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Tuesday,
October
7, 2003,
Chandigarh, India  
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Surjewala gives out job-loss
list Sewage destroys fields, causes ailments Hearing adjourned in Sumedh Saini case Traders’ yatra seeks abolition
of inspector raj Ruchika case: Anand Prakash’s examination
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Attack on trader, road blocked for 4
hours Plea for CBI probe into scribe’s murder Manhandling of women: SSP's suspension sought Architects urged to adopt western models
NCC cadets trained in arms,
drill Man stabbed to death in fair Lifer escapes
from hospital Ekta Shakti to
go it alone Scientist killed
in road mishap
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Surjewala gives out job-loss
list Yamunanagar, October 6 Mr Surjewala said there was no bickering in the Congress in Haryana as ever party worker got due respect. He made it clear that their undisputed leader was Mrs Sonia Gandhi under whose dynamic leadership the Lok Sabha election in country would be contested. He said the youth and students were in an acute distress because of their bleak future. While giving statistics, Mr Surjewala stated that 43,000 jobs had been lost by way of retrenchment of government employees alone for past four years. Another one lakh jobs in private sector had been lost due to closing of industry and shifting of industrial units to other states on account of anti-industry policies of the government. He said 23,000 employees of the PWD (B&R), the Public Health, and the Irrigation departments who had been working on ad hoc basis had been terminated in 2000. He said 5,300 primary teachers, 1,700 junior lecturers, 1,600 policemen, 4,700 assistant linemen and meter readers of erstwhile electricity board and 10,000 employees of five boards and corporations which included the Haryana State Minor Irrigation Tubewell Corporation (HSMITC), the Haryana State Small Industries and Exports Corporation, the Labour Federation, Confed and Infed had lost their jobs due to downsizing of the departments or closure of the corporation. Mr Surjewala said fees in professional and postgraduate courses had been increased by 25 per cent or 30 per cent which had put education beyond the reach of the common man. He declared that he would contest from the Narwana constituency in the next Assembly elections. Mr Surjewala also attended a party rally at Anaj Mandi, Jagadhri, where he lashed out at present government. Various Congress leaders, including Mr Tajinder Pal Mann, former minister, Haryana Youth Congress President Satvinder Sandhu, and former MLA Roshan Lal Arya also spoke. |
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Sewage destroys fields, causes ailments Bhiwani, October 6 Men and women queuing up before hand pumps to get drinking water is a common sight in the village, surrounded by sewage-mixed water in the fields. Stink pervades the atmosphere and mosquitoes and flies can be seen everywhere. Carrying water also seems risky as women and young boys who have brought water from across the road have been falling victims to accidents on the road, says Mr Vishnu Bharadwaj, a chemist-turned-doctor. Mr Bharadwaj has claimed to have seen 100 accidents of those carrying water on the road to Loharu. The sale of medicines for skin and water-related diseases has shot up. Medicines have not worked and doctors in the village have been doing brisk business. People and cattle in the village look weak as the ground water has also been affected by the water-logged fields, says a village panch, Mr Malkhan Singh. He says, farmers, have been rendered daily-wage workers in the market of Bhiwani. He says farmers have put up blockades on the road several times in protest, but to no avail. Women have beaten up officials in protest once, he says. Visibly tired and weak-looking women with earthen pots on their heads say they have to go miles to collect water and fodder several times a day. Most young boys can be seen carrying big water containers on their bicycles to ensure water supply for family members and their cattle. Says Ranjeet, one such boy, that one of the young family members from each house has been assigned the task of fetching water from the nearby factories or a couple of hand pumps the water of which tastes better. The water table has gone down, the land has become saline and the water available now is not good for cultivation. There is piped water supply in the village, but according to Mr Malkhan Singh, it is available in a few houses as there is not sufficient water pressure. Mr Bharadwaj says the government has not compensated the farmers whose land has been destroyed. The Deputy Commissioner Mr H.S. Malik, says a solution will be found soon and the administration had chalked out a plan to drain out water from the fields before the rabi crop. |
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Hearing adjourned in Sumedh Saini case Ambala, October 6 In the charge sheet, the CBI had charged for senior police personnel, including a SP rank police officer. According to charge sheet the police personnel had hatched a conspiracy in the disappearance of three persons on March 15, 1994, who had not traced till date. The case was transferred to Ambala from Ludhiana on the direction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on the apprehension of the complainant that Mr Saini being a high ranking police officer might influence the evidences. |
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Traders’ yatra seeks abolition of inspector
raj Fatehabad, October 6 Addressing mediapersons here today Mr Sanjay Sethi, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Vyapar Mandal, said that the yatra generated huge support against the inspector raj. The yatra, he said, succeeded in getting a number of concessions from the chief ministers of the states it passed through in terms of withdrawal of cases against traders and abolition of inspector raj to a great extent. A delegation of traders which accompanied the yatra included Mr Bhagwan Das Aghi, Mr Jailakshmi Ramachandran, Mr Ramanand Yadav, Mr S.K. Singh, Mr Hanuman Das Gupta, and Mr Suresh Agarwal. Mr Ramanand Yadav, yatra convener said it demanded creation of a traders provident fund and 1 per cent commission from the sales tax collected by traders be deposited in their account to be used in case tragedy or on medication after the age of 60 years. He also said that industry status had been demanded by the traders for charging of interest rate and quantum of loan facilities extended by the banks. A special cell in police department for the safety and security of traders had also been demanded. |
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Ruchika case: Anand Prakash’s examination
ends Ambala, October 6 Defence counsel Ajay Jain assisted by Mr K.L. Sehgal asked a number of questions from Mr Parkash during the cross examination. He was also confronted with various documents which include the ACR, writ petition and a few other documents. When counsel for Mr Rathore asked Mr Prakash whether he was put under suspension from his service on the basis of adverse entries in the ACR, he replied that he was subsequently reinstated by the order of a court with all consequential benefits. Defence counsel asked him during cross examination whether he along with his wife and daughter were produced in a court in a defamation case filed by Mr Rathore. He was also asked that the entire case was made up to remove Mr S.P.S. Rathore from Haryana Lawn Tennis Association. The defence counsel quizzed whether there were two rival Tennis Associations and the other was headed by the then Home Secretary. The defence counsel further asked whether he had made false allegation against Mr Rathore at the behest of some senior police officers of Haryana Mr Parkash refuted the allegations. The special Magistrate adjourned the hearing for recording the statements of other evidences in this case for October 11. |
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Attack on trader, road blocked for 4
hours Kaithal, October 6 According to information Satpal a footwear shop owner at Kalayat and one of his employees were attacked by some miscreants on Saturday night while asleep. Satpal was injured and he was rushed to civil hospital Kaithal late night. However, when his brother and other relatives approached the police for action against the accused it did not take any action. However on repeated insistence by the aggrieved only entered a report in Daily Diary Report was written and not an FIR. A number of residents of Kalayat who reportedly wanted to meet the SP could not meet him at Kaithal on Sunday. They even threatened to block traffic if the police failed to take action against the culprits, but the authorities reportedly remained indifferent. To protest against the attitude of the police, shopkeepers kept shops closed today and blocked the traffic on the national highway. Following this blockade SDM Sanjay Rai and the DSP Raj Kumar rushed to the spot. Police later registered cases against Kuldip and Bhim Singh and some other persons under Sections 307/148/149/323/ and 506 of the IPC. No arrest was made. |
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Plea for CBI probe into scribe’s murder Chandigarh, October 6 The demand was made when a delegation of the sammelan led by Kalka MLA, Chander Mohan, and its President, Mr Vijay Bansal, met Haryana Governor, Babu Parmanand here today. The delegation also submitted a memorandum to the Governor. |
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Manhandling of women: SSP's suspension sought Rohtak, October 6 District Congress Committee (Urban) president and local MLA Shadi Lal Batra condemned the incident and demanded immediate dismissal of the SSP holding him responsible for manhandling of the women. State CPM Secretary Inderjit Singh, while briefing newspersons at the state party headquarters here after a two-day meeting of the state committee yesterday, said a resolution condemning the incident was adopted at the meeting. The SSP is a public servant, but he had been showing a loyalty to Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and member of his family and humiliated the women in complete disregard for his accountability as a public servant, the CPM leader said. He lashed out at the Chief Minister for "remaining a mute spectator to the unwarranted police action on the hapless women though he was morally duty-bound to check the police high-handedness in his presence". Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman and former minister Krishan Murti Hooda, demanded a judicial inquiry into the alleged 'barbarous' behaviour of the district police chief with the wife and son of a missing youth of Garhi Sampla village in the Chief Minister's presence. —
PTI |
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Architects urged to adopt western models Chandigarh, October 6 Mr Mathur was speaking at a function organised by the Haryana Architecture Department to commemorate the 116th birth anniversary of Le Corbusier, who designed Chandigarh in 1950, here. He said population growth was the major cause behind the failure of progressive plans. It was also responsible for the haphazard growth of slums. Among the Asian countries, he said, Thailand had done an exceptional job in providing housing facilities to the poor. Mr Mathur said the two satellite towns of Panchkula and SAS Nagar were serving as safety valves to offload the pressure on Chandigarh. Administered by three different governments, these three cities needed a coordinated approach to be maintained properly. Eminent architect, Mr M.N. Sharma, who was the first Chief Architect of the Capital Project, said the concept of Chandigarh would not have materialised without the support of Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru. Describing Le Corbusier as a painter and a sculptor who liked to play with light and form, he said many Indian architects were inspired by him. He said Le Corbusier was a good judge of people. Mr Sharma said those who criticised Le Corbusier were not fair to him. The city beautiful was now on the world map and had become Mecca for present-day architects. |
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Leaf from History In the days when kings and queens ruled over different areas of the Indian subcontinent and the British were trying to gain a foothold, it is said that there reigned a queen in Ambala City. The queen was a strong believer in justice and her punishment was enough to send shivers down the spines of the guilty. For she would not hesitate to pass a decree that a thief’s hands be chopped off or chilli powder be put into the eyes of an eve-teaser. The severity of the punishment led to the queen’s abode being called “Zulamgarh”. It is said that Ram Daya Kaur used to reign over an area in Ambala City that used to stretch up to the
Ghaggar. Rani Daya Kaur’s once beautiful home is today located among the serpentine lanes of Ambala City. Except for a small portion of the wall, the queen’s abode is practically non-existent. Rani Daya Kaur had an ADC called Diwan Sipahi Mal Bhandari. The ADC was a confidante of the queen. Sepoy Mohalla in Ambala City is believed to have derived its name from Diwan Sipahi Mal Bhandari. A descendant of Diwan Sipahi Mal Bhandari, Mr Anil Bhandari, said Rani Daya Kaur was a just queen. “We have heard from the older generation that if a thief was caught and the charge against him was proved, she would order his hands to be chopped off,” he said. Mr Bhandari said during digging at “Zulamgarh”, a torture instrument was recovered. “An instrument used to chop off the hand was found during the digging. It was a wooden instrument. The hands of the guilty person would be affixed and then a heavy “gandasa” or blade would fall on the hands, severing it,” he said. Legend has it that Rani Daya Kaur did not allow anybody to wear the red colour in her presence. “Rani Daya Kaur felt that the red colour was a challenge to her authority. No woman was allowed to wear the colour. Even the wearing of a red colour turban was not permitted. If anybody was found wearing red colour, the person would be punished,” Mr Anil Bhandari said. Rani Daya Kaur used to take bath in a nearby well. A special underground pathway had been constructed so that she could go up to the well unnoticed. The well has today been covered. The well was covered after an animal fell into it a couple of years back. Mr Kuldip Singh
Gullu, vice-president of the district unit of Congress, Ambala City, who today resides at the spot where “Zulamgarh” used to stand, said Rani Daya Kaur’s home was built on a raised ground. Mr Gullu now runs a dairy there. “Before, I came here, a coal depot was present,” he said. “Despite our consistent effort in digging, nothing substantial emerged from “Zulamgarh”. We have only got some cutlery pieces during digging. A few days back we recovered a broken spoon,” he added. The boundary wall is the only remnant of the once bustling queen’s home. The use of thin bricks is typical of the bygone era. The walls which are still standing are thick. A local said, portions of Rani’s home stood as late as two decades ago. “We had seen up to eight to nine rooms which were present in “Zulamgarh,” Mr Bhandari said. Mahant Prem Dass Shastri of Bada Thakurdwara said Rani Daya Kaur had once sought assistance from the then Mahant of Bada
Thakurdwara. “I have been told that Rani Daya Kaur’s kingdom was up to the
Ghaggar. Across the river, it was the kingdom of the Maharaja of Patiala who was a powerful king,” he said. He said once the Maharaja of Patiala had planned to annex the kingdom of Rani Daya Kaur. “Rani Daya Kaur was aware that the Maharaja of Patiala was a formidable opponent. She then approached the then Mahant Ayodhya Das. He gave her a “vibhuti” and directed her to sprinkle it on her “riyasat,” he said. “I am told that after Rani Daya Kaur had sprinkled the “Vibhuti”, the army of the Maharaja of Patiala did not enter the Rani’s “riyasat” and they returned from the border,” he said.
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NCC cadets trained in arms,
drill Chandigarh, October 6 The cadets were trained in drill, map-reading, weapon training, social service, first aid, civil defence, trekking and range classification firing. Besides training, various competitions were organised. The winners included Government College, Naraingarh (cross-country race), Khalsa College, Yamunanagar (line inspection) and MLN College Yamunanagar (drill). Based on the performance of the cadets in these events, four cadets were selected to compete for the Chief Minister Scholarship. These included two cadets from Government College, Naraingarh. The camp was organised under the supervision of Lt-Col Dinesh Dutt. The camp fire function was chaired by the Deputy Commissioner, Yamunanagar. The Deputy Commissioner also announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs 11,000 to the 14 HAR BN NCC, Yamunanagar, for the successful organisation of the camp.
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Man stabbed to death in fair Kaithal, October 6 Jai Mal of Sherdha village who had gone to attend the fair was stabbed to death by some miscreants last night. The police has registered a case under Section 302, IPC. In another case, Prem Narain Dixit of Yashoda Nagar Kanpur, who had been running a sweet shop at mela, was killed when slipped and drowned in the village pond. |
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Lifer escapes
from hospital Hisar, October 6 After the operation, he was admitted to the prisoners’ ward in the hospital. He escaped by breaking a window of the toilet. Tola Ram, who hails from Swaroop Devsar village in Bikaner district of Rajasthan, was sentenced to life imprisonment in a murder case. —
PTI |
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Ekta Shakti to
go it alone Yamunanagar, October 6 Mr Verma said the Ekta Shakti had established base in six districts in the state. He demanded that Mr Bansi Lal, President of the Haryana Vikas Party and former Chief Minister, should give details regarding the money he spent in northern Haryana during his previous tenure as Chief Minister. Mr Verma declared that his party would not go in for any alliance in the next Assembly elections. He criticised the INLD government on the employment issue. |
Scientist killed
in road mishap Hisar, October 6 The scientist,
C.P. Singh, and his wife were returning to Hisar. The couple was killed on the spot. —
PTI |
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