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| Monday, March 19, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Haryana assured of Central aid
NGO for integrated growth of
Gurgaon 365 wheat purchase
centres set up Pension, gratuity for Wakf
staff |
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KUTA happy over govt decision on CAS Institute students seek better
facilities 1,163 KU students awarded
degrees Job-oriented scheme for poor
students Cancellation of exam centre recommended DC’s directions on
House Tax bills Resignation of PM sought PM to lay stone
of Yamunanagar plant Minister’s order on village
ponds 607 cases settled
in Lok Adalat Pollution
check racket detected Missing boy returns
home
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Haryana assured of Central aid New Delhi, March 18 Mr Advani said this when the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, took up several outstanding issues concerning the Union Home Ministry with him in a meeting here today. Mr Advani also lauded the role of brave soldiers of Haryana in various wars especially in ‘Operation Vijay’ in Kargil and was highly appreciative of the steps taken by the Haryana in the distribution of aid to the families of the martyrs and the implementation of a package of rehabilitation for the injured and incapacitated soldiers. Earlier, the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala briefed Mr Advani on the steps taken by the state in reducing the crime rate. He said the confidence in the law and order enforcement machinery of the state had gone up in the mind of the common citizens because of a very high percentage of recovery in cases of crime against property, including dacoities. The Chief Minister urged Mr Advani to provide special central assistance of Rs 650 crore to Haryana, incurred in containing the terrorist activities due to the militancy in Punjab at that time. He said that in addition to this, a demand of special grant of Rs 272 crore was also made to the 10th Finance Commission for modernisation of the police force. He said the Planning Commission had, however, sanctioned Rs 42.445 crore on 50-50 sharing basis. He said that out of this, only Rs 8 crore has been released so far and urged the early
release of the balance amount of Rs 13.22 crore. Mr Chautala also requested the Union Ministry for the creation of at least three India Reserve Police Battalions for Haryana, which would go a long way in lowering the crime rate in the state. He said the Centre had already sanctioned eight India Reserve Battalions for Uttar Pradesh and three each for Punjab and Rajasthan. He said IRBs were essential keeping in view the strategic location of the state near Delhi and Punjab and the fact that in the Capital region where the criminals were equipped with modern arms and equipments, a very quick response was required. Mr Advani assured Mr Chautala that the Union Home Ministry would actively consider all these demands. |
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NGO for integrated growth of
Gurgaon Gurgaon, March 18 Addressing newsmen yesterday, the members of SURGE, including its Vice-Chairman and former Air Chief Marshal S.K. Sareen said they met top officials of the state led by Mr Y.S. Qureshi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, this month and espoused eight specific areas drawing the immediate action of the government. The response was positive, he added. One of them was for including the villages surrounding the urban colonies in the development plan of Gurgaon city. The
argument of SURGE is that as soon as land is identified for development into urban colonies, the villages around also should be included in an integrated development plan. It suggested that unregulated growth of such villages should be controlled and the villages within the urban agglomeration be provided with basic civic amenities on an urgent basis. Incidentally, other members and office-bearers of SURGE are Editor of Asian Age group, M.J. Akbar, former Secretary, Government of India, S. Sunder, former Home Secretary, Government of India and presently Director of India International Centre, Mr N.N. Vohra, Educationist, Mr Hari Dang, Managing Director of Pepsi, Mr P.M. Sinha, the Managing Director of Tefal, Mr Saurav Adhikari, an advocate, Mr Jyoti Sagar and the Chairman and M.D of Inapex, Mr Vijay Mathur. According to observers, SURGE’s crusade for equitable justice for villages stems from the sensitivity among its members (all can be considered to be men of reckoning in their respective field of avocations) for balanced growth of the city as well as its surrounding villages. As Mr Sareen said “there would be no harmony in the society if there was no proper
development of the society.” According to members of SURGE, following the meeting of its delegation with the bureaucrats of the state this month, which was presided over by Mr
Qureshi, the state government has constituted a committee specially with regards to proper development and growth of Gurgaon. The committee and the members of the SURGE will have periodic meetings in a spirit of coordination and cooperation. Another suggestion of the SURGE to the state government was for creation of “Gurgaon Development Authority” as an umbrella body and with unified command under which all local agencies at Gurgaon operate. The person heading this authority should have enough seniority and a tenure of posting. SURGE’s emphasis is on re-charging the water table in and around Gurgaon. In connection with this it has suggested to the government for harvesting of all rain water through already existing creeks and making small check dams. Also, that all building plans in future be approved only if rain water harvesting system is incorporated. It has also urged that canal water supply be properly augmented for all colonies in the city. On the management of solid water, the apolitical body feels that since the land availability at Gurgaon is on premium, land fill sites should be avoided and instead alternate possibility of conversion of solid waste to energy may be explored. Chennai, Bhopal and Delhi are already moving in this direction. Also, the government was suggested ways to improve the law and order
situation. One of the suggestions to this effect was introduction of Police Commissioner system. The SURGE has expressed anguish on the flagrant violation of residential property for commercial purposes and urged for immediate action against the culprits. The members also engaged the government on the issue of transportation. The suggestions in this connection was for immediate arrangement to introduce local bus service in the city to connect all the
colonies, withdrawal of polluting scooter-rickshaws, immediate action to install traffic lights at NH8-HSIDC Udyog Vihar crossings and to explore the possibility of extending Delhi Ring Railway System to connect Gurgaon may be taken up with the Ministry of Railways. According to Mr Sareen, at the persuasion of SURGE the Lt Governor of Delhi has organised a joint meeting of the bureaucrats from Haryana and Delhi for decongestion of NH-8. He further said that SURGE will act as a “watch dog” with regard to the development of the city. |
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365 wheat purchase
centres set up Kurukshetra, March 18 This was disclosed by Mr Dharamvir, Commissioner and Secretary, Food and Supplies Department, Haryana, while reviewing arrangements to be made meeting at Kurukshetra, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Panchkula, Kaithal and Karnal here yesterday. Mr Dharamvir said the procurement of wheat would be started from April 1 and all teams would be stationed by March 31 so that the process could start and farmers had not to face any problems. He revealed that the production of wheat during this year was expected to touch 50 lakh tonnes as against 45 lakh tonnes during last year. He said to ensure the smooth procurement two teams would be deputed in big mandis under the supervision of senior officers while one team would be constituted at a purchase centre level. The Commissioner and Secretary said 35 IAS officers would be deputed on duty to check the on-going process. Divisional Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners had been directed to monitor the procurement regularly. A control room had also been set up at headquarter Chandigarh so that immediate contact could be established at district level. He said that gunny bags would be provided in sufficient quantity as about 1.88 lakh gunny bags would be required in the state. Mr Daramvir also lauded the officers of the Food and Supplies Department for achieving the target of milling in all districts. He directed the officers of department that frequent visits be made in the mandis to assess the situation. Guidelines had also been issued that an employee performing the duty of purchase would not be put on duty for storage also. The Deputy Commissioner, Ms Jyoti Arora, revealed that a target of 4.86 lakh tonnes of wheat procurement had been fixed during the season in the district. She said that total 20 purchase centres had been set up in this district for purchase of wheat and five centres would be used for storage of wheat. She assured the Commissioner that Kurukshetra district would not leg behind in procuring the wheat and the target fixed by the government would be achieved easily. She further said that to solve the problems of storage in the district arrangements were being made at large scale by adding additional storage capacity at Ladwa, Shahabad and Pehowa. On this occasion, Mr P. Raghavendra Rao, Director, Food and Supplies Department, Mr H.S. Rana, MD, Confed, Mr Leeladhar, Deputy Director, Food and Supplies Department and all the District Food and Supplies Officers of Kurukshetra, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Panchkula and Kaithal districts, besides officers of the Food Corporation of India, Warehousing Corporation, Confed, Hafed were also present. |
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Pension, gratuity for Wakf
staff Panipat, March 18 According to information from the Board employees here, the demands were put up to the administrator of the Board, Dr Haq, who has accepted the demands of pension and gratuity. All details relating to the demands have been sent to the Union Social Welfare Ministry by the Board. The official disclosed that there were more than, 1000 employees of the Board which controlled the Wakf property in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. So far the employees had been getting only salary and benefits of Provident Fund. The Board had also agreed to sanction house loans amounting up to 50 times of the
monthly salary of an employee. |
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KUTA happy over govt decision on CAS Kurukshetra, March 18 Stating this in a signed statement released to the press here yesterday, the Kurukshetra University Teachers Association President, Dr Hari Singh, said clarification issued by the Director, Higher Education, on February 27, 2001, stated that all teachers working in colleges and universities of Haryana would now be entitled to the benefit of counting of past service towards senior scale/selection grade under Career Advancement Scheme (CAS) with effect from 1986 in accordance with UGC guidelines issued on November 27, 1990. Dr Hari Singh said there were about 50 teachers of this university who stood to benefit by this. About half the member of such teachers had already filed court cases to get this benefit and these clarifications would help the university to avoid unnecessary litigation and wastage of resources to fight these cases in the court, added Dr Hari Singh. He further said the letter issued by the Secretary to the Government of Haryana, Education Department, had inserted the para 17 (v), which stated: “If the number of years required in a feeder cadre are less than those stipulated in the notification, thus entailing hardship to those who have completed more than the total number of years in their entire service for eligibility in the cadre, the teacher may be placed in the next higher cadre after adjusting the total number of years”. He said this para had been provided both in the UGC notification and the previous notification of the Haryana Government and it was an anomaly communicated to the government by teachers associations. Dr Hari Singh said now it stood removed and about 100 teachers, particularly those who were in the middle of their career, would benefit from it. |
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Institute students seek better
facilities Yamunanagar Girl students say that many of them have to travel a long distance daily to reach the institute due to the lack of the hostel facility there. First and second- year girl students have been accommodated at Damla, 7 km from Radaur, while those in the third and fourth years have to cover 15 km from Yamunanagar to the institution. However, the institute bus facility is available to these students, both ways. Besides, girl students of the Chemical Engineering wing, which was set up recently, say they are not satisfied with the standard of teaching in the wing. Other students,who do not stay on the campus, complain that the bus stop is located about 1 km from the institution which causes a lot of inconvenience to them. Pleas have been made to the roadways authorities to set up a bus stop in front of the institution but to no avail. Another complaint by students is that almost 10 per cent of the teaching staff is employed on an ad- hoc or contractual basis which “adversely affects the teaching standard”. A few final-year students say the management had failed to encourage campus interviews by companies. Third-year students complain that the laboratories are not properly equipped for instrumentation and control engineering courses. The students in general feel that the mess facility is satisfactory. Besides, the incidence of ragging is negligible. Dr K.L. Johar, Vice-Chairman, Mukand Lal Institutions, says that efforts are being made to acquire the latest facilities for all seven disciplines at the institute. The JMIT has been sanctioned 430 seats. He says 15 seats in electrical engineering, 10 in instrumentation and control engineering and five in chemical engineering are lying vacant. All these are “payment seats.” The NRI seats are full. The Principal, Dr D.C. Surana, says there are 68 teachers and a few of them are working on an ad-hoc basis. He says ad-hoc teachers are given eight months’ salary in view of the summer vacation, examinations and the gap between semesters. He says inspections of the institute are conducted by the All-India Committee of Technical Education (AICTE), the Director of Technical Education (DTE) and Kurukshetra University. Interviews for teachers are conducted by the AICTE, the DTE, the university and the management. Dr Johar says the staff are being given regular grades of Rs 8,000-13,500 plus 41 per cent DA. He claims the institute compares favourably with some of the best technical institutes in northern India. The principal says representatives of DCM, Tata Consultancy Services, Wipro and Trident had visited the institute and appreciated the improvements made in the campus interview system. Dr Johar says the institute has a modern library, a state-of-the-art IT infrastructure and classrooms with modern teaching aids. The Computer Engineering Department provides the information technology back-up to the institute through a network of more than 102 computers. He says during the next session, starting in July, the library and the canteen will be shifted to their new locations. A separate hostel for 225 girls will also be started soon. He says the institute provides an opportunity to students to visit industries, R and D establishments and educational institutions at weekends. Besides, it conducts short-term programmes for students to enhance their communication skills and develop personality. |
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1,163 KU students awarded
degrees Kurukshetra, March 18 Dr Joshi was delivering the convocation address at the 23rd Annual Convocation of Kurukshetra University in the Bhagvadagita Sadan here. Dr Joshi maintained that 41 lakh children needed primary education. Out of this, six lakh were not enrolled in any school. Dr Joshi called upon the teachers and graduates to bring about an awakening in the fields of literacy, pollution, drinking water and cleanliness of rivers. He disclosed that there were 48 lakh teachers and as many as 60 lakh students receiving higher education. All of them needed to pool their energies to tackle these problems. Dr Joshi stated that investment in libraries should be increased. For this purpose, industrial houses should be approached and donors persuaded to help. He felt that the education syllabi should be updated to meet the needs of the times. Mr R.S. Chaudhry, Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, in his welcome address assured the students that they would be imparted the best education which would help them get employment. He said that the university had initiated steps to change its style of working. As a result of the reforms in teaching and examination system, its functioning would become more transparent and responsive. In his address to the students, the Vice-Chancellor said that the university was engaged in updating its entire curricula to suit the times. Earlier, the Chancellor of the university and Governor of Haryana, Mr Babu Parmanand, conferred the Degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc) honoris causa on Dr Murali Manohar Joshi. The citation read to the occasion described Dr Joshi as an ‘outstanding educationist’. Both the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor conferred degrees on 1,163 candidates. Out of these, 102 were Ph.D candidates. Present on the occasion was the Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, his cabinet colleagues including Dr M.L. Ranga, Mr Jaswinder Sandhu and Mr Ashok Kumar Arora. |
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Job-oriented scheme for poor
students Panipat, March 18 This was stated by the Director of Higher Education, Ms Anuradha Gupta, while talking to mediapersons here yesterday. To make the education job-oriented syllabus of information technology and commerce are being introduced in the colleges. She said the department had started 80 new courses. She also justified the government’s decision to appoint retired college teachers on ad hoc basis with monthly remuneration of Rs 5,500. Later, while addressing the gathering at the annual convocation of the local Arya College, Ms Gupta said the number of colleges had increased from 45 to 170. She said the government was spending about Rs 1,400 crore on education this year. She distributed degrees and commendation certificates among the students of the college. |
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Cancellation of exam centre recommended Sonepat, March 18 According to a report, this followed reports of copying by the examinees there. Members of a flying squad raided an examination centre on the Sonepat-Purkhas road and detected one case of unfair means. The examinee concerned was booked on the charge. The district administration has taken measures to check copying in the matriculation and senior secondary examinations. The school board has constituted 11 flying squads to visit examination centres. |
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DC’s directions on
House Tax bills Panipat, March 18 The Deputy Commissioner also asked the Municipal authorities to send the list of pending house tax bills to the departments concerned. The Deputy Commissioner was presiding over the district officers meeting here in Bal Bhavan yesterday. Expressing concern over encroachment on footpaths and roads of the town, particularly on the service lanes of the G.T. Road, the DC instructed the Municipal authorities to remove the encroachments made by display of articles by the shopkeepers and positioning of ‘rehris’ by the hawkers. The encroachments have been causing great inconvenience to the pedestrians as well as the smooth flow of vehicular traffic. The DC also asked the officers of the Public Health Department to ensure chlorination of drinking water wells, overhead tanks and other water sources to avoid outbreak of contagious diseases. Later, while presiding over the District Public Relations and Grievances Committee meeting, the Deputy Commissioner ordered action against the persons who wee involved in disbursing pension of a disabled woman Angoori Devi of local Arjun Nagar to someone else. During inquiry conducted by the District Revenue Officer it was found that her pension was taken by her husband Nafe Singh. |
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Resignation of PM sought Sonepat, March
18 Carrying placards and raising anti-government and anti-Vajpayee slogans, they marched through the main bazars of the city before reaching the mini-secretariat where a demonstration was
held. Mr Azad Singh Nehra, general secretary of the Haryana Pradesh Yuva Congress Committee, also demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister. Mr Nehra announced the party would continue its agitation until the Central Government led by Mr Vajpayee resigned. Meanwhile, Mr Kishan Singh
Sangwan, BJP MP from Sonepat, charged the Opposition with launching a vilification campaign against the BJP and the Prime Minister. He asked the party workers to mobilise people against the Opposition designs. PM to lay stone
of Yamunanagar plant Chhachhrauli, March 18 This was disclosed by the Haryana Chief Minister Mr Om Prakash Chautala while addressing a mammoth public meeting at Chhachhrauli, near Yamunanagar, this evening. Former Home Minister Akram Khan announced his decision to join the Indian National Lok Dal along with his hundreds of supporters at the meeting. Minister’s order on village
ponds Faridabad, March 18 Chairing the meeting, the minister said complaints of ponds and water bodies getting dried up at some villages had been received and the officials concerned should ensure adequate water for drinking as well as for animals. Complaints regarding shortage of irrigation water and power were assured of proper action. The meeting also disposed of some other complaints regarding delay in the implementation of some of schemes, encroachment and certain social issues. Mr Rajender Beesla and Mr Udhay Bhan (MLAs) also attended the meeting. |
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607 cases settled
in Lok Adalat Kurukshetra, March 18 Mr C.R. Goel, District and Sessions Judge and Chairman of the District State Legal Services Authority, called upon the legal fraternity to make efforts to provide prompt and speedy justice to litigants. He exhorted borrowers to come forward and avail various
beneficial schemes under the legal-aid system and allied activities and try to reach an amicable settlement with the borrowers as the process of court was very lengthy. Enumerating details of the Lok Adalat, Mr Goel said this was the first Lok Adalat of its kind in the district for bank loan cases. He said as many as 60 bank loan disputes were settled during the Lok Adalat. He said the main highlight of the loan cases was that a new concept had been emerged and with motivation to the loanees, prelitigative cases were also solved by giving concession in interest or court fees. He said next Lok Adalat
regulating bank loans cases would also be held on May 19. Mr Goel further said 59 petty criminal cases were also settled. In addition to this, 54 criminal cases and 94 civil cases were settled. In all 316 cases of general nature were solved in the Lok Adalat. The District and Sessions Judge said the main aim of organising this Adalat was to provide relief to the borrower in bank loans cases. He further said people had raised loan from various banks for starting their own venture or to promote business, agriculture or non-agricultural activities but could not return the loan well in time to the banks so the loan had accumulated manifold. He said a special opportunity was given to the borrower so that amicable/settlement could be reached. Pollution
check racket detected Kaithal, March 18 Giving this information to mediapersons here on Saturday evening, the SP, Mr A.S. Chawla, said on receiving a tip-off that such certificates were being issued by a tyre dealer, Sanjay, a shopkeeper on the Ambala road here, the police laid a trap and a raiding party comprising of an executive magistrate, Naib Tehsildar and district Inspector obtained the certificate of a scooter No. HR-08-8327 which was impounded by the police long ago and was in ‘malkhana’. Similarly, the checking of another scooter was made four times and every time the machine gave different reading of the same scooter. The raiding party also impounded the pollution checking machine and other records, the SP added. Mr Chawla said the police had launched a special drive under the Motor Vehicles Act to create awareness among people on traffic laws and help minimise accidents. |
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Missing boy returns
home Ambala, March 18 The father of the youth, Mr S.S.
Rao, claimed that his son, Siddharth, was going to Chandigarh to buy Punjab CET exam prospectus. “He had boarded the bus from Ambala Cantt and a co-passenger began to ask him several questions,” he
said. Mr Rao said an altercation took place between his son and the co-passenger and the conductor forced them to disembark at Dera
Bassi. “They continued to fight and in the meantime, a Tata Sumo reached the spot. My son was forced to enter the Sumo, which sped off towards Jammu,” he claimed. He said “My son was kept in a small town and despite repeated requests, he was provided only a small glass of water and a cup of tea.” “The captors later brought my son back to Chandigarh where they left him with only Rs 30,” Mr Rao claimed. 40 illegal shops demolished Panipat, March 18 The demolition squad along with the police reached the spot and without giving prior notice and demolished the constructions in three hours. About a month back, a similar effort was resisted by the shopkeepers and they obtained stay on demolitions from the court.
3 robbers arrested Jind, March 18 Those arrested have been identified as Hoshiara, alias Kuki of Nagura village, Raja, alias Rajpal of Kharak Ramji village and Jitender of Narwana town. The police has seized one countrymade pistol, five cartridges and two iron rods from them. |
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Man charged with sodomy Narnaul, March 18 The victim was taking exam at Akberpur centre. On Friday, after his Mathematics exam, Dharambir, an acquaintance of the victim, allegedly sodomised him. The police has registered a case under Section 377of the IPC.
Impersonator held Rohtak, March 18 |
Fire in Army canteen Ambala, March 18 One killed in accident Ambala, March 18 |
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