Panipat, April 18
The Haryana Government seems to be in no mood to take action against the Congress MP from Karnal, Dr Arvind Sharma, in which he had allegedly threatened a woman officer for discharging duties in Panipat. Even after a written complaint by the Panipat District Town and Country Planning Officer (DTP), Ms Gurmeet Kaur, against the MP a week back, the state authorities have not taken any action.

Dr Arvind Sharma had allegedly threatened the DTP for carrying out a demolition drive involving Congress leaders.

A senior official confirmed with the TNS that the state authorities had been apprised of the matter. Several officials termed it as a serious matter.

Despite repeated calls for the past two days, Director of the Town and Country Planning S.S. Dhillon did not receive any call made to his office by TNS to know the status of the complaint.

An official said despite the fact that the woman officer had complained against an MP of the ruling party, the state government had not responded. Another official termed it as routine affair but opined that some action should be taken since a written complaint had been made.

Meanwhile, former Speaker Satbir Kadyan has condemned the functioning of Dr Arvind Sharma.

Coming down heavily on Dr Arvind Sharma, he said it was a case of interference in official functioning and demanded strict action against the Congress MP.

He blamed the Hooda government for shielding the land mafia and alleged that several illegal colonies had mushroomed in the state. Terming the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme as a failure, he dared the Hooda government to release the list of the beneficiaries. He charged the state government with not releasing any development funds for villages.

Meanwhile, Dr Arvind Sharma has rubbished the charges of the DTP and said he never threatened her. He alleged that the policy of pick and choose was adopted in demolishing unauthorised structures in Panipat

Addressing a media conference here this evening, he admitted that he had called up the DTP over telephone but denied the alleged charges. He said during his telephonic conversation he urged the DTP to take action uniformally against all illegal colonies.

Chandigarh, April 18
Mr Dharam Bir, Chief Parliamentary Secretary of Haryana, today claimed the state government was addressing the water shortage problem in the right earnest.

He said while the proposed Hansi-Butana link canal would supply water to the water deficit southern districts in the state, the Dadupur-Nalwi canal would help recharging the water table in four Haryana districts located near the GT road. He said the districts that would be benefitting from the canal were Kurukshetra, Karnal, Ambala and Yamunanagar.

Talking to the TNS, Mr Dharam Bir said these districts produced a huge amount of wheat and paddy and got the water supply for irrigating the fields by pumping water from the earth with the help of tubewells. He said due to excessive use of tubewells, the water table in these districts had gone down. He said the new canal, which the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had said would be completed in three years’ time, would solve this problem in these districts.

He added that the country was already facing problem of shortage of wheat and had been forced to purchase wheat from foreign shores. By assuring substantial wheat production in these districts, the state government will also help safeguarding the foreign currency reserve of the country, he said.

He added that unlike the Narmada Dam project of Gujarat, none of the projects launched by the Haryana Government had attracted any opposition from common people or environmentalists.

Karnal, April 18
Fast-track courts should be set up to hear cases of rape of schoolgirls by teachers for early disposal.

This was stated by the chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Dr Girija Vyas, while talking to mediapersons here today. She and the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, were addressing a press conference soon after attending a state-level function on women empowerment.

Dr Vyas said the NCW had recommended that provision be made for severe punishment for teachers in such cases after reviewing the IPC.

Mr Hooda said the government had already dismissed such teachers. To a query, Dr Vyas said it would be better if only women teachers were appointed in girl schools to avoid such incidents.

To a question, she said khap panchayats had no constitutional powers to issue diktats against women.

Expressing the hope that Mr Hooda would soon set up a state commission for women in Haryana, Dr Vyas said Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and northeastern states were also without these.

Dr Vyas said around 10,000 cases were pending with the NCW, most of them relating to atrocities in the name of dowry, eveteasing, rape and sexual harassment at workplaces.

Expressing concern over just around 3 per cent women among police personnel, she said the figure should be at least 10 per cent and to ensure this, women should be appointed throughout the country.

Earlier, addressing the function, Mr Hooda announced a monthly pension of Rs 300 for eunuchs. He said the monthly widow pension would be increased by Rs 50 and would now get Rs 350 per month. He also announced an increase of Rs 100 per annum in the emoluments of anganwari workers and helpers.

A separate university for women would soon be set up in the state, a Bill regarding which had already been passed in the Assembly, he added.

Hisar, April 18
More than 60 cases of use of unfair means and 20 FIRs regarding impersonation cases and other instances of cheating in the National Open School (NOS) examinations have been registered by the flying squad constituted by the district administration.

An NOS team has also arrived from Delhi and its members are carrying out video-recording of the examination centres while the examination is in progress. This has been done to check copying in the Class X and XII examinations of the NOS which are in progress these days.

On April 12, The Tribune had published a report exposing various irregularities and instances of mass copying with the active support of the school authorities. Following the report, the NOS authorities swung into action and the team was sent to look into the matter.

The flying squad constituted by the Subdivisional Magistrate, Dr Amit Aggarwal, has got more than 60 cases regarding use of unfair means in examinations registered. Apart from this, at least 20 FIRs under Sections 420 and 419 of the IPC have been lodged in cases of impersonation and other instances of cheating with the connivance of school owners and examination centre staff.

The schools at which such cheating cases were found include Ved Senior Secondary School, Jawahar Nagar, Daffodils School, Azad Nagar, Capt R.C. Senior Secondary School, Mill Gate, Saint Nischal School, Gangwa Road, HR Hindu Senior Secondary School, Mohalla Rampura, and Shivalik School, Badwali Dhani.

A teacher of RC Senior Secondary School, Mill Gate, who was found dictating answers to the students has been booked, while a police complaint has been lodged against the school principal.

While the instances of copying and other irregularities have come down following the registration of cases, the arrival of NOS team and subsequent videography of examination centres, political pressure and involvement of school authorities make things difficult for the anti-copying squad.

Chandigarh, April 18
The Haryana Government's decision to recall Mr R. S. Dalal, an IPS officer of the 1974 batch, from central deputation has drawn the interest of the police top brass of the state. They believe that Mr Dalal, a native of Rohtak district of Haryana, may be the next DGP of Haryana after the incumbent DGP, Mr Nirmal Singh, retires on October 31. It implies that Mr Vikas, DGP (Prisons), an officer of the 1970 batch of the IPS, will not be made the DGP.

Mr Dalal is at present the IG (Punjab Frontier), BSF. If he returns to Haryana, he will be promoted as DGP and is likely to be initially posted as the Director of the State Vigilance Bureau. Mr Dalal's batchmates in Haryana have been already made ADGPs.

However, Mr Dalal, too, is soon going to be empanelled for posting as ADGP in any of the central forces. He will become a DGP thereafter, and as the DGP of a central force he can serve a considerable period of time because his retirement is due only in October, 2012.

In view of Mr Dalal's career prospects with the Central Government, it is being felt that Mr Dalal will find it worthwhile to return to Haryana only if he succeeds Mr Nirmal Singh as the DGP. Both Mr Dalal and the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, hail from Rohtak district and such connections have always played a vital role in the posting and transfer of officers in Haryana.

Mr Dalal's name will figure along with those of the other 1974 batch officers when the departmental promotion committee(DPC) of the police meets here to consider promoting these officers to the rank of DGP. Since Mr Dalal is the topper of his batch, he will certainly get promoted.

The all-important meeting of the DPC could take place on Thursday. It is learnt that a committee headed by the Haryana Chief Secretary to review the suspension of IPS officers will meet here on Thursday to examine the continuation of the suspension of Mr R. K. Sharma, accused in the murder case of a journalist, Shivani Bhatnagar.

The meeting to review his suspension is only a formality. There is no chance of the committee taking a decision to revoke the suspension.

Top officials of the Haryana Police are anticipating that the meeting of the DPC, which is also headed by the Chief Secretary, may also take place on April 20.

Jhajjar, April 18
Residents of Silana village today blocked the Rewari-Rohtak road in protest against scarcity of potable water in their village. The protesters were mostly women who complained that they had to fetch water from a far-off place despite a Public Health-run water supply scheme in place.

Nearly 100 women gathered on the road passing through their village this morning and blocked the road causing inconvenience to vehicular traffic. They maintained that water was not being released from the waterworks. The protesters, who raised anti-administration slogans, demanded an assurance from a competent authority that the water supply would be restored soon.

Later, an Executive Engineer of the Public Health Department, along with a police team, reached the spot to pacify the agitating women. The officials said the waterworks were also facing some shortage of water and promised that the water supply would be restored as soon as possible. The blockade was lifted thereafter. — OC

Ambala, April 18
Indian Youth Congress national secretary Manish Dhanaria today alleged that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was harassing youth Congress activists in Gujarat.

Mr Dhanaria said false cases were being registered against the Congress activists in Gujarat. "We are soon going to consider an action plan in this regard," he said.

Mr Dhanaria said he had interacted with Youth Congress activists from Panchkula, Karnal and Kaithal. "The feedback from different meetings will be forwarded to the party high command," he said. The Right to Information Act and Rashtriya Grameen Rozgar Yojana were being received well by the people, he said.

Among others, Mr Tarun Chugh, Mr Babu Kanojia, Mr B.S. Rana and Mr Omkar Nathi were also present.