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VAT on CF lamps cut; direct subsidy on
cotton, mustard seeds
Relief in house tax arrears
Session to be curtailed
No organic pollutants in water tanks
Protesting farmers seek aid for drought-hit areas
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Police bill passed
Make distance education
meaningful: VC
Bhiwani fights skewed sex ratio
Several hurt in group clash
Fatal Fun Banker commits suicide
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VAT on CF lamps cut; direct subsidy on
cotton, mustard seeds
Chandigarh, March 21 This was announced in the assembly by finance minister Birender Singh while replying to the debate on the budget for 2007-08. He also announced direct subsidy to farmers on cotton and mustard seeds. On cotton seed the subsidy will be Rs 2,000 per quintal or 25 per cent of the market price of the seed, whichever is less, while on mustard seed it will be Rs 800 per quintal. He also announced a reduction in fee for various types of licences issued by civic bodies to Re 1 only. The decision to give direct subsidy, he said, had been taken in consonance with what AICC president Sonia Gandhi had said at the Congress Chief Ministers' conclave held in Naini Tal last year and reiterated by union finance minister P. Chidambaram in the union budget. Birender Singh said due to the abolition of central sales tax (CST) Haryana would suffer a loss of Rs 2,500 crore per annum. This year alone, the state would have to forgo about Rs 550 crore due to the reduction of CST by 1 per cent. Haryana along with certain states had pleaded with the centre to compensate them for the loss of CST. He said the Chidambaram had assured them that they would be given a share in service tax. The minister said Haryana was willing to foot the bill for the construction of the Kishau dam on the Yamuna provided the centre allowed it to do so. Regretting that Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Delhi had no interest in constructing the dams on the Yamuna, he said if these were constructed as provided under the Yamuna Water Agreement of 1994, there would be no shortage of water in the state for the next 50 years. Unfortunately, after the 1994 agreement was signed by Bhajan Lal, a Congress Chief Minister, the successor governments led by Bansi Lal and Om Prakash Chautala did not take any initiative in this regard. Now the Hooda government had taken the initiative. Similarly, he said, people in Punjab and Haryana would have to be educated on the SYL canal so that they were not misled by politicians for their vested interests. The resolution of the dispute would lead to greater cooperation between the two states. Birender Singh said today Haryana was ahead of Punjab in economic development. While Punjab had recorded 6 per cent growth in GDP, in Haryana the growth was 10.5 per cent. Haryana's revenue receipts were Rs 2,000 crore more than those of Punjab. Still, Haryana's efforts were to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. To achieve this aim, he said, the Haryana government would do everything possible. Birender Singh, who also holds the labour portfolio, had a dig at the Left parties when he said that despite pressure from industrialists, the Hooda government had increased the minimum wage by over Rs 1,100 in one go, making it the highest in the country. Still, he said, the Left parties missed no opportunity to disturb the industrial peace in the state. In the same context he referred to the SEZ controversy in West Bengal and said in Haryana not even a single acre had been acquired for any SEZ. Private promoters had been clearly told to purchase land on their own. The government would give concessions only after the promoters had arranged the land. The finance minister, who was supplied paper after paper by education minister Phool Chand Mullana, quoted from various newspaper reports as well as a book written by Chidambaram to prove how Haryana had marched ahead after it was carved out of Punjab. He, too, indulged in Chautala bashing though the INLD had boycotted the session. Birender Singh said since Chautala, who had earlier avoided coming to the house for two years, had nothing to say against the government, he planned his ouster from the assembly by creating a ruckus yesterday. Attacking Chautala and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, he said leaders of the regional parties often used the political power of their parties for building their personal empires. Birender Singh said those who indulged in falsehood in politics should also be tried and barred from contesting elections. |
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Relief in house tax arrears
Chandigarh, March 21 Making an announcement in the assembly, Hooda said under the one-time settlement scheme for the clearance of the arrears of house tax, if a person paid the original amount of the tax within three months, he would not have to pay the interest, surcharge or penalty. He said the government had taken the decision after considering the position of recovery of house tax in the municipal areas and had found that a large amount had been pending for a long time. Regarding the clearance of water or sewerage charges in all municipal areas, he said the surcharge on the pending bills would be waived if the consumer deposited the amount of water or sewerage charges within three months. He said similarly, interest and penal interest recoverable under the Low Income Group Housing (LIGH) and Middle Income Group Housing (MIGH) schemes had been waived. The government had decided to waive the interest and penal interest in case the principal amount was paid by the beneficiary within six months. He said the LIGH/MIGH scheme was in operation from 1955 to 1995. As many as 56,680 persons had availed themselves of the loan facility under the LIGH scheme and 12,004 persons under the MIGH scheme. The Chief Minister also announced measures to improve the deteriorating financial condition of sugar mills in the state. Government loans worth Rs 365 crore pending against sugar mills would be converted into share capital besides waiving the interest amount of Rs 153 crore.
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Session to be curtailed
Chandigarh, March 21 March 22 was earlier slated to be a day for transacting non-official business. As a result of the motion passed by the house today, tomorrow will become a day for government business when bills awaiting the approval of the house will be taken up. That the length of the session was stretched a wee bit more than it was needed showed up in the number of questions figuring during question hour. Instead of the usual list of 20 questions, the number appearing on the list today was only seven. While the number of questions was limited, the number of questions taken up for discussion was even less. Only two questions came up for discussion which was in itself quite surprising since Speaker Raghubir Singh Kadiyan normally tries to allow discussion on as many questions as possible during the one-hour time marked for questions. The questions, for which written answers were presented but not taken up in the house for discussion, included one on details of cases sent to the CBI by the state government. Asked by Congress MLA Chhattarpal Singh, it was fourth on the list and discussion just stopped short of it. The written answer to Chhattarpal Singh’s question mentioned the case related to the disproportionate assets allegedly acquired by former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala and his family members. The question would have certainly made various MLAs ask the Chief Minister for action against Chautala like they did yesterday in the wake of a question on the Devi Lal Trust. Sushil Indora’s question was second on the list of questions but it was not taken up for discussion as Indora and other INLD legislators had boycotted the house. Question number 1 asked by Congress MLA Karan Singh Dalal and question number 3 asked by Dharampal Malik, also a Congress MLA, were the two questions coming up for discussion. Regarding Dalal’s question on damage to the wheat crop by the spray of spurious weedicides, agriculture minister H.S. Chatha said officials of the agriculture department had been told to help the farmers file criminal complaints against the sellers of spurious substances.
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No organic pollutants in water tanks Chandigarh, March 21 The issue was raised through a calling attention motion by Karan Singh Dalal. While raising the issue, Dalal said that the presence of extreme levels of pollutants in the water tanks was a matter of urgent public importance. Dalal further requested the government to apprise the House regarding the actual position of drinking water tanks with regards to the extent of presence of the pollutants and reasons thereof, along with the action taken or proposed to be taken to cleanse the water tanks in the state. Replying to the calling attention motion, Public Health Minister, Randeep Singh Surjewala, said that the work of cleaning of 16 underground tanks of Gurgaon was allotted to a franchisee of Tanclean, a Mumbai based tank cleaning service. “As per the report of the Superintending Engineer, Gurgaon, inorganic solids such as residual solid remains of bleaching powder and silt were found in three tanks in Gurgaon. However, no organic pollutants like lizards, cockroaches or dead birds were found in these tanks. In the remaining 13 tanks in Gurgaon, where the private company had been hired to clean the water tanks, negligible inorganic solids were found,” he stated. He said that inorganic solids at the bottom of the water tanks do not get mixed in drinking water nor create any health hazards. “We are committed to supplying safe and clean drinking water in rural and urban areas and to achieve this aim the process of cleaning underground water tanks is a regular and routine process. The work of cleaning of higher capacity tanks in Fatehabad, Hisar, Tohana, Palwal, Dabwali, Sirsa, Gurgaon , Ambala and Sonepat has been executed by private agencies and tanks in Gurgaon, Palwal, Kalka and Ambala were cleaned by franchisee of Tanclean,” he added. Later, during a discussion, Surjewala said that the main reason for deposition of solids in water tanks was the use of bleaching powder for chlorination. To avoid the same, the department has started using twin oxide for disinfection of drinking water in 28 towns. “As many as 623 tanks have been cleaned during the current financial year and work is in progress for cleaning 178 tanks. To avoid contamination of water due to rusting of GI pipes, composite weather proof pipes will be used for making house connections,” he said. Karan Singh Dalal suggested that a mobile water testing laboratory be set up to collect water samples, upon which the Public Health Minister said that the state already had 19 water testing laboratories, having facilities for conducting bacteriological and chemical tests.
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Protesting farmers seek aid for drought-hit areas
Admn complex turned into chaupal The visitors to the mini-secretariat are amused at the chaupal-type atmosphere prevailing on the premises of the administrative complex. A number of farmers have been "stationed" here with their beddings and all. Many of them can be seen engrossed in some heated discussion while smoking a "hookah", while others are playing cards to pass time. With groups of farmers reaching here from different villages and heaps of ration items pouring in to keep the protest going, the protesters seem to be in a mood for a decisive battle this time.
Hisar, March 21 The protesters, who have assembled here under the aegis of the All-India Kisan Sabha, had submitted a 17-point charter of demands to the Divisional Commissioner on the first day of the demonstration. The commissioner had assured them that he would apprise the state authorities of their grievances. Their main demands include grant of special package to Siwani and other drought-affected areas, implementing National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in all districts, ensuring yellow and pink ration cards to all BPL families and grant of due ration on the same, waiving the loans of poor farmers and labourers and providing irrigation water at the tail-end villages. Talking to this correspondent, communist leader Prithvi Singh Gorakhpuria asserted that getting the procedure of mustard procurement simplified was among their immediate concerns. He alleged that the farmers were being harassed in the name of mandatory formalities. His views were echoed by a number of farmers gathered here from Hisar, Sirsa, Jind, Bhiwani and Fatehabad districts. The president of the state chapter of the kisan sabha, Phool Singh Sheokand, and secretary, Harpal Singh, maintained that the authorities concerned had not implemented the decision to waive "abiyana" of three crops. This, they said, was despite a specific assurance given by the Chief Minister at a meeting with them in this regard. |
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Police bill passed
Chandigarh, March 21 The bill was passed despite several ruling party MLAs pleading for more time to consider it. Congress MLA from Palwal Karan Singh Dalal wanted it to be sent to a standing committee. Shamsher Singh Surjewala proposed an amendment, which was accepted by the government. Accordingly, now the district magistrate would also be responsible for avoiding caste and communal clashes. Parliamentary affairs minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said the government had to file an affidavit before the Supreme Court by April 10. Therefore, the bill had to be passed during the current session, which would come to an end tomorrow. The bill, he said, was based on the Supreme Court’s observations, a report of the Soli Sorabjee committee and a model act prepared by it. The house also passed the Haryana Panchayati Raj(Amendment) Bill, 2007, aimed at planned land use in villages. Another bill passed by the house was the Societies Registration(Haryana Amendment) Bill, which aimed at ensuring free and fair elections of the office-bearers of a registered society.
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Make distance education
meaningful: VC
Rohtak, March 21 Addressing a special meeting and interactive session with directors and heads of affiliated study centres organised by the Directorate of Distance Education (DDE) of the varsity, he said academic standards must not be allowed to be lowered in the distance mode of education. These courses were becoming more and more relevant to social needs and MDU was planning job-oriented professional undergraduate, diploma and certificate courses through distance education. Director, DDE, Dr Naseeb Singh said the meeting was aimed at improving interaction with study centres and apprising centre heads of new technological inputs being introduced by the university to improve its distance mode of education.
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Bhiwani fights skewed sex ratio
Bhiwani, March 21 The Health Department has surveyed all the districts taking period from January 2006 to December 2006 and its report showed that only 785 females were born against per 1000 male
children. This is worrisome and the district administration during the past about eight months, has launched several programme to create awareness against this imbalance. Youths and students from urban and rural sectors are exhorted to pledge against female foeticide in rallies. A brigade of 10,000 youths, besides a force of 3000 women, have been constituted to educate people in remote villages. These youth educate people about the consequences of female foeticide and deteriorating sex ratio. |
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Several hurt in group clash
Yamunanagar, March 21 The two groups had clashed in the past also, but it was not clear what prompted them to attack each other today. Shopkeepers downed shutters when the clash broke out. Narinder, Ravinder and Arun were sitting in a shop at Dwarkapuri when they were attacked by a group led by Anil Punia. The group was armed with sharp-edged weapons. In the meantime, an unidentified person, believed to be on the side of those sitting in the shop, opened fire with a countrymade pistol on the other gang and Punia was injured. Punia was later referred to the PGI,
Chandigarh, by local doctors. |
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Fatal Fun Ambala, March 21 The Army divers had been requisitioned by the district administration for taking part in the search operation. The team of six divers from Nahan, Himachal Pradesh, will resume the search operation tomorrow. A temporary bundh, which has been erected to divert the flow of the river near the spot where Manjeet drowned, came handy in the search operation. Four pumps have been pressed into service to take out water from the marked area. Deputy commissioner, Ambala, R.P. Bharadwaj said as the search operation continued, the Irrigation department had been directed to keep an eye on the flow of the river.
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Banker commits suicide Ambala, March 21 A suicide note was reportedly found near the pond. Anil has stated in the note that he was suffering from some disease and that’s why he decided to end his life. The passersby, who noticed Anil jumping into the pond, informed the police about the incident. It took personnel of the fire brigade two hours to take out the body from the pond. It was sent to the civil hospital for a post-mortem examination.
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Brothers die in accident
Ambala, March 21 Mangal Singh, one of the deceased who hailed from Moga in Punjab, was to join back Army duty at Meerut today. He, along with his brother Balwinder Singh and acquaintances Kulbeer Singh, Amrit Prakash and Dinesh, were travelling in a Tavera vehicle when it hit a tree near Tepla.
— TNS
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Illegal constructions demolished
Panipat, March 21 Sources said the illegal construction was spread over an area of 10 acres , it also included 10 fully constructed houses.
— TNS |
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