|
|
|
|
|
HARYANA BUDGET SESSION
Will Gurgaon MP Inderjit quit Cong?
Hooda flays INLD attitude
BJP walks out over Vadra-DLF issue
Rape victim takes poison in Sirsa
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Army aspirants caught with drugs at rally
HC puts CBI on notice on Yadav’s plea
Dairy scientists urged to boost milk production
Power engineers resent appointment of adviser
6 robbers loot gold ornaments
Husband, in-laws booked for forced abortion
14 duped of Rs 1.80 crore, two booked
Honey's obscene lyrics: SHO told to probe case
State food-surplus, but kids stunted
Minor girl’s marriage prevented in Fatehabad
Enforcement officers told to curb
black money
2 FDA officials’ role under scanner
Question Hour
|
|
|
|
HARYANA BUDGET SESSION
Chandigarh, February 27
However, the districts represented by Hooda’s known detractors, including Kumari Selja and Gurgoan MP Rao Inderjit Singh, seem to have been given a “step-motherly” treatment regarding the development grants during the past over seven years- a development, which may provide fresh ammunition to Hooda’s detractors within the Congress and the main Opposition parties, the INLD and BJP-HJC alliance. In fact, an analysis of the details tabled in the House during the ongoing Vidhan Sabha Session by Hooda himself in response to a question by BJP’s Sonepat MLA Kavita Jain revealed that Bhukkal’s home district Jhajjar was marked for a special treatment by the Rural Development and Panchayat Department with maximum grants amounting to Rs 580 crore, including Rs 110 crore in 2011-12. This was followed by Kiran Choudhary’s home district Bhiwani (Rs 556 crore) and Sirsa (Rs 516 crore). The home district of Chief Minister, who has been in the firing line of his political opponents within and outside the Congress for discrimination in the development works, was placed fourth with the development grants of Rs 482 crore. However, Hooda more than made up for less grants for his home district by managing Rs 185 crore for his Rohtak block slightly less than vocal Bhukkal’s Jhajjar block (Rs 186 crore). On the other hand, Panchkula district, a part of the Ambala parliamentary constituency represented by Kumari Selja accounted for the least grants worth Rs 85 crore in seven years with the Morni block accounting for least development grants amounting to Rs 17 crore in the state. The Sadaura block in Yamunanagar district (also part of the Ambala Lok Sabha constituency) represented by Congress MLA Rajpal Bhukri, who raised a banner revolt alleging discrimination with his assembly segment, also received one of the least development grants amounting to Rs 25 crore only. While Faridabad district received second lowest development grants amounting to Rs 113 crore, Gurgaon district, representated by “rebel” Congress MP Rao Inderjit Singh, fared no better receiving grants worth Rs 146 crore.
|
|
Will Gurgaon MP Inderjit quit Cong?
Chandigarh, February 27 Rao, a known detractor of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for a long time, has been “extra bitter” towards Hooda for the past few weeks, particularly after the Chief Minister decided to address a public rally at Bawal, to which the MP was not invited. This did not go well with Inderjit Singh, who felt that it was a deliberate move on the part of the Chief Minister’s camp to humiliate him. Bawal is part of the Rao’s parliamentary constituency. Inderjit Singh accuses Hooda of discriminating against his constituency of Ahirwal in matters of development and jobs. He says he is only raising the voice of the people of his area and has no personal issue with Hooda. A couple of days ago he said he had asked the Chief Minister as well as the Congress high command to give details of those who had been given government jobs in the past eight years so that his allegations of regional bias against Hooda could be verified. He regretted that neither Hooda nor the high command had responded to his request. Early last year, Inderjit Singh was reportedly given an understanding that he would be made the chief of the Haryana Congress. With a year gone without the understanding materialising, his patience seems to have run out. During the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Hooda, at the request of the Rao, had campaigned for him in Gurgaon. However, soon after the elections, their relations again deteriorated. In response to Hooda’s Bawal rally, Inderjit Singh has convened his own rally, named as “Insaaf rally”, at Pataudi on March 3, where, many feel in view of his vague criticism of the high command, he may announce his resignation from the Congress. However, Ved Prakash Vidrohi, former Haryana Congress spokesman and prominent supporter of Inderjit Singh, said the Gurgaon MP had no intention to quit the party. Rather, he would continue to fight for justice for all regions of the state while remaining in the Congress. Vidrohi said information collected under the Right to Information Act had revealed that members of a particular caste had cornered a vast majority of the government jobs in the state in the past eight years. He asserted that Inderjit Singh was objecting to this bias of Hooda. However, supporters of Hooda claim that Inderjit Singh was annoyed with the Chief Minister after the latter remained neutral in a dispute between the Gurgaon MP and some of his family members over the management of a college. If Rao quits the Congress, what are the options before him? Some say he may revive the Vishal Haryana Party, which was floated by his father Rao Birendra Singh. Bitter relations
|
|
Hooda flays INLD attitude
Chandigarh, February 27 The INLD legislators met Governor Jagannath Pahadia this evening and submitted a memorandum that a member of the treasury benches used derogatory, insulting and criminal words against an INLD member, who has been elected to the Assembly from the reserved Guhla-Cheeka constituency. Hooda, during a conference in the gallery, said the elected representatives of the people should raise issues concerning the people in the House and give constructive suggestions, but they regretted that till date the INLD had never done so. Hooda said the INLD legislators neither liked to participate in discussion on adjournment motion submitted by Congress MLA Sampat Singh on the issue of uprightness in public life nor did they want to listen to reply on Governor’s address, adding that they behaved in a similar fashion in every session. Asked if the Leader of Opposition should quit from his post, Hooda said it was up to him. “Had I been the Leader of Opposition, I would have quit,” Hooda added. Meanwhile, accusing the treasury benches of insulting its members, INLD MLA Abhay Chautala in a press conference said the Speaker should apologise for his choice of words against a member of the INLD and should practice what he preaches. Asked if the Speaker’s allegations of Abhay Chautala trying to bully the Speaker were true, he said the Speaker could have suspended him for a day or even the entire session for doing so. “There are enough provisions at the disposal of the Speaker,” he said. Later, in the memorandum to the Governor, the INLD said the use of “derogatory words” was done with the intention to insult or intimidate “with intent to humiliate a member of a Scheduled Caste or a Scheduled Tribe in any place within public view”. They alleged that words of such intent were used by Congress MLA Naresh Sharma against Phool Singh at the instigation of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Surjewala and were outrageously condoned by the Speaker. The INLD claimed that the Speaker admitted an adjournment motion to discuss a subject that is illegal, unwarranted and violating conventions, being sub judice because they were pressing for a reply on Sky light Hospitality Ltd, a Robert Vadra company.
|
|
BJP walks out over Vadra-DLF issue
Chandigarh, February 27 Participating in the resumed discussion on the Governor’s address in the absence of the main opposition INLD, whose 27 MLAs were suspended by the Speaker for unruly behaviour, leader of the BJP legislative party Anil Vij took potshots at the Hooda government for its failure on all fronts. Although the state employees get less pay than their Punjab and Chandigarh counterparts, yet the state government functionaries were blowing their own trumpet calling Haryana No. 1 state in the country, Vij asserted. Vij wondered if Haryana was really No. 1 in the country regarding development and why certain ruling party MLAs, including Public Health Engineering Kiran Choudhary and Ambala City MLA Vinod Sharma, were demanding the shifting of the proposed Rail Coach Factory (RCF) at Sonepat to their respective “backward areas”. Alleging that the state government had given a go by to the recommendations contained in the Swaminathan Report, particularly on the sugarcane prices, Vij alleged that attempts were being made in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) to hush up a vigilance report regarding irregularities in the MNREGA funds in Ambala. He alleged irregularities in the functioning of the Bhuna sugar mills. Meanwhile, Vij’s attempt to score brownie points by patting Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on the back for unprecedented development drew sharp reactions from the treasury benches, especially, Housing and Cooperation Minister Satpal Sangwan, Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Prahlad Singh Gillankhera and Nuh MLA Aftab Ahmed. “The BJP cannot digest the unprecedented development in the state under the Hooda regime”, the minister and the CPS quipped. Even as Vij tried to drag the name of whistleblower IAS officer for pointing out alleged irregularities in the Robert Vadra-DLF deal, the Speaker disallowed Vij on the plea that officers are not discussed on the floor of the House. With his desperate attempts to raise the Vadra-DLF issued failing, Vij along with three other party MLAs, staged a walkout alleging that the Speaker was not allowing him to raise issue of public importance. From the ruling side, Anil Dhantori, while praising the all round development in the state under Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, demanded elections to the student bodies in colleges and universities of the state. |
|
Rape victim takes poison in Sirsa
Sirsa, February 27 The 19-year-old victim from Mehalia village of Rajasthan alleged in her statement given before a magistrate from Bhadra three days ago that Sandeep, a son of the owner of the hospital where she worked as a nurse, took her to Hisar with the promise of increasing her salary. She alleged that Sandeep, a resident of Malkhera village of Rajasthan, raped her in his vehicle near the Hisar bus stand. She alleged that Sandeep threatened her that if she narrated the incident to anyone, he would tarnish her reputation. Fearing ignominy, the victim consumed poison on Tuesday. She was shifted to General Hospital, Sirsa, in a serious condition, where she died last night. Hari Ram Chaudhary, Deputy Superintendent of Police at Nohar (Rajasthan), said the police had arrested Sandeep after booking him for rape and abatement of suicide.
|
|
Army aspirants caught with drugs at rally
Fatehabad, February 27 A candidate Malkiat Singh was carrying these stamps and his own certificates were also found attested with those stamps. On inquiry, it was revealed that Malkiat Singh was also attesting documents of some other candidates with these stamps. When the sleuths searched the bags of some youths, they found drugs used for enhancing stamina and syringes. They also recovered Iodex and Moov tubes from their bags. Though these ointments are painkillers, it was revealed that youths use these medicines before running in the 1600-metre race. |
|
|
HC puts CBI on notice on Yadav’s plea
Chandigarh, February 27
Taking up the matter, Justice Ranjit Singh issued notice to the premier investigating agency for March 21. Justice Yadav is banking on advancement in technology to prevent alleged violation of principles of natural justice in the trial against her. Her counsel S.K. Garg Narwana had earlier claimed that the Code of Criminal Procedure came into force in 1973, when technology was not so advanced. In case of voluminous record, inspection, rather than supply of copies, was a solution. Those were the days of manual typewriters. But over the years technology has progressed and providing copies of documents is now a matter of minutes due to efficient photocopiers. Narwana had claimed the very fact that inspection of the documents has been allowed indicated that the papers do not fall in the category of privileged or classified. As such, the copies could be supplied at the petitioner’s cost. It was added that non-supply of documents was against the principles of natural justice as these would be relied upon by the prosecution during the trial. Supplying the documents would only assist Justice Yadav to properly assist the court in the matter, he added. A special CBI court in Chandigarh on February 2 had dismissed her earlier application while fixing February 22 as the date for arguments on framing of charges. The court made it clear that the documents could be inspected by Justice Nirmal Yadav or any accused anytime in person or through their counsel. The demand for supply of documents was opposed by the CBI on grounds that CrPC did not permit it, but added that the
prosecution has no objection if the accused wanted to inspect the documents in person. |
|
|
Dairy scientists urged to boost milk production
Karnal, February 27 Arvind Kaushal, who was chief guest at the closing function of three-day ‘National Dairy Mela’, asked the scientists and farmers to work together to make the country number one in per capita milk production without any dilution in quality of production and processing. “Without good nutrition and controlling diseases in animals, it would be difficult to achieve the target. The work in this direction should be continued at institutions like the NDRI and elsewhere,” he said. Praising the organisers, participants, winners, judges and the visitors for their valuable contribution to the dairy programme, he said the “dairy mela” was successful in meeting its objective of bringing advanced technological developments to the farmer’s doorstep. Dr A.K. Srivastava, Director, NDRI, who presided over the valedictory function, thanked the farmers and other participants of the mela from different parts of the country and assured them that the NDRI would extend all sorts of expertise in future. He said that dairy farming should be strengthened further from different points of view, such as provisions of good quality semen from available best bulls. He laid stress on better management practices to ensure that dairy farming was a profitable business for the farmers. He announced that the NDRI would start a diploma course in dairy processing from the coming academic session at its Southern Regional Station at Bangalore . As many as 504 cows, buffalloes and bulls brought by 233 farmers participated in the mela. Baldev Singh of Galib Kheri village in Karnal was awarded the first prize for best cow, Narendra Singh of Dheedwani village in Panipat for best buffalo, Rajesh of Buddhakhera (Kaithal) for best Murrah and Rajiv Chowdhary of Ghaziabad (UP) for the best bull. The response to the mela was tremendous and thousands of farmers visited the stalls and watched the animals participating in the mela. A four-and-a-half-year old male buffalo of the Murrah variety, Yuvraj, from Sunari village in Kuruskhetra was the highlight of the mela. Its owner Karambir said Yuvraj had won awards at the national dairy mela held in Hisar and the NDRI last year and its cost was Rs 1 crore. His sperm is sold for Rs 300 per dosage. |
|
|
Power engineers resent appointment of adviser
Ambala, February 27 In a strong-worded letter addressed to the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the power utilities, the association claimed that there had been a violation of the norms in the appointment of the adviser as the post was never advertised. The association said the adviser was appointed to a post equivalent to the post of the Director and had the same pay and perks. Besides, the adviser had been made a member of the core committee and assigned official work. RS Dahiya, president of the HPEA and Daljeet Singh, general secretary of the association, also lamented that a former retired Director of the UHBVN had been appointed as adviser for six months. This would only result in additional financial burden on the power utilities which were already under a debt of more than Rs 25,000 crore. They said advisers should be appointed on a consolidated salary or according to visit emoluments, with no extra perks as all other government departments followed this practice. Besides, the adviser should be appointed only for a particular project for consultancy rather than making him a part of the decision-making process. The two leaders said the engineers’ association had always been against any extension in service beyond superannuation and engagement of a retired Director on the pay scale and perks equivalent to the post he retired from service in the power utility. They said the latest appointment had demoralised power engineers, particularly the senior most, as the adviser would enjoy all powers equivalent to the Director, but with no responsibilities. They said the association felt that the appointment of the adviser was nothing but extension in service for another six months to the retired Director of power utility. |
|
|
6 robbers loot gold ornaments
Sirsa, February 27 Tayal, a trader in the Sirsa grain market, is an elder brother of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's former Principal Secretary ML Tayal. It is suspected that the miscreants entered Tayal's house by mistake, as they continued asking the location of wheat store where, they said, Rs 40 lakh were placed. The robbers searched the entire house and even removed beddings to see whether money had been concealed there. Tayal's house, however, does not have any wheat store and when the miscreants realised their mistake, they trained gun on Vandana and forced her to hand over her gold ornaments. |
|
|
Husband, in-laws booked for forced abortion
Rewari, February 27 Sonam Yadav of Kapriwas village got married to Amit of Kosli on March 8, 2011. In her complaint, she has alleged that when she was 4-month pregnant, Amit and her in-laws kicked her in the abdomen on December 9, 2011, following which her condition deteriorated. Consequently, her father Vikram Yadav got her admitted in a private hospital at Bhiwadi town in Rajasthan where she underwent an abortion. She further stated that since then she had been living at her parental house in Kapriwas village. A police official said recently, Sonam approached the women’s cell here for settlement of her case with her in-laws. When nothing concrete emerged, they registered a case on the SSP’s direction.
|
|
14 duped of Rs 1.80 crore, two booked
Kurukshetra, February 27 District police chief Rakesh Kumar Arya said a local resident Shalender Kumar had lodged a complaint that Vikram Singh and Talbir Singh had opened their office in the name of Mappel Education Consultancy on the Pehowa road, Kurukshetra, for sending people to abroad. He said they had duped 14 persons of Rs 1.80 crore for sending them to Canada, but neither they had sent them to Canada nor returned the money. After registering a case at Thana Pehowa in the district, the investigation has been assigned to a police team of the Economic Crime Branch in charge SI Sita Ram, Arya added.
|
|
Honey's obscene lyrics: SHO told to probe case
Ambala, February 27 A resident of Ambala City, Sanjay Khera, had filed a complaint in the local court in this regard. He had produced two CDs of Honey Singh in the court which include a few vulgar songs. According to counsel of the complainant Sandeev Sachdeva, the lyrics were offensive towards women. He said a complaint under Sections 291, 292, 293 and 294 of the IPC was filed against Honey Singh on January 3. The complainant had demanded a ban on the CDs. |
|
State food-surplus, but kids stunted
Chandigarh, February 27 However, the saving grace is that the 40 per cent figure of underweight children based on the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) is less than the national figure of 42 per cent, the Vidhan Sabha was informed. However, the calling attention motion on the issue saw former Finance Minister Sampat Singh and Women and Child Development Minister Geeta Bhukkal differ on the exact figures of the malnourished children in Haryana. Basing his motion on the study called HUNGAMA, conducted by Hyderabad-based Nandi Foundation Study, Sampat Singh expressed serious concern at the alarming percentage of malnourished children. Even according to the NFHS, 46 per cent of children suffer from stunting (height according to age), 43 per cent suffer from underweight (weight according to age) and 19 per cent suffer from wasting (weight according to height) in Haryana, Sampat Singh claimed. Also, it was found that 59 per cent children were stunted, 42 per cent underweight and 11.4 per cent wasted in the most-backward six districts of six states, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh Since the schemes under the Integrated Community Development Services (ICDS) do not cover children below two years of age, the exact figures must be more alarming, the Congress MLA from Nalwa feared. However, Bhukkal claimed that holistic strategy adopted by the state government had resulted in substantial improvement in nutritional status of children. A total of nearly 89 per cent children are either normal or close to normal grade, she claimed. The foundation has not conducted any survey in Haryana.
|
|
Minor girl’s marriage prevented in Fatehabad
Fatehabad, February 27 The 16-year-old girl from the village was to be wedded to Subhash Chander, a resident of Lilas village of Bhiwani, today. However, after getting a tip-off, Child Marriage Prohibition Officer Rekha Agarwal went to the girl’s house at Chapla Mori yesterday and checked age certificates of the girl. When it was found that the girl is a minor, Agarwal told her family to postpone the wedding as it was illegal. Agarwal said that a legal notice had been served on the family of the girl and added that they have promised to postpone the marriage till the girl attains the age of 18.
|
|
Enforcement officers told to curb
black money
Madhuban, February 27 This was the message of Karnail Singh, Special Director-General (Enforcement), to enforcement officers while inaugurating a five-day national-level "Induction training Course" being organised by the Haryana Police Academy in collaboration with the Enforcement Directorate. As many as 36 enforcement officers from various states are participating in the programme which will conclude on March 1. Participants would be given adequate information about the FEMA . |
|
2 FDA officials’ role under scanner
Sirsa, February 27 The State-Drug Controller-cum Joint Commissioner, FDA, Haryana, GL Singal, has requisitioned records pertaining to the inspection of medical shops carried out by the FDA and subsequent action taken against the erring chemists after Sirsa Deputy Commissioner J Ganesan found large-scale irregularities in the functioning of the department. The facts came to light after Ganesan asked the DCO, Sirsa, Vijaya Raje, to furnish details of inspections done by her from October 1 to November 19, 2012. She informed the DC that the inspection reports along with the contraventions detected had been sent to the SDCO, Hisar, Naripen Goyal. When Goyal was asked to furnish the records, it was found that licences of the chemists had been suspended or cancelled in some cases, while in some other cases no action had been initiated, though the contraventions in their cases were more than three months before the chemists against whom action had been taken. As if this were not enough, when Ganesan deputed Sudivisional Magistrate of Ellenabad Prabhjot Singh to conduct a survey of the shops, whose licences were shown to have been suspended or cancelled, it was found that most of them were functioning as usual. Prabhjot Singh said in his report submitted on January 28 that out of the list of 27 chemists handed over to him, 19 were found functioning as usual while eight were found closed. The Deputy Commissioner has sought strict disciplinary action against the DCO Vijaya Raje and the SDCO Naripen Goyal in his communication to the higher authorities. |
|
Old age pension up, to benefit 9.83 lakh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh,February 27 Bhukkal said that this enhanced pension would be admissible from April 1, 2012. River pollution The Haryana government is taking all possible measures for controlling pollution in the Markanda and Ghaggar rivers. The government is conscious of its duties, Environment Minister Ajay Singh Yadav said. Missing persons The government has set up six anti-human trafficking units for closely monitoring all missing persons, including the children, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda informed the House. Elephant sheds The state government has set up 10 elephant sheds fat the Elephant Rehabilitation Centre, Yamunanagar, for accommodating 20 elephants, Ajay Singh Yadav said. Public health The government’s proposal to attach the Public Health Engineering Division, Panchkula, with Public Health Engineering Circle, Ambala is under consideration. At present, it is under the administrative control of Public Health Engineering Circle Yamunanagar, Public Health Engineering Minister Kiran Choudhry said. Veterinary dept The government will soon recruit 88 veterinary surgeons and 1,034 animal attendants to meet the shortage of staff in veterinary hospitals.This was stated by Animal Husbandry and Dairying Minister Paramvir Singh, while replying to a question. Rural power Under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana, dhanies with a population of more than 100 are eligible for electrification, Ajay Singh Yadav said. Hospitals The government has granted in-principle approval to upgrade the 30-bedded General Hospital, Adampur, to 50-bedded hospital, Health Minister Rao Narender Singh said.
|
|
| 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 | |
Fatehabad, February 27
