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H A R Y A N A |  |
 Sunday, April 11, 1999 |
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Congress toughens stand on SYL
canal issue GURGAON, April 10 — The Congress today further toughened its stand on the issue regarding the completion of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link project to facilitate the carriage of the Ravi-Beas waters to the state from Punjab. Insurance cover for ad hoc staff too CHANDIGARH, April 10 — The state has decided to give the benefit of the New Group Insurance Scheme-1985 to even those ad hoc employee whose services had been regularised with a retrospective effect. |
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 ChandigarhKurukshetra Rohtak Faridabad Gurgaon Hisar Sirsa
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Mahasangh
meeting at Thanesar Haryana to set up museum Woman hurt in police firing Gram sabha meetings to be
video-filmed Gang taking out gas from cylinders
busted HCS official 'held hostage' by
staff Applications invited for financial
aid |
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Congress toughens stand on SYL
canal issue GURGAON, April 10 — The Congress in Haryana today further toughened its stand on the issue regarding the completion of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) project to facilitate the carriage of the Ravi-Beas waters to the state from Punjab. Rao Inderjit Singh, Congress MP from Mahendergarh, Haryana, expressed concern over the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, and other Akali leaders opposition to the completion of the SYL project and parting with Haryana’s share. Rao Inderjit urged the Centre to enact suitable legislation to declare river waters in the country as nation of property. He further urged the Centre to intervene forthwith, so that the SYL project was completed in a time frame and Haryana could get its share of water. According to him, the SYL canal was primarily to benefit the areas in South Haryana which was already being discriminated in the matter of distribution of the available water in the state. A Congress MLA from Gurgaon, Mr Dharamvir Gauba, asserted that his party would raise these issue in the Haryana assembly during its next session. The completion of the SYL canal has kicked up a fresh row in Haryana following senior Akali leader Simranjit Singh Mann's, reported act of silting the area dug up in Punjab for the project. The overall anxiety following Mr Maan’s act was further heightened when members of the Haryana Yuva Shanti Sena (HYSS) led by Mr Sampooran Singh reacted by crossing over the border and desilting the area. A general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and incharge of the affairs in Haryana already made it known at a public function in Jind that his party would raise the issue in Parliament after recess of the budget session. A leader close to the President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said the leadership had defended the retaliatory step of the HYSS. The state leadership of the Congress said farmers of both Haryana and Punjab wanted the early construction of the canal as it was in their mutual interest. The Congress leaders were of the view that Akali leaders were indulging in brinkmanship with Haryana over the SYL issue. According to Congress insiders, the party leadership is contemplating to soon convene a meeting of senior leaders of this part on the SYL issue following the controversy created by Akali leaders. Mr Hooda has already cautioned that in case the Akalis did not desist from their "obstructionist" method on the completion of the project and allow Haryana to have its share from the Ravi-Beas waters, his party will launch an agitation including the blocking of movement of traffic going to Punjab through Haryana. In a related development, the Chief of HYSS, Mr Sampooran Singh has written letters to Chief Minister of Haryana and to former Chief Ministers and state presidents of all political parties to work collectively for the construction of the SYL canal. The anti-SYL canal act
was with an "ulterior" motive to drive a wedge
between the people of Haryana and Punjab, Mr Sampooran
Singh added. |
Insurance
cover for ad hoc staff too CHANDIGARH, April 10 — The Haryana Government has decided to give the benefit of the New Group Insurance Scheme-1985 to even those ad hoc employee whose services had been regularised with a retrospective effect. According to the Chief Secretary, Haryana, such employees will have to give their subscription from the date from which they have been regularised. Those employees who have been regularised from 1.4.96 to 31.12.89, their subscription in the scheme will be in accordance with Rule 5 (1) and (6) of the insurance scheme. According to rule 5(1), the unit of the scheme will be Rs 10 per month. The Group D employees will have to subscribe one unit, Group C two units, Group B four units and Group A eight units. Likewise, Group D, C, B and A will have to subscribe an amount of Rs 10, 20, 40 and 80 per month, respectively. Those employees who have joined service after 1.4.86 (the month when the scheme was introduced), they will have to make a subscription of Rs 3 per month as the premium for every Rs 10,000 from the date of joining till they become a member of the scheme. Such employees will have to pay subscription at the rate specified in Sub Clause 1 of the Clause 5 from the date of anniversary of the scheme. Those employees whose services have been regularised on or after 1.1.90, the subscription will be deducted in the units of Rs 15 per month and the amount of insurance cover shall be Rs 15,000 for each unit of subscription with effect from 1.1.90. In the case of Class IV (Group D) employees, whose subscription of Rs 10 per month is being paid by the state government, the increased subscription of Rs 5 for a unit per month will be paid by the employees, if they have opted for the enhanced rate of subscription. The employees entering
service on or after January 2 in any year are entitled to
the benefit of appropriate insurance cover from the date
of joining service to the date of their becoming members
of the scheme on payment of subscription of Rs 5 per
month as the premium for every Rs 15,000 of the insurance
cover. Such employees of Group A, B, C and D will pay a
subscription of Rs 40, Rs 20 and Rs 10 and Rs 5 from the
date they joined service to December 31 of that year.
Thereafter, from January onwards, the full subscription
at the rate of Rs 120, Rs 60, Rs 30 and Rs 15 would be
charged from group A, B, C and D employees respectively. |
Mahasangh
meeting at Thanesar ROHTAK, April 10 — Mr M.L. Sehgal, state general secretary of the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh (HKMS), today said the situation arising out of strikes on September 16 and December 11 and the joint agitation proposed by the newly constituted Haryana Karamchari Sanyukta Sangharsh Samiti would be discussed at the third two-day conference of the HKMS at Thanesar on April 17 and 18. In a statement here today, he said besides Haryana, employee leaders from Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh would attend the conference. Mr Sehgal said issues like the non-approval of the package agreed to with the Chief Secretary of Haryana in May, 98, non-implementation of the revised pay package for employees in 16 boards and corporations, privatisation of the HSEB, "parallel" services by illegal vehicles resulting in huge losses to Haryana Roadways and the "undemocratic" and "repressive" policy of the state government towards agitations would be debated at the conference. He said no political leader had been invited to the conference as the sangh was not inclined towards any party. He said nearly 850 delegates of 47 employee unions belonging to 19 districts would attend it. Meanwhile, Mr Narender Malik and Mr Bharat Bhushan were elected president and secretary, respectively, of the district unit of the Haryana State Electricity Board Workers Union affiliated to the HKMS in the election held here today. Mr Malik and Mr Bhushan
were elected for the sixth time consecutively. Besides,
Mr Dharamveer was elected senior vice-president, Mr
Satbir Singh vice-president, Mr Ramesh Chand
assistant-secretary and Mr Om Prakash Sharma had been
elected treasurer. |
Haryana to
set up museum KURUKSHETRA, April 10 — The Haryana Government will set up a museum of the weapons of Guru Gobind Singh at Kapal Mochan in Yamunanagar district where he learnt the feats of war and weaponry during his childhood. The museum is being set up as part of the Khalsa celebrations. This was announced here today by Chief Minister Bansi Lal, while addressing a small congregation of Sikh devotees at the state-level tercentenary celebration function organised at Dronacharya Stadium here. He also announced the establishment of a Guru Gobind Singh Peeth at Kurukshetra University. The translation of the Guru's teachings in Hindi and Punjabi would be undertaken at the peeth. A Khalsa memorial would also be raised in memory of Guru Teg Bahadur at Bad Khalsa village in Sonepat district. It was the place where the Guru's head was kept hidden for a night by villagers when it was being taken to Anandpur Sahib. He said a stadium, a town park, a library and an auditorium after the name of Guru Gobind Singh would be established at Ambala, adding that a proposal for setting up a college at Fatehabad after the Guru had already been sent to the Centre for approval. The Chief Minister stated that exhibitions on the Guru's paintings and teachings would be held and publication of books on the Sikh Gurus, their teachings and literature would be undertaken. One act plays depicting the teachings of the Khalsa Panth would also be organised in villages and cities. Mr Bansi Lal claimed that Guru Gobind Singh had passed most of his life in Haryana. After his frequent battles, he would rest at Gurdwara Nada Sahib. He had also visited Kurukshetra as had been done by the other nine Gurus. The Chief Minister also traced the war exploits of Banda Bahadur in the Narnaul, Bhiwani, Rohtak, Kunjpura and Ambala areas. Mr Mani Ram Godara, State Home Minister, said Hinduism was beholden to the Sikh Panth for saving it from the tyranny of invaders, especially the Mughals. Mr Tara Singh, a member of the SGPC from Haryana, demanded that the government build a Guru Gobind Singh marg in the state. He also said the Kurukshetra Development Board should allocate funds for the upkeep of the historic gurdwara in Kurukshetra, adding that the Sikhs should be given representation on the board. Mr Sukhdev Singh, President, Haryana Akali Dal, asked the people to emulate the teachings of the Guru. Earlier, a nagar kirtan
was organised in the city by the management of gurdwara
Cheewin Patshahi. |
INLD to
send jatha to Anandpur Sahib CHANDIGARH, April 10 — Mr Om Prakash Chautala, President of the Indian National Lok Dal said here today that his party's MPs would certainly support any no-confidence motion moved against the BJP government at the Centre. This would hold good even if such a motion was brought by the Congress. However, he clarified that his party would support such a motion merely to help engineer the fall of the BJP Government. In no case would his party support the formation of a Congress led Government at the Centre. However, he would have no objection if the newly formed government had the Congress as one of the partners, Mr Chautala said. Mr Chautala said his party would vote against if the Vajpayee Government sought confidence of the house. He said when his party had withdrawn support from the Central Government, it had taken all pros and cons into consideration. He reaffirmed that his party's MPs were totally dedicated to the party and reports that had earlier appeared in the press to create doubts had been proved wrong. In reply to a question, he said the decision to support the Vajpayee Government at the time of its formation and the decision to withdraw support had been taken in the national interest. Earlier, he told newsmen that his party's Political Affairs Committee had decided to take a jatha of 300 party Members, including MPs and MLAs, to Anandpur Sahib for the tercentenary celebrations. Through another resolution, the committee endorsed the party's decision to withdraw support from the Vajpayee Government because of its anti-people, anti-farmer and anti-small trader policies. Through another
resolution, the PAC expressed concern about the
"anti-farmer policies of the HVP-BJP Government in
Haryana. It expressed resentment over the non-payment of
surgarcane arrears to the growers since January, The
payment should be made along with 15 per cent interest.
The government agencies should also be asked to accept
wheat at the fixed prices. |
Morni
Hills to get facelift CHANDIGARH, April 10 — Six new projects costing over Rs 120 lakh were added to the development of Morni Hills today. Haryana Tourism plans to develop the Morni Hills area as a new centre for adventure tourism facilities. Mr Surender Singh, MP, today inaugurated three projects at Morni Hills, namely a new motel wing of the Mountain Quail Tourist Resort constructed at an expenditure of Rs 25.41 lakh, a government elementary teacher training institute built at a cost of Rs 24 lakh and a Bal Bhavan costing about Rs 15 lakh. The new motel wing of Mountain Quail consists of a double-storeyed structure having eight guest rooms. The MP also laid the foundation stone of a veterinary hospital and two hostels for government elementary teacher training institute (GETTI). Mr Surender Singh said over Rs 10.50 crore had already been spent on various development projects in the Morni Hills area during the past three years. He said 50 seats had been reserved for trainees from this hill area in diploma in education provided by GETTI. Out of 155 seats for diploma in education 100 seats were filled by an entrance test. The admission of trainees from this area had been done on the basis of 10+2 class marks. The trainees of this area would be given priority in employment in Morni Hills. Mr Jagdish Yadav,
Minister of State for Forest, Mr Ram Bhajan Aggarwal,
Minister of State for Tourism, Mr Raj Kumar Saini,
Minister of State for Printing and Stationery and
Transport, Mr Bijender Singh Kadiyan, State Minister for
Animal Husbandry and Nirmal Singh, MLA also addressed the
public meeting. |
Woman hurt
in police firing FARIDABAD, April 10 — A woman received minor injuries when opened fire here today to disperse a mob throwing stones at a civic body squad which was engaged in the demolition of illegal structures in the market on NH-1. Police sources said that Ms Aruna Bhatia who was standing in the balcony of her house was injured when ASI Ranjit Singh fired in the air after he was beaten up by the mob. Ms Bhatia who was admitted to the Civil Hospital was out of danger. Mr Mohammed Aquil, Superintendent of Police, said following the demolition in the morning a mob blocked traffic on the main road around 11 a.m. It also stoned police vehicles, deflated the tyres of another and attempted to set it on fire. The police then resorted to a mild lathi charge, a number of policemen were also injured in the brickbatting which followed. The police arrested four persons on a charge of instigating the mob to indulge in violence. They included Mr Amarjit Singh and Mr Ashwini Dutta, stated to be Congress worker. The situation was stated
to be tense but under control. Police patrolling in the
area, had been intensified. |
Gram sabha meetings to be
video-filmed ROHTAK, April 10 — The Haryana Government has advised the district authorities to video-film the proceedings of the gram sabhas scheduled to be held simultaneously in the state on April 13. Haryana is perhaps the first state in the country which has made it mandatory for the 5,958 village panchayats to hold gram sabha meetings on April 13 and October 2 every year. The government, reportedly had to issue these statutory orders as most of the panchayats were not holding gram sabha meetings as prescribed in the Gram Panchayat Act. The aim for holding these meetings appears to enable the adults of the villages to review the projects undertaken by their respective panchayats and examine its accounts. But the dates fixed by the government for holding these meetings has surprised the villagers and the district officials. They believe that farmers and agricultural labourers would not be able to participate in the April 13 meeting as harvesting would be at its peak. Similarly, the first week of October is generally the period for the harvesting of paddy crop and the farmers and agricultural labourers would be busy. The officials believe
that the dates should be staggered to make the process
more effective. Moreover, it would also be convenient for
the authorities to supervise the meetings. |
SDO held
for embezzlement FARIDABAD, April 10 — The police yesterday arrested Rajender Singh, SDO of the old Faridabad zone of the Municipal Corporation, on the charge of embezzlement. He had reportedly
collected Rs 80,000 from a number of persons as security
for using municipal parks for social functions, but did
not return the money to them. |
Gang
taking out gas from cylinders busted ROHTAK, April 10 — The district administration today busted a gang allegedly involved in taking out LPG from sealed cylinders. According to sources, a team led by Mr Virender Dahiya, District Food and Supplies Controller, seized a truck loaded with 320 LPG cylinders, nearly 100 broken seals and the same number of fresh seals of Hindustan Petroleum, a burning gas stove and "surli", an iron pipe meant for taking out gas from the cylinders. It is learnt that a truck (HR 46-7893) loaded with live cylinders was going from a gas depot at Jind to Karnal. However, the vehicle, in place of going to its destination, stopped at a brick-kiln at Lakhan Majra (Meham). The truck driver and his three accomplices reportedly started taking out gas from the sealed cylinders with the help of an iron pipe and filling it in empty cylinders. Incidentally, Mr Virender Dahiya along with other officials was on his way to sale centres at Meham for inspection of the procurement and sale of wheat. He got suspicious regarding the truck parked at the brick-kiln and stopped to inquire. At this, all four persons involved in the "malpractice" fled the spot leaving the truck behind. Mr Dahiya informed the police and said the culprits would be nabbed soon as the truck driver, a resident of Lakhan Majra village, had been identified. Mr Dahiya did not rule
out the possibility of the involvement of the transporter
and employees of the petroleum company in the crime. |
HCS
official 'held hostage' by staff HISAR, April 10 — An officer of the Haryana Government was yesterday 'held hostage' in the office of the Deputy Commissioner here by some irate employees. The employees were sore over the attitude of the officer, who is accompanying a flying squad specially constituted to enforce work culture in offices of the state government. Scores of employees of the mini secretariat gathered here and did not allow Mr Bhoop Singh Bishnoi, an HCS officer working in the Revenue Department of the Civil Secretariat, Chandigarh, to move out. The employees alleged that the behaviour of the officer was "arrogant and derogatory". The officer, according to Mr Kartar Singh Panghal, state President of the Haryana Upayukt Karyalay a Karamchari Sangh, was set free only after he 'realised his fault.' Confirming the incident, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr P.C. Bidhan, said the matter was amicably resolved by the employees and the officer. Mr Panghal alleged that there was also resentment among employees in other parts of the state regarding Mr Bishnoi's alleged misbehaviour. The employees demanded that the officer be replaced. Flying squad officials
have been staying here for past few days. They have
conducted surprise visits to various offices to ensure
the attendance of the employees. However, the details
about their findings were not made available. The flying
squad officials have been taking reports from various
offices and action would be initiated later. |
Mass
marriages solemnised SIRSA, April 10 —: Marriages of 161 couples were solemnised in the local Janata Bhavan a few days ago. Two state ministers and district officials attended the function. Of these 13 were married as per the Sikh rites, 22 as per the Vedic, one as per the Muslim and one as per the Christian rites. This was the third community marriage organised by the district administration. Earlier 18 girls were married in 1995 and 107 couples in 1997. The district officials, including the Deputy Commissioner, Dr Avtar Singh, the SDM Mr Inder Singh and the Nehru Yuva Kendra Coordinator Mr M.P. Sharma welcomed the guests. Various social
organisations and associations made liberal donations for
arranging the function which was attended by 2,500
persons. |
Applications
invited for financial aid CHANDIGARH, April 10 — The Haryana Government has invited applications for giving financial assistance to persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Vimukt Jatis and Tapriwas communities, under various welfare schemes. An official spokesperson today said persons belonging to these communities who did not own any house or owned kutcha houses but at the same time they owned a plot of not less than 50 yards. Such persons would be given a grant of Rs 5,000 for constructing their houses. Similarly those colonies, where 25 per cent of inhabitants belonged to the Scheduled Castes, would be given a grant of Rs 50,000 for concretising lanes and drains of the area. An encouragement award of Rs 5,000 would also be given to those panchayats which had made commendable contributions towards the welfare of the Scheduled Castes. He said those persons
desirous of receiving financial assistance for the above
mentioned schemes should obtain free of cost application
forms from the office of the concerned District Welfare
Officer or Tehsil Welfare Officer and fill them and send
them to these offices by May 31. |
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