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Saturday,
August 16, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Rs 140-cr development plan drawn up, says
CM
Martyr’s brother manhandled
at Independence Day venue Water harvesting transforms Kandi
area |
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Govt prefers promotee officers Hooda may finally get
Baleno car 46 lakh for development of Suraj
Kund Refresher course for women ends 5-year term for smuggler Diarrhoea claims 2 lives in
Kaithal 3 held, bailed out for attacking power
station
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Rs 140-cr development plan drawn up, says
CM Kurukshetra, August 15 This was stated by the Haryana Governor, Babu Parmanand, after hoisting the National Flag at Dronacharya Stadium here on Friday. While addressing the gathering at the state-level Independence Day function, the Governor also inspected guard of honour and took the salute from the contingents of the Haryana Armed Police, the district police, the Home Guards, the NCC and the Scouts. Earlier the Governor also paid floral tributes to the martyrs at the Shaheed Samark on the premises of the mini secretariat. The Governor asked the people to stand firmly behind the soldiers and the security forces so that the menace of terrorism could be thwarted firmly. He said the problem of terrorism was being faced by most of the countries of the world and it was the joint responsibility of all nations to fight this battle unitedly. Babu Parmanand said that the brave soldiers and freedom fighters of Haryana had contributed a lot to the national freedom struggle as well as during the Kargil war. The state was also playing a pivotal role in strengthening the national economy as well as democracy. The annual exports of the state had touched a new height of over Rs 10,000 crore. Contingents of the Haryana Armed Police, the district police, the Railway Police, the Home Guards and the Scouts presented an impressive march past. Schoolchildren from all over the district performed a variety cultural programmes. The Governor also announced a grant of Rs 50,000 from his discretionary fund for sweets for the schoolchildren who participated in the cultural shows and other Independence Day celebrations. PANIPAT: In view of the overall development of the urban areas, the Haryana Government has chalked out an ambitious development plan worth Rs 140 crore for the 26 cities of the state, the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, said here on Friday. Addressing the gathering after taking the salute at an impressive march past on the occasion of the 57th Independence Day here, Mr Chautala said under the plan, the milk dairies, the truck unions and the pig-rearing units would be relocated outside the municipal limits. Recparpeting of roads,
strengthening of fire services and measures for environment protection would be the other highlights of the plan, he added. Paying tributes to the martyrs, who laid down their lives for the freedom of the country, Mr Chautala said the
among of “yudh jagirs” had been hiked from Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000. Similarly, 270 sportspersons, who brought laurels to the country, had been granted Rs 3.71 crore by the state government, making Haryana one of the leading states, which had honoured its sportspersons. Reiterating the commitment of the government to development works, Mr Chautala said the sixth unit of the Tau Devi Lal Thermal Power Station, Panipat, intended to generate 210 MW of power, had been completed and the seventh and the eighth units, which would generate 250 MW of power each, were slated to be completed in 2004 and 2005, respectively. The dyeing units at Panipat, which were largely blamed for pollution, would be shifted to a spacious 250-acre plot in the Industrial Area and a mini secretariat here would be constructed at a cost of Rs 50 crore, he said. Assuring the residents here that the SYL canal would soon be completed going by the January 15, 2002, directive of the Supreme Court, Mr Chautala said the process to set up a special economic zone had been set in motion and 1,802 old buses of the Haryana Roadways had been replaced. To control the adverse male-female ratio, the Devi Rupak Yojana had been started and so far 2,094 couples had come forward for registration. The law and order situation was well under control and corruption was being checked at all levels, Mr Chautala added. FATEHABAD: The Commissioner, Hisar Division, Mr P.K. Das, on Friday unfurled the Tricolour at the district-level Independence Day celebrations held at the Manohar Memorial College grounds here. Mr Das said Haryana was passing through a new era of development. He said the new schemes of development initiated by the state government had brought about a radical change in the social, economic and educational status of the people of the state. Mr Das distributed 20 sewing machines to poor widows, 56 tricycles, two wheel chairs and 13 hearing aids to physically challenged persons. Schoolchildren presented a variety of programmes and cultural items. Elsewhere in the district, Mr Satbir Singh Saini, SDM, Tohana, unfurled the National Flag at Tohana and Mr S.B. Lohia, SDM, Rattia, unfurled the Tricolour at Rattia. The local DAV Centenary Public School also celebrated Independence Day. The Principal of the school, Mr R.K. Sethi, unfurled the National Flag. HISAR:
The Haryana Social Welfare Minister, Mr Risal Singh, on Friday unfurled the National Flag at Mahavir Stadium here. Later, speaking at a district-level Independence Day function, he called upon the people to work for the integrity and the unity of the country. He also honoured 56 persons for their achievements in various fields. Mr Resham Singh, Inspector-General of Police, Hisar Range, Ms Deepti Umashankar, Deputy Commissioner, Mr O.P. Kadian, Superintendent of Police, and many other senior police officials were also present.
SIRSA: Independence Day was celebrated with traditional
fervour in various parts of the district on Friday. The main function
was held at the local Police Lines where Haryana Minister of State for
Animal Husbandry, Mohamad Illias, hoisted the Tricolour and took the
salute.
The minister paid tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives
in the freedom struggle.
On the occasion two police personnels ASI Hansraj and Inspector,
CIA, Kaptan Singh, were honoured for their exemplary services along
with advocate Mera Garwa and a schoolteacher, Mr Buta Singh of Rania. JIND: A district-level function to celebrate the Independence Day was organised on Friday on the premises of the local Post-graduate Government College. Mr Ashok Arora, Transport Minister, Haryana, unfurled the National Flag and took the salute at a march past by the contingents of the Haryana police, the Home Guards, the NCC and the Girl Guides. Earlier, the Transport Minister laid a wreath at the War Memorial on the Gohana Road here and paid tributes to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle and afterwards safeguarding the frontiers of the country. The minister presented certificates of merit to 22 persons of the district for their commendable work in various fields. Students of various schools presented a colourful cultural programme. KAITHAL: The Town and Country Planning Minister, Haryana, Mr Dheer Pal Singh, unfurled the National Flag and took the salute from the contingents of the police, the Home Guards, the NCC, the Girl Guides and the Scouts at the Police Lines ground here today. Students of various schools presented a colourful cultural programme . In his address, Mr Dheer Pal Singh paid tributes to the martyrs of freedom struggle and said the nation would never forget their supreme sacrifices. He highlighted the progress made by Haryana in the fields of power generation, industrial development, agriculture, irrigation facilities and roads. He honoured 31 persons, including the SDM, Mr Sanjay Rai, students, social workers and mediapersons for their outstanding performance in various fields. In another subdivisional level function, Mr M.S.Yadav, SDM, Guhla, hosted the National Flag at
Guhla.
Chandigarh, August 15 An eyewitness said CRPF jawan Net Ram, son of Jagat Ram, and Raju, son of Sargam, were allegedly hit by the cavalcade. However, the police station, Sector 31, and officials at the Chief Minister’s residence denied. The injured were taken to the GMCH, Sector 32. The police, said the Haryana Chief Minister’s pilot vehicle only picked up the injured lying on the wayside, to taken them to hospital. Raju, a Gorakhpur resident, was riding a scooter, bearing registration number CH 03K 6688, when it was allegedly hit by the cavalcade. |
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Held for creating nuisance at I-Day
function Kurukshetra, August 15 The district police chief, Mr Desraj Singh, said the person had been identified as Mahinder Pal (40), a government schoolteacher and resident of Jyoti Nagar Colony, Kurukshetra. Mahinder Pal was intercepted by the police when he was trying to approach the stage, loudly saying that he would occupy the vacant chair on the stage and view the celebrations from there. A knife was recovered from his possession. During interrogation, Mahinder Pal told the police that he was not mentally sound and always kept a knife with him as a piece of iron to save himself from evil. Mahinder Pal has been arrested under Section 291 of the Indian Penal Code for creating nuisance repeatedly. |
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Martyr’s brother manhandled
at Ambala, August 15 Vikas Gupta, younger brother of martyr Major Yogesh Gupta, said he was forcibly taken away from the podium by policemen. “I was taken away to the rear side of the podium where I was thrashed. The policemen used abusive language about my brother who made the supreme sacrifice for the nation,” he alleged. “I kept pleading with them but to no avail. It was only after the policemen saw mediapersons approaching that they left me. Otherwise, I fear of the consequences had I been whisked away by them to some solitary place,” he stated. However, the Ambala Deputy Commissioner, Mr D.D. Gautam, said neither he was thrashed nor any abusive language was used. “Instead, family members of the martyr tried to disrupt the Independence Day proceedings. They wanted to address the gathering but except for the chief guest, no one else is supposed to speak on the solemn occasion,” he said. The incident took place after Ms Lalit Mohini, mother of Major Yogesh Gupta, tried to say few words in the memory of her son. “I told them that I just needed two minutes and I only wanted to reiterate our demand that a memorial should be constructed in Ambala for my son who laid down his life for the motherland,” she said. “I was refused even two minutes time to express my feelings. In the meantime, my younger son, Vikas, tried to help me by insisting that I be allowed to speak. But, they refused and instead, Vikas, was dragged out and thrashed by policemen,” Mrs Lalit Mohini said. She said till date, no memorial has been constructed in the memory of her son. “Even a road has not been named after him. It is a sad state of affairs as there is not even five yards of land to make a memorial in the whole of Ambala. However, there is plenty of space to build statues of Ch. Devi Lal,” she said. “I would never advise any mother to send her son to the army,” she added. The family members said the whole incident took place in the presence of Haryana Agriculture Minister Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, MLAs Ms Veena Chibber, Mr Anil Vij and Mr Jasbir Mallour and senior district administration officials. “No one tried to intervene,” they lamented. Ambala Cantonment district Congress president Ashok Jain condemned the incident. “It is unfortunate that a martyr’s brother has been manhandled by policemen. Stern action must be taken in this regard,” he said. “Is it a crime on behalf of a mother to demand that a memorial should be built in the memory of her son who attained martyrdom,?” he questioned. It may be recalled that on July 12, 2002, Major Yogesh Gupta had led a column during joint operation “Operation Prachand Prahar”. During the firefight with terrorists, Major Yogesh Gupta had suffered gunshot wounds on the abdomen. Despite being severely injured, Major Gupta continued to engage the terrorists valiantly and killed four of them. Zila Sainik Board secretary Capt V.S. Narwal said parents of Major Yogesh Gupta were living in Defence Colony and they have sought financial assistance from the Haryana Government. He said the case has been forwarded to the Haryana Government and when the money was received, it would be forwarded to the parents. Capt Narwal said the allegations levelled by the parents of the martyr that the government and district administration was ignoring them was baseless and it was incorrect to try to disrupt a public function. He said as per rules, whatever benefits are due to the next of the kin of a martyr has been given to Major Gupta’s wife, Ms Saroj Gupta. He said Ms Saroj Gupta has got commission in the Army and she was undergoing training in Chennai. Meanwhile, Haryana Agriculture Minister Jaswinder Singh Sandhu unfurled the national flag. An impressive march past was held by contingent of the Haryana Police, Government Railway Police, Haryana Armed Police, Home Guard, NCC and Scouts and Guides. Mr Sandhu said today we should recall the sacrifices made among others by Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Chandra Shekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh and Udham Singh. It was important that we should tell the future generation about the freedom struggle. He paid rich tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives defending our nation’s territorial integrity. Mr Sandhu gave away the district-level kisan puraskar to two farmers, Harkesh Singh and Chanan Singh. He also gave 10 sewing machines to war widows and needy women. Twelve tri-cycles were given to the physically challenged. A cultural programme was presented by the schoolchildren.
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Railway staff honoured Ambala, August 15 The Lions Club (Ambala City Supreme) organised the Independence Day function at Agarsain Public School. The president of the school management, Mr Arun Garg, unfurled the Tricolour. The Independence Day function was also organised at SA Jain Girls Senior Secondary School (Ambala city). The manager of the school, Mr Surender Jain, hoisted the flag. Students present a cultural programme on the occasion. Independence Day celebrations were also held at MDSD Girls College (Ambala city). The Principal of the college, Ms Kiran
Angra, hoisted the flag. The District Congress Committee celebrated the Independence Day function at the old anaj mandi in the city. Senior Congress leader Ram Yash hoisted the flag.
Dappar (Ambala), August 15 The group song by the Guides wing of the school’s Bharat Scouts and Guides unit was appreciated by the parents and other invitees. The Chairman of the school, Colonel
Sehgal, who was the chief guest, unfurled the national flag.
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Water harvesting transforms Kandi
area Shamblahwa (Naraingarh), August 15 The construction of eight earthen dams and over 60 water point structures by tapping a natural water source in the districts of Panchkula, Ambala and Yamunanagar, falling along the foothills of the Shivaliks (Kandi area), has not only changed the character of the land but also changed the social milieu of the area. So far, the project has brought almost 365 hectares of arable area in the Kandi region under irrigation and 2,973 hectares under cultivation, and saved 9,500 hectares from water erosion. During a whirlwind tour of the Kandi belt, The Tribune team saw how water has been made available for both drinking purposes and irrigating fields. Earthen dams have been built in Ratta Tibbi, Asrewali and Tairon in Panchkula district, Sambhalwa in Ambala and Bhoriwali, Todarpur, Thaska and Bagpat in Yamunanagar district. These dams are managed by village development committees, which auction these dams on a yearly basis. The contractor, in turn, maintains the dam with the money charged from the beneficiaries (usually Rs 10 per hour of water supplied). Water is carried to the fields by gravity. Sometimes, a motor is installed to lift water. At places where construction of earthen dams is not possible, water point structures have been erected. A perennial source of water is tapped through a pipeline and brought to a water storage tank in the village from where a pipeline carries this water to the households. The Tribune team saw these structures at the villages of Khadoon, Bana and Badiyal in the Morni area of Panchkula. Residents of the area say that this has especially benefited the women, who had to walk up to 3 km to fetch water. Says Mrs Santosh Devi, a resident of Khadoon, “I used to abuse my parents for marrying me here and forcing me to lead such a difficult life. But with water being available at our house, life has become a lot easier.” Here, agriculture has now become the primary vocation of villagers, who grow tomatoes, onion seed and other vegetables. Till two years ago, the residents of Sambhalwa were forced to fetch water from a well almost 2 km away. Because of non-availability of water, there was almost no agriculture, and men were forced to migrate to the green areas. Now, almost 10 acres of land has been reclaimed from a seasonal rivulet by making an earthen dam with a catchment area of 70 hactares and a storage capacity of 29.54 hactare metres. Now paddy is grown in the village and last year saw 4,000 quintals of paddy yield that fetched Rs 11. 23 lakh. Not only has it helped reclaim land for agriculture, the area under cultivation has increased and brought economic and social uplift of the people. Says Hari Ram, a 65-year-old resident of Sambhalwa, “There was a time when most men in the Kandi belt remained single as no one preferred to marry their daughters in the Kandi area. Women had to live alone for several months each year and shoulder the entire responsibility of the household as men migrated to the catchment areas of rivers with their cattle herds. So it was difficult to find brides. With the implementation of the Kandi project, not only has the vocation of residents changed to agriculture, it has also improved their economic condition, as well as of getting brides,” he smiles. |
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Govt prefers promotee officers Chandigarh, August 15 Only eight of the 19 Deputy Commissioners are direct IAS officers. Similarly, six of the 19 Superintendents of Police are regular IPS officers while the rest have been promoted to the IPS from the Haryana Police Service (HPS). The direct recruits feel that more than a fair share of these two prized assign posts has gone to those originally belonging to the state services. “The political leadership, for reasons best known to it, prefers members of the state services”, said an anguished IAS officer. The government, according to the officer, had given an indication of what was in the offing when some 20 officers working in the rank of Joint Secretary were packed off to Delhi on central deputation. Many of them would have liked to go to the Centre after putting in a few more years in the state government. It is also being alleged that the government’s step to set up a committee to review the strength of the HCS cadre is aimed at increasing the number of such officers. The yearly intake of direct IAS officers has already come down to a trickle. The state government has also reportedly written to the Centre that IAS freshers are not required at this juncture. In the Police Department, the government’s policy has made young IPS officers seek central deputation voluntarily. The latest officer in this category is Mr O.P. Singh, who is slated to join the Enforcement Directorate at Jalandhar as a Deputy Director. Before Mr O.P. Singh, six other IPS officers of Haryana opted for central deputation this year alone. Mr A.S. Chawla and Mr C.S. Rao had disfavoured the posts of SP because they were selected for a UN assignment in Kosova. But the remaining four, it is believed, would have stayed in Haryana had they been offered decent postings. |
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Hooda may finally get
Baleno car Chandigarh, August 15 While the state government allotted 17 of the 18 Hyundai Sonata cars yesterday, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Leader of the Opposition, did not get one despite having made repeated requests for replacing the old Ambassador car given to him. The state government, in fact, replaced Mr Hooda’s Ambassador car allegedly with another worn out vehicle after the one with Mr Hooda on board, met with an accident near Hardwar recently and got washed away in a flash flood in the Peeli river.” The car sent to Hardwar for Mr Hooda was declared condemned at least a year ago”, Mr Shadilal Batra, a Congress MLA, claimed. Mr Raghubir Singh Kadiyan, a Congress MLA, alleged that the accident took place because the condition of the car allotted to Mr Hooda was so bad that it stopped all of a sudden in the middle of the river even though other vehicles had no problem in crossing the rivulet. Earlier also, when the state government purchased Maruti Baleno cars, it was not allotted to the then Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bhajan Lal. A source close to Mr Hooda said it was now proposed to make available one of the Balenos, which had become surplus after the arrival of of new Sonata cars to the Leader of the Opposition. |
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46 lakh for development of Suraj
Kund Kurukshetra, August 15 This was stated by the Haryana Governor, Babu Parmanand, here yesterday. The Governor, who is also the Kund president of the board, went to Suraj Kund and explored all possibilities to develop and renovate the religious place. Babu Parmanand said Suraj Kund would be developed at an estimated cost of Rs 46 lakh. While discussing the scope of development with the village panchayat, the Governor suggested that villagers constitute an advisory committee for the purpose. The Deputy Commissioner, Kurukshetra, Mr Abilaksh Likhi, also accompanied the Governor. He informed the Governor that the state government, the board and the village panchayat were making efforts to develop and renovate religious places in and around Kurukshetra. The Centre had also introduced development schemes for developing Kurukshetra into a world-famous spiritual and religious centre. The Kurukshetra district police chief, Mr Desh Raj Singh, the Chief Executive Officer of the board, Ms Hema Sharma district officers and villagers were also present on the occasion. |
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Refresher course for women ends Kurukshetra, August 15 Professor Goyal emphasised upon the empowerment of women especially in the rural area. He called upon the participants to face the challenges with dedication, involvement, and with work culture. Earlier, Dean, Academic Affairs, Kurukshetra University, Prof V.K. Aggarwal, stressed the need for the implementation of various laws for giving equal place to women in society. The Director, Women Studies Research Centre, of Kurukshetra University, Dr Richa Tanwar, gave a detailed report of various activities conducted during the refresher courses. Mrs Chanderkala, CDPO Rewalsar, in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh and Mrs Rajinder Pal Kaur, CDPO, Naraingarh in Ambala district shared their experiences at the refresher course. |
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5-year term for smuggler Hisar, August 15 According to the prosecution, Jagga Singh, and his two accomplices Hanuman Singh, a local resident and Kumvinder Singh of Badalgarh village were carrying poppy husk in a jeep from Rajasthan two years ago. A police team, on a tip off, arrested Jagga Singh from the Rajgarh road here while the other two absconded. The police recovered 34-kg contraband from the vehicle. The Civil Lines police had registered a case against them. |
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Diarrhoea claims 2 lives in
Kaithal Kaithal, August 15 According to reports, Bharto (35) died yesterday and Phoolpati (45) died today. The victims are from the Balmiki basti in the village. Family members of the patients said there was no water supply in their locality and they were forced to draw drinking water from wells and hand pumps. The deputy commissioner, Mr Anurag Agarwal, said patients were being given free treatment and asked the Chief Medical Officer, Dr N.K. Dhawan, to tour the village and ensure that no one with symptoms of the disease remained in the village. The Deputy Commissioner and the Chief Medical Officer, however, said that according to information, the victims had consumed ‘kheer’, which was stale and unfit for consumption. |
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3 held, bailed out for attacking power
station Fatehabad, August 15 The youths, along with some other villagers from Dhaka Dhani and Dhani Chhatrian village, had attacked the 132 KV power substation situated on the Bhattu road where colony of the DHBVN employees is situated. They were irked by the poor power situation in their village. Members of the local units of the All Haryana Power Corporation Worker’s Union and the HSEB Workers Union have condemned the attack and threatened to launch an agitation if such acts were repeated in future. |
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The younger brother of a martyr was manhandled by policemen at the district-level Independence Day celebration venue
today.
