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Cong’s quest for winnable candidates
Chandigarh, October 2 While the party high command will announce its observers for the state on October 13, the state unit of the Congress has readied a constituency profile that has been submitted to the central leadership. Sources in the Congress said in view of the change in constituency-boundaries following the delimitation process, the observers would identify “suitable” candidates for every constituency and gave its recommendations to the Congress top brass. Besides assessing the performance of sitting MPs in their respective areas, the observers will hold meetings with party workers for a feedback on candidates with a high “win-ability quotient”. The observers will submit their report to the central leadership, which will, as usual, finalise the list of candidates. In a departure from the earlier practice, the party high command had decided to wrap up the selection process in advance, well before elections are formally announced in an attempt to give its candidates an edge over their rivals. “The party wants to finalise its list of candidates at the earliest so that the latter have time enough on their hands to work their way through their respective constituencies. We want our candidates to have a significant lead in campaigning unlike previous elections where the announcement usually gets delayed. Since the constituencies, too, have undergone a change with the delimitation, the candidates will need all the extra time they get in the field,” a senior leader explained. Meanwhile, as per the instructions of the party general secretary and Haryana in charge, Margret Alva, the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) has readied a complete constituency profile of all parliamentary seats. At a recent meeting of the co-ordination committee, Alva had asked the state unit to submit profiles of the constituencies, including population, caste break-up, areas included as per the delimitation along with maps. Sources said the report had been readied as per instructions and would be handed over to the party leadership by the working president of the HPCC, Kuldeep Sharma. However, the decision of individually meeting the sitting MPs of the party to know the state of their constituencies and redress constituency-related, also an outcome of the state co-ordination committee meeting, is yet to fructify. Sources added this meeting was unlikely in view of the fact that election fever had begun to catch up in the party and the candidates and workers were now needed more in the field than behinds closed doors.
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Shortage of instructors hits flying club
Karnal, October 2 Chief flying instructor Kamal Kishore, who is the lone instructor for three aircrafts, claims to have accomplished this difficult task single-handedly. He not only bailed out the department but also tried to cover up the shortage by arguing that 100 hours of solo flying is a pre-requisite for obtaining commercial pilot licence (CPL) and as such instructors are not required for all trainees. With minimum 20 trainees on rolls and each trainee requiring 200 hours of flying to qualify for CPL, the total flying hours must cross the 4,000-hour mark. As the normal duration of the course is two years with 150 hours of theory classes, the institute is hard-pressed to increase flying hours to 200 hours per month, which means seven to eight flying hours per day. The perennial staff crunch and flying clubs are synonyms in context of Haryana and the shortage of trained instructors continues. Low salaries and lucrative packages in booming civil aviation sector is said to be the main reason for the
instructor “No one would like to work as an instructor in a flying club if he is underpaid even after spending Rs14-16 lakh on CPL course,” said a trainee, who is on the verge of completing the course. However, increasing unemployment among the fresh CPL holders can bring some relief to flying clubs. There are jobs in the private sector but they prefer experienced persons and freshers have to face stiff competition from pilots with five to 10 years of experience. In spite of not so rosy prospects, the craze among the youth to become commercial pilot has not diminished and even girls are not out of race. The institute has five aircrafts Puskpak, Hansa, CESSNA 152 and two CESSNA172, out of which only CESSNAs are flying high over the skies of Karnal while the other two, including Hansa bought in 1987, are serviceable but grounded. “Who would like to use typewriter when you have laptops, students want to learn on modern equipment instead of trying hands on outdated models,” confided an insider. Plus two with physics, chemistry and mathematics is the basic qualification for admission into the flying course and competition is tough in spite of high cost. Medical fitness and attitude also counts a lot in the selection of trainees. |
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Capitalising on Navratra festivities for social cause
Jhajjar, October 2 For this, The representatives are taking out awareness rallies, distributing pamphlets, organising painting competitions and holding meetings. President of the MVMM Sanjay Bhatia says this awareness campaign starts in the morning every day with chetna rally that is taken out by school children. The rally passes through main markets and various areas of the city. Placards conveying messages on female foeticide are carried by the school children. At the end of this rally, a well-known personality of the city expresses his/her views on female foeticide to make the people aware of this anti-social practice. Thereafter, the representatives gather at a temple located in main bazaar and distribute pamphlets to the devotees who come here for offering prayers, he maintains. Bhatia says a painting competition on female foeticide will also be organised to educate the people about this evil. "Girls are worshipped during Navratras and other sacred festivals but it is an irony that many of the worshippers themselves commit this crime," he says. Interestingly, women are coming forward to give a boost to this special awareness campaign. A group of women, including Suman Katyal, Rani Gera, Santosh and others, is lending a helping hand to the members of the MVMM for efficiently conducting this move. They also appealed women coming in temples to ensure their significant contribution in rooting out this social evil.
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Power theft informer scheme
Kurukshetra, October 2 Stating this, a UHBVN spokesman said as many as 49 cases of power theft in this district had been detected and a penalty of Rs 7.90 lakh had been imposed on the erring consumers. A sum of Rs 7 lakh had been recovered, which included a minor amount of penalty imposed during the last two days of August. Giving details, the spokesman said teams constituted by the nigam conducted surprise checking of 617 consumer premises in operation divisions of Kurukshetra, Shahabad and Pehowa during this period. Majority of the domestic category consumers had been stealing power by putting kundies on distribution lines or bypassing the meters. The nigam had disconnected the connections of such consumers. He further stated that people were now responding to the theft informer scheme. Two cases had been detected under this scheme. The nigam has made a provision of making 20 per cent payment of the amount to the officers and staff of the area concerned on the recovery of the penalty amount. A sum of Rs. 1,000 is paid to the informer immediately after the detection of the theft. In all, there is a provision to pay up to 40 per cent of the total recovered amount as an incentive to the informer. The information of power theft throughout the state by any consumer can be given at the centralised control room on telephone no. 01662-221527. The nigam will not disclose the name of the informer. After registering the information, the staff on duty will provide a secret code to the informer. On the detection of theft, the informer will be able to claim the incentive as per instructions.
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Power utilities cheating consumers: BJP
Chandigarh, October 2 In a statement issued here yesterday, media in charge of the party Rajiv Jain alleged that the Utari Haryana Vitran Nigam
(UHVN) had written to its field officers to get 25 per cent of the annual power consumption of the consumers as “additional security”. This, he said, would be done in installments. Over the next few months, the additional security amount would be added to the power bills without telling the consumers that they were being charged additional security. This way the corporation would collect crores of rupees in a surreptitious manner.
Jain said earlier it was decided to collect additional security from non-domestic consumers alone but now the corporation had decided to collect this amount from domestic as well as agriculture consumers also. The leader said as per the orders of the corporation, 25 per cent of the annual bill of a consumer for 2005-06, would be treated as additional security. This amount would be recovered from consumers in 24 installments.
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Pinjore heritage fest opens today
Chandigarh, October 2 This year, the three-day Pinjore festival begins from tomorrow at the world-famous Yadavindra Gardens to celebrate the centuries-old heritage of the town, the history of which dates back to the days of the Mahabharata. Built in the 17th century by Aurangzeb’s architect and foster brother, Fidai Khan, who was appointed as the Governor of Punjab, this “Garden Palace” has been laid on a classical plan of the Shalimar Gardens of Kashmir. The unique garden has been laid at seven levels on a descending scale. The garden comprises a central water channel (the inspiration), three principle terraces, axial plan, two square enclosures, corner bastions, gates at the ends of the central axis and cross axis, pavilion and palaces namely Sheesh Mahal, Rang Mahal and Jal Mahal along the central axis. The festival will be inaugurated by Ambika Soni, union minister of tourism and culture. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda would preside over the inaugural function at 5.30 pm tomorrow. Dr A.R. Kidwai, Governor of Haryana, will be the chief guest at the closing ceremony on October 5. Haryana minister of state for tourism Kiran Choudhry will the guest of honour at a dance drama to be presented by Rajendra Gangani and his group of Delhi on October 4. According to commissioner, tourism, Haryana, Keshni Anand Arora, this year, the festival would also showcase the craftsmen of handlooms and handicrafts. A street bazaar reminiscent of the Mogul times would be created with shops and clusters of stalls, tented pavilion and food plaza. The entrance gate, parking area as well as the entire gardens would be illuminated in the evenings in a manner that would highlight its architectural, aesthetic and landscape splendour. Cultural evenings would be organised on all three days by teams selected by the NZCC-Patiala and the NCZCC-Allahabad. Variety of cuisine will be the hallmark of the festival, which will contain a wide range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes like Amritsar’s tandoori kulchey, Jaipur’s dal bhatti churma, Lucknow’s jummy kababs, Chinese cuisine, Hansi perra, Gohana’s famous Jaleb, kulfi and Patiala’s cream murg and Ambala tongue-tingling
chaat. |
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Time for illegal hoardings to go
Jhajjar, October 2 With a view to generate revenue through renting the space for advertisements, the Rohtak range administration is all set to formulate an advertisement policy under which specific places for advertisements across the range would not only be marked, but a tariff plan would also be prepared. Interestingly, the revenue generated from the advertisements would be spent on the beautification of the district concerned. As per the policy, only those advertising agencies would be allowed to install hoardings, which would be authorised by the local administration. Contract of advertisements would be given through bidding process. Direction in this regard has recently been issued to deputy commissioners of the five districts from the commissioner, Rohtak range. The deputy commissioners have been directed to identify sites in their districts that could be used for putting up advertising hoardings by the agencies. According to sources, since there was no advertisement policy in place, many agencies have been earning handsome amount by putting publicity hoardings at public places without paying a single penny to the authorities. At present, several agencies are engaged in the business of advertisement without authorisation. “The advertisement policy will be useful in generating revenue and also establishing a system of giving contracts to the advertising agencies,” said S.P. Gupta, commissioner, Rohtak range, adding that the revenue would be spent on the maintenance of roads and beautification of the districts.
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Dera organises blood donation camp
Sirsa, October 2 The Haryana Thalassaemia Society brought as many as 175 children suffering from the disease to the dera headquarters. Pawan Insan, spokesman for the dera, said D.B. Sharma, president of the society had contacted the dera for regular supply of blood for these children. Dev Raj Soni, Tara Chand Kaushik, Ram Kumar, Pardeep Jain, and other office-bearers of the society were also present. Insan said volunteers of the dera had been donating blood for thalassaemia children at Kota in Rajasthan for the past many years and they had also been donating blood for the armed forces. The dera, meanwhile, announced that its volunteers would donate blood, whenever needed by any mediaperson or their family members. For this, one should contact them at telephone numbers: 01666-238547 or 01666-245688.
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Teachers, students vow to promote Hindi
Sirsa, October 2 An oath to this effect was administered during a ceremony organised in connection with the Hindi fortnight in the department of mass communication. Virender Singh Chauhan, chairperson of the department, presided over the programme, which was organised by the department in collaboration with the directorate of youth welfare of the university. Chauhan said while the Constitution bestowed the status of official language on Hindi, in practice English continues to enjoy this position. He said those who claim that Hindi could not become a medium of education for science and technology should look at the way in which Russia, China, Korea and small countries like Israel and Japan had worked in this direction. Chauhan said the department had already taken a lead in promoting the use of Hindi in official communications. He called upon other departments of the university to start using Hindi. He said this year onwards Hindi fortnight would be celebrated every year and more and more colleges and educational institutions of the region would be involved in the coming years. Chauhan said a running trophy had been instituted in the name of freedom fighter Babu Balmukund Gupta that would go to the over-all winner institution/department of Hindi fortnight celebrations. Assistant director, youth welfare, Surinder Kundu threw light on the important role played by Hindi writers in the freedom movement. Anita, a student of mass communication, was declared first while Shreyasi of the same department won the second prize. Third prize went to Rajni of the department of business administration. |
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Kaithal to set up health clubs in schools
Kaithal, October 2 The project was launched during a function, organised to receive the ongoing state-level “swachhta yatra”, at Rajound yesterday. Detailing the project, Verma said the clubs would be useful in stimulating safe hygiene habits among children. Besides this, it would help in motivating the students for proper use of the facilities provided by the government for sanitation and hygiene. He said that these health clubs would be established in all government schools. One teacher from each school will be appointed as resource person and 2-3 students from each class will be taken as members of the club. Such clubs will help in hygiene-related education and maintaining environmental cleanliness with an aim to reduce diseases. The “swachhta yatra” (cleanliness march), a campaign launched to create awareness among the masses about the maintenance of cleanliness, which entered the district on Monday and was received by Verma. It reached Kheri Sarfali village on Karnal–Kaithal border yesterday where it was handed over to the Karnal ADC. This yatra was flagged off by Kamlesh Verma wife of ADC from Jakholi village and passing through Narwal and other areas it reached Rajound where at a function in Government Senior Secondary School, the ADC called upon the people to keep their surroundings clean. He said public toilets were being constructed in villages to maintain cleanliness. The ADC remarked that the lack of cleanliness was one of the main factors responsible for the growing number of diseases among children. Verma said this yatra, which was being organised as a part of the observation 2008 as the international year of cleanliness, started from Panchkula and had already covered five districts of the state. In Kaithal, the yatra passed through Dhand, Solumajra,Kheri Rai Wali, Bandrana, Barot, Keorak, Chandana, Kailram, Chausala, Balu, Kasan, Jakholi, Narwal and Rajaund villages.
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Talent hunt show at CDLU campus
Sirsa, October 2 Competition was held in 27 categories in which more than 70 students participated. Surinder Singh Kundu, director, youth welfare, said under the leadership of vice-chancellor K.C. Bhardwaj, the university was exploring itself in all spheres, including research and cultural activities. Kundu said a cultural contingent of 30-35 students would be sent for participation in the Youth Festival to be held in Kurukshetra in November and a cultural contingent of 40 students would be sent for participation in the Inter-University Youth Festival to be held in Chandigarh in December. Sultan Singh, director, cultural committee of the university, encouraged the students for maximum participation in cultural activities for their overall development. The university has started a series of programmes to involve students in various cultural activities in form of talent search programmes.
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Rs 300 cr spent on development, says Dy CM
Kalka, October 2 The development projects included construction of school rooms, upgrading of various schools, construction of an auditorium in Government College, Kalka. Various projects were also undertaken under district plan HDLF scheme, construction of roads, dharamshalas, irrigation schemes, installation of tubewells etc. Informing this, Vijay Bansal, former secretary of state Congress, said the Deputy CM along with officials of the local and district administration had visited the area to redress the grievances of the people of Kalka, Pinjore and its vicinity and villages of Morni and Barwala from September 5 to September 21.
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‘Let down’ by govt, Karnal MP turns to voters
Panipat, October 2 Sharma is taking personal interest in ensuring that people of his constituency get the benefits of the policies adopted by the government. Recently, he chaired a meeting of the Panipat district monitoring committee. He not only sought the details of jobs cards made in the district, but also asked about BPL cards. He directed the administration to make sure that only the deserving persons get free plots as announced by the government. He also asked officials to expedite the pending development works and to keep him informed about the progress. Political observers maintain that after striking a discord with the government, Sharma is now trying to guarantee the support of his workers and the electorate. “In order to conceal any letups in his performance as an MP, Sharma has already played his card of accusing the government of being partial with him,” the observers believe. Through his statements in the media, the MP had clarified that the Hooda government had deliberately been overlooking the interests of the people of his constituency and by doing so he has skillfully shifted the onus over to the government, maintain these observers. Sharma had also made it clear in the media that in case he was denied a party ticket to contest the Lok Sabha elections, he would go all alone. Some say that under such circumstances, he might join the BSP, as he had tried to do when the party was seeking support from all corners over the N-deal issue. Meanwhile, with the carefully chalked out moves, Sharma has indeed put the state leadership under pressure, which is now trying to find a suitable solution to this trouble.
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A tribute to Comrade Prithvi
Fatehabad, October 2 During his long political career spanning four decades, Gorakhpuria, popularly known as comrade Prithvi, worked relentlessly for the cause of the poor. Born at Gorakhpur village in 1944 in Fatehabad district, Prithvi passed his matriculation from Uchana Kalan. After completing graduation from Dayanand College, Hisar, he did masters degree in two subjects from Kurukshetra University. After he was elected as the president of the Kurukshetra University Students Union in 1968, Prithvi took the task of bringing students from all over the state under one banner and constituted the Haryana Student Union (HSU), of which he was the founder president. He shot into prominence due to his revolutionary spirits, when he torn his masters degree immediately after receiving it during a convocation in protest against unemployment. He was expelled from the university and had to leave his PhD midway in 1971. Starting his political career by participating in agitations of students, government employees and labourers, Prithvi formally joined the CPM in the same year. The state witnessed several students’ agitations under his leadership and the HSU played a vital role in the agitation of college teachers in 1972 and that of school teachers in 1973-74. Prithvi Singh had to go to jails during these agitations. Later, the HSU became a part of the Students Federation of India (SFI) in 1970. Prithvi had to face more than 12 criminal cases registered in Kurukshetra, Karnal, Dadri, Narwana, Hisar and Fatehabad between 1971 and 1975 due to his involvement in such agitations. He was arrested immediately after the declaration of the emergency and was kept in Mohindergarh jail with Devi Lal, Baldev Tayal and Bishan Swaroop. Prithvi contested four assembly elections, though unsuccessfully, during his political career, before retiring from electoral politics due to his deteriorating health. In fact, frequent visits to jails and tortures affected his health and he never recovered after eighties. He contested the 1972 election from Baropal assembly constituency, in 1977, he contested from Bhattu Kalan against Devi Lal and then in 1987 and 1991, he contested from Fatehabad. Comrade Prithvi will always be remembered for his amiable nature calm demeanors in normal circumstances, and his enthusiastic and animated speeches during agitations. Born in a family of small farmer with a landholding of six acres, he died as a simple lower middle class man, who lived his whole life in deprivation but never compromised on his principles.
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Rohtak boys to play for NZ cricket club
Both Mahabir and Manish have been selected to play for the Howell Cricket Academy of New Zealand. The academy has signed them for three years. While Manish is the son of a smalltime farmer of Bharan village, Mahabir belongs to an agriculturist family of Madina village in the district. Mahabir is a student of law at Maharshi Dayanand University here. Both started playing cricket during their schooldays and continued practice afterwards. Regular practice and dedication for the game led them to success in their careers. They have represented their state and country at domestic as well as international levels in various events in which they have excelled with both bat and ball. Mahabir plays as an opening batsman while Manish is an all-rounder. Manish has captained the under-19 squad in Asia Cup. Mahabir, who has been playing for the N.S. Cricket Club of Delhi, was also a member of the under-19 cricket team. Owing to their outstanding performance, they have got an opportunity to play with star international cricketers at the Howell Academy. Though getting a chance to play for the prestigious academy is in itself a dream come true for the players, their ultimate aim is to play for their country some day.
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41,228 families to get grant for houses
Yamunanagar, October 2 So far an amount of Rs 1.53 crore has been granted to the BPL families while 403 houses have been constructed. Besides, there is also a provision to provide Rs 1,200 to each family to construct individual toilet along with house the under total sanitation campaign. The district rural development agency has prepared a permanent waitlist under Indira Awas Yojna and grant for the construction of houses will be granted as per seniority. To ensure transparency, it has been decided to release the amount to the beneficiaries directly through bank. The families have been asked to open a bank account and an amount Rs 35,000 is being released to them in two installments. All those families having score 0 or 1 are likely to be accommodated during this current financial year. The salient feature of the permanent waitlist is that one the one hand it will bring transparency while on the other, prospective beneficiaries will be in a position to know their serial number, additional deputy commissioner Narender Singh said.
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Citizens’ First
Sunit Dhawan’s “B.Ed colleges mushroom, flout norms” (September 23, Haryana Plus) speaks enough of the mockery of education. There was a time when B. Ed colleges used to allot the number of seats for admission strictly in accordance with the requirement of teachers in secondary schools, resulting in variation of number of seats every year. Special attention was paid to prepare teachers to undergo theoretical and practical dynamics of teaching, with a sense of commitment. Increasing number of B.Ed colleges without any consideration of quality and demand breeds not only corruption but also ensures an ugly and unproductive output. A prime national body to recognise colleges of education,
NCTE, should intervene. Institutions that do not adhere to the norms laid down by it should be publicly
derecognised. Quality of education can’t be ensured with inconsistent, deceptive and poor quality of teachers.
S.Kumar,
Panchkula Road cut required at Miri Piri Hospital Miri Piri hospital has been providing modern medical facilities to the people of the area. Built and financed by the SGPC, this hospital is situated on the GT road at a distance of 2 km from the Shahabad bus stand. Shahabad and its surrounding 50 villages get benefit from its services. As no road cut is provided in front of its main gate by NHAI, public has to face a lot of inconvenience. Most of the vehicles go on wrong side as the existing road cut is far from the main entrance. It is in public interest and safety that a road cut should be provided opposite the main gate of the Miri Piri hospital. Surinder Pal Singh
Wadhawan ,
Kurukshetra
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Kidnap
Producer: Dhilin Mehta Sanjay Gadhvi’s ‘Kidnap’ released on 2nd October at K. C. Panchkula, Sun City-Hisar, Radhi Ka-Rewari, Sheela-Rohtak, Nigar – Ambala Cantt, Inder Palace – Karnal, Paras – Kurukshetra, PVR Europa, PVR Sahara, SRS Omaxe, Adlab, DTCC, DTMM (All Gurgaon), INOX, SRS, SRS, Shubham Tower, SRS Pristine, PVR Crown Plaza, Cinemax (All Faridabad), Fun-Ambala City, Fun – Panipat What to Watch out for: Imran Khan, Minissha Lamba Sanjay Dutt’s performance, Sanjay Gadhvi’s direction, drama, action and Pritam’s music. Drona Producers: Shrishti Arya, Sunil Lulla Godlie Behl’s desi flick showing at Suraj – Panchkula, Ashoka – Karnal, Anand – Sonepat, Everest – Rewari, Sun City – Hisar, Sheela – Rohtak. What to watch out for: Special effects never before seen, super powers, magic, breathtaking adventure, Dhruv Ghanekar compositions, direction and lead stars acting. — Dharampal
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Rohtak, October 2