Chandigarh, April 10
In a major relief to residents, the state government has decided to shift high-tension (HT) and low-tension (LT) wires within the “lal dora” at its own cost.

A similar privilege has been extended to government schools and parks maintained by any government department and gram panchayat.

However, the beneficiaries living beyond the “lal dora” will have to foot the bill for the shifting of LT and HT lines from their areas, according to an order issued by the Chief General Manager, UHBVN.

“Some confusion has arisen among the field Superintending Engineers (SEs) about the procedure to be adopted for implementation of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s announcements made at various open darbars .The matter was examined to arrive at this decision,” the order said.

With areas within and outside “lal dora” bursting at the seams against the backdrop of a large number of people constructing their houses, the shifting of overhead wires is a major issue.

Construction of thousands of houses below overhead electricity wires posed a major danger to life and property. Earlier, the beneficiaries had to shell out money for the shifting of overhead cables from their houses.

Chandigarh, April 10
Haryana won kudos for diversification and innovation in agriculture and its performance in the Centre’s flagship programmes was applauded as “more than satisfactory”. However, there is a lot more to the unfolding story of a progressive state where challenges are aplenty and they come in key sectors of health, education, research and development (R and D) and power.

At least that’s the observation Union Minister of State for Planning, Science and Technology and Earth Sciences, Dr Ashwani Kumar, made on a visit to Chandigarh where he reviewed the Centre’s flagship programmes and the Plan priorities of the state. The minister’s visit precedes the upcoming visit of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to the Planning Commission in Delhi on April 25 for the Annual Plan discussions.

Terming Haryana’s performance as “satisfactory” in the implementation of the Indira Awas Yojna, the total sanitation campaign, NRHM and MNREGA at a press conference after the review, the minister, accompanied by Hooda, said he had urged the government to stake claim to one of the 14 Innovation Universities to be set up across the country. He also assured help for R and D, a sports university and a cargo airport.

On the issue of better rail connectivity in the interiors of Haryana, he said the government should prepare a report on the subject while he suggested that it should come up with incentives to encourage students to take up science at the post-graduate level.

Kumar said a lot more focus was needed the high infant mortality rate (IMR), the maternal mortality rate (MMR), the gender disparity in literacy as also gender ratio. The Chief Minister, too, explained at length the efforts of the state government to address gender issues by way of increased stipends to girl students, incentives to parents of girl children and the initiatives in health, including free medicines and reasonably priced surgery packages.

Agriculture

Maintaining that the state was moving in the right direction with horticulture and establishment of cold chains, the minister said the challenge was to sustain not only high productivity but to conserve soil and check water-level depletion. He said R and D must be focussed on agriculture by investment in bio-technology and genetic engineering.

Industry

Kumar stated that industry distribution was concentrated in particular pockets and that Haryana got most of its income from the National Capital Region. He was quick to add that the state’s Industrial Policy of 2011 would ensure an even spread.

Power

Claiming that it presented the biggest challenge, he said the government had taken steps for capacity-building with new plants. While 50 per cent of the supply came from this in-house capacity, 10-15 per cent supply came from independent power suppliers while the rest is contracted power.

Health and Education

The state’s poor health record in terms of a high IMR and MMR and a low gender ratio besides the difference in percentage of literacy between males and females, almost 18.61 per cent, were among the key issues the government needs to address, he said.

Yamunanagar, April 10
The mining mafia thrashed the naib tehsildar of Chichroli Anand Rao this morning when he attempted to check illegal mining in the Yamuna. Members of the mafia tried to run a tractor over Rao.

Sources said the district administration received information that some people were doing illegal mining in the Yamuna. Naib Tehsildar Anand Rao was asked to rush to the site. On reaching the site, Rao was attacked by people engaged in illegal mining. Rao sustained minor injuries.

The Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police then rushed there. Members of the mining mafia managed to flee. It was not the first incident of its kind. Earlier, too, the mining mafia had attacked officials when they prevented them from illegal mining. The police has registered a case against around 12 people under various sections of the IPC.

On the direction of the Supreme Court, the state government has banned mining in rivers. Recently the police and the Mining Department had launched a joint campaign against the mining mafia and had taken several vehicles of the mafia in its possession on the charge of illegal mining. 

Panchkula, April 10
About 800 artistes from different states of the country will present fusion of art in a single show to be organised on the inaugural day of the silver jubilee celebrations of the Zonal Cultural Centres to be held at the Sector 5 parade ground here from April 13.

Prof Bansi Kaul, creative director of the show, said these artistes would present the show without changing their cultural identity and art form on the 150-foot wide stage. He said artistes from about 29 states would participate in the show and each state would present at least one native art form.

Professor Kaul said more than 2,000 renowned artistes from the country would enthral the audience during the four-day festival. The infrastructure of the artisan village spans seven hubs encompassing a rare spectrum of cultural art and heritage of all states.

DS Saroya, director, North Zone Cultural Centre, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would inaugurate the four-day mega cultural programme in the presence of Sonia Gandhi, UPA chairperson and chief guest at the function.

Yamunanagar, April 10
A worker of an aluminum utensil manufacturing factory at Jagadhari died while another was seriously injured when the furnace of the factory burst. The roof of the factory was damaged in the incident.

The deceased was identified as Mohammad Naushad, a resident of UP. Mohammad Irshad was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.

Sources said there was a blast in the furnace of S R Aluminum located on Durga Garden Road this morning. The factory is situated in a residential locality of Jagadhari. About five workers were present in the factory at that time. Two workers sustained serious burn injuries.

While Mohammad Naushad died on the way to the civil hospital, the injured worker was sent to the PGI, Chandigarh.

Senior officers of the Labour Department, forensic experts and police officials reached the factory.