| Tuesday,
April 24, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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BJP stand surprises
govt Girls resist eviction from HAU
hostels Don’t be misled by propaganda: CM 958 MC employees
retrenched Exam Supdt beaten
up |
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Haryana revamps population
panel Prepare for
post-WTO
era, farmers told Goods, crops destroyed Dyers to agitate against shifting of units DLSA officials to meet
on April 27
Steps to check theft on Shatabdi Sewa Kendra for labourers Governor for uplift
of rural women Punia Addl Political Secy to
Chautala
Docs’ conference concludes
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BJP stand surprises
govt Chandigarh, April 23 Last Thursday the Haryana BJP issued a statement here urging the state government to introduce crop insurance in Haryana. The party MPs from Haryana, including Minister of State for Home, I.D. Swamy, also raised the issue with the Prime Minister while making a representation to him in connection with the damage to Haryana farmers by the recent rain and hailstorm. Earlier, during the assembly’s Budget session, Mr Krishanpal Gujjar, the BJP’s leader in the House, a written question to Agriculture Minister Jaswinder Singh Sandhu asked whether the government had introduced crop insurance in Haryana. Official sources here said given the nature of productivity in Haryana, a crop insurance policy would not be useful for Haryana farmers unless there was massive destruction of crops caused by a natural calamity. “ The insurance would not cover minor damages to crops”, sources said, adding that neither Punjab had insured its crops under the policy. The officials said under the policy an average of three years’ yield of a particular area was worked out and given insurance coverage. But since the production of wheat and paddy, the two main crops of the state, increases every year the actual yield at the end of a season is always more than the amount covered under the policy. “Marginal damage to the crops, as had happened recently, would not make much difference to the total production of the crops”, the sources said. They, however, admitted that 50 per cent contribution from the state government towards the premium, stipulated by the central government, would entail massive expenditure by the state government which the cash strapped government would rather not like to do. Meanwhile, taking a dig at the state BJP, official sources here said they must persuade the Centre to give money to the state government sought by it for providing relief to the farmers. The BJP statement, mentioned earlier, had said that the state government had announced compensation for the standing crops but nothing had been done for crops already harvested. It asked the state government to make an assessment of damage to the harvested crops and send it to the Centre for compensation. But soon after, on April 21, Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala presented a memorandum to the Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha seeking central assistance of Rs 607 crore, including Rs 352 crore for compensating farmers whose harvested crops were damaged by the rains. Even though a memorandum for compensation was given to Mr Sinha, the state government would be pleasantly surprised if the Union Government offered assistance to the affected farmers of Haryana, the sources said. They also pointed out that the Centre had been also showing reluctance to grant the compensation sought by the Haryana Government for paddy growers during the last kharif season. The state government had virtually abandoned its demand. In fact during a recent meeting on the issue of procurement, attended by high government officials, Mr Chautala reportedly told the officials that they did not need to follow up the matter any further. |
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Girls resist eviction from HAU
hostels Hisar, April 23 The boys students of the College of Agriculture had been evicted from hostels a few days ago in a bid to force them to end their stir in support of their demand for the introduction of agriculture as a subject at the school level. The boys have, since, been, agitating while staying outside the campus with friends and relatives. Girl students of the college, who had been accommodated in the hostel of College of Home Science too had been evicted. The girls of College of Home Science had jumped into the stir to lend helping hand to the students of College of Agriculture. They locked the main entrance to their college this morning. However, the lock was broken open by the security personnel of the university. In retaliation the girls broke open the locks of the hostel rooms of the girl students of the College of Agriculture. The rooms had been locked by the officials after the eviction of the girls from the hostel. Senior university functionaries reached the hostel and after prolonged talks the girls ultimately succeeded in persuading them to let them stay in the hostel even while participating in the agitation. Significantly, the students of the College of Home Science were warned yesterday that they would be evicted from the hostel if they joined the stir. Tension mounted inside the campus this morning when a police posse accompanied by a large number of lady police constables surrounded the Home Science College building early in the morning. However, a clash was averted when instead of resisting the opening of the entrance to the college building the girl students chose to break open the hostel locks in retaliation. Ms Darshna Poonia, a member of the Students’ Action Committee said the girls had only exercised their right to agitate peacefully adding that the authorities had no right to evict peaceful agitators from hostels. She said the authorities relented in view of the girls’ firm resolve to resist eviction from the hostel. Meanwhile, several leaders of farmers’ organisations went on a day’s fast in support of the agitating students. They also joined the sit-in by the students outside gate number four of the university campus. They included Mr Krishan Sarup of the Haryana Kisan Sabha, Mr Ram Partap malhan and Mr Kitab Singh Malik of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, Mr Attar Singh Arya, a social activist and Mr Uday Chand Pehlwan of the Chottu Ram, Kisan Mazdoor Party. The students of the College of Agriculture have been on strike seeking the introduction of agriculture as a subject at the school level in Haryana to provide jobs to agricultural graduates. The high-powered panel on the new education policy had also made a recommendation in this regard some months ago. The students ended their stir on this issue a few months ago following an assurance by the Chief Minister that the needful would be done. Later, however, the students resumed stir when nothing happened. |
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Don’t be misled by propaganda: CM Jind, April 23 He asked the farmers not to be misled by the propaganda and said every grain of their wheat crop would be purchased at the support price. He said the government would take strict action against those who refuse to purchase wheat at the support price on the pretext of moisture in the wheat. The Chief Minister said last year Haryana contributed 45 lakh tonnes of wheat to the Central pool against a target of 38 lakh tonnes. He said despite the damage to the wheat crop due to drought, untimely rain and hailstorm the state would contribute about 50 lakh tonnes of wheat to the Central pool this year. Later, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of a 132 k.v. power sub-station at Dhamtan Sahib village in the district. Addressing a gathering on the occasion, Mr Chautala said the Power Finance Corporation, the Rural Electrification Corporation and Nabard had sanctioned a financial assistance of Rs 600 crore to the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam for implementing various power transmission and distribution in the state. He said new transmission schemes at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore had been presented to financial institutions for loan. Earlier, presiding over a meeting of the District Grievance Redressal Committee at Jind, the Chief Minister said the wheat crop in 56,486 acres had been damaged due to the recent hailstorm and untimely rain in nine districts of the state. He said the Haryana Government had sought Central assistance of Rs 607 crore for providing relief to the affected farmers. |
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958 MC employees
retrenched Faridabad, April 23 While the number of agitating employees protesting against the retrenchment will increase. The authorities have given a clear signal of privatisation of its basic services. The corporation authorities believe that it had surplus work force and was finding it difficult to meet the salary expenses of such a ‘large’ staff. Moreover with the decision of handing over several services including running and maintaining of water supply in some parts of town and disposal of garbage and cleanliness work. A large number of daily wage employees had become ‘surplus’ and indication of retrenchment steps had been pouring in for past some months. The authorities have also given advertisements in some dailies besides pasting the order outside the Municipal Corporation’s office (MC) here. Several of the removed workers assembled today and raised anti-MC and anti-government slogans. Heavy police force was deployed at the spot to prevent violence. Some of the workers who had been retrenched earlier, have been “hunger strike” outside MC office building for past several days, demanding their re-absorption into service. Some demonstrations were held in the recent past against the ‘retrenchment’ and privatisation move. The MC has already floated tenders for handing over some services to private companies or contractors. The corporation has released one month’s (advance) salary and 15 days (per year) of service period as retrenchment compensation to all removed workers, an amount of Rs one crore has been spent in this connection. The retrenched workers, include 745 safai karamchairs, 111 sewermen, 59 tubewell assistants, 31 beldars, eight electrical assistants and two fitters. Length of service of staff has been taken into account in this decision, according to MC sources. |
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Exam Supdt beaten
up Faridabad, April 23 It is reported that the Superintendent, Mr Inderjit Sharma, who was in charge of examination centre number 215 in the college, had written to the university regarding the “mass copying” and “outside disturbance” at this centre from the day the annual undergraduate examinations started early this month. While the three examination centres have been shifted to Faridabad and Gurgaon centres, Mr Sharma had gone to the college today to complete some formalities and official work in connection with the disbanding of the centres. Mr Sharma belongs to Ballabhgarh. Earlier, the police had arrested and booked a student on charges of misbehaving and threatening a woman lecturer of the college. The lecturer had taken away the answersheets of some candidates who were involved in cheating despite warnings. It is learnt that around 20 students and their supporters assembled near the Principal’s office this morning and at about 11 a.m. they gheraoed Mr Sharma and assaulted him. |
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Haryana revamps population
panel Chandigarh, April 23 The Minister of State for Health, Dr M.L. Ranga, would be Vice-Chairman of the commission, while the Speaker, Mr Satbir Singh Kadian, Finance Minister Sampat Singh, Agriculture Minister Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, Transport Minister Ashok Arora, Minister of State for Education Bahadur Singh, Minister of State for Social Welfare Risal Singh, Minister of State for Local Government Subhash Goyal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Ram Pal Majra and Rajinder Singh Bisla and Mr J.P. Sharma, MLAs, would be its members. The members would also include the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, State IMA President, President of FPAI, President of SWACH Foundation, the Honorary Secretary of the Haryana Red Cross and the President of the Haryana CII unit. Dr Sunder Lal, Professor at the Rohtak Medical College, Dr Rajesh Kumar, and Dr Sarla Gopalan, both of the PGI, Chandigarh, would also be the members of commission. Mrs Veena Eagleton, Financial Commissioner and Health Secretary, would be Member-Secretary of the commission. The Chief Secretary, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Secretaries of Labour, Finance, Transport, Education, Social Welfare and Child Development, PWD, (B&R), Public Health, Agriculture and Local Self-Government departments would be permanent invitees to the commission. The commission would meet twice a year. |
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Prepare for post-WTO
era, farmers told Hisar, April 23 Addressing a farmers’ meeting at Ladwa village, about 35 km from here, yesterday, he said in the post-WTO era the whole agricultural scenario had changed. The farmers of the country would be most affected if they did not prepare themselves adequately. He said cheap agricultural products had been coming into the country from outside and the farmers would be unable to compete with these if they did not set up their own industries at the earliest. Mr Venkatchallaya said the farmers could use their agricultural produce as raw material in their industries and compete with foreign goods successfully. This would also generate extra income for them. The farmers would have to generate employment for themselves on their own as the government was unable to provide employment to all persons due to several reasons. He said though there were rumours in the country that the Constitutional Review Panel had been constituted only to change the Constitution, it was not true. The panel would suggest ways to strengthen the Constitution. The panel was reviewing only the functioning of the Constitution and not the Constitution itself. It was reviewing those aims and promises mentioned in the Constitution which could not be fulfilled by governments after Independence. He said the panel would submit its report to the government in time. Earlier, Mr Venkatchallaya inaugurated a seed development centre and Krishi Sadan run by the Vishwa Bharti Jagriti Education Society in the village. |
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Goods, crops destroyed Sonepat, April 23 According to a report reaching here, short circuit is stated to be the cause of the fire. On receiving information, the municipal fire brigade rushed to the site immediately and succeeded in extinguishing the fire within three hours. According to another report, a devastating fire also caused a huge loss in a factory on the G.T. Road, near Bahalgarh, about 10 km from here yesterday. The cause of the fire was still being ascertained by the management of the factory. Meanwhile, standing wheat crop and the harvested wheat lying in the fields was reportedly reduced to ashes in the fire caused by the sparks in the power transmission lines at Memarpur, Mehndipur and Muqimpur villages in this district yesterday. |
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Dyers to agitate against shifting of units Panipat, April 23 The association says to check pollution from these units, the owners are installing effluent treatment plants (ETPs). There are around 500 old and new dyeing units and around the city and 70 of them have already installed ETPs. The annual foreign trade from dyeing business had gone up to Rs 1,500 crore and shifting of these units would affect the trade, members of the association said. According to them, it would be financially unviable to shift the units. The association has decided to launch an agitation against the decision of the pollution control board. Following complaints of ground water contamination due to the release of chemically polluted water in open drains and its seepage in ground water, a decision was taken by the board in consultation with the Central as well as the state government for shifting the dyeing units at one place. |
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DLSA officials to meet
on April 27 Chandigarh, April 23 The participants are expected to highlight difficulties experienced by them in the implementation of the Act so that remedial action can be initiated. Besides the District and Sessions Judges, who are chairmen of the district legal service authorities, the Chief Judicial Magistrates-cum-Secretaries of the DLSA and the Presiding Judges of permanent and continuous Lok Adalats of Hisar and Bhiwani are among those who will attend the meeting, to be held at the Jind PWD Rest House. |
Steps to check theft on Shatabdi Ambala, April 23 He said permanent escort had been deployed in the Shatabdi Express, comprising one Sub-Inspector and 13 other ranks with arms and wireless system. Even otherwise at the New Delhi railway station, a close watch was also being kept to avoid incidents of theft. Mr Mohan said that complaints of four travellers namely Sandeep
Virmani, Pardeep Verma, Avik Gupta and Asit Chaturvedi were received regarding the theft of their suitacases and bags containing clothes, mobile phone, set of computer and important documents. The above thefts were allegedly committed at platform no. 1 at New Delhi railway station this month, which falls in the jurisdiction of
GRP, Delhi. The complaints had been sent to DGP, Crime & Railways, Delhi, for necessary action. Sewa Kendra for labourers Ambala, April 23 The Sewa Kendra for labourers was inaugurated by the Ambala Cantonment MLA, Mr Anil Vij. He said the kendra has been established following the demand made by labourers. Till now, the labourers did not have any place to sit and they were forced to roam around in markets. This will now change with this Sewa Kendra as it will be a centralised place,” he said. The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Mahinder Kumar, said a number of programmes are being run for those living below the poverty line in urban as well as rural areas and a sum of Rs 28 lakh has been spent in the year 2000-2001. Mr Kumar said in the urban areas, computer training, beauty courses and stitching course are imparted to the poor. Among others, the City Magistrate, Mr Dahiya, the Ambala Sadar Municipal Council EO, Mr Goel and Secretary, Mr Bharadwaj, Haryana Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr NC Jain, were present. |
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Governor for uplift
of rural women Chandigarh, April 23 The Governor said the membership of the Sangh should be enhanced so as to involve a large number of social workers in the uplift of women in the rural areas. He said the Sangh should concentrate on education, health and socio-economic rehabilitation. The working condition of rural women should also be improved. It was decided at the meeting to constitute a sub-committee with the Secretary to Governor, Mr S.P. Sharma, as convener to suggest ways and means to improve the functioning of the BGMS. The other members of the committee would include Deputy Commissioners of Jhajjar and Panchkula districts, General Secretary of the Haryana State Council for Child Welfare and Vice-President of the state branch of BGMS, Mrs Amrita Sehgal. |
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Punia Addl Political Secy to
Chautala New Delhi, April 23 Mr Punia, who hails from Fatehabad, will function from the Haryana Bhavan here. It would be Mr Punia’s second stint at the post.  |
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Docs’ conference concludes Rohtak, April 23 Dr M.S. Gupta, convener of the programme, said nearly 200 delegates from various medical colleges and civil hospitals and private practitioners attended the conference. He said emphasis was laid on the health problems of the developing world. |
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Somawati Amavasya celebrated Sonepat, April 23 |
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