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Wednesday,
June 4, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Minister’s outburst at Cabinet meeting Haryana move irks Punjab HPCC for White Paper on schemes for martyrs’ kin
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Stay on
Bhajan Lal’s arrest extended HIGH COURT ‘Naturopath’ lands behind bars 1 held; smack, pistol seized Yamunanagar to have
thermal power station Cong rally at Kaithal on June 7 5 get life term for murder Rs 88-cr scheme to boost power supply
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Minister’s outburst at Cabinet meeting Chandigarh, June 3 According to informed sources, the Cooperation Minister, Mr Kartar Singh Bhadana, was not angry at any item on the agenda of the Cabinet meeting. He was annoyed with certain officers of the Mines and Geology Department of the State, who, he alleged, were working against his business interests. The sources say the minister's outburst came in the presence of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala; several Cabinet Ministers, including the Finance Minister, Prof Sampat Singh; the Transport Minister, Mr Ashok Arora; and the Town and Country Planning Minister, Mr Dhir Pal; and a number of senior officers of the rank of Financial Commissioner and Commissioner. As soon as, the sources say, Mr Chautala took his seat to preside over the Cabinet meeting, Mr Bhadana launched a tirade against the State Mining Engineer, Mr Pravesh Sharma, whom he accused of being in league with his rival in the mining business. The minister is believed to have demanded the immediate transfer of Mr Sharma, saying that he was responsible for the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordering a CBI inquiry against
him (Mr Bhadana) for allegedly mining illegally. The sources say Mr Bhadana complained to the Chief Minister that certain officers of the Mining Department enjoyed the patronage of his rival and watched his interests. He also complained that while strict vigil was being kept on him and his associates, his rival had been virtually given a free hand. When Mr Bhadana's outburst continued for a few minutes, the sources say, Mr Chautala made some enquiries from the Commissioner, Mines and Geology, Mr Manik Sonawane, who reportedly informed the Chief Minister that “the file” had been sent to the Chief Minister's office for onward journey to the Legal
Remembrance for his opinion. Mr Sonawane also reportedly told Mr Chautala that his Additional Principal Secretary, Mr Vidya Dhar, had already seen the file. The sources say Mr Sonawane was referring to a file concerning the permission sought by a mining contractor to take out sand also from a mine in Faridabad district, though the contract was only for stones. At one stage when the minister continued to complain against his rival, who, he suspected, enjoyed the patronage of the powers that be, Mr Chautala tried to pacify him by saying while his rival was merely a businessman, he (Mr Bhadana) was a minister. However, this failed to
mollify Mr Bhadana. |
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Haryana move irks Punjab Chandigarh, June 3 Mr B.C. Khandoori, Minister of Surface Transport, had recently asked the Haryana government to stop that practice, saying that if it failed to comply with the Centre’s guidelines all funds under road development projects would be stopped. But it has not yielded any result. Rather, it has attracted a large number of Punjab truckers to shift their base to Haryana, thus adversely affecting revenue collections in Punjab. The Punjab government has now decided to raise the issue in the next meeting of the State Transport Development Council. Mr Kulbir Singh, State Transport Commissioner, disclosed that despite pressure from the neighbouring state Punjab would not allow the truck operators and other vehicle owners to violate traffic rules. He said: “As against the practice of some neighbouring states, we have issued clear-cut instructions to our staff to fine the truck operators whenever they are caught violating any traffic rules, including overloading.” He claimed despite an over-all slump in the transport sector, the department had collected a revenue of Rs 443.65 crore during the financial year ended on March 31, 2003, as against Rs 318.28 crore during the previous year, registering a growth of 39 per cent. It included, he said, Rs 18 crore as compounding fee from truck operators and other vehicle owners for violating traffic rules. He said during 2001-02, the department had collected about Rs 12 crore as compounding fee from commercial vehicles for violating traffic rules. Regarding the illegal operation of buses, taxies and other vehicles without any permit, he said: “We have devised a two-prong strategy to check the movement of illegal vehicles in the state. First, liberalisation of the process of granting of permits to vehicle owners for commercial purposes and rationalisation of permit fee. Secondly, from next week a campaign would be launched to compound all private vehicles running as commercial vehicles and impose heavy fine on them.” Appealing to the public and transport operators, he said: “All the district transport officers have been instructed to put up special check posts to compound vehicles running illegally and issue permits liberally.” He urged the public to travel by authorised taxies and buses only. These vehicles could be easily recognised, he said, as their number plates were painted in yellow colour and registration number was written in black colour. Further, they were marked with the logo of “tourist vehicle” painted on blue band. |
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HPCC for
White Paper on schemes for martyrs’ kin Faridabad, June 3 In a statement issued here, Mr Hooda, a former minister, alleged that the state government had failed to discharge its obligations towards the families of soldiers and officers who died fighting for the country at the border and in Jammu and Kashmir in the past about three years. He said although the kin of martyrs of the Kargil war had been benefitted to some extent by various schemes, but the state government was not providing the honour deserved by the soldiers who were killed fighting terrorism later. He alleged that the ministers, MLAs and district authorities rarely attended the funeral of jawans in their native villages. He alleged that several widows had been awaiting jobs and financial help. Quoting a case, he said the widow of Commandant (BSF) Rajinder Singh Ahlawat of Kharkara village of Rohtak district had not got a suitable job although two years had passed, since her husband laid down his life in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the late Commandant had been awarded the Presidents Medal for gallantry and was the seniormost officer from Haryana. He said even schools had not been named after the jawans despite an announcement made by the Chief Minister. He urged the state government to furnish details of how many families or widows of martyrs between 2000 and 2003 had been provided help and jobs by the state government over the past three years. |
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BSP to go it alone in Haryana Ambala, June 3 Mr Sherwal said the organisation of the party had been set up in Haryana on the pattern of UP where the BSP had proved itself a strong cadre based party. He said the organisation committees up to the village level had already been formed. Without quoting the name of any former BSP leader he said earlier the party in the state had been working without any guideline. Answering a question he said the BSP had decided to contest all 90 Assembly seats and the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the forthcoming general election. He ruled out any pre-poll or post-poll alliance with the BJP which is the alliance partner in UP government led by Ms Mayawati. He said the BSP would contest the election in Haryana at its own. Criticising the Haryana Government, he said farmers were being exploited in the state and their agitation was suppressed by the government in undemocratic way. Mr Sherwal alleged that industrialists had started shifting their industries from Haryana to some other states following the undue interference of the government officials. He said the law and order situation in the state had deteriorated and the common man was feeling himself unsecured. |
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Stay on Bhajan Lal’s arrest extended Fatehabad, June 3 Additional District and Sessions Judge Darshan Singh also extended the stay on the arrest of Karan Singh
Dalal, RPI, MLA, from Palwal, Makhan Singh, Personal Security Officer
(PSO) to Bhajan Lal and six commandos of the National Security Guards attached with the former Chief Minister.
PTI |
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HIGH COURT Chandigarh, June 3 Taking up their cases, Mr Justice Amar Dutt directed in the open court that the four would be admitted to bail in the event of their arrest subject to certain conditions. Mr Justice Dutt also issued notice of motion to the state of Haryana and other respondents in the two cases for July 10. Giving details, Mr Justice Dutt, holding the court during the summer vacations, ruled that the couples would make themselves available before the investigating agency as and when required. Mr Justice Dutt added that the couples would not directly or indirectly threaten or induce “persons so as to dissuade them from disclosing the facts to the court, or to the police”. The Judge concluded that the couples would not leave the country without the court’s prior permission. Describing themselves as majors, Balwinder Singh and Sushma Devi of Yamunanagar had earlier sought directions for protection of their lives and liberty. Directions were also sought for staying their arrest in a first information report registered at Chhappar police station in Yamunanagar. In the other petition, Kuldeep Singh and Rajni Devi of Karnal district had sought directions to the state of Haryana and other respondents to grant them anticipatory bail in any case registered against them. |
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‘Naturopath’ lands behind bars Hisar, June 3 The two had descended on Uklana town of the district yesterday. Staying in a dharamsala, the so-called Maharaj distributed pamphlets in the town, claiming to cure all diseases, including sex problems, through naturopathy. He also claimed that he would solve financial and business problems, help in getting progeny as per the wishes of the parents and ensure success in the court cases. Some activists of the Tarksheel Society, doubting his credentials, approached him as patients and seekers of solace through ‘jantra mantra’. However, he turned out to be a fraud in the course of his grilling. Even though he sought pardon, the people ultimately handed him over to the police along with his pupil. It was after he tendered an apology in writing and admitted his guilt that he was ordered to leave Haryana at once. The Tarksheel Society
president, Mr Bhup Singh, cautioned the people against falling a prey to the machinations of such swindlers. UNI |
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1 held; smack, pistol seized Sirsa, June 3 The district police chief, Mr A.S.
Ahlavat, said here today that the police had a major success against
smugglers of narcotics. The Ellenabad police received an information
that a smuggler of Rajasthan is heading here in a white Maruti car
with smack. The police laid an ambush at Kharisureran and spotted the
car (DAG-4223). The driver gave his name as Niku Khan of Talwarak
Jhhil village of Rajasthan. The Deputy Superintendent of Police at
Ellenabad also reached there and found 720 gm of smack from the driver’s
pocket. The seized pistol is of .315 bore. Mr Ahlavat said the
arrested person was a notorious smuggler of Rajasthan, who brings in
smack from Bhanpura in Kotajhhalwara, Rajasthan. He was wanted by the
Rajasthan police in a case of attempt to murder. The Ellenabad police
has registered a case under the Arms Act and the NDPS Act. The
district police has also seized a heavy amount of poppy husk and opium
from four others. The police arrested one of them, Rai Sahab, from
near Kherekan village with 500 gm of opium and the Sirsa police
arrested Kalu Ram and Gurbaksh Singh of Mehamra in Ratia and sized
30.2 kg of poppy husk from them. These two were booked under the NDPS
Act, besides Sections 279 and 337 of the IPC for hitting a motor
cycle. The Odhan police arrested Mandhir Singh of Panniwala Morikan on
the charge of smuggling poppy husk. |
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Yamunanagar
to have thermal power station Chandigarh, June 3 A spokesman of the HPGC said here today that the notification under Section 29 (2) of the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948, had been issued to invite objections from the general public regarding any aspect of the scheme within two months. This, he said, was the last procedural requirement before the implementation of the project. He said most of other statutory requirements like acquisition of land, availability of water source, clearance from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board and coal linkage had already been met. He said two units of 250-MW each would be set up under the project and these were scheduled to be completed in 2006-2007. This project would generate 120 lakh units of electricity per day. Meanwhile, the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has directed the Chairperson, Managing Directors and other senior officers to visit the rural areas so as to redress the grievances of the consumers on the spot. Mr Chautala was presiding over a meeting to review the functioning of the Power Department here yesterday. He directed the officers to ensure adequate supply of power to the farmers during the ensuing kharif season. He said a lot of improvement had been witnessed in the power sector and sufficient power had been supplied to the agriculture sector during the past three years. However, efforts should be made to meet the growing demand of power during the summer season so that consumers, especially the farmers might not face any difficulty. He also asked them to build transformer banks so that the burnt out transformers could be replaced immediately. |
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Cong rally at Kaithal on June 7 Ambala, June 3 Later, talking to mediapersons, Mr Nirmal Singh said the northern part of the state had been ignored in the matter of development and recruitments for a long time. Referring to the Fatehabad
by-election, he said the Congress had performed well. |
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5 get life term for murder Hisar, June 3 According to the prosecution, Umed
Singh, a former Sarpanch of Juglan village, along with four accomplices
Mahender Singh, Surat Singh Kaptan singh and Rajender singh reached the village five years ago in the night and knocked the door of a house. They posed as police man. When Mahender Singh came out of the house, they opened fire killing him on the spot. The court also sentenced their
accomplice Sukhdev Singh to two years imprisonment for possessing illegal arms in the same case. The court acquitted Randhir singh and Harphool Singh.
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Rs 88-cr scheme to boost power supply Sirsa, June 3 All consumers would be provided meter-reading cards in which the entries would be made. The corporation had decided to offer the facility of paying electricity bill on the basis of monthly minimum charges. |
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