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| Thursday, June 29, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Octroi may be back in Haryana Cong to gherao
Vidhan Sabha Bajrang Dal behind attacks: Vora Haryana areas go powerless SJP call to fight govt forces Tussle over land
referred to DC Kharkhauda shopkeepers
protest demolition Justice Kaul submits
report to CM ‘Disasters killed
1 lakh in 1999’
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Advocate-General issued notice Water shortage in
Fatehabad Sarpanch, 2 others
arrested Concern over illegal
felling of trees Chandra Shekhar
re-elected
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Octroi may be back in Haryana GURGAON, June 28 — The INLD government in Haryana is studying the feasibility of reintroducing octroi in the
state. The development has the potential to further chill the already strained relationship between the INLD and the BJP. The state government’s move is in the backdrop of growing pressure of the municipalities on the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to reintroduce octroi which was abolished by his earlier government. Officials are tight-lipped on the ticklish issue. This is understandable considering the strong
possibility of criticism of the ruling INLD by its political opponents. According to sources, the feasibility study includes the
possibility of reintroducing octroi in amended form, on the pattern of Punjab. In Punjab, the practice is to levy the tax on the basis of value of the goods. In Haryana, the practice was to levy the tax on the basis of weight. A comparative study reveals that the levying on the basis of value has the possibility of fetching more revenue for the municipalities than the practice under the weight system. The issues relating to octroi had figured prominently during a recent meeting of the presidents and other functionaries of the municipal councils of the state with Mr Chautala. The functionaries had made a strong case for reviewing the government’s policy decision of abolishing the tax. One of the main arguments was that octroi formed the main source of income for the municipalities. As it was abolished the local bodies were faced with a resource crunch. Consequently, they were not able to undertake development programmes in their respective areas of influence. Sensing the positive mood of the government after a meeting of the functionaries of local bodies with Mr Chautala certain municipalities have already taken the plunge by passing resolutions in favour of reintroducing octroi. According to sources, it was more than a coincidence that such municipalities include those which are dominated and headed by politicians affiliated to the ruling INLD. According to sources, the government was indeed facing a resource crunch. Abolishing octroi had affected the functioning of even those few municipalities, including Gurgaon, which used to boast of budgetary surplus after the end of the financial year. They are now hard-pressed for funds. For examples, Gurgaon’s municipality which used to net more than Rs 2 crore annually from octroi has not been able to recoup the loss on account of the government’s decision to abolish it. However, the government may have to contend with the allegations that it had not taken the ground realities into account before deciding in favour of the abolition. The INLD government had abolished the tax during its tenure immediately before the last Assembly elections in the state. The abolition was also one of the demands of the INLD’s ally, the BJP. In fact, it was a bone of contention between the BJP and the HVP in the HVP-BJP coalition government headed by Mr Bansi Lal. Mr Bansi Lal did not oblige the
BJP. |
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Cong to gherao
Vidhan Sabha YAMUNANAGAR, June 28 — Congress workers will gherao the Haryana Vidhan Sabha in coming session if the state government failed to withdraw its anti-people policies. Mr Moti Lal Vora, general secretary of the all-India Congress (I) and in charge of Haryana Congress (I) while addressing a public meeting here today stated that the people of state were fed up with the policies of the Haryana government. He criticised the Central Government for increase in the prices of essential commodities like kerosene, LPG, diesel, petrol and fertilisers. He further said the Congress had launched a countrywide agitation against the BJP-led government in protest against the hike in prices. He, however, added that the party was not interested in bringing down the present Haryana government but wanted the state government to mend its policies. Mr Vora said at present the Congress had no firm policies or programme. He reminded that Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, Prime Minister, had promised to provide employment to 10 million persons in the country before coming to power and had also promised to give houses but nothing had been done in this regard so far. Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, said lakhs of people will assemble at Chandigarh to gherao the Haryana Vidhan Sabha in the coming Budget session. He alleged that the present government had adopted a vindictive attitude and false cases had been registered against a number of people. The rally was addressed by Dr J.P. Sharma, local MLA, Mr Raghbir Singh Kadian, Mr Sher Singh of Julana, Capt Ajay Singh and Dr Ram Parkash, general secretary Haryana Congress (I). Later, all five MLAs, including Mr Hooda, gave a memorandum, relating to hike in the prices of essential commodities, to the Deputy Commissioner of Yamunanager to forward it to the Governor of Haryana. |
Haryana areas go powerless ROHTAK, June 28 — Most areas in Haryana had to go without power for several hours since Tuesday night because of a break down in the grid. The situation was the worst in Hisar town where the power supply was reportedly switched off at 10 p.m. on Tuesday and restored at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday. It was again cut off at 4 a.m. today and resumed after nearly four hours. The problem in Rohtak began at about 12.30 at night after the BBMB switched off power supply from its Dadri feeder to “keep the low voltage in check”. While the BBMB restored supply after nearly two hours, the Power Controller stationed at Panchkula directed the Panipat thermal plant authorities to disconnect supply to this area from 2.30 a.m. The state has been facing severe power shortage for the past four to five days. Unannounced power cuts are being imposed several times during the day over and above the routine load shedding. A senior HVPN official said the problem had begun with the rise in the day temperature and break down of power generating unit of 143 MW of the Gas-based power plant at Faridabad and two units of 110 MW of the Panipat thermal plant. The 500 MW power plant at Sangrauli in UP is also closed due to generation defects. The power supply scene is likely to worsen further because of delay in pre-monsoon rains and increasing demand of the agriculture sector in the paddy growing areas. The demand for electricity supply in the paddy growing areas has more than doubled, the HVPN official said. Although the HVPN officials are aware of the increasing demand for power due to rise in temperature (hovering between 44°C and failure of pre-monsoon showers, they have failed to make alternate arrangements to cope with the situation. The timings of the rotational load shedding have almost been doubled for the past five days. While the duration of power cuts was half an hour each in the morning and evening, it has been increased to one hour now. Unable to provide uninterrupted power supply, the HVPN is on the contrary cutting of supply very frequently and without any prior intimation to the consumers. The worst sufferers of the unscheduled power cuts at noon and night are house wives and children. |
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Bajrang Dal behind attacks: Vora YAMUNANAGAR, June 28 — Mr Moti Lal Vora, General Secretary of the Congress and observer of the party for Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Chandigarh, said today the Bajrang Dal was involved in attacks on Christians. Talking to newspersons at a local rest house, Mr Vora blamed the RSS for allegedly making statements that the constitution should be based on religion. He said there was no need to review the Constitution and demanded that any organisation which was involved in activities against the interests of the country should be banned. Mr Vora was accompanied by six MLAs from Haryana — Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Dr Jai Prakash Sharma, local MLA, Capt Ajay Singh of Rewari, Mr Sher Singh of Julana, Mr Jai Parkash from Barwala and Mr Raghbir Kadian from the Beri constituency. The Congress had started a “save the Constitution” movement from April 5 this year from Nagpur. Mr Vora alleged that the 11-member committee formed by the Centre to review the Constitution was baseless. Political parties were not taken into consideration while forming the committee. He expressed concern over the deterioration law and order situation in Bihar, and said his party was in constant touch with the State Government and the situation there would improve soon, he said. Replying to a question Mr Vora said the President’s rule was not a solution to the Bihar problem. The Congress was prepared for election in Punjab and the party had strengthened its base in north India. The organisational elections would be completed by November this year. Mr Hooda lashed out at the Haryana Government for creating “chaos” in the state. He said the state government had been exposed because of its “anti-people” policies. The party would hold demonstrations against the “misdeeds” of the state government on June 3 at Jhajjar, on July 7 at Narnaul and Jind on July 10. Asked about his reported differences with Mr Bhajan Lal, he said there was nothing of the sort and all members of the party were working under the leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi.  |
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SJP call to fight govt forces KURUKSHETRA, June 28 — The national convention of the Samajwadi Janata Party here today expressed concern over the autonomy resolution passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly. A political resolution passed on the occasion in the delegate session of the party stated that “the autonomy resolution has put a question mark on the unity of India”. The resolution stated that pre-1953 situation in Jammu and Kashmir was “neither possible nor desirable”. It said that the way the question of autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir was raised in the Assembly would create more complications and problems. The speakers on the occasion maintained that the autonomy resolution was a sequel to the stand of the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, to start a dialogue with the Hurriyat leaders without taking the National Conference into confidence. Mr Advani worked under political pressure from certain foreign powers, the speakers alleged. The delegate session was presided over by Mr Chandra Shekhar, who was earlier unanimously elected national president of the party. The resolution was moved by Prof Dadichi from Rajasthan. The convention felt the autonomy resolution would encourage other regional parties like the Akali Dal in Punjab to raise such questions in the near future. The political resolution expressed the party’s readiness to decentralise powers so that institutions up to the gram panchayat level could perform their responsibilities properly. But it expressed grave reservation that the Union Government tried to find a solution to the Kashmir problem without taking into confidence the elected government of the National Conference there. Talking about the general political situation in the country, the political resolution expressed concern over the deteriorating political situation in different parts of the country. It regretted that the BJP government made covert efforts to change the Constitution to convert it into the “Unitary” form. The convention, however, expressed happiness that strong intervention by the President of India and popular public opinion discouraged the BJP to change the basic features of the Constitution. The resolution said the BJP was out to change the secular and democratic features of our Constitution. Therefore, it urged the people to beware of the nefarious designs of the
party.
PANIPAT, June 28 — The
tussle between residents of Sukhdev Nagar Colony and the district administration has been brought to the notice of the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly and Governor. Both parties are lying low after the matter has been handed over to the Deputy Commissioner to find a solution. A 2,500 sq ft area of land at the entry gate of the colony was initially reserved for constructing public toilets when the colony was developed. Residents of the colony, however, decided to use the land as a park for children and old people. When the Sukhdev Nagar Welfare Association took the development of the park upon itself, the
tussle with the administration started. The president of the association Mr Prem Bajaj, said the colony was developed in August 1976, and since then the land was lying vacant. On residents’ request construction of a
boundary wall with grill was permitted by the Subdivisional Officer, but even after the construction of the
boundary wall, people used the area as an open toilet due to which children could not play in the park. Some of the residents of the colony opposed the installation of the grill and allegedly “misguided” the administration which resulted in a tussle. The SDM, Mr Kulwant Kalsan, visited this site for inspection and charged the residents with unauthorised encroachment upon the land. The office-bearers of the association explained to him that the association was developing the park with the permission of the City Improvement Board. The president of the association said the association was also developing another park as Dr Ranjan Park and they proposed to spend Rs 1.5 lakh on it. In this park, there would be a separate provision for adults and children, he added. Mr Bajaj said the Haryana Government sanctioned a grant of Rs 25,000 for each park but residents were developing the park without availing of it. It is reported that the business community is interested in utilising the space for constructing shops and they have approached the Governor and the Speaker of the Assembly, Mr Satbir Kadiyan. Under directions from the Governor, the case has been handed over to the Deputy Commissioner.
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Kharkhauda shopkeepers
protest demolition SONEPAT, June 28 — Officials of the demolishing squad were forced to return without demolishing unauthorised structures and removing encroachments of municipal and public land at Kharkhauda town, 19 km from here, yesterday on account of stiff
resistance and massive demonstration by agitated shopkeepers. The shopkeepers also kept their shutters down to register their protest against demolition in the main bazar of the town. They assembled at the office of the Block Development and Panchayat Officer to apprise the SDO (C), Mr Sultan Singh, that they had the legal right to use the land as they had already paid the ‘tehbazari’amount to the civic body. The SDO (C) arrived around 2 p.m. and heard the
grievances of shopkeepers and other people and left the place after asking them to remove
encroachments and unauthorised structures voluntarily. The irate shopkeepers then ended the protest and opened their shops. However, the district authorities with the help of the police succeeded in removing encroachments on panchayat land at Jakhauli and Murthal villages yesterday. They also removed ‘kutcha’ shops constructed along the wall of the roadways petrol pump at Murthal chowk on the GT Road. They also removed illegal occupation of public land by the owners of
dhabas, hotels and restaurants along the GT Road in the area. The authorities also demolished all houses in the ‘basti’ of snake-Charmers near Murthal village. These houses were built on panchayat land and some of them belonged to notorious criminals who use them as their hideouts after committing crimes in Haryana, Delhi and
UP. |
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Justice Kaul submits
report to CM Chandigarh, June 28 — Justice M L Kaul, who was heading an enquiry into the incident of police firing on the striking employees of Pashupati Mill at Dharuhera in Rewari district in 1998, today submitted his report to Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala. Government sources said that the report would now be examined by the Home department following which it would be tabled in the State Assembly within the stipulated time along with an action taken report. The firing, which took place following a clash between the mill workers and the management, resulted to the death of some workers. Navraj Sandhu and Sohan Lal were the DC and the SP, respectively, of Rewari at that time, while Mr Bansi Lal was the Chief Minister of
Haryana. |
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‘Disasters killed
1 lakh in 1999’ CHANDIGARH, June 28 — The World Disaster Report reveals that in 1999 between 70,000 and 1,00,000 people were killed by natural disasters all over the world. About 13 million died of infectious diseases. In India, three-quarters of the nation’s health care is in private hands, yet it is out of reach for those 400 million who live below the poverty line. The unnecessary costs of medical care are emerging as the second
common cause of rural indebtedness in India. There are a few excerpts of the World Disaster Report which was released by the Haryana Governor and President of the Indian Red Cross Society, Babu Parmanand, at Raj Bhavan here today. Miss Shashi Bala, Secretary of the Haryana Red Cross Society was also present on the occasion. |
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Advocate-General issued notice CHANDIGARH, June 28 — Issuing notice to the Haryana Advocate-General for July 4, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today stayed till then the arrest of an Assistant General Manager in an attempt to murder and a rioting case. The petitioner — Roopak Rakshit of Faridabad district — was apprehending arrest in a case registered with Police Station Hassangar under Section 147, 148, 307, 447, 448, 379 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code. It was alleged in the first information report (FIR) that the petitioner, along with others, had fired and thrashed some residents of Kashipur village on May 3 before cutting the crop sown by the complainants. Claiming to have been implicated in a false case, the petitioner had stated that the FIR had been registered after inordinate delay. He had stated that the incident was alleged to have taken place on May 4 but the FIR was not lodged before May 7. No reason for the delay was mentioned, he had added. The FIR, his counsel had claimed on his behalf, was lodged “to pressurise the petitioner into withdrawing certain FIRs registered by him against the complainants in the present FIR”. |
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Water shortage in
Fatehabad FATEHABAD, June 28 — Local residents are facing an acute shortage of drinking water in many localities here. Scarcity of clean drinking water has become a chronic problem now. The Public Health Department in charge of water supply to the town has a canal-based system of water works at local Bhetta Road and over half a dozen tubewells at different places in the town. The water works system is adequate to meet the needs of town during the winters or the rainy seasons but during summers it becomes difficult for the department to meet the increased need of the residents for water. In many localities, including Basti Bhiwan, Ashok Nagar, Lajpat Nagar and Thakar Basti water taps go virtually dry. Repeated requests to the department has not invoked any response from the authorities concerned. Women of the Basti Bhiwan and Lajpat Nagar held a demonstration in front of the office of the Public Health Department on Monday. Mrs, Shikha Mehta, municipal councillor from ward no six, led the demonstration. The agitated women alleged that there was no supply of drinking water in their area for the last five days. The residents resent the attitude of officers of this department which they allege is quite indifferent to the sufferings. They
allege that though they had requested senior officers of the
department to take steps to improve the water supply, nothing had been
done so far in that direction. |
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Sarpanch, 2 others
arrested NARNAUL, June 28 — Sarpanch Ajit Singh of Garhi village near here, panch Harphool Singh and Giga Ram have been arrested in connection with blackening faces of a Dalit, Ganpat and his son, of the same village for reportedly slapping the face of the sarpanch. The SP, Narnaul, Mr Manjit Singh Ahlawat, said normalcy returned to Garhi village under Mahendragarh police station, following the arrests after the incident in which the village panchayat reportedly ordered to put a garland of shoes round Ganpat’s neck and took him around the village. According to police sources, Ganpat, had been working at a brick-kiln in the village on contract basis. However, he was not allowed to work there on the complaint of the kiln owner. Ganpat was then asked by the sarpanch to settle the dispute as it could be settled among themselves. It was then decided to hold a panchayat at Garhi village. There the panchayat reportedly decided to blacken Ganpat’s face and garland him with shoes and to take him round the village. Members of the panchayat belong to a Rajput community. Mr Manjit Singh said rest of the accused Mukesh and Vijaipal, both Rajputs, were also arrested and a case was registered under Sections 147/149/323/342/355/506/504 of the IPC and under Sections 3/33/89 of the SC/ST Act against them. |
Concern over illegal
felling of trees SONEPAT, June 28 — The Forest Department Mazdoor Union, Haryana, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), today expressed concern over the illegal felling of trees on a massive scale in Sonepat district and elsewhere in the state, alleging that unscrupulous officials of the department and contractors were involved in this racket. In a press note issued here, it also alleged that the state government was being duped by preparation of bogus bills and unscrupulous officials of the department were pocketing money in the absence of scrutiny by the higher authorities. The union further alleged that officials were violating the labour laws, particularly the Minimum Wages Act, and by denying wages to the workers in accordance with the Act. The union warned that if the demands of the
workers were not accepted immediately, it would have no alternative but to launch an agitation against the government. |
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Chandra Shekhar
re-elected KURUKSHETRA, June 28 — Mr Chandra Shekhar was unanimously re-elected the President of the Samajwadi Janata Party at a national convention of the party here today. Addressing the delegates on the occasion, Chandra Shekhar categorically said his party would not tolerate the economic subjugation of the country in any way. He maintained that the conspiracy to make the country a slave to the multinationals would be exposed by the SJP. He reminded countrymen and the political parties that when the East India Company had come to India, it had come with the purpose of trading here, but the net result was that it kept the country in slavery for more than 250 years. The convention unanimously elected Mr Om Parkash Srivastava as its national general secretary. The convention authorised Mr Chandra Shekhar to nominate the national executive of the party. |
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