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Sunday,
May 25, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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NEWS ANALYSIS Shortage of material hits water supply scheme Order on Rathore’s plea
on May 29 Pulse polio drive on June
1 Civil Hospital without ultrasound facility |
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Two jailed for three
years 3 remanded in judicial custody Jain sadhavi attains ‘moksha’ Special trains for solar eclipse
Memorandum to Governor on paper leakage Girl run over
by train 
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NEWS ANALYSIS Chandigarh, May 24 The ruling Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), though got the satisfaction of having retained the seat for the third successive time, the result must ring the alarm bells for its bosses. The party’s vote share has come down from 49 to 39.43 per cent and its winning margin has been reduced from about 21,000, recorded in the 2000 election, to 7,672 votes now, which is nowhere near the “record margin” the Chief Minister and INLD supremo, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, had claimed before and after the polling. The party, which had claimed to be far ahead of its rivals in Fatehabad town, had to suffer ignominy of having trailed behind the Congress in the only urban area of the constituency. The Congress, which was badly in need of a success here as a morale booster, had to contend with a “respectable defeat”. It had ended a poor third in the Yamunanagar byelection, its candidate even forfeiting her security. The party’s performance in Yamunanagar was a major factor in the change of leadership of the state unit. The party not only managed to push the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP), which was second in Yamunanagar, to the third position it also gave a tough fight to the ruling party. In contrast, the Congress presented the picture of a house divided before the electorate. Barring the state President, Mr Bhajan Lal, and the father-son duo of the Surjewalas, no other front-ranking leader campaigned here for the party nominee, Mr Dura Ram, though his name was first proposed by the anti-Bhajan leaders. Mr Bhajan Lal has been able to save his position within the Congress as now he can strengthen his claim to be the leader of
non-Jats in the Haryana Congress. His detractors will not be able to run him down before the high command after the party’s performance in Fatehabad. The HVP has been able to prove again that it is on a comeback trail after the dismal performance in the 2000 assembly elections. Yet its purpose of coming ahead of the Congress has not been achieved. In Fatehabad, the party cut into the vote banks of both the INLD and the Congress. If the INLD seemed to have lost a sizeable chunk of its Jat votes to the HVP, the Congress share in the backward votes was also eaten by the HVP. The time for introspection has come for the INLD leadership which has convened a meeting of its workers here tomorrow. The Chief Minister will have to ponder seriously why the urbanites feel alientated from his government. The alienation is not unjustified. Immediately after winning the 2000 assembly elections, the Chautala government either imposed or increased taxes and levies affecting the urbanites. This immediately sent a message that despite all pretensions, the government was anti-urbanites. The INLD has been able to retain the seat by pooling all its manpower and other resources in one constituency. It cannot adopt the same strategy during the general election due in early 2005. Meanwhile, a former Haryana Congress President, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, has demanded that the Fatehabad byelection should be countermanded as the constituency was “captured” by the ruling party with the help of the police and the civil administration. He also demanded a high-level inquiry by the Election Commission into the role of the police and the civil administration in helping the INLD. The RPI MLA, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, alleged that the ruling party had “tinkered” with electronic voting machines even before the polling had started. Both Mr Surjewala and Mr Dalal said the “narrow” margin of victory for the INLD in Fatehabad was a clear indication that the INLD ship had started sinking. |
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Shortage of material hits water supply scheme Kaithal, May 24 During a visit to a site it was noticed that the slab of roof of the clear water storage tank under construction at the Jawahar Park could not be laid due shortage of material. Similarly, the completion of pump chamber has been delayed due to the same reason. According to official sources the department had placed an order for the supply of steel with SAIL, but despite reminders the ordered material has not arrived. When contacted the Xen, Mr C.L. Garg, admitted that there was some delay in executing some works but he said that the delay occurred due to some unforseen circumstances and he was confident that the project will be completed by July-end this year. Involvement of some other agencies, besides their own department, was also one of the reasons for the delay, he added. He also said that the progress of this project was maintained by the department despite many odds and it was now a matter of few months that the filtered good quality canal water will start running in taps in different localities of the town. When this reporter visited the site at the Peoda road on Wednesday, two storage tanks of 2.5 crore gallons each were being filled with raw water drawn from the Sirsa branch canal and two gates at the entry point of water in the tank were yet to be installed. Similarly, the work of a clear water tank could not be completed due to shortage of steel and cement. Though the pipeline from the site to the Jawahar Park has been laid yet the pipeline below the railway crossing on Jind road is yet to be connected. During inquiries it came to the notice that the machinery for the boosting station constructed near the main Public Health office building is yet to installed and it may take another few months. In the meanwhile, it is learnt that some municipal councillors and representatives of various social organisations have decided to call on the Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, to request him to order the expeditious competition of the canal-based water supply scheme. |
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Order on Rathore’s plea on May 29 Ambala, May 24 The Special Magistrate for CBI cases in Haryana, Mr S.P. Singh, said the order on the application would be announced on May 29 while the cross-examination would continue on June 13. The application filed by Mr Rathore states “for the purpose of cross examination, Mr Anand Prakash is to be confronted with certain documents for which the following record is necessary.” The dasti summons of the persons may be ordered to be given to the applicant and the applicant undertakes to get the summons served at his own responsibility — Superintendent C/O Director, State Vigilance Bureau, Haryana, along with complete record of vigilance enquiries against Mr Anand Prakash and Mr Kirpal Singh, Civil
Ahalmad, the application adds. “It is, therefore, prayed that the persons may be ordered to be summoned along with record enabling the applicant to effectively cross-examine Anand Prakash and the dasti summons may be ordered to be issued to applicant,” the application states.
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Pulse polio drive on June
1 Yamunanagar, May 24 Mr Naresh Sharma, Civil Surgeon here, said today that an intensified pulse polio campaign would be observed on June 1 in the district. He said polio vaccine drops would be administered to all children below 5 years of age during the campaign. In all villages, deras, towns and cities of the district, 745 booths had been set up where about 2,300 employees of the Health and Education Departments, students of schools and colleges and volunteers of other non-government organisations (NGOs) would administer the polio vaccine drops. Mr Sharma said 16 mobile teams would cover the children at brick-kilns, crushers, etc. In the first round in April, out of an estimated 160381, children, 155906 children were covered (97.5 per cent) and an expenditure of Rs 5,50,000 was incurred on the campaign. The Civil Surgeon appealed to all residents of the district to participate whole-heartedly in the campaign. |
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Civil Hospital without ultrasound facility Ambala, May 24 The patients who come in serious condition and require immediate ultrasound examination have to suffer due to lack of facility. The patients have no other option but to get the examination done in private ultrasound centres by paying huge amounts. According to hospital sources, the radiologist who had been operating the ultrasound machine got transferred a month back and since then the patients have been deprived of this facility in the hospital. Recently, a patient with suspected case of stone in gallbladder, was rushed to the emergency ward. When one of his relatives contacted the doctor on duty he was told that the operator of the ultrasound machine had got transferred and the hospital did not have alternative arrangements. At last the patient had to be taken to a private ultrasound centre. Dozens of patients coming from both the urban and rural areas have to go to private ultrasound centres on the advice of doctors. While the Civil Hospital charges Rs 70 for an ultrasound, private centres charge Rs 250 to 400 for it. A former senior doctor of a Civil Hospital said the hospital authorities could engage a private doctor on temporary basis till the new appointment was made after taking the prior permission of the DGHS . The authorities could also engage a doctor in the interests of the patients form Euro Commission fund available with the hospital, he said.
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Two jailed for three
years Kurukshetra, May 24 Deputy District Attorney, I.P. Gautam said that the police here on October 5, 2000 was informed by a person that a few persons were smuggling liquor in a Maruti car to Ladwa. Three constables and an assistant Sub-Inspector set up a naka at Pipli Chowk and when a Maruti car reached there, the police signalled it to stop. Instead of stopping the car, the driver hit head constable Shivram, crushing his right foot. The police chased the car and nabbed the occupants. The police also recovered 15 bags of liquor from the car. The court sentenced them to three years’ imprisonment and under the Excise Act, they were sentenced to another three years and fined Rs 1000. |
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3 remanded in judicial custody Kurukshetra, May 24 The judge remanded the three in judicial custody for 14 days. Their fourth accused Naveen Pannu is said to be still at large. The police is said to have recovered Rs 600 from their possession. |
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Jain sadhavi attains ‘moksha’ Sonepat, May 24 Sixtyeight-year-old Nirbhay Vani died yesterday and thousands of people thronged the town to have a glimpse of her. “Santhara” is a rare event in the Jain tradition in which a Jain ascetic decides to obtain “moksha” (salvation) and stops eating and drinking water, waiting for death. Nirbhay Vani was initiated in Pahrai Dheeral, Delhi, and had stopped eating food on July 26, last year. She leaves behind three sons and four daughters.
PTI |
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Special trains for solar eclipse Kurukshetra, May 24 The trains would be operated from May 29 from Kaithal, Narwana and Jind, a Railway spokesman said here today. Additional coaches would be attached to trains coming from Delhi, Ambala and other places. The Jammu Indore Malwa Express and the Amritsar Barauni Express, which do not have a stoppage here, would also halt here for the benefit of the pilgrims.
PTI |
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Memorandum to Governor on paper leakage Kurukshetra, May 24 Mr Garg in a signed statement released to the press here today, said that the delegation demanded an impartial inquiry in the paper leakage.
Ambala, May 24 The engine of the train gave horns a number of time but she failed to take notice of it. The body was lying in the middle of the track. Some of the people present on the spot said they had informed the police on telephone but none had turned up. The body was not identified so far. The girl was wearing white salvar and kurta seems to be in early 20s’.
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Arguments on an application filed by the former Director-General of Police, Haryana, Mr
S.P.S. Rathore, took place today. 
