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NGOs swindle Sarva Shiksha funds
Fatehabad/Sirsa, February 28
In majority of the cases, the NGOs, who have been entrusted the task of running such centres, have swindled funds while teachers appointed by these have been agitating to get their salaries for the past several months.
Under the SSA, the state government has entrusted the task of imparting education to dropouts and non-starter children, mostly from the slum areas and from the lower strata of the society. The task has been entrusted to NGOs throughout the state. The government makes payment at a rate of Rs 45,000 per centre per annum to the NGOs. The NGOs hire the services of a teacher, called volunteer, for a monthly honorarium of Rs 2,500. The NGOs are required to provide stationary for the students from the balance amount of Rs 10,000 per centre left with them. However, most of the NGOs in Fatehabad and Sirsa have failed to live up to the task. During recent inspections carried out by the district authorities here, less than half of the centres were found running properly. In many cases, centres did not exist at all and were shown only in papers. Though the authorities have stopped funding erring NGOs, the volunteers working with them are now approaching the authorities with the complaints of non-receipt of their salaries. These volunteers have been protesting for the past several days demanding payment of their honorarium. Similarly, at Sirsa, volunteers have been agitating
for She demanded that the authorities should get them their due from the NGOs as it had already paid the NGOs on this count. Others like Parveen Sharma, Sunita Rani, Manjit Kaur, Sangita Rani, Daya Rani, Usha, Rajni, Chanda, Sangeeta, Beant Kaur, Pushpa, Shakuntala, Sheela, Rani, Swati, Rubi, Rohtash, Ashok, Gian Chand, Madan Lal and Lalit Kumar have the same story to tell. The authorities, on their part, have been shirking responsibility by saying that these volunteers were not the employees of the government and whatever their contract was, it was with the NGOs. |
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Students on mission to save environment
Jhajjar, February 28 Armed with this cause, supported by a team of 21 “paryavaran praheris” (environment guards), and a book to bank upon, the students have created an awakening of sorts in their homes, locality and schools. From being nobody’s concern, environment conservation has become everybody’s baby and the society owns up its responsibility. After nearly one academic session of dwelling on all that ails the environment and how damage can be contained, the schoolchildren of class VI to IX of the district are ready to appear for their first test to assess their knowledge in terms of environmental awareness. However, the matter will not end with the test but mark a new beginning in the chapter of conservation of the environment. “The examination is only a formality. The mission is to drive home the importance of taking care of the environment we live in. As an incentive, we have instituted awards for three ‘clean and green’ schools at the block and district levels. With nearly a session dedicated to the cause, we are hopeful of having a fresh crop of environment-conscious children who will go out into the public to create the much-needed awakening,” says Ajit B. Joshi, additional deputy commissioner, Jhajjar, who set the ball rolling for the cause. The drive started with complete focus on personal hygiene of the children wherein the teacher reiterated whatever the praheri taught them. Gradually, from self-cleanliness, it was extended to the classroom, the school and taken to the villages. So much is the impact of this entire exercise on the young minds that the schools and their students have adopted villages and undertaken special drives for cleanliness. “Good sense is beginning to prevail among the villagers also. After seeing us work in their
villages,they, too, have become conscious and think before dumping garbage or littering the place,” explains Kavita, a praheri at Government Middle School, Mundsa. It all began with an exercise to spread the message of forestation, sanitation, water and environment conservation in all 265 villages of the district. Joshi planned an intensive movement “Jal Avem Paryavaran Chetna Abhiyan” or “Taru Yatra” to be carried out with the active participation of schoolchildren. In the campaign, nearly 15 to 17 villages were covered daily by holding rallies, painting competitions and plantations. The enthusiasm shown by the students during the campaign led Joshi to visualise the concept of “clean and green” school campaign, implemented through Hariyali project of the DRDA. “We went about it in a systematic fashion, published a book called ‘Paryavaran Praheri’, written jointly by Rajesh Ahlawat, district science specialist, Dr J.B. Sharma, deputy district education officer, with pictures made by Khem Chand, a drawing teacher. A team of 21 paryavran praheris were trained in a five-day workshop,” Joshi explains. Subsequently, the praheris were assigned to deliver lecture as well as to conduct activities on environment education in the schools allotted to them during the half-an-hour earmarked in the school time-table. “All our students are very charged up about the contest among schools. We have worked hard to keep our school campus spic and span. Due to these rallies and lectures, we have realised the importance of clean environment and try to replicate the school model of cleanliness in and around our homes also,” say Sandeep and Neelam, students of class IX of Government Senior Secondary School, Chhuchhakwas. Another student, Preeti of GSSS-Bamnola, maintains, it has been a great learning experience for her entire class. “We had never thought how polythene is polluting our environment or how garbage scattered in our village is taking a toll on our health. At these classes, we learnt why we must not contaminate water and how it all comes back to us and how, with a little effort, we can ensure good health,” this class VI student remarks.
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Chautala’s dilemma — UNPA or
BJP?
Hisar, February 28 Outwardly, he is betraying no signs of keenness for a tie-up with the party he treated so shabbily the last time he was in power, but on the inside, no one realises it more than him that his chances of sweeping back to power in Haryana depend greatly on this tie up. In fact, his party in its present as well as earlier avatars has won the mandate to rule only in conjunction with the BJP. This has been the case right from the days his father late Devi Lal became the Chief Minister for the first time in 1977 under the Janata Party banner of which the BJP was a major constituent. In 1982, Devi Lal and the BJP were together, but he missed the bus by a whisker thanks to some daft political machination by the Congress, the then Governor and Bhajan Lal. Again in 1987, Devi Lal occupied the office of the Chief Minister only in the company of the BJP. Chautala did not make the grade in 1996, when the BJP was not on his side. In 2000, Vidhan Sabha elections Chautala swept to power joining hands with the BJP, but he made sure he would defeat as many of his ally’s candidates as possible during the campaign itself. Thereafter, he cut the BJP to size losing no opportunity to humiliate senior state BJP leaders. He was quick to join the UNPA bandwagon as a founder member. The UNPA is primarily opposed both to the Congress-led UPA and the BJP-led NDA. Since then, he has been consistently saying that the next time the
parliamentary elections are held the UNPA would sweep to power. That may or may not happen. But, even if the UNPA comes to rule the Centre, that does not change the ground realities of Haryana politics which dictate that Chautala needs the BJP to become acceptable to the urban and non-Jat voters. The INLD leadership realises that whenever the party has come to power it has managed to score well in the non-Jat areas of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Kaithal among others. The only explanation for this is that the BJP got him the urban and non-Jat votes. Besides, the BJP’s Akali connection is helpful in these areas although Chautala would any day claim that his sway over Sikh voters in Haryana is due to his personal links with Parkash Singh Badal. But he can ignore this only to his own peril. The next time Haryana goes to polls, Chautala may or may not have won the Jat belt back. Hence, his dependence on the BJP will be all the more pronounced at least till the votes are counted. And so will be his dilemma - he will have to choose either the UNPA or the
BJP.
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Infrastructure scheme on back burner
Ambala, February 28 Though the administration has constituted a committee for the purpose, it has not held any meeting for the past several months. Former MP Rattan Lal Kataria mooted the idea of cluster development for Ambala industry. The present MP from here, Shelja, who is also a union minister, is equally keen that the project sees the light of the day. She is of the view that the industry here will get a boost if the scheme goes through. The scheme envisages providing quality infrastructure in 20-25 selected locations, which have the potential to become globally competitive. The qualifying criterion for the selection of cluster is on the basis of number of units, persons employed, value of output, export potential, comparative advantages, economies of scale and growth potential, past track record of the industry and the nature of critical gaps in infrastructure. The committee constituted under the scheme will scrutinise and approve the development projects on first come first serve basis. Central assistance will be one-time grant-in-aid to the SPV formed by the cluster association for the development of infrastructure that will be restricted to 75 per cent of the project cost, subject to a ceiling of Rs 50 crore. The ministry of commerce and industry has clarified that “there would not be any government interference and the SPV will manage and implement the component of the scheme itself”. Ashwani Goel, president of ASIMA, an association of the entrepreneurs, said, “If implemented, the scheme would give the much needed fillip to sagging Ambala industry”.
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GOVERNANCE
Rohtak, February 28 In 1996, the then state government decided to establish a trauma centre on the premises of PGIMS here. An amount of Rs 3.75 crore was earmarked for the purpose. The project got under way with then Chief Minister Bansi Lal laying the foundation stone of the centre on February 24, 1997. Subsequently, as the construction of two blocks of the centre was completed, the PGIMS authorities obtained due clearance from the state government and advertised the posts of doctors, paramedics and other staff members required for the first phase of the project in June, 2000. Then, all of a sudden, the then state government decided to halt the project on the basis of a representation stating that there was no need for a trauma centre at Rohtak. The state financial commissioner (health and medical education) promptly sent the said representation to the then PGIMS director for comments. In his reply, the then director of the PGIMS, Prof S.B. Siwach, justified the decision to set up the trauma centre. He maintained that the centre would provide crucial emergency medical services to the people, thereby strengthening the institution. However, without giving due consideration to the director's reply, the state authorities decided not to go ahead with the recruitments. The construction work on the centre building was also stopped. Thus, the ambitious project was abandoned on the basis of a frivolous-sounding complaint. Later, the state government headed by Om Prakash Chautala decided to have a trauma centre at Karnal instead of Rohtak. According to medical experts, the decision to set up a trauma centre at Karnal was totally illogical. In their opinion, the medical staff at district-level civil hospitals cannot provide trauma services that require a multi-specialty approach. While the trauma centre at Karnal has completely failed to serve the purpose, the centre building at Rohtak PGIMS remained abandoned for about two years. The building presently houses the superspeciality centre. Meanwhile, the present state government decided to resuscitate the project. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda recently laid the foundation stone of the trauma centre on the PGIMS premises. However, the estimated cost of the project - which was about Rs 4 crore when it was first proposed in 1996 - has now escalated to Rs 25.88 crore. A typical instance of (mal) functioning of the government machinery, isn't it?
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Dowry-linked cases rise in Rewari
Rewari, February 28 Not a week passes when a dowry death or incidents of harassment for dowry are reported from one or the other corner of the district. When Jagdish Meena, whose elder daughter Naresh Kumari died under suspicious circumstances owing to the alleged cruel treatment of her in-laws in October 2007, failed to get a case of dowry death registered, he had to file a petition in a local court, which has now issued a directive to the Kasaula police to register a case against in-laws of Naresh Kumari, all residents of Narnaul. In another case, the Kasaula police has booked Bala Devi’s husband Hari Ram, father-in-law Panna Lal, mother-in-law Pathi Devi and three others, all residents of Jaipur district of Rajasthan, on the charges of harassment for dowry, causing hurt to the woman and criminal intimidation. A case was registered only after a directive issued by a local court on the petition filed by Bala Devi. Similarly, in a third incident again after court intervened the police booked five
members of a family on the charges of harassing Hem Lata, daughter of Shish Pal, a resident of Ajay Nagar colony here. Meanwhile the district unit of the All India Women’s Conference (Akhil Bharatiya Mahila Parishad) has expressed concern over the alarming rise in the cases of dowry death and harassment for dowry. Emphasising on the urgency of the matter, its district president Sneh Saxena and secretary-cum-legal adviser Neelam Sharma pointed out that domestic violence against women was also spreading its tentacles. While agreeing that such cases needed thorough and impartial investigation as well as stringent punishment for those found guilty, they opined that cases pertaining to the harassment for dowry and domestic violence should initially be tackled to strike a compromise between the parties concerned with the mediation of the elders before being taken the matter to the police. They also reiterated commitment to work for women empowerment.
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In top gear
Gurgaon, February 28 The competition of all terrain vehicle design was held recently at Natrip village, Pithampur, Indore. A team of 16 students of mechanical engineering prepared a design manually as well as on computer and came up with a roll cage model to participate in this event for the first time. While talking to The Tribune, one of the faculty members involved in this project said the event aimed at inculcating engineering and entrepreneurship skills among the students and provided a platform to showcase their potential. The event took place for the first time in India and was classified as an engineering project rather than merely a race. He said in the event, the 3.6-km long track was prepared with hurdles like bumps, loose sand, mud patches, sharp turns and obstructions. The vehicles, designed by the students, had to survive rough terrain and were to be judged on the basis of design report, cost report, sales presentation, design evaluation, acceleration, maneuverability and innovation. He said the team was selected among 27 qualified national teams from all over the country. While talking to The Tribune, one of the team member stated that the team got an exposure of designing to production and marketing of their product. He said as the trend of adventurous vehicles was limited, it became challenging for the group to design a vehicle that would stand Indian climate and roads. He said due to financial constraints, we had to work on each and every phase of the project carefully, as the value of an idea lies in properly using and giving it a real shape. He said special attention was paid on the innovation, safety, vehicle ruggedness and compatibility of various parts. He said the cost of the car would be around Rs 1.5 lakh. Talking about the future plans of young entrepreneurs, he said our team was looking forward to the next event of the "The Techie Tyros" to be held in 2009. He remarked that they were working on the vehicle to make it more cost-effective and efficient as per international standards.
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CIC accused of 'protecting' civil servants
Panipat, February 28 Kapoor said it was objectionable that the CIC disposed of the case by claiming it was the first such complaint against the HCS officer, giving a chance to the official to improve the things. Whereas Shakti Singh, estate officer-cum-SDO (civil), Panipat, was "spared" from any penal action, the commission directed the department to chargesheet and initiate disciplinary proceedings against the HUDA official concerned for delay in furnishing the required information. After taking serious note of delay in furnishing the desired information, a show cause notice was served to Shakti Singh in October 2007, but now showing a lenient face to the HCS officer, CIC G. Madhavan has agreed to pardon the officer in the same case. According to the case proceedings, the commission had showed its displeasure against the estate officer, HUDA, Panipat, the first appellate authority, for not providing desired information to P.P. Kapoor, state convener of the Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU). Kapoor had filed an application on April 18, 2007, requesting for a copy of the brochure in connection with the controversial allotment of industrial plots in Panipat. He said it was significant to ascertain that who were actually eligible to apply under the welfare scheme floated for the workers. Though he had filed appeals to HUDA officials, the desired information was not furnished to him. Taking a serious note of the case, the commission on October 10, 2007, issued a show cause notice to Singh, the public information officer-cum-estate officer, HUDA, Panipat, asking him why the action of penalty at the rate of Rs 250 per day should not be proceeded against him in this case. In its hearing on February 7, the commission found the reasons submitted for the delay in providing the desired information by the HCS in question as "unsatisfactory". The commission observed that the information should have been furnished irrespective of the record being with the State Vigilance Commission, which was also admitted by the official on record during the case hearing. Kapoor said it was unfortunate that the CIC was impressed with argument the officer gave and finally ordered to drop the penal proceedings.
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Inside Babudom
Chandigarh, February 28 Though Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is still maintaining secrecy about the next chief secretary, the general impression is that financial commissioner, revenue, Dharambir, will be the successor of Issar. The state will get not only a new financial commissioner, revenue, the second most important post after that the chief secretary, and principal secretary of the forest department, some other changes are also expected in the administration. The IAS officers of the 1992 batch, Mohinder Kumar, M.P. Bansal, Arun Gupta, D.P.S. Naggal, R.P. Bhardwaj and Pushpraj Singh, are eagerly awaiting for getting the commissioner's rank. Since Mohinder Kumar and Naggal are presently posted as deputy commissioners of Panipat and Sonepat, respectively, their promotion will also necessitate a reshuffle of the deputy commissioners. Their promotion has been held back by the fact that the state government does not have proper replacement for Mohinder Kumar and Naggal. For the past several years, no HCS officer has been nominated to the IAS because of a number of pending court cases. Of course, the government can upgrade the post of deputy commissioner to that of the rank of commissioner and post senior officers in the districts. Certain states have already done this. Meanwhile, the government has promoted officers of the 1981 batch-Harbaksh Singh, Anuradha Gupta and P.K. Gupta-as financial commissioners. In other states, IAS officers point out that their colleagues of the 1983 batch have been promoted as financial commissioner. They are hopeful that given the generous nature of the chief minister towards the bureaucracy, in Haryana also officers of the 1982 batch and the 1983 batch would not have to wait for long to become the financial commissioners. The 1982 batch includes K.K. Jalan, Dalip Singh, D.S. Dhesi and Maha Singh, while the 1983 batch includes Keshni Anand Arora, Yudhvir Singh, Rajan Gupta, R.R. Fuliya and Sarban Singh.
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In thick of controversy
Rewari, February 28 The HVF was constituted here recently to perpetuate the glorious memories and achievements of Samrat Hem Chandra Vikramaditya, popularly known as Hemu. He belonged to Rewari and was the last Hindu emperor of India. The HVF has denounced the "shabby treatment" given to Hemu in the controversial film, produced and directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar. It says the "inglorious" presentation of Hemu displays wrongful facts about the Second Battle of Panipat and the justification of "abominable deeds" of the Moguls has hurt the sentiments of the Bhargava community, to which Hemu belonged. The foundation has urged the censor board to ban the film until "wrongs" are rectified and "untruths" deleted. Taking exception to the "humiliating" display of Hemu, Bhargava says just to glorify Akbar, the director of the film had deliberately shown Hemu as a villain. He says it is unfortunate that the entire commentary in the film by Amitabh Bachchan simply glorified the Moguls and endeavoured to convince the movie-goers that the Muslim rulers did nothing wrong in invading India, looting and killing of thousands of Hindus. Bhargava says the director's presentation of Akbar as an apostle of peace, who, along with Bairam Khan, indulged in genocide of Hemu's community soon after the Second Battle of Panipat, is unfortunate. Recalling that the minarets erected with the skulls of these beheaded Hindus that remained in existence for over 50 years to terrorise the Hindu masses, Bhargava says Petre Munde, a British traveller who visited India during the reign of Jehangir, drew sketches of such minarets which are now displayed at the National Museum, New Delhi, as well as the War Museum in Panipat. He adds that another major untruth in the movie pertains to the presence of Akbar and Bairam Khan in the war zone while according to noted historian Vincent A. Smith, author of the Oxford History of India, both Akbar and Bairam Khan were strategically camped at a safe place near Karnal, 16 km away from the war zone, and it was only after Hemu got injured that Akbar and Bairam Khan made their debut in the battlefield. Meanwhile, activists of the ABVP, BJP and the Shiv Sena took up cudgels against the film that is being screened at Radhika theatre here. They held a demonstration and also tore away posters of the film at the theatre complex on February 21. The demonstrators left the place only after the manager of the theatre stopped its screening and assured that there would be no further screening of the film.
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A message of humanity
Sirsa, February 28 The play, scripted by Surjeet Singh Sethi and directed by Gulzar Panwar, also took a dig at various social ills prevalent in our society. The Haryana Punjabi Sahitya Akademi had organised the function in the memory of Baba Sheikh Farid, a sufi saint, whose verse in Punjabi language spread the message of secularism and universal brotherhood. A number of Punjabi singers gave their voice to Sufi kalams of the saint. Sulakhan Singh and Dilbagh Ali won accolades for their Sufi songs. Dr K.V. Singh, officer on special duty to the Haryana Chief Minister, was the chief guest while Bhupesh Mehta, a youth Congress leader, presided over. Throwing light on the life and teachings of Baba Sheikh Farid, Dr K.V. Singh said the saint exhorted people to rise above the narrow thoughts of caste, creed and religion and work for the betterment of the humanity. He released three books, biography of Punjabi literary genius Taran Singh Vahami, "Zindgee De Mor" by Darshan Singh and "Jeewan Te Rachna" by Dr G.D. Chaudhary. C.R. Mudgil, director of the Haryana Punjabi Sahitya Akademi, presented an account of the activities of the akademi and said it had increased the amount of prize money for writers by 10 times during his tenure. Dr Amarjit Singh Kang, head of the Punjabi department of the Kurukshetra University, said Baba Sheikh Farid's poetry was relevant even in today's context and spreading his message would lead to equality in the society.
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Space centre to map towns
Chandigarh, February 28 A spokesman for the Haryana science and technology department said the centre had already completed projects like wasteland mapping, channelling and remodelling of the Badshahpur drain, environment impact assessment of the Aravali Hills, road information system for Hisar and digitisation of mussavies for Rori
kanungo. The other projects which were under way included crop acreage and production, cropping system analysis, study of quarry pools in the
Aravalis, “santhi” paddy estimation, multi-crop inventory, watershed monitoring , land degradation mapping and cadastral mapping in Sirsa and Hisar districts. He said HARSAC had been involved in the mapping, monitoring and management of natural resources and had completed 65 projects. It had also been designated as the nodal agency by the state government for remote sensing and geographical information system-related activities.
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Grievances
Desu Jodha village in Sirsa district is deprived of a senior secondary school. The village has a population of 10,000 people and it is surrounded by 6-7 other small villages. Presently, the village has a high school and the students have to travel 20 km to Mandi Dabwali for further studies. Due to official apathy, the village has become educationally backward. The need of the hour is to upgrade the school so that students, particularly girls, do not have to travel long distance.
R.K. Dhargotra,
Sanwat Khera village (Sirsa) Candidates inconvenienced The Haryana Staff Selection Commission is presently busy carrying out selections for various categories of posts. Lakhs of aspiring candidates from within and outside the state are applying. But the commission’s notices regarding holding of written exams, physical tests, interviews and results are usually published in certain vernacular or local newspapers for which the intending candidates have to search various newspapers. It is high time that the commission launches its website containing and displaying all information, including online application form. Hemant Kumar,
Ambala City Poor facilities Toilet facilities had been provided at all filling stations to meet the mandatory provisions of law. But a majority of the stations do not have separate toilet facility for women. Secondly, these toilets are not maintained properly. At some places, they are not fit for use. It appears, as if the toilets have been constructed only to meet the mandatory provisions. It should be the duty of the supervisors of fuel supplying companies to keep a watch on the quality of facilities available at the stations. Puran Singh,
Nilokheri Noise pollution Recently, an appeal for controlling noise pollution by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda appeared in leading newspapers of the region. Designated officials have been notified for the implementation of rules for reducing the levels of noise pollution in the state. In this connection, I moved an application to the authorities concerned and to the Haryana State Pollution Control Board for the removal of a power generator installed on the rooftop near my house, which creates a lot of noise as well as air pollution. The applications were not even acknowledged leave aside action on it. Daljit Singh Gujral,
Ambala City
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