The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Three-fold increase in relief for Haryana farmers
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 14
The Haryana Government today announced a more than threefold increase in compensation to farmers, whose standing crop was damaged in recent hailstorms, as a mark of respect to late Devi Lal.

The state Cabinet at its special meeting, presided over by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, here, decided that the compensation for standing rabi crops that were damaged between 25 and 50 per cent would be Rs 1,000 instead of Rs 300 per acre as announced earlier. The compensation to farmers whose crops were damaged between 50 and 75 per cent would be Rs 1,500 per acre and beyond 75 per cent Rs 2000 instead of Rs 450 and Rs 600, respectively.

Later, addressing a press conference, Mr Chautala said the decision to enhance the compensation was taken in view of the concern expressed by his father and former Deputy Prime Minister Mr Devi Lal shortly before his death. He said the relief was aimed at compensating the farmers of their actual losses.

The Chief Minister said as per the initial girdwari estimates, the losses to the standing rabi crops were estimated at Rs 2.5 crore. There was further damage by fresh hailstorms, Mr Chautala said, adding that the state government would have to disburse Rs 8 crore to Rs 10 crore to the farmers as compensation.

Mr Chautala also announced the Cabinet decision to grant three months’ remission of prison terms to different categories of prisoners as per the existing rules. This was being done as a tribute to Devi Lal’s efforts to improve the condition of jails as he was himself imprisoned a number of times during the freedom struggle.

The Cabinet also decided to give financial help of Rs 51,000 to each of the registered and functioning “gaushalas’” in the state in deference to the great respect the late Deputy Prime Minister had for the cows. The “gaushalas’” would set up gobar gas plants with the money, if a “gaushala’” was already having such plants they would construct sheds and if a “gaushala” was having the plant as well as the shed, they could spend the money for other purposes for the betterment of the establishment, the Chief Minister said.

The Cabinet also decided to send fodder for cattle to the drought-hit states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Mr Chautala appealed to people to extend a helping hand in this regard like they did last year.

The Cabinet also decided to set up a 27-member high-powered committee to decide on setting up a suitable memorial of Devi Lal as per the wishes of the people of Haryana. The committee will include freedom fighters, presidents of various political parties, a former Chief Secretary, a former Director-General of Police, a retired Chief Justice, a former Army Chief, Vice-Chancellors of four universities of Haryana and the president of the Chandigarh Press Club.

While the committee will be headed by a former Governor, Mr Sultan Singh, it will include the Chief of the Haryana unit of the Congress party, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the Chief of Haryana BJP, Mr Rattan Lal Kataria, a former Chief Minister Mr Bansi Lal, the Speaker of Haryana assembly, Mr Satbir Singh Kadiyan, a BSP leader, Mr Ramji Lal, the INLD Secretary General, Mr M.C. Gambhir, the VC of HAU, Mr Vinay Kumar, the VC of GJU, Dr R.K. Chauhan, the VC of Kurukshetra University, Mr R.S. Chaudhary, the VC of MDU, Major Gen B.S. Suhag, and the Haryana Swatantrata Sainik Samiti Chairman, Mr Pat Ram Verma.

The members of the committee also include the Chandigarh Press Club President, Mr Jagtar Singh Siddhu, a former Chief Justice, Mr N.C. Jain, the Jat Mahasabha president, Mr Dara Singh, the Haryana PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry Coordinator, Mr P K Jain, a former Army Chief, Gen V.P. Malik, a former Chief Secretary, Mr R.S. Verma, a former DGP, Mr Kalyan Rudra, a former Governor, Ms Chandrawati and senior advocates Mahabir Prasad Jain and Lajpat Rai. Mr Hamid Hussain, MLA, Dr Harnam Singh of the CPI , Inderjeet Singh of the CPM and Mr Leela Ram, veteran wrestler, are also inducted in the committee. Mr L.M. Goyal, Chief Secretary of Haryana, will be its Convener.

Mr Chautala said the details of the terms of reference of the committee would be finalised soon and the committee would give its recommendations within two months after eliciting the views of the public at large.

The Cabinet at the outset condoled the death of Devi Lal and the members stood in silence for two minutes as a mark of respect to the departed leader and adopted a resolution eulogising his services to the people of Haryana and the country, besides conveying heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members.

Bihari labourers go home to sell votes
Raman Mohan

Hisar, April 14
The panchayat poll in faraway Bihar has had an unusual fallout in Haryana. As Bihari migrant labourers have left en masse for their homes, harvesting and construction activity all over the state has been seriously hampered.

Several factors have prompted the Biharis to return to their home state in the wake of the panchayat poll. A major factor was the attraction of making an extra buck back home by selling their votes and at the same time harvesting their own crops. Those who have stayed back in Haryana confess that even if the vote was sold at Rs 1000 apiece, a normal family could easily make Rs 20,000 from, which was more than they could have earned here in such a short time.

Vote buying, they said, was very common in Bihar and since the panchayat poll was being held after 22 years, candidates were too eager to make a good beginning in electoral politics. They said in most cases, the labourers had travelled to their homes at the cost of the candidates.

The other factor was the fear of safety of womenfolk back home. Mostly, all male members of poor families in Bihar’s villages migrate to Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, looking for greener pastures leaving the female family members behind to till their small landholdings. It is learnt that the fear of harassment of the women by armed supporters of candidates forced them to go back and guard their families.

Haryana is heavily dependent on migrant labour from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for its construction works. During the peak harvesting season over half of this labour force is diverted to the countryside for field operations in Haryana. A large number of them also return to their own homes for harvesting their crops. This is an annual feature. However, there has never been such an acute shortage of labour in the State at the peak of the harvesting season as has happened this year.

The mass exodus of Bihari labourers earlier this week has led to a steep hike in the wages of those who are available. In the cities both government and private contractors are vying with each other to hire labour at double the normal rates to keep the projects in hand going. Likewise, farmers have been contracting the available labour at unusually high rates to complete the harvesting operations in time.

While government contractors have slowed down the pace of work, the private contractors are feeling the pinch more since they cannot afford to delay the project execution. Nevertheless, they can also not afford to pay double the rates to the labour for long. Those building houses have suspended work till the Bihari labour is back and those engaged in harvesting in the countryside return to work in the towns.

Work in the grain markets has, however, been affected to a lesser extent as the local labour has somehow preferred to find temporary employment there instead of toiling in others’ fields in their own or the nearby villages. However, they too have jacked up their wages.

In the countryside, fears of inclement weather are forcing farmers to speed up harvesting. As such the labour is being offered intoxicants and narcotics to extract more work out of them. Opium and poppy husk are being given to labourers by the farmers free of cost as these enable them to put in longer hours in the fields. In most cases, groups of labourers are working for 18 hours to 20 hours a day.

Both farmers and the labourers have a vested interest in this work schedule. While farmers hope to complete harvesting operations early, labourers want to finish the work speedily so they can work in other places so long as harvesting lasts.

Agricultural experts of Haryana Agricultural University, however, are worried over the situation. They say working in unusually long shifts under the influence of narcotics can lead to serious accidents, especially in those areas where threshers are used. They say a little carelessness could lead to limb severing.

	Devi Lal’s ashes reach Fatehabad Our Correspondent Fatehabad, April 14 The urn containing the ashes of the former Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Devi Lal was brought to this district yesterday. The “asthi kalash yatra” entered this district from Karnoli village. Hundreds of villagers had lined up on both sides of the road to pay homage to the departed leader. Slogans like ‘Choudhary Devi Lal amar rahe’ and ‘jab tak sooraj chand rahega, Devi Lal tera nam rahega’ rent the air as the people showered flower petals on the urn. Mr Abhay Singh Chautala, INLD MLA from Rori Assembly constituency, and a grandson of Mr Devi Lal led the yatra. The Finance Minister, Mr Sampat Singh, the Urban Development Minister, Mr Subhash Goyal, INLD MLA, Mr Nishan Singh, the MP Dr Sushil Indora, and the Press Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr Ram Singh Brar, were present on the occasion. The INLD MLA from Fatehabad Mr. Leela Krishan, led the local leaders of the ruling party and supporters of the departed leader who received the yatra at Karnoli village. After passing through Daryapur, Fatehabad, Bhodia Khera, Bangaon, Manawali, Dhingsaran, Mehuwala, Bhattu, Khabra, Chuli Bagrian and Chuli Kalan village, the yatra entered Hisar district from Daroli village.
	Chautala’s appeal to people on Devi Lal Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 14 Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala has appealed to people to contact him immediately if anyone is in possession of any rare portrait, reminiscence or rare document related to late Devi Lal. Mr Chautala said the precious documents would be preserved in a museum being set up in memory of the departed leader.
	IT Dept issues notices to phone subscribers Our Correspondent Rohtak, April 14 The issue of notices for filing the income tax returns by the Income Tax Department under 1/6 Scheme to thousands of people in the town has caused undue harassment to thousands of people. According to information, nearly 30,000 persons have been served such notices out of a total population of about 2.25 lakh in the town. Nearly 4,500 persons have filed their return so far. Action may be taken against the people who fail to file their return by the due date, according to official sources. This scheme was launched in certain selected towns a few months back. It was started in this town in August 2000. As per this scheme, a person having a telephone or a four-wheeler or a residential or commercial complex exceeding a specified area etc, will have to file the income tax return. To identify such people officials of the Income Tax Department devised an easy technique. They issued notices to all the people who owned a telephone with the help of telephone directory. Subsequently, over 30,000 telephone subscribers of the town were served notices. This step created anxiety among the people as several of them had been regular income tax payers or had already filed their returns. Such persons were also directed to file the return once again. This step was widely criticised by the people who alleged that this ‘hasty’ step not only caused undue harassment to thousands of people. When contacted, Mr L.S. Negi, Additional Commissioner, Income Tax, said he had already raised this issue of undue harassment to the people. But, he said the department could not find any alternative despite sincere and prolonged efforts. He clarified that the lists of income tax payers and that of telephone subscribers could not be tallied due to some technical reasons. However, he said those received these notices could simply submit their reply on a plain paper if they were income tax payers or don’t fall in its limit.
	Surjewala announces Samaj office-bearers Tribune News Service Ambala, April 14 Haryana Krishak Samaj president S.S. Surjewala today announced the state-level office-bearers of the samaj here today. Talking to mediapersons, Mr Surjewala said that working president will be Mr Tejinder Pal Singh Mann. There will be four vice presidents — Mr Jagdish Nehra, Mr Kripa Ram Punia, Mr Mahinder Pratap Singh and Mr Hiranand Arya. The six general secretaries are Mr Nirmal Singh, Prof Chattar Pal, Mr Satpal Kaushik, Mr Ram Singh Mann, Mr Satish Yadav and Mr Zakhir Hussain. “The 19 district presidents will be announced within the next two days. The executive will be 45 member strong,” he said. He said that a state-level convention of the Haryana Krishak Samaj was held at Jind on March 12. “Among others, Mr Balram Jakhar had attended the convention and there were 700 delegates from all over the state. One of the decisions was to authorise me to decide the office bearers and executive committee members,” he said. Mr Surjewala said that if the wheat is not bought at the minimum support price, then the members of the Haryana Krishak Samaj are going to strongly protest in all the mandis. “We will be maintaining a vigil in the mandis so that farmers are not forced to sell below the MSP,” he said. He said that during the paddy season, there had been distress sale by farmers. “The government had done selective buying and there had been instances of people buying from the farmers at lower rates and then selling it at a higher price to the government,” he said. Mr Surjewala accused the Indian National Lok Dal and the Shiromani Akali Dal of “misleading” the farmers. “They had demanded a higher MSP but did not object when a lower MSP was decided upon,” he said. “The farmer is today aware,” he added. Citing the instance of a car gang being busted, Mr Surjewala said that the leader of the gang was the district president of the INLD. “Law and order is deteriorating in the state. There are several cases when INLD is in power but there is a sharp decline in cases when the Congress is in power,” he said. He demanded that the Union Home Minister must look into the law and order condition of the state. “Also there is shortage of power and water in the state,” he said.
	Major plan for orphanage in limbo Rahul Das Tribune News Service Ambala, April 14 A major plan for starting of an orphanage today hangs in balance with a well-located Hindu Sabha building in Ambala cantonment getting embroiled over tenancy rights and alleged forcible occupation of parts of the building by musclemen. The building, built during the pre-Partition days, had been bought by the local people for starting of the Hindu Sabha. In 1930s the local unit of the Hindu Sabha had started functioning from the building. Noted industrialist, Mr Panna Lal, told Chandigarh Tribune that the parents and brother of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin, Nathuram Godse, had stayed in the building on November 14, 1949. “Nathuram Godse was executed on November 15, 1949, in the Ambala Central Jail,” he said. Mr Panna Lal, who has been associated with the Hindu Sabha for the past few decades, said that he had planned to donate about Rs 8-10 lakh for starting of the orphanage in the building. “The idea was to provide shelter to the needy orphans and subsequently give them education at the Nand Lal Vidyamandir school at Tepla,” he said. He said that his plan for an orphanage for the unprotected children seems to have run into rough weather following a raging controversy over occupation rights of the building. “I had wanted to start the orphanage with 10-15 children,” he said. The building currently has about 17 rooms which are occupied by tenants. A few days back, some musclemen allegedly forcibly occupied a room of a tenant. From that time onwards the plan for the orphanage seemed to have been adversely affected. On March 20, Mr Gian Chand Sharma, a tenant, wrote a letter to the Superintendent of Police on the “forcible possession of room”. “I report that some of the persons mentioned in the application have forcibly broken open the lock of my room on March 19 which has been in my possession for the last 28 years,” the letter states. The letter claimed that the belongings, including some important books, were there in the room and the same are missing. Earlier this month, on April 6, the elected district president of Hindu Sabha, Mr Pradeep Gaur, put in his papers. In his resignation letter he cited three reasons for quitting including the money being spent on litigation. The reasons stated in the resignation letter include “no political approach towards general public, the aim of the Sabha members to have possession over properties of the Hindu Maha Sabha and no money is being spent for political cause, whereas money is wasted in civil cases only.” Mr Ashok Sharma, a tenant, said that they have been operating from the building since the last four decades. “We never had any problem. Earlier, we had been regularly paying the rent to freedom fighter Panna Lal. After his demise, all this problem has cropped up,” he said. Mr Sharma observed that a faction of Hindu Maha Sabha had elected some office-bearers for Haryana. “These office-bearers had unilaterally announced that all the units are being dissolved. Who are they to dissolve our local unit? Since they are not the appointing authority, they also do not have any right to dissolve us,” he said. Be that it may, the fight over the occupancy rights has put a question mark on a major plan for an orphanage in Ambala cantonment.
	Pinjore losing its sheen Our Correspondent Kalka, April 14 The Yadavindra Garden in Pinjore, once a famous tourist attraction, is now drawing fewer visitors. Time was when the garden used to have crowds of tourists all through the day but now it presents a deserted look. The mini zoo and the Japanese park which were major points of attraction for children, have been closed. The Japanese park and the amusement park were given to a contractor for two years, but after the expiry of the contract, no arrangement has been made to keep the facilities going, and the equipment installed by the contractor is lying in the garden uncared. The mini pool has been filled with garbage. Wild growth covers most of the park. A wooden bridge built across an artificial stream lies broken in a dilapidated condition. This park has become a haunt of animals. A few days ago, strong winds uprooted a tree which fell in the mini pool and it continues to remain there. The prices of eatables sold in the garden are extremely high as compared with the market. Contractors who have taken the stalls in an auction are charging at will and the tourists feel cheated and the quality of food is often sub-standard. The main entrance to the garden has been auctioned for Rs 35.60 lakh, the parking place for 13.25 lakh, the soft drinks stall for Rs 2.55 lakh, the chat-pakori stall for Rs 6.40 lakh, horse and camel riding for Rs 3.60 lakh, the confectionery shop for Rs 3 lakh, the juice bar for Rs 2.50 lakh, and the ice cream parlour for Rs 5.10 lakh. These auctions have yielded the Tourism Corporation a tidy sum but no attention has been paid to providing facilities to the tourists who are often seen arguing with the vendors over their exorbitant rates. With the amusement park and the birds section closed and the mini zoo in a poor condition, there remains hardly any attraction for children and the exorbitant rates of eatables are enough reason to discourage holiday makers.
	2 boys, girl commit suicide Our Correspondent Hisar, April 14 Two youths and a girl committed suicide by consuming insecticides at Jakhod Khera village near here, last night. They were identified as Bhagat, Ramesh and Sushila, all residents of the same village. According to the police, the trio, along with Devender of the same village, had been missing under mysterious circumstances from the village for the last seven days. The girl’s father had complained to the police that these youths had abducted her daughter, who was a student of eighth standard. The police yesterday nabbed Devender at the local bus stand. Later, he was produced in a local court from where he was remanded to police custody. He told the police that after running away from the village they had gone to Gujarat. While he was nabbed just after they returned to the town, the other three managed to escape. They later committed suicide.