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Haryana to revive civil aviation clubs
18 years after soldier son’s death, parents still await his pension
Advocates oppose filing of VAT
returns through CAs
BEO vacancies hit inspection work
HIGH COURT |
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Bureaucrats’ weekend visits to Delhi curbed
Hooda urged to provide DA on pension
CM’s assurance to visually challenged
3 wrestlers held for eve-teasing
Teachers’ ultimatum to VC
INLD opposes move on gurdwara panel
Woman held for immoral trafficking
Congress aims to consolidate gains
Uklana financier shot
Woman ‘burnt to death’ by
in- laws
12 schoolchildren hurt in mishap
Woman murdered after rape
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Haryana to revive civil aviation clubs
Panchkula, July 21 While one Cessna aircraft was allotted to the Haryana Institute of Civil Aviation (HICA), Pinjore, by the Aero Club of India yesterday, HICA today floated tenders for purchasing three second- hand Cessna aircraft. One aircraft each will be sent to the three institutes at Pinjore, Karnal and Hisar. The Cessna aircraft allotted to HICA, Pinjore, will be brought here from the Patiala Flying Club, where flying operations have been grounded for the past two years. One Hansa aircraft allotted to HICA, Karnal, last June by the National Aeronautics Laboratory, Bangalore, through the Director-General of the Civil Aviation, Government of India, is at present under repair. It is likely to be commissioned for flying within one month, informs Commissioner, Civil Aviation, Mr D S Dhesi. Mr Dhesi says this year the three Haryana Institutes of Civil Aviation hope to meet their target in flying and exceed the target in gliding at the Hisar and Pinjore institutes. "The flying operations at HICA, Pinjore, have remained suspended ever since the Chief Flying Instructor (CFI) quit the job in May this year. The flying camps, scheduled to be held at Pinjore, are now being held at HICA, Karnal. We have advertised for a new CFI, and hopefully flying operations will resume at Pinjore soon," he said. Power flying at HICA, Pinjore, has remained grounded for most of the past three years, ever since the CFI, Mr G.S. Cheema, retired in July, 2002. Though new CFIs were appointed time and again, they quit the job within a few months of joining. It may be mentioned that the Hisar institute has one Cessna VT aircraft, one Ardhra Glider VT, one Super blanic glider (presently under repair) and a Swati aircraft ( which has been grounded). The institute in Karnal has one Pushpak aircraft and two Cessna aircraft (one of which is grounded), while the Pinjore institute has four Pushpaks (but only two are serviceable), one Piper Cherokee and one Super blanic glider. Officials in the Directorate of Civil Aviation say they are trying to procure the Certificates of Air Worthiness (Co A) for the grounded Cessna, Piper Cherokee and Pushpak aircraft and the Super Blanic glider in the three
institutes. The department has set a target of 1,500 flying hours each for the three flying institutes. In Hisar and Pinjore, where gliding is also offered, the department has set a target of 3,000 launches each, respectively. Officials say if they are able to meet these targets, the financial health of the institutes will be better. It may be noted that all three institutes had hit hard times as the cost of aircraft fuel (100 LL) increased several times over and people lost interest in flying. The fee for training was not increased and a situation reached when even the employees of one of these institutes were not paid salaries for several months. Two years ago, the cost for training in power flying was revised to Rs 3,000 per hour on Piper Cherokee, Rs 2,800 per hour on Cessna and Rs 2,400 per hour on Hansa, and for joyrides to Rs 900 for a 10-minute trip on an aircraft and Rs 175 on a
glider. These have not been increased. |
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18 years after soldier son’s death,
Ambala, July 21 Their plea for a special family pension was reportedly rejected by the Army authorities on the ground that the bachelor's parents were not entitled to the same as per rules prevailing at that time. Even their plea for ordinary family pension was not entertained by the authorities concerned as it was payable only to "the legally wedded wife and children born out of the wedlock". In a legal notice issued to the Army authorities, father Joga Singh and mother Kartar Kaur of Khan Ahmadpur village have stated that due to amendments in the rules they were now entitled to the grant of ordinary family pension with effect from the date of their son's death in April 1987. Quoting the recommendations of the Fifth Central Pay Commission, accepted by the Central Government, they have further asserted that parents, wholly dependent on armed forces personnel, without widow or a child, were entitled to ordinary family pension after his death. They add that the petitioners' case is squarely covered under the instructions issued by the Union Ministry of Defence in this regard. Chairman of All-India Ex-servicemen Association Bhim Sen Sehgal, assisting the couple in the legal battle, says that otherwise also a number of judicial pronouncements categorically state that parents are eligible and entitled to ordinary family pension even if their son has died a bachelor. Going into the background of the matter, Mr Sehgal says 21-year-old Sukhdev Singh, serving as a sapper soldier in 58 Engineering Regiment, died in Military Hospital at Ambala Cantonment on April 23, 1987. After spending some time with his family at their native village, Sukhdev Singh was on his way back to the unit, but was admitted to the Military Hospital in Ambala Cantonment after he started vomiting. He, however, made his final exit from the world due to septicemia. The parents, subsequently, filled up the forms for a special family pension and furnished the requisite documents, including the death certificate issued by the Military Hospital, to the authorities concerned . The parents also informed the authorities that they had been declared nominees for the provident fund and the group insurance scheme. But the parents were completely taken by surprise when they were informed by the authorities that their claim for the special family pension had been rejected by the Principal Controller of Defence Accounts (Pension), Mr Sehgal asserts. Meanwhile, tears roll down their frailed cheeks, as they add in a voice choked with emotion: "We were completely dependent on Sukhdev. He is no more.... We really do not know where to go and whom to approach...." |
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Advocates oppose filing of VAT
returns through CAs
Faridabad, July 21 Secretary of the Haryana Tax Bar Association K.K. Mishra said Tuesday that the members of the Association across the state were upset over the reported move of the state government that traders and businessmen who had an annual turnover of Rs one crore were now required to file their returns through the
CAs. He said the members who held a meeting here today in protest against this decision described it as anti- business as well as anti tax practitioners ,as the basic idea of certification behind filing such returns had been taken from the Income Tax Act and this decision besides creating chaos would also threaten to take away the main source of livelihood of the income tax practitioner in the state. He said the association had already written to the Commissioner and Secretary of the department concerned either to withdraw this decision or make proper amendment to include the taxation advocates in the process of filing such returns. The District Tax Bar Association, which also held a meeting here today also condemned the decision and asked the government to retract the move. Mr H.S.
Bhati, President of the Association, claimed that there was no justification in the reported decision as the balancesheet prepared by the CAs and the return was neither certified no audited. Claiming that CAs had no experience or knowledge of the Tax Act or laws concerned, he said the their main specialisation was in the field of accounts and it was not enough. He said this was a specialised job and it required proper knowledge and experience and the decision was a an attempt to keep the Tax practitioners away
from it, which he said was neither justifiable nor legal. He said the government should bring about proper changes so as that the work of such advocates do not suffer and it did not bring any irregularity. The association resolved to go on strike or start an agitation to get their demand accepted and get removed the malady removed. It submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner, in this regard. |
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BEO vacancies hit inspection work
Yamunanagar, July 21 Interestingly, the duties of BEO have not been assigned to head teachers of the nearest schools. For instance, the duties of BEO of Jagadhri – I have been assigned to the head teacher of the school at Pabni Kalana village situated at a distance of 15 km from the BEO office. Similarly, the BEO of Jagadhri – 2 has to travel a minimum of 10 kilometers (from Bherthal village) to discharge his additional duties. The Headmaster of Dhanure Government school has been assigned the duties of Bilaspur block, situated at a distance of more than 20 km from the BEO office. The acting BEO of Chhachhrouli block travels for more than 14 km as he is based at Khizrabad. |
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HIGH COURT
Chandigarh, July 21 As per the FIR, the mother-daughter duo of Seeta Devi and Sarika Aggarwal were allegedly kept in illegal custody by the then Station House Officer of Dharuhera police station in Rewari and his junior, SI Lekh Ram. The two women were also allegedly harassed and physically tortured. Earlier, on November 16, 2000, the police had discovered Ashok Aggarwal in an unconscious and seriously injured condition. Later, he died in the hospital. When summoned to identify the body of her husband, Seeta Devi identified it as that of her husband by just looking at the feet of the deceased. This aroused suspicion in the minds of the cops, who took her to the police station. Later, her daughter was also summoned. In her dying declaration to the magistrate, Sarika Aggarwal accused Sri Ram and Lekh Ram of forcing them to commit suicide to escape torture. Both had consumed sulphas tablets in the police station. On the application of Seeta Devi's other daughter, the High Court had ordered a CBI inquiry in the matter, apart from quashing the order of Additional Sessions Judge, Rewari, discharging both accused. In his order, Mr Justice Surya Kant noted that since Sri Ram, who was SHO, Dharuhera police station, at the time of the incident, had already retired, he could not be said to be in a position to influence anybody.
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Bureaucrats’ weekend visits to Delhi curbed
Chandigarh, July 21 The Chief Secretary’s office has shot off a stinging letter to all administrative secretaries saying that there was a marked tendency on their part to fix tours to Delhi or near about on weekends and spend the weekends in Delhi as holidays. The letter said while this could happen occasionally, it was becoming a regular pattern in some cases. “This tendency has to be avoided at all costs,” the letter, dated July 19, stated. The letter added that it had been noticed from the tours of administrative secretaries that there was an overwhelming trend to make their visits Delhi centric. It said while it was important for all administrative secretaries to attend structured meetings at the level of Secretary to the Government of India and above, other meetings could be attended by other state government functionaries. Long absence from the headquarters by administrative secretaries not only led to the disruption of government functioning but also caused inconvenience to the public at large, observed the letter. It added that it had been noticed that other districts of the state except those around Delhi got very little attention of administrative secretaries except when functions were held or planned with the presence of the Chief Minister. The letter said it would be a good idea if the administrative secretaries devoted more time to other areas of the state while undertaking tours. The letter also expressed concern over administrative secretaries’ reluctance to adhere to the ceiling of 10 days of touring in a month. It had been noticed that in many cases this ceiling was being exceeded on a regular basis without any justification, the letter said, adding that the ceiling was not only for the purpose of claiming allowances (TA/DA) but also applied to actual touring. “As such touring should be generally restricted to 10 days in a month,” stated the letter. |
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Hooda urged to provide DA on pension
Panipat, July 21 The demand was made by the president of the Haryana College Retired Principals and Teachers Association (HCRPTA), Dr S.C. Agarwal, also a former principal of IB College, Panipat, and its executive committee member, Prof S.C. Mehndiratta, while talking to mediapersons here yesterday. Dr Agarwal and Prof Mehndiratta said that DA on pension was provided to all the pensioners of government colleges and other government departments. The pension scheme for the employees of aided non-government colleges was notified in the official gazette by the then Chautala government in 1999 and implemented in 2000 but that too without DA. The representatives of the HCRPTA further said that then Chautala government had decided on December 15, 2004, on the grant of DA on pension to the pensioners of privately managed government aided colleges after protests, but notification could not be issued in this regard as the tenure of the then government ended. |
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CM’s assurance to visually challenged
Chandigarh, July 21 This was stated by Mr Hooda while interacting with a seven-member delegation of the Haryana Netraheen Jagriti Sangh, which called on him here. |
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3 wrestlers held for eve-teasing
Kurukshetra, July 21 Stating this here yesterday, the district police chief, Mr S.P. Ranga, said the trio was produced in the court of Ilaqa Magistrate here yesterday and subsequently sent to district jail, Kurukshetra. Mr Ranga said the arrested persons had been identified as Satish Kumar, a resident of Agwaapur village, in Sonepat, Sushil Kumar, a resident of Kamastpur, village in Sonepat and Ashok Kumar, a resident of New Colony, Kurukshetra. On a complaint of the Chela Ram Mittal, the police registered a case against the trio, who allegedly, had teased two girls. When a brother of the victims, complained against them, the trio allegedly criminally intimidated, insulted and beat him up. Later, they also beat up the girls’ relatives, who had approached them. On this, nearby shopkeepers and the residents became furious, converged on railway road, raised slogans and marched in a procession in front of the Thanesar, police station. They demanded immediate arrest of the culprits. Yesterday, irate shopkeepers pulled down their shutters and accompanied by nearby residents, they went to the flyover and blocked traffic. However, after persuasion by a police party, the blocked was lifted. |
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Teachers’ ultimatum to VC
Hisar, July 21 “If the acting Vice-Chancellor fails to do so, we will be left with no other option but to intensify our agitation and launch a stir to oust him and save the university,” said Dr Narsi Bishnoi, president of the association. He said the university teachers would wear black badges to register their protest in this regard. Terming Mr Fuliya a dictator, the teachers’ body alleged that he was issuing notices and charge sheets to faculty members under a conspiracy. “The faculty members are being mentally harassed by the undemocratic and dictatorial attitude of the acting Vice-Chancellor,” the meeting observed. The teachers have decided to meet the Chief Minister and the Chancellor to put forward their case. On the other hand, Mr Fuliya has refuted these allegations, stating that he had no personal enmity with anybody and was only “trying to do the work assigned to him.” He advised the faculty members to discharge their duties and act in a responsible manner. |
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INLD opposes move on gurdwara panel
Chandigarh, July 21 Talking to newsmen here, the secretary-general of the INLD, Mr Ajay Singh Chautala, MP, said it was a move which smacked of “stupidity” of the kind seen in the case of Mohammad Tughlaq. The Hooda government had recently set up a committee under the chairmanship of the Haryana Assembly Speaker, Mr Harmohinder Singh Chatha, to go into the demand for a separate gurdwara parbandhak committee for Haryana. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has already
opposed the move. Mr Chautala also accused the Congress MLA from Tosham, Mrs Kiran Choudhry, of inciting people in the Kanak area of Bhiwani district to go in for illegal mining. He alleged that at a recent reception in her honour, at which Rs 11 lakh was collected, Mrs Choudhry had told the local residents not to be afraid of the government and engage in mining activity without any fear. He alleged that while the lease-holder had been stopped from undertaking mining activities, illegal mining was going on unchecked, which had resulted in losses to the state exchequer. He also said that under the INLD government, royalty was collected for the state, though the then Opposition described it as “gunda tax”. The president of the Haryana unit of the INLD, Mr Ashok Arora, said the party had launched a membership drive under which it planned to recruit 10 lakh persons before August 15. The party, he said, would
celebrate the birth anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal on September 25 in a big way and organise a rally on the occasion. The venue would be decided by the INLD supremo, Mr Om Prakash Chautala. These decisions were taken at a meeting of the INLD executive held here today. The meeting also expressed concern over the “fast deteriorating” law and order situation in the state as well as the government’s failure to spell out its strategy to fight crime. |
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Woman held for immoral trafficking
Sonepat, July 21 According to a report, the police has registered a case. The police action followed public complaints alleging the use of the house for the flesh trade. Residents of the area locked the house from outside when there were some women and youths inside the house. They immediately informed the police about it and the police conducted the raid. During interrogation, the arrested woman told the police that she belonged to Rohtak and had been engaged in the trade for the past few years. She came to Gohana for the first time. |
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Congress aims to consolidate gains
Gurgaon, July 21 According to a source in the Congress, this line of thinking in the government is based on pragmatic
politics. The goal is consolidation, both for the government in administrative terms and also rubbing off the possible gains on the Congress with a view to giving a boost to its image among the masses. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh
Hooda, who is considered to be a man of the organisation and contributed immensely in expanding the party base in the
state, wants to carry on the organisation on board. Mr Hooda is said to be particularly in favour of effective implementation of the decisions taken by his government. A top source in the Haryana Congress said the state government was trying to match its policy measures in line with Congress’ policy at the Centre with accent on economic progress with a “humane face”. This would be possible only when the state government also turn the arc light on empowering the people implementing the schemes on ground. The break would further allow the government to focus on the day-to-day administration, law and order and redress of the grievances of people. However, there are many who feel that the Congress government’s aim of consolidation has sharp political
overtones. The main opponent of the Congress, the INLD, is said to be making inventory of the functionings of the
government. If the mood of senior leaders of the INLD is any indication,
the party will launch into real opposition politics, some time in
November. By then the Congress government would have completed about eight months in the
saddle. The wide-ranging feeling in the INLD is that by then the party would have enough talking points to take on the government head-on. |
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Uklana financier shot
Hisar, July 21 According to police sources and eyewitnesses, Binder came to a shop in his car. When he left the shop and was about to open his car door, the assailants, who had come in another car, surrounded Binder and opened fire at him. He was rushed to a hospital where he was declared dead by doctors. Wanted criminal Kunty was killed in a police encounter at Binder’s office recently. Apparently, the assailants were Kunty’s accomplices and believed that Binder had informed the police about Kunty’s presence in his office. |
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Woman ‘burnt to death’ by
in- laws
Yamunanagar, July 21 On the other hand, the in-laws have told the police that the woman, Neelam Sharma, was burnt while she was lighting a kerosene lamp. The police has booked the husband of the deceased, Pardeep Kumar, father-in-law Gayanender, mother-in-law Amro and brother-in-law Ajay Kumar under Section 304-B of the IPC. As per police sources, Neelam was taken to a hospital with severe burn injuries where she died. Sources said her in-laws were demanding a car from her parents. On Monday, Neelam had called up her brother Birender at Bulandshehar, Uttar Pardesh, to tell him that she was beaten up by her in-laws. Pardeep Kumar has told the police that last evening she was lighting a lamp when she caught fire. According to him, when she caught fire, they rushed her to the hospital. |
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12 schoolchildren hurt in mishap
Kaithal, July 21 The accident took place when the bus carrying the students from Kaithal to Siwan skidded while saving a motorcyclist. The bus went out of control and fell into low-lying fields. The driver and conductor of the bus and some passersby pulled the students out after breaking windowpanes of the bus. The conductor of the bus then shifted the injured to the Civil Hospital. SDM Ashok Garg, Secretary Red Cross society Kaithal R.S. Mor, Principal of the school S.N. Sharma, members of the Management Committee of the school and parents of the students reached the hospital. Doctors at the Civil Hospital started treatment of the injured and later three students were referred to the PGI at Chandigarh. School’s governing body president Satish Bansal said that the management would bear all expenses of the treatment of injured
students. |
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Woman murdered after rape
Panipat, July 21 According to information, the victim, Bimla Devi (35), went to the fields as usual at around 1 p.m. for bringing fodder for animals. When she did not return by 3 p.m., her son also went to the fields to see her. He found his mother’s body in the fields. At this, a large number of villagers, including her husband Maman Singh, reached the spot. The villagers said that the condition of the body indicated that she had been raped before her murder. |
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