Chandigarh Faridabad Karnal Rohtak

HC questions LR's extension
CHANDIGARH, July 20 — In a dramatic development the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to the Haryana Government for tomorrow on a writ petition preferred by none else than the High Court itself questioning the continuance of Mr B.L. Gulati, District and Sessions Judge, as Legal Remembrancer after his retirement.

KU takes steps to curb ragging menace
Tribune News Service

KARNAL, July 20 — Conforming to the orders of the Supreme Court, Kurukshetra University has banned ragging inside or outside the university campus and in colleges strictly.

A notification issued by the university clarifies that any student found indulging in ragging in any form shall be “summarily expelled from the university college.”

The university has issued these instructions to implement the orders of the Supreme Court to check the menace of ragging in educational institutions all over the country.

An organisation, Vishwa Jagriti Mission, had filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court against the practice of ragging and the court directed the Vice-Chancellors of the universities, Directors of all IITs, Principals of Regional Engineering Colleges, Indian Institutes of Medical Sciences and education secretaries to the state governments as well as Union Territory administrations that the instructions which had been issued with the consent and directions of the court in 1988 should be re-circulated immediately and implemented.

In compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court, the Secretary, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Mr P.R. Dass Gupta, had issued instructions to the universities in the country and other related institutions on May 3,1999, asking them to strictly deal with the menace of ragging. The HRD Ministry had re-circulated the instructions issued to this effect in 1988.

Dr M.L. Ranga, Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, told TNS today that the university had taken strict measures to curb ragging in any form. The university had not only asked its security staff to undertake extensive patrolling of the departments and hostels during day-time and at night but also enlisted the services of the senior faculty members to check such incidents. He claimed that the university and its affiliated colleges were free from the menace so far and no incident of ragging had been reported from anywhere.

The Proctor and wardens in the hostels have been given special instructions to look after the needs of the new students and to familiarise them with the senior students.

Job-oriented courses preferred by students
Tribune News Service

KARNAL, July 20 — Computer Sciences, Electronics and Management courses have proved to be the favourite subjects for candidates seeking admission in various post-graduate courses of Kurukshetra University. The university campus, wears a festive look with candidates thronging various departments for admissions.

According to a survey the highest number of applications, were received for admission to Master of Computer Applications (MCA), M.Sc. Computer Science (Software) and M.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering courses. As many as 1409 applications were received for 40 seats in the MCA course. There is about 40 per cent increase in admission seekers for the course.

However, in management courses, the number of admission seekers has gone down for the MBA course as for 60 seats in MBA course 1299 candidates applied for admission as against 2178 applications received last year.

This increase in admission seekers is, however, missing in the subjects like Music and Dance, Fine Arts and even Law. For MA (Vocal) and (Instrumental) Music only 9 candidates have applied against 30 seats. Similarly for MA (Fine Arts) only 17 applications were received for 18 seats. For LL.B (Professional) three year course 76 candidates applied for 70 seats.

Dr M L Ranga, Vice-Chancellor of the university in an interview with this correspondent said the students preferred job-oriented courses more now. He said selection of candidates was being made keeping in view their performance in entrance tests and weightage in case of each student.

Dr Ranga disclosed that the university had conducted entrance test for job-oriented courses which were common with M.D. University, Rohtak, on the directions of the state government.

He also said the newly started D.P.Ed. course had proved to be popular among the students. The Vice-Chancellor said the university had introduced Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA) course for under-graduate classes from this session in 20 colleges affiliated to the university and it had been received well by the students.

HC questions LR's extension
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 20 — In a dramatic development the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice to the Haryana Government for tomorrow on a writ petition preferred by none else than the High Court itself questioning the continuance of Mr B.L. Gulati, District and Sessions Judge, as Legal Remembrancer (LR) after his retirement.

Summoning the Haryana Advocate-General to the court, the Bench, comprising Mr Justice G.C. Garg and Mrs Justice Bakshish Kaur, questioned him as to how the Haryana Government could extend Mr Gulati's tenure even though he had retired. The Bench pointed out that the Legal Remembrancer's post was a cadre post belonging to the state's Superior Judicial Service. If the government wanted to appoint a retired person, it should take the post out of the purview of the Judicial Service.

Describing the Haryana Government's action as a "fraud on the Constitution and on the High Court" counsel for the High Court earlier urged the Bench to restrain Mr Gulati from functioning as Legal Remembrancer. On a request of the Advocate-General, the Bench deferred the question of stay till tomorrow.

The High Court counsel also brought to the notice of the Bench that Mr Gulati , who was due to retire on June 30, had approached the High Court for voluntary retirement on May 18. Accepting his request the High Court had forwarded its recommendation to the state government to retire him. The state government accordingly retired him on June 8. The same day, however, the government passed a separate order allowing Mr Gulati "to continue to function" as Legal Remembrancer.

In the petition the High Court stated that Mr Gulati was "totally and manifestly ineligible to hold the post of Legal Remembrancer after having retired on June 8."

The petition added: "Having no eligibility, right or title to hold the post after ceasing to be a member of the Judicial Service, Mr Gulati is clearly a usurper, and nothing less, of a public office. His conduct is wholly unbecoming of a member of the Judicial Service".

The petition stated: "It is evident that on the eve of his retirement from service in the normal course, Mr Gulati acted consciously and deliberately in connivance with the state government to contrive, manage and secure his continuance in office as Legal Remembrancer even after ceasing to be a member of the Judicial Service." His conduct, said the High Court, "is a classic illustration of judicial officers acquiring vested interests in the Secretariat".

The High Court also questioned the constitutional validity of the Haryana Government's notification dated March 24, 1998, amending Rule 19 of the Punjab Superior Judicial Service Rules, 1963, as applicable to Haryana. This amendment takes away the High Court's power to appoint a District Judge as Legal Remembrancer and vests this power in the state government.

The amendment, the petition alleged, violated Article 235 of the Constitution empowering the High Court to exercise control over the subordinate judiciary, including District Judges. The amendment was a "grave encroachment on the High Court's control over members of the Judicial Service and the principle of independence of the judiciary," the petition concludes.

Jailed MLA allowed to attend session
By Our Legal Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, July 20 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the production of Mr Nafe Singh, MLA from Bahadurgarh, tomorrow at 11 a.m. in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha on a petition filed by him for participation in the vote of confidence being sought by the Bansi Lal Ministry on the Governor's direction.

The second trial of strength had become necessary within 26 days after securing confidence vote on June, 25 by him, due to withdrawal of support by the Congress party, which extended support to the ministry.

Mr Nafe Singh is at present lodged in the Central Jail, Rohtak, due to his conviction in a murder case by the Additional Sessions Judge, Jhajjar, in a judgement on May 17, following an FIR dated September 18, 1993 registered at the Bahadurgarh police station. An appeal against the conviction is pending before the High Court.

Mr Nafe Singh in his application had sought either bail or a direction from the court to the Superintendent of the Jail to bring the appellant to the Haryana Assembly on July 21, so that he could exercise his right to vote in the crucial session.

Earlier Mr Om Prakash Chautala had written to the Speaker and the Governor to get Mr Nafe Singh released on parole so that he could participate in the crucial vote as was done last month.

A Division Bench comprising Mr Justice J L Gupta and Mr Justice N K Aggarwal, after hearing counsel for the parties directed the SSP, Rohtak, and the Superintendent of the Jail, to ensure that the applicant reaches Chandigarh by 11 a.m. He shall be allowed to attend the session commencing on July 21 or on any other day on which the proceedings may be adjourned, the Bench ordered.

Panchayat Secys selection stayed

A Division Bench consisting of Mr Justice G C Garg and Mrs Justice Bakhshish Kaur stayed the selection to the post of Panchayat Secretaries, which is being processed on the basis of advertisement dated September 9, 1998, in a civil writ petition filed by Jasbir Rani and others.

In the writ petition the petitioners challenged the advertisement on the ground that these cut-of date of the eligibility age from 18 to 35 years prescribed by the Punjab government was in contravention of the statutory rules known as Panchayat Secretary (Recruitment and Condition of Service) Rules, 1979. In the rules, the eligibility age was prescribed as 17 years.

It was contended by counsel for the petitioners, that since under the rules they were fully eligible for consideration to the post of Panchayat Secretaries as they had completed 17 years of age, but due to the arbitrary fixation of the prescribed limit, they had been debarred from consideration, especially when the rules permitted them to compete.

Counsel for the state of Punjab sought more time to file a reply and at that juncture, it was pointed out that notice of motion was issued on December 1,1998, and thereafter the state of Punjab has availed of a number of opportunities and the reply had not been filed. Whereas contrarily during the tendency of the writ petition the state of Punjab has convened a written test meaning thereby that with a view to make the writ petition infructuous, without filing reply, the respondents were proceeding with the matter and in that eventuality the court had taken strict view and thus passed the stay order.

The case will come up on August 11.

Hooda affirms Cong stand
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 20 — Affirming that the Haryana Congress had finally decided to vote against the Bansi Lal government, on the motion for vote of confidence tomorrow, the Haryana PCC President, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, told newspersons here this afternoon that his party would make all efforts to prevent the unholy alliance of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and the BJP from coming to power after the fall of the HVP government.

He alleged that Mr Chautala wanted to achieve power with horse-trading and with the help of BJP. He had claimed the support of 50 MLAs.

He said he would again request to the Governor that the people of state would like to have a stable government which could ensure development of the state. This, he said, was not possible with the present strength of various parties.

Justifying the party's earlier support to the Bansi Lal government in the Vidhan Sabha on June 25 and now the change in the party's stand, Mr Hooda said Mr Bansi Lal had assured the Congress on the floor of the House that he would honour the wishes of the Congress President. As he had failed to honour the commitment, his party had now decided to vote against him to bring about a situation that will help early elections to the Vidhan Sabha.

Mr Hooda recounted the unpleasant references to and incidents of "corruption, forcible possessions of government land" in Meham when the BJP had supported the Chautala government.

Mr Birender Singh, a senior member of the Congress Legislature Party, told newspersons that he had expressed the views of the people on the floor of the House that they wanted elections in the interest of a stable government.

His party would do whatever possible to force Vidhan Sabha elections along with the Lok Sabha election, he added.

Matching grants for villages announced
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, July 20 — Mr Arun Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, announced here yesterday that matching grants would be started at the district level under which the amount collected by villagers for the Kargil martyrs would be doubled and returned to them for various development works of the village.

He said this while paying tributes to Hav Balwan Singh of 17 Jat Regiment on his Kirya at his native village of Jindran.

Havildar Balwan Singh made the supreme sacrifice during an attempt to recapture the Three Pimples post on the night of July 6.

The Deputy Commissioner handed over a cheque of Rs 2.5 lakh to the bereaved family and said the remaining amount of Rs 2.5 lakh would be given soon. He said Rs 51,000 had been donated to the next of kin of the martyr by the District Red Cross Society.

Minister of State for Horticulture Jagbir Singh Malik, SSP P.K. Agarwal, Indian National Lok Dal supremo Om Prakash Chautala, Mr Balwant Myna, Mr Sri Kishan Hooda and Mr Dhirpal (all MLAs) and former minister Krishan Murti Hooda paid tributes to the valiant soldier.

Meanwhile, residents of Gindhran (Madina) village donated Rs 55,000 to the Army Central Welfare Fund. The Rohtak-Kharkauda Jeep Union contributed Rs 16,600 to the Yudh Vir Rahat Kosh. The sarpanch of the village donated Rs 5100 and the wife of martyr Balwan Singh donated Rs 1100 to the kosh.

8 dead in jeep, truck collision
From Our Correspondent

BHIWANI, July 20 — Eight persons were killed and six injured in a collision between a truck and a jeep near Tigrana village, 8 km from here, today on the Bhiwani-Jind road.

According to a report reaching here, the jeep was going from Bhiwani to Mundhal packed with passengers when the truck coming from the opposite direction collided with it. About 13 passengers were travelling in the jeep of which eight died on the spot.

The dead included Ramesh (22) and Harpal (23), both of Dhanana village, Sunil (1), Krishan (30), and Mamta (32), all three of Jhaidli village, and Sudesh (28). The remaining three have not been identified.

The injured have been admitted to General Hospital here. All are stated to be out of danger.

A case has been registered.

Liquor prices crash in Faridabad
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, July 20 — Liquor prices here have crashed following the dissolution of the syndicate of contractors barely 25 days after its formation.

The syndicate which came into being in the last week of June decided to have uniform prices of available brands of liquor at all vends in the city and the district. The rates were increased manifold. It was also agreed that no discount would be given on bulk purchase of liquor. This resulted in a fall in the sales and some contractors started offering heavy on bulk purchases which was generally smuggled into Delhi where the rates were much higher than Faridabad.

The winding up of the syndicate has led to at least 30 per cent fall in the rates of all brands of liquor.