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Gurgaon, Faridabad to be developed as solar cities
Chandigarh, February 5 In a project prepared by the department of renewable energy, these two cities have been selected for development as solar or green cities under the scheme of the ministry of new and renewable energy, government of India. While the “in-principle approval” from the ministry for Gurgaon has already been received, the approval for Faridabad is likely to be received shortly. Director, HAREDA, Sumita Misra, said the project aimed at minimum 10 per cent reduction in projected demand of conventional energy at the end of five years. “This can be achieved through a combination of energy efficiency measures and enhancing supply from renewable energy sources. Under this programme, the urban local bodies will be assisted for the preparation of a master plan for increasing energy efficiency and renewable energy supply in the city, setting up institutional arrangements for the implementation of the master plan and awareness generation and capacity building activities,” she stated. The first step under this project would be to prepare a five-year master plan having energy baseline for these cities, including sector-wise energy consumption matrix and energy supply mix for the base year for all sectors. This will cover residential, industrial, commercial and institutional sectors, municipal sector and demand forecasting for the next five years. In this plan, sector-wise strategies would be prepared for energy efficiency and to maximise the use of renewable energy with the involvement of local stakeholders. “A consultant will be hired to obtain secondary data from various sources, besides conducting survey about present fuel consumption in various sectors, information on energy appliances and equipments. The consultant will also carry out a survey of experience with renewable energy systems and design and construction practices for different types of buildings having an impact on energy consumption,” Misra stated. In this master plan, the energy demand for the next five and 10 years, up to the year 2018, shall be projected keeping in view the growth in energy use in different sectors, and past trends. Before the finalisation of the master plan, it shall be discussed in a workshop having representation from elected representatives, local research and academic institutions, resident welfare associations, industries and corporate organisations and NGOs. “We have chosen the two cities on the basis of the criteria fixed by the ministry which laid down that the cites should have a population of more than five lakh but less than 50 lakh, there should be potential for the adoption of energy conservation and renewable energy in the city activities and willingness to provide resources under the programme,” an official said.
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Affidavit must to claim house tax exemption
Jhajjar, February 5 With a view to providing the advantage of the scheme to actual beneficiaries, the financial commissioner and principal secretary, urban local bodies department has recently issued certain instructions. In its letter, the financial commissioner has stated, “After careful consideration, the state government has decided that to get the benefit of exemption from house tax for any self-occupied residential house, an affidavit is to be taken from the house owner that the house in question is occupied by him and no part of it has been rented out. In case, a part of house is rented out, house tax shall be levied.” A communication in this regard has recently been sent to the director, urban local bodies, and all deputy commissioners in the state. Apart from this, the district authorities have also been directed to get a survey done every six months in order to check the veracity of the information given in the affidavit by the house owners. Sources said the step had been taken to restrict the misuse of this provision of house tax exemption. An officer of the local municipal committee said the obligation of submitting an affidavit would not only help in finding out the actual beneficiaries but also check irregularities.
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Classical Music
Karnal, February 5 Krishnan, who was here to perform at local Nishant Public School under the auspices of Spic Macay, an international organisation for the promotion of performing arts, regretted that, “People are forgetting the classical music and are driven towards western pop music”. He observed, “Unless they go back to their traditions and develop taste to distinguish between good and bad music, it would be difficult to take Indian classical music to new heights”. Krishnan, who is carrying forward the legacy of his father, Lalgudi G Jayaraman, the legendary violin maestro who revolutionised the South Indian violin playing and who was awarded Padma Shri for his accomplishments, said, “Early you expose children to the classical music, better it is for the future of this art as the foundation of music should be laid during the formative years”. Indian violin once used to be one of the most exotic and mysterious melodies. Now, violin players are struggling for survival against the competing pressures of western pop music and Bollywood movie tunes, he lamented. Krishnan, who held the students captive by performing classical pieces like “Jagan Mohini”, “Yaman in Kalyani”, “Vashnio Jayanto” and “Tiliana", was moved by the patience and response of the students. “Veena Venu” violin concept, a brainchild of Lalgudi Jayaraman, was revived by Krishnan with KR Subrahmanyam on flute and Srikant Chary on veena. When asked whether a classical violinist could earn his livelihood by adopting art as profession, he said violinists were inseparable part of music and required everywhere in films, orchestras, “jugal bandi”, instrumental music, fusion with vocalist and musical concerts and have vast scope. Krishnan has performed far and wide in Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Italy, West Germany, Canada, West Asia and Greece and also participated in various festivals in the UK in 1983, US in 1985 and erstwhile Soviet Union in 1988. However, to keep the art alive and motivate the younger generations to carry forward this legacy, he is also imparting training to about 25 students in Chennai. Possessing M.Com, ICWA (Cost and Works accountant) and CS degrees, Krishana preferred fulfilment of his passion for carnatic music to a lucrative career in finance. Playing violin since 1973, Krishnan has been honoured with Jaycees award in 1981, best violinist award in 1986, creative talent award in 1990, and coveted Isaiferoli award from Karthik Fine Arts in 1992. He was also conferred the prestigious title of "Nadabhushanasm" in 2004.
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Chaudhary Ranbir Singh
Sirsa, February 5 Many qualities of head and heart have been attributed to Chaudhary Ranbir Singh, a member of the Constituent Assembly of India, who died on Sunday. But, a quality that he was never after power and rather shied away from it was one that made the above quote of Dr Samuel Johnson about William Shakespeare, applicable to Chaudhary Ranbir Singh as well. This quality of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's father has been highlighted in a book, “Power Politics in Haryana”, written by Dr Bhim Singh Dahiya, a former vice-chancellor of Kurukshetra University. The book is full of anecdotes regarding state politicians since the times of undivided Punjab and has accounts of all politicians from Chaudhary Matu Ram, grandfather of Hooda, Chaudhary Chhotu Ram and Chaudhary Chhaju Ram to the present era of Haryana's famous Lals, their sons and Bhupinder Singh Hooda. However, one anecdote about Chaudhary Ranbir Singh is quite interesting and worth mentioning as a tribute to the veteran leader because while most political leaders today seem to be going to any extent to wrest power, the late Congress leader spurned the offer, when it was actually made to him. The incident is about the 1968 elections to the state Assembly and has been mentioned by Dahiya in chapter 3 of his book. Veteran Congress leader Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, party's general secretary and in charge of Haryana affairs, had been assigned the task of engineering the election of some Jat leader as Chief Minister of Haryana as Bhagwat Dayal Sharma's government had been toppled within days of its formation. Bahuguna ensured the exit of Sharma from the electoral scene with his political shrewdness. He asked Sharma that his services were required for campaigning and when the veteran Brahmin leader was not elected to the assembly, he told him that the party high command wanted only an elected MLA to become the Chief Minister. Bahuguna then summoned Chaudhary Ranbir Singh, who was the seniormost of contemporary Jat leaders and also Indira Gandhi's choice for the post, and asked him to prepare for the oath. But, having seen the fall of the Bhagwat Dayal Sharma government so early and the politics of "aya Ram and gaya Ram" prevalent in Haryana, Chaudhary Ranbir Singh said he did not want to get into the game he had never played. “My politics has been clean and I do not want to take the risk of soiling it,” is what the late leader is reported to have told Bahuguna while spurning the offer. It was after Chaudhary Ranbir Singh’s refusal that Bansi Lal was offered the post and the rest is history.
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School principals rue pay anomaly
Chandigarh, February 5 The Fifth Pay Commission report had been implemented in the state with effect from January 1, 1996. At that time, the commission had recommended the pay scale of Rs 10,000-15,200 for education officers, who include principals, deputy district education officers, block education officers and assistant directors (academic). But Haryana, which claims to implement the report in full, gave a grade of Rs 8,000-13,900 to its education officers. President of the Haryana School Education Officers (Principals) Association Sudhir Kalra said they have been taking up the issue of pay anomaly removal with senior functionaries of the government at both the political as well as bureaucratic levels since then. Though everyone has been convinced that it’s an injustice, yet no step has been taken to remove the anomaly. When the Sixth Pay Commission was set up, various state functionaries assured the education officers that the Centre would do justice to them while implementing it. Kalra said, now, when the pay panel had recommended a scale of Rs 12,000-16,500 for the school principals and the Centre had implemented it, the state government has been giving a grade of Rs 10,000-13,900 to the education officers. This scale, he said is ironically less than what the Fifth Pay Commission had recommended for this class of teachers. The then education minister of the state had given a solemn assurance at a conference of the education officers at Kurukshetra in July 2006 that their pay scales would be made at par with those given in the other states. On making enquiries from the governments of Delhi, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, the Haryana Education Department found that the demand of the principals was justified. Even in November last year, the director-general and the commission, school education, recommended to the pay revision committee that the principals should be given the scale recommended by the pay panel. Still the committee recommended a lower scale for the principals. The association has also demanded that the joint director (academic) should be given a scale of Rs 14,300-18,300 to make them at par with the joint director of the central schools and the Navodya
Vidyalayas.
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11.98 lakh to appear in board exams
Rewari, February 5 This includes 4,24,624 examinees of the middle, 3,75,001 of the secondary, 2,62,162 of the senior secondary, 9,878 of the vocational and 1,26,468 of the open school examinations. 1,900 examination centres have been set up throughout the state for their smooth conduct. While affirming the board’s commitment to maintain the sanctity, credibility and quality of the examinations, HSEB secretary A Shri Niwas said 385 flying squads have been constituted for the overall inspection and supervision of the examination centres. Of these, 21 squads would be headed by the deputy commissioners, another 21 by the district education officers, 50 by the subdivisional officers (civil) and one each by the chairman, secretary and director of the board respectively, he added. As regards Rewari, Niwas said 45,896 students would appear in the middle, secondary and senior secondary examinations at the 84 examination centres in the district. Deputy commissioner Chander Prakash has assured smooth and efficient conduct of the exams.
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Dera follower’s body donated to medical college
Sirsa, February 5 The father of Ram Asra Insan, a member of the media committee of the Dera, Jagan Nath (78) died after a brief illness. According to the deceased's sons Ram Asra and Rakesh Kumar, their father had expressed his desire for the same.
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Conveying a message through paintings
Fatehabad, February 5 Chetna was in Fatehabad recently for an exhibition of her paintings in Panchayat Bhawan. Chetna, who loves painting on canvas with water paints and making pencil sketches, started dabbling with brush and paints at an early age of 13 under the tutelage of her artist father Ved Parkash. Her younger brother, Sikandar, also tries his hand in the art. A majority of her paintings convey social message. If one painting educates people against the social evil of female foeticide, another tries to convey the message that more than parents, it is society, which is responsible for female foeticide. A painting by Chetna shows how celebrations at the birth of a boy and gloom at the birth of a girl makes girls lose their self-esteem. Portraits appear to be the area of strength for Chetna, who has drawn people from all walks of life on the canvas. Rural folklores of Haryana have always fascinated Chetna and she has used her paint and brush whenever she found any such idea. Her paintings are essentially earthy in nature and her works are expressive faces exhibiting the emotions in minute details. Among the paintings are rustic women, farmers harvesting crops, women knitting woolen garments, woman in "ghoonghat" etc. The young painter has a collection of paintings expressing a varied canvas of life. Chetna said she was still at the learning stage and had to go a long way to achieve recognition in the field.
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US varsity honours Kurukshetra boy
Kurukshetra, February 5 This has been conveyed through a letter by Stacey R. Kole, deputy dean for full-time MBA programme being attended by Bhavya in the university. The award has been constituted to recognise those full-time students with superior academic performance whose efforts in recruitment process translated into more robust relations between Chicago Booth and an employer. Bhavya is son of Sudershan Kumar Goel, who is presently working as superintendent engineer with Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd (HBVNL). Meanwhile, Bhavya’s uncle, MM Goel, chairman of the department of economics, Kurukshetra University, has given the credit of this achievement to the sincere efforts of the boy.
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IYC leader to focus on poll preparedness
Karnal, February 5 Transforming the IYC into the main campaign force in the LS polls and election preparedness are on top of his agenda after taking over the new assignment. "The youth of the country is pinning hopes on Rahul Gandhi and his vision of the 21st century India and focusing on quality education and public health is the main guiding force for the Youth Congress", he told TNS. Asserting that development and achievements of Congress governments would be the main l plank of the party, he said that the 2.50 crore strong force of the IYC would reach out to the people and convey the message of Rahul Gandhi. He complimented the AICC general Secretary for democratising the organisational election process and said that it would throw up genuine leaders with mass base and standing in the party. When asked about the share of youth in allotment of tickets for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections, Rathore said that youth was already getting enough support from the party and a large number of youth were given the ticket in the assembly elections held recently. The IYC enrolled 3-lakh members during past one month and efforts would be made to rope in doctors, engineers, educationists, professionals and lawyers in large numbers to expand the base of the IYC,he added. Expressing confidence that the Congress- led government would return to power at the Centre, he said that inspite of problems and challenges, the UPA government had performed well and delivered. An advocate by profession, Varinder Rathore who also remained an active member of the "Task Force" of Rahul Gandhi, quit the job of deputy advocate-general and returned to his constituency to work for the people and was in charge of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Chandigarh.
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Bijli darbars to be held at 71 places
Hisar, February 5 A spokesman of the DHBVN said here today that the darbars would start at 10 a. m. where complaints and grievances of consumers would be heard on a first come first serve basis. All types of complaints, including those relating to meter reading, correction of bill, change of meter, new connection, replacement of electric installations, system improvement and power supply would be entertained. The darbars on February 15 will be organised at 33 KV substation, Panjuwana, 33 KV substation, Old Complex, Ellenabad, and 132 KV substation, Odhan, in Sirsa district,the Customer Care Centre, New Colony, Gurgaon, Operation Subdivision, South City Gurgaon, Bhoran Kalan, Sohana and Punhana in Gurgaon and Mewat districts. Similar darbars will be organised on the same day at the Divisional Office, Mahendragarh, the divisional Office, Narnaul, the Divisional Office, Rewari, and Operation Subdivision, Bawal in Mahendragarh and Rewari districts. On February 16, the darbars will be held at the customer care centres on the Rajgarh Road and Double Phatak at Hisar and the subdivisional offices, Sisai, Ratia and Uklana in Hisar and Fatehabad districts and Nand Gaon, Kairu and Makrana in Bhiwani district. The open darbars in Faridabad will be organised at 50 different places during the month on different days up to February 27. During January, the DHBVN officers organised 64 darbars in its area at different places and received 1095 complaints of different nature out of which 887 were redressed on the spot and 208 forwarded to the offices concerned. The highest number of complaints (304) was received in the darbar at Maruti Badshahpur organised by Operation Sub- Urban Division, Gurgaon. The DHBVN has asked its officers to interact with the consumers through meetings with industries associations, resident welfare societies and customer care advisers regularly. The Nigam has given a schedule of such meetings to the officers making it compulsory for them to hold the meeting with such consumers' bodies.
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Disaster management plan
Gurgaon, February 5 As per the plan, 11 trainers for imparting training about disaster management will be deputed in each district and the expenditure for the first five years will be borne by the union government, said Brig BK Khanna, a senior specialist with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), at a meeting held here yesterday. The meeting was part of a tabletop exercise to prepare for a mock disaster management operation to be conducted here on March 9. The meeting was held at Indane bottling plant of the Indian Oil Corporation at Naya Gaon village near Bhondsi and was presided over by Gurgaon deputy commissioner Deepti Umashankar. During the meeting, the deputy commissioner asked officers of the safety and health departments to give a list of hazardous industries to the district town planner so that permission for the change of land use around those industries is not given. Emphasising the need of constructing earthquake-resistant buildings, the DC asked the PWD officials to organise training programmes for builders, contractors and masons to sensitise them about the building code. She also reviewed the disaster management preparedness of various departments and companies functioning in Gurgaon. The officer of civil defence apprised the deputy commissioner that post wardens or sector wardens, nominated from amongst the residents, would inform the administration about any disaster in their area. Deputy commissioner of police Inder Singh Saini told the meeting that any person could give information about any mishap on the police control room phone number 100 or through SMS on 0124-100. A reserve force of commandos was being prepared for traffic and crowd management, he added. Fire officer Hanuman Sihag apprised that there were three fire stations in the city while seven more were proposed. He said a law was being prepared to make fire-fighting arrangements mandatory in commercial as well as residential buildings. Portable pumps, gumboots and fire suits were being purchased at cost of Rs 44 lakh, he added. Food and supply officials were asked to prepare a list of stored food items available with various agencies in the district. Superintending engineer of Power Utilities Sumer Singh Yadav said six teams and 20 motorcycles were available for quick response. JP Yadav from the 6th battalion of the ITBP asserted that his battalion had 18 search and rescue teams, besides 36 sniffer dogs to assist in tracing the people trapped inside. Representatives of Maruti Suzuki, Hero Honda, Suzuki Power Train, Honda Motorcycles and Scooters and Indian Oil Corporation were also present.
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Cultural functions postponed
Panchkula, February 5 Haryana Sahitya Akademy director Desh Nirmohi disclosed the Haryanvi Kavi Sammelan at Jat College in Kaithal planned for February 7, and a seminar on “sant pramapara” and “lok gyan” programme at Darauli Ashram in Rewari on February 8, stands deferred. A Sanskrit literary contest at Vaghola (Palwal) on February 7 and 8, stands postponed. However, CR Moudgil, director, Haryana Punjabi Sahitya Akademy, said the revised dates of akademy functions would be February 12 in Fatehabad, February 18 in Kurukshetra and February 27 in
Karnal.
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Letter
Though our request to the Haryana Roadways authorities for starting “Haryana Gaurav” bus service from Gurgaon to Panchrukhi had been accepted, the bus did not ply on daily basis and came on alternative days. Now even that has stopped. We request the authorities to restart the bus service on daily basis to facilitate the people of this area. The Haryana Roadways has already given excellent service to the people of our area and we hope that the service would start soon.
Satish Sharma,
Palampur Readers are invited to write to us. Send your mail, in not more than 200 words, at adalat@tribunemail.com or write in at: Letters, Haryana Plus, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030.
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Movies This Week
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala A modern take on Sarat Chandra Chattopadhayaya’s novel ‘Devdas’, ‘Dev D’ which reflects the sensibilities of the youth opens today at Sun City- Hisar, SRS OMAX- Gurgaon, SRS Sector 12, SRS Pristine, Movie Time Manthan Mall, Movie Time City Mall (All Faridabad, OHM Cine Garden- Sirsa. What to watch out for: Movie has Abhay Deol’s title role, Kalki, Mahi Gill performances, Anurag Kashyap’s direction plus Amit Trivedi’s musical score. Chal Chala Chal Producer: K Sera Sera Another comic caper ‘Chal Chala Chal’ opens today at Sheila- Rohtak, OHM Cine Garden- Sirsa, Suraj- Panchkula, Movie Time- Karnal. What to watch out for: Movie is packed with unlimited comedy, Govinda and Rajpal Yadav’s comic sequences and music. Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye Producer: PVR Pictures Randeep Hooda in ‘Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye’ plays 18 different characters opens today at PVR MGF, PVR Sahara, PVR Ambience, SRS Omaxe, Big Cinemas, DT City Centre, DT Mega Mall (All Gurgaon), INOX Leisure, PVR Crown Plaza, SRS Cinemax, SRS Pristine, Movie Time CM, Movie Time MM, SRS Shubham (All Faridabad), Movie Time Karnal. What to watch out for: Randeep Hooda’s performance and Raima Sen’s character plus
direction. — Dharam Pal
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