Chandigarh, April 11
While major parts of Haryana will be reeling under scheduled power cuts during the summer season, public utilities, defence establishments, educational institutions and the Railways will be spared that ordeal.

Under a new policy by the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), scheduled cuts, load restrictions and peak load restrictions will not be imposed on the essential feeders serving public utilities and other specified departments. However, these power consumers must have their own independent feeder on 11 KV or above voltage for qualifying under essential loads/services category, the new policy says.

The public utilities falling under this category include water works, water treatment plants, boosting stations, disposal works of all government deparments, including public health, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), urban civic bodies and offices of the government power utilities. Government hospitals, government medical institutions, universities and National Institutes of Technology (NITs) will also be covered under this category.

Sources said the Railways, the defence establishments, including the Military Engineering Services (MES), the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), lift irrigation schemes of the Irrigation Department, All India Radio and Doordarshan kendras, oil refineries, their pumping units and LPG refilling stations, Post and Telegraph establishments such as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited, civil secretariat, circuit houses and jails will have relief from power cuts.

A senior government functionary said the power utilities had come out with a new policy as these organisations performed essential services. The uninterrupted power supply would go a long way in providing efficient round-the-clock services to the public, he added.

With the power demand rising in summer on account of fans, coolers and air-conditioners, Haryana faces a large demand and supply gap.

Rohtak, April 11
Even as officials have announced that they are prepared to hold the three-day film festival here from tomorrow featuring various films, the opposition from the Chaubisi khap panchayat regarding the move to screen the controversial “Khap” movie appears to have resulted in a kind of uncertainty over such a move. This will be the first-of-its kind event in the district after the start of the state-level Film and Television Institute here. The authorities have announced screening of 26 films in this festival.

While the officials concerned announced that the films to be screened during the programme include Haryanavi film “Laado”, Bollywood movies “Haasil”, “Lahore” “Stanely ka Dibba” and some English movies, including “Son of Babylon” and the “The Great Dictator”. One of the latest flick titles “Pan Singh Tomar”, which was released recently and directed by Tigmansu would also be screened.

The officials have been tighlipped over the screening of the controversial film “Khap” at the festival that would go on till April 15. 

Chandigarh, April 11
Sampat Singh, who was once among senior leaders of the INLD and a part of its think tank before he joined the Congress ahead of the last Assembly elections in the state, is fast emerging as the chief spokesman of the ruling party.

Whether inside or outside the Assembly, Sampat Singh, who is now Congress MLA from Nalwa, is always in the forefront when it comes to taking on the Opposition in general and the INLD in particular. It is little wonder that he fits the old cliché “best of friends make the worst of enemies” to the T.

Recently, he joined issue with the Opposition on the proposed Gorakhpur nuclear plant in Fatehabad district. With the support of documents, he criticised the HJC and the INLD for opposing the plant when their founder leaders, Bhajan Lal and Devi Lal, had demanded such a plant for the state when they were Chief Ministers of the state.

He then took on the opposition parties for criticising the hike in power tariff, but did little when the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission had heard objections to the proposed hike.

Today again Sampat Singh came to the defence of the government on the issue of rising debt. Defending the government, Sampat Singh said the debt of the government was within limits and there was no need for concern about income and development.

He said the main point of consideration was whether the debt was adding to infrastructure development and giving an impetus to trade and business, industrial development and income generation in the state. All these indicators, he said, were in favour of the government. The improved financial position of Haryana was due to the “intuitive and long-term policies” of the state government. The unprecedented industrial development and massive infrastructure building in Haryana were pointers towards a strong financial position, he added.

He said during the current year, 41.35 per cent of the total expenditure would be incurred on social sector, social justice, education, health services and drinking water. For infrastructure development, irrigation, power, roads and road transport 28.66 per cent of the total expenditure would be incurred. On the other hand, the INLD had only spent 21.80 per cent on the social sector and 17.14 per cent on infrastructure development in 2004-05. He said 44.24 per cent was spent on loan and interest repayment during the INLD’s tenure whereas only 26.56 per cent would be spent in 2012-13.

He said the Congress government had registered 230 per cent increase in the gross state domestic product whereas it was only 114 per cent in the INLD tenure. Similarly, the per capita income had more than doubled under the present government. Increase in income tax collection also indicated a better financial position. The increase in income tax collection in Haryana was more than Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and HP. 

“Education and culture should not be treated as profit-making propositions alone,” feels Pandit Jasraj, noted vocalist, who was conferred the honorary D Litt degree for his outstanding contribution in the field of Hindustani classical music by Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, on Monday. Ironically, in the constituency of the Chief Minister, where the Sangeet Martandya was honoured for his contribution to music, several institutions are closing down teaching of music and dance, under the guidelines stipulated by the director-general, higher education, Haryana. A minimum number of 25 students are required to continue a course in colleges and universities, under the stipulated guidelines. Though the number required has been brought down substantially from 40, for subjects like performing arts and classical languages like Sanskrit, getting 25 students is a challenge, especially in small towns.

On the request of students and teachers of music, Pandit Jasraj made an appeal to the Chief Minister of Haryana. “Our culture is spreading its wings globally, that is a good thing, but in our own schools and colleges teaching of music is being stopped. I have asked the Chief Minister to find a way so that the universities do not bear losses, at the same time our culture could also grow. He has assured me, he will look into the matter,” says the vocalist who was born in a small village of Haryana, Pili Mandori in Hisar district in an orthodox Brahmin family. His father, Pandit Motiram, had died the day he was appointed the court musician of Osman Ali Khan, when Panditji was just four. Under the guidance of his older brother, Pandit Maniram, Panditji took the gayaki of Mewati gharana to new heights. Unfortunately, in the state of his birth, one does not find even a music academy named after either the great vocalist or his gharana. “A park is named after me in my village,” quips the legendary vocalist, who researched and revived the Haveli Sangeet.

“If the government wants, it can do a lot. Now I am an old batsman, I can’t play a fresh inning. If they create an institution, I can contribute to it. There was a time when I had asked for land, now, even if they allot land, who will run around for money? Though, I feel, some private bodies like the Haryana Institute of Fine Arts (HIFA), who have a vision for culture are doing commendable work,” he adds. Forever an optimist, Panditji adds, “Few years ago Om Prakash Chautala honoured 70 eminent persons from Haryana in Mumbai. Out of these, 50 were from the film industry, which proves Haryanvis do not lack talent in performing arts, they need opportunity.”

Incidentally, in his characteristic way, Panditji quips, he could not prepare as many shagirds (students) in a life time as the government expects a teacher to prepare in a year, something the state government should pay heed to. 

Chandigarh, April 11
Ace lawn tennis player and a Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna awardee, Leander Paes, will be the sports ambassador of Haryana. This decision was taken at a meeting held between Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Paes here today.

The decision is in perfect sync with the avowed objective of the Haryana Government to promote sports in the state. Paes will motivate the youth to take up sports as a career. He will also set up a sports centre on a PPP (Public-Private Partnership) model in the national capital region of Haryana, land for which will be provided by the state government. Besides, Paes will also help the Sports Department in developing a better sports infrastructure and put in place state-of-the-art training facilities for sportspersons of Haryana. The Haryana Government had yesterday signed an MoU with the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association to train its players in the presence of the Chief Minister and Paes.

Incidentally, the state government is celebrating this year as the 'Year of Youth'. Many Haryana players have recently brought laurels to the state.

Having won seven doubles and six mixed doubles Grand Slam titles and finishing as runner-up in numerous other Grand Slam finals, Paes is considered to be one of the greatest and most respected contemporary doubles and mixed doubles players in the world. 

Panipat, April 11
The district police today arrested a Punjab cop who was trying to ferry 1.21 kg of smack into Punjab, the market value of which was pegged at Rs 1.25 crore. The accused, Major Singh, is a constable posted at Sadar police station in Tarn Taran district.

Deepak Kumar, in charge CIA-1, said Major Singh was arrested at a local bus stand this morning when some police personnel present on the spot got suspicious of his activities and searched his bag. The policemen found a bag that contained white powder and immediately informed the matter to the senior officials of the department following which he was placed under arrest.

He said the a case under various sections of the NDPC Act had been registered against Major Singh, who confessed that he had bought the smack from Vijay of Shamgarh village in Mandsaur District of Madhya Pradesh.

Deepak said the investigators were still interrogating the accused to extract more information, which could enable the police to bust the entire drug nexus.