H A R Y A N A

Full-fledged university likely at Sirsa
KARNAL, May 31 — The Postgraduate Regional Centre of Kurukshetra University at Sirsa is likely to be developed into a full-fledged university soon. In view of the rising demand by the people of the area, Kurukshetra University has initiated steps to re-activate the centre which has been lying dormant since July 1996.

Haryana to spend 4.5 cr on anti-flood steps
SONEPAT, May 31 — The Haryana Irrigation Department is making concerted efforts to develop a drainage network to check waterlogging in Sonepat district. It has also undertaken several river training projects to check the fury of the Yamuna, the Diversion Drain No. 8 and the Drain No. 8, passing through the district.

FIR against forest guard upheld
ROHTAK, May 31 — Criticising the police for its questionable behaviour, the Additional District Judge, Mr Shiva Sharma, has rejected the prosecution plea for cancelling the FIR registered against a forest guard under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Plea to coop banks on interest rates
CHANDIGARH, May 31 — The Haryana Krishak Samaj has demanded that the cooperative sector banks of the State should immediately reduce interest charged on loans advanced to farmers.

WB may extend water project
CHANDIGARH, May 31 — The World Bank had expressed satisfaction over the pace of progress of the Water Resources Consolidation Project in Haryana and had agreed to consider its extension beyond the stipulated period of six years terminating in December, 2000, an official press note said.

HVPN’s revenue requirement hiked
CHANDIGARH May 31 — The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) has issued orders increasing the annual revenue requirement (ARR) for the transmission and bulk supply (T&BS) and distribution and retail supply (D&RS) businesses of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited (HVPNL).

Full-fledged university likely at Sirsa
From K.G. Dutt
Tribune News Service

KARNAL, May 31 — The Postgraduate Regional Centre of Kurukshetra University at Sirsa is likely to be developed into a full-fledged university soon. In view of the rising demand by the people of the area, Kurukshetra University has initiated steps to re-activate the centre which has been lying dormant since July 1996. The demand of the people emanates from the fact that there is no university of repute near Sirsa. The nearest university to this semi-arid region is Agriculture University at Bikaner, another university at Ganganagar, Chaudhary Charan Singh Agricultural University at Hisar and Guru Jambheshwar University at Hisar. All these places are far off from Sirsa town. Although, irrigation has brought prosperity to the farmers of the area, yet educationwise the area is too backward and neglected.

People in the area want that the varsity at Sirsa should be named after Mr Devi Lal.

In view of the wishes of the people, the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, had asked Kurukshetra University to take concrete steps for re-activating the dormant centres. In fact, the issue had been lingering on for the past about eight years when the panchayat of Phoolkan village in the vicinity of Sirsa city) donated 105 acres of land to Kurukshetra University for establishing a centre.

The university duly announced the establishment of the centre and initially LL.B classes were started at the centre, in 1993-94.

However, the admissions were made by the Law Department of Kurukshetra University. The centre started functioning independently in 1994-95 and the classes for LL.B part-I were held in the faculty of Laws at Kurukshetra University as guest classes. From 1995-96, the admissions were made at Sirsa and B.Ed course was also started there.

The law classes were started at Government National College, Sirsa and B.Ed classes at C.M.K. National Girls College, Sirsa. However, this could not continue for long under Kurukshetra University as the Haryana Government vide a notification on April 1996, transferred the administrative control of the Postgraduate Regional Centre at Sirsa to Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar from July 26, 1996. It was after this that the centre started limping.

Now again, Kurukshetra University after taking control of the centre has re-activated it and announced admissions to courses in Master of Computer Applications (MCA), LL.B (professional) and Public Administration from this academic year.

The Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Dr Hoshiar Singh along with other senior functionaries of the university has already visited the regional centre twice. The varsity has already made a provision for Rs 50 lakh to be spent on the centre this year. Out of it, a grant of Rs 37.50 lakh has been provided by the University Grants Commission.

Besides, to complete the unfinished work in the present building, which has 14 classrooms and 27 rooms meant for faculty members, staff and Director, the Vice-Chancellor has sanctioned Rs 7.50 lakh. Official sources told TNS that about Rs 59 lakh were spent on the construction of the building which is in a dilapidated condition now. Various facilities like power, water and other civic amenities are still to be provided in the unfinished building.

The Vice-Chancellor told TNS that about Rs 1 crore were needed to provide facilities at the centre to make it functional. The Chief Minister had assured the varsity authorities that no financial difficulty would hinder the development of the centre to make it “a centre of excellence” in the arid region. The Chief Minister’s son, Mr Ajay Chautala, MP, had publicly declared that a university would be established in Sirsa.

It is learnt that on a war footing to complete the remaining construction work will have to be done on war footing and the official formalities completed within one month to start classes for new courses in time. Apart from arranging accommodation for the staff, transport between Sirsa city and the centre, the establishment of a computer laboratory, proper furnitures in classrooms and other fixtures etc., the varsity has to appoint new teaching staff.

The Vice-Chancellor disclosed that the U.G.C. had already sanctioned posts for the centre. Clerical staff would be shifted from Kurukshetra University.

The village panchayat of Phoolkan has assured all help to Kurukshetra University for the speedy completion of work and starting of the centre.

The Vice-Chancellor further disclosed that the university had sanctioned 40 (including 20 paid) seats for MCA, 70 (including 25 paid) for LL.B. (professional) and 55 seats for MA Public Administration courses. Dr Hoshiar Singh stated that job-oriented courses like C.P.Ed and D.P.Ed were proposed to be started soon at the centre. Likewise, in the coming two to three years more professional courses would be started at the centre.

Haryana to spend 4.5 cr on anti-flood steps
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, May 31 — The Haryana Irrigation Department is making concerted efforts to develop a drainage network to check waterlogging in Sonepat district. It has also undertaken several river training projects to check the fury of the Yamuna, the Diversion Drain No. 8 and the Drain No. 8, passing through the district.

Sonepat district is a saucer-shaped depression which has been visited by floods for a long time. The floods are caused by overflowing drains many of which have their tails in the district. There are numerous natural depressions which are flooded during the monsoon, causing waterlogging in vast areas.

Almost all old drains passing through the district have been remodeled to increased their capacity. New drains have been dug to clear the water from natural depressions. A number of drainage schemes now underway are likely to be completed soon. The emphasis hereafter will be on digging link drains to provide relief to isolated villages situated in the low-lying areas.

The Irrigation Department has also launched a crash programme to construct stone studs at vulnerable points near Bega and Tikola villages on the embankment of Yamuna river with a view to checking the erosion on the Haryana side, and to save the area of more than 5,000 acres of cultivable land in Sonepat subdivision from seasonal floods.

People in over 50 villages in the Khadar tract have been living with floods which come every year, inundate a vast area of land, wash away crops and cause a loss of lakhs of rupees.

The Haryana Government has sanctioned Rs 94.38lakh for the execution of 10 flood control schemes in the district during the current year.

Disclosing this, Mr Sudhir Rajpal, Deputy Commissioner, told mediapersons here today that to check the erosion by the Yamuna on Haryana side, Rs 30.74 lakh would be spent on the construction of stone spurs in the Bega complex and another Rs 23.06 lakh in the Tikola complex. The state government, he said, would construct a permanent pump, house between RD 0 and 4200 and a sum of Rs 13.12 lakh would be spent on the construction of a link drain. Similarly, two permanent pump houses at a cost of Rs 4.46 lakh would be constructed to pump out the flood waters from Mehra and Balimsar Majra villages. A sum of Rs 12.45 lakh would be spent on the construction of a sub-link drain near Bhawar village, Rs 4.15 lakh for Sukhapar-Khubru drain, Rs 2.38 lakh for the construction of a ring bund around Gorar village school, Rs 1.52 lakh for the construction of a ditch drain along the JLN feeder and Rs 1.50 lakh for the augmentation of Nakloi drain and Rs 1 lakh for the installation of a well on Ludana minor near Nizampur village.

He also disclosed that the state government had already undertaken work for desilting and deweeding all drains passing through Sonepat district and the work would be completed by June 30. The state government, he said, would spend Rs 40 lakh on this work.

According to the Deputy Commissioner, the state government had spent Rs 42.96 lakh on the flood control schemes last year in the district. A sum of Rs 22.64 lakh was spent on the widening and desilting of the West Juan drain to carry out more flood waters towards the Diversion Drain No. 8. Moreover, Rs 19.01 lakh was spent on the digging of a ditch drain between RD 0 and 31,000, Rs 79,000 on the construction of Bhainswal link drain, and Rs 52,000 on the construction of a pump house along the Chhapra drain.

The state government had sanctioned as many as 23 anti-flood schemes and Rs 4.5 crore would be spent on these schemes. The district administration had made elaborate arrangements to control floods in the district. As many as 12 permanent pump houses, 36 diesel-run pump houses and 17 electric motors had been installed in Sonepat area to pump out the rain water during monsoon, he said.

FIR against forest guard upheld
From Jatinder Sharma

ROHTAK, May 31 — Criticising the police for its questionable behaviour, the Additional District Judge, Mr Shiva Sharma, has rejected the prosecution plea for cancelling the FIR registered against a forest guard under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Directing the police to put in the challan and entire record of investigation in his court on July 1, Mr Sharma said that the prosecution appears to be in league with the accused due to some extraneous considerations.

An FIR under Section 7/13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against Forest Guard Daya Nand on October 10, 1997, with the Meham Police on the complaint made to the Deputy Commissioner by one Satyawan. The complainant had alleged that the forest guard was demanding Rs 3000 from him, failing which he (the accused) would get a case registered against Satyawan for unauthorised possession of government property, i.e. a trunk of tree which had floated to the house of the complainant in flood waters.

The then Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anil Kumar, on receipt of the complaint constituted a raiding party headed by the then City Magistrate, Mr R.K. Chaudhary, and comprising the SHO of Meham, Randhir Singh, Head Constable Om Parkash and Constables Suresh Kumar, Jai Bhagwan and Chand Singh, driver of the official jeep.

The raiding party had intercepted the accused, Daya Nand, for allegedly having accepted the bribe from the complainant and recovered Rs 3000 from his possession which bore initials of the City Magistrate.

The Forest Guard was arrested following investigation of the case by DSP, Mehar Singh. However, after the transfer of Mehar Singh, the matter was again investigated by DSP Nafe Singh who found that Daya Nand was ‘implicated’ in this case due to enmity between both parties, and filed cancellation report in the court.

The complainant, Satyawan, however appeared in the court and filed detailed submissions supporting his case and contents of the complaint and alleged that the cancellation report has been put in by the police because of political pressure and approach of the accused. He also expressed his lack of faith in the local police and requested that an inquiry into this matter may be conducted either by the CBI or any other competent authority.

Declining the application for cancellation of the FIR, the Additional District Judge said that the senior officers, City Magistrate R.K. Chaudhary and SHO Randhir Singh, cannot be said and believed to have conspired with the complainant to falsely implicate accused Daya Nand in this case. There could not have been any machination between the complainant and two senior officers of the district administration and police.

The contention of the complainant that the cancellation report has been filed by the police due to political pressure seems to be true because there was nothing in the records to prove that there was previous enmity between the parties, the Judge said.

Plea to coop banks on interest rates
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 31 — The Haryana Krishak Samaj has demanded that the cooperative sector banks of the State should immediately reduce interest charged on loans advanced to farmers.

In a statement issued here today the spokesman for the Samaj, Mr Satpal Kaushik, said recently the Reserve Bank of India had announced a cut in the interest rate, following which the nationalised banks and other commercial banks reduced their prime lending rate. However, the cooperative sector banks, which were set up to provide relief to farmers, continued to charge higher rate of interest from the farmers. He urged the State Government to instruct the cooperative sector banks to bring their interest rates at a level lower than that of the commercial banks.

Mr Kaushik also alleged that the cooperative sector banks had procured arrest warrants against defaulter cane-growers who had not been able to repay their bank loans in the absence of payment to them by sugar mills. This, he said, had forced the farmers to make a distress sale of their properties, besides facing social humiliation.

The Samaj demanded that till the mills clear the dues of the cane-growers, the banks should be asked by the government not to press for repayment of loans.

Mr Kaushik alleged that though the Yamunanagar Sugar Mill had stopped payments to farmers for the past several weeks, causing hardship to the growers who were not able to sow their kharif crops.

He said the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, had announced earlier that the cane-growers would be paid the price of cane within 14 days of its delivery to the sugar mill. Otherwise the mill would have to pay 15 per cent interest for the delayed period. He alleged that the mill neither making for the payment within 14 days nor was paying interest for the delayed period.

WB may extend water project
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 31 — The World Bank had expressed satisfaction over the pace of progress of the Water Resources Consolidation Project in Haryana and had agreed to consider its extension beyond the stipulated period of six years terminating in December, 2000, an official press note said.

A two-member World Bank team led by mission leader Prabir Joardar had also called on the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, here yesterday. Mr Joardar was accompanied by a Senior Water Resources Specialist, Mr Geoff Spencer.

Mr Spencer said although Andhra Pradesh had been the primary state in focus for World Bank activities, Haryana would also be an important consideration for its future activities in the field of water conservation and consolidation.

The team had earlier visited the construction sites of the project at various places in the state.

HVPN’s revenue requirement hiked
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH May 31 — The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) has issued orders increasing the annual revenue requirement (ARR) for the transmission and bulk supply (T&BS) and distribution and retail supply (D&RS) businesses of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited (HVPNL). An HERC press note issued here today said the orders were issued following review petitions filed by the HVPNL regarding the HERC orders determining the T&BS and D&RS of the HVPNL for the financial year 1999-2000.

The HERC, however, observed that as a result of this increase in the ARR, the revenue gap is expected to increase from Rs 126.7 million to Rs 637.3 million. It said in accordance with the provisions of the Haryana Electricity Reforms Act, 1997, the licensee was supposed to recover its net aggregate requirement through tariff. Since the licensee did not submit a distribution and retail supply tariff application along with its ARR review petition, it missed the opportunity to recover the difference between its revenue requirement and it projected revenues under its existing tariffs. While recommending that the deficit may be made good by the grant of a subvention under Section 27 (1) of the 1997 Act, the commission asked the HVPNL to “act vigilantly to avoid such occurrences in future”.

The review petition filed by the HVPNL stated that the impugned orders would inflict great hardship in terms of compliance and implementation and would lead to problems in areas such as treatment of retirement benefits (provident and pension funds), transmission and distribution losses, shared fixed generation assets of the HVPNL bad debts and repair and maintenance costs. The petition prayed for reconsideration and appropriate modifications of the orders.

In two detailed review orders, the HERC dealt with all issues raised by the petitioner. The commission decided to treat the PF liability as a loan and allowed an interest of 12 per cent on the liability. The revised approval for interest expenses is Rs 929.09 million for the transmission business and Rs 1000.77 million for the distribution business. The commission rejected the suggestion made by the HVPNL to not treat this liability as loan.

The commission allowed expenses related to pension benefits on actual cost basis and revised the employees’ cost to Rs 1406.62 million in respect of transmission and to Rs 2607.26 for the distribution business.

The commission did not agree to allow return on shared generation assets because power generation is outside the regulatory function. It also did not agree that transmission and distribution loss reduction targets fixed by it (0.42 per cent and 0.83 per cent, respectively) were unattainable.

The commission revised the working capital allowance for stores in view of the high locked-up capitals in the stores maintained by the petitioner. The revised provision for the stores for transmission business is Rs 332.8 million and Rs 274.48 million for the distribution business. The commission decided as a special case to allow repair and maintenance costs of Rs 429.54 million to further the cause of power sector reforms in Haryana. It, however, did not agree to allow for any provision for bad debt to the distribution and retail supply.

Consequent on these modifications, the revised approved ARR for T&BS stands at Rs 23,491.3 million representing an increase of Rs 321.3 million. The revised ARR for the distribution business for 1999-2000 has been fixed at Rs 21,507.11 million, representing an increase of Rs 126.7 million.

Three arrested for murder
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, May 31 — With the arrest of three persons, all brothers, the Ganaur police today claimed to have solved the murder of a youth, Salamuddin, whose body was found on a road near Janata High School, Ganaur, on May 27 last.

Senior Superintendent of Police K.P. Singh told mediapersons here that the arrested had been identified as Anil, Sanjay and Nathu of Ganaur town. The arrests, he said, followed the registration of a case with the police by Hoshiar, father of the victim, stating that his son Salamuddin, who was employed in a workshop, had gone to Samalkha from Ganaur on May 26 to distribute invitation cards of a marriage, but did not return. The members of the family started a search and found his body on the road near Janata High School. The body bore bullet injuries.

The SSP further disclosed that one of the culprits Nathu, had been arrested by the police on the charge of violation of the Indian Arms Act some months ago. The culprit, he said, had also threatened Salamuddin that he would kill him.

Fodder train flagged off
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, May 31 — The Haryana Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad, flagged off a train containing 500 ton of fodder for the drought-affected Badmer area in Rajasthan from railway station here today.

The Governor appreciated the noble task of the Haryana Government which had taken interest in providing relief in the shape of fodder, animal feed and other material to the drought-affected people of Gujaurat and Rajasthan.

Mr M. R. Anand, Deputy Commissioner, said the farmers of seven districts of Haryana namely: Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Jind, Yamunanagar, Kaithal and Ambala had contributed 500 ton of fodder voluntarily. Adequate quantity of fodder and other animal feed had already been sent through trains and trucks for the drought-affected people of Rajasthan and Gujaurat by farmers of the district, the Deputy Commissioner said.

Mr Kartar Singh Bhadana, Co-operative Minister, Haryana Mr Abhay Singh Chautala, a newly elected MLA from the Rori Assembly constituency, Mr Kuldip Singh, SP, and others senior officers of the administration were also present on the occasion.

Agriculture students suspend strike
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, May 1 — Students of college of agriculture of Haryana Agricultural University (CCS HAV) yesterday suspended their 45-day-old strike following assurance given by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, that their demands would be considered sympathetically.

Mr Puran Singh Dabra, MLA, presented juice to the students sitting on relay fast. He assured the students that the state government would accept their demands soon.

A spokesman of the students’ committee stated that the strike has been suspended till July 1. If the government failed to accept their demands they would resume their agitation.

High Court schedule
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 31— Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice Nirmal Singh of the Punjab and Haryana High Court here will sit in a Division Bench during the vacations from June 6 to June 9. Mr Justice Amarbir Singh Gill and Mr Justice N.C. Khichi will, meanwhile, sit in single Benches.

During the second week, from June 12 to June 16, Mr Justice V.K. Bali and Mr Justice K.S. Garewal will sit in a Division Bench, while Mr Justice R.C. Kathuria and Mr Justice K.C. Gupta will sit in single Benches.

According to a circular issued on behalf of Chief Justice of High Court, Mr Justice A.B. Saharya, by the Joint Director, Mr S.S. Narang, there would be no sitting for two weeks from June 17 to June 30.

During the “no work period”, “the judges nominated for the period and in their absence the senior most vacation judges at station will entertain urgent petitions, including habeas corpus and anticipatory bail pleas”.

HPCC dharnas on June 5
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 31 — The Congress party will hold statewide dharnas in Haryana on next June 5 to protest against the anti-poor and anti-farmer policies of the Union Government, evident in the steps taken to increase the prices of essential commodities, fertilisers etc, and to highlight Congress party’s own programmes and policies, an HPCC press note said.

The press note said that a meeting of the general body of HPCC was held here today under the chairmanship of Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, HPCC chief, and decided to hold dharnas and demonstrations on June 5, as per the directions given by the AICC.

Dr Jai Parkash Sharma, Jai Parkash Barwala, Shadi Lal Batra, Sher Singh, Ms Anita Yadav, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, Dharamveer, and Rao Dan Singh, all MLAs, were present at the meeting which was also attended by PCC members, presidents of block committees and other office-bearers of the party.

Chautala reviews water schemes
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, May 31 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today directed the State Public Health Department to effectively tackle the problem of high fluoride content in drinking water and ensure the supply of safe drinking water to the people, especially in the areas of Rewari and Mahendragarh.

The Chief Minister, who reviewed the works of the Public Health Department here last evening, stressed the need for accelerating the pace of Rs 14.61 crore project aimed at covering 129 villages in Rewari district and 62 villages in Mahendragarh district that were found to have high fluoride content in drinking water.

Man poisons kids, commits suicide
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, May 31 — A man allegedly poisoned his two sons to death and later on committed suicide by consuming poison at Gawar village yesterday.

Jai Chand took the extreme step because of some tension.

According to information here today, Jai Chand took his sons to the field and gave them poison

His wife had also committed suicide few months back.