Bhuna (Fatehabad), June 3
Local farmers and employees of the cooperative sugar mill situated here are up in arms against the state government for its move to close down the mill. The employees’ union and the local chapter of the All-India Kisan Sabha have decided to oppose any such move.

While the authorities maintain that heavy losses to the tune of Rs 200 crore had necessitated the sale of the mill, the kisan sabha alleges that the losses were due to mismanagement on part of the authorities and rampant corruption in the purchase of machinery for the mill.

The farmers, who had grown sugarcane on nearly 5,000 acres of land on a favourable assurance by Sugarfed authorities, face heavy losses in the event of the closure of the mill. Moreover, the fate of nearly 700 employees working at the mill also hangs in balance.

The president of the sugar mill employees union, Mr Sahib Ram, told The Tribune that the state government had sent an assessment team to evaluate the plant machinery, store goods and the land on which the mill was located. He said a delegation of the employees’ representatives would soon meet the Chief Minister and try to resolve the matter.

Mr Ram Swaroop, president of the local unit of the kisan sabha, said if the government remained adamant on the decision to close down the mill, the sabha would stage a massive dharna on the sugar mill premises on June 21.

“This anti-farmer step of the Hooda government would be opposed tooth and nail and efforts to sell the mill to some private party would not be allowed to succeed at any cost,” he asserted.

Veteran Communist leader and Zila Parishad member Krishan Swaroop Gorakhpuria maintained that the mill was a cooperative body only in the name as it was being run as a government enterprise. “Hence, the government officials, and not the farmers or mill shareholders are responsible for the losses being incurred,” he said, adding that the state government should issue a White Paper in this regard.

On the other hand, the Rattia SDM, Mr H.C.Bhatia, who is also holding the charge of the Managing Director of the mill, said the decision to sell the mill had been taken due to the heavy losses being incurred. He pointed out that the sugarcane grown on nearly 5,000 acres was not enough to run the mill. Mr Bhatia, however, maintained that the interest of the employees would be kept in mind while taking any step in this regard.

In view of the volatile situation, a timely decision in the larger interest of the farmers and employees is must to prevent a possible showdown.

Panipat, June 3
When the state is undergoing an acute shortage of electricity, scores of posts at Panipat Thermal Power Station (PTP), including that of chief engineer, are lying vacant. Works related to operations and administration have reportedly come to a virtual halt.

Inquiries made by this correspondent revealed that the posts chief engineer (one), senior engineer (10) and superintendent engineer (three) are lying vacant at the plant. Terming the situation worrisome, officials said this summer season was crucial in view of scarcity of power in the state. They lamented that the state government had been adopting an apathetic attitude towards the problem.

The plant is the largest power-generation thermal plant. Sources said absence of required officials was severely affecting functioning at the plant.

This is not for the first time that the state authorities had adopted an indifferent attitude in filling the top vacant posts of the state-run power-generation plants. The Tribune highlighted on April 5 the state of affairs at the plant when posts of chief engineer were lying vacant for weeks together both at Faridabad and Panipat power plants.

The sources alleged that political interference in the appointments at top posts had caused the delay in filling of the posts. According to reliable sources, one of the former chief engineers at Panipat was related to a senior Congress minister and the latter had lobbied to appoint him for the “plum post.”

The Haryana Power Utilities had failed to appoint any official as chief engineer when Mr R.D. Gupta retired on May 31 as chief engineer (operations and maintenance).

The sources confirmed that as per the trend the posts were filled on the basis of the promotions from within the plant.

Two posts of senior engineer had been lying vacant since April when Mr R.D. Gupta and the present chief engineer of the Panipat plant, Mr Y.N. Chug, were elevated to the top posts. Similarly, after another senior engineer, Mr Rajan Guglani, who superannuated on April 30, the authorities did not fill the vacant post.

Talking to The Tribune, the president of the All-Haryana Power Corporation Workers Union, PTP, Mr Jagpal Singh Sangwan, blamed the state authorities for delay in filling senior posts. He has demanded for a policy to ensure that such prime offices are not left vacant even for a day.

Rewari, June 3
While criminals are virtually having a field day in Rewari district, victimised families and others continue to suffer. Poor functioning of the police department has come in for sharp criticism from people and politicians alike.

Incidents of murder and robbery in the district during the past few days are mind boggling.

In the latest incident, a young woman Sushma (22), along with her 15-month-old daughter Khushi, was allegedly strangled to death by her husband in Ajay Nagar here on Thursday. The accused reportedly fled after committing the crime.

The deceased, who had strained relations with her husband Yogender, had been living separately in a rented accommodation in the vicinity of her parental house in Ajay Nagar here. She was employed in a factory at Manesar near Gurgaon.

Her husband Yogender, a resident of Riwasa village near Mahendergarh, made a sudden appearance yesterday. It is stated that he had an altercation with his wife Sushma, following which the mother daughter duo was done to death.

On a complaint lodged by Sanjay, brother of the deceased, the city police registered a case of murder against Yogender, who is absconding.

In the second incident of murder, Ashok Kumar (24), a petty shopkeeper of Rampura village, near here, was done to death by unknown assailants who then threw his body in a village pond late on Monday night. The body, after being spotted by the villagers, was recovered by the police from the pond on Tuesday morning. On a complaint filed by Mr Om Prakash, brother of the deceased, the police registered a case of murder under Sections 302, 201 of the IPC.

In another incident of robbery, armed youths reportedly looted a gold chain, ring and two cell phones from a local journalist, Mr Ramji Lal Kataria, after injuring him on Dharuhera-Rewari road near Phideri turn, about 4 km from here, on Tuesday night.

They also fired a pistol shot. The miscreants fled after committing the crime which was committed when the victims, along with two friends, were returning from Dharuhera in a car. Both the injured have been admitted to a private hospital here where they are stated to be out of danger.

The Sadar police has registered a case of robbery in this regard.

In another incident, thieves burgled the houses of Mr Nand Lal, Mr Tara Chand, Mr Brahm Prakash, Mr Pawan Kumar and Mr Ramavtar at Mandhiya Kalan village, about 5 km from here, on Tuesday night. They decamped with cash and ornaments worth lakhs of rupees. The booty included Rs 1.88 lakh in cash.

The model town police here has registered cases of burglary under Sections 457, 380 of the IPC in this regard.

In another incident of burglary, thieves broke into the house of Mrs Madhu Narula in Sector 3 here in broad daylight on Tuesday. They decamped with cash and ornaments worth about Rs 3 lakh. The house was locked as the inmates were away.

TRIBUNE IMPACT
Admn swings into action  on safety measures
Vishal Joshi
Tribune News Service

Panipat, June 3
Acting promptly on The Tribune story on the Fun Fair-2006, the district administration has constituted a team of officials to ensure fire safety at the fair venue.

The SDM, Mr R. K. Singh, had reportedly visited the venue on the directions of the DC and asked the fair organisers to ensure smooth exit points.

The Tribune had highlighted on Saturday how the organisers of the Fun Fair had ignored the safety arrangements.

The Tribune had reported that the organisers were illegally charging a fee for vehicles on Friday evening despite the fact that the DC did not grant them any permission to do so.

Talking to the TNS, Mr Singh said he had visited the venue and asked the management to rework safety measures.

He said directions had been given to them to provide three more emergency exit points.

The Tribune had also highlighted that the vehicles were being parked just outside the emergency exit.

The SDM took notice of this and directed the management to ensure that no vehicles were parked in the vicinity of the exits points.

According to Mr Singh, the management had been directed to double-check the electric wirings and also to increase the number of sand buckets and take other firefighting measures.

Officials said the district administration had also instructed the fair management to ensure safety on the water slides and other swings.