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Sunday,
September 16, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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UP traders defraud Haryana of Rs 1 cr INLD govt ‘ignoring’ SYL canal issue Bansi flays Haryana’s power policy PGIMS seeks recognition of degree Editor pleads for scribe’s release |
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30 unauthorised houses demolished Rohtak, September 15 A demolition squad led by SDM Yashendra Singh today demolished 30 unauthorised structures at Sri Nagar Colony which were reportedly raised on the land owned by Pt B.D. Sharma PGIMS. The police resorted to cane charge when the agitated people began pelting the police force with stones. Four persons were arrested in this connection.
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UP traders defraud Haryana of Rs 1 cr Karnal, September 15 Investigations made by The Tribune reveal that so far a section of molasses traders from Muzzaffar Nagar alone have caused a loss of about Rs 50 lakh by evading sales tax. Inquiries reveal that some firms of western UP lift molasses from sugar mills of Haryana. The sales tax on molasses in Haryana is charged at the rate of 20 per cent. The basic price of molasses ranges between Rs 150 and Rs 200 per quintal. The sales tax comes to between Rs 40 and Rs 50 per quintal. But, the UP traders are reported to have been paying only 4 per cent CST on it. Furthermore, this quantity of molasses is not transported to UP but instead, is sold to some cattlefeed factories, tobacco dealers and distilleries in Haryana. Inquiries further show that since the imposition of 20 per cent sales tax on the commodity, some traders of UP had bought over 3 lakh quintals of molasses from sugar factories in Haryana. The Haryana traders have complained to the Commissioner of Excise and Taxation that only 10,000 quintals out of the total have allegedly been taken to UP. The rest has been sold in Haryana itself. Had this much quantity of molasses sold to Haryana traders, it would have brought about Rs 1 crore as sales tax to the state exchequer. But the UP traders are reported to have paid only 4 per cent sales tax which amounts to Rs 25 lakh only. The Haryana traders have requested the commissioner to probe in to the matter. Cattle feed factories located in Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Samalkha, Palwal, Hathin as well as the tobacco dealers of this area are the direct beneficiaries. In UP also, the traders have to get a NOC from the government to bring molasses from another state. Besides, a trader has to pay 5 per cent administrating charge also. The Haryana traders pointed out that they were unable to compete with their UP counterparts as they had to pay 20 per cent sales tax as against 4 per cent which pushes the price upward by Rs 30 to 40 per quintal. Even in Punjab, only the molasses traders of the state could lift molasses from sugar factories. If the commodity is to be transported out of the state an NOC was essential. Besides, the NOC is given only to the consumer and not the trader. There is a rule almost in every state that molasses could be transported only after getting an NOC. |
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INLD govt ‘ignoring’ SYL canal issue Jind, September 15 Mr Hooda while talking to reporters said the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, should hold talks with the Union Government and the Punjab Government for early completion of the SYL canal so that the farmers could get their share of rivers water. Mr Hooda said the support price of paddy fixed by the Union Government for the current kharif session was meagre. The cost of agriculture inputs like fertilisers, diesel and insecticides had increased considerably but the government had announced only an increase of Rs 20 per quintal for the paddy support price, he added. He demanded that the support price should be fixed at Rs 600 per quintal. He said the government should make elaborate arrangements for the purchase of paddy at the support price. If proper arrangements for procurement were not made by the government agencies there would be distress sale this year also, he said. Mr Hooda alleged that the state government had failed to safeguard the interests of the farmers. He said while the farmers were facing many problems. The Chief Minister was busy organising public meetings in Uttar Pradesh. Mr Hooda said despite public protest the Haryana Government was forcibly replacing old electric meters with new electronic meters. Many old meters were functioning properly and giving correct reading and therefore there was no need of replacing them, he added. He alleged that irregularities were being done in the purchase of new meters and demanded an inquiry into it. The Congress chief alleged that the law and order situation in the state was deteriorating and instead of taking action against criminals the Chautala government was fabricating cases against its political opponents. Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, former Haryana Congress chief, alleged that the government was pursuing anti-farmers policies. He said several farmers who could not repay their loans in time had been imprisoned. He said the farmers were not getting remunerative prices for their produce and the government had failed to give any relief to them. The government should reduce the rate of interest on agricultural loan to eight per cent, he added. Mr Sher Singh, Congress MLA from Julana constituency, and Mr Karambir Saini, secretary, HPCC, were also present at the press conference. |
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Bansi flays Haryana’s power policy Punhana, (Gurgaon), September 15 Addressing a public meeting in the Mewat area here today, Mr Bansi Lal said line losses and power thefts had increased under the present dispensation. He said the line losses during the time of his government were between 30-33 per
cent. This had increased to about 47 per cent. One per cent line loss accounted for a loss of Rs 40 crore per year, he added. He said the World Bank, which had agreed to fund plans of his government to restructure the power sector, had backed out from its commitment during the tenure of the present government. The INLD government had issued bonds to various central agencies for the clearance of debts of the power sector. The bonds would mature at a later stage, he added. Mr Bansi Lal said the revenue presently accruing from the power sector was being mismanaged by the government. The issuance of bonds had brought temporary relief but it would put the succeeding governments in a spot as there would be no money left in the state
exchequer, he added. The former Chief Minister reminded public of poll promises made by Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala regarding giving free power and waiver of outstanding power bills due from the farmers. Referring to the completion of SYL canal, he said the apex court had set a time frame for the solution of the controversy by the Centre. But Mr Chautala did not want to press the issue as it would put Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in a spot, especially when election in Punjab was round the corner. Mr Bansi Lal charged Central and state governments with following anti-farmer policy. As the government agencies were not purchasing paddy and bajra crops, the farmers were compelled to sell their produce at rates much below the reserved prices, he added. |
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PGIMS seeks recognition of degree Rohtak, September 15 That the degree was not recognised by the MCI was highlighted by The Tribune in a report on July 31 when the Head of the Forensic Medicine Department, Dr D.R. Yadav, was appointed Dean of the PGIMS. Dr Yadav was later appointed also the acting Director of the institute. The postgraduate degrees of the PGIMS in pharmacology, psychiatry and anatomy and the diploma in DGO are also not recognised by the MCI as yet though these courses were started many years ago. Earlier this week, the PGIMS deposited the inspection fee of Rs 2.50 lakh with the MCI to enable it to initiate the process of recognising these degrees. Although the PGIMS has requested the MCI to recognise its degree in forensic medicine, most of the faculty members of the institute are apprehensive about the fate of its representation. The faculty members said the MCI had only last month declined to recognise the degree in forensic medicine of the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS), Delhi, on the ground that the degree of its Head of Department of Forensic Medicine, Dr B.B.L. Aggarwal, was not recognised. The situation in the PGIMS here, these faculty members say, was similar to that of the UCMS. Incidentally, Dr D.R. Yadav had also studied for his postgraduate degree under Dr B.B. L. Aggarwal. Although the MCI and the Union Health Ministry are yet to decide about the renewal of permission to the PGIMS to admit MBBS students as per its approved intake, Kurukshetra University, the competent authority this year, has decided to hold counselling for completing the admission process in the medical college here and dental colleges in Haryana on September 24 and 25. The Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Mr R.S. Chaudhary, is confident that by the time the university completes the counselling process, the Centre and the MCI will restore the approved intake of students in the MBBS course. He said the seats in the Dental College, Rohtak, had been increased from 20 to 60 from the current session. Although the PGIMS has approval for intake of 115 students, it was allowed to admit 150 students last year by the Union Health Ministry and the MCI to accommodate 31 students of Agroha Medical College which was closed a few years ago. However, the increase in seats beyond 115 was subject to annual renewal of permission failing which adjustment of seats for the Agroha students was to be done within the approved intake of students for that year. The MCI has urged the Centre this year to not renew the permission for an increase in the MBBS seats from 115 to 150 as the institute was headed by a non-medical person in violation of the MCI rules and regulations. The MCI inspection team that visited the institute on July 24 and 25 had also pointed out many deficiencies in the functioning of the PGIMS. The MCI, in view of the report of its inspectors, had recommended to the Centre not to renew the permission and advised the PGIMS to admit only 89 students during the 2001-2002 session after adjusting 26 students of Agroha Medical College within its approved 115 seats. The process of completing admissions to the MBBS and BDS courses was further delayed as the government had appointed “ineligible” officiating directors of the PGIMS one after the other. The PGIMS and the state government have now informed the MCI and the Union Health Ministry that the process for the selection of an eligible Director of the PGIMS has already begun and as such they should be allowed to admit students to the medical college and dental colleges in the state. Therefore, the counselling process for admission to these courses has been initiated in anticipation of the permission of the MCI and the Union Health Ministry. According to informed sources, the government has fixed September 21 as the date for holding interviews for the post of the Director of the PGIMS. The process may be delayed, informed sources believe, if the MCI approved the appointment of Dr Yadav to the post. The Vice-Chancellor also hinted that efforts were being made to persuade the MCI to allow admission of students in Agroha Medical College, which has been reopened after the Chautala government came to power. If the MCI agrees, then students from among those who would appear for counselling may be considered and recommended for admission to the Agroha college. |
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Editor pleads for scribe’s release Chandigarh, September 15 The delegation at a press conference quoted later the Governor as saying the alleged cases of attack on the freedom of press in the state are “serious“. Hindi litterateur and the editor of “Hans”, Mr Rajendra Yadav, and journalists Anil Chamadia, Jyoti and Subhash Gatade from Delhi told the press conference that they had demanded immediate withdrawal of cases against Mr Satish Kumar, transfer of S.P. Ranveer Sharma and suspension of the HUDA official who had “fabricated” charges. They said the arrest of Mr Satish Kumar was only a part of a series of efforts to “throttle press freedom” in the state. Mr Sharma is the son-in-law of the Union Minister of State for Home, Mr I.D. Swamy. The delation also appealed to the Governor to order an independent inquiry into the ‘’abduction-turned arrest’’ of Mr Satish Kumar in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines in the D.K. Basu case. They announced that there would be protests before Indian Embassies and High Commissions on September 18 in more than 20 countries against the arrest. The case had been taken to the National Human Rights Commission, the Press Council of India and the Editors Guild, they informed. The delegation said that Mr Satish Kumar was allegedly abducted by plainclothesmen in an un-numbered vehicle in the wee hours after registering a case of fraud on wrong circulation figures against eight newspapers of Faridabad on August 18. They said the case on a complaint by a HUDA official was registered at 3.30 AM on the same day. Attributing motives to the arrest, they said that arrest came a day after a defamation notice was served on the S.P. by Mr Satish Kumar." |
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30 unauthorised houses demolished Rohtak, September 15 The infuriated residents raised slogans against the officials. A youth tried to hurl a bottle filled with petrol while another made a futile attempt of throwing an LPG cylinder on the police. A woman reportedly tried to commit self-immolation by pouring kerosene on her. |
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CM congratulates Speaker Atwal Chandigarh, September 15 In a statement here today, he said Mr Atwal had brought honour to the entire nation. |
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Housing board draw of lots Chandigarh, September 15 An official spokesman said that the draw would be held for applicants who had registered between February 1 and May 1. |
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