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BJP to derive strength from Modi’s visit
People to get free-surgery facility in Haryana
Rao Inderjit Singh's revolt story has many parallels
Monitoring committees
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Bridge built by Sikh farmers becomes bane of their lives
SD Vidya School holds investiture ceremony
NFL celebrates 40th foundation day
23 students from J&K visit Rai sports school
Special Lok Adalat held
Improving academic atmosphere, promoting research priorities: VC
Former MLAs drawing pension to the tune of Rs 7 crore
International woman hockey player appointed coach in Punjabi University
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BJP to derive strength from Modi’s visit
Gurgaon, August 26 The Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in Haryana is about to complete its second successive tenure and there is no dearth of leaders as well as electors who are not satisfied with the functioning of the regime. However, thanks to rampant factionalism within the ruling party and major opposition party INLD's top leaders getting convicted and jailed in one case and facing court trials in another, no plausible political option is in sight. The Chief Minister's camp has lately started sniffing a hat-trick chance, but the state of turmoil in the Haryana Congress indicates that Hooda has to cross more hurdles within his party than outside it to realise his dream of holding the reins of power for the third time in a row. In the given scenario, top-rung BJP leader Narendera Modi is slated to address a rally at Rewari in the middle of next month. Political pundits observe that Modi's visit may just be aimed at testing the political waters in Haryana, but it couldn't have come at a more opportune time for the BJP as well as its cadres. The BJP started losing its mass base in Haryana after the demise of prominent party leader Dr Mangal Sain. As of now, the saffron party appears to be in the midst of a leadership crisis. In view of the considerable popularity gained by Modi in different parts of the country outside his home state, his visit to Haryana is expected to be a much-needed morale-booster for his party cadres in Haryana. Rewari has been chosen as the venue of Modi's rally, and the event will focus on the ex-servicemen. Now, Rewari happens to be the heartland of South Haryana, where the Congress is already having a tough time. Rebel Congress MP Rao Inderjit Singh, a stalwart leader of South Haryana's Ahirwal belt, has been taking on his own party's state leadership. The Rao camp has lately applied for the registration of a new political party, and there are speculations about his inching closer to the BJP fold. On the other hand, rumours are also rife about the BJP eventually joining hands with the INLD, repeated claims of BJP and HJC leaders about their alliance being rock-solid notwithstanding. In such a situation, Modi's visit is also likely to put an end to the atmosphere of uncertainty and clarify the party's political inclinations in the state.
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People to get free-surgery facility in Haryana
Chandigarh, August 26 While stating this recently, Health Minister Rao Narender Singh said the scheme aimed at decreasing the health cost of the people of the state. Under this scheme, facilities of all types of surgeries being given under the ‘Surgery Package Programme’ will be available to every individual of the state free of cost. Meaning thereby that all facilities from the prescription of surgery by the doctor till the discharge of the patient would be provided free of cost, he added. He said a provision of Rs 10 crore per year has
been earmarked in the budget for this scheme. He said it was also proposed to start ‘Assured Surgery Programme’ under the scheme. With this new initiative, a specified list of surgeries would be assured at all district hospitals so that patients did not remain deprived of specialists and other facilities. Apart from this, need-based provision to take the services of private specialists had also been made in the scheme. Under this, an anaesthetist would be paid Rs 2,000 per case and Rs 2,500 per case would be given to all surgical specialists. In addition, it is also proposed to give an advance of Rs10,000 to every surgeon to meet emergency expenses of the operating theatre.
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Formation of Haryana Vikas Party in late 1980s Sushil Manav/TNS
Sirsa, August 26 The recent developments of Rao Inderjit Singh floating Haryana Insaaf Manch and then his daughter registering a new political party Haryana Insaaf Party with the Election Commission remind one of the Haryana Vikas Party floated by former Chief Minister Bansi Lal in the late 1980s. Bansi Lal, too, after his disillusionment with the Congress High Command, had first floated a non-political forum, Haryana Vikas Manch, before converting it into a full-fledged political outfit Haryana, Vikas Party. There are many similarities between the manner in which Bansi Lal revolted from the Congress and the way Ahirwal strongman has been making his gradual exit from the ruling party. When Bansi Lal launched his activities, he was sore against the Congress High Command under Rajiv Gandhi for ignoring him at the behest of Bhajan Lal. Inderjit Singh, too, has never tried to hide his dissent against Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who enjoys complete confidence of the party high command at present. When Bansi Lal floated his outfit, the Congress was not in power in Haryana, but Bhajan Lal had a firm grip over the party organisation due to the blessings of the high command. In contrast, when Inderjit Singh is in the process of repeating the history created by Bansi Lal, the Congress is at the helm in Haryana and he is among the staunchest critics of the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government. Ever since Hooda took over the reins of Haryana for the second time in 2009, Inderjit Singh has been criticising his government on the issue of lopsided development. Hooda camp, however, brushes aside Inderjit Singh’s criticism as an act of his personal frustration. “From 2005 to 2009, Inderjit Singh was a Union Minister and during that period, he never raised this issue, though Hooda was the Chief Minister during that period too,” said a Hooda loyalist. When Bansi Lal started his electoral innings under his own Haryana Vikas Party, he contested the first elections in 1991 in alliance with the CPI and the CPM and found the BJP as his new alliance partner in 1996, when he won the poll and became the Chief Minister. Inderjit Singh, too, has said that his party was open to alliance with any political party and by terming jailed former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala as the only political leader besides him with a mass following, the Ahirwal leader has given enough hints of his preferences as far as the alliance is concerned. However, political observers in Haryana feel that the similarities between Bansi Lal’s Haryana Vikas Party and Inderjit Singh’s Haryana Insaaf Party end here. “Bansi Lal was a former Chief Minister, considered the architect of Haryana and had a statewide following. In contrast, in spite of being a former Chief Minister, Rao Birender Singh’s son, Inderjit Singh’s area of influence is limited to the Ahirwal belt of Mahendragarh and Rewari or at the best, the southern Haryana,” political observers maintain.
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Monitoring committees
Chandigarh, August 26 An official spokesman said the state government has launched Priyadarshani Awaas Yojana with an aim to provide housing facility to the weaker section of society by giving financial assistance. He said the state level monitoring committee would be headed by the Chief Minister. The district-level monitoring committee would be headed by a Minister or a Chief Parliamentary Secretary. The spokesman said the government has launched the PAY to provide housing facility to the weaker section of society.
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Bridge built by Sikh farmers becomes bane of their lives
Karah Sahib (Pehowa), August 26 "We made the land fertile and turned the abandoned land into lush green fields and also constructed the bridge linking the village over the Markanda river to connect Kutia Plat to Karah Sahib and Pehowa, ushering in a new era of prosperity but the bridge has become scourge of their life,” said villagers. The Sikh families took initiative to construct the same as the administration and the local panchayat were indifferent towards their plight and Baba Jagtar Singh (Tarn Taran Wale) himself led the kar sewa to link the “unapproachable” village. The entire Sikh populace, including children, women, worked as labourers to construct the bridge, which cost Rs 1.5 crore in 1993 and the amount was collected by Baba Jagtar Singh. “The prosperity which witnessed the area after the construction of the bridge turned panchayat inimical towards the same and finally the Sikh farmers cultivating the land for six decades were evicted and left to fend for themselves,” Harpal Singh Chika, president, Pehowa Gula Abadkar Pattedar Kisan Joint Action Committee, said. About 150 Sikh families who were allotted land on lease for 20 years under the ‘Grow more food’ programme in 1952 by the then Punjab Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon converted the thick forests and marshy land into fertile cultivable land. But after the expiry of lease in 1972, the village panchayat staked its claim on the land and these farmers were evicted from the land after protracted legal battle and left in the lurch. Prior to construction of the bridge, Kupia Plat was not connected to Pehowa and therefore residents of Karah Sahib had no interest in the land as they found it grueling to cross the river with a makeshift bridge and cultivating land in Kupia Plat. The bridge now also provided a smooth link to Pehowa and Patiala and consequently the prices of the land shot up in the area. As promised by the SGPC two generators, 75 quintals of wheat, 75 quintals of pulses, oil and sugar have reached the village and every family would be given ration and financial aid individually on ration card, Chika said.
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SD Vidya School holds investiture ceremony
Ambala, August 26 Chief guest on the occasion Commissioner of Police Rajbir Deswal honoured the school council members with sashes and stars. The Head Boy and his team marching to the stage was a view to be enjoyed by one and all and left everybody spellbound. Deswal in his address to the students encouraged them to perform their duties diligently and inspired them to put in earnest efforts to inculcate values of self-discipline among their fellow friends. The council members took the pledge of honesty, diligence and sent a message to the audience that they would shoulder the responsibility put on them by the school authorities and would stand by their institution through thick and thin. Mayank Sehgal and Sakshi Gupta were designated as Head Boy and Head Girl followed by Diwakar Kalra and Rashi Sharma as vice-head boy and vice-head girl. Rupinder Saini, Principal of the school, felt proud in addressing her council members and congratulated them all for their commendable success. She urged them to carry on with the the spirit of leadership and travel the road of success and be mentors for generations to come and make the school flag unfurl high in the sky.
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NFL celebrates 40th foundation day
Panipat, August 26 The company that operates five urea plants has implemented the feedstock conversion projects at Panipat, Bathinda and Nangal units by changing over the feedstock from Fuel Oil to Natural gas. With the successful commissioning of the feedstock conversion projects at these locations, NFL is using cleaner feedstock for better environment. Two other plants are situated in Vijaipur in Madhya Pradesh. "The company has been awarded with the "Caring Company award" in the recently held World Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Congress in Mumbai for the exemplary work done in the area of CSR," said Neeru Abrol, who has become the first women Chairman and Managing Director of NFL. Neeru Abrol, Director (finance), NFL has taken over the additional charge of Chairman and Managing Director of National Fertilizers Limited (NFL). A Chartered Accountant by profession, Abrol has an experience of 32 years in the field of Financial Management. As Director (finance), she formulated financial strategies of the company and achieved financial closure for flagship projects of changeover of feedstock from fuel oil to natural gas at three units and urea capacity augmentation projects in two units of the company in the financial year 2012-13 and 2013-14. Prior to NFL, Abrol handled various managerial positions at the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) where she rose to the position of general manager (finance). She is also a recipient of SCOPE “Outstanding Women Manager” Award for excellence and outstanding contribution to the Public Sector Management. She was also conferred with ICAI “Best Business Achiever” Award for the year 2009-10. Among the future plans of the company, NFL in association with the Engineers India Limited (EIL) has been nominated by the Government of India for revival of closed fertiliser unit of FCI at Ramagundam. Meanwhile, a cheque of Rs 69 lakh which contributed one day salary by NFL employees for victims of Uttarakhand was also presented to Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers SK Jena.
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NATIONAL SADBHAVNA CAMPAIGN BS Malik
Sonepat, August 26 After their arrival on the school campus, they were received by the school staff with a warm welcome and were introduced to the Principal and Director, Capt (IN) VK Verma (retd) and the teaching staff of the school. The batch of students studying in the classes from sixth to 12th in the government schools was from the Ramban area of the J&K state. According to the Principal, during their 10-day stay in the school, the students would be attending the classes and participate in indoor and outdoor sports activities. Besides, taking meals together with the students of Rai school, the visiting students would also be made familiar with cultural activities. The school had also planned their visits to Delhi for sight seeing, Rohtak for having glimpses of the institutes of higher learning and to places of historical and tourism importance in the adjoining areas, the Principal added. The Principal said on their arrival, the visiting students went around the school to have a look at the various facilities provided in the school. In the morning, they went to see the Hockey Complex and the rare Astroturf. They also went around the academic block of the senior wing, EDU-SAT, CAIS Room, English Language Lab and Computer Lab etc. In Kamla Nehru School, they were introduced to the tiny tots by Sarita Chahar, In charge, KNS.
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Special Lok Adalat held
Fatehabad, August 26 Civil Judge (Senior Division) Sunil Jindal settled 14 litigations while Civil Judge (Junior Division) Amit Sihag resolved two cases in the special Lok Adalat, said an official spokesperson. The cases that were resolved included a Domestic Violence Act, providing maintenance allowance to estranged wife, the Contempt of Court Act, bounce of cheque under Negotiable Instruments Act and six cases of recovery of bank loans.
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Improving academic atmosphere, promoting research priorities: VC
Sirsa, August 26 Within days of joining as the new VC of the university on August 2, Dr Sharma has initiated steps to improve academic standards and promote research activities on campus. “This university does not lag behind any other university of the state in the matter of infrastructure and facilities. Rather, we are ahead of others in buildings and other infrastructure. The only aspect where our teachers find themselves wanting is the lack of proper academic atmosphere,” Dr Sharma said during an interaction with The Tribune. He said to improve academic activities on campus and to ensure that teachers were regular in their classes; he had called for timetables of all teaching departments of the university with him. Showing a file of timetables, Dr Sharma said after going through the timetable for the day, he pays surprise visit to any of the departments and sees for himself whether teachers were regular with their classes and whether students had been properly attending the classes or not. The file of timetables always remains with him. Dr Sharma had arrived in his office after paying a surprise visit to the mathematics department in the CV Raman Teaching Block of the university, when The Tribune caught him up in his office. “I was pleased to note that our teaching block has lift and ramp facilities for differently abled students, which is not found in several good institutions,” the VC said. Promotion of research activities on campus is another area where he plans to focus his attention. “At present, we have 15 teachers who have major research projects allotted by the University Grant Commission (UGC) or other government bodies. I invited all these teachers to my office and asked them whether they need any facilities from the university. I offered all cooperation in the upgrade of the laboratory facilities, if needed,” Dr Sharma said. He said he has ordered the setting up of honour boards in the departments where the names of those carrying out research activities could be displayed. “This will act as motivation for other teachers as well as students and they too will try to emulate researchers,” he said. Dr Sharma plans to add a few more departments in the university. “Since, the CDLU is now an affiliating university, it ought to have all those departments which are there in the colleges affiliated to it. Otherwise, we will face a lot of hardships while constituting the board of studies,” he said. He said his special emphasis would be on bringing language subjects Hindi, Punjabi and Sanskrit to the university. The VC also plans to start a ‘staff college’ in the university where refresher and orientation courses for teachers would be run. He said all other universities of the state have staff colleges. He said in future, all admissions to the colleges affiliated to the university would be held online. This year, the university is the nodal agency for admission to BEd courses in 460-odd Colleges of Education in the state and by yesterday, over 43,000 students had already applied online for admission.
At present, we have 15 teachers who have major research projects allotted by the UGC or other government bodies. I have invited them to my office and asked whether they need any facilities from the university. I offered all cooperation in the upgrade of the laboratory facilities, if needed.
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Former MLAs drawing pension to the tune of Rs 7 crore
Panipat, August 26 A maximum of 22 former MLAs getting pension are in Gurgaon district, followed by Sonepat (21), Rohtak (19), Jind and Bhiwani (18) each, Kurukshetra (17), Hisar and Karnal (16) each, Faridabad (14), Yamunanagar (13), Sirsa, Kaithal and Panchkula (11) each, Panipat, Fatehabad and Jhajjar (10), Ambala (6), Rewari and Mahendragarh (5) and Palwal and Mewat one each. While one former MLA is settled in Delhi and two in Chandigarh. Former MLA Chandrawati is drawing the highest pension of Rs 79,650 per month, followed by Prasanno Devi who is receiving a pension of Rs 71,550 while five others in Rs 60,000-plus slab are Chand Ram and Bhagi Ram (Rs 68,850), Shamsher Singh Surjewala (Rs 63,450) and Shakuntala Bhagwaria and Mange Ram (Rs 60,750). Former Deputy CM Chander Mohan, state BJP president Ram Vilas Sharma, Karan Singh Dalal, Nirmal Singh and Jai Singh Rana are drawing a pension of Rs 55,350 per month while former Speaker of Haryana state Assembly is getting a pension of Rs 47,250 as per the information furnished by State Public Information Officer of the Haryana Assembly Joga Singh to RTI activist PP Kapoor. The information that runs into 49 pages revealed that Hardevi, wife of late Ranbir Singh Hooda and mother of Chief Minister BS Hooda, is getting a family pension of Rs 12,150 per month while Jasma Devi, wife of former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, Sharda Rani, wife of late Chiranji Lal, who is the mother of Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh and Health Minister Kiran Chowdhari, wife of Surinder Singh, are getting a family pension amounting to Rs 51,975, Rs 16,875 and Rs 6,750, respectively. Other family pensioners include Maya Devi, wife of late Laxman Dass Arora (Rs 37,125), Chand Kaur, wife of Rao Nihal Singh (Rs 35,000), Purni Devi, wife of Lal Singh, Kamla Devi, wife of Swaroop Singh and Veermati, wife of Heera Nand Arya( Rs 25,650). Kapoor said the pension drawn by former MLAs and their widows was much higher than the pension paid to martyrs, freedom fighters and jawans who were sacrificing their lives for the nation and yet political leaders were averse to be covered under the RTI Act. The minimum pension drawn by MLAs, even if the term served is less than five years, is Rs 20,250 while the minimum family pension is Rs 6,750 per month. The minimum pension of ex-MLAs for one term or less is Rs 7,500 +Rs 3750 DP+DA, which is 80 per cent at present and Rs 1,000 is added to the basic pension for every additional year served as an MLA.
The pension drawn by former MLAs and their widows is much higher than the pension paid to martyrs, freedom fighters and jawans who are sacrificing their lives for the nation and yet political leaders are averse to be covered unde the RTI Act.
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International woman hockey player appointed coach in Punjabi University
Shahabad, August 26 Saini would train the young hockey players and would hone the skills of the learners. She joined her new assignment on Friday. Overwhelmed parents of Meenakshi said, “We are proud of the achievements of our daughter.” They also attributed the same to her coach. Meenakshi started playing hockey at the age of eight years in 1999 and got the lime-light in 2007 when she scored nine goals in junior nationals in a single match and made a place for her in the Indian women hockey team. She played in thirteen series for India in two years. Dhronacharya awardee, Coach Baldev Singh said she was the first girl to get appointed as a coach in any university. Prior to this, the women hockey stars got appointments only in Indian Railways and Haryana Police. "Shahabad has given more than 37 women international hockey players to the country. The players are well trained, exposed to international parameters and young. At least 20 of them should be employed as coaches to give boast to the game," Baldev Singh added.
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Panipat, August 26
