Ambala, May 21
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today led state Congressmen in paying tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on the latter’s 20th death anniversary.

Speaking at a function organised by Ambala MLA and former Union Minister Venod Sharma to mark the death anniversary of Rajiv, Hooda lauded the farsightedness of the late Prime Minister in promoting information technology. He said when Rajiv introduced computers in the country in a big way, his opponents used to mislead the people by saying that it would minimise jobs. But today computers generated large-scale employment not only within India but also abroad.

Hooda announced that as a tribute to the departed leader who stood for women empowerment, the state government would set up a women’s college at Ambala City. He said a total of Rs 1,330 crore had been spent on the development of Ambala district ever since he assumed office in 2005.

Apprising Hooda of the problems of the people of the area, Venod Sharma thanked him for sanctioning a bus stand and a railway overbridge in Ambala City and resolving the problem of drinking water, sewerage and drainage in the town.

SIRSA: To commemorate the death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, the Sirsa parliamentary unit of the Youth Congress today organised blood donation camps in five Assembly segments - Sirsa, Dabwali, Tohana, Rania and Ellenabad. Sirsa MP and AICC secretary Ashok Tanwar inaugurated the camps at all the five towns.

Paying tributes to Rajiv Gandhi, Tanwar said India owed several revolutionary steps like making the country an IT power, strengthening the panchayati raj institutions, promoting technical education and reducing the voting age from 21 years to 18 years to him.

HPCC state executive members Gobind Kanda and Hoshiari Lal Sharma organised meetings in their respective offices to pay tributes to Rajiv Gandhi.

FATEHABAD: The District Congress Committee organised a meeting in the Shri Sobh Raj Batra Dharamshala to pay homage to Rajiv Gandhi on Saturday. Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prahlad Singh Gillankhera and District Congress President Randhir Singh paid tributes to the former Prime Minister.

KAITHAL: On the occasion of the death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi, Industries and PWD Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala distributed cheques for Rs 4.37 crore to about 500 beneficiaries under various poverty-alleviation schemes.

SONEPAT: Tributes were paid to Rajiv Gandhi at a programme organised by the District Congress Committee at Congress Bhawan here on Saturday. DCC (Urban) president Pradeep Gautam led Congress workers in paying homage to the late leader. 

Nilokheri (Karnal), May 21
The Haryana Government Polytechnic Lecturers Welfare Association today called off its strike and resumed examination duties following an agreement with the government. The joint action committee of the association held discussions with financial commissioner Ajit Mohan Saran and an agreement was reached.

Though all demands had not been accepted, an agreement had been reached on the issue of higher grade pay and two advance increments to lecturers who have done MTech, MPhil and PhD, Parminder Mann, president of the association, said.

The lecturers had been boycotting the examinations that commenced on May 16. Though the government had made alternate arrangements to conduct the examinations, it did not work well.

The JAC members said the government had agreed to give time-bound higher grade pay to lecturers and workshop superintendent in the grade of Rs 8,000-13,500 against the existing grade pay of Rs 5,400 in pay band II. The grade pay would be Rs 6,000 after six years and Rs 7,600 after 12 years in pay band-III and in pay band-IV grade pay would be Rs 8,000 after 17 years and Rs 8,700 after 20 years (limited to 15 per cent of the cadre strength).

Similarly, senior lecturers in the scale of Rs 10,000-13,500 in pay band-III would be given grade pay of Rs 7,600 after six years, grade pay of Rs 8,000 after 11 years in pay band-IV and grade pay of Rs 8,700 after 14 years (limited to the cadre strength) instead of the existing grade pay of Rs 6,000.

Principals in the scale of Rs 13,500-17,250 plus 200 (special pay) in pay band-III with grade pay of Rs 8,000 would be placed in pay band-IV with grade pay of Rs 8,700 at the entry level (without any special pay). Additional Director Principal would also be placed in the pay scale of Rs 13,500-17,250 in pay band-IV with grade pay of Rs 8,700 and special pay of Rs 300.

The grade pay for workshop instructor and foreman in pay band-II would be increased from Rs 4,200 to Rs 4,600 while junior librarian would get a grade pay of Rs 3,300 instead of the existing grade pay of Rs 3,200. 

Karnal, May 21
Admitting that the agriculture sector is reeling under a shortage of scientists, the Chairman of the Agriculture Scientists Recruitment Board, CD Mayee, said today that 300 vacancies of scientists would be advertised soon.

Speaking on the concluding day of the fifth national seminar on “Multi-sectoral innovations for rural prosperity” at National Dairy Research Institute here, he said there was a 20 per cent shortage of scientists in the country and said by October-end, the process to recruit scientists would commence.

About 300 scientists would be recruited in different agri streams like crop science, horticulture, fisheries, agriculture engineering and extension through the Agriculture Research Service Examination.

Mayee said the prosperity of the nation lay in the well-being of the rural sector and it was unfortunate that in spite of innovative ideas and zeal, farmers were unable to transform their ideas into something concrete.

He said a technological boost was the need of the hour to increase farm production.

Various schemes for the welfare of the farmers were not reaching them due to lack of communication. He exhorted the farmers to come on a common platform to share their accomplishments and problems.

NDRI Director AK Srivastava said the purpose of these seminars was to enable the farmers to share their experiences, which helped in the formulation of new guidelines.

However, V Raj, who was part of the paramedical staff, said it was unfortunate that just a handful of farmers were seen in a seminar on rural prosperity and honouring scientists won’t benefit the farmers who were not even aware of the research being conducted in their field.

Jind, May 21
INLD workers will hold a demonstration at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on May 24 in protest against the recent hike in the prices of petrol. It will seek a rollback in the petrol price hike.

Stating this, district president of the INLD Surender Singh Barwala said here today that the UPA government had “backstabbed” the masses by raising the petrol prices immediately after the polls in five states. He dared the government to go in for a mid-term poll claiming that voters would give a befitting reply as they were fed up with the “anti-people” policies of the Centre and the state government.

The INLD leader alleged failure of the state government on various fronts and claimed that the law and order situation in the state was bad. He cited the recent firing incident at the PGIMS to buttress his claim. — TNS

Sirsa, May 21
Judges of the local district courts visited senior citizens at the Kasturba Gandhi old-age home here today.

District and Sessions Judge Shiva Sharma and Chief Judicial Magistrate Naresh Singhal spent time with senior citizens, asked their problems and offered fruits to them. Inmates told the judges that they had to face hardships in getting their old-age pension. They alleged that they have to wait for hours under the sun, but many a time they have to return empty-handed, as the officials fail to keep the date.

Senior citizens told the judges that almost all inmates had one or the other health problem because of their old age, but they alleged that they were not treated well in government hospitals and had to wait for long for their turn.

Sharma said he would write to the authorities concerned to ensure the distribution of pension of inmates at the old-age home itself.

He also said he would approach the authorities to ensure that government doctors visited senior citizen homes at regular intervals to examine the inmates.

He said judges would visit such homes monthly and send their report to the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Faridabad, May 21
In the wake of public outrage against shortage of potable water, the Municipal Corporation, Faridabad, has pressed into service 200 more tankers per day this summer to augment the supply to the areas facing water shortage.

D Suresh, commissioner, MCF, said presently 150 water tankers were being used every day to augment water supply within the limits of the civic body. However, the number would be increased shortly. Each tanker had a carrying capacity of 5,000 litres, he added.

The national norm prescribes for supply of 135 LPCD (litre-per capita-per day) to each person. The present supply, however, on an average is 90 LPCD in the jurisdictional limits of the MCF.

On a macro level, the city needs a total of 250 MLD (million-litre-per-day) against which the present supply was only 160 MLD. The authorities concerned have decided to come down heavily on persons indulging in illegal sale of water. The MCF has started regularising tubewells, which were running illegally.

According to the commissioner, action will be taken against those who have set up tubewells on the government land and indulging in commercialisation of water.

Panipat, May 21
Naveen Jindal, MP, yesterday hoisted the Tricolour on a 100-foot-tall pole atop the mini-secretariat here.

Jindal has been unfurling the national flag on tall poles to promote national pride among the citizens.

The MP was accompanied by Minister for Tourism and Transport Om Prakash Jain, local legislator Balbir Pal Shah and a number of senior party leaders.

This was the 14th national flag hoisted at a height of 100 feet by the National Flag Foundation, an NGO run by Jindal. The foundation has already put up six national flags at a height of 206 feet and 13 at a height of 100 feet across the northern region.