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| Sunday, July 9, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Thousands
protest against demolition of houses Power cuts belie govt’s
promise Road material: vigilance men take
samples Haryana IG, CID replaced Power supply to
‘improve’ today 29 bags of poppy husk seized |
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Power board’s
gesture to rural consumers ‘Police informer’ shot
dead SBI branch computerised
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Thousands protest against
demolition of houses YAMUNANAGAR, July 8 — Thousands of people demonstrated last night against the high-handedness of the Town and Country Planning Department, which had demolished many houses of labourers. The police fired in the air to disperse the agitated crowd. The crowd also hurled stones on the police injuring a few persons including policemen. The police registered a case against a number of people and also arrested them. It is reported that the Town and Country Planning Department demolished 12 houses in Gobindpura, Rotoli and Kansapur gram panchayat areas following which people blocked the traffic at bypass chowk. It is learnt that the crowd also damaged one Haryana Roadways bus and one private bus in addition to several other vehicles. It is learnt that last night at 9.45 p.m. when a police party in a bus went to the ITI Chowk the crowd threw stones on the police forcing the police to resort to lathi charge. In spite of all efforts the crowd did not dispersed and the police fired in the air. It is learnt that a few persons were injured in the incident, besides three constables namely Rajbir, Subhash and Nirmal. The police on a complaint of Vijay Kumar as assistant sub-inspector has registered a case against Mohammad Hasan, Suresh Rana and Zeheed Khan of village Kansapur and Balwant Rana, former president of the Haryana Roadways Union and Nawal Sharma under Sections 148, 149, 332, 353, 506, 507, 186, 320 and 427 of the IPC. When contacted Mr K.K. Sindhu, Senior Superintendent of Police said that the situation was under control. Town and Country Planning officials stated that the same land was taken under control in 1969 where no construction could be done by anyone. They also stated that posters were also distributed in this connection but the aggrieved people alleged that no such posters were distributed. The people also alleged there even no signboard of the Town and Country Planning Department was seen in the entire area earlier. They also stated that if the department had any reservation then why registration and ‘inteqaal’ of houses was done. They also stated that Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) had also provided the electricity connections to them and ration cards were also prepared by the Food and Supply Department. When contacted Mr Rajiv Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Yamunanagar informed that injustice would not be done to anybody. He added that an inquiry would also be ordered against the erring officials of Town and Country Planning Department, and those found guilty punished. Dr Jai Parkash Sharma,
local MLA of the Congress, who rang up The Tribune from
Ludhiana after reading today’s news, said that he
had talked to Chief Minister, Haryana, Mr Om Prakash
Chautala. He stated that the Chief Minister had assured
him that the matter would be inquired into thoroughly. |
Power cuts belie govt’s
promise ROHTAK, July 8 — The worsening power situation in the state seems to have put the credibility of the state government at stake. As the scorching heat conditions continue, power cuts have forced residents to come out on the roads at some places to express their resentment. Power supply has always been an important issue in Haryana and has decided the fate of state governments in the past decade. The previous governments of Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Bansi Lal were shown the door by voters in 1996 and 2000 basically on issues including their "failure" to ensure proper and round-the-clock power supply in the state. To increase the availability of power and to improve the functioning of the then Haryana State Electricity Board (HSEB), the Bansi Lal government had decided to partially privatise the board and converted it into a nigam by bifurcating it into separate companies for the generation and distribution of power. The board, now known as the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN), has allegedly failed to improve the power supply. The situation like previous years has "worsened" in the month of June when the temperatures are normally very high. The present government had promised to improve the power situation in the state before coming to power, but it seems things are going the way they were during the regime of the previous governments. According to some leaders of the Opposition the government has nearly lost control over the HVPN and the Nigam is going its way without caring for the welfare and interests of the consumers who are paying one of the highest charges for power in the country. They say it is "shameful" that while the supply situation has "worsened" the government has been thinking to hike the power tariff. According to the CPM state Secretary, Mr Inderjit Singh, if the present situation continues people might come on the roads to "teach" the authorities a lesson. Alleging that while there were no powers cut in the HVPN colony, life in both urban and rural areas had become miserable because of the power cuts during day and night. He alleged that in some areas there were 15 to 20 power cuts daily. He said people had come out on streets in Sonepat, Narwana, Ratia and Karnal towns recently to lodge their protest against power cuts. The state Congress
chief, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and the local MLA, Mr
Shadi Lal Batra, have also criticised the government in
this regard. |
Road material: vigilance men
take samples SONEPAT, July 8 — To check the use of sub-standard material in the construction and repair of roads by officials of the PWD (B&R), a team of officials of the vigilance wing took samples of the material from different sites of the roads under construction or under repairs in the area on Thursday. According to sources, the officials of the vigilance wing have taken the samples with them for further examination. This step, it is stated, has been taken on a series of public complaints relating to the use of sub-standard material in the construction and repair of roads by the officials of the PWD (B&R). It is, however, alleged that an official of the raiding party has changed some samples of the material after getting a big amount of money as "nazrana" from the officials concerned in a bid to hush up the case. Representatives of
various political organisations have demanded a
high-level probe into the case and stern action against
the guilty officials. |
Haryana IG, CID replaced CHANDIGARH, July 8 — In a surprise move, the Haryana Government tonight shifted its IG, CID, Mr Resham Singh. Mr K.P. Singh, who has recently been promoted as DIG, will now head the sensitive wing of the police. The Head of the CID wing is considered important because of his presumed closeness to the Chief Minister. Mr Resham Singh goes as IG, Rohtak, in place of Dr John V. George who will be IG, Law and Order. The IG, Vigilance, HVPN,
Mr V.B. Singh, will be IG, Modernisation and Welfare. The
IG, Gurgaon range, Mr Ranjeev Dalal, will also hold the
additional charge of IG, Vigilance, HVPN. |
29 bags of poppy husk
seized KAITHAL, July 8 — The C.I.A branch of the local police seized 29 bags containing 402 kg of poppy-husk being smuggled in a truck through Kaithal town to Dahan Kheri in Guhla subdivision last night. The S.P., Mr P.R. Deo, said here today that the contraband was confiscated by the police at a naka at Siwan chowk here when it was being smuggled from Uttar Pradesh. The naka was laid following the receipt of secret information. The driver of the truck Ranjit of Barara tehsil in Ambala district, was arrested while Suba Singh of Dabankher village fled. The police has registered a case under the N.D.P.S Act. The truck driver was produced in court today and was remanded in police custody for five days. Elsewhere, the police
seized 100 packets of country-made liquor from Birja Ram
of Kutabpur, 33 packets from Jora Singh and 29 packets
from Subhash of Malkheri during the past 24 hours. The
suspects have been arrested. |
Power supply to
‘improve’ today CHANDIGARH, July 8 — The power supply position in Haryana would improve considerably from tomorrow following the Faridabad Gas Power (unit-2) and Panipat Thermal Power Station starting production tonight. A spokesman for the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam said as an immediate administrative measure and for greater flexibility in supplies, the power to regulate had been delegated to the circle-level. The Western Regional
Electricity Board, which was providing 400 MW to the
Northern grid had withdrawn nearly 200 MW. All this had affected the supplies in Haryana. Besides this, two units
of Panipat Thermal Power Station and one unit of
Faridabad Gas Power Station were also on temporary
shutdown for operational reasons. |
Power board’s gesture to
rural consumers ROHTAK, July 8 — Uttar as well as Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam have provided yet another opportunity to domestic consumers in the rural sector and to agriculture and tubewell consumers to pay pending power bills without surcharge. A spokesman of the nigam said here yesterday that the authorities had approved two schemes for the purpose. Under the first scheme, surcharge would be waived if the amount of the pending power bills was deposited till July 31. The second scheme would
serve the consumers who were not able to make one-time
payment. Such agriculture and tubewell consumers had been
given the facility to deposit the arrears through four
quarterly instalments, while the domestic consumers in
rural areas could deposit the bills in four bimonthly
instalments. Consumers under the second scheme would be
given 75 per cent exemption from the surcharge. |
‘Police informer’ shot dead SIRSA, July 8—One person was killed in Jhiri village in the district reportedly for informing the police about the smuggling of poppy husk. The police has seized a truck loaded with 90 sacks of poppy husk three days back. According to information received here yesterday, Bahadur Singh (50) of Jhiri village was shot dead allegedly by Atma Singh, Binder Singh, Kuldeep Singh and one off their accomplices because of being a "police informer" and because of an old tussle between them. A case has been registered against the four. Atma Singh was earlier
booked by the police for smuggling poppy husk but had not
been arrested. On the night of the murder there was a
quarrel between Bahadur Singh and Atma Singh both
neighbourers, but the matter had pacified. |
SBI branch computerised KURUKSHETRA, July 8 (FOC) — Regional Engineering College Kurukshetra branch of the State Bank of India has been computerised fully from July 3, according to the Branch Manager, Mr R.B. Sehgal. The working hours at the
branch have also been extended up to 4 pm daily on normal
days and 1 p.m. on Saturdays to provide better banking
services. |
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