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Spectre of drought
Rewari farmers first to be partners in industrial growth: Surjewala
Sarpanch pockets pension of the dead
Villagers attack power station, officials
Activists ‘unearth’ 1984 carnage site in Pataudi |
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Facebook helps parents trace runaway kids
Fearing suspension, sarpanches keep off MNREGA projects
Illegal colonies sprout in Fatehabad
Undertrials try to escape
Man robbed, killed in Gurgaon
Cops, villagers join hands to nab killer
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Spectre of drought
The amount has been sought for the supply of excess power to the farm sector since May this year on account of poor rainfall which has created a “drought-like” conditions in the state. The request from the Electricity Department has been sent to the Agricultural Department for onward transmission to the Central Government, source said here today. Confirming the development, Arun Kumar Gupta, Managing Director of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN), told The Tribune that the amount was being sought from the Central Government in lieu of the additional power supplied to the farmers since May this year. Since the rainfall was highly deficient and the department had to arrange power at a much higher cost, the request to release the amount had been sent to the Agriculture Department, he added.
Following “drought like” conditions in the state, the Electricity Department supplied 1,000 lakh units extra (about 20 per cent more than last year) to the farm sector in May alone. This figure went up to 2,2,00 lakh units in June (about 35 per cent more) and the figure is expected to be much more in July, sources asserted. Meanwhile, the state government has sought 1,000-MW power for the month of August, 750 MW for September and 500 MW for October to tide over the crisis created by less rainfall in the state. With overall 73 per cent deficient rainfall, the sowing of kharif crops has been adversely hit with only 70 per cent of the targeted area covered so far. A worrying sign for farmers is that as paddy has already been sown on a substantial area, with nearly 82 per cent of target being met, sustaining the paddy crop without adequate water would pose a major problem. Meanwhile, with the Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM) deliberating on the prospects of drought next week, the Haryana Government is gearing up to seek a special economic package from the Central Government. A detailed district-wise survey is being carried out to arrive at the expected financial loss to be suffered by the state due to poor rainfall. Since the next few days will clear the stand of the Central Government on drought and the status of overall rainfall , a final report would be sent to the Centre soon, a senior official said here today.
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Rewari farmers first to be partners in industrial growth: Surjewala
Speaking to TNS, Haryana Public Works and Industries Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala, who is also the chairman of the committee, said the state government was actively considering applying the Land Pooling Scheme (LPS) to the ongoing acquisition process. “Rewari may well become the first beneficiary under the LPS and the farmers will be partners in industrial progress after getting developed land instead of cash compensation. We will hopefully bring a workable formula within a given time,” Surjewala said. Adding that the multi-logistics hub and the industrial belt of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) will provide a fresh impetus to industry and employment in Haryana, particularly the southern parts, the minister said those who opposed the acquisition were against development. “Those who stand against acquisition of cultivable land should introspect since it forms 90 per cent of our area. There is a choice between a state surging ahead with industrial growth, employment and economic progress and getting stuck as an agrarian society. A balance between the two needs to be struck, i.e. opening new avenues of employment and growth for our young while retaining the increased agricultural productivity,” the minister opined. On former minister and Gurgaon MP Rao Indrajeet Singh’s contention that south Haryana is particularly being ‘targeted’ for land acquisition, Surjewala dismissed it saying such allegations did not hold any ground. “We can’t deny ourselves the advantage of being close to Delhi. Land is being acquired all over- in Kiloi represented by the Chief Minister (1,900 acres); a Section 6 notification for another 928 acres; in Rai, Kundli and Barhi in Sonepat (800 acres); in Karnal (275); in Sohna (1,500 acres) and Kharkhoda (3,300 acres). Since developmental activities come naturally to the NCR area and surrounding districts, they become part of Haryana’s growth trajectory,” he explained. Surjewala, however, washed his hands off the issue of representation to Rewari’s local leaders in the committee on grounds that it was “entirely the prerogative of the Chief Minister”. |
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Sarpanch pockets pension of the dead
Sirsa, July 28 Prem Kumar then lodged a complaint with the deputy commissioner who asked the SDM to probe the matter. The SDM has recorded statements of the complainant and the sarpanch. He will submit his report to the DC soon. Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Amarjeet Singh will conduct an inquiry into the allegations that Vinod Ghorela withdrew old age pension of as many as 12 persons, including his own mother, after their death. The complainant has alleged the sarpanch withdrew old age pension funds of Parmeshwari, Chameli, Ram Partap, Dhanni Devi, Hardei, Rukhi Devi and Om Parkash after their death. On the orders of the district social welfare officer, the panchayat deposited Rs 8,497 as recovery for the pension of six other persons wrongly withdrawn after their death. In case of a woman Jasiya Devi, the panchayat allegedly withdrew her pension for seven months after her death and later refunded the original amount of Rs 4,900 along with Rs 431 interest when the matter came to the notice of the authorities. Sarpanch Vinod Ghorela maintained that there was no intentional misappropriation on his part. Earlier, Sirsa DC had suspended sarpanch of Jamal village after finding him guilty of misappropriating pension of a dead villager. Ram Kumar, sarpanch of Asakhera, is also facing a probe in a similar case. Already panchayats of 12 villages- Panniwala Mota, Kusumbi, Dhanur, Masita, Dhani Rampur, Ramgarh, Nehrana, Bappa, Kutabarh, Bhamboor, Panniwala Raldu and Nuhianwali- are facing inquiries for irregularities in the distribution of old-age pension. After such complaints started pouring in, the state government started distribution of pension through biometric machines in April last year. The Financial Inclusion and Networking Organisation (FINO), a firm assigned with distribution of pension through biometric cards, failed to keep pace with the workload and the government had to revert to the old system of distribution through
panchayats. |
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Villagers attack power station, officials
Fatehabad, July 28 On the complaint filed by the injured officials, the Ratia police has registered a case against more than 30 people, three of whom have been named. “A case under Sections 232, 353, 186 of the IPC and under the provisions of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act has been registered against Kala Singh, Jagga Singh, Tendu Singh and 30 unnamed persons,” said a police spokesperson. RS Dhanda, Subdivisional Officer of the Ratia City Subdivision of the Dakshin Haryana Bijlee Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), alleged that the villagers attacked the officials when they were trying to remove a snag that had developed in a machine, leading to disruption of power supply to the village. He alleged that due to the action of the villagers, the power supply to other feeders was also disrupted. However, the villagers alleged that power supply to their area was cut off due to the lackadaisical attitude of the DHBVN workers, who misbehaved with them when they went to lodge a complaint. In another incident, villagers laid siege on a powerhouse at Pirthala near Tohana, alleging poor supply of power today. The villagers alleged that power supply to their village was erratic for the past one month and repeated complaints had failed to move the DHBVN authorities. The villagers left only after senior officers of the DHBVN assured them that the power supply would be regulated in future. |
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Activists ‘unearth’ 1984 carnage site in Pataudi Amritsar, July 28 According to the AISSF and SFJ, the rioters poured kerosene on Sikhs and burnt them alive at the Haily Mandi railway station. These organisations also released a copy of FIR number 282-83 that was registered at the Pataudi police station on November 12, 1984. "The FIR has more than 15 names of the accused who were involved in the killing of Sikhs at Haily Mandi. There is also a list of 24 witnesses in the FIR, but on April 26, 1986, the then Session Judge VM Jain acquitted all the accused due to lack of evidence," said the AISSF. Another FIR, No. 165, is claimed to have been registered at the Pataudi police station by Harbhajan Singh of Kheri village who survived the attack. AISSF president Karnail Singh Peermohammad stated that it was shocking that after Hondh-Chillar the Haily Mandi ‘carnage’ site has been unearthed after around 28 years. The newly discovered site raises a question as to what was the extent of loss of life of Sikhs during the organised and planned attacks in November 1984, he added. “With the discovery of another carnage site where Sikhs were killed during November 1984, we demand a state-wide probe into the killings of Sikhs. A three-member inquiry commission comprising high court judges should be appointed to thoroughly investigate the November 1984 attacks on the Sikh population throughout Haryana,” he demanded. In a statement issued from New York, SFJ’s legal adviser Gurpatwant Singh Pannun stated that with the discovery of the Haily Mandi massacre site it was clear that Sikhs were targeted throughout India in an identical pattern. “Justice has eluded the Sikh community for 28 years and there is no hope that present regime in India will ever be sincere to punish those who organised attacks against Sikhs in November, 1984,” he added. Meanwhile, SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar has also stated that the discovery of the Haily Mandi carnage site proved that the attacks on the Sikh population were organised in November 1984. He said it was surprising that despite the FIR being registered, the rioters were not even identified in the last 28 years, leave alone punishing them. He said various commissions were set up in Delhi as well to probe into 1984 anti-Sikh riots, but to no avail. He said the Justice TP Garg Commission in Haryana should complete its probe at the earliest so that the guilty may be brought to book.
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Facebook helps parents trace runaway kids
Hisar, July 28 Vivek left his bag in the classroom and left. Upendra dropped his bag near the main gate of the school and joined Vivek outside the school campus. Their absence was noticed during the roll call by the class teacher who immediately informed the headmistress. The headmistress in turn informed the parents and the police. The headmistress, meanwhile, learnt from other students that the missing boys were close friends of another student, Vikas. During questioning, Vikas revealed that they had planned to go to Goa together but he could not run away with them as he arrived late in the school. He said his friends had Rs 10,000 and they were planning to go to Goa and then to Mumbai. Vikas also said he had a Facebook account and both Vivek and Upendra were on his friends’ list. The headmistress asked him to log in and send a message to both the boys to come to the school gate so that he could join them. On receiving their friend’s message, Vivek and Upendra came to the gate at the appointed time and were immediately nabbed by the parents and the school staff. |
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Fearing suspension, sarpanches keep off MNREGA projects
Hisar, July 28 However, they said, they would not object to the administration itself implementing the projects. They have formed a sarpanches association to collectively pursue the matter with the administration. The association submitted a memorandum to the SDM yesterday which pointed out that despite the fact that Hansi block I bagged the top spot in the district in the execution of MNREGA projects, several sarpanches had been suspended on flimsy grounds. This, the memorandum stated, was a major stumbling block in the execution of projects in their villages. It added that sarpanches be suspended only after a preliminary inquiry found them prima facie guilty. The sarpanches said it was common among villagers to raise objections to the execution of projects because of rivalries in rural society. By suspending sarpanches promptly, the administration was only adding to the problem. |
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Illegal colonies sprout in Fatehabad
Fatehabad, July 28 The sale and purchase of plots in these colonies have reached alarming proportions in the past some days, forcing the authorities to issue a warning to unsuspecting buyers. Deputy Commissioner ML Kaushik said today that it had come to his notice that efforts were being made to carve out colonies near Chilli Lake, between Bhuna road and Majra road, near Professor Colony on Ratia road and at Swami Nagar. |
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Undertrials try to escape
Faridabad, July 28 The culprits, identified as Baseer, Javed, Naseer, Abeer and Zabeer, all residents of Atrina village, were all handcuffed when they tried to escape after attacking the police team escorting them. They were, however, nabbed soon after. Sources said the undertrials attacked the police team near the exit point of the first floor of the judicial complex. One of them lost his balance and fell down the stairs during the scuffle. He is reported to have sustained minor injuries. Abhai Rao, DCP (Central), said the undertrials wanted to meet their relatives on way back to jail where they have been lodged. |
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Man robbed, killed in Gurgaon
Gurgaon, July 28 They allegedly forced their entry in the car and tied up Saji. They robbed him of cash, mobile phone and his car and threw him there after hitting him with a sharp-edged weapon. Saji’s wife Sandra runs an orphanage nearby and thus people knew him. An autorickshaw driver who saw him lying there rushed him to a nearby private hospital where he succumbed to his injuries today. “He was conscious when I took him to hospital and he told me that he wsa attacked by a youth who took away his car,” said the driver. The postmortem has revealed three major head injuries. |
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Cops, villagers join hands to nab killer
Sonepat, July 28 The villagers have announced Rs 1 lakh award for giving information about the accused. The village community has also offered financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to the family of the victim. Meanwhile, the police increased the reward money from Rs 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh for providing information about the one who committed the crime.
— TNS |
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