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| Thursday, December 28, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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A
government on virtual holiday Electricity bills to increase by 25
pc Experts oppose closed water pipes
plan 24 years and still a
lecturer Snag leaves Net users
gasping |
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PM pro-farmer, says kisan
morcha Notify NPA, appeal
Haryana doctors Ex-minister decries
power tariff hike Notorious gangster
arrested Strike
hits work in SBI branches
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A government
on virtual holiday HISAR, Dec 27 — The Haryana Government has virtually
gone on a long holiday with around 70 to 80 per cent of its employees
clubbing casual leave with a generous dose of official holidays to
make it an unusually long Christmas and New Year celebrations. Its offices all over the state have been wearing a deserted look since December 22, unofficially the last working day of the year for a majority of its employees. While the offices were closed on December 23 and 24 — being a Saturday and Sunday — December 25 was a holiday on account of Christmas. This was followed by another holiday on December 26 on account of Shaheed Udham Singh Day. However, December 27 was a working day, but few employees bothered to attend office that day and chose to exhaust the year’s quota of 20 days of causal leave. Tomorrow is another holiday because of Id-ul-Fitr. Even though December 29 is officially a working day, inquiries reveal that a vast majority of the employees have already put in their applications for casual leave on that day since the next two days — December 30 and 31 — are again holidays being Saturday and Sunday. The long holiday will spill over to the next year as well. January 2 is again a holiday. Thus by availing a day’s casual leave on January 1 from the next year’s quota of casual leave, the employees are required to attend office only on January 3. Incidentally, this is not the first time that such a long holiday has come the employees’ way this year. In October, the offices remained virtually closed from October 21 to 29. The long string of holiday then began with a Saturday and a Sunday on October 21 and 22. Thereafter, a majority of the employees availed of three days of casual leave on October 23, 24 and 25 to club these with four holidays beginning with Divali on October 26 and Vishvakarma Day on October 27. These were on course followed another Saturday and Sunday on October 28 and 29. Prior to that, week in government offices was seriously affected when employees clubbed two days of casual leave on April 10 and 11 with holidays falling on April 8 and (Saturday and Sunday), April 12 (Ram Navmi), April 13 (Baisakhi) and April 14 (Dr Ambedkar’s birthday). April 15 and 16 again happened to be Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Senior and important government functionaries admitted that they had been running their offices with skeletal staff since the beginning of the month because of the long string of holidays and the employees’ tendency to exhaust their balance of casual leave before the year was out. |
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Electricity bills to increase by 25
pc FARIDABAD, Dec 27 — The proposed hike in power tariff in Haryana from January 1 will be a severe blow on the common man, especially the middle income group, and those in the agriculture sector. While an average domestic consumer’s power bill will increase by almost 25 per cent, several of the tubewells in rural areas might face closure. Although the authorities concerned have claimed that the hike was about 11.3 per cent but this hike does not mention the surcharge and other taxes applicable on the bills. These include municipal tax of five paise per unit, fuel charge of 13 paise per unit and excise duty of 10 paise. This tax totals 28 paise per unit, which has not been mentioned in the hike. Thus the average increase per unit for the consumers of domestic category comes to about 78 paise per unit against the average of 50 paise. Surprisingly the hike is lower (percentagewise) for the non-domestic and industry sector. There are about 35 lakh consumers in domestic sector while the non-domestic and Industrial one constitute about run 4.3 lakh. About 3.54 lakh tubewells on power in the state. The farmers using power for irrigation purpose will have to pay more as the rates for metered supply as well the flat rate charge have been increased. Those having flat rate connections will be reportedly paying Rs 100 per BHP of power supply against the earlier rate of Rs 65 per BHP. Those having metered supply and consuming over 200 units will have to pay almost 50 per cent more than what they had been paying till now. This is the tenth hike in power rates since December 1987. The average hike per year comes to 17.69 per cent in the past about 13 years. The state government had increased the power rates by about 25 per cent in December, 1987 and the process started 1988. The authorities had hiked the fuel charges and other taxes by almost 12 per cent early this year. It was estimated that the power rates had seen a hike of about 230 per cent in “total” in the past 13-years. Various political and non-political organisations and activists have criticised the hike, stating that it would sound the “death knell”, of the agriculture sector and farmers, in particular, as they have not even paid their pending bills. While over 50,000 connections have been disconnected in the past about a year, a same number could go up sharply, especially the tubewells connections. A spokesman of the All-Haryana Power Corporation Employees Union condemned the hike and claimed that the main reason behind the hike was the privatisation of the state power board. If the government wanted to stabilise the power rates it would have to abandon the move and chalk out a fresh strategy involving the employees and the consumers. |
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Experts oppose closed water pipes
plan FATEHABAD, Dec 27 — The recent announcements of the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, regarding the supply of water from canals to the Public Health Department Waterworks tanks through closed pipes has not found much favour with experts. Though the Chief Minister has been announcing during his Sarkar Aapke Dwar programme that his government would make provisions that water from the source reaches the waterworks through pipes instead of the earlier practice of open drains, the directions are not being implemented as the experts think it is not feasible. Water to the Public Health Waterworks tanks is supplied through canals and distributaries through open drains. In many cases the canals or distributaries are situated at a good distance from the waterworks and people living near these drains, particularly the slumdwellers, wash their clothes in these drains. People often complain that the Public Health authorities do not observe hygienic conditions in the storage and supply of potable water. Keeping these complaints in mind, the state government had taken a decision that in future the supply of water from canals to storage tanks would be made through closed pipes. The Chief Minister had stated this while announcing three new waterworks in the district during a Sarkar Aapke Dwar programme. But senior officers of the Public Health Department, according to reliable sources, have not welcomed these announcements. They say the canal water tends to leave silt in the pipes which goes on accumulating and finally blocks them. To ensure a smooth flow of water through the pipes, it has to be made to travel at a certain velocity. This is possible only in cases where the experts find sufficient slope for the pipes. The experts have asked officers in the field to ignore the government announcement and opt for the old system of open drains only. Meanwhile, the work on the laying of water pipes from the Bhodia canal to the water distributary situated on the local Bhattu road has been completed by the Public Health authorities. The department plans to pump out water from the canal to the distributary through pipes, but water from the distributary to the watertank would be carried through open drain only. The department is planning to repair the old drain. The Public Health Waterworks here, it may be recalled, has not been receiving canal water for the past two years and it has to depend on the water supplied by the tubewells installed at several places in the town. This is why people face an acute scarcity of potable water in summer. The authorities hope to get the canal water before the summer sets in. |
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24 years and still a
lecturer ROHTAK, Dec 27 — Dr H.P. Dahiya of the Chemistry Department, Maharshi Dayanand University, will retire as a lecturer even after putting in over 24 years of service, if the directions issued by the state government on September 21 are implemented strictly by the university. His is not an isolated case. Most of the 110 teachers promoted under the merit promotion scheme by the university will meet the same fate, following the sudden wakening up of the state Education Department from its deep slumber after over 15 years. The merit promotion scheme-cum-personal promotion scheme was introduced by the UGC in 1983 so as to end stagnation among the university and college teachers. The state government vide letter no: 46/1-2000 edu.1(6) dated September 21, 2000 has alleged that teachers were promoted under the above scheme after modification of the original scheme in violation of the UGC guidelines and moreover, without the approval of the state government. It has advised the university to review or rectify all promotions/actions taken in deviation of the UGC guidelines by placing the matter before the executive council and issuing well-reasoned orders. The Vice-Chancellor, who appears to have surrendered his authority to the state Education Department, has issued show-cause notices to certain teachers for reverting them immediately on the receipt of the government letter without caring for the facts, which speak to the contrary. Maharshi Dayanand University was virtually enjoying full autonomy in 1983 when the scheme came into existence. It just did not require any state government approval in the matter, as Section 9-F of the Maharshi Dayanand University Act, that had made the government approval mandatory, was inserted in January, 1992, only. Prior to this, the university was not required to seek any approval from the state government in matters of financial implications. Interestingly, all decisions for promotions under the scheme were taken by the highest governing body of the university i.e. the executive council. The university had been corresponding regularly with the Education Department on this subject thereby allaying any apprehensions of its concealing the facts. In fact correspondence between the university and the Education Department suggest that the state Education Department has been in the picture regarding the university’s decisions in this matter without making any observation on the manner in which the scheme was implemented by the university, the Vice-Chancellor reportedly told the government in a letter dated November 15. The Vice-Chancellor regretted that in the initial stages of the scheme, the Education Department did not clarify its policy on the scheme despite over 12 letters written by the university. “It is also seen that the department has been in the picture because of the scheme but also that some modifications had been applied in its implementation”, he wrote. The only occasion on which the department had given specific directions in the matter was to stop the promotions under the merit promotion scheme vide letter no: 35/136/82-edu. 1(6) dated July 27, 1987. This, however, was revived when the new pay scales became effective from January, 1986, in which the guidelines for the above scheme were issued vide para 17 of government letter no: 5/2/87/Edu.1 (5) of March 8, 1989. Amazingly, the representatives of the Education Department had always attended the meetings of the executive council, which took all decisions on the methods of implementing the scheme. There is no record of their having differed with the council decision or given a dissenting note. The university, thus, continued implementing the scheme assuming that it had the consent of the state government. All these so-called irregularities were also discussed at a meeting specifically called for the purpose in Chandigarh on February 2, 1997. The meeting, which was chaired by Director, Higher Education, had resolved that “since undoing what has already been done would create administrative and legal problems, the committee recommends regularisation of these cases as a one-time measure”. The government decision, as conveyed by the Vice-Chancellor, has caused great resentment and anxiety among the university teachers. If implemented, the teachers, even after more than 20 years of service, would have to be reverted to the posts of lecturers from the present posts of professor/reader and placed in the pay scale of Rs 8000-13,500. Interestingly, many of them promoted under the merit promotion scheme were advised by the university against applying for open posts of readers and professors on the plea that they were already getting the same designation and pay scale. |
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Snag leaves Net users
gasping HISAR, Dec 27 — Thousands of Net surfers in the area have been cut off from Internet because of a serious snag in connections. Since yesterday Intenet users trying to access the Net on the login number 172222 have been getting a tape-recorded message saying that all lines on this route are busy. The service broke down around midnight yesterday and had not been restored till this evening. Official sources said the fault lay at the Delhi-end and the authorities there had been apprised of the problem. They said the service would be restored only after the Delhi people corrected the snag. The Hisar node provides access to Internet to thousands of Net users in the area. Connectivity in the area served by the Hisar node had improved after the local node became functional a few months ago. However, the increasing number of Internet connections had been causing a steady deterioration in connectivity. Incidentally, there is no particular official with whom a complaint about
Internet services can be lodged. Net users, therefore, have to just wait and watch. No telephone number has been assigned to book such complaints. This is despite the fact that the revenue of the local telephone exchange and those of surrounding areas has been rising steadily with the number of Internet users rising steadily over the past few months. However, there has been no improvement in the service. |
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PM pro-farmer, says kisan
morcha SOHNA (Gurgaon), Dec 27 — The BJP Kisan Morcha (BJPKM), a front organisation of the ruling BJP at the Centre, today tried to sell pro-farmer image of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and adopted a resolution praising him and his government for the measures taken to promote the agriculture sector. On the concluding day of the two-day meeting of the national executive of the BJPKM, its president, Mr Shivankar Rao, hailed Mr Vajpayee as the “Chowdhary” of the nation. This is considered to be a shrewd move as the image of “Chowdhary” is bound to be liked by the farming community. The General Secretary of the BJP, Mr Narender Modi, said Mr Vajpayee had knowledge of agriculture along with science and technology. Mr Modi presided over the final session of the executive’s meeting. The resolution said for the first time in the history of India had any government given 60 per cent of the budgetary allocations for the rural areas in the current financial
year. The announcement of a national agriculture policy, an insurance policy for rabi crops and a technology mission to give a boost to cotton farmers were some of the measures that were highlighted in the resolution. The BJPKM also passed a resolution, seeking a separate TV channel for the promotion of agriculture and development of the rural areas. In another resolution, a demand was made for the framing of a policy to give foodgrains as remuneration for work instead of wages for those living below the poverty line. A Union Minister for State and former BJPKM president, Mr Hukam Dev Naryana Yadav, protested against subsidies on
fertilisers.He said big firms and rich persons were the beneficiaries of the subsidies on fertilisers. The government should instead give indirect subsidies to the farmers by allowing them discounts on the purchase of agriculture inputs and implements. |
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Notify NPA, appeal
Haryana doctors SONEPAT, Dec 27 — The state council of the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association (HCMS) today expressed resentment over the delay in implementing the announcement of the Chief Minister Mr Om Prakash Chautal regarding the grant of non-practic- ing allowance (NPA) to doctors working in the Health Department as per the Fifth Pay Commission’s recommendations. In a press note here, the HCMS said if the state government did not act soon, it would launch a statewide agitation. It said the Chief Minister, had announced at its annual convention on December 12 last year that government doctors, including those working in the PGIMS, would be paid enhanced NPA as per the Fifth Pay Commission’s report with effect from January 1 this year. But the announcement was not followed by government notification and hence the doctors continued to get the NPA at the old rate, notwithstanding the fact that they had been granted new pay scales from January 1, 1996. The association would decide on the future course of action after the December 31 deadline. It would meet next month to take a final decision on the launching of a statewide agitation over the issue. Punjab and Himachal Pradesh had already granted NPA on the Central Government pattern to the doctors, the association said, appealing to the Chief Minister to fulfil his promise. The association also charged the previous HVP government of Mr Bansi Lal with adopting dilatory tactics in granting NPA. |
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Ex-minister decries
power tariff hike ROHTAK, Dec 27 — Criticising the hike in power tariff, a former minister, Mr Krishan Murti Hooda, has charged the state government with backing out of its pre-election promise to provide power and water free of cost. In a statement here today, Mr Hooda said the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, had cheated people by hiking the power rates thrice during his over one-year tenure. He alleged it was Mr Chautala who used to instigate people, especially farmers, not to pay their power bills, arguing that the facility must be free for the farmers on the pattern of Punjab. Mr Hooda said the considerable hike in power
tariff would worsen the situation of the farmers. He said the farmers in several areas were not able to pay their power bills as they did not get sufficient prices for their produce. He said, the state government had no right to increase the power rates as it has failed in providing adequate power, especially in the rural areas. |
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Notorious gangster
arrested HISAR, Dec 27 — The district police has arrested a notorious gangster Pradeep Yadav involved in more than a dozen cases of extortion and dacoities in the district. Addressing mediapersons here last evening, Mr Sandeep Khirwar, SP, said on a tip-off a CIA team nabbed him near Sorkhi village this afternoon when he was coming there to meet his associates. The SP also produced him before the mediapersons. He was a top- ranking gangster who had formed his own gang and developed links with other gangsters of Haryana and nearby states. As many as 14 members of his gang were arrested last month. Mr Khirwar said the police had recovered a country-made pistol and two live cartridges from him. He said Pradeep, a resident of nearby Jamawari village, had accepted his involvement in more than a dozen cases of looting. The SP said he had looted Rs 1.60 lakh from the Hansi grain market and Rs 2 lakh from a Hero Honda agency in Bhiwani at pistol point four months ago. He had also snatched five motor cycles at Hansi and a jeep at Rajgarh in Rajasthan in the past six months. He had looted Rs 85000 from nearby Sisai village. He had purchased five pistols and 40 cartridges from a person of Rampur district in Uttar Pradesh two months ago. |
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Strike
hits work in SBI branches HISAR, Dec 27 — Work in different branches of the State Bank of India in the district was badly affected today as employees went on strike. The striking employees took out march in front of their respective branches and raised slogans against the bank management. The union leaders alleged that the management was working against the interests of the lower grade employees. They said the employees of different branches would remain on strike by rotation on alternate days till January 4. On the other hand officers of these branches boycotted today’s strike and attended office. |
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Id greetings
by Haryana Governor, CM CHANDIGARH, Dec 27 — The Haryana Governor, Babu
Parmanand, and the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today extended their felicitations to the people of the state on the eve of
Id-ul-Fitr. In their messages the Governor and the Chief Minister said the festival of
Id-ul-Fitr was a symbol of fraternity which taught people to love humanity and work for the welfare of the poor and the needy. They urged the people to celebrate this festival in an atmosphere of social amity and communal harmony. 54 ASIs elevated
to SIs CHANDIGARH, Dec 27 — Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala today gave the nod to the upgradation of 54 posts of Assistant Sub-Inspector to the rank of Sub-Inspector in the Telecommunications wing of the Police Department. An official spokesman said these ASIs were in charge of control rooms which were working round the clock by rotation in 17 districts and one control room at the Haryana Armed Police HQ, Madhuban. This would also remove stagnation in their career. These ASIs had been working in this rank for 15 to 20 years. |
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Cow
hides, 50 kg of
beef seized FARIDABAD, Dec 27 — The police has seized about 50 kg of beef and cow hides from five persons near Hathin town in this district. According to information, the suspects had allegedly slaughtered some cows at Rupadka village. A raid was conducted by the police which seized the beef. Kallu, Sharif, Tarif, Tahir and Ameen have been booked in this connection. No arrest has, however, been made. Meanwhile, the police has seized over 7 kg of ganza from a person who said he used to bring ganga from Bihar to sell it in Faridabad. |
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Update voter lists:
state poll chief CHANDIGARH, Dec 27 — The Haryana State Election Commissioner, Mr T.D. Jogpal, today wrote to all Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officers (Panchayat) to update voter lists of gram panchayats on the basis of the Assembly electoral rolls, to be finalised on February 2, with January 1, 2001, as the qualifying date. A press note issued by the state Election Commissoin said the fresh electoral rolls were needed to fill vacancies of sarpanches, panches, members of the zila parishad and panchayat samitis which occurred due to the death or disqualification of elected members after the last general election. |
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