 |
| Thursday, January 11, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
|
R-Day gift to vehicle owners CM defends setting up of gram samitis Kataria’s assertions baffle state govt
Bail granted to Rathore Protest over power meter checking HVP, Cong ‘responsible’ for power tariff
hike INLD leader defends
power tariff hike |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Bhajan Lal to begin
campaign in March Cong, BKU men
hold dharnas Book on gender
discrimination Housing board told to pay
cost of repairs CPM workers hold procession Property dealers in a fix Trader’s killers identified Dangi granted bail Speed up
movement of rice: Chautala Two die of suffocation Six arrested for immoral trafficking Cofed
staff burns CM's effigy Third phase of Cong
protest over
|
|
R-Day gift to vehicle owners ROHTAK, Jan 10 — Persons desirous of seeking vehicle registration numbers of their choice here may get their dream numbers free of cost from January 26 onwards. The district administration has decided that all vehicle registration numbers available for allotment would be fed into computer for disbursement among the new vehicle owners from Republic Day onwards. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rajesh Khullar, however, said that the registration number from 1 to 100 in each series would continue to be allotted at the discretion of the Chief Minister without any extra cost. The Haryana Government had been, during the regime of Mr Bansi Lal and following imposition of prohibition, charging different rates for allotting the choicest number to vehicle owners. It had been a revenue earning practice which was discontinued after the change of government. Craze still exists among the owners about the registration number of choice. Almost every motorist want a small number which should be suitable numerologically also, Mr Khullar said. This pressure often led to nepotism and corruption. The Union Territory of Chandigarh also charges a handsome revenue for allotting registration number of choice to the vehicle owners. For digit “I” it charges Rs 25000. The charges for numbers between 2 to 11 are Rs 15000 to be followed by Rs 10000 for numbers between 12 to 101. The rate list does not end here. The vehicle owner has to pay Rs 5000 extra for any specific number other than those mentioned above. Mr Khullar said that from January 26 onwards, all available numbers would be fed into the computer which would be accessible to the common man. From that day onwards, no vehicle owner would require any recommendation to seek a registration number of choice. It would be easily available, if not already allotted, he assured. |
|
CM defends setting up of gram samitis CHANDIGARH, Jan 10 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today described himself as a fan of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. Mr Chautala, who was talking at a “Meet-the-Press” programme organised by the Chandigarh Press Club here, was answering a question about the relationship between his INLD and the BJP, particularly in the context of the frequent criticism of his government by the Haryana BJP. Virtually ridiculing Haryana BJP leaders, Mr Chautala said both BJP and INLD were partners in the National Democratic Alliance and shared a cordial relationship. Referring to the allegation made by the state BJP President, Mr Rattan Lal Kataria, regarding irregularities in the distribution of the Rs 90-crore package given by the Centre for the paddy-growers of the State and his demand for a CBI probe into these irregularities, Mr Chautala said Mr Kataria was naive and was often misled by the media. He went on to add that Mr Kataria had perhaps misunderstood Rs 19 crore for Rs 90 crore because the state had asked for only Rs 38 crore from the Centre and the Centre had agreed to contribute only Rs 19 crore. The rest was to be arranged by the State Government. Asserting that no INLD man had ever spoken against the BJP, Mr Chautala said his party had supported Mr Vajpayee even when the BJP was sharing power in Haryana with Mr Bansi Lal. Mr Chautala also ridiculed the main Opposition party, the Congress, in the state. He said the party had failed to play the role of a true opposition party in a democratic set-up. Claiming that when he assumed office, he inherited a State which was virtually in ruins, Mr Chautala said the first year of his tenure was virtually election year. Though he got only a few months to work, the state was able to attract an investment of about Rs 20,000 crore during this time. Industrial units to be shifted from Delhi under the Supreme Court orders had made a bee line for Haryana. Already 1500 units had been allotted plots, while the applications of another about 4,500 units were still pending. The state had already collected about Rs 140 crore as 10 per cent of the cost of the plots from these units even before the possession of the land had been given to them. He said his government had given more financial and administrative powers to the panchayats. Defending the constitution of gram vikas samitis, Mr Chautala said the samitis would ensure participation of people in development schemes and would check corruption. His government had reversed the decision of the Bansi Lal government which said the watercourses would be repaired by the farmers themselves. His government had given Rs 12 crore to Punjab to repair the Bhakra canal so that Haryana could get its full share of the river water. His government had introduced a new education policy, especially to benefit students in the rural areas. The stress on information technology had started yielding results. All 250 students of Kurukshetra Regional Engineering College had got the jobs on the campus itself, he said Regarding the ongoing employees’ strike, Mr Chautala said even on the first day of the strike, he had assured the employees that the government would implement the decision of the court. He said it was beyond his comprehension why the employees were on the strike just as he had not been able to understand why the former Chief Minister, Mr Hukam Singh, left his party. He said he would participate in the Mahakumbh on the invitation of the Union Human Resources Minister, Mr Murli Manohar Joshi, who is the M.P. from Allahabad. He announced the free bus travel facility for the desk journalists and also donated Rs 1.51 lakh to the Press Club. Earlier, he was welcomed by the president and the general-secretary of the club, Mr Jagtar Singh Sidhu, and Mr Sarbjeet Pandher, respectively. |
|
Kataria’s assertions baffle state govt CHANDIGARH, Jan 10 — The Haryana Government is understood to be baffled by the BJP state president, Mr Rattan Lal Kataria’s repeated assertions relating to a Rs 90 crore package by the Centre for the paddy growers of Haryana. Speaking to reporters in Rohtak on Saturday, Mr Kataria accused the state government of misutilising the Rs 90 crore package given to the farmers and demanded a probe by a central agency into the scam. The Haryana BJP chief reiterated his allegation at a press conference addressed by him at Kurukshetra yesterday. While defending Mr Kataria, a BJP spokesman here claimed that Mr Shanta Kumar, Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, had initially announced a Rs 90 crore package for Haryana (to be shared on a 50-50 basis between the state government and the Centre) when a Haryana Government delegation had met him at Palampur in October. The state government’s Food and Supplies Department, officials, however, said that the quantum of cash compensation did not figure at their discussions with Mr Shanta Kumar. The officials said that since the agro-climatic conditions in Haryana and Punjab were similar, the Central Government agreed to give a Punjab-pattern package to Haryana also. The Union Government also sent a Central team to assess the position in Haryana and on the basis of the report of the team, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in its letter dated October 22, 2000, relaxed specifications for the paddy to be purchased at the minimum support price (MSP) in Haryana mandis and the out-turn ratio of custom milled rice. “In the October 22 letter the Minisry did not say anything about the cash compensation to be given to the farms who sold their paddy at below the MSP between September 21, when procurement by the state agencies started, and October 21, the last day before the specifications were relaxed,” the officials said. On October 25, the Haryana Government requested the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, to sanction Rs 38 crore to be shared on a 50-50 basis for giving cash compensation to the farmers. The officials said that the quantum of compensation was worked out by the Food and Supplies Department on the basis of an estimate of the amount of paddy sold by farmers to private traders at below the MSP. Following the Haryana Government’s request to the Centre for Rs 38 crore compensation, the Union Ministry, in a letter dated November 9 and signed by Dr Ashok Kumar, Deputy Director, advised the state government to take up the matter of compensation with the Union Ministry of Finance. |
|
|
Bail granted to Rathore AMBALA He also granted him exemption for personal appearance in the court on January 11 in this case. The CBI had filed a charge sheet in Ruchika molestation case against the DGP in this court in November last. The CBI had also filed an application with the court for condoning the delay in the filing of the challan in the court. On December 5 the court condoned the delay in charge-sheeting and took cognisance of the charges against the DGP. The court had ordered the DGP to appear in the court on January 11. Rathore had filed a bail application under Section 436, CrPC, through his counsels Mr Faquir Chand Aggarwal, Mr Adesh Kumar Jain and Mr J.S. Kohli, in the court of Mr A.K. Tyagi here in the afternoon today. The court issued ‘dasti’ notice to the prosecutor of CBI, Mr Chander Mohan Sahgal, who was also present in the court during the hearing of bail application. The DGP was also present in the court. The judge ordered Rathore to furnish a personal bond of Rs 5,000 with one surety of like amount. Rathore filed another application here today seeking exemption from personal appearance in the court for January 11 in the court. Mr Rathore said in his application that he had to visit his doctor for medical check- up on January 11. So it would not be possible for him to appear in the court on January 11 and he may be granted exemption. The court granted him exemption from personal appearance for January 11 on the undertaking of his counsels that they would appear on January 11 on his behalf. Protest over power meter checking FATEHABAD, Jan 10 — Agitated with the attitude of the members of the Power Nigam Vigilance teams, local residents blocked the National Highway number 10 here in the afternoon today. Leaders of the District Beopar Mandal and the Congress led the agitators. Road block which started at 1.15 p.m. today was lifted at 3 p.m., only after the Executive Engineer of the Power Nigam, Mr V.K. Singla came to the agitators and assured that the checking operation would be postponed for two months and the people would be given an opportunity to replace faulty meteres. The trouble arose when a vigilance team of Power Nigam carrying checking in the district for the past 10 days went to the local Shiv Chowk where it imposed heavy fines on certain residents, on the plea that their power meters were found tempered with. The residents protested. There were heated exchanges between the team members and the local residents. Soon leaders of the District Beopar Mandal, most of whom are leaders of the BJP came to the rescue of the residents. Mandal leaders, Dr Atam Parkash Mehta and Mr Raj Goswami, alleged that team members harassed people and even women and the senior citizens were not being spared. The agitating people persuaded the shopkeepers to close shutters. People sat on dharna on the National Highway on the Bighar Chowk and blocked traffic. Workers of the Congress who were returning after giving a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner after demonstration, also joined the agitating residents. Efforts of the police led by D.S.P. Ram Kumar go get road block lifted failed. Hundreds of vehicles had lined up on both sides of the road. The blockage was lifted after the Xen V.K. Singal came and assured that there would be no checking of meters from today and residents would be given two months to replace faulty meters. |
|
HVP, Cong ‘responsible’ for power tariff
hike KAITHAL, Jan 10 — The Haryana Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Ram Pal
Majra, has held the previous HVP-BJP alliance government and the Congress responsible for the hike in the power tariff in the state. Talking to mediapersons here yesterday, Mr Majra said the Congress government led by Mr Bhajan Lal had proposed to bifurcate the state power board in three parts and the decision was implemented by the HVP-BJP alliance government following which the power board was divided into four corporations. The Power Regulatory Commission was constituted and given powers to fix power rates. He said the HVP-BJP government led by Mr Bansi Lal had given an assurance to the World Bank to increase rates of electricity on yearly basis as a sequence to this the Bansi Lal government increased the power rates in July 1996 and 1998 twice and in the first instance it was increased by 20 per cent and then by 15 per cent. Mr Majra said during the tenure of the present government only 11 per cent increase has been made which had been done by the power regulatory commission and not by the present state government as was being propagated by the opposition parties. He also claimed that Haryana was the only state where power rate increase had been minimum. Giving instance of Gujarat Mr Majra said power increase there had been 175 to 204 per cent for the domestic consumers and 113 to 128 per cent for commercial consumers. He also claimed that power rates in Haryana were minimum even
now. |
|
INLD leader defends
power tariff hike SIRSA, Jan 10 — The district president of the kisan cell of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Mr Surender Singh Vaidwala, today said the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP) which had made an agreement with the World Bank to enhance power rates in agriculture sector by 70 per cent, was raising a hue and cry over the proposed 11 per cent
increase in the power tariff. He alleged that the HVP took a loan of Rs 2,400 crore from the World Bank on the condition that the electricity charges would be increased every year and the subsidy given to the agriculture sector would be slashed. If the present government had not raised the subsidy on power to agriculture sector, the electricity rates would have been increased many times, Mr Vaidwala claimed. The Congress government had increased the power tariff three times in just two and a half years, he said, adding that from 1992 to 1994, the electricity charges were increased by 25 per cent, 12 per cent and 40 per cent respectively, by the then Congress government. |
|
Bhajan Lal to begin
campaign in March AMBALA, Jan 10 — The former Chief Minister, Mr Bhajan Lal, will start his political campaign in the state in March this year. It was stated by Mr Chander Mohan, Congress MLA, here yesterday. He said the detailed programme of the campaign would be finalised next month. He said Mr Bhajan Lal would start his campaign according to the directions of party President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Replying to a question, he said there was no groupism in the state unit of the Congress. He said there was no question of Mr Bhajan Lal leaving the Congress. When asked whether he accepted Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda as party president in the state, he said that whatever decision the party high-command took, workers would follow it. The Congress leader urged the state government to grant at least Rs 1 crore to the MLAs for the development work in their areas. He asked the party high-command to appoint the president of the Haryana Youth Congress. |
|
Cong, BKU men
hold dharnas KAITHAL, Jan 10 — The Congress and the Bhartiya Kisan Union activists today organised separate processions and dharnas in support of their demands outside the Mini Secretariat here. A large number of Congress workers led by a former Haryana Minister, Mr Tajender Mann, who was accompanied by a former HPCC Chief, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, gathered at the local Congress Bhavan and marched to the Mini Secretariat building raising slogans against the central and the state governments. The leaders alleged the government policies are anti-people and anti-farmers and called for the withdrawal of the recent hike in power rates, shortage of canal water, pressing for no dues certificates for works in the government offices and speedy payment of compensation for land acquired by the government. A memorandum of demands made by the party was submitted to the Haryana Governor through the Deputy Commissioner. Later, addressing a press conference Mr Surjewala took the government to task for raising power tariffs, putting avoidable burden on the honest consumers. He also pointed that the power theft being committed on large scale, as admitted by the Chief Minister Mr O.P. Chautala, himself could not be without the political patronage of officials, accused of conniving in theft of power. He also said that the system introduced by the government to obtain NoC of power dues to get any work done in government departments was against the principle of minimum interference by the government. |
|
Book on gender
discrimination AMBALA Babu Parmanand said this was a rare book on a rare subject of gender discrimination and the contents were exhaustive and lucid. He suggested that the social workers and reformists must read it, a release said. The Governor said the book is a commendable literary exercise by the author to project exploitation of women in the modern society. Dr Swaran Lata has successfully narrated the difficulties being faced by the womenfolk because of discrimination, violence, intimidation and criminalisation, the Governor added. Dr Swaran Lata Sharma said equality and universality from the cornerstone of human rights and it was unfortunate that even after half a century of the adoption of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the distribution of human rights was far from equal. According to a press note the work has a global perspective with special reference to India. The work has special significance in the wake of declaration of the year 2001 as “Women’s Empowerment Year” by the Government of India and the Haryana Government, the release added. Housing board told to pay
cost of repairs BHIWANI, Jan 10 — The Haryana Housing Board has been directed to pay cost of repair to one of its allottees. The bench of Mr Suresh Chand Singhal, Chairman, and member Mr Prem Singh Ola, Consumer Forum Bhiwani after hearing the case regarding house No. 2600 which had been allotted by the board to the complainant on March 26, 1992 made the pronouncement. The allottee found the house’s bases rusty, walls seeping. The report of an expert conducted in 1995 also proved that the house was not worth living. The complainant had to bear additional cost of Rs.1.50 lakh to get one more room constructed to live therein. The Forum in its judgement has asked to pay the repair charges along with 12 per cent interest from the date of complaint and Rs. 1100 which has been incurred in litigation. In another decision, the Forum has directed a PCO holder Mr Pawan Halwasia to pay Rs 2000 as the cost of litigation to the Department of Telecom finding the former’s complaint baseless. The complainant had filed complaint regarding excess telephone bill. The department produced sufficient proofs in its support. |
|
CPM workers hold procession SONEPAT, Jan 10 — CPM workers held a procession here today in protest against the unprecedented hike in power tariff by the state government, headed by Mr Om Parkash Chautala, Chief Minister. Carrying placards and raising anti-government slogans, they marched through the main bazars and reached the Mini-Secretariat where they held a rally in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office. It was addressed by the leaders of the party who severely criticised the anti-people and anti-farmer policies of the Chautala
Government and warned that the party would continue its struggle if such policies were pursued by the government. |
|
Property dealers in a fix GURGAON, Jan 10 — The move of the Haryana Development Authority to streamline the procedures in favour of the allottees of various categories of property has put the property dealers in a fix. In order to provide prompt service for the redress of grievances of allottees HUDA has decided to initiate a new scheme christened “HUDA efficient service camp” from January 17. Under this scheme a camp will be held in the office of Administrator, HUDA, Gurgaon, every Wednesday. |
|
Trader’s killers identified ROHTAK, Jan 10 — The police has claimed to have identified the suspects who allegedly stabbed a merchant to death on the Quilla road here last night. The suspects — Kalwa and Babloo, residents of a locality near Mian Wala mandir here, are said to be having enmity with the deceased. They had allegedly attacked Rakesh alias Rinku (24) with knives while he was returning to house at 9 p.m. He succumbed to his injuries while being taken to the civil hospital. The body was handed over to the family after a post-mortem examination. The merchants on the Quilla road and Railway road kept shutters down today in protest against the incident. In a separate incident the police found the body of a two-year old infant from a “bitora” (heap of cow-dung cakes) at nearby Bohar village, last night. According to police sources, a Bihari servant, Ravi (16) was employed at the residence of the deceased who disappeared with his master’s son, Anuj last evening. The parents of Anuj searched for him. But in the evening they found the
body. Dangi granted bail ROHTAK, Jan 10 — The Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Mr R.K. Sharma, held a court in the district jail here yesterday and granted bail to former Revenue Minister Anand Singh Dangi in a case registered against him on December 18. The CJM also decided cases pertaining to petty offences and ordered the release of seven undertrials. The former minister was produced before the CJM by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr Kartar Singh Hooda. “In view of the nature of the offence, the accused is admitted to bail on his furnishing a bail bond for the sum of Rs 10,000 with one surety of the like amount”, the CJM ordered. Mr Dangi, however, could not furnish the bail bond or the surety bond and as such he was remanded in judicial custody and was ordered to be produced in the court on January 15, the day he was to appear in the court of Judge, Special Court, Mr Shiva Sharma. |
|
Speed up
movement of rice: Chautala CHANDIGARH, Jan 10 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today urged the Centre to speed up the movement of rice from the state. The Chief Minister said additional covered area and plinth should be provided for stocking the wheat to be procured this season. He said the Central Warehousing Corporation, the State Warehousing Corporation and private agencies should be approached for the construction of more godowns. He said Rs 1.65 crore had been received from the Union Government for the construction of additional godowns. The Chief Minister asked the Food and Supplies Department to speed up the computerisation of its offices.
The Commissioner and Secretary of the Food and Supplies Department, Mr Dharam Vir, informed the Chief Minister that till the end of last month 2.41 lakh tonnes of rice had been moved out of the
state. Two die of suffocation ROHTAK, Jan 10 — Two persons reportedly died of suffocation at Sampla town, 25 km from here, last night. The deceased have been identified as Balwan of Kultana and Surat Singh of Naya Baans villages watchmen in a chemical factory which was closed down last year. According to sources, they lighted an “angithi” and placed it in their room to protect themselves against chill. It is presumed that they died of suffocation as the room was kept closed for the whole night. The police found their bodies in the morning today which were sent to the PGI for a post-mortem examination. A case under Section 174 of CrPC has been registered in this connection. |
|
Six arrested for
immoral trafficking FARIDABAD, Jan 10 — The police has arrested six persons including two women under the Suppression of Immoral Trafficking Act, from Hodal town in the district. According to information, the accused were nabbed after a raid on a house. The women are reported to be callgirls operating from another town. The accused were produced in a local court after the registration of a case against them under Section 109 of the SITA. In another incident an unidentified youth was run over and killed by a train near Bata fly over this morning. The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. |
|
Cofed
staff burns CM's effigy CHANDIGARH, Jan 10—The Haryana Cofed Employees
Welfare Union today observed a strike in protest against
the decision of the Haryana Government to retrench more
than 300 members of the federation. The employees also
burned an effigy of the Haryana Chief Minister in Sector
22 around 2 pm and raised slogans against the
government.
The president of the federation today warned the
government to change its high handed attitude towards
the employees otherwise it would not survive for a long
time.
While addressing employees, leaders of the federation
said the state government was not taking care of the
rights of the employees ,farmers and shopkeepers and had
generated a great deal of resentment among a large
section of people. |
|
Third phase of Cong
protest over YAMUNANAGAR, Jan 10 — The third phase of demonstrations by the Congress at all district headquarters in the state concluded here today. A large number of Congress delegates, including Dr J.P. Sharma, local Congress MLA and Dr Ram Parkash, former minister and general secretary of Haryana Congress, took part in a demonstration held on the occasion. Mr Rajinder Singh Hooda, press secretary to HPCC president Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said the fourth phase of demonstration of Congress would be started from Jhajjar and Fatehabad on January15, Jind on 16, Rohtak and Bhiwani on 17, and Rewari on 18. The Congress leaders gave a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner to send it to the state government. |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 120 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
