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Adampur bypoll forced
on voters, says Hooda
Power cuts trigger violence
6 of family die in road accident
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Govt to immunise kids against Japanese Encephalitis
More funds to fight female foeticide
Staff Shortage
Sirsa tops in wheat arrivals
Now, special bank branch for farmers
Blood transfusion leaves 6-year-old girl HIV+
Global Food Prices
Fire incidents keep staff on toes
Lucrative returns from paddy lure farmers
Weekly Off in Gurgaon Markets
3 labourers killed in accident
2 held with 1,637 kg coins
Robbing people – govt style
Petrol station owner, manager shot dead
High Court
Shortlisting of non-academics for VC’s post decried
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Adampur bypoll forced
on voters, says Hooda
Hisar, May 6 Addressing a series of election meetings in the constituency during a whirlwind tour, he said if Adampur elected the Congress nominee, Ranjit Singh, as their legislator they would get one legislator for “free” in the form of Bhupinder Singh Hooda himself, who would take care of their interests. Hooda landed in a helicopter at Mangali village of the constituency and from there on he addressed half a dozen election meetings in different villages. In an obvious reference to Bhajan
Lal, he said those who claimed credit for developing Adampur “had in fact ensured development of their own families only”. Such politicians had “misguided the people and exploited them”. The Chief Minister said official records showed that “crores” had been spent on the development of Adampur during his current tenure in office. Referring to his government’s achievements, he said Haryana had become the top producer of wheat in the country and the per capita income in the state was now the highest in India. He said it was on his insistence that the MSP of wheat, paddy and cotton was enhanced substantially by the
centre. Hooda said equitable distribution of water throughout Haryana was the government’s biggest achievement. But on power front, he said he had “inherited” the scarcity and his government was doing its best to enhance generation in the near future. Congress nominee Ranjit Singh, son of former deputy Prime Minister Devi
Lal, said the “blessings” given to him by his elder brother, Om Parkash
Chautala, in the office of the returning officer at the time of filing nomination papers were on the behalf of the “family” and it had no political connotations. He promised to serve the voters to the best of his ability if elected. Without referring to Kuldeep Bishnoi by name, HPCC chief Phool Chand Mullana said some leaders would ask for votes in the name of their father. However, the Congress would only seek votes on development plank. |
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Power cuts trigger violence
Gurgaon, May 6 As the summer heat coupled with ongoing power crisis made the residents give up their patience, around 100 of them from Badshahpur and adjoining areas reached the substation around 11 am. They barged into the transmission room and beat up the staff, besides damaging the equipment and office furniture. They ran away before the police reached the spot. SDO M.L. Garg was taken to a hospital, while senior station engineer Sarup Singh sustained injuries, said A.K. Jain, superintending engineer (operations) HVPN Gurgaon. In protest, HVPN employees shut down substations in Sectors 44, 52, 56, DLF Phase-II and Dundahera that affected power supply to the entire area south of Jaipur Express Highway. The power supply remained suspended till filing of the report. The protesting employees were adamant that supply would be resumed only after the arrest of the accused. “We are trying hard to convince our employees to resume the functioning of the sub-stations,” added Jain. But residents of the affected new Gurgaon area had a hard time throughout the day due to lack of power. The Badshahpur SHO said a case had been registered against almost 25 accused. Two of them have been identified as Jagdish and Devi. No arrest had yet been made. The HVPN authorities have demanded police protection for the fear of recurrence of such incidents. The senior officers, however, have expressed inability to deploy police on the premises. “But we have assured the concerned HVPN authorities that the police assistance would be available immediately in case of any such incident in future,” said ACP (south) Krishan Murari. However, the power supply was restored around 7 pm, as the protesting HVPN employees relented after the police arrested Jagdish and Devi. Both were named in the FIR.
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6 of family die in road accident
Gurgaon, May 6 The victims of an extended family of 28 members were coming in a Tata 407 to Gurgaon to pay obeisance at Sheetla Mata Mandir. They belonged to Samaspur village in Bhiwani district. As their vehicle took a turn in Mubarakpur village in Farukhnagar around 12.30 pm, it collided head-on with a loaded truck. Both speeding vehicles overturned. The truck driver fled from the spot. A case has been registered. Hearing their cries, villagers came to their rescue. All victims were rushed to the civil hospital where Raveena (16), Sumit (8), Anu (14), Santra (55) and Champawali (75) were declared dead while Mahabir, Raj, Rajwati, Sanu and Govind were taken to Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi, where Govind died. |
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Govt to immunise kids against Japanese Encephalitis
Panchkula, May 6 A meeting to implement the Japanese Encephalitis Vaccination Campaign to be started next month was held under the chairmanship of Dr Satvir Chaudhary, director health services (malaria), Haryana, here today. JE is a serious and disabling illness caused by the Japanese Encephalitis virus. The virus enters into the body through a mosquito bite and infects the brain, causing inflammations and swelling, which may damage the brain. It affects children below 15 years of age. The disease could be prevented by the administration of injectable vaccine to the child. After a single dose of vaccination there is development of immunity in 95 to 98 per cent cases. Only four districts of Haryana, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala and Kaithal had shown significant prevalence of the disease. Explaining about the symptoms and fall out of the disease, Dr Chaudahry said most of the people, who got infected with the JE virus did not develop any illness. However, among those, who developed signs and symptoms of Encephalitis (swelling and inflammations of the brain), up to 30 per cent died and approximately 40 per cent suffered from brain damage, leading to permanent disabilities, such as paralysis and mental retardation. In India, cases from many states had been reported, but the maximum were from Uttar Pradesh (UP), he said, adding that in UP during 2005, there were more than 6,000 cases out of which about 1,500 died. Last year also, 989 deaths were reported in India, where 4,017 cases of disease reached the hospitals of the country. The state recorded 85 cases of JE out of which 46 deaths were reported, he said. Informing about the vaccination programme, the director said a total of 3,95,518 children of Ambala district would be covered this year, while 6,61,107 children form Karnal and Kurukshetra had already been vaccinated under the programme in 2007.
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More funds to fight female foeticide
Panipat, May 6 The union government has decided to allocate Rs 5 lakh to each district to carry out a campaign to check female foeticide. Besides, some cash incentives for panchayats that register an upward trend in the male-female ratio have also been announced. The state has the dubious distinction of ranking at the bottom as far as the sex ratio in the country is concerned. According to the 2001 census, Haryana had 861 females per 1,000 males. Deputy Commissioner Mohinder Kumar said it was matter of concern and the administration had chalked out a detailed programme to sensitise people against female foeticide. He said the district had received another grant of Rs 5 lakh, allocated by the local MP, and this amount would be spent to check female foeticide. He said villages that would show an improvement in the sex ratio would be given cash incentives of more than Rs 1 lakh. Meanwhile, the health department has also stepped up efforts to thwart the practice of female foeticide. |
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Staff Shortage
Chandigarh, May 6 Sources in the department said these two proposals were finalised to meet the shortage of medical practitioners which has been ailing the department for long now and is taking a toll on patient care. The department has been under fire for non-availability of doctors and elected representatives have been particularly critical of non-existent of healthcare despite infrastructure availability. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda held a brainstorming session with department officials to work out an alternative plan and make quality healthcare available at government hospitals. Sources said since recruitment of doctors cannot be hurried through and specialists are not even available, the department had devised the strategy to empanel private practitioners and tide over troubled times. “We agree there is manpower shortage and there can be no quick-fix solution. However, to ensure that the public does not suffer, we moved a proposal for empanelment of private doctors in every district separately. These doctors would be available on call and would be paid accordingly,” an official said. Since carrying out deliveries in hospitals sans gynaecologists is a huge problem, the department has decided to begin with “employing” gynaecologists, anaesthetists and paediatricians. “We have fixed Rs 3,000 for every cesarean conducted by a gynaecologist, Rs 1,500 for anaesthetist and Rs 500 for paediatrician. All districts will draw up their own lists of such practitioners who may come independently or as a team,” he added. Also, the department has a plan to upgrade its existing community health centres, primary health centres and district hospitals. However, since it is a mandatory requirement that at least five specialities are available in any centre for its upgradation, the department has found a way out for this too. As an experiment, the department plans to empanel specialists as well and use their services on fixed days in the CHCs. “For every such centre, we plan to list out specialities on need basis and fix one day of the week for a doctor’s visit for OPDs. We will begin with a few centres initially and see the response before replicating it all over the state,” he maintained. |
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Sirsa tops in wheat arrivals
Chandigarh, May 6 Stating this here yesterday, an official spokesman said the bumper production of wheat and increase in the minimum support price (MSP) as announced by the central government had enabled the farmers to earn an additional income of about Rs 251 crore this season. He said the district had surpassed all other districts in the arrival of wheat in its mandis for the second consecutive year. Over 4.66 metric tonnes of wheat had arrived in the mandis of the district during the corresponding period last year. |
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Now, special bank branch for farmers
Ambala, May 6 The branch, less than 10 days ago, has already advanced a credit of Rs 40 lakh. The branch has been opened at Dosarka Chowk in the district and covers around 70 villages. There are 497 villages in the district. This branch even welcomes farmers from the villages that do not fall in its target radius. There are eight other such branches in the district run by the PNB. The branch caters to the needs of the farmers and provides finance for the allied agriculture facilities like the horticulture, dairy farming, construction of food grain storage godowns, agriculture-business, food-based industry, bee keeping, etc. “We even provide loans for purchase of second hand tractors,” says Chetan Sethi, lead bank manager. “This branch will be able to highlight all the needs that are beneficial to the farmers, as in the other branches at times they get ignored due to other work.” Senior branch manager V.K. Malhotra said the response has been very good. “I have met the sarpanches of 33 villages so far and the feedback is positive.” The bank will provide local clearing facility at the bank, which will help the local farmers. |
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Blood transfusion leaves 6-year-old girl HIV+
Yamunanagar, May 6 She was four months old, when it was found that she was suffering from thalassaemia. Later, her bone marrow matched with her younger sister, who is now three years old, and a ray of hope of getting rid of the disease emerged. She was to undergo bone marrow transplant this month, but tests conducted on her at the PGI, Chandigarh, revealed that she was HIV infected. As per the PGI report, she was suffering from transfusion induced HIV. Window period of HIV 1 and HIV 2 through blood transfusion was three to five months, said a doctor. The news of HIV infection through blood transfusion had created panic in government departments and efforts were on to trace the mistake, if any on part of the Haryana health department, said sources. Dr Munish Rathi, head of the local blood bank, has ruled out the possibility of HIV infected blood transfusion to the girl at the ESI. “We are ready for the screening of donors whose blood was given to the girl,” he added. According to him, the blood bank was following all norms of the NACO and Haryana State Control Society and was conducting Elisa and Rapid tests for HIV 1 and HIV 2. It is to be mentioned here that these two tests cannot identify HIV in blood if the donor was in window phase of HIV. Dr Rathi said she might have been infected at the other hospital, where she was given blood or she got infected due to contaminated IV sets. The Rajindra hospital could not be contacted. Deputy commissioner Nitin Kumar Yadav said an inquiry would be conducted into the matter. The hospital would screen the donors. She is a student of St. Thomas Convent School, Jagadhri. After a few days of blood transfusion at the ESI hospital in March, she developed fever, weakness and loose motions. She was admitted to a private child hospital and was later taken to the PGI, Chandigarh. Her treatment started at PICH clinic at the PGI. On April 16, she was admitted in the PGI. “After a couple of days, the doctors told that my daughter has been infected with HIV,” said her father. They also got a separate test for HIV 1 and HIV 2 at a renowned clinical laboratory and the tests did not give the family any relief. “When her sister was born and the bone marrow of the siblings matched, doctors assured us that there were chances that she would get rid of thalassaemia,” remembered her mother. The bone marrow transplant did not take place earlier because the donor was too young. But now the bone marrow was to take place in May or June. “We wish that doctors and scientists soon find a treatment of HIV. Several pills have been prescribed for my daughter, who has become so weak that she cannot even ride her toy tricycle,” said her mother. They are keeping their fingers crossed in the hope of a breakthrough in the field of HIV. |
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Global Food Prices
Rewari, May 6 Addressing a press conference here today, Swami Ram Dev said most of the Indians regularly observed a fast once a week and skipped food for that day. Whereas, the Americans were not known to observe a fast even once a year. He asserted that daily practice of yogic exercises by millions of Indians had reduced their food consumption. In the light of such factual circumstances, it was wrong on the part of the US President to target India for the rising global food prices. When asked about the growing acceptability of yoga among the Indians, Swami said as many as 20 lakh people, both men and women, were participating in the 35,000 free yoga classes being held daily throughout the country. He added that yoga classes had also started picking up in America, Canada, Japan, Germany and the UK. Later, addressing a gathering at the annual function of Rao Abhey Singh College of Education at Saharanwas village, near here, Ram Dev said India, with a population of over 60 crore youths, was the most youthful country of the world. He asserted that youthful India was making rapid strides to become a superpower of the world. He exhorted youths to rise above selfishness and parochialism. He also advised old people to completely eschew drinking, which was eating into the vitals of the old as well as the young generation.
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Fire incidents keep staff on toes
Sonepat, May 6 After extinguishing fires in Tonki-Manoli, Manoli, Aterna and Jakholi villages, which broke out last evening, different firefighting teams returned to Sonepat around 1.30 am today, said an official of the local fire office. According to information, when a farmer of Tonki village near the Yamuna river bank was burning stubble late last evening, the fire spread in the adjoining fields because of high wind velocity and even engulfed the temporary huts erected on the outskirts of the village. When the information of this fire was received, all fire tenders were already engaged in extinguishing the fire at Manoli, Aterna and Jakholi villages. Two of the fire tenders were diverted to Tonki village and the fire could be controlled only by midnight. However, no loss of life was reported. Inferno in fields
Fatehabad: Several villages have been evacuated in the Ratia area of the district, as a major fire engulfed the fields of more than 12 villages here on Tuesday. The fire broke out in the wheat straw lying in the agricultural fields and spread due to a strong wind that followed soon after. |
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Lucrative returns from paddy lure farmers
Sirsa, May 6 Lucrative returns from paddy forced cultivators to bring more area under the crop. A quintal of pusa basmati fetches somewhere between Rs 2,200 to Rs 2,500, while a quintal of cotton brings only Rs 2,000. Last year, impressive returns from pusa basmati (P-1) had encouraged more and more farmers to go ahead for the crop, known as ‘Muchal’ in the local parlance. Majority of the farmers in the area sow this kind of paddy. Cotton is the primary crop here, which is cultivated under cotton-wheat double cropping. Besides, yield of cotton on an acre of land does not cross 10 quintals, while paddy sown on the same area obtains 50 to 70 quintals. According to data available with the district agriculture department, 46,000 hectares of land was under paddy in 2006 and in 2007, 2,000 hectares more were added. According to agriculture experts, the area could witness further increase this season. They felt it would saddle the precarious water table. As per the available data, water is available at the depth of 200 to 400 feet varying from one place to other. They believed that the farmers, who easily found irrigation facilities, were switching over to paddy swiftly. They said when Bt cotton was introduced in the region about five years ago, it was hailed as saviour of precious ground water. However, of late, need of costly pesticide and insecticide, besides fear of mealy bug was discouraging farmers from adopting the crop. Buttressing their claim, they added that the area under cotton fell from 1.91 lakh hectare in 2006 to 1.82 lakh hectare last year. Pradeep Kaumr, deputy director agriculture, said target of bringing two lakh hectares area under cotton this year would positively be achieved. He informed that the department launched and vigorously pursued the drive to dissuade farmers from sowing a kind of paddy known as ‘sathi’, as it grows in 60 days, in between the wheat and paddy circle. Hence, it was cultivated on 10 hectares last year. He said paddy was not only being grown on low lying and hard soil area, but also accepted that it was spreading to the area where water was easily available.
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Weekly Off in Gurgaon Markets
Gurgaon, May 6 As per the status quo, various markets in old Gurgaon will observe weekly holiday on Sunday while the markets in DLF, Sushant Lok and other areas in new Gurgaon, including shopping malls, will remain closed on Tuesday. The violators would be liable for challan. In order to find an amicable solution to the problem of weekly off, the DC called a meeting of various trade unions and shopkeepers’ associations in the meeting hall of the mini-secretariat yesterday. Officials of the labour department also surveyed the shopkeepers regarding the weekly off so that the exact picture about the opinion of the majority of traders and shopkeepers could be known. After taking into consideration the survey conducted by the labour department and the personal interaction, he would now give his final decision on May 14. It may be recalled that on the demand of various trade associations of Gurgaon, the state government had issued directions to keep holiday on Tuesday instead of Sunday. The same was implemented by the district administration and for the first time the shopping malls in Gurgaon were closed on Tuesday. But some traders’ organisations held the contention that since Sunday was a holiday for schools, colleges and offices, so the markets should be closed so that they may enjoy the holiday with their families. This suggestion of the traders was also forwarded to the government by the labour department and the state government revising its earlier order decided to keep the weekly off on Sunday in the shops and markets located in old Gurgaon city whereas the shopping malls and business establishments in DLF, Sushant Lok and other bazaars in new Gurgaon were to remain closed on Tuesday.
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3 labourers killed in accident
Jhajjar, May 6 They had gone to Jhajjar to get their cart repaired and were returning to the brick kiln, where they were employed. When they reached near Khungai village, a canter loaded with beer ran over their cart. The father and sons died in the accident. The police has registered a case against the driver of the canter who is absconding. |
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2 held with 1,637 kg coins
Sirsa, May 6 They are Anil of Hisar and driver Manoj of Jhajjar. The coins were in denominations of 25 paise, 50 paise, Re 1 and Rs 2. |
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Robbing people – govt style
Chandigarh, May 6 Nothing can illustrate this attitude of the state government better than the promised reduction in the stamp duty imposed on the transfer of property. Finance minister Birender Singh had promised while presenting this year’s Budget to the assembly on March 18 that the stamp duty would be reduced by 1 per cent across the board. At present, the rates of stamp duty are 8, 7 and 6 per cent in the urban areas for property purchased in the name of a man, man and a woman and a woman, respectively. For the rural areas, these rates are 2 per cent less. The rates for the urban areas are higher because 2 per cent of the stamp duty goes to the coffers of civic bodies. The Budget was passed by the House before March 31. The new rates of the stamp duty should have come in force from April 1. But so far the old rates are being charged because the government is yet to notify the new rates. The government has, however, more than made up for the expected loss from the reduction in the stamp duty. It has quietly enhanced the collector rate of land by over 10 per cent. The new collector rate has already been made applicable from April 1, when the new financial year begins. The stamp duty is charged on the basis of the collector rate, irrespective of the price paid by the purchaser to the seller. Official sources said the revenue department was still in the process of notifying the reduced stamp duty rates. However, they were unable to tell when the rates would be notified and from which date the new rates would be applicable. |
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Petrol station owner, manager shot dead
Faridabad, May 6 The assailants looted over Rs 18 lakh after firing several rounds from close range on Ajay Sharma, relative of Chiranji Lal Sharma, and his manager, Rajinder Sharma, in Sector 3. The police, however, has suspended the in charge of Sector 3 police station and announced a reward of Rs 50,000 to the one gives information about the assailants involved in the case. Ajay Sharma received three bullets and Rajinder Sharma two bullets. Ajay Sharma is also a cousin of working president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee Kuldip Sharma. Ajay Sharma is son of former additional chief engineer of the Haryana State Electricity Board M.L. Sharma. The incident happened when Ajay and his manager got into a car from his petrol station in Sector 3 to go to a bank to deposit the money. They had hardly gone a few yards from the petrol station when three motorcycle-borne youths hit his car from the rear and started firing on the two. According to family members, the assailants then verified whether Ajay Sharma was dead or not. While they were fleeing, they were challenged by a passerby, who pelted stones at the fleeing criminals. The criminals fell down as their motorcycle overturned. However, they escaped towards Tigaon village. An employee of the petrol station rushed the two to Escorts Hospital. The manager was declared brought dead and Ajay Sharma succumbed to his injuries on his way to Badshah Khan Hospital. When the passerby had challenged the fleeing criminals, which resulted in their falling down along with the motorcycle, the in charge of the Sector 3 police post was standing near the place of the incident in civil clothes. The passerby identified him and urged him to chase the criminals. The in charge allegedly advised him to chase the criminals while he returned after putting on his uniform. Kishore Sharma, elder brother of the deceased, said the sequence of events and the behaviour of criminals suggested that killing his brother was their primary motive. He declined to make any further comment as the police was investigating the case. The police has also maintained silence on the investigation. The police authorities have created four teams, two headed by officers of the rank of the DSP, to do a follow up on the case. Sources said the teams conducted several raids last night in various parts of Faridabad. The incident has sent shock waves not only in Faridabad but also in various parts of the state, especially in political and business circles.
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High Court
Chandigarh, May 6 The petitioner has claimed prosecution under the Act was often lodged solely on the report of public analyst, though his report was not worthy of credence. Giving details, the petitioner said in the specific rules, the states of Punjab and Haryana, besides Chandigarh, had set up public analyst laboratories or had prescribed methods of analysis. But unless a public analyst had been notified by the Central government to be qualified, his appointment and test reports cannot be termed valid. The case will now come up for arguments on July 16.
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Shortlisting of non-academics for VC’s post decried
Rohtak, May 6 The panel constituted by the Haryana government for the purpose has finalised the names of Dr Pankaj Mittal, joint secretary, University Grants Commission (UGC), Prof Sunita Pathania, former head of the department of history at Kurukshetra University, and Dr H.K. Chauhan, joint director, UGC. The resentful academics point out that of the three persons shortlisted for the post of the vice-chancellor, two are non-academicians. This, despite the state government’s norm of giving due consideration to eminent academics in the appointment of vice-chancellors. The point regarding the appointment of academics as vice-chancellors was much emphasised when the present regime sought to amend the Acts of two universities of the state. However, the three-member committee has recommended the names of two officials of the level of joint secretaries at the UGC. According to faculty members of different state universities, the post of the joint secretary at UGC is an administrative one, similar to that of a deputy registrar at a university. “The UGC joint secretaries are basically responsible for the implementation of academic policies and programmes of the UGC and not for providing academic leadership by framing these policies,” says a senior faculty member of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) here. This viewpoint was endorsed by a cross-section of academics and educationists, who were approached for their comments regarding the issue. The academics maintain that a vice-chancellor should be a person with strong credentials having an ability to provide academic leadership to a university. They lamented that instead of following the selection norms of vice-chancellor in letter and spirit, persons having administrative experience in UGC and other such institutions were being given undue weightage by distorting the norms.
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Rewari, May 6
