|
|
|
|
|
Overstaying in govt house to attract hefty penalty
Woman elopes with paramour, both commit suicide
Every authority is subject to criticism: Justice Thakur
Justice TS Thakur addresses a gathering in Faridabad on Saturday. Tribune photo: Sayeed Ahmed |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Police chiefs told to improve efficiency
Rain brings cheer to farmers
Family celebrates birth of girl child
Women proceed towards a well for 'kuan poojan' ceremony on the birth of a girl child at Farwai Kalan village in Sirsa on Saturday. A Tribune photograph
Gorakhpur N-plant
Villagers lock power house
World’s Largest Red Ribbon
Sex ratio improves to 866 in Karnal
SDO caught taking bribe
Theft attempt at Tribune office
|
|
Overstaying in govt house to attract hefty penalty
Chandigarh, July 7 Sources said the erring employees would be charged a penal rent 300 times the licence fee (1.5% of the basic pay) for the retention of the government accommodation beyond the permitted period. In fact, cut-off date for charging the penal rent would be preceded by payment of double the market rate for three months. At present, the state government allows a period of three months after retirement or transfer for the vacation of a government house. Giving the rationale for strict penalty against the erring officials, a senior functionary of the state government told The Tribune that a large number of officials continued to retain the government accommodation for years together even though they had a residential accommodation in the Tricity (Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula) or nearby areas. While they were getting rent at market rate for their properties, the state exchequer was put to loss as they paid a nominal rent. “Such unauthorised retention of government property also led to administrative problems, including resentment among the officials waiting for allotment of the official accommodation,” the official said. To arrive at a fair assessment of the market rent, the state government has constituted a committee comprising financial commissioner, Public Works, engineer-in-chief of the PWD (B&R), chief engineer (Buildings) and a representative of the Finance Department not below the rank of a Joint Secretary. To tackle sub-letting, the state government has fixed a penal rent 500 times the licence fee for the first three months. After three months, the penal rent would be five times the market rent, the sources said. Any employee sub-letting the government accommodation would be chargesheeted under the Haryana Civil Service (Personnel and Administration) Rules, 1987 since it “amounted to serious insubordination to continue to occupy a government house in an unauthorised manner”. The erring employee will also be barred from getting government accommodation for five years, the sources said, adding that proceedings in such cases would be initiated under the Public Premises Act. Tightening noose
Rs 1.8 lakh rent for 1 kanal house
A government official having a basic pay of Rs 40,000 per month and illegally retaining a government accommodation measuring one kanal will have to pay a hefty penal rent, making retention virtually impossible. According to rough estimates, the erring official will have to pay around Rs 1.8 lakh per month to live in the same accommodation beyond a specified period. Though the amount is on a higher side, there is no other way to make the defaulting officials fall in line, a senior official stated. |
|
Woman elopes with paramour, both commit suicide
Ding (Sirsa), July 7 “Priyanka was the youngest of five sisters. Her family had married her to Kuldeep of Banmandori village in Fatehabad last year, but had delayed her ‘Muklawa’ (a ceremony when the bridegroom takes away his bride to his house for actual consummation of marriage). One of Priyanka’s elder sisters was also married to Kuldeep’s elder brother. On Thursday, she was taken to her husband’s home. However, she eloped from there with Ramesh in the night,” said a villager. Villagers said Ramesh went to Banmandori village on his motorcycle from where the two escaped together. They informed the Hisar Government Railway Police (GRP) at 8 pm when they found badly mutilated bodies of the two on the railway track between Jakhod Khera and Neoli Kalan in Hisar. “We found Ramesh’s motorcycle parked near the railway track with mobile phones of both lovers and gold ornaments of Priyanka placed on its seat,” said Bhim Sein, SHO of the GRP police station. |
|
Every authority is subject to criticism: Justice Thakur
Faridabad, July 7 “Criticism is a vital element in democracy. I do not say whether the criticism is right or wrong. Sometimes, criticism is misplaced. This could be perhaps that the general public do not understand the nuances of the judicial process. But you can not dismiss the critics outrightly,” he said. His remarks were in the context of a large number of cases pending in various courts of the country. Critics were bound to question the functioning of the judicial system and its functionaries when a litany of cases remained pending for years, he added. It was natural, he said, that the judiciary would be questioned on the delay in disposal of cases. He said advocates would also have to share the blame for cases pendng in courts for years. Justice Thakur’s views come amid demands for greater probity in public life. A senior judicial officer said: “Justice Thakur’s candid views were unique, especially when the intolerance in public life against criticisms was increasing. His views have the potential to reignite a national discourse on democracy and democratic functioning of the government and its functionaries.” In his speech, which was laced with Urdu couplets and poems, Justice Thakur urged the lawyers to work earnestly for speedy disposal of cases. |
|
Police chiefs told to improve efficiency
Chandigarh, July 7 So, when Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today mentioned that the force needs to get its act together at a conference of the DCs and the SPs, he meant business. On a lighter note, he said the police personnel of other states appeared smarter than their counterparts in Haryana and added that their training could be to be blamed, which invited a lot of smirks from the officers present. Hooda also asked DGP Ranjiv Dalal to improve the efficiency of the force. Sources said while he seemed “dissatisfied” with the way the police responds to complaints and reacts to situations, he directed all officers present to be easily accessible to people, including the rural areas, on their itenirary and address their grievances. Stating that the officers should be available in their offices for at least one hour from 11 am to 12 noon and stay in or visit the villages for at least a day in a month, he added that it would facilitate better understanding of problems and local issues. He also directed them to ensure that Citizens' Charter were displayed in all offices and people must know the instructions about delivery of various services. He said the name of no eligible beneficiary should be deleted from the list of below poverty line (BPL) families without proper investigation and giving an opportunity to the individual to hear him.While taking a serious view about the complaints of the non-availability of the officers and the officials in offices and institutions, including teachers and patwaris, he directed them to ensure their presence. He suggested the DCs to ensure that the patwaris remain present in the Tehsil offices for at least two days in a week and for other two days in some villages so that the people could meet them. In view of the recent accidents, Hooda asked the DCs to ensure that abandoned or uncovered borewells were covered in their respective areas. |
|
Rain brings cheer to farmers
Karnal/Kurukshetra, July 7 The demand of electricity for agriculture has dropped to nil due to rains while the power generation has got a boost with the increase in level of reservoirs. As a result, the state power utilities were able to achieve the highest-ever supply of 1,458.54 lakh units in a day and met 6,725 MW power demand. The frequency has also increased to 50.2 Hz per second, which implies that the power produced was almost “costless” as compared to Rs 12 to Rs 17 per unit during the acute shortage phase. Due to fall in demand for power, four units of Panipat Thermal Power Plant of 110 MW each and one unit of 130 MW capacity of gas-based plant of National Thermal Power Corporation
(NTPC) at Faridabad have been shut. The consumers in the rural and urban areas have heaved a sigh of relief from erratic power cuts while paddy transplantation has picked up as farmers are getting sufficient water. Further, the rains have come as a boon for stagnating sugarcane crop. The fodder, which was on the brink of becoming toxin due to drought-like conditions, has also been saved, said Sub-divisional Agriculture Officer Wazir
Singh. Haryana faced the worst power crisis during the months of May and June. Angry protests, frequent road blockades, locking of power houses and even holding the power staff hostage had become the order of the day. Even the scheduled power supply, which was drastically cut due to power shortage, was not assured to the consumers. The situation had become so bad that the consumers were not getting power even for two to four hours a day. Average rainfall in the twin districts of Karnal and Kurukshetra was about 40mm. Against a daily demand of 1,550 lakh units, the availability of power was only 1,250 lakh units and the thermal projects at
Hisar, Yamunanagar and Jhajjar were shut and only eight units of Panipat and hydro project at Yamunanagar were operational. |
|
|
Family celebrates birth of girl child
Sirsa, July 7 Conventionally, "kuan poojan" is performed in the Jat heartland of Haryana on the birth of a son. It is believed that praying to the well and at the well, the only source of water in old times and the lifeline of a village, will bring good luck for the newborn son, but also earn blessings of the God. "If we perform 'kuan poojan' to celebrate the birth of a male child, why can't we do so when a girl child is born," asked Roshni. "Women have proved to the world that given an opportunity, they can do everything that men can do and that too in a better way," she said. Rakesh Swami, a small-time shopkeeper from the village also appeared happy at the birth of Vandana. The couple already has a three-year-old son. Women from the village sang to the well and worshipped there for the welfare of Vandana.
|
|
INLD’s youth wing holds protest
Sushil Manav/TNS
Fatehabad, July 7 Earlier, addressing workers at the local grain market, Karan Singh announced that the youth wing of the INLD would not allow the setting up of the nuclear power plant at any cost. “When all developed countries of the world have been looking for other alternative after sensing the dangers involved with the nuclear power plants, the Haryana Government has been bent upon uprooting farmers for a project that could cause havoc to the lives of people living in the vicinity,” Karan Singh said. Earlier, the youth wing of the INLD had announced to hold a marathon on this issue, but today, the party converted it into a march. Activists marched from the grain market to the mini-secretariat, where the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti had been staging dharna.
|
|
Villagers lock power house
Sirsa, July 7 “Our village is being discriminated in power supply. We hardly get electricity for two hours a day,” the villagers alleged. “We have given several written and verbal representations to the authorities, but to no avail,” they added. The police had a tough time in persuading the villagers to open the lock. The villagers dispersed with a warning that they would intensify their agitation if the authorities failed to improve the power situation in their village. Demonstrations against erratic power supply have become the order of the day in
Sirsa. Though situation has improved a bit in the urban areas in the past two days, the supply continues to remain erratic in the rural areas.
— TNS |
|
NIFAA enters Guinness Records
Tribune News Service
Karnal, July 7 “We have received a certificate from the Guniess Records’ office stating that the red ribbon had set a record of World’s Largest Human Awareness Ribbon”, NIFAA chairman Preet Pal Singh Punnu said. Civil Surgeon Shiv Kumar termed the achievement as a national pride and added that it was fortunate that the ribbon was formed in Karnal. Representatives of various social organisations, students and prominent citizens wearing red t-shirts and red caps/turbans participated at the state-level youth convention under the NIFAA leadership and formed “World’s Largest Human Awareness Red Ribbon” for prevention of HIV/AIDS and drug addiction on April 2 this year.
|
|
|
Sex ratio improves to 866 in Karnal
Karnal, July 7 The sex ratio this year increased to 852 in March 2012 and it further improved by 14 during the months of April and May 2012, Civil Surgeon Dr Shiv Kumar said. Former Karnal Deputy Commissioner Neelam P Kasni had started the "mass pledge" against female foeticide on 6th of every month in September last year and the programme which involved all sections of society, including the PRIs, local bodies, educational institutions and the NGOs, yielded results. |
|
SDO caught taking bribe
Karnal, July 7 The contractor, Sandeep Malik, had completed works in two villages and submitted the bills for payment but the SDO, Vakil Singh, seemed reluctant to pass the bills. The lower staff had passed the bills but the SDO was unwilling to pass the bills and sensing that the SDO wanted some gratification, Sandeep directly asked him about his intentions. The SDO made a demand of Rs 40,000 and thereafter the contractor approached the Vigilance Department, which laid a trap and Vakil Singh was nabbed.
— TNS |
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Faridabad, July 7
Sirsa, July 7
