Chandigarh, April 9
The state of Haryana has decided to conduct a Vigilance inquiry into the alleged embezzlement of “a huge government amount in the name of plantation at Jui-Meethathal Feeders”.

The inquiry has been ordered on the basis of a communication dated January 1, 2010, by the Hisar Deputy Commissioner to the state Chief Secretary.

This was revealed during the hearing of a petition filed in public interest against the Union of India and other respondents by Sumant Bhatacharya of New Delhi.

As the matter came up for hearing, the Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Kanwaljit Singh Ahluwalia asserted: “The main grievance in the present PIL is based on a letter dated January 1, 2010, written by the Deputy Commissioner, Hisar, to the Chief Secretary, Vigilance Department, Government of Haryana, Chandigarh, for conducting a Vigilance inquiry into embezzlement of a huge government amount in the name of plantation at Jui-Meethathal Feeders.

“A communication dated March 25 issued by the Chief Secretary to the Government of Haryana, the Vigilance Department, and addressed to the Advocate-General of the state, has been placed before us. In the communication, it has been recorded that the government has decided to conduct a Vigilance inquiry on the basis of the letter dated January 1, 2010, written by the Deputy Commissioner, Hisar, to the Chief Secretary of the state”.

The Bench added: In view of this, we do not find any live issue for adjudication in this PIL. We, therefore, close the same with the direction that the Vigilance inquiry ordered by the Chief Secretary to the Government of Haryana shall be initiated and concluded at an early date.

“Furthermore, in the event the petitioner has any grievance either with regard to the conduct or the progress of the inquiry, it will be open for him to approach this court once again, if so advised”.

Jind, April 9
With the harvesting of rabi crops on in the region, the local authorities have announced a ban on burning of wheat stubble and crop waste in the district.

The administration has invoked the provisions of Section 144 of the Rules Act-1973, under which the violation can attract legal action.

In the orders passed here today, the office of the Deputy Commissioner claimed that the burning of wheat and crop stubble and waste in the fields and open spaces in and around the villages and towns would not be allowed and any violation in this regard would invite action. 

Surajkund, April 9
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today inaugurated a national seminar organised jointly by the Indian Buildings Congress and the PWD (B&R).

The Chief Minister deliberately delayed his arrival to the venue by about one and a half hours reportedly to drive home the point to builders and colonisers of what a delay felt like and how people had to suffer when they did not complete their projects on time. Addressing the seminar, Hooda, who was the chief guest at the function, stressed the importance of timely completion of projects.

The Chief Minister wanted to know from the builders how they felt on account his late arrival.

“You sure must have felt bad. In the same way the common man suffers on account of delays in projects under construction in which he has invested,” he said.

The theme of the seminar was “Technological advances in construction industry”. He said the pace of urbanisation was going to increase in the years to come and this would generate enormous demand for construction activity. Later, the Chief Minister addressed industrialists of Faridabad.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated a solid waste management plant at Palli village which has been set up at a cost of Rs 48 crore.

Sirsa, April 9
Rajbir Deswal, Inspector-General of Police, CID, Haryana, said today that the youth could show the way to make India corruption-free.

Addressing students and teachers at the annual function of Jan Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal Polytechnic here today, Deswal said the youth had the potential to do this because their minds were not polluted with corruption.

“Young minds are not dominated by the menace of owning things and they are not attracted to doing things which they think are morally incorrect,” the IG said.

Deswal said the largest population of the country being of young people, enormous change could be brought about by if the youth decided to do so.

“In the past few years, the media, the judiciary and some other autonomous bodies have exhibited a lot of activism to curb corruption and now it is the turn of the youth to work towards bringing about a change in the mindset of society,” he added.

He said education was one thing that could go a long way in making India corruption-free. Ignorance of one’s rights, he said, was the greatest hindrance to the legal enforcement of those rights and added that the educated youth could overcome this shortcoming easily.

Fatehabad, April 9
The police today arrested a woman, Sunita, for murder after a property dealer was stabbed to death when he allegedly went to her house to demand back money lent by him last night.

The police has also booked the woman’s husband, Raja Ram, and two youths - Sanjay and Vijender - for the murder.

The victim, Ram Singh Jakhar (40), a property dealer, was stabbed in the local Naher Colony last night.

His brother, Dara Singh, alleged in his complaint to the police that the victim had lent some money to Sunita and had gone to her to demand it back.

He alleged that she, along with her husband and the two other youths, attacked him with knives, injuring him critically.

The victim tried to rush back to his home on his motorcycle in an injured condition, but fell on the ground after covering some distance.

Onlookers informed the police, which shifted the victim to the general hospital, where he died.

The police found bloodstains on the road from Sunita’s house till the place where the victim fell from his motorcycle.