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H A R Y A N A |  |
 Wednesday, December 16, 1998 |
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Haryana Cong to intensify
campaign |
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Cow safety
commission for Haryana sought Industrialists
seek infrastructure Make
NSS utility-oriented: VC Akademi
awards announced ‘Minorities
day’ on Dec 18 Jagmohan
visits Gurgaon Plots
for inmates of ashram |
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Haryana Cong to intensify campaign GURGAON, Dec 15 — Buoyed by its good show in the recent Assembly elections in Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the Haryana unit of the Congress has decided to intensify its bid to wrest power in the state. Senior leaders of the Haryana unit of the Congress are credited with the view that the state was heading for a midterm poll and that the party should give momentum to its campaign. The possibility of midterm election in the state reportedly came up during an informal meeting of senior leaders of the party at the Delhi residence of the President of the Haryana Congress, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda. According to Mr Sunil Sarin, a member of the All India Congress Committee from Haryana, the party has decided to hold a state level Panchayati Raj "sammelan" in Narnaul on February 14. The party has also decided to launch a statewide "padayatra". The details of the padayatra, which would be part of a mass contact programme, will be finalised soon. The panches and sarpanches in the state affiliated to the Congress will be participating in the sammelan. The state leadership of the party in Haryana is credited with the view that the local self governing bodies were not functioning as envisaged by the 73rd amendment to the Constitution. The party feels that the state agencies and vested interests were deliberately trying to cripple the functioning of the local self governing bodies to subserve their own interest. However, there are many who feel that although the Congress was trying to place itself on a high moral pedestal with regard to the functioning of the Panchayati Raj institutions, the party was actually guided by pure political expediency. According to observers, the Congress making an issue on the decentralisation of power was with a view to increase its own electoral appeal. The Congress leaders are said to be working on a theory that a large section of the panches and sarpanches in the state were not happy with the administration in the districts. Hence, the issue would stick and the party could reap rich dividends. Moreover, with sentiments regarding the panchayati system, traditionally strong in Haryana, the Congress’s move would be topical. The Congress appears to be working as per a stratagem to win over all sections of the society. The party recently organised a convention of the Sikhs. A few days ago it organised a two day training camp for women in Karnal. The party is already working on an agenda to win over the Dalits and the OBCs through senior leaders like-former Minister from Haryana and member of AICC, Dr Kripa Ram Puniya. With regard to the proposed padayatra, the party’s plans are that its senior party leaders would lead it simultaneously from various parts of the state. The padayatra will conclude at a state level public meeting. The meeting, the venue of which was likely to be in Bhiwani or Jind falling in the Jat heartland, is tipped to be addressed also by some Central leaders of the party. The results of the
assembly elections in the states have apparently infused
energy among the Congress leaders in Haryana. The reason
being that traditionally the developments in Punjab,
Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan are said to create ripples
on each other. It may be recalled that a sizeable number
of Congress leaders from Haryana led by Mr Hooda had
actively campaigned in the elections in Delhi and
Rajasthan. The former president of the Haryana Pradesh
Congress Committee, Mr Birender Singh, and other
prominent leaders from Haryana were also involved in the
selection of party nominees in Rajasthan and Madhya
Pradesh. |
HC orders Judge to probe
police raid CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the District and Sessions Judge, Faridabad, to conduct a fact-finding inquiry into the allegations of high-handedness of the police levelled by Dr Renu Gambhir whose house was raided by the anti-corruption wing of Faridabad police on the charge that her husband had amassed wealth beyond his known sources of income. Mr Justice R.L. Anand, who issued these directions, ordered the Sessions Judge to complete the inquiry within four months from today "by taking such evidence which may be led by the parties so as to proceed further in the matter." The Judge directed the parties to appear before the Sessions Judge on January 11, 1999. Neighbours of Dr Gambhir had sent a fax message to the Chief Justice of the High Court on November 26, 1988 stating: "Mrs Renu Gambhir and her two daughters are being wrongly detained in their own house No 615, Sector 16-A, Faridabad by a local police party headed by the S.P., Additional S.P., SHO of the Faridabad central police station and the SDM at 7 a.m. on November 26. The woman was not permitted to call her lawyer. Both the telephones were disconnected. She was not allowed to meet anybody. They are totally scared. Kindly initiate appropriate action to save them. Terror prevailing in entire area." This message was treated as a writ petition under the orders of the Chief Justice and was put up on the judicial side and a notice was issued to the state of Haryana by giving directions that S.P. Faridabad, SHO of Faridabad and S.D.M., central police station Faridabad, "shall appear in person in order to explain the allegations contained in the fax message. The matter was put up before Mr Justice K.K. Srivastava on December 7. A reply was filed on behalf of the Superintendent of Police, Faridabad. The Judge observed:
"Today affidavits have been filed by S.P., S.D.M.
and SHO, Faridabad and central in which they have given a
different version of the November 26 incident. The
allegations which have been levelled against the
respondents and the stand taken by the respondents
require scrutiny. Resultantly, I direct the District and
Sessions Judge, Faridabad, to conduct a fact finding
inquiry into the allegations in the tax message." |
Towards right direction SIRSA: "Disha", set up in August, is an institution for the training and rehabilitation of the disabled. It has taken upon itself the responsibility of making mentally retarded children and other disabled persons self-reliant through vocational training. Three children — Rajiv Gupta, Nisha Goyal and Jyoti — have acquired the skill of making cane-chairs, candles and chalk. Before getting admission to this school, they used to feel discarded by society but now they are keen on learning new vocations. "Disha", which started functioning from a building provided free of cost by Mr Nand Lal, is training mentally retarded children in making cane chairs, candles and chalk, screen-printing and other modern vocations. The institution also trains women for tailoring, beauty culture and dress-designing. Under this scheme, dumb and deaf and disabled girls are also trained these skills. Women are also provided counselling by experts on their health and other problems. Mentally retarded children have benefited the most by this school. They now feel proud in being useful members. Ms Geeta Kathuria,
Director of the school says money earned out of these
vocations are distributed among mentally retarded
children. She disclosed that a plan to impart training in
19 vocations, including computer-training to disabled
children and women had been formulated. |
Cow safety commission for
Haryana sought BHIWANI, Dec 15 — Animals are treated cruelly on large scale in Haryana and so the safety and strengthening of gaushalas is needed. This was stated by Mr Mohan Singh Ahluwalia, chief executive officer and private secretary to the chairman of the National Cow Research Board of the Welfare Board of Wild Life of India. After visiting the gaushalas here today he deplored that the Mewat area (Gurgaon and Faridabad, Karnal, Panipat, Yamunanagar, Sonepat and Ambala were the main places of animal mafia. He said that a team that surveyed these area had found the Mewat area as the prime cow-slaughter area where slaughtering of animals was on a large scale. He said more than 3000 cows were being killed everyday in Mewat alone which tallied police record as well. Mr Ahluwalia maintained that Haryana was the only state in north India where the cow safety commission had not yet been set up. These commissions have been set up in Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujurat. Urging the Chief Minister on behalf of the board for the early constitution of the commission he told that a sub-committee, Haryana Animal Welfare Board had been constituted to stop cruelty to animals in Haryana and animal welfare officers were being appointed in the state. These officers would be empowered to take action to curb cruelty to animals. Mr Ahluwalia added that financial aids were being given for the research of cow-urine. He told that Rs 5 lakh per annum would be provided for research in Panipat, Gurgaon and Narnaul. The National Cow Research Board, he said, had urged to establish a special police force by including Mewat, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Alwar, Bharatpur, Mathura, Agra and North East area of Delhi and letters in this regard had been written to the respective Chief Ministers and the Union Home Ministry. This force could make raids directly in these states, he added. The representatives of
Loharu, Bhiwani, Dadri and Legha gaushalas met him. Mr
Ahluwalia also visited the gaushalas at Meham road,
Patram gate, Gujrani and Buwani Khera. |
Industrialists seek infrastructure BHIWANI, Dec 15 — Industrial units situated in the Bhiwani Industrial Area have not become viable even after 27 years of the establishment of this area here mainly due to lack of basic amenities and necessary infrastructure. Some of the units had to be closed because of recurring losses. Certain units could not reach the production stage due to procedural complications and unfavourable conditions in getting loans. At present recovery of loan starts a year after the loan is granted. Consequently the recovery starts in some cases, even before the building is ready. Some units face this situation before the production starts, if the units are not in a position to repay the loan, penal interest is imposed. The penal interest rate is so high that repayment by the loaner becomes impossible. Ultimately he has to wind up the unit or it is sealed by the H.F.C. About 30 units have been sealed by the H.F.C. in the past two months alone. Generally payment of sanctioned subsidies is also delayed for years. Another cause of failure of industrial units is said to be the delay in getting power connections. It is said that some of the units otherwise ready for production have been waiting for power connections for the past three to four years. Authorities of the Haryana Vidyut Parsaran Nigam say that some entrepreneurs apply for three to four connections instead of one for a single unit to pay bills at lower rates. This results in a very long list which is the main cause for delay in giving power connections. Those who have been given power connections face the problem of tripping which causes huge losses. The president, Industrial Association, Bhiwani Mr Dharambir Nehra, says that lack of necessary basic amenities is also a reason for unsatisfactory progress of the Industrial area here. Roads, sewer system and street light are in very bad shape. It is contrary to the "rosy" picture painted by the government in 1972 to attract entrepreneurs at that time. The present dismal situation no one well think of setting up a plant here. In a letter addressed to
the Chief Minister Haryana, the Association has urged him
to take remedial steps to save the "struggling"
units and also pave the way for new units to flourish. |
Make NSS utility-oriented: VC KURUKSHETRA, Dec 15 — The Kurukshetra University has given new guidelines to colleges affiliated to it for providing reorientation to the National Service Scheme (NSS). Comprehensive directions were given to the NSS Programme Officers by Dr M.L. Ranga, Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University at the inaugural function of a Refresher Course here yesterday. The expenses for the Refresher Course are to be borne by the Government of India. Earlier the NSS confined its activities to cleanliness of villages road construction and some literacy programmes only. To make it more utility-based for rural people Dr Ranga has prepared new programme for the NSS Programme Officers. He feels that the NSS could do yeoman's service in tasks and programmes aimed at providing better living conditions for rural areas. Energy of the youth at the College and the University level should be canalised towards this. This would also help the educated youth to spend free time for the betterment of society and uplifting standard of life in villages. Giving guidelines to the Programme Officers last evening Dr Ranga wanted them to take the help of voluntary organisations which could help them in taking up bigger welfare tasks without incurring any money. He maintained that the NSS undertake cleanliness drives and examination of health facilities for children and the mothers alongwith government doctors. It could also help in child vaccination, blood donation camps, removing illiteracy and needy patients in hospitals. It could take steps for educating people about contagious diseases by helping them to maintain cleanliness. Besides, the NSS should take up the job of training poor people in under-developed areas for earning livelihood. It can organise legal literacy camps so that villagers did not become frequent victims of litigation. The Vice-Chancellor asked the Programme Officers to help people during floods and also help the accident victims on the road side for carrying them to hospitals. NSS volunteers could educate people about the harmful affects of the AIDS, liquor drinking, leprosy etc. Teaching of poor children as well as career and vocational guidance to the educated youth at the village level could be another useful talks. NSS volunteers should help in bringing social awakening through cultural programmes and help the aged in looking after their health in old-age homes. The Programme Officers were asked to teach NSS volunteers for helping regulating crowds during big religious gatherings like Solar Eclipse, Kumbh Melas etc. They should teach people to check pollution etc. NSS students could provide free tuition to the junior students and members from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes who could not afford to pay high tuition fees. Likewise select few from amongst the NSS volunteers could be engaged for preparing students for entrance tests and other job-oriented courses otherwise very expensive in privately run institutions. The Vice-Chancellor wanted them to also work for ending the bounded labour and social evils like prostitution, dowry and other such evils which are a slur on society. Comprehensive instructions
issued by the Vice-Chancellor are likely to inspire
activities of the NSS in universities and colleges of the
state. About 45 NSS Programme Officers from Haryana,
Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh are attending
the training programme. The varsity has arranged their
inter-action with the representatives from the police,
health services, education, forest department, industry
and elections etc. |
Akademi awards announced CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — The Haryana Punjabi Sahitya Akademi has for the first time announced awards and financial assistance for Punjabi writers of Haryana domicile for 1997-98 so as to promote Punjabi language. Stating this here today, the Chairman of the akademi, Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, said that these awards and financial assistance would be given for the best Punjabi book and the manuscripts in prose and poetry. He said the award for the book would be of Rs 5100 whereas Rs 5,000 would be given as financial assistance for the manuscripts. Mr Sharma, who is also the Education Minister of Haryana, said the akademi had selected five books for awards which were"Aag da Satir," a novel by Lakh Karnalvi of Karnal, "Turna Muhal Hai" a poem written by Rabinder Masroor of Jagadhri, "Adhunik Punjabi Kavita Da Kaav-Shastar" by Sukhdev Singh of Sirsa, "Thakya Hoya Aadmi," a drama written by Sukhchain Singh Bhandari and "Betha Sodhi Patshah," an autobiography written by Himmat Singh Sodhi. He said the manuscripts of
"Ahsasan De Sarokar", a poem written by Des Raj
of Ambala, "Roshni Da Sangreh", a gazal written
by Raj Kumar Nijat, "Dr Diwan Singh Kalepani",
an autobiography written by Mahender Singh of Thanesar,
"Missi Roti", a story written by Mrs Asha
Kundan and "Bandhan Tey Mukti", written by
Himmat Singh Soghi had been selected for giving financial
assistance. |
‘Minorities
day’
on Dec 18 GURGAON, Dec 15 — "Minorities and their rights day" will be observed in Haryana on December 18. Disclosing this while addressing a meeting of district officers at Vikas Sadan here, Additional Deputy Commissioner Sudhir Rajpal said the objective was to highlight the fundamental rights provided to the minorities in the Indian Constitution and their contribution to the development of the country. Mr Rajpal said the district administration of Gurgaon had decided to mark the day by organising an event at John Hall where eminent personalities would talk on the contributions being made in the upliftment of the country by minorities, including the Sikh Christian Muslim and Bodh communities. The Harijan Kalyan Nigam, Haryana, will provide information to individuals at the function on issues concerning schemes under which the minorities can avail loan facilities for starting entrepreneurial ventures and trading opportunities. Rupees 12 lakh were earmarked to be disbursed to deserving candidates on the spot for starting their vocation, Mr Rajpal added. Meanwhile, the ongoing
week is being celebrated in the district as
"professional guidance week". According to the
Deputy Commissioner, Mr Krishan Kumar, the employment
exchange will be providing all sorts' of useful career
information to students coming out of middle school. |
Jagmohan visits Gurgaon GURGAON, Dec 15 — The Union Minister for Communications, Mr Jagmohan, inspected telephone installations in the rural areas of the district yesterday. He began his inspection tour in Garhi Harsaru village by visiting the rural telephone exchange there. In response to complaints from residents of the village, the Minister assured that all those waiting in queue would get telephone connections after commissioning of the proposed 1,000-line exchange. He asserted that the planned exchange in Garhi Harsaru would be commissioned by the end of this financial year. The present exchange has a capacity load of only 256 lines. The residents of the village complained that due to long spell of power cuts the telephone services were adversely affected. They further alleged that power cut was a recurring feature. The Minister gave a sympathetic hearing to the complainants and assured that he would take up the issue with the Haryana Government. Later, he inspected the functioning of village public telephone in Zonawas near Farooq Nagar. He made a telephone call to his office in Delhi from there. He visited the extra departmental post office (EDPO) in Sultanpur village . On his way back to Delhi,
he visited an STD PCO at Rajiv Chowk in Gurgaon on the
Delhi-Jaipur national highway. |
Holiday for civic poll CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 —
The Haryana Government has declared December 19, 1998, as
holiday in the wards No 17 and 3 of Municipal Councils of
Sonepat and Narnaul and ward No 2 of Municipal Committee,
Tosham, in Bhiwani district on account of municipal
byelection under the Negotiable Instrument Act, 1881. |
Plots for inmates of ashram CHANDIGARH, Dec 15 — As many as 51 families belonging to the Bengali community residing at Mahila Ashram in Karnal have been provided plots of 35 sq. yards each so as to rehabilitate them. The letters of possession for these plots were handed over to the beneficiaries by the Haryana Social Welfare Minister, Dr Kamla Verma, at Karnal today. These families had been residing at the ashram since 1968. The inmates of the ashram are provided board and lodging facilities besides training in various trades. They are also provided employment opportunities at production centres so as to make them self-dependent. While speaking on the occasion, Dr Verma said the widows residing at the ashram were being given financial assistance of Rs 250 per month besides a grant of Rs 10,000 to perform the marriage of their daughters. The Industries Minister, Mr Shashi Pal Mehta, said the decision to provide plots to these beneficiaries for their rehabilitation would certainly infuse self-confidence among them. The Director, Social
Defence and Security, Mrs Manju Gupta, said 13,000
anganwari centres were providing nutritious food and
pre-school education to the children between the age of
six months and six years. |
3 held for cheating investors KURUKSHETRA, Dec 15 (UNI) — The police has arrested three top functionaries of Green Gold plantation company on charge of cheating its investors under Sections 420 and 120B of the (IPC). The arrested has been
identified as Krishan Kant Chauhan, Maj Manjit Singh and
Satya Dev Sharma, all of Delhi, the police said and added
it was looking out for nine members of the board of
directors of the company. The Superintendent of Police
said arrests had been made following a complaint by Rajiv
Kalra of Kurukshetra that the company had cheated its
clients to the extent of Rs 50 lakh. The company with its
headquarters in Delhi and corporate office in New Delhi
was having its branches at many places. The Delhi offices
did not bear the name Green Gold plantation creating
suspicion among the investors, complainant alleged. |
Bhadana joins Congress FARIDABAD, Dec 15 — Mr Dharamvir Bhadana, a Bahujan Samaj Party leader, yesterday resigned from the party and joined the Congress. A communication to this effect issued by Mrs Meira Kumar, general secretary of the AICC, was released at a press conference here today. Mr Bhadana had unsuccessfully contested the last Lok Sabha election from Faridabad on the BSP ticket. Mr BR Ojha, president of
the Faridabad unit of the Congress, today welcomed the
joining of the party, by Mr Bhadana. He denied reports
that Mr Avtar Bhadana who had been expelled from the
Congress for contesting the last Lok Sabha election
against the official nominee had been admitted to the
party. |
Protest against corp move FARIDABAD, Dec 15 — The Ballabhgarh unit of the Congress today protested against the Faridabad Municipal Corporation's move to increase house tax. In a memorandum addressed to the Haryana Government which was submitted through the local SDM the party demanded withdrawal of the proposal. A day-long dharna outside the SDM's office was also organised. Mr Baldev Raj Ojha, president of the District Congress Committee (Urban), Mr Rajendra Singh Bisla, a former chairman of the Haryana Finance Corporation, and Mr Nirmal Kulshreshtha, president of the Ballabhgarh unit of the party, addressed the protesters. The other demands
contained in the memorandum included free electricity to
farmers, remunerative rates of agriculture produce, and
better civic amenities etc. |
Control population, urge experts HISAR, Dec 15 — Environmental experts have emphasised the need for taking serious and strong measures for checking pollution, particularly in urban areas across the country. Speaking at the plenary session of the Save Earth Save Humanity Movement (SESHM) here recently, Prof R.K. Behl, Secretary General of the International Council of Sustainable Agriculture and Resource Management, said, "India needs a political will to control the rapidly growing population", adding that it was high time that the government concentrated on tackling the major issues of population and environment. Mr Brij Bhushan Mali,
President of the Urban Chapter of SESHM, underlined the
need to make family planning an urgent and priority
issue. |
HAU Prof honoured HISAR, Dec 15 — The American Biographical Institute, USA, has honoured Dr M.P. Srivastava, Professor and Head, Department of Pathology, Haryana Agricultural University (HAU), Hisar, by bestowing on him the prestigious "Man of the Year 1998" award. Professor Srivastava is
also winner of the Best Extension Scientist National
Award and was a special invitee at the 7th International
Conference on Plant Pathology held recently in Adinburgh
(UK). |
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