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| Wednesday, September 6, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Haryana abolishes 5,419 posts Order today, status quo tomorrow State debt doubles over 5 years 14 teachers honoured Special cards by challenged
kids Assembly session curtailed |
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HC tells SHO
to produce missing man A complex that runs on solar energy Sikdar opposes
Trinamool demand Local call facility for NCR soon Desilting of Rori
drain completed Rs 5 lakh looted
from factory 
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Haryana abolishes 5,419 posts CHANDIGARH, Sept 5 — The Haryana Government has abolished 5,419 posts which had been lying vacant for more than two years as on February 29, 2000. This was revealed by the Finance Minister, Mr Sampat Singh, in response to a question by the Deputy Leader of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, in the Assembly here today. Captain Yadav had asked whether the government had imposed a ban on all recruitment in the state. Prof Sampat Singh said to control non-Plan expenditure, new recruitments were being done only “selectively on the basis of necessity”. He said the government had to impose a ban on fresh recruitment because it had to re-employ nearly 2,500 employees whose services were terminated by the Bansi Lal government for participating in strikes. Besides, 4,100 employees had been rendered surplus after the abolition of octroi and a large number of cases of ex-gratia employment were pending. Prof Sampat Singh said unemployment could not be ended by filling government vacancies alone. The Chautala government had framed an industrial policy which had already generated 22,147 jobs. Its information technology policy was such as would generate five lakh jobs in the next five years. Mr Dharambir Singh Tosham (Cong) asked satirically how many industries had gone out of the state because of the “misdeeds” of the ruling party. Prof Sampat Singh denied the insinuation. The Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Ram Pal Majra, informed the House on behalf of the Chief Minister that 1,02,340 cases were registered in the state for violation of prohibition laws and 1,13,641 persons were arrested for various offences under the Excise Act. As many as 10,53,453 bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor, 3,47,971 bottles of country liquor, 22,36,444 pouches of country liquor, 10,26,201 kg of lahan, 39,700 bottles of beer and 3,142 working stills were seized during the period of prohibition. Mr Majra said 64,165 cases were pending in October, 1999. As per the government policy, 37,320 cases were to be withdrawn, out of which 24,778 cases had been withdrawn from courts up to August 8, 2000. With the help of supplementaries from ruling party MLAs, Mr Majra used the opportunity provided by the question put by Mr Ram Bhagat, Independent MLA supporting the government, to embarrass the HVP President, Mr Bansi Lal, who was present in the House. Quoting from a survey, which was got conducted by the Bansi Lal government from a Chandigarh-based institute, Mr Majra alleged that prohibition created several social problems and also gave birth to a mafia. He said after the survey report was received, the then government should have abolished prohibition. Instead it suppressed the report because the mafia put pressure on it for not withdrawing prohibition. Mr Bansi Lal did not respond. There were some tense moments when the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, took umbrage at what his former protege and now Congress MLA from Barwala, Mr Jai Prakash, said. Mr Jai Prakash asserted that Mr Chautala had promised to construct a civil hospital at Uchana which was strongly denied by Mr Chautala. The Leader of Opposition, Mr Bhajan Lal, intervened to say that while Mr Chautala had the right to deny something, he should not criticise the member. Earlier the Health Minister, Dr M.L. Ranga, told Mr Bhag Singh, INLD MLA from Uchana, that there was no proposal to construct a civil hospital in that town. The Cooperation Minister, Mr Kartar Singh Bhadana, told Mr Jasbir Singh Mallou (INLD) that there was no proposal to open a Cooperative Land and Development Bank in Ambala Cantt. Dr Ranga told Mr Anil Vij (Ind) that the European Commission had agreed to give assistance for the upgraduation of the Ambala cantonment Civil Hospital. A Rs 2.51- crore scheme had been made to improve the Ambala hospital. The scheme was now pending with the State Sector Reform Cell. Already one meeting had been held to discuss the scheme. Another meeting would be held soon. After that the scheme would be sent to the commission. Dr Ranga said the commission had agreed to give assistance to 21 hospitals in the country. Of these, three were in Haryana, while there was none in Punjab. While Rs 2 crore would be spent on the Yamunanagar hospital, Rs 95 lakh would be spent on the Karnal Civil Hospital. The House paid tributes to Naik Raghubir Singh, Havildar Sheoraj Singh, Havildar Dalbir Singh, sepoy Shyam Phul Khanna, sepoy Sushil Kumar, former Union Minister P.R. Kumaramangalam, former Union Minister Rajesh Pilot, a former Haryana Minister, Rao Laxmi Narain, Mr Sita Ram Bagla, Mr Darshan Singh Jhabhal and Mr Jasdev Singh Sandhu (all former members of the Joint Punjab Assembly), Capt Hawa Singh, renowned boxer, relatives of MLAs and victims of terrorist violence and natural calamities. |
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Special cards by challenged
kids AMBALA Talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Mrs Sihota said children from
the Asha schools were encouraged to draw on a certain theme. “Then
some of those drawings are selected and forwarded to Central AWWA from
where the final decision of printing these drawings on the greeting
cards are taken,” she said. This year, the drawings of Nishtha,
Madhu, Jaiveer, Rakesh, Vikas and Naseem were forwarded from the Asha
school in Ambala cantonment while the drawings of Meera Thapa, Monica,
Pinky, Sagar and Harsh Pal were forwarded from the Asha school located
in Dehradun. The greeting cards will be launched tomorrow at the
Kharga auditorium. “We are going to put up the cards for sale. We
are keen that individuals, industrial houses and large businesses
should come forward and place orders for these cards, whose sale
proceeds are utilised in the noble cause of looking after mentally and
physically challenged children,” Mrs Sihota said. The Asha School
for special children, Ambala cantonment was established on July, 12
1995, as a day care centre and is being run by HQ 14 (I) Armd Bde on
behalf of Kharga AWWA as a welfare measure for the children of serving
personnel and ex-servicemen. The school is recognised by the Ministry
of Social Justice and Empowerment. At present, the school for special
children has 39 children which include 14 retarded children six
children with cerebral palsy, 12 with hearing impairment and seven
children with Down’s syndrome. Asha School has an administrator,
two speech therapists and two special educators. Besides academics,
the children are being imparted vocational training in candle making,
chalk making, paper bag making and computer training. Asha School
building No 2 in old veterinary lines has recently been renovated to
suit the special requirements of the handicapped children as also to
provide additional space. Among others, Vice President Kharga AWWA,
Mrs Kamini Bhanot, Secretary Kharga AWWA, Mrs Anita Bhasin and
secretary Ladies Club, Mrs Mohini Daljit Singh are taking keen
interest in the welfare activities for the families of the
troops. Mrs Sihota said besides the school for special children, Asha,
being run by Kharga AWWA, a vocational training institute, Suvidha, is
also being run. Suvidha is a self sustaining training institute and
is being run by HQ 1 Arty Bde on behalf of Kharga AWWA. “With
changing socio-economic environment, most of the families these days
are educated and look forward to short career oriented courses so that
they can supplement the income of their husbands. To this end,
vocational training in the disciplines including tailoring,
embroidery, typing and beautician, is being imparted on nominal
charges to the families of troops at the vocational training centre.” Short
courses are also being run from time to time in the disciplines like
designer pottery, cookery, baking and computer at Suvidha. Keeping in
view the necessity of providing comprehensive health care to the
families of troops located in the station, three polyclinics have been
established - Kharga Polyclinic North, South and Black Charger. This
arrangement helps in providing medical facilities at a nearby central
place so that the families do not have to travel Military Hospital for
their routine treatment. A gynaecologist has been employed who visits
all the three polyclinics twice in a week in the afternoon for
attending to families having gynae and antinatal check ups for
pregnancy. A counselling cell headed by President Kharga AWWA has
been established at Corps HQ to render expert advice to the wives of
officers, JCOs, or in financial matters, marital discord and other
matters requiring counselling. |
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State debt doubles over 5 years CHANDIGARH, Sept 5 — The total debt of the Haryana Government increased more than one hundred per cent during the five-year period from 1994 to 1999. The loan burden on the state government was Rs 5,022 crore in 1994-95, which rose to Rs 10,199 crore in 1998-99. The state is spending as much as 32 per cent of tax revenue on interest payments alone. Its fiscal deficit, which has also been continuously increasing since 1994, shot up to Rs 2,240 crore in 1998-99 from Rs 535 crore in 1994-95, constituting an increase of 319 per cent. These are some of the highlights of the report (civil) of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for 1998-99, which was tabled in the Haryana Assembly today. In a scathing critique of the improper fiscal management of the state government, the CAG’ report stated that while revenue receipts of the government dropped from Rs 5,898 crore in 1997-98 to Rs 5,479 crore in 1998-99, revenue expenditure increased from Rs 6,617 to Rs 7,019 crore in the corresponding period. The increase of Rs 751 crore per cent in receipts from tax revenue in 1998-99 over the previous year was less than satisfactory, the report observed, adding that non-tax revenue decreased by Rs 1,113 crore during the same period owing to the suspension of double-digit lotteries in the state. The capital expenditure of the state government also registered an increase of 108 per cent during 1998-99 as compared to 1997-98. While reviewing investments made by the state government upto March 31, 1999, the CAG’s report said that investments amounting to Rs 2,224 crore were made in various statutory corporations, government companies, cooperative banks etc. But the dividend received Rs 2.22 crore at the end of 1998-99, was insignificant as it was less than 1 per cent of investment. The report added that the state government invested Rs 27.32 crore in 5 loss making companies resulting in accumulated losses of more than Rs 104 crore. The CAG’s report said that a review of records relating to implementation of the plus 2 pattern of education in five Haryana districts revealed patchy implementation of the scheme. During 1994-95 period, 343 government high schools were upgraded to the level of senior secondary schools without availability of requisite infrastructure in the schools or verifying whether prescribed conditions were fulfilled. Ninety six per cent of the expenditure on the scheme was spent on the salaries of staff, the report said. It added that a central scheme, known as Nutritional Support to Primary Education, was introduced in Haryana in 1995, in the hope that it would improve attendance and retention of students in primary classes. However, test check of records in 7 districts revealed that the scheme had converted into assistance in kind (foodgrains) to the families of the students. It was also found that in Mahendragarh, Rewari and Sirsa districts, students were not supplied with foodgrains during 1998-99 due to non-payment of CONFED transportation claims by the Centre. The report said that a review of the working of the Medical and Health Department revealed serious weakness and deficiencies in health care management and services. The establishment cost of the department accounted for 81 per cent of its total expenditure. Fifty one per cent of the funds under the Integrated Child Development Scheme were being spent for salaries, the report said and added that therapeutic food to severely malnourished children was not provided. On the benefits under the Public Distribution System (PDS) for people living below the poverty line (BPL), the CAG report stated that test check of records compiled in 1998 showed that more than 63 per cent of the beneficiaries did not meet the criteria laid down by the Union Government. A review of PDS also showed that the number of persons registered on ration cards was more than the total population of the state. According to the report, due to non-observance of codal provisions of police rules, more than Rs 1.5 crore were outstanding for recovery on the account of police force supplied to other states/parties. The report also added that in 1998 the Director General of Police spent more than Rs 16 lakh on medical treatment of a former DGP in USA in violation of norms. The expenditure on the project of rehabilitation of common lands in Aravali hills had overshot its original estimate, the report said. While the original estimate was Rs 48 crore, Rs 107 crore had been spent for this project up to 1999. |
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14
teachers honoured CHANDIGARH, Sept 5 — The Haryana Government today honoured 14 teachers with State Award for meritorious services in the field of education during 1999-2000. The Haryana Governor, Mr Babu Parmanand, presented the awards at a state-level Teachers’ Day function held at Haryana Raj Bhavan. The Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, presided over the function. The award carries a cash of Rs 5,000, a certificate of merit, a silver medal and a shawl. The awardees are also entitled to two years’ extension in service beyond the age of superannuation and two increments for a period of five years. Lauding the services of the teacher community and complimenting the awardees, the Governor said teachers were the nation-builders who mould the new generation by imbibing the qualities of discipline, honesty, hard work, self-confidence and other moral values in the student community which are very essential for an ideal citizen. Paying tributes to Dr S.
Radhakrishnan, Mr Babu Parmanand said not only teachers but all Indians should follow the ideals of dedication, sincerity, truth and honesty to their profession as propounded by him. The Chief Minister stressed the need for improving the standard of education in the state. He said keeping this in view a new job-oriented education policy had been formulated. He sought the cooperation of all sections of society, especially the teachers, for reviving the ancient system of education in which there were cordial relations, respect and mutual understanding between the teacher and the taught. Mr Chautala revealed that the State Government would receive 33 per cent financial assistance instead of 24 per cent under the District Primary Education Programme which would help in the construction of 1,500 additional new rooms in different schools in the state. The State would get Rs 13 crore more under this scheme, he added. The teachers honoured were Mrs Shashi
Kumari, Head Teacher, Government Primary School, NDRI, Karnal, Mr
B.M. Gupta, Lecturer in Hindi, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Panipat, Mr Ram Dhari
Dahiya, science master, GSSS, Mangali, district Hisar, Mr Sukhbir Singh, science master, GHS
Shahpur, district Hisar, Mr Kashmiri Lal Maggu, Head master, GHS,
Dhurala, district Kurukshetra, Mr Bhim Singh Malik, Lecturer in political science,
GSSS, Krishanpur, district Panipat, Mrs Parkash Phogat, Lecturer, in political science,
GSSS, Charkhi Dadri, district Bhiwani, Mrs Usha Batra, Lecturer in Hindi,
GSSS, Shahbad, district Kurukshetra, Mrs Kamla Kumari, Head mistress,
GGHS, Muklan, district Hisar, Mrs Gurmeet Kaur, Head mistress, GMS, Ganjo
Garhi, district Karnal, Mr Sumer Chand, Sanskrit teacher, GSSS, Lalhari
Kalan, district Yamunanagar, Mr Joginder Singh, SS Master, GSSS, Indri, district Gurgaon, Mr Niranjan Singh, Punjabi teacher, GGSS MT, district Panipat, and Mr Inder Singh Mann, PTI,
GHS, Gohana, district Sonepat. |
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Assembly session curtailed CHANDIGARH, Sept 5 — The monsoon session of the Haryana Assembly, which was scheduled to last only four days, has been curtailed to two days. This has been done on the report of the Business Advisory Committee which is dominated by the ruling party. The motion to adopt the Business Advisory Committee report, moved by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Prof Sampat Singh, evoked a loud protest from the Opposition Benches. The Leader of Opposition, Mr Bhajan Lal, described the move as “shameful”. He said the government was running away from the Assembly as if it was afraid of something. Quoting dates and years, Prof Sampat Singh said one-day or two-day sessions had been held under almost all Chief Ministers. Moreover, he said, it was not the government but a committee of the House which had decided about the duration of the session. The former Finance Minister, Mr Mange Ram Gupta (Cong), urged the Speaker to intervene because the members, he said, had received notices for a four-day session and now the government wanted to curtail it. While Mr Bhajan Lal and certain other Congress MLAs were still pressing their demand for a four-day session, the Speaker, Mr Satbir Singh
Kadian, adjourned the House for the day, depriving the Opposition of a possible opportunity to stage a walkout. Later the Deputy Leader of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, said in the press gallery that by adjourning the House abruptly the Speaker had virtually bulldozed the Opposition which, he said, had given notices for several adjournment motions and call-attention motions on various issues like the inequitable distribution of irrigation water, the deteriorating law and order situation, drought-like conditions in the state, financial mismanagement and the politicisation of education. He said the Speaker should have told the members about the fate of their motions. Another Congress MLA Mr Shamsher Singh, said the Speaker had not acted as per the rules. Dr Raghbir Singh Kadian (Cong), too, was not happy at the conduct of the Speaker. |
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HC tells
SHO to produce missing man KARNAL, Sept 5 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has served notice to the SHO, Sadar Police Station, to produce Mr Suresh Kumar, a resident of Nandkaran Majra village in Kaithal district who is reported to be missing since August 28. The high court has directed the SHO to produce him before the court on September 19. The court gave these directions on a petition filed by one of the relations of the missing person. According to facts available from the petition, a police party of Sadar Police Station had raided M/s Ravinder Paper Mills Pvt Ltd, near Charao.The police party had allegedly picked up 10 workers from the mill — Prem Singh, Randhawa Singh, Jagmal Singh, Babu Lal, Ramesh Kumar, Ram Kumar, Iqbal Singh, Tahir
Hussain, Ezazudin and Suresh Kumar. On August 30, the police had produced four of these persons before the CJM (Karnal) in a case registered under Section 303/506 of the IPC. But the whereabouts of the remaining six persons remained unknown. The police continued to deny that these persons were in custody. Finally, on a petition filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court by a relation of the six missing persons, the court appointed a warrant officer to investigate the matter. The Warrant Officer raided the Sadar Police Station and recovered five of the six persons from police custody. It was on the intervention of the Warrant Officer that they were set free. However, Mr Suresh Kumar was not found there and is still missing. The relatives of Mr Suresh Kumar have alleged foul play. The entire episode is a sequel to the cases registered against Mr Tejinderpal Singh Mann, a former Haryana Minister, and his two sons by the police on various complaints. |
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Order
today, status quo tomorrow FATEHABAD, Sept 5 — Strange are the ways of officialdom here. Officials take a decision, issue orders only to rescind it. The case of Mr Narinder Paul Singh, Assistant Project Officer (Credit) with the local District Rural Development Agency, is a glaring example of the topsy-turvy state of affairs in government office. The official whose services were challenged in the high court and held “illegal and quashed” by the learned court on January 7, 1999, has been “removed” from his job twice in the past 20 months only to be recalled. The latest example is of today itself when the orders of his “removal” from service issued on September 1 were declared ‘non-est’ i.e. will not come into operation. Mr Narinder Paul Singh, a resident of Kanti village in Mohindergarh district was appointed Assistant Project Officer (Credit) by ADC-cum-CEO,
DRDA, Hisar, on March 22, 1994. But his selection was challenged by Mr Darshan Lal, an accountant in the office of the
DRDA, Hisar, pleading that the appointment was illegal, violative of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India and against the Haryana State Rural Development Agency Employees Services Rules 1991. In its orders dated January 7, 1999, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court comprising Mr Justice
G.S. Singhvi and Mr Justice Iqbal Singh observed respondent No. 5 (Mr Narinder Paul Singh) was appointed by a person who did not even have a semblance of competence to make appointments and who completely disregarded the recruitment rules and usurped the power vested in the Financial
Commissioner/Comm- issioner-cum-Secretary. The Bench had declared the appointment “illegal and quashed” and directed the
DRDA, Hisar, to remove the employee from the post of Assistant Project Officer and make fresh appointment in accordance with the law. By the time, the high court issued its orders, the services of Mr Narinder Paul Singh had been transferred to the
DRDA, Fatehabad. The DRDA, Hisar, wrote to its Fatehabad counterparts vide its letter No. 126 dated April 15, 1999, along with a copy of the high court orders. In compliance with the orders of the high court, the services of Mr Narinder Paul Singh were terminated vide DRDA endorsed 190-97 dated April 4, 1999, with the approval of the then Deputy Commissioner, Fatehabad, and orders were conveyed to the employee. Surprisingly, the then ADC-cum-CEO of the DRDA again “restored” the services of the employee on June 1, 1999. Though the services of Mr Narinder Paul Singh were terminated on April 24, 1999, it was shown in the records that he was not relieved till June 1, 1999, when his services were “restored” for reasons best known to the authorities concerned. Insiders say there is no term like “restoration” of service in the service rules. However, the present incumbent of the post of the ADC-cum-CEO,
DRDA, Mr Pradeep Kasni stumbled upon it while going through the office records. When he asked the employee whether he could produce any injunction or stay of the apex court on the orders of the high court Mr Narinder Paul Singh failed to produce any. Mr
Kasni, with the concurrence and approval of the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anil
Malik, today issued orders removing Mr Narinder Paul Singh from his post. The orders issued by the ADC said the high court directive to the
DRDA, Hisar, to “remove Mr Narinder Paul singh from the post of the APO and make fresh appointment on the vacant post in accordance with law had not been honoured as yet, ostensibly on the ground that the employee had been transferred to Fatehabad. It further said since there was no injunction from the apex court against the operation of the high court judgement the orders of “restoration” were incompetently issued, unlawful and void
ab-initio. It further said the orders of the high court clearly said the impugned appointment was made by an authority incompetent to do so. Mr Narinder Paul Singh did not possess the qualification and experience as required under the rules and also he was overage at the time of appointment. Terming the continuation of the services of Mr Narinder Paul Singh as a burden on the state exchequer and likely to be seen as contemptuous of the judicial imperative, Mr Kasni ordered the removal of Mr Narinder Paul Singh from his post. But the story does not end here. When the order reached Mr Narinder Paul Singh, he rushed to the Deputy Commissioner and virtually dropped a bombshell when he said his services could not be removed as he had “status quo” orders of the apex court issued in September 1999. The Deputy Commissioner today again issued orders which said the order dated September 1, remaining Mr Narinder Paul Singh from service were declared “non-est” which in official parlance meant the orders would not come into force at all. The ADC, Mr
Kasni, when asked for comments said Mr Narinder Paul Singh had never submitted the “status quo” orders of the apex court with his office nor did he reveal this when asked to produce an injunction or stay order if any before orders for his removal were passed. |
A complex that runs on solar energy GURGAON: Gurgaon, which has so far been internationally acclaimed for rapid industrialisation and is ideal for housing — away from the milling crowd and pollution in Delhi — can now boast of a complex run entirely on solar energy. In effect, this solar energy-based project epitomises the concept of privatisation and entrepreneurial instinct as the state-of-the-art complex is totally independent of the government-controlled city grid for power. Besides, it is a healthy change from practices which have played havoc with the ecological system and bio-diversity in the name of development and
modernisation. The complex, located at Gual Paharia village, about 20 km from old Gurgaon, has been named Retreat (Resource-efficient TERI retreat for environmental awareness and training). The complex, set upon an area of 3,000 sq
metres, is scientifically structured into two parts: North and south blocks. The project, conceptualised and owned by TERI (Tata Energy Research Institute), is claimed to be a novelty in terms of the magnitude of the operation (using solar energy in a building complex) and the unique use of technology to reduce the overall energy demand by 30 to 60 per cent. According to Dr Ajay
Mathur, Dean of Energy-Environment Technology Division, TERI, a sustainable habitat design is economically viable and can drastically reduce energy demand. And it can be done through reduced demand on fossil fuels, emissions, less pressure on natural resources like water, lower waste generation and through recycling scarce resources. TERI has attempted all this at Retreat. During its construction the thought of energy efficiency was ingrained in the project at the time of its architecture and designing stages. For example, the North block of the building, for administrative work, has been designed in such a manner that it would be used in the day. This was done keeping the movement of the earth around the sun and the resultant direction of the sun rays on the building. The energy requirement in the North Block would be quite different from that of the south, which is the residential area, consisting mainly of 30 guestrooms and a conference hall. The design of the complex minimises the demands of energy in the building by architectural intervention through passive concepts like solar orientation, latticework for shading, insulation and landscaping. Thirdly, the space conditioning (cooling during summers and heating during winters) of the guestrooms and lighting demands are met through energy-efficient systems, whereas the electric energy demands are fulfilled by renewable energy sources. Thus, the Retreat complex is powered by a
photovoltaic-gasifier hybrid renewable energy system, which uses waste biomass and solar radiation as source of energy. The technological innovations in the building have drawn visitors for studying the successful experiments done by TERI. The building boasts of India’s first solar roof. Space conditioning and air-cooling is provided by an earth air tunnel, which consumes a fraction of the energy. In this system, the air is forced through underground pipes in tunnels and then let out into the rooms. In this way, it cools and heats the rooms. This technology is based on the fact that a few metres below, the earth’s temperature is more stable than at the surface, and a bit higher than the average temperature at the surface throughout the year. The temperature in many parts of the world is quite comfortable, at about 25.6 degrees Centigrade in Delhi. At a depth of about four
metres, depending upon the amount of soil moisture and surface, colour and features, the variation is about plus or minus a degree (Centigrade) around the mean throughout the year. Therefore, if air is passed through the earth before funneling it into the room, it can be expected to be cool in summers and warm in winters. Another innovation is in the form of passive designing which has reduced space-conditioning loads by 10 to 15 per cent. For example, the roof is insulated by using vermiculite concrete and China mosaic white finish and the walls are insulated with
styrofoam. Part of the building is sunken into the ground to take advantage of storage properties of the earth, which stabilises internal temperature. Shading devices and fenetration are designed to cut off the summer sun and allow the winter sun. Glare-free daylight is adequately provided in the conference hall, library and recreation hall through use of specially designed skylights. Landscaping is designed to favourably alter the wind direction. Deciduous trees planted on the southern side of the complex protect it from the summer sun, and in winters when these shed their leaves, brighten up the rooms and provide the required heating. In addition air-conditioning of the conference hall and other common facilities are achieved by using gas-fired ammonia absorption chillers. They consume 75 per cent less electric energy than a conventional. The building has contingency measures in the form of gasifier hybrid power plant to make the building functional in case of shortage of solar energy during winters or on cloudy days. |
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Sikdar opposes
Trinamool demand GURGAON, Sept 5 — The Minister of State for Communications and a BJP stalwart from West Bengal, Mr Tapan Sikdar, today set the cat among the pigeons here when he opposed the Trinamool Congress demand for imposition of Article 356 of the Constitution in his state, but wanted that the Leftist government headed by Mr Jyoti Basu should put in its papers after the announcement of the assembly elections in the state. The utterances of Mr Sikdar confused his party’s rank and file here when he said that the West Bengal government must resign immediately after announcement of the assembly election to ensure free and fair poll. There was a suggestion from the Election Commission a few months ago that the ruling parties in states going to the polls must quit. The Congress and the BJP had rejected the suggestion. However, Mr Sikdar, who is also a former president of the West Bengal unit of the BJP, today adopted a different line from the party’s policy. The local leaders of the BJP were confused as they did not know whether to describe this stance of the senior leader as a ‘difference of opinion’ in the party or ‘politics of convenience’. Although, he did not refer to the CPM-led government in West Bengal, he left no one in doubt that it was what he was referring to. Mr Sikdar expressed this view while responding to a question about the Trinamool Congress chief and Minister for Railways, Mrs Mamata Banerjee’s latest threat to pull out from the Union Council of Ministers if no action was taken against the West Bengal government in view of the recent violent incidents between her party activists and the CPM cadre. Significantly, while Mr Sikdar said that the Trinamool Congress demand of imposing President’s rule in the state could not be accepted for technical reasons, he said that he supported its demand for declaring some districts as disturbed areas. For the first time, a senior BJP leader has indicated that all is not well with the Trinamool Congress-BJP alliance in West Bengal. “Trinamool Congress is a party different from the BJP. It has a different ideology. The BJP need not support it on all issues”, he said. |
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Local call
facility for NCR soon GURGAON, Sept 5 — The Ministry of Communications is working to integrate the entire National Capital Region (NCR) under the local call facility. This was announced here today by the Minister of State for Communications, Mr Tapan Sikdar. Mr Sikdar, who was here to inaugurate an independent telecom district at Gurgaon, told newsmen that although a lot of technicalities were involved, the ministry hoped that the integration of all districts falling in the NCR would be accomplished soon. Making a policy statement, he said that the ministry also planned to provide limited area cellular telephone service. This would be from cellular to basic telephone lines. Pilot projects in this regard had been taken up in Bengal, Andhra Pradesh,Bihar and Tamil Nadu. Now the same would be expanded throughout the country, he added. Earlier, addressing a gathering at the inauguration ceremony, he said that still over two lakh villages did not have public telephones. Also, telephones in a large number of villages were not functioning properly. He attributed this to the use of “maarg” technology, which was obsolete. Efforts were on to replace it with modern technology in a phased manner, he added. He defended the move for privatisation of
DoT, saying that heavy amount of money was required for modernisation of the telecommunication system. With the help of privatisation the government hoped to increase its revenue to recycle it for upgrading the system. He allayed apprehensions of the employees on the proposed privatisation of
DoT. He said that proper information on all aspects of the issue would remove all misgivings from the minds of the employees, who had become victim of canards that privatisation would deprive them of their jobs. The government planned to
install telephones on demand by 2002. The telecom authorities in Haryana said that there was shortage of staff in the state, with the result that in spite of the best technology being in use, quality service was not provided to the consumers. With regard to Gurgaon, it was pointed out that there was a move to link the district with Delhi under the ring system. This would further improve the quality of service. As of today, only 2,5000 persons were on the waiting list for telephones in Gurgaon district, he said. With the inauguration of Gurgaon as a separate telecom district, the total number of districts in Haryana has gone up to nine. The Gurgaon Secondary Switching Area
(SSA) with headquarters at Faridabad has been bifurcated into two independent districts — Gurgaon and Faridabad — in accordance with the decision taken by the Department of Telecom Services. The recent growth in Telecom demands and the consequential growth of network led to the bifurcation of the existing SSA into two independent districts, both under the direct control of the Office of Chief General Manager, Telecom, Haryana Telecom Circle, Ambala. |
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Desilting of Rori
drain completed SIRSA, Sept 5 — In order to reclaim the water logged areas of Sirsa, the desilting work of the Rori Ghaggar drain with the help of dragline machines has been completed. The water logging problem of about 20,000 acres of land belonging to about 12 villages of the district would be solved. This was stated by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Amit Jha here today. He said the area lying between Rori and Jhorar Rohi villages had been badly affected. The Rori Ghaggar drain had been deepened by two to three feet from Rori to Jhorar Rohi villages. Presently the quantity of the water accumulated in the drain through seepage was so high that it flows into river. when the quantity of water in the drain would decrease then excavations would be made in the drain near Jhorar Rohi village in which the saline water would get accumulated and pumped into the Ghaggar. |
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Villagers block road KAITHAL, Sept 5 — Villagers kept the Kaithal-Karnal road blocked for over two hours near Teontha village, this morning. They were protesting against the mysterious disappearance of Ram Sarup (40) of Sangroli village of Pundri
sub-tehsil and demanded police action to trace him. According to information, the SP, Mr Parbhat Ranjan
Deo, and the DSP (HQ) rushed to the site of the blockade and succeeded in pursuing the agitators to lift the
dharna. According to the FIR lodged with the police, by Nasib Singh, brother of the missing person, he and his brother Ram Sarup left Kaithal for Sangroli after getting their tractor repaired. The missing person was driving the tractor and Nasib Singh who was on a motor cycle, on reaching his village found that his brother had not reached home. After waiting for some time he along with other villagers started searching for his brother. They noticed the tractor lying in a roadside
diteh. However, Ram Sarup was nowhere near the tractor found near Teontha village. The police requisitioned the services of a dog squad to trace the missing person and the police found some clue. However, even after a long search the missing person could not be traced. But the SP convinced the crowd appropriate police action would be taken to trace Ram
Sarup. |
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House tax hiked
by 25 per cent HISAR, Sept 5 — The local Municipal Council has decided to increase the house-tax rates by 25 per cent. A resolution in this regard was passed at a meeting held here last evening. According to the president of the council, Mr Hanuman
Parsad, the decision comes into force with immediate effect. He said the step would yield the council an additional Rs 30 lakh annually. Mr Prasad said the council had also decided to impose a tax on the sale of liquor in the town. He said the council would charge Rs 10 on a bottle of IMFL and Rs 5 on each beer bottle and country made liquor bottle. The council also demanded that the state government should provide the council its share of Local Area Development Tax. During the meeting the councillors argued that the government had imposed the tax to compensate the local bodies for loss of octroi. The president said all the resolutions would be sent to the state government for approval. The councillors of the Opposition Congress party opposed the hike in house-tax rates. |
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Haryana session
curtailed CHANDIGARH, Sept 5 — The monsoon session of the Haryana Assembly, which was scheduled to last only four days, has been curtailed to two days. This has been done on the report of the Business Advisory Committee which is dominated by the ruling party. The motion to adopt the Business Advisory Committee report, moved by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Prof Sampat Singh, evoked a loud protest from the Opposition Benches. The Leader of Opposition, Mr Bhajan Lal, described the move as “shameful”. He said the government was running away from the Assembly as if it was afraid of something. Quoting dates and years, Prof Sampat Singh said one-day or two-day sessions had been held under almost all Chief Ministers. Moreover, he said, it was not the government but a committee of the House which had decided about the duration of the session. |
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Rs 5 lakh looted
from factory SONEPAT, Sept 5 — A group of 15 dacoits struck a factory on the Sonepat-Bahalgarh road near here last night and decamped with Rs 5 lakh in cash and gold ornaments worth lakhs. According to reports, the dacoits snapped the barbed wires and scaled the walls of the factory. They forced the workers and chowkidars to assemble in a hall and locked it from outside. The dacoits also threatened them with dire consequences if they raised any alarm. Later, five of them forced their way into the flat of Mr Dev Parsad Mukherjee, the Managing Director of the factory, on the second floor of the factory. The remaining dacoits kept watch on the workers. According to Mr Mukherjee, a supervisor, Dinesh
Pathak, who was accompanying the dacoits knocked at the door telling him that some policemen wanted to talk to him. As he opened the door, the dacoits caught hold of him and demanded cash. They took away Rs 5.15 lakh in cash and gold ornaments kept in the
almirah. It is stated that the cash was kept there for making the payment of excise duty. The dacoits snapped the telephone connection and locked him and other family members in a room and fled. The police has registered a case and detained four workers — Dinesh
Pathak, Girish Sharma, Manohar Kumar and Luxman for interrogation. |
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Cong leader in
court custody ROHTAK, Sept 5 — Mr Sitaram Sachdeva, a Congress leader and a former Municipal
Councillor, was today sent to judicial custody till Sept 19 by a local court in connection with a clash in which 20 persons were injured yesterday. Employees of transport companies located at Malgodam road here entered into a scuffle with labourers working in adjacent dairies. Mr
Sachdeva, who is also a dairy owner, fired in the air. At least 20 labourers belonging to Bihar were injured, six of them seriously. The police had registered a case under Sections 148, 149, 307 and 506 of the IPC and Sections 24, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act against the
labourers, including Mr Sachdeva and his son, Pinki. |
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REC students
boycott classes for third day KURUKSHETRA, Sept 5 — The B.Tech-Part II students of the local Regional Engineering College (REC) boycotted their classed for the third day today in protest against the admission of 139 Srinagar Regional Engineering College students to their institution. They also raised anti-government slogans and took out a procession on the college campus. The B.Tech-Part III students also joined them to support their demand while the B.Tech-Part IV students wore black badges to express their solidarity with them. College sources reveal that 139 Srinagar Regional Engineering College students have been admitted to the local REC on directions from Union HRD Ministry in view of the insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir, owing to which the ministry has allocated a special fund of Rs 65 lakh for the college. Meanwhile, the students here apprehend that the inclusion of 139 more students would adversely affect their teaching schedule, as the college already has inadequate infrastructure. Moreover, the opportunities availed of by the local REC students are likely to be encroached upon by the newcomers
during local campus interviews, they argue. In another development, in view of the resignations tendered by 59 college teachers last week from their additional duties, other than teaching work, the college administration have postponed the B.Tech-Part I classes scheduled to commence from today. |
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Governors to study problems of
Dalits AMBALA, Sept 5 — Some important decisions would be taken in the meeting of Governors to be held at Bombay on September 8. It was disclosed by Mr Suraj Bhan, Governor UP, here today. He was here on a two day non-official tour on Monday.Talking to mediapersons today he said that the committee consisting of some of the Governors was constituted by the President to study the problems of ‘Dalits’ in the country. He said he would put forward a proposal at the meeting by which a large number of people living below the poverty line would be benefited. He said around 10 crore acres of land was lying vacant in the country. If two acres of land along with a tubewell and certain other facilities were allotted to a person around five crore poor and Dalits would be able to earn their livelihood. He said
irregularities had been reported during the allotment of
houses to the Dalits under the Indira Awas Yojna in the
past several years. He said at the meeting of Governors
he would demand an inquiry in the matter. |
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Millennium award
for novelists AMBALA Another story writer, poet and
novelist of Ambala, Mr Vikesh Nijhawan has also been
selected for this award. The Haryana Sahitya Akademi had
earlier awarded him for his book on short stories, Ab Din
Nahin Niklega. |
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