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Kanda’s brother sparks row in Sirsa Cong
SJP to fight for HC Bench at Rewari
Power consumers being harassed: MLA
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Cong to woo workers
Obituary
‘Include’ maths, science in curriculum of Gurukuls
Training session on occupational health
Shifting of court
Om Parkash Malik sitting in the open to press upon his demand of shifting back of local court to Ambala Cantt. Photo by the writer
Schools told to install fire-fighting equipment
Economic policies with ‘human face’ needed
Marketing must to promote products: Anand
Raj
Workshop on capacity building of women managers
23 POs held
‘Overhaul’ system of governance
UGC grant for research project
Manipal Starex school at Manesar
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Kanda’s brother sparks row in Sirsa Cong
Sirsa, February 18 Gobind had joined the Congress in November last year after his brother was inducted into the state Cabinet. However, the junior Kanda is still an ordinary worker of the party and does not hold any office in the organisation. Gobind called a meeting of Congress workers owing allegiance to his family at his office on February 8 to discuss the strategy to be adopted in the forthcoming municipal polls. “The party will field its candidates from all 31 municipal wards and a five-member committee of the party will be set up soon to select candidates,” Gobind told party workers and exhorted them to start working in their respective wards to convey party’s policies to the people. He said merit would be the sole criteria while selecting candidates, but no one would be selected on the basis of anyone’s recommendations. He exhorted party workers to ensure victory of Congress candidates, considering them candidates of minister Gopal Kanda. However, Gobind’s assertions have not gone down well with the party’s organisation in Sirsa. Both, Hoshiari Lal Sharma and Bhupesh Mehta have taken exception to junior Kanda’s statements. “These can be Gobind’s personal views, but he does not have any authority to make any statement on behalf of the party,” said Sharma. “He is an ordinary member of the party and was admitted to the Congress only three months back,” he added. Both Sharma and Mehta maintained that even they were not in a position to say what strategy would be adopted in the municipal polls till the party gives any directions on this issue. “The Congress is a big party with a very strong base. The decision whether to field party’s candidates in the municipal polls or not would be taken by the state leadership only,” maintained Mehta.
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SJP to fight for HC Bench at Rewari
Rewari, February 18 As regards the institution of a separate High Court for Haryana at Chandigarh vis-à-vis the Chief Minister’s pursuit seeking bifurcation of the common High Court into two high courts for Punjab and Haryana in the ratio of 60:40, Raghu Yadav asserted that in the first place the existence of section 29 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, in its present form marred the constitutional tenability of the above demand. Moreover, the adherence of both Haryana and Punjab to their claim on Chandigarh, along with Chandigarh residents’ keenness to maintain its status as a union territory, was a big impediment in the bifurcation of the existing Punjab and Haryana High Court, said Raghu Yadav. Alleging that the Chief Minister and others were simply befooling the people on the issue just for the sake of political expediency, Yadav deplored it was something beyond comprehension why the rulers of Haryana had not paid due attention to the establishment of a permanent Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Haryana a provision for which exists in Section 36 (2) of the Punjab Reorganisation Act. Advocating a permanent Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in Haryana, Yadav pointed out that Chandigarh was beyond the reach of lakhs of poor people of south Haryana (comprising Rewari, Mahendergarh, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Mewat and Jhajjar districts) owing to its remoteness and non-availability of cheap and convenient means of transport. Similarly the situation with residents of most parts of Western Haryana (comprising Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hissar and Bhiwani (districts) was no different. Regarding the justification of its establishment in Rewari, he pointed out that in the first place , Rewari, known as the London of Ahirwal, was very well connected by rail and road. Moreover, it was the native town of late Sir Shadi Lal, who was the first Indian Chief Justice of the then Lahore High Court (from 1920 to 1934) and played a prominent role in the legal history of Punjab. The existence of Mufti Ki Haveli (stately mansion of Islamic jurists) in Mohalla Muftiwara here signified that Mughal rulers set up a court of justice in Rewari in the early 18th century. Further, it was just equivalent to a Bench of our present high court where even capital punishment was awarded to hardened criminals by the Muftis. Yadav asserted that if a Bench of the high court was established here and named after Sir Shadi Lal, it would be a befitting tribute to this eminent son of Rewari.
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Power consumers being harassed: MLA
Sonepat, February 18 Jain said the nigam had given a contract of Rs 2.16 crore to a private company for checking electricity meters in the urban areas. The nigam had been installing meters outside the residential premises for the past few years and had also taken the responsibility for their safety. But, now consumers are being blamed for their slow running, breaking of seal and theft. She said during the meter checking exercise, nigam officials have issued notices to consumers for the slow running of meters and breaking of their seal, asking them to pay a fine at the rate of Rs 4,000 per kilowatt load. And if the penalty was not paid by them, a criminal case was being registered, she added. The MLA pointed out that the machine being used for checking was already available with the nigam and it also had manpower to carry out checking of the meters. “It means the nigam wants to earn many times more than the contract amount by imposing penalties,” she alleged. Besides, there used to be a laboratory in Sonepat for testing meters, but it had been shifted to Karnal and consumers had to wait for months to get back their meter purchased by them, she said, adding that similarly, electricity transformer repair workshop had also been shifted to Ambala, which had been leading to a delay in repair of transformers. She also alleged that ABC cables being laid to replace electricity wires were of low quality and there were frequent incidents of burning of these cable. She has urged the Chief Minister to provide some relief to consumers of the urban areas in this matter.
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Panchayats to redress grievances planned
Geetanjali Gayatri Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 18 Sources in the party said that workers’ panchayats would be organised at the assembly constituency level and would be addressed by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The idea is to establish a personal rapport with the workers and make them feel important by hearing out their grievances. Senior leaders in the party maintain that while strengthening the party base at the grassroots level is very crucial, it is especially more important to keep the rank and file in constituencies not represented by Congress MLAs enthused about working in the public. “We do realise that the morale of workers in areas represented by non-Congress MLAs is low. However, while we have our representatives working in constituencies that have sent back Congressmen to the Assembly, we have to focus on ensuring that our base is not eroded in the remaining constituencies over the next five years. That can be done only by the workers. We have to show them we are there for them, always,” a Congressman said. It has been decided that such panchayats will be held in every Assembly constituency and addressed by the Chief Minister, party president Phool Chand Mullana and working president Kuldeep Sharma. The Congress MLA, if any, and local leaders too would be roped in for the exercise while other parameters are still being worked out. The programme is set to take off right after the budget session, which begins on March 5, is over. While the Congress is now taking steps to redress grievances of the workers, the latter, too, have, from time to time, complained about being cold-shouldered by the district administration. In fact, workers have expressed their views about a non-responsive administration, which does not recognise them and ignore their recommendations.
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Tourism back on the track, says Selja
Hisar, February 18 She said there had been a 21 per cent increase in the number of tourists visiting India since December last year. The minister said the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in October in Delhi would further boost tourist inflow to India. It would provide a big opportunity to project India as an attractive tourist destination, she added. Selja, who hails from Hisar, said the Tourism Department had already launched an international campaign to attract tourists to India. Several film celebrities, including Aamir Khan, had been roped in for the purpose. The department planned to provide 30,000 additional hotel rooms for the Commonwealth Games of which around 6000 would be built in Haryana. She said so far as domestic tourism was concerned, the department planned to promote highway tourism. This would not only boost revenue internally, but also help create thousands of jobs. Haryana, she said, was a pioneer in this genre of tourism having launched highway tourism in the seventies in a big way. Selja said if a proposal to host the Gujari fair in Hisar on the lines of the Surajkund handicrafts mela came up, she would extend all support to it. The minister said she was pursuing the issue of rail links for Agroha and Fatehabad aggressively as it would help tourism in the area. The minister said the UPA government was deeply concerned over the rising prices of food articles and the Prime Minister had discussed the issue with Chief Ministers at a recent meeting. She hoped the steps taken by the government would bear results soon. She said the rural society in Haryana must rise above age-old traditions like khaps and take a modern view of life.
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VC who stood tall against all odds
The demise of Lt Gen K. Balaram, a retired Vice-Chief of the Army Staff and vice-chancellor of Kurukshetra University from August 8, 1989, to August 7, 1992, on February 15 in New Delhi, undoubtedly marks the end of an era of those vice-chancellors who were role model for punctuality, discipline and dedication to their duty. He could be rated, even by his critics, as the most honest vice-chancellor of the university who not only himself remained honest but also did his best to eliminate deep-rooted malpractices in various types of purchases and contracts for the construction of buildings. It is a different matter that in the process he created more enemies than friends. General Balaram was also one of those rare vice-chancellors who did not, what to speak of misuse, use perks of the office and was in contrast with those who lavishly spent the university money for the renovation of their offices and residence. Unlike his many other counterparts, he rarely used medical and transport facilities of the university. He also belonged to that vanishing tribe who never succumbed to the pressure of political leaders in an era when most of the vice-chancellors were vying with each other to please their political masters. He even declined to allow the then Prime Minister Chander Sekhar to use the university auditorium for a political function. General Balaram was a fearless soldier who could not be bullied. Like a true soldier, he remained on his post till 5 pm on the last working day of his tenure. Even the pressure tactics of politicians failed to oust him as he did not oblige them. But this doesn't mean that he was a superhuman. Like other human beings, he also had some weaknesses. He was rigid, tactless and uncompromising. He was also not a good judge of human beings. His decision to suspend an IAS registrar of the university could not be defended. Even his reliance on some teachers of dubious character could not be justified despite the fact that he was forced by the circumstances to rely on them for help. These few oddities and angularities notwithstanding, he was indeed a vice-chancellor with a difference who will be remembered for his rare qualities by all teachers, officers, non-teaching employees and students of the university who are a witness to the era of General Balaram. — Prof Ranbir Singh
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‘Include’ maths, science in curriculum of Gurukuls
Jhajjar, February 18 Haryana Education, Health and Social Welfare Minister Geeta Bhukkal stated this while addressing a gathering during the 95th annual function of Gurukul College here recently. “Keeping in view the growing demand of modern era wherein cutthroat competition is quite prevalent, knowledge of Maths and Science has become imperative for every student for going ahead in the field of professionalism. Hence, it is the need of the hour that these subjects should be taught in Gurukuls as well,” said the minister, adding that Gurukul education had not only been inculcating the moral values among the students from the beginning, but also playing a vital role in making them a good and responsible citizen of the nation. Calling upon the people for rooting out social evils like female feticide, she said feticide had become a blot on our society; hence it must be removed as early as possible otherwise bad effects of the evil would have to be faced by every man in the future. “The decline in the sex ratio has become a big problem. So, there is a need to make people aware of the laws to successfully check the illegal practice,” said the minister. Harping upon the policies implemented by the Haryana government to help the disabled persons, Bhukkal said the government had been providing a number of facilities to the handicapped in the state so that they could lead a better and respectful life in society. “A retainership allowance at the rate of Rs 3,510 per month is being given to them. Earlier, they were getting Rs 2,000 per month as retainership allowance in the state,” said the minister, adding the pension of the handicapped persons had also been enhanced from Rs 300 per month to Rs 500 per month and Rs 600 per month to Rs 750 per month having disability up to 70 per cent and 100 per cent, respectively.
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Training session on occupational health
Gurgaon, February 18 These were the key observations made during a seminar-cum-training session on occupational health and industrial safety at the local plant of Rico Auto Industries recently. The seminar was organised to sensitise students of industrial safety from Yatch
Infotech, Centre of Periyar Maniammai University, said Arvind Kapur, managing director, Rico Auto Industries. The session focused on the importance of safety precautions, workplace accidents and usage of personal protective equipment
(PPE) like safety helmets, gloves, masks, shoes and fire-suits etc. It also highlighted the common cause of accidents and measures to avoid head, eye, face, ear, hand and leg
injuries. Ramnish Kumar Bedi, AGM (corporate environment, health and safety), informed about the needs of safety awareness and training at the shop-floor level to minimise the rate of accidents and mishaps. Runa
Pathak, deputy manager (corporate social responsibility), briefed participants about the occupational health and hazards that are the imperative part of environment, health and safety of industry.
Khushbu Gupta, director, Yatch Infotech, Centre of Periyar Maniammai University, appreciated the efforts and initiatives of Rico Auto Industries towards training the students on its environment, health and safety practices. Types of health risks, ergonomics and various preventive measures were discussed during the session. A practical session on firefighting was also carried out with a short shop-floor visit.
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20 yrs on, peaceful protest continues
Suman Bhatnagar
Ambala, February 18 He has adopted the Gandhian way to press upon his demand. For the past 20 years, he has been sitting in an open area in the court complex while most of the lawyers have constructed temporary sheds as a safeguard from sun and showers. Malik has vowed to sit in the open till the court is shifted back to Ambala Cantt. During summer, his clients have to sit in the sun for discussing cases with him. The court of Ambala Cantt was located on the Staff Road. Around two decades ago, when its building was declared unsafe it was shifted to a hall of Sadar municipal council. During Mandal agitation, the agitated crowed had set the court on fire in which some of the judicial records were also destroyed. At that time, the court was shifted to Ambala City court complex near Prem Nagar. Later, a new building of court was constructed close to the office of the Superintendent of Police in Ambala City and the court of Ambala Cantt was also shifted there along with other courts. The Ambala Cantt Bar Association has been demanding the shifting of the local court back to Ambala Cantt for a long time. The association, which has also submitted several memorandums to the Chief Minister and Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court, is of the view that people of Ambala Cantt have to face great difficulty while visiting the local court for petty matters. Resident of adjoining villages of Ambala Cantt too have to face similar problems. Malik said a few years ago, the Chief Minister had allotted 5,100 sq yds near Football Chowk in Ambala Cantt for the construction of a court complex. The construction committee of the Punjab and Haryana High Court headed by the Chief Justice had also approved the site plan, but later it was dumped due to unknown reasons. Malik said around six months back, a deputation of the Ambala Cantt Bar Association had met the then Chief Justice of Punjab and Haryana High Court who had assured that he would take some concrete decision in this regard. Malik says the government has been claiming of providing justice at doorsteps, but people of Ambala Cantt have to go 10 km to get justice. He says a deputation of the association would again meet the Chief Minister and the Chief Justice while his protest in a Gandhian way will be continued till the court is shifted back to Ambala Cantt.
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Schools told to install fire-fighting equipment
Panchkula, February 18 During a meeting held by Panchkula deputy commissioner Pankaj Yadav, it was decided that all school heads would be asked to install fire-safety gadgets in their buildings. All block education offices have been directed to contact the managements of the schools in their respective areas and they should be guided in this regard ensuring that the equipment installed in
these buildings are of good quality and are at eye-catching point. The committee will also ensure that any new school is not granted recognition till it fulfils all safety norms. The committee accompanied by fire officers and building engineers would visit the school premises frequently to keep a check on the lapse by the managements. In case of the existing school buildings, a period of one year would be provided to the managements to take safety measures in this direction. In fact, the state government issued a letter in December to all district heads to form a committee headed by deputy commissioners to implement the state policy on safety measures (for government, private aided and unaided schools). The committee is to include district education officer, district elementary education officer, officials from other concerned
government departments, representatives of private schools and representatives from the
public as members.
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Economic policies with ‘human face’ needed
Rohtak, February 18 Speaking at the seminar, Prof MC Sharma, vice-chancellor, Central University of Haryana, said economic reforms along with globalisation have created oligopolies which were behind the present scenario in the world. He said market forces had unleashed vulgar consumerism, ruthless competitiveness and maximisation of profit. Sharma pointed towards the societal fragmentation and loss of dignity on account of corporate capitalism prevalent in the world. Delivering the keynote address, Prof Parthanath Mukherjee, sociologist and former vice-chancellor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, traced out the history of economic reforms in India. He said two serious implications of economic reforms and consequent economic changes were the growing incidents of suicide by farmers and the enlarging base of Maoist violence in India. He called for socio-economic policies with human face to meet the social crisis emanating out of economic reforms. Prof Sucha Singh Gill of Punjabi University, Patiala, in his keynote address said the future of peasantry was at stake owing to economic problems. To add to the woes, commercialisation of agriculture has undermined the traditional community in the rural sector. He threw light on the collapse of rural healthcare and education system. Pointing towards the highly skewed income distribution in India, Prof Gill said fruits of development must permeate to all sections of society. MDU vice-chancellor said social crisis was primarily an offshoot of rural indebtedness. He said institutions of marriage and family were faced with strain on account of new economic scenario. He lamented the decline in societal values and suggested that the economic cause of declining sex-ratio in rural hinterland need to probed deeply. Prof SR Ahlawat, organising secretary of the seminar, said the seminar had been organised to discuss serious socio-economic issues prevalent today. Noted sociologist Prof K.G. Aiyyar delivered the valedictory address. Issues related to agrarian crisis, khap panchayats, gender discrimination, emerging social crisis, economic policies etc. were also discussed in the seminar where noted sociologists, economists, academicians and research scholars took part.
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Marketing must to promote products: Anand
Raj
Gurgaon, February 18 He was in the city for the inauguration of Courtyard by Marriott here recently. Anand feels that he had not got his due that he deserved to. This qualified civil engineer was born in Delhi to a family of
jewellers. But due to the passion for singing, he left his family business and came to Mumbai to pursue career in music in 1992. While talking to The Tribune Anand said: “I was extremely passionate about music since my childhood. While performing on the stage at school, I would sing my own compositions rather than songs from films. I even convinced my college principal to start musical activities,” and added, “I was the part of a music group that participated and won numerous local competitions”. But the success didn’t come to him with ease. Ironically, no one was interested in his multi-faceted skills of writing lyrics, composing and singing as well. Thus, the singer took a backseat and he chose to come forth
as a composer. At a time when the industry is flooded with techno beats and remixes, Anand has adapted to the market’s requirements and yet retained the unique quality of his music.
“Listeners never change their taste; it is us who need to work according to their preferences,” he affirmed, and added, “We don’t pamper deals. We pamper
relations”. Anand is currently working with Raj Kumar Santoshi and will soon be releasing his album “Straight from Heart” (he had even produced it). It has eight songs - Sufi as well as romantic. “The poetic content as well as sound design, compositions will be defining the purity of basic instinct which God has given to me,” he said.
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Workshop on capacity building of women managers
Kurukshetra, February 18 Recollecting the experience of organising science Congress and legal literacy campaign at the university recently, he said none of the participants were women. Being a woman administrator did not mean that she was gender sensitive as she was also a product like her male counterpart, of our patriarchal culture and mindset. Such kind of training would equip women to hold senior administrative positions and help the process of removing gender barrier. He also appreciated the zeal and level of motivation emerging in women with such programmes. Prof. P.
Rajput, former director, Centre for Women Studies and Development, PU, Chandigarh, and member, UGC National Consultative Committee, said several inequities affect motivation of women in higher education. “To meet the challenge, it is necessary to offer training to women managers in higher education for capacity building to participate in policy and decision making, ensuring gender sensitivity in governance and administration of the university”. She said the focus of the scheme was to bring about change within the system by developing both motivation and skills in women academicians. She called the programme a movement in the country in which everyone had a specific contribution to bring forth an impact on the system as well as to ignite one’s own capacities. Prof Reicha
Tanwar, workshop coordinator, said started in 2002-03, such workshops were being held in different universities and colleges of the country to motivate women teachers in higher education.
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23 POs held
Chandigarh, February 18 According to an official spokesman, The police arrested 3,153 accused persons during this period and recovered looted property worth about Rs 90 lakh from them. It succeeded in getting conviction of 257 persons involved in various cases. It also registered 3,420 cases against trespassers. The police worked out 190 of the 215 cases of murder, culpable homicide, hurt and kidnappings throughout the state and 219 accused persons were sent behind the bars. It also succeeded in solving 150 of the 169 cases registered for crimes against women, like dowry deaths, kidnapping and abduction, rape and molestation and arrested 142 persons involved in these cases. As many as 663 cases were registered under the Excise Act. Under the Gambling Act, the police registered 83 cases and recovered about Rs 2.17 lakh from the accused. Under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act (NDPS), 33 cases were registered and about 540 kg of poppy husk, 0.85 kg of opium, 744 kg of charas and 1.2 kg of ganja were seized.
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‘Overhaul’ system of governance
Kurukshetra, February 18 Prof Goel was addressing the participants at a national seminar on the topic “Ethical Dimensions of Good Governance” at the India International Centre organised by Desh Bandhu Evening College, New Delhi, recently. We can call a government a ‘good government’ if it gives smart administration meaning thereby a government which is simple, moral, accountable, responsive and transparent. To ensure transparency, the Right to Information Act - 2005 is necessary, but not sufficient and calls for its implementation with political will and commitment by politicians and bureaucrats in power, observed Goel. To bring a change, we need to overhaul our system of governance with true self-accountability as the mantra of progress and prosperity in India, added Prof Goel.
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UGC grant for research project
Hisar, February 18 She will work on this project for two years. Rana said the project was aimed at suggesting reforms in the flawed legal system and a fresh analysis of the theories of justice. Rana was a visiting scholar at George August University, Gottingen, Germany, last summer. She has also written a book on WH Auden's poetry.
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Manipal Starex school at Manesar
Gurgaon, February 18 The school, being launched in partnership with the Starex group, is an international residential school offering a combination of academic inputs and holistic education under the CBSE and IGCSE streams. Manipal K-12 currently runs five schools in Nepal, besides six in India located at Mysore, Mangalore, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Manesar (Gurgaon).
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Ambala, February 18
