 |
| Thursday, June 22, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
|
Centre’s decision on MNCs
flayed
Drive evokes mixed response Anti-flood steps by June 30 Failure to nab attackers leads to
strike |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Register
case against CM, says Hooda BJP to take up SYL issue with PM Take over 3 roads, CM urges Centre 4 killed in mishap 3 die in tanker-jeep collision Man booked for bid to hang wife Missing boys still untraced Travel agent held for duping
people
|
Centre’s decision on MNCs flayed CHANDIGARH, June 21 — Former Haryana Chief Minister and HVP President Bansi Lal has warned the Vajpayee Government that by allowing multinational companies and other foreign investors to repatriate the profits from India in cash, it (the Vajpayee Government) is playing with fire. In a statement issued here today Mr Bansi Lal said one would have no objection if foreign investors had been allowed to repatriate their profit in kind. But once they were allowed to take the country’s wealth away in cash, it would lead to a big drain on the country’s resources. The HVP leader said the entry of just one foreign company, the East India Company, in the country led to not only political slavery of India but also to economic slavery. It was only after a long struggle by freedom fighters that India could be free from foreign slavery. The BJP Government, he said, had now opened the doors to hundreds of such East India Companies which would definitely lead to the ruin of domestic industry and subsequent economic slavery of the country though the political slavery might not be possible in view of the changed circumstances in the world. Mr Bansi Lal said it was also wrong to presume that foreign investment would generate large-scale employment in the country. He said experience had shown that the employment generated by the MNCs was not commensurate with the investment made and profits earned by them. The MNCs depended more on automation than on the use of human resource. He said only small-scale industries could generate sufficient employment. He urged the Vajpayee Government to reconsider its decision to allow the foreign investors to repatriate their profits in cash. Mr Bansi Lal also
criticised the Chautala Government for fast deterioration
in the law and order situation in Haryana. He said
murders and dacoities had become routine in the state. |
Dispute over a tank junk RAIPUR RANI, June 21 —The ‘‘remains’’ of a condemned Army tank found in the bed of the Mandlaya river have stirred a controversy between residents of two villages, Bhood and Mandlaya, situated on either side of the dry river bed on the Raipur Rani-Naraingarh road. The villagers have locked horns over the issue of disposing of the metal scrap and pocketing the cash. The villages, situated 15 km off the road, were used as firing ranges in the past and a number of condemned tanks were left behind by the Army after their routine exercises, the villagers contended. Convention has it that any such tank found in the river bed became the property of Mandlaya panchayat while pieces of scrap metal found in the fields would belong to the owner of the piece of the land. This time controversy over the disposal erupted when villagers of Mandlya discovered that a handful of people from Bhood in collaboration with a villager from their side clandestinely continued to sell the metal found in the river bed without any information to them and pocketed the cash. Relating the sequence of events, villagers said that the tank was among the many left behind by the Army which probably got buried in the river bed during floods in the area. In this part, as in other parts of the dry river bed, labourers from Bhood were employed for quarrying by a contractor when they stumbled upon the rusted metal of the tank some 20 days back. Operating hand-in-glove with Saraba, a villager of Mandlaya, the labourers began the practice of identifying pieces of the tank during the day besides carrying out the quarrying work. They would come back at night to load the scrap and take it away. ‘‘Though they managed to carry out their work in the dark for a few days, one of the villagers, Ram Kumar, noticed the unfamiliar sound of knocking at a distance at night. On June 17 he sauntered in the direction of the sound and saw men at work in the river bed. On being questioned, they told him that they were completing the quarrying. Dissatisfied with the answer, he hovered around the place,’’ one villager said. Later, he discovered the presence of metal scrap as the gas cutter was lowered from the trolley and the operation of dismantling the remaining pieces began. Meanwhile, villagers of Mandlaya also noticed the sparks .Since the village is situated on a hillock and Ram Kumar confirmed their suspicions. Later, the ‘‘culprits’’ were nabbed and questioned in the presence of the panchayat and the police personnel were informed of the rising tension. It is learnt that the culprits admitted to having sold 22 quintals of scrap metal to a junk dealer in Naraingarh. Another 10 quintals still remains at the river bed. Though a search to locate other pieces is still on under the supervision of the Mandlaya panchayat. Also, the panchayat
visited Raipur Rani police station in an effort to
amicably settle the dispute. They demanded that Rs 12000
pocketed by Saraba by selling the pieces of metal. The
panchayat would use the amount for the construction of a
village temple. However, Saraba could not be located and
recovery of the money is pending. The matter has been put
before the Block Development Officer, according to
information available. |
Drive evokes mixed response FATEHABAD, June 21 — The anti-encroachment drive launched by the administration here has evoked mixed response. The general public by and large has welcomed the move. The administration had started its anti-encroachment drive in the three municipal towns and 231 villages of the district last month. During the drive the administration has not only been able to remove encroachments from roads, markets and prime land of the Fatehabad, Rattia and Tohana Municipal Committees, but has also been able to get vacate many acres of agricultural land at various villages in the district. The municipal authorities issued public notices to the encroachers and made public announcements, but many took it as a routine exercise. But after serving a two day’s notice, the authorities started demolishing the unauthorised structures in the towns. In the first phase all kiosks and rehris on the two sides of the national highway and the Hans market were removed. After this all shops which had erected sheds for displaying goods were targeted. When the authorities started demolishing them, the shopkeepers approached the authorities and asked for some more time so that they could remove their encroachments. Many shopkeepers demolished the encroachments themselves while others were demolished by the municipal authorities. In many cases boundary walls and fencings of many houses were demolished. But in many cases local residents have alleged high-handedness of the authorities. The authorities in their endeavour to remove encroachments demolished those pavements, which were permissible under housing laws. Incidents of commotions between the local people and members of the demolishing squad were also reported. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anil Malik, said the drive was in accordance with the policy of the state government. He said the administration had been able to acquire prime land worth crores of rupees at Rattia. The DC said the drive in the villages was being carried out by the village panchayats themselves. He said the measurement of cremation grounds, grazing grounds and other common village lands had been done in most of the villages and in the next two months all encroachments on the village common lands would either be removed or be compounded, according to the policy of the government. Meanwhile, the district administration is gearing itself to combat floods in view of the coming monsoon. Elaborate arrangements are being made to safeguard the life and property. Giving details of the arrangement being made by the administration, the Deputy Commissioner said 30 permanent pump sets had been installed in flood-prone areas of the district. To rescue the people in case of emergencies 14 boats, 27 life boats, five motor boats and one trailer had been acquired. He said Rs 14 lakh had
been spent for the repair and strengthening of ring
bandhs in the district. |
Anti-encroachment drive a
mockery ROHTAK, June 20 — The drive against encroachments launched by the administration appears to have ended in a fiasco as several unauthorised structures still make a mockery of the campaign. The biggest violators of the law are some government departments and land grabbers enjoying political patronage. The Guru Ravi Dass Samaj Mahasabha has in a letter to the Deputy Commissioner alleged that the authorities have shown discrimination while demolishing illegal structures. The mahasabha chief, Mr Ram Mehar, has charged the municipal committee with encroaching upon city roads and constructing shops there. The civic body, he said, had constructed shops on the Subhash road in front of the Lady Hospital and on road berms in front of the Civil Hospital. Similar shops, he said, existed on the berms of the Delhi-Hisar national highway adjacent to the boys school near the bus stand. The shops owned by the Red Cross and the Sainik Board near the Chhotu Ram chowk were also located on the berms of the national highway that passes through the city. All these constructions, he said, were illegal and as such should be termed as encroachments and be removed. Mr Ram Mehar later told The Tribune that the government should spell out its policy on encroachments made by government departments. The influential land grabbers continue to occupy the government land in the Khokhrakot area. An illegal colony (ward No. 5 and 6) still continues to exist. While residents of Sector 1 have demolished their unauthorised structures, influential residents appear nonchalant. In certain localities in the Housing Board Colony, the encroachement extend up to 5 to 6 feet. Moreover, senior officials of HUDA have reportedly proceeded on long leaves. The situation is similar
in other parts of the town. A branch of a nationalised bank is located in a building which has covered the main
nullah opposite the Ramkali market. The building is
reportedly owned by an influential political leader of
the town. The alleged half-hearted attempts made by the
administration against such encroachments have made a
mockery of the administration. |
Law-abiding encroachers! FARIDABAD, June 21 — Residents of various sectors of HUDA here have themselves started removing iron fencing and demolishing walls outside their houses which are encroaching upon government land. This is being done following the dismantling of fencing outside houses by HUDA in the Sector 15, where mostly influential people live. The action was taken on the directive of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on a public litigation. It had ordered that no encroachment within 15 feet where the metalled road ends should be allowed. Mr Vijayendra Kumar, Administrator of HUDA, claimed that the drive against encroachments was successful. Residents themselves started removing fencing in Sectors 16,16-A, 17, 14, 28 and 29. He appealed to the people of the other sectors to follow the example otherwise HUDA would have to act. Mr Vijayendra Kumar stated that the debris would be removed at the cost of the allottee. Referring to the criticism that the drive would result in the diminishing of the green cover Mr Vijayendra Kumar said it had already been decided to undertake a large-scale drive regarding plantation of saplings in the cleared areas. The residents would be given plants free of cost. They could install tree- guards around the plants but fencing would not be allowed. Vacant HUDA land would be fenced to prevent the possibility of encroachments. Private security guards on the pattern of Delhi would also be posted there. Next week footpaths and corridors in front of shops, which had been encroached upon by rehris walas would be cleared. Notices were being served on people who were engaged in commercial activity in residential areas. If they failed to stop commercial activity within a stipulated period the allotment would be cancelled and the plot resumed. A monitoring cell has
been set up at the HUDA office to watch whether the
cleared areas were being encroached upon again or not. |
4 killed in mishap FARIDABAD, June 21 — Four persons were killed and five others injured in a road accident today outside the sugar mill at Bamnikhera in Palwal subdivision. The dead have been identified as Chatar Singh, Virpal, Anant Ram. The fourth one has not been identified. Reports said the
accident occurred when a truck collided with an
autorickshaw and overturned on a three-wheeler. The
victims were coming to Palwal from Kamka village. |
3 die in tanker-Jeep
collision REWARI, June 21 — Following a head-on collision between a tanker and a Marshal Jeep on the Rewari-Delhi road near Jaunawas village, 8 km from here, on Monday, three occupants of the Jeep died while several others were injured. The deceased have been identified as Naresh Kumar, of Khatodra village (Mahendragarh), Muni Lal Solanki of Rajender Park, Gurgaon and Ram Singh of Seel village of Alwar district of Rajasthan. The Jeep was going from
Rewari to Delhi while the tanker was coming from
Dharuhera to Rewari. |
Anti-flood steps by June 30 AMBALA, June 21 — All the necessary steps to control floods in Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra and Kaithal will be taken by June 30, Mr L.M. Goel, Financial Commissioner, Revenue, said here today. He was addressing a meeting of the senior officers of the range in which, besides the Commissioner, Ambala range, Mr Chander Singh, the Deputy Commissioners of the other districts were present. Mr Goel urged the officers to make arrangements so that there should be no loss of property and human life during the rainy season. He said that arrangements should also be made to deal with any emergency situation in their districts during a flood situation. Mr Chander Singh said that from July 1 flood control rooms would be working in all the five districts. The Deputy Commissioner, Ambala, Mr Ram Niwas, said that flood control schemes worth Rs 50 lakh were under progress in the district. Mr S.K. Monga, Deputy
Commissioner, Panchkula, informed that 10 schemes to
control floods were being running in the district. The
Deputy Commissioner, Kurukshetra, Mrs Jyoti Arora, and
the Deputy Commissioner, Yamunanagar, Mr Rajiv Sharma,
also explained the schemes of flood control in their
districts. |
Failure to nab attackers leads
to strike PEHOWA, June 21 — Employees of the Haryana Tourism Corporation here are up in arms against the alleged attack on an employee of the local Yatrika tourism complex by supporters of a Haryana Minister. The employees observed a strike for the fifth day today to protest against the inability of the police to arrest the culprits under "political pressure". Union leaders of the Haryana Tourism Karamchari Sangh told TNS today that if the culprits were not arrested, the sangh would be forced to intensify its agitation. Narrating the incident, the leaders stated that after 11 p.m. on June 17 some persons entered the Yatrika complex. They were in an inebriated state and wanted a room in the complex opened for them. When the employees on duty refused to do so, they started beating them. As a result one employee, Mohinderpal, received injuries on his arm and was admitted to the PGI. The supporters of the minister also indulged in vandalism at the complex. When the employees resisted, they left behind their scooter and fled. The employees informed the police and the scooter was handed over to it. The sangh leaders
alleged that the minister’s supporters routinely
used to visit the complex in a drunken condition. |
Register case against CM, says
Hooda HISAR, June 21 — The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, today demanded registration of a criminal case against the Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, on charges of inciting farmers not to pay their power bills when the latter was in the opposition. Mr Hooda, who led a protest march and a demonstration here today as part of his party’s Jan Jagran Abhiyan against "anti people" policies of the Chautala Government, said cases had recently been registered against several leaders of kisan unions for inciting farmers not to pay arrears of power bills. Mr Hooda said Mr Chautala was, in fact, the first political leader to ask farmers not to pay their power bills and promised to waive the arrears once he came to power. He said if the farmers’ leaders were guilty of a crime, Mr Chautala himself could not escape action under the same provisions of the law. He, therefore, sought immediate action against the Chief Minister and other leaders of his party. Mr Hooda said during a recent visit to Titeli village of his constituency he found that the village owed Rs 1.95 crore as arrears of power bills. However, the affected farmers told him that they had not paid their bills because during the Congress and HVP rule Mr Chautala had been asking them not to pay bills. Criticising the Chief Minister for what he termed as a classic example of double speak, the Congress chief said Mr Chautala had been voted to power on the basis of the tall promises he had been making to the people over the years. These included walving arrears of power bills, withdrawal of taxes imposed by the Bansi Lal Government in the wake of prohibition, adequate supply of irrigation water, power and agricultural inputs to farmers at subsidised rates and jobs to the educated unemployed. The state Congress chief
said instead of fulfilling these promises the Chautala
Government had imposed fresh taxes to the tune of Rs 1000
crore crippling the existing industry. |
BJP to take up SYL issue
with PM ROHTAK, June 21 — Expressing concern over non-completion of the Sutlej-Yamuna link canal, the newly elected president of the state BJP, Mr Ratan Lal Kataria, said the Haryana unit would strongly plead for solving this long pending dispute with the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. Addressing mediapersons here today, Mr Kataria said nearly Rs 1080 crore had been spent so far on the construction of the canal which served no purpose. Describing the Haryana BJP as a third force in the politics of Haryana he said his first priority was to make it number one with the help of party workers. He said he would strive for allocation of maximum funds for development work in Haryana. Mr Kataria advocated
proper representation of women in politics as well as in
the administration. He hailed the ‘impartial’
policy of the Union Government. |
Take over 3 roads, CM urges
Centre CHANDIGARH, June 21 —Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala has urged the Defence Ministry to take over three roads in Haryana. The first of these roads starts from Bahadurgarh and 150 km length of the road is inside Haryana touching Jhajjar, Dadri, Loharu and Jhunjhunu . This road, which goes to Rajasthan, will lead to shortening of distance between Delhi and Suratgarh and other areas of the Indo-Pak border, the Chief Minister said. Mr Chautala also
proposed the taking over by the BRO of the
Khara-Kheri-Bhattu Kalan-Nathusri Chaupta-Suratgarh road
as well as the Nathusri Chaupta-Ellanabad-Hanumangarh
road. These roads will shorten the distance between Hisar
and Pakistan border and ease the pressure on defence and
civilian vehicles, Mr Chautala, who had a meeting with
Defence Minister George Fernandes at Delhi yesterday,
said. |
Man booked for bid to hang
wife ROHTAK, June 21 — The police has booked a resident of a nearby village on the charge of attempting to kill has wife by hanging her. According to police sources, the accused identified as Mukesh, a resident of Jindran village in the district, allegedly tried to hang his wife Geeta at his house. It is learnt that the accused had suspicions about the character of his wife, but his attempt to hang her could not succeed as his neighbours rushed to her rescue when she cried for help. Meanwhile two persons
identified as Banti, alias Satish, of Bathinda, and
Laxman of Ismaila village died in two rail accidents in
the district yesterday. |
Missing boys still untraced YAMUNANAGAR, June 21 — Two teenagers, who have been reported missing from here for the past two months, have still not been found and no clues have been established regarding their whereabouts. According to information, Sonu (15) of Gandhi Nagar here was found missing since April 20. Chandan (12) of the Bank Colony here had gone to school on April 24 but did not return. The parents of the boys
alleged that they have been running from pillar to post
for this. |
Travel agent held for duping
people YAMUNANAGAR, June 21 — The police arrested today one travel agent for his alleged involvement in a cheating case. In his complaint to police, Mehboob of Saharanpur alleged that his relative Nizammuddin gave Rs 15,000 to the proprietor of Choudhry Travel Agent to send him to Libya. He alleged that neither was he sent to Libya nor his payment was returned. He further alleged that the travel agent had also lured about a dozen persons promising to send them abroad. When these persons approached the agent for refund of their money, he threatened them with dire consequences, he added. The police has
registered a case in this regard under Sections 420, 406
and 506, IPC, against the travel agent. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 120 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
