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Thursday,
August 7, 2003, Chandigarh, India  
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Govt sets up wakf board CM moots national policy on water Beating up of roadways
officials flayed
Search abandoned for Rajinder Hooda ‘Heroes of Kargil Rally’ returns |
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Mehta is
Cong panel secy
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Govt sets up wakf board Chandigarh, August 6 Official sources said the state had taken this step following the dissolution by the Centre of the Punjab Wakf Board, which used to look after the Muslim religious institutions in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal and Chandigarh. The union government, the sources said, had also constituted a steering committee — having representatives of the three member-states and the UT — for making an assessment of the wakf properties located in these states and their respective liabilities. It was learnt that the Chief Secretary of Haryana had appointed the Deputy Commissioner of Ambala as the state government’s representative in the committee. Since 1981, the Punjab Wakf Board was being controlled by the Union Government through an administrator. The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, following a representation made by the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Minority Affairs, had called officials from the three states and Chandigarh to Delhi for discussing the issue of elections to the board. The meeting, which took place in February, 2002, saw both Punjab and Haryana demanding separate wakf boards. Representatives from these two states argued that in case separate wakf boards were set up for each state, there would be better liaison with the state government concerned which was well-equipped to tackle local issues. They also argued that the breakdown of the state-wise income from wakf properties showed that it was small in the case of Himachal and negligible in the case of Chandigarh. Punjab and Haryana, on the other hand, were having substantial income from wakf properties. While Punjab has a Muslim population of 2.39 lakh (1991 Census), the number of wakf properties in the state is 22,656. The wakf income (aukaf fund) in 1999-2000 was Rs 7.7 crore in Punjab. In Haryana, where the Muslim population was 7.64 lakh in 1991, the number of wakf properties is 12,595. The aukaf fund in Haryana in 1999-2000 was Rs 2.94 crore. In comparison, the income in 1999-2000 from the wakf properties in Chandigarh and HP was Rs 61,000 and Rs 32.48 lakh, respectively, which was too small. The bigger states sought the constitution of separate wakf boards since they felt that income generated from Punjab and Haryana is being eaten up by Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. While the Himachal Pradesh representative also agreed to have a separate wakf board, Chandigarh opposed the idea of splitting the existing wakf board in four parts. Significantly, the wakf inquiry committee, set up by the Central Wakf Council in August, 1972, to deliberate on the future set-up of the Punjab Wakf Board, also recommended in favour of the retention of the composite board. The report submitted by the committee observed that a single board would be in line with the arrangements followed in the case of the SGPC which is also an inter-state body. The report also pointed out the uneven spread of the Muslim population in the three states and Chandigarh, adding that the constitution of separate boards would increase the establishment expenditure substantially. It also said it would be difficult to get experienced Muslim officers and staff members for managing the separate boards. The sources said as soon as the steering committee finished its job, the Haryana Wakf Board would be made functional by inducting members chosen through elections. |
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CM moots national policy on water Jind, August 6 The Chief Minister, who was addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone of a secretarial at Narwana today, said there were many states in the country which were facing a shortage of water. The national policy would enable the deficit states to have their required quantity of water. Mr Chautala said the availability of water and power was being increased for the benefit of the people. He reiterated that the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal would be completed according to the directions of the Supreme Court and it would irrigate 7.5 lakh acres of additional area. Earlier, the Chief Minister inaugurated a water channel which has been taken out of the Barwala Link canal to supply water to the old waterworks, Narwana. He also laid the foundation stone of the extension of Narwana minor at Farenkalan village. It would cost Rs 2.28 crore. He also inaugurated an augmentation water supply scheme at Bhikhewala village and a memorial of martyrs constructed at a cost of Rs. 5.75 lakh at Navdeep Stadium. The MP from Hisar, Mr Surinder Singh Barwala, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rajiv Sharma, the SSP, Mr Manjeet Singh Ahlawat, and the Chairman of the Haryana Finance Commission, Mr Surajbhan Kajal, were also present. He said this while addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone of a 33 KV substation, to be constructed at a cost of Rs 1.85 crore at Rasida village near Narwana today. He said the much-delayed sixth unit of Panipat Thermal Power Plant had now been commissioned at a cost of Rs 964 crore. |
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Beating up of roadways
officials flayed Fatehabad, August 6 Mr Sarbat Singh Punia, state general secretary of the union, Mr Kulwant Singh Kirmara, a member of the state committee of the union, and Mr S.K. Sheoran, president of the local unit of the union, told mediapersons here today that Mr Ram Parkash and Mr Madan Lal, both Roadways inspectors, were beaten up by three youths with iron rods when the inspectors caught them travelling without ticket in a Haryana Roadways bus plying on the Yamunanagar road. |
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A few takers for bar licences Ambala, August 6 While one bar licence holder is the Kingfisher tourist complex on GT road, the other two are Phoenix Club and Sirhind Club. Both the clubs are located in Ambala Cantonment. The Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Mr R.D. Mehra, said only three bar licences had been issued. “We have not received any fresh application for running a bar,” he said. “Certain conditions have to be met before a bar licence can be issued,” he added. Mr Mehra said the bar licence fee was Rs 5 lakh per annum. He said besides the bar licence, they had issued 54 licences for serving alcohol during special occasions. He stated that these licences were issued to people for serving liqour during functions. “Prior permission must be taken before alcohol can be served in a function,” he stressed. A former bar owner said he had to close his bar during prohibition. “I was planning to reopen my bar but the conditions are not conducive for running a bar now,” he said. He claimed that there was political interference which affected the profitability of a bar. A person fond of drinks says nowadays, only premium brands are served at bars. He says the cost of drinking alcohol at these bars has considerably gone up as compared to previous years. |
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Search abandoned for Rajinder Hooda Chandigarh, August 6 Rajinder, along with cousin Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Leader of the Opposition in Haryana, and eight others were involved in an accident when their cars got washed away in flashfloods in the Peeli river, a tributary of the Ganges, on Thursday. While others escaped with injuries, there has been no news of Rajinder Hooda since then. Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who returned to Delhi on Sunday, has been admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital with renal problems.
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‘Heroes
of Kargil Rally’ returns Ambala, August 6 On July 26, the Army expedition team participated in the Vijay Divas celebrations in northern sector and it laid a wreath at the War Memorial in honour of the martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice for the country during Operation Vijay. 108 Medium Regiment was the first artillery regiment to be awarded the Chief of Army Staff Unit citation for its display of valour and exemplary performance during Operation Vijay. |
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Mehta is Cong panel secy Fatehabad, August 6 In a letter received by Dr Mehta here, Mr Bhajan Lal has expressed confidence that he would work for strengthening the party. Many local Congress leaders, including Mr Dura Ram, Mr Dwarka Prasad and Mr Tek Chand Midha, have thanked the HPCC chief for the appointment. |
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Hearing
in
Nain case adjourned Ambala, August 6 Mr Nain and other accused were present in the court. Two senior leaders of the BKU — Fateh Singh Fathua and Guni Prakash who were brought from the Sonepat jail and accused in this case were also produced in the court.
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Section
of rail track replaced Ambala, August 6 The
Additional Divisional Railway Manager, Mr Dayal Dogra, said a
400-mtr-long rail panel was replaced by a new one yesterday. A
railway official said the panel on platform No.7 was about a decade
old and had got rusted. |
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