|
|
|
|
|
Power crisis worsens, courtesy technical snags
HONDH-CHILLAR MASSACRE
‘Female foeticide’ |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
‘Enforce’ safety norms to prevent borewell mishaps
List steps taken to avert borewell tragedies: HC
IAS officer earns HC ire
Delayed rains hit kharif crops’ sowing
Canal breach submerges crops
Team Anna to continue fight for Jan Lokpal
Two youths drown in canal
|
|
Power crisis worsens, courtesy technical snags
Chandigarh, July 2 With the Hooda government at its wits end to resolve the crisis posed by the record peak summer demand, only the monsoon seems to be the panacea for power woes. Officials said the daily demand was 1,500-1,600 lakh units. On an average, the state has been facing a daily shortage of 250-300 lakh units forcing the power utilities to go in for unscheduled power cuts. The technical snags have made the power situation worse this season. The 600-MW thermal unit at Khedar and 660-MW unit at Jhajjar have been temporarily shut due to technical faults. The forced outage of two 300-MW units at Yamunanagar and one 600-MW Khedar unit due to turbine faults have forced the power utilities to impose power cuts. Another 660-MW thermal unit at Jhajjar, which was not operating due to coal problem began generation last evening. It was again closed after one hour for 10 days due to coal handling problems. The power crisis has persisted despite the fact that the state overdrew a record 250 lakh units from the northern grid at Rs 4.47 per unit
yesterday. Power
pangs
Ambala
Residents of Ambala have been facing long unscheduled power cuts for the past one month, which had made their life miserable. They have been getting uninterrupted power supply hardly for 10 hours daily. Anil Vij, MLA, Ambala Cantonment, said the government had promised 24-hour power supply but the situation had deteriorated over the years. Entrepreneur Anil Jain said the erratic power supply had badly affected the production of industrial units. Rajinder Nath, another industrialist, alleged that some of the industrial units of Ambala had shifted to Himachal Pradesh due to lack of basic amenities, including power. The paddy transplantation season has commenced but the power supply to agriculture is not more then five hours daily. Karnal
Notwithstanding the claims of the Electricity Department to supply power for at least 20 hours per day to urban domestic consumers, 16 hours supply to industry, 10 hours to rural domestic consumers and eight hours to agriculturists. Protests and road blockades by consumers has become the order of the day. Manish of Subhash Gate said we had six hours scheduled power cuts but the supply was erratic as the Power Department staff blamed it on overloading and technical snags. Residents blocked a road at Sitamai for four hours. At Pundrak, farmers gheraoed a power house at Tarauri for half an hour on Monday. Hisar
In Hisar, residents have been reeling under long power cuts ever since the advent of summer. The unscheduled power cuts have also upset the water supply schedules as the water works are dependent on power supply. Industrial production has been declining even though many units use diesel generating sets despite the fact that these sets push up production costs. Panipat
In Panipat, the demand has touched 260 lakh units a day while the supply has not been more than 200 lakh units, sources said. With shortage of power, the production in the handloom industry has been hit. In fact, the domestic and the farming sectors have also not been spared of the long unscheduled power cuts. FARIDABAD
Reeling under long power cuts, residents are apparently unhappy with the authorities. Although the power problem started a month ago, it has deepened in the past week. The residents, who were then pacified by the authorities that their problem would be solved soon, are now in no mood to take any false promises. Sirsa
Residents blocked vehicular traffic on the Sirsa-Chopta road near old building of the Dera Sacha Sauda as the power situation has deteriorated over the past two days. "We hardly get electricity for 15 to 20 minutes at a stretch when the power plays truant," said a housewife Monica Gupta. RK Jain, Superintending Engineer of the DHBVN, said the situation had deteriorated in the past two days. Rohtak
While residents have alleged that the power scenario had hit rock bottom with duration of daily power cuts reaching its maximum, the Power Department blames it on the sharp rise in demand of power due to the hot climate that had increased the demand and supply gap. The demand of power in the Rohtak circle has gone up to 42-43 lakh units daily against the supply of around 33.5 lakh units forcing the Power Department to go in for load shedding. The duration of power cuts in the urban areas ranges from seven to nine hours daily whereas supply in the rural parts have been four to five hours daily, sources said. Fatehabad
Suffering power pangs, residents from over a dozen villages staged dharna outside the DHBVN office at Ratia and burnt the effigy of Haryana Power Minister Ajay Singh Yadav. Farmers alleged that they have been getting power for hardly one to two hours in a day against announcements of eight-hour power supply to the agriculture sector. The power situation continues to be grim in Fatehabad town, where residents allege they have been facing 10-12 hours of cuts in a day. Gurgaon
With long and unscheduled power cuts becoming the order of the day, protest demonstrations against erratic power and water supply have become routine. Even inverters are not able to serve the desired purpose due to electricity playing truant for most part of the day. The situation is worse in the rural areas of the district. Residents of many Gurgaon villages maintain that they get electricity for only two to three hours during the day. The situation is a trifle better during the night, but many times, even nights are riddled with power cuts. — With inputs from Pradeep Sharma, Raman Mohan, Bijendra Ahlawat, Suman Bhatnagar, Manish Sirhindi, Sushil Manav, Bhanu P. Lohumi, Sunit Dhawan and Ravi S Singh |
|
HONDH-CHILLAR MASSACRE
Amritsar, July 2 The survivors, the AISSF and the Sikh for Justice (SFJ) demanded that Justice Garg should visit the ruins of ‘carnage’ sites at Hondh-Chillar, Pataudi and Gurgaon. The delegation demanded that the commission should take action on FIR No. 91 dated November 3, 1984, and issue arrest warrants against those named therein. The delegation demanded that Justice Garg should follow the April 27 orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, enlarging the terms of reference to include the claims of the victims belonging to areas like Pataudi or any other area of Gurgaon district. Referring to the 26-year delay in forming the commission to investigate the attack on Sikhs in November, 1984, in Haryana, the AISSF president lamented that “justice delayed is justice denied” and vowed to approach the highest court of the country . During the past 27 years, several commissions have failed to properly investigate and punish the perpetrators of the 1984 attacks, alleged Peermohammad. Surjit Kaur, who lost 12 members of her family during the attack on Hondh-Chillar village, stated that even after the passage of one year, Justice Garg has not visited the site “where my family along with several other Sikhs were burnt to death”. Justice Garg is heading the one-man commission set up by the Haryana government on March 5, 2011, following the discovery of a ‘carnage’ site at Hondh-Chillar in Rewari district. |
|
‘Female foeticide’
Fatehabad, July 2 An elected member of a panchayat from a Fatehabad village is in the dock for his role in a case of alleged female foeticide involving his 35-year-old wife. The panchayat member’s wife has five daughters aged between three and 13 years and she was expecting her sixth baby in November this year. Buta Ram, a resident of the panchayat member’s Bhodia Khera village, has alleged in a written complaint to the health authorities here that the elected representative of his village committed an offence of female foeticide by aborting a baby developing in his wife’s womb after determination of its gender. The health authorities have launched a probe after receiving the complaint, though the panchayat member and his wife have been maintaining that she suffered a miscarriage accidentally. “The woman was around four months pregnant, when she underwent an abortion on June 22,” said Dr Satish Garg, Senior Medical Officer at General Hospital, Tohana, who is leading the investigating team. He said the woman’s pregnancy was registered with an anganwari centre in the village and she was duly getting antenatal care from there. In her statement to the inquiry team, an anganwari worker Paramjit Kaur said a woman of the panchayat member’s family wanted to know where gender determination tests were done, but she changed the topic after she was told that it was illegal to undergo such tests. The panchayat member and his wife claimed before a team of doctors that visited their village that she fell while walking and suffered the miscarriage after an acute abdominal pain. When asked where she got medical aid after the miscarriage, the woman maintained that she did not go to any doctor. “We are trying to collect evidences as the statements of the panchayat member and his wife seem to be parroted,” said Dr Garg. |
|
Gurgaon-Faridabad toll road opens
Contrary to popular apprehension of rowdy scenes and protests at the toll plaza constructed at Bandhwari village in Gurgaon district, the scene was normal on the second day. Haryana PWD’s two-lane 25-km road starting from Sikanderpur in Gurgaon to Palli Bhakri in Faridabad has been widened to four lanes. Also, the Ballabgarh-Sohna stretch aligning with the Gurgaon-Faridabad corridor has been widened and brought under toll. The entire Rs 800-crore project has been completed by Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, a part of the Reliance group, on a BOT basis with 17 years’ concession period after which the firm will hand over the road to the PWD. The firm has set up three additional toll plazas on the stretches aligning with the Gurgaon-Faridabad corridor. The firm’s spokesperson said the toll paid at one plaza would be valid at the other three for a day. Lalit Jalan, CEO, Reliance Infrastructure Ltd, said the corridor would witness approximately 36,000 vehicles per day and the same was expected to double in the next five years. A commuter will now take about two hours instead of five hours earlier to traverse the entire Gurgaon-Faridabad-Ballabgarh-Sohna stretch. |
|
‘Enforce’ safety norms to prevent borewell mishaps
Chandigarh July 2 Presiding over a meeting convened to ensure strict compliance of safety measures while digging borewells and undertaking other excavations, he said two committees should be constituted to prepare draft safety instructions on the technical and statutory aspects. While the Public Works (Building and Roads) Department would prepare draft instructions on technical aspects, the Labour Department would prepare draft instructions on statutory aspects. Soon after finalizing the draft, a copy of the instructions should be forwarded to all Deputy Commissioners for implementation. He said a survey should be conducted by the Urban Local Bodies Department to cover open manholes in cities. Cash reward for info on borewells
Gurgaon: The Gurgaon district administration on Monday announced a cash reward of Rs 500 and a commendation certificate to the person informing about any illegal abandoned open borewell in the district. The information can be given on the Police
Control Room (PCR) phone number 100 or on the Deputy Commissioner’s camp office No 0124- 2303333. If the informer so desires, his/her name would be kept confidential. This decision was taken at a meeting of the District Advisory Committee on Borewells held under Deputy Commissioner PC Meena here on Monday. Officials from HUDA, Municipal Corporation, Gurgaon, HSIIDC and Municipal Committees were told to get a survey conducted in their respective areas and ensure that there was no open borewell or dry well or open pit etc. The officers have also been directed to give a certificate within a week that there is no open borewell in the areas under their jurisdiction. |
|
|
List steps taken to avert borewell tragedies: HC
Chandigarh, July 2 The guidelines were issued in 2010 against digging open
borewells. Taking suo motu cognizance of Maahi’s death on June 20, the high court directed the Haryana Government to furnish details on measures adopted by it to prevent such incidents. The Bench has also asked the government to file a detailed reply by August 21 when the case comes up for further hearing.
— TNS |
|
|
‘Sodomised’ victim yet to be medically examined
Rohtak, July 2
The victim’s medical examination is likely to be conducted tomorrow by a three-member medical board. The police has arrested the accused warden. As many as 40 inmates are lodged in the shelter home.
Navrattan Sharma, the victim’s father, told The Tribune that though the district authorities were cooperative, doctors announced to get the boy’s check-up done tomorrow. He said the victim’s sexual abuse came to light after officials of Shravan informed him on May 18 that his son required medical attention. The victim was shifted to a Delhi hospital where doctors told his father that as his anus had been ruptured, it was likely that he had been assaulted sexually. The sexual abuse was later confirmed by the victim, who identified the accused as Sanjay, a warden at the shelter home. The victim had been undergoing treatment in Delhi since then, said Navrattan, a cop in the Delhi Police. |
|
IAS officer earns HC ire
Chandigarh, July 2 The strictures came on a petition filed against Kumar by a peon. Challenging his transfer, the peon was demanding criminal action against Praveen Kumar for allegedly slapping him. The IAS officer in an open court had earlier conceded that he had twice slapped his peon to "reform him". Justice Kannan did not intervene in the transfer matter but took exception to the opposing stands taken by Kumar before two Benches. On the issue whether peon Mukesh was forcibly sent on leave, Kumar in one of the affidavits had denied sending him on leave. But, before another Bench, he had reportedly stated that peon was sent on leave since he was misbehaving. Justice Kannan issued the notices to Kumar asking him to explain why proceedings should be not initiated against him and fixed July 26 as the next date of hearing. |
|
Delayed rains hit kharif crops’ sowing
Jind, July 2 “I used to sow paddy in three to four acres of land by the second week of July due to good moisture and availability of water, but this time it seems that this process will be delayed by at least two weeks due to no showers or pre-monsoon rains this year,” claims Rajbir Singh of Intal Khurd village. He said the dependability on the tubewells as source of water for this work had also got reduced due to shortage of power these days. “The lack of rainfall this year has resulted in low sowing of many crops, including the jowar, which had been a main source of green fodder for the animals. Some of the crops had either dried up or had been on verge of drying due to shortage of water or moisture,” said Mahavir Singh of Nidana village. |
|
Canal breach submerges crops
Fatehabad, July 2 Villagers alleged that this was the seventh breach in this canal in less than a month . Villages from Aherwan and Ayalki held a demonstration and alleged that their supply of irrigation water was being affected due to repeated breaches in the canal. Satish Kumar Jinaawa, Executive Engineer of the Irrigation Department, said soil on the canal banks was responsible for the repeated breaches as it developed cracks due to heat.
— TNS |
|
Team Anna to continue fight for Jan Lokpal
Hisar, July 2 Addressing Anna supporters here as a part of his two-day Kranti Yatra, he said Team Anna was prepared to face all challenges to get the Jan Lokpal Bill approved by Parliament. |
|
Two youths drown in canal
Karnal, July 2 A local resident Jai Singh said his grandson, Sumit, had gone to the canal with his friend, Deep, to give bath to the cattle, but suddenly the cattle tried to rush and both Sumit and Deep fell into the canal and were drowned. Local people tried to rescue them but failed. Their bodies were later recovered. |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Faridabad/Gurgaon, July 2