The Tribune...Haryana

H A R Y A N A

Friday July 17, 1998

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Pen-down stir by
Haryana staff
SONEPAT, July 16 — Nearly 15,000 government employees resorted to a pen-down and tool-down strike in the town and other parts of the district today on a call given by the Sarv Karamchari Sangh in protest against the "anti-employees" attitude of the Central and the state governments...

Governor highlights role
of Red Cross
CHANDIGARH, July 16 — The Haryana Red Cross Society has made a record collection of 52,000 units of blood through voluntary donation during 1997...
Solar eclipse fair arrangements
KURUKSHETRA, July 16 — All arrangements for the ensuing solar eclipse fair will be completed 15 days before the solar eclipse, which will occur on August 22 between 5.55 a.m. and 6.10 a.m...

Minister's call to retain GJU's status
ROHTAK, July 16 — In a significant development, the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, has pleaded for maintaining the present character of Guru Jambheshwar University (GJU)...

Five killed in road mishaps
ROHTAK, July 16 — Five persons, including a five-year-old boy, were killed in separate road mishaps in Jhajjar district yesterday...

120 houses for widows planned
SONEPAT, July 16 — The Haryana Government has sanctioned Rs 24 lakh for the construction of 120 houses under the Indira Awas Yojana in the district during the current financial year...

Two students acquitted
CHANDIGARH, July 16 — The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr B.C. Gupta, today acquitted two students of the Regional Engineering College, Kurukshetra, in a fraud and cheating case...

Pen-down stir by Haryana staff
From Tribune Reporters
SONEPAT, July 16 — Nearly 15,000 government employees resorted to a pen-down and tool-down strike in the town and other parts of the district today on a call given by the Sarv Karamchari Sangh in protest against the "anti-employees" attitude of the Central and the state governments.
The main demands of the Sangh include the implementation of the Fifth Pay Commission’s recommendations, removal of anomalies in the pay-scales, acceptance of the demands of agitating nurses and provision of all facilities to anganwadi workers at par with other government employees.
YAMUNANAGAR: State government employees here on Thursday took out a procession on a call given by the Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh. State vice-president of the organisation Hari Narayan Sharma termed the present government as "anti-women" and "anti-employees". He threatened that if the employees’ demands were not accepted, they would court arrest at Chandigarh on July 23.
JIND: Haryana government employees, owing allegiance to the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, observed a pen-down strike in various offices here on Thursday. The employees raised slogans against the government and took out a rally in the town in support of their demands.
ROHTAK: The pen-down strike call given by the Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh evoked a mixed response here on Thursday. Activists of the sangh from various government departments took out a protest march from Mahavir Park to the Bhiwani Stand chowk and burnt effigies of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, and the state BJP president, Mr Om Prakash Grover. They also shouted slogans against the HVP-BJP coalition.
FARIDABAD: Government employees here on Thursday observed a pen-down strike to protest against the non-implementation of the pay commission report, and in support of the demands of the nurses. A rally of employees was also held at the corporation headquarters, where the HVP-BJP government was criticised for not implementing election promises.

Governor highlights role of Red Cross
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 16 — The Haryana Red Cross Society has made a record collection of 52,000 units of blood through voluntary donation during 1997.
This was revealed by the Haryana Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad, who is also President of the Haryana State unit of the Indian Red Cross Society and St. John Ambulance Association, while presiding over their annual general meetings here today.
The annual budget estimates of the Haryana branches of the two organisations worth Rs 89.14 lakh and Rs 16.83 lakh, respectively, for the year 1998-99 were approved.
The Governor stressed the need for making the voluntary blood donation programme a people's movement to meet the pressing demand for blood.
The Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, who is also Chairman of the Haryana Red Cross Society, commended the achievements of the society and exhorted the Red Cross workers to extend their services to all the needy persons so that Haryana might achieve the first position in the country in the field of Red Cross activities also.
The Governor made an earnest appeal to the affluent institutions and the rich to donate liberally in cash or kind to the welfare organisations like the Indian Red Cross Society and the St. John Ambulance Association for ameliorating the lot of the poor and the disabled.
He said that no big project or movement could become successful without collective and active cooperation of the voluntary bodies, the administration and the public at large.
He also called upon the workers to spread the message of Red Cross of mitigating the suffering of ailing humanity, specially the poor and needy and the destitute not only in the country but also in the world.
Mr Prasad appreciated the role of St. John Ambulance Association for imparting training to 1,59,641 people during the year 1996-97. He expressed his satisfaction for providing facilities for imparting training in first aid and home nursing and transporting of patients by 58 ambulance vans posted in various towns of the state.
Dr Kamla Verma, Social Welfare Minister, said the state government had spent Rs 1.23 crore last year for providing artificial limbs, aids and appliances to the disabled people in Haryana.
Dr K.L. Batra, Secretary of the welfare bodies, read the annual reports and highlighted the achievements and activities of the two organisations.
The Governor presented awards, shields, plaques and souvenirs to 112 district Red Cross branches, institutions and individuals for their outstanding social services. The Gurgaon branch of the Red Cross Society bagged the membership challenge shield for enrolling more than seven lakh members. This branch also won the Haryana Red Cross Fund Raising Challenge Shield for making the highest collection of funds exceeding Rs 24,96,581, Rohtak bagged the St. John Training Challenge Shield and Special Shield for Home Nursing. The Haryana Red Cross HWS Overall performance Shield was given to the District Red Cross Branch, Ambala, whereas the District Red Cross Branch, Karnal, got the Voluntary Blood Donation Challenge Shield.

Minister's call to retain GJU's status
Tribune News Service
ROHTAK, July 16 — In a significant development, the Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh, has pleaded for maintaining the present character of Guru Jambheshwar University (GJU) and has urged the party leadership to reconsider the decision about converting it into a residential university.
In a signed statement issued today at Hisar, the minister said the need of the hour was to give all possible support and encouragement to the GJU, which in turn would transform the living standards of the people of the state. "I call upon all right-thinking people who want to catch up with the developed countries, which are already much ahead of us to come out openly in support of this cause to keep this university in its present form as an affiliating university," he said.
Mr Jaswant Singh said, "I want an urgent serious debate at the state level to discuss the issue, the result of which will affect the future of our people."
As an affiliating university of technical education, the GJU had become a centre of futuristic technical studies. "It will be a retrograde step to reduce the status of the GJU from an affiliating university to that of a residential one," he said.
The government and private institutions of technical education in the state will be orphaned if the umbilical cord connecting the per cent GJU to the affiliating institutions is severed by reducing the status of the GJU to a non-affiliating university."
Mr Hari Singh Saini, a former minister and president of the Arya Samaj, Hisar, has criticised the decision of disaffiliating the engineers, technical and pharmacy colleges from the GJU.
He described the government move to convert the GJU into a residential university as "politically motivated."
Mr Ramesh Leekha, member of the Pharmacy Council of India, has also opposed the move.

Solar eclipse fair arrangements
From Our Correspondent
KURUKSHETRA, July 16 — All arrangements for the ensuing solar eclipse fair will be completed 15 days before the solar eclipse, which will occur on August 22 between 5.55 a.m. and 6.10 a.m.
The Deputy Commissioner, Mr T.V.S. N. Prasad, here today said that all district officers had been asked to complete the arrangements for the fair by August 7. About 5 lakh pilgrims are expected to take holy dip in the sacred tanks of Kurukshetra, including Braham Sarovar and Sannehit Sarovar, on the occasion.
Mr Prasad said that this time, the administration would try to erect permanent structures to eliminate the recurring expenses incurred on temporary structures on every solar eclipse. He said he had also suggested to the Health Department to construct 400 permanent toilets instead of temporary ones.
He further said that a super bazar would be established 15 days before the commencement of the eclipse fair on the banks of Braham Sarovar by the Food and Supplies Department, Haryana, to provide essential commodities to the pilgrims at cheaper rates.

Five killed in road mishaps
From Our Correspondent
ROHTAK, July 16 — Five persons, including a five-year-old boy, were killed in separate road mishaps in Jhajjar district yesterday.
According to reports, four persons died on the spot when a three-wheeler tempo collided with a bus near Salha- was village, about 60 km from here. The dead have been identified as Satbir, Jai Lal, Ram Sarup and Raj Kumar. A few others received injuries in the accident.
In another accident, a five-year-old boy, Amrik, was killed when he was hit by a speeding vehicle near Khatiwas village.

120 houses for widows planned
From Our Correspondent
SONEPAT, July 16 — The Haryana Government has sanctioned Rs 24 lakh for the construction of 120 houses under the Indira Awas Yojana in the district during the current financial year.
Mr Sandeep Garg, Additional Deputy Commissioner, said here today that these houses would be built exclusively for widows and handicapped persons. The scheme, he said, was being launched for the first time in the district.
According to Mr Garg, the District Rural Development Agency had drawn up a number of schemes for the welfare of the widows, handicapped persons and the poor living below the poverty line.
He added that the state government had launched a number of welfare programmes for the ex-servicemen and the Army jawans in coordination with the District Sainik Board.

Two students acquitted
Tribune News Service
CHANDIGARH, July 16 — The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr B.C. Gupta, today acquitted two students of the Regional Engineering College, Kurukshetra, in a fraud and cheating case.
According to the prosecution, Vaneet committed forgery at the time of submitting admission forms for appearing in the CET examination held on June 21 and 22, 1992. He personated Aswas Kumar.
Mr Gupta, held that the prosecution had failed to connect the accused persons with the offence.
By granting them the benefit of the doubt, Mr Gupta acquitted both students.