Bhagana (Hisar), November 7
Around 50 acres of shamlat land in Bhagana village of Hisar district, once a playground for children, is now a bone of contention between Jats and Dalits of the village.

The Dalits are alleging that villagers of the upper caste have been trying to grab the land.

The issue took a casteist colour and a group of Dalits left the village, alleging that the Jats had banished them from the village. The district administration failed to resolve the caste row.

Virender Kumar, a Dalit youth, alleged that a group of 15-20 men belonging to the upper caste formed a committee and decided to distribute the entire 221 acres shamlat land among villagers.

“Families belonging to the Scheduled Castes were asked to deposit Rs 1,000 each as a processing fee to get the plots. About 500 families deposited the money but none of them was allotted any plot. Even the money was forfeited by the committee”, he said while sitting on a dharna outside the Deputy Commisioner’s office in Hisar.

Another youth, Satish Kumar, said when they lodged a complaint with the district authorities against the land grab bid, the committee members started pressuri ng them.

“When we raised our voice, the upper caste started harassing us. At the behest of the committee, the village panchayat also constructed a wall around 300 square yard of the land adjoining the SC locality in the village which blocked the entry to their houses. The upper caste imposed restrictions on us. We had no option but to desert the village,” he said.

He alleged that the administration was not ready to restore the ground for playing arguing that it could lead to tension the village, indicating that the administration is under pressure of the upper caste. He said they had raised their issues, including the encroachments on shamlat land and social boycott, with the National Human Rights Commission.

Even a women member of the panchayat, Birmati Devi, had revealed in an affidavit that that a committee was formed which decided to allot 100 square yard plots to each village family and also asked the SCs and BCs to deposit Rs 1,000 for the plots. She claimed that around 300 trees on the land were felled and sold in the market.

“When I refused to abide by their instructions, they threatened to impose a fine and announce social boycott of her family,” she had stated in the affidavit.

Village sarpanch Rakesh Panghal denied any encroachment on amlat land. “People are merely using the open land for baking cakes and other purposes. Though there are encroachments on some parts of the land, members of all communities are doing so, he said.

DDPO Sumit Kumar said they were in the process of identifying the encroached shamlat land in which members of all castes were involved. He, however, denied encroachments on the playground, stating that people are using the open land temporarily which could be cleared anytime.

Chandigarh, November 7
When Haryana Government employee Sat Parkash retired, his claim for pension was rejected on the ground that only ad hoc and daily wage service could be counted for pension, and not contract service. But the Punjab and Haryana High Court has now reversed it.

The High Court has made it clear that contractual employees cannot be denied the benefits of judicial pronouncements in cases of daily wagers and ad hoc employees.

In his petition, Sat Parkash was seeking directions for counting uninterrupted contractual service, followed by regularisation, for the purpose of pension. His counsel claimed the petitioner joined as a driver on a contractual basis in November, 1998, and was paid out of contingencies before the regularization of his services from November, 2002.

He attained the age of superannuation in December, 2010, but his claim for pension was rejected. His initial petition was disposed of last year with observations that in case the petitioner filed a supplementary representation, it would be considered and decided in accordance with the law. But his claim was rejected again on the ground that only ad hoc and daily wage service could be counted for pension, not contract service.

Referring to the Punjab Civil Services Rules as applicable to Haryana, Justice Tewari observed: “A perusal of the provision makes it clear that no distinction is drawn between daily wage service/ad hoc service or contract service….”

Quoting the Full Bench decision in the case of Kesar Chand versus the state of Punjab, Justice Tewari added: “Just because those decisions happened to be decisions relating to daily-wage employees would not mean that the benefit thereof would not be applicable to contractual employees…. Consequently, it has to be held that the petitioner is entitled for counting of his contractual service for the purpose of pension….

“Resultantly, this writ petition is allowed and the respondents are directed to compute the pension and start paying it to him within three months…. Since the petitioner had to approach this court on two occasions to get his pension released, he would also be entitled to costs of Rs 20,000, which shall be paid to him within the same period.”

Ambala, November 7
A local court today granted interim bail to Chief Parliamentary Secretary and Naraingarh MLA Ram Krishan Gujar, who was facing charges of abetment to suicide in the Pankaj Khanna suicide case.

On the directions issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, he today furnished a bail bond of Rs 50,000, which was accepted by the court.

On October 19, the court had dismissed the anticipatory bail application of Ram Krishan Gujjar and had directed him to appear before the court on October 21.

However, Gujjar pleaded before the court that he should be exempted from personal appearance in the court as he had to appear before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on October 21. The court had rescheduled the hearing for November 7, following his plea.

Today, Gujjar moved an application before the court pleading that he might be granted bail till the next date of hearing as the matter was still pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Acting on his application, the court granted him interim bail.

Pankaj Khanna had committed suicide by consuming celphos tablets and in his suicide note he had blamed MLA Ram Kishan Gujjar and two of his supporters — Ajit Aggarwal and Vijay Aggarwal for creating circumstances which forced him to take the extreme step.

Deceased’s father Yashpal Khanna had alleged his son had carried some reports in the newspaper which were against MLA Gujjar, following which, false cases had been registered against him to harass him. He had stated that his son had been subjected to mental agony after which he committed suicide.

Sirsa, November 7
Intermittent rain that has been lashing Sirsa, Fatehabad and their adjoining areas since the last evening has dampened the spirits of farmers, as it has caused damage to crops and brought down the prices of Basmati paddy marginally.

It rained intermittently in Sirsa throughout the night and in the early morning today, while in Fatehabad, it drizzled in the last evening and night.

The rain has moistened lakhs of quintals of paddy lying in the open in various grain markets of Sirsa and Fatehabad. It has delayed the farmers’ plan to sow rabi crops such as wheat and gram.

“Though there is no permanent damage to the crops moistened by the rain in markets, it will delay procurement,” said Gurdial Mehta, a trader at the Sirsa grain market and a former president of the Sirsa Grain Market Traders Association. He said procurement activities today remained subdued, resulting in a slight fall in the prices of Basmati paddy.

“The Muchhal variety of Basmati that sold for Rs 4,025 per quintal yesterday, fetched Rs 3,955 to the farmers today while the PB 1121 was sold for Rs 4,100 against Rs 4,125 yesterday,” Mehta said.

“Some farmers, who had already sown wheat, will have to do it all again because the crust formed due to the drizzle does not allow sprouts to come out,” said Om Prakash Anand, a farmer at Fatehabad.

Karnal, November 7
The police today arrested the principal of a private school in Indri sub-division of Karnal for attempting rape on a three-and-a-half-year-old girl student.

He was produced in a court, which sent him to 14-day judicial custody. The court also accepted a plea of the police for conducting a polygraphic test of the accused.

The principal was booked under Section 376 of the IPC and Section 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.

The victim’s mother alleged that the principal had called her daughter in his room on the pretext of giving an injection and molested her at 12 noon on October 31.

However, the social organisations expressing solidarity with the accused (Manoj) alleged that he had been falsely implicated in the case.

They demanded a polygraphic or narco test of the accused and the complainant.

In a memorandum addressed to the Karnal SP, representatives of the social organisations said the person responsible for such a heinous crime should be given serve punishment, but Manoj (principal) was falsely implicated in the case.

Manoj’s father alleged that the entire case is politically motivated as his son was a strong candidate in the Assembly election and was a victim of conspiracy of a few individuals who wanted to start a school in Indri.

The case was registered at the Indri Police Station on November 2.

Fatehabad, November 7
Congress MLA from Nalwa Sampat Singh today alleged that BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narender Modi had developed a delusion that his state had witnessed the best progress in the country though Gujarat was far behind of Haryana on 75 development parameters.

Sampat Singh, who represented Fatehabad in the state assembly from 1998 to 2000, was here today to mobilise support for the November 10 Gohana rally.

Citing figures while speaking to mediapersons at the Panchayat Bhawan, he said Gujarat had per capita plan budget of only Rs 9,685 against Rs 10,700 in Haryana. Against per capita income of Rs 1,09,227 (highest in bigger states) in Haryana in 2011-12, Gujarat’s per capita income stood at fourth in the country Rs 75,115.

In resource mobilisation, Haryana was first in the country by achieving 192.1 per cent of targets; Gujarat could achieve only 95.6 per cent of targets, he claimed.

He said Haryana is much ahead of Gujarat in GDP during the 11th plan, growth of public spending on education and health, generating employment in urban areas, payment of all kinds of social security pensions, payment of MNREGA wages per day and several other counts.

The MLA said Modi was living in an illusion as if the Gujarat model of development was the best in the country, while the fact was that many other states had emulated the Haryana model of development.

Taking a dig at Abhay Singh Chautala, he said, leaders of the INLD were bringing disrepute to Devi Lal by equating his honest struggle with that of sentencing of Chautalas for corruption.

Chandigarh, November 7
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has said that the state government would frame a policy for providing a one-time matching grant for the construction of chambers for advocates in judicial complexes.

Hooda was addressing a huge gathering of lawyers as office-bearers of the Bar Association of Punjab and Haryana High Court, various Bar Associations of Haryana and lawyers had come to thank him for implementing various welfare policies for the legal fraternity here today.

Hooda cautioned the people against leaders doing politics in the name of their fathers and grandfathers only for the purpose of grabbing votes. Hooda said his politics was based on development and he would continue to do so.

Stating that although his father Ch. Ranbir Singh was a great freedom fighter and had remained member of seven constituent assemblies and also served imprisonment in eight jails during the freedom struggle, he never sought votes in the name of his father and made it clear that he would refrain from doing so in future also.

Leaders, Hooda said, should seek votes on the basis of their own performance and not on the basis of names of their ancestors.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, Hooda said all were aware of the condition of traders, farmers, lawyers and common people prevailing in the state before 2005. Claiming that uniform development had been ensured in the state, Hooda said one could visit any village or city in Haryana to see this.

Hooda said his government had taken various welfare steps for the legal fraternity. Reservation was being given to advocates in HUDA plots.

The Chief Minister invited the lawyers to attend the "Haryana Shakti Rally" to be organised in Gohana on November 10. The Bar Association of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, various Bar Associations of Haryana and lawyers of the state extended their full support to the rally.

Dr. Anmol Rattan Sidhu, president of the Bar Association of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, expressed his gratitude to the Chief Minister for always extending wholehearted support to the legal fraternity. 

Jhajjar, November 7
Following a call given by the Haryana School Lecturers’ Association (HSLA), members of the district unit of the association today boycotted the evaluation process of answersheets of the first semester of 10+2 examinations held by the Haryana School Education Board (HSEB).

Sources said the HSEB authorities had set up two evaluation centres in Bahadurgarh and Jhajjar and roped in about 300 lecturers to carry out evaluation. However, the lecturers who reached the centres in the morning raised anti-government slogans after boycotting the evaluation work.

Kaptan Singh, district president of the HSLA, said they had several times met the authorities for getting their long-pending demands conceded but to no avail.

He said the demands included a grade pay of Rs 5,400 at par with school headmasters and quota for Ph.D and NET pass lecturers in higher educational institutions.

Sirsa: The evaluation of answersheets of senior secondary semester exam was boycotted in Sirsa and Fatehabad on Thursday. Gurdeep Singh Saini, media in charge of the Haryana Rajkiye Adyapak Sangh, said school lecturers throughout the state boycotted evaluation work in support of their demands. Hundreds of school lecturers assembled in Sirsa and Fatehabad, raised slogans in support of their demands and then boycotted evaluation of answersheets.

Gurgaon, November 7
The Haryana BJP has alleged that the state as well as district authorities were denying basic amenities of water and electricity connections to the inhabitants of colonies located within the 900-metre radius of the local ammunition depot in the name of court orders whereas there were no such orders.

State BJP vice-president Rao Narveer said here today that a people’s court would be organised at Sir Chhotu Ram Chowk here on November 17 to decide whether to block road or rail traffic to get the people's voice heard

“Two such people’s courts were held here on June 30 and July 14 under the aegis of the BJP Sheetla Mandal. Local residents also gheraoed a superintending engineer of the power corporation on July 29 for refusal to provide electricity connections,” said Umesh Agarwal, Haryana BJP media convener.

“No court has banned the provision of basic amenities to residents. Still, the district administration and other authorities concerned have been misleading people and denying essential facilities like water and power connections to the local inhabitants in the name of court orders,” maintained Agarwal.

The Gurgaon Citizens Council has approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court to seek justice for the residents who have been denied their basic constitutional rights. The council has maintained in its petition that while the residents of HUDA sectors and certain other colonies located within the 900-metre radius of the ammunition depot are enjoying all facilities, the inhabitants of several other localities had been deprived of essential amenities like water and sewerage.

Ambala, November 7
Local MLA and former union minister Venod Sharma addressed public meetings at Segti, Bishangarn, Segta, Naggal, hemajra, Sakrao, Khaspur, Gobindgarh, Bhanokheri, Lakhnaur Sahib, Begomajra, Bahbalpur, Ravalon and Ladhana villages after laying foundation stones and inaugurating development projects worth Rs 2.40 crore there.

He appealed to the people to join the Gohana on November 10 and strengthen the Congress. He said Ambala district had remained backward as it was neglected in the past.

Sharma said Rs 7.14 crore had been spent on development in the above 14 villages in the past four years.

Sharma also heard public grievances and asked Deputy Commissioner K.Makarand Pandurang to resolve the problems pertaining to the public distribution system and cancel the licences of guilty depot holders. 

Faridabad, November 7
Fed up with the harassment by her husband and his parents for dowry, Dolly (26), mother of a three-year-old son, ended her life here onTuesday.

The victim's father, Narender Sharma, said his daughter informed him on the telephone a few hours before she committed suicide she was being tortured for dowry.

Sharma alleged in-laws were putting pressure on her to bring Rs 50,000 and a car as dowry. Earlier also, they had forced her to demand money from him.

His family was informed by their daughter's mother-in-law about her death. When they reached her in-laws' house in Shiv Colony-Palla, they noticed bruise marks around the neck.

The victim was wedded to Satyender Sharma, a salesman with a Delhi-based private firm, in 2009.

Her torture for dowry allegedly started soon after marriage.

Meanwhile, the autopsy report has confirmed the victim's death on account of strangulation.

The police has booked the victim's husband, mother-in-law and father-in-law. 

Gurgaon, November 7
Gurgaon District Magistrate Shekhar Vidyarthi has issued orders under Section 144 of the CrPC, directing owners or managers or operators of the pubs and bars in the district to install CCTV cameras on their premises within 15 days.

In the orders issued here today, the District Magistrate has directed the bar owners that the CCTV cameras should be of a good quality and footage be stored for at least 30 days.

“They are further directed not to keep their bars and pubs open after the prescribed limit of 12 pm and they would ensure that liquor is not served to underage people and no employee below 25 years of age should serve liquor. The ID proofs of the customers should be checked to verify their age,” the orders said.