Chandigarh, September 15
Heavy rains that lashed most parts of Haryana today have alarmed agriculture experts, who say that more rains will be harmful for crops like cotton, bajra and paddy.

Cotton, which is mainly grown in Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Bhiwani and Jind districts, is at the blooming stage. Last year the cotton yield in Haryana was 603 kg link per hectare. The Agriculture Department had expected this year’s yield to be much better than that of last year. However, rains in the past few days have reduced the chances of an improvement in the yield. But still the department had expected it to be on a par with last year. It is yet to estimate the loss caused by today’s rain.

Director-General, Agriculture, Ashok Yadav, says so far the bajra crop, which is at the ripening stage, has not been affected much by the rains. But any further rain will definitely damage the crop. Similarly, so far the paddy has not been hit much as the crop thrives in water. But if any flooding is caused and the crop is submerged, the yield will suffer.

ROHTAK: Life came to a standstill for hours as heavy downpour lashed the town and nearby areas this noon. Several low-lying areas, including residential and commercial avenues, got inundated due to the rain that is regarded to be the heaviest of the season this year.

The claims of the civic body and authorities that they were prepared to face flooding stood exposed with the majority of the roads and streets getting flooded. Lack of proper drainage and overflowing sewers resulted in water entering hundreds of houses in various colonies in the town.

“Rain water has entered over 100 houses on the Jail road and in Prem Nagar, claimed Ravi Kumar, a local resident. The movement of traffic in the city also got stalled at various places.

HISAR: Rain lashed the area on Thursday causing traffic jams and flooding of low-lying areas of the city. The rain began around 1.30 pm and was continuing till the filing of the report. Incessant rains caused waterlogging of the main road crossings at Fountain Chowk, Jindal Chowk, Dabra Chowk and several low-lying localities in the walled areas. The low-lying areas,including Urban Estate II, PLA and Sector 13, were flooded. Long queues of vehicles were seen on waterlogged Delhi Road.

SONEPAT: Rain hit normal life in the district’s urban areas. A number of busy places, including Kakroi Chowk, Geeta Bhawan Chowk, railway under-bridge near Shani Mandir, Rathdhana road, Kalupur chungi, Mission road, Rohtak road were inundated. Water entered shops and houses in many areas. Scooters, motorcycles and light vehicles were seen stranded in flooded low-lying areas. Similar reports were received from Gohana, Gannaur and Kharkhoda towns.

Manesar/Gurgaon, Sept 15
The Maruti management has decided to keep its Gurgaon and Manesar plants shut on September 16. It may be pertinent to mention here that different trade unions, mostly those owing allegiance to the Left parties, have given a call for a workers’ rally at Gurgaon tomorrow.

However, the Maruti management maintained that due to the strike in its vendor, Suzuki Powertrain India Limited, the supply of certain critical components to Maruti Suzuki’s facilities had been disrupted. These components include diesel engines and transmissions for certain petrol engine models. “As a result, Maruti Suzuki’s plants in Gurgaon and Manesar will not operate on Friday,” the company said.

Since September 17 is a holiday on account of Vishwakarma Puja and September 18 a Sunday, the plants will remain closed for three consecutive days.

Meanwhile, 13 persons, including 11 supervisors and two workers, were injured in a clash at Manesar today. The company management and agitating workmen gave conflicting versions about the clash.

The workers maintained that two protesting workmen, Sunil and Yogesh, were called inside the plant by some supervisors standing near the S&D gate this morning and allegedly thrashed when they refused.

On the other hand, the management asserted that a group of workers attacked the supervisors when they were coming to the Manesar plant this morning. The injured have been hospitalized and an FIR lodged in this regard.

In a clear shift from its earlier stance, the MSIL management today categorically stated that the strike at the company’s Manesar plant was being instigated by political elements.

“They are now spreading trouble in other Suzuki plants in the region, such as the engine-manufacturing unit and the two-wheeler plant.? If these political elements are allowed to operate freely, it will have dangerous results for the Gurgaon-Manesar industrial belt,” the company said.

Directly accusing specific workers’ organisations, the company said: “Trade unions like AITUC and CITU are polluting the industrial climate in this region. They are instigating trouble in the industrial belt. They have no interest in the well-being of the workers. They are concerned with their political interests?”

The statement further maintained that the Maruti Suzuki management had adopted a firm stance, losing crores of rupees in the process. “But the management is willing to bear the loss in the long-term interest of the company and the industrial climate at Manesar,” it said, adding that the government must come forward by taking tough action against the troublemakers.

Meanwhile, Haryana Labour and Employment Minister Shiv Charan Lal Sharma has stated that efforts were being made to resolve the crisis at Maruti and the ongoing standoff between the company management and workers would be settled by tomorrow.

A tripartite meeting between representatives of the management, agitating workers and senior government functionaries was going on to resolve the crisis though no breakthrough had been achieved till the time of filing this report.

Chandigarh, September 15
The CBI today claimed that Justice Nirmal Yadav was trying to “short-circuit” and circumvent the laid-down procedure by seeking disclosure of documents after moving the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the cash-for-judge scam.

Appearing before Justice Permod Kohli this afternoon, the premier investigating agency’s special public prosecutor asserted that after the registration of a criminal case, the trial was about to begin and the

challan had been filed. At the current stage, Justice Yadav was trying to “short-circuit” the procedure by demanding disclosure.

The assertion comes at a time when Justice Yadav’s counsel has been seeking documents relating to her transfer from the Punjab and Haryana High Court and subsequent proceedings leading to the sanction for prosecution.

Arguing before Justice Kohli’s Bench for almost four hours, the special prosecutor claimed that Justice Yadav was at liberty to seek any document at the time of the trial.

He indicated that allowing disclosure to Justice Yadav on her petition before the high court, just because she was a member of the superior judicial services, would set a precedent for all to follow.

“What does the petitioner have to fear? She has the complete right to defence,” he added. The right of an accused facing a trial is “much higher and deeper” than can be granted by the high court. The accused can not only get the author of the letter summoned, but even subject him to cross-examination”.

Hisar, September 15
A local hosiery trader, Prem Jain, who was seriously injured when he was shot at in Hansi town of the district late last night, succumbed to his injuries here this evening.

He had gone to Hansi last evening for cash collection and was waiting to catch a bus back to Hisar at Hansi’s main bus stand when two youths allegedly tried to rob him. When he resisted they shot at him and escaped from the scene.

Jain was injured in the stomach. He managed to call his Hansi contacts who rushed him to the Civil Hospital from where he was referred to a local hospital. He succumbed to his wounds today.

Shopkeepers of the Moti Bazar area closed their establishments for the day in protest against his murder.

Sirsa, September 15
The police has booked a subdivisional engineer, a junior engineer and two other officials of the Dakshin Haryana Bijlee Vitran Nigam (DHBVN), a private contractor besides two doctors posted in the General Hospital here for causing death by negligence under Sections 304-A and 120-B, IPC, for the death a lineman, allegedly by electrocution.

The victim, Subhash Chander, had died after falling from an electric pole, when he was repairing an electric system in Modia Khera village on September 5.

The victim was an employee of the contractor and his kin and villagers alleged that he died due to the negligence of the power nigam officials, who started power supply when the victim was still working on the pole.

Hundreds of villagers from over six villages held a demonstration in front of the Civil Surgeon’s office, alleging that the doctors who issued the medico legal report (MLR) had acted under the influence of the contractor. The villagers also submitted a memorandum to the authorities in this connection.

Jhajjar, September 15
A woman was allegedly hacked to death by her husband at her parental house in Ashok Vihar Colony under the jurisdiction of Line Paar police station in Bahadurgarh town here last night. The deceased has been identified as Sudesh.

Strained relations between the husband and the wife is stated to be the reason behind the killing. The Line Paar police has registered a criminal case against three persons, including the husband of Sudesh, on the complaint of the deceased’s father, Ram Chander, in this regard. Sat Narayan, had been living separately from his wife in Delhi following his strained relations with his wife.

Jugal Kishor, SHO, said Sat Narayan, armed with a sword, had come to Sudesh’s house last evening and started quarrelling with her over some domestic issue. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Sudesh went to her parental house but Sat Narayan also reached there and attacked her with the sword in the presence of her father, mother and brother. Sudesh died on the spot, he maintained.

Hodal, September 15
The police here has clarified that no case was registered against a former Congress MLA, Udai Bhan, in connection with Monday’s violent clash between two groups in the local Shyam Colony in which more than a dozen persons were injured.

In the wake of the names of two sons of former minister and now Congress leader Harsh Kumar cropping up among eight others in the FIR, speculation was rife about the inclusion of Udai Bhan’s name in it.

The DSP, Hodal, D Bhardwaj, scotched such speculations about the Congress leader. — TNS