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Mayor’s Post
Major relief for over 10,000 villagers
ATTACK ON DERA CHIEF |
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NOVEL PROJECT
Pay or be ready to pay, doctors warn govt
Hooda khap joins the bandwagon
Gotra often a tool to settle old scores: Studies
Holy Deal
3 roadways employees found drunk, suspended
More diarrhoea cases reported
Farmers want subsidy on solar tube wells
Hindi Patrakarita Diwas
Another sex worker ties the knot
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Mayor’s Post
Faridabad, May 30 Most of the non-Gujjars appear to be against the idea of selecting a Gujjar, as the post was held by Brahmvati Khatana, a Gujjar, in the last House. Also, members of the Gujjar community had been holding the post for the past 10 years. President of the Faridabad Congress Committee BR Ojha, however, said the focus should not be on caste and community, rather on the merit of the prospective candidate. Even as the race hots up for the post, all eyes are on Congress leader Mukesh Sharma, who has been elected the councillor along with his mother Maya Sharma. Mukesh, who is considered as the seniormost leader, is Shiv Charan Sharma’s son. |
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Major relief for over 10,000 villagers
Yamunanagar, May 30 The decision was taken after it was found that Ranjitpur, Kot, Machhrouli, Kheri Tabdalan, Bapoli, Bhambhol and some other villages were receiving low voltage supply following poor infrastructure and overloaded 11 kv feeders. Confirming the development, a nigam official said the villagers were being fed through the overloaded feeders and were not getting regular power supply. Thus, the nigam has decided to bifurcate six overloaded feeders at the cost of Rs 3.3 crore. Bifurcation and trifurcation of feeders with over 150 amperes load have been approved. The district Superintending Engineer (SE) has been asked
to complete the work at the earliest. The nigam had asked the SE to procure 2,500 single-phase and 1,000 three- phase meters for early replacement of slow, damaged or burnt meters. It will help minimising consumer complaints. Also, a loss reduction action plan has been approved under which the maintenance and protection wing will check the high-tension industrial connections in the next two months. The nigam has asked the SE to replace the electro-mechanical meters operating in low-tension connections.
— TNS |
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ATTACK ON DERA CHIEF
Karnal, May 30 A team of the Karnal police, comprising DSP Surinder Bhoria, the SHO, Bhutana, and CIA members, has already reached Amritsar and established contact with the special task force for seeking a production warrant. Of the eight booked in the case, Baksheesh Singh was at large and was arrested after two years and five months. The other accused - Mahinder Singh, Swaran Singh, Jaswant Singh, Hoshiarpur Singh and Dharminder - are in jail while Praveen, alias Meena, who was allegedly picked up for planting the explosive, is on bail. Baksheesh Singh, the mastermind behind the attack, had been evading arrest. The Haryana government had announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for providing a clue about Baksheesh Singh. All accused were booked under Section 307 of the IPC and Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosives Act at the Bhutana police station. The trial had already started in the Karnal district courts and the statements of 54 witnesses had been recorded. The Karnal police made frantic efforts to nab him and also released his sketches with and without a turban and a beard and pasted them at airports so that he could be stopped from fleeing the country. Besides, three police teams were keeping vigil at gurdwaras in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Investigations revealed that Baksheesh Singh, a dreaded terrorist of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), “brainwashed” people into carrying out his nefarious activities. Baksheesh Singh later escaped to Malaysia with the help of Harminder Singh, alias Mintu, of Goa, another wanted terrorist, and managed to reach Pakistan. After a series of recoveries of IEDs at places like Nabha, Halwara and Amritsar, the Punjab police had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for giving any information about him. Baksheesh Singh was also wanted by the Patiala and Ludhiana police for allegedly planting IEDs at an LPG bottling plant at Nabha on January 18 and at the Air Force Station, Halwara, on January 25 this year. A team of the Haryana police had conducted a raid on the residence of Baksheesh, who hails from Nizamniwala village, near Samana, soon after the incident on February 4, 2008, but had to return empty-handed. His wife Paramjit Kaur told the police that her husband had left for Nanded in Maharashtra on January 17. According to police sources, he was associated with the defunct Khalistan Liberation Force and was working for its revival by trying to carry out a series of attacks. During preliminary interrogation, Baksheesh Singh confessed to having arranged explosives for causing an explosion in a bid to kill Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in Karnal and executing the plan along with his accomplices. He also confessed to having planted IEDs at the LPG bottling plant in Nabha and the Air Force Station, Halwara, and and another one on a cycle at
Amritsar. |
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NOVEL PROJECT
Gurgaon, May 30 The Union Ministry of Rural Development’s special project for placement-linked skill development under the Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna (SGSY) is designed to equip the unemployed rural youth from BPL families with marketing skills for getting them employment. The underlying idea behind the time-bound training and capacity-building programme is to bring a specific number of BPL families above the poverty line through job placement. The Union Ministry of Rural Development has partnered with NIS-Sparta and Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) to implement the SGSY special project under the PPP model. IGNOU has been entrusted with the job of monitoring the project and certify the trainees. “The exercise, which is in its first phase as of now, will gradually cover 15 states within the next few months. The candidates will be placed in the frontline sales and customer service. The second phase of the project will target 1 lakh youths per year, covering all states,” maintains Goutam Roy, executive senior vice-president, Leading Solutions NIS Sparta, who is leading the project. The candidates are being placed in frontline sales and customer service departments in diverse sectors spanning from FMCG, telecommunications, BPO and retail, among others. Nearly 300 youths, including 40 from Gurgaon, have so far been placed through this programme, he asserts, adding that the youths are fetching a maximum salary of Rs 10,414 per month and an average of Rs 5,500 per month in companies like KFC, Pepsi, Pizza Hut, NIIT, Godrej, TATA and Reliance in their frontline sales or services. Training is conducted in small batches of 20-25. The training sessions are for 120-140 hours based on the requirement of each student. These programmes encompass development of personality, soft skills and communication skills, especially in view of the rural background of the candidates. “I recently underwent a training session under the project and am employed within the customer-care division of Godrej,” says Arvind, a 23-year-old youth of Navada Fatehpur village in the district. He heard about the scheme at his village and got registered for it at the BDO’s office. Ritesh, a base trainer with NIS-Sparta, says they have been meeting village sarpanches, block development officers and other grassroots-level functionaries to help them spread awareness about the project so that more and more youths are benefited. NIS Sparta has divided the country into 46 employment zones for the purpose and has identified catchment areas for each zone. For instance, Gurgaon, Pataudi, Sohna and other adjoining areas have been identified as the catchment areas which require such an
intervention. |
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Pay or be ready to pay, doctors warn govt
Chandigarh, May 30 Members of the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association have decided to go on mass casual leave for two days, starting June 7. The general secretary of the association, Dr Ramesh Khayalia, told TNS today that during these two days, despite being on leave, the doctors would attend to emergency services but no OPDs would function. While on June 7, the doctors would conduct post-mortem examination, on June 8, only emergency cases would be treated. From June 9, the functioning of the government hospitals would stop completely. If the government did not accept their demands by then, their resignations would be submitted to it by Dr Kamla Singh. The doctors are upset over, among other things, the reduction in their entry-level salary. Khayalia said earlier it was Rs 14,880 plus Rs 5,400. But in August last year it was reduced to Rs 12,090 plus Rs 5,400, which was equivalent to that of a staff nurse in Delhi and Punjab. The doctors also want Class I status at the entry level itself as is the practice in neighbouring states. At present, the doctors get this status after two years of service. Khayalia said Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had promised in the Assembly on March 26, 2009, that Haryana doctors would get better scales than their counterparts in Punjab. The association wants that the non-practising allowance (NPA) should be treated as part of the basic salary for all purposes. It is also protesting against the “bunching of” doctors of 15 years of service and those of 30 years of service in one grade. The doctors want that senior doctors should be given increments according to their seniority. The government decided to give post-graduation increments to specialist doctors after 2006. The association wants these increments for those post-graduate doctors also who joined the service before that year. Khayalia said on September 12, 2008, the government had announced that rural area service incentive would be given to the doctors at the rate of Rs 5,000 per month and at the rate of Rs 10,000 per month to those doctors who served in difficult areas of Mewat and Morni. For the specialists these rates of incentive were Rs 15,000 and Rs 25,000 per month, respectively. However, now the incentive was being paid only for service in Mewat. Despite the open-door continuous recruitment policy, there is a severe shortage of specialist doctors in the state. Khayalia attributes this shortage to the poor salary structure in Haryana. A specialist in the state gets about Rs 33,000, while in Punjab even an MBBS doctor gets about Rs 39,000, while in Delhi a specialist doctor gets about Rs 55,000. The association is of the view that instead of appreciating the problems being faced by the doctors, the government is adopting a confrontationist attitude and issuing provocative statements. Khayalia said the doctors were open for negotiations and it was up to the government to fix the date, time and venue for the same. |
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Hooda khap joins the bandwagon
Rohtak, May 30 Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda belongs to this gotra and today’s announcement is likely to embarrass the Congress leadership, which is yet to clear its stand on the khaps’ demand. The meeting, chaired by Shri Kishan Hooda, khap head, resolved to stand by the Sarv Jatiya Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat, which met in Jind on May 25 and decided to seek an amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act. The khap has its presence in about 45 villages. The meeting declared that no marriage within the gotra of parents, native village and neighbourhood could be justfied and the khap would oppose any move that went against the established norms. Shishpal Hooda, general secretary, and Ram Karan Hooda, convener, said the khap favoured a peaceful stir and was against the decision to block civil supplies to Delhi on June 20 if the demand was not met by the government till then. About 150 representatives of the Hooda khap from various villages took part in today’s
meeting. |
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Gotra often a tool to settle old scores: Studies
Sirsa, May 30 The studies had revealed that in most cases, it was not the gotra alone that prompted the khaps to intervene in the marriages in Haryana. Those behind the decisions of these self-styled panchayats, more often than not, have rather used this issue, a tool to settle old scores. Studies done by the Women Studies and Research Centre of the Kurukshetra University had revealed couples belonging to poor class had been punished for marrying in the same gotra for which those from affluent families of the same village had gone unpunished. Also, their marriages had gone unnoticed. In some cases, rivalries during the panchayat polls had been the reason for uncalled-for intervention of the khaps. “We did an in-depth study on the gotra dispute of Jevali village in Bhiwani district over the marriage of Ombeer and Saroj,” said Dr Reicha Tanwar, Professor and director, Women Studies and Research Centre, KU. The study said Jevali was Sheoran-dominated village and some families belonged to Punia, Rathi, Gahlot, Sangwan and Phogat gotras. Thus, these gotras could marry their sons neither in Sheoran gotra nor in the gotra of their father, mother and grandmother. The gotra of Saroj’s mother was Sheoran and residents of Jevali village did not object before her (Bhanji of Sheoran gotra) marriage with Ombeer of Punia gotra, however, on their wedding day, they declared the marriage
illegal. “There were two things that came to our mind while talking to the village sarpanch and others. First, it was not a gotra dispute as the sarpanch also confessed; rather it was a case of personal rivalry. Second, poor families were a soft target. There were rich families in the same village that brought their daughters-in-law of Sheoran gotra but the khaps accepted them without any objection,” Tanwar said. Likewise, the studies found that issues other than the gotra took precedence in such disputes. The gotra was merely used a tool to settle personal scores. |
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Holy Deal
Sirsa, May 30 The village, falling under Dabwali sub-division, saw 13 persons in to the fray for the post of sarpanch. However, only two candidates - Jagdeep Singh and Iqbal Singh - finally remained in the contest. Both owed allegiance to the Congress. Some leaders like Amarjeet Singh, general secretary of the block Congress, and Jagga Singh Brar, a Youth Congress leader, suggested that one of the two should withdraw from the contest. In return, the other should donate a handsome amount to the village gurdwara and dera Baba Gian Nath. Both, Jagdeep Singh and Iqbal Singh opted for donation. Eventually, the leaders opted for the former and burdened him with a donation of
Rs 11 lakh. “Iqbal Singh was willing to spend Rs 15 lakh, provided he was given a chance to represent the village. However, the villagers said they would not allow the post of sarpanch to be placed for a bid,” explained Brar. “Sarpanch elect” Jagdeep Singh, however, said: “It was agreed that I will perform seva at the gurdwara as well as Dera Baba Gian Nath after my election to the office,” he said. Amarjeet Singh, however, said the money would reach the managers of the two religious places on May 7, a day after Jagdeep Singh was formally declared elected. Dr Munish Nagpal, SDM, Dabwali denied knowledge of any such deal. “Any contender is free to withdraw from the contest, but if anything illegal is brought to our notice, the authorities will take action as per the law,” he said. |
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3 roadways employees found drunk, suspended
Kaithal, May 30 The GM, who was at a meeting, deputed some senior staff members to take stock of the situation. The accused allegedly misbehaved with other staff members while they were under the influence of liquor. They were kept at the bus stand police post for some time. Later, the GM reached the spot and ordered the medical examination of the two. The GM alleged that the two staff members created a ruckus , refusing to give their consent for blood and urine tests at the Civil Hospital. However, breathing test confirmed that they had consumed liquor. Following this, the GM put the trio under suspension. He added that the erring staff would face departmental action. Tribune News Service Acting on a tip-off, the police set up nakas and intercepted two vehicles, including an oil tanker, with liquor bottles hidden in it between SGM Nagar and Bhakri village. Both vehicles were impounded and five persons arrested. Out those arrested, three are locals while two are from Rajasthan. A team of the anti-vehicle theft wing of the local police was asked to look into
the incident. The head of the team, Sudeep Singh, said the arrested persons did not have proper documents of their vehicles. He said over 500 crates of liquor were seized from the tanker. The liquor is estimated to cost more than Rs 5 lakh in the market. The police said the interrogation of the persons arrested revealed that the liquor was being smuggled to Rajasthan and Gujarat. The liquor was legally meant for shops in Faridabad. There is demand for liquor on the black market in Gujarat as it a dry state. |
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More diarrhoea cases reported
Jind, May 30 Though the district health department claims to have launched an intensive programme to check the spread of water-borne diseases, the numbers of patients continue to swell. While six fresh cases were reported at the temporary treatment centre near the local gurdwara, another seven were admitted to a private hospital on Rohtak road. The outbreak of diarrhoea was first reported from colonies in Wards 11 and 12 with the death of a middle-aged person from Saini Mohalla on May 25. The district administration has deputed several teams of doctors and paramedical staff in the affected areas to provide on-the-spot medication. Over nine lakh chlorine tablets have been distributed in various pockets of the city. Several connections of water supply found to be leaking or supplying contaminated water have been disconnected. |
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Farmers want subsidy on solar tube wells
Yamunanagar, May 30 Farmers of the Kisan Club, at a meeting with officials of the district administration, Nabard and the Animal Husbandry Department, highlighted the need for installation of solar tube wells, stating that these were economical and pollution-free. The farmers said the water table in the district had gone down as much as 300 ft in some places. However, water was available around 80 to 90 ft in villages situated along the Yamuna and seasonal rivulets, and in the vicinity of the Shivalik hills. “The government has been providing various facilities to farmers. “The farmers have raised the demand for solar energy-based tube wells with 50 per cent subsidy. “We have sent their demand to the Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Renewable Energy Department”, Additional Deputy Commissioner Narender Singh told The Tribune. |
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Hindi Patrakarita Diwas
Sirsa, May 30
Subhash Chandra, editor of India Post and state convener of Soochna Adhikar Manch was the main speaker. Virender Singh Chauhan, chairperson, Mass Communication Department, Chaudhary Devi Lal University, was the main speaker at the function organised by the HPS at Taj Palace in Kalanwali town. Former minister Jagdish Nehra was the chief guest and SDM Dabwali Munish Nagpal presided over the function. Sanjay Arora, a former media coordinator of the Haryana CM, was the special guest. The speakers dwelled on the changes Hindi journalism had witnessed during the six decades since Independence. |
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Another sex worker ties the knot
Sirsa, May 30 A large number of followers of the dera followers were witness to the marriage. The dera chief said the sex workers, who left the illicit trade to marry his followers, are designated as “Shubh Devis” and he treated them like his daughters. The dera followers, who have volunteered to marry such girls, have been named “Bhakt Yodhas”. The dera chief gave a cheque of Rs 25,000 and several gifts to the couple. The followers had solemnised the marriage of seven former sex workers on January 25 this year.
— TNS |
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