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Gotra row: ex-Sarpanch denies taking part in khap panchayat
I will return with two-thirds majority: Chautala
Scramble for ticket in Hisar seat
Functioning of EVMs demonstrated
Cong complains appointments still being made
BJP begins Jan Sampark Abhiyan
Govt wants ex-boxer appointed as HERC member
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Education Dept frames guidelines for starting self-financed colleges
Plea to check commercialisation of education
Robbers loot train passengers
Armed youths loot petrol station
Flesh trade racket ‘flourishing’ in residential areas
Hydraulic buffers may soon be shifted to Rail Museum
Rly electrification work inspected
Dy chief of Haryana planning panel dead
‘Guru-shishya parampara’ in Haryana
2004: IN RETROSPECT
Cold wave grips Haryana areas
BKU for construction of SYL Canal
Sardul regales audience
2 officials held for graft
Rangoli attracts crowds
Man posing as DIG's gunman held
Insurance men strike work
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Gotra row: ex-Sarpanch denies taking
Jhajjar, December 21 Responding to the show-cause notice of the Deputy Commissioner, the Sarpanch, Ms Puspa Devi, stated that she had never played any role in the gotra controversy over the marriage of Aashish and Darshana in her capacity as the elected Sarpanch of the village, adding that she had always given “appropriate suggestions” to resolve the tangle amicably and peacefully. She, however, held that she had resigned from her post on November 22 and hence relinquished the responsibility from the said date. In the five-point reply, Ms Devi had alleged that certain persons were trying to drag her into the controversy “to conceal their fault and weakness”. In fact, the Sarpanch stated that Aashish and Darshana had never approached the village panchayat through any application on which the panchayat could take any action or informed the district administration. Furthermore, she held that some khap (bhai-chara) panchayats had taken place, which, were attended by her. “No women were made part of those panchayats,” she said. The Sarpanch stated that she had given her statement to the Additional Deputy Commissioner about her role in the gotra row and that the statement should also be treated as part of the explanation which she was directed to submit today by the Deputy Commissioner. On the other hand, the aggrieved couple, Aashish and Darshana, had handed over a Video CD to the Deputy Commissioner, allegedly proving the active involvement of the Sarpanch Pushpa Devi in a khap panchayat which handed down the dictate to ostracising the couple for life and exiled them from the village. |
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I will return with two-thirds majority: Chautala
Rohtak, December 21 Addressing a press conference here he said the voters in Haryana had no other alternative but to vote for his party. “The voter cannot vote for the Congress that has helped Punjab stall the completion of the SYL canal. Of course, we are the only choice”, he declared. Responding to a query he said his party would not seek alliance with any other political party and if any party wanted to have an electoral understanding, be it the BJP or the BSP, it had to knock at the INLD doors. Asked why the voters deserted him and his party during the Lok Sabha poll, he said the people were tired of the BJP rule and the Congress was the only alternative. However, things are different now that the Assembly poll was approaching. This poll would be contested on the issues relevant to the state, he said. He said he would seek votes for the developmental projects executed in Haryana during his current tenure. “We have created history. It is there for all to see. Never before has so much money been pumped into the community development works. We can win this poll on this count alone”, he said. The Chief Minister said he was consulting his lawyers to challenge the stay on the Panchayat poll ordered by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He said the judiciary was not above the legislature. The judiciary could point out where the legislature erred, but, it had no right to undo what the legislature did in the public interest, he added. Denying the allegations regarding appointments, Mr Chautala said he was prepared for any kind of probe into the appointments made by the Haryana Public Service Commission and the Haryana Subordinate Services Selection Commission during his tenure. |
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Scramble for ticket in Hisar seat
Hisar, December 21 While the maximum rush of aspiring MLAs was witnessed at the local Congress Bhavan, hardly any ticket-seekers were seen at the BJP office, which wore a deserted look. On the other hand, members of the CPM are busy preparing for a state-level rally on people’s rights scheduled to be held on December 26. Hopeful of getting party ticket for one of the six Assembly segments of Hisar, a number of Congress members have been making rounds of the party office. According to party sources, requests for party ticket have been coming from Hisar, Barwala,
Ghirai, Narnaund, Bhattu Kalan and Buvani Khera constituencies. Mr Ramji Lal, former MP and president of the District Congress Committee (Rural), said they had invited applications for party ticket till December 22. Newly elected DCC working president Ramesh Godara has asserted that the Congress would win 80 seats in the 90-member Assembly. BJP workers at the party’s office maintained that senior members were busy making arrangements for the visit of state party chief Ganeshi Lal. Professor Lal will address a meeting of BJP workers here tomorrow. Senior CPM leader Prithvi Singh Gorakhpuria said the party could field 12 candidates for the elections. However, at present it was focusing on the rally that was to be addressed by veteran Communist leaders Sitaram Yechuri and Hannan
Maula. Meanwhile, the district administration and police authorities have begun making arrangements in view of the coming elections. Poll officials are training on electronic voting machines while the Police Department has initiated measures to ensure a free and fair poll. |
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Functioning of EVMs demonstrated
Ambala, December 21 The engineers explained about how to solve minor technical problems which might occur in the EVMs. They said a EVM could accommodate 16 candidates and if the number of candidates was more than 16, then another EVM could be connected. They stated that additional EVMs had also been arranged in case there was a major problem in an EVM. A meeting was held in Panchayat Bhavan, Ambala City, in which all technical details with regard to EVMs were provided. The meeting was presided over by the SDM, Mr Satbir Saini. Among others, the City Magistrate, Ms Amrita Singh, the Naib Tehsildar, Election, Mr Sant Lal, and officials from Panchkula, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Yamunanagar were present. |
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Cong complains appointments still being made
Chandigarh, December 21 Stating this here today, the President and the Working President of the party, Mr Bhajan Lal and Mr Randeep Surjewala, respectively, told newsmen that they had specifically mentioned about the appointment of about 100 police Sub-Inspectors and hundreds of JBT teachers, besides a large number of recruitments made in other departments after December 17. They were accompanied by a former Haryana Congress president, Mr Birender Singh; the officiating Leader of the Legislature Party, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav; Dr Ram Prakash, a former Minister; and Mr Tara Singh, a former MP. Earlier in the day the first meeting of the party’s manifesto committee was held here. Seven sub-groups were formed to elicit the views of various sections of society on several topics so that they could be included in the manifesto. The group headed by Mr Surjewala would compile the brief history of the Congress, misrule in the past nine years, corruption and non-governance of non-Congress governments and the state of law and order situation in the state. Mr Dharam Pal Malik, former party chief, would collect suggestions of the public on unemployment, rural and urban indebtedness and youth welfare. The group under Mr Tara Singh would suggest steps on improvement in the fields of irrigation, power, agriculture, environment, forest and revival agriculture in the state. Capt Yadav would write on fiscal mismanagement of the Chautala Government, state of foreign investment and infrastructure and the Congress projections in these fields. A former minister, Mrs Kartar Devi, would deal with subjects like women empowerment, social tensions under the INLD Government and the welfare of the Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes, economically weaker sections and the minorities. A former party chief, Mr Harpal Singh, will look after policies relating to the industry, trade and transport and welfare of ex-servicemen. Dr Ram Prakash will deal with education, technical education, medical education, information technology and universities. The committee will meet again on December 25. The Election Committee of the Haryana Congress will also meet here on the same day and would prepare panels of candidates for various constituencies. Meanwhile, a delegation of the All-India Confederation of SC/BC Organisations led by its state president, Mr Karamvir Singh, met the Congress leaders and submitted a 25-point charter of demands to them. The charter demanded various concessions for the Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes. |
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BJP begins Jan Sampark Abhiyan
Ambala, December 21 The activists were led by the district president, Mr Ravinder Dhawan, and a former MP, Mr Ratan Lal Kataria. The rally passed through the main bazars of Ambala Sadar, including Subzi Mandi, Sarafa Bazar, Bartan Bazar and Halwai Bazar. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Kataria criticised the Chautala government and said the common people in Haryana had been burdened with excess taxes. He said people were unable to lead a normal life due to the faulty policies of the Chautala government. Mr Kataria said there was rampant corruption and the law and order situation had deteriorated and people were feeling insecure. “People are dissatisfied with the present government and they want to change the Chautala government,” he said. He appealed to the people to vote for the BJP. He said people were unhappy with the Congress-led UPA government. Among others, Ms Neeta Khera, Mr Shish Pal Bhola, Mr Shubhadesh Mittal, Mr Surinder Bindra, Mr Mehar Singh, Mr Ravi Sehgal, Mr Ajay Jain, Mr Bimal Prakash, Mr Rajiv Gupta, Mr Raj Singh and Mr V.P. Chauhan were present. |
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Govt wants ex-boxer appointed as HERC member
Chandigarh, December 21 However, what the government has proposed, the Governor, Dr A.R. Kidwai, has disposed. According to informed sources, Dr Kidwai has written to the Chief Secretary, Mr Sunil Ahuja, to get clearance from the Election Commission in view of the code of conduct which came into force on December 17, before he (Dr Kidwai) administered the oath of office to the government’s nominee. The sources say a three-member search committee, comprising Justice N.K. Kapoor, a former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Ahuja himself and Mr
H.L. Bajaj, Chairman of the Central Electricity Authority, recommended the names of Mr Tej Singh
Tewatia, a former employee of the National Fertiliser Limited; and Mr Jagat Singh Dahiya, a former Chief Engineer of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), for appointment as members of
HERC. Interestingly, Justice Kapoor himself is awaiting appointment as the Lok Ayukta of Haryana. At present he is the Chairman of the Town and Country Planning Tribunal. His appointment as the Lok Ayukta has been opposed by the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Justice
B.K. Roy and the officiating Leader of the Congress Legislature Party, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav. The file is awaiting the approval of the Governor. Dr Kidwai is unlikely to approve his appointment because of the code of conduct. The sources say the search committee’s recommendation was processed by the Power Department on December 17, the day the code came into force, and was sent to the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, who approved the name of Mr
Tewatia. The sources say for reasons not known, Mr Dahiya, who is technically qualified, was ignored in favour of a non-technical person. The file was sent to the Governor on December 18 for approval. It is a strange coincidence that if Mr Tewatia also makes it to
HERC, all the three members of it would belong to a particular community. Two senior functionaries of HERC also belong to this community. Mr Tewatia is to be appointed in place of Mr Subhash Katyal, a former Minister, who resigned as a member of HERC on November 8.
HERC has also invited applications for appointment of an Ombudsman. The Congress MLA from Palwal, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, alleged here today that Mr Chautala had been saying in public that a former Chief Engineer of the UHBVN would be appointed the Ombudsman. He said this only proved that Mr Chautala had already made up his mind about the person to be appointed and the process of inviting applications was a sham. He urged the Governor to intervene and stop the Chief Minister from making any appointments in violation of the code of conduct imposed by the Election Commission. |
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Education Dept frames guidelines for
Rohtak, December 21 Significantly, the letters of intent and no objection certificates mean nothing at all since these institutions will have to seek affiliation from universities concerned for running these courses. The universities impose their own conditions before granting affiliation. To start with the department is charging Rs 100 for the copy of the guidelines. Any institution desiring to run more than one course has to buy one copy for each course as the department has stated in its public notice that photocopying or reproduction of the guidelines will entail legal action. The department will charge Rs 10,000 as inspection fee for each course. In addition, the colleges have to deposit Rs 2 lakh as endowment fund for each course. This amount will be forfeited in case the college concerned is unable to run or sustain the course. The justification given is that the money would be used to continue the studies of the enrolled students and pay salary to the staff. In case this amount is not sufficient and additional expenses are involved then the department will recover the balance from the managing body "as per the law of the state". This condition has been imposed even though the department is seeking proof of the availability of adequate working capital in addition to the endowment fund. So far as its own responsibilities are concerned, the department has made it clear that the institution concerned will "have to bear all recurring and non-recurring expenditure for all times to come". The government at any stage will give no financial assistance or grant. Stringent conditions have been imposed for buildings from were the courses would be run. One of these is: "the building should be planned, designed and constructed as earthquake resistant structure". Interestingly, many of the buildings of government colleges in the state do not fulfil this condition. Likewise, the other conditions governing infrastructure go far beyond what is available in government colleges at present. In its keenness for detail, the department has overlooked its own record rooms. The applicant colleges have been asked to furnish the names and number of colleges located within a radius of 40 km of the proposed college. The applicant is also supposed to furnish the details of courses run by these colleges along with the number of students enrolled. Most of the applicants are finding difficulty in gathering the facts since other institutions in the vicinity are unwilling to provide the details. Interestingly, all these details are available with the department itself. The department plans to allow setting up of new private self-financed colleges such as colleges imparting general education (usually undergraduate and postgraduate courses), colleges of education (B. Ed and M. Ed) and law colleges. Educationists say this would open floodgates for commercialisation of higher education. They point out that because of a similar policy the state already has more engineering colleges than it can sustain. These institutions have been fleecing students to meet their expenses. The same fate now awaits higher education. They say most of the engineering colleges were opened by supporters of whichever ruling party was in power at that particular time in the state by paying a huge amount as "party fund". The possibility of similar malpractices cannot be ruled out in the case of proposed self-financed colleges, they added. |
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Plea to check commercialisation of education
Ambala, December 21 The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr M.L. Kaushik, was the chief guest. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Kaushik observed that there was a need to check the commercialisation of education. He said the country had a rich cultural heritage, but the drop in values was leading to certain social discrepancies. Mr Kaushik urged the students to be honest and work hard so that they could help build a stronger and more vibrant country. The school Principal, Mr K.L. Nagpal, spoke about the achievements of the students in academics, sports and co-curricular activities. He said merit was the sole consideration for the admission of the students in the school. The students who had excelled in academics included Gagandeep, Deeksha Kapoor, Vaibhav Kakkar, Komal Kapoor, Ishan Dhingra, Kunal Verma, Abhinav Sood, Ritika Aggarwal, Ankur Bansal, Gaurav Gupta, Tina Sharma, Surya Bhatia, Swati Chitkara, Saurabh Singhla and Tanvi Bansal. The other academic awardees included Divya Anand, Ashita Bhardwaj, Kartik Chabra, Prachi Mittal, Ayush Bansal, Ritika Malhotra, Saksham Kumar, Divanshu Julka, Prarthana Sehgal, Sonali Kundal, Shivam Arora, Sahil Gupta, Simran Kalra, Tanushree Aggarwal, Shivam Ahuja, Kamalpreet Kaur, Swati Aggarwal, Anchal Kalra, Jasmeet Kaur, Abhuday Aggarwal, Harsimar Kaur, Ashima Kalra, Piyanka Jhulka, Mohnish Aggarwal, Yash Bhatia, Vikrant Dhillon, Abhishek Puri, Rajat Garg, Mangal Goel, Aditi Puri, Rohit Singh, Mohit Saini, Anisha Gupta, Suparn Gupta, Hitesh Jhulka, Chunauti Duggal, Neha Goel, Ashu Gupta, Jyoti Arora, Manish Singh, Surbhi Aggarwal and Payal. |
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Robbers loot train passengers
Sonepat, December 21 According to sources in the police, the alleged robbers boarded the train at Rathdhanna railway station and threatened the passengers with dire consequences if they raised the alarm. Some of them stood at the entrance gate and the others showed knives to the passengers and asked them to remove their clothes. Thereafter they searched the pockets and took away the money. When the train was to reach Narela station they got down from the moving train and fled. Most of the passengers belonged to Bihar and they were returning to house with the money work. Three of them namely Chhatru Yadav, Dholan and Shiv Charan who resisted the miscreants were attacked with knives and sustained injuries. The injured were hospitalised. Later they informed the Delhi police about the incident and returned to Sonepat cancelling the onward journey as the robbers had snatched their tickets also. The looted passengers have been identified as Chhatru Yadav, Guddu Yadav, Dholan Paswan, Kanchan Paswan, Shankar Paswan, Ajay Paswan, Subhash Paswan and Shiv Charan Paswan. |
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Armed youths loot petrol station
Sonepat, December 21 The youths reached the petrol station around 5 a.m. for purchasing petrol but the petrol station was closed. They knocked at the main entrance and asked the salesman to open the gate as they wanted to purchase petrol. The salesman, Dharamvir, asked them to come at 6 a.m. When the youths told him that they had to go to a distant place, the salesman opened the gate. The youths allegedly aimed a pistol at him and asked him to hand over the cash to them. The salesman handed over Rs 50,000 to them and they fled on a motor cycle. Dharamvir informed the owner of the petrol station on the telephone. The owner informed the police about the incident and the police started a search for the miscreants. According to another report, at least four unidentified armed car-borne youths reportedly looted a petrol station on the National Highway No. 1 near Hassanpur Kurar village, about 10 km from here, this morning. |
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Flesh trade racket ‘flourishing’ in residential areas
Yamunanagar, December 21 Some of the guesthouses and motels located in the twin townships of Jagadhri and Yamunanagar have also become centre of flesh trade. The Guesthouse or motel owners are said to be providing rooms for anything between Rs 100 and Rs 150 and even ‘arranging’ girls for the customers. Pimps are bringing girls here from UP, Himachal Pardesh and even from West Bengal and Assam. It is alleged that prostitution is going on unchecked in parts of ward No. 4, 32 and 23. Residents of the area have reportedly complained to the police on several occasions but the police, it is alleged had acted only in few cases. Migrant labourers are also involved in the flesh trade. “These migrant women charge anything between Rs 50 and Rs 200. They mostly target truck drivers and migrant labourers”, said a police official. About 50,000 migrant labourers are working here in different factories. The proximity of the district with UP and Himachal Pardesh is also one of the reasons for the thriving flesh trade. A police official told The Tribune that
girls were being frequently brought here from Himachal Pardesh and Uttar Pardesh and
vice-versa. The three girls who were arrested allegedly for being involved in flesh trade from Kalindi Colony last month belonged to Muradabad, UP. Another alarming fact that has come to light during surveys conducted by different agencies and during police interrogation of girls involved in immoral trafficking was unsafe sex. It is said that the ‘customers’ are not interested in using condoms. |
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Hydraulic buffers may soon be
Kalka, December 21 Efforts are still under way to revive the two sets of hydraulic buffers — a safety device used to stop steam engines in emergency — at the terminal-end. In the process, one of the pistons has been completely pulled out and is lying neglected at the railway station here. Senior Railway officials say that in case the procedure for revival is found to be economically or mechanically unviable, it could be dismantled and put up as an exhibit at the Rail Museum coming up at Shimla which is dedicated to the Kalka-Shimla heritage rail section. The hydraulic buffers here are the only over left in the country, as these have been replaced at all terminal ends with mechanical buffers. Kalka is a terminal-end for the broadgauge line before a narrow gauge track takes off from here to Shimla. The Senior Divisional Mechanical Engineer, Ambala division, Mr S.P. Singh, said the Railways were still checking the feasibility of repairing the hydraulic buffers, and the economics involved, before a final decision on dismantling the buffers from Kalka railway station was taken. “These buffers have a lot of historical importance. So, we are exploring the feasibility of their repair and also how the 12-feet-long pistons can be machine-lifted so that the skidding of the surface is carried out,” he said. Years of neglect have played havoc with the buffers, which represent the glorious period of the early mechanical age. Railway officials say that the gears of the buffers have worn out and the rams of these buffers have corroded after remaining pressed in the cylinders for a long time. The spring action now has to be brought at an appropriate level for making these functional. Even the hydraulic pipes have to be reconditioned. These rams were mechanically pulled out from the cylinders last year for the revival of the buffers. It was then that the Railway officials found that corrosion had caused pits on these rams, which rendered these defunct. Officials say that it is only by grinding the rams and chrome-plating that the outer surface can be smoothened. A team of experts from the mechanical division of the Railways, Kalka, had earlier been sent to Kolkata — the only other place where similar hydraulic buffers were installed by the British — to see how the Eastern Railway was maintaining these at the Howrah terminal-end. However, the team was told that the hydraulic buffers at Howrah had long been removed. The hydraulic buffers were installed at the broad gauge terminal-end here in 1927 by a British company — Ransome and Rapier. These work on the principle of water pressure, where the rams of these buffers would be pushed in the water-filled cylinders after the steam engines hit these rams. These engines would hit the rams at a speed of 8 km per hour, and thus stop the steam engine, which had a poor brake facility. As the rams went in the cylinders, the water from the cylinders came out. These buffers are one of the last pieces of Railway memorabilia at the railway station here. It may be recalled that the hand-operated crane, made in 1905, with its wooden boom, had been lying in the Kalka yard till 2003, when it was shifted to the Jagadhari railway shed for the 100-year celebrations of the shed. The crane was never sent back to the Kalka yard and is now displayed outside the Jagadhari workshop. The crane was used by the mechanical wing to lift derailed coaches involved in accidents. As many as eight persons were put on the job to rotate the handle of the crane and lift the material. This crane was made by T Worsdell Engineer, Birmingham; and weighs approximately 10 tons. It was in use till the 1940s, when it was replaced by the iron cranes in the Kalka yard. |
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Rly electrification work inspected
Ambala, December 21 Mr Kalsi also took stock of the electrification work being done in Saharanpur as well as
Moradabad. A meeting of senior officers of railway electrification was chaired by Mr Kalsi in which the progress of the different projects was assessed. The Ambala project manager, Mr Man Singh, assured Mr Kalsi that the targets would be met within the stipulated time. NRMU and URMU office-bearers also met Mr Kalsi and put across their problems. Mr Kalsi is going to retire on December 31. A sapling plantation programme was held which was followed by a cultural programme. |
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Dy chief of Haryana planning panel dead
Chandigarh, December 21 A son of Mr Bhagwat Dayal Sharma, Rajesh Sharma was a former Sports Minister of Haryana. He is survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters. His cremation will take place here tomorrow, family sources said tonight.
— TNS |
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‘Guru-shishya parampara’ in Haryana
Kurukshetra, December 21 Mr. R.T. Jindal, Director of the NZCC, revealed this while talking to the media persons here, today. He was here in connection with the on-going four-day Kurukshetra Utsav-Gita Jyanti celebrations. He said the Kurukshetra Utsav was a unique platform where arts and artistes get an opportunity to showcase their talent. He said the NZCC was sincere in preserving the ancient vocal and instrumental music of Haryana, which were on the verge of becoming extinct. For this, it was imperative to maintain the “guru shishaya parampara and old gharana system”, he said. Mr Jindal said the main aim of appointing the gurus was to groom the artistes in the folk arts so that the ancient traditions could pass on to the next generations. He disclosed that about 600 artistes, craftsmen and eminent stage performers from all over the country were participating in the Gita Jyanti celebrations. He maintained that a new plan had been envisaged by the NZCC to identify the folk artistes and craftsmen, residing in the far-flung areas, so that their art could be recognised. |
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Cold wave grips Haryana areas
Karnal, December 21 The dense fog in the morning with very little visibility is what the citizens of these districts have been going through these days. The minimum temperature recorded in Panipat last night was 8°C, Karnal 8.2°C, Kurukshetra 7.6°C, Yamunanagar 8.1°C and Ambala 11.5°C. The maximum temperature of the day in these cities ranged from 19°C to 23°C. The Weather Department has predicted that temperatures could come down further within the next few days due to the cloud cover over the state. Little showers have also been forecast for this region in the next couple of days. SONEPAT: Sonepat city and its adjoining areas experienced yet another cold day today on account of thick fog that enveloped the region. According to a report, the fog also disrupted the road and rail traffic throughout the day. The movement of all the long distance and suburban trains was also disrupted. The delayed trains included the Amritsar-bound Barauni Express (seven hours), The Unchahar Express (seven hours), the Malwa Express (one hour and 50 minutes) and the Flying Mall. Similarly, the Delhi-bound Bathinda Express and the Amritsar Super also ran behind schedule. |
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BKU for construction of SYL Canal
Sonepat, December 21 According to a report, the administration is planning to enforce Section 144 CR PC, Additional police force would be deployed to meet any eventuality on that day. Previously, the District Magistrate had promulgated the prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr PC but the BKU had violated it by holding a massive rally on the site. Meanwhile, BKU leaders have announced that they would obstruct the flow of water towards Delhi on December 23 next if the Central Government failed to complete the SYL Canal in the Punjab territory. They warned that if the government tried to arrest farmers or register false cases they would launch an agitation. |
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Sardul regales audience
Kurukshetra, December 21 Unlike his image of a pop singer, the Punjabi singer also narrated the episode of “Dropati Cheer
Haran” from the Mahabharata presenting the lyrics in the form of a song. Sardul Sikandar also regaled the audience by presenting Punjabi folk songs. Earlier in an interview, Sikander maintained that the origin of folk vocal was based on spirituality and no artiste could become perfect without the grace of God. He asserted that the western culture was destroying the fabric or rich cultural heritage of India. |
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2 officials held for graft
Ambala, December 21 According to information, Chand Ram, a resident of Bihita village had applied for the birth certificates of his three children. Two officials of the office had demanded Rs 1,200 for issuing the same. Chand Ram had already paid them Rs 700, but they were demanding the remaining sum of Rs 500. Chand Ram filed a complaint with the DIG, Vigilance Bureau, Mr M.S. Ahlawat who constituted a raiding party. As soon as Chand Ram handed over the amount of Rs 500 to Subhash Kumar in his office, the raiding party nabbed him. Subhash later disclosed to the raiding party that another official of his office, Tara Chand, was also involved in this deal. The bureau has registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption Act against the two officials. |
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Rangoli attracts crowds
Kurukshetra, December 21 Rangolis done by Nagpur-based Vandana Joshi and 67-year-old Trimbak Joshi were appreciated. One of the Joshi’s works has been recognised as the largest of its kind in the globe by the Guinness Book of World Records. Vandana Joshi said, “Art in India has been a form of worship. Its practice has been a part of spiritual process. Art since time immemorial has cheered weary souls, brought in life to mundane existence of human beings and has virtually coloured our grey lives and rangoli is one such source”. Trimbak Joshi, who has been making rangoli for the past 31 years and has been honoured by the Maharashtra Government a number of times, said rangoli had become an attraction for thousands of
people. His rangoli with a festive look has added colours to the Gita Jayanti celebrations depicting various lively scenes of Mahabharata. One of his works depicts Lord Kirshna giving message of the Gita to Arjuna. The lively pictures of Indara, Kunti, Karana and Bheem were also displayed. |
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Man posing as DIG's gunman held
Yamunanagar, December 21 A person identifying himself as a gunman of a Haryana DIG rang at the city police station asking official to shift the accused, Rohtas, to a hospital on a pretext that he was ill. The police forwarded the information to the Deputy Superintendent of the Jail. The jail official investigated the matter and found it to be false. He got suspicious and reported the matter to the police. The caller was later identified as Sunil, who was earlier arrested for allegedly acting as a pimp in flesh trade racket. He was released on bail a few days ago. His father too has been booked in the same case. The calls were made yesterday and on Sunday last. |
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Insurance men strike work
Hisar, December 21 They were protesting against the delay in the provision of salary increments and enhancing the share of private companies in the insurance sector. The protesters staged a protest demonstration in the Red Square market. Addressing the employees, All-India Insurance Employees Association joint secretary Suman Mitra condemned the government for the inordinate delay in the grant of increments. General Insurance Employees Association joint secretary Sunil Sharma decried the government move of increasing the share of private companies in the insurance sector from 26 to 49 per cent. |
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Kalka, December 21
