Ratia, December 3
In a shocking incident, a large number of iron tablets meant for distribution among adolescent girls and pregnant women to remove iron deficiency and to cure anaemic conditions, have been found dumped in a canal passing through the outskirts of Ratia town.

The tablets, Ferrifol-3355, manufactured by Theramax Laboratories, Kailash Nagar, Ambala, bear November 2009 as the manufacturing date and November 2011 as the expiry date printed on the strips.

The strips have “Haryana Govt Supply” and “Not For Sale” printed on them.

The tablets were spotted by local residents Hans Raj, Dalip Singh and Mohinder Singh, who noticed large quantities of iron strips on the canal bed, while walking on the banks of the Ratia branch canal.

As the water level in the canal was low, the tablets, some scattered over a large area of the bed and others lying in the water in a polythene pack, were clearly visible to the passersby.

They took out some tablets and showed them to the police and the health authorities, who later retrieved whatever possible from the canal.

The residents claimed that over one lakh tablets have been taken away by the health authorities, while the SMO V. K. Jain maintained the quantity runs into a few thousands only.

Jain maintained that he has not been able to count the tablets recovered from the canal, as he was busy elsewhere after the incident.

The SMO maintained that there was no shortage in the stock of iron tablets at the Community Health Centre at Ratia. He said some health workers, who had been issued the tablets for distribution among pregnant women, might have thrown these tablets in the canal after expiry.

Anemia as well as the iron deficiency is rampant among women and adolescent girls in Haryana and several studies in the recent past have only confirmed this fact.

Iron tablets are supplied in the government hospital to cure anaemic conditions among women and field health workers of the department are issued these tablets for distribution among pregnant women.

Jind, December 3
In order to make effective the drive against usage of nicotine through hookah smoking, the state Drugs Control Department has directed all the Deputy Commissioners in the state to impose Section 144 of the IPC to deter the assembly of youths at hookah bars.

Over 85 samples were lifted by the officials concerned from 42 hookah bars operating in various parts of the state during the drive launched six weeks ago.

According to the department, the report of the laboratory test of 16 samples had revealed the use of nicotine by the hookah bars. While the use of 0.5 per cent of nicotine has been found, even the usage of 50 ml to 60 ml of nicotine at one time could be deadly for a young smoker. The Punjab and Haryana High Court, which has sought a detailed report of the action taken by the authorities against such an activity, has fixed March 12, 2012 for the reply by the states of Haryana, Punjab and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.

“The directions issued by the health authorities in connection with the prohibitory orders come in wake of samples found positive amidst the illegal use of nicotine which pose a major health risk to youngsters,” claimed Deputy State Drug Controller GL Singhal. He said the district authorities had initiated the compliance of the orders as Section 144 has been invoked at Gurgaon, Faridabad and Panchkula already.

The department has also set up a Task Force at both the state and district levels which would keep an eye on such developments to prevent the misuse of nicotine, which otherwise was an important ingredient of the drug used for de-addiction programme.

While no hookah bar has been served notice in Jind district so far, five of the 11 samples collected from raids in Rohtak district found use of nicotine. The districts where raids were carried out during the operation included Jhajjar, Panipat, Gurgaon, Panchkula and Rohtak. There is a provision of a sentence of three to five years in jail if one gets convicted under the present legal framework.

Ratia, December 3
Elaborate security arrangements are in place for the counting of votes for the Ratia Assembly seat that begins at the community centre on the Budhlada road here tomorrow.

Sarfi Bai of the INLD, Jarnail Singh of the Congress, Mahavir Parshad of the BJP-HJC alliance and Ram Kumar Bahbalpuria of the CPM are among the 16 candidates whose fate was locked in the electronic voting machines (EVMs) on November 30.

The District Election Officer, M. L. Kaushik, said that strict security arrangements had been made for the counting of votes that begins at 8 am tomorrow.

The area of 200 metres around the counting centre would be out of bounds for the public and only those who have been given permission by the Election Commission would be allowed to enter the area.

The responsibility for the security inside the counting centre would be in the hands of the Border Security Force jawans, while the Haryana police would be deployed in the outer security ring, Kaushik said.

He said closed circuit television cameras had been set up in the counting centre as well as in the strong rooms where the EVMs had been kept. The authorities had made a provision for round-wise details of the counting on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer, Haryana, www.ceoharyana.nic.in.

Meanwhile, the Congress workers were in an upbeat mood after the polling.

Punters have been giving a very clear edge to the Congress on the eve of the counting and offer merely 14 paisa for every rupee gambled for Jarnail Singh’s victory.

On the contrary, the punters are offering five times the money put on INLD candidate Sarfi Bai’s victory, thereby giving her very poor chances of victory.

The INLD leaders, however, maintain that they will win the seat, claiming that the polling in villages that form their main vote bank has been very high.

Mahavir Parshad of the BJP, too, hopes for victory, though several leaders of his party and the alliance partner HJC admit, in private, that he will finish third.

Kurukshetra, December 3
Governor of Haryana and Chancellor of Kurukshetra University (KU) Jagannath Pahadia paid floral tributes to Dr Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India, on his 128th birth anniversary at his bust in front of the arts faculty building of Kurukshetra University here today.

Pahadia said, “Dr Rajendra Prasad will be remembered as one of the greatest Gandhian leaders who focussed on selfless service to humanity and integrity in public life. His life stands as an example of upholding the moral dimension in politics.”

KU Vice-Chancellor Lt-Gen DDS Sandhu, Registrar Surinder Deswal, Kurukshetra DC Mandeep Singh Brar, SP Parul Kush, senior functionaries and teachers of KU were present.

Chandigarh, December 3
To permit or not to permit — that’s the big question before the Industries Department, Haryana, as it deliberates on a request of land sale from Goodyear, a private sector organisation that offers services in auto ancillaries, auto components with an annual total turnover of Rs 1000-2500 crore, with its head office in Faridabad.

Though the sale of land with a private company would not have been a problem ordinarily, what makes the Goodyear case “special” is that the land for the setting up of the company was acquired by the Joint Punjab government way back in 1962.

The government acquired nearly 66 acres for the company, as per the conveyance deed of August 1962, of which it used over 45 acres to set up its main and ancillary units, besides creating storage space within its premises.

Sources said that of the total land acquired by the government for the company, nearly 20 acres continued to be unutilised. It is for this chunk of land that the company had now approached the department, seeking permission to sell it.

It is learnt that, initially, the company was “exploring” the option of disposing of its unutilised land. Following this, the Industries Department sent out a letter to the company stating that the land had been acquired by the government for industrial purpose and the company should use and maintain it accordingly.

Subsequently, the company forwarded an application, stating its intent to dispose of untilised land available with it, which is still under consideration.

Sources in the department said a site inspection to know the exact utilisation of land on ground had already been carried out. However, the government is yet to take a call on whether such a permission is feasible or not.

The Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Industries, Yudhvir Malik, confirmed the receipt of the company’s request for sale of land. The Head, HR, Goodyear, Vinod Kumar, when contacted, however, denied that any such request had gone from his side to the government.