Chautala opposes Art 356 scrapping
CHANDIGARH, Sept 27 — The Indian National Lok Dal of Mr Om Prakash Chautala today came out in support of retaining the controversial Article 356 on the statute book so that India "does not go to Soviet Union way".

Panel submits report to UGC
CHANDIGARH, Sept 27 — The state-level committee constituted by the Haryana Government to coordinate the proposals of government as well as non-government colleges regarding introduction of UGC-sponsored vocational courses has made its recommendations to the UGC for the introduction of these courses at the degree level.

BJP’s foreign policy "tactless"
FARIDABAD, Sept 27 — Mr Natwar Singh, a former External Affairs Minister and a senior Congress leader, yesterday described the foreign policy of the BJP government as tactless.

‘Declare Narwana, Kalayat as flood-hit’
CHANDIGARH, Sept 27 — The Whip of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, has demanded that a large area of Narwana and Uchana in Jind district and Kalayat in Kaithal district should be immediately declared as "flood-hit" areas.

Stress on implementing NSS plans laid
ROHTAK, Sept 27 — Colleges and universities ought to play a more constructive role towards making the National Service Scheme truly fractional at local level.

5 sentenced to life
GURGAON, Sept 27 — The Additional Sessions Judge, Dr Bharat Bhushan Prasoon, has sentenced Hari Singh (70) Fateh Bahadur (60), his sons Ravinder and Satender and Jhabu Singh, all residents of Ujhina village under Nuh police station to undergo life imprisonment on the charge of killing Anoop Singh following a land dispute.

• Bhajan Lal raps Haryana government
• Haryana to have 3 new ESI hospitals
• Three armed men assault couple

• Veterinarians stage dharna

Rs 400-crore plan to counter floods
From Our Correspondent

JIND, Sept 27 — The construction work of the Hathni Kund Barrage at a cost of Rs 225 crore would be completed by June next. It would provide additional water for irrigation in the state.

This was stated by Mr Bansi Lal, Chief Minister, Haryana, while addressing a largely attended gathering at Julana, 25 km from here, today.

He said that Haryana had prepared a Rs 400-crore master plan for saving the state from the fury of floods and providing a permanent solution to the menace. A sum of Rs 45 crore would be spent on digging a drain for draining water from the Safidon, Julana and Jind areas. Another drain connecting Hisar and Ghaggar was already under way.

Mr Bansi Lal said certain employees engaged in electricity distribution were disrupting power in the wee hours just to defame him. The persons involved in wrong electricity billing and helping power thefts would be dealt with sternly. He appealed to the public to help the government check power thefts. He also urged the people to pay their electricity bills in time as the government was determined to supply uninterrupted power round-the-clock by July next.

He said that the government would spend more than Rs 25 crore for restructuring the power system in Jind district alone during next one-and-half years.

Mr Bansi Lal said that the government had managed additional irrigation for 6 lakh acres of land in the state by the optimum use of water and desilting of canals and drains, resulting in an additional income of Rs 300 crore to the farmers.

He said that the government had observed a complete transparency in recruitments.

Mr Brij Mohan Singla, Minister for Industrial Training and Vocational Education, said that economy of the state was in a shambles when the HVP-BJP government took over the reins but now it had been set on the development track.

Mr Attar Singh Saini, Minister for Public Relations and Power, said that 126 power sub-stations had been augmented and 26 new sub-stations planned.

Mr Satya Narain Lather, Minister of State for Housing introduced many Lok Dal Rashtriya workers interested in joining the HVP to Mr Bansi Lal.

Swollen Juan drain damages kharif crop
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Sept 27 — The overflowing of the west-Juan drain has caused a huge loss to the farmers whose standing kharif crop on hundreds of acres has been submerged in rain water at Juan village 15 km from here.

According to a report received here, rain water was flowing in the drain more than its capacity leading to its overflowing which caused flooding in the area. Flood-like situation in the village has been causing concern to the farmers.

Many farmers said that officials of the Irrigation Department had failed to desilt and deweed this drain despite repeated representations made to them from time to time in the past. This has resulted in siltation of the drain.
Some farmers also alleged that the authorities concerned had not done any thing to drain out accumulated water in their fields. Standing crops including bajra, paddy had been damaged due to incessant rains and submerging by the overflowing of this drain.

Representatives of various farmer organisations held a joint meeting here today to air grievances against the failure of the district administration to pump the rain and flood waters in the area.

The authorities of the Irrigation Department have pressed into the service a large number of diesel and power pumps for dewatering operation in the area. They said that rain water would be pumped out from fields very soon.

Meanwhile, flood-like condition prevailed in eight villages of the Gohana sub-division due to rains during past week.

According to one estimate, as many as 400 acres of farm land and standing kharif crops including bajra and paddy is under rain water. The affected farmers demanded immediate dewatering of fields to avoid further loss.

Chautala opposes Art 356 scrapping
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 27 — The Indian National Lok Dal of Mr Om Prakash Chautala today came out in support of retaining the controversial Article 356 on the statute book so that India "does not go to Soviet Union way".

Talking to newsmen here Mr Chautala, Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, said his party was against the misuse of Article 356 and not against its use to prevent "balkanisation" of the country.

Refusing to comment on the President’s decision to return the Union Cabinet’s recommendations to dismiss the Rabri Devi Government under Article 356, Mr Chautala said it was not known to him on what basis the Cabinet had made the recommendation and what clarifications the President had sought. However, if Article 356 was removed from the Constitution, the state governments would go "berserk" and the Chief Ministers would feel free to run their states as fiefdoms.

Referring to Haryana, Mr Chautala said Union Home Minister L.K. Advani had sought the comments of the state government, whose dismissal his party had sought through a memorandum submitted to Mr Advani. He pointed out that Chief Minister Bansi Lal still contested the crime statistics given in the memorandum, he should order an inquiry by a sitting High Court judge and "I shall file a personal affidavit in support of my allegations about the deteriorating law and order situation in Haryana".

Mr Chautala, who seemed in high spirits after the success of the party’s rally in Rewari on September 25, accused Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj of being personally responsible for the electronic media blacking out the rally.

Accusing Mrs Swaraj of doing so to "appease" Mr Bansi Lal "for getting favours from the Chief Minister", Mr Chautala alleged that the Rewari rally was the second Lok Dal event which had been blacked out by the electronic media. Earlier Doordarshan had not covered a function where Mr Devi Lal, former Deputy Prime Minister, was honoured for his contribution in the freedom struggle. His party MPs had protested against Doordarshan’s discriminatory attitude in the Lok Sabha. The government had assured them that in future Doordarshan would be careful.

Mr Chautala said his party would lodge a strong protest with the Prime Minister in this connection.

Ruling out the possibility of his party withdrawing support to the Vajpayee Government in the near future, Mr Chautala said the withdrawal of support would lead to the formation of a Congress Government at the Centre which was not acceptable to the Lok Dal, which had decided to support the Vajpayee Government in the national interest. However, if the Haryana's interests were harmed in any manner, his party would not hesitate in taking a decisive decision.

He demanded that the interim report of the Eradi Tribunal on the river waters should be implemented immediately and Haryana should be given its share of 3.83 MAF of the river waters. His party would start sending jathas to Delhi from November 1 to press the Centre to do justice to Haryana as well as to dismiss the Bansi Lal Government.

Alleging widespread corruption in the Haryana administration Mr Chautala said the Chief Minister had given a free hand to his ministers and MLAs to "loot the state". (He alleged Haryana Roadways was incurring heavy loses due to unauthorised plying of buses by politically influential persons. He alleged six Roadways inspectors were transferred when they tried to check unauthorised buses being run between Gurgaon and Dhaula Kuan (Delhi) "at the behest of the Transport Minister, Mr Krishan Pal Gujjar."

Similarly, he alleged, licences to mine limestone from Dostpur in Narnaul district had been given to a brother of the Education Minister, Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, to a relative of the Haryana Assembly Speaker, Prof Chhattar Singh Chauhan; and to an associate of Mr Kailash Sharma, MLA.

He also alleged that when a team of HSEB officers led by the Minister of State for Power, Mr Attar Singh Saini, raided the business premises of the Chairman of the Public Enterprises Bureau, Mr Sita Ram Singla, and detected certain irregularities, the authorities suspended three officers.

Mr Chautala said the government was planning to abolish the flat rate system for tubewells by installing meters.

Panel submits report to UGC
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 27 — The state-level committee constituted by the Haryana Government to coordinate the proposals of government as well as non-government colleges regarding introduction of UGC-sponsored vocational courses has made its recommendations to the UGC for the introduction of these courses at the degree level.

While disclosing this, a spokesman of the Haryana Education Department said the UGC had issued guidelines for inviting proposals from eligible colleges and university-maintained colleges for the introduction of this ambitious scheme. He said the state-level committee was comprised representatives of Kurukshetra University, Maharshi Dayanand University (Rohtak) and the state government. He said colleges were asked to submit their proposals to the universities to which they were affiliated.

Those colleges affiliated to Kurukshetra University where vocational subjects are being introduced are Arya College Panipat (Computer Applications), Hindu Girls College, Jagadhari, (Computer applications), Indira Gandhi National College, Ladwa (Advertising sales promotion and sales management) Govt College, Panchkula, (Industrial Chemistry), Govt. College, Kalka (Industrial Chemistry), Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Fatehpur, Pundri (Early childhood care and education), N.M.Govt. College, Hansi (Computer applications), and Tax procedure and Practices, Govt. College, Safidon (Advertising, Sales Promotion and Sales Management), Govt. National P.G. College, Sirsa (Computer applications), Indira Gandhi Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Kaithal (Office management and Secretarial practices), Markanda National College, Shahabad (Functional English), Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Karnal, (Computer applications and (Functional English), F.C. College for Women, Hisar (Functional English), Arya Girls College, Ambala Cantt. (Functional English), F.G.M. College, Adampur (Tax procedure and practices), Hindu Kanya Mahavidyalaya, Jind (Office management and Secretarial practices), Govt. College, Naraingarh, (Computer applications), Maharana Pratap National College, Mullana, (Office management and Secretarial practices), Maharana Pratap College for Women, Mandi Dabwali, (Functional English), K.M. Govt. College Narwana (Tax procedure and practices (Commerce) and D.A.V. College, Pundri, Rural Handicrafts.

Colleges affiliated to the Maharshi Dayanand University, where vocational subjects are being introduced are: G.B. Degree College, Rohtak (Computer applications), Ahir College, Rewari (Tax procedure and practices), Hindu Girls College, Sonepat (Computer Applications), Govt. P.G. College, Narnaul, (Industrial Chemistry, Tax procedure and practices), K.L. Mehta Dayanand College for Women, Faridabad (Office management and Secretarial practices), S.J.K. College, Kalanaur (Science and art of teaching), Govt. College, Mahendragarh (Computer applications and Functional English) Govt. College, Meham, (Tourism and Travel Management), Govt. College, Jatauli Hailey Mandi (Office management and Secretarial practices), Govt. College, Nahar (Functional Sanskrit and Hindi), and Govt. College, Ateli, (Office Management and Secretarial practices).

BJP’s foreign policy "tactless"
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, Sept 27 — Mr Natwar Singh, a former External Affairs Minister and a senior Congress leader, yesterday described the foreign policy of the BJP government as tactless.

Addressing a party rally organised by Mr Uday Bhan, president of the District Congress (rural) at Hodal Mr Natwar Singh said that the BJP government had failed totally in projecting India’s foreign policy. The country’s image had got a serious beating among international community. Whereas the government joined issue with South African President Nelson Mandela at the Durban NAM summit it observed sinister silence vis-a-vis the remarks of US President Bill Clinton.

Mr Natwar Singh also criticised the government for not having any well thought-out sustainable domestic policy. It had only committed blunders in policy formulations. The Union Ministers and the ruling coalition allies not only speak out of turn but in a language full of dissensions and contradictions.

Ridden with indiscipline the government was a house divided against itself. It lacked the art of governance and administrative acumen. He called upon the people to get rid of this government soon.

Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, president of the Haryana Congress, said whatever Mr Bansi Lal had done to the state was as a Congress Chief Minister during the Prime Ministership of Mrs Indira Gandhi, but as BJP-supported Chief Minister he had failed on all fronts. The people now were totally disillusioned with the law and order situation, acute water and electricity shortage and rising corruption.

As expected, Mr Bhajan Lal, a former Chief Minister, Mr Birender Singh, Mr Dharam Pal Malik, Mr S.S. Surjewala, former PCC presidents and their supporters boycotted the rally. However, at the Hasanpur rally held on September 22 which was addressed by Mrs Meira Kumar, AICC general secretary both Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Hooda were present.

This reveals the continuing faction fight in the Haryana Congress which shows no signs of ending with the high command taking no initiative to bring unity in the party.

Sale of married woman prevented
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Sept 27 — A married woman from Bengal enticed away from home for marriage in Haryana was recovered by the police along with her lover before she could be sold to a farmer in this district.

According to the SP, Mr Rajbir Deswal, the woman has been identified as Hanna (20), married to Sham Lal, a resident of Pattan in Bengal. She has an one-year-old child. Gopen (24) also a resident of Pattan enticed her away to promising "marriage" into a good family of Haryana.

He brought her to Gurmel, a resident of Khanora village under Tohana sub-division of this district, who had "procured" a Bengali wife some time earlier.

Gopen and Gurmail struck a deal with Lila, a resident of the same village to sell the woman for Rs 12,000. But before the deal could materialise, the police arrested the "go-betweens" and recovered the woman.

In another case the police has arrested three persons with 12 bags of poppy husk under the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances Act.

‘Declare Narwana, Kalayat as flood-hit’
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 27 — The Whip of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, has demanded that a large area of Narwana and Uchana in Jind district and Kalayat in Kaithal district should be immediately declared as "flood-hit" areas.

After touring several villages of the three Assembly constituencies in the past two days, Mr Surjewala said here today that the entire cotton crop, jwar and bajra, 60 per cent of the basmati paddy and 80 per cent of the PR variety of paddy had been destroyed in these areas by floods. In several villages the water had entered residential areas but the administration of the two districts "is in deep slumber".

Mr Surjewala said nothing seemed to have moved the administration and even the basic step of pumping out floodwaters from the residential colonies had been started yet. Even the civil courts at Narwana had to be evacuated because of knee-deep water. Similar was the case in the offices and residences of the Narwana SDM and BDPO.

Demanding initiation of flood relief measures, Mr Surjewala said a compensation of Rs 5000 per acre should be paid to those whose crops had been destroyed by the floodwaters. Medical teams should be sent to prevent outbreak of epidemics. Food and fodder should be arranged for human beings as well as animals.

He said the Chief Minister should visit the flood-hit areas.

Stress on implementing NSS plans laid
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Sept 27 — Colleges and universities ought to play a more constructive role towards making the National Service Scheme (NSS) truly fractional at local level.

Stating this at a one-day workshop of programme officers and principals of the colleges affiliated to the Maharshi Dayanand University here yesterday, the Director, Youth and Sports, Mrs Amarjit Kaur, said that department had launched several schemes in the direction. But she added that unless the authorities and those incharge at local level were active, no scheme could be successfully launched and implemented. She said the involvement of the youth in such programmes would help in the development of their personalities.

The Director, Higher Education, Haryana, Mr S.K. Saksena appealed to the participants to work whole-heartedly and adopt new techniques to achieve better results. He said the state government had been giving maximum attention towards such programmes.

5 sentenced to life
From Our Correspondent

GURGAON, Sept 27 — The Additional Sessions Judge, Dr Bharat Bhushan Prasoon, has sentenced Hari Singh (70) Fateh Bahadur (60), his sons Ravinder and Satender and Jhabu Singh, all residents of Ujhina village under Nuh police station to undergo life imprisonment on the charge of killing Anoop Singh following a land dispute.

The prosecution stated that the plaintiff Jai Parkash and his three brothers were co-sharers in four and half acres of agriculture land with Fateh Bahadur who used to lease out the land without the consent of co-sharers. When co-sharers made a proposal for the division of land, Fateh Bahadur opposed it. Whenever, co-sharers demanded division of land, Fateh Bahadur refused causing resentment. On July 2, 1995, morning, co-sharers went to the land and started measuring it. Accused Fateh Bahadur along with others came there armed with pistol and attacked on Jai Parkash, Yashpal and Anand Singh. Fateh Bahadur opened fire injuring them seriously. Anoop Singh succumbed to injuries.

The court held Hari Singh, Fateh Bahadur, Ravinder, Satender and Jhabu Singh guilty. Convicts were sentenced to undergo life imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs 1000 each u/s 302 of the IPC, 10 years RI and to pay a fine of Rs 500 each u/s of the 307 IPC , five years RI and a fine of Rs 300 each u/s 325 of the IPC, two years RI u/s 148 of the IPC and six months RI u/s 323 of the IPC. All sentences will run concurrently. Accused Vikram and Girdhari were acquitted of all charges.

Bhajan Lal raps Haryana govt
From Our Correspondent

PANCHKULA, Sept 27 — While criticising the Bansi Lal government for amending the Periphery Control Act to make it more stringent, a former Chief Minister, Mr Bhajan Lal, has alleged that it will give sweeping powers to the police to arrest any person charged with raising an unauthorised construction.

He maintained that the amendment had barred the jurisdiction of a civil court to interfere or grant a stay against the powers vested in the police.

While the Delhi government had decided to regularise about 1,500 unauthorised colonies in the Capital , the Bansi Lal government was acting in the opposite direction.

Mr Bhajan Lal alleged that in during the past two years as many as 6,000 unauthorised buildings had come up in the periphery area allegedly in connivance with government officials. He said that he had represented to the Union government to abolish the law as it was hindering the expansion of Chandigarh.

Three armed men assault couple
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Sept 27 — Three unidentified armed men entered a house at Janti Khurd village along the Yamuna river 25 km from here, last night and fled with a suitcase, containing land documents after injuring the owner Romesh and his wife Mrs Sunita, said to be close relatives of Mr Suraj Mal Antil, MLA (Rai), of the Indian National Lok Dal.

According to preliminary reports, the husband and wife were asleep when the intruders forced their way into the house around 2 a.m. and started assaulting them with iron rods. The alleged culprits, however managed to escape with the suitcase after injuring the couple. Both the injured persons were rushed to hospital in Sector 14 where they are stated to be out of danger. The Rai police has registered a case of murderous assault and launched a massive hunt to apprehend the culprits. The police has also summoned a dog squad.

Haryana to have 3 new ESI hospitals

AMBALA, Sept 27 (UNI) — Three new ESI hospitals at a cost of Rs 9 crore will be constructed in Haryana, according to the Minister of State for Labour and Employment Mr Ramesh Kaushik.

The hospitals will come up at the industrial towns of Gurgaon, Bahadurgarh and Sonepat to meet the demands of the labour class. The government had already acquired land for an ESI hospital at Gurgaon, while the acquisition proceedings were in progress at the other two places, the minister said at a function here yesterday.

Mr Kaushik said the Gurgaon hospital would be a 100-bed hospital, while 50-bed hospitals were to be constructed at Bahadurgarh and Sonepat.

Besides, a survey was being conducted for opening a new hospital here. Seven new ESI dispensaries were proposed to be opened at other industrial towns, he added.

Veterinarians stage dharna
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, Sept 27 — Members of the Haryana Veterinary Association staged a dharna in front of the residence of Mr Jaswant Singh, Animal Husbandry Minister, here today in protest against the 'negative attitude' towards the department and in support of their longstanding demands.

About 150 veterinarians from all over the state participated in the daylong dharna.

The association in a statement issued here today alleged that 40 posts of Assistant Director and three of joint director were lying vacant because of the adamant attitude of the minister. Not a single regular promotion had been made since Mr Jaswant Singh took over the charge.

Dr Gurinder Singh, state president of the association said that about 60 posts of veterinary surgeon were lying vacant in the state. Because of delaying tactics of the minister, he said about 150 vets were unable to get benefits of the second A.C.P declared recently by the state government.