Panipat, February 8
A Rs 11 lakh project to lay water pipes in Manana village in the Samalkha segment of the district has run into rough weather as the pipes have disappeared and the officials concerned say they know nothing about it.

The Public Health Department had last year floated tenders to lay pipes to provide drinking water to certain areas of the village.

The project was to be completed by December 31 last but till date only a few pipes have been laid.

Some villagers posed a query to the department officials under the Right To Information Act, seeking details of the project. Even after 45 days, the department officials are yet to respond.

The villagers say that the pipes brought to the village have simply disappeared. Interestingly, neither the contractor nor any official of the department has filed a complaint with the police in this regard, raising many an eyebrow.

The villagers said a few days back they had found some pipes lying in the fields just 2 km from the project site. Rajinder Rathi, a village panch, said he smelled a rat as senior officials of the department, when approached, had shown reluctance in looking into the matter

Amit Rathi, an RTI activist, alleged that the contractor and officials were behind the disappearance of the pipes with an eye on the amount sanctioned for the project. Ramesh Kumar, XEN, when contacted refused to comment on the issue.

The SDO concerned of Samalkha could not be contacted for comment with his mobile switched off for the past couple of days. 

Fatehabad, February 8
Farmers from Bhima Basti, Matana, Barseen and Dhangar, who were sitting on a dharna for the past 22 days against the acquisition of their lands for sectors 4, 5 and 7-A of the Haryana Urban Development Authority, ended their strike today after an assurance of a suitable compensation for their lands.

The DC, Vijay Singh Yadav, and the ADC, Ashok Meena, offered juice to the farmers sitting on a hunger strike to end their agitation.

Krishan Kumar Badopalia, president of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, which was formed for this purpose, said the farmers were satisfied with the assurance of a suitable compensation given by the chief parliamentary secretary (CPS), Prahlad Singh Gillankhera, after his talks with the government.

Though he did not reveal the amount of compensation offered by Gillankhera, he said it was acceptable to most of the farmers.

He said the CPS had given them an alternative of revocation of Sections 4 and 6 of the Land Acquisition Act, notified for their land. But Badoplia said a majority of farmers were willing to part with their land for the tentative price offered by Gillankhera.

Though Gillankhera was in town, he himself did not go to the tent of the farmers to persuade them to end their strike.

Even as the senior district officers were offering juice to the farmers to end their strike, the Gorakhpur farmers, sitting in a tent across the road, raised anti-government slogans.

The agitation of Gorakhpur farmers fighting to save their land from acquisition for the nuclear power plant being developed by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, entered its 178th day today.

Hans Raj Siwach, president of the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti alleged that the state government had adopted an indifferent attitude towards their woes. He maintained that they would not yield a single inch of their agricultural land. 

Jhajjar, February 8
With a view to filling the vacant posts of doctor in government hospitals at the earliest, the state government has decided to recruit 400 medical officers (MO) through departmental committees instead of the Haryana Public Service Commission.

Health Minister Rao Narender Singh disclosed this while talking to mediapersons after a surprise visit to Bahadurgarh town here today to review the health services at the newly built 100-bedded Civil Hospital and the trauma centre.

He said after the recruitment of 400 MOs, the hospitals would have enough staff to provide immediate treatment to patients.

Earlier, the minister took stock of the facilities available at the Civil Hospital and interacted with the patients admitted there to know about the functioning of the doctors and other staff members.

The Health Minister issued transfer orders of a receptionist of the hospital with immediate effect when a patient complained to the minister against his misbehaviour with patients. Earlier, the minister had suspended the receptionist, but cancelled the orders when he apologised for his misbehaviour and the patient withdrew his complaint.

Rao Narender also warned the doctors and other staff members against negligence in providing medical treatment and misbehaviour with patients. He added that stern action would be taken against the guilty.

Enumerating on the health services in the state, he said all health institutions had been giving free-of-cost medicines to patients visiting the OPDs.

Karnal, February 8
Expressing concern over a 10 per cent fall in export of Basmati rice this year, Vijay Setia, president of the All-India Rice Exporters Association, today made a strong plea for uniform rates of taxation for rice exports throughout the country, and also the implementation of GST to provide a level playing field to exporters.

Talking to mediapersons here, he said several states had reduced the tax on rice exports to “zero” per cent, and the exporters in the states with higher tax rates were facing “unhealthy competition” in domestic markets and abroad.

“Exports to Europe have been affected due to a controversy over pesticide contents, while exports to Iran were sluggish due to a very slow mode of payment,” he said, adding that exports on “credit” be curbed to save exporters from the risk.

In order to make Basmati exports sustainable and profitable, the government must introduce a method for exports through “letter of credit” or “Cash against Document”, as was being done by Thailand and Pakistan to avoid any risk or delays in payment under “certain inexplicable circumstances”.

Reiterating the demand for allowing export of superior non-basmati rice selling at $900 per quintal, Setia said it would boost rice exports, help in earning revenue and also solve the problem of storage of foodgrain.

Chandigarh, February 8
Can the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) ask for additional payment from its allottees if compensation it has to pay to the landowners is enhanced subsequently? The Punjab and Haryana High Court has referred the issue for arbitration.

The directions came on a petition filed by the“Welfare Association” against HUDA and others respondents.

Several petitions challenging the demand for additional money by HUDA are pending adjudication before the High Court.

Taking up the issue, Justice Ranjit Singh asserted: “The petitioner has filed this writ petition with the grievance that the respondents have demanded some enhanced sum of money from the petitioner, which the petitioner would not be liable to pay.

“The petitioner would not seriously dispute that there was a clause in the allotment letter and also in the Haryana Urban Development (Department of Land & Building) Regulations, 1978, through which HUDA would be in a position to ask for additional payment, if some compensation is enhanced subsequently”.

Justice Ranjit Singh took note of the fact that a similar issue had come up for hearing before the court earlier also and that the petition was disposed of with the Bench favouring arbitration proceedings in the matter.

Before parting with the order, Justice Ranjit Singh added: “Counsel for the parties agree that there is an arbitration clause in the allotment letter…. Counsel for HUDA says that the Chief Arbitrator, HUDA, is competent to appoint the arbitrator.

“Since the petitioner has an efficacious alternative remedy of seeking arbitration for resolving the dispute, the petitioner is relegated to this alternative remedy”.

Making it clear that the matter could not be kept pending for long during the arbitration proceedings, Justice Ranjit Singh disposed of the petition adding: “Let the petitioner move an application for appointment of an arbitrator and the Chief Arbitrator, HUDA, would take immediate action to appoint the arbitrator.”

Rohtak, February 8
A state-level public rally organised by the Congress to mark the 130th birth anniversary of Sir Chhotu Ram at Sampla town, 20 km from here, was postponed due to the demise of three persons hailing from Sanghi, the native village of the CM, in an accident.

The incident took place when the victims were on their way to take part in the rally. The vehicle they were travelling in collided head-on with a canter near the flyover at Ismaila village, a few km away from the rally spot.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who arrived at 1.30 pm, was told that three persons identified as Ranbir Singh, Dharam Singh and Jaipal hailing from Sanghi village were killed in an accident an hour ago.

Congress leaders, especially Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda, had worked overtime to ensure the success of the rally, claimed party leaders. All those present at the venue observed a two-minute silence to pay homage to the victims. Later, the CM visited the hospital to know the condition of one of the injured persons.

Earlier, the CM inaugurated some projects worth several crores in the region. The buildings inaugurated today include a museum set up in the memory of Sir Chhotu Ram near Sampla bypass, a community health centre and a polytechnic college.

The museum comprises a multipurpose hall, six rooms and a restaurant. The Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of the new bus stand at Sampla town. Sir Chhotu Ram was born at Garhi Sampla village near Sampla town, which is located on National Highway 10, connecting Rohtak with Delhi.

SONEPAT: The birth anniversary of Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram was celebrated by organising different activities in various educational institutions and other places in the district. Two marathons were flagged of from the campus of the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, by Vice Chancellor HS Chahal and his wife Sarla Chahal. — OC

REWARI: Senior members of the staff and employees of the Guru Jambheshwar Science and Technology University, Hisar, along with other distinguished citizens celebrated the birth anniversary of Sir Chhotu Ram in Hisar on Tuesday. Dr ML Ranga, Vice Chancellor of the GJU, garlanded the statue of Sir Chhotu Ram. — OC

Gurgaon, February 8
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has said that female foeticide can be wiped out by creating mass awareness on the significance of the girl child.

Hooda was addressing a gathering at the 10th Annual Kelvinator Great Women Awards-2011 function here late last evening.

Women achievers from various fields-lifestyle, films, medicine, music, advertising and the corporate sector-were awarded at the function organised by Anu and Shashi Ranjan.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting,Ambika Soni was awarded for her contribution to politics.

Nimmi Raza, noted Hindi movie actress of yesteryear, was awarded the Kelvinator Lifetime Achievement Award. Bollywood actress Rani Mukherjee got the Kelvinator Actress of the Decade Award while Raveena Tandon Thadani bagged the award for supporting the girl child.

Swati Ravindra Paradkar, president of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, got the Kelvinator Great Women’s Award for Social Servic, while Dr Nandita Palshetkar received the award for her contribution to healthcare.

Ulka Gupta was presented with the Young Achiever Award for her lead role in the TV serial “Jhansi Ki Rani”. The first woman Air Marshal, Padma Bandopadhyay, was also awarded. Comedienne Bharti Singh entertained the spectators.

The Chief Minister talked of the various steps initiated by his government to give the girl child her due status in society. He mentioned the “Laadli” scheme under which a sum of Rs 5,000 is given for five years to a family with a second daughter.

Hooda said the tuition fee of girl students had been waived and the Haryana government had reserved 25 per cent seats for girls in the Industrial Training Institutes of the state.

There was 33 per cent reservation for women in the recruitment of teachers.

The Chief Minister presented a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh to two sisters, Pratibha and Jolly, who have prepared a short film titled “Every Adam Needs an Eve” with the emotive message to halt female foeticide. TV actors Kavita Kaushik and Manish Paul compered the show. 

Karnal, February 8
The Haryana Finance and Irrigation Minister, Capt Ajay Yadav, yesterday cautioned against the social fallout of the declining female sex ratio and urged the people to change their attitude towards the girl child.

Yadav, who was the chief guest at the annual function of Gurukul at Maur Majra, 40 km from here, said it was an irony that girls were still “unwanted”, though they had excelled in all walks of life.

He said the female sex ratio had declined to 850 girls per 1,000 boys, and if this trend was not reversed, it would have a ruinous effect on society.

He said by educating a girl, three families were educated, and keeping this in mind the government was taking measures to encourage female education and had also set up the first all-women university in Sonepat.

He stressed the need for educating the girls for bringing about an attitudinal change in society.

He said the government had increased the Budget allocation for education from Rs 1,378 crore in 2004-05 to Rs 5,307.82 crore in 2010-11.

A further increase was likely in the Budget for the next financial year.

Emphasising the fact that no child should be deprived of education, the minister said the government was striving to implement the Right to Education Act effectively.

Ambala, February 8
The Haryana Wakf Board has got centralised computing facilities (CCF) at its headquarters at Ambala Cantt here.

CEO of the Haryana Wakf Board Dr Parvez Ahmad said here yesterday that the facilities had been started at a cost of Rs 18.69 lakh and the equipment for the facility have been procured by the Wakf Board through government-approved sources. A central team from the Ministry of Minority Affairs headed by secretary Vivek Mehrotra came here in this connection. Addressing a meeting, he said the computerisation of records of the Wakf Board would help streamline the administration of the board for its efficient functioning and transparency.

He said the proposal for computerisation of records of the Wakf Board was accepted by the central government on the recommendations of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

Dr Parvez Ahmad said 12,493 Wakf properties would be registered under the system modules and the documents pertaining to the ownership of the properties would also be scanned under the document management system.

Chandigarh, February 8
Haryana’s former MLA Nafe Singh’s plea for security has failed to find favour with the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Nafe Singh had even offered to pay for the security cover, but his petition was dismissed after the state claimed that an effective vigil was being maintained to ensure his safety.

Taking up the petition, Justice Ranjit Singh observed: “The prayer made in the writ petition is for grant of security to the petitioner, who is a former MLA. The submission made on behalf of the petitioner says the petitioner would be prepared to bear the expenses for providing security.

“The state, in response, has stated that the threat perception to the life of the petitioner has been appreciated and reviewed by the state-level review committee and it has been found that the petitioner's case is not such that he needs or is required to be provided security.

“The state counsel has also drawn my attention to the decision taken by the state-level review committee issuing directions to the SP of the district concerned to ensure and keep a vigil so that no harm is caused to the life of the petitioner in any manner”.

Justice Ranjit Singh concluded: “I think sufficient precautions have been taken and there is nothing additional pointed out before me to show that the decision-making process suffers from any infirmity which would call for any interference by this court.

“I am, thus not inclined to interfere in the exercise of writ jurisdiction. The writ petition is, accordingly, dismissed.”