Chief Secretary: women doubly cursed
HISAR, Feb 19 — The state Chief Secretary, Mr R.S. Verma, has regretted the plight of women in the rural Haryana. He said women in the country in general and Haryana in particular were yet to get the desired dignity and status.

I have been ‘implicated’ in lottery scam
CHANDIGARH, Feb 19 — A former Finance minister of Haryana and senior Congress leader, Mr Mange Ram Gupta, today alleged that his name had been dragged into the so-called lottery scam due to political reasons and as an attempt to tarnish his image.

Chautala firm on withdrawing support
GURGAON, Feb 19 — Mr Om Parkash Chautala, president, Indian National Lok Dal and former Haryana chief minister today claimed that the Centre had made Rs 22,000 crore because of fall in oil prices in the international market, yet hiked the prices for the poor and the farmers to earn Rs 3000 crore.

Katasraj pilgrims return
YAMUNANAGAR, Feb 19 — President of the Kendriya Sanatan Dharma Sabha, N.I., Shiv Partap Bajaj who led the 74-member jatha of pilgrims which visited Katasraj in Pakistan informed here today .

Minister unhurt in mishap
AMBALA, Feb 19 — Haryana Finance Minister Charan Dass Shorewala had a narrow escape today when his car met with an accident near Nurpur village, 14 km from here.

Drugs sale racket busted
ROHTAK, Feb 19 — A scandal was unearthed following a raid by the officials of the Health Department at a chemist shop here today.

Farm experts visit model farm
PANIPAT, Feb 19 — The Chairman, Commission, Agriculture Cost and Krishi Prices, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Abhijeeto Sein, along with a team of four members yesterday visited Chajpur Khurd village to inspect wheat farm sown by zero tillage machine.

Chief Secretary: women doubly cursed
Tribune News Service

HISAR, Feb 19 — The state Chief Secretary, Mr R.S. Verma, has regretted the plight of women in the rural Haryana. He said women in the country in general and Haryana in particular were yet to get the desired dignity and status.

Speaking at the silver jubilee celebrations of IC College of Home Sciences of the CCS Haryana Agricultural University here, Mr Verma exhorted upon the "home scientists" to come forward to help in improving the lot of women.

He observed that the women both in rural and urban society were "doubly cursed". "In rural areas, besides looking after their household chores, they have to help their male counterparts in farm operations, while the women in urban area have to shoulder responsibility as housewives and working women" he regretted and sought a change in the traditional mindset.

Presiding over the function, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof J.B. Chowdhury, highlighted the role being played by the college in transforming the rural society and improving the socio-economic status of the women.

The Chief Secretary distributed prizes among meritorius students and faculty members. They included Dr Indu Grover and Dr Beenoo Sehgal among teachers and Surbhi Bhalla among students.

Meanwhile, the Haryana Agricultural University Teachers Association has sought 20 per cent budgetary provision in the next annual university budget for payment of arrears to the teachers after their scales are revised.

According to a press statement, a delegation of the HAUTA led by its president, Dr Dalel Singh, met the Chief Secretary and pointed out that the 20 per cent arrears had to be paid by the state government while the rest will be paid by the ICAR.

He also sought that all teachers should be paid Rs 25,000 each in case their scales were not revised by March 31 this year. This amount, he pointed out, can be adjusted against the payment of arrears. The ICAR has already made similar payment to its scientists, he added.

Mange Ram vows to move court
I have been ‘implicated’ in lottery scam
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 19 — A former Finance minister of Haryana and senior Congress leader, Mr Mange Ram Gupta, today alleged that his name had been dragged into the so-called lottery scam due to political reasons and as an attempt to tarnish his image.

Talking to newsmen here Mr Gupta alleged that the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, unwillingly agreed to implicate him in the case so that he could save his government. His long-time political adversary and Industrial Training Minister, Mr Brij Mohan Singla, who was in the forefront of the recent bid to topple the Bansi Lal Government, had put the condition that he would support the government only if Mr Gupta was named in the case.

Mr Gupta said he had proposed to the Chief Minister that a three-member committee comprising the Finance Minister, Mr Charan Dass Shorewala; Prof Sampat Singh (Lok Dal) and Mr Birender Singh (Congress) should go into the case, and if the committee indicted him, he would accept any punishment prescribed by it.

The former Finance Minister said he would contest the case and establish his innocene in court. He said he would not seek anticipatory bail though he had been recommended a bypass surgery. Claiming that the attempt to implicate an innocent person in a false case would be a nail in the coffin of the Bansi Lal Government, Mr Gupta said he was not associated with the enquiry by the Vigilance Bureau. He also alleged that the bureau had added the name of the then Director, Lotteries, Mr S.K. Saksena, to save another officer.

Mr Gupta said when he took over as Finance Minister, the Lotteries department had earned only Rs 50 crore in 25 years. But during his five-year tenure the department made a profit of Rs 150 crore. The decision to privatise the lotteries was taken with the approval of the then Chief Minister, Mr Bhajan Lal, and on the same pattern as Mr Bansi Lal was privatising the power sector. He said if his name had been included in the FIR solely because it was his moral responsibility to supervise the department, the same logic should have been applied to Mr Bhajan Lal.

But the government had not dared to name Mr Bhajan Lal because it was afraid that he might again become the Chief Minister of the state.

Claiming that a recovery demand of over Rs 8 crore was raised during his tenure against the private party which defaulted, Mr Gupta said it was up to the present government to actually effect the recovery. The party, he said, had obtained a stay order against the encashment of the bank guarantee of Rs 3.71 crore from a Patna court. The department moved the Patna High Court as well as the Supreme Court for the vacation of the stay order which, however, was not vacated.

Action was also taken against two officials when it came to his notice that cheques worth Rs 52 lakh had bounced. The lottery schemes were run at the risk and cost of the private party and the department had earned nearly Rs 10 crore against Rs 7 crore royalty promised by the party.

Expressing his faith in the judiciary, Mr Gupta said in 1982 also Mr Singla had got him implicated in several false cases but the courts had done justice to him.

Mechanic held for killing car owner
From Our Correspondent

BHIWANI, Feb 19 — The police has arrested a car dentor for allegedly murdering a car owner Verender here on February 4.

Mr SS Deswal, Superintendent of police, said here today that the Verender (23), son of Manphool Singh of Babdoli under Jatusana police station in Rewari district, was owing a car No RRM 9535 as taxi. His car met with an accident on January 25 which he left for repair with Krishan, dentor on that day. The car could not be repaired at the stipulated time and Verender came to Bhiwani on February 2. He threatened Krishan for not repairing the car within the stipulated time.

Krishan, deciding something else, asked Verender to stay at night in his shop. He hit a hammer on his head when Verender was asleep at about 3 a.m. Then he dragged the body behind his shop and poured diesel set it on fire.

Chautala firm on withdrawing support
From Our Correspondent

GURGAON, Feb 19 — Mr Om Parkash Chautala, president, Indian National Lok Dal and former Haryana chief minister today claimed that the Centre had made Rs 22,000 crore because of fall in oil prices in the international market, yet hiked the prices for the poor and the farmers to earn Rs 3000 crore.

Mr Chautala said he feared that in the next Budget the Vajpayee government would impose income tax on farmers and would also pass patents law.

The Lok Dal leader said the BJP was suffering due to infighting.

He said his party had decided to withdraw support to the Vajpayee government not because of any ill will or self interest but as a matter of principle. "There is no question of reconsidering the decision of with- drawing the party's support to the Vajpayee government, he said.

The INLD leader said his party had always fight for workers, farmers and the poor but the Vajpayee government had ignored the interest of these sections.

He said as a protest against hike in prices of essential commodities his party will organise a big farmers' and workers' rally at Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi on March 6. Former deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal will preside over the rally.

Katasraj pilgrims return
From Our Correspondent

YAMUNANAGAR, Feb 19 — President of the Kendriya Sanatan Dharma Sabha, N.I., Shiv Partap Bajaj who led the 74-member jatha of pilgrims which visited Katasraj in Pakistan informed here today that he and other pilgrims were satisfied with the arrangements made by the Pakistan Government, Evacue Property Trust Board and various other departments for their lodging and travel during the pilgrimage.

Mr Bajaj said the Shiv temple at Katasraj needed proper maintenance and renovations to restore its lost glory.

The jatha returned yesterday.

He said Hindus were even ready to arrange donations to assist the Pakistan Government in the renovation of the temple. Mr Bajaj also said there must be a permanent priest to perform religious rituals at the temple.

He said under the protocol of 1974 between India and Pakistan only 200 pilgrims could visit this shrine in a year in two trips and that in the first instance the number should be increased and priorities for issuing visas should be laid down.

The demands and suggestions were presented to the Prime Minister of Pakistan by the delegation.

Minister unhurt in mishap

AMBALA, Feb 19 (PTI) — Haryana Finance Minister Charan Dass Shorewala had a narrow escape today when his car met with an accident near Nurpur village, 14 km from here.

The car of the minister, who was returning from Hisar to Chandigarh, was badly damaged when it collided with a tractor.

Drugs sale racket busted
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Feb 19 — A scandal was unearthed following a raid by the officials of the Health Department at a chemist shop here today.

The raiding party led by Mr R.N. Sharma, Assistant Drug Controller, recovered a large number of medicine slips prescribed by doctors for TB patients. The party took samples of the medicines.

As many as 30 identity cards of TB patients were also seized from the chemist shop.

Doctors at the TB Hospital have allegedly been indulging in this malpractice for the past few years.

Following a report in this connection in The Tribune on December 9 the Drug Controller had deputed Mr R.N. Sharma to conduct the preliminary inquiry.

Earlier, Mr Jaswant Singh, a 35-year-old TB patient of Kharak Jatan village in the Meham region had submitted an affidavit and alleged that he was forced to buy medicines from a specified chemist shop.

Mr Gulshan Dhingra, a BJP leader has appealed to the Chief Minister to order a high-level inquiry into the matter.

Farm experts visit model farm
From Our Correspondent

PANIPAT, Feb 19 — The Chairman, Commission, Agriculture Cost and Krishi Prices, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Abhijeeto Sein, along with a team of four members yesterday visited Chajpur Khurd village to inspect wheat farm sown by zero tillage machine.

Later, addressing farmers on occasion of ‘wheat field day’ organised by the Agriculture Department, Haryana, Mr Sein exhorted the farmers to adopt the zero tillage machine for wheat sowing to derive maximum benefits. He said Punjab and Haryana were the pioneer states in wheat production. But for the past seven or eight years, there had been a shortfall in the production of wheat, while the cost of production of wheat had gone up, he said.

Mr Sein pointed out that while fixing the prices of foodgrains, the cost of production and a number of other things should be taken into account. He called upon the farmers to adopt the latest techniques of farming and use improved seeds and fertiliser to boost the foodgrains production.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anuraj Rastogi, who presided over the function said Rs 200 per quintal had been given to the farmers as subsidy on 7000 quintals wheat seed. He said more than 12,000 quintals of improved wheat seed had been distributed among the farmers of Panipat district during a rabi sowing session.