New Delhi, July 17
BJP sources today confirmed that the party leadership would wait till the elections to make public its choice—whether to go with Bishnoi or not .

Despite high-pitched political rhetoric from both sides on the contentious alliance issues (seats and post of the Chief Minister), a senior BJP leader said any decision at this stage—when the situation was still fluid—would serve no purpose.

Haryana can be classified on the basis of three equations —southern Haryana belt comprising areas like Gurgaon, Rewari, Mahendergarh which may vote for the BJP and the Congress; votes are expected to be split among the Congress, BJP and the INLD in Jat-dominated areas like Rohtak and Bhiwani; and in the northern parts like Ambala, Yamunagar and Kurukshetra, largely dominated by Sikhs and Punjabis, it is expected to be a four-way division among the BJP, Congress, INLD and the HJC.

Since Bishnoi shares the BJP’s vote bank, parting ways with him may not augur well for the saffron party, especially when faced with a resurgent Jats-backed INLD.

Sources say the final decision on the alliance would only be taken after considering all pros and cons, including HJC demands. While the question of sharing the post of CM is out of question, the BJP may give Bishnoi an option of joining the BJP or agreeing to a lower number of seats. 

Yamunanagar, July 17
The construction of an earthen embankment along the Yamuna’s bank in Uttar Pradesh has put thousands at risk in 34 villages of Jathlana area of Yamunanagar district.

The 3.5-km long embankment on the UP side would push the bulk of the river water towards villages in the state in the current monsoon season and cause massive loss to life and property.

Sources said the Uttar Pradesh Irrigation Department (UPID) has been constructing the embankment near the active edge of the Yamuna in Tabar village in violation of the guidelines of the Central Works Commission’s Yamuna Standing Committee. As per guidelines, the embankment should be at least 600 metres from the active river edge at the time of constriction. However, that is being violated.

“The flood water of Yamuna shall wreck havoc in more than 50 villages of Jathlana area due to this embankment. I will soon approach the high court for a stay on construction of this dreaded embankment,” said Shiv Kumar Sandhala, a Zila Parishad member.

The Yamunanagar district administration has been taking up this issue directly and through higher authorities with the UP Government since July 2 (immediate after the matter came to be known), but in vain, it is learnt.

The local administration had also approached the Yamuna Standing Committee’s chairman. Upon its intervention, the UP authorities stopped work on the embankment for some time, but restarted it.

Yamunanagar Deputy Commissioner Mandip Singh Brar also wrote to the Additional Chief Secretary, state Irrigation Department, requesting him to ask the UP authorities to stop construction of the embankment till the matter was resolved as per Yamuna Standing Committee guidelines.

“We have written several letters to the UP authorities requesting them not to build the embankment till the issue is resolved by the Yamuna Standing Committee. We have also requested the panel to intervene right away,” Brar said.

Ambala, July 17
In view of the increased power demand in the state, the Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (HPGCL) has revived all 12 state-owned thermal units after two years.

With this, the state supplied a record 1,915 lakh units against the demand for 8,752 MW (2,100 lakh units) yesterday. The maximum power supply last year was 1,780.2 lakh units on July 4. Last year’s maximum demand was 8,114 MW.

Jit Singh, senior vice-president of the HPGCL Engineers’ Association, said: “With the synchronisation of the Khedar unit number 2, all 12 thermal units are running simultaneously for the first time in two years.”

Jind, July 17
A bloody clash between two groups of farmers in a Jind village over sharing of canal water left one person dead and six seriously injured.

As per information, Muana village under Safidon police station of this district received canal water on Wednesday evening after nearly 10 days. In the absence of adequate power supply, farmers have not been able to use run tubewells to irrigate their fields.

Some villagers, who were scheduled to use the water after two-three days, started stealing water from the canal. A farmer, Vinod, also started drawing water through a pipe. Around 8.30 pm, Brij Pal, a farmer who was scheduled to use the water last night, found out about the water theft by Vinod. He went to Vinod’s field with six friends and warned him not to do so and left.

Vinod returned home and is said to have consumed liquor with his cousins and friends. He narrated the incident and spoke about how Brij had insulted him. Around 11 pm, Vinod and 18 others allegedly reached Brij’s fields and opened fire at him and six others irrigating his land.

Brij suffered serious bullet injuries and died at the Safidon Civil Hospital while his six friends — Azad Singh, Dilbagh Singh, Dharmvir, Kishan and two others — suffered injuries. They were taken to the Jind Civil Hospital from where they were referred to the PGI, Rohtak.

“We have booked 19 persons. The accused and the deceased were neighbours and their fields were also located close by. The clash occured due to short supply of water for irrigation. Vinod was stealing water and Brij objected to it, leading to the clash. ,” said Safidon SHO Ramesh Kumar. 

Rewari, July 17
Accusing National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) member Gopal Krishan Sahotra of misbehaving with district administrative officials during his Rewari visit, Deputy Commissioner CJ Rajnikaanthan has shot off a written complaint to the state and Central government for action against Sahotra for his misconduct.

Sahotra reached Rewari yesterday to hear out the grievances of safai karamcharis and review implementation of schemes being run in the district for their welfare. Rajnikaanthan said he allegedly used insulting language against top administrative officials during his visit to various colonies and at a meeting at the Mini Secretariat here.

“Being an NCSK member, Sahotra can seek a reply from officials regarding grievances of safai karamcharis, but he has no right to reprimand them and use insulting language. Sahotra crossed the limit during his visit,” the DC said.

He said Sahotra began insulting the officials during a visit to the Indira Colony here. “I urged him not to behave in a disrespectful manner with the officials, but he continued to do so,” Rajnikaanthan said.

Besides the visit to colonies, Sahotra also allegedly humiliated officials, including the DC, during a meeting at the Mini Secretariat by using unofficial language persistently, alleged Rajnikaanthan. “I again objected to his misconduct, but he did not stop. We have the video-recording of Sahotra’s conversation with the officials as CCTV cameras are installed in the meeting hall,” said the DC.

Karnal, July 17
The youth wing of the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) (ad hoc) took out a procession in the city today to protest against the Akal Takht decision to excommunicate Finance Minister Harmohinder Singh Chattha, Jagdish Singh Jhinda and Didar Singh Nalwi from the Sikh Panth.

The protesters burnt the effigies of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar and urged Akal Takht to reconsider its decision.

Leading the protest, youth wing president Amarinder Singh termed yesterday, when Akal Takht excommunicated the three state Sikh leaders, a black day in the Sikh history. “The decision (to excommunicate) has been taken at the behest of Badal and Makkar and it has caused disharmony in the community.”

Gurvinder Singh, senior vice-president of the wing, said the decision was taken in haste as the point of view of Haryana Sikhs was not taken. He appealed to the Sikh community to get united for the formation of a separate gurdwara management body for the state. Gurtaj Singh, state vice-president, said the formation of the HSGPC was in accordance with the Constitution.

The youth wing will protest in Panipat tomorrow(July 18) followed by an agitation Kaithal on July 19 and in Kurukshetra on July 20.

Hisar, July 17
As the Bhagana caste row refuses to die down, the state government has initiated another inquiry assigned to Additional Chief Secretary Sarban Singh, who arrived in the village today in an attempt to resolve the dispute.

He called on a delegation of the Dalits from Bhagana village who are staging a dharna at the Mini-secretariat here. Virdender Singh, who led the Dalits, said they submitted their representation to an official and also explained him the incidents of land dispute after which the Dalits were reportedly boycotted by the Jats in the village. “We are also dissatisfied with the probe in the abduction and rape of three Dalit girls by the upper caste youths.”

An official spokesperson said Sarban Singh would visit the village tomorrow also and hold talks with people who are party to the dispute between the two communities. He would also listen to the problems of the Bhagana residents.

Chandigarh, July 17
In an order passed today by the Additional Chief Secretary (finance), it was notified that the Finance Department’s nod is no more required for the lease or sale of properties belonging to the development and panchayats and urban local bodies across the state.

Clarifying the order, the Additional Chief Secretary (finance) said since the development and panchayats and the urban local bodies were autonomous organisations, they were competent to take such decisions at their level.

Earlier, these departments had been sending references to the Finance Department seeking its approval for the alienation of their properties. Official sources said the decision had been conveyed to the Development and Panchayats Department and the Urban Local Bodies Department so that ‘unnecessary correspondence’ could be avoided between the departments and the decision-making process could be speeded up. The order further clarified that the Finance Department dealt with properties owned by the state government only. In fact, the extent of the jurisdiction of the Finance Department had already been defined in Rule 18 of the Punjab Finance Rules and Rule 31 of the Rules of Business.

However, such alienation of the properties should take place only with the approval of the competent authority. Ideallym, the Council of Minister is the competent authority for these departments.

Rewari, July 17
Power Minister and local MLA Capt Ajay Singh Yadav had to face the ire of a group of villagers at Dharuhera town in the district. The villagers showed him black flags accusing him of discrimination in development projects.

Yadav was here to attend a function organised by Nagar Sudhar Mandal, to honour newly elected members of the Municipal Council.

Later, protesters told mediapersons that Capt Yadav had done nothing except make hollow assurances about the town’s development in the last 10 years, they added.

Meanwhile, Capt Yadav rubbished the allegations claiming that Dharuhera had witnessed remarkable development in the last 10 years. — TNS

NEW DELHI, JULY 17
Dharamveer Kamboj, once a rickshaw-puller and now an innovator-entrepreneur from Haryana, today shared his experience of having an opportunity to live in Rashtrapati Bhawan as a guest of the President.

Kamboj is among five innovator-scholars who are spending time in the majestic building as the first batch of the in-residence programme initiated by President Pranab Mukherjee.

Hailing from Damla village in Yamunanagar district, Kamboj used to ply a rickshaw in Delhi some 27 years ago and never imagined that one day he could stay at Rashtrapati Bhawan.

The President expressed happiness over the success of the scheme and complimented the innovators for having created products that have a larger social purpose. He said there was need to pay special attention to grassroot innovations in society. For a country with over 1.2 billion population, there are a large number of problems that call for ingenious solutions.

Rashtrapati Bhavan has provided a platform to Innovators for refining their ideas and products. It will continue to facilitate their future endeavours. Innovators should use the experience and ideas gathered not only to refine existing products but also come out with new solutions to the problems society is facing, he said, according to a Rashtrapati Bhavan release.

The five innovators told the President the experience had been a dream comes true. The opportunity given to them reflected the President’s respect and support for grassroots innovators of the country.

Besides Kamboj, who made a multi-purpose food processing machine, the innovators who stayed at Rashtrapati Bhavan included Gurmail Singh Dhonsi, a farmer from Rajasthan, who has invented a rapid compost aerator; Manisha Mohan, a final-year student of Automobile Engineering at SRM University, who has developed an undergarment which aims to protect women from assault by sending a 3,800-kW shock to the attacker; MB Avinash, a PhD student at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bangalore, who has invented a self-cleaning functional molecular material and Tenith Adithyaa (16), who has invented a technology for preserving banana leaves for over two years without using any chemicals.

Hisar, July 17
A woman tried to commit suicide by consuming pesticide spray inside the Sadar Police Station in Hansi town of the district today. The woman had lodged a rape complaint last year, which was cancelled after inquiry by the police.

The woman barged inside the police station in the afternoon and went to the Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI). Carrying a bottle of pesticide spray, she stated that her life was finished and the police had failed to provide justice to her. The woman consumed the spray as the ASI called his colleagues to his room.

Sources said there was no police vehicle at the police station and the victim could not be taken to the hospital for a while. The cops reportedly forced her to drink water so that she could vomit out the spray, in a desperate bid to save her life.

The woman however, named an ASI alleging him of taking bribe before felling unconscious. Later, she was taken to the civil hospital in a private vehicle. The doctors referred her to the district hospital where her condition is stated to be critical.

The woman had lodged a complaint in December 2013 that she was raped by a man, assisted by two women in Gagankheri village of the district. She alleged that the police later cancelled the FIR registered against the three accused after taking bribe from the accused.

The police on the other hand maintained that during investigation, it transpired that she had a financial dispute with one of her relatives. The probe also ruled out rape.

Hansi ASP Manoj Kumar as well as the Sadar Police Station SHO Jagbir Singh refused to say anything. Sources said the police was likely to book her in a suicide attempt case.

Rohtak, July 17
A farmer was shot dead in the district’s Kalanaur town yesterday for not paying interest on a loan taken by his cousin.

The deceased has been identified as Kuldeep Singh. His cousin, Manjit, had taken a loan of Rs 20,000 from one Toni of Katesara village a year ago, the deceased’s family said, adding that he had repaid the principal amount, but not the interest.

On Wednesday morning, Toni, along with another person, visited their house to claim the interest. He had a word with Kuldeep and left. Later, when Kuldeep reached his fields, Toni and his accomplice reached there and allegedly shot him dead. The police have registered a case, but no arrests have been made. — TNS

Sirsa, July 17
A two-year-old girl was kidnapped from Dera Sacha Sauda in Sirsa where the child’s mother had gone to attend a religious congregation.

The police have booked an unidentified woman on the complaint lodged by the child’s mother.

The child’s mother, a resident of Panipat, said she was sitting with the child at the dera when she noticed that an unidentified woman started playing with her. After sometime, she found the child as well as the woman missing.

Anil Kumar, the SHO of the Sadar police station, said a case had been registered in this regard.

Sonepat, July 17
Additional District and Sessions Judge Jagdeep Singh has sentenced Sunil alias Sheelu of Kumaspur village to life imprisonment for the murder of Santosh and her married daughter Seema on June 17, 2011.

The court also imposed a fine of ~22,000 and said the convict would serve additional imprisonment of one year if he failed to pay the amount.

Sunil of Vikas Nagar had lodged a complaint on June 17, 2011, that his neighbour Guddo and her husband Jagbir, Sunil alias Sheelu and Bholu entered his house and attacked them after an altercation. During the attack, Sunil alias Sheelu fired at his mother Santosh and sister Seema from close range. Santosh died on the spot and Seema succumbed to bullet injuries while being shifted to PGIMS, Rohtak. — OC