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Daughter of Haryana ADGP commits suicide
Chief Engineer’s post: Controversy takes new turn
Banking on mini-banks to fight HIV
Kiln owners burn fodder, rubber to bake bricks
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CM ignoring water, power crises: Sampat
Call to improve farmers’ condition
Decline in fish species alarms farmers
Delimitation proposals to affect political fortunes
Ateli MLA threatens stir
7 lakh take holy dip at Kapal Mochan
IAS officer bereaved
Villagers lift road blockade
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Daughter of Haryana ADGP commits suicide
Chandigarh, November 5 Mrinalini(18), daughter of Additional Director-General of Police(Human Rights and Litigation), Brajinder Rai allegedly committed suicide last night in her house in Hauz Khas area, according to information received here today. Mrinalini was a second-year student of Madhubala College of Communication and Electronic Media. She shot herself with a licensed revolver. The tragic incident took place around 7 p.m. Mr Rai and his wife were going from Chandigarh to Delhi and was in constant touch with Mrinalini on the mobile. Suddenly around 7 p.m., Mrinalini’s phone was switched off. Finding this unusual, Mr Rai rang up someone to go to their house. By the time his friend reached the house and broke open the door, Mrinalini was dead. Mrinalini, a student of Lakshman Public School and then Delhi Public School, Delhi, was facing problem in the institution. She had taken admission for her master’s degree in the USA, where her brother lives. |
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Chief Engineer’s post: Controversy takes new turn
Chandigarh, November 5 In a letter shot off to Engineer-in-Chief, PWD, Mr R. R. Sheoran, the Chief Administrator, Housing Board, Dr Ashok Khemka, has said that “no officer of your department need be sent for appointment on deputation basis against the post of Chief Engineer. The performance of Chief Engineers appointed on deputation basis, in the past is found to be poor. The quality of work executed by them in the past was sub-standard, while corruption thrived….” It has now been decided that the housing board will fill the post of Chief Engineer on direct basis by open selection from prospective eligible candidates. Though the Engineers of the PWD, who fulfil the qualifications for the post as laid down in the Haryana Housing Board (Recruitment and Conditions of Service of Officers and Employees) Regulations, can apply directly, it has been decided that they will not be appointed on deputation basis. Senior officials in the Haryana Housing Board informed TNS that in future the board would be mainly executing multi-storey housing projects on Group Housing pattern, so a structural engineer, rather than a civil engineer, would be required for the job. “We want the board to execute big projects in a stipulated time and achieve a target of Rs 500 crore of construction activities per year by 2008, from the present level of Rs 25 crore, to meet the growing housing needs. Thus, the Engineering Wing has to be led by a dynamic, technically sound person, who has worked in both private and public sectors, to lead the right kind of change management and process re-engineering within the board,” he said. It may be noted that the board had earlier decided to appoint the Chief Engineer on contractual basis. Interviews for the post were also held on September 23, and seven of the 12 candidates called for the interview, had appeared before the Select Committee. The Committee, headed by the board Chairman, Ms Prasanni Devi, also includes the Chief Administrator, Dr Khemka, Engineer-in-Chief, PWD, Public Health, and three former Engineers -in- Chief (EIC). While two committee members - Dr Khemka and former EIC, Mr O. K. Sharma- had recommended the name of Mr S. P. Singh, the remaining four members had chosen Mr P.C. Gupta - a retired PWD Chief Engineer. Dr Khemka had raised objections to the selection of Mr Gupta, and the case was thus referred to the state government.
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Banking on mini-banks to fight HIV
Chandigarh, November 5 Mini banks, such as cooperative and other rural banks, will become nodal agents for stocking and distribution of condoms, not only for regular clients, but anyone who walks up to the manager or an appointed official and demands one. Similarly, condoms will come free with 2 kg of ‘moong ki dal’ or an equal amount of rice, sugar or kerosene entitlement. The move, that has already received the sanction of the state government, has been conveyed to the respective departments like bank head offices and the Food and Supplies Department of the state government. “Since HIV/AIDS has no cure, the attempt is aimed at promoting the use of condoms that can drastically reduce transmission of infection and curb the disease from assuming an epidemic proportion,”said Dr Umesh Lamba, Project Director, Haryana State AIDS Control Society. Once in place before the end of the year, it will help protect vulnerable groups from HIV /AIDS. Ancillary Nursing Midwifes (ANM) and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers will form the backbone of “operation condom”,as the attempt is unofficially called. ANM and ASHA workers will play a crucial role in bridging the gap between the health authorities andvillagers. According to Dr Lamba, 1.5 million condoms will be stocked in these banks and ration depots and distributed free of cost over a one-year period. Though, Haryana has already taken an initiative in this direction, stocking and distribution of condoms through banks and ration depots throughout the country will become a regular feature under the NACP-3 that will continue for five years till 2011. In Haryana, the condom distribution will start from 340 banks and 500 cooperative societies spread across 7,000 villages of the state. Besides the free distribution, condoms will also be sold under another scheme known as a social marketing. Under this scheme, premium brand condoms will be distributed using the targeted intervention module. Last year 15 lakh condoms were sold in Haryana under social marketing. A similar number is expected for this year. |
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Kiln owners burn fodder, rubber to bake bricks
Hisar, November 5 The practice of burning dry fodder (toori) has created an acute shortage of this widely used cattle fodder. Most of the cattle houses use "toori" as fodder. However, as the supply of dry fodder has now been diverted towards brick-kilns, its cost has increased and availability decreased. On the other hand, the burning of rubber and plastic wastes is increasing air pollution by releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere. "This is like playing havoc with the health of residents, while the authorities concerned are least bothered about the matter despite its serious implications," said Mr Sukhsagar Singh, president of the local chapter of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), while talking to The Tribune here today. Mr Sukhsagar Singh maintained that while the dry fodder was already in short supply, the kiln owners were freely using it for baking bricks. Moreover, they are violating the pollution-control norms by burning hazardous material owing to its low cost, he added. The SAD leader said the party had written to the state Governor, the Chairman of the Pollution Control Board as well as the district administration to take note of the matter and take strict and timely action against the guilty brick-kiln owners. He warned that the SAD would be left with no alternative but to launch a widespread agitation if the authorities concerned failed to take appropriate steps in this regard at the earliest. |
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CM ignoring water, power crises: Sampat
Fatehabad, November 5 Mr Sampat Singh, a senior INLD leader, today said Haryana had never witnessed such a crisis of water and power during this season. He said the sowing season had already started and the farmers were neither getting canal water nor they were getting enough power to run the tubewells. He said while the government was exhorting farmers to grow wheat but they were not being provided the required inputs. Trying to substantiate his allegations with figures, the INLD leader said the water allowance of the Bhakra area was 2.4 cusecs per 1,000 acres while in the Yamuna area, it was 2.7 cusecs, 4.29 cusecs and 4.5 cusecs, respectively, in three areas. Besides, of the 1.62 million acre feet of water Haryana was getting from the Ravi and Beas was also going to the Yamuna area through the Narwana branch Karnal link canal. He charged the government with causing deliberate paucity of DAP fertilisers in the state. He said the production of N FL at Panipat had been reduced to half due to wrong policies. He also criticised the Centreon the wheat MSP. He said while the market rate of wheat was Rs 1,100 to 1,200 per quintal, the government had played a cruel joke with the farmers by announcing Rs750 as the MSP of wheat. |
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Call to improve farmers’ condition
Hisar, November 5 The workshop gave a clarion call to the KVKs to make all-out efforts to improve the financial condition of farmers. The work plan for 2007 was also finalised at the workshop. In his presidential address, the Vice-Chancellor, Dr J.C.Katyal, advocated the reframing of the KVKs in accordance with the present-day requirements of the farming sector. The Director of Extension Education at the university, Dr R.K.Malik, who was also the convener of the workshop, asserted that scientists of the KVKs had been asked to evaluate every agricultural technique and try to enhance agricultural production and quality, besides bringing down the cost of cultivation. Dr Malik said representatives from 61 KVKs in Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir participated in the workshop. Dr Dalip Gosain, Head of the KVK at Karnal, and Dr A.S.Dahiya from KVK, Panipat, got the first position for their annual progress reports, while the KVKs of Leh and Nawanshahr were jointly adjudged second and Kangra and Faridabad KVKs were third. The Deputy Director-General (Agriculture Extension) at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Dr P.Das, appealed to the agricultural scientists to make agriculture a remunerative profession. "Stagnation being witnessed in agricultural production has become a major issue of concern for the agriculture policy planners, scientists and all those involved in development of agriculture," he maintained. Dr Das exhorted the staff members of the KVKs to accelerate their extension programmes and involve a greater number of small and marginal farmers in it. He also asked them to ensure the availability of improved seeds in time. |
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Decline in fish species alarms farmers
Chandigarh, November 5 Till a few years ago, the Yamuna was home to as many as 120 species of the fish. Today, the number stands at 60. According to Mr Sameer Mathur, Secretary, Haryana Fisheries Department, the state government has envisaged a Rs 73-crore project to improve the habitat in the Yamuna to provide safe breeding places for the fish. Special breeding grounds would be set where the species in danger would be bred. The project has been sent to the Central Government, which would forward it to the Japan Development Bank for a financial tie-up. The Haryana Fisheries Department set up a record of sort this year when it attained the fish production of 16,500 kg per hectare in a Haryana Raj Bhavan pond adopted by it to demonstrate polyculture technology. The state’s average production is 4576 kg per hectare and the national average production is 2,260 kg per hectare. Now Raj Bhavan plans to open its ponds for demonstration to fish farmers of the state. Other such demonstration ponds set up under a Planning Commission scheme are at
Jyotisar, Hisar, Saidpur in Karnal district and Lisana in Rewari district. The technical supervision is provided by Dr Hardyal Singh of the Central Institute of Fresh Water
Acquaculture, Bhubhaneswar. The Director, Fisheries, Dr S.C. Agarwal, says the state is witnessing a tremendous growth in fish cultivation. The total fish production in the state has gone up to 48,200 tonnes per year from 600 tonnes per year in 1966. By the end of this financial year, the production would touch 55,000 tonnes. The panchayats in the state earn about Rs 4 crore per annum by leasing village ponds for fish cultivation. |
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Delimitation proposals to affect political fortunes
Ambala, November 5 Ambala district will have four Assembly segments instead of present five seats, once the proposals of the commission come into force. While politicians in Ambala Cantonment, Ambala City, Naraingarh and Mullana (Reserved) Assembly segments will have to deal with much larger constituencies, the worst affected is the Naggal Assembly segment which has been split up. The splitting of the Naggal Assembly seat into different Assembly seats within Ambala district will directly hurt the interests of sitting Congress MLA and former Haryana Revenue Minister, Mr Nirmal Singh. Without an Assembly segment to call his own, Mr Nirmal Singh will have to look for other viable options and there is a strong possibility of Mr Nirmal Singh contesting from the Ambala Cantonment Assembly segment. The Ambala Cantonment seat is now represented by Mr Devender Bansal. The cantonment is purely an urban seat without any villages attached to it. The changed contours will make it attractive for Mr Nirmal Singh as villages will be added to the seat and Mr Nirmal Singh has a hold in the rural areas. Mr Singh was considered to be a strong contender for the post of a minister in the Haryana Government when the Congress came to power but his hopes have not yet borne fruit. The additions to the cantonment Assembly segment include villages of Panjokhra and Mandhour circles as well as villages of Babyal, Kardhan and Bada patwar circles. The areas of Ambala Sadar and the Cantonment Board will continue to be part of the cantonment seat. As villages have been added to the cantonment seat, Mr Nirmal Singh may see this seat as an option. The Ambala City seat, which is currently represented by Mr Venod Sharma, will witness several additions including villages of Ghel, Sondha, Manakpur, Suba Akbarpur and Patti Mehar circles as well as villages of Jalbera, Balana, Sullar and Bhanokheri circles. Municipal limits of Ambala City will continue to be part of Ambala City seat. A former Naggal MLA, Mr Jasbir Mallour, who too is facing a piquant situation with the proposal of the Naggal Assembly segment being split up, is likely to eye the Ambala City segment. Mr Mallour not only hails from Mallour village falling in the proposed new Ambala City seat, there is also strong INLD presence in the villages of the area. A major drawback for him could be the Ambala City urban areas where INLD influence is marginal. Once the proposal of the panel comes through, the Mullana (Reserved) seat will become Barara (Reserved) seat. Besides the change in name of the Assembly segment, the villages which will be added include Dhaneora, Tharwa, Durana, Badhouli and Mohri circles. Also circles of Mohra, Bihta, Rampur, Nagla, Kesari and Tepla will be part of the Mullana seat. The Naraingarh seat, which is represented by the Parliamentary Secretary and MLA, Mr Ram Kishen, likely to be extended. The areas to be included in the Naraingarh seat are circles of Pilkhani, Khuddakalan, Saha and Samalheri. Not only there is going to be change in the Assembly segments within Ambala district, even the Ambala (Reserved) parliamentary constituency is also going to witness change. Shahbad, which was earlier part of he Kurukshetra parliamentary constituency, will become part of the Ambala reserved parliamentary seat. The Assembly segments to be part of the expanded Ambala parliamentary seat will be Kalka, Panchkula, Naraingarh, Ambala Cantonment, Ambala City, Barara, Sadhaura, Jagadhari and Shahbad.
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Ateli MLA threatens stir
Rewari, November 5 His demands include an immediate halt in acquisition of cultivable land, establishment of a technical university at Bawal, reinstatement of retrenched workers of certain factories, stop boycott of transporters of the Tata Canter Union by the management of the factories concerned and regularisation of services of old workers. He gave this ultimatum while addressing a largely attended Mahapanchayat of youths and transporters at Bawal today. Flaying the state government for its "anti-farmer and anti-worker" policies, Mr Yadav asserted that establishment of factories on fertile land had ruined farmers. While youths from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and other states had been working in these factories the local youths had been discarded by managements . Alleging that the Hooda government had recently recruited about 3000 employees in the PHD through the back door mechanism, he said they were mostly from their favoured areas while jobless youths of south Haryana were ignored. Mr Sanish Kumar, president of the Tata Canter Union, alleged that they were being ignored by managements of certain factories while Mr Rakesh Kumar, a sacked employee of Mushashi Auto Parts India, complained that about 50 workers had been dismissed in the past about six months. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner which was addressed to the Governor of Haryana.
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7 lakh take holy dip at Kapal Mochan
Yamunanagar, November 5 As per sources at least 40 pilgrims at Kapal Mochan Mela here were looted of their belongings during the past two days. They consumed eatables given by unidentified persons and became unconscious. They were later treated at the Jagadhri Civil Hospital. Mr Mukhtiar Singh of Barnala, Punjab said that he had consumed a cup of tea, which made him unconscious. When he regained his senses he was poorer by his gold ring and other belongings. |
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IAS officer bereaved
Chandigarh, November 5 Mrs Choudhary is survived by three sons. Her two other sons are Mr C.M. Choudhary, member of the Indian Revenue Service, and Mr Rajendra Choudhary who is a senior executive in a public sector insurance company. According to family sources, the last rites of Mrs Choudhary will be performed tomorrow at 11 a.m.
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Villagers lift road blockade
Jhajjar, November 5 The district vice-president of the Congress, Mr Balwant Singh, went to Rao Tula Ram Chowk where they were holding up the traffic early this morning. |
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