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| Sunday, August 6, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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NDA govt incapable: Bansi Lal Farm labourers seek wage revision Chautala’s warning to DCs, SPs Shilpy,
Navneet top board exams 7 labourers hurt in assault Aug 7 protest: farmers cautioned Beware of strangers giving eatables in trains Govt draws flak
from tyre dealers |
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Anil Shorewala
bailed out Kundli village gets power sub-station Rs 24 crore for two flyovers in Haryana Constable caught taking bribe Gas agency closed Scooterist killed
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Shilpy,
Navneet top board exams BHIWANI, Aug 5 — Girls have outshone
boys in the senior secondary annual examination-2000 of the Board of
School Education Haryana by bagging first positions in science,
humanities and commerce groups. Girls have bagged the first 10
positions in humanities first nine positions in commerce and the first
two positions in science stream. The board secretary, Prof Jagdish K. Sihag, told mediapersons here today that Shilpy Mittal of DAV Girls College, Yamunanagar, had topped the senior secondary academic annual examination, getting 368 marks (92 per cent) out of a total of 400. Shilpy is a science student. The second position has been bagged by Priyanka also of Science stream. She is a student of Jiwan Jyoti Senior Secondary Public School, Gurgaon. She got 360 marks (90 per cent). Vibhor Gupta of MLN Senior Secondary School, Yamunanagar, was placed third by getting 351 (87.75 per cent). In the humanities group Manju of Vivekanand Girls Senior Secondary School, Sonepat bagged first position by securing 418 marks (83.60 per cent) out of a total of 500, Sangeeta Kumari of Saraswati Bal Mandir Senior Secondary School, Narnaul (Mohindergarh), stood second by obtaining 414 marks (82.80 per cent). Maidha of Adarsh Senior Secondary School, Arya Nagar, Rohtak, got third position by securing 410 marks (82 per cent). In the commerce group Navneet Kaur of Jain Girls Senior Secondary School, Rai market, Ambala Cantonment, bagged first position by securing 392 marks out of 500 (78.40 per cent). The second position was obtained by Sushma Goel of Champa Devi Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Ateli Mandi (Mohindergarh) by getting 391 marks (78.20 per cent) and third position was bagged by Rozi of Lahoria Senior Secondary School, Hisar, by getting 390 marks (78 per cent). Shilpy Mittal, the topper in science group wants to be an IAS officer. She gives full credit for her success to her parents and teachers and likes to read magazines, play chess and cricket in her spare time. Second-placed Priyanka aims to become a doctor. She is also fond of playing chess. Her father is an officer in Parsar Bharti and she attributes her success to her guardians and teachers. The topper in commerce stream, Navneet Kaur wants to be a chartered accountant. Besides reading she is fond of playing badminton. Sushma Goel wants to be an officer and likes to play badminton. Manju, who bagged first position in humanities group and Sangeeta, who is placed, second both want to be administrative officers. |
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Farm labourers seek wage revision SONEPAT, Aug 5 — On a call given by the Haryana Khet Mazdoor Union, hundreds of farm labourers took out a procession here yesterday, in protest against the state government’s failure to accept their longstanding demands for revision of their wages and allotment of residential plots to them. Carrying placards and raising anti-government slogans, they marched through the main bazars of the city and reached the mini-secretariat, where they held a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office. A rally was also held and it was addressed, among others, by Mr Daryao Singh Kashyap, general secretary of the state unit of the union, and Mr Chhattar Singh, district secretary of the CPI. The speakers lashed out at the INLD government, and blamed it for the deteriorating condition of the farm labourers in the state. The union leaders also criticised the Central and state governments for adopting anti-worker policies and alleged that the economic condition of the poor and farm labourers had worsened on account of the hike in the prices of rationed commodities, petroleum products, urea and fertilisers. Later, the protesters submitted a 13-point memorandum listing the demands of their union to the Deputy Commissioner. |
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Chautala’s warning to DCs, SPs HISAR, Aug 5 — The Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has sent the deputy commissioners (DCs) and superintendents of police (SPs) of all 19 districts of the state scurrying for cover with a terse warning that he will judge their performance by the number of citizens from their respective districts visiting him at Chandigarh with their problems. According to highly placed sources, he has made it clear to them that if the number of such visitors is high, it will be considered as a clear indication of their inefficiency. The sources say he has made it clear to the deputy commissioners and the superintendents of police that he believe in taking the government to the doorstep of the common man. That is why he himself attends Sarkar Aapke Dwar camps all over the state at regular intervals. The idea is to convey to the people that his is a government that cares. He wants this philosophy to be reflected in the functioning of the district administrations. During his tours of the districts, the Chief Minister makes it a point to personally tell the officers that no citizen will take the trouble of approaching him personally at Chandigarh with his problem that ought to have been resolved at the district level itself unless the DCs and the SPs had failed to do their duty. He has made it clear to them that in such cases he would not only replace them, but would also take stern departmental action. The sources say, the Chief Minister believes that in the present administrative system, the public perception of failure or success of any government depends on the performance of the officials of these two categories. He is, therefore, keen that the persons holding these posts function as servants of the people and not as stiff-lipped bureaucrats enjoying status and power. The Chief Minister’s clear-cut instructions are already beginning to reflect in the functioning of the DCs and the SPs all over the state. They are now working overtime to prevent people from having to approach the Chief Minister with their problems. Several DCs have already directed departmental heads to submit them weekly reports of action taken on public representations. Likewise, the SPs too have directed SHOs to improve the working of their police stations. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister addressed district officers at a meeting here last evening on his first visit to the town after assuming office some months ago. Underlining the need for making the administration more people friendly, he sought their cooperation in implementing the various new policies announced by the government. He directed them to ensure the completion of all projects he had approved during the first phase of his Sarkar Aapke Dwar programme last year by October 2 next when he proposed to launch its second phase. Referring to the new education policy, he said it was aimed at bridging the widening gap in the quality of education imparted in urban and rural areas. He said despite financial problems he had approved recruitment of 10,000 teachers and introduced computer education. He said he had made teaching of English from class I compulsory with the sole intention of making it easier for students to learn computers at the earliest level. The Chief Minister succeeded in winning the support of several traders’ organisations on the issue of the controversial ST 38 form. Delegations of the Auto Market Association, Cloth Merchants’ Association and Chemists’ Association met him to say they had decided not to participate in the August 9 statewide bandh called by the Haryana Beopar Mandal in protest against the introduction of the new form. Mr Chautala briefed them on the steps he had taken to simplify the taxation procedures. However, he made it clear to them that he would not spare tax evaders because no government could function without adequate funds. He told them that he had already constituted a nine-member committee to simplify the ST 38 form to make it easier to fill. At the same time, he firmly told them, the form would not be withdrawn under any circumstances. The Chief Minister inaugurated a blood donation camp, addressed a party workers’ meeting and threw open the Rs 1 crore Town Park developed by HUDA. The Finance Minister, Mr Sampat Singh, the Local Bodies Minister, Mr Subhash Goyal, and several INLD legislators accompanied him. |
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7 labourers hurt in assault SONEPAT, Aug 5 — Seven Bihari labourers were injured when a group of armed persons attacked them with lathis and other weapons while they were asleep at Kami village, about 5 km from here, last night. According to initial reports, the attackers, said to be members of the “kachha banyan” gang, decamped with Rs 14,000 cash and a radio set. The injured labourers were rushed to the local civil hospital for treatment. Some of the injured alleged that instead of taking action against the culprits, the police was harassing them on one pretext or the other. Meanwhile, the Kharkhauda police has failed to achieve any breakthrough in apprehending an armed youth who had allegedly threatened employees of Surya Foundation, owned by an industrialist, Mr Parkash Aggarwal, at Jhinjhauli village in the district. According to a report, the youth arrived at the main gate of the farmhouse on August 2 demanded a monthly amount of Rs 15,000 as “nazrana” from the owner and threatened the employees with dire consequences if he failed to give the amount. Later, a report was filed with the Kharkhauda police |
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Aug 7 protest: farmers cautioned GURGAON, Aug 5 — The district administration today cautioned farmers of punitive action if they indulged in road blockades and other unlawful activities on August 7. The administration’s tough posture follows the Kisan Sangharsh Panchayat’s resolve to go ahead with demonstrations and blockade of the national highway to press for the stalling of the recovery of HUDA dues from the farmers. The lower court had enhanced the compensation to the farmers whose land had been acquired by HUDA. The Punjab and Haryana High Court subsequently reduced the compensation amount. Before the higher court gave its vedict the enhanced compensation was paid to the farmers. After the higher court’s ruling, HUDA has initiated moves to recover the amount. During the Bansi Lal government, the INLD, then in the Opposition, supported the farmers in their agitation. The leaders of the panchayat allege that the present Deputy Speaker of the Haryana Assembly, Mr Gopi Chand Gehlot, who represents Gurgaon in the Assembly, took part in all the deliberations of the farmers with regard to the agitation. They further said after coming to power, the INLD had washed its hands of the problems of the farmers. Mr Gehlot,who is presently on an official tour to Moscow, today issued a statement from there that the innocent farmers were being misled by some discredited politicians. The statement, circulated to newsmen by the district Public Relations Department, appealed to the farmers not to fall in the trap of these politicians. He along with the district administration made it clear that as the matter pertained to the ruling of the judiciary, the government was helpless in coming to the rescue of the farmers on the issue of recovery of the dues. The panchayat had claimed that farmer leaders like Mr Mahender Singh Tikait and Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda (Congress stalwarts) have already given their consent to take part in the agitation on August 7. |
| NDA govt incapable: Bansi Lal ROHTAK, Aug 5 — The former Defence Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, has described the NDA government at the Centre as ‘directionless’ and ‘incapable’ of implementing its own policies and programmes. The Congress party, too, was facing a leadership crisis after the death of Indira Gandhi, he claimed. Mr Bansi Lal told newsmen at a hurriedly convened press conference here today that there was ‘no harmony’ among the constituents of the NDA. Whenever any constituent of the NDA threatened the government, it bended before it, he alleged. Unfortunately, the Centre was ‘not strong’ and could not implement its policies. Due to the weak Centre, the “subedars” (Chief Ministers) had become strong in the states, the former Defence Minister alleged. He criticised the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, for allegedly interfering in the internal affairs of Uttar Pradesh by opposing the merger of Udham Singh Nagar with the yet to be constituted Uttaranchal state. Sikhs, he said, were settled in every state in the country and not in Uttar Pradesh only. Moreover, the government had made it clear that the size of the land holdings in the Uttaranchal state would be the same as applicable in the parent state. Mr Bansi Lal claimed that the NDA government was ‘strong’ only because the opposition (Congress) was ‘weak’. The Congress men and the people not yet reconciled to the leadership of Ms Sonia Gandhi, he said. Although Mr Sita Ram Kesri was old, the Congress won 144 seats under his leadership. But under Ms Sonia Gandhi, the party could win only 112 seats, he added. Mr Bansi Lal welcomed the negotiations between the Centre and the Hizbul Mujahideen for restoring peace in the valley. But he advised the Centre to deal strongly with the non-Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists responsible for the brutal killing of 100 pilgrims. He stressed the need for rehabilitation of the Kashmiris who had become economically weak because of the over decade-long terrorism. He pleaded for providing employment to the unemployed Kashmiri youths and suggested their recruitment in the paramilitary forces like the BSF, CRPF and CISF. Mr Bansi Lal also criticised the Chautala government for introducing Form 38-A and imposing new taxes like the Local Area Development Tax (LADT). The LADT, he alleged, would destroy the small and medium-scale industries and force the large industries to flee from the state. |
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Beware of strangers giving eatables in trains AMBALA This has been learnt the hard way by labourers, particularly from Bihar working in Punjab, who have been, time and again, drugged and looted of their belongings during their train journey. The modus operandi is similar in the cases of drugging and looting. First, a group of labourers travelling home with money and belongings is approached by 'friendly' persons who hail from the area where the group belongs to. Then they are offered tea, biscuit or sweetmeat, which is laced with some drug. When the item is eaten, drowsiness sets in and the persons fall unconscious. It is only later when a group of unconscious persons is spotted by co-passengers that the victims are shifted to the hospital, where the victims learn about the looting after they gain consciousness. According to the Superintendent of Police, Railways, Mr Khushi Ram, the drugging and looting takes place in Punjab and not in Ambala. "There is a misconception that the incidents take place here. It is wrong as the incident only comes to light here. The labourers travelling by train from Punjab fall prey to some gang and when the train reaches here, the incident is noticed after the labourers become unconscious," he said. Mr Khushi Ram said following the incidents of drugging and looting of labourers, patrolling has been stepped up in trains, specially those which are used by labourers hailing from Bihar for going home. "We have specially stepped up patrolling in the Barauni Express and Jansewa. There has been no incident of drugging and looting since the last case on June 19," he said. He said that a gang which used to drug and loot the passengers was nabbed by the railway police on a Kalka-Howrah train near Sonepat about three months back. "As a matter of fact, a case of drugging was noticed by our men on the Ganga-Jamuna in which two persons had eaten something laced with a drug and fallen unconscious. Prompt action was taken and the two were immediately admitted to the hospital," he added. Mr Khushi Ram pointed out that regular announcements are made to ensure that train travellers do not accept eatables from strangers. But, it is not just labourers travelling in trains who are targets of the gangs which drug and loot. In yesterday's incident, the drugging took place on the platform at the Ambala Cantonment Railway Station. The two persons who offered samosas to the five labourers did not manage to loot them as one of the labourers threw away the samosa offered after taking a bite. While, the remaining four labourers fell into a deep slumber, the lone labourer remained awake. In the morning, the labourer, Kapil Rishidev, informed the authorities concerned that the other four labourers were in deep sleep and not waking up. The labourers were taken to the Ambala Cantonment Civil Hospital, where they regained consciousness. In the cases of drugging and looting which have to come to light after the train reached Ambala, the labourers have said that although they were aware of such incidents, they did not realise it would take place with them. "We are aware that such things happen but the man who offered us the eatables hailed from our region and so we ate it, little realising that we would be drugged and looted. We have lost a year's saving which we wanted to take back home where it is needed most," a victim said. Incidentally, a few days back, a case of drugging and looting had taken place in Ambala City. In that case, labourers were staying in small quarters in a colony. About a month back, a resident of the colony, Idris, offered ladoos to labourers, saying that his son had passed some examination. The nine unsuspecting labourers ate the ladoos. In the morning, they were found unconscious and they were rushed to Civil Hospital Ambala City. The belongings in the two quarters in which they had been staying, had been stolen. |
Govt draws flak
from tyre dealers CHANDIGARH, Aug 5 — Even as the Haryana Government is trying to cope up with a bandh call on August 9 given by some traders’ organisations to oppose the introduction of the ST 38 form in the state, the state government was today pulled up by the tyre dealers’ association for delaying issuance of notification regarding the reduction of rate of Sate Tax on automotive tyres and tubes from 12 per cent to 8 per cent. According to a press note issued by the Haryana Tyre Dealers Association here today, while the decision of the Cabinet to bring down the Sates Tax rates on tyres and tubes was taken at a Cabinet meeting on last July 15, notification to this effect was still awaited. In a letter written to Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala last Friday, Mr Ram Bhalla, president of the tyre dealers association, said, “Your Cabinet passed the amendment Bill regarding equalisation of Sales Tax rates of 8 per cent on auto tyres, tubes and flaps, on July 15, 2000. But we couldn’t understand why the required notification was being delayed unnecessarily. The delay is creating great problems and has resulted in our business coming to a standstill. Whenever we try to contact the competent authorities at Chandigarh regarding the gazette notification, the reply given is wait for a few days more”. Read the letter. Meanwhile, the Congress today reiterated that it would extend full support to the strike given by the traders against the ST 38 form. A press release issued here today said HPCC chief Bhupinder Singh Hooda had directed all district Congress committees to support the bandh. He has also asked the party MLAs, MPs and local level leaders to join the scheduled demonstrations, dharnas and rallies in support of the bandh, the release added. Importantly, the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Mr Bhajan Lal, too told newspersons at Hisar that the Congress would whole-heartedly support the bandh call. “The people of Haryana are fed up with the state government which would, however, not last for more than six months”, Mr Bhajan Lal claimed. Meanwhile, a senior official said here that there was no chance of the government bowing under the traders’ demands and withdrawing the ST 38 form. The official alleged that the bandh call had been given by some trader organisations who are backed by the Congress. “Those traders who do not want to evade taxes are not supporting the strike call”, he said. |
Anil Shorewala
bailed out KAITHAL, Aug 5 — Mr Anil Shorewala, son of former Haryana Finance Minister Charan Dass Shorewala, granted bail by the Additional District and Sessions-cum-Special Judge, Mr R.C. Gupta, here today. While granting bail to Anil the judge directed him to furnish surety to the satisfaction of the Chief Judicial Magistrate. Anil was arrested last month under the Prevention of Corruption Act, following the registration of a police case. Initially, he remained in police custody for about two weeks and then in Kaithal Jail. In another case, Ashok Kumar, a patwari of the Revenue Department was sentenced to three years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5000 by the Additional District and Sessions Judge following his conviction under Section 13 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He was also convicted under Section 7 and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 3000. Both the sentences will run concurrently. The patwari was caught red-handed in 1995, while accepting a bribe of Rs 4,000 from one Bharat Singh of Garan village. |
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Kundli village gets power sub-station SONEPAT, Aug 5 — The Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam
(UHBVN) has constructed a new 132-KV grid power sub-station at Kundli village along the Haryana-Delhi border. According to official sources, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, Chief Minister, Haryana, will perform the opening ceremony of the power sub-station on August 9 next. |
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Rs 24 crore for two flyovers in Haryana REWARI, Aug 5 — The Haryana Government has sanctioned Rs 24 crore for the construction of two flyovers, one each at the Rewari-Narnaul road railway crossing and the
Rewari-Jhajjar road railway crossing. This information was released to the press by Mr Praveen
Chaudhary, Chairman, Rewari Zila Parishad. |
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Constable caught taking bribe AMBALA According to the police, a tempo driver, Pravesh Kumar, went to Baldev Nagar police station last evening to get his tempo back through a court order which had earlier been impounded by the police. The constable allegedly demanded Rs 200 from him for the release of his tempo. Pravesh reported the matter to the State Vigilance Office. The DSP of the bureau, Mr Hajari Singh, signed the notes to be given to the constable. The DSP along with an Executive Magistrate raided the police station and nabbed the constable red-handed. Later, a case was registered against the constable. |
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Gas agency closed AMBALA A notice in this regard has been pasted at the gate of the agency by the corporation. The consumers have been directed to book their cylinders at Mohit Gas (Amba Market) and Booter Gas (Model Town) agencies. The reason for the order could not be ascertained. |
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Scooterist killed AMBALA According to reports, the deceased was identified as Manjeet Singh. The report said that the accident occurred when his scooter collided with a bus. |
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