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H A R Y A N A |  |
 Friday, March 26, 1999 |
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Govt departments owe 20
crore to HVPN Centre
to observe year of Sanskrit |
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Seminar on
‘India’s military heritage’ Four
children burnt alive Released
prisoners yet to reach home Inter-state
meeting on crime held Jindal
amassed wealth: HVP No
pact with any party, says BSP |
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Government departments owe 20 cr to
HVPN ROHTAK, March 25 — Various government departments, including those of Irrigation, Minor Irrigation, Public Health, Municipality and Panchayat, owe nearly Rs 20 crore to the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) in Rohtak and Jhajjar districts. It is learnt these departments have not been paying their arrears since 1995. According to reports, the HVPN authorities have disconnected the power supply to nearly 13,000 consumers against whom arrears worth nearly Rs 5 crore are pending. Nearly 93,000 consumers have escaped from power disconnection even when electricity bills worth nearly Rs 45 crore are pending against them. The HVPN authorities have disconnected 255 power connections of the Minor Irrigation Department, 47 of the Panchayat Department, five of the Public Health Department and four of the Irrigation Department on the charge of non-clearance of power arrears. However, it is learnt power supply to some of these defaulting departments was not disconnected. On the other hand, the Haryana State Electricity Board Workers' Union has alleged the campaign of the HVPN regarding recovery of power arrears is a farce and it has rather been encouraging the tendency of power theft among consumers. The union pleaded that it would be silly to think that the defaulting consumers, whose power supply had been disconnected, had been living in darkness. It claimed almost all defaulters had got direct power supply from the transmission wires. This was the reason for which the defaulters were not interested in paying their arrears, it added. The HVPN officials also admitted that this malpractice was common among the defaulters whose power supply has been disconnected. The union alleged the HVPN officials were strict in disconnecting power supply to the poor defaulters while government officials and influential people were spared by them. Meanwhile, the Superintending Engineer (Operation), Rohtak circle, has admitted in a letter (No. 330/ER-24B) written on March 9 to the Chief Engineer (Operation) that 16 officials and employees of Rohtak circle alone had applied for voluntary retirement. The Chairman of the HVPN, Mr Ranjit Issar, had while reacting to a news item published in The Tribune a few days ago claimed that not more than five HVPN men all over the state had sought voluntary retirement. But the report sent by the SE (Operation) regarding Rohtak circle has contradicted the Chairman's claim. Earlier, the union leaders
had claimed 310 officials and employees of the HVPN
belonging to eight districts under Hisar circle had
sought voluntary retirement in view of the "absence
of lucidity" in their service conditions, including
the pension scheme. The number of HVPN men seeking
premature retirement is reportedly much more in the
state. |
Centre to observe year of
Sanskrit ROHTAK, March 25 — The Union Human Resource Development Minister, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, disclosed here yesterday the Centre had decided to observe Vikram Samvat 2056 that began on March 18 as year of the Sanskrit language. Laying the foundation stone of Baba Mastnath Girls Hostel and Baba Mastnath Nursing institute, the Union Minister said knowledge of Sanskrit was essential for understanding Indian history and culture. He said many universities in Europe and the USA had even included Sanskrit as a subject in their curriculum. Dr Joshi expressed concern over the use of English in every sphere, including information technology. He advocated the use of Sanskrit and other Indian languages in the field of information technology so that people could adapt it easily. The overuse of English would endanger the existence of other Indian languages, he said. The HRD Minister said though the world was entering the 21st century Indian history was much older. "India has already entered the 52nd century", he said. "When I as students to study the 5100-year-old history of India, I am charged with spreading Hindutva", he said. "But knowledge of our ancient history is a must to understand our capacity and the challenges ahead", he held. Dr Joshi said the country today was passing through a transitional stage. People should be alert and cautious so that we do not lose the gains made. While western countries were propagating to convert the whole world into one trade centre India was striving to convert the entire world into one family, he said. The minister said though 34 crore people in India were illiterate more than 64 crore were literate also. The literate population in India was much higher than in any other country. "If the capabilities of India's 100 crore people are channelised properly India can become the most developed country in the world", he said. The power and Public Relations Minister of Haryana, Mr Attar Singh Saini, said the stress of the state HVP-BJP government had been on power, education and health. He reiterated that 24 hours' uninterrupted electricity supply would be available to the consumers after June 30. The Food and Supplies
Minister, Mr Ganeshi Lal, said the Chief Minister, Mr
Bansi Lal, was a "natural ally" of the BJP and
under his leadership the state was marching ahead in
development activities. |
Seminar on ‘India’s
military heritage’ AMBALA, March 25 — Major-Gen Rajendra Nath (retd) said here yesterday that it was unfortunate politicians and bureaucrats who had little knowledge of the defence matters framed country's defence policy. Speaking at a seminar organised jointly by the Western Command and the Environment Society of India, Chandigarh, on 'India's military heritage' at the Kharga hall in cantonment here, he said that the 1971 war with Pakistan was won on the ground by the Army but was lost on the table by the then Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi. He said that if defence officials had been associated with the negotiations, the Jammu and Kashmir problem might have been solved. He said that the nuclear tests at Pokhran were a good step for the country's defence but the opposition to that had come from the political parties only. Tracing the history of the country's wars, weapons systems and war strategies, Major Gen Nath said that "we had best engineers and army men. He said the country should be fully weaponised instead of harping too much on non-violence and Panch Sheel. He said that the two epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana, were stories of two good army commanders. Dr D.C. Bhattacharaya from the Department of Fine Arts, Panjab University, spoke on the country's cultural tradition of Army heritage. He said Partition of the country was the worst form of violence as it violated the established norms. Major-Gen P.P.S. Bhandari
said that the composite nature of the Army was
deep-rooted. He said that the formal training on the
composite culture was given during training but real
practicals were experienced later. |
MDU budget not approved ROHTAK, March 25 — The annual budget of Maharshi Dayanand University for 1999-2000 has not been approved by its Finance Committee which met yesterday at Chandigarh. The Finance Committee, however, authorised the university to incur expenses for the first two months of the next financial year as per the provisions of its budget. The committee advised the university to prepare a fresh budget keeping in view the budgetary provisions made by the state government for grant-in-aid to the university in the next financial year. The university was also told that there should be no deficit financing in the recast budget. The university has prepared a budget of Rs 47 crore for 1999-2000 on the assumption that the state government would give grant-in-aid to the tune of Rs 30.50 crore (Rs 24 crore on the non-plan and Rs 6.50 crore on plan sides). The government, however, has made a provision of only Rs 11 crore in its budget approved by the Vidhan Sabha in February. The committee has reportedly expressed serious concern about the Vice-Chancellor not convening a meeting of the committee for approving the current year's budget and incurring expenses by exercising emergency powers. The last meeting of the committee was held on March 9, 1998, wherein the university was authorised to incur expenses till July 31, 1998. The committee reportedly advised the Vice-Chancellor to convene its meeting regularly, at least thrice in the financial year. It said the revised budget should be prepared, if possible, by April 15. The committee, it is learnt, has observed that ad hoc appointments of teachers made by the Vice-Chancellor under statute 33 of the university calendar were violative of the statute. The Vice-Chancellor, it observed, was not empowered to make any ad hoc appointments of teaching staff. The Vice-Chancellor was also reportedly advised to review the appointments of non-teaching staff made against the posts not sanctioned by the government. It also advised rationalisation of teaching staff in its various departments as some of the departments were overstaffed. It said the Press and publication cell of the university should be made self-financing. The budget of the campus school, which had been hiked from Rs 27 lakh to Rs 46.50 lakh should also be reviewed, the committee observed. Meanwhile, it is learnt the executive council of the university will meet on March 30 and the university court on March 31. The financial position of
the university is likely to ease as the state government
may release the last instalment of the grant-in-aid
before the closing of the current financial year. The
government had sanctioned a grant-in-aid of Rs 11.40
crore for the university for 1998-99. Of this, the
university had received only Rs 7.85 crore under the
non-plan and Rs 80 lakh under the plan side. If the grant
amount is not received in time, the university may find
it difficult to pay salaries to its employees. |
Four children burnt alive REWARI, March 25 — Four children were burnt alive in a fire which broke out in a hatched room at the Vishwakarma colony near Koshi station, 30 km from here, yesterday. The deceased included Om Parkash's son, Manoj (6) and daughter Tulsa (10) and Umed Singh's two daughters, Manto (4) and Kalo (6). The four, along with another girl, were playing a game related to cooking. As soon as they made a fire for cooking, the hatched room caught fire which spread quickly. The frightened children huddled together in a corner of the room. Four of them were burnt alive while the fifth girl, who had rushed out and was saved. The parents of the children were away to work and the neighbours reached the spot late. The Deputy Commissioner Ms
Rajni Sekhri Sivar, has announced a relief of Rs 25,000
to the bereaved family. |
Released prisoners yet to reach
home SONEPAT, March 25 — Mr Ashok Kumar (50), a resident of Anandpur Jharot village on the Sonepat-Rohtak road, and his three sons — Ajay (12), Amar (7) and Summandar (4) — who were amongst the 14 Indian prisoners repatriated to India on Monday last had not yet reached their home village. Deputy Commissioner P.K Mahapatra said here yesterday that he had received a communication from an officer in the Union Home Ministry on August 14 last year seeking detailed information about Mr Ashok Kumar and his family so as to get him released from Karachi Central Jail in Pakistan. The Deputy Commissioner revealed that a detailed report in this connection was forwarded to the Union Home Ministry on August 18. Official sources revealed
that Mr Ashok Kumar, clutching his three sons, heaved a
sigh of relief when he entered Indian territory on Monday
last. Giving details about his detention, Mr Ashok Kumar
said he left home along with three sons after a quarrel
with his wife. He got a visa for Afghanistan and
travelled to Pakistan along with his children on
Samjhauta Express en route to the Afghan border. However,
the Pakistani authorities arrested him at the Afghan
border saying that he did not have valid documents. His
appeals to send him and his children back to India were
ignored and he was put into Karachi Central Jail, where
he spent three years. |
Inter-state meeting on crime
held HISAR, March 25 — An inter-state crime coordination meeting was held here yesterday under the chairmanship of Mr John V. George, Inspector-General of Police, (Law and Order), Haryana, high-level police officials from Punjab and Haryana took part. The meeting reviewed the
steps taken by the border districts of Haryana and Punjab
to prevent terrorist activities and heinous crimes by
criminals from across the borders. It was decided that
border districts should share intelligence reports
regarding terrorists and hardened criminals on a regular
basis. Photographs and biodata of hardened criminals and
terrorists wanted in cases would be provided to the SPs
of adjoining districts in bimonthly meetings. |
Jindal amassed wealth: HVP CHANDIGARH, March 25 — The Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) has charged Mr O.P.Jindal, a former member of Parliament and noted industrialist of the state, with committing financial irregularities to amass wealth. A spokesman of the HVP was referring to a news report appearing in a section of the press today regarding one of Mr Jindal's units known as Jindal Vijayanagar Steel Ltd. (JVSL), which had allegedly overrun a huge cost of more than Rs 2,000 crore and was now being questioned by the financial institutions for fresh viability study. He reminded that a couple of weeks ago the Commissioner of Customs in Mumbai had levied a fine of Rs 57 crore on this company for under-invoicing its imports by Rs 130 crore by suppressing details of side contracts signed with its principal supplier. It had also imposed personal penalties of Rs 2 crore each on Mr Sajjan Jindal, Managing Director, and Mr R.P.Nangalia, Chief executive officer for suppressing information. The customs had also ordered JVSL to pay an additional duty of Rs 59.5 crore which was the value of the duty ‘saved’ by the company, he alleged. The spokesman cautioned
the people not to be misled by Mr O.P.Jindal. |
No pact with any party, says
BSP YAMUNANAGAR, March 25 — Mr Aman Kumar Nagra, President of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and an MP from Ambala, overruled the possibility of an alliance with any political party. Talking to newspersons here yesterday, Mr Nagra clarified that the BSP had no alliance with the Haryana Sarvjatiya Party, headed by Mr O.P. Jindal. He said at present the BSP was working at grass-roots level so that there was no need for any alliance in the next elections, adding that the party would contest independently in all 90 seats in Haryana. Mr Nagra is touring the state to mobilise people for the April 3 rally to be held at Ambala. He lashed out at Chief Minister, Bansi Lal, saying that the law and order situation in the state had collapsed. He said the government should conduct a fresh survey of those living below the poverty line. He also sought
compensation for farmers whose crops had been damaged
because of unprecedented rains. |
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