Alternative route to Jandli bridge demanded
AMBALA, March 10 — Lt Col (retd) Baij Nath Bali vice-president of the District Sainik Board, and a member of the District Grievances Committee, has urged the district administration to make arrangements for an alternative route before closing down the Jandli village near Model Town in the city for repairs.

Stenographers' demand
KAITHAL, March 10 — The Excise and Taxation Ministerial Staff Association affiliated with the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh has expressed concern over the allotment of work to the senior stenographers and statistical assistants other than their specified assignments.

Work on mini-sectt tardy
From Sushil Manav

FATEHABAD: Work on the mini-secretariat, one of the most prestigious projects in this district, is in progress, though at a snail's pace. People of the district are eagerly waiting for the completion of the project.

The foundation stone of the mini-secretariat was laid by the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, on September 7, 1997, after the town was elevated to the status of a district in July that year. The district's administrative office was to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 3.79 crore. Initially the building was to have three storeys, but later the plan was changed and a provision for a fourth storey was made. Land acquired by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) to develop a sector in the town was selected for the administrative complex.

While laying to foundation stone, the Chief Minister had averred that the building would be completed within two years, but it has now become clear that the project was not going to be completed within the stipulated time. The foundation stone itself was laid in a hurry keeping in mind the byelection to the Fatehabad assembly segment which was due at that time. No work was started in the first four months of the project.

However, the contract for the construction of the building was ultimately given to a Hisar-based construction company and work started in April, 1998. According to the terms of the contract, the firm is supposed to complete the construction by October, 1999. The work on internal roads, landscaping and estate service is to be taken up after the construction of the main building.

Out of the four proposed storeys of the building, the slab for even the first floor has not yet been laid and already about an year has elapsed. As offices of the district headquarters are scattered, people coming from the interior areas of the district for official work have to face a lot of inconvenience. Many government offices are situated in narrow and filthy streets of the town owing to an housing scarcity. People coming from outside the town are often put to a lot of hardship in locating these offices.

People feel that an early completion of the project can bring an end to their misery. According to Mr R.C. Sikka, Executive Engineer of the Public Works Department (PWD), Fatehabad, foundation work on the mini-secretariat was the most important and a time-consuming job. That has already been completed, he said.

He said 120 pillars up to a height of 6 feet and 9 inches had already been erected. The floor area of the building after its completion will be 94,525 ft. A provision of 48 acres of land has been made by the HUDA taking future expansion into consideration.

Mr Sikka said Rs 1.20 crore had already been spent on the project till the end of January. He said the slab for the first floor would be laid by the month end and he was confident that the mini-secretariat would be completed by the end of this year. The delay had been caused as the work was held up due to lack of funds.

HUDA to allot land to board
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, March 10 — The Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has decided to allot land to the Housing Board in Sector 28 of Panchkula and Sector 2 of Palwal for construction of houses.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Seth Siri Kisan Dass, Town and Country Planning Minister, Haryana, here today.

Seth Siri Kishan Dass, who is also the Chairman of HUDA, said that the land would be allotted for the construction of 150 EWS houses of the one-and-a-half marla category in Sector 28 of Panchkula and 244 plots of the two-marla category of Palwal. The allotment would be made after adjusting the claims of the oustees. HUDA would allot the land at the rate of Rs 300 per sq. yard at Panchkula and Rs 225 per sq. yard at Palwal.

Need for upright persons in civil services: UPSC chief
Tribune News Service

ROHTAK, March 10 — The Chairman, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Lt-Gen Surender Nath has said that the civil and central services required dynamic, responsive, upright and dedicated persons with a vision to serve the nation.

Delivering a lecture on "UPSC and selection procedure — an introduction" in Maharshi Dayanand University here today, he said efficient civil services acted an as instrument for sound governance.

The UPSC chairman traced the historical legacy of civil services, its role and responsibility, examination conducted by the UPSC and its role and functions.

Lt-Gen O.P. Kaushik, Vice-Chancellor, Mahrshi Dayanand University observed that role of civil services had increased manifold in view of the clamour for social justice and equitable economic development. He said good persons were needed in this service as they acted as a linkages between the government and the masses.

Governor releases book

CHANDIGARH, March 10 (PTI) – The Haryana Governor, Mr Mahabir Prasad, released a book entitled "Swatantarta Sangram ke Amar Shaheed" at Haryana Raj Bhavan here today.

The book has been written in Hindi by Dr K.L. Johar, former Vice-Chancellor, Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar and an eminent scholar on historical events and characters pertaining to the freedom movement of India.

He lauded the sincere efforts of the writer made for giving a vivid description of 100 freedom fighters and patriots belonging to different parts of the country in this book who spared no pains in relieving their motherland from the bane of slavery. This would go a long way in inspiring the people of the country, especially the youth, to strengthen the national unity and integrity, he added.

HCMS for 25 pc NPA
From Our Correspondent

SONEPAT, March 10 — The Central Executive Committee of the Haryana Civil Medical Services (HCMS) Association has urged the state government to grant non-practising allowance at the rate of 25 per cent of the pay with effect from January 1, 1996 to all categories of doctors working in the civil hospitals and other health institutions of the state.

It is also demanded that the non-practising allowance should be counted as pay and other service benefits should be provided to all medical officers till their retirement.

The association also pointed out that the non-practising allowance had already been granted to the doctors of the Central Government, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.

It also urged the Chief Minister, Mr Bansi Lal, to consider the demands of the HCMS association sympathetically to avoid confrontation with the doctors.

Alternative route to Jandli bridge demanded
From Our Correspondent

AMBALA, March 10 — Lt Col (retd) Baij Nath Bali vice-president of the District Sainik Board, and a member of the District Grievances Committee, has urged the district administration to make arrangements for an alternative route before closing down the Jandli village near Model Town in the city for repairs.

Col Bali said here today the repair of the bridge might take several weeks. And if no alternative route for buses and vehicles was found, it would lead to harassment of hundreds of residents of Model Town and surrounding localities and students coming from other areas.

He said that the matter was raised during a meeting of the District Grievances Committee on Monday and the Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Navraj Sandhu, had assured to look into the matter.

Stenographers' demand
From Our Correspondent

KAITHAL, March 10 — The Excise and Taxation Ministerial Staff Association affiliated with the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh has expressed concern over the allotment of work to the senior stenographers and statistical assistants other than their specified assignments.

At a meeting the district body the association demanded the filling of posts of clerk fallen vacant after the transfer of employees from other departments. The association also demanded that the posts of taxation inspector be filled from the members of the class III field staff be promoted inspectors and not from the head office staff.