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Saturday,
October
18, 2003,
Chandigarh, India
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Chautala’s
please-all measures PM to lay the stone
of petro project again? Avedna vs Aalia Protecting railway
heritage Farmers told to
grow medicinal herbs Drive against AIDS
from Nov 1 Hawala racket
busted, 3 held |
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13 get life term
for murder Scientists urged to
develop hybrid seeds Tohra says no to
panel for Haryana gurdwaras SGPC electoral
rolls out Insanitation in
hospital angers Commissioner 
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Chautala’s please-all measures Chandigarh, October 17 The promotion of eight DIGs as IGPs recently is said to be an instance of the CM’s effort to keep the IPS officers in the state in good humour. The DIGs benefitting from the move belong to five batches from 1981 to 1985. The en masse promotion has raised question mark about the management of the IPS cadre in the state. Moreover, existing rules have not been strictly followed while carrying out the promotions. Three IGPs of the state, namely, Mr R.K. Sharma, Mr Harish Kumar and Mr Vijender Rai are currently under suspension. Under the existing rules, provision must be kept for offering immediate posting to the IGPs in case of their reinstatement. The promotion of eight DIGs as IGPs has been carried out disregarding this rule and all the posts of IGPs including the ex cadre posts have been filled. The problem is sought to be circumvented by the Home Department by creating three fresh ex cadre posts of IGPs. A police official, however, said that they were in no great hurry as far as the creation of the post was concerned since chance of reinstatement of three suspended IGPs appeared dim at this juncture. The police is also set to give a proposal for promotion two IGPs of 1974 batch as ADGPs. Given the CM’s magnanimous mood, this proposal too is expected to be approved. “ Mr Bansi Lal, when he was Chief Minister before Mr Chautala, also sensed the resentent of police officers and okayed most of the promotion after completion of three years of his term”, a source said. It was learnt that even though the ban on the transfer of employees was still on in the state, an enormous number of transfers had taken place in the state last month and earlier this month. The transfers were ordered by the Chief Minister’s Office and most of these orders had been sent straight to head of the departments (Directors) instead of routing the orders through Principal Secretary or Secretary. In Health Department, 140 doctors have been transferred as a part of this move while in the lower grade, the number of people transferred is stated to be much more. In the Cooperation Department, 1300 employees of various categories have been transferred during this period. Similarly, huge number of people have been transferred in other departments as well. While officially there is ban on transfers in the state, in reality all the transfer of employees in the state is controlled by the Chief Minister’s Office and many of his party MLAs were not happy with the CMO’s refusal to entertain their requests for transfer of employees. Recently, the MLAs were asked to give recommendations for transfers and orders were issued accordingly. One of the reasons for Mr Chautala’s decision to placate the MLAs is said to be the Assembly elections in Rajasthan where the MLAs would be called upon to campaign for the INLD. Another reason which has prompted Mr Chautala to mend his ways is stated to be the notorious habit of Haryana legislators to switch over loyalties. Given the possibility of the coming Lok Sabha elections next year throwing up new power equations, Mr Chautala apparently does not want to take any chance with the INLD brigade. |
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PM to lay the stone of petro project again? Panipat, October 17 Meanwhile, sources in the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), dubbed the earlier function as the “bhoomi pujan ceremony” saying the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Rs 5,104 crore project had been hanging fire for the non-availability of the Prime Minister. Mr Vajpayee, will also lay the foundation stone of the Rs 4,165 crore refinery expansion project intended to double the refinery capacity from 6 million to 12 million metric tonnes per annum
(MMTPA). At last year’s function it was announced that the work on the project, to be spread over an area of 760 acre in Bal Jattan village, was in full swing and slated to be completed by mid-2004. In fact, infrastructural activities such as development of approach roads, site grading, boundary wall, raw water canal, construction of buildings were stated to be at an advanced stage, entailing a substantial cost to the IOC. However, it was later decided to shift the petrochemical project back to the refinery premises. The Executive Director of the refinery, Mr Rohit Bhardwaj, went on record saying in May this year that the decision to transfer the project had been taken in view of the changing “economic environment”. The revised project cost would be to Rs 200 crore less as the naphtha, a byproduct available in the refinery, would not have to be transported to Bal
Jatan. Why the project was not initiated at the refinery from the beginning remains a mystery. On the other hand BJP sources claimed that the foundation stone laying of the twin projects costing about Rs 9,269 crore by the Prime Minister would be showcased a major investment by the Centre in Haryana and bolster its electoral prospects in the five Assembly elections later this year and the Lok Sabha poll next year and in the 2005 Haryana Assembly poll. The very fact that the Prime Minister would be addressing a “mini rally” at the function site in Khora Kheri village near the refinery township indicates that the state BJP wants to take political mileage out of the Prime Minister’s visit, particularly when its relations with the alliance partner, the ruling INLD, led by Mr Om Parkash Chautala, are at its lowest ebb. Another interesting point to note would be the speech of Mr Chautala, which he might be used for scoring a point or two over the state BJP unit. Whether he finally announces the abolition of the 4 per cent Local Area Development Tax
(LADT), which has a direct bearing on the refinery expansion programme, would be eagerly awaited by the IOC. So far, the Haryana Government had agreed only “in principle” to waive the tax. A carrying capacity study for the total area of Panipat covering 25 km radius is being done through
NEERI, Nagpur, to study the combined impact of the existing and planned projects in Panipat. In fact, the no-objection certificate from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board and environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests had been received for the project. |
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Avedna vs Aalia Chandigarh, October 17 Had Avedna, alias Aalia Hussain married Mohd Zakir Hussain, an employee of the Punjab Wakf Board, without entering into a matrimonial alliance with Amit Thakur, her story would not have merited greater attention than any other love story. Both Muslim personal law and the Hindu Marriage Act do not allow any married woman to marry again in the lifetime of her spouse or till the marriage is broken by divorce. The basic issue in the Avedna case is whether she married Zakir as Aalia Hussain first or she married Amit first. Her parents, who considered Avedna as a gift of god when she was born after her two brothers and, hence, called her “Gifty”, say Avedna was married to Amit on July 13, 2003, according to Hindu rites. They allege that Zakir kidnapped Avedna while she was on her way to Vaishno Devi with her Hindu husband. According to Zakir, Avedna embraced Islam and had sworn an affidavit to this effect before an Executive Magistrate of Delhi on May 30, 2003. The “nikah” of Aalia Hussain and Zakir was performed on June 4, 2003 at Pinjore. Mr Zakir’s claim would have automatically annulled Avedna’s marriage with Amit. The matter would have ended here as far as the courts and the police are concerned. But the testimony of the Moulvi of Shahi Masjid, Pinjore, Mr Abdul
Kayum, before a Judicial Magistrate spoiled the game for Zakir and
Aalia. Mr Abdul Kayum’s testimony, recorded by the Judge under Section 164,
Cr.P.C., did not support the contention of Zakir and Aalia. Mr Kayum told the court that he did not perform any “nikah” on June 4, 2003, as claimed by Zakir. He also denied that he had put his signatures on the purported
nikahnama. He further told the court that the number assigned to the purported nikahnama was actually assigned to a nikahnama issued last year. The Moulvi’s testimony has given a great force to the claim of Avedna’s parents that her marriage with Amit preceded her so-called marriage with Zakir. The claim of Avedna’s parents got further boost when the Delhi Executive Magistrate denied having attested the affidavit sworn by her on May 30 last. Based on the statements made by Avedna before the court of law, counsel for Zakir says that even if Zakir and Aalia are not legally wedded, they can live under one roof and no offence is made out. The Muslim personal law, which grants a man the right to have four living wives, however, does not permit a woman to marry another person either during the lifetime of her spouse or
until she is divorced by her husband. Even after divorce she would have to wait for remarriage till the period of “iddat” is over. Mr Justice M.M. Kumar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, who recently dismissed a petition filed by Zakir seeking the quashing of an FIR against him, said the testimony of Mr Abdul Kayum would show that the allegations were not totally without substance. The Judge was also not impressed by the argument of Zakir’s counsel that the FIR against him was mala fide because, he said, “there is sufficient material indicating that the marriage of Zakir with Avedna is after her marriage with Amit. He was of the view that prima facie the nikahnama and Avedna’s affidavit regarding her conversion to Islam were forged. Avedna’s parents allege that their daughter is being emotionally blackmailed. She is being brainwashed that after this episode she has no place to go, except for Zakir’s house, because neither her Hindu husband nor her parents would accept her. They say Avedna is welcome because she is still a “gift of god” to them. |
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Protecting
railway heritage Ambala, October 17 These are the only one of its kind in the country. However, ever since the steam engines have been replaced by diesel engines, these buffers have been out of use. Years of neglect has played havoc with these buffers and the Railways is now carrying out an extensive exercise to find ways for reviving them for its historical importance. Railway officials say that the gears of the buffers have worn out and the rams of these buffers have corroded after remaining pressed in the cylinders for a long time. “The spring action has to be brought at an appropriate level for making these functional. Even the hydraulic pipes have to be reconditioned,” says Mr Keshav Chandra, Divisional Railway Manager, Northern Railways, Ambala division. It may be noted that these rams were mechanically pulled out from the cylinders earlier this year in order to revive the buffers. It was then that they found that corrosion had caused pits on these rams, which rendered these defunct. Officials say that it was only by grinding the rams and by chrome-plating that the outer surface can be smoothened. A team of experts from the mechanical division of Railways,
Kalka, had earlier been sent to Kolkata — the only other place where similar hydraulic buffers were installed by the British — to see how the Eastern Railway was maintaining these at Howrah terminal end. However, the team was told that the hydraulic buffers at Howrah had long been removed. The Railway officials say that no technical literature on these buffers is available, which has also hampered their efforts to make the buffers functional again. These hydraulic buffers were installed at the broad gauge terminal end here in 1927 by a British company — Ransome and Rapier. Working on the principle of water pressure, where the rams of these buffers would be pushed in the water filled cylinders after the steam engines hit these rams. These engines would hit the rams at a speed of 8 km per hour , and thus stop the steam engine, which had a poor brake facility. As the rams went in the cylinders, the water from the cylinders came out. Railway officials say that they have approached other divisions of the Railways to see if they had the required expertise to revive these buffers, but to no avail. We are now thinking of inviting private parties, even from abroad, to revive this piece of the Railways heritage, informs the Station Superintendent, Kalka Railway Station, Mr Rajinder Dutta. |
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Farmers
told to grow medicinal herbs Hisar, October 17 Speaking at the inaugural function of a training course on medicinal and aromatic plants sponsored by the National Medicinal Plants Board here yesterday he said the demand of herbs and herbal products was increasing day by day both in the domestic and international markets and farmers should avail of the opportunity by growing these herbs. The Vice-Chancellor, however, expressed concern over the increasing affiliation of Indians towards allopathic medicines which, he said, were known for their deleterious side effects. He said it was pitiable that India which had evolved the ayurvedic system of medicine was distancing itself from herbal medicines, whereas in view of their potency, developed nations were increasingly adopting them. He said China alone was earning Rs. 40000 crore from the export of herbs, while India which had rich biodiversity, was just producing herbs worth Rs 4,000 crore only. Mr Miglani said in view of the scope of herbs of medicinal value, the Haryana Government had taken various initiatives. A 140-acre herbal garden had been set up at Churgarh in Yamunanagar district where all kinds of herbs were grown for demonstration to the farmers. Besides, the government had also launched other schemes to promote the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants in the state which included trainings and distribution of seeds among the farmers. |
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Drive against AIDS from Nov 1 Chandigarh, October 17 To arrest the spread of the disease, the state government has decided to launch a fresh drive on November 1. Under this plan, private as well as government medical institutions and doctors will be provided AIDS-testing kits free of cost to identify suspected patients. The doctors will collect blood samples from vulnerable sections. For each sample test, a doctor will be paid Rs 50. “ We plan to collect four lakh blood samples by the end of the current financial year so that we have a good data bank about the spread of the disease,” an official said. The sum of Rs 2 crore earlier given to these NGOs would now be spent on making payments to doctors for carrying out AIDS tests. Testing kits would also be supplied to blood banks free of cost to prevent the transfusion of AIDS-infected blood. These would be also supplied free of cost to pathological laboratories. According to a survey carried out by government medical agencies, the number of HIV-infected people in Haryana is 40,000. |
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Hawala racket
busted, 3 held Madhuban (Karnal) October 17 An illegal telephone exchange operating at their main office in Gurgaon was also unearthed. Three persons were arrested in this connection. A major operation has been launched with the help of Central intelligence agencies to hunt for the other main accused, who are still at large. The SP (Crime), Mr Rajpal Singh, who led the operation, said the arrested persons include Ajit Bhati, a resident of New Delhi, Adil Faimi, a resident of Gurgaon, and Anand Kumar, a resident of Mumbai. An FIR under Sections 420, 406, 468, 471 and 120B of the IPC has been registered. He said the accused were later produced in a local court and remanded in police custody for six days. The SP said the
international hawala racket was controlled from Saudi Arabia with offices in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Mumbai, Delhi and many other countries. Investigations revealed that a few women were also involved. He said the two main gang leaders had been identified as Rasid Ahmed, at present working as an engineer in Saudi Arabia, and Slaim Chatri, a resident of Sheikh Sarai, New Delhi. A nationwide message had been flashed to all state police headquarters as well as all international airports so as to prevent them from escaping abroad. Preliminary investigations revealed that the control room for the hawala racket was set up by leasing six telephone lines from the Touchtel company. These lines were hired on August 21, 2003, and were hired up to September 15. International calls worth Rs 24 lakh were made to various countries mentioned above. |
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13 get life term for murder Jind, October 17 According to the prosecution, following a dispute between Baba Krishan Gir and Zora Gir over 105 acres belonging to a dera at Pokri Kheri village, about 24 armed persons attacked people
sitting at the dera. Krishan Kumar of Pokri Kheri village, who was standing on the roof of a house, was hit by a bullet and was seriously injured. He died on way to hospital, six persons Ramesh, Randhir, Vedpal, Rajkumar, Ajit and Phool Singh were injured in the attack. |
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Scientists
urged to develop hybrid seeds Karnal, October 17 Scientists and subject-matter-specialists from
NDRI, KGK, SSI, state agriculture, Horticulture and Health Department delivered lectures for the benefit of the farmers focusing on World Food Day. The chief guest, Mr Lajveer Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Karnal, stressed upon the specialised farming based on the agro-climatic conditions so the produce could be globally competitive. He asked scientists to develop hybird seeds and innovative technologies so that the farming community was
benefitted. Dr N. Balaraman, Joint Director (Research), NDRI, while presiding over the function said that
NDRI, a deemed university had played a vital role in developing human resource for running the dairy industry. He said the KVKs in the country were not only extending the scientific know-how to improve farm productivity but were also imparting vocational training and generating employment thereby increasing production, hence, playing a significant role in fight against hunger. Dr J.C.
Markanday, Head, KVK/TTC said that as per FAO estimates 840 million human beings on earth remained chronically hungry, nearly 800 million out of them in the developing world. Highlighting the achievements of
KVK, Dr Markanday said they had made remarkable strides since 1976 by imparting training to 50,334 farmers in 2,514 different training programmes. A large number of farmers, farmwomen and rural youth not only from Haryana but from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, West Bengal etc had been imparted vocational training. Dr P.S. Oberoi, a senior scientist, said over the years KVK had provided specialised training on scientific dairy farming. Mrs Jagmati Sangwan of Saksharta Samiti, Rohtak, addressing the gathering said the development was not possible without literacy growth. |
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Tohra says no to
panel for Haryana gurdwaras Karnal, October 17 He said that the Sikhs in Haryana needed better participation in the state politics as they had been neglected for quite some time. He said that the construction work on a proposed medical college to be setup at Shahbad be expedited. The SGPC had cleared this project under his leadership few years back. The total cost of this project has been estimated at Rs 100 crore. |
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SGPC electoral rolls out Fatehabad, October 17 The Deputy Commissioner, Dr R.B. Langyan, told mediapersons here today that Mr Subhash Sheoran, SDM, Fatehabad, Mr Satbir Singh Saini, SDM, Tohana and Mr S.B. Lohia, SDM, Rattia had been appointed revision officers. They would settle all claims and objections by December 15. The draft electoral rolls would be published by December 24 while the final list would be published by the beginning early next year. |
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Insanitation
in hospital angers Commissioner Sirsa, October 17 Commissioner P.K. Das after inspecting the E-Health Care scheme said that this scheme would benefit the patients in keeping health records including diagnosis and prognosis. He said this would ensure accountability of the attending doctors and help in knowing the health history of the patients even after years. He said that it has been introduced first time in the state would contain corruption in the medical field and the records of medicines and prescriptions. |
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Truckload
of poppy husk seized Sirsa, October 17 The district police chief, Ms Manta Singh, here today said in its drive against the smuggling of narcotics in the district, the police seized a truck carrying 64 quintals of poppy husk packed in 170 bags at a checkpost. She said during the interrogation, it had been revealed that this load of narcotics was coming from Madhya Pradesh. In another case, 160 gram of opium has been traced from the custody of a person on a visit to a jail inmate. In this connection, the police has arrested Kuldeep of Desu Jodhan village who had come to meet Makkhan Singh, a prisoner in the local jail. |
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Youth to get maximum poll representation: Cong Yamunanagar, October 17 |
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Govt to extend anti-TB drive to Haryana Chandigarh, October 17 While stating this here today, Mr Raj Kumar, Commissioner, Health, Haryana, said that the state government had received grant-in-aid of more than Rs 31 crore for this purpose. He said the programme was first launched in the state in 2000 in Faridabad, Gurgaon and Sonepat districts and subsequently it was extended to Karnal and Jind
districts. Three IAS officers
shifted Chandigarh, October 17 Mr M Kithan, Special Secretary, Home, was posted as MD, Sugarfed. Mr Hardeep Kumar, Special Secretary, Finance, was posted as Special Secretary, Home. |
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