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| Thursday, January 18, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Ex-minister surrenders SC employees face reversion BJP to continue
backing Chautala House tax hike to be
cut 122 cases of power theft detected 5,700 liquor pouches seized |
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SC directive in Dangi
case ROHTAK, Jan 17 — The Supreme Court has directed the Judicial Magistrate here not to remand former Revenue Minister Anand Singh Dangi in police custody in respect of the FIR or FIRs of alleged misappropriation or misuse of powers, till further orders. High Court HISAR, Jan 17 — Former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal has expressed concern over the rise in crime here. Plant tissue centre at
last Cong leader’s brother
killed in accident Cong men hold demonstration AETO held on
graft charge Reward for cops for solving dacoity case 2 booked for murder Washerman foils attempt
to loot house Two kids killed
in mishaps
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Ex-minister surrenders ROHTAK, Jan 17 — Former Minister Shri Krishan Dass today surrendered in the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr R.K. Sharma, in the case registered against him by the state Vigilance Bureau on December 31, 1999, under various Sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act. Immediately thereafter, his counsel requested the court to grant bail to the former minister under provisions of Section 437, Cr PC which provides that the accused, who is woman, child and a sick person may be granted bail even if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for life. The Chief Judicial Magistrate said that it would not be in the interest of justice to hear arguments on the bail application without serving notice on the state. The notice was, thus served through the Assistant Public Prosecutor and the case fixed for January 18. Till then the accused has been taken in custody. The 75-year old former minister, who has been a patient of hypertension and some other serious problems including his fracture, was brought to the courtroom in the wheelchair. His counsel argued that his client be sent to the local PGIMS during the judicial custody. Agreeing with the defence counsel, the Chief Judicial Magistrate ordered that Mr Dass be kept in the PGIMS during the judicial custody and be produced in his court on January 18. He, however, ordered that the former minister may be provided with a room in the PGIMS on the expenses of the accused. The Chief Judicial Magistrate further ordered that adequate security be provided to the former minister, who has sensed some foul play at the hands of local administration. The defence counsel further argued that since his client was unable to go to bathroom and perform the usual day-to-day activities, an attendant should be provided to him. The court allowed Mr Rakesh Kumar, a relative of Mr Dass to stay with the accused during this period. |
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SC employees face reversion CHANDIGARH, Jan 17 — Tuesday’s high court order dismissing the petitions filed by two Scheduled Castes (SC) employees of the Haryana Government, challenging the state government’s interpretation of the Supreme Court order in the Ajit Singh Janjua-II case, will pave the way for the government to revert the reserved category employees who had enjoyed the benefit of accelerated promotion after March 1, 1996, the cut-off date fixed by the Supreme Court . While the official reaction on the issue was that the government was yet to receive a copy of the court order — which would be “examined” and a course of action drawn up — some exercise was apparently carried out to find out exactly how many employees were likely to be reverted as a result of the court order. According to the initial estimate, 13 SC employees working in the Secretariat (including the New Secretariat) were promoted on the basis of accelerated seniority after the cut-off date fixed by the apex court. The 13 employees include the seven Under-Secretaries who were reverted by the Haryana Government under an order issued on October 6. The remaining six comprised one Deputy Secretary, two Superintendents and three Deputy Superintendents. All of them are likely to be reverted to the posts they held before March 1, 1996, now that the petition challenging the October 6 order has been dismissed by the high court. There are also instances of similar promotions in the directorates as well as in other establishments of the state government but those figures are not readily available. Mr Suryakant Sharma, Advocate-General of Haryana, said another important fallout of yesterday’s high court order would be that the seniority of all reserved category employees would be re-determined. Those promoted before the cut-off date of March 1, 1996, might not be reverted, but their seniority would be considered on a par with the general category employees who had joined at the same time with them, he said. General category employees of the Haryana Government working in its offices in Chandigarh had launched a stir, under the banner of the Haryana General Category and Backward Classes Employees Welfare Organisation, when the state government decided to suspend the execution of its order reverting the seven Under-Secretaries. The strike, which continued for nearly three months barring an interval of seven days, was withdrawn on Sunday, two days before the High Court judgement was given. |
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SC directive in Dangi
case ROHTAK, Jan 17 — The Supreme Court has directed the Judicial Magistrate here not to remand former Revenue Minister Anand Singh Dangi in police custody in respect of the FIR or FIRs of alleged misappropriation or misuse of powers, till further orders. The above order was passed by a Division Bench comprising Mr Justice M.B. Shah and Mr Justice S.N. Variava on a special leave petition filed by Mr Dangi on January 15. The copy of the orders was also provided to the Special Judge, Mr Shiva Sharma, before whom the former minister had surrendered on December 4 last year after the state vigilance bureau registered cases against him at Rohtak, Ambala and Bhiwani. Counsel for Mr Dangi today withdraw the bail application as the Special Judge declined to defer arguments on it after January 29, the date fixed by the apex court for final arguments and disposal of the special leave petition (SLP). The SLP was moved by Mr Dangi for clubbing all three FIRs registered against him and transferring the investigation of the same to the CBI. The Special Judge said that acceptance or otherwise of the SLP by the Supreme Court would have no bearing on the disposal of the bail applicaiton and, as such,” the adjourning of the bail applicaiton is declined”. At this stage, counsel for Mr Dangi withdrew the bail application for the time being. Counsel for Mr Dangi also urged the court to provide better class facilities to his client in the jail. He argued that Mr Dangi was a graduate, income-tax payee and a former Cabinet minister, but he had not been provided facilities befitting his status. The brother of Mr Anand Singh Dangi also moved an application yesterday seeking permission to supply eatables to the former minister. The Special Judge directed the prosecution to file replies to both these applications for January 19. The Special Judge has asked the Superintendent, District Jail, Rohtak, to appear in person in his court on January 19. Counsel for Mr Dangi has made a written complaint against the behaviour and attitude of the Superintendent with the relatives of the former minister. |
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High Court CHANDIGARH, Jan 17 — Mr Justice V.M. Jain of the Punjab and Haryana High Court while staying the arrest of Pawan Kumar and Bhim Sen today directed the SMO (Senior Medical Officer) and Dr Veena Singh of Sirsa district in Haryana to appear in his court on February 19 with all the relevant record of the rape case. Notice of motion has also been issued by Mr Justice Jain to the state of Haryana. Pawan Kumar and Bhim Sen had moved the High Court here to seek anticipatory bail in an FIR registered on November 14, 1999, under Sections 342 and 376 of the IPC at police station sadar, Dabwali about the alleged rape of a girl resident of the same village. The petitioners alleged that they had been falsely implicated in the case due to political rivalry as no such FIR was registered on the statement of Suman Bala, daughter of Bawari Lal of Chautala village. The complainant said she along with her mother had gone to the fields of Bhim Sen and when her mother returned home in the evening leaving her behind. Bhim Sen and Pawan Kumar, who were armed with deadly weapons, caught hold of Suman and raped her and kept her in confinement till the next day. The petitioners alleged that they were active Congress workers and supporters of former MLA Brij Lal and had long-standing rivalry with Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala since 1977 when Chaudhary Devi Lal was the Chief Minister. Many false cases had been registered against his father and other family members, alleged the petitioner. After hearing their plea Mr Justice Jain directed SMO Sirsa and Dr Veena Singh to appear in his court in person with all the relevant record of the case and stayed the arrest of the petitioners till further orders.
Mr Justice V.M. Jain today issued notice of motion to Haryana Advocate-General for February 28 show cause as to why a CBI enquiry not be ordered into the alleged land grab by the Haryana Speaker Satbir Singh Kadian. Petitioner Tara Chand, a resident of Alupur village in Panipat district has petitioned the High Court alleging that the Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, Mr Satbir Singh Kadian, has been trying to grab his 35 kanals and 7 marlas of land with the help of some other respondents. The petitioner has demanded a CBI enquiry into the case pleading that Speaker Vidhan Sabha has been involved in the land grab and the police has not even been registering FIR on his complaint. |
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BJP to continue
backing Chautala YAMUNANAGAR, Jan 17 — The BJP will continue its support to Mr Om Prakash Chautala’s government for the full term. This was stated by Mr Ratan Lal Kataria, MP from Ambala Constituency and BJP state unit President, talking to newspersons here today. He said the BJP had never thought of withdrawing support from the Chautala government and nor would it think of it in future. He said he was in constant touch with the BJP high command. Mr Kataria said Mr Chautala had appreciated efforts of the present government in the past 17 months. He said the new concept of ‘Sarkar Aapke Dwar’ was successful because the rural as well as urban people had benefited from the programme. He further said Mr Chautala should have constituted a coordination committee to resolve various issues. Mr Kataria, however, overruled possibility of BJP’s joining the Haryana government. He said all the communities, including Muslims, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and backward classes, were giving maximum cooperation to the BJP. Mr Kataria further said the BJP would unfurl its flag in all 6,745 villages of the state by April 6. |
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House tax hike
to be cut FARIDABAD, Jan 17 — Responding to mass opposition and protest over the increase in house tax rates the Local Bodies Department of Haryana has reportedly decided to review the house tax structure. The issue was taken up at a meeting chaired by the Commissioner, Local Bodies, Mr Manik
Sonawane, here yesterday. The Commissioner, Municipal Corporation,
Faridabad, executive officers of all municipal committees and councils falling in Gurgaon division, commissioner, Gurgaon range, and Deputy Commissioners of
Faridabad, Rewari and Mahendergarh were among those who took part in the meeting. The Director, Local Bodies, Ms Surina
Rajan, was also present. It is reported that the officials decided to conduct a fresh survey from January 20 to finalise the new house tax structure. They proposed to reduce the house tax rate from its present level to 25 per cent of the built-up structure. For commercial plots, the rate is proposed to be 50 per cent. Large-scale opposition and protests were held in Faridabad town after imposition of the new tax (house) structure which hiked the rate by three to ten times. But the meeting took the municipal corporators here by ‘surprise’ as they were neither involved in the discussion nor asked about their views on the matter. A majority of the civic bodies in Haryana are facing a financial crunch and have not been able to carry out all development works due to shortage of funds. But the house tax issue rocked the political and non-political circles here after the Faridabad Municipal Corporation
(MCF) authorities issued notices and started collection of tax, according to the revised structure. The decision of the local bodies authorities yesterday is likely to ease tension and provide relief to the local residents. It is proposed that house tax be calculated on the standards adopted by other municipal committees and councils. Meanwhile, it is learnt that the MCF authorities have realised house tax (for year 2000) to the tune of Rs 10
crore, against a target of Rs 17 crore, as per the new rates. The venue of the meeting which was kept secret was changed twice, according to sources. |
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122 cases of power
theft detected SONEPAT, Jan 17 — The Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), in a week-long special campaign against consumers indulging in power theft, carried out surprise raids on the premises of 520 consumers and detected as many as 122 cases of power theft by officials of the Nigam in Sonepat, Gohana and Ganaur subdivisions of the district. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sudhir Rajpal, told mediapersons here today that the officials of the Nigam also imposed penalty totalling Rs 4.08 lakh on the erring consumers. As many as eight consumers failed to deposit the penalty amount and the officials lodged FIRs with the police against them. He also disclosed that the number of defaulters had gone up to about 7,000 and the power connections of 4,600 defaulters had been disconnected. The Nigam had earned a revenue of Rs 1.25 crore from defaulters and this included the Rs 12.71 lakh recovered as penalty from them. The DC further disclosed that he had directed the authorities of the Nigam to provide power connection to the cooperative sugar mills under construction at Ahulana village in Gohana subdivision within two days. |
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5,700 liquor pouches seized HISAR, Jan 17—The police has seized 5,700 pouches of illicit liquor in the district during the past 24 hours. Eight persons have also been arrested in this connection. A police spokesman said here today that a special drive had been launched against the sale of illicit liquor in the district. He said a mini-truck loaded with 5,600 pouches of liquor was on its way from Sisai village to Hansi last evening when a police team, on a tip off, stopped it. Five persons had been arrested. They have been identified as Raj Kumar, Ram Niwas, Baljeet, Shamsher and Ram Bhagat. Besides the Excise Act they had also been booked under sections 307,468 and 471. He said the registration number of the truck was also found to be fake. Two persons were also arrested from Barwala and Uklana and 100 pouches were seized from them. He claimed that the police had arrested a three-member gang of vehicle thieves from Kaimari village last evening. They have been identified as Mohan Lal, Rajesh Kumar, and Mohan. A motor cycle was seized from them. |
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Anarchy in Haryana:
Bhajan HISAR, Jan 17 — Former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal has expressed concern over the rise in crime here. Talking to mediapersons on Tuesday after visiting the local grain market, where he had gone to meet traders who had received threats from criminals recently, Mr Bhajan Lal said the state government had failed to maintain law and order in the state. Criminals were demanding ransom from businessmen and attacking them in broad daylight. He demanded that the police should make proper security arrangements in main markets and on main roads of the state at the earliest. Mr Bhajan Lal said the district police should arrest those responsible for the death of Narayan Singh, a cook of Haryana Agriculture University. He also criticised the recent hike in power tariff. The government had put a heavy burden on farmers as well as urban consumers, he added. He demanded the government should abolish the condition of no-dues certificate from power utilities for seeking licences and admissions. The former Chief Minister said the decision to constitute gram samitis would prove a hurdle in the way of rural development as it had increased groupism in the rural society. He said there was no need for samitis as the elected gram panchayats were able to develop villages. He alleged that the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, was discriminating against his Assembly constituency Adampur. He said farmers of his constituency were facing acute shortage of irrigation water and power. The officials of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam were implicating them in the garb of power theft. Meanwhile, local traders have formed an action committee to spearhead stir against increasing incidents of dacoity, extortion and thefts in the town. Mr Bajrang Dass Garg, president of the Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal, said in a press note issued here today, he said the criminal activities in the town had increased speedily in the last two months. He demanded that the police should make proper security arrangements and deploy PCRs in all the main markets of the town. He said the committee would meet on January 21 to decide future course of action. |
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Plant tissue centre at
last HISAR, Jan 17 — How serious is Haryana in protecting its vegetative genetic wealth from being usurped by patent-hungry foreign sharks is evident from its failure to establish a Rs 5 crore centre for research and application in plant tissue culture sanctioned in 1997 to identify genetic variability in plants through DNA fingerprinting in preparation of implementation of the WTO agreement. The proposed centre was to be set up here as part of a nationwide scheme to establish such centres in different states. It was a joint venture of the Department of Biotechnology of the Centre and the Haryana State Council for Science and Technology. The Centre was to meet 76 per cent of the cost while the rest was to be provided by the Haryana Government. The project envisaged construction of a building at a cost of Rs 2
crore. The rest of the money was to be utilised for setting up laboratories, purchasing equipment and chemicals and payment of salaries in the gestation period. The centre was scheduled to be functional by 1998. However, successive governments failed to set up the
centre. Neither land was earmarked for the building nor scientists recruited. It is learnt that the post of technical director was advertised but no suitable candidate was found and the matter ended there. It is only now that the government has woken up to the gravity of the situation thanks to the efforts of a local scientist Dr Rajbir Nain who took up the matter with the Centre and also the Haryana Government. The Centre has already released the first instalment of Rs 20 lakh for the research
centre. Dr Vijay Singh Beniwal was appointed its director on December 31. In the absence of a suitable accommodation, the director is currently functioning from the Haryana State Centre for Remote Sensing and Applications located on the Haryana Agricultural University
(HAU) Campus here. Mr Sunil Ahuja, Commissioner and Secretary, Department of Science and Technology,
Haryana, visited Hisar last week for a suitable piece of land for the building. It is learnt that the department will ask the HAU authorities to give land for the
centre. Sources say that unless the centre has a proper building, work on identification and fingerprinting of DNA cannot commence in earnest. The proposed centre was envisaged as a state-of-the-art facility for plant tissue culture technology for producing elite plant material for domestic and export purposes. It is also supposed to conduct need-based research to support production activities. It is also expected to train scientists, farmers and entrepreneurs in the use of biotechnology for producing elite plant varieties from existing genetic material. Among fruits, the centre is supposed to produce top bracket varieties of strawberry, papaya, mango, date palm, citrus and grapes. Included among ornamental plants were varieties of carnation, chrysanthemum, rose and gladiolus besides varieties of ginger, turmeric, potato and garlic. Poplar, shisham and eucalyptus were also chosen for similar research. The state was asked to choose medicinal and aromatic plants at its own level. The DNA fingerprints were supposed to be provided to the centre so that it could apply for their international patents. |
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Cong leader’s brother
killed in accident ROHTAK, Jan 17 — Three persons died on the spot and three were injured when a Matador carrying them collided head-on with a truck near Kharawar village on NH-10 last evening. The deceased have been identified as Jagdish Saini, alias Krishan (29), Baljit Saini (28), both of Rohtak, and Bholu (22) of Uttar Pradesh. Jagdish was the younger brother of Mr Rajbir Saini, general secretary, District Congress Committee (Urban). The injured — Jagdish, Tirath and Virender — have been admitted to the PGI. According to police sources, the Matador was coming from Kharwar to Rohtak when it was hit by a truck from the opposite direction. The driver of the truck has reportedly absconded. The police has impounded the vehicle . A case has been registered by the Sampla police. The HPCC chief, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, accompanied with Dr Raghbir Singh Kadian, MLA, and Ms Kartar Devi, a former minister, visited the PGI. Later, Congress activists paid their homage to the deceased. |
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Cong men hold
demonstration ROHTAK, Jan 17 — Congress activists today staged a demonstration in protest against the recent hike in power tariff and a considerable decline in the minimum support price of the farmers’ produce. The HPCC chief, Mr Bhupender Singh Hooda, led the demonstration. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the Governor through the Deputy Commissioner. Addressing the demonstrators Mr Hooda said Mr Om Prakash Chautala used to instigate the people, especially the farmers, not to pay their electricity bills while he was in the Opposition. He said Mr Chautala had also promised the people to provide power and water free of cost, if came to power. |
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AETO held on
graft charge AMBALA, Jan 17 — The police arrested an Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer of Ambala city for taking a bribe of Rs 5,000 from a trader of Baldev Nagar here today. The police has registered a case against him under the Corruption Act. The trader, Mr Sant Prakash, has alleged in his complaint that the AETO, Mr Mukesh Gupta, had raided his premises last week in connection with a case and took away his diary, bills and some other documents. He also forcibly took his signature on two plain papers and threatened him that his bills would be produced before the income tax authorities. The trader alleged that the officer was demanding Rs 10,000 from him for hushing up the case. Under a deal settled between the officer and the trader, the trader had to give Rs 5,000 to the officer at his residence this morning. The trader contacted the Superintendent of Police, Mr Sandeep Khirwar, in this regard. The SP deputed DSP Sultan Sing for conducting a raid. The DSP along with a tehsildar, reached near the residence of the officer in plain clothes. As soon as the trader came out of the residence of the officer located in a sector of HUDA, the DSP raided his
premises and recovered the signed note from his possession. |
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Reward for cops for
solving dacoity case CHANDIGARH, Jan 17 — The Haryana DGP, Mr M.S. Malik, announced rewards and certificates for police officials of Jhajjar district who have succesfully traced
criminals involved in a dacoity committed in the district yesterday. A press release, quoting Mr Malik, said Mr Ramesh Chand Jain, a Delhi-based businessman dealing in wholesale business of ‘biri’ was going to Bhiwani and Dadri for collection of payment with his driver and clerk. He was returning with Rs 9 lakh when he was waylaid inside Jhajjar district by 4-5 dacoits. They looted the entire cash and the Jeep on pistol-point from him. The police suspected the involvement of the driver and after sustained interrogation, he broke down and confessed his involvement in the crime. The press release said the driver and the head of the gang, Vijay, a resident of Dulehra in Jhajjar district, had been planning the dacoity for the past two months. The car used in the crime was stolen from Delhi from where four members of the gang had come. On the basis of the disclosure by the driver, three persons involved in the crime, namely, Vijay, Dharamvir, alias Chautala, a resident of Kheraka Gujar and Jitender, a resident of Dulhera, were arrested and Rs 6.17 lakh recovered from them, it
said. |
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2 booked for murder SIRSA, Jan 17 — A man along with his son killed the father-in-law of his daughter for prompting her to ask for share in her father’s property at Salamkhera village of the district. According to the information received today, Sher Singh and his son Gurpal Singh shot dead Gamdur Singh of Phulomutana village and cut his body into pieces when he had come to his village from Kolkata. Gamdur Singh was the father-in-law of Binder Kaur, daughter of Sher Singh. Gamdur Singh had a small piece of land and was unable to survive on it. He had gone to Kolkata with Binder’s husband, promising to call her there soon. They had reportedly started pressurising her to ask for a share in her father’s ancestral property. Both Sher Singh and Gurpal Singh have absconded. The body has been sent for autopsy. |
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Washerman
foils attempt to loot house FARIDABAD, Jan 17 — An attempt to commit a dacoity by four youths in a Sector 17 house here was foiled by a washerman living nearby. All four were forced to surrender and handed over to police. According to information, the youth, all in twenties, entered the house at about 11 a.m. today when there was no male member in the house. The accused locked all females in a room and demanded keys of the safe and cash from them. But the 14-year-old daughter of the maid, who had gone to the roof to dry out clothes, noticed this and told the matter to a washerman working nearby. The washerman came out with an axe and locked the main gate of the house from outside and challenged the youths, who got frightened. Two kids killed
in mishaps JIND, Jan 17 — Two children were killed and four persons injured in three separate accidents in the district yesterday. According to reports received here today, a boy was killed when he was knocked down by a truck while crossing a road near Urban Estate Colony. In another accident near Safidon town, a six-year-old girl died after she was hit by a tractor. Four persons were injured, one of them seriously, when the animal-driven cart on which they were travelling collided with a truck on the Jind-Safidon road, about 20 km from here. Seriously injured person was referred to Medical College Hospital at Rohtak while three other were admitted to the local General Hospital. Pollution control board extends date CHANDIGARH, Jan 17 — The Haryana State Pollution Control Board has extended up to January 31, 2001, the last date for applying for authorisation by hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, dispensaries, veterinary institutions, pathological laboratories and blood banks under the Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules,
1998. |
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