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| Wednesday, April 12, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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Degree racket: CBI probe sought Sacked Magistrate’s bail plea
rejected Saraswati Sarovar being renovated
Fiji PM among 29 to be honoured |
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Rise in ‘gutka’
addiction among kids CPI meeting on April 16 IAS officer suspended 3 SPs made DIGs Haryana postings Khalsa March draws large crowd SC stays execution in multiple
murder case Effluent treatment plant for
Sonepat Mazdoor union hails govt decision
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Degree racket: CBI probe sought ROHTAK, April 11 — The case of fake degrees and tampering with the results by some non-teaching employees of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) has taken a new turn with the probe committee recommending a CBI inquiry into the matter. The university has already suspended at least seven of its employees, including a Superintendent, in connection with the case. The case, which was detected about two months ago, was probed by a three-member committee headed by a Professor. The report submitted recently states that the matter was of a serious nature and required a detailed probe. It mentions at least 24 cases of alleged preparation of fake degrees or marksheets and tampering of results in the university from 1993 to 1996. A majority of cases reported by relate to the B.Ed. course. The probe committee, which included a Professor of the Commerce Department and a Deputy Registrar, has also recommended preparing a film of the records seized by it during the investigation. It has expressed concern about the manner in which duplicate marksheets or degrees had been issued. The employees who have been suspended in this connection include Gulab Singh, a Superintendent, Sispal Saini, Rishi Pal of the results branch, Kali Ram of the certificate branch, Shri Ram and Jaibhagwan. Two outsiders are also suspected to be involved in the case. One of the suspended employees has demanded security from the Registrar of the varsity. His application has been forwarded to the SSP. Meanwhile, the
officiating Vice-Chancellor, Ms Anita Chaudhary,
Commissioner, Rohtak Division, has reportedly banned the
entry of the suspended employees into the administrative
block. She has also set up another committee to check and
tally all past records. It is learnt that any decision
about handing over the matter to any other agency will be
taken after the constitution of the new committee. |
Sacked Magistrate’s bail
plea rejected FARIDABAD, April 11 — Mr P.L. Goyal, Additional District and Sessions Judge, today rejected the application for anticipatory bail filed by Mr Vipin Kumar Gupta, a dismissed Metropolitan Magistrate of Delhi. A case under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust), 498-A (demand for dowry), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 323 (beating), IPC was registered on the basis of an FIR filed by Deepika Lal, an"anticipatory bail saying that from the allegations in the FIR it was clear that he had been harassing, torturing and humiliating Ms Deepika Lal by raising a demand for Rs.5 lakh. He had also been beating her for not meeting the dowry demand. It was further observed that Mr Vipin Kumar Gupta had used an abusive language against Deepika and members of her family on telephone which was tape-recorded. Mr Goyal said perhaps the Delhi High Court had rightly terminated Mr Gupta’s services. The case against Gupta
was not such which warranted the exercise of the power to
grant of anticipatory bail. Hence the application stood
rejected, Mr Goyal said. |
Fiji PM among 29 to be
honoured CHANDIGARH, April 11 — The Haryana Government has decided to honour 29 prominent persons, who hail from the State and have rendered outstanding service to society in various fields, at the concluding ceremony of the tercentenary of the birth of Khalsa at Yamunanagar on April 13. The Prime Minister of Fiji, Mr Mahender Chaudhary, who hails from Bahu Jamalpur village in Rohtak district, is also among the prominent persons to be honoured. The decision to honour such persons was taken at a meeting of the state-level committee constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to celebrate the tercentenary of the birth of Khalsa. Col Hoshiar Singh, winner of the Paramvir Chakra, will be honoured posthumously for the exemplary courage shown by him in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Padam Bhushan Lieut-Gen Khamkaran Singh, who fought three battles in 1962, 1965, and 1971 and won the Mahavir Chakra twice, will also be honoured. The other prominent persons to be honoured include Mrs Santosh Yadav, mountaineer; Nawab Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and Mr Kapil Dev, cricketers; Mr Lila Ram, wrestler, Mr Pritam Thakran, international hockey player; Baba Harbans Singh Kar Sewa Wale; Ms Kalpana Chawla, astronaut; Mr Sunil Dutt, noted actor and former MP; Mr Subhash Ghai, noted film producer; Pandit Jasraj, classical singer; Pandit Tule Ram, Sarangi player; Ustad Jhaman Khan, Nagada player; famous Singh Bandhus — Tejpal Singh and Surender Singh; Mr Subhash Goyal of Zee TV; Mr Raghuvender Singh, an industrialist of Rohtak; Mr Ranjit Puri, an industrialist of Yamunanagar; State poet Udhaibhanu Hans; Dr Hemraj Nirman, wellknown author and winner of the State Sahitya Akademi Award. Certain prominent progressive farmers, including Mr Surinder Kumar of Nathusari Chopta of Sirsa district; Mr J.S. Kharbanda of Karnal; Mr Joginder Singh of Dera Amin in Kurukshetra district, Mr Daljit Singh Khera of Batauli village in Yamunanagar district and Mr Krishan Kumar Dagar of Akbarpur Barota in Sonepat will also be honoured. Mr Rohit Bakar, a deaf
and dumb badminton player, who won the gold medal at the
18th Sports Meet for Deaf and Dumb held at Copenhegan in
Denmark in 1997, will also be honoured. |
Rise in ‘gutka’
addiction among kids HISAR, April 11 — With more and more schoolchildren getting hooked to "gutka" — a paan masala with chewing tobacco — the sale of various brands of this concoction has increased threefold in the past three years in Haryana. Inquiries from trade circles reveal that the current sales of the "gutka" in the state average Rs 3 crore a month. This makes Haryana one of the biggest consumers of the product. More disturbing than the health hazards is the fact that most of these children switch over to narcotic drugs and other painkillers after a couple of years. This explains the increase in the number of addicts brought to de-addiction centres all over the state. Gutka is freely available at paan shops and general merchant shops. Even booksellers and stationers have started keeping stocks of it. Pouches of "gutka" are passed off to schoolchildren in lieu of change. Behavioural experts trace the origin of the habit to use of tobacco to rural households where "hukkah" smoking is extremely popular. Male children are encouraged by elders to fill the "chillum" and prepare the "hukka" for them by having a few puffs. However, they have a different explanation for girls taking to "gutka". They say the daughters of parents who use ordinary paan masala are most prone to using "gutka". A child who chews paan masala at an early age is bound to pick up "gutka" pouches sooner than later, they add. The concoction is available in pouches costing Re 1 to Rs 4 depending upon the quantity. However, the Re 1 pouch is the most popular among schoolchildren. Dr Inderjit a local physician and social worker, who spearheaded a campaign against the use of "gutka" in local schools last year said he was stunned to find that more than 50 per cent of students from Class VI onwards were addicted to "gutka". He says a similar situation prevails all over the state. The rural areas, he says, are no exception. There has also been an alarming increase in the number of patients suffering from mouth cancer and sub mucous fibrosis in the state over the past few years. The latter is a disease, which restricts the opening of the mouth cavity. Inquiries revealed that the incidence of these diseases among younger age groups was increasing fast. Doctors find it to be a fall out of the increase in the use of "gutka". Behavioural experts also attribute the increasing number of drug addicts in the state to this problem. They say habit to take "gutka" usually led to addiction to narcotic drugs and painkillers. Inquiries reveal that narcotic painkillers like Fortwin, Pentawin and Fortagesic are available easily at drug stores though legally there is a ban on their sale without doctor’s prescription. Besides, youths are increasingly taking to synthetic opioids like Tidigesic in tablet form and Norphin injections. The other most abused drug is codeine phosphate followed by newer tranquillisers like Alprax. It is learnt that the sales of these drugs has risen in direct proportion to the rise in the sales of "gutka" in the state indicating that "gutka" users were gradually becoming drug addicts. These narcotic drugs are available in the market easily and in most cases youth just has to walk up to a chemist shop and hand over the money without even uttering a word. The chemist determines which drug is sought from the amount handed over. He quietly hands over the tablets or an ampoule and a disposal syringe as the case may be. Along with this an increasing number of students in college and university hostels are applying Iodex — a pain relieving ointment — on their bread instead of butter. This gives them a light kick, which goes unnoticed during classes. Once the classes are over they use stronger drugs. The use of cough syrups, however, is now on the wane. Painkillers made from narcotic derivatives are now taking their place. Dr Inderjit said parents
and teachers must come forward to eliminate the menace of
gutka. He sought a ban on the sale of "gutka". |
Saraswati Sarovar being renovated PEHOWA: A Rs 1.03-crore project to renovate the Saraswati tank here is nearing completion. Renovation work on the ghats and the Saraswati Sarovar and its surroundings was started in October 1991 under the aegis of the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB). Mr Girish Arora, Secretary of the Kurukshetra Development Board, told TNS that the project was to be completed within a year. However, speedy steps taken by the K.D.B. to complete the project has resulted into its early completion. He said renovation of the women’s ghat had already been completed. The Governor of Haryana, Mr Mahabir Prasad, who heads the Kurukshetra Development Board, inaugurated the new women’s ghat for bathing on the historic Chetar Chaudas Fair, which started on April 2 and concluded on April 4. Mr Arora said the renovation work was completed in a manner so that almost entire project was over before the historic Chetar Chaudas Fair, However, due to constraints, only a small portion of work, including finishing touches, remains. The women’s ghats has been completed at a cost of Rs 30 lakh. Under the renovation project, a flight of stairs, fresh railing and more bathing ghats have been added. Similar work is under progress at the other end of the Saraswati Sarovar. The Chetar Chaudas Fair symbolises the deep Hindu-Sikh unity of this area. It also indicates that the Sikhs of Malwa region, comprising Patiala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Faridkot, Malerkotla, Nabha, Fatehgarh Saheb and Ropar districts etc have abiding faith in the rituals contained in the Vedas to propitiate their ancestors. According to Vaman Purana, the sacred Prithudak Tirath now known as Pehowa, was sanctified by the waters of nine rivers flowing in this area. The Saraswati was the major one. In the Rigveda, the Saraswati is considered the "best of rivers". A sacred temple of Goddess Saraswati is situated near the eastern gate of the Pehowa Tirath. The place was named after King Prithu who prayed here to absolve his father king Vane of the ugly bane of leprosy. As per Indian mythology, the king was cured of the leprosy after taking a bath in the river’s sacred waters. After that the place became famous for pro pitiating the souls of ancestors by performing ‘pind daan’ here. Hindu mythology also mentions that Lord Krishna had asked King Yudhisthra to perform pind daans of his ancestors during the Mahabharata war at Prithudak Tirath. In the modern age, a number of saints, Sikh Gurus, including Guru Gobind Singh and Maharaja Ranjit Singh, had visited the place. Even the sacred pair of shoes of Guru Gobind Singh was kept in a gurudwara situated at the banks of the Saraswati Sarovar. The pandas here have a record of over 2,000 years in their books preserved from the centuries of each family which had visited this place. Even today, people from foreign lands like Britain, Canada, Australia, USA and West Asia who had left this country for greener pastures in foreign countries, return to this place to offer pind daan in the memory of their ancestors. The Kurukshetra
Development Board had been taking keen interest and
decide to renovate the entire complex. A master plan was
drawn up under which provisions have been made for the
supply of fresh water to the tank. Till last year, the
water was filled afresh every year on the Chetar Chaudas
Fair. This water used to stagnate for months together in
the holy tank, thus desecrating it. From this year,
provisions are being made for providing better lighting
basic public health facilities and drinking water. |
CPI meeting on April 16 SONEPAT, April 11 — The Haryana State Council of the Communist Party of India (CPI) will meet on April 16 at Panipat to decide on launching about a state-wide agitation against the hike in the prices of petroleum products, rationed commodities and urea by the Central Government and imposing of fresh taxes by the state government headed by Mr Om Prakash Chautala. Mr Raghbir Singh Chaudhary, secretary of the state unit of the party, told mediapersons here today that the meeting would also take a decision about participating in the nationwide strike on May 11 next, on a call of which had already been given by the national manch of the Left parties and trade unions. The CPI leader was also
critical of Mr Chautala for his failure to solve the SYL
canal issue and said that the Chief Minister had also
backed out of his earlier announcements regarding giving
of free power and water to the farmers of the state. |
IAS officer suspended FATEHABAD, April 11 — The Haryana Government has suspended Mr Vimal Chandra, an IAS officer and Managing Director of the Bhuna Co-operative Sugar Mills, with immediate effect. The orders of his suspension were conveyed to the local Deputy Commissioner’s office today. Mr Chandra, had recently been promoted to the IAS from the HCS cadre. According to sources, Mr
Chandra has been suspended for allegedly selling about
20,000 quintals of molasses at a rate of Rs 130 per
quintal, much less than the prevalent rates, in February. |
3 SPs made DIGs CHANDIGARH, April 11 — The Haryana Government today promoted three Indian Police Service (IPS) Superintendent of Police (SP) to the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) with immediate effect. The Government has also transferred 17 police officers with immediate effect. Mr Laik Ram, Mr S.S. Deswal and Mr Mohinder Singh Mann have been promoted as DIGs. Mr Laik Ram has been posted as DIG, HAP, against a vacant post. Mr Deswal will be new DIG, Gurgaon range, while Mr Mann becomes DIG, State Vigilance Bureau, Haryana. Mr R.S. Dalal, IG, Gurgaon range goes as IG, Zonal Gurgaon. Mr Anil Dawra, DIG, M&W, has been posted as DIG, Security. Mr P.R. Deo, awaiting posting, goes as SP, Kaithal. Mr Mohammad Akil, SP Security, becomes SP, Jhajjar vice Mr Prithvi Singh who has been appointed as SP, Security-II in place of Mr Sandeep Khirwar who becomes SP, Hisar. Mr Manjit Singh Ahalawat, Commandant 1st Bn. HAP, Ambala City, goes as SP, Narnaul vice Mr R.C. Mishra. Mr Alok Roy, SP Commando, Karnal becomes SP, Security. Mrs Kala Ram Chandran AIG T&T has been posted as Commandant 1St Bn.HAP, Ambala City. Mr S. Jadhav, SP, Special CID has been posted as SP, Fatehabad. Mrs Charu AIG Administration goes as Commandant 3rd Bn. HAP, Hisar vice Mr Rajbir Singh Deswal. Mr Rajpal Singh Additional SP Sonepat goes as SP Jind vice Mr B.K. Sinha. Mr Kuldip Sihag DSP HQ,
Faridabad, goes as SP Panipat vice Mr Raghubir Singh. Mrs
Suman Manjri DSP on return from leave has been posted as
SP, Bhiwani vice Mr Laik Ram, who has been promoted. |
Haryana postings CHANDIGARH, April 11 — In the first phase of the much-expected administrative reshuffle after the recent Assembly elections, the Haryana Government today transferred the Deputy Commissioners of five districts with immediate effect. Mr H.S. Dhankhar, ADC-cum-CEO, DRDA, Karnal has been posted as Deputy Commissioner Jind vice Mr P.K. Das, Mr Raja Sekhar Vundru, Joint Secretary, General Administration Department and Inquiry Officer Vigilance-I has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Mohindergarh vice Mr R.R. Jowel. Mr Sant Kumar, Director, Industrial Training and Vocational Education and G.M. (P) Irrigation has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Bhiwani, vice Mr Arun Kumar Gupta who has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Jhajjar in place of Mr Srikant Walgad, Mr M.R. Anand, ADC-cum-CEO, DRDA, Gurgaon has been posted as Deputy Commissioner, Panipat in place of Mr Sandeep Garg. The posting orders of Mr
R.R. Jowel, Mr P.K. Das, Mr Sandeep Garg and Mr Srikant
Walgad will be issued later on. |
Effluent treatment plant for
Sonepat SONEPAT, April 11 — The National River Conservation Directorate, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, has approved a Rs 23.69-crore scheme for treatment of effluent from Sonepat, a fast-growing industrial city which gets discharged into the Yamuna. According to official sources, Sonepat is among the six towns of Haryana covered under the Yamuna action plan. The other five towns are Yamunanagar-Jagadhri, Karnal, Panipat, Gurgaon and Faridabad. Another six small towns of Haryana, including Radaur, Chichhrauli, Gharaunda, Gohana and Palwal, will also be covered during the second phase of the Yamuna action plan. Official sources also revealed that 15 towns, including those in Delhi and UP, had been identified that pollute the Yamuna directly or indirectly. The Yamuna action plan,
it may be recalled, was launched in 1993 with the
objective of checking pollution in Yamuna and to ensure
that no untreated effluent from the town located along
the Yamuna river are discharged into the river. The
approved cost of this project is Rs 211.5 crore. |
Mazdoor union hails govt
decision SONEPAT, April 11 — Mr Daryao Singh Kashyap, general secretary of the Haryana Khet Mazdoor Union, today hailed the decision of the state government for conducting the re-survey of the people living below the poverty line in the state. In a press statement
issued here, he suggested that this survey should be
conducted in May next in coordination with the members of
social and voluntary organisations. He also urged the
state government to inform the people, both in urban and
rural areas, about the survey a week before its
commencement so that the names of eligible persons could
be included in the list. |
Khalsa March draws large crowd ROHTAK, April 11 — An impressive march to mark the tercentenary celebrations of the birth of the Khalsa, started from the historic Nadha Sahib Gurdwara on April 8, was welcomed by people of different religions and school children standing on both sides of the road carrying flags here today. The "Panj Piaras" marched ahead of the flower-bedecked van carrying Guru Granth Sahib as Nihangs performed gatka with dexterity. Various weapons used by Guru Gobind Singh, the founder of the Khalsa, were also on display.Three horses of the breed used by the Guru were the main attraction of the Khalsa March. The march, after passing through Jind district had reached Manji Sahib Gurdwara here last night. Capt Inder Singh, MP and Mr Dhirpal Singh, Town and Country Planning Minister were among those who attended the march. vinod1...March GURGAON: The Khalsa March was awarded a warm welcome at Dhundahera village, as it entered the district on Tuesday. A large number of people led by the Deputy Commissioner, received the Khalsa March chanting "Bole so nihal, sat sri akal" and "Waheguruji ka Khalsa, waheguruji ki fateh". Later the march passed through the main roads of the city and through several villages before entering the adjoining Faridabad district. The entire route of the
march was decked up for the occasion. |
SC stays execution in
multiple murder case HISAR, April 11 — The Supreme Court has stayed the execution of Ram Krishen in a multiple murder case and issued notices to the Haryana Government on the bail application of another accused, Muna. Ram Krishen and his brother were convicted of murder of five persons by the Sessions Court, Hisar on March 2, 1998. While Ram Krishen was sentenced to death, his brother, Muna, was sentenced to life imprisonment. The two had appealed against the Sessions Court order in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which had upheld the lower court’s decision on December 17, 1998. In a special leave petition filed by the two, in the Supreme Court, a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice Sagir Ahmed and Mr Justice Dev Swami Raju, stayed the execution of Ram Krishen and issued notices to the Haryana Government regarding the bail application of Muna. Ram Krishen and Muna
were convicted of multiple murder on the complaint of
their cousin, Ram Murti. According to Ram Murti the two
brothers had shot dead five members of his family, on
March 25, 1995, at Talwandi Rana village, about 12 km
from here. |
Ram Navami greetings CHANDIGARH, April 11
— The Haryana Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad, and the
Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, have greeted the
people on the occasion of Ram Navami. In their messages
issued here today, they urged the people to follow Lord
Rama’s high ideals. |
Wheat loan for staff CHANDIGARH, April 11
— The Haryana government has sanctioned interest
free wheat loan amounting to Rs 3000 to its class IV
employees. Prof. Sampat Singh, Finance Minister, Haryana,
said the loan would be recoverable in 10 equal monthly
instalments within the current financial year. |
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