Chandigarh, February 17
The Hooda government seems to have two sets of rules on granting land ownership rights to landless farmers. While a notification last year granted ownership rights to landless farmers in other parts of the state, hundreds of families in the backward Morni hills are waiting for ownership rights.

Though landless farmers are cultivating ‘notod bhoomi’ (hill land made cultivable by landless farmers) for generations, the ownership rights elude them. This is in a sharp contrast to the transfer of ownership rights to certain similar categories of cultivators all over the state after the passage of the Haryana Dohlidar, Butimar, Bhondedar and Muqararidar vesting of the Propriety Rights Act, 2010.

This Act, which was notified on March 4, 2011, transferred ownership rights to these categories of cultivators. However, the landless farmers continue to be at the receiving end in the Morni area .

According to estimates, approximately 36,000 poor persons depend on 1,846 acres of ‘notod bhoomi’ in the Morni hills for their livelihood. While they had been cultivating the land for several generations, the authorities concerned have failed to transfer the land in their names. This is despite a report by former Ambala Division Commissioner TD Jogpal favouring transfer of land in their names .

Inquires in the Revenue Department revealed that the 2011 notification, which was issued to certain specified categories of landless farmers, had been implemented. The issue of transfer of land in favour of ‘notod’ farmers is a political decision to be taken at the Chief Minister’s level, a senior Revenue Department official said.

However, Vijay Bansal, president of the Shivalik Vikas Manch, who has been taking up the issue with the authorities concerned at regular intervals, said a similar notification on the pattern of the 2011 notification could help the landless farmers provided the Hooda government and elected representatives exhibited a political will.

Chandigarh, February 17
The tussle between private unaided schools in Haryana and the state government over the implementation of Rule 134-A of the Haryana School Education Rules, under which 25 per cent students of the BPL families are to be given free education has further intensified with both sides refusing to relent.

As a part of their protest, the school managements are shutting their establishments in various districts for a day, by rotation. After keeping the schools closed in Rohtak, today was the turn in Jind and Ambala. Tomorrow, private schools in Karnal and Jhajjar will remain closed.

On the other hand, Education Minister Geeta Bhukkal today warned the private schools to implement Rule 134-A or face stern action.

The managements point out that under Rule 134-A, the government had not provided for reimbursement of expenditure incurred by them on 25 per cent BPL students even though their institutions did not get any aid from the state.

President of the Federation of Private Schools Welfare Associations Kulbhushan Sharma says before insisting on the implementation of Rule 134-A, the government should explain as to how the schools would be compensated.

Chandigarh, February 17
The Punjab and Haryana High Court today upheld the election of Jaleb Khan from Hathin Assembly constituency in Palwal district.

Two election petitions against his victory in the elections as an independent candidate were dismissed this afternoon by Justice K. Kannan.

The decision is significant as Jaleb Khan was appointed as the Chief Parliamentary Secretary. His election was challenged by Nazakat Khan and Israil by filing two separate petitions. 

Hisar, February 17
Social and political organisations have condemned the incident involving serious injuries caused to a Dalit farmhand, Rajesh, by an upper caste farmer when the former tried to drink water from a pitcher placed in a field of the latter at Daulatpur village of this district.

Rajesh was on his way from Saniana village of Fatehabad district to Daulatpur in Hisar district on a tractor along with 12 others three days ago. He stopped on the way to drink water from a pitcher lying in a field.

However, Rajesh said before he could draw water a farmer, Rajinder, arrived on the scene. He enquired about his caste and then abused him. He drew a sickle from his bicycle and hit Rajesh, who received a deep cut just above the left wrist. He has been admitted to a local private nursing home here. The police yesterday arrested the accused, who has been remanded in judicial custody till March 2.

Condemning the incident, the BSP has sought Rs 25 lakh as compensation to the victim. A delegation of the party led by Balraj Satrodia, president of the Hisar district unit of the party, met Deputy Commissioner Amit Aggarwal here today and presented a memorandum, demanding that that the accused be booked for attempt to murder.

Satrodia said it was unthinkable that untouchability was still in vogue in the country. The BSP leader said the perpetrators of such crimes should be handed out the death sentence.

The Sant Shiromani Ravi Das Sabha has called on the administration to compensate the victim’s family. Pointing out the victim was the sole earning member of the family, the sabha said Rajesh had a pregnant wife and a mentally unsound brother to look after.

The Janwadi Lekhak Sabha said while Dalits were becoming more and more self-respecting, the so-called upper castes were yet to give up their prejudices.

The Dr BR Ambedkar Sabha has also demanded compensation of Rs 25 lakh to the victim. The sabha demanded stern punishment for the accused .

Meanwhile, the district administration has decided to bear all expenses for the victim’s treatment. The Hansi DSP has been asked to investigate the case. A team of officers visited the victim in the hospital. T. Pithen, Secretary of the Scheduled Castes Commission and two members of the commission - SL Meena and SS Kanwa also met Rajesh here and sought a first-hand account of the incident from him.

Rajesh said he wanted peace in his village and punishment for the accused. He said his community did not want to disturb communal harmony in the village. 

Hisar, February 17
The police yesterday registered a case against Ashok Sharma, Joint Excise and Taxation Commissioner, on orders of a local court for threatening his subordinates with dire consequences if they failed to collect election funds for a particular candidate for the Hisar Lok Sabha byelection in October last year.

Sharma was then posted as the Deputy Excise and Taxation Commissioner here. Taxation inspector Devendra Lamba had during the byelection sent complaints to the government, the Election Commission and other authorities that Sharma had been forcing his subordinates to collect Rs 10 lakh as election funds for HJC nominee Kuldeep Bishnoi.

Lamba filed a private complaint in a local court when his complaints were ignored. He alleged that he was summoned by Ashok Sharma to his office and asked to pay Rs 1 lakh from his pocket towards election expenses of HJC nominee Kuldeep Bishnoi.

He alleged that his boss threatened to spoil his career The complaint added that similar threats were handed out to other officials also.

The court accepted his complaint and ordered the Civil Lines police station here to register a case and investigate the allegations. The court ordered the police to submit a report on this issue on February 29.