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Sonia to decide Haryana candidates Bhajan Lal wriggles out of LS poll Advani fanning communal sentiments: Chautala SP to get notice for violating code
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Balmiki Sabha’s ultimatum to Cong RLD leaders join HVP 56 IAS officers made poll observers Boys outshine girls in Middle Standard exams Leaf from History Parkash takes over as MDU acting VC Youth’s body found in gunny bag 50 houses gutted, 3 cows burnt alive
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Sonia to decide Haryana candidates Rohtak, March 30 According to sources the panel which met in Delhi till late last evening could not finalise the list despite a marathon sitting due to bickering between senior party leaders. The sources said earlier meetings of the panel in recent weeks had also ended in a similar fashion. Since there seemed to be no agreement even this time, the panel decided to refer the issue to Mrs Gandhi. The sources said there were no objections to the names of the Leader of the Opposition in the Haryana Assembly Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda from Rohtak and Ms Selja either from Sirsa or Ambala. In the case of Sonepat, the choice fell on former HPCC chief Mr Dharampal Singh Malik who is favoured by Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Sher Singh, MLA from Julana who is backed by Mr Hooda. However, despite a heated discussion a final decision could not be taken even in the case of this seat. Thereafter, both HPCC chief Bhajan Lal and Mr Hooda failed to agree on any names for the remaining seven seats. Both senior leaders turned down each other’s suggestions and pleaded the cases of their own protégés in an attempt to corner each other. Mr Hooda also reportedly wanted that either Mr Bhajan Lal or one of his family members should contest one seat saying that all senior party leaders must be in the fray to ensure that the electorate got the right message. Mr Bhajan Lal on the other hand kept opposing Mr Hooda’s suggestions. Sensing that no agreement was possible at the meeting, the panel decided to refer the issue to the party president. There was no opposition to this suggestion since it suited the interests of all camps in the party. The sources said now the candidates would be decided after Mrs Gandhi has heard both the camps. Everything would depend upon how the two leaders plead their cases. The delay in finalising the Haryana Congress list will also delay the selection of remaining nominees of other major political parties in the state. The Indian National Lok Dal, the Haryana Vikas Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party have released only partial lists so far. Since all parties are waiting for each other to release final lists, prospective candidates are on tenterhooks. Political observers say none of the nominees whose names have already been announced can take their selection for granted. They say the parties can change their nominees at the last minute after gauging the capabilities of the rival candidates. Since many of these candidates are political lightweights they may have to make way for stronger candidates depending on who the rival parties field from a particular seat. |
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Bhajan Lal wriggles out of LS poll Chandigarh, March 30 A source close to Mr Bhajan Lal said the HPCC chief had already made his intentions clear to Ms Sonia Gandhi, President of the Congress party. Importantly, if Mr Bhajan Lal manages to avoid contesting the Lok Sabha poll himself, it will be a blow to his arch rival in the party, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, presently holding the office of the Leader of the Opposition in the state. Mr Hooda himself is the likely Congress nominee for the Rohtak seat and the Bhajan Lal loyalists are claiming that whatever be the outcome of the Lok Sabha elections at Rohtak, it will damage Mr Hooda’s prospects in the state. “If he wins, he goes to Delhi by saying goodbye to state politics. If he loses the elections, then it will be an huge embarrassment and he will not remain the Leader of the Opposition any more. Either way he will have to bury his dream of becoming the next Congress Chief Minister”, said a Bhajan Lal confidant. He said the dispute regarding the candidature of Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Hooda for the Lok Sabha elections also figured in a meeting yesterday of the party’s screening committee constituted for choosing candidates for Haryana. In the meeting, held in Delhi under the presidentship of Mr Arjun Singh, Mr Bhajan Lal reportedly said that instead of contesting he would like to canvass for all the 10 candidates of the party in Haryana. Mr Hooda too was present at the meeting. Mr Bhajan Lal reportedly also took Mr Arjun Singh to task and objected to his proposal of giving the Congress ticket for the Sonepat seat to Mr Ramesh Dalal. The meeting, however, remained inconclusive and later Mr Bhajan Lal met Ms Sonia Gandhi in the evening and again discussed the prospective candidates. The likely candidates for the ten Lok Sabha seats of Haryana, according to sources close to Mr Bhajan Lal, are the following: Kuldeep Bishnoi (Bhajan Lal’s younger son) from Faridabad, Dharam Vir from Bhiwani, Dharam Pal Malik from Sonepat, Ms Shelja from Ambala, R.C. Sharma from Karnal, Navin Jindal (or Sardar Tara Singh) from Kurukshetra, Maniram Keherwal from Sirsa, Col Ram Singh (or Inderjeet Singh) from Mahendragarh, Randeep Surjewala from Hisar and Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda from Rohtak. The sources said that the tactics’ employed by Mr Bhajan Lal to corner Mr Hooda include flaunting Mr Krishnamurti Hooda, a loyalist of the PCC chief, as the candidate from Rohtak in case Mr Hooda declined to contest in the elections. The Bhajan Lal faction is also trying to ensure that Mr Hooda’s wife does not file nomination from Rohtak as the covering candidate for her husband. They suspect that if Ms Asha Hooda becomes the covering candidate, Mr Hooda may wriggle out at the last moment to make his wife the official candidate of the Congress party from the seat. |
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Advani fanning communal sentiments: Chautala Fatehabad, March 30 Mr Chautala was addressing mediapersons at Bhuna town in this district this afternoon after addressing an election meeting in grain market there today. He was accompanied by Mr Sultan Singh, a former Governor and Chairman of Chowdhary Devi Lal Memorial Trust, Mr Rajesh Sharma, Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Board, Mr Sushil Indora, a member of the dissolved Parliament and Ms Nishan Singh and Ms Swatantra Bala Chowdhary, both MLAs. The INLD leader alleged that Mr Advani was known for creating trouble in the country by flaring up religious sentiments of people. He said Mr Advani had vitiated the peaceful atmosphere of the country on Ayodhya issue in the early nineties and was again looking for an opportunity to flare communal sentiments in the country. He, however, said the people of the country had grown wise over the years and would not be taken in by Advani’s tricks. Earlier, while addressing an election meeting in the Bhuna grain market sheds, Mr Chautala said the forthcoming Parliamentary poll had given an opportunity to people to give their verdict on the performance of the government and opposition parties in the state. He claimed that his government had completed a record number of developmental works in Haryana ever since he assumed power four years ago. He said other parties had been seeking votes on the basis of promises but he had come to seek votes on the basis of works done by his government. Mr Chautala criticised both the BJP and the Congress and described these parties as “saampnath” and “naagnath”. He cautioned the people to beware of these parties and said these parties had never tried to improve the lot of common people. Interestingly, Mr Chautala did not utter a single word about former Haryana Chief Minister Bansi Lal or his Haryana Vikas Party. He referred to the HVP supremo only while comparing the extra electricity produced during his tenure and that during the tenure of Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Bansi Lal. Earlier, Mr Chautala addressed an election meeting at Rattia in this district in the morning today and appealed to people to vote in favour of his party nominee Dr Sushil Indora. |
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SP to get notice for violating code Karnal, March 30 The BJP was issued a show-cause notice for code violation a day before the “Bharat uday yatra” of Mr Advani reached here on March 24. Mr Yadav will be coming here tomorrow to launch the party’s campaign in Haryana and would be addressing a state-level rally. He is also expected to announce candidates for the 10 Lok Sabha seats of Haryana. However, the party has put posters with the pictures of Mr Yadav and Ms Kanta
Alriya, president of the Haryana state unit of the party, on a hoarding of the Fish Farmers Development Agency, a subsidiary of the state Fisheries Department. The District Magistrate and the chief returning officer, Mr
R.S. Doon said that district administration would issue a show-cause notice to the party through its local unit for the violation of the code. The party would be asked to explain its position within 48 hours. He said the party had also violated the Defacement of Property Act by pasting posters on government-owned buildings and hoardings. The SP has also pasted of posters on the boundary walls of the civil secretariat, judicial complex, Civil Hospital, police lines and other government buildings. The parties have been warned to comply with the guidelines issued by the Election Commission. Mr Doon said instructions had been given to the police to take action against parties or individuals who were violating the code. The district administration, has, meanwhile, sent a detailed report to the Chief Electoral Officer of Haryana, Ms Urvashi Gulati, regarding the violation of the code by the BJP. Mr Doon has written in the report. “The BJP has admitted the fact that some party workers might have displayed hoardings on their own and at their own expenses. The matter is, therefore, brought to your notice for the necessary action if any”.
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Balmiki
Sabha’s ultimatum to Cong Yamunanagar, March 30 He said there were two reserve constituencies in the state — Ambala and Sirsa and there were more than 12 lakh voters belonging to Balmiki Samaj. In Ambala alone there were 1.35 lakh voters. He alleged that the Congress had neglected the community in the last elections also and had paid the price by losing badly. Mr Jeewan Ram, president, Haryana Balmiki
Mahasabha, demanded that Sonia Gandhi, president, AICC, should intervene and reserve one Parliament constituency in the state for
Balmikis. He said Mr Raj Kumar Balmiki was given ticket at the last moment by the Congress in 1998 and even though he had lost the election, yet in spite of all odds 1.74 lakh votes were polled in his favour. He added that at present no Balmiki MLA was representing the Congress in Haryana whereas the Indian National Lok Dal had three Balmiki MLAs at present. Mr Jeewan Ram emphasised that Mr
M.L. Sarwan, a former HCS officer was an ideal choice for the Ambala seat. He said if the ticket was allotted to a candidate of their choice then the entire community would support Mr Sarwan whole heartedly.
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RLD leaders join HVP Hisar, March 30 In a press note, Mr Jagdish Chander Jhajria, district spokesman of the HVP, claimed that Mr Sunder Singh Bainiwal, president of the district unit, Mr Ram Partap Tank, president of the backward cell, Mr Daulat Ram, president of the kisan cell, Mr Misri Lal, president of the sainik cell, Mr Pawan Kumar, president of the youth wing, Mr Shamsher Singh, secretary of the district unit, and Mr Bir Singh, former sarpanch and president of the panchayati cell, joined the HVP at an election meeting at Salemgarh, near here. He said Mr Surender Singh, general secretary of the HVP, and a son of the welcomed them to the party. He later addressed election meetings in six villages of the Adampur Assembly segment. |
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56 IAS officers made poll observers Chandigarh, March 30 Mrs Veena Eagleton, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Science and Technology Department, will also look after the work of Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Women and Child Development Department and Social Justice and Empowerment and Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes Department, during the period of election duty of Mr S.P. Sharma and Mr L. S. M. Salins. Mr Bhagwati Parshad, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Departments, has been given the additional charge of the Fisheries Department during the period of election duty of Mrs Shakuntala Jakhu. Mr Anil Razdan, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Irrigation and Power, has been given the additional charge of Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, PW (Public Health) and Non-Conventional Energy Sources and Archives and Archaeology, during the period of election duty of Mr N. Bala Baskar and Mr Manik B. Sonawane. Mrs Rajni Razdan, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Housing, will hold the additional charge of Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Transport, during the period of election duty of Mr R.N. Prashar. Mr Sajjan Singh, Chief Administrator, HSAMB, has been given the additional charge of Managing Director, Haryana Warehousing Corporation, during the period of election duty of Mr R.B. Langayan. Mr Samir Mathur, Managing Director, HVPNL, Panckhula, will also look after the work of Managing Director, Haryana Power Generation Corporation, during the period of election duty of Mr S.K. Monga. Mrs Keshni Anand Arora, Director, Supplies and Disposals, Director and Special Secretary, Institutional Finance and Credit Control, has been given the additional charge of Director, Science and Technology, Industries and Mines and Geology, during the period of election duty of Mr V.S. Kundu and Mr R.B. Langayan. Mr Rajan Kumar Gupta, Transport Commissioner, has been given the additional charge of Registrar, Cooperative Societies during the period of election duty of Mr Abhilaksh Likhi. Mrs Manju Gupta, Special Secretary, Irrigation, will also look after the work of Special Secretary, Finance and Power Departments and Director, Power Reforms, during the period of election duty of Mrs Anuradha Gupta , Mr P.K. Jain and Mr Arun Kumar Gupta. Mrs Navraj Sandhu, Managing Director, Haryana Tourism Corporation, Director and Special Secretary, Tourism, Hospitality and Archives, has been given the additional charge of Director and Special Secretary, Environment and Revenue, during the period of election duty of Mr Sarban Singh. Mr Hardeep Kumar, Special Secretary, Home, will look after the charge of Special Secretary, Home-II Department, during the period of election duty of Mr M.K. Midha. Mr Alok Nigam, Inquiry Officer, Vigilance and Commissioner, Ambala Division, Ambala, and Principal Revenue Training Institute, Ambala, has been given the additional charge of Director and Special Secretary, Higher Education, during the period of election duty of Mr Dhanpat Singh. Mrs Dheera Khandelwal, Director and Special Secretary, Women and Child Development, will look after the work of Director and Special Secretry, Social Justice and Empowerment and Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, during the period of election duty of Mr Vineet Garg. Mr N.C. Wadhwa, Chief
Administrator, HUDA, Director and Special Secretary, Town and Country Planning and Urban Estates, has been given the additional charge of Director, Urban Development, during the period of election duty of Mr T.K. Sharma. Mr Devender Singh, Managing Director, HAFED, will look after the work of Director, Agriculture and in charge, WTO cell, Directorate of Agriculture, during the period of election duty of Mr Rajiv Arora. Mr Amit Jha, Chief Administrator, Housing Board, will look after the work of Special Secretary and Director, Electronics and Information Technology, during the period of election duty of Mr Ashok Khemka. Mrs Sumita Misra Singh, Chief Executive, Haryana Khadi and Village Industries Board and Administrator, CADA, Panchkula, will look after the work of Director and Joint Secretary, Secondary Education Department and State Project Director, Haryana Prathmic Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad, during the period of election duty of Mr R.K. Khullar. Mr Ankur Gupta, Managing Director, Haryana Agro-Industries Corporation, will look after the work of Managing Director, HLRDC and Director and Joint Secretary, Primary Education, during the period of election duty of Mr R.P. Chander and Mr Pushp Raj Singh. Mr Sant Kumar, Director and Joint Secretary, Food and Supplies, has been given the additional charge of Labour Commissioner, Joint Secretary, Industrial Disputes and Labour Department and Member-Secretary and Chief Administrator, Morni Development Authority and Director and Joint Secretary, Employment, during the election duty of Mr K.K. Khandelwal and Mr Phateh Singh. Mrs G. Anupama, Coordinator, Foreign Investment Promotion Board, New Delhi and Managing Director, Haryana Minerals, Gurgaon and Additional Resident Commissioner, Haryana Bhavan, New Delhi, will look after the work of Chief Executive Officer, Mewat Development Agency, Nuh, during the period of election duty of Mr P. R. Vishoni. Mr C.R. Rana, Administration, HUDA, Panckhula, has been given the additional charge of Director, Consolidation of Holdings, Land Records, Special Collector (HQ) and Special LAO and Joint Secretary, Rehabilitation-cum-Chief Settlement Commissioner, during the period of election duty of Mr H.S. Rana. Mr Rajbir Singh, Director and Joint Secretary, Industrial Training and Vocational Education and Technical Education Departments, will look after the work of Director and Joint Secretary, Development and Panchayats and Rural Development Departments, during the period of election duty of Mrs Jaiwanti
Sheokand. |
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Boys outshine girls in Middle Standard exams
Bhiwani, March 30 Breaking record of past several years, boys have shown better results than girls this year by giving a pass percentage of 56.65, whereas girls have given a pass percentage of 54.63. However, the girls have bagged more positions in the first 10 of the merit list. The results of this examination will be declared on March 31. This was disclosed by Brig O.P. Chaudhry (retd), Chairman of the board, while addressing a press conference here. He said for the first time in the 35-year history of the board the result of Middle examination had been declared within 35 days of the conclusion of the examination whereas usually the result was declared 60 to 80 days after the conclusion of examinations. He said the result would be available on March 31 from 8 am on Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) Phone No 011-24357270 (60 lines), Helpline No 01664-254000 (10 lines) set up at board’s headquarters in Bhiwani. — PTI
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80-year-old ‘piao’ becomes landmark
Rahul Das Tribune News Service
Ambala: In the days when there was no refrigerated bottled water, ‘Piao’ used to quench the thirst of people in the marketplace. Before the Independence, there used to be a number of drinking water points, which are better known as ‘piaos’, in Ambala city as well as Ambala Cantonment. However, with the passage of time only a few ‘piaos’ are still in use.Kirchi Mirchi Piao of Ambala Sadar is in regular use for nearly 80 years. The ‘piao’, located in Kacha Bazaar, is opened at the onset of summer and thirsty passers-by get water. A low tank has also been constructed for animals. It is a common sight to see people drinking water during summer months. The design of the ‘piao’ is reminiscent of the simple yet elegant architecture prevalent during the British days. The ‘piao’ is today a landmark of Ambala Sadar. Mr Rajeshwar Prasad Goel, a former member of the Mandir Piao Ganesha Mull Sarbati Devi Trust, said Kirchi Mirchi Piao was built in 1926. Mr Goel said there was a person by the name of Mirchi Mal, who was a member of the trust. “Mirchi Mal had a brother, Kanshi. They used to reside close to the ‘piao’. Over a period of time, the ‘piao’ began to be called Kirchi Mirchi Piao,” he said. Interestingly, a ‘piao’ of similar architectural design was earlier there in Bazaza Bazaar. The ‘piao’ was razed to the ground to provide easier access in the bazaar area. Another ‘piao’ which is still running is Anaj Mandi Piao that is being run by the Aggarwal Sabha. The ‘piao’ has been given a significant facelift. In Ambala city, an old ‘piao’ is at Pipli Bazaar. Another one near the railway station was razed following expansion work by the Railways. In the recent times, new ‘piaos’ have been set up.
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Parkash takes over as MDU acting VC Rohtak, March 30 Dr Parkash chaired a meeting the MDU court and the budget for the next financial year was approved. The outgoing Vice-Chancellor Major-Gen Bhim Singh Suhag (retd) is contesting the Rohtak Lok Sabha seat as an INLD nominee. |
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Youth’s body found in gunny bag
Ambala, March 30 According to information, some passers-by witnessed the body and informed the police. On a complaint of Khem Pal the police has registered a case and is investigating the matter. The police suspect that the deceased was first murdered and later put in a bag. Some injuries were also found on the body. ONE KILLED: One person was killed and around 12 others were injured when a Tata-709 vehicle overturned on GT Road near Mohra village. Ramesh Kumar, who was travelling in the vehicle, died in the accident. Three of the injured were referred to the PGI, Chandigarh. The other injured were admitted to the local Civil Hospital. The deceased and the injured belonged to Ambala City. OC
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50 houses gutted, 3 cows burnt alive Yamunanagar, March 30 Fifty houses were fully gutted while others were partially damaged. The fire spread in the complex within no time. As the news of the fire spread, villagers reached the site. The fire department was informed and the fire was brought under control with the help of fire extinguisher. Household goods and money were destroyed in the fire. A 16-year-old girl Lajwanti received burn injuries. |
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58 sheep die of suffocation Hisar, March 30 |
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Eye hospital inaugurated Sirsa, March 30
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