VC ‘responsible’ for financial crisis
ROHTAK, April 12 — The Non-Teaching Employees Association of Maharshi Dayanand University has held the Vice-Chancellor, Lt-Gen O.P. Kaushik, responsible for the prevailing financial crisis and has asked him to resign on moral grounds so that the university could function smoothly.

Girl strangled by youths
KAITHAL, April 12 — Kusum, a young girl of Kakot village, allegedly strangled to death by three youths of the same village yesterday. According to a complaint lodged with the police by Mange Ram, father of the girl, Surender, Kamal and Narender attacked them and strangled his daughter by tying a dupatta around her neck. The father and daughter had gone to Kamal's house to lodge a complaint about his teasing the girl.

Shobha yatra taken out in Sirsa
SIRSA, April 12 — A "shobha yatra" was organised to celebrate the tercentenary of the Khalsa Panth in the city today. Perhaps the first time in the history of Sirsa, political parties, social and business organisations, including journalists, welcomed the yatra cutting across all political leanings.

• Man and wife die of burns
• Fish production
• Cong men stage dharnas

• HVP workers told to launch campaign
• 100 tents for quake victims sent
• 2 killed in road accident

SYL: Cong continues offensive
Tribune News Service

GURGAON, April 12 — The Congress in Haryana today continued its offensive in favour of early completion of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal project with former president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), Shamsher Singh Surjewala, demanding the Centre to intervene for the early completion of the project.

Mr Surjewala, who has been made the chairperson of the Pradesh Election Authority for the Congress organisational elections, told TNS that there was a "diabolical" conspiracy in certain quarters to thwart Haryana from getting its share of water from Ravi-Beas. The issue had already been adjudicated upon by the Eradi Commission and the Akali leaders had no moral or legal ground to obstruct the construction of the SYL.

Senior Congress leaders from the state have already made strong statements in favour of the SYL in the past few days, especially after Akali leaders renewed their objections on the sharing of the Ravi-Beas waters.

According to sources, the Congress’ tough posture on the issue also has a political angle to it. The Congress leadership sees the issue as an opportunity to paint its rival, the Indian National Lok Dal and the ruling HVP-BJP government, in the black. This has also provided the Congress with a chance to embarrass the BJP government at the Centre, in which the Shiromani Akali Dal is a coalition partner.

There are many who feel that the Congress, wanting to provide an alternative government at the Centre, was also calculating the possible turbulence in the HVP-BJP government in Haryana. There are wide-ranging speculations on the fate of the HVP-BJP government following the possible change of guard at the Centre. The speculation has the origin on reported disgruntled MLAs in the ruling HVP.

Reprieve for Agroha students
From Jatinder Sharma
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, April 12 — The government today advised the Director, Medical College, Rohtak, to admit students of Agroha Medical College till the Medical Council of India takes a final decision on their transfer.

The 160-odd students of Agroha Medical College are on the road following the closure of the institute on April 1, 1999. The Maharaja Agrasen Medical Education and Scientific Research Society that managed the affairs of the college had intimated the government on April 6 that it was unable to run the college due to paucity of funds and requested the government to shift the students of the college to Medical College, Rohtak.

The government reportedly wrote to the Medical Council to allow it to transfer the students. The latter is said to have refused to oblige the government on the grounds that Agroha Medical College was not a recognised one.

The Commissioner and Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Mrs Komal Anand, reportedly met the Secretary, Medical Council, Dr M.Sachdeva, at Delhi to resolve the issue.

At least 50 students of Agroha Medical College today met the Director, Medical College, Rohtak, Dr D.S. Dubey, and requested him to admit them in the local college. Dr Dubey advised them to wait for instructions from the government.

Meanwhile, the faculty of Agroha Medical College, whose services have not yet been terminated by the society have, in separate representations, requested the Chairman of the Society to save their careers either by making the institute viable or taking steps as were being taken for the students.

The society has already sacked all senior members of the faculty and is in the process of sacking more. It proposes to retain a skeletal staff so as to run the hospital started on the college campus in 1997.

At least 35 students of Agroha Medical College are still taking their annual (theory) examination and will come to Rohtak Medical College on April 17 for practical examinations. But who will issue them degrees as the Medical Council has not yet approved their transfer. Will these degrees have legal sanctity?

There were 200 non-teaching employees in Agroha Medical College of whom 150 have been sacked. The strength is further likely to be reduced by 50 per cent in another couple of days. Many of these employees are over-age for employment elsewhere. The government and the society have not yet taken any measures to rehabilitate these employees.

According to reports reaching here, some books from the college library at Agroha were stolen after the closure of the institute on April 1. The matter has been reported to the police but the stolen property is yet to be recoverd.

Noose around drivers' necks likely
By U.K.Bhanot
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 12 — To check the mounting expenses on the repair of government vehicles, including buses of the Haryana Roadways and cars maintained by the state's three dozen boards and corporations, the Haryana Government is all set to put a noose around drivers' necks.

Officials at a certain level who were responsible for recruiting untrained drivers may also face action.

Thus, all drivers in the state's services have been put on alert by the government order. An inquiry conducted by the Vigilance Department is reported to have been made as the basis of the new order.

According to the vigilance report, inefficient and untrained drivers were recruited by the State Transport Department a few years ago to please certain sections of the people. No care was taken, it is reported, to ensure recruitment of trained drivers, even when untrained drivers were taken under political compulsions. No effort was made to give training to these drivers. Some of them made their tractor driving experience in the fields as the basis of experience of their selection. As a result of the haphazard recruitment done by the Transport Department, a number of accidents could not be checked. The amounts spent on the repair of accidented vehicles was also huge.

The state government has thus decided that the entire career graph of all drivers, serving in the departments/boards/corporations/autonomous bodies, be examined and the drivers be put to a severe test. The drivers who have been involved even in one accident should be given rigorous driving test to examine their suitability for retention in service. Services of drivers who fail in the test should be dispensed with, of course after observing due formalities and responsibility fixed with regard to the persons who had earlier cleared them in the driving test under the intimation to the government.

A representative of the Drivers Association told TNS that although the selection of tractor drivers or their likes could not be defended, it was now too late to raise the issue of drivers undergoing driving test at this stage. The representative said the government should take into consideration the number of hours that a driver should be asked to do — whether recognised officially or not. In several cases, he said, the drivers had to undertake long journeys without rest. Also, he said, a driver often had to stay at the officer's houses for long hours which made them work under tension. Some of them were meted out harsh treatment by senior officers, he added.

Surjewala is J-K poll authority Chairman
By Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 12 — A former Haryana Congress President, Mr Shamsher Singh Surjewala, has been appointed Chairman of the three-member State Election Authority for Jammu and Kashmir by the All-India Congress Committee (AICC), according to information received here this evening.

Mr Surjewala, who is the only Haryana Congress leader to be entrusted with the responsibility of conducting party organisational elections, was sent to the strife-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir twice in the past by the AICC President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, to study the situation after two incidents of massacres. Reliable sources say Mr Surjewala's appointment was announced by the AICC after his name was personally cleared by Mrs Sonia Gandhi.

The sources say a three-member State Election Authority for Haryana has also been constituted. The Chairman of the Haryana authority is Mr Satya Narayan Rao of Andhra Pradesh. Mr Rao had been opposed to the former Prime Minister, Mr P.V. Narasimha Rao, in Andhra politics.

Though the AICC is yet to announce the names of the two members of the Haryana authority, the sources say they are likely to be Mr Bal Kavi Bairagi of Madhya Pradesh and Mrs Kartar Devi of Haryana. Mr Bairagi is a renowned Hindi poet and a sitting Rajya Sabha member. Mrs Kartar Devi is the Haryana Congress General Secretary and the Acting Leader of the Congress Legislature Party in the state Vidhan Sabha.

According to the amendment made in the party constitution at Pachmarhi, a three-member State Election Authority would have its Chairman and one member from outside the state concerned and one member from within that state. In bigger states where there would be a five-member election authority, two members would belong to that state, while the Chairman and two members would be from outside the state.

The amendment also provided that the members of the authority belonging to the state would be debarred from holding any party post or from contesting the elections. But the members from outside the state would not suffer from any such sanction and would be allowed to contest the organisation elections in their home states.

The sources say Mrs Vidya Stokes, former Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, would be the Chairman of the Delhi State Election Authority. Mr Yagya Dutt Sharma would head the Punjab authority.

Mr Harikesh Bahadur of Uttar Pradesh will be the Chairman of the State Election Authority of the Union Territory of Chandigah.

The Himachal authority will be headed by a sitting Rajya Sabha member and Chairman of the National Commission for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, Mr V. Hanumantha Rao.

Another senior leader of the region, Mr R.L. Bhatia, former Minister of State for External Affairs, has been entrusted the responsibility of conducting the party poll in Bihar.

Certain sitting presidents of state units too have been made Chairmen of the poll authority in other states. The President of the Gujarat Congress, Mr Probodh Ravat, will conduct elections in Rajasthan.

Mr P.J. Kurien, the party's chief whip in the Lok Sabha, has been asked to look after the election work in Maharashtra, while a former Union Minister, Mrs Margaret Alva, has been given the responsibility in Madhya Pradesh.

The sources say the way the AICC has entrusted the responsibility of conducting the elections to the state units, it is clear that Mrs Sonia Gandhi is keen on fair elections, which will be a break from the past tradition of the party. It is no secret that in the past Pradesh Returning Officers (PROs) would virtually sign on the lines dotted by leaders favoured by the high command.

VC ‘responsible’ for financial crisis
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, April 12 — The Non-Teaching Employees Association of Maharshi Dayanand University has held the Vice-Chancellor, Lt-Gen O.P. Kaushik (retd), responsible for the prevailing financial crisis and has asked him to resign on moral grounds so that the university could function smoothly.

Non-teaching employees remained on strike for the fifth day today to protest against the non-payment of salaries for the last month. This is for the first time in the 22-year-old history of the university that it has failed to pay the salary of its employees on time.

The association president, Mr Kartar Singh Dhankar, said in a signed statement that barring Maharshi Dayanand University the other universities in the state had paid salaries to employees on time though the government had not released the grant money to them also.

He said the university had a bank balance of Rs 18 crore in 1997 but today it had only a few lakhs in its coffers. He charged the Vice-Chancellor with "squandering" the university money.

The association, he said, believed the government had imposed a "financial ban" on the university to put an end to the "extravagant" use of money.

Meanwhile, a two-member inspection team of the government arrived here today to reportedly inquire into the finances of the university and the expenditure incurred. The team would also suggest ways and means to increase the revenue of the university so that its dependence on the government could be minimised.

Girl strangled by youths
From Our Correspondent

KAITHAL, April 12 — Kusum, a young girl of Kakot village, allegedly strangled to death by three youths of the same village yesterday. According to a complaint lodged with the police by Mange Ram, father of the girl, Surender, Kamal and Narender attacked them and strangled his daughter by tying a dupatta around her neck. The father and daughter had gone to Kamal's house to lodge a complaint about his teasing the girl.

The police has registered a case.

On the other hand, the three accused and their father, who were reportedly admitted to the Civil Hospital, Kaithal, with some injuries, have complained they were attacked by family members of the girl. They alleged the girl's family got a false case registered against them. The police has started investigations.

In another incident, Anand, a resident of Patel Nagar here, was seriously injured when he was shot at by an unidentified assailant here on the Jind road last night. According to information, a person after taking lift from Anand who was on a scooter tried to snatch his vehicle at pistol-point. On meeting with resistance, he shot at Anand, injuring him seriously. The assailant fled from the scene of the crime. The youth is reported to have been shifted to the PGI, Chandigarh, in a serious condition. The police has registered a case.

Shobha yatra taken out in Sirsa
From Our Correspondent

SIRSA, April 12 — A "shobha yatra" was organised to celebrate the tercentenary of the Khalsa Panth in the city today. Perhaps the first time in the history of Sirsa, political parties, social and business organisations, including journalists, welcomed the yatra cutting across all political leanings.

The city was tastefully decorated with welcome gates erected at various places on the route of the "shobha yatra". The yatra was flagged off at the local Guru Gobind Singh Gurdwara by the Deputy Commissioner, Dr Avtar Singh. He said it was a great moment to be part of the celebrations going on all over the world. He emphasised that we should follow the teachings of Guru Gobind Singh today so that national unity and integrity is strengthened.

Various schools and bands took part in the almost 1 km-long procession. It was welcomed by Haryana Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Mr Ganeshi Lal, at the local Sangwan Chowk where he declared that to commemorate this sacred occasion the name of Sangwan Chowk will now be Guru Gobind Chowk.

The SSP also welcomed the yatra along with Congress leaders Laxman Das Arora, Hoshiari Lal Sharma and INLD leader Abhey Chautala. Later, a "langar" was organised at Railway Colony Gurdwara.

Cong men stage dharnas
From Tribune Reporters

FATEHABAD, April 12 — Members of the district unit of the Congress today staged a dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner and presented a memorandum to him to be forwarded to the President demanding a JPC probe into the Admiral Bhagwat episode, among other things.

They also demanded a probe into the allegations levelled by Mr Mohan Guruswamy and renaming of welfare schemes of the central government after Jawahar Lal Nehru and Indira Gandhi.

KURUKSHETRA: Office-bearers and members of the District Congress Committee and Block Congress Committees submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner to be forwarded to the President and Speaker of the Lok Sabha demanding a probe into the Bhagwat issue.

AMBALA: Congress workers held a demonstration and submitted a memorandum to the President through the Deputy Commissioner to demand a JPC probe into the allegations levelled by former Admiral, Vishnu Bhagwat.

Man and wife die of burns
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, April 12 — Mr Satish Chawla and his wife Suman, residents of Kismat Nagar near Cantonment, died of burns last night. Mr Chawla was pouring petrol in a can when it caught fire due to the lighting of a match stick. His wife tried to extinguish the fire but she also sustained burns. They were rushed to a hospital where they succumbed to their injuries.

HVP workers told to launch campaign
From Our Correspondent

KURUKSHETRA, April 12 — The Haryana Vikas Party president and Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, at a state-level training camp of party workers organised at Jat Dharamsala yesterday evening urged them to launch a campaign to highlight the plans and achievements of the state government among the masses.

He asked them to launch a campaign to strengthen the party at the grass roots.

He said such training camps would be organised for the women wing too. He asked the party workers to co-operate with BJP workers.

He said the government was aware of the problems being faced by people living in water-logged areas, Mewat, Morni, Shivalik foot hills and southern Haryana. The government was trying to find a solution to their problems, he said.

Earlier, the HVP general secretary and MP from Bhiwani, Mr Surinder Singh, while inaugurating the training camp, stated that the district party presidents should constitute units at district-level.

"Padyatras" would be organised at various places after the harvesting season.

Haryana tops in fish production
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 12 — Haryana has achieved the first position in the country in fish production. It has an average fish production of 419 kg per hectare against a national average of 218 kg.

An official spokesman today said about 70 per cent of the available water in the state had been brought under intensive fish culture.

Five Chinese circular hatcheries with the production level of 200 lakh fish seed per year had been established in the private sector.

Presently, 16 fish farmers development agencies were functioning in the state.

100 tents for quake victims sent
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 12 — The Haryana Government has despatched two truck-loads of 100 tents, including hooks and poles, to the Uttar Pradesh Government for providing relief to the earthquake victims in the Garhwal Himalayas. The area is being rocked by tremors continuously after the main earthquake, thus forcing people to stay in the open outside their houses which are in constant danger of collapse.

The material, costing about Rs 10 lakh has been despatched under the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. It will reach Gopeshwar within 14 to 16 hours.

2 killed in road accident
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, April 12 — Two persons were killed when their car in which they were travelling hit a tree between Jassia and Ghilor Kalan villages on Gohana road, near here, today. The deceased have been identified as Sheelak and Mahavir.

The driver lost control and hit a tree when an animal suddenly came in front of the car.

The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences here.