Study centre SIRSA: The new study centre of Indira Gandhi National University will start functioning from January 1, 2000 at the local Government National College.

Sugar mills’ staff go on strike
ROHTAK, Dec 5 — Employees of Haryana Cooperative Sugar Mills here went on an indefinite strike today in protest against the non-acceptance of their demands and "breach of pact" by the authorities.

Traffic chaos in cantt
AMBALA: In the last decade pollution and population have risen manifold in Ambala Cantonment. A small civil locality, set up to cater to the petty needs of Army personnel by the British has grown into an "A" class city of Haryana.

Ad-hoc teachers block traffic
PANIPAT, Dec 5 — Thousands of ad hoc school teachers blocked traffic on the national highway and later tried to gherao residence of Haryana Tourism Minister Om Prakash Jain, demanding that services of more than 10,000 school teachers working on ad hoc and contract basis should be regularised soon.

Drive against drug trafficking
PANIPAT, Dec 5 — In a drive against liquor smugglers and drug traffickers, the police has seized 298 bottles of country liquor and 31 bottles of illicit liquor and also recovered two vehicles from the possession of 13 persons allegedly involved in the illicit business.

Jain institute holds function
AMBALA, Dec 5 — The annual day and prize distribution function of Shri Atmanand Jain Institute of Management and Technology in the city was held here yesterday.

Four killed in accidents
FARIDABAD, Dec 5 — Four persons died in different accidents in the district today.

CM urges farmers to grow sugarcane
From Our Correspondent

SIRSA, Dec 5 — Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala has stated that farmers of the state would get benefit of Rs 5000 per acre as the government had fixed the price of sugarcane at the rate of Rs 110 per quintal during the current crushing season.

The Chief Minister said this while addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone of cooperative sugar mill at Panniwala Mota, 25 km from here, yesterday evening.

He said government had provided remunerative price for the agricultural produce.

Replying to the charges levelled by former Minister Jagdish Nehra, that he was making announcements to gain popularity, Mr Chautala said Mr Nehra could see how many developmental works had been taken up in the state and the setting up of this sugar mill in Mr Nehra's village was step in this direction.

The Chief Minister said farmers were facing hardship due to failure of cotton crops for the past four years.

So, besides cotton, sugarcane was the only cash crop. He said by sowing sugarcane, on an average, a farmer would be able to get Rs 44,000 per acre.

The Chief Minister urged the farmers to come forward for purchasing the shares of this sugar mill which would be floated shortly. He said the price of one share would be Rs 100. He assured the farmers that Hafed would provide improved seeds of sugarcane and purchase the sugarcane at the price fixed by the government.

Mr Chautala said nearly 1000 people would be employed in this mill, out of which maximum would be from Panniwala Mota.

He revealed that a cattle feed at Dabwali and a rice sheller at Kalanwali would be set up by the government for all round development of these areas. He said the government had also decided to provide a bag of urea at the rate of Rs 190 at all government agencies as against the actual price of Rs 200 per bag.

While enumerating the achievements of the government, he said the grant of Agroha Medical College had been restored, all fabricated cases registered against the farmers had been raised from 35 to 40 years, besides doubling of old age pension and providing Rs 5100 in the marriages of girls belonging to the Scheduled Castes.

He also ridiculed the allegations of former Chief Minister Bansi Lal that the government was announcing the developmental projects without considering financial implications.

Mr Chautala said he had always advocated for a strong Opposition which could keep the government on the right track but there was no Opposition even for name sake in state to make concrete suggestions.

Dr Sushil Indora, local MP, Prof Sampat Singh, Finance Minister, Mr Kartar Singh Bhadana, Cooperation Minister, Mr Banta Ram, Chairman, Sugarfed and Mr Risal Singh, Chairman, Hafed, also addressed the gathering.

Contractors say no to sanitation work
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, Dec 5 — The private contractors engaged by the Panipat Nagar Parishad for carrying out sanitation works in parts of the town have given a notice for the termination of the contract from December 8, as the parishad has reportedly 'failed' to make payments to the contractors for the past four months.

The town is divided into two parts. Sanitation work in the eastern parts is entrusted to a contractor and in the western part to safai karamcharis. According to the contract, the contractor has to be given Rs 2.70 lakh per month for these works. The job of the contractors was to collect and lift garbage twice a day.

However, the functioning of the private contractors is generally regarded as ‘unsatisfactory' as piles of garbage can be seen in every nook and corner of the area allotted to them.

In a number of colonies, the residents complained that the garbage is lifted only once or twice a week though the contractors have a fleet of 10 tractor-trailers and 20 animal carts. But these vehicles are hardly used for sanitation work and are instead used by parishad officials for other works.

Sources in the nagar parishad confirmed that a notice had been given by the contractors and stated that negotiations between the parishad and contractors were going on. If no agreement is reached, the parishad is likely to take over the contractors work.

Gang of cheat active at rly station
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, Dec 5 — Innocent people, particularly labourers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, are being duped near Panipat railway station by a gang of cheats.

The gang of eight persons urges people to buy lottery tickets. A bag containing blank and prize-marked chits costing Rs 2 each is kept with them. The customer is asked to take out a handful of chits from the bag. A gang member holds the hand of the customer, opens it and separates the blank and prize-marked chits.

Some chits are marked with the names of the prizes — press, oven, toaster, sewing machine, etc — costing Rs 100 to Rs 500 each.

The blank prize chits are counted and the total amount, at the rate of Rs 2 per chit, is demanded from the customer before he is given the prize. The poor customer does not possess this much amount and whatever money he possesses is snatched from him.

Some musclemen stand nearby and in case of resistance from a customer, they handle him.

Though the matter has been reportedly brought to the notice of law-enforcement agencies like the RPF, the GRP, the local police and even the CID, no steps have been taken to stop the crime.

In fact, about 10-12 persons were reportedly deprived of their cash yesterday by the gang.

Sugar mills’ staff go on strike
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Dec 5 — Employees of Haryana Cooperative Sugar Mills here went on an indefinite strike today in protest against the non-acceptance of their demands and "breach of pact" by the authorities.

Union leaders said the strike would continue till the acceptance of their demands. They claimed that some other employees' unions of sugar mills in the neighbouring district had also extended support to their agitation.

The union leaders of the local sugar mills claimed that at a meeting of Managing Director and Chairman of the mills with the Deputy Commissioner it was decided that the vacant posts out of the sanctioned strength of 1136 posts would be filled by regularising the services of employees working on daily wages for the last nearly 20 years in the mills. Similarly, they said the higher posts were to be filled by promoting employees as per the decision which was to be implemented by November 24 last.

The union leaders served a notice on the mills management, Deputy Commissioner and the government regarding the implementation of the decision by November 30 in view of the "casual" attitude of the authorities in this connection. They started a fast at the mills' gate from December 1 but the authorities allegedly went back on their word at a meeting with the union leaders yesterday which finally led the dissatisfied employees to strike work.

Traffic chaos in cantt
From Anil K. Sharma

AMBALA: In the last decade pollution and population have risen manifold in Ambala Cantonment.

A small civil locality, set up to cater to the petty needs of Army personnel by the British has grown into an "A" class city of Haryana. Its Sadar Bazar has become another Chandni Chowk.

The Sadar Bazar, Durga Charan Road and Chaura Bazar are the worst polluted areas in the cantonment. The several traffic hold ups during the day is a routine. As people park their vehicles on the road, policemen are at a loss to regulate traffic.

According to an expert, the traffic jams cost more than Rs 1 lakh a month. How much pollution! he exclaims.

Mr N.C. Jain, Chairman, Ambala Traders Federation, says traffic lights should be installed at Sardar Bazar and Bajaja Bazar Chowk. He says that he had taken up the matter with the authorities on several occasions, but nothing came of it.

Mr Jain suggests creation of a few free parking lots in the area. One such parking lot already exists near the B.D. School ground. He wants Anaj Mandi to be immediately shifted from the city centre — a long pending demand — and a new parking lot to come up in its place.

According to Mr Ram Parkash Gupta, an environmentalist, General Secretary, Green Circle, there should be a "no traffic zone" around the Sadar Bazar area during peak business hours. He blames businessmen for encroaching upon roads by displaying their goods particularly in the congested area of Chaura Bazar, Durga Charan Bazar, Bajaja Bazar and Gur Bazar.

They are violating instructions of the Deputy Commissioner in this regard, says Mr Gupta. He has urged the administration to remove all electric and telephone poles which are not in use.

In the Sadar Bazar area "slip roads" for cars, scooters, cycles and rickshaws could be constructed. Sign-boards must be put up for this. A slip road by the side of the nullah near the bridge is not being maintained. It needs to be joined with the Ambala-Jagadhari road. Another slip road leading towards Nishat Theatre and connecting Government College Road could be developed.

Ad-hoc teachers block traffic
Tribune News Service

PANIPAT, Dec 5 — Thousands of ad hoc school teachers blocked traffic on the national highway and later tried to gherao residence of Haryana Tourism Minister Om Prakash Jain, demanding that services of more than 10,000 school teachers working on ad hoc and contract basis should be regularised soon.

The protest march which was organised under the banner of the Ad-hoc Teachers Association of Haryana, started at 3 p.m. and teachers kept the GT road blocked for more than half-an-hour.

Later, the procession moved towards the Model Town residence of Mr Om Prakash Jain but the police stopped the protesting teachers before they could reach the Minister's house. This resulted in a fracas between the teachers and the police. The angry teachers threw stones at the police injuring two constables, Satbir and Bhupinder, both of whom were hit on the head.

It was only after the local SDM reached the spot and accepted the memorandum from the teachers and they were pacified.

Study centre
From Bhupinder Dharmani

SIRSA: The new study centre of Indira Gandhi National University will start functioning from January 1, 2000 at the local Government National College.

According to a notification of the IGNU, classes will be held for BCA, CIC, PGDT, DTC, CFN, DRD, BPP, BA and B.Com. With the opening of the centre students will no longer have to travel to Hisar on Saturdays and Sundays for attending the classes.

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Housed in dilapidated two-room building, the government dispensary at Ellenabad is poorly equipped. The dispensary is without a testing laboratory, X-ray machine and surgical section. .. The stock of medicines is meagre. The condition of dispensary puts a question mark on the government claim of improved health services.

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The leaders of various organisations ,cutting across political and other leanings, have demanded that Sirsa railway station, an important trade and business centre in the area ,be covered under the computer reservation network so that people can make reservation for any station from here. Trains going to Punjab from West, South and East should be diverted to this route, which would reduce pressure on Delhi besides giving benefit to this area as well.

Four killed in accidents
From Our Correspondent

FARIDABAD, Dec 5 — Four persons died in different accidents in the district today.

Two persons, including a woman, died when a scooter on which they were riding was hit by a speeding truck near Pakhal (Ballabgarh) village 12 km from here today. The driver of the truck fled the scene after the incident.

Agitated villagers disrupted vehicular traffic on the Sohna road for two hours and the jam was lifted after the arrival of the police.

In second incident, a child died when a cycle on which he was going with his father was hit by a speeding truck near Palli village today.

In the third accident, Mangay Lal was killed on the spot and five others were injured when a jeep in which they were travelling collided with truck on national highway near Palwal.

The police has registered all cases.

Drive against drug trafficking
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, Dec 5 — In a drive against liquor smugglers and drug traffickers, the police has seized 298 bottles of country liquor and 31 bottles of illicit liquor and also recovered two vehicles from the possession of 13 persons allegedly involved in the illicit business.

The district police chief said during the past 10 days the police had arrested six persons and recovered 5.5 kg charas, 9.5 kg 'chura post', two country-made pistols and cartridges from their possession.

The police also arrested a person allegedly involved in abduction of a local financier.

Jain institute holds function
Tribune News Service

AMBALA, Dec 5 — The annual day and prize distribution function of Shri Atmanand Jain Institute of Management and Technology in the city was held here yesterday.

Among others, Mr Vivek Sharma, a student of MBA batch 1997-99, was honoured by the college after he had won a gold medal in Kurukshetra University.

Prizes were given in the field of academics, cultural events, sports events and for social activities.