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CM, Kiran Chaudhary file papers
Randeep not to vie for Cong chief’s post
Lobbying in Cong for Zila Parishad chief’s election
Cases of child abuse rising in Karnal
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Haryana power panel’s decision draws flak
Digital cameras fail to click for DHBVN
Rs 8 lakh released for flood victims’ next of kin
Jammers in Haryana jails planned
Govt to welcome healthy criticism
Poor cancer patient seeks help
Longewala battle ‘hero’ on display
Fire at Kalesar National Park
Khera elected Jagadhri
MC chief
Mason electrocuted
Applications invited for Desmukh award
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CM, Kiran Chaudhary file papers
Rohtak, May 16 Mr Hooda asked the voters to be courteous to his opponents. “Offer them a seat and a glass of buttermilk when they come. Do not let them go without availing of your hospitality for they are political opponents not foes”, he said. He promised to provide a transparent administration. The Chief Minister performed a havan at his house here in the presence of family members before proceeding to his camp office in Model Town. From there he went in a procession to the DRDA Hall to present his papers. He was accompanied by Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, Ms Shelja, Capt Inderjeet and Mr Jai Parkash. He then proceeded to Hisar to be present when the party nominees from the two seats filed their papers. BHIWANI: Ms Kiran Chaudhary, widow of the late Surender Singh, filed her nomination papers from the Tosham constituency. She was accompanied by the Chief Minister and other Congress leaders. Ms Chaudhary is a former Deputy Speaker of the Delhi Assembly. She has been politically active in Delhi for several years but shifted to Tosham after the death of her husband in a helicopter crash. Addressing voters at Ms Chaudhary’s house, the Chief Minister appealed to them to vote for her. HISAR: Ms Savitri Devi Jindal, wife of the late Haryana Power Minister and industrialist Om Prakash Jindal, filed her nomination papers on Monday for byelection to the Hisar Assembly seat, which had been vacated due to the death of her husband. She filed her nomination papers at the office of the returning officer in the presence of the Chief Minister, her son and Congress MP from Kurukshetra Naveen Jindal, Union Minister for Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation Selja, MP Jai Prakash and Haryana ministers Randeep Singh Surjewala and Venod Sharma. The Chief Minister remarked that the absence of any major Opposition party in the Hisar and Tosham elections would not have any considerable impact on the poll outcome. Ms Jindal, who was in tears, said she was never inclined towards politics but circumstances had compelled her to contest the elections. She stated that her top priority would be provide basic amenities to all, besides ensuring regular supply of drinking water and electricity. |
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Randeep not to vie for Cong chief’s post
Hisar, May 16 Talking to The Tribune here today, Mr Surjewala said formalities for the party’s organisational poll would be completed by the end of this month. He, however, said he would not contest for the post of president of the party’s state unit. To a question, the Congress leader maintained that the organisational responsibility was greater than the task of running the government. Mr Surjewala was here in connection with the filing of nomination papers by the late Haryana Power Minister Om Prakash Jindal’s wife, Ms Savitri Devi. “Terming the byelections as a cakewalk for the Congress would amount to demeaning the democratic values and people’s verdict,” he observed. The minister said like the recently concluded Assembly elections, the people of Haryana would give a referendum in favour of the Congress policies. The newly formed government under the leadership of Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda had got tremendous support from the people and this would be reflected in the outcome of these byelections. He said the decision of the INLD and the BJP not to contest the Hisar and Tosham byelections would not have any effect on the poll outcome. “The Congress will win all three byelections with a huge margin,” he claimed. |
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Lobbying in Cong for Zila Parishad chief’s election
Ambala, May 16 Congress Zila Parishad members are divided into two groups. While one group is supporting Mr Brahmpal Rana, the other group is against him. Mr Rana is a close associate of Naggal MLA Nirmal Singh. Besides Mr Brahmpal Rana, the others considered to be in the fray for the post include Mr Jagmal Singh
Rola, Mr Baldev Singh Sabahpur and Mr Darbara Singh Launta. In Ambala Zila Parishad, six members are from the Naggal area, five are from Naraingarh, five are from Mullana while one member is from Ambala City. Congress has 14 members and there are three INLD members out of which two are from the Naggal area. In this election, the stakes are high for Mr Nirmal Singh who is supporting Mr Rana. But, the anti-Rana faction is believed to have come to an understanding with the INLD for getting an anti-Rana Congress member candidate elected as Zila Parishad chairman. Additionally, Naraingarh MLA Ram Kishen is keen that this time the Zila Parishad Chairman should be somebody from his area since earlier Zila Parishad chairmen have been from Naggal or Mullana areas. |
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Cases of child abuse rising in Karnal
Recent incidents of crime against children
* April 1 : A 5-year-old girl married off to an 11-year-old boy at Jollikhera. * April 17: A minor girl abducted and sold off at Nilokheri. * May 12: A student of Class IX raped and blackmailed at Jundla. * May 12: A 14-year-old girl married off at Kunjpura village. * May 13: A student of Class V raped at Subri village.
Karnal, May 16 Police sources said a student of Class IX studying at Pratap Public School Karnal and resident of Jundla was raped and later blackmailed. A case under Sections 376, 378, 342, 384, 506 and 120-B of the IPC had been registered against the accused, Surinder, on the complaint of the mother of the victim on Thursday. However, the accused had been eluding arrest. In the second case, a student of Class V and resident of Subri village was allegedly raped by Anwar at the house of his brother Noor Hassan in the same village on Friday. The police had registered a case under Sections 376 and 377 of the IPC against Anwar. The police sources said the culprit was at large. In both cases, the accused were known to the victims. Surinder was known to the girl for several months and the matter first came to the notice of her parents in February but the chapter was closed after a compromise between the families of the accused and the girl. A senior police official said in most instances of child abuse, the offender was usually a person who moved in the close social circle of the family concerned. He said sexual abuse of children was more common than it was thought to be. However, the actual reporting of such cases was low owing to the sensitive nature of the crime and the stigma. This seemed to be working to the advantage of the offenders, he said. Another official was of the view that there had been a steady decline in the number of cases registered by the police under Section 377 of the IPC which related to a wide range of unnatural offences, including child abuse, homo-sexuality and exhibitionism. This was mainly because in most complaints of child abuse, the parents were unwilling to press charges beyond a point because a police complaint would mean public scrutiny. The MLA and president of the State Mahila Congress, Ms Sumita Singh, said there was need to sensitise the police and the public about child abuse prevention. Teachers and parents should be taught how to recognise signs of sexual abuse. Advocating sex education in schools, she said there was need to bring about social awareness on the issue. |
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Haryana power panel’s decision draws flak
Chandigarh, May 16 The posts for which interviews will be held this week include Ombudsman and Law Officer. The commission, which is packed by members appointed by the Chautala Government, is going ahead with the interviews, though the government feels that no interviews should be held till the process for three by-elections in Kiloi, Tosham and Hissar is completed. Informed sources say there is no urgency to fill these posts. They say the move to appoint Ombudsman was initiated during the Chautala Government, which, it is alleged, wanted a former Chief Engineer of the power utilities to be appointed to the commission post. However, the process was stalled after the Assembly elections were announced. The Congress MLA from Palwal, Mr Karan Singh Dalal, alleged here today that the process has been again initiated by the commission because of the pressure of certain influential INLD politicians who want that particular person to be appointed as Ombudsman. He said the person was the same whom the Chautala Government wanted to be the Ombudsman. The sources say the Ombudsman is to hear appeals against the decisions of the grievance redressal forums to be set up in the Uttar and Dakshin Bijli Vitran Nigams. Since the Nigams are yet to set up the forums, the appointment of an Ombudsman is an exercise in futility and unnecessary burden on the state exchequer. They say even when the forums will be in place, it would take months for the appeals to come before the Ombudsman. Mr Dalal said the rules regarding the functioning of the commission had also been stayed by the government because procedural irregularities had been committed before the draft rules were published and notified. Under the circumstances, he said, the commission should not go ahead with the appointments. |
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Digital cameras fail to click for DHBVN
Faridabad, May 16 It has recently cancelled the contract of manual meter reading by private companies in seven districts of the state. According to audit reports, the camera meter reading taken up in certain parts of Faridabad and Gurgaon in the first phase has perhaps failed to prove its worth due to losses and the general inconvenience to the consumers in its operation. The total loss could be over Rs 3 crore in the two districts where only about one-tenth of the work had been allotted under the scheme . The total revenue of the nigam was put at about Rs 17,000 crore a year. Spot billing through camera was done in the jurisdiction of about four nigam offices of the total 27 in the district during the first year, but instead of getting efficiency and transparency in the work a major revenue loss was found by the Internal Audit Department of the nigam during the checking of the records and ledgers. The loss of revenue in the office of the SDO, Ballabgarh town has been put at Rs 12.83 lakh. Audit officials have observed that the revenue loss had been due to wrong billing and adjustment of bills by the contract holder due to non-levying of the surcharge applicable on many bills. The team found that Rs. 3.90 lakh was not recovered from the consumers as part of due surcharge in the area Camera covered by one office only. Recommending recovery of the revenue, the audit officials have stated that it could be done so under the clauses of the agreement with the company. It has been added that action should also be initiated against the officials in charge who failed to deduct the penalty from the bills of the company. According to sources, at least 53 cases were found in which an excessive adjustment was made in the bills, leading to a loss of about Rs 41,000. This amount pertained to only two groups of meters while there are about six a groups of meters in the subdivision. The audit party also detected a difference of about 1.41 lakh in the work of billing of the meters replaced by the department in this particular office, as it is claimed that reading of units was not recorded properly. The memo prepared by the department has asked for recovery of the difference from the account of the company, but it is learnt that no move has been made in this regard and the objections have been overruled so far. Similarly, the audit reports have revealed a loss of about Rs 40 lakh in Sector 16 office and another Rs 1 crore in a Gurgaon subdivision. Meanwhile, the All-Haryana Power Power Corporation Workers Union has demanded scrapping of this service and action against officials responsible for the losses. |
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Rs 8 lakh released for flood victims’ next of kin
Chandigarh, May 16 An official spokesman said here today that those who died in the floods included seven girls of Mallour village of Ambala district who were swept away by the flood waters. The bodies of the six drowned girls were found but that of the seventh girl could not be traced. The then Chief Minister had announced an ex-gratia grant of Rs 1 lakh each to next of kin of the deceased. The Ambala district administration released Rs 50,000 to next of kin of the deceased and the rest of the amount of Rs 50,000 each was to be released from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The spokesman said that the Chief Minister fulfilled the promise made by the then Chief Minister by releasing Rs 8 lakh out of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for giving Rs 50,000 each to next of kin of the 14 deceased and Rs 1 lakh as compensation to next of kin of the untraced girl. |
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Jammers in Haryana jails planned
Karnal, May 16 Stating this here today, the Director-General of Police, Mr A.S. Bhatotia, said a proposal in this regard had been recommended by the Haryana Police to the government and hopefully it would soon be sanctioned. He was in town to review law and order in Karnal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Sonepat and Rohtak districts with the respective Superintendents of Police and other senior officials of the Rohtak Range. The DGP said new strategies were being evolved to prevent crime in the state that included tracking phone calls of suspected criminals with special electronic equipment, improving ‘nakas’ during the night, deployment of police personnel in plainclothes at vulnerable places and better coordination among the police of adjoining states and intelligence agencies. To a question, he admitted that crime had slightly increased in certain regions of the state but said performance of the police should not be assessed on these grounds. He claimed the crime graph in Panipat, Rohtak and Jhajjar districts had come down during the past few weeks with the crackdown on gangs actively involved in criminal activities. He also said that criminals were on the run. He warned if any complaint against the behaviour of those in charge of police stations was received by his office, it would be viewed seriously. Asked about the custodial death of an undertrial at Kurukshetra and attempted suicide by a suspected criminal in police custody at Karnal, Mr Bhatotia skipped comment, saying he was not aware of these incidents. Mr V.N. Rai, I.G. Rohtak Range, was also present on the occasion. Later, the DGP visited the Police Lines. |
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Govt to welcome healthy criticism
Rohtak, May 16 She regretted that certain sections of mediapersons were being exploited by media house owners which she added needed government intervention. Many organisations had not been granting wage board pay scales to journalists, she regretted. The minister distributed copies of group insurance policies among HUJ members. The Rohtak district unit of the union has offered the facility free of cost to its 80 members Each subscribing member has been provided an accidental group insurance cover for Rs 5 lakh. |
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Poor cancer patient seeks help
Rohtak, May 16 Baljeet Singh (48) is a resident of Bhatgaon village in nearby Sonipat district. He has two daughters of marriageable age, but neither a job nor land to make the two ends meet. He was diagnosed of cancer in 2003. Doctors at the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, New Delhi, removed his vocal chords to save his life hoping that the malignancy would not recur. But recently doctors told him that the malignancy had returned and his lower right jaw would have to be removed or he would die within weeks. Doctors at the local Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences say the surgery would hopefully give him another brief lease of life. Unable to speak from his bed, Baljeet pointed to his two daughters and indicated that he needed another year or so to arrange to marry off his daughters. His daughters hope that some good samaritans will raise donations for his surgery. |
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Longewala battle ‘hero’ on display
Ambala, May 16 The Hunter aircraft, which has been put on display, was last flown in the IAF service as a tow aircraft in 2001. The aircraft static display was carried out under the guidance of Air Officer Commanding, Ambala Air Force Station, Air Cdr L.K. Malhotra. For over three decades, Hunter aircraft had been the backbone of the IAF. It was a versatile ground attack aircraft. It had made significant contribution during the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars. The aircraft played a major role in the battle of Longewala as well as the attack on the Karachi harbour/refinery alongwith other achievements. Air Cdr L.K. Malhotra lauded the effort of 41 Repair & Salvage Unit, administrative and Military Engineering Services for installing the Hunter aircraft at the Air Force Station. The task of installing the aircraft was a challenging one. It required accurate and sensitive calculations for the soil as well as the base-frame to take on the heavy aircraft. It also needed strengthening of the structure of the aircraft to remain the desired angle which was necessary for good display. |
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Fire at Kalesar National Park
Yamunanagar, May 16 The fire started somewhere in the forests adjoining Himachal Pardesh on Saturday and spread here because of the winds. The jungles are known for sal and sagwan trees. Sources said on Monday that the fire from interiors had also moved towards the outer parts falling on the Ponta Sahib-Jagadhri stretch of the national highway, but was soon brought under control. Officials of Forest and Wildlife Department were working overtime , but they could not provide a time frame by which the fire would be controlled. The incident has put a question mark on the upkeep of fire lanes, said an official. It is to be noted here that Haryana is observing jungle fire safety week these days. The incident has annulled the claims of the department regarding the fire safety measures. According to the sources, the fire had already damaged property worth lakhs. A large number of reptiles and their eggs had also perished. Other wild animals were running for safety. The sources said the parts of the national park which were under fire included the 60 feet lane, 20 feet lane, 4 feet lane and Gudha Beat. Residents of the villages situated along the jungles said the entire jungle had been covered under a dense cloud of smoke. Mr Randhir Singh, Range Officer, said officials and employees of the department had been posted at the fire lanes so that the fire could not spread further. |
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Khera elected Jagadhri
MC chief
Jagadhri, May 16 The elections for the two posts were held here today in the presence of the SDM. Congress MLA from Jagadhri Subhash Chaudhary proposed the name of Mr Khera and 25 votes were polled in his favour. His opponent Mr Rajesh Sachdeva could manage the support of only seven counsellors in the 31-member house (MLA has also got a vote). Ms Jangra, who became the first woman office-bearer of the MC, got 22 votes. Her opponents were Mr Raj Kumar (two votes) and Ms Mithlesh (seven votes).
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Mason electrocuted
Yamunanagar, May 16 Ramji Lal, a resident of Salampur Khadr village, who was going towards Khezrabad, was killed when an unidentified vehicle near Tugalpur village hit the bike he was riding. He died on the spot, said the sources.
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Applications invited for Desmukh award
Chandigarh, May 16 An official spokesman said here today that the Central Social Welfare Board had instituted the annual award which carried a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh, a citation and a shawl. The applications should reach the department before June 30. |
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Charas seized Ambala, May 16 |
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