 |
| Saturday, December 2, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
|
Paddy scam worth crores unearthed CM warns incompetent officers Line losses up in Ambala Divn KU panel turns down two appointments Pen-down strike: Cong flays govt tactics Town planning rules on web |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Students block
traffic Accountant robbed of
Rs 1.75 lakh Five Bangladeshis
arrested MDU council
meeting on Dec 11 Dutta for research in local history
Rail men to hold chetna rally AIDS Day observed Haryana to set up 13 more STD clinics 
|
|
Paddy scam worth crores unearthed KAITHAL, Dec 1 — A scam involving the purchase of sub-standard paddy worth crores of rupees by traders allegedly in connivance with purchase agencies at a price much below the minimum support price (MSP) and its subsequent sale to the government at the MSP (Rs 540 per quintal) has come to light following the arrest of Satbir Singh Kichhana, a local commission agent. The police has also seized 423 bags of sub-standard paddy which were being taken to a rice mill for shelling. The police has registered a case of fraud and cheating under Sections 409, 420 and 120B of the IPC against the agent. Mr Jai Singh Dahiya, Inspector, Food and Civil Supplies Department, Kaithal, and certain other officials have also been named in the FIR. Mr Prabhat Ranjan Deo, SP, said a special investigation team headed by Inspector Surinder Singh Malik had been constituted for the purpose. Earlier, Inspector Malik seized 389 bags of paddy laden in two tractor-trailers on Chandana Road. The bags were being taken to S.R. Rice Mill for unloading and were marked with stamps of the Food and Civil Supplies Department. The gate-pass issued against these bags bore no signatures. It was revealed that the commission agent, in connivance with some department officials, had purchased the paddy which was below the standard fixed by the government. Later, the police seized 34 more bags of paddy from the local Anaj Mandi. According to information, the paddy was purchased on October 16 by the Food and Supplies Department, as rice millers had refused to purchase it due to its inferior quality. The SP said it was likely that several rice millers, commission agents and officials of the department were involved in the scam. Interestingly, during the current paddy season, there were several complaints by farmers that procurement agencies were not purchasing their paddy at the minimum support price and they were being forced to make distress sale of their paddy. The state government, however, claimed that more paddy had been purchased by various government agencies at the MSP as compared to last year. The SP said the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, had taken serious note of the matter. Meanwhile, commission agent Satbir Singh was yesterday produced before Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate R.K. Khangwal, who remanded him in police custody for two days. Local commission agents, at a meeting here yesterday, decided that they would cooperate if the matter was investigated not by the police but by the Food and Civil Supplies Department. The commission agents have reportedly submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner in support of their demand. |
|
CM warns
incompetent officers SONEPAT, Dec 1 — The Haryana Government has taken steps to provide clean and corruption-free administration to the people of the state. This was announced by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, while presiding over an “open darbar” at Kharkhauda, 19 km from here, last evening. He said in a democratic set-up the people were supreme and the government was their representative. Hence, it was the duty of the government to redress their grievances at their doorstep. He asked the officials to take effective steps for the removal of public grievances, failing which they would be dealt with sternly, he warned. Mr Chautala said if anybody came to Chandigarh for redressal of grievances, it meant that the district authorities were either inactive or incompetent to do the needful. He said the government would not tolerate dishonest and
incompetent officials. He announced that officials with “doubtful” integrity and not coming up to the expectations of the people would be thrown out of their jobs. Later, Mr Chautala heard the problems of 55 gram panchayats of the Rohat Assembly constituency. He announced financial help to several panchayats. Earlier, Mr Chautala inaugurated an old-age home, the first in the Kharkhauda block of this district. Several MLAs, former ministers and INLD leaders were present. Presiding over the annual prize distribution function of GVM Girls College here, the Chief Minister said it was necessary to educate girls for the betterment of society and country. This, he said, would end social evils. He called upon girl students to remain vigilant about their rights. Mr Chautala said education was a great weapon in the hands of the girls. Referring to the demands of the college management, he promised to fulfill these in the near future. Dr Shakuntala Gakhar, Principal of the college, read out the annual report and highlighted the achievements of the students in the field of education and sports. A cultural programme was presented by the students. The Chief Minister gave away prizes to meritorious students. |
|
Line losses up in Ambala Divn ROHTAK, Dec 1 — The line losses in districts comprising Ambala Division have increased and the ratio between the flat rate and metered tubewell is also high. The line losses are the highest in the City Division Sonepat, Sub-urban Division, Sonepat, Gohana Division, Sub-urban Division, Rohtak and Bahadurgarh Division, Operation Division, Jind and City Division, Panipat. The Superintending Engineer (OP), Rohtak Circle, Mr M.P. Tyagi, told The Tribune that the line losses in his area were between 32 to 33 per cent. But another senior official of the HVPN said on condition of anonymity that the rate of return per unit received was continuously falling as most meters in rural Rohtak were defective. The line losses in a subdivision under Rohtak Circle were as high as 60 per cent, he said in confidence in most of the subdivisions these ranged between 45 and 50 per cent. The rural areas were more problematic as most agricultural consumers were engaged in theft of energy with the use of ‘kundi’. The Executive Engineer, Sub- Urban Division, Rohtak, claimed defective meters were being replaced in his area on a priority basis. He said he had disconnected power supply to many erring consumers in Sanghi, Jindran, Koiloi and Makrauli villages. Although the realisation of revenue has shown improvement in Sonepat district, the rate of return per unit has decreased from April-August, 2000, as compared to the corresponding period last year. The Managing Director, UHBVN, Mr Tarun Bajaj, has reportedly advised the S.E. (OP), Sonepat, to immediately replace defective meters of industrial as well as NDS and domestic consumers in Rai and Kundli subdivisions. The UHBVN has reportedly decided to send power bills in cities through the courier system. Tenders have been invited by operation circles in its jurisdiction. The distribution of bills in rural areas, however, will be through the village chowkidar or persons deputed by the Lambardar. The Managing Director of the UHBVN has reportedly advised the Superintending Engineers (OP) that the exercise for detection of theft of energy should be expedited. The reading taken by meter readers should be cross-checked by the SDO and other senior officers. He has also told the SEs that the municipal cess being recovered from the consumers should be adjusted against the arrears due from the committee so that the defaulting amount outstanding the local body was reduced. |
|
|
KU panel turns down two appointments KARNAL, Dec 1 — The Executive Committee meeting of the Kurukshetra University yesterday rejected the appointments of two teachers made recently in the Commerce Department. This followed the controversy raised during the interview for the posts in the Law and Commerce Departments. The controversy related to the presiding over of the Selection Committee meeting by the Registrar of the University in the Commerce Department. It was the first Executive Committee meeting held under the Chairmanship of the new Vice-Chancellor, Mr R.S. Chaudhary. It is learnt that Selection Committee meetings were held recently to select teachers for MCA, Public Administration, Law and the Commerce Departments. In the case of Law Department, the pro-Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Prof Hoshiar Singh had, in a letter, protested to the Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Babu Parmanand that the selection made in the Law Department were illegal. The pro-Vice-Chancellor had objected that none could preside over the meetings of the Selection Committees when either the Vice-Chancellor or the pro-Vice-Chancellor was present at the campus. The presiding of a meeting by any other body in such a case violated Clause-IA of KU Statute of Volume-I of the Calendar. Under this clause, the pro-Vice-Chancellor is empowered to preside over the meetings of the Executive Committee, Finance Committee, Academic Council and the Selection Committees in the absence of the Vice-Chancellor. However, in case of Commerce Department, Dr Hawa Singh presided over the Selection Committee meeting of the Commerce Department. The Selection Committee had selected Ms Reetu Nehra and Anshu Bhardwaj for the posts. The Executive Committee turned down the appointments as the Registrar could not preside over Selection Committee meeting when both the pro-Vice-Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor were present on the campus. The Executive Committee therefore, directed that the Selection Committee meeting should be held again to select candidates. In another case, the Executive Committee dispensed with the services of two hostel Co-ordinators. They were Ms Anita Chaudhary of a girls hostel and Mr Surender Kumar of boys hostel. The Executive Committee decided that both of them should be paid one month’s salary in lieu of their services conditions and their services should be terminated immediately. In all, there were 75 items on the agenda. No heat generated on the item relating to Dr M.L. Ranga, former Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University who had applied for extraordinary leave from the varsity to discharge his duties as a Minister of the State Government, Dr Ranga had joined as Director of the Ambedkar Chair before resigning to contest the last Assembly election on the IMLD ticket from Bawal (Reserve) constituency. The Executive Committee also passed all other items without much fuss. |
|
Pen-down
strike: Cong flays govt tactics CHANDIGARH, Dec 1 — The Haryana unit of the Congress finally broke its silence on the pen-down strike by the Haryana General and Backward Classes Employees Welfare Organisation and objected to the alleged harassment of employees by the state. A statement, released by the party here, said Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, MLA and chief of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, had criticised the tactics being adopted by the government to deal with the agitating employees. The statement said the state government should have sorted out the issues with the employees by sitting across the table. But instead of doing that, the government was cracking down on the staff in an authoritarian manner. Mr Hooda said the police, which had failed to maintain law and order in the state was harassing employees by raiding their houses. The police was also raiding the residences of employees in Chandigarh without informing the Chandigarh police, the HPCC chief alleged. The Congress statement, however, carefully avoided spelling out the party’s position on the issues raised by the strikers. The Congress statement was also silent on the dismissal of employees, whose number rose to 55, with 15 employees dismissed by the government today for participating in the strike. Earlier, two Congress MLAs, Dr Jay Prakash and Mr Sher Singh, had visited agitating employees gathered in front of 30 Bays building. The visit evoked a strong reaction from the Scheduled Castes employees, forcing the Congress to clarify that the visit was of a “personal nature” and the party had nothing to do with it. The BJP, too, had avoided taking any stand on the strike, fearing that supporting it would alienate the party’s Scheduled Caste supporters. The party has been trying to create a base among the oppressed sections and would not like to get embroiled in any controversy by supporting or opposing the strike, a senior party leader said. The strike by the employees, demanding the reversion of seven under-secretaries belonging to reserved categories, was meanwhile observed for the 15th day today. The government has already made it clear that it will go by the decision of the high court on the issue. |
|
|
Town planning rules on web KURUKSHETRA, Dec 1 — Town and Country Planning rules and regulations will be available on the local website for the information of industrialists and prospective entrepreneurs. This was stated by Mrs Jyoti Arora, Deputy Commissioner, Kurukshetra, at a district-level Industries Grievances Redressal Committee meeting here yesterday. Mr K.C. Gupta, General Manager, District Industries Centre (DIC), Kurukshetra, enumerated various problems being faced by industrialists and pending cases pertaining to the Town and Country Planning Department, the Excise and Taxation Department, the Labour Department and HUDA. The chairperson, Mrs Arora, solved most of the problems on the spot. On the demand for linking main roads of the Industrial Area with G.T. Road, she ordered the authorities concerned to immediately prepare an estimate for the construction of a service lane. The industrialists requested the facility for clearance of cheques and drafts by banks on Saturdays. The GM, DIC, said the issue had already been discussed with the bank authorities. Mrs Arora informed the participants that a one-day seminar on e-commerce in association with the Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry would be held by the District Industries Centre shortly. Similarly, a one-day seminar on the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and its implications on industry and the Indian economy would also be held shortly. Representatives of the Excise and Taxation Department clarified certain doubts on the self-assessment scheme and S.T. Form-38. It was decided to conduct an industrial potential survey of Shahabad. The meeting was attended by 50 industrialists associated with the Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the local Industrial Area
Association. |
Students block
traffic KAITHAL, Dec 1 — Students of the local Indira Gandhi Mahila Mahavidyalya went on a strike and blocked traffic on the Kaithal-Karnal road here this morning. Students were agitated over the alleged indifferent attitude of the Principal towards their demands. The students allege that the college was functioning like a commercial institution and they were made to pay even for the attestation of certificates, admission forms and cycle shed besides being charged excessively by building fund. They also protested against the collection of amount for hiring a bus for a Delhi trip and demanded immediate refund of the balance amount. They also demanded that the college authorities should not accept the resignation of a teacher Ms Sonali Choudhry who had resigned in support of the demands of the
students. Mr J.P. Kaushik, ADC, administrator of the college and Principal, Kanta Sood accepted most of the students’ demands following which the blockade was lifted in the afternoon. |
|
Accountant robbed of
Rs 1.75 lakh FATEHABAD, Dec 1 — Three motor cycle borne miscreants robbed an accountant of a local grain market firm of Rs 1.75 lakh by throwing red chilli powder in his eyes on Wednesday evening. They later managed to escape with the booty. Mr Manoj Kumar, a resident of Bahbalpur village in the district and an accountant with a grain market firm, informed the police that he was going to the grain market on his Hero Honda motorbike. He had collected payments of Rs 95,000 and Rs 79,265 on behalf of his employers and was going to the shop to hand over the cash. As he approached the office of the Zila Sainik Board, three youths with their faces covered came on a Yamaha motor cycle from behind and one of them gave a kick to his mobike from the side. As a result he lost balance and fell on the road. The second one threw red chilli powder in his eyes and another snatched away the bag. The three escaped on their Yamaha motor cycle. A trader of the grain market Mr Som Parkash saw Manoj writhing in pain. He took him to the local general hospital for treatment. The SSP, Mr Hanif Qureshi, said there was no breakthrough in the case yet. |
|
Five
Bangladeshis arrested FARIDABAD, Dec 1 — Some of the Bangladeshi nationals settled in the National Capital Region have been allegedly indulging in criminal activities like robbery and dacoity in posh colonies here. A number of dacoities recently reported were stated to be the handiwork of these migrants. This came to light with the arrest of five persons from the bypass road near Sector 17 here yesterday. According to the police all five persons arrested are Bangladeshi migrants, presently staying at Sarai Khawaja. They have been identified as Musmian Alam, alias, Mamun, Shamim, Imadul, alias Salman, Mirja, alias Titoo, and Wazid and are aged between 20 to 25 years. These youths have reportedly confessed their involvement in the dacoities. The police seized firearms and sharp-edged weapons from their possession. These include a country-made revolver, a .32 bore pistol, a .315 bore revolver, 22 live cartridges of .38 bore, .32 bore and .315 bore, and three knives. It is learnt that these dacoits used to remove grills from the window to enter the house. Then they would tie the occupants of the house and used to loot on gun-point. At least 12 of the robbery incidents that took place in past few months are likely to be solved with these arrests. |
|
MDU council
meeting on Dec 11 ROHTAK, Dec 1 — Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) has convened a meeting of the Executive Council (EC) on December 11 to approve decisions taken by the Vice-Chancellors in the past two years. As many as 239 items, including several policy matters, are to be discussed at the meeting. A large number of these items are the decisions taken by the Vice-Chancellors exercising their emergency powers. Such decisions are put forward for approval in the Executive Council. However, the items could not be approved as they were not put before the meetings held this year. According to university sources, the Vice-Chancellor would seek the authority of appointment on contract basis at the meeting. A proposal in this regard would be submitted in view of the ban on appointments in the state since March this year. The posts of technical assistant, finance officer, director of distance education, senior system analyst, architect and a number of teachers are proposed to be filled through this mode. The university administration pleaded that the number of teachers was not commensurate with the strength of students in various departments which could be set right through appointments on contract basis. |
|
Dutta for research in local history KURUKSHETRA, Dec 1 — Dr V.N. Datta, a noted historian, today lamented that “paucity of funds” for teachers was a serious handicap for research in history in the country. Addressing delegates for a refresher course organised by the Department of History and the Academic Staff College, of Kurukshetra University, he maintained that libraries were almost “starved” and much difficulty was faced in acquiring standard journals and books. Moreover, travel and fellowship grants were meagre. All these factors stunted the growth of research, both in college and universities. He pleaded that proposals for reducing the budget for research in history should not be entertained. Dr Datta was of the view that a congenial environment was necessary for the maintenance of excellence in teaching and research. Dr Dutta said history was a subject that could not be discussed in a void. Questions in history led to other questions — scientific, social, economic and political. Research in history was a “battle of ideas and an adventure of mind”. He said it was very difficult to decipher facts against heavy odds. “There is always a thrill using primary sources because they
echo the authentic voice.” Dr Datta said research in history was “one’s whole existence, a ceaseless effort to seize and to synthesise”. He said he was aware of the difficulties the college teachers had to face with respect to research as they were burdened with multiple responsibilities and financial constraints. But all these impediments were worth it for the cultivation of mind, sensibilities and good teaching.” Dr Datta called upon the teachers of history to work at the local level. He maintained that municipal records were of great value, particularly for statistical use. These were also within the easy reach of college teachers and their use could help in restructuring local history. In fact, the entire field of local history was open to investigation. Dr Datta said the study of local and regional history was the foundation of national history. However, he was firmly opposed to making regional history a compulsory subject at the postgraduate level. The noted historian maintained that
controversy unaccompanied by polemics and bitterness was a sign of vitality and intellectual activity”. That was why the 16th century controversies in Europe between ancients and moderns blossomed into the European renaissance. He said analysis and comparison were the main tools of a historian and these must be carefully chosen. A historian must know what to compare and what to analyse. He said a serious debate was on about the purpose and meaning of history. The world history was ambiguous and susceptible to various interpretations. Talking on the post-modernism in history, Dr Datta said that the key words in post-modernism were “power, knowledge, deconstruction and plurality of interpretations”. Here knowledge was identified with political regimes of domination and operation. History was, thus, trivialised by fragmenting it. Post-modernism celebrated differences,
discontinuities, controversies, ambiguity, irony, anarchy and chaos. The casualties were reasoning, coherence and consistency. He said post-modernism was represented as ‘nihilism and iconoclasm’. Dr Datta said he welcomed post-modernism because it heightened “consciousness” in the reality of history. Therefore, one should go beyond the text and see the social world. Mr R.S. Chaudhry, Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, expressed concern at the deteriorating methods in history teaching in colleges and universities. He called upon the history teachers to develop their teaching methodology in a way that the subject was respected among the learners. For this purpose, he wanted them to update their knowledge and apply new methods of teaching. The Vice-Chancellor said that social history was not being given the desired importance in curriculum. Basic questions relating to society and social tensions could be answered provided the social history of a place was thoroughly pondered upon. Prof, K.L. Tuteja, Chairman, History Department, said 50 participants, including top historians of the country, were participating in the three-week refresher course. The Director of the Academic Staff College, Prof. P.D. Sharma, said the College had organised 17 refresher courses in the past eight months. |
|
Rail men to hold chetna rally AMBALA Talking to newspersons here today, divisional secretary of the manch, Mr Shyam Lal Sharma, said a large number of people from Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh, Delhi and Rajasthan are expected to participate in the jan chetna rally to be held on December 3 in front of the Ambala cantonment railway station. Mr Sharma said main demands include stopping of caste-based reservation, admission in all educational institutions on the basis of merit, elections of MP and MLA to be held without reservation and judgement of Supreme Court in favour of general category should be implemented without any delay. Among others, Mr Ramesh Katiar, Mr Roshan Lal and Mr Narottam Walia were present. Mr Sharma said the Supreme Court on September 16, 1999 in an important judgement in case of Mr Ajit Singh Janjua had announced that the seniority of employees should be counted from the date of appointment in the service. He observed that the scheduled caste/scheduled tribe reservation had become a tool for the Indian politicians to gather votes and the same was extended time and again. “We want that this should immediately come to a stop so that merit is the only consideration,” he said. |
|
|
AIDS Day observed
AMBALA, Dec 1 — Mr Gautam disclosed that there were three volunteer AIDS/HIV testing centres at Rohtak, Karnal, Panchkula respectively and eight more such centres would be opened in major cities of Haryana. Speaking on the occasion he said AIDS was very serious issue for which a campaign for awareness was the need of the hour. He said 80 per cent persons effected from dreadful disease were in the 18 to 40 age group and was more
prevalent in youth. Future of the mankind depends on this age group. He appealed to the medical community that if a person was found suffering from HIV or AIDS, he must be told about the disease so that he could save his co-partner or his friends from this disease. Mr Gautam revealed that there was no medicine for this disease. Mr R.K. Patnaik, Civil Surgeon, Ambala, said AIDS was such a disease for which no medicine was available in the world market. AIDS/HIV virus weakened the defence
mechanism of a person slowly. Dr Umesh Lamba, District Health Officer and Nodel officer of AIDS Control Society of Haryana said today’s theme was “Men make a difference”. Giving details, he said that there were 40 million persons having HIV positive in the world. He said in Haryana 40,000 persons were afflicted with this disease. NARNAUL: To mark World AIDS Day activists of the local Rotary Club organised a seminar under the chairmanship of Dr M.R. Makar. The Rotary President, Surjit Singh Arora, said awareness about AIDS should be created among people. SONEPAT: To create awareness among people regarding the diseases like AIDS and polio, the Health Department organised a rally on the occasion of World AIDS Day here on Friday. Large number of students from various schools took part in the rally. They carried banners and raised slogans to create awareness about the diseases. SIRSA:
Different programmes were organised in the district headquarters to observe World AIDS Day on Friday. Painting and slogan-writing competitions were organised at the local civil hospital as a part of the AIDS awareness
campaign launched by the District Health Department. Students of the local Government National College took but a rally through the main markets of the city |
|
Haryana to
set up 13 more STD clinics CHANDIGARH, Dec 1 — The network of clinics of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and blood-testing centres is being expanded in Haryana as part of a special programme to check the spread of AIDS. The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, in his message issued on the occasion of World AIDS Day, today, said that 13 more STD clinics would be established during the current financial year, raising their total number to 21. He said eight STD clinics were already functioning at Yamunanagar, Bhiwani, Panipat, Bahadurgarh, Hisar, Sonepat, Faridabad and the PGIMS, Rohtak. He said the eight blood-testing centres would be established at Hisar, Bhiwani, Rewari, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Kurukshetra, Yamuna-nagar and Sirsa during the same period to raise the total number of such centres to 11. At present, three blood-testing centres were functioning at the Department of Microbiology, PGIMS, Rohtak, and the General Hospitals at Karnal and Panchkula for detecting HIV positive cases. The four-member negotiating team comprising Mr Suresh Bhardwaj, Vice-President of the state BJP, Mr K.D. Dharmani, Chairman of the 20-Point Programme Implementation Committee, Mr Jai Ram, Vice-Chairman, Civil Supplies Corporation, and Mr Karamvir, a senior BJP leader, held several rounds of talks over the past 24 hours with the dissidents. The parleys were followed by a meeting between representatives of the dissidents Mr Dulo Ram and Mr Khushi Ram Balnatah, and Mr Dhumal. Mr Dhumal and the dissidents maintained that the talks were moving in the right direction and solution was in sight. Earlier, the dissidents met the Governor, Mr Suraj Bhan. The meeting lasted an hour. They apprised him of the political situation in the state at the meeting, which they termed as a “courtesy call”. |
|
Panipat plant boiler functional CHANDIGARH, Dec 1 — The Haryana Power Generation Corporation yesterday claimed to have achieved a milestone by firing the boiler of the sixth unit of 210 MW of the Panipat Thermal Plant. The Chairperson of the Haryana Power Utilities, Mrs Meenaxi Anand Chaudhary, said construction work on the boiler of unit 6 was started in October, 1998. The work had been done in a record time of 25 months. The total cost of the project was Rs 854 crore. |
|
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 120 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
