H A R Y A N A

60 students ill after drinking water
ROHTAK, Aug 10 — There was commotion at the Vaish Technical Institute (VTI) premises here when a large number of students and some teachers started vomitting after consuming “poisonous” water today.

Traders condemn assault
KURUKSHETRA, Aug 10 — About 100 traders, at a meeting held near Krishna Gate here today, condemned the assault on a BJP leader and advocate, Mr Krishan Bajaj, a student leader, Nischal Dhingra, an SJP district president, Mr Om Parkash Sharma, a Congress member, Mr Pirthi Singh Turk, and a shopkeeper, Mr Sunil Rajpal, by some INLD workers near Nayaa Bazaar yesterday. 

TES members stage dharna
FARIDABAD, Aug 10 — Members of the Telecommunications Engineering Services from Faridabad and Gurgaon zones staged a dharna and massive demonstration today in front of the office of the General Manager (Telecom) for acceptance of their demands.

Cong condemns lathicharge on traders
CHANDIGARH, Aug 10 — The Haryana Congress has condemned the “brutal” lathi charge on peaceful protesting traders at Kurukshetra during the Haryana bandh yesterday.

Oppn instigating people: Chautala
SONEPAT, Aug 10 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has lashed out at the opposition parties and charged them with instigating the people of the state in general and traders and farmers in particular against his government by levelling false allegations that he was anti-people and anti-farmer.

Brothers killed over land dispute
SIRSA, Aug 10 — Two young brothers were murdered while their nephew was seriously injured in a clash over a piece of land in the district late last night.

Concern over rising female foeticide
GURGAON, Aug 10 — Concerned over the increase in the rate of female foeticide, the Haryana Government is formulating a strategy to deal with the issue.

Chautala promises basic amenities
SIRSA, Aug 10 — “The Haryana Government is determined to provide transparent and clean administration to the people of the state”, said the Chief Minister of Haryana, Om Prakash Chautala at Dabwali today while addressing advocates in the bar room.

SJP activists stage dharna
ROHTAK, Aug 10 — Activists of the Samajwadi Janata Party (SJP) led by the president of the state unit, Mr Dhan Singh, staged a dharna in protest against the faulty economic policies of the government in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner here yesterday.

Two injured in attack
HISAR, Aug 10 — Two persons were seriously injured in an attack at Mattershyam village, near here, last evening. They have been admitted to the Civil Hospital here with head injuries.

Telecom Dept to offer better facilities
SIRSA, Aug 10 — The Telecommunications Department has taken steps to provide better facilities to consumers in Fatehabad and Sirsa. Disclosing this today, the Deputy General Manager (DGM), Mr Sanjeevan Kumar, said about 1000 new connections, most of which were in the rural areas, were released during July.

• Dharna by telecom engineers

CM condemns attack by ultras
CHANDIGARH, Aug 10 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has expressed serious concern over the attack on the Fourth Estate by militants in Srinagar today.

Conman arrested
AMBALA Aug 10 — A person who used to promise government jobs and then disappear with the money taken as advance has been nabbed by the area police.

• MDU to introduce B.Ed entrance test

• Babu Parmanand felicitated

• Mr S.S. Malik
  
  

 

 

 

 

Haryana set to oppose move on CST
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 10 — The Haryana Government is all set to oppose the Centre’s proposed move to abolish central sales tax (CST) in a phased manner.

According to official sources, the Union Finance Ministry has asked the representatives of all the states to come to Delhi in the third week of this month to participate in meetings to discuss threadbare the issue of reduction and final abolition of CST. Sources said that on August 18 the Finance Secretaries of all states would participate in a meeting convened by the Union Government , and the next day the Finance Ministers of the states would meet and discuss the issue. In its letter to the Haryana Government, the Union Government conceded that reduction or abolition of CST would lead to revenue losses for the state government, while it added that the Central Government would “adequately compensate the states for such losses”.

Official sources here, however, made it clear that the state government would not be swayed by such assurances as the Central Government was often found going back on its promises. The state government was also apprehensive that even if the Central Government did give compensation, it might be temporary in nature.

CST is charged when goods produced or stored in a particular state are moved to another state. Haryana, the sources said, earned a yearly revenue of about Rs 600 crore from CST. The maximum amount of CST was earned by Haryana from Maruti Udyog Ltd, located in Gurgaon, which came to about Rs 300 crore. Since Maruti Udyog did not try to evade CST by showing branch transfer, it was being charged the nominal rate of 3 per cent as CST. However, on most of the goods the rate of CST charged by the Haryana Government was 4 per cent. Even 1 per cent reduction of CST would mean a revenue loss of about Rs 150 crore, which the cash-starved state government could not afford, the sources said.

The Union Government argues that the abolition of CST will allow the free movement of goods among the states. Moreover, abolition will mean that consumers of one state will not have to pay CST charged by another state. While there is nothing wrong with this line of argument, Haryana as well industrialised states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra feel that the Centre is taking interest in it because it will not lose anything from this reform.

Moreover, CST is not a static amount and keeps growing. At the present rate of growth in industry in Haryana, CST collection is expected to cross Rs 600 crore by next year.

The most important task before Haryana, as well as the other states opposed to the abolition of CST, at the August 18 and 19 meetings, would be to evolve a consensus among all states against the Central Government’s move, the sources said. The sources added that evolving a consensus would not be an easy job since the consuming states were likely to support the Union Government’s proposal.

60 students ill after drinking water
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Aug 10 — There was commotion at the Vaish Technical Institute (VTI) premises here when a large number of students and some teachers started vomitting after consuming “poisonous” water today.

According to reports, the condition of as many 60 students deteriorated and they complained of dizziness after consuming the water allegedly laced with the deadly insecticide, celphos. Some of them approached the institute authorities and told them that the taste of water was different and it was also emitting a foul smell. The authorities swung into action immediately and the matter was reported to the district administration and the police. The affected students as well as the teachers were taken to the PGIMS.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rajesh Khullar, and the SSP, Mr P.K. Agrawal, immediately reached the spot and inquired about the incident. According to reports some anti-social elements had put celphos tablets in a water cooler at the institute.

The affected persons have been identified as Mr S. Bala Subramaniam, Mr B.S. Dalal and Mr Satish Jain (teachers), Mr Ajit Prasad (electrician), Mr Ajit Bhatia (clerk), Tara Devi, Kanwar Lal and Umed Singh peons) and nearly 60 students.

According to doctors the poison mixed in the water had been identified as aluminium sulphide (celphos). They opined that the level of poison was low in the water otherwise it could have endangered the lives of the students.

A case has been registered in this connection but no arrest has been made so far.

Traders condemn assault
From Our Correspondent

KURUKSHETRA, Aug 10 — About 100 traders, at a meeting held near Krishna Gate here today, condemned the assault on a BJP leader and advocate, Mr Krishan Bajaj, a student leader, Nischal Dhingra, an SJP district president, Mr Om Parkash Sharma, a Congress member, Mr Pirthi Singh Turk, and a shopkeeper, Mr Sunil Rajpal, by some INLD workers near Nayaa Bazaar yesterday. They said the leaders along with their supporters were peacefully requesting the shopkeepers to close their shops in support of the Haryana bandh call given by the Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal and the Haryana Beopar Mandal, led by Mr Bajrang Das Garg and Mr Laxmi Chand Gupta, respectively.

Mr Bajaj, who sustained head injuries and was admitted to INJP Hospital here yesterday, alleged that when he tried to intervene and save Mr Rajpal from being beaten up by some INLD workers he was caught by supporters of the Haryana Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Kumar Arora, and Mr Sham Chawla, Mr Arora’s relative, and injured with a brick by them. He alleged that the district INLD president, Mr Maya Ram, Mr Jugal Kishor and Mr Rajender Lota were also involved in the attack. He also alleged that the Krishna Gate police post refused to register a case against the culprits.

He said the police resorted to a mild lathi charge on the demonstrators when they were passing peacefully through Nayaa Bazaar.

However, denying these allegations at a press conference at Yatri Niwas here yesterday evening, Mr Arora said neither he nor his supporters were involved in the violence during the bandh.

The traders have demanded the registration of a criminal case and action against those found guilty.

Those who addressed the meeting included Mr Devender Sharma, a former Haryana minister, Mr Sahab Singh Saini, a former MLA, Mr Rattan Lal Bansal, vice-president, Haryana Beopar Mandal, Dr Subash Sharma, president, Haryana Pradesh Congress Vichar Vibhag, Mr Makhan Lal Relhan, district president, Haryana Beopar Mandal, Mr Om Parkash Sharma, district president, SJP, Ms Sona Devi, a former Councillor and Mr Dina Nath Arora, a spokesperson for the Kurukshetra Action Committee.

Later, a deputation comprising members of the Kurukshetra Action Committee and the local Bar Association called upon the Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Jyoti Arora, and alleged that instead of registering criminal cases against those who were involved in the assault, the police had registered a case under Sections 323, 325 and 34/606 of the IPC against Mr Bajaj, Dhingra and Mr Turk. The deputation threatened to launch an agitation and approach the Punjab and Haryana High Court if the cases registered against the “innocent” persons were not withdrawn and cases registered against the culprits.

Meanwhile, the District Bar Association observed a strike here today in protest against the assault on Mr Bajaj.

According to the secretary of the association, Mr Joginder Singh Mathana, work in the district courts remained suspended.

TES members stage dharna
From Our Correspondent

FARIDABAD, Aug 10 — Members of the Telecommunications Engineering Services from Faridabad and Gurgaon zones staged a dharna and massive demonstration today in front of the office of the General Manager (Telecom) for acceptance of their demands.

Mr P.C. Agrawal, president, and Mr Rameshwar Singh, secretary, in a press statement said today that if their demands are not accepted by the government the union would be compelled to resort to other sources.

Their main demands are: reduction of bottleneck in the promotional avenues of the TES group B officers, removal of bottleneck in the promotional avenues of the TES group B officers, filling up vacancies in STS (DEs) by promotion of the SDEs on ad hoc basis, holding of regular DPC for promotion from TES group B to JTS of ITS group A against the vacancies for the year 1995-96, 96-97, 97-98, 98-99 and 1999-2000, holding of regular DPC for promotion from JTS to STS of ITS group A for 1992, 1993 and 1994 JTS batches, review of the proposals for creation of posts of DEs where excessive cut has been imposed or sanction deferred, issue of revised norms for creation of posts of DEs in the maintenance regions/circles for maintenance of transmission systems, retention/redeployment of restructured posts of DEs, removal of anomaly in the placement of TES group B officers belonging to SC/ST categories in Sr SDEs grade, implementation of the Supreme Court order dated 26.4.2000 regarding promotion/seniority in TES group B, settlement of all claims of the SDEs for stepping up of their pay with reference to the pay of their juniors and finalisation of pay scale for the executives in MTNL.

Cong condemns lathicharge on traders
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 10 — The Haryana Congress has condemned the “brutal” lathi charge on peaceful protesting traders at Kurukshetra during the Haryana bandh yesterday.

In a joint statement issued here today the president and the central secretary of the party, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Dr Ram Prakash, respectively, said the traders were a peaceful community and they had shown their complete solidarity in registering their protest against the “repressive” policies of the Chautala government.

They alleged that as per reports received from the District Congress Committee, peaceful protesters were manhandled by either the police or the agents of the ruling INLD not only at Kurukshetra but also at a number of other places. Some ministers of the Chautala government, they alleged, also indulged in this repressive action, which was most reprehensible.

Congratulating the traders on making the bandh a complete success, the Congress leaders also appreciated the efforts of Congressmen in extending their cooperation to the traders.

They appealed to the state government not to stand on false prestige and accept the genuine demands of the traders.

Meanwhile, the senior vice-president of the Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Mr N.C. Jain, has said that the government should appreciated the sentiments expressed by the traders. The government should take the bandh as a referendum on its policies and invite the traders for talks to sort out their problems.

Power cuts add to residents’ woes
From Our Correspondent

FARIDABAD, Aug 10 — Rain has brought relief to residents of the town and nearby areas who had been reeling under severe heat and humid conditions and power cuts for the past fortnight.

The situation had become intolerable as the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (south) also failed to provide adequate power supply to residential and industrial consumers. The unscheduled cuts and acute power shortage had affected the common man.

The problem of power shortage had become an important issue. It was raised by Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala during his meeting with district officers on August 6, last. Mr Chautala claimed there was no power shortage, but admitted that “lack of efficient and proper management’ could be one of the main reasons behind the problem.

He also issued a ‘warning’ to those officials and employees who failed to deliver goods and asked the govt employees, including those of the HVPN to improve their functioning and performance.

But the warning seemingly went ‘unheeded’ and residents here could not get proper power supply and had to ‘face’ cuts daily. Fluctuations and poor voltage resulted in heavy damage to costly electronic equipments.

The situation of ‘poor supply had been continuing for the past 15 days. Residents of various sectors reported unscheduled cuts had made their life ‘miserable’ as there was ‘nobody’ to hear their complaints. They said officials of the Nigam did not have any satisfactory answer and phones of many of them were not attended to or remained busy as reportedly receivers of many phones were kept off the hook.

Almost all sectors including 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), old Faridabad and NIT area reported acute shortage of power supply over the past several days. People had been ‘praying’ to raingod to provide some relief from the heat as the HVPN had failed to do so. 

Oppn instigating people: Chautala
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Aug 10 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has lashed out at the opposition parties and charged them with instigating the people of the state in general and traders and farmers in particular against his government by levelling false allegations that he was anti-people and anti-farmer. He, however, declared that the opposition parties would never succeed in their mission as he was enjoying the confidence of not only the legislators but the people also.

Addressing a largely-attended party workers’ meeting here yesterday, Mr Chautala said his government was stable and would complete its term. He also claimed that he had already demonstrated his popularity in the recent Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha elections.

Referring to the on-going traders’ agitation in the state, Mr Chautala regretted that in spite of various concessions given by his government to the traders, they were still pursuing the path of agitation. He alleged that the traders were playing into the hands of opposition parties which were bent upon to destabilise his government.

Giving details of concessions given to the traders by his government, he said the market fee had already been reduced from 4 per cent to 1 per cent and the octroi duty had been abolished. Moreover, the traders had also been exempted from submitting various forms at the time of filing of the sales tax returns.

The Chief Minister declared that the present agitation of the traders was politically motivated and his government would never yield to their threats. He, however, advised the traders to solve their problems through negotiations with the state government.

He defended the industrial and new educational policies and announced that the government would curb the fleecing of the students by public schools which were charging high fees at the time of admission and thereafter. He also said the standard of education in the government schools would be improved and the state government had already taken a series of steps in this regard.

He added that the government was taking steps to recruit new teachers in a bid to fill up the vacancies of teachers. All new and the old teachers would have to serve at least five years in the rural areas failing which they would lose their jobs.

Later, he also addressed a meeting of district officials.

He also directed the Deputy Commissioner to speed up the work for the completion of 106 development schemes announced during the first phase of the “sarkar aap ke dwar”.

Earlier, welcoming the Chief Minister, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sudhir Rajpal, stated that as many as 531 development works were announced during the “sarkar aap ke dwar” programme in the six Assembly segments of the district. Of these, the work on 425 has been started while 169 had been completed. He assured that the work on the remaining schemes would be completed during the next two months.

Meanwhile, Mr Chautala referred to the one-day “Haryana bandh”, the call of which was given by the Haryana Beopar Mandal and expressed his gratitude to the traders and shopkeepers of the state for not responding to it.

The Chief Minister inaugurated a “mushroom mela” organised at the HAIC Agro-Research and Development Centre at Murthal, about 8 km from here, yesterday.

He also inaugurated a 132 KV grid substation at Kundli village constructed by the HVPN.

Brothers killed over land dispute
From Our Correspondent

SIRSA, Aug 10 — Two young brothers were murdered while their nephew was seriously injured in a clash over a piece of land in the district late last night.

According to information received today, Boota Singh (32) and his brother Makhan Singh (31) of Ghookanwali village in the district died on the spot while their nephew Jagmit suffered serious injuries when they were surrounded and fired at by Tota Singh, Hardeep, Jagdev, Hansa Singh and Bharta Singh.

The three were going to water their fields on a tractor when the assailants fired 10 rounds on them, killing Boota and Makhan and injuring Jagmit. The reason behind the killing is reported to be a dispute over 10 kanals of land. The assailants have been absconding since then.

In another incident, a man along with his parents was arrested under Section 498-A, 307, 323 and 34 of the IPC for torturing his wife and trying to kill her.

The police said today Des Raj of Kotli village in the district along with his mother Bimla and father Lakhmi Ram were arrested on the complaint of Asha Rani. In her complaint she had alleged she was being tortured by her in-laws for dowry since her marriage two years back. She also accused her husband of trying to strangulate her on her return to his house after the panchayat in which they had promised to mend their ways.

Telecom Dept to offer better facilities
From Our Correspondent

SIRSA, Aug 10 — The Telecommunications Department has taken steps to provide better facilities to consumers in Fatehabad and Sirsa. Disclosing this today, the Deputy General Manager (DGM), Mr Sanjeevan Kumar, said about 1000 new connections, most of which were in the rural areas, were released during July.

Telephone capacity in six villages of the district had been increased by installing an additional C Dot 256-P each in Maujukhera, Masitan, Ganga, Gauriwala, Aboobshehar and Joharnali villages. This would be sufficient to meet their long standing demand. Similarly, the capacity of six other telecommunication centres had been increased by replacing the old plants with new battery and higher power plants.

The telecommunication centres in Khuian Malkana and Lohgarh villages had been linked with the latest optical fibre technology whereas the new C DOT 256-P based centre in Shahidan and Desu Jodhan had also been linked with this technology as a result of which consumers in this area would be able to avail themselves the facility of STD. In additional to it, 19 new PCOs had been started during the current year.

CM condemns attack by ultras
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 10 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has expressed serious concern over the attack on the Fourth Estate by militants in Srinagar today.

In a condolence message issued here today, Mr Chautala expressed shock at the death of Pradeep Bhatia, photographer of The Hindustan Times.

Mr Chautala said the cowardly and inhuman acts of the militants should be condemned by all sections. He said the militants would not be able to gain anything by killing innocent persons.

Conman arrested 
Tribune News Service

AMBALA Aug 10 — A person who used to promise government jobs and then disappear with the money taken as advance has been nabbed by the area police. Rajiv Sharma, a resident of Ambala Cantonment, had filed a report with the police stating that a person called Bhupinder Singh had met him and he had said that he was a police personnel. Bhupinder had claimed that he knew senior police personnel and he would help Rajiv land a job with the police, a press note said.

Bhupinder then demanded Rs 1.5 lakh for getting Rajiv the job and insisted that Rs 25,000 will have to be paid immediately. Rajiv told Bhupinder that he had only Rs 4,000 then and he would pay the remaining amount the next day.

Later, Rajiv made discreet inquiries about Bhupinder and found that there is no such policeman by that name. Later Rajiv learnt that Bhupinder was actually Balbir Singh, a resident of Gobind Nagar, Ambala Cantonment. Balbir was arrested yesterday and Rs 4,000 was recovered from him.

Balbir Singh had on an earlier occasion too cheated another person in a similar manner. 

Dharna by telecom engineers

AMBALA Aug 10 (UNI) — Telecom engineers of Haryana Telecom Circle staged a day-long dharna in support of their demands here today in front of the office of Chief General Manager Telecom.

The agitating engineers also held a demonstration during the lunch hours to press their demands including removal of bottlenecks in promotional avenues and anomalies in pay scales.

The dharna observed on the call of the central headquarters of Telecommunication Engineering Services Association (TESA), was led by circle secretary R.C. Kalia. He said the dharna and demonstration were part of the revived countrywide agitational programme of the association to be followed by work according to rule, from today.

Father poisons self, four children
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Aug 10 — A man poisoned his four children today at Bhuna town in this district. Later, he himself consumed poison. The man and his five-year-old son died, while his three daughters were fighting for life in the local general hospital.

According to reports, Krishan (30), a labourer, was working in the Bhuna grain market. His wife had died about 25 days ago and he had been under depression since then. He reportedly gave some poison-laced eatables to his son — Nishan (5), and three daughters — Suman (8), Bateri (4) and six-month-old Poonam. After that Krishan himself took some poisonous substance.

MDU to introduce B.Ed entrance test
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Aug 10 — The Directorate of Distance Education, Maharshi Dayanand University, has decided to introduce entrance test for the two-year B.Ed course approved by the National Council for Teachers Education.

The admissions have started from August 7 for B.Ed, Bachelor of Library and Information Science, Prabhakar, BA, B.Com, MA in English, Hindi, Sanskrit, economics, political science, history and public administration and M.Sc in maths and M.Com.

The last date for general admission is Sept 6.