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| Wednesday, February
14, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Industry
feels the heat Three
children burnt alive Doctors
panicky over demand of ransom Junior
Engineer assaulted 3 more of
Surinder Geong gang held |
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Kids
have feel of police station Child
mix-up at PGIMS Notice to Haryana
on employees’ pay Sonepat
financier robbed HSIDC allotment: probe
sought Lok
Adalats for bank loan cases Woman
assaulted on KU campus Autorickshaw
drivers observe strike Community
policing need of hour: DGP Marketing
board donates 50 lakh for quake victims Proclaimed
offender held after 8 years Jhoola
crash toll rises to four Youth
commits suicide Grants-in-aid
approved Worker
unions observe bandh 37
colonies to be regularised
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Industry feels the heat FARIDABAD, Feb 13 — Resentment prevails among industry circles here, against the move of the Haryana Power Utilities (Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam) to increase the minimum monthly charges for power connection by over three times. The industries’ associations here have decided to oppose the decision, which came into effect from February 1, tooth and nail and could even go for a legal battle. Leading industry associations, including The Faridabad Industries Association (FIA), the Manufacturers Association Faridabad (MAF), the Faridabad Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FCCI) and the Laghu Udyog Bharti (LUB) have sent a joint memorandum to the Commissioner and Secretary Department of Energy (Power), Haryana, expressing concern over the ‘rise’ in the minimum monthly charges pleading with the authorities to review the decision and rationalise the ‘rates’. It stated that the Haryana Power Regulatory Commission had not taken various associations into confidence before going ahead with the decision. It said while ‘rationalisation’ on part of commission without going into ‘facts’ prevailing in the industries was hardly justifiable the recent hike could give a ‘death blow’ to many units. According to the memorandum, the commission had ignored the ‘load factor’ which it said, was not more than 30 per cent, while these were being made to pay for 100 per cent and the load pattern had been different for various categories, and this point had not been considered while effecting the hike. These associations, while expressing concern over the inadequate supply during day time, said several units which had to pay the minimum monthly charges for power connection had also to bear the cost of generator power also due to heavy and frequent cuts. The associations feared that due to increased charges and improper policy of the power corporation, a large number of units could become ‘sick’ and ‘unviable’ in near future. It added that while a majority of the industries in the region had increased their ‘load’ taking advantage of the ‘voluntary disclosure scheme’, yet due to recession and cut-throat competition from multinationals and massive imports, the local units were not able to run even a single unit, and many large industries had adopted
voluntary retirement scheme. Stating that industrial scenario in Faridabad had become extremely alarming, it feared that the minimum monthly charge would now put the last nail in the ‘coffin’ of the industries. Expressing similar views, the honorary secretary of the FSIA Mr Rajiv Chawla, said the increase was a ‘shock’ to majority of small-scale units in Faridabad. Admitting that many units could opt for ‘disconnecting power supply of HVPN, he said it had become unviable for many of them due to severe recession’ in the industry. He said the units consuming power between 20 kw and 50 kw would have to pay a monthly bill of atleast Rs 10,000 in comparison to Rs 4,000 earlier. Demanding withdrawal in hike of Minimum Charges he said all prominent industrial associations had decided to launch a united move to pressurise the government. |
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Three children
burnt alive YAMUNANAGAR,
Feb 13 — Three teenagers — Amit, Vipan and Jokhim of Bhilpur village, about 25 km from here, were burnt alive when they had a camp fire on the outskirts of their village on Saturday, according to a delayed report received today. When the fire spread all three hid themselves in a quilt. But they were caught in the fire and burnt alive. The villagers came to know the incident when the flames spread and noticed the fire. They found the bodies of the three children whose bodies were badly burnt and could not be recognised. The news spread like wildfire and the aggrieved parents whose children were missing reached the spot and identified the bodies. They were later cremated. It is learnt the three children were related to each other. |
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Doctors panicky over demand of ransom HISAR, FEB 13 — Panic has gripped the local doctors following the demand of ransom from a doctor by Subhash Channi, a close associate of notorious criminal Subhash Fauji. Subhash Channi allegedly demanded Rs 5 lakh from Dr H.C. Popli three days ago. Dr Popli met Mr Rajpal Singh, SP, who deployed two constables for his security. Besides this Dr Popli had also hired private security guard for his hospital. According to reports, Channi had also demanded money from other doctors but they did not inform the police. Earlier, the gang had demanded ransom from several traders of Hisar and nearby districts during the past four months. The police arrested Subhash Fauji, head of the gang, last month. Since then Channi had become a headache for the police. A delegation of the local unit of the Indian Medical Association met the SP last evening and demanded adequate security. The town has the maximum number of private nursing homes in the state and about 500 doctors were practising here. Doctors told this correspondent yesterday that if such threats continued they would be forced to discontinue emergency services at night at their nursing homes. |
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Junior Engineer assaulted KAITHAL, FEB 13
— Mr Harbhagwan Gandhi, a Junior Engineer, was injured when he was attacked by two persons, one of them armed with a pistol, at his residence in the HUDA Colony here last night. According to information, Mr Gandhi was watching TV with his family members, when two persons, with muffled faces entered the room. The wife of Mr Gandhi alerted him. The two reportedly asked the couple to switch off the TV. However, Mr Gandhi turned back and grappled with one of them and tried to catch him. In the mean time, the other person hit Mr Gandhi with the pistol butt. The couple raised the alarm and a cartridge fell from the weapon. Some neighbours rushed to their help. The two assailants escaped in a Maruti car parked outside the home. The police reached the spot after the incident. A case under Sections 323 and 452 of the IPC and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered against the accused. The SP, Mr A.S. Chawla, said police parties had been sent to nab the culprits. Meanwhile, residents of the HUDA Colony have expressed grave concern over the incident. The police today arrested the local District Treasury Officer, Mr S.D. Vidyarthi, here for his alleged involvement in a corruption case which was registered against him. The official was produced before the CJM, Mr N.P. Dewet, and remanded in police custody for two days. A case under the Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against Mr Vidyarthi and the former state Finance Minister, Mr Charan Dass Shorewala, following an inquiry and a complaint lodged by Mr Ashok Bishnoi, SDM, Kaithal. It was alleged that at least 12 employees were recruited in the Treasury Department on the recommendation of the then Finance Minister, Mr Shorewala. The case took a new turn when the former Finance Minister, Mr Vidyarthi and others were booked under Section 306 of the IPC on a complaint lodged by the widow of an employee alleging that her husband was forced to commit suicide. Mr Shorewala had filed an anticipatory bail plea in the high court which was recently rejected. It is reliably learnt the Treasury Officer had admitted before the police that to create a vacancy in the Kaithal treasury office, many employees were transferred to far-off places. |
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3 more of Surinder Geong gang held KAITHAL, FEB 13 — The district police has busted the Surinder Geong gang with the arrest of its remaining three members who were allegedly involved in attempt to murder, looting, stealing vehicles and making demands for money on the telephone. Giving this information here yesterday, the SP, Mr
A.S. Chawla, said that members of the gang of Surinder Geong, who was arrested a few days ago, included Teja, a resident of
Dariyanwala, Sultan Ror of Pabnawa and Baj Singh of Sandhwa. They were allegedly involved in an attempt on the life of a headmaster, Pawan Aggarwal, on February 5 at Chandana village in this district. They had shot at him, causing serious injuries to him. The gang leader, Surinder
Geong, was introduced to another hardened criminals, Surinder Mehla by one Rajiv of Mundri village of this district. He got initiated into a life of crime with the alleged beating of a driver and conductor of a Haryana Roadways bus in 1996 and the looting of Rs 2 lakh from a treasurer of the Salarpur branch of the PNB here in 1998. Later, he was also allegedly involved in an murderous attack on local reporter Parmanand Goyal in 1999. His gang members stole three motor cycles from Kaithal, looted petrol pumps and in the latest incident, threatened local commission agent Sat Pal on the telephone and demanded Rs 10 lakh from him. Headmaster Pawan Aggarwal is the brother of this commission agent. Teja was a graduate and diploma holder in stenography from Jind. He met members of the Jintender Pahal gang in Jind jail. The SP further said that another accused, Sultan Ror of Pabnawa village, was introduced to Surinder Geong by one Balkar Singh, who was lodged in jail for his involvement in a murder case. |
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Kids have feel of police station FATEHABAD, FEB 13
— It is quite unusual to see young boys and girls roaming about fearlessly in a police station and asking the Station House Officer (SHO) and other policemen how they perform their duties and why they are usually too harsh with the people. But the students of some local schools were yesterday provided this opportunity by the district police under its week-long police-public coordination programme. With an aim to bridge the chasm between the police and the public, the district police is presently observing a police-public coordination week. Mr Hanif Qureshi, SP, inaugurated the programme on February 11 when cadets of the NCC from the local Manohar Memorial College, volunteers of the national service scheme of the college and schoolchildren learnt traffic rules from the traffic police and actually manned posts for about two hours. As part of the programme, the police had invited schoolchildren to all eight police stations in the district. Mr Qureshi himself visited the city police station to address the children and answer their queries about the working of the police. The children were taken around the police station and were shown the SHO’s office, the office of the munshi, the reporting room, the nodal cell for women, the weapon room, the store for seized property etc. The children felt excited when they held pistols, revolvers, guns, rifles etc in their hands. Addressing the children, Mr Qureshi said that the policemen were also part of the public while ordinary citizens were policemen in plainclothes in the sense that they had the duty to assist the police and help in curbing criminal activities. Explaining the oft-reported harsh behaviour of cops, the SP said a policeman was expected to behave in a decent way and action was always taken against those found guilty of misconduct. He, however, added that a policeman had to act under heavy stress as he has no fixed hours of duty. Mr Qureshi also informed the children about the method of recruitment to various ranks of the police. Curious boys and girls asked several questions about the working of the police. The SP said that the district police would organise a painting competition on the subject “Public property is our property” at DAV Public School tomorrow. An exhibition of police weapons is also being organised in the Bal Bhavan. The week-long programme will conclude on February 18 when the police will honour the children who participated in it. |
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Child mix-up at PGIMS ROHTAK, FEB 13 — The “casual” attitude of PGIMS staff has virtually landed Veena (30) in a difficult situation. She is still in a dilemma whether the three-day-old infant she was holding was her own or of some other woman. Narrating the sequence of events, Ms Mala, sister-in-law of Veena, told The Tribune that Veena of Rohtak and Mukesh of Bahadurgarh were admitted to the labour room of the PGIMS on February 9. Mukesh had reportedly given birth to a boy at 2.59 p.m. while Veena gave birth to a girl at 3.06 p.m. None of the attendants were allowed to see the babies for a few hours as per the rules and regulations of the PGIMS. Both women were shifted to another ward and their attendants were asked to complete certain formalities for the registration of the birth of the babies at 9 p.m. The attendants were taken by surprise when the person concerned told them that the identification strip of both babies bore identical names of parents. They rushed to the doctors and reported the matter to them. Both babies were taken inside the labour room once again by the nurses and brought out after a few minutes. They handed over the girl to Veena and boy to Mukesh and “rectified” the mistake, according to them. Although Veena is still suspicious about the baby, no formal complaint has been lodged by her relatives. When contacted Dr Krishna Sangwan, Head, Gynaecology Department of the PGIMS, ruled out any possibility of inter-changing the babies. She said the sex and other particulars of the baby were registered at just after the birth. |
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Notice to Haryana
on employees’ pay CHANDIGARH, FEB 13
— A Division Bench of the High Court comprising Mr Justice J.L. Gupta and Mr Justice K.C. Gupta today issued notice of motion to the state of Haryana and the Local Government Secretary for July 26 on a writ petition filed by the Nagar Palika Karamchari Sangh, an employees union of the Municipal Council, Hisar, for grant of revised pay with effect from January 1, 1996. The petitioners whose members are class III and IV employees, submitted that on June, 3, 1999, they were given the benefit of revised pay scales with effect from April 1, 1999, by the state government. Later on the government gave them a notional revised pay scale with effect from January 1, 1996, but the actual benefit was given only from April, 1999, thus they were not given full benefit of the revised pay scale. The petitioners also made representation to the state
government, through the Secretary, but they were not given the benefit. |
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Sonepat financier robbed SONEPAT, FEB 13 — Mr Manohar Lal, owner of the Friends Finance Company, was allegedly robbed by six unidentified youths outside his house in the Model Town area here last night. According to preliminary reports, Mr Manohar Lal closed his office as usual in the evening and proceeded towards his house along with his daughter in the car. His driver Rajoo was driving the car. When the car reached his house, the robbers who had come in a car surrounded him. Thereafter, one of them threatened the driver at pistol-point and snatch the suitcase containing Rs 2.5 lakh from Mr Manohar Lal. The latter grappled with him and succeeded in throwing the suitcase inside his house. On seeing the resistance being put up by Mr Manohar Lal, another youth assaulted him with a lathi and succeeded in removing another suitcase which had been kept in the car. The robbers immediately escaped in their car towards the old DC road and then onto the Jatheri road. Mr Manohar Lal gave a chase and tried to catch hold of them but failed. However, he informed the police about the incident. Police officials arrived on the spot and alerted all police stations and police posts in the district and neighbouring states. The alleged robbers could not be apprehended and a hunt is still on to arrest them. The incident has caused panic among residents of the city. According to another report, three unidentified armed youths reportedly entered the shop of an arhtiya near the police station at Ganau, 16 km from here, last night and assaulted three inmates. They also snatched Rs 3,700 and gold ornaments from them before they escaped. Two persons who sustained serious injuries were immediately hospitalised. They are stated to be in a serious condition. According to the residents, this is the third such incident to have taken place in Ganaur within a month. |
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HSIDC allotment: probe
sought CHANDIGARH, Feb 13 — The lone RPI MLA in the Haryana Assembly, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, today demanded a CBI inquiry into the allotment of industrial plots by the Haryana State Industrial Development
Corporation (HSIDC) to those industrial units which have been ordered to shift out of Delhi by the Supreme Court. Talking to newsmen here, Mr Dalal alleged that the plots were being allotted after taking Rs 400 per
sq. yrd. from the entrepreneurs under the table by officials of the corporation at the instance of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, and his family. He said the HSIDC had 1500 acre at Manesar. The government handed over another 560 acre to the HSIDC at Rai which was earlier acquired for setting up a horticulture mandi by the State Agriculture Marketing Board. He alleged that by charging Rs 400 per sq. yrd. under the table the ruling family had caused a loss of Rs 399 crore to the state exchequer. Mr Dalal alleged that the HSIDC officials were being pressurised to collect the illegal money. He claimed that an Assistant General Manager of the HSIDC, Mr Harish Ghai, who was posted in Gurgaon, resigned from his post fearing a legal action in future if he did the bidding of the powers that be. He said while the polluting units were being accommodated in Haryana, the revenue-earning and employment-generating industrial units had preferred to go to either Noida in Uttar Pradesh or Bhiwadi in Rajasthan. Urging the government to issue a White Paper explaining its position, Mr Dalal said the polluting units would prove hazardous for the health of the people of the state and they would also cause ecological imbalance. He also alleged that the ruling family had committee irregularities in the admission to the JBT course in the state. |
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Lok Adalats
for bank loan cases CHANDIGARH, Feb 13 — The Haryana State Legal Services Authority will organise Special Lok Adalats for bank loan cases at prelitigative stage as well as for matters pending in the trial and appellate courts in each district of Haryana in February and March. This was stated by Mr Justice V K Bali, a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court-cum-Executive Chairman, Haryana State Legal Services Authority, at a special meeting held regarding the constitution of Special Lok Adalats for the recovery of bank dues. The decision was taken on the request of senior executives of various banks who were present at the meeting. It was decided that the Special Lok Adalats for Panipat, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Narnaul, Kaithal, Ambala and Yamunanagar would be organised on February 24. For Rohtak, Jhajjar, Hisar, Sirsa, Fatehabad, Panchkula and Rewari these would be organised on March 3 and for Sonepat, Jind, Kurukshetra, Karnal and Bhiwani. on March 17. It was clarified that this special schedule would not interfere with the working of the Lok Adalats in respect of other categories of cases already listed for hearing on the same dates in some of the districts. |
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Woman assaulted on KU campus KURUKSHETRA, Feb 13 — Two persons armed with a pistol and a knife attacked Mrs Archna Gupta, wife of Mr Ramesh Gupta, a Professor in Hindi Department, Kurukshetra University, at the courtyard of her house on the university campus on Sunday night. Prof Gupta told the police that while one of the assailants gagged his wife the other tried to stab her. She received knife cuts on her hands. He said the assailants fled the scene under the cover of darkness when they heard somebody approaching the courtyard. They also hit her with the pistol butt on the head while fleeing. She was taken to the University Health Centre immediately and later admitted to the local L.N.J.P. hospital. She was, however, discharged the next morning. An FIR was lodged on the intervention of Dr Hawa Singh, Registrar of the university. Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor, Mr
R.S. Chaudhry, had assured the Gupta family of adequate security on the campus. |
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Autorickshaw drivers
observe strike JIND, Feb 13 — Members of the Haryana Autorickshaw Operators Union observed a strike in the town and three office-bearers of the union started a chain fast in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner to press for the acceptance of their demands. They demanded autorickshaw stands at the local bus stand, Patiala Chowk and in front of the municipal council’s office, the repair of roads and holding of a special camp for issuing driving licences to autorickshaw drivers. Earlier, they held a demonstration and raised slogans against the administration. Mrs Urmila Sharma, chairman, Haryana Autorickshaw Operators Union, said if the demands of the operators were not accepted by tomorrow evening, they would block traffic on main roads of the town and intensify the agitation. |
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Community policing
need of hour: DGP KAITHAL,
Feb 13 — Mr M.S. Malik, DGP, Haryana, has called upon people to change their perception about the police that it is corrupt and inefficient. He was addressing a joint gathering of mediapersons and members of the Police-Public Relations Committee in the tourism complex here yesterday. On his first visit to the town after taking over as DGP, Mr Malik defended the working of the police and elaborated that crime rate in the state was 2 per cent less than some other states and the recovery of stolen and looted property was 70 to 80 per cent as compared to 35 per cent at the national level. Stressing upon the need of community policing to check crime, Mr Malik asked people to extend every possible cooperation to the police as it was difficult to nab criminals without public being vigilant and helpful. Dr Mahavir Singh, District Magistrate and SP A.S. Chawla recommended to the DGP to award CIA Inspector Raj Singh and other ranks who had nabbed the Surinder Geong gang, which was allegedly involved in criminal activities in Kaithal, neighbouring district, Rajasthan and
UP. |
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Marketing board
donates 50 lakh for quake victims CHANDIGARH, Feb 13 — The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, was today presented with a cheque for Rs 50 lakh by the Chairman of the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board, Mr Balwant Singh Maina, for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the Gujarat quake victims. The Haryana IAS Officers Association donated Rs 2 lakh to the fund. A cheque for the amount was presented to the Chief Minister by the Chief Secretary, Mr L.M. Goyal. Mr Chautala was also presented with a cheque for Rs 6.74 lakh by Mr Chander Singh, Commissioner and Secretary, Irrigation, and Mr Arun Kumar, Managing Director, Haryana State Minor Irrigation and Tubewell Corporation. The amount was donated by employees of the corporation. The Engineer-in-Chief , Irrigation, Mr M.G. Thukral, presented a cheque for Rs 26 lakh to Mr Chautala for the fund. The Advocate-General Mr Surya Kant, presented a cheque for Rs 1.01 lakh. The amount was donated by Law Officers and other staff of the office of the Advocate-General. |
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Proclaimed offender held after 8 years SIRSA,
Feb 13 — The district police has arrested Bhoop Singh, a proclaimed offender, after eight years, according to the district police chief. He said that a case had been registered under Sections 353/186/148/149/506 against eight persons for assaulting a police party headed by ASI Kartar Singh in Ding village on March 19, 1992. Those who allegedly threatened and assaulted members of the police party were Raj Pal,
Subhash, Lal Chand, Chander Singh, Bhoop Singh, Inder Singh, all residents of Ding
village, and Swaran Singh of Aneksar in Rajasthan. Mr Roy said Bhoop Singh, after getting bail from the court, had been absconding and was involved in drug smuggling and other criminal activities. Meanwhile, the police arrested 16 persons and seized 14 quintals of poppy husk from their possession. The Rori police station in charge was suspended for negligence in duty during the operation. The district police chief said here today that the police conducted raids on Rori village and surrounding areas which were being used as a port for smuggling drugs from Rajasthan to nearby areas in Haryana and Punjab. During the operation, the police also seized two tractors with
trollies, a car, a jeep, a truck and a motor cycle which were being used by the smugglers. The arrested have been booked under the NDPS Act. |
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Jhoola crash toll
rises to four FARIDABAD, Feb 13 — The toll in the merry-go-round crash at Surajkund crafts mela on Sunday rose to four as one of the seriously injured succumbed to his injuries in hospital yesterday. The victim has been identified as Kamal Badar (6) of Delhi. The condition of another injured person is stated to be serious. Meanwhile, the police has arrested jhoola contractor Raju and his assistant Jahawar in this connection. However, its owner Aslam of Muzzafarnagar is still at large, according to Mr Ranbir Sharma, SSP. |
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Youth commits suicide FARIDABAD, Feb 13 — Rajbir (19), a youth of Alipur village, committed suicide by hanging himself in his house at Nangla Enclave here last night. According to information, the deceased was working as a truck cleaner. His body was recovered by the police today. In another incident, Rajesh of the Sanjay Colony here sustained serious burn injuries as he tried to set himself on fire. He was admitted to Safdurjung Hospital in Delhi. |
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Grants-in-aid approved CHANDIGARH, Feb 13 — The state-level Employment Committee of Haryana, which met here today for the first time under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Mr L.M. Goyal, approved the allocation of grants-in-aid totalling Rs 132.65 crore as recommended by the 11th Finance Commission for modernising and rationalising the administrative set-up in the state and for Special Problem Grants. The total amount of grants-in-aid included Rs 82.65 crore as Upgradation Grants and Rs 50 crore as Special Problem Grants. The allocation of Special Problem Grants to three implementing agencies was: Rs 35 crore for Public Health, Rs 10 crore for HUDA and Rs 5 crore for the PWD (B&R). |
Worker unions
observe bandh SIRSA,
Feb 13 — A bandh was observed here today by several local workers’ unions in protest against the power tariff hike. A protest march was taken out from the local Hathi Park to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Representatives of the Aara Machine Union, the Marble Association, the Auto Market, Rania, the Welders Union, the Vishvakarma Fabricator Union and the Vishvakarma Implements Association submitted a memorandum to the DC. The district president of the Haryana Vyopar
Mandal, Mr Heera Lal Sharma, and the president of the Vishvakarma Fabricator Union, Mr Rohtash
Jangra, were among those who addressed the protesters at Hathi Park. |
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37 colonies to be
regularised CHANDIGARH, Feb 13 — The Municipal Corporation of Faridabad today decided to regularise 37 unauthorised colonies. The corporation also proposes to shift about 1,500 dairy units located in thickly populated areas for which shemes in Ballabhgarh, the NIT zone and old Faridabad had already been approved by the government. |
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