Development top priority: Chautala
PANIPAT, July 26 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today said that his top priority would be to execute development projects left incomplete by Mr Bansi Lal and Mr Bhajan Lal.

Cancer patients face hardship
ROHTAK, July 26 — Patients visiting Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) here for the treatment of cancer are facing hardships in the absence of a separate Department of Cancer.

Haryana Congress leaves it to Sonia
FARIDABAD, July 26 — The Haryana Congress is believed to have authorised the Congress chief, Mrs Sonia Gandhi to select the candidates for contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the state.

New telecom technique
PANIPAT, July 26 — A new telecommunication technique has been developed and it is being put into operation on a trial basis for six months initially in Panipat in Haryana. The technique — wireless in local loop (WILL) has been developed by Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited.

Pickpocketing cases reported in PGIMS
ROHTAK, July 26 — Several cases of pickpocketing have been reported in the Pt. B.D. Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) here. The authorities have failed to initiate any measure to counter the problem.

Baba Sharan Puri dead
KARNAL, July 26 — Baba Sharan Puri of the Maha Nirvani Akhara died in Kurukshetra today at Baba Shrawan Nath Temple where he had been residing for the last over 40 years.

• Traffic blocked as woman killed
• Fine imposed for power theft

• Police inaction resented
• HAU teachers call off dharna
• 15-year-old raped

Haryana Speaker may quit
By Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — The Speaker of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Prof Chhattar Singh Chauhan, is likely to submit his resignation from the post tomorrow.

The ruling group has given notice of its intention to move a motion for the removal of the Speaker, known in popular parlance as the no-confidence motion, for his alleged partisan attitude.

Though the statutory minimum notice period of 14 days as provided under Article 179 (C) of the Constitution to move such a motion will expire only on August 6, sources close to the Speaker say he will quit tomorrow before the House meets at 2 p.m.

The House has been convened so that the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, can seek a vote of confidence from it as desired by the Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad.

The sources say Prof Chauhan and his family have already started packing up and are ready to move out of his official residence. He has also surrendered his mobile telephone to the Vidhan Sabha.

The present ruling group excluding the BJP and the HVP(D) along with the Congress have always been complaining against the "partisan attitude" of the speaker. It is a record of sorts that in three years the Opposition gave notice of its intention to move a motion for his removal on four occasions.

When the notice was given for the time in March, 1997, Prof Chauhan had dispensed with the constitutional formality and the notice was taken up for consideration on the same day with the Deputy Speaker, Mr Faqir Chand Aggarwal, in the chair.

However, the motion was taken up at a time when the Opposition was not present in the sufficient number. The motion could not be moved because the minimum 23 members did not rise to support it.

On the later three occasions the Speaker insisted on the completion of the Constitutional requirement of the minimum notice period and rejected the notice under controversial circumstances. Many feel that the Speaker stepped out of his jurisdiction in rejecting the motion on the ground that statutory requirement of 14 days' notice had not been fulfilled. Instead of rejecting the motion, the Speaker should have informed the House that such a notice had been received and it would be put before the House for permission to move the motion after the expiry of the notice period.

The motion would have lapsed if the House had been prorogued during the notice period.

Meanwhile, no difficulty is envisaged in Mr Chautala securing a vote of confidence tomorrow with the assured support of 53 members in the House having an effective strength of 87.

The Congress with 12 MLAs and one associated member has issued a whip to its members to vote against the confidence motion. The 18 HVP MLAs along with three Independent MLAs still supporting the party are also likely to vote against the confidence motion. Sources in the HVP say that the former Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, would attend the session tomorrow.

Lonely battle for Congress
By Gobind Thukral
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 26 — Three-cornered contest during the coming Lok Sabha elections in Haryana is imminent. This has been amply demonstrated last week when a new combination led by INLD leader Om Parkash Chautala assumed power.

On the quick sands of Haryana's murky politics, stands the Congress without any ally. Pitted against the Congress would be the Haryana Vikas Party backed by the Bahujan Samaj Party. These two would be opposed by INLD and BJP alliance backed by a fledgling organisation called Haryana Vikas Party Democratic.

Electioneering for each of the 10 Lok Sabha seats would be worth watching. The battle at the hustings, if there is no violence would be interesting to watch. The voters would have quite a choice. Despite a contrary reputation, Mr Chautala has readily promised a complete control over the law and order situation and a fair election.

During the last general elections, the INLD now and the Lok Dal then had an alliance with the BSP and it paid dividends. The BSP bagged Ambala and Mr Chautala captured four other Lok Sabha seats. Mr Bansi Lal's party and its ally the BJP got one seat each. This led to a bitter battle of nerves between one section of the BJP and Mr Bansi Lal finally leading to the parting of BJP from the alliance.

Thus last time's friend would be this time's foe. The BJP would be unsparing in its attack and blame the former Chief Minister for all the ills of Haryana's polity. Same way, the BJP would forget what it said about Mr Chautala and his party all these years and try to prove hard that the natural alliance would never become unnatural. All past episodes and bitterness would be swept under the carpet and a new bright picture presented before the electorate. Same way, Mr Bansi Lal and his Haryana Vikas party will call the BJP unfaithful and attack if not others at least the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee whom the party holds responsible for having ditched Mr Bansi Lal and his government. Each side would be nit-picking the other.

Mr Bansi Lal has had a long meeting here with the BSP president, Mr Kanshi Ram, an arrangement between the two parties was being worked out in Delhi. The HVP would try to base itself on the past performance and seek votes from all castes and bank on the pull of Mr Kanshi Ram. Mr Kanshi Ram who was promised Prime Ministership by Mr Chautala last time, would this time be in the company of Mr Bansi Lal. He has a say among the scheduled castes of Ambala, Kurukshetra, Sirsa, Hisar and parts of Bhiwani.The sharing of seats would not be a problem, HVP leaders say.

The INLD-BJP alliance is upbeat. It has captured power through defections and not all the central leaders of the BJP back it. The INLD would contest at least five seats it has announced and leave the rest to the BJP and the HVP Democratic. Mr Chautala is believed to have promised the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, that he would manage all the 10 seats for the combination. He shall have to depend heavily on his committed band of workers and middle-level leaders. The BJP would try hard to encash the Kargil battle.

The Congress which did a shoddy business, first, by supporting the Bansi Lal government and then withdrawing its support within three weeks, has now to reckon with the new reality. It wanted, as Congress leaders Mr Ahmed Patel and Mr Sunil Kumar Shastri would like to believe, to keep away the bigger evil of Mr Chautala and the BJP, the caste and communal line-up, opt for a lesser evil led by Mr Bansi Lal. This old communist theory floundered soon when Mr Bansi Lal refused to dissolve the Assembly and play the Congress ball without any reasonable settlement.

Mr Chautala is in power and the Congress is ruing it. In fact, Mr Chautala must be thanking those Congress leaders who prevailed upon the President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, to write to the Governor, about the withdrawal of support from the Bansi Lal Government and thus paving the way for a new combination to be born. The Congress can have only one satisfaction that the HVP has been divided. But it would have hard time selling to the electorate its double-faced record. Had the Congress allowed the Bansi Lal government to carry on, it could have had a friendly government and at least for "smooth elections." Now it has to face both the combinations. The Congress is lonely and divided and shall have to struggle hard.

A transfer to nowhere
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, July 26 — Though it may sound incredible, but a junior engineer in the national highway (PWD B & R) was transferred by the outgoing HVP government without proper order and place of new posting.

The junior engineer, Mr Krishan Kumar Pawar, said though he was relieved of his charge on July 12, the department till now had not served him with proper transfer orders despite repeated requests. He alleged that he was transferred after the model code of conduct came into force.

Mr Pawar said he has been 'punished' for participating in a rally addressed by INLD chief some weeks ago and his presence in the rally was identified in photographs published in certain newspaper.

A number of INLD MLAs have described his transfer as politically motivated. Mr Dhirpal Singh, MLA, Badli, has commented on the representation made by the employee to the Chief Election Commissioner that the applicant has been harassed politically. He has pleaded for taking immediate action on the petition filed by the junior engineer.

Dr Birender Pal MLA from Beri, and five other legislators, including Mr Balbir Singh from Meham, have said that the transfer order was violative of the model code of conduct.

Incidentally, the legislators who have opposed his transfer are now members of the ruling alliance in the state.

Haryana staff convention on July 31
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, July 26 — The district and state leaders of the Haryana Karamchari Sangh and the Karamchari Mahasangh would hold a joint convention on July 31 at Hisar to chalk out the future course of action in the light of the political changes in the state.

The General Secretary, Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Mr Sat Pal Siwach, believed that the Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, would vacate the victimisation of government employees and resolve their problems through negotiations. He said that when in the Opposition Mr Chautala had assured that he would vacate victimisation of employees and solve their problems whenever he came to power.

He said that the Bansi Lal government had terminated the services of 34 nurses when they launched an agitation to demand parity in allowances with their counterparts in the Centre. Similarly, the services of three leaders of the Haryana State Electricity Board employees and general secretary of the Haryana Tourism Employees Union were dismissed for starting agitation to demand implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission in toto in all the boards and corporations run by the government.

The sangh hoped that Mr Chautala would now take appropriate steps to vacate the victimisation and sort out their other problems through negotiations. A deputation of the sangh would soon meet the Chief Minister in this regard.

The Sangh had also demanded severest punishment to the killers of Mrs Saroj Vashisht and her daughter. Mrs Vashisht was an active trade union leader who had waged many a struggle for the upliftment of the status of Anganwadi workers.

Development top priority: Chautala
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, July 26 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today said that his top priority would be to execute development projects left incomplete by Mr Bansi Lal and Mr Bhajan Lal. Talking to reporters here, he said his government was committed to providing clean and transparent administration.

The Chief Minister said although the state government had enhanced the ex gratia for next of kin of martyrs from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, the disabled and the injured soldiers would also be provided substantial relief.

Mr Chautala reiterated that he would fulfil all promises made by him to the people. There would be no discrimination in the name of region, caste and party.

Stating that the Cabinet would be constituted shortly, Mr Chautala said due representation would be given to every section of society. When asked about the BJP's participation in the government, he said he hoped the party would join the ministry.

Later, addressing party workers, Mr Chautala exhorted them to work for the welfare of people by maintaining discipline and having close coordination with the administration.

On his arrival here, Mr Chautala was accorded a rousing welcome by people and leaders of the INLD, the BJP and the HVP(D).

Cancer patients face hardship
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, July 26 — Patients visiting Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) here for the treatment of cancer are facing hardships in the absence of a separate Department of Cancer.

According to PGIMS sources there is only one cancer specialist who is attached to the Department of Surgery. There is no separate OPD block and operation theatre for such patients. This leads to inordinate delays in the treatment.

There has been an increase in the number of cancer patients visiting the hospital. While some of them belong to different parts of the state, a number of patients from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi also visit the institute. The sources say the cancer patients are initially examined by consultants of other specialities and later referred to the cancer specialist. This results in the loss of considerable time of which can prove fatal for those in advanced stages of cancer.

There being only one cancer surgeon , the operations are performed only twice a week. Consequently, the waiting list of patients who require surgery keeps on growing and in many cases even patients in advanced stages of cancer are asked to report for getting operated up on after a month.

Dr Rajinder Karwasra, cancer specialist, says that over 90 per cent of different types of operations for cancer treatment performed at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital, Mumbai, are also being done at the PGIMS.

Successful operations for oral, throat, nose, rectum and liver cancer have been carried out here notwithstanding various constraints, he says, adding that at least three more cancer surgeons and a separate operation theatre are needed here. Besides, there is need for an increase in the number of beds for cancer patients. The PGIMS Director-Principal, Dr D.S. Dubey, when contacted on telephone, said a proposal for the establishment of a separate Department of Cancer had already been accepted in principle by the PGIMS administration. The matter would be forwarded to the state government for approval and the necessary budgetary provisions, he said, adding that new posts of cancer specialist would be created and a separate indoor ward would be set up. Besides, a separate OPD block would be set up once the new department came into being.

Haryana Congress leaves it to Sonia
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, July 26 — The Haryana Congress is believed to have authorised the Congress chief, Mrs Sonia Gandhi to select the candidates for contesting the Lok Sabha elections from the state.
This decision was taken at a brief meeting of the state election committee held in Delhi yesterday, party sources said here today.
The sources said that a two-member committee consisting of Mr Jitendra Prasad and Mr Ahmed Patel, both CWC members had been set up by the AICC to screen the panel of candidates to be submitted to the high command for a final decision. The committee was expected to hold its meeting soon.

It is stated that the three members of the dissolved Lok Sabha — Mr Bhajan Lal (Karnal), Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Rohtak), Rao Inderjit Singh (Mahendragarh) and Miss Selja (Sirsa) was sure to get the party ticket.

For the other Lok Sabha seats from Haryana Mr Khurshid Ahmed and Mr Avtar Singh Bhadana are in line for Faridabad, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala for Hisar, Mr Phool Singh Maulana and Mr Kripa Ram Punia for Ambala, Pandit Chiranji Lal Sharma and Mr Harpal Singh for Kurukshetra. The party is still looking for suitable candidates for Sonepat and Bhiwani.

New telecom technique
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, July 26 — A new telecommunication technique has been developed and it is being put into operation on a trial basis for six months initially in Panipat in Haryana. The technique — wireless in local loop (WILL) has been developed by Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited.

The Deputy General Manager of Panipat Telecommunication, Mr S.P. Singh, said today that under the scheme, a telephone was connected by an antenna which received waves from four base stations installed in Panipat, including Model Town, the HUDA and other areas.

The range of these stations would be 4 km, covering almost the entire city. As many as 150 lines had been provided under the scheme and were functioning satisfactorily.

With the adoption of this technology, jumbling up of wires would cease as no roadside wires were required. The staff strength would be reduced and maintenance costs would go down. Telecommunication Panipat was planning to purchase this technology from the company after receiving trial reports from consumers.

Mr S.P. Singh said the department had launched another programme to connect all exchanges in the rural areas with the main exchange in Panipat to ensure better telephone services. Optical fibre cables were being laid under this programme.

Pickpocketing cases reported in PGIMS
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, July 26 — Several cases of pickpocketing have been reported in the Pt. B.D. Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS) here. The authorities have failed to initiate any measure to counter the problem.

According to the PGIMS sources, as many as 10 cases of pickpocketing were reported on a day, a few days ago, mostly in the Out Patients Department (OPD) of gynaecology where the rush of the patients is usually the maximum. Such incidents have also occurred at the counter where OPD cards of the patients are prepared.

It is learnt that over 2,000 patients and their attendants visit various OPDs at the hospital on given day. Besides, there is a heavy rush of visitors and persons who collect various test reports from these OPDs daily.

According to information received, a woman, who had come to an OPD to collect a test report found Rs 3,100 missing from her plastic bag. Hospital sources say while such incidents have become common, most of them go unreported to the police.

It is learnt that one of the Class-IV employees had been caught by a doctor while stealing someone's belongings a few months ago. Similar incidents of theft have also been reported from various wards of the hospital. There has been a demand to deploy security guards in the hospital to check the movement of unscrupulous elements in the hospital.

Baba Sharan Puri dead
From Our Correspondent

KARNAL, July 26 — Baba Sharan Puri of the Maha Nirvani Akhara died in Kurukshetra today at Baba Shrawan Nath Temple where he had been residing for the last over 40 years.

The 87-year-old saint, who belonged to Maharashtra, was a freedom fighter.

The baba had opened a number of educational institutions including Baba Shrawan Nath Senior Secondary School and Baba Shrawan Nath Model School, in Pehowa. He also ran a free eye hospital known as Kapil Muni Eye Hospital at Dhani village, Rampura.

The octogenarian saint had renovated a number of sacred and historic temples in Kurukshetra and Pehowa. These included the famous Sangmeshwar Maha Dev Temple at Urnai village near Pehowa and the Sarveshwar Maha Dev Temple situated in the middle of Brahmasarovar tank.

The educational institutions run by the Hindu Shiksha Samiti were closed as a mark of respect to the Saint.

Traffic blocked as woman killed
From Our Correspondent

KAITHAL, July 26 — Hundreds of agitated villagers kept the traffic blocked at Mohna village, 19 km from here, on the Kaithal-Karnal road this morning when a Canter hit a woman, resulting in her death on the spot. The Canter coming from the Karnal side reportedly ran over the victim who was crossing the road after putting cow dung on the roadside on shamlat land.

A large number of persons gathered and raised slogans against the government and the PWD authorities. They did not allow the movement of vehicles for about two hours. A large number of vehicles and passengers remained stranded during this period. The passengers travelling in Haryana Roadways buses and private vehicles were the worst sufferers and were put to great inconvenience.

The dharna and blockade were lifted when SDE, PWD (B&R), Pundri, arrived on the spot and agreed to construct a speed breaker on the spot as demanded by the villagers. The police later recovered the Canter parked at an isolated place on the Pilni road and impounded it. A case under Sections 279, 304-A and 336 of the IPC has been registered against the driver.

Police inaction resented
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, July 26 — The failure of the police to nab the culprits involved in the kidnap bid of a local businessman and two members of his family on July 23 here is worrying the local residents. Three days have passed since the culprits had absconded leaving behind their weapons, but the local police has failed to find any clue to their whereabouts.

Mr Brij Lal, a local brick-kiln owner, his son, Avinash, and a grandson, Subhash, were kidnapped by three youths while they were returning from Budhlada (Punjab) in their car. The kidnappers stepped their vehicle near Ayalki village and forced their entry into the car at gun point. They then drove the car towards Fatehabad and demanded Rs 10 lakh as ransom from that victims. But as the car reached the town the victims grappled with them and got the car stopped. The miscreants fired a shot and ran towards the local Matu Ram Colony. Though the police reached the site within a few minutes it allegedly did not try to chase the culprits.

Some local residents did chase them but the culprits gave them a slip. A case under Section 341, 384 and 307 of the IPC had been registered.

The S.P. Ms Kala Rama Chanderan, here when contacted admitted that no breakthrough had been made and added that she had constituted a joint team of the CIA and the police to nab the culprits.

HAU teachers call off dharna
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, July 26 — Teachers of Haryana Agricultural University called off their indefinite dharna today on an assurance of Mr Om Prakash Chautala, Chief Minister of Haryana, that their demand would be considered sympathetically.

The teachers of the university had been staging dharna since July 14 on the campus, to protest against the non-implementation of revised pay scales as recommended by the ICAR.

A delegation of the teachers association of university led by Dr Dalal Singh called upon Mr Chautala yesterday in Agroha, near here, and apprised him about their demand. Mr Puran Singh Dabra, district president of INLD, went to the university and urged them for the lifting of dharna.

15-year-old raped
From Our Correspondent

YAMUNANAGAR, July 26 — A 15-year-old teenaged girl was allegedly raped by a son of the sarpanch of Sadura village in this district.

According to information received here today, the father of the victims lodged an FIR with the Radaur police that his daughter disappeared on Friday night. She was found in the sugarcane field yesterday.

The police has registered a case against the son of sarpanch and the girl has been sent for medical checkup in the Civil Hospital.

Fine imposed for power theft
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, July 26 — The vigilance division of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam conducted raids on four commercial establishments and imposed fines of Rs 1.5 lakh on charges of power theft.

According to sources under instructions from Mr R.S. Dalal, Inspector-General (Vigilance), a party consisting of Inspector Subhash Sharma and ASI Bijender Singh Attri, conducted a raid on a filling station near Babar Pur on the GT Road and found duplicate seals on the meters.

The department imposed a fine of Rs 36,817 on the owner.

Three more such cases were detected and fines imposed.