Kalram (Karnal), October 27
The exact cause of the deaths of six-year old twin sisters Shalu and Kajal, migrants from Uttar Pradesh, on the intervening night of October 21 and 22, who were temporarily staying at a brick kiln in this village, is yet to be established as the medical authorities are allegedly trying to hush up the matter.

The parents of the girls had alleged that the younger of the twins Kajal died in the hospital ward a few minutes after the medical official on duty had examined her. Contrary to this, the Chief Medical Officer of Karnal, Dr O.P. Mittal, in a written statement issued here on Sunday said that both the girls who were suffering from fever for a long time were brought dead at the community health center of Gharaunda.

While talking to The Tribune, Sukhbir, the grandfather of the girls, said that the children had died within two hours after they complained of high fever during the night of October 21. He said that the ailing girls were immediately rushed to the community health center at Gharaunda but unfortunately Shalu died on the way while Kajal was alive when the medical official on duty examined her.

He said that the doctor asked him to bring an ambulance for taking her to the PGI at Rohtak because Kajal was in a serious condition. He said while he was looking for the driver of the ambulance, the second girl also expired in the presence of the doctor.

The father of the deceased girls, Jatinder had alleged that the doctor did not take blood samples of Kajal before she expired to ascertain the exact cause of death.

It may be mentioned that there were standing instructions of the higher health authorities to take blood samples on the arrival of a patient in the hospital for clinical tests to know the exact disease from which the patient suffers.

Dr Anu Sharma, medical officer on duty at the community health center, Gharaunda, when asked about the cause of the death of Kajal could not give any satisfactory reply. Instead, she said, “The girls might have suffered from ‘pneumonia’ that led to their death”. However, she had no concrete evidence by way of clinical tests or other medical reports to justify her statement.

When contacted, Dr. Sanjay Verma who attended Kajal when she was brought to the community health center, admitted that the girl died in front of his eyes while he was examining her. He said she died within minutes after she was brought here and there was no time left to take her blood sample so that the exact disease that later claimed her life could be established.

On the other hand, Geeta, their mother with tears in her eyes, said that the girls were in good health in the evening of October 21. They were also playing together before they fell ill just after taking their dinner, she said.

Contrary to this, the CMO in a written statement issued here a few days ago claimed that the girls had been ailing for a long time.

The mother said after losing their daughters, they were now planning to go back to their native Sikopur village in Uttar Pradesh.

Chandigarh, October 27
The fire-brand Congress MLA, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, today alleged that the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, and his sons in connivance with certain senior officers had managed to grab more than 1000 acres of land belonging to Bandhwari and Gawal Pahari villages in Gurgaon district.

Talking to newsmen here Mr Dalal alleged that after Mr Chautala came to power, he and his family members through their “benaami” partners filed a case in the court of the then District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO), Gurgaon, Mr V.S. Malik, and got a judgement in favour of their “henchmen” on November 21, 2000.

As per the judgement, a large chunk of land belonging to the Bandhwari panchayat was given the “henchmen” of the ruling family.

The village panchayat and the Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) went in an appeal against Mr Malik’s judgement before the then Deputy Commissioner, Gurgaon, Mr A.K. Singh. However, later the sarpanch of Bandhwari, Mr Jai Chand, withdrew the appeal.

Mr Dalal said the then BDPO, Mr Amardeep Singh, who is a close relative of the Chautalas, had also filed the appeal. He claimed that though Mr Amardeep Singh did not withdraw the appeal, the then D.C., Gurgaon, dismissed the appeal as “withdrawn” and closed the file.

He alleged that after the land came in the possession of the “henchmen” of the Chautalas, it was consolidated and was further sold to the persons, who were “benaami” holders for the ruling family.

Mr Dalal said when the Chautalas were in power in the late eighties, they had tried to grab this land at that time also. An officer, Mr M.R. Anand, who is now D.C., Faridabad, had partially helped them. After their government fell in 1991, Mr Anand’s judgement was reversed by the then D.C., Gurgaon.

However, during this term, the Chautalas, he alleged, were able to grab the land.

He said a large chunk of land, which was near the DLF empire, had been even fenced. He said the land was being held in the name of persons, many of whom had shown their addresses in Mumbai and Chennai. Some of them had been shown as purchasers through persons belonging to Sirsa, the native district of the Chautalas. He demanded a CBI probe into the alleged scam. 

Chandigarh, October 27
Two Haryana officers and the Advocate General were invited by Governor A.R. Kidwai at the Raj Bhavan here today in connection with the state government move to advance by four months the elections of Panchayati Raj institutions and urban local bodies. Three bills — relating respectively to advancing elections of Panchayat Raj institutions, municipal committees and municipal corporations — were passed by the Haryana Assembly in its session held on September 29. Since then these Bills are lying in the Raj Bhawan for assent by the Governor.

The Bills were opposed by the Opposition Congress as well as the BJP who alleged that Mr Chautala, whose party — the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) — suffered a massive defeat in the Lok Sabha elections held in May — was trying to create division among the ordinary folks in urban areas as well as in the countryside by holding the elections before schedule. Delegations from both the Congress and the BJP also made representations to the Governor pointing out the alleged motive of Mr Chautala for introducing these Bills in the Assembly.

It was learnt that Mr Kidwai today called Mr B.D. Dhalia, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, who is also Financial Commissioner, Development, and Panchayat Department and Mr Harbakhsh Singh, Commissioner, Urban Development Department, and Mr Ashok Kumar Aggarwal, Advocate General of Haryana, for explaining the measures proposed in the Bills.

“Certain legal issues will have to be sorted out before Mr Kidwai can take a decision regarding the Bills. There are a lot of conflicting judgement by the courts on the issues involved in these bills. The Advocate General is the competent authority to give his views to the Governor on such matters”, a senior official said.

It was learnt that the Governor asked the state government representatives to give their version on the objections raised by the Opposition parties in the memoranda submitted by them to Mr Kidwai protesting against the Bills.

Jhajjar, October 27
Holding the Congress responsible for the introduction of corruption in politics, the Ekta Shakti supremo Maratha Virender said that corruption was the mother of all problems which should be eradicated.

Promising people to provide a corruption free regime, Mr Virender claimed that his party would storm to power in the state as the electorate had tested all political parties who had failed to fulfil their expectations. He was addressing a party rally held at Shriram Park here today.

Alleging the Chief Minister Mr Om Prakash Chautala, HPCC chief, Mr Bhajan Lal and former Chief Minister Mr Bansi Lal were hand in glove, he alleged that on predicting the imminent fall in the coming elections, the Chief Minister was issuing statement which benefited Mr Bhajan Lal politically.

He said these two leaders had been polarising the two communities — Jats and non-Jats, in each other’s favour, as per the prevalent political scenario, so that the power remained with them in rotation.

Similarly, he said, Mr Bansi Lal had presented a classic example of political opportunism when he opted to merge his party, the HVP, with the Congress which was on the verge of political extinction.

The Ekta Shakti leader said his party would expose these leaders before the people shortly.

Lambasting the previous governments on the issue of Satluj Yamuna Link Canal (SYL), Mr Maratha held that these political parties wanted this issue to linger on because it suited them politically. In fact, he alleged, none of the previous Chief Ministers of Haryana were serious enough to find an amicable solution of the imbroglio.

The Ekta Shakti leader also assured to provide a corruption free regime in which the youths would be ensured employment.

He also advocated to scrap VAT, fire tax, halwai tax and house tax. He said all retrenched employees of the nigams would be reinstated in their parent Nigams along with regularisation of illegal colonies, registration of RMP doctors, free medical services and cloths to the old aged persons. They would also be given a pension of Rs 500 per months. 

Karnal, October 27
The Haryana Government has approved a project for artificial recharging of ground water in five districts — Kurukshetra, Karnal, Kaithal, Ambala and Panipat — which fall in a sweet water zone. The total expenditure on the project has been estimated at Rs 2.85 crore.

A senior official of the Irrigation Department said the actual sites for the construction of artificial recharge structures would be identified in Beneton, nullah, Nissing drain, Indri Drain, Kanthala supply channels, Amin drain, Kaithal Drain, Pundri drain Nos. I and II, Saraswati canal and drains by constructing humps, if required.

As the recharge structures would be constructed on the bed of drains having silted discharge, provision of filter would be kept to make water free from silt to avoid clogging of aquifers.

A total of 273 structures would be constructed under the project having a maximum of 120 structures in Kaithal district, 69 in Kurukshetra, 43 in Karnal, 24 in Panipat and 17 in Ambala.

These structures would not be closely spaced as the cone of impression would start interfering with the passage of time, gradually reducing the recharge capacity of the wells. The maximum spacing between adjacent wells would not be less than 100 metres to 150 metres. The artificial recharge would be taken up in only those areas where the water level was more than 10 metres below the land surface.

The project was aimed at checking a declining water table, increase availability of water by recharging and improving water yield of tubewells and increase coverage of area under irrigation. It would also help create awareness among the people about water conservation, claimed the official.

The Union Government would provide 75 per cent of the expenditure, while the remaining 25 per cent would be borne by the state government. The project would be implemented in overexploited, drought-prone areas and those having scarcity of water as well as urban areas having a steep decline in ground water level in the five districts.

The funding by the Union Government would be for recharge shafts and roof top rainwater harvesting. The Irrigation Department would take up the first component, the second would be undertaken by the Haryana Urban Development Authority.

The average annual rainfall in these areas was 1,000 mm and the depth of water table ranged from 6.06 metres to 23.7 metres. The wells that were likely to be constructed for recharging the underground water would have a depth of at least 40 metres. 

Officials worried due to less arrival of paddy
Tribune News Service

Rania (Sirsa), October 27
With farmers showing preference for the cotton crop, the district is expected to procure less paddy this year. Despite a bumper crop, it is expected to touch the figure of 1.75 lakh metric tonnes whereas it was 2,06,081 metric tonnes last year.

A visit by this correspondent to different mandis of the district revealed that farmers are happy with this year’s crop. But, officials are worried due to its less arrival than last year. Mandis at Rania, Jeevannagar and Sirsa have tremendous response from the paddy-rich belt of the district. PR-6 and muchhal are the popular varieties of paddy sown in the Ghaggar belt.

The district has six state and Central government agencies for procuring paddy, namely the Food and Supply Department, Hafed, FCI, Agro, the Haryana Warehousing Corporation (HFC) and Confed whereas private parties are also in the market to captures the bumper crop. The premier state government agency like Hafed captures a total of 33 per cent share of the market in the district. This year the minimum support price for parmal variety of paddy is Rs 590 which is Rs 10 more than the last year.

However, a large number of farmers said the government agencies had not determined the ceiling of price logically. Last year it was Rs 580. This year it was increased by Rs 10. This was not fair, said a farmer at the Sirsa grain market.

The farmers demanded a raise in the MSP. “On one the hand the prices of diesel, fertilisers, etc are soaring and the government has increased the MSP by Rs 10 which is not justified,’’ they added.

Mr Om Parkash, district manager, Hafed, said there was poor paddy crop this year and the farmers started sowing cotton now.

But on the other hand, paddy traders term the situation as “satisfactory’’. “Last year farmers from Punjab areas neighbouring Haryana sold their crop at Sirsa but due to their “bad’’ experience with production they did not sow paddy this season,” said an agent.

Fatehabad, October 27
A local court today ordered registration of criminal cases against eight persons, including a Tehsildar, for committing a fraud on a farmer by altering the revenue records to give undue benefit to other persons.

Mr Tek Singh, a farmer from Mirana village in Rattia tehsil of this district, had filed a complaint against Rattia Tehsildar Bhale Ram, patwari Hardev Singh and kanoongo Chhotu Ram and others.

In his complaint he had alleged that the accused had tampered with the revenue records to provide undue benefit to Mithoo Singh, Nand Kaur, Gurmail Singh, Mela Singh and Surender Kaur.

He said that he had purchased 13 kanal 12 marla of agriculture land from Chand Kaur in Mirana village. The land of the other accused was situated near his fields and all the landholdings had their own way of approach.

On September 12, 2001, the five other accused filed a suit for getting a public way in the land of Tek Singh. When the court summoned the revenue records, the Tehsildar, the patwari and the kanoongo allegedly submitted forged records to provide undue benefit to the five other landholders.

The court, in its order today directed the police to register a criminal case against the Tehsildar, the patwari and the kanoongo and five other landholders. The directed the police to submit its report in the court after investigation on January 5, 2005.