29032023-TTB-03.qxd 3/28/2023 11:38 PM Page 1 13 CHANDIGARH | GURUGRAM | JALANDHAR | BATHINDA | VOL. 143 NO. 86 | 14 PAGES | ~5.00 | REGD. NO. CHD/0006/2021-2023 ESTABLISHED IN 1881  HARYANA SHARIF URGES PARL TO CURTAIL POWERS OF CHIEF JUSTICE WORLD /thetribunechd UT ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE FOR INVESTMENT: SHAH J&K SEBI PROBING DEALINGS WE’RE WATCHING, SAYS US IN SHARES OF 58 FIRMS, STATE DEPT ON RAHUL’S SAYS MoS BUSINESS COURT CASE BACK PAGE wednesday | 29 march 2023 /thetribunechd www.tribuneindia.com Bhutan changes stance, says 18 pharma firms producing spurious drugs lose licence China party to Doklam dispute Of 203 on radar, 70 in Himachal, 45 in Uttarakhand Reneges on 2019 position against unilateral change to tri-junction boundary Ajay Banerjee CHINA Tribune News Service Tibet MAP NOT TO SCALE New Delhi, March 28 Adding a fresh twist to the India-China disputes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Bhutan has said it was open to a three-way resolution involving the three countries to end the standoff at the strategically vital Doklam plateau. Bhutan also said it was ready to “draw out a line demarcating its boundary” with China with regards to the border disputes other than Doklam. Asked if China was intruding into his territory, Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering, in an interview with Belgian Daily ‘ La Libre’, said, “Doklam is a COSYING UP TO BEIJING Batang La Lulin ■ A Bhutanese delegation visited China in February this year to discuss border disputes ■ Bhutan is now awaiting the arrival Doklam Gipmochi BHUTAN ■ of a Chinese technical team After a meeting or two, the two China-Bhutan border claimed by China China-Bhutan border claimed by India & Bhutan sides will probably be able to Present border (India-China, India-Bhutan) draw a line, says Bhutan PM INDIA Sikkim WHAT INDIA FEARS ■ If Bhutan cedes Doklam, China will get ensconced on the strategically important plateau ■ It will allow China a clear view of the sensitive Siliguri corridor tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan. It is not up to Bhutan alone to solve the problem. We are three equal ■ It’s crucial link between main- land India, north-eastern states ■ China will also be going back on a 2012 commitment to maintaining status quo at tri-junctions countries. There is no big or small country.” He said Bhutan was ready to discuss the issue as soon as the two other parties agreed. “India and China have problems all along their border. We are waiting to see how they resolve their differences,” he said. The statement contradicts Bhutan’s stance elucidated in 2019 when Tshering said the “existing tri-junction point should not be disturbed unilaterally”. About the Bhutan-China talks (on since 1984) on demarcating the border, the PM said, “We do not encounter major border problems with China, but certain territories are not yet demarcated. We still have to discuss it and draw a line. We have come to understand each other. Last month, a continued on page 10 Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 28 The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and state drug controllers have cancelled the licences of 18 pharmaceutical companies for producing spurious drugs, official sources said today. Besides, show-cause notices have been issued to 26 firms on the basis of joint inspections conducted by teams of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and state regulators and drug controllers. The officials did not share details of the erring firms, but said they had been hauled up over the production of substandard drugs. In all, 76 companies were inspected. ACTION TRIGGERED BY THREE INT’L TRAGEDIES ■ Sonepat-based Maiden Pharma allegedly linked to the death of over 70 kids in Gambia ■ Noida-based Marion allegedly linked to the death of children in Uzbekistan ■ A Tamil Nadu-based firm allegedly linked to spurious eye drops that led to blindness and severe side-effects in the US The inspections, sources said, were part of a special drive conducted to check “red-flagged firms”. As many as 203 firms were identified for “special action”, of which 76 across 20 states and union territories were raided over the past fortnight, they said. “The licences of 18 pharmaceutical companies have been cancelled for manufacturing spurious and adulterated drugs and for violating GMP (good manufacturing practice). Show-cause notices have been issued to 26 firms and the product manufacturing permission of three other firms has been cancelled,” a DCGI official said. Among the 203 firms to be covered under the special drive, nearly 70 are in Himachal Pradesh, 45 in Uttarakhand and 23 in Madhya Pradesh. The inspections stem continued on page 10 Close to nabbing Amritpal, Punjab Anti-national forces scrambling as India rises: PM tells HC; illegally detained: Counsel Tribune News Service Tribune News Service BBC PUNJABI A/C BLOCKED Chandigarh, March 28 Punjab Advocate-General Vinod Ghai on Tuesday told the Punjab and Haryana High Court that the state was close to arresting pro-Khalistan activist Amritpal Singh even as the petitioner in the habeas corpus petition seeking the fugitive’s “release” contended he was in “illegal custody” at the Shahkot police station in Jalandhar. Appearing before Justice NS Shekhawat’s Bench, the AG submitted that Amritpal was not arrested and the state was trying its best to Ukrainereturnees get two chances toclearMBBStest New Delhi, March 28 The apex court on Tuesday allowed Indian medical students who have returned from Ukraine, China and Philippines due to the war or pandemic to clear the MBBS final examination in two attempts in accordance with the National Medical Commission syllabus, without being enrolled in any medical college in India. INSIDE IN BRIEF Gangster-politician Atiq gets life imprisonment PRAYAGRAJ: A court here on Tuesday held gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and two others guilty in the 2006 Umesh Pal kidnapping case and sentenced them to rigorous life imprisonment. Seven others have been acquitted. INSIDE Deadline to link PAN, Aadhaar extended NEW DELHI: The government on Tuesday extended the deadline for linking PAN with Aadhaar by three months to June 30, to enable people to comply with the mandatory income tax provisions. PTI Another Gandhi statue vandalised in Canada TORONTO: Mahatma Gandhi’s statue was vandalised on a university campus in Canada’s British Columbia province, days after another statue of the peace iconwas targeted in this country by Khalistan supporters. PTI Amid the crackdown against pro-Khalistani elements in Punjab, the Twitter account of BBC Punjabi was blocked by authorities. It was restored later. 3 HELD IN PHILIPPINES Three suspected ‘Khalistan Tiger Force’ members — Manpreet (23), Amritpal (24) and Arshdeep (26) — who were on Interpol’s watchlist were arrested in Philippine city of Iloilo. nab him. He said Punjab was passing through a sensitive phase and national security continued on page 10 New Delhi, March 28 Exuding confidence in the ruling BJP’s performance, PM Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India was shining on the world stage and it was natural for anti-national forces to come together and ‘Kalsi linked to extortion gangs’ Gurugram, March 28 Punjabi actor Daljeet Kalsi, Amritpal’s alleged financer who was arrested in Gurugram last week, was “associated with gangsters” in the Delhi-NCR region, the Haryana Police have claimed. “We have got leads showing Kalsi was instrumental in helping gangs to identify rich targets. The extortion money would be channeled to ‘Waris Punjab De’, the outfit headed by Amritpal,” a senior police official said. INSIDE Ban on wheat export extended New Delhi, March 28 India has decided to continue with the ban on wheat export so as to ensure sufficient supply in domestic market. The FCI on Tuesday said India wouldn’t lift the ban until the stock reached a "comfortable position". — TNS strike at its foundations. Addressing a gathering of union ministers, party MPs and leaders here, PM Modi said the unprecedented assault on corruption had angered some people who had “come together to launch a “bhrashtaachaari bachao andolan”. “Today, if any country has made its mark on the global stage it is India. It is natural for anti-India forces to unite. These forces want to steal from us the potential of ‘Amrit Kaal’ in which we are destined for a fast-paced continued on page 10 edit: Action against Rahul EPF interest goes up marginally to 8.15% New Delhi, March 28 The EPFO on Tuesday marginally raised interest rate on employees’ provident fund deposits to 8.15% for 2022-23 for its over six crore subscribers. In March 2022, the EPFO had lowered the interest rate on EPF for 2021-22 to a four-decade low of 8.10% for its subscribers, from 8.5% in 2020-21. INSIDE Air surcharge: Leh and beyond Rs 2.00