The Indian Express                 14.03.2013

24 new complaints received at Panchkula grievances redressal committee meet

From power outages to land encroachments and missing names in the below poverty list (BPL) the residents of Panchkula had all sorts of complaints at the district public relations and grievances redressal committee meet here on Wednesday. The meet was presided over by chief parliamentary secretary, Jaleb Khan.

At the meet, nine complaints were disposed off from a list of 15 complaints, while 24 fresh complaints were also received at the meet. Prem Chand, a resident of Raipurani, said that his name does not figure in the BPL list following which the instructions were issued to the officials to look into the matter. A resident of Toda, Ram Chander, complained that he has not received his old age pension for the last one year.

In the meet the villagers of Bakshiwala complained about the problem of low voltage of electricity. The officials however informed the meet that electricity poles have been erected in the village and work will be completed in a month.

However the villagers said that no such work has been started. At the meet, the chief parliamentary secretary asked for an inquiry into the matter and directed that a report be prepared on it in a week's time.

On complaint of a resident of village Morni of unathorised possession of his land, Khan directed that a joint committee of officers of the forest department and the district revenue officer (DRO) should look into the matter. He asked for the submitting of a report on the matter in the next meet.

At the meet Jaleb Khan directed the officials to look into the grievances of the people on priority.

The residents also complained that the power transmission system in some of the villages was decrepit and needs immediate upgradation. Residents from Morni complained of water shortage in their areas.

Among others who were present in the meeting include MLA Panchkula, D K Bansal, Chairman Zila Parishad, Rajesh Kona, Deputy Commissioner of Panchkula, Ashima Brar, and deputy commissioner of police, Ashwin Shenvi.

At the meet Khan also directed the officers to listen to the complaints of people sincerely and also redress the same in a time bound manner. He said that priority should be given towards the implementation of welfare schemes being run by the state government so that the benefit of these schemes could reach the actual beneficiaries.

The Indian Express                 14.03.2013

Pimpri-Chinchwad civic body steps up to do its bit for ailing antibiotics firm

Ten days after Newsline highlighted the plight of the country's first penicillin factory, a dream project of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has decided to do its bit to bail out the ailing pharma PSU.

The PCMC will place orders for seven medicines from Hindustan Antibiotics (HA), Pimpri without calling for tenders.

"As of now, we have decided to purchase seven medicines without tenders," said Municipal Commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi, who added, "Hindustan Antibiotics is a national unit and we will do our best to help it at a time when it is going through a crisis."

On Tuesday, the civic chief held a meeting with HA management, HA union leaders and a couple of local corporators and conveyed PCMC's intention.

On March 4, Newsline reported that HA had run out of cash to pay salary to employees and purchase raw material. The report highlighted how the PCMC medical department had consistently been refusing to purchase medicines from HA or the civic-run YCM hospital. HA officials alleged that whenever they approached PCMC, officials demanded kickbacks including tickets to Singapore.

When Newsline had brought this to the notice of the municipal commissioner on March 3, he had said he was not aware of any such thing, but would do his best during his tenure to help the institute that has given Pimpri Chinchwad global fame.

The death of Gandhiji's wife Kasturba Gandhi in Pune in 1944 of complications that could have been prevented by penicillin is believed to have prompted Pandit Nehru, when he wanted the factory to be set up after Independence, to locate it in Pimpri.

In Tuesday's meeting, HA union leaders cited a government resolution making it mandatory for local self-government bodies to purchase medicines from public sector units. "However, PCMC has never followed this GR," said Arun Borhade, general secretary of HA Majdoor Sangh.

Pardeshi said based on this GR, PCMC will directly purchase medicines from HA. "It has been brought to my notice by our medical department that rates quoted by private companies are lower. Because of the GR, we will not be required to float tenders. We will purchase medicines directly from HA," he said.

PCMC health chief Shyamrao Gaikwad said they are not in a position to quote a figure for purchases to be made from HA. "As of now, we will have to look into our requirement and place orders. We are collating information from our departments," he said.

The civic chief said this was the first round of discussion and he would hold further dialogue with company officials. Appreciating PCMC's positive approach, Borhade said, "In spite of HA being a reputed national institute, the civic body had displayed apathy. But the civic chief is very helpful and we are sure PCMC will make large purchases which will ease the financial pressure on the PSU," he said.

Meanwhile, the management is not sure of when the revival package of Rs 502 crore announced by the Centre for HA will arrive, particularly as an earlier package, its first, had taken 10 years to reach.

The management, meanwhile, hoped local civic bodies and hospitals make purchases from the PSU to keep it afloat.

The HA Majdoor Sangh is headed by Supriya Sule, MP. NCP chief Sharad Pawar had earlier headed it for 13 years. When contacted, Sule said she was not aware of why the PCMC had not purchased medicines from HA in the past. As for the second revival package, Sule said she was pursuing the matter with the central government departments concerned.