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Tuesday,
September 25, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Haryana in ‘no mood’ to introduce crop insurance Ministers want luxury cars Punia ‘khap’ seeks registration of dacoity
case New surgical treatment
for stomach cancer Night vigil busts
crime |
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POSTINGS/ TRANSFERS Rest house for SCs
inaugurated 12,300 looted from bank at
gunpoint From hobby to business Raiding party cop electrocuted
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Haryana in ‘no mood’ to introduce crop insurance Chandigarh, September 24 Mr Naidu, who had come to Ambala on September 16 to address a meeting of BJP workers, had reportedly reiterated that the Haryana Government must insure the crops under the new scheme. In fact, if the BJP leaders of Haryana are to be believed, there is political reason behind the state government’s reluctance to
introduce crop insurance. According to the state unit of the BJP, instead of getting the crop insured, Mr Chautala is more interested in extracting relief from the Centre in case of damage to crops, which enables him to capitalise out of calamities. According to the state unit of the BJP, another reason why the state government is not embracing the schemeis that it does not want to make the contributions required under the
NAIS guidelines. Some of the main features of the NAIS, launched by the Union Government from rabi 1999-2000, are as follows. All food crops (cereals, millets and pulses) and oilseeds, cotton, sugarcane and paddy will be covered under the policy in the first year
and the other cash and horticultural crops will be covered for a period of three years. The scheme will have to be implemented in the entire state. All farmers, including sharecroppers, tenant farmers are covered in the scheme. The scheme is compulsory for farmers availing seasonal agricultural operation loans from financial institutions. The scheme provides comprehensive risk insurance against losses like fire and lighting, storm, hailstorm, cyclone etc, flood, drought, pest, diseases etc. The sum insured extends to the value of the threshold yield (average of three year’s yield of an area) of the crop with an option to cover up to 150 per cent of average yield of the crop on payment of extra premium. The premium rate during the kharif is, 3.5 per cent of the sum insured for bajra and oilseeds and 2.5 per cent of sum insured for other food crops. In the rabi, it is 1.5 per cent of sum insured for wheat and 2 per cent for other food crops and oilseeds. Subsidy of 50 per cent in premium is allowed to small and marginal farmers which will be shared equally by the Union Government and state government. The scheme would operate on the basis of area Approach. The area may be a gram panchayat, mandal, circle, blocks etc, to be decided by the state government. The indemnity will be calculated by dividing the shortfall in yield by the threshold yield and then multiplying the result by the sum insured. Finally, to meet catastrophic losses, a corpus fund shall be created with contributions from the Union Government and the state government on fifty-fifty basis. Following the launching of the scheme, the state government calculated the financial liabilities arising out of implementation of the scheme in Haryana and it was found that there would be liability of Rs 17.25 crore (comprising of one time liability of Rs 5 crore and annual liability of Rs 3.25 crore for administrative expenditure, Rs 1 crore for conducting crop cutting experiments and Rs 8 crore as state share to provide 50 per cent subsidy of the premium) on the state government if the NAIS was accepted by it. While admitting that
the financial liability arising out from the implementation of the scheme played an important role behind the state government’s decision that the scheme was not acceptable to it “ in its present form”, Haryana officials added that expenditure was not the only reason for the Haryana Government turning down the NAIS. The officials said that premium rates of the crops proposed for insurance were too high for a state like Haryana where a fair degree of drought proofing had been done and chances of damage to paddy and wheat were minimum. Moreover, given that productivities of main crops in the state (wheat, paddy, cotton and mustard) are gradually rising, there is very little chance of farmers getting any indemnity under the formula of threshold yield. The officials added that insurance schemes were designed to cover risks. But in the NAIS, risk was covered only up to 90 per cent of the average yield of three consecutive years. Thus, the scheme did not serve the very purpose of insurance of entire risks, they said. The state BJP, however, is determined to corner the INLD, which is ironically an ally of the BJP in the state as well at the Centre, on the issue of insurance of standing crops. |
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Ministers want luxury cars Chandigarh, September 24 The Contessa cars were purchased by the government when Mr Bhajan Lal headed a jumbo-sized Cabinet. The luxury cars were given to Cabinet-rank Ministers, while the Ministers of State had to be satisfied with Ambassadors. However, when the Bansi Lal government came, this distinction was removed. Last year, the Haryana Government decided that Contessa cars should be withdrawn from the Ministers in the interest of economy. The Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, himself surrendered his Mercedes. The Finance Minister, Prof Sampat Singh, too surrendered the Mercedes at his disposal. Senior officers of the state government as well as the Advisers to the Chief Minister also shifted to Ambassadors. According to informed sources, after the Cabinet meeting held here on September 20, several Ministers requested the Chief Minister that they should be given luxury cars because it was not convenient to travel in Ambassadors. Mr Chautala left the matter to the Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Kumar Arora, whose decision, he said, would be final. If need be, he said, new luxury cars could be purchased. Some Ministers said the expenditure on Contessa cars was almost as much as that on Ambassadors. Therefore, Contessa cars should be reintroduced. However, there is one catch. The old Contessa cars have been given to the chairmen of zila parishads. Their withdrawal from the chairmen is bound to cause heart-burning. A few Ministers suggested that the government could purchase diesel-run luxury cars like the Ford Ikon. The sources say it was suggested to the Ministers that they could purchase their own luxury cars for which the government could provide loans. However, the Ministers were not favourably disposed towards this proposal. |
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Punia ‘khap’ seeks registration of dacoity
case Hisar, September 24 The demand has been made in a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner today by the “khap”. Mr Uday Vir Punia, spokesman for the “khap,” told The Tribune that it had come to the “khap” leaders’ knowledge that valuables worth several lakhs were missing from the farmhouse after the murders of eight members of the Punia family. He said this angle had been ignored by the police as well as the Vigilance Department officials who had been entrusted the investigation by the Chief Minister. The “khap” demanded that the cases registered against 90 residents of Litani village after the rioting on Mr Punia’s “rasam pagri” be dropped as none of them were involved in violence. Reiterating the demand for a CBI probe into the murders, the “khap” leaders said they were not satisfied with the probe by the Vigilance Department. They expressed their surprise at the slow pace of the investigation. The “khap” leaders also sought a meeting with the Chief Minister to press for their demands. Meanwhile, the Judicial Magistrate, Mr Rajiv Goel, today extended the judicial remand of Sonia till October 7. He held court at the Borstal jail where Sonia has been lodged after her arrest. She was not brought to the court today since she had assaulted mediapersons during her last appearance in the court a few days ago. Sonia has confessed to murdering her father and seven other blood relations. |
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New surgical treatment
for stomach cancer Panchkula, September 24 From the Division of Advanced Surgical Science and Technology, Department of Surgery, Tohoku University, this young doctor took queries of doctors who were completely at sea after the paper was presented. Explaining the technique, he said that contrary to the existing methods of treatment wherein a long incision was made to expose the stomach and the cancer cells, three or four holes, 1 cm or less in diameter, were made in the stomach area. “Taking the help of laparoscopic treatment, the cancer cells are identified and then eliminated. The method involves around cutting and tying the operated parts through holes made in the stomach area,’’ he added. In Japan, the hospital had operated upon 26 patients who had faced no problem with the new technique. “The minimal invasive surgery technique has its advantages over the prevailing treatment given to patients suffering from stomach cancer, the first being lesser loss of blood,’’ he stated. Against a loss of 480 ml of blood in open surgery, this treatment recorded a loss of 200 ml only. Also, the Japan experience had proved that there were fewer complications after treatment by minimal incision in the post-operation stage. The only limitation, however, Dr Kaiwa claimed, was that it could be used only in the early stages of stomach cancer. “We can employ this technique only if the cancer is detected within a period of one or two years at a maximum. After that, open surgery seems the only answer,’’ he said. Admitting that little was known about the technique outside Japan, Dr Kaiwa said that after a high success rate in such surgeries back home, his country was gradually making it known to the world through such seminars and conferences. “Before coming here, I spoke on the subject in Korea and I am on my way to other countries as well. I think this is the best way to address the medical fraternity in minimal time,’’ he said. He was hopeful the Japanese would further achieve success by extending the scope of treatment through minimal incision to cancers detected at later stages as well. |
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Night vigil busts
crime Sonepat, September 24 The Superintendent of Police, Mr Paramjit Singh Ahlawat, told mediapersons here today that the police had solved a number of dacoity and theft cases committed during the past few months. On a tip-off, the police conducted a raid in the Model Town area and arrested six persons while they were planning to commit a dacoity in a “kothi” at Model Town. The police also recovered a country made pistol, a knife, some iron rods and two stolen motorcycles from their possession. The SP disclosed that the culprits, during interrogation, confessed to their involvement in a case of dacoity committed in the house of Mr Sham Lal Tyagi, president of the District Bar Association, on the night of September 6 last. He said the police had arrested five persons who were planning to loot occupants of vehicles on the GT Road, near Bari village, in the district. According to the SP, the police has arrested 38 persons on the charge of satta, gambling and recovered Rs 77,000 from their possession. It also arrested four persons engaged in gambling near a cinema in the Model Town area of the city. The police recovered Rs 14,500 and other articles of gambling from their possession. The SP said the police has also arrested four persons on the charge of keeping unauthorised arms and theft. |
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POSTINGS/ TRANSFERS Chandigarh, September 24 Mr K.K. Kandelwal, Director and Special Secretary, Non-Conventional Energy Sources and Rural Development Departments, and Member-Secretary and Chief Administrator, Morni Development Board, has been posted as Labour Commissioner and Special Secretary, Industrial Disputes and Labour Department, Director and Special Secretary, Non- Conventional Energy Sources, and Member-Secretary and Chief Administrator, Morni Development Authority. Mr Amit Jha, Labour Commissioner and Joint Secretary, Industrial Disputes and Labour Department, has been posted as Director and Joint Secretary, Rural Development Panchayats Department. Mr Suraj Bhan-II, Subdivisional Officer (Civil), Rewari, has been given additional charge of Estate Officer, Urban Estate, Rewari, vice Mr Sanjeev Verma, who has been posted as Administrative Officer, Pt Bhagwad Dayal Sharma Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak. Mr Narhari Singh Banger, SDO (C), Thanesar, and Estate Officer, Urban Estate, Kurukshetra, has been given additional charge of Chief Executive Officer, Kurukshetra Development Board. Mr Manoj Kumar, Joint Commissioner, MCF, Ballabhgarh, has been posted as City Magistrate, Rohtak against a vacant post. |
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Rest house for SCs
inaugurated Fatehabad, September 24 Mr Sampat Singh said the speedy development activities in the state could be gauged from the fact that there was not even a single village in his Bhattu Kalan constituency that did not have its own independent waterworks. He said the Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, had fulfilled all promises and ensured the completion of all development projects that were announced by him during his “Sarkar Aapke Dwar” programme. Dr Indora claimed that Mr Om Prakash Chautala was the only Chief Minister in the history of the state who was taking along all 36 biradaris of the state with him. Mr Sampat Singh also inaugurated a Harijan chaupal constructed at a cost of Rs 1.45 lakh in Bhattu Kalan village. He urged the people to reach Kilianwali village near Mandi Dabwali on September 25 to attend the rally being organised to commemorate the birth anniversary of Chowdhary Devi Lal. The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, will unveil the statue of the Tau on this occasion. |
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12,300 looted from bank at
gunpoint Rohtak, September 24 According to police sources, two youths entered the bank with countrymade pistols in their hands. They forced the manager and the cashier of the bank to hand them over the money put in the drawer. They did not fire any shot during the incident. After committing the crime the robbers fled away. According to eyewitnesses, certain villagers threw stones on the fleeing robbers. However, they managed to escape. In another incident, attempt to steal a car was thwarted by the timely courage shown by the owner of the car yesterday. According to information, a teacher of the local Model School parked her car in front of a boutique at DLF Colony here. She was surprised to see four youths sitting in her car when she came out after nearly 15 minutes. She raised the alarm but the miscreants drove away the vehicle. The woman requested a scooterist to help her chasing the car. She pursued the vehicle through different lanes of the colony and finally jumped from the running scooter and clung to the youth sitting in the driving seat when the speed of the car lowered due to a tractor-trailer parked in a street. Several people gathered on the scene as the woman shouted for help. The youths alighted from the vehicle and ran away. No formal complaint was registered but the matter was reported to senior police officials. |
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From hobby to business Ambala Her nursery came into being in 1995 and now she supplies plants to different areas of the region. ‘‘We are supplying flowering as well as ornamental plants to customers in Chandigarh, Ambala and other places,’’ she says. ‘‘At present we have about 1,000 varieties of plants which have been brought from far-off places like Bangalore, Calcutta, Kalimpong and Kadiyan near
Vijayawada. Our ornamental plants are a big attraction.’’ Mrs Chhatwal says that besides a rare variety of
arocareia, she has other plants like areca, suplera and bougainvillaea in 12
colours. The price ranges from Rs 2 to Rs 4,000. ‘‘The middle class families prefer plants like
diffenbachia, areca, crotons and nolina.’’ ‘‘From September onwards, roses are a big draw. We stock about 28
varieties of rose,’’ she said. |
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Raiding party cop electrocuted Sonepat, September 24 Anil Kumar was part of the Delhi police party which came to the village to arrest Satey. He touched the high-tension wire while trying to scale a wall of the culprit’s house. |
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Two brothers killed in mishap Ambala, September 24 The accident took place when Gurdev Singh, former sarpanch of Jawahargarh village, and his brother Rajinder Singh, sarpanch of Jawahargarh village, were going home on their motor cycle. The motor cycle was hit by a vehicle which led to their death. |
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