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Protests against Cong, Arjun
Agitated Jats hold dharna
Centre’s no to posts of DGP
Retrenched staff to be taken back in Confed
15-year-old vehicles to go off roads
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Villagers living on Haryana border disillusioned
SFI calls for strike today
High Court
8 robbers held
Hike MSP of kharif crops, says Surjewala
Hooda thanks PM for hike in MSP
Haryana signs pact for thermal plant
Manch discusses ration cards
Journalists lift dharna
Protest against Rajasthan CM
CBSE honour for DAV students
ICAR award for HAU researcher
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Protests against Cong, Arjun
Rohtak, August 24 While the issue of reservations for OBCs in institutions of higher learning antagonised the upper castes, the description of Jats as pillagers in a book published by the NCERT has now alienated the entire Jat community. This double blow has suddenly put the Congress in a defensive mode. Although the Congress leaders are trying to play down the widespread protests all over the state, the party leaders have been forced to indulge in some damage control exercises. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had to release a copy of his letter to Arjun Singh on this issue to the media yesterday. His son Deepender Hooda, himself a Congress MP from Rohtak, also sought withdrawals of derogatory references from the book. Another Congress MP from Hisar Jai Parkash followed suit. Opposition parties including the Indian National Lok Dal and the Bhartiya Janata Party have understandably not been that condescending. Both parties have been egging on their supporters to take to the streets and project the Congress in a poor light. Their protests are not directed against Arjun Singh personally. However, the same is not true of social organisations of Jats whose ire is directed more against the union minister. Rather than burning copies of the book in question, protestors have been burning effigies of Arjun Singh. A senior Jat social activist said that this was because there had been traditional rivalry among the Jats and the Rajputs and the community feels that Arjun Singh is the culprit. There is another factor for the anger against Arjun Singh. The common Haryanvi perceives him as anti-Haryana because of the role he played as the then Governor of Punjab in shaping the Rajiv Gandhi-Sant Longowal Accord. Most Haryanvis view the accord as against their interests – a feeling instilled by the late Devi Lal who launched a stir against the accord which eventually catapulted him to the office of the Chief Minister in 1987. The Haryana unit of the All-India Jat Mahasabha has called for a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Tuesday. Several khap panchayats have also called meetings to discuss the issue and plan more protests. Remarks to be removed: Mullana
Chandigarh: The Haryana Government has decided to expunge the controversial derogatory remarks against the Jat community from NCERT books of Classes VIII and XII with immediate effect. Disclosing this here today, the Education Minister, Mr Phool Chand Mullana, said the objectionable text had been removed from “Social Science (Part I) Adhunik Bharat” of Class VIII and “Modern India” for Class XII. This had been done as per the directions of the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who had also appealed to the Union Human Resource Development Ministry in this regard. Mr Mullana said a letter had been sent to the Haryana School Education Board and to all schools in the state to take the necessary action and remove the objectionable remarks. — TNS |
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Agitated Jats hold dharna
Panipat, August 24 After assembling at Palika bazar at 11 a.m., hundreds of agitated people staged a protest march and on the way sat on dharna on the GT Road resulting in a traffic jam for half an hour. Then the protesters moved towards Assandh Bridge and Ram Lal Chowk creating traffic chaos
before they reached at the DC residence in the afternoon. Addressing protesters the local MLA, Mr Balbir Pal Shah, said the community had produced great warriors and rulers like Maharaja Ranjit Singh and contributed in freedom struggle as well as development of the nation.
— TNS |
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Centre’s no to posts of DGP
Chandigarh, August 24 The Home Ministry’s disapproval does not augur well for Haryana where five serving police officers now have the rank of DGP. Up to four DGPs will have been acceptable as it is considered legitimate on the part of the state government to create an equal number of ex-cadre posts against the number of cadre posts sanctioned by the Central Government. The two sanctioned posts of DGP in the state are that of DGP and DGP (Prisons). Mr Nirmal Singh and Mr Vikash are holding the two posts, respectively. In addition, Haryana also has DGPs as Director, State Vigilance Bureau, Commandant-General, Home Guards, and Managing Director, Police Housing Corporation Ltd. They are Mr R.S. Dalal, Mr G.S. Malhi and Mr C.P. Bansal. Mr Nirmal Singh is slated to retire in October. The anomaly can be corrected at that time by giving any one of the serving DGPs dual charge and thus having four DGPs in the state instead of five. It is learnt that the Central Government has in fact sounded the state government on bringing down the number of cadre posts of DGP to one. One reason for this is Haryana’s proposal to reduce the cadre strength of IPS officers in the state to 110 from the existing 125. The cadre strength of the IPS was increased to 125 during the tenure of the previous government in the state headed by Mr Om Prakash Chautala. The strength was allegedly increased to enable the last regime to elevate its “favourite” police officers from the state police service (HPS) to the IPS. The present government wanted to discontinue this practice and proposed a reduction in the strength to 110. The Central Government is agreeable to the idea and even impressed by it as Haryana is apparently the only state in the country to propose a cut in the strength of IPS officers. However, since the number of posts of DGP in a state is supposed to constitute 1 per cent of the total strength of IPS officers, Haryana has been asked to retain only one post of DGP instead of the present two. The sources said that another meeting between the Haryana Government and the Union Home Ministry on the subject of police reforms in the state is slated to take place next month. At the meeting the state government is hoping to clinch the issue of reduction in the cadre strength to 110, and at the same time retain the existing two cadre posts of DGP in the state. |
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Villagers living on Haryana border disillusioned
Morni, August 24 "We don't want to be a part of Haryana anymore. We have endured a lot of suffering while governments have come and gone. We don't want our children left behind for want of good education in today's competitive world. We can't get it here, we never will. All these years we have only lived by mere lip service, empty promises and false hopes and nothing worthwhile has happened. We want to breakaway from Haryana and join Himachal Pradesh," rues a disillusioned Hari Singh of Chidyana village. Solitary voices of dissent like these are beginning to find echo in the sleepy villages along the Haryana-Himachal Pradesh border of the Morni hills. Disillusioned with the lack of interest in their welfare and troubled by apathy of successive governments towards their issues, the villagers want to break free of the shackles of drudgery and indifference. They want the basic amenities of a water connection, good schools, regular power, roads and are not willing to compromise or continue to exist as part of the present system anymore. All praise for Himachal Pradesh, Lakshmi Singh, another villager,
states, "Their government provides schools, the best of teachers, roads, lights and water in the most difficult of terrains. If they can do it, why can't the same departments on this side of the border do it. We would be better off as part of a hill state." To add to the woes of the already disgusted villagers, rubble and boulders, brought down by landslides after the rains, have only added fuel to fire. "This only kuchha road to the village has been blocked for two and a half months. Nobody has cared to clear the apology of a road that leads into
Thandog, Rajitikri and Dabsu. The official line on this is that the rains are not over yet and more landslides are expected in the weeks to come. The department concerned does not want to clear the road, fearing it would have to repeat the exercise. It seems we don't count at all, our inconvenience doesn't matter to anybody," laments Kishan Singh of Beola village. In the high school at
Thandog, staff shortage is a chronic problem. Subhash Chander, a PTI and in charge of the school, admits the shortfall but adds they are doing the best they can with available staff. Shramdan by way of making a passage through the debris of the landslide to facilitate a passage for the women teachers at the school, is a ritual with the villagers. "The other day a 40-year-old lady fell off her roof in the dark. We carried her on a charpoy across narrow pathway through the landslide. The school has no drinking water connection, neither do we. Will somebody ever hear us out," asks Varinder Kumar of Manjon village. Problems are aplenty in these hamlets along the border with a population of 800-odd people who are not scared to speak their mind out. |
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Retrenched staff to be taken back in Confed
Chandigarh, August 24 Stating this here today Mr Bajrang Dass Garg, Chairman, Confed, said Confed had submitted a list of 619 employees who were below the age of 55 years to the state government in this regard. These employees would be reinstated within six months. The Chautala government had retrenched 674 employees of the federation. He said the state government had authorised Confed as an agency to distribute coal among small traders in the state. Confed would purchase coal direct from Coal India Limited and supply it to those small traders whose annual coal requirement was not more than 500 metric tonnes. Confed would get 5 per cent margin as its commission. The Central Government had already given its permission in this regard. Mr Garg said Confed would make defaulting industrialists pay their pending dues of Rs 6 crore towards the federation. Confed had already started the process. He said on the occasion of Maharaja Aggarsen Jayanti, the Aggarwal Samaj would give a public reception in honour of the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, in Panchkula on September 23. |
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15-year-old vehicles to go off roads
Rohtak, August 24 The Commissioner, Rohtak Division, Mr N. C. Wadhwa, has issued directions to the traffic authorities to ensure that the ban is implemented strictly. He said here today that as many as 5000 registered and 2000 unregistered three-wheelers were plying on city roads causing unbearable pollution. Besides, a large number of vehicles both light and heavy were adding to the traffic problem. He directed the police to start a campaign to check the vehicles’ documents like Registration Certificates (RC) and driving licences of the drivers and impound vehicles plying without valid documents or violating provisions of Motor Vehicle Act (MVA). He also asked police officials to conduct special checks on overloaded vehicles and three-wheelers plying with more passengers than the prescribed number. Traffic police personnel have been directed to ensure that vehicles without valid pollution certificates did not ply on the roads and petrol pumps issuing pollution certificates be booked in case any certificate was issued without proper inspection of the vehicle. He also directed that crowded areas like Bhiwani Stand, Sukhpura Chowk, Sunaria Chowk, Medical Mor, Gohana Stand, Sheela Bypass and the Bus Stand be declared as no parking zones. |
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SFI calls for strike today
Panipat, August 24 Addressing mediapersons, the general secretary alleged that the state government was preparing to privatise the state roadways and most of the rural routes had been opened to private bus operators only, resulting in problems for students going to cities for education. The private bus operators did not recognise the bus passes due to which students from rural areas had to spend extra money for reaching the colleges and schools in time in the absence of government buses, added Mr Jai Bhagwan. Because of shortage of buses on these routes, students had to board overloaded buses putting their lives to risk, said the general secretary. A student in Bhiwani district was killed while trying to board a bus last month, claimed the SFI leader. The federation would stage a protest march on August 25 and present a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioners in all districts of the state, informed the general secretary of the federation. The federation would resort to a more vigorous agitation in case their demands were not met soon, said the union leader.
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High Court Our High Court Correspondent
Chandigarh, August 24 The petition also prays for a change in the norms pertaining to population density in regard to EWS category applicants as well as increase in the number of dwelling units permissible under the scheme. The petition says that HUDA could also decrease the area of the plot to be allotted to EWS societies so that there was no discrimination in utilisation of area made available to the societies on the basis of floor area ratio (FAR). The petition has been filed by the Morni Housing Welfare Organisation, Panchkula, which has sought allotment of land at Palwal under the EWS category. On July 3, HUDA had asked the Organisation to cut down its membership from 40 to 30. Today, the case came up before the Division Bench of Mr Justice Viney Mittal and Mr Justice H.S. Bhalla. Following the plea of counsel for HUDA for grant of some time to file reply, the Bench adjourned the hearing to August 29. Stay sought
Leaders of the Opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), who have formed a group housing society — the Param Apartments Co-operative Group Housing Society — have challenged the action of HUDA to not to consider their application for grant of land for a group housing society. Draw of lots for grant of land for housing projects of Group Housing Societies across Haryana are scheduled to be held on Friday. The members of the petitioner-society include Rajya Sabha members Ajay Singh Chautala, Mr Tarlochan Singh, Mr Faqir Chand, as also almost all the INLD MLAs in Haryana. Seeking a stay on the draw of lots and directions to HUDA to include Param Apartments Co-operative Group Housing Society in the draw of lots, the petitioners have alleged the HUDA was denying them a chance to own a house only due to political reasons. The Bench disposed of the petition with the direction to the petitioners to make a representation to HUDA authorities in this regard. Conference
The Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association will organise a national-level conference in October. Representatives of bar associations of various High Courts across the country will participate. Addressing mediapersons here today, Mr Amandeep Singh, secretary of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Bar Association, said the three-day conference would also see legal luminaries and Bar representatives discuss relevant. |
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8 robbers held
Rewari, August 24 The police has seized a country made pistol and an empty cartridge from their possession and also impounded their four-wheeler vehicle (HR 55 B 8794). A case under sections 399 and 402 of the IPC has been registered. The robbers, who were nabbed with the assistance of the villagers, have been identified as Juber, Aslam, Idris, Sajid, Abid, Rizwan, Hamid and Liaqat (driver of the vehicle), all belonging to Mewat region. It is stated that when some villagers spotted them, one of the accused fired few rounds in the air to frighten them away. After being informed by the villagers, a police team, lead by district police chief Ram Singh Bishnoi, nabbed the robbers. — OC |
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Hike MSP of kharif crops, says Surjewala
Chandigarh, August 24 If earlier the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had written to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, to increase substantially the MSP of crops like paddy, cotton, maize and bajra, today the Chairman of the All-India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, who also belongs to Haryana, made a similar demand. Expressing concern over the meagre increase in the MSP of various crops announced by the Centre, Mr Surjewala said agriculture had become a loss-making enterprise, which was manifested in large-scale social unrest in the rural areas, suicides by farmers and rise in Naxalism as well as in separatist and subversive activities in the hinterland. He said remunerative prices linked with the cost of production should be ensured to farmers. |
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Hooda thanks PM for hike in MSP
Chandigarh, August 24 The Chief Minister said he had been requesting time and again to the Agriculture Minister as well as the Prime Minister to enhance the MSP of paddy in the interest of the farmers which had been accepted by them. Mr Hooda said the Congress under the leadership of Mrs Sonia Gandhi had always been committed for the welfare of all sections of society, especially the farming community. He said the policies and programmes of UPA Government were pro-farmers and it had always safeguarded the interests of the farmers. |
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Haryana signs pact for thermal plant
New Delhi, August 24 Speaking at a function where an agreement was signed by Haryana, Delhi and the National Thermal Power Corporation for setting up a 1500-MW thermal power plant in Haryana, Mr Hooda said 4000 MW of power was available to the state, of which 2000 MW was produced by it. The power generation unit would supply 750 MW each to Haryana and Delhi. Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said steps had been taken to improve the power supply in Delhi, keeping in view the Commonwealth Games in 2010. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit said the agreement signed between the Delhi Tansco Limited and the Damodar Valley Corporation would enable Delhi to get 2600 MW of additional power by 2010. |
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Manch discusses ration cards
Ambala, August 24 The meeting was chaired by Mr Raj Kumar. Among the issues discussed were delay in getting old age pension, yellow and pink ration cards and power crises. Mr BM Sarhadi said that more than two years back, a list of 110 person was submitted for pink and yellow ration cards to a depot holder. He said that neither have the ration cards been made nor was there any information about the forms. He said that following a complaint to the Chief Minister, a team of Food and Supplies Department officials had made enquiries and they had assured that the ration cards would be made soon. But nothing has taken place. Mr Raj Kumar said that under the Chautala government, old age pension used to be received between third and tenth of the month but now, the pension was being received at the end of the month. |
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Journalists lift dharna
Hisar, August 24 The SHO of the Sadar police station, Mr Harpal Gautam, accompanied by the SSP, Mr Arshinder Singh Chawla, went to the protesting journalists and apologised for his behaviour. The SSP also regretted the “unfortunate” incident and assured the protesting journalists of all support and cooperation. |
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Protest against Rajasthan CM
Fatehabad, August 24 A large number of people belonging to the Sikh community today held a demonstration and went in a procession to the mini-secretariat. The protesters were holding placards against the incident and raising slogans against the Rajasthan Government. A number of Sikh youth were carrying naked kirpans in their hands. The protesters gave a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Mr O.P. Sheoran, demanding arrest of the miscreants and action against them.
— OC |
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CBSE honour for DAV students
Ambala, August 24 The students from Class XII are: Ravi Dua, Maths; Shweta Kharbanda, Maths; Navleen Kaur, Physical Education; Cheena Goel, Physical Education, Megha, Physical Education and Tanvi dhamija, English Core. The students from class X are: Kartikay Rajdev, Maths and Science; Shivi Goel, English Course B; Hindi course A and Maths, Abhishek Sood, Maths and Science, Bhavya, Science; Ishan Gupta, Science, Heena Gupta, Maths and Arpit Johar, Maths.
— TNS
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ICAR award for HAU researcher
Hisar, August 24 Dr Dhillon submitted his thesis last year for the award of PhD in Entomology, which has been acknowledged as the best research work by the ICAR. He worked on “Effects of cytoplasmic male-sterility on the expression of resistance to sorghum shoot fly, Altherigonaq Soccata (Rondani)” under the guidance of Prof J.S. Naresh, Prof Ram Singh of Department of Entomology, HAU, and Dr H.C. Sharma, Principal Scientist, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Hyderabad. His six research papers based on this work have also been published in different international journals. He is currently a visiting scientist at
ICRISAT, Hyderabad. |
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Canal breach damages crops in 100 acres
Sirsa, August 24 The water also entered the government school and premises of the gurdwara and caused inconvenience to the students and the devotees. The breach occurred yesterday in the Shekhupuria minor passing from near the village and before the villagers could arrive for plugging it, the breach widened and water started gushing at a great speed. The villagers informed the canal officials who succeeded in plugging the breach.
— PTI |
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Workshop on media
Ambala, August 24
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