Fix faulty lights, officials told

Kaithal: Deputy Commissioner Sujan Singh paid a visit at local Jawahar Park, Bidhikyar Lake, children’s park, Tara Mandal, Patwar Bhawan and Aayush office. He took notice of faulty lights, open cable chambers, broken tiles on footpaths and non-functioning light fountains. He asked officials to ensure that all amenities in park were in good shape so that visitors should not complain against poor services and ill-maintenance of public facilities. The DC he issued directions to replace broken tiles on the park’s footpath and carry on required maintenance. During visit to the children’s park, the fountain was found non-functioning. In Taramandal too, many instruments were found broken or in non-working condition following which necessary directions were given to council officials. During visit to Aayush office and Patwar Bhawan, the DC stressed the need to maintain proper hygiene.

DC inspects Nari Niketan

Karnal: Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav inspected state’s only women shelter home, Nari Niketan, in the city and reviewed the facilities being extended to inmates there. He directed the Nari Niketan authorities to start the process to get dilapidated buildings declared condemned after fixing reserve prices so that the further process for new buildings could be started. He also showed dissatisfaction over poor cleanliness on the premises and directed the Karnal Municipal Corporation authorities to ensure cleanliness. He also directed the authorities to ensure social security pension of widows and elder women living in mahila ashram. The DC also observed the low height of the boundary wall of the Nari Niketan and asked the PWD authorities to increase the height by two to three feet along with iron fencing on it. He also visited the one-stop centre for women — Sakhi.

Dabwali residents seek train halt

Sirsa: Residents of Dabwali town have been demanding stoppage of the Bathinda-Jammu Tawi Express, which has been extended to Jodhpur in Rajasthan on January 15 at the local railway station. Rail Sangharsh Samiti activists said they had raised the issue with Sirsa MP Sunita Duggal who had also assured them to take up their issue with the Railways. The samiti members held a meeting on Sunday and said they would launch an agitation in support of their demand from February 4.

Vinay, Pankaj win badminton title

Kaithal: Vinay Bhalla and Pankaj Bansal of Kaithal district won Haryana men’s doubles in the state badminton championship organised by the Karnal Badminton Association under the aegis of the Haryana Badminton Association and the Badminton Association of India in Karnal. Bhalla and Bansal of Kaithal won men’s doubles category. Bhalla said now they would represent Haryana at the nationals to be held in Jaipur from February 23.

Karnal tops in redressal of grievances

Karnal: The district has again topped the state with the highest score of 94 in redress of complaints received through social media grievance tracker (SMGT) and it has been happening since 2017. Similarly, in redress of complaints on the CM Window portal, this district is at the top after Hisar with a difference of just one point. Dr Rakesh Gupta, project director of the Chief Minister’s Good Governance Programme, appreciated the district administration through video-conferencing. In SMGT, Yamunanagar is second with a score of 92 and Faridabad is third with a score of 91. Deputy Commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav told Dr Gupta that regular monitoring of complaints was done. Clear instructions have been given to the authorities to redress grievances on time. It is learnt that any citizen from anywhere in Haryana can make a complaint related to their city on this portal, which directly goes to CM cell. After coming to the district concerned, action is taken on it for which 30 days time is fixed. If the complaint is critical, then no time is fixed for it. After taking action at the district level, the resolution report reaches the Chief Minister’s Office.

Groundwater level on the decline

Sonepat: The groundwater level in all eight blocks of the district continued to decline in general, but the situation is serious in three blocks – Rai, Gannaur and Murthal, which has been included in the dark zone. The decline in these blocks has been recorded around 2.5 metre in Murthal and Gannaur blocks and around 1.5 metre in the Rai block during the last one year. In a number of villages, the groundwater level has gone down to around 40 metre. Except Gohana and Kathura blocks, even the last year’s rains had failed to bring any improvement in the groundwater level of other six blocks.