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| Thursday, February 15, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Vora gone,
advantage Bhajan Lal 81 power theft cases detected in week Campaign against fake drugs stepped up House tax scam comes to light High court |
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Rally fever grips rural Haryana HISAR, February 14 — There is an air of celebration in the countryside in Haryana. The spotless white kurta-pajamas are out of the closets and the special “juttis” worn exclusively for visits outside the village are being dusted. It’s not long before they will be put to use. The villagers are counting days expectantly. HSSC exam on March 4 Social worker dead ‘Open durbar’ hits work in offices Three suicides in 24 hours 3 held for murder Poppy husk seized, two arrested
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Vora
gone,
advantage Bhajan Lal KARNAL, Feb 14 — Will the removal of Mr Moti Lal Vora, who was in charge of the Haryana Congress Affairs, affect the on-going fight between Mr Bhajan Lal, a former Chief Minister, and Mr Bhupender Singh Hooda, HPCC chief? Will Mr Bhajan Lal be able to hold his proposed Congress rally at Bhiwani on March 4? Will he be able to use the name of Mrs Sonia Gandhi for mustering crowds in the rally? These are some of the questions which have been raised after the reconstitution of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) by its President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Political observers and analyists feel that equations of both Mr Bhupender Singh Hooda and Mr Bhajan Lal are likely to change viz-a-viz the Congress high command after the removal of Mr Vora as in charge of the Haryana Congress Affairs. But at the same time, it is felt that the entry of Mr Mahabir Prasad, former Governor of Haryana as General Secretary of the CWC, is a clear gain for Mr Bhajan Lal. In the game for one upmanship, it is being surmised that Mr Bhajan Lal will be able to keep his position intact in the CWC and ensure that the proposed rally on March 4 can be held unhindered. It is a known fact that Mr Bhajan Lal during his Chief Ministership had been enjoying a unique equation with Mr Mahabir Prasad, who was the Governor then. It is also a fact that Mr Bhajan Lal had helped Mr Mahabir Prasad to get his second term as Governor of Haryana. Moreover, Mr Bhajan Lal has been enjoying the confidence of the former Governor through the good offices of a saintly figure based at Rishikesh and Hardwar. Mr Prasad is very near to the establishment of the saint at the above mentioned two places and at Kurukshetra. Inquiries show that Mr Bhajan Lal was able to win over Mr Vora through his good contacts with the above said organisation. It is, therefore, unlikely that Mr Mahabir Prasad will not plead the case of Mr Bhajan Lal before the Congress high command. Furthermore, the former Chief Minister has been kept as one of the permanent invitees of the CWC. It is, therefore, certain that the removal of Mr Vora will not in any way affect the chances of holding the rally at Bhiwani. A number of supporters of Mr Bhajan Lal are jubilant over the appointment of Mr Mahabir Prasad as the new General Secretary. They are however less enthusiastic about the appointment of Mrs Mohsina Kidwai as the new in charge of party affairs in Haryana. They plead that Mr Bhajan Lal had all along enjoyed a good equation with Mrs Kidwai when she was the Union Health Minister during the Prime Ministership of Mr Rajiv Gandhi. Besides, Mr Bhajan Lal is not only a resourceful , but also a known strategician in politics. Therefore, his efforts will be to plug all loopholes which may provide benefit to Mr Hooda. Furthermore Mr Bhajan Lal seems to have shown his popularity amongst the former ministers, MLAs and former senior party functionaries by holding a meeting at the residence of Mr Banarsi Dass Gupta from where a call for holding the rally and the support of the workers was clearly indicated. The Congress high command, especially those who enjoy the confidence of Mrs Sonia Gandhi, are acutely aware that Mr Bhajan Lal cannot be easily written off in Haryana politics as he enjoys a very solid mass base amongst the non-Jats in Haryana. Although, Mr Hooda has the advantage of being the President of the HPCC, yet it is being alleged that he has not been able to infuse any new spirit amongst Congress workers in the state. Besides, he has also failed to enthuse the younger generation to work in villages and spread the Congress ideology. It is also a fact that Mr Hooda has thus far confined his activities to the Jat heartland. What he needs is to spread out and stop walking on used crutches or those senior Congress politicians who had been defeated at the hustings a number of times by the people of Haryana. Mr Hooda can effectively pose a challenge to Mr Bhajan Lal provided he marshals, the new generation to work for the Congress in a dedicated and honest manner. The advantage to Mr Bhajan Lal of holding a rally in Bhiwani is that his home constituency Adampur runs parallel to the Bhiwani district. Therefore, it will be easier for Mr Bhajan Lal to gather large crowds of Bishnois, his own castemen to the rally in Bhiwani. Otherwise also, the non-Jats in Haryana are itching to attend anti-establishment rally, may be in any part of the state. Therefore, collecting crowds is unlikely to stand in the way of Mr Bhajan Lal to hold a successful rally in Bhiwani. |
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81 power theft cases detected in week Sonepat,
Feb 14 — The Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) has intensified its campaign against
the consumers indulging in power theft in its Sonepat circle. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sudhir Rajpal, told mediapersons here today officials of the nigam checked as many as 365 premises of the consumers and detected 81 cases of power theft during the past one week. The official, he said, imposed a penalty totalling Rs 1.47 lakh on the erring consumers and recovered Rs 1.46 lakh from them. He disclosed the officials lodged FIRs against 37 consumers who failed to pay the amount of penalty. As many as 502 electricity meters were sealed during the period under review and replaced transformers of 21 feeders in the circle. Referring to the complaints about the unannounced and unscheduled power cuts, the Deputy Commissioner directed the officials of the nigam to make arrangements for providing information to the people about imposition of power cuts from time to time. This information, he said, should be provided on the internet also. He also asked the officials of the nigam to take effective steps to check the distribution of fake electricity bills to the consumers and avoid public complaints in this regard. He said the burnt transformer had been replaced by the nigam and it would end the power cuts in Khewra, Jhundpur, Bayyanpur and Hassanpur villages. The nigam officials, he said, had been directed to notify the timings of power cuts at each sub-station in order to avoid public complaints. Referring to performance of the local cooperative sugar mill, the Deputy Commissioner disclosed it had purchased 12.10 lakh quintals of sugarcane worth Rs 12.70 crore from the growers during the current crushing season and paid Rs 5.42 crore to them. The payment of the remaining amount would be made soon by the mill, he added. He disclosed the sugar mill had crushed 12.01 lakh quintals of sugarcane and produced 1.06 lakh tonnes of sugar during the current season. The Deputy Commissioner also disclosed the employees of the mill had invested Rs 1.44 crore in various small savings schemes during the current financial year and Rs 21.69 lakh in one month alone.
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Checking
power theft or ‘harassing’ people BHIWANI, Feb 14 — The Jan Sangharsh Samiti, here has
decided to launch an agitation on February 17 in protest against the
alleged harassment of the consumers in the name of a campaign to check
theft of power. In a press note issued here yesterday, the convener
Mr Om Prakash, alleged that the employees of the nigam engaged
especially in the checking of meters and its load, were harassing
consumers and imposing high penalties. He added that the assessors,
who were just private parties, are indulging in befooling people in
the name of new rules. |
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Campaign against fake drugs stepped up FARIDABAD, Feb 14 — The district drug control authorities have stepped up its campaign to check illegal trade of drugs and supply of fake medicines in the district. At least two cases have been detected and legal action has been initiated against the accused in the past one week. The drug control officials have taken the samples into custody from two places in the district recently. In one of the case the accused was running a chemists shop in Dabua colony here and fake drugs of some of well known brands like althrocin and crocin were seized. The accused had kept the fake drugs in the basement of the shop. It is learnt that the accused also used to sell medicines meant for government and civil hospitals. The authorities recovered medicines worth Rs 5,000. Two samples have been sent for testing in a Chandigarh-based laboratory. In another raid Mukesh Kumar of Palwal was caught while he was transporting drugs worth about Rs 15,000 to a medical store located near the bus stand at Palwal town, about 30 km from here. Medicines were reportedly brought from Delhi without any proper documents, including sale memo or bill. The accused had been engaged in this for over a year. About four samples were taken. The court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr Jagdeep Jain, has given the custody of the recovered lot to the drug control officials for further action. A case under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act has been registered in this connection. Some of the chemists in the region have also been allegedly violating the drug and price control order of the government by selling medicines higher than the printed rates. |
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House tax scam comes to light KAITHAL, Feb 14 —
The matter came to light during auditing of the municipal committee account. The higher authorities were informed about the scam involving an amount of Rs 15 lakh during the past years, according to reports received here. According to information, after the house tax survey was conducted the house tax imposed was reduced in a number of cases whereas it should have been increased by the sub-committee constituted for this purpose. It is alleged that grave irregularities were committed and all rules were ignored while calculating the house tax and in a number of cases even the defaulters were given benefits and their house tax was reportedly reduced, though the committee was not authorised to review such cases. It is learnt the municipal committee passed a resolution not to reduce the house tax assessed in those cases where the objections were not filed. However, this decision was reversed to give benefit of an amount equal to 10 per cent on the basis of the house tax prevalent during the past five years prior to 1995. |
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High court CHANDIGARH, Feb 14 — Acting on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, a warrant officer, appointed by it, released 52 “bonded labourers” after raiding a brick-kiln in Kaithal district. In his report submitted before Mr. Justice S.S. Nijjar of the high court, officer Hemant Singh Walia stated that they were released in the presence of the proprietor and another worker of the kiln located in Guhla Chika tehsil on
February 13. He added that their belongings were loaded in a truck without any resistance. The warrant officer was appointed by the court on
February 12 on the petition filed by Suresh Pal of Shilavar village in Mujjafarnagar district. He had alleged that 52 relatives, including minors, were being kept in illegal custody at the kiln without being paid wages. Today, after going through the report, Mr. Justice Nijjar disposed of the petition with the observation that the alleged detainees had gone to their native village after being released. Pre-arrest bail confirmed The anticipatory bail granted in a murder case to the sons of Haryana’s former minister Mr. Tejinder Pal Singh Mann — Ranbir Singh Mann and Barjinder Singh Mann — was today confirmed by Mr. Justice Amar Dutt of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Pronouncing the orders in the open court, Mr. Justice Dutt observed that “in case the petitioners, at any stage absented themselves from the proceedings without the prior permission of the court, or threatened, or tried to pressurise the witnesses, it shall be open for the trial court to cancel their bail and secure their presence through non-bailable warrants”. A case of murder was earlier registered after five persons succumbed to bullet injuries following an altercation between the villagers and Jit Singh over the cultivation of shamlat land. According to the prosecution, the two accused had participated in the conspiracy to kill. Seeking the grant of bail, counsel for the petitioners had contended that the two were being implicated in the case. He had added that their names were not mentioned in the first information report registered on October 2, 2000. |
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Rally fever grips rural Haryana HISAR, February 14 — Yes, the rural Haryana is preparing for another long summer of political rallies after a gap of almost a year. Already many of the political bigwigs have set the ball rolling providing a long-awaited opportunity to the rural males to indulge in their favourite pastime. Beginning with former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal’s rally at Bhiwani on March 4, Haryanvis will get to watch the Bhupinder Singh Hooda version of the Congress stage show on March 18. The HVP chief, Mr Bansi Lal, and his son Mr Surinder Singh who are already out there, plan to speed up their current campaign too. Strangely, however, the political outfit that pioneered the show in the first place, the ruling INLD, has not yet announced plans for a rally. But it should be coming anytime now as the endemic spreads. No party can deny this pleasure to its supporters in Haryana for long particularly when other political circuses are pitching their tents. Summer time politicking in Haryana has become the hallmark of Haryanvi politics during the past two decades or so. Since 1982, barring last year’s assembly poll, every election has taken place in summer drenching the politicos in perspiration a shade more than they would be comfortable in. Likewise, political rallies are primarily a summer time activity in the state. But this time round the rally season has set in at least a month earlier than expected. Signs of global warming, perhaps. Otherwise, politicians prefer the post-harvest months when the peasantry is straddled with cash. But if the mercury is still at a comfortable level, the two proposed Congress rallies are generating enough heat to compensate for the loss. These rallies are more than a political bout between the two Congress heavyweights. In reality, within the Haryana Congress, two bitter rivals - the Jats and the non-Jats will wrestle for gaining control of the party. Whoever wins in the end, the Congress is a sure loser in this battle. Already, supporters of the two groups are working at cross purposes all over the state dividing the party on caste as well as group lines. Both the bemused INLD and HVP leaders are watching the battle from the sidelines awaiting the windfall they will reap from the battlegrounds of Bhiwani. Nevertheless, the countryside is happy with the developments. Preparations to receive the party leaders in their homes are already underway. Houses are being given a fresh coat of paint. Pantries are being replenished suitably. The old are busy weaving ropes for additional cots in the chaupals. Cane “mudhas” are in demand once again as the old ones are being consigned to the backyard. In short, the countryside appears to be dancing to the tune of a popular soft drink jingle: Happy days are here again! |
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HSSC exam on March 4 CHANDIGARH, Feb 14 —
A spokesman for the commission clarified that the written examination for the posts of lecturer in history (school cadre) would he held the same day between 10 a.m. and 12 noon at Panchkula . Roll numbers for written examination at the prescribed centres were being issued separately to all eligible candidates. In case any candidate did not receive his roll number he may contact the office of the commission from February 26 to 28 during office hours along with original mark sheets in support of his academic qualification and proof of registry. |
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Docs
donate for quake-hit CHANDIGARH, February 14 —
The
association had also sent medicines worth Rs 50,000 to the quake
affected areas. |
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Social worker dead KURUKSHETRA, Feb14 —
Born at Muktsar in Punjab on October 17, 1913, Arora, ultimately established his business in Delhi. The Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Jyoti Arora, Sub-Division Magistrate, Mr Narhari Singh Bangar, District Development and Panchayat Officer, Mr Amrit Lal Bathla, and representatives of various social, political and religious organisations were present on the occasion. He is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son. |
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‘Open durbar’ hits work in offices KAITHAL, Feb 14 —
On the one hand, the administration headed by the Deputy Commissioner, Dr Mahaveer Singh was holding an open durbar to remove grievances of the people at the village, on the other hand hundreds of people from different part of the district were doing rounds of the mini secretariat to meet the Deputy Commissioner, the city Magistrate, the SDM and officers in the police and other departments. The Deputy Commissioner, the ADC, the DSP and most of the heads of department were present at Karora. Except few, none of the officers who attended the durbar attended the offices in the afternoon session. According to information, two subdivision-level and two district level open durbars are held every month which are attended by senior officers. |
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Three suicides in 24 hours FARIDABAD, Feb 14 — Three persons reportedly committed suicide while two were killed in road accidents in the district in the past 24 hours. All those who committed suicide were in the age group of 19 to 24. Rajesh, a resident of NIT Area here ended his life by hanging himself in his house. He was a shopkeeper. Mohammed Ilaash of Patel
Chowk also hanged himself to death. He was a labourer who hailed from Aligarh district in Uttar Pradesh. Rajbir of Alipur committed suicide in a similar manner. He was a resident of Nangla Enclave-Part II here. Desraj, an employee of a liquor contractor was killed in an accident near Bagola village. The accident occurred when one of the tyres of the Tata vehicle in which he was going bursted. An unidentified person was killed in a mishap involving a tractor and a light goods vehicle on the Mathura road. |
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3 held for murder SONEPAT, Feb 14 — The Ganaur police today claimed that it has achieved a breakthrough in the case of alleged kidnapping and murder of Mr Lila Dhar Dhindsa, Managing Director, Bharat Mineral Water Company Limited in Mookerji Nagar, New Delhi, following the arrest of three persons. According to the police, one of the culprit belonged to Gohana and two others were the residents of Khewra village in this district. All culprits reportedly confessed their involvement in the alleged kidnapping and murder and told the police that they had committed the crime for money. Mr Dhindsa, it may be recalled, was allegedly kidnapped on his way from Karnal to Delhi on
February 4 and his body was found in Bhanwar village near Bahalgarh in this district. Meanwhile, the Civil Lines police on Wednesday detained Rajoo, driver of the car of Mr Manohar Lal, owner of the Friends Finance Company Limited, Sonepat, for interrogation in connection with the robbery that took place near the house of Mr Manohar Lal on
February 12. Informed sources said the police suspected that the car driver was involved as the car-borne unidentified robbers were roaming near the house of Mr Manohar Lal. According to another report, the police action after getting an information about the committing of a dacoity in a house in sector 14, a residential colony of the HUDA. The house belong to an engineer of the PWD (B&R) who was away from his house. His wife who is a teacher, has gone to the school for duty. The police carried out the search of the house but all the goods were safe there. Hence the information was found baseless. Meanwhile, the police has failed to apprehend the culprits allegedly involved in various incidents. |
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Poppy husk seized, two arrested SIRSA, Feb 14 — A police spokesman said here today that a team of Ding police, headed by ASI Hawa Singh checked a jeep at the barrier on Pili Mandori village road and seized 400 kg of poppy husk. The police party arrested two persons while other two persons managed to escape. The arrested persons include jeep driver Jagdish Pandit, alias Tota and Shyam Lal of Ding Mor and Mouju Khera, respectively. The police has registered a case under the NDPS Act against the four accused. Later, Shyam Lal and Jagdish Pandit were presented before the court where a day’s remand was granted against the accused. In an another case, the Dabwali police has arrested Nachhatar, alias Laddu, of Khuian Malkana village with 40 kg of lahan. |
Couple killed in collision KARNAL, Feb 14 — Mr Vinod Miglani (40) and his wife were killed last night near Rajpura when their car collided with a truck. Mr Miglani was the son of Mr Ram Narayan
Miglani, known social figure attached with numerous social and religious organisations of the city. The shopkeepers on the
G.T. road downed their shutters today to mourn the deaths. |
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