|
|
|
|
Hooda announces college for Bapoli
Dalal seeks INLD MLA’s disqualification
Move to tax rented property opposed
Haryanvi folklore not explored yet: DIG
Time to go organic, farmers advised
|
|
|
|
BJP to oppose N-liability Bill
Teachers’ shortage hits science education
Punjabis have played key role in state’s progress: Batra
Governor Jagannath Pahadia at a function to mark the silver jubilee of Panipat Urban Cooperative Bank in Panipat on Sunday. Tribune photo: Ravi Kumar
Health workers hold protest
Saplings planted on World Forestry Day
Leopard kills woman
Property consultant shot at
|
|
Hooda announces college for Bapoli
Samalkha (Panipat), March 21 He said the Dehra-Kakrauli road would be constructed soon. The government would come up with sports stadia at Chulkana and Naraina villages if the panchayats provided land. Addressing a rally organised by local legislator Dharam Singh Chhokar, the Chief Minister said during his second term he would work with added vigour for the development of the state. Thanking the electorate for the faith reposed in him and the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, Hooda said his government would continue with the welfare programmes and policies that had been implemented during the last regime. Besides, new schemes would also be launched to benefit the masses, he said. On steps taken to improve the power situation in the state, Hooda said when the Congress came to power, the total electricity generation in the state was merely 1,587 MW. The state government took a decision to add 5,000 MW for which four new power plants were being set up. He said with the commissioning of these plants, every house in the state would get at least 20 to 22 hours electricity every day. Party supporters presented a silver chair, a mace, dozens of silver crowns and other ornaments to the Chief Minister, who in turn donated these to a local temple. HPCC president Phool Chand Mullana, working president Kuldeep Sharma, local MP Arvind Sharma, Transport and Tourism Minister OP Jain, Assandh MLA Jile Ram Sharma, former minister Prasanni Devi and district Congress president Jagdev Malik also addressed the rally. Cabinet expansion soon
AMBALA: The Chief Minister said on Sunday the Cabinet expansion would take place soon. However, he did not disclose how many MLAs would be inducted. He was talking to mediapersons at Mullana’s residence here |
|
Dalal seeks INLD MLA’s disqualification
Chandigarh, March 21 A senior Congress leader has sought the disqualification of Deputy Leader of the INLD Legislature Party Sher Singh Badshami under Article 191 of the Constitution. Former Chairman of the Haryana Administrative Reforms Commission Karan Singh Dalal has sought the disqualification of Badshami on the plea that the Supreme Court had answered a Presidential reference against the INLD MLA in the affirmative. The President of India had made a reference to the apex court under Article 317 (1) of the Constitution for the removal of Badshami as a member of the Haryana Public Service Commission in 1995. Pointing to the provision contained in clause “e” of subsection 1 of Article 191, Dalal, who acted as a one-man army against the Chautala regime from 2000 to 2005, said in a memorandum to the Governor that it had expressly laid down that a member of the Legislative Assembly or the Legislative Council of a state “shall be disqualified…if he is so disqualified by or under any law made by Parliament.” Dalal said he had represented to the Governor because under Article 192, “if any question arises as to whether a member of a House…has become subject to any of the disqualifications mentioned in clause (1) of Article 191, the question shall be referred for the decision of the Governor and his decision shall be final.” However, the Article also says that before giving any decision on any such question, the Governor shall obtain the opinion of the Election Commission and shall act according to such opinion. Dalal said Badshami’s election to the Assembly was void from the date of his election under the above two Articles of the Constitution. This is perhaps for the first time in the country that the election of a former member of the Public Service Commission to an Assembly has been questioned on the plea that his removal from the commission was upheld by the apex court in a Presidential reference. |
|
Move to tax rented property opposed
Gurgaon, March 21 In a communiqué sent to the local Municipal Commissioner, the Gurgaon Citizens Council has maintained that as per a recent public notice, the Municipal Corporation was going to impose property tax at the rate of 2.5 per cent per annum on rented residential property and 5 per cent per annum on commercial and institutional property. Objecting to the move, the council president has underlined that a large part of Gurgaon had been developed by private colonisers and builders, who had been granted licences for the purpose under Section 3 of the Haryana Urban Development Act, 1975. The letter curiously points out that as per the license conditions, the builder/developers were supposed to complete development in two years and obtain the completion certificates. However, despite the lapse of more than 20 years in many cases, the completion certificates had not been obtained. It further notes that the Haryana Government had collected external development charges from plot holders for the completion of external development works, which, according to the Act, includes water supply, sewerage and storm-water drains, and establishment of public amenities like educational institutes, hospitals and stadiums. “All this was to be provided by the government… but, till date, a large number of the licensed colonies remain unconnected to water supply or sewerage drains etc,” the letter states, adding that 30 per cent of the value of the plot was paid towards internal development works, which also remain incomplete. The council has questioned the municipal commissioner what services was the corporation providing for which it proposed to impose tax and under which provision of law could the municipal corporation impose tax on colonies developed by private builders without taking over these from the builders. “Also, the residents are entitled for free maintenance for five years after handing over the colonies. So why should they pay tax for these services?” it asks. Asserting that the DLF residents and plot-holders were already paying maintenance charges and those who have not built their houses were additionally paying extension charges to the DLF, the council asked what would be the status of the charges. The letter notes that as per the Municipal Corporation Act, elections were to be held within six months of the issuance of notification for the establishment of the corporation, but no elections have been held even 22 months after the said notification. It asks whether it was valid for the municipal commissioner (in absence of a properly constituted Municipal Corporation) to perform the functions of a duly elected body and take such decisions of far-reaching consequences. |
|
Haryanvi folklore not explored yet: DIG
Fatehabad, March 21 Deswal said those who say that agriculture was the only culture in Haryana tend to ignore that the state had its own folklores and folk songs for all occasions. “Haryanavi swang (dance drama) is another folk theatre that has been very popular in the state in which religious and folk tales are narrated by artists,” he added. He, however, regretted that very little efforts had been made to go deep into the Haryanvi literature by scholars. Deswal said he was in the process of translating a few swangs into English and had started with “Hoor Menaka” by noted Haryanvi Ragini singer Dada Lakhmi Chand. He said it was ironical that Haryana, where “Hoor Maneka” could not be staged for long due to repulsion over the scenes of a father leaving his small daughter in jungles, was witnessing a skewed sex ratio today. This, he said, was a pointer towards the degradation of our social values. Babu Ram, a teacher in the Hindi Department of Kurukshetra University, and Ram Phal Chahal, a programme director of the All India Radio, were honoured for their contribution towards the Haryanvi literature. Earlier, in a short story-telling session, Roop Devgan, SS Bhandari and Pooran Mudgil narrated their stories. Dev Raj Batra, president, MM College Management Society; Subhash Sharma, director, of the college; and OP Kadiyan, president of the Manch; were among those who were present. Deswal also released a poetry book called “Roshni Dhoondne Nikla Hun” by Parveen Kamboj on the occasion. |
|
Time to go organic, farmers advised
Khijrabad (Yamunanagar), March 21 Organic farming was being done in 10,100 acres in the state and with a view to promoting it, they have decided to exhibit organic farming in 200 acres in every district for farmers, he further said while addressing farmers on organic farming at “Kisan Mela” organised in Khijrabad here. “In cereal crops, traces of cadmium, arsenic and lead are found more than the prescribed limit which is one of the major reasons for diseases like cancer. Besides, indiscriminate use of synthetic parathyroid in cotton in Malwa region of Punjab has led to thousands of cases of cancer in that region,” he added. He said organic farming was the practice of agriculture which was based on no use or limited use of fertilisers and pesticide and which sustain the soil fertility by using crop rotation, green manure, compost and bio-fertiliser and bio-pesticides. Plant diseases, weeds and insect have a natural control in organic farming due to change in cropping pattern. Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Aggarwal said the heavy use of chemicals began in 1950-60 due to shortage of foodgrain in the region. However, now we have no such shortage so a farmer must use vermicompost, organic manure, bio-pesticide and bio-fertiliser in organic farming. The main objective of organic farming was protection and refilling of soil nutrient status and to improve soil’s physical, chemical and biological properties. “Organic farming leads to increase in the organic carbon content of soil due to which uptake of other micro-nutrient increases itself,” he added. “Due to the use of farm waste, which is the treasure of the nutrient, the problem of storage and disposal of crop residue can be handled easily. The air pollution due to burning of crop residue can also be brought down. The water holding capacity, soil aggregation and soil drainage properties also increases significantly,” he added. Why Organic Farming
Organic farming is a safe and a sustainable farming system that produces healthy crops without damage to the environment. It avoids the use of fertilisers and pesticides on the land, relying instead on developing healthy, fertile soil and growing a variety of crops. In this way, the farm remains biologically balanced with a wide variety of beneficial insects and other wildlife to act as natural predators for crop pests and a soil full of microorganisms and earthworms to maintain its vitality. |
|
BJP to oppose N-liability Bill
Ambala, March 21 This compensation would be given through a private party that the government planned to hire for the purpose. She said it appeared that the government wanted to favour some individual by giving the contract to a private party, she added. On the Women’s Reservation Bill, Sushma said the Congress was publicising that the Bill had been passed because of the efforts of Sonia Gandhi. She said the BJP and the Left parties equally deserved the credit as they had supported the Bill in the Rajya Sabha. Sushma, who is an MP from Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh, said all parties were united on the issue of price rise. To a question regarding the cash garlands’ controversy surrounded Mayawati, Sushma said it was the latter’s personal issue. Sushma was honoured by local BJP workers. However, BJP MLA Anil Vij was conspicuous by his absence. Vij said he had not been invited to the function. |
|
Teachers’ shortage hits science education
Ambala, March 21 Of the nearly 27.93 lakh students studying in various government schools in the state, only a few thousand have opted for science subjects. The sources say that one of the reasons for students not opting for science subjects is the poor infrastructure in the science stream in government schools. The sources add that of the 6,275 posts of science teacher, 2,337 posts are lying vacant. Most schools are without laboratories and even wherever these do exist, these are ill-equipped. In a majority of the schools, the posts of science teacher have been lying vacant for years now and no effort has been made to fill these. Talking to The Tribune, Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal claimed that most of the schools where posts of science teacher were lying vacant were the ones where there were few science students. She said the department was aware of the shortage of science teachers and efforts were on to fill these, besides providing proper infrastructure in science laboratories.
|
|
Punjabis have played key role in state’s progress: Batra
Sirsa, March 21 “By their sheer hard work, members of the Punjabi community have not only carved a niche for them in all fields of life, but they have also contributed a lot to the progress made by Haryana,” Batra said, while speaking as chief guest in the annual convention of the Multan Sabha, Sirsa. He said the community came to Haryana and other parts of the country after having lost all their belongings and cultural roots in their erstwhile towns and villages that became parts of Pakistan. However, they were able to establish their roots firmly in the state and now their children were settled well in all walks of life. He announced that Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda would address a “Punjabi Sammelan” in Hisar on April 4. Vinod Bhayana, MLA from Hansi, said the Punjabi community had not only made a lot of progress in the past 63 years, but had also been able to mix up well with the local population. Swami Dharamdev, patron Panchjanya Samiti, an organisation of the Punjabi community, in his keynote address called upon members of the
Multani Sabha to keep the national interests on the top priority. Bhim Sen Mehta, former MLA from Indri, and RC Mehtani, former bureaucrat, also addressed the
convention. Batra released a telephone directory of members of the Multani Sabha on the occasion and announced a grant of Rs 11 lakh for the construction of a dharamshala of the community. |
|
|
Coop movement vital for economy: Governor
Panipat, March 21 The Governor, who was speaking at a function organised to mark the silver jubilee of the Panipat Urban Cooperative Bank, said the cooperative movement in the country was a symbol of collective strength of the nation. He said the movement, included by Jawaharlal Nehru in the Five Year Plan, had made rapid progress and today it was an important part of the national economy. He said the movement was also an integral part of the freedom struggle, which had even been promoted by Mahatma Gandhi. Lauding the achievements of the bank, the Governor said it was a matter of pride that a bank, which was started with a capital of just Rs 2,950, had today become a Rs 117-crore organisation in a time span of just 25 years. The Governor lighted the ceremonial lamp and later honoured some of the eminent citizens of the society, who had been a part of the cooperative society. He was presented with a shawl by the management of the bank. |
|
Health workers hold protest
Fatehabad, March 21 Addressing the workers, Asha Sharma, president of the Health Workers’ Association, alleged that hundreds of women multipurpose health workers had been working under the reproductive and child health scheme on a contractual basis for years and the state government had promised on several occasions that their services would soon be regularised. However, the government had now advertised 379 regular posts of multipurpose health workers, which was contrary to the promises made by it. The striking workers submitted a memorandum, addressed to the Chief Minister, to Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prahlad Singh Gillankhera. The MPHW Association said health workers would organise a demonstration in front of the Jhajjar residence of Health Minister Geeta Bhukkal on April 11 in support of their demand. |
|
Saplings planted on World Forestry Day
Sirsa, March 21 Highlighting the importance of trees in environmental conservation, Kanda said the state government had set a target of distributing 6 crore saplings of various spices of trees during 2010-11 free of cost for plantation in the state. He said the state government had increased the target for the area under forests to 10 per cent from the present 7 per cent. He said sapling would be provided to schools free of cost and trees would also be planted along the railway lines, canals and roads. Noted environmentalist Triveni Baba was also present on the occasion. Baba said trees of Peepal, Neem and Vatt saved people from 25 kinds of diseases and were very important for environment. Meanwhile, “Youth Veerangan”, an organisation of women in the Dera Sacha Sauda, today planted saplings at several places in the town to mark World Forestry Day. Balbir Kaur, a member of the national committee of the organisation, said their members organised rallies for environment. |
|
Leopard kills woman
Yamunanagar, March 21 Fakrudin, her husband, said Shakeela had gone out to the forest this morning when he was away for some work. When he returned, he found she was not at home. After searching, he found her body with injury marks in the forest and reported the matter to the police and the forest officials. District forest official Rajiv Gulia said she was killed by a leopard and the details would be revealed after a postmortem report. Leopard’s pugmarks were also found at the site.
— TNS |
|
Property consultant shot at
Karnal, March 21 Kuldeep, who was on his way to Chandigarh, informed his father that his brothers-in-law and an another relative had fired at him and fled in their car. Almost half a dozen bullets were fired at him. He was rushed to Civil Hospital’s trauma centre at Karnal.
— TNS |
|
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
“No fertile land will be left for farming after 20 years if we continue to use chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Farmers should adopt organic farming as soon as possible as we have already caused much damage to the environment by using chemicals.
