New Delhi, February 1
Mirchpur village in Hisar will now get a tighter security cover from the CRPF, and the investigating officer probing the case of atrocities against Dalits will have to file a monthly report till the conclusion of the trial in the case.

The directions came from the court of Special Judge (SC/ST Act) Kamini Lau on an application filed by some victims of the deadly caste violence. They had sought a direction to the state government to provide protection to witnesses and their families by the CRPF at Mirchpur village. They had alleged they were receiving threats from the accused .The court was also disappointed with the Delhi Government’s non-serious approach as it has not yet appointed a Special Public Prosecutor in the case.

“The CRPF has been deployed in the village by the Government of Haryana, though belatedly. This measure, no doubt, could have been taken earlier… I now direct that this CRPF deployment at Mirchpur should be made preferably near the spot of the incident - around the Balmiki basti and should continue till the public witnesses in the case are examined. This arrangement is to re-assure the victims and their families of full security and protection and to remove all traces of fear or pressure from their minds,” said Lau.

Meanwhile, Special Public Prosecutor (Haryana) SP Ahluwalia today stated before the court that till date the Delhi Government had not issued any notification on the appointment of a Special Public Prosecutor in the case.

He, however, added that as per the oral instructions received by him today from SB Shashank, Additional Secretary (Home), the Government of the NCT of Delhi was in the process of notifying the Special Public Prosecutor. “The manner in which the Government of the NCT of Delhi has unduly delayed the appointment and notification of a Special Public Prosecutor for no obvious reasons only reflects its non-serious approach on the issue,” the court said. “Either, there is a lack of coordination between the Government of the NCT of Delhi and the State of Haryana on the issue … or this issue does not appear to be on the priority of the Government of the NCT of Delhi, it added.

Fatehabad, February 1
Jat leaders, who led an agitation on the issue of reservation in government jobs for the community in September last, have threatened to re-launch their protest from next month.

The Akhil Bharatiya Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (ABJASS) today warned that in case the state government failed to clear its position on the issue of reservation till March 6, the Jats would again come on streets.

Yashpal Malik, national president of the ABJASS, said their committee had so far been holding district-level “Jat Balidan Rallies” in a peaceful manner.

However, in case the government did not respond to their demands in a positive manner, they would be left with no other option, but to come on the streets.

Sube Singh Dhaka, general secretary of the samiti, said the Jats felt that they were being ignored by the government and warned that they would not tolerate this treatment any more.

Jat leader from Tohana Balwant Singh, however, alleged that the leaders of the samiti had forgotten to get justice for the youth, Sunil Sheoran, who died during the Mayyar police firing. This was an act of betrayal.

He alleged that their struggle for reservation had lost strength due to the weakness of leaders. Contrary to the claims of the organisers, the “Jat Balidan Rally” failed to draw much response from the people.

Laxmi Narain Dehru, Ajay Beniwal, Hawa Singh Sangwan and several other Jat leaders addressed the rally.

Chandigarh, February 1
Various Jat organisations fighting for the OBC status for Jats will now come together under the umbrella of the Sanyukt Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti and unitedly fight for their rights.

Addressing a press conference here today, president of the samiti HP Singh Parihar said it was unanimously decided to unitedly press for the OBC status for Jats to make an impact.

“Every state has two or three organisations which are fighting independently for the same cause. By uniting these organisations and the Jat sabhas, we will make this a nationwide agitation,” Parihar said. The samiti will hold meetings in Bhiwani and Hisar during the month to educate the community about the demands and to muster support.

New Delhi, February 1
A postage stamp was released to commemorate the second death anniversary of freedom fighter and member of the Constituent Assembly Chaudhary Ranbir Singh here today.

Chairperson of the UPA Sonia Gandhi released the stamp at a well-attended function where Union Communication Minister Kapil Sibal and Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda were among those present. Ranbir Singh remained a member of the Constituent Assembly, Provisional Parliament, Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and Punjab and Haryana Assemblies.

Paying tributes to Ranbir Singh, Gandhi said his decision to retire from active politics at the age of 64 years in order to dedicate his life to social work was significant.

Kapil Sibal said the Bhakra Dam project that ushered in the green revolution, was completed when Ranbir Singh was Irrigation and Power Minister of Punjab. The president of the All- India Freedom Fighters Association, Capt Ranjit Singh, appreciated the decision of the Department of Posts to release a commemorative stamp on Ranbir Singh. The function was attended by in charge of Haryana Affairs Oscar Fernandes, Union Minister of State for Communication Sachin Pilot, Union Minister of State Mahadev Singh Khandela, Delhi Assembly Speaker Yoganand Shastri and HPCC president Phool Chand Mullana.

Bhiwani, February 1
The South-Western Command of the Army located at Jaipur will organise an arms fair at the local Bhim Stadium on February 5 and 6. On display will be the latest weapons and defence equipment to be used by the soldiers.

Col Ravi Yadav and Col GS Jadhav of the South-Western Command said the main aim of the fair was to make the Army an attractive option for the youths.

Ex-servicemen, war widows and physically challenged soldiers would be honoured at the fair. A medical camp would also be organised. — OC

Chandigarh, February 1
Acting on a petition challenging the validity of HCS and allied services selections by the Haryana Public Service Commission, Justice Mahesh Grover of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today made it clear that the appointment of selected candidates shall be subject to the outcome of the writ petition.

Justice Grover issued notice of motion to the State of Haryana, Haryana Public Service Commission members and other respondents for April 6 on a petition filed by Lalit Jain and others.

Appearing on behalf of the petitioners, senior advocate Satya Pal Jain and Dheeraj Jain submitted that the entire selection process was vitiated with favouritism and nepotism.

They said selected candidates included close relatives of at least three of the five commission members who comprised the selection committee.

Close relatives of Chief Minister BS Hooda, his wife, MPs and senior officers of the Haryana government were also on the selection list.

All the petitioners had secured more than 60 per cent marks in the written test but were brought down in the final list on being awarded 10 per cent to 25 per cent marks in the interview.

On the other hand, most of the selected candidates, especially those belonging to influential families, were awarded around 80 per cent to 90 per cent marks in the interview to enable them to jump the cut-off line though they hsad secured well below 60 per cent marks in the written test.

Karnal, February 1
The investigation into the alleged rape of a hearing and speech impaired minor girl at the government-run Mata Prakash Kaur Vani Viklang Kendra has revealed that the hapless girl was 25 weeks’ pregnant when she was taken to a private clinic in Ludhiana on December 27 last year and made to abort the foetus.

Interestingly, the girl recognised the clinic when she was taken there for an ultrasound and indicated in sign language that she had been brought to the clinic earlier also.

While the head of the Nari Niketan, Rajni Pasricha, has said the institute had nothing to do with the sordid incident as the girl was living in Mata Prakash Kaur Vani Viklang Kendra and used to come to the Nari Nikaten only during holidays, the big question being asked is how the 25-week pregnancy of the girl went unnoticed.

Another intriguing question is how the chowkidar managed to take the girl alone to Ludhiana for the abortion without being noticed by any of the 115-odd students.

The institution has no plausible explanation as to who helped the chowkidar in taking the victim to Ludhiana for the abortion and why the messages given by the girl to other inmates through signals were not deciphered by specialist teachers at the school for the speech and hearing impaired.

The investigating agencies are probing the role of attendants and the in charge of the school in the abortion.

The girl was sent to the Nari Nikaten, Karnal, from Bahadurgarh on July 13, 2006, and was admitted to the government-run Mata Prakash Kaur Vani Viklang Kendra on July 14, 2007, on the orders of the Deputy Commissioner.

Karnal SP Rakesh Arya said Principal GP Saxena and two attendants of the centre - Usha and Asha - were under the scanner and were being questioned by the police.

Earlier, the police had booked chowkidar Ajay under Section 376 of the IPC and had sent him to two days’ police remand.

Karnal, February 1
While the government and NGOs claim to have launched a sustained campaign against female foeticide, the societal response towards the girl child continues to be a cause of concern. A two-day-old girl child was found abandoned near a drain in Sadar Bazaar here today. A passerby spotted the infant and informed the Civil Line police station.

The girl was wrapped in polythene. The police took the newly born to the Civil Hospital but her condition is still critical. Manish Paruthy, who is treating the baby, said as the child was bare, she caught cold. The kid has been kept on a warmer, but nothing could be said till the next 48 hours, he added.

The police has registered a case for abandonment of child under 12 years under Section 317 of the IPC.

Surajkund, February 1
The 25th annual Surajkund Crafts Mela was inaugurated today by Union Minister for Tourism Subodh Kant Sahay. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was among the dignitaries present on the occasion. A special commemorative stamp was released by the Department of Posts to mark the silver jubilee of the mela.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Minister said the aim of the mela was to promote the rich Indian art and culture under a single banner and at a single venue. During the mela, domestic and foreign tourists were educated about the diversity of our customs and traditions, he added.

He said the mela was designed in a way so as to represent the ethos of rural India in miniature for the visitors.

It also provided a platform for craftsmen to showcase and market their products, he added .

The Chief Minister said the state Tourism Department had been working hard every year to make the mela a success. The mela had now acquired an international status. He said the state government was taking measures to promote tourism.

The dignitaries visited a number of stalls, especially the ones set up by craftsmen and weavers from foreign countries.

The mela has Andhra Pradesh as the theme state this year.

One of the highlights of the mela was an exquisite “Haryana Gate” set up in the form of a replica of the entrance of the Yadavindra Gardens, Pinjore.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made for the smooth conduct of the mela.

According to the Faridabad Police Commissioner, PK Aggarwal, more than 1,000 police personnel have been deployed on mela duty to ensure that no untoward incident tooke place.

He said CCTV cameras had also been installed at many places at the mela site as a security measure.

Chandigarh, February 1
The Haryana Police will enhance its intelligence gathering capability and surveillance system in the eight cities of Gurgaon, Faridabad, Sonepat, Yamunanagar, Rohtak, Karnal, Panipat and Panchkula. Under this surveillance system, as many as 5,000 cameras will be installed at major road junctions, on the UP-Haryana border, shopping malls and crowded places to monitor the movement of criminals.

A fibre-net will be laid in Gurgaon and Faridabad to enhance surveillance at shopping malls, major traffic points and escape routes in these two cities.

The surveillance system will have the capability to warn about unidentified objects at crowded places. The system would become functional within the next six months.

Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati chaired a meeting of the state-level empowered committee here yesterday to monitor the implementation of the police modernisation plan 2011-12 that has been sent to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

The surveillance system will include an advance traffic regulation system and a number plates reading system to track vehicles and the movement of criminals in these two cities.

The system will also be used to monitor mob violence, regulation of major public meetings and the movement of VIPs. A sum of Rs 4 crore has been earmarked for traffic management at Gurgaon and Faridabad.

The police will be equipped with the latest arms and ammunition and anti-riot equipment. The plan envisages enhancing the training capabilities of the Haryana Police Academy, Madhuban, the Police Training College at Sunaria and the Police Training College at Bhondsi. Gulati stressed on effective management of traffic at Gurgaon and other major routes in the state.

Sources say the performance of the Haryana Police in the utilisation of funds for modernisation has been adjudged outstanding by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

The state police had utilised Rs 446.68 crore as against Rs 418.68 crore released by both the central and the state governments during the past 10 years from 2000-2001 to 2009-10.

The police infrastructure has undergone major upgradation in areas of mobility and telecommunications.

Chandigarh, February 1
The Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) has decided to organise a “janhit yatra” which will travel all through the state before culminating in Delhi on March 9.

Addressing a press conference here today, HJC supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi said he was pained by the fact that Haryana was burning and every section of society, from Dalits to traders, farmers to employees, were bearing the brunt of an “ineffective and insensitive” Congress government.

“We want to play the real role of the Opposition in Haryana and take up the cause of the common man. Issues are aplenty. However, our party, has decided to focus on the five most important issues troubling the common man and organise a yatra, on tractors, to awaken the government about all such matters which are going unaddressed,” Bishnoi said.

The party plans to focus on equitable development.

Chandigarh, February 1
To help the field officers update their knowledge on better crop production and management, the Haryana Agriculture Department, for the first time, has introduced a training module for its staff.

Officials of the department say that this has been specially introduced for the new recruits.This training, mandatory from now on, will help them get a grasp of the ground realities and farming practices in the state. With the argricultural sector evolving everyday, a streamlined training with focus on specifics was the need of the hour.

“Given the ever-changing status of agriculture, we felt a need to re-train the youngsters,” said Director, Agriculture, AK Yadav.

The first batch of 100 recruits are at present undergoing training at the training institute at Hameti from distinguished persons from various fields.

As part of the training, the recruits will travel outside the state to areas and institutions which have established themselves in the agricultural sector. During the 20-day tour, they will be taken to the Palampur University in Himachal Pradesh, the Dry Farming Centre in Jodhpur and the Directorate of Wheat Research, among several other such institutes.

The recruits will also interact with progressive farmers of the state and study not only agricultural practices but those in allied fields such as dairying and horticulture as well.

Their probation period will be cleared only if they have completed the training module as per the new government rules.