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Haryana
chargesheets Ekta Retrenched
staff yet to get dues Bonanza
for engg teachers News
Analysis Improve
evaluation, says education |
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High
Court
PGI to
spend 11cr on equipment HPGC
seeks records of fire safety system IGP to
head Forensic Science Laboratory 3 kids
die after getting trapped in trunk Red
Cross official’s services terminated 
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Haryana chargesheets Ekta Shakti chief Chandigarh, January 20 Mr Verma, who belongs to the Haryana Civil Service (HCS) Executive Branch, has been served a chargesheet under Section 7 of the Civil Service Rules and asked to file a reply within 15 days failing which disciplinary action would be taken against him. The chargesheet was issued on January 13. When contacted, Mr Verma confirmed that a chargesheet had been served on him. Mr Verma has been in the news for sometime now as his new party has been holding public rallies and meetings throughout the state. “The government is turning panicky over the growing popularity of Ekta Shakti. Even if the government suspends me or dismisses me it will not deter me from continuing the fight against rampant corruption in the state,” he said revealing that he would consult his friends and legal experts before filing a reply. Before joining politics, Mr Verma had tendered his resignation from the HCS on September 12 last year. The state government, however, did not act on his resignation citing pending enquiries against him as the reason. Technically, he continues to be a civil servant. Sources reveal that holding of public rallies, collecting funds from the public and making serious allegations against the Chief Minister had become a routine for the Ekta Shakti Party and its chief which prompted the government to take disciplinary action against him. Once the disciplinary action starts against him, Mr Verma may find it difficult to contest any elections in the near future. The government may also prefer to prolong the disciplinary proceedings against him than opting for the tougher option of dismissing him from service. |
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Retrenched staff yet to get dues Chandigarh, January 20 In a representation submitted to the state Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, the workers have claimed that after the closure of HSSIEC in April, 2002, about 300 employees were retrenched by the state government. But Mr Chug besides three other contractual employees had been kept on the rolls to clear the dues of employees and to complete the winding up operations in the corporation. But despite repeated reminders to the officials, they alleged, their dues have not been cleared till today. The corporation is yet to be legally wound up. The employees alleged that as per the Gratuity Act, 1972, the employer was obliged to release full amount of gratuity within one month from the date of retrenchment/retirement. Otherwise the employer would be liable to pay 18 per cent interest annually. But, due to negligence of the officials, they said, the payment had been delayed by 12 to 14 months. Mr Bachan Singh, one of the employees, alleged that his payment had been stopped on frivolous charges. “A cheque of Rs 2.76 lakh for my gratuity was signed in March 2003, but it was withheld by the DGM till May 2003,” he said. Another worker, Mr Ram Kishore Saini, who used to work as an assistant, said. “We are running from pillar to post to get out legitimate allowances pending since the closure of the corporation in June, 2002.” |
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Bonanza for engg teachers Chandigarh, January 20 The Cabinet approved a career advancement scheme (CAS) for teachers, physical education and library personnel of government-funded engineering colleges — Chottu Ram State College of Engineering, Murthal; National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra; and YMCA Institute of Engineering, Faridabad. The Cabinet also approved privatisation of city transport in Gurgaon and Faridabad. However, the implementation of a scheme to give permits to private operators for plying air-conditioned and deluxe buses on inter-state routes was, however, deferred. It was decided to grant stage carriage and contract carriage permits to individuals, registered firms, societies and companies under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 without any restriction on the number of permits. The Cabinet also raised the threshold turnover limit from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per year for tax and registration under the Haryana Value Added Tax Act, 2003. It was decided to enhance the ceiling for composition — that is payment on lump-sum in lieu of VAT — of the sale turnover from Rs 25 lakh a year to Rs 40 lakh. It was decided to amend Rule 6 of the Punjab Service of Engineers Class-II PWD (B&R) Branch Rules, 1965, to increase the promotional quota of junior engineers to Sub-Division Engineers. Now, there would be a provision for 50 per cent direct recruitment for Sub-Divisional Engineers and 50 per cent by promotion. The Cabinet decided to transfer over 349 acres of land belonging to the Agriculture Department to Ch. Devi Lal University, Sirsa. Over 100 acres of land at Phulkan village (Sirsa) belonging to Kurukshetra University was ordered to be transferred to CCS Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar. |
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News Analysis Rohtak, January 20 Mr Birender Singh was the only senior party leader who had been on the sidelines for a long time. A former HPCC chief, MP and minister, Mr Birender Singh was, till his nomination to the CWC, just a member of the election committee. The sparring in the state Congress had been engaging the attention of the party high command for quite some time. However, even though the Leader of the CLP and the HPCC chief swapped offices in the past, no satisfactory solution to the problem could be found. The continued infighting depleted the party’s strength. Now that Lok Sabha elections and possibly Haryana Assembly elections are round the corner, the Congress president has tried to balance the party equations without resorting to drastic changes. Recently there were rumours that Mr Bhajan Lal might be replaced by Ms Selja as the HPCC chief. By choosing not to disturb the party set-up at this crucial juncture, the high command has indicated see the HPCC united. There lies the importance of Mr R.K. Dhawan as in charge of Haryana affairs of the party. Though supporters of Mr Bhajan Lal are projecting this change as a political win over the Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Assembly, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, senior party leaders say he has been brought in to ensure that ego clashes between senior leaders do not come in the way of the party’s poll campaign. They maintain Mr Dhawan’s predecessors, though experienced politicians were unable to achieve this. The two changes have also ensured that the caste balance in the party’s Haryana unit is also restored. With two senior Jat leaders Mr Hooda and Birender Singh occupying important places in the party, the Congress high command has recognised the importance of Jats in the state politics. Significantly, another senior Congress leader Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala’s son Mr Randeep Singh is already President of the INYC. Proximity afforded by the Congress president to Ms Selja will keep the Dalit sections satisfied. Of late, Ms Selja has been seen accompanying Mrs Gandhi on important tours to U.P. Finally, with a non-Jat Mr Bhajan Lal heading the party unit, almost every community in the state has been placated. |
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Improve evaluation, says education board chief Kurukshetra, January 20 He said steps were being taken to raise the standard of evaluation process while over 2000 head examiners had been imparted training in this regard. The board secretary, Mr Rakesh Gupta, Director, Dr Kuldeep Aggarwal, Dr V.P. Singh from the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), New Delhi, Mr Virender from the State Council for Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Gurgaon and District Education Officers and Deputy Education Officers from Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Panchkula, Yamunanagar and Ambala districts imparted information to head examiners to bring required changes in the evaluation process. More than 500 head examiners from Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Yamunanagar, Panchkula and Ambala districts participated in the seminar. Giving details about the plans regarding the examinations to be held in February/March this year, Brig Chaudhary said since last August, a drive had been launched by the board to create awareness against copying. He said,
till now, two phases of this campaign had been completed and under the third phase students and panchayats were being made aware of the consequences of copying. The last supplementary examinations were successfully conducted and no cases of copying were reported, he added. The board’s Secretary, Mr Rakesh Gupta, said evaluation would be done according to the method developed by the Secondary Board of School Education, New Delhi. He commented that the concept of marking should be humane and student-friendly. He said low marks, don’t encourage students. In certain cases it had been found that it proved counter-productive and led to depression among students. |
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High Court Chandigarh, January 20 In their appeal, Head Constables Balwan Singh and Ramesh Kumar had claimed that from the documents there was not a single word from which it could be derived that they were informed about the test. After hearing the arguments and going through the documents, the Bench, comprising Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice Ajay Mittal, allowed the appeal. BKU petition On a petition filed by President of the Bhartiya Kisan Union Ghasi Ram Nain against certain conditions contained in an order granting bail to him, Mr Justice S.K. Mittal of the high court on Tuesday issued notice of motion to the state of Haryana and other respondents for February 23. Nain was granted bail by an Additional Sessions Judge on December 23 last year with certain conditions. The first information report in the matter was registered at a Hisar police station in February last year. |
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PGI to spend 11cr on equipment Rohtak, January 20 In a press release issued here today, the Director, Dr Virender Singh Poonia, said an ECG machine costing Rs 90 lakh had been ordered. It would produce three dimensional pictures of the heart which would help better diagnosis. A heart-lung machine costing Rs 1.60 crore had been approved for the hospital. Besides, capsule endoscopy machine would be acquired. It would help examination of patients’ intestine with the help of a miniature camera which would be inserted inside the intestine with the help of a capsule. The pictures would be received on a monitor. It was also planned to equip all four lecture theatres with the new HCD projectors. Dr Poonia said orders for machines worth Rs 9 crore had already been placed and the remaining equipment would be selected soon. He said several steps had been taken to streamline functioning of OPD clinics and indoor wards. This included shifting of clinics to more suitable places to avoid congestion in the hospital. |
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6 hurt in accident Fatehabad, January 20 According to reports, a truck loaded with sand was parked on the roadside due to a mechanical failure early morning today when a bus of the local Central Studies Campus School hit it. The driver of the school bus could not see the truck due to heavy fog. Conductor of the bus, Anil was injured in the accident and the vehicle was badly damaged. After a while, a milk tanker, coming from the same side, hit the school bus followed by the car. Driver of the car, Kewal Singh sustained serious injuries. While all this was happening a truck and a canter also collided with these vehicles. A Haryana Roadways bus, coming from Sirsa, also hit the vehicles. A tractor, which was trying to find way through the chaos, was hit by a Haryana Roadways bus coming from the opposite direction. Driver of the truck Subhash was injured in the accident. The tractor was badly damaged. Another canter also hit these vehicles. Its driver Vijay Singh sustained injuries. The highway police reached the accident site and cleared the road. |
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Academic session from April 1 Kurukshetra, January 20 Clarifying this at a press conference held at the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Dr R.B. Langyan, here today, the Haryana School Education Board’s secretary, Mr Rakesh Gupta said the decision in this regard taken by the Haryana Cabinet at meeting held in Chandigarh recently. Mr Gupta informed that a booklet on candidates who were given punishment under the UMC rules was being published by the board in which their names, the name of the school were being mentioned.
— OC |
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HPGC seeks records of fire safety system Panipat, January 20 Sources said the HPGC yesterday asked officials of the TDLTPS to file a report of all records of the internal fire system and possible methods available with the thermal station to cope up with the situation in case of fire incident. Official sources said the thermal plant had spent about Rs 5.30 crore on various non-functional internal security system set up at the first, third, fourth, fifth and sixth power generating units.
— OC |
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IGP to head Forensic
Science Laboratory Karnal, January 20 With this announcement, Haryana has become the first state in the country to implement the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission. Presently, a Deputy Inspector General (DIG) was heading the post of Director Forensic Science Laboratory. Dr M.S. Rao, Director of the Directorate of Forensic, Government of India, gave a brief account of the proceedings of the conference. |
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Five charged with rape Bhiwani, January 20 The victim, mentioned the names of Radha Kishan, a servant working at Ann Kshetra, its convener Shambhu Ram Basia, Shyam Lal and Pawan Kumar (both traders), Rishi Ram, son of Shyam Lal and Radha Kishan Suratwala in her petition filed in the court of the Judicial Magistrate Ist Class. The victim alleged that she was working as a maid-servant in the Ann Kshetra located at Halu Bazar whereas her husband a labourer in a factory of Shambhu Ram, one of the suspects. She stated in her report that Pawan and Shyam Lal took her in a room of the Ann Kshetra, shut the door and raped her. She was threatened not to disclose it. She added that later the convener of the Ann Kshetra joined them and molested her. Rishi, son of Shyam Lal and Radha Kishan Suratwala was also included, she said. |
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3 kids die after getting trapped in
trunk Kaithal, January 20 According to
information, their father, Mr Krishan Gosain, a daily-wage labourer,
and his wife, a peon with a private school, left for work leaving the
children at home. The mother, who was last to leave, asked her
children to remain indoors in view of the cold weather. When she
returned in the evening, she did not find the children. She looked for
them in the neighbourhood. By chance she opened the trunk and found
the three children dead while the fourth was in a semi-conscious
state. The children were cremated today. The trunk was given to the
mother of the victims by someone two days ago to keep clothes. The
Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Agarwal, has directed the Red Cross to
provide all possible help to the bereaved family. |
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Red Cross official’s
services terminated
Yamunanagar, January 20 It was in 1998 that Deputy Commissioner Surina Rajan received a complaint against Saini for alleged misappropriation of about Rs 6.5 lakh. He was alleged to have misappropriated the bills for ambulance repair, showing them higher than even the cost of a new ambulance and also presented fictitious journey bills. Saini was also alleged to have received Rs 10,000 from a Tehsildar for Red Cross but not deposited the amount in the account for several days. He had also given cash donations in the name of fictitious persons on behalf of the society. |
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Code on use of phones Chandigarh, January 20 The government has also taken a serious view of air journeys undertaken by officials not entitled to this facility, official sources said.
— TNS |
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Man robbed of Rs 1.5 lakh Sirsa, January 20 According to information, as soon as Mr Ishwar Chand Sharma came out of the local State Bank of India after withdrawing Rs 1.5 lakh, a youth came running to him and snatched the money at gunpoint. The people standing around tried to catch the youth, but he fled through the street nearby. Mr Sharma went back to the bank and narrated the incident to the bank officer who reported the matter to the police. The police reached the spot but the culprit is yet to be identified.
— UNI |
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Ex-minister may be
summoned Ambala, January 20 Last month Mr Nirmal Singh had filed an anticipatory bail application in the court of the Additional Sessions Judge, Ambala, in which he stated that the bureau had registered a political motivated case against him. The bureau had informed the court that no case was registered against him so far.
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Three killed in road mishap Kurukshetra, January 20 The victims were identified as Mahal Singh (21), Saravjeet Singh (6) and Simran (4). The police has registered a case in connection with the accident which occurred yesterday.
— PTI |
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