Panipat, February 8
Power Minister Ajay Singh Yadav here today announced that the state power utilities were in the process of setting up of 17 substations in the district to strengthen the transmission and distribution system.

The minister who was here to lay the foundation stones of five 33 KV substations at various villages across the district, said nine of these would be energised during the year 2012-13 while the rest would be commissioned within a span of three years.

Addressing public meetings at Chhadiya Yusufpur, Dehra, Atta, Machhrauli and Babail villages, the minister said that the government was aware of the load growth in the National Capital Region (NCR) and efforts were on to augment power infrastructure accordingly to meet the power requirements.

He said 132 KV substations were being constructed at Kabri, Seekh and Industrial Estate, Panipat. In addition 33 KV substations were being brought up at Babarpur, Haldana, Nohra, Noorpur Muglan, Industrial Area Model Town, Sonoli Kalan, Seekh, Old Industrial Area and mini-secretariat, which had already been approved by the government.

He said under the ambitious plan to strengthen the network, an investment of Rs 100 crore was being made to create new substations, augment capacity of existing substations, erect new transmission lines, bifurcate overloaded feeders, add new distribution transformers and replace worn out cable.

Yadav said the existing capacity of 132 KV substations at Bega and Industrial Estate Panipat and 33 KV substations at Bapauli, Ahar, Jatal, Dahar, Sonoli Road, and Sector 13-17, Panipat, had also been approved. Encouraging timely payment of electricity bills, the minister said the government had planned to supply extra power to those villages, which make minimum 80 per cent payment of their bills and install electronic metres as per the policy.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to make the state power surplus, he said 2,200 MW of additional power would be made available by the end of this year and the target to add 5,000 MW power would be also achieved in the stipulated time frame.

Chandigarh, February 8
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today made it clear that the Bench was going deep into the police probe in the Jat reservation violence. It summoned the case diaries of 39 FIRs registered by the police in the matter.

The Bench, headed by Justice MM Kumar, also directed the production of the case record before the High Court on the next date of hearing in the matter.

The Bench has already made it clear that the endeavour of the court was to bring maximum number of accused to trial in the Jat reservation violence. On the previous date of hearing, the High Court had called for the details of steps initiated to apprehend and detain the yet-to-be-arrested accused.

The High Court had also called for the number of accused presently facing trial. The directions come more than a year after a mob turned unruly during a reservation rally in Hisar.

Haryana Joint Secretary (Home) VP Vats, through an affidavit, had recently informed the court that 39 criminal cases under various sections of the IPC, Arms Act, and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, had been registered at various police stations.

Panipat, February 8
Finding it hard to challenge a petition of the RBI in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the verdict of the Central Information Commission (CIC) in which the bank was asked to make public names of top-100 industrialists who had defaulted on the repayment of loans, RTI activist PP Kapoor has sought help from social crusaders, including Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev, to fight the case in the High Court.

Kapoor, who had used the RTI Act as an effective tool to make the CIC direct the RBI to reveal the names of top-100 bank loan defaulters of the country, said the financial constrains being face by him were proving to be a deterrent to bringing to the fore the bank loan defaulters’ names. He said the RBI could move the High Court against the CIC verdict, but challenging it was beyond his financial resources.

In November, the CIC had directed the RBI to make public the names of top-100 industrialists of the country who had defaulted on huge loans sought from nationalised banks by December 31.

However, the RBI moved the High Court against the verdict on the grounds that the information regarding the loan defaulters was held by the RBI in “judiciary capacity” and the same could not be disclosed under Section 8 (1)(a) and (c) of the RTI Act of 2005.

Kapoor said the issue relating to bank loan defaulters was a serious one. He said the gravity of the situation could be gauged from the fact that the RBI was all out to hold back the defaulters’ name and even went to court to challenge the verdict of the CIC.

He said if the loans that were believed to have been “embezzled” by the industrial houses enjoying considerable political backing were brought back to the main stream economy, it could not only help check inflation but also strengthen the financial standing of the country.

Chandigarh, February 8
Haryana has urged the Central Government to emphasis on research in the agriculture sector as a genetic breakthrough in crops is a must for a quantum jump in production.

The appeal was made by Haryana Minister of State for Agriculture Sukhbir Kataria while speaking at the two-day conference on the Targeted Public Distribution System in Delhi today.

Kataria said high-yielding and disease-resistant varieties of pulse crops should be developed in a time-bound manner. Dwarf high-yielding short-duration varieties of “arhar” were urgently required.

Also, good varieties needed to be promoted for large-scale adoption through increased availability of their seeds, he said.

The development of terminal heat and yellow resistant varieties was needed to improve the production of wheat on a sustainable basis. High-yielding varieties and hybrids responsive to biotic and abiotic stresses must be developed in case of rice, pulses and maize, he added.

The National Food Security Mission (NFSM) on wheat was started in select districts of the wheat-producing states by the Union Ministry of Agriculture to increase the production of wheat by eight million tonnes by the end of the 11th Plan. Only those districts having wheat productivity lower than the state average were included in the NFSM.

Barna (Kurukshetra), February 8
The Prime Minister of Mauritius, Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam, today called upon politicians to work as servants of people. “Politics should be based on principles and convictions and its only motive should be to serve the people.”

Addressing a rural gathering after inaugurating the new block at Prabhu Dayal Polytechnic, Barna, he said politicians should strive for the uplift of the down-trodden.

Underlining the importance of the massage of the Bhagawadgita, Dr Ramgoolam urged the people to imbibe its message in their lives.

He said his father Sewoo Sagar Ramgoolam, the first Prime Minister of Mauritius, had told him to enter politics only if he had love for the poor and zeal to work for them.

“I had been doing all this to work for the welfare of my people and will rededicate myself in their service after returning from the Holy Land of Mahabharata,” he added.

The visiting Prime Minister said during his visit to Kurukshetra as the leader of the opposition on February 11, 2004, he had vowed to return as the Prime Minister. He expressed his gratitude to the god for his blessings.

Kurukshetra, February 8
President Pratibha Devisingh Patil today made a strong plea for quality education “at all levels” for constructive and productive channelling of vast energy and enthusiasm of the youth.

Delivering her address at the 29th Convocation of Kurukshetra University here, she said: “India has a large proportion of young population and their ideas and innovations should be tapped for the betterment of society. The vast energy of the youth and their enthusiasm must be guided into constructive and productive work.”

Highlighting the importance of education, she said: “It gives intellectual strength and other skills to earn a livelihood and live with dignity. Knowledge has been accorded high importance by all societies, as it helps in deeper understanding of the world and oneself.”

“Education should also make you realise that you need to work with others with a spirit of co-operation, tolerance and understanding to build a harmonious world,” she asserted.

“Human beings stand at the centre of creative thinking and of ideas, which can bring many changes of head and heart, material and spiritual.”

Chandigarh, February 8
Come March and Haryana will have a new Chief Minister, a Cabinet and a Speaker besides a new-look Vidhan Sabha for a year. No, flash elections are not on the cards. Rather, Haryana is set to form a state chapter of the Indian Youth Parliament with a one-year term.

The Haryana Vidhan Sabha in collaboration with a Pune-based NGO, Indian Youth Parliament, has decided to organise a two-day session of Youth Parliament on March 17 and 18 at Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, in which around 1,500 students from all colleges will participate.

Eminent personalities from different spheres will be invited to deliver lectures during the Youth Parliament. Cultural programmes will be organised on both days. The students will also be given kits of books during the session.

At least 90 students drawn from various districts of the state and different colleges will be selected to meet at the Haryana Vidhan Sabha. There they will not only organise themselves into various groups but also choose a Chief Minister, Speaker and an entire Cabinet from amongst themselves.

“We will have a question and answer session and discussion on issues that impact the state to give the students a feel of the way the Vidhan Sabha functions,” says Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kuldeep Sharma.

The idea of organising mock parliament sessions came to him during his four-nation tour to attend the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in London last year. He wished to replicate the idea of youth parliament in Haryana.

Disclosing the programme for the two-day session at Kurukshetra, Sharma said the Haryana Vidhan Sabha had sent out invites to various political leaders and experts in the subjects of environment, social studies, agriculture and economy, besides prominent sportspersons, including cricketer Kapil Dev and boxer Vijernder Singh.

“We are trying to get youth leaders for the sessions. While Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will inaugurate the Youth Parliament session, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar is expected to open the proceedings on the second day,” he said.

Representatives of students from 80 aided and 80 government colleges, besides all universities, have been invited. In all, 550 institutions across the state will be involved in the exercise.

“Our aim is to invite young professionals and students to organise these mock sessions. This will give us an insight into how they foresee the future, their expectations of us and their vision for a prosperous nation,” Sharma said.

Kadarpur (Gurgaon), February 8
With the establishment of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Intelligence School inaugurated by Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram at the CRPF Academy here today a new dimension was added to the country’s largest central armed police force.

The CRPF will now have its own integrated intelligence set up from the Directorate to unit level designated to provide a vertical and seamless flow of intelligence in the force. Faculty members from the Border Security Force (BSF), the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), Military Intelligence and the CBI will train the CRPF personnel.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has recently sanctioned 468 posts for the school. Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Chidambaram noted that the role of the CRPF had significantly changed from maintaining law and order to counter-insurgency in J&K, the Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) areas and North-Eastern states. The minister maintained that although intelligence collection was the task of the IB and the state police personnel, the intelligence set up of the CRPF was designated to collect specific intelligence within the ambit of the CRPF’s role like counter-insurgency and Naxalism.

“Intelligence gathering plays a crucial role in combating Naxalism and insurgency,” he added and appreciated the CRPF for being on the frontline in maintaining internal security. In his welcome address, K Vijay Kumar, CRPF Director-General, thanked the Home Minister for sanctioning the school and his support towards expanding the training institutions and infrastructure of the force.

He asserted that all this would enable the CRPF to work in a more professional manner. PM Nair, CRPF Additional DG (Operations), made a presentation on the intelligence set up of the force.

Chidambaram also inaugurated a hospital at the CRPF Group Centre in Kadarpur, launched the website of the CRPF Academy, Kadarpur.

Karnal, February 8
About 1,500 students of Government Women College today blocked the Railway Road and raised slogans against the college administration for increasing fine five times for not attending the classes. The girls returned to the college after sometime but continued raising slogans inside the college premises for several hours, demanding remission of fine.

The agitating girls alleged that a fine for being absent from a class had been increased to Rs 5 from Rs 1, which was exorbitant and unaffordable.

The protesting girls demanded that the fine imposed on them should be remitted and the quantum of fine should be reverted back to Rs 1 per class. There was no justification in charging Rs 5 per for missing a class and the administration should see reasons, the girls said.

However, principal Mahavir Nain said the decision to increase the fine from Rs 1 to Rs 5 was taken at the level of the government and the college was charging the fine as per the rule. The matter could be looked into and students could be given relief, he added. 

Sonepat, February 8
The opening of Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College and Hospital at Khanpur Kalan village was a noble effort of the Haryana Government for prodding the best possible medical facilities to people in the rural areas. Haryana has taken a lead in imparting medical education to girls as it is the third medical college for girls in the country.

This was stated by Delhi Health Minister Dr AK Walia while talking to mediapersons after visiting the hospital and college premises yesterday. This medical complex had become a matter of discussion among people who don’t belong to Haryana as patients from outside the state were coming to this hospital for treatment.

“I never thought this kind of college and hospital can be set up in the rural areas to provide modern treatment facilities almost free of cost,” he said and added that the Delhi Government would also try to provide such medical facilities in the rural areas in Delhi.

He remarked that this college and hospital was matching with any leading corporate hospital in the matter of medical facilities and it would be right to call it a “Rural Medicity”.

Dr RC Siwach, director of the hospital and college, said construction of the infrastructure had almost been completed in a record time of two years and after commissioning of the hospital on trial basis on September 1 last year, the average daily OPD had crossed over 500 by the end of January this year.

The target was to upgrade the hospital up to 500-bed capacity and the classes in the medical college were likely to be started from the coming academic session, he said and added that the state government had provided liberal financial assistance for this institution.

Kurukshetra, February 8
President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, who holds the highest constitutional office in the country, hoisted the largest national flag atop a 207-foot- tall flagpole at Brahma Sarovar here today.

The President unfurled the 90-foot-long and 60-foot-wide Tricolour amidst thunderous applause by people and the singing of the National Anthem.

The function was organised by the Flag Foundation of India, headed by the MP from Kurukshetra, Navin Jindal, which has already hoisted national flags on 207-foot-tall flagpoles at nine places - Jaipur, Bangaluru, Vijay Nagar, Kaithal, Ladwa, Hisar and Sonepat.

The President watched an 11-minute audio-visual presentation on “Virat Swaroop” of Lord Krishna, underlining the importance of “karma” to Arjuna and persuading him to fight the battle to protect “dharma”.

She also went round the scene depicting an injured Bhisham Pitamah lying on a bed of arrows.

Sirsa, February 8
It was a special day for differently-abled children, when many of them witnessed the fighter aircrafts, the runway from where they takeoff and land and the systems that control the flights for the first time in their lives.

As many as 72 differently-abled children with hearing and speaking impairment from the local RKJ Shravan Vani Viklang Kendra today visited the Air Force Station, Sirsa, and saw the functioning of the force. Wing Commander NK Chabba took the children to various spots in the Air Force Station and showed them various installations.

He informed the children about the basic functions of the Air Force and the manner its personnel maintain the aircrafts. The children were shown the MIG-21 fighter aircrafts, the runway, the systems governing the flights, the safety measures to be followed and other basic information about the flights.

Air Force officers also informed the children about the manner in which the fighter aircrafts were kept in safe positions during emergency times. Though the children were not able to express their happiness at the visit, their eyes spoke of their excitement.

Hisar, February 8
The samples of flavouring agents collected by the Drug Control officers from a local hookah bar have been found to contain nicotine.

An official spokesperson said here today that samples were collected from various establishments in the city and as many as 60 samples of flavouring agents manufactured and supplied by a Mumbai-based company were found positive for nicotine.

He said a team of officials had been sent to Mumbai for further inquiries and the company had been served a show-cause notice.

The samples had been collected in view of the directive of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to shut down all hookah bars serving flavouring agents containing nicotine. He said several bars were raided yesterday and action had been initiated against their owners.

Hisar, February 8
A drug store at Asrawan village was raided and sealed after it was found that it was operating without a valid licence. The owner of the store was arrested.

Meanwhile, drug control officers raided drug and chemist shops across the district yesterday and collected samples of drugs suspected to contain banned drugs.

The owner of a drug store in the Nagori gate area here was arrested after he was found selling banned drugs.

An official spokesman said the owner had also sold a customer drugs without prescription by a qualified doctor.

Raids were also conducted on chemist shops in Adampur, near here, and several samples of drugs were collected.

Sirsa, February 8
The police today arrested an accused, who was declared a proclaimed offender (PO) by a court, after he jumped bail granted by the court in a case of robbery. Subhash of Fatehabad was arrested in a case of robbery on May 30, 2006. 

He was released on a bail, but never turned up in the court again and was declared as PO on January 10, 2012. In other cases, the police has arrested eight persons for gambling and six others for betting. — TNS