By Balwant Singh Buttar
Opposition members in the Rajya Sabha drilled the Minister of State for Finance over the loans extended to the son-in-law and near relatives of the Chief Minister, Haryana by the financial institutions. Mr. L.K. Advani alleged that a massive loan of Rs 90 lakhs was advanced to the son-in-law of the chief minister for starting a distillery in Hassar.
The banks in India have suffered a loss of 1.5 crores of rupees during 198384 due to robberies and dacoities.
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The Defense Ministry has announced that 900 army personnel have been rehabilitated within the army who had deserted their posts following operation ‘Blue Star’ and another 237 will soon be absorbed in Defense Security Corps. The remaining 341 out of the 1478 personnel tried and given minor punishments now in reformatories, the ministry said, would be assessed for their suitability for retention at the conclusion of their terms of imprisonment.
A total of 2733 Sikh personnel were reported as having deserted their units. Of the 2606 on whom courts of inquiry were held 172 were exonerated by these courts, leaving a total of 2337 who were found to be capable of desertion or mutiny and allied offenses. During engagements with other troops and the police, 67 deserters were killed and 30 were reported missing.
But the India Today reported that 5,000 soldiers deserted the army after the operation ‘Blue Star’ whereas other sources put _the number at 15000.
The Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi delivered his maiden Independence Day speech on August 15 from a podium endorsed by bullet proof glass at the historic Red Fort. Security arrangements were so tight that all visitors had to pass through a metal detector before occupying their seats.
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Six hundred candidates from Jullundur, Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Kapurthala districts turned up for 58 vacancies in the Central Reserve Police Force, recruitment for which was held at Ludhiana. 25 vacancies were reserved for the scheduled castes.
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More than 25 percent of the commercial sites and residential plots auctioned by the Chandigarh administration have been surrendered apparently as a sequel to the July 24 Punjab accord. Of the 124 commercial plots sold by the administration on July 9 and 10, more than 60 buyers have capitulated their claims so far. Likewise out of the 73 residential plots, 18 buyers have asked for a refund of their earnest money as they say, they do not need the land any more. One of the probable reasons for the high surrender rate is the ensuing transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab. The real estate agents predict a temporary fall in land prices. There will be a decrease in the rental value of the property. If a buyer surrenders a plot within 30 days of the auction, he has to pay 5% or more of the bid value to seek refund of the earnest money.
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Under the Assam accord signed between the center and the representatives of All Assam Students Union etc. The Assembly constituted after the 1983 election will be dissolved. Fresh elections will be held after intensive revision of the electoral rolls with 1971 being the base. January 1, 1966 will be the cutoff year for clarification and disenfranchisement of the foreign nationals. A care taker Govt. will continue till the new Ministry is formed.
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Dr. Mangal Sein a B.J.P. leader and Dr. Devi Lal a Lok Dal leader have resigned from the Haryana Vidhan Sabha in protest against the Centre Akali accord on the Punjab issue.
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The Prime Minister of India has announced that about 500 youths from Punjab would soon be recruited to the paramilitary forces. He laid the foundation stone of Rs 180 crore integrated coach factory at Hussain pur to the industrially backward district of Kapurthala. It would give direct employment to 10,000 persons.
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The All India Sikh Students Federation has called upon the Sikh masses to reject the recent accord in Punjab. According to a leaflet entitled “Accord A Historic Mistake,” the accord was a “conspiracy to denigrate the Sikhs.” Newspapers of the country, radio and television were “engineering false propaganda” in pursuance of this conspiracy. The federation calls upon the Sikhs living outside Punjab not to fall a prey to the malicious propaganda of the government and the Sant.
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Poor rains in catchment area of Sutlej are causing anxiety in Punjab and Haryana. The usable supply of water from Bhakhra will be much less than last year. The lake level at Bhakhra on August 2 was 21.59 below the level reached last year on the same day. Before the arrival of the monsoon it was 45 feet below last years’ level.
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India has decided to import 20,000 cows not older than 5 years from European countries. The cows will mostly be of the Holstein Freestan breed from West Germany, Netherlands and Denmark.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 6, 1985
