Order reserved on poll petition
CHANDIGARH, April 20 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today reserved order on an election petition filed by Mr Ramesh Rana, a defeated candidate of the Samata Party, contesting the election of the B.J.P. candidate, Mr Ramesh Kashyap, from the Gharaunda Assembly constituency. Mr Kashyap had been declared successful by 11 votes.

Two arrested for robbing, killing HVPN cashier
SONEPAT, April 20 — With the arrest of two persons including an employee of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam the Ganaur police today claimed to have solved a case of robbery and alleged murder of Mr Khem Chand Rathi, a cashier of the HVPN at Ganaur on April 9.

All-time wheat arrival in mandis
CHANDIGARH, April 20 — Haryana has recorded an all-time high wheat arrival of more than 3.33 lakh tonnes in its mandis in a single day on April 19.

Cultural festival a grand success
HISAR, April 20 — The two-day cultural festival by students of Jambeshwar University concluded here today.

• Hooda deplores Chautala's remarks
• 5 youths held in kidnap case
• 3 dead, 4 hurt in road mishap

• 12 escaped from juvenile home
• One held for threatening
• 4 get life term for murder
• Women duped

Bumper wheat crop raises
farmers’ spirits
From Our Correspondent  

SIRSA, April 20 — Bumper wheat crop this year has given a ray of hope to farmers of the district who had been hard up due to failure of crops for more than past three years.

Mandis in the district expect record arrival of wheat this year. Wheat has started arriving in all Mandis earlier than expected. According to information till Monday 31 grain markets in the district had received 2.25 lakh metric tonnes of wheat whereas last year only 75000 metric tonnes of wheat had arrived in grain markets.

Keeping in view the expected heavy arrival of wheat the administration has made elaborate arrangements but in the first phase the arrangements proved inadequate which have created problems for the farmers bringing produce to these markets.

According to the District Food and Civil Supplies Controller, Mr N.K. Mittal, due to early arrival of wheat in the market there was some problem one or two days but with the start of purchase of wheat by all government agencies in the district the things eased. He informed that so far Food and Civil Supplies Department has procured 25,000 metric tonnes, Hafed 98000 metric tonnes, FCI 25000 metric tonnes, Haryana Warehousing 31000 metric tonnes, Haryana Agro 22000 metric tonnes and Confed 23000 metric tonnes of wheat. In addition to this the traders purchased 1000 metric tonnes of wheat so far.

This time a bag containing 50 kg as against of 95 kg earlier, which has doubled the requirement of bags. Hence the entire "Mandi" full with wheat bags leading to blockage of roads surrounding the mandi, which is creating traffic hazards now. As per the DFSC the new packing norm is in line with the ruling of the Supreme Court on the PIL against the overburdening of a labourer.

The Central government has fixed Rs 550 as support price of wheat, which is not satisfying to the farmers, who had demanded a higher support price.

The bumper wheat crop is likely to revive the depressed market.

Parents sore over steep fee hike
From Vipin Sharma

ROHTAK, April 20 — In a surprise move, the local university campus school has increased the fee manifold for the students who are not wards of the university employees and officials.

Agitated over the 'considerable' increase in the fee the parents of these students have constituted an Abhibhavak Sangharsh Samiti to protest against the decision of the Maharshi Dayanand University authorities.

Mr Om Prakash Sangwan, president of the samiti, said they had decided to challenge the fee hike at the court of law.

It is learnt a sum of Rs 20 as admission fee and Rs 35 to Rs 110 (from Class I to Class XII) was received as tuition fee from the students till now. The girl students were provided free education at the school. The admission fee has now been raised from Rs 20 to Rs 1,000 while the tuition fee has been increased up to Rs 450 (both for boys and girls). The re-admission fee has been increased from Rs 100 to Rs 200. However, the wards of university employees are exempted from the hike. The building fund has been increased from Rs 200 to Rs 1,000, the security amount from Rs 200 to Rs 600, science fund from Rs 35 to Rs 100 and monthly library fund from Rs 5 to Rs 30 only for children other than of university employees.

They will also have to pay an amount of Rs 4,065 at the time of admissions against Rs 915 before the hike. The wards of university employees are required to pay only Rs 860 for fresh admission.

Nearly 2,500 students are studying at the campus school at present out of which more than 60 per cent are not wards of university employees.

Commenting over the fee hike the university authorities pleaded the school had been running in a loss totalling to Rs 35 lakh to Rs 40 lakh per year. The authorities said the school could not be closed despite the huge loss as the wards of most of the university employees had been studying there at nominal charges.

ICAR meeting concludes
Tribune News Service

HISAR, April 20 — The problems of rising and falling water table, soil salinity and the spread of phalaris minor weed dominated the discussions at the two-day regional meet of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) which concluded in the CCS Haryana Agricultural University, here recently.

Presenting the ground water situation in Haryana, experts from HAU pointed out that during the past 20 years the water table in Ambala, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra and Rewari districts had gone down at an alarming rate, while in Rohtak, Jind, Hisar, Sirsa, Bhiwani, Fatehabad and parts of Sonepat districts it had risen at an average annual rate of 10 to 30 cm.

They said the problem was accompanied by the secondary soil salinity which was severely affecting the crop yield.

Similarly, HAU scientists also cautioned against the spread of the phalaris minor weed in the region. They pointed out that of about two million hectare of the total area under wheat cultivation, the presence of this weed had been noticed in about five lakh hectares. They said, the week had been found in paddy-wheat rotation belt, which, in absence of an effective weedicide, was seriously affecting the yield.

The regional meet of the ICAR was attended by representatives from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Daman Diu, Nagar Haveli, as the area shared common agro-climatic conditions.

Suggesting the remedial measures, the Vice-Chancellor of HAU, Prof J.B. Chaudhury, sought liberal financial assistance from the ICAR for tackling such problems. He said the Haryana Government had accorded top priority to solving the problem of water logging and a masterplan had been approved which was likely to cost about Rs 2300 crore. Since the amount of expenditure was huge, it had been proposed to seek assistance from the Union Agriculture Ministry and Central Irrigation and Wasteland Development Board for providing financial aid.

PCO owner told to pay twice for
same calls
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, April 20 — A PCO owner here has been asked by the Telecom Department to pay again for the calls for which he claims he has already paid.

According to sources, a PCO owner at Gohana stand here, Mr Daljeet Singh, has been running from pillar to post to get his phone bill 'corrected'. In the bill for March, he has been asked to pay again for about 34809 units, for which he claims he has already paid in January and February this year. The PCO operator, who has already submitted complaints to the telecom authorities, said that at the end of March, when he did not got his fortnightly bill for the second half of March, he contacted the Telecom Department. He was told that the meter of his PCO connection had stopped working and his bill would be computed, on the basis of the average. When he received an average bill of Rs 17,575, he lodged a protest, claiming that the bill amount exceeded his earning from the PCO. On April 7, he urged the authorities to get his telephone meter corrected and supply to him a detailed bill for March.

However, he has again been given an average bill of Rs 21,520, which has been asked to pay by April 24. Mr Daljeet Singh has again asked the telecom officials to supply a detailed bill to him. He has also appealed to the local PCO Operators Association to take up his case.

A member of the PCO Operators Association alleged that PCO operators in the town were not being supplied detailed bills despite several requests.

Order reserved on poll petition
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 20 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court today reserved order on an election petition filed by Mr Ramesh Rana, a defeated candidate of the Samata Party, contesting the election of the B.J.P. candidate, Mr Ramesh Kashyap, from the Gharaunda Assembly constituency. Mr Kashyap had been declared successful by 11 votes.

Earlier, Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi, before whom the election petition came up for hearing, heard arguments for and against the report submitted by Mr Nirmal Singh, District and Sessions Judge (Vigilance), Punjab, on recounting of votes. The recount was done on directions issued by the HC judge.

In his report Mr Nirmal Singh had stated that Mr Rana had polled 194 votes more than Mr Kashyap.

The stand of Mr Rana's counsel was that the court should set aside the election of Mr Kashyap in the light of the report submitted by the Sessions Judge. Counsel for Mr Kashyap preferred a petition raising objections to the report on the recount. He stated that there were many deficiencies in the Sessions Judge's report. Therefore, the election of Mr Kashyap should not be set aside.

Two arrested for robbing,
killing HVPN cashier
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, April 20 — With the arrest of two persons including an employee of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) the Ganaur police today claimed to have solved a case of robbery and alleged murder of Mr Khem Chand Rathi, a cashier of the HVPN at Ganaur on April 9.

The SSP, Mr K. Selvraj, told mediapersons here today that the arrested persons had been identified as Mange Ram, an employee of the HVPN and a resident of Khewra village and Vinay Kumar of Kurmali village (UP). Four others wanted in the case, had also been identified as Pardeep of Samalkha, Tej Paul of U.P., Vinod, alias Ganja of Garhi Kehrwa village and Vikram Gujjar. A hunt had been launched to arrest them.

He said Mange Ram, during the course of interrogation, had told the police that he was involved in the conspiracy hatched between him and other suspects for looting the cash. The culprits, on the other hand, had promised to give him Rs 8,000 in cash for seeking prior information from him about the cash to be taken to the bank

He said, the victim along with Balbir Singh, ALM of the HVPN was going on a motor cycle for depositing Rs 95,796 in the bank when both of them were waylaid by the suspects, on the Ganaur-Garhi Jhinjhara road and the cashier was asked to hand over the cash. When the cashier resisted, he was shot dead by one of the armed suspects. All culprits, however, escaped after the crime.

All-time wheat arrival in mandis
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 20 — Haryana has recorded an all-time high wheat arrival of more than 3.33 lakh tonnes in its mandis in a single day on April 19.

An official spokesman today said the entire arrivals were procured by six government procuring agencies excepting merely 498 tonnes purchased by traders.

He said more than 1 lakh tonnes of wheat arrivals on April 19 were procured by the Food and Supplies department, nearly 1 lakh tonnes by Hafed, 75,677 tonnes by the Food Corporation of India, nearly 15,000 tonnes by the Haryana Agro Industries Corporation, 31,832 tonnes by the Haryana Warehousing Corporation and 10,000 tonnes by Confed.

He said till yesterday the Haryana mandis had received nearly 16.55 lakh tonnes of wheat as against 2.56 lakh tonnes in the same period last year. Of this, 3.81 lakh tonnes had been procured by the Food and Supplies department, nearly 5.72 lakh tonnes by Hafed, 2.69 lakh tonnes by the Food Corporation of India, 1.27 lakh tonnes by the Haryana Agro Industries Corporation,1.77 lakh tonnes by the Haryana Warehousing Corporation and 1.16 lakh tonnes by Confed.

Fatehabad district was on the top in the districts by more than 2.60 lakh tonnes wheat arrivals followed by Sirsa with nearly 2.30 lakh tonnes and Kaithal by 2.25 lakh tonnes, he added.

Cultural festival a grand success
Tribune News Service

HISAR, April 20 — The two-day cultural festival by students of Jambeshwar University concluded here today.

The festival included dance and musical productions. While the Bhangra by Punjabi students had almost the entire audience tapping feet the presentation of the Rajasthani folk dance was no less impressive.

Dance performances by Valentina and Ankur and Shefali and Rouble were scintillating. It was for the first time that Guru Jambeshwar University in its four years of existence organised such festival.

Rahul, Rouble, Meenakshi Shala and Varuna who compered the programme were able to sustain the interest of the audience till the end.

Ms Anu Lather, in charge of the festival, said it would be made a regular feature at the campus.

Hooda deplores Chautala's remarks
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 20 — Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, president of the Haryana Congress, has taken a strong exception to the remarks of the INLD leader, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, wherein he termed as "unfortunate" if the Congress President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, became the Prime Minister of the country and said such remarks could come from a person of "sick-mind" only.

Mr Hooda said in a statement here today that Mrs Gandhi was the head of the country's premier political party, which has a record of 113 years of service.

Mr Hooda deplored the thinking of Mr Chautala and said the people of India had already reposed their faith in the leadership of Mrs Gandhi. He felt amused at the logic put forward by Mr Chautala for extending support to the Vajpayee Government and said that the reality could be otherwise. Mr Hooda accused Mr Chautala of hobnobbing through Mr Parkash Singh Badal, Chief Minister of Punjab, at the cost of Haryana's interests. Mr Hooda said it was a bad luck of the people of Haryana for having a person like Mr Chautala who had always sacrificed the state's interests for the sake of his personal, narrow political and family ends.

Mr Hooda said Mr Chautala's stand that he was extending support to Mr Vajpayee to see that the Congress did not come to power was nothing but wishful thinking.

One held for threatening
From Our Correspondent

SIRSA, April 20 — Krishan Kumar of Mangala village was arrested today for allegedly interrupting the school work and threatening the Principal of government school of the same village.

In a complaint, Mr Harbans Lal, Principal, alleged that on April 15 he had come to his office to get some documents attested which he refused as he was busy. Reacting on his refusal, Krishan threatened to kill him.

The police has registered a case under Sections 353, 186 and 506, IPC.

12 escaped from juvenile home
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, April 20 — As many as 12 children of the government juvenile home are reported to have escaped from it after injuring Mr Dharamvir, Warden.

According to official sources, this is the second incident within a few months.

It is stated that 13 children had planned to escape but one of them failed.

Harsh treatment and inadequate food are the main causes of their escape.

Meanwhile, the Superintendent, Mr Balwant Singh Kataria, has registered a case.

5 youths held in kidnap case
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, April 20 — The police has arrested five youths on a charge of kidnapping a 12-year-old boy for a ransom of Rs five lakh from his father.

A police spokesman identified the arrested youths as Soren, Kedar, Manoj, Rishi Kumar and Tony. Soren took Harish a class VIII student from his house in Shahjahanpur village on a bicycle on the pretext on making a telephone call.

When Harish did not return till evening a complaint was made to the police which raided a number of places and recovered Harish from the forest where he had been taken forcibly by the abductors. On seeing the police the youths tried to run away but were nabbed after a chase.

The police also arrested Sanjay Khan and Nasir in connection with a theft of a car in Lajpat Nagar in Delhi. The Maruti car bearing registration number DL-5-C-7272 has also been recovered.

4 get life term for murder
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, April 20 — The Additional District and Sessions Judge Hisar, Mr J.B. Sharma, today awarded life imprisonment to four persons after finding them guilty of committing murder near Samian village in this district on September 2,1996.

The judge also fined Rs 26,000 each. They were held guilty by the court on April 15 but the order was announced today. According to the prosecution, 10 persons shot Joginder Singh of Samain dead near the village. The court, however, acquitted six persons. Those convicted were Bakashish Singh and Niranjan of Gallaharh village under Patran police station, Nikka Singh resident of Rampura in Punjab and Leela Singh of Simbal village under Tohana police station. The complaint in this regard was lodged by Mr Dalbara Singh, brother of the deceased, with the Tohana police on September 2,1996.

3 dead, 4 hurt in road mishap
From Our Correspondent

SIRSA, April 20 — Three persons died and seven were injured in a road accident near Kharekan village of the district last night.

According to the information, a Haryana Roadways bus of the Rohtak depot coming from Ganganagar was involved in a head-on collision with a three-wheeler (HR 39/4492) coming from the opposite direction. The three-wheeler was totally smashed in the collision. All occupants travelling in the three-wheeler died. The deceased included Inder, Pooran and Lajpat. Driver of the three-wheeler, Inder and mechanic Lajpat died on the spot whereas Pooran, another auto driver, died in the hospital. Seven bus passengers, including driver Ranbeer Singh and conductor Rakesh received minor injuries.

The police has registered a case under Sections 279/337/304-A, IPC, against the driver of the bus.

Women duped
From Our Correspondent

YAMUNANAGAR, April 20 — A woman was robbed of cash and jewellery amounting to Rs 4,000 by a couple yesterday. According to information received here. Sharda, a resident of Krishna Colony, was returning home after withdrawing money from a company when she was stopped by a man and woman, who enquired the way to Radha Soami Satsang Bhavan.

She was told by the couple that all her worries would end if she put her ornaments and cash in a packet and gave the same to them. She did so. The couple returned her a packet which contained iron bangles and fled. Jaswant Kaur, an aged woman, was robbed of jewellery in a similar fashion.