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December 4, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Paddy scam: records ‘manipulated’ More
farmers take to cane cultivation
Sanskrit to be taught up to Class X: CM Unifest-2000 begins at
MDU 4 of
family die in mishap Babus misleading CM on
NPA, say doctors |
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Surrender
by Dangi today Armed
youths strike terror in train Constitution of gram
samiti flayed 85,000 tax-payers to
lose PDS benefits Strike by Haryana lawyers today College teachers to
go on one-day strike Spastic society stages protest
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Paddy scam: records ‘manipulated’ KAITHAL, Dec 3 — The alleged bungling in the purchase of paddy by the Food and Supplies Department during the current paddy session has caused a loss of approximately Rs 2 crore to the state exchequer, according to preliminary police investigation. Talking to mediapersons here yesterday, SP, Kaithal, Mr P.R. Dev, disclosed that besides officials of the Food and Supplies Department, 12 rice millers and commission agents were suspected to be involved in the scam. He said of the 450-odd commission agents, eight were reported to be involved. He said only traders against whom there was prima-facie evidence would be called for interrogation and no innocent traders would be victimised. He said he had assured the deputation of traders who called on him on Friday in this regard and had asked them to cooperate with the police. The SP said investigation had revealed that there was a lot of manipulation in the official records following which the police had added new Sections 467, 468 and 471 of the IPC in the FIR already registered on November 28 under Sections 409, 420 and 120-B. He disclosed that there were a lot of discrepancies in the records of the Food and Supplies Department and the Market Committee, Kaithal. The figures of the purchase of paddy did not tally with the records maintained by these purchase agencies. For instance on November 10 in the H register maintained by the committee, the arrivals of paddy had been shown at 18,766 quintals whereas in the PR-I register of the department the arrivals had been shown as 54,200 quintals. Of these arrivals, 48,461 quintals of paddy had been shown to have been sold at Rs 540 per quintal and the remaining at Rs 510 per quintal. Similarly, on the same day in the account of a firm, M/s Amar Singh and Sons in the H register of the committee the arrivals of paddy had been shown as 220 quintals whereas in the records of the department the quantity had been shown at 2,990 quintals. He said inquiries from the secretary of the committee revealed that he had written a letter on September 23, to the DFSC, Kaithal, that they should tally their records of the purchase of paddy every evening to avoid any discrepancy and it was also suggested that the officials concerned of both departments should sign each other’s registers to bring about transparency in the purchases. The department allegedly failed to take appropriate action. However, the DESC said the office had not received any such letter. Meanwhile, Inspector Jai Singh Dahiya of the department filed an anticipatory bail application in the court of the local ADJ, Mr H.S. Bhangoo, who stayed his arrest till December 4. The CJM, Mr N.P. Dewat, yesterday rejected the bail application of another accused, Satbir Kichhana, a commission agent, and remanded him in judicial custody. |
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More farmers take to cane cultivation SONEPAT, Dec 3 — With the fixing of Rs 110 per quintal as the support price of sugarcane by the Government of Haryana, farmers have switched over to the sugarcane crop from other cash crops. According to an official survey, at least 19,531 acres have been brought under sugarcane crop in Sonepat district during the current year as compared to 13,687 acres during the previous year. An overall of 43 per cent increase has been recorded in this respect. The modern technique of agriculture adopted by the farmers, supply of quality seed and availability of insecticides have attracted the farmers to grow sugarcane instead of other crops. Sugarcane of early variety was sown in 6,985 acres of land as compared to 4,717 acres during last season. The increase in production and yield has helped in the setting up of a cooperative sugar mill at Gohana in this district, despite the fact that the nearby sugar mills of Sonepat, Panipat and Rohtak had no additional capacity to crush more sugarcane produce. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sudhir Rajpal, told mediapersons here today that 25,000 tonnes of sugarcane would be crushed daily in the sugar mill at Gohana which was under construction. He said 20,000 farmers would be benefited and 700 persons would get employment in the mill. He said the area of late sowing variety of sugarcane had increased from 257 acres to 754 acres. The new variety would help to get more sugar. He said interest-free loans were being given to the farmers for the purchase of improved quality of sugarcane seed. A grant-in-aid was also being given for the purchase of insecticides. Ms Sumedha Kataria, Managing Director of the mill, stated that since the start of the crushing season on November 16, at least 20 lakh quintals of sugarcane had been crushed so far in the Sonepat Cooperative Sugar Mill and 2.73 lakh quintals of sugar would be produced during the current season. She said payment for sugarcane supplied by the farmers would be made within 72 hours and a separate counter of the Central Cooperative Bank had been set up in the premises of the mill for the purpose. |
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Sanskrit to be taught up to Class X: CM AMBALA, Dec 3 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today announced that Sanskrit would now be taught up to Class X for which he had already announced a Sanskrit Academy in the state. The Chief Minister was presiding over a function organised by the Haryana Sanskrit Parishad here. He announced that the pension scheme for lecturers and other staff of government-aided colleges would be finalised at the next meeting of the Cabinet to be held within a day or two. The government had already accepted the UGC package and arrears would be paid soon. He said the grant meant for the salary of teachers and staff of aided colleges had already been cleared up to the month of September and the same for the months of October and November would be released by December 10. He said all vacancies of teacher would be filled during this month and no school would remain without a teacher as was the case in the regime of the previous government. The Chief Minister expressed concern at the deteriorating “national character” and cautioned the people against the designs of forces trying to divide the people on caste and regional lines. He said it was amazing that the governments keep changing, but the system remained unchanged. Describing Sanskrit as the mother of all languages, he said one should not forget that it was because of this rich ancient language of Sanskrit that we had the poets like Kalidas, able administrators like Chanakya and scholars like Shankracharya and Manu. He stressed on the need for creating more facilities for students, saying our youth were more sharp as compared to those of several other countries. He said the government had introduced a new education policy to make education job-oriented. Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Lal Bahadur Shastri Sanskrit Vidya-
peeth, Delhi, Prof Vachspati Upadhyya, appreciated the decision of Haryana to set up a separate academy for the promotion of Sanskrit. He also appreciated Mr Chautala’s gesture of taking oath in Sanskrit while assuming office as Chief Minister. The Health Minister, Mr M.L. Ranga, former Vice-Chancellor, Kurukshetra University, said the syllabi of Sanskrit should be made simple so as to enable more students to take up Sanskrit as a subject. The local MLA, Mr Anil Vij, also spoke. The Chief Minister was presented with a robe of honour and a memento by the President of the Haryana Sanskrit Parishad Prof Ved Prakash
Vedalankar. |
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Unifest-2000 begins at MDU ROHTAK, Dec 3 — A cultural and literary bonanza for the youth of the varsities of north India, Unifest-2000, commenced here yesterday at Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU). The north zone inter-university youth festival was inaugurated by Education Minister Bahadur Singh who stressed the need for maintaining the values and ethos of the rich Indian culture and heritage. Maestro Pt Debu Chaudhuri, guest of honour at the inaugural function, called for greater state patronage to arts and culture. He underlined the importance of arts and culture in day-to-day life. Senior cultural official of the Association of Indian Universities Sampson David gave a clarion call to the participating youth to spread the message of love, peace, and fraternity, universal humane values, all around them. Vice-Chancellor of MDU Major-Gen (retd) B.S. Suhag stressed the importance of cultural participation in students’ life in his presidential address. A programme providing glimpses of Haryanvi, Uttaranchal and composite Hindustani cultures was presented on the occasion. A commemorative, Daily Bulletin, was also released on the occasion. As many as 15 universities are taking part in Unifest pitting their talents in 23 events in fine arts, music, dance, theatre and literary sections. |
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4 of family die
in mishap KAITHAL, Dec 3 — Four persons, including a young girl,were killed and three others seriously injured in an accident near Batta village on the Kaithal-Hisar road this afternoon. Eight members of a family belonging to Mohali, Punjab, were returning after attending a marriage function at Hisar when their Maruti van had a collision with a private bus and a truck. While the father died on the spot two others — Arti and the van driver (unknown) — succumbed to their injuries in the hospital at Kaithal, where they were rushed to in the jeep of a farmer, Mr Kushal Pal Sirohi, by the police. A girl and a boy, aged about 10 had a miraculous escape. Those injured are Jaswanti, Madhu and Parbhat. They have been admitted to civil hospital, Kaithal. The DC Kaithal and Mr Amit Jha, DC, Sirsa, who were travelling in his car behind the ill-fated van, visited the injured in the hospital. The relatives of the victims have been informed. The police has registered cases against the bus and truck drivers, who fled the site. |
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Babus misleading CM on
NPA, say doctors ROHTAK, Dec 3 — Expressing solidarity over the long-pending demand of non-practising allowance (NPA) various doctors’ associations of the state have gathered on the same platform to raise their voice against the ‘inordinate’ delay in its acceptance. In a press conference here today, Dr D.R. Gaur, Dr O.P. Chhikara and Dr D.B. Rawal, presidents of the Haryana State Medical Teachers’ Association, the Haryana Veterinary Association and the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association, announced that delegates of the associations would meet on December 12 and chalk out the future course of action. The doctors alleged that officials of Finance Department were responsible for the delay. They said the authorities concerned were misleading the Chief Minister on the issue. They said an amount of nearly Rs 6.40 crore was required to provide non-practising allowance (NPA) to doctors in different departments of the state while the Finance Department was exaggerating the amount. The doctors said the Chief Minister approved the release of the NPA on January 1 on the pattern of the Central Government. However, they alleged the announcement could not materialise because of the reluctance on the part of finance authorities who kept on ‘misinforming’ the Chief Minister regarding implications of the decision. Expressing concern over the exodus of doctors from the PGIMS of the state they said nearly 20 doctors had left the institute in two years mainly because of lower pay scales. They said that the NPA had already been released in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh in 1996. |
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Surrender
by Dangi today ROHTAK, Dec 3 — Mr Anand Singh Dangi, former Revenue Minister and accused in a land allotment scam care, will surrender in the sessions court here tomorrow. The HPCC chief, Mr B.S. Hooda, and all Congress MLAs would accompany him from Madina to Rohtak. He will be brought to the court in a procession. A decision to this effect was taken at the ‘maha panchayat’ held at Dangi’s native village, Madina, today Dr Raghbir Singh Kadian and Mr Shadi Lal Batra, MLA from Beri and Rohtak, respectively, among others, addressed the panchayat. Dr Kadian alleged that Mr Dangi was implicated in a false case. He condemned the government for ‘rampant corruption’ and claimed the Congress would bring down the government in four months. The Supreme Court had directed Mr Dangi to surrender within three days vide an interim order delivered on December 1. |
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Armed youths strike terror
in train SONEPAT, Dec 3 — Two unidentified armed youths entered a coach of a Delhi-bound train at the Ganaur Railway Station, about 16 km from here yesterday, creating panic. According to sources, the youths terrorised the passengers brandishing a pistol and a knife but they did not ask for anything from them. They got down from the train at the Rajlu Garhi station only to enter another compartment of the train. They finally got down at the Sandal Kalan Railway Station and fled. Passengers complained that there was no policeman on duty in the train. |
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Constitution of gram
samiti flayed SONEPAT, Dec 3 — Residents of Dodwa village staged a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here yesterday to protest against the constitution of the gram samiti by a sarpanch of the village in connivance with “certain” officials of the Block Development and Panchayat office. The Deputy Commissioner assured the residents that he would look into the matter. He also directed the Block Development and Panchayat officer to submit a report to him so that the samiti could be dissolved. According to another report, employees of the Sakhyarta Samiti staged a demonstration outside the camp office of the Deputy Commissioner here yesterday in protest against the non-payment of their wages for the months of February and March. The employees also submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner demanding the immediate release of their wages. |
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85,000 tax-payers to lose
PDS benefits FARIDABAD, Dec 3 — Names of 85,000 income tax-payers have been ordered to be struck off from the ration card list in the district. About 65 per cent of the card-holders have been denied the benefit of kerosene since they have LPG connections. The step follows a detailed survey conducted by the District Food and Supplies Controller’s office. The total number of ration cards in the district is around 1,05,000. It is reported that the authorities got information that several card-holders had one or more income tax-payers. Meanwhile, the district has completed the work of custom milling of paddy procured from various mandis recently. According to the DFSC, Mr Virender Dahiya, Faridabad has become the first district in the state which has completed the custom milling. Agencies, including Hafed, Confed and Haryana Agro Industries had bought 9,162 metric tonnes of paddy in the district, he said, adding that the entire milled rice had been handed over to the Food Corporation of India. The total procurement of paddy in the district was around 1.05 lakh tonnes this year. |
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Strike by Haryana
lawyers today SONEPAT, Dec 3 —The Central Government would issue the notification for setting up of a separate high court for Haryana if recommended by the state government and the Punjab and Haryana High Court. This assurance was given by the Union Minister of Law and Justice, Mr Arun Jaitley, to a deputation of the coordination committee of the Haryana State Bar Association, which called on him in New Delhi yesterday. Mr B.K. Kaushik who led the deputation told mediapersons that lawyers from all over the state would observe a strike tomorrow to express their solidarity on the issue. He said copies of the memorandum of demand for a separate high court for Haryana had also been sent to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr Om Parkash Chautala. He also disclosed that a deputation would meet the Chief Justice of the high court and the Chief Minister. |
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College teachers to
go on one-day strike AMBALA, Dec 3 — On the call of the All-India Federation of University and College Teachers Organisation (AIFUCTO), teachers in all 115 privately managed colleges will observe a one day strike on December 12, according to a press statement. The teachers will stage a mass demonstration in front of the UGC office in Delhi and then proceed towards Parliament, the statement said. According to the Haryana College Teachers Union president, Prof Shamsher Singh, and the general secretary, Dr Sudarshan
Gasso, all teachers will proceed on mass casual leave on December 12 to impress upon the HRD Ministry for the fulfilment of their long-standing demands, which include the agreement between AIFUCTO and the government. |
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Spastic society stages protest FARIDABAD, Dec 3 — The Spastic Society of Northern India, several members of voluntary organisations and the handicapped persons staged a demonstration here today to highlight their problems. The rally that started from a motel culminated at the residence of the Deputy Commissioner. The participants included Ms Renu Rani of the Spastic Society, Mr Budhram, Chief of the Faridabad Viklang Sewa Samiti and Mr Arvind Gupta of ‘Saaransh’, a voluntary organisation. They alleged that despite directions issued by the government several educational and vocational institutes were not providing free education and training to the handicapped persons. They submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner seeking implementation of the Handicapped (equal opportunity) Act, 1996. |
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