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| Monday, June 19, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Power arrears of 175 cr recovered Distillery of Bhajan’s
associate sealed Paper ‘out of syllabus,
style’ Plan to remove encroachments Power theft alleged in Sonepat |
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Hooda flays delay in HCS
exams BKU men booked for speeches Computer project to be implemented Registration for Amarnath pilgrims "Awakening about" health
facilities
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Power arrears of 175 cr
recovered CHANDIGARH, June 18 — The Haryana Power Utilities have recovered arrears of over Rs 175 crore from various categories of consumers. The chairperson of the utilities, Mrs Meenaxi Anand Chaudhary, gave this information at a meeting of the DCs and SPs, which was presided over by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, here this evening. She said the recovered amount included Rs 78 crore from the rural areas and about Rs 36 crore from the urban areas. Claiming that the power availability had improved considerably as on an average 500 lakh units were available every day. This would shoot up between 540 lakh units and 570 lakh units per day during next month. The gas-based third unit of the Faridabad plant would be commissioned soon. A 110-MW unit of the Panipat Thermal Plant would also be made functional. However, it is learnt that no unanimity could be formed on the next course of action to recover huge arrears of power charges at the meeting. While certain quarters advocated a strong line against the defaulters, many participants were of the view that a soft approach should be followed. Mr Chautala said henceforth the meetings of the District Public Relations and Grievances Committees would be held on Saturdays and Sundays so as to enable a large number of persons to attend the meetings. He directed the DCs to personally supervise the flood protection works. The Chief Minister also directed the Department of Prisons to install cameras in front of the prison gates so as to keep a track of the visitors coming to meet the prisoners. The Home Secretary, Mr B.D. Dhalia, said there was a plan to construct new jails at Karnal, Faridabad and Gurgaon. The Director-General of
Police, Mr S.P.S Rathore, said there had been a decline
of 4 per cent in the cases registered under the Indian
Penal Code during January to May this year as compared to
the corresponding period last year. |
Distillery of Bhajan’s
associate sealed SONEPAT, June 18 — On a directive of the state government, a team of officials of the Haryana Pollution Control Board, headed by Mr N.K. Sangwan, Secretary of the board, sealed a distillery owned by a close associate of a former Chief Minister, Mr Bhajan Lal, at Jahri village, about 5 km from here, yesterday. According to official sources, this step has been taken after receiving public complaints regarding the flow of the effluents of the factory into the Yamuna through drain number 6 and the diversion drain number 8. This is the second distillery owned by the relatives of Mr Bhajan Lal which has been sealed by the state government during the past one week. Official sources said officials of the raiding party reached the factory around 6 a.m. and they accompanied by contingent of police to check any untoward incident during the sealing operations. The officials immediately disconnected all telephones, power connections and other vital installations in the absence of the owners and other officials of the factory. They also sealed the manufacturing plants, diesel-run generators, bottling chains and other machines. When Mr V.K. Vashisht, director-technician, resisted, he was reportedly pushed taken out from the premises of the factory. It is also alleged that the officials and the police beat up some employees of the factory who wanted to enter it for going on duty. The entry of the workers was, however, banned by the officials of the raiding party and the police, it was further alleged. It is reported that at least 12 lakh litres of liquor was stored in the factory and it will become unusable if it was not handed over to the owners of the factory. It is estimated that the distillery will lose Rs 2 crore if the liquor continued to be sealed. The company is manufacturing 10,000 boxes of liquor daily and paying excise duty to the tune of Rs 10 lakh on it. Meanwhile, the state
government, headed by Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has come in
for severe criticism at the hands of the leaders of the
Congress and other opposition parties and they described
the step as uncalled for and unwarranted. They threatened
to launch an agitation if the harassment of political
opponents was not stopped by the government. |
Paper ‘out of syllabus,
style’ AMBALA, June 18 — The Department of English of Kurukshetra University has been playing with the career of the students. This was alleged by Mr Anand Swarup, a former Head of the Department of English, at DAV College in Ambala City. In a letter sent to the Vice-Chancellor, he said the first three papers of M.A. (English) concluded recently were extremely hard and out of pattern and rule. The paper-setter as well as the department chairman of the university did not bother to consult the prescribed syllabus and style or look up the past years papers, he added. Mr Swarup said in first paper, there was no internal choice in different questions. Many students were shocked and dismayed. They left the examination hall without attempting the paper. The second paper of British Drama from Marlowe to Shaw was an example of abject negligence and carelessness. There was no question on two prescribed authors and their works. Students were left high and dry. The third paper of
British novel (Fielding to Hardy) shattered and blasted
all the set norms, rules and convention as there was no
internal choice in questions. According to KU rules,
internal choice among question is obligatory. Mr Swarup
urged the Vice-Chancellor to declare at least 15 grace
marks to all the candidate in the first three papers. It
would better if there was a re-examination in these
papers, he stated. |
Plan to remove encroachments SONEPAT, June 18 — The Sonepat Zila Parishad has drawn up a plan for the removal of encroachments and illegal occupation of the shamlat land in the rural areas of the district. Mr Rajbir Singh Dahiya, the newly elected Chairman of the parishad, told mediapersons here today that under the plan, the encroachers would be mobilised to remove encroachments on the public and shamlat land on their own during the stipulated period or face legal action. He disclosed that the parishad would seek the help of district administration and the police for launching a special campaign against those who had illegally occupied the shamlat land in the villages and failed to remove the same voluntarily. Referring to damage to the sending crops of farmers by the swollen Yamuna after the release of more than 2 lakh cusecs of water from the Tejewala headworks near Yamunanagar, he said he would take up the matter shortly with the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, for granting compensation to the affected farmers in the Khadar area of the district. He said extensive damage to the standing crops, particularly melons, had been caused in the areas near the Yamuna bed and the authorities concerned had failed to inform the farmers in advance about the release of the water. He demanded action against those responsible. Referring to the
drinking water crisis in the villages, Mr Dahiya said the
panchayati raj institutions would take steps for
installing hand-pumps in every village so that the people
get adequate potable water. |
Power theft alleged in Sonepat SONEPAT, June 18 — The Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) has been reportedly suffering huge financial losses on account of power theft on a massive scale by some industrialists of the local industrial area, industrial estate at Ganaur, Murthal and Bahalgarh industrial belt in connivance with some officials of the Nigam. According to sources, some unscrupulous officials have been making money every month as the authorities have failed to check these illegal activities. Such officials are said to be diverting a bulk of the power quota to some selected industries thereby depriving other consumers in the rural areas. The sources said there
were numerous stations where the officials manoeuvred
their postings to make money through objectionable means.
Such officials, it is alleged, are diverting some amount
to officials of the vigilance wings of the Nigam to cover
up irregularities and corrupt practices. |
Hooda flays delay in HCS exams CHANDIGARH, June 18 — The Haryana Congress President, Mr Bupinder Singh Hooda, has criticised the state government for postponing the HCS (Executive) examinations indefinitely and has demanded that a fresh date should be announced immediately. In a statement issued
here today, Mr Hooda said the Haryana Public Service
Commission had advertised the posts of HCS (Executive) in
1998 and since then the examination date had been fixed
twice, first in March, 2000, and then on June 16. But on
both occasions the exam had been postponed without any
reasonable cause. |
BKU men booked for speeches JIND, June 18 — The Jind police yesterday registered a case against nine senior leaders of the state unit of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) for their alleged provocative speeches. According to reports, the case was registered against these traders in connection with the utterances at a rally organised by the BKU at Jind on June 15. It was alleged that at the rally these leaders had instigated the farmers not to pay their electricity bills until they got regular power supply. It was further alleged that the BKU leaders had threatened if anybody tried to disconnect electricity connections of farmers due to non-payment of electricity bills, he would be held captive. The case has been registered against Mr Ghasi Ram Nain, President of the Haryana unit of the BKU, Mr Harkesh Malik, Vice-president, Mr Ram Kandela, General Secretary, Mr Daryao Singh, Treasurer, Mr Mohinder Singh, President of the District unit of the BKU, Mr Vijender Singh, President of the Hisar unit, Mr Dharampur Hooda, President of the Rohtak unit, Mr Kundan Lal, President of the Kaithal unit, and Mr Jiya Lal, Secretary of the Jind unit. A case under Sections 124-A, 506 and 34 of the IPC was registered against them at the City Police Station, Jind. The case has reportedly
been registered against these BKU leaders on the
directions of the state government. No arrest could be
made as these leaders have gone underground to evade
arrest. |
Computer project to be
implemented CHANDIGARH, June 18 — The Haryana Government today announced to implement a pilot project to computerise the registration of land in six districts of the State to check fraud and make easy the registration of land and property. The six districts are Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Gurgaon, Hisar and Narnaul. The system would be introduced in the entire state in a phased manner. The Haryana Chief
Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today released the CD
containing the software for computerisation of
registration of documents in the offices of
Sub-Registrars, developed by the Haryana unit of the
National Informatics Centre in consultation with the
Revenue Department. A training programme for tehsildars
and registration clerks would be organised by Haryana
Institute of Public Administration at Gurgaon from July
2. |
Registration for Amarnath pilgrims CHANDIGARH, June 18 -The Haryana Government will set up special registration counters in the State for registrations of devotees who want to make a pilgrimage to the Amarnath cave in the month of Shrawan. Directions to this effect have been given by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to all the Deputy Commissioners, an official press note said. While the registration
of pilgrims will commence from June 20, the yatra will be
undertaken from July 15 to August 15. The completed
application forms (as per the proforma prescribed by the
J & K Government) along with two passport size
photographs and proof of one's identity and medical
fitness certificate can be sent to the Deputy
Commissioner of the area in an envelop marked "Shri
Amarnath Yatra", the press note stated. |
"Awakening about" health
facilities GURGAON, June 18 — There is awakening among people of Haryana especially in the rural areas availing about health facilities. This was observed during the recently concluded first phase of the family health awareness campaign, which was conducted in the districts of Gurgaon, Bhiwani, Kurukshetra, Jhajjar, Kaithal, Karnal, Narnaul, Panchkula, Sirsa and Sonepat. Disclosing this, Dr M.L. Ranga, Minister of State for Health, said that more than 66 of the total target population in the age group 15 to 49 availed this opportunity and were made aware regarding control and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and their relationship with HIV or AIDS. He said that 48,062 cases of STD and RTI were detected of the total target population of 39.56 lakh. They were provided medicines free of cost and the Health Department would also take up follow-up action. He said that there had
been a significant fall in the cases of STD and RTI in
those districts where such campaigns had already been
organised. |
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