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Wednesday,
February 20, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Yamunanagar heads for 4-cornered contest Complaint against HYC President ‘false’ No dept, yet buying equipment Khanak labourers plan stir Criminal fears danger
to life from cops Panchayat games
conclude |
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Ambala MC budget passed Register
ultrasound
centres: admn 74 proclaimed offenders held
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Yamunanagar heads for 4-cornered contest Chandigarh, February 19 Though 17 candidates are wooing the voters, the ruling INLD, its former alliance partner, the BJP, the Congress and the HVP have emerged as the main contenders. The BSP does not seem to be heading here for a repeat of its performance in Uttar Pradesh. Its rebel, Mr Randhir Singh, who had contested the last Assembly elections on the party ticket, is in the field as an Independent. The byelection has been caused by the death of the sitting Congress MLA, Dr J.P. Sharma, whose widow, Dr Krishna Pandit, has been fielded by the party this time. The campaigning has been intense in the past few days. It had to be, with much at stake for the major contenders. The ruling INLD, which broke its alliance with the BJP, describes the byelection as a referendum on the performance of the Chautala government. The BJP, which sees the INLD decision to field its candidate as a betrayal, is naturally hurt. Its leaders want to punish the INLD. For the Congress, the byelection will establish whether the party high command has been successful in bringing about a ceasefire among the warring factions of the Haryana unit. The result of the byelection will show whether the HVP is on the comeback trail or not. While the INLD has been able to convince the electorate that the success of its candidate, Mr M.C. Gambhir, will mean speedy development of the constituency, the other parties have cried foul, accusing the ruling party of spreading fear among the voters. If Mr Gambhir is able to win the seat for the INLD, it will be for the first time that the constituency would return a candidate other than that of the Congress or the BJP. Mr Gambhir’s success will also be a big boost for the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, especially after the expected setback in western UP. The INLD and the BJP concluded their campaign after holding public meetings in Yamunanagar. The HVP took out a big procession. The Congress concentrated on holding a series of small public meetings addressed by the party chief, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and the CLP leader, Mr Bhajan Lal. Meanwhile, a former president of the Haryana Congress, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, submitted a memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner in Delhi yesterday demanding the deployment of Central forces and staff from outside the state in Yamunanagar for poll duty. He also demanded that Mr Chautala and his sons should not be allowed to enter the constituency on the polling day. |
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Complaint against HYC President ‘false’ Chandigarh, February 19 A spokesman of the Haryana Youth Congress, Dr Pardeep Chauhan, has accused Mr Sharma of having lodged a “false and motivated” complaint against Mr Timmy “at the instance of the INLD supremo, Mr Om Prakash Chautala,” who wanted to give a bad name to the Congress because he had been frustrated by the “strong” position of its candidate in the Yamunanagar Assembly constituency, which will go for a byelection on February 21. Dr Chauhan said the INLD had exploited the differences between Mr Sharma and Mr Sandhu as “the former has always been acting as an agent of vested interests”. He said Mr Sharma falsely complained to the party high command earlier also against Mr Sandhu for not extending him support during his election to the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation, though Mr Sandhu was not even present in the town on the polling day. This was done, he alleged, to run down Mr Sandhu beforethe high command. He alleged that Mr Sharma and “some others in the Congress” could never reconcile to the appointment of Mr Sandhu as the Haryana Youth Congress chief. Thereafter, Mr Sharma was demoralised after his removal from the presidentship of the Chandigarh Youth Congress. He alleged that Mr Vikram Sharma alias Dikie also joined hands with Mr Sharma as he was also angry over his removal from the post of General Secretary of the Himachal Youth Congress last year. |
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No dept, yet buying equipment Rohtak, February 19 This is despite the fact that the life saving medicines are not available at the hospital and the patients are asked to buy not only every medicine but also other essential items like gloves, syringes, needles, plastic sets for glucose transfusion, etc. So much so, patients even have to buy the blades to be used for operation. The PGIMS plans to purchase cardiac catheterisation equipment (CCE) and echocardiography machine with TTE facility. Cardiac catheterisation and echocardiography is done by the Department of Cardiology all over the world. General surgeon or Cardio-thoracic surgeons are neither trained nor authorised to cardiac catheterisation and echocardiography. The Cardiology Department here was closed in October, last year, when the only lecturer and Head of the Cardiology Department, Dr Kuldp A Singh Lallar resigned and left for Kuwait. (However, later on he withdrew his resignation and managed extra-ordinary leave in lieu thereof). In institutions where separate Cardiology Department does not exist, these services are provided by the Department of Medicine. This is also evident from the fact that in October last year, when the Cardiology Department was closed the entire equipment of the Cardiology Department was transferred to the Medicine Department. The Director, PGIMS, had on February 12 ordered the officiating Medical Superintendent to hold an urgent meeting to finalise specifications for the purchase of CCE. Among others who attended the meeting included Dr S.S. Lochab, lecturer, Cardio Thoracic Surgery Department (the only staff member in this department), Dr Rohtas Yadav, Associate Professor in Radiology department and Mr G.R. Malik, accounts officer. The committee in its decision recorded that the specifications for the equipment has been prepared by Dr Lochab and checked by Dr Yadav. The committee recommended procurement of the equipment and decided that it would be installed in ward No. 16 under the Department of Cardiac Surgery. It is interesting to note that none of the four members is trained in the use of CCE. Presently there is no teacher or professor in Cardiology Department. The only lecturer (Dr Lallar), who had joined the institute about two years ago, has gone abroad. One post of professor in Cardiology was sanctioned long back but an associate professor in the Medicine Department managed to get himself promoted in 1993 as ad hoc professor in the Medicine Department against the post of professor of cardiology. He is drawing salary against this post. Although it was stated in the promotion order that it was a stop-gap arrangement, over eight years have passed and the arrangement continues. It is surprising that how the lecturer in Cardio Thoracic Surgery Department, who is reportedly not expected to work on this equipment, has prepared the specifications and agreed to get the medicine installed in his department. Such costly equipment, senior faculty members in the PGIMS told The Tribune, should only be purchased when trained staff, ready to give undertaking of its optimum utilisation, is available . This becomes all the more important when the financial constraints in the institution are so severe that even life saving medicines and common use items are not available even in the Emergency. |
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Khanak labourers plan stir Hisar, February 19 Leaders of opposition parties and some labour organisations also extended support to the agitating labourers and addressed the gathering. Col Ram Pratap Malhan (retd) of the Haryana Kisan Sangharsh Samiti said it was unfortunate that the state government had not yet done anything to normalise the situation in Khanak. The role of the administration and the police had not been fair to the poor workers demanding justice. Instead, they had been deprived of their daily bread, he added. Union leader Prabhat Singh read the six demands of the labourers and announced to continue the stir till the acceptance of these demands. The demands include permanent removal of illegal tax barriers and nakas, implementation of reasonable lease system and mining policy, registration of labourers working on the hillock, a judicial inquiry and end to “police repression”. Labour union’s president Karambir Singh declared that the stir would continue till the acceptance of their demands. He demanded a CBI probe into the police excesses during the labourers’ demonstration on February 2. Congress legislator Dharam Vir from Tosham, CITU general secretary Satbir Singh, employees’ leader R.C. Jagga and farmers’ leader Hira Nand Arya also addressed the mahapanchayat and favoured the demands of the labourers. Most of the speakers demanded an inquiry either by a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court or the CBI. Mr Dharam Vir alleged that some influential persons had amassed a wealth in crores through illegal collection of tax from the labourers, contractors and transporters.
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Criminal fears danger
to life from cops Kaithal, February 19 In the letter dated October 27,2001, Jhabbal has alleged that he has been implicated in a number of cases by the Kaithal police and he could be killed by the police any time. He said the SP, Kaithal, Mr A.S. Chawla, has threatened to eliminate him (Jhabbal). Jhabbal claims to belong to a respectable family and is the only member to support his family. He has demanded security for himself. It is learnt that after receiving letter from Jhabbal, the NHRC has directed the Director-General of Haryana police to get the matter investigated and take appropriate action. The DGP, vide his office letter dated February 11, has asked the SP, Kaithal, to send a report in this matter. Jhabbal had earlier filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court demanding security for himself, expressing danger to his life from the Kaithal police. The SP, Mr A.S. Chawla, said that this criminal was facing trial in over 20 cases allegedly committed in Jind, Kaithal, Hisar and Karnal districts and was in jail since June, 2000. It is learnt that Jhabbal, while in jail, through his gang members had been allegedly demanding and collecting extortion money from
businessmen of Kaithal and other districts and his name prominently figured in murders of two businessmen of Kaithal town. |
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Panchayat games
conclude Ambala, February 19 Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr D.D. Gautam, said in less than eight months, about 10 state and national-level championships had been held at Ambala. He said to provide the latest facilities to sportspersons, an astroturf would be set up at the stadium and modern gymnastic equipment would be installed. In volley ball, the Naraingarh block was first and the Ambala block was second. In 100 m, Madan was first and Sandeep was second. In 100 m race of panch-sarpanch, Sanjay Kumar, sarpanch of Panchlasa village, was first and Sanjeev Kumar of Samru village was second. In wrestling (up to 38 kg), Rajkumar was first and Gulab Singh was second in 38 kg to 67 kg, Gurcharan was first and Harpal Singh was second. In more than 67 kg, Rameshwar was first and Babbar Bhan was second. |
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Ambala MC budget passed Ambala, February 19 The Municipal Council, Ambala Sadar, today passed a budget with an income of Rs 7.90 crore and an expenditure of Rs 7.71 crore. Soon after the start of the budget meeting, the Congress MCs, led by Mr Hira Lal Yadav, protested over the income shown under the house tax head. They said that the people had refused to accept the new house tax policy and the government was putting a burden on the common man. The Congress MCs stated that even the fire tax was not acceptable. “How can an income of Rs 1.5 crore be shown under the house tax at a time when people are refusing to accept the new house tax policy,” they said. Mr Kamal Kishore Jain and Mr Bimal Prakash of the BJP and Mr Suresh Garg said the new house tax policy could not be forced upon the people. Thereafter, the Congress MCs walked out of the budget meeting in order to register their protest over the new house tax policy. Under income, house tax is Rs 1.50 crore, rent is Rs 90 lakh, ‘tehbazari’ is Rs 21 lakh and miscellaneous is Rs 5.29 crore. Under expenditure, establishment is Rs 4.25 crore, contingency is Rs 45.50 lakh, development work is Rs 1.50 crore and miscellaneous is Rs 1.60 crore.  |
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Register
ultrasound
centres: admn Ambala, February 19 This decision was taken at a meeting of the advisory committee had here today. The Civil Surgeon, Dr S.L. Kaushik, presided over the meeting. He said 53 ultrasound centres held already been registered in the district. Dr Kaushik said female foeticide was also a social evil and society should fight against it. |
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74 proclaimed offenders held Chandigarh, February 19 “Operation Alert” which was launched on February 7, will conclude on February 23. So far, the police has reportedly succeeded in nabbing 510 bail jumpers, 74 proclaimed offenders and 274
other criminals, including robbers and 102 thieves, during the operation. |
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