HVP-Jindal war of words hots up
CHANDIGARH, Nov 29 — The war of words between the industrialist-turned-politician, Mr O.P. Jindal, and HVP leaders over the alleged embezzlement of party funds is hoting up.

Human rights ‘must' for personality development
FATEHABAD, Nov 29 — Human rights are essential for the complete personality development of an individual. This was stated by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr V. Raja Sekhar, while speaking at a function organised at M.M. College here to mark 50 years of the declaration of universal human rights by the United Nations.

New light on doc's murder
BHIWANI, Nov 29 — The modus operandi of the accused in the murder case of local paediatrician Raman Bhandari was that they would abandon the vehicle used in a crime in Bhiwani district to avoid litigation in outside courts.

Grievances aired at janata darbar
SONEPAT, Nov 29 — The district administration and the Health Department authorities have geared up official machinery to make the two-day nationwide pulse polio immunisation programme, scheduled for December 6 and January 17 next, a success.

3 dead as Matador rams into truck
ROHTAK, Nov 29 — Three persons, including a child, were killed and at least 11 injured when a Matador carrying school children rammed into a truck near Bhagwatipur village on the Rohtak-Jind road last night.

Criminal case against cop
ROHTAK, Nov 29 — A criminal case has been registered against an Inspector for freeing an accused and illegally keeping with him certain items, including a pistol, recovered from the accused.

Villagers lock school

Robbers kill chowkidar

Employees give strike call

Govt to invite bids for Hisar power plant
From Our Correspondent

JAGADHRI, Nov 29 — The Haryana Government will take steps to fight water-logging and soil erosion.

This was announced by Mr Bansi Lal, Chief Minister, Haryana, while addressing a public meeting at Jagadhri here today.

He also advised farmers to use water judiciously. Over-extraction of water by tubewells had an adverse affect on the water-table.

Mr Bansi Lal said that with better water management the state government had been able to provide irrigation to an additional 6 lakh acres.

Mr Bansi Lal said that the largest part of the state’s revenue was being spent on improvement of the power sector. Tenders for the 500 MW Yamunanagar Thermal Plant had been invited and work on the Rs 2250 crore project would start shortly.

1289 MW of power capacity would be added in the next couple of months. A sixth unit of 210 MW of the Panipat Thermal Plant would be operational by December, 1999. The government would invite tenders for a 50 MW generation plant at Hisar.

He said that a World Bank team had praised the efforts of the state government.

He announced that in next two years a 220 KV sub-station will be installed in Yamunanagar and a 66 KV one at Jathlana, and the capacity of Chandpur sub-station would be enhanced.

Mr Bansi Lal said that the Hathni Kund Barrage will be functional by June. He announced formation of a new development block at Mustafabad in the district, raising the capacity of the hospital at Jagadhri from 30 beds to 50 beds and the district Civil Hospital at Yamunanagar from 50 beds to 100 beds. He also announced inclusion of 40 villages of Yamunanagar district in the Shivalik range under the Shivalik Development Board and desilting of Pinjora drain and Chatang Nala.

The Chief Minister said that the work on the Yamuna Action Plan was in progress where a sum of Rs 27 crore was being spent. He added that Chhachhrauli and Radaur towns would also get water-treatment plants.

Among others who spoke on the occasion were Dr Kamla Varma, Local Bodies Minister, Mr Subhash Chaudhary, State Minister for Environment, Mr Ved Pal, Mr Rattan Lal Kataria and Mr Jagir Singh.

HVP-Jindal war of words hots up
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 29 — The war of words between the industrialist-turned-politician, Mr O.P. Jindal, and HVP leaders over the alleged embezzlement of party funds is hoting up.

The first salvo was fired by Mr Jindal, who recently resigned from the HVP, in this regard when he accused Chief Minister Bansi Lal of having collected over Rs 6 crore as the party fund.

The organising secretary of the HVP, Mr Abhey Ram Dahiya, retaliated by offering inspection of the party records by any chartered accountant preferred by Mr Jindal, Mr Dahiya also accused Mr Jindal of misappropriating the party fund.

Mr Jindal today threatened to launch legal proceedings against Mr Dahiya for maligning him.

In a statement issued here Mr Jindal said Mr Dahiya had levelled this allegation to please Mr Bansi Lal.

He alleged that Mr Dahiya, who was now proclaiming loyalty to Mr Bansi Lal, had been inconstant touch with him on the telephone, congratulating him for resigning from the party Mr Jindal also claimed that Mr Dahiya used to tell him how certain members of Mr Bansi Lal's family were running the government and how they were making money. The rebel leader also claimed that Mr Dahiya had told him that a member of the Chief Minister's family was a partner with him in a hotel near Panchkula.

Saved from trauma of divorce
From Sushil Manav

FATEHABAD: Pooja is a happier woman today. She has ultimately returned to her husband's house after a separation of six months. Just at a time when divorce between her and husband, Vinod, seemed a near certainty, a sort of miracle happened that brought smiles back on her face. She owes it to "Fateh Dhwaj", a police-public coordination forum, whose untiring efforts have made it possible for her.

Pooja's father has died. Her mother supports the family by washing utensils and clothes of others.

In her complaint to the police, Pooja's mother alleged that Pooja's in-laws used to harass her for dowry. Her daughter, who was married to Vinod two years back was thrown out of her husband's house. She has a seven-month-old child. She said all attempts for a patch-up had proved futile.

The district police chief, Mr Rajbir Deswal, thought it prudent to hand the case over to "Fateh Dhwaj" as he knew that once a case was registered against the in-laws of the girl, all hopes of a patch-up between the wife and husband would diminish.

The matter was handed over to Ms Naz Munjal, secretary and in charge of women affairs of the forum. Once the matter came to the forum, its members took it as a challenge, and promised that they would help Pooja.

Members of "Fateh Dhwaj", met the families of Pooja and Vinod to find out the points of discord and the points where the two could be brought together. They found that while the boy and girl loved each other and were keen to live together, the parents of the boy and the mother of the girl were having their own ego problems. Both sides levelled allegations against each other. The members tried to convince the members of Vinod's family to let him stay alone with Pooja for some days without any interference. But they refused to relent.

Just when chances of a solution looked remote, Mr Deswal provided police assistance from the nodal cell. Policemen of the nodal cell led by its in charge, Ms Krishana Devi, took this matter different from the routine policing. The police again brought the two families to the negotiation table, who finally agreed to the terms of the "Fateh Dhwaj" members.

When it seemed that Pooja would be sent to her husband's house, her mother refused to send her daughter. She was adamant that the police should teach her daughter's in-laws a lesson by putting them behind the bars.

The members were again on the job. They convinced Pooja's mother, and themselves took Pooja to her husband's house at Bighar village in the district. They left her house after giving some money as "shagun" to Pooja.

Pooja now is living happily with her husband and child. The days of separation are a thing of past for her. Members of Fateh Dhwaj often go to Bighar village and enquire about the well-being of the couple.

Cong victory hailed
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 29 — The Haryana Congress has hailed the victory of the party in the assembly elections in Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and described it as the "rejection by the people of the BJP-led Central government for its dismal performance".

In a statement issued here today the party chief, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said the election results were indicative of the fact that the people of the country had once again acknowledged that it was only the Congress led by the Nehru-Gandhi family which was capable of providing political and fiscal stability to the country.

Congratulating the president of the Punjab Congress, Capt Amarinder Singh, for wresting the Adampur seat from the Akalis, Mr Hooda said the Congress owed the massive victory to the "charismatic leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi".

Mr Hooda said the crushing defeat of the Indian National Lok Dal candidates in Delhi and Rajasthan showed that the people had rejected the "opportunistic" alliance between Mr Om Prakash Chautala and the BJP. Even Mr Abhey Singh, the younger son of Mr Chautala, he said, forfeited his security deposit in the Sangria assembly constituency.

He said Mr Chautala should resign from the post of leader of opposition in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha because he had lost the moral right to continue after the his alliance with the BJP.

The Congress member of the Rajya Sabha from Haryana, Mr Lachman Singh, said it was wrong to say that the people in the three states had voted against the BJP and the Congress had won on the basis of a negative vote. He said it was a positive vote for Mrs Sonia Gandhi and the Congress. The people had realised that it was the Congress alone which could govern.

Human rights ‘must' for personality development
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Nov 29 — Human rights are essential for the complete personality development of an individual.

This was stated by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr V. Raja Sekhar, while speaking at a function organised at M.M. College here to mark 50 years of the declaration of universal human rights by the United Nations.

Mr Jagdip Jain, Senior Judicial Magistrate, presided over the function. Mr O.P. Arya, Principal of the college, Mr R.K. Kaushik and Mrs Shamim Sharma also spoke.

Mr Sekhar said education brings enlightenment and the youth should exercise its right to question.

The right to speak, right to equality, and right to profess a religion of one's choice were some of the rights which were essential for personality development. The government, he said, had constituted several commissions like the women's commission, Child Development Commission, etc, to ensure that the rights of individuals were not infringed.

Mr Jain suggested that the government should include human rights as a subject in school syllabi.

Mr R.P. Mittal, Mr R.K. Kaushik and Mrs Shamim Sharma also spoke.

New light on doc's murder
From Our Correspondent

BHIWANI, Nov 29 — The modus operandi of the accused in the murder case of local paediatrician Raman Bhandari was that they would abandon the vehicle used in a crime in Bhiwani district to avoid litigation in outside courts. They left the Tata Sumo used in the doctor's murder in the fields near Bond police station and went to Delhi on a scooter.

These facts have come to light during the interrogation of the accused.

Bhandari was shot dead on November 12 last year when he was returning home from his nursing home at night. The Delhi police arrested two persons, Basanta and Yogesh Kala, in connection with the case on November 15 last.

The Bhiwani police has also arrested a third co-accused, Yogesh Kumar of Hindol village, and seized live cartridges and a pistol from his possession.

Basanta has admitted during interrogation that since Bhandari had refused to treat him (Basanta), for injuries sustained in a police encounter, he, along with the other aides, followed the doctor in the Tata Sumo and shot him dead. They abandoned the vehicle in the fields near Bond police station and went to Delhi on a scooter the next day.

Grievances aired at janata darbar
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Nov 29 — The district administration and the Health Department authorities have geared up official machinery to make the two-day nationwide pulse polio immunisation programme, scheduled for December 6 and January 17 next, a success.

This was stated by Mr P.K. Mahapatra, Deputy Commissioner, at a janata darbar held at Gunaur, a subdivisional town of this district, yesterday.

A total of 1.85 lakh children up to the age of five would be given polio drops under this immunisation programme in the urban and rural areas of the district.

The Health Department would set up 494 centres in the urban and rural areas of the district and in addition, mobile units would also be pressed into service.

Special attention would be given to slums and other disease-prone areas where people were not aware about the vaccination programme.

Earlier, a large number of people from the rural areas thronged the janata darbar to air their grievances. Most of the complaints related to the Departments of Revenue, Public Health, Municipal Committee and the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN).

The residents of Moi village complained that they were not being supplied potable water, resulting in the spread of various diseases among the people. The Deputy Commissioner directed the Public Health Department authorities to take immediate and effective steps to supply potable water to the villagers.

Many people complained about the illegal occupation of municipal land in the streets around the vegetable market in Ganaur. They demanded that encroachments on municipal land should be removed immediately and stern action should be taken against the guilty persons.

Residents of both urban and rural areas protested against the erratic power supply, frequent trippings and low voltage and complained about the non-replacement of damaged transformers by the HVPN authorities. The Deputy Commissioner directed the HVPN authorities to take immediate steps for improving the power supply and replacing the damaged transformers in the area.

He also asked the authorities concerned to ensure the distribution of old age pension by the seventh of every month in the area.

3 dead as Matador rams into truck
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Nov 29 — Three persons, including a child, were killed and at least 11 injured when a Matador carrying school children rammed into a truck near Bhagwatipur village on the Rohtak-Jind road last night.

According to the police, the Matador belonging to a school in Jind district, was returning from the international trade fair at New Delhi. It is learnt that the van rammed into a stationary truck which had been there after a collision with another truck on Friday.

A student was among three persons who died in the accident.

While the student has been identified as Swaran Singh, son of Mr Prem Singh, Kalta village in Jind district, one of the other deceased has been identified as Mahipal, conductor of the van. The third dead has not been identified. He had taken a lift in the Matador at Rohtak.

The injured are reported to be the schoolchildren. They have been admitted to hospital.

Meanwhile, in another accident a Kenyan national was killed and the driver of a car injured when the vehicle in which they were travelling from Delhi to Rohtak collided with a mini bus near the Bahadurgarh bus stand last evening.

The deceased has been identified as Lester Ordoger and was reportedly a student of Maharshi Dayanand University here. The driver of the car has been identified as Vijay Pal.

In another incident, the police recovered the unidentified body of a youth, aged about 22 years, from Sampla-Beri road yesterday. The body bore knife wounds.

Criminal case against cop
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Nov 29 — A criminal case has been registered against an Inspector for freeing an accused and illegally keeping with him certain items, including a pistol, recovered from the accused.

According to police sources, the Inspector who was SHO, Bahadurgarh in January this year allegedly let the accused go free and illegally kept with him a car and a pistol recovered from him.

Meanwhile in another case, the police has booked three members of a family of Rohad village for harassing two women allegedly for dowry.

Villagers lock school
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Nov 29 — Residents of Madina village, including members of the panchayat locked Government Girls High School yesterday in protest against the conduct of two teachers.

According to reports reaching here the Headmaster of the school lodged an FIR with the Baroda police against certain residents of the village alleging that they beat up two teachers and destroyed the furniture and other articles belonging to his office.

The residents demanded immediate suspension of the teachers and threatened that they would not allow the reopening of the school until the demand was accepted.

Robbers kill chowkidar
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, Nov 29 — A chowkidar was killed and goods worth several lakh looted from a godown at Nanhers village near here in the early hours of the morning today.

According to FIR registered in this connection, the robbers came to the godown in a mini-truck, tied one of the chowkidars, Parveen, with ropes and forced their entry into the godown. They killed the other chowkidar, Munshi Ram Kharbanda and after looting medicines worth several lakhs, they escaped.

Employees give strike call
From Our Correspondent

BHIWANI, Nov 29 — Various employee unions and organisations have given a call for a statewide strike on December 11 in protest against the anti-employee and anti-worker attitude of the Central and state governments.

This was decided at a state-level rally held here.

The rallyists raised anti-government slogans and criticised the privatisation of the electricity, road, transport, banking and insurance sectors.

Prominent among those who addressed the rally were Master Sher Singh, president , Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Mr N. P. Munjal and Mr Om Parkash, general secretary and president, Haryana Bank Employees Federation, Mr Phool Singh Sheokand, a former president of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Ms Jagmati Sangwan, president , Janwadi Mahila Samiti, Mr Ravinder Singh Sangwan, president, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, and Mr Sardha Nand Solanki, president , CITU, Haryana.