It’s payback time for three Delhi schools
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 29
The Government of NCT of Delhi has “directed” the managements of three schools to “return” the donations taken from parents and cautioned other schools to “take a lesson from this and not resort to such practices.”

Taking a serious view of the hike in fee and the donations sought from parents, the Director of Education on Tuesday summoned the principals/ managers of Rukmani Devi Public School, Pitampura; Mount Carmel, Anand Niketan; and Rai Public School, Lodhi Road.

According to Education Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, the summons were issued on the basis of complaints from parents and reports appearing in a section of the media.

The minister said the Director of Education met with the representatives and directed them to “redress” the “specific” complaints and make the necessary “rectification.”

The minister said the managing committees of the three schools had been directed to strictly follow the directions.

The Government of NCT of Delhi, he said, had received “specific assurances and undertakings (by the three schools)” that they would be doing so.

Detailing the directions issued after the meeting, the minister said Rukmani Devi Public School, Pitampura, had been told to “roll back” all charges they had levied from the 2003-2004 academic session; to charge Rs 1,200 only as annual fee (which was being charged prior to the hike in fee); and to charge computer fee / charges only from the students of classes XI and XII as had opted for the subject. Also, it had been asked not to hike “any fee in any field.”

Mount Carmel, Anand Niketan, had been told to return the donations charged from the parents and send a copy of the acknowledgements from such parents; to submit an undertaking to the effect that the managing committee of the school would not charge donations from any parent; and to abolish the system of “donation seats” immediately.

Rai Public School, Lodhi Road, had been directed to roll back the charges they had levied from the 2003-2004 academic session (“because they had hiked the fee by more than the permissible limit during the past two years”); and not to hike any fee in any field.

Only public schools can choose holiday calendar
Smriti Kak
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 29
While the public schools in the Capital have been allowed to choose the last working day before they close for summer vacations, the schools run and aided by the government have been issued orders to close on May 1. This is to ensure uniformity, claimed the Director of Education.

The recognised public schools in the Capital have been allowed to choose their holiday calendar as they had expressed concern that they might fall short of working days if the government chooses to close on May 1. All schools, including those run by the government, have to complete 210 working days in an academic year.

The Directorate of Education has issued a circular which allows the unaided school authorities to plan their holidays according to their convenience. The circular further states that these schools are free to adhere to a five- or six-day week, but will have to obey the Delhi Government’s orders regarding all gazetted and other public holidays.

These schools have also been advised to consult the Parent Teacher Associations before deciding on the vacation calendar. The government schools, on the other hand, have to follow the calendar drawn up by the government. “We wanted to ensure uniformity in government schools since they are run by a single agency. The public schools have been exempted since they have to complete 210 working days,” said the Director of Education, Mr Rajinder Kumar. When asked whether the government schools would be able to meet the requirement of the stipulated working days despite closing earlier, he said: “These schools work six days a week and can cover the stipulated 210 days.”

The decision, however, has led to resentment. The Delhi Abhibhavak Mahasangh (DAM) has said that the decision will further widen the chasm between the government and public schools. The DAM, in a letter to the Chief Minister, Ms Shiela Dikshit, pointed out that the move would create ambiguity and cause discrimination.

Reality check: SAD to project itself as real dal
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 29
In a move to strengthen the Shiromani Akali Dal’s bargaining power before the assembly poll in Delhi, the SAD general secretary, Mr Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, has embarked on a party mobilisation drive.

‘’There is only one Shiromani Akali Dal which has the mandate of the Sikh diaspora across the world. And all other Akali Dals are bogus,’’ Mr Dhindsa told the meeting held last evening in the DSGMC ward of his party’s Delhi unit chief Avtar Singh Hit.

“Also, I assure you that SAD, the true representative of the Sikhs, will not be satisfied unless its candidates contest elections in at least five assembly seats,’’ he said.

The SAD has raised the ante as it fared poorly in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee poll. It could win only 14 seats in the 46-member DSGMC. On the other hand, the pro-Tohra SAD (Delhi) faction had won 27 seats.

Moreover, the SAD, which contested from five wards in the MCD poll in the Capital in alliance with the BJP, could win only one seat.

‘’Our party received no ground-level support from the BJP whose workers seemed reluctant to accompany Akalis during the campaign,’’ a senior SAD leader said. In the last assembly poll too, it was the non-cooperative attitude of the BJP which resulted in the party’s debacle.

Mr Dhindsa’s move, political observers said, was aimed at taking stock of the party’s strengths and weaknesses to enable it to bargain on a firm footing.

Some senior leaders feel that the demand for five seats was a major climbdown as Mr Dhindsa had often claimed that his party could swing the votes in at least 10 assembly segments.

They also pointed out that in the last assembly poll SAD had demanded 10 seats but the BJP had yielded only five. Moreover, in these five seats the BJP happened to be on a losing wicket.

Political observers said if Mr Dhindsa was being realistic in his estimate, then he should stick to his guns on the assembly segments too, otherwise the purpose of contesting the poll would be defeated.

In the first of a series of 11 public meetings which SAD has planned across the Capital as part of its Delhi election campaign, Mr Dhindsa mounted a covert attack on Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chief Paramjit Singh Sarna. (There have been news reports that Mr Sarna might not dissolve his party even if SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal and former SGPC president Gurcharan Singh Tohra come together on one platform.)

BJP fights shy of contesting corruption charges
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 29
Pushed on the backfoot by the bad press the arrest of an official “hand-picked” by its president, Mr Madan Lal Khurana, generated, the Delhi Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party wants to steer clear of all controversies, even those involving its own members.

Former BJP MLA Karan Singh Tanwar, who, the Congress alleged, had held on to Cantonment Board land despite the eviction orders by the Delhi High Court and influenced a Union Minister of State to stake claim on the property, has been left alone to defend his reputation.

The Delhi Pradesh BJP does not want to join issue with the Congress yet. The allegations, the party sources said, were anyhow motivated by electoral considerations. The controversy erupted after the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre threw all constitutional norms to the wind to encourage encroachment of land in Cantonment Board, Naraina.

“In spite of the decision of the Delhi High Court,” DPCC President Subhash Chopra on April 18 told mediapersons, “a Union Minister of State tried to shield the encroachers from being evicted by the defence authorities by putting pressure on the Army authorities.”

Mr Chopra, flanked by Ms Kiran Chaudhary and Mr Jagdish Tytler, told reporters it was a shame that the authorities, which were supposed to be custodians of the land, were aiding and abetting the encroachers. “We demand a CBI inquiry into this land scam,” he said.

The land in question was taken over by the Army in 1976-77 after due notification and payment of compensation. The Congress claimed a former BJP legislator encroached upon this land in 1980 after forging documents.

PROBLEM OF PLENTY
Traders cash in on wheat glut
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, April 29
While the foodgrain markets in the district are bulging with heavy arrivals of wheat, a nexus of traders and buyers has been taking advantage of the glut.

The nexus is reportedly cornering huge profits by denying the farmer the minimum support price (MSP) for his produce.

According to sources in various mandis and purchase centres in this district, about 30 to 35 per cent of the produce is being bought by traders through benami transactions and the balance 70 per cent by government agencies.

Incidentally, small and marginal farmers are being offered a rate of Rs 550 to Rs 580 per quintal at their doorstep by traders on the ground that there are numerous problems in the mandis and at the purchase centres set up by the state government.

These farmers, who have only 10 to 50 quintals of surplus wheat, prefer such deals as they do not want to face undue harassment at mandis and incur extra expenses on transporting their produce.

Market sources say that farmers holding other rabi crops like sarson and barley are also being forced to sell their produce to private parties much below the MSP.

Representatives of various parties and farmers’ organisations have been claiming that the state government is yet to start procurement of sarson and barley. Sixty to seventy per cent of the sarson produce has been bought by the private traders so far while only 30 to 35 per cent was bought by marketing societies.

As regards wheat, 1,77,121 tonnes has so far arrived in the markets and other purchase centres compared to 1,37,947 tonnes in the corresponding period last year.

The official figures of the purchases put out by the procurement agencies are disputed by the farmers. They continue to allege that benami transactions are the order of the day, which enable the traders to evade the market fee and the sales tax.

The officials of the Excise and Taxation Department as well as the market committees of Ganaur and Gohana towns have reportedly failed to check the malpractices.

The sluggish pace at which the wheat stocks are lifted by the procurement agencies from the markets is another reason for the glut.

Many farmers have alleged they have not been paid for the wheat sold in the past two weeks, despite clear instructions given by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, that the farmers should get their payment within 72 hours.

MURDER AT NOON
72-yr-old wife of transporter found strangled
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 29
The 72-year-old wife of a businessman was strangulated to death by three persons this afternoon in the Malviya Nagar area of South district. The house was found to be ransacked.

The suspects, two labourers and a contractor, were working in the victim’s house for the past seven days and engaged in laying a marble floor. The victim, Arvansh Kaur, (72), was alone at her house when the incident occurred. Her husband, G S Panthak (77), a transporter, was away on some assignment with the victim’s nephew. The body was discovered when the husband returned at around 1.30 and found the main gate locked from outside. When he entered the house, Panthak found his wife lying on the floor with a handkerchief around her neck.

Kaur was immediately rushed to a local hospital where she was declared brought dead. The police said that the suspects, after murdering the woman, ransacked the house and ran away with the cash and the jewellery. The incident has rattled the residents in the area. The labourers, who were working in the house since April 24, seemed to know where the valuables were kept in the house, the police said. They were hired by Panthak through a friend; they were to be paid Rs 1,200 for seven days and had been paid an advance of Rs 300. The victim is survived by six sons and four daughters and some of them are settled in the same locality. The police have got a detailed description of the suspects and launched a hunt.

DANCE OF DEATH
27 ‘suicides’ in 22 days
Our Correspondent

Ghaziabad, April 29
There have been 27 suicides in just 22 days in Uttar Pradesh. Of these, 14 persons died in 13 days in Ghaziabad. Incidentally, the deceased in all these cases committed suicide or killed their kin due to acute financial hardship.

UP’s death roster reads as follows:

On April 5, a labourer couple had committed suicide in Meerut. Reason: Penury.

On April 14, a father killed his four children in Ghaziabad; he is himself absconding. Reason: The family was on the verge of starvation.

On April 16, a woman torched herself and her three kids in Ghaziabad. Reason: Unable to provide even one meal to her kids.

On April 23, six members of an ex-serviceman’s family embraced death in Kanpur. Reason: Penury, depression.

On April 26, four kids were charred to death by their mother in Bulandshahar. Reason: Starvation.

April 27, a family of six committed suicide in Loni Ghaziabad. Reason: Abject poverty.

Kalahandis do exist in various parts of the country.

Boy missing from lock-up; villagers protest

Ghaziabad: The local villagers raised slogans today against the police and blocked the highway in front of Pasaunda village in Loni area in protest against the illegal detention of a boy, who is now missing from the police lock-up.

Four days ago, Sahibabad police had rounded up Aas Mohammed alias Aasu, son of Abbas, and accused him of stealing a motorcycle.

Now, his family and others fear that the boy might have been done to death. The family learnt on Monday night that Aasu was missing from the police lock-up.

The Circle Officer, Mr Kamal Kishore, has tried to ally the villagers’ fears and assured them that the boy will soon be produced by the police in the court. OC

Civil hospital blood bank told to close shop

Sonepat
Owing to sheer negligence on the part of the Sonepat district health authorities, the Director-General, Health Services, Haryana, has issued orders for the closure of the blood bank in the local Civil Hospital. The authorities apparently did not bother to deposit the renewal fee.

The blood bank met the emergency demands of the victims of accidents on the GT Road. OC

COMMUNITY

Govt changing VRS into CRS: Bank union
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, April 29
The national general secretary of the National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW), Mr V V Indulkar, has accused the Central government of converting Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) into Compulsory Retirement Scheme (CRS) by bringing discriminatory changes in the banking working system.

Speaking to mediapersons at Gohana, about 35 km from here, Mr Indulkar said the Government, under pressure from the WTO, World Bank and multi-national companies, has been bringing drastic changes in the service rules of the banks.

He said that the NOBW has planned to launch an awareness campaign from July 23, birthday of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, pioneer of swadeshi, up to August 9, anniversary of Quit India Movement, throughout the country to exert pressure on the government for presenting justifiable stand in WTO sammelan scheduled to be held at Mexico on September 20.

He pointed out that the banking authorities were planning to shift those employees becoming surplus due to computerisation of the work, in the remote and faraway places so that they get fed up and seek VRS.

“Though it will be called VRS, in fact it will be a CRS,” he commented, adding that there would be more problems for women employees.

He said the Vajpayee Government had come into power in the name of swadeshi, but now was working in the name of videshi. “From where the government will create one crore jobs for which it has been giving a lollipop to the people of country for many years,” he asked.

He was accompanied by zone secretary Ashwani Rana, national general secretary of All India PNB workers organisation, Satish Chhabra and former general secretary of Haryana unit, Raj Singh Saini.

Special Focus on Gurgaon
Uphaar ruling to usher in more accountability : PHDCCI
Ravi S.Singh
Tribune News Service

Gurgaon, April 29
The president of the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), Mr P.K. Jain, has hailed the court judgement on Uphaar tragedy, saying that the ruling will usher in greater accountability by both the public and private sectors.

Mr Jain, who is a founder president of Gurgaon Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and who has his firm here, said that the judgement would imbue a new sensitivity in the joint initiatives by the public and private sectors to ensure better public safety.

According to him, while the private sector invariably faces public outrage in such incidents, the Delhi High Court’s judgement rightly brings to light the usual apathy of the public administration bodies. It is normally seen that in the case of private agencies, chairmen and managing directors, even if they are not directly designated officers to discharge a certain responsibility are held accountable if somethings goes amiss and FIRs are lodged against them whereas in the case of public agencies, the CEOs or chairman or vice-chairman of such undertakings go off scot-free.

The High Court in its judgement announced compensation to the victims of the Uphaar incident and penalised the pubic administration organisations by apportioning 45 per cent of the total compensation to be paid by them in recognition of their careless execution of basic duties.

In its ruling, it laid down that it was the improper maintenance of the unapproved Delhi Vidyut Board transformer in the Uphaar theatre which was the cause of the incident. It also establishes that the MCD and the licensing authorities had not applied necessary caution while providing sanctions to the theatre, Mr Jain added.

According to him, this kind of accountability even on the part of the government bodies and officials was there in environmental jurisprudenc embedded in the concept of ‘polluter pays principle’ and ‘strict liability’.

Noidaites fret and fume over amenities tax
Our Correspondent

Noida, April 29
Noidaites have started organising themselves to oppose the public amenities tax being imposed on them by the Noida Authority at the behest of the state government.

The members of Noida Entrepreneurs Association, Residents Welfare Associations and Citizen Council met at different places and discussed the issue. The consensus was that any tax on the residents in addition to the existing lease rent would be unfair.

The orders received from the state government under Section 11 of the UP Industrial Development Ordinance, 1976, have empowered the Noida Authority to impose and recover the tax. For this purpose, the Amenities Tax of 1992 stands amended as Amenities Tax, 2002.

A debate is raging on the desirability of imposing the amenities tax. Apart from residential and industrial organisations, the trade and commerce outfits are also getting organised to resist the government move.

A meeting was called on Saturday in Sector-6 to discuss this issue in which district president of Uttar Pradesh Udyog Vapar Mandal Sunil Gupta, general secretary P. S. Jain of the Federation of Residents Welfare Associations, Noida Entrepreneurs Association president Rakesh Katyal, former president M. Z. Khan, president of Women Entrepreneurs Association Bimla Batham, office-bearer of markets of various sectors, had taken part. It was pointed out that the Authority cannot collect two types of taxes. Already, it is recovering the lease rent. Hence, it cannot levy another tax, without proper discussions with the residents and various professional bodies.

Dr Om Prakash, CEO, Noida, said that the government had okayed the proposal for levying the tax, but the actual modalities would be worked out by the Authority in meetings with the local representatives. The Noida municipal committees and nagar nigams were offering more facilities and amenities to the residents. Therefore, the Authority was within its rights to impose these taxes, he added.

House tax move rattles Rohtak residents
Our correspondent

Rohtak, April 29
The increase in the house tax seems to be a ‘hot potato’ for the district administration here. The municipal councillors have threatened to launch an agitation if the ‘arbitrary’ increase in the house tax was not withdrawn.

In a statement signed by more than 10 municipal councillors, it was stated today that the councillors, accompanied by the residents, had staged a demonstration in protest against the house tax policy on April 25.

The councillors said they raised their voice against the ‘unjustified’ hike, setting aside their party affiliations.

They said the house tax had been revised in 2001-2002 by the MC which should remain in force for five years as per the prevalent practice.

However, they said this tax was again revised this year which was absolutely unfair.

They said the residents were shocked to see an increase up to 400 per cent in their house taxes. They sought that the house tax should be revised after every five years and the hike should not exceed 25 per cent.

The councillors alleged that the government made three to fivefold increase in the collectorate rates.

They warned that they would soon launch a dharna on the premises of the municipal council.

Faridabad residents thirst for water
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, April 29
Several parts of the town and district are reeling from the water scarcity. Even the much-publicised ‘Ranneywell water scheme’ inaugurated by the Chief Minister in January has failed to solve the problem.

Women residents of several colonies in the NIT area have demonstrated outside the office of the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) daily for the past 15 days.

A group of woman also staged a protest over the water shortage. They charged the corporation officials with not providing water to hundreds of houses of Sanjay Colony in the NIT area here.

Although the residents of some of the sectors and colonies have admitted that the new scheme had improved the water supply, it has failed to bring relief to over a dozen colonies in the NIT. Reports of acute shortage of drinking water have also poured in from subdivisional towns like Hodal, Ballabgarh and Palwal.

Ponds and water bodies in many villages have either dried up or water level gone down and the villagers have been awaiting the filling up of the ponds by the irrigation department.

Nurse injured in ceiling mishap
Our Correspondent

Noida, April 29
The condition of the staff quarters in the District Government Hospital in Sector-30, Noida is so bad that ten quarters have been vacated by the staff recently. Particularly bad are 74 staff quarters of Type-II and Type-III. They are in a dilapidated condition.

A nurse, Asha Tiwari, sustained injuries in flat No 6 of Type-II two days ago and had to be admitted in the same hospital for treatment.

The civil engineering department of the Directorate-General of Health Service, Lucknow, have reportedly expressed its inability to carry out necessary repairs for want of budget.

Asha Tiwari, was getting ready in her quarter No. 6 to leave for her duty at about 2 pm on Saturday when the plaster from the ceiling gave away and fell on her, injuring her seriously. She slumped on the floor unconscious and was taken to the hospital. She remained there for two days.

Asha Tiwari said that she had written half a dozen letters to the senior officers about the pitiable conditions of the staff quarters. But so far there is no action.

Engineer Ashok Kumar said that with the budget allotted, only exterior of the flats could be whitewashed.

The indoor repairs could not be carried out within the meagre budget. Significantly, no repairs had ever been done in the flats ever since they were constructed some 20 years ago.

The proposal recommended by the hospital was rejected by DG Health only a Rs 4.32 lakh were approved for the work. Engineer of D G Health Services B P Gupta and Ashok Kumar, the local Civil Engineer had said an accident could take place any day in view of the dangerous conditions of the houses.

DELHI DIGEST
Need for active policing emphasised by Delhi Police Commissioner
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 29
The Commissioner of Police, Mr R. S. Gupta emphasized the need to provide a fillip to active policing in all police stations by strengthening investigations and beat patrolling. He emphasised this issue at a meeting with the Lt- Governor, Mr Vijai Kapoor at Raj Niwas.

The meeting was attended by the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government, Mrs Shailja Chandra and all Joint Commissioners of the Delhi Police. The Lt- Governor, Mr Vijai Kapoor, asked the Police Commissioner to take immediate step to redeploy more than 1,000 police personnel who have now become available from other security duties such as at the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

SHO to be held responsible

The Delhi Police Commissioner, Mr R. S. Gupta, has issued guidelines that the SHOs would be held responsible for the conduct of his juniors if they were found indulging in corrupt practices. The supervisory officers in the districts and other units have been advised that if any subordinate officer working under them is found to be indulging in malpractices, it will be taken as an adverse reflection on the quality of their supervision and performance.

The guidelines state that in such an eventuality, the supervisory officers will be asked to explain steps taken to eradicate corruption in the district.

The Anti-Corruption Branch have registered cases against 11 police personnel last year, the Commissioner of Police said.

Load-shedding

The North Delhi Power Limited (NDPL) announced a rotational power cut in a few selected areas from tomorrow. The areas affected by the rotational power cut include Blocks BJ, AH and AK of Shalimar Bagh. The power supply cut is being initiated by the NDPL to revamp transformer number 1, 630 KVA substation number 4A in Shalimar Bagh, a press release said.

Cops given out-of-turn promotion

Two personnel of the Delhi Police Special Cell have been given out-of-turn promotion in recognition of their commendable work in investigating and handling gang wars and terrorism related crimes.

Sub-Inspectors Hriday Bhushan and Lalit Mohan Negi have been elevated to the post of Inspector. They have been rewarded for their exemplary contribution to the investigations, which led to the killing of dreaded gangster Bunty Gujjar and for cracking several terrorism related crimes, police sources said. The sources said that both the policemen played major role in the investigation of the case related to the terrorist attack on Parliament House, in which three persons had been sentenced to death and a lone woman convict, had been awarded five years imprisonment by a special POTA Court.

Suicide by NDMC employee

An employee of the NDMC, Manish Kumar, reportedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his residence in the NDMC headquarters, Chankyapuri, last evening. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and one son. No suicide note was found, the police said. He was reportedly involved in a quarrel last night and thereafter, took the extreme step. Investigation into the case is in progress, the police said.

DDA employee killed

A draftman in DDA, Harish Chand, reportedly committed suicide by jumping from 17th floor of the Vikas Minar here this morning. He had joined the DDA in 1982. Investigated are on to ascertain the cause of the suicide, the police said.

NCR BRIEFS
CM accused of adopting anti-farmer policies
Our Correspondents

Rohtak, April 29
Charging the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala of being anti-farmer, the youth wing of the Haryana Vikas Party has alleged that the Chief Minister has betrayed the farmers, who had played a vital role in bringing the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) to power.

In a statement here today, Mr Kultaj Singh, state general-secretary of the youth wing of the party, said the Chief Minister used to encourage the farmers to protest against the government while he was in the Opposition.

He alleged that Mr Chautala had adopted an anti-farmer attitude as soon as he assumed power.

The HVP leader alleged that false cases were being registered against the farmers, who raised their voice against the atrocities of the government.

He alleged that innocent farmers were being lodged into jails by framing false charges against them. He alleged that the ‘faulty’ policies of the Chief Minister had also ruined the employees, traders and the common man.

Serving the nation

The Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairman, Zila Sainik Board, Mr Ashok Yadav, claimed that Rohtak district has made significant contribution to the armed forces in the country. In a statement here today, Mr Yadav said nearly 10,580 military personnels from this district are engaged in protecting the nation. He said around 14,500 ex-servicemen and 2,535 war widows were from Rohtak district.

He said soldiers from the Rohtak district have displayed exemplary courage and been awarded for it.

He said Naik Samunder Singh of Sanghi, Naik Jasbir Singh of Sisar, Naik Rajbir Singh of Lakhan Majra, Rifleman Jasbir Singh of Samain, Naik Krishan Lal of Titauli, Naik Vijay Singh of Sunderpur, Havildar Balwan Singh of Jindaran, Naik Suresh Kumar of Mokhra and petty officer Mahabir Verma of Rohtak had laid their lives for the nation.

Science paper cancelled at two centres

Bhiwani: The Haryana School Education Board has cancelled the Science paper of the Matriculation examination at two centres on account of widespread interference. According to officials, 110 cases of copying were detected. The Chairman of the Board, Mr Rambir Singh, said the flying squad led by him caught 54 examinees using unfair means during the Science paper.

Another flying squad inspected seven examination centres and found outside interference at Adampur Dadhi and Bigowa centres in Bhiwani district. The papers there were cancelled.

He said that flying squad teams conducted surprise checking at Rithod, Bhondsi of Sohna and Badshahpur centres. Flying squad teams also inspected the examination centres at Kanina, Bahu Jholri, Sudhi, Kosli and Nahad centres and nabbed 39 students using unfair means.

LJP nails Bhajan’s remark on poll tie-up

Panipat
The Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) has pooh-poohed the statement of Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC) president Bhajan Lal in which he has stated that some discussions were going on with the CPM leaders for an electoral alliance in Fatehabad Assembly by-election.

He remarked that if the joint candidate of LJP, CPM and CPI had not entered the election fray, then the HPCC president would have opted to field his own son as the Congress nominee in this by-election. Such statements of Mr Bhajan Lal give a clear indication of his frustration, he added. OC