Hisar, July 9
The turf war raging in the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) is fast undoing any major political benefits it might have derived from its recent tie-up with the BSP. Simultaneously, it has provided the Congress with an opportunity to strengthen its position following its massive victory in the Lok Sabha polls.

The war raging between HJC chief Kuldeep Bishnoi and his father Bhajan Lal’s one time protégés is projecting the party as a badly divided house bent on destroying the party itself. The Haryana Congress leadership could not have asked for more, especially as the party is gearing itself up for the Assembly elections due early next year.

Besides, because of this war, the HJC has frittered away a chance to exploit its tie-up with the BSP to gain some strength after its poor showing in the parliamentary polls. Under normal circumstances, the HJC-BSP combine should have projected itself as an alternative to the Congress, especially when even the INLD-BJP tie-up had failed to click during the parliamentary polls. But, the war has ended those dreams.

The war led by former minister Subhash Batra and Krishanmurty Hooda, both one time close confidants of Bhajan Lal hailing from Rohtak, is also keeping the Bishnoi camp preoccupied with countering the dissidents’ attacks rather than raking up the issues of public interest in the company of the BSP.

The Bishnoi camp does not attach any importance to the turf war. HJC leaders loyal to Bhajan Lal say there is no way the Batra-Hooda combine can usurp the party name and symbol as the entire documentation is in the name of Kuldeep Bishnoi. They claim that the dissidents are merely trying to hog publicity before they ultimately join the Congress. These HJC men say the dissidents have no base of their own and their departure would make no impact on their party.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that the dissidents appear to be succeeding in weaning away from the HJC the support of several sections of voters, especially the Punjabi community. Unless checked effectively, this could negate the gains accruing to the HJC because of its tie-up with the BSP.

The dissidents, however, deny any plans to join the Congress. They maintain that they are the founders of the HJC and would continue to work under this banner. However, the veiled and not-so-veiled favourable comments about the working of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda made by the dissidents belie their denials to a certain extent.

Gurgaon, July 9
Haryana witnessed the highest-ever installation of solar geysers in 2008-09, with systems of over 2,06,500-litre capacity being installed in the state. As per official record, this year’s achievement in this regard is an all-time record, besides being 156 per cent higher than the previous year’s figures.

Buoyed by the encouraging results, the Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) now aims at installing solar water-heating systems of 3 lakh-litre capacity during the current year.

Confirming this, Madhu Sudan Prasad, financial commissioner and principal secretary, Renewable Energy Department, said the state government was promoting the use of solar water-heating systems in the domestic sector by providing capital subsidy.

On the installation of a solar geyser by an individual residing in the Haryana or a Haryana government employee living in Chandigarh, a capital subsidy of up to Rs 10,000 is currently being provided. Besides, a rebate in electricity bills is also available for domestic systems at the rate of Rs 100 per 100-litre system up to Rs 300 per month for three years.

The cost of a 200-litre solar geyser is approximately Rs 40,000, which, after availing the benefits of capital subsidy and rebate in electricity bills, comes out to be less than Rs 23,000. The system saves about 3,000 units of electricity annually, thereby saving about Rs 12,000 per year.

HAREDA director Sumita Misra disclosed that the state government had launched another scheme for the installation of solar water-heating systems in social sector charitable institutions to demonstrate the technology and provide its benefits to the underprivileged sections of society.

Under the scheme, solar water-heating systems are installed with 90 per cent financial assistance and the beneficiary institute has to pay only 10 per cent of the system cost. “During 2008-09, 124 solar water-heating systems were installed in 41 such institutions at a cost of about Rs 1.55 crore,” she added.

Misra further revealed that the state government had decided to extend the benefits of the domestic sector programme to group housing societies also. She asserted that these installations had not only reduced the peak load on the power grid by about 2 MW, but also reduced the emission of 3,038 tonne of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The HAREDA director called upon the architects, real estate developers and people in general to design houses in such a way that they have sufficient space on the rooftop for solar geysers.

Kaithal, July 9
The DRDA and other government agencies have joined hands to popularise solar energy in this district. Villages having more than 50 per cent SC/ST population will have solar street lights.

ADC Sumedha Kataria said the scheme was being implemented by the DRDA under the aegis of the solar energy department and HREDA. She said the objective of this programme was to conserve energy and create awareness among the people about the use of solar energy appliances.

The villages selected under this scheme are in Guhla, Siwan, Kalayat and Rajound blocks. Kallar Majra village will have 31 solar lights, Theh Banera - 41, Hemu Majra - 10, Chanchak - 25, Sihali - 11, Atela - 51, Tarawali - 31, Urlana - 38, Kharak - 115, Paharpur - 19, Kalasar - 22, and Theh Bahri will have 26 solar lights.

Kataria said the solar energy department had introduced the “shiksha deep” scheme under which girl students standing first in primary, middle, high and higher secondary schools will be honoured by giving a solar lantern. To motivate the girl students to continue their studies, “mein padhoongi, mein padhoongi” would be inscribed on such lanterns. As many as 732 solar lanterns would be distributed under this scheme, she said, adding 102 solar lanterns costing Rs 1,675 each would be given to SC students at a subsidised rate of Rs 275 each.

Kurukshetra: As many as 22 villages in the district have been identified for the installation of the solar street lighting system under the Schedule Castes Special Component Programme.

According to additional deputy commissioner Narender Singh, the villages having more than 50 per cent population of Schedule Castes would be provided modern and efficient solar lights. With the installation of these systems in the villages, the people would be getting proper street light throughout the night free of cost and without any cut.

Besides, these systems were eco-friendly and easy to operate. The system automatically gets switched on during the night and gets switched off in the morning because of the Solar Photovoltaic System. The cost of one solar street light was approximately Rs 23,100, he said.

The work of the installation of 402 solar street lights was in progress and the village-wise distribution of the lights were in Shahazadpur village - 16, Dalla Majra - 13, Mohanpur - 19, Dhakala - 23, Mugal Majara - 19, Urnai - 62, Khanpur Roran - 17, Kishan Garh - 14, Daulatpur - 19, Kainthala Kalan - 4, Shadipur Shahabad - 6, Salpani Khurd - 22, Bakana - 41, Naraingarh - 11, Khangarh - 9, Jogimajra - 10, Mangoli Rangran - 11, Kalwa - 17, Rurki - 13, Shahjadpur - 12 as well as Samalakha and Muradnagar - 22. The total cost of the project was Rs 92,86,200.

Singh also informed that these lights would also be installed free of cost in the model villages of the district, namely Jyotisar, Tangor and Haldheri as well as clean and hygienic villages which had been awarded the Nirmal Gram Puraskar from the district plan.

He appealed to the people to come forward for using the non-conventional energy sources to lower the emission of carbon dioxide.

Panipat, July 9
Under the national afforestation programme, the union ministry of forests and environment has embarked upon an ambitious project to bring more than 374 hectare under forests in the district during the next three years.

The authorities have already identified 10 villages the panchayat land of which would be used to increase the forest cover. Afforestation drives in the district have gained additional importance because of the ever-increasing problem of pollution caused by industrialisation.

Giving this information, district forest officer Vasvi Tyagi said panchayat land in Naultha, Manndi, Pardhana, Balana, Shahar Malpur, Jalmana, Attha, Ahar, Vasar and Israna villages had been identified. She said recent rains had already softened the land that would prove beneficial for the plantation drive. Besides the national programme, the district forest department had also set a target to plant saplings on 46.5 hectare in the district. Tyagi said the local environment would immensely benefit from the drive and would also cheer up the people with environmental concerns.

Other than working for the environment and increasing the forest cover, the department was also active in promoting self-help groups amongst the rural folks. The department had already assisted a number of self-help groups in 31 villages of the district, where womenfolk had been provided with loans to start their own businesses. The forest officer said the main aim of promoting the groups was to enable the rural women uplift their living standards through economic liberation. 

Yamunanagar, July 9
“There is an urgent need to replace wood with its substitute bamboo in the plywood industry in view of the declining wood resources and restrictions imposed on felling of trees from natural forests in India. Bamboo emerges as a suitable alternative as it grows three times faster and can be harvested four times. It is environment friendly and also easily available,” said MM Jalan, chairman-cum-managing director, Arunachal Plywood Industry.

After the ban on felling of trees in natural forests, Jalan has been using bamboo for making various products in place of wood for the past many years.

“Bamboo yields six times more cellulose than other fast-growing trees available extensively in natural forests,” he said after addressing a seminar here on the plywood industry organised by the Wood Technologists Association.

“We hope that the state will also go for bamboo-related products soon. Besides carpets, we have been constructing houses, hotels and educational institutions with bamboo only. We have so far constructed Islamic University in Jammu and Kashmir, tourists house in Manali, school in Kangra and houses in Leh,” he added.

Giving details, he said bamboo houses were economical and environment friendly. Bamboo-based industry was growing fast in Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Manipur and Assam. Assam had 60 per cent of bamboo stock.

“We have been giving loans to villagers to set up units and purchase machines to make bamboo-related products. We also buy products from them,” he said.

Rewari, July 9
Activists of backward classes from various parts of the district participated in a district-level conference of OBCs held at Nangal Chaudhary town of Mahendergrah district recently.

While Dr RK Jangra, president of the All-India Jangir Brahmin Yuva Mahasabha, was the chief guest, Shiv Charan, district chief of the Backward Classes Organisation, presided.

Regretting that members of the OBCs, whose total strength in the country was over 15 crore, had been leading a life of want and neglect even 60 years after Independence, Dr Jangra demanded the creation of a separate central ministry for OBCs

He said the OBCs now stood deprived of adequate reservation in jobs, educational advancement and political empowerment. There was, therefore, an urgent need for the establishment of a separate OBC ministry, which could effectively redress their problems.

Simultaneously, expressing dissatisfaction at the haphazard way in which reservation for OBCs was implemented in different states, Dr Jangra sought the implementation of the Karpoori Thakur formula.

As regards Haryana, he said there were over 20 lakh members of the OBCs in the state, who, he pointed out, were a neglected lot. He urged Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to allocate at least 10 seats to the representatives of the OBCs in the coming Assembly elections to bring them on a par with other sections of society.

Sonepat, July 9
The District Red Cross Society has been engaged in implementing the targeted intervention project for the past four years to check the targeted population against AIDS.

The society has so far provided STD treatment to 1,123 patients and HIV testing on 771 persons in its various health camps. As many as 17 persons were tested positive for HIV in such camps.

The main objective of this project is to keep a check on the targeted population through precautions and interventions. The target population includes truckers, users of intravenous drugs, female sex workers, street children, migrant population and eunuchs.

The project is being implemented by organising awareness programme for teenagers and health camps, particularly for women, meetings with group leaders, community workers, members of panchayats and other social organisations.

“If anyone is tested positive for HIV, counselling as well as anti-retroviral therapy (ART) is arranged for him at the PGIMS, Rohtak,” said secretary of the District Red Cross Society, Subhash Vashisht, who is also the project director of the programme.

Vashisht informed that the first case of AIDS in the world was detected in 1981 in the US. In India, it was found in Chennai in 1986, and first case in Haryana was detected in Bohar village in 1989. The number of HIV positive cases had gone up to 25 lakh in India and around 40,000 in Haryana, he added.