Crash plan to recruit more teachers
CHANDIGARH, Feb 28 — Haryana has decided to launch a crash programme to recruit more teachers to reduce teacher-pupil ratio for further strengthening the primary education institutions of those seven districts where the World Bank-aided Primary Education Programme is being implemented.

Minor girl restored to parents
FATEHABAD, Feb 28 — The police recovered a minor girl yesterday and arrested three persons for allegedly abducting the girl from Sidhani village. The girl, Sunita (15), had been missing since December 28.

Case against HCS officer registered
KAITHAL, Feb 28 — The Kalayat police has registered a case against Mr C.L. Sankhla, an HCS officer who was found travelling without a ticket in a Haryana Roadways bus on Friday.

Attempt to loot cash by youths
HISAR, Feb 28 — Four armed car-borne youths made an unsuccessful attempt to loot cash from the office of the Central Sheep Breeding Farm, 15 km from here, yesterday, according to police sources here today.

16 held for clash at DC's office
FATEHABAD, Feb 28 — The police arrested 16 persons in connection with a clash, at the DC's office here yesterday.

Chautala for Central rule in Haryana
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, Feb 28 — The Indian National Lok Dal chief and former Chief Minister, Mr Om Parkash Chautala, yesterday charged the Centre with ignoring the interests of Haryana and its people and said his party had withdrawn support to the Government as it could not put up with this insult and neglect.

Talking to mediapersons here, he said Punjab had been allocated several crores of rupees for a number of projects but the Centre had failed to allocate funds for giving compensation to the farmers whose crops had been ruined in last year's rain and other natural calamities.

Justifying the withdrawal of support by the party, Mr Chautala said it had acted in public interest. He, however, regretted that no other party had opposed the hike in the urea prices and other essential commodities distributed through the public distribution system (PDS).

He criticised the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani for underestimating the importance of INLD MPs in the Lok Sabha. He said Mr Advani was tarnishing the image of the Vajpayee government. Although the Centre had taken them for granted despite their unconditional support still his party would not take any step which could help the Congress, he added.

Reiterating his party's demand for President's rule in Haryana, Mr Chautala said law and order situation was worst in the state than Bihar. He also lashed out at the anti-people policies of the Vajpayee government and said his party was holding a rally on March 6 at Delhi and it will be addressed, among others, by the former Prime Minister, Mr H.D. Deve Gowda and former Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Devi Lal.

Later, Mr Chautala addressed a workers' rally and called upon them to participate in large number in this rally.

Mr Kishan Singh Sangwan, MP, Mr Ved Singh Malik, former Haryana Minister, Mr Suraj Mal Antil, MLA and Mr Ranbir Dahiya, president of the district unit of the party also spoke.

Plan to phase out flat-rate tubewells
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, Feb 28 — The Haryana Government has decided to take legal action against employees of the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) responsible for wrong billing, Mr Attar Singh Saini, Minister of State for Power and Public Relations, said here today. There are also plans to phase out flat-rate tubewells by installing meters.

He said that wrong billing was a basic cause of corruption which could not be tolerated. Wrong meter readings and readings recorded without going to the consumer's premises led to wrong billing. In future meter readers would have to go to consumer's door for meter reading, failing which they would face legal action.

The minister said a major thrust was given to streamlining the metering system so as to bring down transmission and distribution losses from the present of 33 per cent to 17 per cent in a phased manner.

For that HVPN would purchase 3.7 lakh energy meters under the World Bank loan of Rs 1100 crore during the next financial year. Under the first instalment of the loan, the Nigam had already procured 1,80,250 meters.

Mr Saini said execution of the metering action plan was in progress. Under the plan consumers who have energy consuming equipment like geysers, air-conditioners, room heaters, ovens, etc. would be provided electronic meters, low-tension consumers with more than 30 kilowatt load would have current transformer connected meters and industrial consumers would be provided with high-tension electronics trivector meters The H.T. trivector meters would also be installed at the grid substations to measure power given to the feeder for consumers having independent feeders. The action plan also envisages to switch from flat-rate unmetered tubewells to proper energy meters in a phased manner.

Defective meters waiting replacement for more than six months in domestic and non-domestic categories were being replaced first. Replacement of existing meters of high consumption consumers would also be given priority.

The Minister of State said that major reason for technical line losses was the larger length of high tension and low tension lines of various feeders. HVPN had identified 300 such feeders and planned to refurbish them by dividing them into two or three parts and feeders would be renovated right from their emanation point to the consumers end. Work on 250 of these feeders would be taken under action plan — 2 while 50 feeders were renovated under the action plan — 1 of the Power Reform Project.

Crash plan to recruit more teachers
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Feb 28 — Haryana has decided to launch a crash programme to recruit more teachers to reduce teacher-pupil ratio for further strengthening the primary education institutions of those seven districts where the World Bank-aided Primary Education Programme (DPEP) is being implemented.

This was decided at a meeting of the executive committee of the Haryana Prathmik Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad which was held under the chairmanship of Mr Vishnu Bhagwan, Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Education, here today.

The recruitments will be made on a contract basis through village education committees under the supervision of Additional Deputy Commissioners.

Mr Vishnu Bhagwan said the World Bank-aided DPEP was launched in the districts of Jind, Kaithal, Sirsa and Hisar in 1994-95. The dropout rate at the primary level in these districts had come down by 6 per cent within two years. The dropouts rate came down from 22.8 per cent in 1996-97 to 16.5 per cent in 1997-98.

He said there was a significant increase of nearly 12 per cent in the enrolment of children in the school in DPEP districts whereas it was 0.7 per cent in other districts. Similarly, there had been a 15 per cent increase in the enrolment of girl students and that of boys 10 per cent. The gross enrolment ratio had also increased from 73 per cent in 1995-96 to 85 per cent in 1997-98 whereas the national enrolment ratio was 70 per cent in 1995-96 and 79 per cent in 1997-98.

Mr Vishnu Bhagwan said that 80 per cent of the total available budget of DPEP of Rs 44.11 crore for the current financial year had already been spent on strengthening the programme. A 15 per cent state share of Rs 5.72 crore had also been released by the government.

The Director, Haryana Prathmik Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad, Mr Sanjiv Kumar, said an integrated education programme for disabled children had been chalked out in the state. A target of enrolling 10,000 disabled children had been fixed for providing them formal education under this programme.

While expressing satisfaction over the implementation of the programme, Dr Roopa R. Joshi, Director, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of Education, suggested that for the proper utilisation of the funds and delegation of powers, a state-level subcommittee should be formed to look after this programme. She laid stress on the need for special attention on alternative education and universalisation of primary education.

Minor girl restored to parents
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Feb 28 — The police recovered a minor girl yesterday and arrested three persons for allegedly abducting the girl from Sidhani village. The girl, Sunita (15), had been missing since December 28. Her father Ramphal, had lodged a complaint with the Jakhal police station and alleged that three boys of the village had abducted his daughter.

The police registered a case under Section 363 and 366 of the IPC against the three accused and launched a man hunt for them and arrested the three accused from Ragol Basti in Ferozepore and recovered the girl.

The girl told the police that the accused had lured her away to Budhlada on the pretext of showing her a film. Later, they took her to Ferozepore where they kept her in a rented room. The girl has been restored to her parents after a medical examination.

Case against HCS officer registered
From Our Correspondent

KAITHAL, Feb 28 — The Kalayat police has registered a case against Mr C.L. Sankhla, an HCS officer who was found travelling without a ticket in a Haryana Roadways bus on Friday. The bus was on its way to Hisar.

According to information received here, the Traffic Manager, Mr O.P. Bishnoi, has lodged a complaint with the police that when along with the checking staff he was checking tickets he found Mr Sankhla travelling without a ticket. He alleged that Mr Sankhla misbehaved with him. The bus was taken to Kalayat police station and a case was registered.

The checking staff reportedly recovered Rs 200 as fine from the official and informed senior officials at the district headquarter at Kaithal.

Attempt to loot cash by youths
From Our Correspondent

HISAR, Feb 28 — Four armed car-borne youths made an unsuccessful attempt to loot cash from the office of the Central Sheep Breeding Farm (CSBF), 15 km from here, yesterday, according to police sources here today.

The youths came in a Maruti car and entered the cashier's office, where the cash was lying in a safe, meant for the employees' salaries.

The cashier had gone out for lunch when the youths tries to break open the safe, but failed. They tried to find out the whereabouts of the cashier. In the meantime several other employees gathered there and the culprits fearing being caught fled in the same car after firing in air.

A case under Section 393, IPC, and Sections 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act has been registered.

Mushaira reflects friendship mood
From Jai Parkash Mann

AMBALA, Feb 28 — The recent visit of the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to Lahore was reflected at the 25th bazm-e-international mushaira organised by Sham-e-Bahar Trust last evening. The mushaira, which started around 11 p.m., continued till the wee hours today.

Afzal Mangalori expressed his sentiments by saying, "Mudaton se jo murjhaye they, dosti ke vo gul khil gaye, ab samundar bhi hairan hain, do kinare mil gaye, akhir ab kaam aa hi gayee, phir mohabbat ki karigari, zakhm jo they rafu ho gaye, chaak dil bhi sabhi sil gaye."

Hindi poet Rajgopal Singh said, "Mera aur samundar ka ik jaisa ithaas, jal hi jal hai kandh tak, phir bhi bujhe na pyaas, nadiyan mitti bavdi chaandi jaisee jhil, dhire-dhire ho gayee dal dal mein tabdeel."

Dr Jagan Nath Azad, a veteran poet, expressed himself by saying, "Le ke naghmon mein gulistaan ka nikhar aate raho, is chaman mein surte faslein bahar aate raho". Mahendra Ashk in his love poetry said, "Neechi nazron se dekha na kar, hum faquiron ko chheda na kar, aag lag jayegi shahr mein, sabse hans hans ke bola na kar."

Akhtar Shumar from Pakistan touched the recent attempt to restore cordial relations between the two countries "Nafratein had se badi, jist bada li jaaye, koi tarkeeb mohabbat ki nikali jaaye, ye mohabbat bhi to insaan ki majboori hai, milane julne par pabandi udah lee jaaye. Another poet from Pakistan, Hasan Rizvi gave a "piece of advice", "Zara soch ke itna hi kar liya hota, mujhe kitab samajhkar hi padh liya hota."

Well-known poet and compere of the mushaira, Dr Bashir Badr expressed his gratitude to his enemies by saying, "Ibadaton ki tarah mein ye kaam karta hoon, mera usool hai pehle mein salaam karta hoon, mukhalfat se meri shaksiyat sanwarti hai, mein dushmano ka bada ehatram karta hon."

Kashmiri Lal Zakir from Haryana Urdu Akademi said, "Badi ada se, bade baghpan se aaye hein, haseen chahron ke kanjuman se aayen hein, hamare paas hein shabnam ke chandni ke salaam, hamein milo ke ham uske vatan se aaye hain."

16 held for clash at DC's office
From Our Correspondent

FATEHABAD, Feb 28 — The police arrested 16 persons in connection with a clash, at the DC's office here yesterday.

According to the SP, Mr Rajbir Deswal, a resident of Tohana Mr Darbar Singh, had lodged a complaint with the city police station and alleged that Bhim Singh, president of the local labour union, Fauja Singh and Amrit Lal, residents of Tohana; Bedi and Dayala, both residents of Baliala and Inder Lal, had attacked him with bricks and stones at the DC's office where he had gone to submit tenders. The police registered a case under Section 147,149 and 323 and of the IPC and arrested the accused.

As a preventive measure, the police also arrested some other persons to avoid any further clashes.