili range. It resulted in a flash flood in Jawalkhad. “Mud and debris flooded 50 orchards and 17 houses in Raidhar, Jawal, Dansal and Salvar in Sharan Kanda and Sharan Bakshiad panchayats and washed away many foot bridges in the area,” said district officials.

Though no casualty has been reported so far, the district administration has evacuated the stranded Shikara Devi pilgrims by restoring transportation by relocating buses from the breached bridge. The Janjheli-Chatri-Karsog road is open and pilgrims are taking this route as well, said rescue team officials. Orchardists said the flood and slush had ruined their apple crop. “It is difficult to cross the stream which is in a spate. The foot bridges should be laid on priority,” said Devinder Singh and Jagdish, residents of Baksiad.

Schools closed

Mandi DC Devesh Kumar today ordered the closure of all schools at Thunag tehsil in Seraj in Gohar subdivision from today till June 27. The order followed as landslides caused by heavy rains have disturbed normal life in the area.

Shimla, June 25
Over 2,000 residents of Skiba village in Morang tehsil of the rain-ravaged Kinnaur district are a worried lot. The village has started sinking after a huge landslide caused by flood waters. The only road linking the village to the national highway has also been washed away.

Panchayat pradhan Dhanmala Negi said some houses had already developed cracks and as a result their occupants had been shifted and lodged in a local school building. There were over 450 houses in the village and around 150 of these were in the danger zone.

With the 5-km link road being washed away, it would be very difficult to provide outside help to the village in case of an eventuality. The villagers were trying to divert the water entering the village from the hill side. However, there would be a problem if the region received more rain.

The panchayat head said landslides triggered by heavy rain and unusual snow had wiped out a majority of the orchards. Over 20,000 fruit trees had perished. It would hit the growers hard, she said.

Border Roads Organisation (BRO) engineers, who have already started work for the restoration of the main highway, plan to use geo-textiles to stabilise the sliding strata. Traditional methods in the cold desert area would not work, they said.

An IAF helicopter, meanwhile, today airlifted 95 persons, including six tourists, from Sangla. Of them, 81 were airlifted to Hango Chuling and 14 to Rampur.

Tehsildar, Sangla, Rajpal Bhardwaj said all stranded persons had been evacuated and now flights would be arranged only in case of an emergency situation.

Helicopters also airlifted electronic voting machines, polling teams and other material to Nako, Sangla and some other places. Polling teams have left for the respective polling booths where voting will be held on June 27.

Shimla, June 25
IAF helicopters airlifted 138 more persons today virtually evacuating all stranded persons in Kinnaur district, except Chuling where the aircraft could not land.

In all 1,399 stranded persons, mostly tourists, have been evacuated. The government had requisitioned a smaller helicopter for Chuling, but could not reach today due to inclement weather. Today 95 persons were airlifted from Sangla, 18 from Gyabang, nine from Reckong Peo and 16 from Pooh.

P Mitra, Additional Chief Secretary, Revenue, said in pursuance of directions issued by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh to speed up relief and rehabilitation efforts, Rs 28 crore had been released as an immediate relief measure. A sum of Rs 21.5 crore had been released for Kinnaur and Rs 1.5 crore each for districts of Kullu, Mandi, Sirmaur and Chamba. The estimated loss had been put at around Rs 2,575 crore.

Instructions had been issued to all Deputy Commissioners to provide immediate relief to all affected persons and all departments had been directed to activate their field machinery to provide succour to the people and provide detailed assessment of loss.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) also evacuated people from other places through pedestrian paths and transshipment at blockade points. Further, nine Horticulture Extension Officers had been airlifted to different parts of the district to assist farmers in restoration of their damaged plants along with insecticides and pesticides.

As per the latest update, the road from the Akpa Bridge to the Kiran-Khud and Sumdo-Kaza-Gramphoo axis had been restored. The road to Skiba village, along with the national highway, had sunk. The Kharo road too had been badly damaged. As per the assessment of the Border Road Organisation (BRO), most of the sections of the roads would be restored in another one week.

Palampur, June 25
Heavy rains and flash floods in the past two days have resulted in a loss of Rs 15 crore to the state Public Works Department (PWD) in Palampur and Baijnath divisions.

In Palampur division, Palampur, Bhawarna and Daroh areas are the worst hit where several roads, culverts and bridges have suffered extensive damage. Many roads in these areas have been washed away.

A PWD senior official said the department had restored the vehicular traffic today on all affected roads in Palampur. Besides, heavy machinery and equipment had been pressed into service to remove the debris due to landslides.

In Baijnath division, the Chhota Bhangal area had borne the maximum brunt of the rain fury. Here half-a-dozen roads were still closed. The Bir-Billing Road leading to international paragliding take-off point had been washed away at multiple points.

Apart from this, he said, a number of roads in the upper areas of Baijnath had suffered damage in the flash floods. The roads and retaining walls in the Bir, Gunehar, Deol and Chadhiar areas had suffered heavy damage.

The PWD had made elaborate arrangements to fight the monsoon fury. Over 12 JCB machines had been kept standby at various strategic points to meet any eventuality.

Hamirpur, June 25
Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) ID Lakhanpal said as many as 200 hand pumps had been installed in the Badsar Assembly constituency by the ruling Congress regime to supply clean drinking water in the area.

Addressing a public meeting after inaugurating an animal dispensary at Dhangota, Lakhnapal said more hand pumps would be coming up in areas facing shortage of drinking water.

He said the state government was committed to the welfare of people of the state and making every effort to fulfill promises made to the people in the election manifesto. The focus is on uniform development in every part of the state, said the CPS.

Talking about welfare measures adopted by the state government, Lakhanpal said Rs 15 crore was being spent on the repair and maintenance of the roads in the Badsar Assembly constituency. All ‘kucha’ roads of the constituency would be carpeted in a phased manner.

The CPS said Rs 2.16 crore had been sanctioned for the Jhangiani bridge and Rs 6 crore for the Saheli-Behad bridge. A detailed project report had been prepared and work would begin soon.

Solan, June 25
With the European Commission (EC) having imposed a fine of Euro 10.32 million (over Rs 80 crore) on Ranbaxy Laboratories for delaying the market entry of cheaper generic versions of Danish company Lundbeck’s branded citalopram, an anti-depressant, along with eight other pharmaceutical companies last week, a team of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) inspected its Paonta Sahib-based unit to take stock of the situation.

Ravinder Chawdhary, Assistant Drug Licensing Authority, said a team of CDSCO officials had visited the Paonta Sahib-based Ranbaxy Laboratories’ manufacturing facility last week and they had deputed field officials to assist the team.

When asked if any action was contemplated against the unit following the fine by the EC, he said they were awaiting the inspection report of the CDSCO and action would depend on its finding.

The EC had said after Lundbeck’s basic patent for the citalopram molecule had expired, it only held some related process patents which provided a limited protection. Producers of cheaper, generic versions of citalopram, therefore, had the possibility to enter the market. But nine pharma companies, including India's Ranbaxy, paid Euros 146 million to other companies for blocking the supply of a cheaper anti-depressant to the market. Consumers thus ended up paying as much as 20 per cent extra for these drugs, the EC said.

The CDSCO was now enquiring into this aspect after having received a communication from the EC. Sources said Ranbaxy could face action, including the suspension of its licence, if the CDSCO found irregularities in its operations.

The emergence of this case has exposed how pharmaceutical companies form a cartel to control market share while the consumer’s interest, like the availability of affordable medicines, takes a backseat.

Since a drug becomes cheaper after the expiry of its patent period and its manufacture as a generic drug, it directly affects the trade margins of the manufacturers, leading to unethical practices.

It remains to be seen what action the CDSCO takes against Ranbaxy Laboratories though the company has decided to appeal the decision of the EC.

Shimla, June 25
The Himachal Pradesh High Court (HC) has granted three months to the Shimla Municipal Corporation (MC) to frame bylaws for collecting house tax as per the new system of the unit area method.

The order was passed yesterday on an application filed by the MC for extension of time. While allowing the plea of the MC, the court extended the time for framing the by laws till September 30.

During the course of hearing, the counsel for the MC informed the court that as per the earlier order passed by this court it had started collecting taxes on the basis of the old unamended provisions and had also taken steps against the defaulters. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice Kuldip Singh directed the commissioner to file an affidavit in this regard.

As per old provisions, the liability of house owners/occupants was defined as 15 per cent of the annual rental value of the land. However, a new amendment came into effect from February 20, 2012. As per the new amendment, the tax liability was to be assessed on the basis of the unit area method. But it would be possible only after the bylaws were framed.

In its earlier order, the court had directed the MC to frame bylaws within a month. The MC, however, sought more time on the assertion that it had already pursued the matter with the state government for amendment in the relevant provision of the HP Municipal Act for framing the bylaws.

Shimla, June 25
The SFI today lodged its strong opposition to the new Choice-Based Credit System (CBCS) being implemented in various colleges, and decided to hold a statewide protest tomorrow against the anti-student move.

The SFI activists wore black badges in protest against the semester system under the CBCS which students are being forced to opt for. “The new system will close all channels of higher education for poor students, especially those from rural backgrounds, and under no circumstances will the SFI allow this,” said Kapil Bhardwaj and Khushi Verma, SFI leaders. — TNS

Hamirpur, June 25
The Hamirpur police has arrested a husband-mother duo for the abetment to Priyanka's suicide at Bhota village.

Baldev Singh, father of the deceased, said his daughter Priyanka was married to Som Dutt about a year ago. He alleged that after marriage, her husband Som Dutt and his mother Gaytri Devi started torturing her demanding dowry as a result of which Priyanka allegedly ended her life yesterday. The police has registered a case under Sections 498-A, 306 and 34, IPC. — TNS