Ambala Chandigarh Kurukshetra Panipat Rohtak Hisar Yamunanagar

Chautala launches INLD campaign
FATEHABAD, Aug 11 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, set the election campaign of his party’s candidate in the Sirsa Parliamentary constituency Dr Sushil Indora in motion here yesterday by addressing a meeting of party workers at the local grain market.

Chautala to select candidates
CHANDIGARH, Aug 11 — Legislators of the Haryana unit of the Indian National Lok Dal, at a meeting here today, authorised Mr Om Prakash Chautala, President of the INLD and Chief Minister, to select candidates for the coming Lok Sabha elections in Haryana.

10-yr-old girl helps nab burglar
AMBALA, Aug 11 — A 10-year-old girl, Heena, who is a Major's daughter of Ambala cantonment, displayed rare courage in assisting to catch a burglar who had entered their house.

IAF recruitment rallies in HP
AMBALA, Aug 11 — The Air Force will conduct two recruitment rallies in Himachal Pradesh for selection of airmen, (non-technical trades). This was disclosed by the Commanding Officer, Air Force Selection Centre, Ambala here today.

Telecom office lacks drop wire
ROHTAK, Aug 11 — Telephone consumers in the district are reportedly facing inconvenience on account of shortage of some of the basic items in the Telecom Department store here. As a result of this several of the consumers have to purchase some of the items from the market in order to have their phone in proper working condition.

• Train, tractor collide: 2 die
• Couple killed in mishap
• HVP suffers setback

• BSP to tie up with HVP in Haryana
• 10-year jail for attempt to rape

Over 5 lakh take dip in Kurukshetra
From K.G.Dutt
Tribune News Service

KURUKSHETRA, Aug 11 — Over 5 lakh persons took a holy dip in the sacred water of Sannehit and Brahm sarovar on the last solar eclipse of the millennium.

Pilgrims started converging on the ghats of the two sacred sarovars and in various dharamshalas last evening. Many of them could be seen taking a bath last evening too made offerings in the tanks. The area had cordoned off and many roads leading to Sannehit and Brahamsarovar closed to vehicular traffic. This was done in view of the rush of pilgrims.

As the shadow of the solar eclipse started at 6 a.m. in the morning according to Hindu shastras and astrological calculations, a large number of Sadhus and Brahmans as well as pilgrims could be seen taking holy dips in the two sarovars early in the morning. In almost all the temples in the city, bhajan kirtan and recitation of vedic mantras started early today. In a number of temples, the time of the shadow of solar eclipse in the morning was hailed by blowing of conchshells and ringing of bells. A number of residents of Thanesar town visited the two tanks in the morning to take a holy dip and perform various types of poojas.

By 3 p.m., over 4 lakh pilgrims had already reached the banks of the two sarovars. Sadhus in large numbers wearing saffron robes and carrying the flags of their various akharas could be seen resting in numerous bays around the ‘parikarma’ of Brahm sarovar. Beggars too descended on the city to beg for alms.

As the clock struck 4.50 p.m., large crowds rushed to the ghats of Brahm sarovar and Sannehit to take the first dip during the eclipse period. According to Hindu mythology, two dips are taken during the eclipse. The first is taken in the beginning and the other at the fag end of the eclipse as the Sun God is relieved from the shadow of Rahu & Ketu as per Hindu mythology.

Large crowds could be seen running from the Sannehit sarovar to Braham sarovar to finish bathing in time in both the tanks. Conchshells and bells started ringing in the temples, muths and ghats of the two sarovars as the eclipse started and almost all sadhus blew their own conchshells before entering the sacred waters. Many just sat quietly on the ghats in silent prayers.

Pilgrims made large donations to beggars and sadhus as in the Hindu Shastras any donation during the eclipse brings its fruit thirteen times over. Free kitchens were run by various social and religious organisations.

Interestingly there were more women than men among the pilgrims who came from as far a field as Madhya Pradesh and Nepal. People from nearby villages came in tractor-trailers to participate in the fair. As the eclipse came to an end, once again the atmosphere around the sacred sarovars reverberated with religious songs, mantras and salokas. In various akharas, especially, the Shri Jai Ram Vidyapeeth, havans were performed for the welfare of humanity and peace in the world.

While the mela administration had taken numerous steps for the convenience of pilgrims the distance of about 4 km from the two sacred sarovars to the parking area posed a problem for the infirm and elderly.

Mr Satrujeet Kapoor, in charge of the anti-explosive squad told TNS that 15 explosive experts, trained dogs and explosive censors had been deployed on Brahamsarovar and Sannehit sarovar to check for explosives. The anti-sabotage squad can detect explosives buried up to 7 feet deep. The police last evening arrested a gang of three Sansi women engaged in chain snatching and pasted posters showing photographs of terrorists of the area.

Amongst the VIPs, the Haryana Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad and the Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala took dip on the VIP ghat.

Bansi names three candidates
From Our Correspondent

KURUKSHETRA, Aug 11 — The former Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, has said Mr Surinder Singh, HVP candidate, would fight the ensuing parliamentary elections from Bhiwani while Mr Aman Kumar Nagra and Mr Raghu Yadav, both BSP candidates, would fight from Ambala and Mohindergarh constituencies, respectively.

Mr Bansi Lal, who was addressing a press conference at Parakot, 5 km from here, yesterday said his HVP-BSP alliance party would give tickets only to those candidates who would be capable of giving a fight to their rivals and who could meet the election expenditure from their own pockets.

Coming down heavily on the BJP, Mr Bansi Lal, said the Haryana Assembly elections were due within two months because the INLD-BJP alliance might not continue for more than two months as the BJP won't be able to continue its alliance with the INLD.

When asked about the reasons for the failure of HVP-BJP alliance government, he said there two reasons. First, because he did not allow his partymen, including Cabinet ministers, to involve themselves in any fraud, and secondly, he was stabbed in his back by the BJP which withdrew its support without prior information. He alleged that in fact, Mr Om Parkash Chautala first got a written assurance from the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee that he (Mr Chautala) would be made the Chief Minister of Haryana after the INLD-BJP alliance came to power. Now according to the BJP, "Main bura aadmi ho gaya hoon (now I have become a bad man)," he said.

Mr Bansi Lal said when Mr Chautala was out of power he used to say that if he came to power he would wave off the taxes imposed by HVP-BJP government and would provide water and electricity free of charge to the farmers in the state. But now when Mr Chautala had come to power why he was neither withdrawing the imposed taxes nor he was providing free water and electricity to the farmers?, he questioned.

He alleged that after the Kargil infiltration, Mr Vajpayee had been putting off the calling of the Parliament session to discuss the Kargil infiltration issue. He said after the China aggression the Prime Minister of India's Jawaharlal Nehru, had called a Parliament session.

When asked that why the Congress withdrew its support from his government, Mr Bansi Lal said when he met the All-India Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, she asked me to dissolve Haryana Assembly. But, who will sign on his own death warrants two years before? That is why I flatly refused to budge, he added.

Talking about the improvement of electric supply in Haryana, he thanked the former Prime Minister of India, Mr Inder Kumar Gujral for sanctioning 432 MW power plant costing Rs 1,200 crore for Haryana.

However, the press conference abruptly ended when a section of the press walked out from the conference following some argument.

Notice to Haryana on HSSC chief’s removal
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 11 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to the Haryana Government on a petition preferred by Mr Manmohan Singh Chaudhary, Chairman of the Haryana State Selection Commission, questioning his removal from the post by the government on August 9.

Mr Justice G S Singhvi and Mr Justice M S Gill, before whom the petition came up for hearing, held. "The Advocate-General accepts notice on behalf of respondent No (state of Haryana) and respondent No 2 (Mr Om Parkash Chautala). We are not issuing notice to respondent No 3 ( Mr R S Verma) because in our opinion he is not the necessary party."

The Bench further held: "Looking into the nature of this case we deem it appropriate to direct the state of Haryana to file a counter affidavit or otherwise also state of Haryana shall place before the court the statement giving particulars of the appointment of the chairman and the members of the erstwhile Haryana Staff Selection Board and the present Staff Selection Commission with a clear stipulation about the qualification of the chairman and the members, the date of appointment and removal from office".

Mr Chaudhary was appointed chairman of the Haryana State Subordinate Services Selection Board which was later renamed as Staff Selection Commission, on August 1, 1996, by the Bansi Lal government.

He claimed that as per the notification dated December 16, 1998, the term of appointment of the chairman and members was for five years or up to the age of 72 years, whichever was earlier. Hence the petitioner was entitled to remain in service up to August 4, 2001, considering his date of joining (August 5, 1996).

Dangi’s plea put off to Aug 16

The High Court today adjourned to August 16 the petition filed by Mr A. S. Dangi, a former minister of Haryana, praying for impleading Mr Ajay Chautala as a necessary party in the Amir Singh murder case at Meham.

Mr Justice G. S. Singhvi and Mr Justice M. S. Gill, before whom the case came up for hearing, held "Counsel for Haryana requests for short adjournment to collect information in connection with FIR No 164 of 1991 to which a reference has been made in the writ petition and para 21 of the written statement filed on behalf of the state.

Chautala launches INLD campaign
From Four Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Aug 11 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, set the election campaign of his party’s candidate in the Sirsa Parliamentary constituency Dr Sushil Indora in motion here yesterday by addressing a meeting of party workers at the local grain market. Though it was described as a meeting of party workers it turned out to be public rally with crowd assembling in the outer sheds of the grain market.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Chautala said the people of the country would have to choose between a foreigner who did not know the language of the country and the strong leadership of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. He said if Mrs Sonia Gandhi had been Prime Minister of the country, she would have fled to Italy as soon as the Pakistani intruders were noticed in the Kargil area.

He said he had got the chief ministership of the state at a time when the people were fed up with the government.

He said as he was bound by the election code of conduct he was not in a position to make any announcements, but was committed to fulfilling all those promises that he had been making to the people of the state while out of power.

He said he would quit not only the chief ministership, but also politics the day his supporters were found indulging in any anti-social activities.

Speaking on the occasion, Haryana Finance Minister, Sampat Singh said the people of the state were relieved at the ouster of Mr Bansi Lal from power.

Chautala to select candidates
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 11 — Legislators of the Haryana unit of the Indian National Lok Dal, at a meeting here today, authorised Mr Om Prakash Chautala, President of the INLD and Chief Minister, to select candidates for the coming Lok Sabha elections in Haryana.

The legislators who discussed the coming Lok Sabha poll decided to appoint 10 party observers for the smooth conduct of the elections. They are Mr Chander Bhan (Bhiwani), Mr Uda Ram (Hisar), Mr Jai Parkash Kamboj (Sirsa), Mr Sher Singh Barsami (Ambala), Mr Pardeep Chaudhary (Kurukshetra, Mr Niranjan Lal (Karnal), Mr Gopi Chand Gahlot (Sonepat), Brig O.P. Chaudhary (retd) (Rohtak), Mr Ami Chand Sehrawat (Faridabad) and Mr Bahadur Singh (Mohindergarh).

The party also appointed nearly hafl-a-dozen campaign in charges, including Mr Sampat Singh, Mr Dhirpal Singh, Mr Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, Mr Rampal Majra, Mr Abhay Singh Chautala and Mr Satbir Kadian.

10-yr-old girl helps nab burglar
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, Aug 11 — A 10-year-old girl, Heena, who is a Major's daughter of Ambala cantonment, displayed rare courage in assisting to catch a burglar who had entered their house.

The incident occurred around 2 a.m. yesterday when a youth, Ajay, along with two accomplices, broke into the Major's house while the inmates were asleep. Heena woke up on hearing a sound as the intruders closed the door of her bedroom. She noticed the intruders but pretended to be fast asleep. Not finding any valuables in Heena's room, the burglars went to the adjacent room where her parents were sleeping. Heena followed them and shouted for help, waking up her father. The Major caught one of the burglars.

On interrogation, it was found that the burglar was a member of a group operating in the cantonment. He had committed theft in the same house a few days ago.

According to Army sources, the case is under investigation and efforts are being made to apprehend all members of the gang. Some of them have already been taken into custody. Several cases of theft committed by this gang have come to light.

IAF recruitment rallies in HP
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, Aug 11 — The Air Force will conduct two recruitment rallies in Himachal Pradesh for selection of airmen, (non-technical trades). This was disclosed by the Commanding Officer, Air Force Selection Centre, Ambala here today.

One rally would be held at Kala Kendra (Dhalpur) Kulu on August 24 and 25 for the eligible youth of Kulu, Mandi, Lahul and Spiti, Bilaspur, Solan, Shimla and Sirmaur districts.

The second rally would be held at Bachat Bhavan, Nurpur (Kangra) on September 2 and 3 for the candidates of Hamirpur, Chamba, Kangra, Una and Gurdaspur (Punjab) districts.

Telecom office lacks drop wire
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Aug 11 — Telephone consumers in the district are reportedly facing inconvenience on account of shortage of some of the basic items in the Telecom Department store here. As a result of this several of the consumers have to purchase some of the items from the market in order to have their phone in proper working condition.

According to sources in the department, the drop wire, which is used in connecting the phone instrument with the mainline on the pole or DP box, has been in shortage for the past 15 days. The drop wire has to be replaced in a number of cases as a large number of complaints received by the department about the faults in phone are concerned with repairs and replacement of the defective wire. The only option left for such a consumer is to purchase the wire from the market. It is alleged that the wire is sometimes sold in market by some telecom department employees from time to time.

Similarly, the department is also without new telephone instruments for the past one month. The General Manager, Mr A.K. Jain, when contacted, admitted that there had been shortage of the drop wire as well as the instruments (telephone) in the department. He said the supply of these items was likely to reach here by next month as placement of tenders and supply takes some time.

Train, tractor collide: 2 die
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, Aug 11 — Two persons travelling in a tractor-trailor died on the spot when it was hit by the 2 DPM passenger train at level crossing-45 near Khalila village between Panipat and Samalkha on Delhi-Ambala section of Northern Railway today.

According to available information, the tractor-trailor loaded with bricks was crossing the track at a level crossing. There were three persons in the tractor-trailor. The railway crossing was left opened by the gateman at that time.

When the tractor driver saw the train he jumped out and ran away. The train hit the trailor resulting in on the spot death of two persons.

The deceased have been identified as Kripal (20) of Mahawati village near Samalkha and Mohan (18) from Rajasthan. The tractor driver, Umar Singh, and gateman, Ram Niwas, have fled. The Railway Police has registered a case against the tractor driver under Sections 279, 336 and 304-A, IPC, and against the gateman under Section 175, Railway Act.

Due to the accident, the train traffic was disrupted for more than three hours on this section. However, the traffic was restored after the trailor was removed from the track.

BSP to tie up with HVP in Haryana
From Our Correspondent

YAMUNANAGAR, Aug 11— The Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have reached an understanding regarding three parliamentary constituencies in the state. These are Ambala, Bhiwani and Mahendragarh.

Talking to newspersons here yesterday, Mr Aman Kumar Nagra, a former MP and President of the state unit of the BSP, said a decision on other seats would be taken shortly. He said Chaudhry Surender Singh of the HVP would contest from Bhiwani, Mr Raghu Yadav of the BSP from Mahendragarh while he himself would contest from Ambala.

Mr Nagra ruled out the possibility of an alliance with the Congress.

Couple killed in mishap
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, Aug 11 — A couple was killed and five others injured when a Santro car dashed against a tree near Badowala, village on Uklana Harwana road yesterday.

According to a report here today, the family was returning here from Panipat when the car reportedly got out of control and dashed against a tree killing the couple on the spot. They were identified as Khairati Lal and his wife, Kailash.

HVP suffers setback
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, Aug 11 — The Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) suffered a set-back yesterday when Mr Krishan Anipura, member, zila parishad, and Mr Om Prakash Chauhan, member, District Grievances Committee, resigned from the party and joined the Congress along with their supporters.

They announced their decision at a Congress workers' meeting held at Jai Bharat Mandal Dharamshala, Hansi, 26 km from here.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Dharamveer, Congress nominees from Bhiwani Lok Sabha seat, said the Congress was the only party which would provide a stable government at the Centre.

10-year jail for attempt to rape
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, Aug 11 — Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr P.L. Ahuja, here yesterday sentenced Prithvi Singh, of Jagan village to 10 years' imprisonment in connection with an attempt to rape a minor girl.

A fine of Rs 7000 was also imposed. A case under Section 376, IPC, had been registered.