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Poll panel removes Narwana SDM
Former HSIDC MD shifted again
Cong not keen on completion of canal: Sampat
BKU’s protest
against SYL canal issue
CM’s sops ill-timed,
says HPCC
Ex-minister joins BJP
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GPF, pension, advance
now on computer
1,100 schools
upgraded in Haryana: CM
Education fair from Nov 6
Ranga seeks expeditious trial of his case
Two IPS officers transferred
Nabard sanctions 205 water schemes
Docs show concern over lawlessness
Three-day state mourning
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Poll panel removes Narwana SDM
Chandigarh, November 4 In its first action to ensure fair polling in Haryana before the next Assembly elections, the commission has ordered the removal of the SDM of Narwana, Mr Satbir Singh, the constituency represented by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, in the Assembly. According to commission sources, the step has been taken following a complaint by the former president of the Haryana Congress, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, whose son, Randeep, contested the last elections against Mr Chautala. Randeep is the president of the All-India Youth Congress. The sources say the commission has asked the Chief Secretary of Haryana, Mr Sunil Ahuja, to send a panel of three officers, out of which the commission would select one to be appointed as the SDM of Narwana. The SDMs are also normally Returning Officers of the Assembly segments in which they are posted as well as the Assistant Electoral Registration Officers. Since the revision of electoral rolls has already started, they have come under the control of the commission, without the approval of which the government cannot transfer them. Following a complaint by Mr Surjewala alleging certain irregularities in the preparation of the electoral rolls, a team of the commission had visited Narwana as well as certain other stations a few days ago. The sources say when the team visited the election office in Narwana, Mr Satbir Singh was not present there. He was allegedly busy with the visit of Mr Ajay Singh Chautala, MP, son of the Chief Minister. The commission is also believed to have ordered that before the publication of final electoral rolls of certain constituencies like Narwana, Bahadurgarh, Panipat, Sonepat, Mewla Maharajpur, Gurgaon and Faridabad, its prior approval should be obtained. Interestingly, Mr Satbir Singh, who was earlier working as a tehsildar, was nominated in the Haryana Civil Service (Executive) during the present government. |
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Former HSIDC MD shifted again
Chandigarh, November 4 Bureaucratic circles of Haryana interpret today’s order as a sign of the “continuing annoyance of the state’s ruling family” with him. These days Dr Harbaksh Singh is attending a training course in Hyderabad. The Special Secretary, Finance, Mrs Anuradha Gupta, will replace Dr Harbaksh Singh in the Information Technology Department. Mrs Gupta had been the Home Secretary of the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Dr Harbaksh Singh had held this post as additional charge even while he was looking after the HSIDC. Once he was considered to be Man Friday of the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala. Before the INLD came to power, it was widely believed that he would get posting in the Chief Minister’s Secretariat in Mr Chautala’s tenure. However, after Mr Chautala became the Chief Minister in July, 1999, it came as a big disappointment to Dr Harbaksh Singh when he failed to make in to the fourth floor where the CM Secretariat is housed. However, the sulking officer was compensated with the HSIDC posting along with the post of Commissioner and Secretary, Tourism. The Tourism Department came out of the red when he was its administrative Secretary. However, after some months, the Tourism Department was taken away from him. The government placated him by giving him the Information Technology Department. It is believed that Dr Harbaksh singh’s transfer from the IT Department is linked with the DLF-sponsored cyber city controversy. The opposition has alleged that the government wants to transfer the valuable Nathupur panchayat land to the DLF for a paltry sum. Dr Harbaksh Singh is believed to have not taken a “helpful” line on the file after his immediate subordinate, Mr Ashok
Khemka, opposed the transfer of land to the DLF. Interestingly, it was Dr Harbaksh
singh, who as the MD of the HSIDC, had conceived the cyber city project. A memorandum of understanding was also signed with an American company. However, the DLF somehow persuaded the political leadership to handover the project to it. By the time Dr Harbaksh Singh was transferred from the HSIDC, he brought domestic investment to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore to the Manesar Industrial Township in Gurgaon district. He earned the praise of industrialists for his positive approach. BMW, an automobile major, which was interested in setting up a unit at
Manesar, stopped taking interest in Haryana after his transfer. Now a delegation led by Mr Chautala will visit Germany next week to persuade BMW to invest in Haryana. Mr D.S. Dhesi, Commissioner and Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment and Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes, Sports and Civil Aviation Department, has been given additional charge of Women and Child Development during the leave period of Mr S.P. Sharma. Mr Bir Singh-II, HCS, Sub Divisional Officer (C), Meham, will also look after the work of Managing Director, Cooperative Sugar Mills, Meham, vice Mr Yash Pal, whose posting orders will be issued later on. |
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Cong not keen on completion of canal: Sampat
Chandigarh, November 4 Mr Gupta had yesterday claimed that the Punjab Governor was removed following demands made by the Haryana Congress, which sought, Mr O.P. Verma’s, ouster for his act of promptly giving assent to the Bill relating to termination of water sharing agreements of Punjab with other states. On the question of why Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who was instrumental in bringing the Bill to the Assembly, was not removed, Mr Gupta’s answer was that the party high command had stalled the Bill by referring it to the President of India. Talking to TNS today, Mr Sampat Singh said, Mr Gupta’s, remark in a press conference here yesterday had exposed the fact that the Congress was not interested in the completion of the SYL canal. “ We have been criticising the Congress precisely for what, Mr Gupta, had himself admitted yesterday. The work of the canal has come to a standstill as a result of the Bill passed by the Punjab Assembly. The Haryana Congress is happy that the Bill has been stalled. What we want is that the work of the canal should also start but the Congress does not seem to be interested in the construction of the canal,” the Finance Minister said. He alleged that the Congress party’s high command was fully aware that the Congress Government of Punjab was going to introduce the Termination of Water Agreements Bill in the Assembly. The Punjab Chief Minister was given the green signal by the party’s central leadership for bringing in the Bill, Mr Sampat Singh said, and added that the Governor, Mr O.P. Verma, also in all probability gave assent to the Bill after consulting the Union Home Ministry. The Finance Minister dismissed, Mr Gupta’s, claim on the removal of the Governor and said, Mr Verma, was asked to step down as part of the ongoing drive of the Congress-led Centre to change the Governors appointed by the previous NDA regime. “If the Central Government wanted, it could have annulled the Termination of Water Agreements Bill instead of referring it to the President of India,” Mr Sampat Singh said. He said that in item number 56 of the Union List of the Constitution, there is a clear directive that only Parliament can frame laws regarding inter-state water disputes. Mr Sampat Singh, added that while the Supreme Court gave a clear directive of to the Central Government to take over the canal course in two weeks’ time through an agency and start its construction, the Central Government kept sitting over the order for 12 days. “On the 12th day, the Punjab Assembly passed the Bill as a result of which the work of the construction could not start at all. It appears that the Central Government was waiting for the Punjab Government to pass the Bill so that the work did not need to be started,” he said. The Finance Minister also criticised, Mr Gupta, for his statement that no budgetary provision has been made for increasing old-age pension, unemployment allowance, etc, announced by the Chief Minister recently. He said supplementary grant would be arranged for making these payments. Disbursement of these payments would start from next month, Mr Sampat Singh said, and added that approximately Rs 50 crore would be spent for meeting the promises made by, Mr Chautala. |
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BKU’s protest
against SYL canal issue
Sonepat, November 4 According to a report, the procession was led by Mr Hari Singh Khokhar, former president of the BKU, and Mr Ram Mehar Singh, president of the district unit of the union. Carrying placard and raising anti-government slogans, they marched to the Mini Secretariat and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, demanding immediate completion of the SYL canal in Punjab territory and grant of remunerative price of foodgrains to the farmers. The DC received the memorandum and assured them that he would forward it to the state government for further action. Earlier, a rally was also held in Municipal Park which was addressed, among others, by Mr Hari Singh Khokhar and Mr Ram Mehar Singh. They warned the central and the state governments that if they failed to accept the demands of the BKU, the farmers would intensify their agitation on the canal issue. Mr Ram Mehar Singh demanded fair distribution of canal water among all the districts of the state. |
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CM’s sops ill-timed,
says HPCC
Chandigarh, November 4 HPCC Deputy Spokesperson, Deepak Rai Walia, alleged that such sops, which had been announced at the fag end of the tenure of the government, were nothing short of a ploy to hoodwink the electorate. in the coming Assembly elections early next year. Moreover, the
quantum of relief was “too meagre” to make any impact on the socio-economic lot of the
beneficiaries. The people of Haryana will enough to see through the gameplan of the Chautala Government in announcing the relief measure 100 days ahead of the poll and are determined to out the INLD government, Mr Walia added. |
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Ex-minister joins BJP
Hisar, November 4 Addressing mediapersons on the occasion, Prof Ganeshi Lal said the BJP would soon launch a campaign against the policies of the Chautala government. He alleged that the situation in the state was akin to a emergency. The BJP leader said the party would stage dharnas on November 8 at all district headquarters in the state against the deteriorating law and order situation in Haryana. Prof Ganeshi Lal remarked that the UPA government at the Centre had failed to check the hike in prices of essential commodities. He criticised the Congress for having “double standards” on the SYL issue. |
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GPF, pension, advance
now on computer
Chandigarh, November 4 This was disclosed by Mr Mohinder Singh, Accountant-General, Haryana, at a seminar on “Customer care” held here today to mark Vigilance Awareness Week being observed from November 1. The seminar was inaugurated by the Deputy Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Haryana, Mr. R.K. Khullar. The seminar was attended by representatives of pensioners’ associations from Faridabad, Rohtak, Karnal, Ambala and Panchkula, besides senior officers of the state Finance Department. He said the AG(A&E) had taken up computerisation of its functioning by implementing voucher-level computerisation of GPF, pension and long-term advances of the state government employees. The office of AG was maintaining GPF accounts of 2.70 lakh employees of the state government and 800 cases of pensions received every month for authorisation of their pensionary dues and GPF final payments. He said that a website had been launched to provide access to the pensioners and GPF subscribers to know the status of their pension and GPF final payment cases. Not only this, GPF subscribers can also get information about their current GPF balance, missing credits for the current year and GPF advances taken. They could also register their grievances online and also know the status of their complaints through this website. While delivering his inaugural address, Mr Khullar emphasised the need for dealing the problems of pensioners with sincerity. He said there was no greater service to senior citizens than by providing genuine care and prompt service to them. Most of the pensioners demanded that such seminars and workshops should be conducted atleast twice a year to remove their grievances. |
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1,100 schools
upgraded in Haryana: CM
Kaithal, November 4 Mr Chautala said that the old age pension at increased rates would be paid to the beneficiaries from December 1. He said all government hospitals, schools, roads and chaupals would be repaired by December 31 electric lines would be installed in new residential colonies, iron electric poles would be replaced by concrete poles and small transformers by big transformers. He said that the government was committed to provide drinking water, toilets and furniture in all schools. A fresh survey for the identification of below poverty line families would be started soon and people having yellow cards would be provided all facilities they were entitled to. Such families would be provided electric meters without any charges and advanced loans for the construction of houses under the Indira Awas
Yojna. |
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Education fair from Nov 6
Jagadhri, November 4 Several publishers, training consultants, education consultancy firms, IT service providers, banks, placement agencies, besides other companies and institutes related with the education are expected to participate in the fair. This was stated by Dr Raj Kumar, Adviser, MAIMT, at a press conference here today. The Tribune is the media sponsor of the fair. According to Mr Neeraj Garg, head, MCA Department, MAIMT, students and faculty members from over 150 schools, colleges and other institutions are going to take part in the fair. Besides the exhibition of latest books, educational seminars will also be held. “Painting, essay writing and slogan writing and advertisement designing competitions would also be held during the fair. Several schools and colleges from the area have confirmed their participation”, said Mr Amit Mital, head, MBA Department. Games like tambola, musical chair, 'Tol mol ke bol' are in store for the visitors to the fair. Specially designed programmes for children and housewives will be an added attraction of Connaissance – 2004.Dr V.K. Aggarwal, Dean, Academic Affairs, Kurukshetra University, and Mr S.S. Arora, Chief General Manager, Ballarpur Industries Limited, would be the chief guests on November 6 and 7, respectively. |
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Ranga seeks expeditious trial of his case
Chandigarh, November 4 In his petition, Mr Ranga has prayed that the trial against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act, which is pending in the court of M.M. Sharma, Special CBI Judge, Ambala, be finished at the earliest. Notice has been issued to the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) on his petition. Mr Ranga had been booked by the CBI in 1997 on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court for his role in the alleged bungling in the sale of wheat to private millers when he was Senior Regional Manager, Food Corporation of India, Haryana. In his petition, Mr Ranga has said that though the chargesheet against him was submitted in the CBI court in 2001, only 16 out of 200-odd witnesses have recorded their statement. He has stated that in the last two years, not a single witness has been examined. He has also stated that he is due to retire in July, 2008, and in view of the slow pace of trial, the case might take many more years to complete. The case will now come up on November 29 in the High Court. |
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Two IPS officers transferred
Chandigarh, November 4
He will also look after the work of SP, Special Branch, CID, Panchkula, relieving Mr M.S. Ahlawat, DIG, of additional charge.
Mr K.K. Rao, SP, State Vigilance Bureau, Hisar, has been given the additional
charge of SP, State Vigilance Bureau, Rohtak, relieving Mr M. Ravi Kiran. |
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Nabard sanctions 205 water schemes
Chandigarh, November 4 The total cost of the project is Rs 102 cr, of which Nabard assistance will be Rs 8,400 crore. The project will be implemented in 12 districts of Haryana — Ambala, Panchkula, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Kaithal, Karnal, Fatehabad, Hisar, Sirsa and Jind. |
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Docs show concern over lawlessness Ambala, November 4 The
doctors said the incident of ransacking of Dr Aneja’s hospital at
Ambala Cantt by “misguiding” the attendants of a patient and the
dacoity in the house of Dr N.P. Singh at Ambala City had made the
medical fraternity feel insecure. The meeting was presided over by the
president of the local unit of the association, Dr K.K. Bhatia, and
attended by a number of doctors, who expressed their annoyance over the
incidents . A senior doctor of Ambala City said the doctors and their
families were living in constant fear and threat these days . The
association made a resolution that the members of the IMA would be
compelled to stop providing emergency services at night if the district
administration was not able to provide security to its members, their
families and their properties. The association urged the state
government to take the issue seriously.
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Three-day state mourning
Chandigarh, November 4 An official spokesman said here today that during the period of mourning, the National Flag would be flown at half-mast on all government buildings and there would be no official entertainment during this period. |
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