Admn gears up
for crackdown
GURGAON, SEPT 1 — The administration here has geared up for a crackdown on the traders and stockists who have removed their stocks of mustard oil to evade checks on them, even as two more persons here have reported symptoms of dropsy. With this, the total number of dropsy cases has risen to 11.

MDU told to admit student
ROHTAK, Sept 1 — Ms Shalini Singh, Civil Judge (Jr. Divn.) has ordered Maharshi Dayanand University to provisionally admit Kiran, daughter of Mr Bani Singh, to the B.Ed. course if she is otherwise found eligible.

School staff robbed

Drive to enforce traffic rules

Abductors’ gang busted

2 killed, 40 hurt in mishap

Admn gears up for crackdown
From Ravi S.Singh
Tribune News Service

GURGAON, SEPT 1 — The administration here has geared up for a crackdown on the traders and stockists who have removed their stocks of mustard oil to evade checks on them, even as two more persons here have reported symptoms of dropsy. With this, the total number of dropsy cases has risen to 11.

The administration’s efforts to persuade the traders and stockists to come out with their stocks of mustard oil have not borne the desired result. Rather, the special teams constituted by the administration to conduct random checks on the stocks of the oil had a disappointing day yesterday in their efforts to collect samples of the oil. To a query, a member of a team today said: "the news is that there is no oil in the market."

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Devender Singh, said the administration would continue with its persuasive efforts for some more time. The publicity drive to convince the traders and the stockists on the wisdom to get their stocks checked in the interest of the public at large would be intensified. The administration also plans to rope in the services of citizens to help in its surveys, he said.

However, Mr Singh cautioned that the administration would have to take recourse to alternative methods to compel the traders to bring out the stocks of oil. "I am sure the large stocks of oil cannot just vanish in a day", he said.

A source said the trend of vanishing of stocks of oil from shops and market places in the past 24 hours was witnessed in other parts of the state also.

Another source said the Chief Minister was having daily reports from district headquarters of the developments on the dropsy front.

According to the Civil Surgeon Officer, Gurgaon, Dr N.K. Jain, Tapan, a student of the Baraphkhana area in the city, and Rachna of Dhanwapura village reported symptoms of the killer disease today. They have been admitted to the local civil hospital and are stated to be out of danger. The two were hospitalised at the initial stage of the disease. Incidentally, the two victims, like the others, were afflicted with the disease after consuming refined oil of the Dhara brand.

Significantly, the case from Dhanwapura is the first to have been reported from a village since the outbreak of dropsy resulting from the consumption of adulterated mustard oil. Dhanwapura is about 3 km from Sector 4, the area of the city from where a majority of the earlier cases of dropsy were reported.

Dr Jain said the medical department had further intensified its measures to detect further cases of dropsy, especially in the villages. The office of the Civil Surgeon has ordered distribution of pamphlets on a large scale to educate public on all aspects of dropsy.

MDU told to admit student
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, Sept 1 — Ms Shalini Singh, Civil Judge (Jr. Divn.) has ordered Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) to provisionally admit Kiran, daughter of Mr Bani Singh, to the B.Ed. course if she is otherwise found eligible.

Kiran had passed the B.A. (III) examination of the university with geography as one of the subjects under roll no 244994 and had secured 60.4 per cent marks. She also took the entrance test for the B.Ed. course and secured 66 out of 100 marks. She was placed at the 151st position in the merit list.

Her result was declared on June 10, 1998, but she could not deposit the desired detailed marks sheet by June 25 as specified in the prospectus as her result was shown as 'RL'.

She contended that her result was wrongly announced as 'RL' as the marks of her geography practical were credited to a wrong roll number (244993).

Since the offices of the university were closed on June 11, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28, she could get her result rectified only on June 29 and her marks sheet was accepted by the university on July 8, 1998.

However, the Controller of Examinations asked her on the following day to bring in writing the cause of the delay in her result.

She said she had been approaching the authorities to consider her case but to no avail. Therefore, she had moved the court, seeking directions to the university to admit her in the B.Ed. course.

The university authorities, on the other hand, argued that Kiran had wrongly appeared in the practical examination against roll no 244993. Had she appeared against the allotted roll number, her result would have been declared in the normal course.

The judge, in her order, said the university had not disputed that Kiran appeared in the B.Ed. entrance test and was placed at the 151st position in the merit list and that there were 600 vacancies.

"Certainly, it was her own negligence on account of which her marks in the practical examination were credited against roll no 244993. However, it cannot be laid down as a rule that whenever the marksheet of BA (III) examination is submitted late, the candidate is liable to be excluded from consideration", the judge said.

"It is on the basis of her merit she deserves to be admitted. She should not be made to suffer for a small mistake," the judge added.

Even if there was some delay in the declaration of the plaintiff's result, she alone was not to be blamed as it was for the authorities to look into the discrepancy and correct it within time, the judge observed, directing the university to admit Kiran to the B.Ed. course provisionally.

DoT ordered to pay Rs 5000 relief
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Sept 1 — The District Consumers Disputes Redressal Forum, has awarded compensation of Rs 5,000 to Mr S.P. Sachdeva, a former member of the state Telephone Advisory Committee, Haryana for disconnecting illegally his telephone and causing physical harassment to him by Telecom Department Authorities.

A copy of the Forum judgement said today that there was grave negligence and irresponsibility on the part of department officials for issuing the demand notice and later on disconnecting telephone connection despite complainant having produced the relevant receipts of the payment, already made by him. The Forum also held the officials responsible for the deficiency of telephone service and ordered payment of compensation of Rs 5,000 to the complainant.

The complaint had alleged that the telecommunications department had disconnected his telephone without serving any advance notice to him. He also sought a compensation of Rs 1 lakh for causing physical harassment and humiliation to him.

He also alleged that despite an assurance to the Forum in 1994 that department officials would remain more careful in future while issuing telephone bills and disconnecting the telephone. Thereupon, the complainant submitted before the Forum that he did not want to pursue the matter further in view of the above undertaking as matter of grace and as such, the complaint was filed accordingly.

In spite of this undertaking, the complainant again received a false demand letter for Rs 1,514 including the restoration fee and the complainant again produced the receipt of the payment made by him. But despite this, his telephone connection was not restored by the department.

Condition of cotton crop satisfactory
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 1 — The condition of cotton crop, an important kharif cash crop, mainly grown in the districts of Hisar, Sirsa and Fatehabad of Haryana, is satisfactory and free from any serious pest or disease attack.

Stating this here today, a spokesman of the Agriculture Department said that resistant variety of desi cotton like RG-8 had been sown in the areas adjoining Rajasthan to create a buffer zone so that the spread of leaf curl virus disease could be checked. Besides this, 100 quintals of certified seed of LRA-5166 variety of American cotton which was resistant to this disease had also been distributed. The department also provided 425 quintals seed of RG-8 variety o f desi cotton on subsidised cost in this area. Moreover, training and demonstration programmes for the farmers in the affected areas were also organised to effectively tackle the attack of the pest.

He said during the current kharif season, a few cotton plants per acre were found infested with the disease in four villages in Dabwali subdivision of Sirsa district and in about five villages of Fatehabad district. In these districts, the incidence was still below the economic threshold level.

He further said that in Barwala and Adampur areas of Hisar district, 15 per cent plants in some fields were observed infested with the leaf virus disease. The affected plants had been uprooted and all possible measures were adopted to control this disease.

Another insect, grasshopper, had also emerged on the fodder crop (jowar) and was affecting an area of about 1500 acres in 110 villages of the Yamuna belt in Faridabad district.

He claimed that the situation was fully under control and the spraying of pesticides in the entire area would be completed within a few weeks time.

Tourism Day celebrated
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 1 — Haryana Tourism Day was celebrated by organising a cycle-rally-cum-race, golfing events, blood donation camps, food festival and planting trees besides holding a run for fun at several places in the State today.

The cycle-rally-cum-race was flagged off by the Haryana Minister of State for Tourism, Mr Ram Bhajan Aggarwal, from the Puffin tourist complex here. Over 2200 cyclists participated in this event, which was open to young and old and was organised in collaboration with the Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Haryana.

Gurpreet Singh was declared first in the junior boys section whereas Harsimran Singh Brar was declared second and Ankur Kaul was third. In the junior girls section, Monica Sharma was first, G. Nice Kang was declared second whereas Jyoti Chanden bagged the third prize.

In the senior boys section, Sukhjeet Singh was declared first, Nirmaljeet Singh was second and Rohit Sharma was declared third. In the senior girls section, the first prize was bagged by Shailja, the second prize was won by Suneli Chug and the third prize was bagged by Preeti Dutta. A consolation prize was awarded to the youngest participant, Tushar Malik. The Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula Mrs Saroj Siwatch, gave away the prizes.

The race section of the event was flagged off by Commissioner and Secretary, Tourism, Mr Sanjay Kothari and Director, Sports and Youth Welfare, Mr R.R. Jowel.

Order to register case against minister
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, Sept 1 — The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr K.K. Bali, has directed the police to register a case against the Haryana Urban Development Minister, Mr Sri Kishan Dass and eight others on a complaint filed by Mrs Kamla Devi, a 72-year-old widow residing in Kalalan mohalla.

The widow, who was present in person along with her advocate, Mr Ravi Dalal in the court, alleged that Mr Sri Kishan Dass as vice-president of the Haryana Pinjarpole Gaushala had "dishonestly and fraudulently signed, executed and become party to a deed which transfers and changed the property of the complainant in 1959". Mr Hukam Chand Goyal, a prominent BJP leader, she alleged, had attested these deeds.

Mrs Kamla Devi claimed that her late husband, Anand Sarup had inherited house no. 190/1 along with shops in the Kalalan mohalla from his father Baldev Singh, who had purchased the property from Bishen Singh on July 11, 1910, for Rs 750. She said she became owner and landlord of the house and shops according to a 'will' of her husband executed on December 2, 1992.

She alleged that Mr Sri Kishan Dass and Mr Goyal, vendor and attesting witness of the deed, respectively, fraudulently signed and executed and became party to the deed, which transfers and changes the property of the complainant.

The judge ordered the police to 'register a case and investigate' the complaint.

16 houses damaged by floods
Tribune News Service

HISAR, Sept 1 — Sixteen houses were damaged due to the floods caused by a major breach in Hisar Canal at Narnaund, in Hansi subdivision of Hisar district. Floods also damaged several acres of standing paddy crop.

The Subdivisional Magistrate, Hansi, Mr Vijaynder Kumar said that of the 200 houses which were flooded, 16 had suffered major damages. Besides, the boundary wall of the government hospital also collapsed due to flood water.

He said, water had already been drained out from the tehsil building, the power house and the hospital. Work had resumed in these buildings. However, certain areas in the Narnaund town were still under water, although the level had come down.

Mr Kumar said, loss had been estimated at about Rs 3 lakh. Besides, considerable damage had been caused to the roads. The PWD department has already started the repairs.

He pointed out that six pump sets with 15 cusecs capacity each, had been commissioned to drain out water. He said a proposal has been submitted to the government for compensation to the victims.

Abducted girl recovered
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Sept 1 — A minor girl, who was abducted by three persons here yesterday, has been recovered by the police.

According to the SP, Mr Rajbir Deswal, the girl, a minor daughter of Mr Bishan Singh of Raipur village in the district, had gone to the fields to fetch wood at about 2 p.m. Three persons namely Raju, Shobha Singh and Gurdeep Singh, entinced her and took her with them

The police, upon information, registered a case under sections 363 and 366 of the IPC and launched a man hunt after sealing all boundaries in the district. The girl was recovered from a room in the fields of Jandli Khurd village. One of her abductors, Raju, was nabbed, while the two others managed to escape, he disclosed.

The girl told the police that the three accused had lured her saying that they would take her to town and show her a film in a cinema hall. She alleged that Raju had raped her in the room, when the police reached there.

Congress workers stage dharna
Tribune News Service

PANCHKULA, Sept 1 — Congressmen, led by local MLA Chander Mohan, staged a dharna and observed a fast here today in protest against burglaries and dacoities in the district.

The dharna, organised near the roundabout of sectors 17, 18, 7 and 8, started at 8 a.m. and continued till 2 p.m.

Mr Chander Mohan said the dharna was to highlight the failure of the district administration in protecting the life and property of citizens. It was also organised to protest against the "discriminatory attitude" of the state government towards development activities in the assembly constituencies represented by opposition MLAs.

Mr Chander Mohan said if the law and order situation in the district did not improve, Congressmen would gherao the DC and the S.P. and would launch a "jail bharo" agitation.

He demanded the immediate transfer of Mrs Saroj Siwach, DC, who was responsible for maintaining law and order in the district.

The Bar Association of Panchkula also struck work to express its solidarity with the dharna.

Minister's plea to striking teachers
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 1 — The Haryana Education Minister, Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, today made a fervent appeal to the striking teachers to shun the path of agitation and return to work.

He said the ongoing strike by the university and college teachers had seriously affected the studies of students just in the beginning of the new academic session. He said there was widespread public resentment over the strike.

He said the State Government had always been very sympathetic to the just demands of the teachers and in fact was one of the few States in the country which had implemented the new pay scales as recommended by the Union Government with effect from January 1, 1996. The Haryana Government had extended offers to hold talks with the teachers' representatives regarding their genuine demands in the past also and now reiterated the same, he added.

The Minister said Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Union Minister for Human Resource Development, had already met the teachers' representatives on August 16 last and he had agreed to consider certain demands of the teachers at an early date provided the teachers called off their strike immediately.

Abolish "black laws," urge Class IV staff
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Sept 1 — The Haryana State Class IV Government Employees Union has condemned the what it called the stubborn attitude of the state government towards government employees.

A meeting of the state council of the union was held here today which was attended among others by Mr Shankar Lal Sharma, president of the state unit of the union, Mr J.P. Pandey, a former president, Mr Beg Raj, general secretary, and Mr Hari Shankar, cashier of the district unit of the union.

The leaders demanded that the government should give allowances at par with their Punjab counterparts, implement the Fifth Pay Panel report in boards and corporations, confirm the services of those class IV employees who have completed 240 days of service, do away with the annual confidential reports of the employees, abolish "black laws" like ESMA and restore the earlier facility of 20 days casual leave per year. The union would launch an agitation in case their demands were not met, they added.

2 held for beating lineman
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Sept 1 — The police here has arrested two persons for allegedly beating up a lineman of the Electricity Department and preventing him from performing his official duty.

According to the Superintendent of Police, Mr Rajbir Deswal, the lineman, Mr Ajit Singh, posted in the office of the SDE (Sub-Urban) Haryana Electricity Transmission Corporation Limited, Fatehabad, was on duty at Hinjrawan village during a power cut. On August 28, when the lineman resumed the power supply of a portion of the village after enforcing cut in another part of the village, Billoo, a resident of the village, reached there along with some persons and forcibly took him along in a jeep. They beat him up and threatened to kill him. Later, the lineman was dropped in the village.

The police has arrested two persons — Bhag Chand and Hans Raj — in this connection and is looking for Billoo.

School staff robbed
From Our Correspondent

GURGAON, Sept 1 — Three youngsters robbed a school clerk and a teacher of Rs 63,000 at gunpoint in Jhamuwas village today.

According to the Taoru police, the clerk of Government High School, Kalwadi, Mr Suraj Bhan and the teacher were returning to the school after withdrawing the money from Syndicate Bank at Taoru for paying salaries. When they reached Jhamuwas they were stopped by the youths in a Maruti car and decamped with the cash.

Drive to enforce traffic rules
Tribune News Service

HISAR, Sept 1 — The district administration today launched a drive against traffic rules violations and for the strict enforcement of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988.

At a meeting here chaired by Deputy Commissioner P.C. Bhidhan, it was decided that the subdivisional magistrates of Hisar and Hansi, City Magistrate, General Manager of the Haryana Roadways and the Regional Transport Authority will jointly supervise the drive against t he people violating traffic rules.

The drive is to ensure that no unauthorised vehicle was allowed to ply on the roads. The district administration has sought assistance from the Police Department also for the purpose.

The vehicles belonging to different educational institutions will also need to produce the required documents and also ensure that they are not over-loaded for ensuring safety of the students. Besides, the school buses carry first aid facility.

The drive has been launched on the instructions of Chief Minister Bansi Lal for checking traffic rules violation.

Board blacklists 15 organisations
Tribune News Service

HISAR, Sept 1 — The Haryana State Social Welfare Advisory Board has blacklisted 15 voluntary organisations and filed FIRs against 10 persons for allegedly misappropriating funds meant for the welfare of women.

Addressing a press conference here today, the Chairperson of the board, Ms Lajwanti, said the organisations had been blacklisted after a vigilance inquiry was conducted against these. The 10 persons against whom the FIRs had been lodged include some officials of the Social Welfare Department also, she said.

The Chairperson pointed out that board had been working for the upliftment of the women and its main agenda was the "mother-child" care. Besides issuing grants to different voluntary organisations, the board was running family counselling centres in every district of the state and had been providing vocational training to women in different trades, she added.

Abductors’ gang busted
From Our Correspondent

FARIDABAD, Sept 1 — With the arrest of a 27-year-old woman, Geeta, the police claims to have busted a gang of women abductors and recovered seven girls, aged around 10, from them.

They used to abduct girls from Delhi and sell them at Agra for prostitution.

The girls recovered have been identified Asha, Sandeep, Jamuna, Mamta, Pooja, Babli and Nani.

Mr Mohd Akil, Senior Superintendent of Police, said today that the police had raided the residence of Chanda Bai at Agra and arrested her on the charge of purchasing these girls for using them for prostitution.

2 killed, 40 hurt in mishap
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, Sept 1 — Two pilgrims were killed and at least 40, including four children, were injured some of them seriously when a mini truck carrying them overturned near village Balsamand, about 20 km from here, today. The deceased were the residents of a village in Karnal. One of the deceased has been identified as Balwan. The injured children were shifted to Rohtak Medical College. In another accident, one person was killed when a jeep collided with a canter near Balsamand today. The victim has been identified as Prem of Sarsaud village in Hisar district.