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H A R Y A N A |  |
 Friday, August 21, 1998 |
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BJP divided over support to Bansi GURGAON, Aug 20 — The central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party has rebuffed moves by its party leaders in Haryana to destabilise the Bansi Lal government in the state and sent strong signals that it does not want the HVP-BJP government to fall. Order to reinstate 2 HCS women officers CHANDIGARH, Aug 20 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the reinstatement of two women HCS officers who were removed from service by the Haryana Government on the ground that they had failed to pass the departmental examination. |
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| Procurement preparations Cong's onion-selling fiasco Privatisation of power decried HLD(R) workers hold march |
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Cop, two youths hurt in shoot-out "No move to topple govt" 6 vehicle thieves arrested  |
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BJP divided over support to
Bansi GURGAON, Aug 20 — The central leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party has rebuffed moves by its party leaders in Haryana to destabilise the Bansi Lal government in the state and sent strong signals that it does not want the HVP-BJP government to fall. A faction of the Haryana unit of the BJP has even stepped up its countermoves for the survival of the government. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj continues to support Mr Bansi Lal and the Delhi Chief Minister, Mr Sahib Singh Verma is also reportedly on its side. The pro-Bansi camp got activated favouring reports that some of BJP leaders had opened up channels with former Haryana Chief Ministers Om Prakash Chautala and Bhajan Lal. According to sources, the president of the BJP, Mr Kushabhau Thakre, had told a section of the leaders of the party, headed by Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma, during his visit to Rohtak on August 16 that he would listen to their grievances against the state government in Delhi on August 18. Mr Ram Bilas Sharma and the General Secretary of the Haryana BJP, Mr Manohar Lal, were in Delhi yesterday but Mr Thakre did not meet them. They, however, denied that Mr Thakre had even wanted to meet them at all. Mr Sharma said that he had gone to Delhi to consult a doctor. The Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Board, Mr Kailash Sharma, and the Chairman of the Haryana Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr Sita Ram Singla — both senior leaders of the BJP considered to be in favour of continuance support to the government — are reported to have left for Lucknow today to meet UP Governor and Haryana leader Mr Suraj Bhan. Significance is being attached to the visit as Mr Suraj Bhan is considered to have a non-partisan approach to the state’s politics. There is apprehension in BJP circles that Mr Om Prakash Grover and Mr Ram Bilas Sharma will make adverse references to the Bansi Lal government and urge the leadership to review the party’s support to it in the meeting of the BJP’s national executive in Jaipur, scheduled to commence from tomorrow. Pro-Bansi leaders have
advised against any adventure during the run up to the
assembly elections in four states, including Delhi,
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. |
Order to reinstate 2 HCS women
officers CHANDIGARH, Aug 20 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the reinstatement of two women HCS officers, Ms Geeta Bharti and Ms Pankaj Chaudhary, who were removed from service by the Haryana Government on the ground that they had failed to pass the departmental examination. The order was handed down by Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice M.L. Singhal. The Bench also directed the government to consider the cases of the petitioners under proviso to Rule No 21 for deciding whether it was a fit case for exemption from passing the revenue law Group B paper or whether another opportunity should be given to them to pass the departmental examination. The judges, however, ordered that the petitioners would be entitled to all consequential benefits. They ruled that Rule No 21 could not be construed as making it obligatory on the part of the government to terminate the services of every person appointed on probation who failed to pass the departmental examination within two years. Rather vesting power in the Governor to exempt any member of the service from passing the whole or any portion of the departmental examination or to extend the period within which the member of service might pass the examination showed that the rule merely enabled the government to terminate the services of members who failed to clear the departmental examination within the specified period. In an appropriate case the government might decide against the termination of service of the officer if it felt satisfied that there was sufficient cause for his non-appearance in the examination. The Bench took note of the
fact that the government did not terminate the services
of 14 other officers in spite of their failure to pass
the departmental examination within two years. Therefore,
there was no justification for the termination of the
services of the petitioners. |
Will Haryana move help
consumers? CHANDIGARH, Aug 20 — The curtain has finally been drawn on the Haryana State Electricity Board. It has given birth to two autonomous corporations and a Power Regulatory Authority. How the board served the people of the state for over 30 long years of its existence will remain a moot point. Some assert that the present infrastructure and the power generation and supply is a big contribution of the board. Others vehemently point out that it had become a white elephant with 58,000 employees while it could do with half that number. It was saddled with a loss of Rs 2,064 crore and owed another Rs 992 crore to various power and raw material suppliers. It had gathered huge fat and needed surgical operation. The Haryana Government has now replaced the 1948 Electricity Act and brought forward a comprehensive reform package in operation. While the Opposition leaders assert that the reforms have been dictated by the World Bank, the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal and HVP and BJP leaders argue that the reforms were much more needed by the state than by the World Bank. "We were keen to restructure and make the board efficient. The World Bank too wanted to ensure that the board is able to utilise the loan and return it. No one lending you money would wish it to sink. This is a huge loan, Rs 2400 crore," the Chief Minister says. Mr Bansi Lal also asserts: "We would add 1279 mw of electricity in the next 15 months while the total capacity build up was just 863 Mw during the past 32 years". It was getting another 1528 mw from the Centre and its own shared projects. One clear advantage of this reform package is that the World Bank has already paid Rs 240 crore and the State hoped to get another $ 250 million instead of $ 150 million this year. The bank's country director, Mr Edwin R. Lin, who has appreciated the efforts by Haryana has promised to advance the date of payment. "We are the first state to be treated with such appreciation", claims Power Secretary S.Y. Quraishi. But what does these reforms mean? Are they going to lead to total privatisation and an increase in the tariff rates in the near future? And what is the future of the employees who have been voicing their concern? After all, the Opposition is protesting vehemently. The Government's case simply put is that reforms would mean more efficient working of the power sector. Except one joint sector company in the distribution sector that would share half of Haryana, no other privatisation is envisaged. Employees have been fully protected and they would continue to enjoy the present salaries etc, besides security of service. There is also the promise of charging 50 paise per unit from the farm sector. But despite the Government's assertions that it would take time to revise the tariff, one cannot rule it out since the costs of generation and supply are rising. The two corporations now carry a burden of Rs 3000 crore, besides future losses. The reforms have also made the World Bank loan a bit cheaper. One, the commitment charge is down by half a per cent for Rs 2400 crore. Second, the lending is linked to performance. It may be mentioned that the World Bank has refused to lend any money to the Punjab board on the ground that the state has made power free for the farmers. The government also asserts that the Chairman of the Regulatory Commission and its two members were selected with care. A committee was constituted and it wrote to all the state governments to scout for the best talent. Interestingly, Orissa, another state to usher in reforms in the power sector, has all the three members from that state. Haryana has chosen at least two from outside and the Chairman too has mostly served at the Centre. "If we had pushed our own people, we would have defeated the very purpose of the reforms. This body is going to be very powerful", the Chief Minister explains. The commission will indeed have vast powers. Its functions include advising on matters concerning electricity generation, transmission, distribution and supply in the State. The commission will also issue licences to transmission and distribution companies, and determines the conditions to be included in the licences. It will also regulate the purchase, distribution, supply and utilisation of electricity, the quality of service, the tariff and charges payable, keeping in view both the interests of the consumers as well as that of the power supply companies. The commission will promote competitiveness and involve private sector participation and set appropriate code of conduct and standards for the electricity industry in the State. But, the State Government
will retain the power to issue policy directives and in
case of difference in opinion with the commission the
matter will be referred to the Central Electricity
Authority. |
MBA, MCA courses at GJU centre ROHTAK, Aug 20 — Guru Jambheshwar University (GJU) proposes to start technical courses of MBA, B. Pharmacy and MCA and an engineering college at the Postgraduate Regional Centre at Sirsa. The regional centre was transferred to the GJU when the government decided to disaffiliate technical and professional colleges from it on July 15. The centre was set up in 1993 by Kurukshetra University but after the creation of the GJU in 1995, it became a bone of contention between the two universities. The issue, however, was settled finally after the government decided to hand it over to the GJU. The panchayat of Phulkan village, 12 km from Sirsa, had donated over 100 acres for the setting up of the regional centre. Because of controversy over its control, construction activity was at a low pace. So far, only one teaching block has been constructed at a cost of Rs 59.22 lakh. Since the centre is situated on an approach road 8 km from the Hisar-Sirsa highway, the teachers and other employees are reluctant to go there. Students, too, avoid seeking admission because of the locational disadvantage. The university will have to provide hostel facilities near the centre for the students and residential accommodation for teaching and non-teaching employees before initiating the admission process. The proposal for starting three technical courses at the regional centre has been sent to the government for approval. The AICTE will accord permission only after getting the approval. The executive council of
the GJU at its last meeting held on August 11 resolved
that efforts should be made to start these technical
courses at the regional centre in the first phase. The
desirability of establishing a maintained engineering
college at the centre will be considered in the second
phase depending upon the availability of funds and
accommodation. The engineering college will, however, be
on a self-financing basis. |
MDU body disaffiliates itself
from AIFUCTO ROHTAK, Aug 20 — The Maharshi Dayanand University Teaching Departments Teachers Association (MDUTDTA) today disaffiliated itself from the AIFUCTO and decided to review the course and consequences of the teachers' agitation on August 25. The action committee of the MDUTDTA in a resolution said the AIFUCTO had largely confined itself to the substantial demands of college teachers and almost ignored the interests of university teachers. Therefore, the MDUTDTA would strive to coordinate its activities with those associations or federations which take cognizance of university teachers' interest exclusively. However, the MDUTDTA expressed solidarity with teachers' agitation for the implementation of UGC pay scales and resolved that it would continue to register its protest against the recalcitrant attitude of the HRD Ministry and ESMA imposed by the state government to coerce the teachers in pursuance of their demands. Dr S.C. Malik, secretary of the MDUTDTA today claimed that their association has been recognised by the university. He said 158 out of 207 teachers in the university had enrolled themselves as its members. He alleged that the university teachers' association was harming the general cause of the teachers' unity by acting in a sectarian and partisan manner. The teachers of the university departments have constituted their own association as the interests of the college and university teachers clash. Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor, Lt-Gen O.P. Kaushik (retd), has renominated Dr Sarvajit Singh, as Chairman of the House Allotment Committee, Dr S.S. Chahal, president, MDUTDTA, has been nominated member of this committee in place of Mr Wazir Singh Nehra, President MDUTA. The MDUTA, in a separate
statement, has charged the MDUTDTA, without naming it,
with splitting the teachers' association and creating
hurdles in the nationwide strike of the university and
college teachers. |
Haryana employees stage dharnas SIRSA, Aug 20 — Members of the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh and Haryana Roadways Workers Union, Sirsa district staged a dharna in front of the residence of the Deputy Commissioner Sirsa on Thursday and raised slogans against the government for not implementing their long-standing demands. Speaking on the occasion, Mr O P Yadav, state president Haryana State Electricity Board employees union strongly criticised the state government's 'ruinous' economic polices and its failure to check the increase in prices of common-use goods. Mr Jeet Singh Thind, District Secretary, Haryana Karamchari Sangh, while speaking on the occasion demanded that house rent and medical allowance be given at par with central employees. It was decided that if their demands were not met the states 4,00,000 employees would go on mass casual leave on September 16 in support of their demands. REWARI: Employees
of various government departments held a dharna here
under the banner of the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh.
Strongly criticising the Bansi Lal government for
enforcing ESMA, Mr Baldev Singh, senior vice president of
the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh and state president of
the Haryana Roadways Workers Union, Mr Amar Singh Yadav,
joint secretary of HKMS and state president of the Excise
and Taxation Employees Union and several other leaders of
various employees unions said the policy of privatisation
being pursued by the state was neither beneficial for
employees nor in the interest of the general public. |
Ex-DC refused anticipatory
bail FARIDABAD, Aug 20 — The anticipatory bail application of Mr M P Bidlan, an IAS officer and former Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon, who is under suspension at present, has been rejected by Mr K.C. Gupta, District and Session Judge, Faridabad. A case was registered in a local police station on July 7 against Mr Bidlan and others under Sections 406, 420 120-B and 506-IPC cheating, criminal mis-appropriation and intimidation on the complaint of a local steel dealer and owner of a three star hotel Mr Ram Saran Bhatia. The other accused in the case are Mr Sumay Singh, Bhagwati Parshad Jain and Bhagirath Parshad Jain all of whom had also applied for anticipatory bail, earlier. Their application too was rejected. Mr Bhatia in his complaint to the police had alleged that Mr Bidlan came to him in the second week of April, 1998 along the with trio and asked Mr Bhatia to give them steel scrap on credit. On his assurance, Mr
Bhatia gave steel scraps worth more than Rs 30.00 lakh on
credit in lieu of which the two gave six cheques —
each cheque of Rs 5 lakhs. However when Mr Bhatia
presented these cheques to the bank for payment, they
were not honoured. |
Haryana gears up for paddy
procurement CHANDIGARH, Aug 20 — The Haryana Government has made elaborate arrangements to resume procurement operations of paddy during the ensuing kharif procurement season, commencing from September 15 this year. This was disclosed by Prof Ganeshi Lal, Food and Supplies Minister, Haryana, here today. He said that 194 purchase centres had been set up all over the State to ensure that no farmer in the state should travel more than 10 km to sell his produce. By and large basic amenities like pucca platform, sheds, lights drinking water etc had been provided at all the purchase centres. He said that with a view to ensuring that there was no distress sale of paddy by the farmers, all the six procuring agencies, namely Food Corporation of India, Hafed, Haryana Warehousing Corporation, Haryana Agro-Industries Corporation, Confed and the Food and Supplies Department had been directed to effect purchase of paddy in their respective allotted mandis, where the market price of paddy tends to fall below the minimum support price. The Minister said that the
communication system had been made effective. Control
rooms functioning on 24-hour basis would be set up at all
the district headquarters as well as the State
headquarters so as to collect information from the field
on daily basis. |
Cop, two youths hurt in
shoot-out ROHTAK, Aug 20 — Three persons, including a policeman, were injured in firing between a police party and some youths at Mandhothi village in Bahadurgarh subdivision of Jhajjar district, about 40 km from here, today. According to police sources, the incident took place when a team of the Delhi police went to the village to arrest a youth, Ajay, who was reportedly wanted in some incidents of looting and robbery in Delhi. The suspect who was going in a tractor-trailer with his two brothers and friends was asked by the police team to surrender but the youth allegedly fired at the police party and tried to escape. In retaliation, the police opened the fire. Ajay and one of his brothers were injured. The injured have been admitted to a hospital in New Delhi. A case has been registered by the Bahadurgarh police under Section 307 of the IPC in this connection. In another incident, some
unidentified youths stopped a Maruti car near Sampla
bypass on National Highway 10, about 25 km from here,
last evening and snatched a gold ring and a wrist watch
from the driver of the car. |
Cong's onion-selling fiasco ROHTAK, Aug 20 — An attempt by the Congress party's local unit (rural) to sell onions and potatoes at cheaper rates ended in a melee here today. According to eyewitnesses, a large number of residents, mostly poor women, assembled at the Bhiwani stand chowk here this morning to get onions at cheaper rates. The district unit (rural) of the Congress had announced earlier that it would sell onions at Rs 5 per kg while their price today touched a high of Rs 22 to Rs 24 per kg in the market. The situation went out of ‘control’ as many women tried to break the queue and as a result several of them fell upon one another. The organisers of this special sale brought only one gunny bag of onions which fell short of the demand. In the melee, some anti-social elements snatched the gold earrings of two women, one of whom was identified as Rampati of Garhi Mohalla here. The ear of one was injured. Some others also suffered bruises in the commotion. The main road got jampacked and the traffic was blocked for about an hour. Certain leaders and
activists of the BJP and Indian National Lok Dal
criticised the incident and described it as a "cheap
publicity stunt". |
No move to topple govt: Ram
Bilas CHANDIGARH, Aug 20 —
Reacting to a news report "Chautala-Bhajan move to
topple Bansi govt" published on August 16, Mr Ram
Bilas Sharma, Education Minister, Haryana, has denied any
understanding reached between him and Mr Chautala or Mr
Bhajan Lal to topple the Bansi Lal government. In his
reaction he said "We have full faith in the
leadership of Mr Bansi Lal and the BJP-HVP combine is
firm like a rock. There is no question of my bowing to
the pressure of Mr Chautala or Mr Bhajan Lal. I am a
disciplined member of the BJP and have full faith in the
party leadership". He denied ever having met Mr
Chautala or Mr Bhajan Lal after becoming minister in the
HVP-BJP government. |
Privatisation of power decried ROHTAK, Aug 20 — The CPM has criticised the privatisation of the power sector in Haryana and described it as an anti-people step. The state secretary of the CPM, Mr Inderjit Singh said power would become so costly that consumers would not be able to use it. He said the privatisation of the power sector was not in the manifestos of the HVP and the BJP. Yet the government had resorted to this action without taking people and HSEB employees into its confidence. The CPM said that the majority of the population depended on public sector undertakings for its basic needs. Therefore, education, health, power, communication, transport and banking should remain in the public sector. The privatisation move
would aggravate the unemployment problem, the CPM said
and called upon people to oppose the privatisation policy
of the government. |
6 vehicle thieves arrested JIND, Aug 20 — The police has busted a gang of vehicle thieves with the arrest of six of its members. Mr Ranbir Sharma, Superintendent of Police said today that the gang had been involved in a number of crimes in Jind, Hisar and Panipat districts. Following a tip-off the police raided a building near Ghaso village and nabbed Sajjan, Raj Kumar, Vijay, Suresh, Parkash and Joginder of Jind district. He said their two accomplices — Sanjay and Bhup Singh — managed to escape. Three pistols, a sword and a knife have been seized from them. The police also recovered three stolen motorcycles from them. A case under Sections 399
and 402 of the IPC has been registered. |
HLD(R) workers hold march SIRSA, Aug 20 — Thousands of activists of the HLD(R) took out a procession in the city here today in protest against the anti-farmer policies of the state government. They demanded adequate power for tubewells and water for their fields. Adressing the gathering in front of the Deputy Commissioner's residence here today, Mr Ajay Singh Chautala, president Haryana Yuva Lok Dal (Rashtriya) criticised the Bansi Lal government for its failure on all fronts. He alleged that the Chief Minister was misleading the people by saying that the power tariff would not go up after the privatisation of the power sector. Expressing concern over
the deteriorating law and order situation in the state,
Mr Chautala urged the Centre to take a note of the
situation and dismiss the state government. |
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