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Two girls found dead identified
Won’t pay house tax, say Gurgaon residents
Special road for jumbo trucks
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Gujarati honey seller Tulsi and his wife outside the mortuary after identifying the body of their son at Tohana on Saturday. A Tribune photograph
RS Poll
Statewide protests against petro price hike
Dalits’ interests safe in Cong hands: CM
HC for direct recruitment of public prosecutors
Development of 3 Sectors in Pinjore
Undertrial burnt alive
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Two girls found dead identified
Sonepat, June 26 DSP (Headquarters) Rajinder Singh said today that the arrested had confessed to their crime. According to them, both girls had developed illicit relations with Vijay, stepbrother of Chanchal, who was also staying with Vidya Devi. The girls were cautioned against such relations, but they did not pay any heed to the caution. Angered over their behaviour, the accused took the victims in a car at about 2.30 am yesterday with a plea that they would be taken to the residence of Manoj, father of Raj Kumari, at Devru road. But, instead of taking them there the accused strangulated the girls and threw their bodies in canal. However, the bodies fell on the embankment and these were later noticed by some villagers in the morning. The DSP said Manoj had been staying at Devru road and was working in Delhi; whereas Chanchal’s father Surender was in Sonepat jail. The girls were minors and had been staying with their grandmother Vidya Devi. Surender had two wives - Sonia and Geeta. Vijay was the son of Sonia and Chanchal was the daughter of Geeta, the DSP said, adding that Vijay was staying at Panchkula earlier and had come to Sonepat about one month ago. |
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Won’t pay house tax, say Gurgaon residents
Gurgaon, June 26 At a meeting of property owners of Gurgaon held at the DLF Community Centre here today, the residents’ organisations asserted that the local municipal corporation was trying to impose house tax on them in a wrongful and illegal manner and they would oppose the move tooth and nail. The representatives of Gurgaon residents pointed out that in 1984, the Haryana government issued licences to private builders and colonisers to develop colonies, which were supposed to be completed within five years. “Thereafter, extensions were granted after every two years. More than 25 years have passed and the private colonies have still not been completed. Consequently, the builders have neither obtained final completion certificates from the government, nor have the colonies been handed over to the Gurgaon Municipal Corporation,” they maintained. As per Section 3 (3) (a) (iii) of the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975, private builders are obliged to maintain colonies developed by them free of cost for a period of five years after obtaining the final completion certificates. The matter is pending before the Supreme Court. Under an interim agreement as directed by the apex court, residents are paying maintenance charges at the rate of Re 1 per square yard to the private builders. The residents of colonies developed by private builders maintain that this amounts to tax levied on them for services provided by the builders and if the municipal corporation also levies house tax, it will amount to double taxation. The residents further assert that the municipal corporation is not providing any service in the builder-licensed areas and also areas developed by HUDA/HSIDC. Interestingly, the municipal authorities have themselves admitted this in their reply to a representation of a local residents’ body vide their memo No. J.C.(HQ)/MCG/2010/1401 dated June 17, 2010. “Since the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon is not providing any service in the builder-licensed areas, the imposition of house tax by it is neither legally authorised nor ethically justified,” said representatives, adding that tax could only be levied for the services provided, which was not the case here. The participants, who included office-bearers of various residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) and representatives of residential localities and organisations like the Gurgaon Citizens Council, Ardee City, Sun City, Sushant Lok, South City, Malibu Town, QERWA, DLF QERWA, JAFRA, FORWA and the Senior Citizens Council, said they were prepared to fight a legal battle against the municipal and state authorities over the issue. EDC, licence fee collected; works undone
The state government has collected external development charges (EDC) to the tune of more Rs 6,000 crore from property owners of Gurgaon since 1984 for the provision of external roads, sewerage, water supply, drainage, horticulture, power stations, hospitals, colleges and sports complexes. Of these, a major part of work still remains to be done. In addition, the government had levied licence fee of more than Rs 2,000 crore on builders. This money has been paid by property buyers to the builders. The government has already collected huge amounts from the property owners, but failed to provide adequate infrastructure or services. However, even though the facilities provided by the authorities to the citizens are far from adequate, they are issuing licences for new colonies, which will lead to further inadequacies n the future. |
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Special road for jumbo trucks
Sirsa, June 26 The trucks, carrying jumbo-sized reactors for the refinery, have been parked near the Air Force Station since yesterday, as hundreds of labourers are working overtime to fill the river-bed with earth. The three trucks, having 122 wheels each, took four days to cross Sirsa town and in the process put the whole traffic system of the town in disarray. The trucks, carrying three reactors weighing 850 tonnes, 750 tonnes and 721 tonnes, respectively, started from Kandla Port in Gujarat on March 4, 2010, and are expected to reach the refinery within 15 days, according to an engineer of the transportation contactor accompanying the trucks. Each of these three reactors is nearly 82 metres long, 28 feet high and six-and-a-half metres wide. Over 70 officials appointed by the Mumbai-based transport company are accompanying the three mammoth vehicles during their journey. On the way, the mammoth vehicles had to face problems at several towns and cities, including Hisar, where it took 15 days to negotiate. “We have to create a road on the river-bed as the bridges cannot take the load of these vehicles. The road being built on the Ghaggar here will cost us over Rs 20 lakh and after crossing this, we have to cross two more canals between Sirsa and Dabwali,” said an official of the company. He said the sub-contractors hired by the transportation contractor performed all construction activities and they gave a bank guarantee to government departments before carrying any such work. He said under the terms settled with the authorities, they had to dismantle the road, being constructed now, by June 28, or else the company would loose its bank guarantee. Now, any guess of what the contractor would get for ferrying these gigantic reactors from Kandla Port to the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery project site near Bathinda? An engineer of the transportation company revealed on condition of anonymity that the company had a contract of Rs 20 crore for transporting the three reactors to Bathinda. The contract includes all costs incurred by the company, including making roads on riverbeds and paying compensation to the authorities as well as farmers for the loss caused to there property. |
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Gujarati couple identifies son’s body
Tribune News Service
Fatehabad, June 26 Although the police is yet not sure about the identity of the second body, indications are that this body may also be of a boy and not a girl, as the police had earlier believed. Stray dogs had eaten both legs as well as some vital organs of the second body and the police had earlier reached a conclusion about the body’s gender on the basis of a hole meant for earrings found in the ears. Clues started coming the police way in the morning after a photograph released by the police was published in newspapers, including The Tribune. Some Gujarati families living in the town and doing menial jobs told the police that the boy sitting in the middle in the picture was Gullu. They informed the police that he used to fish in the Bhakhra canal near the town and was missing along with his friend Mangal since May 25. His father Tulsi had lodged a missing report with the police on June 3 and then believing his son to have been drowned in the canal, left the town with other members of his family 15 days ago. The police reached out to Tulsi, who was living with his family in Jind these days and brought him to Tohana. Tulsi and his wife identified their son from the clothes worn by him and also a bangle (kara) he was wearing in one hand. They have not been able to identify the other body, as it is too decomposed. “The other body may be of Mangal, as he too is missing with Gullu, but we have not been able to establish the identity of the body,” said SHO Madan Lal. “We will send the bodies for postmortem tomorrow and the cause of the death would be known only after that,” he added.
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Cong, INLD likely to name candidates by tomorrow
Geetanjali Gayatri/Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 26 So though the election per se, if there is need for one after the last date of withdrawal on July 3, may not whip up any excitement, the run-up to the announcement of candidates has brought with it the usual zing of hectic lobbying and closed-door meetings. Both parties are likely to finalise the names of candidates by June 28. The state unit president of the Congress, Phool Chand Mullana, said discussion with the party in charge of Haryana affairs, Prithviraj Chavan, who returns from his foreign trip tonight, will be held and the name announced within a couple of days. “UPA president Sonia Gandhi and the in charge of the state will consider names and arrive at a decision,” he said. While former Finance Minister Birender Singh is the top contender and is being staunchly backed by Union Minister Selja and supported by detractors of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the names of a number of other state leaders, including Mullana, and the possibility of a leader being “air-dropped” are also doing the rounds. While the Congress’ decision on the candidate will come from Delhi, the INLD is likely to announce its candidate in Chandigarh by June 28. The party’s state working committee, comprising presidents of district units and cities and prominent state leaders, will meet on Monday morning. This will be followed by a meeting of the party’s sitting MLAs to arrive at the final name. Party sources maintain that Tarlochan Singh, former MP who has vacated the seat on the completion of his term, could get a second chance though party chief Om Prakash Chautala, known to spring a surprise, could come up with the unexpected. With both political parties having the numbers in the Vidhan Sabha to comfortably send back their chosen candidates to the Rajya Sabha, the BJP, which has no stakes in this election, is still planning whether to participate in the election at all or to abstain. State unit president Krishan Pal Gurjar said the state unit would consult its central leadership in the matter in a day or two. The last date for filing nomination papers is June 30 while the last date of withdrawal is July 3. Voting, if necessary, will be held on July 10.
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Statewide protests against petro price hike
Faridabad, June 26 The protest was led by president of the Haryana unit of the BJP Krishan Pal Gurjaar, who alleged that the Congress-led UPA was “in league” with the money bags and private companies at the cost of the common man. The BJP charged that the Prime Minister, “billed” as an economist, had failed in his domain subject and the concept of “welfare economy” had been jettisoned by his government. SIRSA: The BJP today organised a demonstration in the town against hike in the prices of petroleum, diesel, kerosene and LPG. The demonstrators also burnt the effigy of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Renu Sharma, district president of the BJP led the demonstrators. Former minister Ganeshi Lal, state vice-president of the party Jagdish Chopra and a large number of party workers raised slogans against the UPA government and demanded rollback of the prices. SONEPAT: Various political parties, farmer organisations and trade unions have criticised the recent price hike of petroleum products and demanded that the UPA government immediately take it back. In the press statement issued here on Saturday, state vice-president of the All-India Kisan Sabha and district secretary of the CPM SN Solanki; state secretary of the Centre of Indian trade Unions Anand Sharma; and members of the state committee of Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) condemned the hike and termed it as pro-capitalists and anti-common man. REWARI: SUCI activists on Saturday held at demonstrations at Nimoth village, 28 km from here. Denouncing the hike in the prices of petro products, they burnt an effigy of the Prime Minister. FATEHABAD: Activists of the CPM today staged protest demonstrations against the hike in the prices of petroleum products. CPM leaders Krishan Swaroop, Ram Kumar Bahbalpuria and several other raised slogans against the government and took out procession against the government.
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Dalits’ interests safe in Cong hands: CM
Jind, June 26 Taking an indirect dig at the sections who condemned the state government over the incidents connected with alleged atrocities on the Dalits, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda asked the people to be wary of the forces which, he said, had been bent upon damaging the social fabric and harmony. He also cautioned that if such elements succeeded in their motive, it would adversely affect the poor and weaker sections the most. Without naming anyone or any incident, he said the interests of Dalits were safe under the rule of the Congress government, but said any attempt to disturb the peace would be thwarted. Announcing setting up of a Chair after Saint Kabir at Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak, from current academic session he said he would do his best to provide a justified representations to all communities. Stating that a budget of Rs 500 crore had been earmarked to give scholarships to students belonging to poor sections of the society under Rajiv Gandhi Chhataravriti Yojana, he urged the people to educate their children by availing the schemes.
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HC for direct recruitment of public prosecutors
Chandigarh, June 26 Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal, Justice MM Kumar, Justice Jasbir Singh, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Jitendra Chauhan observed the three-Judge Bench had made reference regarding the vires of Rule 9 of the Haryana State Prosecution Legal Service, group “A” and group “B” Rules, 1979. The rules provide for filling up of 25 per cent of the vacancies to the posts of the district attorneys and the deputy district attorneys by direct recruitment. It was canvassed by the petitioners that Rule 9 being in sharp
contrast to the provisions of Section 24 of the Code of Criminal Procedure was
ultra vires. The petitioners were working as deputy district attorneys and assistant district attorneys in the Haryana’s Prosecution Department. The five-Judge Bench observed: “On the recommendations of the Law Commission, Sections
24 and 25 were incorporated in the code to keep the prosecuting agency independent and free from the administrative and
disciplinary control of the police. Sections 24 and 25 were thereafter ended with effect from December 18, 1978.” “The statement of objects and reasons of
the Act of 1978 suggests that the newly-added sub-section (6) of Section 24 was brought into force as an enabling provision for the appointment of the public prosecutors or the additional public
prosecutors from amongst the regular cadre of such officers wherever it had been so
constituted by the state government.” The petitioners contended in view of sub-section (6), the posts in the
regular cadre of prosecuting officers, irrespective of their nomenclature, could be filled in by
promotion only from amongst the deputy district attorneys-cum-additional public prosecutors and assistant district attorneys-cum-assistant public prosecutors.
The Bench held the appointment of a public prosecutor under Section 24 of the Code is “distinguishable from an appointment made against a post or public office within the meaning of Article 309 of the
Constitution”. As such, the contention of the petitioners that there is an apparent
cleavage between Section 24 of the Code and the Group ‘A’ & Group ‘B’ Rules is reduced to a mere armed-chair criticism,
without any legal or factual support.
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Development of 3 Sectors in Pinjore Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 26 Taking up the petitions, the Bench of Justice MM Kumar and Justice Jitendra Chauhan asserted: “The government has acquired the land for a public purpose, namely, for the development and utilisation of land for residential area for Sectors 27, 28 and 30, Pinjore. “It is an admitted position that award in the acquisition proceedings in question has already been passed on November 26, 2009, before the filing of these petitions, which were filed on December 11, 2009”. In their detailed order, the Bench added: “After hearing counsel for the parties at a considerable length, we find that no ground is made out to accept the contention raised by the petitioners and to quash the acquisition proceedings, the subject matter of these petitions. “It is well settled that no writ petition would be competent after passing of award because possession of land, free from all encumbrances, was taken and it is deemed to be vested in the state government”. Speaking for the Bench, Justice Kumar ruled: “In that regard reliance may be placed on the judgments of the Supreme Court rendered in the cases of Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay versus Industrial Development and Investment Company (P) Limited and other judgments. In view of this, these petitions fail and the same are dismissed. With the dismissal of the bunch of petitions, state functionaries can heave a sigh of relief as the legal hurdle in the way of the development of these sectors stands cleared.
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Undertrial burnt alive
Jind, June 26 It is reported that Ram Niwas and two others had been arrested for the death of a villager Surender Singh about four years ago. According to the complaint, those who attacked Ram Nivas included Gajja, father of Surender. A case has been registered. No arrests has been made so far.
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