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SC order on overloaded trucks puts govt in a fix
Assistant Station Master, gateman suspended
Job scam in CRPF centre
Chhachhrouli to be a tourist spot
Village youth shot dead
203 cases settled at
Lok Adalat
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Lok Adalat on December 3
Village youth shot dead
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SC order on overloaded trucks puts govt in a fix
Chandigarh, November 27 A Bench comprising Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice C.K. Thakker early this month scrapped the “golden card” scheme launched by several states under which the public carriers like trucks and other vehicles could carry load above their rated capacity by paying specified charges. The court ordered that the states “shall withdraw the notifications issued in this regard scheme forthwith.” Interestingly, Haryana had withdrawn the notification about two years ago, but it continues to compound overloading by trucks “informally”. The practice continues even after the Supreme Court judgement. According to informed sources, an exercise is on in the Transport Department to find out how to implement the judgement without losing the revenue. Haryana is earning about Rs 100 crore per annum from this head. During the initial days of the Hooda government, the collection fell. The Transport Minister, Mr Randeep Surjewala, got a survey done through his own sources and found that the number of overloaded vehicles entering the state and that compounded by the District Transport Officers (DTOs) did not match. He confronted the DTOs at a state-level meeting. The collection increased. But it was still below the expectations of Mr Surjewala and the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Special checkings were ordered in Faridabad and Rewari districts. The collection went up by about Rs 50 lakh in one of the districts in one month. At Rewari, the authorities were shocked when they found that counterfeit compounding slips were in circulation leading to the leakage of state revenue. An FIR has been lodged with the police. The government expects that next year the collection would go up to Rs 150 crore per annum. A public interest litigation was filed in the Supreme Court in which it was contended that the Motor Vehicle Act did not give power to the state governments to allow the continuation of the offence of overloading after it had been compounded, whereas the “golden card” scheme sought to do that. The states pleaded that there were certain practical difficulties in implementing the Act in letter and spirit. It would lead to jamming of traffic on the national highways if the offending trucks were unloaded. While ordering the states to withdraw the scheme, the apex court said: “So far as the practical
difficulties highlighted are concerned, it is for the state governments to make necessary arrangements to ensure that the difficulties can be suitably remedied by the states themselves without in any way overstepping statutory prescriptions.” The sources say it is unwise on the part of the states to allow overloading of trucks. Whatever they earn, the states end up spending on the maintenance of roads. The overloaded vehicles are one of the main reasons of the poor condition of the roads. Moreover, the overloading, particularly in case of sand and stones, results in evasion of sales tax. It is widely known that while bills are issued for the rated capacity of the vehicles, while actually they carry load three to four times of their capacity. No sales tax is paid on the excess load. If the government bans overloading, it would lead to plugging of the revenue leakage. An early decision in this regard is unlikely because the Chief Minister would return from his foreign tour towards the end of the first week of next month. Till then the violation of the court orders would continue. |
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Assistant Station Master, gateman suspended
Sonepat, November 27 According to a report, the DRM visited the site of accident last evening and after making an inquiry he ordered the suspension of the ASM on duty and the gateman. He also said the Railways would bear all expenses incurred on the treatment of the injured persons involved in this accident. The deceased were identified as Mr Suresh (33) a resident of Jaurasi village in Panipat district and his two-year-old daughter Anjili. The injured were identified as Mrs Maneeta (28), wife of the deceased, Rajesh (28), younger brother of the deceased, and one unknown man. They were crossing the railway gate when a special train carrying BSF jawans passed through the gate
hitting their car. The BSF jawans were on their return journey to Punjab from Bihar after performing the election duty. The gate was opened after the passing of a goods train on the down track. When vehicles were passing a special train carrying BSF jawans passed through the gate and the gateman had failed to close it. This was the main cause of the accident. Meanwhile, all injured persons were referred to the PGIMS at Rohtak for treatment. |
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Job scam in CRPF centre
Chandigarh, November 27 The scam pertains to recruitment done at the centre in October 2005 for constables (general duty) from Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. According to CRPF officers, a sub inspector and a constable used to obtain details of selected candidates from the establishment branch in the Group Centre. They then used to contact these candidates and allegedly demand Rs 70,000 from each person, saying that there was some problem in their selection and they could get things sorted out. Officers also indicated the possible involvement of an officer of at the level of DSP or Assistant Commandant. The sub inspector and the constable were transferred out immediately from the Group Centre when the matter came to the notice of the authorities. A senior CRPF officer said the officer posted at the Group Centre also faced possible action for his alleged connivance with others involved. Sources said the scam was unearthed after the CRPF authorities received a tip-off from one of the candidates. It is understood that the Central Government is also investigating into the matter independently and the possible involvement of other officers in the scam is also being looked into. The sources said the sub inspector had been moved out to a CRPF establishment in Chhattisgarh, while the constable had been posted to a battalion located in Tripura. The constable had represented against his posting on humanitarian grounds, citing family problems, but the authorities here did not entertain his request. The CRPF officers said the constable used to commute daily between the Group Centre in Pinjore and his residence in Chandigarh on a motor cycle. This entailed travelling about 65 km every day. Senior CRPF officers said the selection was not likely to be affected, as only selected candidates were being conned by the suspected CRPF personnel.
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Chhachhrouli to be a tourist spot
Yamunanagar, November 26 As per sources in the forest department, Ch. Devilal Herbal Park spread over 185 acre in Chhachhrouli block will be made a tourist spot. There is a proposal to dig a lake and construct walking tracks in the park. Tourist huts and an eatery will also come up at the park. Mr M.P. Sharma, District Forest Officer, said the Haryana Forest Minister Venod Sharma has directed the department to work out the proposal to develop eco-tourism in the area. Besides, a ‘Ayurveda Gyan Kendra’ will be set up in the park to provide knowledge to farmers regarding cultivation of herbal plants. An estimated amount of Rs 1 crore will be spent on the park so that the park could become a tourist destination. To bring more tourists at Adi-Badri, the ‘origin’ point of Sarswati river the department is planning to take several steps, informed Mr M.P. Sharma. He also claimed that vigilance has been increased in the Kalesar forest area. As a result, no cases of theft of wood and forest property has come to light during the recent months. |
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Village youth shot dead
Sonepat, November 27 According to a report, the Kharkhauda police has registered a case of murder against seven persons of Kansala village and launched a hunt to apprehend them. The police has sent the body for a post-mortem examination. Police sources say that a youth, Ashok of Kansala village, along with Satyavan was going towards Kharkhauda town on a motor cycle. When he reached near the drain of Chhinauli village, seven persons namely Sube, Sanjeev, Bijender, Taqdeer, Dharamvir, Lachhman and Raj Karan surrounded them and started firing shots at them. Satyavan sustained bullet injuries and he died on the spot whereas Ashok managed to escape on his motor cycle and informed the Kharkhauda police about the incident. On receiving information, Mr Subhash Chander Sharma, DSP, and other police officials arrived on the site and launched a massive hunt to apprehend the culprits but failed to arrest them. The parents of the deceased did not allow the police to take away the body for a postmortem examination as they apprehend that the police would not register case as had been done earlier in the murder of Vijay. The sources revealed that the old enmity between the rival parties was the main cause of the murder. |
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203 cases settled at
Lok Adalat
Fatehabad, November 27 The District and Sessions Judge, Mr Lachhman Dass Sharma, decided seven out of the 52 cases of motor accident claims. The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr R.K. Sondhi, settled one case of motor accident claim and seven cases pertaining to the public utility services in the Lok Adalat headed by him. The Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mr S.K. Garg, decided 82 out of the 151 cases taken up by his court in the Lok Adalat. Of these three were of civil nature, eight pertaining to the Motor Vehicle Act and 60 cases of petty crimes, including gambling. Ten criminal cases under various sections of the IPC were also decided. The Judicial Magistrate Mr Parveen Kumar, decided 78 out of 155 cases taken up by his court. Mr Hari Singh, Chairman of the Conciliation Court, settled 24 cases of bank loans in the Lok Adalat. |
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Lok Adalat on December 3
Chandigarh, November 27 Disclosing this here today the member-Secretary of the Haryana State Legal Services Authority, Mr Shekhar Dhawan, said that in the Lok Adalats held at Rohtak, Sirsa, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra, Fatehabad, Tohana and Gohana today 890 cases were settled. Out of these, 33 cases pertaining to death or injury in vehicular accidents under the Motor Vehicles Act were settled wherein Rs 35.71 lakh was awarded as compensation. He said 857 cases pertaining to other categories like civil, petty crime and bank loan cases were also settled. He said so far 2,377 Lok Adalats had been organised and 5,74,230 cases had been settled. More than Rs 200 crores as compensation had been awarded to 27,960 motor accident victims. Mr Dhawan said 19,908 persons had so far been provided with free legal services and 1,564 legal literacy awareness camps or seminars had been organised in remote rural areas as well as in the urban slums by the authority. |
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Village youth shot dead
Sonepat, November 27 According to a report, the Kharkhauda police has registered a case of murder against seven persons of Kansala village and launched a hunt to apprehend them. The police has sent the body for a post-mortem examination. Police sources say that a youth, Ashok of Kansala village, along with Satyavan was going towards Kharkhauda town on a motor cycle. When he reached near the drain of Chhinauli village, seven persons namely Sube, Sanjeev, Bijender, Taqdeer, Dharamvir, Lachhman and Raj Karan surrounded them and started firing shots at them. Satyavan sustained bullet injuries and he died on the spot whereas Ashok managed to escape on his motor cycle and informed the Kharkhauda police about the incident. On receiving information, Mr Subhash Chander Sharma, DSP, and other police officials arrived on the site and launched a massive hunt to apprehend the culprits but failed to arrest them. The parents of the deceased did not allow the police to take away the body for a postmortem examination as they apprehend that the police would not register case as had been done earlier in the murder of Vijay. The sources revealed that the old enmity between the rival parties was the main cause of the murder. |
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Daredevils leave viewers spellbound
Hisar, November 27 A swashbuckling performance by the daredevils with the motor cycles made the viewers stand up on their seats and gape at them in admiration. The team members passed their bikes through rings of fire and jumped over their colleagues in daring acts. The gathering also appreciated the performance of two bands of the 33 Armoured Division, which are amongst the oldest bands of the Indian Army. |
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Council seeks four-laning of road
Ambala, November 27 Dr N.C. Jain, chairman of the council, said the stretch of road from Capital Chowk to Industrial Area, Ambala Cantt, should be four-laned as traffic has increased manifold on the road. He said the stretch of road had a number of educational institutions and Civil Hospital along it and it passed through the densely-populated Mahesh Nagar area. |
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