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H A R Y A N A |  |
 Thursday, February 18, 1999 |
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KU staff pay scales revised KURUKSHETRA, Feb 17 — The Executive Council meeting of Kurukshetra University held here today decided to allow a revision of grades for the non-teaching employees of the university from January 1,1996, on the pattern of the Haryana State government. Bansi Govt gains from Chautala move CHANDIGARH, Feb 17 — The HVP-BJP coalition government of Haryana is the immediate beneficiary of the Indian National Lok Dal's decision to withdraw support to the Vajpayee Government. |
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Chargesheet against Rathore stayed |
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KU staff pay scales revised KURUKSHETRA, Feb 17 — The Executive Council meeting of Kurukshetra University held here today decided to allow a revision of grades for the non-teaching employees of the university from January 1,1996, on the pattern of the Haryana State government. With this decision the Executive Council has implemented the recommendations of the fifth Pay Commission for the university and the state government employees. According to university sources, the employees would also get medical allowance, cycle allowance, house rent allowance, TA and DA and computer loan facility on the Haryana government pattern. Dr ML Ranga, Vice-Chancellor of the varsity, presided over the meeting. The decision taken by the Executive Council also included senior scale/ selection grade to lecturers. The sumptuary allowance has been raised from Rs 500 to Rs 1000 for principals of non-government affiliated colleges. The Council also extended the term of Dr Amir Singh, Professor of Psychology, Dean, Academic Affairs, by one year. The Council, however, decided to increase the honorarium of part-time lecturers in the university and colleges on the campus from Rs 2500 to Rs 4000. By another decision, the Council approved the guidelines for conducting the M.Phil course through distance education. It also limited seats for the course to 30 in each subject. This has been done on the recommendations of a committee of deans and coordinators, which had been constituted by the Vice-Chancellor under the chairmanship of the Dean, Academic Affairs. The committee was constituted to suggest ways and means to improve the academic standards of the M.Phil course. This committee had suggested for limiting seats for the M.Phil course in each subject to 50. However, Dr JB Goyal, a member of the Executive Council, in one of his memos to the government for improving academic standards and controlling wasteful expenditure in the university had said that continuance of the M.Phil course in some of the departments had let to increase of workload. It may be added that in number of universities the M.Phil course had already been suspended. In another major decision, the Council accepted the report of Justice Ajai Singh, District and Sessions Judge (Retd.) into the scam of paper purchase for the Distance Education Department few years ago. The meeting decided to serve a show cause notice on Mr SK Khanna, former Additional Director of the Department, for the recovery of 80 per cent of the total loss incurred in the purchase which amounted to Rs 5,73,737. Furthermore, the Executive Council also decided to recover 20 per cent of the loss suffered by the university in the paper purchase from the manager of the university press. Besides declaring the posts of two teachers, Dr (Mrs) Anu Singh Lather, Lecturer in Psychology and Vijay Parihar, Lecturer in Electronics, vacant, the Executive Council confirmed the services of 16 teachers and officers of the university. The Council also allowed benefits of increments of ex-combatant clerks retired or relieved from services in the assumed forces on re-employment as clerks in civil posts in the university on the Haryana government pattern. The Council welcomed its new members Prof RK Rana, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof DS Yadav, Dean, Faculty of Education, Dr AS Chaudhary, Professor of Management, (all Kurukshetra University) and Dr SC Aggarwal, Principal, IB College, Panipat. The meeting did not witness any fire works as was expected when the agenda was taken up. However, after the agenda was passed some members raised the issue of publication of news about the meeting to be stormy. Some hot words were exchanged between some members regarding the news item. The Executive Council authorised the Vice-Chancellor to appoint a committee to consider the suggestions given by Prof JB Goyal, a member of the Executive Council, for regulating the financial matters of the university and to cut "excessive and wasteful expenditure on non-viable courses". Dr Goyal had submitted a detailed memorandum regarding excess expenditure on some courses, increased workload on teachers, additional expenditure on publication of some journals and getting more income from the farm of the university. The Vice-Chancellor
appreciated the suggestions made by Dr Goyal for smooth
conduct of the academic and financial affairs of the
university. The Council members authorised the
Vice-Chancellor to appoint a committee. |
Bansi Govt gains from Chautala
move CHANDIGARH, Feb 17 — The HVP-BJP coalition government of Haryana is the immediate beneficiary of the Indian National Lok Dal's decision to withdraw support to the Vajpayee Government. Mr Om Prakash Chautala's decision has freed the Bansi Lal Government from doubts often expressed about its longevity after the Lok Dal had extended unconditional support to the Vajpayee Government after the 1998 Lok Sabha elections. Soon after the Lok Sabha poll it was felt in political quarters of the state that the BJP might part company with the HVP in order to placate Mr Chautala. However, soon it was clear that the BJP high command was in no mood to ditch its old ally to gain the support of three additional MPs (The HVP has one MP while the Lok Dal has four). The BJP leadership was obviously not prepared to sent a wrong signal to its allies elsewhere that the main partner in the Central coalition government was not trustworthy, notwithstanding the fact that they had shifted their love from the pre-poll ally, Mrs Parvati Ramarao's party, to the Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh. It is believed that Mr Chautala had been given some kind of assurance by certain quarters of the BJP that the party would support a government formed by him if he was able to wean away the required number of MLAs from the HVP. It is another matter that he failed to lure the HVP MLAs despite his public assurance that they would be treated honourably by his party. In view of the poor performance of the HVP-BJP alliance in the 1998 Lok Sabha elections in Haryana, it was often said by Lok Dal leaders that whenever there would be a mid-term poll for the Lok Sabha, the BJP would pull out of the state government and forge an alliance with their party to contest the Lok Sabha poll. Naturally under such a situation, the Bansi Lal Government would have fallen. But now Mr Chautala has left the BJP with no other option but to continue its alliance with the HVP at least till the next Assembly elections, even if there is a mid-term poll to the Lok Sabha. Mr Chautala's decision to withdraw support seems to have cleared the decks for the entry of Mr Surender Singh, MP son of his bete noire, Mr Bansi Lal, in the Union Cabinet. The HVP was not given representation in the Union Cabinet by the BJP which, perhaps, did not want to hurt the sentiments of Mr Chautala. Mr Bansi Lal had not made an issue of it. Sources in the HVP say that Mr Bansi Lal may again forego his party's claim for a representation in the Union Cabinet, in case there is a split in the Lok Dal Parliamentary Party and the BJP wanted to accommodate any member of the breakaway group. Mr Chautala had first
threatened to withdraw his party's support when the BJP
had changed its horses in Delhi on the eve of the
Assembly elections. The Lok Dal threat was interpreted as
Mr Chautala's anger over the replacement of a
"Jat" Chief Minister by the BJP. On the advice
of his advisers that the withdrawal of support at this
juncture would lend credence to the charge levelled
against the Lok Dal by its critics that it was a casteist
party, the threat was not implemented. The BJP also
agreed to accommodate the Lok Dal on a number of seats in
Delhi and Rajasthan. |
Probe into functioning of
dispensary sought AMBALA, Feb 17 — Several card holders of the ESI dispensary in cantonment have urged the government to hold an inquiry into the functioning of the dispensary. The card holders had complained to the government that there were several irregularities in the functioning of the dispensary and urgent steps should be taken to redress their grievances. Various allegations were levelled against the staff, including delay in getting reimbursements, non-issuance of medicines and non-cooperative attitude of some of the employees. A probe has also been sought into the purchase of medicines from the open market. On the basis of some complaints, the SMO of the Civil Hospital in cantonment did a surprise check of the dispensary of February 4 under a directive on the Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Navraj Sandhu, Dr Gupta found the Medical Officer in charge, absent from duty, ordered the sealing of all records. The SMO, who had been appointed as an inquiry officer in the case, went to the dispensary on February 15 to hold the inquiry, but the Medical Officer, Dr Darshana, refused to get the probe held against her and denied all allegations. The complainants have expressed fear that, a fair inquiry might not be held till the MO was shifted. Some of the complainants
had submitted a complaint to the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi
Lal, during his visit to the Apna Hospital last month but
no action has been taken so far. |
Chargesheet against Rathore
stayed CHANDIGARH, Feb 17 — The operation of the charge sheet against Mr S.P.S. Rathore, Additional Director-General of Police, Haryana, issued by the Haryana Government in an order dated January 20, was stayed by the local Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal, today. The Bench comprising Justice R.K. Nehru and Mr V.K. Majotra issued notice to the respondents for April 15. The allegation against Mr Rathore was that during his posting as the Commandant-General, Home Guard, and Director of Civil Defence, Haryana, during 1995 to 1998, he was illegally cultivating 59 kanals and 14 marlas of shamlat land at Bhadaur village (Panchkula), which was part of the land reserved for grazing purposes and which was earmarked for the panchayat. This, according to the charge sheet, constitute grave misconduct. The applicant charged Mr Bansi Lal, Chief Minister, with having manipulated the applicant's service record to harm and harass him by issuing frivolous charge sheets. He stated that he had already been acquitted by the Supreme Court in the charge sheet relating to parole of Dheeraj Pahwa. It was submitted by Mr Rathore that the charges against him were false, motivated and totally baseless. The applicant stated that he had purchased land in Bhadaur village in Panchkula district, which was described as shamlat patti vide various registered deeds. The possession of the land was lawfully and peacefully given by the land owners, and he had not changed the use of the land. He alleged that daughter
of respondent No 3, who is posted as Deputy Commissioner,
Panchkula, had tried to give false report against him. |
Haryana move on part-time staff CHANDIGARH, Feb 17 — The Haryana Government has decided to formulate a policy regarding regularisation of the services of group 'D' part-time employees working in all departments of the state government, except the Education Department, which has adopted a separate policy. Whenever a Group "D" post becomes available in any institution and office of the state government, where a part-time employee is working and who has completed at least five years of continuous service on that date, the employee will be given preference for being considered for regular appointment against the post. This is subject to all other things vis-a-vis other candidates being equal and the employee should have been recruited through the employment exchange or directly appointed by the authority concerned after obtaining a non-availability certificate from the employment exchange. To avail of this benefit, the employee should possess the prescribed qualifications for the post and the work and conduct of such employee should be satisfactory. The government has also
decided to continue the existing policy regarding
appointment of part-time workers in government
departments or autonomous bodies as per their limited
requirements and emergency needs. However, in future,
part-time jobs, if necessary, would be got done through
contractual agreement with private agencies or a
contractor after seeking concurrence of the Finance
department in order to avoid financial burden on the
exchequer. |
Adopt latest knowhow, farmers
urged CHANDIGARH, Feb 17 — The Chairman of the Commission for Agriculture Cost and Prices, Mr Abhijeete Sein, along with a team of four members visited Chajpur Khurd village in Panipat district today to inspect the wheat farm sown by zero-tillage machine, and they were highly impressed. Later, while addressing farmers on the occasion of Wheat Field Day organised by the Haryana Agriculture Department in the village, Mr Sein exhorted the farmers to adopt the zero-tillage machine for wheat sowing in order to derive benefits. He said that Punjab and Haryana were the pioneer states in wheat production. But for the past seven to eight years there was a fall in production of wheat while the cost of production had gone up. Mr Sein pointed out that while fixing the prices of foodgrains, the cost of production and a number of things were to be taken into account to give remunerative prices to the farmers. He called upon the farmers to adopt the latest techniques of farming and use improved seeds and fertilisers to boost production. The Deputy Commissioner,
Mr Anuraj Rastogi, who presided, said that Rs 200 a
quintal had been given to farmers as subsidy on 7000
quintal wheat seed. More than 12,000 quintals of improved
seed wheat had been distributed among the farmers in
Panipat district during the rabi sowing season. |
Protest against price hike SONEPAT, Feb 17 — Responding to a call given by the central committee of the Communist Party of India (CPI), party workers and activists tried to court arrest in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office here yesterday, but had to return disappointed as the authorities declined to arrest them because they were agitating peacefully. The CPI workers and activists were protesting against the price rise and anti-people policies of the Central and the State Governments. Earlier, the workers had taken out a procession which passed through the main bazars of the city. Carrying placards and raising anti-government slogans, they reached the mini-secretariat where they sat on a day's dharna and also held a rally. The rally was addressed, among others, by Mr T.R. Chauhan, Mr Braham Singh Dahiya and Mr Daryao Singh Kashyap. The CPI leaders urged the Central Government to immediately withdraw the hike in the prices of wheat, rice, sugar, urea and domestic gas cylinders and safeguard the interests of poor people and weaker sections. Later a memorandum listing
the demands of the party, was submitted to the Deputy
Commissioner for forwarding it to the Central and the
State Governments. |
Unauthorised sale of bricks in Delhi SONEPAT, Feb 17 — The Haryana Government has been losing huge revenue because of the unauthorised sale of bricks in Delhi. According to an estimate, at least 100 truckloads of bricks are being sent to Delhi by brick-kiln owners despite the ban imposed on the sale of bricks in Delhi by the state government. The brick-kiln owners are reportedly charging Rs 2,000 for 1,000 bricks against Rs 1,200 for 1,000 bricks fixed by the district authorities. In Sonepat city itself, the brick-kilns had been selling bricks at the rate of Rs 1,700 or more per thousand thereby earning more profit in connivance with officials concerned. It is alleged that the authorities have been making money by ignoring corrupt practices of the brick-kiln owners. The police authorities too remain mum on the subject. The brick-kiln owners of
Delhi, it may be recalled, had shifted their business to
villages of this district which were near the
Haryana-Delhi border after the Delhi Government ordered
the closure of brick-kilns to check pollution. The
brick-kiln owners then started functioning from the
villages close to Delhi. |
Choked sewers pose problems SONEPAT, Feb 17 —
Reports about overflowing sewers and cracked water pipes
have been received from all over the city. The Residents
Welfare Association has urged the Deputy Commissioner, Mr
P.K. Mahapatra, to direct the authorities concerned to
remove the problem of residents here. Hooda demands Devi Lal’s
resignation CHANDIGARH, Feb 17 — Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, president of the Haryana PCC (I) today demanded the resignation of Mr Devi Lal from the Rajya Sabha as Mr Chautala, president of the Indian National Lok Dal, had withdrawn support to the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre. Mr Devi Lal, he said, should resign gracefully because he got elected to the Rajya Sabha with the support of BJP MLAs from Haryana. Mr Hooda charged Mr
Chautala with adopting a double standard in politics for
gaining political mileage. |
315
societies get
HUDA land CHANDIGARH, Feb 17 — The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has allotted 394 acres of land to 315 societies under the Group Housing Scheme-98 through a draw of lots at Panchkula, Faridabad and Gurgaon. Stating this here today, the Minister for Town and Country Planning, Mr Siri Kishan Dass, said that all the societies, which had applied under the categories of Haryana Government Employees, Haryana welfare organisations and economically weaker sections had been allotted land under the scheme. All societies would be constructing nearly 10,000 flats over the allotted land, benefiting nearly one lakh persons. He said 333 societies had
applied for land at Panchkula out of which 149 were
successful and had been allotted 175 acres of land. Of
these, five societies were of EWS category. As many as 51
societies had applied for Faridabad and all had been
allotted 59 acres of land which included two from the EWS
section. Similarly, 209 societies had applied for land at
Gurgaon and 115 successful applicants had been allotted
394 acres of land which included 10 applicants from the
EWS category. |
Narwal reinstated as I-G CHANDIGARH, Feb 17 — After prolonged suspension, an Inspector-General of the Haryana Police, Mr L.D. Narwal, was today reinstated by the Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad. The Governor also ordered that the suspension period of Mr Narwal should be treated as the duty period. Mr Narwal, an IPS officer of 1972 batch, was placed under suspension following a CBI enquiry into the killing of two alleged criminals, Jitender Pehal and Randhir Singh, allegedly in an encounter with the police in 1994 when Mr Narwal was DIG, Hisar range. Mr Narwal has been reinstated in pursuance to the orders issued by the Chandigarh Bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal issued on September 22, 1998. The Government had filed a writ petition against the CAT orders in the Punjab and Haryana High Court which admitted the writ but refused to stay the operation of the CAT orders. The Supreme Court also dismissed the SLP filed by the state, seeking a stay on the CAT order. Noting that the CBI did not recommend either criminal prosecution or any regular departmental action against Mr Narwal, the CAT held that to keep the officer under prolonged suspension "cannot be termed as just, proper and in consonance with various rules, circulars and well-settled principles of law". The CAT said that the "discretion of the government to keep a delinquent employee under suspension has to be exercised judiciously by taking into account all relevant material on record. We have not seen any rule which vests the government with such arbitrary powers so as to keep a delinquent employee under continuous suspension." Passing strictures against the State Government, the Bench observed: "The state government did not conduct itself as a model employer by throwing to the winds well-settled rules and guidelines with regard to the suspension and its periodical review. In a situation like the current one, the government is expected to act as a model employer with grace and positive approach. "Continued suspension is worse than the punishment which is likely to affect the body and the brain of a man who is left with nothing in case he is ultimately exonerated of the charges. In that case there is no balm which would subsequently heal his self-respect. "An arbitrary action on the part of the competent authority in exercise of its powers in the matter of suspension definitely leads to an adverse effect on the delinquent employee and the government cannot get away simply by saying that suspension is no punishment." The posting orders of Mr Narwal are yet to be issued.
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Beaten up by in-laws, man commits
suicide ROHTAK, Feb 17 — A married man committed suicide at Kalanaur town near here after he was allegedly beaten up by his in-laws. The police has booked at least four members of the family in this connection. According to the complaint lodged by Mehla Ram, a resident of Chhota Pana in Kalanaur, his son Suresh was allegedly beaten up by his in-laws with the connivance of his wife recently. The victim was so demoralised that he committed suicide. The police has registered a case under Sections 306 and 34, IPC, against the victim's wife, his two brothers-in-law and a sister-in-law in this regard. In another incident, Anil
Kumar of Farmana village in the district died after the
jeep in which he was travelling was hit by a truck. The
police has registered a case against the truck driver. |
Neglected
industrial estate YAMUNANAGAR: A lok adalat was held at the Jagadhri court complex here under the supervision of Mr C.B. Jaglian, Additional District and Sessions Judge and Chairman, District Legal Services and Advice Committee. Mr A.K. Verma, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Jagadhri, said 723 cases were taken up and 380 were settled. Thirty one motor accident claims were settled. In addition to this 67 civil, 29 criminal and 174 minor cases were decided. Besides this 25 revenue cases were also disposed of. * * * * It is a bumpy ride to the industrial estate here. In the rainy season water at the entrance of the estate goes up to 1.5 feet. The area remains waterlogged for hours. The upkeep of the estate is the responsibility of the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation. There are no bins. The refuse from factories remains exposed. Half of the estate is without the sewerage. Not only the HSIDC charges maintenance fee but municipal authorities also collect taxes from factory owners. There are no proper working hydrants. Water supply for six hours a day is inadequate. There are two safai karamcharies in part I and part II of the estate. The HSIDC is setting up one more industrial estate at Manakpur near Jagadhri. Representatives of the Yamunanagar Jagadhri Chamber of Commerce and Industry are planning to meet the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, to take up these problems with him. * * * * The General Secretary Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Shashi Bansal, in a letter to My Yashwant Sinha, Union Finance Minister, has sought a package to save the stainless steel induction furnaces in the North. He has demanded that 15 per cent excise duty should be abolished. * * * * A meeting of district
authorities and the Society of Environment Management and
Bio-Research (SEMBR) was held here recently for the
eradication of congress grass (Parthenium hysterophorus). |
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