The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Haryana decision on liquor purchase by hotels, clubs
CHANDIGARH, Dec 5 — The Haryana Cabinet today decided that three and five star hotels and clubs holding L-4 and 5 and L-12-C licences would be allowed to purchase imported foreign spirit or wine or beer or cider at thrice the rate of excise duty prevalent in respect of the sale of approved brands.

Inquiry into train mishap begins
AMBALA, Dec 5 — Commissioner for Railway Safety G.P. Gupta commenced the statutory inquiry into last week’s rail accident involving Howrah-Amritsar mail and a derailed goods train near Sarai Banjara, about 40 km from here, which claimed 44 lives.

Strike by Haryana staff hits work
Chandigarh, Dec 5 — Routine work has taken a back seat following the pen-down strike by the Haryana employees, affecting the Secretariat, the offices situated at the 30 Bays Building and some offices at Panchkula.

‘Make water management top priority’
CHANDIGARH, Dec 5 — The Haryana Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr S.Y. Quaraishi, today expressed the need for making water management the top priority in the long-term planning programmes of the state.

District Diary
Blackmarketing in HUDA forms
HISAR: Application forms for residential plots of the Haryana Urban Development Authority are not easily available at the specified bank branches here. However, the forms, which cost Rs 20 each, can be had for Rs 100 at the offices of certain property dealers.

More pay for high school headmasters
CHANDIGARH, Dec 5 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today announced that the pay scale of headmasters of high schools had been revised on the Fifth Pay Commission pattern.

Govt funds being misused: HVP
NARNAUL, Dec 5 — The President and General Secretary of the Haryana Vikas Party, Mr Surender Singh, has flayed the ‘Sarkar Aapke Dwar’ programme introduced by the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala. Through this programme, the government funds were being misused, he alleged. The money should be spent through panchayats in the state, he said.

Power theft: 22.6 cr imposed as penalty
CHANDIGARH, Dec 5 — In their ongoing efforts to curb the theft of electricity in the state, the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam and the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam have cheked 4,36,374 premises, detected 31,476 cases of theft and imposed a penalty of Rs 22.60 crore. Out of this Rs 10.17 crore has already been recovered from the erring consumers during the current financial year.

Farmers not to pay power bills
KAITHAL, Dec 5 — A large number of BKU activists, at a meeting held in the local Jawahar Park here yesterday, decided not to pay power bills till the government arrives at an amicable settlement with them. The farmers also threatened to launch an agitation if the government used force to recover arrears of power bills from them.

Two killed in accident
AMBALA, Dec 5 — Two persons were killed, when the car they were travelling in, met with an accident near Kuldip Nagar late last night.

Girls outshine boys in exams
BHIWANI, Dec 5 —The overall pass percentage of the senior secondary (academic) supplementary examination held in September is 57.63. Girls have outshine boys by obtaining a pass percentage of 60.57. Boys obtained a pass percentage of 56.11.

2 workers hurt in attack
FARIDABAD, Dec 5 — Two workers of a local factory were injured when they were attacked by some youths yesterday.

Villagers hold rally
HISAR, Dec 5 — Hundreds of residents of Kanwari group villages of the district held a procession and a rally at the mini-secretariat here yesterday in protest against the inadequate supply of drinking and irrigation water in the area. A large number of women also joined the procession.

48 in fray for nagar parishad poll
KALKA, Dec 5 — Fortyeight candidates have been left in fray for the Parwanoo nagar parishad election wards, which include 17 women candidates.

College closed due to strike
KAITHAL, Dec 5 — The local Indira Gandhi Mahila Mahavidyalaya has been closed till December 10. Giving this information here this evening, the college administrator, Mr J.P. Kaushik, said this decision had been taken in view of the students’ strike to press for the removal of the principal.

	ASO issue to kick up row in University From Our Correspondent ROHTAK, Dec 5 — The attempt to approve the reinstatement of controversial assistant security officer (ASO) in Maharshi Dayanand University by the Executive Council might land the university administration in a difficult situation following a recent complaint in this connection to the Governor-cum-Chancellor of the university. It has become a controversial item in the agenda to be placed before the Executive Council of the university which is scheduled to meet here on December 11. The services of ASO Balraj Singh, alias Ballu, were terminated in 1996 by the then Vice-Chancellor, Mr Vivek Chand Sharma, when the certificates and degrees produced by the former were found bogus. Earlier, Balraj got admission to MA (Hindi) in the university in 1988 by producing a BA degree obtained from Delhi University. However, his result was cancelled when the Controller of Examinations, Delhi University, confirmed that the documents were bogus. Later, Balraj Singh joined the university as an employee in 1991. This time he produced another bachelor’s degree of Magadh University, Bodh Gaya, in Bihar. Following a complaint in this connection the university authorities directed verification of his degree. The then Controller of Examinations, MDU, Mr V.P. Mehta found that the degree was fake. Consequently, services of Balraj Singh were terminated in 1996 during the tenure of Vice-Chancellor Vivek Sharma and an FIR was lodged against him on the charge of producing fake certificates for employment. After the retirement of Mr Vivek Sharma the then Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Mr L.N. Dahiya, took over as Vice-Chancellor and reinstated Balraj Singh after an “inquiry” into the matter. However, no Vice-Chancellor took the risk of placing the item before Executive Council for approval from 1997 till date. The university administration has included the controversial item in the agenda which has raised many eyebrows as the FIR and a public interest litigation are still pending in this regard. Balraj Singh has also been charge-sheeted a few days ago by the CBI in connection with the murderous attack on the then Vice-Chancellor, Mr Vivek Sharma, at his official residence and later, near the casualty department of PGIMS here.
	Dangi case ‘not vendetta’ Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, Dec 5 — The Chairman of the 29-Point Programme Monitoring Committee of Haryana, Prof Teja Singh, yesterday cautioned the people over the manner in which the Congress had been giving shape to its plan of “driving the nation towards corruption.” In a statement issued here Prof Teja Singh objected to the way the Congress presented former Revenue Minister Anand Singh Dangi, facing charges in connection with a land scandal running into crores of rupees, for surrender at the court of the Special Judge, Rohtak, following the directions of the Supreme Court. Prof Teja Singh debunked the Congress projection of the matter as a case of vendetta by the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala. He remarked that people were shocked to see the president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, driving a tractor with Mr Dangi seated on it to the court area, giving a clear message to the nation that the Congress glorified those facing corruption charges. He said the case of Mr Dangi was actually initiated during the tenure of the Congress government and the inquiry was first initiated by the Bansi Lal government. In fact, he said, the government led by Mr Chautala had only made further inquiries into the case on a question raised in the Vidhan Sabha. He said Mr Chautala had been repeatedly assuring the people of the state that those found indulging in corrupt practices would be dealt with sternly. The investigation which Mr Chautala had got conducted against Mr Dangi was only part of his commitment to eradicate corruption even at high places. The fairness of Mr Chautala was evident from the fact that he had himself got a probe ordered into the charges of corruption levelled against him by the BJP legislator, Mr Krishan Lal Gujjar, Prof Teja Singh added.
	Strike peaceful, says Post Master General, Haryana Tribune News Service AMBALA, Dec 5 — The Post Master General of Haryana Circle, Mr T.R. Sharma, today said that the strike by the postal employees had been peaceful in the state. Postal employees claimed that the strike was a complete success. Mr Sharma said that there had been no report of any untoward incident in the Haryana circle. He said 37 per cent attendance was reported in the offices and added that the strike had an adverse impact. Most of the small post offices remained closed in the district today, in support of the strike call given at the national level. A postal employee claimed that the strike was 100 per cent successful and said that the indefinite strike would continue till such time that their demands were not met by the government. The Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI), has, however, expressed concern over the strike. Dr N.C. Jain, state senior vice-president of HCCI, said that industry and trade would suffer heavily. “There will be heavy financial loss due to non-receipt of payments from buyers, leading to banking debts and goods will be held up at the godowns, incur demurrage for not being taken for delivery in absence of receipts,” a release said. He said that the sellers would also charge interest for non-payment of their bills ring because drafts cannot be sent. Courier services would also take advantage of the postal strike. “To compat this problem, the Government of India should work out an immediate solution to the problem and talk to the employees. The employees are also advised by the Chamber to withdraw their strike and negotiate with the government with an unprejudiced mind, keeping in view the interests of the industry and trade,” Dr jain said.
	Lawyer, 2 others booked for rape From Our Correspondent REWARI, Dec 5 — Following a complaint lodged by Mrs Manju Bala (40), wife of Narendra Singh, a resident of Rajiv Nagar here, the city police has registered a case on charges of rape, causing hurt and criminal intimidation under Sections 376, 323, 506 and 34, IPC, against an advocate of Mohalla Topehiwara here, and two others. Manju Bala, who worked as a domestic help at the residence of the advocate had alleged that she was beaten up and raped by the trio on November 25. However, she lodged the complaint on November 29 and a case of rape was registered by the city police against the three suspects. She was admitted to the local civil hospital where she is being treated for injuries allegedly inflicted on her at the advocate’s residence. She was medically examined by doctors. It is reported that the advocate suspected that the missing ornaments and cash of his wife had been stolen by Manju Bala. Meanwhile, the advocate, Mr Risal Singh, has denied the allegation of rape. The District Bar Association held a special meeting under the chairmanship of its President, Mr Sunil Chaudhary here on December 1.
	Gurgaon may have municipal corp From Ravi S. Singh Tribune News Service GURGAON, Dec 5 — The local administration has recommended the expansion of the boundary limits of the municipal council here. The recommendation, if sails through, would pave the way for giving corporation status to the local self-governing body. The president of the local municipal council, Mr Braham Prakash, confirmed that the recommendation had been sent to the Director, Local Bodies. According to information available, the government was actively considering to accept the recommendation, mutatis mutandis. However, the caveat is that for technical reasons and, to be on the right side of the rules, the recommendation will be accepted and implemented only after the current fiscal year. The present financial year is also the census year. According to the conventions in our parliamentary form of government, there can be no tampering on such issues when the census is in progress. The implementation, in all probability, will take place from the next financial year. Moreover, the recommendation, if accepted, has to be approved by the state Cabinet and subsequently must be successfully piloted in the Assembly by the government. The reason being that the move have financial implications and according to the provisions of the Constitution, new financial burden cannot be imposed on the people without the ratification of the state legislature, or Parliament, if the issue pertained to the entire country. The present boundary of the municipality encompasses an area of about 16 sq km of the city. The recommendation, if acted upon, will increase the circumference to more than 145 sq km. Under the present provision no village falls in the jurisdiction limit. But in the new scheme of things 38 villages will be included. Another highlight of the proposed amendments will be the inclusion of all developed HUDA sectors. The new boundary limits will begin from the Delhi-Gurgaon border and stretch to areas before Manesar, while travelling from Delhi. According to a senior officer, Manesar and areas beyond it have not been included as not much habitation has taken place in them. Inquiries reveal that the recommendation for the increase in the limits is in tune with the state government’s move to give the local municipality the status of a corporation. According to reports, the government is also actively considering giving the status of corporation to the Hisar municipality along with that of Ambala City and Ambala Cantonment (both will be combined), and Yamunanagar and Jagadhri (both combined). According to the provisions of the Haryana Municipal Act, only those municipalities can be given the status of corporation which have a population of five lakh or more within their jurisdiction limits. Presently there is only one corporation in Faridabad. If the move to increase the municipal limits succeeds, thousands of residential and commercial quarters will be regulated by the municipality (later on by the proposed corporation) with regard to levies of all kinds of levies, including house tax. The villages to be included within the limits of the municipality will have to bear the brunt on account of the house taxes. This is expected to astronomically inflate the revenue on account of house tax. According to official statistics, presently the house tax accounts for Rs 1.20 crore in the annual revenue of the municipality.
	Haryana decision on liquor purchase by hotels, clubs Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, Dec 5 — The Haryana Cabinet today decided that three and five star hotels and clubs holding L-4 and 5 and L-12-C licences would be allowed to purchase imported foreign spirit (IMFS) or wine or beer or cider at thrice the rate of excise duty prevalent in respect of the sale of approved brands. In the case of imported wines and Scotch, the rate of excise duty would be Rs 123 per litre for IMFS. It would be Rs 7.50 per bottle of 350 ml in the case of cider and Rs 9 per bulk litre for sweet wine with spirit up to 25 per cent. Similarly, excise duty would be charged at Rs 12 per bulk litre in the case of sweet wine with more than 25 per cent spirit, but not exceeding 30 per cent. In the case of beer excise duty would be charged at the rate of Rs 24 per bulk litre. The Cabinet also decided to dispense with the requirement of L-1-B (wholesale licence for the sale of liquor), L-1-B-1 (wholesale licence for the sale of beer or wine or cider) and L-1-C (label fee) in respect of imported liquor or beer or wines.
	Inquiry into train mishap begins AMBALA, Dec 5 (PTI) — Commissioner for Railway Safety G.P. Gupta commenced the statutory inquiry into last week’s rail accident involving Howrah-Amritsar mail and a derailed goods train near Sarai Banjara, about 40 km from here, which claimed 44 lives. Mr Gupta conducted inquiry at Rajpura where he examined railway officials, including crew of both the trains, operating staff of Sarai Banjara and Sadhoogarh stations as also staff posted in the train control room. He also examined the speedometers of the two trains and the statements of the staff, which were recorded earlier by the Ambala Divisional railway officials, immediately after the accident. Anybody wishing to give any information about the accident could meet Mr Gupta, railway sources said. He is expected to continue his inquiry tomorrow here.
	Strike by Haryana staff hits work Tribune News Service Chandigarh, Dec 5 — Routine work has taken a back seat following the pen-down strike by the Haryana employees, affecting the Secretariat, the offices situated at the 30 Bays Building and some offices at Panchkula. “ The important works are still being carried out, but the routine work for which one has to see the record or consult an old file, for which assistance is needed, has stopped totally”, an officer at the Cooperative Department said. He said by important works he meant if some matter had to be put up before the Chief Minister for discussion, or if something had to be presented to a visiting dignitary, and so on. The personal staff of the officers who sit at the 30 Bays Building is also on strike. This has made it difficult for the officers of some of the busy government departments. “Our work load has actually increased because of the strike, we are now writing notes and sending the handwritten notes to the state government”, an Irrigation Department officer said. Unlike the secretariat building, where the personal staff attached to ministers and officers has not joined the strike, at the Bays Building the personal staff is observing the pen-down strike. “The officer-oriented works are carried out, no other works are being done”, said an officer in the Industries Department. People from other parts of the state who used to come to Haryana Government offices in Chandigarh for various works have stopped coming and are waiting for the strike to be over, he said. Meanwhile, the strike, resumed by the Haryana General Category and Backward Classes Employees Organisation since the afternoon of October 16, was observed successfully today also as employees gathered in front of 30 Bays Building and demonstrated against Chautala-led government’s alleged reluctance to carry out the reversion of seven Under Secretaries belonging to reserve categories to Superintendents. The employees rally was addressed by Ramakant Tewari and Shyamlal Sharma, leaders of general category employees from Punjab, R.D. Khasa of Haryana, and others. The government has so far dismissed 55 employees and has also stopped the salaries of the strikers to bring the strike to an end. However, despite these stringent measures there has not been any let up in the strike.
	‘Make water management top priority’ Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, Dec 5 — The Haryana Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr S.Y. Quaraishi, today expressed the need for making water management the top priority in the long-term planning programmes of the state. Mr Quaraishi was speaking at a one-day workshop on “Participatory irrigation management” organised by the Haryana Irrigation Department and the Haryana Irrigation Research and Management Institute. He regretted the tendency to over-irrigate crops which could even be fatal to them. Although water shortage was a problem, ironically waterlogging, too, was a severe problem in the state. He said the HIRMI and the Command Area Development Authority together could play a vital role in solving this problem. He felt that it would be best if the “blue revolution” was initiated from Haryana and Punjab. Mrs Urvashi Gulati, Commissioner and Secretary, Irrigation, said the need of the hour was to bring about a second Green Revolution through the diversification of crops to overcome the crisis being faced by the farming community. Mr B.N. Navalawala, Adviser, Water Resources Division of the Planning Commission, said nature had provided enough water for everybody’s needs but not greed. Therefore, the rationing of water for irrigation purposes was required along with working hand in hand with the robust common sense of farmers. Participatory irrigation management was meant to involve people at the grassroots level and should not be perceived as an instrument for the convenience of the law.
	District Diary Blackmarketing in HUDA forms From Narender Sharma HISAR: Application forms for residential plots of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) are not easily available at the specified bank branches here. However, the forms, which cost Rs 20 each, can be had for Rs 100 at the offices of certain property dealers. HUDA had decided to sell forms for the allotment of residential plots in different sectors in Hisar, Jind, Bhiwani, Fatehabad, Ratia, Bawani Khera and Hansi from November 15. The last date for the submission of the completed forms was fixed as December 15. The forms, as per HUDA’s policy, were to be made available at various branches of specified banks all over the state. But almost all forms here were reported to have been “sold” within the first two days. Prospective applicants have been visiting the banks concerned for buying the forms for the past many days but in vain. Residents allege that some bank employees and HUDA officials have connived in selling the forms to the property dealers. They regret that the HUDA authorities have been unable to check black marketing in the forms. *** * * In an attempt to reduce the number of road accidents, the authorities have again constructed a roundabout at Dabra Chowk here. They had earlier demolished a beautiful roundabout at the place, which was constructed and maintained by a local industrial unit. The earlier structure was built at the behest of the authorities themselves in the nineties. However, it was demolished due to political reasons five years ago. The plea taken then was that such a roundabout at the foot of an overbridge was not permitted under the rules. The demolition made the road crossing among the most accident-prone areas in the town. Following protests by residents of the area, a roundabout almost double the size of the original structure has been hastily constructed. Residents say it is badly designed and has reduced the width of the road. Vehicles like trucks and buses almost brush against shops in the area while negotiating a turn. * * *** The Haryana Chief Secretary, Mr Vishnu Bhagwan, has said that education is incomplete unless one maintains high moral standards and an ethical lifestyle. Presiding over the annual prize distribution function of the local Jindal Modern School, he said the education system could not be faulted for the tendency of people to seek short cuts to success in life. He said society was mainly responsible for fostering such shortcomings in individuals. Mr Bhagwan said evolving a good lifestyle was like constructing a building. For a good building, quality construction material was required. Likewise, high moral standards were the input for a proper lifestyle. Mr R.P. Jindal, executive member of the school governing body and vice-president of Jindal Strips Ltd, said the school, founded by industrialist Om Parkash Jindal, had made rapid strides in all fields since its inception three years ago. Earlier Mr Vishnu Bhagwan inaugurated Sushila Chetal Charitable Dispensary at the Community Centre of Shiv Nagar here.

	Power theft: 22.6 cr imposed as penalty Tribune News Service CHANDIGARH, Dec 5 — In their ongoing efforts to curb the theft of electricity in the state, the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam and the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam have cheked 4,36,374 premises, detected 31,476 cases of theft and imposed a penalty of Rs 22.60 crore. Out of this Rs 10.17 crore has already been recovered from the erring consumers during the current financial year. In a statement, Mrs Meenaxi Anand Chaudhary, Chairperson of the Haryana Power Utilities, said that last month alone the two nigams checked 49,564 premises. As many as 5,057 consumers were found stealing electricity. A penalty of Rs 3.68 crore was imposed and Rs 1.82 crore was realised on the spot.
	Farmers not to pay power bills From Our Correspondent KAITHAL, Dec 5 — A large number of BKU activists, at a meeting held in the local Jawahar Park here yesterday, decided not to pay power bills till the government arrives at an amicable settlement with them. The farmers also threatened to launch an agitation if the government used force to recover arrears of power bills from them. Mr Ram Kishan, President of the meeting, and Mr Jia Lal, Secretary of the district unit of the BKU, expressed concern over the plight of the farmers and criticised the government for delay in announcement of minimum support price for wheat procurement in the next season. They said that the wheat price should be fixed on the basis of cost of production and price of inputs and should be related with the prevailing wholesale price index. The farmers were not being paid remunerative price for their produce, making them economically weak and leading some to commit suicide.
	Two killed in accident Tribune News Service AMBALA, Dec 5 — Two persons were killed, when the car they were travelling in, met with an accident near Kuldip Nagar late last night. The accident took place at about 1.30 p.m., when the car, coming from Delhi and headed for Dhariwal, collided with a truck. while Pramod Kumar and Ashok Kumar were killed in the accident, Sunil Kumar and Ramesh sustained injuries. The truck driver is absconding.
	Girls outshine boys in exams From Our Correspondent BHIWANI, Dec 5 —The overall pass percentage of the senior secondary (academic) supplementary examination held in September is 57.63. Girls have outshine boys by obtaining a pass percentage of 60.57. Boys obtained a pass percentage of 56.11. Declaring the results, the board chairman Mr Sher Singh Rori, told mediapersons here today that 47,667 candidates appeared in this examination and 27,469 candidates were declared pass. The number of the candidates placed in the compartment was 17,592. He said out of 31, 442 boys who appeared in the examination, 17,642 were declared pass and 11,726 were placed in compartment. He said 16,6225 girls took the examination and 9,827 were successful and 5,866 got compartment. He said the pass percentage of senior secondary (vocational) examination was 49. Out of 3,692 candidates who appeared in it, 1,811 were declared successful. The board secretary, said the result was being made available on the Internet website http://haryana.nic.in. offices of district education officers, head office of the board at Bhiwani and district-level coordination centres of the board. The result would be published in four Hindi dailies. The secretary said fail/compartment/re-appear cards would be sent within a week of the declaration of the results and pass certificates would be sent within two weeks.
	2 workers hurt in attack From Our Correspondent FARIDABAD, Dec 5 — Two workers of a local factory were injured when they were attacked by some youths yesterday. According to information, Ashok of Noida (UP) was stabbed by certain persons with a broken glass bottle near Sarai Khawaja locality when he was returning home. The main accused has been identified as Gopi. Anil, a friend of Ashok, was also beaten up. A case has been registered. In another incident, beggar was found dead in the green belt area on the main Mathura road. The deceased reportedly died of hunger and the prevailing cold conditions. Meanwhile, the body of Sher Mohammed of Mewat was recovered from Gadpuri village. He was reported missing from his village for the past 10 days. His family suspected foul play while the police said the victim had died in a road accident.