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Saturday,
March 16, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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CAG: Chautala showed undue favour to Sukhbir Plan for revival
of ‘white gold’ QUESTION HOUR CM ‘not trying’ to solve water problem |
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CAG: Chautala showed undue favour to Sukhbir Chandigarh, March 15 The issue of Orbit Resorts — raked up at first by the Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr Amarinder Singh, when he was canvassing in the Assembly elections — was dealt with in the Comptroller and Auditor-General’s report on companies and corporations. The report as well as the CAG’s reports on civil departments and revenue earnings were tabled in the state Assembly today. While reviewing the performance of the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC), the affairs of Orbit Resorts (Pvt) Ltd, Chandigarh, promoted by Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, was mentioned by the CAG under the head: “Undue favour and irregular allotment of plot”. According to the CAG’s report (commercial), in 1988 Orbit Resorts approached the state government and the HSIDC for the allotment of land for the setting up of a holiday and health resort complex at Gurgaon. The company sought relaxation from the state government for the allotment of land to a non-manufacturing unit, selling of the plot at a concessional rate and allotting the land without giving any advertisement. In September, 1989 (when the late Devi Lal was the Chief Minister of Haryana, though, predictably, it was not mentioned in the CAG’s report), 17.75 acres of land was allotted to Mr Sukhbir Singh’s enterprise at Udyog Vihar, Phase V, Gurgaon, at the rate of Rs 341 per sq m. However, the issue went to the court following which the land was restored to the HSIDC. But, after Mr Chautala succeeded Mr Bansi Lal as the Chief Minister of Haryana, the land was once again made available to Mr Parkash Singh Badal’s son at the price decided in 1989. The state government also changed its land use policy to pave the way for Mr Sukhbir Singh, now a Rajya Sabha member, to set up a health resort at Udyog Vihar, where otherwise only manufacturing units were meant to be located. “ It was noticed that contrary to its own policy of providing plots at cost, the company (HSIDC) allowed a concession of 25 per cent to the allottee (Orbit Resorts) in its estimated rate of Rs 455 per sq m”, observed the CAG. The report added that according to the industrial policy of the state government and the stated objectives of the HSIDC, the plots in the industrial estates were to be allotted only for setting up industrial undertakings engaged in manufacturing activities. “Thus, the company (HSIDC) has not only favoured to the extent of Rs 80.94 lakh in the allotment of land for the holiday and health resort, but also violated the guidelines contained in the industrial policy of the state”, stated the report and added that the allotment of land was also not in conformity with the objectives of the HSIDC. When the CAG’s staff made queries on the subject in July, 2001, the HSIDC management said that the plot was allotted “as per the directions of the state government”, stated the report. |
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Plan for revival
of ‘white gold’ Panchkula, March 15 Sources in the Departments of Agriculture of Haryana and Punjab informed TNS that this strategy would be adopted in the three states under the Integrated Cotton Development Programme . A decision to this effect was taken at a workshop on the state-specific programme of ICDP under Mini Mission II of the Technology Mission on Cotton for northern states held here recently. This workshop was organised to deliberate on the problem being faced by farmers because of the large-scale failure of the cotton crop in Haryana and Rajasthan. Sources said that during the last season, an estimated 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the cotton crop had been destroyed because of unseasonal rain and American bollworm infestation. In Punjab, the damage was less severe and 40 per cent of the crop was destroyed. It has been decided that in these states (a) farmers will be provided with good quality seed after it has been treated; (b) proper irrigation will be ensured for the timely sowing of crops; (c) there will be proper spacing and thinning in fields; and (d) judicious use of nitrogenous fertilisers will be encouraged. Experts on cotton, including the Union Special Secretary, Agriculture and Cooperation , Mr Hemendra Kumar, had decided that the strategy would be implemented in three districts of Haryana and Punjab each and in two districts of Rajasthan from the next financial year in order to protect the cotton crop. |
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QUESTION HOUR Chandigarh, March 15 Replying to Mr Krishan Lal during question hour in the state Assembly today, Mr Sandhu said that during the July, 1996, — June, 1999, period as many as 331 seed samples were found substandard. The minister said that action had been initiated against the defaulting seed dealers in respect of all 555 substandard samples. Prosecution was launched against 32 seed dealers out of which nine cases were decided. Cases against 23 were pending in courts. Mr Sandhu said that in 425 cases, where deviation from the minimum seed standards was marginal, a warning was issued. While participating in the question-answer session, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, Chief Minister, said blacklisted firms were not being allowed to sell seeds in Haryana. Following a request by Mr Krishan Lal, a ruling party MLA, Mr Sandhu, with the permission of the Speaker, read out the names of all firms against whom action was initiated. This provoked Opposition MLAs to object to what they said was a “wastage of time during question hour”. However, unlike Mr Rampal Majra, who took exactly 25 minutes during question hour yesterday reading out trivial details about the electricity network of Haryana, Mr Sandhu barely took 10 minutes to finish this part of his answer. This was, in fact, the only occasion when the Opposition and Treasury Benches came close to a confrontation during question hour today which otherwise turned out to be dull compared to previous days. While replying to Mr Pawan Kumar Dewan, Mr Majra, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, said 4,465 and 5,196 distribution transformers were added to the system during 2000-01 and 2001-02 (up to January 31), respectively. In response to a supplementary question asked by Mr Dewan, the CPS, who was replying on behalf of the Chief Minister, said the transformers were new ones. A question by Mr Daryao Singh on whether there was any proposal under government consideration to post a doctor for night duty in the Civil Hospital, Jhajjar, attracted a flurry of questions from legislators. Mr M.L. Ranga, Minister of State for Health, replied in the negative to Mr Daryao Singh’s question. However, responding to Ms Anita Yadav’s supplementary question about the need for having a woman doctor at a health centre in her constituency (Salhawas) in Jhajjar district, Mr Ranga said that new doctors were being appointed in Haryana and a woman doctor would be soon deputed at the centre. In a written reply to Mr Ajay Singh Yadav’s question on the number of unemployed persons registered with the employment exchanges, Mr Chautala stated that 1,64,687 persons were registered between April 1, 2001, and January 31, 2002. Mr Chautala said that during that period 527 persons were given apppointments in the government sector while 3,887 got jobs in the private sector. |
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CM ‘not trying’ to solve water problem Faridabad, March 15 Mr Dalal said he was not allowed to speak in the Assembly session on the issue as he had put a suggestion for the formation of a committee to look after the work regarding the completion of the SYL canal and the fair distribution of available water in the state. The Janata Dal (United) President of Haryana, Mr Ved Prakash Vidrohi, echoed similar views on the issue. He claimed that water meant for South Haryana was being diverted to Sirsa and Hisar illegally. The Secretary of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, Ms Sharda Rathaur, has also alleged that the state government has been adopting a dilly-dallying attitude on the issue so far. |
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Charkhi Dadri BJP unit gets dist status Bhiwani, March 15 The new district covers Dadri city, Dadri mandal 1st, Dadri mandal
IInd, Badhra mandal and Satnali from Mahendergarh as also villages of the Loharu Assembly and Bhiwani Parliamentary segments. |
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