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Yadav: graft in quarry lease under INLD rule
Haryana drive to boost wheat yield
State website gives data from days of Chautala regime
No case withdrawn, says Dalal
Invitation to Hooda renewed
Drive to trace heirs of those found dead on rly tracks
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Hoteliers warned against employing children
Now, get your name on voters’ list any time
Blood donors honoured
Development not to harm farmers: Selja
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Yadav: graft in quarry lease under INLD rule
Chandigarh, September 28 It was the turn of the Revenue and Irrigation Minister, Mr Ajay Singh Yadav, who picked up the thread from the Transport Minister, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, who addressed a press conference here yesterday. Addressing reporters at the HPCC office here, Mr Yadav said corruption had reached its zenith during the previous INLD regime in the state and thus the leader of the INLD had no right to point an accusing finger at the Hooda government. Citing alleged instances of corruption, Mr Yadav said during the INLD regime, 44 quarries of Panchkula district were given on contract at the rate of Rs 7.81 crore per year. Another 11 quarries were given on contract for Rs 1.69 crore per year. These quarries were leased out by the present government in a transparent manner and as a result Rs 31.29 crore came to the government kitty from the deal, Mr Yadav said. He alleged that the shortfall in government revenue from the auction of quarries during the INLD regime had benefited certain persons who were running the government. The Revenue Minister, who came armed with various documents, also alleged that the expenses incurred during the INLD regime on labour charges for the procurement of grain were 32 per cent more than that being spent by the Hooda regime. Where the excess money was going could be easily guessed, he said. Mr Yadav also supplied a list to show the variation in the prices of items purchased by the INLD government and its successor. Twentyfive out of the 29 items in the list were purchased by the Congress government at rates lower than those paid by the INLD. Items such as iron pipes, SW pipes, dual desks, oxygen and nitrous gas, etc, were purchased by the present government at a much lower rates than those paid by the INLD regime. Mr Yadav said revenue earning by the Excise Department had also shown a marked increase as compared to the figure during the previous government’s tenure. |
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Haryana drive to boost wheat yield
Chandigarh, September 28 The Director, Agriculture, Haryana, Mr Rajesh Khullar, today sent letters to the Deputy Commissioners to “excuse” the staff of the Agriculture Department in the districts from all activity so that they could actively participate in the month-long educational campaign starting from October 10. During the campaign, staff members of the Agriculture Department will camp in villages, educating farmers and their families. “During this campaign, the extension functionaries of the department will be trained in various aspects of the campaign and a district-level camp will be organised. The extension functionaries will organise group and village meetings, educate high/higher secondary school/college students, who will, in turn, make their father/brothers understand simple things that will help increase the yield”, the Deputy Commissioners have been told. “The Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had promised the Congress leadership at the recently concluded Congress Chief Ministers’ Conclave at Naini Tal that Haryana would take the lead in working towards national food security by reversing trends of decreasing wheat yield. Initially, we will tell the farmer only two things. One, he must treat the seed before sowing as this will protect his crop from pests, birds and white ants. Two, that all sowing must finish by November 15. Each day’s delay after this time will reduce the yield by about 35 kg per hectare”, Mr Khullar said. Earlier this month, a meeting was held in Delhi in which Agriculture Secretaries, the Vice-Chancellors of agricultural universities and senior officials of the Agriculture Departments of all states participated. Impressed by the Haryana model on national food security, the Union Agriculture Secretary, Ms Radha Singh, asked all states to replicate this model to boost wheat production. Earlier this year the nation had imported wheat at a high price to meet domestic requirements. Haryana is targeting a yield of 41 quintals in the rabi season which is on a par with the 1999 level. Over the past six years there has been a steady decline in the wheat yield across northern states due to various factors, including global warming. During 1999-2000 the average yield of wheat in Haryana was 4,165 kg per hectare, while it dropped to 3,844 kg per hectare in 2005-06. Punjab has shown a similar trend. Haryana hopes to improve the yield by the timely sowing of wheat, selection of high-yielding varieties, seed treatment, application of potassic fertilisers, promotion of zero-tillage in paddy-wheat areas and timely weed management. Officials of the Agriculture Department will hold kisan goshtis. Training camps will be organised in villages to disseminate the message for the adoption of an improved package of practices. The campaign will continue till the completion of wheat sowing. Haryana has allotted two villages to each Agriculture Development Officer, who will stay in the village for the entire sowing period to ensure that farmers follow the prescribed procedure. By mid-November, about 80 per cent of the sowing is expected to be completed. |
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State website gives data from days of Chautala regime
Chandigarh, September 28 Very inspiring and the homepage, www.haryana.gov.in, is attractive. But wait, see beneath all the glitter. Linked to the brightly coloured homepage, much of the information on the website is not only outdated, but the Congress-led Bhupinder Singh Hooda government is also unknowingly highlighting facts and data that pertain to the previous Chautala regime. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) has put up a disclaimer on the website that reads that the site is designed and developed by the NIC, but the data is provided by the respective district administrations and various departments. Mr Sushil Kumar, Technical Director, NIC, said: “We only provide the technical support. The responsibility of updating information is with the departments concerned.” Though information pertaining to decisions taken by the present Congress regime like the special economic zone policy and the new education policy are current, other information supplied by various departments is incomplete and outdated. For example, information on the National Programme for Control of Blindness lists targets and achievements for 2003-2004, suggesting that no work has been done in this sphere since then. Similarly, the data available on the family welfare programme pertains to 2002-2003 when the Chautala government was in power. Jaundice and other water-borne diseases have claimed several lives forcing the recently concluded Vidhan Sabha to take up the issue. However, with regard to water-borne diseases, May, 2004, is the last time when the state had reported health issues relating such diseases. Again, the available data on the registration of deaths or births is from 1995 to 2001. “To strengthen government-to-citizen services a dynamic website containing useful information has been developed to enable the public to access the required information about various schemes on an ‘any time and anywhere’ basis”, reads the Social Welfare Department website . But the website is still reviewing the Annual Administrative Report of the working of the Social Justice and Empowerment Department, Haryana, for 1999-2000 and is dated January 28, 2002. While this department has no notifications or orders to share with the public, it claims that it is “attempting to improve the information delivery system at different levels of administration and efficiency of the office”. But the last statement on the website showing the yearwise position of non-government organisations working in the fields of handicapped welfare, child welfare, women welfare and aged welfare pertains to 2000-2001. The list of the Council of Ministers has only nine pictures, while 12 Ministers are “faceless” on the website. The “Jobs” section list jobs whose last dates for applications were over long ago. The tender section shows no tenders, even though tenders are being floated on a daily basis. |
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No case withdrawn, says Dalal
Chandigarh, September 28 The Haryana Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, had said here yesterday that the criminal cases, including a murder case, were registered against Mr Dalal by the Chautala government because the former had been relentlessly exposing the misdeeds of the later for five years. Mr Surjewala had said since these cases were the result of political vendetta, the Hooda government withdrew the cases against Mr Dalal. Mr Dalal told TNS on the phone from Palwal that he had neither requested the government to withdraw the cases against him nor had the government done so. The murder case, which was registered against him and several members of his family, went up to the Supreme Court after the trial court acquitted all accused. The Chautala government’s appeals against the verdict of the Sessions Court were turned down by the High Court and the apex court. Similarly, a case registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act by the Chautala government also went up to the Supreme Court after the trial court granted him bail. Mr Dalal said the Chautala government challenged the decision to give him bail first in the High Court and then in the Supreme Court but everywhere it had to eat humble pie. Mr Dalal said the cases concerning damage to property owned by his family were pending in courts. |
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Invitation to Hooda renewed
Chandigarh, September 28 Hence, they might not be
available for meetings with Mr Hooda. According to informed sources, the Chinese Embassy in India has now written to Mr Hooda to plan a visit to China from November 25 to December 3. Mr Hooda, who will leave the country on October 7 for a tour of five European countries, is yet to respond to the Chinese invitation. Meanwhile, all arrangements have been made for Mr Hooda’s European tour, despite a change in the Central Government’s policy on the special economic zones (SEZ). Official sources said speculation that the change in the SEZ policy would have an adverse affect on Mr Hooda’s plans to sell Haryana to foreign investors was misplaced. His tour was not meant to promote SEZs. Since the SEZs are to be set up with private participation, it is the job of private
promoters to sell SEZs. Mr Hooda’s purpose behind the European visit is to give exposure to Haryana as an investment destination because of its proximity to the national capital. |
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Drive to trace heirs of those found dead on rly tracks
Chandigarh, September 28 According to sources in the GRP, 2,396 unidentified bodies were found on railway tracks in the state during the past five years. Since these could not be identified, their legal heirs remain untraced. According to sources, the SP, Railways, Ms Bharti Arora, felt if their legal heirs could be traced, they would be able to get compensation from the Railways and at least come to know that their missing relatives were not alive now. The GRP will display photographs of unidentified bodies along with the goods, like the clothes on the bodies, at its Ambala office for three days from tomorrow. Later on, these would be displayed at other stations. Among the unidentified bodies, 2,214 were of men. Among them , the highest number (1,025) was in the age group of 31 to 50. Among women also, this age group accounted for the maximum unidentified bodies numbering 73. The second largest age group was that of persons above 51 years of age, while the smallest group was that of persons less than 18 years of age. The highest number of bodies (484) was recovered in 2003. The lowest was in 2002 when 395 bodies were found. Ambala cantonment has the dubious distinction of having accounted for the maximum number of bodies in each of these five years. Ambala cantonment is also one of the biggest railway junctions of the region. Sources say in no other state, the GRP has undertaken such an exercise. |
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Hoteliers warned against employing children
Sirsa, September 28 Deputy Commissioner, V. Umashankar said here today that the Labour Department would ensure that no under-14 child was worked at any shop or eating joint within three months. He warned owners of hotels, restaurants, dhabas and other such establishments that employing children below 14 years of age was a violation of the Child Labour Act, 1986 and legal action would be taken against those found violating the Act. Mr Umashankar said it would also be checked whether the labourers were getting due wages in accordance with their category. The labourers have been divided in four categories, namely unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and highly skilled. Wages of each category have been fixed by the government, he added. The Deputy Commissioner added various steps had been taken under the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1958, to safeguard rights of the labourers in the district. It has been made mandatory for owners of shops and private firms to display lists of labourers working for them in front of establishments. They have also been directed to allow weekly day off to labourers. Mr Umashankar asserted that implementing the provisions of the Shop Act in the district, registration of various types of shop had been made compulsory. The shopkeepers have also been told to keep their shops closed on Sundays. |
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Now, get your name on voters’ list any time
Sirsa, September 28 The Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Electoral Officer, Mr V.Umashankar, said here today that as per directions from the Election Commission, booth-level officials had been appointed in the district to update the voters’ lists regularly. The district administration had appointed supervisors to oversee the work of these officials, he added. Thus, now any person desirous of getting his/her name included on the list or getting the same corrected or excluded could now approach the booth-level official concerned. |
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Blood donors honoured
Yamunanagar, September 28 Dr Balbir Singh, Principal of the college, said Mr Josh has assured him that he would take up the issue of granting the minority institution status to the college. Mr Bhoopinder Singh Jauhar, president of the college management, was also present. Among those who were honoured included Mr Anil Aggarwal, Mr Anil Sharma, Mr Dharmbir for donating blood 140, 84 and 64 times, respectively. Dr Anil Aggarwal for 84 times and Mr K.P Rishi for 92 times were also honoured. |
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Development not to harm farmers: Selja
Karnal, September 28 Talking to the mediapersons here today, Ms Selja justified the “wishes” of the UPA chairperson, Ms Sonia Gandhi, and the Centre for not allowing the states to develop SEZs on prime lands. She was here to chair a function organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Vichar Manch where she honoured women principals. She said that it was a right decision not to allow the use of prime land for
SEZs. The Union Minister said there was a need to understand the needs and problems of the farming community. |
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5 kg wheat to be given under
rozgar yojana
Chandigarh, September 28 |
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NAFED to begin procurement
Chandigarh, September 28 |
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Parishad’s plea on Agrofed scam Ambala, September 28 Mr Vij said they had submitted an application seeking the exact status of the memorandum which had been submitted to Haryana Governor A.R. Kidwai over the Agrofed scam. He said Dr Kidwai had forwarded the memorandum to the Haryana Government.
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