Cleanliness drive in Panipat PANIPAT, Sept 13 — The district administration has launched an anti-encroachment drive in different parts of the city.

Panipat refinery almost ready
PANIPAT, Sept 13 — The Panipat refinery of the Indian Oil Corporation, built at a cost of Rs 3,868 crore, is in the final stage of completion.

Bansi government has failed people: Bhajan
PANIPAT, Sept 13 — Mr Bhajan Lal MP and a former Chief Minister during his three-day visit to various villages in the district said the Bansi Lal government had not kept its poll promises and the people of the state wanted it to resign.

Congress demands White Paper on recruitments
CHANDIGARH, Sept 13 — The Haryana Congress today urged the Bansi Lal-led HVP-BJP ministry to issue a White Paper on the recruitments made in various government departments detailing the names of persons given jobs.

• Reward for clue to serial killing

• 2 youths commit suicide

• 3 bodies found

GJU mobilises more resources

HISAR, Sept 13 (UNI) — Guru Jambheshwar University (GJU) has mobilised internal resources up to Rs 2.67 crore during 1998-99, which is Rs 41 lakh more than it generated during the last academic year.

The GJU Vice-Chancellor, Mr K.L, Johar, said a major portion of this internal mobilisation came from the seats reserved for NRIs and industrially-sponsored candidates.

In most of the courses there was a good rush for paid seats, he claimed, adding that both the UGC and the state government had been stressing that the universities should generate their own resources so that their financial dependence on the former was reduced.

Dr Johar said the increase in resources was indicative of the popularity of the professional and job-oriented courses.

He claimed that every course had a foreign language to be learnt compulsorily. There was a component of developing entrepreneurship in all courses so that some of the students could also be self-employed, he said.

The Vice-Chancellor said if the present trend continued, girls in Haryana would outnumber boys in the fields of technology and management. "This trend is visible in the admissions to various technical and management courses being organised by the GJU", he observed.

When the university was started in 1995, the proportion of girls studying in the university was only slightly more than 20 per cent. In 1996-97, it increased to 30 per cent, in 1997-98 to 37 per cent and during the year, it increased to 45 per cent.

Some of the courses which were more popular among girls are environmental science, mass communication, biotechnology and food processing and technology. In M.Sc. (Biotechnology), of the 33 admissions, 24 were of girls and nine of boys. Similarly, in mass communication, of the 26 students, 16 were girls. Applied psychology and applied mathematics were also becoming popular with girls, Dr Johar noted.

Courses like Information Technology and Printing Technology were also becoming popular among girls. In NIT, a male dominated field, out of 41 admissions, 16 were of girls. Similarly, in the MCA of the 24 admissions, 17 were girls.

The Vice-Chancellor described this as a healthy trend in consonance with the new educational policy which envisaged involvement of more girls in higher education.

Dharamvir steps up tirade against CM
From Our Correspondent

REWARI, Sept 13 — Raising the banner of revolt against Mr Bansi Lal, the Haryana PWD Minister, Dr Dharamvir Yadav today criticised the "arbitrary functioning of the Chief Minister which, he alleged, had brought disgrace to the state.

Addressing a press conference here he alleged that the Chief Minister had concentrated all administrative powers in his own hands and independent functioning of the ministers had been stifled. He regretted that the Chief Minister was concerned only about the Bhiwani region and interests of the rest of the areas were being ignored.

Substantiating his charge he said Rs 12.5 crore out of Rs 23 crore sanctioned by NABARD would be spent on the repair and strengthening of Roads in Bhiwani alone. Similarly the hot mix plant operating at Kosli was being taken to Bhiwani.

He alleged that the Chief Minister had 'arbitrarily' transferred Mr K.K. Singhal, Mr S.S. Goyal S.E.s of Ambala and Chandigarh and over 20 other Executive Engineers, S.D.E.s and junior engineers; whose work was satisfactory and department work was suffering unnecessarily.

The minister further alleged that the Chief Minister's son, Mr Surinder Singh, M.P., and his daughter Mrs, Saroj Siwach, D.C., Panchkula, had become extra constitutional centres of power and were running 'political shops' from Delhi and Panchkula where deals with parties concerned were struck. He also gave several instances to prove his point.

He said he himself would not resign from the Cabinet but if his resignation was demanded by the Chief Minister he would tender it immediately.

He further said that he was now touring villages to expose the various acts of omission and commission by the Chief Minister.

24 members of mahasangh arrested
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, Sept 13 — Twenty four members of the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh were arrested here today as a preventive measure in view of the strike call given by the Mahasangh for September 16.

Among those arrested and produced before a court were Samay Singh, Rampal, Hori Lal, Suraj, Jagmohan, Naresh Gupta, Harkesh, Parmod, Dharamvir, Amarnath, Vijay, Purshottam, Inderpal, Mamraj, Krushan Lal, Satish, Om Parkash, Rakesh and Ram Kumar.

A spokesman for the HSEB Employees Union, Mr Devi Prasad, said the state government should hold talks with the union leaders in order to resolve the issue.

SONEPAT (FOC): Members of the Sarv Karamchari Mahasangh and other government employees' unions held a procession here on Saturday in protest against the failure of the state government to concede their demands.

Carrying black flags and raising anti-government slogans, they marched through the main bazars of the city later held a rally at the general bus stand.

Speakers criticised the HVP-BJP government led by Mr Bansi Lal for enforcing ESMA.

Cleanliness drive in Panipat
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, Sept 13 — The district administration has launched an anti-encroachment drive in different parts of the city.

Mrs Anurag Rastogi, Deputy Commissioner, said here yesterday after meeting with municipal councillors and presidents of various social organisations, that the campaign, was part of plan to give a facelift to the city. He said the authorities had asked the shopkeepers and rehriwalas to remove the encroachments failing which strict action would be taken against them. The district administration, had also issued notices to remove encroachments on service road in the city. They had also been warned of legal action, if they failed to remove the encroachments.

Mr Rastogi said the council had already confiscated furniture and other goods of shopkeepers and rehriwalas, who had violated the rules. The council had also launched a cleanliness campaign and special staff had been deputed to spray insecticides and pesticides. The council had taken a series to steps of clean the blocked sewers.

Modern sports centre planned
From Sameer Sabharwal

GURGAON: Covering 80 acres near the institutional Sector 32 here, the proposed 'Haryana Sports Centre', is planned to be one of its own kind in and around Delhi.

Deputy Commissioner Devender Singh's 'dream project' is ready to take off with the project details — including the final master plan of the proposed sports centre — having been worked out. The Deputy Commissioner proposes to send the project for approval to the government.

The Haryana sports centre is estimated to cost Rs 400 crore. The land itself is worth about Rs 1200 crore at the prevailing prices. Mr Devender Singh has recommended that a state-level body be established to oversee the entire project. Tenders for private participation in the project would also be floated.

The complex is planned to house an international-level cricket stadium with modern architecture and facilities. This would surely provide an alternative to the Ferozeshah Kotla in Delhi, which has in the past been objected to by some international cricket teams as unsuitable for international fixtures. Efforts are on to rope in veteran cricketers like Kapil Dev for their support and guidance.

The sports centre would offer international-level basketball and volleyball facilities, tennis courts, swimming pool and an athletics track. Besides, the complex would house a commercial centre and even a five-star hotel. The centre would have its own residential area for sportsmen and athletes participating in games here.

* * *

As much as Rs 14 crores have been spent by the Mewat Development Agency for the uplift of the Mewat area over the past three years. Under the Mewat Area Development Programme (MADP) Rs 70 crore have been earmarked for all-round development of this backward area by the end of 2000 AD.

Mr G. Prasanna Kumar, Commissioner, Gurgaon Division, who is also the Chairman of the Mewat Development Agency, reviewed the work so far accomplished by various departments at a meeting held here recently.

According to Mr Kumar, Rs 1.85 crore have been spent on land development, Rs 1.71 crore on irrigation facilities, Rs 26 lakh on the development of dry farming and Rs 1.23 crore for the development of orchards and animal husbandry. Over Rs 2.10 crore have been invested in providing better drinking water facilities.

According to Mr Prasanna, the work on the Benarasi distributory and the Umra minor for providing better facilities in the Mewat area is being carried out on a war footing and is likely to be completed by the end of this financial year. Self-employment schemes are being introduced for the youth, and the nationalised banks are being to provide loans to such entrepreneurs. As many as 57 waterworks have been set up to meet the demand of drinking water in the area.

* * *

Cinema halls are being asked to provide better facilities by the district administration. A team of officers who surveyed cinema halls in the town found that basic amenities were absent, cleanliness was at a premium and drinking water was unavailable. Covered parking facilities were found to be inadequate and fire-fighting equipment insufficient and defunct. Toilets were not cleaned properly and were without proper exhaust systems.

The cinema-hall owners have been warned that their licences would be renewed only after they remove all these inadequacies.

* * *

A plan is afoot under which the availability of drinking water is expected to be increased from the present 100 litres per person per day to 180 litres in the town. Under the scheme, all the residential colonies would be linked to underground waterpipes, and separate water reservoirs would be erected.

The entire town has been divided into four zones. An 11 lakh gallon capacity water reservoir would be established in zone one which would provide drinking water to the new colony, the Krishna colony, the bank colony, Shivpuri, Bhimnagar, Madanpuri, Jyoti Park, Arjun Nagar, Pratap Nagar, Ashok Nagar and the Dayanand colony. In the second zone, a reservoir with 10 lakh gallon capacity would be constructed for the 4/8 marla colony. Two 4.5 lakh and 10 lakh gallon capacity reservoirs would be constructed for Jacumbpura and Civil Lines, respectively.

Under the Yamuna Action Plan, an amount of Rs 15 crore out of a total project cost of Rs 18.23 crore has been spent for improving the sewerage system and constructing a water treatment plant. Under a new scheme introduced by the state government, the Public Health Department will offer sewerage and water pipelines to any colony which contributes towards 50 per cent of the total cost.

Panipat refinery almost ready
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, Sept 13 — The Panipat refinery of the Indian Oil Corporation, built at a cost of Rs 3,868 crore, is in the final stage of completion.

In the first phase of commissioning, the crude distillation unit has started operating and the trial of finished petroleum products has commenced, according to Mr Surinder Saini, Executive Director of the refinery. The other units will be taken up in phases.

The refinery has hi-tech fire-fighting facilities and can handle two major fires simultaneously.

A vast expanse of land around the refinery is being developed as an ecological park. A state-of-the-art waste water treatment plant will also be installed.

Bansi government has failed people: Bhajan

PANIPAT, Sept 13 — Mr Bhajan Lal MP and a former Chief Minister during his three-day visit to various villages in the district said the Bansi Lal government had not kept its poll promises and the people of the state wanted it to resign.

Expressing concern over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state he demanded the immediate arrest of the baby killer.

He said people in most rural areas were facing scarcity of drinking water. Long power cuts had added to the sufferings of the people.

He granted Rs 50,000 from his MP's quota to nine villages for development work.

Congress demands White
Paper on recruitments

CHANDIGARH, Sept 13 (PTI) — The Haryana Congress today urged the Bansi Lal-led HVP-BJP ministry to issue a White Paper on the recruitments made in various government departments detailing the names of persons given jobs.

Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) President Bhupinder Singh Hooda in a statement here demanded scrapping of police recruitments done this year and demanded a CBI probe into it.

Mr Hooda said that the allegations of irregularities in police recruitments had also been levelled by PWD Minister Dharamvir Yadav, who alleged that out of the 1,800 constables recruited, 1,100 belonged to Bhiwani, the home district of Chief Minister Bansi Lal.

2 youths commit suicide
From Our Correspondent

FARIDABAD, Sept 13 — Two youths committed suicide, here yesterday.

Ashok Kumar (38) and a resident of Sector III committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance after hearing about the death of his wife Asha. He is survived by two daughters and a minor son.

In the second case, Chotey Singh committed suicide after consuming poison. Unemployment and poverty is stated to be the reason behind the suicide.

In another case the dead body of a young person was found in Dabua colony yesterday.

The police has registered cases and making inquiries.

Reward for clue to serial killing
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, Sept 13 — The district Child Welfare Council, Jhajjar, has announced a reward of Rs 10,000 to the person who will provide any clue to the whereabouts of the serial killer.

The Deputy Commissioner, Jhajjar, today clarified that the girl who had disappeared on Friday and was later recovered from a vacant plot of land in an unconscious state, was 17 years old.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner, is continuing the mass contact programme, ward-wise, to elicit information about the sex maniac who had so far taken the lives of 11 girls. The move is also aimed at infusing a sense of security among the citizens of this industrial town.

3 bodies found
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Sept 13 — The police has recovered the bodies of three youths in their 20s from a well at Chimni village, 30 km from here, in Jhajjar district.
According to the police, the bodies have not been identified so far. It is reported that the bodies bore bullet marks on them.

The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination.

A case has been registered.