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Thursday,
May 16, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Don’t cultivate summer paddy, farmers told BKU hardens stand on waiver scheme HPSC results: Dalal reiterates charges
Villages deprived of power schemes |
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Waste management project soon Villagers help proclaimed offender flee Calendar of activities for primary schools Constable
killed in road mishap
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Don’t cultivate summer paddy, farmers told Chandigarh, May 15 An official release quoted the Agriculture Minister, Mr Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, asking farmers not to cultivate summer paddy as the government agencies would not procure it because of the poor quality of its grain. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, while presiding over a meeting of the state-level coordination committee for agricultural production here today, said that Rs 1532 crore would be disbursed as crop loan among the farmers during the current kharif season. Mr Chautala also directed the government agencies to ensure proper storage of procured wheat so as to protect the grain during rainy season. He said the storage of wheat should be ensured by May 31. Mr Chautala also announced that paddy growers of Haryana would be provided with ‘leaf colour chart’ designed and developed by the International Rice Research Institute, Philippines to enable them to assess the requirement of nitrogen application in the crop. Mr Chautala directed the Agriculture Department to distribute at least 5000 ‘leaf colour charts’ to the farmers in the paddy-growing districts of Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra and Kaithal this season so as to educate them about nitrogenous fertiliser. The Chief Minister said farmers of Karnal district were educated to use nitrogenous fertilisers with the help of ‘leaf colour chart’ during the last crop season and the results were encouraging. Mr Chautala also directed the power utilities to ensure the enhancement of the availability of power to the agriculture sector by 7 per cent to 8 per cent as compared to last year. |
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BKU hardens stand on waiver scheme Kaithal, May 15 The district administration used all resources to motivate maximum number of power consumers in the rural areas to clear bills by May 15, deadline fixed by the state government. According to the scheme rural consumers clearing arrears of power bills before May 15, for the period up to April 30, would get benefit of waiver of 75 per cent on the outstanding amount. The administration has claimed that the consumers were enthusiastic to pay the bills and number of village panchayats had come forward and offered to clear their power bill arrears. Power Board sources say on April 13 bills amounting to Rs 3.81 crore of 4205 consumers had been settled and Rs 95.97 lakh recovered. Similarly under the interest waiver scheme power bills of 4754 consumers of Rs 1.48 crore had been settled and Rs 1.34 crore recovered. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Phateh Singh Dagar, the SP, Mr A.S. Chawla, Mr Ashok Bishnoi SDM, Kaithal, Mr Rajiv Mehta SDM, Guhla, Mr S.K. Arora XEN, UHVPN, Kaithal and other district officials have addressed several number of meetings of panches and sarpanches to seek their cooperation. Many government employees, including patwaris, having influence over the rural population have been pressed into service to make this campaign a success. The Deputy Commissioner has clarified that the defaulters after May 15 would be dealt with strictly and has counselled the rural consumers to clear their power bills. The Deputy Commissioner visited number of villages such as Khurana, Kole Khan, Pabnawa considered stronghold of the BKU persuading farmers to avail of the policy benefits. A meeting held at Khurana village two days ago, presided over by BKU district president, Kundan Lal, the speakers said that the administration was misguiding the consumers and no big defaulter had cleared the arrears. Family members of certain government employees had deposited the bills under pressure of the administration. The BKU activists clarified that they would not clear their bills till a settlement with the government is reached. They also expressed their resentment over the attitude of Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, who they said instigated the farmers not to pay power bills when he was out of power and now was forcing the farmers to deposit bills. Meanwhile, Mr Dagar and Mr Chawla are working overtime for the success of the scheme. But out of the 35,894 rural consumers with power bill arrears of Rs 46.83 crore the recovery of the above said amount has been done. |
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HPSC results: Dalal reiterates charges Chandigarh, May 15 In a signed statement issued here today, Mr Dalal said that this was the first time that no candidate from the Scheduled Castes or backward classes had been selected in the general category on the basis of merit. The legislator, a known detractor of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, also alleged that holding of the post of HPSC Chairman by Mr K.C. Bangar was in itself a violation of the Constitution. He asked how Mr Bangar could be allowed to hold the post in the HPSC simultaneously with lien on a post in the university which he was holding before becoming the Chairman of the commission. He said another important question regarding the working of the HPSC was the withdrawal of work from the Controller of Examinations. The work of the Controller, which included the setting of papers, distribution of answersheets, their evaluation, etc, was done by the Chairman and the Secretary of the HPSC, Mr Dalal alleged. Mr Dalal also claimed that he had proof of Mr Bangar having campaigned for the INLD in the recently held UP Assembly elections. He asked: “Is it justified for the Chairman of the HPSC to hold public rallies/meetings of the Chief Minister of the state and yet say that he is heading an autonomous body ?” |
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Villages deprived of power schemes Chandigarh, May 15 In a significant gesture, the state government has re-introduced a scheme for presentation of proof of payment of electricity bills mandatory for the consumers for getting various works done in the government departments. However, at the same time inhabitants of four villages of Gola Patwar circle (Ambala district) are running from pillar to post to avail benefits of a scheme regarding concessional rate for utilisation of electricity by the agricultural tubewells. Though they are entitled for the concessional rates, the villagers have been deprived of the benefit due to an error committed during a survey conducted by the hydrologist, Ground Water Cell, for compilation of data on the depth of tubewells in the state. According to the state government scheme introduced in 1998, in each circle the depths of the tubewells will be recorded and the consumers will be charged the rate applicable for the most popular form of tubewell in that area. For instance, if in a particular circle most tubewells are found to have depth of 200 metres or more, the tubewells in that circle having less than 200 metres depth too will be charged in the 200 metres and above slab which is by far the cheapest rate for agricultural tubewells. While doing the survey, the Sabahpur village of Gola circle, was recorded as Shahpur by the surveyor, thereby setting off an ordeal for the inhabitants of Gola, Sabahpur, Goli and Tamnauli villages, which fall under the Gola circle. The survey report recorded that in the four villages under Gola circle, there were 45 tubewells of 0 -100 metre depth and 42 with depths above 200 metres. Since the number of tubewells of the former category (0-100 metres) is found to be more in the circle, the villagers are made to pay under that slab which is substantially more than the slab for tubewells having more than 200 metre depth. It was, however, learnt that the figures were incorrect as no tubewell of any variety was recorded against the “Shahpur village”, which actually does not exist. According to a petition submitted by the villagers to the state government subsequently, there are seven tubewells in Sabahpur village having more than 200 metres depth. That takes the total number of tubewells having more than 200 metres depth in that circle to 49, which is more than the number tubewells of 0-100 category and make the villagers eligible for paying under the 200 meter and above slab. After the villagers brought the error to the notice of the authorities, a fresh survey was conducted to correct the lapse. Subsequently, on July 20, last year, the Xen (OP) Divn, Ambala Cantonment, wrote to the Superintending Engineer (Commercial), UHBVN, Panchkula, about the error and stated that, “ due to this lapse the consumer of deep tubewell pumping supply did not avail the concessional rate despite having majority 200 meter deep tubewells”. He requested for “necessary order in the matter at the earliest to redress the grievances of the consumers”. There was, however, no action to solve the impasse. On January 10, this year, the villagers again wrote to the SE (Commercial) regarding their being left out from a scheme. There was no response to that letter either. Asked about the issue, officials of the Power Utilities said when the survey was conducted, the villagers had no knowledge that a scheme was being devised for offering concessional rates for supply of power. “ There was no other way to find out about the depths of tubewells but to ask the farmers - and once they got to know that tubewells having maximum depth will bring down the burden of payment, there was a clamour for re-survey so that all the circles could record themselves as having most of their tubewells with 200 meters or above depths. Sensing the trouble the survey report was frozen”, the officials said.
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220 kv substation for Ambala village Panchkula, May 15 An official press note of the department said Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala would lay the foundation stone of a 220 kv substation at Tepla village tomorrow. The step is part of an improvement scheme being implemented in Ambala district with an investment of Rs 43.77 crore, the other works envisaged in this scheme are construction of two 66 kv substations at Mullana and Dukheri villages and erection of 83 km-long connecting transmission lines. The Power Finance Corporation (
PFC) has sanctioned a loan of Rs 30.80 crore for this scheme. The press note further said all works figuring in the improvement scheme were slated for completion in September, 2002. With the commissioning of these works, more than 1.46 lakh consumers in the district will be
benefitted. |
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Villagers help proclaimed offender flee Fatehabad, May 15 According to reports, the police got a tip-off that Khem Singh, a resident of Katakheri village, who was wanted by the police in several cases of robbery, theft and dacoity, was hiding in the village. The accused had come to the village to attend the marriage ceremony of his sister. A police party led by the SHO city, and SHO Sadar police station, went there to raid the village on Monday. But as the police party approached his residence villagers started pelting the police with stones. Seven policemen were seriously injured in the incident and a police vehicle was badly damaged. The police informed the district headquarters about the incident. A reinforced police party was sent to the village, but by that time Khema had fled. The police booked Diwan Singh, his wife Kartar Kaur, Ranjit Singh, Buta Singh, Khem Singh, Malkiat Singh, Surjit Singh, Mindo Bai, Kailash Bai and 10 to 15 unidentified persons in this connection. Five persons, including three women, have been arrested. |
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Waste management project soon Ambala, May 15 Not only will the project meet a long pending demand for an
effective method for disposal of urban waste, it will be able to
regenerate useful products like urea. The project encompasses
collection and disposal of solid waste from urban areas, particularly
Ambala City, Ambala Sadar and the cantonment area. According to an
estimate, about 92.5 tonnes of waste is generated in the urban areas.
While 42 tonne waste is generated everyday in the Ambala City area, 32
tonne waste is generated in the Ambala Sadar area everyday and about
18.5 tonnes of waste is generated in Ambala Cantonment everyday. The
waste will be effectively disposed off in an environment-friendly
way. Land has already been identified in Tharwa village where the
project will come up soon. About 8.1 acre of land has been earmarked
for the project in the village which is located in the Naggal area.
The earmarked area is easily accessible from the urban areas where the
solid waste will be collected. The team, which earmarked the land,
included a senior Air Force officer. However, due to certain “technical
reasons "an alternative site is also being explored in the same
village. An official said an Air Force officer was included in the exercise
for urban waste management since the project had to come up
at a distance from the IAF airbase. A major criterion for choosing
Ambala for the project was the location of the airbase. The official
pointed out that effective disposal of urban waste would ensure that
there is no heavy bird presence which could hamper flights. Deputy
Commissioner, Ambala, Mr D.D. Gautam, said similar urban waste
management projects were also slated to come up in 10 more areas in
Haryana.“This project will go a long way in making Ambala clean and
green. The project will not only clear solid waste from urban areas,
it will transform the waste into a useful product,” he said. Mr
Gautam stated that the project will make a significant difference in
waste disposal and the positive impact of the project will be felt
soon. Secretary of Green Circle, an organisation working towards
better environment, Mr R.P. Gupta, said littering of garbage should be
checked by the field staff of the district administration. "There is
definitely a need for an urban waste management project. We have been
demanding an efficient method for the disposal of waste and the urban
waste management project could well be the answer to the problems of
poor civic conditions,” he said. The Chairman of the Citizens
Council, Mr N.C. Jain, said the increasing population pressure coupled
with poor sanitary conditions had led to deteriorating living
conditions in the urban areas. “Once the urban waster management
project starts operation, the problem of waste lying around will be
sorted out,” he said. “We will then be able to live in a cleaner
and greener Ambala,” he added. Executive Officer, Municipal
Council, Ambala Sadar, Mr K.K. Jain, said the urban waste management
project would be undertaken at a cost of about Rs 7.06 crore. “Solid
waste management will involve waste segregation. People will be
encouraged to put waste in different coloured bags so that these can
be easily collected and disposed off,” he said. Mr Jain said the
project was a 100 per cent central assistance project. “The project
will come up soon and it will be useful in significantly improving the
civic conditions,” he said.
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Calendar of activities for primary schools Chandigarh, May 15 While stating this, the Minister of State for Education, Mr Bahadur Singh, said the academic session would begin from May 1 and continue up to April 30. Admission to Classes I to V would commence from May 1. The summer vacation would be from May 15 to June 30. The festival vacation would be from October 3 to 9 and the schools would remain closed for the winter vacation from December 26 to 31. He said that ‘Bal
Sabhas’ would be organised classwise during the last two periods on the first three Saturdays of every month. These would be organised for the students of the entire school in the afternoon of the last Saturday. All classes would have a 40-minute period for physical education and sports. He said sports meets would be organised at the block level during the last week of September, at the district level in November and at the state level in December. Sports corners would be set up in each school. He said it had been decided to hold unit tests and examinations regularly for the students of Classes III to V. These tests would be of 30 marks each. There would be half-yearly examinations of 100 marks for these classes during the third week of December. The annual examinations of 100 marks would commence from the first Monday of April.
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Constable killed in road mishap
Hisar, May 15 IG (Police) G.V. John was on his way from Hisar to Sirsa and a Gypsy of Fatehabad district was escorting him after the end of Hisar jurisdiction. When the Gypsy reached near the canal of Badopal village, it collided with a bus of Sirsa depot of Haryana Roadways parked on the roadside killing the driver, Constable Suresh Kumar and Constable Jassa Ram has been admitted to Agroha Medical College. PTI
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