Second WHOCC, ilbs centres inaugurated
New Delhi: The world’s second WHO Collaborating Centre (WHOCC), Institute of liver and Billary Sciences (IlBS) on liver diseases and viral hepatitis was inaugurated on Tuesday by Delhi Health Minister, Satyendra Jain. The only other WHOCC in Hepatitis is the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, USA. On the occasion, Nata Menabde, WHO Representative to India said that the Centre will help to develop strategies and conduct research which will reach the grass root levels. India has close to 60 million patients suffering from hepatitis B and C and liver cancer.
RD Min officer held on graft charges
New Delhi: The CBI on Tuesday arrested a deputy secretary and a section officer of Ministry of Rural Development in a bribery case. The agency arrested Deputy Secretary Satish Kalhotra and Section Officer Pradhan Singh for demanding a bribe of Rs68,000 and accepting Rs45,000 from the complainant. The duo has been booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The arrested officials demanded the bribe for clearing the bills worth Rs6.8 lakh of the complainant who was renting cars to the Ministry. The accused were nabbed red-handed in the trap case.
Greenpeace stares at early shutdown
New Delhi: Greenpeace India is heading for shutdown within a month if the home ministry does not de-freeze its domestic bank accounts, the head of the NGO Samir Aich told its 340 staff on Tuesday. The Centre has frozen the bank accounts of the NGO early in April this year, following discrepancies in its accounts.
The organisation has been functioning in India for the past 14 years. The Home Ministry had issued a show cause notice giving a month’s time to Greenpeace to respond. The notice was given on April 9 with nine charges. Sources said the ministry is likely to issue reminder to Greenpeace, since the NGO has not responded till now and is evading questions.