Faridabad, April 20
As the unusual delay in the issuance of the VAT notification regarding tax on medicines has led to a sort of drugs crisis throughout the state, chemists across the state have announced to go on an indefinite strike from April 22. The Haryana State Chemists and Druggists Association, which has been demanding the issuance of the notification for allowing billing under the new tax rate of four per cent on medicines as per the VAT structure that came into implementation in 21 states across the country, has alleged that despite meeting the Chief Minister at least four times and submitting several reminders, the notification had not been issued leading to the present crisis.

A spokesman for the association said here today that while there was no justification for the delay in the issuance of the notification, there was no supply of medicines of a majority of brands, including life saving drugs, after March 15. He said that the wholesalers and the carrying and forwarding suppliers had stopped the supply of medicines thinking that new supplies could be made with billing at 4 per cent tax instead of earlier 10 per cent as the Union Government had announced to put only 4 per cent of tax on medicines in all states where VAT had come into practice. He said that as VAT was already in existence in Haryana it needed just a notification about the new tax structure. But, he said, against expectation and the guidelines issued by the Union Government the state government had been keeping the matter pending unnecessarily and causing inconvenience to both medicine dealers and consumers. He claimed that while the retailers were still charging tax at 10 per cent and more on medicines being sold even after April 1, there was now an acute shortage of medicines with both wholesalers and the retailers as billing had come to a halt in Haryana. There had been no supply of medicines for the past over 30 days as the suppliers of drugs had been awaiting the notification.

It is claimed that there could be problems for the suppliers and retailers over the rates and prices of the medicines if these were supplied with billing under the old rate of taxes. According to the president of the association, Mr R.K. Khera, a delegation of the association first met the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, on April 4. They had also taken up the matter at least six times in the past about three weeks ago. But, he said, despite assurance from the Chief Minister things had failed to move in the proper direction. He said that after meeting the Chief Minister in Chandigarh yesterday the association held a meeting last evening and decided to go on strike from April 22. It could be an indefinite one if there was no proper response from the government by April 22 morning. Claiming that not only the consumers and the chemists were facing the problems on account of the delay, but also the Haryana Government was losing a huge revenue on account of the billing of medicines, which, he said, was to the tune of several crores daily. There are around 7,000 chemists and over 2,000 wholesalers of medicines in the state at present.

Ambala/Panchkula:
Chemist shops in Haryana will remain closed from April 22, till such time VAT on medicines is not reduced to 4 per cent.

Haryana State Chemists & Druggists Association president Mr RK Khera and president of the District Chemists Association, BB Singhal today said that they had decided to give two days’ time to the state government for issuance of notification for reducing VAT to 4 per cent.

“If VAT on medicines is not reduced to 4 per cent, then we will be forced to close chemist shops from April 22. The strike will continue till such time the notification is made,” Mr Khera said. Mr Singhal added that a meeting of the district association had been held and members had unanimously supported the strike call while urging the state government to notify the new tax rate on a priority basis.

He pointed out that VAT had been implemented in 21 states on April 1, 2005, while VAT had been introduced in Haryana on April 1, 2003. “At the national level, VAT on medicines is 4 per cent while VAT on medicines in Haryana is 10 per cent,” he said.

Earlier, a delegation of chemists had met the Chief Minister Mr BS Hooda on April 4, 2005 and again a delegation met Mr Hooda on April 7, 2005. He said that Mr Hooda agreed to the request of the delegation for reducing VAT on medicines to 4 per cent.

Mr Khera said that although the Chief Minister as well as the ministers concerned had agreed to their request, no notification in this regard was issued. “Resultantly, a shortage of medicines has taken place in the state. The medicine distributors had assumed that the VAT would be lowered and then they would again start selling. Chemist shops have less medicines,” he said.

Chandigarh, April 20
A delegation of Haryana Pradesh Beopar Mandal today met the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, here and presented a list of 20 demands to him. Later, talking to reporters the mandal president, Mr Bajrang Das Garg, said the demands include scrapping of Sales Tax Form 38, keep the VAT on some items down to four per cent and taking steps to improve the law and order situation so as to instill confidence among the traders.

“Many unjustified taxes were levied by the previous state government and traders had to face a lot of difficulty. Oil mills of Haryana, which were at number one position till a few years ago, are in bad shape today,” Mr Garg told reporters.

The state government also issued a press note regarding the meeting between the CM and the traders’ organisation. The note stated that the CM offered a number of incentives for the traders and business community during the meeting. The incentives included setting up of consultative committees at district and state level for redressal of their grievances, withdrawal of Form R-3 and payment of VAT refund within one month.

Mr Hooda also assured that cases registered against any trader by the previous government to settle political or personal scores would be examined on merit and withdrawn, if so warranted. While commenting on the demands put up by the mandal, the Chief Minister said consultative committees would include their representatives as well. The CM said the system of charging interest for delayed payment of VAT would be rationalised. While commenting on Beopar Mandal’s proposal for exempting units of Khadi Gram Udyog from payment of VAT, he said the issue required discussion at the national level. While referring to the other issues concerning VAT, he said these were being discussed at the national level and hopefully would be sorted out to the satisfaction all the parties concerned.

Chandigarh, April 20
The Haryana Government today imposed a ban on general transfers in the state.

An official release quoting Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said a decision had been taken to impose a “complete ban” on general transfers due to various reasons, including to avoid expenditure and disruption in the functioning of various departments, it said.

The state has around 2.50 lakh employees and according to a rough estimate, about 25,000 of them were transferred, the release said. — PTI

Chandigarh, April 20
The Chief Minister of Haryana, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, yesterday announced that all villages in the state would daily get an assured supply of electricity from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. with immediate effect.

The Chief Minister, who reviewed the power situation in a meeting with senior officers of the Power Department here yesterday however, said there could be half-an-hour. Efforts would be made to make people aware about the timing of the cut.

He also announced that within each electricity circle there would be an assured supply of six hours and four hours on alternate days during the daytime. Mr Hooda said a decision to this effect had been taken in view of the people’s demand for supplying electricity, especially during night.

Mr Hooda said in case any consumer fails to get electricity as per this schedule, one could complain to the Managing Director, Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam at phone No. 0172-2572535 and fax No. 0172-2583741 or the Managing Director, Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, Hisar, at phone No. 01662-221724 and fax No. 01662-220953.

Rewari, April 20
Mr Lakhmi Chand Goyal (64), a cloth merchant of Dharuhera, was shot dead by armed robbers at his shop in the main market on Monday night.

Mr Mukesh Goyal (42), son of the deceased, also received bullet injuries. He was rushed to Raman Munjal Hospital, Dharuhera, where he was given first-aid after which he was taken to the Batra Hospital, Delhi, where his condition was stated to be out of danger.

The gangsters decamped with Rs 3 lakh in a Santro car (DL 3C 2080). The car was impounded by the Dharuhera police.

When Lakhmi Chand Goyal had put the sale proceeds (amounting to about Rs 3 lakh) in a bag at about 8.30 pm and he and his son were about to close the shop, the robbers, appeared on the scene.

One of them fired shots from his pistol indiscriminately while his accomplice snatched the money bag. Some shopkeepers tried to chase the Santro car and a youth pelted a stone which smashed the rear glass of the car. However, the robbers managed to flee.

Lakhmi Chand Goyal, who received several bullet shots in the chest, was rushed to the Raman Munjal Hospital where he was declared “brought dead”.

Later, irate shopkeepers and other residents of Dharuhera blocked national Highway No. 8 at 10.30 pm. The blockade was lifted at about 11.30 pm at the intervention of Dr C.S. Rao, SP, Rewari, who reportedly assured the people that the police would make all efforts to arrest the killers.

Shopkeepers and traders of Dharuhera observed a total bandh today in protest against the murder of their fellow merchant. The funeral of Lakhmi Chand Goyal at Bhiwadi today was attended by hundreds of shopkeepers and other residents of Dharuhera.

Hisar, April 20
“If you have the time and money, you must travel because travelling broadens your outlook and is an excellent means of self-development. But always remember that travelling is different from tourism as a traveller doesn’t know where he is going; and a tourist doesn’t know where he has been.”

These are some interesting observations made by Daan, a 27-year-old social worker from Belgium, who has embarked on a global voyage on his bicycle. Having started from his native country in September, 2004, this enthusiastic youth has already covered 13 countries. Sharing his experiences in India, Daan appreciated its unity in diversity and the feeling of nationalism among Indians. A vegetarian, Daan is all praise for Indian food. “I like the staple Indian diet of daal-roti besides masala dosa”, he says.

“One thing I find amazing about the Indians is their unpredictability, as you do not know which way a person is going to react on being approached,” he maintains. Daan recalls that in a small town near Mumbai, somebody threw a stone at him without any provocation. But he had barely gone 500 metres when another person invited him to stay at his place. “He also offered me all help, including taking care of my bicycle while I was away,” he narrates.

Regarding Indo-Pakistan ties, he asserts that the Indians have little interest in Indo-Pak politics. “I don’t think the Indians hate Pakistanis…the only thing they want is victory in cricket matches with them,” he remarks. From Hisar, he plans to go to Amritsar, from where he will proceed to Pakistan.

He says that he found the people of Iran very hospitable, “though there was a wide gap between the approach of the people and the government.”

On the whole, Daan found that a common factor among the residents of most of the countries he visited was their strong anti-US sentiment. “In general, the people are against the US operations in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he maintains.

Daan is happy that his parents approved of the idea and the Belgian government provided him financial assistance for his journey. His parents came to India to see him around two weeks ago.

After travelling through so many countries and gaining varied experiences, Daan feels that “think global, act local” is the ideal mantra in the present day scenario. Though he had to face many difficulties during the course of his journey, he is determined to achieve his ambitious target of covering 20 countries.

Jhajjar, April 20
In Naya Gaon, the village that witnessed riots after panchayat poll on April 3, life has come to a standstill. Though outwardly everything seems to be normal, undercurrent of acute tension propelled by mutual distrust among members of the warring caste groups, has forced virtual closure of the village school as not many parents dare send their children there under the prevailing circumstances.

During the day, villagers can be seen running about to complete the harvesting operations. However, the unusual hurry with which they are going about their business betrays their sense of insecurity.

They are keen to complete the already delayed job at the earliest because the situation does not permit them to work after sunset. Nobody ventures out in the dark.

A riot had broken out in the village after polling on April 3 during which dozens of houses were ransacked and property worth several lakhs was destroyed or heavily damaged. The Jats have since then held several panchayats in nearby villages trying to find a solution, but instead of solving the dispute, these exercises have only created more bitterness among the villagers. A magisterial probe ordered by the district administration is underway. A meeting between representatives of two groups convened by the SDM will be held tomorrow at Bahadurgarh. But a solution is unlikely to emerge considering the demands being made by the rival groups.

Mr Roop Chand Saini, who was declared elected as Sarpanch, alleges that half a dozen Jat youths in the village had spoiled the atmosphere. They are criminals and their parents have no control over them. On the other hand, the Jats say the Sainis rigged the poll and attacked their houses after the polling. They are now demanding a repoll and would not settle for anything less than that. However, that is not legally possible since the Sarpanch has already been declared legally elected.

“In that case the Sarpanch should be asked to resign to ensure harmony in the village”, Mr Omendra Singh, a leader of the Jat community told The Tribune today. He also demanded disciplinary action against the SDM and the DSP alleging that they had backed the Sainis and were now shielding them.

While, the two groups continue to blame each other, it is apparent that the April 3 clashes were the result of another similar clash which took place about eight months ago. 

Sonepat, April 20
The police today arrested Mr Vimal Kishore, a BJP leader and former municipal councillor, in connection with a case of beating registered against him on the complaint of Mr Harish Kumar, a supporter of Mr Sanjay, a rival candidate of Mr Kishore who had won the election from ward No. 7 in this city.

According to a report, Mr Kishore was produced before the Judicial Magistrate who released him on bail. After the release, Mr Kishore said the complainant had quarrelled with his wife and attacked his house along with other supporters on April 17 last. His wife made a complaint to the SP the police failed to take assailants. In turn, the police registered a case against him and arrested him.

Chandigarh, April 20
The Haryana unit of the Bharatiya Kisan Union has demanded that the government should give compensation for crops destroyed by fire on the pattern of losses caused by natural calamities like rain and hailstorms.

The demand was made when a delegation of the union led by its president, Mr Ghasi Ram Nain, met the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, here today. Mr Hooda assured the delegation that its demand would be considered sympathetically.

He also announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs 1 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for the family of Chandru, who died following a fire in the standing wheat crop in Daheshra village of Sonepat district.

The BKU also demanded that the criminal cases registered against its activists by the Chautala government should be withdrawn immediately. It also demanded that the private sugar mills should be asked to immediately pay the arrears for sugarcane to the farmers. The union said the arrears of power bills in the case of the farm sector should be written off.

Mr Hooda told Mr Nain that the demands of the union would be considered sympathetically. The government had already setup a five-member Cabinet subcommittee to study the issue of arrears of the power bills under the chairmanship of the Finance Minister, Mr Birender Singh. The government would accept the recommendations of the subcommittee in toto, Mr Hooda added.

Kurukshetra, April 20
CBI trapped an official of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for taking a bribe of Rs 25,000 from a contractor at Kurukshetra this morning.

The CBI team later searched his office and residence in Sector 5 to establish more evidence of his corrupt record by going through the official documents of the contracts given by him and gather information regarding the details of the property owned by him and his family.

Confirming this, Mr G. Mohanty, spokesman of the CBI, told The Tribune over the telephone from New Delhi that Mr Krishan Kumar, an FCI contractor, had complained to the investigating agency at its Chandigarh office that Mr Gulshan Kumar, Assistant Manager (Civil) of the FCI posted at Kurukshetra, was demanding a bribe of Rs 25,000 to release the security deposit of Rs 1 lakh that he had deposited along with the tender to get a contract of constructing inner roads of the FCI complex/ godown at Pipli.

The CBI official said that reacting to this complaint, a 12-member team of the agency headed by a DSP raided the office of the official at Kurukshetra at about 10.00 a.m. and caught him red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 25,000 from the complainant.

However, the FCI official denied demanding and taking any bribe from the contractor. He alleged that the contractor had forcibly tried to hand over the amount to him.

Eyewitnesses and subordinate staff of Mr Gulshan Kumar said that they heard a noise from the office of the official who was shouting at the contractor to leave his office. When the contractor did not leave his office, the FCI official himself came out of the building in the open where a few persons (CBI officials) manhandled him and allegedly dragged him back to his office.

The office staff of the FCI resisted to this act and even tried to save their official but the CBI team overpowered them. Till this act, no body knew that it was a CBI raid.

Later in the evening the CBI took away the FCI official to its Chandigarh office for further investigations.

Sirsa, April 20
The senior vice-president of the state Youth Congress, Mr Surinder Singh Nehra, has demanded a high-level inquiry into the admission of Abhey Singh Chautala in the Department of Law at Chaudhary Devi Lal University (CDLU).

Reacting to the reports published in The Tribune, Mr Nehra, Zila Parishad member of Sirsa, had raised objections over the functioning of the university, which was established by the former Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chaulata. He said Abhey had never attended the class in the three-year professional degree course but “managed” to get the roll number to take examinations.

The youth Congress leader demanded an inquiry to nail the culprits.

“Involvement of certain officials and teachers in a bid to woo the politicians had raised serious question over functioning of the CDLU. This shows how the things were bend and hidden during the INLD misrule,’’ he alleged.

Mr Nehra also stressed upon the need to investigate by the handwriting experts to check if Abhey himself wrote in the answersheets in the examination of the last two years.

Commenting on the entire admission, he said that the Department of Law should make all aspects of the student in question clear. “The arrogant attitude of the CDLU gives a wrong and doubtful signal over its functioning,” he added.

Yamunanagar, April 20
In the last week of March, thousands of fish died in the Yamuna here because a Saharanpur-based factory was adding its effluents in the river via the Maskara nullah. An inquiry report into the case showed the presence of high acids and alkali metals and reduced level of dissolved oxygen, which caused the death of the fish.

The Haryana Fisheries Department has recommended to the government to take up the matter with Uttar Pradesh so that the effluent discharge could be stopped.

Meanwhile, a survey by the Haryana Fisheries Department has revealed that there has been a drastic fall in the breeding of 20 endangered and rare intermediate varieties of fish in the Yamuna flowing into this part of Haryana (Kandi belt).

Water pollution, siltation, mining and disturbance in habitats of aquatic life are believed to the reasons behind the decrease in breeding.

As per the survey, the breeding of endangered species “ompok pabda” and 10 species of rare fish, including “barilius” and “mystus cavasites”, have drastically fallen in the area. Mahseer, a variety of fish which once was found in large quantities in the waters here, is also decreasing. The falling breeding level of five other fish in the category, including “labeo dero” and “bagarites”, has become a cause of concern for the department.

The Director, Haryana Fisheries Department, Dr S.C Aggarwal, said the department was aware of the problem and had given a project to Panjab University, Chandigarh, to carry out the studies of these varieties of fish. The idea was not only to protect the fish but to enhance their breeding also, said Dr Aggarwal. The project would cost Rs 2.72 lakh. The department would be organising an awareness camp at the Tajewala headwater works here on April 24.

The Haryana Pollution Control Board has also taken up the matter with its counterpart in Uttar Pradesh.

Hisar, April 20
Former Haryana Finance Minister and senior INLD leader Sampat Singh has accused the Congress government in the state of evading its responsibility and misleading people on the completion of the SYL canal.

Addressing a news conference here today, Prof Sampat Singh that the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had been stating that there would be no talks with the Punjab Government till it cancelled its Act on the river waters.

“While stating so, Mr Hooda conveniently forgets that the Supreme Court has directed the Centre to ensure the completion of the canal and there is no role of the Punjab Government in this regard,” he said.

The former minister remarked that the Act passed by the Congress government in Punjab on the cancellation of the river water agreements was illegal and unconstitutional. “Inter-state water dispute is a Central issue and no state government has the power to settle the matter unilaterally,” he asserted.

Charging the Congress leadership with politicising, Prof Sampat Singh advised the Chief Minister to pressurise the Centre to ensure the completion of the SYL canal. He even assured Mr Hooda of all help on behalf of his party, provided the government made sincere efforts and “did something concrete”.

The INLD leader also criticised the state government on the widespread violence during the recently concluded panchayat and municipal elections in the state.

Rewari, April 20
With the arrest of three gangsters, Omvir son of Azad Singh, a resident of Judola village under Farukhnagar police station in Gurgaon district, Vinod, son of Shyam Kumar, a resident of Samastpur village in Gurgaon district, and Vinod, son of Shubh Ram, a resident of Shahpur village under Bawal police station in Rewari district, the police claims to have cracked the two-week-old highway robbery case in which Rs 8 lakh was looted from a petrol station cashier, near here, on April 4.

The gangsters were arrested in a joint police operation conducted by the police forces of Gurgaon and Rewari districts. Briefing newsmen at a press conference here today, Dr C.S. Rao, SP, Rewari, said Rs 3.54 lakh had also been recovered from the three gangsters, while their fourth accomplice, Sandeep, alias Dabboo, son of Devender Singh, a resident of Bond village in Bhiwani district, was still at large.

Besides, the police has also seized a motor cycle (DL-4S-AS-1491) which was used in the crime, added Dr Rao. He said that Vinod of Samastpur village, who was undergoing life imprisonment in a case of murder in Gurgaon jail, was on a 28-day parole, which expired on April 12, 2005.

Similarly, Omvir was also wanted by the Gurgaon police in a case of dacoity. Omvir had kept Rs 2 lakh (out of his share of the booty) with his in-laws at Jindoli village under Bansur police station in Alwar district of Rajasthan.

Hisar, April 20
The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) has decided to streamline procedure for electricity connections within 15 days of submission of application forms. An official spokesperson for the DHBVN said here yesterday that this would be streamlined in a phased manner.

To begin with, the DHBVN had decided that all application forms for new connections pertaining to three local subdivisions would now be accepted at one counter set up at Vidyut Sadan.

According to Mr Vijayendra Kumar, MD, DHBVN, the application forms would then be sent to the subdivision concerned on the same day. The subdivisional office would be bound to release the connection within 15 days if all formalities were complete, he said, adding that it would take 30 days for a connection of more than 35 kw load.

Meanwhile, Mr G.R. Mehta, who has been appointed Director (Projects), DHBVN, has assumed charge. Earlier, he was posted as Chief Engineer, Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN), Hisar.

Rewari, April 20
The police has unearthed a paper-leakage racket with the seizure of some handwritten papers. These papers are a precise copy of the English paper of the BA (III) examination of MD University, Rohtak. The police has also arrested their alleged supplier, Bhagirath, from the Maharana Pratap Chowk area here this morning.

Acting on a tip- off, Dr C.S. Rao, SP, Rewari, sent a decoy customer to purchase a copy of the paper from Bhagirath, who had telephonically informed him that he was waiting near the Maharana Pratap Chowk. As soon as the currency notes worth Rs 2,000, signed by the SDM, were handed over to Bhagirath who in return supplied the handwritten papers instantly, Bhagirath was nabbed red-handed by a squad led by the SDM and the DSP.

The police has registered a case of cheating and disobedience to the District Magistrate’s order under Sections 420 and 188 of the IPC against Bhagirath, a resident of Dhawana village under the Khol police station of the district.

Jhajjar, April 20
Standing wheat crop in about nine acres was reduced to ashes in a fire in Rohad village of the district yesterday. Fire tenders from Bahadurgarh managed to extinguish the blaze after sustained efforts.

According to information, a severe blaze occurred in the fields of Bhayram of Rohad village in which ripe wheat crop was standing in seven acres. The fire spread to the neighbouring fields of Balbir and engulfed two acres wheat crop.