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Teachers on contract may get another year
Cabinet expansion soon: CM
Khaps an impediment to empowering women, warn scholars
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Panipat to have better civic amenities
Rs 4,609 cr to strengthen power transmission
Technical education to cost more
TB curable in 6 months: Expert
Six held for flesh trade
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Teachers on contract may get another year
Chandigarh, March 24 Though their contract was slated to expire on March 31, the government has indicated that their one-year contract could be extended in the coming days. This, even as the contract teachers have finalised a plan to protest against the “silence” maintained by the government on their fate post-March 31. The union of guest teachers working in government schools, the Haryana Atithi Adhyapak Sangh, has finalised a demonstration in Rohtak on March 28 to “shake up the government from its slumber”. The president of the sangh, Arun Malik, said all guest teachers would converge on Rohtak and protest against the “indifferent” government which had chosen to keep mum on extending their contract even as March 31 was approaching. “We have planned a rally as also a demonstration which will go through the city. In December 2008, one of our guest teachers died during the protest and several others were injured when the police opened fire. “We are hoping this will not be repeated and the government will live up to its assurances and do something for us. If the government continues to be indifferent, we will be forced to begin hunger protests to make ourselves heard,” Malik warned. The main demand of the guest teachers is that the posts they are working against should not be considered vacant since it creates problems of promotions and posting. They are seeking salaries on a par with regular teachers. “We work as much as the regular teachers and get paid poorly compared to them. We don’t want other benefits which are extended to the regular teachers, we only want the same salary,” he stated. Even as the state is grappling with shortage of teachers and a requisition has been sent to the Haryana Staff Selection Commission for beginning the process of recruitment, there’s been more trouble for the government. Having cleared the state-level eligibility test (SLET), successful candidates have held demonstrations in various districts to drive home the point that they are tired waiting for a job offer from the government. At various fora, they have urged the government to hasten the process of recruitment instead of keeping them waiting in the wings. |
With no option available to the government, extending the contract of guest teachers is more a compulsion than a choice. When the guest teachers do come back this time, they will have to perform or perish. Speaking to The Tribune, Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal said the government was sympathetic to the cause of the guest teachers, but they could not be allowed to function unbridled. “We are finalising terms under which these guest teachers would be made accountable for the results and the extension of the contract would be based on the results they show. “If they are not doing quality work, we will reserve the right to show them the door,” Bhukkal said. Meanwhile, successful SLET candidates have approached the minister, offering their services to tide over the paucity of teachers. “A number of SLET candidates have approached us, offering to teach in government schools free till the time regular recruitments begin,” Bhukkal added.
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Cabinet expansion soon: CM
Hisar, March 24 To a query, he said the new ministers would be selected in the “best interests of Haryana rather than on the consideration of representation to a particular area or community”. He admitted that the involvement of an ASP and members of the
STF in criminal activities had tarnished the image of the police. But hastened to add that actions of individuals did not reflect the functioning of the organisation. “The police has been doing a good job and the crime rate has gone down,” he claimed. Earlier, he inaugurated the annual Kisan Mela organised by Haryana Agricultural University here. Addressing farmers, he announced that the proposed veterinary university to be set up here would be named after the late Lal Lajpat Rai as Hisar had been his workplace for a number of years. He said the government would establish a commission to suggest ways and means for ameliorating the lot of the peasantry. The Chief Minister asked farmers to use new farming technology to increase yield. New seed varieties were coming up which would greatly improve production
without unnecessary use of fertilisers. He said organic farming had assumed a critical role in farming in this day and age. Hooda also inaugurated a block of lawyers’ chambers inside the Judicial Complex here. District and Sessions Judge Vimal Kumar Bakshi and Subhash Godara,president of the District Bar Association, were among
those present. |
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Khaps an impediment to empowering women, warn scholars
Nilokheri, March 24 This was the crux of the discussions at a two-day National Seminar on Women Empowerment organised by the Haryana Institute of Rural development (HIRD). Experts said there was a need to spread education among women and to create awareness on the importance of their role in society, besides a close monitoring of the implementation of policies and a watch on khap panchayats. Setting the tone for the discussions, Surat Singh, Director, HIRD, highlighted the role of rural development and Panchayati Raj institutions in empowering women. He referred to social issues that needed to be addressed to meet this objective. Dr Mrs Pankaj Mittal, VC, Bhagat Phool Singh Women University, Khanpur (Sonepat), emphasised on the need for education as a stepping stone for women empowerment and gave details of the initiatives taken by her university in this She also underlined the need for proper understanding of the concept and for devising concrete strategies after a thorough and in-depth analysis of the problem. In his keynote address, Prof DR Chaudhary, member of the Haryana Administrative Reform Commission, discussed the issue in the context of Hinduism, Islam and other religions. He criticised the role of khap panchayats and dubbed them as “violators of human rights.” He expressed anguish over the fact that in spite of the fact that women had played a significant role in bringing about the Green and White Revolution, the socio-economic status of women had not improved. Prof JK Pundir examined the concept of women empowerment from different perspectives and also traced the evolution of the leadership of Mayawati. In his presidential address, Prof Gobind Thukral emphasised the need for examining the issue from the perspective of property ties. He called for a movement for improving the status of women. At the same time he pointed out that mere reservation would not lead to women empowerment. Their educational, social, economic and psychological empowerment was important too. Prof K Gopal Iyer said the Haryana Institute of Rural Development would extend cooperation to institutions interested in the task of empowering women. Dr V Eshwar Anand, Assistant Editor, The Tribune, suggested an all-party conference for evolving a consensus on women quota and said that lowering the quota in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures from 33 per cent to 20 per cent would be a retrograde step. The Rajya Sabha has done a commendable job by passing the Bill and now efforts should be made to get the Bill passed in the Lok Sabha, he said. Meenaksi Vinay Rai, who has made several documentary films on sexual harassment, child abuse and related subjects, said abusive gestures, language and remarks were also a part of sexual harassment but most women, especially working women, were not aware of these legal provisions. As many as 50 scholars from different universities , research institutions and the media participated in this inter-disciplinary exercise. In his valedictory address, Prof SS Johl, former VC, Punjabi University, Patiala, underlined the need for educating women. He also stressed the need for setting up universities and colleges exclusively for women to give a boost to women
education. |
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Illegal colony sites raided, nine held
CM comes, officials
act It seems that it takes a visit by the Chief Minister to get the local authorities swoop down on colonisers indulging in illegal activities. A few days ago, the officials concerned raided a site where an unauthorised colony was being developed on being directed by the CM. This time also, the raids were conducted on the next day of CM’s visit to the district
Gurgaon, March 24 As part of a special drive, local Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Khullar, Deputy Commissioner Rajender Kataria, Joint Commissioner of Police Alok Mittal, SDM Satender Duhan, DTP (Enforcement) BK Saini, Tehsildar Rampal and other officers concerned raided an illegal colony site right in front of the Maruti Suzuki plant on the old Delhi road early today. The authorities had specific information that some persons were booking plots on a 23-acre chunk of land falling under Control Area opposite the Maruti plant. Some persons were found booking plots at the site. The raiding squad also found maps, site plan, papers of agreement, receipt book, visiting cards and other documents in the possession of these persons. The persons were arrested and the said articles, along with their mobile phones and vehicles, seized. The raiding party then proceeded to another site in Mullanheda where an unauthorised colony was being developed under the name of Noble Enclave. Rakeh Rathee of Farmana village near Bahadurgarh was arrested from there for selling plots illegally. On being inquired, he said 300 plots were being sold on a 20-acre farmhouse at Noble Enclave. He also revealed that 15 other property dealers were associated with him in this racket. He named Dhamender Rana, Raj Kumar Goyal, Gaje Singh, Anand Kanchak and owner of Bala Ji Properties. The raiding squad then reached the Daulatabad road where the DTP (Enforcement) told that an unauthorised colony was being developed on 2-3 acres. However, no suspect was found there. “In all, we raided four such sites in Mullanheda, Daulatabad and Badshahpur areas,” Kataria later told The Tribune, adding that the drive would continue. The Deputy Commissioner appealed to the residents not to buy land in unauthorised colonies, nor be misled by low prices and hollow claims of regularisation. He advised them to deal only through duly registered property consultants. The persons named in the FIR include one Om Prakash Saini and his family members, Surender Singh Manchanda of Punjabi Bagh (west), Delhi, and his family members, S Gurbachan Singh, director of Satguru Investments, Karol Bagh, Delhi. |
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Panipat to have better civic amenities
Jawaharlal Nehru Mission The aim of the mission is to encourage reforms and
fast-track planned development of identified cities with special focus on integrated development of infrastructure services in cities
Panipat, March 24 Disclosing this here, local MP Arvind Sharma said he had repeatedly taken up the matter with the union government following which the district was included in the list of cities under the JNNURM, which was aimed at providing better civic amenities in urban areas. As per an official report, the urban local bodies in the country required a total investment of Rs 1,20,536 crore and the proposal was to implement the mission over a period of seven years. The aim of the mission was to encourage reforms and fast-track planned development of identified cities with special focus on integrated development of infrastructure services in cities. Under the mission, the union government would work out a plan to ensure adequate funds to meet the deficiencies in urban infrastructural services. Besides, emphasis would be laid on planned development of urban areas in order to meet the ever growing pressure on civic amenities. Every urban area would be expected to formulate a city development plan (CDP), indicating policies, programmes and strategies. Sharma, who was here to presiding over the
district vigilance monitoring, exhorted the officials to make the most of the schemes bring introduced by the union government by taking personal interest in the development works. |
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Rs 4,609 cr to strengthen power transmission
Hisar, March 24 Talking to mediapersons after inaugurating Haryana’s first 400 kV substation at Kirori village near here, he said the state would be self-sufficient in power generation within the next two years after commissioning of new power generation plants. He said besides setting up new thermal plants for adding power-generating capacity in the state, the government was also strengthening and augmenting the transmission system. It planned to spend Rs 4,609.77 crore to strengthen the power transmission system in the state. Under the plan, the Haryana Power Utilities would construct 205 new substations and augment capacity of 129 existing substations. He said by the end of the next year, power situation in the state would improve considerably, as 5,000 MW additional power-generating capacity would be created, he added. He also inaugurated a 132 KV substation at Arya Nagar village near here. The new substations have been constructed by the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam at a cost of over Rs 110 crore and Rs 8.5 crore, respectively. |
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Technical education to cost more
Sirsa, March 24 The Director (Technical Education) has written to all such undergraduate and postgraduate self-financial institutes to send their applications for the fixation and revision of fees. Applications have also been invited for re-consideration of the already fixed fees. In a letter issued recently, the institutes had been asked to send their applications within 15 days. Fees chargeable by the institutes imparting diploma and degree in various disciplines of engineering, pharmacy, management, computer application and hotel management courses are governed by the rules of the Technical Education Department. The State Fees Committee (SFC), headed by a retired Judge, fixes fees chargeable by the new institutes and revision of fees in case of old institutes. Normally, the revision is allowed only after a period of three years. However, the letter also invites applications for re-consideration of the fees fixed by the SFC, though, the letter adds, that it will be “only in highly emergent circumstances”. Last year, the SFC had allowed hike in fees of several self-financing technical institutes in and around Sirsa. Jan Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal College of Engineering was allowed a hike from Rs 46,000 per annum to Rs 60,000 per annum. Similarly, Jan Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal Institute of Business Management was also allowed to increase its fees for MBA course from Rs 35,000 per annum to Rs 50,000 per annum and Jan Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal Polytechnic’s fees were raised from Rs 20,000 per annum to Rs 27,500 per annum. Lord Shiva College of Pharmacy, Sirsa, had increased its fees for BPharma course from Rs 35,000 to Rs 45,000 per annum and for DPharma course from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000. Tirupati College of Pharmacy, Ratia, had increased its fees from Rs 18,000 per year to Rs 25,000 per year. |
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Ethics, not money, important: Gaur
Gurgaon, March 24 After lighting the traditional lamp to inaugurate the convocation, Gaur exhorted the students to set a high aim in life and work hard to achieve it. “You should be proud to be an Indian and strive to become part of the country’s growth which is projected to be around 8-9 per cent,” he said, pointing out that the growth rate in countries like the UK and the USA was just about 1.2 per cent. Gaur also advised the students not to forget their ethics and good moral values in their quest for material progress. Citing shlokas from Sanskrit, he asked them to absorb noble virtues from all possible sources. Earlier, the college principal, Dr PD Sharma, welcomed the guests and listed the achievements of the college. Nine students, who stood first in their respective classes at the university level, besides two students, Jyoti Jangra and Pooja Yadav, who attended the Republic Day Parade in Delhi as part of the NSS troop, were also honoured on the occasion. |
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TB curable in 6 months: Expert
Sirsa, March 24 A hundred years after that, the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lungs Diseases (IUATLD) announced to commemorate Koch’s invention by observing March 24 as the World Tuberculosis Day every year. In 1996, the World Health Organisation (WHO) also joined the IUATLD to create awareness on the TB by celebrating this as the World Tuberculosis Day. Cipla Limited, a pharmaceutical company today organised an awareness camp on tuberculosis here today. Dr Rohtash Verma, the district tuberculosis officer (DTO), Sirsa, informed people about the causes of the disease and the treatment available at the government hospitals and said the TB was curable if the patient took medicines for six months continuously. He said both testing and treatment of the TB was available free of cost at the government hospitals. He said tuberculosis patients should take nutritious diet and avoid smoking and drinking and added that patients should keep their diabetes under control. Fatehabad: Shaheed Baba Deep Singh College of Nursing organised a function to commemorate the World TB Day on Wednesday. Dr Virender Siwach, a noted surgeon urged nursing students to create awareness on the disease in their surroundings and said the disease spreads through air borne bacteria and by drinking unboiled milk. Rohtak: As many as 13,000 patients of Tuberculosis have been found in the state during 2009 out of which nearly 10 per cent (1,300) have been treated at the PGIMS, Rohtak. This was stated by Dr KB Gupta, Prof and HOD, PGIMS, Rohtak, here on Tuesday. He said even after availability of good diagnostic tools and treatments, the control over the disease had not been in a desirable state, leave the aspect of its eradication. |
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Six held for flesh trade
Karnal, March 24 The police had information that the accused were bringing women and men from outside and running a sex racket here. Acting on the information, a team of police personnel, including women constables, led by Karnal Sadar police station in charge Randhir Singh raided Preetam Singh’s house in the Ram Nagar area and caught six women and two men, identified as Pawan of Pai and Nitish from Pundari, allegedly engaged in the immoral act. The police has registered a case in this regard. |
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