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Govt committed to better power situation in Haryana: Hooda
Better cash incentive lures more to non-scalpel vasectomy table
Deepender flays opponents on water issue
Dadupur-Nalvi canal: bhumi pujan today
Hooda supporters join issue with Vishnoi
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Rs 7.8 cr fine recovered from power stealers
Lok Adalats also to settle labour cases
Judicial remand in rape case
Calendar for schools
Jail Supdt booked in suicide case
Argument leads to firing
Accused throws chappal at judge
Power workers allege exploitation
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Govt committed to better power situation in
Barara (Ambala), April 16 In a unique announcement, Mr Hooda also stated that he would consider granting pension to dwarfs. Mr Hooda was in Mullana Assembly constituency which is represented by the state Education Minister, Mr Phool Chand Mullana. Addressing a well-attended rally at Anaj Mandi in Barara, Mr Hooda observed that even though Chandigarh, which is the capital of Haryana and Punjab, had been carved out of the then Ambala district, Ambala was way behind Chandigarh in development. He said little attention had been paid to the development of Ambala by previous governments. Mr Hooda said but things had changed now and considerable importance had been given to the Ambala district. ‘‘One Union Minister and two ministers in the Haryana Government are from Ambala district. This will help in getting due weightage for Ambala,’’ he said. He stated that ever since his near-death experience in the river Ganga, his philosophy of life is to carry out work now instead of keeping it pending for later. Mr Hooda said the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had also stated that Haryana was the number one state in the country. ‘‘Foreign investment is taking place in Haryana and in the next couple of years, investment worth Rs 2 lakh crore will take place. This will help in generating employment for nearly 20 lakh youths,’’ he said. He said efforts were being made to improve the power situation in the state. He said he and the state power minister, Mr Venod Sharma, had already met the Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr Virbhadra Singh, and would also meet the Chief Minister of Uttaranchal, Mr N.D Tiwari, tomorrow. ‘‘I am not going to make any false promises. But, when 5000 MW more power is produced in Haryana in the next 3 1/2 years, then power will be available 20 - 22 hours in the villages,’’ he said. Mr Hooda said he would consider the construction of Markanda bridge. The bridge will come up between Mullana and Jhadu Majra. While speaking on the occasion Union Minister Kumari Selja said efforts were being made for the overall development of
the area. She said Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda must consider the demands of the local people and added that the bridge over river Markanda was one of the main demands. ‘‘I also want that something should be done for dwarfs since they fail to get gainful employment,’’ she said. Later while talking to mediapersons, Mr Hooda brushed aside a query on former MLA Krishna Murthy Hooda as well as statements by Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi. Regarding Mr Krishna Hooda, he said ‘‘I have never seen him in the Congress.’’ Mr Hooda also skirted a query on when the announcement of chairmen of various boards will
take place. The Chief Minister laid the foundation stones of an ITI building at Holi village, a railway overbridge on Shahbad-Barara-Kala Amb road, mini stadium adjoining MPN College and Rajiv Gandhi Government College at Saha. He also paid a surprise visit to Saha grain market where he interacted with farmers. Among others, Haryana ministers Mr Venod Sharma, Mr Phool Chand Mullana and Mr Lachman Das Arora, Parliamentary Secretaries Mr Ram Krishan and Dr Krishna Pandit and MLAs Mr D.K Bansal, Mr Nirmal Singh, Ms Poonam Raj Rani and Mr Subhash Chaudhary were present on the occasion. |
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Better cash incentive lures more to non-scalpel vasectomy table
The cash incentive offered to the acceptors was increased from Rs 120 to Rs 1000 in November last year. This led to a huge rush of acceptors at the NSV training camps organised by the Health Department in 11 districts, from November 2005 to March this year. In fact, a mere 19 NSVs were conducted in the training camp at Gurgaon, conducted between October 18-21 last year (because the cash incentive had not been increased till then). "Since Punjab had been able to rope in more acceptors for NSV by increasing the cash incentive, we decided to follow suit," informed a senior functionary in the Health Department. He informed TNS that the cash incentive was increased to Rs 150 in the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH- II) scheme when it was launched last year. It was subsequently decided to hike the incentive to Rs 1000 by adding the balance from hospital user charges received from patients visiting government health institutions. Other than the increase in incentive, mass awareness campaigns launched by the Health Department, and, training of their doctors in this simpler, safer and painless technique (to the conventional vasectomy), has led to the growing popularity of NSVs. "The districts of Karnal, Faridabad, Rohtak and Bhiwani have always had high incidence of NSVs - even before the hiked cash incentive was announced. This is mainly because of the mass awareness campaigns launched for promoting vasectomies as a safer alternative in family planning, especially the NSV," said the official. Till February this year, 9751 NSVs ( of a total of 10,085 vasectomies) were conducted in the state, which is the highest number of vasectomies conducted till date. In fact, never before has the number of vasectomies crossed the 2000 mark in a year. Though the number of vasectomies being conducted in the state are just 8-10 per cent (on an average), as compared to 90 per cent cases of tubectomy, the increasing awareness is finally leading to male participation in family planning." A majority of men prefer to leave the responsibility of family planning on their wives. The men are scared that sterilisation would weaken them, leaving no scope for laborious field work post-operation, or lead to loss of potency — the worst of their fears. However, following substantial publicity of NSV, which takes just about 15 minutes, we have been able to cut ice with the Haryanvi male," said a senior Health official. "A doctor is considered trained in NSV if he has conducted at least 10 operations, including five independently. In 2005-6, we trained 45 doctors, thus taking the total tally of trained doctors to 132. We hope to have trained doctors at all operating institutions (Primary Health Centres or Community Health Centres wherever operations are done) in the state," said the official.
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Deepender flays opponents on water issue
Gurgaon, April 16 Addressing a public meeting organised in his honour here, Mr Deepender Hooda, son of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said these leaders were trying to find loopholes in the Haryana Government’s decision to bring more canal water to the parched land of southern Haryana through the proposed BAML-Hansi link canal. The proposed link canal would be 109 km long and would cost about Rs 259 crore. The Congress leader named former Chief Minister and INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala saying he had links with Rajasthan and was trying to instigate that state to raise objections against the project. He caused stir by alleging that Mr Chautala was also supporting the present and the former Punjab Chief Ministers, Mr Amarinder Singh and Mr Parkash Singh Badal, against the project. As if to be categoric on the issue, he said before the present Congress government in Haryana, 80 per cent of the existing pool of canal water was made available to only one-third area of the state. He waded into criticism of his party’s opponents while dwelling on the theme of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s holistic development of Haryana. According to many, there was a political angle to the MP’s polemics on the water issue vis-a-vis south Haryana. Rohtak, in the larger political frame of the state, falls in the southern part, which includes Gurgaon, Faridabad, Rewari, Mahendergarh, Mewat and part of Jhajhar and Bhiwani districts. These areas had a common problem relating to irrigation and potable water. In fact, water was the dominant issue in the last assembly and parliamentary elections. |
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Dadupur-Nalvi canal: bhumi pujan today
Yamunanagar, April 16 Digging of the canal is not likely to start in near future, said sources in the Irrigation Department. Nabard, has not yet cleared Rs 267 crore loan for the project and the Central Water Commission (CWC) is yet to give its nod to the project, informed sources in the department. As per ‘engineering principels’ digging of the canal should start from the take-off point of the canal, which is Dadupur in Yamunanagar district, said an official. Bhumi-pujan will be performed at the tail end of the canal. Former Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala laid foundation stone of the canal in Adhoya village of Amabla district on November 16, 2004. When the project was conceived in early 1980s a foundation stone was laid at Dadupur here. As the government is ‘under pressure’ to start work on the project, it will sanction initial funds for the project from state plans, said an official. He said the government might allocate Rs 15 crore to Rs 29 crore for the project. On clearance from the CWC, the official said since the canal was an affair of Haryana, the government could fund the project. He, however, said the CWC’s clearance would help the government in getting loan from Nabard. “The CWC is expected to give its nod soon”. The canal was part of Congress election manifesto and its digging was to start in last December. The canal will benefit three districts — Yamunanagar, Ambala and Kurukshetra. It was conceived in July 1983 at a cost of Rs 15.37 crore. The project never took off and the cost of it has shot up to Rs 267 crore. During kharif season 46,266
hectares of 236 villages of the three districts will get water from the canal. The canal, which will draw flood water from Western Yamuna Canal at Dadupur Head Works here would also recharge groundwater as its bed would not be brick-lined. The government acquired 190 acres in 1987 and again 267 acres a few years ago for the project and awards (land cost) to the owners have also been distributed. Tenders for a stretch of the canal (from Dadupur to Darajpur level crossing in the district) was floated in April last and the work was awarded to seven contractors. |
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Hooda supporters join issue with Vishnoi
Chandigarh, April 16 Mr Vishnoi has been criticising the Hooda government since long for its alleged failure on all fronts. Recently, while talking to newsmen at Rohtak, Mr Vishnoi demanded a change in the leadership on the plea that the party’s image had suffered because of the failure of the Chief Minister on several fronts. Mr Hooda and senior Haryana Congress leaders supporting Mr Hooda have been maintaining silence despite repeated provocations by Mr Vishnoi. Now second-rung leaders supporting the Chief Minister have taken up the cudgels on his behalf. It is not known if they have the tacit approval of Mr Hooda in launching the verbal campaign against Mr Vishnoi or not. The general secretary of the Haryana Youth Congress, Mr Lakhwinder Singh Lakha, said here today that Mr Vishnoi had chosen to attack Mr Hooda because he felt that his political future was dark. Mr Vishnoi, he alleged, was trying to mislead the people because he knew that in the next Lok Sabha elections it would be very difficult for him to win from Bhiwani without the support of Mr Hooda, who, he said, had become popular among the masses, particularly the farming community, by his several pro-people decisions. Mr Lakha said Mr Vishnoi should not harm the party for vested interests. A member of the Haryana Congress Committee, Mrs Swarn Lata Malik, said Mr Vishnoi’s campaign against Mr Hooda and the party was “most unfortunate”. It does not behove an M.P. to tarnish the image of the party by levelling ‘imaginary’ allegations against its Chief Minister”. She said the AICC president, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, had chosen Mr Hooda to lead the state and Mr Vishnoi should not challenge her choice. |
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Rs 7.8 cr fine recovered from power stealers
Karnal, April 16 The nigam had also lodged an FIR against 2959 erring consumers who did not deposit the penalty, the sources added. Meanwhile, the UHBVN has decided to launch a vigorous maintenance campaign in its command areas to improve the power distribution system and to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the summer and rainy seasons. The UHBVN has authorised its SDOs to engage 10 persons for the purpose for each subdivision through approved contractors, the sources said, adding that these persons would be entrusted with the task of tightening of loose wires, joints, sag of lines, straightening of tilted poles and maintenance of transformers. The maintenance campaign will be launched in Panchkula, Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal, Sonepat, Rohtak, Jind and Jhajjar districts that fall under the jurisdiction of the UHBVN. |
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Lok Adalats also to settle labour cases
Chandigarh,
April 16 The authority would also organise Lok Adalats for settlement of cases under the Negotiable Instruments
Act (primarily relating to the bouncing of cheques) at Ambala, Panipat, Pehowa, Guhla, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Rohtak, Hisar and Yamunanagar on April 22. Mr Shekhar Dhawan, member-secretary of the authority, said here today that for settling maximum number of cases through the Lok Adalats at the pre-litigation stage as well as those pending in courts, Lok Adalats were held at Rohtak, Panchkula, Bahadurgarh and Dabwali yesterday. He said at these Lok Adalats, 212 cases were settled. Out of these, 16 cases under the Motor Vehicle Act were settled wherein Rs 8.57 lakh was awarded as compensation. Also, 196 cases pertaining to other categories like civil, and bank loan cases were settled. |
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Judicial remand in rape case
Rewari, April 16 They have now been lodged in the jail at Narnaul. Prior to this, the accused were handed over by their guardians to the police following acute pressure mounted on them by the district police. However, their main accomplice, Babli of Nangal Teju village was still absconding while the fifth accused Vicky’s complicity in the crime was being ascertained by the police in view reportedly contradictory statements of the two victims. It may be mentioned that the two girls, aged 14 and 17, had left the village on March 31 after which they reached Chandigarh from where they were taken to Patiala and put up in two separate rooms of a railway quarter where they were repeatedly raped by the accused for over a week. Then on April 10 they were dropped at Ambala from where they were brought to Rewari by the accused Babli and other members of their families. On their statement the Bawal police had then registered a case of rape , abduction and criminal conspiracy under Sections 363, 366, 376 and 120-B of the IPC against the accused. |
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Calendar for schools
Chandigarh, April 16 During the first semester, schools would
open at 8 a.m. and close by 2 p.m. In the second semester, the school timings would be 9 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. Schools with two shifts would have a different time
schedule. The summer vacation would be from June 1 to June 30 and the semester break from October 1 to October 10. The winter vacation would be from December 22 to December 31. Similarly, the second break would be from March 23 to March 31, 2007. |
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Jail Supdt booked in suicide case
Hisar, April 15 Devender had left behind a suicide note in which he had reportedly held Yadav responsible for making him take this extreme step. In the suicide note, it had also been alleged that Yadav made the deceased do some “wrong work” at pistol-point and got the same recorded. The police has registered a case against Yadav under Section 306 of the IPC on the basis of the suicide note and a complaint registered by Devender Singh’s brother in this regard. Meanwhile, the exact reason behind Devender’s death is yet to be ascertained. |
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Argument leads to firing
Ambala, April 16 The incident took place at the grain market in Ambala City. Mr Goyal is a commission agent. Apparently, a truck entered the grain market and while reversing hit a pile of grain. An altercation took place between Mr Goyal and the farmer who had bought the pile of grain. Following the altercation, Mr Goyal reportedly took out a pistol and fired a shot in the air. Nobody was injured in the incident. |
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Accused throws chappal at judge
Rewari, April 16 But when the chappal failed to hit him, he rushed to assault him. However, before he could do any such thing, he was overpowered by the police personnel and the advocates present in the courtroom at that time. Simultaneously, the Narnaul police also nabbed Ram Chander, father of the accused (who too was present in the court), for allegedly instigating his accused son for the crime. The police also booked Raj Kumar and Ram Chander on charges of attempt to murder, criminal assault and abetment of crime Under Sections 353, 307, 332, 228, 114 and 109 of the IPC. Raj Kumar, along with six other accused, was produced in Mr Khanagwal’s court in connection with the murder of Hem Chander alias Hemu Saraf which was committed at Narnaul in 2002. — OC
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Power workers allege exploitation
Panipat, April 16 Talking to The Tribune here yesterday, president of the Panipat unit of the All-Haryana Power Corporations Union, Mr Jagpal Singh Sangwan, said the union had started a month-long signature campaign against the poor working condition of the workers. He cautioned the Hooda government to accept their demands otherwise they would launch an agitation. Posts of as many as 530 officials are lying vacant at the Panipat thermal unit but the authorities have done nothing despite repeated representations. |
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Chandigarh, April
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