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Birender defends decision on waiving
pending power bills
Vidhan Sabha passes seven Bills
Haryana to recruit teachers on a war footing
Hooch tragedy: 320 litres of spirit seized
Farmers protest against
erratic power supply
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MDUTA accuses VC of shielding corrupt
Bhuna sugar mill to be leased out
Govt employees stage dharna
Ambala MC chief cremated
College offers job-oriented courses
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Birender defends decision on waiving
Chandigarh, June 20 He claimed that waiving the pending electricity bills of rural domestic consumers and tubewells did not mean supplying power free of cost. The Finance Minister, who was interacting with mediapersons at a “Meet the Press” programme organised at the Chandigarh Press Club here, said that an atmosphere was being created where the consumers would pay their bills regularly. “In case even 75 per cent of the consumers followed the scheme in its true spirit, the power tariff might be reduced after 20 months.” When asked to comment on the formula of filling up the gap of Rs 1,600 crore, he said that while the Government would contribute Rs 20 crore per month, the power utilities would also make a contribution of Rs 10 crore per month and it was such an amount which could be paid easily by them. In reply to a question on the present status of the tate exchequer, Mr Birender Singh said that as a result of the concessions and incentives announced by the previous government led by Mr Om Prakash Chautala during the last seven months, there was a burden of more than Rs 700 crore. Now the present government had taken steps to keep the exchequer in sound health. He said he had Rs 400 crore which could be spent for any project in the power sector. He said he could pay this amount even for state equity for any project and this had been made possible as a result of efficient financial management. In reply to a question on the possibility of giving concession to the urban consumers of electricity, Mr Birender Singh said that the committee which was constituted under his chairmanship to sort out the issue of arrears of electricity bills, had given its only interim report and the final report was yet to be submitted. |
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Vidhan Sabha passes seven Bills
Chandigarh, June 20 During the debate on the Haryana State Industrial Security Force (Repeal) Bill, 2005, the Deputy Leader of the INLD Legislature Party, Dr Sushil Indora, said in a welfare state the government had a larger role to play. Opposing the Bill moved by the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, Dr Indora said the Bill should be taken back because it concerned the career of about 3500 youths. Mr Surjewala said the Act was “a stillborn law” as the previous government had not notified it. He said there was no demand for the force from the industry. Shortly before the Assembly elections, the former Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, had gone ahead with his “politically motivated” move to create the force and recruit the youth from whom Mr Chautala should seek unconditional apology. Mr Ram Kumar Gautam of the BJP supported the Bill. Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala and Mr Karan Singh Dalal, both of the Congress, took potshots at Mr Chautala. Mr Dalal said since Mr Chautala could not face the people, he had gone into hiding now. The Bill was passed by voice vote amidst a walkout by the INLD members. The INLD members again walked out of the House in protest against the Haryana Public Service Commission (Additional Functions) Amendment Bill, 2005. The Bill aims at giving powers to the boards and corporations to select candidates for their posts instead of filling them on the recommendations of the Haryana Public Service Commission. During the INLD Government these powers were given to the commission. Opposing the Bill Dr Sita Ram (INLD) said officers whom the government would select on their own would be under its pressure. The Finance Minister, Mr Birender Singh, said the INLD member should explain why and how the resignations of the members of the commission were obtained. He said recently a delegation of 50 persons had met him and told him that they were selected to various posts under the “sports quota”. They admitted that their certificates were not genuine but they should be allowed to continue in their jobs. Mr Randeep Surjewala, who also intervened, took a strong objection to certain remarks made by Dr Sita Ram against the judiciary. The Speaker also restrained the INLD member from speaking against the judiciary. Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, who supported the Bill, alleged that the commission had been working as the handmaid of Mr Chautala and its former President, Dr K.C. Bangar, was “very corrupt”. He demanded a commission of inquiry to go into the recruitments made by the Public Service Commission. Mr Randeep Surjewala alleged that Mr Chautala had criminally intimidated the members of the commission to obtain their resignations. He said Dr Bangar and his wife used to run the election office of Mr Chautala. The House also passed the Haryana Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Bill, the Haryana Municipal (Amendment) Bill, the Haryana Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, the Haryana Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill and the Haryana Legislative Assembly (Allowances and Pension of Members) Amendment BIll. While the Fiscal Responsibility Bill would enable to government to avail itself of the benefits of debt relief schemes recommended by the 12th Finance Commission, the Municipal Bills would empower the government to nominate members to the civic bodies. |
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Haryana to recruit teachers on a war footing
Chandigarh, June 20 Perturbed by the large number of vacancies in government colleges, adversely
affecting education, especially in the rural areas, and reports where students have been admitted to colleges despite non-availability of faculty, the government has decided to address the problem of vacancies plaguing higher education on priority basis. The Higher Education Department has undertaken the exercise of filling 355 vacant posts in colleges on a war-footing and the process is likely to be completed before the students settle in their new classes and get down to serious study. To hasten matters, the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has approved the constitution of a four-member departmental committee headed by the Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Mr R.S. Gujral, to fill these posts without further loss of time. Officials said Mr Hooda was taking keen interest in academic matters and uplifting the standard of education in the state and was even monitoring the day-to-day developments with regard to recruitment of teachers. The selection of new regular teachers would be held sometime in mid July by the committee whose other members include the Higher
Education Commissioner, one senior-level expert of the subject concerned from a state university and one
Principal of the college. Incidentally, the state government has already taken a decision to take Class II posts out of the purview of the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) recently
and a formal notification for the same is expected shortly. “We have checked up with the branch concerned about going ahead with the recruitment of teachers. The feedback we have is that the posts can be filled by the administrative department with the approval of the Education Minister, Mr Phool Chand Maulana, who is already overseeing the entire exercise,” said Mr K.K. Khandelwal, Commissioner, Higher
Education. Also, since a large number of candidates are expected to apply for these posts and sale of forms, scrutiny of forms and issuing of letters would contribute to a lot of additional work, the department has even proposed the creation of a separate cell for the purpose. It has also been decided by the government that emphasis has to be given to subjects of English, economics, commerce and science subjects in comparison to physical education, Punjabi, Sanskrit, which the department maintained, “had lost their significance at the under-graduate level and hardly had
any takers”. While a maximum of 90 new teachers would be recruited in English, 70 posts of commerce teacher and 60 of mathematics will be advertised by the department shortly among others. |
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Hooch tragedy: 320 litres of spirit seized
Rewari, June 20 The spirit was contained in seven drums which were found hidden inside a heap of chaff. Samples of the spirit have now been despatched to the state forensic laboratory, Madhuban (Karnal), for chemical examination. Mr Azad Siingh Chahar, Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner, and Dr C.S. Rao, SP, led the joint operation. Meanwhile, the police has arrested Chawli Devi, mother of Raju, in connection with the case of murder and causing hurt by poison under Sections 302, 328 and 34 of the IPC. Raju, along with his three accomplices, Bijender, Rajpal and Manju, had gone into hiding as soon as the lid over the hooch tragedy was off. Besides taking serious notice of the circumstances which led to the hooch tragedy, occurring for the first time in the Rewari region in living memory, Dr Rao has suspended Sub-Inspector Ranvir Singh, Station House Officer of Kasaula police station near here for dereliction of duty in the matter. Simultaneously, Mr Pat Ram Singh, DSP, Headquarters, has been entrusted with the departmental inquiry ordered against Mr Mir Singh, Station House Officer of Model Town police station, here whose performance too was reportedly deemed lackadaisical in the grave matter. |
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Farmers protest against
erratic power supply
Chhachhrouli, June 20 In another incident, fed up with “highly irregular” drinking water supply, residents of three colonies — Dhobian Mohala, Chodriana Mohala and Gas Agency Street — of Bilaspur took to the streets and threatened to lock the tubewell. However, the Junior Engineer concerned, with the help Mr Mukesh Garg, Sarpanch of Bilaspur village, pacified them. The JE promised them that the supply would be normalised in a week’s time. As per sources, farmers from Bherthal, Bateri, Mahmoodpur, Chaharoon, Jatheri, Ahlowala, Jhewarheri, Mahelawali and Mamli villages disrupted traffic on the highway. They were demanding that a senior official should listen to their problems. The farmers complained that they were facing power problems for the past 20 days and their crops were withering. KARNAL: Widespread protests by farmers had been reported from various parts of the district during the past 24 hours against the erratic power supply. A group of farmers protested on the Nilokheri-Pehowa road and halted traffic for more than five hours today. In Nigdu, farmers marched through the main streets of the township and raised slogans against the Chief Minister, the District Magistrate and local officials of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN). Reports of protests had also come from Assandh, Nissing and other parts of the district. As per the reports available from various parts of the district, people were facing the “worst-ever situation” as far as the power supply was concerned. Farmers from different parts of the district had alleged that there were unscheduled power cuts of more than 15 hours in the rural areas, thereby affecting the plantation of the paddy crop. The traffic was restored only after an assurance of improving power supply within 24 hours by the local Tehsildar and officials of the UHBVN. An official of the UHBVN said that there was shortage of power supply from the grid itself and the situation was out of their hands. Hundreds of residents of Nigdu marched through the main streets of the township and protested against erratic power supply, this afternoon. They raised slogans against the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the local District Magistrate, Mr Shyamal Mishra, and local officials of the UHBVN. There were also reports of protest by the farmers on the national highway near Gharaunda. They blocked traffic on the national highway for about one hour. |
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MDUTA accuses VC of shielding corrupt
Rohtak, June 20 A resolution passed at a meeting of the executive committee of the association held here today under the chairmanship of Dr Vazir Nehra in this regard said that instead of taking the university ahead the VC’s was dragging it backwards. It appealed to all members of the university community to oppose the VCs policies and expose the corrupt elements which had already done much harm to the institution. It said the 50-point agreement reached between the VC and the MDUTA last year had not been implemented yet. Teachers covered by the merit promotion scheme and the Career advancement scheme were being victimised. The university Act, statute and bylaws were being violated by creating unhealthy precedents. Teachers and students of self-financed departments and courses were being exploited and students charged Rs 500 for the prospectus. The resolution alleged that the memoranda of understanding reached with various firms during the Chautala regime were still being enforced and corrupt elements were being shielded. The administration was creating hurdles in the way of the probe into deals executed by the Directorate of Distance Education ordered by the government, it added. |
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Bhuna sugar mill to be leased out
Chandigarh, June 20 Replying to a question in the Assembly today during question hour, Mr Hooda said the Board of Directors of the Bhuna Mill had already decided to hand over the mill to private hands. He said the employees of the Bhuna Mill would be adjusted in other cooperative sugar mills, and added that employees would be shortly asked by the government whether they were interested in working in other sugar mills on deputation. Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, who was initially replying the question on behalf of the Chief Minister, ducked a query from Independent member, Mr Tejender Singh Mann, who asked whether the government would take any action against the officers who backed the plan of the political bosses of setting up the mill. Mr Surjewala’s answer to Mr Mann’s question was if Mr Mann could give any specific instance of connivance of officers in setting up the unviable mill, then a probe would be ordered.
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Govt employees stage dharna
Kaithal, June 20 They were protesting against the highhandedness of the officials of the Vigilance Bureau (VB). The VB had registered a case against Naib
Tehsildar, Rajound, under the Prevention of Corruption Act on Friday last. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Ashok
Khemka, had stalled the arrest of the booked official when it was brought to his notice by the Executive Magistrate
(EM) accompanying the vigilance team that no money was recovered from the officer in his presence and he refused to sign the papers prepared by the vigilance team. The dharna was withdrawn at about 1 pm following an appeal made by the Deputy Commissioner. Employee leaders alleged that the VB has let loose a reign of terror against the state employees and threatened to launch a statewide agitation if the government did not act to control the alleged illegal activities of the VB. |
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Ambala MC chief cremated
Ambala, June 20 Pammi had died in a road accident at Jagadhari yesterday. A large number of people turned up at the cremation ground. Haryana Excise and Taxation Minister and Ambala City MLA Vinod Sharma visited Pammi’s residence this morning. Wreaths were laid by Additional Deputy Commissioner Renu Phulia and SDM of Ambala Mukesh Ahuja. Municipal Councillors from Ambala City as well as Ambala Sadar were present. Congress leaders, including Mr Ashok Jain, Ms Kiran Bala Jain, Mr Bittoo Chawla and Balwant Gupta, and MC Ambala Sadar president Neelam Sharma were also present. Inder Pal Singh Pammi’s wife, Sudesh, was brought to the cremation ground in an ambulance. Sudesh has sustained injuries in the accident. Her arrival made the scene poignant at the cremation ground. Pammi’s son Sunny is a student of Jain College, Ambala City. |
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College offers job-oriented courses
Ambala, June 20 The college Principal, Dr S.S. Phulia said the college offers three-year degree course in the Bachelor of Tourism Management and Bachelor of Information & Management. The career-oriented add-on courses are Diploma in Guidance and Counselling, Diploma in Information Technology and Diploma in Tourism Management. The postgraduate courses being offered by the college are MA (Hindi), MA (Punjabi), M.Com and MA (Economics). The college was established in 1997. Five new rooms were constructed in 2004-05. In the last academic year, the number of college students were 1,470. The college offers remedial classes for SC/ST and Backward Class students. The classes are for English and mathematics. There is a women cell, well-stocked library and medical facilities. The NCC, NSS and sports activities are pursued in the college. There are tutorial groups and the college students take out a college magazine `Abhivyanjana’. Admission Schedule
Normal admissions without late fee : July 1, 2005 to July 15, 2005. Admission with late fee of Rs 25 with the permission of the Principal: July 16, 2005 to July 21, 2005 Admission with additional late fee of Rs 25 per day subject to minimum of Rs 50 and maximum of Rs 200 :July 22, 2005 to July 30, 2005 Classes will begin from: July 16, 2005 |
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Woman dead, 3 hurt in accident
Panipat, June 20 While the deceased has been identified as Santosh, wife of Prem Sagar of Jalandhar, the injured are Santosh’s son Sanjiv, his wife Nishi and Birbal. The injured have been admitted to Bhim Sen Sachar Civil Hospital here for their treatment. According to the information received here, the victims were going from Jalandhar to Delhi in their Maruti car (PB-08-AS 5840). On the way, the driver of a tractor-trailer suddenly applied brakes near Kohand village and their car rammed into it. |
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Murder accused’s remand extended
Hisar, June 20 Hansi Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate Rupam Singh remanded all of them in judicial custody for another 14 days. Some INLD workers raised slogans and blocked the Hisar-Delhi National Highway. An altercation also broke out between the policemen on duty and the INLD workers.
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The Haryana Finance Minister, Mr Birender Singh, today tried to defend the government’s controversial decision about waiving the pending power bills of rural consumers and said the amount (Rs 1,600 crore) was not even 10 per cent of state’s annual budget of Rs 17,000 crore comprising the plan and the Non-plan expenditure.
