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KU teachers suspend stir
BSP fears rigging
Traders rue parties’ apathy
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Astrologers’ stars shine as poll
nears
State No. 1 in power shortage: Sita Ram
Dalal softens stand
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda discusses a point with Congress MLA Karan Dalal after a poll meeting at Palwal on Thursday.
Tribune photo: Sayeed Ahmed
14 women in fray, highest ever
Gautam quits BJP
Plans to join Cong?
CPM flays Cong, BJP policies
Two students drowned
Chautala lashes out at Cong
HJC leader joins Cong
A tall campaigner
No headway in murder case
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KU teachers suspend stir
Kurukshetra, April 23 He gave a written assurance to the agitating teachers that “positive steps” would be taken for the implementation of the revised scales. He also mentioned the time frame for sending the case of revised scales to the Election Commission for clearance. The Vice-Chancellor said a letter would be sent to the EC within a week and the revised pay scales would be implemented immediately after the clearance was given. The university teachers, who have been staging a dharna, were joined by the non-teaching staff today, bringing the functioning of the university to a halt. However, Parmesh Kumar, secretary, KUTA, claimed that the agitation had been deferred for a week and in case the assurance was not translated into action within the stipulated time frame, the agitation would be revived. He cautioned the government against any attempt to delay or deny the revised scales to the teachers and said it would only strengthen the will and determination of the teachers to take the agitation to logical ends, whatever might be the consequences. Registrar of the university Raghvendra Tanwar assured that the genuine demands of the teachers, including confirmation of the teachers working under the self-finance scheme, earned leave to Deans/Directors/Chairpersons in lieu of the summer vacation and grant of two increments to Readers under the CAS, had already been agreed upon. |
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Says nepotism major issue in state
Bhanu P Lohumi Tribune News Service
Karnal, April 23 BSP general secretary Man Singh Manhera said the Congress was afraid of the elephant (BSP symbol), the BJP-INLD alliance was “dead” and the HJC of Bhajan Lal was yet to come down from “moon” (Chand Mohammad). Having a dig at the Congress, Manhera said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was a “lion” but receiving directions from others while Congress candidate from Karnal Arvind Sharma was an “opportunist” whose credibility was under a cloud due to his inconsistent behaviour. Manhera said besides burning national issues like terrorism, unemployment, development and inflation, the major issue in the state was nepotism and discrimination. The BSP would continue to work on its social engineering formula to tackle these problems and also provide reservation for the upper caste poor, he asserted. Castigating the government for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state, Manhera feared violence and rigging during the poll and demanded deployment of paramilitary forces in strength on the polling day. He said once the LS poll was over, the BSP would announce its chief ministerial candidate on May 16.
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Traders rue parties’ apathy
Yamunanagar, April 23 Metal industry hold significant place as over 30 thousands persons directly or indirectly associated with 1,071 metal industries. Small-scale industries in Jagadhri are engaged in the manufacturing of stainless steel, aluminium, and brass utensils. Utensils are being export to Europe, USA, Thailand and UAE and other Asian countries. The industries also meet the 60 per cent demand of aluminium boxes of the country defence force. Industry needs to be given much attention as the industrialists have been suffering losses due to rise in the price of raw material after economic crisis and also facing decline in exports. Moreover so far, the parties did not bother to provide proper rail link to facilitate the industrialists as demanded many times, internal and national highway and state highway are in much poor conditions, sales tax issue has been raised many times, but no one bother to listen to them. Moreover, the industrialists of Jagadhari were asked to shift to the Manakpur industrial area, however, it did not have space and facility to accommodate the entire industry, rued the industrialists. While talking to The Tribune general secretary of the metal manufacturing and suppliers association, Sunder Lal Batra, said it did not matter to us which party would vote to power. As candidates of different parties from the Ambala constituency now contacted us to seek support. We have raised numerous time to provide proper rail link of Yamunanagar with other areas include Chhachhroli, Poanta Sahib, Ramgarh, Naraingarh and Chandigarh. It will help to get the raw material as well as to transport the products. While Jagadhari-based industrialist Bharat Garg said the parties remain insensitive to demands of one of the major industry of the country. “We have been suffering losses due to wrong policy of the state government about sales tax. Besides, the industrialists were asked to shift to new area. However, no plot was left there. It required much more space and facilities to shift metal industry from Jagadhari to Manakpur. |
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Astrologers’ stars shine as poll
nears
“I would not like to be dubbed superstitious, but I have consulted a local astrologer and am following his instructions to improve our chances of success,” says Pawan, a staunch supporter of a heavyweight leader contesting the LS poll. Interestingly, many leaders, including LS candidates, have decided to abstain from having non-vegetarian food and/or liquor till the poll is over. They have also been paying obeisance at religious places regularly. According to sources, they have been told to do so by their astrologers. Needless to say, the seat aspirants are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the coveted win, for which much is at stake. Hence, apart from the astrologers, allied practitioners like those dealing in gemstones, etc are also doing brisk business. Given the hi-tech orientation being given to electoral campaigning nowadays, website makers and designers are the new kids on the block who have caught the fancy of the poll managers. Then, there are event managers, who are engaged by different parties or candidates to make the arrangements for organising public meetings. On the other hand, the cab operators are in great demand as tractor-trailers, which earlier used to ferry people for political meetings and rallies, have been rendered outmoded by cars and jeeps. While the vehicles bearing banners, posters, stickers, loudspeakers or other such publicity material are considered part of campaigning, the cabs come in handy for politicians as these serve the desired purpose without getting detected by the vigilant eye of the Election Commission.
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State No. 1 in power shortage: Sita Ram
Sirsa, April 23 Talking to mediapersons here, Sita Ram said Hooda’s claim that his government released funds for Chaudhary Devi Lal University to revive it was totally false and far from facts. “As a matter of fact, the present government starved the CDLU of funds after coming to power and was about to close it. It was only after local residents launched an agitation that the government had to release funds under pressure,” the INLD nominee said. Sita Ram ridiculed the claims of the Chief Minister that Haryana was the number one state in the country. “The government itself was not sure about its status. Sometimes it says Haryana is number one and at other times it claims it is going to become number one,” he said. He maintained that Haryana was of course number one but it was so in the matter of shortage of electricity and water and the one having the worst law and order situation in the country. The INLD nominee said irrigation water was the biggest issue before the people of Sirsa and Fatehabad but neither Hooda nor Congress nominee Ashok Tanwar had been giving any satisfactory answer to people’s concerns on this issue on any forum. He alleged that the state government had been discriminating against Sirsa in the matter of allocation of funds from the HRDF funds too and the money collected from Sirsa grain markets was being used in Jhajjar and Rohtak. |
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Dalal softens stand
Palwal, April 23 There were signs of possible dilution of stand by local Congress MLA and chairman of the Haryana Administrative Reforms Commission Karan Dalal, who had so far refused to support Bhadana. Dalal said the Chief Minister was like his elder brother and he would be amenable to his guidance. It was a known fact that the Chief Minister would be visiting the Faridabad parliamentary constituency for road shows in several villages of the Palwal assembly segment and address public meetings in Palwal and Faridabad cities. Bhadana said he got the party ticket only on account of the blessing of the Chief Minister and also acknowledged the support extended to him in the last parliamentary election by Karan Dalal. The Chief Minister made it known to the public present on the occasion that Bhadana's victory would be his victory. He said both Dalal and Bhadana were dear to him. "They both are my two eyes and I leave it to the public to safeguard my body," he added. Significantly, apart from Karan Dalal, Haryana Local Bodies Minister and MLA from NIT, Faridabad, AC Chaudhary and MLA from Mewla Maharajput, Mahender Pratap, who have refused to support Bhadana in the election, received the Chief Minister at the helipad in Alawalpur village. The three, however, did not turn up at the public meeting organised by the District Congress Committee in Brahmin Dharamshala. |
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14 women in fray, highest ever
Chandigarh, April 23 A total of 210 candidates, including 196 men, are left in the race for the 2009 Lok Sabha elections from the 10 constituencies of Haryana. It is for the first time in the past 40 years since the formation of Haryana that a maximum of 14 women are in the fray while the figure of 210 candidates is the third highest in the history of the Lok Sabha elections in the state. Haryana has participated in 11 Lok Sabha elections since its formation. The state witnessed its first Lok Sabha elections in 1967 when 67 candidates had entered the fray. These included one woman candidate but in the 1971 Lok Sabha elections, not even a single woman candidate contested the poll. However, the 1984 Lok Sabha elections proved the best for women candidates when of the 200 contenders, the highest-ever number of 10 women participated in the elections. In the 1989 Lok Sabha elections, about 324 candidates entered the fray which included only three women. In the 1996 Lok Sabha elections, only nine women entered the race whereas in 2004, eight women candidates entered the fray. But the 2009 Lok Sabha elections have set a record with the participation of 14 women candidates. Of the 10 Lok Sabha constituencies, the maximum of three women candidates are in the race for the Bhiwani-Mahendragarh constituency while not even a single woman contestant has entered the fray from Rohtak. On the last day of withdrawal of nominations, four of the 18 women candidates had withdrawn their names. |
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Gautam quits BJP
Chandigarh, April 23 In almost identical letters written to party president Rajnath Singh and LK Advani, Gautam said he and a vast majority of the party men in Haryana were against the alliance with the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and they had conveyed their sentiments to the high command. He said ignoring the party men’s wishes, the high command entered into an unprincipled and opportunistic alliance with the INLD so that Advani could become the Prime Minister. In his letter to Advani, Gautam said in 2004 when he (Advani) had come to Haryana for campaigning, he had told the electorate that they should not vote for a regional party even if that meant voting for the Congress. Still, Gautam said, in his keenness to become the Prime Minister, Advani had betrayed the people of Haryana by joining hands with Chautala, for which he would never be forgiven by them. |
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Plans to join Cong?
Hisar, April 23 Talking to mediapersons here today, he said this alliance had proved destructive for the BJP in the past, especially after the 2000 Assembly poll when BJP leaders as well as grassroots workers suffered humiliation at the hands of INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala. Gautam said he had warned the national leadership, including BJP president Rajnath Singh and Lal Krishan Advani, about the possible fallout of the alliance on the poll prospects of the BJP. However, his warnings were ignored. He said he regretted having not quit the Assembly and membership of the Vidhan Sabha immediately after the BJP-INLD alliance was announced. However, he said having now rectified his mistake, he felt greatly relieved. Gautam refused to say which party he proposed to join after quitting the BJP. However, he said any candidate whom he backed would win the Hisar Lok Sabha seat. It is widely rumoured that he plans to join the Congress on April 30 when Sonia Gandhi is scheduled to address an election rally here. Gautam’s proximity to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda since 2005 is widely known. |
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CPM flays Cong, BJP policies
Sirsa, April 23 Inderjit Singh, state secretary of the CPM, who addressed meetings in Alika and Bhoppa villages, claimed that only alternative policies of the Left parties could tackle problems like joblessness, price rise, recession and agrarian crisis. He alleged that the then Chautala government and the present Congress regime in Haryana were pursuing anti-people policy of hire and fire in jobs. Street corner plays depicting the problems of rural masses and plays exhorting villagers to vote for CPM candidate Ram Kumar Bahbalpuria were
organised. |
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Two students drowned
Sonepat, April 23 According to engineering students, Vikas of Bawana in Delhi, Kapil of Khubru, Joni of Malikpur and Devender of Jagsi village, along with Sandeep and Pravesh, had gone to take bath in the canal yesterday. Sunil and Pravesh did not know how to swim and both were sitting on the stairs. But, because of slippery conditions on the stairs, Sunil slipped into the canal and Pravesh, who tried to save him, also slipped into the canal. |
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Chautala lashes out at Cong
Rewari, April 23 Addressing a rally in support of INLD candidate from the Rohtak constituency Nafe Singh Rathi at Kosli, 30 km from here, today, Chautala lashed out at the Congress alleging that whenever a Congress government was in the saddle, it always pandered to the interests of the capitalistic class much to the dismay and misery of the common masses. Taking a dig at the propaganda of the chief Minister’s men regarding the “invincibility” of Chief Minister’s son Deepender Singh Hooda for the Rohtak seat, Chautala took pains to explain to the voters that when he was a Chief Minister, both his sons, too, had tasted defeat in the elections. He called upon the people of the Kosli region to inflict a crushing defeat on Deepender Hooda and massively vote for Nafe Singh Rathi. |
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HJC leader joins Cong
Yamunanagar, April 23 Deep Chand, who has influence in the Sadhaura area, believed to have joined the Congress after Selja assured him of assembly ticket from Sadhaura. He has contested four times assembly elections from this place. He had remained in second position. He had suffered defeat only of small margin in both last assembly elections. Deep Chand’s merger in the Congress considered to be second significant move of Selja to woo the voters and shocking the HJC camp. Yesterday, HJC former general secretary Chowdhary Mahipal of the Chhachhroli area has joined the Congress. |
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A tall campaigner
Sirsa, April 23 Born at Naraingarh in Haryana, Rajesh Raj wants to become a WWE wrestler like Dalip Singh
Rana, aka Khali. He says he has been living in Chandigarh these days and working on his body to build it like
Khali. “I take 10 kg of milk, four chickens, juice and over four dozen chapattis daily to maintain my body,” he said. He said he has been impressed by the working of Tanwar and due to that he had come to campaign in his
favour. |
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No headway in murder case
Rohtak, April 23 According to the police sources, the police has interrogated some friends of the victim, but all in vain. The family members have reportedly told the police that they had no idea of cause of the murder as Subham had no enmity known to them. |
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Palwal, April 23
Gurgaon, April 23