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| Tuesday, January 30, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Japan to invest more in Haryana PCO owners submit memo to Paswan Procedure to allot plots ‘transparent’ Question mark on Bhajan’s public meeting PDS ration being
sold on black market DD studio-cum-relay
centre for Haryana |
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Donations pour in for Gujarat
victims
Meeting on SGPC issue held Cleanliness drive from today Principal charged
with trespassing Tributes paid
to Sir Chhotu Ram Haryana to have 5 more engg
colleges Inter-state gang
busted Three killed in car,
Canter collision Father strangulates
3-month-old child Robbery bid
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Japan to invest more in Haryana MANESAR (Gurgaon), Jan 29 —Japan today expressed deep sorrow on heavy loss of life and property in Gujarat following earthquake. The Japanese Ambassador to India, Mr Hiroshima Hrabayashi, said a rescue and operation team of personnel from his country had reached Gujarat to help the ongoing damage control exercise. Expressing solidarity with the people of this country, he lamented that even Japan faced frequently such natural disasters. Relief material was on the way, he added. Mr Hrabayashi had come here to take part in the inauguration of Denso Haryana Pvt Ltd, a 100 per cent subsidiary of Japan’s Denso Corporation (a Fortune 500 company, ranked 26th in the world). On the initiative of the executives of the Denso Corporation, two minute silence was observed to mourn the deaths in the earthquake hit Gujarat. The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, was also present on the occasion. The Chief Minister later took part in a blood camp here organised for the benefit of the earthquake victims in Gujarat. The President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Denso Corporation, Mr Hiromu Okabe, who was welcomed as the state guest by the Haryana government, also expressed deep shock at the loss of large number of lives and property in Gujrat. To drive home the point, he used Japanese language to condole the deaths, which was translated into English for the Indian audiences. His other part of the speech relating to Denso Corporation, was delivered by him in English. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Mr Hrabayashi praised the Haryana government for its orientation to help grow industrialisation in the state. Haryana was the best place for investment, he added, and expressed the hope that another success story of a Japanese firm in Denso Haryana, will attract entrepreneurs from his country to Haryana. Incidentally, Denso Haryana, set up in Industrial Model Township (IMT) here, is the first Multi Point Fuel Injection System
manufacturing company in India. So far the investment of Denso Haryana is more than Rs 250 crore and is expected to reach Rs 400 crore by the end of next fiscal year, it was added. Its product lines are ECU, Fuel Pump, Injector and ISCV. To begin with Maruti Udyog Ltd would be its sole consumer. Mr Hiromu Okabe expressed the hope that the products of Denso Haryana, would meet the expectation of Indian society and help the environment. He added that depending on the need of the situation in future, Denso could manufacture other products useful to automobile industry. The Secretary, Union Ministry for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Mr R. Gupta expressed the hope that Denso Haryana would emerge as the star among the automobile ancilliary units in this country. He made special reference to the concept of IMT here. Mr Chautala, who was a special guest on the occasion, said that his government would take all possible proactive measures to ensure comfortable stay and recreation of the prospective personnel of Japanese firms in the state. |
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PCO owners submit memo to Paswan PANIPAT, Jan 29 — The local STD/PCO Association while submitting its memorandum to the Communication Minister, Mr Ram Vilas Paswan, yesterday on behalf of its members demanded that the commission should be increased from 16 per cent to 35 per cent as their counterparts in Punjab were getting commission at the rate of 30 per cent and in Haryana at the rate of 16 per cent. Talking to the newsmen, the president of the association, Mr Madan Lal, said that a charter of demands were handed over to the minister demanding increase in the service charges on STD calls. They also demanded that night allowance charges should be provided, local call be included with service tax; minimum revenue of Rs 1680 be reduced and a minimum of Rs 3,000 earning of a PCO owner might be assured by the department, before issuing new connections. Besides these the association also demanded that a separate counter to the STD/PCO owners for the last two days of depositing their bills and detailed bill should be provided. Latest code list with pulse rate tariff chart should also be provided by the BSNL to PCO owners and connections should be restored immediately after depositing the cash, said the president. The minister assured the delegation that the discriminatory attitude of the BSNL in Punjab and Haryana would be looked into and rectified soon. He said more than 100 applications of cash coin box (CCB) instruments were pending with the department. But, the department was not in position to supply the boxes to PCO owners. He further alleged that the department was stressing on the operators to treat “code-92” services as local call but it was surprising that the department itself was not in a mood to provide “code-92” services through its cash coin boxes (CCB) instruments. The public can use these phones only for local calls, he added. |
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Procedure to allot plots ‘transparent’ CHANDIGARH, Jan 29 — The Haryana Industries Development Corporation has denied that it had not adopted a creditable and accepted mode of advertising with regard to the ongoing interviews for the allotment of industrial plots as alleged in a news report. In a statement issued here today the Managing Director of the corporation, Dr Harbaksh Singh, said a major advertising campaign was launched for inviting Delhi industrialists to avail themselves of the opportunity of instant allotment of plots at a camp held in Delhi for four days starting from December 21 last. The camp received extensive coverage in the print and electronic media. The criteria adopted for the allotment was displayed prominently at various places within the office of the corporation where the camp was held. Over 1,200 plots were allotted at the camp without any complaint whatsoever from any quarters. He said applicants were all praise for the transparent procedure adopted by the HSIDC. Describing the report as “subjective and malicious,” Dr Harbaksh Singh said it termed the price of the application form as “exorbitant”. In fact, the form was priced at Rs 1,000 before the declaration of the new infrastructure policy by the state government two years ago. It had now been reduced to Rs 100. Referring to the suggestion in the report that the government should not have abandoned the policy of auctioning industrial plots, the Managing Director said earlier the auction policy was termed as “draconian” by industry. The price war triggered by the policy of auction left the genuine entrepreneurs high and dry as most of these plots in Gurgaon and other areas were grabbed by property dealers and real estate agents. Dr Harbaksh Singh said it was a conscious decision of the state government to provide quality infrastructure to bonafide investors at an affordable price. As a result, 90 per cent of the entreprenuers who were allotted plots after the declaration of the new policy in November, 1999, had either implemented their projects or were at an advanced stage of implementation. On the other hand, most of the entrepreneurs who purchased plots in the auction had either not started their projects or had gone in litigation. He said industrial plots were not being auctioned anywhere in the country. Neighbouring states like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan were offering similar plots at a rate much below their actual cost, whereas the HSIDC was allotting the plots at the prevailing market price or even more. He said it was also wrong to say that HUDA was allotting industrial plots by draw of lots and auction. The new infrastructure policy was applicable to all agencies of the state and HUDA was no exception. As regards the allotment of industrial plots at Udyog Vihar, Gurgaon, Dr Harbaksh Singh said applications were invited till January 15 last through an advertisement published prominently in an economic daily. All 173 applicants were called for interview before the allotment committee. He said the corporation had a clean track record in the allotment of industrial plots and had an established credibility recognised by international companies of repute. Question mark on Bhajan’s public meeting CHANDIGARH, Jan 29 — A letter from the general secretary of the All-India Congress Committee, Mr Moti Lal Vora, has put a question mark on the plans of the former Chief Minister, Mr Bhajan Lal, to organise a big public meeting at Hisar on March 4, ostensibly to show his strength and popularity in the state and within the party. Mr Vora has written to the president of the Haryana Congress, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, directing him to ensure that in future no individual leader organised any rally or public meeting without the permission of the state Congress Committee. He also directed that henceforth all rallies would be organised under the banner of the state Congress. Mr Bhajan Lal, who has not accepted the election of Mr Hooda as the president of the Haryana Congress, recently organised a meeting of his supporters at his Panchkula residence, where it was decided to organise the Hisar rally. The former Chief Minister, who is now the Leader of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party, has so far not participated in any of the programmes organised by Mr Hooda after his re-election as the party chief. It is no secret that Mr Bhajan Lal tried his best to convince the party high command not to make Mr Hooda the party president. He wanted that anyone other than Mr Hooda, with whom he has a running feud, should be the party head. However, the high command overlooked his objection. Since then, Mr Bhajan Lal and his supporters have been feeling uncomfortable and looking for an opportunity to assert their strength. Mr Vora’s letter will definitely dampen the spirits of the Bhajan Lal camp as it would be difficult for the former Chief Minister to defy the party high command. Sources at the Haryana Congress head office here said that so far no one had sought the permission of the Pradesh Congress Committee to hold a rally at Hisar. They said strict disciplinary action would be taken against any person organising a rally without the permission of the party. Mr Vora has also warned party leaders against making statements against each other. Mentioning news reports on statements made by senior party leaders against each other, the party general secretary, who is in charge of party affairs in Haryana, said party leaders should not air their grievances in public. He said any worker or leader found violating party discipline would be dealt with strictly. He also asked Mr Hooda to organise workshops for partymen at regular intervals so that they could discuss various issues confronting the party. It is believed that Mr Vora, who has a good rapport with Mr Bhajan Lal, has issued these instructions under a directive from Mrs Sonia Gandhi, President of the AICC. Mrs Gandhi issued the directive after a meeting with Mr Hooda and Capt Amarinder Singh, president of the Punjab Congress. Interestingly, if Mr Hooda faces more than pinpricks from Mr Bhajan Lal, his Punjab counterpart faces a similar problem from Mr Jagmeet Singh Brar, MP from Faridkot. |
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PDS ration being
sold on black market SONEPAT, Jan 29 — The Public Distribution System (PDS) seems to have become a subject of public criticism in the district. A large quantity of rationed levy sugar and kerosene oil supplied to the fair price shops is allegedly sold on the black market instead of reaching the ration card holders. According to informed sources, consumers are being fleeced by the owners of the fair price shops as these consumers are deprived of their monthly ration. The consumers have been making complaints about the non-availability of rationed commodities, poor quality of levy sugar, faulty weighing, overcharging and diversion of levy sugar and kerosene oil to the black
market. The consumers alleged that the owners of the fair price shops did not issue proper receipts. Informed sources also revealed that nearly half of the ration shops were owned ‘benami’ by the influential persons or their relatives. The role of the officials is under a cloud. Sources said an official collected up to Rs 10,000 as monthly fee for ignoring the activities of the owners of the fair price shops. To make up for the expenses, most of the unscrupulous fair price shop owners fleece consumers, mostly in the rural areas. It is alleged that 50 per cent of rationed kerosene oil is sold by the dealers or owners of the fair price shops on the black market. Some members of the Fair Price Shop Owners Association alleged that they failed to get full supply of levy sugar and kerosene oil from the concerned
department. |
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Donations pour in for Gujarat
victims AMBALA, Jan 29 — To facilitate relief work in Gujarat following the devastating earthquake, the Army had dispatched a field ambulance to Bhuj. Eight officers, 10 JCOs and 100 ORs have left for Bhuj. The team also includes an anaesthetist. The team went to Chandigarh from where it was airlifted for Bhuj. The medical team is carrying medical equipment and medical supplies etc. Meanwhile, the Haryana unit of the Indian Medical Association has offered its services of team of doctors, paramedical staff and blood for the injured in Gujarat earthquake. Dr D.S. Jaspal, president of the Haryana IMA, said here today that a team of doctors had already left for Gujarat with medical equipment from Faridabad and Gurgaon. He said the IMA members were requested to donate liberally towards the Chief Minister relief fund. Mr Jaspal said a resolution was adopted in the meeting, urging the Chief Minister to impose ban on the practice of quacks posing as a self-styled doctors. The council also urged the pollution control authorities to adopt latest methods of biomedical waste disposal.  Quake rumour
creates panic SIRSA, Jan 29 — Thousands of residents gathered outside in the streets in the wee hours today, waiting for an earthquake that never came. Around 2.30 a.m, this correspondent received calls, warning him of an impending quake and urging him to move outdoors. He was told that there had been an announcement from a gurudwara that an earthquake was going to occur. Outdoors, hordes of residents — the old and the young, women and infants — stood in the cold, waiting for a quake. Similar reports were received from
Ellenabad, Raina and Jeewan Nagar in this district. HCS officers to donate one-day salary CHANDIGARH, Jan 29 — Members of the HCS Officers Association have decided to donate their one-day salary to the Haryana Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the association held here yesterday where it also expressed its condolences to next of kin of all those who lost their lives in the earthquake in Gujarat on Republic Day. The association urged the City Magistrates to deduct one-day salary of all HCS officers posted in their respective areas and forward the amount to the relief fund. Faridabad sends 10
docs to Gujarat FARIDABAD, Jan 29 — The District authorities have sent a team of 10 doctors to the quake hit areas of Gujarat to help in relief operations. The team includes
orthopaedics, a paediatrician three anaesthetists, three physicians. Some social and voluntary bodies and schools have also decided to collect donations for the victims. Local politicians and activists have also started collecting relief materials. Haryana to organise
blood donation camps CHANDIGARH, Jan 29 — The Haryana Government today decided to organise blood donation camps on January 30 and 31 in all districts of the state in aid of the quake victims of Gujarat. While giving this information, the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, said he would visit the camps at Hisar, Fatehabad and Sirsa. The Chief Minister added that all MLAs of the INLD and supporting groups would contribute one month’s salary for the cause. |
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DD studio-cum-relay
centre for Haryana AMBALA, Jan 29 — A long pending demand of Haryana is finally going to the see the light of day with a studio and relay centre of Doordarshan all set to be established in the state within the next financial year. A studio at Chandigarh will also be inaugurated by April this year. The Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Ms Sushma
Swaraj, told mediapersons after inauguration of a day-care centre for senior citizens, that a studio and relay centre would be set up at
Hisar. The green signal for the studio-cum-relay centre had been given,” she said. Ms Swaraj said the plan for a studio was envisaged in the seventh five-year plan while currently the ninth five-year plan was under way. “I received a letter from the Haryana Chief Minister in which this fact was highlighted. I immediately had the matter investigated. The investigation revealed that the studio was earmarked for the state capital,” she said. She pointed out that orders were promptly issued for the studio-cum-relay
centre. “Incidentally, similar facility for Punjab is in Jalandhar so we decided to set up this facility in
Hisar,” she said. Nearly 25 acres of land had already been earmarked for the project and the work would begin before March this year, she added. Ms Swaraj said the deadline for the completion of centre would be before March 2002. The Union Information and Broadcasting Minister stated that the studio-cum-relay centre would fulfil the major need to encourage the local folk talent. “The centre at Hisar will be useful for local talented people. It is a fact that Haryana is witness to diverse influences. The studio will enable production of different programmes which are unique to the state,” she said. Regarding Fashion TV, Ms Swaraj said a decision in this regard would be taken at a meeting to be held on February 8. “Right now, F TV is being monitored,” she said. She said that the French Ambassador had met her since FTV was basically a French channel. “The French Ambassador, in our meeting, asked for our concerns and said the concerns will be addressed. A director of FTV is also scheduled to meet me,” she said. |
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Meeting on SGPC
issue held YAMUNANAGAR, Jan 29 — The Haryana State Sikhs Forum, the Akali Dal and the Punjabi Sabha have decided that the issue regarding separate SGPC would be discussed at a later meeting. The bodies have rejected the advisory committee constituted by the Haryana Government for the amendment of the All-India Gurdwara Act. It was stated that no government was authorised to interfere in religious affairs. At a meeting held here yesterday, these bodies passed a resolution that the Punjabis living in Haryana, specially Hindus, would get their mother tongue registered as Punjabi in the coming census. The meeting was attended by the president of the Haryana State Sikhs Forum Sardar Jagjit Singh Virk, president of the Akali Dal, Sardar Sukhdev Singh, senior Akali Dal leader Gobindgarh, Sardar Kartar Singh Takkar, president of the Sikh Forum of Haryana and district president of Sikh Forum Sardar Sukhbir Singh. |
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Cleanliness drive
from today ROHTAK, Jan 29 — The state government has decided to launch a statewide cleanliness campaign from January 30 on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary. Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala will launch this fortnight-long campaign at Hisar. Haryana Assembly Speaker Satbir Singh Kadiyan and Deputy Speaker Gopi Chand Gehlot would lead the campaign at Ambala and Mahendergarh, respectively, whereas Finance Minister Sampat Singh, Town and Country Planning Minister Dhirpal Singh would launch the drive at Karnal and Sonepat. Mr Balwant Singh Myna, Chairmanof the state Agriculture Marketing Board, has been deputed for Rohtak. The drive would also be launched from the midnight of January 29 and 30. Deputy Commissioner Rajesh Khullar said under this scheme, all important roads of the town would from now onwards, be cleaned during nights. Principal charged
with trespassing SONEPAT, Jan 29 — The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr S.R. Kaushik, has framed charges under Sections 447, 448 and 506 against Ms Shakuntala Gakhar, Principal of the local GVM Girls College, Mr Bhagwan Dass Ghai and Mr Subhash, both members of the managing committee of the college, for trespassing on the place of worship belonging to the complainant with the intention of enchroaching upon the land adjacent to the college and also intimidating the complainant. The accused, however, did not plead guilty to the charge. The magistrate fixed July 26 as the next date of hearing in this case. The owner of the land had lodged an FIR on March 2, 1999 against the accused. Tributes paid
to Sir Chhotu Ram KURUKSHETRA, Jan 29 — Sir Chhotu Ram jayanti was celebrated here today with great enthusiasm in the local Jat dharamshala organised by the Jat Sabha. Mr Ajay Chautala, Member Parliament and president of the Youth, INLD, who was the chief guest, paid tributes to Sir Chhotu Ram. Speaking at the function, Mr Ajay Chautala said the real tributes to Sir Chhotu Ram would be to follow the path shown by him. He said Deen Bandhu Chhotu Ram was the real well-wisher of farmers and the downtrodden people of the society, who had put all his strength in getting the farmers and poor people freed from the debts and clutches of lenders. Referring to the devastation caused by the recent earthquake in Gujarat, he appealed to the people to donate generously in cash and kind for the victims. He said he, along with 1000 youths from the state, would proceed tomorrow to Gujarat for relief operations. The Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Kumar Arora, Agriculture Minister, Mr Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, president of Haryana Sugar Federation, Mr Banta Ram, Mr Tejbir Singh, Mr Deena Ram and Mr Jasbir Mallor (all MLAs), president of the Forest Corporation, Mr Kuldeep Singh and Registrar of the Kurukshetra University, Mr Hawa Singh, were also present at the function. |
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Haryana to have
5 more engg colleges CHANDIGARH, Jan 29 — Haryana, with a total of 76 technical institutions being governed by the Department of Technical Education, including 50 of information technology (IT), is fast emerging as a leading state in the IT sector. Now Haryana ranks at number six among the states with the highest number of IT courses in such institutions. An official spokesman said, “No objection certificate” had already been issued to five engineering colleges and nine institutions offering master of computer application courses for 2000-2001. He said the government had increased the grant-in-aid to Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar, from Rs 3 crore to Rs 6 crore. It had also given permission to open a master of computer application college from the next academic
session. Inter-state gang
busted AMBALA, Jan 29 — A gang wanted by the
Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh police in different cases, including
dacoity, murder and vehicle lifting, has been busted by the CIA staff of Ambala police. Superintendent of Police,
Ambala, Mr Sandeep Khirwar, said the CIA staff had nabbed Sarbjit Singh, alias
Joga, and Kuldip Singh and the duo was being questioned. “Both of them have admitted to stealing cars, jeeps and trucks and are also being involved in
dacoity,” a release said. The police recovered a Mahindra jeep, a Marshal jeep, a Maruti van and a Maruti car worth about Rs 11
lakh. Mr Khirwar said Sarbjit Singh had murdered Swaran Kaur in Ambala City in 1994 and stolen goods, cash and
jewellery. Two of his associates were already in jail. Sarbjit had injured a chowkidar in 1994 in Kapda Market during a
dacoity. Sarabjit Singh had also committed a robbery at a bank in Anaj
Mandi. The police was hopeful of recovering more stolen vehicles from the duo. The CIA staff earlier this month had nabbed Sanjiv Kumar and Sunil Kumar from whom six motorcycles were recovered. |
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Three killed in car,
Canter collision PANIPAT, Jan 29 — Three persons died on the spot and two were seriously injured in an accident between a Maruti car and a Canter near Dahar village last night. According to information, five persons travelling in the car were going to Panipat to attend a marriage function when the car collided with a Canter coming from the opposite direction. Surinder (21), Dharmendar (24) and Meenu (20), all residents of Gohana died on the spot. A case has been registered against the Canter driver. The bodies of the deceased were handed over to their relatives after conducting post-mortem examinations today. |
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Father strangulates
3-month-old child YAMUNANAGAR, Jan 29 — Ravi Kumar strangulated his three-month-old child and buried the body in a cattle field near the Som nadi in Chhachhrauli block. The accused a daily-wage earner, was a resident of Ganauli village. He was also addicted to liquor. The mother of the child had died a few days ago and his inability to look after the child forced him to commit the crime. The Chhachhrauli police today arrested Ravi Kumar, under Sections 303 and 201 of the IPC on a complaint lodged by Faquir Chand, a close relative of Ravi. The police along with Mrs Renu Phulia, SDM, Jagadhri, went to the site and exhumed the body, which was cremated later on. |
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Robbery bid AMBALA, Jan 29 — There has been a bid to snatch a briefcase containing cash, in front of a bank at Ambala Cantt. At about 12.30 pm when two employees of a local factory alighted from their vehicle, they were accosted by two youths who were carrying knives. The youths demanded the briefcase. However, the factory employees held on to the briefcase and raised an alarm. The youths had to escape.
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