HAU creates new departments
HISAR, June 19 — CCS Haryana Agricultural University has created some new departments and changed the nomenclature of a few existing departments at its Veterinary Science College following the norms laid down by the Veterinary Council of India.

Sonia’s Sonepat rally postponed
ROHTAK, June 19 — The public meeting scheduled to be held at Sonepat on June 26 to launch the election campaign of the Pradesh Congress Committee in Haryana is likely to be postponed.

Villagers bid adieu to valiant soldier
SONEPAT, June 19 — Lance Naik Sukhbir Singh (26), who died fighting the Pak intruders in Kargil, was cremated with full state honours yesterday.

Cheating case against lawyers
HISAR, June 19 — Following a directive from the court the police has registered a case against two local lawyers under Section 420, 467, 468, 471, 463 and 120 of the Indian Penal Code for registering a single plot against two names.

11 policemen reinstated
KURUKSHETRA, June 19 — 11 policemen who were suspended in the charge of dereliction of duty for having failed to clear G.T. Road for the caravan of Haryana Governor Mahabir Prasad on January 7, have been reinstated on the orders of Ambala Range DIG Resham Singh.

Husband, in-laws booked
ROHTAK, June 19 — The police has registered a case of dowry death against four members of a family of Bhalaut village.

Woman killed in mishap
FARIDABAD, June 19 — A 27-year-old woman was killed and her two brothers seriously injured when a scooter on which they were going was hit from behind by a bus near Rahimpur bridge, about 80 km from here, today.

Ex-MLA's son arrested
FARIDABAD, June 19 – The police has arrested Ashok, a son of Mr Ram Ratan, a former Congress MLA, and two others on a charge of robbing Ashok, a trader of Palwal of Rs 46,000 and a mobile phone.

Bansi plans to join Congress: Chautala
YAMUNANAGAR, June 19 — Mr Bansi Lal, Chief Minister of Haryana and his MLAs will shortly join the Congress. Talking to newsmen here last night at the Canal Rest House, the supremo of the Indian National Lok Dal, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, said he had secret information that Mr Bansi Lal would join the Congress.

Chamera power for Haryana from today
From Jatinder Sharma
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, June 19 — The Chairman-cum-Managing Director, GENCO, Mr S.Y. Qurashi today claimed that the stage has been set to provide round-the-clock electricity to consumers from July 1.

Mr Quraishi was here today to review the critical bottlenecks in transmission system. Besides the SE (Operation) and Executive Engineers, the Managing Director, Disco, North Zone, Mr S.S. Dhillon, and a Director from HVPN also participated in the meeting.

He told Tribune News Service that an additional 40 to 50 lakh unit of electricity would be required to fulfil the promise of 24-hour supply.

Discussing the measures taken to meet the shortage, Mr Quraishi said that the first unit (143 mw) of the Gas-based Power Plant at Faridabad would start generation from June 22. Haryana would get 45 mw from the Chamera Hydroelectric power plant from June 20. "We have also purchased seven lakh units daily from Himachal Pradesh and this will be available to Haryana from June 20", he said.

The second unit of the gas-based power plant (143 mw) would start generation in mid-August and its third unit of 146 mw would be operational by the end of December or early January next year. The refurbishing of the second unit of the Panipat thermal plant would be completed by September-end and thereafter we would be getting a generation of 118 mw instead of 110 mw, he claimed.

Haryana was comfortable in terms of power availability. Moreover, the sixth unit of 210 mw of the Panipat thermal plant would also start generation in March 2000.

While the agriculture sector would get eight-hour supply by rotation the domestic consumers in the rural areas would be provided 24-hour two-phase supply from July 1. The peak load restrictions on industry, however, would continue.

The GENCO Chairman said that they would not encourage setting up of liquid-based power plants. But Phoenix which has already completed the required formalities would be setting up three liquid-based generation plants of 50 mw capacity at Barwala (Ambala), Gurgaon and Ambala. Another plant of 25 mw capacity would be set up by it at Gurgaon.

The World Bank-funded ambitious programme of augmentation of the transmission and distribution system was near completion. By June 30, the system would be able to carry additional 60 lakh units.

The capacity of the existing sub-stations had been increased and many new sub-stations had been set up to ensure round the clock power supply to the consumers.

Enhanced relief for next of kin
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, June 19 — The Haryana Government today announced enhancement of the ex-gratia amount, provision of free education up to graduation level for the children and a job to one dependent of each martyr belonging to the state who laid down his life defending the country's frontiers in J&K.

Announcing this here today, the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, said the government had now decided the family of a commissioned Officer would be given Rs 5 lakh, JCO Rs 4 lakh and other ranks Rs 3 lakh each as ex-gratia grant to next kin of the martyr. The ex-gratia amount would be given out of the state exchequer, the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and the newly set up Haryana Chief Minister War Heroes' Fund.

Mr Bansi Lal appealed to the people to contribute generously to the Chief Minister War Heros' Fund and said the ex-gratia amount might be further increased.

The Chief Minister disclosed that the state government had decided to give free education to all wards of each martyr up to the graduation level and a job to one member of his family. Similar relief would now also be extended to the families of members of paramilitary forces like the BSF, the CRPF and the ITBP, etc. belonging to Haryana who lay down their lives in defence of the motherland in J&K.

He said the government had also constituted a committee of officers at all the four divisional headquarters under the chairmanship of the Divisional Commissioner for immediate redressal of the grievances of servicemen and their families. This Committee would meet every month. A separate register would be maintained by each Deputy Commissioner in which all applications and complaints of the members of the armed forces and the paramilitary forces would be registered.

Donations pour in for Kargil heroes
From Tribune Reporters

HISAR, June 19 — A large number of faculty, employees and students of CCS Haryana Agricultural University donated blood for wounded soldiers of "Operation Vijay". The blood donation camp organised in the Veterinary Auditorium of university was inaugurated by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof J.B. Chowdhury, today.

The camp, that was held under the aegis of the Directorate of Students Welfare and College of Veterinary Sciences got tremendous response from the blood donors as family members of students and employees also volunteered to donate blood. Girl students also donated blood. At least 125 donors donated blood.

Encouraged by the response, the Vice-Chancellor gave a call to organise more such camps till the conflict continued. He appreciated the sentiments of the donors and urged others to join in the effort.

Dr R.D. Sharma, Dean College of Veterinary Sciences and Dr D.S. Nandal, Director Students Welfare, told that the collected blood would be sent to the military hospital through Red Cross Society, where wounded soldiers were undergoing treatment.

Meanwhile, on an appeal by the Vice-Chancellor, the employees and students of the university have started contributing to provide financial aid to families of the deceased soldiers. NSS volunteers and workers of the university press presented cheques for Rs 1100 and Rs 5100 to the Vice-Chancellor. Other employees, including teachers and scientists, have also started making donations to their respective Heads of Departments.

Earlier, on June 16, the Vice-Chancellor called a meeting of all senior officers of the university to pay tributes to the valiant soldiers of "Operation Vijay". A resolution was also passed to send a condolence letter to the family of Sukhbir Yadav, an ex-student of the university, who laid down his life in the operation.

HAU creates new departments
Tribune News Service

HISAR, June 19 — CCS Haryana Agricultural University has created some new departments and changed the nomenclature of a few existing departments at its Veterinary Science College following the norms laid down by the Veterinary Council of India (VCT).

The departments that have come into existence are Animal Breeding, Genetics and Biostatistics, Animal' Nutrition, Livestock Production Technology, Livestock Production and Management Veterinary Bio-chemistry, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education.

Although the decision regarding the creation of these new departments is yet to be approved by the Academic Council and Board of Management, the university administration issued notification for the immediate compliance in view of its urgency.

Giving details, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof J.B. Chowdhury, stated that all new departments had been created by bifurcation and re-organisation of the existing departments at the twin colleges of veterinary sciences and animal sciences.

The four departments, the names of which have been changed included Veterinary Pharmacology Veterinary Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology and Veterinary Medicine. These departments henceforth will be known as Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology, Animal Reproduction, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Veterinary Public Health, Veterinary Clinical Medicine, Ethics and Jurisprudence, respectively.

The Vice-Chancellor said under the new provision, the livestock and poultry farm will be shared by both the colleges for UG teaching until separate facility is created at Veterinary Science College. The Department of Veterinary Clinics has also been abolished but re-organised as the Teaching Veterinary Clinical Service Complex.

The VCI stipulates for the institution seeking recognition to possess basic infrastructural facilities and offer teaching in 17 prescribed courses.

Sonia’s Sonepat rally postponed
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, June 19 — The public meeting scheduled to be held at Sonepat on June 26 to launch the election campaign of the Pradesh Congress Committee in Haryana is likely to be postponed.

The PCC Chief, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, told TNS on telephone from Delhi that the decision to postpone the public meeting had been taken in view of the casualties being suffered by servicemen of Haryana in the Kargil sector. So far, he said, more than 30 Haryanvi soldiers had laid down their lives while fighting the Pakistan backed intruders in the Kargil and Dras sector.

The AICC President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, who was scheduled to inaugurate the election campaign on June 26, is likely to visit the families of the Kargil martyrs on that day to offer condolences and assure them full support in their hour of grief, he said.

Mr Hooda has demanded that the families of the Kargil martyrs should be paid at least Rs 5 lakh as compensation and one member from the family should be provided a government job within 30 days of the death of the serviceman.

Meanwhile, a former minister, Mr Krishan Murti Hooda, has also urged Ms Gandhi to postpone the public meeting scheduled for June 26 at Sonepat in the larger interests of the party and keeping in view the sentiments of the people.

In a letter addressed to Ms Gandhi, released to the Press here today, the former minister said her visit to the field areas as well as military base hospitals and her personal touch in inquiring about the welfare of wounded soldiers had given a stupendous boost to the morale of the troops.

The need of the hour was that Ms Gandhi should visit maximum number of bereaved families in Haryana instead of addressing a public meeting. Wherever she was unable to visit personally senior Congress leaders should be deputed to offer condolences on her behalf, Mr Krishan Murti Hooda said.

Villagers bid adieu to valiant soldier
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, June 19 — Lance Naik Sukhbir Singh (26), who died fighting the Pak intruders in Kargil, was cremated with full state honours yesterday.

Earlier, the grief-stricken villagers received the body of the brave soldier at Rukhi village, about 40 km from here, and it was taken to the cremation grounds amidst chants of "Shaheed Sukhbir Singh amar rahe" and "Shaheed Sukhbir Singh zindabad".

According to official sources, Sukhbir Singh along with 12 other army men had laid down his life while fighting the intruders to recaptured the Tiger hills in the Kargil sector.

An Army contingent and the local police presented and reversed arms to the accompaniment of the bugles and the gun salute.

Former MP Kishan Singh Sangwan and former MLA Ganga Ram were present at the funeral attended by hundreds of residents from the district.

Mr Jagbir Singh Malik, Minister of State for Horticulture and Marketing, placed a wreath on the body of the martyr on behalf of the state government and Col Ved Pal on behalf of Army Chief V.P. Malik and Mr P.K. Mahapatra, Deputy Commissioner, on behalf of the Governor of Haryana.

The state administration officials later visited the bereaved family to offer their condolence. They also announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs 2 lakh on behalf of the state government and Rs 15,000 on behalf of the District Red Cross Society.

Sukhbir Singh is survived by his wife Chanda Devi and two-year-old son Ashish.

Cheating case against lawyers
Tribune News Service

HISAR, June 19 — Following a directive from the court the police has registered a case against two local lawyers under Section 420, 467, 468, 471, 463 and 120 of the Indian Penal Code for registering a single plot against two names.

While the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate had issued orders for registering the case against the two lawyers on May 31, it took 12 days for the police to register the case.

The case was registered after Dayanand lodged a complaint with the police that the plot he had purchased from the said lawyer was already registered in the name of another lawyer two days earlier in Delhi.

The complainants alleged that the police was trying to shield the culprits and had not taken any action against them so far.

11 policemen reinstated

KURUKSHETRA, June 19 (UNI) — 11 policemen who were suspended in the charge of dereliction of duty for having failed to clear G.T. Road for the caravan of Haryana Governor Mahabir Prasad on January 7, have been reinstated on the orders of Ambala Range DIG Resham Singh.

An irate mob had blocked G.T. Road while it was proceeding towards the cremation ground on Barara road in Shahabad town, about 30 km from here, when the motorcade of the Governor sped in. The crowd mobbed the pilot car of the Governor's motorcade and Mr Prasad had to go back to Chandigarh without attending a function at Kurukshetra University.

Kurukshetra SP Yashpal Singhal was suspended the following day and Deputy Commissioner Alok Nigam transferred to Chandigarh after the incident. Eleven other police officials were also suspended.

Those who have been reinstated are SI Puran Singh, ASIs Harpal Singh, Rajesh Kumar and Maya Ram, Havaldar Om Prakash and Constables Bhopal Singh, Mahavir Singh, Rajbir Singh, Sumer Singh, Ramesh Chandra and Sulkh Chand.

Husband, in-laws booked
From Our Correspondent

ROHTAK, June 19 — The police has registered a case of dowry death against four members of a family of Bhalaut village.

According to police sources, the deceased Rekha Rani, married to one Anil Kumar of Bhalaut died under mrysterious circumstances recently. The father of the girl, in his complaint, has alleged that the huband and in-laws of Rehha — father-in-law, mother-in-law and brother-in-law — had been harassing her for not bringing adequate dowry and claimed that his daughter was "killed" by her-in-laws and cremated without bringing the matter to their notice.

In another incident, a scooterist, Rakesh Kumar, died after he was hit by four wheeler near Dhamar village yesterday. A case has been booked in this regard.

Woman killed in mishap
From Our Correspondent

FARIDABAD, June 19 — A 27-year-old woman was killed and her two brothers seriously injured when a scooter on which they were going was hit from behind by a bus near Rahimpur bridge, about 80 km from here, today. The woman was going to attend the death ceremony of her mother in nearby village. Both bodies were cremated together.

In another case, two young women were killed under mysterious circumstances. Twentyfive-year-old Usha was killed when she was run over by a speeding train.

A 16-year old girl Usha committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance.

The police has registered cases.

Ex-MLA's son arrested
Tribune News Service

FARIDABAD, June 19 – The police has arrested Ashok, a son of Mr Ram Ratan, a former Congress MLA, and two others on a charge of robbing Ashok, a trader of Palwal of Rs 46,000 and a mobile phone.

According to official sources a Palwal court yesterday ramanded them in police custody till June 20.

Reports said as soon as the trader reached Palwal railway station on his bicycle three youths on a scooter attacked Ashok with spring knives resulting in injuries on his stomach, leg and arm and escape on the scooter. The market in Palwal remained closed in protest against the looting.

On getting information that the three youths sitting near the railway crossing the police raided the spot and arrested them and recovered Rs 30,000 in cash, mobile phone and three spring knives from their possession.

Bansi plans to join Congress: Chautala
From Our Correspondent

YAMUNANAGAR, June 19 — Mr Bansi Lal, Chief Minister of Haryana and his MLAs will shortly join the Congress. Talking to newsmen here last night at the Canal Rest House, the supremo of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Mr Om Prakash Chautala, said he had secret information that Mr Bansi Lal would join the Congress. He said it had also been decided that Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, President, Haryana Pradesh Congress (I) would be installed as a the Chief Minister of Haryana with the backing of Mr Bansi Lal.

Mr Chautala said within the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP), there were a lot of differences. Hence there was no alternative but to switch over to the Congress.

Mr Chautala said an emergency meeting of his party MLAs, MPs, district presidents and other office-bearers would be convened on June 22 at Panchkula.