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Hansi-Butana canal to be completed SEZs: CM allays fears on realtors
Haryana makes power purchase agreements
HUDA houses: quotas for MPs but not for disabled
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Congressmen hold protest rally for Sonia
Sampat : CPS, PSs must quit
BJYM plans
anti-terror yatra
3 held for cheating mobile phone dealer
Sold girl’s mother missing
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Hansi-Butana canal to be completed in a year: CM
Chandigarh, March 23 Talking to reporters at the press lounge of the Assembly here, the Chief Minster rubbished the INLD leader, Mr Sampat Singh's claim that the canal had hit a roadblock following the CWC's (Central Water Commission) direction to obtain the “concurrence” of Punjab and Rajasthan for puncturing the Bhakra Main Line . Mr Hooda claimed that getting the concurrence of the two states would not be a problem. He alleged that the INLD had earlier opposed the construction of the SYL canal and now it was trying to oppose the new link canal which was to supply water to southern districts of Haryana. He said there was no question of Punjab stopping the construction of the canal because it did not touch that state. Responding to a question, the Chief Minister said personnel of the disbanded Haryana State Industrial Security Force (HSISF) would be given weightage while carrying out recruitment to the police force in the state. “There will be also relaxation in the age limit for the HSISF personnel”, he said. Mr Hooda said he would appreciate it if the INLD leader, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, also came to the Assembly and participated in the discussions. The Chief Minister said he knew that some of the MLAs had reason to be hostile to Mr Chautala. He said if Mr Chautala sought his help, he would try to ensure that the hostile MLAs did not go overboard to embarrass the former Chief Minister. Mr Hooda, however, added that he had himself referred the corruption charges against Mr Chautala to the CBI.There was no question of his protecting Mr Chautala as far as the corruption and other criminal charges against the INLD leader were concerned. |
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SEZs: CM allays fears on realtors Chandigarh, March 23 The Chief Minister was replying to a question asked by Congress MLAs, Mr Karan Singh Dalal and Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, that came up during question hour in the Assembly. The written answer given by the Industries Minister, Mr Lachman Das Arora, gave a list of 24 proposals for setting up SEZs in Haryana. The proposers included real-estate giants like DLF and Unitech. The list also included names such as Uppal Housing Private Ltd, Sunwise Properties Private Ltd, Raheja Developers Ltd and Natasha Housing and Urban Development Ltd. The names gave indications about these being primarily real-estate companies. Mr Dalal said the SEZs were supposed to house industries and give a boost to the economic growth of the state. But many of the parties listed in Mr Arora’s reply might not set up any industry at all. Similar fears were expressed by Mr Surjewala and an Independent MLA, Mr Tejinder Singh Mann. Mr Surjewala added that some of the SEZs should be located in the backward areas of Haryana. He also demanded that local people must get preference in jobs in the SEZs. Mr Arora said that people whose land would be acquired for setting up the SEZs would be rehabilitated. Mr Hooda said some of the parties mentioned in the list already owned the land where they wanted to set up SEZs. The Chief Minister added that the proposals for SEZs were cleared by the Union Commerce Ministry after examination. He said the SEZs would create employment opportunities for a large number of local people. Replying to a question asked by the Congress MLA, Mr Dharam Pal Malik, the Power Minister, Mr Venod Sharma, said 142 applications for releasing tubewell connections were pending in Sonepat district. The connections would be released within two months. Mr Anand Singh Dangi, Congress MLA, said the fee of Rs 27,000 charged for tubewell connections was beyond the reach of farmers. Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala also urged the government to reduce the fee. Replying to a question asked by an Independent MLA, Mr Naresh Yadav, the Chief Minister said negotiations were on with the Jindal group for setting up a 1,000 MW thermal power generation plant at Paligothra in Rewari district. The INLD staged a walkout from the House when the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Randeep Surjewala, asked them to hold their ears when he got up to speak. This was Mr Surjewala’s way of getting back at the INLD MLAs who, at the beginning of the session, had plugged their ears to shut out Mr Surjewala. The INLD briefly walked out of the House again when the Speaker turned down its demand for discussing the issue of a sensational murder.
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Haryana makes power purchase agreements
Panchkula, March 23
Officials in Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) informed TNS that bilateral agreements for purchasing 200 MW of additional power, towards the end of the summer season, were being given final shape. The Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, is also expected to visit Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal on March 25, and hold discussions for buying hydro- power, in the ensuing summer months, as well as explore opportunities for setting up hydro power projects for the state. Sources said that arrangements had been made to purchase 100 MW of power from West Bengal, 200 MW from Himachal's hydro power through the Power Trading Corporation (PTC), 50 MW from Kerala, 50 MW from GRID Corporation of Orissa through NVVN, 25 MW from Meghalaya, and 58 MW from Reliance Energy. Besides these bilateral arrangements, Haryana will also get 50 - 100 MW of power from Uttaranchal on an exchange basis. Sources say that the power demand is expected to grow to 598 lakh units (LUs) in April, and 850 LUs in August. Last year, the maximum power supplied in April was 547 LUs and in August 755 LUs. But with the unprecedented hike in power last summers (from June - October), and frequent shutting down of the Nathpa - Jakhri project in Himachal because of excessive silt deposition, led to one of the worst power crises faced by not just by Haryana, but by the entire Norther Region. Officials say that the power demand has increased in both the rural and urban sector, but with more and more tubewell connections being released, the demand in the agriculture sector has gone up substantially. |
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HUDA houses: quotas for MPs but not for disabled
Chandigarh, March 23 Their faith, however, continues to be belied. Consider this — In its Group Housing Scheme 2005, HUDA offers reservation to almost all categories except the one that needs it most. So there is a provision of allotment of houses in reserved categories for defence personnel, personnel of paramilitary forces, MLAs, MPs et al. But there is no mention of concessions for the disabled who have been shown the carrot elsewhere. They have been offered reservation in the allotment of freehold plots. Never mind the futility of this arrangement as hardly any disabled person prefers the burden of constructing a house on the allotted piece of land. No wonder they have been campaigning for reserved allotment in the housing scheme. And though the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1996 makes it mandatory for the state to formulate schemes for preferential allotment of land to the disabled, Haryana has not yet considered the relevant section. Section 43 of the Act states: “The appropriate governments and local authorities shall by notification frame schemes in favour of persons with disabilities, for preferential allotment of land at concessional rates for housing, business ventures, setting up of recreational centres, special schools, research centres and factories. When contacted, the authorities in Haryana’s Town Planning Department admitted the validity of these laws. Mr Naresh Mehtani from the department said the state government could frame policies to that effect if there was enough demand. It is, however, significant that a society of disabled persons from Panchkula did make one such demand but to no avail. Alpha Apartments Cooperative Group Housing Society requested HUDA for preferential allotment of houses in reserved category but their applications will at best be treated in general category due to lack of housing quota for the disabled. A quota for them exists in the freehold plot scheme instead, but the same has few takers for obvious reasons. Dr Vikram Jaswal of Alpha society says, “Plots are good for nothing. Ask a handicapped person if he/she can afford to raise construction on a freehold plot and you will know why he insists on a house.” Even the courts of law have laid directions in this regard. The Allahbad High Court in a 2000 case concerning the National Federation of Blinds, UP, directed the Lucknow Development Authority and the state government to give not only preference in the matter of allotment of land and houses to handicapped but also to provide the same at concessional rates. |
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Efforts on to improve healthcare, says Minister
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 23 She was intervening during the debate on a non-official resolution on health moved by Dr Sushil Indora (INLD) in the Vidhan Sabha. The resolution was talked out because the House adjourned before voting on it could take place. Moving the resolution, Dr Indora said the facilities in government institutions were woefully inadequate as compared to the private sector, which was a matter of concern. Mrs Kartar Devi said that health was a high priority with the government. The substantial increase of 76 per cent in the Plan outlay for 2005-06 for the health sector reflected the concern and high priority of the government. The field institutions had been empowered to meet any additional requirement of medicines through the District Health and Family Welfare Societies and the Swasthya Kalyan Samitis. She said the government was making all-out efforts to provide health services to the people at affordable rates. A provision of Rs 11.65 crore had been made in 2005-06 for the purchase of medicines and material, which was an all-time high. In addition to the existing schemes, the government had introduced various schemes in 2005-2006 to expand the health services. The Minister said the government and the private sector could not be compared. The private sector primarily provided only curative services whereas the public sector provided preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative services. Doctors in the government sector were also saddled with medico-legal cases, besides providing emergency services during natural calamities. Dr Krishna Pandit, Parliamentary Secretary, Health and Medical Education Department, said many medical services would be provided to the poorest of the poor patients. Dr Shiv Shankar Bhardwaj (Cong) appreciated the concept of “delivery huts” to encourage institutional child birth. He said such huts should be set up in each village of the state. He said the government should take steps to check “brain drain” from government hospitals to the private sector. Among others who participated in the debate were Mr Radhey Shyam Sharma (Ind), Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, Parliamentary Affairs Minister, and Major Nirpender Singh (Cong).
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Congressmen hold protest rally for Sonia
Chandigarh, March 23 The protest was led by the former President of the Haryana Youth Congress, Mr Chakrawarti Sharma, and Mr Lakhwinder Singh Lakha, General Secretary of the Haryana Youth Congress. Mr Lakha said thousands of Haryana Congressmen led by Mr Hooda would campaign for Mrs Gandhi in Rae Bareli. Mr Hooda termed Mrs Gandhi’s resignation the supreme sacrifice made to uphold the high moral values in the degenerating politics in the country. Describing her as “Tyag Murti”, he said Mrs Gandhi had furthered the legacy of the Nehru family, which had set an example to serve the country without any motive before and after independence. The President of the Haryana Congress, Mr Bhajan Lal, said her resignation had silenced the baseless criticism being made for the past two days. The Working President of the party, Dr Ram Prakash, said Mrs Gandhi had again shown that she was for maintaining the spirit of sacrifice and high standard of morality. |
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Sampat : CPS, PSs must quit
Chandigarh, March 23 In a statement here, the former Haryana Finance Minister said it was a strange coincidence that tomorrow the Congress government in the state would be bringing a Bill in the House to exclude the posts of CPS and PS from the definition of office of profit. Mr Sampat Singh said instead of trying to circumvent the law and give sanctity to illegal appointments, the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, must follow in the footsteps of the party President and ask the CPS and the PSs to quit their posts and the Assembly. |
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BJYM plans
anti-terror yatra
Ambala, March 23 Talking to mediapersons here, he said the yatra would take place at the national level and would be held after elections to the five states were over. He said the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana had been implemented in only two districts of Haryana. Work under the yojana was far from satisfactory. "Committees are going to be formed which will highlight the ground realities of the shortcomings in the implementation of the yojana," he said. He said they were also going to initiate a dialogue between the police and people. "There is fear among the people regarding the police," he said. Mr Goyal stated that there should not be any reservation on the grounds of religion.
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Empowering rural women
Chandigarh, March 23 One of its most significant efforts is its practice of truly empowering rural women and imparting them enough skills to take on challenges of the future. Working with women in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, parts of western Uttar Pradesh and slums of Delhi, Arpana almost always manages to put together a body of works that is striking both in quality and spirit. This time round, Arpana is coming to Chandigarh and Panchkula with a host of exquisite hand embroidered works produced collectively by women, hailing mainly from a rural background. Comprising a range-from baby dresses to nightwear-the product line is fine and worth an indulgence. More so because proceeds from their sale will go into serving humanitarian causes like empowering women who have the courage to struggle for bettering their lives, despite all odds. In Panchkula, the exhibition will open at SCO 41, Sector 7, on March 24. It will end on March 26 to reopen in Aroma Hotel, Chandigarh, on March 27 and 28. On all the days the duration of the display will be 10 am to 8 pm. |
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3 held for cheating mobile phone dealer
Kurukshetra, March 23 Stating this here today, the district police chief, Mr Sanjay Kumar, said the arrested persons had been identified as Rakesh Kumar, a resident of HUDA Sector 9, Ambala, Vishwa Nath and his son Deepak, both, residents of Sector 7, Ambala. Mr Kumar said that a mobile phone set dealer, Mr Mohit Gupta, had lodged a complaint with the police saying that a black coloured Honda City bearing a red light and a national flag, stopped in front of his shop. One of the occupants seemed to be an elderly officer while the other was carrying a double barrel gun and the driver was armed with a revolver. Pretending to purchase a mobile phone set, they drove away with the set without making payment. Mohit immediately informed the police and they were chased and arrested before entering Pehowa, 25 km from here, yesterday. |
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Sold girl’s mother missing
Sonepat, March 23 On the direction of Superintendent of Police Rajinder Singh, Havildar Hari Prakash brought her back and then was taken to Gobindpuri in Delhi. But the police was surprised to find that the alleged buyer of Pinki, Sitara, was also missing from her house. According to the police, the girl was finally produced before the
Subdivisional Magistrate, Sonepat, Mr Amar Deep Singh, who sent her to Nari Niketan at Karnal yesterday. The minor girl was allegedly sold by her father to Sitara, a resident of Gobindpuri, a few days ago. But the girl escaped before she was to be handed to another buyers by Sitara and finally she was brought to Kundli police station by some people. |
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