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H A R Y A N A |  |
 Friday, October 29, 1999 |
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Decline in paddy arrival in
Haryana CHANDIGARH, Oct 28 — If the dwindling arrival of paddy in various mandis is any indication, the total production in Haryana is not likely to be anywhere near 44 lakh tonnes as projected by the state agriculture department initially. Rs 4 crore water supply scheme for Sonepat SONEPAT, Oct 28 — The Haryana Government has sanctioned a long-term scheme costing Rs 4.10 crore for augmenting the water supply on the western side of the railway line in this city having a population of nearly two lakh. |
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Sirhind-Una track to be electrified by March AMBALA, Oct 28 — The electrification work on the Chandigarh-Kalka and Sirhind-Nangal dam - Una rail section will be completed by March 31,2000, Mr N.P. Srivastav, General Manager, Central Organisation of Railway Electrification, said here today. Man
arrested for raping daughter Criminal
cases to be filed against 23 officials ‘Implement’
Gurnam panel report 3,075
teacher posts created in Haryana Protest
against diesel price hike Steps
to counter WTO suggested 1
killed, 18 hurt in bus-truck collision Inadequate
rain hits crops Record
power generation by thermal plant Inclusion
of Rajiv's name criticised Drive
to check vehicles begins |
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Decline in paddy arrival in
Haryana CHANDIGARH, Oct 28 — If the dwindling arrival of paddy in various mandis is any indication, the total production in Haryana is not likely to be anywhere near 44 lakh tonnes as projected by the state agriculture department initially. The daily arrivals which started picking up in the second week of October and crossed the 50,000-tonne mark on October 11 have started declining over the past couple of days. The highest arrival of 68,065 tonnes was recorded on October 20. After a steady decline, the arrival dipped to 40,910 tonnes yesterday, the lowest since October 5. The procurement season will be as good as over by November 15 as most of the paddy except late-sown basmati would have reached the market by that time. As such even if the present level of arrivals is maintained not more than 28 lakh tonnes of paddy including eight lakh tonnes of basmati, will reach the mandis during the season. Mr H.C. Disodia, Commissioner, Food and Supplies, admitted that arrivals were much lower than expected. The total arrival till yesterday was 13,22,600 tonnes, including 86,606 tonnes. Of this 10,30,549 tonnes 22.08 per cent was purchased by millers and the rest by the government agencies. In comparison last year the share of government agencies in procurement in the corresponding period was only 5 per cent. As against the expected 33 lakh tonnes, the total arrivals will be around 28 lakh tonnes, a shortfall of about 15 per cent. Thus, the total production will be around 36 lakh tonnes. While the arrivals are dwindling, the prices are showing an upward trend. In the first fortnight of the procurement season, which commenced on September 15, more than 25 per cent of paddy was disposed of at rates below the minimum support price. The situation changed after the government relaxed specification for levy rice and allowed 1 per cent small brokens in the overall limit of 25 per cent brokens. As millers, who were earlier hesitant to purchase paddy came forward in a big way. Yesterday 71 per cent of the total arrival was disposed of at rates higher than the minimum support price (MSP), fetching Rs 521 to Rs 809 a quintal, while 7 per cent of it was sold off below the MSP. However, still the share
of millers in the procurement was lower than normal. The
main reason for this, according to officials, was the
refusal of the Centre to increase the percentage of
damaged rice from two to three. Every year the percentage
is raised to three with 50 per cent cut in the value.
Last year the percentage of damaged rice was increased to
4.5 without any cut in the value in view of the damage
caused by floods. The millers’ share will go up
significantly if the percentage is raised immediately,
they feel. |
Rs 4 crore water supply
scheme for Sonepat SONEPAT, Oct 28 — The Haryana Government has sanctioned a long-term scheme costing Rs 4.10 crore for augmenting the water supply on the western side of the railway line in this city having a population of nearly two lakh. Mr Sudhir Rajpal, Deputy Commissioner, told mediapersons here today the Public Health Department had already undertaken construction work on a water tank and treatment plant at a cost or Rs 12 lakh. The scheme, he said, would be able to get 180 litres of water per head daily against the present supply of 140 litres water per head per day. Referring to the water supply at Gohana, a subdivisional town of the district, he disclosed that the water supply was based on 12 tubewells with daily supply of about nine lakh gallons i.e. 22 gallons of water per head daily against the designed requirement of 25 gallons of water per head daily. The department, he said, would sink three more tubewells at a cost of Rs 40 lakh. Regarding drinking water supply scheme of Kharkhauda town, the Deputy Commissioner disclosed that the water supply scheme of this town was based on canal filtration. To augment the water supply scheme, the state government had approved a Rs 121.15 lakh scheme for this town. A storage and sedimentation tank with other structure would be constructed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh. This amount had already been allocated by the state government for this purpose. Referring to the drinking water supply scheme of Ganaur, another sub-divisional town in this district, he said the supply scheme of this town was based on tubewells. The present population of this town is 23,494 and the present water allowance is 18 gallons of water per head daily. To increase the per capita water supply up to 25 gallons per head daily, the state government had approved the augmentation scheme at a cost of Rs 1.60 crore. It had also allocated Rs 84 lakh for undertaking the work of laying pipelines in different parts of the town. The department, he said, would spend Rs 50 lakh during the next six months on this scheme. The Deputy Commissioner disclosed that there were 321 villages in the district. Of these, 247 had been covered under the potable water schemes by the Public Health Department. The department, he said, would augment the drinking water supply in 39 more villages during the current financial year. The drinking water supply had already been augmented in seven villages of this district. Giving the details of the power development schemes, the Deputy Commissioner disclosed that the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN) would construct four 132 KV grid power substations at Kundli, Murthal, Harsana Kalan and Kharkhauda and another four 33 KV substations at Khewra, Butana, Khanpur and Barauta villages with the financial assistance of the World Bank. He said the HVPN had also decided to carry out various schemes in Sonepat circle during the next six months. These schemes include the augmentation of 33 KV power substation of the mini secretariat, installation of a new transformer at 33 KV substation of Atterna village, erection of 25 km-long high-tension transmission line and 50 km-long low-tension transmission lines. According to the DC, the HVPN planned to install a new 100 MVA transformer in the 220 KV grid power substation which was being constructed at Fazilpur village. Moreover, the HVPN would install 20 new transformers of 25 KVA capacity, 25 transformers of 63 KVA capacity and 25 more transformers of 100 KVA capacity in different parts of the circle. The Deputy Commissioner disclosed that the HVPN would also augment 100 existing transformers and release 4,000 new domestic power connections and 50 each in the industrial and agricultural sectors of this circle. He said the state government would repair 530 km-long roads by November 30 next in this district. The PWD (B&R) has already undertaken work in this regard in the urban and rural areas of the district. He said work for laying
the concrete road around the bus stand had been speed up.
The repair of the old DC road would be done in priority
basis also. |
Police move on filing FIRs
through Fax SONEPAT, Oct 28 — The Police Department has decided to introduce the lodging of First Information Reports (FIRs) with the police stations in Sonepat district through FAX. Mr K.P. Singh, Superintendent of Police told reporters here today that this would benefit the persons who always hesitated or felt shy of visiting police stations for lodging complaints. He said that he had already approached higher authorities of the department for installing the Fax machines at all police stations of the district. When installed the people would get the facility of new machine, he added. Referring to the rising incidents of crime, the SP blamed the prisoners as well as persons who secured release on parole or bail. However, he said that the police would take stern action against the criminals and anti-social elements to check crime. Such criminals and anti-social elements would be interrogated thoroughly in the police stations. The SP also disclosed that the Maharashtra and the Tamil Nadu governments had enacted a law for calling the suspected criminals and other anti-social elements to the police stations for interrogation in the wake of the decision of various high courts in the country prohibiting the police to call such criminals and the anti-social elements at the police stations for interrogation. But this law so far, had not been enacted in Haryana and the police was reluctant to call such criminals and anti-social elements to police stations for interrogation. The SP, however, assured that the police would not hesitate to take stern action against such elements if they were involved in criminal cases. He sought people’s cooperation for checking activities of the criminals and anti-social elements. The SP also promised
smooth flow of traffic in Sonepat city and district. |
Sirhind-Una track to be
electrified by March AMBALA, Oct 28 — The electrification work on the Chandigarh-Kalka and Sirhind-Nangal dam - Una rail section will be completed by March 31,2000, Mr N.P. Srivastav, General Manager, Central Organisation of Railway Electrification, said here today. He said that work on the Ambala-Kalka section up to Chandigarh had been completed and Delhi-Kalka Shatabdi Express was already running on electric traction. The electrification works had been completed from Sirhind to Morinda and the section was ready for electric train operation. The work on the Morinda-Ropar section was in progress and the overhead wires had been erected up to Ropar station, he added. The electrification of the Saharanpur-Moradabad section would be taken up in the next financial year. Earlier this scheme was frozen by the Railway Board. Recently, the electrification of the Ludhiana-Amritsar section had also been sanctioned by the Railway Board. So far, 14,700-km route had already been electrified. In Punjab, out of 2041 km, 156 km had been electrified, while in Haryana 344 km was electrified out of a total of 1500 km. Advocating electrification, Mr Srivastav that due to availability of high horse power of electric locos it was possible to haul heavier goods grains at higher speed. Moreover, the running cost of these locos were cheaper and they were pollution-free. Some of the state
electricity boards were charging excess power rates from
them while they were getting the same from the NTPC at a
cheaper rate, he claimed. The Railway Board would raise
this issue with the state government and in future it
would arrange electricity direct from the NTPC. |
Man arrested for raping
daughter YAMUNANAGAR, Oct 28 — Sureshpaul of Bheelpur village, near here, allegedly raped his 16-year-old daughter Meena Kumari under the influence of liquor on October 26. The victim narrated the incident in the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Jagadhri, in the presence of mediapersons today. She said on October 25 night her father sent her brother to the fields and directed her mother to leave for Ismailpur village to collect some payment. The victim said after her mother left for the village she was beaten up by her father and then raped. A case was registered yesterday at the Khizrabad police station under Sections 376 and 506 IPC. The police has arrested the accused. Mr Rajinder Singh, DSP,
said the victim who was studying in Class VII, had left
school. He said she had been sent for a medical check up
at the Civil Hospital in Jagadhri. |
Criminal cases to be filed
against 23 officials CHANDIGARH, Oct 28 — The Haryana State Vigilance Bureau has recommended registration of a criminal case against 23 officials, including five Gazetted Officers. The bureau also recommended departmental action and recovery of money from four Gazetted Officers and two officials, a spokesman of the bureau said here today. In three cases of revenue leakage, in which the state exchequer was deprived of Rs 88,000, the guilty officers, numbering 11, will also face departmental action. The transport wing of
the bureau checked 87 buses of the state roadways and
realised Rs 4,470 from 57 passengers who were found
travelling without tickets. |
‘Implement’ Gurnam panel
report HISAR, Oct 28 — Mr Pradeep Chowdhary, convener of the Gurnam Singh Sangharsh Samiti, has alleged that the Haryana Government was not serious about providing reservation to Jats in the state. He said if the government was serious it should implement the recommendations of the Gurnam Singh Commission without delay. Justifying his demand for including Jats in the list of OBCs, he said the Jat community was by and large as backward as any other caste included in OBC category, at least in social and educational fields. The samiti convener claimed it was Mr Bhajan Lal, who as the Chief Minister had set aside the recommendations of the Gurnam Singh Commission, constituted by Master Hukum Singh. He revealed that the then Vice-Chancellor of Haryana Agricultural University, Dr Amrit Lal Chowdhary, had implemented the recommendations and some admissions were also made on that basis. Mr Chowdhary said if the
government did not implement the recommendations by
November 1, the samiti would launch a statewide
agitation. |
3,075 teacher posts created in
Haryana CHANDIGARH, Oct 28 — The Haryana Government has created 3,075 posts of teacher and upgraded 126 posts of headmaster to principals to improve the standard of education in the state. Mr Sampat Singh, Finance Minister, said here today that his department had already cleared the posts which would be filled soon. The previous Bansi Lal Government, he alleged had made announcements regarding upgradation of schools without creating any additional posts. He added that 242 posts of master and mistresses and 121 of Class IV employees had been sanctioned for schools which had been upgraded from primary to the middle level. Similarly, 137 posts of headmaster, Mathematics and Hindi teachers had been created for schools upgraded from the middle school to high school. As many as 1,386
lecturers would be posted in 126 high schools which had
been upgraded to senior secondary schools besides 378
laboratory attendants and 126 physical training
instructors. |
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Protest against diesel price
hike FARIDABAD, Oct 28 — Activists of the Congress headed by Mr Bhupinder Hooda, President of the state unit, held a demonstration at Palwal today. The protestors raised anti-government slogans and demanded improvement in deteriorating law and order situation and withdrawal of diesel price hike. They later submitted a
memorandum to the SDM, Palwal. |
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Steps to counter WTO suggested
HISAR, Oct 28 — A three-day annual conference of the Indian Association of Veterinary Microbiologists and a national seminar on animal health which concluded at CCS Haryana Agricultural University recently recommended various steps to enable India to face challenges arising out of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) regime. According to Dr R.D. Sharma, Dean of the College of Veterinary Sciences, and Dr D.P. Monga, Organising Secretary, constitution of a national-level task force was recommended for developing an action plan for checking the spread of tuberculosis, mastitis and semen related diseases in animals. The participants in the conferences were of the view that international trade would be dependent on observation of sanitary measures. Hence, educating the farmers, animal breeders and extension workers in the Department of Animal Husbandry about the latest sanitary measures was essential. To achieve this, regular holding of awareness workshops and seminars was recommended. The participants
suggested that for dissemination of the latest technology
to the maximum number of the animal breeders, the staff
of the Animal Husbandry Departments of all states should
be involved in a big way. |
1 killed, 18 hurt in bus-truck
collision SHAHABAD, Oct 28 — Raj Roop, driver of a Rohtak depot of Haryana Roadways bus, died and 18 persons were injured in a head-on-collision between the bus (HR 46-6907) and a truck (JK03-2831) on the G.T. Road, near Markanda bridge, here today. The bus was going from Rohtak to Chandigarh when it collided with the truck coming from the opposite direction. The driver of the truck, Nissar Ahmad, and its cleaner were injured in the accident. The Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Jyoti Arora, the SDM Mr R.P. Gupta, and the DSP visited the spot. All injured persons were admitted to the local Civil Hospital where the driver succumbed to his injuries. Five of the injured were discharged after being given first aid, while the condition of the remaining was stated to be out of danger, according to the SMO, Dr Praveen Garg. The local police was
registered a case Under Sections 279,337, 304 A, 427 of
the IPC. |
Inadequate rain hits crops ROHTAK, Oct 28 — The demand to declare south Haryana as drought-hit has gained momentum. Several political and non-political organisations have demanded adequate compensation to farmers on account of loss caused due to water shortage and have threatened to intensify their agitation in this regard. These organisations have also flayed the hike in diesel price. According to information, standing crops in several thousands of acres in districts of Rohtak, Sonepat, Rewari, Jhajjar, Gurgaon and Mahendragarh have been affected adversely due to shortage of rainfall during monsoon this year. Moreover, the shortage of canal water for irrigation purpose has increased the problems of the farmers who had gone for crops like paddy anticipating good rainfall. The Haryana Krishak Samaj, demanded girdauri to assess the loss. Former minister Mr
Krishan Murti Hooda had also said that his supporters
would stage a demonstration in the Kiloi assembly
constituency if the southern Haryana was not declared
drought-hit by October 31. |
Record power generation by
thermal plant PANIPAT, Oct 28 — The fifth unit of thermal power station here has achieved record in power generation for continuous 100 days. No other unit of any thermal power station of any state electricity council in northern India has achieved this record so far. This has been claimed by the president of the state Council of the Haryana Power Generation Corporation Formen Association, Mr Bhoop Singh Arya in a press statement today. He has stated that the power generation continued from July 19 last without any closure of the unit up to completion of 100 days. Engineers and other staff achieved it. Mr Arya also pointed out that though technical efficiency of the thermal power station staff was not inferior to any one, but the Bansi Lal government handed over the modernisation and renovation work of four units of 110 mw each of Panipat thermal plant to a foreign company to increase power generation capacity by 8 mw of each unit. He alleged the Haryana
State Electricity Board was bifurcated in four
corporations despite opposition of the engineers and
staff and it has resulted in discrimination of power
engineers and retrenchment of the staff without achieving
any positive results so far. |
Inclusion of Rajiv's name
criticised HISAR, Oct 28 — Former minister and Congress leader Chhattarpal Singh has criticised the inclusion of the name of Rajiv Gandhi in the Bofors charge sheet filed by the CBI recently. In a memorandum addressed to the President and the Governor, Haryana, Prof Chhattarpal alleged, it was a politically motivated decision of the Vajpayee Government. The Congress leader also organised a demonstration. He allege the CBI was being misused by the Vajpayee Government and it had lost its credibility. He accused the government of "mischievous and mala fide motives". He also criticised the government for increasing the prices of diesel which had led to an increase in the prices of other essential commodities. He alleged distress sale
of paddy by farmers in the state. Due to the draught-like
conditions in most parts of the state, farmers had
suffered heavy losses. He demanded compensation at the
rate of Rs 10,000 per hectare to the affected farmers. |
Drive to check vehicles begins FATEHABAD, Oct 28 — The district police has launched a special drive to check vehicles for violation of the Motor Vehicles Act. The drive has been launched in view of the directives issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Disclosing this during a chat with mediapersons here yesterday, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr S.S. Grewal, said the main emphasis of the drive was to implement the Act in toto. The use of red lights on the top of vehicles without proper authority was being checked. It was also being ensured that all two-wheeler drivers, including pillion riders, except Sikhs, wore helmets. Four-wheeled vehicles with black or dark film on their windowpanes were being challaned. The SP said the police had taken measures to implement the guidelines of the Supreme Court in connection with vehicles carrying schoolchildren. The Supreme Court had issued various guidelines for the vehicles, drivers, conductors and helpers of the school buses to ensure the safety of schoolchildren. The plying of vehicles carrying passengers without the requisite permits was also being checked. The SSP said a refresher
course had been started for police officials doing
traffic duty. The course aimed at updating the knowledge
of the officials besides teaching them good conduct while
dealing with the public during checking. He said the
police was planning to make parking zones for taxis and
other vehicles to avoid unnecessary rush on the national
highways. |
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