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Friday, July 27, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Low-lying villages face flood threat House tax policy draws flak Jawan Khem Singh cremated Suspension
of IAS officer revoked
Move to set up fund for roads |
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AMBALA DIARY Voluntary
body’s work suffers Haryana pensioners seek parity Steps on power
supply to Sonepat Shooting of serial on Kargil martyrs begins Villagers block highway as boy dies in mishap Woman commits
suicide
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Low-lying villages face flood threat Jhajjar, July 26 Although the district administration claims to have geared up to meet the threat of floods in any part of the districts, yet a number of villages in Bahadurgarh subdivision. situated along the National Highway No. 10 and in the interior parts, including Kassar, Jakhonda, Sarai Orangabad, Rohad, Sankhol, Nuna Majra, Dabodha, Kulasi and Kanonda, are vulnerable floods following heavy rain. The main cause of the flood here is that these villages are situated in low-lying areas and water can not be drained away via temporary ditch-drains until it reaches a certain level. In such a situation, the arrival of more water from higher areas or breaching of either ring bundh or a canal running across the village, invariably inundates the fields and submerges low-lying interior parts of these villages. A resident of the flood-prone Kassar village, Mr Rahul Dev, said the groups of younger persons had to man the ring bundh even at night due to threats of breaching. However, Ms Shashi Gulati, Deputy Commissioner, has assured the people not to get panicky. She said elaborate arrangements were being made to safeguard the life and property in case of a flood-like situation. Giving details of the flood control measures being taken by the administration, the Deputy Commissioner said 76 pump sets, having a capacity of 276 cusecs of water discharge, were ready with the Drainage Department. Two temporary ditch-rains had been dug and six ring bundhs built in Beri and Matenhale blocks. Besides the desilting and cleaning of drains and the strengthening of existing bunds had been completed. She said seven boats and 35 life jackets had also been acquired to rescue people in case of emergency. The DC informed that the district had been divided into 22 sectors while 70 villages were identified as vulnerable. Another nine and 21 villages were identified as dangerously exposed and moderately exposed, respectively. Mr Dinesh Yadav, SDM, Bahadurgarh, said 166 mm rain fall had been recorded in the district so far. |
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House tax policy draws flak Karnal, July 26 To counteract the Opposition propaganda and the dogged resistance by some sangarash samitis in different cities, the Chautala government has launched a publicity campaign. Under it the Minister for Local Bodies, Mr Subash Goyal, and the Director of Local Bodies, Mr Sanjeev Kaushal, have been asked to meet cross-sections of people in each city to remove apprehensions about the new policy. The Deputy Commissioners of all districts have been asked to arrange such meetings. Both the Minister and the Director had already met householders in Karnal, Panipat etc. A meeting has been planned in Jind also. A follow-up of these meetings attended by cross-sections of the people and even local MLAs show that the declarations of the government have not been liked by the people. The government’s declaration that about 60 per cent householders would be exempt from house tax and enjoy tax concessions in one way or the other under the new policy is being taken with a pinch of salt by the people. The householders are not convinced with numerous arguments of the government that the new policy has been initiated to tax those rich sections of the society, politicians and businessmen who through their political influence and manoeuverings at the departmental level dodge the government and pay a little tax even though they are the owners of palatial buildings in the cities. In Karnal, the Minister for Local Self-Government had to face a volley of questions regarding the doubts of the people against the new policy. Ultimately, the minister had to direct the Deputy Commissioner that a comparison be made between the old and new tax structures when the final computerised lists of the new tax were made public. The minister assured the people’s representatives that after this, the state government would go ahead only provided the lingering doubts in the minds of the citizens were removed. Accusing fingers are being raised against the claims of the government that the new policy was clear and the survey teams have gone from house to house to assess the area under construction. But the people allege otherwise. A large number of people alleged that the survey teams did not actually visit a number of areas in each city. Instead the assessment was based on the data contained in the house maps of the householders which were kept in the record of the Municipal Committees also. At the last stage the lists were made by a committee of four executive officers drawn from different local bodies. The figures had been fed in computers and floppies prepared. But interestingly the Director Local Bodies, had no answer when it was pointed out to him at the Karnal meeting by the local MLA, Mr Jaiparkash Gupta that 19,000 names of tax assesses were missing from the floppy of Karnal where a list of 40,000 house tax payers had been prepared under the new policy. How had such lapses occurred? Could the government claim that no manoeuvring could take place in such circumstances at the departmental level? they asked. While the government has announced concession to different categories like widows, ex-servicemen, financially weaker sections and self-occupiers etc, people have doubts that even a 50-yard plot will attract tax as the government has cast its net wider. Amendments based on the objections of the householders will be entertained and listened till September 10. The final lists are likely to be out by the first week of October. On the other hand, sangarash samitis have been formed in Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Jind, Shahabad, Safidon and Narwana etc to oppose the government move. |
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Jawan Khem Singh cremated Bhondsi (Gurgaon), July 26 His body was cremated in his native village here yesterday with full state honours amid a large gathering from the area. Khem Singh along with his colleagues was challenged by militants towards the evening of the inauspicious day. In the ensuing exchange of fire, he fell along with other six members of his battalion. The anti-national extremists in Assam (in N.C. Hills) ambushed the team of CRPF jawans, including Khem Singh, in the hills in Assam. Each family in his village has at least one person in one or the other forces. They took part in the last journey of the departed soul. Cries of “Khem Singh amar rahev’’ (Khem Singh, be thou immortal) rent the air. The atmosphere was emotionally charged in the village since the arrival of the body of the hero. Significantly, although Kashmir is located at a faraway place from where the militant attack took place, the gathering at the procession carrying the body of Khem Singh raised anti-Pakistan slogans. Sonu (8), the elder son of the martyr,lit the funeral pyre. A student of class III, he was well aware of the gravity of the tragedy that had struck his family. Khem Singh is survived by his wife and two sons. The villagers recounted the heroism evident in Khem Singh since his childhood. He was excellent in sports and was a patriot to the core. The Deputy Speaker of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Mr Gopi Chand Gehlot, the local Congress MLA, Rao Dharam Pal,the INLD MLA from Pataudi assembly of this district, Mr Ram Vir Singh, and the Deputy Commissioner of Gurgaon, Mr Apoorva Kumar Singh, were among those present at the time of the cremation.
CRPF officer, driver cremated Rewari, July 26 The two, along with their colleague Constable Khem Chand of Bhondsi village in Gurgaon district, died in an attack by extremists in the NC Hill area of Assam on July 22. The bodies of Vinod Yadav and Rajbir Singh were brought here yesterday. |
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Suspension
of IAS officer revoked Chandigarh, July 26 The Ministry’s decision is considered a major blow to the Om Prakash Chautala-led INLD government which had placed Mr Anil Kumar under suspension. The Union Government’s order, issued on July 20 and signed by Mr K.V. Eapen, Director, Vigilance, said the Central Government, after careful consideration of the material facts and circumstances as available on record, had come to the conclusion that there was no justification for continuance of the suspension of Mr Anil Kumar and, accordingly, in exercise of Rule 19 of the AIS (D&A) Rules, 1969, had decided to revoke the suspension. Mr Anil Kumar, a 1988-cadre IAS officer, was placed under suspension by state government by an order dated January 19, 2000. He was accused of embezzling funds meant for road repair work in Rohtak district where he was the Deputy Commissioner. The order of the Union Ministry mentioned that the state government in its report to the Central Government dated February 1, 2000, intimated that it had decided to register a criminal case against Mr Anil Kumar under Sections 420, 406, 409, 467, 468, 471, 120-B IPC, and 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. It was informed by the state government that it had registered FIR no. 17 in the matter of misuse of power by Mr Anil Kumar to benefit himself and the contractors in the allocation of funds for the repair of roads in Rohtak city between June, 1996, and June 1999, when he was the Deputy Commissioner of Rohtak. According to the Ministry’s order, Mr Anil Kumar had filed an appeal to the Union Government against the state government’s order extending his suspension. He contended that the order of suspension was bad in law and it did not disclose the provisions of the AIS (D&A) Rules, 1969, under which it was ordered. The suspended officer also contended that the FIR against him was false and the result of “extraneous consideration”. The Union Ministry’s order said that it was decided to revoke the suspension of Mr Anil Kumar after the appeal of the IAS officer was “considered in the light of various documents submitted by him and the comments of the state government”. The order of the Ministry also mentioned the order issued by the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes on January 17, 2001, supporting Mr Anil Kumar’s contentions. Responding to Mr Anil Kumar’s submission that he was being victimised for refusing to order the recounting of votes during the parliamentary election of Rohtak involving the late Devi Lal (Mr Chautala’s father) and Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda in 1998, which Devi Lal lost by a slender margin, the national commission had observed that the step taken against Mr Anil Kumar by the state government smacked of
vindictivenes. |
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Move to set up fund for roads Gurgaon, July 26 The Financial Commissioner and Secretary, PWD (B and R), Mr Prem Prashant, said here on Wednesday that the proposed fund was with a view to institutionalise the prompt repair and maintenance of roads. The need for the fund is understood to be on account of the growing realisation that the road infrastructure played significant role in the economy. With the state making efforts to attract private investors, it cannot afford to give an impression of being a sluggard. The state officially completed the process of providing a metalled road in each village in 1971. Over 10 teams have been constituted to ensure the standards of materials used and the quality of engineering works put in the construction and repair of the roads. The teams will conduct surprise checks of the roads. The Deputy Commissioners and other civil officers in the districts have been given the leeway to inspect the roads under construction and give feedback to the office of the Financial Commissioner and Secretary. In Gurgaon, a
decision has been taken to create a new division in the PWD with one SDO and three junior engineers to ensure the requisite standard and maintenance of roads. To ensure the use of high quality materials, the state has taken a policy decision that the department will not provide bitumen to the contractors. The department will, of course, monitor the working of contractors engaged by it. Also, the earth works will not be given to the contractors, but will be done only by the department. Mr Prem Prashant said the possibility of levying entry tax in the state cannot be ruled out. Also, the state was studying various models for the upkeep of roads. In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu private parties are allowed to construct roads on “build, operate and transfer”(BOT) basis. In Maharashtra “road development corporation” has been set up which is invested with all powers to secure loans and levy taxes. He said works for the upgradation of all state highways and the districts would be completed by the end of this year. In Gurgaon, works are under progress on the Palwal-Sohna-Dharuhera road, Gurgaon-Sohna road, Gurgaon-Pataudi-Rewari road and Gurgaon-Farukhnagar-Jhajjar road. An amount of Rs 672 lakh is to be spent on Sohna to Ferozepur Jhirka (Rajasthan border) on the Gurgaon-Alwar state highway under the NCR loan scheme. Also, 135 km of seven major district roads are to be strengthened with cost of Rs 1316 lakh. |
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AMBALA DIARY Ambala Jagadhri Gate Chowk is one of the most crowded areas of the city and a large number of passengers catch buses from the bus stop at this point. Four major roads of the city meet at this crossing. People of Ambala City have learnt to ignore the time shown by the clock tower but visitors, particularly villagers, usually get confused. This tower was constructed by the Municipal Council of Ambala City about a decade ago. The clocks were purchased from Delhi. The company did stand a guarantee but the council did not care to have these replaced within the guarantee period. These have now remained out of order for the past five years. It is understood that Rs 1 lakh was spent on these clocks but according to a clock dealer of Ambala, clocks of better quality could have been purchased for less. A few months ago the Executive Officer of the Municipal Council, Mr Arvind Kumar, took interest in the tower and had sodium vapour lamps fitted on it. The clocks were also repaired once again and these started working temporarily. Two of the clocks, however, stopped working a few weeks ago. Shopkeepers of the area maintain that the clocks should either be replaced or removed from the tower. They also demand an inquiry into the purchase of the clocks. A student remarked that the clocks should be masked if these cannot show the correct time. |
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Voluntary
body’s work suffers Faridabad, July 26 About eight employees of the organisation have been injured in such attacks since July 12, when Sulabh formally started its work. The police today arrested one person in connection with an assault on Sulabh employees by a group of 10 to 15 persons at Sihi village, near Ballabgarh town of the district. According to a complaint lodged by Sulabh officials, its workers are also being threatened while they are on their job. Six incidents of physical assault have been reported since July 12. On one occasion, miscreants hurled a petrol bomb at employees of Sulabh. On another occasion, some persons came in a vehicle and attacked workers of the organisation while they were removing garbage near Sector 15-A recently. It is learnt that some persons have been booked by the police in this connection, but no one has been arrested so far. The latest incident occurred at noon today, when Sulabh workers were engaged in their work near Sihi village, about 10 km from here. Two Sulabh workers, Ram Snehi and Babu Lal, were injured in the attack by some persons. However, the people who gathered at the spot were able to catch Sham Lal, one of the persons involved in the attack. He was handed over to the police. Sham Lal is reportedly of the 1,519 employees of the Municipal Corporation who were retrenched about three months ago. According to Sulabh officials, some retrenched employees have been involved in the attacks as they allegedly do not want Sulabh International to make a success of the job. Sulabh officials have asked the police and the Municipal Corporation to provide security to its workers and take stern action against the culprits. |
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Haryana pensioners seek parity Sonepat, July 26 In a press release issued here, it criticised the state government for not providing the facility of LTC to the pensioners for visiting religious and historic places and not increasing the fixed medical allowance to Rs 250 per month as was being given to the pensioners by Punjab and other neighbouring governments. The association also demanded 50 per cent concession to senior pensioners for travelling in Haryana Roadways buses. However, it hailed the decision of the state government to extend the date for filing the applications by the pensioners for the revision of the pension in accordance with the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission. The association has convened its next meeting on July 29 at Karnal to mobilise public opinion in favour of the pensioners for putting pressure on the state government to accept the demands. |
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Steps on power
supply to Sonepat Sonepat, July 26 The Superintending Engineer (Operations) of Sonepat circle, Mr Gupta told mediapersons here yesterday that the power supply had been restored on a staggered basis from alternative sources and the consumers would have to bear the unavoidable load-staggering for maintaining the continuity of the supply. He also disclosed that the power supply from the transformer feeding the Kharkhauda and Bhatgaon substations had also been affected. The rural areas of the Bhatgaon and Kharkhauda blocks around the villages of Aterna, Chatia, Jahri and Jagdishpur villages would be given seven to eight hours’ power supply on three-phase and four to five hours’ supply on two phase. According to the SE, the power supply to Sonepat city would be given by staggering the load areawise from time to time. The load-sheddings to the above-mentioned areas would also have to be restored at night. |
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Shooting of serial on Kargil martyrs begins Bhiwani, July 26 It may be recalled that Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala had given the mahurat clap for the serial at the Pragati Diwas rally on July 24 here. Talking to mediapersons here today, the producer of the serial, Ram Avatar Dhand, said the serial would have 104 episodes. The producer said Raza Murad, Pankaj Beery, Kiran Kumar and Satyen Kappu had been cast in key roles. He said Haryanvi artistes would also be given roles. He said shooting would also take place in Kargil and Dras sectors. |
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Villagers block highway as boy dies in mishap Faridabad, July 26 Vishal (8), son of Ram Chander, was killed at about 4.45 p.m. while crossing the road. The residents squatted on the road, about 25 km from here, demanding the arrest of the culprit. They reportedly told the police that the suspect was the son of a politician. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and the DSP of Palwal rushed to the site. |
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Woman commits
suicide Sirsa, July 26 She was married to Bharat Singh, a resident of the village.
Her father lodged a complaint with the police accusing her in-laws
of murder. The police has registered a case against her husband and
his brother. |
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