Chandigarh, May 23
The state government has decided to close down Alternative Innovative Education (AIE) centres running across Haryana following detection of large-scale irregularities in their functioning.

The centres will not run anywhere in Haryana other than the 22 identified educationally backward blocks and slum colonies. Instead, children will be provided informal education within the local government school.

Official sources said from this academic year, children who dropped out of formal education system would be provided bridge courses within a formal government school itself.

“Since a government school is located in each and every village of the state, we would like all children to get the benefits of formal education. By going to a school, most children will also be eligible for a scholarship (which is granted to children belonging to the Scheduled Castes, Backward Class and those coming from BPL families), mid-day meals and a more structured education system,” said the project coordinator, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, PK Das.

Almost 3,000 AIE centres were being run across the state under the SSA in the last academic year. However, over 1,000 centres were closed by the SSA in February, following complaints of embezzlement of funds and non-achievement of the purpose for which they were opened.

The purpose of these centres was to bring out-of-school children in the fold of elementary education so that they could be prepared to enter a formal school within six months of taking the bridge course. However, those running these AIE centres did not want these to close down and thus lose their source of income (from SSA funds). So, they continued to teach students in these centres. Most of these centres were running for over two years without sending any child enrolled with them to a formal school.

At several places, the NGOs continued to receive grants for running AIE centres, when in effect no such centres were being run in the villages. It may be noted that a sum of Rs 45,000 per annum is paid to run one centre having a minimum of 25 children.

Officials said funds sanctioned by district SSA units for buying learning equipment and material were allegedly embezzled. In some cases, those running these schools allegedly claimed money from the SSA to pay honorarium to education volunteers (teachers in these schools) when in effect these were not even employed.

After these irregularities were detected, the state unit of the SSA stopped making all payments to the NGOs running the AIE centres. “Though the NGOs have now sought claims for running these centres in the last two academic years (2007-08 and 2008-09), we will first be verifying if all these centres were actually functional. A survey will be conducted in each village where these centres were being run and the NGOs will be asked to present all students who were taught in their centres. Only after we are satisfied with the verification, we will release the funds to the NGOs,” said Das.

Das said because of the poor track record of most NGO-run AIE centres, they would now rope in Sakshar Mahila Samoohs or local panchayats to run these centres, which would be allowed in 22 blocks of Yamunanagar, Kaithal, Sirsa and Mewat.

Sirsa/Fatehabad, May 23
Indian Youth Congress president and Sirsa MP Ashok Tanwar, who started his four-day thanksgiving visit to Sirsa from the Fatehabad and Ellenabad Assembly constituencies today, says fulfilling election promises is on the top of his agenda.

For that matter, he says, he will not discriminate with anyone.

“Having won the election, I will consider everyone in the constituency equally irrespective of the fact whether they voted for me or not,” Tanwar told The Tribune during his thanksgiving tour.

He said he would soon take up issues like a rail link to Fatehabad, better healthcare and educational facilities in the constituency and other pre-poll promises made to the people of Sirsa.

“Those who branded me as an outsider and professed I will not come back after winning must see that I, perhaps, am the first one to have come to my constituency to thank my people and will be here for the next four days. I will soon have a house in Sirsa too,” he said.

Terming his victory as a collective victory of the party’s central and state leadership, besides the hard work put in by the workers, Tanwar said the policies pursued by the Manmohan Singh government have been liked by the people.

He said AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s youthful leadership and his extensive campaigning had helped the UPA come to power comfortably.

Ranjit Singh, Deputy Chairman of the State Planning Board, who accompanied the newly elected MP, said people of Haryana had reposed their confidence in the policies of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and the party would form the next government in the state with ease after the Assembly elections.

Dura Ram, Parliamentary Secretary, and Kulbir Beniwal, MLA, were among those present.

Gurgaon, May 23
The Gurgaon police has chalked out an ambitious plan to regulate the flow of traffic in the city. As part of the drive, the police will tighten the noose around inebriated and underage persons found driving vehicles on the city roads.

Unveiling the plan at his office here today, Gurgaon Police Commissioner SS Deswal maintained that an awareness campaign would also be launched to educate the people about road safety and significance of following traffic rules.

“Children can play a key role in discouraging their parents from drinking before driving,” he said, adding that in view of this, they planned to hold special lectures and workshops at schools to make the children aware of their duty.

Deswal said in view of the traffic congestion at red lights, Gurgaon would have to be made a traffic light-free city in the long run.

“However, till the objective is achieved, we will take immediate measures like increasing road width, providing more parking lots and better slip roads and shifting of utilities elsewhere to ensure safe and smooth flow of traffic on the city roads,” he asserted.

DCP (Traffic) SK Gupta gave an audio-visual presentation on the traffic plan for Gurgaon, in which various infrastructural changes and other measures were suggested to relieve the city residents of traffic congestion.

Gurgaon ADC Praveen Kumar, who was also present on the occasion, disclosed that the state Transport Department planned to roll out 200 city buses for local commuters.

The Police Commissioner also rolled out two special vehicles meant to spread awareness about traffic safety and curb the practice of drunken driving, besides demonstrating some modern policing gadgets, including a breath-analyser and an electric device used to overpower miscreants by giving them high-voltage electric shock.

Panipat, May 23
Research scholars have decided to meet Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to seek his intervention into the issue of withdrawal of exemption from NET and SET for those who have completed their MPhil and PhD.

A delegation of the Researchers Union, comprising representatives from across the state, will meet the Chief Minister in Chandigarh on May 25 to discuss the matter.

Dr Vikram Kharb, president of the union, said district units of the organisation had already submitted memoranda, addressed to the Chief Minister, to Deputy Commissioners in various districts in this regard.

A delegation had even met Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda a few days ago, who promised to look into the matter. He had even called the authorities concerned and asked them not to advertise any post in any college or institution before relaxation from NET and SET was granted.

However, till date no steps had been taken by the Directorate of Higher Education, as some colleges had advertised posts of lecturer for which NET or SET had been made compulsory.

The president said the move by the government was against the UGC norms as it had already exempted MPhil and PhD holders from NET and SET. 

Rohtak, May 23
The need for continuous and comprehensive evaluation and inclusion of practical activity-based testing in internal evaluation was echoed by experts during a one-day workshop on “Need based model for improving quality of evaluation in semester system” organised by the Department of Education, Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), here today.

The common refrain was for developing an effective evaluation methodology for efficacy of the semester system of examination.

The workshop focused on working out effective techniques of evaluation in the semester system, identifying various components of evaluation in semester system and allotting marks to the components and developing ways and means of quality evaluation in the semester system of examination.

Prof SVS Chaudhary, vice-chairman of the National Council for Teacher’s Education (NCTE), New Delhi, said in India the education system revolved around the examination system. He called for a paradigm shift in the education system. He advocated change in mindset vis-à-vis the entire education system.

Vice-chancellor RP Hooda stressed the need for objectivity, efficiency and reliability in the internal evaluation mechanism for success of the system.

Rewari, May 23
The police arrested two youths, Yogesh and Ravi, residents of Balmiki Basti here, for allegedly sodomising a 15-year-old boy here on Thursday night.

Sources said the boy, who had gone to fetch water from a water cooler of a private hospital near the local Civil Hospital, was enticed by the motorcycle-borne duo and taken to a deserted place in Sadhu Shah Nagar colony here and sodomised him.

Subsequently, the boy, who works as a domestic help with a cab owner in Gol Chakkar Colony here, made a complaint following which the police registered a case against the accused. The boy and the accused were medically examined at the Civil Hospital here yesterday.

Sonepat, May 23
A case has been registered against Assistant Sub-inspector (ASI) for allegedly beating up a resident of Palri village and threatening him with dire consequences if he reported the matter to the police. The victim has been identified as Raj Singh.

According to the complaint lodged by Raj Singh, the incident took place when he was going towards Basodi village on a motorcycle along with agriculture labourers two days ago. Some youths started following him in a car, following which he speeded up the motorcycle and reported the matter to the police chowki on the Bahalgarh-Baghpat road.

An ASI at the chowki stopped the car and asked for the papers, which were not found with the youths. Meanwhile, one of the youths called somebody, following which a police havildar asked the youths to go.

Raj Singh alleged that no sooner the youths left the place, ASI Hari Ram started beating him up.

The ASI also threatened him that he would get him eliminated and frame him in some false case.

Chandigarh, May 23
Will they, will they not - that’s the big “comeback” question haunting former media advisers and coordinators of the Chief Minister in Haryana post-elections. With the election process over and the model code of conduct ceasing to exist, the former media advisers are now worried about “getting back their chair”. However, how may of them will be reappointed remains to be seen.

Sources said a decision on their fate would be taken once the government at the Centre took over and things settled down. However, the sources emphasised that all of them might not be required and the reappointments would be made on need basis.

“Also, the Assembly elections are only a few months away. To carry out reappointments on a large scale does not seem justified since they will again have to tender their resignations. However, a decision in this regard will be taken shortly,” a government source added.

The government had only recently expanded its tribe of media advisers. In addition to those in Chandigarh, Delhi and Rohtak, districts, too, had got their share of political appointees in the form of media advisers chosen from among the loyal work force of the Congress.

However, after the model code of conduct came into force, the Indian National Lok Dal complained of misuse of official machinery for party work by the Congress. Following this, the Public Relations Department of the Haryana government issued a letter to two media advisers to the Chief Minister and four media coordinators of the state not to use government vehicles and other facilities in a way that may amount to violation of the model code of conduct in the state in view of the Lok Sabha poll.

Subsequently, all media advisers, coordinators and political advisers to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at Chandigarh, Delhi, Rohtak, including Sunderpal Singh and Shiv Bhatia, and in various districts across the state had submitted their resignations one by one to avoid any controversy. Though these resignations were taken in the garb of the model code, even at that time their reappointment was a much-debated issue.

Interestingly, the campaigning and elections have thrown up new contenders for the post. Topping the list is Surender Hooda who was made in charge of “media management” all through the election and was operating from the local Congress office. Also, former political adviser Prof Virender, too, seemed a “must-have” at all big rallies addressed by the Chief Minister, more for his “entertaining oratory to keep the crowds occupied” than for his political acumen.

With fingers crossed, these political appointees along with new aspirants are awaiting the government’s decision with anxiety.

Ambala, May 23
The CBI produced one more witness in the Ranjit Singh murder case here today. Paramjit Singh, a relative of the deceased, Ranjit Singh, was produced in the court of Special Judge AS Narang.

Ranjit Singh, a manager of the dera, was murdered in Khapur Kulian village in Kurukshetra district on July 10, 2002.

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was charged under Section 120-B (conspiracy) of the IPC in connection with the case.

CBI counsel HPS Verma got recorded the statement of Paramjit Singh, who stated that the dera chief had hatched a conspiracy against Ranjit Singh. Defense counsel SK Garg pleaded that the dera chief had been falsely implicated in the case. The judge adjourned the hearing of the case till June 6.