Fatehabad, October 28
Death of three persons in a span of one week due to some mysterious disease at Dayyar village in this district has caused scare among villagers.

The disease has affected almost all families in the village, which has some 800 houses. Those who died of this disease complained of high fever, severe headache and vomiting. Villagers allege it is an attack of dengue. However, the health authorities have denied it and said supply of contaminated drinking water was responsible for the disease.

According to reports, Pala Ram (40) of the village died on October 21 after a brief illness. Ishwar Godara (42) died the next day. On October 24, Dara Singh (22) also died. All the three died after a brief illness and complained of high fever, severe headache and vomited blood before breathing their last. Several other villagers are suffering from fever in this village.

This correspondent visited the village and found there was hardly any house in the village, where some member of the family was not ill. In some houses, all members were found suffering from fever. The villagers said they had met the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Yudhvir Singh Khayalia, in this regard.

They said teams of the health department did visit their village after that but they did little except taking blood samples of the affected persons. And even after 15 days of the outbreak, they were yet to receive the results of the tests.

The sanitation condition in the village was very poor. Corpses of dead animals could be easily spotted in the reservoir, from where the village got its drinking water supply. A thick green layer of algae covered the water. Water pipes leaked at places. Thereby, allowing free mixing of the drinking water with muddy water flowing on the streets.

The villagers alleged that the authorities were not doing anything to treat their sick and control the spread of the disease.

On the other hand, the Civil Surgeon, Dr A.S. Hooda, said not a single case of dengue had been detected in the village. He said a medical team comprising of the District Malaria Officer, Dr D.K. Dadhitch, and Medical Officer, Dr Munish Bansal, with the para medical staff organised a camp in the village on October 27 and examined 118 patients. He said 27 blood slides were made during the check up and most of the patients were found complaining of mild fever and body ache. 

Ambala, October 28
Discontent and unrest came to the fore today within the Bharatiya Janata Party when a banner of revolt was raised by a group of BJP activists in the saha mandal over mandal president’s nomination.

The revolt comes close on the heels of a similar incident in the Ambala City (outer) mandal in which infighting among the party cadre was revealed with two groups announcing their victory for the mandal president’s position.

A section of BJP activists led by Mr Pir Chand Rana today announced that a fresh set of BJP office bearers will be announced for Saha mandal and Mr Pir Chand Rana will be made the mandal president. They refused to acknowledge Mr Rajinder Garg as the new mandal president. Mr Garg’s name was announced for the mandal president’s post late last night.

The Saha mandal election of the BJP was expected to be a keenly contested election with Mr Pir Chand Rana and Mr Rajinder Garg being in the fray for the position of mandal president. However, the senior party functionaries were not keen for a direct confrontation and it was decided to defer the election.

Late last night, it was announced by the new Ambala (rural) BJP president Dr Sanjay Sharma that Mr Rajinder Garg will be the Saha mandal president.

Mr Pir Chand Rana was taken aback by this development since he had been made to understand that he will be considered for the position of mandal president. Only after assurances regarding his candidature were given that Mr Rana had decided not to contest the election. After learning that he has not been made the mandal president, Mr Pir Chand Rana today decided to go his own way.

Mr Pir Chand Rana told Chandigarh Tribune that he has already held meetings with his supporters and they are all deeply disheartened with this development. “I have decided to announce a new set of office bearers and I will be the mandal president,” he stated.

Mr Rana said that the new office bearers of the Saha mandal will be announced by him early next week. “I have been an active worker of the party for more than two decades and I have held positions upto the state executive. I fail to understand as to why I was ignored for the position of Saha mandal president,” he said.

The Saha mandal election is not a solitary incident of revolt. In Ambala City (outer) mandal president’s election, the party faced an acute embarrassment when a section of BJP activists announced their own mandal president.

While former Municipal Council Ambala City president Rajinder Guddu was elected mandal president, a section of BJP activists announced that Mr Jagmohan Kumar is the victor. The supporters of Mr Jagmohan alleged that the elections had not been held according to the party rules and there were discrepancies in the election process. The two sections of the Ambala City BJP had raised slogans against one another.

The infighting amongst the party cadre had cost the BJP candidate and former Ambala City MLA Ms Veena Chibber dear when she lost her deposit in the last Assembly election. Infighting is being directly attributed to Ms Veena Chibber’s debacle.

Hisar, October 28
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry will fund Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) research on guar (cluster bean). Disclosing this here today, the Secretary, Commerce and Industry, Mr G.K. Pillai, maintained that apart from enhancing the export of guar, this step would benefit the farmers.

Mr Pillai, accompanied by the Executive Director of the Export Promotion Council, Dr Deviani Roy, and representatives of exporters was here to examine research work on guar crop at the university. The experts held discussions with the HAU Vice-Chancellor, Dr J.C. Katyal.

Asserting that guar had high potential export, Mr Pillai said the country was exporting guar and guar gum worth Rs 800-900 crore at present. “In view of its heavy demand in the international market, the Ministry of Export desires to increase its export to the value of Rs 5,000 crore in the next five years,” he said.

This target could be achieved if more number of farmers adopted its cultivation and interstate gap in its yield was filled. Giving an example, he pointed out that the average yield of guar in Haryana was 18 quintals, whereas it was merely four quintals in Rajasthan.

He gave credit to HAU scientists for this lead, who had given improved varieties of guar, along with efficient production technology to the farmers. He said cooperation of the Ministry of Rural Development and other departments associated with agricultural development would also be sought in funding projects to HAU on guar crop.

The HAU Director of Research, Dr B.S. Chhillar, the Additional Director of Research, Dr Jeet Singh, the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Dr D.C. Gupta, and the Head of the Forage Section, Dr B.S. Jhorar, were also present.

Dr Chhillar pointed out that a major reason for popularity of guar among farmers of Haryana was its high-yielding varieties evolved by the university scientists and technology transfer. He said in Sirsa district alone, the crop was being grown on more than 80,000 hectares.

A senior scientist, Dr Jaibir, maintained that the manpower engaged in the guar gum industry could get round-the-year employment as against 100 days if the production of guar was doubled.

The president of Hindustan Government Chemical Industry, Mr A.P. Dadu, and Mr B.D. Agarwal on behalf of guar exporters, urged the government to ban the export of guar split in view of its heavy domestic demand.

Chandigarh, October 28
No wonder, Haryana farmers’ crops are repeatedly attacked by insects and pests year after year. Out of about 250 companies selling pesticides, insecticides and weedicides in the state, 193 companies are such whose products have never been analysed for quality in the past five years.

But things are set to change now. The Haryana Agriculture Department has evolved several measures to assure the quality of pesticides and insecticides being sold in the state.

The measures evolved by Haryana have been so much appreciated by the Union Agriculture Ministry that it has written to all the states to follow the Haryana model.

Though the quality assurance system of officials authorised to draw the samples of pesticides has been in place since long, the practice usually followed, not only in Haryana but all over the country, is that in connivance with unscrupulous dealers and manufacturers the officials draw samples of pesticides manufactured by reputed firms. While paying no attention to the products of the fly-by-night operators. The pesticide industry too has been complaining to the Union Agriculture Ministry about the lack of transparency in the process of drawing samples.

The Haryana Agriculture Minister, Mr H.S. Chatha, says in its manifesto the Congress promised to tackle the widespread menace of spurious or substandard pesticides and insecticides in an effective manner. The mandate to fulfill the election promise of the ruling party was given to the Director, Mr R.K. Khullar, a few months ago.

The Haryana Agriculture Department has created a district-wise data base of licences issued for pesticides. It also compiled the year-wise and company-wise data for the past five years. It was found that the inspecting officials in the field had never taken samples of the products manufactured by 193 companies out of 250 companies operating in the state.

The companies have been divided into four categories — A, B, C and D. The samples will be drawn after associating members of the Kisan Clubs set up in each district.

In category A, those companies have been put whose 16 to 20 samples were taken in the past five years and 90 per cent of these samples were found to be in accordance with the specified standards. Only 3 per cent samples of the products of these companies will now be drawn in a year.

Those companies whose products were analysed for 11 to 15 times in five years and 90 per cent of them were found to be permissible have been put in Category B. Their samples will constitute only 10 per cent of the total target given to the field staff.

In Category C come those companies whose five to 10 samples were analysed in five years and 70 to 90 per cent of these were found to be okay. The field staff will draw 22 per cent of its target from samples of products of these companies.

Those companies whose products were either not tested or tested for less than five times in the past five years, have been categorised as “D”. The staff has been asked to draw 65 per cent of its target of samples from products of these companies.

Mr Khullar says this will ensure that the field staff is forced to draw samples of those companies whose products were usually found to be substandard. At present the state has two laboratories to test various products used in agriculture. These have a capacity to test only 2200 samples in a year. Two more laboratories are being set up to increase the capacity to 4400 samples a year. The new laboratories will become functional before the end of the current financial year.

The Union Ministry has asked the all states to communicate the action taken by them in this regard to it.

Hisar, October 28
A three-day rural development fair organised by the district administration at Mahavir Stadium here concluded yesterday with a message of all-round development of villages.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Phateh Singh Dagar, said the purpose behind organising the fair was to inform villagers about various welfare and developmental schemes being run by the government for their benefit.

Representatives of Panchayati Raj institutions underwent a training session on effective and efficient implementation of government schemes during the fair. They were told to ensure quality work and transparency in functioning.

Village women were provided detailed information on self-help groups. They were also told how they could get financial aid for starting such groups. An exhibition of various products and models explaining government schemes was put up. Several government departments and agencies, including banks, the Agriculture Department, the Fisheries Department, the Industries Department and the Department of Non-Conventional Energy Resources, participated.

Villagers evinced a keen interest in the exhibition.

A large number of farmers from the district and nearby areas of the region, including women, visited the fair. The Health Department and the District Red Cross society organised medical camps on the occasion. Women and children were provided medicines free of cost. Athletic contests were also organised for men and women.

A cultural programme organised as part of the fair, which included presentation of ghazals, bhajans and Haryanavi and Punjabi folk music and dances, failed to attract the audience. Indecent jokes evoked sharp criticism.

Ambala, October 28
Russian Ambassador Alexander A Burow made a brief stopover at Ambala City yesterday before proceeding to Amritsar.

The Anti Terrorist Front of India president, Dr Viresh Shandilya, said Mr Burow stopped over at Kalka Chowk in Ambala City and was accorded a warm welcome by members of the front.

Mr Alexander said terrorism was an international issue. He said Russia and India were old friends and were collectively combatting terrorism.

Among others, Mr N.P.S. Kohli, Mr Kulwant Singh Manakpur, Mr Bhagwant Rai Garg, Mr Mohan Lal Ghel, Ms Pankaj Shandilya, Mr Ashok Aggarwal and Mr Ashwini Goel were present.