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Tuesday,
September 18, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Haryana cops on high alert Haryana keen on metro railway in Gurgaon Chautala ‘misleading people of UP’ Diploma engineers lose seniority Varsity teachers resent government apathy Two arrested for Principal’s murder |
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Steps soon to improve irrigation system: CM 8 lakh take dip in Falgu tank Labour leaders, workers ‘reject’ raise in wages Unannounced power cuts irk residents Wakf board steps to discipline “erring” officials Radiologists
conference concludes POSTINGS/ TRANSFERS IN FOCUS Dead
trees of Ambala 2 cops booked in extortion case ASI arrested for taking bribe Youth stabs sister over
dislike for fiance 2 cops
held for snatching money Businessman shot
at End to NOC
demanded
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Haryana cops on high alert Chandigarh, September 17 Mr M. S.
Malik, DGP, however, told the TNS that there had been no significant report about activities by rightwing Muslim organisations in Haryana.
Nevertheless the forces have been sensitised so that any attempt of disrupting peace by inciting religious passions can be thwarted, he added. Police sources said following the incident in USA, state police toned up the exchange of intelligence inputs with the neighbouring states. The security around vital installations such as oil depots, power plants, railway station, airport had been strengthened, the officials said. The developments in the USA has coincided with Haryana police’s fortnight-long operation codenamed, “Night Vigil” launched in the state from September 16. Senior police officials including the DGP, are carrying out surprise checks on police parties engaged in patrolling. The state police has also reviewed the security schemes in the districts. “The DCs as well as the SPs were asked to tone up various routine duties such as overstay by Pakistani nationals, movement by suspicious elements, etc”, officials here said. They added that the armed wing of the force as well as the Home Guards and Civil Defence personnel had been alerted so that they were ready for deployment in case of any eventuality. The vigil inside trains and public transports had also been intensified. |
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Haryana keen on metro railway in Gurgaon Gurgaon, September 17 The state has already allocated a sum of Rs 34 crore for the project. The state in collaboration with the Metro Railway and other authorities concerned has already initiated feasibility study on the subject. The Haryana Chief Minister Mr Om Prakash Chautala at a recent meeting with representatives of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCI) and the Gurgaon Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), told them that the state was serious on the project. He reportedly stressed infrastructure was on the priority list of the state. The President of the PHDCCI, Mr Sushil Ansal, the leader of the state chapter of the organisation, Mr P.K. Jain and the president of the GCCI, Mr Sunil Sabharwal were among those who met Mr Chautala regarding issues pertaining to the industry. The extension of the metro railway till the Rajiv Gandhi Chowk was one of the long standing demand of the GCCI and other quarters in South Haryana. Mr Sabharwal said the metro railway project would drastically reduce the traffic rush on all the roads,especially on the Gurgaon-Jaipur national highway, besides bringing relief to the commuters. Also, with
Gurgaon emerging as a major trade and commerce hub, the project would further boost investments in the city and the industrial centres adjoining it. Also, the state has agreed to the demand of the GCCI to introduce the concept of “Gold Card” system for the benefit of the industrialists in the state, who have proved their credentials in the their field. The issuance of the card to the industrialists would provide them instant access to the officers of the
state. This was with a view to promote more interaction between the government. Mr Chautala told the industrialists that the state was in the process of drafting a new information technology (IT) policy to make the state the IT capital of the country. The policy would contain provisions for concepts like golden handshake and retrenchments, especially when the units are not economically viable. The Chief Minister also dwelled on the decision to set up a medi-city in
Gurgaon. The concept consist of housing speciality hospitals in one complex with best of services available in the field of health care. The government is also determined to wind up the government departments which were running in loss, or those which were not economically viable. So would be case with the sick units. |
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Chautala ‘misleading people of UP’ Chandigarh, September 17 In a statement issued here today, the president of the Haryana Congress, Mr Bhupinder Singh
Hooda, said Mr Chautala’s claim about uninterrupted power supply was before the people to judge. He said before the elections Mr Chautala had promised to give free electricity to farmers. But now they were not getting assured power supply even on payment. Mr Hooda said the INLD President had promised to write off the arrears of electricity bills of the farmers, but now the bills and the arrears were being recovered from them by coercion. Even the villages in which the power bills remained unpaid were being denied development grants. The Congress leader said the Chief Minister’s claim about “excellent” roads in the state was again misleading. The repair work on roads, he alleged, was only on paper and the roads were full of potholes. Similarly, the Chautala government had imposed heavy charges on the health services for the masses. No industry had been attracted by the foreign visit of Mr Chautala last year. Alleging that Mr Chautala was in the habit of making false promises, Mr Hooda said he had promised the traders that their tax burden would be reduced. Instead they had been burdened with more taxes. The Congress leader said the people of Haryana had seen through the game of Mr Chautala and, therefore, now he was using his tricks on the people of western Uttar Pradesh. |
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Diploma engineers lose seniority Hisar, September 17 This is the direct outcome of a revised seniority list of the HSE (II) finalised afresh by the department and released on July 25 last. In this list, diploma engineers promoted as SDOs between 1971 and 1978 have been placed below the directly recruited assistant engineers were appointed between 1975 and 1990. For instance, Mr K. L. Chandna, who retired as XEN years ago and figured ninth in the list finalised in 1998, has been relegated to the 360th spot. In all, about 100 diploma engineers have been affected. Half of them are still in service and they now face the prospects of retiring as SDOs after putting in three decades of service. On the other hand, those who joined service years later expect a bounty by way of promotions and arrears. Diploma engineers were mainly recruited between 1971 and 1978 for early completion of prestigious irrigation projects, including the Jui, Siwani and Loharu lift irrigation schemes. They maintain they were discriminated against right from the beginning as a result of which they had to seek relief from court. The battle lasted over two decades after which a seniority list was finalised and approved in 1998. This list did not distinguish between degree and diploma holders and seniority was fixed according to the date on which engineers were recruited or promoted as SDOs. The new seniority list, diploma engineers say, contravenes three judgements of the apex court in which it has held that those recruited directly as SDOs could not be considered senior to diploma engineers promoted as SDOs before their appointment. They also contend that the officer who had okayed the new list had earlier given verbal orders on the file in 1999, holding that the 1998 seniority list was as per the rules. Besides, they say, if the 1998 list is against the rules, no action has been taken against the officer concerned for causing financial loss to the government. The diploma holders allege that the bureaucracy wants to benefit direct recruits in view of a recent court judgement which struck down promotions made in 1989 on the ground that these had to be restricted to a certain percentage of engineers in service at the time. The court ordered that government should recover the excess amount paid to the promotees who were still in service and those who had retired. It left it to the government to waive recovery in the case of those who had since died. Diploma holders say by refixing seniority, the bureaucracy wants to eliminate diploma holders. However, senior officers of the Irrigation Department maintain that the new list is in order and has taken care of mistakes made in the past resulting in court cases. |
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Varsity teachers resent government apathy Kurukshetra, September 17 Office-bearers of various university teachers’ associations from Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh shared their concern over the apathy of the state governments in implementing the 1998 UGC notification relating to their pay revision and career advancement. Talking about the career advancement scheme (CAS) an AIFUTA spokesman said the scheme was still awaiting implementation in most of the universities in Haryana and not being implemented from the date of eligibility with retrospective effect in Jammu and Kashmir. It was also highlighted that there were serious deviations from the formula of the Ministry of Human Resource Development for the fixation of revised pay scales. Some universities such as Punjabi University, Patiala, were yet to make the payment of arrears on account of pay revision, informed Dr Satya P. Gautum, general secretary of AIFUTA. He said it had become difficult for the universities to pay salaries to teachers on time and the Vice-Chancellors were struggling hard to secure funds for the normal functioning of the universities. This was creating a sense of anxiety and uncertainty amongst the university teachers. Expressing resentment over the vacant posts, he said adhoc arrangement of appointing part-time teachers and guest faculty was bound to prove counter-productive. There was a unanimous view that the irrational approach of the state governments must be exposed in the public to save the university system from collapse. The council resolved to take up with the Ministry of the HRD the UGC and the state governments several issues including teachers participation in the management of the universities, consultative mechanisms at the national and the state levels, rectification of imbalances in the budgetary provisions of the universities, and incentives for quality research work, enhancement in the age of retirement from 60 to 62 years on the pattern of the central universities, notification of modalities for placement in the super-selection grade for professors irrespective of the mode of selection through CAS/MPS or substantive open positions. Dr Gautam said the North Zonal Council also condemned the lack of any pension scheme in Panjab University, Chandigarh and urged that the Government of India should introduce a viable pension scheme in the university. Many other universities where pension schemes were already functioning, might also face difficulties in running these schemes if they were not made part of the university budgets to be sustained by the government’s funding. |
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Two arrested for Principal’s murder Rewari, September 17 The accused
Surender, who was arrested by Sunday Sept 16, has been remanded in police custody till Sept 27 by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Rewari. Earlier Karam Vir, a resident of the same village and the principal accused in the above case, was arrested by the Jhajjar district police following a tip-off. His remand with the Jhajjar police would expire on Tuesday Sept 18 after which the Rewari district police would be able to take him in its custody. However their third accomplice
Rakesh, resident of the same Mandhoti village, had been arrested by the Rewari district police from a hideout near Bhalkhi Majra village during its combing operation in the early hours on August 3. The police had arrested Ram Kaur mother of Karam Vir from her house at Mandhoti village and sent her to the women’s look up at Gurgaon. The police also arrested Om Vati mother of the accused
Surender, on charges of criminal conspiracy etc. |
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Steps soon to improve irrigation system: CM Bhiwani, September 17 The Chief Minister, who was addressing a largely-attended meeting after laying the foundation stone of Rs1.10 crore augmentation water supply scheme at Paintawas Kalan village, about 20 km from here, said the government had decided to brick-line and level all watercourses besides repairing water channels to improve the irrigation system. The water supply scheme would provide 70 litres of water per capita per day to a population of 11,000 in Paintawas Kalan, Akhtiyarpura and Mankawas villages. Mr Chautala reiterated the commitment of the Government to realise the dream of Devi Lal to provide adequate water and power to people besides eradicating corruption at all levels. He said the government was taking steps to provide all basic amenities to people despite its limited resources. He said jobs were being given on the basis of merit. About power situation, Mr Chautala said 499 mw of additional power had been generated in the state in the past two years, whereas it was only 188 mw during the tenure of the previous government. He said Haryana would become a power surplus state in the next few years. Urging people to pay power bills and arrears regularly, he the government might consider reducing the power tariff in that case. Mr Chautala, along with Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Dhirpal Singh, Minister of State for Urban Development, Mr Subhash Goyal and Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Public Health, Mr K.C. Sharma planted saplings on the premises of the waterworks. Later on, the Chief Minister paid obeisance at Samadhi Sthal of Sant Tara Chand at Dinod village. He also addressed a religious congregation at Radha Swami Satsang Bhawan here. |
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8 lakh take dip in Falgu tank Faral (Kaithal,) September 17 The pilgrims from all posts of Punjab, Haryana,
H.P. U.P. and even Bengal and started taking dip immediately after midnight. Vehicles carrying pilgrims queued up at the site. Mr
A.S. Chawla, district police chief, said the police had a tough time controlling the rush of pilgrims. The police had to enforce one-way traffic rule from the nearby town of Dhand upto the holy tank, s stretch of about 6 km, to ensure flow of traffic and peaceful ‘snan’ by the pilgrims. Mr Fateh Singh
Dagar, Deputy Commissioner, told The Tribune that the administration had expected
arrival of 5 lakh pilgrims on the occasion. but the rush of pilgrims had broken all previous records. The government had sanctioned Rs 32 lakh for making arrangement of the fair. About three lakh pilgrims also visited tanks and temples at
Kurukshetra today. |
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Labour leaders, workers ‘reject’ raise in wages Faridabad, September 17 These trade union leaders mostly, representing Left front organisations, have described the latest decision of hike in minimum wages for workers as only a ‘show piece’. They have claimed that while the minimum wages due to the workers had already reached to Rs 1960 per month in the terms of the price index, the government decision to announce Rs 1948 as minimum wages was a kind of ‘joke’ with the labour class. According to local leaders of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions
(CITU) the latest wages do not reflect any hike as price index had gone up “steeply” since the last increase. They have claimed that the announcement of revision of minimum wages was only a formality and the government ‘appeared’ to be least concerned on the issue. A spokesman of the union said that as per the price index, the worker in the state deserved at least double the wages announced by the authorities. Another labour leader claimed that the Labour Welfare Commission which usually recommends the hike and other benefits do not represent the labour and workers organisation, as it had merely the supporters of the government. The Janata Dal (U) leader Mr Ved Prakash Vidrohi has also expressed unhappiness over the hike in wages. Describing these as ‘minimal’ he said the authorities should take the general price index into consideration before any increase. He has also asked for more representation to ‘trade unions’ on the commission. |
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Unannounced power cuts irk residents Panipat, September 17 For the past over two months, every Saturday and Sunday are treated as “maintenance or repair days” without any prior announcement and the practice is going on unabated, a distressed consumer remarked. Though the Chief Minister, who laid the foundation stone for the ungradation of the 33 KV sub-station to 132 KV at Madlauda last week, is coming here on September 21 to lay the foundation stone of the seventh and eights units of 250 MW each at the Panipat Thermal Power Station, the situation of power generation and supply is not likely to improve, alleged a resident of Model Town area, which suffers maximum power cuts. A random survey in several colonies in this town yesterday revealed that the power supply had deteriorated after June 30. Balwan Singh of the Housing Board Colony of Sector 6 said the HVPN had revised the rates of power consumed with increased minimum charges but power was not available to residents of this colony for four to 12 hours daily. Raj Kumar of Halwai Hatta area complained that HVPN officials did not attend to the complaints of residents at night. Residents of Ward No. 12, Tehsil Camp and Moden Town are also facing problems due to erratic power supply. Shopkeepers of Insar Bazaar and Palika Bazaar are forced to close their shops before closing time. A resident of Old Housing Board Colony said there were daily power cuts lasting five to six hours. Farmers at Kisan Bhavan also alleged that villages were getting only five to eight hours power supply in their areas. However, the HVPN authorities claimed that the agriculture sector was being supplied uninterrupted power for eight to 10 hours and domestic users for more than 22 hours in Panipat town. |
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Wakf board steps to discipline “erring” officials Panipat, September 17 According to available information, the services of an Israel national, an employee of the Board of Chandigarh and claiming to be a close relative of a Haryana minister has been terminated following many complaints against him. It is also learnt that the Minister has reportedly been putting pressure on the Board for his re-induction in the service and has even lodged a complaint with the Union Social Welfare Minister against the Chief Executive Officer of the Board. But the employee’s termination order has not been withdrawn. Similarly a senior Imam has been shifted from Chandigarh to Karnal and a show cause notice issued against another Imam on the allegation that he has got changed the ownership of Masjid’s
electricity meter in his own name. The Board has also opened the accounts of all those widows drawing pension from the Board, in post Offices nearest to their places of residences. |
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Radiologists
conference concludes Rohtak, September 17 In the academic session of nearly five hours noted radiologists from Haryana and Delhi spoke on recent advances in Radiodiagnosis and Imaging. Dr Rohtas K. Yadav, in his presidential address, stressed the need of established a department of
Cardiac and Neuro-Radiology and Interventional Radiology at the PGIMS, Rohtak on the pattern of the AIIMS, New Delhi so that the institute, being the PGI, can get recognition at the international level. Dr Sarita Maggu, Dr Seema Rohilla (PGIMS, Rohtak), Dr S.K. Bhargawa (UCMS, Delhi), Dr U.K. Makwane (MAMC, New Delhi), Dr B.K.S. Chauhan (RML Hospital, New Delhi), Dr S. Sharma (AIIMS, New Delhi), Col R.N. Bagga, Col C.S. Pant, Dr S.B. Grover and Dr S.S. Doda (all from New Delhi) delivered lecturers on the topic. At the general body meeting late in the evening, Dr Rohtas K. Yadav was elected president of Haryana State branch of IRIA for the year 2001-2002. Dr D.S. Yadav (Gurgaon), Dr Arun Narula (Rohtak) and Dr Sarita Maggu (Rohtak) were elected unanimously as vice-president, secretary and joint secretary, respectively, of the association. |
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POSTINGS/ TRANSFERS Chandigarh, September 17 Mrs Sukriti Likhi, Chief Executive Officer, Kurukshetra Development Board, Kurukshetra, has been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chief Executive Officer, District Rural Development Agency, Kurukshetra, vice Mr Rakesh Gupta, who goes as Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chief Executive Officer, District Rural Development Agency, Karnal, relieving Mrs Suprabha Dahiya of the said charge. Mr U.S. Sohal, Flying Squad Officer, Transport, Delhi, has been posted as Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chief Executive Officer, District Rural Development Agency, Panipat, vice Mrs Suprabha Dahiya, who has proceeded on leave. Mr B.B. Kaushik, City Magistrate, Rohtak, has been posted as such at Rewari, relieving Mr Sanjeev Verma of the said charge. Mrs Geeta Bharti, Officer on Special Duty, Command Area Development Agency, Panchkula, and Mr Dharam Pal Singh, Estate Officer, Urban Estate, Panchkula, will swap their places of posting. |
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IN FOCUS Kalka The students are housed in a hostel where they live in miserable conditions. The doors of the rooms are broken and window panes are missing. The toilets remain without water most of the time and wild growth of congress grass covers the compound. Most of the employees have been driven to starvation, according to their spokesman, Mr Madan Lal, who is a technician. Shopkeepers have stopped giving them rations on credit and they have withdrawn their children from school, not being able to pay the fee. According to him, the authorities have told them that their salaries will be paid when funds are released by the government. There also is a veiled threat of transfer, in case they try to force the issue. Besides Kalka, the Haryana Government maintains two other flying clubs at Karnal and Hisar. These are under the direct administrative control of the Chief Minister. But he seems to be unaware of the situation at Kalka since he is recently reported to have given instructions that all the three aerodromes should be made fully functional.  |
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Dead
trees of Ambala Ambala These dead trees can be spotted in different places including the Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantonment. The Secretary of Green Circle, an organisation which works for environment preservation, said: ‘‘Although we do not know why these trees have died, yet this worries us’’. The health authorities have taken up the matter with the forest officials for permission to fell the dead trees after evaluating them. This organisation has sent a telegram to the Deputy Commissioner of Ambala in this regard. Besides the dead trees in the Civil Hospital, there are such trees also at some other places. There is a dead tree near Ahluwalia Building and one of the house-owners of the area has been in touch with the municipal authorities to do something about it. But his visits have proved futile. Dr Vishnu Prasad Sharma, a social activist, said that it would be a distressing situation if no action is taken regarding these dead trees. ‘‘Planting of saplings with dead trees still standing is tantamount to celebrating the birth of a baby with a corpse still lying in the house’’, he said. |
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2 cops booked in extortion case Panipat, September 17 Giving this information, the SP, Panipat, Mr P.R. Dev, told mediapersons today that ASI Narender Singh and Head Constable Ranbeer Singh went to the local Hotel Mid-Town on the GT Road on the night to September 13 and entered a room where a Chandigarh resident Ramesh Goel, was staying with a girl. Threatening the customer with police action, the police officials demanded Rs 50,000 from him. In this act of extortion, the son of the hotel owner and former general secretary of the Haryana Youth Congress allegedly acted as DSP in plain clothes. The matter was finally “settled” and the customer was forced to pay Rs 25,000. The SP said the accused also extorted a gold chain of 50 gm from the occupants of another room. The SP said that during the inquiry, the involvement of two police personnel and Rajiv Ahuja was established. The SP stated that the suspended police officials, besides Rajiv Ahuja were absconding. |
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ASI arrested for taking bribe Panipat, September 17 The ASI, Jaipal, has been arrested and placed under suspension. According to the Senior Superintendent of the Haryana highway patrol police, Mr V. Kamraja, a tractor driver of Mundlana village in Gohana subdivision of Sonepat district complained to him that the ASI had impounded his tractor-trolley loaded with wood at Samalkha and was demanding an illegal gratification of Rs 500 for releasing it. After receiving the complaint, Mr Kamraja directed the DSP to inquire into the complaint. He himself also reached Samalkha. During the inquiry it was established that the ASI was guilty of taking the bribe of Rs 500. Mr Kamraja disclosed that after the formation of the Haryana highway patrol and road safety police unit, 14 police officials had been placed under suspension for accepting bribe. |
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Youth stabs sister over
dislike for fiance Faridabad, September 17 According to reports, the unidentified youth had expressed “unhappiness” over the engagement of his sister to a man whom he disliked. Ultimately, he stabbed her to prevent the marriage. The girl has been admitted to the local Civil Hospital. The police has reportedly arrested the accused. Meanwhile, about 4,500 pouches of illicit liquor were seized by the police from the nearby Badoli village yesterday. Three persons have been arrested in this connection. |
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2 cops
held for snatching money Rohtak, September 17 Head Constable Prithvi Singh, GRP Inspector Vatan and Surajbhan, were produced in the court today and remanded in police custody till September 19. According to police sources, Paleram and Rajbir of Hansi and Balbir of Balambha village were coming from Rewari to their respective villages after selling cattle. They were forcibly taken to Rohtak in a matador allegedly by the accused. They snatched the money from them and kept them as hostages in a small room here. Later, they were blind folded and released near Bahu Akbarpur village and warned not to disclose the incident to anybody. |
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Businessman shot
at Ambala, September 17 The incident took place at about 2 pm when Dharampal was sitting in his shop. Two youths reportedly approached him and an altercation took place. The youths shot twice at the businessman before escaping on a motor cycle. The youths are believed to have decamped with some money. He was taken to Chandigarh for treatment. |
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End to NOC
demanded Ambala, September 17 Congress MC Hira Lal Yadav said here that the people living in the Sadar area are facing major problems due to the NOC. He claimed that now the Municipal Council officials are not recommending NOC or mutation since they say that these powers rest with the Deputy Commissioner. Opposing the house-tax policy, the Congress MCs said that there are several flaws in the new house-tax policy. The MCs pointed out that no information regarding the new house-tax policy based on a report promised by the local bodies officials were forwarded to them. |
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Sikh council condemns attacks Kalka To maintain the law and order Mr Sushil Sarwan SDM, Kalka, Mr ML Maria, Tehsildar, Kalka, along with heavy police force, were also present on the occasion. |
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Chautala unveils martyr’s statue Narnaul, September 17 |
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Withdraw market fee: timber traders Yamunanagar, September 17 |
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S.P. Ranga gets additional charge
Chandigarh, September 17
Mr Suraj Paul, Superintendent of Police, State Vigilance Bureau, Ambala, has been posted as Superintendent of Police, CTI, Home Guards, Panchkula. |
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