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CM announces creation of new district
I did not offer CM’s post to Bhajan: Birender
Jan Shakti to fight on 90 seats
HUDA-RPFC tussle on PF continues
Farmers turn violent over
slow paddy purchase
Bansi for Kurukshetra as Haryana capital
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Fast by flood victims
Varsity introduces ‘new way’ to check answer sheets
BJP accuses CM of spreading communalism
ABVP election result
Lals responsible for mayhem, says Maratha
Surender rules out HVP merger
2 new buses for ITI students
in Sonepat
Man kills father, police hunt on
2 localities go without water
Blood Donation Day observed
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CM announces creation of new district
The announcement is a follow-up on a promise made to the people of Mewat, more than four years ago, for a separate district for them by Mr Chautala. On the flip
side, the Rashtriya Swayemsevak Sangh, the Vishva Hindu Parishad, the Bajrang Dal, the Shiv Sena and other Hindu organisations took out a procession and blocked the national highway (Delhi-Jaipur) near Rajiv Chowk for about an hour in protest against the creation of the new district. The agitationists had planned to block the passage of the Chief Minister’s cavalcade which was to cross the route to reach here. However, they came a cropper on this front as the cavalcade crossed much earlier than they had expected. Making the announcement at a well-attended public meeting here, Mr Chautala said the district headquarters of Satyamev Purama would be Nuh, considered to be the political and social fulcrum of Mewat. Mewat is dominated by Meo Muslims. While Nuh, Taoru, Nagina, Ferozepur Jhirka and Punhana are the revenue blocks falling in Gurgaon district, Hathin falls in Faridabad. Assembly segment-wise,
Nuh, Taoru and Ferozepur Jhirka fall in Gurgaon, and Hathin segment falls in Faridabad. In order to give a
calendar importance to the
event, it was coincided with the Gandhi Jayanti and the birth anniversary of former Premier Lal Bahadur Shastri today. According to Mr
Chautala, the new district will become functional from November 1, the Haryana Day. Mr Chautala also laid a foundation stone here for a mini-secretariat and a water scheme under the rubric “Rainy well” at Madiaki village. The scheme, billed to cost Rs 425 crore to the state exchequer, is expected to boost the water supply system for the entire Mewat region. Water from the Yamuna will be drawn near Hodal (Faridabad) from where it will be distributed through a network of pipe lines. Several members of the Haryana Cabinet and MLAs of the ruling INLD were present on the occasion. The Chairman of the National Minority Commission, Mr Trilochan Singh, who accompanied Mr Chautala, in his speech lauded the Chief Minister. Mr Singh, who is also an MP from Haryana, cited the state, especially Mewat, as an exemplar of communal amity. |
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I did not offer CM’s post to Bhajan: Birender
Chandigarh, October 2 Rebutting Haryana Chief Minister and INLD president, Mr Om Prakash Chautala’s allegation that he had proposed Mr Bhajan Lal’s name as Chief Minister in 1991, Mr Birender Singh said he had challenged Mr Bhajan Lal but gave up his claim when 29 MLAs voted for Mr Bhajan Lal against 22 MLAs who threw their weight in his favour. “It is a custom in democratic parties that if there is a contest between two leaders, one who loses proposes the name of the victorious person for the post for which they had fought”, the Congress leader said, explaining the circumstances under which he had proposed Mr Bhajan Lal’s name as the leader of the CLP. He added that election for the post of CLP leader of Haryana took place because Mr Narsimha Rao was still new in the Prime Minister’s office and it was not possible for Mr Rao to make his nominee the leader of the CLP. “But the scene is different now and I can tell you that the next Congress Chief Minister of Haryana will be someone chosen by party president Sonia Gandhi”, Mr Birender Singh said. He, however, refrained from answering yet another dig made by Mr Chautala at him at the Fatehabad rally on his becoming the Revenue Minister in the Bhajan Lal-led Council of Ministers. The Congress leader disclosed that he had met the Governor today and urged him not to give approval to the Bill seeking to advance by four months the panchayat elections in the state. He said he had told Governor A.R. Kidwai that the real intention of Mr Chautala was to create a division among the rural voters and consolidate the INLD’s position before the Assembly elections. “The Bill was also against the principle of 73rd and 74th amendments of the Constitution, which maintained that the Panchayati Raj institutions should not be dissolved before completion of their term”, Mr Birender Singh said. He said a similar attempt was made by the Akali Government in Punjab but the state government was forced to abandon the move following a court directive. The Congress leader said he was ready to go to the court to challenge the controversial bill. On the issue of creation of a district for Mewat area, Mr Birender Singh said the Congress Party had raised the demand for a separate Mewat district three years ago. The Congress had also constituted a district unit of the party for Mewat region, he said. While complementing people of Mewat for their area finally becoming a district, Mr Birender Singh said Mr Chautala’s step taken on the eve of the Assembly elections smacked of politics. He also added that instead of giving the district a new name, calling it Mewat would have been more appropriate. The former PCC chief, who was addressing a press conference here today, said he was preparing a comprehensive plan for solving the problem of
unemployment plaguing the state. He claimed that it was he who as Cooperative Minister got the Punjab Cooperative Societies Act amended in 1984 and made the provision. |
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Jan Shakti to fight on 90 seats
Panchkula, October 2 This was stated by general secretary of the Ekta Shakti Party Mahipal Rana, while addressing mediapersons here yesterday. He ruled out any possibility of an alliance with either the Indian National Lok Dal, the Congress or the Haryana Vikas Party, while adding that they were open to discussions with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for an electoral alliance. He said that during the recent parliamentary elections, the party had come as a major political force in Haryana, and secured 12 per cent of the votes in Ambala, Kurukshetra and Karnal Lok Sabha constituencies. "In just six months after being launched, during the parliamentary elections, the party had emerged as the third major political force in the state. In the forthcoming Assembly elections, we will win majority of seats in north Haryana," he added. Reacting to statements issued by other political parties, where they had claimed that the Ekta Shakti Party was promoting regionalism, Mr Rana clarified that the party was fighting against discrimination against north Haryana by the politicians, most of who hailed from south Haryana. "The three districts of Sirsa, Hisar and Bhiwani have benefited (the home districts of Mr Om Prakash Chautala, Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Bansi Lal), while there has been minimal development in all districts of north Haryana," he alleged. The presidents of the Ambala and Panchkula units of the party, Mr Radhe Shyam Swami and Mr Suresh Aggarwal respectively, and chief spokesman of the party Ravi Sharma were also present on the occasion.
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HUDA-RPFC tussle on PF continues
Panchkula, October 2 A sum of over Rs 58 crore deposited by HUDA with the Regional Provident Fund Commissioner (RPFC) at Karnal, over a period of 10 years, is not being refunded to HUDA. As a result, the employees of one of the richest boards in the state are unable to get their Provident Fund dues when they retire. Officials in HUDA inform that the RPFC, Karnal, has now asked HUDA authorities to furnish details of the EPF deductions made (if any) from the salaries of the labour hired by various contractors, who had been given contracts for carrying various works by HUDA over the past 20 years. The HUDA authorities say that furnishing this information would not be possible, and the RPFC is dilly-dallying the matter by creating procedural delays. Initially, HUDA was unable to implement the pension scheme for its employees because of lack of funds for implementing the scheme which was announced in November, 2001. The RPFC, Karnal, had asked HUDA to first deposit damages worth Rs 27 crore with their office, and only then would they release the amount deposited by HUDA (Rs 35 crore) and interest on this amount. Officials in HUDA then pleaded that RPFC office should release the EPF share already deposited with them after making deductions for these damages of Rs 27 crore. With the RPFC unwilling to relent, HUDA had no funds to begin its pension scheme. However, last year the then Chief Administrator, HUDA, Mr N.C. Wadhwa, issued directions that the pension scheme be implemented for the employees but the Provident Fund payable to them at the time of retirement was not being released. After subsequent deliberations between the HUDA authorities and the RPFC, Karnal, the latter agreed to release part payment of the Provident Fund, after HUDA sent individual cases of retirees to the RPFC. It may be noted that the HUDA establishment is covered by the Karnal RPFC office since 1991. Earlier, the HUDA establishment was covered under the RPFC, Chandigarh. HUDA had been deducting contributory Provident Fund of its employees from 1977, but not depositing the same with the RPFC, Chandigarh. It was in 1982, after HUDA failed to get a stay against the RPFC, Chandigarh, that they finally deposited Rs 9.25 lakh with the RPFC, Chandigarh. In 1991, HUDA was shifted under RPFC Karnal. However, after HUDA failed to deposit the Provident Fund with the RPFC, Karnal, till 1999, the RPFC, Karnal, passed an order asking HUDA to deposit the entire EPF collected since its inception in 1977, along with a detail return of the EPF deducted from each employees’ salary. In 1999, HUDA worked out a detail of the total EPF collections for its employees at Rs 35 crore. However, because of restraint of funds, HUDA was able to deposit only Rs 29 crore with the RPFC office. The interest on the total employees’ share with HUDA of Rs 35 crore (about Rs 30 crore) was also not paid by HUDA to the office of the RPFC. While the RPFC has asked HUDA to first deposit damages amounting to Rs 27 crore before giving a refund, the latter has said that the RPFC deduct this sum from the Rs 35 crore already deposited with the RPFC and pay HUDA the balance along with interest on the principal sum of Rs 35 crore. |
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Farmers turn violent over
slow paddy purchase
Kaithal, October 2 Later, the farmers reached the camp office of the Deputy Commissioner here and expressed resentment against the attitude of officials of the purchase agencies and local rice millers, who were allegedly not purchasing the paddy resulting into huge paddy stocks in the old and the new grain markets here. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr H.S. Malik, sent SDM Bhupinder Singh and DSP Raj Kumar Vashishth to look into the grievances of the farmers. They along with the DFSC, Mr R.C. Madan, reached the market committee rest house and talked to representatives of the farmers and commission agents following which the Food and Civil Supply Department started purchasing paddy after 1.30 pm. The SDM and the DSP later talked to the rice millers and prevailed upon them to purchase paddy from the mandi. The trouble in the new grain market began today when the impatient farmers, who had brought paddy for sale in the local Anaj mandis few days ago, did not find any government agency active in purchasing their produce. They started disconnecting and overturning cleaning machines used for cleaning the paddy crop. They alleged that due to the installation of cleaning machines packing and lifting of bags got delayed. Some private traders also exploited the situation and purchased the paddy at much lower rates than the MSP announced by the government. Some farmers told this reporter in the new grain market that they had no objection to the cleaning of paddy provided they were given remunerative price for their produce. They also blamed the purchase agencies of arbitrarily rejecting the paddy brought for sale on one or the other ground. The farmers alleged that no purchases were made by the FCI on Friday, and even on Saturday morning no agency was there in the market to make the purchases. Randhir Singh of Khurana village and Zile Singh of Jaswanti village showed their good quality paddy and lamented that though they brought their crop on Thursday, it was not sold. Ram Saran of Budha Khera, Dalbir of Barta, Ram Pal of Jaswanti, Chanan Singh of Siwan, Balbir Singh and Tirlok Singh of Parbhot village said they had brought their produce to the market expecting quick sale, but they were disappointed to see the prevailing situation. Some other farmers were also agitated and said that they were forced to remain in the mandis to take care of their produce which remained unsold even after two-three days. Some farmers from Baba Ladana said though a sub-yard had been opened in their village and huge paddy stocks had accumulated, there were no purchases by any government agencies. They also expressed annoyance over the absence of any light arrangements and poor sanitation at the sub-yard. When this reporter contacted some rice millers they said the allegations against them of exploiting the situation and purchasing paddy at the lower price were wrong. They were paying the cost of paddy according to its quality and if they paid high price for wet and poor quality produce they were bound to suffer huge losses which they could hardly afford. |
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Bansi for Kurukshetra as Haryana capital
Kurukshetra, October 2 Though the Congress, the BJP and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) were the parties of the same sort, the state’s development and safeguarding of its interests could not be expected from them, he added. Mr Bansi Lal said in fact, he did not believe in forging alliance with any party. But so far as the BJP role in this regard was concerned, the BJP was not a reliable party and, like the INLD, it might not even open its account. Criticising the working of the Chautala government, Mr Bansi Lal alleged that it made only promises instead of doing anything for the welfare of the people during the past five years. Corruption was rampant, government jobs were being sold, the law and order situation had already deteriorated, he added. To save himself from defeat in the ensuing elections, Mr Chautala was planning to hold panchayat and municipal elections before their scheduled time to get benefit out of it, he said. Reacting to the announcement made by Mr Chautala on providing unemployment allowance to youths, Mr Bansi Lal said he had already announced the unemployment allowance scheme three years ago, according to which, after coming to power, the matriculate and plus two passed would get Rs 200 each while graduate and postgraduate youth would be paid Rs 250 each per month. Mr Bansi Lal emphasised that to save its interests, he would not leave even a single drop of water and even an inch of the piece of land as Haryana’s share to Punjab. Similarly, on Kurukshetra’s development, Mr Bansi Lal said coming to power, he would develop the city. He would also try his best to get declared Kurukshetra as the capital of Haryana because it was centrally located. He would also shift the Haryana Sinchaai Bhavan (Irrigation Building) and the Haryana Public Service Commission office from Chandigarh to Kurukshetra because the proposal to shift both offices was shelved by former Haryana Chief Minister Devi Lal. Later, Mr Bansi
Lal addressed HVP workers on the premises of Jaat Dharamshala here today. The HVP General Secretary, Mr Jitender Singh Kaka, HVP media in charge, Mr Balbir Singh, and HVP former district president, Mr Gurcharan Singh, were among those who were present on the occasion. |
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Fast by flood victims
Ambala, October 2 Dr Chauhan said Ambala had to face worst flood on August 3 and 90 per cent of the residents of Ambala were badly affected. He said that a large part of Ambala was submerged in water for two consecutive days. He stated that electricity, telephone and water supply was affected. He said despite the large-scale destruction caused by flood, the flood victims had not received relief from the government. Houses have been damaged and people do not have money to repair their homes. “People have lost their livestock and household items have been washed away,” he said. He said the lack of hygienic conditions could lead to diseases. Dr Chauhan said the traders and businessmen were badly hit by the flood but their grievances had not been redressed. The industries which had been affected include science apparatus manufacturers, cloth and other traders. He stated that Ambala Cantt MLA did not raise the issue of flood in the Vidhan Sabha on September 29. Dr Chauhan said today’s hunger strike is a token strike but if the demands of the poor, shopkeepers and farmers were not met quickly, then they would start a major agitation. “It is the duty of the state government to help the people but they have failed to do so,” he said. Among others, Rajni Singh, Ravinder Singh, Vinay Verma, Pradeep Rathi, Banwari Lal, Shanti Devi, Amarjit Singh, Vishal Dhawan, Laxman Das, Rajiv Dhiman and Geeta Malhotra were present. |
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Varsity introduces ‘new way’ to check answer sheets
Sirsa, October 2 A team of students from Kanya Hindu
Mahavidyalaya, Jind, reached the CDLU campus and protested against the delay in the declaration of results. 48 girls appeared for the B.Com Ist year exams this year and they had been awaiting their results since July 25. The university had marked the results as RLA in the subject of business administration. They told The Tribune about the indifferent attitude of the authorities. They blamed the CDLU for delaying the results. The Controller of Examination, Mr S.S.
Bhambhu, confirmed that they allowed the girls to identify the answer sheets. “There were some technical fault due to which we were unable to detect the answer sheet according to the role number,’’ he said. He called the candidates in a batch of five girls each to identify their sheets to which the CDLU agreed. While sources on the campus blame the “faulty’’ system, as the users were not fully equipped to understand the functioning. “The filed staff, including the invigilators, were not friendly with the technology adopted for the first time. The university worked in a hasty manner which led to delayed results,’’ said a senior functionary. |
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BJP accuses CM of spreading communalism
Hisar, October 2 Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Jangra said the Chief Minister, who was eyeing the Muslim votes, had included the Muslim-dominated areas in the district. He said this move of Mr Chautala was equivalent to creating a mini-Pakistan in Haryana. He observed that the Chief Minister had gone to Pakistan with a view to attracting Sikh voters. The BJP leader, however, added that the state voters had seen through the evil designs of Mr Chautala and had made up their mind to oust his party’s regime in the coming Assembly elections. Mr Jangra condemned the move to implicate state BJP chief Ganeshi Lal in “false” cases and warned that this could prove to be the Chautala government’s waterloo. The BJP leader blamed Mr Chautala and his family members for the criminalisation of politics. He said the Chautala family had made the Devi Lal Trust their personal property. |
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ABVP election result
Rohtak, October 2 The election took place during the annual convention of the organisation which began here last night. In today’s session, former ABVP chief Raj Kumar Bhatia advised the student community to stand up and fight against commercialisation of education. Media personality Rahul Dev said students must remember that learning was a life-long process and it did not end with passing out from a university.
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Lals responsible for mayhem, says Maratha
Rohtak, October 2 Addressing mediapersons after touring several villages of Meham Assembly segment here yesterday, he said the three Lals who headed governments at sometime or the other in the state were responsible for the mayhem in Haryana politics. He said the main problem with Haryana’s political system was corruption promoted by these parties. He said he was determined to send all three Lals and their parties to the oblivion. Haryana needed a leader with a clean track-record who could exploit the potential of the state and ensure rapid development, he added. Mr Maratha said his party would not allow the butchery to be established in Mewat area as Haryana was the land of milk and butter. He also criticised the Centre for its failure to control inflation. |
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Surender rules out HVP merger
Hisar, October 2 He asserted that the political rivals of the HVP were spreading baseless rumours regarding its merger. Mr Surender Singh maintained that the defection of HVP leaders to other parties would not have any adverse effect on the poll prospects of the party. The HVP leader opposed the move to conduct the panchayat elections prior to schedule. He said the HVP would move the court if the Haryana Government did not take back its decision in this regard. Mr Surender Singh supported the state government decision to make Mewat a district. He said the party would contest the state Assembly elections on the issues of law and order situation, SYL canal and regular supply of water and electricity. |
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2 new buses for ITI students
in Sonepat
Sonepat, October 2 These buses will ply in the morning and evening to provide transport facilities to the students. Inspectors of the Haryana Roadways, along with an instructor of the ITI, will keep a vigil on the students to ward of incidents of violence. Nearly 300 students had passes for travelling in the buses. |
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Man kills father, police hunt on
Ambala, October 2 The police is also looking for a brother-in-law of Sultan Singh, who was with Sultan at the time of the incident. According to the police report, Alkha Ram had two sons, Malkhan Singh and Sultan Singh, and he was with the former in Bichpari village. There was a dispute over 5 acres of land owned by the deceased. Sultan Singh and his brother-in-law visited Alkha Ram on Friday and asked him about the land, which led to an altercation and Sultan allegedly attacked his father with a axe. On the complaint of Malkhan Singh, the police registered a case against Sultan Singh and his brother-in-law. |
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2 localities go without water
Sonepat, October 2 According to a report, no reason has been given by the officials of the Public Health Department in this regard. Many residents alleged that the disruption in water supply system had become a routine affair and all their complaints made to the authorities concerned had fallen on deaf ears. |
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Blood Donation Day observed
Jhajjar, October 2 The camp was inaugurated by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Mohinder Kumar, and presided over by Ms Shashi Kalia, Dean of Hospital Welfare. The girl students also participated in the camp. The chairperson of the institute Ms Bimla Prabhu and Mr Joginder Prabhu presented mementos to the guests. |
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NUH (Gurgaon), October 2