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| Friday, July 21, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Controversy over eviction drive Govt removes
irritants in ties with traders HARTRON pact
with KU Workshop held
on childbirth Govt urged to
lower wheat price Something fishy about the rain |
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Haryana to observe
martyrdom day Doctor killed in
road mishap
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Controversy over eviction drive CHANDIGARH, July 20 — The Om Prakash Chautala government’s drive to free government land from encroachers has triggered off a political controversy in Haryana. Talking to the TNS here on Wednesday, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, chief of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, alleged that the government had adopted a “pick-and-choose” method for dealing with the encroachers. While stating that the Congress MLA from Yamunanagar, Mr J.P. Sharma, had complained to him about discrimination by the government agencies while carrying out evictions in his constituency, Mr Hooda said that he had received similar reports from Sonepat and Karnal as well. Mr Hooda said that Mr Ajay Singh Yadav, Congress deputy leader in the assembly, had also complained to him about the eviction drive at Rewari, and added that the government must formulate a uniform policy on encroached land. However, while reacting to Mr Hooda’s allegation, a government spokesman here said the government already had a clear policy on eviction which was being followed by the implementing agencies. The spokesman said that as far as encroached land in the rural areas was concerned, the Chief Minister had already issued instructions that “critical village land” grabbed by encroachers should be recovered. The “phirni” (circular village road connecting other roads of a village), pastures, school land, cremation grounds and “johars” had been identified as “critical” village areas on which encroachment would not be allowed, the spokesman said. He said Mr Chautala had also issued instructions saying that residential houses on illegally occupied government land, if these were not in the “critical” land category, would not be demolished through the panchayat would be charging the occupants the value of the plot, thereby regularising these encroachments. The spokesman said that eviction was being carried out in consultation with the panchayats. In many villages people had demanded that “critical” land should be freed from encroaches during the “sarkar aapke dwar” programme, he said. He said that since the district administration concerned could not carry out eviction in all villages under its jurisdiction at one and the same time, a few villages were being selected for action at one time which might have been seen as discrimination by the HPCC chief. He said that in urban areas, structures erected on illegally occupied land being demolished and land encroached upon by property dealers and others was being recovered. Slums were not being uprooted, he said, adding that the government was, however, not allowing new encroachments in towns. In Sonepat six acres of land was freed from encroachers. The land was auctioned, bringing Rs 1.8 crore to the kitty of the Sonepat Municipal Committee, he said. |
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Govt removes
irritants in ties with traders CHANDIGARH, July 20 — Even as the traders’ opposition to the introduction of transit challans (Form ST-38) continues, the Haryana Government has decided to remove another irritant in its relationship with the business community. According to the Minister of State for Local Government, Mr Subhash Goyal, the state government, which received several representations from various trade organisations, has decided to simplify the documentation required in lieu of Forms ST-14 and ST-15. He said that under the revised procedure the need for furnishing a dealerwise triplicate list had been dispensed with. The dealers would furnish only the lists of sale and purchase of goods as they had been doing earlier. A registered dealer would give the corresponding certificate or declaration on the copy of the bill of sale. The documents would be produced by the claimant dealer before the assessing authority at the time of assessment or in case of challenge. The revised procedure would come into effect immediately for the returns to be filled for the quarter ended June 30 last. The submission of dealerwise lists of sale and purchase in triplicate was one of the steps taken by the state government to check the evasion of tax, which had provoked the trading community to resort to protests against the Chautala government, including the observing of bandhs in several towns. Earlier the state government had decided to exempt those moving timber and utensils within a district from the need to carry the ST-38 form. The government had also shelved the controversial formula of assessing house tax in municipal towns. However, so far the government has not shown any inclination to modify its stand on the ST-38 form. Mr Goyal said ST-38 forms would help the traders in carrying out their business in an honest manner and check the evasion of tax, which “is a social evil.” He said the introduction of ST-38 forms would weed out unscrupulous elements in trade. A person carrying the ST-38 form would not be asked to verify or explain the source of origin or destination of goods. This would also curb “inspector raj”. He said if there was any operational difficulty, the government would further simplify the procedures. |
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HARTRON pact
with KU SONEPAT, July 20 — A Government of Haryana undertaking, HARTRON, has reached an agreement with Kurukshetra University for offering degrees and diploma courses in Information Technology (IT). Bachelor of Computer Application (BCA) and diploma courses including postgraduate diploma in computer maintenance and net working (PGDCM) and a certificate course in computer application (CCA). The Director of the institute, Mrs Viraj Pahil, told mediapersons here today that HARTRON was a nodal agency of the state government and one of the oldest and biggest institute of the city in the field of computer education. It was engaged in promoting and accelerating the pace of electronics industry. She said as many as 500 students had been passed out from this institute. The institute, she said, was the first internet access point (IPA) of IGNOU, New Delhi, for conducting BCA and MCA degree courses. The courses included a one and two-year diploma in computer science for which the minimum qualification was 10 plus 2 and a postgraduate diploma in computer science for which the minimum qualification was graduation. Mrs Pahil said a variety of short-term courses were also being offered to suit specific target audiences. The latest courses in internet included courses in web development, advanced web development and a certificate course in internet, she added. |
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Workshop held
on childbirth ROHTAK, July 20 — While the health and medical care facilities for the women of slum and rural areas in the state have been far from adequate, the methods adopted for pregnancy and childbirth are highly unsafe in view of the lack of proper facilities in a majority of the villages. This conclusion came about at the two-day workshop on childbirth and health organised here by the State Resource Centre, Haryana. The workshop concluded last evening. A majority of the speakers and the groups taking part in this workshop expressed concern over the poor and substandard health care facilities for women and children. Members of a group said women living in slums and villages had no access to proper medical care which is required during pregnancy and childbirth. They said there was hardly a trained nurse or midwife for delivery. |
Govt urged to
lower wheat price SONEPAT, July 20 — Mr Ved Parkash Vidrohi, President of the Haryana Pradesh Janata Dal (U) today charged the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre of pursuing anti-people policies. He said while wheat was being sold at Rs 900 per quintal to ordinary consumers through fair price shops traders were being supplied wheat from government godowns at Rs 700 per quintal. In a press statement issued here, he also criticised the NDA’s partners for not raising their voice against this discrimination. He urged the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee to order an immediate reduction in the price of wheat for the benefit of the poor. |
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Something fishy about the rain AMBALA, July 20 — The record-breaking rainfall in the past two days may be a dampener for the people as they have to face a variety of problems, but for fish, a good rainfall is welcome. The breeding season for fish officially starts from July 1 and lasts till August 31. Rainfall leading to heavy flow of water in rivers during these two months ensures that fish leave their home in a particular area and begin their journey upstream, against the flow of water, for the purpose of breeding and searching better feeding ground. According to the Fisheries Development Officer, Ambala, Mr Subhash Chander, fish will not leave a particular area where they are living if the flow of water is slow. “Fish only leave their home when the current is fast. They swim against the current in search of their mate and also to find a better feeding area,” he said. Ambala district is also considered a breeding ground for a few variety of fish which swim up through, among others, the Markanda river. The fish mostly are from Sirsa district and as the water subsides, the fish start living in the nearest deep water body. After flood subsides, fish can be found in a number of areas. There are reports of even large varieties of fish being caught in shallow pools of water. There are two types of fisheries — capture and culture. Capture fisheries deal with fish in all “scheduled waters”, including rivers, rivulets, canals and any other running water from where fish can be captured in the natural surrounding. In Ambala, fish abound in Markanda, Parallel SYL, Narwana branch and Zhuda nallah, with the scheduled water measuring approximately 200 km. Fisheries activity is regulated for a two-month period, starting July 1, in which fishing is banned under the Haryana Fisheries Act as it is considered to be the breeding season. After August 31, open auction is held. This year’s auction fetched Rs 3.92 lakh for the department from five districts, he stated. Regarding fish culture, farmers are encouraged to set up fish farms. The Fisheries Department provides training, loan facility through banks, and expert assistance in different activities, including new pond construction and renovation. Mr Chander said earlier a three-tier system was prevalent in marketing of fish, but the department had been able to curb that practice. “We help the farmers in marketing the fish and the department acts as a facilitator,” he said. There are three fish mandis in Haryana where farmers can sell their fish. The fish mandis were set up in Yamunanagar, Faridabad and Panipat. Culture fishing takes place in village ponds and whenever there is an increase in water, fish escape. “Villagers who undertake fishing in the area, take out the fish before the onset of the monsoon. They do not stock fish till the time monsoon does not come to an end,” he said. A fish farmer explains that a good rainfall is useful only to those farmers whose fish pond has got a high bund. “If the bund is weak or low, the fish will swim out into the flooded area, which means a loss to the farmer. Otherwise, if a farmer has a high bund, there is no problem,” a farmer from Naggal stated. The six types of culture fish in the area are rohu, katla, mirgal, grass carp, silver carp and common carp. Besides these six varieties, the fish found in the rivers here include malli, singhara, singhi, baam, doli, dola, magur, katir, gaunch, booter, and bachwa. Mr
Chander stated that about 150 farmers had taken to fish
farming after encouragement and support of the Fisheries
Department. “The annual turnover of fish, which
includes culture as well as capture, will be in the
region of 700 to 900 tonnes,” he said. |
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Haryana to observe
martyrdom day PATIALA, July 20 — In a rare gesture, the Haryana Government for the first time will be observing Shaheed Udham Singh’s martydom day at Shahabad Markanda on July 31. This was disclosed by the MLA from the Tohana assembly constituency and Chairman of the martyrdom day organising committee, Mr Nishan Singh Kamboj, while addressing a gathering of the Kamboj Sabha at Amar Ashram here yesterday. He said blood donation camps, cultural programmes and sports tournaments would be held all over the state on a big scale on the occasion. The Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, will release a documentary produced on the life and times of Udham Singh. Mr Nishan Singh was honoured
by former state minister Lal Singh and local sabha leader
Joginder Singh Thind. |
Doctor killed in
road mishap ROHTAK, July 20 — A post-graduation student of Pt. B.D. Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (PGIMS), Rohtak was killed and two of his companions were injured in a road mishap near here last night. According to police sources, the accident took place near Kharawar village, about 20 km from here, on National Highway No. 10. The deceased has been identified as Dr Ashwini Jain, a PG student. He was coming towards Rohtak from Gurgaon with his friends, identified as Dr Sudhir Kathuria and Dr Sashi Rao (both PG students), when their car rammed into a truck parked on the road. While Dr Jain reportedly died on the spot, Dr Kathuria and Dr Rao got injured in the accident. The injured have been admitted to the PGIMS hospital where their condition is reported to be stable. |
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