Traders observe strike
SONEPAT, April 9 — In response to a call given by the Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal for a statewide bandh in protest against the 1 per cent hike in the market fee announced by the state government, traders of Sonepat, Gohana, Ganaur and Kharkhauda foodgrains markets observed a complete strike today.

Where police does social work too
SIRSA: The primary work of the police is to check crime, but the Sirsa district police under the leadership of the SSP, B.S. Sandhu, is also involved in doing social work.

65 private schools derecognised
JIND, April 9 — The State Education Department has derecognised 65 private schools and downgraded 27 in the district.

It's time for central govt to go: Chautala
KAITHAL, April 9 — Indian National Lok Dal president, and former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala said here last night that it was time for the BJP-led government at the Centre to go.

6 blank answer sheets stolen
ROHTAK, April 9 — At least six blank answer sheets of the undergraduate examination of Maharshi Dayanand University were stolen from the premises of Government College at Meham town near here on Tuesday night.

Market closed in protest

People resent HUDA drive

Derailment delays trains

Haryana order on requisitions

Medicine supplier booked

Hooda's charge denied

Steps to control malaria

College staff not paid salary

Haryana to spend 1044 cr on education
From Our Correspondent

BHIWANI, April 9 — The Haryana Government will spend Rs 1044 crore during the current financial year on the expansion of education with a view to bringing qualitative and quantitative changes in the education system.

This was revealed by the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, while addressing the annual function of Vidya Bharti Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Sansthan here today.

The Chief Minister underlined the need for character-building among the student community. He said no country could progress and prosper without proper education of its citizens. He stressed the need to pay special attention towards character-building of youth. He said where character-building became the basis of education, other social virtues like equality and national integration cropped up themselves.

Mr Bansi Lal said in the modern education system no attention was being paid towards building character with the result that the new generation was diverting from our rich cultural heritage. He lauded the role of Vidya Bharti in setting up 28 "sanskar kendras" in the state for imparting value-based education to motivate the youth in facing challenges posed due to degradation of moral values. He said Vidya Bharti had won all three prizes in a recently held cultural competition on the eve of Gita Jayanti at Kurukshetra.

He stressed the need for imparting spiritual, moral and yogic education. While stressing the need for educating girls, Mr Bansi Lal said without proper girls' education social evils like poverty and backwardness could not be eradicated from society. He said an educated woman would educate two families. He said the Haryana Government was paying special attention toward girls' education in the state. He said this process should be introduced more effectively.

Mr Bansi Lal said several incentives were being given to students belonging to weaker sections of society. Free stationery, books and stipends were being given to them. He disclosed that as many as 750 schools had been upgraded in the state during past three years, besides establishing an "adarsh vidyalaya" in each district.

Mr Bansi Lal exhorted the educated youth to come forward for adopting the motto of each one, teach one", so that the goal of total literacy could be achieved. He also sought whole-hearted cooperation from social and voluntary organisations to help in this missionary task.

The Chief Minister called upon these organisations to set up, educational institutions in far-flung areas, so that educational facilities could be made available for all, especially for students living in the rural areas. While appreciating the role of Vidya Bharti in the field of education he said this institution had done commendable service to society by establishing 45 schools in the rural areas alone out of 84 in the state.

Giving details about the progress made in the field of technical education, Mr Bansi Lal said various schemes were being implemented to provide technical education to the youth to start their own ventures. He said to promote technical education in the state Rs 70 crore had been set aside during the current financial year besides a World Bank-aided project of more than Rs 175 crore was being implemented.

Mr Bansi Lal advised the youth not to hanker after white-collared jobs but adopt self-employment income-generating schemes introduced by the government, as it was not possible to provide government jobs to all. He said the government was providing liberal financial assistance at nominal interest to small entrepreneurs for setting up their own ventures.

Mr Bansi Lal appealed to the youth not to follow western culture blindly. He asked the student community to study the life and history of great sages, seers and saints and follow their high ideals in life. He also lamented that modern youth was highly impressed by the TV programmes based on western culture. He said television was responsible for degrading moral values.

The Chief Minister said he had requested the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, to ensure that qualitative programmes based on moral values be telecast and crime related programmes be banned to curb the criminal tendencies of youth due to the impact of television. He also advised the youth to read sacred books like the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas.

Foodgrain dealers observe strike
From Tribune Reporters

ROHTAK, April 9 — Foodgrain dealers at the local new and old grain markets and at Kewal Ganj observed a complete strike and boycotted the procurement of wheat from farmers today in protest against the hike in rural development fund from 1 per cent to 2 per cent by the state government.

Mr Narayan Prasad Goyal, president of the Foodgrain Dealers Association, claimed dealers all over the state observed a strike today. He threatened that the trading community in Haryana would resort to an agitation if the government continued with its anti-trader attitude.

Mr Lakshmi Chand Gupta, president of the Haryana Beopar Mandal, described the hike decision as "anti-people" and appealed to withdraw the move. He said there should be uniformity in taxes with the neighbouring states to check the transportation of wheat from Haryana to the neighbouring markets for sale.

HISAR: A complete bandh was observed in the grain markets of the district in protest against the 1 per cent hike in the market fee announced by the state government.

The statewide call for the bandh was given by the Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal.

Mr Bajrang Dass Garg, president of the mandal, said here on Friday a state-level meeting of traders had been convened here on April 26 to decide the future course of action. He alleged the Bansi Lal government was bent upon exploiting traders through increase in the market fee Mr Garg has demanded immediate withdrawal of the hike.

SIRSA: There was a complete strike in the grain market of the district on Friday. The strike was called to protest against the hike in the sales tax of various commodities and market fees. The district headquarters at Sirsa was affected due to this strike. Similar reports have been received from other parts of the district.

REWARI: In response to a call given by the Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal foodgrain dealers of the new grain market, Katla Bazar and Ganj Bazar observed a complete strike here on Friday in protest against the hike of 1 per cent in the Haryana rural development fund. They also submitted a memorandum to the state government through the Deputy Commissioner, demanding withdrawal of the hike and also parity in tax structure in Haryana and other neighbouring states.

MCI to decide medicos' fate
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, April 9 — While the Haryana Government has decided to shift 175 students of Agroha Medical College, a private institution run by the Maharaja Aggarsain Medical, Scientific and Research Society, to the PGIMS here in the wake of the decision of the society to close down the college, their absorption here will now depend upon the approval of the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The State Government and the PGIMS authorities here have written to the MCI to allow students of Agroha Medical College to continue their education at the medical college here to save their career. The decision of the council in this regard could take at least 10 days. Till then the fate of these students hangs in balance. Parents of a student alleged that both the society and the State Government were responsible for putting the career of a large number of students at stake.

It is learnt that the MCI a few months ago had expressed its unhappiness with the PGIMS authorities over the issue of migration of some of the medical students from some other institutes to here. The council and the Union Health Ministry authorities had called for the cancellation of these migrations, but it is reported that despite this the migrations, were not cancelled.

The PGIMS has 115 MBBS seats and if the medicos from the Agroha college are absorbed here the strength of each batch will go up to 150 students.

The Agroha college was started in 1988 and every batch of 50 students admitted there upto 1994 studied as guest students at the Rohtak medical college due to lack of infrastructure and other facilities. The Agroha college made regular admissions in 1994, but the strength of the students was reduced to 35 out of which 15 seats were reserved for the NRIs. It is reported that a payment of about Rs 18 lakh was taken from each student admitted under the NRI quota.

The paucity of funds with the society is reported to be the main reason behind the closure of the college. Situation worsened when the state government stopped the grants in March 1996. While former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal has denied that the grant was stopped during his tenure, Mr Bansi Lal has alleged that the Bhajan Lal Government had stopped the grants to the college a few months before he took over as Chief Minister.

MDU strike on, govt aid sought
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, April 9 — Sticking to the norm of "no pay, no work", the non-teaching employees of Maharshi Dayanand University remained on strike for the second day today.

The non-teaching employees are protesting against the non-payment of salaries for last month. The university does not have enough money to pay the salaries. The university had only Rs 50 lakh in its coffers on the opening day of the new financial year, as against the monthly salary bill of about Rs 1.30 crore.

The non-teaching employees, on their part, hold the government responsible for the financial crisis in the university. The M.D. University Teaching Departments Teachers' Association (MDUTDTA) feels that the confrontation between the Vice-Chancellor and the government has led to the financial crisis, which the university is facing for the first time in its 22-year-old history.

These employees have urged the government to release the grant-in-aid to the university so that it could pay salaries to its employees. A deputation of the Non-Teaching Employees Association plans to meet the Governor-cum-Chancellor of the University, Mr Mahabir Prasad, the Chief Minister, Education and Finance Ministers to impress upon them to help the university in solving its financial crisis.

The Maharshi Dayanand University Teachers Association (MDUTA) has, on the other hand, blamed the university authorities for the financial crisis. The ‘extravagant’ use of funds in the past years had landed the university in the financial crisis, it said and demanded publication of a white paper on the financial position of the university.

The Vice-Chancellor, Lt-Gen O.P. Kaushik (retd) has sent an SOS to the government and the Governor, pleading for immediate release of the grant money. He also spoken to the Chief Secretary on the telephone to seek his intervention so that the university employees could be paid their salaries without delay.

The Vice-Chancellor said the university had no resources of its own to meet the financial crisis. Out of a Budget of Rs 27 crore, the university received a grant of merely Rs 6.25 crore in the previous financial year and it had to meet its expenses by mobilising internal resources.

He denied the charge that the financial crisis was due to extravagant expenses.

The MDUTA has warned that if the salary for March is not paid immediately, the teachers would resort to agitational path. It has also urged the government to implement the revised pay scales as has been done by the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab and Delhi.

The delay in the implementation of the revised pay scales has caused resentment among the teachers. The teachers affiliated to the MDUTA had decided to boycott the evaluation of the answer books of the annual examinations being held by the university.

The MDUTDTA has also warned that if no action was taken to release the salaries and implement the revised pay scales, the teachers will boycott the examinations and the evaluation work.

Traders observe strike
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, April 9 — In response to a call given by the Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal for a statewide bandh in protest against the 1 per cent hike in the market fee announced by the state government, traders of Sonepat, Gohana, Ganaur and Kharkhauda foodgrains markets observed a complete strike today.

In the city, the foodgrains market looked deserted and traders held a protest meeting against what they called unjust and unwarranted decision of the state government.

Representatives of various trade unions alleged that the state government was bent upon exploiting traders through such undemocratic tactics. The trading community, they said, had been demanding reduction in the market fee for the past several years.

They also said the trade was already suffering from slump due to low rates of the fee in neighbouring states, including Delhi. They alleged that the Bansi Lal government had betrayed traders and enhanced various taxes on all commodities while the governments of neighbouring states had been offering concessions in taxes.

They urged the Chief Minister to order the immediate withdrawal of the hike in the market fee and avoid confrontation with the traders in the state.

Meanwhile, with the onset of the wheat harvesting season, the arrival of wheat has started in various mandis of the district. Though the arrivals are small, the official agencies have started buying wheat in some mandis. However, the bulk arrivals are being purchased by private traders.

Mr P.K. Mahapatra, Deputy Commissioner, has appealed to farmers to bring their produce after proper drying.

Where police does social work too
From Bhupinder Dharmani

SIRSA: The primary work of the police is to check crime, but the Sirsa district police under the leadership of the SSP, B.S. Sandhu, is also involved in doing social work. The living example of it stands as the community centre at the Police Lines, Sirsa.

The community centre building was recently constructed without any government aid. The entire sum of Rs 15 lakh was raised by the police by cutting down its expenditure, contributing three days' salaries, besides donations from citizens. Besides, they also performed "kar seva" in its construction. In this way this community centre is a rare example in the history of police-public cooperation.

The need for a community centre at Police Lines had been felt for a long time by the police. There was no suitable place to organise public functions of both official and unofficial nature. In a meeting of the police welfare committee construction of a community centre was, therefore, unanimously decided upon.

The foundation stone of this centre — the first of its kind in the whole of Haryana — was laid by the DIG, V.B. Singh, on June 23, 1998.

Although this complex is yet to be inaugurated, the district police chief threw it open for the convenience of his force keeping in view the marriage season by performing a 'yagna' and organising a 'Pravachan'. This beautiful building is an attraction for tourists and passers-by.

65 private schools derecognised
From Our Correspondent

JIND, April 9 — The State Education Department has derecognised 65 private schools and downgraded 27 in the district.

Mrs Nirmala Lathar, District Education Officer, said here today that these schools had been functioning in violation of recognition rules. A committee comprising the District Education Officer, three Subdivisional Officers (Education) and a representative of the Education Department inspected about 100 private schools in the district and found that most of them had not fulfilled conditions laid down for recognition.

A majority of the schools derecognised recently had no proper seating arrangement for students and other essential facilities were also lacking.

Mrs Lathar said proper notices were given to the schools before derecognising them. The managements of derecognised schools had been asked not to admit students in violation of the rules.

It's time for central govt to go: Chautala
From Our Correspondent

KAITHAL, April 9 — Indian National Lok Dal president, and former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala said here last night that it was time for the BJP-led government at the Centre to go. While addressing a press conference here, he said the central government had lost its credibility owing to poor governance and infighting.

Mr Chautala clarified that his party had already decided to withdraw support to this government and there could be no re-thinking on this decision. He did not rule out the possibility of a mid-term Lok Sabha poll in view of the fluid political situation prevailing in the country.

Mr Chautala said as no party was in majority it was not possible to provide a stable government. He said elections were the only solution. When asked to comment on the huge expenditure incurred in holding a mid-term Lok Sabha poll, he said the stability of the central government was more important than incurring expenditure of a few hundred crores on elections.

Criticising the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, Mr Chautala said he wanted to remain in power at all cost through it was an open secret that Mr Bansi Lal had lost control over the administrative machinery of the state and all development had come to a standstill. He said the symbolic act of filling a portion of the SYL canal by Mr Simranjit Singh Mann was an anti-national act and legal action should be taken against him.

Mr Chautala urged Mr Bansi Lal to press the Prime Minister for handing over the work of completion of SYL canal to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to check the wastage of water which was flowing to Pakistan at the cost of economic loss to Haryana.

6 blank answer sheets stolen
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, April 9 — At least six blank answer sheets of the undergraduate examination of Maharshi Dayanand University were stolen from the premises of Government College at Meham town near here on Tuesday night. The police has registered a case on the basis of a complaint lodged by the Principal of the college.

According to police sources, the blank answer sheets which had been despatched from the university a few days ago had been kept in the girls common room of the college. But it is reported that some unknown persons broke open the door and the almirah of the room and took away six answer sheets numbering from 262795 to 262800. The police has booked a case under Section 457 and 380 of the IPC.

The university authorities when contacted said while they had not received any such information but added that a strict action would be taken against those responsible for the lapse.

Market closed in protest
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, April 9 — The wholesale cloth market in city remained closed today in protest against income tax officials' raid on a shop.

A team of income tax officials led by Mr S.P. Gulati, Assistant Commissioner, sealed two shops in the market yesterday. When the team reached the market today in order to make an assessment, the shopkeepers of the area were found staging a dharna near Dev Samaj College after closing their shops.

Restoration of bus service sought
From Our Correspondent

NARNAUL, April 9 — There is a great resentment among bus commuters of Mahendragarh owing to the sudden stopping of Haryana Roadways bus service on the Mahendragarh-Delhi route.

Daily commuters and businessmen are the most affected. There are allegations that private bus operators were being patronised in the area.

According to a Haryana Government's policy unemployed youth are being given short-route permits, but these do not fully cater to the needs of the area. Unauthorised jeeps, tempos and cars ply which charge exorbitant fare, causing loss to the roadways. There is a demand that roadways bus service be restored.

Two women crushed under rail engine
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, April 9 — Two women passengers were crushed to death by a railway shunting engine at Ambala Cantonment station last night. The deceased had arrived by the Samjhauta Express and were to board a train for Saharanpur.

Medicine supplier booked
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, April 9 — The railway police today arrested a local supplier of medicines on the charge of supplying pebbles in medicine packets to various government-owned hospitals in the state.

An officer of the railway police said Sanjiv Arya, a medicine supplier in HUDA complex had booked 39 parcels of medicines with Rohtak railway station on March 30 and April 5, to be sent to different civil hospitals. Later, it was found that 20 of these packets contained pebbles.

The GRP registered a criminal case under Sections 420 and 120-B of the IPC and Section 163 of the Railway Act. The police today sealed the shop concerned. The cost of these parcels has been estimated to be nearly Rs 50,000.

On the other hand, the accused pleaded that he had booked packets containing medicines but their contents had been later replaced by somebody.

People resent HUDA drive
Tribune News Service

HISAR, April 9 — The demolition squad of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has been facing grave resistance from people over the drive against illegal and unauthorised constructions in the city.

According to HUDA sources, on the instructions of the Chief Minister a special squad was constituted to remove encroachments and illegal constructions. HUDA has also launched a drive to prevent the misuse of residential areas for business and commercial purposes.

HUDA has identified several buildings which despite being in the residential areas are being used for commercial purposes. Hundreds of people today staged a demonstration in front of the office of the HUDA administrator, Mr Abhilaksh Likhi.

Mr Likhi has assured them that HUDA will not harass innocent people. He, however, pointed out legal measures are taken before removing any unauthorised structure or encroachment.

Under the special demolition drive, the demolition squad led by the Estate Officer, Ms Monica Malik, removes all such structures on every Friday. Several such structures have already been demolished.

Hooda's charge denied
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 9 — The Haryana Minister of State for Administrative Reforms and Medical Education, Mr Vinod Kumar Marya today refuted the allegation levelled by the president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, that Maharaja Aggrasen Medical College, Agroha was closed by the Haryana Government.

Mr Marya, who was reacting to a statement of Mr Hooda that appeared in a section of the press today, said that Mr Hooda was making irresponsible statements without verifying the facts to mislead people for his vested interests. He said that Mr Hooda was neither aware of the facts nor did he seem interested in enquiring about the facts. He pointed out that it was on April 6 that the Haryana Government received a written communication from the Maharaja Agrasen Medical Education and Scientific Society regarding its decision to close the college. He said as the college belonged to the society, the government had no hand in getting it closed.

Derailment delays trains
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, April 9 — Thousands of passengers, mostly government servants, school teachers and milk vendors, remained stranded at Sonepat and nearby railway stations for several hours following disruption in train services on the Sonepat-Delhi section of Northern Railway on account of derailment of a goods train between Diwana and Panipat, about 50 km from here, around 6.15 a.m. today.

According to a report, all Delhi-bound suburban, DPM, passenger, express and mail trains were either held up or delayed. However, the Amritsar-bound Barauni Express, Dadar-Amritsar Express and the Kalka-bound Himalayan Queen passed through Sonepat on schedule. The Panipat-Delhi shuttle also ran on schedule before the derailment.

Meanwhile, the Sonepat Daily Railway Passengers Welfare Association has urged the Union Railway Minister, Mr Nitish Kumar, and other higher authorities of the Railways to take serious note of the frequent mishaps on this section and take immediate in this regard.

Steps to control malaria, dengue
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, April 9 — The district administration today claimed to have made elaborate arrangements for the control of malaria and dengue in view of the summer season.

The Health Department of the district, according to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Vineet Garg, has tested the blood samples of 3,900 persons in March. Out of these, only 13 were found to be infected with malaria, he said and added that anti-malaria medicines had been provided to these persons.

Under its school health programme, doctors of the Health Department examined 98,303 school children till March and provided free medicines to those found ill. Measles vaccine was administered to 16,684 children in the district, while 18,683 children were administered a dose of the polio vaccine.

Haryana order on requisitions
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 9 — The Haryana Government has asked all Heads of Department to ensure that while sending requisitions to the Haryana Public Service Commission on the Haryana Staff Selection Commission, the posts reserved for various categories, including the physically handicapped, are clearly indicated.

They have also been directed to ensure that those belonging to the reserved categories do not suffer either through omission in requisitions or inaction on part of the Administrative Department. Any omission in this regard will be viewed seriously.

College staff not paid salary
From Our Correspondent

SHAHABAD, April 9 — At least 6000 lecturers and members of the non-teaching staff, employed in nearly 100 non-government colleges in Haryana, have not been paid their salaries for the last four months.

The pay for the 26-day strike period during the countrywide agitation of the university and college teachers, last year has also not been paid, Mr Devinder Singh Dhaliwal, President, Haryana College Teachers Union, said here today.

In a statement issued to the press here, he said the college teachers were facing financial hardship due to the non payment of salaries. He urged the Chief Minister to intervene and get their salaries and pay of strike period released immediately.