Jind, July 7
The BPL families in the district will now get medical treatment free of cost at the hospitals and dispensaries run by the state government on the basis of the smart card issued by the authorities.

The government will not only bear the cost of the indoor treatment but will also make available medicines and transport fee to the beneficiaries. The insurance company will bear the expenses on behalf of the patients. There are over 30,000 BPL families in the district at present.

According to the authorities, the department concerned had already started preparing and issuing smart cards to the BPL families in the district and hundreds of such families had received such cards. It is stated that each family could access the health facility up to an expense of about Rs 30,000 per year and five members of each family were eligible to benefit from the scheme. The BPL card-holders are required to get registered with a nominal payment of Rs 30 and this will ensure the family a cashless treatment at any of the Civil Hospitals, primary health or community health centres in the district. As many as 15 such hospitals have been identified for this facility, stated an official. He said National Assurance Company had been providing these cards in the district and no upper age had been determined for getting such a card. The authorities will pay Rs 100 as transport or travelling charges and also pay the card holders an amount of Rs 1,000 per year to bear similar expenses. The patients will be getting medicines free of cost and other diagnostic facilties at the designated hospitals, the official added.

Chandigarh, July 7
The Tosham revenues authorities are in the dock in a 1976 land allotment case. The Punjab and Haryana High Court suspects that the land has been grabbed in collusion with the revenue authorities.

Justice Alok Singh has asked the Collector to file an affidavit in the court to explain under what circumstances mutation was carried out in favour of a party even after the Tosham SDO reported that the alleged allotment of 1976 stood cancelled and the allotment money deposited after 32 years was illegal. He has also been asked to report to the court the names of the officials responsible for the mutation.

The land, originally belonging to Shehzad Singh, was declared surplus in 1976. At that time, tenant Ramji Lal was in possession of the property.

The land, vide order dated October 7, 1976, was allegedly allotted to Parmanand, Suraj Bhan and Hawa Singh without notice to Ramji Lal. But the allottees did not pay the amount to the government and Ramji Lal was never dispossessed of the land.

Approximately 32 years after the allotment, seven persons, claiming themselves to be the legal heirs of Parmanand, Suraj Bhan and Hawa Singh, deposited the allotment money.

During the proceedings, the Collector was also informed that the alleged allotment in favour of the three stood cancelled due to non-payment of money. Justice Alok Singh asserted: “Prima facie, it is apparent that no possession was ever taken by the three pursuant to the allotment dated October 7, 1976, and Ramji Lal was allowed to remain in possession of the land. It seems to be a case of land grabbing in collusion with the revenue authorities”.

Issuing notice of motion for August 5, Justice Alok Singh asked the Collector to specify under what circumstances were the legal heirs of the allottees allowed to deposit the money. “The Collector shall also name of the officer who permitted the amount to be deposited after 32 years…. He shall also indicate as to whether Ramji Lal was ever dispossessed of the property, and if yes when and under what order”.

Chandigarh, July 7
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that the state of Haryana cannot proceed with the process of granting mining rights without environmental clearance.

The state has also been restrained from going ahead with the auction of mining rights for extraction of boulder, gravel and sand without environmental clearance.

The directions came on a petition by Sandeep Sangwan against the Union of India and other respondents.

In his petition before Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice Ajay Kumar Mittal, he had sought quashing of the auction notice dated June 3 issued by the Director, Mines and Geology, “for the auction of minor mineral quarries not exceeding 4.5 hectares in each case for extraction of boulder, gravel and sand for nine months”.

He had contended that the proposed mining was in violation of the September 14, 2006, notification issued by the Central Government, requiring prior environmental clearance. It was also in violation of the High Court judgment dated May 15, 2009, in the case of Vijay Bansal and others versus the state of Haryana and others.

He added the area of quarries in the impugned notices was restricted to 4.5 hectares to circumvent the notification of the Central Government and the High Court judgment. But the area covered was far beyond 50 hectares.

The Bench asserted: “The state cannot be allowed to act in violation of orders of this court or in violation of provisions of environmental protection law…. reading of impugned notices shows even though individual mineral quarries, on which mining is proposed to be allowed, does not exceed 4.5 hectares which takes the matter outside the notification dated September 14, 2006, and judgment of this court, the mining mineral quarries covered by the auction notices are certainly of large areas.”

The Bench concluded: “We restrain the state from proceeding further with the impugned auction of mining rights. However, the state would be at liberty to seek environmental clearance as already observed in the order of this court in Vijay Bansal’s case”. 

Chandigarh, July 7
Another Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has recused itself from hearing Haryana’s former top cop SPS Rathore’s matter.

As the case came up for hearing, Justice MM Kumar and Justice Gurdev Singh referred the matter to some other Bench, after obtaining orders from the high court Chief Justice. On May 13, similar orders were issued by the Division Bench of Justice Hemant Gupta and Justice AN Jindal. Prior to this, the Bench of Chief Justice and Justice Surya Kant had refused to hear the matter.

The case earlier came up before the Bench headed by Justice Kumar about two days ago and was adjourned for today. This morning, Justice Kumar made it clear that he had now seen the file and asserted that the case be placed before the Bench of which he was not a member.

The case is virtually at the stage of final arguments. In fact, on a previous date of hearing, the Bench headed by the Chief Justice had made it clear that the case would come up for final arguments on the issue of granting promotions to Rathore.

He was promoted even though he was facing allegations of molestation by his daughter’s classmate Ruchika Girhotra.

The Bench had also made it clear that it was for the trial court to deal with the issue of closure reports submitted by the CBI in two cases against Rathore.

Ambala, July 7
HJC supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi lashed out at Rahul Gandhi, saying that the latter’s padyatra at Bhatta Parsaul was nothing but a cheap political stunt to gain farmers’ sympathy.

Addressing farmers of Panjokhra village, who have been on a relay fast in front of the Civil Secretariat at Ambala City for the past 48 days in protest against the acquisition of 1852 acres of land for setting up an IMT, he said Rahul had twice visited Bhatta Parsaul in support of the farmers protesting against land acquisition there but had not spared even five minutes for farmers of Haryana who had been sitting in dharna at Hisar, Ambala, Faridabad and Gurgaon. He accused Rahul Gandhi of adopting double standards in this matter.

Bishnoi said if Rahul Gandhi was really a well-wisher of farmers, he should ask his party’s government at the Centre to amend the land acquisition policy and direct all states to implement it strictly.

The HJC chief said he was in favour of a strong Lokpal Bill. Asked whether the Prime Minister should be brought under the ambit of Lokpal, he favoured a national debate on this issue.

He ruled out the possibility of a common opposition candidate against the Congress in the forthcoming Hisar Lok Sabha byelection. He said the HJC would contest this parliamentary election at every cost. 

Chandigarh, July 7
Veteran Haryana politician Chandravati has written to presidents of various political parties, including the Congress and the BJP, urging them to disclose the sources their parties take funds from.

A former Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry, Chandravati is these days chairperson of the Haryana Dairy Development Cooperative Federation. Besides being a former MP, she is also a six-time MLA. She remained a minister in Pepsu. Belonging to the old school of politicians who cared for the value system, Chandravati says the root cause of corruption in the country is undisclosed sources of income of political parties.

She alleges the national parties ask their Chief Ministers to contribute liberally to the party fund. It is obvious, she says, that the Chief Ministers collect these funds by obliging moneybags, leading to corruption.

Chandravati has sent identical letters to the presidents of the Congress, the BJP, Sharad Yadav (Janata Dal-U), Lalu Prasad Yadav (RJD), Mulayam Singh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Mayawati (BSP), N. Chandrababu Naidu (TDP), Balasaheb Thackeray of the Shiv Sena, Mamata Banerjee, TMC, Karunanidhi (DMK), Jayalalitha (AIDMK), Prakash Singh Badal (SAD), Om Prakash Chautala (INLD), AB Bardhan (CPI) and Sharad Pawar (NCP).

Chandigarh, July 7
To widen the scope of “Ladli Social Security Allowance Scheme” and give an impetus to the efforts being made to further improve the sex ratio, the Haryana Government has revised the gross annual income ceiling of the family from all sources from Rs 44,000 to Rs 2 lakh per annum. Also, the criteria for giving financial assistance under different social security schemes has been revised.

Stating this here today, Haryana Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Geeta Bhukkal said the decision would help in improving the child sex ratio in the state.

Under the scheme, any biological single parent or parents who were domiciles of Haryana or working for the Government of Haryana and had no son, biological or adopted, but only daughters, were eligible to get Rs 500 per month.

She said the eligible family would receive the benefit for 15 years from the date either of the two parents completed 45 years of age. The benefit would be paid to the mother, if surviving. Contrarily, it would be paid to the father.

Bhukkal said similarly the income ceiling under the Haryana Pension to Widows and Destitute Women Scheme had been revised from Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000 per annum to increase the number of beneficiaries. She said under the Haryana Dependent Children (Grant of Financial Assistance) to Destitute Children, the income ceiling had been raised to Rs 30,000 from Rs 10,000 per annum. 

Karnal, July 7
The inscription of look-alikes of Ashoka pillar and Asiatic lions, as in the Emblem of India, in the logo of the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) has caused a flutter, putting the authorities on the back foot.

The logo on packings of NDRI products has been in use for the past 40 years but some activists saw it as an “insult” of the National Emblem, compelling the NDRI to make an announcement to remove these symbols from the logo. The people objected to use of the logo as used packing material was normally found in dustbins and drains “We have taken immediate notice and the NDRI logo has been removed”, NDRI Director AK Srivastava said.

“However, the chapter is closed as we have decided to remove the logo itself, keeping in view the sentiments of some sections of people”, he added. The Janhit Social Welfare Society has sent a notice to the NDRI, asking it stop misuse of the National Emblem. Jitendra Rana, president of the society, said if the NDRI failed to remove the national symbols from the logo, a criminal case would be registered against the institute. 

Karnal, July 7
Peeved over the tardy pace of investigations into ex-sarpanch Karam Singh’s murder case, CPM workers today staged a demonstration and submitted a memo addressed to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner.

The demonstrators said the main accused named in the FIR had not yet been interrogated and arrested. They urged the government to speed up the investigations and arrest the accused .

Karam Singh, who was found in a semi-conscious condition near the NDRI on June 7, later died in hospital. He informed his relatives that he had paid about Rs 12 lakh to former minister OP Jain and ex-CPS Zile Ram for three jobs. Karam Singh told his relatives that he had already written a letter to the DC, SP and the Chief Minister in this regard. Relatives of Karam Singh have demanded a CBI inquiry into the case.

Rohtak, July 7
The police has been on the lookout to arrest the suspect in a murder case that took place in Chuliyana village of the district on Monday night. The suspect, Suresh, had allegedly hacked to death his 75-year-old father in their fields over the payment of a part of the compensation against a natural calamity that his father had received recently from the state government. The suspect has been missing since the incident.

It is learnt that the incident took place after the victim, identified as Shri Ram, and his son, Suresh (40), had a fight over dividing between themselves the compensation money of about Rs 40,000 that Shri Ram had received against damage to his crops last year. The quarrel and the refusal by the victim to pay a part of the amount left his son infuriated and he allegedly clubbed his father to death last night while the latter was asleep in his field. “The accused beat up his father in sleep and allegedly strangled him. He dumped the body in a nearby canal to ensure his death,” claimed Virender, the younger son of the victim, in his report to the police. The police booked a case of murder against Suresh but had failed to arrest him so far. The laxity on the part of the police had resulted in the accused fleeing after committing the crime, claimed Virender.

Karnal, July 7
A family feud over a piece of land took a bloody turn here today as Satnam allegedly attacked his nephews, Pragat Singh and Manjeet Singh, with sword in the court complex, injuring them seriously.

A commotion ensued and stamp vendors besides other present in the court complex ran for safety. The police, meanwhile, overpowered the accused. The cops arrested the assailant and seized the weapon used by him.

The trouble arose when Pragat Singh and Manjeet Singh, who reached the court complex to get the land deed of a “disputed land” registered, and their uncle, Satnam Singh, and Amarpreet, who were also present on the court premises, opposed it.

The oral exchanges turned violent and Satnam Singh suddenly attacked his nephews with a sword. He allegedly attacked Pargat Singh and injured him while Manjeet Singh sustained injuries when he came to the rescue of his brother.

The police was informed immediately and calm was restored after the cops took Satnam Singh into custody. The injured persons were taken to the hospital where the condition of Pragat Singh was stated to be serious. A case has been registered. 

Rohtak, July 7
A one-year-old boy lost his life after he was banged on the floor by his father at Dairy Mohalla yesterday.

According to the police, the incident took place around 12.30 pm after Sant Ram and his wife, Daya, had an altercation, resulting in her husband throwing his son, Akshay, with a force on the floor. The boy died on the spot. The mother informed the police, which took the victims’s body to the PGIMS. 

Hisar, July 7
Forty schoolchildren and five teachers had a narrow escape when the driver of a school bus they were travelling by died of a heart attack.

The bus was on its way to a school on Barwala Road. The driver, Bansi Lal (65), had a severe heart attack. He collapsed on the steering wheel but before that he managed to slow down the bus and steered it towards the left of the road. The bus collided with a rehri parked there.

He was removed to a hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. None of the travellers was injured in the accident. 

Hisar, July 7
Haryana power utilities supplied a record 1315.23lakh units of power yesterday. A spokesman for the utilities said here today that the previous record of one day’s availability and supply was that of 1321 lakh units and 1313.48 lakh units, respectively, on June 24.

He said the availability on the corresponding day last year was only 741.68 lakh units.

There had been high contribution from the state’s own generating projects to the daily power availability as 11 of the 12 thermal units at Panipat, Yamunanagar and Hisar were running.

Besides record power supply, the state’s transmission and distribution system bore a load of 6337 MW, the highest load ever recorded.