PANIPAT: Even on the second of the doctors’ pay related protests, the health services remained suspended in the Civil Hospital along with the primary health centres and community.

Though the emergency services remained unaffected by the protests, but the outdoor patients faced a tough time getting medication for the ailing. Unlike Tuesday, lesser number of patients were seen on the premises of the health care facilities in the district, as most of the patients chose visit private practitioners instead.

The doctors maintained that they had remained mindful of the patients’ welfare during the protests and had not suspended the emergency services and postmortem examinations in their fight against the government. They said in case of non-fulfillment of their demands they would be proceeding on an indefinite strike from November 11 onwards.

KARNAL: Contrary to officials’ claims of health services being remained crippled in Karnal, Kurukshetra and adjoining districts as doctors of government hospitals striked for the second day on Wednesday.

The OPDs in the Civil Hospital, which normally received 1,200 to 1,500 patients were empty as only 427 patients came and only a few serious cases were attended to. Even on Tuesday, only 700 patients got OPD slips but few of them were attended by doctors on emergency duty.

While 11 deliveries were conducted in the hospital, the trauma centre wore a deserted look with beds lying vacant. The authorities availed the services of dentists and ayurvedic doctors to cope up with the emergency cases and private doctors affiliated to the Indian Medical Council also sided with the striking doctors and did not come forward to offer their services.

As a result of the strike in government hospitals, private hospitals were flooded with patients and long queues of patients were seen in these hospitals also.

Chandigarh, November 9
With all major parties having announced their candidates for the Adampur and Ratia Assembly byelections in Haryana, the battle lines have been drawn. Adampur and Ratia have always been hard nuts to crack for the Congress. The Congress has won the Adampur seat several times de jure. But de facto it has always been the Bhajan Lal family, which emerged winner from there. The family has never lost the seat till date.

Ratia has the tradition of returning non-Congress candidates, with only one exception. In 1982, Neki Ram of the Congress defeated Atma Singh of the Lok Dal (an earlier incarnation of the INLD) by a little less than 200 votes. The constituency was created in 1976. In the first election held in 1977, Peer Chand of the Janata Party won, defeating Sheopal of the Congress.

Even in 1991, when the Congress won a record number of seats, Ratia returned Pir Chand of the Haryana Vikas Party (HVP). Similarly, even in 2005, when the Congress performed exceptionally well by winning 67 of the 90 Assembly seats, an all-time record, Ratia had opted for Gian Chand Odh of the INLD. In fact, Ratia was one of the nine seats won by the then ruling INLD. Odh again won the seat for the INLD in 2009 when he defeated Jarnail Singh of the Congress by about 3500 votes.

No wonder, the Congress is of the view that since these seats have always been with the Opposition, if the party is able to perform better this time, it would be a bonus.

For the INLD and the HJC-BJP combine the stakes are high. The INLD has to prove that its “so-near and so-far position” in the recent Hisar Lok Sabha byelection (in which its candidate lost to the HJC-BJP nominee by a narrow margin of about 6,000 votes) was no lucky shot in the dark. It has not only to retain Ratia, but has also to put up an impressive performance in Adampur.

The HJC-BJP combine has to show that the alliance is there to stay and has the potential to provide a viable third alternative to the people of the state. The combine can do so only if it performs well in Ratia because its performance in Adampur, which is the pocket borough of the Bhajan family, will not impress the people.

In 2009, Mahavir Parshad of the BJP polled 8,865 votes while Mangat Ram of the HJC got 8,341 votes. Their combined tally of 17, 206 votes was much below the INLD’s 50,095 votes and 46,713 votes polled by the Congress.

Ratia, November 9
INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala today kicked off his party’s poll campaign for the Ratia Assembly byelection by addressing public meetings in 20-odd villages.

Chautala started his tour from Bhodia Khera village, near Fatehabad, this morning.

Known for punctuality, Chautala reached dot on time in the village and party candidate Sarfi Bai missed the first public meeting as she reached late but caught up with the former Chief Minister at the next village of Manawali, where she greeted Chautala by touching his feet.

Rather than addressing meetings, Chautala chose to campaign in interactive style during his village tour.

After enquiring villagers about their wellbeing and state of their crops, Chuatala asks “Sab theek thaak Raj ki bajeh se hai, ke Ram ki vajeh se” (Is everything fine due to the government’s efforts or by God’s grace?).

He goes on to add that the farming community in Haryana is totally dependent on God’s mercy as the state government, he alleges, has shown that it is anti-farmers.

“The prices of petrol have increased 19 times during Congress rule, 12 times in the last one year only. The prices of DAP fertiliser and other farm inputs have increased many times while the prices of essential commodities have been skyrocketing,” the former Chief Minister says.

He then asks villagers: “Had you chosen Gian Chand Odh (former INLD MLA, whose death has necessitated this byelection) for five years or two years.”

When villagers respond by saying that they had elected him for five years, Chautala asks them “Now, does his widow deserve to be elected in his seat or not?”

Sarfi Bai, on her part, does not utter a word when she comes in a meeting.

Chandigarh, November 9
The Haryana State Legal Services Authority has prescribed doubling legal aid clinics in villages from 400 at present.

Available information suggests the State Legal Services Authority, under the executive chairmanship of Justice SK Mittal of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, hopes to take the number of legal aid clinics to 1,000 in six months.

In another two years, the authority hopes to have a legal aid clinic in every village of the state.

The decisions assume significance as the country is observing National Legal Literacy Day today.

The clinics are being set up to take justice to the people; and to inject a measure of righteousness among the not-so-aware populace of the country.

The clinics offer inexpensive aid to the needy, including legal advice, drafting of petitions, notices, replies, application and other documents. The clinics also help resolve disputes

These clinics have also been set up in all jails of Haryana for inmates.

The clinics are manned by legal aid counsel and para-legal volunteers, trained specially for the purpose. As of now, such clinics in the rural areas serve a cluster of villages.

Indications are that the authority also plans to increase the number of women para-legal volunteers. In fact, efforts are on to have at least 30 per cent to 40 per cent women volunteers.

Justice Mittal feels that women volunteers have easy access to homes in villages. The tormented and anguished women also find it easier to confide in them than male volunteers.

A view of Parvati Durga housing society in Panchkula. Tribune photo: Nitin Mittal

Chandigarh, November 9
November 10 will mark the red letter day in the history of women empowerment in Haryana with the fair sex getting its first exclusive cooperative group housing society in the country in Panchkula.

It will a big day for housewife-turned-business woman Archana Sanghi, president of Parvati Durga Housing Society , who overcame trials and tribulations to realise the dream of 48 homemakers to have a home in the Mansa Devi complex in Panchkula.

As a salute to the spirit of womanhood, two eminent women personalities-Prof S. Kumar, wife of Justice MM Kumar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, and Rithambra Sanghi, wife of Justice NK Sanghi of the high court-will be the chief guest and the guest of honour, respectively, at a function here tomorrow to hold draw of lots for the allotment of apartments.

Archana Sanghi told The Tribune here today that the ground work for the society began in 1998. Initially, even members comprising advocates, engineers, doctors, academicians, civil servants and educationists were reluctant to the idea of an all-woman society but a little prodding kept them on track. Finally, land was allotted by HUDA in 2001 following which the project started taking shape.

The state-of-the art society has earthquake-resistance structures, water and power back-up, optimum use of solar energy, wi-fi enabled complex, ATM and basic health infrastructure. A unique feature of every flat is that every kitchen faces a green area to enable housewives to keep an eye on children playing there.

Chandigarh, November 9
The state has come up with a policy for nomination to the HCS (executive branch). The Bench headed by Justice Hemant Gupta today heard the state had framed a policy and it would be followed in future while nominating candidates to the post of the HCS (executive).

Only in July, the state had informed the high court that it was coming up with objective criteria for appointment to the HCS through nomination.

Haryana Advocate-General Hawa Singh Hooda had asserted that the state would not go ahead with the current selection process. It would now be governed by the new criteria being framed by the government.

Admitting the petition seeking directions to the state to follow justifiable and rational criteria while making recommendations for nominations for the HCS (executive branch), the high court had earlier ordered stay in the matter.

The high court, on the previous date of hearing, had placed under suspension further action on the basis of notification dated January 28 and circular letter dated February 2.

In his petition, Anand Prakash, the man behind justice-for-Ruchika movement, had earlier alleged special recruitment process to appoint the HCS (executive) officials through nominations was being carried out for providing the backdoor entry to the favourites of the state government.

Seeking directions for setting aside and quashing the notification and the circular, counsel Gurminder Singh claimed these were in violation of the statutory rules and issued without following the process as prescribed by law.

Faridabad, November 9
A majority of the councillors, 25 to be precise, of the local Municipal Corporation today forced indefinite adjournment of a meeting of the general house, demanding removal of Mayor Ashok Arora from the post.

The corporators left the municipal auditorium, venue for the meeting, to stage a dharna outside the Mayor’s office in the MC headquarters. They raised anti-Mayor slogans. They said they would settle for nothing short of immediate resignation of the Mayor.

The meeting was adjourned in the wake of a walkout by all councillors . SS Dalal, Joint Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Faridabad(MCF), said the only option was to adjourn the meeting as no proceedings could be conducted.

The councillors had also forced adjournment of the preceding meeting held on Septemeber 15, demanding that the Mayor must first prove his majority before presiding over a meeting.

Yamunanagar, November 9
In an apparent pact, a 20-year-old boy and 18-year-old girl reportedly committed suicide by consuming insecticide at Pilkhanwala village in Yamunanagar district. The decomposed bodies of both were found near Sadhaura here today. The police said a suicide note was also recovered near their bodies. The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination at the PGI (Rohtak). According to sources, a contractor spotted the duo when they were passing from the area today after seeing the bodies he informed the sarpanch of Pilkhanwala village. The sarpanch immediately informed the matter at Ranjitpura police station.

According to the police, the girl, Sushma (18), of Manglor village in Yamunanagar district, and Sudesh (20), of Dhear village in Naraingarh tehsil, left home on October 18. Their missing report was registered with the police stations concerned. The two had developed intimacy over the months. The sources said their parents were aware of their affair and had objected to it.

Gurgaon, November 9
Girls should not consider themselves weak or vulnerable. They need to have moral courage to put their foot down against female foeticide in their families as well as neighbourhood. They should be determined not only to give birth to a girl child but also to provide her with good education.

This was stated by Asha Hooda, vice-president of the Haryana Council for Child Welfare, after inaugurating a three-day Zonal Youth Festival of Gurgaon zone at Government College in Sector 14 here.

Hisar, November 9
Amardeep Jain, returning officer of the Adampur Assembly constituency, has deputed 10 duty magistrates to ensure compliance of the model code of conduct and to keep an eye on the expenditure incurred by political parties and candidates during the byelection.

They are PK Tyagi, Chander Mohan, AK Goyal, AK Saini, Narender Singh Dahiya, Surjeet Beniwal, Rajbir Dhankhar, BK Gupta and Narender Mohan Sharma.

The duty magistrates will submit reports daily to the district election officer and the Election Commission of India.

The Election Commission of India has appointed JS Bathara, ITO, Hisar, as an expenditure observer for the Adampur Assembly constituency.