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Villagers forced to migrate due to thermal plant pollution Cong ready for Assembly poll: Selja 2 youths killed in accident
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Clue found in Subhash Nagar murder case Haryana Assembly session today Campaign to detect illegal firearms Man arrested; AK-47 seized Punjab must obey SYL verdict: Parmanand Cotton institute to introduce hybrid seeds Samiti opposes exclusion of chapter on Ravidas Woman, son commit suicide
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Villagers
forced to migrate due to Panipat, June 20 The plant of 860-MW generating capacity spews out a large quantity of ash waste that is dumped in the 20 km area situated in the middle of these villages. Today, after 20 years of the plant’s functioning, hundreds of tonnes of ash waste up to 30 feet high has collected in the dumping ground. The situation is likely to assume alarming proportions as two more units of 250 MW capacity each will start functioning in September and January, next year. The villagers complaint that due to overflow of the ash waste from the dumping ground and the thermal plant, the waste spread into the villages. The matter worsens as ash is mixed with water in the thermal plant to carry it into dumping ground through pipes. Now the contaminated water of the dumping ground has been mixed with groundwater and consequently, the drinking water has been polluted. The most affected village is Khukhrana. A few years ago, taking note of the villagers’ problems here, the high court had directed the government to get clean water for the village and provide medical aid to the victims. The thermal plant had also been directed to take similar steps as it had dispensary on its campus. But a visit to this village shows that the authorities concerned have not taken any concrete steps to solve the
problems. A 55-year-old villager, Sewa Ram, suffering from skin disease, says that due to the air and water pollution, over 2000 villagers of Khukhrana have decided to leave the village. They have requested the administration to provide them suitable compensation for their property and land. Lakhi Ram (asthma patient) and Sushma (skin disease) say that 50 per cent of the villagers have been suffering from one or other disease. The animals have also become victims of the pollution. Also, it has rendered, farming difficult. The Chief Engineer of the thermal plant, Mr M.M. Bindlish, when contacted said the plant had installed four tubewells to recycle the overflow of the water from Khukhrana. He added that the plant had constituted a committee for marketing the ash waste. Regarding the health problems, he said it was the duty of the Health Department to provide medical aid. |
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Cong ready for Assembly poll: Selja Fatehabad, June 20 On the question of the Chief Minister, Ms Selja said the matter would be taken up only after the elections were over. She refused to comment on the question whether there was a possibility of any change in the Congress leadership in Haryana before the Assembly poll. But she said there would be some changes at the AICC level soon. The Union Minister castigated the BJP and its National Democratic Alliance partners for their failure to perform the role of a constructive opposition in Parliament. She said the NDA had not been able to accept the change of guards at the Centre sportingly. This was the reason why it had been raking the issue of alleged tainted ministers in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, she alleged. She claimed the UPA government at the centre would complete its full term and fulfil its promises made to the people. She said that the recent efforts of the Finance Minister P. Chidambaram towards the amelioration of the lot of poor and marginal farmers were a step in that direction. The Congress was committed to improving the lot of farmers who had been committing suicides in distress, through the micro-credit system and other measures. She said the UPA government had been working on the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) formulated by the Congress and its allies. To a question, she termed the recent hikes in the prices of petroleum products as a necessity. She said the hike was long overdue considering the international trends, but the NDA government had delayed it with an eye on the parliamentary elections. On the priorities of her own ministry, Ms Selja said emphasis would on providing opportunities of employment to the poor so that they could come above the poverty line. |
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Uplift of poor on UPA agenda: Selja Sirsa, June 20 Addressing the mediapersons, the Union Minister said her ministry was committed to improve the social and economically backward people of society and the policy was under consideration. The process of formulating welfare policies was an ongoing process and during the annual Budget various schemes on the issue would be announced. She also addressed a rally at the grain market but the sitting MLA from Sirsa town and senior Congress leader Lachhman Dass Arora remained absent along with his ‘loyal party workers’. Talking about the plans, she said the Union Government was chalking out a plan to uplift the marginal and poor farmers. Coming heavily upon the Chautala government, she said law and order situation was very poor in the state. While naming the Kingra case, in which a local advocate was beaten allegedly for making certain comments on the ruling party during a TV show, she said the state was unable to keep sanctity of the right to speech. |
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2 youths killed in accident Ambala, June 20 According to information, the youths were coming from the Hisar side and were on their way to Chandigarh. The car overturned and rammed into a tree. Villagers took out the deceased and the injured from the car with a lot of effort. The doctors attending on the injured said two of the youths were brought dead in the hospital. One of the injured, Rajesh, said they were all friends and were going to Chandigarh to meet someone. He said he could not say how the driver lost the control over the vehicle which caused the accident. One of the injured sustained multiple fractures in both legs, while other two sustained serious injuries on face and other parts of the body. |
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Clue found in Subhash Nagar murder case Ambala, June 20 The SP, Mr Mohammad Akil, said one of the assailants had been identified. Two police parties had been sent to nab the accused. He said in fact Rakesh was the target of the assailants but luckily he escaped. The assailants fired several shots. The sister of Rakesh also sustained injuries in the firing. Mr Akil said it seemed to be a case of an old rivalry. He, however, denied that it was the result of a gang war. Meanwhile, the body of Bobby was handed over to his family after the post-mortem this noon. He was a resident of the Baldevnagar area of Ambala City. |
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Haryana
Assembly session today Chandigarh, June 20 The Speaker, Mr Satbir Singh Kadian, chaired the meeting. The Deputy Speaker, Mr Gopi Chand Gehlot; the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Prof Sampat Singh; the officiating Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav; and an Independent MLA, Mr Ram Bhagat, were others who attended the meeting. Capt Yadav, who wanted a longer session, dissented with the decisions of the committee. The government, however, opposed the longer session on the plea that there was not enough legislature business before the House. The brief session may not bring any cheer to the people of the state, but it is likely to have something to cheer about for the MLAs. Among the Bills the House is likely to take up tomorrow is one relating to the facilities to the members of the House. So far an MLA was entitled to take a vehicle loan only once during the five-year term of the House. But now it is proposed that if a member has cleared his vehicle loan along with interest, he will be entitled to take a fresh loan in the same term. Among the other Bills to be debated by the House are the East Punjab
Molasses (Haryana Amendment) Bill; the Haryana Municipal Amendment Bill and the Scheduled Roads and Controlled Area Amendment Bill. The Congress also wants to move a resolution on the SYL canal. But its resolution is likely to be turned down by the Speaker in view of the official resolution to be moved on the same subject. |
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Campaign
to detect illegal firearms Chandigarh, June 20 A spokesman of the police said here yesterday that the police would detect illegal arms from anti-social elements during the campaign. The police would also swoop on the units manufacturing units of illicit firearms, if any, he added. Illegal firearms lying in police malkhanas which are no longer required to be produced in any court would be destroyed. The unclaimed legal firearms lying in police malkhanas of the district nazar which are no longer required to be produced in any court would be deposited with the state armoury in Ambala. The record of the police stations would be updated by bringing on record the fresh arms licences and regularising the licences which had expired recently. The police would also verify the arms licences which were issued by other states and renewed in Haryana. |
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Man arrested; AK-47 seized Panipat, June 20 It is the second such incident this year when proof of the inter-state gang operating in the district with weapons like AK-47s have come to light. In both the cases, the Panipat police had failed to make an early breakthrough to arrest the accused or recover weapons. Dilsher Singh was nabbed by the Hisar police after the head of the inter-state gang Baljit Singh disclosed to the police that he had kept AK-47s and other weapons at Patli village. A team of the Hisar police raided the house of Dilsher Singh at about 7 pm. Police sources said Dilsher Singh was also involved in some other criminal cases. Earlier, the presence of inter-state gang members carrying AK-47 in the district was exposed on April 6 when the two police personnel were critically injured by four youths believed to be the members of the “Tansir” gang. |
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Punjab must obey SYL verdict: Parmanand Jhajjar, June 20 The Governor was addressing a gathering at a function organised by the Ramkrishna Mission in Khungai village of the district. Urging the Punjab Government to implement the orders of the Supreme Court, he dismissed the objections of Punjab. He added, “Water is a natural asset, and no one should claim an exclusive right over it”. “Opportunities in the government services are being provided on discriminatory grounds. Government jobs are being sold like household articles, while the reports of people dying of hunger are pouring in from different parts of the country. How can we claim to provide equal opportunities and good governance amidst this scenario?” asked the Governor. He said that every family should be ensured a source of income. “All talks of ‘lokraj’ also appear hollow as those raising such slogans have failed to follow these principles and give a corruption-free and fearless environment to the people”, said the Governor. |
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Cotton institute to introduce hybrid seeds Sirsa, June 20 Talking to TNS at the research farm here Dr D Monga, head of the institute, said the results of the hybrid came after three years of research carried out by scientists. The hybrid cotton seeds have been named CSHH 198 and CISAA-2. While the former is an American seed, a variety commonly sowed by farmers in the region, the latter is a hybrid desi variety. The institute caters to demands and problems faced by farmers of the cotton belt in North India, including Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab. According to Dr Monga, more than 75 per cent farmers sow the imported or American variety and the new research would have far-reaching results for the farmers of the region. Dr Monga informed that both hybrid seeds were identified as of superior quality in terms of yield and fibre and recommended for cultivation in the region by the All India Coordinated Cotton Improvement Project, under whose aegis testing was done by the institute. A team of eminent scientists comprising Dr O.P. Tuteja, Dr S.L. Ahuja, Dr S.K. Verma, Dr R.A. Meena, Dr P. Jeyakumar and Dr D. Monga has developed the hybrid seeds. The hybrid CSHH-198 cotton seed is an intra-hirsutum hybrid with maturity of 162 days synchronous opening and fits well in the cotton-wheat rotation. During the tests conducted at research farms in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan during the year 2002-2004, the CSHH-198 recorded an overall average cotton yield of 21.96 quintals per hectare against 18.2 quintals per hectare of the variety LHH 144 and 13.78 q/ha of local checks. The desi cotton seed is sowed in parts of Haryana and Punjab touching the Rajasthan area where soil is not much fertile. The CISAA-2, the desi improved variety of cotton seeds recorded an overall average yield of 21.09 q/ha against 19.08 q/ha. The seed also recorded less damage by diseases and pests and an early maturing time of 160-170 days. |
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Samiti opposes exclusion of chapter on Ravidas Jhajjar, June 20 |
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Woman, son commit suicide Sonepat, June 20 While Ms Susheela and Rahul died after a few hours of being admitted in the local Civil Hospital, Pradeep was stated to be out of danger. It was stated that the relations between Ms Susheela her husband Brijesh Kumar were strained. The police has registered a case. |
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Fatehabad, June 20
