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Factionalism within Cong takes ugly turn
CM’s rebuke to EC hollow
Elections to post of MC chief, vice-chief stayed
CBI unearths Rs 1.5 cr fake pension scam
Hailstorm damages 26 to 100 pc crop in four districts
Rohtak student wins essay-writing contest
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Copying menace tackled, claims
board Secy
Employees oppose shifting of office
Woman’s body found in trunk
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Factionalism within Cong takes ugly turn
Gurgaon, February 22 Capt Ajay Singh, Congress MLA from Rewari, without naming Mr Rao Inderjeet Singh said the Union Minister of State, who hails from South Haryana, worked against party nominees. The allegation of Capt Ajay Singh, considered to be in the vanguard of anti-Rao Bireder Singh politics, assumes serious political significance. In the Ahirwal belt, comprising districts of Rewari, Gurgaon and Mahendergarh, politics of Congress leaders is polarised between pro and anti-Rao Birender Singh, former Chief Minister of Haryana. Rao Inderjeet Singh is the son of Rao Birender Singh. In the past also there have been allegations of Rao Birender Singh clan opposing those who did not assist in fulfilling their political goal. However, the anti-Rao Birender Singh group in the Congress have been accused of not supporting Rao Inderjeet Singh in earlier elections. However, some leaders like Capt Ajay Singh, Rao Dharam Pal (Sohna), Rao Narender Singh (Ateli), Ms Anita Yadav (Salawas), have been winning elections in the past inspite of the opposition from the Rao Birender Singh’s clan. The anti-Rao Birender Singh faction allege that Rao Birender Singh’s family has a vested interest in not allowing others to rise and always try to brow beat the Congress leadership by claiming that it has monopoly in Ahirwal politics. The family leverages the figure of Rao Bireder Singh in the Congress high command just to scupper the political growth of the leaders who show signs of “independence and maturity” and “preferred loyalty” to the party organisation, they add. The allegation of Capt Ajay Singh should be seen in the context of various reports suggesting Congress nominees to be in tight spot in the constituencies falling in the Ahirwal region. Capt Ajay Singh while talking to newsmen was also critical of Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala making “uncalled for” utterances against the Election Commission. It is a constitutional body and Mr Chautala’s utterances were anti-democratic, he added. With regard Mr Chautala’s observation, a few days ago, that he(Capt Ajay Singh) and others would loose in the election, he said such statements don’t behove of a person holding such a high post. Responding to the issue of the Chief Minister, should the Congress come to power, he said it was for Ms Sonia Gandhi to decide. However, he said as the South Haryana had always been neglected it would be poetic justice if someone from the area was made the Chief Minister, he added. |
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CM’s rebuke to EC hollow
Chandigarh, February 22 The INLD supremo himself had been very kind towards retired bureaucrats. A few months ago he appointed a former IAS officer, Mr Chander Singh, as the state Election Commissioner, a post equal to the Election Commissioner of India. Among the first former bureaucrats to be accommodated in the INLD regime was Mr R.S. Chaudhary, who was made the Deputy Chairman of the state planning board, having a status of a Cabinet Minister, before he was shifted as Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University. A former Financial Commissioner, Mr G.V. Gupta, was made the Chairman of the Haryana State Industries Development Corporation. Later he became a member of the Sales Tax Tribunal. Similarly, Mr B.P. Sehgal was appointed Adviser to the Chief Minister. A former IPS officer, Mr S.A. Khan, was made the Chairman of the Mewat Development Board. Mr Vishnu Bhagwan, who retired as Chief Secretary, was made the Chairman of the Haryana Public Enterprises Bureau. He was instrumental in winding up a number of corporations and boards as well as downsizing various departments. But he himself got a two-year stint as Chairman before getting a three-year term as Vice-Chancellor of Guru Jambeshwar University, Hisar. Similarly, Mr M.K. Miglani, who retired as Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, became the Principal Adviser to the Chief Minister after superannuation. He moved on to become the Vice-Chancellor of Hisar Agriculture University. Mr Chautala’s largesse was not confined to former IAS or IPS officers alone. A former member of the Indian Foreign Service, Mr Prem Singh, became the Chairman of the Foreign Investment Board and made several trips abroad. Dr A.L. Choudhary, a former Vice-Chancellor of Hisar Agriculture University, was made the Chairman of the Cattle Development Board. Ex-armymen too found favour with Mr Chautala. Maj-Gen B.S. Suhag was first appointed the Vice-Chancellor of Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak. He was the only Vice-Chancellor to get second term in the INLD regime. During the last Lok Sabha elections, he was made the INLD candidate from Rohtak. After his defeat, Mr Chautala again wanted him to be posted as Vice-Chancellor, but the Governor did not agree. Maj-Gen B.S. Rathee is the Chairman of the Haryana Power Utilities. Brig O.P. Choudhary is the Chairman of the Haryana School Education Board, while Lieut-Col Raghbir Singh was first made a member of the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission before he was made its Chairman.
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Elections to post of MC chief, vice-chief stayed Panchkula, February 22 Acting on a petition filed by three members of the MC — Ms Maya Devi, Mr Mahavir Rana and Mr Sucha Singh, the Civil Judge, Senior Division, Magistrate, asked the Deputy Commissioner, Panchkula and SDM Kalka to file a reply on March 2. The three members had contested the decision of the administration to hold elections to the posts of President and Vice President, and pleaded that elections be not held till the results of the Vidhan Sabha elections were announced. In their petition filed before the court, they said that the elections of the Pinjore MC were being conducted hurriedly. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) enjoys the support of nine members of the committee, in a 15 member House. A notification for holding the elections was issued on February 18, and the SDM Kalka announced that the election would be held on February 21. However, only eight members were present yesterday, and the elections could not be held as the quorum was not complete. Nine members have to be present for the quorum to be complete. One member, who is also an office bearer of the INLD Pinjore unit, Mr Ravinder Arora, had failed to turn up for the elections yesterday.
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CBI unearths Rs 1.5 cr fake pension scam
Jind/Karnal, February 22 Sources told The Tribune that the CBI had last week arrested Subash Rohila, a railway clerk posted at Jind. After obtaining the police remand, the CBI carried out raids at Karnal, Jind, Julana and Gohana to recover the money. On Monday, two CBI team led by Inspectors Bharat Singh and R.J. Mishra from New Delhi conducted raids at Subash Rohila’s house in the railway colony, Jind, to get more clues on the investments made by the main accused. Simultaneous raids were also carried out on Monday at shops of two local arhtiyas, a tea vendor and a fertiliser distributor at Gohana. Subash Rohila had allegedly advanced Rs 24.50 lakh as loan to them. The CBI has recovered the amount from them, the sources said. Earlier, in a similar raid carried out at Subash Rohila’s another house in Karnal, last week, the CBI had recovered Rs 47 lakh. Raids were also conducted at Julana, Ahirika village (Jind) and at various other places in Jind and Karnal during the past couple of days. As per the details available, the main accused had prepared forged documents of hundreds of people after showing them that they had served as railway employees to illegally provide pension through the State Bank of Patiala’s Jind branch. No matter, the CBI was also probing into the alleged role of bank employees but senior officials have denied the involvement of its staff in the scam. Rather, they claimed that the bank had in fact unearthed the scam. The Tribune tried to contact, the official spokesman of the CBI on his mobile, this evening, for official comments but he did not respond. |
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Hailstorm damages 26 to 100 pc crop in four districts
Chandigarh, February 22 Sources in the department said the special girdwari carried out at Fatehabad said crops on 20,422 acres were affected. In neighbouring Hisar, crops on 10,303 acres were affected. The report from Sirsa said standing crops on 2,560 acres were hit while in Rewari crops the area was 275 acres. The reports of the Deputy Commissioners of Bhiwani, Mahendragarh and Karnal — three other districts that were also affected — are awaited. The sources said the reports from Fatehabad, Hisar, Sirsa and Rewari indicated that the crop damage varied between 26 per cent and 100 per cent. They added that only those farmers would get compensation whose crops had been damaged to the extent of 50 per cent or more. Compensation, to be paid from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, would be disbursed before March 31. The concerned farmers would get compensation at the rate of Rs 1000 for each hectare of unirrigated land and Rs 2,500 for each hectare of affected irrigated land. |
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Rohtak student wins essay-writing contest
Chandigarh, February 22 While stating this here today, a spokesman for the council said the competition was held for the year 2004-05. He said the second prize of Rs 2,400 in cash had been awarded to Chhavi of K.M. Senior Secondary Public School, Bhiwani. The third prize of Rs 900 in cash was awarded to Swati Mehta also of K.M. Senior Secondary Public School, Bhiwani. He said 10 others were selected for the consolation prize of Rs 600 each. They were Anchal Bansal of Nehru Senior Secondary School, Mandi Dabwali, Sumedha of Government High School, Bhambhewa, Jhajjar district, Richard Vincent Barreto of Christ Mission Senior Secondary School, Mandi Dabwali, Gazal Singla, DAV Centenary Public School, Panipat, Shagun Arora, Vaish Model Senior Secondary School, Bhiwani, Naina Mendiratta, Holy Child Public School, Rewari, Rahul, K M Senior Secondary Public School, Bhiwani, Seema, RD High School, Julana, Jind, Prashant Mittal, Jiwan Jyoti Senior Secondary School, Gurgaon, and Bindra Gupta, Sant Nischal Singh Public School, Yamunanagar. |
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Copying menace tackled, claims
board Secy
Panipat, February 22 Mr Gupta said this time only a single paper at an examination centre in Bhiwani district had to be cancelled due to the violation of its sanctity, compared to 17 centres in 2004, 92 in 2003, 49 in 2002, 111 in 2001 and the cancellation of papers at 212 centres of Middle examination in 2000. The board Secretary said this could be achieved by minimising the outside intervention in copying with the help of different district and police administrations. |
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Employees oppose shifting of office
Ambala, February 22 The association said that the shifting to Chandigarh is neither in the interest of the establishment nor of the employees. They have demanded that shifting be stopped. The employees have stated that the Ambala office, workshop and store is on rent for Rs 36,000 while in Chandigarh, only office building is available. They said that lakhs would have to be paid as rent for workshop and store. They observed that the proposed shifting was expensive proposition.
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Woman’s body found in trunk
Sonepat, February 22 The trunk was lying in the open and was spotted by some villagers in the morning. The railway police also found the body of an unidentified youth adjacent to the railway track near Harsana Kalan village. |
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11 shops burgled in Ambala city
Ambala, February 22 The burglaries took place in shops located near Manav Chowk. The thefts were discovered this morning. Affected shopkeepers told the police that the thieves had decamped with petty cash. They also took away some general merchandise goods. But there was no extensive loss.
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Bhardwaj gets additional charge
Chandigarh, February 22
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Liquor shops to remain closed
on Feb 27
Chandigarh, February 22
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