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| Wednesday, November 29, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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CBI sought DGP’s prior sack: Bansi Ruchika case hearing resumes today No survey of HIV cases in
Faridabad VIPs, police patronised
liquor smuggling ST theft: Haryana losing
crores Cong leader flays move on VDCs |
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‘Murrah’ traders to be fined:
CM Decision on BJP,
INLD alliance soon Delayed sanction costs govt 5
lakh Strike has hit work, admits Chief
Secy Power tariff
panel visits Haryana Water shortage irks
farmers Women
commission condemned
Railways staff to hold rally Former MP
dead Awards for
Haryana domicile writers Yamunanagar to
have thermal plant Playing here is no child’s play Petrol pump looted
at gunpoint Tractor driver
looted, beaten
3 run over by tractor Boy crushed under truck
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CBI sought DGP’s prior sack: Bansi ROHTAK, Nov 28 — The former Chief Minister and HVP supremo, Mr Bansi Lal, has alleged that the Chahal Commission appointed by the Chautala Government to probe acts of omission and commission during prohibition, was aimed at implicating him. Addressing newsmen here today, Mr Bansi Lal said that the Chahal Commission had no other purpose but to implicate him and other HVP leaders in criminal cases. He alleged that Mr Om Prakash Chautala was registering false cases against HVP workers and leaders. The legal cell of the HVP, he said, would defend the workers and leaders with all force at its command. HVP workers could not be cowed down by such tactics, he warned. Mr Bansi Lal alleged that law and order situation in Haryana had virtually collapsed and travelling on highways had became unsafe. Expressing concern over the spate of robberies, murders and rapes, he said that the law and order scenario was worse than even Bihar. The DGP, Mr S.P.S. Rathore should have been removed from the post the next day the CBI filed a charge sheet against him in the Ruchika molestation case. The premier investigating agency, he revealed, had asked the government to remove Mr Rathore even before filing the charge sheet. Referring to the strike by a section of employees at Chandigarh. Mr Bansi Lal said that the government should strictly follow the law. He reiterated that if voted to power, his government would provide uninterrupted power supply to all sections of consumers — domestic, agricultural and industrial. The former Chief Minister charged the Chautala Government with discrimination in distribution of canal water. Sirsa district, he alleged, appeared to be the most favoured area in the state with regard to supply of irrigation water. He alleged that the committee constituted by his government under the chairmanship of former HAU Vice-Chancellor, Prof J.B. Chaudhary, to suggest flood-control measures had been abolished by the present government. The recommendations of the committee would have benefited the residents of Sirsa, Hisar, Jhajjar and Sonepat most. Mr Bansi Lal described the Chautala government as “anti-farmer” and said that under the new tubewell policy, the farmers were being charged a fee of Rs 60000 up to five electric poles and 7000 for each additional pole, besides Rs 25,000 towards cost of transformer. The cost of repair of the transformer and the transmission lines was also being charged from the farmer, he claimed. The HVP supremo said that his party would not enter into any alliance with the Congress or any other political party. The Congress had not supported his government and, on the contrary, it had sided with the
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Ruchika case hearing resumes today CHANDIGARH, Nov 28—The Special Magistrate for CBI cases in Haryana, Mr A.K. Tyagi, will tomorrow resume hearing on an application filed by the premier investigating agency of the country for condoning the delay in filing the chargesheet in the Ruchika molestation case against the Director-General of Haryana police, Mr S.P.S. Rathore. The hearing was adjourned on November 27 on the request of the counsel for Mr Rathore, who pleaded that his client was yet to receive a copy of the chargesheet. The CBI counsel had opposed the contention of Mr Rathore, who was present in the court, saying that the charge-sheet was confidential till the court took cognisance of it. Earlier the CBI had charge-sheeted Mr Rathore under Section 354(outraging the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. The complainant, Mrs Madhu Anand Prakash, mother of Ms Reemu, a friend of Ruchika, who had allegedly committed suicide in 1993, three years after the alleged incident of molestation, had also sought the permission of the court to engage counsel to “help the CBI and assist the court in unravelling the truth.” Meanwhile, the Haryana Government has said it will not default on the deadline set by the National Human Rights Commission for the state government to reply to its notice asking why Mr Rathore should not be divested of his charge. Talking to TNS, Mr Vishnu Bhagwan, Chief Secretary, said that even though the NHRC communication was yet to be received by the state government, he had seen press reports about the notice. “We shall not default on replying to the notice,” he said. |
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No survey of HIV cases in
Faridabad FARIDABAD, Nov 28 — While the district health authorities are preparing to observe the ‘World AIDS Day’ on December 1, as yet there is no account of suspected HIV positive patients in the region. The Health Department here seems to be ill-equipped not only in matter of gathering information but also in AIDS testing facilities. The Health Minister, Haryana, had also reportedly admitted during his visit to the district recently that no proper survey had been conducted in the state so far to detect the total number of HIV positive cases in the state or any district. It is reported that a large number of civil hospitals and primary health centres in the state do not have disposable syringes though the Health Minister had recently claimed that each district headquarter in Haryana had proper AIDS testing facilities. This industrial district of the state has a population of around four lakh industrial workers as there are about 31,000 industrial units of various sizes. The town also has a large number of truck drivers who travel all over the country. According to experts, the town is most sensitive or prone to AIDS and hepatitis-B. The National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO) had reportedly asked the authorities concerned to start a comprehensive awareness programme here. But it is learnt that except for distribution of some pamphlets and condoms, nothing concrete has been done so far. Although a ‘family health’ drive had been launched but information regarding AIDS was not a part of it. No campaign has been launched to identify the total number of HIV positive or suspected AIDS cases. A recent survey conducted by a voluntary organisation in the town has come out with some startling facts. As per its findings, less than 6 per cent of the total numbers of people included in the survey had proper information about AIDS. About 83 per cent of the respondents had heard about AIDS, about 11 per cent of the males had no knowledge of it. Only 12 per cent of women surveyed had information about the disease. While health authorities do not agree with the above statistics and claim that an ‘awareness’ campaign is going on. An amount of Rs 5,000 has been reportedly received by the Health Department in connection with ‘World AIDS Day’. Preparations for holding a rally and distribution of pamphlets and banners are reportedly underway even though the government hospital here does not even have the facility of ‘Elisa’ test for detecting HIV positive cases. |
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VIPs, police patronised
liquor smuggling PANIPAT, Nov 28 — Sixtysix persons had filed affidavits in the district and of them 56 appeared before the Chahal Commission of enquiry probing smuggling of liquor during prohibition in Haryana. This was disclosed by Chairman of Commission, Justice G.S. Chahal addressing the media here today. The chairman was here to hear the persons of Panipat district who had filed affidavits on liquor smuggling during prohibition. He said 700 persons had submitted affidavits with the commission so far in the state. He clarified that the persons were asked about any pressure from the administration which was replied to by them in the negative. The chairman added that the commission had already completed hearings in Sonepat, Sirsa, Gurgaon, Fatehabad, Rohtak, Kurukshetra, Rewari, Bhiwani and Panipat and Narnaul district will be taken up tomorrow. He also disclosed that affidavits had alleged that former MP Surinder Singh and former Minister Ganeshi Lal and many police officers were involved in encouraging liquor smuggling. He reiterated that the commission would give every opportunity to those against whom the allegations of liquor smuggling had been made in the affidavits. The commission would follow full procedure notified by the government, he added. He said that the commission would hold a hearing on coming December 5 at Chandigarh. Replying to a question, the chairman said that he had not received any complaint about the allegations that the SHO of every police station had been directed to collect at least 10 affidavits. |
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ST theft: Haryana losing
crores FARIDABAD, Nov 28 — The state government reportedly has been losing several crores of revenue every
year due to theft of Sales Tax and royalty on stone crushers and mines in Faridabad and Gurgaon district. Poor supervision and involvement of influential persons in mining work is stated to be the main reason behind it. Pali crusher zone in Faridabad district, which is one of biggest in the region has got about 167 crushers at present. There are 135 crushers in neighbouring Gurgaon district where crushers are spread in five clusters. Total revenue realised from this region is reported to be between Rs 150 crore and Rs 175 crore annually. While experts believe that if the Sales Tax and other authorities are ‘activated’ properly then the revenue per year could easily cross Rs 300 crore. It is learnt that there is no “Sales Tax” barrier in the Pali crusher zone, which has only one entrance point. Similarly the number of such barriers needs to be increased to keep a check on outflow of mines produce. It is reported that due to improper checking and supervision a large number of trucks taking the material from mines daily do not pay royalty and Sales Tax. It is learnt that the police or Sales Tax authorities avoid checking the vehicles belonging to VIPs or “influential” persons or their relatives. According to experts the state government must take stringent measures if it wanted to stop theft of Sales Tax and royalty. They are of view that a special Sales Tax Commissioner or a senior official should be deputed whole time to achieve the target. The government has imposed a Sales Tax of 15 per cent on stone and crusher products, but “weak” Sales Tax machinery seems to be the main problem. Meanwhile the Municipal Corporation, Faridabad (MCF) has prepared a plan of constructing 600 double-storeyed houses in Pali crusher zone for mining labourers. It is reported that the step has been taken in view of orders of the Supreme Court, which has directed the authorities to provide proper accommodation to labourers and workers of mines, before demolishing their jhuggis. The MCF had demolished 2000 jhuggis about one and half month ago. |
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Cong leader flays move on VDCs FATEHABAD, Nov 28 — Divergent views are being expressed here on the Haryana Government’s plans to constitute village development committees (VDCs) for implementation of development projects in different villages of the state. While Mr Chautala’s supporters term this decision of the Haryana Chief Minister a historic one which would go a long way in ensuring all round development of villages, his detractors have taken up cudgels against the move seeing it as a ploy to hijack the whole Panchayati Raj institution to the ruling party’s advantage. Mr Subhash Jakhar, a young sarpanch from Dhingsara village, said the constitution of the village development committees had ensured more rights to the village panchayats. Earlier the panchayats had to endeavour to get grants for the villages as the money was placed at the disposal of the Block Development Officer and the Junior Engineers. But with the constitution of village “development committees, the panchayats had been given the rights to use the grants at their own will for the development of their villages. He said the controversy regarding the setting up of the VDCs was uncalled for. He also advocated some more quasi-judicial powers for the panchayats as that would not only ensure disposal of petty disputes at the village level itself but it would also relieve the burden on the courts. Mr Dura Ram, a senior Congress leader and the vice-president of the Zila Parishad, Fatehabad, said there was no need for the constitution of the VDCs as panchayats already existed in all villages. The move would prove counter-productive and instead of leading to the development of villages it would hamper development activities. He said as the functioning of both the panchayats and the VDCs was almost similar, a possibility existed of both the institutions working for cross purposes. In the event of a clash between the two, the development activities were bound to be put on the back burner. The panchayats were bound to resent any move that trespassed on their authority and the move in all likelihood would prove to be a fiasco. Mrs Indira Bishnoi, a former chairperson of the Block Samiti, Fatehabad, was however, more forthright in her criticism of the state government’s move to constitute the VDCs. She said it was a move to vest the powers of the panchayats into the hands of the INLD men. She alleged the government wanted to nominate its own supporters to the VDCs in various villages so that they could corner the grants that came to the villages. When the government had felt that it was not possible to provide employment to its supporter as it promised earlier, it had provided sops for them in the VDCs to silence their resentment. Mrs Santosh Machra, a Zila Parishad member from ward one of this district, felt the move was good and would ensure development of the village. But not many of the elected representatives in the villages knew exactly what it was. She regretted that the authorities concerned had not been able to tell the panches and sarpanches the exact implication of the constitution of the VDCs and this was leading to a lot of misgivings in the elected members of the panchayats. She suggested that instead of going for the move in a hurry, the government should first make the people aware of the VDCs and their implications. |
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‘Murrah’ traders to be fined:
CM KURUKSHETRA, Nov 28 — The Haryana Government will take concrete and effective steps to increase milk production so that the state can surpass Denmark in milk production. This was announced here yesterday by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, while presiding over a special prize distribution function organised to encourage breeding of milch cattle in the state. He declared that a fine of Rs 500 per cattle would be levied if animal traders were found exporting a specified breed of cattle from the state. The State Government would check the export of ‘Murrah’ breed of buffallo to states like Maharashtra to preserve its diminishing population. ‘Murrah’ buffallo was the pride of Haryana. To discourage the sale of milk from other states in Haryana, the government had decided to impose 7 per cent duty. This would help to provide more facilities to the Haryana farmers for the sale of milk. The State Government would encourage state trading to provide better price to farmers for their milk and related products. Mr Chautala said that he had sent a deputation of farmers led by the State Agriculture Minister, Mr Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, to study cattle breeding and latest techniques of farming in Israel. The deputation had suggested measures to increase milk production. The Chief Minister distributed prizes among farmers. Each farmer whose cattle had yielded milk between 10 and 12 kg was given Rs 1000, and while those whose cattle yielded between 15 and 18 kg of milk were given Rs 5000. Farmers who got a milk yield of 18 kg and above were given Rs 6000 each. The Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Jyoti Arora, had organised the function. Mr Mohammad Eliyas, Minister for Animal Husbandry, also spoke. Later, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of Ganga Bhawan Girls Hostel in the Complex of Kurukshetra University. The hostel is being constructed under the grant given by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment for the weaker sections of society. Mr R.S. Chaudhary, Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, informed that a grant of Rs 30 lakh had already been received from the ministry. The total cost of the two-storeyed hostel would be Rs 83.43 lakh. It would provide accommodation to about 100 girl students. The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of a Library in the District Bar here. The Chief Minister also distributed blankets to the poor in Sector 17 near the old bus stand. |
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Decision on BJP,
INLD alliance soon PANIPAT, Nov 28 — Mr Ram Dass Aggarwal, BJP leader and in charge of party affairs in Haryana, yesterday said the final decision about continuing the party alliance with the INLD in Haryana would be taken in a meeting of the senior and elected leaders proposed to be held next month. Mr Aggarwal was talking to mediapersons after presiding over a meeting of state executive committee of the BJP. He said the meeting was organised to review the organisation. Political issues, including the present political situation and the future course of action, were discussed at the meeting. He said the leaders have unanimously demanded that the DGP, Haryana, Mr S.P.S. Rathore, should himself resign on moral grounds or he should be removed by the state government. Mr Aggarwal also said a three-day-camp for the state BJP workers would be organised on February 22 at Kaleshwar in Yamunanagar district to acquaint workers with the party’s policies and programmes. In order to promote small scale industries in the country, Mr Aggarwal, who is also Chairman of the Parliament Standing Committee on Industry, said financial assistance to this sector had been increased from 15.5 per cent to 20 per cent under the Prime Minister’s package. |
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Delayed sanction costs govt 5
lakh KARNAL, Nov 28 — A Sub-Divisional Engineer of Mechanical Sub-Division PWD B&R Branch, Karnal has not only closed the workshop of the division for one month but also kept the employees idle during this period. The closing of the workshop when no work was undertaken cost the state exchequer Rs 5 lakh. Senior Officers did not take note of 12 memos sent by the sub-divisional in charge of workshop to the higher authorities seeking clearance of the estimates of the sub-division for the year 2000-2001. Mr A.N. Chauhan, Sub-Divisional Engineer, in his last memo sent on November 14, 2000 to the Executive Engineer of the Mechanical Division PWD B&R (Karnal) stated that the delay on the part of the sanctioning authority to sanction the estimates in time was causing loss to the government. The estimates related to Amur and manufacture of Mechanical sub-division. The Sub-Divisional Engineer alleged that the work in the workshop was suffering due to non-sanction of estimates by the authorities and consequently a staff of 60 employees has been idle in the workshop since October 1, 2000. Ultimately, the office of the S.E. Mechanical Circle PWD B&R Branch sanctioned the above estimates after a delay but during this period, the workshop remained closed from October 1 to November 12, 2000. The Junior Engineer has said that the workers had claimed pay of Rs 437572/- of this period. They did not strike work during this period but were made to sit idle as office of the S.E. did not sanction estimates in time. Mr Chauhan in a separate complaint to the Engineer-in-Chief, Haryana, PWD B&R Branch, Chandigarh has alleged that a senior functionary of the division had demanded Rs 10,000/- from him for sanctioning the estimates in time. Mr Chauhan has also submitted an affidavit in support of his allegations to the Engineer-in-Chief . |
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Strike has hit work, admits Chief
Secy CHANDIGARH, Nov 28 — For the first time today the Haryana Government admitted that the pen-down strike by a large section of the employees in the state had affected the functioning of various government departments. Talking to TNS today, Mr Vishnu Bhagwan, Chief Secretary, conceded that the strike had a crippling effect on work in the government departments. “If 50 out of 100 persons do not attend office, naturally it would affect work”, Mr Bhagwan said. The Chief Secretary as well as other top state government officials, however, alleged that the employees’ decision to resume the strike from November 16 was “totally unreasonable” in view of the Supreme Court’s oral directive to the state government to wait for seven days before implementing the government order reverting seven under-secretaries to superintendents. On November 13, the Supreme Court, while dismissing the contempt petition filed by Mr Sadhu Singh and Mr B.L. Grover against the Haryana Government’s interpretation of the apex Court’s order in the Ajit Singh Janjua case, said that the dismissal of the petition did not amount to upholding the state government’s interpretation and asked Haryana to hold back the reversion order for seven days so that the petitioners could approach the high court. When asked why the state government did not implement the order after the expiry of the seven-day deadline on November 20 ( Sadhu Singh and B.L. Grover had finally filed their petition in the high court on November 24), the Chief Secretary said that by that time the employees had already resumed their strike and were raising slogans against the state government as well as the Chief Minister. He added that another reason for the state government not implementing the order on the reversion of the under-secretaries was because it knew that the matter would soon go to the court. Therefore, the government wanted to see the outcome of the court case. Mr Bhagwan said the state government was waiting for the court’s directive for ending the stalemate arising out of the pen-down strike. The employees strike was observed for the 13th consecutive day today, paralysing the functioning of government departments and directorates located in Chandigarh and Panchkula. While Mr Sube Singh Yadav, dismissed leader of the employees, who has been booked under ESMA, made a surprise appearance at the employees’ rally and stayed there for about an hour. He also met Ms Promilla Sharma, who is on an indefinite fast since November 20. A number of employees’ leaders from Punjab also visited the venue of the rally by their Haryana counterparts in front of 30 Bays building here and expressed solidarity with the strikers. While expressing concern over the continuance of the strike, Mr S.Y. Qureshi, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister of Haryana said the state government would have passed the reversion order after the expiry of the seven-day deadline on November 20 had the employees not resorted to an indefinite strike from November 16.“The Advocate-General of Haryana is now defending the state government order reverting the seven under secretaries in the high court. Earlier also we defended to the hilt the order in the Supreme Court and the contempt petition against it was dismissed”, Mr Qureshi said. The hearing of the case in the high court, which started yesterday, continued today and it will again resume tomorrow. Officials here hoped that the case would not take long and an order would be soon given. |
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Power tariff
panel visits Haryana CHANDIGARH, Nov 28 — A team of 12 MLAs of the House Committee on Power Tariff led by its chairman, Mr R. Prakash Reddy, which is on a 10-day tour of five states, discussed the power tariff structure of Haryana with the Chairman of the Haryana Public Undertakings Committee, Mr Balwant Singh Maina, Chairperson of the Haryana Power Utilities, Mrs Meenaxi Anand Chaudhary, and Chairman of the Haryana State Power Regulatory Commission, Mr V.S. Ailawadi, here today. An official spokesman for the committee said the committee had so far visited Delhi and Punjab to review the power structure in these states. The committee will also visit Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for this purpose. Mr Maina elaborated on the efforts being made by the state government to improve the functioning of the power sector in the state so as to ensure round-the-clock electricity to all sectors.A presentation was also made on this occasion to explain the achievements made by the Power Utilities during the past year and the future plans for further improving its functioning. |
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Water shortage irks
farmers SONEPAT, Nov 28 — The maintenance of canals, distributaries and minor canal continues to remain a major problem despite heavy expenditure incurred on them in Gohana subdivision of the district. Though the state government has spent lakhs of rupees on Gohana Water Service Division for the cleaning operations of the canals and other distributaries, the position has hardly improved as water does not reach the tail-end fields. Farmers who are supplied water by Israna minor, Butana distributary, Gangesar, Bichpari, Baroda and Busana tails, have made a series of complaints to the authorities concerned about the non-supply of canal water but no action has so far been taken. The Deputy Commissioner has also taken a serious note of the farmers’ complaints and directed the authorities to take positive steps to ensure the reaching of the canal water to the tail-end villages. However, the farmers alleged that embankments of various canals and distributaries were facing the problem of siltage, resulting in waterlogging in large areas. Many farmers alleged that some officials were minting money by preparing bogus muster-rolls and cheating the state government. The farmers demanded an inquiry into the scandalous working of the officials of the water service division. Meanwhile, farmers of several villages, including Garhi Ujjale Khan, Garhi Sarai Namdar Khan, Gamri, Khanpur, Nayal, Kakana, Kasanda, Kasandi Nagar and Sainipura are facing an acute shortage of canal water for the sowing of rabi crops and have appealed to Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala to provide relief to them. They also criticised the local authorities of the water service division for their failure to redress their grievances about the paucity of canal water even during the rotation period. They said crops worth several lakhs of rupees had been damaged during the kharif season due to the erratic supply of canal water. |
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Women
commission condemned ROHTAK, Nov 28 — The Akhil Bharatiya Janwadi Mahila Samiti has condemned the reported statement of the Chairperson, Haryana State Women Commission, supporting the Haryana DGP, Mr SPS Rathore, who has been chargesheeted by the CBI in Ruchika molestation case. Raising objection to the statement, Ms Jagmati Sangwan, secretary, state committee of the samiti, alleged that the chairperson of the commission passed a statement in favour of the ‘erring’ police official while a case was still pending against him in the court. Ms Sangwan alleged that the Haryana State Women Commission had turned out to be the INLD Women Commission as it was more interested in serving the interests of the ruling INLD than those of the aggrieved women. She said the commission should have sought immediate removal of the officer accused of committing such a heinous crime expressing solidarity with several other social and political organisations instead of shielding him. Ms Sangwan said the activists of the samiti would gherao the accused wherever he visited officially. Besides, she said a memoranda would be submitted to the Governor from different districts seeking immediate suspension and registration of a case under Section 306 of the IPC against him on November 29. She threatened that dharnas would be staged at district level on December 7 if no action was taken by the government till then. |
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Railways staff to hold rally AMBALA, Nov 28 — The Uttariya Railway Mazdoor Union
(URMU), Ambala Division, has decided to organise a rally next month to protest against the lop-sided and negative attitude of the Railway administration. The divisional secretary of
URMU, Mr S N Bharti, stated that the demands of the union must be met at the earliest. “We are going to hold the mass rally in front of DRM office,
Ambala,” he said. The main issues which the union is opposing include downsizing and the so-called right sizing, surrendering of posts, curtailment of intake in spite of withdrawal of these orders by the Railway Board, non-filling up of vacancies, privatisation of the railways and curtailment of gazetted posts to the tune of 25 per cent to save wasteful expenditure, a release said. The other demands are decision on uniform committee at an early date, modification in Assured Career Progression scheme grade 3050-4590 for all Class IV staff in
DSL, EMU and elec. sheds, modification of defective scales, sorting out of anomalies arising out of the implementation of recommendations of fifth CPC, decision of cadre restructuring and pay scale of 7450-11500 and 6500-10500 in all categories. |
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Former MP
dead HISAR, Nov 28 (PTI) — Mr Inder Singh Sheokand, former member of Parliament, who was elected to the Lok Sabha on the Janata Party ticket in 1977, died near here yesterday after prolonged illness. Family sources said Sheokand (80) died at his house in Narwana of Jind district, which is also Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala’s Assembly constituency. Sheokand remained a minister in the erstwhile Pepsu State. The former member of Parliament was ill for some time and was admitted to the PGIMER in Chandigarh. A large number of people attended his funeral in Dungerkhan village in Jind district. |
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Awards for
Haryana domicile writers CHANDIGARH, Nov 28 — The Haryana Sahitya Akademi today declared literacy awards for Haryana domicile writers for 1999-2000 and also announced grant-in-aid to the writers for the publication of their books. A spokesman for the akademi said eight books had been selected for the literacy awards in various categiries which carried a cash prize of Rs 5,000. Dr Sudha Jain (Panchkula), Mrs Sudershan Ratanakar (Faridabad), Dr Yash Pal Vaid (Ambala), Mr Sriniwas Vats (Rohtak), Dr Rohit Yadav (Mandi Ateli), Mr Jainarain Shastri (Nilokheri), Dr Laxman Singh Aggarwal (Palwal) and Dr Puran Chand Sharma (Rohtak) won the awards. He said that the akademi had invited books of Haryana domicile writers published during the last financial year for the awards. As many as 34 books of Hindi, Sanskrit and Haryanvi under various categories were considered. Mr Man Mohan Gupta Moni (Ambala), Mr Sriniwas Vats (Rohtak) and Mr Vishnu Saxena (Pinjore) won case prizes for their short stories. |
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Yamunanagar to
have thermal plant CHANDIGARH, Nov 28 (UNI) — A 500 MW thermal power plant would be set up at Yamunanagar while a proposal to set up another 500 MW generating station at Hisar was being considered, an official spokesman said here today. Offers received on the basis of international competitive bidding from private investors to set up Yamunanagar plant had been submitted to the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission for its approval, the spokesman said. He said there was also a plan to set up 500 MW generating station at Hisar and negotiations were in progress with Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd
(BHEL) to take up this project as joint venture with the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam with its 30 per cent equity participation. |
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Playing here is no child’s play AMBALA, Nov 28 — It is a playground where children are reluctant to play. Dirty water flowing into the ground is steadily eating up the playing area of the school ground in Boh village near Ambala Cantonment. Waste water, including that from septic tanks of houses located in the village, flows into a drain which ends abruptly. This overflows a road connecting Boh with Ambala cantonment and ends up in the children’s playground. Old timers recall that the playground of the local Government School used to be a hub of activity for children who used to utilise the large open space for playing. But, for the past couple of months, things have changed and children are reluctant to play there. Local children said they avoided playing there because if a ball fell into the dirty water, it could not be retrieved. “Who will like to go to retrieve the ball from the dirty water. We prefer playing on only one side,” a child said. The Defence Enclave Welfare Association president, Mr Tirath Ram, said a drainage for carrying waste water, including that from septic tanks of the houses located in and around Boh village was constructed. The drain was constructed up to a local bank branch and thereafter it was left for the waste water to find its way into the private land of the villagers. The villagers blocked the flow of water by raising the level of their respective lands. The water was now overflowing the Boh road and had started accumulating in the playing ground of the school he added. About 25 per cent of the playing ground had been submerged into a slushy pond, he observed. To add to the problem, a number of persons owning buffaloes had dumped cow dung on the side of the road. This had made life of people passing through the stretch Mr Tirath Ram said. Mr Tirath Ram said: “I grew up here, playing in the ground and today, I am pained to see the state of this ground. There are a number of us who have fond memories of this playing ground and I am keen that this ground is restored to its earlier condition.” The principal of the local Senior Secondary School said but for the ground, there was no other wide open space for the schoolchildren to play in. “There is a government scheme under which play- grounds are being developed for the benefit of children who are keen to take to sports. We are hopeful that once our ground is chosen to be developed under that scheme then our problem will be solved,” he said. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr D. D. Gautam, said he was going to have the matter looked into. “If there is a grievance of the local people, it will be redressed and if encroachment has taken place in the play ground, then we are going to have it removed,” he assured. |
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Petrol pump looted
at gunpoint HISAR, Nov 28 — Four unidentified youths looted a petrol pump at gunpoint at Mayyer village on the Delhi-Hisar national highway last night. According to an employee of the petrol pump, two persons came to the pump and asked for drinking water. When he came out from his office, they took out a pistol and forcibly entered the office. They took out Rs 10,000 from the cash-box and fled from the spot with two other companions. They also fired gunshot in the air and disconnected the telephone before leaving. A case has been registered. No arrests have been made as far. |
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Tractor driver
looted, beaten BHIWANI, Nov 28 — Three unidentified youths looted a tractor driver in broad daylight here at Hansi Chowk today. The driver and his two companions were injured in counter-attack. When the victims were going to report the incident to the owner of the truck, they were beaten up with canes by the youths who then fled away. They looted Rs 20,000 and a watch at pistol point. The injured were admitted to a hospital. The injured have been identified as Sanjay, Bajrang and Ghisu, all residents of Bapora village. A case has been registered in this connection. |
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3 run over by tractor KALKA, Nov 28 — One person was killed and three were injured when a tractor-trailer ran over three persons waiting for a bus near the Kalka bus stand. Then it rammed into a stationary car before coming to a halt yesterday. As per sources, driver of the tractor, which was coming from the Gandhi Chowk side, lost control over the vehicle and it ran over three persons who were waiting for a bus at bus stand. The tractor was being driven by a traffic policeman. He fled the scene after the accident. The dead has been identified as Purinder Chopra, a resident of
Parwanoo.
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Boy crushed
under truck FARIDABAD, Nov 28 — A 14-year-old boy was crushed to death by a truck in Pali crusher zone of the district last evening. According to information, the deceased, Rajender, was hit by a speeding truck. He died on the spot. In another incident, Sachin, also a teenaged boy, got injured when he was hit by a Tata 407 vehicle on the national highway yesterday. In other cases, a youth was injured when he fell from a tractor, and another got ‘burnt’ due to explosion of a stove in Sanjay Gandhi Nagar here. |
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