Rice millers adopt tough posture 
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Sept 21 — The prospects of smooth procurement of paddy in the district have been dampened by the tough posture adopted by rice shellers over some of their demands.

A meeting of rice millers and various agencies involved in paddy procurement was called by the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anil Malik on Tuesday evening to resolve the problems, but the meeting ended without any settlement. The rice millers have now decided to meet the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, in this regard.

There are about 60 rice sheller owners in the district. The procurement agencies get paddy through these millers. The millers are up in arms against the agencies this season on various counts. They say they will not mill paddy unless their problems are resolved.

One of the biggest problems, the millers say, is regarding the specifications of rice yield demanded by the agencies. The millers are supposed to give 68 kg of rice against one quintal of paddy supplied to them for milling. The millers rue that the specifications are too harsh. They claim the paddy variety available in this part of Haryana is inferior to that of Punjab and the rice yield is never more than 65 kg a quintal.

They complain that usually the government agencies stack paddy in their mills during the procurement season without entering into a formal contract regarding milling. When it comes to entering into an agreement at the time of the milling season in December-January, they dictate terms. If the miller disagrees to their terms, the agencies get the paddy lifted without paying any storage charges.

The second problem, the millers say, is about the government milling rates. They say the government has been giving them milling charges at the rate of Rs 13.20 a quintal for plain rice and Rs 22.13 a quintal for par boiled rice. They say with the increased power tariff, it has become almost impossible for them to mill the government paddy at these rates.

The Deputy Commissioner, however, termed the posture of the millers as a haggling exercise. He said it was a routine feature and happened everytime the procurement was to begin.

He said the administration had made elaborate arrangements for the procurement of paddy from September 21. The administration had set up committees comprising farmers, dealers, DFSC, Secretary, Market Committee, and millers to iron out differences over the quality of paddy.

Meanwhile, paddy was already started accumulating in various mandis in the district. Heaps of paddy can be seen in Dharsul, Rattia and the local grain market.

VC for ban on ragging
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, Sept 21 — The Vice-Chancellor of Guru Jambheshwar University, Dr R.K. Chauhan, while addressing the principals and directors of one recently affiliated engineering, pharmacy, management and computer education institutes here yesterday said ragging should be banned in all institutions. If any student is found guilty of this, strict action should be taken against him, he maintained.

Dr Chauhan called upon the institute heads to appoint teaching, non-teaching and other supporting staff as per norms fixed by the All-India Council for Technical Education and the university.

He asked all colleges to fulfil the conditions imposed by the university at the time of granting affiliation within the stipulated time and supply all necessary information regarding teachers to enable the university to constitute various statutory bodies like the executive council, the academic council and boards of studies.

He said that activity calendar would be prepared soon and made available to all institutions. A steering committee under his chairmanship has already been constituted to look after various issues relating to senior students, he added.

Dr Chauhan assured that the university would hold all examinations in time and the results would be declared in time.

More than 40 principals and directors of various technical institutes attended the meeting. The Director, Technical Education, Haryana, Mr M.P. Gupta, and the Registrar of the Guru Jambheshwar University, Mr Deepti Umashanker, also participated in the meeting.

Haryana postings, transfers
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 21 — The Haryana Government today issued the posting and transfer orders of 21 IAS officers and 21 Haryana Civil Service officers with immediate effect.

 Mr B.D. Dhalia, Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Home, Jails, Criminal Investigation and Administration of Justice Department, and Commissioner, Gurdwara Elections, has been given additional charge of the Development and Panchayats Departments and as Secretary, Boundary Area Committee, vice Mrs Asha Sharma, who becomes Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Fisheries Department, relieving Mrs Veena Eagleton of the charge. 

Mr Pius Pandarwani, Commissioner and Secretary, Local Government Department, and Mr S.K. Maheshwari, Administrative Reforms Department, will swap places. Mr Maheshwari will also remain a Member of the Sales Tax Tribunal-I. Mr Bhagwati Parshad, Commissioner Hisar division, becomes Commissioner and Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment and Welfare of SCs and BCs Departments, relieving Mrs Deepa Jain Singh of the charge. Mrs Umesh Nanda, Commissioner, Finance and ex-officio Special Secretary, Finance, goes as Commissioner Hisar division, Hisar.

Mr R.N. Prashar, Commissioner and Secretary, Transport Department, has been given additional charge as Member, Sales Tax Tribunal-II, vice Mr Krishana Mohan, who was been posted as Managing Director, HAFED, and the Hansi Cooperative Spinning Mills, Hansi, against a vacant post. Mr L.S.M. Salins, Commissioner, Gurgaon division, and Special Commissioner Health and Nutrition, Mewat area, Gurgaon, and CA TFAH, has been given additional charge of Haryana Minerals Ltd, New Delhi.

Mr S.K. Saxena, MD, HARTRON, becomes MD, Haryana Seeds Development Corporation, vice Mr K.K. Khandelwal, who has been posted as MD, HARTRON, and Joint Secretary, Information Technology. Mr Madhusudan Prasad, on return from deputation with the Centre, has been posted as Resident Commissioner (RC), Haryana Bhavan, New Delhi, relieving Mr K.S. Yadav of the charge.

Mr P. Raghvendra Rao, on return from training, becomes Director and Joint Secretary, Food and Supplies Department, vice Mr Vijai Vardhan, who has been appointed Registrar, Cooperative Society and Secretary Rajya Sainik Board.

Mrs Jaiwanti Sheokand, Joint Secretary, Irrigation, will also look after the work of MD, Haryana Women Development Corporation. Mr K.S. Yadav, Additional RC, Haryana Bhavan, will also look after the work of MD, Haryana Minerals Ltd, New Delhi. Mr Anand Sharma, GM, Haryana SCs Finance and Development Corporation, will also look after the work of the Women and Child Development Department.

Mr D.D. Gautam, ADC-cum-CEO, DRDA, Sirsa, goes as such to Panchkula in place of Mr M.P. Bansal, who has been posted as Joint Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment and Welfare of SCs and BCs Departments, relieving Mr M. Kithan of the charge. Mr D. Suresh, ADC-cum-CEO, DRDA, Jind, has been posted as ADC-cum-CEO, DRDA, Sirsa. He will also look after the work of the ADC-cum-CEO, DRDA, Fatehabad.

Mr S.K. Katyal, awaiting orders of posting, becomes GM, Haryana Roadways, Bhiwani, Mr R.P. Singh awaiting orders of posting, goes as City Magistrate, Narnaul, vice Mr O.P. Langayan, who has been posted as Inquiry Officer, HSAMB, Panchkula, against a vacant post. Mr Jagtar Singh, awaiting orders of posting, becomes Chief Staff Officer to the Chief Minister, Haryana, against a vacant post.

Mr I.S. Dahiya, Joint Director, Women and Child Development Department, goes as City Magistrate, Fatehabad. Mr Pardeep Kasni, ADC, Fatehabad becomes Deputy Secretary, Wild Life Preservation Department, in place of Mr Parveen Kumar, who goes as OSD, Local Government Department, against a vacant post. Mrs Mandeep Kaur, awaiting orders of posting, goes as EAC (under training), Panchkula. Mrs Pritama Chaudhary, awaiting orders of posting, goes as EAC (under training), Ambala.

Mr A.S. Mann, awaiting posting orders, goes as Joint Commissioner, MCF, NIT, Faridabad, vice Mr J.P. Thaman, who becomes City Magistrate, Sonepat, in place of Mr Dharam Pal Singh, who will be the new Estate Officer, Panchkula, and Secretary, Mata Mansa Devi Shrine Board, Panchkula, vice Mr S.K. Sharma, who goes as Secretary, HUDA, Panchkula. Mr Yashendra Singh, SDO (Civil), Rohtak, will also look after the work of the Estate Officer, Urban Estate, Rohtak.

Mr Bhupinder Singh, SDO (Civil), Karnal, has been given additional charge as Estate Officer, Urban Estate, Karnal, vice Mr P.D. Varma, who will be the new GM, Haryana Roadways, Jind.

Mr R. C. Powaria, City Magistrate, Bhiwani, goes as SDO (Civil)-cum Additional Collector, Jhajjar, vice Mr S.B. Lohia, who goes as SDO, Bahadurgarh, and Estate Officer, Urban Estate, Bahadurgarh, vice Mr Hardeep Singh, who goes as Secretary, HPSC, in place of Mr Ramesh Krishan, who will be the new Deputy Secretary, Education, vice Mr Ram Nath, who has been posted as City Magistrate, Bhiwani.

Mr R.P. Bhardwaj, Under Secretary, Development and Panchayats has been posted as ADC Jind.

Chautala’s foreign trip finalised
By Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 21 — The much-awaited foreign visit of the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to personally invite direct foreign investment has been finalised for mid-October, when he will tour South-East Asian countries for about a week.

Earlier he was scheduled to visit Singapore and certain other South-East Asian countries in July last but due to health problems, the visit could not materialise.

According to informed sources, Mr Chautala, was being requested by the Punjab, Haryana and Delhi Chamber of Commerce and Industry to undertake such a visit so that the agrarian state of Haryana could be brought on a par with the southern states of the country in the field of industrial development.

A delegation of the chamber will also accompany the Chief Minister to explore the possibility of setting up joint ventures.

The sources say since the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) had been primarily responsible for soliciting direct foreign investment in southern states, including the non-traditional state of Tamil Nadu, the PHD Chamber had been impressing upon Mr Chautala to take the lead in this field among the nine northern states.

While Mr Chautala will be the lone representative of the political executive of the state, he will be accompanied by a core group of four or five officers. The names of the Secretary, Industries, Mr P.K. Chaudhery, and Dr Harbaksh Singh, Managing Director of the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation, are considered to be a certainty.

The Chief Secretary, Mr Vishnu Bhagwan, the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister; Mr S.Y. Quraishi; and the Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Mr Sanjeev Kaushal, are likely to be the other members of the core group.

Mr Chaudhery and Dr Harbaksh Singh had earlier visited the South-East Asian countries a few months ago to prepare the ground for the Chief Minister’s visit.

Nearly coinciding with Mr Chautala’s visit to the South-East Asian countries will be a week-long visit to the Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Kumar Arora, to Australia. He along senior officers of the Transport Department will attend a four-day international conference in that country.

The Agriculture Minister, Mr Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, will lead a farmers’ delegation to Israel in the first week of November. The delegation was scheduled to visit Israel in the first week of October. But due to a long spell of holidays in that country, the visit had to be postponed.

The Minister of State for Social Welfare, Mr Risal Singh, the Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Ram Pal Majra; the INLD MLA from Tohana, Mr Nishan Singh; and one or two more INLD MLAs are also likely to be a part of the farmers’ delegation.

The then Chief Minister, Mr Bhajan Lal, had also led a delegation to Israel in the mid-nineties to study the progress made by that country in the field of agriculture. Mr Bhajan Lal was highly impressed by the size of tomatoes and other vegetables grown there.

The sources say Mr Chautala is perturbed over the unsatisfactory progress of foreign direct investment in the state over the past few years, which is believed to have shrunk when measured as a percentage of the total foreign direct investments made in India as a whole. Similarly, after the process of liberalisation started in the early nineties, the number of industrial entrepreneurial memoranda (IEM) had shown a downward trend.

While 250 IEMs were presented in 1991 involving an investment of Rs 169.04 crore, the number decreased to 136 in 1998 with an investment of Rs 2282.93 crore.

According to a study conducted by the bureaucrat-turned-economist, Mr Montek Singh Ahluwalia, on “State-level Performance under Economic Reforms in India”, the magnitude of private investment in Haryana around 1994-95 was 1.16 per cent of the state domestic product (SDP), which was much below than that in Bihar, where this percentage was 13.54 as against the all-India average of 17.50. This percentage for Gujarat, Karnataka and Orissa was 51.20, 42.38 and 29.33, respectively.

Haryana along with Punjab was among the 14 richest states of the country in 1990-91. Their growth rates per capita SDP were not only lower in the nineties than in the eighties but in both cases actually fell below the national average.

SI booked for raping woman
From Our Correspondent

FARIDABAD, Sept 21 — A Sub-Inspector of the crime branch of the Haryana Police posted at Palwal town in the district is among five persons booked for raping a married woman. While some persons have been arrested, the main accused is reported to have absconded.

According to sources the Sub-Inspector, identified as Hansraj, reportedly accosted the woman, who had come to meet her husband in jail, to a roadside dhaba in Yadupar village and raped here along with four others.

The unsuspecting victim agreed to accompany the police official when he promised to help her secure the release of her husband facing criminal charges.

A liquor contractor and a former sarpanch of a village are reported to be involved in the crime.

The police has registered another case of rape at old Faridabad town. It is reported that a 16-year-old girl of Nachauli village was raped by Veer Singh of the same village.

Traffic blocked by farmers
Tribune News Service

SDM, Ambala, has been given charge of Ambala Cantonment and Ambala City mandi. Tehsildar, Ambala had been given charge of Naneola and Matheri Shekhon. Naib Tehsildar had been given charge of Mullana and Saha. SDM, Naraingarh had been given charge of Naraingarh and Shahzadpur and Tehsildar, Naraingarh has been given charge of Talheri and Shahzadpur. Tehsildar, Barara had been given charge of Barara and Kesari and Naib Tehsildar, Barara had been given charge of Ugala, an official said.

Power bill payments in Bhiwani, Sirsa
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 21 — The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam yesterday decided to provide the facility of payment of electricity bills direct in banks in Bhiwani and Sirsa cities.

A spokesman for the nigam said the facility to make payment direct in banks through cheque, demand draft and local pay order was mainly meant for consumers whose power bills were for Rs 1,000 or above. However, the consumers whose bills were below Rs 1,000 could also be allowed to avail themselves of the facility.

Consumers in the suburban subdivision, Bhiwani, and the industrial area subdivision, Sirsa, could deposit their bills in branches of the Indian Overseas Bank near Ghantaghar Chowk, Bhiwani, and Sadar Bazar, Sirsa, respectively.

Directive to GJU VC on fee hike
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 21 — The Haryana Technical Education Department today asked the Vice-Chancellor of Guru Jambeshwar University, Hisar, to restrain self-financing institutions and colleges not to charge fee for the second semester from those students who were admitted to the first semester and also not to charge higher fee than prescribed for them.

The Director of the Technical Education Department, Mr M.P. Gupta, said it had come to the notice of the department that certain self-financing institutions and colleges were charging fee for the second semester from the students admitted to the first semester and higher fee than prescribed during the current academic session.

He said it was in violation of the provisions contained in the brochure for the academic year 2000-2100 in which it had been clearly mentioned that the dues would be recovered from the students semester-wise. He added that the fee for the first semester had already been deposited by all students at the time of their centralised admission to the university.

Norms for redressal of staff grievances
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 21 — The Haryana Government today asked its employees to strictly follow the guidelines laid down by it in its circular of August 28, 1962, for making representations for the redressal of their grievances.

The circular stated that a government servant should make representation for the redressal of his grievances to his immediate superior or the head of office at the lowest level who is competent to deal with the matter. If he feels that his grievance has not been redressed, he can make representation to the next higher authority.

The government servant should submit his or her representation within six months of the order against which he wants to represent. The representation, citing new facts, if any, would be considered by the original authority who will be competent to reject if it finds that no new facts had been given that needed consideration.

An advance copy of representation can, however, be sent to the higher authority to whom it is addressed. An official can, however, send an advance copy to the next higher authority if his application is not disposed of within four months.

Rebate on house tax extended till Oct 15
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 21 — The Haryana government today extended the time limit of providing 20 per cent concession to the house tax payers who deposit their house tax in their respective municipalities upto October 15.

The Minister of State for Local Government, Mr Subhash Goyal, said the decision to extend the date of providing concession on house tax had been taken following the notable recovery and positive response from the house tax payers.

The minister said the 10 municipalities of Ambala Sadar, Ambala City, Tohana and Kalka had recovered a sum of over Rs 88.83 lakh from July 24 to August 22 this year. He made it clear that the house tax was being recovered at the old rate. According to the random survey conducted in the areas of 10 different municipalities, it was revealed that the recovery of house tax was about five times more than the normal recovery.

125 students participate in talent contest
Tribune News Service

AMBALA, Sept 21 — Sanatan Dharam College organised its annual talent show-cum-contest here today.

An eight-hour-long programme included various items like singing, dancing, painting, quiz, monoacting, mimicry and speech. Mrs Kalpana Munshi, an old student, presided over the concluding function.

The principal of the college, Dr Desh Bandhu, said that the contest was organised in accordance with the guidelines of the Youth Welfare Department of Kurukshetra University and prizes were awarded by the department. Dr Sushil Kansal, coordinator of the programme, said that the response from the students was overwhelming with over 125 students participated in the contests, according to a press note.

In singing, Bhairvi was the winner and the runners-up were Mohit Kumar, Aarti Sharma and Ashish Kumar. In dancing, Shweta was the winner while Shikha, Munish Kumar and Saroj were runners-up. In mono acting, Deepti Goel was the winner, mimicry was won by Munish Kumar. In the painting competition, Chandra was the winner while Jaswinder Singh, Bhawana were runners-up. In quiz, Ankur Sharma was the winner and Gaurav Bharadwaj was runners-up. In speech, Vishal Dhawan was the winner and Sapna Kapoor, Tarun Kaushal and Mamta Gangwar were runners-up. In poetical symposium, Nidhi Khanna and Ram Bhagat were the winners and Luvkesh and Shikha Uppal were runners-up.

Controversy over Cong rights cell
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 21 — The controversy triggered off by the new human rights cell of the Congress in Haryana may not augur well for the party. The AICC had recently reconstituted the cell by appointing Mr Ramji Lal, a former Member of the Rajya Sabha, its chairman.

The new cell has a 10-member executive committee, including the chairman, and seven-member committees in all districts. Apart from taking up general issues relating to human rights violations by state agencies, the cell is also expected to play an effective role in tackling cases filed against Congress leaders such Mr Anand Singh Dangi, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala and others by the INLD government.

However, what has angered an influential section of Congressmen is the selection of members for the district panels. Those expelled from the party earlier as well some known sympathisers of the ruling INLD have reportedly been accommodated on certain district rights cells.

Party sources alleged that Mr Bachan Singh Arya, who had been named the president of the Jind district human rights cell, was expelled from the party for six years for anti-party activity. Similarly, Mr Om Prakash Malik, who had been chosen a member of the Ambala district rights cell, too was an expelled member of the party.

Mr Rambhaj Chaudhary, president of the Rohtak district rights cell, and Mr Yoginder Malhotra and Mr Suresh Munjal, members of the cell, were allegedly close to the INLD and were even associated with the ruling party’s campaigning during the last assembly elections. The president of the Sirsa district rights unit, Mr Rahul Shethia, was reportedly an arch enemy of Ms Selja, Congress leader and former Union Minister.

The sources said Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, president of the HPCC, had written to Justice Ranganath Mishra, who had been appointed the national chairman of the human rights cell by Mrs Sonia Gandhi, regarding the inclusion of the two expelled members in the district human rights committees.

16-year-old student missing
From Our Correspondent

FARIDABAD, Sept 21 — A 16-year-old student of DAV Public School here is reported to be missing since yesterday. His father has lodged a complaint with the police.

According to sources, the victim, Abhishek Arya, son of Mr Ved Prakash, left home for tuition in the evening but did not return. His bicycle was found at a secluded spot in Sector 17.

The father of the victim suspects that his son may have been kidnapped.

10-year jail term for selling opium

HISAR, Sept 21 (PTI) — The District and Sessions Judge Nawab Singh yesterday awarded 10 years imprisonment to Baljit Singh, a resident of Kharak Punia for dealing in opium.

He also ordered him to pay a fine of Rs one lakh in default of which he would have to undergo further imprisonment for one year.

Baljit Singh was nabbed by the Barwala police near Panihari village on December 25, 1990 while carrying 850 gram of opium. He was convicted under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

Salaries to be given on Sept 29
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Sept 21 — The Haryana Government today decided to disburse salaries on September 29 for this month.

An official spokesman said those who were drawing their pensions from government treasuries would also get their pensions on September 29 in view of holidays falling on September 30 and October 1 and 2 (Saturday, Sunday and Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti, respectively.

Haryana Assembly prorogued

CHANDIGARH, Sept 21 (UNI) — Haryana Governor Babu Parmanand has prorogued the state Assembly, a Vidhan Sabha Secretariat notification said here today.

The Assembly was adjourned sine die after its two-day brief monsoon session on September 6.