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Haryana to cut stamp duty Chautala opens family welfare mela Jobless blind to protest outside Assembly Former minister, sons acquitted in Minor’s rape case: warrants against Babli issued |
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IAS officer Ranga acquitted
in wheat scam 7 scientists to receive Goyal Prizes in March Anganwari centres to be strengthened Unrecognised schools hold stir 5 cr given as loans to women, says nigam chief Human rights seminar at Faridabad VCs discuss centralised counselling Police clueless on Sweden NRI’s murder Rs 70,000 looted from bank ‘Atal sandesh yatra’
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Haryana to cut stamp duty Chandigarh, February 4 The Bill, to be tabled in the forthcoming session of the State Assembly, seeks to amend the Indian Stamp Act, 1989, for its application in Haryana. Once the Bill becomes an Act, the rate of stamp duty would be 8 per cent in the urban areas and 6 per cent in the rural areas. To bring the rate of stamp duty on conveyance deed in consonance with the rates of stamp duty on other registered documents such as gift, lease and mortgage with possession, the rate of duty on these documents would also be reduced from 6.25 per cent to 3 per cent. The Cabinet also approved the draft Bill to amend the Haryana Public Service Commission (Additional Functions) Act, 1974. It would replace an Ordinance issued on December 17, 2003, to enable the commission to fill the posts of Subdivisional Engineer and other gazetted posts in the power utilities as well as in other corporation bodies. The Cabinet approved the draft Haryana School Education Rules (Amendment), 2004, to introduce a uniform code of service conditions for employees, fee structure and manner of admission to recognised schools. Now a private school can be run in a rented building on a lease hold basis with a minimum of 20 years’ irrevocable lease deed, provided the building fulfilled the norms prescribed under the rules. The Cooperation Department would be renamed as the Department of Cooperatives to remove the confusion about its role and responsibility. The draft Punjab Ayurvedic and Unani Practitioners (Haryana Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2004, was also approved to extend the term of the Board of Ayurvedic and Unani Systems of Medicines up to November 25, 2006. The Cabinet also approved the proposal of the Excise and Taxation Department to amend Section 61 of the Haryana Value Added Tax Act, 2003, to reduce tax on the Duty Entitlement Passbook applicable under the Haryana General Sales Tax Act, 1973, which was repealed on April 1, 2003. The proposal validates certain past collections. A proposal of the Public Works (Buildings and Roads) Department to drop “Gair Mumkin Rasta” land from the list of surplus land, as this land was being used by the people and was not to be auctioned. Such land is located at Pipaltha, Naraingarh, Dhobi-Tek Singh and Padarth Khera in Jind district. The Cabinet allowed the Transport Department to transfer 16 kanals at Dara Khurd village in Kurukshetra district to the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam for setting up a 33-KV substation. The Cabinet restored the former status of Tosham, the traditional Assembly constituency of former Chief Minister, Bansi Lal, by upgrading it from the level of a tehsil to a subdivision. Tosham was made a subdivision in 1993 but it was downgraded to the level of a tehsil by the Bansi Lal Government in September, 1996. In a major concession to private colonisers, the Cabinet decided to allow 175 per cent floor area ratio (FAR) to the entire 4 per cent commercial component of the licensed residential colonies with a corresponding increase of ground coverage from 40 per cent to 50 per cent. Official sources said the decision was taken in view of the rapid pace of development in Gurgaon and other high-potential towns. In another decision of far-reaching consequences, the Cabinet approved the proposal of the Town and Country Planning Department to grant a licence for setting up a colony to a group of persons. The decision would help many of those to whom notices had been issued to acquire their land as well as private colonisers. The sources said the decision had been taken in view of a large number of persons entering into a collaboration agreement with reputed colonisers who had already developed colonies on lands already notified for acquisition and the owners had obtained stay orders from courts against dispossession. Interestingly, a significant condition imposed by the Cabinet to grant a licence to a group of persons is that the coloniser “must be reputed”. This, informed sources say, would help only big colonisers. The Cabinet expanded the scope of the “Kanyadaan” scheme to cover all sections of society living below the poverty line. At present, Rs 5,100 is given for the marriage of girls belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Vimukt Jatis. The Cabinet decided that the next session of the state Vidhan Sabha would be convened for February 9 at 11 a.m. instead of 2 p.m. |
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Chautala opens family welfare mela at Keorak Kaithal, February 4 This was disclosed by the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, while addressing a gathering after inaugurating a three day health and family welfare mela at Keorak village, 10 km from here today. All facilities, including the ECG, ultrasound, X-rays and all type of tests would be conducted during the mela. The Chief Minister said the Haryana Government had earmarked Rs 407 crore during the current financial year as against Rs 60 lakh at the time of the inception of the state. He said similarly Rs 204 was being incurred per capita in the state as against Rs 2 in 1966. While referring to Keorak village, Mr Chautala said Rs 2 crore had been spent on its development. Mr Chautala said Satluj-Yamuna link canal in Punjab would be completed within one year and there would be no paucity of water for irrigation in the state. The Chief Minister also visited the blood donation camp and exhorted people to donate the blood liberally. He also went around the exhibition put up by the Health and Ayurvedic Department. The Chief Minister also
acceded the demand for constructing a Primary Health Centre and Veterinary Hospital at Keorak. Earlier, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of a shopping complex to be constructed at a cost of Rs 2.42 crore by the municipal council. Speaking on the occasion he maintained that the Haryana government had mooted a plan of Rs 210 crores for 49 towns to provide a pollution free environment and modern amenities to the people. He also laid the foundation stone of the District Institute for Education Training (DIET) to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1.50 crore and directed the officers of HUDA to complete the construction of this building within nine months. The Chief Minister also dedicated ‘Shaheed Vikas Memorial’ built by the local municipal council to the people. He paid floral tributes at the memorial of Vikas Bhardwaj who sacrificed his life while protecting the unity and integrity of the country. The Agriculture Minister, Mr Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, the Urban Development Minister, Mr Subhash Goel, the Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Ram Pal Majra. An MLA from Guhla, Mr Amar Singh Dhande, the Chairman of the Warehousing Corporation, Mr Naranjan Lal Bansal, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Agarwal, and the S.P. Mr Sukhdev Singh, were also present on the occasion.
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Jobless blind to protest outside Assembly
Chandigarh, February 4 In a statement issued here yesterday, Mr Jagjit Singh Saini, General Secretary of the Sangh, said the protest by the organisation would continue till the agitators were actually recruited by the state government in vacancies reserved for visually handicapped persons. The Haryana Government said on January 29 that it would make efforts to appoint 81 visually handicapped persons by the end of the current financial year. Quoting Mr A N Mathur, Chief Secretary, a statement said all heads of departments had been directed to identify posts reserved for blind persons and fill them on a priority basis. The heads of departments had been also asked to recategorise those posts in which blind persons would not be able perform duty and adjust them in some other posts. The Netraheen Jagriti Sangh today said it had decided to continue the agitation despite the state government assurance because such assurances were given earlier also but the promises were not kept. The unemployed blind persons of Haryana, organised under the Netraheen Jagriti Sangh, have been agitating for over three months now demanding filling up of vacancies reserved for visually handicapped men and women. — TNS
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Former minister, sons acquitted in murder case Karnal, February 4 Additional District and Sessions Judge Navita Singh acquitted the accused after witnesses against them turned hostile. Mr Mann, who was present in the court along with his two sons, Virendar Mann and Ranbir Mann, later talking to mediapersons, said he had no connection, whatsoever, with the bloody carnage over a land dispute in Chandrao village on October 2, 2000. Mr Mann, who was a minister in the Bhajan Lal government during 1994-95, alleged that he and his sons had been implicated in the case due to political vendetta at the behest of Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala. He said no witness had turned hostile in the case and 44 persons, who were forcibly made witnesses in the case by the police, sided with truth.
— UNI |
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Minor’s rape case: warrants against Babli issued Karnal, February 4 Police sources said it had been revealed that Babli was wanted in at least six cases of human trafficking and every time she escaped after selling the girls. A 15-year-old girl from Hardwar was allegedly ‘sold-off by Babli to Satish of Hassanpur village in district Karnal on December 31, last year. The minor was allegedly raped by many persons including Satish for at least 10 days before she ran away and reached the police station here on the night of January 13. Consequently, an FIR under Sections 372, 373, 376, 366A, 144 of the IPC and Section-3 of the SC/ST Act was registered against the culprits. Earlier, the police had
arrested five persons — Tejbir, sarpanch of the Hassanpur village, Naveen, Manjit, Suresh and Manoj. They are in judicial custody. |
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IAS officer Ranga acquitted in wheat scam Ambala, February 4 The Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the investigations be carried out by CBI. It was alleged that there were large-scale irregularities in awarding wheat orders to flour mills. RK Ranga and SK Tikkoo had spent about six months in judicial custody. The CBI had claimed that irregularities had occurred in 1996 which had caused wheat scarcity. It was alleged that 16 flour mills had collectively paid money. However, Mr Ranga’s counsel had pleaded that no illegal gratification had taken place. He submitted that wheat was supplied as per the government policy and the defence counsel observed that the case was politically motivated. |
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7 scientists to receive Goyal Prizes in March Kurukshetra, February 4 Recipients of the Goyal Prizes are Prof N.K. Ganguly, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (Applied Sciences), and three scientists, of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. These are Prof Biman Bagchi (Chemistry), Prof A. Surolia (Life Sciences) and Prof T.V. Ramakrishnan (Physics). All these scientists will receive a cash prize of rupees one lakh each besides a medal and citation, said Dr Chawla. Young scientists, selected for these prizes, are Prof V.K. Singh, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (Chemistry), Dr Sunil Pradhan, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow (Life Sciences) and Dr Neeraj Khare of the National Physical Laboratory, Delhi (Physics). They will get a cash prize of rupees 50,000 each besides a medal and citation, according to Dr Chawla. Goyal Prizes Organising Committee, Co-Chairman, Prof S.P. Singh said that Prof Ganguly had made great contribution in the field of diarrhoeal diseases which won international recognition. Dr Singh said that research publications of Prof Bagchi in the area of theoretical physical chemistry were being followed by many established groups in the scientific world, Prof Surolia had been selected for this award for his contribution in the fields of protein folding, function and design. Research efforts of Prof Ramakrishnan, a Fellow of the Royal Society and recipient of Padma Shri award had added to our knowledge in the areas of Physics of electrons, liquids and solids, and disordered systems. Among the young scientists chosen for the prizes, Prof V.K. Singh had devised methods which might find applications in the development of anti-Aids and anti-malarial drugs. Dr Sunil Pradhan would receive the prize for his contribution in the area of clinical neurophysology, epilepsy, neuromuscular diseases and infectious diseases of the central nervous system. Dr Neeraj Khare had been selected for his work on superconductors, added Dr Singh. All these scientists will be honoured at a ceremony at Kurukshetra University in the first week of March and besides Donor, Mr Ram S. Goyal, Mrs Goyal would also be participating in the award ceremony.
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Anganwari centres
to be strengthened Karnal, February 4 According to an official press release of the state government play-methods were being used to teach the children in the age group 3 to 6. Under this programme, 20 “bachpanshalas” had been set up in five districts — Faridabad, Fatehabad, Karnal, Sirsa and Panipat. For the remaining 14 districts, efforts were being made to provide academic inputs to anganwari centres for which committees under the chairmanship of the additional deputy commissioner concerned would be constituted to manage them. The committees would also include the programme officer of the integrated child development services (ICDS) scheme and two child development programme officers as members. Funds had been provided to the anganwari centres in the remaining districts for the purchase of carpets, NCERT books on school readiness programme, water campers, stationery items, models of fruits, vegetables and animals, educational toys and English and Hindi alphabets to make the study attractive and meaningful for the young children. |
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Unrecognised
schools hold stir Ambala, February 4 “Unrecognised schools should not be forced to seek recognition. As provided in the Education Act, 1995, unrecognised schools may be given recognition when they fulfil the conditions under the Act. The Education Act of 1995 does not bar unrecognised schools from functioning,” they said. They pointed out that unrecognised schools running on the CBSE pattern may be allowed to function till Class VIII as there was no provision in CBSE rules to give recognition below that class. “A student has the right to seek education through a government school, a recognised school, an unrecognised school or privately at home. He should not be forced to join a government or recognised school,” they submitted. The representatives stated that unrecognised schools provided education at the doorstep of children besides providing literacy to children, without any financial burden on the government. “Unrecognised schools are providing employment to more than one lakh educated people. The new rules notified in April 2003 will lead to closure of these schools. The rules regarding land & building as notified in April 2003 are impractical,” they stated. |
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5 cr given as loans to women, says nigam chief Fatehabad, February 4 She said at least 8,000 women had benefited from the schemes of the nigam during the last one year. She said Swa-Shakti groups of women were being run in three districts, which were aimed at the empowerment of women. She said the nigam had been running the Women Awareness Management Academy, where 7,000 women had taken training for starting ventures funded by the nigam. She said Rs 5 crore had been given to women as loans for starting their own ventures, out of which Rs 53.55 lakh had been given as subsidy. Training centres for imparting beauty clinic training had been set up in two districts and the nigam planned to open such centres in 10 districts, including Fatehabad, she said. |
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Human rights seminar at Faridabad Chandigarh, February 4 He said representatives of the National Human Rights Commission and various state human rights commissions, distinguished academicians, legal luminaries, bureaucrats, police officers, psychologists, members of correctional services and non-governmental organisations working in the field of human rights from all over the country would participate in the seminar. He said members of international human rights organisations having offices in India would also be invited to participate as speakers and guests. |
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VCs discuss centralised counselling Rohtak, February 4 They included: Maj-Gen Bhim Singh Suhag of Maharshi Dayanand University, Mr Vishnu Bhagwan of Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar, Mr A. K. Chawla of Kurukshetra University and Mr M. K. Miglani of Haryana Agricultural University. According to a press note issued by the MDU the VCs discussed various options for conducting counselling for state as well as management quotas. Various proposals for curbing malpractices by privately managed institutions also figured at the meeting. |
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Police clueless on Sweden NRI’s murder
Karnal, February 4 The police had sent two teams to Punjab and one team to Delhi to trace the murder. A senior police official have said that the murder would be solved. He claimed that the police had failed to get statements of family members and relatives of the deceased from his village in Hoshiarpur, Ferozepore (Punjab) and Chandigarh as the last rites were not completed.
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Rs 70,000 looted from bank Karnal, February 4 The branch manager of the bank and two other employees of the bank were present at the time of the incident. The head cashier of the bank was not present. The police has registered a case. |
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‘Atal
sandesh yatra’ Ambala, February 4 The activists highlighted the achievements of the BJP-led NDA government under the leadership of Prime Minister.
Mr Satish Mehta said under Mr Vajpayee’s leadership, “our country has taken giant strides in various fields.” He said farmers were to be given Kisan Credit Cards and loans at cheaper interest rates. |
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Hindi typewriting competition
Chandigarh, February 4 There are first, second and third cash prizes of Rs 1,500, Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,000, respectively, besides five consolation prizes. TNS
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