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Tuesday,
March 19, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Loharu: CM blames mischievous
elements Complete bandh in Loharu MLA: Bhajan Lal govt allotted mines to kin Malik, Mahajan elected to
RS
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Cong, HVP stage walkout
QUESTION HOUR
Cable operators threaten to launch stir Shorewala defeated
in college elections
Roadways ministerial staff hold meeting
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Loharu: CM blames mischievous
elements Chandigarh, March 18 Making a suo motu statement on the Loharu incidents, in the Vidhan Sabha, Mr Chautala said after the unfortunate Godhara incident, several types of mischievous elements tried to disturb communal harmony in various parts of the country. According to news reports, he said communal violence had been rocking several parts of the country, which was unfortunate and a matter of concern. Mr Chautala said taking advantage of this situation certain mischievous elements spread a rumour at Loharu on the night of March 16 that a cow had been slaughtered in an old mosuqe of the town. Acting promptly, the police reestablished that the rumour was unfounded and persuaded the people to disperse peacefully. However, the next morning, when people from the surrounding villages started reaching Loharu, the mischievous elements again spread the rumour about cow slaughter. Though the police tried to persuade people, a mob of about 2,500 persons started attacking places of worship, shops and houses of members of the minority community. When the police tried to stop the mob, it started throwing stones. Several policemen were injured in the stone-throwing incidents. The mob dispersed after the police made a light lathi charge and also fired in the air. Meanwhile, he said, the mob damaged a mosque and burnt down another. It also set on fire 10 shops and seven houses. The DC and the SP reached the spot from Bhiwani with additional police force and fire engines. Acting swiftly they shifted about 100 members of the minority community to safer places and no loss of life was reported. The police has lodged four FIRs under various sections of the IPC in which 30 persons have been named while the other suspects are unnamed. Already 21 persons, including 14 named in the FIRs, had been arrested. The others would be arrested soon. Denying that anyone was injured in the police firing, Mr Chautala said two persons were injured in the stone-throwing incidents. Claiming that normalcy had returned to Loharu, Mr Chautala said as a unique example of communal harmony, people had already started repairing the damaged mosque under the supervision of social personalities. He said no one would be allowed to disturb communal harmony in the state and strict action would be taken against mischievous elements. All DCs and the SPs had been told to be alert against rumour-mongers. He appealed to all sections of the House to cooperate with the government in maintaining communal harmony in the state. |
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Complete bandh in Loharu Bhiwani, March 18 A complete bandh was observed in Loharu in protest against the arrests made in connection with yesterday’s violence. All markets of the town, including the main market, old market, railway station market, bus stand and other establishments remained closed. The administration suspended bus service on the Loharu route. Traffic was diverted towards Narnaul and other routes. Meanwhile, the district administration has started repair work on the damaged structure of the old city amid heavy police arrangements. The town has been turned into a police
cantonment. Members of the minority community who escaped after yesterday’s incidents, however, returned to register their statement with the police, but soon left the town. Most of them have taken shelter with their relatives in Rajasthan. The Deputy Commissioner said the situation was under control. |
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MLA: Bhajan Lal govt allotted mines to kin Chandigarh, March 18 To take on the Opposition, the INLD fielded one of its junior MLAs, Mr Ramvir Singh(Pataudi), who, while participating in the debate on the Budget, read out a list of persons whom the governments led by Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Bansi Lal had allotted mines in an arbitrary manner. Mr Ramvir Singh said among the persons whom the Bhajan Lal government had allotted the mines included Mr Ram Chander Bainda, BJP MP from Faridabad; a son of a former minister, Mr Lal Singh, many relatives of the then Chief Minister; relatives of the then Haryana Congress President, Mr Dharam Pal Singh Malik and a former minister, Mr Bachan Singh Arya; a son of a former MLA, Mr Amir Chand Makkar, a relative of a former minister, Mr Joginder Singh Jog, wife of a sitting Congress MLA, Mr Zakir Hussain, relatives of the Deputy Leader of the Haryana Congress Legislature Party, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, a former minister, Mr Krishan Murti Hooda and those of a former minister, Mr Phool Chand Mullana (all partners in one firm); a relative of a sitting Congress MLA, Rao Dharam Pal, and a son of a former Haryana Congress President, Mr Harpal Singh; wife of a former Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Mr Raj Kumar Balmiki; and a relative of a sitting Congress MLA, Mr Narinder Singh. Captain Yadav intervened to say that they were allotted mines as per rules. However, this did not deter Mr Ranvir Singh from stating on the floor of the House that the Bansi Lal Government allotted mines to the relatives of the then Speaker, Mr Chhattar Singh Chauhan; a former Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Board, Mr Kailash Sharma(of the BJP), and a relative of a former BJP minister, Mr Ram Bilas Sharma. Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda(Congress) said the government could not escape the responsibility of burdening the state with a debt of Rs 20,000 crore. He regretted that the allocation in the Budget for the panchayati raj institutions was inadequate. He wanted equitable distribution of irrigation water between northern and southern Haryana. Mr Karan Singh Dalal(RPI) said a committee of the House should be formed to supervise the construction of the SYL canal. He regretted that the government schools inspired no faith among the people as a result of which private schools were mushrooming. He said while ban on giving
tuitions by teachers was justified, the government must employ adequate number of teachers. He also demanded the withdrawal of registration fee for outdoor patients in government hospitals. He said the government should set up a laboratory for promoting tissue culture in sugarcane. Mr Jagjit Singh Sangwan(NCP) demanded that Dadri should be made a district. Mr Balbir Pal Shah(Congress) regretted that though Panipat earned a lot of revenue(including foreign exchange) for the state, it was being ignored in the matters of development. Mrs Anita Yadav of the Congress alleged that while the interests of Haryana were being ignored by the government, it was spending money in Uttar Pradesh to promote political interests of the INLD. Mr Bhagi Ram of the INLD said the Opposition had nothing to say against the Budget. Among those who participated in the debate were Rao Dharam Pal, Mr Narinder Singh(both Congress) and Mr Dev Raj Diwan (Independent).
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Malik, Mahajan elected to
RS Chandigarh, March 18 This announcement was made by the Secretary to the Haryana Vidhan Sabha and Returning Officer, Mr Sumit Kumar, after the expiry of the deadline for the withdrawal of nomination papers. While Mrs Mahajan is the widow of former Haryana Minister O.P. Mahajan, Mr Malik is the president of the UP unit of the INLD. After the announcement of their election, Mrs Mahajan and Mr Malik came to the Speaker’s gallery in the Vidhan Sabha. The Treasury Benches welcomed them by thumping their desks. Now the strength of the INLD in the Rajya Sabha has gone up to four. The party has five members in the Lok Sabha. Mrs Mahajan and Mr Malik will take the place of Mr Lachhman Singh and Mr Banarasi Dass, both of the Congress, who will retire from the Rajya Sabha on April 9. With this, the representation of the Haryana Congress in Parliament will come to an end. |
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Cong, HVP stage
walkout Chandigarh, March 18 As soon as question hour ended, Mr Bhajan Lal wanted to raise the issue, but Mr Kadian told him that the Leader of the House, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, was to move a condolence motion mourning the death of two members of the defence forces belonging to Haryana. Later, Mr Kadian allowed Mr Chautala to make a suo motu statement on the Loharu incidents. Mr Bhajan Lal again rose to say something on the Chief Minister’s statement as well as the plot to Mr Badal’s family. But Mr Kadian again told him that the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Sampat Singh, was to move a motion on the constitution of certain House committees. But after the motion was moved, Mr Bhajan Lal was not allowed to say anything by the Speaker on the plea that after the official business had been taken up, there was no zero hour. This led to loud protests by the Congress members. They were heard alleging that the Government had sold out Haryana’s interest to the Badal family. Mr Kadian was supported in his stand by Mr Sampat Singh. After protesting in vain, the Congress members walked out of the House. The President of the HVP, Mr Bansi Lal, said it was wrong on the part of the Speaker in not allowing the Leader of the Opposition to raise an issue during zero hour. He said his party, too, was walking out of the House in protest against the Speaker’s attitude. Earlier, the RPI MLA, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, opposed the motion moved by Mr Sampat Singh seeking the authorisation of the House to the Speaker to constitute the committees in proportion to the strength of various parties in the House. Mr Dalal said Mr Kadian had acted arbitrarily in constituting the committees in the past. Therefore, these panels should be constituted by the House through election. Mr Bhajan Lal also supported Mr Dalal’s stand. Mr Sampat Singh said the government had no objection to the constitution of the committees through election. But in that case certain parties, which had less numerical strength in the House, might find themselves without representation on the House committees. He said the practice was started in 1987 by the then Congress government to protect the interests of the Opposition. Mr Sampat Singh’s argument silenced the Opposition.
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QUESTION HOUR Chandigarh, March 18 Replying to a question by Mr Anil Vij, Independent MLA from Ambala cantonment, Mr Goel said land worth about Rs 1,300 crore had been illegally transferred in connivance with officials. The inquiry had already been entrusted to the Vigilance Bureau which was likely to give its report by May next. The inquiry to the Vigilance Bureau which was entrusted after an inquiry by the Urban Development Department found serious violations of the terms and conditions of the grants or lease of property by way of illegal transfer of properties through fraudulent and fictitious documents. Mr Goel said the following properties were found to have been sold or transferred illegally: bungalow no 123, bungalow no 125B, bungalow no. 125, bungalow no. 126 (Perry Hotel), bungalow no 125A (Metropole), bungalow no. 126A (Employment Exchange building) and bungalow no. 127A (old ice factory). He named several persons, including a retired Chief Justice of a high court, in this regard. However, following an objection by the opposition and on the intervention of the Chief Minister, the Speaker expunged their names. The Revenue Minister, Mr Dhir Pal, told Mr Amar Singh Dhandhey of the INLD that standing crops on 5,60,051 acres were damaged by hailstorms in the state during 2001. The government paid Rs 7.85 crore to the farmers as compensation. The Education Minister, Mr Bahadur Singh, told Mr Bhag Singh Chhattar (INLD) that 49 lecturers of government-aided private colleges were found surplus, but they were adjusted in those colleges where vacancies existed with all service benefits. Mr Padam Singh Dahiya was informed by the government that during 2000-2001 the revenue of the power utilities increased by Rs 373 crore, which was 20 per cent in more than that the previous year. Mr Bahadur Singh told Mr Ramesh Khatak (INLD) that there was a proposal to open a computer centre in each district. The 11th Finance Commission had given Rs 735 lakh to the state for this purpose. Mr Krishan Pal (BJP) was informed that during 2001-2002 four persons died in police custody in Haryana. In the previous year also four persons had died in police custody. |
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Political activist held in
Bindu murder case Ambala, March 18 A case has been registered against three persons in the shootout incident which has shocked the residents of Ambala. Superintendent of police Sandeep Khirwar said that Pappu Kharbanda had been held in the case. “We are investigating his role and teams have been despatched to nab the two assailants,” he said. He stressed that Pappu Kharbanda had no longer been provided with gunman. Rajinder alias Bindu had been shot dead at point blank range late last night in Mahesh Nagar. Two persons who had shot him dead and escaped on a two-wheeler. Bindu’s wife alleged that the assailants of her husband were also involved in the Duggal murder case. This morning a large number of people had turned up at the Civil Hospital, Ambala, where Bindu’s body had been kept in the mortuary. Local residents along with the activists of the Congress as well as the Shiv Sena raised slogans against the police. They demanded that the police must take speedy action in the case. Former Haryana Minister, Nirmal Singh, while strongly condemning the incident, said that the law and order had deteriorated in the state. “The murder of Bindu is a sad reflection of the prevailing crime situation. It is a matter of grave concern for us and we demand that the guilty must be brought to book,” he said. The people who had gathered at the hospital were reluctant to take the body away till such time they were not given “proof” of the arrest o f the persons accused in the case. Later on, Bindu’s wife had gone with a police team and she was reportedly shown that Pappu Kharbanda had been held. Incidentally, a heated exchange of words took place between Congressmen and INLD activists at the Civil Hospital over the Bindu murder case.
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Cable operators threaten to launch stir Fatehabad, March 18 Cable operators from all over the state had assembled here to discuss their common problems. Mr Sharma alleged that the government as well as the organisers of the pay channels were exploiting the cable operators by charging unreasonable rates. He said the decision of the pay channel operators to enhance their charges and offer channels only in shape of packages has caused heavy financial losses to the cable operators. He appealed to the general public to cooperate with the cable operators so that they could fight against the monopoly of the pay channel organisers. |
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Shorewala defeated
in college elections Kaithal, March 18 The Superintendent of Police, Mr A.S. Chawla, the Duty Magistrate Mr Sanjiv Verma, and the Returning Officer, Mr Surinder Ranjha, told mediapersons that the elections were free and fair barring some disturbances at one booth for a few minutes. Mr Y.K. Mangal who was elected President got 1535 votes and Mr Shorewala got 709. For the post of vice-president Mr Ram Niwas defeated Mr Sat Pal by a margin of 777 votes. |
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Roadways ministerial staff hold meeting Chandigarh, March 17 Mr Ashok Kumar said a memorandum would be submitted to the Transport Department regarding making a seniority list which includes the ministerial staff working in various districts of the state. This will help bring fairness in the system during promotions and appointments, he said. Mr Ashok Kumar also voiced his concern for the wives and family members of those staff members who died while in service. He emphasised the need to ensure that those of the family members who get a job in lieu of the dead employee should be given the job near his or her home town. Mr Prem Chand Bhardwaj, Mr Mohan Jain, Mr Mahender Kumar, Mr Ramesh Chand Goyal, Mr Mahender Kamboj, Mr Vijay Kumar, Mr Dharamvir also spoke on the occasion. |
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