Chandigarh, May 20
If the assembly elections in Haryana were a direct contest between the Congress and the INLD, the civic elections today turned out to be a proxy war between the two parties, each claiming to be one up as results began coming in. The BJP, which fought at elections at Faridabad and Sonepat, fared badly despite its projection of being the urban voters’ choice. The party is “hopeful” of having its president in the Sonepat civic body while it managed to win five seats in Faridabad.

Though the two main parties did not contest the elections on the party symbol, each of them had their “party-backed” candidates contesting the poll. If the Sirsa result was crucial to the Congress, as also to the INLD, the Faridabad civic body results were important for the BJP.

The “most-watched” election was that of the Sirsa civic body where the main players were two factions of the Congress, one led by Minister of State Gopal Kanda and the other by former Congress minister Lachhman Das Arora, besides the INLD. As expected, candidates backed by the INLD came right on top, getting a majority. In Fatehabad and in Pehowa, it was Congress-backed candidates that scored over the rivals.

The Jind civic body was the only exception where a tie was reported between two candidates who polled equal votes. A draw of lots was held in the presence of all candidates to declare the winner.

The state recorded a voting percentage of over 70 per cent at most places. Electronic voting machines (EVMs) were used for the first time for the civic elections.

Sirsa:The Indian National Lok Dal scored a thumping victory over the Congress in the elections to the Sirsa Municipal Council today. The INLD, which fielded its candidates in all 31 wards on the “umbrella” symbol, emerged winner in 19 wards, managing a clear majority.

Haryana minister Gopal Kanda, who had teamed up with the District Congress president Hoshiyari Lal Sharma and block Congress chief Bhupesh Mehta to field candidates in all 31 wards on the “car”symbol faired badly. His group could win only six seats.

Another faction of the Congress led by former minister LD Arora’s son-in-law Rahul Setia who had fielded candidates in 24 wards, had to content with six seats only.The INLD managed a firm grip over the Rania Municipal Committee in the district where candidates supported by it emerged victors in nine of the 15 wards.

The Congress-backed candidates won in 5 wards while one seat went to an Independent. In the Kalanwali Municipal Committee, the INLD and the Congress shared 6 seats each with one seat goinf to an Independent.

Jubilant over his party’s performance in Sirsa district, the INLD legislator, Abhey Singh Chautala, said the people had given a verdict against the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government. This was for the third time in a row that the people of Sirsa had rejected Hooda and his government, he claimed. “People first taught the Congress a lesson in the assembly elections last year, again defeated Hooda’s candidate in the Ellenabad byelection and now they have done it for the third time in the municipal polls,” he said.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary PS Gillankhera was able to ensure the victory of 10 candidates supported by him in a house of 21.

At least two supporters of former parliamentary secretary Dura Ram won seats in the Fatehabad municipal council.

Here, the INLD could manage the victory of two candidates only.

Karnal: Barring a scuffle among supporters of two candidates in Gharaunda and Traveri, municipal elections in Assandh, Nissing, Gharonda and Traveri remained peaceful.

Nissing, which voted for the first time, recorded the highest turnout at 93 per cent followed by Traveri 84 per cent, Gharaunda 80 per cent and Assandh 78 per cent.

Three persons were injured in a scuffle which ensued after the declaration of result for Ward No. 12 in Gharaunda where Shama defeated his nearest rival Dinesh by just two votes. The atmosphere outside the counting centre was highly charged. The police intervened and pacified the supporters.

Traveri too reported a clash in Ward 6. A controversy over bogus voting in Ward 3 in Assandh also caused tension. There were 93 candidates in the fray for 13 wards in Nissing, while 91 candidates tried their luck from 17 wards in Gharaunda. In Traveri 54 candidates were in fray for 15 wards.Manmohan Kaur from Ward 11 was elected unopposed.

In Assandh, 54 candidates battled it out in 13 wards while Babu Ram Singla and Banarsi Das were elected unopposed from Wards 7 and 13, respectively.

Sonepat: A number of voters in different wards of the Sonepat Municipal Council were deprived of their voting right with their names missing in the voters’ list. Enquiries revealed that on the eve of the parliamentary elections, the election office had prepared a supplementary list of newly registered voters who voted in the parliamentary as well as the assembly elections last year. Surprisingly, the names of these voters were not found in the voters’ list used in today’s polling. Except for some complaints of bogus polling and a few incidents of stone-pelting at some booths, the polling remained peaceful. There was a heavy turnout of voters in the morning and evening. The polling continued beyond the closing time of 4 pm at a number of booths in Gohana

Bhiwani: Election for the Charkhi Dadri Municipal Committee passed off peacefully .The following have been elected ward-wise : Kiran Bala (Ward 1), Verender (2), Ram Bhagat (3), Ajit Faugat (4), Jai Singh (5), Anand (6), Vimla (7), Madhu (8), Chander Kala (9), Praveen Saini (10), Sunder Balmiki (11), Jyoti (12), Subhash Swami (13), Manoj (14), Bakhshi Saini (15), Khazani Devi (16), Babli (17), Sri Bhagwan (18) and Naresh (19)

Rewari: The following were declared elected to the Bawal Municipal Committee ward-wise. Shiv Narain (I), Dinesh Kumar (2), Virender Singh ( 3), Raj Bala (4), Hira Singh (5), Kamla Devi (6), Chander Pal (7), Manju Devi (8), Gyan Wati (9), Neelam Devi (10), Jugal Kishore (11), Sumer Singh ( 12) and Rati Ram (13).

Jhajjar: Barring a couple of minor incidents, polling to the Jhajjar Municipal Council passed off peacefully with a turnout of 78 per cent.The winners are:

Anil, Jai Singh, Ishwar Sharma , Shishu Pal, Pushpa Dev, Urmila, Dinesh Yadav, Nahar Singh, Urmial Devi, Renu, Meenakshi, Manju, Virender Gujjar , Savita Devi, Santram, Kishore, Nek Chand, Babli, and Bhudev.

KAITHAL: The poll for 17 wards of the Cheeka Municipal Committee concluded peacefully. These were held in 16 wards as Sushma Goel was elected unopposed . The winners: Tekchand Avtar Singh, Baljeet Singh , Uday Singh, Kiran Rani, Sukhvinder Kaur, Om Parkash, Sushma Goel (unopposed),Malkiat Singh, Santosh Devi, Saravjeet Singh, Rimple Rani, Gopal Chand, Jai Parkash Asha Rani, Surjit Singh and Poonam Saini. 

Chandigarh, May 20
The state of Haryana has earned condemnation from the Punjab and Haryana High Court for not releasing the retiral benefits of an employee exonerated after an inquiry.

The ruling came on an appeal filed by the state against Santosh Kumar Mittal. It was contended that Mittal was chargesheeted for causing loss during his tenure as a supervisory officer at a Fatehabad centre, where wheat stock was damaged. As he was to retire on April 30, 1997, an order for recovering money was passed on January 31, 1997.

The final decision was taken on February 8, 2000, and 20 per cent of the total loss was directed to be recovered from him. The state added a valid inquiry was conducted, but the inquiry officer did not find him guilty. The disciplinary authority, however, did not agree with the findings and a dissent note was recorded; and a second show cause was issued, which was ultimately decided on March 8, 2000.

Mittal had, on the other hand, contended that he was chargesheeted for the same allegations in 1983-84 but was exonerated. After hearing the rival contentions, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “It would not be out of place to notice that negligence, or respondent being remiss in performing his duties, was not found against the respondent by the inquiry officer. No further action was taken on the first charge sheet to either differ with the findings.

“After the findings that the respondent was not negligent or remiss in performance of his duties, it is not understood as to how the negligence or being remiss in performance of duties could be alleged to have led to causing a loss.

“In a way, it can be said that the earlier inquiry finding was given the go-by in this manner by directing another inquiry by changing the wording of the allegations made….

“Action in this manner has been taken against the respondent after a lapse of so much time, that too for almost similar or identical allegations, which were inquired into and the respondent exonerated. This certainly would not sound a fair approach on the part of the appellant.The state is also bound to realise that a person, who has been exonerated after a due inquiry, which was allowed to acquire finality, could not have been dealt with in this manner to withhold retiral benefits of the employee…. The regular second appeals are, therefore, dismissed.” 

Gurgaon, May 20
Union Labour and Employment Minister Mallikarjun Kharge and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda inaugurated the first corporate-style multi-speciality hospital for the workmen here today. The fully air-conditioned 100-bed ESIC hospital has been developed on five acres of land at a cost of Rs 100 crore.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Kharge maintained that it was the first ESIC hospital of its kind in the country that would soon be upgraded to 200-bed hospital. He disclosed that the ESIC was also implementing Panchdeep project with Wipro for comprehensive IT-enablement in all its establishments.

“Nearly 2,000 locations across the country have been networked and smart cards are being issued to all insured persons and their families, so that they can avail medical services anywhere in the country,” he asserted.

The minister further announced that the ESI Corporation was in the process of setting up 18 medical colleges and 12 postgraduate medical science and research centres across the country. Referring to the suggestion made by Badshahpur MLA Rao Dharampal and Haryana Minister for Labour and Employment Mahender Partap Singh, he also directed the Director-General of the ESIC to provide medical help to other categories of patients in emergency cases.

Earlier, the CM assured that the government would consider giving relaxation in FAR for expansion of this ESIC hospital in Gurgaon. He said since Gurgaon was emerging as a major industrial town, such hospital was required here. He revealed that the state government had sent a proposal of opening 12 more ESIC dispensaries in Gurgaon.

“The state government has started a programme worth Rs 1,500 crore to develop sound health infrastructure in the state,” he said, adding that the state government had also decided to set up a health fund with a view to provide modern healthcare services to the poor. Any donation made to this fund would have relaxation in income tax. 

New Delhi, May 20
Two days after nearly hundred Dalit families migrated to New Delhi from Mirchpur village in Hisar, accusing the dominant Jat community of socially boycotting them and threatening them of dire consequences, Dalits staged a massive dharna at Jantar Mantar here today.

A gathering of 10,000 participated in the dharna, raising slogans against “delayed justice”. Mirchpur’s Jat community allegedly torched several Dalit houses four weeks ago that resulted in the death of 17-year-old, polio-stricken Suman and her father Tara Chand. Leaders and supporters from different parties, including BJP leader Satya Narayan Jathia, Shiromani Akal Dal leader and former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker Charanjit Singh Atwal, Indian Justice Party chairman Udit Raj and others supported the protest.

“We demand that this case be shifted outside Haryana. We want a speedy trial in a fast-track court in Delhi or Punjab. We do not have any hope of justice in Haryana now. The Hooda government is trying to brush the issue under the carpet,” alleged Dr Vijay Kayat of the Upekshit Samaj Party.

“Three days back, nearly 70 families came to Delhi from Mirchpur. Nearly 40 to 50 more have shifted here in the past two days. Officials in Hisar claim that these families in the Capital are not from Mirchpur. We have identification documents of each family here.The government can get these checked,” said a defiant O P Shukla, convener, Haryana Dalit Bachao Sangharsh Samiti.

“The UPA government should take strict action against the culprits,” demanded Dr Udit Raj, president, Indian Justice Party. As the gathering marched towards Parliament, close to 1,000 supporters along with party leaders ourted arrest. “Officials’ claim of relief work for the Dalit victims in Mirchpur are exaggerated.

“They say that quintals of wheat have been given to each family. Where are we supposed to go and get flour if the Jats in the village do not let us enter the flour mills,” asked an angry Sunita from Mirchpur.

Sirsa, May 20
Dr Riecha Tanwar, Director, Women’s Studies Research Centre, Kurukshetra University, who is heading the inquiry committee to look into the complaint of harassment by a woman Assistant Professor of Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, against the chairman of her department, a Professor, will start her probe on 
May 25.

Dr Tanwar, who is heading the gender sensitisation committee of Kurukshetra University for a long period and is also on the panel of Indian Airlines to look into the complaints of sexual harassment, was assigned the job of heading the inquiry into the complaint of the teacher last week by Balbir Singh Malik, Vice-Chancellor of the CDLU.

Confirming, Dr Tanwar said complete transparency would be adopted in the inquiry as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court.

She said while heading the gender sensitisation committee of Kurukshetra University, she had framed guidelines for inquiries in such cases after going into the guidelines framed by Jawaharlal Nehru University and other institutions.

The woman Assistant Professor had alleged in her complaint that the chairman of the department, who earlier cajoled her to do her PhD under him, got annoyed at her refusal and started misbehaving with her.

Sirsa, May 20
After allegations of misuse of authority in the matter of internal assessment by some teachers of the Journalism and Mass Communication Department, Chaudhary Devi Lal University has now changed its rules in this regard.

The academic council of the university, which met under Vice-Chancellor Balbir Singh Malik last evening, decided that the internal assessment to students will now be given as per their performance in the internal examinations.

The council decided that there would be two internal tests for students in each semester and the teachers would have to keep a record of the tests for three months.

The students, the council decided, would have the right to apply for re-evaluation, if they felt aggrieved over the marks obtained by them in these tests.

As an earlier practice, 60 per cent of the total assessment marks were given on the basis of class tests, 20 per cent on the basis of attendance and the remaining 20 per cent on the overall performance of the students. However, when the issue of alleged sexual harassment of a student of the JMC Department by her two teachers came to the fore, allegations that these teachers were misusing their power of granting internal assessment as a tool to harass innocent girls were also levelled.

Sadhna Mittal, protection officer under the Domestic Violence Act, on the directions of the Deputy Commissioner and the Haryana State Women Commission, conducted a probe into these allegations by summoning the record of internal assessment of the JMC Department from the university. Mittal observed in her inquiry report that some girl students of the department met her requesting anonymity and stated that the two teachers tainted in the case of sexual harassment had been adopting favouritism in the matter of internal assessment.

Girls standing first and fourth in their respective semester had been awarded eight and nine marks, respectively, out of 20 in the internal assessment by these teachers while a girl student fairing average in the semester tests managed to get 16.

Both teachers had justified the internal assessment marks awarded by them and maintained that these were in tune with the rules made by the university.

Rohtak, May 20
The police has arrested three students in connection with an attempt to outrage the modesty of two girl students of the Law Department of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) here last evening.

The police has impounded a car, having registration number of Jhajjar district, used by the accused in the incident. A case under Sections 323, 354, 342, 506 and 34 of the IPC has been registered against the accused, who have been identified as Somvir, Ashish Nandal and Ravi Prakash.

The accused stopped and tried to engage the two girls, who were on their way to their hostel, in a conversation. But when they failed to get response, the accused got down from the car and tried to get physical with them. This led to a verbal duel, resulting in the intervention by the onlookers.

While Somvir has been classmate of one of the victims in the department, Ashish and Ravi Prakash are stated to be students of the Jat College here. While Ravi Prakash, the third accused hailed from from Bajanakalan village of Sonepat district, the other two were stated to be the local residents.

“Two of the main accused were arrested early this morning, while the third one was nabbed around 2 pm today after a raid,” said SSP Anil Kumar Rao.

He said the police has recovered the car and has provided security to the victims for the time being. The patrolling in the MDU campus has also been increased, he adding that the medical check up of one of the victims, who was injured, was also got done.

It may be recalled that this has been second such incident on the MDU campus in the past about seven weeks. Earlier, an ASI of the district police had been suspended after he was found to be engaged in an activity similar to molestation and making a threat to a girl student in the campus here on April 1 last. The security set-up of the MDU campus had been at stake, following several incidents of crime, including theft and molestation, taking place here in the past couple 
of years.

Yamunanagar, May 20
A truck carrying medicines and kitchen utensils caught fire after it reportedly came in contact with a high-tension wire on the national highway near the Mini-Secretariat here this evening. The medicines were found concealed under the utensils.

Two fire engines were pressed into service. The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. The incident took place when the truck bearing a Haryana number, after reportedly loading medicines from Kala Amb and Yamunanagar, was on its way to Delhi and caught fire.

The medicines were found concealed under the utensils. The matter was brought to the notice of the DC,” SDM Devinder Kaushik told The Tribune.

“The truck driver and his helper have been handed over to the police, as they were not carrying any documents,” he added. — TNS