Chandigarh, April 28
The rice industry of Haryana has received a severe blow with the government imposing a recovery of about Rs 30 crore on it. More than the amount, it is the “arbitrariness” of the government, which has hurt the industry the most. The recovery has been imposed on account of transportation of paddy meant for custom milling from the mandis to the mills during the past five years.

The industry says the government is not justified in ordering the recovery, that too with retrospective effect, because it was clearly mentioned in their agreements with the government agencies that the transportation charges of paddy would be payable by the millers only from the first storage point of the agencies.

The dispute has arisen over the definition of the “first storage point”.

The union government wrote to the state government vide their letter of July 5, 2006, that the milling charges for paddy would be inclusive of the transportation charges within 8 km from the mills. It said: “If the paddy is directly delivered from the mandi to the miller, then the reference point will be taken as the mandi. However, if the agencies are taking paddy from the mandi and stocking it at another place, the agencies’ stocking point will be taken as the reference point for calculating the distance of 8 km.”

The millers say it is an open secret that the paddy purchased by the agencies for custom milling is transported by the millers and stocked on their premises, for which they do not charge any rent from the agencies. Even in the mill, the stocks remain in the joint custody of the millers and the agencies.

Pointing out the arbitrariness of the government agencies, the millers say they have already paid the transportation cost of the milled rice to the FCI godowns. Still the agencies have deducted their money on this account.

The food and supplies department, on the other hand, has taken the stand that the paddy is delivered to the millers in the mandis itself and, therefore, the mandi is the reference point for calculating the distance of 8 km. Hence, the department says, the agencies must deduct the transportation charges paid to the millers even in the past.

The millers counter the department’s argument by pointing out that if the paddy is delivered to them in the mandis itself, why have the agencies appointed their own transport contractors in the mandis. These contractors are supposed to transport paddy from the mandis to the “first storage point” of the agency. But in reality, it is the millers who pay the transportation cost of the paddy, while the contractors raise bogus bills. They say if the contractors have actually transported the paddy, they should have in their possession the “gate passes” issued by the agencies.

Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan, who also holds the portfolio of food and supplies, concedes the millers’ argument.

He wrote to union agriculture minister Shard Pawar on August 27 last that “the paddy is not actually delivered to the millers by the state agencies in the mandis, but from the first storage point, which happens to be the mill premises, where it is stored under the joint custody of the miller and the agencies.

“Actually, the state agencies are economising on storage space as well as the transportation costs by making the mill premises as their first storage point of the paddy.”

Chander Mohan pointed out that if the agencies kept the paddy in warehouses, they would have to pay Rs 4.15 per bag per month.

When a delegation of the millers met Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda about a fortnight ago, Hooda had ordered the agencies not to recover the disputed amount from the millers for one month so that a clarification could be sought from the centre. However, the field officers of many agencies like Hafed say they have not received the Chief Minister’s orders and are not releasing the disputed amount.

The millers say if the government persisted with its policy, the mandis would be choked during the next paddy season as they would not lift the stocks. The situation in the mandis, they say, will be worse than what is being witnessed during the ongoing wheat season.

Fatehabad, April 28
Governor of Madhya Pradesh Balram Jakhar today favoured higher price than the MSP to the farmers for their wheat so that they could meet their expenses incurred on their crops.

In an informal chat with mediapersons at the residence of Pahlad Singh Gillankhera, secretary of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee, Jakhar said the input costs had gone very high and the farmers had to suffer due to inclement weather too.

He said the commission on agriculture costs and prices (CACP) clearly stated that the MSP was the minimum price, which the farmers must get for their crops. But, if the rate of the crop was more than the MSP in the open market, the farmers were entitled to get the same.

Jakhar said since private agriculture corporates had been banned to purchase wheat from Punjab and Haryana this year and the crop had been bumper, open market rates of wheat had not gone beyond the MSP this year. It was high time that the farmers were compensated by way of bonus.

Expressing concern over the level of pollution in canals of Punjab and Haryana, he said the pollution level in certain canals in Punjab was so high that the water was unfit for irrigation and for animals, what to speak of drinking purposes for humans.

He hoped that the government would enforce pollution laws strictly and not allow wastes from industries to flow into canals.

Panipat, April 28
The objectionable practice of burning crop stubble continues despite a ban on it by the state government.

A visit by The Tribune team in different parts of Panipat and Karnal districts today revealed that unaware of harms to air and fertile soil, farmers in different villages were unmindfully burning the paddy residue.

Vast stretches of “blacken fields” due to uncontrolled burning revealed the sorry state of affairs in the state.

Besides pollution, thick clouds of fumes from the uncontrolled burning further caused nuisance for motorists.

Even as the district authorities showed their helplessness in checking the environment nuisance, it was observed that farmers in different parts of Panipat and Karnal districts found convenient to burn wheat stubble.

Officials admitted that the continuous trend showed that farmers were still uninformed about the ill effects due to the burning of the crop residue.

According to the rules, burning of stubble is banned under Section 144 and a case can be registered for its violation, but inquiries revealed that these directives are taken as “routine orders released every year” by farmers and district officials.

As per the pollution norms in the state, burning of dry leaves is also banned, but the authorities concerned have not been taking any steps to prevent the colossal damage to the environment and land. Farmers resort to burning the stubble either early in the morning or in the evening.

However, farmers claimed that the burning of stubble helped them in cleaning the fields off the paddy residue instantly. Besides, it also destroyed harmful affects of insecticides and pests left from the last crop in the lands, they added.

Experts said the large-scale burning of stubble had brought adverse changes in the environment. It also damaged the upper soil, considered as the fertile layer.

According to environmentalists, suspended particles left in the air due to stubble burning were one of the major causes of dense fog, which could cause serious respiratory problems among people who inhaled it for longer periods.

Yamunanagar, April 28
The Saraswati sugar mill stopped crushing cane today. The mill produced 18.52 lakh-quintal sugar in 147 days.

A panic had griped the sugarcane farmers of the district when the mill had pasted a notice to close the mill on April 24, as the supply of sugarcane was much less than the capacity of the mill.

Dr Shamsher Tyagi, state general secretary of the Bhartiya Kisan Sangh said all most all sugarcane of farmers has been crushed.

The mill has crushed about 1.78 crore-quintal sugarcane during the season. The sugarcane was less than the previous crushing season and hence less production of sugar. In 2006-07 the mill had produced 23.3 lakh-quintal sugar by crushing 2.19 crore-quintal sugarcane. In 2005-06 also the supply of sugarcane was less. The farmers supplied 1.58 crore-quintal of sugarcane and 16.18 lakh quintal sugar was produced.

The sugarcane plantation this year was likely to be less as compared to the last season. Sources in the mill and union leaders said the cane area in the district could fall by 30 per cent this year. According to them, wheat and paddy was more lucrative crops to the farmers than the sugarcane.

Rewari, April 28
Scores of jawans of the Haryana Police Academy, Madhuban, allegedly indulged in rowdyism at a marriage function held in a banquet hall on the Delhi road here on Saturday night.

The jawans allegedly indulged in rowdyism soon after a colourful presentation “saga of the revolution of 1857” in Rao Tula Ram Stadium here got over.

After reportedly relishing delicacies served at the wedding function, the jawans joined the disc jockey.

When some young women disapproved their participation, an altercation took place during which I-cards and wallets of a few of the jawans fell on the ground, which revealed their identity.

Immediately, a senior member of the marriage party informed the police, which tactfully handled the situation to the satisfaction of the families of the bride as well as the bridegroom.

Subsequently, the ‘rowdy’ jawans were severely reprimanded by certain senior police officials, who felt highly embarrassed and upset at such disdainful conduct of the jawans.

SP Ram Singh Bishnoi said since no written complaint in this regard had been made by families of the bride and the bridegroom, who were satisfied with the action taken by the police officials on the spot, the matter ended there.

Karnal, April 28
The police has arrested three persons for allegedly murdering a newly married woman, Anuradha, whose body was found from the fields near Bastara village on the NH-1 on April 21.

Karnal DSP (headquarters) Surinder Bhoria here today said Kunal, Anuradha’s husband, hatched a conspiracy with his two friends, Mahesh and Ramkori, to kill Anuradha. Kunal had strained relations with his wife over his alleged illicit relations with another girl.

The accused strangled her to death in a car.

Bhoria said besides the car used in the crime, the police had also seized the cable used to strangulate Anuradha.

The DSP said the couple had gone to attend a marriage in Panipat on April 21. Kunal took the other two accused in the car on some pretext and killed Anuradha.

Later, Kunal had lodged a complaint with the Panipat police that his wife had gone “missing”.

After getting suspicious over the circumstances, the police interrogated Kunal, who admitted his crime and revealed the involvement of the other two accused.

Jhajjar, April 28
The district and sessions court today sentenced a man to life imprisonment in a case of murder of four members of a family in Badli town of the district in February 2006.

The accused, Shri Bhagawan, is a relative of the family, whose four members were burnt when they were sleeping in their house reportedly with the involvement of two members of the same family.

Judge V.P. Bishnoi convicted the accused for the murders of Sultan Singh (60), his wife, Shakuntala (58), their elder son, Sukhwinder (30), and Sukhvinder’s 8-year-old daughter Suman.

The accused had committed the crime with the help of his sister Pushpa and her husband Surjeet. Sultan Singh and Shakuntala were Surjeet’s parents.

The police said Surjeet and his wife had been demanding a regular share in his father’s monthly pension, which led to serious differences between them, following which, Surjeet and his wife reportedly hatched the plan to eliminate their family with the involvement of Shri Bhagawan.

The trio set the room, in which the deceased were sleeping, afire and in the bid, Surjeet and his wife too received serious burn injuries. They were admitted to a hospital, where later they succumbed to their injuries.

The police, however, arrested Shri Bhagawan.

Chandigarh, April 28
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that the provisions of the Punjab Jail Manual Act do not make it mandatory for the authorities concerned to take a jail inmate to an examination centre under police escort, if he has been released on parole.

The judgement follows a petition by a Karnal jail inmate not released by the jail authorities though granted parole by the high court for taking examinations “in view of the provisions of Para 536-B of the Manual”.

In a significant judgement, Justice Mahesh Grover ruled: “The provision of Rule 536-B only empowers the jail superintendent to allow a convict to visit the examination centre under police escort.

“It means that where there is no other means available to release the convict or under-trial, and such convict or under-trial is confronted with his exams, then in order to enable such a convict or under-trial to take the examination, the superintendent of the jail is empowered to make such a provision.”

The Judge held: “The provision does not mean that if a person has been allowed parole, even then he has to be taken to the examination centre under police escort.

“Such an interpretation can at best make a well intended provision of law look archaic and draconian and positively obstructive in the path of a person, who wants to pursue his studies and is desirous of returning to a normal social existence.

“The interpretation so placed by the authorities, if accepted, shall never be able to withstand the test of reason because a person, who is released on parole on any grounds mentioned in the Act, such as carrying out agriculture operation, to carry out house repair, to meet his family persons, can be permitted to go out without escort, but a person who wishes to take examination has to be taken under police record. I am afraid the reasoning is perverse and unsustainable.”

Accepting the petition, the Judge added: “The petitioner is directed to be released on parole forthwith in order to take the remaining exams. He shall be released after completing the necessary process of law, which has to be followed, but positively before the date of next exam. He shall surrender before the jail authorities after taking his last examination on May 5.”

Chandigarh, April 28
In a significant judgement, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted Rs 4 lakh compensation to the family of a Rothak-based housewife killed in an accident caused due to negligence of the railway authorities.

The judgement is significant as the same amount is paid in case of a passenger’s death.

Santosh (42), was killed after the pole of a gate at a railway crossing on the Kucca Beri Road in Rohtak fell on her on May 21, 2004. Her daughter, too, was injured. In all, the Union of India and other respondents paid Rs 4,000 ex-gratia.

Pronouncing the orders on a petition filed by the victim’s husband and children, High Court Division Bench of Justice M.M. Kumar and Justice Sabina held: “It can be inferred that the pole had fallen due to negligence on part of the officials of the railway department.

“It was the duty of the officials to maintain the poles at the railway gate. The accident could have been averted in case the respondent had carried proper maintenance of the pole from time to time.

“The respondents are, therefore, liable to pay compensation to the petitioner for accidental death of Santosh. Although, she was not a passenger, she died due to negligent act on part of the railway authorities. As per Rule 3 and 4 of the Railway Accidents (Compensation Rules), 1990, in case of death of a passenger, Rs 4 lakh is to be awarded as compensation. Applying the same analogy and keeping in view the facts of the case, it would be just and far to award Rs 4 lakh as lump sum compensation to the petitioners. 

Chandigarh, April 28
A high court Division Bench of Justice K.S.Garewal and Justice Mrs Daya Chaudhary today stayed the orders of April 11 issued by the state of Haryana, removing petitioner Gurdev Singh from the presidentship of Municipal Council, Sohna, in Gurgaon district.

The Bench also issued notices to the Haryana Urban Development Authority and local bodies secretary, among others, for May 14 to respond to the issue raised in the writ petition seeking directions to quash the orders under challenge.

The suspension of the petitioner was similarly stayed by the court in August last year.

The petitioner had alleged political consideration behind the action and referred to a dispute pertaining to a piece of land in the municipal area and his refusal to help some interested individuals.

Gurgaon, April 28
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today exhorted the people to use water resources judiciously in view of the fast depleting underground water level in the state.

“The fast depleting underground water level is posing a great threat to our future generation and the sooner we understand this fact, the better it would be,” the Chief Minister said while addressing a function organised by the NCR People Action Group here.

“A mass awareness campaign should be launched to make people aware about the need to preserve this precious natural resource, which is vital for our survival,” he said.

Reiterating the commitment of his government to provide adequate drinking water to the people of Gurgaon, he said an NCR canal having a capacity of 800 cusecs was being constructed at a cost of Rs 225 crore to meet the drinking water needs of Gurgaon. The canal, which would be completed within next two years, would supply 600 cusecs water to the district.

Hooda said development of Gurgaon had been the top priority of the government, which envisaged to spend Rs 776 crore for its all-round development, besides three road over bridges being constructed at a cost of Rs 60 crore.

The four laning of Gurgaon-Alwar road at a cost of Rs 50 crore is underway.

Gurgaon would under go metamorphosis with the extension of metro rail up to it by 2010, he added. — UNI

Fatehabad, April 28
Computers, furniture and most of the record of Haryana Gramin Bank at Samain village in the district were completely gutted in a fire incident that appears to be a handiwork of some miscreants here today.

Haryana Gramin Bank is sponsored by Punjab National Bank and is run by the Government of India and has its branches in rural areas of the state.

A neighbour noticed smoke coming out of the building of the bank at about 2.30 am today. He rushed to a village temple to make an announcement about the fire from the public address system. The police was informed and fire tenders were called to extinguish the fire. Fire tenders could control the fire by 4.30 am, but by then all furniture, computers and records lying in the open had turned into ashes.

During investigation, the police recovered an iron rod lying on the ground near a window and the grill of the window was found broken.

It appeared that some miscreants had thrown some burning material in the bank from that broken window. The police called forensic experts, who took samples from the bank to find out the cause of the fire.

Yogesh Kumar, senior manager of the bank, who arrived from Hisar in the morning, informed mediapersons that a badly disfigured fire-resistant cabinet was broke open in the afternoon and all documents pertaining to the loans availed from the bank were found safe. The room of the bank, in which cash was placed, was also safe.

He said the possibility of a short circuit had been totally ruled out and it had been confirmed that it was the handiwork of some mischievous element or some debtor of the bank.

He revealed that some 950 farmers had availed various kinds of agriculture loans amounting to Rs 8 crore from this branch.

He said the account holders of the bank need not worry at all as the branch was an online one and they were in a position to start it immediately without any delay in a new building.

Chandigarh, April 28
Haryana minister of state for forests and tourism Kiran Choudhry today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to declare the area around national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as eco-sensitive zones and also to set up a separate wildlife department at the centre. Choudhry, who met the Prime Minister in Delhi, told him that since India was one of the mega biodiversity countries of the world, the conservation of the flora and fauna was in its economic interests and for the future generations. She said to ensure long-term survival of the rich bio-diversity of the country, certain restrictions on developmental activities in the sensitive areas around the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries were a must.

She urged Manmohan Singh to intervene and expedite a notification on the creation of eco-sensitive zones. Choudhry said in compliance with the Supreme Court and union government’s directions, Haryana had proposed the creation of eco-sensitive zones in March 2007. However, the notification was still pending at the union government’s level. She said recently she visited the Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh and found that even there such zones had not been notified. In the absence of the notification, developmental activities around such parks were jeopardising the biodiversity in the country.

Choudhry said the Prime Minister’s Office had asked the union ministry of environment and forests to create a separate department of forests and wildlife. Though the proposal was submitted by the ministry to the PMO in June 2006, it had not been implemented yet.

The Haryana minister also pleaded the cause of the Indian Forest Service (IFS) with Manmohan Singh and pointed out that the service had been given a raw deal by the Sixth Pay Commission.

She also urged the Prime Minister to sanction an airport at Bhiwani, where already an airstrip existed. She said a survey was conducted by the then Bansi Lal government in Haryana for the construction of an airport at Bhiwani, but the proposal could not materialise due to the then existing policies under which an airport could not be constructed within a radius of 150 km of an existing airport. 

Chandigarh, April 28
About 63 per cent children between the age of 0 and 5 years were covered yesterday during the sub-national intensified pulse polio immunisation round of 2008-09 in the 12 districts of Haryana, namely Ambala, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Jhajjar, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Mewat, Panchkula, Panipat, Rohtak, Sonepat and Yamunanagar.

About 26 lakh children are to be covered during this campaign in these districts.

Stating this here yesterday, Haryana health minister Kartar Devi said the campaign would continue for another two days by way of house-to-house activity in these 12 districts to trace out and administer polio vaccine to those children who were not brought to the booths set up to administer polio vaccine.

In all, 9,900 booths had been set up in the state, which were being manned by about 39,600 health officials, volunteers, anganwari workers and accredited social health activists (ASHAs). She said about 2,000 officials had been supervising the campaign.

The minister said the activity was preceded by undertaking awareness campaign through print media, radio, TV and other intensive education activities.

She said the left out children would be administered polio vaccine drops on April 28 and 29 through house-to-house teams. During this round, special attention was being paid to slums, far-flung areas, isolated hutments, brick-kilns and floating or migratory population.

“Wherever, pockets of children remain un-immunised, the poliovirus sustains, survives and gets circulated. With every successive round of pulse polio immunisation, the areas of poliovirus circulation get reduced,” she added. — PTI