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| Thursday, May 25, 2000, Chandigarh, India  
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In this ‘power
game’ govt is a loser Nerve-racking rush
at PGIMS European grant for health
schemes Railway men’s widows await revised pension Admn gears up
to check floods Cheating case filed against five employees |
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6 held for
looting bus passengers One booked for cheating,
forgery Water shortage in
Sonepat ITI building
awaits
inauguration
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In this ‘power
game’ govt is a loser HISAR, May 24 — The political and administrative acumen of Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala will be put to its severest test when it comes to recovering power dues from farmers once the deadline for paying the bills without surcharge expires on May 31. The signs have so far been far from encouraging with farmers, especially those from the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) dominated villages still in no mood to pay their arrears and the government facing grim prospects of taking on the peasantry — its main political constituency. A visit to some of the problematic villages revealed that the BKU activists were already gearing up to face the consequences should the government try to carry out its threats of disconnecting power supply and recover the arrears by enforcing the Land Revenue Act. The special campaign launched by the government to recover the arrears on April 1 has so far yielded only Rs 113 crore against the total outstanding arrears of Rs 860 crore. Even this figure pales into insignificance considering that of the Rs 113 crore recovered so far, as many as Rs 50 crore have come from the government departments. That leaves the Haryana power utilities with only Rs 63 crore recovered from all non-government categories of consumers. Sources in the Power Department say that this amount has come its way mainly from the urban domestic consumers and to a lesser extent from farmers from non-problematic areas. They expect to recover about Rs 15 crore more by the time the extended deadline expires on May 31. Even if this amount were to come from defaulting farmers, the unrealised arrears would still amount to more than Rs 600 crore mostly from farmers. The campaign to recover dues by waiving surcharge was launched on April 1. A two-pronged strategy was adopted for the purpose. The urban areas and those villages where the number of defaulters was less than 50 per cent of connections were placed in one category. The second category comprised problem villages where the number of defaulters was more than 50 per cent of connections. The response to the scheme was good in the urban areas where the threat of disconnections did the trick and the defaulters paid up quickly. In the problematic areas the government had adopted a cautious approach. Powermen visited the areas before the visit of the Deputy Commissioners and the Superintendents of police concerned. But despite their best efforts, they were unable to make adamant farmers pay their dues despite the surcharge waiver. The problem areas lie in Jind, Bhiwani, Narnaul and Mahendragarh districts. Earlier attempts by successive governments to recover the arrears have backfired in the past. The Bhajan Lal government faced an agitation in Bhiwani when attempts were made to recover dues in the early nineties. Ultimately the brave attempt was given up as it created law and order problem. Another attempt was made during the tenure of Mr Bansi Lal but not only did the efforts proved futile, it led to serious clashes between the police and the farmers. In many places in Jind, irate villagers even took powermen and police personnel hostage when they tried to disconnect supply or remove the transformers. The situation was so bad that farmers hired trained powermen from the neighbouring states to get the transformers repaired when the government refused to do so as the farmers were not paying their dues. Egged on by the BKU and the promises of free supply made by the INLD, the farmers took on the government successfully. The Congress and later the Bansi Lal government had to pay a heavy political price for their attempts to recover the dues in the subsequent elections. However, this is the first time now that the INLD government faces the daunting task of recovering the dues from farmers who also happen to be its main supporters. Farmers hailing from the problematic villages say they will welcome disconnection of supply as it will mean they can steal power directly from the poles and their arrears will cease to grow. They maintain that they are in no position to pay the arrears. However, they promise to pay their bills regularly if the arrears are written off. Their logic is that when the INLD was in the opposition its leaders had asked them not to pay their bills as the farmers deserved free supply of irrigation water and power. An ageing farmer from a village near Jind said: “Their priorities and thinking has changed. Not ours. We were in no position to pay then and we are in no position to pay now. Let them use force. Each village will become a Jallianwala Bagh.” With farmers adopting such hard postures, opponents of the government are already fishing in troubled waters. And the stage is set for a battle royale in the countryside. |
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Nerve-racking rush
at PGIMS ROHTAK, May 24 — The administration of the PGIMS here is straining every nerve to handle the ever increasing rush of patients visiting the only state-owned Medical College Hospital in Haryana. The number of patients visiting the institute has increased from five lakh in 1990 to seven lakh in 1998 and 8.61 lakh in 1999. Nearly 90 per cent of these patients belong to the rural areas and poor sections of society because of cheap availability of treatment. The strength of indoor patients has risen from 35,000 in 1990 to 51,600 in 1999. Pleading for expansion of the institute, a former minister Mr Krishan Murti Hooda, said that the OPD of the PGIMS were so crowded that even the doctors had to push their way through. Because of unmanageable crowd in the OPD pickpockets have a field day. Many patients could be heard complaining of pick-pocketing and returning home without getting treatment. Looking at the
rush of patients, Mr Hooda wrote to the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, that the spacious institute appears very small. The doctors have to attend to 400 to 500 patients in four hours which was beyond their capacity. Besides the expansion of the PGIMS buildings, the institute also needs more doctors and specialists because of the increasing rush of patients. He has urged the Chief Minister to take personal interest in the matter. |
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European grant for health
schemes AMBALA, May 24 — The European Commission has offered a grant of 200 million euros for health and welfare schemes in 20 districts of 11 states, including three districts of Haryana, under the Sector Investment Programme. The district in Haryana include Ambala, Yamunanagar and Karnal. The other states covered under this scheme are Assam, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. According to official information, three years ago, a financing agreement was signed between the European Commission and the Indian Government regarding Health and Family Welfare Sector Investment Programme. Under this programme, the commission agreed to provide financial assistance to the civil hospitals and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) through state agencies. Besides health centres will also generate income from their sources to improve health care being provided to the common people. After the commencement of the scheme the Civil Surgeons will be authorised to take some decisions to generate income and maintain the quality of the health centres with the consent of the local advisory committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner. To discuss the ways of the implementation of the scheme three workshops were arranged at Yamunanagar, Ambala and Karnal a few month ago, in which the representatives of the European Commission, Haryana health services and other departments concerned had participated. The scheme will be launched in Haryana from July 1. The Commission will provide financial assistance to these districts for four years. Unlike the other donor-assisted programmes, the sector investment programme is to facilitate efficient implementation of government programmes by seeking to identify new ways and means of achieving better programme management, moving away from norms which have become bottlenecks and supporting initiatives that are sustainable. According to information, the representatives who attended the workshops suggested that powers of Civil surgeons and Medical officers of primary health centres (PHC) and community health centres (CHC) should be increased for purchase of medicines, giving incentives to workers, control of facility transport and repair of the equipment and maintenance of physical structure. The power to depute and transfer an
employees should rest with the officer in charge of the facility. DDO and financial powers of Rs 1000 and Rs 2000 at one point should be given to the in charge of PHC and CHC within the allocated budget. The procedure for repair of equipment should be simplified. Instead of 3 quotations one should be enough for repairs up to Rs 1000, they felt. It was also suggested that the Civil Surgeon should be provided discretionary powers to take the services of any specialised doctors and other staff on payment basis if he feels its requirement in the interest of the patients and hospital. Mr R.K. Patnaik, Civil Surgeon, Ambala, said “We have already sent a detail plan to the state government for implementing the Sector Investment Programme sponsored by the European Commission.” He said it was planned to build at least half a dozen shops of medicines, fruits, STD booths and eatables in the premises of the Civil Hospital at Ambala City, Ambala Cantt and Naraingarh to boost the income of the hospitals. Similar plans would be made for the PHC and CHCs, he added. |
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Railway men’s widows await revised pension AMBALA, May 24 — With their records in Delhi, some widows of railway employees in Ambala division are yet to get their revised pension. The widows have been running from pillar to post for getting the revised pension but to no avail. The widows lament that they have hoped with a woman, Ms Mamta Banerjee, as the Railway Minister their case will be sympathetically looked into, but nothing much seems to have been done. Ms R.R. Kalia, 80, widow of P.C. Kalia, who was a guard, told The Tribune, “My pension is yet to be revised. The recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission seem to be only on paper.” She said the major problem was that the records were in Delhi. “The records are in Delhi even after Ambala division was formed. So, my case is being handled by Delhi.” “A few months back, I had received a letter from Delhi, seeking all relevant details. I had immediately replied but after that there was total silence. I am being denied of my right to get revised pension without any fault of mine,” she said. Ms Raj Rani, widow of Tirath Ram, who was a store issuer, pointed out that her record was still in Delhi. “Had the records been here, it would have been much easier for us. But the records of my husband were not shifted to Ambala. So I am facing a host of problems regarding the revision of pension,” she said. She said on earlier occasions, when her pension had been revised, there had not been such a major problem. “This time they even sought relevant details, which were forwarded. After that, there has been no reply from their side. I just hope I get the revised pension before I breathe my last,” she said. The Northern Railway Pensioners Forum, Ambala, has written to the Railway Minister, Ms Mamta Banerjee, outlining the problem faced by those whose records are still in Delhi. “Pensioners and family pensioners of Ambala division whose record is at Delhi (Delhi division) continue to suffer financial loss as their pension cases continue to be dealt with indifference by the Delhi division, despite the Union Government orders of October, 1997, calling for expeditious disposal of pension cases and payment of arrears of enhanced pension/family pension on time,” the letter to the Railway Minister, Ms Mamta Banerjee, states. “Mr Parbhat Kumar, Union Cabinet Secretary, had to issue instructions to all Union Government Secretaries and heads of departments in August, 1999, to settle pension cases with sensitivity in a time-bound manner. Even this did not help the pensioners, whose cases are pending, particularly in Delhi division,” the letter adds. President of the Northern Railway Pensioners Forum, Ambala, Mr G.B. Dass, said 12 cases of widows whose pension had not been revised was still pending. “Their records are in Delhi and it is difficult for the old women to go all the way to Delhi to pursue their case,” he said. Mr Dass said according
to a Department of Pension and Pensioners Welfare office
memorandum, “The Government, in its OM dated
17.12.98, have laid down that w.e.f. 1.1.96, family
pension shall not be less than 30 per cent of the minimum
of the pay in the revised scale introduced w.e.f. 1.1.96,
of the post last held by the pensioner/deceased
government servant. In view of this all the
ministries/departments/offices who are
pension-sanctioning authorities may revise the family
pension of all the pensioners suo motu, who have been
sanctioned family pension immediately, without waiting
for tracing of the records and verification of details
etc. However, subsequently, if the records are available,
the pension may be calculated on the basis of office
memorandums dated 10.2.98 and 8.5.98, and if this amount
is more than 30 per cent of the minimum of the revised
scale, the family pension may be revised upwardly,
otherwise pension already sanctioned should be allowed to
continue.”  |
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Admn gears up
to check floods GURGAON, May 24 — The district administration is working overtime to complete the flood-control measures by this month end. Talking to mediapersons yesterday the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Apoorva Kumar Singh, said the weather forecast of an early monsoon had also been taken into account while completing the flood-control measures. The ongoing spade work to meet any exigency related to flood is a follow up action to the meeting of the State Food Control Board which was presided over by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, on May 14. Maximum attention is being paid to in the flood-prone Mewat areas. Referring to development work in Mewat, Mr Singh said besides the state government undertaking a number of development projects in the area, a number of works were being completed under the International Fund for Agriculture Development — a project of the United Nations’ funding agency based in Rome. The seven-year project, having a corpus fund of Rs 70 crore, had started in 1995 and so far works amounting to Rs 35 crore had been completed. During the period when prohibition was enforced in Haryana, the state faced resources crunch, due to which it was unable to meet its obligation to contribute its share to the corpus. However, the government would pursue the project in right earnest, the added. According to the Deputy Commissioner priority would be accorded to repair of roads in the district. The administration has shortlisted 138 roads for repair works. The estimated cost is over Rs 8 crore. The HUDCO<\p>will provide loans for it, he said. On the power front, he said there was no difference between demand and supply. In reply to a question on the recovery of dues on power tariff under the government’s special scheme, in the non-government sector the outstanding sum was over Rs 13 crore and in the government sector it was over Rs 10 crore. He expressed concern over re-encroachment in the city and said the
administration would soon intensify its anti-encroachment drive and the guilty would be dealt with a heavy hand. |
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Cheating case filed against five employees CHANDIGARH, May 24 — On the basis of a complaint lodged by Mr B.P. Jangra, Chairman of Harcofed, the Haryana Government today slapped a case on Mr S.P. Kaushik, Managing Director, Mr Kehar Singh, Administrative Officer, Mr Rampal, Assistant Manager, Sales, Mr Dayanand, Store Keeper, Mr Lalit Kumar, Treasurer of the Jind Haryana Printing and Binding Samiti under Sections 420, 465, 468 and 120-B, I.P.C. and Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. A spokesman for the government said the case had been entrusted to the Superintendent of Police, Flying Squad. In his complaint Mr Jangra alleged that these officials committed certain irregularities “for their vested interests”. He accused them of purchasing papers valued at lakh of rupees with a view to getting commission. They not only tampered with the tenders but also prepared bogus documents to make payments and conduct correspondence with various agencies, alleged Mr Jangra. He charged these officials with bypassing the purchase committee while purchasing stationery. The spokesman further alleged that preliminary enquiry has revealed that these officials were hand in glove and got the work allotted to the Jind Haryana Printing and Binding Stationary Limited, railway road, Jind — this firm had ceased to function way back in 1997. The work allotted to this firm was gone done at a Chandigarh-based printing press, Manju Art Printers. Both these firms belong to the same party. |
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6 held for
looting bus passengers REWARI, May 24 — The police today arrested six youths who were trying to escape after looting passengers of a Rajasthan State Transport Corporation bus near Dharuhera. The youths looted about Rs one lakh in cash, ornaments and other valuables from 37 passengers at pistol point. It is reported that five of the seven youths boarded the bus at Jaipur while their two other accomplices boarded it near the Masani barrage. When the bus reached the barrage, the youths forcibly removed the bus driver and one of them occupied the driver’s seat. When the bus was crossing the police check-post at Dharuhera, the police somehow smelt a rat and ordered the driver to stop the bus. When the police vehicle reached near the bus, the armed youths
abandoned it in a huff and tried to escape. The police reportedly caught six of the youths and the seventh managed to escape. The Dharuhera police has registered a case of robbery under Section 395, 397 IPC and Sections 25/54/59 of the Arms Act. It has also recovered the booty as well as country-made pistols and knives from the youths. |
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One booked for cheating,
forgery SONEPAT, May 24 — The city police has registered a case against Parveen Kumar of Saidpur village on the charges of cheating, forgery and making an attempt to withdraw Rs 41,000 from the Punjab National Bank of this city. The SSP, Mr K. P. Singh, told mediapersons here today that the general manager of the bank had lodged a complaint with the police stating that on May 8 last, Mohan Lal of Model Town, Sonepat, had opened an account (No. 68938) in the bank and on May 12, he deposited a cheque amounting to Rs 41,225 with the bank which had been issued by the LIC of India. Immediately, afterwards, the said Mohan Lal issued a cheque of Rs 41,000 and handed over the same to the computer operator. When the papers reached the assistant manager of the bank, he got suspicious as the original cheque bore the name of Mohan Lal Gulati. Thereupon, the assistant manager asked Mohan Lal to get his signature countersigned from the LIC office but he failed to do the needful. According to the SSP, the bank authorities sent the cheque to the LIC office and it was found that the cheque was in favour of someone else. On May 17, another person Ashok Kumar Thankaran of
Malcha village visited the bank and tried to withdraw Rs 20,000 through a cheque. When he was asked by the bank authorities that Parveen Panwar of Saidpur village had handed over this cheque to him. He also disclosed that Parveen Kumar as an LIC agent and was working under Mr Arun Kumar Dogra, Development
Officer. The SSP also disclosed that Parveen Panwar was the main culprit of this case and Mohan Lal seems to be the same Parveen Kumar. Further investigations were in progress. However, no arrests has been made in this connection. |
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Water shortage in
Sonepat SONEPAT, May 24 — The entire city continues to be in the grip of a severe water crisis due to the curtailment in the supply of drinking water by the Punjab Health Department. However, no reason has been cited. Till now the residents got the supply twice a day for an hour but now it has been reduced to once a day. Residents of Mohanpura (Mashad) told the correspondent here today that they had not received a drop of water for the past six days and they had to fetch water from far-off places. They also alleged that Public Health Department officials were indifferent to their complaints. However, the Dewan Charitable Trust has been sending water tankers in this area to help the people. According to another report, the residents of Mohalla Kalan and Ram Bazar areas remained without the supply last evening causing great inconvenience to
them. |
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ITI building
awaits
inauguration KALKA,
May 24 — The ITI building
constructed four years ago on a 10-acre plot, which was
provided by the Bitna panchayat free of cost, is awaiting
inauguration. District Congress Legal Cell Chairman
Vijay Bansal told that the foundation stone of the
building was laid in 1995 by the then Chief Minister
Bhajan Lal and the building was completed in 1996. |
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