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Will Haryana go for early Govt ignoring defence persons, Jan 7 Cong rally as scheduled Cheating in the name
of philanthropy
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Vigyan Rail in
Ambala Accused puts chilly powder into cops’
eyes, tries to flee 2 terrorists get life term More quakes
rock Jind Hearing in Rupan Deol case adjourned Congress leader joins INLD
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Will Haryana go for early Assembly poll? Karnal, December 25 Elections to the Assembly are due in February 2005. But it is projected that Mr Chautala may go in for polls along with elections to the Lok Sabha due in September 2004. After winning four Assembly seats on the party’s banner in Rajasthan the government has made certain populist announcements to keep vote bank intact in the home state. The announcements indicate that elections will possibly be announced before these are due. The opposition parties have kept Mr Chautala busy in conference for a couple of months. They are challenging that they were ready for early polls. In the past couple of weeks, the INLD government reduced interest rates on farm loans by one per cent advanced through various co-operative banks, introduced new insurance scheme for cattle, promoted 96 headmasters as block education officers in the Education Department has decided to give 2000 routes to private bus operators and recruit at least 750 conductors, to advance farm loans up to Rs 85,000 through cooperative banks without keeping the registries of land from the land holders and to speed up renovation and construction work on rural roads by approving Rs 404.70 crore through the Agriculture Marketing Board. Political observers say that the think tanks of the INLD has decided to consolidate rural vote bank by new schemes, which they fear is diverting towards the Congress, the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) and also to new political parties categorized under pressure groups. Reduction of interest rates on farm loans, insurance scheme for cattle, to improve the road network in the rural areas, pension scheme for the old community toilets for women in all villages, old age homes at the village level and other schemes have been introduced to consolidate rural vote bank. As employees of the Haryana Roadways are on the path of protest after the governments decision to give more routes to private bus operators, the decision to recruit at least 750 conductors in the Haryana Roadways has been to pacify the agitating employees. Employees of the Haryana Roadways fear that they may lose jobs if privatisation is strengthened. Employees protested at all district headquarters last week, showing resentment against the Government. The mass promotion of headmasters in the Education Department has come to attract the votes of teachers. These promotions have been pending from the past many years. Only worry for the INLD is the urban vote bank that has split between all the major political parties. The Congress has an edge over the INLD and its coalition partner BJP shares a reasonable presence with no less threat from the HVP that is on a comeback trail considering the response it got during its conferences in the state recently. BJP leaders are simmering against the INLD complaining that the BJP leaders are not getting the due ‘respect’ from the State Government. Mr Chautala announced unconditional support to the BJP in Rajasthan but it may not please the BJP leadership in the home state. Incase, the relationship between the BJP and INLD breaks, Mr Chautala will be in great trouble. Rivalry between Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Bhupinder Singh Huda has damaged the party’s prospects in the state. The HVP is making all-out efforts to come back in the State. The party was almost finished in the last assembly elections with just two seats in the 90 member House. HVP suprems Mr Bansi Lal at a rally at Kurukshetra this week even hinted at a tie-up with its old ally the BJP that pulled out from the HVP Government in 1999. |
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Govt ignoring defence persons, alleges Hooda Rohtak, December 25 In a press note issued here today, he said the government had reduced the ex gratia grant given to defence personnel in the event of their death while fighting terrorists in various parts of the country from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 2.5 lakh. Besides, men of para military forces had been deprived of this benefit altogether. He said in 1999 the families of Kargil martyrs had been paid Rs 10 lakh each. However, it had now become apparent that this was a political gimmick designed to win the votes of defence personnel during the Assembly elections in 2000. The Congress leader said the widow of Mr R. S. Ahlawat, Commandant, BSF, who had died fighting militants in Kashmir valley two years ago, had not been given a government job despite the promise made by the government. Mr Ahlawat hailed from Kharkhara village, near here. Likewise, ex-servicemen had to run from pillar to post for their routine work as the secretary of the Zila Sainik Board had been looking after the work of three districts. This was causing unnecessary hardship to old ex-servicemen making rounds of these offices. Mr Hooda also criticised the government for victimising Mr R.S. Yadav, an IPS officer, due to personal reasons. He had been booked in a criminal case and was being denied proper facilities in jail. |
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Jan 7 Cong rally as scheduled Chandigarh, December 25 The issue of discrimination against various sections of people in giving government jobs and depriving certain areas of canal water would be raised at the rally, Mr Nirmal Singh said. |
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Cheating in the name
of philanthropy Gurgaon, December 25 Mr Chahal, then alleged floats associations/forums under his chairmanship to launch philanthropic activities for the benefit of poorer sections of the society. The activities are like free distribution of quilts, etc. to win the trust of people. After sometime the organisation is floated and he advertises high-sounding ‘welfare’ schemes like giving plots to SCs and poor sections of the society. Even after the payment of instalments the plots are not given. When a few subscribers pursue the case Mr Chahal returns the money to them through cheques which bounce. Associating with political personalities is also part of the operation to build credibility of Mr Chahal. In 1995 he organised a meeting of Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala. In the year 196 Assembly elections in the state he contested as an Independent from the Pataudi Assembly seat in Gurgaon district but lost. Also, Mr Chahal keeps two armed security personnel and travels in a car with light atop with chairman inscribed in big letters on his car. Currently, he is known as chairman of the “Haryana Welfare Association (Haryana)”, with headquarter at Gurgaon. He also promises government jobs for money like Rs 4 lakh for a superintendent in Income Tax Department in Delhi. Enquiries reveal that in 1995, the then Chairperson of “Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare-Related Parliamentary Committee”, Mr Paras Ram Bhardwaj, in response to a complaint from Vinod Kumar, had in a letter on October 13, 1995 to then Minister of State for Home, Haryana, Subhash Batra, had sought action against Mr Chahal who had “looted” people including members from the Scheduled Castes in the name of giving plots. As no action was taken, Mr Bhardwaj wrote again on February 14, 1996 expressing anguish to Mr Batra. It is learnt that the Home Ministry sent the letter down but the police effected a compromise by making the accused return the money to Mr Vinod Kumar. Other victims were not taken into account. No criminal case was registered against the accused as it was a case of cheating. A separate inquiry in a different case involving Mr Chahal was made by the then SDM, Gurgaon in 1995 but no action was taken against him. |
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FLASHBACK ‘03 Ambala: The year has been an eventful one for Ambala. The death of nearly one and a half dozen children by Japanese Encephalitis, two fighter aircraft crashes and the Avedna incident were some of the highlights of the year. The health authorities found themselves on the back foot when a number of children, particularly girls, fell prey to Japanese Encephalitis. JE claimed the lives of children who were living in areas where the civic conditions were poor. The authorities concerned did try to contain the spread of Japanese Encephalitis but with little success. The doctors blamed the lack of hygiene as well as stray pigs. For the short term, an effort was made to spray medicine on garbage dumps. Ambala Air Force Station was again under the spotlight after two fighter aircrafts crashed this year. While a MiG 21 crashed near the Milk Plant in Ambala City injuring some people, a Jaguar crashed within the airbase. The aircrashes were a matter of concern for the local populace. Incidentally, Union Defence Minister George Fernandes tried to allay the apprehension regarding the MiG 21, which are also referred to as flying coffins, by flying in it at the Air Force Station. Although Mr George Fernandes did look a little off-colour after the sortie, he was back to his usual self soon thereafter. Mr Fernandes had to trade his trademark Kurta-Payjama for the fighter pilot's outfit for the sortie. A significant step towards improving the relations with the civil population and to motivate the youngsters was to hold an aerobatic display. The Surya Kiran aircraft pilots enthralled the audience by their dare-devilry. The Avedna incident kept the police force on its toes. Avedna Sharma went missing soon after her marriage to a Delhi-based boy when they were travelling towards Jammu. While her family members claimed that she had been kidnapped by a former Assistant Engineer Zakhir Hussain of Punjab Wakf Board, Avedna alias Aalia Hussain reportedly informed the court that she had married Zakhir. The incident is being investigated. In Pilkhani village, tension took place thrice this year over the burial of the dead by a community. While one community claimed that the land belongs to them, the residents of the other community stated that it was their burial ground. A posse of policemen was rushed to the village in order to ensure that there was no untoward incident. Two youths were murdered in separate incidents. While a student of SD College was attacked and done to death outside GMN College in Ambala Cantonment, a youth was murdered in Ambala city. A significant effort was made this year to clean the drains of Ambala Sadar. The drains were cleaned after nearly three decades under the supervision of Ambala Cantonment, MLA Mr Anil Vij. The cleaning of the drains also showed the extent to which encroachments have taken place in Ambala Sadar. The new judicial complex was inaugurated by the Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court. Earlier, the Ambala Cantonment courts were located in Session court complex while the Ambala city courts were near mini secretariat. But, however now all the courts are in one place in the new judicial complex. At Ambala Cantonment railway station, a new shed was put up on platform no.1. The shed is easier to maintain. The new shed has been put as part of the model railway station. The new shed has, however, meant that the birds which used to reside on the old shed have been forced to take shelter elsewhere. The effort to shift out the dairies from within the municipal limits, which could considerably improve the civic conditions in Ambala city as well as Ambala Cantonment, failed to materialise. Despite several rounds of talks with dairy owners, the effort did not fructify. The dairy owners were reluctant to shift to Ugada Bada village which had been earmarked by the administration. The sugarcane growers continued their agitation for their outstanding payment from the Naraingarh sugar mill. Sadhu Ram Saini, who was spearheading the agitation, died this year. He was a freedom fighter and former MLA. |
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Vigyan Rail in
Ambala Ambala, December 25 A number of students visited the Vigyan Rail to learn about the significant strides made by India in science and technology. The exhibits were informative and the students were enthused to learn new facts. The Vigyan Rail arrived in Ambala from Chandigarh. Vigyan Rail — Science Exhibition on Wheels is a prestigious project conceived, formulated and implemented by Vigyan Prasar jointly with the Ministry of Railways and with active support from the Department of Science and Technology. Vigyan Rail carries exhibits depicting India’s achievements in various field, including India’s scientific heritage, environment, space, communication, information technology, scientific and industrial research, ocean development, water resources, defence, agriculture and non-conventional energy sources. The train will travel to different parts of the country and halt at 56 places. |
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Accused puts chilly powder into cops’ Kurukshetra, December 25 The accused, Ram Lal, who had been arrested for allegedly selling opium, was being taken by Head Constable Ajayab Singh and Constable Maan Singh of the Punjab police to produce him in the court. When the policemen, along with hand-cuffed Ram Lal, alighted from a bus at the Pehowa bus stand, he requested them to take him to his village, Lotni, near Pehowa. Followed by their refusal to his request, the accused took out chilly powder from his pocket and threw it into the eyes of the constables and tried to flee by pushing them away. However, he could not succeed. The accused was taken to the Pehowa police station and later produced in the court. He was taken back to Patiala under tight security. |
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2 terrorists get life term Kaithal, December 25 According to the prosecution , a police patrol party of the Mehmoodpur police post, led by A.S.I. Pale Ram, came under heavy fire from terrorists near Daba and Chaba villages in 1992 . The members of the police party returned the fire . The firing continued for about an hour and ASI Pale Ram and Constable Gulzar Singh were killed in the encounter. Three others, including constables Balwant Singh, Umaid Singh and Chander Bhan, also sustained bullet injuries. However the terrorists fled the scene. They were later identified as Dilbagh Singh, alias Bagga, of Atela in Patiala, Bakshish, alias Baba, of Nizamiwala and Balwinder, alias Ladu, of Chichrawala . The police also seized one AK-47 rifle and some cartridges from the encounter scene. All three were booked under TADA, the IPC and Arms Act by the Guhla police . The three accused , Balwinder Singh was later killed in a police encounter in September, 1993 . Dilbagh and Bakshish were declared proclaimed offenders and arrested by the police later. The judge, after hearing the arguments of the prosecution and the defence and taking into consideration the evidence , held both guilty. |
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More quakes
rock Jind Jind, December 25 Panic-gripped residents in several localities of the city came out of their houses due to these tremors and several residents are spending sleepless nights. Although, meteorologists have ruled out any possibility of major earthquake, but the residents are worried due to continuation of these tremors. According to Mr Rajiv Sharma, Deputy Commissioner said instruments had been installed at several places around Jind to record the magnitude of these tremors and to study their cause. The district administration had set up a control room at Jind to collect information regarding these tremors. Meanwhile, there are reports that some buildings in the town and surrounding villages have developed cracks because of these tremors but district administration have not confirmed these reports. |
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Hearing in Rupan Deol case adjourned Ambala, December 25 The court had issued notices to an IAS officer of Punjab cadre, Ms Rupan Deol and the MLA, Rori, Mr Abhay Chautala, around six months six months back to appear in the court. Both were not present in the court yesterday. Mr Abhay Chautala had filed a defamation case in a court of Sirsa against Ms Rupan Deol who in a press statement had alleged that the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, had been shielding an IPS officer of Haryana. Ms Deol had filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court in which she requested to transfer the case outside Sirsa due to security reasons. On her request the court had transferred the case in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ambala, for further proceedings. |
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Congress leader joins INLD Yamunanagar, December 25 Mrs Malik expressed faith in the leadership of Mr Om Prakash Chautala who is pursuing pro-women welfare and developmental activities and joined the INLD as its active member in a largely attended party meeting at Alahar yesterday. |
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Decision to help rural students Chandigarh, December 25 |
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Ekta Shakti to form gurdwara panel Karnal, December 25 |
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Liquor shop looted Kaithal, December 25 |
| 12-year-old raped Rohtak, December 25 |
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