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H A R Y A N A |  |
 Thursday, October 15, 1998 |
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Congress leaders decry |
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 HVPNL move for consumers' benefit KURUKSHETRA, Oct 14 — The Haryana Vidyut Parsaran Nigam Limited has approved a proposal on the implementation of Vidyut Samiti Scheme (Power Consumers Association Scheme). |
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Faridabad-Ghaziabad highway
on anvil FARIDABAD, Oct 14 — The work on the Rs 755 crore 56-km-long express highway connecting Faridabad with Ghaziabad via NOIDA is expected to start early next year. While 32 km of the highway will pass through Haryana, the rest will pass through Uttar Pradesh. Anganwari workers on dharna FATEHABAD, Oct 14 — Anganwari workers and helpers of the district yesterday started an indefinite dharna outside the DC office here against the non-payment of their salaries for the last five months. Divali bonanza for farm board staff CHANDIGARH, Oct 14 — The Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board has decided to give Divali bonanza to its over 2500 employees in the shape of bonus for two years and incentive for the collection of the Haryana rural development fee. Mentally ill girl raped by tantrik FATEHABAD, Oct 14 — A self-styled tantrik of Bighar village in the district has been arrested for raping a mentally ill girl of Dhir village. |
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Congress leaders decry anti-Sonia
outburst CHANDIGARH, Oct 14 — Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, MP, Mr Jai Singh Rana, MLA, and Dr Ram Parkash, President, Vice-President and General Secretary, respectively, of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, today criticised the Haryana Ministers, Mr Karan Singh Dalal and Mr Attar Singh Saini, for their outburst against the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. In a joint statement, the Haryana PCC office-bearers said that the allegations of Mrs Sonia Gandhi regarding total breakdown of the law and order situation in the State of Haryana during the two-and-a-half-year rule of the HVP-BJP alliance Government were fully correct and were based on documentary evidence. Instead of gracefully accepting the failure and dismal performance of the alliance government on all fronts, particularly the law and order situation, the Ministers had, tried to appease the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, by criticising Mrs Sonia Gandhi. The Haryana Congress leaders pointed out that the Ministers had, perhaps, forgotten the confession of the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, in which he had, a few days back during his Rohtak tour, acknowledged that the law and order situation in Rohtak and Jhajjar district was worse than other parts of the state. The Haryana Congress leaders said that not a single day passed when there was no case of abduction, rape, murder, looting and arson on gun-point by anti-social elements. The Haryana Congress leaders cited the examples of attack on a veteran journalist, Mr Tribhuvan Nath, at his residence in Panchkula, a few weeks back, followed by the daylight robbery at the residence of Mr Rohit Agnihotri, SDO of Mandi Board at Panchkula, looting of the manager and another official of the Indian Oil Corporation near Ramgarh on the Naraingarh road, resulting in the manager succumbing to the injuries he got during the incident.
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Farmers slam govt on support price KAITHAL, Oct 14 — Although there are a large number of cases of distress sale of paddy by farmers in this region, blame for the dismal situation must be shared by the Government which had not yet entered the market. The farmers are angry because of the Government of India's failure to enforce support prices of paddy which are Rs 440 quintal for the common variety of paddy and Rs 470 per quintal for A grade paddy. However, the situation in the Haryana mandis is not as bad as in Punjab's where the glut is due to the non purchase of paddy. In Haryana the purchases are of course slow because of the reluctance of the millers to go the whole hog for the paddy arrivals in the market because of the stringent specifications of the Government and the damaged condition of paddy which has arrived in the mandis. The Government agencies are, by and large, conspicuous by their absence or of have just formal appearance. Of the total arrival of paddy i.e. 40150 tonnes in the state mandis, 389179 tonnes of paddy has been purchased by millers during the past fortnight. The state agencies account for merely 12323 tonnes of which the FCI has purchased 6002 tonnes, claims an official spokesman. The farmers' anger with the Government of India appears to be justified in the sense that the Government of India has pegged the support prices at a level which is not easily available in the market because of the recent uncertain weather conditions. Farmers from Punjab and Haryana come to the market here because of the importance of the Kaithal mandi which fairly is large and has nearly 50 shellers in the area to shell rice. Going by the quality available with them, the farmers, by and large, are satisfied with the prices that the millers offer them in the absence of Government agencies. The prices today ranged between Rs 400 per quintal and Rs 490 per quintal. Mr Jaswinder Singh of Sagru village sold 250 quintals of paddy at Rs 420 per quintal and Mr Surinder Singh of Arno village in Patiala district got Rs 441 per quintal for the 50 quintal of paddy which he sold today. Mr Gurcharan Singh of the same village got still better price of Rs 455 per quintal for 100 quintal that he sold in the mandi. Of 30,000 quintals of paddy that the Kaithal mandi received today, 20000 quintals was of A grade sold at prices between Rs 450 and Rs 490 per quintal and 10,000 quintals of the common variety sold at prices between Rs 400 and Rs 425 per quintal as substantial part of it was wet containing more moisture than the limit permitted. The mandi today also received nearly 15,000 quintals of duplicate basmati which also was purchased by the millers. A group of farmers said it was strange that the Government which fixed the price of paddy without taking into consideration ground realities was absent from the purchase centres. They also said that perhaps the Government wanted to pay Rs 470 per quintal for the paddy which had been sold at Rs 490 per quintal today. Arhtias told The Tribune that they were not in the picture for the local purchases because millers were buying paddy direct. Commission agents they said would be active only if the orders were to be executed for buyers outside Haryana. The Market Committee said that the situation at Kaithal mandi was not good as the Government did not take any action even when difficulties were brought to its notice. They said district authorities had failed to check the long line-up of trucks outside the mandi which prevented farmers from bringing in their produce. Referring to the slow purchases by millers, Mr Bharat Bhushan Jain, Vice-president of the Haryana Rice Millers and Dealers Associations, said while on the one hand mainly damaged crop was available in the market, government authorities which were supposed to be sympathetic to the farmers, had enforced stricter specifications for the rice millers. The two situations could not be compromised. The millers had resorted to go slow purchases as the rice produced by them under the conditions was not acceptable to the FCI — the only levy purchasing agency through the government in the state. It was not willing to relax conditions. As against earlier, specifications of 30 per cent broken rice, 4.5 per cent damaged and 13 per cent discoloured, this year the Government of India had enforced stricter condition of 22 per cent broken grains, 2 per cent damaged, 3 per cent discoloured, said Mr Jain. Besides its intention to avoid purchasing damaged paddy, it is learnt that one reason of the Government agencies' virtual absence from the market was that the government did not have even 30 per cent of storage capacity of the total leviable rice which varied between 10 lakh and 12 lakh tonnes.
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HVPNL move for consumers'
benefit KURUKSHETRA, Oct 14 — The Haryana Vidyut Parsaran Nigam Limited (HVPNL) has approved a proposal on the implementation of Vidyut Samiti Scheme (Power Consumers Association Scheme). Stating this here yesterday evening, the Deputy Commissioner, Kurukshetra, Mr T.V.S.N. Prasad said that for the first time in power sector in the country, this scheme would be implemented in the Kurukshetra District of Haryana. Initially, it would be implemented in five out of 10 villages identified for the purpose in the district from November 30 next four months as a pilot project for trial. According to the scheme, mainly based on 'Internalising Participatory Management by Beneficiaries in the Power Sector', initially, each of the five selected villages will get the power supply through a common feeder with an LT meter fitted on it and from here the each individual consumer will get the supply through a separate individual meter. The LT meter will be read jointly by the Sub-divisional Officer (SDO) 'Operation' and the village sarpanch once a month and individual bills based on respective individual meters, issued to all consumers by the HVPNL to assess their power consumption. However, these bills will be handed over to the Samiti (a core group), which will pay the bill to the HVPNL. It would be ensured that payment based on LT meter received by the HVPNL is not less than the total amount of bills of all consumers in the command area of the transformer. However, separate electric meters will be installed for the power supply to tubewells. A Samiti (core group) will be set up by the Deputy Commissioner, Kurukshetra where besides Deputy Commissioner and Superintending Engineer 'Operation' Kurukshetra, the other members will include village sarpanch, up-sarpanch, members of panchayat, gram-sabha and a junior engineer of the concerned HVPNL. This Samiti (core group) will be empowered to take decision to ensure regular power supply to consumers. Mr Prasad said that although the Samiti (core group) would be empowered to check the theft or pilferage of electricity, yet it would have no powers to release new connections or to lodge the FIR with the police against any theft or pilferage. In urban areas, he said that such mechanisms and agencies could easily be replicated by involving the municipal corporators by taking the municipal ward as a unit.
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Faridabad-Ghaziabad highway on anvil FARIDABAD, Oct 14 — The work on the Rs 755 crore 56-km-long express highway connecting Faridabad with Ghaziabad via NOIDA is expected to start early next year. While 32 km of the highway will pass through Haryana, the rest will pass through Uttar Pradesh. Official Sources said two bidders for the construction had been shortlisted. They were Larsen Toubro and B.K. Jaya of Indonesia which is collaborating with the Indian Railways construction company, a Central Government undertaking. The contract would be awarded to one of them within three months. The decision to construct the highway was taken by the National Capital Region Planning Boards so that the traffic did not pass through Delhi which is already very congested. It is also proposed to construct a bypass from Kundli to Suratkund in Faridabad so that the heavy traffic from Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh on way to south and western parts of the country did not go through Delhi. It will be linked with the express highway near Ballabhgarh. The highway would have concrete fencing to prevent stray cattle and slow moving vehicles from entering it. The sources regretted that the Haryana Government had not yet acquired land for the highway. They also expressed concern about the large scale encroachment on the proposed bypass between Sectors 19 and 28 here. The highway would be constructed on the built, operate and transfer basis. The company would also charge toll tax from vehicles to meet the cost and interest before transferring it to the government. It is also envisaged to construct two bridges on the Yamuna and Hindon rivers in Uttar Pradesh and a number of flyovers.
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Anganwari workers on dharna FATEHABAD, Oct 14 — Anganwari workers and helpers of the district yesterday started an indefinite dharna outside the DC office here against the non-payment of their salaries for the last five months. Ms Ramesh Rani Sharma, secretary of the district unit of the Anganwari Workers and Helpers Union, Haryana, alleged that though the government entrusted a lot of work to them but they were being paid a meagre salary of Rs 600 and Rs 300, respectively. That too, she alleged, had not been paid for the last five months. She said the union had also been demanding an enhanced honorarium, declaring them as a government servant and a salary of Rs 2000 and Rs 1200, respectively, a summer vacation of two months, festival bonus, medical leave and maternity leave.
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Yuva Lok Dal panel CHANDIGARH, Oct 14 — The President of the Yuva Indian National Lok Dal, Mr Ajay Singh Chautala, has constituted the working committee of the party. Mr Devendra Singh Billa, Mr Dushyant Singh, Mr Pale Ram Gujjar, Mr Jagjit Singh Suhag, Mr Surinder Singh Lamba, Mr L.D. Gupta and Mr Shamsher Singh Muakheri have been nominated Vice-Presidents. Mr Surinder Singh Khatkad, Mr Sucha Singh Bakhnor, Mr Wazir Singh Mohalla, Mr Dinesh Kumar and Mr Jagrup Singh Sandhu have been appointed General Secretaries. Mr Subhash Saini, Mr Rajesh Godara, Mr Harinder Khanna, Mr Sukhbir Singh Kataria, Mr Bhudev Sharma, Mr Joginder Singh Pehalwan and Mr Maim Singh Rajepur will be the secretaries of the party. Mr Ramphal Yadav, Mr Dharambir Rathi, Mr Ravi Biragi, Mr Krishan Lather, Mr Surinder Yadav and Mr Devinder Bhadana have been made Publicity Secretaries. While Mr Ishwar Singh Nara will be spokesman of the party, Mr Hariom Singh Dalal will be the Organising Secretary.
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Mentally ill girl raped by tantrik FATEHABAD, Oct 14 — A self-styled tantrik of Bighar village in the district has been arrested for raping a mentally ill girl of Dhir village. According to the SP, here, the victim, daughter of Babu Lal was mentally ill for sometime. Her maternal uncle Dal Chand was informed by someone that Rajinder, a "tantrik", had cured some of such patients. Her father took the girl to Rajinder on October 5. According to the police, the tantrik pronounced some "mantras" on seeing the girl and then said that the girl would have to be taken to the jungle at night to counter the evil spirit in the girl. The parents of the girl agreed to it. On the same night Rajinder and a relative of the girl, Panna Lal, took the girl to the jungle. Upon reaching the jungle, Rajinder told Panna Lal that he had forgotten his "mala" at his residence and sent Panna Lal to bring that. When Panna Lal went back to bring it, the tantrik raped her. The police has registered
a case under Section 376 of the Indian Penal Code. He was
arrested yesterday. DC's
order
on cracker sale AMBALA, Oct 14 — The Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Navraj Sandhu, today banned the sale of crackers in the thickly populated bazars of the towns in the district. She directed that the sale would take place only in the open specified in the order. By another order, she banned the bursting of fire works and crackers in the thickly populated bazars.
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Sahib Singh Verma's exit
resented ROHTAK, Oct 14 — Students of the local university college affiliated to Maharshi Dayanand University at a meeting held here today, condemned the "conspiracy" allegedly hatched by the BJP high command to end the political career of Mr Sahib Singh Verma, former Delhi Chief Minister. Students leaders described
the move as a "severe blow to the hopes and
aspirations of villagers especially farmers" and
said that the farmers community had lost trust in the
BJP. They said that the party would have to face this in
the forthcoming election. Divali bonanza for farm board
staff CHANDIGARH, Oct 14 — The Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board has decided to give Divali bonanza to its over 2500 employees in the shape of bonus for two years and incentive for the collection of the Haryana rural development fee (HRDF). Stating this here today the Chairman of the board, Mr Ved Pal, said the board at its meeting held yesterday decided to give bonus or ex-gratia to its employees for 1996-97 and 1997-98 besides incentive for the collection of the HRDF. Mr Ved Pal said each employee on an average would get about Rs 12,000 as Divali bonanza which would be disbursed before the festival. He said the board would spend Rs 22 crore to develop 11 new grain markets and to provide essential additional facilities in the existing mandis during the current financial year. The new mandis would be developed at Saha, Nigdu, Ballah, Sonipat, Narnaund Phase-II, Gannaur, Jeevan Nagar, Pillukhera, Faridabad (Sector 16), Bahadurgarh and Barwala in Panchkula district.
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Man robbed on highway SONEPAT, Oct 14 — The police has launched a hunt for four unidentified armed car-borne robbers who looted a cash of Rs 42,000 from Mr Sandeep Singh of Amritsar on the night of October 12 on National Highway near Teha village under the Ganaur police station of this district. Mr Sandeep Singh along with other family members, was going to Delhi by his car. A car blocked their way and four persons armed with guns asked him to show the car documents. When he showed them, they were not satisfied and demanded a fine of Rs 2,000. When Sandeep Singh started counting notes, they snatched the amount of Rs 42,000 from him and fled from the scene. Residents of the nearby villages have demanded intensifying of night patrolling by the police.
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JD to hold Dalit, Muslim sammelan SONEPAT, Oct 14 — The Janata Dal has decided to hold a Dalit Muslim sammelan on October 23 in New Delhi to discuss the socio-economic conditions of both communities and finalise the future course of action for launching an agitation in protest against the alleged atrocities on Dalits as well as Muslims in the country. Mr Ved Parkash Vidrohi, president of the Haryana Pradesh Janata Dal, told mediapersons here today that the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre was "indifferent" to the demands of the Dalits and Muslims and was fanning communalism" in the country. Such an attitude, he said, was a threat to the unity and integrity of the country. He called upon the Dalits and Muslims to unite under one banner. The Janata Dal leader also demanded a white paper by the HVP-BJP alliance government led by Mr Bansi Lal on the law and order situation.
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DC reviews flood situation SONEPAT, Oct 14 — Mr P.K. Mahapatra, Deputy Commissioner, reviewed the flood situation caused by the recent rain at a meeting of officials of the Irrigation Department here yesterday. The meeting discussed the steps taken by the department and future schemes to drain out the water from the depression and the fields of farmers. The Deputy Commissioner directed the officials to ensure that desilting of all channels should be completed on time so that farmers could sow the next rabi crop. Giving details of the steps taken by the district administration, the Deputy Commissioner said as many as 35 diesel and electricity pumping sets had been working round-the-clock. He claimed that both the East and West Juan drains were functioning normally and more than 200 cusecs of water was being drained out daily. He said the accumulated rain water had already been drained out from Chitana, Hullaheri and Barwasni villages. The Deputy Commissioner claimed that the work would be completed within 15 days.
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MDU teachers' body
office-bearers ROHTAK, Oct 14 — Mr Shamsher Singh, of the Department of Physical Education, and Dr Ajmer Singh of the Department of Law have been unanimously elected president and secretary, respectively of the Mahrishi Dayanand University Teachers Association. The nine-member executive
committee was also elected unopposed. They are Dr Archana
Garg, Dr Gulshan Taneja, Mr H.S. Gupta, Dr H.S. Ratnoo,
Dr K.P.S. Mahalwar, Dr Manju Pruthi, Dr Neelima Dahiya,
Dr S. K. Dewan and Dr Sunil Chaudhary Home Guards not paid for 3
months ROHTAK, Oct 14 — The Home Guards volunteers performing traffic duty here have not been paid wages for the past three months. A Home Guards volunteer is paid a daily allowance of Rs 50 whenever he is called for performing duty. The Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, had, last year, announced an enhancement of Rs 25 in the daily allowance and free travel facility in Haryana Roadways buses for home guard volunteers. The volunteers today regretted that the government had not paid them wages even at old rates for the past three months. Through a resolution, they urged the government to release their wages before the Divali festival as many of them were leading a "miserable life."
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