Hisar, October 15
Now that the ballot has been cast, political realignments are in the offing in Haryana in the coming months.

The process is likely to begin after the results are out on October 22. Many of those who had switched parties after the Lok Sabha poll hoping to bag party nominations but failed are already having a rethink. These include mostly second-rung and upcoming politicians.

The Congress is likely to see several of such politicians leaving the party because they were outdone by others in the race for the party ticket. Since their rivals have already ingrained themselves in their constituencies, they are likely to look for alternatives.

If the INLD emerges as the main opposition group in the Assembly and Om Parkash Chautala becomes of the Leader of the Opposition in the new House, the party is likely to attract those who were denied the ticket by their own parties in the Assembly poll.

A senior INLD leader said if his party managed to bag around 20 seats, it would become the hottest party to be in for the 2014 Assembly poll. “The sooner people join it, the better would be their chances of bagging the INLD ticket in the next Assembly poll, he said.

Realignments are also imminent at the party level sooner or later. The BJP is certain to have a rethink on its divorce with the INLD. Its experiment of going it alone does not look like yielding the desired results.

The Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) is also likely to be at the receiving end. The party had witnessed an exodus of its leaders weeks before the poll. If the predictions of the exit poll come true, the future of the party will be in peril.

Although Kuldeep Bishnoi denies plans to merge his party with any other outfit under any circumstances, rumours are already circulating in his camp that a poor showing in the Assembly poll will force Bishnoi to look for political alternatives if he wishes to fulfil his aim of becoming the Chief Minister next time.

Most parties are also likely to revamp their state and district units after the poll.

This has become necessary due to desertions prior to the election and the need to accommodate newcomers to the party fold. Besides, heads are likely to roll due to poor performance of the parties in particular districts.

Rohtak, October 15
Development projects worth over Rs 3,000 crore have been sanctioned for Rohtak and its adjoining areas, thanks to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who hails from here.

But, when it comes to the availability of basic infrastructure and facilities like the supply of water and power, sewerage system, drainage, roads, transportation, education, and health services, it is hardly different from other parts of the state.

Rohtak and some parts of the NCR, including Jhajjar and Sonepat, may have earned the envy of other districts, but the average quality of life here is still the same and there seems to be no discrimination in this regard, claims Yoginder Dahiya, a social activist based here. There is a power cut of two to three hours or even more almost daily with residents using invertors and generators to cope up with the shortage” he says. Though the problem subsided recently perhaps due to elections, it was severe during the period between May and July.

“The water supply has improved a lot in the past few years in a majority of the residential areas although there are some pockets in the outskirts where residents have to settle with limited supply,” says an official of the public health department. He, however, admits that many colonies, which have come up in the past 10 years or so, have been facing the problem of inadequate sewerage system and concrete roads.

The Municipal Council has spent crores on roads in parts of the city during the past couple of years, said a source in the civic body. However, several roads got damaged in the recent rains and many of them are still awaiting repairs.

“Health facilities available in the civil hospital here are almost same as are available in other parts of the state. However, the existence of the PGIMS is an advantage, says Rajesh Dalal, a local resident. He says the residents of Rohtak are no special so far as basic amenities are concerned.

“It may take another five to 10 years before the results of the development works could be seen as the work on most of the projects is moving at a slow pace,” claims Pawan Kumar Bansal, another resident.

The ongoing projects include a Rs 120-crore sports complex of international standards in sector 6, six railway over-bridges (ROBs) worth Rs 134 crore of which four are complete, upgrading of the PGIMS and the construction of a trauma centre worth Rs 125 crore, infrastructural facilities in the MD University worth Rs 125.6 crore, construction of new sugar mill complex worth Rs 180 crore, construction of IIM campus worth Rs 250 crore, setting up of five new professional training institutions at a cost of Rs 142 crore, including National Institute of Fashion Technology, and four-laning of the National Highway-10 between Rohtak and Bahadurgarh.

Hisar, October 15
Thanks to the apathy of Kurukshetra University, students are forced to seek their result-cum-detailed marks cards (DMCs) from the university by resorting to the Right to Information Act.

The university, which is legally bound to supply the DMCs in time and in proper format, has come up with handwritten DMCs which are not accepted as genuine by most reputed organisations in the country.

Besides, the university has also charged students for postal expenses and stationery for informing them that the DMCs have been despatched to their respective colleges.

A student of a local college appeared for B. Com (Part II) examinations conducted by the university in April. He did not receive the DMC till August. He then sought reasons for the delay from the university under the RTI Act.

In response the university wrote to him that his DMC had been sent to his college. He was asked to send Rs 45 to the university as postal and stationery charges.

The student was shocked to find that the DMC was handwritten and did not carry his photograph. In the normal course, universities send computer-generated DMCs that carry a passport-size photograph of the student concerned. This is done to rule out the possibility of students tampering with the DMC. The hand-filled DMCs were in the vogue till about a decade ago when universities had not yet employed computer technology for generating documents. These are no longer treated as valid certificates by private and government institutions.

Students say their studies suffered for about two months because of the delay in despatch of DMCs. Besides, they were charged by the university for notifying them that the DMCs had been despatched. They say no reason was cited for the delay in supplying the DMCs in reply to their applications under the RTI Act.

Others complain that they had to make repeated visits to Kurukshetra to get the DMCs or to get their results declared which were delayed because of sundry reasons.

Faridabad, October 15
A day after elections, a majority of the candidates became “incommunicado” even as their workers who had bitten dust during electioneering as well as creditors like tent owners waited for them in their offices for several hours.

The phones of the candidates remained unattended at their home or election offices. Even if the calls were attended, the reply to callers was that the leader was having rest or not at home.

The workers, who had been keeping company with the candidates for nearly a fortnight all along the electioneering days, appear to be in no mood to give up the rapport they had struck with their respective leaders.

Satish, a supporter of Congress nominee Anand Kaushik from the Faridabad Assembly constituency, summed up the average mood saying that he is still having the hangover of the nice and hectic time of hullaboo that he had all through the campaign.

Significantly, the workers are ready to take on the world with arguments and logic that their leader would win the election. Some are even expressive and demonstrative that they were instrumental in ensuring casting of votes of fence-sitters. It appears that they would like to continue with their theories till the day of the counting of votes.

A confidante of a candidate said many workers were angling to gravitate themselves exhibiting emotions more than what suited the occasion.

Apart from the workers who are trying to seek their elusive leaders, a big number of creditors and all those who owed money from the candidates are also in a fix. A number of candidates owe money to shopkeepers and various service providers. The candidates and their office staff at election offices had assured them of full and final payment immediately after the elections. Now, the candidates are not available nor their obtrusive staff members in the election offices. The creditors say that getting the dues would be a long haul.

Gurgaon, October 15
Thanks to the elaborate arrangements made by the district authorities to make the electors aware of their polling stations, voters of the district did not face any major problems in locating their polling stations (as they did during the recent Lok Sabha poll) in the Assembly elections here.

The actual voter turnout in the district came out to be 61.87 per cent, in which the Sohna Assembly segment registered a maximum of 69.88 per cent, while the Gurgaon constituency recorded 54.25 per cent polling.

Nonetheless, the Gurgaon voters, especially the young ones and first-timers, showed great enthusiasm in exercising their franchise.

No untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the district. The polling was largely smooth and peaceful in the entire district, barring the poll boycott and protest demonstration against the highhandedness of the state authorities by the voters of Khoh village in the Pataudi Assembly constituency of the district.

The local administration had set up voter assistance booths at eight locations in the DLF and Palam Vihar areas, besides setting up 18 voter registration information centers (VRICs) at various places in the city.

Computerised search facility for the voters was available and they could search their name in the voters’ list. A voter helpline was also operational. In addition, the administration had installed 30 hoardings, both in English and Hindi, at different points in the city to inform the residents about the helpline and location of VRICs.

The details of the VRICs were also put on the Gurgaon district administration’s website. The VRICs and helplines remained functional during the entire polling process. Booth-level officers were deputed at each polling station with voters list in alphabetical order, which helped the voters in tracing their voter number as well as polling station.

There were also a few complaints of certain residents being denied the right to vote despite having voter identity cards, though the district authorities had clarified well in advance that merely the possession of voter cards was not enough and the voters should ensure that their names were on the electoral rolls.

With the completion of the polling process, the fate of 63 contesting candidates, including 30 independents, has been sealed in the EVMs.

The district election officer-cum-deputy commissioner Anurag Aggarwal thanked the electors and the contesting candidates for cooperating in organising free and fair polling in the district. He also complimented the polling staff on discharging their duties outstandingly well.

Jhajjar, October 15
Keeping in view the rising incidents of eve-teasing, the Rohtak range police has decided to carry out anti eve-teasing campaign in all five districts, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Karnal, Panipat and Sonepat, under its jurisdiction. A communiqué in this regard has recently been sent to all SPs from the office of the IGP.

The communiqué has also sought detail of all those points in the districts which have become a hunting ground for “street Romeos” so that adequate arrangements to curb the incidents of eve-teasing could be made.

Though eve-teasing in markets and around girls’ educational centres in the districts is not a new phenomenon, the menace has assumed alarming proportions in the past few months. Eve-teasers can be easily spotted standing in small groups waiting for their “prey”. Sometimes it becomes embarrassing for girls and young women to go to the markets.

IGP V. Kamaraja said the decision had been taken in view of growing complaints of eve-teasing in their districts. Most of the complainants were of the opinion that permanent deployment of police personnel at certain points was mandatory to check such incidents which posed a serious threat to school and college going girls.

“As many as 25 sensitive points in Rohtak have been identified where eve-teasers are quite active while detail from other districts of the range is yet to be come,” said the IGP, adding that the campaign would be launched just after Diwali.

Kamaraja said sufficient numbers of police personnel, both male and female, in civil dress would be deployed nearby eve-teasing points to nab the culprits. A case would be registered against them so that they won’t dare to indulge in eve-teasing in future, maintained the IGP.

Ambala, October 15
The arrival of paddy is picking up in various grain markets of Ambala district as farmers after actively participating in the Assembly elections have now turned their attention to their fields. The district administration is also gearing up to achieve the procurement target.

The paddy arrivals are a little late this year. Some of the farmers said the late arrival of the monsoon had badly affected their crop. Besides, the untimely rain in September had also hit the crop, they added. Around 30 per cent of the paddy has arrived in the market so far in comparison to last year. Big farmers who use harvester combines are bringing their produce in the market while small farmers are still busy in their fields.

According to an officer of a procurement agency, it will take another one week for brisk arrival of the paddy crop. The market committee and the procurement agencies have made all arrangements . Some of the grain dealers alleged that the procurement agencies were not purchasing their produce even though the quantity of moisture in their produce was according to the prescribed norm.

Nasib Singh of Panjokhra village said he had brought his paddy crop after its proper drying but the procumbent agency refused to purchase it. Bharat Bushan Aggarwal, president of the trader's cell of the BJP and a grain dealer, alleged that no proper facilities had been provided to the farmers in the grain market.

The chief administrator of the Haryana Marketing Board has directed the procurement agencies to cooperate with the farmers. Deputy Commissioner Samir Pal Saro said he had deputed senior officers in various grain markets so that the farmers did not face any difficulty in disposing of their produce.

Jhajjar, October 15
Dr A.K. Khurana, Senior Professor, Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, PGIMS, Rohtak, was unanimously elected Dr A.K. Khurana president of the North Zone Ophthalmological Society (NZOS) at the annual conference held in Gurgaon recently.

Dr Khurana is an academically active member of the NZOS and has authored 10 books and 110 scientific papers of international standards. Earlier, he has served as Editor of the NZOS journal as well.

During the conference, Dr. Khurana stressed on the need for improving patient- doctor and inter-personal relationship and advocated a strategic change towards approach to health problems, including preventable blindness. He stated that his endeavour would be to upgrade postgraduate teaching and to conduct refresher courses for ophthalmologists.

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Main Aur Mrs Khanna

Producer: Ronnie Screwvala, Sohail Khan
Director: Prem Soni
Starring: Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Sohail Khan
Music: Sajid -Wajid

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The Buzz: Three people come to terms with their conflicting feelings, personal and pyschological problems and over-riding emotions. — Dharam Pal