Rohtak, June 15
By a seemingly innocuous decision, Kurukshetra University has made itself and the state government absolutely irrelevant in the matter of appointments of Principal, lecturer and librarian of government-aided privately managed colleges in Haryana leaving the field open for two representatives of college managements to appoint candidates of their own choice.

The College Development Council of the university which met on May 1passed a resolution which says that even if the nominees of the Commissioner, Higher Education, and the university itself give a dissenting note in any meeting of a selection committee, the selection will still be approved by the university and the post will not be re-advertised.

So far, the presence of the nominees of the CHE and the university is mandatory. The government had in 2001 issued directions to all affiliated universities in Haryana that the presence of nominees of the Commissioner, Higher Education, and the Vice-Chancellors of respective universities in the selection committees should be mandatory and that if any of the nominees gives a dissenting note, the selection be not approved by the university and the post be readvertised.

Consequently, the executive council of Kurukshetra University passed a resolution on November 11, 2001, giving effect to the government’s directive.

However, in the meeting of the College Development Council on May 1, an item was put up which read: “To consider the request of the Non-government-Affiliated Colleges Principals Association that even when the nominee of the Vice-Chancellor gives his dissenting note, the proceedings of the Selection Committee may be considered and approved by the university and the post should not be re-advertised.”

No details of why the request had been made and that too by a body of college Principals were provided to the members and the implications of the decision were not listed in the agenda.

However, the following two paragraphs were appended to the agenda item: “The house was informed that the following proviso making the presence and consent of nominees of Vice-Chancellor and the Higher Education Commissioner, Haryana, compulsory was adopted by the Executive Council vide its resolution No.3 of 11.11.2001 on the direction of the state government.

“The presence of the nominees of the Vice-Chancellor and the Higher Education Commissioner, Haryana, is necessary in the meeting of the Selection Committee for the selection of lecturers, librarians and Principals and also if anyone of the nominees gives dissenting note, the proceedings of the Selection Committee be not be approved by the university and the post should be re-advertised.”

Despite this, it was resolved that even if any nominee gave a dissenting note, the selections be approved by the university and the post be not re-advertised. The government had made the presence of its nominees and those of the universities mandatory to ensure that merit prevailed and that all government and university regulations are observed fully while making appointments.

The decision has far-reaching implications.One, it will ensure that just two representatives of the college managing body will be able to appoint any candidate of their choice irrespective of merit since the government and university nominees’ opinion will no longer matter.

Two, it will open the field for colleges affiliated to Maharshi Dayanand University here who will seek similar relaxations.

Yamunanagar, June 15
Various college teacher unions have decided to oppose the Private Universities Bill recently cleared by the Haryana Cabinet.

Members of the All-India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO) will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and others to express their opposition to the Bill.

The state unit of the AIFUCTO has called a joint meeting of all college teacher unions of the state.

Mr V.K. Tiwari, national general secretary of the AIFUCTO, said Haryana should not go ahead with the Bill as there was no need of it. “The AIFUCTO will oppose the Bill,” said Mr Tiwari.

He said private universities were unconstitutional and the Supreme Court had ruled against such universities in case of Chhattisgarh.

Mr Wazir Nehra, state general secretary of the organisation, said soon a meeting would be convened to discuss the issue.He said the Bill, if enacted, would cause irreversible damage to the academic system in the state.

The Haryana College Teachers Union (HCTU) has also flayed the Bill. It said the Bill had the potential to subvert secular and egalitarian character of higher education in the state.

Mr Pawan Sharma, secretary of the HCTU, said the union was against the Bill and it might start an agitation at the start of the new academic session. He said the decision would take higher education out of the reach of weaker and middle-class section of society.

Mr Sishpal Hardu, general secretary of the Haryana Government College Teachers Association (HGCTA), said the association was against the Bill. He said a meeting of the association had been called next week where the future course of action would be decided.

Kurukshetra, June 15
The district congress committee (DCC) president, Mr Pawan Garg, has sought the intervention of AICC chief Sonia Gandhi to get the “would-be deal” between the Haryana Government and the Reliance company nullified.

Confirming this here today, Mr Garg said the state government was in a mood to finalise the deal with the Reliance company for having a financial hub in the state at the cost of poor farmers and the land owners. But this chunk of land had a very high value and was being given to the Reliance company at a throwaway price which in return was not going to benefit the common man, alleged Mr Garg.

Mr Garg alleged this was to bring to this agricultural state capitalist culture in the name of Mukesh Ambani. 

Yamunanagar, June 15
As many 180 owners of wood-based units in the district have closed down and more would submit closure reports to the Forest Department by late evening. Owners of 30 units, who had filed objections to the closure orders would have to close their extended units. On the other hand, documents of 89 units were found in order (meaning they came up before October 2002) and hence, the units would continue to function. The forest department had issued closure notices to 392 wood-based units, including to those which had extended their units.

Meanwhile, sources in the Haryana forest department told the Tribune that there was plenty of wood available in the state to run all existing wood-based units, including those that came after October 30, 2002 and have been closed and the Haryana government is expected to approach the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) set up by the Supreme Court with the wood availability report in the coming week.

According to a senior forest official CEC may give permission for new units if it is satisfied that wood is available for units. He said a survey of the wood availability was carried out in the state by a private organisation. About 35 lakh cubic metre tonne wood is produced annually in the state and the existing units are not consuming more than 23 lakh cubic metric wood annually. “There is a scope of more wood-based units and the government would take up the case with the CEC”, said the official.

The Supreme Court in its October 30, 2002 order said that no state or union territory shall permit any unlicensed saw mill, veneer, plywood industry to operate and they are directed to close all such unlicensed units forthwith.

Rohtak, June 15
An Assistant Sub-Inspector of police Jagdish Chander, posted as in charge of Old Bus Stand police post here was beaten to death late last night.

The ASI had rushed to Kaccha Beri Road late at night on receiving information that about a dozen persons were involved in a brawl there. When he tried to intervene, the miscreants hit him with lathis repeatedly till he dropped dead.

The police has registered a case of murder but no arrests have been made so far. 

Jhajjar, June 15
Residents of Matanhail village here today lifted the 36-hour road blockade following assurances from the district administration and a Congress leader regarding not setting up any thermal power plant in their village.

Residents of Matanhail and some other nearby villages had blocked six roads leading to the village demanding the cancellation of the proposed power project. Setting up of the project would destroy bani (jungle) that provided fodder for cattle and fulfilled several needs of the local people.

As no senior district officials went the meet them till late last evening, the agitators decided to continue their stir. They also gheroed the Teshildar and his deputy and raised anti-government slogans.

Chandigarh, June 15
The ongoing fight for the control of the Haryana Olympic Association (HOA) between the groups led by former MLA Abhey Singh Chautala and Congress MP Naveen Jindal today reached the Punjab and Haryana High Court with Mr Hanuman Singh Bhadu, Joint Secretary under the Chautala-controlled HOA, seeking anticipatory bail in connection with a case registered against him by the Panchkula Police.

Mr Bhadu had been booked on June 5 for allegedly having taken away the record of the HOA from its office at Olympic Bhavan, Panchkula, on May 6. The case was registered on the complaint of Mr Surender Singh Dangi, who is the Joint Secretary in the HOA headed by Mr Jindal.

In his petition, Mr Bhadu has alleged that the case against him was false and frivolous and had its origin in the tussle for the control of the HOA.

He has alleged that the Congress Government led by Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda had been conspiring to grab control of the HOA and for this purpose a special general meeting of some members was held where Mr Jindal was elected as President and IPS officer P.V. Rathee was appointed honorary Secretary-General.

Mr Bhadu has claimed that the case against him was registered at the behest of Mr Rathee who is ADGP, CID, Haryana. On June 12, the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Panchkula, had declined his prayer for grant of anticipatory bail.