Chandigarh, April 11
The Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) today launched the facility of online payment of electricity bills for domestic and non-domestic consumers in Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Rohtak, Jind and Jhajjar districts. Over 21.50 lakh consumers of these categories under the nigam’s command area will be benefited. The facility has already been provided to the consumers of Panchkula district. The consumers will be able to view the details of their current electricity bills on the nigam’s website www.uhbvn.com. They will have to enter the first three digits of the subdivision code, four digits of the ledger code, four digits of the account number followed by the “check digit”.

For online payment, a consumer will be required to register himself on the website of the nigam. After registration, he will get the login ID and password. The next step will be the registration of the 12 digit account number. Under one login ID, the consumer can register any number of electricity bills. The bill will be available on the website immediately after it is generated and the consumers can pay their bills through credit cards, debit cards and Net banking. The consumers will be required to pay 1 per cent of the bill amount for making payment through visa and master or debit-credit card, 1.75 per cent of the billed amount through American Express Bank/diner cards and Rs 4 per transaction through Net banking. The nigam will accept payment through 50 banks detailed on the website.

After online payment, the consumers will be able to print the receipt for their use and record. The online payment facility will minimise the rush of consumers at cash collection centres. They will be able to make payment round the clock from anywhere in the world. 

Rohtak, April 11
The health sector in the country requires a major boost in terms of basic infrastructure as adequate medical and treatment facilities are still a dream. There is just a single doctor for a population of 1,600 persons in the country and it is not possible to attend to such a large number of persons especially in rural and semi-urban pockets of the nation, which is one of the most populated countries in the world.

This was stated by Ram Madhav, national spokesperson for the RSS, while speaking at the concluding session of the national-level conference of the National Medicos Organisation (NMO) here last evening.

Asking the doctors and the medical staff to spread out and work in rural and remote areas, he said the health of the country would not improve until the rural masses get such services and were healthy.

He said some organisations act only after a tragedy just to gain publicity, but shirk work at places where there was no doctor or paramedical staff.

Claiming that the medical field had become purely commercial, he said the medical profession had been blotted because a majority of people in the field gave priority to income rather than the service and it was one of the main reasons that the country was not able to provide health services for all in the country.

He said the NMO, however, had been following the teachings of Dr Hedgewar, a towering leader of the pre-independence era.

He said while the government made tall claims regarding the eradication of some of the common diseases like TB, the real situation was different as the masses were still struggling with some of the diseases due to lack of proper care.

He said the health sector also required patriots who could devote their energy and skills for the social work and not just monetary benefits. He asked the government to formulate and implement the policies and programmes to promote social activities in the health sector at a larger scale.

According to the organisers of the conference, a large number of health professionals, including doctors, from various parts of the country took part in the two-day programme and exchanged their views besides presenting papers and research work at the function held here. 

Fatehabad, April 11
Former Haryana minister and Congress MLA from Nalwa Sampat Singh today expressed concern over the conflicting statements coming from Gandhian Anna Hazare and people associated with his movement after the end of his fast unto death on the Jan Lokpal Bill issue.

Talking to mediapersons at Bhattu Kalan in this district today, Sampat Singh said the contradictory statements could harm the movement against corruption that had raised high hopes for the people of this country.

Sampat Singh said after the Right to Information Act, the Jan Lokpal Bill was the biggest attempt to root out corruption from society.

He said people all over the country gave support to Anna Hazare’s movement.

However, some people associated with the movement had started issuing statements that had left the people perturbed.

He said describing it as the “second war of Independence” was not only unfortunate but also an insult to national leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Shaheed Bhagat Singh who helped the country attain Independence.

He said calling Anna Hazare’s movement as war against corruption was all right, but calling it the second war of Independence was an exaggeration of facts.Sampat Singh said the mere enactment of the Jan Lokpal Bill was no solution, as the provision for completing all investigations in 90 days already existed in the Criminal Procedure Code.

He said even if the provisions of the CrPC were followed properly while investigating cases against corruption, the menace could be controlled to a large extent. 

Sirsa, April 11
The Indian National Lok Dal today organised protests and the party workers staged a dharna against the hike in the collector rates of immovable properties, imposition of house tax and “deterioration” of law and order situation in the state.

The workers of the INLD also demanded a minimum support price of Rs 1,500 per quintal for wheat crop, stating that it was important for farmers.

Hundreds of INLD workers today assembled near the tehsil office in Sirsa and handed over a memorandum of their demands to the authorities. Former MLA Puran Singh Dabra led the agitators.

Addressing the agitating workers, Dabra alleged that corruption had reached its peak during the Congress government in Haryana and it had become difficult for the common people to survive under these conditions.

Padam Jain, district president of the INLD, Amir Chawla, former chairman of the Subordinate Services Selection Board, Krishna Fogat, president of the women’s wing of the INLD, and Advocate Pradeep Mehta were among those present during the protests.

Similar protests were held at Dabwali, Rania, Ellenabad and Kalanwali.

FATEHABAD: The INLD activists staged dharnas and held demonstrations against the hike in collector rates of immovable properties and imposition of house tax in Haryana.

Former MLA Swatantar Bala Chaudhary led the protests in Fatehabad, while former MLA Nishan Singh and Ratia MLA Gian Chand Odh headed the protests at Tohana and Ratia, respectively.

Ram Raj Mehta, Kuljeet Kuleria, Suman Lata Siwach and Balwan Singh Daulatpuria were among those who were present in the dharna today.

SONEPAT: Criticising the state government for increasing the floor rates, the senior INLD leader and former DGP Mahender Singh Malik said today that it was against the interest of the common people, who had already been facing the problems of inflation, corruption and unemployment.

He said this while addressing the party’s office-bearers and activists, who staged a dharna at the tehsil office here today.

The farmers were being looted by acquiring their land at prices far less than the market rates and transferring the acquired land to industrialists and capitalists, playing the role of a property dealer, he alleged.

REWARI: INLD activists staged a demonstration before the district secretariat here today in protest against the hike in collector rates, corruption prevailing in government offices and the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. The protesters raised slogans against the government.

Addressing the demonstrators, district party president Sunil Chaudhary, former zila parishad chief Satish Yadav and former legislator Nafe Singh Rathi flayed the Hooda regime for its “anti-people” policies, which, they alleged, had made life miserable for the citizens.

They demanded immediate withdrawal of the increase in collector rates. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the district administration, which was addressed to the Governor.

Bhiwani, April 11
Convener of the Brahmin Aarakshan and former AICC member Pt Umesh Sharma has sought reservation for the community in the state on the economic criteria.

Addressing a meeting of the local Brahmins at the PWD rest house here today, he said the Chief Minister should take steps to fulfill their demand as Brahmins in the state were still economically backward.

He alleged that the Brahmins were being exploited in the state in every field.

Flaying the modus operandi of the Chief Minister, he alleged that Hooda was discriminating with the Brahmin youth on the issue of government job. Sharma said he was not only demanding reservation for Brahmins, but also for other castes like Punjabis, Agarwals and Rajputs.

Demanding that the Chief Minister should clear his stand on the issue of giving reservation to the Brahmins on the economic basis, Sharma also asked Congress leaders - MP Dr Arvind Sharma, former union minister and MLA Venod Sharma and Speaker of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha Kuldeep Sharma - to clear their stand on the issue. He said political leaders should raise their voice for the Brahmin society setting aside their political interests.

He said the Brahmins would submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner in Bhiwani on April 25 on the reservation issue. District Brahmin Vikas Parishad president Roshan Lal Vashisth and Rashtriya Brahmin Mahasabha district president Sudhir Bhardwaj were also present on the occasion.

Chandigarh, April 11
Teachers having Junior Basic Training (JBT) diploma, who were selected in 2010 and have not yet joined their duty at allotted stations in Haryana, have been asked to join before April 26.

Stating this here yesterday, a spokesman for the Directorate, Elementary Education, Haryana, said the candidates, who had been issued appointment letters, should join their duty during the stipulated period and the candidates who have not yet received their appointment letters could contact the headquarters.

In future, no opportunity for joining the duty would be given to these teachers. In case any teacher failed to join his duty, it would be deemed that he was not interested in joining the duty, he said. — PTI 

Jind, April 11
After the recent tractor rally aimed at winning over farmers and the rural masses, the HJC chief, Kuldeep Bishnoi, today chose to spend time in the fields of two farmers of Dumerkhan village.

He reached the fields of Dalbir Singh and Jasbir Singh at 1.30 pm while they were engaged in harvesting operations. The farmers recognised the HJC leader immediately. They were amazed when Bishnoi declared that he would try his hand at the sickle. Later, he took lunch with the farmers. By then, a large number of local residents had assembled there. They said Bishnoi was the first leader to have reached out to the farmers in this fashion. 

Chandigarh, April 11
In a bid to provide affordable houses with urban facilities in rural areas, the Haryana Housing Board has invited applications for allotment of 142 independent built-up houses of various categories in Sisoth village near Mahendragarh.

Stating this here yesterday, a spokesman for the Housing Board said bona fide residents of Sisoth village were eligible for these houses. The houses would be allotted on hire-purchase basis. He said out of the total houses, 59 were of type 1, while 37 of type II and 46 of type III.

Innovative earthquake resistant design, lush-green area, wide roads, fully developed park, convenient shopping and community centre were the hallmarks of these houses and their locations.

Booking for these houses , which commenced today , would close on May 10. Applications may be obtained from the Housing Board, Panchkula; XEN, Housing Board, Gurgaon; Estate Manager, Haryana Housing Board, Rewari; and Tehsil Office, Mahendragarh, he added. — PTI 

Hisar, April 11
A monetary survey for the Hansi-Rohtak rail link will be conducted soon, said Deepender Hooda, Congress MP from Rohtak today. Talking to mediapersons at Hansi, near here, he said the completion of this section of the track would pave the way for the running of superfast trains, like Shatabdi Express, from Sirsa/Fatehabad to New Delhi.

He said the link had become necessary with the commissioning of the Khedar power plant which required coal transportation on a daily basis.

The MP said Haryana was among the most progressive states in the country, largely owing to the policies of the Congress government. He said with special emphasis on education, the school dropout rate had declined sharply. He later laid the stone of Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra at Ladwa village.

Addressing a public meeting there, he claimed the Hooda government had waived power bills of farmers to the tune of Rs 1,600 crore. — TNS

Hisar, April 11
Hundreds of farmers blocked traffic on the Sirsa road and broke windowpanes of the office of the Market Committee after they failed to get Bt cotton seed here today. .

An official of the Agriculture Department, Sushil Kumar, who reached there to restore order, was roughed up. He was injured in the scuffle. The farmers said they were forced to buy seed from private dealers at high rates Order was restored when the officials began the sale of the seed. — TNS

Sirsa, April 11
On a call given by the All-Haryana PWD Mechanical Workers Union affiliated to the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh, hundreds of workers today staged a demonstration in front of the office of the Superintending Engineer.

Hari Chand Kamboj, state president of the union, alleged that the state government had been ignoring the “legitimate” demands of workers for long.

He said the government had been encouraging privatisation. The union demanded that the decision to give rural water works to village panchayats must be taken back immediately. It also demanded that the services of the ad hoc workers be regularised 

Bhiwani, April 11
Haryana Public Health Minister Kiran Choudhry has said she is aware of the water scarcity in Siwani block and solving the problem is her top priority. “An amount of Rs 7.75 crore has been sanctioned for the development of this area during 2011-12.

I’ll soon meet Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, to get new projects sanctioned for this area,” she said while addressing a public meeting at Siwani in the district today. — OC