Chandigarh, August 27
The Haryana Government has decided to involve the private sector in power generation and it is actively considering join ventures.

An official spokesman said here yesterday that Tara Power Limited had already expressed interest in setting up a 1000-MW gas-based power plant at Jhajjar. In view of the prevailing coal shortage in the country, the government was of the view that in future only gas-based power generation projects should be set up.

There was a proposal to set up 600 MW gas-based plants at Yamunanagar and Hisar, the land for which was already available with the Haryana Power Generation Corporation (HPGCL). The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) had also been requested to set up another 432 MW plant at Faridabad to generate the entire power for Haryana.

He said an MoU had been signed with the Gas Authority of India (GAIL) for laying necessary gas transmission network for these projects. Gail had been asked to supply gas for 15 years.

A 1050 MW gas-based plant would be set up at Faridabad during the 11th Plan period.

He said the government had also approved the proposal to implement the Yamunanagar Thermal Power project of two units of 300 MW each through international bidding on turnkey basis. Earlier a letter of intent was issued to Reliance Energy to set up a project at Yamunanagar. Both projects would be completed in 27 and 30 months, respectively.

The HPGCL was also exploring the possibility of setting up run-of-river or small hydel projects in joint venture with states like Himachal and Uttranchal.

He said the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had laid the foundation stone of a 1065 MW gas-based power generation plant at village Mothuka in Faridabad district. It would be set up by the ABAN Loyld group. 

Chandigarh, August 27
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has set aside the death sentence awarded to a Sonepat resident for having allegedly murdered a young boy after sodomising him.

The accused, Sandeep alias Kartoon, who is presently lodged in Central Jail, Hisar, had been convicted for murdering 10-year-old Jai Pal after committing sodomy on him.

He had been convicted by Additional Sessions Judge, Sonepat, in November 2004.

As per the prosecution story, on December 15, 2002, Jai Pal had gone to partake “langar” at a “bhandara” at Narain Ashram, Khanda village. When he did not return home, his family members started searching for him. Jai Pal’s dead body was finally found in the fields. He had been last seen in the company of the accused. Sandeep had earlier also sodomised and murdered two other young boys.

During hearing of the murder reference as also the appeal filed by the accused against the orders of the lower court, the Bench of Mr Justice Mehtab Singh Gill and Mr Justice Pritam Pal was requested by counsel for prosecution to confirm the death sentence.

However, in its order, the Bench held that the case does not fall within the parameters of the rarest of rare cases.

In view of the same, the murder reference was declined though the conviction of the appellant was upheld. The Bench sentenced him to life imprisonment and also fined him Rs 5,000.

Bhiwani, August 27
A pregnant woman reportedly committed suicide by poisoning self and her one-year-old baby. The woman was three-month pregnant and is alleged to have taken the drastic step after prolonged dowry harassment. The police has registered a case against the in-laws on the complaint of the brothers of the deceased.

Pawan and Rajesh, brothers of the deceased Sudesh, of Bamla village alleged that Sudesh was married to Sandeep of Singwa under Narnaund police station on November 18, 2002. They had given adequate dowry at the time of marriage.

They said that the in-laws of Sudesh had started harassing their sister for bringing a Maruti car soon after the marriage. Sudesh, they said, had intimated them about the dowry demand and harassment which they thought would be settled with time.

They received a phone call from Sudesh that she had been beaten by her in-laws. Yesterday, they got a phone call from Sudesh that she had poisoned her one-year-old baby Muskan and her self following day-to-day harassment. They immediately informed Sandeep, husband of Sudesh, and urged him to admit her to hospital but he refused to do so.

They hired a taxi and reached Singwa village where Sudesh was still conscious and Muskan had died. Sudesh too fell unconscious on way to hospital near Chang village. The doctor declared her brought dead at the Civil Hospital. 

Chandigarh, August 27
The Haryana Renewable Energy Department will install 1,350 solar street lights during the current financial year.

Stating this here today, a spokesman of the department said this scheme was meant for municipalities, government buildings, and institutional buildings.

He added the department would incur a sum of Rs 13.43 crore for implementation of various programmes of non-conventional energy. During the current financial year as many as 1,000 solar lanterns suitable for both outdoor as well as indoor lighting would be provided to the public.

The department has also made a provision of Rs 14 lakh for installation of 133 solar inverters of 150 watts. Under the scheme a 150 watt solar inverter costing Rs 35,000 would be made available to people for Rs 10,500 each, while a 600 watt solar inverter costing Rs 1.45 lakh would be made available for Rs 52,500 only.

Bhiwani, August 27
The District Consumer Redressal Forum has directed the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) to return the deposit amount of a plot applicant along with 15 per cent interest and Rs 2,000 as litigation expenditure within two months.

Ran Singh Sangwan of Atela Khurd village had complained that a 14-marla plot (No. 1483) was allocated to his son, Rajpal, in Sector 13 here.

His son had deposited a sum of Rs 1,000 as fee on January 24, 1995.

As per departmental rules, HUDA was supposed to give possession to the plot holder within 90 days, but the possession was not given till next eight months.

In the meanwhile, they had deposited around Rs 1.27 lakh with HUDA.

Ran Singh sought a compensation of Rs 3.6 lakh.

HUDA, however, intimated the forum that the plot that had been allocated to Rajpal was under controversy.

The forum directed, on September 9, 1999, to HUDA to pay deposited amount along with 15 per cent interest to the complainant besides Rs 3,000 as compensation and Rs 500 as litigation expenditure.

The complainant appealed in the State Consumer Forum where the decision was upheld. Then the complainant lodged an appeal with the National Consumer Forum, New Delhi, which returned the case to the Consumer Forum, Bhiwani.

Jagadhri, August 27
On the pattern of employment guarantee bill recently passed by Parliament, Haryana Government too will bring a Bill in the state Assembly.

This was stated by Mr Birender Singh, Finance and Employment Minister, Haryana, while talking to reporters after participating in a seminar on ‘VAT and e-Taxation’ organised by the Yamunanagar branch of Northern India Regional Council (NIRC) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. He said the idea behind the Bill was to tackle the problem of unemployment.

The minister said the government would do all efforts to restore the ‘glory’ of Jagadhri metal industry. He also assured representatives of the plywood industry that the Yamunanagar would continue to lead in the plywood manufacturing business in the country as the government would provide all possible help. Representatives of plywood and metal industries had earlier submitted memorandums to the minister.

While speaking at the seminar, the minister said chartered accountants play a very important role in economic activities. He called upon chartered accountants to suggest measures for revenue generation to the government.

Mr Krishna Pandit, MLA, Yamunanagar, also spoke at the seminar. Among others who spoke at the seminar included Mr Amarjit Chopra, member, Central Council, ICAI, Mr Manoj Gupta, Chairman of local branch, Mr Yudhvir Singh, Additional Commissioner, Excise and Taxation Department, Mr Bhagwan Das Gupta, vice-president, NIRC and Mr S.S. Gautam, Additional Commissioner, Income Tax Department, Yamunanagar.

Man held with fake currency
Our Correspondent

Kurukshetra, August 27
The district police has arrested one person for allegedly possessing and using fake currency notes worth Rs 5500.

Confirming this here today, the district police chief, Mr Sanjay Kumar, said the arrested person had been identified as, Ashok Kumar, a resident of Banaunda village, under the Ladwa police station in this district.

Mr Kumar said the police received information that Ashok Kumar would go to Ladwa and sell fake currency there. A naka was said on the Banaunda T-point and Ashok Kumar was nabbed by the police when he tried to cross the naka suspiciously. During search, the fake currency notes worth Rs 5,500 were recovered from his possession.

During interrogation, Ashok Kumar told the police that he had been working as a driver and became an addict. About a month ago, he became familiar with Jhandu, a resident of Bapa village under the Radaur police station, and was given fake currency notes by Darshan Singh in the presence of Jhandu on the promise that after selling the fake currency, the money thus collected would be divided among the trio. He also told the police that he had taken a room on rent in Delhi, where some fake currency notes had been kept.

Mr Kumar further said the fake currency in two denominations of Rs 50 and Rs 100 had been recovered from his possession.