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Fiscal help for select students
District-level book fairs from Feb 9
Open manhole claims 8-yr-old child’s life
Residents block the national highway in protest against choked sewers
in Sirsa on Sunday. A Tribune photograph |
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BPL Cards
Ineligible guest teachers get the sack
Over 140 adolescent girls found anaemic
Cancel SGPC poll, Nalvi urges Governor
Implement quota policy for SCs: Samiti
Irrigation budget increased to Rs 1,553 crore
Congress membership drive from Feb 10
KU has a new guest house
Chowdhry tells officials to pull up socks
Public Health Minister Kiran Choudhry with officials during her visit to Bhiwani on Sunday. Photo by writer
Need for mass uprising against graft: Chautala
Work for nation’s unity, Sikkim Guv to youth
Woman cheated of Rs 1.34 crore
Dera man dies in accident
Flood-control schemes okayed
Three held for burning woman to death
Man held for killing uncle
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Fiscal help for select students
The Education Department has finalised the model for the implementation of the scheme under which the government will provide financial support to select students in the 100-odd schools likely to come up in a phased manner over the next four years. Five schools will be opened on a pilot basis in the forthcoming academic session and 30 additional schools will be opened every year beginning 2012. Under the proposed framework for PPP schools, selected non-government organisations will be required to provide infrastructure for running such a school. They will have to arrange for land, provide a school building and other facilities as also recruit staff. The entire capital expenditure, too, will have to be borne by the private party.
Restricting the number of students in such schools to 2,500, the framework lays down that government support will be provided to 1,000 select students. Of these, at least 50 per cent should be from the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes or below poverty line families. The remaining could be wards of non-income tax payers. Also, the number of girls should not be less than 40 per cent. The recurring support for academic activities has been fixed at Rs 1,600 per month per secondary student while it will be Rs 1,000 per student at the primary level. The blueprint says the recurring support will be available if the select students are at least 40 per cent of the total strength. However, government support will only be available to schools with CBSE affiliation. The department has allowed private parties to function from a temporary accommodation for the first two years and should have infrastructure in place from the third year. To ensure quality, the department has linked disbursements under the scheme to provision of specified infrastructure and delivery of agreed output parameters while adding that a pre-determined system of incentives and penalty will be laid down. The scheme maintains that in the first year, classes up to at least Class VIII should be functional while these should go up to Class XII in the fifth year. Government support will be provided for a period of 10 years though recurring support will be provided for select students enrolled during or prior to the tenth year. While such schools will be required to enroll 1,000 students from the specified categories, the establishments will be free to enroll the remaining 1,500 at a fee they may fix for themselves. The proposal prepared by the department is likely to get the government’s nod shortly though there could be a few modifications.
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District-level book fairs from Feb 9
Jhajjar:
Education and Social Welfare Minister Geeta Bhukkal said here on Sunday that at least one school in each district would be run under the public partnership mode from the next academic session.
“The state government is making all efforts to make Haryana an educational hub and such projects will be especially helpful in achieving this objective. “It will ensure active participation of the common people in education.” Bhukkal said the EDUSAT system has been implemented more effectively in government colleges and universities. Technical education was being linked with the industrial sector to facilitate placement of students. District-level book fairs would be organised across the state from February 9 for the benefit of students, the minister added.
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Open manhole claims 8-yr-old child’s life
Sirsa, February 6 Passersby raised the alarm, but by the time rescue operations could begin, the child slipped deep into the manhole. He was rushed to a nearby hospital after being taken out of the manhole, but the doctor declared him brought dead. Angry kin and residents blocked the road and raised slogans against the authorities. Residents alleged that they had informed the Public Health authorities several times about the open manhole, but no action was taken on their complaints. In another incident, peeved at the lackadaisical attitude of the Public Health authorities towards choking of sewers in their area, residents of Khanna Colony blocked the national highway near the Irrigation Department office today. Residents of the colony alleged that stinking sewer water flowed in the localities due to chocking of sewers. They alleged that several residents had taken ill due to the conditions prevailing in their area for the past one month. Recently, younger brother of Haryana minister Gopal Kanda, Gobind Kanda, had reprimanded a senior officer of the Public Health Department in the colony and a few months ago, local residents had thrown an officer of the department in the sewer slush on the street. “I have myself lodged complaint at least six times in the past one month and brought the matter to the notice of the authorities, but no efforts have been made to improve the condition of the locality,” alleged municipal councillor Krishna Fogat. The roadblock continued for over two and a half hours. Jagdish Jangra, Executive Engineer of the Public Health Department, maintained that nobody had ever informed him about the open manhole that took Chhottu’s life. He said the problem of Khanna Colony was due to low-lying nature of the area and assured that the problem would be solved within three days. |
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HC: Vets not to verify complaints
Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 6 In its petition filed in public interest, the association had earlier challenged an order dated June 23, 2010, “on the basis of which the veterinary doctors have been entrusted the duties of verifying complaints with regard to the issuance of below poverty line cards”. As the case came up for hearing before the Bench of acting Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Augustine George Masih, counsel for the state of Haryana submitted that “election duties have not been assigned to the veterinary doctors and only complaints with regard to the issuance of cards have been entrusted to them”. The counsel also told the court that the veterinary doctors “are required to perform the task at their convenience and no time limit has been imposed for the submission of the reports”. The Bench asserted: “While it is correct that an employee holding a public office can be asked to perform duties which strictly may not pertain to his office, such a decision of the state must be justified on the touchstone of necessity and public interest. “The veterinary doctors, who have nothing to do with the issuance of below poverty line cards, or are associated with the process of issuance of such cards, should not be entrusted such duties. “In a situation, where effective re-verification/re-inquiry was considered necessary by the state in the matter of allotment of cards, the same ought to have been probed by the persons who are conversant with the process. Instead, it is the veterinary doctors who have been assigned the task. The result of such verification by the veterinary doctors, who are not familiar with the process, may not be effective at all. We are, therefore, of the view that the order dated June 23, 2010, and the assignment of duties of re-verification/re-inquiry into the allotment of cards by the veterinary doctors should receive our interference”.
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Ineligible guest teachers get the sack
Yamunanagar, February 6 The recruitment of the guest teachers started in 2005. However, the state government clamped a ban on appointment of new guest teachers in 2007. Sources in the state Education Department revealed that an inquiry had been ordered in the appointment of guest teachers, following reports of irregularities in recruitment. It was pointed out that certain teachers were appointed even though they were older than the set age or did not have the right combination of subjects in BEd degree. In certain cases it was reported that the guest teachers did not belong to the village or area where they had been given jobs. According to the rules, the guest teachers are to be appointed in a school in the village they belong to. Sources said these irregularities were being looked into and on the basis of initial reports from 17 districts, over 500 guest teachers had been given marching orders. The state government is yet to get a final report from Ambala, Yamunanagar and Panchkula districts. On the directions of the state government, the district education authorities carried out a survey to verify the documents of the guest teachers. During the survey, many irregularities were detected and the termination orders were issued. Sources in the Education Department said Yamunanagar district alone had 547 guest teachers. These include 297 masters, 143 classical and vernacular teachers and 107 school lecturers. Sources said the DEOs of Ambala and Yamunanagar districts were preparing a report of ineligible guest teachers. The reports were likely to be finalised in a few days. These would then be sent to the government, which would take a final decision on their future. Talking to The Tribune, Haryana Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal said the government would not be lenient in the case and those who did not deserve the post would be sacked. |
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Over 140 adolescent girls found anaemic
Fatehabad, February 6 Almost all girls found suffering from mild and moderate category of anaemia. The college had organised the camp for its students under the aegis of Lions Club, Fatehabad. Dr Anamika Bishnoi, a medical officer in the local General Hospital, inaugurated the camp. Out of the over 140 girls, none was found with Hb of 12 g per cent or more, which is the normal Hb level for women. Twenty-five of these had Hb content of 10 g per cent or slightly more, while a majority of the rest had Hb content between 8 to 10 gram per cent. College Principal Mamta Chaudhary had the best Hb of 11.2 g per cent. Medical experts maintained that under the WHO norms, women having over 12 g per cent of Hb were considered normal, while under the Indian conditions, even those above 10 g per cent were taken as normal. Those with Hb content between 8 to 10 g per cent suffer from mild anaemia. Some girls even had less than 8 g per cent Hb, indicative of the moderate anaemia. In sharp contrast, most of the boys who were tested for Hb content in their blood reported 13 g per cent or more. “The deficit of haemoglobin in women is largely due to poor nutritional conditions. In our society, people care less about providing healthy nutritious diet to daughters,” said Dr Renu Bhatia, a physician. “The biological structure of women also contribute to the loss of haemoglobin, but that is already taken care of while determining the minimum standards by the WHO that says men have higher minimum standards for haemoglobin,” she added. |
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Cancel SGPC poll, Nalvi urges Governor
Chandigarh, February 6 It has appealed to the Governor, Jagannath Pahadia, and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to come to its aid and stall the SGPC election process in the state. In separate letters to the Governor and the Chief Minister, the Haryana SGPC has pleaded that the SGPC elections be cancelled and the government honours its promise to establish a separate gurdwara committee in Haryana. “We want that the government should establish its own committee for Haryana under the Punjab Reorganisation Act 1966 before holding the SGPC elections. We have sent letters to the Prome Minister’s Office which have gone unacknowledged. Nothing seems to be working,” working president of the ad hoc committee Didar Singh Nalvi said. Members of the delegation led by Nalvi maintained that the holding of elections under the SGPC umbrella would send the wrong signals to the Sikhs of Haryana awaiting the setting up of their own committee. “This will send out three important messages to the Sikhs of the state: that they and their wishes don’t count; what counts are the Akalis in Punjab and that Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal is supreme,” Nalvi said. “Most importantly, it would send out the message that the Amristar-based SGPC is free to take away the offerings made at the gurdwaras in Haryana to fill its own coffers. “In that case, shrines in Haryana will have to depend for their upkeep on the pittance that Punjab gives them,” he held. The government has time and again maintained that it is committed to the cause of establishing a separate SGPC and is having the report, recommending this, legally examined. No timeframe for deciding on the issue has been set by the government though it has been nearly two years since the Chatha committee handed over the report.
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Implement quota policy for SCs: Samiti
Karnal, February 6 A delegation of the samiti, led by its Chairman Gaje Singh Mawal, submitted a charter of demands seeking the PM’s intervention in implementation of the reservation policy in appointment of guest teachers and urged him to implement the 85th Constitutional Amendment with effect from 1995 and revive the “Chamar Regiment” in the Army set up in 1942. Ved Prakash, general secretary and spokesperson for the samiti, said the delegation also demanded reservation for the Scheduled Castes in appointment of the Supreme Court and High Court judges and recruitment in private and government-aided private establishments, institutions, and setting up of Sant Guru Ravi Dass University in Punjab and Haryana. The delegation demanded that the backlog of the SCs in jobs in Punjab and Haryana be cleared at the earliest, rotation system be followed in elections to state Assemblies and the Lok Sabha and stringent action be taken in cases of atrocities against Dalits under the SC and ST Act. The delegation demanded immediate transfer of the Bhiwani SP and reservation of seats in admission to MD, MS, MDS and MBBS courses in government and private medical colleges. Chairman of the Punjab Chamar Sabha Paramjit Singh Kainth and other SC leaders also joined the delegation.
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Irrigation budget increased to Rs 1,553 crore
Kaithal, February 6 Yadav further said the state government had spent Rs 3,000 crore to provide better irrigation facilities during the past six years. The state government had increased its budget to Rs 18,260 crore from Rs 2,100 crore during the Chautala regime. He said during this period, Rs 352.94 crore had been spent in Kaithal district on various irrigation-related projects while Rs 12.11 crore had been spent on various irrigation projects during 2000-2005. He said the works on brick lining of the Kaithal distributory had been started and it would increase the water carrying capacity of the canal. He said to ensure equitable distribution of canal water in the state, the government constructed the Hansi Butana multi-purpose canal at a cost of Rs 392 crore and Rs 180 crore was spent on the construction of Kaushalya Dam in Panchkula. Similarly, Rs 267 crore was spent on Dadupur Nalvi irrigation project and the government had taken a decision to acquire 500 acres to tap water during monsoons. He said new minors had been constructed at a cost of Rs 800 crore.
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Congress membership drive from Feb 10
Chandigarh, February 6 President of the Haryana Youth Congress Party Rao Chiranjiv said the campaign would be launched under the guidance of All-India Congress Party general secretary Rahul Gandhi throughout the state and efforts would be made to make maximum members of the Youth Congress Party in the state. The Youth Congress president said a number of dignitaries would participate in the state-level function, including president of the All-India Youth Congress Rajiv Satav, All-India Youth Congress party in charge Jitender Bhanwar, observer of the Haryana Youth Congress Usha Naidu, Haryana Pradesh Congress party president Phool Chand Mullana, Union Minister Poverty Alleviation and Urban Development Kumari Selja, Haryana Finance Minister Capt Ajay Singh Yadav and a number of MLAs and office-bearers of the Youth Congress. Rao said an innovative programme “Chalo Panchayat Ki Aur” was launched by the Youth Congress from November 2 to December 3 last year and the month-long programme was very successful, associating 4 lakh youths with the party. |
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KU has a new guest house
Kurukshetra February 6 Pahadia said: “The provision of quality board and lodging facilities at the university campus with the opening of ther guest house will give a big boost to the image of the university. “The serene and green surroundings will certainly provide a good atmosphere to scholars and educationists visiting the university. Lt Gen (Dr) DDS Sandhu, VC , said: “We are making all efforts to make our campus academically and internationally vibrant. The new guest house is one such effort in this direction.” The guest house has a beautiful garden and enough area for a leisurely walk. All the rooms have water heaters, air-conditioners, the intercom and TV sets. It has two VIP suites, 26 de luxe rooms a lobby and a soacious dining hall. It will mainly house foreign guests participating in seminars, symposia, workshops, conferences and training programmes as well as those attending the UGC Academic Staff College orientation courses. Kurukshetra is at least 110 km from the state capital of Chandigarh. |
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Chowdhry tells officials to pull up socks
Bhiwani, February 6 Several residents complained against official apathy to their civic problems. Choudhry said the town’s drinking water system would be improved soon and clean water provided to the people as per the government norms. “No scarcity of funds will come in the way,” she assured the residents. Choudhry, who is also Public Health Minister, asked the officials to pull up socks and shed lethargy. “A committee of local citizens will be set up that will communicate to the officials concerned the problems faced by the residents. It will also review the progress made on a weekly basis,” said Choudhry. The minister inspected work on a sewer being laid at Hansi Road and asked the officials to complete work soon. She also visited the sewerage plant. Those residing in the vicinty of Jogiwala temple complained that the department had repaired the sewerage system several times within a period of 15 months and yet the problem persisted. This angered the minister . However, she was told by the Superintending Engineer, BB Tihal, that the boring work had been started and digging would be started right away. Taking note of complaints on damaged drinking water pipes, she directed the officials to use iron pipes as the government had prohibited the use of asbestos pipes. Earlier, the minister presided over a meeting of public health officials at her Vijay Nagar residence and inspected the layout for the sewerage and drinking water system in the city.
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Need for mass uprising against graft: Chautala
Ratia (Fatehabad), February 6 Talking to mediapersons here today, Chautala alleged that the common people were fed up with the UPA government at the Centre and the Bhupinder Singh Singh Hooda government in the state and were holding agitations at various levels. “However, the people need a coordinated movement like the one in the Egypt for getting rid of these governments,” Chautala said. He said soon the people would be left with no option but to come onto the streets and launch a mass movement. The INLD Supremo was here to address meeting of party workers. To a query, Chautala said the state government had made the former Speaker Harmohinder Singh Chatha resign from the post to save the Haryana Janhit Congress legislators facing a petition under the anti-defection law. He said the government could not get away with this and would have to answer the Opposition on this issue on the first day of the assembly session. Assailing the state government’s land acquisition policy, the Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, said that farmers all over the state were agitating to save their land from acquisition. He said the INLD would amend land acquisition laws if voted to power and no land would be acquired without the consent of the farmers. Gian Chand Odh, INLD MLA from Ratia, former MLAs Sita Ram and Ran Singh Beniwal, Nishan Singh, district president, Balwan Singh Daulatpuria and Kuljeet Singh Kuleria, both senior leaders, were among those present in the meeting.
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Work for nation’s unity, Sikkim Guv to youth
Sonepat, February 6 He said this while addressing the samman samaroh jointly organised by the Rashtriya Sainik Sanstha and the Akhil Bhartiya Braham Rishi Samaj at Garhi Kesri village in the memory of Shaurya Chakra winner Mukesh Tyagi. Governor of Chhatisgarh Shekhar Dutt recalled the events of the 1971 Indo-Pak war and said the Indian soldiers had set an example of bravery in that war. He maintained that for the unity and integrity of the nation, it was imperative to eliminate terrorism from the country’s soil. Former Governor of Punjab BKN Chhibar, Bihar ministers Ajit Kumar and Chander Mohan Rai, Director-General, Metrology, Ajit Tyagi, DC Ajit Joshi and organisers Lt-Colonel RK Malik (retd) and Virender Tyagi also addressed the samaroh. The dependents of martyrs, talented students and outstanding personalities of the region were honoured in the samaroh.
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Woman cheated of Rs 1.34 crore
Sonepat, February 6 Santra Devi said she sold her ancestral land to a private builder in Palri Kalan village and she wanted to purchase a land from the amount received. She gave the alleged accused Rs 1.34 crore in instalments to purchase land for her. She alleged that Sat Narain neither transferred the land purchased in her name nor returned the amount he had taken from her for the purpose. According to Inspector Ram Kumar, after primary investigation of the complaint, a case has been registered against the alleged accused, who will be arrested soon. |
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Dera man dies in accident
Sirsa, February 6 The dera chief’s cavalcade was on the way to Panipat, where he addressed a congregation today. Some dera followers chased the truck, whose driver allegedly tried to run away with the vehicle and in the process hit another car going towards Sirsa. The dera followers nabbed the driver and handed him over to the police. Pritam Singh and Mohit were rushed to the local general hospital, where the former died.
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Flood-control schemes okayed
Chandigarh, February 6 He said while Rs 82 crore would be spent on the Ganga Flood Control Commission schemes, Rs 150 crore would be spent on those under the purview of the Haryana State Flood Control Board and Rs 30 crore on those being executed by NABARD up to March 31, 2012.
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Three held for burning woman to death
Kurukshetra, February 6 Stating this to mediapersons here yesterday, district police chief Sultan Singh said Ashok Kumar, a resident of Jaurasi Kalan village, had lodged a complaint that his sister Sonia (25), who was married to Rinku, used to be harassed by her father-in-law Karam Chand, mother-in-law Raj Kali, husband Rinku and a relative Satpal for bringing less dowry. Singh said because their demands were not fulfilled, they set his sister afire.
— OC |
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Man held for killing uncle
Rewari, February 6 Sanjoo was today produced before Duty Magistrate Vivek Goyal, who remanded him in judicial custody. Sources said when Sanjoo, who was in a state of inebriation, was harshly reprimanded by his uncle for addiction to liquor. This infuriated Sanjoo, who thrashed his uncle mercilessly. Critically injured Hoshiar Singh was rushed to the trauma centre here, where the doctors declared him brought dead. Subsequently, on a complaint filed by the deceased’s son, Sanjoo was booked.
— OC |
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An uncovered manhole near the vegetable market of the town claimed an eight-year-old child’s life here last evening.
Excise and Taxation Minister Kiran Choudhry visited a number of localities in the city. Warning officials of stern action in case of dereliction of duty, she ordered videography of all ongoing development works.
Several residents complained against official apathy to their civic problems. Choudhry said the town’s drinking water system would be improved soon and clean water provided to the people as per the government norms.
Chandigarh, February 6