 |
Sunday,
October
5, 2003,
Chandigarh, India  
|
Governor may stay release of convicts Chautala
flayed for ‘attack’ on press Chautala is no Naidu, says Hooda ‘Dead’ woman found alive case Sewerage cleaning machine acquired
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
In the service of rural women Cong wants Rohtak SP suspended Scam in inspectors’
promotion alleged Cab, motorcycle collide, 1 killed Tortured by financiers,
2 end lives
|
|
Governor may stay release of convicts Chandigarh, October 4 The apex court, taking serious view of the alleged en masse remission of the sentences of criminals by the Chautala government to facilitate their premature release from jails, had given an interim stay on the release of convicts. Official sources said that the state government had recently referred to the Governor the release of 27 lifers who were facing conviction in murder cases. The state government recommended their release as per its policy on murder convicts. According to the policy notified on April 12, 2002, persons convicted for “most heinous murders would have to serve a minimum sentence of 25 years including 20 years spent actually inside the jail. Rape followed by murder of the victim, murder with the intention to extract ransom, double murders, etc, fall in the category of most heinous murders. Murder during extortion or robbery, murder with offence under TADA, murder with offence under the Act for Prevention of
untouchability, dowry murders, murder of child below 14 years of age, murder of women, etc, are categorised as “heinous” murders under the policy and persons convicted for such murders have to undergo a minimum sentence of 14 years, including 10 years spent inside the prison. A committee, having the Haryana Minister for Jails, the Financial Commissioner, Jails, the Legal Remembrancer and the Director General(Prisons) as its members, recommends the release of lifers for jails after examining various aspects, including the conduct of the prisoner while serving the sentence. Prior to the formulation of the new policy there was no categorisation of murders, and persons sentenced for life had to undergo a minimum sentence for 14 years including 10 years inside the prison. It is the present government of Haryana which differentiated between “most heinous” and “heinous” murder and imposed additional 11 years’ sentence for those accused of the first category of murder. Ironically, it is the Chautala-led Cabinet that recommended premature release of persons convicted of the first category of murder from prisons by using the special power conferred on the Governor under Article 161(A) of the constitution. The Cabinet recommendation for premature release of allegedly politically expedient prisoners had created a public outcry resulting in filing of the PIL in the Supreme Court challenging the government move. The Governor also took exception to the Cabinet recommendation and returned the proposal for reconsideration by the Cabinet. The 27 lifers in question, it appears, were routine cases processed through the laid down procedure. However, the Governor was unlikely to facilitate their release, official sources said. Raj Bhavan had told the state government that the recommendation of the release of the lifers was being examined in the light of the apex court’s order, the sources added. |
|
|
Chautala
flayed for ‘attack’ on press
Karnal, October 4 In a press note today, he said the impartial press had made the government jittery and thus inimical. The murders of top journalists — Chhatarpati in Sirsa last year and Parmanand Goel in Kaithal on September 18, torturing of a woman journalist of Panchkula along with her brother, beating of the newsmen in Rohtak and subsequent registration of cases against them spoke volumes about the government’s attempt to gag the press, he added. Mr Birender Singh also assailed the government for yesterday’s incident at Sampala when a woman had to come in front of the car of the Chief Minister to make herself heard. The incident had exposed the much publicised “Sarkar aapke dwar” programme, he said. The programme was just a “political stunt” meant to keep the MLAs at bay from the public and enacted in connivance with the deputy commissioners and SSPs at government expense in which the problems faced by the people seldom made their way to the Chief Minister, he added. He also criticised the “manhandling” of women by the security men of the CM’s entourage and the SSP in the presence of the CM though the policewomen were very much there.
— UNI |
|
Chautala is no Naidu, says Hooda Chandigarh, October 4 Mr Hooda told TNS that while Mr Naidu had exploited the support extended by his party MPs to the Vajpayee-led Government for the development of Andhra Pradesh, Mr Chautala had used the INLD support to the NDA for promoting his family. Citing Mr Chautala’s personal agenda, Mr Hooda said the former had managed to cling to the bungalow on Lodhi Road where Devi Lal used to live. Mr Chautala had also cleverly manipulated his rapport with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee for erecting a statue of Devi Lal in the Parliament complex. Also each year, Mr Chautala managed to get a horde of central ministers to the Devil Lal’s birth anniversary function but Mr Chautala had not put any pressure on the Centre to give adequate relief to the drought-affected peasants. Mr Hooda said Mr Chandrababu Naidu, on the
other hand, had used the NDA’s dependence on the Telugu Desam MPs for having Andhra Pradesh cadre officers posted to key positions in the Central Government. Mr Naidu had also extracted other concessions from the Centre for the state, including free rice for distribution among the poor in Andhra Pradesh. Mr Hooda’s criticism is bound to make Mr Chautala angry who has given enough indications of treating Mr Naidu as a role model. Mr Chautala’s emphasis on the information technology sector, including the introduction of computer education in schools, is believed to have been inspired by Mr Naidu’s well-publicised obsession with computers. Sadly, Haryana’s initiative in the IT sector has apparently lost steam midway. The “Sarkar aapke Dwar” programme of Mr Chautala is also fashioned on a programme devised by Mr Naidu. The “Sarkar aapke Dwar” programme, however, has managed to elicit a good response from people. Mr Chautala is leaving for Hyderabad tomorrow morning to meet the TDP leader. |
|
‘Dead’ woman found alive case Ambala, October 4 Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Nakli Singh, who is a cousin of Raj Singh, Reena’s first husband, said they were planning to take legal action over the whole incident. “Can there be anything more distressing than to face our community even though we had not done anything wrong. The incident has taken its toll on our entire family,” he said. He said they had to go to jail over the incident. He said, besides himself, the four persons who were affected by the episode included Master Mahipal Singh, Subhash Chand Sharma, Milap and Raj Singh. “The allegations against us were baseless. The very fact that Reena is alive puts a question mark on all allegations levelled by her. Reena is back, but who will get back our honour,” Nakli Singh said. “We have spent nearly Rs 3-4 lakh in the past six years. We were repeatedly called to Panchkula after a body was identified as that of
Reena. My father developed heart trouble and he had to undergo surgery costing Rs 2 lakh. My mother is not well and my brother Master Mahipal Singh has lost weight due to tension,” he stated. Nakli Singh said Raj Singh, who hails from Muzaffarnagar in UP, works in Yamunanagar. “Following certain incidents which lowered our image we told Raj Singh to take away Reena from the village. Thereafter, Raj Singh and Reena went to UP,” he said. While they were returning, Reena went missing on August 8, 1997. The next day the police found a body in Chandimandir area which was identified by Reena’s mother. |
|
|
Sewerage cleaning machine acquired Kalka, October 4 This mobile sewerage cleaning machine has three compartments, with a total capacity of 7,500 liters. Two compartments store water, while one with a capacity of 2,500 liters sucks the sewage from the blockage point. The stored water is pumped out from the machine to clear the blockage. The machine has been acquired at a cost of Rs 16 lakh. The machine was yesterday used to remove sewerage blockage near Nirankari Bhavan building and near the HSEB office building, Gandhi Chowk. |
|
|
In the service of rural women MADHUBAN (KARNAL): Women in 35 villages near Karnal have become more confident, informed and articulate, thanks to Arpana, a spiritual-oriented organisation. The rural development wing of Arpana reinvented itself a few years ago, shifting to a participatory approach, empowering women through facilitating community-based organisation, developing skills and knowledge so that they could initiate collective activities for health and development. Col V.K. Dhir (retd), General Manager of the Arpana Trust, says: “We impart entrepreneurial training to rural women through games, management skills, accounting classes, field visits and tests.” Colonel Dhir claimed: “Using these skills, 1,650 rural women in 35 villages adjoining Madhuban (Karnal) have got training in handicrafts making. They have successfully opened small businesses and improved their quality of life.” Arpana has established credit circles in these villages to build up economic resources and facilitate loans among members for their social and health needs. This has helped in sustained rural development. With 70 volunteers, Arpana has established 13 entrepreneur centres in 35 villages where women stitch clothes, do embroidery make handicrafts and even run small businesses. Arpana has also taken up the responsibility of marketing their products by organising exhibitions regularly in various cities across the country. A visit to Kutail Gamri village revealed that women were stepping forward, taking responsibility and initiating development projects. Arpana has set a role model for other areas in Haryana by reducing the birth rate from 36 per cent in the year 1990 to 18.78 per cent by the end of 2002 in 35 villages. Similarly, with socio-economic empowerment of women, the infant mortality rate had dropped dramatically from 120 to 53 per thousand during the same period. Maternal mortality had been virtually eliminated. Arpana has established a 175-bed hospital with modern medical facilities. Besides, mobile health teams conduct clinics daily in these villages to provide medicare. Arpana has treated more than six lakh patients during the past few years and provided medicines and surgery facilities free of cost to the economically weaker sections in these villages. The organisation was engaged in educating women on common legal issues, civic governance, water, sanitation and healthcare issues. As many as 16 villages have their own water and sanitation programmes as community committees have involved themselves in planning, purchasing handpumps, providing labour work at community lavatories, lanes and drains for a healthy and beautiful environment, Colonel Dhir said. |
Cong wants Rohtak SP suspended Chandigarh, October 4 While claiming that the Congress did not want to use the issue for political gains, the HPCC said that it was an assault on dignity of two women who wanted to assert their democratic rights. The Congress demanded suspension of Mr Alok Roy, SP of Rohtak, for inflicting violence on the women. The party also urged the National Human Rights Commission to send a team to Haryana to inquire into the innumerable cases of violation of human rights. Quoting Mr Bhajan Lal, chief of the HPCC, the statement said that a Congress government would bring all the human right violators to book. |
|
Scam in inspectors’
promotion alleged Sirsa, October 4 The Association president, Mr Amar Singh Yadav, demanded an independent inquiry into the scam. He declared that an emergency meeting of the association to discuss the matter had been called on October 10 at
Gurgaon. |
|
Cab, motorcycle collide, 1 killed Yamunanagar, October 4 According to police sources, an unidentified person, who was travelling by the cab, died on the spot and several others were injured. Nathu Ram of Damopura village in Yamunanagar district has been referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. The two motorcyclists — Harpreet and Amarjeet of Jagadhri — have also been admitted to the Civil Hospital, Jagadhri. The police has registered a case against the driver of the cab. |
Tortured by financiers,
2 end lives Karnal, October 4 Manoj Kumar and Ajay, alias Honey, both of Jundla Gate, had reportedly consumed the tablets last night. They were rushed to the Trauma Centre, where they breathed their last in the wee hours today. Both had reportedly left suicide notes in their pockets narrating their tales of woes to the Deputy Commissioner.
— UNI |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 123 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
