• 5 liquor shops looted
• Power cut withdrawn

• Commission agent robbed
• Truck mows down two

Rs 90 lakh spent on welfare schemes
Tribune News Service

HISAR, Oct 8 — The Haryana Government has spent about Rs 90 lakh on various social welfare programmes.

Official sources said under the scheme of "apna beti apna dhan", over Rs 33 lakh had been provided to parents of 1,328 girls. Of this about Rs 15 lakh was given to children belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Rs 14 lakh to those belonging to the backward classes and about Rs 4 lakh to others.

As many as 533 girls in the urban areas and 795 in the rural areas were given about Rs 25 lakh. Under the scheme at the time of the birth of a female child, her parents are given Rs 3,000, out of which Rs 500 is meant for the mother and Rs 2,500 deposited in the name of the girl so that she gets Rs 25,000 when she turns 18.

The Haryana Harijan Welfare Corporation has provided about Rs 53 lakh to 239 harijan families for the purpose of self-employment. Of this, Rs 17 lakh has been provided as subsidy.

Under the scheme, 105 Harijan families were given Rs 16 lakh for setting up dairy units, 22 families were given Rs 6 lakh for breeding sheep and six others provided with Rs 88,000 for the rearing of pigs.

Besides this 15 families were given about Rs 3 lakh for setting up industrial units and 64 families given Rs 15 lakh for trade.

Traders, admn lock horns
From Jatinder Sharma
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, Oct 8 — Traders and the administration here appear to be on the confrontation path. While the traders on Qilla Road put up the shutters to protest against the harassment by sales tax officials. The administration has launched intensive campaign against sales tax evasion.

The police has registered criminal cases against a large number of traders on charges of beating and assaulting sales tax officials on Qilla Road on Wednesday. The traders had allegedly beaten up ETO (Enforcement) Balwan Singh, AETO Ashok Malik, and Inspector A.K. Sethi, damaged the official vehicle-tore its log book and snatched the documents seized from certain shopkeepers.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anil Kumar, has described the traders' action as unjustified and unprovoked. The traders had not quoted even a single instance of harassment at the hands of the sales tax officials, he said.

Sales-tax officials were on routine checking of the stocks purchased by the traders from other states and towns in the wake of the festival season. The reaction of the traders, he said, indicate that they had not paid proper taxes while importing goods from other places.

Mr Pardeep Jain, president of the BJP's district unit, has criticised the administration for branding the traders as tax evaders. This, he said was not a healthy approach.

He said that the traders on Wednesday had reacted to the continuous harassment being meted out to them at the hands of the sales tax officials.

Mr Anil Trikha vice-president of the INLD has demanded cancellation of the case registered against the businessmen. Expressing solidarity with the striking traders, the INLD leader said that his party would submit a memorandum to the Governor on October 11 against the questionable functioning of government officials and relatives of certain ministers. He demanded that sales tax in Haryana should be charged on a par with the neighbouring Delhi state.

The Deputy Commissioner has ordered a day and night vigil on the goods entering the city. He said that no goods would be allowed to enter the city without payment of taxes. The erring traders would be penalised in accordance with the law.

No arrest has been made till the filing of this report. Expressing his annoyance over the police inaction. The Deputy Commissioner has ordered the SHO (City) either to arrest the traders named in the FIR or face action.

PGIMS faces disaffiliation
From Vipin Sharma

ROHTAK, Oct 8 — The Medical Council of India has served a notice to the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) here with regard to the disaffiliation on the charge of alleged irregularities in the migration of students.

The council has reportedly warned that the institute would be disaffiliated in case the migration of six medical students effected in "gross violation" of the migration rules, was not cancelled within 15 days.

However, it is learnt that the institute has so far not cancelled the migration of these six students. This has posed a serious threat to the fate of nearly 600 students.

The PGIMS is affiliated to Maharshi Dayanand University in certain academic matters like admission, examination and migration. The disputed migrations were recommended by the university migration committee.

Under rule No 6 of the Medical Council of India Regulation on Graduate Medical Education 1997, a student can be migrated on four grounds — (a) compassionate grounds, (b) medical grounds for a physically handicapped student; (c) administrative grounds on the declaration of the medical college concerned as disturbed area by the state government and (d) on the recommendation of the council. The officials of the council charged the PGIMS authorities with violating all these conditions in migrations.

According to information received here five students are migrated from other medical colleges to the PGIMS every year. It is strange coincidence that a majority of such migrated students belong to influential politicians, ministers, bigwigs and senior doctors. Meritorious students have allegedly been ignored for the past several years.

The candidates whose names have been directed for cancellation are Sandeep, Chaiketan, Mohit Singhal, Sanjay Garg, Suman Malik, and Ramandeep.

The Vice-Chancellor, Mr O.P. Kaushik when contacted on the telephone said five migration cases were allowed in a year and these cases pertain to 1996 while the new rules came into force in 1997. Mr Kaushik said in future migrations will be done according to new rules.

Meanwhile, Dr Jai Bhagwan Jatain, general secretary, Resident Doctor's Association, PGIMS, has expressed concern over the move to disaffiliate the institute.

Assault on ex-VC: CBI to file suit
From Vipin Sharma

ROHTAK, Oct 8 — The CBI has almost completed the probe into the murderous assault on former Vice-Chancellor of Maharshi Dayanand University Vivek Chand Sharma and will soon file a legal suit against offenders in a special CBI court.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had directed the CBI to conduct an inquiry into the assaults on Mr Sharma on May 13 and August 10, 1996.

The CBI has cross-examined Mr Sharma, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, the Deputy Registrar, the then Director, Medical College, the Deputy Commissioner and several teachers and students. It is learnt that the CBI has come across certain documents and other evidence on the basis of which action will be taken against a few university employees and students. Mr Sharma has reportedly handed over a video film concerning the assault to the CBI.

It may be recalled that certain people had misbehaved with members of the executive council of the university at its meeting on May 13, 1996, and tore copies of the agenda. Later, on August 10 they interrupted the meeting again and attacked Mr Sharma and his son.

On the other hand, Mr Sharma and his son were charged with firing at a group of agitated students while they were trying to force their entry into his residence. Rajesh Dabas, a student, was injured in the firing and was admitted to the local PGIMS. When Mr Sharma, along with the then Deputy Commissioner, visited the hospital to see the injured, the agitated mob reportedly attacked him and his son.

GJU denies flouting norms
Tribune News Service

HISAR, Oct 8 — Guru Jambeshwar University GJU here has denied the charges levelled by the Education Minister, Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, that it flouted norms while making appointments.

A spokesperson of the university said : "All selections and appointments of teachers in GJU have been made on merit by following the procedure laid down by the statutes of the university". He claimed that in no case had the qualifications prescribed by the UGC and the AICTE compromised.

He said the posts were advertised in various regional and national newspapers and the applications screened by the Head of the Department concerned and in his absence, by the Dean of the faculty. Screening of the applications was done according to the qualifications and experience laid down by the UGC and the AICTE.

He said 66 posts of teacher were advertised. After the screening of the applications, the interviews were conducted only for seven posts of Professor, eight for Reader and 26 for lecturer. The selection committee recommended the names of only 20 persons (Professors-2, Readers-3 and Lecturers-15) and so there was no question of flouting the norms.

Distance education picking up
From Our Correspondent

KURUKSHETRA, Oct 8 — The Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Dr M.L. Ranga, said the distance education courses had gained popularity due to the efforts made by the Directorate of Correspondence Courses of the university.

He said the courses were attracting students from abroad and the courses in management, computer and library and information science had become more popular. A one-year course in computer applications had also been designed.

The Vice-Chancellor said the positions secured by students of the correspondence courses held in April had improved.

Director of Correspondence Courses L.C. Gupta said elaborate arrangements had been made for the convenience and guidance of admission-seekers.

He said about 29,500 prospectuses had been sold so far.

He said girls had been allowed to appear in the examinations privately from the current session.

Beating up of editor condemned
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Oct 8 — Mr Harshvardhan Sharma, editor of a local evening paper, was allegedly beaten up by a police official yesterday.

Mr Vijay Sharma, general secretary of the Haryana Union of Journalists (HUJ), has condemned the incident and has sought a high-level inquiry.

Mr Sharma alleged that the DSP intercepted his car at a roundabout near the Tilyar tourist complex. The police staff accompanying him checked the documents first, but finding no fault with them, they manhandled Mr Sharma and his friend.

Criticising the "unjustified" behaviour of the official, the state president of the Small Newspapers Federation, Mr Rajbir Rajyan, said journalists would stage a dharna and gherao the official at his residence if he did not apologise.

5 liquor shops looted
From Our Correspondent

GURGAON, Oct 8 — Five liquor shops were looted by armed robbers here yesterday.

According to information, the first shop was looted at around 4.30 p.m when the robbers purchased some beer and opened fire at attendants who escaped unhurt. The robbers escaped in a white Maruti car with a sum of Rs 24,300.

They then looted a liquor shop on the Miyawali new railway road at around 9.45 p.m and took away Rs 29,000 in cash and bottles of liquor worth Rs 17,000. The third incident took place at 10.15 p.m when four youths entered the shop, beat up the attendants and escaped with Rs 13,510. Two other shops were also looted.

Commission agent robbed of 75,000
From Our Correspondent

KURUKSHETRA, Oct 8 — Mr Sham Lal, a commission agent, and his brother Faqir Chand were reportedly robbed of Rs 75,000 near the Ambedkar chowk here today.

According to an FIR, Mr Sham Lal and his brother had withdrawn the money from a bank. However a blue Maruti car hit their motor cycle from behind, throwing Mr Faqir Chand on the road. Two youths then alighted from the car and snatched the bag containing the money.

The district police chief said nakas were laid following the incident and the car was recovered from Karnal, 25 km from here. He said the Delhi Police had been contacted to know whether the car was stolen.

A case under Sections 392, 307 and 34, IPC, has been registered.

3-hour power cut withdrawn
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 8 — The Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) has decided to withdraw the existing three-hour power cut on urban/mixed urban feeders with immediate effect.

A spokesman of the Nigam said here today that the three-hour power cut earlier regulated with effect from July 31 last was from 9 a.m. to 12 noon in Hisar, Sirsa, Bhiwani, Jind, Rohtak and Narnaul operation circles and from 2.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. in Gurgaon, Faridabad, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Karnal, Sonepat and Yamunanagar operation circles. These timings were being rotated on weekly basis.

The spokesman added that the evening peak load restrictions would continue to be observed from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Truck mows down two
From Our Correspondent

KAITHAL, Oct 8 — Two persons were killed and three injured, two of them seriously, in a road accident near here today.

The accident occurred on the Kaithal-Ambala road when a truck knocked down a group of labourers who were coming to the town from Keorak village on their bicycles. The victims Krishan and Bhan reportedly died on the spot. The injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital. The condition of one of the injured is serious.

The villagers blocked the traffic on the road to express their resentment and demanded the immediate arrest of the driver of the truck.

The police has registered a case against the driver.