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H A R Y A N A |  |
 Monday, September 20, 1999 |
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Water logging problem plagues
farmers HISAR, Sept 19 — The problem of water logging, soil salinity and stagnation in productivity are causing great concern among farmers in Haryana. They are not satisfied even with the assistance being provided by scientists. Buffaloes bathe in sarovar AMBALA: The district administration and organisers, Sanatan Dharam Sabha, have been making massive arrangements for Vaman Dwadashi, the biggest religious fair of the region in Ambala City. The fair, which will be held from September 20 to 23, is almost 100 years old. |
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Use of red lights Civic body chiefs flouting rules AMBALA, Sept 19 — A large number of chairmen of zila parishads and municipal councils in the state have been using red lights on their official as well as private vehicles even though according to the latest gazette notification of the Haryana Government they are not authorised to do so. Death
of student Non-teaching
staff allege discrimination Gang
of train robbers busted Fatehabad
goes on Net today Politics
has reached "its nadir" All
Haryana roads to be improved Beopar
mandal threatens stir |
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Water logging problem plagues
farmers HISAR, Sept 19 — The problem of water logging, soil salinity and stagnation in productivity are causing great concern among farmers in Haryana. They are not satisfied even with the assistance being provided by scientists. Speaking to about a score of farmers at the farm darshan organised by CCS Haryana Agriculture University here, TNS found that hundreds of farmers were under debt as crops had failed for past four years. The state secretary of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, Mr Balraj, while articulating the problems of the farmers said many of them were in debt. He alleged that scores of suicides had been committed by farmers. He claimed that due to social and other inhibitions the farmers' families were trying to conceal these suicides. A farmer from the Dharbha area in Sirsa district, Jogi Ram, said about 20 acres of his land had been damaged due to the problem of water logging. He said there were hundreds of farmers whose land had come under water. For the past four years cotton, the main cash crop, had failed. Even when the water dried down, the salts remained on the surface rendering the soil useless. Jogi Ram claimed that while there had been no cases of suicide in his area, several farmers had migrated to the neighbouring Rajasthan in search of labour. He said since the farmers found it humiliating to work as labourers in their own areas, they were migrating to other places. Both Jogi Ram and Balraj were of the view that the government should announce a moratorium on the recovery of debts from the farmers in the flood and water logging affected areas. While Jogi Ram was hopeful after Mr Chautala took over, Mr Balraj claimed that the Chautala government was only posing to be farmer friendly. The other main demand of the farmers was that seeds were not available in an adequate quantity. The farmers said they would prefer the seeds produced by the HAU even if they had to pay extra money. They regretted that the seeds were not available in the desired quantity. The farmers also felt that there were a big gap between the farmers and the scientists. They suggested that the scientists should frequently visit the farms in remote villages. One farmer Munshi Ram had come from Sacha Khera village in Narwana. He had brought some rice plants with him to seek some expert guidance about the disease these were afflicted with. The HAU authorities said, there was a separate Rice Research Centre at Kaul in Kurukshetra district from where the farmers could get expert guidance about rice. About 17,000 farmers from Haryana and neighbouring states visited the kisan mela. The Vice-Chancellor, Mr
Viney Kumar, while addressing the farmers asked to visit
the university frequently and have healthy interaction
with the scientists. He assured them of all kind of help.
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Buffaloes bathe in sarovar AMBALA: The district administration and organisers, Sanatan Dharam Sabha, have been making massive arrangements for Vaman Dwadashi, the biggest religious fair of the region in Ambala City. The fair, which will be held from September 20 to 23, is almost 100 years old. Thousands of devotees from surrounding states come in large numbers to participate in it. The thakurs (idols of God) are given a floating treat in the holy Norang Rai Sarovar on the occasion. But for the past several years the sarovar is being used as a "bathing pond" for buffaloes which has made the water so muddy and polluted that no one likes to take a dip in it. Almost 13 years back, the then Chief Minister, Mr Bhajan Lal, had laid the foundation stone for the renovation of the sarovar. The then Governor, Mr G.D. Tapase, had also announced that the sarovar would be rebuilt. But till today not a single brick has been laid. Now the boundary of the sarovar has been broken at many places. Only two decades back, the fair used to attract such a gathering of devotees that the administration had to deploy at least six or seven companies of the police to maintain law and order. But later the excesses of the police and groupism among the organisers caused discouragement among rural the devotees and they avoided joining it. Now it has become an exhibition of bands. The fair is celebrated in the memory of "Vaman Bhagwan" an avtar of Lord Vishnu. It is said King Bali was proud of his might. To break his pride Lord Vishnu took the avtar of Vaman Bhagwan measuring only 52 fingers high as a Brahmin and appeared in the court of Bali demanding a piece of land measuring three steps of his size. Bali granted it. Lord Vishnu retained the whole earth in one step and the sky in the second. Later, he asked Bali where to put the third step. Bali understood that the Brahmin was Lord Vishnu. He offered him to put his third step on his head. As soon as Vishnu put his third step on his head, he thrust him into "patal" (below the earth). The people of Ambala
have been demanding that this historical fair should be
declared a state fair like Kapal Mochan Fair. Mr Suresh
Kumar Mittal, the convener of the fair, said the
government should come forward to help the organisers in
making the fair more popular. |
More retarded kids in
villages: report ROHTAK, Sept 19 — The rise in the number of mentally and physically handicapped children in the rural areas has alarmed the district authorities. A survey being conducted by the local Arpan Institute for Mentally Handicapped Children has revealed that nearly 2 per cent of the population between the age group of 1 to 20 years was found mentally handicapped. The survey is still in progress in selected blocks and is likely to be completed by the end of the month. According to the figures made available to TNS, about 292 cases of mentally retarded children have been identified in 12 villages of Lakhanmajra block, 226 in 16 villages of Sonepat block and 205 in the 39 colonies situated in the suburbs of Rohtak. The highest number of 61 mentally retarded children have been identified in Bainsi village followed by 43 in Titoli, 42 in Sunderpur, 27 in Bhagwatipur, 22 in Kharainti, 23 in Kharak-Jatan, 14 in Gugaheri, 15 in Chiri and 16 in Lakhanmajra. There are nine such cases in Girethi village and eight in Indergarh. There are 44 such cases in Kakroi village of Sonepat block followed by 32 in Bada-Kanda, 27 in Mahlana, 26 in Bhadana, 21 each in Rohat and Bathgaon and 10 in Nakloi. Interestingly, all such cases are from the economically poor families belonging to all communities. These families are unable to bear the expenses of the treatment of their wards and leave them at the mercy of God. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Arun Kumar, told TNS that he has asked the institute to conduct similar surveys in the Sampla, Kalanaur and Meham blocks also. The survey has been conducted under a scheme of the Central Institute of Mental Retardation (CIMR), Thiruvanathapuram, which envisages rehabilitation of mentally retarded persons within the family and community. Mr Arun Kumar plans to send a team consisting of professionals like physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, special educator, social worker and psychologist to the rural areas. He said he was planning
to establish rural centres for mentally retarded children
in these villages with the financial assistance of the
Union Government. The teams of the professionals, he
said, would visit these villages every Saturday and
thereafter the number of visits would be increased. |
Use of red lights AMBALA, Sept 19 — A large number of chairmen of zila parishads and municipal councils in the state have been using red lights on their official as well as private vehicles even though according to the latest gazette notification of the Haryana Government they are not authorised to do so. Certain heads of the state unit of several political parties, in some cases even the heads of the district unit have put red light on their vehicles. Since they are influential persons, nothing is being done in this regard. According to a notification issued on August 16 by the Transport Department, Haryana, some more VIPs have been authorised to put red lights on their vehicles. Those who are entitled for the red lights are the Chief Minister, ministers (including Parliamentary Secretary), the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha, the Chief Justice and Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, MPs and MLAs, Chief Secretary, Principal and Deputy Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Press Adviser to the Chief Minister, Financial Commissioners, Administrative Secretaries, chairmen of boards and corporations, Deputy Chairman, Planning Board, Vice-Chancellors of universities, Chairman, Haryana Public Service Commission, and SSS Board, Commissioners at the Divisional headquarters. The others who are authorised to use red lights are the DGP, ADGPs IGs, DIG (CID), DIGs Range, Transport Commissioner, Commissioner Excise and Taxation, Adviser, Chief Executive Pilot, Registrar (High Court), District and Sessions Judges, DCs, SPs, civil surgeons, all vehicals of Raj Bhavan, Chairman, Haryana Bureau of Public Enterprises, President, State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission. Principal Chief Conservator and Deputy Principal Chief Conservator, DGHS, Haryana, Income Tax Commissioners (Panchkula, Faridabad, Rohtak), Divisional Railway Manager Ambala, A.G. (Haryana Additional DCs, Additional SPs, SDM, city magistrates, Chairman HVPN, Director, Postgraduate Medical Science Institute, Rohtak, State Election Commissioner, Chief Income Tax Commissioner, Chandigarh, chairman and members of HPGC. All vehicles of the Haryana Police, transport department and Excise and Taxation Department are also authorised to put red lights. Meanwhile, the
government has directed the district administration to
follow the rules strictly and check those officers who
are not authorised to but have put the red lights on
their vehicles. |
Death of student ROHTAK, Sept 19 — The post mortem of Sachin Chauhan, a school- boy, by forensic science experts of the PGIMS here has led the police to suspect foul play in his death. The body of Sachin who was studying in a Sonepat school was recovered from the railway track on September 16. According to PGIMS sources, the examination indicated that the victim had received some injuries, which might have been inflicted before his death. He was a resident of Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh and was sharing a rented accommodation with two other students, at Sonepat. The police was baffled
by the recovery of the identity card and purse of another
student from the body which bore several injuries. |
Non-teaching staff allege
discrimination HISAR, Sept 19 — The Non-Teaching Employees Union of private colleges in Haryana has alleged discrimination by the government vis-a-vis their service conditions. Mr Sushil Rajpal, secretary of the union, said according to the security of the Services Act, 1979, the teachers and non-teaching employees of the private colleges were to be paid salary as fixed by the Education Department from time to time. All services rules, including leave, TA/DA and superannuation, were equally applicable to the teaching as well as non-teaching employees. He pointed out that the Haryana Government had given the service benefit to the teaching staff in the shape of a senior scale and a selection grade after their rendering five and eight years of service, respectively. But the non-teaching employees had been denied these benefits. He said not a single non-teaching employee had been given any service benefit, while the teaching staff was given service benefits through senior pay scales and selection grades. The union has urged the
Chief Minister to remove the disparity by granting them
senior and selection grades so that justice is done to
the non-teaching employees of the private colleges. |
Gang of train robbers busted ROHTAK, Sept 19 — The Railway Police has claimed to have busted a gang of robbers who used to loot train passengers by offering them eatables laced with poisonous substances, with the arrest of eight persons. The police has also arrested another person who used to sell drugs and tablets to the gang in an illegal manner. According to the SSP, Railway Police, Mr Attar Singh Ahlawat, the members of this gang belong to Bihar and West Bengal and have been active in the northern region for the past some time. He said they admitted their involvement in at least three cases of robbery committed in the trains in the past few months. The arrested persons have been identified as Raja Sarkar, Mohammed Khalid, Mohammed Feroz, Aslam, Abdul, Farooq, Feroz and Mohammed Ispau. A case has been registered under Sections 328, 379 and 34 of the IPC against them. Another person,
identified as Mukesh Yadav, running a chemist shop in
Delhi has also been nabbed by the Railway Police on
charges of supplying some "drugs" to the
accused, who used these in their work. |
Fatehabad goes on Net today FATEHABAD, Sept 19 — Fatehabad will be available on the internet from tomorrow. Anybody from anywhere in the world can" visit" this district at http://fatehabad8m.com. Fatehabad is the first district in Haryana and one of the few in the country, which can be accessed through the Net. Currently the site is in the process of being built and will be complete by tomorrow. It is one of the small districts in the state with just three tehsils of Fatehabad, Ratia and Tohana, two sub divisions, two sub tehsils of Bhatu and Bhuna and five blocks. Deputy Commissioner V.Rajashekhar has been the main force behind bringing Fatehabad on the Net. Two months ago the Divisional Commissioner, Hisar, Mr Dharamvir, released the compact disc carrying all revenue-related details of the district. Now it will be about the history of the town. Its culture, people, language and everything related to it. The site also carries some photographs. Mr Rajashekhar said he had launched a 100-day programme with maximum possible computerisation. He was also instrumental in the setting up of the District Computer Society. He has already launched a computer networking system joining all blocks, tehsils, sub-tehsils and subdivisions with one district headquarters and with one another. All major offices like that of the Deputy Commissioner, tehsildars, block development officers and SDMs will be connected with computers. Four municipal
committees would also be connected with other offices in
the district, he said, adding that the CD carrying all
revenue records of the district was prepared in a record
time period of 15 days. A business inventory had also
been developed. Besides, a special software for
"arhtias" (commission agents) had already been
prepared. |
Politics has reached "its
nadir" FATEHABAD, Sept 19 — Former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal is of the opinion that Indian politics has reached its nadir as parties and leaders are only after money and power. Mr Devi Lal told mediapersons here today that due to wrong policies successive Congress government at the Centre the country had suffered a lot. At a time when people should have been provided help on the basis of their economic conditions, the Congress did it on the basis of their castes. This he said, had divided the country on caste lines. Mr Devi Lal held the Press also responsible for the said state of affairs of the country and regretted that it had not been able to live up to the expectation of people. He said the media must
play a constructive role, if the conditions in the
country were to be improved. |
All Haryana roads to be
improved CHANDIGARH, Sept 19 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, said here today that keeping in view the poor condition of roads in the state, it had been decided to improve them in a phased manner. All roads of Haryana would be made pothole-free by November 30. He said the condition of roads had deteriorated to such an extent that normal maintenance would not be sufficient. Mr Chautala said an
investment of Rs 500 crore had already been approved by
his government to upgrade the state highways and repair
other major roads. Instructions had also been given to
the Department of Public Works (B&R), the Haryana
State Agriculture Marketing Board and the Rural
Development Fund to complete most of the works by May,
2000. |
Beopar mandal threatens stir AMBALA, Sept 19 — The Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal will launch a statewide agitation if their demands are not implemented within two months. Talking to mediapersons here today, Mr Bajrang Dass Garg, State President of the mandal, stated here today that the Chief Minister had assured him that their demands would be considered sympathetically. Mr Garg said the ban on the use of polythene bags in the state should be withdrawn. Criticising former Chief Minister Bansi Lal, he alleged that Mr Bansi Lal was anti-trader. He raised the taxes and market fee in the state which had caused a great loss to the traders as well as the common man. He demanded the abolition of octroi and urged the government to withdraw the enhancement of the taxes which was imposed by the previous government. He was addressing a
meeting of local traders at S.D. Senior Secondary School
here. |
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