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IN DEEP CRISIS
Gurgaon, March 27 Figures available with the groundwater cell of the agriculture department reveals that in Gurgaon areas the situation is already out of control. According to the department, groundwater is available in Pataudi at a level of 26.35 m, Narnaul 48.18 m, Khol 49.99 m and Mahendergarh at 52.27 m. Experts reveal that most of these areas are already on the verge of drought. According to the department, most of the areas adjoining Gurgaon have groundwater level at a point where it has lost its quality. As per an expert, water below 35 m loses its original value and becomes unfit for consumption. The expert says it is the irony of this area the situation is getting worse despite it having three seasonal rivers. He says the Sahibi, a seasonal river, used to flow from Rajasthan to Narnaul, Bhindawas, Jhajjar, Pataudi and other areas of Gurgaon and Rewari districts. Other rivers like Krishnamati, which flows from west Narnaul used to cover areas in east Narnaul and Dohna. With these rivers underground water used to recharge every year. However, he says, few years back, Rajasthan constructed bandhs on these rivers, which has hampered the flow of water into this area. If timely steps are not taken by the administration to recharge groundwater there would be a huge crisis for the people residing here, he says, adding water harvesting is an answer to cope with this alarming situation. The situation could also be improved if there is a regular flow of seasonal rivers by approaching the authorities in Rajasthan, he adds. Meanwhile, sources reveal that no concrete steps have been taken by the government to solve the water problem in this area. They say it is unfortunate that the government has not even bothered to inform the public about the sudden suspension of water supply in these canals due to the construction of bandhs by Rajasthan. The sources add when there was a regular flow of water in these seasonal rivers, the state government should have constructed barrage to avoid wastage of water. In some areas, people have even started migrating leaving behind their share of land. Some of the farmers of this area say most of the youngsters have already left agriculture and migrated to cities because of water scarcity. They reveal that the condition of wells in the area is so bad that even after digging up to 1,500 to 2,000 ft, no water is available. Meanwhile for Gurgaon city where a breach in water channel had rendered the city waterless for many days, the Haryana government has formulated a plan to construct an NCR water channel with a capacity of 800 cusecs to meet the ever-increasing demand of the city for drinking water. An official said the proposed channel was likely to be completed in the next two years. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has also ordered HUDA to increase the water storage capacity in Gurgaon and also explore the possibility of other sources of water supply.
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At Disha, real-life stars outshine reel heroes
Sirsa, March 27 Founded in July 1998, by a local philanthropist, Surinder Bhatia, and his team of dedicated social workers, Disha, an institute for the welfare of women and special persons, has been doing yeoman service to the society. As many as 62 children suffering from autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities have been getting training in self-help skills besides personal, social, recreational and occupational skills at Disha. These special children are provided services in speech therapy, physiotherapy and occupational therapy and are also made to participate in behaviour modification programme and cultural and sports activities. Pre-vocational and vocational training is being provided to 76 other special persons in different trades. Geeta Kathuria, director of the institute, who has devoted herself to the cause of special children and has won accolades for this at the national level, says the institute endeavors to make special children and those with physical disabilities become self-reliant. With this objective in mind, the institute has opened six shops on the front portion of its land where special persons have been running a general store, an STD-PCO both, a photostat machine, popcorn-making machine, coffee machine, grinder and a plastic spoon-making machine. Disha also provides free computer training to 50 special children and 160 women from the weaker sections of the society. Vocational training courses offered to these women include cutting, tailoring, dress making, embroidery, soft toys making, beauty culture and typing. All these courses are provided free of cost. The institute is registered with the National Institute of Open Schooling, New Delhi, and as many as 400 women have been getting vocational training at the institute. It also runs two separate hostels for special boys and girls named “Anchal” and “Devi Kun”, respectively. Bhatia says the projects in the offing are: construction of a home for special children above the age of 18, construction of a workshop for special persons, a medical and research centre and to start vocational training centres at all major villages of
Sirsa.
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Aryan era remains found in Rohtak
Madina (Rohtak), March 27 The department of history of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) here and the department of archaeology of Deccan College (deemed university), Pune, have been executing the excavation exercise. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has provided Rs 1 lakh for the excavation, which is in progress at the village. The excavation directors, Prof Manmohan Kumar of the department of history, MDU, and Prof Vasant Shinde from department of archaeology, Deccan College, said a full-fledged rural Aryan settlement being unearthed was a significant archaeological development in the area’s history. The rural Aryan culture settlement comprises chulhas, post-holes, furnaces and other such indicators of a rural colony. Prof Manmohan said paleo-botanical samples collected from the site indicated that wheat, rice, barley, millet and ber were prevalent food crops during that era. The artifacts found during the exercise include typical painted grey-ware objects like terracotta beads, painted dishes, animal figurines, pieces of ornaments, toy objects, iron arrowheads, sling balls, copper antimony rods, ivory objects, agate beads, wheels, discs and several objects made of animal bones. History and archaeology experts present on the occasion maintained that the objects collected from the site would be sent for thorough scientific examination to ascertain the time period to which they belonged.
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CAG report cites crisis in HAU
Chandigarh, March 27 On the academic front, the report states that there is a shortfall of 367 posts, nearly 30 per cent, in the teaching departments in March last year. Further, the strength of assistant professors and assistant scientists, which are feeding cardres for professors and research scientists, declined from 189 in 2002-03 to 71 in 2006-07. In four constituent colleges of the university, the number of students actually enrolled was far less than the intake capacity in different courses. Less enrollment than intake capacity ranged between 11 and 74 per cent during 2002-07. Less enrolments were attributed to the shortage of staff, migration of students from one college to another due to non-maintenance of overall grade point average. Besides, the university procured the laboratory equipment in a span of four years against the project implementation schedule of one year for an amount sanctioned in 2002. The university released 26 high-yielding varieties of different crops like mustard, wheat, bajra and many other crops. However, the report adds that in spite of the release of high varieties, the yield of above crops per
The seeds of the varieties of four cotton crops and one wheat crop developed and released by the university failed in germination tests conducted at seed-testing laboratory in Karnal. The report suggested that staff strength of teachers should be reviewed, research activity should be geared up to increase productivity and good quality seed production needed to be increased.
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Separate high court remains a distant dream
Hisar, March 27 Although the demand has been raised umpteen times since 1966, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and union law minister Hans Raj Bhardwaj together had given rise to hopes that the state would get its own high court soon. However, Bhardwaj early this month, dismissed the demand saying there was no necessity for a separate high court. This has come as a serious setback to the Congress in general and the present regime in particular especially as Bhardwaj hails from Rohtak and had practiced there in the early days of his career. He also happens to be a life member of the Rohtak Bar Association. Significantly, the Haryana assembly had passed a resolution seeking a separate high court for the state in December 2005. It stated that “states like Himachal Pradesh and newly created states like Jharkand, Chattisgarh and Uttarakhand, are having their own separate high courts from the very day of their inception. Presently, except the seven eastern states falling under the jurisdiction of the Guwahati High Court, there is no state in the country which is not having its own high court.” Thereafter, Bhardwaj backed the demand vociferously and stated at Rohtak on February 12, 2006, that he strongly favoured the creation of a separate high court for Haryana and his ministry was considering the modalities. He went to the extent of stating that lawyers should not seek a separate Bench, as it would complicate the problem. The union law minister even sent an official team to Chandigarh to discuss the issue at the highest level. However, suddenly he changed stance early this month and ruled out a separate high court while addressing a function in Jhajjar. In 2002, then Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala had also got a resolution passed seeking a separate high court from the Vidhan Sabha. It said, “This house also earnestly urges Parliament to take up the amendment Bill and pass the same unanimously thereby providing: 1) Bifurcation of the existing common high court for the states of Punjab, Haryana and the union territory of Chandigarh; 2) Establishment of a separate high court for the state of Haryana along with territorial jurisdiction over Chandigarh; 3) The separate high court for the state of Haryana may be established on the existing premises at Chandigarh by allocating 40 per cent of the building, ministerial staff and administrative functionaries along with judges appointed against the quota of Haryana state”. However, the centre scoffed at the demand and refused to consider it. In 1997, Ramji Lal, a close associate of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, had also introduced a private member’s Bill in the Rajya Sabha on June 12, 1998, seeking the creation of a separate high court for Haryana. He suggested that the high court be set up in Hisar. The Bill lapsed in April 2000, following retirement of the member and was removed from the house’s list. The main reason why the demand continues to be rejected time and again is the issue of jurisdiction over the union territory of Chandigarh, which is the seat of the Haryana government. If a separate high court is set up in Haryana, all decisions taken by the government in Chandigarh would have to be sent to the court that has jurisdiction over Chandigarh. Despite knowing the legal hurdles, Haryana politicians keep playing to the gallery for political benefits.
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On road to traffic safety
Kurukshetra, March 27 This association was established in January 2005, with its basic aim to ensure the safety of road users on the national as well as state highways by making them aware of traffic rules and regulations, besides providing information about rescue operations and the provision of first aid to accident victims. Besides, the association is taking up a study of causes of major and fatal road accidents to bring them into the notice of authorities concerned, suggesting appropriate remedial measures to control such accidents. Association general secretary H.S. Puri says for achieving these ends, the association has been holding regular meetings of its executive body to discuss various problems and chart out solutions. The association has already written about 250 letters to various quarters of state as well as central government on various important issues relating to traffic problems in the region. It organises press conferences and meetings with the representatives of newspapers to give wide publicity of traffic rules and regulations and benefits of their observation by the public. “Traffic rules are also exhibited on local cable television network and about 50 wooden and steel plates with painted traffic rules prepared by us are installed at Devi Lal Park, near Pipli, 5 km from here. The association also supplied more than 200 photocopies of traffic rules and regulations for distribution to schoolchildren through district education officers,” Puri says. The association has already organised camps in more than 20 government and private schools imparting useful information to more than 10,000 students. In several camps, district traffic police personnel also joined. These days, members of the association are joining the district traffic police staff in campaign against illegal three-wheelers, over speed and drunken driving. In this process, besides creating a good harmonious atmosphere between the public and the police, the members create awareness about the dangers of plying unfit and overloaded three-wheelers, over speeded vehicles and drunken driving.
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Roadways’ drivers say no to Samalkha passengers
Samalkha (Panipat), March 27 Drivers and conductors of the Haryana Roadways do not allow the Samalkha-bound passengers to board the buses. On several occasions, the matter lands with the local police where roadways employees had allegedly thrashed passengers for insisting to halt buses here. Interestingly, following repeated complaints by a local resident and trade unionist P.P. Kapoor, the state transport authorities had issued directions to the roadways staff to halt the buses at Samalkha, the only subdivision after (Gannaur) Sonepat, which is located on the NH-1. The department had notified Samalkha as an official bus stop, but the residents complained that the unwavering roadways staff was paying no heed to the official orders. The Tribune spoke to a cross section of the local residents who narrated their woes for virtual absent HR bus services. Students, senior citizens and the officer-goers are among the worst sufferers. "It is always a torturing experience for local residents, particularly the elderly, who are solely dependent on the public transport system. Samalakha-bound passengers are plainly refused entry into the roadways buses," complained Sarup Chand, a senior citizen. On November 8, 2007, the state transport authorities had deputed a sub-inspector to ensure that the passengers board the buses from the local bus stand. As per the official information, from November 2007 to March 26, 2008, the department had fined 129 drivers and conductors for not halting the buses. But the desired results to benefit the local population are yet to be yielded. "With the state roadways buses not offering services, the local residents are forced to wait for long hours for buses from other states. The roadways employees misbehave and even thrash the passengers, who object to them," alleged Kapoor. Moreover, the local resident appealed the state authorities to open the bus stand, which is lying defunct for the past three years to improve the transport scenario in the area.
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Yamunanagar timber market project revived
Yamunanagar, March 27 In 2004, then chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala had laid foundation stone of the market, but the work could not be started as the model code of conduct came into force for the assembly elections. State agriculture minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha performed bhumi pujan at the site recently. The market will come up at a cost of Rs 6.89 core. In addition, 9.95 acres have been reserved for the extension of the market. An industrial estate over 154.56 acres has also been planned by the HSIDC opposite the timber market. Sources in the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board said the market had been conceptualised and designed in such a way that there would be automatic entry and exit gates, solid waste would be recycled through industrial use and the market would remain clean. There would be provisions of resting places, eateries, drinking water facilities along with toilets. With the installation of electronic weighbridges, it would be possible to register all goods entering the market, thus enabling the market committee to maintain a complete record of goods and volumes, said the minister. Presently, the market is located on the Jagadhri-Saharanpur road where traffic snarls are a regular feature. Officials of the marketing board had undertaken a survey and concluded that the present market was
unorganised. It was found that the road remained congested during peak hours due to inadequate provision for parking. It was also found that space allocation at the market was unscientific. "At present, there is no planned allocation of space for loading and unloading activities," said an official. As far as core facilities are concerned, there will be shops for the commission agents, retailers and godowns for wholesalers. An office for the market committee will also be set up on the new mandi premises. The official said physical infrastructure would be developed in such a way that it could also cater to the future demands. Rainwater harvesting would be another feature of the modern timber market. Shad Lal
Batra, chairman of Haryana Mandi Board and MLA, assured the timber merchants that the construction of the market would be completed soon.
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Japanese co to invest Rs 1,000 cr in Jhajjar
Jhajjar, March 27 Yokohama Rubber Co., world's seventh largest tyre makers, has finalised their project and identified the land adjacent to the Footwear Park developed by the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Corporation (HSIIDC) at Kasar village near Bahadurgarh. The Haryana government would provide about 25 acres in HSIIDC's proposed industrial Sector 4B. The HSIIDC had declared the award of land in February. It has already started the process of land acquisition for this industrial sector. The Japanese company was keen on setting up a manufacturing unit in the NCR town for some time, but it could not materialise the plans due to unavailability of land. Vinay Rathi, director of the HSIIDC, said the company would invest about Rs 1,000 crore which would be the biggest investment in Haryana outside Gurgaon. He told the company was supposed to start production within nine months of the allotment of land. The Japanese tyre firm has kicked off its India operations in August 2007 with the launch of its subsidiary, Yokohama India. Initially, the company started functioning as sales company as the proposal of setting up production unit was largely subjected to sales and land availability. Rathi, however, informed that the officials of the company held a meeting with Hooda on January 19, following which the project was
finalised.
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Inside Babudom
Chandigarh, March 27 Then it was finance minister Birender Singh, who during his reply to the debate on the budget, described the state bureaucracy as "responsive and responsible". He was comparing the Haryana bureaucracy with its counterpart in Punjab, whom he held responsible for all ills affecting the neighbouring state. The administrative reshuffle in Haryana is expected by mid-April. Since the byelections to three assembly seats, which fell vacant following the disqualification of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal and his two colleagues, Dharam Pal Malik and Rakesh Kamboj, are expected in May along with the Karnataka assembly elections, the government may like to post "suitable" officers in the districts in which these constituencies fall. The reshuffle will also be necessitated because certain officers are going out of the state on deputation. One such officer is Dalip Singh, whose name has been cleared for appointment as joint secretary in the union ministry of steel. Another officer, S.K. Gulati, has opted for serving Uttarakhand on deputation. The Haryana government has consented to his request. However, his wife Shashi Gulati, also an IAS officer, would continue to serve in Haryana, sources say. A senior Haryana-cadre IAS officer, Krishan Mohan, will return back from deputation to the union territory of Chandigarh as home secretary on April 1 as per the directions of the union ministry for home affairs. The government will have to find a suitable posting for him. Meanwhile, two senior officers, who had been holding important assignments at the state headquarters, have now been given the substantive charge of insignificant assignments in Delhi and additional charge of their important assignments in Chandigarh. Additional principal secretary to Chief Minister Chhattar Singh will now be resident financial commissioner in Delhi and will hold the additional charge of his post in Chief Minister's office. Similarly, Ashok Lavasa will have the main charge of the post of industrial liaison commissioner in Delhi and the additional charge of the power department. The government has showered this benevolence on them so that they can retain the official residences allotted to them in Delhi when they were on deputation to the central government.
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Nigam fixes power supply hours
Chandigarh, March 27 A spokesman for the nigam said here that each group of tubewell consumers would also get power for an additional hour daily when power was supplied for drinking water supply purposes. Domestic consumers in rural areas would also get power when power was supplied to agricultural consumers and public waterworks. He said the supply would be regulated on industrial and independent industrial feeders from 5 am to 8 am during the morning peak load hours and from 7 pm to 11 pm during the evening peak load hours. However, 10 per cent of the normal load would be allowed for lighting purposes. He said on an average, there would be a restriction on supply for six hours daily during five different time slots in urban areas. The period of restriction would be 60 to 90 minutes in one slot.
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Championing the cause of poor
Fatehabad, March 27 Kunal Bhadoo, convener of NGO Navyug Nirman and son-in-law of Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, was the chief guest on the occasion, while Sandeep Bishnoi, son of parliamentary secretary Dura Ram, presided over. Brij Bhushan Midha and Devi Dayal Tayal, both local philanthropists, were special guests. Kunal distributed scholarship cheques worth Rs 1.50 lakh to students belonging to poor families. Vijay Mehta, president of the local chapter of the BVP, announced that his organisation would soon open senior citizens home in Fatehabad and added that work on the project had already begun. He said the BVP had distributed clothes to the poor by collecting those from the affluent section of the society. The organisation has also dedicated an ambulance van for the society, he added. C.P. Ahuja, state president of the BVP, said the organisation believed in the upliftment of the poor and inculcating nationalistic sprit in children.
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Dropout cases common in rural areas
Sirsa, March 27 This is more so in case of girls, as many parents in rural areas prefer their girls to have “just a workable knowledge” before they are married. The government has been implementing several schemes, whereby it provides incentives to students, particularly girls, to continue their studies. The district authorities have spent a sum of over Rs 3 crore for the implementation of various schemes for the welfare of students in recent times. V. Umashankar, deputy commissioner, Sirsa, said a sum of Rs 10.30 lakh had been spent on providing bicycles to 515 girls belonging to the Scheduled Castes so that they could reach their respective institution without difficulty. Besides, pullovers, socks and shoes were also provided to Scheduled Castes students, both girls and boys, and a sum of Rs 29.72 lakh was spent on this, he said. A further sum of Rs 29 lakh was spent on providing uniforms to such students, he said, adding that as many as 5,945 students benefited from these schemes. The district authorities, he added, also provided school bags to these students.
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DAV Board Exam
Chandigarh, March 27 DAV regional director, Panipat zone, Dr Dharm Dev Vidyarthi, said this year, students had fared better. According to school principal Rashmi Vidyarthi, 203 students appeared in the examinations and 202 students passed with flying colours. Ten students of this school secured above 90 per cent, 73 students got above 75 per cent marks and 135 students got above 60 per cent marks. The subject-wise performance is 100 per cent in Maths, 99 per cent in Sanskrit, 98 per cent in Hindi and 94 per cent in English.
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Citizens’ Grievances Students of the town often complain that the functioning of the Haryana Roadways is totally mismanaged and also the behavior of its drivers and conductors is not good. Between 8 am and 9 am, the drivers do not stop buses much to the harassment of the students. Hundreds of local students go to various colleges of Ambala, Kurukshetra and Radaur daily. Students say some conductors do not allow the pass holders to board the buses and even use harsh language. The Haryana State Transport Corporation should look into the matter and introduce more buses during rush hour. Surinder Pal Singh Wadhawan Changing face of crime
In a recent survey, Yamunanagar has recorded a marked rise in petty crimes like snatchings, shoplifting and thefts in locked houses. These days, the peddlers and road users hold their valuables tightly, the moment some jeans clad teenagers swish swoosh their latest brand bikes a bit too close to them. Those involved in such crimes are spoilt brats of the rich, educated and well-reputed people of society. Neurologists and psychologists believe that such children suffer from anti-social personality disorder. If timely action is not taken to nip the evil tendencies of the younger generation, the society will no longer remain a safe place to live in. Dr Amrit Kaur Risky maxi-cabs
It is a matter of pity that lakhs of passengers have to travel in private vehicles, particularly maxi-cabs, in view of the inefficient public transport system. This leaves passengers at the mercy of arrogant and unruly drivers who move their vehicles in a risky manner. They drive rashly and fill passengers more than double the capacity, besides behaving badly with passengers. And despite numerous accidents involving maxi-cabs, nobody seems bothered about the safety of passengers. Subhash C
Taneja
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