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Friday,
August 24, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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SYL: Chautala’s no to
negotiated settlement Sept 5 to be ‘save education day’ Sonepat GT Road to have 2 flyovers Farmers protest
against water theft ‘Impure’ water being sold in pouches Kailana constituency gets Rs 8.26 cr Major killed
in valley |
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Doctors not keen on post-mortems Garbage dump on main
road Strategic tactile doctrine must, says General More FCI godowns planned Remit
fines, BKU tells HVPN Provide water at tail-end of canals: RJD 20-year-old woman
gangraped
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SYL: Chautala’s no to
negotiated settlement Chandigarh, August 23 While the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, yesterday asserted that Punjab would not part with even a drop of water, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, Chief Minister of Haryana, today ruled out any negotiated settlement with Punjab on the issue. “ Whenever talks were held on the SYL, we had to compromise our position on water sharing “, Mr Chautala stated. On August 9 the Supreme Court, after hearing the arguments of counsel of Punjab and Haryana on a petition filed by the Haryana Government in 1996 seeking the completion of the part of the SYL canal falling in Punjab, directed the Union Government to work out a solution to the issue acceptable to both states. The court, while reserving its judgement, asked the Centre to help the two states resolve the issue in four weeks’ time. Talking to reporters after attending the swearing-in ceremony of a Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission member at Raj Bhavan here, Mr Chautala said Haryana was looking forward to the court’s verdict on the issue. “We will honour the judgement”, Mr Chautala said. The Finance Minister, Mr Sampat Singh, who was accompanying the Chief Minister, said that the vexed issue was first taken to court by the late Devi Lal. Importantly, talks between senior officers of the two states in New Delhi, under the aegis of the Central Government, on Tuesday reportedly did not yield any result because of the declared stand of Punjab that it did not have any spare water for sharing with any other state. Incidentally, much before the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to bring about an out-of-court settlement of the SYL issue, Mr Sampat Singh, while replying to the debate in the Budget session of the Assembly on March 14, said that an out-of-court settlement was not possible. The issue could trigger off a political turmoil in Punjab and therefore no politician in Punjab could afford to increase the share of river waters for Haryana, he said while responding to the Congress-led Opposition’s charge that Mr Chautala should take advantage of his rapport with the Punjab Chief Minister for settling the SYL issue. The Haryana unit of the Congress is yet to express its position on the latest twist in the SYL controversy resulting from the court asking the Centre to help the two parties reach a settlement. While the Congress stand is expected to be articulated by the HPCC chief, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is scheduled to address a press conference here tomorrow, Mr Ajay Singh Yadav, Congress Deputy Leader in the Assembly, told TNS that attempts should be made by Mr Badal and Mr Chautala to sort out the issue outside the court. Mr Yadav claimed that both Chief Ministers had earlier said that it was possible to resolve the issue mutually. On the INLD charge that the Congress, too, had failed to bring about an acceptable solution to the issue despite being in power in both states as well as at the Centre in the early nineties, Mr Yadav said at that time there was militancy in Punjab which would have got a boost by any move made for settling the SYL issue. “For Mr Badal the problem in reaching any agreement seems to be the approaching Assembly poll in Punjab”, he said. |
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Sept 5 to be ‘save education day’ Rohtak, August 23 Members of the newly elected executive committee of the MDUTA, has in a resolution, regretted that the government expenditure on education, as a per cent of the gross domestic product, was the lowest this year since Independence. Post of teachers are lying vacant and “underpaid” contractual teachers are being employed, they alleged. Workload was also increasing, they said. The MDUTA has urged all sections of people to impress upon the Centre for a substantial increase in public investment in education. “Mindless commercialisation of education is not only depriving people of equal “opportunity, but also robbing education of its essence”, the resolution said. The MDUTA has decided to organise a meeting on September 4 which would be addressed by educationist Anil Sadgopal of the Central Institute of Education at the University of Delhi. The AIFUCTO national secretary, Dr V.K. Tewari, would preside over the meeting which would be held at Indira Gandhi Vidya Bhavan. It has also decided to urge Members of Parliament from Haryana to write letters to the Prime Minister in this regard. Meanwhile, the MDUTA president, Mr Vazir Singh Nehra, has nominated Dr Sudha Jain as vice-president, Dr Ajmer Singh Kajal as joint secretary and Dr Rajeev Kumar as treasurer. |
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Sonepat GT Road to have 2 flyovers Chandigarh, August 23 Stating this here yesterday, the Commissioner and Secretary, PWD, Haryana, Mr Prem Prashant, said a 5-km long elevated highway over the G.T. Road passing through Panipat town was also under consideration of the Union Ministry of Surface Transport to ease traffic congestion in the industrial town. Other proposals, to ease the traffic congestion on the national highways passing through Haryana included a flyover at Badarpur near Faridabad and the eight-laning of the National Highway No. 8 (Delhi-Jaipur road) from the national Capital to Gurgaon. He said the government had undertaken an ambitious Rs 1600-crore programme to improve and strengthen the 27000-km-long road network in the state. It would be completed by March, 2003. He said the entire 2471-km length of the state highways would be widened from the existing 5.5 metres to 7 metres. Mr Prashant said works amounting to Rs 46 crore were in progress to improve the 1346 km of the national highways passing through Haryana. Further works of Rs 74 crore for the national highways had been approved by the Union Government and would begin by the end of next month. He said the department had decided not to award contracts for earthwork in future. These works would be done by the “beldars” employed by the department. Even the patchwork on the roads and the filling of potholes would be done by the department itself. This would ensure that the labourers employed by the department on a regular basis would be gainfully employed. He said the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board had also constructed a record length of 1993 km of roads at a cost of Rs 148 crore during the past two years as against 3252 km of roads constructed by it at a cost of Rs 29 crore in the past 10 years. |
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Farmers protest
against water theft Jind, August 23 The agitating farmers said their fields were situated at the tail end of the Shamdo minor and they were not getting adequate water due to theft from the minor. They alleged when some farmers from their village had gone to the minor to check theft they had allegedly been attacked by some residents of Rehra village. They alleged that the assailants also damaged their tractor. They had reported the matter to the district police. The police reportedly could not take prompt action in the case as the area in which the incident occurred falls in Kaithal district. The farmers demanded immediate action against the culprits. Mr Amar Nath, Sub-divisional Magistrate, along with Deputy Superintendent of Police persuaded the farmers to lift the blockade. Senior officers of the Irrigation Department, Kaithal, also reached the village and gave an assurance to the farmers that water theft would be checked. |
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‘Impure’ water being sold in pouches Faridabad, August 23 According to reports, Hodal town located on the UP border has seen a surge in the business of supplying water in plastic pouches. These pouches are easily available and cost Re1 per pouch. Even kiryana shops and paan shops are flooded with the pouches. These pouches, however, pose a major risk to health as the probability of the water being contaminated was quite high, a resident said. According to locals, some residents had complained of
dysentery and vomiting after drinking the water in pouches. Almost all pouches did not have a batch number or the name of the packaging company printed on them. Several of the manufacturers put the packaging date in advance or authorised dealers to put stamp on the pouches as and when required. According to information, the packaging companies got permission from the municipal authorities. |
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Kailana constituency gets Rs 8.26 cr Sonepat, August 23 Stating this, Mr S.N. Roy, Deputy Commissioner, told mediapersons here today that Rs 44.92 lakh would be spent on the construction of retaining walls, Rs 28.37 lakh on the construction and repairs of 11 veterinary hospitals and dispensaries, Rs 22 lakh on the construction of homes for aged persons, Rs 44.70 lakh on the construction of sheds and link roads for 21 cremation grounds, and Rs 68.53 lakh on the pavement of 27 streets in the constituency. He said Rs 59.68 lakh would be spent on the construction of nullahs for draining out rain water, Rs 1.30 lakh on the repairs of two primary health centres, Rs 92.50 lakh on the construction of ‘phirnis’ around the wells in 30 villages and Rs 31.03 lakh on the construction of 29 rooms in the schools of the constituency. According to the Deputy Commissioner, Rs 239.60 lakh would be spent on the construction of 13 link roads, Rs 8.92 lakh on the construction of ‘six gau ghats’, Rs 13.50 lakh on the construction of boundary walls around seven schools, Rs 36 lakh on the construction of four sports stadiums, Rs 1.60 lakh on the construction of a temporary bridge on the western Yamuna canal and Rs 21.70 lakh on the installation of 12 tubewells. He also said Rs 4 lakh would be spent on the construction of 16 hand pumps, Rs 2.80 lakh on the repairs of four chaupals, Rs 4.30 lakh on the construction of three Dalit chaupals and Rs 4 lakh on the construction of a godown. Mr Roy claimed that the district administration had completed all development projects announced by the Chief Minister during the first phase of the “Sarkar aap ke dwar”
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Major killed
in valley Ambala, August 23 A pall of gloom descended upon the family and friends as soon as the news of his death reached the Ahuja household in Urban Estate, Ambala City, this afternoon. A number of people turned up at their residence in Sector 7. A close relative of the Ahuja family said Major Ahuja, who was born in February 1975, had done his schooling from Ambala before joining the Army. He had studied in St Paul School, Ambala City and then in Army School, Ambala Cantt. Major Ahuja had graduated from DAV College, Ambala City. Keen to join the Army, Major Amit Ahuja had cleared the Combined Defence Services examination and joined the Indian Military Academy. Mr Ankush Mehta, a close friend of Major Ahuja, said he was posted in the Gurez sector. “Information about Major Ahuja’s sad demise was received from Chandimandir at about 2.45 p.m. We have been told that Major Ahuja was hit during shelling alongwith two other army personnel. The other two persons are said to be in a serious condition,” he said. He had been posted in Jamnagar till recently. “Only last month he had come to Ambala for a course. He had recently undergone a Commando course at Mhow,” he said “We had a long talk when he had come over.” Mr Ankush Mehta said while recalling his very recent interaction with Major Ahuja. |
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Doctors not keen on post-mortems Hisar, August 23 A similar incident took place here today when doctors of the local Civil Hospital referred the body of a septuagenarian, who had met with an unnatural death last evening to Rohtak, despite protests by family members who pleaded that they wanted to cremate the body at the earliest and were not interested in filing a criminal case. This happened even after the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anurag Rastogi had asked the doctors to perform the post-mortem here itself when the matter was raised at a monthly meeting of the district grievances Panel a few days ago. The grieving and protesting relatives made a beeline to the DC’s office who then asked the Civil Surgeon to arrange for the post- mortem. This created a piquant situation since the post-mortem was later conducted by a single doctor while earlier a panel of doctors of the same hospital had referred the case to Rohtak. Inquiries by The Tribune reveal that government doctors are reluctant to perform post-mortem because of several reasons. First, it as an unpleasant job. Second, they have to attend court hearings for years together. They have to attend the hearings from where ever they are posted. Most consider this as avoidable harassment. Last, it can lead to legal complications in case there is even a slight lacuna in the report. Over the years, most doctors in district hospitals have begun to avoid the job. They simply excuse themselves on several pretexts. The main excuse is that the body is too decomposed to be handled at the hospital. So it is referred to the PGIMS at Rohtak. The situation has come to such a pass that the mortuary at Rohtak is at times full of bodies in various stages of decomposition. The victims’ family members are put to great inconvenience. What upsets them most is that the body of their beloved one is shuttled unnecessarily from one place to another. Precious time is lost in arranging for transportation and bringing the body back home. |
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Garbage
dump on main road Ambala Not only do the sweepers dump the garbage of the surrounding areas at this site, several dairy owners also throw piles of dung there. The garbage attracts pigs and other stray animals all the day round. Cattle sitting in the middle of the road next to the dump are a common sight. The famous Ambika Devi temple is also located close to the garbage dumping site. Devotees visiting the temple have to bear the brunt of this nuisance. During the monsoon season, the rubbish is swept on to the road by rainwater, creating problems for the traffic. Sometime pigs even enter the temple. The residents of the adjoining localities have been demanding the shifting of the dump away from the inhabited areas. Moreover, the land being used for garbage dumping has considerable commercial value. The council can build shops at this site which will be permanent source of revenue. The residents have submitted memorandums to the district administration and also to their MLA and MP several times in this regard without any result. Now some of them are planning to file a public interest petition in the High Court. According to the municipal council it will not be practicable to shift its garbage dumping sites outside the city. The sweepers carry the garbage to these dumps in small trolleys from where it is transported to a site outside the city in tractor-trailers. If this dump is moved outside the city, people will start throwing their garbage on the roads which will create more problems, council sources explain. |
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Strategic tactile doctrine must, says General Rohtak, August 23 This was stated by Maj-Gen (Retd) Rajendra Nath while delivering a special lecture at Maharshi Dayanand University here today. General Nath said though China did not form part of South Asia, it being contiguous and because of its close and intimate military and economic relationships with Pakistan, that country’s strategic aims and planning must be kept in consideration while analysing India’s security concerns. General Nath conceded that South Asia had become “unstable”. He elaborated the dynamics of India’s relations with Israel, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries. He said the morale of the masses played a major role in a country’s security arrangements.
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More FCI godowns planned Ambala, August 23 He said a number of development works had been carried out in the district. “In the first phase of the Sarkar Aapke Dwar programme, Rs 5.78 crore has been spent, while in the second phase, Rs 7.23 crore has been earmarked for development. |
Remit
fines, BKU tells HVPN Shahabad, August 23 The union demanded that the fines imposed by the HVPN on the farmers be remitted, regular and uninterrupted power supply be ensured in the rural and urban areas, minimum purchase price of paddy be announced and sheds in the mandis be vacated and cleaned for crops. Mr Gurnam Singh stated that the BKU would hold similar rallies throughout the district. The rallies would be held on August 24 at Amin, on August 25 at Pehawa, on August 29 at Kirmach and on August 30 at Bihar Saidan. A district level rally would be held at Pipli on September 11, he added. |
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Provide water at tail-end of canals: RJD Panipat, August 23 While talking to mediapersons here today, Mr Grewal said the carrying capacity of the main and subsidiary branches of West Jamuna Canal (WJC) and its branches had decreased due to silting and weeding .He stated that every year huge sums were earmarked for cleaning and strengthening of irrigation channels before onset of monsoon but hardly any work was actually carried out. This had resulted in a decrease of carrying capacity of the WJC system from 16,000 cusecs to 12,000, he added. |
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20-year-old woman
gangraped Jhajjar, August 23 According to sources, the victim, the wife of a chowkidar hailing from Kushinagar district in U.P, was sleeping along with her two children at night. The youths arrived at the farmhouse in the wee hours today, overpowered her husband and raped her. In the morning, the couple reached the nearby police chowki at Asaudha. They were brought to the police station at Bahadurgarh later. Four of the seven accused have been arrested. The police has also registered a case under Section 376, 323 and 506 of the IPC. |
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Raghbir Singh new HERC member Chandigarh, August 23 |
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