Samples of edibles and medicines found substandard

Shimla, Apr 1 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Civil Supplies Minister Ramesh Dhawala today said out of the total 8,121 samples of food grains, medicines fruits and vegetables collected since April 2003 till December 2007, as many as 534 samples were found substandard and in 81 of these cases challan had been put in the courts.

Replying to a question by Rup Singh (BJP), he said during the last five years 2,049 samples of food grains were collected by the civil supplies department out of which 372 were found substandard.

Mr Dhawala said urban development department tested 222 samples of food grains during this period and 85 were of those failed to fulfil the standards.

He said two samples of pesticides and insecticide failed out of the total 140 samples that were collected by the horticulture department while 653 samples of insecticides were collected by the agriculture department out of which 19 samples were found substandard.

Out of the 5057 samples of medicine collected by the health department, 56 were substandard, he said.

The Food and Civil Supplies Minister expressed concern over the presence of substandard medicines and asserted that state government would not compromise with health of the society at any cost.

''The government is contemplating to review the present committee, constituted for procurement of medicines for the civil supplies department. The government would consider over purchasing medicines directly from reputed firms and companies so that high quality medicines are available to the consumers,'' he added.

In reply to a question by Mahender Singh, Ram Lal Markanda, Tejwant Negi (all BJP) and Neeraj Bharti and Prem Singh (Congress), Education Minister ID Dhiman said since the commencement of Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in the state, a total sum of Rs 480.94 crore had been received for its implementation.

Out of this, Rs 358.54 crore had been funded from the union government, while Rs 122.40 crore had been contributed by the state government.

Mr Dhiman said the SSA had commenced in 2001-02 and would continue till the end of 11 five-year plan (2007-12).

He said the funding pattern for SSA between the union and state government for year 2008-09 would be in ratio of 65:35 while in the following years of 2009-10 and 2010-2011 it would be 60:40.

In the subsequent years the sharing pattern between union and state government would be 50-50, he said.

UNI AS PS KK DB2000