Rohtak, March 28
The mystery disease among cattle continues to rattle cattle owners of Sundana village of the district. Though the fallout of the disease has been reported from a couple of other villages also and the neighboring Jhajjar district, the epicentre of the problem seems to be Sundana village where around 80 head of cattle have perished so far in the past about 10 weeks. As many as 11 animals died in the village on Tuesday.

“While the village residents and officials of the Veterinary Department have tried to check the problem, it appears that the disease has taken the form of an ‘endemic’ and the farmers are at the receiving end,’’ said Dalbir a resident of the village.

The disease that is claimed to be a combination of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), ‘galgontu’ (Haemorrhagic Septicimia), Sarrah and infection of lungs has been prevailing in the village and has exhausted cattle owners as the deaths of animals are continuing despite the measures taken by the villagers and the department, he added.

The latest casualty list includes cattle of Devi Ram, Dharambir, Rajvir, Bijender and Sajjan, who lost their animals on Tuesday. “This was perhaps one of the highest casualty rate in a single day,’’ said Surender, a resident of the village.

He said while the total loss in financial terms could be in several lakhs of rupees, the village had lost at least half a dozen high milk-yielding cattle in this ‘endemic’, adding that a delegation of the village had called upon Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda during his recent visit here.

The supply of milk and entry of residents had been banned for at least 24 hours recently as part of special religious measures and a puja that was conducted by the locals in order to control the problem.

“Several teams of veterinary doctors and officials have already visited the villages besides launching a special drive to immunise the cattle in the village,” said an official of the department, adding that the samples collected from the villages had indicated the presence of viruses of some diseases, including Haemorrhagic Septicimia and similar infections.

HISAR (TNS): Scientists of Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences here have attributed the recent deaths of buffaloes in some villages of Rohtak district during the past few days to the Foot-and-Mouth Disease. In a press note issued here on Wednesday the university scientists said a team had been sent to Sundana village of Rohtak district following reports of death of several Murrah buffaloes. The scientists collected samples of blood of the dead animals that were analysed in the university laboratories.

The samples indicated the presence of bacteria in the animals which caused Foot-and-Mouth disease. The team said the villagers were asked to take certain precautions and the university scientists treated the animals with medication. Similar deaths were again reported from other villages last week and teams of scientists had been stationed in these villages to control the spread of the disease and treat the ailing animals.

New Delhi, March 28
In good news for residents of Faridabad, Delhi Metro today began construction of the 14-km link that connects the satellite city with the national capital.

The laying of foundation for pillars on which viaduct will be put up began today at Faridabad in the presence of Delhi Metro Managing Director Mangu Singh and officials from the Haryana Government.

The first piling work started near Sector 28 in Faridabad on the Mathura Road National Highway. The fully-elevated corridor, the longest Metro line in the NCR, will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 2,533 crore by 2016 when the Delhi Metro's Phase-III is expected to be completed. The Badarpur-Faridabad link is an extension of the existing Central Secretariat-Badarpur corridor and will be integrated with it after completion.

According to a Detailed Project Report, the daily ridership of this 13.875-km Metro corridor is expected to be 2.14 lakhs (in 2014 after commissioning of the corridor for the public).

The civil contract for the construction of this corridor has been awarded in February, 2012, and the corridor will be commissioned by the end of 2014. The average height of the pillars on this corridor will be approximately nine metres and over 500 pillars will be erected to make the viaduct for this corridor.

“On this corridor, Delhi Metro will be using specially designed pre-cast U shaped girders to complete the viaduct in a short time of 20 months. This is for the first time in Delhi Metro's history where a single span of approx 27 metres in length and weighing about 160 tonnes will be used,” a DMRC spokesman said. — PTI

Sirsa, March 28
With the financial year starting on April 1, villagers working under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) will get Rs 191 per day as wages.

The wages for Haryana under the scheme were Rs 186.42 per day in the financial year ending on March 31. As per a notification published in the Gazette of India, the wages for Haryana will be the highest in the country and Nicobar district of Andaman and Nicobar being the next with daily wages fixed at Rs 189.

Daily wages for Andaman district have been fixed at 178 per day, as per the notification. The MNREGS wages for Punjab are Rs 166 per day, third highest in the country after Haryana and the Andaman and Nicobar islands.

Bihar and Jharkhand will have the lowest MNREGS wages at Rs 122, while states like Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Sikkim and Nagaland will have slightly better wages at Rs 124 per day.

Meanwhile, Rs 33.73 crore has been spent on Sirsa under the MNREGS, during the current financial year, said Deputy Commissioner J Ganeshan today.

He said works for Rs 4.78 crore have been completed in the Baragura block, for Rs 4.58 crore in Dabwali, Rs 4.79 crore in Ellenabad, Rs 4.50 crore in Nathusari Chopta, Rs 4.82 crore in Odhan, Rs 6.30 crore in Rania and for Rs 3.32 crore in Sirsa block.

He said against the target of Rs 35 crore, the authorities hope to complete works worth Rs 40 crore by March 31. He added that so far 953 families in Sirsa had been provided 100-day employment in the last one year. He said under the MNREGS, 12.54 lakh man-days were generated in the district out of which 7.45 lakh were for members belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes and 4.56 lakh man-days were for women.

Chandigarh, March 28
For tiding over the shortage of headmasters in Haryana schools, the state’s Finance Department has sanctioned more than 5,000 posts and their vacancies in the government middle schools are likely to be filled within three months.

As a petition filed in public interest by Karan Singh on filling the vacant posts came up for hearing, an affidavit filed by Haryana Director, Secondary Education, was placed before the Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover.

The Bench asserted, “A reading of the affidavit will go to show that, according to the Director, with the coming into force of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, a total of 5,548 posts of headmaster of Government Middle Schools are required to be filled so as to comply with the provisions of the Act.”

Referring to a paragraph, the Bench added, “It has been stated that the Finance Department has sanctioned the creation of 5,548 posts of headmaster on March 6 and the posts will be filled by promotion from the category of masters.

“In the affidavit, it is further stated that the process for filling the posts has been taken up and it is likely to be completed within three months.

Taking a note of the contentions, the Bench added, “In view of the stand taken in the affidavit filed by the Director, Secondary Education, Government of Haryana, we are of the view that no further order or direction from the Court will be called for as the state has worked out the number of posts that are required to be filled so as to comply with the provisions of the Act and has taken steps to fill the posts.

“The state should abide by the statement made before the court.”

Fatehabad, March 28
After the INLD, the HJC supremo and Hisar MP Kuldeep Bishnoi has now pledged his opposition to the Gorakhpur nuclear power project. Assuring his support to farmers, who met him at his ancestral village, Mohammadpur Rohi, in Fatehabad today, Bishnoi said his party would not allow the nuclear plant to come up, whatever sacrifices he and his party men have to make.

“In fact, I took up the matter in Parliament first of all and made it an issue of national importance,” Bishnoi told the farmers, who had approached him for his support to March 30 demonstrations of farmers against the proposed nuclear power project.

He said his father, former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, was the first political leader to visit the agitating Gorakhpur farmers at their dharna site and pledge his support to their struggle.

He said Bhajan Lal had opposed the plant even when the Prime Minister announced this project for the first time at Panipat.

He assured the farmers that the activists of the HJC and the BJP would participate in the March 30 protests in large numbers.

Castigating the INLD, the Hisar MP alleged that despite having 31 MLAs in the state Assembly, the INLD had not raised this issue even once in the House.

Meanwhile, the Haryana unit of the CPM has reiterated its opposition to the plant.

Inderjit Singh, state secretary of the CPM, castigated the government for moving ahead with the process of land acquisition despite resistance from the land-owning farmers and safety concerns expressed by people of the adjoining villages.

He said the fears of the public were genuine especially in the wake of the Fukushima disaster a year ago. He has urged the government to put the proposal on hold and consider the opinions of many experts who have openly favoured non-nuclear power as a better option.

The party has also given active support for the 30 March protest demonstration to be organised at Fatehabad.

Chandigarh, March 28
Senior Congress leader and MLA from the Nalwa Assembly constituency Sampat Singh yeterday took strong exception to the statements of INLD leader Ajay Singh Chautala and HJC president Kuldeep Bishnoi, opposing the proposed nuclear power plant at Gorakhpur in Fatehabad district.

A couple of days ago Ajay Singh had said INLD workers would face bullets but would not allow the construction of the plant.

Sampat Singh said such type of “undemocratic, provocative and violent language” did not suit a politician. Either the Opposition did not want development of Haryana or was indulging in petty politics for vested interests. However, he said, the patrons of the INLD and the HJC demanded this plant whenever they were in power.

He said Bhajan Lal, as Chief Minister, was the first to demand a nuclear plant for the state. He wrote to the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, on July 20, 1984, stressing four points for setting up the nuclear plant in the state. First, the site was near the border of Rajasthan and Punjab and as such could easily meet the requirements of these states as well. Second, there was no need for additional expenses on a transmission system as the necessary system was already available. Third, it was at a safe distance from the international borders, assuring security to the plant. Fourth, no need to remove population from the area.

Sampat Singh said Bhajan Lal again wrote to the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, reiterating his demand for a nuclear power plant in the state.

Similarly, Devi Lal as Chief Minister wrote to the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, on November 23, 1987, and urged for early sanction to a nuclear plant in the state. Devi Lal also supported the present site for the plant. When Bhajan Lal again became the Chief Minister, he wrote to the then Prime Minister, PV Narasimha Rao, on July 16, 1993, reiterating his demand for a nuclear plant at the site where the Union Government had now sanctioned the plant.

Sampat Singh said the patrons of the INLD and the HJC were far more intelligent than the present leadership of these parties. It was not without any reason that they demanded nuclear plant at the present site when they were in power.

Taking a dig at the INLD and the HJC leadership, Sampat Singh said these leaders were insulting their ancestors by making such statements.

Chandigarh, March 28
Haryana Health Minister Rao Narender Singh today directed the officers concerned to constitute an Inter-State Coordination Committee of Officers to check the menace of detection of sex of foetus by some people in other states bordering Haryana.

The Health Minister, who was presiding over a state-level meeting of the Supervisory Board constituted under the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act here today, said he would also take up the issue at the ministry level.

Rao Narender said there was a need to further strengthen the PNDT Act in the state. He said to ensure strict action in such cases, every case should be examined closely and put up before the court as under the Act there was no provision to let the accused go free merely by giving a warning.

The minister said the state government had also decided to award upto Rs 20,000 to those who would provide information about sex determination and female foeticide. Besides, it was also decided that the Health Department would also give an award of Rs 25,000 and an appreciation letter to those officers who would actively participate in the district-level Sex- Ratio Improvement Programme. The award would be given on the basis of their annual activities.

He said the ultrasound machine at the General Hospital, Panchkula, had been linked with a Silent Observer and under another similar pilot project, the ultrasound machine at Jhajjar has been linked with Active Tracker System. He further said that with the help of this system, daily details of the activities of the ultrasound machine could be obtained and this would help in preventing the misuse of the machine.

Rao Narender Singh said instructions had also been issued for registration of ultrasound machines used in the treatment of animals. He said mapping was also being done in the areas having a poor sex ratio in the state. Besides, the statistics were being collected from the villages in every district where the sex ratio was minimum. For the monitoring of cases related to the PNDT Act, a state-level task force had been reconstituted.

Addressing the meeting, Navraj Sandhu, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Health, said much could be done with the effective implementation of the PNDT Act along with various schemes initiated by the government. A change in the mindset of the people is the pre-requisite to put an end to the menace of female foeticide. Sandhu stressed on a strategy to bring about a social change with the help of panchayats and representatives of the people.

Hisar, March 28
Ashok Garg, ADC, said here yesterday the appointment of anganwari workers at Hansi was legal and according to rules.

Referring to the registration of a case of fraud and cheating against him and four other officials on the orders of a local court on March 23, he said the complainant had concealed the fact from the selection panel that she did not reside in the area for which she wanted to be appointed as anganwari worker.

Garg said applications were invited area wise and only those who resided in a particular area could be considered for appointment in that area. The complainant, Shalu Rani, submitted a certificate showing her as a resident of Regran Mohalla. She was duly selected.

However, it was brought to the notice of the selection panel in a written complaint that Shalu Rani was not residing in Regran Mohalla. This complaint was forwarded to the SDM, Hansi, for verification. The SDM reported on September 1, 2011, that Shalu Rani was not a resident of Regran Mohalla and she was actually living in Gol Kothi Mohalla.

He said the report was received in his office on September 6, 2011, and was sent to the Programme Officer, Integrated Child Development Services. Meanwhile, he was transferred to Fatehabad on September 22.

On the basis of the SDM’s report, Shalu Rani’s appointment was cancelled a month after his transfer on October 24 by the Programme Officer and the candidate on the waiting list was appointed instead.

He said the complainant had concealed these facts in her private complaint filed in the court on the basis of which it had ordered the police to file a case. He said they were never provided an opportunity to present their side before the court.

Hisar, March 28
Chief Parliamentary Secretary (CPS) Dharambir Singh today directed the administration to remove a water line passing in front of a house of a widow Sewa Devi residing in Kharbala village of this district and also get her house repaired at government expense because the house had been damaged by a leaky pipeline.

Presiding over a monthly meeting of the district grievances panel here he said the authorities should be careful while executing development works to ensure that no one was inconvenienced.

A local resident Jai Bhagwan said he had been awarded a contract for removing bushes from the central state farm for which he had deposited a security deposit of Rs 85,000. The farm authorities have asked him to stop work half way and because of that he was unable to complete the job in time. He maintained that the authorities were not refunding his deposit.

The CPS asked the farm administration to give him another one month to clear the bushes. He also ordered more buses be plied on the route no 23, which covered several villages lying between Hisar and Hansi. Villagers had complained that no bus had been plying on this route for a long time.

Hisar, March 28
Young students aspiring to join prestigious institutions like the IITs have been found to be suffering from psychological disorders. A study conducted by the Department of Applied Psychology of Guru Jambheshwar University here found that 88 per cent of such students were found to be stressed. Of these 12 per cent were suffering from mild to moderate depression and eight per cent were found to be severely stressed. The sample size of the survey was 3,200 students, including 1,200 girls.

A university spokesman said 19 per cent of these students showed signs of morbidity. The ratio of moderate tension was found to be equal among boys and girls. Students living with their families were found to be less stressed than those residing in hostels or separate accommodation. Girls were found to be more indecisive than boys. Stressed students were not taking part in any co-curricular activities or games. He said these students required counselling, which should be done at the school level. — TNS

Rewari, March 28
With the arrest of a migrant labourer of UP Om Prakash, the Kasaula police has cracked the blind murder case of another migrant labourer Sumit (24), whose body was recovered from the neighbouring factory area of Bawal on Monday.

Police sources said following an altercation, Sumit was stoned to death allegedly by Om Prakash who then dumped the body on Sunday night. Both friends, who belonged to the same village in UP, worked in different areas and also resided at different places. Om Prakash was today produced in a court, which remanded him to 14-day judicial custody.

Meanwhile, SSP Vikas Kumar Arora has given a cash reward of Rs 5,000 as well as citations to SHO Satender Kumar and his team for cracking this blind murder case.

Karnal, March 28
The demand for “right to reject” in elections has started gaining ground and is penetrating downwards. A section of lawyers in Karnal have raised the demand in the District Bar Association elections, which are already underway.

Some young lawyers have submitted a signed letter to Narendra Cheema, assistant returning officer, in support of their demand. While the decision in this regard would be taken by the returning officer in accordance with rules, the lawyers are insisting that they should have “right to reject” in the elections. The filing of nomination for various posts has already started and the election will be held on April 4 and any decision to change the election process will be difficult at this belated stage but the demand has initiated a new thought, which will trigger a debate, said a lawyer.

Sirsa, March 28
Sirsa will have Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Sewa Kendras (BNRGSKs) in 80 villages and seven block headquarters soon.

Deputy Commissioner J Ganeshan inaugurated a building of a BNRGSK set up in Sirsa block today. The building with four rooms and two meeting halls has been constructed on 312 square metres of land.

The BNRHSKs are being set up throughout the country to serve dual purpose of providing space for the functioning of the MGNREGS at the village and the block level and to serve as Knowledge Resource Centres to facilitate different functions . — TNS

Mewat, March 28
Balraj Singh Mor, Nuh (Mewat) Deputy Commissioner, has placed the sarpanch of Pinagwan village under suspension after charges of misappropriating old-age pension funds levelled against him were found correct by the SDM concerned.

Panches Prem Kumar and Rajender and social worker Deepak Arya had lodged a complaint with the Deputy Commissioner, alleging that Sarpanch Arjun Singh had usurped the old-age pension of several senior citizens of the village by forging their signatures/thumb-impressions in the official record. The matter pertained to the month of February, 2011. Hoshiyar Singh Siwach, SDM, Ferozepur Zirka, found the allegations against the sarpanch true. He maintained that the sarpanch had misappropriated government funds meant for providing old-age pension and tampered with government record.