2 die as ceiling fan falls
ROHTAK, July 22 — Mrs Saroj Vasisht, state secretary of the Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh and her six year-old daughter, Vishakha, were reportedly killed when a ceiling fan fell on them yesterday.

Three arrested for committing thefts
FARIDABAD, July 22 — The police has arrested three persons in Delhi on a charge of committing robberies here, Mr Mohammed Aquil, Superintendent of Police said.

Implement new scales: HAUTA
HISAR, July 22 — Teachers of Haryana Agricultural University took out a procession today on the campus in protest against the non-implementation of the revised pay scales as recommended by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research.

Teachers demand UGC grades
KURUKSHETRA, July 22 — The Executive Committee of the Kurukshetra University Teachers' Association (KUTA) in a resolution unanimously passed at its meeting held here yesterday, reiterated its demand regarding the implementation of the new UGC pay scales.

Prohibitory order

Bitta criticises Haryana Govt

It's good riddance: employees
From Jatinder Sharma
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, July 22 — Elated at the fall of the Bansi Lal government, traders and farmers have demanded dissolution of the Haryana Assembly and fresh elections simultaneously with the Lok Sabha poll in the state.

The state government employees are the jubilant at the resignation of the Chief Minister and described it as good riddance from the 38-month-old "dictatorial" rule. A section of overjoyed employees even distributed sweets.

Mr Narain Prasad Goyal, president, Haryana Foodgrain Dealers Association, said the traders were feeling relieved at the fall of the government. He believed that the successor government would withdraw taxes imposed in the wake of prohibition and address the problems faced by the business community.

Mr Laxmi Chand Gupta, president, Haryana Beopar Mandal, welcomed the fall of the Bansi Lal government and demanded dissolution of the Assembly so as to end horse-trading. He said the electorate should be given a chance to elect the new Assembly which could provide a neat and stable government.

Agriculturists, annoyed with the government due to erratic supply of electricity, believe that with the fall of the Bansi Lal government, a pro-farmer government would "come to power" which would solve their problems. Mr Deepak Sangwan of Chimni said farmers were most elated at the fall of the government which has failed to fulfil any of its election promises and provide relief to the people, particularly of rural areas.

University employees feel that following the resignation of Mr Bansi Lal, the confrontation between the government and the Vice-Chancellor might come to an end. They hoped that henceforth they may get their salaries on time and the grants to the university might be restored as per its budgetary provisions. They also believed that the ban imposed on recruitments would go with the change in the government.

Commenting on the prevailing political situation, Dr Daleep Singh, Director, IMSAR, Maharshi Dayanand University, said the elections were the only solution to end political instability.

Mr Ajit Singh Siwaich, librarian, said the coalition government has failed to provide stability and the only solution was to go to the people for fresh mandate. If the Assembly elections were held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha poll, the burden on the exchequer would be the minimum, he said demanding dissolution of the Assembly.

The Haryana Karamchari Maharsangh alleged that the Bansi Lal government had adopted 'undemocratic' means to crush the employees movements.

The mahasangh president, Mr Dhara Singh and other leaders said the Bansi Lal government had dismissed hundreds of employees and their leaders for participating in employees agitations.

Vimal Sumbly adds from Hisar: The general opinion among people here about the latest political developments in the state is that the Governor Mahabir Prasad should dissolve the state assembly and leave it to the people to elect the new government.

The TNS today talked to a cross-section of people representing various groups, including teachers, lawyers, students and politicians. Most of them favoured fresh elections to the Assembly to prevent any form of horse-trading, which is likely to take place given the fluid situation.

Ms Shalini Atri, an advocate and executive member of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, said the Governor should dissolve the House and call for fresh elections in the state. She pointed out that at this stage no political party or combination had a clean mandate from the people to govern. She justified the Congress decision to withdraw support to the Bansi Lal government, claiming that he "went back on his commitment made to Congress President Sonia Gandhi".

However, Mr Vineet Punia, media coordinator of the Indian National Lok Dal, opposed the dissolution of the House. In his opinion, the Governor should follow the central precedent set by the President after Mr Vajpayee lost the trust vote in Parliament. He pointed out that the President provided enough time to the second largest party led by Ms Sonia Gandhi to cobble up the majority for forming the government. He said the Governor should invite INLD leader Om Prakash Chautala to form the government.

Dr N K Khetarpaul, a local practitioner, said the Governor should explore all possibilities of an alternate government. Because, he pointed out, frequent elections put undue burden on the state exchequer and also lead to political instability. He was of the opinion that the Governor should call Mr Chautala to form the government, since he enjoyed the support of maximum members in the Assembly.

Ms Meenakshi Singh, a research scholar of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, favoured fresh elections under President's rule. She said, any government that would be formed at this state was likely to be instable and might not last for long. So the elections were imminent and they should be held as early as possible, she observed.

According to Prof B K Kuthiala, Dean, Academic Affairs, Guru Jambeshwar University, the issue should be referred to the people. He said the people would decide who should govern them. He suggested that the state should be brought under President's rule followed by fresh elections.

Sweety Malhotra, a student, also favoured fresh elections so that the fate of people is not left into the hands of "defectors and turncoats".

Blood banks lack hepatitis-C test
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, July 22 — Blood banks in Haryana lack the most necessary blood test which is a must before transfusion as the blood may carry diseases which may harm the life of the patient receiving it.

According to the information the Drug Controller of India has made it mandatory that blood to be transfused must undergo a test for hepatitis-C along with the other tests like AIDS, hepatitis-B, malaria and VDRL. Rohtak Medical College and the PGI, Chandigarh have the facilities of hepatitis-C test but it has not been made available in a single blood bank of the state.

In its decision in a public interest litigation the Supreme Court has made test mandatory for the blood banks. The Haryana Government had sought some time to provide the facilities of the test in its blood banks, sources said.

Apart from the blood banks in the government district hospitals, the Red Cross Society also runs two blood banks at Panipat and Yamunanagar. Five licencee private organisations also run the blood banks at Karnal, Hisar and Sirsa. There are four zonal blood banks in Karnal, Rohtak, Hisar and Faridabad.

Keeping in view the seriousness of hepatitis-C, the government had provided the Elisa Reader machine in most of the blood banks in the state. But the kits used for the test are still awaited. Neither any budget was provided for it so that blood banks concerns could make purchase of it from the open market. Hence the equipment for the purpose has been lying unused since then.

The blood is treated as a 'drug' under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1945. This Act has laid certain necessary rules to be observed regarding minimum requirement of building, staff, and equipment for the blood banks.

It is also necessary that each blood bank must have the services of a postgraduate pathologist. But none of the blood banks each in the state is having this facility.

The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) which provides kits and grants to the blood banks for the AIDS, tests, has not provided the grant for the past four months

In view of the danger in inherent in supply of contaminated blood, it must be ensured that blood that is made available with the blood bank is healthy and free of infection, says a pathologist.

Will flood control steps work?
From K.G. Dutt
Tribune News Service

NARWANA, July 22 — The residents of Narwana are panicky with the monsoon having set in because for the past three successive years they have witnessed of floods.

Although the Jind district administration has taken numerous steps to prevent floods, the people are not sure whether the measures are foolproof and can stop the flood waters from entering the fields.

The residents are, however, relieved that the administration has taken steps to dig and clear the dirty drain which passes through the town. Every year this "ganda nullah" overflows and the dirty water enters the houses in different localities of the town.

In the villages, the situation is more serious. In the 1998 floods, over 40 villages in the district were affected. The situation in the Julana area was the worst with flood water standing in the fields for months.

It is officially learnt that during the floods in the past three years, the district suffered a loss of over Rs 100 crore and over 70,000 acres of land remained submerged.

The district administration is reported to have spent about Rs 2.25 crore on flood control measures.

In the Safidon areas, the waters of Nai nullah and Asandh drain, which used to affect large tracts of land, have been diverted into the Yamuna river. The Irrigation Department took funds from NABARD to construct the Lijwana-Pauly drain at a cost of about Rs 1 crore. The project is likely to be completed next month.

Besides, five more link drains — Hadwa, Bhartana, Gangoli, Padana and Ludana — are being constructed to save about 50 villages from floods. The administration has spent over Rs 35 lakh on the Nai nullah drain.

In the Narwana subdivision, existing drains have been dug up and widened at a cost of Rs 4 lakh. These drains include Kheri Lamba, Kurar, Bailrakha, Koel, Ujhana, Surja Khera, and Dubal drain.

The administration has also taken steps to deploy 182 pumps in Jind and Safidon subdivisions for draining out water.

39,000 looted from petrol station
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, July 22 — As many as four car-borne armed man looted Rs 39,000 from a petrol station situated on the Hansi-Jind road, about 28 km from here, last evening. The petrol station belonged to Mr Ishwar Lamba, state General Secretary of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee.

The robbers came to the petrol station around 6 pm in a Maruti car on the pretext of getting fuel. They sneaked into the station office and forcibly took away the cash from an employee at pistol point. After committing the crime they fled. Before leaving, they disconnected the telephone.

The robbers reportedly also fired at Mr Lamba, but he had a narrow escape.

The police chased and fired at the robbers, who returned the fire.

The police recovered the car used by them (DL 10 CA 2414). A case under section 392 of the IPC has been registered by the Hansi City Police.

Meanwhile, the Hansi Petrol Pump Dealers Association held a meeting under the chairmanship of Mr Subhash Goyal today and threatened to go on strike from tomorrow if the robbers were not arrested. Mr Baldev Dull, President of the District Petrol Pump Dealers Association, also condemned the incident.

2 die as ceiling fan falls
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, July 22 — Mrs Saroj Vasisht, state secretary of the Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh and her six year-old daughter, Vishakha, were reportedly killed when a ceiling fan fell on them yesterday.

According to information, both victims were found dead in their bed in a pool of blood. Their faces and heads bore injury marks.

Several office-bearers and members of various unions, including Mr R C Jagga and Mr Shraddha Nand Solanki, state Presidents of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh and the CITU, Ms Jagmati Sangwan, state General Secretary of the Janwadi Mahila Samiti, and Mr Inderjit Singh, state Secretary of the CPM, consoled the bereaved family.

The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination.

Three arrested for committing thefts
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, July 22 — The police has arrested three persons in Delhi on a charge of committing robberies here, Mr Mohammed Aquil, Superintendent of Police said.

The arrested persons have been identified as Rajesh Kumar, Jagdish and Mohammed Nanhey. Their two accomplices, Sanjiv and Shabrati, both residents of Delhi are yet to be nabbed.

The accused were involved in the theft of a Maruti car, jewellery, etc belonging to Arvind and Alok of Faridabad while they were returning from Delhi on July 16.

Earlier they had also looted a mobile phone and some cash from another car owner on the Surajkund road on March 29.

Implement new scales: HAUTA
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, July 22 — Teachers of Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) took out a procession today on the campus in protest against the non-implementation of the revised pay scales as recommended by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The call for the protest march was given by the Haryana Agricultural University Teachers Association (HAUTA). The association threatened to go on an indefinite strike in case the ICAR recommendations were not implemented in toto.

HAUTA fears that the Haryana Government has proposed to implement the ICAR recommendations partially and because of this there is resentment among the HAU faculty.

The teachers said that the notification by the state government with any alteration in the ICAR recommendations would not be accepted by the faculty and the ongoing protest would be intensified.

Teachers demand UGC grades
From Our Correspondent

KURUKSHETRA, July 22 — The Executive Committee of the Kurukshetra University Teachers' Association (KUTA) in a resolution unanimously passed at its meeting held here yesterday, reiterated its demand regarding the implementation of the new UGC pay scales.

The KUTA Secretary, Dr S.S. Teotia said here today that the committee resented the large number of anomalies in the notification issued by the Haryana Government regarding the new pay scales for the Haryana university and college teachers. The association alleged that the Haryana Government had drastically mutilated the recommendations of UGC and the HRD Ministry to suit it.

Dr Teotia further added that KUTA would hold an emergency meeting on July 26 to decide the future course of action.

Prohibitory order
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, July 22 — The District Magistrate, Mr Arun Kumar, has prohibited the assembly of five or more persons and carrying of weapons of offence on the premises of the Industrial Training Institute (ITI) and in the area of 500 metres of the examination centres at Rohtak, Meham and Hasangarh in the district in view of the annual examinations of the ITI being conducted from July 22 to 31 under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Bitta criticises Haryana Govt
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, July 22 — Mr Maninderjit Singh Bitta has alleged that Kargil martyrs were most dishonoured by the Haryana Government. He was talking to mediapersons here today. He said not even a single member of any family of the martyrs was given a job in the state.

Mr Bitta stated that he had met the members of the families of Kargil martyrs in Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. He said much had been done in these states.

He said he would meet the Haryana Governor shortly and would demand jobs for these families.