Chandigarh, May 8
With investment flowing in continuously, numbers are hardly of interest to the Haryana Industries Department or so it seems. Probably that explains why, in all these years, the department has never bothered with getting a “headcount” of the existing industries in the state.

Ask the Industries Department about the total number of units and the officials draw a complete blank. With no clue about their existing number, investment coming into the state and going out, the increase over the years or the fall, planning and policy-making may just have been the “concoction” of individual whims in the absence of any database.

Sources said a survey of the small-scale industries (SSI) in the state was conducted way back in 1996, which pegged the number at 1.37 lakh units. This number, officials maintain, was based on the registrations of the SSI recorded by the department.

However, a re-survey of the industry was ordered and this number was “brought down” to 69,000 eventually. The justification offered for the reduced numbers was that the other units had either closed down or were no longer in existence.

However, over the past few years, the state has been attracting a lot of investment, its unique selling point being its proximity to Delhi. Though there has been no formal attempt to put down in black and white the pace of growth of the industry in this category and the increase in its number, sources said the department has, informally, zeroed in on 80,000 as the existing industry strength in the state and has been using this for all intents and purposes.

This “amateurish” assumption of numbers, it seems, has not gone down with the top brass especially since the Congress claim to fame, after it assumed power in the state in 2005, has been the constant inflow of investment. Following this, the department has now decided to undertake a fresh survey to set its record straight.

Confirming that the department has no “authentic” database of the existing industries in the state, Yudhvir Malik, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Industries, said the department was now in the process of conducting a survey.

“The definition of the small-scale industry has been changing with time. With the coming of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Act, 2006, the historical data has lost its relevance. Also, in this 80,000-figure used by the department, we don’t see new allotments reflected,” he says.

For a reality check and to create its own database for use during the policy-making, the department has now woken up to the need of numbers. “We are in the process of finalising forms which will be distributed to all units through our district industries centres across the state. We plan to take details like the name of the unit, location, product, installed capacity and turnover among others,” Malik explains.

The department is also keen on knowing the labour, regular as also through indirect sourcing, employed at the unit, diversification and the increase in turnover with the passage of time. “We will go by self-declaration and the database should be ready in about three months,” Malik said, adding that the survey had been slightly delayed because of the initial plan to seek this information online from all units.

Sonepat, May 8
Agitated over the alleged indifference of the bank authorities in distribution of the old-age pension, hundreds of old-age pensioners, including women, today blocked the Gohana road here in front of the Panchayat Bhawan and raised slogans against the administration.

State media in charge of the BJP Rajiv Jain along with municipal councillor Indu Valecha reached the spot. Jain contacted the ICICI bank officials, who refused to disburse the pension today, saying that they would not be in a position to start the pension distribution early because of the staff shortage.

Announcing that a dharna would be staged in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office tomorrow and a memorandum would be handed over to the DC in protest against this high-handedness of the bank officials, Jain alleged that neither the administration nor the officers of the Social Welfare Department had taken any step to redress the grievances of the aged.

Jain said senior citizens had been at the receiving end at the hands of bank officials for the past 10 days and they were being forced to return to their homes without pension after hours of long wait. Though the banks had taken the contract of preparing smart cards for the old-age pensioners, the pension was not being disbursed properly for want of trained staff as well as shortage of staff, he added.

Bhiwani, May 8
Assuring residents of equitable distribution of water, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said the Hansi-Butana link canal had already been completed and as soon as the Supreme Court gave permission to the state to puncture the Bhakra Main Line Canal, water would reach their fields within the next few hours of its opening.

Hooda said this while addressing a public rally at Dadri organised by Revenue Minister and local MLA Satpal Sangwan. He also announced a bonanza of incentives for the people of the area.

Hooda announced the setting up of the new secretariat building, Roadways bus depot, sports stadium, park, construction of three new minors, Ran Kauli minor, Sahuwas minor and Birhi Khurd minor, tehsil building at Bound Kalan, 132 kV and 33 kV substations in the area, rest house for farmers at the Dadri grain market, drainage system at a cost of Rs 30 crore, ITI at Santor village, Kisan Model School at Dadri, renovation of the BDPO office, nursing institute and paramedical institute and Rs 5 crore each for the development of urban and rural areas of the Dadri Assembly constituency.

Hooda also announced a compensation of Rs 3,500 per acre for the flood-affected people of Dadri. Hooda also announced to set up an ayurvedic dispensary at Arya Samaj temple and land for gaushala. He also announced to reintroduce the slab system for tube well connections. He announced the setting up of a polytechnic provided that land was available.

Lashing out at the opposition, Hooda asked the audience to name a single public-friendly step taken by the earlier INLD government.

He said Rs 628.48 crore had been spent on the development of the Dadri Assembly constituency during the past six years. A flood-relief package of Rs 38 crore had been sanctioned to save Dadri from floods.

Chandigarh, May 8
The “insiders” versus “outsiders” tussle within the Congress today came to the fore at its Dadri rally today. Former Congress MLA from the seat, “insider” Nirpender Singh Sangwan, staged a walkout over being “ignored” while “outsider” Satpal Sangwan, who contested the 2009 assembly election on the HJC ticket and subsequently joined the Congress, was “projected” as the Congress face in the constituency.

Sources said the former MLA was sore about the fact that he was not allowed to address the rally though he had been the “face of the party” during the past six years. However, the party top brass chose to let his rival bask in the limelight while he was reduced to being a “nobody” at the rally.

In the 2009 election, Nirpender Sanghwan lost to Satpal Sanghwan, who fought the election on an HJC ticket. Satpal Sanghwan later along with four other HJC MLAs became a part of a “contentious” merger into the Congress to become Congressmen. In January, he was made a Cabinet minister in the Hooda government.

Sources close to Nirpender Sangwan said initially he was reluctant to come to the rally since it was essentially for the benefit of his rival. However, he was goaded into coming because it was a Congress show and not that of an individual. However, not given a chance to address the gathering, he staged a walkout to express his resentment.

PCC president Phool Chand Mullana, denied the existence of any “tension” between the “insiders” and the “outsiders”. “Once a leader or worker joins the Congress, he becomes a Congressman,” he said.

Asked to comment on the “walkout” by Nirpender Sanghwan for not being allowed to address the crowd, Mullana said: “There were lots of former MLAs present at the rally. We could not have possibly given a chance to everybody.”

Sirsa, May 8
He lived in this part of Haryana known for its conservative approach on gender-related issues, but even in his death, Ram Swaroop Garhwal, who served the Azad Hind Fauj of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, proved that he was way ahead of his times in his outlook.

After the death of the 93-year-old former Azad Hind Fauj soldier, his 18-year-old granddaughter, Geeta, lit his funeral pyre as per his wish.

Garhwal, a resident of Kagdana village in Nathusari Chopta block of Sirsa, died in a private hospital here and was cremated with state honours in the village cremation grounds yesterday.

The Naib Tehsildar placed a wreath on his body on behalf of the district administration.

Though Garhwal had sons and grandsons, he had wished that any one of his granddaughters should be allowed to light his funeral pyre after his death, as he wanted to break the age-old tradition where only sons had the right to perform the last rites.

In deviation from the old tradition where only men were allowed to visit the cremation ground at the time of the funeral, women from the family were also present during the last rites as per the wish of Garhwal.

Born in Kagdana village on July 6, 1918, Garhwal served the people during a famine 1938-1940, and when Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose came to Hisar, he went with him to join the Azad Hind Fauj.

He is survived by seven sons and six daughters from his two wives.

Garhwal’s granddaughter Geeta, who lit his funeral pyre, is a student of Class XII in a village school.

Fatehabad, May 8
Despite a specific ban by the authorities, burning of wheat stubble continues on agriculture fields in Fatehabad with impunity. Wheat straw on over 60 acres of agriculture land was set on fire at four villages in the district. Reports said the fire engulfed 20 acres, where wheat stubble was standing after harvesting of the wheat with combine harvester. Similarly, wheat stubble on 20 acres was burnt in Shekhupur Sottar and 10 acres each in Aherwan and Bahmanwala. Not a day passes, when incidents of stubble burning on fields is not heard.

The stubble burning is not only injurious to human health due to environmental hazards involved with it, the process is also harmful for farmers as several friendly pests that save crops from harmful pests, were burnt in the fire. The heat generated by the fire also diminishes the fertility of the soil by burning micro nutrients.

The burning of wheat stubble is banned and the district had issued prohibitory orders. However, despite the ban, wheat stubble is being burnt on the field with impunity.

Narnaul, May 8
The state government has decided to increase the funds being given for the maintenance of tubewells, which have been handed over to the panchayats by the Haryana Public Health and Engineering Department.

Stating this here today, Public Health and Engineering Minister Kiran Choudhry said a decision to this effect had been taken in view of a large number of complaints received from panchayats regarding the maintenance of tubewells.

She said now Rs 11,000 would be given for the maintenance of a tubewell instead of the Rs 7,000 given earlier.

In case of the maintenance of two tubewells the amount had been increased from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000, for three tubewells from Rs 13,000 to Rs 20,000, for four tubewells from Rs 16,000 to Rs 24,000, for five tubewells from Rs 19,000 to Rs 29,000 and for six tubewells from Rs 22,000 to Rs 33,000.

The minister said a sum of Rs 27.60 crore had been released for drinking water and sewerage in Mahendragarh district during the past three months.

Samalkha (Panipat), May 8
Four persons, including two girls, were killed as their car rammed into a truck coming from the opposite direction after jumping the road divider here today.

The deceased were identified as Tanu of Green Park, New Delhi; Shikha of Barabri Bazaar, Varanasi (UP); Surpreet Singh of Adarsh Nagar, New Delhi; and Mandeep Singh of Bilaspur, Rampur district, UP.

The victims were on their way to New Delhi from Panipat when their Honda City car hit the road divider and veered off to the other side of the road, colliding with a truck coming from the opposite direction.

The impact of the accident was such that all car occupants died on the spot. All four were in the 20-22 age-group.

A police team reached the spot and initiated rescue operations. The bodies were shifted to the mortuary of the Civil Hospital. A case has been registered against the truck driver.

Karnal, May 8
Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia today gave a clarion call to voluntary organisations and people to come forward to serve the suffering humanity and fight against social evils like female foeticide, corruption, casteism and violence.

Laying the foundation of MDD Bal Bhawan (orphanage), the Governor stressed the need for creating a sensitive society that voluntarily offered help to the needy and “no child considered himself an orphan”.

Urging the NGOs to work “hand in hand” with government agencies, Pahadia said these should come forward to set up more orphanages and old age homes to provide social and emotional support to such persons and make them feel that were not “orphans or unwanted”.

Terming female foeticide, corruption, unemployment, caste violence etc as main enemies of the society, Governor urged the people to launch collective movement to root out these evils.

He also donated rs 5-lakh from his discretionary fund for the orphanage building and said that the government should contribute more to Red Cross funds.

Earlier, presiding over the state-level Red Cross function at the NDRI, the Governor highlighted the role of the Red Cross founded by Jean Henry Dunant to serve the soldiers wounded during the war and said “our education system should be such in which spirit of selfless service.

Sonepat, May 8
The sarpanch of Bhainswal village in the district was killed while three others sustained injuries when two motorcycle-borne assailants belonging to the same village opened fire on them here this evening.

The deceased has been identified as Mukesh Malik (35). His brother Kuldeep, cousin Ravinder and another villager, Sukhbir, sustained bullet injuries.

Enraged over the incident, villagers blocked traffic at Lath Jolli Chowk after placing the body on the road. Old enmity is believed to be behind the incident.

The incident took place when the victims were returning home on a motorcycle. The assailants later went to a village “akhara”, where the deceased's brother, Bholu, was pracitising, and allegedly opened fire on him. While Bholu managed to escape, Sukhbir became a victim and sustained bullet injuries. The assailants managed to escape. The accused have been identified as Sundu and Kachi.

Rohtak, May 8
University and college teachers have announced an agitation in support of their demand for the proper implementation of the UGC notification regarding the Sixth Pay Commission in the state. The teachers have announced to boycott the evaluation work and all official functions of the state government.

Earlier, the teachers had rejected the state government notification on the UGC pay scales issued on April 29.

At a meeting held here, the Federation of Haryana University Teachers Associations (FEDHUTA) and the Haryana Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations (HFUCTO) announced an agitation on the issue.

The HFUCTO, in a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister at the camp office here, said the notification issued by the state government was a gross violation of the Human Resource Development Ministry and UGC recommendations. The Chief Minister, it said, had backtracked on several assurances given by him in this regard.

It said the government had made massive distortions in the recommendations pertaining to advance increments for higher qualifications like MPhil, PhD and LLM at the entry level or during service.

The HFUCTO described the notification as a victim of “bureaucratic handling”, which, it said, was unacceptable to the teachers.

It demanded that the report submitted by a committee of three Vice-Chancellors to the state government on this issue should be made public as the government had been claiming that the notification was based on the recommendations of this committee.

FEDHUTA also expressed similar views at a meeting held at another venue and expressed resentment over the stand of the state government.

According to a spokesperson for the federation, the teachers have resolved to launch a stir to get their issues resolved.

It said besides a boycott of the evaluation work and official functions of the state government, the federation would also boycott all political parties for being indifferent to their demands.

It said a meeting would be held on May 18 to chalk out the next course of action.

Yamunanagar, May 8
Haryana Power Generation Corporation Ltd (HPGCL) has decided to set up a 6.5 MW grid-interactive solar power plant at Bhud Kalan in Yamunanagar district. Sanjeev Kaushal, Managing Director of HPGCL, said solar energy had great potential as a future energy source. Therefore, HPGCL had engaged Gensol Private Limited, Ahmedabad, to carry out a feasibility study at its existing thermal power stations in Yamunanagar and a hydel power station in Yamunanagar for setting up solar power projects.

He emphasised that in view of the fast depleting coal reserves in the country, there was an urgent need to slowly shift from non-renewable sources of energy to renewable sources.

The corporation has also decided to set up power stations in Hisar and Panipat, which has thermal and hydel generation capacity of 3,230.5 MW at its generating stations, including Yamunanagar.

Kaushal further said the feasibility-cum-detailed project report was also finalised in March 2011. The Board of Directors of HPGCL decided to set up the 6.5 MW project on the vacant land at power house-D of Hydel in Yamunanagar. He indicated that HPGCL was planning to file a petition with the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) for fixing tariff for the proposed solar project and for allowing the distribution utilities to buy the entire power generated from the solar project for further distribution in the state. He added that the proposed solar plant in Yamunanagar would be set up with the earning of carbon credits as one of the main objectives, thereby making the project financially viable.