Cong men for action against K.V. Singh
SIRSA, July 8 — Activists of the Congress from Darba Assembly Segment in the district have demanded action against Dr K.V.Singh vice- present of state unit of party, for issuing anti-party statements in the press.

Protest meeting held
SONEPAT, July 8 — Employees of various government departments participated in the district-level meeting held here yesterday in protest against the anti-employee policies of the Bansi Lal government.

Spurs, studs to check floods
KARNAL: The Haryana Irrigation Department has undertaken flood control measures worth over Rs 4 crore in the Yamuna Water Services Circle, Karnal, including the repairs at the Tajewala Headworks.

Pay panel scales for Sainik Parivar Bhavan staff
CHANDIGARH, July 8 — The management committee of the Sainik Parivar Bhavans, Haryana, decided to implement the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission to its employees with effect from January 1, 1996.

Demonstration by employees
FARIDABAD, July 8 — Government employees belonging to various departments demonstrated here today in support of their demands. They raised anti-Bansi Lal slogans and demanded dismissal of the Haryana government.

Cong for House dissolution
From Ravi S. Singh
Tribune News Service

GURGAON, July 8 — Congress leaders of Haryana are now working on a single-point programme of getting the state Assembly dissolved, even while the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has launched a campaign against the Congress for bailing out the Bansi Lal government after withdrawal of support to it by the BJP.

According to sources, the second round of meeting between the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, and the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, is expected to take place any day next week to decide on the relationship between the Congress and the HVP. The earlier meeting between the two leaders remained inconclusive.

There are indications that the next meeting between the two leaders would be decisive.

In another related development, the BJP is understood to have put itself on the alert on reports of the HVP making moves to win over its MLAs. An urgent meeting of the Haryana BJP office-bearers, MLAs, former MPs and heads of frontal organisations convened today at Bahadurgarh is said to be at the behest of the central leadership of the party. However, a BJP leader denied that the meeting had anything to do with the turmoil in Haryana politics.

According to sources, all factional groups in the Haryana Congress have come to the conclusion that pressure must be applied by the party’s central leadership to get the Haryana Assembly dissolved without any delay.

A majority of the Congress leaders have now started suspecting the motives of Mr Bansi Lal in asking for more time to reportedly either merge the HVP with the Congress or step down from the post of Chief Minister.

Significantly, the Congress leaders were earlier also rooting for stepping down of Mr Bansi Lal. The idea was that a Congress leader should take over the reins and seek fresh mandate from people with one of its members as caretaker Chief Minister. The calculation in the Congress circles was that this would have given the party a headstart over the other political parties, especially the INLD, in the coming Lok Sabha and possibly snap Assembly elections in the state.

The sources in the Congress said the president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was in the reckoning for the post of Chief Minister, had made it known in the party circles that he was not in favour of assuming the charge for only a few days. The state leadership is understood to be inclined for fresh Assembly elections as early as possible.

The alleged campaign of the INLD, the principal Opposition party in the Haryana Assembly, and the approaching Lok Sabha elections coupled with the "non-committal" stand of Mr Bansi Lal towards the Congress are said to have contributed to the heightened anxiety in the Congress in the past 24 hours.

A source in the Congress said efforts would be made by the party towards the HVP government recommending dissolution of the House even before the next meeting between Ms Gandhi and Mr Bansi Lal.

If the mood in the Haryana Congress is any indication the party would not shy away from giving a long rope to a section of disgruntled HVP legislators and Independents to destabilise the government if Mr Bansi Lal did not play ball.

The presence of the DIG, CID, Haryana, in the company of Mr Surendra Singh, son of Mr Bansi Lal, in the national capital yesterday has caused a flutter in the political circles in the state.

Parbati project

Haryana plea being reviewed
by Gobind Thukral
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 8 — The Union power ministry is examining the plea of the Haryana Government that its agreed share of 25 per cent in the Parbati valley multi-purpose hydel project should not be disturbed.

The Power Minister, Mr P. R. Kumaramangalam, has asked his department to examine legally the request of Haryana in the light of Himachal Pradesh having signed an agreement to construct the project with the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation ( NHPC).

Haryana along with Delhi and Rajasthan has raised an objection that as already in October, 1992, an agreement had been signed among the states to bear the cost of construction and share the fruits of the project, Himachal just could not ignore the old agreement.

The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, in a letter to the Power minister said that Haryana had no objection to the proposal of execution of the project through a Central agency such as the NHPC, but Haryana's agreed share of power should be maintained. The Himachal Pradesh government has not rescinded the earlier agreement. Delhi and Rajasthan have sent similar protest letters, but Gujarat, a state on the west coast and a partner in the project has not raised the issue as yet.

Mr Bansi Lal in his letter to Mr Kumaramangalam said to harness the vast untapped hydroelectric potential in the territories of Himachal Pradesh, the states of Haryana, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh had entered into an agreement on October 20, 1992, to take up the execution of Parbati Hydroelectric project as a joint venture. Towards this goal, the Government of Haryana contributed Rs 2.5 crore for meeting the expenditure for carrying out investigations on the project."

The Chief Minister also said, that "on a suggestion from the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, in July, 1988, I had categorically stated that while Haryana had no objection to the proposal of execution of the project through a Central agency such as the NHPC, Haryana's share in power to be generated from this project should be maintained at the earlier level of 22 per cent."

Even in a subsequent meeting at offices' level chaired by Mr J Vasudevan, Joint Secretary ( Hydel), on September 16, 1998 here this view was reiterated and upheld. In this meeting it was agreed to give a share of 25 per cent in power to be generated from the Parbati project to Haryana.

"To our surprise, we learn from newspaper reports that the Himachal Government has gone ahead with the signing of another agreement with NHPC for the execution of the Parbati project as a joint venture of HP and the NHPC. There is neither any reference to the existing inter-state agreement in the new agreement nor any mention to the assured share of power to the state of Haryana from this project. We have learnt that even in the memorandum submitted for seeking the approval of the Cabinet Committee, there is no such reference to the earlier inter-state agreement," Mr Bansi Lal said.

He requested to have the issue reviewed and before giving any practical shape to the new agreement, the earlier pact should be rescinded only with the mutual consent of the signatories to the agreement. Simultaneously, Haryana should be given an assurance that under the new agreement also, it would get its earlier committed share of 25 per cent in the power to be generated from the project which would actually amount to 22 per cent share in the power available for distribution after excluding 12 per cent share of free power to Himachal Pradesh.

"Considering the importance of this project for the long-term power development plan in Haryana and the legal and ethical issues involved, I would request for your personal intervention in the matter," he said.

It may be mentioned that Mr Bansi Lal while replying to a letter from Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal, Himachal Chief Minister, about the project last year has agreed that the project could be entrusted to the NHPC as it was essential for the economic development of the state, but Haryana's share should not be disturbed.

Top models appeal for peace
From Our Correspondent

YAMUNANAGAR, July 8 — Top models today appealed for world peace. The models who were here to participate in Images '99, fashion show being organised by the National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFD) to mark the passing out of the first batch of the institute.

At a press conference here today, Ms Manpreet Brar appreciated the role of Indian Government in handling the Kargil situation. She said at present the entire nation was united to give a befitting reply to Pakistan.

Other leading models present on the occasion were Meliar Bhasin, Aparna Kumar and Aanchal Gulati.

Mrs Seema Kathuria, head of the local NIFD centre, said peace had always been a major concern for the NIFD as the institute had always taken up social causes.

Mr Pallab Bose, from corporate office, Delhi said NIFD would organise 25 shows in different parts of the country.

In order to assist the families of soldiers who have made supreme sacrifice and those who have been permanently disabled in the Kargil operation, the wards of these brave soldiers would be trained free of cost at all of the 75 NIFD centres all over the country. He said the annual shows of the NIFD to be held across the country will have a special sequence for the Kargil heroes wherein the models would express their solidarity towards the Indian troops.

The NIFD corporate would also contribute to the Army Central Welfare Fund by donating Rs 2000 from the fee of each of the students enrolled at the institute.

Tapping energy from solid waste
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 8 — The Haryana Government has decided to promote non-conventional energy sources in the state in a big way.

A sum of Rs 17.30 crore will be spent under the Integrated Rural Energy Programme (IREP) and promotion of non-conventional energy sources during the Ninth Plan period. It has received proposals worth Rs 220 crore to generate 44 MW power based on non-conventional energy sources, municipal solid wastes and small waterfalls.

This was disclosed by Mr Attar Singh Saini, Minister of State for Power and Non-Conventional Energy Sources, while addressing panches and sarpanches at a state-level function organised to provide annual state, district and block level awards for the year 1997-98, here today.

Mr Saini said the Haryana State Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) had launched a scheme for setting up of night soil biogas plants in urban and semi-urban areas with a view to improving the hygienic conditions and recycle the urban excreta for power generation. During the current year, two such plants, each of 35 cu.m. capacity, were being set up at Palwal and Rohtak in collaboration with the Slum Clearance Board and MNES.

In the Ninth Plan, a budget of Rs 12.30 crore had been earmarked under the IREP besides Rs 5 crore under the non-conventional energy programme for the promotion of various schemes. He said in the Ninth Plan, the IREP scheme would be extended to 25 more blocks. The government would spend Rs 1 crore as the state's share for implementing the IREP in the state.

Solar heating systems in hostels, nursing homes and group housing societies had been made mandatory. The solar heating system had been installed in those institutions having capacity of 4.70 lakh litres. In the last financial year, 12,5000 litre capacity solar heating system plants were installed. He further said in the current financial year as many as 1,500 litre capacity solar heating system plants would be installed in the state.

The first prize at state level was awarded to Mrs Angrejo Devi, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Siwan (Kaithal). It carried a shield and a cash award of Rs 2 lakh or 1 KW SPV power plant. She urged the state government to install in her village so that the problem of women could be solved permanently. The second prize of Rs 1 lakh and a shield was awarded to Mrs Shanti Devi, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Khuian Nepalpur (Sirsa). Similarly, the third prize of Rs 50,000 and a shield was given to Mrs Kartar Kaur, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Masana (Kurukshetra).

At the district level, the first prize of Rs 25,000 and a shield was awarded to Mrs Angrejo Devi, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Siwan (Kaithal), Mrs Kartar Kaur Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Masana (Kurukshetra), Mr Gian Chand, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Plasara (Panchkula) and Mrs Shanti Devi, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Khuian Nepalpur (Sirsa). The second prize of Rs 10,000 and a certificate of appreciation was given to Mr Sishan Chand, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Chandlana (Kaithal), Mrs Anita Rani, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat Kalsana (Kurukshetra) and Mr Gian Chand, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Baldwala (Panchkula).

At the block level, the first prize was given to Mr Surender Kumar Yadav, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Neerpur (Mahendragarh), Mr Chawla Ram, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Kheri Rai Wala (Kaithal), Mr Rattan Singh, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Barana (Karnal), Mr Bhagwan Singh Yadav, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Nangal Nimodhi (Mahendragarh), Mr Ravinder Kumar, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Chajjal Majra (Ambala), Mrs Rajesh Kumar, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Alduka Majra (Gurgaon), Mr Tej Pal Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Jalhaka (Faridabad), Mr Pyare Lal, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Habri (Kaithal), Mr Gurmeet Singh, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Dau Majra (Kurukshetra) and Mrs Rajender Kaur, Sarpanch of Gram Panchayat, Jyotisar (Kurukshetra). It carries a cash prize of Rs 10,000 and a certificate of appreciation.

Mr S.Y Quraishi, Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Power and Non-Conventional Energy Sources, said the government would spend Rs 8,000 crore in the next six to seven years on the power restructuring programme so that better quality power could be provided to the consumers.

He said state government had the potential to generate 900 MW power by exploiting all non-conventional energy sources, including solid wastes of cities, sugarmills and fields. Such a plant of 4 MW had already been set up at Tohana.

Mr K.K. Khandewal, Director, Non-Conventional Energy Sources said, Haryana was the first state to start non-conventional energy sources programme during the Sixth Plan. He emphasised the need for optimum utilisation of natural resources.

Cong men for action against K.V. Singh
From Our Correspondent

SIRSA, July 8 — Activists of the Congress from Darba Assembly Segment in the district have demanded action against Dr K.V.Singh vice- present of state unit of party, for issuing anti-party statements in the press.

In a complaint to the state president of the party they alleged that large of development schemes for the Assembly segment were started during the regime of Devi Lal when Dr K.V. Singh was OSD to the Chief Minister.

It was claimed that the assembly segment was provided irrigation facilities from the Bhakra canal as a result of frantic efforts of Dalbir Singh, former minister, during the regime of Partap Singh Kairon and all villages were electrified and linked with roads during Mr Bhajan Lal’s and other Congress governments state.

It has been alleged that Dr K.V. Singh joined the congress only to contest assembly election from Darba Assembly segment and had been defeated in the previous elections.

The activists demanded that he should be directed not to issue any statement against the party and should also be suspended from the party.

Dr Mohinder Pratap, former chairman of the Haryana Ayurvedic Board alleged that voters of Darba segment were annoyed with Dr K.V. Singh for his style of working and they would boycott him if no action was initiated against him by the party.

Protest meeting held
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, July 8 — Employees of various government departments participated in the district-level meeting held here yesterday in protest against the anti-employee policies of the Bansi Lal government.

The meeting was held by the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Haryana. Mr Tirlok Chand Tusir, Secretary of the state unit of the sangh, who presided over the meeting,said the meeting was a success as all departments had expressed their solidarity with the sangh.

Addressing the gathering, leaders of various employees’ unions demanded the registration of a case against the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal and the SHO of Gharaunda police station in connection with the attack on Prehlad Singh, an HVPN employee.

They held the Chief Minister responsible for the incident and accused him of inciting the people against the employees on the issue of round-the-clock power supply. They also alleged that the police was guilty of ignoring the pleas of the employees who had alerted it in advance about the attack.

The leaders also demanded the immediate reinstatement of all employees suspended or terminated by the government. They criticised the privatisation of the power and roadways sectors and urged the state government to revoke the earlier decisions on this issue.

His mission is eye donation
From Vimal Sumbly
Tribune News Service

HISAR, July 8 — His mission is noble. His zeal is missionary. Manmohan Singh Lamba of Madhya Pradesh has so far motivated about one lakh people to donate their eyes after their death. For this purpose, he has travelled throughout the length and breadth of the country on his bicycle.

A class X dropout, Manmohan Singh was working as a bus conductor in Madhya Pradesh. It was a chance reading of a magazine in his bus that changed the course of his life. It was a fateful day in 1988 when he decided to give up his job and started his mission to motivate people to donate eyes.

He says so far he has been able to get about one lakh forms filled by people for eye donation. He has been delivering lectures in schools, colleges and at social gatherings about the necessity of donating one's eyes. His style is simple but impressive. He talks in an ordinary tone devoid of any harangue. But he always keeps his audience involved throughout the lecture. His words get nods from the audience. He substantiates his arguments with facts and figures. He points out that there are about 1.2 crore blind people in India. And not more than 10,000 people offer their eyes for donation in a year. The USA tops in eye donations in the world.

For the past 11 years, this man with a mission has cycled his way across the country and found that there is lack of awareness among the people about this noble cause. He is optimistic with the firm belief that awareness will lead to more and more people coming forward to donate their eyes.

It is not easy for Manmohan Singh to carry on. But his zeal and enthusiasm keep him going. He does not have any ancestral property. His house was set afire in the 1984 riots in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh. He has been living in Mandi Dabwali in Sirsa district along with his wife Amarjeet Kaur and two sons. The only help he has got is that the school, where his children are studying is not charging any fee from them.

He manages to eke out a living by the occasional honorarium he gets from talks and lectures. But that hardly suffices. His wife and children have been very cooperative and have been equally instrumental in the success of his mission. He has appreciation certificates numbering over a hundred. He has not got any help from any organisation. Former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda had asked the Deputy Commissioner of Yamunanagar to provide a free bus pass to Manmohan Singh, keeping in view his contributions. So far, he has not got that free bus pass.

Manmohan Singh has also appeared in a movie, "Premdaan" featuring Nitish Kumar and Khushbu. The movie was about eye donation. For him, there are still miles and miles to go before he can think of taking rest.

Spurs, studs to check floods
From K.G. Dutt
Tribune News Service

KARNAL: The Haryana Irrigation Department has undertaken flood control measures worth over Rs 4 crore in the Yamuna Water Services Circle, Karnal, including the repairs at the Tajewala Headworks.

Mr M.S. Yadav, Superintending Engineer, Yamuna Water Services Circle (Karnal) told TNS in an exclusive interview that almost all works had been completed before the onset of the monsoon to ensure safety from flood ravage. Mr Yadav maintained that the length of the Yamuna from Yamunanagar to the boundary of Panipat district which passed through Karnal was approximately 175 km. In order to check the spill of river when it was in spate construction works worth Rs 1 crore had been executed to check erosion of agricultural land and for the safety of village abadis adjacent to the river. Mr Yadav disclosed that spurs and studs had been constructed for this purpose.

The Superintending Engineer maintained that about nine villages were identified in the districts of Yamunanagar, Karnal and Panipat which had been experiencing the flood fury over the years. These villages are Asgarpur, Gumthala and Jathlana (Yamunanagar district), Garhpur Tappu, Jammukhala, Balhera and Sadarpur (Karnal district), Tamsabad and Mirzapur (Panipat district).

Mr Yadav recalled that in October, 1998, Tajewala Headworks at the Yamuna were badly damaged when 5.40 lakh cusecs of flood waters passed under it. The flood waters had washed away one iron gate. He maintained that repair works on a war footing were undertaken at Tajewala to complete it before the onset of the monsoon. Mr Yadav was of the view that even after the construction of the barrage there, the present day headwork would have to be kept for at least two years. It had its utility. He said one hydel channel was yet to be constructed and system of U.P. Channel was also still to be constructed by the U.P. authorities. He disclosed that about Rs 1.25 crore had already been spent on Tajewala Headworks. Now the Headworks could withstand flood waters even beyond 5.40 lakh cusecs.

Talking about the details of repairs and works undertaken at Tajewala Mr Yadav stated that four studs were replenished on the left protection embankment. Besides, compartments of the Tajewala Weir which had been extensively damaged had also been repaired so as to avoid any damage to the structure, likewise embankment pitching which had been washed away during the floods in October, 1998, had also been repaired.

Mr Yadav disclosed that last year the embankment of the river near Balhera village (Gharaunda Tehsil) was washed away. New embankment, about 6000 feet in length, had been constructed at Balhera. The washing away of the embankment last year had caused misery in Devipura, Mirzagarhi, Balhera, Dera Kashyap and Ghari Birbal villages in Karnal district as well as Ranamajra and Pathergarh of Panipat district. With the completion of the works at Tajewala and spurs and studs along the river, the danger of floods had been contained to maximum extent.

Mr Yadav talked about a new scheme which had been executed by the Irrigation Department to contain flooding of village abadis by the rain waters in villages of Kurukshetra, Karnal, Panipat, Sonepat, Gohana and parts of Jind. The new scheme aimed at diverting the rain waters in the fields of the above said villages through drains into the Yamuna river.

Mr Yadav disclosed that there were 75 drains operating in Karnal and 95 in Yamunanagar during the monsoon. He was sure that the new system was quite efficient and effective. This would save large-scale flooding of areas. He disclosed that Rs 30 lakh had been spent on the clearing of drains in Karnal circle. More drains were not being constructed in the sweet water zone of Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra and Karnal, because excessive drainage would deplete the sub-soil waters. The department was not constructing any drain keeping in view the recharging of the water table in the area.

Mr Yadav also stated that 140 electric diesel pumps with 225 cusecs capacity each had been provided in order to be used for dewatering abadi areas. This would also be used for clearing water from the fields of the farmers. Seventy pumps had already been fitted and the remaining would be fitted in the coming 10 days.

Mr Yadav further said that in order to protect environment each S.D.O. and J.E. in the circle had been assigned the duty of planting trees in rest houses and at regulation points.

(To be concluded)

Pay panel scales for Sainik Parivar Bhavan staff
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, July 8 — The management committee of the Sainik Parivar Bhavans, Haryana, decided to implement the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission to its employees with effect from January 1, 1996.

This decision was taken at a meeting of the committee held at Panchkula under the chairmanship of Mrs Savitri Varma, wife of the Chief Secretary, Haryana.

The committee paid homage to the martyrs of Kargil operation and reiterated its commitment towards the war widows and their families.

The panel approved the budget estimates for 1999-2000 and service rules of the employees for the Sainik Parivar Bhavans. It was also decided to open a new computer centre for boys at Rohtak.

Brigadier Satyadev, member-secretary of the committee, said these bhavans were imparting training in various disciplines such as computers, stenography (Hindi and English), tailoring and cutting to war widows, widows and their dependants and the dependants of the ex-Servicemen and serving defence personnel belonging to Haryana free of cost. Besides this, free board and lodging facilities were also provided.

He said these bhavans were also providing pre-recruitment coaching at Bhiwani preparation of medical and engineering colleges, career guidance courses for Class II and Class III jobs and for the Staff Service Selection Board and coaching for entrance examination for admission in military schools and sainik schools

Demonstration by employees
From Our Correspondent

FARIDABAD, July 8 — Government employees belonging to various departments demonstrated here today in support of their demands. They raised anti-Bansi Lal slogans and demanded dismissal of the Haryana government.

The main demands of employees are withdrawal of court cases instituted against employees of various departments, regularisation of services of those employees who have completed 240 days of service, cancellation of transfer orders of certain employees.