SPECIAL COVERAGE
CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI
JALANDHAR


THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

Every Tuesday & Friday

Plan to make Bhindawas Lake international tourist spot
Jhajjar, January 5
Here’s some good news for bird-watchers, nature lovers and city-dwellers desperate for a break from the urban lifestyle. The Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary in the district is set to be developed as an international tourist destination.
Birds at the Bhindawas Lake in Jhajjar district on a January afternoon. Birds at the Bhindawas Lake in Jhajjar district on a January afternoon. Photos by writer

Faridabad MC to reinstate retrenched staff
Faridabad, January 5
Over 847 of the municipal workers whose services were retrenched in 2001 along with others will be taken back on jobs as soon as they produce the required documents, according to Anil Batra, Establishment Officer, Municipal Corporation Faridabad.



EARLIER EDITIONS

Scheme to recycle washroom water
Gurgaon HUDA Administrator Praveen Kumar addresses a news conference in Gurgaon. Gurgaon, January 5
The Haryana Government has approved a novel scheme for treating and recycling outflowing washroom water. The recycled water can be used for watering plants and washing vehicles. The scheme - the first of its kind in the state - has initially been prepared for Gurgaon.


Gurgaon HUDA Administrator Praveen Kumar addresses a news conference in Gurgaon. A Tribune photograph


Vehicles move through fog in Gurgaon.
Vehicles move through fog in Gurgaon. Tribune photo: Sayeed Ahmed

Fertiliser shortage irks farmers
Kaithal, January 5
The shortage of fertilisers in the district has caused widespread resentment among the farmers forcing them to resort to protests.

Zile Ram gets security deposit back
Karnal, January 5
Former Haryana Chief Parliamentary Secretary and sitting MLA Zile Ram Sharma has a reason to celebrate.

SI Leela Ram and others receive the trophy from Haryana DGP Ranjiv Singh Dalal in Hyderabad. Police teams shine at horse-riding championship
Rewari, January 5
A cavalier team of the Haryana police, headed by SI Leela Ram, bagged a gold medal by securing the first position in the Horse Riding Tent Pegging contest of the 30th All-India Police Horse Riding Championship held under the auspices of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad recently.

SI Leela Ram and others receive the trophy from Haryana DGP Ranjiv Singh Dalal in Hyderabad.

Land mafia ‘active’ in Ambala
Ambala, January 5
A number of residential buildings in the town have allegedly been converted into commercial complexes without going through the laid down norms causing heavy losses to the state exchequer.

Deepender Hooda, MP, directs the officials concerned to expedite work on the Bahadurgarh bypass during his visit to Jhajjar. MP raps officials for delay in work on bypass
Jhajjar, January 5
Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda carried out a surprise visit here to inspect the construction work of the 13-km-long Bahadurgarh bypass and identify the causes for the delay in its completion.


Deepender Hooda, MP, directs the officials concerned to expedite work on the Bahadurgarh bypass during his visit to Jhajjar. Photo: Ravinder Saini

MNREGA workers stage protest, demand wages
 Labourers who had worked under MNREGA , led by Ram Pal Majra, MLA, stage a protest at Kaithal. Kaithal, January 5
A large number of men and women, who had worked under the MNREGA but failed to get their wages for the past seven months, organised a procession here recently and handed over a memorandum to SDM Hawa Singh Pachar demanding payment of their wages at the earliest.

Labourers who had worked under MNREGA , led by Ram Pal Majra, MLA, stage a protest at Kaithal. A Tribune photograph

Gannaur to get Rs 18 cr judicial complex
Kuldeep Sharma, Speaker of the Haryana Assembly, interacts with district officials Sonepat, January 5
A new judicial complex would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 18 crore at Gannaur, a sub-divisional headquarter of the district, said Speaker of the state Assembly Kuldeep Sharma while addressing a meeting of the members of the Sonepat Bar Association here recently.

Kuldeep Sharma, Speaker of the Haryana Assembly, interacts with district officials in Sonepat. A Tribune photograph

Children play at the Tilyar lake in Rohtak. Tilyar complex disappoints tourists
Rohtak, January 5
The Tilyar lake tourist complex here may have emerged as a hotspot for a large number of visitors, but the amenities have failed to match needs of the tourists.







Children play at the Tilyar lake in Rohtak. Photo: Manoj Dhaka

Ineligible persons to lose old-age pension benefit
Sirsa, January 5
Those, who are drawing old-age pension despite not being eligible for the benefit, will soon lose this privilege.

Students interact with visitors during a science exhibition at the SCERT in Gurgaon.
Students interact with visitors during a science exhibition at the SCERT in Gurgaon. Tribune photo: Sayeed Ahmed

Academicians to be on teachers’ selection board
Chandigarh, January 5
Only eminent academicians and educationists with impeccable integrity would be considered for appointment as chairman and members of the Haryana School Teachers Selection Board.

CCTV cameras made compulsory in banks, colleges
Sonepat, January 5
The installation of good-quality CCTV cameras at all those places where money transactions, commercial activities and gatherings take place has been made compulsory by the administration. If these directions are violated, the police will register cases against owners of such institutions and establishments.

Faridabad MC to launch sanitation drive
Faridabad, January 5
The Municipal Corporation, Faridabad (MCF), will launch a 15-day campaign from January 10 to clean drains and public places in the city.

‘Need for inculcating road sense among drivers’
Ambala, January 5
The tragic accident involving a school bus and a truck on Monday resulting into the death of 12 schoolchildren has highlighted the need to take drastic measures to regulate the movement of traffic on the state highways.

Raj Shri Singh, SP, holds a meeting with school principals at Rewari. SP issues safety guidelines for school buses
Rewari, January 5
Traffic police officials, functionaries of the Road Safety Organisation and principals of various educational institutions of the district participated in a special meeting convened by SP Raj Shri Singh here recently in the wake of schoolchildren’s tragic demise in a recent road accident in Ambala district.

Raj Shri Singh, SP, holds a meeting with school principals at Rewari. A Tribune photograph

Rao Inderjit Singh, MP, addresses party workers at Charkhi Dadri. Southern Haryana has not get its due: Rao
Bhiwani, January 5
Rao Inderjit Singh, senior Congress leader and Gurgaon MP, said the southern part of the state did not get its due share despite the Congress being in power here for the past seven years.


Rao Inderjit Singh, MP, addresses party workers at Charkhi Dadri. Photo: Shiv Sharma

A medical conference under way at Rewari. Medical conference held
Rewari, January 5
A conference of continuing medical education was held under the auspices of the Rewari Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society (ROGS) on early diagnosis-cum-treatment of genetic, metabolic and congenital anomalies at the Gymkhana Club here recently.


A medical conference under way at Rewari. A Tribune photograph

Search on for wild animal that attacked labourer
Fatehabad, January 5
Wildlife Protection Department officials are searching for a wild animal, possibly a leopard, which injured a labourer and attacked some animals near Chandpura village in the district yesterday. A team of the department from Hisar is also assisting the local guards, who have been carrying out a search operation armed with a tranquiliser gun and a cage to catch the wild animal.

State’s sports policy best in country: CM
Sonepat, January 5
While laying the foundation stone of a Rs 3.40 crore multi-purpose hall at Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, recently, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said sports facilities of international standard were being provided to sportspersons in the state.

Protection homes for runaway couples
Chandigarh, January 5
The state government has identified protection homes in all districts to give boarding and lodging facilities to secure life and liberty of newly-wed and runaway couples.



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Plan to make Bhindawas Lake international tourist spot
Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service

A dense growth of water hyacinth in the lake.
A dense growth of water hyacinth in the lake. Photos by writer

Jhajjar, January 5
Here’s some good news for bird-watchers, nature lovers and city-dwellers desperate for a break from the urban lifestyle. The Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary in the district is set to be developed as an international tourist destination.

The Bhindawas Lake, about 15 km from Jhajjar town, was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1986. Spread over 1,074 acres, it is much bigger than the Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary near Gurgaon and has been attracting nearly 200 species of migratory as well as resident birds during the winter.

n Visitors to get Haryanavi food, professional cameras and binoculars
n CCTV surveillance, hyacinth-removing machine soon

However, the wetland housing the sanctuary has been facing teething problems like dense growth of water hyacinth, besides the lack of fencing/compound wall and adequate surveillance. As there is no restriction on entry to the lake, it is also used by criminal elements for anti-social activities.

With a view to conserving the natural environs of the wetland and attracting bird-watchers and nature lovers from far and wide, a plan is being drawn up to develop the sanctuary as an international tourist spot.

“The sanctuary will soon have a compound wall and CCTV cameras for surveillance. We are also in the process of purchasing equipment worth Rs 60 lakh to remove the water hyacinth which has covered a considerable part of the lake,” said Jhajjar Deputy Commissioner Ajit Balaji Joshi.

Talking to The Tribune, Joshi said a Nature Interpretation Centre at the sanctuary was in the final stage of development. Visitors would also be provided with binoculars, professional cameras and bicycles to go around the sanctuary without harming the eco-system. The proposed development plan would incur an expenditure of Rs 3.25 crore.

“We are also roping in self-help groups from the nearby villages to serve authentic Haryanavi food to the visitors,” the Deputy Commissioner said.

He said a tourist festival would soon be organised to showcase the recent developments and upcoming facilities at the sanctuary.

Interestingly, the peripheral embankment of the lake is manmade and was originally constructed to store the escaped water of the Jawaharlal Nehru Canal through a channel at the time of power failure of the lift-canal system.

The wetland/lake thus formed is surrounded by Kanwah, Navada, Chadwana, Reduwas, Bilochpura and Shahjahanpur villages.

A group of foreign tourists which visited the wetland and saw the resident and migratory birds named it Bhindawas Lake. Since then, it has come to be known as such, though Bhindawas village is located at some distance from the wetland.

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Faridabad MC to reinstate retrenched staff
Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, January 5
Over 847 of the municipal workers whose services were retrenched in 2001 along with others will be taken back on jobs as soon as they produce the required documents, according to Anil Batra, Establishment Officer, Municipal Corporation Faridabad.

Batra said a total of 966 employees were retrenched. An order has already been issued for re-employment of 119 of them, he said.

A majority of the employees who had lost jobs are from the “safai” cadre.

Batra said, “The decks were cleared after the state government gave the green light for them to be taken back. It is now up to the employees how soon they submit the required documents.”

The workers expressed happiness over the government’s favourable decision. It was a long haul of agitations by the employees led by the state Nagar Palika Karamchari Sangh and the Sarva Karamchari Sangh to press successive governments for favourable consideration of the case of their “victimised” colleagues.

According to a source close to state Minister for Labour and Employment Shivcharan Lal Sharma, the government saw merit in taking back the workers who were retrenched during the INLD regime for apparently no “good reason” rather than borrowing workforce from private contractors.

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Scheme to recycle washroom water
Sunit Dhawan /TNS

Gurgaon, January 5
The Haryana Government has approved a novel scheme for treating and recycling outflowing washroom water. The recycled water can be used for watering plants and washing vehicles. The scheme - the first of its kind in the state - has initially been prepared for Gurgaon.

This was stated by the Gurgaon HUDA Administrator, Dr Praveen Kumar, while addressing a news conference here yesterday. He said that at a meeting presided over by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Chandigarh, development works involving an expenditure of about Rs 1,913 crore were approved, of which the maximum share of Rs 1,393 crore was for Gurgaon district alone.

He said another scheme of water conservation had also been approved, which would be useful in recharging the groundwater and raising the fast-depleting water table in Gurgaon.

He said under this scheme, the construction of big structures for rooftop rainwater harvesting was proposed at different places in the district.

In addition, several big old ponds in Sukhrali and other villages would be landscaped and developed as beautiful water bodies.

All these schemes, including sewerage, irrigation, landscaping, the recycling of used waste water and the supply of drinking water, come under a master water-supply scheme involving an expenditure of Rs 498 crore, which was cleared at the meeting.

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Fertiliser shortage irks farmers
Satish Seth

Kaithal, January 5
The shortage of fertilisers in the district has caused widespread resentment among the farmers forcing them to resort to protests.

The farmers, demanding adequate supply of fertilisers, had been protesting at one place or the other during the past fortnight and even resorted to road blockade.

The district authorities had assured the farmers of sufficient supply of fertilisers, but there was no notable improvement in the situation.

In the latest protest, farmers blocked traffic on the Kaithal-Patiala road in Cheeka Mandi, 25 km from here, on Tuesday. The farmers said they have to stand in long queues for hours and even then many of them were unable to get urea. They allege that many fertiliser dealers were indulging in black marketing of urea. Punjab farmers managed to get the supply and local farmers had to face lot of difficulties in getting the fertiliser.

Jagbir Singh, SHO, Cheeka, reached the protest site and assured the farmers to apprise the higher authorities of their problem and ensure sufficient supply following which they lifted the blockade.

Earlier on Monday, a large number of farmers from different parts of the district assembled outside the IFFCO Seva Kendra here to get urea bags. The farmers jostled with each other and in the melee, glass panes of the kendra were broken and fertilisers supply was suspended for some time. The farmers raised slogans at the Jakholi adda new grain market road. Police team led by SHO Raj Kumar arrived on the spot and disciplined the farmers. The farmers were sent inside the seva kendra in small groups to take delivery of fertiliser bags and the distribution continued till late evening.

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Zile Ram gets security deposit back
Bhanu P. Lohumi/TNS

Karnal, January 5
Former Haryana Chief Parliamentary Secretary and sitting MLA Zile Ram Sharma has a reason to celebrate.

Zile Ram had won the Assembly elections from Assandh in 2009, but did not secure one-sixth votes and lost his security deposit.

Assandh constituency was opened after 30 years and many heavyweights entered the fray and the contest was so tough that eight candidates polled more than 13,000 votes and five of them bagged more than 15,000 votes. Zile Ram got 20,258 out of the 1,28,218 votes polled in the election, but lost his deposit along with all other 15 candidates. An ironical situation was created by forfeiting the security of the winning candidate and after pleading the case for nearly two years, the Election Commission agreed that the security of winning candidate could not be forfeited. Consequently, the returning officer, Assandh, returned the security deposit of Rs 5,000 to Zile Ram, setting a new precedent.

Zile Ram had won on the HJC ticket but later joined the Congress and was made chief parliamentary secretary. However, he resigned in the wake of the murder of ex-sarpanch and the petition for his disqualification under the Anti-Defection Act was pending with the Speaker, Haryana Vidhan Sabha, Kuldeep Sharma.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court had declared five HJC MLAs, who switched to the Congress, as “unattached members” of the House on December 20 last and the decision has been challenged by the Speaker in the Supreme Court.

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Police teams shine at horse-riding championship
Our Correspondent

Rewari, January 5
A cavalier team of the Haryana police, headed by SI Leela Ram, bagged a gold medal by securing the first position in the Horse Riding Tent Pegging contest of the 30th All-India Police Horse Riding Championship held under the auspices of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad recently.

Besides, another cavalier team of the Haryana police, led by Head Constable Ranbir Singh, won a gold medal in the one-day event of novices (cross country race) as well. SI Leela Ram’s team included ASI Narsingh, ASI Ram Bhagat and ASI Rameshwar Das whereas the novices squad of HC Ranbir Singh comprised constables- Jitender, Hari Kesh and Jasbir Singh.

As many as 15 cavalier teams from the police constabulary of various states as well as the BSF, Assam Rifles, ITBP and the above academy participated in the competitions.

During the concluding function, Haryana DGP Ranjiv Singh Dalal, who was the chief guest, distributed prizes.

It is noteworthy that the Haryana team led by SI Leela Ram, a resident of Lukhi village of the Kosli subdivision of Rewari district and presently posted at the Police Training School at Bhondsi, had already won laurels by securing numerous gold and silver medals in national horse-riding competitions held in the past one decade.

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Land mafia ‘active’ in Ambala
Attar Singh
Tribune News Service

Ambala, January 5
A number of residential buildings in the town have allegedly been converted into commercial complexes without going through the laid down norms causing heavy losses to the state exchequer.

According to information, a land mafia in Ambala has converted a number of residential buildings into multi-storeyed commercial complexes on the Old Delhi Road near Prem Nagar and the Model Town area in Ambala City allegedly without seeking approval from the Municipal Corporation. They have also failed to pay development fee fixed as Rs 5,000 per metre, thus causing a huge revenue loss to the government.

According to conservative estimates, in a span of about two decades, about 100 commercial complexes have come up on a stretch of about 1 km, which is identified as a residential area in the municipal records and cannot be used as a commercial area according to the town planning scheme. Surprisingly, the district administration has taken no action to stop the menace in the past several years.

Sources said the land mafia had purchased residential houses in this “B” class locality at throwaway prices, demolished old residential structures and constructed illegal commercial buildings on both sides of the road without seeking the approval of the building plans from the corporation. They rented them out at high rates without depositing house tax to the corporation because these are still residential buildings in the municipal records.

The municipal engineer of the corporation said certain commercial complexes built in this area were illegal and demolition notices had already been sent to 114 occupants long ago, but no action was taken after that.

According to information, a proposal was forwarded to the government to declare this area as commercial as it has many commercial offices, showrooms and malls after recovering the prescribed fee, but it was rejected by the government.

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MP raps officials for delay in work on bypass
Our Correspondent

Jhajjar, January 5
Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda carried out a surprise visit here to inspect the construction work of the 13-km-long Bahadurgarh bypass and identify the causes for the delay in its completion.

During the visit, the MP not only expressed resentment over inordinate delay in finishing the construction work of the bypass but also reprimanded the officials concerned for not abiding by their duty. He also directed the officials and the National Highway Authorities of India (NHAI) representatives to open the highway to traffic by January 31.

Talking to the mediapersons, Deepender said the Bahardurgarh bypass would be opened to traffic next month, even if it required officials concerned and the construction company to work round the clock.

"I will recommend stern action in case the company showed any laxity in the construction work. This bypass is an important part of the Rs 486-crore Delhi-Bahadurgarh-Rohtak road,” he said, adding that Bahadurgarh, located on the outskirts of Delhi, was moving speedily on the path of development.

The bypass would not only benefit the people of Bahadurgarh but would also ensure smooth passage for the vehicles plying on the city roads. Two flyovers had been constructed on the 13.5-km bypass, he added.

Conceding to the demand of residents of Jakhoda village here, the MP directed that provision should be made for an underpass at the bypass. Earlier, Deepender also inspected the construction work of the Gymkhana Club in Sector-9 here and directed the HUDA administrator to expedite the construction.

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MNREGA workers stage protest, demand wages
Our Correspondent

Kaithal, January 5
A large number of men and women, who had worked under the MNREGA but failed to get their wages for the past seven months, organised a procession here recently and handed over a memorandum to SDM Hawa Singh Pachar demanding payment of their wages at the earliest.

The protesters were led by INLD MLA Ram Pal Majra Kalayat. The protesters threatened that if the wages were not paid within seven days, they would intensify their stir and would show black flags to the Chief Minister during his proposed visit to Kalayat.

The labourers said they had worked under the government sponsored schemes and now they were forced to run from pillar to post to get their due wages.

Some aggrieved persons said they had worked as labourers as they had no other means of income, but they failed to get wages and were facing financial problems. Some of the labourers said they were forced to take loans to meet their expenses.

Majra said it was a big joke with the poor people who had worked under the MNREGA scheme launched by the government with much fanfare. All claims of the government that this scheme had been launched to provide 100 days of guaranteed employment to rural people have fallen flat as those working under the scheme were not being paid their wages regularly.

Majra said that the INLD cannot remain a mute spectator when the government continued to play with sentiments of people and failed to redress their grievances.

SDM Pachar said the administration was aware of the matter and the labourers would be soon paid their wages.

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Gannaur to get Rs 18 cr judicial complex
BS Malik

Sonepat, January 5
A new judicial complex would be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 18 crore at Gannaur, a sub-divisional headquarter of the district, said Speaker of the state Assembly Kuldeep Sharma while addressing a meeting of the members of the Sonepat Bar Association here recently.

The Speaker lauded the efforts of the state government for providing financial assistance to the Bar Associations and giving priority to construction of new judicial complexes at the sub-divisional headquarters in the state.

“The members of the Bar Associations command respect in the society and they should live up to expectations from them in eradication of social evils and educating the masses about the free legal assistance,” he said. He assured that the association’s demands would be brought to the notice of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda.

President of the association Mastan Sharma demanded financial assistance for expansion of the Bar Room and construction of chambers for new members of the association.

Presiding over a meeting of the district officers, the Speaker said a government college for women would be opened at Gannaur and asked the officers concerned to complete all the required formalities, including selection of the site, at the earliest.

He directed the deputy director of the agriculture department to ensure that sufficient quantity of fertilisers was supplied to the farmers on time and daily report be sent to him in this regard. He also reviewed the working of the animal husbandry, electricity, irrigation and social welfare departments.

DC Pankaj Aggarwal, Additional DC PS Chahan and district officers of other departments were present in the meeting.

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Tilyar complex disappoints tourists
Bijendra Ahlawat
Tribune News Service

Rohtak, January 5
The Tilyar lake tourist complex here may have emerged as a hotspot for a large number of visitors, but the amenities have failed to match needs of the tourists.

“Though the officials had taken up the repairs and renovation work of the lake last year, the problems still exist,” says Deepak Kumar, a local resident. He says the place is surrounded by wild grass, broken boundary, garbage and ill-maintained green cover.

A vast stretch of land around the lake had been lying unused for the past several years despite the reports that the project of extension and provision of new facilities had been making rounds.

“Around 4,000 visitors were present at the tourist spot on the New Year day, but the things were chaotic as the visitors had put several temporary kitchens on the lawns of the complex. There was not a single toilet for the tourists,” said Akash a resident, who had gone with his family members at the spot on Sunday.

He said the officials concerned were not prepared to accommodate a large number of visitors.

“The visitors were seen throwing plastic bags and other waste products in the open and even the lake area was not spared. The condition of the pillars holding the bridge on the lake is poor with cracks visible on them, posing a serious risk to the safety of those walking or standing on the bridge,” said Yash, a student.

The zoo in the vicinity of the complex is short of animals and birds and the authorities ought to stop charging the entry fee immediately, he added.

The Haryana Tourism has prepared a plan to renovate and provide an amusement park along with the existing facilities in the near future with improved amenities, claimed an official.

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Ineligible persons to lose old-age pension benefit
Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service

Sirsa, January 5
Those, who are drawing old-age pension despite not being eligible for the benefit, will soon lose this privilege.

Under a special campaign to scrutinise the beneficiaries, the district authorities here have constituted 13 teams to conduct enquiry into the case of each beneficiary in the district.

Each such committee would comprise of two members, said Deputy Commissioner Sameer Pal Srow, who constituted these committees recently.

The special campaign from January 5 to January 17 is being carried out as per the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, who while hearing a case, directed the Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment Department, Haryana, to direct all deputy commissioners to hold an enquiry of the beneficiaries of scheme.

The Deputy Commissioner said each of the 13 teams would comprise of a medical officer and an officer of the Panchayat Department.

He said a Haryana domicile person of 60 years or more age and whose annual income from all sources together did not exceed Rs 50,000 was eligible for old-age allowance under the Old Age Samman Allowance Scheme, 2005.

In case, the person was receiving pension from any government or local or statutory body or any organisation substantially financed by any government or local or statutory body, he would not be eligible to receive allowance under the scheme.

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Academicians to be on teachers’ selection board
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 5
Only eminent academicians and educationists with impeccable integrity would be considered for appointment as chairman and members of the Haryana School Teachers Selection Board.

This was decided in principle by a collegium headed by Chief Secretary Urvashi Gulati, which has been set up by the state government to prepare a panel of suitable persons for appointment as chairman and members of the board, at its first meeting held here yesterday.

Besides Gulati, Surina Rajan, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, School Education Department, and Lt. Gen. (retd) Dr DDS Sandhu, Vice-Chancellor, Kurukshetra University, participated in the meeting.

Surina Rajan briefed the members on why the government decided to enact the Haryana School Teachers Selection Board Act, 2011.

The next meeting of the collegium would be held on January 17.

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CCTV cameras made compulsory in banks, colleges
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, January 5
The installation of good-quality CCTV cameras at all those places where money transactions, commercial activities and gatherings take place has been made compulsory by the administration. If these directions are violated, the police will register cases against owners of such institutions and establishments.

According to a police spokesman, in compliance with the directions from the higher authorities, the establishments were asked to install CCTV cameras at banks, ATMs, gas agencies, cyber cafes, hotels, restaurants, shops, guest houses, schools, colleges, hospitals, malls, cinema halls and religious places. However, these cameras had not been installed at many places.

The administration had circulated the orders under Section 144 of the CrPC for compliance with the directions and another 10 days had been given for installation of these cameras.

A case under Section 188 of the IPC would be registered against those not complying with the directions, the spokesman added.

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Faridabad MC to launch sanitation drive
Tribune News Service

Faridabad, January 5
The Municipal Corporation, Faridabad (MCF), will launch a 15-day campaign from January 10 to clean drains and public places in the city.

Brijesh Khari, medical officer, MCF, said: “The campaign is christened ‘Fatique’ in which drains and sanitary problems in all 35 wards will be attended to”.

The campaign could not be launched as per the earlier schedule on December 10 as the municipal employees, especially the safai karamcharis, had gone on tools-down strike.

Khari said: “The MCF resorts to a ‘Fatique campaign’ at periodic intervals in the wake of rising complaints from all over the city relating to sanitation. The last one was launched about six months ago”.

Nearly 20 safai karamcharis would collectively attend to sanitary problems in each ward or a group of wards everyday during the campaign period after their routine duties. They would be monitored by the supervisors concerned of the MCF. The office of the medical officer would act as nodal authority for the programme.

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‘Need for inculcating road sense among drivers’
Attar Singh
Tribune News Service

Ambala, January 5
The tragic accident involving a school bus and a truck on Monday resulting into the death of 12 schoolchildren has highlighted the need to take drastic measures to regulate the movement of traffic on the state highways.

Last year, a truck collided with a bus of an educational institution at Yamunanagar resulting into the death of 12 students 
on the Jagadhari-Paonta Sahib Road.

Surender Juneja, a social activist, here recently said there was an urgent need to inculcate road sense among the drivers of heavy vehicles, particularly trucks. He said: “The traffic police needs to organise special orientation courses for truck and bus drivers”.

Talking to The Tribune, Juneja said: “Drivers of trucks and tractor-trolleys park their vehicles along the roadside, particularly outside the dhabas. Most of these tractor-trailers and trucks do not even have proper reflectors”.

He feels that social and voluntary organisations need to coordinate with the traffic police and launch a drive to fix reflectors on heavy vehicles.

According to police sources, in Ambala district alone in 2011, 552 road accidents were registered and 252 persons lost their lives. The sources said last year, 94,476 traffic challans were issued.

Ashok Mehta, president of the Haryana Punjabi Mahasabha, said: “Since there are sugar mills at Naraingarh and Jagadhari, there is a lot of movement of tractor-trolleys laden with sugarcane. These trolleys are generally overloaded and lead to accidents”. He said there was a need to keep a check on the movement of tractor-trolleys during rush hours to avoid accidents.

Although the volume of traffic on the Ambala-Jagadhari Road has increased manifold in the past one decade, the project of widening the road is yet to be materialised.

Sources in the administration said: “Though the NHAI has already completed the survey of four-laning of the road, the work is yet to begin. Once the road is four laned, the number of mishaps may come down”.

Narinder Jain, another social activist from Ambala Cantt, said: “There is a need to position highway patrol vehicles at strategic locations like Mullana, Saha Chowk and Dosarka so that they can keep a watch on the over-speeding of vehicles.”

He said during foggy season, school bus drivers should be asked to use fog lights. The administration should be more responsive and flexible in declaring holidays during the extreme cold conditions when there is intense fog, he added.

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SP issues safety guidelines for school buses
Our Correspondent

Rewari, January 5
Traffic police officials, functionaries of the Road Safety Organisation and principals of various educational institutions of the district participated in a special meeting convened by SP Raj Shri Singh here recently in the wake of schoolchildren’s tragic demise in a recent road accident in Ambala district.

Mentioning about the apex court’s guidelines issued for maintenance of requisite safety standards in school buses and other such vehicles, the district police chief directed the school heads that only trained drivers, having a minimum of 5-year experience of driving heavy vehicles, who have not been challaned more than thrice for traffic violations and not booked even once for grave offences, should be allowed to drive school buses.

She also instructed the principals that while only the vehicles, permitted under Section 66 of the Motor Vehicle Act, be kept, they should have a competent attendant, a first aid box, name of the school written on them.

Insisting on the strict compliance with the traffic rules, constitution of road safety panels and seeking cooperation from functionaries of the Road Safety Organisation, the SP advised the school heads to adhere to the practice of annual medical check-up of the drivers by the school authorities.

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Southern Haryana has not get its due: Rao
Our Correspondent

Bhiwani, January 5
Rao Inderjit Singh, senior Congress leader and Gurgaon MP, said the southern part of the state did not get its due share despite the Congress being in power here for the past seven years.

He said a “Chetna rally” would be organised on the issues of equal development and equal distribution of canal water like Rohtak and Sonepat districts and equal employment at Mahendergarh on January 8. He also urged the people to attend the rally.

Addressing a workers’ meeting at Yadav Dharamshala at Charkhi Dadri, 29 km from here, recently, he said he had been “working as a true Congressman for the past 30-35 years, but today some leaders have deviated from the values and principles of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru.

“I am trying to develop this backward area along with like-minded party leaders. We will organise a ‘Chetna rally’ in Mahendergarh on January 8,” said the Congress leader.

Alleging discrimination, the Congress MP said: “The time has come that we fight for our rights. Warriors from southern Haryana sacrificed their lives for the cause of the nation and now we should fight for our people.”

Yadav Sabha president Mahender Singh Yadav honoured Rao Inderjit Singh.

Congress leaders Ved Prakash Vidrohi, Jaiveer Kadiyan, Dilbag Sharma, Gurgaon Congress Committee president GL Sharma, Mayor Bimal Yadav and Arun Sangwan were among the speakers.

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Medical conference held
Our Correspondent

Rewari, January 5
A conference of continuing medical education was held under the auspices of the Rewari Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society (ROGS) on early diagnosis-cum-treatment of genetic, metabolic and congenital anomalies at the Gymkhana Club here recently.

Dr Chitra Prasad, an internationally renowned professor on pediatrics, genetics and metabolism at the London Health Services Centre at Ontario in Canada, was the chief guest and principal speaker at the conference. Obstetricians, gynaecologist, pediatricians, pathologists and radiologists from Rewari and Mahendergarh districts participated in it.

Prasad, daughter of Rewari’s octogenarian ophthalmologist Dr SN Saxena, has deep-rooted associations with Rewari, Ludhiana and Chandigarh.

During her present 3-week visit to India, she also delivered lectures in Chennai and the AIIMS in New Delhi.

At the conference here, Prasad elaborated her lecture with audio-visual presentations of congenital, genetic and metabolic abnormalities while laying stress on ultrasonic and serum screening examination in the first trimester of pregnancy to secure better results.

Stressing on the early diagnosis in the interest of the patient and her family, who unfortunately have to go through the pangs of rearing differently abled children, she also pleaded for positive family support as well as compassionate and sympathetic behaviour of doctors while dealing with such patients.

She expressed satisfaction at the way in which genetics departments were presently functioning at the Ganga Ram Hospital, the AIIMS and the Maulana Azad Medical College in north India.

An interactive session was also held in which Dr GS Yadav and other pediatricians briefed her about the availability of latest tests in Rewari.

Dr Mitra Saxena, president, Dr Renu Yadav, secretary, and Dr Ruchi Yadav, joint secretary of ROGS, jointly conducted the entire proceedings. Its patron Dr Tara Saxena said the ROGS would soon organise meetings in various educational institutions of the district to create awareness among senior students regarding problems of adolescents.

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Search on for wild animal that attacked labourer
Suspected to be a leopard
Sushil Manav/TNS

Fatehabad, January 5
Wildlife Protection Department officials are searching for a wild animal, possibly a leopard, which injured a labourer and attacked some animals near Chandpura village in the district yesterday. A team of the department from Hisar is also assisting the local guards, who have been carrying out a search operation armed with a tranquiliser gun and a cage to catch the wild animal.

Going by the pugmarks and the account given by the injured labourer, the wildlife officials have opined that the animal can be a leopard that may have strayed away through the forest area along the Bhakhra Main Line (BML) passing near the village. Nanu Ram, a labourer, who worked in the village under the MNREGA, was returning home after finishing work when the wild animal attacked him on the banks of the BML near Chandpura village.

The animal ran away when Nanu Ram threw the axe he was holding on the animal. However, the man sustained injuries on his neck and back, which the animal had inflicted on him by his paws. He was given eight stitches by a doctor to dress his wounds.

The District Forest Officer Satbir Singh Sheoran said during search of the protected forest area along the BML, the wildlife protection department officials found an injured monkey, who appeared to have been attacked by the same animal. He said that the pugmarks of the animal point that it had gone towards Punjab, which is only a few kilometres from Chandpura village.

He said the animal had strayed from the state forests in search of food or due to fog, as there is protected forest area along the BML. Meanwhile, the wildlife protection officials have warned people of going alone on the BML.

Villagers armed with lathis and other weapons have also been keeping vigil on the boundaries of Chandpura and surrounding villages.

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State’s sports policy best in country: CM
Our Correspondent

Sonepat, January 5
While laying the foundation stone of a Rs 3.40 crore multi-purpose hall at Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram University of Science and Technology, Murthal, recently, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said sports facilities of international standard were being provided to sportspersons in the state.

Claiming that the state’s sports policy was one of the best in the country and was being followed by other states, the CM said the government had given priority to provide sports infrastructure in the villages to attract rural youths to sports. In order to secure the future of sportspersons, they were being inducted into government service, he added.

Vice-Chancellor of the university HS Chahal said with a sitting capacity of 400, the multi-purpose hall would include four badminton courts. “The hall is being constructed for the expansion of indoor game facilities and when required, it can be converted into basketball, volleyball, tennis and snooker courts,” he said, adding that the two-storey hall would have a covered area of 2,000 sq m.

He said various development works with an estimated cost of Rs 85 crore were in progress and were likely to be completed by June. Construction work on the Kalpana Chawla girls’ hostel, tennis academy and university guest house had already been completed. Work on the library and computer centre was likely to be completed by March, he said, adding that work on the 2,500-seat auditorium would be completed by June.

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Protection homes for runaway couples
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 5
The state government has identified protection homes in all districts to give boarding and lodging facilities to secure life and liberty of newly-wed and runaway couples.

While stating this here recently, a spokesperson for the Home Department said these homes would provide shelter and security to those couples who enter into wedlock against the wishes of their parents. He said out of 21 districts, the facility of protection homes in 10 districts had been provided in the police lines or police colony area.

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Movie This Week
Players

A still from “Players”
A still from “Players”

Directed by: Abbas-Mustan

The makers of “Race” are back with an action thriller “Players” with twists and turns.

The Abbas-Mustan flick is an official remake of Hollywood’s “The Italian Job” (1969, 2003).

The movie stars Bobby Deol, Abhishek Bachchan, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Sonam Kapoor and Omi Vaidya.

The movie revolves around a team of thieves who plan a gold heist. Abhishek Bachchan, Sikandar, Sonam Kapoor and Omi Vaidya team up to execute the plan. Sonam’s look has been beautifully designed by her sister Rhea Kapoor. The film has been shot in New Zealand and Russia (St Petersburg).

Neil Nitin Mukesh has a challenging and crucial action sequence in the movie with an M20 Super Bazooka.

The film has high-voltage action sequences, which will hit the cinema theatres today at Fame Shalimar, KC (Panchkula), Satyam, Bangar, Sheila (Rohtak), BMG, Radhika (Rewari), Glitz-Kurukshetra, Hind-Kaithal, PVR Ambience, PVR MGF, PVR Sahara, SRS Omaxe, SRS Wedding, DTCC, DTMM (Gurgaon) PVR Crown Plaza, SRS CC, SRS Pristini, SRS Eldeco, SRS Shubham, Movie Time CC, INOX (Faridabad), Fun, Cinemax (Panipat), Harsha, Movie Time (Karnal), Fun-Ambala and Dimple-Jagadhri. — Dharam Pal

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