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| Monday,
January 22, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Power authorities ‘spare’ employees ‘Have’ biodiversity plans at all levels Funds for irrigation
schemes or officials? Taxation inspectors
rue promotion policy INLD “supporters”
attack BKU men Farmers demand
canal desiltation |
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Telecom services in bad
shape Sikh forum meeting on January
28 Netaji great son of
India: Chautala
Police remand to 4 in Ashok murder case ‘Sarkar apke dwar
a flop show’ Death anniversary of scribe
observed
Wall being built 13 years after flood Newspaper agent
beaten up
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‘Have’ biodiversity plans at all levels YAMUNANAGAR, Jan 21 — A workshop was held here today on the conservation of biodiversity by the Haryana Environment Department with the help of the district administration. Besides the Director, Environment, Mr Sarban Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rajiv Sharma, Director, Animal Husbandry, Director, Fisheries, Additional Director, Agriculture, representatives of the Botanical Survey of India, Dehra Dun, scientists, academicians, NGOs, sarpanches and panches participated. Inaugurating the workshop, the Commissioner and Secretary, Environment Department, Haryana, Mr D.S. Dhesi, said biodiversity meant variability among living organisms from all sources and ecological complexes of which they were part and included diversity within species and between species and the ecosystem. He said biodiversity was recognised at the species level, genetic level and ecosystem level. Speakers said in 1999, the Ministry of Environment and Forest prepared a national policy and macro-level action strategy on biodiversity. They said there was need to prepare detailed action plans at all levels on this document. The Government of India had undertaken the task of formulating the national biodiversity strategy and action plan and it was launched in April 2000. The strategy and action plan would prepare detailed micro-level action plans at the state and regional levels based on the macro-level national policy and action strategies of biodiversity. Its key feature was to decentralise the state-level planning and the use of inter-disciplinary working groups to involve all sectors concerned with biodiversity conservation up to the grass-root level. The state-level biodiversity strategy and action plan was to be formulated by the state government as part of the main plan. The state action plan envisaged the assessment of biodiversity at the national level, including identification of endemic and endangered species and site-specific threats and pressures. Mr Dhesi said the state government had already started the formulation of the plan in which the recommendations of government agencies were being collected. In addition, the data already available regarding various species was also being collected. In the technical session, participants were divided into four groups — agriculture, forestry, wildlife and medicinal. Each group was given broad topics for discussions. The recommendations by each group were presented before the participants for open discussion. The final recommendations would be incorporated as part of the state biodiversity strategy and action plan. |
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Funds for irrigation
schemes or officials? SONEPAT, Jan 21 — Most of the irrigation schemes undertaken by Rai and Gohana Water Services Divisions in the district are said to be widely infested with corrupt practises and have come in handy to some officials of the divisions to make quick money. According to informed sources, the bulk of the amount spent on the schemes, particularly on desilting and deweeding of canals, distributaries and minors, has allegedly been misappropriated by some officials entrusted with the execution of the schemes. Some of the works executed remain on paper only and the officials have made payment for them. The muster rolls also include the names of persons who have never been put on the job, it is alleged. Though the Haryana Government, with an aim to root out corruption from the Irrigation Department, has appointed an SDO (Vigilance) to supervise the works relating to the maintenance of canals, distributaries and minors and also to check the on-going works as well as the malpractices in the utilisation of public funds by the lower staff, no substantial action has been taken by the said officer. Representatives of various farmer organisations today demanded the immediate appointment of a senior officer of the Vigilance Department for holding a high-level probe into the complaints about the bungling of public funds and malpractices among officials of Rai and Gohana Water Services Divisions. In a joint memorandum sent to the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, a copy of which was released to the press here, they also alleged that some of the officials, who were responsible for the misuse of public funds, had purchased cars disproportionate to their known sources of income. The memorandum also alleged that government jeeps were being misused thereby causing a huge financial loss to the state exchequer. It also demanded the immediate transfer of the officials of the two divisions to ensure an independent and impartial probe into the bungling of public funds. |
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Power authorities ‘spare’ employees HISAR, Jan 21 — The Haryana power utilities’ strong-arm tactics to check power thefts, unauthorised load and recovery of arrears is inadvertently creating an urban-rural divide. Official claims notwithstanding, there is a growing feeling among those living in the urban areas that they are being discriminated against vis-a-vis those living in the rural areas. They feel the latter are getting preferential treatment because they constitute the main vote bank of the ruling INLD. They also feel the exercise was directed only against them, sparing government employees. The reasons for this are not far to seek. The campaign spares the government, which continues to be the single-largest defaulter. Govern-ment departments owe more than Rs 100 crore by way of power bill arrears. No attempts have been made to make the defaulting departments cough up the money for the simple reason that they do not have the finances. Likewise, no raids have been conducted on residential premises of employees of power utilities. No attempt has been made to find out the amount being paid by senior officers, including Deputy Commissioners and SPs, most of whom have installed several air conditioners. Inquiries indicate that their bills were not even half the amount being paid by ordinary consumers with less load. Many of these officers owe arrears, too. Despite the initial thrust in the rural areas, the power utilities beat a hasty retreat when villagers voiced their protest and refused to pay up. This is, however, not to say that the rural areas have been by and large spared. A large number of consumers there have voluntarily paid their arrears, but the utilities found their tactics terrorised the urban consumer more effectively. The figures doled out by officials justify the raids because these were first concentrated in areas where line losses were exceptionally high. However, it is the harassment of the honest consumer which is driving the wedge between those living in cities and those living in villages on the one hand and the government on the other. Partially for their convenience and partly due to ignorance, most consumers get more electrical points fitted at the time of construction of the house than they might require. All these are sanctioned at the time of grant of connection without a junior engineer visiting the premises. Nevertheless, it is the consumer who is at the receiving end and paying the penalties. The officials who should have been punished for not doing their job are imposing these fines. Official sources said power points were calculated only if evidence of theft was found. Even then, only 15 per cent of the switches were taken into consideration. But several consumers complained that the officials broke the seals on the pretext of checking these and then imposed heavy penalties. Aware of the adverse effect of the campaign on its future electoral prospects, the government yesterday decided that the municipal councillor of the ward concerned in the urban areas or a panch in the case of the village would now accompany the raiding parties. |
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Taxation inspectors
rue promotion policy KURUKSHETRA, Jan 21 — Resentment with regard to the promotions made over the years, prevails among taxation inspectors of the Prohibition, Excise and Taxation Department of Haryana. Claiming this in a signed statement released to the press here today, the Haryana Taxation Inspectors Association president, Mr Kulbir Singh Rathi, said although similarly placed taxation inspectors in comparison to excise inspectors got promoted to the post of Assistant Excise and Taxation Officer much later. He alleged the manner in which the promotion quota had continued to be flouted had worked to the detriment of taxation inspectors over the years. Mr Rathi said, Excise inspectors get promoted at the expense of taxation inspectors’ quota of promotion with the result the taxation inspectors stand mired in a cesspool of stagnation. The upshot of all this is that taxation inspectors suffer the mortification of working under those who are not only juniors in terms of service rendered but are also novices to the complexities of sales tax laws. Excise inspectors on promotion as assistant excise and taxation officers, are to deal with sales tax matters whereas their experience during their entire stint as excise inspectors remains confined to matters of excise, alleged Mr Rathi. He further added the general body meeting of taxation inspectors would be held at Rohtak on Saturday and would deliberate over the issue. Elections of the office-bearers would also be held, he added. |
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INLD “supporters”
attack BKU men SONEPAT, Jan 21 — Members of the Naujawan Sabha and the Bharatiya Kisan Union were allegedly attacked by a group of persons said to be supporters of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) at Rai village, about 13 km from here, yesterday. According to a report reaching here, the members were holding a corner meeting in protest against the handing over of the 560 acres of land acquired for the setting up of Asia’s biggest fruit and vegetable market at Rai to the Haryana State Industrial Development Corporation (HSIDC) for the setting up of an industrial complex there. They were also mobilising people to boycott the visit of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, tomorrow. Earlier, they were taken to the Rai police station for interrogation, but they were let off after a few hours. The incident has caused widespread resentment among the people of the village. Meanwhile, the leaders of both organisations today demanded the immediate arrest of the INLD supporters responsible for the attack and beating up of the members of the parties, otherwise an agitation would be launched on the issue. |
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Farmers demand
canal desiltation SONEPAT, Jan 21 — Farmers of the tail-end villages watered by the Rohna Minor and the Pai distributary today urged the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, to order a high-level probe into their complaints about the non-availability of canal water and non-desiltation of the minor and the distributary by officials of the Rai Water Service Division in the district. In a memorandum sent to Mr Chautala, a copy of which was released to the Press here, they said that though the officials had completed the deweeding work, they had not started the work of desiltation. This had resulted in the withering of crops in the tail-end fields, they said. It was also alleged in the memorandum that the bulk amount allotted for the desiltation work had been pocketed by the officials concerned. Meanwhile, the farmers of Bahalgarh, Liwaspur and other adjoining villages expressed resentment over the decision of the Executive Engineer to hand over the work of the SDO, Ganaur, to the SDO, Samalkha. They demanded a high-level probe into the action of the Executive Engineer and the misuse of public funds by the officials concerned. They also threatened to launch an agitation if the demand was not accepted by the state government. |
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Telecom services in bad
shape KAITHAL: Resentment prevails among subscribers due to continuous deterioration of telecom services. The apathy of the local officials, ineffective monitoring of the situation by senior officers, including GM, Karnal, and CGM, Ambala, and wrong policies of the department are reported to be factors responsible for causing lot of inconvenience and mental harassment to the people. It is alleged by the consumers that hundreds of telephones remain dead due to various reasons. The complaints lodged with the department are not attended to for a number of days and in some cases even for weeks. The field staff is selective and uncooperative, JEs and SDOs are generally not available to the public and the DET, overall in charge of the Telecom District, though courteous, is unable to control the subordinate staff. The complaints go on multiplying day after day as there is no prompt action to rectify the defect. Very few consumers are lucky to get relief after repeated requests. The consumers have to pay rent even for the period when their telephones remain non-functional. Not only this the department also loses substantial revenue on account of bad services. Besides there is unnecessary delay in the installation of new telephones and these are not provided on the basis of seniority list but at the whims of the field staff. Another complaint is that they are not supplied details of bills, hence they have to make the payment as demanded by the department. They demand that the details of bills should be provided. Residents of Kaithal town, Kalayat and Rajaund also have to suffer on account of bad services in their areas. Kaithal residents cannot establish contact with the neighbouring towns. When contacted, the DET, Kaithal, said that frequent fault in telephone lines was due to cold wave conditions coupled with fog and mist. He also said that sometimes there was fault in underground lines and it took a lot of time in locating the defect and removing it. He also admitted that the department faced shortage of staff and that the number of consumers had increased many fold. He said due to shortage of regular staff they had to deploy temporary staff to rectify fault. Similar is the fate of telegraphic services due to which urgent
messages take a lot of time to reach their destinations. On a number of occasions telegraphic services remain paralysed. The District Telegraph office is also reported to be running short of staff. Thus tall claims of the Telecom Department to improve the services remain merely on paper. |
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Sikh forum meeting on January
28 KURUKSHETRA, Jan 21 — A meeting of the Haryana State Sikh Forum has been summoned on the premises of Shri Guru Nanak Senior Secondary School, Yamunanagar on January 28 to discuss the issues pertaining to definition of ‘Sikh’ and other related problems. In a signed statement released to the Press here today, the forum’s president, Mr Jagjit Singh Virk, said the Sikhs living in Haryana were in a fix over the differences between Akal Takht jathedars and the SGPC. Mr Virk added that it was not clear whether the Sahejdhari Sikhs were voters or not in the coming SGPC elections and who should decide about it. Amendment of the Sikh Gurdwara Act and formation of an advisory committee by the Haryana Government in this regard was still under consideration. He said the census would start next month and awareness should be created for declaring Punjabi as mother tongue, especially by non-Sikh Punjabis, for claiming representations in services, corporations, boards and commissions. Mr Virk said the issue relating to Punjabi as second language would be discussed thoroughly. Not only forum members but all Haryana SGPC members and non-Sikh Punjabi leaders had been requested to participate, Mr Virk added. |
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Netaji great son of India: Chautala GURGAON, Jan 21 (UNI) — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today paid glowing tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 105th birth anniversary and described him as one of the greatest sons of India. Mr Chautala was speaking at a function organised by the Indo-Thai Friendship Association to celebrate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose here today. Mr Chautala said if Netaji had not struggled for India’s liberation from outside the country we might not have attained freedom because the British were scared of the army revolution in 1857. He said although Gandhiji’s contribution in the freedom movement was of great importance but Netaji’s contribution at the same time could not be underestimated. The Chief Minister called on the people to get inspiration from his life and imbibe the spirit of patriotism among themselves. He cautioned the people from those forces which were trying to create differences among different sections of society in the name of caste, creed and religion and said that we should keep ourselves united to defeat these forces. |
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Police remand to 4 in Ashok murder case PINJORE The police had nabbed main accused Vikramjit, Sanjay from Manimajra on Sunday. After interrogation their two accomplice- Harihar Baba and Vinay Thakur were nabbed from Pinjore and Kalka. Accused Harihar Baba was picked up from an ashram near Pinjore while Vinay from his house in Kalka. The accused have been arrested under Section 302, 34 and 201 of the Indian Penal Code for murder and destruction of evidence. Earlier, the Pinjore police had registered a case against the accused on the complaint of Mr Narinder Kumar, brother of the deceased. The complainant alleged that Sanjay came to his saloon and took his brother along on January 15 night while they were closing the shop. With dozens of injuries, Ashok’s body was near Rampur Seuri village on the bank of the river by the Sarpanch of the village Sources revealed that the HMT authorities have asked the families of Vikramjit and Sanjay to vacate the accommodation in the colony with in ten days. |
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‘Sarkar apke dwar
a flop show’ FARIDABAD, Jan 21 — The Sarkar Apke Dwar programme held at Ballabgarh and presided over by Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala today proved a flop show when aggrieved persons said they were not allowed to meet the Chief Minister. Only activists of the Indian National Lok Dal were allowed to participate in the programme, they alleged. Ninety-year-old Kachru of Punhera-Khud village, who was waiting since 12 p.m. to meet the Chief Minister, was pushed off by officials. On the other hand, the district administration claimed that representatives of 69 gram panchayats participated in the programme and the Chief Minister listened to their
grievances. |
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Death anniversary of scribe
observed YAMUNANAGAR, Jan 21 — The 15th death anniversary of journalist O.P. Dutta was observed here today. Speaking on the occasion, Mr D.S. Dhesi, Additional Principal Secretary to the Haryana Chief Minister, said Dutta had dedicated about four decades of his life to journalism and contributed a lot to the development of the region. Mr Sanjiv Kaushal, Director, Public Relations Haryana, lauded the contribution of the Dutta family to journalism. After the death of O.P. Dutta, his son had stepped into his father’s shoes. Mr Rajiv Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Dr M.C. Gambhir, Secretary-General of the Indian National Lok Dal, Dr K.L. Johar, a former Vice-Chancellor of Guru Jambheshwar University and Mr Roshan Lal Arya, a former MLA, also spoke on the occasion. |
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Wall being built 13 years after flood KALKA, Jan 21 — The local civic body has started constructing a 350-metre long “retaining wall” along the banks of the Sukhna, a seasonal rivulet, to save houses from floods in Sarangpur Colony here. It may be recalled that the rivulet washed away a big portion of land along with four houses in August 1988. The rivulet washed away a 50 years old track which used to be a shortcut to the Kalka market for residents of Bitna, Tipra, Ghatiwala and some other villages. The residents of Sarangpur Colony have to cover a distance of 2 km instead half kilometre earlier. Mr Sushil Kumar, president, Municipal Council, said a 350 metre-long retaining wall had been constructed at a cost of Rs 4 lakh. The foundation of the wall is 5 feet. He added that an estimate of over Rs 4.5 lakh had been sent to the government to raise the height of the retaining wall. Newspaper agent
beaten up SONEPAT, Jan 21 — Mr Har Bhagwan Chhabra, a newspaper agent of Kharkhauda town, was allegedly beaten up by miscreants near the police post at Mohalla Kot here yesterday. According to a report, when Mr Chhabra raised an alarm, many passers-by reached the site, but the assailants managed to escape. He alleged that the police did not take any action when it was informed about the incident. |
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