Chandigarh, March 16
Fearing backlash from lakhs of apartment owners in the group housing societies (GHS) on the land allotted by HUDA in the elections next year, the Hooda government has provided relief to them from paying a hefty penalty for compounding offences under the Haryana Apartment Ownership Act. However, persons owning apartments from any of the private builders in the state will have to shell out the penalty.

In a partial rollback on January 7, an order imposing the heavy penalty for compounding offences under the Act, the Department of Town and Country Planning had clarified that the penalty would only be applicable to the private builders and licences under the Haryana Development and Regulation of Urban Areas Act, 1975, and the Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas Restriction of Unregulated Development Act, 1963.

“For the property developed by HUDA, the necessary instructions for registration of the deed of declaration of the apartment and composition charges in case of any delay in compliance of Section 2 of the Act of 1983 are to be issued separately by HUDA,” a fresh order issued by Anurag Rastogi, Director-General of the department, said.

At the same time, the new order said: “As provided in Section 2 of the Haryana Apartment Ownership Act that in case of property/building falling in the area developed by HUDA, the owner of such property/building shall duly execute and get registered declaration within 90 days after obtaining an occupation certificate of the building under the regulations framed under the Haryana Urban Development Authority Act, 1977.”

Earlier, the January 7 order said the delay in the execution of the deed of apartment after paying stamp duty to competent authority beyond 90 days of getting completion certificate or occupation certificate will attract a penalty of Rs 1 lakh for one year,” For delay from 1-2 years, the allottee would have to shell an amount of Rs 2 lakh while for delay from 2-3 years, he would shell out a hefty fine of Rs 3 lakh. “For the delay beyond three years, the allottee would pay a whopping Rs 3 lakh plus a monthly amount of Rs 50,000 per month,” the earlier order had said.

The January 7 order saw scores of the GHS, primarily on the land allotted by HUDA, up in arms against the “arbitrary” order, which many saw as “impractical”. It was feared that the hefty composition charges would destroy the cooperative structure of the housing sector and push up the prices of the apartments making them beyond the reach of the common man.

Chandigarh, March 16
Making it clear to the State of Haryana that two posts of the HCS (executive branch) are to be reserved for “persons with disability”, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has asked the Haryana Public Service Commission to issue a necessary corrigendum in this regard.

The directions came on a petition filed in public interest by advocate Avijit Singh against the State of Haryana and other respondents. In the petition placed before Chief Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri and Justice Rakesh Kumar Jain, Avijit Singh had sought reservation in government posts for disabled persons.

He had contended that reservation for disabled persons had not been accorded while filling vacancies even though it was a requirement under the provisions of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights & Full Participation) Act.

He had sought directions to the respondents to reserve 3 per cent posts for those falling under the physically challenged category. He stated one per cent of these posts should be reserved for hearing impaired persons.

The Bench observed that the respondents in their affidavit had accepted that two posts of the HCS (executive branch) would be given to disabled persons, if the reservation was made with effect from February 1996.

The Bench also observed that the respondents had already issued an advertisement for filling up the posts of the HCS (executive branch) without taking into consideration reservation for disabled persons.

The Bench stated: “We are informed that the preliminary examination for the posts of the HCS (executive branch) has been conducted and the main examination for the same is going to be held in April 2013, though as of now the final date for the examination has not been fixed.

“In these circumstances, we dispose of the petition with directions that the government shall send a requisition to the HPSC within three days, earmarking two posts of the HCS (executive branch) for persons with disability.

“The HPSC shall issue advertisement/clarification/corrigendum stipulating therein that two posts out of the posts already advertised are meant for disabled persons. Fifteen days shall be given to the eligible candidates to apply for the posts. A preliminary examination for such candidates shall be conducted immediately thereafter by the Commission.”

Karnal, March 16
While the government is boasting of implementing the Right to Education and inclusive education, a blind student has become victim of officials’ apathy. He was deprived of his right to appear in Class XII examination of the Haryana Board of School Education.

Nisar, a blind student of Government Senior Secondary School, Indri (Karnal), could not appear in second semester examination as the school board and the staff at the examination centre failed to provide him a writer despite repeated requests.

“I was given a question paper and made to sit in a separate room, but no writer was provided and the authorities were so insensitive that they did not even bother to think what I would do with the question paper when I cannot see and read it,” said Nisar.

Nisar, who reached the examination hall, was shocked to know that the board had not asked for providing writer to him. “It is my right to appear in the examination and duty of the board and the examination authorities to provide me a writer so that the questions can be read out to me and I can dictate the answers, but it did not happen. I am blind and now my future has also been made dark by the callous attitude of the authorities concerned,” he said in a letter to the state Education Minister.

Nisar with good academic record said, "I have been trying hard to continue with my education despite grave physical disability, but for the first time I have realised that my blindness has become a curse for me and all claims of the government to help the persons with disability are hollow."

As per the practice, the blind students are provided with a writer who is one class junior and with a low score and Nisar should have been given a Class XI student as writer. But due to shift to semester system, the examinations are held twice in a year and the board authorities did not visualise this situation and Nisar failed to appear in the examination.

Chandigarh, March 16
Is the non-committal stand of the BJP on the question of whether INLD president Om Prakash Chautala should continue to hold the post of the Leader of the Opposition after his conviction in the JBT recruitment scam during the recently concluded Budget session of the Haryana Assembly an indication of some new political alignments in the state or is it due to the internal compulsions of the party?

The House was discussing an adjournment motion moved by former finance minister Sampat Singh that following his conviction, Chautala should quit the post, which enjoys the status of a Cabinet minister, when the BJP leaders were called by Speaker Kuldeep Sharma to express their views on the motion.

Former Haryana BJP president Krishan Pal Gurjar, a known critic of Chautala, however just said his party’s stand on the issue had already been stated outside the House and he had nothing more to add to it. The BJP MLA from Sonepat Kavita Jain and Leader of the BJP Legislature Party Anil Vij too refused to walk into the Congress “trap”.

The BJP’s stand has renewed speculation over the longevity of the alliance between the saffron party and the Kuldeep Bishnoi-led HJC. This speculation has gained ground because the INLD leadership has reportedly told its workers not to criticise the BJP. However, sources in the party assert that there is no question of any review of the BJP-HJC alliance. They say that the party had chalked out its strategy well before the House took up the adjournment motion. The sources say that till Chautala is acquitted in the case, the BJP would never enter into an electoral alliance with him. 

Hisar, March 16
The police this morning lifted five Jat protesters who were sitting on a fast unto death at Mayyar village and shifted them to General Hospital in Hisar.

In protest, members of the All India Jat Arakshan Sangharsh Samiti (AIJASS) blocked the Hisar-Delhi national highway near Mayyar and the Fatehabad-Chandigarh road near Dhani Gopal in Fatehabad for over an hour.

The protesters threatened to block the traffic again if the fasting agitators were not allowed to return to the dharna site by 11 am tomorrow.

“It seems the government wants us to adopt violent means of agitation as it is not allowing us to hold our protest in a peaceful manner,” said Ram Bhagat Malik, a spokesperson for the AIJASS.

While lifting the five protesters in the morning, the police also rounded up around 20 persons sleeping near the dharna site and took them to Police Lines. However, they were set free later.

Meanwhile, sources said the five agitators did not break their fast even in the hospital.

Jhajjar, March 16 
Six members of a family, including two women, sustained bullet injuries in an assault by their "old rivals" at Jakhoda village here today. 

The injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital, Bahadurgarh, where they were referred to the PGIMS, Rohtak. 

While no case was registered till the filing of the report, the police said they were investigating the matter.

A group of persons allegedly stormed into the house of one Arvind this morning and fired on him and his family members from a close range. 

Sirsa, March 16
The police has booked two youths for attempt to rape and criminal trespass, after they allegedly sexually assaulted a minor girl at Mangeana village in Sirsa.

The victim’s father has alleged that his 17-year-old daughter was alone at home, when Gopi and Devi barged into his house on Thursday. They forcibly undressed the girl and threatened to kill her. However, they ran away when he suddenly came back. The police said a case had been registered against the two accused.

Rewari: A minor girl was allegedly enticed away by a village youth from Bikaner village on Thursday. After a search which remained futile, her father filed a complaint on Friday following which the police registered a case of abduction.