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H A R Y A N A |  |
 Saturday, February 6, 1999 |
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Crucial INLD meeting on Feb 11 at
Panipat ROHTAK, Feb 5 — A special meeting of the Indian National Lok Dal is scheduled to be held on February 11 at Panipat in order to take a final decision regarding the party's threat to withdraw its support to the Vajpayee government. 6 Cong MLAs boycott Budget session CHANDIGARH, Feb 5 — Six Congress legislators and an Independent who had entered the Haryana Vidhan Sabha a little before zero hour announced today their decision to boycott the rest of the Budget session if nine members who had been suspended were not allowed to come back and participate in the proceedings. |
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Budget bundle of lies:
Chautala |
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Crucial INLD meeting on Feb 11 at
Panipat ROHTAK, Feb 5 — A special meeting of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) is scheduled to be held on February 11 at Panipat in order to take a final decision regarding the party's threat to withdraw its support to the Vajpayee government. The party, which has four MPs in the Lok Sabha, had threatened to withdraw its support over the issue of hike in the prices of goods sold through the public distribution system and urea, on January 29. While the Union Government has already rolled back the hike in the prices of PDS items like wheat and rice for consumers below the poverty line, the government has ruled out to take back the increase in the prices of urea, sugar and cooking gas. According to party sources, MPs, MLAs and district presidents of the INLD in Haryana have been invited to the meeting. The party chief, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, had declared the hike as 'anti-poor and anti-farmer'. He had announced that he would be speaking to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, on the issue. Now it is learnt that while the Union Government has decided not to roll back the hike of urea and other items, the party has decided to discuss the matter in detail and then to decide whether to withdraw the support or not. According to political observers, the meeting of the party has assumed a lot of significance as the decision for or against remaining in the coalition would be crucial for the party politically. The party boast of having its mass base in rural areas. It is felt that if the party does not stick to its stand on the demand of withdrawal of hike in the prices of the urea, then other political parties might make it a big issue. If the party decides to withdraw its support to the Vajpayee government then the issue could really gain importance at the national level. It is felt that if the party was able to force the Union government to roll back the hike then the INLD may be in a position to get a direct benefit in the state politics also. Meanwhile, the Organising Secretary of the state INLD, Mr Inder Singh Dhull, has condemned the 'expulsion' of the MLAs of various parties from the state Assembly. In a statement here yesterday Mr Dhull said that it was a part of the move to save the Bansi Lal Government, which he said had lost the majority in the Vidhan Sabha. He observed that it had been done so that any move to bring no-confidence motion could be avoided. He appealed to the Governor to ask the state government to prove its majority on the floor of the House.
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INLD getting restive GURGAON, Feb 5 — With a number of moves to pull down the Bansi Lal Government not succeeding, the leaders of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), the principal opposition party in the Haryana Assembly, are getting restive. According to sources, the uneasiness among the leaders of the INLD stems from their apprehension that the HVP, headed by Mr Bansi Lal would go on the offensive against the Opposition after the government redeemed its promise of making the state self sufficient in electricity by June this year. The general impression is that with the rate of progress of the construction works on power projects, the assertions of Mr Bansi Lal to make the state power surplus by the end of this year could come true. The INLD leadership is said to be wary that in case the power situation improved in the state, the BJP would have enough reason to keep its alliance with the HVP. The INLD leader, Mr Devi Lal, has also raised the issue with the BJP leader, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, after he resigned from the Union Council of Ministers. Mr Devi Lal met Mr Khurana at his residence on February 1. He told the BJP leader that it was not possible for the INLD to continue its support to the BJP-led government at the Centre. He said that his party had not gained any thing and the possibility of the Haryana unit of the BJP severing its ties with the HVP was also getting bleak. The INLD leader also said that it was an opportune moment for his party to snap ties with the Vajpayee government on the issue of the hike in the price of urea. Mr Khurana told Mr Devi Lal in unequivocal terms that he had no plans to float a new party. However, he urged him to take him into confidence before the INLD actually parted ways with the government at the Centre. It may be recalled that Mr Khurana along with the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, were instrumental in making the INLD support the Vajpayee government. The INLD has four MPs in the Lok Sabha. The calculation in the INLD is that if it parted ways with the Union Government on the urea issue it would make a favourable impression on the farming community of Haryana — its main playground. This would make the INLD one up on the HVP which was expected to keep a high profile among the farmers following improvement in power supply. Also, the HVP would continue to support the Union government and the INLD could paint the HVP leadership black by taking a superior moral ground, after it withdrew support to the coalition government at the Centre. The INLD would be in a position to impress the farming community that it had became a martyr for its cause. This would also help refurbish its image following dismal show at the hustings by its nominees in Delhi and Rajasthan. The sources said that INLD leaders were touring Haryana, especially in the rural belt. Many see it as a desperate move by the party to keep its support base intact in the face of threat from the HVP and the Congress. The INLD is also said to
be attaching significance to moves of a faction of the
Haryana unit of the BJP opposed to Mr Bansi Lal showing
signs of reconciliation with him. A section in the BJP,
including some of its ministers in Haryana had been
making noises in favour of severing ties with the Bansi
Lal Government, keeping hopes in the INLD alive. Although
the INLD maintained that its support to the Vajpayee
Government was unconditional, there are many who feel
that its leadership was harbouring hopes of forming a
government in Haryana with the support of the BJP. This
could have been possible only after the HVP-BJP tie-up
was asundered. |
6 Cong MLAs boycott Budget
session CHANDIGARH, Feb 5 — Six Congress legislators and an Independent who had entered the Haryana Vidhan Sabha a little before zero hour announced today their decision to boycott the rest of the Budget session if nine members who had been suspended were not allowed to come back and participate in the proceedings. The legislators — Mr Khursheed Ahmed, Mrs Kartar Devi, Capt Ajay Singh Yadav, Mr Dharambir Gauba, Mr Dilu Ram, Mr Kuldip Bishnoi and Mr Devraj Dewan (Ind) — said they were keen to express their views on the Budget proposals provided the House agreed to recall the suspended members. The Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, put a full stop to the Congress members' repeated request by saying that the suspended members had forfeited their right to be reconsidered for withdrawal of action against them because, they had not behaved in the right manner. Earlier, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, Minister for P.W.D. (B and R), in almost an arrogant tone, opposed the Congress demand for recalling the suspended MLAs by saying that the opposition members had neither any good suggestions to make nor any good issues to raise. To this, Mr Gauba retorted by saying that it was as if God had gifted all the good sense to Mr Dalal as he thought all others inferior. Mr Dalal also pointed out that in Bihar, the Congress was siding with Mr Laloo Prasad and in Haryana with the Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya) of Mr Om Parkash Chautala. Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, Education Minister, appeared to have struck a wrong chord when he commented that the newly found friendship of the Congress with the Haryana Lok Dal (R) was not good for its health, forgetting that his own party had allied in Haryana with Mr Chautala not very long ago. However, he said the opposition had failed to discharge its function. The Speaker, Mr Chhattar Singh, said the decision to suspend the members was not his but that of the House. He could only request the members who were present in the House to stay and express their views. Judging the adamant attitude of the treasury benches, Mr Khursheed Ahmed, before walking out, read a couplet of Mirza Ghalib to sum up the situation: yar ab na woh samjhe hain, na samjheinge meri baat de aur dil unko jo na de mujhko zuban aur. As questions put in writing by the opposition members who had been suspended were deleted and other opposition members were not in the House, question hour was a quiet affair. The Speaker, on a suggestion by Mr Ram Bilas Sharma, said any member could ask questions listed under anyone's name. Dr Kamla Verma, Minister for Local Government, told Mr Anil Vij that a committee would go into the issue of anomalies in the house tax and simplify the collection by taking into consideration the local, nature of building and its use (commercial, industrial or residential.) Mr Vij had asked her to check bungling in the tax collection. As regards the laying of sewers in the remaining part of Ambala Cantt, she said the sewerage scheme would cost Rs 5.5 crore and its implementation would depend on the availability of funds. A ruling party member, Mr Jagdish Nayyar, embarrassed the minister when he told the House that the minister was not releasing the grants for his municipal committee even when he had met her thrice in this connection. Mr Ganeshi Lal, Minister for Food and Supplies, told the House in a written reply that according to a fresh survey a total of 6,95,134 families had been identified as living below the poverty line. Mr Attar Singh Saini, Minister of State for Power, justified variation in power tariff for supply to the agricultural sector on grounds of varying ground water levels even when the consumers belonged to the same district. Meanwhile, the Haryana
Congress Legislature Party has decided to boycott the
rest of the Budget session of the Haryana Vidhan Sabha in
view of the suspension of nine legislators of the
Opposition parties from the House for the remaining
period of the session which is likely to conclude on
February 12. |
Cong leader claims Hooda
helping Bansi SONEPAT, Feb 5 — Former Haryana Minister and senior Congress leader, Mr Krishan Murti Hooda, today accused the HPCC Chief, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda of being hand-in-glove with the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal. He said contradictory statements issued by the HPCC President were the main cause of failure of the HVP rebels to dislodge the present HVP-BJP coalition government in the state. In a press statement issued here, he said the boycott of 11 Congress legislators of the Kranti Yatra by Mr Hooda at Panchkula on February 1 shows that he had lost their confidence because of his soft attitude towards Mr Bansi Lal. He added that the HPCC chief in public spoke against the Chief Minister but helped him behind the scene. He said that disturbed by the attitude of the HPCC President, 9 of the 12 party legislators called on the AICC President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, recently and apprised her of the directionless leadership of the HPCC chief as well as the prevailing political scenario in the state. Mr Hooda alleged that the date of the proposed Kranti Yatra and a subsequent rally on February 13 at Jind had been fixed at the behest of Mr Bansi Lal, who is scared of the no-confidence motion against his government. The rally and the Kranti Yatra are likely to prevent the Congress legislators from being present in the Assembly at the time of no-confidence motion which will indirectly help Mr Bansi Lal to save his government. The current growing discontentment of the people of Haryana against Mr Bansi Lal has created an atmosphere in favour of the Congress but the HPCC President has failed to take advantage of the situation and is adopting a pro-Bansi Lal attitude. He made a fervent appeal to party workers not to be disheartened saying the future of the party was bright under Mrs Sonia Gandhi. He also said that
political developments in the country have today created
a desire to see the Congress back in power. But the
action of the HPCC president has angered party workers
restless to dislodge the HVP-BJP coalition. |
Budget bundle of lies: Chautala CHANDIGARH, Feb 5 — The leader of Opposition and President of the Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya), Mr Om Prakash Chautala, today described the Budget estimates of the state for 1999-2000 as a "bundle of lies and a cruel joke on the people of Haryana". Questioning the very basis of the presentation of the Budget Mr Chautala said the Annual Plan outlay of Rs 2300 crore presumed a central assistance of Rs 958.47 crore, which was yet to be finalised by the Centre, implying that 41.69 per cent of the Annual Plan outlay was absolutely hypothetical. Mr Chautala alleged that the Finance Minister, Mr Charan Das Shorewala, had failed to discharge his constitutional obligation of informing the Vidhan Sabha about the reasons for the unprecedented slashing of the Annual Plan for 1998-99 from Rs 2260 crore to Rs 1800 crore, a decline of 20.79 per cent. He said the revised outlay would be further reduced to only about Rs 1400 crore since most of the projected external aid of Rs 511.97 crore would not materialise due to the US sanctions. He also said that even the proposed outlay for 1999-2000 of Rs 2300 crore included Rs 1013.83 crore as external aid which meant that actual outlay would be less than Rs 1400 crore since the aid might not come due to the sanctions. The Lok Dal leader said nothing demonstrated the maladministration in the state more than the fact that while the per capita income had declined from Rs 4025 to Rs 3997, the Gross Domestic Product had shown an all-time low increase of merely 1.1 per cent between 1997 and 1998. Due to the anti-farmer policies of the government, the agriculture production had decreased by 8.4 per cent. Ridiculing the claim of special emphasis on infrastructural development by allocation of 64 per cent of the outlay for this sector, Mr Chautala said the performance of the government in this sector had been extremely dismal. The economic survey revealed that the generation of power fell by 346 million KWH units in the previous year despite increase in the generation capacity. Generation per MW of installed capacity fell by 5.66 per cent in the same year. He said another indicator of the deterioration in the condition of the state's economy was that the per capita consumption of electricity decreased from 462 to 438 KWH. Agriculture power connection had been reduced from 369967 to 380181 (2.69 per cent) in the first two years of the Bansi Lal government. He said the government also disconnected 31.22 per cent of the street lighting connections in this period. Describing the claims of round-the-clock power supply by June next, as "failed disinformation campaign", Mr Chautala stated that all projects cited in the Budget were a "figment of imagination of an unsuccessful government" because the projects had no date of commencement, leave aside the date of completion. Accusing the government of misusing funds under the flood protection works and the externally-aided WRCP, Mr Chautala said allocation in the irrigation sector was meaningless when the state could not even ensure deflooding and clearing of water-logged areas even after three months of rains. He said Haryana Roadways had already incurred losses of Rs 78 crore till December, 1998, and had shown declining figures of passengers carried per day as well as kilometres covered everyday because of illegal operation of buses. The condition of roads would further deteriorate because of over dependence on external aid to the tune of Rs 316 crore out of the total outlay of Rs 400 crore, which might not materialise at all. Mr Chautala said the projections for the industry, health, housing, education, forests, animal husbandry, poverty elevation programmes and tourism sectors in the Budget were unrealistic and unattainable. Pointing out that the debt servicing had increased to Rs 1191.18 crore for 1999-2000, he said if this government remained in power the state was bound to fall into an unredeemable debt trap. Chiding the government for
making unrealistic projections pertaining to tax receipts
when these had shown a declining tendency up to December,
1998, Mr Chautala said if the current trend continued the
shortfall would touch a whopping Rs 300 crore mark by the
end of the current year. |
Bansi joins issue with Chautala CHANDIGARH, Feb 5 — Joining issue with the Leader of the Opposition, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, said in the state Assembly here today that there was nothing unusual in presenting the Budget before the finalisation of the State's Annual Plan. Intervening in the debate on the Budget estimates, Mr Bansi Lal said in the past also the Budget had been presented before the House on several occasions pending finalisation of the Annual Plans by the Planning Commission. Earlier in the morning Mr Chautala, whose party, the Haryana Lok Dal (Rashtriya), had been boycotting the current Budget session in protest against the suspension of nine MLAs, had challenged the very basis of the Budget in statement issued outside the House on the plea that before the finalisation of the Annual Plan and presentation of the Central Budget, the projections made by the Finance Minister were meaningless. Mr Bansi Lal said last year also the Budget was passed in July while the Annual Plan was finalised by the commission in September. During 1996-97 when the Congress was in power, the Budget was passed in February and the plan was approved in October. He said there were several such examples. He said the government had received a telegram from the Planning Commission confirming the receipt of the plan proposals, with which the commission would deal with in its own manner. Criticising the Opposition for boycotting the Budget session, the Chief Minister said the conduct of the Opposition was in the interest of neither the House nor the state. Even if nine members had been suspended from the House for disorderly behaviour, the remaining 26 Opposition MLAs could participate in the proceedings. When the Congress was on the treasury benches, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, now Public Works Department, was suspended from the House. Mr Bansi Lal said the HVP and BJP members, who were in opposition at that time, walked out of the House in protest against the suspension but again came back and participated in the proceedings. Mr Bansi Lal said the ruling party and the opposition had an equal responsibility in ensuring the smooth conduct of the proceedings. He said the ruling combine was keen that the Opposition members should participate in the proceedings. Earlier, participating in the debate Mr Jagdish Nayyar (HVP) thanked the government for starting a Rs 5-crore drinking water scheme for Hodal. The Minister of State for Ayurveda, Mrs Kanta Devi, appreciated the provisions made in the Budget for the welfare of the Backward Classes, the Scheduled Castes and the poor. Appreciating that no new taxes had been imposed in the Budget, Mr Akram Khan (Ind) wanted that the pace of development works in his constituency, Chhachhrauli, should be accelerated, particularly the repair of roads. The Minister of State for Agriculture, Mrs Krishna Gehlot, said the government had drained out flood waters in a record time, enabling the farmers to sow rabi crops in 31.33 lakh hectares. Mr Kapoor Chand, BJP MLA from Shahabad, described the Budget as a balanced one. The Transport Minister, Mr
Krishan Pal Gujjar, said the government had liberated the
industry from the tyranny of truck unions, particularly
in Faridabad. |
GJU panel report evokes
resentment HISAR, Feb 5 — The sub-committee report, constituted by Guru Jambeshwar University to examine the appointments appears at best, to be vague and at worst self contradictory. Most of the candidates, whose appointment is being sought to be cancelled, have questioned the criteria behind the recommendations (for cancellation) to the Chancellor and urged him to reject them. The aggrieved candidates told TNS here that right from the day one of their appointment, the state government appeared hell bent to cancel these appointments on one pretext or other. The contents of the report are self contradictory. Apart from claiming irregularities in the appointments, it has reasoned that funds were not available, so for the time being it was not possible to absorb the fresh appointees. But at the same time, the report has recommended that these posts should be readvertised. The candidates challenged the competence of the sub-committee, which they said, "barring one member was absolutely bureaucratic in its constitution". Moreover, none of the candidates, whose appointment has been sought to be cancelled was provided any chance to present his case. "This simply betrayed the motive and purpose of the sub-committee", remarked one candidate. The information gathered by TNS revealed that the list of each discipline (in which appointments are to be made) is approved by the Academic Council and the Chancellor. At the time of the selection of the teachers, the Vice-Chancellor selects any two or three experts out of this list. The VC has no powers to nominate any person on the selection committee, other than those approved by the Chancellor. The sub-committee report frequently mentions that 30 candidates were interviewed in three hours "to rush through" the process. However, this has also been challenged. Some persons associated with the interview process pointed out that the sub-committee was simply calculating from the starting time and concluding time, while the interviews continued for more time than scheduled. Moreover, one candidate questioned the very basis of this argument. He pointed out, "let's presume that interviews were conducted in such a short span, but why did not sub-committee deem it necessary to give bearing to each of the affected candidates". Only one candidate Dr Vinod Kumar Garg was given a personal hearing, as he had already admitted that he did not possess requisite experience at the time of his appointment. However, his case was different as he had been appointed in 1996. There are glaring contradictions in the observations made by the sub-committee, while claiming to scrutinise the eligibility of the candidates. For example the sub-committee has recommended the cancellation of one candidate but admits "prima facie he appears to be eligible for the post". Similarly there is the case of Kiran Malhotra. She was also appointed lecturer in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering. Her candidature has been sought to be cancelled as "she is not eligible for the post of lecturer in this department (of Environmental Sciences and Technology)". She has done doctorate in Botany, with specialisation in tissue culture. The university had earlier also appointed one reader Dr Amarjeet Kaur with similar qualifications. She is "now on extraordinary leave", as she had joined Inderprasth University, Delhi. The candidates also
questioned the authority of the sub-committee on
technical grounds. For example, the sub-committee
observes, "there is no need to have any person with
tissue culture background. There are already teachers
working in the department who can teach botanical aspects
of environmental science". Not a single member of
the sub-committee had any member with any background of
environmental science, remarked one of the aggrieved
candidates. |
University contests MDUTA charges ROHTAK, Feb 5 — The Maharshi Dayanand University authorities have denied the charge of flouting the reservation policy while filling teaching posts in the university. In a press statement here today, the university clarified that as per the latest directions of the University Grants Commission duly no reservation was there for the posts of professor and reader. It said reservation existed only for the appointment to the posts of lecturer. It said five professors and two readers have been appointed by the university so far since April 1, 97. The Maharshi Dayanand University Teachers Association (MDUTA), in a letter written to the Chancellor, Mr Mahabir Prasad, had levelled certain charges against the university administration recently. Regarding the allegation of burning the records containing recommendations of the selection committee made during the tenure of the earlier Vice-Chancellor on April 19, 97, the statement said the MDUTA was deliberately creating a false impression. It clarified that the meeting of the executive council scheduled for May 13, 1996, could not consider the agenda containing the recommendations due to disturbance by the outsiders which led to the disruption of the meeting. After the joining of the present Vice-Chancellor the sealed envelopes containing the recommendations of the selection committee were burnt by a committee comprising the Registrar, the Controller of Examinations and the Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor to avoid any controversy in this connection and to have fresh and fair selection by inviting fresh applications. About the allegations levelled about the appointment of examiners and paper setters for the M.Ed. examinations in which a daughter and daughter-in-law of the Vice-Chancellor appeared, the statement said the Vice-Chancellor had informed the Controller of Examinations and accordingly authorised him for ticking the names of examiners and paper setters for M.Ed. examinations. Denying reports in a section of press regarding the annoyance of the state government with the university administration it said certain disgruntled elements were indulged in giving a distorted picture. It claimed the Vice-Chancellor had received accolades from the state government and from the UGC for initiatives taken by him to put the university on rails.
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2 HUDA employees suspended HISAR, Feb 5 — Two employees of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) were suspended today for allegedly assaulting and manhandling the Executive Engineer, Hisar division, Mr SK Gupta. According to an FIR registered against Satpal Singh Kundu and Jasbir Singh, working with HUDA, about 100 employees gheraoed Mr Gupta's office and after forcing their entry into his office assaulted him. Mr Gupta reportedly suffered some injuries. According to some of the employees in his office, Mr Gupta managed to save himself by taking shelter in the retiring room. The HUDA employees also staged a dharna in protest against the assault and demanded the arrest and suspension of the two employees. The dharna was lifted only after the Superintending Engineer, Mr SK Dhiman, issued the suspension orders. The police has registered
an FIR. While Satpal Kundu had been arrested, Jasbir
Singh was reported to be absconding. |
Guru Nanak college wins quiz
contest KARNAL, Feb 5 — The sixth Dewan Anand Kumar Memorial Inter-College quiz contest on Environment organised by the local Dyal Singh College was won by Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Yamunanagar. The runners-up position was bagged by Hindu Girls College, Jagadhari. Twelve teams from different colleges participated in the competition. Mr SK Sharma, President, Environment Society of India, presided over the function today. Dr KK Garg, Joint Director, North Region Centre, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India was also present. In the on-the-spot poster making competition on Wild life Conservation Sukhvinder of MLN College, Yamunanagar and Varinder Verma of Government College, Karnal, stood first and second, respectively. In the essay-writing competition on wildlife conservation and pollution Miss Kamal of Sohan Lal DAV College of Education, Ambala, and Ms Ruchi Malhotra of Dyal Singh College, Karnal, were adjudged first and second, respectively in the senior wing. Kamlika Chandla of Tagore Bal Niketan, Karnal, and Latika Grover of Jain Girls Senior Secondary School, Karnal, won the first and second positions respectively in the junior wing. A seminar on the theme
keep your water resources clean is also going to be held
on 13 March 1999 in the chain of functions. Principal SK
Jain informed that this year the programmes was sponsored
by the Ministry of Environment and Forests under its
national environment awareness campaign. |
MC working deplored in durbar AMBALA, Feb 5 — The functioning of the Ambala Sadar Municipal Council came under severe criticism at an open 'durbar' held at cantonment here today. The Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Navraj Sandhu, presided over the 'durbar'. It was for the first time that such a 'durbar' was held at the cantonment for which a demand was made at the last district grievances committee meeting by Mr Ajay Gulati, member and press secretary of the Haryana Vikas Party, cantonment unit. A Congress leader, Mr Ashok Jain, complained of traffic congestion on the Maharani Laxmibai Marg near the new bus stand due to parking of 'rehris' and "ghass mandi". The Deputy Commissioner directed the deployment of traffic police in the area for the regulation of traffic. She also disclosed that four-laning of the road would be made at a cost of Rs 36 lakh. Out of more than 200 complaints received at the durbar, several related to lack of civic amenities at the outer localities which include lack of sewerage system, drinking water problem and pot-holed roads. Some complainants brought to the notice of the Deputy Commissioner the increasing number of encroachments in connivance with the council employees. Mrs Sandhu directed civic body officials to take prompt measures. Residents of houses near
the Kali Bari temple complained that the rehari-owners
had encroached on government land and were a big nuisance
for the people. |
Water
everywhere not any drop to drink ROHTAK: While the residents of several localities in the town located at the tail-end have been crying for potable water, water has been going down the drains from public taps in different localities. Thosands of gallons of treated water has been going waste regularly from dozens of capless public taps in Salara Mohalla, Partap Mohalla, Babra Mohalla, Kalala Mohalla, Quilla Mohalla, etc. The residents of these localities have frequently complained to the Public Health Department officials but their appeals failed to evoke any response. * * * * * Encroachment on public land has become a common feature. The residents in almost all localities have encroched on government land. The situation is the worst in HUDA Sector 1, where hardly any citizen has been able to resist the temptation of encroaching on open space around the house. A majority of the mere educated people and still cannot appreciate that this space is left for the expansion of roads and to be used as footpath. They have raised barbed wires or hedges which not only restrict the public use of these spaces, but also lead to impaired visibility in the case of corner houses. Some of them have erected cemented structures on the encroached land. Similarly, several roads in the town had narrowed with shopkeepers occupying both sides of the road to display their wares. The nuisance has assumed menacing proportions at Quilla Road, Railway Road and Jhajjar Road. Although the district administration has launched several anti-encroachment drives undue support extended by various political leaders to encroachers has affect the drives. Despite the tall claims made by the government time and again at various public meetings regarding "drastic" reforms in the power sector, several localities in the town have been facing a power failure for nearly eight hours daily for over a month. The residents of Dev Colony, Model Town, Sector 1, Adarsh Nagar and certain other localities have charged the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam with discriminating against them on power supply. They alleged that cuts up to 30 minutes were imposed on Hari Nagar, Arya Nagar, HUDA Compex, Sant Nagar, Green Road and Chhoturam Chowk, while their supply was suspended for nearly eight hours daily (including the scheduled power cut of five hours). They lamented that the prolonged power breakdowns had adversely affected studies of their wards as the final examinations were scheduled later this month or next month. Ms Asha Hooda, district president of BJP Mahila Morcha, has alleged that certain HVPN officials have intentionally harassed consumers to defame the government. Mr S.P. Gupta, Executive Engineer (Operations). HVPN, pleaded that the department was forced to impose prolonged power cuts due to scarcity of power but he could not explain the discrimination in power supply to certain localities. * * * * * There is a shortage of public lavatories in the town due to which people particularly women, are put to great hardship. The few urinals that exist are not properly maintained and stink. Besides, there are no specified parking lots in the town. As a result vehicles are parked haphazardly along narrow roads and streets. These obstruct the flow of traffic and cause traffic jams. The absence of traffic
lights also adds to the traffic disorder. |
Dowry case registered FATEHABAD, Feb 5 — The husband, father-in-law mother-in-law, brother-in-law and a sister-in-law of a local resident Rajni Devi were booked for harassing her for more dowry on Thursday. According to the SP, Mr Rajbir Deswal, Mrs Rajni Devi, had lodged an FIR with the city police station in which she had stated that she was married to Pawan Kumar a resident of Kishanpura Mohalla on July 31, 1994, according to the Hindu rituals. The police has registered a case under Sections 498-A, 406, 342, 506, 323 and 34 of the IPC and started investigations. No one has been arrested. In another case the police
has booked a person for eloping a married woman along
with her infant daughter at Tohana in this district.
According to the police, Raj Kumar, a resident of Baba
Buta Shaw Colony in Tohana had lodged an FIR alleging
that Ravi, a resident of the same colony, had eloped his
wife Biro (22). The woman had also taken away her one and
a half year old daughter along with her. The police has
registered a cause under Section 363 and 366 of the IPC
and started investigations. |
Sell urea at old rates: DC KURUKSHETRA, Feb 5 — Farmers of this district, need not purchase urea fertiliser at enhanced rates and they have been directed that they should purchase the fertiliser at its old rates. The Deputy Commissioner Mr SN Roy said here today that a verification of all fertiliser sale depots of private dealers, cooperative societies and government agencies had been conducted and it was found that there was a stock of about 4700 tonnes of urea in the district. Mr Roy said the available
stock was sufficient for the sowing of Rabbi crop in this
district and that was why the district administration
decided to take this step under which the urea dealers in
this district had been directed to sell urea at its old
rates. These found selling urea at higher price, would be
penalised, Mr Roy added. |
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