Chandigarh, November 16
Employees who join urban local bodies of Haryana from January 1 onwards will have to choose from the pension schemes offered by various financial organisations to secure their benefits.

The Urban Development Department, it is learnt, has now decided to ask the employees to give their options regarding various schemes available in the market.

The decision to discontinue the system of giving pension to the employees by the employer ( municipal committee or corporation where the employee is working) has been taken in view of the difficulty being faced by the urban local bodies to pay pension to their staff.

An increasing number of court cases from aggrieved pensioners, followed by contempt of court notices, are regularly landing up on the doorstep of urban development officials. While there is a huge shortfall in funds available for giving pension, the state government is looking the other way. The state Finance Commission had recommended Rs 50 crore as annual support to the urban local bodies by the state government. But even that amount is also not being given.

The root cause of the problem can be traced to the Bhajan Lal regime in 1994 when it was decided that retired employees of the urban local bodies would get pensionary benefits similar to those available to state government employees. The total corpus of the existing contributory provident fund scheme was diverted to giving pension to the employees from the interest on the fund.

The system collapsed when the Haryana Government in 1999 adopted the Fifth Pay Commission recommendations. The fund, amounting to Rs 25 crore, got exhausted as the arrears of the pensioners had to be settled with the money.

The final blow to the financial health of the urban local bodies was dealt by Mr Om Prakash Chautala by his pre-election largesse to traders in the shape of the decision to abolish octroi. This resulted in a loss of Rs 60 crore to the urban local bodies annually.

At present the Urban Development Department requires Rs 1.25 crore annually to settle the pension account. But the amount available for this purpose is only Rs 30 lakh. And this money, too, is arranged by adopting a questionable method. 

Panipat, November 16
Celebrations of the Press Day turned out to be bitter as the Deputy Commissioner, Mr D.P. Nagal, who was chief guest on the occasion, arrived two hours late.

The journalists present also criticised the DPRO for poorly conceived function where protocol for seniority was not kept in mind while inviting the reporters to share their views.

The guest of honour at the function was News Editor of Dainik Jagran, Kalyan Kumar. He lauded the role of free Press and said that it was still a mission.

Citing an example of food for oil scam, he said it was the pressure of the media that made the foreign minister to quit his office. Defending the present day journalism, he added that it was flourishing under the guidance of the social journalism focusing on the masses.

Rewari: Journalists from Rewari, Bawal, Dharuhera and other places of the district observed the “National Press Day” here today. Describing the print media and the electronic media sas complementary to each other, they pledged to work more dispassionately and diligently to fortify people’s confidence in the fourth estate.

Complimenting the mediapersons for their contribution towards society and the state, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Mahender Kumar, also exhorted them to focus on social evils for the betterment of society.

Kurukshetra: While addressing the local journalists at the Press Day celebrations, organised by the District Public Relations Office at the Conference Hall of the Mini Secretariat here today, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr T. K. Sharma said today was the day of self analysis.

Mr Sharma urged upon the journalists to work under the code of conduct to save credibility of the Press. They should take themselves as independent observers and their news items be dispatched without being biased or revengeful.

Expressing concern over the broad display of aggressive news items and the sexually provocating photographs by some of the newspapers to promote their sales, Mr Sharma said such newspapers were ultimately misleading society.

Karnal, November 16
A major mishap averted as three vehicles, including a packed Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus collided with one another bus near Karan Lake on the Delhi-Ambala national highway here last night.

According to a police spokesman, Hardayal Singh, driver of the HRTC, Mandi depot, bus (HP 65-0480) noticed one person lying on the road. The bus was on its way to Delhi from Sarkaghat.

Thinking that the person might be in an injured position, the driver stopped the bus on the side of the road to make arrangements to take him to some hospital for treatment. However, he came to know later that the person had already succumbed to his injuries after probable hit by some vehicle.

Meanwhile, a van which was behind the bus stopped there on the side of the road. In the meantime, a jeep rammed into the parked van and as a consequence it hit the bus.

Luckily none of persons present in the van and in the bus was injured. However, the driver of the jeep fled from the spot along with his jeep.

The deceased person was identified as Rajvir of Pundarak village.

Two separate FIRs were registered against the driver of the unidentified vehicle and the driver of the jeep.

Sonepat, November 16
Thieves decamped with cash and jewellery worth several thousands of rupees from Bhimeshwari Devi Temple in the Devi Nagar area of Gohana town, 35 km from here, last night.

According to police sources, the thieves, numbering two, scaled a wall of the temple, broke locks with iron rods and took away idols covered with gold and silver ornaments.

Three more cases of theft were reported from Chatia Aulia village, 15 km from here, last night. The thieves struck at a liquor vend and a general store, wherefrom they stole goods worth about Rs 80,000, including cash.

A tea shop was also burgled on the same night in the village and thieves decamped with goods worth several thousands of rupees form it.