H A R Y A N A

Draft bill on hiking war jagirs okayed
Chandigarh, February 28
The Haryana Cabinet, which met here today under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, approved the draft of the East Punjab War Awards (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2002, to enhance the war jagir of every eligible person from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per annum.

Chautala rules out Cabinet expansion
Chandigarh, February 28
The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today ruled out the possibility of expanding his 10-member Cabinet.

Excise policy to be put to test on March 2
Chandigarh, February 28
Preparations by the Haryana Government are in full swing for March 2 when its new excise policy will be put to the test.

• Reconsider cut in fertilisers subsidy: CM

Ex-MC, 4 others sentenced
Karnal, February 28
The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr A.K. Bishnoi, has sentenced Ajay Kumar, a former Municipal Commissioner of the city, Mukesh Kumar, his brother, and three others to six months’ imprisonment for threatening a government servant on duty. 

Streamline exam system, say experts
Kurukshetra, February 28
The Vice-Chancellor of Ujjain University, Dr Ram Gopal Gupta, said training persons associated with the conduct of examinations was essential to streamline the examination system in the country.

Draft bill on hiking war jagirs okayed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 28
The Haryana Cabinet, which met here today under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, approved the draft of the East Punjab War Awards (Haryana Amendment) Bill, 2002, to enhance the war jagir of every eligible person from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000 per annum.

There were 2,213 war jagirdars during 2001-2002, who were paid Rs 22.16 lakh. The new decision will put an additional liability of Rs 88.48 lakh on the state exchequer. War jagirs are remitted to the jagirdars through money orders by tehsildars during the kharif and rabi seasons.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal of Urban Development Department to stand guarantee for the state government for raising a loan of Rs 36.18 crore from HUDCO in favour of the Haryana Slum Clearance Board for the modernisation of the solid waste management system in Hansi, Bhiwani, Jind, Narnaul, Hisar, Yamunanagar, Jagadhri, Thanesar, Kaithal and Karnal.

It also approved the proposal of the Revenue Department to sell surplus land measuring 19 kanals and 11 marlas in Narwana tehsil to HUDA. It also approved the proposal of the Public Works (B&R) Department to auction surplus land in the districts of Hisar, Fatehabad, Kaithal and Bhiwani.

The Cabinet decided to amend the Passenger and Goods Taxation Act to provide for the recovery of arrears of goods and passenger taxes in instalments. At present there is no such provision and the cooperative societies had to pay the arrears in lump-sum only. Interest would be charged on delayed payment.

The Excise and Taxation Department was allowed to notify a modified scheme for the payment of lump-sum passenger tax. The rate of this tax per month for 250 km would be Rs 35,000 for a 52 and 54-seater bus.

The Cabinet also approved the draft of the Haryana Municipal (Amendment) Bill, 2002, to repeal an Ordinance to set up an Urban Infrastructural Development Fund and to set up an Urban Infrastructure Development Board. 

Chautala rules out Cabinet expansion
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 28
The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today ruled out the possibility of expanding his 10-member Cabinet.

Talking to newspersons at the Vidhan Sabha here, where he went to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the newly-elected INLD legislator from Yamunanagar, Mr Chautala claimed that even the MLAs of his party were not interested in becoming ministers.

While earlier the Chief Minister’s patent reply to any question about the possible expansion of his ministry used to be that new ministers would be inducted if there was an increase in the workload , today he was categorical about not expanding the ministry. “There is no pressure from the MLAs whatsoever for ministerial berths,” Mr Chautala claimed.

On the victory of the INLD candidate, Mr Malik Chand Gambhir, in the byelection at Yamunanagar, Mr Chautala said that the popular verdict had endorsed the policies being pursued by the two-and-a-half-year-old INLD regime. “We had always maintained that the Yamunanagar byelection would be a referendum on the policies of the government “, he said.

He added that Mr Gambhir’s victory from this predominantly urban seat had showed that the support base of the INLD was not confined to the rural areas any more. Mr Chautala said that he would visit Yamunanagar for three days from March 8 to thank the people for electing the INLD’s nominee.

Asked about the setback suffered by the INLD in UP, Mr Chautala said that though the party did not win any seat there, the performance of its candidates had proved that the INLD was very much in the reckoning in the elections. "There is no question of going back from UP. We have made a beginning there and will try to further expand our base in UP”, Mr Chautala said.

Asked about the Assembly session beginning on March 4, Mr Chautala said that the Opposition parties would be given ample time in the Assembly to take part in the debate on the Budget and raise other issues.

Excise policy to be put to test on March 2
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 28
Preparations by the Haryana Government are in full swing for March 2 when its new excise policy will be put to the test. The new policy replaced the system of auction of vends through open bids for the retail sale of country liquor and IMFL (Indian-made foreign liquor) by introducing the system of inviting sealed tenders.

The sealed tenders will be opened at Karnal on March 2. Tenders can be submitted at the district offices, range offices or the head office of the Excise Department on the previous day or between 10 a.m. and 12 noon on March 2 at the venue at Karnal where the tenders will be opened.

The tenders will be opened after 12 O’ clock and the highest bidders will be allotted the licences. “We are expecting a battle royal to take place at Karnal on that day among the traders for a share in the Rs 900 crore liquor business of Haryana “, an official here claimed.

Normally, persons from areas such as Rajasthan, UP, Punjab, and Delhi as well as Haryana vie for a share in the trade of Haryana at the time of the allotment of licences for retail sale. What makes the authorities expect a much better response this time is their decision to allow eight to 10 groups to operate in each district for the retail sale of liquor.

“To enable smaller players to enter the trade and bid independently, the earlier district wise licences have been divided into 125 group licences”, explained an official here.

Another important feature of the new policy is that beer, which was earlier allowed to be sold at IMFL vends only, now be sold at country liquor vends as well. Apparently, the Excise Department feels that beer is now truly a popular drink and the government should make the most out of its popularity.

Moreover, each licensee can now tie up with a hotel or a restaurant within his area on the payment of Rs 5 lakh and a bar licence will be given to him for serving IMFL.

While doubt persists about the efficacy of the system of allotting licences by inviting sealed tenders, officials here claim that the whole process of opening of tenders at Karnal on March 2 will be video recorded to put at rest apprehensions about malpractices.

Reconsider cut in fertilisers subsidy: CM
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 28
The Haryana Government today urged the Union Finance Minister, Mr Yashwant Sinha, to reconsider some of his Budget proposals presented in the Lok Sabha.

In a statement issued here, the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, said the proposals which should be reconsidered included cut in subsidy on fertilisers and kerosene, increase in the price of LPG and meagre reduction in the price of diesel. The reconsideration of these proposals would make the Budget “completely pro-farmer and in the larger interests of the common man”. Mr Chautala appreciated the proposals to create 15 agri-export zones in different states.

Ex-MC, 4 others sentenced
Our Correspondent

Karnal, February 28
The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr A.K. Bishnoi, has sentenced Ajay Kumar, a former Municipal Commissioner of the city, Mukesh Kumar, his brother, and three others to six months’ imprisonment for threatening a government servant on duty. It is for the first time in Haryana that a former Municipal Commissioner had been sentenced for such an offence.

According to the copy of the judgement mode available to The Tribune yesterday, the accused were held guilty under Sections 148/149/353/506/452 of the IPC for preventing him from discharging his duty.

The prosecution story was that Ajay Kumar along with others had entered the office of Mr Shiv Charan Sharma, Improvement Trust engineer, and threatened him at pistol point to pay the enhanced arrears of compensation to the former for the land acquired by the Improvement Trust owned by the accused and his brother. The engineer had opposed the case of enhanced compensation up to the Supreme Court and had been able to save compensation money worth crores of rupees which the accused had demanded. Therefore, the accused and his accomplices bore a grudge against Mr Sharma.

Streamline exam system, say experts
Our Correspondent

Kurukshetra, February 28
The Vice-Chancellor of Ujjain University, Dr Ram Gopal Gupta, said training persons associated with the conduct of examinations was essential to streamline the examination system in the country. He was speaking at the first technical session of the three-day national seminar on the review of existing examination system which began at Kurukshetra University yesterday.

He said autonomous colleges and deemed universities should examine students at their own level to lower the burden on the universities.

Prof K.L. Johar, former Vice-Chancellor of Guru Jambeshwar University, said the aim of higher education should be to prepare students to compete in the world market.

Dr B.B. Parsoon, Additional District and Sessions Judge, Ambala City, suggested that inherent defects in the table marking system must be removed and transparency should be allowed while evaluating answer books.

The chairman of the session, Prof A.N. Maheshwari, Chairperson, NCTE, stressed on comprehensive and regular assessment of students and switching over to the national test system.

Others who presented the papers include Dr K.P. Singh, Controller of Examination, Haryana Agricultural University, Mr D.N. Sansanwal, Professor and Head, School of Education Devi Ahilya Vishwa Vidyalaya, Indore, and Dr I.D. Shukla, Principal, GMN College, Ambala Cantt.