Chandigarh, March 12
Amid ruckus and two walkouts by the INLD, the Haryana Assembly today adopted a motion of breach of privilege against Leader of the Opposition Om Prakash Chautala.

In the privilege motion moved by Kuldeep Sharma, it was alleged that Chautala had “willfully, deliberately and knowingly” misled the House by making a false statement on the imposition of VAT on salt while participating in the discussion on the Budget yesterday. All members of the Treasury Benches stood up to express their unanimity on the issue. As soon as Speaker HS Chatha gave his consent to admit the motion, the entire INLD flock was on its feet, protesting the move. Chautala tried to reason with the Speaker, maintaining that the Finance Minister had not mentioned the surcharge on VAT while presenting his Budget speech in the House but his reasoning was lost in the din that followed.

Sharma said the matter be referred to the Committee of Privileges which should submit its report in the matter on the first sitting of the next session. This was agreed to by the Speaker. The motion was adopted by the House by voice vote even as the Opposition members of the INLD and its ally, the Shiromani Akali Dal’s lone MLA, staged a walkout.

Interestingly, after the motion was adopted, Sharma wanted to give the House a run-down on the sequence of events which the Speaker disallowed as the INLD came back to the House.

Another Congress MLA, Raghuvir Singh Kadiyan, then stood up to say that though the motion had been adopted, the members of the House were curious to know the details and Sharma should be allowed to brief the members.

At this, the opposition benches again erupted even as Ashok Arora wanted to know how giving details of a motion passed by the House could be permitted. Raising slogans, they staged a second walkout as Sharma was allowed to proceed.

Soon afterwards they returned and went to the well of the House to ask the Speaker how it was allowed and even threatened to disrupt proceedings of the House if Sharma was allowed to read the contents of his notice on the breach of privilege. At this, Chatha asked Sharma to sit down and repeatedly appealed to the members to maintain the decorum of the House

Later, Kuldeep Sharma, addressing the media in the press gallery, said the government was verifying other facts mentioned in Chautala’s speech. Accompanied by Naresh Shama and Chief Parliamentary Secretary Anita Yadav, the trio said the INLD leaders used abusive and unparliamentary language which was not acceptable.

Sharma said a member could be suspended or even jailed by the House if proved guilty of breach of privilege.

In the press gallery, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, accompanied by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala, said Chautala had claimed that the Congress had promised to abolish VAT which, too, was wrong. “We had said that we were against imposition of VAT in isolation when other states were not even considering it. We are looking into all that was alleged by Chautala since most of them are nowhere near the truth,” Hooda said.

Chandigarh, March 12
Despite the tough posture adopted by Speaker HS Chatha on the disorderly behaviour of members yesterday, when he left the House in a huff, frequent interruptions, personal allegations and noisy scenes were the highlights of the debate on the Haryana Budget today.

Though Chatha continued to be tough on the members, the House, at times, seemed more like a “fish market”, as he put it.

Hindi movie “3 Idiots” dominated the discussion for some time when leader of the BJP legislature party Anil Vij was speaking. He said if Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had watched the movie before constituting his Cabinet, he would not have made Capt Ajay Singh Yadav his Finance Minister. He said the message of the movie was that everyone could not perform every job.

Hooda retorted that if the people of Ambala Cantt had seen the movie before the elections, they would not have voted for Vij.

Criticising the public-private partnership (PPP) mode of development proposed in the Budget, Vij made it sound like someone would urge the other to drink more.

Congress member Sampat Singh, who was on his toes yesterday when the House adjourned, continued to defend the Budget by his academic analysis. He urged the government to expeditiously regularise the industry located in non-conforming zones so that the industry would heave a sigh of relief and also bring revenue for the exchequer.

Ashok Arora (INLD) said the way the Congress was handing things, which were not working properly to a private business house, indicated that one day it would hand over the government also to that house.

Kuldip Sharma (Cong) was frequently interrupted by INLD members as he time and again criticised their leader. At one time Venod Sharma (Cong) had to intervene to remind the INLD members that they could not raise any sub judice issue in the House, to which the Speaker agreed and expunged whatever was said by the Opposition.

Kiran Choudhry (Cong) was lucky. None interrupted her. She spoke in English.

Among others who participated in the discussion were Rao Dan Singh, Rajpal Bhukhri and Shri Krishan Hooda.

Chandigarh, March 12
The mandatory prior environment clearance has affected unscrupulous and scrupulous miners alike.

A big construction company, having interests in the power sector, was operating a quarry in Bhiwani district before the mining was stopped on February 28. The quarry was being operated in a highly scientific manner. However, it had to be shut because the company did not have the environment clearance!

Sources say only two quarry sites in the state have prior environment clearance. However, these are in Faridabad district, where otherwise the mining was prohibited by the Supreme Court in 2002.

However, the apex court held in the MC Mehta versus Union of India case on March 18, 2004, that mining could be undertaken after obtaining environment clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) under the 1994 notification, which made the clearance mandatory for major mineral site of more than five hectares.

The court, however, ruled out mining in the areas notified under Sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act (PLPA), 1900, or in the area where plantation was undertaken under the Aravali project and not below the groundwater level.

Following the court order, the MOEF placed 18 proposals of the 31 received by it before the expert committee for environmental appraisal.

Of these 18 proposals, four applicants sought deferment. Eleven proposals pertained to the areas notified under Sections 4 and 5 of the PLPA or where plantation had been under taken under the Aravali project.

The MOEF finally gave environment clearance to two mining lessees.

These lessees approached the Supreme Court for permission to operate their quarries. The MOEF filed an affidavit, based on information received from the Haryana government, before the apex court on July 8, 2008.

It stated that there were only seven mines in Faridabad district which fulfilled the conditions laid down by the court. Of these, only two mines could start operating for the present as these were the only mines which had the duly approved environment management plan.

However, the court considered prudent to obtain the opinion of the Central Empowered Committee and the Central Groundwater Board also.

The board said the mining in these areas could be resumed provided it was restricted to three metres above the water table.

In a strange turn of events, the state government suggested to the court on January 15, 2009, that mining of major minerals should be prohibited in Faridabad and Gurgaon districts for 10 years. The two quarries, which had obtained environment clearance, were of major minerals.

The minor minerals (stones and sand) are inseparable from major minerals and, hence, both are mined together.

Is the government’s decision to ban mining of major minerals altruistic taken for the sake of environment or motivated? — To be concluded

Karnal, March 12
A new era would be ushered in Railway connectivity with the implementation of dream project “Vision 2020”, envisaging laying of 25,000 km rail lines across the length and breadth of the country in the next 10 years, Union Minister of State for Railways KH Muniappa said today.

All four corners of the country would be connected by broad gauge railway lines on the pattern of “Golden quadrilateral” project being implemented by the Ministry of Surface Transport. The project estimated to cost Rs 17 lakh crore would be completed in next 10 years while 1,000 km out of 25,000 km railways lines would be constructed during the current financial year, he added.

Replying on the lukewarm response of the Railway Ministry to Bilaspur-Mandi-Manali-Leh Railway line project which is of strategic importance from defence point of view, he said China had a communist political set up while India was a democratic country and decisions could not be imposed without taking people into confidence. Issues like land acquisition and other formalities take time but this project was already in pipeline.

Evading a direct reply to discrimination in expansion of railway network with north-western regions as compared to south-eastern areas, Muniappa said the “Vision 2020” would not cater to any specific region and benefit all parts of the country, especially states like Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan.

“We are committed to upgrade the Railways and priority will be given to the states, which take the initiative to share the profits and expenses,” he added. Muniappa, who had a brief halt in Karnal, said over 1.80 crore persons travel by rail everyday and efforts were being made to improve the services and amenities for passengers.

Karnal, March 12
Call it people’s blind faith in babas, a godman visiting Karnal every Friday is doing a roaring business by selling “magical water” as medicine for cure of all diseases, including cancer, sugar, paralysis, snake bite, heart attack, piles and allergy.

He even treats people on phone and a team accompanying him sells cassettes, lockets, books and water during the camp, normally attended by 15,000 to 20,000 persons. The camp was today held at an open place near Sector 32.

The baba not only claims, but also makes people believe that he has cure for all diseases. He does not even take permission from the local authorities to hold huge congregations wherein he chants mantras to convert water, being carried by people in bottles, into medicinal water.

He has been under scanner for quite some time. He was allowed to go this time, but with a warning that in future he would not be allowed to hold any such meeting without due permission from the authorities concerned.

While intellectuals and spiritual leaders debunk the claims of baba, his supporters and followers are not prepared to listen anything against him. They call him “bottlewala baba”, “phoonk wala baba” and “telephone wala baba” and also narrate stories of miracles accomplished by him. However, some people were intrigued over the fact that the baba asks people to buy water bottles from his people and refuses to treat people who bring their own water.

“It is a sheer exploitation of people’s miseries and faith that such babas are flourishing and if the claims made by him are true than we do not need medical institutions like the AIIMS and the PGI,” said the principal of Dayal Singh College.

Jagmeet Singh, a patient, said he had taken three bottles of water, but there was no improvement. Another senior citizen said the baba must take permission to hold meetings and asked that who would be held responsible if there was stampede during the meeting. The police, however, said it was keeping a watch and would not allow any undesirable activity.

Jind, March 12
A 28-year-old foreign national was taken into custody by the Railway police here this afternoon, after he was found lying under a small bridge over the track without any proper documents.

The police have established contact with the British High Commission to know about the details of the foreigner, who claimed that he was a tourist and was rendered helpless after he lost his personal belongings and documents on way to Delhi.

Identified as Karre John Shephard hailing from Ireland, he was found to be lying under the bridge by a local resident, who informed the Railway police and was taken to the police station by the cops.

He told the authorities that he had lost his purse, camera, a laptop and a bag having some clothes while on way to Delhi from South, after which he was rendered helpless and had come to this place accidentally. But the police sources claimed that the foreigner had been changing his statements and has not been able to tell clearly how he reached the place and what he had been doing at the spot.

The place from where he was found has been located near the Bhiwani track crossing a couple of kilometers from the main station. He was found to be in possession of an amount of about Rs 1,000.

He is suspected to be under influence of some intoxicants when he was nabbed and could be suffering from a kind of mental disturbance, said the police sources, who claimed that a medical examination could be done on him. He would be kept in the police custody till the high commission officials give detailed information about him, said an official.

Gurgaon, March 12
The district administration has tightened the noose around LPG dealers indulging in corrupt practices. An FIR has been lodged against an LPG agency of Hailey Mandi, following detection of irregularities in the supply of cooking gas cylinders to consumers.

This was stated by DC Rajender Kataria at a press conference here today. He said after receiving complaints from the consumers, the said gas agency was raided and 57 excess gas cylinders were found there. Kataria claimed that officers of Food and Supply Department were directed to take stringent action against LPG dealers engaging in the selling cylinders on the black market.

“Subsequently, the officials concerned of the department have been conducting raids at gas agencies and checking their stocks,” he maintained.

The DC revealed that the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation had allotted land to the Gas Authority of India Ltd to set up its city gas station at the IMT, Manesar. A sum of Rs 3.65 crore would be invested in the project, he added. To a question, he said Gurgaon would provide 7,000 hotel rooms for the Commonwealth Games and if shortage of rooms was still felt, then all-weather tents would be erected at certain locations identified for the purpose. Open spaces had been identified for the tentage accommodation at Dundahera, Damdama and Surajkund in Gurgaon and Faridabad districts. Kataria said the state government had also extended the cut-off date of tax exemption for hotels in the NCR from March 31 July 31. This implies that the hotels in the NCR belt that are completed by July 31 will get a tax holiday for five years.

Fatehabad, March 12
Irate villagers blocked the Fatehabad-Bhattu Kalan road near Sirdhan crossing today against the alleged beating up of a youth from Dhingsara village outside the police station in the presence of the police.

The villagers stoned a police party that went to deal with the situation and held two cops captive for some time. Two cops, including in charge of the Bhattu Kalan police station Nirmal Singh, were injured. The villagers relented only after DSP Chander Singh assured them that action would be taken against the erring cops. The youth, Pawan Kumar, from Dhingsara had gone to the Bhattu Kalan police station yesterday to collect his police verification certificate for recruitment in the Army.

A tea stall owner, who runs his business outside the police station, allegedly beat him up and his friends in the presence of the police. The cops on duty also allegedly beat him up when he complained against his tormentors. The youth was shifted to hospital with a fractured leg. Infuriated at the incident, the villagers blocked traffic today, demanding action against the accused as well as the cops. A police Gypsy that came from the Bhattu Kalan police station to regulate traffic was stoned by the villagers and forced to make a retreat. Later, SP Jagwant Singh Lamba said Ved Pal, a munshi in the Bhattu Kalan police station, had been suspended and transferred to the Police Lines.

Sirsa, March 12
The role of some police personnel posted at the general hospital has come under scanner after a prisoner fled from there on Wednesday.

Hans Raj, a convict under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, was shifted to the local general hospital from the Sirsa district jail, where he was lodged, for a surgery for hernia on March 4.

The doctors operated him on March 6 and he escaped from the hospital on March 10.

Doubts are being expressed over the role of cops on duty in the hospital as Hans Raj could not have fled without help as his stitches were still raw.

The local police has booked three policemen, Het Ram, Jagdish and Krishan Kumar, all Assistant Sub-Inspectors of Police, along with the main accused. The case has been registered on the complaint of ASI Sat Pal, who was in charge of the cops on duty in the hospital.