Major administrative shake-up in Haryana
CHANDIGARH, Oct 10 — The Haryana Government today ordered a major administrative shake-up in the bureaucratic and police echelons of the state, including the Director-General of the State Police, 13 Deputy Commissioners and a few district police chiefs.

Hooda dares Chautala to quit politics
CHANDIGARH, Oct 10 — The Haryana Congress President, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has joined issue with Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala over the latter's claim that Mr Hooda had trailed in the recent Lok Sabha elections even from his native village, Sanghi.

• ‘Hooda should accept verdict, quit post’

Community takes on encroachers
PANIPAT, Oct 10 — The youth of Puthar village in this district have set an example for others including the administration in removing encroachments on public land.

Malik seeks free power, canal water
SONEPAT, Oct 10 — Mr Dharampal Singh Malik, a former MP and former President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee today urged the Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, to implement his election promise of providing free power and canal water to the farmers as it was the sole major factor which had helped him win the recent Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Surjewala to lead delegation to Governor
PANIPAT, Oct 10 — A high-level delegation of the Haryana Krishak Samaj will submit a memorandum to the Governor of Haryana on October 12. The delegation would demand the withdrawal of hike in diesel price and compensation to farmers whose kharif crops have been damaged due to scanty rains and insufficient irrigational supplies.

Govt doc demands money for treatment
FARIDABAD, Oct 10 - A gang of three hard-core criminals entered a chemical factory, situated on Sohna Road, here yesterday night in and attempt to rob its safe. On seeing the dacoits, the chowkidar raised an alarm forcing the trio to flee after injuring the chowkidar.

Open-shelf library for children
FATEHABAD, Oct 10 — A unique children's library, where all the books are available across the shell and no book is under lock and key, was inaugurated today by Mr V Raja Sekhar, Deputy Commissioner, Fatehabad.

• Jain saint pacifies Balmikis
• Vehicle lifters’ gang busted

Major administrative shake-up in Haryana
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 10 — The Haryana Government today ordered a major administrative shake-up in the bureaucratic and police echelons of the state, including the Director-General of the State Police, 13 Deputy Commissioners and a few district police chiefs.

Mr SPS Rathore, Director-General of Police (DGP)/OSD, Police Reforms, becomes DGP, Haryana, vice Mr A.S. Bhatotia, M.D. Police Housing Corporation. Mr B.R. Lal goes as Director-General, Haryana Armed Police (HAP), Madhuban. Mr Vikas, Director, Police Training College, Madhuban, and Mr R.N. Vasudeva, Inspector-General (IG), HAP, Madhuban, will swap places. Mr R.S. Dalal, IG, HVPN, Panchkula, becomes IGP, Gurgaon range, vice Mr P.K. Mehta, who becomes IGP, Home Guards. Mr John V. George, IG Crime, Law and order, goes as IGP, Rohtak range, vice Mr P.V. Rathee who become IGP/OSD, Police Reforms. Mr V.B. Singh, IG, State Vigilance Bureau (SVB), becomes IGP, V&S, HVPN, Panchkula. Mr R.N. Chahlia, IG, Railways and Technical Service, becomes IGP Haryana range, vice Mr Parminder Rai, who becomes DIG Railways, against a vacant post.

Mr S.S. Deswal, SP, Bhiwani, goes as SP, Fatehabad, vice Ms Kala Ram Chanderan who has been appointed as AIG, T&T in place of Mr Ranbir Singh Sharma, who goes as SP Faridabad vice Mr Mohammad Akil. Mr Akil has been posted as SP, Security, in place of Mr B.K. Sinha, who has been appointed as SP Jind, in place of Mr Manjit Singh Ahlawat, who goes as Commandant First Bn, HAP, vice Mr Sheel Madhur who has been posted as Commandant 2nd Bn. HAP, Madhuban.

Mr K.P. Singh, SP, Crime, and Mr K. Salvaj, SP Sonepat, will swap their places of posting. Mr K.K. Sharma, ADIG, CID goes as SP, Kaithal vice Mr Khushi Ram who becomes SP, Railways, Ambala cantt in place of Mr Attar Singh Ahlawat who will be new SP, Kurukshetra, vice Mr Alok Rai. Mr Rai has been posted as SP, Bhiwani.

Mr Sudhir Chaudhary, SP, SVB, becomes SP, Panchkula vice Mr Alok Mittal, who has been posted as ADIG, CID. Mr Sohan Lal, SP, SVB, Gurgaon, and Mr O.P. Singh, SP, Hisar, will swap places of posting. Mr S.S. Kapoor, Deputy Director, PTC becomes SP, Gurgaon, vice M. Navdeep Singh Virk, who goes as SP, Ambala, vice Mr M.S. Malik who has been posted as SP, SVB, Ambala.

Mr Ram Niwas, IAS (awaiting posting orders) has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Ambala. Mr S.K. Monga, IAS, Director and Joint Secretary, Development and Panchayats, Rural Development, Institutional Finance and Credit Control, becomes Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula. Mr P.K. Dass, IAS, Secretary, Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission, Panchkula has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Jind.

Mr T.C. Gupta, IAS, Director, Industries, Mines and Geology Department, goes as Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon. Mr Amrit Jha, IAS, Joint Secretary Finance Department, Director, Treasuries and Accounts, Lotteries, goes as Deputy Commissioner, Sirsa.

Mr R.K. Khullar, IAS, Director and Joint Secretary, Hospitality, Project Director, National AIDS Control Project, M.D. Tourism Corporation Ltd. and Director, Tourism, becomes Deputy Commissioner, Rohtak. Mr H.S. Rana, IAS, M.D., HARCO Apex Bank Limited Chandigarh, goes as Deputy Commissioner, Rewari. Mr Sudhir Rajpal,IAS, A.D.C.-cum-CEO DRDA, Jind, becomes Deputy Commissioner, Sonepat.

Mr Anand Mohan Sharan, IAS, ADC-cum-CEO., DRDA and Special Officer, APZ, Rohtak and Secretary, RTA Rohtak, has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Faridabad. Mr Raja Sekhar Vundru, IAS, Deputy Commissioner, Fatehabad, has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Mahendergarh. Mr Anil Malik, IAS, ADC-cum-CEO., DRDA, Yamuna-nagar, becomes Deputy Commissioner, Fatehabad.

Mr Sandeep Garg, IAS, ADC-cum-CEO, DRDA, Sonepat and Panipat goes as Deputy Commissioner, Panipat and Mr Arun Kumar Gupta, IAS, ADC-cum-CEO. DRDA, Gurgaon, and Administrator, Trade Fair Authority of Haryana, New Delhi, has been posted Deputy Commissioner, Bhiwani.

Hooda dares Chautala to quit politics
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Oct 10 — The Haryana Congress President, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has joined issue with Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala over the latter's claim that Mr Hooda had trailed in the recent Lok Sabha elections even from his native village, Sanghi.

Mr Hooda in a statement issued here today said during the campaign, Mr Chautala had addressed two public meetings at Sanghi and Kiloi villages and had said that if Mr Hooda won from these villages he (Mr Chautala) would quit politics.

After the results Mr Chautala had claimed at a press conference that Mr Hooda had trailed from Sanghi village in the Rohtak Lok Sabha constituency by over 200 votes.

Mr Hooda said in Sanghi village there were eight booths and except for one booth, the Congress had secured more votes than the INLD. In total, the Congress had a lead of 1,165 votes over the INLD.

Similarly Mr Hooda said the Congress had a lead of 176 votes over the INLD in Kiloi village.

He said now Mr Chautala should honour his public commitment and retire from politics.

‘Hooda should accept verdict, quit post’
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Oct 10 — Former Haryana Minister and veteran Congress leader Krishan Murti Hooda said here today that in keeping with the high tradition of the Congress, the HPCC President, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, should own responsibility for the rout of the party in Haryana in the recent Lok Sabha elections and resign from the HPCC presidentship on moral grounds immediately to enable the party high command to appoint some other popular leader to the post.

He said the HPCC President was hand in glove with the HVP supreme and former Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, and misled the party high command on extending support to Mr Bansi Lal against the wishes of the grassroot party workers. Had the party not supported Mr Bansi Lal, it would have won eight out of 10 seats in Haryana, he added

He said the party was divided in four factions and the HPCC President had never made any attempt to bring about unity in the party.

Devi Lal’s defeat avenged, says
Inder Singh
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Oct 10 — Voters of the Rohtak Parliamentary constituency came out in support of Capt Inder Singh as they wanted to avenge the defeat of Mr Devi Lal, claimed the victorious candidate who won the seat by a margin of 1,44,693 votes.

Talking to this correspondent, Capt. Inder Singh said the swing in his favour was due to the non-performance of the Congress MP for eight years. Besides, the workers and leaders of the two parties (BJP and INLD) left no stone unturned in mobilising the voters.

Capt. Inder Singh was all praise for INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala who, he claimed, won favour of the people by pursuing policies of "public interest". He said the people were fed up with the 'misrule' and 'anti-people' policies of Mr Bansi Lal. He pointed out the Congress support to the Bansi Lal government and later withdrawing it has put the party in a 'more embarrassing' situation.

He said Mr Chautala attended the cremation and kirya of every Kargil martyr from the State. Moreover, the ex-gratia was doubled from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh by Mr Chautala.

Army men beat up shopkeeper, others
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, Oct 10 — Two persons of a readymade garment store of D.C. Bazar, Ambala cantt were injured when about one dozen army men forcibly entered the store and manhandled the shopkeeper and his employees. Tension prevailed in the area following the incident.

According to information, in the afternoon a military personnel came to the store to purchase some garments. Later, he wanted to return the garments which caused a confrontation between the shopkeeper and the former.

According to the shopkeeper, Mr Amit Jain, around 8.30 p.m. about one dozen army men came in two jeeps. They entered the shop and started beating him and his employees resulting in injuries to two persons.

The shopkeeper filed a complaint against the army men with the police. It was not confirmed whether the police had lodged an FIR against them.

Meanwhile, Mr Satpal Dhall, president of the D.C. Bazar Association, said they would meet the Lt-Gen G.S. Sihota, GOC, 2 Corps, in this regard tomorrow.

Community takes on encroachers
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, Oct 10 — The youth of Puthar village in this district have set an example for others including the administration in removing encroachments on public land.

According to available information, some residents of the village had encroached upon a public land on one side of a link road between Puthar and Chamrara villages. The village panchayat made several unsuccessful complaints during the past 10 years against the encroachers.

When repair work on this link road was started by the PWD authorities about a week back the PWD authorities as well as the village panchayat urged the encroachers to remove the encroachment of the wall on public land, but they were rebuffed by the encroachers. The village youth then took the initiative and demolished the wall.

The matter was reported to the police at Israna by the alleged encroachers with a request to take action against the boys. But on reaching the spot the police found that the entire village was behind the youth and the police returned without arresting any one.

This act of courage has been appreciated by the administration and become a model for emulation.

Market waits 4 yrs for occupation
From Sushil Manav

FATEHABAD: Call it official apathy or lethargy, a new vegetable market constructed here at the cost of Rs 1.77 crore has been lying unused for the past four years, while the old market, in the middle of the town, has been causing a lot of problems for local residents and traders alike due to congestion and insanitary conditions. The government, too, has been suffering a lot of financial losses by way of market fees.

The old vegetable market in the town is in bad shape. Besides being very congested, the market is located in the heart of the town which is a cause of hardship for local people. Stray cattle have made the Thana road, passing by the market, their permanent abode. These stray cattle cause a lot of problems besides blocking vehicular traffic in the area. Being a congested market, it causes a lot of problems for traders and customers. The sanitary conditions in the market are poor. Garbage, cattle dung and rotten vegetables and fruits can be seen strewn all over the market. A casual visitor to the vegetable market is confronted with a pungent smell that pierces through one's nostrils. The market being small in size has not been able to cater to the requirements of the town's increasing population. Vegetable growers and traders are also faced with problems due to congestion.

Taking into consideration, the hardships faced by the local people, the state government had approved a new vegetable market for the town in 1992. The market was completed in 1995 and it was inaugurated by the then Chief Minister, Mr Bhajan Lal, on June 14, 1995. Since then the market is waiting for its occupants but due to the indifferent attitude of the authorities and a row over the sale of plots to the arhtiyas (owing to the reserved price and a higher minimum reserve price set by the authorities), the market remains to be occupied. Constructed on a sprawling area of 13 acres, the market has been constructed at a cost of Rs 1.23 crore.

An additional Rs 54 lakh was paid by the market committee to the state Revenue Department towards the cost of land. Sixty-eight shops and 27 smaller booths were constructed in the market and the state PWD handed over the market to the market committee about four years ago. Since then the authorities had tried to auction the plots twice but did not have any success. An order of the previous government has been a bone of contention between the authorities and the grain market arhtiyas.

The government had drawn up a policy that shops in newly set-up mandis would be sold through open auction only. Earlier, the government used to provide shops to arhtiyas at a reserved price on a no profit, no loss basis. Though the authorities tried to auction the plots twice, but its effort did not succeed due to resistance from the arhtiyas.

According to sources, they also find the minimum reserved price of Rs 9 lakh per shop fixed by the government too high. The local residents feel that the authorities must devise a way to start the market.

Malik seeks free power, canal water
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Oct 10 — Mr Dharampal Singh Malik, a former MP and former President of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) today urged the Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, to implement his election promise of providing free power and canal water to the farmers as it was the sole major factor which had helped him win the recent Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Talking to mediapersons here, he also wanted the Chief Minister to take a tough stand against the unprecedented increase in the diesel price and exert his pressure on the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to withdraw this hike in the interests of the common people in general and the farmers in particular.

He also demanded special financial assistance to the farmers as the failure of monsoon rains this year in this region had created drought-like conditions in the state.

Surjewala to lead delegation to Governor
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, Oct 10 — A high-level delegation of the Haryana Krishak Samaj will submit a memorandum to the Governor of Haryana on October 12. The delegation would demand the withdrawal of hike in diesel price and compensation to farmers whose kharif crops have been damaged due to scanty rains and insufficient irrigational supplies.

The President of the samaj, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, said this to mediapersons here yesterday. He disclosed that the memorandum would also include the demand for waiving interest on loans for two years in the drought affected areas, release of new tubewell connections, sufficient power and irrigation supplies for the agriculture sector and withdrawal of false cases against farmers which were registered during their agitations.

Govt doc demands money for treatment
From Our Correspondent

FARIDABAD, Oct 10 - A gang of three hard-core criminals entered a chemical factory, situated on Sohna Road, here yesterday night in and attempt to rob its safe. On seeing the dacoits, the chowkidar raised an alarm forcing the trio to flee after injuring the chowkidar.

The chowkidar filed an FIR with the Mujeshar police post today. After registering the FIR, a constable took the injured chowkidar to the government run B.K. Hospital.

But a senior doctor on emergency duty refused to treat the injured chowkidar-Vimal till he was 'paid'.

Since the chowkidar had no money he borrowed Rs 50 from the constable.

The doctor then telephoned to the owner of the factory and allegedly said his injured employee could only be admitted if he was paid Rs 500.

It may be mentioned here that there are a large number of complaints from patients that they are not treated till money is paid by them. Some doctors have become so bold that they openly demand 'hush' money in presence of the police.

Jain saint pacifies Balmikis
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, Oct 10 — Hundreds of Balmikis staged a dharna in front of Mahavir Jain Bhawan, Ambala City, to protest against remarks made by a Jain saint in his speech at Jain Bhawan yesterday. the speech was telecast on the local cable network yesterday evening.

The agitated protested assembled at Jain Bhawan today morning while the Jain saint was delivering his sermons to hundres of his followers. The protesters raising the slogans were demanding that the Jain saint should express regret on his remarks.

Following a blockade by the protesters on the main road, the city reached the spot.

The saint brushed aside apprehensions of his followers and went to meet the protesters and clarified his remarks on Bhagwan Balmiki.

Vehicle lifters’ gang busted
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, Oct 10 — The district police has busted an inter-district gang of vehicle lifters by arresting two gangsters from Samalkha town of this district. The police found two stolen Maruti cars and a country-made revolver from them.

According to the district police chief, Manoj Yadav, suspects have been identified as Rupesh Kumar of Ganaur and Krishan Kumar of Pavti village in Panipat district. The police has seized Maruti car — DBB-7003 and Maruti Van- DL-2CA-0418 from their possession.

Open-shelf library for children
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Oct 10 — A unique children's library, where all the books are available across the shell and no book is under lock and key, was inaugurated today by Mr V Raja Sekhar, Deputy Commissioner, Fatehabad.

A Bal Bhawan Children's Library was opened in the Bal Bhawan premises of Fatehabad with scores of children including from slums thronging it. The children scrambled for comics displayed on the open racks of the new library.

Inaugurating the new library Mr V. Raja Sekhar, Deputy Commissioner, Fatehabad said that books kept on open racks are easily accessible. More than 2000 comics are on display in the library including imported pictorial reference books which any child can pick up and read.

Computer room facilities hands on experience to children about various aspects of computers and information technology. Everyday a demo and hands on experience session will be conducted and at weekends children from the slums would be given computer training.

Earlier Mr Ishwar S. Assat gave a demonstration of children's encyclopaedia on a compact disc. The hexagonal children's library was built at a cost of Rs 7 lac.