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Setback for ad hoc gurdwara panel
HSGPC criticised
Thermal plants face coal shortage
Intelligentsia decries police brutality in Rohtak
BJP favours poll alliance
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A harrowing test before exam
Milk procurement rate up by Rs 10
Teachers’ Spat
Sarita Suicide Case
Shamsheeda Begum’s statement recorded
Man held on charge of murdering uncle
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Setback for ad hoc gurdwara panel
Karnal, September 11 Vice-president of the state SAD Raghujeet Singh Virk said these leaders included Kuldeep Singh, Sukhbir Singh Bhogpura, Bakshish Singh Jhansa, Jaswant Singh and Gurdev Singh. Even relatives of Bibi Rabinder Kaur, who had addressed the “virodh rally” at Karnal on September 7, have deserted the HSGPC, he claimed. The leaders accused the HSGPC and its president of playing into the hands of the Congress and harming the interests of the Sikhs in the state by dividing them. The leaders said they were misled by some vested interests on the issue and added that a majority of the Sikhs in Kurukshetra were behind them. Virk lashed out at the Congress for meddling with the religious affairs of the Sikhs and said the state government was not giving a no-objection certificate for setting up a medical college at a cost of Rs 150 crore in Shahbad to the SGPC. The HSGPC had served a 30-day ultimatum on the SGPC to hand over the management of the gurdwaras in the state, saying that it would take forcible possession after the expiry of the deadline. Today’s development, however, has come as a major setback to the votaries of a separate SGPC. President of the HSGPC Jagdish Singh Jhinda alleged that supporters of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal were intimidating Sikhs and misleading them. Alleging that SAD leaders were trying to create a division among Sikhs at the village level, he said such mischievous acts would not succeed in forcing Sikhs of Haryana to give up the demand for a separate SGPC. |
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HSGPC criticised
Yamunanagar, September 11 Addressing a press conference here today, he said HSGPC (ad hoc) members had not applied their mind before making such a statement. Neither the HSGPC had leaders, nor the mass support. It was just that only a few members of the HSGPC wanted to make a body to control the
gurdwaras, he added. |
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Thermal plants face coal shortage
Yamunanagar, September 11 Coal stocks for only three days are left at the super thermal plant (1,360 MW) in Panipat and the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Plant (600 MW) in Yamunanagar. People of the state have already been facing more than 14 hours of power cuts. Sources said if the state did not get the coal supply within three days, the two thermal plants would have to be shut down. Then, the state would face an additional shortage of 1,960 MW. Ideally, any thermal plant should keep coal stocks for 21 days to ensure the smooth functioning of the plant. The Bihar floods led to a shortage of labourers to carry out mining work. Official sources said the thermal plant in Panipat needed 21,000 MT of coal to run the eight units to generate 1,360 MW every day. However, only 70,000 MT of coal stocks were left with the plant. Besides, 26,000 MT of coal was left with the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Plant, which would be sufficient for the next three days. At present, one out of the two units (300 MW) had already been shut down due to a fire at the plant on September 6. The second unit requires 8,500 MT of coal every day. Chief engineer of the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Plant Sushil Bansal has confirmed that the plant had coal for only three days. People in the state had been facing more than 12 hours of power cuts in the urban areas and 14 hours in the rural areas due to a shortage of 190 lakh units. Power consumption in the state had increased to 1,000 lakh units. However, power supply from all sources was 810 lakh units every day, the sources added. |
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Intelligentsia decries police brutality in Rohtak
Rohtak, September 11 A number of elderly members of the local intelligentsia today approached The Tribune to share their concern over the repressive action of the authorities concerned. “The teachers, who had assembled in Rohtak to submit a charter of demands to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, or his local MP son Deepender Hooda, were subjected to a lathicharge and firing with AK-47 rifles, as if they were criminals,” they maintained. The intellectuals, who included former Kurukshetra University professor Suraj Bhan, eminent cultural historian Ranbir Singh, retired Union Government functionary S.N.Sawhney, academician and social activist Jai Singh Malik, former principal scientist P.S.Dahiya, Col J.P.N.Phougat (retd) and former principal Mahavir Sharma, said the incident was a typical example of the misuse of government power. ”The frequent occurrence of such incidents in the state reveals a mindset totally cast in a feudal mould of the colonial era,” they observed. They also castigated the district authorities for failing to tackle the situation and later trying to cover up their failure by making false pleas. “The district administration has put forth baseless arguments to justify the barbaric use of force, including firing with AK-47 rifles, against the guest teachers, mostly women,” they asserted. Terming the magisterial probe ordered into the incident as a farce, the senior citizens demanded a high-level inquiry into the incident by a sitting Supreme Court or high court judge. The women's body has decided to approach the National Commission for Women and the National Human Rights Commission to demand stern action against the officials responsible for the brutal treatment of the protesters. This was stated by Jagmati Sangwan, state committee president of the association, while addressing a press conference in Rohtak on Wednesday. |
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BJP favours poll alliance
Panipat, September 11 However, the party is still keeping its cards close to its chest regarding which party it would form an alliance with. State organising secretary of the BJP Harjit Singh Grewal said a formal announcement regarding the alliance would be made only after consulting the national leadership of the party. He said the matter would be taken up with the “core group on elections” before a final decision was made. Grewal said it would be inappropriate to comment on the issue till a final decision was taken by party leaders. Party sources confirmed that an alliance with one of the regional parties was inevitable and it was just a matter of time before it was formally announced. According to media reports, Kuldip Bishnoi, president of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), had already held parleys with the BJP leadership on the issue of an alliance and sharing of seats. It is believed that Bishnoi had offered seven seats to the BJP of the 10 for the Lok Sabha elections, while demanding a loin’s share of the assembly seats. However, the sources said the national leadership was contemplating going with Om Prakash Chautala’s INLD in the state. However, state leaders of the BJP, who recently met the party’s top brass to discuss the issue, felt that going with the HJC and not with the INLD could add to the BJP votes. Political observers maintain that the state unit of the BJP had a bitter experience with Chautala and that they were unwilling to contest the elections with his INLD. The sources said central leaders, including those hailing form Haryana, however, felt that the INLD would be a better bet for the BJP in the state. Meanwhile, the state leadership of the BJP has clearly stated that the party was open to alliances in the state. Both the INLD and the HJC are on the party’s radar.
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A harrowing test before exam
Kurukshetra, September 11 The students told mediapersons that when they reached their examination centre No. 6 at Government Girls High School, Nath Mandir, here, they could not get seats due to shortage of space in spite of the fact that tents had been erected on the school premises for the purpose. They said though the examination was to start at 11 am, at around 11. 15 am, they were told to reach SMB Gita Senior Secondary School and it took over half an hour for them to reach the new venue on foot. On their way to the new centre, some students raised anti-board slogans and tried to block traffic. When mediapersons reached the new examination venue, centre superintendent Jai Pal, a physics lecturer, was busy distributing question papers to invigilators. Jai Pal told the mediapersons that yesterday he had apprised the board’s local representative of the shortage of accommodation in writing, following which he was asked to get tents erected for the purpose. Jai Pal complained that the board had deputed only 10 invigilators against the requirement of 20. “However, I have appointed 10 invigilators after making a request,” he added. SMB Gita Senior Secondary School principal R.P. Swami said the moment he was requested for more accommodation, he arranged for it. Meanwhile, some parents and guardians have complained that their wards received their roll number slips from the Haryana Board of School Education only a couple of days before the examinations. They said the roll number slips should reach the candidates at least 15 days before the the examinations by registered post instead of ordinary post. |
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Milk procurement rate up by Rs 10
Chandigarh, September 11 With this increase, milk from 1.40 lakh suppliers in 7,000 societies will be procured at Rs 280 per kg of fat against Rs 270 per kg of fat. This makes the procurement rates one of the highest in the region with exception of Rajasthan, where same rate is being offered to the farmers. Managing director of the federation Dhanpat Singh said the decision to hike the rate had been taken in view of the forthcoming festive season. He said there was also a temporary shortage of milk. Also, this hike in procurement rate is not being shifted on to the consumers with the MD categorically stating that it would not affect prices of milk and milk products marketed by the federation. The procurement of the federation, which hovers around 4 lakh litres per day, has fallen. In comparison to the availability of milk at its disposal at this time last year, the availability is down by 50,000 litres per day this year. With milk being picked up by private milk vendors for supply, the federation hopes to retain its present procurement levels with the increase in remuneration to the farmers. Also, Mother Dairy, which procures milk from the federation, has also marginally increased the rates of milk supplied by the latter by about 50 p and offered an incentive of increased payment for more milk. |
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Banjaras march for permanent homes
Karnal, September 11 Led by their national president, Pushpinder Kaur, the banjaras started the march from Sonepat on September 9 and will reach Chandigarh on September 15. They will submit a charter of demands to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh
Hooda. Talking to mediapersons here, Pushpinder Kaur said their main demand was setting up of colonies for banjaras with basic facilities like schools, dispensaries, water and power supply and allotment of 100 sq metre plot to each banjara family. She said banjaras were socially and economically backward but facilities given to BPL families were not available to them. The banjara tribe had spread to several states but the number was sizable in Haryana and Rajasthan, she added. She hoped that the government would accept their demands. |
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Teachers’ Spat
Sirsa, September 11 The DSP today visited the university campus and met several persons residing in the vicinity of the residence of Bajwa to find out the truth. He will again talk to all concerned, according to sources. Bajwa had lodged a complaint against Rajesh Malik, chairperson of the law department, and Baljit Yadav, lecturer in the food technology department, on Tuesday, accusing them of pulling his beard and smashing his turban under their feet. Malik and Yadav had, however, denied the allegations of Bajwa and accused him of providing shelter to persons of shady character. They had alleged that Bajwa lodged the FIR on Tuesday, two days after the alleged incident, as an afterthought to save himself from being implicated as a person visiting his house had been caught on that day by the police from the university campus for outraging the modesty of girls and making obscene gestures at them. The police today registered a case against Malik and Yadav under sections 295-A, 452, 323 and 34 of the IPC for alleged deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings or religious beliefs of Bajwa, criminal trespass, causing injury and criminal conspiracy. But as the truth in cases of the nature of 295-A are first required to be verified by a gazetted officer, the DSP (HQ) is investigating the matter before is is handed over to the city police station. The DSP said he was still investigating the case and was not in a position to say anything on the merits of the case. |
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Contract rice mill workers stage protest
Karnal, September 11 The call for the strike was given by the Rice Mills Contract Labour Union, Karnal, affiliated to the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS). The workers gathered at Karan Park and held a procession from the main bazar of the town,culminating in a rally near the DC's office. Addressing the workers, acting president of the Haryana BMS Jangbhadur Yadav said rice mill workers were unorganised and treated as bonded labour. They were denied basic facilities, given low wages and exploited by mill owners as labour laws were not being implemented by the government. He said unhygienic conditions prevailed in mills and 80 per cent of the labourers were sick.No medical facilities were provided to them. |
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Sarita Suicide Case
Ambala, September 11 The husband of Sarita had alleged that two police officials of the Rohtak CIA staff - Seelak Ram and Balraj - had raped his wife. The CBI had sent the blood samples of the accused to a laboratory for DNA test around a month ago. The accused are lodged in Ambala Central Jail in judicial custody at present. The DNA reports may give some relief to the accused. However, the CBI claimed that it had sufficient evidence to prove the accused guilty. According to CBI sources, the suicide note of Sarita is a very important document in the case. Similarly, the call records of the mobile phones of Balraj and Sarita would also help the CBI, the sources said. Sarita had committed suicide in front of the Police Headquarters in Panchkula on June 9. |
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Shamsheeda Begum’s statement recorded
Yamunanagar, September 11 The AIG recorded the statement of Shamsheeda Begum and one of her neighbours in Mustafabad village here today, said police sources. The DIG has already suspended four cops in the case. |
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Man held on charge of murdering uncle
Faridabad, September 11 The police has registered a case and arrested the nephew, Jagdish, and one of his
accomplices. The other suspects are at large. The deceased, a resident of Ghaziabad, had come to Bhur Colony here to visit another nephew yesterday.During his stay he went to Ballabgarh to see the other nephew. He had gone to Ballabgarh last evening along with his brother-in-law.When he was with Jagdish, they were joined by three youths, all natives of Uttar Pradesh. All of them had liquor at the shop, where Jagdish worked as a salesman. Lachu Ram stayed overnight with Jagdish, but his brother-in-law returned to Bhur Colony. This morning the brother-in-law was informed by Jagdish that Lachu Ram had died. |
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