4 gangs of criminals
busted, 28 held
CHANDIGARH, Aug 2 — The special drive launched by the Haryana police against criminals operating in the national Capital and state areas surrounding Delhi has started paying dividends.

Literacy mission a white elephant
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 2 — The total literacy programme (TLP) has proved to be a white elephant in Haryana. Started in April, 1991, it had an ambitious plan to make 31 lakh citizens in the 6-35 age-group literate. Officials have mostly missed the targets, wasted money and in the end a noble cause has been damaged beyond redemption.

Originally each learner through the district level literacy societies was to cost Rs 65 but finally the cost worked out to be Rs 142 and in certain cases, like in Bhiwani district, the cost touched a whopping Rs 5,206 per learner. And yet the TLP could turn out just 95,000 literates against a target of 14.81 lakh between 1991 and 1996. The Comptroller and Auditor General has made a scathing criticism of the whole literacy mission and its dismal achievement.

The most glaring is the case of Bhiwani where the project was delayed by six months to one year and the TLP could convert just 1,050 illiterates into literates at a cost of Rs 54.66 lakh. This is almost a matchless achievement in the country. There was an extra expenditure of Rs three crore.

The scheme was in operation in 15 of the 17 districts and test check was done in seven districts. It revealed total apathy of the administrators despite tall claims made in the newspapers.

As against an outlay of Rs 10.07 crore from 1991-92 to 1996-97 for TLC in seven districts only, Rs 5.76 crore was released and Rs 4.27 crores was spent. A survey to identify illiterates according to prescribed categories was not conducted in the districts test-checked.

Four samitis assigned the work purchased excess teaching and learning material worth Rs 35.35 lakh under TLC. Out of this, samitis in Rewari and Hisar accounted for Rs 14.32 lakh and Rs 11.32 lakh of excess purchase. The samiti in Kurukshetra purchased sub-standard diaries and primers worth Rs 10.82 lakh.

Sub-project coordinators in Gurgaon were paid honorarium of Rs 14.42 lakh during July 1995 and March 1997 though no teaching work was started till June, 1997.

Samitis in Hisar, Panipat and Gurgaon spent Rs 24.31 lakh on purchase and hiring of vehicles though the TLC did not provide for such expenditures.

Funds received by three samitis were unjustifiably kept in saving bank accounts instead of investing in short term deposits resulting in loss of interest of Rs 14.10 lakh.

In Panipat, Rs 3.16 lakh was spent during 2¼ years after the projects were completed.

The Saksharta Samiti, Bhiwani came into existence from October 1991. The samiti was responsible for making literate 2.13 lakh illiterates of Bhiwani district in the 15-45 age-group. Actual teaching work was started from July, 1993. During 1992-93, 975 trainers were trained. Up to October 1994, 1,000 learners were reported to have completed the primer III and were, therefore, considered literate for which Rs 38.55 lakh was spent.

As per monthly progress report from October 1994, 33,905 learners (16 per cent) had completed Primer -1, 12,772( 6 per cent) Primer II and only 1,000 ( 0.47 per cent) Primer III. Apart from this, 10,806 learners were attending classes at that time.

Thereafter, work of saksharta Abhiyan was by and large given in December 1994 to ex-servicemen on an experimental basis and 115 functionaries were employed for this purpose on an honorarium basis. This experiment, however, failed as no progress was achieved. From August 1995, this work was assigned to the Education Department. Both these experiments were largely a failure as only 50 learners could be made literate between December, 1994 and August, 1996 at a cost of Rs 16.11 lakh. Thus for making 1,050 persons literate, Rs 54.66 lakh was spent.

The TLC project of Gurgaon for Rs 2.16 crore envisaging coverage of 2.60 lakh learners ( at Rs 83.35 per learner cost) was approved in March 1997. The government released Rs 40 lakh as ad hoc grant to the samiti during July, 1995 on the basis of earlier project proposals for meeting expenditure on works of immediate nature.

4 gangs of criminals busted, 28 held
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 2 — The special drive launched by the Haryana police against criminals operating in the national Capital and state areas surrounding Delhi has started paying dividends.

As a result of increased vigilance, the state police busted four gangs of criminals, specialising in dacoities of various targets, in the past one week. The police has already arrested 28 persons. Several teams have fanned out in the region to nab 23 remaining gang members.

According to the Director-General of the Haryana police, Mr S.K. Sethi, as a result of these successes the cases of dacoity at the farm house of film actress Neena Gupta and at the shop of the son of the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, in Delhi have also been solved.

The DIG, CID, Mr Satyendra Kumar, told TNS here today that the gangs busted specialised in looting factories, electronic shops, farm houses and lifting vehicles.

Among those who had been arrested for lifting vehicles was a resident of Sector 19, Chandigarh, Brijesh Garg.

Mr Satyendra Kumar said the police had arrested five members of an 11-member gang which specialised in looting factories. The looted property, including finished products, used to be sold by the gang at Pitampura Colony in Delhi. With their arrest, the police solved two dacoities committed in Delhi, two in Faridabad and one in Sonepat.

While seven members of the gang belonged to Uttar Pradesh, four members belonged to Delhi. He identified the gang members as Dinesh Yadav, Pappu, Jaffar, alias Khalifa, Bhanwar Singh Jatav, Ashok Kumar Jatav, Narinder Pandit and Ishwar Singh (all of UP) and Ramesh, Surat, Sat Pal and Sarwar (all of Delhi).

Mr Satyendra Kumar said the busting of this gang had falsified the claim of the Delhi police that the crimegraph in the Capital had gone up because of Haryana criminals who had become active in Delhi after the prohibition was lifted in the state.

The police had recovered stolen property worth about Rs 25 lakh at the instance of the arrested persons.

The Haryana police also arrested six of the 15-member gang which specialised in targeting electronic shops in Delhi. The gang, which used to spot the shops during the day, struck at night. It used to bring commercial vehicles to carry the stolen goods. The gang members belonged to Rajasthan and Haryana. With this success the police claimed to have solved 17 cases of dacoity. The stolen property worth about Rs 10 lakh had been recovered.

Mr Satyendra Kumar said the police had also busted a 10-member gang of farm house dacoits. The suspects belonged to Delhi, UP and Haryana. While four persons had already been arrested, search for the others was continuing. The stolen property worth more than Rs 2 lakh had been recovered.

The police had succeeded in arresting 13 members of a 15-member gang engaged in lifting vehicles. The gang used to lift vehicles from Delhi and surrounding areas. Several vehicles were sold in Chandigarh.

The police had recovered five Maruti vans, three Maruti cars, one Tata Sierra and three motor cycles.

Goyal Awards for 2 more scientists
From Our Correspondent

KURUKSHETRA, Aug 2 — Two eminent Indian scientists, namely Dr D. Balasurbramanian, Director, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, and Dr D.D. Bhawalkar, Director, Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT), Indore, have been selected for the Goyal Award 1997 in the fields of life sciences and physics, respectively.

Announcing these awards Dr S.P. Singh, convener of the Advisory Board for Goyal Prizes, said the pioneering work done by Dr Balasubramanian will go a long way in the cure of cataract that affects over four million Indians every year.

Citing the work of Dr Bhawalkar, Dr S.P. Singh said he was one of the few physicists in the world who had devoted himself completely to developing laser technology. He had already demonstrated the use of laser-induced fluorescence for diagnosing cancer and the use of nitrogen laser for the treatment of tuberculosis, Dr Singh added.

Goyal Awards in the areas of applied science and chemistry would be conferred on the already announced first batch of two scientists — Dr K. Kasturirangan, Chairman, Space, Commission and ISRO-and Prof Harjit Singh, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar.

Dr Kasturirangan had played a key role in India's achievements in space, fulfilling the dream of India being among the top few world leaders. The fact that the satellite IRC-IC is launched by a developing country like India, is a matter of great pride. As the Chairman of ISRO, Dr Kasturirangan made immense contribution in the utilisation of space system in telecommunications, television broadcasting methodology and management of natural resources. His strong advocacy of expanding the use of data from Indian satellites in other countries was his great contribution to Indian science, Dr. S.P. Singh added.

While highlighting the contribution of Prof Harjit Singh, Dr S.P. Singh said he would receive the Goyal Award for the development of newer synthetic methodologies to make available target molecules through synthesis which constitute the backbone of pharmaceutical, agrochemical and allied industries. Further, his work on the design of organic receptors had tremendous scope for applications for the benefit of mankind.

These awards consisting of Rs 1 lakh besides a gold medal and citation will be given at Kurukshetra University in January, 1999.

BJP losing its base: Chautala
From Our Correspondent

REWARI, Aug 2 — The HLD (R) will contest the next elections in Haryana on its own. This was stated by the HLD(R) supremo Mr Om Prakash Chautala at a press conference here last night. He said the ruling Haryana Vikas Party of Mr Bansi Lal stood little chance of long term survival because of its heterogeneous mixture. The BJP, he said, was fast losing its base even among urbanites because of non-implementation of its electoral promises and its alliance with the totally discredited Bansi Lal regime.

Regarding the Congress, he said it had been rejected at the hustings and restoration of its credibility seemed remote at present.

He said the enthusiastic response his current public awareness campaign was getting indicated his party would sweep the next polls. He announced that he would visit every village of Ahirwal and Mewat regions.

Meanwhile, the Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya) today nominated Mr Surinder Garg as president of the Panchkula district (urban) unit of the party.

The nomination of Mr Garg was announced by a former minister, Mr Kranti Prakash Bhalla, at a workers' meeting held in Panchkula.

Hoax call leads to closure of institutions
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, August 2 — An anonymous, but wrong, telephone call about the reported death of Padamashri Subhashini Devi caused a pall of gloom in all educational institutions affiliated to Kanya Gurukul at Khanpur Kalan village, 30 km from here, yesterday.

According to a report, the telephone call was received by Mr Chand Ram Dahiya, head clerk, degree college, and this led to the closure of all institutions of the organisation.

A close associate of Subhashini Devi rang up Delhi to confirm the news but was surprised when Subhashini Devi herself talked to her. This ended the confusion.

Subhashini Devi, who is the president of the institutions, had been undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in Delhi and had shifted to her daughter's house in Kailash Colony Delhi, a few days ago.

SFI asks MDU for late fee refund
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Aug 2 — The Students Federation of India unit at Maharshi Dayanand University has criticised the university authorities for allegedly charging a late fee of Rs 220 from the candidates placed in waiting lists for admissions to various courses for the coming academic session.

A spokesman of the federation said here today any such step was anti-student and it must be withdrawn immediately. A refund should be made to those from whom such a fee was taken, he said. He alleged the authorities had also hiked the hostel charges from this year. The federation renewed its demand for reopening the evening college.

Differences do persist: BJP
From Our Correspondent

PANCHKULA, Aug 2 — The Haryana state BJP president, Mr O.P. Grover, has defended the functioning of the Bansi Lal Government though he admitted that there were differences between the two alliance partners over certain issues.

Mr Grover, who was talking to media persons here today described the recent hike in power tariff due to poor financial situation of the state electricity board. But he added that the hike for the domestic and industrial consumers could have been less.

On a query about the abolition of octroi, he said the government was willing to do it but the final report in this regard was awaited. He contradicted the reports which said that the HVP was against the abolition of octroi.

He admitted that at the time of the nomination of Mr Dyal Singh as a member of the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) the state BJP leadership had not been taken into confidence by the Chief Minister.

Asked to comment on the reported souring of relations between the two alliance partners (HVP and BJP), he skirted the issue.

He said the party was worried about cow slaughter in the Mewat region adding that the issue had been taken up with the Chief Minister.

Housing board told to refund deposit
From Our Correspondent

BHIWANI, Aug 2 — The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum here has held the Housing Board Colony houses in Sector 13 as unsafe and directed the board to refund the deposited amount with 15 per cent interest to the complainant , Mr Ishwar Singh, the owner of a house in the colony.

In his complaint to the forum, Mr Ishwar Singh charged the housing board with falsely luring residents and claimed that the house allotted to him had cracks and breaches in the walls and roofs and also did not have a proper system for closing doors, and windows.

He further contended that he had written to and personally approached the board management and even the chief administrator in this regard, but in vain.

After hearing both parties, the consumer forum appointed a commission to inquire into the matter. The inquiry commission found almost all complaints to be correct.

The forum observed in its judgement that since sub-soil water was used in the construction of these houses and the water was posing a threat to the occupants, the complainant deserved relief. The forum also directed the board to pay Rs 1100 to the complainant as expenses for the proceedings.

Thakre to visit Haryana
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Aug 2 — President of the Bharatiya Janata Party Kushabhau Thakre will visit Haryana on August 16.

Stating this here today, the general secretary of the Haryana unit of the party, Mr Om Prakash Dhankhar, said Mr Thakre would inaugurate the office of the party in the HUDA complex here. Besides, he would address a meeting of party workers at Bahadurgarh town, about 40 km from here.

He said Mr Thakre would be accompanied by general secretary of the party Narender Modi and president of the Haryana unit Om Prakash Grover. He said Mr Thakre would be brought in procession from Sampla.

Tourism staff to meet MD on Aug 4
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Aug 2 — A delegation of the Haryana Tourism Karamchari Sangh will meet the managing director (MD) of the department on August 4 with a view to getting its genuine demands accepted.

According to a spokesman for the sangh, the delegation would submit a fresh memorandum to the authorities as all appeals and demands of the tourism employees had gone unheeded so far.

He said the pending demands included reinstatement of several agitating employees, confirmation of all daily-wage staff, implementation of revised pay scales, formation of proper transfer and promotion policy and provision of medical allowance.

Many Haryana leaders 'may join Congress'
From Our Correspondent

KAITHAL, Aug 2 — Former Haryana minister and HPCC chief Birender Singh has said many prominent Haryana leaders are likely to join the Congress soon. While talking to mediapersons here today, he said people had been suffering due to the misrule of the coalition government at the Centre and in the state during the past few years and now they had realised the Congress was the only party which could deliver the goods and fulfil the aspirations of all sections of society.

He said after Ms Sonia Gandhi took over as the president of the All-India Congress Committee a new strength had been infused among workers all over the country. This, he said, would pay good dividends in the next parliamentary elections. The party was expected to get absolute majority at the Centre and in the state assemblies.

Mr Birender Singh said the state government had failed to provide adequate power to the urban as well as the rural consumer. He criticised the government for accepting the Rs 1000 crore World Bank loan on very unfavourable conditions. The government would have to increase power tariff substantially to meet the conditions of the bank, he added. Later , Mr Birender Singh addressed a meeting of party workers at Panchayat Bhavan.

Forest staff dharna on August 10
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Aug 2 — The Van Mazdoor Union, Haryana has decided to hold rallies and demonstrations and stage dharnas on August 10 at all district headquarters in protest against the non-fulfilment of demands of the employees of the Forest Department, by the HVP-BJP alliance government of Mr Bansi Lal.

Announcing this, Mr Anand Sharma, general secretary of the state union, told mediapersons here today that the employees had been directed to assemble in front of the offices of the divisional forest officers of their respective districts and burn effigies of Haryana Forest Minister Jagdish Yadav on that day.

The demands of the union include fixation of Rs 3,500 per month as salary, a ban on illegal retrenchment of the employees, regularisation of employees having completed five years of service, maintaining attendance registers, payment of salary on the seventh of each month, security of service and curbs on corruption in the Forest Department.

Mr Sharma also gave details of the demonstration held on July 27 last in front of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha at Chandigarh.

Haryana BJP to contest poll alone
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, Aug 2 — The president of the Haryana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Mr Om Parkash Grover, told party workers here yesterday to prepare themselves for contesting the next assembly elections in the state on their own. Mr Grover, who addressed a workers' meeting, said by contesting the elections alone it would be able to accommodate more party workers. He said it would also end the chances of any other party dictating terms to them.

Earlier, while addressing a press conference Mr Grover said the party was in a position to contest 60 assembly seats out of a total of 90 in Haryana as on date. In reply to a question, he said both the Haryana Vikas Party and the Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya) were "one-man shows" as compared to the BJP which was a cadre-based party.

The Haryana BJP chief said the abolition of octroi was an election promise and he hoped it would be fulfilled before the next elections to the state assembly. He said the committee constituted to study abolition of octroi was also of the same view.

Mr Grover said he had not been consulted about the appointment of Mr Dayal Singh as a member of the Haryana Public Service Commission. Mr Dayal Singh is a son-in-law of Uttar Pradesh Governor Suraj Bhan. Reiterating that he was against the concept of "family rule", he said had he been consulted by the Centre he would have opposed the appointment. He had already lodged his protest over the issue.

Water dispute leads to murder
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Aug 2 — A row over the distribution of canal water led to the murder of a farmer at Rohad village in the district yesterday.

According to the complaint lodged with the police, the victim, Amar Singh, was hit on his head with an iron rod by the suspect, Shera, of the same village, after a heated exchange over the sharing of canal water in their fields.

The police has registered a case, but no arrest has been made so far.