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Commuters rejoice as toll barriers removed
High-flying Speaker on the move again
Only 61 teachers make the grade for state award in two years
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32 years on, another blow for hooch tragedy victims
Youth drowns in Indri canal: Villagers block highway
ITI to be set up in Sirsa village
Work on Gorakhpur N-project begins today
Poor need food, not cellphones, says Chautala
Mystery shrouds death of U-19 cricketer
3 die as truck overturns
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Commuters rejoice as toll barriers removed
Gurgaon, September 5 Following the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway concessionaire was forced to remove the toll barriers for 15 days with effect from Tuesday midnight. The move will cause it a staggering loss of Rs 55-60 lakh per day. While Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Bharti Arora described the move as a victory of the people, members of the Toll-Hatao Sangharsh Samiti, who have been struggling to get the toll plaza removed, celebrated the occasion by distributing sweets to the commuters. Commuters, who have become accustomed to nagging traffic jams at the toll plaza, couldn’t believe their eyes – and luck. “It is so relieving that it seems to be a figment of imagination…I had to pinch myself to be convinced that it’s for real,” said Swati, a frequent commuter. Another regular commuter, Mayank, said that it felt heavenly, but the “system” should be allowed to go on forever instead of “just 15 days”. “It’s like going to a hill station for summer vacation…it’s a big relief for as long as it lasts, but you’ve got to return to the gruelling routine after the holidays are over,” he remarked. However, the situation was not that smooth throughout. A traffic jam was witnessed on the Gurgaon side of the plaza in the morning hours. “We were told that the concessionaire functionaries not only withdrew their traffic marshalls who used to assist our personnel in regulating the movement of vehicles at the toll plaza, but also put the lights on the red signal, which confused the commuters,” said the DCP (Traffic). She asserted that apart from the policemen already deployed in and around the toll plaza to control traffic, additional personnel had been deployed today to ensure effective implementation of the high court orders. On the other hand, a spokesperson for the expressway concessionaire, Delhi Gurgaon Super Connectivity Ltd, claimed that as per the court’s orders, the traffic around the toll plaza was being managed by the traffic police and their traffic marshals were also deployed all along the length of the expressway. The traffic lights in the lanes, which were initially set to red for safety, were deactivated well before the peak hours, the spokesperson added. |
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High-flying Speaker on the move again
This time around, Sharma, a first-time Congress MLA, will be on a trip to four countries, Sri Lanka, Russsia, Egypt and Norway, as a part of a study tour for the delegates of the Commonwealth Congress Parliament. He will leave on September 9 for Sri Lanka and will be back for a couple of days before leaving again on September 15 till September 25. Incidentally, this is his fifth trip abroad in nine months and 12th in a year-and-a-half since he became Speaker. Since all these are official trips cleared by the External Affairs Ministry, Government of India, the travel expenses are borne by the government though boarding and lodging is provided by the organisers in some cases. While Sharma has been “active” at attending conferences abroad, what’s interesting is that he usually finds a place in delegations led by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Immediately after taking over as the Speaker in March last year, his first off-shore trip was to Israel as a member of the Chief Minister’s high-powered delegation. This was followed by the annually held Commonwealth Parliamentary Congress in London during which the delegation led by him visited Spain and Italy as well in July 2011. Soon afterwards, in September, Sharma left for Japan, again as a part of the Chief Minister’s delegation to explore investment opportunities. This year has been even better with the Speaker practically out of the country every month since March. From participating in a seminar in London in March this year to leading a delegation to Pakistan followed up with a parliamentary summit in Samoa in Australia in May, it was an “enriching” three months for him. Sharma again led a delegation to the USA in response to an invitation from the national conference of the Assembly of Chicago that came in August and he has his travel plans full for September as well with four countries on his itinerary. The Speaker, however, has his justifications. “The Commonwealth Parliamentary Congress is an annual event which is followed by a study tour for all the delegates. We go to different countries, see various parliamentary procedures and practices and try and incorporate what we can. In that sense, we are in a continuous learning mode. Further, interactions and visits by us generally get reciprocated too which allows our elected representatives to meet their counterparts from other countries,” Sharma explains. While a delegation from Ethiopia visited Haryana a few months ago, a visit by a delegation from Pakistan is in the offing. Besides promoting interaction, the Speaker says there is a lot more to learn. “I went to London and was fascinated by the idea of youth parliaments. We brought that concept to Haryana. Now, on similar lines, we plan to hold a ‘kisan parliament’ and then organise a ‘youngistan conference’ which will provide a platform to our representatives to interact with youth who have made a mark for themselves. So, these trips are not without outcome and results. They enrich our systems in their own little ways,” he emphasises. |
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Only 61 teachers make the grade for state award in two years
Chandigarh, September 5 Ambala, Yamunanagar and Palwal drew a blank. While as many as 43 (nearly 70 per cent) awardees were from the prinicipal/headmaster/lecturer category, only three teachers from the junior basic training (JBT) category could win the award. It is a reflection on the poor academic standards at the elementary education level Officials requesting anonymity said they had a great difficulty in selecting the “right” candidates for the awards against the backdrop of the strict selection criteria introduced last year following allegations of favouritism and corruption in the past. Haryana Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal agreed that there were not many takers for the awards, especially in the JBT category. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 31,000, a citation, a two-year extension in service and two special increments. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, speaking at a state-level function at the Haryana Raj Bhavan here, conceded that there was a dire need for quality teachers. Surina Rajan, Principal Secretary (Secondary Education), told The Tribune that in the wake of “complete transparency” and strict selection criteria, the number of awardees had gone down considerably. |
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2 training institutes to come up in Jhajjar, Jind dists
Chandigarh, September 5 Hooda was speaking at an award function organised on the occasion of Teacher’s Day at the Haryana Raj Bhawan here today where Governor Jagannath Pahadia conferred State Teacher Awards on 61 teachers for 2010 and 2011. Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Rao Dan Singh and Principal Secretary (School Education) Surina Rajan also spoke on the occasion. The district-wise awardees are: Bhiwani: Anita Devi, Ishwar Singh Pilania, Nirmal Dahiya, Ram Phool Lamba, Kaushalya Devi, Suman Lata, Pushp Kaur, Jiwan Dass, Sham Sunder, Rajender Parsad, Ved Parkash and Vidyawati Phogat. Faridabad: Mani Ram Kaushal, Raj Kumar, Satbir Singh Hooda, Satish Chander and Daya Kishan. Fatehabad: Devender Singh Dahiya and Richhpal Singh. Gurgaon: Chanchal Chawla, Sheel Kumari, Kanwar Dhoom Singh, Sumitra Devi and Ved Wati. Hisar: Diwan Chand, Rajender Agnihotri, Harikesh Sharma, Kailash Chander and Sangeeta Saini. Jind: Paras Ram Vats. Jhajjar: Ajit Singh, Narender Kumar and Sanjay Kumar Sharma. Kurukshetra: Harjinder Singh. Karnal: Urwashi Vig, Satyapal Sharma and Sudershan Kumar. Kaithal: Satbir Singh, Raghbir Singh, Phool Singh, Ramesh Kumar, Om Parkash and Raghubir Singh. Mahendergarh: Rajbir Singh, Makhan Lal Tanwar and Satyabir Singh. Mewat: Abdul Rehman Khan. Panipat: Ramesh Chander and Surender Kadian. Panchkula: Shishan Kumar, Anita, Narinder Kaur and Sunita Devi. Rohtak: Dharam Singh and Shiv Kumar. Rewari: Naresh Kumar, Rakesh Bhargav, Sneh Lata and Narender Singh. Sonepat: Rajender Singh Dahiya and Sirsa: Gurmeet Singh. KURUKSHETRA: Lt Gen DDS Sandhu (retd), Vice Chancellor, Kurukshetra University, said, “Teaching has always been considered a noble profession. Teachers own value system, their behaviour directly influence their students. Therefore, they need to play the role of leaders in guiding students towards achieving their goals in life and also inculcating values of brotherhood and love for the nation.” The VC also felicitated 44 newly appointed assistant professors during a function organised by the Kurukshetra University Teachers’ Association. SIRSA: During a function, Jan Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal College of Engineering honoured six teachers. Dabwali MLA Ajay Singh Chautala honoured former principals BP Mohan, NP Sharma and Shakuntala Sehgal and BL Taneja, principal, Tagore Niketan School, Fatehabad, Manisha Godara, director of three Sirsa-based schools, and Geeta Kathuria, a special educator, and director, Disha - a school for special children. |
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32 years on, another blow for hooch tragedy victims
Sirsa, September 5 A day before the victims were to get their payments, Deputy Commissioner J Ganesan, on the state government’s orders, today directed the Kalanwali tehsildar to pay the actual amount awarded by the court and hold back the interest, which incidentally, has become double of the principal amount in these three decades. The next of kin of 38 persons, who lost their lives and 44 others who lost their vision due to a hooch tragedy at Kalanwali village in the district in 1980, were to get compensation of Rs 5.68 lakh and Rs 4.42 lakh, respectively,
tomorrow after fighting a protracted battle in the courts. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had awarded Rs 2 lakh each as compensation for the next to kin of the 38 persons who lost their lives in the tragedy and Rs 1.50 lakh each for 44 others who lost their eyesight and the victims were to get interest on this amount from the date of
the tragedy. On the directions of the court, the government has already deposited money for 66 victims verified by the authorities so far as per Rs 5,68,986 for the kin of the deceased and Rs 4,42,739 for those who lost their eyesight. However, the authorities will on Thursday pay Rs 2 lakh to the kin of the deceased and Rs 1.50 lakh for those who lost
their vision. “We have received instructions from the government to pay the principal amount only and hold back the interest,”
said the Deputy Commissioner, when contacted. He added that the state government had moved the Supreme Court against the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, though he was not sure whether there was any stay against the orders. “When the destiny could play such a cruel joke with us, what if the authorities too treat us like this?” said a dejected Tarsem Singh, who lost his father Amarjit Singh in the tragedy. Tarsem was six and his sisters were three and one when his father died after consuming poisonous liquor purchased from a shop approved by the state government. “Our mother, who was 30 at that time, faced tough times in all these 32 years,” said Tarsem, who now works as a tractor mechanic in a workshop. Bunti was barely one year old when his father Sukhdev Singh lost his life to the tragedy. His mother and elder brother were eagerly waiting for the compensation
to repair their dilapidated house. |
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Youth drowns in Indri canal: Villagers block highway
Karnal (Indri), September 5 Sandeep (18), son of Chandi Ram of Guda village, who was upset due to some family tensions, allegedly jumped into the Yamuna canal last night. Eyewitnesses said that Sandeep was under depression due to ongoing disputes in the family and though some villagers tried to get hold of him and stop him, he had his way and drowned in the canal. The family members were angry and alleged that the administration did not stop the discharge of water in the canal immediately and also did not requisition the services of professional divers. The family members with the help of local people tried to search the body but of no avail as visibility was almost nil due to darkness. The incidents assembled on the bridge on the Karnal-Yamunanagar highway and blocked the road. The police told the protesters that it had tried to locate the body but did not succeed as it was dark. After the assurance of the SHO of Indri, Deepender Rana, on recovering the body, the villagers lifted the blockade. |
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ITI to be set up in Sirsa village
Sirsa, September 5 Jeewan Nagar is a Sikh-dominated village and the central seat of the Namdhari panth. “Under this scheme, a further sum of Rs 5.50 crore will be spent in 70 villages of Rania, Dabwali, Odhan and Baragudha blocks of Sirsa in the current financial year,” said Deputy Commissioner J Ganesan. The funds will be used on village schemes like the augmentation of drinking water supply. Sirsa and Mewat are the two districts of Haryana that get funds under the MsDP scheme for the minorities. This scheme was started in the two districts in 2009-10. The DC said villages with a majority of Sikh population have been included under the scheme. |
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Work on Gorakhpur N-project begins today
Fatehabad, September 5 A meeting to chalk out the plan for starting work on the project, which has faced rough weather in the past two years due to farmers’ agitation, was held here today. Among those who attended the meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner ML Kaushik included Chief Parliamentary Secretary Prahalad Singh Gillankhera, Chief Project Engineer of the NPCIL TR Arora, Chief Project Manager S K Gomasta and some farmers from
the village. The authorities had acquired over 1,503 acres of land for the project, which included 1,313 acres from Gorakhpur, 185 acres from Badopal and nearly 5 acres from Kajalheri village. While farmers from Badopal and Kajalheri never opposed the acquisition, after initial resistance, over 95 per cent of farmers from Gorakhpur too have accepted their cheques. However, to be on the safer side, the authorities have planned to start work tomorrow from Badopal, where the NPCIL is to build a colony for its employees. Kaushik, who will kickstart the work by breaking a coconut at Badopal tomorrow, said besides the geotechnical and topographical surveys, assessment work for tubewells, dhanis, kutcha houses, handpumps, trees, gardens and an underground pipeline belonging to farmers would start on September 10. The authorities plan to organise the formal foundation stone laying ceremony by a political leader later, once the initial surveys are completed. Gillankhera claimed that the villagers had created history by giving their land for this project voluntarily. Assuring farmers of the best of development in their village, he said the villagers had become partners in
this growth. |
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Poor need food, not cellphones, says Chautala
Addressing a rally at Ladayan village here last evening, Chautala said the UPA government was preparing a base for another big scam in the name of distributing cellphones to poor people. The Congress had set up a platform for execution of the planning and it was now waiting for appropriate time to serve its political interest, he added. “The Congress government is not only making fun of poor people but also playing with their emotions by embarking upon such a plan of providing them mobile phones, which is worthless for them. These people need food on priority basis instead of luxury items like mobile phones whose service providers will later start demanding money from them in the name of recharge,” said Chautala. He said the mobile phone planning would cost the exchequer around Rs 7,000 crore on execution. “The Congress governments at the Centre and the state have nothing to do with public interest and these are misusing the public funds with an intention to remain in power by hook or crook,” said Chautala, adding that the public was now waiting for the next elections to root out the Congress from power. He said the entire nation had reached on the verge of devastation during the Congress regime due to its anti-public approach. Poor people were dying of starvation where as crores of tonnes of foodgrains were rotting in official godowns and stores. |
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Mystery shrouds death of U-19 cricketer
Ambala, September 5 The body was spotted by his neighbours, who informed his father, Mehtab Singh, an engineer in Hartron at Chandigarh. As the matter was reported to the police, a team of officials reached the spot to take stock of the situation. Investigating Officer (IO) Kuldeep Singh said from the preliminary investigations it appeared to be a case of suicide. However, the police was still investigating the matter from other angles also, he said. The IO said no suicide note had been found from the house. The police had found some wood splinters underneath the feet of Bhanu’s body, which suggested that he had pushed these splinters after tying his neck with the grill, the police said. Bhanu had lead the district cricket team of Ambala five years ago and had even played a few matches for Haryana in domestic cricket. After completing his graduation, he did MBA and was now preparing for the competitive exams. His mother, Manju Mor, is a teacher at DAV school in Ambala City, while his sister is DSP at Murthal in Sonepat district. The police said in case it was a suicide, the motive was still unclear and it was investigating the matter. |
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3 die as truck overturns
Sonepat, September 5 Sources said Mukesh and Naresh died on the spot whereas Hawa Singh succumbed to his injuries
while being taken to PGIMS, Rohtak. The injured were admitted to PGIMS. Sources said the Tata-407 driver was reportedly overtaking a Maruti van when he lost control and the vehicle overturned. The, police took the victims to Civil Hospital. The victims, all farmers of Murthal village, were
going to Delhi to sell their vegetables. |
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Gurgaon-Delhi commuters, who are used to waiting in long queues and nagging jams to pay the toll tax at the border plaza, were greeted by a pleasant surprise today – no boom barriers, no traffic congestion and no toll-tax.
Chandigarh, September 5
Jhajjar, September 5