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H A R Y A N A |  |
 Saturday, December 26, 1998 |
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Govt unlikely to review GJU
appointments |
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BJP
'committed' to abolish octroi |
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Govt unlikely to review GJU
appointments HISAR, Dec 25 — The Haryana Government appears to have softened its approach towards Guru Jambeshwar University here. The government has reportedly dropped the idea of reviewing the appointments of 91 teachers, employed during the past three years. Uncertainty loomed large among the 91 teachers who included some deans and heads of department, over the communication from the government to the Vice Chancellor, asking him to review all appointments. The government has already banned fresh appointments in the university, along with two other universities of the state. Twentyone lecturers, who were appointed in August, cannot join due to the ban order. Only two of them have joined. The others have filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, challenging the ban order. The university is in a fix over the reviewing of the appointments of the 21 selected lecturers. The government has been claiming that some appointments were made flouting eligibility for the posts. Since the appointments were approved by the Executive Council of the university at its meeting held on August 11, it is difficult for the university to reverse its own decision. The council is scheduled to meet on December 29 with the sole agenda of reversing its decision. Only then will the university be able to present its case before the high court. The council is, however, likely to confirm some appointments approved by it. Since the government changed the status of the university in August, there has been panic among the teaching and the non-teaching community particularly after reports that the government was contemplating to review all appointments made during the tenure of the outgoing Vice chancellor. Although the government has yet to take a final decision, there are indications that it will withdraw the move.
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Cong to celebrate foundation
day CHANDIGARH, Dec 25 — The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee has decided to celebrate the 114th foundation day of the Indian National Congress on December 28 with traditional gaiety and fervour. Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, President, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, has asked all the district and subordinate party units in the State to organise programmes befitting the occasion to celebrate the historic day. The party units and leaders have been asked to hoist party flags at the Congress party offices and atop their houses in the morning and organise workers' as well as public meetings during the course of the day where the role of the Indian National Congress in the freedom movement and achievements of the Congress Governments at the Centre and in the State in the post-Independence era should be highlighted. The party units have also been asked to educate the people about the failure of the HVP-BJP alliance government of the state on all fronts, particularly the deteriorating law and order situation, rampant corruption, administrative as well as political exploitation of women and Dalits during the two-and-a-half-year misrule of the State Government ; harassment, intimidation and frequent transfers of efficient and honest government officials at the behest of anti-social elements and failure of the government in safeguarding the former. The party units and functionaries have also been asked to explain to the people and the Congress workers the success achieved by the party in the Vidhan Sabha elections in Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh under the dynamic leadership of the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. The party units have been asked to propagate and publicise the radical decisions taken at the last AICC meeting held in Delhi on December 18 reserving 53 per cent party posts, 33 per cent for women and 20 per cent for the weaker sections, respectively.
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Congress gained at combine's cost CHANDIGARH, Dec 25 — While two major political parties of Haryana — the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Indian National Lok Dal — suffered jerks and jolts by way of reverses in the elections and belied hopes, Mr Bansi Lal, leader of the Haryana Vikas Party, and Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, emerged somewhat stronger than before and these two leaders refused to wilt under pressure both from within and outside during the year. The BJP's recent defeat in the Delhi Vidhan Sabha elections and in other states resulted in the Congress Party's major gains at most of the places where the BJP leaders had felt confident of having won the people's hearts. Although the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, made allout efforts to ensure the BJP's victory in Delhi where he actively campaigned for his party's ally in his state, the negative performance of the ruling party at the Centre ultimately gave Mr Bansi Lal a boost in his own state. The reason is that the BJP is no longer in a position in Haryana to talk to him from any position of strength and would rather like to remain tied to his party instead of negotiating with any other for a better bargain in its struggle for power. It can in no way desert the HVP midway. In fact, the parliamentary elections held early in the year cut many politicians to size. It was perhaps for the first time that members of three generations from the same family — Mr Devi Lal, (Rohtak), Mr Ranjit Singh, (Hisar) and Mr Ajay Chautala (Bhiwani) — lost in the parliamentary elections held simultaneously. While Mr Chautala 's party secured four seats — Sonepat, Sirsa, Hisar and Kurukshetra — and his ally, the BSP, won only one seat (Ambala), the Congress hopes got a boost when the party won three seats — Rohtak, Mahendragarh and Karnal. Surprisingly, the performance of the ruling parties in the state was rather disappointing as the BJP and Haryana Vikas Party got one seat each — Faridabad and Bhiwani, respectively. Mr Om Parkash Chautala who has frequently changed the name of his party, had more than his share of disappointments in the state's developments. Most of his campaign against the ruling party was limited to issuing press statements and occasionally holding press conferences. These could not give any indication of the graph of his popularity rising in his favour. However, Mr Chautala took pains to highlight failures of the state government, particularly on the law and order front during the past more than two years. Mr Chautala, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, also submitted a memorandum to the Union Government in this connection and had sought the dismissal of the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, by giving statistics of crime to show the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. However, Mr Bansi Lal challenged these statistics. In contrast, the Congress party and its leader, Mr Hooda, not only gained from the negative popularity of the ruling parties but also from their own efforts by organising mass contact programmes to highlight the failures of the government in the state, particularly in their failure to honour election promises, including 24-hour power supply, better law and order situation, abolition of octroi etc. Mr Hooda says the election manifesto has not been implemented. Denying any real improvement in the power supply position, Mr Hooda maintains that the law and order situation has deteriorated instead of improving. People are no longer enamoured by promises made by the ruling group in the state. "Janata ka moh bhang ho gaya hai", he adds. People, says Mr Hooda, appreciate good "neeti, neeyat and netas". They have realised that except the Congress no other party in the state meets these requirements. During the past one year while Mr Hooda himself has grown in stature, the leadership vacuum has been filled by Mrs Sonia Gandhi, most Congress workers, who have come into the main stream of the party, feel. Although Mr Bansi Lal who had once acquired a reputation of a builder of Haryana could not justify the image because of lack of resources at his command, He too had his moments of embarrassment and disappointment. Despite his good intentions, the biggest was his decision to withdraw prohibition in April last which he had introduced soon after taking over the reins of power in the state. In fact, that was his first act after the swearing-in ceremony in June, 1996. The introduction of prohibition was no doubt a big decision as it meant sacrifice of several hundred crores at the cost of development. Unfortunately, his own official machinery let him down and there were open allegations against the police and many other officials of having made money which did not enrich the state treasury but certainly brought it a bad name in the form of harassment caused to people on the road, particularly on the national highways in the name of checking. However, withdrawal of the decision of prohibition restarted the flow of revenue to the state exchequer. This did not bring any relief to the common man who bore the burden of additional taxes imposed at the time of enforcement of prohibition as no taxes were withdrawn. Encouraged by the improvement in the state's economy, the government has started repairing the rain damaged roads and also improving the power supply position. The chairman of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam, Mr Ranjit Issar has raised the hopes of the people by announcing that he would honour the Chief Minister's commitment to the people about 24-hour power supply in the state. The state's transmission/distribution systems are being tested, he says. As the Chief Minister is all set to improve the power position by the middle of the next year, Mr Bansi Lal, at the Chief Ministers' conference on power, has demanded Haryana's rightful share of 290 MW from the Bhakra Nangal project, 428 MW from the Beas project unit-1 and 564 MW from other projects utilising surplus Ravi Beas waters because of delay on the part of the Government of India in notifying the final sharing of power benefits. While the Haryana State Electricity Board was bifurcated into two separate corporations during the year, the Haryana Government implemented the Fifth Pay Commission's recommendations, created separate departments for Employees State Insurance, renamed the Department of Electronics as the Department of Electronics, Information and Technology and converted the Subordinate Services Selection Board first into a Staff Selection Commission and then into a department. It goes to the credit of the Chief Minister's administration that none of the agitations launched by employees, nurses and powermen has so far succeeded. Mr O.P. Jindal, once known for the Chief Minister's financial strength, sounded a bugle of protest by setting up an independent Sarv-Jati Morcha. It was for the first time that the RSS took to task one of its own wing's Ministers, Mr Shashi Pal Mehta, Minister for Industries, Haryana for not being forthright in taking decisions, even on policy matters.
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BJP 'committed' to abolish
octroi HISAR, Dec 25 — The Food and Supplies Minister, Prof Ganeshi Lal, today said that the BJP was committed to abolish octroi in the state. However, he said, some differences had arisen among traders on the issue and until it was resolved, the government could not take any decision. Addressing a press conference, he said the BJP and the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) coalition in the state was doing "perfectly well" and had fulfilled most of the promises made to the people. He said the government would provide round-the-clock power to the state by July. Prof Ganeshi Lal justified the decision of the state party President, Mr Om Prakash Grover, that the party would fight the next elections on its own. He said the BJP was a national party and should strive hard to become the number one in Haryana. The minister denied reports of differences with Chief Minister Bansi Lal. It was stated that after his active campaigning for the Indian National Lok Dal candidate from Sanghria in Rajasthan, Mr Abhay Chautala, against the wishes of the Chief Minister, the latter had started to distance himself from Professor Lal. He also denied the charges against the Bansi Lal government that it had stopped the aid to Agroha Medical College. He said he was trying to get the grant to the college restored, but added that the management of the college should exercise restraint and avoid confrontation. He said the government had launched several new schemes for unemployed youth of the state and the system of recruitment had been made more transparent. As many as 40,000 youths would get employment in the Manesar industrial complex, where about 800 new industrial units were being set up, he said.
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Charter to help power consumers CHANDIGARH, Dec 25 — Haryana may become the first State in the country to provide consumer charter for the electricity consumers in the State. The Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, has already asked the newly formed companies and the regulatory authority to prepare a charter, listing commitments which the corporations can offer to all types of power consumers. Mr Ranjit Issar, Chief Managing Director of Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) and Mr S.Y. Qureshi, Secretary, Irrigation and Power, have already prepared a blueprint. It is more or less on the British model but has taken care of the ground conditions prevailing in a State like Haryana. The Haryana State Electricity Board has often played truant with the consumers. Either it did not have enough power or the quality of supply was poor and the consumers rarely paid their dues on time. At most of the times, their complaints went unheeded and the board complained that each year consumers defaulted in paying bills worth Rs 120 crore. Theft and pilferage too were common. The past two years have seen improvement. These days, the HVPN is supplying 330 lakh units a day and it is making strenuous efforts to make employees work and the consumers pay. The British model which Mr Issar studied is a near ideal one. Under it, consumers rights are protected and employees of the defaulting corporations will suffer penal action in case of default. While this model could still be a dream, yet a solid beginning is on the cards, according Mr Issar. It could be of great relief for consumers who do not default. While consumers' rights and obligations would be listed, the authorities would guarantee certain level of service also. Since the Regulatory Commission is already there with quasi judicial powers, both could gain or suffer as the case may be. For over 40 years electricity in the UK was under the public sector. The Electricity Act, 1989, laid the legislative groundwork to restructure and privatise the industry. Power stations were divided between two fossil-fuelled private generating companies, National Power and PowerGen. Nuclear generation remained in public ownership until 1996; the ownership and operation of the 275 KV and 400 KV transmission system were transferred to the newly-formed National Grid Company. Later, 12 privatised Regional Electricity Companies (RECs), based on the existing Area Boards, each with an obligation to supply in its area, came up. The Office of Electricity Regulation (OFFER) is an independent body set up to regulate the electricity supply industry and is headed by the Director General of Electricity supply. It has 13 regional centres. He is to ensure all reasonable demands for electricity are met; license holders are able to finance their licensed activities; promote competition in the generation and supply of electricity; protect the interests of electricity customers in respect to prices charged, continuity of supply and the quality of services provided and promote efficiency and economy on the part of licensees in supplying and transmitting electricity. About 6000 complaints are received every year. These are then sent to the RECs for settlement. There is also another tier that looks at complaints in the shape of Consultative Committees. These are appointed by the Government. It is an honorary position. Regular hearings are held by the committees and the RECs are quite responsive to communications from the committee. Since privatisation, electricity prices to UK residential customers have fallen by 23 per cent on an average after allowing for inflation. By holding electricity prices increases below that of inflation since 1989, UK domestic customers have accumulated savings of £ 3.9 billion, which equates to around £ 164 per residential customer. Industrial customers have accumulated savings of £ 5.6 billion. The charter could help to meet the needs of customers with respect of price, choice, quality and security of supply; enable demand to be met efficiently and economically; enable costs and risks to be reduced and shared efficiently; provide for transparency in the operation of pricing mechanism and the market generally; enhance the ability to respond flexible to changing circumstances in future; promote competition in electricity markets, including facilitating ease of entry into and exit from such markets; avoid discrimination against particular energy sources; to be compatible with government policies to achieve diverse, sustainable supplies of energy at competitive prices and with wider government policy, including environmental and social issues.
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CM orders adequate canal
water supply JIND, Dec 25 — Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal was here today apprised of the inadequate supply of canal water in Narwana subdivision. Mr Bansi Lal was presiding over a meeting of the District Grievances and Redressal Committee. The Chief Minister ordered officials of the Irrigation Department to get the 11 minors of the Narwana subdivision desilted within a week and to ensure adequate supply of canal water to farmers. He asked the Deputy Commissioner to look into the matters regarding complaints made by villagers of Dharodi, Ishmilpur in which they had stated that sewerage water of Narwana town had been flooding their fields for the past many days. He asked the Deputy Commissioner to consider the proposal of installation of a water treatment plant at Narwana. Mr Bansi Lal ordered registration of a case against two employees of the HVPN for allegedly providing illegal power connection to a consumer. Regarding the complaint of use of sub-standard materials in the construction of the new grain market at Pilukhera, the Chief Minister asked the Deputy Commissioner to send the samples of materials for examination to a laboratory in New Delhi. The meeting was attended by Mr Sat Narayan Lathar, Minister for Housing and Public Health, Mr Ram Bhaj, Chairman of the Small-Scale and Export Corporation, and Mr Ram Kishan Bairagi, general secretary of the Haryana Vikas Party.
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HPCC executive to finalise
‘padyatra’ GURGAON, Dec 25 — A crucial meeting of the executive of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) will be held at Chandigarh to fine-tune the party’s strategy to further consolidate its base in the State. A senior leader of the Congress from Haryana and MP, Rao Inderjit Singh, said that the executive would finalise the party’s proposed "padyatra" in the State. The Congress attaches importance to the ‘padyatra’ and claims that it would be the high point of its campaign. The party plans to hold a "mammoth" rally somewhere in the central part of the state as a culmination to the ‘padyatra’. Senior leaders of the party from the Centre are tipped to address the rally.The leaders of the State will lead the ‘padyatra’ from different directions to reach the venue of the proposed rally. Besides, issues relating to the membership drive of the party will also be discussed. Significance is being attached to the meeting of the executive in the political circles as it will be held against the backdrop of a "resurgent" Congress, which bounced back into power in Delhi and Rajasthan in the recent assembly elections.The party was able to retain power in Madhya Pradesh, giving a lie to the "anti-incumbency" factor attributed to its win in the northern states by its adversaries. According to a member of the All-India Congress Committee(AICC) from Haryana, Mr Sunil Sareen, the party was showing signs of coming to the centre-stage in the state, as it was in other parts of the country, especially in north India.The executive will take stock of the present political situation in the state and chart out its strategy to give a cutting edge to its campaign to wrest power from the HVP-BJP combine. Senior leaders of the party are credited with the view that the political situation in the State is fluid, especially after the Congress gained stature in national politics in the wake of the recent assembly elections. Although the HVP and the BJP would dismiss it outrightly, the Congress leaders feel that the longevity of the HVP-BJP government was coterminous with that of the BJP-led Government at the Centre. The dominant line of thinking in the Congress is that with the "instability" of the Union Government increasing after the assembly elections in the four states, signs of turbulence in Haryana’s politics had surfaced. A senior leader of the Congress opined that with the present drift in the State’s politics, the possibility of a mid-term election had increased. In this back-ground the executive is tipped to caution the party’s rank and file to organise itself. Also, the executive is likely to spend a major portion of its discussion on the party’s drive to win over minorities, Dalits and OBCs. The leadership of the Congress in Haryana is of the view that the party’s political strategy under Mrs Sonia Gandhi was extensively factored in these three segments of the society. In fact, the committee constituted by the HPCC relating to the tercentenary celebrations of the Khalsa Panth under the chairmanship of the state president, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, will meet a day before that of the executive.
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Powerhouse staffer injured in fire BHIWANI, Dec 25 — The 132-kv powerhouse situated at Jhojhu village, 40 km from here, reportedly gutted in a fire this morning. Mr Balwant Singh Bura, Xen, Dadri powerhouse, said SSA Ramkishan posted at the powerhouse despite suffering from burn injuries went to the yard and cut off the isolater. He later fell down and was shifted to General Hospital, Dadri, by the villagers who had reached the site soon after the blaze took place. Fire engines from Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri were summoned to extinguish the fire. Mr Bura said the preliminary inspection reveals that two or three braker panels of 11-kv have been damaged. He asserted that power supply would be restored soon. Power supply to 25 villages, including Jhojhu Kalan, Jhojhu Khurd, Doodi, Nihalgarh, Kubzanagar, Pichopa Kalan, Siswala, Tiwala, Dudhwa has been effected by the fire.
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5 kg charas seized ROHTAK, Dec 25 — Over 5 kg of charas has been seized by the police in Bahdurgarh sub-division of Jhajjar district in two different cases. According to sources, the seizure worth about Rs 20,000 was made from two different persons. While one of the accused has been identified as Prem Singh of Assudah village, the other has been identified at Krishan Thapa. Three kg of charas was seized from the former's house, the remaining 2.5 kg was seized from Thapa. Both have been booked and arrested under Section 20 of the NDPS Act. In another case, the police has booked three members of a family on charges of attempt to murder. According to a complaint lodged with the police, Neelam of Dehkora village was allegedly set ablaze by her husband, her mother-in-law and father-in-law after she refused to bring Rs 1 lakh as dowry. A case under Sections 307, 498-A and 34, IPC, has been registered against the accused. No arrest has been made so far.
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State to order fresh survey of
poor FARIDABAD, Dec 25 — The Haryana Government will soon order a fresh survey to determine the number of people living below poverty line, according to Prof Ganeshi Lal, Food and Supplies Minister. Talking with newsmen here today, he said this would be done after receipt of complaints that a large number of ineligible persons had registered their names in the list. According to the previous survey, 4.48 lakh people were living below poverty line in Haryana. He said that new ration cards would be distributed in the state by April 1, 1999. In reply to a question, he said that procurement agencies had been directed to make payments to farmers within 72 hours of purchase of foodgrains.
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Bhajan: I have not been
marginalised HISAR, Dec 25 — Senior Congress leader and former Chief Miniser Bhajan Lal today dispelled notions of his being marginalised after Ms Sonia Gandhi took over as the Congress President. Taking a dig at his detractors for his inability to converse in English with Ms Gandhi, he said: "Sonia knows Hindi very well and she insists upon speaking in Hindi only." However, he hastened to add: "I at least, know as much English, as to be able to converse with her."
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