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Power breeds politics
Admn directed to halt demolitions
Heat claims 3 more lives
Govt to take up e-governance options
CFL usage mandatory in industry
UHBVN staff caught stealing power
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Swindler arrested, produced in court
Simplify tax form: Bar
Jewellery, cash stolen from 3 houses
Torture alleged at de-addiction
centre
2 killed as tanker hits motorcycle
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Power breeds politics
Chandigarh, June 13 There are not many takers for the government’s claims that it was generating over 900 lakh units of power during the past few days, besides a major overdraw from the grid. In a bid to cash in on the power situation, there were reports that many opposition leaders in different parts of the state were leading rallies and protests against irregular power. Government’s claims apart, the frequent and irregular power cuts have become a regular feature in most districts of the state. The Haryana Power Utilities and its associated power suppliers are taking many innovative steps towards energy conservation. But this is unlikely to provide any relief to the criticism of the power situation by the opposition political parties in the state. While officials of the power department describe the ban on all lighting other than CFLs by industrial units and commercial complexes as a big step towards conservation, the INLD has described the move as inconsequential in view of the deteriorating power situation. Senior leaders of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) described the power situation in Haryana as “grim” and said such measures would not help. The Haryana Government has on the other hand claimed that it had an adequate supply of power and every segment of consumer was receiving sufficient supply. An official said the Haryana Power Utilities has been supplying over 900 lakh units of power over the past few days, which is a record. This power is 100 lakh units more as compared to the same period last year. The INLD has alleged that several parts of Haryana were facing a 24-hour power cut, taking the power situation out of the hands of the state government. Spokesperson Pardeep Chaudhry has accused the government of turning a blind eye to the demonstrations and protests by the people over failure to get power in all districts of the state. But to counter the allegation, a state official said the State Power Utilities was overdrawing 141 lakh units of power from the power grid at very high rates to meet the demand of power in the state. The utilities were making strenuous efforts to supply maximum possible power to all categories of consumers, he added. Besides drawing more power, efforts were being made to reduce the consumption, the official said adding that the DHBVN is probably the first electricity utility in India to make the use of CFLs mandatory for lighting industrial units and commercial complexes. The nigam has already made the use of CFLs compulsory for all new connections of any category. An official said CFLs lasts 5 to 10 times longer than that of incandescent lamps and could save as much as 70-80 per cent electricity used for lighting. Replacing one ordinary bulb with a CFL would result in annual savings of Rs 283 for consumers. |
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Admn directed to halt demolitions
Karnal, June 13 As per the directives, the demolition drive scheduled to start from today in Panipat district has been postponed till June 20. The district town and country-planning officer, Panipat, Bhuvnesh Saini, said now the demolition drive would start only after the directions from the top authorities. Following the court orders, the state town and country-planning department has earmarked the unauthorised structures along the NHs and the scheduled roads. But the powerful trading lobby from the industrial township of Panipat has largely opposed the decision. Interestingly, certain Congress MLAs had already extended their support to the affected parties. In an attempt to find a ‘middle path’, these MLAs had even met the CM few days back. There are 144 illegal structures comprising of residential, commercial and certain education institutes in the district, Saini added. In the first phase, the DTP was scheduled to start the drive from Samalakha township on NH-1. Keeping in view of any violence from the affected parties, the district authorities had beefed in additional police force from the HPA, Madhuban. Sources said a delegation of traders had fixed a meeting with the CM on June 20 and after the meeting a plan of action would be finalised. An official said it would affect the morale of the officials who had demolished the dhabas, who were not given any leniency by the state machinery. They admitted that the state government was under pressure to give some relief. |
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Heat claims 3 more lives
Sirsa, June 13 After suffering heat stroke, a rickshaw puller, Charanjit Singh (35), died near Hisar road. Nitin (32) died in Ding Market, while Jagmaal Singh died in Chopta. Besides three, four more persons - Phoola Devi (70), Baljeet Kaur (22) of Rania town, Shakuntla (60), Karnail Singh (70) of Rori, reportedly died due to heat stroke yesterday. However, the health authorities did not confirmed these four deaths due to heat wave and said they would confirm only after getting the reports. The situation has aggravated in the district with rise in temperature since last week. The maximum temperature varies between 42 to 48°C. The situation has further worsened due to unscheduled power cuts of more than 18 hours in rural areas and 14 hours in urban areas and the paucity of water in several rural areas. The protest by the villagers against the power and water shortage has become a routine in different sub-divisions here. Angry over long power cuts, the farmers of Fatepuria and Mehamdpuria held a protest in front of a 220 KV power station in Rania last night. The villagers complained that for the past two weeks they had been getting power for only three to four hours a day with no water supply. |
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Govt to take up e-governance options
Chandigarh, June 13 After inauguration by Chief Minister Bhoopinder Singh Hooda, officials will talk about e-infrastructure for creating citizen services and challenges in accelerating transformation, programme governance structure, institutional mechanisms and capacity building.
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CFL usage mandatory in industry
Hisar, June 13 A spokesman for the DHBVN said this was another step towards energy conservation. The nigam had already mandated use of CFLs for applicants seeking new connections of any category. The Haryana Government had also mandated use of CFLs in government buildings. He said that CFL technology was the most efficient providing illumination equal to standard incandescent lamps at less than 25 per cent wattage. The rated life of the compact fluorescent lamps was five to 10 times longer than that of incandescent lamps. Therefore, CFLs saved 70 to 80 per cent of electricity used for lighting. In rupee terms, replacing one ordinary bulb with a CFL would result in annual savings of Rs 283. The upfront cost of the CFL would be recovered in three to four months. He said that the DHBVN had tied up with manufacturers to make CFLs available at its consumer care centres at less than the market price. About 25 per cent of power is used for lighting in Haryana. By using CFLs, the consumption can be reduced by about 70
per cent. |
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UHBVN staff caught stealing power
Yamunanagar, June 13 An official of the department said the matter was reported to the senior officials and a fine would be imposed on the offenders. As per sources in the department there are 200 accommodations in the colony located in Bhundkala village of Chhachhrouli block, here. There are 162 power connections in the colony. Strangely meter readings in a significant number of houses were far less than the consumption of an average household, which suggests that power theft had been going in the colony for quite some time, said an official of the UHBVN. No senior official was available for comments. |
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Swindler arrested, produced in court
Kaithal, June 13 The accused was produced in a local court yesterday, but he was arrested by the Kurukshetra police with the permission of the court, as he was wanted in another case of cheating in the district. Navdeep Singh Virk, SSP, said a person, who claimed to be an advocate, came to Harmik photo studio on November 28, 2006 along with a local advocate. He told the owner that he needed his services at a marriage function. Next day he asked the staff of the studio to keep two digital movie cameras and two still digital cameras in his car and told them that he would be back after getting the fuel tank of the car filled. But when the accused did not turn up, Harmik enquired from the other advocate, who had accompanied the accused. He told the owner that the man had introduced himself as an advocate and requested him to arrange some photographer but he did not know him. Following this, Harmik registered a case under Section 406 and 420 of the IPC against an unknown person. After a long investigation, the police arrested Charan Jeet Singh, son of Sant Singh, resident of Habbowal in Ludhiana district in connection with the case. During the two-day interrogation, it was revealed that the accused, who had an MA and LLB degree, used advocate and press stickers on his car to impress others. |
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Simplify tax form: Bar
Rohtak, June 13 In a statement issued here today, association president Ranvir Singh Dhaka said the new form, which had been introduced through a notification by the Finance Ministry last month, was lengthy, tedious and difficult to understand. “As against the simple one-page 2D Saral form, the new form is quite lengthy and cannot be filled by common people without the help of tax consultants,” he said, adding that even the tax consultants were finding it difficult. The association has urged the top authorities to either simplify the form or withdraw the new form and continue with the old one. — TNS |
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Jewellery, cash stolen from 3 houses
Yamunanagar, June 13 The police has asked the families not to touch any article in their houses so that evidence was not tampered with. Cases would be registered once the forensic team examines the crime scene, said a police official. Superintendent of police K.V Ramna said two of the families had gone out of station and now the police was in touch with them and the forensic team would be collecting evidence soon. There was theft in the houses of Arun Aggarwal, Singh Ram Saini and Kabil Singh on the night of June 10. Incidentally all the three houses were unoccupied at the time of the alleged theft. Singh Ram Saini said he had been asked by the police not to touch anything in his house till the forensic team lifted finger prints. His family was facing problems as they have been denied access to their own house and belongings. "We do not have even enough space to sleep now", complained Saini, who lost gold jewellery worth more than Rs 1 lakh besides Rs 45,000 in cash in the theft. Aggarwal, who returned home last night from Haridwar said that the police had accepted their complaint. "I have been told that a forensic team would reach my home tomorrow morning", said Aggarwal. |
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Torture alleged at de-addiction centre
Ambala, June 13 Most of the adolescents who fled the centre have reached their homes. Some of the inmates allegedly ransacked the building of the centre late last evening to protest against the owner, who went missing after the incident. The owner, said to be a resident of Punjab, was running the centre here for the past few months. Around 20 adolescents, most of them belong to Ambala City and nearby villages, had been admitted to the centre that charged Rs 5000 per month for the treatment. The owner had engaged agents to bring drug addicts at the centre for which they were paid handsome commission. One of the parents of an addicted adolescent alleged that his son was being tortured at the centre. — OC
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2 killed as tanker hits motorcycle
Rohtak, June 13 Residents of nearby localities and some passers-by reportedly thrashed the tanker driver, who later fled the scene. The bodies of the deceased have been handed over to their family members. The police has registered a case against the tanker driver. |
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