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Mid-day meals a non-starter
Chandigarh, July 28
This has been found by none other than the most potent watchdog - the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. During the performance audit of the scheme in the state, the accountant-general (audit), Haryana, found deficiencies in financial management and programme implementation as there were cases of unspent funds being kept in banks, reporting of incorrect enrolment figures to the union government, inadequate quantity of meals served to children and the lack of infrastructure. Most of the schools reported to the auditors that the programme had adversely affected the teaching. The monitoring is also poor because at most of the places steering-cum-monitoring committees have not been constituted. The test audit of just four districts revealed that unspent amount of Rs 5.7 2 crore was lying in banks, which, under the rules, should have been deposited in the government account. It was detected that the education department had reported enrolment figures in excess of the actual enrolment in Jind, Karnal and Yamunanagar districts to the central government to claim excess financial assistance for cooking. The auditors found that despite the mid-day meal scheme, a vast number of children were not enrolled in schools. According to 2001 census, the total population of children in the age group of 6-11 years was 31.65 lakh in the state. But the total enrolment of children in the schools during 2002-07 was about 16 lakh. The auditors were of the view that the programme had not made a noticeable contribution towards increasing the enrolment of the students in the schools. Similarly, the rate of dropouts remained almost constant during the five years from 2002 to 2007. In four districts of Hisar, Jind, Karnal and Yamunanagar, which were checked by the auditors, 42 g to 49 g of food grains was provided to each student against the norm of 100 g. Though the education department reported to the Centre that the scheme had been implemented in all 1,106 alternative and innovative education centres, it was found that 364 such centres in Hisar, Karnal and Yamunanagar districts were not providing meals to the students. As high as 88 per cent of the schools checked by the auditors reported that serving and consumption of meals took more than the prescribed time of 40 minutes and 92 per cent schools reported that the scheme was affecting teaching. The shortcomings in the implementation of the mid-day meals scheme even in a developed state like Haryana strongly indicates the need for its immediate fine-tuning, keeping in view the ground realities, if the noble objectives of the scheme are to be achieved in true sense.
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Exchange fused bulbs for new
Hisar, July 28 Under the scheme, the nigam would give one 15 watt CFL free of cost for every 10 unbroken burnt CFLs or five unbroken burnt tube lights or five working incandescent bulbs of above 25 watts or 20 burnt unbroken incandescent bulbs or a combination of 15 such
lighting appliances. The consumers will have to bring these properly packed to avoid breakage during transit to any subdivisional office or customer care centre of the nigam. The consumers will be given a receipt for the deposited appliances. The receipt should be preserved as lucky draws would be held in each operation circle on the energy
conservation day. The DHBVN will store the old burnt lighting appliances in steel drums of adequate size at nigam’s stores for proper disposal. The nigam will prefer recycling of CFLs as per recommendations of the Environment Protection Agency (EPA).
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Solar eclipse fair begins tomorrow
Kurukshetra, July 28 The solar eclipse will occur from 4 pm to 5:55 pm on August 1. Deputy commissioner Pankaj Aggarwal has directed the district officers to complete the mela arrangements well in advance. Aggarwal, who addressed the district officers at the mini-secretariat here recently, laid stress on completing the arrangements, including filling the sacred Brahamsarover and Sannihit sarover with fresh water by July 25. He said the administration had decided to give an insurance cover to all pilgrims within 7 km radius of the mela area during the fair. To conclude the fair peacefully, the mela area had been divided into 12 sectors and each of these would be administered by a senior officer as a duty magistrate with security forces to maintain law and order. Keeping in view the safety of the pilgrims, parking places had been earmarked to the nearest points of bathing ghats of the sarovers. Similarly, for children’s safety, reception centres would be established at entry points, where identity cards bearing all information, including parents names, address and telephone numbers, would be issued to the children visiting the fair. The information-broadcasting centre, run by the public relations department, would be established at the conference hall of Srikrishna Museum here, from where all important announcements of the administration as well as
regarding lost and found would be made. Close circuit TVs would be installed to have close a vigil on anti social elements, while police personnel, home guards and volunteers of various religious and voluntary organisations would be deployed for pilgrims’ security and divers would be deployed and motorboats would be pressed into service to avoid any untoward incident. Different committees headed by district officers, had already been constituted to look after various arrangements, including the supply of drinking water, electricity, smooth run of vehicular traffic, tent arrangements as well as allotting plots for stalls and free kitchens etc. Regarding the solar eclipse, Srikrishna museum deputy director Rajesh Purohit says solar eclipse, a scientific phenomenon, is the partial or complete obscuration of the sun when moon comes between the sun and the earth. Kurukshetra has a unique association with the sacred bath during solar eclipse. Its antiquity dates back to the time of Mahabharata. Kurukshetra is revered all over India for its sanctity and rich cultural heritage. Amidst the halo of myths and realities it has allured attention since its earliest times as a famous place of pilgrimage and a centre of vedic civilisation and learning. However, Kurukshetra is popularly known as the battlefield of the epic Mahabharata. The founder of the land was king Kuru who practiced austere penance to make this land righteous. That is why, in the first verse of Gita, Kurukshetra is prefixed with an epithet Dharmakshetra. Kurukshetra is also known as the tirtha par excellence according to the Mahabharata. The word tirtha symbolises liberation of soul from the cycle of birth and death hence it is obvious the land ought to be associated with water and water bodies. This is evident from the age-old tradition of taking a holy dip in the sacred tanks of Kurukshetra. Millions of pilgrims and tourist throng the city during the solar eclipse to take a dip in the sacred tanks i.e. Brahma sarovar and Sannihit sarovar. A holy dip in these tanks during the eclipse gives the merit of performing thousand Ashawamedha Yajnas.
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Gurgaon makes rapid strides in IT
Gurgaon, July 28 The data compiled by the local office of the state information technology department reveal that the total exports from Gurgaon in the IT and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) sector has touched Rs 18,000 crore mark at the end of financial year 2007-08, as compared to Rs 15,000 crore in 2006-07 and Rs 10,700 crore in the preceding year. The record growth puts Gurgaon ahead of other IT centres in the country as the industry here is growing at the rate of about 40 per cent that is much above the national average of about 28 per cent, said M.K. Sardana, GM, IT, Gurgaon. A quick look at the list of global players who have set up their shops here will be sufficient to conclude that it has become of one of their most favoured destinations. And the latest export record corroborates this contention. There are about 400 IT and ITES companies operating in the district. It has emerged as a preferred destination after the announcement of IT policy by the state government, which has set up a regional IT promotion office here as part of its efforts to boost the industry among other things. Recently, global giant Thompson, dealing in graphics and animation, also set up its office here. Companies like Hughes Software, Tata Consultancy Service, HCL, GE Capital and Silicon Graphics Alcatel, American Express, Convergys, Motorola, Ericcson, Polaris, Sapient, Hewitt, Dell, Samsung, Aricent, Microsoft, IBM, Siemens, Fidelity, Genpact, Oracle, WNS, Google, Accenture, Wipro have also established their units here. Deputy Commissioner Rakesh Gupta attributed the success to the liberal policies of the state government. The major incentives given to this sector include relaxation in floor area ratio, rebate on registration, transfer of property charges, exemption under Haryana Shops and Commercial Establishment Act. Other facilities include setting up of the Electronic City, spread over 40 acres, for the hi-tech and export-oriented electronics/IT industry. Satellite link has been provided for the units located in Software Technology Park spread in an area of 14,000 sq feet. An Information Technology and Telecommunication Complex in the Electronic City has been planned for software exports. It would have world- class facilities like earth Notably, Qutub Minar-Gurgaon Metro Corridor is under construction |at an estimated cost of Rs 681 crore and is expected to be complete by January 2010. This would further boost the IT & ITES companies here.
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Rs 9.9 cr sanctioned for religious places
Chandigarh, July 28 According to a spokesman of the board, the money would be spent on strengthening infrastructure, developing landscape and conservation of places of religious importance (tiraths), tourist places, historical places and sarovers of Kurukshetra. The stress would be on providing world-class amenities for the convenience of pilgrims and tourists visiting the holy places of the religious capital of the state. The Safado and Pandupindara Tiraths in Jind district have already been developed at a cost of Rs 31 lakh and Rs 12 lakh respectively. Beside this, Rs 8 lakh has been spent on providing drinking water facility In Kaithal district, the developmental works in the Ranmochan Tirath at Rasina have been completed with an expenditure of over Rs 1 crore to provide better civic amenities to the people of the area. The developmental works are in progress in the Kapalmuni Tirath at a cost of Rs 1.16 crore. In the same district, at the Dera Yog Asharam, the construction work of the temple and laying of concrete road from Mien to Dera have been completed. An expenditure of Rs 14.15 lakh and Rs 8.16 lakh was incurred on these works respectively. The Pehowa road has been widened at a cost of Rs 15 lakh to provide easy approach to the pilgrims to Jyotisar village, believed to be the birthplace of the Gita. In the areas falling in and around the Bhrahm Sarovar, the road on its eastern section has been four lined and lights have been installed by spending Rs 17.70 lakh and Rs 3 lakh respectively. On the western section of the sarovar, a parking lot has been constructed. Besides, a slip road has been constructed at the southeastern corner of the sarover. A boundary wall has been constructed around the mela ground. The Nand-Ji-Ki-Samadhi has been laid on the Salapur road connecting the Sanhit Sarover. A sum of Rs 23 lakh has been spent on the construction of road connecting Kurukshetra to the Pashukar Raj Tirath at village Pokerkheri. A parking lot has been constructed at Baba-Kali-Mali building and a road falling between Nand Ji’s memorial and Ashatav-Vibhuti Mandir has been repaired at a cost of Rs 8.80 lakh and Rs 9.65 lakh respectively.
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Shortage of power meters hits consumers
Jhajjar, July 28 As a result, consumers have been facing several hardships. Despite the fact that the district office of the nigam has been sending demand as per the requirement regularly, but adequate supply is not being made. According to sources, if a domestic meter gets damaged due to any reason the consumer has to pay double the amount to get a new meter installed. First, he has to submit the prescribed fees of Rs 900 for the damaged meter after giving written information to the nigam about the faulty meter. Then the consumer has to buy a meter from the market, which comes at an extra cost. Under such circumstances, the consumer has to shell out more money besides facing official apathy. As per rules and regulations, if a consumer gets new meter from the nigam, he has to submit only Rs 900 as installation fees, but when the consumer purchases it from the market he has to submit additional fees of the damaged meter. The problems for the consumer do not end with the purchasing of private meter as he has to take rounds of the nigam office to get the meter installed, which is often delayed as the nigam sends the private meter to laboratory for testing which takes a
long time. “In the absence of sufficient supply of the meters from the head office, the consumers of the district have to face difficulty but it would be resolved soon as the sufficient supply is expected soon,” said superintending engineer, UHBVN, R.S. Dahiya, adding that efforts were being made to install new meters at the earliest. Meanwhile, consumers are of the view that the shortage of meters clearly exposed the claims of the UHBVN that says that it is under the process of improving its infrastructure and better customer service.
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In the service of the dead
Hisar, July 28 Dr Deepak Nagpal, a local dentist and president of the society, said the last rites were performed by Acharya Jagadguru Mahamandleshwar Mahant of Ayodhya. He said the society had carried the ashes collected from all over the state in a truck, which was flagged off by SDM Mandeep Brar. When the society members were preparing to immerse the ashes in Hardwar, the mahant reached there to perform the last rites of a fellow mahant. The mahant of Ayodhya was surprised to see so many bags of ashes. He was informed that these were ashes of unidentified persons who had been cremated in the absence of their next of kin. The mahant was so moved that he offered to immerse the ashes and perform the last rites himself. The mahant appreciated the society’s work. Nagpal was perturbed by reports of unclaimed dead bodies being disposed of by municipal officials by throwing these over burning used tyres. He and his friends then founded a social service organization, Aasra. Interestingly, Nagpal bears all expenses himself and does not seek or accept donations. The cremation and performance of last rites costs him an average of Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 a month. Nagpal was recently honoured by the government for his social work. He has made his phone numbers available to the hospitals and the police. As soon as an unclaimed dead body is found, Aasra office-bearers are informed. After legal formalities, the members organise the cremation and later immerse the ashes in the Ganges. Aasra members inspired by Nagpal also arrange for hospitalisation of the sick living on footpaths and under the city’s overbridges. Nagpal also holds free dental camps in and around Hisar for the poor.
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Agricultural board to bridge gap between farmers, consumers
Chandigarh, July 28
As a step in this direction, an ultra-modern wholesale fruit and vegetable complex, designed on the European pattern, is coming up at Ganaur, 60 km from Delhi. It will be designed to handle 7.5 million tones of fruit and vegetables and 0.5 million tones of flowers in a year. The board has also prepared a blueprint to upgrade the fruit and vegetable markets at the district headquarters and tehsils. The terminal market and the markets at the district and tehsil levels will be connected to 100 collection centres where farm produce will find its way. “The competition in the agriculture sector is growing and we don’t want our farmers to be at any disadvantage. We want to be, in fact, in tune with the times. To keep our farmers in business, we have visualised state-of-the-art facilities in the fruit and vegetable markets by providing cool chambers, ripening chambers, grading, sorting and packaging facilities. We are hopeful that with the markets becoming operational, growers will get remunerative prices instead of having to give away their produce at throwaway prices,” says Ram Niwas, chief administrator, HSAMB. The opening of these markets would not only mean better prices but also help the overly crowded Delhi market, promote export of vegetables and fruits. It would also develop infrastructure for setting up agro-processing units. As of now, farmers are plagued with problems of infrastructure for direct selling, there is no system to reward producers for high quality produce, there exists no opportunity to sell packed, sorted and value-added produce and the price determination is not transparent. The alternative structure envisioned by the board has proposes backward and forward linkages between the farmer and the consumer. It aims at setting up farmer-owned packinghouses in each distinct production zone and modern, professionally managed wholesale markets which auction produce. “We also aim at establishing distribution centres that provide market information and services to producers while servicing retailers with produce and marketing support. At retail outlets, consumers will be able to get a wide variety of graded produce”. For the growers, the opening of such markets translates into freedom from the syndicate of commission agents to package and transport fruit and vegetables to distant destinations. It also means a better price for quality produce. For the consumers, these markets promise improved nutrition in produce and complete value for money since graded supplies would be available at their doorsteps.
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More facilities for gramin dak sevaks
Ambala, July 28 According to state chief post master general Manjula Prashar, minister for communications and information technology Jyotiraditya M Scindia had felt the need to bring about improvement in the working conditions for the rural staff after he met around 15,000 GDS personnel belonging to Jabalpur and Shajapur districts of Madhya Pradesh last month. Various steps have been taken for the amelioration of the working conditions of the gramin dak sevaks like immunity from transfer, expeditious action on cases of compassionate appointment, annual allowance for purchase of shoes etc. “He has advised the authorities that all surrender, maturity and loan cases of rural postal life insurance should be settled within 15 days and deceased claims cases within 30 days. Cases pertaining to RD accounts should also be settled rapidly. If application for the transfer of an RD account is given in the same post office in which the account exists, action should be taken within 10 days to transfer the account,”
stated Prashar. There are 2,86,004 GDS personnel in the country, who man rural post offices and provide basic postal facilities, including daily deliveries of letters. In Haryana circle, there are 4,188 GDS personnel providing services from 2,152 branch post offices.
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A shot in the arm for state tourism
Faridabad, July 28 On the occasion of inauguration of a convention centre in Hotel Raj Hans in Suraj Kund, near here, the minister said an ambitious plan of invigorating Haryana tourism had been devised which would be implemented in two stages. The total time frame is 33 years for the projects that contains both short and long-term plans. All this was being done under a well laid out tourism policy of the state, she added. With regard to Suraj Kund, she said a design gallery had already been set up on the Suraj Kund Crafts Mela premises while the proposed food court would be opened shortly. According to her, youths had been drifting away to other tourist centres, but the tourism department of the state was holding camp for the youths at Manali to impress upon them the virtues of tourist sites in Haryana. She said the linkage of the Kalka-Shimla railway route to Yadvindra Park at Pinjore has catapulted Haryana tourism at an international plane and brought it on world heritage radar. According to her, there were plans to refurbish and give a facelift to the tourism in Morni Hills, Sulatanpur, Suraj Kund, Dharuhera, etc. She said as per the vision of the Haryana government, the state was going ahead with promoting eco-tourism. She said there was guideline from the Centre to create 10,000 additional rooms in the state in view of the coming Commonwealth Games to be held in the country. She asserted that the tourism department would ensure that the rooms were ready by 2009. With regard the convention centre, she said it would not only be used by people from Faridabad, but the entire National Capital Region, as Suraj Kund had emerged as an important and scenic centre. The secretary of tourism, government of India, Sheebhadra Banerjee, while speaking on the occasion said Haryana tourism was forced to reckon with. He said the centre would go a long way in meeting the demand for conferencing from the government and private sector side.
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Frequent bandhs hit Sirsa traders
Sirsa, July 28 Had the local unit of the Haryana Pradesh Vyapar Mandal (HPVM) not resisted, two more working days would have been sacrificed to bandhs. The first bandh for Sirsa residents came on July 3, when the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and its frontal organisations gave a call on the issue of allotment of land to the Amarnath Shrine Board. When the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) organised a bandh of traders in Sirsa district in protest against the shortage of water and power on July 11, the local shopkeepers had to close their shops for the second time in a month. Shopkeepers again had to down their shutters, when incidents of rioting and burning of shops started at Dabwali on July 18 after the death of a Sikh during Dera-Sikh spat over the “naam charcha”. Though no call was given by any organisation, the traders closed their shops on their own to avoid any loss to their property. Even on the next day a partial bandh was witnessed as residents were apprehensive of trouble after curfew was clamped at Dabwali and prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC promulgated elsewhere in the district. Sikh organisations that assembled at Dabwali in connection with the cremation of a youth killed in Dera-Sikh clash on July 18, announced another bandh for July 23. But as if that was not enough, the local Sikh leaders announced yet another bandh for July 21. It was at this point that traders put their foot down and decided to resist. The district unit of the HPVM organised a meeting here last week and told the organisers of the bandh in no uncertain terms that the trader could not cooperate with them if they go on organising unlimited bandhs. This forced the organisers to rethink and they cancelled the July 21 bandh. Talking to The Tribune, Hira Lal Sharma, district president of the HPVM said the local traders were now fed up with these bandhs, which were being organised for even trivial reasons. “The bandhs not only cause heavy losses to the traders but also to the state exchequer. The state government loses crores in the shape of denial of direct and indirect taxes every time a bandh is organised,” says Sharma. “Besides monetary losses, the traders also feel insecure during strikes. Whenever the organisers come to the markets making appeals for bandhs, anti-social elements find their way into their groups,” he adds. “It is not that only the traders suffer due to these bandhs. Villagers who come to the town for purchases have to return empty handed,” maintains Sharma. Anjani Kanodia, another leader of the local traders, wants that whenever a political or social organisation takes a decision to hold a bandh, it should first take traders into confidence. But they rarely do so and take a decision on their own and then enforce it upon the traders, he adds.
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Centre to help propel road development
Panipat, July 28 While inaugurating the Panipat elevated road project a few days back, union minister for shipping, transport and highways T.R. Baalu had said the union government was committed to the rapid development of Haryana. Giving details various road projects in the state, he said the ministry had already initiated work for four-laning of Panipat-Rohtak, Panchkula-Barwala-Saha-YamunaNagar and Babal-Rohtak-Jind sections. He said the government was also implementing 135-km long six-lane eastern peripheral expressway with a length of 49 km in Haryana. The Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation was also constructing the 135-km long four-lane Kundli-Manesar-Palwal expressway also known as western peripheral expressway, which is entirely in Haryana. Recently, the ministry had also approved the Badarpur elevated highway and the project is scheduled to be completed before the Commonwealth Games 2010. Baalu said the work of six-laning of 291 km Panipat-Jalandhar stretch of which 107 km was in Haryana was also being undertaken at an estimated cost of Rs 2,288 crore. Similarly, the project for six-laning of Gurgaon-Kotputli-Jaipur section of NH-8 has also been awarded at a cost of Rs 1,673 crore. Other major projects taken up include four-laning of Delhi-Rohtak and Zirakpur-Parwanoo stretches. Baalu reiterated that government’s resolve to attach highest priority to the development and expansion of physical infrastructure, including roads and highways. The minister said the amount spent under the National Highways Development Project (NHDP) had been increased from Rs 6,093 crore by the previous regime to Rs 18,066 crore by the present government, representing an increase of over 196 per cent. The minister said in the state, about 339 km of National Highways have been widened to four-lane, about 283 kms of National Highways are being taken up for widening to six/four lanes and project preparation for widening to six or four lanes of about 481-km length was under various stages of progress. He said that his Ministry, during the last four years, had sanctioned 85 works amounting to Rs 371 crore for improvement of National Highways and another sum of Rs 245 crore has been sanctioned under the Central Road Fund Scheme for the improvement of state roads in Haryana during the last four years. These projects would provide the backbone to the economy of this vibrant state and would also provide a fillip to the industrial and agricultural sectors.
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Railway overbridge project hits roadblock
Bhiwani, July 28 However, the administration is facing opposition from those whose business would suffer due to it. In this context, deputy commissioner T.L. Satyaprakash has held a meeting with representatives of the affected parties i.e. TIT mill, Hindustan Gum Guwar factory, Shiv Nursery and other shopkeepers. The ministry of railways had recently sanctioned an overbridge on the Tosham-Bhiwani road, adjacent to the railway junction. According to the proposed site plan, the overbridge would adversely affect about 55 shops and an orphange. Satyaprakash said, “The administration’s attitude towards TIT mill, orphanage and other shopkeepers is sympathetic.” The administration has assured the affected shopkeepers that they would be provided shops on the municipal land in lieu of their existing establishments, he said, adding that a proposal to give land to the orphanage is also under consideration. Meanwhile, the proposed site for the overbridge has landed into a controversy and there are concerns that political interference may harm the project. Local MLAs have been claiming credit for the project clearance, but with the laying of its foundation stone by Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda, certain political figures have started opposing it. Several senior citizens, who have been associated with the orphanage for years, have also opposed the project. A former manager of orphanage, Dr Ram Phal Singh, says the orphanage is a historical institution. After having won a case in the Lahore High Court in 1956, Lala Lajpat Rai founded it and housed 82 children released from various Christian missionaries. The people who have been related to the orphanage say the proposed map would damage employees’ rooms, gaushala, water tank and the office. They say the bridge must be constructed but it should be diverted towards the Bhiwani Textile Mills road.
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Private transporters throw rules to the wind
Kaithal, July 28 Residents of the town feel that traffic cops devote more energy in checking serious violators, including overloaded buses and maxi-cabs that ply in violation of all rules. Sometimes, passengers can even be seen riding on the rooftop of these vehicles. Private bus operators and maxi cab drivers are a law unto themselves. They drive negligently; use pressure horns while passing through residential and busy commercial areas and park at their own convenience. On papers, maxi cabs ply only on routes where there are no regular bus services. But in reality they ferry passengers of every route, which causes huge losses to the roadways department. On many occasions in the past, the roadways union has pinpointed these flaws to higher authorities but only symbolic action has been taken against the guilty. On the other hand, despite the tall claims of the transport department to connect every village with a bus service the rural people have to still rely on private buses. The few roadways buses that are there are often overloaded and people, especially school children and college students, travel on rooftops, which gravely endangers their life. In addition, traffic cops have to deal with many ‘outdated’ three-wheelers that pollute the atmosphere. But cops lack proper briefing to act against such violators. The SSP, Anil Kumar Rao, said since the bus stand has now been shifted there will be less rush of big vehicles inside the city. A special drive would also be launched to regulate traffic and act strictly against violators, he added.
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Changed political scenario with delimitation
Fatehabad, July 28 Although all the three assembly constituencies that have remained in the district now have witnessed addition of votes, the total number of voters in the district is less than the number earlier number. This is because of the fact that some villages of Bhattu Kalan assembly constituency fell in Hisar district. As per the draft voter lists prepared by the election department, which will be on display from July 18, 2008, to August 1, 2008, for claims and objections from the general public, Tohana assembly constituency will now have 1,54,826 votes. Prior to delimitation, Tohana had 1,38,519 votes, out of which 24,881 were excluded and 45,805 were added new. Fatehabad assembly constituency, which earlier had 1,53,043 voters, will now have 1,65,578 voters. In the Fatehabad assembly segment prior to delimitation, 87,469 new voters were included while 70,315 voters were excluded. Ratia (Reserve) assembly constituency had 1,20,496 voters earlier. With 56,873 new voters added and 26,471 voters excluded, it will now have 1,49,428 votes. The number of polling stations has increased for all the three assembly segments. The number in Tohana has gone up from 133 to 159; in Fatehabad from 145 to 152 and in Ratia (Reserve) constituency from 125 to 155. Meanwhile, Bhattu Kalan assembly constituency abolished, certain politicians have been virtually rendered “homeless” and will have to search for fresh constituencies now. The prominent among those are former Haryana Minister Sampat Singh of the INLD, who has won Bhattu Kalan seat four times, including a hat-trick in 1982, 1987 and 1990. Now, Fatehabad suits him the best as a major chunk of Bhattu Kalan assembly segment has been merged in Fatehabad. However, the possibility of him being a candidate from Fatehabad is giving sleepless nights to other aspirants of his party, including a former MLA Swatantar Bala Chaudhary, and Kulbir Singh Beniwal, the ruling party’s sitting MLA from Bhattu Kalan. One of the vocal politicians of the area, Beniwal has been openly expressing his desire to contest from Fatehabad, although it does not go down well with other local leaders of the party. These leaders, including the parliamentary secretary Dura Ram, will make every effort to keep Beniwal at a distance from Fatehabad. The Haryana Janhit Party (BL) too will face a dilemma when it finds a suitable seat for former MLA Ran Singh Beniwal. But one thing is sure, with these changes, both in the geography as well as political scene, the next assembly elections will evoke a greater interest in people.
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‘Unspoken thoughts’
Rohtak, July 28 She has been writing since her school days and some of her write-ups have been published in The Tribune as well. An anthology of her poems and pictures, titled The Unspoken Thoughts, was released recently. “It is an attempt to voice the concerns of people belonging to various sections of society, especially the downtrodden,” says the budding author. Her poetry also touches upon themes like the plight of physically-challenged, social ethos and dogmas, the ideology of today’s youth, nationalistic spirit et al. Daughter of D.S. Chaudhary, a senior state functionary and Dr Swaran Lata, a lecturer, Akanksha says her family has always been a source of inspiration for her. “She has always been an emotional and religious girl, quite sensitive to her surroundings,” observes her mother, who has herself written two books. As of now, Akanksha is writing a novel on child marriage, while a short-story collection is also in the pipeline.
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Move to appoint IAS officers as registrars flayed
Kurukshetra, July 28 In a press statement released here recently, they said it had been observed in the past that as and when this experiment was done, there was a lack of coordination between the registrars and the vice-chancellors, which had affected the academic growth of the universities. They have asked the government not to go ahead with this idea. They said that many other faculty members of the university had also expressed concern that the move would lead to the undermining of autonomy of the universities. They demanded that only academicians should be appointed as the registrars so as to ameliorate the academic environment and boost the research activities. They emphasised that it was a good beginning by the present government when it decided that only academicians would be appointed as the vice-chancellors and registrars. A teachers’ delegation would soon call upon Haryana Governor A.R. Kidwai, who is also the chancellor of state universities, as well as Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to discuss the issue in detail and convey the views of the teachers, they added.
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Most of the schools have reported that the scheme has adversely affected teaching
Monitoring is poor as at most of the places steering-cum-monitoring committees have not been constituted
Test audit of four districts reveals that unspent amount of Rs 5.72 crore is lying in banks
Excess enrolment figures have been reported in Jind, Karnal and Yamunanagar to claim higher financial assistance
The scheme failed to make a noticeable contribution towards increasing the enrolment in the schools
Students are being provided 42 g to 49 g of food grains against the norm of 100 g
