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| Saturday,
December 30, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Year-ender Barnala visits Haryana village CM’s claims on canal waters
refuted Dharna against harassment by power staff BKU threatens to gherao
MPs Governor inaugurates
engineering college |
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Industrial Area cries for
attention In-laws booked for youth’s
murder
Martyr cremated with military honours Haryana to set up traffic aid
posts BJP leader flays power tariff
hike
Haryana police transfers Forced conversion
alleged Anti-encroachment drive a failure
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Year-ender CHANDIGARH, Dec 29 — People of Haryana will remember the outgoing year as the year of Om Prakash Chautala, who ultimately came out of the shadow of his father, Mr Devi Lal, and came to power on his own, virtually paralysing the Opposition in the process. Such was the might of the Chautala juggernaut that in the Assembly elections held in February, 13 months before their due date, his Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) created a record of sorts by winning 47 of the 61 seats it contested in the House of 90. Even the BJP, which contested 29 seats in alliance with the INLD in the hope that it would be able to do back-seat driving in the Chautala government, had to eat humble pie. The party could win only six seats and was virtually marginalised as far as state affairs are concerned. The Congress, though it emerged as the main Opposition party with 21 seats, failed to put up creditable opposition to the Chautala government, which gave it many an occasion to do so by taking hard decisions on a number of issues. The Congress remained bogged down in its organisational elections and factionalism. It was at war with itself, which encouraged Mr Chautala to frequently poke fun at it. Though by the end of the year Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda succeeded in retaining the party presidentship, the factionalism remains unabated, with the former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, Mr Bhajan Lal, continuing to virtually boycott the newly elected president. So far, he has not attended any of the meetings or programmes organised by Mr Hooda. No wonder, Mr Chautala has a hearty laugh at the emaciated Opposition. He continued his winning streak when his younger son, Abhey, won the Rori Assembly byelection by a record margin. He proved his grip on his party by not only keeping the size of his Cabinet small, but also by not going in for any expansion. So much so he has not made his party MLAs the chairmen of boards and corporations wholesale, as had been the past practice. Under the circumstances one cannot blame Mr Chautala for developing more than a streak of arrogance. The people of Haryana are still unable to understand the reasons behind Mr Chautala’s stubbornness in retaining the former Director-General of Haryana police, Mr S.P.S. Rathore, even after he was chargesheeted by the CBI for allegedly molesting a teenager, Ruchika, despite being a votary of propriety in public life. Mr Chautala always swears by the maxim authored by his father, “Lok raj lok laaj se chalta hai”. It was only when public opinion, reflected in the media, reached unprecedented dimensions, that Mr Chautala had to send Mr Rathore on long leave. Similarly, in violation of the established norms, Mr Chautala retained the Cooperation Minister, Mr Kartar Singh Bhadana, in his Cabinet even after the Punjab and Haryana High Court unseated him. After having proved himself as a politician far more shrewd than his opponents, Mr Chautala immediately set to prove himself as an able administrator also. He unfolded new policies in the fields of education, industry and information technology, which are, if implemented in letter and in spirit, capable of transforming Haryana into “Cyberana” in the years to come. He was quick to act when the Supreme Court directed the Delhi industrial units running in the non-conforming zones to shift out of the National Capital. Industrial plots, of which the state had a sizeable inventory, were offered to them off the shelf. There is some substance when Mr Chautala describes the year 2000 as “Varsh Ek, Uplapdhian Anek”. Mr Chautala did not feel shy of taking hard decisions. Realising the challenges in the power sector, ailing for years because of populist policies pursued by all political parties (it was Mr Devi Lal who introduced the highly subsidised slab system for the farm sector), he took no time in dropping his promise of free power to farmers. Not only that, even at the risk of antagonising his rural constituency, he left no one in doubt that those who had not paid their electricity bills for years(some allege at his asking) would have to pay the arrears now. Still when the time came for a hike in the power tariff, Mr Chautala showed reluctance in pushing the reforms beyond a limit. He agreed to subsidise the farm sector further to the tune of about Rs 350 crore, leaving the domestic consumers to bear the burden of a huge hike on the eve of the New Year. However, the improper handling of a Supreme Court judgement against accelerated promotion to Scheduled Castes employees by the Chautala government, sparked off a long-drawn pen-down strike by a section of the general category and backward class employees based in Chandigarh and Panchkula. First, the government interpreted the judgement to order the reversion of certain Scheduled Castes employees and later it withdrew the reversion orders. If the government had acted intelligently in the initial stages itself, it would not have to evoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act and dismiss about 60 employees. It also implemented the principle of “no work, no pay”. The strike continues. Despite its claims of administrative acumen, the Chautala government too avoided contentious issues by expecting the judiciary to resolve them for it. Just as in the case of the employees’ issue, the government has now virtually put the SYL canal issue in cold storage by leaving it to the judiciary to intervene. It is obvious that Mr Chautala does not want to rock his friend, Mr Parkash Singh Badal’s boat in an election year. The law and order situation in the state is one field which must be causing concern to Mr Chautala, notwithstanding the brave face put up by him. The ruling party blames the prohibition introduced by the Bansi Lal government for giving birth to criminal gangs in the state. The Chief Minister claims that his police has not left even a single case of crime unsolved. The murder of the father-son duo for ransom in the industrial district of Gurgaon in the last month of the year, should be an eye-opener for the government. Such incidents will discourage entrepreneurs, whom the government is wooing, from establishing their units in the state. For political opponents of Mr Chautala, it was a year of “political vendetta”, though the Chief Minister strongly refutes the allegations. Many leaders of parties other than the INLD are facing criminal and corruption charges. Is it a coincidence that almost all of them have been vocal critics of Mr Chautala? The INLD supremo says he does not engineer complaints against anyone. Of course, it is his legal duty to refer complaints received by him for investigation. The charges have definitely silenced the critics. Even Mr Karan Singh Dalal, the lone RPI MLA in the state, who had been continuously exposing the “misdeeds” of the government, fell silent after the police implicated him in a murder case. His petition for anticipatory bail is pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. It was a proud moment for all Haryanavis when Ms Malleswari, who is married in the state, brought laurels not only to her “in-law state” but also to the entire country, emerging as the lone Indian medal winner in the Sydney Olympics. The state government presented her with Rs 25 lakh for her feat. |
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Barnala visits Haryana village ROHTAK, Dec 29 — Veteran Akali leader and Governor of Uttaranchal Pradesh, Mr Surjit Singh Barnala, today defended the Rajiv-Longowal accord and blamed the Congress for its non-implementation. Speaking to newspersons at Chiri village, 20 km from here today, Mr Barnala said the Rajiv-Longowal accord gave a message of peace. Had it been implemented then peace could have returned to Punjab much earlier. Mr Barnala was here to participate in the annual Satnami sammelan organised in the memory of late Daljit Singh Dalal, a freedom fighter. He also inaugurated a museum there. The Governor avoided a direct answer to the completion of the SYL, saying that he was not in touch with the latest development in this case. Mr Barnala said minorities had no problem in Uttaranchal. The real problem
confronting the state was a shortage of funds. The Chief Minister of Uttaranchal had recently met the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to seek demand a special status for the newly created state. He hoped a special package for the state, he said. Mr Barnala described Uttaranchal as a “dev bhoomi” as there were numerous religious places in the state. The Uttaranchal Government was in the process of formulating projects for harnessing hydel power, he said. Earlier addressing a gathering, Mr Barnala blames the Congress for the anti-Sikh riots in Delhi in 1984. The Satnamis, led by Mr Bajrang Singh, had played a significant role in protecting the lives of many Sikhs during the riots. These people provided shelter to several families and their houses had been burnt as well, Mr Barnala said. Mr Barnala said that during those days, he and Sant Harchand Singh Longowal were in jail and they visited the camps organised by the Satnamis as soon as they were freed. “After I became the Chief Minister of Punjab, I honoured Mr Bajrang Singh and his associates at a function organised in the capital. Mr Barnala said. |
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CM’s claims on canal waters
refuted SONEPAT, Dec 29 — Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala has announced several times that canal water to the farmers of tail-end villages of the state for the sowings of Rabi crops, would be made available. But farmers of Gohana subdivision in this district are critical of the Irrigation Department for failure to supply canal water at tail-end villages under the Gohana Water Service Division in this district. They rubbished claim of the authorities about the canal water reaching the tail-end villages during the rotation period between December 18 and December 25 last. Farmers alleged that the officials of this division have influenced reporters who were taken to selected sites where they have shown the canal water at the tail-ends. Mediapersons were taken a back when they did not seen silt removed from the canals as claimed by the officials that they had desilted the canals in the area at a cost of Rs 8 lakh. According to authorities, 11 out of 15 canals had been desilted in the area and these include the Isran distributary, Kasanda minor, Mohana minor, Guhna minor, Farmana minor, Katwal minor, Bhainswal minor, Lath minor, Rithal distributary, Rithal Extension and Sargathal minor. Desilting and deweedian of the canals was started only last month after the orders by the Deputy Commissioner when he received complaints from the farmers about the non-reaching of the canal water at tail-end fields. Farmers fed by the Gorar minor have also been facing a shortage of canal water and they alleged that the crops had dried up on account of theft of canal water in Katwal minor by influential farmers with the connivance of some officials. Farmers of Nizampur Majra, Mauzam Nagar, Ridhao and Farmana are also upset on this issue and they are in a mood to launch protest rally in this regard. |
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Dharna against harassment by power staff HISAR, Dec 29 — Tension prevailed in the Nagori Gate area here today as an angry mob blocked traffic and staged a dharna in protest against the alleged harassment by officials of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) who have launched a campaign against power thefts in the town. The mob was later joined by leaders of political parties, including the ruling INLD, BJP and the Congress. Residents of Multani Chowk alleged that the vigilance staff of the DHBVN were terrorising them by forcing their entry into their homes with the help of the police. They said they were being handed over bills for thousands of rupees on the pretext that the consumption meters were faulty. In most cases, they said the seals were intact. One consumer said he had been served with a bill for Rs 9,000 as arrears. He alleged that the meter seal was intact but the DHBVN men had calculated the arrears on the basis of electric points installed in the small house. He said he was told that his meter was old and faulty. His pleas that the meter was the property of the DHBVN fell on deaf ears. The protesters alleged that the DHBVN staff was asking for heavy bribes from them and had threatened to book them for stealing power if they refused to pay up. They claimed that an aged man, Parmanand of Multani Chowk, died of a heart attack after he was handed over a bill for Rs 16,000. In another case, Vinod Kumar of Vivek Nagar attempted suicide after he was accused of power theft and given a bill running into several thousands of rupees. However, officials refused to confirm or deny these incidents. Later, the City Magistrate, Mr K.K. Gupta, talked to the protesters and tried to persuade them to lift the blockade. However, the mob refused to disperse until their bills were corrected and the actions of the DHVBN team probed by a senior officer. Several organisations of traders and residents have threatened to give a call for Hisar bandh if the harassment continued. Meanwhile, several power transformers installed at low heights in the town pose a serious threat to residents. More than a dozen transformers are installed at ground level or a height of around six feet in the main markets as well as residential colonies. Most of these are old and located in old subji mandi chowk, Nagori Gate, Dogran Mohalla, Patel Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Rampura Mohalla, Jawahar Nagar and Mill Gate. Over the past few years several persons have died due to electrocution. Besides, several stray cattle have been electrocuted. Injuries to passersby due to frequent blasts in the transformers have become a common phenomenon in these areas. A 20-year-old-boy died on the spot due to burns in Shiv Nagar two years ago as an old transformer situated in front of his house blasted due to overheating. In a similar incident, a youth lost his life in Jawahar Nagar and an old man fell victim to a transformer blast in Dogran Mohalla last year. More than a dozen stray cows have also been electrocuted in the past couple of years. The city power substation at Nagori Gate is the most hazardous as it is installed in small two rooms in the middle of a busy market. There are hundreds of cloth shops around the substation and thousands of customers visit Nagori Gate and Rajguru market daily. These big transformers are fitted at the ground level. In case of a blast, there is a possibility of heavy loss of life as well as property. Shopkeepers have brought this to the notice of higher officials of the DHBVN many times but the transformers have not been shifted out. DHBVN officials say that these transformers cannot be shifted elsewhere or installed at higher levels because of technical difficulties. They say that adequate measures are taken to prevent overloading and overheating of the transformers. However, they failed to explain why blasts continue to occur. |
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BKU threatens to gherao
MPs KAITHAL, Dec 29 — The BKU state President, Mr Ghashi Ram
Nain, today threatened to gherao all 10 MPs from Haryana if the state government failed to meet the demands of farmers. He was addressing a rally in the local New Anaj Mandi. He urged the government to withdraw the hike in power tariff and stop “forcible” collections of electricity bills. He said no government could cow down the farmers who were ready to make any sacrifice to safeguard their interests. He said earlier Mr Bhajan Lal and then Mr Bansi Lal had let loose a reign of terror against the farmers and they had to face the consequences and were overthrown from power. He alleged that Mr Om Prakash Chautala, who used to be on their side and supported all agitation launched by the BKU during the past years, was working against the interests of the farming community. The farmers were not paid remunerative price for their paddy and had to suffer huge losses. The government had increased power tariff and had ordered the forcible collection of the arrears of power bills from the farmers. He said this would not be tolerated and the farmers were ready to come to the streets if the government did not stop its “anti-farmer” policy. The farmers would not pay the power bills until the matter was amicably resolved. The BKU President demanded a CBI inquiry into the recent paddy scam in which some officials of the Food and Supplies Department in connivance with some traders purchased paddy at a very low price and subsequently sold it to the government at Rs 510 and 540 per quintal. He said the farmers should be suitably compensated and the government should take strict action against the officials and traders involved in the scam. Mr Nain demanded that the farmers should be paid the price of sugarcane brought to the local cooperative sugar mills there itself and they would not accept the payment through cheques. He criticised the Central Government for not making any announcement regarding the minimum support price of wheat for the next procurement season and demanded that the government should fix Rs 900 per quintal as the purchase price. The district administration had deputed the City Magistrate, Mr
R.S. Chahal, and the DSP, Mr Amir Singh Sabharwal, to the rally and accept a memorandum to be submitted by the
BKU. However, the officers faced an awkward situation when they were asked to come on the stage and were asked to reply to their questions regarding their demands one by one. |
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Governor inaugurates
engineering college PANIPAT, Dec 29 — The Haryana Government has identified information technology and related areas like computers, electronics and communication engineering as the thrust areas in its technical and engineering institutes to meet the requirements of the modern trade and industry. This was stated by the state Governor, Babu Parmanand, while speaking at a function after inaugurating the newly constructed building of the N.C. College of Engineering of Israna village in the district today. This college has been set up in memory of Lal Nemi Chand a freedom fighter and social reformer. The Governor informed that at present, as many as 25 engineering colleges, four in government sector and 21 in private sector, were training qualified technical graduates, whereas in 1984 there were only 2 engineering colleges in the state. The government has also constituted committees to assess, monitor and evaluate the functioning of the technical and engineering institutes of the state, he said. The Governor said the technology, especially the information technology was changing very fast and advised colleges and universities to adopt a flexible approach to accommodate the latest developments. Babu Parmanand advised the new engineering graduates not to depend on jobs and prefer self-employment. He expressed concern over the lack of infrastructural facilities at various private engineering colleges. Mr Satbir Singh Kadyan, Speaker, Haryana Assembly and Dr M.L. Ranga, Minister of State for health, also addressed the gathering on this occasion. Mr Kadyan said advanced technical education and modern technology could ensure economic security and industrial prosperity. Dr M.L. Ranga stressed on strengthening the educational and health services infrastructure for generating skilled, sound and healthy manpower. |
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Industrial Area cries for
attention SONEPAT: Established in 1951 in the hope that it would serve as a model for towns elsewhere in the state, the Sonepat Industrial Area today is a dream turned sour. The supply of power to the area is marked by interruptions. Amenities such as water supply, sewerage and roads are deteriorating at a fast pace. Most industries come under the small-scale category and produce a diverse range of products from electronic items and machine tools to automotive components and garments. The problem relating to power supply appears to be the most serious. Industrialists complain of frequent power failure and unscheduled power cuts. The erratic supply leads to the underutilisation of machines and, consequently, to lower production. Many industrial unit owners allege that the supply of power often fails at least nine or 10 times in an eight-hour shift. In summer, this results in virtual chaos. Power cables have not been replaced since the Industrial Area was set up, they say. Some industrialists have installed generators, but they say they are often harassed by officials of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) because permission is required to use these. According to an industrialist, the additional energy generation charge levied on the use of generators and “arbitrary” penalties for overloading, drastically raise the cost per unit of power. Officials of the UHBVN say frequent tripping is due to the stoppage of power supply by the BBMB authorities at either Panipat or Narela. However, industrialists dispute this and say that the power crisis is manmade and certain officials stop the supply merely to seek “illegal gratification” from unit owners. The Industrial Area also lacks proper drinking water arrangements. Some taps were installed a few years ago but the water supply is irregular. Most of the industrialists have sunk their own tubewells to meet their requirements. The overflowing of sewers is also a major problem in the Industrial Area. Blocked sewer pipes result in sewage spilling on to roads. This not only creates a health hazard but also affects transportation and damages roads. Owing to the lack of maintenance, roads are in bad shape. This has led to inconvenience and a rise in the cost of transportation. The poor civic amenities and the lack of infrastructural facilities are not only retarding Sonepat’s industrial growth but also tarnishing the image of Indian industry abroad, according to some entrepreneurs. They say if the necessary facilities are made available, exports will go up considerably. Industrial unit owners also allege that certain officials of the Department of Industries harass them on one pretext or the other in the hope of getting illegal gratification. The single-window system introduced by the state government has failed, they say. Some other unit owners complain that officials of this department seldom visit the Industrial Area to solve problems. A similar situation prevails in the industrial belt between Murthal and Ganaur. Several industrialists have demanded a high-level probe into the complaints against officials of the DIC and the UHBVN. |
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In-laws booked for youth’s
murder REWARI, Dec 29 — Following the unnatural death of a Dalit youth, Mahender Singh Jatav, at the house of his in-laws here, the Rewari Sadar police has registered a case on charges of poisoning and murder under Sections 147, 148, 328 and 302 of the IPC against the in-laws of the deceased. No arrest has, however, been made by the police and the matter is being investigated by Mr Ved Prakash, Assistant Sub-Inspector. According to information available here, Mahender Singh and his younger brother Suresh, sons of Mr Heera Lal Jatav, of Rania Ke village under the Taoru area of Gurgaon district, were married to Veena and her younger sister Usha, daughters of Mr Sri Ram Jatav of Shashtri Nagar here. The birthday of Vikas (3), son of Maheder Singh, was being celebrated at their house in Rania Ke village on December 7. Mahender’s father-in-law and mother-in-law Buddho Devi were also present on the occasion. It is alleged that Veena, Mahender’s wife, got agitated over some happening and kicked up a row at night. She along with her parents left her in-laws’ house and returned to her parental home the following day. When she did not return, Mahender, Suresh, their mother Murti Devi and Usha came here on December 27 to take Veena back. Mahender and his brother-in-laws — Karan Singh and Babli — exchanged hot words following which the situation grew tense. Mahender’s family members allege that poison was administered to him whereas his in-laws assert that he himself consumed celphos. When information reached Rania Ke in the morning yesterday, a large number of people gathered at the Civil Hospital. They took out the body from the mortuary, placed it in the middle of the road, blocked traffic and raised slogans against the police demanding the arrest and registration of a case of murder against the in-laws of the deceased. The body was removed from the road only after the reported assurance of the DSP, Mr Lachan Das, that after recording their statements the police would register a case. |
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Martyr cremated with military honours AMBALA, Dec 29 — Mortal remains of Gunner Rakesh Kumar (25), who was killed in the valley during an encounter with terrorists, were consigned to the flames here today. The cries of Shahid Rakesh Kumar ki jai and Rakesh Kumar amar rahe rent the air when the body was brought to his native village, Subri in
Barara, this morning. The funeral pyre was prepared on the fields belonging to his family running along a dusty uneven village road. A villager observed that martyr Rakesh Kumar was cremated in the same fields in which he had grown up. A contingent of 16 Engineers Regiment reversed their arms and the buglers sounded the last post. A Haryana Police contingent also gave salaami shastra and shok
shastra. The pyre was lit by the brother of the gunner. Naib Subedar Harjit Kumar of 32 Rashtriya Rifles, who had accompanied the body from Srinagar, said on December 26, an encounter had taken place near Putsaivill in Kupwara district. “We were about 25 to 30 soldiers returning from the post when we saw nearly 13 men dressed similar to us. As the ceasefire is already on to bring peace and looking at their dress we did not give much thought,” he recounted. However, they suddenly opened fire and the encounter lasted from 1 pm to 4.45 pm. “We managed to kill three terrorists and recovered two AK 47 and 1,400 rounds of ammunition,” he said. He said that in the exchange of fire, we lost four men, including gunner Rakesh Kumar, and four soldiers sustained injuries. He said the gunner received wounds on the chest and right shoulder. UNI adds: Haryana minister Risal Singh and Deputy Commissioner
D.D. Gautam placed wreaths on the body on behalf of the state government and the district administration,
respectibely. Lieut-Col B.C. Bali represented the District Sainik Board. Mr Gautam handed over an ex-gratia of Rs 10,000 to the bereaved family. Rakesh Kumar, belonging to a poor family, had joined the Army in March 1996. He had returned to duty only on November 16 after a long leave. He is survived by his 80-year-old father, Ram Gopal, and mother, Sardari Devi. Hos two elder brothers are working as
labourers, while third as a teacher. His only sister is married.
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Haryana to set up traffic aid
posts FARIDABAD, Dec 29 — Faridabad soon will become the first district in the country to have ‘traffic aid posts’ for providing help and ensuring smooth traffic on national highways. The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, will formally inaugurate the first such post set up near Sector 20 here on December, 30. The post has been set up under the nationwide scheme to regulate traffic, minimise accidents and providing immediate relief to the victims of accidents. According to senior officials of the Traffic Department the state government had been working on the scheme to set up at least 19 traffic aid posts on the highways passing through the state. Four highways, including number one, two, eight and 10 pass through the state. Each post which will cover a distance of 30 km will be equipped with latest equipments and facilities to provide necessary service. On the national highway no. one, posts will be created at Kamaspur, Samalkha, Baburpur, Karnal, Samasi and Mohra villages. On national highway no. 8, which passes through Gurgaon district, ‘posts’ will come up at Gurgaon, Dharuhera and Bawal, while at least seven points have been selected on the national highway no. 10 connecting Dabwali and Delhi. Mr V. Kamraj, Senior Superintendent of Police (Traffic) said that infrastructure which would be provided to each ‘traffic aid post’, include one ambulance, two paramedical staff members, a crane, one police jeep, one motor cycle besides some traffic policemen. All vehicles would have a ‘wireless’ equipment, one radar for speed checking. One alcoholmeter for checking liquor consumption, and a photographer. Computers, refrigerators and other gadgets would also be provided, he added. These posts would also have a ‘traffic park and a children park. Main reasons behind the creation of these posts include ensuring of smooth traffic, controlling and clearing traffic in case of road jams and blockades. It is claimed that the accident rate would come down ‘considerably’, besides facilitating emergency medical service to victims of road accidents, as it will be prime duty of ‘post’ staff to rush the injured to nearest hospital, besides clearing up the road after accident. The staff appointed for this duty and the entire network would work under the supervision of the SSP and DSP having headquarters at Karnal and having headquarter at Karnal. One assistant sub inspector (ASI) would be posted at Gurgaon and Hisar for proper coordination. The authorities are all set to depute the ‘staff’ for at least 14 posts, claimed Mr Kamraj. As many as 19 Gypsies have been made ready for the purpose. |
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BJP leader flays power tariff
hike KAITHAL, Dec 29 — A senior BJP leader and former minister, Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, said here yesterday that the BJP had extended its support to the INLD government in Haryana, but not surrendered before it. He said the BJP would protest if the government made anti-people policies. He criticised the government for raising the power tariff and constituting gram vikas samities. He said this would lead to tension in villages and put a burden on panchayats. He expressed concern over the alleged implication of BJP leaders Krishan Pal Guzzar and Prof Ganeshi Lal in criminal cases. He said such steps would widen the gap between the two parties. Meanwhile, a former Union Minister and MLA, Mr Jai Parkash, has accused the Haryana Government of deceiving the electorate to capture power. Talking to mediapersons here yesterday, Mr Jai Parkash took the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to ask for increasing the empower tariff and said though Mr Chautala had promised free power to the agricultural sector, he had failed to keep his promise and had rather increased the power tariff, putting burden on all sections of society. He said the state was facing a serious power crisis due to which consumers were facing great inconvenience. Similarly, there was a shortage of canal water, he added. He criticised the formation of gram vikas samities at the village level and termed the step undemocratic as it would, he said weaken the panchayati raj institution. He said there was rampant corruption in the state and the law and order situation was deteriorating. He said the Congress would launch an agitation from January 3 to oppose the “anti-people” policies of government.
Govt criticised for tariff hike ROHTAK, Dec 29 — The CPM has criticised the HVPN and the state government for the recent hike in power tariff and termed the increase as “unbearable”. The state secretary of the party, Mr Inderjit Singh, said the hike in the tariff was “arbitrary and blatant” as the HVPN authorities had not provided any justification for the huge increase in tariff. The poor and the middle-class consumers, he said would be the worst hit as the per-unit enhancement for lower consumption level was the highest. The CPM and the CPI have announced to observe a protest week from January 3 and hold demonstrations at district headquarters to demand withdrawal of the enhanced tariff.
CHANDIGARH, Dec 29 — The Haryana Government today ordered transfers in its Police Department. An official spokesman said Mr
R.S. Dalal, Director of Vigilance and Security, Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam, has been posted as Inspector-General, Gurgaon Range. Mr Parminder
Rai, DIG, Administration, goes as Director of Vigilance and Security,
HVPN, Panchkula, in the rank of DIG. Mr Jagroop Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police at Sonepat becomes Additional Superintendent of Police at Faridabad vice Mr Mate Ravi Kiran, who goes as such to Jind. Mr Inder Dutt, Additional Superintendent of Police, Gurgaon, goes as Superintendent of Police, Crime, with headquarters at
Madhuban. Mr Yash Pal Singal, DIG, Training, will also hold additional charge as DIG, Administration. Mr Rai Singh, DSP, has been posted as DSP, (City), Sirsa, while Mr Jagwant Singh, DSP, becomes DSP, Panchkula, against a vacant post. Mr Rohtas Singh, DSP, becomes DSP (Headquarters), Bhiwani, against a vacant post and Mr Jai Narain Ranga, DSP, 3rd Battalion, Haryana Armed Police, Hisar, has been posted as such in 4th Battalion, Haryana Armed Police,
Madhuban, against a vacant post. |
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Forced conversion
alleged SIRSA, Dec 29 — A case of forced conversion by the Christian missionaries has come to light in Ellenabad subdivision of the district. Mrs Kavita Sharma, the in charge of the sewing training centre run by missionaries, has alleged that she was forced to adopt Christian religion for which she was allegedly offered a handsome amount and promised that her husband and children would be suitably supported. She said a priest told to accept the offer as it would help her in getting free accommodation and food for her family. On her refusal, the priest allegedly threatened to implicate Mrs sharma in theft case, she said. On the other hand, the priest has denied the charges, saying that they were baseless allegations to defame a “pracharak” of Christian missionaries. The zonal secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Mr Amar Nath Goyal, while showing the affidavit given by Mrs Sharma, said their
apprehensions had come true with this incident. He has demanded immediate intervention of the administration in the matter. |
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Anti-encroachment drive a failure SONEPAT, Dec 29 — Anti-encroachment campaign launched by the district administration and the police has failed as shopkeepers have encroached upon the vacant land and even footpaths have been occupied by them. On a directive of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the administration had recently demolished unauthorised structures from public and municipal land. The authorities took a tough stand, following which the markets became orderly and sufficient parking space was made available for vehicles. Heavy fines were imposed on the defaulters. But once the campaign was over, the shopkeepers occupied the land and footpaths in front of their shops. As a result, the entire exercise has proved to be a complete waste. Officials of the municipal council and the PWD (B and R) told this correspondent here today that it was difficult to check encroachments unless any strict action was taken against the defaulters. |
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CHANDIGARH, Dec 29 (PTI) — Former Haryana minister Azad Mohammad, who was denied ticket by the
INLD in the last Assembly poll, has joined the Congress.
A Congress spokesman today said that Mohammad, in his request to the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee
(HPCC) President, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, for admission to the party, had expressed full faith in the policies of the Congress under the leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi.
Mr Mohammad, who was elected to the Vidhan Sabha from Ferozepur Jhirka in 1996 on the Samata Party ticket, became a minister in 1999. |
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4 hurt in mishaps FARIDABAD, Dec 29 — Two persons were injured in a head-on collision between two trucks near the Escorts factory here last night.
According to police sources, Mangal, driver of one of the trucks and Paras Nath have been admitted to B.K. (Civil) Hospital here.
In two other accidents a scooterist and a cyclist were injured. ROHTAK, Dec 29 — The police today arrested a labourer on the charge of molesting a 4-year-old girl at Chhuchakwas village in Jhajjar district.
According to police sources, the accused, Krishan (34), lured the girl and tried to rape her in a field. However, she was rescued by some farmers who were working in the adjacent field. They overpowered the accused and handed him to the police.
The police has registered a case under Sections 342, 376 and 511 of the IPC. KURUKSHETRA, Dec 29 (PTI) — Five members of a family, including a child, were run over by Delhi-bound Shatabdi Express near here yesterday, the police said today.
The victims were crossing a bridge over the Saraswati river when the mishap occurred, police added.
Bank staff threaten stir
AMBALA, (UNI) Dec 29 — The State Bank of India Staff Association has threatened to launch agitation if the bank management does not stop its “repressive policies” to harass employees. The association held a meeting which was chaired by zonal secretary Kanwarjeet Singh here today. The association alleged that the bank management was indulging in indiscriminate transfers of the employees just to harass and humiliate them. It also criticised the transfer of a functionary of the association Updesh Passey, from Moga to Raipur out of “vindictiveness”. The employees observed strike on December 27 and 28 and all the 37 branches of the bank remained closed on these days.
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