 |
|
Wednesday,
September 4, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
|
Cong
stages walkout in Haryana Assembly SYL canal:
slanging match in Haryana Assembly MLA’s
demand for panel turned down DC cancels
auction of shops, octroi rooms Protest
against govt’s ‘anti-farmer’ policies NRI among
5 killed in mishap |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Students protest KU policies Jan Shatabdi from Sept 6 Camp for retired employees under VRS
|
|
Cong stages walkout in Haryana Assembly Chandigarh, September 3 CLP leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda and HPCC chief and former Chief Minister, Bhajan Lal urged the Speaker to recall Capt Ajay Singh Yadav while speaking on a call, attention motion regarding the nonpayment of due to farmers by sugar mills in the state. Capt
Yadav, along with Mr Hooda, Mr Bhajan Lal, Mr Raghuvir Singh Kadian, Mr Shadi Lal Batra and Mr Jitender Singh Malik was among the signatories to the notice which alleged that payments amounting to Rs 40 crore were pending and added that the farmers were running from pillar to post to obtain their dues. Mr
Kadian, Mr Batra and Mr Malik, however, could not address the assembly as the Congress legislators walked out of the House, demanding the re-admission of Capt
Yadav. The suspended legislator, who staged a sit-in outside the assembly today to protest against the Speaker’s decision, was listed as the third signatory in the call-attention notice after Mr Hooda and Mr Bhajan
Lal. In reply to the notice, Mr Jaswinder Singh Sandhu, Agriculture Minister, said that cooperative sugar mills in the state had already made the entire payment due to the farmers. However, Rs 25.64 crore payable to the farmers was lying with three private sugar mills, he said, adding that the private mills at Yamunanagar and Bhadson had already discharged their liabilities to the extent of 98 per cent and 84 per cent, respectively. He said these mills had assured the government to clear their cane arrears by September 10. Mr Sandhu said that the private sugar mill at Naraingarh had obtained a stay order from the court on cane payments, and added that the state government was trying to get the stay vacated. Later talking to presspersons, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda said they had given an adjournment notice for discussing the issue of payment of farmers which was converted into as call attention notice by the Speaker. “In a call-attention notice, only supplementary questions can be asked, proper discussion is possible only on an adjournment motion,”he said. He also said the state government had not kept its promise of paying interest to farmers if the payments were not made within 15 days. The state government had finally cleared the dues of the farmers on account of pressure mounted by the Congress. Mr Sampat Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, however, said that if the Congress legislators were really concerned about the plight of the farmers, they would not have left the House after Mr Hooda and Mr Bhajan Lal had finished their speeches. The state government, he said, had cleared the dues of the farmers on August 30 while the Congress gave the notice on August 31. |
|
SYL canal: slanging match in Haryana Assembly Chandigarh, September 3 The motion was converted into a call-attention motion by the Speaker, Mr Satbir Singh Kadian, because (as he later told Dr Raghbir Singh Kadian of the Congress) “the issue was not important”. However, immediately realising the political blunder he had committed, Mr Kadian hastened to add that since the issue had been pending since long, only a call-attention motion could be admitted in the House. The ruling party fielded its star bowler, Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, to fox the Congress, whose leaders failed to successfully negotiate the bouncers thrown at them by the former. Opening the Congress attack, the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, seemed to have Mr Chautala in a tight corner when he asked him to reply in yes or no, whether he was still opposed to the Rajiv Gandhi-Longowal accord, which was the basis of the SYL canal. Avoiding a direct reply Mr Chautala started tracing the history of the contentious issue to argue how the successive Congress Governments in the State had failed to protect the interests of Haryana, whose share in the river waters went down under various accords. He deliberately provoked Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Hooda by making uncharitable remarks about them. At one stage tempers ran high when Mr Chautala claimed that while Rajiv Gandhi was signing the accord with Sant Longowal, Mr Bhajan Lal was sitting outside the room “like a peon”. Mr Bhajan Lal and his colleagues protested against the remark and demanded that either Mr Chautala should withdraw his remark or it should be expunged. Refuting Mr Chautala’s claim, Mr Bhajan Lal said before signing the accord Mr Gandhi had consulted him. The Congress protest had no effect on Mr Chautala, who used to have his say even as the Leader of the Opposition. Supported by a majority in the House and helped by a friendly Speaker, the INLD leader was in his elements today. He quoted Sardar Patel as having said at a Congress session held in Meerut immediately after the Partition that those who had opted to stay in India would not be allowed to raise pro-Pakistan slogans. When Mrs Aruna Asaf Ali, Mr Chautala said, protested against Sardar Patel’s remark, the Iron Man reiterated what he had said. Similarly, Mr Chautala said he would not withdraw his remark. Rather he reiterated his claim a number of times. Mr Bhajan Lal was visibly annoyed. But he could not be heard in the press gallery. A senior Congress legislator, Rao Inderjit Singh, said Mr Chautala was deliberately ducking the issue by calling the Congress leaders. “It is not a done thing to call some one a ‘peon’ or a ‘donkey’,” he added, seeking the intervention of the Speaker, who remained unmoved. Mr Chautala said his father, Mr Devi Lal, had taken out a “padyatra” against those clauses of the accord which affected the interests of Haryana. “This march was not taken out in a car like that of Mr Hooda(who walked from Jind to Delhi in support of the BKU),” he said, hitting out at Mr Hooda. When the Congress members protested loudly, Mr Chautala warned them that if they crossed the limits, they would be “disciplined”. This was taken as “intimidation” by Opposition MLAs. Mr Karan Singh Dalal (RPI) said:”Is it the House or a horror show where the MLAs are intimidated.” When Mr Chautala claimed that it was due to the efforts of Mr Devi Lal that Punjab and Haryana were allotted 3.5 maf of the river water each in 1976, the former Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, countered him. The HVP President said Mr Devi Lal was no where on the scene in 1976. Describing the SYL canal as “practically my baby”, Mr Bansi Lal said only negligible construction work was done on the canal when Mr Devi Lal was in power. He also denied Mr Chautala’s claim that he (Mr Bansi Lal) had agreed to give Chandigarh to Punjab in lieu of 70,000 acre of territory in Patiala district. Mr Chautala concluded his reply by asserting that the SYL canal would be constructed as per the orders of the Supreme Court. After giving impression that they were satisfied with the reply for some time, the Congress back-benchers protested that the Chief Minister’s reply was not complete. Dr Kadian even moved to the well of the House to argue with the Speaker, who repeatedly warned him. Mr Hooda had to intervene to molify his colleague. Later, the House passed a number of Bills, two appropriation Bills, the Haryana Municipal (Second Amendment) Bill, the Haryana Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, without any debate. |
|
MLA’s demand for panel turned down Chandigarh, September 3 Mr Dalal, while asking supplementary questions during question hour today, argued that the “special girdawari” being carried out in the state was a superfluous exercise as the state government had already declared the entire state drought-affected. Mr Dalal also alleged that those carrying out girdawari were not impartial and there could be discrimination in the distribution of relief. An all-party committee of MLAs could be formed to ensure that the drought-affected farmers were adequately compensated. Mr Jagjit Singh Sangwan, an MLA of the Nationalilst Congress Party, also expressed similar fears and said committees should be constituted at the district level to supervise the drought-relief operations. Mr Dhirpal Singh, Revenue Minister, urged the opposition legislators to refrain from politicising the drought situation. Girdawari was necessary to ascertain the extent of damage to the crops and remarked that Mr Dalal was ignorant about the agricultural scene. The question on drought which triggered a heated debate during question hour was, in fact, attributed to five MLAs including Mr Dalal, Mr Sangwan and Ms Anita Yadav from the Opposition. Mr Ramesh Khatak and Mr Ranbir Singh from the ruling combination were the two other legislators whose names were listed against this question. In reply to Mr Ramesh Khatak’s supplementary question on the steps being taken by government for giving relief to landless labourers in the wake of the drought situation, Mr Dhirpal Singh said the “food for work” scheme had been intensified in the state to give relief to landless labourers. Ms Anita Yadav’s suggestion regarding the waiving of domestic power bills of farmers in view of the drought situation was dismissed by the government. Responding to Mr Udai Bhan’s question on construction of a railway bridge across the Palwal-Aligarh road in Palwal city, Mr Ram Pal Majra, Chief Parliamentary Secretary, said the state government was trying to have the bridge constructed. The state government also laid a statement on the action taken on the report of the enquiry commission formed to probe the incidents of police firing at Pashupati Factory in Rewari district and at Bahadurgarh at Jhajjar district following a question asked by Mr Nafe Singh Rathi. According to the statement, a financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh and a job was given to the widow of Jai Pal who died in police firing. An assistance of Rs 1 lakh was also given to the heir of Ashok Kumar, it said. The report also listed the action taken against the erring police officials. Regarding the incident at Pashupati Factory at Dharuhera, Rewari district, the report said that Rs 2 lakh each was paid to next of kin of the four persons killed in police action. The Legal heirs of three of the four deceased had been given employment at Pashupati Spinning and Weaving Mills, Dharuhera. The report added that three officials of the Health Department had been chargesheeted in connection with the case. |
|
DC cancels auction of shops, octroi rooms Kurukshetra, September 3 The action has been taken on the written complaint lodged by the shopkeepers as well as keeping in view the financial losses suffered by the municipal corporation and the irregularities conducted during the auction. Mr Likhi has urged upon the state government to take a stern administrative action against those found guilty. During an investigation into this case, Mr Likhi found that neither public announcements were made nor handbills were distributed in the town prior to the auction conducted by the municipal authorities. While talking to mediapersons, Mr Likhi said the auction would again be conducted on September 13. The City Magistrate, Kurukshetra, had been appointed as Deputy Commissioner’s representative while the Executive Officer of The Thanesar Municipal Council, had been directed to make public announcements, distribute handbills and paste posters, telecaste on City Cable and highlight the auction in the newspapers so that the complainants could participate in the auction. He said on the recommendations of Mr Narhari Singh Bangar, SDM, Thanesar, the Kurukshetra City Magistrate had been empowered to fix the minimum government bid and the earnest money. Besides this, the Thanesar Municipal Council unanimously passed a resolution, in its meeting held here yesterday and cancelled the auction conducted by the municipal authorities here on August 20. It was also decided that if anybody had taken possession of any shop or a room, he/she must vacate the same with immediate effect. |
|
Protest
against govt’s ‘anti-farmer’ policies Fatehabad, September 3 The Kisan Sabha general secretary, Mr Kishan Swaroop, led the demonstration. The Democratic Youth Federation of India and the Democratic Women Federation of India supported it. Addressing the agitating farmers, Mr Swaroop said due to a shortage of electricity and water, a famine-like situation had developed in the state. He said neither the state government nor the Centre had been able to provide any relief to the farming community. The president of the district unit of the union, Mr Ram Kumar Bahbalpuria, also addressed the farmers. The demonstrators later submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, to be forwarded to the Chief Minister. They demanded that drought relief measures be implemented properly and debts of poor farmers and farm labourers be waived. |
|
NRI among 5 killed in mishap Panipat, September 3 According to reports, the deceased have been identified as Sukh Singh, an NRI based in the USA, his wife Kamaljit Kaur, his father-in-law, Surinder Singh, his brother-in-law Harpinder Singh and driver of the car Surinder Singh. While the driver belonged to Jadiala, the other three deceased belonged to Bhardwajia village of Jalandhar district. Sukh Singh, originally a resident of Saidowal village in Jalandhar district, was married to Kamaljit only about six months ago and had come to take her to the USA Kamaljit, along with her father and brother, had gone to Delhi to receive Sukh Singh, who had landed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport around 12.30 a.m. The parents of Sukh Singh are reported to be in England. As they were on their way to Jalandhar in the Qualis the driver reportedly dozed off and rammed the car into a standing truck loaded with sand and “bajri”. Since the rear portion of the truck was on jecks, it fell on the car killing all five on the spot and badly damaging the car. It was only around 4.30 a.m. that the Haryana Highway Patrol was informed, which extricated the bodies and brought them to the local Civil Hospital for a post-mortem. Meanwhile, relatives of the deceased were informed and bodies were taken to their native places for cremation. |
|
|
Students
protest KU policies Kurukshetra, September 3 Speakers at the rally condemned the privatisation of education by the union and the state governments. They alleged that crores of rupees were being earned through NRI and paid seats on one hand while on the other hand a ban had been imposed on the recruitment of lecturers against vacant posts. They alleged that the Chautala government, prior to coming to power had promised that the election for the students’ union would be held but had gone back on its promise after forming the government. Moreover, the directions given by the state government to the Haryana Higher Education Department to stop the grants being given to the private colleges within the next five years was anti-student directive, they alleged. They pointed out that in spite of the Supreme Court decision the state government had failed to constitute the committees to check eve-teasing in colleges and universities. The SFI state committee general secretary, Jai Bhagwan, said the next state-level rally would be held at Panipat on September 27.
|
|
Jan Shatabdi from Sept 6 Ambala, September 3 A railway official said that the Jan Shatabdi between Chandigarh and New Delhi will run six days a week. “There are going to be nine coaches, including AC chair car, ordinary chair cars and guards coach”, he said. The train will start from Chandigarh at 9.15 a.m., pass through Ambala at 10.15 a.m. and culminate at New Delhi at 1.30 p.m. On the return journey from New Delhi, the passengers wanting to go to Chandigarh will have to board the Jan Shatabdi at 2.15 p.m. The train will reach Subzi Mandi at 2.27 p.m., Panipat at 3.30 p.m., Kurukshetra at 4.22 p.m., Ambala cantonment railway station at 5.15 p.m. and arrive at Chandigarh at 6.15 p.m. |
|
Camp for retired employees under VRS Pinjore, September 3 Organised by the Centre for Electronics Design and Technology of India (CEDTI), SAS Nagar, to motivate the VRS and retired employees of Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), over 115 retired managerial-level employees and those covered under the VRS participated in the camp and had interaction with a team of experts from CEDTI on the first day of the camp. Different issues, including future of the scheme for counselling, retaining and redeployment of rationalised employees of the Central PSUs, self-employment career planing and business development with Internet and importance of computerisation, were discussed during a three-hour interactive session. While talking to Chandigarh Tribune, Mr J.S. Bhatia, Director In Charge of CEDTI, stated that the main objective of the camp was to counsel and retain the voluntarily retiring and retired employees of the PSU with a view to enable them to set up their own small-scale enterprises or redeploy themselves suitably elsewhere in fields relating to Information Technology. He said during the camp, a batch of 20 to 30 interested employees would be given a six-week training on the latest trends and techniques in different IT fields. Earlier, Mr C.N. Dhar, Chief Managing Director of the HMT, held some top officials responsible for their wrong policies. He said resentment had prevailed among some employees under the VRS. Mr Dhar appealed to all VRS, retired and retiring employees to join the camp and avail themselves of its benefits. |
|
Undertrial’s bid to escape foiled Ambala, September 3 |
|
Work on Kali Paltan overbridge soon Ambala, September 3 |
 |
| Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Editorial | | Business | Sport | World | Mailbag | In Spotlight | Chandigarh Tribune | Ludhiana Tribune 50 years of Independence | Tercentenary Celebrations | | 122 Years of Trust | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
