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Handsome honorarium for CM’s staff ?
UP leaders eyeing foothold in Haryana
SC accepts Chautala brothers’ plea for early hearing
Truck mows down elephant
Eve-teasers beware! Women cops are watching you
Man shot dead in judicial complex
Dengue survey in Sirsa village
Roadways to add 1,000 buses
Chahal on Central Pollution Control Board
Villagers force revenue officials to return
Dearness allowance increased by 10 pc
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Pest attack damages paddy
Rohtak, October 19 The Agriculture Department has initiated several measures to control the pest attack, which could have resulted in widespread damage if there had been no alert. The crop is at the ripening stage. According to reports, the damage could be between 10 and 15 per cent. The officials concerned said the farmers with the assistance of the Agriculture Department had succeeded in controlling the pest timely and thus minimised its impact. The farmers were given several tips which decreased the overall damage, said Deputy Director, agriculture, SK Kadian. Admitting that the paddy crop was attacked by pest, he said the department was still to conduct a detailed survey regarding the problem. He, however, added that the damage was limited to 10 per cent. A total of 35,000 acres is under paddy cultivation in the district. There could be a decrease in the crop production in some of the pockets due to pest attack, claimed Nafe Singh, a farmer from nearby Sundana village. He claimed that his crop spread over 2 acres had been completely damaged due to the pest attack, even as he had taken help of pesticides. “It has come as a big setback as other kharif crops too have been damaged due to excess rainfall and standing flood water in the fields. Now, there is a little hope of sowing rabi crops due to the standing water in the fields,” he lamented. |
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Not being hired for work, allege Dalit women
Hisar, October 19 The judge was accompanied by the sub-disional magistrate, Hansi, and a host of other officials. The judge inspected the affected houses. Most of these have since been rebuilt or repaired. He met members of the Dalit and Jat communities and asked them to state “whatever they wanted” in the form of an affidavit. “If you do not have the affidavits ready, you can send these to me by post later. Otherwise, you can give them to the SDM,” he said. Justice Iqbal Singh heard out the villagers, responding to none. One of the leaders of the Dalits, Suresh Balmiki, told the commission that “the relations between the two communities are now cordial and there is no dispute any more.” However, three Dalit women told the commission that they did not want to stay in the village. “We are not being hired for work in the fields and have no money,” one of them stated. Another said: “We are being pressurised to withdraw cases. We prefer to stay somewhere else.” The judge asked them to submit affidavits. The tehsildar accompanying the commission showed the judge a list of residents who had been provided employment under the MNREGA scheme, belying claims that Dalits were being denied the means to earn their livelihood. The commission thereafter left for Hisar. The commission was appointed on June 19 to probe the Mirchpur violence. It was to submit its report in three months. But the government extended its term by six months. |
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Handsome honorarium for CM’s staff ?
Chandigarh, October 19 This honourarium may be extended to the staff of the finance department as well for the labour put in during the preparation of the Budget. However, the staff of the department, compared to the CM staff, may only get 10 days’ salary, with a ceiling of Rs 10,000. Sources in the government said though it has been a tradition to sanction honorarium to the staff of the finance department as compensation for overwork during the preparation of the Budget, nothing was given to them last year. The staff can hope for a better remuneration this year with the government agreeing to give 10 days’ salary unlike previous years when the staff would get a fixed
Rs 5,000 only. The CM staff was “inducted” as beneficiary for the honorarium a few years back. However, this may be the first time that the Chief Minister sanctions a full month’s salary for the staff, resulting in a lot of heartburn outside this group. While 131 members of the CM staff may get the benefit of the honorarium which totals Rs 22 lakh, 121 staff members of the finance department may get Rs 7 lakh for their work. The CM staff justifies this incentive on grounds that there is no provision of over-time payment in Haryana and each member of the CM staff works well beyond the call of duty, sometimes working round-the-clock throughout the year. However, within the government, there’s a counter view with employees maintaining that it would be discriminatory to sanction a month’s salary for the “already privileged” CM staff, while sanctioning a smaller amount for the staff of the finance department. Sources maintain that Finance Minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, too, had reservations on sanctioning an honorarium totalling a month’s salary for the CM staff and had urged the government to reconsider the decision and reduce it to
15 days. However, the government may go ahead with its. Diwali indeed may be brighter for the 250-odd beneficiaries of the honorarium compared to the other employees. |
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UP leaders eyeing foothold in Haryana
Chandigarh, October 19 Malik managed some support in parts of Haryana when the Jat reservation agitation turned violent last month. But the support was limited to parts of Hisar and Bhiwani districts. Elsewhere, noone followed his call. Amar Singh, former SP general secretary finds himself lost in UP politics after parting company with his mentor Mulayam Singh, is now projecting himself leader of the Haryanavi Rajputs. Amar Singh visited Mahendragarh and Rewari districts on September 21. He visited Gurgaon on September 26. Now, it is learnt that Amar Singh is planning to visit Hisar on October 21 where he will meet Rajputs and other non-Jat traders whose property was damaged during the Jat reservation
agitation. He has found a staunch supporter in Ved Pal Tanwar, president of the Haryana Rajput Vikas Manch. Tanwar has invited Amar Singh to Haryana in his capacity as patron of the All-India Kashatriya Mahasabha. Incidentally, Tanwar was the main partner in the company which had the lease for mining in the Khanak area of Bhiwani district. His contract was terminated prematurely by the Hooda government. In a way, the UP leaders are emulating certain Haryana politicians, who had made a foray into the politics of the neighbouring state. Faridabad Avtar Singh Badhana had successfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from UP. However, he did not go to that state again and preferred to remain in Faridabad. The Indian National Lok Dal of Om Prakash Chautala had also
contested the assembly elections from western UP, considered as the Jatland of that state. The INLD’s (mis)adventure in UP was seen as an attempt to dislodge Ajit Singh from the coveted status of “the Jat leader” of that area. However, the INLD attempt failed. After that the party did not venture into UP. |
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SC accepts Chautala brothers’ plea for early hearing
New Delhi, October 19 The brothers have challenged the disproportionate assets (DA) cases filed against them on the ground that the CBI had failed to get government sanction to proceed against them. On July 8, Delhi High Court had dismissed a petition filed by Ajay and Abhay, INLD legislators and sons of former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, challenging a trial court order summoning them in the corruption case. Justice Shiv Narayan Dhingra ruled that there was no infirmity in the February 2 trial court order. The Chautala brothers had pleaded that the CBI had filed the disproportionate cases against them on December 24 last year without the necessary sanction. The CBI had assessed their properties acquired between July 1999 and March 2005 when they were public servants at
Rs 1,467 crore at the prevailing market rate. |
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Truck mows down elephant
Panipat, October 19 The animal, which was recently granted the same protection as being given to tigers in the country, was being used for begging by a group of villagers from Pattikalyana village. As they were returning home after collecting alms from several villages in the Matlauda segment of the district, a speeding truck hit the elephant, resulting in its death on the spot. The impact was such that the elephant lost one of its molars (tooth used for chewing), which was later confiscated by the police. Even as the district police registered a case against the driver of the truck, yet to be identified, who probably could not see the elephant in the dark, the owner of the animal, identified as Dharam Singh, and his associates, were let off without any legal action. It is learnt that the group, which was using the elephant for begging, had been in possession of the animal for the past several years but had not even submitted the documents required to get the ownership of the animal, which is a must under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. District Wildlife Officer Iswar Singh said the group had moved the papers to claim the ownership of the elephant and the matter was under process. He, however, did not comment on initiating any legal action against the owners. District Forest Officer Vasvi Tyagi was not available for comments. The incident evoked a sharp reaction from representatives of the International Organisation for Animal Protection, an NGO associated with the UN Department of Information, and the Haryana People for Animals, who demanded action against the erring officials and owners of the elephant. Naresh Kadyan, Indian representative of the the International Organisation for Animal Protection, said national heritage animals could not be used for begging as it was insult to the status granted to these by the nation. Meanwhile, a team of veterinary doctors was called from Matlauda, which conducted a postmortem of the animal on the spot. The elephant was later cremated in the nearby jungle by the police and wildlife officials in the presence of some villagers. When it was pointed out to the police that owners of the elephant should have been booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, it said the matter would be re-examined and after consulting legal experts, action against the owners would also be initiated. |
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Eve-teasers beware! Women cops are watching you
Karnal, October 19 Under the new experiment, commencing from tomorrow, a women PCR will be positioned in the vicinity of women institutes to ensure quick intervention and timely redressal of complaints of girls. Special instructions have been issued to the women PCR to take action against such rowdy persons, irrespective of the fact whether the girls complain against them or not. In case anyone indulges in eve teasing, the PCR has been asked to act instantly and nab the culprit. The women PCR will comprise an ASI, two constables and a driver and in case the experiment succeeds, more PCR vehicles will be in place to instil confidence among girls. The PCR will remain in close contact with students and teachers and will identify anti-social elements creating nuisance and harassing girl students. The move has been initiated keeping in view the increasing number of cases of eve teasing, misbehaviour with girls and loafers wandering around women institutions, Karnal SP Rakesh Kumar Arya said. As misbehaviour with girls in buses was a common sight, cops had also been deployed in buses with specific directions to check the activities of anti-social elements and now the PCR would also visit the bus stand to keep such elements at bay, he added. In places notorious for eve teasing and assaults, police riders would also keep vigil like near Government Polytechnic, Nilokheri, and Government College,
Sector 14, Karnal. |
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Man shot dead in judicial complex
Sonepat, October 19 The incident took place when the police escort was getting ready to take him back to the Karnal jail after producing him in the court during the hearing of a murder case. Om Prakash had been undergoing life imprisonment for the murder of Azad Singh of Butana and was also under trial in the case relating to the murder of Phool Kumar of the same village. The alleged accused identified as Lakshya, alias Monu, of Butana and Rakesh, alias Raka Balmiki, were arrested soon after the incident and two pistols were seized from their possession. Om Prakash’s brother Sanjay Butania was also shot dead in front of the court of the District and Sessions Judge on December 12, 2008. The alleged accused identified as Jagbir was arrested for the murder. Sanjay had allegedly planned the murder of Rakesh, alias Lara Balmiki, of Gohana who was shot dead in August 2007 outside Khasa School in Gohana. As many as 19 criminal cases were registered against Sanjay in different police stations. According to the police, two families - one of Om Prakash and Sanjay and other of Hukmi of Butana village - were involved in a dispute over the ownership of 10 kanals in the village in 1995. The dispute has led to the killings of nine members of both the families so far. |
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Dengue survey in Sirsa village
Sirsa, October 19 Though the health authorities maintain that there has been no official confirmation of the patients, a couple, having tested positive for dengue, civil surgeon Narender Chaudhary said five cases of fever were found during the mass survey of the village comprising 243 households. The victims, Teja Singh and his wife Surjeet Kaur, were taken ill on October 10. After a few days of treatment in the village, the couple was shifted to Mohali as their condition worsened. Sources in the Health Department said the couple tested positive for dengue in the serological test of their blood sample. The couple is still under treatment, but their condition is stated to have improved now. The civil surgeon said fogging had been started in the village and a close watch was being maintained on the cases of fever. He said the health authorities were taking all necessary steps, though official confirmation of these cases was still awaited. Deputy Civil Surgeon (vector-borne diseases) Sheel Kaushik said a vector surveillance of the village had also been done, but no larvae of mosquitoes spreading dengue were found there. Meanwhile, 992 cases of malaria were found in the district this year. |
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Roadways to add 1,000 buses
Panipat, October 19 Speaking to The Tribune, Minister for Transport and Tourism Om Prakash Jain said efforts were on to improve the transport facilities in the state and the latest endeavour was part of the government’s policy to serve the people. The department had also replaced 1,814 buses with new ones, said the
minister. The existing buses of the department ferried more than 12 lakh people, covering more than 10.59 lakh km a day, he added. The government was also coming up with three driver training and transport research centres at Bahadurgarh, Rohtak and Kaithal on which an estimated amount of Rs 70 crore would be spent. Besides, Rs 38.5 crore was being spent on the revamp and maintenance of transport workshops and bus stands, which had been sanctioned from the non-Plan budget of the government. The minister said the department was responsive towards the needs of daily passengers, including students and those affiliated with the NCC. He said it had reduced the daily pass chargers for NCC cadets by 50 per cent and other students were also being given passes on nominal rates. |
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Chahal on Central Pollution Control Board
It is for the first time that any chairman of the HSPCB, which was constituted in 1974, has been nominated on the Central Pollution Control Board. Dr Chahal, who belongs to Ambala district, has a master’s degree in history as well as chemistry. He did his PhD in organic chemistry from Panjab University, Chandigarh. After teaching chemistry in the Government College for Boys, Chandigarh, for more than 28 years, Dr Chahal also taught environment studies to candidates preparing for the civil services examinations for about six years at the Punjab Government-run Ambedkar Institute of Carriers,
Mohali. |
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Villagers force revenue officials to return
Sirsa, October 19 Activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Sabha led by Krishan Swaroop Gorakhpuria and Prahlad Singh Bharukhera also came in support of Punia and announced that they would not allow the farmer to be divested of his land. The revenue officials maintained that they had come to the village to implement the court orders as Punia had lost his case with respect to that land to a Sirsa trader. Later, the revenue officials stalled their possession due to pressure of the villagers and left the village.
— TNS |
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Dearness allowance increased by 10 pc
Chandigarh, October 19 He said the revision of DA would entail an additional annual liability of Rs 144 crore on the state exchequer. |
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Chandigarh, October 19