VC favours more youth festivals
KURUKSHETRA, Feb 21 — The Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Dr M.L. Ranga, inaugurated a three-day inter zonal youth festival at the university auditorium here yesterday evening.

Three arrested for kidnapping boy
REWARI, Feb 21 — The district police here has arrested Prashant Kumar Sinha, Manjit, alias Manoj, and Ajay Kumar, all residents of various villages in Bihar, in connection with the abduction of Pankaj (8), who had been missing from Dharuhera since February 13.

Report on land grab denied
SONEPAT, Feb 21 — The Chairperson of the Sonepat Municipal Council, Mrs Veena Rani, asserted here today that not a single inch of municipal land had been grabbed by the 'land mafia' in any part of the city.

Chautala for change in tax structure
SONEPAT, Feb 21 — The Indian National Lok Dal chief, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, advocated a uniform sales tax and market fee on a par with Delhi and other neighbouring states.

Bitta seeks Farooq govt's dismissal
FARIDABAD, Feb 21 — Mr Maninder Singh Bitta, former President of the Indian Youth Congress, today sought the dismissal of the Farooq Abdullah government for its failure to curb terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

• 38 cases of unfair means in exams
• 2 English papers for KU students
• Two students held for cheating

People enthused by PM's visit
From Vimal Sumbly
Tribune News Service

HISAR, Feb 21 — The visit of Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has generated unbound optimism and euphoria here. As Doordarshan telecast the Prime Minister's visit live on Saturday afternoon most people remained glued to television sets here.

The interest and involvement was deeper than perhaps even during the Indo-Pak cricket matches. However, the sentiments were different. While during the matches there is always the urge for victory this time the story was different.

Haryana Agricultural University here decided to close at three to enable its employees to see the live telecast of history being written at Wagah. A senior professor of the university, Dr Kuldeep Singh Dhindsa, remarked, "it is for the first time the most of the people in the subcontinent are not viewing one another with suspicion. Let us hope this moment lives for years".

It was an emotional and nostalgic journey for Gayatri Dass Khurana, 80, to the streets of Lahore. His school, his friends his home, his childhood youth, roots: everything was recreated by the television images.

For the past fifty years he "longed" to visit Lahore, but the border always came in the way. "I wish and I hope that I will at least once be able to walk through the lanes of Lahore," he said with feelings and great optimism.

Emotional bonds apart, there was some cynicism as well. Prof B.K. Kuthiala, Dean Academic Affairs, Guru Jambeshwar University observed that the differences between the two countries were too wide to be narrowed instantly. He pointed to Pakistan’s involvement in terrorist activities in Indian territory.

"We must not forget that on the eve of Mr Vajpayee’s visit to Pakistan, 20 innocent people were gunned down in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan-supported terrorists," he said.

According to Dr N.K. Khetarpaul, a well known physician, there was a need to build mutual trust between the people of the two countries. He observed the such high-level visits, would definitely bring the people of two countries closer. "We must forget the partition. Now, it is the third generation after partition, coming up, Why poison their minds. Let us give them a legacy of peace," he said, while hailing Mr Vajpayee for taking a historic initiative.

Sabha condemns Governor's action
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Feb 21 — The controversy regarding the withdrawal of functional powers of the Vice-Chancellor of Maharshi Dayanand University, Lieut-Gen O.P. Kaushik (retd) took a serious turn today when the Brahman Sabha condemned the action of the Governor and the Chancellor of the university and demanded immediate restoration of the functional powers of the Vice-Chancellor.

Earlier, the district unit of the BJP had criticised the role of the Chancellor in this regard and demanded a check on political interference in the affairs of the university.

The BJP sought the restoration of powers to the Vice-Chancellor and withdrawal of the Registrar, Mr Ashok Khemka, from the university.

In a resolution passed at an emergent meeting of the Brahman Sabha held today under the chairmanship of its president, Mr Suresh Chandra Dutt, it was demanded that Haryana Ministers, MLAs and chairmen of various corporations would face social boycott if they failed to condemn the action of the Chancellor within a week.

In another resolution, it criticised the role played by the Haryana Government in vitiating the academic atmosphere of the university and demanded the restoration of the powers of the Vice-Chancellor.

The sabha also decided to file a public interest litigation in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the decision of the Chancellor. Two subcommittees consisting of five members each had been constituted for the purpose. The sub-committees would take legal advice from experts and collect documents for the litigation.

The sabha would also submit memoranda to the President and the Prime Minister to apprise them of the prevailing situation on the campus. It criticised the state government for giving a "humiliating" treatment to General Kaushik.

Later, talking to mediapersons, Mr Dutt claimed this was not the first time when the HVP government "humiliated" the Vice-Chancellor.

Mr Ramnarayan, Principal of University College and president of the Chankya Manch, appealed to the government to keep the university free from the controversies and restoration of autonomy status to the university.

The Maharshi Dayanand University Teaching Departments Teachers Association and Nagar Bharti, a social organisation, also condemned the decision of the Chancellor.

Meanwhile, the district unit of the Indian National Lok Dal has hailed the decision of the Chancellor.

VC favours more youth festivals
From Our Correspondent

KURUKSHETRA, Feb 21 — The Vice-Chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Dr M.L. Ranga, inaugurated a three-day inter zonal youth festival at the university auditorium here yesterday evening.

Speaking on the occasion, he stressed the need for the development of the Indian culture and underlined the development of Hindi language. The Vice- Chancellor complimented the Department of Youth and Cultural Affairs for bringing glory to the university at the state, national and international levels. In order to motivate artistes, Dr Ranga announced prizes for the winners of folk song and group song competitions.

Earlier, the Dean Students Welfare, Prof S.K. Singh, said such programmes provides an opportunity for entertainment.

The Director of the Youth and Cultural Affairs of the university, Mr Anoop Lather, said teams from Hisar, Karnal, Ambala and Kurukshetra were participating and about 600 artistes would displaying their talent.

The prize distribution function would be held tomorrow in which the Vice-Chancellor of Himachal Pradesh University, Prof S.K. Gupta, would be the chief guest.

Dr Ranga also called upon the teaching community to play a positive role in creating moral values, and a sense of responsibility among students.

He also inaugurated a four day national level inter-college cultural festival organised at the Indraprastha open air theatre of Regional Engineering College, here last evening.

Speaking about the importance of such festivals, he maintained that these programmes provide an opportunity to the students to exchange their views.

The Principal of the college, Dr N.P. Mehta, informed that about 500 students from 25 engineering colleges of the North were participating.

6 drug manufacturing units sealed
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, Feb 21 — The large scale manufacturing and sale of spurious drugs and medicines has been reportedly going on if the statistics and the information regarding the action taken against the persons indulging in such activities in the recent past is to be believed.

According to reports, at least six factories allegedly involved in making substandard and spurious drugs here and in Jhajjar district have been sealed by the drug control authorities since the past 10 months. As many as 10 licences of drug manufacturers out of about 30 factories or units in the area have been suspended on charges of violation of the norms and other regulation during the past year.

Three main cases have been registered against 18 such manufacturers and distributors during the past month under Sections 18 and 27 of the drugs and Cosmetic Act. In the raids that preceded this, it was found that fake disinfectant fluid (phenol), labels, cans and bottles of popular brands of certain product were being supplied by the accused from their residential and official premises. Besides this, 14 more persons have been booked on charges of manufacturing drugs without licence.

The drug control authorities had unearthed a major unit here, a few months back, which had been indulging in the manufacturing of fake brands of veterinary drugs of well known companies. The factory had been sealed after a case was registered against it. The accused had also been reportedly exporting their products illegally.

Drugs officials had caught a large consignment of 41,000 B-Complex capsules being taken in a bag from Bahadurgarh town to Delhi where these were to be sold after being labelled. The authorities found that these capsules had been adulterated.

The officials here are not happy with the present infrastructure and facilities. A senior official said the conditions in which they had to work were pitiable. He claimed that if they were provided with adequate staff vehicles, mobile phones, stationery and police security, then they could discharge their duties in an affective manner.

The department presently has only two inspectors, of whom one is suffering from some physical ailment. The department here has no vehicle of its own and have to depend on the Health Department for conveyance. No provision of police security and the non-cooperative attitude of the police also becomes a hurdle in carrying out the work, feels an employee of the department.

But there have been complaints alleging that there is corruption in the drug control department also. Some drug retailers say that some officials of the department receive monthly commission from several manufacturers and shopkeepers, and those who failed to oblige them were made the victims of the raids.

A senior Drug Inspector, Mr G S Singla, denied these charges and said the officials here had been doing their job earnestly. Despite infrastructural shortcomings the department had taken action against defaulters.

Three arrested for kidnapping boy
From Our Correspondent

REWARI, Feb 21 — The district police here has arrested Prashant Kumar Sinha, Manjit, alias Manoj, and Ajay Kumar, all residents of various villages in Bihar, in connection with the abduction of Pankaj (8), who had been missing from Dharuhera since February 13. A ransom of Rs 3 lakh was demanded from the boy's father, Mr Balwan Singh.

Mr Balwan Singh, along with his family, and Prashant Sinha had been living as tenants in the same house at Dharuhera. On February 13, when Mr Balwan Singh and his wife, Bimlesh Devi, were not at home, Prashant coaxed Pankaj to accompany him to a circus show and took him to a village near Ghaziabad. He left Pankaj at a PCO owner's house in the village where one of his friends was living as a tenant.

Meanwhile, the Dharuhera police, on a complaint lodged by Mr Balwan Singh registered a case of kidnapping against Prashant Sinha.

After abandoning Pankaj at the PCO owner's house, Prashant Sinha made a telephone call to Mr Balwan Singh demanding a ransom of Rs 3 lakh. Finally it was settled that the parents of Pankaj, along with Rs 3 lakh, would reach Shiva Temple near Sarai Kalekhan bus stand in Delhi at the fixed time.

On the other hand it so happened that the PCO owner elicited some information from Pankaj and telephonically passed it on to the police at Dharuhera. On the basis of the information, a police party was sent to the village from where the boy was recovered.

Meanwhile, a trap was laid by the police around the temple which led to the arrest of the accused and his two accomplices.

Report on land grab denied
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Feb 21 — The Chairperson of the Sonepat Municipal Council, Mrs Veena Rani, asserted here today that not a single inch of municipal land had been grabbed by the 'land mafia' in any part of the city.

In a signed press statement, she described the reports published in a section of press as totally baseless.

She disclosed that the council had already filed a number of suits in the court against the persons who were involved in the land grabbing and unauthorised constructions. She claimed that the municipal council had earned a revenue of Rs 8 lakh more from development charges in 1998-99 than the previous year 1997-98.

38 cases of unfair means in exams
From Our Correspondent

BHIWANI, Feb 21 — The ongoing annual middle examinations of the Haryana School Education Board in the state are being conducted smoothly throughout the state.

The board secretary, Mr Mansa Ram, told mediapersons here today that on February 18 examinations of Sanskrit/Telugu/Urdu/Punjabi were conducted and 38 cases of unfair means were booked throughout the state. He said of these three cases were booked by the squad of the chairman, four by the Rapid Action Force and Special Task Force and 32 by the flying squads.

He further added that on February 19, the paper of Hindi was held peacefully and 38 cases of unfair means were booked throughout the state.

Two students held for cheating
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Feb 21 — The Ganaur police has arrested two students, Arvind and Sachin, both of Ganaur on the charge of cheating and impersonating.

Mr K. Selvraj, Senior Superintendent of Police, told mediapersons here today that a complaint was lodged by the superintendent of an examination centre, set up at Government High School, Ganaur, alleging that a student, Sachin, was found sitting in the examination centre and solving the question paper in place of another student, Arvind, who was allotted the roll no 925188 by the board in the middle standard examination.

He said when the superintendent noticed this and verified the photographs affixed on the roll number slip, he reported the case to the police.

The SSP further added that the police immediately arrested both students.

The DSPs and the SHOs have been directed to conduct surprise checking of the examination centres he added.

Chautala for change in tax structure
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Feb 21 — The Indian National Lok Dal chief, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, advocated a uniform sales tax and market fee on a par with Delhi and other neighbouring states.

Addressing a convention of traders at Gohana, 35 km from here yesterday, Mr Chautala urged the state government to reduce taxes for the benefit of industrialists and traders. This, he said, would end the exodus of the entrepreneurs and traders from Haryana.

He said at least 566 industrial units of Haryana had been shifted to other states because of higher taxes and power tariff since the Bansi Lal Government came to power in the state.

Bitta seeks Farooq govt's dismissal
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, Feb 21 — Mr Maninder Singh Bitta, former President of the Indian Youth Congress, today sought the dismissal of the Farooq Abdullah government for its failure to curb terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Bitta, while reacting to the killing of 22 Hindus in Rajouri district yesterday, said the Army should be assigned the task of fighting the Pakistan-aided terrorism. He felt that Jammu and Kashmir was a fit case for the imposition of President's rule as the situation there was much worse than Bihar.

He said the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was running the government in Pakistan and not Mr Mohammed Nawaz Sharif. Whenever the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan met to hold talks, the ISI-aided terrorists made a big strike in Kashmir, he added.

The trip of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee to Pakistan could be called successful only if Islamabad agreed to release Indian soldiers lodged in jails of Pakistan and hand over Kashmiri and Punjab terrorists who had taken refuge in Pakistan to India for trials, and close terrorist-training camps across the borders, he further said.

Referring to the crisis in the Akali Dal, Mr Bitta said it would be better for Punjab if both Mr Gurcharan Singh Tohra and Bhai Ranjit Singh quit their posts.

2 English papers for KU students
From Our Correspondent

KURUKSHETRA, Feb 21 — All private candidates appearing in BA Part-I examination to be held in April, 1999, will have to take the examination in both question papers of English A and B instead of one paper, according to a notification issued by Kurukshetra University.