Karnal, May 28
A committee, headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sanjiv Verma, set up by the District Magistrate of Karnal, Mr Shyamal Mishra to verify the quality of diet meant for distribution among children and pregnant/lactating women through anganwari centres, today rejected its supply and recommended action against the contractor/supplier and the officials responsible for the poor upkeep of the bags containing the diet.

The team, which also included the Chief Medical Officer, the Block Development and Panchayat Officer, the Tehsildar and the Programme Officer of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), opened the godown in the presence of mediapersons and examined the diet.

The team observed that the diet was not as per the specifications as laid down by the Union Government under the scheme.

It also came to light that another diet, “panjiri,” was stored under unhygienic conditions.

The moisture content was more and it was not properly cooked. “Panjiri” is supplied through a factory set up by the Child and Women Development Department itself. Talking to The Tribune, the ADC, said the quality of the diet would be tested to ascertain whether it was fit for consumption.

Regarding the poor upkeep of the godown, the committee has recommended departmental inquiry against the officials concerned.

Meanwhile, the ADC, in an order issued today empowered the panchayats to keep a check on the distribution of diet by the anganwari centres falling within their jurisdiction.

It has been made mandatory for anganwari centres to get the diet verified from at least one member of the panchayat, the weekly report of which would have to be submitted to the ADC by the Programme Officer of the ICDS through the BDPO concerned in order to bring transparency in the whole process.

Hisar, May 28
The joint action Committee of the Sacked Government Employees of Haryana has decided to support Congress candidates in all three Assembly byelections in the state. This was stated by the convener of the committee, Mr Bharat Singh Beniwal, here yesterday.

Another employee leader, Mr M.L. Sehgal, general secretary of the Haryana Karmchari Mahasangh, is in the fray for the Hisar Assembly seat in the byelection as an Independent candidate.

However, Mr Beniwal asserted that the trade unionist’s candidature notwithstanding, their union would support the Congress candidates. He quipped that since Mr Sehgal had decided to contest the poll, he was no more an employee leader.

Mr Beniwal welcomed the Haryana Government’s move to constitute subcommittees over the issue of sacked employees. He said their representatives would meet members of the subcommittee and apprise them of their stance.

The committee, however, condemned a recent remark of Haryana Finance Minister Virender Singh that the sacked MITC employees would not be reinstated.

Mr R.C.Jagga, general secretary of the Sarv Karmchari Sangh, Haryana, pointed out that more than one lakh posts were lying vacant in various state government departments, adding that the government would not have to face any difficulty in reinstating the nearly 20,000 sacked employees.

Chandigarh, May 28
Are members of the Board of Directors of Ranbaxy, the country’s pharmaceutical and healthcare giant, into the human smuggling business?

If a petition pending before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Panipat, filed by a Karnal resident, is to be trusted, the President of the pharmaceutical units of Ranbaxy, Mr Malvinder Mohan Singh, and two Directors of the group, Mr Vinay Kaul and Mr R.C. Gupta, had allegedly taken Rs 4 lakh from him — the complainant — in March last year on the pretext of getting him a job in Kuwait.

Interestingly, the petitioner mentioned neither the name of the company nor the positions held by Mr Malvinder Mohan Singh, Mr Kaul and Mr Gupta in his complaint filed on June 15 last year. And the court has now issued non-bailable warrants against all three persons.

Ranbaxy and Fortis are among the largest corporate giants in the country and all three persons accused of accepting Rs 4 lakh from Mr Tarsem Lal pay income tax in lakhs of rupees annually.

The complainant, Mr Tarsem Lal, investigations reveal, held that he met Mr Kaul and Mr Gupta in a Panipat hotel on March 6 last year where a deal was struck. His father reportedly sold some property to pay Rs 4 lakh to them. The complainant held that he paid the money in April and since he did not hear anything from them, he decided to visit them in Delhi.

The complainant alleged that in Delhi he was held captive at the farmhouse of Mr Malvinder Mohan Singh and was beaten up besides being refused refund of the money he had paid. His passport, issued to him in 1987, at his Mamdot, Ferozepore, address was, however, returned to him.

No complaint was filed with the Delhi police for his alleged illegal detention, torture and refusal of money to him. Inquiries also reveal that no complaint was filed with the Panipat police.

Mr Tarsem Lal, a resident of Mamdot as given in his passport, filed the complaint in the court of the CJM, Panipat, by giving his permanent address as Shaktipuram locality in Karnal.

The Ranbaxy management, however, denies all charges. It maintains that none of the three officials named in the petition had ever visited the hotel or even Panipat in general, and on those specific dates in particular. At best, they may have gone through Panipat on their way to the company units in Chandigarh, Punjab or elsewhere.

Before the non-bailable warrants were issued, the petitioner held that he, along with a “karinda” of the court, had visited Delhi on May 2 to serve summon orders on Mr Malvinder Mohan Singh, Mr Kaul and Mr Gupta but all three refused.

Incidentally, Mr Malvinder Mohan Singh, and other senior officials of Ranbaxy, were in Agra for a mid-term planning meeting from April 30 to May 4.

Interestingly, in the almost year-long proceedings in the Panipat court, the corporate identity of Mr Malvinder Mohan Singh, Mr Vinay Kaul and Mr R.C. Gupta has not been disclosed by the complainant.

Hisar, May 28
Former Haryana Congress President and Kaithal MLA Shamsher Singh Surjewala has announced a number of developmental schemes for his constituency. He was in the city today to campaign for Ms Savitri Jindal, the party candidate for the Hisar Assembly seat.

Talking to newsmen, Mr Surjewala said a super-speciality hospital would soon come up on 15 acres of land at Kaithal. Besides, a college offering the latest professional courses and a national-level stadium would also be set up, he added.

In response to a question, he said he was not dissatisfied on not getting a ministerial berth in the Haryana Cabinet. “I will get the maximum developmental works done for my constituency as an MLA,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress MP from Hisar, Mr Jai Prakash, also campaigned for Ms Jindal in several rural areas of the constituency today. He addressed a series of public meetings in these areas.

On the other hand, an Independent candidate, Mr M.L.Sehgal, who is also the general secretary of the Haryana Karmchari Mahasangh, has also launched his mass contact programme. He said he was contesting the election on the issues of providing employment, provision of potable water and ward-wise bill collection centres bills. 

Ambala, May 28
DAV Public School, Ambala City, organised its annual prize distribution function here today. Ms Shakti Rani Sharma, wife of Excise and Taxation Minister, Mr Venod Sharma, was the chief guest on the occasion.

The president of the local management committee of DAV institutions, Mr Rajender Nath, welcomed the chief guest. He said the DAV institutions had been playing important role in the field of quality education throughout the country for the past several decades. He said the local DAV Public School had performed well in academic, sports and cultural competitions. He congratulated the principal, Ms Reena Nagrath, for the achievements of the school.

While addressing the students, Ms Sharma said the people of Ambala should feel proud of such institutions. She said she had come to know that this year in the Class X examination, the students of these schools had achieved top three positions in the district. Ms Reena Nagrath presented the annual report of the school.

The students of the school presented a colourful cultural show on the occasion. The show began with Saraswati Vandana. Himachali dance, Haryanvi dance, western dance, classical dance, and a patriotic song were well appreciated.

The chief guest awarded the three toppers of the school who achieved first three positions in the Class X examination this year.

Karnal, May 28
A headless body of a newly wed woman was recovered from Barana village, near Nilokheri in Karnal district, yesterday. She could not be identified, police sources said.

The sources said it was possibly a case of murder. Since, the head of the body had not been recovered it was difficult to identify her. She was wearing maroon coloured clothes and red bangles and jewellery indicating that she was newly married.

The body has been sent to the Civil Hospital here for a post-mortem examination.