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| Tuesday, November 14, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Mazdoor union
threatens stir CM lays foundation
stone of sub-minor Haryana has second thoughts on panel
Appointments in universities IOC management,
staff meeting today High MMR due to lack of trained staff Gram vikas samitis to be set up |
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Dacoits decamp with cash Teachers’
convention concludes CPM flays export of
wheat Reiki
‘can cure chronic ailments’ Fire destroys goods worth 12 lakh 2 commit suicide Lawyers strike work,
seek separate HC 5 kids killed,
24 hurt in balcony collapse Relief for worker’s kin
sought
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Mazdoor union
threatens stir SONEPAT, Nov 13 — The Forest Department Mazdoor Union has urged the state government to immediately accept its long-standing demands or face a state-level agitation on the issue. A resolution to this effect was adopted at a one-day convention of the union which concluded here last evening. More than 300 delegates from all over the state took part in it. In another resolution, the convention decided to extend its support to the proposed state-level workers’ rally being organised by the Haryana Committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions on November 18 at Panipat and another state-level rally being held by the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, on November 26 at Rohtak against the “anti-people policies” of the Central and the state governments. The convention also decided to hold a demonstration in front of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha during the ensuing winter session in protest against the
non-fulfilment of the demands of the union despite repeated representations. Earlier, the convention was addressed, among others, by Mr Kartar Singh Grewal, president of the state unit of the union, Mr Jai Bhagwan Dahiya, president of the district unit of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, Mr Howa Singh, president of the district unit of
CITU, Mr Sheelak Ram Malik, a leader of the PWD Mechanical Union, and Ms Krishna Malik of the
UHBVN. The leaders accused the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, of backing out of his earlier promises made before the Assembly elections in the state. They demanded the immediate revision of minimum wages, enforcement of the Minimum Wages Act, end of unemployment and the withdrawal of hike in the prices of petroleum products. |
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CM lays foundation
stone of sub-minor JIND, Nov 13 — The Chief Minister of Haryana Mr Om Prakash Chautala, laid the foundation stone of Muana sub-minor in Safidon sub-division of this district, 40 km from here yesterday. The minor will be constructed at a cost of Rs 73.21 lakh and will irrigate land in Muana and its surrounding villages. Addressing a gathering on this occasion, the Chief Minister said his government was determined to provide enough power and water in the state. He said although efforts were being made by the government to eradicate corruption, it was not possible without the cooperation of the public. Citing the example of the recruitment of policemen and teachers, he said it had been done on the basis of merit. The Chief Minister said for the development of villages, gram committees would be constituted for the execution of various schemes. He said funds would be given directly to the panchayats and these committees would undertake all development schemes. Mr Chautala said a purchase centre would be set up at Muana and an additional doctor would be posted at the primary health centre of the village. About the demand for granting the status of block to Muana, the Chief Minister said a committee under the chairmanship of Mr Dhirpal Singh, Town and Country Planning Minister had been constituted to decide the case of reorganisation of villages, blocks and tehsils. Later, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of an old age home at Khera Khemawati village. |
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Haryana has second thoughts on panel
CHANDIGARH, Nov 13 — The Haryana Government seems to be having second thoughts on the proposal to constitute a commission for making appointments to all universities and colleges in the state. According to informed sources, the proposal has been virtually shelved, at least for the time being, in view of the resentment it generated among academic circles of the state. A few months ago the government had mooted a proposal to constitute the commission but it met with opposition from academicians in the universities and colleges. The main objection of the academicians was that the constitution of the commission would be an attack on the autonomy of the universities. They said while on one hand the government was considering a proposal to grant autonomy to about 20 colleges in the state as per a scheme approved by the University Grants Commission, on the other hand it was trying to grab all powers relating to the appointment of the staff in the premier educational institutions of the state. Several bodies of the teachers had alleged that the proposal had been initiated by the bureaucracy to increase its area of influence. Already there is a complete ban on new recruitments in the universities. The Vice-Chancellors of various universities had recently met the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, and had urged him to drop the proposal. They said the process of selecting university teachers would become further tedious if the commission was constituted. They also urged him to lift the ban on recruitment in the universities. It was pointed out to the Chief Minister that the state government was already involved in the selection of the university teachers because a representative of the Director, Higher Education, always participated in the meetings of the selection committees of the universities and government-aided private colleges. Teachers of government colleges were selected by the Haryana Public Service Commission, which was a constitutional body. |
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IOC
management, staff meeting today AMBALA, Nov 13 — Fuel supply may be affected in the northern region if there is no breakthrough in the talks between employees and the management of Indian Oil Corporation, slated for tomorrow. According to local secretary of the Petroleum Workers Union, Mr Tarlok Singh, the crucial talks are going to take place at Gurgaon. “Our demand for an upward revision of pay scales is going to be discussed in the talks,” he said. Mr Singh said that from November 1 to November 4, they had resorted only to sloganeering. “From November 6 to November 15, we have started `work to rule’ and we have not be doing overtime. We have planned for a two day strike on November 16 and 17,” he said. He said they were hopeful of a breakthrough of talks during the Gurgaon meeting. “If again there is a deadlock, then we will have to resort to the token strike which may hit the fuel supply,” he said. Mr Singh said that besides defence, the oil terminal here is a fuel supplier to Chandigarh, Ambala, Himachal Pradesh and parts of Haryana. “I must point out that there is no problem in supply to the army, airforce and the roadways. They are accorded priority,” he said. A senior Indian Oil official said that the supply had been affected on November 11 and 12. “While November 11 is a gazetted holiday, November 12 was a Sunday. However, we are trying to normalise supply from today,” he said. He pointed out that they would have a contingency plan ready in case of need. “We will be trying our best to ensure normal supply,” he said. A harried transporter from Chandigarh said the transporters were having a difficult time. “We are not being properly informed and we are not aware when the situation will normalise,” he said. |
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High MMR due to lack of trained staff Chandigarh, Nov 13 — The non-availability of trained staff is stated to be showing in the high number of deaths during childbirth in Haryana. According to sources, it is estimated that four to five women die for every 1000 live births in the state. Last year (1999-2000), 61 such cases of deaths were reported in the state, the sources said and added that the actual cases of deaths during childbirth during that period would be more than what the records showed. The sources said the high number of deaths during childbirth (called Maternal Mortality rate) in the state was a result of the lower percentage of institutional deliveries in Haryana. While more than 41,000 children were born in Haryana in 1999-2000, at least 13 per cent of the deliveries were conducted by untrained personnel, they said. The sources said non-availability of medical, para-medical and supporting staff after normal working hours and also the lack of proper attention to patients were the two most important reasons for demotivating people to go in for institutional deliveries. To deal with the situation funds were kept at the disposal of Civil Surgeons for providing honorarium to the Community Health Centre (CHC) and Primary Health Centre (PHC) doctors and also to the contractual staff for deliveries conducted between 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. However, much progress could not be made despite the monetary incentive due to the non-availability of doctors and staff nurses to conduct deliveries at the PHC level, sources said . They added that often the doctors and staff nurses were also found not staying at the headquarters. Funds amounting to Rs 56.59 lakh had been set aside for this purpose out of which a total expenditure of only Rs 1.38 lakh had been reported from Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Sonepat and Sirsa, the sources said. Non-availability of doctors at the PHC level had also adverse repercussions for the abortion cases. While no figure is available regarding deaths of women in Haryana while undergoing abortion, it is a known fact that many pregnant women die due to inefficient handling of abortion in unauthorised places. While Civil Surgeons were instructed to hire qualified doctors as safe motherhood consultants or SM consultants in the PHCs for this purpose, so far no one could be engaged in any of the PHCs. The sources said the state Health Department had felt that the emolument of Rs 500 per visit was probably not enough for a doctor and suggested that it should be increased to Rs 1000 for the SM consultants. In case even if Rs 1000 was found to be not enough for the doctors, then it had been proposed that funds earmarked for hiring SM consultants might be used for vehicle maintenance and fuel so that services of government doctors could be utilised for carrying out abortion cases in the rural areas. |
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Gram vikas samitis to be set up CHANDIGARH, Nov 13 — The Haryana Government has decided to constitute gram vikas samitis (GVS) and appoint gram vikas sahayaks in all village panchayats in order to involve ruralites in speeding up the development process in the state. This was announced by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, while addressing a conference of Deputy Commissioners and Superintendents of Police here today. It was decided that a seven-member GVS would be constituted between November 15 and December 15. The GVS will function under the chairmanship of the sarpanch. A woman panch, a panch belonging each to the Scheduled Castes and the Backward classes, an ex-serviceman of the village and two prominent residents of the village will be its members. In the case of works relating to the construction of a school, the headmaster of the school will be an additional member. The Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Development, Mr B.D. Dhalia, said initially the committee would be empowered to supervise the development works financed by the Haryana Rural Development Fund Administration Board or funds released under decentralised planning. The funds would be kept in a separate bank account called the Gram Vikas Nidhi, which would be operated by the sarpanch and two members of the GVS. Every gram panchayat would appoint a gram vikas sahayak, who would be a graduate and resident of the village, of age not less than 21 years. The sahayak, who would be given a suitable honorarium by the panchayat concerned, would act as a link between the government and the gram panchayat and facilitate the delivery mechanism of all government departments He said Rs 152.32 crore had been released by the HRDF for various development works announced under the “Sarkar Aapke Dwar” programme. Mr Chautala asked the DCs to speed up the setting up of Vridh Visharam Bhavans where old people in villages could spend their leisure time. He said seven MPs of Haryana had donated Rs 14 crore for the bhavans. He said the DCs should make full use of the centrally sponsored schemes and monitor their progress. Mr Chautala said registration work in all tehsils and sub-tehsils of the state would be computerised. He said the experience in the six tehsils where computerisation had been completed had shown that the stamp duty had increased by 50 per cent, besides bringing transparency in government work. The Financial Commissioner, Revenue, Mr L.M. Goyal, said a new computerised form for registering deaths and births had been prepared, which should be used from March next. Mr Chautala directed the DCs to ensure that the single-window service met at least once a month to discuss the problems of the local industrialists and implement the industrial policy of the state government. While expressing satisfaction over the law and order situation in the state, Mr Chautala asked the police to strengthen security around jails to check increasing jail-break cases. He asked the SPs to stop the manufacturing and sale of spurious furnace oil and petrol and also to prevent the smuggling of liquor and opium. He directed the Director-General of Police, Mr S.P.S. Rathore, to ensure adequate police patrolling along the canals to prevent any theft of canal water during the ensuing sowing of rabi crops. Mr Rathore disclosed that a criminal, Makhan Singh, who was a constable in the Punjab police, was arrested recently. He had absconded with an SLR. He said with his arrest 12 criminal cases, including those relating to dacoities at Teja
Khera (Sirsa), Panipat and Yamunanagar, and a firing incident at Pipli, had been solved. Mrs Meenaxi Anand Chaudhry, Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Power, said there had been a remarkable improvement in the overall availability of power in the state. To obtain a systematic feedback on the power supply and other schemes connected with power in the rural areas, the Haryana power utilities had decided to make use of gram sabha meetings scheduled to be held from November 15. A special form had been designed for obtaining the comments of the consumers and to make a meaningful evaluation of their demands. The Commissioner and Secretary, Food and Supplies, said 12.45 lakh tonnes of paddy had been procured by the government agencies out of 21.58 lakh tonnes which was a record. He said over 12.55 lakh tonnes of rice would be contributed towards the Central pool. The Chief Secretary, Mr Vishnu Bhagwan, and the Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr S.Y. Quraishi, were also present at the meeting. |
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Dacoits decamp with cash FARIDABAD, Nov 13 — As many as six armed robbers entered a house in Sector 14 here yesterday and decamped with cash and valuables worth several lakhs of rupees at gunpoint. According to the owner of the house, Mr S.C. Kashyap, the robbers entered the house by scaling the front wall and by removing the grill from a window of one of the rooms. They tied all four family members with a rope and locked them in a room. The robbers entered the house at about 2.30 a.m. and escaped at around 5.30 a.m. Two of the accused had revolvers while the others had knives. Their faces were covered with a cloth. They disconnected the telephone wire before taking all keys. While the owner of the house said the loss was being assessed, it is estimated that the value of cash and other articles, including
jewellery, could be about Rs 2.50 lakh. Residents have sought the closing of all illegal entry points to the sector and creation of nakas on roads. In another incident, a resident of Rajpur village was beaten to death by four persons of the same village on Saturday. It is reported that the suspects — Mahender Shammi, Dharam and Gurdayal — entered the house of the victim, Balbir Singh, and started beating him till he was dead. A case has been registered against the suspects. |
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Teachers’ convention
concludes FATEHABAD, Nov 13 — A three day state-level convention of the Haryana Rajkiya Adhyapak Sangh, affiliated with the Sarva Karamchari Sangh, concluded here today. Delegates from different states participated in the concluding session. Inaugurating the session, Mr D. Rama Reddy, General Secretary, School Teachers Federation of India, criticised the education policy of the Central Government, saying that it was aimed at bringing about a change in the historical and geographical structure of the country by “saffronisation”. He also expressed concern at the growing consumerism which had affected the lower strata of society. The president of the All-India-Bengal Teachers Association, Mr Prashant Dhar, said the literacy rate in West Bengal was above the national average and the association was striving to achieve full literacy in the state. The Jammu Kashmir Teachers Federation President, Mr Shan Prasad Kesar, among others, spoke on the occasion. The convention concluded with the election to the Haryana Rajkiya Adhyapak Sangh in which Mr Suraj Mal was elected president. Mr Jarnail Singh, Mr C.N. Bharati and Mr Wazir Singh were elected Vice-President, General Secretary and Treasurer, respectively. |
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CPM flays
export of wheat ROHTAK, Nov 13 — The CPM has taken a serious note of exporting wheat at a price lower than the rate under the public distribution system (PDS). Mr Inderjit Singh, Secretary, state committee of the CPM, today said wheat was distributed to the people living below the poverty line at a rate of Rs 4.5 per kg while the government had fixed the export price at Rs 415 per quintal. The CPM leader said a meeting of the state committee was held here today to discuss the issue. Mr Hanan Mollah, member, central secretariat of the party, and MP, criticised the “anti-farmer” policy of the Vajpayee-led government. He said the Leftist parties and even the allies of the BJP had registered their protest against the hike in the prices of rationed cereals in the last Budget. However, the Union Government went ahead with the move, ignoring the widespread protest. The CPM demanded that the PDS should be strengthened. The party also sought implementation of the policy of providing
cereals in place of cash for labourers. The CPM also demanded immediate lifting of ban on the appointment in government departments to check the trend of contractual appointment. |
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Reiki
‘can cure chronic ailments’ AMBALA, Nov 13 — Reiki is a holistic approach towards a person’s well-being, which in a complete manner takes care of a person, traditional reiki master, Capt Madhukar Andhare (retd) said here today. Captain Andhare, who has come to Ambala from Ahmedabad on the invitation of the Rotary Club of Ambala, said reiki was one of the most effective alternative systems for curing a person. “It has been proved time and again that reiki can cure even chronic ailments,” he said. He conducted a two-day course for Rotarians on reiki during the week-end. About 18 Rotarians participated in the reiki course. Captain Andhare said that reiki could be practised when the person was nearby and even when the person was located at a great distance. “We seek to channelise the universal energy to help a person,” he said. He observed that reiki was becoming popular among people. “I have noticed that reiki is gaining popularity. However, it is sad that some persons have commericialised reiki,” he said. Rotary Club of Ambala president, Capt Baldev Singh (retd), said that they were regularly inviting eminent people to broaden the horizons of the Rotarians. Former president of Rotary Club Ambala, Mr Subhash Bansal, who undertook the two-day reiki course, said that he had felt a perceptible difference. “After undertaking the course, I need practice. But, on an earlier occasion, I was treated by a reiki master and I had felt extremely refreshed,” he said. |
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Fire destroys goods worth 12 lakh SONEPAT, Nov 13 — At least four spinning machines and goods worth about Rs 12 lakh were reduced to ashes in a fire which broke out around 3.30 p.m. in a fibre unit at the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC) complex in Kundli village, along the Haryana-Delhi border, about 25 km from here, yesterday. On receiving information, two fire engines of the municipal fire station reached the spot and extinguished the fire. However, no one was hurt in the fire, though a number of workers were engaged in their work when the fire broke out. The cause of fire is being ascertained. Many workers alleged that the police failed to arrive on the spot even after being informed about the fire. |
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2 commit suicide ROHTAK, Nov 13 — Two persons died in different incidents and three women tried to commit suicide in this district during the past 24 hours. Amar Singh of Hansi died at the PGIMS last evening. He was admitted to the PGIMS yesterday after he consumed liquor laced with poison. In another incident, Dayakishan of Sampla reportedly committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance. In a separate incident, Sushma of Sanjay Colony allegedly set herself on fire. Suman of Sundana village and Geeta of Gorad village tried to commit suicide by consuming poison. All three women have been admitted to the PGIMS and the condition of one of them is stated to be critical. |
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Lawyers strike work,
seek separate HC HISAR, Nov 13 — Members of the Kaithal and Hisar District Bar Associations observed a strike today to press their demand of setting up a separate high court for Haryana. The call for the strike was given by the Hisar association four days ago. A memorandum in this regard was sent to the President, Prime Minister, Governor of Haryana and Chief Justice of India. Their contention is that the Punjab and Haryana High Court has a large number of pending cases since it has to cater to the litigants of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. If Haryana gets a separate high court, the situation would ease. The association said three new high courts had been sanctioned for the three new states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal while the same had not been provided to Haryana for the past 34 years. Mr Sanjeev Sura, secretary of the Hisar association, said a meeting of the representatives of all District Bar Associations had been called on November 17 at Hisar. |
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5 kids killed,
24 hurt in balcony collapse REWARI, Nov 13 — Five children died and about 24 others were injured, five of them seriously, when a balcony collapsed during a “ladies’ sangeet” at Musapur village, 20 km from here, last evening. The deceased are Shilpa, Kuldip, Raj Kumar, Rina and Shiv Kumar. The seriously injured have been referred to Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi. Pooja and Poonam, daughters of Man Singh, were to be married today. Pooja is among those injured. The wedding has been postponed. |
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Relief for worker’s kin sought PANIPAT, Nov 13 (PTI) — Thousands of industrial workers affiliated to different trade unions today took out a protest march in the town to demand compensation for the family of a worker who died due to electrocution while working in a powerloom factory on Monday last. The march which led by the General Secretary of CITU, Mr Anand Jawara started from Desraj Colony and passed through bazars before submitting a memorandum to the labour officer. He alleged that workers were underpaid and the position of women workers was the worst as they were hardly paid Rs 25 to 30 as daily wages against the minimum monthly wages of Rs 1,914 fixed by the government. The main demands included compensation to the family of the deceased, payment of wages at government rates, safety precautions in industrial units for workers, attendance marking, ESI cards and deduction of provident fund. |
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Haryana framing integrated
farm policy CHANDIGARH, Nov 13 — The Haryana Government is in the process of formulating an integrated agricultural policy to make the maximum use of arable land, water resources and farm inputs. This was announced by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, on the eve of the national land resources conservation week being observed from November 14 in the state. He stressed the need for the balanced use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and weedicides to check the fast deteriorating fertility of land. |
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Arora
elected MC chief BHIWANI, Nov 13 — The Municipal Councillor of ward No. 28, Som Prakash Arora, was elected president of the council unanimously here today. Mr Ajay Singh Chautala, MP, who happened to be here yesterday keenly heard different groups of the claimants for the presidentship. But sidelining the claims of these groups, he gave green signal to Mr Arora who was later elected today. On the other hand, Ms Patas Kaur was elected vice-president with 16 votes. |
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