CM ‘did not give memo’ on drought
Our Correspondent

Hisar, September 5
Mr Ajit Singh, Union Agriculture Minister, said today that the Haryana government had not submitted any memorandum to the Centre regarding drought in the state.

Addressing reporters here, he said though Haryana Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala had been claiming that the government had submitted detailed report on drought to the Centre but the Cell in the Agriculture Ministry which accepted such reports had not received any report from Haryana so far. He said that Mr Chautala was misleading people on this issue. He said that he would direct officials of the ministry to seek a clarification from the state government in this connection.

He said that Haryana was one of the most drought-affected states in the country. He said the state government should have submitted detailed report on drought to the Agriculture Ministry to enable the Centre to announce compensation for the farmers of Haryana. He said the Centre was in a position to assess the losses due to drought on its own.

The minister said the Centre had decided to give Rs 2500 per hectare for irrigated land and Rs 1000 per hectare for non-irrigated land as compensation for drought-hit areas. He said the farmers of Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan were most affected as the governments of these states could not implement crop insurance scheme.

Earlier, addressing workers of his Rashtriya Lok Dal Party at Jat Dharmshala here, he announced that the party would contest next Assembly elections from Haryana. He said that Mr Chautala had come to power by making false promises to farmers. Mr Chautala had promised free of cost electricity to farmers during last Assembly election but nine farmers were killed in police firing recently and this was enough to prove that Mr Chautala was an anti-farmer. He said that money and muscle power were dominant in Haryana politics due to wrong doings of the Chautala family.

The minister also inaugurated exhibitions at the Equine Research Centre and the Central Institute of Research on Buffalo and visited some central farms here.

Assembly session — a mere obligation
Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 5
With the Constitutional obligation over, the ruling party as well as the Opposition have heaved a sigh of relief. This is the impression one gets from the fast deteriorating level of discussions in the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, the monsoon session of which concluded yesterday after four sittings.

For the record sake, the Treasury Benches and the Opposition accuse each other of not being serious about the proceedings in the Vidhan Sabha. The Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, often alleges that the Congress is incapable of performing the role of an opposition party and its MLAs come to the House without doing their home work. Therefore, they fail to effectively raise the issues of public importance. To overcome their lapse, the Congress MLAs, he claims, frequently stage walkouts, a method of protest widely accepted in a parliamentary democracy, on flimsy grounds.

On the other hand, the Congress accuses the ruling party of “road-rolling” the Opposition with its majority, helped with a Speaker, who is anything but non-partisan. The truth lies in between these allegations. No doubt, the Speaker never hesitates in bending the rules if it helps the ruling party. He also often becomes a party when the Opposition attacks the government. Though Mr Satbir Singh Kadian resigned from the INLD the moment he was elected the Speaker, a never-before phenomenon in the recent history of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha, the resignation remains in letter and not in spirit. He often ignores the request to speak by those members, who are articulate enough to embarass the government. On the contrary, his deputy, Mr Gopi Chand Gahlot, has earned the respect of the members by his fair attitude.

The main opposition party, the Congress, however, cannot escape the blame for its weaknesses. None of its leaders is able to match Mr Chautala, who seems to have been blessed in abandon in wit and repartee. The Congress leaders, many of whom have a long experience in parliamentary politics, should be able to anticipate the ruling party tactics to get out of a tight situation.

The only thing of interest in the brief session was the performance of the new Leader of the Opposition, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who claimed, before the session, that now the ruling party would know the taste of a real opposition. Mr Chautala repeatedly taunted him for his this statement during the session. It seems it will take some time before Mr Hooda comes to terms with the rough and tough proceedings of the Haryana Assembly. He should know that the Haryana Assembly is far removed from the Lok Sabha, of which he had been a member thrice and where the Speakers do not wear their party loyalties on their sleaves.

He earned grudging respect from Mr Chautala when he spoke on the Lokayukta Bill on the last day of the session, though the Chief Minister cloaked his appreciation by saying that the Congress seemed to have learnt from the INLD how to have its say and then walk out.

A wag, who watched the proceedings of the Haryana Assembly, quipped that Mr Chautala would be long remembered if he opened two schools — one for the Opposition to teach it how to embarrass the Treasury Benches and the other for the presiding officers so that they know how to add to the dignity of their offices.

WLL telephony in major cities of Haryana soon
Tribune News Service

Ambala, September 5
Wireless in Local Loop telephony will be launched in all major cities of Haryana during this financial year.

Talking to mediapersons here today, the Chief General Manager (Telecom), Mr A.K. Nagpal, said presently this service was available in Gurgaon. “We have placed an order to purchase 5 K extension equipment from Gurgaon and orders have also been placed for equipment from Karnal and Kurukshetra,” he said.

He said the BSNL had revised the tariff of WiLL with limited mobility. The revised tariff plan and the three alternate plans would be effective from September 1.

The BSNL has started Internet telephony branded as Webfone. This form of telephony makes use of multi media PC at one end and telephone on the other end. With the use of Internet, overseas call can be made through Internet telephony card at much cheaper rates,” he added.

He said pre-paid calling cards would be made available with customer service centres, PCO operators, marketing agents and at designated offices of the BSNL. “The cards are available in three denominations. Platinum cards are priced at Rs 1,050 each, gold card for Rs 225 and silver card for Rs 210. Calls could be made to Canada, Germany, Singapore, the UK and the USA at a nominal rate of Rs 4.50 per minute.

Mr Nagpal said the BSNL had branded its mobile service as ‘Cellone’. “The service was being launched commercially on October 2, 2002. The tariff was yet to be decided,” he added.

14 HCS (Executive) candidates appointed
Shubhadeep Choudhury
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 5
Government apparatus is often accused of sluggishness and the Haryana Government is not an exception. The Haryana Government, however, was quick in issuing appointment letters to 14 candidates selected for the Haryana Civil Service (Executive) whose appointments were held up due to a court case.

On Monday, the Supreme Court had clarified that a case regarding appointment beyond the number of advertised posts should not prevent the government from appointing those who had been selected for posting in the test conducted by the Haryana Public Service Commission.

Following the court directive, the government on Wednesday issued appointment letters to 14 candidates who were selected for the HCS in the HCS and Allied Services examinations, results of which were announced in May.

The government, it was learnt, was yet to get a copy of the court directive. The Standing Counsel of Haryana in the Supreme Court had reportedly sent a fax message to the government regarding the court order following which the appointment letters were issued in 48 hours. While government officials claimed that there was nothing unusual in the fast-pace execution of government decision in this particular case, the critics of the government alleged that the state government had acted with exemplary swiftness in this case because of the presence of kin of heavyweight state government functionaries in the list of selected HCS candidates.

Petitions challenging the concerned Act, which laid down that no candidate should have the right to seek appointment to HCS (Executive) and Allied Services or other services beyond the number of advertised posts, however, are still pending in the court. The Act, which was passed with retrospective effect from 1989, would have demoted a number of officers, including Mr Virender Dahiya, son-in-law of the Revenue Minister, Mr Dhirpal Singh, and Mr Sandip Singh, son of the Minister of State for Education, Mr Bahadur Singh.

Those who would have been demoted were elevated to HCS from the allied cadres on the basis of the principle that vacancies which had occurred in the HCS up to six months from the date of recommendation of appointment by the HPSC were to be filled from the same selection.

However, those who were inducted in the HCS on the basis of the principle, which was also upheld by the court, were not demoted even after the Act had come into force as status quo was maintained in such cases.

The state government, it was learnt, was now thinking about making the Act concerned effective from a prospective date so that it has better chance of withstanding judicial scrutiny.

POSTINGS/ TRANSFERS
Eight IAS, 14 HCS officers shuffled
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 5
Just before leaving the country on an eight-day tour of the UK, France, Belgium and Tunisia last night, the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, ordered an administrative reshuffle affecting eight IAS and 14 HCS officers.

Mr Raj Kumar, Excise and Taxation Commissioner and Special Secretary, Excise and Taxation, has been given additional charge of Director, Transport, against a new post.

Mr N.K. Jain, Special Secretary, Health, has been posted as such in the Finance Department vice Mr Y.S. Malik, who goes as Special Secretary, Home-I Department, vice Mr G.S. Sorot, who has been posted as Joint Secretary, Finance, vice Mr P.K. Das, who becomes Commissioner, Hisar Division, Hisar against a vacant post.

Mr T.K. Sharma, Joint Secretary, Public Works (Public Health) Department, has been given additional charge of Joint Secretary, Health, vice Mr N.K. Jain.

Mr Brijendra Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chief Executive Officer, District Rural Development Agency Yamunanagar, has been posted as such at Sirsa against a vacant post.

Mr Nitin Kumar Yadav, SDO (Civil), Palwal, has been posted as such at Nuh vice Mr Shiv Parshad who goes as SDO (C), Hodal. Mr Balraj Singh, SDO (Civil) cum-Additional Collector, Hisar, has been given additional charge of Estate Officer, Urban Estate, Hisar, vice Mrs Monica Malik, who has been posted as SDO (C), Panchkula, in place of Mr M.S. Yadav.

Mr Yadav has been posted as SDO (C), Ghuhla, vice Mr Rajiv Mehta, who becomes District Transport Officer, Panipat, relieving Mr Dharamender Singh of the said charge.

Mrs Sunita Verma, SDO (C), Hodal, has been posted as City Magistrate, Gurgaon, vice Mr K.K. Gupta, who goes as Chief Administrative Officer, Haryana Dairy Development Corporation and Haryana Dairy Development Cooperative Federation, against a vacant post.

Mrs Geeta Bharti, Estate Officer, Urban Estate, Panchkula, has been posted as City Magistrate, Hisar, vice Mr Anil Sharma, who becomes City Magistrate, Sonepat, vice Mr J.P. Thaman who becomes Executive Magistrate, Sirsa, against a vacant post.

Mr Inder Singh-I, Managing Director, Cooperative Sugar Mills, Palwal, has been given additional charge of SDO (C), Palwal. Mrs Ritu, City Magistrate, Panchkula, has been given additional charge of Estate officer, Urban Estate, Panchkula. Mr H.C. Bhatia, City Magistrate and Estate Officer, Urban Estate, Sirsa has been posted as District Transport Officer, Hisar, against a vacant post.

Mr Lalit Kumar, General Manager, Haryana Roadways, Bhiwani, has been posted as Establishment Officer in the Directorate of Ayurveda, relieving Mr Shri Niwas of the said charge.

Bansi Lal at his unsparing best
Tribune News Service

Panchkula, September 5
Former Chief Minister and President of the Haryana Vikas Party, Mr Bansi Lal, was at his wittiest and critical best. From the Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi to Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, everyone seemed to be on his hit list.

Talking to mediapersons here today, he supported Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, J. Jayalalitha in her tirade against Ms Sonia Gandhi. “How can we have a foreigner as Prime Minister? Does she know the difference between a Punjabi, Haryanavi or a Rajasthani? She is at a loss when it comes to understanding the topography of the nation or different races here,” he said.

He said Ms Gandhi was a liability for the Congress and in wake of no other leaders with mass base, they had to support Ms Gandhi as party President. “Congress is a party without Congressi. Woh khadi dhoti-kurtawale leader chale gaye, ab to sab chamakwale leader hain”. (The true leaders with mass support are gone.)

Talking about development works in Haryana, he accused Mr Chautala of having discarded all development works for his selfish interests. “Chautala sahib subaah ko paise lene nikalte hain aur shaam ko lautte hain. Jab woh office hi nahin jaate to logon ke hit mein kaam kaise honge”. (Chautala goes to collect money in the morning and comes back in the afternoon. Since he never goes to office, how can development activities be carried on.”)

Later, while talking of a number of taxes being imposed in the state, he said, “Ab to do number ka tax bhi lagta hai. Vyapari kamata sau hai aur yeh vapas sava sau leta hai”. (People are being forced to pay unauthorised collections.)

Answering queries about the criminalisation of politics, he said the present government was in collusion with criminals — a fact proved by recent photographs of the sons of Chief Minister — Mr Abhay Singh Chautala and Mr Ajay Singh Chautal with infamous criminals.

Replying to a question about the impact on state politics after Mr Bhajan Lal took over as state Congress president, Chaudhary Bansi Lal said neither Mr Bhajan Lal nor Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda as president could have any direct bearing on state politics.

He ruled out any patch up with the Congress to overthrow the Chautala government. “We are just waiting for the next election to prove our mettle”, was all he said. He added that his party had launched an awareness campaign among the masses.

8 Haryana teachers get state awards
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 5
Babu Parmanand, Governor of Haryana, today urged the educationists and planners to treat education of girls as top priority.

The Governor, who was speaking after giving away the State Teacher Awards to eight outstanding teachers of Haryana here today, also expressed concern that instead of taking up the noble profession of education with a missionary zeal, teachers had been focusing on tuition while ignoring teaching in the regular class rooms.

The teachers, who were presented with state awards, were Parkash Chand, Head Teacher, Government Primary School, Shergarh in Sirsa district, Hargian Singh, Principal, Government Senior Secondary School, Purkhas in Sonepat district, Ms Birmati, Physical Training Instructor, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Butana in Sonepat district; Ms Raj Rani, Music Lecturer, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Motala Kalan in Rewari; Mr Om Parkash Sardana, Lecturer, History, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Thanesar in Kurukshetra district; Ms Saroj Bala, Hindi Lecturer, Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Kaithal and Mr Rati Ram, Sanskrit Lecturer, Government Senior Secondary School, Jakholi in Kaithal district. The awards comprised of a medal, a shawl, a certificate and Rs 5,000 in cash each. Each awardee would also be entitled to get two additional increments for five years and two years extension in service.

Teachers honoured

Yamunanagar
Dr Amrik Singh, Director-Principal, Guru Gobind Singh Institute of Technology and Management Studies, while speaking at the Teachers’ Day programme at Guru Gobind Singh Institute of Technology and Management Studies, here today urged the youth to shoulder the responsibility of making society conducive to the human growth and development in the competitive world.

Mrs Sarbjit Kaur, Prof Satish Kumar, Prof Charanjeet Singh and some students paid tributes to Dr Radhakrishanan.

Date extended
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 5
The Haryana Punjabi Sahitya Akademi has extended up to September 30 the last date for submitting the application forms for “Pustak Puraskar” and grant-in-aid for publication of a book and story competition for 2002-2003, Major A.S. Shergill (retd), Director of the akademi, said near today. The decision had been taken to enable more writers to submit their applications.