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Cong ultimatum to
Chautala No chance of
entire Opposition quitting Congmen protest
against Punjab Act, Chautala SYL issue: Cong,
BJP caught on wrong foot BJP to launch
stir on SYL issue
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Chautala
sympathetic towards Akalis: Surjewala Police postings,
transfers NFL pollutants
risk to 3,000 villagers
Farmers fear
drought as monsoon fails Water scheme for
Sonepat Devi Lal varsity
may get more land Surjewala for
people’s solution Three killed as
trucks collide 5 injured in
clash Mother kills
kids, herself Applications for
Stree Shakti Puruskar invited Himalayan rally members return from Khardung La
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Cong ultimatum to Chautala Chandigarh, July 20 Declaring this here today, the general secretary of the party, Mr Mange Ram Gupta, said the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, had not taken any concrete measure to get the Punjab Act set aside. He alleged that Mr Chautala had been calling names to the Central Government but he himself was not serious about the SYL canal. Mr Gupta, who is also the convener of the 11-member action committee formed by the party under the chairmanship of the former Chief Minister, Mr Bhajan Lal, if Mr Chautala failed to approach the apex court during the next 72 hours, all the 19 Congress MLAs and eight Independent MLAs supporting the Congress, would submit their resignations to the Assembly Speaker, Mr Satbir Singh Kadian. Mr Gupta said his party welcomed the resignations of the BJP MLAs from the Assembly. But he was critical of Mr Kadian's action in hurriedly accepting the resignations. He said the ruling party should have carried everyone along to fight for an issue which was very crucial for the state. He said if Mr Chautala continued to remain in power even after the exit of the entire Opposition from the Vidhan Sabha, he would be exposed before the people as a person to whom power was more important than the state's interests. He said the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, and the Chairman of the UPA, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, had assured the action committee when its members met them in Delhi yesterday that action would be taken soon to resolve the tangle and the Congress MLAs would not have to resign. He said the Haryana Congress leaders had demanded "strictest" action against the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh. He said the Punjab Governor, Mr O.P. Verma, was also "guilty" for hurriedly giving his assent to the controversial Bill and action should be taken against him as well. Mr Gupta was opposed to the scrapping of the Yamuna water accord as this, he said, would lead to anarchy in the country. |
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No chance of entire Opposition quitting Chandigarh, July 20 The resignation of six BJP legislators from the House, coupled with the Congress MLAs' offer to quit the state Assembly, had triggered off speculations about the representatives of all non-INLD parties resigning from the Assembly on the water issue. If it happened, there would have been pressure on the ruling Indian National Lok
Dal(INLD) also to quit the Assembly and pave the way for holding fresh elections. The Opposition Haryana Vikas Party today ruled out quitting the state Assembly on the water issue. The HVP joined hands with the Congress party for the Rajya Sabha elections in the state but apparently had chartered a different course of action regarding the Punjab legislation. Talking to TNS, Mr Surinder Singh, secretary-general of the HVP, said that both the Congress and the BJP were trying to don the garb of martyrs in Haryana because the Punjab counterparts of the two parties had paved the way for the Bill which had shattered Haryana's hopes of getting water through the Sutlej Yamuna Link canal. " Both the Congress and the BJP are party to the legislation passed by the Punjab Assembly. This is the reason why the MLAs of the two parties have to enact the drama of resignation in Haryana", the HVP leader said. Since the HVP had never compromised its stand on the water issue, there was no question of the two HVP legislators quitting the Haryana Assembly, Surinder Singh asserted. That Surinder Singh is critical of what he calls "politics of resignation", is a welcome development from the perspective of the INLD. The HVP secretary-general, however, ran down the INLD as well and claimed that hardly any work on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal front was carried out when the INLD was in power in the state. The offer to resign from the Assembly by Congress legislators also came for fresh attack from Haryana Finance Minister, Mr Sampat Singh. The Finance Minister said if the Haryana Congress really wanted to create pressure on its High Command forcing it to take action against the Punjab Government, then all nine Lok Sabha members of Haryana from the Congress should have threatened that they would resign unless something was done about the Punjab Act. " Ms Sonia Gandhi would have certainly fulfilled their demand because the Congress would have lost the status of single largest party if nine members resigned from the Lok Sabha", Mr Sampat Singh said. He added that the Congress MPs did not give any such warning because Ms Sonia Gandhi had prior knowledge of the Punjab legislation. |
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Congmen protest against Punjab Act, Chautala Yamunanagar, July 20 The Congress workers also protested against the Chautala government’s policies. Addressing the party workers, state secretary, HPCC, appealed to the Chief Minister not to politicise the SYL matter and move the Supreme Court against the annulment Act. The party has given a 72-hour ultimatum to the Chief Minister to move the court, otherwise it would launch a state-wide agitation. The district unit of the part would be holding protest processions during the next two days and would be submitting a memorandum to the Governor through the Deputy Commissioner. Among others who participated in the procession included a former MLA, Mr Lehri Singh, the district president (urban), Mr Raj Kumar, the city president, Mr Ram Lal Gupta and the District vice-president, Mr Matlub Hassan. Earlier in the day, Mr Mange Ram Gupta, MLA (Jind) and general secretary, HPCC, said that if required all Congress legislators would submit their resignations to the Speaker to protest against the annulment Act. While addressing a press conference Mr Gupta said, “If the Central Government does not come out with a solution soon, the possibility of the entire Opposition resigning from the Assembly could not be ruled out”. When asked about his reaction on the resignation of the BJP MLAs from the Assembly, Mr Gupta said, “The Chief Minister should have expressed concern on the resignations but instead he is busy politicising the SYL issue”. He said that the Chief Minister should have taken the House in confidence in this matter. |
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SYL issue: Cong, BJP caught on wrong foot Rohtak, July 20 Both parties are struggling to explain the purpose served by the resignations when their newly elected Lok Sabha MPs have not followed suit to pressurise the Centre to annul the Punjab Termination of Water Agreement Bill. Going by the numbers game, if the nine Congress MPs from Haryana and six from Rajasthan, the two states worst affected by the Bill, were to quit their seats the UPA government would struggle to stay in power since the Congress tally in the Lok Sabha would then be reduced to 130. In this situation, the Manmohan Singh government would have no choice but to annul the controversial Punjab Bill and pave the way for completion of the SYL canal if it wanted to stay in office. Political analysts say even if the two Punjab Congress MPs were to quit their seats in case the Centre annuls the Bill, it will not destabilise the UPA government. Whereas the resignations by the 15 Haryana and Rajasthan MPs will make all the difference. They say the resignations have exposed the double standard adopted by both the parties on the issue. The Congress has not directed its legislators in Rajasthan to quit their seats on this issue even though, like Haryana, it is in the opposition there. Thus the Congress has a different approach on the issue in the two states where it is in the opposition and also in Punjab where it is in power. The BJP too faces a similar dilemma. Haryana BJP chief Ganeshi Lal has stated that it had sought the approval of the party’s central leadership before submitting the legislators’ resignations. However, the same central leadership has not asked its Punjab MLAs to quit to put pressure on the Centre. Analysts say while in the case of Rajasthan the BJP is in power and resignations will mean collapse of its government, the resignations by Punjab legislators will not make any difference to it. The Haryana Congress’ strategy is also being questioned on another count. HPCC chief Bhajan Lal has stated that if the Indian National Lok Dal legislators were to quit on this issue, he would forward the resignations of Congress legislators to the Speaker of the Haryana Assembly. Analysts say here too the Congress has exposed itself since when the Lok Dal legislators had quit their seats in 1985 on the issue of the Rajiv-Longowal Accord, these had not been accepted by the then Speaker and the Congress was in power at that time. No senior Congress or BJP leader was prepared to answer these questions publicly, but in private they admitted that political expediency took precedence over other considerations. The INLD on its part is keen to exploit the inherent weaknesses in the similar stands taken by these two parties. It sees in the controversy a golden opportunity to revive its fortunes before the Assembly poll due early next year. Commenting on the situation, Haryana Finance Minister Sampat Singh said if the SYL canal project was abandoned at this stage, the Congress alone would be responsible for it since its 15 MPs from Haryana and Rajasthan held the key to the death or resurrection of the SYL canal. While this may or may not be the whole truth, the bright side of the controversy is that the voter in Haryana would have plenty to think before making his choice in the next poll since all political parties stood exposed on the issue. |
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BJP to launch stir on SYL issue Rohtak, July 20 Addressing a press conference, he said the core committee of the Haryana unit of the party would meet in Delhi tomorrow to finalise plans for the proposed stir. While criticising the passage of the Punjab Termination of Agreements Bill he said the Punjab Assembly had no right to terminate agreements with other states unilaterally. Meanwhile, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has decided to hold demonstrations at all district towns of Haryana from today to July 23 in protest against the reservations for minorities in Andhra Pradesh. Mr Surinder Jain, secretary of the organisation, said here today that a demonstration would be organised here on July 22 and VHP workers would submit a memorandum to the President through the local authorities. |
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HVP activists hold dharna Ambala, July 20 Later the leaders of the party submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, the President of India. They demanded in the memorandum that the Act passed in the Punjab Assembly be declared null and void as it was against the spirit of the Constitution. |
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Chautala sympathetic towards Akalis: Surjewala Chandigarh, July 20 In a statement issued here today, Mr Surjewala said since the Punjab Act had no legal legs to stand, the apex court was most likely to declare it void if anyone challenged it. Mr Chautala was apprehensive that if the construction of the SYL canal started in Punjab under the court directions, the Akalis would have to come in the forefront of its opposition. Such a situation, he said, would also bring them in confrontation with Mr Chautala. Mr Surjewala said Mr Chautala was sympathetic towards the Akalis because of his family relations with the former Punjab Chief Minister and the Shiromani Akali Dal president, Mr Parkash Singh Badal. He also accused Mr Chautala of not being interested in the construction of the SYL canal because of his vested political interests. He alleged that Mr Chautala had been trying to revive his party in the state by playing “dirty politics” in the name of the canal. He said in the past also Mr Chautala and his party had been using the canal to mislead the people of Haryana. |
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Police postings, transfers Chandigarh, July 20 Mr. Gurjot Singh
Malhi, Managing Director, Haryana Police Housing Corporation, Panchkula, and Dr. John V. George, Additional Director General of Police, Vigilance and Security at Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam, Panchkula, will swap their places of postings.
Mr Sat Parkash Ranga, Superintendent of Police, Security-II, with headquarters at Hisar, has been posted as SP, State Vigilance Bureau, Hisar, in addition to his present duties during the training of Mr
R.K. Rao. Mr. Sajjan Kumar, DSP(City), Sirsa, has been posted as DSP,
Dadri, vice Mr. Samey Ram, who goes as DSP, 4th Battalion, Haryana Armed Police, Madhuban, replacing Mr.Gurdeep Singh, who has been shifted as DSP,
Loharu. Mr. Ram Kumar, DSP, Loharu, goes as DSP, Headquarters, Bhiwani, replacing Mr. Anil Kumar, who has been posted as DSP, Headquarters, Ambala. Mr. Ashok Kumar,
DSP, Headquarters, Ambala, has been posted as DSP, City, Hisar, against a vacant post. Dr. Abey
Singh, DSP, IRB, Bhondsi, has been posted as DSP, Haryana State Industrial Security Force, Gurgaon, against a vacant post. Mr.Ram
Phal, DSP, CID, has been posted as DSP, Ist Battalion, Haryana Armed Police, Ambala City, against a vacant post. Mr.Baljit Singh, DSP, State Vigilance Bureau has been posted as DSP, 4th Battalion, Haryana Armed Police, Madhuban, against a vacant post. |
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NFL pollutants risk
to 3,000 villagers (Binjaul) Panipat, July 20 Situated at about 6 km from the city on the Gohana road, the NFL plant has been releasing wastes containing ammonia, urea and sulphur which are harmful to trees and agriculture land. Other factors contributing to the air and water pollution are sugar factory and distilleries, which are releasing industrial waste, which includes high organic loads. The major source of air
pollution is the burning of fossil fuels- coal and oil such as gasoline in the NFL. Most sulphur oxide emissions are the result of use of coal and oil to generate heat in the plant. Besides it, the ash emitted by the NFL plant pollutes water, contaminates agriculture land and also causes air pollution. A visit to the pollution- effected Binjaul village shows that many of the trees in the area are dying and other trees have stopped yielding fruits as a result of the air and water pollution caused by these industrial units. A 60-year-old villager, Mr Balu Ram, says that harmful gases and the fly ash released from the NFL plant had spoiled the crop of the area many times. Moreover, the harmful gases released by the industrial units were causing breathing problems among the people. Another villager, Pramod Narwal, alleged that because of the air pollution caused by the industrial units, none of the mango trees in the area had yielded fruit this year. The problem has assumed alarming proportions as the ash released from the NFL plant is mixed with water and then through pipes it is dumped in the land acquired by the NFL in Binjaul. Due to overflow of the ash from the dumping ground, it spreads in the agriculture land and also submerges in the pond adjacent to it. It also pollutes ground water. Every day a number of villagers who take bath in the contaminated water of the pond suffer from skin and other diseases. An attendant at the museum, Mr Satbir Singh, said that he had to clean the artefacts a number of times as these were covered with the ash dust released from the NFL plant everyday. Moreover, the release of gases from the industrial units are spoiling the work of art. He added that a few years ago a senior official of the Archeological Survey of India had sent a complaint against the industrial units to the senior functionary of the administration but so far no action has been taken. When contacted the DGM(HRD), NFL, Mr P.K Verma, said that every year the NFL won a number of prizes for its concern about the environment. He said the NFL had a separate pollution control department, which was taking every care to prevent pollution. He also did not agree that the plant had been causing air and water pollution in the area. |
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Farmers fear drought as monsoon fails Safidon, July 20 No matter the irrigation facilities are available in this region, but due to the erratic supply of power and high price of diesel, farmers fear heavy economic losses. In few areas adjoining Jind, Safidon, Assandh and Kaithal, farmers are already afraid of drought hitting them. Contrary to the claims of the Weather Department that it will be a normal monsoon, the farmers are full of fear as they wait and pray for rain. Rajendra Kalyan, a farmer of Safidon, spent over Rs 20,000 to sow paddy during the pre-monsoon showers in June. But with no rain in the past 25 days, his crops are rapidly burning. “If it does not rain in the next couple of days, it will be a drought. I have already spent thousands on sowing paddy, putting fertilisers, hiring a tractor and buying diesel. But all of it is being wasted as there is no rain,” he said. He planned to repay part of his Rs 1 lakh loan if the monsoon was good. But even if it rains now, he says, it will be too late. “I have lots of debts and they will now increase. It will be tough to even feed my family and fulfil social commitments if the crop fails,” he added. Mr Dalip K. Gosain, a senior scientist of the local Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), said the farmers were passing through a grave situation as the cost inputs were increasingly high. He said the state government should ensure a regular supply of power for the minimum assured period so that the escalating cost inputs on purchase of diesel to run tubewells and generator sets could be brought down. The scientist who visited a few villages and interacted with farmers early this week said the farmers were under “stress” and their social behaviour had also changed a little following fear of a heavy economic loss. “Their attitude towards family members has changed following non-fulfilment of social commitments due to financial constraints, which requires a serious debate,” he said. Meanwhile, the district administrations of Karnal, Jind and Kaithal have instructed the electricity board officials to ensure a sufficient supply of power for irrigation in the rural areas till the arrival of monsoon. |
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Water scheme for Sonepat Sonepat, July 20 According to a report, the scheme will cost Rs 14.38 crore and the proposal has already been sent to the state government for approval. The booster stations will be constructed on the premises of the old Civil Hospital, industrial area, near the Kalupar octroi post, and Sujan Singh park in the Model Town area. Similarly, six new tubewells will be added to the main waterworks at Murthal village. The department was to get Rs 15 crore under the NCR development programme for laying
pipelines in the city but Rs 7 crore were withdrawn following the declaration of several residential colonies, including Kalyan Nagar, Mahavir Colony, Shiv Nagar, Narinder Nagar, Kalupur, Gian Nagar and Jawahar Nagar as unauthorised by the state government. Sonepat city had been facing acute drinking water crisis since the onset of the summer and the PHD had failed to ensure regular supply of drinking water to residents. The residents alleged that the supply of drinking water had remained erratic and the pressure was always low. The PHD had also failed to install diesel generating sets and make arrangements for the supply of drinking water through tankers in the badly affected areas of the city. |
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Devi Lal varsity may get more land Sirsa, July 20 It is learnt that the government wanted to retain the old DC residence (now the VC residence) as the official residence and was keen to shift the VC on the campus. The government had already transferred about 180 acres to the university. Even after the completion of more than a year, the university has yet to decide on the layout plan for the construction. The sources said if the proposed move was implemented, it might cause serious residential problems for district officials. Senior district and judicial officials, including the ADC, SDM, and Chief Judicial Magistrate, are staying in houses on the land in question. There are more than 150 such houses which have been allotted to junior level officials. |
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Surjewala for people’s solution Rohtak, July 20 Talking to The Tribune here he said meetings between the representatives of the people and farmers of the two neighbouring states at their own level in a spirit of give and take alone could give a lasting solution to the issue. |
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Three killed as trucks collide Karnal, July 20 The SHO of Indri police station, Mr Angrej Singh, said over telephone that two trucks coming from the opposite direction near Andgarh village collided at about 4 pm, leaving three persons, including the two drivers dead. The drivers have been identified as Angrej of Baroda and Harbhajan Singh of
Ladwa. The other person who died in the accident has been identified as Suresh Kumar of
Ladwa. |
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5 injured in clash Jhajjar, July 20 The victims alleged that the assailants included Om Prakash, sarpanch, Ramnarayan, Sohan, Mohan and Krishan. The police reached the spot and rushed the victims to hospital as no one from the village came forward to help them. |
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Mother kills kids, herself Jhajjar, July 20 They were rushed to hospital but the children died on the way, while the mother died in the hospital. Police sources said the husband of the woman, Badan Singh, had also committed suicide two months ago and she was living with her mother-in-law. The police has registered a case. The bodies were cremated after a post-mortem examination. |
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Applications for Stree Shakti Puruskar invited Karnal, July 20 A senior official of the department said that each award would carry a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh and a citation. He said that applicants must have attained the age of 30 years on date of filing the application and should have five years of experience in the field of social work. |
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Himalayan rally members return from Khardung La Ambala, July 20 Those who took part in it are likely to find entry into the Limca Book of Records as well as the Guinness Book of World Records. The organisers stated that they completed the journey from Ambala to Khardung La in 72 hours besides covering the Leh-Khardung La stretch in a record time. “World’s youngest pillion rider accompanying the rally was 6-year-old Chakshu and the youngest motorcyclist was 18-year-old Ankur Sharma. |
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