H A R Y A N A

All set to welcome deposed Fiji PM
CHANDIGARH, Aug 15 — Haryana is all set to accord a warm welcome to its illustrious son and deposed Prime Minister of Fiji, Mr Mahendra Pal Chaudhary, who will visit the state for the first time on August 17 after his government was toppled on May 19 last.

Number of old-age pensioners to drop
CHANDIGARH, Aug 15 — The number of persons benefiting from the state government-sponsored old-age pension scheme is expected to go down once the survey being conducted by the authorities to ascertain the genuineness of the recipients concludes.

BJP leader flays Chautala govt
FARIDABAD, Aug 15 — The leader of the BJP in the Haryana Assembly, Mr Krishan Pal Gurjar, said his party was not a partner in the anti-people decisions of the Chautala government.

Would-be groom abducted
KAITHAL, Aug 15 — A youth, Chiranji, alias Subhash (32), whose marriage was fixed for August 18, was abducted under mysterious circumstances from the local bus stand yesterday.

Surinder Singh flays govt policies
KAITHAL, Aug 15 — Mr Surinder Singh, Chief General Secretary, HVP, said here yesterday that people of Haryana would no longer tolerate the anti-people policies of the government headed by Mr Om Prakash Chautala.

HVP criticises govt policies
KAITHAL, Aug 15 — Mr Surinder Singh, Chief General Secretary, HVP, said here yesterday that people of Haryana would no longer tolerate the anti-people policies of the government headed by Mr Om Prakash Chautala.

Strike by farmers, rice shellers
KARNAL, Aug 15 — Tension gripped the areas around the grain market here today as commission agents, rice-mill owners, farmers, tractor-trailer owners and labourers in the market jammed traffic around the grain market and observed strike for the second day today.

HAREDA to set up 3 energy parks
CHANDIGARH, Aug 15 — The Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) will set up three energy parks with 100 per cent assistance from the Union Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources in the state this year.

Record in power availability
CHANDIGARH, Aug 15 — The HVPN supplied 576.56 lakh units of electricity to its consumers on August 13 against the previous high of 562.60 lakh units on August 2, creating a record in power availability in the state for a single day. The power availability on the same day in 1999 was only 499 lakh units.

Jail inmates go on fast
AMBALA Aug 15 — Some of the prisoners lodged in Ambala Central Jail did not take their meals to press for the acceptance of their demands today. However, the jail authorities denied it.

MDU admissions postponed
ROHTAK, Aug 15 — The Maharshi Dayanand University administration has postponed the interviews for the admission to the Postgraduate Diploma in communication skills scheduled to be held here on August 17.

 

Rs 750-crore grant for NH four-laning
From Tribune Reporters

ROHTAK, Aug 15 — Unfurling the National Flag to mark the 54th Independence Day celebrations, the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has announced an award of Rs 1 crore to sportpersons from Haryana who win gold medal in the Olympic games starting in Sydney from September 15.

He said the state government had initiated many steps to promote sports in a big way. The sport persons winning a silver medal would get Rs 50 lakh and those bringing laurels with a bronze medal would be awarded Rs 25 lakh. He also announced many concessions for the sportspersons, including reservation in government jobs, free travel facility in roadways buses.

The Chief Minister disclosed that the Centre had sanctioned Rs 750 crore for four-laning of National Highway-10 between Delhi and Bahu-Akbarpur village in Rohtak district. Besides, the Centre had also approved the four-laning of road between Bahadurgarh and Bawal.

The Ministry of Defence, he said, had sanctioned Rs 2 crore for setting up a war memorial, a sainik welfare complex and freedom fighters memorial here.

The Chief Minister paid rich tributes to the freedom fighters who laid their lives in the struggle for Independence.

Mr Om Prakash Chautala reiterated that his government had given many concessions to the trading community, including raising the limit of self-assessment scheme from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore, reduction in the market free from 4 per cent to 1 per cent, abolition of octroi, simplification of tax structure and reduction of sales tax on many items.

He said a state-level function would be held on the campus of Maharshi Dayanand University to honour deposed Prime Minister of Fiji, Mr Mahender Chaudhary, on August 17. The university, he said, would confer honorary degree of D.Litt on Mr Chaudhary, who has emerged as symbol of democracy and courage.

The Chief Minister also presented commendation certificates and shields to several persons who excelled in their respective fields besides distributing tri-cycles among handicapped. He also visited a blood donation camp organised by the District Red Cross Society as part of the Independence Day celebrations.

AMBALA: The Governor of Haryana, Mr Babu Parmanand, on Tuesday urged the people to boldly face proxy war and cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a large gathering after unfurling the National Flag and inspecting the guard of honour at the Independence Day function at the War Heroes Memorial Stadium, at the cantonment, Mr Babu Parmanand, said that the Pakistan had been attempting to destabilise our unity, and democratic set-up by creating terror and violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Parmanand expressed concern over the escalating corruption, indiscipline, poverty, illiteracy and unemployment which were creating hurdles the development. He said the problem of population could be solved by adopting self-control as propounded by our ancient sages. The Governor stressed on women’s education and according them a respectable place in the society for maintaining the honour and dignity of the nation.

The Governor said the time had to come to make a realistic assessment of the ground realities. “The President has brought several critical issues to the fore in his speech to the nation. We must look within and try to find out what is wrong,” he said. “The slogan `Jai Hind’ seems to have been forgotten and other slogans have taken its place,” he added.

While paying homage to 101 soldiers of Haryana who laid down their lives in Kargil, Mr Parmanand said the state government had introduced a number of welfare schemes to look after the dependents of the martyrs, serving soldiers and ex-servicemen.

Contingents of the Haryana armed police, district police, railway police, home guards, NCC and scouts presented an impressive march past on the occasion. School children from all over the district performed a cultural programme.

Later at a function organised by the district administration at the Circuit House, Ambala Cantonment, the Haryana Governor honoured families of martyrs of the Kargil operation by presenting gifts to Mrs Surjit Kaur, mother of late sepoy Manjit Singh, Mr Issar Ram, father of late sepoy Pawan Kumar, Mrs Jaswinder Kaur, wife of late sepoy Parveen Kumar and Mrs Jasvir Kaur, wife of Hav Sukhvinder Singh. A memento was also presented to Mrs Pratima Chaudhary, wife of late Major Vijay Chaudhary.

Sewing machines were given to 10 persons. Tricycles were given to Anju Bala, Deepak, Shetu Sabharwal, Baljit and Rama Kumari, artificial limbs were provided to Sucha Singh, Babita Sethi, Shashi Bhushan, Rohit Kumar and K Ram.

KARNAL: Mr Rishal Singh, State Minister for Social Welfare, unfurled the National Flag and took the salute at march past.

The minister honoured 12 freedom fighters on the occasion. he distributed merit certificates among officials of the Education, Agriculture and Sports Departments and employees of HAFED and students of Sainik School, Kunjpura.

SIRSA: The Minister of State for Education, Mr Bahadur Singh, unfurled the Tricolour at Maharana Pratap Stadium here. Family members of three Kargil martyrs of the district were honoured.

Reports of Independence Day celebrations were also received from Fatehabad, Bhiwani, Kaithal, Yamunanagar, Sonepat, Jind, Kurukshetra and Hisar.

All set to welcome deposed Fiji PM
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 15 — Haryana is all set to accord a warm welcome to its illustrious son and deposed Prime Minister of Fiji, Mr Mahendra Pal Chaudhary, who will visit the state for the first time on August 17 after his government was toppled on May 19 last.

The Haryana Government will organise a state-level civic reception in his honour on August 17 on the campus of Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak. A special convocation will also be held to confer an honorary doctorate on Mr Chaudhary the same day.

The Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, who was one of the first Indian leaders to extend support to Mr Chaudhary, has appealed to the people of Haryana to participate in the civic reception, irrespective of their political affiliations. He himself will be present at both functions.

Mr Chaudhary, whose forefathers had migrated to Fiji as labourers, will also go to his ancestral village, Bahu Jamalpur, in Rohtak district on August 19.

He will visit Chandigarh on August 21 on his way to Shimla, where he will stay up to August 23. Mr Chautala and the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, will meet Mr Chaudhary here on August 23 after his return from Shimla. Mr Chaudhary will arrive in Delhi tomorrow evening on a 10-day visit to India.

Number of old-age pensioners to drop
By Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 15 — The number of persons benefiting from the state government-sponsored old-age pension scheme is expected to go down once the survey being conducted by the authorities to ascertain the genuineness of the recipients concludes.

The Om Prakash Chautala-led government had decided at a Cabinet meeting on November 11 last year that the amount of old-age pension would be raised from Rs 100 to Rs 200 for each individual. Similarly, the benefits under the widow and handicapped persons pension schemes were also raised to Rs 200.

The government gave arrears to more than 6.50 lakh persons who were receiving old-age pension at the old rate. Precious funds, marked for development works, were diverted for meeting the arrears of the old-age pension scheme. The government had also abolished some of the eligibility criteria under the scheme relating to land holdings in rural areas and the income limit in urban areas.

In December last year the government conducted a survey to identify new beneficiaries under the old-age pension scheme and incorporated 2,56 lakh fresh names in the list of recipients. Earlier, in February last year, before Mr Chautala had come to power, 99,000 persons were identified as eligible for receiving the benefit. All names were incorporated in the fresh list, and at present the number of beneficiaries under this scheme is 9,88,000. The government spends Rs 19.76 crore every month to give them pension at the enhanced rate.

The state government’s decision to again conduct a survey to weed out the ineligible persons from the list of beneficiaries of the old-age pension scheme has given credence to the allegation levelled by the Opposition that the Chief Minister had enhanced the rate of pension and was giving the benefit to all and sundry with an eye on a mid-term poll in the state.

While this survey is yet not complete, according to a preliminary report some 28,000 names of persons who have been found ineligible have been deleted from the list.

Also, stringent measures are being taken, including subjecting recipients to a medical examination, to ascertain the genuineness of the claims. Officials have been ordered to go to the houses of persons who did not turn up for the examination to find out whether they could not come due to old age or were merely trying to dodge the process. The government, not unexpectedly, is not interested in finding out why so many fake names figure in the list of recipients.

The state government also gives the widow pension to 2,73,580 persons and spends Rs 5.62 crore on this each month. As many as 52,900 persons get pension under the scheme for the handicapped and Rs 1.09 crore per month is spent on this. So far, however, the government has not displayed any intention of reducing the number of beneficiaries under these two schemes.

BJP leader flays Chautala govt
From Our Correspondent

FARIDABAD, Aug 15 — The leader of the BJP in the Haryana Assembly, Mr Krishan Pal Gurjar, said his party was not a partner in the anti-people decisions of the Chautala government.

While talking to mediapersons here on Sunday he said the imposition of the ST-form-38 was against the interests of the traders and businessmen and asked for its withdrawal immediately. Criticising the government for its mining policy he said due to illegal mining on a large scale the state government had incurred huge losses. He also criticised the privatisation of Haryana Minerals Limited (HML).

Mr Gurjar said the Faridabad Municipal Corporation had not done anything for development of the city. The roads needed repairs, the parks were not maintained and there was no plan to augment either the water supply or the drainage system. He claimed that due to wrong policies and the indifferent attitude of the government the industrialists and businessmen were making moves to shift to other states. He also alleged that the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) was victimising common people in the name of removing encroachments.

Would-be groom abducted
From Our Correspondent

KAITHAL, Aug 15 — A youth, Chiranji, alias Subhash (32), whose marriage was fixed for August 18, was abducted under mysterious circumstances from the local bus stand yesterday.

According to Lajpat Rai, his brother, Chiranji came to Kaithal yesterday to make some purchases for his marriage and was carrying amount Rs 15,000 in cash.

In the report lodged at the police station this evening, Lajpat Rai claimed that his brother’s last contact was on the phone to Goniana village where he talked to Sushma, the girl with whom his marriage was fixed.

He called her again last night to say that he had been kidnapped from the Kaithal bus stand by some persons who were demanding a ransom of Rs 20 lakh for his release.

When she asked him where he was speaking from, he said he had been blindfolded and could not identify the location. He urged her to inform his family members.

The SP, Mr Parbhat Ranjan Dev, when contacted said the police had registered a case.

Surinder Singh flays govt policies
From Our Correspondent

KAITHAL, Aug 15 — Mr Surinder Singh, Chief General Secretary, HVP, said here yesterday that people of Haryana would no longer tolerate the anti-people policies of the government headed by Mr Om Prakash Chautala.

He was addressing a press conference at the local PWD Rest House. He took to task Mr Chautala for raising power tariffs in the state and said the Chief Minister had promised that the tariffs would be increased only when power supply would be made available for 24 hours.

He said eight southern districts of Haryana were facing drought like conditions, but the government had not cared to provide any relief to the affected people there. He also said even after repeated announcements by the government, sugar mill owners had not cleared the arrears of the farmers for the supply of sugarcane.

Mr Surinder Singh said the successful bandh of August 9 should be an eye opener for the present government. Later accompanied by former minister Narsingh Dhanda and former speaker Chattar Singh and other workers Mr Sunder Singh submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner. 

Two arrested for murder
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Aug 15 — The Mohana police has claimed to have solved the alleged murder of Dharamvir, a resident of Dabarpur village whose body was found in the fields of Sitawali village on August 8, with the arrest of two persons.

The Superintendent of Police, Mr A.S. Chawla, told mediapersons here today that the arrested have been identified as Rajinder of Dabarpur village and Krishan of Garhi Kesri village. Kuldeep, the son of the victim, had stated in the FIR that his father had left for Mahra village on Rajinder’s tractor to purchase pipes on August 7. Rajinder had returned to his house on August 7 night but Dharamvir did not come back.

The SP disclosed that Rajinder’s wrist-watch and the tractor’s key led to the solving of the murder and arrests of the culprits. However, during interrogation Rajinder confessed to the crime and told the police that he along with Krishan had murdered Dharamvir after a dispute over money.

HVP criticises govt policies
From Our Correspondent

KAITHAL, Aug 15 — Mr Surinder Singh, Chief General Secretary, HVP, said here yesterday that people of Haryana would no longer tolerate the anti-people policies of the government headed by Mr Om Prakash Chautala.

He was addressing a press conference at the local PWD Rest House. He took to task Mr Chautala for raising power tariffs in the state and said the Chief Minister had promised that the tariffs would be increased only when power supply would be made available for 24 hours.

He said eight southern districts of Haryana were facing drought like conditions, but the government had not cared to provide any relief to the affected people there. He also said even after repeated announcements by the government, sugar mill owners had not cleared the arrears of the farmers for the supply of sugarcane. Mr Surinder Singh said the successful bandh of August 9 should be an eye opener for the present government. Later accompanied by former minister Narsingh Dhanda and former speaker Chattar Singh and other workers Mr Sunder Singh submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner. 

Strike by farmers, rice shellers
Tribune News Service

KARNAL, Aug 15 — Tension gripped the areas around the grain market here today as commission agents, rice-mill owners, farmers, tractor-trailer owners and labourers in the market jammed traffic around the grain market and observed strike for the second day today.

The strike was against the alleged high-handed attitude of some truck union members.

Rice mill owners and commission agent in the market told TNS that no business could be transacted today and the paddy arriving in the market could not be auctioned. As a result heaps of “sathi paddy”, an early variety, which has flooded the market accumulated in the grain market as no commission agent or sheller owner came forward to buy paddy. The angry farmers who were waiting since yesterday not only jammed the traffic but raised slogans against the Haryana Government and the district administration. The sheller owners and commission agent were upset over the “inaction” by the police who had failed to arrest the members of the truck union who had assaulted a rice sheller owner on August 13.

Mr Jaiparkash Gupta, MLA, intervened in to the matter and asked the police authorities to act and provide relief to farmers, commission agent and rice sheller owners. Later Mr Gupta told TNS that the DSP (Hqs) had assured the grain traders and rice-sheller owners that the culprits would be arrested before the evening. As a result the strike in the market ended by the fag end of the day and the auction of paddy started. What provoked the farmers and the rice sheller owners were the strong tactics adopted by members of the truck union against the lifting of luggage and paddy etc by the sheller owners. The Karnal truck operators union and the rice sheller owners are reported to have reached an agreement that the owners could take paddy to their mills in their own trolleys but for lifting the paddy from the market in other cases, the sheller owners would arrange trucks through the union.

However, it was on August 13 that a tractor-trailer full of paddy which was going from Kunjpura mandi to Swastik rice mills, Jundla, was detained by the truck union members near the ITI chowk. The fully loaded tractor-trailer was taken to the truck union office where some truck operators are alleged to have bashed up the driver of the trolley, Lajja Ram and Naresh, the helper. The tractor belonged to the Swastik Mills. Later on, Mr Ved Parkash, owner of the rice mill went to the truck union to plead with them that his own tractor-trailer was carrying the paddy to the mill. But Mr Ved Parkash was also allegedly manhandled. He lodged an FIR with the police against Hukam Singh, Partap SIngh, Jeeta, Kaku and Amarjeet .

But the police did not take any action and as a result the rice sheller owners and commission agents went on strike on August 14 itself. It was only on the second day today when farmers also joined the strike and the situation deteriorated that the police awoke to reality and intervened to pacify the angry rice sheller owners and traders.

HAREDA to set up 3 energy parks
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 15 — The Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) will set up three energy parks with 100 per cent assistance from the Union Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Sources in the state this year.

The Union Ministry has sanctioned about Rs 18 lakh to the state for the purpose. Such parks are usually set up in educational institutions so that students and teachers can be made aware of various renewable energy technologies.

A spokesman for HAREDA said here today that the scheme was introduced in 1995-96 and since then the ministry had sanctioned eight energy parks for Haryana.

The educational institutions which had been sanctioned energy parks were the College of Agriculture Engineering and Technology, Hisar; Sir Chhotu Ram State College of Engineering, Murthal (Sonepat); Regional Engineering College, Kurukshetra; Convent of Jesus and Mary, Ambala Cantt; the Institute of Rural Development, Nilokheri; Hansraj Public School, Panchkula; Ahir College, Rewari; and Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar.

The first energy park of Panchkula district was inaugurated last week by the Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Department of Non-Conventional Energy Sources, Haryana, Ms Meenakshi Anand Choudhry. Set up at a cost of Rs 7.78 lakh, the park had a solar photovoltaic water pump, a solar home lighting system, a solar streetlighting system, a solar color TV set, a solar lantern, a solar geyser and a solar distillation plant.

Jail inmates go on fast
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA Aug 15 — Some of the prisoners lodged in Ambala Central Jail did not take their meals to press for the acceptance of their demands today. However, the jail authorities denied it.

According to information the prisoners, who have not eaten, belong to Panipat and some other districts. They were transferred to this jail recently.

Sources said that the prisoners had been demanding that the period of life imprisonment should be on the Punjab pattern, the verification while releasing on parole should not be compulsory every time and speedy expedition of the cases of the undertrial prisoners.

MDU admissions postponed
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Aug 15 — The Maharshi Dayanand University administration has postponed the interviews for the admission to the Postgraduate Diploma in communication skills scheduled to be held here on August 17.

The interviews will now be held on August 21.

The decision has been taken in view of the tight security arrangements on the university campus for the proposed visit of the deposed Prime Minister of Fiji, Mr Mahendra Chaudhary on August 17.