HSM for regional balance
From Ravi S. Singh
Tribune News Service

REWARI, Jan 14 — A "maha panchayat", organised by the Haryana Sarvajatiya Morcha (HSM) here today, adopted a resolution to "oust" the three Lals — Mr Bansi Lal, Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Devi Lal — from Haryana’s politics.

The resolution, moved by the patron of HSM and a scion of a publishing house, Mr Ashwani Chopra, was passed by a show of hands. Before moving the resolution Mr Chopra said the leaders of the HSM had come together to ensure regional balance in the state.

Mr Chopra charged that all the chief ministers of Haryana had misled the people. He devoted the major portion of his speech to criticising Chief Minister Bansi Lal and Mr Devi Lal. He singled out Mr Bhajan Lal for betraying all sections of the society, especially the non-Jats over 12 years.

Earlier, the president of the HSM, Mr O.P. Jindal, who was the star speaker along with Mr Ashwani Chopra, said that even though the people of south Haryana were a decisive factor in formation of governments of the state, the area had been neglected by the powers that be.

Mr Jindal, apparently got carried away when he launched his attack on Mr Bansi Lal. "I had faith in Mr Bansi Lal and thought he was a good person when I was not in politics", he said.

He assured the people of south Haryana of canal-based water, a medical college, university and equity and justice in employments if the HSM came to power.

HSM leaders had been working overtime to ensure a good turnout. According to observers, the Panchayat was successful considering the fog which continued for major part of the forenoon. The audiences started trickling in at the venue late in the morning and remained there for about seven hours till the proceedings were over. The youthful crowd was attributed to the presence of a notable "Ragini" singer, Ms Neelam Choudhary.

The HSM, since its formation about a month ago, has made south Haryana a major centre for its activities. The maha panchayat here — the nerve centre of Ahirwal politics — is expected to give a new thrust to its campaign.

A former MP from Sonepat, Dr Arvind Sharma, an emerging Brahmin leader in the state after former Chief Minister Bhagwat Dayal Sharma, said that the HSM would soon be converted into a political outfit.

Mr Raghu Yadav, central leader of the Bahujan Samaj Party and prominent leader of south Haryana, said that the HSM would ensure a new leadership in the state. He urged Mr Jindal, Mr Chopra and Dr Sharma to give vigour to the HSM’s campaign.

One salient feature of the maha panchayat was the presence of president of the Rajasthan unit of the BSP, Mr Jagat Singh Dayma, an MLA from Bansur assembly in Rajasthan.

Foggy morning air polluted
From D.N. Chaturvedi
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, Jan 14 — Environmentalists have warned the people not to go for morning walks in Faridabad during winter months, specially on foggy days due to air pollution.

They say that the dust particles carrying allergy causing matter do not go up in the atmosphere due to cold air and descend at the ground level causing respiratory problems.

The local office of the Pollution Control Board has recorded 500mg to 600 mg of suspended dust particles in the air at two places in NIT and Ballabhgarh against the permissible limit of 200 mg. This has been blamed on the haphazard concentration of industry in the NIT area and heavy air pollution caused by vehicles which emit carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen.

It is stated that with the Government making available only lead free petrol in Faridabad since January 1 on the pattern of Delhi, its content in the air has considerably come down but the hazardous benzene in petrol is still there. Diesel-run vehicles also continue to cause eye irritation.

A large number of tiny units engaged in electroplating work have come up in Faridabad. Cyanide, nickel and other dangerous chemicals used by them seep into the ground water.

A new trend has been noticed in Faridabad: industrial units have started using garbage, including rubber and leather cuttings and discarded cloth pieces, to run boilers instead of fuel, causing heavy black smoke in the area.

One such factory was intercepted in Ballabhgarh recently but the authorities could not take any action against it as it is being run by close relatives of a retired senior IAS official.

No effort is being made in Faridabad to consult environment experts before carving out residential colonies. The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has recently allotted residential plots in Sector 55 which is surrounded by industrial sectors of 24 and 25. The wind direction in Faridabad is mostly East and West or vice versa. In both the events, the residents of Sector 55 would have to face air pollution from the industrial sectors.

The air pollution caused by the Thermal Plant in Faridabad has been reduced by 90 per cent with the installation of electrostatic precipitators.

Environment experts want the industry to realise its responsibility to society by introducing energy efficient systems to check pollution. The government on its part should also give incentives to the industry so that pollution-control measures could be installed.

Pollution Control Department sources who did not want to be identified say that they should be empowered to take action against erring units without waiting for the permission from the headquarters.

Waterlogged land to be reclaimed
From Jatinder Sharma
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, Jan 14 — The Union Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment has sanctioned a pilot project for the development of waterlogged and saline land in district Jhajjar.

The project with an outlay of Rs 4.58 crore is aimed at reclaiming approximately 800 hectares of waterlogged and saline land in Gochhi, Dubaldhan, Paharipur, Beri Khas and Dopana villages of Jhajjar. While the Centre would contribute Rs 2.96 crore, the remaining amount would be borne by the state or the beneficiary farmers.

The Deputy Commissioner, Jhajjar, Mr Arun Kumar, said an additional area of about 200 hectares around Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary would also be reclaimed to make it fit for agriculture. Trenchers, excavators, perforated pipes for sub-surface drainage and plantation of species suited for bio-drainage would be used.

This project is very prestigious for the district as the latest technology for the development of waterlogged and saline wasteland would be used in the Beri block. More cultivable land is being converted into wasteland, causing loss in terms of agriculture production and livestock rearing.

The problem of waterlogging and salinity is more severe along the Jawahar Lal Nehru Canal in Beri. In addition, the area around Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary is worst affected due to seepage of water from the lake, which is a wildlife sanctuary.

Mr Arun Kumar said that the project, spanning over three years, would be jointly implemented by the DRDA and the Agriculture Department. The project intends to involve the beneficiary farmers in a big way through demonstration, training and participation.

He told that a provision of Rs 327.40 lakh has been made for the first year and Rs 113.90 lakh and Rs 16.7 lakh for the second and third year, respectively. The Centre has already released Rs 97 lakh as part of the first instalment, he said.

Digital database for Bhiwani prepared
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 14 — The Haryana State Remote Sensing Application Centre (HARSAC) has created a digital database for computerised resource information system for Bhiwani district. A similar database for Gurgaon district would be available by March-April this year.

An official spokesman today said this database was developed under National (Natural) Resources Information System which was being established around satellite based information with the Department of Space as the nodal agency.

He said that the information system consisted of maps prepared from satellite data along with information available from various departments in Haryana. Land use, soil, geomorphology and ground water quality maps and other details like rail, road and canal networks, settlements, boundaries of districts, tehsils and villages had been digitised and integrated under ARC/INFO GIS software.

He said that water table fluctuation and meteorological data had also been included in the database so that an integrated view of the district resources was available to the user. Resource information of Bhiwani district was now available to the planners on click of the mouse button. Administrators would be able to get data on various resources at their desk itself.

He said that socio-economic data was also integrated with the database so that socio-economic disparities of the district could be identified for implementation of remedial measures. The database had been integrated with a query and modelling shell developed by the Department

HAU board members a liability
From Vimal Sumbly
Tribune News Service

HISAR, Jan 14 — Some members of the Board of Management of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, here, have proved to be a liability, both in terms of finance as well as the management of the university.

Sources in the university told TNS that at least two of the four nominated members have made it (the BOM membership) a regular source of earning. While one member claimed about Rs 1 lakh as TA & DA last year, another member has claimed about Rs 50,000 during the same period.

The university statute provides for four non-official members. One of them must be a progressive farmer, the second an agro-industrialist, third an agriculture scientist of repute or educationist and one woman social worker.

While the Board of Management has all the powers vested in it by the Act, the individual members have no statutory powers. All non-official members are honorary. Their role is limited to the policy matters of the university. But over a period of time, it has been found that these members have been unduly interfering in the day-to-day affairs of the university.

For the past several years, the successive governments in Haryana have used to BOM the oblige their favourites, giving the eligibility criteria for the job the go-by. Now even small-time party workers are nominated to the Board of Management.

Of the four current non-official members, two are practising lawyers with HVP connections and the other two are HVP activists.

Because of their powerful political clout, these members have been found to interfere in such matters as transfers, postings and promotions. Recently, one member forced the BOM to cancel an appointment that had been made by the Selection Committee headed by the Vice-Chancellor.

Some of the members have also been utilising this position to seek small favours.

While within the university, their frequent visits disturb the functioning of the respective departments, their outside visits cost the university dearly.

Two members have so far claimed about Rs 1.5 lakh as TA. This is besides the amount of arrears that is due to be paid to them after they sought a revision in DA with retrospective effect from April 1,1997. Surprisingly, some of the non-official members have been insisting that their TA be also revised with retrospective effect from April 1, 1997. The matter is reportedly under consideration of the Board of Management.

Department gears up for Immunisation Day
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Jan 14 — The Haryana Health Department has been fully geared up and is all set for the smooth observation of the second round of National Immunisation Day on January 17.

Mr Om Parkash Mahajan, Health Minister, today said during the second round of the pulse polio immunisation campaign about 30 lakh targeted children in the age group of 0-5 would be administered polio drops in the State, irrespective of whether the child had been immunised earlier or not. He said that more than 10,000 pulse polio immunisation (PPI) posts including mobile PPI teams would be deputed in the State.

Special PPI posts would be set up at strategic points like bus stands, railways stations, urban slums and labour colonies in industrial towns to provide coverage to transit population and migrant labour.

He said during the first round of the pulse polio campaign held on December 6 last about 30,29,378 children in the age group of 0-5 had been given polio drops as against 27,06,019 enumerated children through 8,289 PPI posts set up in various districts of the State. He said the overall coverage for the first round of PPI was very encouraging and the State recorded overall coverage of 111.95 per cent. He said the coverage in the rural areas had been registered as 110 per cent while in the urban area it was 116.15 per cent. He revealed that in Mewat area against 1,18,097 targetted children, 1,42,716 children were given polio drops, thus achieving 120.84 per cent target. He said all the districts had achieved more than 100 per cent target in both rural and urban areas.

Resident docs decry hike in fees
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Jan 14 — The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of Pt B.D. Sharma Post-graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, has reacted to the recent "exorbitant" hike in hostel fees and electricity charges.

In a letter to the Commissioner and Secretary (Health), Haryana, the association charged the PGIMS authorities with adopting a dual policy. It said the authorities considered the details of tuition fees from neighbouring states but overlooked various facilities, including free power given to them.

Dr Inder Mohan Rustogi, President, RDA, said in states like UP, Rajasthan and Delhi, resident doctors were given HRA "as applicable" transport allowance, city compensatory allowance and a double room accommodation, if the HRA was not given. But, he alleged they were getting almost half of what their counterparts were getting in other states.

Regarding the electricity charges which were increased from Rs 100 to Rs 300 per month, he said it was too much for a bulb and a fan (used only in summer). A resident had to pay Rs 500 per annum for a cooler (used only for three months).

Furniture charges had been hiked from Rs 18 to Rs 500. He alleged furniture in the hostel was in a bad shape and the residents had to buy their own furniture.

Similarly, the charges for common room and crockery had been raised from Rs 40 and Rs 50, respectively, to Rs 200 each. The hostel security had been revised from Rs 250 to Rs 2,000 and the college security had reportedly been enhanced 20 times for PGs and 3.5 times for under graduates. Athletic and magazine charges had also been increased "enormously".

The RDA threatened to launch an agitation if the fees were not reduced.

Cong won't have pact with INLD
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, Jan 14 — The Congress in Haryana will not enter into an alliance with the Indian National Lok Dal to topple the present government or to form a fresh government.

The Haryana Pradesh Congress Sewa Dal president, Mr Rajiv Gugnani, said this here today while reacting to a reported statement of the INLD chief, Mr Om Prakash Chautala at Panipat that the INLD was ready to back the Congress for reacting the present government.

In a written statement Mr Gugnani claimed that the Congress would gain a two-third majority and form the government on its own in the next assembly election which might take place at any time.

He said the Congress considered the INLD as an anti-people party like the HVP and the BJP and it would never form any sort of coalition with these parties.

He said the Congress had been acquiring strength after strength after Ms Sonia Gandhi took over the reigns of the party.

Retd teachers seek higher gratuity
From Our Correspondent

YAMUNANAGAR, Jan 14 — Retired college teachers have demanded enhanced gratuity with effect from April 1, 1995, as announced earlier.

Prof K.C. Thakur, President of the local Haryana Retired College Teachers Association, informed here today that retired college teachers from different institutions had decided to come together to demanded enhanced pension and gratuity.

He said these benefits had already been extended to university and college teachers all over the country except in Haryana.