Jat mahasabha to go for ‘tactical’ voting
ROHTAK, Dec 30 — The all-India Jat Mahasabha will resort to "tactical" voting in the forthcoming Assembly elections to wipe out any possibility of division of votes and support a party after observing its attitude regarding reservation for the community.

Two killed in armed robbery
REWARI, Dec 30 — Four armed youths shot dead Sunil, a driver of a jeep, and injured Virender, the cleaner of the jeep, and then took away their new jeep on the Rewari-Bawal road near Suthani village, 8 km from here, on Tuesday.

MLA's son alleges case fabrication
ROHTAK, Dec 30 — Mr Jitender Hooda, son of INLD legislator from Kiloi Assembly segment, Kishan Hooda, has claimed that the case registered against him was a " fabricated one", with the view to defame him and his father.

Five killed in mishaps
KAITHAL, Dec 30 — Five persons, including three women, were killed in two mishaps in the district today due to dense fog. In the first mishap, four persons, including three women, were killed near Guliana village. The deceased have been identified as Bado, Guddi, Sweety and Jile Singh, all residents of Guliana village. They were travelling in a four- wheeler.

2 children die in mishap
SIRSA, Dec 30 — Two children were killed and nine hurt when a Haryana Roadways bus collided with a "tonga" near Salem Khera village in the district.

BKU to contest Haryana poll
SONEPAT, Dec 30 — The Haryana BKU has decided to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

Criminal cases against 47 gazetted officers
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — The Haryana State Vigilance Bureau has detected a number of cases of corruption, irregularities and leakage of revenue since July and recommended the recovery of over Rs 1.04 crore which has surpassed all records in the past five years.

Stating this here today, the Director, Haryana State Vigilance Bureau, Mr M.S. Malik, said that initiation of departmental action and registration of cases against erring officials had also been recommended by the bureau. He added that the bureau had detected a loss of over Rs 31 lakh to the exchequer during this period in four cases and recommended registration of criminal cases against three gazetted officers, 10 officials and 10 others.

The bureau had also recommended registration of criminal cases against 47 gazetted officers, 49 officials and 104 others in 38 enquiries conducted by the bureau. Similarly, departmental action and recovery of over Rs 33 lakh had been recommended against 69 gazetted officers, 44 officials, 12 others and three firms.

The director said, the revenue wing of the bureau had detected 17 cases of revenue leakage, amounting to Rs 22.72 lakh and departmental action had been recommended against 33 officers. In addition, effective measures were taken to check the theft of road tax, goods and sales tax. An amount of Rs 1.35 lakh had since been recovered on the spot and 11 vehicles were detected evading tax. Besides this 483 buses were checked and 370 passengers were found travelling without tickets. A sum of Rs 35,210 was realised as penalty from them.

The special checking of on-going civil works of different government departments was carried out and departmental action was recommended against six gazetted officers, and one official of the Public Health department for committing irregularities. Also, 35 criminal cases had been registered against 28 gazetted officers, 46 officials and 83 others by the bureau on charges of corruption, cheating and misappropriation of funds in this period.

Mr Malik said the bureau had also set a new record in ensuring good supervision and ‘pairvi’ of the cases pending trial in different criminal courts as a result of which eight officials were convicted in six criminal cases by different subordinate criminal courts in the state. In addition, 24 gazetted officers, 57 officials and 59 others had since been arrested in various cases. He claimed that the bureau had finalised 128 old enquiries in this period and sent to the government, whereas 90 enquiries were cleared in the same period last year.

Unemployed on a full-time job
From Satish Seth

KAITHAL, Dec 30 — Venue: District Employment Office, Kaithal. Time: 12 noon. Scene: Dozens of unemployed, including girls, in angry mood. Reason: Have been waiting since early morning to get their names registered at the employment exchange and others want to renew their already registered names, but no one is ready to attend them.

On inquiry from the present staff, it was revealed that the Employment Officer, Mr V.K. Tehri, was on leave and Assistant Employment Officer, Mr R.S. Bishnoi, was away to Guhla to disburse salary to the staff posted there. The clerk dealing with the fresh registration was busy with some bills and asking the candidates to come on some other day. The clerk dealing with the renewal work was said to be on leave and another clerk was stated to be on maternity leave. A person, who introduced himself as statistician, said he came from the Kurukshetra office for two days to work in this office on deputation. Similarly, a clerk from this office was stated to have been deputed to the Pundri office.

All unemployed and persons accompanying them told this reporter that they were being harassed and feeling frustrated as they have to do rounds of the office to get their names registered. Some times, the dealing staff was not available. On another occasions, they were asked to come again on some other day to get their work done. Most of the persons coming from far off villages returned disappointed without getting their names registered or renewed. They resented that on the one hand they fail to get employment through the employment exchanges, on the other hand they had to spend lot of time and money but of no avail.

A youth from Sismore village said during the past fortnight, he had visited this office five times to get his name registered but every time he went disappointed and was not attended by the staff. Padmawati (55) of Siwan village said she had come to get the name of her daughter renewed a number of times but was asked to come again. Similar sentiments were expressed by Gulshan Kumar of Polar village. Anil Kumar, said he started coming to this office in the beginning of the month for renewal of his name and it was his sixth visit but every time he was asked to come on another day.

However, a women clerk on noticing the candidates talking to the reporter, offered her services to the waiting candidates and assured that their work will be done.

Round up of 1999
A year of fast political developments
by Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — The most remarkable events that took place in Haryana this year related to politics. The developments during the year, as one coalition government was made to give way to another, and the latter decided to hold fresh elections in the state 17 months before schedule, were marked by some brazen conduct by unscrupulous elements who kept switching loyalties.

Generally, 1999 was yet another year in the history of the state, which saw the state's infamous Aya Ram Gaya Ram political culture raise its head and gradually establish dominance. The political parties were either willing players or helpless watchers to this game of political opportunism.

There were, in fact, inexplicable decisions from the two largest national parties — the Congress and the BJP. The latter, which was a partner in the Bansi Lal-led government pulled out and sided with the INLD. The BJP state leadership explained its decision by saying that Mr Bansi Lal was ignoring its Cabinet ministers' suggestions. But subsequently, the saffron party also refrained from joining the INLD-led government despite repeated appeals made by Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala.

The Congress saved Mr Bansi Lal from a crisis when the BJP withdrew support to the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP)-led government in July. The disgruntled elements of the HVP's legislative wing were all set to desert Mr Bansi Lal following the BJP move, but the dissidents suspended their rebellion for the time being when the Congress assured support to the beleaguered HVP supremo. In a matter of 19 days the Congress changed its stance and the party withdrew support to the HVP-led government. The government collapsed but the Congress also paid heavily for the flip-flop policy of its strategists and got routed in the Lok Sabha polls which followed.

Why did the Congress behave as it did in Haryana? Some in the political circles indicate that Mr Bansi Lal 'bought' the support by striking a deal with central leaders of the Congress. Later, it withdrew support because Mr Bansi Lal was reportedly not agreeable to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi's suggestion of dissolving the state assembly to pave the way for fresh elections.

The BJP's move to withdraw support to the Bansi Lal Government was believed to be part of a "package deal," worked out between the BJP and INLD on the eve of trust vote faced by Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee in his last stint as Prime Minister. The INLD, which had earlier withdrawn support to the Vajpayee-led Government due to its "anti-farmer policies", did a vote-face and decided to vote for the BJP in Parliament on condition that the BJP would pull out from the Bansi Lal Government. The BJP was also aware that an alliance with the INLD would be beneficial to it during the Lok Sabha polls.

However, in the melee, the HVP dissidents turned out to be the most devout practitioners of the art of self-preservation. Take, Mr Jagan Nath for example. One of the senior MLAs of the dissolved House who was involved in numerous aborted coups against Mr Bansi Lal, he gave on impassioned speech in favour of the latter when the Congress came to the rescue of the government and it was apparent that the threat to Mr Bansi Lal's government would blow over. Once the Congress pulled the rug, Mr Jagan Nath, an ardent supporter of Mr Bansi Lal only 19 days back, walked over to Mr Chautala. The portly Brijmohan Singla, also a veteran dissident of HVP, fiercely defended Mr Bansi Lal in the first trust vote, and subsequently condemned Mr Bansi Lal with equal ferocity in the second vote.

The 17 HVP legislators, who formed the HVP (Democratic), continued to pursue their personal agenda once they agreed to merge their outfit into the INLD, and soon there was no coordination among the former HVP legislators. Mr Jagan Nath, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, Mr Brijmohan Singla, Rao Narbir Singh and Mr Satya Narain Lather have already fallen out with Mr Chautala. It is doubtful that all the remaining from HVP (D) legislators, will get the INLD party ticket.

One significant development witnessed in 1999 was the widespread popular resentment against the Bansi Lal regime, which was reflected in the massive victory margin of the INLD-BJP combine's candidates over their nearest HVP and Congress rivals at the Lok Sabha elections in September. Not only did the BJP-INLD made a clean sweep of all 10 seats in the state, the victorious combine reportedly was ahead of their rivals in all but one of the 90 assembly constituencies in Haryana.

It is difficult to explain Mr Bansi Lal's unpopularity except that the arrogant streak in his character probably got on people's nerves. His stint as Chief Minister was also marked by various intrigues and plots to topple his government. Mr Bansi Lal reportedly trusted no one and this surely did not go down well with the electorate.

The most important development programme taken up by Mr Bansi Lal was his plans for power sector reforms with funding from the World Bank. The new regime in Haryana is not showing any interest in the reforms and it is unlikely that its work will be completed. However, Mr Bansi Lal was praised for showing political will in implementing the reforms. The industry had also welcomed the reforms, which, the industry said, would bring long-term benefits. Now that the state lives on borrowed power, and has accumulated a magnificent amount of arrears on account of purchase of power from various sources, 1999 has turned out to be a bad year as far as the power scenario is concerned.

The year will also be memorable for Mr Chautala's decision to dissolve the state assembly, apparently because he feels that if the polls takes place now, it will go in his favour, otherwise it will be too late.

Unlike Mr Bansi Lal, the main feature of Mr Chautala's politics has been populism. He has showered an astonishing amount of sops since coming to power and hoping to cash in on these sops during the polls. Mr Chautala, meanwhile, is also trying to delay panchayat polls since he fears that these would divide his supporters, which damage the party prospects in the assembly polls. The sops, if they are really implemented, are likely to leave the state's economy in tatters.

During the year, political parties have also made the usual sounds about the "anti-farmer policies" of the Centre and talked about former's problems, but none of them has shown either the willingness or the ability to build up a mass movement on those issues.

Celebrations yes, hubbub no
By Saurabh Malik
Tribune News Service

AMBALA, Dec 30 — Under the mercury vapours' brilliant light filtering through the thick fog, to the rhythmic thumping of dholi's bhangra beat, city youngsters are good and ready to sway into the new millennium after parking their "grrrying" bikes along the road side.

It is resolved. Papa and mummy can sit on the drawing-room's cushioned sofas and watch 1999 go by while enduring the television programmes. Or play routine tambola at the clubs in and around the city. The twisting and shouting youngsters have already engaged drummers to 'rub-a-dub' all night long outside the "lady love's house".

"Two pegs of invigorating yellow elixir is all I require to dance outside her street on the new millennium's eve," says undergraduate student Deepak, handing over the dough for a beer bottle, his brown eyes twinkling with mischief. "Our gang is ready. No one will object, the occasion is such. New Year justifies everything," he quips.

Well, Deepak and his gang can drink and dance after parking their mobikes along the roadside, the rich and the adventurous have already left for the millennium destinations — Chandigarh, Shimla, even Kufri, on their "100 CCs".

A few other have cleared the room on the roof for their "own little bash". The loathsome study table has been evacuated. The hi-tech 6000 watt speakers have been positioned for firing heavy metal music. The dancing feet are all set to cut foot loose.

"We will shake, rattle and roll till our first floor room is saturated with smoke, sweat and sweet perfume," says a collegiate throwing an open-for-couple-only party at his Model Town residence. "Then we will go to the rooftop for the fireworks."

Alleging discrimination on the basis of gender, a couple of college students are also organising "strictly for guys" party. "So what if we are not being invited to such only-for-couple parties? We have made our own arrangements. Nothing to worry except that liquor is strictly prohibited".

The reason is not hard to see. "Daddy still commands respect here, unlike in Chandigarh," says Mr Pramod Arora, owner of a shoe store in Ambala Cantt. "Kids do not drink in their parents' presence. So the children of affluent businessmen and bureaucrats leave the city for the celebrations. Other take to the streets. The couple, meanwhile, pool in for their own bash. Rest, docile like us, go off to sleep after paying obeisance at the temple", he explains.

Little wonder, except for fireworks and dine-n-dance programmes at a few club, hotels and resorts on the Ambala-Chandigarh highway, elaborate plans for bidding goodbye to the 1999 are missing.

"Ambala residents have always hated clatter and clamour," says the proprietor of a hotel in Ambala Cantt, Mr B. S. Sodhi. "On the New Year's Eve, they come here for an outing and leave after having dinner. No ruckus, no hubbub. We, on our part, handover gifts to the kids".

Party, or no party, Happy New Year Ambalaites.

Jat mahasabha to go for ‘tactical’ voting
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Dec 30 — The all-India Jat Mahasabha will resort to "tactical" voting in the forthcoming Assembly elections to wipe out any possibility of division of votes and support a party after observing its attitude regarding reservation for the community.

Addressing mediapersons here today, Mr Naresh Shokhanda, general secretary of the all-India Yuva Jat Mahasabha, said in case both the major political parties — the Indian National Lok Dal and the Congress backed the reservation move, the mahasabha would decide its future course of action.

He said the first conference of the mahasabha would be held at Jhajjar on January 15. Among others Mr Dara Singh, former wrestling champion and President of the mahasabha, Mr Devi Lal, former Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Sahib Singh Verma, former Chief Minister of Delhi, Mr Ajit Singh, Rashtriya Lok Dal President, Mr Hukam Dev Narayan Yadav, Central Minister of State for Agriculture and Mr D.P. Yadav, member, Rajya Sabha will address the meeting.

A delegation of the mahasabha leaders today submitted a memorandum to the state backward commission for OBCs demanding that Jats, Jat Sikhs, Rors and Meos be immediately declared OBCs and extended the benefits of reservation. He said the strategy to be adopted during the ensuing Assembly poll in the state would be announced at the conference.

Two killed in armed robbery
From Our Correspondent

REWARI, Dec 30 — Four armed youths shot dead Sunil, a driver of a jeep, and injured Virender, the cleaner of the jeep, and then took away their new jeep on the Rewari-Bawal road near Suthani village, 8 km from here, on Tuesday.

Later, Virender managed to reach Kotputli in Rajasthan from where the youths had hired the jeep. The police was informed by the jeep owner.

Meanwhile, two of the armed youths got down somewhere on Rewari-Jhajjar road, while the other two took the jeep to get diesel. But when petrol station employees suspected their identity and refused to supply diesel, the youths threatened them. They were given a chase for some distance by the station employees in their own vehicle. However, the jeep dashed against a tree killing the youth driving it. His accomplice managed to escape. A .38-bore revolver and cartridges were recovered from the spot of the mishap.

Two cases have been registered in this regard.

MLA's son alleges case fabrication
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Dec 30 — Mr Jitender Hooda, son of INLD legislator from Kiloi Assembly segment, Kishan Hooda, has claimed that the case registered against him was a " fabricated one", with the view to defame him and his father.

In a statement issued here Mr Jitender, alias Jeeta refuted the charges levelled against him in the FIR and said he was not involved in any kind of misbehaviour or forcibly taking away of any vehicle as alleged. He said he was neither in the car which met with an accident on December 27 near Ashoka Cinema here, nor he went to the Arya Nagar police station to take away the car.

He said he came to know that the car was parked at a service station by the policemen who wanted to "make money" from the car driver. He added that when he prevented the policemen from taking a bribe, the police officials registered a case against him and some of his friends.

He also claimed that the car which met with an accident did not belong to him or his father.

Five killed in mishaps
From Our Correspondent

KAITHAL, Dec 30 — Five persons, including three women, were killed in two mishaps in the district today due to dense fog. In the first mishap, four persons, including three women, were killed near Guliana village. The deceased have been identified as Bado, Guddi, Sweety and Jile Singh, all residents of Guliana village. They were travelling in a four- wheeler.

The injured have been admitted to the Civil Hospital here. In another accident, Dharam Singh (3), a cyclist, was killed on the spot near Toontha village when he was run over by a tractor-trailer.

SIRSA: Fog in the area caused a collision between two buses injuring 12 persons in the district on Thursday.

According to an information, two Haryana Roadways buses collided near Musahwala village, 20 km from here. The injured have been admitted to the local Civil Hospital. One of the injured Subhdev Singh, driver, was referred to a hospital in Ludhiana.

In another accident seven persons were injured on the Kanganpur road in a collision between an auto and a jeep.

2 children die in mishap
From Our Correspondent

SIRSA, Dec 30 — Two children were killed and nine hurt when a Haryana Roadways bus collided with a "tonga" near Salem Khera village in the district.

According to a police press note here today, the driver of the bus Gurmeet Singh was arrested under Sections 279, 337 and 304-A, IPC.

In another incident, Mange Singh and his father, Maha Singh, of Phoolo Mithhi village were held under Sections 498-A, 506, 406, 504 and 34, IPC, on a complaint of Gurjant Singh for allegedly demanding dowry.

BKU to contest Haryana poll
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Dec 30 — The Haryana BKU has decided to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

According to a press note issued here, it said the union was holding a state-level rally on January 17 next year at Karnal, where the names of the candidates would be announced for each Assembly constituency. Nearly 5 lakh farmers from all over the state were expected to take part in this rally.

The BKU would also hold a rally on January 7 at Pavana village in Kaithal district to pay tributes to two farmers, Lakhpat and Mam Chand, who were killed in police firing.

The BKU condemned the HVPN for disconnecting the power connections of 5,000 farmers.

Chautala's assurance to Punjabi leaders
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Dec 30 — The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has decided to give due representation to members of the Punjabi community in the allocation of the party ticket for the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state. INLD supremo and Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala informed a deputation of Punjabi leaders, who called on him at Haryana Bhavan, Delhi.

The members of the deputation assured Mr Chautala of extending full support to the INLD candidates in the elections.

Rs 50 cr for better water supply
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 30 — The Haryana State Sanitary Board has sanctioned 240 schemes, involving an investment of Rs 50 crore for augmentation of water supply in rural and urban areas and improvement of the sewerage system in urban areas.

The Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, who presided over the second meeting of the board, directed the Public Health department to repair the damaged inlet channels, broken pipelines and storage tanks so that safe and assured drinking water could be made available to the people.

He also directed the department to take up the work of new schemes, sanctioned at the meeting before the onset of summer.

Upgrading status of Ambala Cantt sought
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, Dec 30 — Mr Om Prakash Malik, president, legal cell, here has urged the Chief Minister, Haryana, to raise the status of Ambala cantonment to a subdivision.

In a memorandum sent to the Chief Minister, Mr Malik said Ambala cantonment was an important town.

He said people here have to rush to Ambala City for their day-to--day official work. The SDM, Ambala, City, used to sit at cantonment for two days in a week but this practice has been discontinued resulting in hardships to the general public of the cantonment.

He said it was a long-pending demand of the people of the cantonment and the government should accept it without any delay.