Do routine work in Hindi: Governor
CHANDIGARH, Sept 13 — The Haryana Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad, today exhorted people to resolve to perform their routine work in Hindi on the eve of "Hindi Divas".

Bhajan Lal’s brother stabbed
HISAR, Sept 13 — Mr Manphool Singh, brother of Mr Bhajan Lal, a former Chief Minister of Haryana, was reportedly stabbed by three persons, including his Nepalese servant, who decamped with about Rs 50,000 from his residence here last night.

Police impound autorickshaws
FARIDABAD, Sept 13 — The police has launched a drive against autorickshaws which are polluting the environment and not following traffic rules. Most of the autorickshaws remained off the road for the second day today, fearing police action. A large number of them have also been impounded.

Decision to shift liquor shops
FARIDABAD, Sept 13 — The district administration has decided to shift the liquor shops set up on the green belt in the city.

Probe sought into attack on cops
ROHTAK, Sept 13 — Sarpanches of the Meham block have demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged attack on policemen on September 6 and warned the police against entering villages to arrest those named in the FIR until the completion of the inquiry.

Bar council’s draft for War Heroes Fund
CHANDIGARH, Sept 13 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Council today presented a bank draft of Rs 1 lakh to the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, for the Haryana Chief Ministers War Heroes Relief Fund.

R.B. Sharma to launch campaign in MP
ROHTAK, Sept 13 — Prof Ram Bilas Sharma, leader of the BJP Legislature Party in Haryana, will launch a three-day election campaign in Madhya Pradesh tomorrow. After that the he will mobilise party support in Himachal Pradesh from September 17 to 25.

Teachers' strike on Sept 30
Sonepat, Sept 13 — Teachers of private-run colleges in Haryana will observe a day's token strike on September 30 in protest against the failure of the state government to release their salaries.

Directive arbitrary, say Ph.D teachers
From Vipin Sharma

ROHTAK, Sept 13 — The directives regarding amendment in the criteria of providing senior/selection grade, advance increments and other benefits on the basis of degrees of M.Phil and Ph.D by the Director, Higher Education, (DHE) have put at least 250 college teachers of the state in difficult situation.

According to sources, the DHE has in a letter sent to the Principals of all colleges in the state this year, said, "It has been decided that the benefit of one and three advance increments on obtaining the degrees of M.Phil and Ph.D, respectively, and also the benefit in years of service on this account on the basis of date depicted on the degree or the date of notification issued in this regard for admission of degree by the academic council of the university or any such authority competent to admit degrees made in this statute of the university concerned shall be considered valid and authentic and no benefit shall be allowed on the basis of provisional certificates, detailed marks certificates (DMCs) or result notification".

Reacting sharply to the amendment, a large number of college teachers described the move as "arbitrary" and "unjustified". They clarified that the marks of dissertation and viva are listed in the DMC which bears a complete result of the student concerned. Thus, they claim the DMC is a valid document and that the degree is issued only on the basis of it. They also argued that the degree of M.Phil and Ph.D used to be issued by the university to the students after two to three years after passing their exams prior to the appointment of the present Vice-Chancellor, Lt-Gen O.P. Kaushik (retd). General Kaushik, after taking over in February 1997, issued thousands of degrees which were pending for the past several years.

The college teachers said the date depicted on the DMC was considered for giving various benefits as per the practice so far. They pointed out that the candidates who had completed their M.Phil before December 31, 1993-94 were eligible for college lecturership. A large number of lecturers were appointed on this account and their DMCs were considered valid in all respects by the appointing authorities while their degrees were issued nearly two years after their appointment. The teaching community has also questioned as to what would be the attitude of the DHE office towards these lecturers who have been confirmed.

A selection committee comprising the Dean of Colleges, the DHE's nominee, the VC's nominee and the Principal of the college concerned approved about 250 cases of teachers for the benefit of senior/selection grade in July 1998 but the DHE office objected to it in the wake of fresh directives. The DHE office has stopped the process of pay fixation of teachers and even reportedly decided to issue recovery orders in a single instalment against the teachers who have been given advance increments on the basis of dates depicted on the DMC of M.Phil.

A delegation of aggrieved teachers recently met the university authorities in this connection which supported the teachers' viewpoint and assured maximum possible cooperation.

Describing the amendment as "anti-teacher", Mr Jagatvir Sehrawat, general secretary of the Haryana College Teachers' Union, alleged the DHE office had adopted a negative attitude towards the teaching community. He appealed the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to intervene and protect teachers from "undue" harassment.

Commenting on the issue, a former Vice-Chancellor of Maharshi Dayanand University and an educationist says the exam of M.Phil is on the pattern of undergraduate and postgraduate classes where the DMC is valid in all respects and the degree is only the award of the achievement. Regarding Ph.D, he says there is no DMC for it and therefore, only the degree is valid. Moreover he says a candidate must be given the benefits of his result with effect from the date of notification of his result and not on the basis of the degree.

Do routine work in Hindi: Governor
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 13 — The Haryana Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad, today exhorted people to resolve to perform their routine work in Hindi on the eve of "Hindi Divas".

Conveying his felicitations, the Governor said the framers of the Constitution had accepted Hindi as the national language on September 14, 1949 while maintaining the equal status of all the regional languages.

Haryana had adopted Hindi as its official language in accordance with the Haryana State Language Act, 1969.

The Governor said priority had since been given to work in Hindi in all the government departments, corporations, boards, commissions and universities.

A state legislature Hindi branch, a language cell in the Higher Education Department and a Haryana Hindi Sahitya Akademi had been working in the State to promote the language by translating different enactments, Bills, orders, circulars and ordinances, he said.

Appreciating efforts made to promote Hindi, the Governor said much more is required to be done to develop this simple, but rich language to make it the peoples' language.

The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has issued directions to the government officials for conducting the entire official work, including correspondence and file work, in Hindi.

In a message issued here Mr Chautala reiterated his commitment to make Hindi popular, specially in official work.

He said that correspondence with the Union Government and other State Governments too should be done in Hindi. In case they find the use of English language to be essential, its translation in English be attached with the original in Hindi.

2 NSUI activists dismissed
From Our Correspondent

Panchkula, Sept 13 — The President of the Haryana unit of National Students Union of India (NSUI), Mr Mohinder Singh, yesterday dismissed two of its state office-bearers from the membership of the forum.

In a press note, Mr Yoginder Sharma, spokesman for the Haryana NSUI, informed that Mr Karan Singh,Vice-President, and Mr Vinay Vaid, general secretary of the NSUI, have been dismissed on grounds of showing lack of interest in the activities of the union.

Don't withdraw rice shoots from kisans: HC
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 13 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Haryana Government not to withdraw rice shoots given to Mr Ram Phal Singh and nine other residents of Kaithal district till the end of November.

Mr Justice H.S. Bedi and Mr Justice A.S. Garg, who handed down this order on the petition, observed: "The petitioners have expressed the apprehension that the special rice shoots that had been given for kharif season were sought to be removed on account of political reasons."

The Judges further held: "After hearing counsel for the parties, we are of the opinion that if the petitioners have been granted the privilege of rice shoots, these shall not be withdrawn till the end of November, 1999."

The petitioners stated that they did not have any other source to irrigate their fields and in case the rice shoots were withdrawn, the crop sown on 1789. 23 acres of land, irrigated with the rice shoots, would go waste.

They claimed that they were supporters of Mr Varinder Singh, a Congress candidate, while the husband of the village panch was supporter of the Lok Dal. It was he who got the orders for the removal of the rice shoots passed.

Bhajan Lal’s brother stabbed

HISAR, Sept 13 (PTI) — Mr Manphool Singh, brother of Mr Bhajan Lal, a former Chief Minister of Haryana, was reportedly stabbed by three persons, including his Nepalese servant, who decamped with about Rs 50,000 from his residence here last night.

The police said the servant and his two associates entered the room of Mr Manphool Singh and attacked him. Later, they took away the cash from the safe and left the place.

Mr Manphool Singh has been admitted to a private hospital here where his condition is stated to be out of danger.

The police has rounded up some Nepalese for investigation.

Mr Bhajan Lal visited the hospital.

Police impound autorickshaws
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, Sept 13 — The police has launched a drive against autorickshaws which are polluting the environment and not following traffic rules. Most of the autorickshaws remained off the road for the second day today, fearing police action. A large number of them have also been impounded.

There are thousands of autorickshaws in the city which are being driven without any registration papers and licence. They had also unauthorisedly installed diesel engines, replacing the petrol ones, which cause heavy air pollution.

A delegation of autorickshaw drivers today met Mr Mohammed Aquil, Superintendent of Police, who told them that the drive would continue against erring vehicles.

Decision to shift liquor shops
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, Sept 13 — The district administration has decided to shift the liquor shops set up on the green belt in the city.

This decision was taken recently at a meeting of the District Grievances Committee presided over by Mr B.K. Panigrahi, Deputy Commissioner. He also said the administration would appeal to the courts to vacate the stay granted to some liquor shops operating on the green belt.

Probe sought into attack on cops
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, Sept 13 — Sarpanches of the Meham block have demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged attack on policemen on September 6 and warned the police against entering villages to arrest those named in the FIR until the completion of the inquiry.

The sarpanches of 29 today held a meeting at Meham to discuss the incident and resolved that the inquiry into the incident should be held through the CBI and all policemen involved in the incident, including the SHO, should be transferred immediately.

In a memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister, the sarpanches said no attempt should be made to arrest the persons named in the FIR and their family members should not be harassed.

Bar council’s draft for War Heroes Fund
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 13 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Council today presented a bank draft of Rs 1 lakh to the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, for the Haryana Chief Ministers War Heroes Relief Fund.

The draft was presented to the Chief Minister by the council chairman, Mr H.S. Mattewal, and other members of the council.

The Advocate-General of Haryana, Mr Mohan Jain, also presented a demand draft of Rs 50,000 to Mr Chautala for the War Heroes Relief Fund. The amount was collected by the staff of the Advocate-General’s office.

Mr Chautala appreciated the gesture of the Bar Council and the Advocate-General for making a significant contribution to the fund created to provide financial assistance to the dependants of those soldiers who laid down their lives while defending the borders during "Operation Vijay" recently. The Chief Minister announced that he would get the names of district Bar associations’ presidents included in the district Public Relations and Grievances Committees.

R.B. Sharma to launch campaign in MP
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Sept 13 — Prof Ram Bilas Sharma, leader of the BJP Legislature Party in Haryana, will launch a three-day election campaign in Madhya Pradesh tomorrow. After that the he will mobilise party support in Himachal Pradesh from September 17 to 25.

This was decided at a meeting held here today under the presidentship of Mr Om Prakash Grover, state President of the party.

In a resolution, the meeting expressed grief over the demise of Satya Pal Saini, senior correspondent of Dainik Tribune, based at Rohtak.

Teachers' strike on Sept 30

Sonepat, Sept 13 (PTI) — Teachers of private-run colleges in Haryana will observe a day's token strike on September 30 in protest against the failure of the state government to release their salaries.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the Haryana College Teachers Union held here yesterday.

In a resolution, the union expressed its concern over the non-release of the salaries and urged the government to accept the demands of teachers, failing which it would launch a statewide agitation.