Haryana News

Chandigarh, January 8

As a part of its drive to eliminate  child labour from the state, Haryana government has implemented a number of schemes.

While stating this here today, a spokesman of Labour Department said that an action plan as per the Child Labour(Prohibition and Regulation) Act,1986 and the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court had been implemented in the state with focus on enforcement of law, provisions of education and rehabilitation, campaign for public awareness, sensitisation and mobilisation of public or administrative machinery and coordinated action with various departments.

He said that the Labour Department had also set up three rehabilitation centres  at Panipat, Faridabad and Yamunanagar for destitute and migrant children engaged as labour. These centres have capacity to accommodate atleast 50 such detected children. At present,108 children were enjoying facilities of free board, lodging and education in these centres.

National Child Labour Project (NCLP) had also been implemented at Panipat, Gurgaon and Faridabad. Under the project, NCLP schools have been set up with a view to mainstreaming the withdrawn children from hazardous occupations into formal schools and linking them with effective vocational training. At present, 62 NCLP schools were functioning at Panipat, 40 at Gurgaon and 38 at Faridabad where 3100, 1305 and 2000 children had been enrolled  respectively, he added.

The spokesman said that a cell headed by Joint Labour Commissioner had also been set up at headquarters for receiving information  on child labour from   public. The cell had been provided a toll free number 0172-270367 and immediate action was taken whenever any complaint  regarding child labour was received.

Chandigarh, Jan 7

Haryana Education Department will add a chapter on Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005 in curricula of schools and colleges. While stating this here today, Haryana Chief Secretary, Mrs Urvashi Gulati  said that  this was one of the several steps taken to make the administration transparent and making people, especially the younger generation aware  to take advantage of  RTI Act .  She said that with a view to promoting openness, transparency and accountability in the working of every public authority, the Right to Information Act, 2005 had fully been implemented in Haryana State.

She said that website www.rti.gov.in had been launched to electronically make available all formats of applications and rules under the ibid Act for the public convenience. A web-site was being developed to facilitate the general public to file applications for obtaining information under RTI Act, 2005.  RTI Cell had been created in the office of the Chief Secretary to Government of Haryana. Its main function was to coordinate RTI work with other departments.

She said that almost all the departments had designated their Nodal PIO who would coordinate with other PIOs of the department to ensure effective implementation of web based RTI system. HIPA was directed to publish a User Guide which was an easily comprehensible form in English and Hindi languages and to publish a directory of SPIOs, ASPIOs, first Appellate Authorities. Both the documents had been published by them and placed on the website of HIPA as well as State website. Information and Public Relation Department had been directed to promote the usage of RTI Act in masses through posters and advertisements through mass media. Besides this, a website had been launched to place all  rules, regulation and instructions relating to Administrative Reforms Department.

Mrs Gulati said that all departments of the State had been directed to prepare their Citizens’ Charters to improve performance in service delivery as well as to provide service which meets people’s needs. The Citizens’ Charters of 111 Departments and organizations had so far been formulated and the charters of the remaining department and organizations were in the process of being framed. The concerned departments and organizations had been directed to display the citizens’ charters on the notice boards of their offices at all levels. They had also been asked to adopt other suitable means such as annual report, press, consumer groups and website etc. to bring the Citizens’ charter to the notice of the public.

Mrs Gulati said that the Haryana Administrative Reforms Commission had submitted three reports namely District Administration, Public Works Departments and Panchayati Raj Institutions which were under active consideration of the Haryana Government.

She said that every citizen has right to claim delivery of services from the Government in a prompt, efficient and time bound manner. Therefore, instructions were issued to all Head of Departments and other concerned in the State to implement a scheme for provision of 15 sets of services that include a total of 36 identified services to the Citizens’ in a time bound manner in the first phase.

She said that in most of the departments and organizations nodal officers for the Citizens’ Charters have been got designated and they have been directed to look into the cases of non-fulfillment of the charters commitments. Food Inspector or the  Assistant Food and Supply Officer of the concerned district had been designated for the monitoring of the scheme for services to be rendered by Food and Supplies Department and District Food and Supplies Controller would be the authority for receiving complaints. The  services to be rendered by Food and Supplies Department and their time limits  included issue of ration card in 15 days, issue of ration card on receipt of surrender certificate in seven days, issue of duplicate ration card in seven days, inclusion of family member name in ration card in seven days, deletion of  family member name in ration card in seven days, change of address with same jurisdiction in three days, change of address including change of FPS in three days and issue of surrender certificate in one day.

She said that Tehsildar had been designated for monitoring the services to be provided by Revenue department and the authority for receiving the complaints would be Sub Divisional Officer(c). The Revenue Department services all of which would be delivered in a time limit of seven days would be issue of SC certificate, issue of BC certificate, issue of OBC certificate, issue of resident or domicile certificate, issue of tapriwas or vimukt jatti certificate, issue of income certificate and  issue of rural area certificate. However, Revenue Department’s service of registration of property or land which was HARIS related services would be delivered in one day and sanction of mutation of land and providing copies of land records would be delivered in a time limit of 15 days and five days respectively.

She said that Sub Divisional Officer (Civil) of the concerned district had been designated for monitoring the services to be provided by Transport Regulatory (Registering and Licencing Authority) and the authority for receiving the complaints would be Additional Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district. The services which would be delivered by the Transport Department in time limit of five days included issuances of Learner’s License. All other services which would be delivered in time limit of seven days would be issuance of permanent driving license, renewal of driving license, issuance of duplicate driving license, endorsement of new class in driving license, issuance of conductor license, registration of new vehicles (Vahan), transfer of ownership, issuance of NOC and issuance of duplicate Registration Certificate.

She said that Sub Divisional Officer (Electricity) of the concerned district had been designated for monitoring the services to be provided by Power Department and the authority for receiving the complaints would be Executive Engineer (DISCOM). The services of Power Department which would be rendered in 30 days time limit would be release of new electricity connection, release of temporary electricity connection and enhancement of electricity load.

She said that Sub Divisional Officer (Public Health and Engineering Department) of the concerned district had been designated for monitoring the services to be provided by Public Health Engineering Department and the authority for receiving the complaints would be Executive Engineer (Public Health Engineering Department). The Public Health Engineering Department would provide its services of new water connection and sewerage connection in 12 days time limit.

She said that Executive Officer of the concerned municipality had been designated for monitoring the services to be provided by Municipalities and Health Department  and the authority for receiving the complaints would be Additional Deputy Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer. The Health and Municipal Committees services of issuance of birth certificate after registration and issuance of death certificate would be rendered in time limit of three days.

She said that Executive Officer of the concerned municipality or HUDA had been designated for monitoring the services to be provided by Municipalities and HUDA  and the authority for receiving the complaints would be Additional Deputy Commissioner.   The Municipalities and HUDA’s service of approval of building plans would be rendered in 25 days.

All Heads of departments and organizations had been asked to conduct annual internal and external review of the Citizens’ charter at regular intervals and to intimate the feedback on the initiatives to the Administrative Reforms Department.

Chandigarh, January 7

The farmers in district Sirsa have so far sold cotton of worth Rs 756.20 crore in various mandis. While stating this here today, a spokesman of district administration Sirsa said that the district in Haryana has so far received 18.93 lakh quintals of cotton in its five mandis as compared to 12.45 lakh quintals of cotton arrived during the corresponding period last year. Tthe farmers were getting a price ranging between Rs. 4300 and Rs. 4400 per quintal in the five mandis of Sirsa district which included the local mandi and those at Dabwali, Kalanwali, Ellenabad and Ding. He said that the district has ranked at the top in arrival of cotton in the mandis.

He said that so far a revenue of Rs. 16.28 crore has been yielded from sale of cotton in district Sirsa and it was expected that it would break the previous record.

He said that cotton was sown over an area of 2.10 lakh hectares in the district and this was more than the target fixed by the Agriculture Department. During last year, cotton was cultivated over an area of 1.89 lakh hectares in the district. He said that in the entire State cotton was sown over an area of 5.98 lakh hectare with Sirsa district covering more than 35 per cent of the area this year. He said that as against the production of 19.5 quintal per hectare during last year, this year a target to get production of 24 quintal per hectare had been fixed.

Chandigarh, January 6

Beware ! Throwing garbage in front of residential houses might invite fine from Haryana Urban Development Authority(HUDA).

Mr Parveen Kumar, Administrator, HUDA, Gurgaon today visited sector 12-A, Gurgaon and imposed a fine of Rs 5000 on Mr Bharat Saini for dumping garbage  in front of his house. The administrator also met representatives of Resident Welfare Association of the sector.

Mr Parveen Kumar directed the engineers concerned to maintain park, green belt and street lights properly. He assured the members of the Resident Welfare Association that possibility for constructing a road from old Delhi road in front of Sham Sweets to sector 12-A would be examined and action would be taken shortly.

A meeting of the members of the management committees of the private schools was held at HUDA gymkhana club, sector 29, Gurgaon, which was attended by Mr Mukesh Solanki, Estate Officer-II and other HUDA officials. The school representatives were asked not to park their buses on the roads. They were also asked to supply list of buses deployed for school children, besides supplying within three days a list of children belonging to economically weaker sections of the society studying in their schools with name of the child, father name with photograph.

Chandigarh January 5

Haryana has been given the Financial Inclusion Award-2012 in the category of ‘State of the Year’. The award was given away by Dr C.Rangarajan, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, at a function organised by Skoch Group in New Delhi today.This Jury’s Choice Award was received by Mr P.K.Mahapatra, Haryana’s  Principal Resident Commissioner,New Delhi, on behalf of Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda.  Media Advisor to Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Shiv Bhattia was also present on the occasion.

The citation of the award says that Haryana’s growth is not limited to cities like Gurgaon alone. Haryana has become the first State in disbursal of all pensions under its Social Security Pension project through Electronic Benefit Transfer mechanism, serving more than two million beneficiaries. The State is particularly sensitive to gender.  In a unique step to free older girls of the family  of responsibilities, creches have been set up for infants, leaving them free to attend school. The number of girls attending school has doubled since 2006. Aother praiseworthy move of the Government is setting up of ‘worksite schools’ for children belonging to migratory labourers, where 30,000 children  have been enrolled. During the year the priority sector advances have gone up  by 15 per cent while agriculture advances are up by 12 per cent.

During the year, the State has procured 69.28 lakh metric tonne of wheat and 29.16 lakh metric tonne of paddy, which is an all time high.

Chandigarh  January 4

The Gurgaon district administration and Municipal Corporation Gurgaon (MCG) have decided to get an First Information Report (FIR)  lodged against those who took up any construction in the prohibited 900 meter area of the Ammunition Depot get the guilty  arrested by the police.

The matter of how to stop the new constrictions in the prohibited zone was discussed at length in a meeting presided over by the Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon, Mr P.C. Meena in Gurgaon today to reveiw the situation. Mr Meena asked the MCG authorities that if they see any new construction coming up in the restricted zone, they should get it demolished at once because it was violation of the orders of the High Court. In the meeting it was revealed that 41 FIRs have been registered against those who undertook construction illegally in the prohibited area  of the Amunition Depot. Out of these, 24 have been arrested by the police.

Mr Meena today again sought assistance of the people in curbing new constructions in the restricted zone around ammunition depot and said that anyone from general public could inform the administration about new unauthorized constructions in this prohibited zone.The information can be sent by post, email or any other means of communication. Mr Meena assured that the name of the informer would not be disclosed.

While presiding over the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner asked the concerned officers to be more vigilant to curb new construction in  that  area of the ammunition depot. He directed to disconnect  the temporary power connections released for construction activities  and seal and dismantle the bore wells being operated in the under construction houses. He said that after serving notice to the persons doing unauthorized constructions in the restricted area, the concerned officer should also take photographs of the construction and demolish it without delay. Mr Meena said that adequate police help will be provided for this purpose. He directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police (headquarters) Dr Abhey Singh Rao in this regard and said that the culprits should be arrested after registering FIR against them.

In the meeting, senior officers of all the concerned departments resolved that no new construction would be allowed in the restricted area and if found ongoing, all the departments would take action pertaining to them.  Mr Meena said that if unauthorised construction is found during inspection by senior officers, the concerned officer incharge would be held responsible.   He said that registration of sale deeds in unauthorized colonies have already been banned by the district administration. Even then, if anybody came across such a case where the sale deed of immoveable property in unauthorized colony was registered, he or she should inform about it to him so that the guilty officer could be brought to book and punished.

The meeting was attended by DCP (HQ) Abhey Singh Rao, Joint Commissioners of Municipal Corporation Gurgoan (MCG) KK Gupta and YS Gupta, Executive Engineers Raman and Rajesh Bansal and other officials of the MCG.

Chandigarh, Jan 2

Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda has ordered Magisterial enquiry  to look into the circumstances leading to the tragic accident of a school van which collided head on with a tuck on the Saha-Shahabad road near Ambala today killing 11 children and the driver of the van and injuring several others.

Mr Hooda announced  to give a financial assistance of Rs one lakh to the next of kin of each killed in the accident  which occurred near Bhita village, about 15 kms from Ambala. Mr Hooda  also announced financial assistance of Rs 25,000 to each seriously injured and Rs.10,000 to each injured.He also added that the injured would be treated free of cost.

The children were in the age group of 5 to 8 years. The school van,  was carrying students of Arjun Public School, a private school, located near Saha.

On getting the news of the tragic accident, the Chief Minister rushed to various hospitals in Ambala and Chandigarh to enquire about the well being of the injured children and console the family members of those who had lost their lives in the accident.

Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee President Mr Phool Chand Mullana, Education Minister Mrs Geeta Bhukkal, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Mr Ram Kishan Gujjar and Mr Ram Kishan Fauji, former Minister Mr Nirmal Singh, Commissioner Police Mr A.K. Dhool, Deputy Commissioner Mr Shekhar Vidyarthi, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr Sashank Anand were also present on this occasion.

According to reports reaching State headquarters, eight children and driver of the van died in Ambala, one child died at Government Hospital Shahbad and two children breathed their last in Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh.

Still  three children are admitted to Military Hospital, Ambala Cantt. and 16 children are undergoing treatment at GMCH, Sector 32, Chandigarh.

Chandigarh, January 2

Haryana Government has decided to organize first ‘Vegetable Festival’ at Centre of Excellence for Vegetable, an Indo-Israel project set up at Gharaunda in district Karnal from January 17 and 19, 2012.

While stating this here today, Minister of State for Agriculture Mr. Sukhbir Kataria said that vision of Haryana Chief Minister Mr. Bhupinder Singh Hooda is pro-farmer and many significant decisions have been taken in the interest of farming community in the state. Haryana is the first state in the country where State Farmers Commission has been constituted for safeguarding the interests of farmers. Also, Haryana State Agriculture Innovation Fund has been set up in the state.

Giving details of the Festival, the Minister said that a seminar for farmers would be organized during the event. Apart from this, competitions on vegetable production would also be organized and winners would be awarded. He said that information about latest technologies in vegetable production, micro irrigation system and horticulture equipments would also be provided to the farmers during the festival.

He urged the farmers to visit the festival and get themselves apprised of latest technologies which are helpful in increasing production of vegetables.

Chandigarh, January 1

Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has invited applications for allotment of 450 free hold residential plots of various sizes in Sector 5, Rohtak.

While stating this here today, a spokesman of HUDA said that of the total plots, 24 were of one Kanal, 72 of 14 Marla, 54 of 10 Marla, 104 of 8 Marla, 127 of 6 Marla and 69 of 4 Marla. Booking for these plots would commence from January 1 and close on March 5, he added.

He said that the brochure containing details as well as prescribed application form could be obtained from the Estate Officer, HUDA, Rohtak and Office of the Chief Administrator, HUDA, besides the authorised branches of various banks on payment of Rs. 100 at the counter. Brochure could also be obtained through registered post from the office of the Chief Administrator, HUDA by sending a demand draft of Rs. 150 in favour of Chief Administrator, HUDA payable at Panchkula.

Application form could be downloaded from the website www.huda.gov.in. Applicant could also apply online on HUDA website and they would have to pay Rs. 50, the half of the cost of application form, alongwith EMD, he added.