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Saturday,
May 18, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Waiver scheme: Cong backs
"farmers’ stir" RUCHIKA MOLESTATION CASE
7 cops die in
jeep-truck collision Water shortage in Fatehabad villages |
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Residents complain of
water shortage HAMB members installed Power bill arrears: date extended CJM summons cassette maker Chautala opens
varsity hostel British era file lost: case registered
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Waiver scheme: Cong backs
"farmers’ stir" Chandigarh, May 17 It is learnt that 5,000 persons settled their bills under the scheme on Thursday, which could be seen as a trickle when compared to an average of 14,000 persons settling their unpaid arrears daily during the initially announced period of the scheme stretching from May 1 to 15. Officials of the Power Utilities, however, claimed that the turnover on May 16 was on t he expected lines since the consumers came to know about the extension only after the Chief Minister made an announcement to this effect around 11.30 yesterday morning. The actions of the BKU, which has called a meeting in Kandela village of Jind district on May 19 to oppose the 75 per cent waiver scheme, however, continue to alarm the state government. Meanwhile, the Congress, the main Opposition party in Haryana, too, is trying to fish in troubled waters by lending support to what it calls the “farmers’ agitation”. Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, HPCC Chief, along with Mr Shadilal Batra and Mr Raghubir Kadian, MLAs, and other party supporters had gone to Kiloi village in Rohtak district today after the situation there reportedly became tense when a police party went to the village to arrest a local BKU leader, Mr Dharam Vir. Later, in a statement issued here, Mr Hooda condemned “the government attitude towards agitating farmers”. The statement quoted Mr Hooda as having said that the Congress would support the genuine demands of the farmers. The party’s strategy would be decided at a meeting here on May 21, the statement added. Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, president of the All-India Youth Congress, who was formerly a Haryana MLA, also ridiculed the 75 per cent waiver scheme by saying that it was “old wine in a new bottle”. According to Mr Surjewala, earlier the state government had announced a scheme inviting the defaulting consumers to pay only the actual bill amount and have the interest, surcharge and penalty amounts waived.” The principal amount mentioned in the bill would be about the same as 25 per cent of the total unpaid amount. So what is new about it?” he asked. The allegation, however, was denied by officials of the Power Utilities who claimed that there were many instances of the principal amount in the bill being in excess of 25 per cent of the total amount. “This is why the scheme has evoked such a terrific response”, an official said. The officials are not certain about the actual amount pending with the three categories of defaulting rural consumers who are being covered under the scheme as per the announcement made by the Chief Minister after a meeting with the DCs and SPs of Rohtak, Bhiwani, Kaithal, Hisar, Gurgaon and Jind on April 25. “The figures are being compiled. According to our initial finding, the total amount pending with the three categories of defaulting rural consumers is about Rs 450 crore. As cases of arrears totalling Rs 176 crore were settled till yesterday, it is about one-third of the total unpaid bills,” a senior official claimed. The official added that cash amounting to Rs 55 crore was actually collected under the scheme till yesterday. The official said that 2.17 lakh consumers had settled their bills till yesterday and claimed that people turned up from Kandela village as well as from BKU president Ghanshyam Nayan’s village to pay the arrears. |
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RUCHIKA MOLESTATION CASE
Ambala, May 17 Mr Rathore had moved an application in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate. Ms Sarita Gupta, against six persons, alleging the theft of a file which he claims to be relevant for the Ruchika molestation case. Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ms Sarita Gupta, adjourned the case till May 28. The complaint was filed by Mr Rathore on March 20, through counsel Ajay Jain. “The said ‘titled file Kuldip Singh vs Munish Arora and others’ has deliberately been stolen and been destroyed by the accused persons in collusion with as a conspiracy of the officials who are the custodians of the judicial record, after the registration of case FIR No 516 dated 29.12.99 u/s 354/509 IPC PS Panchkula against the complainant, so as to deny him the right of effective defence in the false case,” the application filed by Mr Rathore alleged. The complaint states, “The theft of the said file has been committed by accused in conspiracy with the officials with a view to save themselves from the criminal action that may be perused against them and further with a view that the complainant may not use the said document for his proper defence in the false case present pending against him.” |
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7 cops die in
jeep-truck collision Jind, May 17 The driver of the jeep, Surender, was also seriously injured and was referred to PGIMS, Rohtak. The jeep, which was carrying police personnel, was being driven by a private driver. The truck driver, however, managed to escape. The post-mortem examination was conducted in the General Hospital. Those killed have been identified as Sub-Inspector Sube Singh (50), Head Constable Raj Kumar (47), Head Constable Satyavan (37), Head Constable Nar Singh (46), Constable Charan Singh (30), Constable Chand Ram (40) and Constable Satyayan (32). They were all working in local Crime Investigating Agency. They were returning to Jind after a flag march in the villages on the Bhiwani road when the mishap occurred. |
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Water shortage in Fatehabad villages Fatehabad, May 17 The villagers have alleged that the water being supplied was neither qualitatively up to the mark nor quantitatively sufficient. They said in many areas people were forced to carry potable water from far-off distances. The villagers said the public health authorities had been supplying canal water mixed with raw tubewell water in their villages but for the past few days, they had been supplying raw water only. The villagers have threatened to organise a demonstration if the water supply situation was not improved. The Executive Engineer, Public Health Department, Mr A.K. Bishnoi, maintained that the department had been supplying 40 litres per capita of water in these villages. The department, he added, had been planning to make it 70 litres per capita. He said due to disproportionate intensity of population in different areas, there might be disproportionate supply of potable water in different areas. The Xen said the department took samples of water from these villages yesterday, for testing the result of which would be received in the next five days. When asked when were the samples last taken from these villages, he said the capacity of the laboratory was of five samples a day only and the laboratory had to cater to the needs of three districts. He said mixing of raw water in potable water was within permissible limits. He said the tubewell water was first mixed with canal water and then the whole water was first treated and then chlorinated before being sent to the water supplies. |
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Residents complain of
water shortage Ambala, May 17 Around a dozen deep tubewells the city draw sufficient water from Jansui canal. The Public Health Department is supplying around 32 lakh gallon of drinking water everyday to various parts of the city. Out of this 22 lakh gallon are supplied through the canal-based water scheme. The actual demand of the city, however, is around 50 lakh gallon per day, for which the department either has to enhance the capacity of canal-based scheme or dig more tubewells. The areas most affected are located in the old part of the city. Residents of Nahan House, Khatarwara, Kalal Majjri, Naya Baans and Takis Road have not been getting sufficient water for the past three days. In some areas the pressure of the supply is so low that even ground floor residents do not get adequate water. There are several colonies in the city, which do not have Public Health Department supply. They have to depend upon hand pumps. A few months ago the Health Department had collected some samples from the hand pumps, which were found unfit for human consumption. Residents of various sectors of HUDA are fortunate that the HUDA authorities have made separate arrangements for water supply. According to information, residents of these sectors have been getting 150 litre per capita everyday, while people of the remaining parts of the city getting hardly 120 litre per day. Water scarcity is not a new experience for residents of this city. Around two decades back there was time when the residents had to make do with a few buckets of water. Water scarcity was one of the prime reasons why industry could not be developed in this city. Water resources have increased during the past several years but the problem of water scarcity does
not seem to have a solution so far. |
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HAMB members installed Yamunanagar, May 17 Mr Balwant Singh MLA and District President INLD said that they must work to implement guidelines and policies of the state government. Dr M.C. Gambhir MLA exhorted them to advise people to take advantage of special concessions announced by the government for clearing electricity bills. Dr
B.L. Saini MLA and Mr Rajiv Sharma, Deputy Commissioner appealed to members to
face difficulties of labourers, traders and farmers. Mr M.S. Ahalawat, SP Mr Raj Kumar Saini Senior Vice-President INLD Haryana, Mr Ami Lal Chairman Zila Prishad, Mr M.L. Rawal, Dalmira Ram Saini, Mrs Sangeeta Aggrawal, Mr Ashok Sharma all Chairmen, Mr Mahipal Singh, Mr Pardeep Aggarwal, Mr Mangat Ram Kapoor, Mr Suresh Sharma and other office-bearers of INLD and thousands of workers were-present. |
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Power bill arrears: date extended Yamunanagar, May 17 This was announced by Mr Rajiv Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, here today. The clearance scheme, which offers a concession of 75 per cent, includes bills of tubewells in panchayats, cowsheds and charitable institutions. He added that the scheme was applicable in towns as well as cities of the state. Mr Sharma exhorted electricity consumers of the district, both rural and urban, to take advantage of the extended date and cooperate with the government so that better facilities could be provided to them. |
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CJM summons cassette maker Fatehabad, May 17 Kanchan Sharma, a resident of Jagjiwanpura, had filed a petition in the court stating that Murari Narang, a resident of Bhodia Khera village, in this district, prepared two audio cassettes of her songs which were recorded in 1993. He reportedly had a contract with the singer and had agreed to pay her royalty of Rs 3000 per annum. However, she said he did not pay her any royalty. Her suit regarding the payment of royalty was pending in court but he allegedly recorded a remixed version and started selling the cassettes in the market. |
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Chautala opens
varsity hostel Kurukshetra, May 17 He also planted a sapling of molsari near the gate. The Haryana Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Arora, besides Mr Banta Ram, Mr Tejvir Singh and Mr Jasbir Singh Mallaur, all MLAs, also planted saplings of molsari on the occasion. |
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British era file lost: case registered
Ambala, May 17 The file was a settlement manual of March 1945. It was a case property and in the custody of clerk Rajesh Kalyan and former assistant Jarnail Singh, both working in the office of Deputy Commissioner. Deputy Commissioner,
D.D. Gautam said that while the file was in their custody regarding a case, it was not produced on a subsequent date. |
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