SPECIAL COVERAGE
CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI



THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
H A R Y A N A

State colleges to have Vice-Principals
Chandigarh, August 21
The Haryana Education Minister, Mr Phool Chand Mullana, today announced that those government colleges which had more than 2000 students would have designated
Vice-Principals to assist Principals in the smooth functioning of colleges.

Rural bio-resource project launched
Hisar, August 21
In a bid to conserve natural resources and enhance the income of the farmers through farming systems, Haryana Agricultural University here has launched a Rs 4.2-crore mega project on rural bio-resource complex.

Congress retains Ward No 21 seat
Ambala, August 21
The Congress retained the seat of Ward No. 21 of the Municipal Council, Ambala City, where the byelection was conducted today.

When will Secretary to Governor join duty?
Chandigarh, August 21
“Will she join or will she not?” This question is being asked in the corridors of power in Haryana these days in reference to the appointment of an IAS officer, Mrs Sumita Misra Singh, as the Secretary of the Governor, Dr A.R. Kidwai.

Cops manhandled in police station
Sonepat, August 21
Four car-borne youths allegedly forced their way into the police station at Kharkhauda town, 19 km from here, last night and manhandled two Head Constables.

Food Inspector ‘poisoned’ by son’s in-laws
Rewari, August 21
A Food and Civil Supplies Inspector, Abhey Singh Yadav (50), who was administered poison in some drinks allegedly by his son’s in-laws and others at a house in Sector 1 here on Friday, died en route to Delhi where he was being taken for treatment in the afternoon on Friday.


Stories from Haryana towns falling in the National Capital Region are put in
 Delhi & neighbourhood.


YOUR TOWN
Ambala
Chandigarh
Fatehabad
Hisar
Kurukshetra
Panipat
Rewari
Sonepat


EARLIER STORIES

 

Law and order situation has worsened: INLD
Fatehabad, August 21
Former Haryana Minister, Sampat Singh and former Indian National Lok Dal state president Sher Singh Barshami yesterday called upon party workers to be prepared for the September 28 parliamentary by-election for the Rohtak parliamentary seat.

4 killed in car-truck collision
Panipat, August 21
Four persons were killed and one was injured when their car collided with a truck at Haldana border, near Samalkha, on the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway today.

Saplings planted
Kurukshetra, August 21
A ‘vanamahotsava’ programme was organised on the premises of Government Senior Secondary School, Kamoda, 10 km from here yesterday. It was inaugurated by Mr Surjeet Singh Deswal, IG Haryana.

Power cuts hit life in Sonepat
Sonepat, August 21
A large part of Sonepat city remained powerless for more than six hours for the third consecutive day today following a major power breakdown.
Top



 


 

State colleges to have Vice-Principals
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 21
The Haryana Education Minister, Mr Phool Chand Mullana, today announced that those government colleges which had more than 2000 students would have designated Vice-Principals to assist Principals in the smooth functioning of colleges.

Mr Mullana who was presiding over an educational convention organised by the Haryana Government College Teachers Association on the theme of “Higher Education — Problems and Prospects”, here today also announced the constitution of a committee headed by the Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Education, Mr R.S. Gujral, to give suggestions regarding the demands made by the association.

He said the committee, which would also have a representative of the association, would examine the demands and recommend its opinion. The demands included regularisation of services of 50 ad hoc lecturers, Class-I status for government college lecturers and enhancement in the age of superannuation to 62 years.

Mr Mullana said the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, could not attend function, but it was with his consent that he announced the decision of the government to have designated Vice- Principals in government colleges.

He said 381 posts of college lecturer would be filled shortly. The vacant posts of Principal would also be filled by the end of this month. It was decided by the Chief Minister that 75 per cent of the posts of the Principal should be filled through promotion. The present government had also withdrawn the condition of Ph.D for promotion to the post of Principal.

While assuring all help of the government to the teaching fraternity, Mr Mullana said that they should also evolve new ways of teaching so as to groom the students in such a way that they met the challenges of life boldly.

While reacting to the suggestion of the National Secretary of the All-India Federation of University and College Teachers‘ Associations, Mr V.K. Tewari, that the institutes to be set up at the Rajiv Gandhi Education City should be under the control of the government, Mr Mullana made it clear that the government would maintain its control but would welcome suggestions from others for the development of this prestigious city.

Earlier, the president of the association, Mr Kapoor Singh, spoke on the issue of “Shiksha ki dasha va disha” and the general secretary of the association, Mr Shishpal Hardu, spoke on issues concerning the teaching community.

Top

 

Rural bio-resource project launched
Tribune News Service

Hisar, August 21
In a bid to conserve natural resources and enhance the income of the farmers through farming systems, Haryana Agricultural University (HAU) here has launched a Rs 4.2-crore mega project on rural bio-resource complex.

The project, funded by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology, was inaugurated by Mr Ranbir Singh Hooda, a veteran freedom fighter and father of the Haryana Chief Minister, on the university campus yesterday.

Mr Hooda, who has also been Irrigation and Power Minister of joint Punjab and PWD and Health Minister in Haryana, appealed to the farmers to adopt scientific techniques to increase agricultural production. The traditional crops like wheat, paddy and maize were no longer beneficial to the farmers, he added.

Presiding over the function, the HAU Vice-Chancellor, Ms Asha Sharma, said under the project, four villages of Hisar district and two of Sonepat would be adopted and developed as model villages.

Ms Sharma revealed that the plant nursery inaugurated to mark the launch of the project would have a huge collection of fruit, vegetable, forestry and ornamental plants. It would cater to the needs of the farmers interested in crop diversification, she added.

Top

 

Congress retains Ward No 21 seat
Our Correspondent

Ambala, August 21
The Congress retained the seat of Ward No. 21 of the Municipal Council, Ambala City, where the byelection was conducted today.

The Congress-supported candidate, Ms Harjeet Kaur, was declared elected from this ward. As many as 1,679 votes were polled, out of which Ms Harjeet Kaur, got 982 votes while the BJP candidate, Mr Gurwinder Singh, got 162. The Independent candidates, Mr Anil Kumar Panipatia, got 484 votes.

Around four months back in the elections of the council Inderpal Singh Pammi husband of Ms Harjeet Kaur, was elected from this ward. He was killed in a road accident.

The Congress and the BJP had made it a prestige seat. Senior leaders of both the parties campaigned for their candidates.

Except one incident of minor clash the election remained peaceful. Congress workers got agitated when some supporters of a candidate belong to some other ward reached the polling station. There was a minor scuffle between the supporters of two candidates. The SDM, Mr Mukesh Ahuja, and the DSP (Headquarters), Mr Arun Kumar, reached the spot and the situation was controlled.

After the declaration of the result, the Congress workers took out a victory procession in the ward. The media in charge of Ambala Congress, Mr Dilip Chawla Bittu, and senior Congress leaders, Mr Rajan Guglani, Mr Harish Shashan and Mr Dharm Pal Chadda, said it was the victory of the performance of the Congress government.

Top

 

When will Secretary to Governor join duty?
Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 21
“Will she join or will she not?” This question is being asked in the corridors of power in Haryana these days in reference to the appointment of an IAS officer, Mrs Sumita Misra Singh, as the Secretary of the Governor, Dr A.R. Kidwai.

The appointment was made last week but the officer has not joined her new duties so far. The delay has given rise to the question.

According to informed sources, Dr Kidwai had personally asked the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, to appoint Mrs Sumita Singh as his Secretary. Mr Hooda, who holds the Governor in high esteem, took no time in making the appointment, despite certain reservations expressed by some senior bureaucrats.

Mr Hooda is believed to have brushed aside these reservations, saying that it was the prerogative of the Governor to have the Secretary of his own choice. The State Government would not stand in the way.

The officers had pointed out to the Chief Minister that Mr Justice G.S. Singhvi, when he was posted in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, had passed severe strictures against Mrs Sumita Singh for certain decisions taken by her while she was posted as the Administrator of HUDA in Faridabad.

The Judge had also ordered that a copy of the judgement should be sent to the Haryana Government and shown to the then Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, so that he should know what his officers had been doing, and also take action against her.

The government ordered an inquiry against her. A senior IAS officer, Mrs Meenakshi Anand Chaudhry, was appointed the inquiry officer. However, she was changed when Mrs Sumita Singh made allegations of bias against her. The inquiry was entrusted to Dr Harbaksh Singh, the then Managing Director of the Haryana State Industries Development Corporation.

The sources say Dr Harbaksh Singh did not find any merit in the observations made by the High Court against Mrs Sumita Singh. He rather recommended commendation for Mrs Sumita Singh for increasing the revenue of HUDA during her tenure as its Administrator. The charge-sheet against Mrs Sumita Singh was filed on the orders of Mr Chautala.

While one section of the Haryana bureaucracy feels that an officer against whom the High Court had passed severe strictures, should not be posted in Raj Bhavan, the other section says that when the officer was given a clean chit by the inquiry officer, she stands at par with other officers.

It is will be known only tomorrow if Mrs Sumita Singh takes up her new assignment or not.

Top

 

Cops manhandled in police station
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, August 21
Four car-borne youths allegedly forced their way into the police station at Kharkhauda town, 19 km from here, last night and manhandled two Head Constables. The police reportedly succeeded in arresting two of them and impounded the Maruti car. However, two other youths managed to escape.

The police has registered a case under Sections 353, 186, 506 and 34 of the IPC.

The youths have been identified as Rajesh of Gorar village, Sanjeev of Thana Kalan village, Sandeep and Ramesh of Sisana village. Rajesh and Ramesh have been arrested.

A case against Sanjeev and Pradeep was registered on May 27, 2002, on assault charge. Another case, under Indian Arms Act, was registered on July 25, 2002, against Sanjeev following the alleged recovery of a country-made pistol and a live cartridge from his possession. The youths entered the police station and started grappling with them, after blaming the police of not arresting Saoj, wife of Pradeep, who was involved in the murder of Surinder Singh on July 22 last. The police managed to arrest two of them.

Top

 

Food Inspector ‘poisoned’ by son’s in-laws
Our Correspondent

Rewari, August 21
A Food and Civil Supplies Inspector, Abhey Singh Yadav (50), who was administered poison in some drinks allegedly by his son’s in-laws and others at a house in Sector 1 here on Friday, died en route to Delhi where he was being taken for treatment in the afternoon on Friday.

Earlier, he was admitted to the local Civil Hospital here where doctors referred him to Delhi.

The story leading to this tragic event began in May 2005 when his son Ravi Yadav got married to Poonam Yadav, daughter of Mahipal Yadav, a resident of Model Town here. However, things went awry when Ravi Yadav came to know that his wife was suffering from a disease detrimental to her motherhood.

Prior to this, Ravi’s mother-in-law had reportedly taken Rs 5 lakh from Abhey Singh Yadav on the plea that she needed the money to purchase land. Things took a grave turn when Poonam went back to her parents’ house in July after her in-laws sought an explanation regarding her “ chronic infirmity” from the middle man, Karamvir Yadav, and other family members.

Consequently when on August 13 Ravi Yadav filed a suit for dissolution of marriage in the court of the Additional Sessions Judge here, a conspiracy was allegedly hatched by Karamvir and others following which Ravi’s father Abhey Singh Yadav was invited to Karamvir Yadav’s house (some distance away from their house in Sector 1) on August 19 for rapprochement.

It is alleged that besides Karamvir Yadav, Poonam Yadav, her mother Narbada Yadav, her maternal uncle Satbir Yadav and her cousin Dharambir Yadav were also present at the former’s house where Abhey Singh Yadav was administered poison in drinks.

As soon as he started nauseating, he made a cellular call to his brother-in- law Hans Raj Yadav who, with the help of others, managed to rush him to the local Civil Hospital here.

On a complaint lodged by Ravi Yadav, the Model Town police here has now registered a case of murder and criminal conspiracy under Sections 328, 302, 120-B and 34 of the IPC against Dharambir Yadav, Karamvir Yadav, Satbir Yadav, Poonam Yadav and Narbada Yadav, who have all reportedly gone into hiding.

Top

 

Law and order situation has worsened: INLD
Our Correspondent

Fatehabad, August 21
Former Haryana Minister, Sampat Singh and former Indian National Lok Dal state president Sher Singh Barshami yesterday called upon party workers to be prepared for the September 28 parliamentary by-election for the Rohtak parliamentary seat. They also asked the party workers to get ready for the September 25 rally of the INLD to mark the birth anniversary of former Deputy Prime Minister Devi Lal.

Indian National Lok Dal leaders were addressing a meeting of the party workers in the Shri Ram Sewa Samiti Dharamshala here yesterday. District INLD president Nishan Singh, district president of the women wing of the party Mrs. Krishana Poonia and several other INLD leaders attend the meeting

Mr Sampat Singh said that due to wrong policies of the Congress government in Haryana, the law and order in the state was in a shambles. The government had been intimidating those who had been raising voice against the anti-people and anti-worker policies of the government. He said that the Congress had made several promises to the people of the state for coming to power. But it had forgotten all those promises.

He said development activities, started by the earlier INLD government, had come to a standstill. Mr Barshami called upon party workers to mobilise people for the rally and the parliamentary election.

Later, addressing mediapersons the two leaders said that the venue of the September 25 rally would be decided at the meeting of the state executive committee of the party in Chandigarh on August 23. Former Chief Minister, Om Parkash Chautala will preside over the meeting. 

Top

 

4 killed in car-truck collision
Tribune News Service

Panipat, August 21
Four persons were killed and one was injured when their car collided with a truck at Haldana border, near Samalkha, on the Delhi-Amritsar National Highway today.

According to the police, the car (DL 3CA C 0161) was on its way from Delhi to Chandigarh. The truck (HR 38 E 4433) was also coming from the Delhi side.

When the truck reached near Sai Oil Company outlet on Sonepat-Panipat border, popularly known as Haldana border, its driver suddenly applied brakes. As a result, the car rammed into the truck.

Three of the deceased reportedly belonged to a private security company. They have been identified as branch managers of the Vision Security Company SC Sibal of Chandigarh, Paramjit Singh of Adarsh Nagar, Panipat, and Rajesh Kumar of Ludhiana.

The fourth deceased has been identified as the driver of the car, Ajay Kumar of Delhi.

The injured, Major Baljinder Singh (retd) of Ludhiana, was referred to a Delhi hospital for the treatment.

Top

 

Saplings planted
Our Correspondent

Kurukshetra, August 21
A ‘vanamahotsava’ programme was organised on the premises of Government Senior Secondary School, Kamoda, 10 km from here yesterday. It was inaugurated by Mr Surjeet Singh Deswal, IG Haryana.

The function was organised by a non-governmental organisation — Sewa Welfare Corporate Society.

Mr Deswal said increasing environmental pollution was a big problem not only for India, but also for the world. He urged upon the people that they should actively participate in programmes launched by the government under the Eco-Balance System to check environmental pollution. He planted a sapling on the occasion.

The district police chief, Mr Sanjay Kumar, also planted a neem sapling on the school premises, while around 2,500 saplings were planted by the villagers.

The society coordinator, Mr Saurabh Chowdhury, briefed the gathering about various activities undertaken by the society.

Top

 

Power cuts hit life in Sonepat
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, August 21
A large part of Sonepat city remained powerless for more than six hours for the third consecutive day today following a major power breakdown.

The cause of the power breakdown was yet to be ascertained. None of the official of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) could be contacted because of it being Sunday.

The city and its surrounding areas had been subjected to long power cuts not only during the day, but also at night for the past few months. The power cuts have paralysed the normal life, and also affected the business and industrial activity. The drinking water supply was also badly hit.

Top

HOME PAGE | Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir | Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs | Nation | Opinions |
| Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi |
| Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail |