Chandigarh, November 17
Mr Ram Prakash, working president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), today said Congress workers should make reasonable requests to government officials for the latter to oblige them.

Answering questions at a press conference here, Mr Ram Prakash said the party workers had been asked to get in touch with District Congress Committee office-bearers, PCC leaders and legislators in case any official did not pay heed to their request for getting a job done . “But no worker should make any unreasonable request to any official”, he said.

A meeting of newly chosen chiefs of the Block Congress Committees (BCCs) was convened here today by the HPCC working president where some of the BCC presidents raised the issue of district-level officials being indifferent to Congress workers.

Importantly, the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, also had mentioned the issue at public meetings (at Nissing, Garhi Sapla and Kilayat) recently. Mr Hooda had warned the “arrogant” officials of stern action.

Talking about other matters coming up at today's meeting, Mr Ram Prakash said a unanimous resolution was passed at the meeting to initiate disciplinary action against party legislators engaged in anti-party activity like criticising the state government or opposing the policies of Ms Sonia Gandhi.

He said another resolution was passed to oppose the Punjab Chief Minister's recent statement and reassert Haryana's right to the Ravi-Beas waters. The PCC working president said the problem would have got solved long ago had the INLD and the BJP not opposed the implementation of the Rajiv-Longwal accord. He said the meeting also agreed to the status of Chandigarh as spelt out in the accord.

By another resolution, the meeting supported the setting up of special economic zones (SEZs). The SEZs would bring the problem of unemployment to an end by quickening the pace of development, the resolution said.

Mr Ram Prakash said this was the only meeting of BCC chiefs held in the past seven years. The BCCs chiefs took a pledge to remain loyal party workers and fight female foeticide. 

Hisar, November 17
Arunachal Pradesh, an island of peace, is an inseparable part of India. The Union Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Pranab Mukerjee, has given a befitting reply to the Chinese Government in this regard and the people of the state are happy with his stance.

This was stated by the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Mr Gegong Apang, on the sidelines of the Indian Public Schools Conference being organised on the premises of Vidya Devi Jindal School here today.

In response to a question, Mr Apang asserted that his government was making efforts to get a special financial package from the Centre to bring Arunachal Pradesh on the world tourism map.

Earlier, addressing the delegates attending the national conference, the Chief Minister observed that the teachers played a crucial role in nation building. He said the quality of primary education should be improved and there should not be any gender bias in educating children.

Talking about the socio-cultural atmosphere of Arunachal Pradesh, Mr Apang said there was a casteless society in his state. “There is no dowry system in Arunachal, and hence the illegal and anti-social practice of female foeticide is also not prevalent there,” he stated.

The Chief Minister invited the organsiers to hold the next annual conference at Itanagar. The offer was gladly accepted.

Ms Minja Yang, the director of UNESCO cluster office in New Delhi and UNESCO representative to Bhutan, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka, delivered a speech on the role of the United Nations in education and knowledge management.

Ms Rittika Parruck, Manager, School Programme, British Council, New Delhi, made a presentation on various programmes run by the council.

Mr Amit Kaushik, resource person and moderator for the Education Community of Solution Exchange, UNDP, conducted a lecture-cum-workshop on the conference theme, “Knowledge sharing among communities of practice - outreach for the unreached.”

The afternoon session was marked by a presentation by Huhes Communication on satellite training for senior secondary classes. A team from Godrej also made a presentation on various products manufactured by the company for schools.

Thereafter, the delegates visited the Equine Breeding Farm and attended a cultural programme at O.P. Jindal Modern School.

Yamunanagar, November 17
Partition of the country took place due to the weakness of Jawahar Lal Nehru and the British did not leave the country because of the Quit India Movement of 1942 beacuse it was a 'leaderless' movement.

This was stated by K.S. Sudharshan, Sarsanghchalak, RSS, while speaking at 'Prabudh Nagrik Samelan' (Intellectual Citizen Conference), a function organised in connection with birth centenary celebrations of the 2nd Sarsanghchalak of the RSS Madhav Rao Sadashiv Golvakar 'Guru ji' here this evening. He said the RSS did not take part in the Quit India movement as the direction of the movement was not clear. "However, RSS volunteers did take part in the movement at an individual level", said Mr Sudharshan. Quoting Aruna Asif Ali, he said lawyers associated with the RSS fought the case of freedom fighters when others had refused to do so. According to him, several trials on members of the Azad Hind Fauj had forced the British to leave the country.

Reliving the history he said a few people tried to frame RSS for killing Mahatma Gandhi. As a result of which the RSS was banned. But, the then government itself withdrew the murder charges levelled against ‘Guru ji’ but did not remove the ban imposed on the RSS.

He also elaborated upon the achievements of the RSS ever since its formation in 1925.

Kalka, November 17
The Welfare Association of the Housing Board Colony (HBC) has assailed the Haryana Housing Board for its anti-allottee policies, asserting that the Housing Board Act, 1971, was made by the Govt. to provide shelter to average citizen on easy terms of hire-purchase scheme on a “no profit, no loss basis”.

But now the board by a public announcement has informed the public that 670 houses of the HBC, Kalka, shall be got evicted because of non-payment of enhancement money along with interest due on them.

The association maintained that the Punjab and Haryana High Court passed an order on October 18 last year that the board authorities should call the allottees and associate them in redetermination of the enhanced cost of tenement or land on which these have been built. It was also directed by the court that concession already given shall not be withdrawn. The Housing Board authorities after about nine months called allottees twice on June 14 and July 3, but without associating in redetermination of enhanced cost of house, ELCs, arbitration and interest.

The residents were told to deposit the dues of the housing board within a week or their houses shall be got vacated. Out of fear, most of the residents deposit the enhancement money without interest.

Ambala, November 17
One person was shot at while three others were injured in an attack by looters at Barauli in Naraingarh.

The incident took place late last night in hutments built at a short distance away from the village. The villagers were attacked by sharp-edged weapons and when one of the villagers, Dayala Ram resisted, he was shot at. He received a gunshot injury on his leg.

The looters snatched the gold jewellery of the villagers who were living in the hutment. During the incident, Ram Swarup, Rama Devi and Saroj Bala were assaulted by the armed looters.

Gian Chand, who was at his hutment at the time of the incident, told the police that when he got up at midnight to have a look at his buffaloes, he was surrounded by armed men whose faces were covered. He said that they tied him up and demanded that the gold jewellery and cash should be handed over to them.

On hearing the commotion, other persons living in closeby hutments got up. The looters attacked them with sharp edged weapons. Gian Chand managed to escape in the melee and he raised a hue and cry. The villagers heard Gian Chand’s cry for help and they rushed towards the hutments.

The looters fled from the spot when they realised that the villagers were coming to the aid of the victims.

Superintendent of Police, Ambala Amitabh Dhillon along with other police officials visited the village. Investigations are being carried out.