H A R Y A N A

Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash presenting a bouquet to Major Ashok Sharma, who performed the duty of a Battery Commander supporting 2 Raj Rifle on Taloling, Tiger Hill in the Kargil area and was injured and suffered serious backbone injuries during enemy shelling, after witnessing a play on Kargil entitled "The Fifty Day War" performed by Welcome theatre Group at Mehrauli, New Delhi, on Monday night.

Hooda, Bhajan Lal threaten stir
CHANDIGARH, April 4 — The Haryana Congress President, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and the former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in the state Vidhan Sabha, Mr Bhajan Lal, today threatened to launch an agitation if the Chautala government insisted on implementing tax proposals approved by the Cabinet on April 2.

YC to hold protest on May 2
ROHTAK, April 4 — The Youth Congress will hold demonstration outside Parliament House on May 2 in protest against the unprecedented hike in the prices of fertilisers, diesel, kerosene, cooking gas and wheat and rice sold through the public distribution system (PDS).

Girl kills herself on fiance’s rejection
HISAR, April 4 — A 20-year-old girl committed suicide after her engagement was broken and marriage cancelled by the family of the bridegroom.

Chautala assures job-oriented education policy
GOHANA (Sonepat), April 4 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today said that the government was in the process of formulating a job-oriented education policy.

Hooda, Bhajan Lal threaten stir
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 4 — The Haryana Congress President, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and the former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in the state Vidhan Sabha, Mr Bhajan Lal, today threatened to launch an agitation if the Chautala government insisted on implementing tax proposals approved by the Cabinet on April 2.

Addressing separate press conferences here and at Panchkula, respectively, both Mr Hooda and Mr Bhajan Lal accused the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, of cheating the people who had been burdened by the government with heavy taxes and an increase in electricity charges.

They said the Chautala government had been promising that no new taxes would be imposed. But immediately after presenting a tax-free Budget, the state government imposed several taxes once the civic poll was over.

The Congress leaders said Mr Chautala had been saying, he would withdraw taxes imposed by Mr Bansi Lal in the wake of prohibition. But he had backtracked from his promise.

Mr Hooda said the abolition of octroi had caused a loss of about Rs 45 crore to the public exchequer. But the new taxes would put a burden of over Rs 200 crore per annum on the people.

He said there were indications that taxes would be imposed on ruralites also. There was a move to raise stamp duty on the registration of properties, both in urban and rural areas.

Mr Hooda alleged that people in rural areas were feeling cheated because before the elections Mr Chautala had promised to fill 60,000 vacancies. His men had even taken measurements of people in villages and promised them jobs in the police. But now the CM had imposed a complete ban on recruitment.

Mr Hooda and Mr Bhajan Lal also criticised the Chautala government’s proposal to construct a “fun and fair city” with a casino. Describing it as a new name for the controversial Disneyland project, they said the casino would encourage anti-social elements of the other states to migrate to Haryana where already the law and order situation was alarming.

The Congress leaders alleged that under the garb of setting up the casino certain politicians in power wanted to grind their own axe by way of acquiring land.

They alleged that mass-scale irregularities had been committed during the recent panchayat and civic poll, which was far from free and fair. Mr Hooda alleged that Congress-supported candidates were being implicated in false cases. Vehicles belonging to them had been burnt in Kurukshetra where even women had been manhandled.

Both reiterated support to Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

YC to hold protest on May 2
From Jatinder Sharma

ROHTAK, April 4 — The Youth Congress will hold demonstration outside Parliament House on May 2 in protest against the unprecedented hike in the prices of fertilisers, diesel, kerosene, cooking gas and wheat and rice sold through the public distribution system (PDS).

The newly-appointed president of the Youth Congress (YC), Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, said that the party would demand rollback of the prices of these essential commodities which have become unaffordable for the people, especially those living below the poverty line. Nearly 74 per cent of the population in the country had been adversely affected by the hike in the prices of these commodities.

Mr Surjewala was speaking to newsmen on his first visit to the home state after taking over as President of the YC. Warm receptions were accorded to him on entering Haryana at Bahadurgarh.

Accompanied by the Congress Seva Dal Chief, Mr Rajiv Gugnani, and the local MLA, Mr Shadi Lal Batra, the YC Chief criticised the Vajpayee government and Haryana and Punjab governments headed by Mr Om Parkash Chautala and Mr Parkash Singh Badal, respectively, for pursuing ‘anti-people’ policies.

Mrs Kartar Devi, a former legislator and Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, father of the YC chief, were also present.

The demonstration was originally scheduled for April 20, but has been postponed in view of the ongoing harvesting season. However, the party President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, would also be out of Delhi on April 20.

Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala claimed that the new Exim policy announced by the Vajpayee government would ‘prove disastrous’ for the cottage and small-scale industries. The permission granted for import of 1500 items of daily use would derail the domestic industries, thereby rendering thousands of skilled and unskilled persons jobless.

Girl kills herself on fiance’s rejection
Tribune News Service

HISAR, April 4 — A 20-year-old girl committed suicide after her engagement was broken and marriage cancelled by the family of the bridegroom.

According to police sources, Suman, a resident of Gugamerhi village in Rajasthan, was engaged to Rakesh who belonged to Hisar. However, only a fortnight before the marriage was scheduled, Rakesh’s family reportedly cancelled the marriage. His parents claimed that they had been misled by the girl’s family and some other girl was produced at the time of engagement ceremony.

Suman reportedly pleaded with Rakesh’s parents not to cancel the marriage. She also tried to convince Rakesh about this. However, her pleadings bore no results.

Meanwhile, Rakesh again got engaged to some other girl from Delhi. His marriage is to take place in this month only.

Feeling humiliated Suman left her home a few days ago on the pretext of going to her friend’s place. However, she arrived at Rakesh’s house at the local Aggarwal Colony and consumed poison in front of his house.

Seeing her struggling for life, some people took her to a hospital. Rakesh’s family reportedly refused to recognise her. The police could not identify her at the first instance. But a letter, which she had written before consuming poison, led the police to the clue.

The police said, it had to close down the case, since Suman’s parents did not lodge any complaint. Suman was a prolific writer and used to regularly contribute to various newspapers. According to her suicide note, she used to regularly write about the social evils. “But unfortunately I had to sacrifice myself at the altar of same evils, which I wanted to fight in my life”, her suicide note read.

Chautala assures job-oriented education policy
Tribune News Service

GOHANA (Sonepat), April 4 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today said that the government was in the process of formulating a job-oriented education policy. Addressing a gathering at Ahulana village, about 5 km from here, the Chief Minister said that a committee comprising of vice-chancellors of universities and educationists had been constituted to evolve the new policy.

Mr Chautala said that the government wanted to do away with the education system which produced only ‘white-collared’ clerks. Criticising the previous regimes for literally “auctioning” the jobs and promoting back door entries into jobs, the Chief Minister said that the present government wanted to make the youth self-sufficient.

Mr Chautala, who was here to lay the foundation stone of Gohana Co-operative Sugar Mill, said that the farming sector needed to be diversified in the changing scenario. He suggested that vegetable cultivation and dairy development should be boosted to meet new challenges.

The Chief Minister said that steps taken to check the menace of floods and water-logging were the government’s priority and if needed more drains would be dug up. He added that the farmers could now use the drain water for irrigation. Mr Chautala said that the development of those areas which were neglected by the past regimes due to political factors would be given priority. Citing the example of Sonepat, he said that the previous government’s had ignored this area since the people here were staunch supporters of Mr Devi Lal.

The Chief Minister announced that all those schools, which have fulfilled the government norms had been upgraded by March 31 and many more would be upgraded in future when they would be able to meet the norms.

He said that the Gohana Sugar Mill would become operational by next November and would have a crushing capacity of 2500 tonnes of sugarcane everyday. The sugar mill would be built at a cost of about Rs 50 crore.

University staff retire as millionaires
From Vimal Sumbly
Tribune News Service

HISAR, April, 4 — Mr B.L. Chaudhary (not his real name) could not have dreamt of owning a spacious house and a car simultaneously just a few years ago. It is no longer a dream as he now owns both after his retirement. At the time of his retirement he received about Rs 2 million, which included his retirement benefits and provident fund.

Mr Chaudhary is one of the many people who recently retired from CCS Haryana Agricultural University as millionaires. Mr Chaudhary was from the non-teaching staff. On an average, a Professor or a scientist get about 2.5 million at the time of his retirement.

Mr Chaudhary admits he had never thought of becoming a millionaire. And he did become one, even if at the time of retirement only. He says a good hike in salaries due to the latest pay revision has placed the employees in a financially comfortable position. “I joined my services in the early seventies on a petty monthly salary of Rs 500 a month and when I retired, I was getting Rs 21,000 a month”, he says with a sense of pride and satisfaction.

Several professors, scientists and officers from the non-teaching staff have retired recently from the HAU, as millionaires. One senior officer of the university said, “It is not something the teachers or other staff is getting for nothing. It is only the outcome of their lifetime hardwork and of course hard earned savings”.

Besides IAS officers, the class that has benefited most from the latest pay revision is that of college and university teachers. The non-teaching officers are also paid well. On an average, a professor gets a monthly salary of Rs 25,000 a month. Even the clerical staff come in the tax net.

However, there is a dismal side to this situation. The university, which is already cash starved, is finding it difficult to make these payments. The university had to resort to austerity measures to curb expenditure. But all those people who have retired will get their dues in time, an officer of the university said.

Gohana police arrests poll officer, candidate
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, April 4 — The Gohana police has arrested six persons, including a presiding officer and a candidate, on the charge of violating various sections of the IPC and the people’s Representation Act during polling for the civic elections at Gohana in this district.

Senior Superintendent of Police K.P. Singh told mediapersons here today that the arrested persons had been identified as Mr M.L. Jain, a lecturer in Hindu College, Sonepat, Mr Dinesh Kumar, Development Officer, LIC, a steno in the LIC office, Mr Siri Bhagwan and Mr Sant Lal, both clerks in the office of the Public Health Department, and Mr Purshotam Dass, a candidate from ward No 4.

Mr Jain was posted as presiding officer and Mr Dinesh Kumar a polling officer at booth No 1 of ward No 4. Others were posted as their subordinates.

He said the arrests followed a complaint lodged by the Returning Officer, alleging that two bundles of ballot papers were missing on the poll day. During the counting process, as many as 38 ballot papers were found used in favour of Mr Purshotam Dass.

According to the SSP, the Gohana police had arrested Mr K.C. Siwach, presiding officer of polling booth No 1 in ward No. 14 on the charge of taking liquor and misbehaving with policemen and other government employees while on poll duty.

He said Mr Siwach was a junior engineer in the Irrigation Department.

Civil court at Meham inaugurated
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, April 4 — Urging the lawyers and the judges to refrain from delaying the litigation Mr Justice Swatantra Kumar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, has asked them to give dates to the litigants only in important matters in order to provide timely justice to the people.

He was speaking after inaugurating a civil court at Meham, near here, today. The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, presided over the function.

Mr Kumar said the court at Meham had been set up with the aim to provide timely justice at low cost to the people.

Mr Chautala said the people of this subdivision would get justice at their doorstep with the setting up of this court. Besides, he said the move would expedite the judicial process and reduce the burden of the local people.

The Chief Minister said the administrative building of the civil court had been completed at a cost of Rs 22.15 lakh while Rs 82.85 lakh had been sanctioned for the construction of residential complex for the judge and judicial staff.

The District and Sessions Judge, Mr R.S. Madan, said nearly 2,000 cases out of 27,000 pending before various courts in the district had been transferred to this court. The civil Judge-cum-Judicial Magistrate, Mr Bhupender Nath, had been posted at Meham.

Capt Inder Singh, MP Mr Dhirpal Singh, Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Balbir Singh, MLA from Meham, Ms Anita Chaudhary, Commissioner, Rohtak division and Mr Rajesh Khullar, Deputy Commissioner, were present on the occasion.

Haryana civic poll results
From Tribune Reporters

KAITHAL, April 4 — The State Election Commission has ordered recounting of votes for the post of sarpanch of Rajound village of this district.

The Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Electoral Officer, Mr Mahavir Singh, said here today that the elections were held on March 16 along with other panchayat elections, but now the State Election Commissioner had ordered the recounting and the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr H.P. Chaudhary, would supervise the process at the local Panchayat Bhavan on April 6.

The villagers had demanded a repoll on account of irregularities committee during elections and the counting of votes.

The elections to the Cheeka Municipal Committee falling in Guhla subdivision of this district were held on Sunday and about 85 per cent votes were cast to elect 15 members. The following have been elected members of the municipal committee from their respective wards Mr Baljit Saini (Ward no. 1); Ms Roshni Devi (Ward no. 2), Ms Santosh Devi (Ward no. 3), Mr Sham Lal (Ward no. 4), Ms Jagti Devi (Ward no. 5), Mr Veer Bhan (Ward no. 6), Mr Suresh Kumar (Ward no. 7), Mr Budh Ram (Ward no. 8), Mr Om Parkash (Ward no. 9), Mr Satish Kumar (Ward no. 10), Mr Ranjit Singh Ward no. 11), Mr Balkar Singh (Ward no. 12), Mr Jai Parkash (Ward no. 13), Ms Kanta (Ward no. 14) and Ms Geeta (Ward no. 15).

Goldsmith arrested
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, April 4 — The city police has arrested Vinod, a goldsmith, a resident of Barot town in Baghpat district of UP, on the charge of purchasing looted jewellery from members of Sheikh Bangali criminal gang, popularly known “Momin gang”, who had been arrested by the police.

Mr K.P. Singh, SSP, told mediapersons here today that some looted jewellery were also seized from the goldsmith. The members of this gang had committed robbery in the house of Mr Ashok Chitkara, an official of the Haryana Financial Corporation on March 16 and escaped, after killing him and injuring his wife and a son. They also killed three other persons in nearby villages of Shadipur, Kabirpur and Fazilpur.

The SSP claimed that the police had so far solved more than 200 cases of dacoity and murder committed by the members of this gang during the past three years in Haryana, Punjab, UP and Delhi. As many as 17 members of this gang had already been arrested, he added.

Advocate injured in attack
From Our Correspondent

GURGAON, April 4 — An advocate was attacked by two persons with sharpedged weapons at the district courts complex yesterday. The advocate was injured in the face. He was stated to be out of danger.

The district Bar Association has demanded that the security at the court complex should be increased to check the criminal activities.

According to eye witnesses, Mr Raghbir Singh Saini was sitting on his seat near the main entrance of the district courts when the police brought certain criminals to the court. As they reached the gate, two handcuffed criminals Mahesh and Roopa Singh attacked Mr Saini.

Widow beheaded
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, April 4 — A widow Leela Devi was allegedly beheaded by her brother-in-law at Mchuwala village in this district yesterday. The accused, Raj Kumar, surrendered before the police after committing the crime.

According to reports, Leela Devi’s husband Kalu Ram had died four years ago. Her brother-in-law, Raj Kumar, suspected that she had developed an illicit relationship.

He saw her in compromising position with a man yesterday and beheaded her.

Criminal gang busted
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, April 4 — The police last night busted a “Kachha banian” gang of criminals by arresting four persons belonging to a denotified nomadic tribe.

A police spokesman identified them as Shahzad, Shakil, Dagra and Sahil, all hailing from Deoband in U.P. He said they committed murder of at least 20 persons during the past few years in Haryana and U.P. They were also responsible for a large number of dacoities and looting in the two states.

The police also arrested Bijendra, Sonu, Kuldeep, Jaibir, Hari Singh, Bansilal, Shiv Kumar and Ram Babu in connection with a number of thefts and burglaries in Faridabad.