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Tuesday,
July 9, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Power bill arrears: BKU yet to evolve formula Issue ‘White Paper’ on CM’s foreign jaunt: Dalal Councillor booked for helping Pak spy CM: SYL canal to be completed by Jan 15 Regular teachers for B.Ed colleges likely |
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Cong decries move on development charges
Toll tax collection a bane of commuters Forest cover to be enhanced: Chautala Gastroenteritis claims 2 lives Sabha seeks payment of dues to farmers
Slaughter house in Ambala Sadar soon Himshikha residents suffer official apathy 1 IAS, 3 HCS
officers shifted
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Power bill arrears: BKU yet to evolve formula Chandigarh, July 8 “The state government team led by Mr Sampat Singh had made its position clear during the talks held in Jind last month that there was no question of writing off of arrears. The government team, however, had offered to re-notify the 75 per cent waiver scheme for the benefit of the defaulting rural consumers”, the functionary said. During the June 17 meeting the BKU, the latter suggested that concessions should also be given on the principal amount of the pending bills. However, it was pointed out to the BKU leaders that for those rural consumers, whose bills had been pending for a relatively small period, the 75 per cent waiver scheme offered concessions on their principal amounts as well as the surcharge and penalty accumulated during this period would not be much. “The ball is in the BKU court now. It will have to evolve a formula and we understand that it is finding it difficult to come out with one”, the government functionary said. It was because of this reason that Mr Chautala fixed July 17 as the date for the next meeting when Mr Ramphal Kandela and Mr Daryao Singh, senior BKU leaders, met him here. The BKU leadership was plagued by differences. “A section of the BKU was, in fact against settling their arrears or paying the current bills. It wants the present stalemate to continue so as to avoid paying the bills”, the senior BKU functionary said. The BKU, it may be stated, has said that the rural consumers will not pay their bills till the stand-off between the government and the BKU is resolved. Mr Chautala, however, has already initiated steps for the assurances given by the state government team to the BKU at the June 17 meeting at Jind. At a meeting of the ruling INLD at Sirsa yesterday, Mr Chautala, directed all district units of the party to collect Rs 2 lakhs each for creating a fund for giving compensation to the families of BKU agitators killed in police firing in May. The 75 per cent waiver scheme, which was announced by the Chief Minister on April 25, had so far led to the recovery of Rs 80 crore, a state government official said here.
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Issue ‘White Paper’ on CM’s foreign jaunt: Dalal Chandigarh, July 8 Talking to newsmen here today Mr Dalal alleged that crores of rupees had been spent on the foreign tour of the Chief Minister and the MLAs and this expenditure had not been accounted for. Mr Chautala’s claim that his visit had attracted foreign investment to the tune of Rs 3000 crore was not only “ridiculous” but also a “total lie”, Mr Dalal said. In reality several industrial houses like Goodyear, Atlas, Eicher, Liberty, Whirlpool and Escorts had either shifted or planning to shift out of Haryana because the government was not only pursuing wrong policies but also “terrorised” them. Asserting that Mr Chautala’s foreign tour was a total failure, Mr Dalal said under such circumstances no foreign investor could be expected to come to Haryana. The RPI MLA alleged that the Chief Minister spent a lot of money on the foreign visit of the MLAs to “please” them. He claimed that the MLAs were taken on a foreign jaunt for the survival of the Chautala Government. He said the withdrawal of travel allowance to the tune of Rs 1.25 lakh by the MLAs from the Vidhan Sabha was only a cover-up exercise. In reality, the expenditure on their visit was much more. He alleged that the families of the Chief Minister and certain government officials also travelled abroad on official expenditure. He also alleged that the Chief Minister had gone abroad to invest his money in other countries. Mr Dalal also assailed Mr Chautala for allegedly criticising the judiciary and the press at a meeting of the DCs and
SPs. He said Mr Chautala was inimical to these two pillars of democracy because these were a hurdle in the INLD chief’s dictatorial designs. Opposing the imposition of toll tax on Haryana roads, Mr Dalal said when the government charged a cess of Re 1 per litre of diesel and petrol, there was no justification for imposing the toll tax. Mr Dalal said he along with certain candidates would challenge the recent HCS selections in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
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Councillor
booked for helping Pak spy Hisar, July 8 The Rajasthan police had arrested ISI agent Asgar Ali from Jaipur last month and seized from him documents relating to national security. Asgar Ali claimed that he had been residing in Rishi Nagar here since last year. Ali confessed that he had procured the ration card with the help of some local officials. A special team of police officials from Rajasthan, thereafter, brought him here and with the help of the local police interrogated two residents of Balsmand and Mayar villages. The Rajasthan police also asked the local police to register a case against Sushil Jain, a local municipal councillor, and Jaibhagwan, a inspector in the Food and Supplies Department, in this connection. According to the police, Asgar Ali had got a ration card made in the name of Govind Sagar. He had also changed the name of his wife from Rukhsana to Sapna in the card. Now, she had gone back to Pakistan. Their photographs on the card had been attested by Sushil Jain, in whose ward they had been residing. After this, the department issued a ration card to them without proper verification. The police has also nabbed the landlord of the house where Ali had been residing for some months. Meanwhile, a delegation of local councillors and traders met the Superintendent of Police in protest against the registration of the case against Mr Jain. |
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CM: SYL canal to be completed by Jan 15 Barwala, July 8 Addressing a public meeting he said every individual and institution was bound by the decision of the apex court and there was no possibility of not implementing its decisions. The completion of the canal would usher in a new era of prosperity in the state as water from the canal would help to irrigate over four lakh acres. This would, in turn, have a tremendous impact on the economy of the state. Mr Chautala said his government was committed to providing adequate water for irrigation and power to the agricultural sector. It would do so even if it meant purchasing costlier power from other states. Even last year the government had purchased power at high rates and
supplied the same at subsidised rates to the farmers. This had resulted in a record production of foodgrains. He claimed that his government had ensured an additional generation of 621 MW so far whereas the Bansi lal regime had logged only 1,888 MW. He said the government had plans to provide for the generation of at least 3500 MW more power to make Haryana self-reliant in power. The government had already tied up with the BHEL for erecting the seventh and eighth units of the Panipat Power Plant. These would produce an additional 500 MW. Work on the Yamunanagar Power Plant had already begun although the previous HVP and Congress government had assigned the project to the cold storage. The Chief Minister declared that the sugar mills had been told to pay arrears of sugar cane growers by July 24. Mr Chautala inaugurated a warehouse and godowns of the Haryana Agricultural Marketing Board here. He also inaugurated a warehouse at Uklana and laid the foundation stone of grain market. |
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Regular
teachers for B.Ed colleges likely Karnal, July 8 Mr R.S. Chaudhary, Vice-Chancellor, Kurukshetra University, in an interview to The Tribune maintained that these colleges charged hefty fee from the trainee teachers. These colleges appointed staff on ad hoc basis and paid meagre salaries. Besides, these colleges got grants-in-aid from the government. The Vice-Chancellor said by not appointing regular staff these colleges prevented brilliant teachers from adopting regular teaching career. Furthermore, getting appointing on the ad hoc basis led to demoralisation of the teaching staff. He said the varsity had written to all colleges to adhere to its instructions of appointing regular staff. Enquiries made by this reporter show that there are seven B.Ed. colleges in Haryana located at Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Hisar, Dabwali, Pundri and Yamunanagar. Another such college is proposed to be opened at the Regional Centre of Kurukshetra University at Sirsa this year. In all there are 1,100 seats and about 50 per cent of the seats are paid and some are meant for NRIs. The college managements take hefty amounts for admission against paid and NRI seats. Mr R.S. Choudhry, while talking to mediapersons in Yamunanagar today informed that the university had decided to start six new courses from the current academic session. He said the courses, included degree course in Bachelor of Information Management (three years), postgraduate diploma in Human Resource Management (two years), postgraduate diploma in Insurance Business Management (two years), postgraduate diploma in Financial Management (two years), postgraduate diploma in Business Management and Master of Business Administration (three years). Mr Choudhary said the candidates after passing these courses and the existing two-year postgraduate diploma in Marketing Management and diploma in Tourism and Hotel Management would be eligible to join MBA (Part III) from the session 2004-05 under new scheme. He said the Kurukshetra University would start
correspondence courses in MBA and MCA. He said MA in Mass Communication (two years)) course had also been introduced from this session to replace the existing course of Master of Mass Communication. Those who had passed one-year course of Bachelor of Journalism were eligible to join the course. |
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Cong decries move on development charges Kurukshetra, July 8 The meeting by another resolution “termed the Haryana Government’s another decision regarding calculating the house tax on the basis of collector’s rates every year instead of after five years as per old policy is against the public interest”. Describing these decisions as arbitrary and undemocratic the meeting urged Haryana Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala to withdraw these without delay. Mr Sahab Singh Saini, former MLA, Haryana Gandhi Forum convener, Col Pratap Singh, Haryana Pradesh Congress Intellectuals Cell, Co-convener, Dr Subhash Sharma, Haryana Pradesh Congress, Legal Cell, District President, Mr P.P Singh, Haryana Pradesh Congress Women Cell, District President, Mrs Sona Devi, Haryana Pradesh Congress, City President, Mr Dina Nath Arora and Block President, Mr Budhi Prakash Verma also attended the meeting. |
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Toll tax collection a bane of commuters Kalka, July 8 The residents of Kalka, Pinjore, Panchkula and Chandigarh have to cross the state border regularly for various purposes. The private contractor charges Rs 30 for private cars and jeep, and Rs 40 for light motor vehicles, taxis etc. Mr Som Datt, a resident of Kalka town, working in a factory at Parwanoo, says he has to shell out almost Rs 30 daily to cross the border. Those employees who want to evade the tax have to follow the link road. Hundreds of persons working in industries, banks and other institutions have to cross the barrier at Parwanoo to attend their work, business etc after paying the tax. The toll tax has also affected business at Kalka and Pinjore towns. A shopkeeper who runs a department store at Kalka alleged that after the introduction of the new system of collection, most of his customers from Parwanoo and adjoining areas preferred to do transactions in their own areas rather than paying extra tax. Long trails of vehicles stranded particularly during the rush hours have become a common sight in the town. Sometimes the trail extends up to Kalka town. The narrow stretch of the highway, which passes through the town, is further narrowed by haphazard parking of vehicles. Daily commuters say they usually get late to their jobs due to traffic jams.
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Forest cover to be enhanced: Chautala Sirsa, July 8 The Chief Minister planted a peepal sapling. Ministers, MLAs and officials also planted trees on this occasion. Expressing concern over a mere expanse of 8 per cent of forest in the state, the Chief Minister said his government’s aimed at increasing it to 20 per cent. For this purpose, the Forest Department had made a target to plant over 4.5 crore saplings. He also launched a community forest station scheme. He said farmers would be given 50 per cent of the income to be received from these trees. |
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Gastroenteritis claims 2 lives
Bhiwani, July 8 Nearly 100 other persons, including women and children, are down with infection in the village, Civil Surgeon of General Hospital R. P. Gupta said here today. Two-year-old Guddi and 45-year-old Kamla died due to gastroenteritis yesterday, he said. He said a team of doctors and paramedics had been sent to the affected village. Deputy Commissioner H.S. Malik visited the village along with senior officers of the Public Health Department and assured the villagers of all possible help from the government. Dr Gupta said additional staff had been put on duty in the hospital to deal with emergency cases. “Most of the patients are showing signs of improvement and many will be discharged today,” he said. PTI
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Sabha seeks payment of dues to farmers
Fatehabad, July 8 Talking to mediapersons here today, general secretary of the sabha, Mr Krishan Swaroop Gorakhpuria, alleged that the Chief Minister had forgotten his pre-poll promise that the farmers would get the payment of their sugarcane crops within 15 days of the supply of crop to sugar mills. He said the Chief Minister had promised that the farmers would be given interest at the rate of 15 per cent per annum in case of delay in payments. Mr Gorakhpuria declared the kisan sabha’s support for the proposed July 10 demonstration of the farmers in front of the Bhuna Cooperative Sugar Mills and said the sabha would mobilise farmers against the government. Condemning the alleged arrests of farmers in Sirsa and certain other districts for the non-payment of loans, Mr Gorakhpuria alleged that a farmer who had been arrested in Phulaka village in Sirsa district as he had not been able to pay a loan of Rs 16,000, had died in the jail. He alleged that on the one hand, crops had failed due to the lack of rain and the shortage of power and water for irrigation while on the other hand, farmers were being arrested for the non-payment of loans.
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Slaughter
house in Ambala Sadar soon
Ambala, July 8 After changing the venue of the slaughter house twice the Municipal Council authorities have finally zeroed in on a place on the 12 Cross Road for the project. The slaughter house was earlier expected to come up on the GT road but was shifted to another place. The second place apparently belonged to a Central organisation, which led to the third shift. The 12 Cross Road location seems to be the third-time lucky choice since work has already begin there. The slaughter house is expected to be completed within four months. The project is going to cost about Rs 9.50 lakh. Once completed, the municipal council authorities are going to strictly ensure that animals are slaughtered only at the slaughter house. An attempt will be made to prevent the slaughtering of animals in areas where hygiene cannot be maintained. A Municipal Council official said slaughter house was going to be compartmentalised into two parts, with goats and pigs being slaughtered in clearly demarcated areas. A provision for a veterinarian’s office was being made so that the animals to be slaughtered could be inspected by the veterinarian. He said the veterinarian would apply a mark on the animal to show that the meat was fit for human consumption. “We will direct all meat sellers to sell the part on which ink has been applied at the last. Inspections will be carried out and if the meat sellers are found wanting, action will be initiated,” he said. According to a survey conducted by the Municipal Council, Ambala Sadar, there are about 33 meat-sellers in the area. Most of the meat-sellers are located on the Jagadhari Road, particularly on the fringes of Mahesh Nagar and on the 12 Cross Road. The meat-sellers generally operate from shacks where meat is strung up on hooks, while chicken is kept inside cages. The slaughter house is also expected to be a marginal revenue earner for the Municipal Council since a fee will be levied for each animal which is cut there. The council officials are hopeful that they will be able to levy fees which is comparatively higher than the old fee structure. The completion of the slaughter house project will ensure that meat is certified by a medical expert and sub-standard meat is not being old. Also, the slaughtering of animals, which now takes place even near residential areas, will be stopped. However, a meat-seller said that they do not mind if the animals are slaughtered at the slaughter house. “But, it should not be an expensive process. Also, we should not be unnecessarily harassed by the veterinarian for the inspection of animals,” he said.
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Himshikha
residents suffer official apathy Pinjore, July 8 The residents say no drains have been provided in the colony and with the slightest rain in the area, the water gushes into the houses and damages household items. The residents added that the water which comes from the CRPF complex creates a flood-like situation in the colony. Residents also said the roads provided initially in the colony by the Haryana Housing Board had not been repaired even once and the roads had been damaged very badly. Residents said on their demand, the Chief Minister of Haryana had sanctioned a school for the colony in 1999 but it had not been constructed till now. The residents added that the colony also did not have any family health centre though the board had given assurance in this regard. Residents said though the colony had already become a part of the Pinjore Municipal Committee as Ward No 13, but the municipal committee, too, had not provided any facility to the residents. The stinking garbage keeps lying on the roads as no dustbins have been provided. Residents said the development works in the colony were not progressing because a tussle was going on between the Haryana Housing Board and the Municipal Committee of Pinjore. Residents added that the Haryana Housing Board had already charged development cost from the plot owners initially but had not completed the pending development works in the colony. The Haryana Housing Board had offered some grant to the Municipal Committee for the pending works in the colony which had been refused by the committee on the plea that it was too less for the development works. The residents welfare association has also been projecting the demands of the residents time to time to the various authorities of the government but the colony residents were still suffering.
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Auto drivers threaten to launch stir Ambala, July 8 Talking to mediapersons here, the president of the Haryana Pradesh Autorickshaw Kalyan Sangh, Mr Tasveer Singh Tank, said a meeting would be held at Sonepat later this month to decide the future course of action. “We will also be taking legal recourse, as the government has been turning a deaf ear to our woes”, he said. Mr Tasveer Singh said their main demands included reduction in passenger tax, reduction in challan fee and building auto stands in all districts. He said they were also planning to make auto travel free for handicapped persons. “The card for free travel in autos by handicapped persons will be prepared by the district president”, he said. Sangh vice-president Ashok Kumar Boondi said auto drivers were being harassed unnecessarily. “There is always a threat of challan. The challan is usually for Rs 2,000 to 3,000 while the daily earning is about Rs 100-125. How an auto driver pay this money and run his family too”, he said. Mr Boondi said in Ambala Cantt, the area under the overbridge where the autorickshaws were parked was being sealed off. “Work has started there about four days back. We have not been given an alternative site. If we are removed forcibly, then we will fight for our right to have an auto stand. Although we pay taxes,there is no proper auto stand”, he said. He stated that in the past five years, there has been 560 per cent increase in the passenger tax in the state. “The passenger tax has risen from Rs 272 annually to Rs 1800 annually. The tax has been increased without any corresponding increase in facilities”, he said. Mr Boondi said they should be allowed to carry more passengers in auto rickshaws. Also, proper facilities should be given so that they can make a decent living without being constantly harassed.
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1 IAS,
3 HCS officers shifted Chandigarh, July 8 Ms Sumita Misra Singh, Secretary, Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission, Panchkula, has been posted as Chief Executive, Haryana State Khadi and Village Industries Board. Mr Jagdeep Singh, District Transport Officer, Faridabad, has been posted as SDO, Kaithal, vice Mr Ashok Kumar Bishnoi, who goes as City Magistrate, Jind, against a vacant post. Mr Pradeep Godara, City Magistrate, Faridabad, will also look after the work of District Transport Officer, Faridabad.
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Cash award for
outstanding books up Chandigarh, July 8 Mr Chander Trikha, Director of the academy, said eight books would be awarded under different categories by the academy. These included “Lot Aao Paarth” by Mr Madhav Kaushik, “Tootati Pankhudiyon Ki Saugandh” by Mr Keshav Chander Wadhawan, “Muthhi Mein Bandh Aasman” by Mr Anant Sharma, “Akath” by Mr S S Shyam and a play “Chetna” — by Mr Madan Lal Sharma.
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‘Operation
social security’ from July 15 Chandigarh, July 8 During this operation, special emphasis will be laid on checking and dealing with cases relating to crime against women. Steps will be taken for speedy disposal and finalisation of crime cases against old and infirm women. |
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