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| Monday, September 25, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Staff resent govt move on khadi
board offices BJP leaders target CM, sons Drive for cleaner environment Devi Lal to be honoured today Haryana heroes day observed Hooda’s plea to CM on erratic
supply |
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Probe ordered into temple
demolition State-level panel to monitor
schemes Painting contest for deaf and dumb Hike in levy rice price
‘timely’ Check economic policies: Biswas ‘Reduce sales tax on petro
products’
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Staff resent govt move on
khadi board offices FARIDABAD, Sept 24 — The state government’s move to merge the field offices of the Haryana Khadi and Village Board with the District Industries Centre (DIC) has not only generated resentment among the employees of the board but it has threatened an ‘identity crisis’ for the board itself which has been working like an ‘autonomous’ institution for the past 21 years in the state. Although the state government vide its notification No 13/1/10-5 dated March 30, 2000, has already constituted a district-level monitoring committee task force in each district under the chairmanship of the General Manager, DIC, but majority of the field offices of the Khadi and Village Industries Board have been functioning independently as usual, while the proposal has provided for operation of these offices from the office of the GM, DIC, who has been given overall control of these offices in future. The move in this regard was first made last year when the communication issued by the Director of Industries, Haryana, in June, 1999, stated that the decision had been taken with a “view to streamline the working of the field offices of the District Khadi and Village Industries Officers”. According to the order, the district KVIO (Khadi and Village Industries Officers) will work under the overall control of the GM, DIC, and the offices will correspond with their headquarters through the GM, DIC. The DIC will provide suitable accommodation to KVIOs and sponsoring of loan cases to the banks and financial institutions will be carried out at the level of the GM, DIC. It is grade I for effecting recovery from the defaulters. It is reported that no meeting of the district-level task force or monitoring committee has been held so far in majority of the districts in the state although communication in this connection have been received recently. According to a letter by the Haryana Khadi and Gramodyog Board on August 14 last, the Industries Department had been considering some proposal about bringing changes in the notification issued by the government last year in this connection. Any final action would be taken for the constitution and activation of the task force after the communication from the Industries department. The non-official members of the khadi board had opposed the move to incorporate the functioning of the field offices of the board under the DICs and had demanded withdrawal of the move. They had claimed that it would only ‘hamper’ the functioning of the board offices. The authorities had then sent the matter to the Industries Department for certain changes but any final decision in this regard was still awaited. But on other hand the official members favoured the move stating it would improve the overall functioning of the board as the number of loan defaulters had been increasing and the KVIOs had been low level officers and not authorised to take proper action against defaulters immediately. The meeting of the Khadi and Gramodyog Board was held on June 22 last year. it had decided to sent the ‘ matter back’ to the government for reconsideration. Certain officials and the employees of the board had reportedly threatened to take the case to the court if the move was not dropped. The Khadi and Village
Industries Board availed financial assistance of Rs 42.3
crore up to March end, 1995. While the recovery level of
the KVIC funds had on decline from 1996-97 onwards, the
recovery position of the consortium bank credit had been
improving since 1997-98. It is reported that the recovery
had improved from 55.82 to 141.83 from 1997-98 to
1999-2000. The board proposed to recover an amount of
about Rs 4 crore from the beneficiaries in 2000-2001. |
BJP leaders target CM, sons HANSI, Sept 24 — The simmering discontent in the rank and file of the Haryana unit of the BJP, which feels sidelined by the Chautala regime, came to the fore at a rally organised by the party here today to felicitate the state BJP chief, Mr Rattan Lal Kataria. While second-rung leaders of the party openly criticised the Chief Minister and his two politician-sons, top leaders were more restrained in their speeches. Nevertheless, the crowd cheered every leader who came out openly against the INLD government. Those who were present on the dais were Mr Kataria, Mr Ram Chander Bainda and Mr Kishan Singh Sangwan, all MPs, the former Haryana BJP chief, Mr Ram Bilas Sharma and Leader of the BJP-Legislature Party, Mr Krishan Pal Gujjar. The organisers had claimed that all party MPs and MLAs would attend the rally. However, the absence of a large number of party legislators disappointed many. The most vocal critics of the Chief Minister include senior party leader and former legislator from here P.K. Chaudhary, the President of the Hisar unit of the party, Mr Ram Kumar Gautam, and several former party legislators. Mr Kataria said he stood by his resolve to strengthen the party and enable it to stand on its own legs in the state. In an obvious reference to the criticism of the Chief Minister by several speakers, he said he could understand the feelings of his fellow partymen but the BJP would never beg for anything. He said the workers must rise to make the BJP the number one political outfit in the state. Mr Kataria said he had asked the Chief Minister to set up a coordination committee comprising leaders of the INLD and the BJP. However, it was up to Mr Chautala to indicate whether he wanted to carry the BJP along, he said. Mr Kataria said the time was ripe for the BJP to expand its base in Haryana, he said, adding that the Congress was like a rudderless ship in Haryana because of rampant factionalism. It would be decimated in the state within a short time in the same way as it had been wiped out in UP and Bihar. The BJP chief told party workers to wait till the party assumed the top position in Haryana. It was only then that they could think of building a Haryana of their dreams, he said. He asked them to spread this message to the entire state, adding that their hard work would ultimately yield the desired results. Mr Ram Bilas Sharma refrained from directly criticising the INLD or Mr Chautala but said the Haryana electorate had given a joint mandate to the INLD and the BJP. He said the five INLD MPs owed their election to the support of the BJP which was evident from the election of the Chief Minister’s son Mr Ajay Singh, from Bhiwani and Mr Inder Singh from Rohtak. Earlier, several second-rung leaders blamed Mr Chautala for the deteriorating law and order situation and rampant corruption. They also accused him of betraying the BJP which they claimed had backed him to the hilt. The Chief Minister’s two sons also became targets of their criticism. Towards the end of the
rally, Mr Gautam presented a purse of Rs 1 lakh and a
pugri to Mr Kataria. |
District diary BHIWANI: The Haryana State Legal Services Authority has constituted a Lok Adalat here which will prove to be a boon to residents. The District and Sessions Judge, Mr N.S. Ahlawat, who inaugurated the court, hoped it would provide an opportunity to all concerned to settle disputes speedily. Mr S.K. Joshi, Deputy Commissioner, promised full cooperation to the Lok Adalat. Mr S.C. jain, a retired District and Sessions Judge, will head the adalat. * * * The district administration, to meet the challenge of insanitation in the city, launched a special cleanliness drive recently with the help of the Municipal Council. Emphasis was laid on working the use of polythene bags and removing these from public places. The Deputy Commissioner urged the people to help beautify the city and ensure a cleaner environment. Polythene bags thrown into drains, the sewerage and nullahs choked them, creating problems. He said such bags should not be thrown carelessly but should be collected at one place. School children were given prizes for collecting polythene bags from various places in the district on Independence Day. * * * The Congress has accused the state government of adopting an “indifferent” attitude towards Bhiwani district. Mr Dharmbir Singh, MLA from Tosham, alleged that a machine at the Jui power house had been shifted to Sirsa and replaced with a poor quality one. He said farmers of this drought-prone area would now face problems as the watertable was very low and tubewell-based irrigation was dependent on a regular supply of power. He added that a few machines had also been shifted from the Civil Hospital and the milk plant at Bhiwani to Sirsa and Dabwali earlier. He demanded that all machines which had been shifted should be reinstalled at the original places. * * * Social organisations here have demanded the immediate withdrawal of the fee introduced in government hospitals for various medical tests, including blood and urine examination. Mr Pradeep Kumar,
president of the Nav jagriti Manch, said government
hospitals were among the few institutions where the poor
could get treatment at a low cost. He expressed concern
over the decision to privatise the Ambala Civil Hospital. |
Devi Lal to be honoured today CHANDIGARH, Sept 24 — The INLD will observe September 25, the birthday of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal, as “Elderly Felicitation Day”. A public meeting will be held at the New Anaj Mandi in Sonipat tomorrow to honour the ageing leader. Mr Devi Lal, who will be 86 tomorrow, will be present at the meeting along with the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, and his Cabinet colleagues. The birthday celebrations last year were held in Hisar where Mr Chautala, who had become the Chief Minister barely two months before by dislodging Mr Bansi Lal, had made some important announcements. Three major announcements related to old-age pension, octroi and the kanyadan scheme. However, these announcements were said to have been necessitated by Mr Chautala’s plan to hold a mid-term assembly poll in the state. With the assembly elections over, the government is not expected to announce any major concession tomorrow. However, it may come out with something for the welfare of the aged. Many speakers at the meeting are also expected to suggest that their beloved “Tau” should be given the Bharat Ratna. Sources close to the INLD said that a large number of party workers were of the view that Mr Devi Lal should be honoured with this award for his role in upholding democratic rights and for championing the cause of farmers. The sources, however, denied reports that Mr Ajay Chautala, MP, had demanded that the award should be conferred on his grandfather, Mr Devi Lal. It will also be interesting to note whether the BJP, the INLD’s electoral partner which is also supporting the government from outside, takes part in the function. The function held in Hisar was attended by Mr Om Prakash Grover, who was the chief of the party’s state unit then, Mr Rambilas Sharma, leader of the BJP’s legislative wing at that time, and other BJP leaders. However, at present relations between the two partners are believed to be far from good. When the state government organised a function at Kaithal in July to celebrate the completion of one year in office, the BJP stayed away from it and later complained that they were not invited properly by the Chief Minister. For tomorrow’s function, the sources said, the BJP state unit president, Mr Rattan Lal Kataria and the executive members of the party had been sent invitation letters. Some of them were also telephonically requested by Mr Chautala and others to attend the meeting. Mr Abhay Chautala, who
is now in Sydney to see the Olympics, may not be present
at the function. |
Haryana heroes day observed YAMUNANAGAR, Sept 24 — The Haryana Heroes and Martyrdom Day was observed at local Yoga Hall yesterday. It was jointly organised by the district administration and Sports and Youth Welfare Department, Haryana. Presiding over the function Mr Rajiv Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Yamunanagar, paid tributes to freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives during the freedom struggle. He recalled that the first war of Independence was fought at the Ambala cantonment in 1857. He appreciated the role of Haryana heroes who sacrificed their lives in the Kargil conflict. On this occasion, Mr Jai Gopal Sharma, president of Freedom Fighters Association, said that we should follow the path shown by our martyrs. He appreciated the role of the district administration in organising such functions. Retired Lieut Col Hakim Singh said that we should honestly do our duty towards the nation. He said that a country who forget its war heroes, could never progress. The district Sports and Youth Welfare Officer, Mr B.D.S. Tomar, also paid tributes. On this occasion, the
SDM Jagadhri, Mrs Renu Phulia, the vice-president of Zila
Sainik Board, Col Satish Vadhera, a Veer Chakra awardee
of Yamunanagar, Subedar Major Ram Nath, freedom fighters
Mr Som Nath and Mr Suraj Parkash were also present. A
declamation contest was also organised by the Youth
Welfare Department. |
Hooda’s plea to CM on
erratic supply ROHTAK, Sept 24 — Expressing concern over the erratic supply of power and water in rural areas of the district, Mr Krishan Murti, Hooda, a former minister, has appealed to the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to take remedial measures. In a statement here yesterday, Mr Hooda said the farmers were facing an acute shortage of power and water. He said the paddy and sugarcane crops were drying up at the tail end as the farmers were not getting adequate supply of water. The former minister said after a survey of several villages he found that people in Sanghi, Jassia, Khidwali, Chamarian, Brahmanwas, Sisrauli, Sunderpur, Makrauli Kalan and Makrauli Khurd villages were facing an acute shortage of potable water. He said their crops were drying up as sufficient water was not released in the Rohtak distributary, Makrauli Minor, Jassia Minor, Kiloi Minor, Rurki Minor and Assan Minor this year. Mr Hooda said farmers of
the region were dependent on the rabi crop which would be
sown next month. He appealed to Mr Chautala to take
immediate steps to ensure adequate supply of water so as
to save farmers from starvation. |
Probe ordered into temple
demolition YAMUNANAGAR, Sept 24 — The District Magistrate, Mr Rajiv Sharma, has ordered an inquiry against officials of the marketing board, who were allegedly involved in the demolition of a temple at Gobindpuri village, near here, on September 21. He said here yesterday that Ms Renu Fulia, SDM, Jagadhri, would conduct the inquiry. A deputation of local residents had met Mr Sharma yesterday and apprised him of the situation. The marketing board had allegedly sold the land on which the temple stood to the Haryana Agro Industries to construct a farmer’s service station centre. The latter had not been informed regarding the presence of a temple at the site. Mr Rajiv Sharma said the
land, which was acquired by the board in the early
eighties, belonged to the panchayat, according to the
revenue records. He said the report would be submitted
within two days and the land handed over to the
panchayat. Residents have demanded reconstruction of the
temple. |
State-level panel to monitor
schemes CHANDIGARH, Sept 24 — The Haryana Government has constituted a state-level steering committee under the chairmanship of Mr S.Y. Quraishi, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, for monitoring the implementation of various development projects and schemes. Giving this information here today, an official spokesman said the committee would also monitor the planning and implementation of schemes under the “Sarkar Apke Dwar” programme and the schemes under the MP Local Area Development Programme. The committee would also
monitor the devolution of powers to Panchayati Raj
institutions, the implementation of the information
technology policy, the industrial policy and the
education policy, besides the multipurpose village worker
scheme and the receipt of financial assistance by various
departments under Central Government schemes. |
Painting contest for deaf and
dumb SIRSA, Sept 24 — A painting competition was organised at the local RKJ Deaf and Dumb Centre on the occasion of the International Deaf and Dumb Day in which 70 students participated. An exhibition of
handicrafts made by these students was also organised.
The students also presented a cultural programme. The in
charge of the centre said computer and electrician
courses for these students would soon be started. |
Hike in levy rice price
‘timely’ CHANDIGARH, Sept 24 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today welcomed the decision of the Union Government to hike the price of levy rice by Rs 41 per quintal. The Centre has fixed the price of the common variety of rice at Rs 904.20 per quintal as against Rs 864.20 per quintal last year. The rate of grade A rice will be Rs 954.30 per quintal as against Rs 913.30 per quintal last year. Expressing his gratitude to the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution for the timely announcement, Mr Chautala said the decision would encourage private millers to purchase paddy which would lessen the burden of the government procurement agencies. Mr Chautala directed the
government agencies to make payments to farmers for their
produce within 48 to 72 hours. He said financial
arrangements for Rs 374 crore had been made with the RBI
for making prompt payments to farmers. |
Check economic policies:
Biswas AMBALA, Sept 24 — The first Haryana state conference of the All-India Forward Bloc was held in Ambala city today. The General Secretary of the All-India Forward Bloc, Mr Debabratta Biswas, inaugurated the conference, which was attended by a large number of delegates from various districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi and Punjab. Mr Biswas strongly criticised the economic policies of the government and warned that the country's economy could collapse soon if the current policies were not checked. Mr Triloki Nath Gupta was appointed General Secretary of the Haryana unit of the All-India Forward Bloc. Later talking to newspersons, Mr Biswas said that on November 30, a march to Parliament would take place to give voice to the farmers who were facing hardships. "Also, on October 22 and 23, an international seminar on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose will take place at the JNU in Delhi," he said. He demanded that there
was an urgent need to unravel the mystery behind the
disappearance of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. |
‘Reduce sales tax on petro
products’ AMBALA, Sept 24 — The proposed hike in the prices of petroleum products will not be acceptable to the industry and trade of Haryana. It was stated by the Vice-President of the Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr N.C. Jain, here today. He said the industries in the state had already been passing through a critical stage. He said a large number of industrial units had been pulling down their shutters due to the financial crises. He added that China and some other countries had captured the international market these days and the exporters especially in Haryana had also facing great crises. He urged the Union
Government to direct the Haryana and other state
governments to reduce the sale tax on the petroleum
products. |
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