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H A R Y A N A |  |
 Wednesday, April 7, 1999 |
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BSP may back Vajpayee Haryana
may ban recruitments |
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Spurt in
struggle over waters' issue Board
supersession: plea admitted
Houses
replace orchards BSP
drive to widen base in Haryana
CST
raised for "political reasons" Fire
destroys mustard crop Move
to set up more power plants Agencies
gear up to procure wheat Appeal
against acquittal of Bhajan’s sons |
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No-confidence vote HISAR, April 6 — The Bahujan Samaj Party is not averse to bailing out the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre if and when it faces a vote of no-confidence in Parliament. Sources close to BSP supremo Mr Kanshi Ram told TNS here on the telephone that the party was keeping all its options open. Although Mr Kanshi Ram had earlier announced that his party would not support the BJP-led coalition government at the Centre, there appears to be a rethinking in the party. The party wants to exploit the compulsions of the BJP to extract the "maximum possible concessions" in Uttar Pradesh. The sources hinted that the BSP may start the bargain by seeking a leadership change in the Uttar Pradesh though this demand may be softened for other concessions. BSP support in the event of the AIADMK with drawing support to the BJP which is now a foregone conclusion, is crucial to survival of the Vajpayee government. The BSP is not averse to entering into a fresh political arrangement with the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. While the sources could not confirm the reaction of the BJP, to such a move they pointed out that the party had no other option but to go in for a deal. They said the BJP may not mind giving "mild concessions in UP to save the Centre". Apparently the unilateral strategy of the BSP is for a favourable deal with the BJP, desperately hunting for new allies. Sources pointed out that the BSP had voted in favour of the motion seeking to ratify President's rule in Bihar following the massacre of 35 Dalits there and may not want to be seen siding with the Congress, which supported the Rabri Devi government. It may be recalled that
the BSP and the BJP parted ways in UP about 18 months
ago, when the arrangement for rotating the chief
ministership between the two parties failed. The sources
did not rule out the BSP seeking a revival of that
arrangement in UP. |
Haryana may ban recruitments CHANDIGARH, April 6 — Bugged by a rising salary bill, shooting non-plan expenditure and the ever-increasing interest liability, the Haryana government is considering stringent economy measures. These could include a near complete ban on recruitments, phasing out of subsidies, scrapping redundant schemes and pruning of public sector undertakings. Ministers and officials who have been asked by Chief Minister Bansi Lal to undertake a complete exercise to economise on everything, feel that drastic measures are the only answer to the fiscal crisis. "It has to be a two-pronged strategy. We must increase our tax collection and save every paisa for development", the Chief Minister has been telling his colleagues. In fact, the government is preparing a fact sheet. This would reveal how the government earns and spends. The idea is to avoid all avoidable expenditure. Recruitment would be restricted to such posts which are related to development. The situation has indeed become alarming for two reasons. The expected grants and share from the Centre has not come and the state's own collection fell short despite efforts due to poor trade. "Recessionary trends are quite visible," officials said. Officials said expenditure on salaries and pensions had grown by over three times from Rs 788 crore to Rs 2,710 crore during 1991 to 1999. The salary bill now claims 48.4 per cent of the total revenue expenditure from 40.8 per cent in 1990-91. The total debt liability of the state has also shown a high increase and now stands at over Rs 10,000 crore. It is a three-times increase in nine years. The non-plan expenditure has shot up from Rs 1586 crore in 1990 to Rs 4,762 crore in 1998. It is now 87 per cent of the total revenue. In addition, there has been an increase in implicit and explicit subsidies. Mr Bansi Lal wants that only those subsidies should be retained which help either the poor or in the growth of agriculture and industry. A subsidy on power for the farm sector helps the growth of agriculture to some extent and it has to be retained. The government has to weigh these in terms of political costs too. Keeping this dire situation in view, the government recently banned transfers. The Cabinet debated the issue in detail before putting its seal on the suggestion that transfers put a needless burden on the state expenditure and also hampered work. The government is now considering a ban on creation and upgradation of posts. Only in rare cases should there be relaxation. Posts lying vacant for more than two years need to be abolished. In fact, the Chief Minister has been quietly doing it so. Each vacant post will be reviewed. The government is also planning to fix new staff norms in view of computerisation. Clerks will be recruited only when there is a dire need and computer learning is to be made compulsory. The government should also encourage contractual appointments of professionals and those in high technology areas. Staff available due to reduction of schemes should be absorbed. Given the unemployment situation, the government does not desire to throw anyone out. "We must take useful work and enforce discipline", the Chief Minister told his ministerial colleagues. As part of the economy measures, the government plans to cut down heavily on vehicles and petrol. Ten per cent reduction is to be imposed straightaway. There is going to be complete rationalisation of vehicles in each department. A ceiling on petrol is to be fixed for each officer. It could be 10 per cent less than that last year. Same way expenditure on telephones is to be fixed. There should be 10 per cent reduction in office expenditure. No lavish furnishings. The committee on economy which is finally to decide is also considering that there should be a straightaway cut of 5 per cent on all revenue expenditure. The committee will also
consider as to how much the government should provide to
private school and colleges. Universities too will be
asked to raise some revenue from those who can afford.
Aided institutions are now in a position to restructure
their fee and other expenses and should not be a burden
on the government. |
Bid to blow up Markanda bridge KURUKSHETRA, April 6 — Another effort to blow up a railway bridge across the Markanda river, near Shahabad Markanda, 25 km from here, late last night was foiled. According to the district police chief, Mr Shrikant Jadhav, railway gateman Kewal Kumar, who was on duty at the time, told the police that he heard an explosion around 11.35 p.m. last night. But when he went to the spot of the explosion, he found that some damaged iron strips were lying on the ground below pillar number 1 towards the Ambala side. He immediately reported the matter to Mr Ram Kumar, Station Master, Shahabad. Mr Jadhav said that on getting information about the incident, Mr Resham Singh, DIG, Ambala Range, Mr S.N. Roy, Deputy Commissioner, and he went to the spot. He said that only one out of the four ball bearing on which the railway track was resting found damaged while the pillar bricks were found intact. A team of experts from the Forensic Laboratory, Madhuban, Karnal, also visited the site and their reports were awaited. However, train services had to be kept suspended for over two hours. The GRP has registered a case in this connection under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Explosives Act, 1908, and a check of hotels and religious places in the and around the area was conducted by the police, but no arrest has been made so far. Mr Jadhav said that involvement of any militant organisation could not be ruled out. When asked about the type of bomb used, he said it could not be ascertained because no device was recovered from the site. Further investigation of the case had been assigned to Mr Jagdish Parshad, Station House Officer, GRP here. This was the third recent instance when a bid has been made to blow up the railway track to disrupt railway services. Earlier, two such attempts were foiled on November 16, 1998, and February 7, 1999, when 3 kg and 9 kg of RDX, respectively, was recovered from the same site on the same railway bridge. CHANDIGARH: In view of Monday night's explosion, vigil on the bridge was being stepped up, railway and police sources said. Traffic on the Delhi-Ambala up track was resumed within three hours of the explosion after a thorough search of the area. However, the down track was reopened to traffic only early this morning, sources said, adding trains would slow down while crossing the bridge. A report from Ambala said the police did not rule out sabotage behind the blast. The police had recovered 10 kg of RDX from the same spot on February 7, but has not been able to achieve any breakthrough in the case. Last month too, another 10 kg of RDX was recovered from the Ambala-Rajpura rail section near Ambala. Railway and police authorities have sounded an alert in the region. The sources said that the explosion took place shortly before midnight. The Delhi-Ambala up track was reopened to traffic around 2.15 a.m. Passenger traffic was allowed after successful running of a goods train. A number of trains, including Muri Express, Jammu Mail, Pooja Express and Himachal Express, which were detained at Ambala, Rajpura and other stations, were allowed to resume their journey. The Haryana police chief,
Mr S.K. Sethi, visited the spot this morning. Though the
police has not been able to pinpoint the accused behind
the blast, officials do not rule out the possibility of
sabotage. |
Spurt in struggle over waters'
issue ROHTAK, April 6 — The struggle over Haryana's share in the Ravi-Beas waters is gaining momentum. The Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Mr Bhupender Singh Hooda, yesterday said a memorandum signed by all MPs of the state would be submitted to the Prime Minister seeking settlement of the dispute on the pattern of the Cauveri waters dispute if the Chief Minister failed to convene an all-party meeting in time. Two former chief ministers of Haryana namely Mr Banarasi Das Gupta and Master Hukam Singh have already given their consent that they would join the agitation proposed by the Haryana Yuva Shanti Sena on this issue. He said 101 shanti sainiks led by the Mr Sampooran Singh, President, Haryana Yuva Shanti Sena, dug out the earth dumped in the canal by the Akali Dal (Amritsar) leader, Mr Simranjit Singh Mann’s supporters. The Indian National Lok Dal leader, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, has demanded handing over the construction work of Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal to the Border Road Organisation and arrest of Mr Mann under the National Security Act. Meanwhile, Mr Sampooran
Singh said he had been meeting the six former chief
ministers, the present Chief Minister and different party
presidents to bring them on the issue. He said he had
contacted student leaders on the issue. He claimed they
had extended their support for this ‘good
cause’. |
Board supersession: plea
admitted CHANDIGARH, April 6 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today admitted a writ petition filed by Mr R.A. Goel, former Chairman of the Haryana Pollution Control Board, contesting the notification issued by the state government superseding the board. Mr Justice V.K. Bali and Mr Justice A.S. Garg, before whom the petition came up for hearing, held: "Admitted to Division Bench. Considering the importance and urgency of the matter, we order the case to be listed for hearing on April 27, 1999, at No 1." Mr Goel was appointed Chairman of the board by the government for a three-year term with effect from July 8, 1997. The government, however, superseded the board on June 30, 1998, and prematurely extended Mr Goel's term. In his petition Mr Goel has impleaded Mrs Sushma Swaraj, former Union Minister, and Mr Subhash Chaudhary, Haryana Environment Minister, as respondents. He alleged that these two persons got the board superseded on extraneous grounds. The petitioner claimed that in spite of the fact that Central Pollution Control Board, on its own, appreciated the cleaning operations launched by the Haryana Pollution Control Board for curbing the pollution emitted by the industry in the state and purifying the Yamuna waters, the state government cut short his term. He prayed before the Bench
that the June 30 notification be quashed and he be given
all consequential benefits. |
Houses replace orchards GURGAON, April 6 — Gurgaon sub-division in this district, which once used to be self-sufficient in vegetables and fruit, now depends upon Delhi, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh to meet its requirements of these goods. Once a zone for supply of fruits and vegetables to Delhi, the belt is now an urban estate. With urbanisation swallowing other parts of the district, the spectre of total evaporation of agriculture business looms large. Several villages, including Gurgaon, Jharsa, Khand Basai, Budhera Makrola, Makrola Bhagrola, Badshahpur, Wazirabad, Sukhrali and Ghasola were, till a few years ago, known for producing vegetables and fruit. Now Sectors 22, 23, 5, 4, 14, 15, 17, 30, 31, 39, 32, 45, 55 and 56 of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) have come up in these areas. In areas having vetiges of rural life operated in real estate from their airconditioned offices overlooking crops. A farmer of the area pointed out that villages like Gurgaon, Jharsa, Kanhi, Chakarpur and Choma Khedi were known for producing cauliflower and cabbage and Daulatabad, Basai, Budhera Makrola for carrot. Jharsa and its nearabouts produced all sorts of fruit, except apple and orange. An elder of Jharsa said once about 100 "bigha" stretch was nicknamed "Andheria" (darkness) as the area had a dense plantation and overreaching thick foliage. Badshahpur, Shasola, Kakrola and Bhagrola were called strawberry and guava belts. Cold storage and warehousing facilities in the district are also inadequate, forcing farmers to dispose of their produce at the earliest. Thereby making farmers vulnerable to middlemen's manipulations. Last year the farmers
preferred to let carrot rot in thousand of acres than
selling it for a song to middlemen. The reason being that
ploughing the vegetable into the fields to increase
fertility of soil was considered to be more worthwhile
than the cost involved in taking the produce to the
mandis. The cauliflower crop was also ploughed into the
fields. |
Space shortage proves a blessing ROHTAK, April 6 — Lack of seating space at examination centres for the annual examination has proved a blessing in disguise for students who wish to copy from each other. The annual undergraduate examinations of the university started on April 1. Due to paucity of space, two to three candidates share a bench and even a table. This provides a golden opportunity to the students sharing the same bench to indulge in "mutual cooperation". Though the university has appointed an invigilator for every 30 candidates the invigilators are incapacitated by the novel seating arrangement. The problem is not confined to Rohtak alone and extends to centres at Charkhi-Dadri and Bhiwani also. The Controller of Examination, Dr K.C. Bhardwaj, when contacted, conceded that in certain centres the candidates were sharing the same table and bench but blamed the educational institutions for landing the university in the mess. He, however, hastened to add that this peculiar problem was limited to examinations for compulsory papers alone. There was no such difficulty in other papers. Dr Bhardwaj said that the responsibility for providing building and furniture for conduct of the examinations lay on the colleges but admitted that the number of students appearing was much greater than the seating capacity available at their institutions. "Colleges can run classes in the open but the university cannot conduct annual examination under the open sky," he said. Dr Bhardwaj claimed that every care was being taken to prevent use of unfair means during the examinations, especially during the compulsory paper. Moreover, all students do not indulge in the menace even when sharing the same table and bench, he argued. The university has set up 29 centres in Rohtak in every college and even in institutions unconnected with the exam like the dental college and medical college library. The ideal strength of candidates in each centre should not exceed 200 to 225 but 9006 students are appearing at Rohtak's 29 centres. "Neither the buildings nor the furniture required for the conduct of the examinations is available in Rohtak", he said and asked this correspondent to suggest an alternative. The university can not be absolved of its responsibility for creating such a situation. The students of distance education enrolled with the university also take their examination alongside regular students. Before admission, the Distance Education Department of the university should ensure proper seating arrangements for its candidates. Rural colleges do not face this problem as the strength of students in these institutions is usually less than the sanctioned strength. The problem at Rohtak has been made worse by the university restricting students appearing for improvement or an additional subject to examination centres at Rohtak alone. Over 500 cases of UMC had
been reported from various centres till Monday. The
university has also received reports of mass-copying and
outside interference from certain centres in Bhiwani
district and reportedly decided to cancel a centre at
Bhiwani because of mass-copying during the English
"A" paper held on April 1. The centre
superintendent, in his report to the university, said
that despite the presence of police at the centre, there
was mass-copying on that day. |
BSP drive to widen base in
Haryana HISAR, April 6 — The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has started a mass mobilisation programme in Haryana as part of its long-term strategy to widen its base in the state. According to the state general secretary of the party, Mr Pradeep Chaudhary, the party wants to spread its influence on the pattern of Uttar Pradesh. The party recently organised a rally at Ambala which was addressed by the party chief, Mr Kanshi Ram. Although the turnout at the rally was not encouraging, party leaders claimed that the outcome was "not bad" in view of the harvesting season. Now the party is planning another rally at Bhiwani, the home town of the Chief Minister, Ambala, which is a reserved constituency is represented by the state unit president, Mr Aman Kumar Nagra. By targeting Bhiwani, the party wants to extend its area of influence in the Jat constituency. Mr Pradeep Chaudhary, a grandson of Chaudhary Sahib Ram, elder brother of Mr Devi Lal, had unsuccessfully fought the Mandi Adampur byelection against Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi and is at present camping in the constituency. Mandi Adampur falls in the Bhiwani parliamentary segment. Recently, Mr Nagra announced that the BSP would field Mr Chaudhary from the Bhiwani parliamentary constituency. The constituency is currently being represented by the Chief Minister's son, Mr Surinder Singh. He defeated Mr Ajay Chautala, son of Mr Om Parkash Chautala. Mr Chaudhary is also claiming the political legacy of Mr Devi Lal and Mr Sahib Ram. According to the BSP leader, Haryana is high on the party's agenda and since it shares a long border with Uttar Pradesh, it expects encouraging response from the state. It wants to garner Dalit and Backward classes' votes. The BSP has already
directed its leaders to mobilise cadres at the grassroots
and organise small meetings. The party also plans to
organise some big state-level rallies. |
Haryana to ensure Y2K compliance CHANDIGARH, April 6 — The Haryana Government has directed all departments, boards and corporations to ensure Y2K compliance. The Haryana State Electronics Development Corporation and the National Informatics Centre organised a seminar here today on "Y2K — Haryana Government initiative", which was inaugurated by Electronics Department Commissioner Dharam Vir. It was attended by the heads of departments and representatives of various boards and corporations in Haryana. Harton Managing Director Raj Kumar offered free consultancy to tackle the problem. The departments were asked to prepare an inventory of the hardware, system software and application software. They were also advised to
include Y2K compliance clause in their fresh orders for
new hardware and software. |
CST raised for "political
reasons" CHANDIGARH, April 6 — Jindal Strips Limited of the former HVP MP, Mr O.P. Jindal, who has joined the Congress, has joined issue with the Haryana Government over the increase in central sales tax on stainless steel from 1 per cent to 3 per cent. While the government claimed that the increase was effected to enhance revenue collection, the company has alleged that the government had increased the CST due to political reasons. A spokesman of the company alleged that certain bureaucrats were misleading their "political bosses" for vested interests. Expressing surprise over the claim of the government that the increase in the CST would lead to enhanced revenue collection, he wondered how the revenue collection would go up when the industry would not sell its goods within Haryana. The spokesman said the
Haryana Government had reduced the CST from 3 per cent to
1 per cent on January 1, 1997, on condition that this
concession would be available to only those traders or
manufacturers who would not transfer their goods outside
the state on a consignment basis and would sell their
goods directly within the state. |
Fire destroys mustard crop ROHTAK, April 6 — Standing crop of mustard worth about Rs 1 lakh was gutted by a fire which broke out in the fields of Siwana village in Jhajjar district last night. According to reports reaching here, the fire broke out in at least 12 acres of land having a full grown crop, belonging to one Nafe Singh of Siwana village. It is suspected that the incident may have been part of a conspiracy by some one in the village only. The fire was put out in about two hours. Some of the residents of
the village, including the sarpanches of Siwana and
nearby Majra village, have sought compensation to the
affected farmer. |
Move to set up more power
plants GURGAON, April 6 — The Haryana government has asserted that the state would not only be self-sufficient in the power front by June 30, but planning was afoot keeping in mind the requirement for another 50 years. Speaking at the 31st annual general meeting of the Gurgaon Industrial Association (GIA) here last evening, the state’s Minister for Power Mr Attar Singh Saini, reiterated the government's pledge to make the state self-sufficient in power. He said Chief Minister Bansi Lal was determined to ensure that the state remained self-sufficient in this regard, for the next 50 years. The government’s move to set up power plants at Yamuna Nagar and Barwala in Hisar and another plant at Bhiwani district was a step in this direction. The Chairman of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Haryana, and senior BJP leader, Mr Sita Ram Singla, also present on the occasion said the government was taking steps to make Haryana the best place for investors and power was an integral part of the infrastructure. The newly-elected
President of the GIA, Mr J.N. Mangla, presenting a list
of demands, said it would be a great relief to the
industry if extension of load was expedited on a priority
basis. |
Agencies gear up to procure wheat SONEPAT, April 6 — The district administration has geared up for the procurement of wheat during the current rabi season. Deputy Commissioner P.K. Mahapatra said here today that he had directed all procurement agencies, including the Food Corporation of India, NAFED, the Haryana Warehouse Corporation and the Food and Supplies Department to make arrangements for buying wheat at the support price fixed by the Central Government. The officials had been directed to make proper arrangements for drinking water, electricity and cleanliness in markets and purchasing centres. The procurement agencies
would purchase all wheat brought by farmers. |
Appeal against acquittal of
Bhajan’s sons HISAR, April 6 — The Haryana Government has filed an appeal in the court of the District and Sessions Judge here against a lower court decision acquitting Mr Chander Mohan and Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi, sons of Mr Bhajan Lal, former Chief Minister, of charges under the Excise Act. The Judge, Mr R.N. Singal, transferred the appeal to the court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr B.M. Bedi, who issued notice for May 10. A case had been registered
against Mr Chander Mohan and Mr Kuldeep Bishnoi following
a CBI raid on their Hisar-based residence on December 22,
1996 in connection with the JMM bribery case and
recovered liquor. Since prohibition was in force at the
time, they were booked under the Excise Act. |
Plan to set up old-age homes CHANDIGARH, April 6 — The Haryana Government plans to set up old-age homes at all district headquarters. This was disclosed by Mrs Komal Anand, Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Health Department, after inaugurating a physical fitness competition organised by the Haryana Health Department to mark World Health Day, which falls tomorrow. She said the state government was running a home for the old and the handicapped at Faridabad where all facilities were being provided free of cost. Such old-age homes were under construction at Ambala for which the Government of India had provided a grant of Rs 30 lakh. The cases for opening such homes at Yamunanagar, Jind, Sonepat, Karnal and Rohtak had already been set to the Centre. She said the state government would provide medical check-up to the homes' inmates. Such homes were already functioning at Kharkhoda in Sonepat district, Jullana in Jind district and Meham in Rohtak district. These were being run by voluntary organisations. The Director-General,
Health Services, Mr P.L. Jindal, said about 10 per cent
of people in the state were over the age of 60. Better
health services had reduced the rate of mortality in the
state. |
Case against four for raping
minor HISAR, April 6 — The Adampur police has registered a case against four youths of Ladwi village on the charge of gang raping a 14-year-old girl in the village, the police said today. The girl, in her complaint
to the police, alleged that Ishwar, Om Prakash, Mohinder
and Gauri Shanker of the village forcibly kidnapped her
from her house on the night of March 30. They took her
inside a nearby shop where she was gangraped. Though a
case under Section 376, IPC, has been registered no
arrest has been made so far, police said today. |
Three boys missing HISAR, April 6 — Three boys aged about 15 years were missing under mysterious circumstances in Hansi town, about 26 km from here, according to police sources. The three — Vikki,
Rinki and Johny — left house yesterday for playing
but failed to return. The matter has been reported to the
police. |
World Health Day messages CHANDIGARH, April 6 — The Haryana Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad, and Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal have urged people, especially the youth to gain from the experience of the aged and not consider them as a burden on society. In their messages on the
eve of World Health Day which has a theme of "Active
ageing makes the difference" in International Year
of Older Persons, they said the World Health Organisation
had rightly focussed on ageing. |
Conference on agriculture HISAR, April 6 — The Vice-Chancellors of agricultural universities from Gujarat, Haryana, Rajasthan, Dadra, Nagar Haveli and Damman and Diu will meet at CCS Haryana Agricultural University here on April 16 and 17. The Director Research, HAU Dr B.L. Jalali said the meet would focus on issues concerning agriculture and research. The meet was being organised under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). He said the ICAR had set up eight regional committees in the country on the basis of the agro climatic conditions which met once in every two years and reviewed agricultural process in the respective regions. The committee was
represented, among others by members of the governing
body residing in the respective region, directors of the
ICAR institutes, chairman of the Development Council of
the Department of Agriculture and scientists from
agricultural universities. |
2 new substations
commissioned CHANDIGARH, April 6 — The Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) has commissioned two new 132 KV substations and augmented the existing transmission and distribution system at a cost of Rs 8.48 crore in March as part of its commitment to provide round-the clock power supply. Stating this here today, a
spokesman of the HVPN said a new 132 KV substation with
an installed capacity of 16 MVA was commissioned at
Malipur in Kurukshetra at a cost of Rs 372.61 lakh. This
would benefit Tangola-Tangoli, Hari Garh Borkh, Bhagat
Pura, Bodha, Tikri, Bhat Mazra, Dhani Pura, Gangheri,
Malikpur, Talheri, Kangthali and Chinarhori villages in
Kurukshetra district. Also, another new 132 KV substation
was commissioned at Pipli with an installed capacity of
16 MVA along with the 10,654-km-long 132 KV T-off line
from the 132 KV single circuit Kurukshetra-Pehowa line at
132 KV substation, Pipli at a cost of Rs 407.92 lakh
which would benefit Partapgarh, Mercheri, Bazidpur, Boli,
Umri, Jibri, Palwal, Sunderpuri, Kishangarh, Dolatpur,
Kheri Gadhian, Kadamani, Bodi and Sidi villages of
Kurukshetra district. |
Class IV staff to get wheat
advance CHANDIGARH, April 6 — The Haryana Government has decided to grant an interest-free advance of Rs 3000 to all Class IV employees for buying wheat during the current financial year. An official spokesman said
here today that this would involve an additional burden
of Rs 19.25 crore on the exchequer. He said the amount
would be recoverable in monthly instalments before the
close of the current financial year. The advance would be
admissible to permanent and temporary Class IV employees. |
Directive on wheat procurement CHANDIGARH, April 6 — The Haryana Government has directed the Food and Supplies Department, Hafed, the Haryana Warehousing Corporation, the Agro-Industries Corporation, Confed and the Food Corporation of India to procure wheat on the minimum support price fixed by Government of India to avoid a distress sale. An official spokesman said here today the state government had made elaborate arrangements for procuring 35 lakh tonnes this year. All agencies had made arrangements for the procurement of wheat in 335 mandis and purchase centres. The centres had been set up in such a manner that no farmer would have to travel more than 10 km to sell his produce. Arrangements had also been made to make payments within 48 to 72 hours. He said control rooms at
the state as well as district headquarters had been set
up to monitor the procurement operations. |
Memorial to G.L. Nanda CHANDIGARH, April 6 — A memorial and a samadhi at a cost of Rs 3 crore will be constructed at Kurukshetra in memory of the late Gulzari Lal Nanda, a former Prime Minister. This was decided at a meeting chaired by the Haryana Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad here today. Mr Bansi Lal, Chief Minister, attended it. The Governor said the samadhi, should be ready by July 4, the birth anniversary of the late leader which was being celebrated at the national level in the holy city of Kurukshetra this year. Gulzari Lal Nanda was also
the founder Chairman of the Kurukshetra Development
Board. |
2 youths drowned HISAR, April 6 — Two youths were today drowned in the main water works tank in the Mahavir colony area here. Gautam and Tilak Raj, aged
about 20, reportedly went there for a bath. The bodies of
the two were taken out of the tank with the help of the
fire personnel. The city police is investigating the
incident. |
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