In Brief: BDO held for accepting bribe

Dharamsala: The Vigilance Bureau, Dharamsala, has arrested Block Development Officer (BDO) Paragpur, Virendra Kaushal, while accepting a bribe of Rs 10,000. The action was taken following a complaint by Reena Devi, pradhan of Kadoa Panchayat. It is alleged that Kaushal demanded the bribe to release funds sanctioned by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kangra's office for a construction project. The sanctioned amount was approximately Rs 1.5 lakh. Acting on the complaint, the Vigilance team laid a trap and caught him red-handed while accepting the bribe. SP (Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau) Balbir Thakur confirmed that a case has been registered at the Vigilance Police Station in Dharamsala. The accused will be presented in court and taken into police custody for further investigation. Kaushal was due to retire in about two months. TNS

TB screening camp at IIAS

Shimla: A special Mantoux Test health screening camp, under the Government of India's 100-day campaign initiative, aimed at promoting tuberculosis (TB) elimination, was organised for the employees of Indian Institute of Advanced Studies (IIAS). The camp was conducted by a medical team led by Dr Madhu Maitan (Medical Officer, PHC Annadale), Nitika Sharma (CHO, HWC, Gwahai) and Bhawna Kumari (CHO, HWC, Anderi). During the camp, all institute employees underwent TB screening. Mehar Chand Negi, secretary of IIAS, said this initiative was a significant step towards prioritising the health of institute employees and contributing to the TB elimination campaign.