The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

ITI students burn bus, smash cars
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Feb 2 — A violent mob of students of the local government Industrial Training Institute (ITI) burnt a Haryana Roadways bus of the Rohtak depot near the railway overbridge today. They also smashed several cars on the Atlas road, signboards of shopkeepers in different parts of the city and windowpanes of several Haryana Roadways buses parked at Roadways workshop.

The students were protesting against the death of a 19-year-old student Rakesh, who was allegedly runover by a Haryana Roadways bus and killed near the railway overbridge yesterday. They boycotted classes and took out a procession. When the procession reached near the railway overbridge, the students stopped Haryana Roadways bus of the Rohtak depot on its way to Sonepat and started pelting it with stones. They later set the bus on fire.

Thereafter, the students marched towards the Atlas road and smashed windowpanes of several old cars parked along the road. The local shopkeepers kept their shops closed. On receiving information, a fire tender reached the spot and put off the fire.

When they reached near a cinema house on the Atlas road, a strong police contingent used force to disperse them. The students also damaged several hoardings and signboards of the shopkeepers on the way to Gita Bhavan market.

Thereafter, they reached the general bus stand and forced their way into the inquiry office and other counters, where they smashed the windowpanes and furniture. They also smashed windowpanes of the buses at the workshop.

In the meantime, the SDM, Dr Sultan Singh, and a contingent of the police reached there and dispersed the students. The main gates of the bus stand were closed immediately and policemen were deployed in and around it to check any untoward incident.

The Roadways’ bus service was immediately suspended on all routes as a precautionary measure.

A clash between the students and shopkeepers in the Ashok Nagar area was averted as several senior officials and a police team reached the spot and dispersed the students.

Meanwhile, schools and other educational institutions were closed here and the students were asked to return home.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sudhir Rajpal, the SP, Mr Paramjit Singh Ahlawat, and other senior district and police officials were reportedly monitoring the situation by travelling to the affected areas. Police personnel had also been deployed at vulnerable points and patrolling intensified.

Meanwhile, the authorities described the situation as normal and under control.

According to a latest report, the students also pelted the Shatabdi Express with stones and smashed its windowpanes near the railway overbridge here today. They also damaged a new bus belonging to an MLA of the ruling party and some other vehicles parked on the Telephone Exchange road.

The road traffic was blocked by residents of Bakheta village for few hours in protest against the killing of the student who belonged to the village.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, had been informed about the incident and he was expected to visit the city late in the evening.

Regulate power use, depts told
From Jatinder Sharma

ROHTAK, Feb 2 — Irked over the revision of tariff by the power distribution corporations from January 1, the state government has advised its heads of departments to exercise control over electricity consumption and expenditure thereon.

The Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Finance department, has in a letter to all heads of departments, Commissioners of divisions, Deputy Commissioners and District and Sessions Judges said the “revised tariff is going to result in a substantial increase in expenditure’. He has asked them to contain expenditure on this account.

“The consumer departments and all Offices under their control are advised to treat expenditure on electricity as if it is their personal expenditure and are expected to follow the most prudent norms of consumption,” the letter said.

Cautioning the officers and employees against the misuse of electricity, the government has advised the departmental heads to switch over to power-efficient devices in a phased manner.

The Finance Department has told the office establishments to get their sanctioned load reassessed as it has acquired significance now in view of the sharp increase in the monthly minimum charge.

“It is also understood that the electricity meters in public offices are either not working properly or the bills are being given on average consumption basis. In certain cases, the meters may even be running faster,” the letter said and asked officials to get the defective and dead meters replaced.

The departments have been advised to get their connections classified in the appropriate category viz domestic, non-domestic, bulk supply, etc so as to ensure that they are billed according to the most economical tariff.

The heads of the departments have been told to pay the electricity bills in time as the surcharge on delayed payments has been fixed at rates varying between 2 per cent to 5 per cent per month.

“Any payment made towards surcharge for delayed payments will be recovered from the controlling officer concerned,” the government warned.

	3 more towns under power VDS Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, Feb 2 — The Dakhin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam today decided to launch a voluntary disclosure scheme (VDS-2001) in the case of tempered and faulty meters and unauthorised extension of load for domestic and non-domestic consumers at Sirsa, Dabwali and Ellenabad towns from Monday, an official spokesman said here today. VDS-2001 would remain operative in these towns from February 5 to 15. The scheme would be on the pattern of the one launched in Hisar and operative from February 2 to 10 at Fatehabad town.
	Withdrawal of power facility decried From Our Correspondent FARIDABAD, Feb 2 — The All-Haryana Power Corporation Workers’ Union has criticised the withdrawal of the facility to provide 160 units of power free to employees of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam. It has demanded immediate restoration of the facility. In a statement here yesterday, a spokesman of the union said here that the decision of the Nigam to release the payment of the bills for power consumed instead of free supply was not proper as it would add to the woes of the staff as the authorities were already unable to release the TA bills on time. He said the delay in drawing the limit of various offices had been a common problem and it was not in the interest of employees to complicate the matter in such a manner.
	Plea against quota for SC, ST contestants From Our Correspondent ROHTAK, Feb 2 — Leaders of different communities from across the country have recently filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the reservation of Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha constituencies for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes. Referring to certain constitutional provisions, including the 79th Constitution Amendment Act (1999), the petitioners pleaded that these enactments and laws damaged the democratic and republican form which was an essential feature of the Constitution. They argued that the reservation laws also violated the principle of equality enshrined in the Constitution. The 79th Constitution Amendment Act has made a provision for extending the reservation for SCs and STs in Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha constituencies for another 10 years after January 26, 2000. The petitioners said the Constitution amendment had shattered the hopes of Indian citizens as they were expecting that the provisions would cease to exist on January 26, 2000. This writ petition is the third of its kind. The 8 petitioners, include Mr Mange Ram Sharma, president of the All India Brahmin Maha Sabha, Mr Ramesh Chandra Jain, president of the All India Digambar Jain Parishad, Mr Narendra Singh Rajawat, president of Shri Rajput Sabha, Jaipur, Mr Basant Kumar Bangar, president of the Maheshwari Sabha, Delhi and Mr Vaibhav Vishal, president of the Delhi Pradesh Kayastha Sabha. The petitioners said they were opposed to depriving general category people of electoral rights. Out of the 543 constituencies of the Lok Sabha, 120 constituencies had been reserved for the members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, they said.
	Take back sacked staff: Cong Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, Feb 2—The Haryana Congress has urged the state government to adopt a humane approach towards those government employees who were sacked during their pen-down strike. In a statement issued here today the president of the Haryana Congress, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said that now when the employees had withdrawn their strike unconditionally, the government should not make it a prestige issue and should take back the sacked employees in service. He said by implementing the decision of the Supreme Court, the state government had in a way accepted the major demand of the employees and there was no cause for victimising them. He also urged the government to release the salary of the employees for the strike period. Mr Hooda expressed the hope that good sense would prevail and the government would withdraw its decision of terminating the services of the employees and save them and their families from financial difficulties.
	Labourers survive quake, return home From Our Correspondent FATEHABAD, Feb 2 — A group of farm labourers from the district, who were working in cotton fields in the Kutch area of Gujarat when the devastating earthquake rocked the coastal state, returned home here yesterday. The 70 labourers, including 40 men, 20 women and 10 children, visited the Deputy Commissioner’s office and requested the district administration to provide relief to them as they had suffered heavy financial losses due to the earth quake and were left with nothing to feed themselves. The labourers, most of whom belong to the local Swami Nagar locality, told this correspondent that they had been visiting Bhuj every year to eke out a living as labourers in cotton fields. As Gujarat was known for its bumper cotton crop, they earned good wages there. The labourers said they had gone to Gujarat about two months ago where they had been working in the fields of a Bhuj based land lord, Mr Sumer Singh, at Dudhia and Salem villages. Both these villages were situated at a distance of about 5 km from Bhuj. They were saved as they were working in the fields when the earthquake hit the region. The labourers said when they went to Bhuj after the quake, they noticed that the residence of their landlord had been razed to the ground and Mr Sumer Singh along with his family members had died. The labourers pleaded that they had not yet received their wages as their landlord had promised to pay after selling the produce. They had somehow managed to return but had now been left with no resources to feed themselves.

	Rohtak to help out Rapar From Jatinder Sharma ROHTAK, Feb 2 — The relief and rehabilitation work in devastated village of Rapar in Bhuj district of Gujarat has been ‘allocated’ to Rohtak division by the state government. Rapar village is about 125 km from the district headquarters towards Rajasthan. After the earthquake, the village only has about 2500 survivors. The Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Dhir Pal, today flagged off 54 trucks loaded with relief material for the quake-hit people from districts in the division of Jhajjar in the presence of Mrs Anita Chaudhary, Commissioner, Rohtak Division, and Mrs Shashi Gulati, Deputy Commissioner, Jhajjar. Mrs Gulati told The Tribune that the relief material included community tents for 2670 persons (separate for males and females) 2300 durris and 21450 blankets besides 5000 hawai chappals and woollen clothes for men, women and children. At least 541 quintals of atta, 495 quintals of rice and 50 quintals of dals have also been sent for the quake-hit village. The relief material also included detergent soaps, oil and combs. Mrs Gulati said that a team of about 60 persons led by ADC, Jhajjar, Mr T.K. Sharma, has also left for Rapar for conducting the relief operations. It would stay there for over a month. The team members include doctors, veterinary doctors, pharmacists, cooks, skilled workers and fire personnel. Each of these team members had been insured for Rs 3 lakh under the Group Insurance Scheme for a month. The Deputy Commissioner, Rohtak, Mr Rajesh Khullar, said that at least 15 temporary/mobile toilets for men and women had also been included in the relief material. Nearly 10 police officials, led by a sub-inspector, had also been sent to Rapar to assist in relief operations. The medical team from this division would be provided with a mobile van on reaching Rapar. The relief supplies also include medicines and bandages in large quantities.
	Haryana sends 1,000 relief workers By A.S.Prashar Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, Feb 2 — Haryana has sent a fully-equipped 1000-strong contingent of relief workers to Gujarat for rescue and relief operations in the earthquake-ravaged Bhuj district. The contingent, which left Sirsa on Wednesday, is the biggest from any state so far to reach Bhuj this morning. It has established its camp in the Rapur-Randhanpur area, about 100 km from the district headquarters of Bhuj, according to official information available here. The contingent is accompanied by the Speaker of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Mr Satbir Singh Kadian, and Mr Abhay Chautala, MLA, son of the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala. Others forming part of the contingent include Mr Vishnu Bhagwan, former Chief Secretary who is now Chairman, Haryana Public Enterprises Bureau, Mr Ram Vilas, Director, Industries, Mr Sanjeev Kaushal, Director, Public Relations, Mr R.S. Doon, member, Chahal Commission, and several police officers. Before sending the contingent of relief workers, the Chief Minister spoke on the phone with his Gujarat counterpart, Mr Keshubhai Patel, to find out which areas needed relief the most. The Gujarat Chief Minister allotted Rapur-Randhanpur to Haryana for this purpose. The team has set up a camp, identified the areas and adopted a number of villages in the area. The convoy consists of 200 vehicles, including several milk vans, which are now being used to carry water, tents, ration, including dal, atta, rice, roasted gram, potatoes, rajmash,biscuits, ghee, tea, sugar, milk powder, salt, spices, blankets, clothes and utensils. Also sent are ambulances, doctors and medicines. Cooks also form part of the contingent. A number of solar-powered lamps, generator sets, candles and petromax lamps have also been despatched. Also sent are 18 earthmovers for the removal of rubble and debris. The contingent is also equipped with wireless sets and has already established contact with the Chief Secretary’s office here. It is in touch with the Gujarat authorities and any request for additional manpower or equipment is immediately conveyed to the Haryana Government.
	Team of doctors sent to Gujarat From Our Correspondent FATEHABAD, Feb 2 — The local unit of the Indian Medical Association has sent a team of doctors and paramedical staff to the earthquake-hit areas of Gujarat. The team is also carrying medicines and other relief material worth Rs 1 lakh. The Civil Surgeon, Dr D.R. Makker, and the president of the district unit of the IMA, Dr Vinod Batra, flagged off the team from the local General Hospital today. According to Dr Batra, the team will go to Rapar in the Kutch area of Gujarat which has been adopted by the state government. The team will stay there for 15 days. Dr Batra said the members of the IMA had contributed Rs 1 lakh and purchased medicines and other medical equipment out of this. The Mahila Sahayatarth Samiti, led by its president and local Municipal Commissioner, Mrs Usha Dahiya, has sent a truckload of relief material to Gujarat. The material includes blankets, clothes and eatables. Meanwhile, the District Red Cross has also sent relief material to Gujarat. Trucks carrying relief material were flagged off today by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anil Malik.
	Trucks carrying relief flagged off From Our Correspondent KAITHAL, Feb 2 — The Deputy Commissioner, Dr Mahaveer Singh, yesterday flagged off three trucks and 10 Canters carrying relief material worth Rs 12 lakh for the Gujarat earthquake victims. The first consignment of relief, including gur, refined oil, medicines, shoes, gas cylinders and other articles of daily use, was despatched by the district administration. These items besides cash were contributed by several voluntary organisations, including commission agents, rice millers, employees of sugar mills, police department, Rotary Club, employees of various government offices, Lions Club, Eagles Club, Swananjali group, Sarv Sangh, District Bar Association, Kaithal, students of RKSD College and RKSD Public School and various other educational institutions. The local municipal councillors had also collected Rs 50,000 for providing fuel to the vehicles carrying relief material, On a call given by SDM Rajeev Mehta, members of various organisations of Guhla subdivision collected funds and other relief material. BJP workers led by its city president, Mr Romesh Gupta, set up a counter outside the court complex to collect relief material here yesterday. Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner had announced that the information regarding the despatch of relief material could be gathered from his office, besides the offices of the Additional Deputy Commissioner and the SDM. He said the district administration would collect the relief material at the local Hindu School.
	Eight trucks flagged off From Our Correspondent PANIPAT, Feb 2 — Eight trucks loaded with relief material for the earthquake victims of Gujarat were despatched from here today. The Chairman of the Haryana Housing Board, Mr Krishan Kumar Panwar, and the Deputy Commissioner, Mr M.R. Anand, flagged off the trucks along with a team of officials and representatives of voluntary organisations. The relief material includes blankets, rice, flour, pulses, plastic covers, etc. The material has been arranged by various voluntary agencies, including the Bishan Swaroop Colony Sangh, Pachranga Bazar Beopar Mandal, Chaura Bazar Beopar Mandal, Gurdwara Chaura Bazar Beopar Mandal, Devi Mandir Road Beopar Sangh, Jawahar Cloth Market, and Panipat blanket manufacturing associations.

MITC staff to donate Rs 6 lakh
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 2 — Employees and members of the management of the Haryana Minor Irrigation and Tubewells Corporation (MITC) today decided to contribute one day’s salary, amounting to Rs 6 lakh, for the earthquake victims of Gujarat.

The Managing Director of the corporation, Mr Arun Kumar, said the amount would be donated voluntarily by the employees and deposited in the state Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

CPM flays govt policies
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Feb 2 — Criticising the ‘retrogressive’ policies of the Vajpayee government the CPI and the CPM have expressed concern over far reaching consequence for the common man due to these policies.

Mr Inder Jit Singh, state secretary, CPM, today alleged that the agriculture and trade sectors were worst affected by the policy of liberalisation. He, among other leaders, criticised the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, for extending ‘support’ to such ‘destructive’ policy which would culminate into collapse of the Indian economy.

The CPM leader alleged that the Chautala government had miserably failed on different fronts, including power, water, health, education, employment, law and order etc. He said the common man had been put in a difficult situation by imposition of various taxes.

Mr Inder Jit Singh condemned the tendency of misusing the issues of public interest for political gain. He said it would develop unconfidence among the masses towards the assurances of political leaders. He urged different political parties to gather on the same platform for public welfare. He appealed to them to give up the opportunistic tendencies and to make sincere efforts for various issues of public interest, including completion of the Sutlej-Yamuna link canal and equitable distribution of canal waters in the state.

High Court
Notice of motion in Dangi case
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 2 — On a petition filed by the state of Haryana challenging the orders of Ambala’s Additional Sessions Judge in a cheating and forgery case registered against former minister Anand Singh Dangi, Mr Justice K.S. Garewal of the High Court today issued notice of motion for February 13.

In his orders pronounced on December 13 last year, the Additional Sessions Judge had rejected an application for the issuance of production warrants. The Judge had observed that the warrants to secure the presence of the accused for interrogation could not be issued. He had added that the same was not the job of the court nor could such orders be passed under the provisions of law.

Challenging the order today, the counsel for the state contended that the same was patently wrong and liable to be set aside.

Couple in fraud case refused bail

Our legal correspondent adds: Sunil Behl, a suspect in one of the biggest frauds committed against multinational companies in India and his wife Sabita, were refused bail by Mr Justice K.S. Garewal of the High Court in two cases registered at Faridabad.

Sunil Behl, a resident of Faridabad, had allegedly committed fraud amounting to about Rs 55 crore by posing as “Vice-President” of the Internal Bank of Reconstruction and Development, a subsidiary of the World Bank. He claimed to have been posted in India to oversee its operations in South-East Asia. He had allegedly told his victims that the World Bank had taken a decision in principle to grant soft loans to establish commercial organisations in the private sector. The inducement was allegedly enacted by husband and wife for extracting money from the multinational companies which were advised to make applications for soft loan for Rs 100 crore to the Asian Development Bank along with the pay order.

The FIR in the two cases, involving a fraud of Rs 2,76,48,000 was registered by Mr S.K. Mehta, Vice-President of Dolfin India Ltd, New Delhi at Faridabad police station. The couple, lodged in Gurgaon jail for the past 17 months, had applied for bail earlier also which was rejected by the High Court.

The Deputy Advocate-General, opposing the grant of bail to the couple, submitted that the bail application of the petitioners was earlier rejected by a detailed order and no fresh grounds had been given in the present application.

Notice to Haryana on case transfer

Mr Justice S.S. Nijjar of the High Court today issued notice to the state of Haryana and the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, for February 27, on a petition for transfer of a rape case to some court outside Haryana.

The case against the petitioner Mr Balbir Singh, a cousin of Indian Youth Congress president R.S. Surjewala, in an alleged rape case was registered on July 30, 1999.

The petitioner belonged to Dhamtal village in Jind district. The case was pending in the court of Sessions Judge, Jind.

Counsel for the petitioner submitted that the doctor has not expressed any clear personal opinion about rape and the rape is alleged to have been committed at the Civil Dispensary. No patient had been included as witness. It was alleged that the case has been registered against the accused due to political rivalry between the Chief Minister and Mr R.S. Surjewala, who had defeated Mr Chautala at Narwana in an Assembly election.

	Principals hold conference From Our Correspondent KURUKSHETRA, Feb 2 — Several principals of government and non-government colleges, affiliated to Kurukshetra University, attended a Principals’ Conference held in the Faculty Lounge-cum-Conference Hall of the university here today. Officials from the Office of Director of Higher Education, Haryana, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Mr R.S. Chaudhry, and the Registrar of the university, Dr Hawa Singh, were present on the occasion.
	1 killed in road mishap From Our Correspondent AMBALA, Feb 2 — One person was killed and three others were injured in a road accident on the Ambala-Chandigarh road near here today. The injured were admitted to the local Civil Hospital. According to information available some persons were coming from the Chandigarh side when their Maruti van collied with a car near Ambala city. One of the passengers of the car, Jitender, sustained serious injuries. He was rushed to local Civil Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Three persons of both vehicles sustained injuiries in the accident. The tanker driver fled from the site. On the complaint of the car driver, the police registered a case against the tanker driver.
	DSP gets 1-yr jail term From Our Correspondent KAITHAL, Feb 2 — The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr H.S. Bhangoo, today sentenced DSP Ram Phal, posted at Sirsa to one-year imprisonment. The court found him guilty of illegal confinement, causing injuries and preparing false evidence against a prominent RSS leader, Mr Indresh Kumar.
	30 shops gutted From Our Correspondent FARIDABAD, Feb 2 — Atleast 30 shops were gutted in a fire that broke out at Subzi Mandi in old Faridabad in early hours yesterday. According to information, the fire started around midnight and could be controlled after three and a half hours. It is learnt that the short circuit in one of the shops led to the fire. Loss of several lakhs is reported.