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| Wednesday, October 18, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Dalal blames Chautala for inaction
Railways ‘lost’ Rs 3 cr due to farmers’ stir SHO beats up youth Advani for policy to
deal with blackmail 3 dead, 10 hurt in bus-truck collision All KU colleges to start IT courses: VC |
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Web site on Red
Cross Society Murthal-Jind
road is national highway Mazdoor union’s
threat on Divali HUDA’s
gesture to societies Campaign for voters’ card BJP to contact
Dalits
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Dalal blames Chautala for inaction CHANDIGARH, Oct 17— The lone RPI MLA in the Haryana Assembly and convener of the Haryana Nirman Manch, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, today held the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, responsible for the failure of the Centre in announcing a special package for paddy growers of the State on the pattern of Punjab. Talking to newsmen here, Mr Dalal said while the Punjab Chief Minister was fighting tooth and nail to protect the interests of the farmers of his State, Mr Chautala preferred to undertake a foreign jaunt at the time when the Haryana paddy growers were faced with a grim future. He said it was strange that the National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre, which is supported by only three MPs from Punjab had ignored a State like Haryana which had returned its all the 10 MPs nominated by the NDA. This, he said, was a clear indication of the failure or an indifferent attitude of Mr Chautala towards the fate of the farmers, though he claimed himself to be a champion of the farming community. Mr Dalal, who was accompanied by a brother of Mr Chautala, Mr Pratap Singh, said when it become obvious that Mr Chautala was not interested in taking up the cause of the farmers in right earnest, the Manch decided to organise dharnas in various mandis to protest against the discriminatory attitude of the official
procurement agencies. The Manch-sponsored dharnas, he said, had provided the farmers with a democratic outlet to ventilate their hurt feelings peacefully. He said the Manch workers also persuaded the farmers not to take the law in their hands. But, he said, the Centre and the State Government mistook the peaceful nature of the Haryana farmers as their weakness and adopted a discriminatory
attitude towards them. He said various unions of the farmers would meet the Prime Minister, the Union Food and Supplies Minister and the Union Finance Minister directly in order to get the same package as had been given to the farmers of Punjab. Mr Pratap Singh wondered why his father, Mr Devi Lal, who had told the then Prime Minister, Mr Morarji Desai, in the seventies that he was first a farmer and then a Chief Minister, was keeping mum now when his son, Mr Chautala, was in the saddle. He said though Mr Devi Lal had promised at his birthday celebrations held in Sonepat last month to pull up Mr Chautala whenever the latter failed to protect the interests of the
farmers, the senior leader was unable to do anything now because he was, Mr Pratap Singh claimed, virtually a captive. Mr Dalal also demanded that a White Paper should be issued on the recruitment of JBT teachers so that the people could know how many posts were there in a particular district and how many teachers belonging to that district had been appointed. He alleged that in any particular district not even half of the vacancies had been given to the residents of that district, though the recruitment was supposed to be districtwise. He alleged that people belonging to Sirsa district, which was the native district of Mr Chautala, and Rajasthan, the State in which Mr Chautala had political interests, had been appointed teachers at the cost of the residents of the other districts. Meanwhile, the Haryana Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Dhirpal Singh , who yesterday met the Union Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, to demand a special package for the Haryana paddy growers, said here today that the State Government was in constant touch with the Centre on the issue. He expressed the hope that the package would be announced soon. Mr Dhirpal Singh accused the Opposition of trying to mislead the farmers and the people on the issue of paddy to malign the image of the government. |
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Distress sale in Haryana, too? CHANDIGARH, Oct 17 — Poor quality paddy arriving in the mandis of Haryana has been sold by farmers to private traders at much below the minimum support price (MSP) following the government agencies’ refusal to pick up the stocks. It was found in the course of a survey conducted by state government officials to assess the extent of distress sale of paddy in Haryana that the price of poor quality paddy sold to the traders had varied from place to place. They worked out that on an average the private parties were paying the farmers Rs 70-71 lower than the MSP announced by the Union Government for a quintal of paddy. Official sources here said that till yesterday about 10 lakh tonnes of paddy had arrived in the mandis of Haryana, out of which 5.53 lakh tonnes had been procured by the government agencies and the rest by millers and traders. It was estimated that 47 per cent of the paddy sold to private parties fetched prices below the MSP. The Union Government had announced an MSP of Rs 540 per quintal for the grade A variety and Rs 510 for common paddy. Interestingly, Mr Dhirpal Singh, Town and Country Planning Minister of Haryana, who is looking after important affairs of the state government in the absence of the Chief Minister, kept denying till the other day that there was any distress sale of paddy. On October 11 and 12, Mr Dhirpal Singh issued press statements saying that all was well in Haryana and there was no distress sale. Even as the minister was trying to paint a rosy picture, Mr Dharam Vir, Food and Supply Commissioner of Haryana, faxed a letter to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Consumers Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, seeking relief “as will be given to Punjab”. The letter, dated October 13, said, “The experience of the last two weeks has shown that due to various reasons, such as agro-climatic conditions prevailing in the region, market forces and tight specifications for rice announced by the Government of India for the current kharif marketing season, the farmers are being forced to resort to the distress sale of paddy causing widespread resentment among them leading to law and order problems in the state. They are resorting to road blockades, demonstrations and gheraoing officials deployed for procurement. For the first time, the state government has provided police protection to the officials who are deployed in the mandis”. The letter, which was subsequently given to the Union Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, by a Haryana Government team yesterday, added, “The problem had been further compounded because of tighter specifications for rice announced for this year and the shortage of storage capacity”. It also said that the farmers were getting as low a rate as Rs 400 per quintal from millers and private traders. The Haryana Government, point out observers, was ignoring the distress sale of paddy by the farmers and it woke up only when it got wind of the package being considered by the Centre for Punjab. Mr Dhirpal Singh, Mr Dharam Vir and the Chief Minister’s Additional Principal Secretary, Mr D S Dhesi, have gone to Delhi today where they will again meet Mr Shanta Kumar and try to impress upon him the need for a package for Haryana as had been already done in the case of Punjab. The Haryana representatives are armed with newspaper reports as well as other proofs so that they can convince the Union Minister about distress sales taking place. A Central Government team comprising six experts is also expected to come to Haryana tomorrow. It will go to various mandis during two days to have a look at the quality of paddy and determine whether Punjab conditions could be applicable to Haryana also. Official sources here, however, expressed apprehension that a survey and analysis of samples by experts would inevitably cause delay which could further complicate the problems of the farmers. |
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Hooda seeks relief for paddy growers ROHTAK, Oct 17 — Accusing the Union Government of giving a step-motherly treatment to Haryana, the HPCC chief, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has
demanded relief for paddy growers in the state as given in Punjab yesterday. In a statement issued here yesterday, the HPCC chief alleged that the government agencies were not procuring paddy from the farmers, forcing them to sell their product at much cheaper rates. He alleged that while the farmers were facing various problems in the state, the Chief Minister was unconcerned and was busy making visits abroad. Demanding a relief package to the tune of Rs 500 crore, Mr Hooda said the government should give preferential treatment to the farmers who were forced to spend a miserable life. Mr Hooda charged the government with victimising the farmers of southern Haryana. He said while the time for sowing the rabi crop had approached, water had not been released in the canals in that area for the past about three months. He said Butana sub minor, Jasrana minor, Aasan minor, Kiloi minor and Rohtak distributory had dried up, causing great difficulty for the farmers in sowing their rabi crop. Meanwhile, Mr Krishan Murti Hooda, a former minister, inspected the water supply position in all canals in Kiloi assembly segment yesterday. A large number of farmers of the area complained that the Irrigation Department had failed to supply adequate water for their crops. The former minister alleged that water had not been released in Rohtak Distributory and Makrauli minor for the past over six months, creating a drought-like situation in the area. Mr Hooda said he had taken the photographs of all dry canals and minors, which would be sent to higher functionaries in the Irrigation Department as a proof of the ‘negligence’ of the officials concerned. He threatened to launch an agitation along with ‘aggrieved’ farmers if water was not released in all dry canals and minors within three days. |
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Govt urged to procure all varieties of paddy ROHTAK, Oct 17 — Urging the government to procure all varieties of paddy, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, President, Haryana Krishak Samaj and former HPCC Chief, threatened that a call to observe black Divali would be given to farmers if their demand was not accepted by then. Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Surjewala alleged the government had so far procured only 20 per cent of the 10 lakh MT of paddy that had been brought to the markets. He alleged that move for relief package was merely an eyewash. Mr Surjewala claimed the package was not applicable in the state where lakhs of metric tonne of paddy was going waste. He demanded that the government should be bound to procure all varieties of paddy at Rs 540 per quintal without any discrimination rather than giving a relief package. Mr Surjewala appealed to the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to inspect the mandis in different districts and take requisite steps to save the farmers. |
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Relief for Haryana
farmers soon NEW DELHI, Oct 17 — The Haryana Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Dhirpal Singh has said that a relief package on the pattern of Punjab is expected very soon for the farmers of Haryana. Mr Dhirpal Singh, who had a detailed disussion with the Union Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Minister, Mr Shanta Kumar, at Palampur yesterday, said the state government was in constant touch with the centre on the issue of damaged paddy and the parleys were still going on in Delhi. Maintaining that the interests of farmers would be protected, he said Mr Shanta Kumar had assured him that the case of state would be considered on priority. |
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Railways ‘lost’ Rs 3 cr due to farmers’ stir AMBALA, Oct 17 — According to conservative estimates, the Ambala division alone lost in the region of Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 3 crore during the rail roko agitation by farmers in Punjab. The loss to the railways from the passenger trains is a staggering Rs 1 crore and the losses to the Ambala division mounts up to Rs 3 crore, when one takes the detention of goods trains into account. The Divisional Railway Manager, Ambala, Mr Vijay Kumar, said roughly we must have lost about Rs 3 crore due to the agitation, he said. “The Ambala division earns about Rs 15 crore every month from passenger trains,” he said. Mr Kumar pointed out that the Railways lost about Rs 32,000 per hour on the detention of goods train during the agitation. “Although, we manage to re-route most of the goods trains, at least seven rakes were held up during the agitation,” he said. The DRM observed that several trains ad to take different routes for reaching their destination. “The re-routing of trains also add up the costs,” he said. During the agitation, the main line was blocked for a short while. But two sections, Dhuri-Jakhal and Jakhal-Bhatinda, were closed for nearly three days, which affected the smooth functioning, an official said. |
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SHO beats up youth SONEPAT, Oct 17 — Tension prevailed when a youth Om Parkash, was allegedly slapped by a woman police officer in a women’s police station here yesterday. According to a report, Mr Om Parkash was later taken into a room where he was roughed up by the SHO of the police station. On hearing his cries Mr Ram Kishan, sarpanch of Mehlana village barged into the room to save him. He too was roughed up. Thereupon, the situation became tense and villagers who were present on the occasion, protested against the alleged beating up of the youth and demanded his immediate release. However, after a wait of three hours the youth was let off. He was later admitted to the local civil hospital for treatment. It is stated that Om Parkash, along with other villagers has gone to the police station for resolving a dispute between two families. However, during the negotiations, an argument ensued which resulted in his beating up by the police personnel. Meanwhile, residents of Mehlana village today urged the state government to order a high level probe into the incident and stern action against the erring police official.
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Advani for policy to
deal with blackmail MANESAR (Haryana), Oct 17 — The Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, said yesterday he would suggest to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, on his return from Mumbai, to call a Chief Ministers’ conference to formulate a consensual national policy to deal with “blackmail”. “After the Prime Minister comes to Delhi, I would suggest him to call a meeting of Chief Ministers’ to formulate guidelines to deal with blackmailing, like the one being indulged in by Veerappan,” Mr Advani told reporters soon after the National Security Guards Raising Day celebrations here. “Such guidelines or policy (to deal with blackmailing) will not be through legislation, but only through consensus between the states and the Centre,” he said. Stressing the need for such a policy, the Home Minister said, “In India a situation like Rajkumar hostage crisis could occur again and again and there should be some well-thought of and effective policy which could be adopted by the Centre as well as states.” Asked whether the Centre was helping the Karnataka and Tamil Nadu Governments to rescue actor Rajkumar, Mr Advani said “everyone knows that the crisis is being handled by the two states ... but if they seek our help we will do so.” Earlier, while addressing the NSG commandos, Mr Advani appreciated the para-military forces for effectively fighting terrorism and proxy war perpetrated from across the border. Without naming Pakistan, the Home Minister said, the “State which sponsors terrorism is not only enemy of the country against which it perpetrates violence, but is also enemy of entire humanity and there should be international pressure on such a state.” He said the world had now started sharing India’s concern about cross-border terrorism and some big countries had already expressed their desire to fight the menace jointly. “We already have a Joint Working Group (JWG) with the USA, Israel and other countries like Germany and Russia have expressed their desire to have such an arrangement,” he said adding JWG was part of the effective machinery to check cross-border terrorism. In his welcome address, the NSG Director-General, Mr Nikhil Kumar, said the organisation had state of the art National Bomb Data Centre in which personnel from other para-military, state and central forces were given training on handling explosives and post-blast investigations. “India is the fourth country in the world after the UK, the USA and Australia to have such a centre,” he said. On the occasion of NSG’s Raising Day, the dare-devil commandos and para-troopers staged a live demonstration of their prowess in rescuing hostages and attacking militants at the NSG training range. The Minister of State for Home, Mr Vidyasagar Rao, the Special Secretary, Mr T.R. Kakkar, were among top Home Ministry and para-military officials present on the occasion. |
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3 dead, 10 hurt in bus-truck collision JIND, Oct 17 — Three passengers were killed and 10 others injured, four of them seriously, when a Haryana Roadways bus of Jind depot rammed into a stationary truck on the Jind-Narwana road near Uchana town in the district on Monday. Two persons died on the spot while the third succumbed to his injuries on way to hospital. Two deceased have been identified as Ram Niwas of Petwar village and Jagdish Sharma of Uchana town. The injured have been admitted to general hospital at Narwana and Jind. According to reports the bus rammed into a stationary truck when the driver of the bus lost control over the vehicle while averting collision with a jeep coming from the opposite direction. The driver of the bus fled after the accident. A case has been registered. |
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All KU colleges to start IT courses: VC YAMUNANAGAR:
Software technology has earned for India millions of dollars. Haryana is contributing more than 10 per cent of software export, according to Mr R.S. Chaudhary, Vice-Chancellor, Kurukshetra University. Speaking at a prize distribution function organised by the local Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Mr Chaudhary stressed the need for creating infrastructural facilities for teaching information technology to keep pace with the latest developments on the world scene. He said the initiative was taken by Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala in bringing about a revolution in the education policy and the information technology policy. The government has given instructions to all boards/corporations and all developments to allocate 5 per cent of the budget for the promotion of information technology. He asked all colleges falling under the purview of Kurukshetra University to introduce information technology course immediately in their institutions. This would help Haryana become the leader in this field. He promised to take all measures for creating a conductive academic environment for the systematic growth and development of education in all the colleges affiliated to Kurukshetra University. He declared that he was in favour of liberal dissemination of knowledge and that he would take all steps to help colleges start new courses to satisfy the needs of the people of their area and also prepare the youth for jobs by giving them vocational courses. He appreciated the performance of Guru Nanak Khalsa College and the courses being taught at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. He gave away prizes to the academic merit holders and sports persons who excelled in their respective fields. Earlier, he laid the foundation stone of the Administrative Block of Guru Gobind Singh Engineering College being started by the management of Guru Nanak Khalsa College. Welcoming the chief guest, the Chairman of the managing committee, Mr Bhupinder Singh Jauhar, announced the programme of the management to start courses in order to satisfy the urgent needs of the people of the area in particular and the state of Haryana in general. He announced that the management had resolved to take speedy steps to start job oriented courses. Dr Amrik Singh, Principal of the college, read the college report. |
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Web
site on Red
Cross Society FARIDABAD, Oct 17 — The Indian Red Cross Society will soon have its own website on Internet. There is a proposal to link all its branches in the country through e-mail soon to facilitate a better communication network and a proper coordination between the national headquarters and its branches. Stating this the Secretary-General of the society, Dr Vimala Ramalingam, said here yesterday that the society was in touch with experts to launch its own website and connect its head office and other branches through e -mail. Talking exclusively to TNS, she claimed that as work and the responsibilities of the society had increased in the recent past it became necessary to have the latest communication network so that various programmes could be carried out more effectively. She said perhaps for the first time the society had been able to get help and active support of the USAID and the Spanish Red Cross for the rescue and rehabilitation work in Assam, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, which had been severely affected by the floods in July and August. The society had also carried out relief work in the drought-hit areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan. She said help of the American Red Cross was also sought as she was also the vice-president of the Federation of the International Red Cross Societies. She said the USAID premier relief organisation of America, had given four large water purifier pumps for the purpose of supplying safe drinking water in flood-affected areas of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. The society was still engaged in the work of rehabilitation in supercyclone affected coastal areas of Orissa, she said, adding that the work of rebuilding hospitals, schools, provision of housing facilities and ration supplies was still continuing with the help of the local administration and other voluntary bodies. She said while the disaster relief was given the top priority, the society had been actively taking up various peacetime campaigns to uplift the standard of living of the people. Announcing that the society would soon raise a new wing of the Junior Red Cross in the country, she said active involvement of youths, particularly the college students, would be taken in this wing on the pattern of the NCC. |
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Murthal-Jind
road is national highway SONEPAT, Oct 17 — The Central Government has declared the road between Murthal and Jind via Sonepat and Gohana towns as a National Highway and a Rs 13 crore scheme to widen it has been drawn up and sent for approval. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sudhir Rajpal, told mediapersons here today that most of the roads fall under the jurisdiction of HUDCO which had failed to allot funds for the repair work. The Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB), he said, had already undertaken the work for the construction of six roads and work on four roads had already been completed and added that work on the road between Gurdwara and Kami village had been completed at a cost of Rs 26.41 lakh. He said the repair work on the roads in various areas of Sonepat, Gohana and Ganaur towns would be started soon. All other roads leading to the Sonepat Cooperative Sugar Mill will be repaired before the commencement of crushing season next month, he added. The Deputy Commissioner also disclosed that the HSAMB had also completed the construction work of an inspection centre building at a cost of Rs 1.18 lakh. Mazdoor union’s
threat on Divali BHIWANI, Oct 17 — The Local Gaushala Mazdoor Union has threatened to observe black Divali if the sacked labourers are not called back in service. The annoyed mazdoors declared here yesterday that they would held demonstrations in support of their demands. They alleged in a statement that Vijender, a labourer, suffered a neck injury when he was ordered to lift a 100 kg bag of wheat. The Gaushala management refused to pay his treatment and sacked him from service. Various labour and employee unions have condemned the act demanding immediate restoration of their services. |
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HUDA’s
gesture to societies CHANDIGARH, Oct 17 — Keeping in view the demands of house-building societies, the Haryana Urban Development Authority today extended the period for allowing changes in the composition of societies without any fee from one year to two years from the date of allotment. The Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Dhirpal Singh, however, said no changes had been made in the fee prescribed for the purpose. The family transfer case fee would be charged as per the HUDA policy. “It shall not be counted a change in the membership fee.” The Minister said a policy was framed by HUDA in 1998 for allowing changes in the number and size of dwelling units, transfer in membership and change in the number of members. He said to discourage societies from making frequent changes in their composition, a fee ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 was prescribed for different types of changes depending on the size of the dwelling units. He said changes, if made within six months from the date of allotment of land, had been allowed free of cost, which was later extended to one year. |
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Campaign for voters’ card FARIDABAD, Oct 17 — A summary revision of the electoral rolls in the district will take place from November 2 to 30. According to the Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Electoral Officer, Mr Anand Mohan Sharan, the initial publication of the voters’ list will be done on November 2, while the claims and objections, if any will be entertained from the same date to the November end. He said the work of entering new names and removal of names of the deceased or ineligible persons would be done on November 11, 12, 25 and 26, while the claims and objections would be disposed of on November 30. The final list of the voters would be published on January 2, 2001. He said form no 6, 7 and 8 available at the district Elections Office and other government offices in the district could be filled for registration, removal and correction of names, respectively, and these could be submitted to the authorities concerned on the given dates. It is reported that names of 75,879 ineligible persons who had either changed their place of residence or had died are likely to be removed from the fresh voters’ list. These include 23539 names in Faridabad Assembly constituency, 27,363 in Mewla Maharajpur segment, 15,188 in Ballabgarh, 4,037 in Palwal 2,799 in Hassanpur and 2,933 in Hathin Assembly constituency. Mr Sharan claimed that about 90.52 per cent of the total voters had been issued photo-identity cards in the district so far. There are over nine lakh voters in the six Assembly constituencies in the district. The election officials propose to provide photo-identity cards to the remaining voters and the new ones during the campaign. BJP to contact
Dalits JHAJJAR, Oct 17 — The BJP leader and MP from Sonepat, Mr Kishan Singh Sangwan, today said the party cannot make a headway in Haryana without reaching out to masses, including Dalits. He said for this the party should shed its urban image. Talking to party workers in Bahadurgarh Mr Sangwan said the BJP would fight the next election on its own in the state. He alleged that a trader-official nexus was responsible for creating the paddy procurement crisis forcing to sell their produce. |
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