SPECIAL COVERAGE
CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI



THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS
50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS
H A R Y A N A   E D I T I O N

Hooda counters Selja’s claims of skewed development
Hisar, April 21
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Union Minister Kumari Selja address press conferences in Hisar on Sunday When two adversaries and political heavyweights of the Congress — Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Union Minister Kumari Selja — were present in Hisar today, allegations of skewed development in the state by the latter and its counter by the former were bound to happen.
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Union Minister Kumari Selja address press conferences in Hisar on Sunday. A Tribune photograph

Officials must listen to Congress workers, says Hooda
Hisar, April 21
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was at his aggressive best today when he warned officials who overlooked Congress workers and hit hard at his detractors in the opposition and within his party. Addressing a meeting of party workers at Congress Bhawan in Hisar today, Hooda said he had been receiving complaints that some officials did not pay heed to his party workers going to their offices for getting people’s works done.



YOUR TOWN
Chandigarh
Gurgaon


EARLIER STORIES



Rao Inderjit raises question mark over MDU selections
Rewari, April 21
Congress MP Rao Inderjit Singh has alleged that 21 out of the 25 appointees in the teaching and other allied staff of the MD University’s Postgraduate Regional Centre (PGRC), Mirpur (10 km from Rewari), in August, 2012, belonged to the Rohtak region, which was the Chief Minister’s home district.
Congress MP Rao Inderjit Singh addressing a meeting of his supporters in Rewari on Sunday. Tribune photo
Congress MP Rao Inderjit Singh addressing a meeting of his supporters in Rewari on Sunday

Karnal BJP to contest MC poll on party symbol
Karnal, April 21
While the state BJP leadership is dithering on the issue of contesting the forthcoming elections to the seven newly created Municipal Corporations of Panchkula, Yanunanagar, Ambala, Karnal, Panipat, Hisar and Rohtak on the party symbol, the Karnal BJP today unilaterally announced to contest the elections on the party symbol.

90 shelter homes left in lurch in absence of grants
Karnal, April 21
Hundreds of inmates of over 90 shelter homes in Haryana run by NGOs have been left in the lurch as the government has not released the grants for two years. Orphaned children are admitted in these homes on the recommendation of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the Child Line Foundation, but it has become impossible for the NGOs to run the institutions and take care of the inmates.

Punish corrupt traders, Kaithal admn told
Kaithal, April 21
PK Jha, Additional Secretary, Food and Consumer Protection Affairs, visited the anaj mandi and directed the district administration to take strict action against traders and loading contractors who were paying and taking bribe, respectively, for lifting of foodgrains from markets.
Additional Secretary PK Jha visits the Kaithal mandi on Sunday. Photo: Satish Seth
Additional Secretary PK Jha visits the Kaithal mandi on Sunday

Tripura child awaits miracle at Gurgaon hospital
Gurgaon, April 21
Roona Begum, an 18-month-old girl from Tripura suffering from Hydrocephalus, a rare illness that has caused her head to swell to almost three times its original size, is admitted to the local Fortis Hospital. Roona, who is under constant observation, is stable. Doctors said they need to wait a few more weeks before they start any kind of serious intervention.
Roona Begum in hospital. Tribune photo

Roona Begum in hospital

Chor Karsa villagers want liquor vend shifted
Assandh (Karnal), April 21
With women folk spearheading “battle against bottle” in rural Haryana, people from more and more villages are coming forward to oppose opening of liquor vends in their areas, but response of the authorities concerned in shifting or closing the vends is lukewarm.

Strict laws needed to curb rape incidents: Bhukkal
Jhajjar, April 21
Expressing her concern over the rising incidents of atrocities against women and their exploitation in different parts of the country, Haryana Education, Women and Child Development Minister, Geeta Bhukkal said such incidents were very unfortunate. Strict rules should be made to put a check on such incidents, she added.

Protests held in Karnal, Sirsa against rape of 5-yr-old girl in Delhi
Karnal/Sirsa, April 21
Residents of Karnal today took out a protest march to express their anguish over the brutal rape of a five-year-old girl in Gandhinagar, Delhi, and demanded exemplary punishment for the culprit.

Students of JCD Vidyapeeth take out a procession against the Delhi rape incident in Sirsa. Photo: Sushil Manav

Students of JCD Vidyapeeth take out a procession against the Delhi rape incident in Sirsa

Sex ratio improves in Kaithal
Kaithal, April 21
As a result of steps taken by the district administration and creating awareness among people, improvement in sex ratio has been registered in Kaithal district, which has improved from 789 to 821 this year. Deputy Commissioner Chander Shekhar stated this while addressing villagers of Atella during 18th night camp.

Sarv Karamchari Sangh wants anti-employee policies go
Kaithal, April 21
The 13th state-level convention of representatives of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh (SKS), Haryana, concluded here today with a strong warning to the state government to stop anti-employee policies and find solution to their genuine and long-standing demands or be ready to face strong agitation.
Haryana Sarvkaramchari Sangh leaders address a press conference in Kaithal on Sunday. Tribune photo
Haryana Sarvkaramchari Sangh leaders address a press conference in Kaithal on Sunday

Haryana to recruit 19,902 post-graduate teachers
Chandigarh, April 21
The Haryana government has decided to deploy post-graduate teachers for holding secondary classes in order to impart quality education to the secondary students. For this purpose 19,902 posts of post-graduate teachers have been sanctioned on the pattern of the Kendriya Vidyalayas.

Sonepat-Kundli to be developed as multi-functional urban complex
Chandigarh, April 21
Keeping in view its strategic location and advantage of its close proximity to the National Capital, the Haryana Town and Country Planning Department (HTCPD) has planned the Sonepat- Kundli area as a multi-functional urban complex. The state government is also considering allotting land to set up a Tourism University in the area.

Need for change in people’s attitude towards women: Kasni
Bhiwani, April 21

Hisar Division Commissioner Neelam Pradeep Kasni today emphasised the need for a change in people’s attitude towards women for making India a better place to live.
Children present a skit at a seminar on “Beti Bachao” in Bhiwani on Sunday. Photo: Manoj Dhaka
Children present a skit at a seminar on “Beti Bachao” in Bhiwani on Sunday

IPL T-20 MATCHES
‘Satta’ operators active in Sirsa
Sirsa, April 21
With the Indian Premium League (IPL) T-20 cricket matches under way at various venues throughout the country, Sirsa town has come under a firm grip of the cricket bookies. Ever since the IPL - 2013 began on April 3, cricket bookies started their activities of trapping gullible people, particularly youths in their illicit betting trade.

36-lakh tonnes wheat procured
Chandigarh, April 21
More than 36.08 lakh metric tonnes of wheat has so far arrived in grain markets of Haryana during the current procurement season. Out of it, over 36.07 lakh tonnes (LT) of wheat has been procured by the government agencies at the minimum support price.

Beating the heat: With the onset of the summer, youngsters beat the heat in the Zymkhana Club swimming pool in Rohtak on Sunday
Beating the heat: With the onset of the summer, youngsters beat the heat in the Zymkhana Club swimming pool in Rohtak on Sunday. Photo: Manoj Dhaka

Give Rs 200 bonus to farmers: Hooda
Hisar, April 21
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said he had requested the Centre to give a bonus of Rs 200 per quintal to farmers on wheat procurement. The Chief Minister said a written communication in this regard had been sent to the Union Government.

Norms for appointing village, MC watchmen framed
Chandigarh, April 21
The state government has made new rules for appointing village and municipal watchmen. An official spokesman said here that a watchman would be appointed by the deputy commissioner concerned after receiving a resolution from the panchayat concerned for each beat in the village or for the entire village or for one or more villages.

Rs 15 lakh drugs seized from bus
Fatehabad, April 21
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the police have seized psychotropic drugs worth Rs 15 lakh from a private bus in Fatehabad town today. Naripen Goyal, Senior Drug Control Officer, Hisar, said the intoxicants included over 30,000 capsules of Parvon Spas, 2.35 lakh tablets of Lomotil, 2,520 bottles of Rexcof cough syrup, 18,000 capsules of Spasmo Proxyvon and 50,000 tablets of Carisoma.

One killed
Karnal, April 21
One person was killed while another sustained serious injuries when their truck hit a stationary one loaded with wheat and parked on the roadside near Janesro village on the Karnal-Yamuna Nagar road yesterday.





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Hooda counters Selja’s claims of skewed development
Says entire state has witnessed progress in his regime
Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service

Hisar, April 21
When two adversaries and political heavyweights of the Congress — Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Union Minister Kumari Selja — were present in Hisar today, allegations of skewed development in the state by the latter and its counter by the former were bound to happen.

“It is good that Rohtak has witnessed unprecedented development during the Congress regime. But other parts of the state too deserve a similar treatment,” said Selja, who handed over financial aid from the Ambedkar Foundation to a Dalit gang rape victim from Dabra village today.

Pointing towards Congress MLA from Uklana Naresh Selwal, Selja alleged that he has not been getting funds for the development of his constituency.

“The Yamunanagar-Chandigarh railway line in Ambala was approved in 2009. However, the state government has not so far paid its share of funds for the project, though in the case of the Rohtak-Meham-Hansi railway line, the government paid its share promptly,” the Union Minister said.

“It is totally incorrect,” claimed Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, when mediapersons countered him with this question during his press conference at Congress Bhawan.

Looking for support to his contention towards Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Phool Chand Mullana and former minister Vinod Sharma, both from Ambala, Hooda claimed that his government had not only paid the state’s share for the Yamunanagar-Chandigarh railway line but also for another line in Mewat.

Both Mullana and Sharma, who were sitting besides the Chief Minister, nodded their heads in support of Hooda’s claim on this issue.

Hooda claimed that the entire state had witnessed development during the eight years of his government and denied allegations of any area being neglected.

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Officials must listen to Congress workers, says Hooda
Tribune News Service

Hisar, April 21
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was at his aggressive best today when he warned officials who overlooked Congress workers and hit hard at his detractors in the opposition and within his party.

Addressing a meeting of party workers at Congress Bhawan in Hisar today, Hooda said he had been receiving complaints that some officials did not pay heed to his party workers going to their offices for getting people’s works done.

“Let me make it clear to officials from this dais that I will not spare anyone who does not help Congress workers going to their offices. I can understand that it may not be possible for them to do all works that the workers approach them for, but I will not tolerate disregard of workers,” Hooda said amidst applause from Congress workers.

Hitting out at his detractors within the Congress as well as in the opposition, Hooda said these people had been writing him off much before he became the Chief Minister in 2005.

“Even after I took over the reins in 2005, these leaders continued telling people that my term will not last for a few months. Once I completed my first term, they predicted that I will not be able to get a second term,” Hooda said.

Hooda claimed that he would come to power again for the third time.

Contradicting allegations of regional bias often levelled against his government by the opposition and some Congress leaders, the Chief Minister said the entire state is witnessing unparallelled growth during his regime.

Referring to the Rohtak-Meham-Hansi railway line to be started soon for the Hisar area, Hooda said former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala could have got the project 10 years ago, but he gave in writing that Haryana would not pay 50 per cent of the cost incurred on the project.

He said Hisar will be developed as a counter magnet city and the government has sanctioned ambitious rail and road projects involving an investment of Rs 3,000 crore for development of the area.

Reacting to the “disinformation” campaign launched by the INLD on Om Prakash Chautala and his son’s conviction in JBT Scam, Hooda urged the workers to apprise the people about the real facts to give a befitting reply to the opposition.

Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda hit hard against Hisar MP Kuldeep Bishnoi and alleged that the HJC supremo had never raised the demand of a new rail line for his constituency in Parliament.

HPCC president Phool Chand Mullana, Ambala MLA Vinod Sharma, former MP Jai Parkash were present in the meeting.

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Rao Inderjit raises question mark over MDU selections
Our Correspondent

Rewari, April 21
Congress MP Rao Inderjit Singh has alleged that 21 out of the 25 appointees in the teaching and other allied staff of the MD University’s Postgraduate Regional Centre (PGRC), Mirpur (10 km from Rewari), in August, 2012, belonged to the Rohtak region, which was the Chief Minister’s home district.

Addressing a press conference here today, the Rao said these appointments clearly indicated that residents of the Rohtak region alone possessed requisite merit while youths of other areas of the state were devoid of such merit.

Stating that the Chief Minister would address a public meeting at the PGRC in Mirpur on April 25, the assemblage for which was being mobilised by the party legislator of Rewari, the Rao asserted that the Chief Minister could now announce upgradation of the PGRC into a university on April 25 just to rebut allegations of regionalism being persistently hurled at him by his detractors.

He went on to say that he would be happy if the PGRC, Mirpur, is converted into a university by the Chief Minister, but would like to affirm that such a delayed announcement would not be conducive to the Congress regime.

Earlier, the Rao inaugurated a newly established office of his Insaf Manch and addressed a largely attended meeting of his supporters here.

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Karnal BJP to contest MC poll on party symbol
Tribune News Service

Karnal, April 21
While the state BJP leadership is dithering on the issue of contesting the forthcoming elections to the seven newly created Municipal Corporations of Panchkula, Yanunanagar, Ambala, Karnal, Panipat, Hisar and Rohtak on the party symbol, the Karnal BJP today unilaterally announced to contest the elections on the party symbol.

The district-level meeting of party workers held here today reportedly decided to contest the poll on the party symbol. It said the party would contest the elections in alliance with the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC), which would also contest the poll on the party symbol.

The meeting, presided over by district BJP president Ashok Sukheja, constituted two committees for screening candidates and drafting a manifesto, keeping in view local issues.

The elections were to be held before March 16 to the seven Municipal Corporations but delay in the revision of electoral rolls delayed the elections by three months.

The elections of seven municipal corporations in major towns would be first test of popularity for the BJP-HJC alliance and set the trend for future electoral alliances for the 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly poll.

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90 shelter homes left in lurch in absence of grants
Bhanu P Lohumi/TNS

Karnal, April 21
Hundreds of inmates of over 90 shelter homes in Haryana run by NGOs have been left in the lurch as the government has not released the grants for two years. Orphaned children are admitted in these homes on the recommendation of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and the Child Line Foundation, but it has become impossible for the NGOs to run the institutions and take care of the inmates.

These homes are facing acute financial crunch as neither is there any funding from the government nor any support from the local administration. The deteriorating financial condition has brought some of the institutions on the brink of closure. The members of the NGOs running these homes have demanded grant of Rs 3,000 per month per inmate and other support from local administration and municipal bodies to continue providing shelter to destitute, orphans, physically challenged and old people.

The president of SOS children’s village association, Bal Niketan, Panchkula, Dr Madhu Sharma said the managements of the destitute and children homes were agitated over the negative approach of the authorities concerned.

She said sordid incidents like the Apna Ghar in Rohtak are exceptions and it did not mean that all the institutions are seen with suspicion and starved of funds. “Most of the homes are being run by dedicated people, whose only objective is to selflessly serve the suffering people. If adequate support is not given, the inmates would be the worst sufferers,” she cautioned.

Dr Madhu stated that most of the homes in the state were started with a view to help the orphans and destitute and were functioning in limited space.

Observing that the government machinery is callous and unwilling to implement the Juvenile Justice Act, under which a mandatory provision has been made for basic infrastructure and other facilities in shelter homes, she said the government should allot land to the NGOs at subsidised rates to develop the infrastructure and issue guidelines for running these homes.

Swami Param Chatenya, running the Jan Seva Sansthan in Rohtak which provides shelter to 244 mentally retarded and physically challenged people, women and old persons along with 36 children, said, “We are running Jan Seva Sansthan Nishulk Public School affiliated to the CBSE up to Class VIII. All 557 students are provided education free of cost.”

“Books, uniforms and meals are given free of cost to the needy children. We have received sponsorships worth Rs 2 crore and mentally retarded persons are welcome in our home,” he added.

The representatives of the NGOs, who met at the Manav Seva Sangh here today, resolved to constitute a confederation of non-governmental child care institutions in Haryana and interlink the organisations with the government.

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Punish corrupt traders, Kaithal admn told
Our Correspondent

Kaithal, April 21
PK Jha, Additional Secretary, Food and Consumer Protection Affairs, visited the anaj mandi and directed the district administration to take strict action against traders and loading contractors who were paying and taking bribe, respectively, for lifting of foodgrains from markets.

Jha accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Chander Shekhar, SDM Hawa Singh, DFSC Surinder Saini and district managers of Hafed, Haryana Agro, Confed and the FCI reviewed the lifting arrangements. He was told by the DC that 80 crops had arrived in the mandis and proper arrangements had been made for procurement and lifting of foodgrains from the market.

Jha expressed satisfaction over the arrangements. He told mediapersons that he had also visited Rohtak district mandis. He pointed some shortcomings in the post-harvesting technology and said due to this reason a major part of the crop could not be exported to other countries. He said silos were being constructed as storage of wheat in the open damaged the stocks.

MS Sahrawat, General Manager of the FCI, said old stocks of wheat lying in open plinths would be shifted soon and new crops would be stored at such places. He asked officials of various procurement agencies to ensure that only quality wheat was purchased and it should not contain moisture more than the permissible limits.

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Tripura child awaits miracle at Gurgaon hospital
Sumedha Sharma/TNS

Gurgaon, April 21
Roona Begum, an 18-month-old girl from Tripura suffering from Hydrocephalus, a rare illness that has caused her head to swell to almost three times its original size, is admitted to the local Fortis Hospital.

Roona, who is under constant observation, is stable. Doctors said they need to wait a few more weeks before they start any kind of serious intervention. The doctors have started draining fluid from her head gradually, but they would have to wait. Draining the fluid gradually is important for Roona’s survival because the fluid in her head has maintained a substantial amount of pressure on her brain and if this pressure is suddenly released, it could cause a stroke or worse cause bleeding within her brain. Hospital authorities are mulling over the future course of her treatment, which is going to cost a fortune as the basic treatment is believed to start at Rs 1.25 lakh. She will have to stay in the hospital for a few months. The cost for the same is next to impossible for her parents to meet. They are awaiting a miracle.

The girl has, meanwhile, won many supporters in the NCR who have sought free treatment for the girl from the administration under the mandated 5 per cent quota for the EWS category.

“Every hospital has to have 5 per cent beds reserved for free treatment of the poor. So far, no private hospital does so and the administration sleeps over it. It’s time that the poor get their due and the administration arranges for her free treatment,” reads a statement issued by the Gurgaon Progressive Forum.

Hydrocephalus is an extremely rare condition that affects only about one in 500 children all over the world. This condition is characterised by excessive fluid build up in the head of a baby. The doctors treating her claim that her head circumference had been progressively growing since birth and was an unprecedented 94 centimetres.

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Chor Karsa villagers want liquor vend shifted
Bhanu P. Lohumi/TNS

Assandh (Karnal), April 21
With women folk spearheading “battle against bottle” in rural Haryana, people from more and more villages are coming forward to oppose opening of liquor vends in their areas, but response of the authorities concerned in shifting or closing the vends is lukewarm.

Villagers of Chor Karsa in Assandh have been persistently demanding shifting of a liquor vend from their village to some other area as the local villagers, especially the youth, are getting addicted to liquor and consumption of liquor is on increase and nuisance created by drunkards has become a routine affair, but there has been no response and villagers are on warpath.

The gram panchayat has repeatedly urged the Excise and Taxation Department to shift the liquor vend and even passed a resolution on March 6, but nothing has been done so far. The villagers met the Karnal Deputy Commissioner and appraised them that the liquor vend is located near government school and it has become difficult for women, girls and children to move around.

Appealing to Assandh SDM Amrita Singh Siwach to take prompt action and shift the liquor vend from the village, the panchayat members wondered that why the administration is unwilling to relocate the liquor vend outside the village limits.

This is not the first case where the villagers have opposed liquor vend and earlier, women of Randoli village in the Nissing area had locked a vend on May 20, 2011, blocked a road and took a firm stand that they would not allow the vend in their village.

On April 15, 2011, the backward Sikligar community of Premnagar village in Gharaunda set a new trend and showed that how the collective will of the people can defeat the vested interests and stop the government from opening a liquor vend in the village.

The village started the campaign for closing the liquor vend three years ago on the New Year day in 2008 and the entire gram panchayat joined the campaign on January 17 against the liquor vend which had become a nuisance for residents and luring the youth towards drinking. The villagers not only made the village “liquor free”, but also imposed a fine of Rs 500 on one person, allegedly involved in selling illicit liquor. The villagers have taken a pledge not to consume liquor and also sought assistance of the police in keeping check on liquor mafia, sneaking into the village to sell illicit liquor.

On April 2, 2011, women of Garijatan village in Indri subdivision of Karnal intensified their protest against opening of the liquor vend on the main chowk and held demonstration and staged dharna outside the vend for the second day today.

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Strict laws needed to curb rape incidents: Bhukkal
Our Correspondent

Jhajjar, April 21
Expressing her concern over the rising incidents of atrocities against women and their exploitation in different parts of the country, Haryana Education, Women and Child Development Minister, Geeta Bhukkal said such incidents were very unfortunate. Strict rules should be made to put a check on such incidents, she added.

Bhukkal was interacting with mediapersons after listening to public grievances at her residence here today. A sharp rise in rape cases across the nation had made the people think about the ways which can check and end these cases of heinous crime, she added.

While stressing upon the need for changing the mindset of the people, the minister said apart from steps being taken by the state governments, every vigilant citizen of the country should come forward to launch a mass movement to stop the crime against women. “The Fast Track Courts must resolve the rape cases at the earliest so that severe punishment could be awarded to the rapists without any delay,” said Bhukkal.

In reply to a question, she said the state government was going to launch ‘Class Readiness Programme’ to improve the educational atmosphere in the government schools. “The programme aims at creating a positive atmosphere by improving coordination between teachers and students. All preparations have been made to implement this programme in an efficient manner. Teachers will also be imparted special training under this programme,” said Bhukkal.

She said under Right to Education Act, a list comprising schools to be upgraded would be issued as soon as recruitment of the PGT, TGT and JBT teachers was completed. From the coming academic session, newly selected PGT teachers would start taking classes, she added.

Bhukkal said third unit of Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power Plant at Jharli village would be dedicated to the people on April 26. Besides Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Delhi Chief Minister Shiela Dixit, some other Central leaders were likely to attend the function, Bhukkal said.

“With the commissioning of the third unit of 500 MW, the power situation will improve further,” said the minister.

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Protests held in Karnal, Sirsa against rape of 5-yr-old girl in Delhi
Tribune Reporters

Karnal/Sirsa, April 21
Residents of Karnal today took out a protest march to express their anguish over the brutal rape of a five-year-old girl in Gandhinagar, Delhi, and demanded exemplary punishment for the culprit.

The workers of the Aam Aadmi Party took out a candle-light possession from the Club Market to the Committee Chowk against the rape case and callous and insensitive attitude of the police in dealing with the crime.

State secretary of the party Paramjeet Singh said after the Damini case that shocked the nation, 398 cases of rape have been reported in Delhi and condemned the police for abject failure to check heinous crimes like rape.

“There is a spurt in heinous crimes because the police is concerned about the security of VIPs alone,” he said.

Members of the Haryana Vyopar Mandal held the Delhi government responsible for perpetuation of crimes like rape and demanded high- level inquiry into the matter.

Meanwhile, students of Jan Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal Vidyapeeth, Sirsa, organised a candle march on Saturday against the brutal rape.

Hundreds of students marched through the campus of Vidyapeeth and later marched towards mini secretariat on the Barnala road, where they submitted a memorandum to SDM Amarjit Singh demanding stern action against perpetrators of the heinous crime.

Students raised slogans like “Shame on the rapists” and “We want hanging of the rapists”. “The incident is so beastly and shameful that it must have surpassed the incidents of the medieval era,” said Dr Shamim Sharma, managing director of the JCD Vidyapeeth.

She demanded fast-tracking of all the cases of crimes against women and handing down stern punishment to the perpetrators of such crimes.

Dr Jai Parkash, principal of the JCD College of Education, said the Delhi incident has shown that women, irrespective of their age, are not safe anywhere in our country.

“We feel scared every time we walk out of our houses. The government should frame laws and execute them in such a manner that the rapists should be afraid to perpetrate such crimes,” said Ekta, a student.

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Sex ratio improves in Kaithal
Our Correspondent

Kaithal, April 21
As a result of steps taken by the district administration and creating awareness among people, improvement in sex ratio has been registered in Kaithal district, which has improved from 789 to 821 this year. Deputy Commissioner Chander Shekhar stated this while addressing villagers of Atella during 18th night camp.

The improvement in sex ratio in the district is the result of social awakening through night camps in Kaithal district, which became the first district in the state to include Aadhar card service at the night camps. Besides this, the district administration has been providing 20 services at the doorsteps of villagers in a single night. These facilities include learner driving licenses, voter identity cards, sanction of mutations, issuance of death, birth and residential certificates, sanction of old-age samman allowance applications, regularisation of power connections, grant of drinking water connections and others.

He said Rs 2.30 lakh had been transferred to the accounts of seven beneficiaries of the Siwan block under the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Vivah Shagun Yojna.

While talking about the achievements of the night camp, he said 447 persons were examined, 306 animals were treated, 179 water connections were regularised, 46 applications for old-age samman allowance sanctioned, 15 duplicate ration cards were issued, 53 learner driving licenses and 75 voter identity cards were issued during the camp.

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Sarv Karamchari Sangh wants anti-employee policies go
Satish Seth

Kaithal, April 21
The 13th state-level convention of representatives of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh (SKS), Haryana, concluded here today with a strong warning to the state government to stop anti-employee policies and find solution to their genuine and long-standing demands or be ready to face strong agitation.

Addressing the convention, newly elected president of the SKS Dharambir Singh Phogat said it was unfortunate that the government was not serious to find solution to their problems. Time had come to give a befitting reply to the government which had remained insensitive and indifferent to their demands over the years, he said. It was decided that a march would be organised outside the Haryana Assembly in the coming monsoon session and a strong protest would be lodged with the government over its repressive and anti-employee policies.

Later addressing a joint press conference, newly elected general secretary Subhash Lamba, press secretary Wazir Singh and vice- president Savita said there was strong resentment among the employees against the government due to its negative attitude.

They said while there was overall deterioration in the services provided by various government departments due to ad hoc placements and thousands of posts have been lying vacant for many years.

They called for immediate regularisation of ad hoc employees, revision in their pay scales, and shed policy of privatisation, allotment of franchisee and PPP.

Over 647 block and district representatives of various organisations affiliated with the Sangh participated in the three-day long deliberations. Comrade R Mutthu Sandram, national general secretary of the All-India State Government Employees Federation, was the key note speaker and observer of the convention.

District committees belonging to various employees unions expressed their views on various issues concerning the employees in government and private sectors.

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Haryana to recruit 19,902 post-graduate teachers
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 21
The Haryana government has decided to deploy post-graduate teachers for holding secondary classes in order to impart quality education to the secondary students. For this purpose 19,902 posts of post-graduate teachers have been sanctioned on the pattern of the Kendriya Vidyalayas.

Stating this here today, the Education Minister, Geeta Bhukkal, said a state-level teachers training institute had been set up at Jhajjar. It would impart pre-service and in-service training and combine the role of the DIET, degree, post-graduate college and college of education. The institute would provide a four-year integrated degree course in arts, science, commerce, education and award degrees of BA, BSc, BCom and BEd. Initially, it would have an intake capacity of 100 students. This is a residential institute of the level of Institute of Advance Studies in Education, which would turn out well-trained and motivated teachers, Geeta added.

She said as a sequel to the extensive steps taken by the state government to impart quality higher education, the gross enrolment ratio (GER) in the state has reached 20.13 per cent as compared to the national GER of 19.40 per cent.

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Sonepat-Kundli to be developed as multi-functional urban complex
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 21
Keeping in view its strategic location and advantage of its close proximity to the National Capital, the Haryana Town and Country Planning Department (HTCPD) has planned the Sonepat- Kundli area as a multi-functional urban complex. The state government is also considering allotting land to set up a Tourism University in the area.

While stating this today, a spokesman for the HTCPD said the Development Plan proposes to equip the town with necessary infrastructure required to serve its own population as well as the surrounding region. He said the Regional Plan 2021 AD prepared by the National Capital Region Planning Board has also identified the Sonepat-Kundli Urban Complex as a regional centre in the Central National Capital Region (CNCR).

Since the multi-functional urban complex shares its boundary with the national capital, it offers unlimited investment opportunities in the CNCR, he added.

He said the plan envisages development of residential, industrial, institutional, commercial, public and semi public as well as public utilities sectors, including the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Education City (RGEC) Project.

He said the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has incurred huge expenditure on the execution of various development works at urban estate Sonepat like roads, storm water drainage, water supply, electrification and horticulture works besides creation of infrastructural facilities like dispensaries, poly clinics, schools, community centres, old age home and police station. The urban complex is shaping up well and can be deservingly called “the future city”. Due to exorbitant prices and scarcity of land in Delhi, residential, commercial and industrial plots in the well-planned sectors of Sonepat-Kundli urban complex are in great demand, he added.

The spokesperson said the RGEC, Sonepat, is visualised as a hub for higher learning and a centre for research in cutting-edge technologies such as nanotechnology, biotechnology, genetics engineering and medicines. He said Phase-I of the RGEC is spread over 2,006 acres and sites for educational institutions with sizes ranging from one acre to 131 acres have been provided to meet varied requirement. He said well-proportioned supporting infrastructure sites like residential, commercial areas, multi-level parking, health facilities, taxi stands, water treatment or effluent treatment plant, hotels, shopping arcades and satellite station have been provided to make it self-sufficient.

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Need for change in people’s attitude towards women: Kasni
Tribune News Service

Bhiwani, April 21
Hisar Division Commissioner Neelam Pradeep Kasni today emphasised the need for a change in people’s attitude towards women for making India a better place to live. Addressing a seminar on “Beti Bachao” organised by Aggarwal Sabha at the Tibrewal Auditorium today, Kasni said unless people start treating women equal to men, there could be no hope for a change for the better in our society.

“Owing to gender discrimination prevalent in our society, a girl starts her life with all kinds of inferiority complexes. She spends her entire life in efforts to secure a safe and dignified place within four walls of her house in this male-dominated society with no scope left giving thought for society or the country,” Kasni said.

“If we start providing women the respect and dignity they deserve, women will be able to think beyond their households and start contributing in the development of the country,” she added.

Terming a skewed sex ratio in society as a big challenge, Kasni exhorted people to spare time and efforts to address this problem. She cited the example of Karnal where the authorities had been able to improve sex ratio with people’s support.

Pawan Buwaniwala, Ram Kishan Haluwasia and Neelam Aggarwal also expressed their views on the issue of gender imbalance in society and the need to save the girl child. Schoolchildren presented cultural items and skits on the issue of female foeticide and gender discrimination in society.

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IPL T-20 MATCHES
‘Satta’ operators active in Sirsa
Sushil Manav
Tribune News Service

Sirsa, April 21
With the Indian Premium League (IPL) T-20 cricket matches under way at various venues throughout the country, Sirsa town has come under a firm grip of the cricket bookies. Ever since the IPL - 2013 began on April 3, cricket bookies started their activities of trapping gullible people, particularly youths in their illicit betting trade.

Presently, more than 50 bookies are active in Sirsa and they have spread their tentacles in almost all localities of the town.

The illicit game of 'satta' is increasing with every passing day and with the police failing to pay attention, more and more bookies have been coming to the trade.

Thousands of people, particularly youths, have been putting their money on stake in betting and according to insiders, the daily business of bookies runs in crores in every match.

The bookies offer gullible customers to bet their money on the result of the match, on the total score a particular team will score, on the total runs a particular player will score, the number of wickets taken by a bowler and so on.

Whosoever wins or loses, it is the operators of the satta business, who eventually emerge as winners.

Interestingly, while the satta operators are making hay, cashing on the dreams of easy fortunes of the customers, the police has been preferring to look the other way for “unknown reasons.”

Most of those who put their money on cricket satta are from the lower middle class or from the lower strata of society, who lose their money in the hope of multiplying it.

While thousands of susceptible customers have been losing their hard-earned money in an illicit trade, the police has not arrested a single cricket bookie in the past 17 days ever since IPL-2013 was set in motion.

With the stakes of operators running in several crores, local people allege that the police’s role is dubious in the entire game.

With more than a month still to go in the IPL, the 'satta' trade is likely to ruin many households if the police fails to intervene
in time.

Sirsa Senior Superintendent of Police Raj Shri Singh admitted that the police had not been able to arrest a single satta operator ever since the IPL began.

“These bookies use hi-tech methods, which our men are not well versed to use. We are trying our best and we hope to arrest them soon and break their nexus,” Raj Shri Singh said.

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36-lakh tonnes wheat procured

Chandigarh, April 21
More than 36.08 lakh metric tonnes of wheat has so far arrived in grain markets of Haryana during the current procurement season. Out of it, over 36.07 lakh tonnes (LT) of wheat has been procured by the government agencies at the minimum support price.

The remaining, about 1,092 tonnes, has also been purchased by private millers and traders, a spokesman for the Food and Supplies Department said.

He said Haryana Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation (HAFED) had procured 13.01 LT of wheat, Food and Supplies Department 8.99 lakh tonnes, Food Corporation of India 5.35 LT, Haryana Warehousing Corporation 3.46 LT, Haryana Agro Industries Corporation 3.58 LT and the CONFED had purchased 1.65 LT of the crop. Haryana is looking forward to procure 86 LT this season, the spokesman added. — PTI

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Give Rs 200 bonus to farmers: Hooda

Hisar, April 21
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said he had requested the Centre to give a bonus of Rs 200 per quintal to farmers on wheat procurement. The Chief Minister said a written communication in this regard had been sent to the Union Government.

On women's safety, Hooda said his government was serious on the issue of crime against women and it would make sure that FIR in such cases is registered without any delay. The government had constituted women PCR teams, set up separate police stations for women, besides appointing a woman DSP in every district, he added. He informed the state government would bear half of the expenditure on laying of the Mewat, Agroha-Fatehabad and Yamunanagar railway lines. — PTI

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Norms for appointing village, MC watchmen framed
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 21
The state government has made new rules for appointing village and municipal watchmen. An official spokesman said here that a watchman would be appointed by the deputy commissioner concerned after receiving a resolution from the panchayat concerned for each beat in the village or for the entire village or for one or more villages.

There would be one post of chowkidar for 1,000 houses in a village.

Villages having more than 1000 houses would be sanctioned one additional post.

The number of posts for a beat or village may be increased by the DC with the concurrence of the Divisional Commissioner.

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Rs 15 lakh drugs seized from bus
Tribune News Service

Fatehabad, April 21
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the police have seized psychotropic drugs worth Rs 15 lakh from a private bus in Fatehabad town today. Naripen Goyal, Senior Drug Control Officer, Hisar, said the intoxicants included over 30,000 capsules of Parvon Spas, 2.35 lakh tablets of Lomotil, 2,520 bottles of Rexcof cough syrup, 18,000 capsules of Spasmo Proxyvon and 50,000 tablets of Carisoma.

The FDA team, accompanied by the police, searched the private bus belonging to Kashmira Transport Company near the bus stand.

He said the intoxicants were kept on the roof of the bus. The owner of the luggage could not be found.

Driver Rai Singh of Ganganagar in Rajasthan was arrested and the bus impounded.

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One killed

Karnal, April 21
One person was killed while another sustained serious injuries when their truck hit a stationary one loaded with wheat and parked on the roadside near Janesro village on the Karnal-Yamuna Nagar road yesterday.

The impact of the collision was so severe that the front side of the truck rammed into the parked truck, killing the driver on the spot. The truck was coming from Rajasthan. — TNS

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