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Bus fares may go up
Has the govt forgotten rural residential project?
Low-cost simulator to train soldiers in reflex shooting
Union leader ‘kidnapped’, workers decry police laxity
Haryana Education Board function tomorrow |
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Rights panel case adjourned
Health project introduced
Paid parking soon at twin townships
Training programme for jobless youth
Delhi resident booked for
cheating two of Rs 16 lakh
Army Flag Day celebrated
Move to disconnect power to defaulters
Residents lay siege to police station
‘Gram sabhas ineffective’
Lawyer arrested for presenting
wrong woman
Power workers hold rally
Welfare officers to help families
Four family courts planned
5-year-old girl found
murdered
Welfare body seeks civic amenities
Schools to give
domicile certificates
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Bus fares may go up
Chandigarh, December 7 “Bus fare has remained the same for the past four and half years. It is high time the fares are rationalised”, the Finance Minister said. He added that the new fares would come into effect soon. Mr Birender Singh, who had earlier held an extensive meeting with government officials for mid-term appraisal of the budget, said the departments had already spent 40 per cent to 70 per cent of the fund allocated to them. He said it had also been decided to treat education, transport and power departments as a distinct group and hold a separate meeting with the officials of these departments. This is being done with a view to streamlining financial support to these sectors. He also disclosed that state government would propose Rs 3300 crore as Plan expenditure for the next financial year (2006-07), which would be a 10 per cent increase over the plan size of the current year. The major heads for expenditure in next year’s Budget would be irrigation, social welfare and education. The Finance Minister added that the amount given to the agricultural sector to subsidise the cost of agricultural consumption of power would also go up in the next financial year. Mr Birender Singh said figures of tax collection in the state up to September 30 had shown 14 per cent increase compared to last year. He said the target for tax collection had been kept at Rs 6600 crore for the current year but the government was expecting to mop up more. “We are expecting to reach the magic figure of Rs 7000 crore by the end of the financial year”, he said. The total tax collection last year was Rs 5700 crore. Mr Birender Singh attributed the higher revenue generation in the current year to largescale commercial activities underway in the state. |
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Has the govt forgotten rural residential project?
Jasaur Kheri (Jhajjar), December 7 Even the panchayat land on which it was to be
developed is yet to be transferred to HUDA. The panchayat has not got
the payment for the land and the applicants were never informed about
any further progress. The Estate Officer, HUDA, Bahadurgarh, Mr Manoj
Kumar, however, stated that he had sent reminders to officials concerned
regarding payment of the land to the panchayat, but response was still
being awaited. He stated that any further step could be taken only after
the process of mutation of land in favour of HUDA was completed. The
sector was the brainchild of the previous INLD government, which was
planned to develop residential sector in villages in tune with the urban
sectors. The logic behind this was to stop migration of rural population
to urban areas. Identification of more villages where similar projects
were to follow up had been completed. Mr Chautala had laid the
foundation stone of the sector spread over 12.88 acres, outside the
village on the Kharkhoda approach road in January 2004. The swinging
into action, HUDA put up the required infrastructure, including roads,
parks sites and electricity arrangements. Sewerage was not offered in
the sector as it could have raised the rates of the plots “beyond the
capacity of the villagers”. The applications for 100 plots in
categories of 1 kanal, 14 marlas, 10 marlas and 8 marlas were invited.
But the villagers did not show much interest in the bid as only 84
persons applied against 100 plots. The sarpanch of the village, Mr
Krishan Kumar, stated that the district administration had fixed Rs 2.20
lakh per acre as rate of the land while HUDA had evaluated it as Rs 2
per lakh. He told that despite contacting the officials concerned many
times, confusion prevailed over the payment. The Congress MLA from
Bahadurgarh, Mr Rajender Singh Joon, however, termed the project as
flop. He stated that the planned sector would be devoid of many civic
facilities and in no way it could provide similar dwelling as in an
urban sector. |
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Low-cost simulator to train soldiers in reflex shooting
Ambala, December 7 The development of the simulator has been a totally an in-house innovation by officers and men of the 974 Air Defence Regiment Workshop, which otherwise is involved in the repair and maintenance of radars, anti-aircraft guns and associated equipment. The simulator is compatible with the indigenous INSAS rifle, which is now the standard Indian Army issue. "The simulator can be used as an alternate to costly simulators like
Drona, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation", an officer remarked. "Moreover, given its design, ruggedness and cost of just a few thousand rupees, it can easily be installed at the unit level. This is unlike other simulators that use sensitive equipment like computers and cost several lakh rupees," he added. The operation is simple. A soldier with a rifle fitted with a laser stands at a specified distance from a series of pop-up targets. An instructor at a console electronically pops-up targets at random and the soldier has to aim and shoot in a given time-frame. The targets are equipped with photo-electronic sensors with buzz if the soldier is on his mark. An electronic counter at the instructor's console keeps tab of the number of rounds fired and the firer's score. The Army is increasingly using simulators to train troops in marksmanship and virtually all its regimental centres have hi-tech computer-assisted simulators for the purpose. Given the Army's commitment towards counter-insurgency operations and anti-terrorist operations in an built-up areas, honing reflex shooting skills at short rangers has gained prominence. Some simulators are custom designed for the purpose. |
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Union leader ‘kidnapped’, workers decry police laxity
Panipat, December 7 The act of crime allegedly took place in the office of District Labour Officer
(DLO), Mr Ajay Batra. Infuriated labourers raised anti-factory owner and anti-administration slogans for not taking timely action. Talking to The Tribune at the police station, labourers alleged that the police was not taking any action, as they were enjoying the patronage of the factory owners. The factory worker leaders announced that the labourers in the pitloom factories would go on indefinite strike from tomorrow. The labour union activist, Mr
Kushwaha, had gone to the Labour Officer to mediate talks between the labourers and factory owners. But the labourers alleged that a factory owner from Samalakha entered the office along with other 15 to 20 persons and enquired about
Kushwaha. On confirming his identity, they started abusing and beating him mercilessly outside the office of the Labour Officer. The factory owners allegedly snatched papers and mobile phone of Mr Kushwaha and bundled him in Maruti 800 and sped away. Meanwhile, talking to The Tribune from an undisclosed location, the general-secretary of
IFTU, who had gone underground, Mr P.P. Kapoor, blamed the district administration and the Labour Officer, Mr Batra, for not taking the problem seriously. Demanding an action against those behind the crime, he feared threat to the life of Mr
Kushwaha. The labourers alleged that he despite apprising the Labour Officer about kidnapping of their leader, Mr Batra did not take any action. They alleged that the police reached only when they reported the matter to the police station. When The Tribune correspondent reached the office of the Labour Officer, the sub inspector, Mr Ram Kumar, was sipping tea with the officer. |
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Haryana Education Board function tomorrow
Bhiwani, December 7 Informing this, a spokesman of the board said Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda would be the chief guest and honour meritorious students. On the occasion gold and silver medals would be conferred on students, besides 21 schools would be given trophies for their outstanding performance in the field of education. Gold and silver medal would be conferred on Venus Anand and Deepak Kumar, who stood first and second, respectively, in the middle examination. He said gold medal would also be conferred on Dinesh Jindal, who bagged first position in matric examination. Madhvi Aggarwal, who stood second, would get a silver medal. She would also be honoured with Dr Kalpana Chawla Memorial Award for topping the matriculation examination among the girl students conducted by the board during 2005. Similarly, Sunil Kumar will be honoured with a gold medal in arts of senior secondary class, and Anju Kumari with silver medal. Neha, will get with a gold medal in commerce and Shilpi Rani a silver medal. Lakhanpal, and Sushil Kumar, will get a gold and a silver medal in science and Abhishek Jain, with a gold medal and Renu Saini, with a silver medal in vocational group. He said the top three government schools at the middle level were Government Senior Secondary School, Karanpur, Panchkula, Government Girls High School, Dhamtan Sahib, Jind, and Government Middle School, Kiratpur, Panchkula. Private schools that would be honoured were Takshila Model Senior Secondary School, Ballabgarh, Faridabad, Gandhi Vidya Mandir Middle School, Fatehabad, and Bharatiya Uch Vidya Mandir, Nagalmundi, Rewari. The top three government high schools included Government High Schools at Mugodh, in Rewari, Marodi in Rohtak and Dharna in Jhajjar. The private schools included Ram Krishan Paramhans Senior Secondary School, Madina, Rohtak, Bharatiya Uch Vidya Mandir, Nagalmundi, Rewari and God Institution of Education High School, Hussainka, Gurgaon. At the senior secondary level, the top three government schools were Government Senior Secondary School, Pai, Kaithal, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Bapoli, Panipat, and Government Senior Secondary School, Bhirgana, Fatehabad. Similarly, the top three private schools at senior secondary level were Arya Vashisth, Gharaounda, Karnal, Guru Nanak Girls Senior Secondary School, Karnal, and Arya Girls Senior Secondary School, Sonepat. In the vocational courses the top three government schools at senior secondary level were Government Vocational Educational Institutes in Pajwana and Rania, Sirsa and Panchkula. |
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high court Our High Court Correspondent
Chandigarh, December 7 During resumed hearing of the PIL filed by the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Panchkula, in this regard, its president, Mr Ujjal Singh Sahni, stated that the present Congress government was following in the footsteps of the previous INLD regime on the issue of setting up a state human rights commission. He told the Division Bench of Chief Justice, Mr Justice D.K. Jain, and Mr Justice Hemant Gupta that the state government had already sought some adjournments to file its response to the issues raised in the PIL. However, now the counsel for the state has stated that the government intended to argue on the basis of the reply already filed, Mr Sahni said. Mr Sahni stated that the previous government had turned down the demand for a state human rights commission on the plea that satisfactory arrangements were already in place in the administrative structure to ensure that human rights were not violated. After hearing the counsels, the Bench adjourned the matter for December 14.
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Health project introduced
Chandigarh, December 7 The Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Health, Mrs Urvashi Gulati, said the programme would be implemented in all districts of the state. Mrs Urvashi Gulati, who is also the Chairperson of the State Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme Committee, said under this ambitious programme, data of both communicable and non-communicable diseases would be connected online. It would help in early detection of outbreak of any disease and the department would be able to take effective steps in time to control it within the minimum possible time. She said the programme would help in reducing morbidity and preventing mortality due to diseases like malaria, typhoid, cholera, polio, meningitis, dengue, AIDS and cardiac risk factors. |
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Paid parking soon at twin townships
Yamunanagar, December 7 There are no parking lots in either of the towns. Hence, motorists are left with no option but to park on roadsides. Sites for paid parking are being identified and soon tenders will be floated, said sources. The Yamunanagar MC has identified several places (along Nehru Park, near Payra Chowk, Vidya Nagar Park, in Thappar Colony and Hamida Colony Park) where paid parking could be introduced, informed Mr V.P Sanghwan, Executive Officer of the MC. The Jagadhri MC is also working overtime to identify sites for the purpose. “Jagadhri is an old town with narrow streets. The haphazardly parked vehicles here are a nuisance. Mr Sunil Sharma, who had come here to attend a marriage from Chandigarh, had to face a lot of difficulty in looking for a place to park his car when he went to the local bazar. Students of colleges and educational institutions also use roads to park their vehicles. Revenue sources of the MC had fallen after the house tax was abolished for certain types of houses as also the octroi system. The proposed parking lots will bring revenue to the MCs, said sources in the district administration. Besides, the system will help check vehicle thefts. On an average, a vehicle is reported stolen every third day, informed police sources. Sources said shopkeepers and vendors were the main encroachers in Yamunanagar. Several dealers are using government land to park second-hand cars for selling. There are unauthorised taxi and three-wheeler stands on government land. Meanwhile, the district administration has decided to start a special driver to check traffic violators. |
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Training programme for jobless youth
Hisar, December 7 The programme, organised by the state-level technical back-up unit of the Integrated Rural Energy Programme (IREP), was inaugurated by Mr Pankaj Aggarwal, Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chief Project Officer, IREP. Mr Aggarwal stressed the need of using renewable energy devices to meet the rising demand for energy and to reduce environmental pollution. He disclosed that under IREP, 73,469 pressure cookers, 8,901 box-type solar cookers, 500 dish-type solar cookers, 27,827 solar lanterns, 11,740 home-lighting systems, 1,073 solar streetlight systems, 37,272 fuel-efficient stoves and 130 SPV water-pumping systems had been installed in the rural and urban areas of Haryana. Mr Aggarwal said the Haryana Government had made it mandatory the use of solar water-heating system for industries, hospitals, hotels, housing complexes, institutions and residential buildings of plot size 500 square yards. Dr Partap Singh, Dean, College of Agriculture Engineering and Technology, said renewable energy devices had not been considered an alternative to the conventional sources such as electricity, fossil fuels etc., even though these could meet energy requirements of society to a large extent without harming environment. Twenty unemployed skilled youths will be trained by the experts of manufacturing companies of the renewable energy devices, in addition to the faculty members of the college. |
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Delhi resident booked for
cheating two of Rs 16 lakh
Karnal, December 7 Anil Mehta of Roop Colony, Sadar Bazar here alleged that he along with Raj Kumar of Goghripur village had given Rs 3 lakh each and their passports to the accused at Narender Mann’s residence at Balla village four months ago. He further alleged that they had handed over Rs 5 lakh each to the accused at New Delhi a few days later. When they met him after a week, instead of telling them about the progress in the process of sending them to America he allegedly refused even to recognise them and threatened them. The Asandh Police booked Manoj Rana under Sections 420, 406 and 506 of the IPC on Anil Mehta’s complaint. |
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Army Flag Day celebrated
Chandigarh, December 7 The Governor, who donated money for the cause of welfare of ex-servicemen and their dependents, said soldiers of Haryana had always held glorious place in the annals of Indian history. He said though the population of Haryana was only 2 per cent of the country’s population, the state contributed approximately 10 per cent of the total strength of the armed forces. He revealed that during the Kargil war, 158 soldiers belonging to Haryana sacrificed their lives for the defence of the nation, constituting about 25 per cent of the total martyrs. Dr Kidwai directed Brig Beniwal to prepare a master plan so that the services of the ex-servicemen could be utilised for the development of the state. |
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Move to disconnect power to defaulters
Hisar, December 7 According to official sources, a special team would be constituted in each operation sub-division. Each team would be responsible for disconnection or recovery from at least 20 defaulter consumers per day. Each team would operate under the direct supervision of a Junior Engineer, though
the disconnection activity would be closely monitored by the DHBVN head office. Meanwhile, owing to improved collection
efficiency and check on theft of electricity, there has been a substantial increase in revenue
collection during November. An official spokesman said here today that the monthly revenue had crossed of Rs 200 crore during November. The DHBVN earned an all-time high revenue of Rs 201 crore during the month as against Rs 168.50 crore collected during the corresponding month last year. |
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Residents lay siege to police station
Sonepat, December 7 The residents also held a demonstration and raised anti-police slogans. The office of the Ganaur police station went into action and arrested the erring driver. He was identified as Balkishan. It is reported that the demonstrators also pelted stones at the police station. |
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‘Gram sabhas ineffective’
Karnal, December 7 Having closely watched the functioning of the sabhas in several gram panchayats she reached the conclusion that these were not effectively playing their role in the context of village development and administration. The Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, lays down that every gram panchayat will hold two general meetings of the gram sabhas every year. It was observed during field work that in most places, the meetings were hardly held. Also, either the villagers did not turn up, or the panchayat did not take interest in the meeting. The report mention various reasons, including lack of awareness among its members about its role, powers and functions and indifferent attitude at all levels for this. |
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Lawyer arrested for presenting
wrong woman
Sonepat, December 7 It is stated that the complainant, in his complaint to the IGP, Rohtak Range, stated that Bal Kishan Sharma and Surinder Singh had produced Chhanno Devi, of Qumashpur village in place of Ghatri of Nangal Kalan village in the tehsil office at Sonepat to get land deed for Rs 70 lakh registered on October 18. |
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Power workers hold rally
Panipat, December 7 Addressing the rally, Mr Hagpal Singh Sangwan, president of the thermal plant unit of the union, said the four separate divisions of the state electricity units had resulted. The district secretary of CITU, Mr Satbir Singh, demanded filling of vacant posts and jobs for the dependants of deceased employees. |
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Welfare officers to help families
Chandigarh, December 7 Stating this here, an official spokesman said that these new rules of 2005 would repeal the rules made for implementation of the scheme in 2003. While referring to the new rules of the scheme, he said the ex gratia financial assistance to the family of deceased government employee has been doubled to Rs 5 lakh. Definition of family has been amended to include a divorcee or widowed daughter provided that the divorcee or widowed daughter had been dependent and living with the deceased employee. He said the head of department would be the authority to decide the issue of compassionate appointment/ compassionate assistance. |
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Four family courts planned
Chandigarh, December 7 He said the family courts aimed at making serious attempts for reconciliation or a settlement between the parties to a family disputes with the help of social welfare agencies and counselors. The Family Court Act, 1984, was enacted to exclusively provide jurisdiction to family courts in matters of matrimonial relief, including nullity of marriages, judicial separation, divorce, restitution of conjugal rights or declaration as to the validity of marriage or as to the matrimonial status of any person. |
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5-year-old girl found
murdered
Jhajjar, December 7 According to information, the girl, Deelu, daughter of Shoba Singh, had gone to an anganwari centre but she did not return till late. Her body was found lying in a heap of cowdung cakes outside the village. On spotting some blood stains and torn clothes, villagers suspected that the girl was sexually assaulted and then strangulated to death. However, the post- mortem report ruled out any rape and the police has registered a case of murder. |
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Welfare body seeks civic amenities
Ambala, December 7 The association stated that recently the Haryana Government had sanctioned two deep-bore tubewells under the Swajaldhara scheme and part of the money had been released. While the tubewells had been dug, the association was now waiting for additional release of funds for laying of pipelines. They said en ex-servicemen rally was being held at Rewari on December 16, which would be presided over by the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda.
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Schools to give
domicile certificates
Yamunanagar, December 7 The Deputy Commissioner, Ms Sukriti Likhi has taken this initiative on a trial basis. As many as 15 students were issued the certificates during a public grievance redressal meeting at Alehar village in Radaur village recently. Necessary instructions have been issued in this direction. School principals and headmasters will be informed in advance so that they can ask the pupils to reach schools with all documents and photographs on a particular day, said sources in the administration. |
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Ambala, December 7
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Ambala, December 7
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