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Friday,
September 14,
2001, Chandigarh, India  
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‘UP poll results may
trigger Mines, quarries may be auctioned Licensing authority told to refund money
‘Operation Night Vigil’ in Haryana Nirmal Singh submits property details to Vigilance Bureau |
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Action plan
on water
conservation Unions decry plan on land allotment
Sonepat-Gohana road widening plan sanctioned Phalgu fair drawing lakhs Health services become costly 3 students suspended on ragging charge 3-year RI for abducting girl Rise in crime rate belies police claims Errant patwari suspended Haryana decision on pensions HSPCB to clear cases
of 100 units
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‘UP poll results may
trigger floor-crossing’ Chandigarh, September 13 A senior Congress MLA said that even though a large number of Congress MLAs were present at the Faridabad rally, only Mr Mange Ram Gupta and Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, chief of the HPCC, were given a chance to address the crowd. “Other MLAs were not allowed to speak, even though certain businessmen, who are known to be part of the liquor mafia, addressed the gathering”, the infuriated Congress legislator said. “MLAs are very angry over the treatment meted out to them”, he claimed. Talking to TNS, Mr Bhajan Lal replied to the charge saying that due to time constraint it was not possible to allow all MLAs to speak at the meeting. Senior leaders such as Mr Banarsi Dass Gupta, Mr Lachman Dass Arora, Mr Randhir Singh, etc, also could not speak because it was getting very late. “I also apologised to the MLAs for that”, he said. The former Chief Minister, ebullient following the good turnout at the rally in Faridabad, said that he had fixed his gaze on the outcome of the UP Assembly elections. He said he would be visiting UP for 10 days from September 21 to take stock of the situation there. “The itinerary and the nature of my visit will be intimated to me by Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad who has been given charge of the UP elections by the party”, he said. While claiming that the INLD, which is slated to put up its candidates in UP, would be routed there, Mr Bhajan Lal said that earlier INLD candidates were defeated in Rajasthan as well as in Delhi when the party contested the elections from these places. Mr Bhajan Lal as well as other Congress leaders are primarily interested in the BJP’s fate in UP, and if the INLD candidates are defeated there, it will come as a bonus for the Congress in Haryana. The calculation is simple. It is assumed that MLAs are disgruntled and they are ready to swtich sides. If the BJP is defeated in UP, it is likely to destabilise the NDA government led by the BJP and that will hasten the process of floor-crossing by MLAs in Haryana. “If the NDA fails to hold on to power in Delhi, it will be difficult for the Chautala government to survive in Haryana”, said Mr Bhajan Lal, disclosing what he himself, as well as many others opposed to Mr Chautala, wanted to see. However, while the former Chief Minister may indulge in imaginary permutations and combinations, flowing from the results of the yet to be announced UP elections, the job he has in hand right now is placating those MLAs who are angry with him for not allowing them to speak. The former Chief Minister, however, claimed that he had called a meeting of the Congress MLAs in Chandigarh on October 3 which would be attended by all of them.  |
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Mines, quarries may be auctioned Chandigarh, September 13 An indication to this effect was given by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, at a meeting with senior officers of the department a couple of days ago. According to informed sources, Mr Chautala asked the officers to find out ways to identify the prospective lease holders through the process of auction. He said there were many takers for the mines, which were limited in number. If the government obliged one person, many more were annoyed with it. Therefore, Mr Chautala said, if the mines were given on lease through the process of auction, there would not be much heart burning and the government would not be accused of favouritism. Sources say a final decision in this regard is likely to be taken tomorrow when the Chief Secretary, Mr L.M. Goyal, will discuss the issue with senior officers of the department. Though theoretically it is the department which grants lease rights of the mines, in practice it is the Chief Minister who picks the beneficiaries himself. The department only follows his wishes in this regard. The mining business in Haryana has become a lucrative one over the years. It has also become a tool of political patronage in the hands of the Chief Minister. By introducing the auction system, Mr Chautala will bring at least some amount of transparency in the process of grant of leasing rights over the mines. The sources say Mr Chautala also felt concerned over a report prepared by a team of senior officers of the Excise and Taxation Department which pointed out large-scale evasion of revenue, including sales tax, in the mining operations. The Chief Minister is believed to have cleared a proposal to install weigh bridges at the entry points of the crushing zones so that the leakage of revenue could be checked. |
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Licensing authority told to refund money Kaithal September 13 According to a complaint lodged with the consumer forum Satish Kumar of Kaul village purchased a commercial vehicle to earn his livelihood after raising a loan from Harijan Kalyan Nigam. He applied for registration with the Licensing Authority Kaithal and deposited Rs 4170 as fee on June 7, 1999. However, the said authority refused to register the vehicle and asked the applicant to get registration from the RTA Jind, as the vehicle was heavy and the authorities at Kaithal had no power to register heavy vehicles. The complainant obtained registration from the RTA Jind, by paying fresh fee. On the request of the complainant to the Licensing Authority Kaithal, to refund Rs 4170, the authority pointed that it had asked the RTA, Jind, to adjust Rs 4170
deposited with it against the amount to be paid by the applicant which was not adjusted. The complainant demanded Rs 10,000 as relief for mental agony and harassment and refund of amount lying deposited with authorities at Kaithal. |
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Sonepat rocked Sonepat, September 13 According to a report, the tremors lasted a few seconds. Doors and windows of the houses were rattled and a number of people rushed out of their houses. No loss of life or property has been reported from any part of the city or elsewhere in the district. |
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‘Operation Night Vigil’ in Haryana Chandigarh, September 13 Quoting Mr M.S. Malik, DGP of Haryana, the release said that in the operation, stress would be laid on action against dreaded criminals and proclaimed offenders and on the investigation of major unsolved cases. A number of incentives were also announced for making the operation a success. The release said personnel would be rewarded for best patrolling and nakabandi. The operational efficiency of the patrolling party and nakabandi would be adjudged from the apprehension of criminals and checking of heinous crimes in the area within the jurisdiction of the respective police teams. The teams would be given Class I commendation certificates as well as a cash award of Rs 5,100 for the first position, Rs 3,100 for the second and Rs 2,100 for the third position. For successful investigations also, the awards for the first, second and third positions were the same. Mr Malik said awards for recoveries under local and special laws would be given to districts in which the highest number of recoveries were made under the NDPS, Gambling, Arms and Excise Acts. This would carry a Class I commendation certificate along with Rs 3,100, Rs 2,100 and Rs 1,100 as cash awarded for the first, second and third positions, respectively. A committee headed by Dr John V. George, IGP ( Law and Order), would judge the best teams on the basis of reports submitted by the SPs in the first week of October. The committee would subsequently submit its recommendations to the DGP by October 10. |
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Nirmal Singh submits property details to Ambala, September 13 Mr Nirmal Singh had been called for questioning by the Superintendent of Police, Vigilance, in a case pertaining to the alleged assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. He was questioned for about four hours. A reply was filed by Mr Nirmal Singh to a notice sent by the Vigilance Bureau containing a long list of properties which allegedly belong to him. Out of the 47 properties mentioned in the list, Mr Nirmal Singh has given a reply for seven properties and he has stated that the rest of the properties which are mentioned in the list do not belong to him. The properties, which Mr Nirmal Singh has replied, include agricultural land in different villages, a large bungalow and a stud farm. |
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Action plan
on water
conservation Chandigarh, September 13 It was decided that the action plan should be formulated by each of the 19 departments associated with the mission within the stipulated time frame in consultation with experts on soil conservation and groundwater. All departments should also appoint a nodal officer each to work for the mission. It was decided that a study be conducted regarding the availability of water and its consumption level keeping in view the increasing demand for the purposes of irrigation and drinking. Mr Quraishi said that the methodology of the action plan should cover all legal, social and other implications in the interest of the people. He said the working of the action plan would be monitored and evaluated from time to time. It was decided that the Haryana Urban Development Authority would draft comprehensive legislation for roof top water harvesting as it would help in recharging of the groundwater. It was also decided that a broad strategy should be adopted for the utilisation of brackish water. It was suggested that suitable crops and trees should be grown in the areas where there was a large quantity of brackish water. Fish farming should also be encouraged in these areas as brackish water was considered good for some varieties of fish. |
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Unions decry plan on land allotment Faridabad, September 13 The unions have described the decision not only “illegal”, but also a “burden” on poor farmers. In a statement here today, leaders of the unions claimed that earlier such schemes had failed to benefit the farmers. They claimed that safeda and poplar trees could not yield good income for farmers as claimed by the authorities. |
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2 die in bus-truck collision Kalka, September 13 Sandeep Dhiman, who was travelling in the bus and was given first aid at the Civil Hospital, Kalka, told that the Haryana Roadways bus (HR-37-1483) was on its way from Kalka to Haripur via Barotiwala. When a Himachal Roadways bus tried to overtake this bus, the driver of the Haryana Roadways bus instead of giving side, increased the speed. But after covering some distance, he lost control when he suddenly found a truck coming from the opposite direction and the bus rammed into the truck. The truck, which was carrying cold drink bottles, overturned and bus rammed into the roadside bushes. At the time of accident, there were about 25 to 30 passengers in the bus. SHO Mukesh Malhotra along with a police party immediately rushed to the spot and the injured were sent to Kalka, Pinjore and Barotiwala Primary Health Centres. According to the SMO, Kalka, 26-year-old Raj Rani and her one and half-year-old child Sunil died on the spot, while 80-year-old Hansu with fractured leg has been shifted to the PGI. The deceased belonged to Pargian village. |
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Sonepat-Gohana road widening plan sanctioned Sonepat, September 13 Giving the information, Mr S.N. Roy, Deputy Commissioner, told mediapersons here today that the tenders for the work had already been approved and the work was likely to start by September 20. He maintained that no special repairs or re-construction estimate was ever sanctioned or proposed previously. The decision to widen and strengthen the road was taken up by the present government, he added. |
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Phalgu fair drawing lakhs Pharal (Kaithal), September 13 A visit to this fair by this reporter today revealed that each day 50,000 to one lakh pilgrims a holy dip in the sacred waters. The authorities feel that on Somvati Amavasya, over five lakh pilgrims are likely to visit the place. A huge bazaar in a radius of about 2 km has come up near the tank. Sadhus and social and religious organisations have pitched up their tents and religious discourses are being held. Some social organisation have been organising langar for the pilgrims. The district administrations has also set up fair price shops. Elaborate police arrangements have been made in the mela area. Policemen and Home Guard volunteers are on round the clock duty. Special buses are plying from Dhand nearby. Separate arrangements and ghats have been provided for women pilgrims. The “pandas” have converged on all sides of the tank. They recite vedic mantras and help in offering pinds to the dead. The state government is ensuring that the pilgrims are not charged unnecessarily. Trained divers have been deployed near the tank and medical aid centres have been
opened.
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Health services become costly Ambala Until a few years ago, government hospitals provided not only free treatment to the poor but also meals free of cost. Now only yellow card holders are allowed this facility but the number of such card holders is very small. According to a recent circular sent to civil surgeons by the Health Directorate, every indoor patient will pay Rs 10 as admission charges and Rs 10 a day for the bed. OPD patients will also be charged Rs 5 for registration. Long queues of patients are now seen at the hospital’s registration counter. The department has also levied a charge of Rs 100 on the preparation of Medical Legal Report (MLR) of persons who are injured either in clashes or in accidents. Before giving treatment to such patients, the doctor has to prepare an MLR which cannot be done unless the patient pays this amount. Doctors at the local civil hospital say that this rule has created an unnecessary problem for them. Another major problem being faced by poor patients is the unavailability of life-saving drugs in the emergency ward of the hospital. Whenever a patient is brought to the emergency ward, the attendants of the patients are handed over a list of medicines to be brought from the market. There has also been a hike in the charges of medical tests such as X-ray, ECG and ultrasound tests done in the hospital. Parking of vehicle at the civil hospital in Ambala City is another major problem. The parking contractor charges Rs 5 for a scooter and Rs 2 a cycle. Mostly poor villagers and labourers go the civil hospital for treatment. These parking charges are too heavy for them. Dr D.S. Jaspal, President of IMA’s, Haryana unit, says that charging any fee for MLR or post-mortem examination is unjustified and will result in harassment of accident victims. Most of the accident victims are brought to the hospital by persons not related to them. The fee on MLR can cause unnecessary delay and loss of precious time in giving treatment to the patient. He demands that the charges imposed on various tests should also be withdrawn. Moreover it is against the concept of a welfare state.
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3 students suspended on ragging charge Hisar, September 13 The university administration has also lodged a complaint with the police against these students-Virander Yadav, Rajiv Sharma (fourth year) and Jasbir Singh Bedi (third year), a university spokesman said here. The students, while rejecting the allegation of ragging went on an indefinite strike. They took out a procession on the campus and raised slogans in front of the college. The agitating students were demanding the revocation of the suspension order and action against the teacher concerned.
PTI |
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3-year RI for abducting girl Rewari, September 13 According to the prosecution story, the council administered an anaesthetic to the girl on the night of January 7 while she was returning home. She became unconscious and was taken to Rajasthan, where the police took him as well as girl into custody and then informed the Rewari police. Subsequently, the youth and the girl were both brought here. The girl was handed to her guardian and the convict was detained. On the basis of the statement of the girl’s uncle a case under Sections 363 and 366, IPC, was registered. But when the girl’s statement was recorded before the Ilaqa Magistrate, Section 376 was added to the charges. The convict was then put on trial. |
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Rise in crime rate belies police claims Gurgaon, September 13 The residents of old Gurgaon city, especially businessmen and traders, are yet to reconcile with the murder of the owner of a fruit corner in Shivpuri last Monday. Four persons have been named in the related first information report (FIR). All of them are alleged to have links with the ruling INLD. One of the accused in the FIR is a councillor of the local municipality. The deceased was returning home in the evening after attending to his business when four persons in a car pumped bullet at him from point blank range. The provocation is said to be dispute over land. What has resiled people is the inability of the police to arrest the accused even on the fourth day of the crime. |
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Errant patwari suspended Kaithal, September 13 According to information, the district election office had asked revenue patwari to send information regarding those dead or those who had shifted to other villages to update the voters’ list. However, patwari Chander Bhan had reportedly shown some villagers as dead and the list was forwarded for deletion of names of such persons from the voters’ list. When the matter was brought to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner, he ordered an inquiry by the District Revenue Officer who said the patwari had confessed that some villagers had misguided him. |
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Haryana decision on pensions Chandigarh, September 13 While stating this here today, a spokesman of the Finance Department said that these instructions would be applicable from January 31, 2001. He said that if the recipient of family pension or extraordinary pension was employed or re-employed in the state or Central government on his or her own merit, the dearness relief would also be admissible on the family pension or extraordinary pension. |
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HSPCB to clear cases
of 100 units Yamunanagar, September 13 Mr Bains said that all rice mills in the state should apply for the certificate by September 20. The units would have to install effluent plants and pollution control devices within three months. The Metal Manufacturers Association, Jagadhari, also met Mr Bains and apprised him about their problems. He suggested them to have a common effluent treatment plant. Mr Bains addressed a meeting of regional officers of the HSPCB Mr Babu Ram, member of the board was also present. |
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State-level function
on War Heroes Day Chandigarh, September 13 As a mark of respect to the martyrs of Haryana, who laid down their lives while safeguarding the unity and integrity of the nation, a number of programmes will be organised at all district headquarters on that day. |
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Minor dies of snake bite Faridabad, September 13 A 10-year-old boy Manish of Dayalnagar colony, was bitten by a snake near his house yesterday. He died in the Civil Hospital. An accountant allegedly committed suicide by consuming celphos tablets near Ajronda village. A suicide note was reportedly found from the deceased. In another incident, Pappu reportedly died after the vehicle in which he was travelling rammed into a truck near Gadpuri village, on the national highway last night. Ten others were injured in the accident. |
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Ajay Singhal Chandigarh, September 13 |
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HUDA notice to house owners Sonepat, September 13 According to sources, this action followed a series of complaints regarding the use of residential houses for commercial purposes. |
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Cabinet meeting Chandigarh, September 13 |
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