 |
Sunday,
February 16, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
|
Demolition
drive opposed Row over
tax exemption to paint firm States
join hands to check terror Staff
recruitment process on: Sampat |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
FROM COURTS
Smile
back on poor rickshawpuller’s face 3-month
jail for HUDA officer Columbia mishap had been predicted Congress mobilising
people for rally GJU to
start M Pharma courses 8 towns
to have new look 
|
|
Demolition drive opposed Faridabad, February 15 At a joint press conference held here today, the two leaders said they would appeal to the Governor of Haryana to intervene in the issue and urge the government to stop the drive. Quoting the 72nd and 73rd amendment of the Constitution, Mr Dalal and Mr Gurjar said the Constitution had provided the authority of identifying and demolishing public encroachments to the local bodies, including the Municipal Corporation, councils, committees, zila parishads and village panchayats, and it had been mentioned that there would be no interference of the state government in such matters. Claiming that they do not favour any encroachment on government or public land, they said the present campaign was launched with political and other considerations and only those encroachments were being removed that were not made by the ruling party leaders, officials and activists owing allegiance to the INLD. Describing the drive as grossly biased and discriminatory, they said the state government should have taken the state Assembly into confidence prior to the action and with a proper policy. Asking the Haryana Government to take up the drive in Sirsa district, they alleged large-scale encroachment by influential persons and individuals close to the Chief Minister and his family members. The present campaign was launched to victimise and harass people with a motive of earning money. They also alleged that statues of late Devi Lal had been installed on public land and claimed that these were also encroachment. They said a minister of the Haryana Government was among several influential persons who had occupied public land and even green belts in various villages and urban sectors. The two MLAs declared that they would approach the National Human Rights Commission
(NHRC) on Monday and demanded that the demolition work be carried out with prior notices and order from local court. The BJP leader also demanded a CBI probe into the encroachments done by influential persons and the properties of all former and present Chief Minister of Haryana. It may be recalled that the Haryana government has set March 31 as the deadline to remove all encroachments. While hundreds of houses, shops and other construction works have been pulled down in both urban and rural areas in the past few days, the situation became volatile yesterday when residents of some colonies blocked the national highway and pelted stones at trains passing through the place. |
|
Row over tax exemption to paint firm Chandigarh, February 15 The committee, constituted to consider a customised package of incentives and concessions to prestigious projects, had met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala on October 29, and decided to exempt Goodlass Nerolac Paints Ltd from paying the LADT. A representative of the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC) had explained at the meeting that the loss in terms of LADT would be made up from the sales tax and other benefits which would flow from the project. He said that the revenue loss on account of exemption from LADT would be around Rs 3 crore to Rs 7 crore per annum during first five years of operation by the company. However, when the unit would come up, the state would get regular sales tax of Rs 29 crore and an excise revenue of Rs 27 crore per annum from it. The company would also provide employment to about 125 persons, he said. After due deliberations, the committee decided to exempt the company from payment of LADT. As a matter of fact, the concession offered to Goodlass Nerolac Paints Ltd triggered off a controversy with opposition MLA Karan Singh Dalal accusing the Chief Minister of doling out the exemption in lieu of his personal gain. However, it is learnt that the Japanese company will not get the concession following an objection raised by the Excise and Taxation Department. According to a senior government functionary, the Excise and Taxation Department has opposed the exemption offered to the company on the ground that the LADT Act did not have the provision for giving exemption to a unit. “It was shoddy work by the Department. They think that any law can be relaxed if a recommendation is made by a high-powered committee. But to give exemption from the LADT, an amendment in the Act concerned is necessary,” the source said and added that so far there had been no indication of amending the Act to offer the concession to the private company. Significantly, the members of the committee include Mr Chander Singh, Principal Secretary, Excise and Taxation Department, who also was present at the meeting on October 29 when the decision regarding exemption was taken. Ironically, Mr Chander Singh was having no clue about the provisions of the LADT Act which was formulated by the department of which he is the topmost officer. “Probably he does not know the nitty-gritty of the Act,” quipped the source when asked how could such a decision be taken by the committee in Mr Chander Singh's presence. |
|
States join hands to check terror Karnal February 15 A two-day meeting of senior police forces of three state at the Haryana Police Academy,
Madhuban, 10 km from here today took a decision to this effect. Additional Director General of Police Haryana,
K. Koshy chaired the meeting. The meeting emphasised that the states would be closely connected on hot-line and exchange information in case of ‘Fidayeen attack’ and work jointly to nab terrorists. It was also decided that these states would work on joint mission on the information supply by the Union Home Ministry and intelligence agencies. Intelligence Bureau
(IB) Chief K. P. Singh, who participated in the deliberations, praised
the Haryana police for organising the seminar. Haryana police Director General M.S. Malik stressed on training a national-level cadre to deal with terrorist attacks. He suggested a faculty at the National-level for the police forces of the country for tackling
unforeseen situation. Mr Malik said Haryana planned to start training courses for field officers. Mr Malik who earlier presided over a meeting of Range Inspectors General and district police chiefs which reviewed law and order situation in the state. He directed them to ensure proper and ontime reply in the courts. Brig.
Seetapati, Mr Ashok Bhan, Director JK Police Academy Udhampur, Mr Neeraj Kumar Joint Commissioner of Delhi Police and Mr Vipin Kumar, IGP Recruit Training Centre, Bhondsi also spoke in the seminar. Mrs Neera Singh, wife of Mr
K. P. Singh inaugurated New Block of Police Public School, Madhuban. UNI |
|
Staff recruitment process on: Sampat Chandigarh, February 15 Denying rumours about a government move to retrench employees, he said that the present government had already recruited about 15,000 employees in the departments of education, police, health, jail, transport, technical education, justice and public relations. The Finance Minister added that requisitions to recruit another 15,000 employees were in the pipeline and these included police personnel, lecturers and teachers and gram vikas sahayaks. Besides, all the departments had been directed to send requisitions to their recruiting authority of the vacancies which existed after rationalisation of the staff, he said. Mr Sampat Singh said that the state government had also decided to recruit officials in the cadre of HCS and allied services every year through the HPSC. While referring to the closure of the loss-making public sector undertakings, he pointed out that the government had made 25 per cent reservation in all departments for appointment of the retrenched employees of the PSUs. Moreover, it had been decided that these employees would be given the benefit of relaxation in the age limit for appointments, he said. He said that "right sizing" and rationalisation of the employees were carried out to restore parity in staff presence in all the
areas. The Finance Minister claimed that Haryana was described as one of best financially managed state in the country by the World Bank recently. |
|
FROM COURTS
Ambala, February 15 The CBI at Chandigarh had registered a case against Ranga and a few others on January 27 under the Prevention of Corruption Act. The CBI had alleged in the FIR that Ranga had ordered to refund claims of income tax to some firms without proper verification. The accused pleaded that he had blotless service record and he had been framed. He said the charges were such that he might be harassed and arrested by the CBI anytime. He said there was no allegation of substantive offence and criminality against him. “The issuing of refund was proposed by the subordinate staff and, because such claims were in thousands, it was impossible and out of practice to check and verified these for an Income Tax Officer. In any case, there can be irregularities and for that cannot be hauled up for criminal action. I am answerable to the department,” he said in his bail plea. “The processing of the return is done at the lower level, and it is after that the returns are submitted to the ITO. Unless there is a specific complaint about a document or its cursory perusal shows its dubious nature, it is presumed to be correct and genuine,” he
said.
Bhaniarawala case
Baba Piyra Singh Bhaniarawala appeared in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Surya Pratap Singh, here today, in the hearing of some cases registered against him his followers in Punjab that had been transferred to the Ambala court on the direction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Baba was brought in the court under tight security by the Punjab police. Two months ago, the supporters of the Baba and workers of the Shiromani Akali Dal had clashed. The Akali leaders had not organised any demonstration against the Baba, this time, when he appeared in the court, on the persuasion of the Superintendent of Police at Ambala. |
|
Smile back on poor rickshawpuller’s face Fatehabad, February 15 Being illiterate, he could not collect all bills and invoices for the money spent on the treatment. With the right leg gone, life had become miserable for him. His advocate had filed a petition for compensation to the tune of Rs.10 lakhs. The insurance company, with whom the offending vehicle had its insurance policy, had been contesting the claim on the plea that it was too high. The matter had come up during a previous hearing also, but the company was not willing to pay more than Rs1.50 lakh. The advocate of the petitioner had agreed to a claim of Rs 5 lakh in that Lok Adalat. Mr R.S. Virk, member secretary of the Haryana State Legal Services Authority, Chandigarh, who had come here to conduct the Lok Adalat prevailed upon the insurance company to weigh the case on humanitarian grounds. Mr Virk observed that with the right leg amputed, the claimant was likely to have a bleak future. The injury would adversely affect his marriage and avocation prospects, observed the judge. After some negotiations, the issue was settled at Rs 2.45 lakh. Pawan is happy that the harrowing experience of visiting the courts time and again will come to an end now and he will receive sufficient amount. Beside Mr Virk, the Additional District and Sessions Judges, Mr Darshan Singh, Mr O.P. Varma and Mr R. K. Sondhi were present in the Lok Adalat organised in the sessions court while the Chief Judicial Magistrate Mr R. N. Bharti, Judicial Magistrates Mr Mewa Singh and Mr Mahabir Singh presided over Lok Adalats in their own courts. Cases mostly pertaining to the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal were settled in the adalat held in the session’s courts. Rajiv, alias Raju, who came limping in the court due to injuries received in an accident with a canter was awarded a compensation of Rs 85,000. Mr Virk reprimanded the officials of the company present there for taking the court lightly. He suggested the insurance company officials take a liberal view of the claims considering humanitarian grounds otherwise these types of cases could be decided by the Permanent Lok Adalats on merit. The case of another petitioner Nizam Ali, who came all the way from Kanpur (UP) on every hearing could not be settled as their was a difference of opinion among the judges. In another case where a man had died in an accident, his widow Santro Devi got a compensation of Rs 3.40 lakh. |
|
3-month jail for HUDA officer Karnal, February 15 The Forum has termed the attitude of HUDA in this regard as ‘’apathetic towards public service’’. It had directed HUDA to develop the land on a complaint of Ms Shashi Prabha, a resident of 8/9 Sector on December 4, 2001. HUDA was also directed to pay Rs 10,000
compensation to her. But when even after a period of 15 months no heed was paid, Ms Prabha again knocked at the doors of the Forum complaining against the Estate Officer under the Contempt of Court law. Forum Chairman M.S. Malik, members J.P. Doon and Usha Sharma passed the decision against the Estate Officer. The Karnal Sangharsh Samiti, an
association of shopkeepers, fighting against HUDA’s drive for the closure of shopping complexes in residential areas, has hailed the Forum’s decision.
UNI |
|
|
Columbia
mishap had been predicted Ambala, February 15 Dr Anil Jain, adjunct Professor at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, delivered a scientific lecture on “An overview of Columbia space shuttle mishap” organised by the Rotary Club of Ambala last night. Rich tributes were paid to astronaut Chawla who lost her life in the mishap. Dr Jain said Robert Daugherty had predicted the possibility of a
technical failure on the sensors inside the wheel well. “At the time of actual Columbia mishap, the sensors inside the wheel well showed higher temperature readings and other temperature sensors were shutting down systematically under the left wheel and mid fuselage,” he said. He observed that the probable cause of the Columbia disaster could be traced to a piece of foam breaking off the external tank and glancing off the underside of the shuttle’s left wing. With the help of slides, Dr Jain explained the various sections of the space shuttle. Dr Jain said the Columbia mishap was unfortunate as it was conducting important scientific experiments like effect of space travel on blood vessels and heart functions, musing over microbes in micro-gravity, maintaining body immune system, fighting fire in micro-gravity, looking at ozone and measuring solar
radiations on earth. |
|
Congress
mobilising
people for rally Chandigarh, February 15 Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress representative and Leader of the Opposition, who is the chief organiser of the Jhajjar rally, said that he had accepted the challenge thrown at him by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, in the form of the INLD rally at Rohtak. Mr Hooda along with party colleagues, Mr Birender Singh, former HPCC chief and Rao Inderjeet Singh, senior Congress MLA, had been mobilising people for the rally at Jhajjar on the issue of Sutlej-Yamuna link canal. The three leaders jointly addressed meetings of workers at Gohana and Hansi yesterday. This would followed by joint tours by the three leaders of Ambala, Kaithal and Karnal districts, a Hooda camp spokesman said. |
|
GJU to start M Pharma courses Hisar, February 15 It also decided to allow the pass out students of M.Sc (industrial chemistry), M.Sc (applied physics) and M.Sc (laser technology) to opt for the change of nomenclature of the degree by qualifying additional papers. The council approved the rules for functioning of the staff councils in the teaching departments and the performa for self appraisal report of the teachers of the university. Dr R.K. Chauhan, Vice-Chancellor, said the council also decided to change the nomenclature of the degree of B.Sc (honours physiotherapy) to Bachelor of Physiotherapy and the name of department from the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences to the Department of Physiotherapy. |
|
8 towns to have new look Chandigarh, February 15 While stating this here today, Urban Development Minister, Subhash Goyal said that the towns chosen for this purpose were
Shahbad, Cheeka, Ladwa, Indri, Assandh, Kaithal, Safidon and Gohana. He said that the scheme envisaged checking pressure of increasing population in bigger cities by developing small towns. The town of Shahbad had been allocated over Rs 2.03 crore, Cheeka Rs 2.37 crore, Ladwa Rs 1.36 crore, Indri Rs 1.61 crore, Assandh Rs 1.42 crore, Kaithal Rs 3.92 crore, Safidon Rs 2.10 crore and Gohana Rs 2.04 crore. |
|
Haryana’s offer to Mozambique Chandigarh, February 15 The offer was made by Haryana Chief Minister Mr Om Prakash Chautala at a meeting with a visiting 15-member official delegation led by the Governor of Inhambane Province of Southern Mozambique, Mr Aires Bonifacio Baprista Aly, here last evening. |
|
|
24-hr power supply for villages
planned Chandigarh, February 15 While stating this here today, an
official spokesman said that under this scheme, the village panchayat
concerned would have to pay for the erection of feeder for the village
from the substation. Power supply to such villages would be given
through insulated cables and all meters would be changed with
electronic meters. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 123 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
