Novel way to avoid
phone charges
ROHTAK, Aug 26 — Telephone users have found a novel way to avoid long-distance charges and to take benefit of a local call through the towns which have local dialling facility with Delhi.

• Sophisticated weapons for cops demanded
• Five remanded in police custody
• Two held
• Shorewala's denial

• No pay for striking college teachers
• Open darbar hears villagers’ pleas
• Cong training camp
• Awards for HAU scientists

Drive to check ST evasion launched
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Aug 26 — The Excise and Taxation Department has launched a special campaign against the evaders of sales tax and other state taxes here and elsewhere in the district.

According to official sources, the campaign is aimed at increasing the department's income which had reportedly dwindled considerably in this district during the past few months.

Officials of the department, accompanied by the inspectorate staff and other employees, carried out surprise raids on the premises of three kiryana merchants in the mandi here yesterday. During the search operations, they also seized several documents from these shops for the purpose of scrutiny.

When the army of officials arrived, panic prevailed in the area. Most of the shopkeepers downed the shutters immediately.

Members of various trade and business organisations today condemned officials of the Excise and Taxation Department for conducting the raids. They alleged the raids were a crude attempt to demoralise the shopkeepers so that they could not lodge protests in future against the state government. They also alleged these raids were conducted at the behest of the district administration as well as certain HVP and BJP leaders.

They further alleged the department authorities were showing a partisan attitude while the ruling party was adopting a policy of eliminating political rivals in the district and elsewhere.

Official sources, however, revealed similar raids were also carried out at Gohana as the department authorities were taking steps to detect the cases of sales tax evasion in a bid to enhance the income.

Compounder beaten to death by robbers
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, Aug 26 — Sumer, a compounder with a private doctor at Bahadurgarh was beaten to death by three robbers in the wee hours today.

The criminals, it is said, also beat Dr Suresh with iron rods and decamped with a gold chain and Rs 5000 in cash.

The three desperadoes broke the shutters of the garage of Dr Suresh’s house at about 3 a.m. and beat the compounder who was asleep there to death. Later, they went to the room of Dr Suresh and beat him up.

The Bahadurgarh police has registered a case of murder and dacoity against the unidentified criminals and investigation was in progress.

In Rohtak, the thieves stole certain valuable items from the house of Mr R.N. Sharma, Superintending Engineer, Irrigation, on Tuesday night. Mr Sharma’s house is located in Government Canal Colony. The thieves also reportedly made unsuccessful attempts to commit theft in the houses of Mr Shaukin, Executive Engineer and Mr V.P. Beniwal, SDO. These houses are also located in Canal Colony.

In another incident, unidentified persons stole a four-wheeler with registration number HR 46/5782 parked outside a house at Brahmanbas village in the district.

Haryana to honour 17 teachers
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 26 — The Haryana Government has selected 17 teachers for the State Award for the year 1997-98.

Stating this here today the Haryana Education Minister, Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, said that the Haryana Governor Mr Mahabir Prasad, would honour the selected teachers at a State-level function to be organised at Haryana Raj Bhavan on September 5.

He said that the awardees would be given a cash award of Rs 2500, a silver medal, a certificate of merit and a shawl. They would also be entitled to two years' extension in service beyond the age of superannuation and two increments for five years.

The selected teachers are Mr Amar Singh, Head Teacher Government Primary School, Dhaniwas, district Mahendragarh; Mr Krishan Dutt, JBT Teacher, Government High School, Ujah, district Panipat; Mr Sunder Das, JBT Teacher, Government Primary School, Dheer, district Fatehabad; Mr Megh Singh Chauhan, JBT Teacher, Government Primary School, Sadikpur, district Ambala; Mrs Usha Aggarwal, Head Teacher, 2-M Vidya Niketan Government Senior Secondary School, NIT Faridabad; Mrs Shakuntla Verma JBT teacher, Government Primary School, Jonawas, Rewari; Mr Shiv Kumar Shastri, Sanskrit Teacher, Government Girls Middle School, Amin, Kurukshetra; Mr Gian Chand, Lecturer in Commerce Government Senior Secondary Schol, Kaithal; Mr Lakhpat Rai, Art and Craft Teacher, Government Model Senior Secondary School, Wazirabad, Gurgaon; Mr Sudesh Kumar Goyal, Lecturer in Math, Government Senior Secondary School, Patti Afgan, Kaithal; Mr Joginder Kumar, Math Master, Government Middel School, Beavers Colony, Panipat; Dr Rajender Kumar Sharma, Lecturer in Chemistry, Government Senior Secondary School, Kund Rewari; Mr Sunder Lal, Science Master, Government High School Darauli, Rewari; Mrs Tarawanti, S.S. Mistress, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Barwala, Hisar, Mr Maha Singh, SS Master, Vidya Niketan Government Senior Secondary School, NIT-2, Faridabad; and Mr Rattan Chand Sardana, Principal, SMB Gita Senior Secondary School, Kurukshetra, and in the handicapped category Mr Desh Ram Hudia, PTI, Haryana Public High School, Gohana, district Sonepat.

Novel way to avoid phone charges
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Aug 26 — The denial of local dialling facility between Rohtak and Delhi has been a cause of resentment among the consumers of this town. The recent decision of the Telecom Department to link Bahadurgarh and other towns through local dialling from here might cause a loss of several lakhs per month to the department.

According to information, telephone users have found a novel way to avoid the STD and to take benefit of local call through the towns which have local dialling facility with Delhi. The cost of calls between Rohtak and Delhi and other satellite towns like Gurgaon, Faridabad and Ghaziabad is thus reduced.

Consumers who want to dial a Delhi number, contact the STD, PCOs at Bahadurgarh, Sonepat or Jhajjar on the conferencing facility and then get the Delhi number. This reduces the cost of the call considerably.

According to sources the average dialling time (STD) between this town and Delhi was about two hours daily. If all such consumers were to switch to the local facility through Bahadurgarh or other towns, then the loss of revenue to the department per month would be about Rs 18 to 20 lakh.

Virus threatens cotton crop
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, Aug 26 — The leaf curl virus has become a potential threat to the cotton crop in Haryana. To assess the damage caused by this disease, a team of cotton scientists of CCS Haryana Agricultural University and officials of the State Department of Agriculture in Hisar and Fatehabad district surveyed the major cotton growing areas.

The survey revealed that in Adampur, Bhattu, Khara, Barwala and Dhani Majra areas the intensity of the disease was five to 50 per cent with an average of 10 per cent. The disease had also spread to a few areas around Hisar, Hansi, Uklana and Ratia. The spread of the disease is alarming though its intensity is low.

The survey team of the university comprised Dr M.S. Chauhan, Dr P.D. Sharma, Dr K.L. Bishnoi, Dr B.S. Chhabra, Dr S.S. Siwach and Dr J.P.S. Yadav.

To check further spread of this disease, the scientists have advised the farmers to uproot and burn the affected plants. Plants bearing 10-20 flower buds or bools should be detopped and burnt. They have suggested use of fertilizers as excessive use of nitrogen could aggravate the problems of whitefly. Several types of weeds also harbour this virus, therefore, the channels and roadsides have to be cleaned to check the spread of this disease.

National award for 7 Haryana teachers
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 26 — The Union Human Resource Development Ministry has selected seven teachers from Haryana for national award for the year 1997-98.

Stating this here today, the Haryana Education Minister, Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, said that the President of India, Mr K.R. Narayanan, would honour the selected teachers at a function to be organised in Delhi on September 5, next.

The selected teachers are Mr Manphul Singh, JBT teacher, Government Primary School, Chhara, district Rohtak; Mr Parma Nand, Head Teacher, Government Primary School, Dhani Kheowali, district Sirsa; Mr Manohar Lal Deepak, JBT Teacher, Government Primary School Puthi Mangal Khan, district Hisar; Mr Surat Singh, Head Teacher, Government Girls Primary Schol, Attayal, district Sonepat; Mr Lalit Mohan, Sanskrit Teacher, Government Senior Secondary School, Sirsa; Mr Krishan Chand Chugh, Science Master, Government High School, Bir Mathana Kurukshetra; and Mr Dharamdev Sharma Lecturer in Sanskrit, Government Senior Secondary School, Sarai Khawaja, district Faridabad.

Vaccination drive for infants
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Aug 26 — The state government has launched a statewide vaccination campaign to protect infants below one year against the deadly disease, hepatitis-B.

The vaccination facility will be provided free of cost to the people living below the poverty-line, while marginal rates will be charged from others.

According to the Health Department sources, vaccines against the disease will be administered to the infants up to one year in the first phase, while the second phase will cover children up to five years. The vaccination would be done at subsidised rates.

Nearly 250 infants were administered vaccines at the local Civil Hospital during June, July and August. Mr Anand Swaroop Tayal, Chief Pharmacist at the vaccination cell in the hospital, said vaccines were administered to infants at intervals of one month and six months.

According to official sources, nearly 2 lakh vaccines have been supplied to various civil hospitals all over the state for the first phase.

Rally against water, power shortage
From Our Correspondent

JIND, Aug 26 — A large number of activists of the Indian National Lok Dal, led by Om Prakash Chautala, took out a procession in the town and held a demonstration in front of the District Courts today in protest against the "anti-people" policies of the Bansi Lal government and the shortage of water and power in the state.

Speaking at a rally on the occasion, Mr Chautala said the Bansi Lal Government had not fulfilled its election promises and had been a failure on every front. He said the HVP-BJP coalition had no moral right to be in power.

Mr Chautala said the government had failed to check the rising prices, which had made life miserable for people. He said the law and order situation in the state was also in a bad shape.

Man held for fraud
From Our Correspondent

YAMUNANAGAR, Aug 26 — The police has arrested a suspect who was involved in the embezzlement of public funds to the tune of Rs 17 lakh.

Mr Sheel Madhur, SSP, said here today that several complaints were lodged against Naresh Kumar and his wife, Krishna Arora, who were allegedly involved in the embezzlement and who had absconded. The couple were personating as agents of the Postal Department.

The suspect was arrested on August 24 from here and a case under Section 420, IPC, had been registered against him. He had been sent in police remand till August 28, he said.

Mr Ruldu Ram, the local Post Master, when contacted, said three employees of the post office had been suspended in this regard and that the Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, Ambala, Mr T. R. Gondwal, was conducting an inquiry into the matter.

Anti-India policy of USA flayed
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Aug 26 — A large number of workers affiliated to the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha took out a procession here yesterday in protest against the anti-India policy of the USA.

The protesters marched through the bazars and reached the Deputy Commissioner's office, where they burnt an effigy of the US President. Later, a memorandum was submitted to the Deputy Commissioner.

Earlier, a rally was held where various speakers criticised US President Bill Clinton for imposing restrictions on Indian scientists and denial of visas to them. They declared that the party would boycott the goods manufactured by the multi-national companies and buy Swadeshi goods.

Plea to give sophisticated
weapons to cops
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Aug 26 — Expressing concern over the rising criminal incidents on National Highway 10 passing through this district, the Meham Chaubisi Jan Sangathan has demanded the area from Bahadurgarh to Mundhal to be declared as sensitive.

In a statement here today, Ms Meena Chaudhary, president of the sangathan and leader of the Indian National Lok Dal, said in view of the police "failure" to check these crimes on highways the police should be equipped with sophisticated weapons and vehicles with a view to generate a feeling of security among the people.

Ms Chaudhary said the party led by Mr Om Prakash Chautala, chief of the Indian National Lok Dal, would hold demonstrations in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office to protest against the "deteriorating" law and order situation and submit a memorandum.

Five remanded in police custody
From Our Correspondent

REWARI, Aug 26 — The five men accused in the daylight dacoity of Rs 3.41 lakh near the State Bank of India here on Monday have been remanded in police custody till August 31 by Mr J.S. Dahiya, Chief Judicial Magistrate.

The youth had reportedly looted the money from Mr Om Parkash Gulati, the driver of a jeep of a liquor firm. The men also injured the driver with a sword and decamped with the money.

The five were later nabbed by the police, at Alawalpur village, 20 km from here.

2 held for selling obscene literature
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Aug 26 — The police has arrested two persons for selling obscene literature under a special drive launched by it.

According to the SP, Mr Rajbir Deswal, Harish Kumar and Rajesh Kumar, both residents of Tohana in this district, were arrested. They were found selling obscene literature at different places in Tohana Town.

In another case the police has recovered 700 pouches of country made liquor being smuggled from Hisar to Sirsa. According to a tip off stopped a Maruti Car at Matana ‘T’ Point on the National Highway, and seized 700 pouches of liquor from it. The police has impounded the car and arrested Raj Kumar, a resident of Sirsa, and driver Deepak in this connection.

In yet another case, the police had recovered 40 bags of wheat stolen from the state warehouse of Dharsul in this district. A labourer of the warehouse had informed the police that Ram Chander, manager of the warehouse, had sent 40 bags of wheat outside on a tractor trailer, with the intention to sell them. The police had recovered the foodgrain and impounded the vehicle.

Shorewala's denial
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 26 — The Haryana Finance Minister, Mr Charan Dass Shorewala, has categorically denied any relation with the accused, Mr Sanjiv Kumar, a resident of Kaithal, involved in a Rs 2.60 crore fraud case, in tandem with his father, Mr Kewal Krishan, as mentioned in a section of the press today.

He has welcomed the decision of the High Court regarding handing over the probe to the CBI which, he said, would reveal the truth. He said the culprit must be punished according to the law of the land. He said "I have neither helped the accused in any way not had any relationship with them".

No pay for striking college teachers
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 26 — The Haryana Government has decided to implement the principle of "no work, no pay" in the case of college teachers who have been on strike since August 11.

A spokesman of the Department of Higher Education said here today that the striking teachers would be marked absent and would not be paid their salaries as per the latest court ruling in this regard.

He said necessary instructions had been issued in this regard for strict compliance.

The spokesman said earlier the government had invoked ESMA to prohibit the strike by teaching and non-teaching employees of all education institutions for six months.

Open darbar hears villagers’ pleas
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Aug 26 — Residents of Kajalheri Dhani village met the Deputy Commissioner, Mr K.S. Yadav, and alleged that there was only one teacher in the government school at the village and he too remained absent most of the time.

They said this at the open darbar held here today.

Residents of Jabtewala and Nanheri Kalan villages whose fields fall on the banks of Rattia branch, a water distributory, said the canal water often spreaded over their fields, thereby damaging their crops. They alleged that the non-strengthening of the banks by the Irrigation Department was responsible for the damage. However, the farmers were held responsible for breaches, they alleged.

In all, 78 complaints were registered during the darbar.

Mr Yadav directed officials of the irrigation and power departments to ensure the smooth supply of water and power to the farmers.

Cong training camp at Kurukshetra
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 26 — The Haryana Congress will organise a three-day State-level training camp for its workers at Kurukshetra from August 28.

The camp, being organised on the directions of the party chief, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, will be inaugurated by the AICC General Secretary, Mrs Meira J.Ram. Several senior party leaders, including Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Mr Ahmed Patel, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mr Natwar Singh, Mr P.A. Sangma, Mr Mukul Wasnik and Mr Mani Shankar Aiyer, will address the camp on different days.

The valedictory address will be delivered by Mr Arjun Singh on August 30 at 3 p.m.

Awards for HAU scientists

HISAR, Aug 26 (UNI) — Four veterinary scientists, including two experts of Chodhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University (CCSHAU) here, will be conferred the Dr Ganti A. Sastry memorial awards.

Dr Puran Chand and Dr J.R. Sadana Veterinary Pathology Department, CCSHAU, will receive the award along with Dr H.V. Batra, Defence Research Development Establishment, Gwalior and Dr R. Mukherjee National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi.

The award, being instituted by the Indian Veterinary Association, will be given away to the scientists during the 27th All-India veterinary conference to be held at Chennai on September 11 .