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H A R Y A N A |  |
 Friday, April 2, 1999 |
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Industries centre surrenders funds SONEPAT, April 1 — The District Industries Centre here surrendered Rs 1.50 crore to the Haryana Government yesterday following its non-utilisation by the department. According to official sources, this sum was received by the DIC Sonepat for disbursement as interest-free loans among beneficiaries. CAT stays IAS officer's transfer CHANDIGARH, April 1 — The local Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal today stayed the operation of the Haryana Government order dated March 18 so far as it related to the transfer of Mr S.C. Chaudhary, a Commissioner rank officer, to the newly-created post of Principal, Revenue Training Institute Ambala. |
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15 remanded
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| Food Inspector convicted | |
Hooda to receive jyoti |
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Industries centre surrenders funds SONEPAT, April 1 — The District Industries Centre here surrendered Rs 1.50 crore to the Haryana Government yesterday following its non-utilisation by the department. According to official sources, this sum was received by the DIC Sonepat for disbursement as interest-free loans among beneficiaries. But DIC authorities maintained that the beneficiaries failed to complete formalities in the stipulated period. On the last day of the financial year 1998-99 certain officials of the Irrigation Department, particularly the Sonepat Water Service Division (Mechanical engineering wing) had a field day in receiving the amount on account of their T.A. and D.A. Informed sources said that a high-level inquiry into the racket is likely to expose the 'misdeeds' of the officials who had prepared the 'bogus' bills for pocketing the amount thus received. It is also alleged that the headquarters of certain junior engineers in the Irrigation Department had been shifted from various villages to Sonepat for giving them the benefit of CCA and HRA thereby causing a huge financial loss to the state exchequer. These JEs did not maintain their headquarters during the rotation period of supply of canal water. If any mishap or breach occurs, they have to rush to the site whenever they are informed by beldars. The Haryana Government has ordered a Vigilance inquiry into the alleged misuse of public funds by certain officials of the Sonepat Water Service Division in the Bega complex. This followed a series of
complaints received by the state government in this
regard, the sources said. |
CAT stays IAS officer's transfer CHANDIGARH, April 1 — The local Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal today stayed the operation of the Haryana Government order dated March 18 so far as it related to the transfer of Mr S.C. Chaudhary, a Commissioner rank officer, to the newly-created post of Principal, Revenue Training Institute (RTI) Ambala. Mr Jasbir S. Dhaliwal, Judicial Member of the tribunal, who handed down this order, issued notice to Chief Minister, Bansi Lal, Chief Secretary R.S. Verma, and the Union of India for April 20. Belonging to the 1977 batch of the I.A.S. Mr Chaudhary contested the transfer order on grounds, inter alia, that the post of RTI Principal was an ex-cadre post. This post had not been declared equal in status and responsibility to the post of Commissioner and Secretary (which he holds now) as was mandatory required under the I.A.S. (Fixation of cadre strength) Regulations, 1955, and the All India Services Pay Rules, 1954. He alleged that the RTI located in two dilapidated rooms of the Divisional Commissioner's office and that this institute did not have any library or residential accommodation. Moreover, the institute had not imparted any training to any official during the past five months. Nor was any I.A.S. or H.C.S. (Executive) officer given training at this institute since 1966. He revealed to the tribunal that since 1982 Ambala's Divisional Commissioner had been discharging this perfunctory task requiring only occasional intervention in addition to his basic functions and that the truncated post of Principal, after it was separated from the Divisional Commissioner's post, was virtually without any work. Assailing the irrational creation of ex-cadre posts outside the sanctioned cadre posts which was tantamount to mismanagement of the cadre by the Haryana Government, the applicant enclosed a list of 59 IAS officers, far exceeding the permitted state deputation reserve of 28 officers. "This pick-and-choose methodology, which gives a go-by to the All India Services Act and Rules framed thereunder and a deliberate cadre mismanagement for oblique and ulterior motive, are the reasons which have created chaos in the cadre," stated Mr Chaudhary. Citing the fact that Mr Bansi Lal had himself quoted extensively in the Vidhan Sabha on February 25, 1993, and on April 1, 1993, from the decisions of the Supreme Court and the tribunal in the Gurnam Singh case on the same lines, the applicant stated that the CAT could "very well gauge the intensity of the prejudice and bias nurtured by Mr Bansi Lal against the applicant which has led the former to pass such orders which had been issued in flagrant violation of the rules and the judicial pronouncement which has become the law of the land. Substantiating the charge of bias allegedly shown by the Chief Minister, Mr Chaudhary alleged that Mr Bansi Lal had wanted the "change of land use" without composition fee of Kuber Hotel, owned by the family members of former MP Chiranji Lal Sharma, and a close friend of the Chief Minister. While holding the post of Chief Administrator of HUDA, Mr Chaudhary had expressed his inability to do so as it was not provided under the rules. Then he was shifted to the post of Transport Commissioner. Again, Mr Chaudhary had expressed his inability to countersign permits of a syndicate bus operators led by the Chief Minister's brother, Mr Raghbir Singh. Then he was shifted to the post of Managing Director, Harijan Kalyan Nigam. It did not stop there. He was again given marching orders to join as OSD, Manpower and Planning and now asked to join as Principal, RTI. The stand of the state government, on the other hand, was that there was no reduction in rank and salary of Mr Chaudhary. The Deputy Advocate-General, who appeared on behalf of the government, told the tribunal that the government was about to declare the post of Principal, RTI equal in rank and status to the post of Commissioner. Mr Dhaliwal observed:
"If such declaration is made subsequent to the order
of transfer, it is bad in law." |
VC raids 3 exam centres KURUKSHETRA, April 1— The annual examinations of Kurukshetra University started on smooth note here today. Dr M.L. Ranga, Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, along with Mr K.D. Khajuria, Controller of Examinations of the varsity, raided three centres this morning. The Vice-Chancellor caught two unfair means cases at the examination centres. The centres visited by the Vice-Chancellor were University College, the Community Centre and Bhagwan Parshu Ram College. Dr Ranga told TNS today as many as 1.50 lakh examinees were appearing at atleast 120 centres of the university. The varsity had constituted six special flying squades to detect use of unfair means at these centres. Besides, there were about 22 normal flying squads which would check almost each centre in each city everyday. The special flying squads had been constituted for the centres falling in seven sensitive areas i.e. Hisar, Tohana, Jind, Narwana, Samalkha, Adampur and Sirsa. Dr Ranga further disclosed he had written letters to the Deputy Commissioners and the Home Secretary of Haryana for providing police help for the smooth conduct of examinations. The State of Haryana accordingly directed all Deputy Commissioners of the districts to take adequate measures for the smooth conduct of examinations. As a result in each district the Deputy Commissioners had imposed Section 144 of the Cr PC around the examination centres within a radius of 200 yards. Earlier, anti-social elements used to collect near examination centres to help the examinees. It led to a lot of hooliganism around the centres and made things hot for the invigilators. The state government has also issued a circular that proceeding would be initiated against those teachers who refused to do examination duty. Mr Khajuria told The Tribune more than 2,000 teachers had been deployed on examination duty. The university had received reports from almost all centres about the smooth conduct of examination today. He further said practical, compartment and supplementary examinations had already been smoothly conducted and completed by the university. The postgraduate examinations would start from the first week of May. In order to check tinkering of answer-sheets, the university had introduced a single answer-sheet system. Earlier, one answer-sheet comprised 36 pages. The examinees could ask for additional sheets if need be. From this year, they had introduced a single sheet system comprising 44 pages. Instructions have been issued to the superintendents of the examination centres not to provide any additional answer-sheets to the examinees. This had been done to check the dubious means adopted by the students in the earlier system. Some students used to take loose sheets to their homes and next day attach it with the answer-sheets after solving some of the questions at their homes. The single answer-sheets system would check this menace. Mr Khajuria said impersonation was being checked at centres. A new method for despatching answer-sheets had also been evolved. The answer-sheets would be despatched within three days after receipt at the university. This step has been taken to declare the results in time. The Vice-Chancellor disclosed steps were being taken for computerisation of the examination system. There was a need for it as there were staff and time constraints when the university wanted to declare the results. Dr Ranga said when
Kurukshetra University was made an affiliating university
there were 47 colleges. Now the number of colleges had
risen to 97 but the staff with the university remained
the same. Further, the number of students appearing for
examinations had risen manifold. The university had also
resorted to stitching of answer-sheets for the sensitive
centres so that no page could be detached from them. |
Pisciculture catches up in Kaithal KAITHAL: Fish farming is catching up in Haryana, with farmers adopting it as an industry rather than a small-scale domestic business or profession. Farmers of Kaithal district have started taking keen interest in fish farming. During the current year, 1486 tonnes of fish was produced. The Fish Farmers Development Agency (FFDA) has provided the necessary guidance and assistance to those interested in taking up pisciculture. As it affords good income on small investment, unemployed youth and other farmers have started taking interest in fish farming. To promote fish farming in a systematic and scientific way, the Fish Farmers Development Agency started functioning in this district in 1991. Till 1992-93, the farmers used to collect seed fish from other districts but after some time, a seed fish farm was established at Mundri village on a canal bank which is now catering to the needs of the entire district. In 1997-98, 21.50 lakhs seed fish were produced at the Mundri farm which rose to 37.56 lakh during the current year. During 1992-93, 135 acres was under fish farming which had now risen to 350.7 hectares. Besides, fish farming is being carried on in leased village ponds and tanks spread over an area of 53.6 hectares. An unemployed youth, Suresh Kumar of Budha Khera village, started "jhinga fish" farming on his four-acre farm. He was the third farmer to start farming of "jhinga fish" in Haryana. The availability of seed fish has risen from 6 lakh in 1992-93 to 72.93 lakh in 1998-99. The Deputy Commissioner, Ms Jaiwanti Sheokand, who is also Chairman of the Fish Farmers Development Agency, said farmers had been provided monetary assistance amounting to Rs 5.48 lakh, including a subsidy of Rs 1.29 lakh. Farmers are trained for 15 days in fish farming and paid a daily allowance of Rs 25. Tanks and ponds which were earlier being used for bathing animals and washing of clothes by the villagers were now being used for fish farming. Now the villagers can take
village ponds on lease for five to 10 years for fish
farming. According to information, panchayats have earned
an income of Rs 3.84 lakh by leasing ponds for fish
farming during the current financial year. Official
sources claimed that Haryana was No 2 in the country in
fish production per hectare which was 4000-4500 kg in the
state as against 2150 kg at the national level. |
A civic body
in the red FARIDABAD, April 1 — Unless the Haryana Government financially helps the Faridabad Municipal Corporation and the people are ready to pay a reasonable amount of tax the structure of the civic body may be strained. The Corporation does not have funds to improve and maintain the basic civic amenities which are under pressure due to an increase in population and haphazard growth of the city. The Corporation has an income of Rs 3.10 crore per month against the expenditure of Rs 2.60 crore, including payment of salaries and electricity bills. This leaves only Rs 70 lakh for development works. The state government is not giving the share of taxes collected by it to the local bodies as per recommendations of the Finance Commission. The rate of octroi, fixed in 1971, is not value based as in Punjab. Regarding the water problem 41 more tubewells had been bored in the NIT area. Of these 22 would be operational by the end of April, the rest by the middle of May. But these would not be enough as the ground water level has gone down steeply. Moreover the water is brakish. The crisis is acute in Saran, Dabua Colony, Jawahar Colony, Sector 21-A, B, C, Baniwada and Bamanwada in Ballabhgarh. The problem in the NIT areas would ease not before December next year. Most of the 300 tubewells
in the city are functioning with 30 per cent efficiency
due to outdated motors and pipelines. Power supply to
those is also erratic. |
Erosion in moral values regretted YAMUNANAGAR, April 1 — Mr O.P. Mahajan, Excise and Taxation Minister of Haryana, has regretted the erosion in moral values in the prevailing scenario of the country. Speaking on the occasion of the annual function of Seth Jai Parkash Polytechnic, Damla, near here on Tuesday he lauded the contribution of Seth Ashok Kumar, Chairman of Mukand Lal institutions. He said that the people like him stem the tide of decline and were promoting the cause of higher education. Presiding over the function, Mr Subhash Choudhry, Minister for Environment, Wildlife Preservation and PWD, commanded the efforts being put in by the trust and promised all help to the institution. Mr Ashok Kumar castigated divisive forces for drawing a wedge between different castes and communities in order to build their vote banks. Earlier, Principal Anil
Budhiraja highlighted the achievements of the college in
the field of academics and extra-curricular activities. |
15 remanded in judicial custody KAITHAL, April 1 — All 15 persons, including two women, arrested in connection with the murder of two lovers at Shimla village on Monday last were remanded in judicial custody by the court here yesterday. The Kalayat police had arrested Dharam Pal, Jagdish, Sushil, Rajesh, Ram Niwas, Ram Chander, Dalip, Prem, Krishan, Bhim, Chander Bhan, Ram Chander and two women Matri and Birmati following a complaint lodged by brother of Des Raj, a Dalit youth who was allegedly murdered by the accused by hitting him with lathis and stones. According to information, the police has seized blood-stained soil from the place where the victims, the boy and the girl Nirmala also of the Dalit community, were done to death on Monday. According to information, Des Raj (23) and Nirmala (17) both Dalits hailed from Shimla village falling under Kalayat subtehsil of this district and were distantly related to each other developed an affair. This was not liked by the family members of the boy and the girl and a meeting of the community panchayat reportedly asked Des Raj, the murdered youth, to remain away from the village after the panchayat objected to their affair. On the fateful evening ignoring the decision of the panchayat to remain out of the village, Des Raj came to the village and is reported to have used objectionable language and words opposite the house of the girl which infuriated the relatives of the girl who attacked him with lathis, stones and "jelly" and killed him on the spot. Subsequently, the relatives of Nirmala brought her at the same place by dragging her from her hair and hit her the same way killing her on the spot. Later on they cremated both bodies in the village cremation grounds. Next day the police after
coming to know about the murders acted on the complaint
of the brother of Des Raj and took into custody all 15
persons named in the FIR. |
Hooda to receive jyoti CHANDIGARH, April 1 — Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, told newsmen here today that the Haryana Congress Tercentenary Celebrations Committee would give a rousing reception to the holy jyoti at Hodal on April 5. The jyoti is being brought from Patna to Anandpur Sahib for the tercentenary celebrations. Mr Hooda said he would receive the jyoti. Similar receptions, he said, would be held at Kundli, Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra and at a few other places. Mr Hoods ruled out any disciplinary action against Mr Bhajan Lal for holding a political meeting at Panipat on March 28 when he himself was addressing another meeting nearby, at Israna village. He said the public meetings were aimed at uniting the people. Hence, these were welcome. He also said such meetings were part of an exercise aimed at strengthening the hands of the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. He once again averred that
the Pradesh Congress would honour all those who were
instrumental in making the Jind rally in February a
success. |
HUDA to give
land
for sports CHANDIGARH, April 1 — The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has decided to allot two acres of land in Sector 3, Panchkula, for setting up of an adventure sports complex academy adjacent to the proposed sports complex. The sports complex is being developed by HUDA in an area of nearly 50 acres of land at a cost of Rs 8 crore. Seth Siri Kishan Dass, Town and Country Planning Minister, Haryana, said today that HUDA had also decided to allot approximately 6,000 sq. mtr. of land to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for establishing their regional office at Panchkula. The land was being
allotted in the City Centre, Sector 5, Panchkula. The
CBSE would not be allowed to change the land use. The
land, if not utilised for the purpose, would be taken
back by HUDA, he added. |
Food Inspector convicted FARIDABAD, April 1 — Mr P.L. Goyal, Additional District and Sessions Judge, today sentenced Dharmvir, Inspector of the Food and Supplies Department of Hodal, to two years' rigorous imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs 5,000 for unauthorisedly issuing wheat permit to ration depot holders in 1989. Suresh Chand and Bhagwat Swarup ration depot holders were also sentenced to one year’s rigorous imprisonment and to pay a fine of Rs 5,000. According to the prosecution Dharamvir signed the permit to lift 250 bags of wheat to ration depot holders who instead of distributing it through the public distribution system sold it on the black market. According to the rules the authority to sign the permit vested with the District Food and Supplies Controller. Mr Goyal observed that
Dharamvir failed in his duty as a government servant to
ensure that the depot holders worked within the ambit of
law. Instead, he connived with them. |
1 held for supplying liquor to
undertrial ROHTAK, April 1 — A youth was arrested on a charge of supplying liquor to an undertrial prisoner at District Jail here yesterday. According to jail sources, Vinod of Jind visited the jail to meet his friend Jagmohan, an undertrial prisoner. The police deputed on the gate of the jail searched him and recovered a liquor cane. The police has registered
a case against him under Section 42 the Jail Act and sent
him to judicial remand for 14-day. Chandumajra flays Badal AMBALA, April 1 — Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra, Akali Dal MP, said here yesterday that the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, was trying to promote his son by ignoring the party's interests. Addressing a function, Mr Chandumajra said that Mr Badal was acting like Dhritrashtra of Mahabharata and was causing great damage to the Khalsa Panth. The Sikhs were not ready to accept Mr Puran Singh as Jathedar of Akal Takht. Mr Badal wanted to degrade Akal Takht and Mr Tohra's removal was only a pretext. Mrs Jagir Kaur, new SGPC president, and Mr Puran Singh were only government nominees. Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra, former SGPC chief, appealed to the people to wholeheartedly welcome the Sant Srijan Chetna Yatra, which had started from Patna. Mr Aman Kumar Nagra said that a roundabout costing Rs 1.25 lakh would be built in the city to commemorate the contribution of Guru Gobind Singh.
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Chautala's stand on SYL decried ROHTAK, April 1 — Mr Balwan Singh Panchal, General Secretary, Haryana Backward Classes Federation and a member of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, has charged the Indian National Lok Dal chief, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, with misleading the people on the Sutlej-Yamuna link canal issue. In a statement issued here yesterday he alleged that Mr Chautala just intended to derive political mileage from the issue. He had never been serious in bringing the Ravi-Beas waters to Haryana. Mr Chautala overlooked the issue when he was the state Chief Minister and his father Devi Lal was the Deputy Prime Minister. He said the issue was not
so much complicated, but the political leaders had made
it so for their personal reasons. Rise in temperature may hit
crops HISAR, April 1 — The sudden rise in the day temperature in the region has alarmed agriculture experts and farmers as this may prove harmful for the maturing crops. For the past two days, Hisar has recorded a maximum temperature at 40.1°C. This according to Dr Kuldeep Singh Dhindsa, a senior scientist in the Haryana Agricultural University, may affect the crops and vegetables. According to senior scientists, the poor rainfall during the winter may be one of the causes of the sharp rise in the temperature. The rainfall during last winter was negligible.
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3 held for murder YAMUNANAGAR, April 1 — The police here arrested three persons today who allegedly were involved in a murder case. Mr K.K. Sindhu, Superintendent of Police, Yamunanagar said today that youth named Safiq son of Hanif resident of Jaidhar village, 20 km from here, succumbed to his injuries in civil hospital, Jagadhri yesterday. He added that the brother of the deceased informed the police about the illicit relations of his aunty with a neighbour following which the family had a meeting and decided to seek divorce from her husband. The bride's family protested that they would not allow them to take drastic action against their daughter resulting there was a clash between both families on March 30 which led to the murder of a youth. The Chhachhrauli police
has registered a case in this regard, under sections 302,
323, 324, 34 of the IPC and arrested three accused namely
Mustaq alias Kala, Itlaf and Ishlaam of Muzaffarnagar
district (Uttar Pradesh). The fourth accused is
absconding. |
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AMBALA, April 1 (PTI) — Two persons, including a woman, were shot dead in Mahalan village 15 km from here, last night, the police said today. The deceased were identified as Ramkaran, deputy sarpanch of the village, and Barjinder Kaur. The police has registered a murder case against Sahib Singh, Lakhmir Singh and Darshan Singh. According to a police report, Chet Ram, further of Ramkaran, has alleged that Sahib Singh, nursed a grudge against them. He called up his son, Ramkaran, at his 'dera' last night where he murdered the latter. The other deceased,
Barjinder Kaur, was the daughter-in-law of Sahib Singh.
The police is investigating the matter. Both bodies were
recovered from the "dera". |
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