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2,250 schools to be closed down from today
SP gets tough, arhtiyas observe bandh
Congress rally may strengthen Hooda’s hold on party
State fire services lack fire
CM to inaugurate judicial complex today
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Cancer institute in Jindal’s memory
Power supply to civilian houses in Ambala cantt cut
3 acquitted in murder case
high court
Loan amounts for marriage increased
6 hurt as police driver rams into factory
Notices to 17 schools on fake admissions
Entrance test for BE, B Tech
Search on for new VC
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2,250 schools to be closed down from today
Panchkula, April 30 Senior officials inform that a multi-pronged strategy has been adopted to ensure that schools running in urban residential areas are closed down. A committee constituted by the Chief Secretary, Haryana, recently decided to de-recognise and de-affiliate all such schools, and initiate proceedings for misuse of land against school managements. The Haryana Urban Development Authority (for schools running in houses within HUDA sectors) and the Urban Development Department, Haryana, (for schools running in residential premises within municipal limits) have already swung into action to close down schools that have not taken permission to use the land. Resumption proceedings have been initiated against most of these schools, and in many instances, these residential buildings have been sealed. Today, a meeting of representatives of all municipal bodies was held under the chairmanship of the Director, Urban Development, Haryana, wherein the municipal committees, municipal councils and municipal corporation, Faridabad, were asked to take action against these schools. Schools which have not closed down yet will face derecognition by the Education Department and de-affiliation from the Education Board. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had ruled in September last year that all schools operating from residential premises should be closed down by April 30, and no extension be allowed to these schools. Later, the high court asked the state government to identify the number of vacancies in government schools in the state so that the students enrolled in private and recognised schools which are closed down could be accommodated in these schools. Officials in the Education Department say that five lakh students who are likely to be displaced because of the closure of these schools can be accommodated in various government and private schools and their education would not be affected. They say that over 50 per cent of these students can be easily accommodated in government schools and the remaining can apply for admissions in other private schools. The high-powered committee constituted by the state government also decided that since creches are not covered under the definition of schools, these were exempt from the high court order. The committee also decided to seek clarification from the high court regarding schools running in residential areas within slums and in rural areas. They say that the high court orders were not clear if action was to be initiated against these schools as well. The committee has also granted a year’s relaxation to schools running in residential areas against the norms laid down in Haryana Education Rules. Schools running in residential areas where they do not have proper infrastructure will have to comply with the regulations by March 2006. |
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SP gets tough, arhtiyas observe bandh
Assandh (Karnal), April 30 The situation became tense in the township during the past 24 hours with reports of even a clash with the local police resulting into a cane-charge. All business establishments remained closed for many hours on Saturday on a call of bandh given by the local arhtiya association. It may be mentioned that Ram Pal informed the police last week that a few unidentified persons had robbed him of Rs 10 lakh. However, the SP who visited Assandh the very same day to investigate into the matter, is of the opinion that the complainant arhtiya has misled the police by giving wrong information as no robbery took place. Meanwhile, Ram Pal has alleged that the local police at the behest of the SP forced his eyewitnesses Suresh Kumar and Madan Lal to change their statement so as to implicate him in a false case of providing wrong information. He alleged that the witnesses were illegally confined to police custody to exert pressure on them to change their statements. The arhtiyas alleged that these witnesses were tortured at the local police station. The demanded the robbery incident and role of the police to be probed by an independent agency. On the other hand, Mr Ganpat, PRO of the district police, while confirming the police action against Ram Pal, said the police had filed a complaint before the local court to seek directions under Section 182 of the IPC for registering an FIR against the complainant. He said the inquiry into the incident was conducted by the CIA Staff under the personal supervision of the SP. The arhtiyas while protesting against the high handedness of the police, particularly of the SP, on the second consecutive day on Saturday forced the local businessmen to shutdown their establishments. They marched through the streets of the town raising slogans against the SP. Normal life was also paralysed. In the evening an official of the district administration told The Tribune that the local Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Deputy Superintendent of Police had called the agitating arhtiyas on Sunday to discuss the matter. |
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Congress rally may strengthen Hooda’s hold on party
Karnal, April 30 Party President Sonia Gandhi is expected to address the rally that is being organised to thank the people of Haryana for the huge mandate to the Congress. The rally will probably strengthen the command of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda over party workers and leaders. He had managed the CM’s chair, annoying many party colleagues. Ms Sonia Gandhi’s presence at the rally will provide the CM a chance to share the dais with leaders of all factions, indirectly helping to resolve the differences among themselves for the smooth running of the government. Interestingly, Mr Hooda has asked his media advisor Sunder Pal to organise workers’ meetings at district headquarters in which at least one minister of his Cabinet and a senior party functionary will address the workers. Sources close to Mr Hooda reveal that he is aiming at gathering a huge number of people in the Jat-heartland that would help silence his detractors within the party and raise his status among the Jat leadership. However, it is easier said than done to bring local leaders of all groups together during the workers’ meetings keeping in view the divisions and factionalism that came to the fore during the Assembly elections and thereafter. Reports from district headquarters in north Haryana reveal that the supporters of Mr Hooda have already started organising meetings of supporters without inviting district presidents, local MLAs and other functionaries not belonging to their faction. |
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State fire services lack fire
Karnal, April 30 Fire services are ill equipped with regard to men and machines and available resources are poorly managed. There is a requirement of at least 425 water tenders in the state but even 40 per cent of the fire tenders are not available as on date. According an official report, there are no fire stations in rural areas where 71 per cent of state’s population lives. Nearly 30 per cent fire calls were reported from rural areas from 1997-2003. As per the recommendations of the Standing Fire Advisory Committee (SFAC) of the Union Government, 4,268 fire stations are required to be set up in the state against which only 28 exist and that too in urban and semi-urban areas only. Nearly 39 per cent sanctioned posts of operational staff have been lying vacant. About 18 per cent fire-fighting equipment or vehicles are out of order while 30 per cent of such vehicles or equipment have outlived their lives. In 50 per cent fire stations, only 22 per cent hydrants are available and 87 per cent of the available hydrants are unserviceable. All these factors lead to increase in response time to calls, which is more than the prescribed time in a large number of cases. As per recommendations of the SFAC, in order to achieve reasonable efficiency, the locations of fire stations should be such that the men and equipment could reach any part of the area in 5 and 10 minutes in urban and rural area, respectively, after a call. However, the response time was more than the prescribed maximum time of 5 minutes in urban areas in 33 per cent cases while in rural areas, the response time was between 13 and 120 minutes in 72 per cent cases during 1997-2003. The total calls received for fire services in the state during this period were 1,910, the report further revealed. It stated that a scrutiny of the logbooks or fire reports had revealed that the delay in attending the calls was attributable to the non-existence of fire stations for every 4 sq miles, as per recommendations of SFAC. Most of the calls in rural areas were attended after covering a distance of 6 to 90 km. As a result of which, the total loss of property recorded through these calls by fire stations concerned was to the tune of Rs 192.48 crore during this period. |
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CM to inaugurate judicial complex today
Fatehabad, April 30 The district administration has set up 15 welcome gates in the town. Besides these several municipal councillors and prominent persons have set up their own welcome gates along the route Mr. Hooda’s convoy is to pass. The Chief Minister will reach Hisar by air from Chandigarh in the morning. He will come to Fatehabad from Hisar by road. The function to inaugurate the judicial complex will begin at 10 am and continue till 11.30 am. The administration will host a lunch for the Chief Minister, the Chief Justice and other judges in the local PWD rest house. After that the Chief Minister will have tea at residences of senior Congress leader Arvind Sharma and MLA Dura Ram. The new three storied judicial complex has been constructed for Rs 7.14 crore on 14 acre. The complex has 16 court rooms, three lifts, a bank, a record room, two lock-ups, a dispensary, a bar room, a canteen, a conference room, a library for judges, a master computer room and a litigant hall. The officials of judicial courts have been shifting the records to the new building. The courts will start functioning from the new complex from Monday onwards The local lawyers are pinning their hopes on the Chief Minister for the allocation of land for the construction of their chambers in the new judicial complex. Though the administration had offered a piece of land to the lawyers, they found it insufficient to construct chambers for all lawyers practicing in the local courts. The lawyers had met the Chief Minister in Chandigarh in this connection. |
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Cancer institute in Jindal’s memory
Hisar, April 30 Addressing the gathering, Mr Jindal’s son and Congress MP from Kurukshetra Naveen Jindal announced that besides the institute, the family would set up an engineering college, a polytechnic, a library, a school for the poor children and a park. Of these, the school and the park would be constructed in the Tibba Danasher area of the city. Besides, a museum would also be established. Mr Naveen Jindal said the family would try to fulfil the dream of his “Bauji”. “We will try our best to make Hisar a ‘dream city’ just as my father wanted,” he said. The Union Minister for Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation, Ms Selja, and the Congress MP from Hisar, Mr Jai Prakash, were present. |
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Power supply to civilian houses in Ambala cantt cut
Ambala, April 30 The snapping of power supply caused consternation among the bungalow owners in Ambala
cantt. About 60 bungalows, including the official residence of the Commissioner, Ambala Division, was affected due to power cut. An Army officer said that notices had been issued to the bungalow owners in the past in this regard. He said that sufficient time was given to the bungalow owners even this time but to no avail. “We get limited power supply for the cantonment. As there is high consumption of power in the civilian bungalows, officers and soldiers have to face power cuts. Also, we had already given prior information that we will cut power supply on April 30,” he said. Mr Raj Kumar, president of the Bungalow Owners Association, and other association members said that the power supply had been cut arbitrarily. “We are paying high rate of power to the MES as compared to the HVPN. Yet, our power supply has been cut. We fail to understand why such a draconian step has been initiated by the Army,” he said. He said that they had already taken up the matter with the HSEB but the project was not stated to be feasible as there was no feeder line passing through the cantonment area. “When the matter is already under consideration, then why should our power supply be snapped. A large number of families have been affected due to this decision,” he said. The bungalow owners said that this evening they received a format for an undertaking, which states, “I will take electric the connection from the
HSEB, Ambala, at the earliest, but not later than May 31, 2005. In case, I fail to acquire the connection from the
HSEB, Ambala, then the MES authorities are at liberty to disconnect my electricity connection after May 31, 2005,” the format reads. “We have been told that our power supply will be restored only after we submit this undertaking,” they said. They stated that they were stuck between the MES and the
HSEB. “While on one hand the MES does not want to provide us power, the HSEB is not in a position to give alternative power supply. What are we supposed to do,” he said. Mr Devender Bansal, MLA, Ambala Cantt, said that it was an unfortunate situation. “I have already spoken to the Minister of State for Defence, Mr
B.K. Handique, and he has promised to look into the matter. I have also spoken to the GOC 2 Corps, Lt General
K.D.S. Shekhawat,” he said. Mr Bansal said that they had been informed about the actual situation. “We have demanded that the power supply to the bungalows must be restored immediately,” he said. |
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3 acquitted in murder case
Ambala, April 30 According to prosecution, the Maheshnagar police station had registered a murder case against Montu and Changa on the complaint of Sandeep Mehta, the wife of the deceased. A case in this regard was also registered against Pappu. Later, on an application filed by the police, the court discharged Pappu in the case as his involvement was not found. Ms Mehta had alleged in her complaint that on March 17, 2002, she was coming with her husband Rajinder Mehta
(Bindu) to her home,she halted for a few minutes on way to a confectionery to purchase some eatables. Her husband sat down at a tent house close to the confectionery shop. Meanwhile, two youths appeared on a motor cycle. One of the youths shot her husband, who succumbed to his injuries. In the meantime, on information given by
Montu, the police registered a case against Ravinder, alias Bobby, in this regard as Montu had stated that the conspiracy of murdering Bindu was planned in the Ambala jail, where Bobby was also present. Later Montu was murdered in the Ambala Central Jail, while Changa was killed in a police encounter. The counsel of the accused, Mr Anil Kaushik, said the prosecution could not produce any solid evidence against Bobby and other two persons. Following the lack of evidences the court acquitted all three accused of the case. |
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Petition challenges lottery ban by Haryana Government Our High Court Correspondent
Chandigarh, April 30 The petitioners, who include government lottery agents and sellers, have said that over 50,000 families and over 2 lakh individuals would be affected by the decision and that is why it is against public policy. They have also questioned the government’s arguments that lottery business is a loss making business, adding that they can generate a revenue of Rs 16 crore every year from the same. The Haryana Government had recently announced its decision to ban lottery in the state with effect from May 1. However, the Bench of Mr Justice H.S. Bedi and Mr Justice Viney Mittal directed the petitioners to file separate and complete petitions as they had not annexed the notification in this regard. To this, counsel for the petitioners said since the notification had been issued only yesterday, they did not have adequate time to append the document. They stated that they had approached the court solely on the basis of news reports. However, the Bench adjourned the case sine-dine.
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Loan amounts for marriage increased
Chandigarh, April 30 While employees can now get a loan of up to Rs 1 lakh for the marriage of a daughter or a sister, the loan in the case of a son has been increased to Rs 60,000. Mr Birender Singh said it was for the first time after 1999 that the amount of loan for the marriage of a daughter, a sister or a son had been enhanced. Prior to today’s announcement, the amount of loan admissible was Rs 30,000 for the marriage of a sister or a daughter and Rs 20,000 for the marriage of a son. He said henceforth, apart from Class III and IV officials, this loan would be admissible to Class-II officers of the state government also and would be recoverable in 100 monthly instalments instead of 70. |
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6 hurt as police driver rams into factory
Fatehabad, April 30 According to reports, the gypsy was going towards police control room after dropping Mr Rajesh Kalia, DSP, in the local PWD Rest House. The vehicle, reportedly, being driven at a high speed first hit a canter and then dashed against the wall of Anil Industries situated on the highway. The impact was such that the front portion of the gypsy penetrated the factory. Three sadhus, Parkash Giri, Ashok Giri and Riku Giri, who had taken shelter in the factory, were injured in the incident. Three policemen Dalip Kumar, Om Parkash and Rajiv were also injured in the incident. |
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Notices to 17 schools on fake admissions
Sonepat, April 30 According to official sources, the managements of these schools have been directed to send their reply within 15 days. This action has caused resentment among schools situated in Sonepat, Ganaur and Gohana sub-divisions. The schools deny that they have issued fake certificates. They maintain that they allowed admission to students after their applications were counter-signed by the District Education Department. |
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Entrance test for BE, B Tech
Chandigarh, April 30 Stating this here today, a spokesman of the Technical Education Department said Guru Jambheshwar University, had released its brochure for sale. |
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Search on for new VC
Sirsa, April 30 Sources said the Chancellor and Governor would nominate the third member for the committee.
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Minimum wages may be raised
Chandigarh, April 30 |
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