Bhiwani, December 17
Peaceful mining operations going on in the Khanak mining zone have hit a roadblock with stone-crusher owners accusing mining leaseholders of defrauding the state exchequer of crores.

A delegation of crusher owners told The Tribune here today that leasehold contractors were charging royalty and sales tax from them without giving them the requisite receipts issued by the Mining Department.

“They have been doing it during the Chautala regime and the practice of collecting “goonda tax” has begun again,” said Mr Rajender Kumar, an executive member of the Khanak-Dadam Stone Crushers Association.

The crusher owners alleged that instead of issuing the valid receipts provided by the Mining Department, the contractors gave them their own coupons on a flat rate of Rs 240 per 100 cubic feet (approx 4 tonnes) without even weighing the vehicles carrying construction material.

They maintained that by doing so, the leaseholders were defrauding the state Mining Department, apart from evading sales tax and income tax.

There are allegations of mining lessees having illegally collected about Rs 300 crore in nearly 40 months during the tenure of the previous Chautala government. A Vigilance inquiry is already under way in this regard.

Following the allegations, the state government had cancelled the leasehold agreement on November 3. However, the leaseholders moved the high court against the government’s decision and the court stayed the lease-cancellation order earlier this month. The next hearing in this case is scheduled for January 16, 2006.

Meanwhile, mining operations resumed around a week ago after a long period. According to the crusher owners, things went on smoothly for a few days, but then the mining contractors resumed their old corrupt practices, besides employing pressure tactics on them.

The crusher owners and the labourers’ unions have decided to hold a meeting here tomorrow to chalk out their course of action. After the meeting, they will meet the administrative and Mining Department officials to apprise them of the situation.

Fatehabad, December 17
The 10th biennial state-level delegate convention of the Sarva Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, began at the local Arorwansh Dharamshala today. It resolved to preparing a strategy for launching a struggle against the government for filling of around one lakh vacant posts in the state.

Inaugurating the three-day convention, Mr Sukomal Sen, general secretary of the All-India State Government Employees Federation, warned the UPA government at the Centre that the NDA government had been dislodged from power more due to its economic policies than communal ones.

He regretted that the UPA government had not learnt any lesson from the mistakes committed by the NDA government and had been implementing policies that were anti-workers, anti-farmers, anti-youths, anti-women, anti-students and anti-people.

He lambasted the Union Government for its efforts to introduce a Bill for privatisation of pension without taking the employee organisations into confidence.

He said on the one hand the government had been offering hefty economic benefits to big industrial houses while on the other it wanted to minimise interest rates on GPF and other small savings of the employees.

He also criticised the Haryana Government for its alleged anti-worker policies and said the government wanted to rule by using stick instead of paying heed to the long-standing demands of its workers.

He said Haryana was ahead of other states in the matter of retrenchment of its employees.

Accusing the state government of doublespeak, he said the government was talking of generating new job avenues while the fact was that the problem of unemployment could be best addressed by filling those vacant posts.

Earlier, Mr Poonam Chand Ratti, state president of the sangh, unfurled the flag of the body. Mr Subhash Sharma, Director of the Manohar Memorial Group of Educational Institutions, welcomed the delegates.

The organisation has named the conference hall of the dharamshala as “Saroj Vashakha Hall” after a former Union leader Saroj and her daughter Vashakha, who were murdered sometime ago. Around 800 delegates from various employee associations besides 300 delegates of 20 district committees and 102 block committees are participating in the convention. 

Garhi (Kaithal), December 17
A youth, Amit Kumar, along with four other villagers, allegedly strangulated his sister Reena to death in Garhi village on the Khanori road in Kaithal district in the wee hours yesterday. The body was cremated before daybreak in an apparent attempt to leave no clue behind to avoid the detection of the crime.

Unconfirmed reports suggested that Reena was killed after a decision in this regard had been taken at a panchayat (meeting) of some prominent villagers as they reportedly wanted to teach the girl a lesson. She had allegedly runaway with Sukhdev of the same village, remained with him for over a month and wanted to marry him.

Both Reena and Sukhdev belong to the Naru clan. Sukhdev’s family had went underground for the past four days fearing that they might also be attacked.

When contacted, the kin of the deceased claimed that the girl had committed suicide by consuming some poisonous substance. However, their replies to certain questions asked by The Tribune indicated foul play behind Reena’s death.

Reena’s father Suraj Bhan and her grandfather Karam Singh admitted that they had not informed the police about the “suicide” and thus no post-mortem examination had been conducted. Further, they said they came to know about the “suicide” after the cremation, which was done at 5.30 in the Friday morning and was attended by only five persons — Amit, Jai Bhagwan, Virender, Giani and Ved Prakash — against whom an FIR with the charge of killing Reena had been lodged at the Sadar police station. However, both Karam Singh and Suraj Bhan could not give any satisfactory reply why the cremation had been done before daybreak and why it had been attended by only five persons.

The members of Reena’s family and the sarpanch of the village, Balraj, said no decision had been taken at the panchayat to kill the girl and the boy.

When a media team went to the house of Zora Singh, on whose complaint the FIR had been lodged, to know the truth, Karam Singh, along with some villagers, including women, came there and forced the team to leave the village.

Meanwhile, the father of Zora Singh told the reporters that his son was not in the village as he had gone to Kaithal city.

While the Kaithal SP, Mr Navdeep Singh Virk, was on leave, the SHO concerned, Mr L.S. Rana, told The Tribune that no accused had been arrested. He said both the boy and the girl had runaway from the village in the last week of October when they had come to their respective colleges in Kaithal district.

The members of the girl’s family had lodged an FIR against the boy alleging her abduction. In the first week of December, both of them had been arrested in UP. They gave their statements in the court that they were major and had eloped at their own will, the SHO said, claiming that no decision had been taken to kill the girl at the panchayat.

On the contrary, some of the villagers, on the condition of anonymity, told The Tribune that a panchayat had been held in this regard in the village.

Meanwhile, Sukhdev’s uncle Rajinder said the latter’s father Balraj, mother Maya Devi and their younger brother Sandeep had gone underground as they feared attack by the girl’s kin.

Fatehabad, December 17
A man, who had “purchased” wife for Rs 1 lakh, today lodged a complaint with the police that his wife had decamped with all ornaments.

Sat Pal, a resident of Ganda village, near here, said after he had failed to find a match for him, he received an offer of marriage from Sukhpal Kaur, a resident of Bhagu village, near Sirsa. The woman’s brother, Raja Ram, told him that his sister had been married to a man at Chalichak village in Rajasthan and had divorced him at the panchayat level.

He told Sat Pal that as per the panchayat decision, they were to pay Rs 50,000 to the family of her former husband as fine for deserting him. Sukhpal Kaur’s brother told Sat Pal that he could marry his sister if he paid Rs 50,000.

Sat Pal borrowed the money from a relative and paid it to Raja Ram. Raja Ram came to him again a few days before the proposed marriage and said the Chalichak panchayat had imposed a further fine of Rs 20,000 on them in the divorce case.

Sat Pal paid that amount too to Raja Ram. Sat Pal’s marriage was solemnised with Sukhpal Kaur on October 28, 2005. His family gifted gold ornaments to the bride.

The women’s brother came to Sat Pal’s house 10 days after the marriage and took her sister to his village saying that she would return after five or six days. He came after a few days and told Sat Pal that Sukh pal’s earlier husband had demanded Rs 30,000 more and threatened to register an FIR against them in case they failed to make the payment. Sat Pal made the payment, but Sukhpal Kaur did not return.

When he went to Bhagu village to fetch his wife he was shocked to learn that Raja Ram and his family had fled from the village. He, somehow, located Raja Ram in some other village. The latter told him that Sukhpal had made up with her earlier husband and returned to live with him.

Some villagers told Sat Pal that Raja Ram had been fleecing both husbands of his sister and ultimately sent her with the earlier husband from whom he had got more money.

Sat Pal has demanded that either his wife or the money be restored to him.

Ambala, December 17
A land scam worth crores of rupees is said to have taken place in Nurdh village located within the Mullana area.

The villagers allege that a sitting MLA is involved in an attempt to take over ‘shamlat’ land (village common land) while the MLA maintained that the allegations were baseless and without any merit.

The dispute is over 103 acres of ‘shamlat’ land in Nurdh village. It is being alleged that Naggal MLA Nirmal Singh is trying to forcibly take over the possession of the land through his henchmen.

When Chandigarh Tribune contacted Mr Nirmal Singh, he denied all such allegations and said the villagers were not telling the truth. “This matter is more than nine years old and there is a need to verify the facts. As far as I understand it, the same piece of land has been sold several times,” he said.

He said the issue was not a recent one as five-year- old poplar trees can be seen on the land. “Some people known to me are purchasing this land. However, I must stress that it is the responsbility of the seller to ensure that legality is maintained and the possession is handed over,” he said.

Mr Nirmal Singh said earlier full and final payment of the land had been made but the disputed land had gone back to the village panchayat due to which registry of the sale deed could not be carried out. “The land deal is transparent and clear. There is nothing wrong in this case,” he said.

The residents of Nurdh village, however, alleged that the MLA was trying to forcibly take possession of ‘shamlat’ land. They said that they had met senior district administration officials in this regard and had also approached the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda. They said they had sent a representation to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also.

The Superintendent of Police Ambala, Mr Rajbir Deswal, said there was a dispute over ‘‘mushtarka malka’’ in Nurdh village. “We are ensuring that law and order is maintained, a court order is honoured and action will be taken purely on the basis of merit of the case,” he said.

He said there was a dispute over 103 acres of village common land since 1991. “A person named Waryam Singh had bought parts of the land. Thereafter, in 1996, a person named Bakshi had taken 60 acres of the land on contract for planting poplar trees. Later, the villagers demanded that the poplar trees should be cut and the land should be handed back to them,” he said.

He also said an attempt had been made to browbeat the villagers following which they had approached the police. “Officers were sent to look into the matter. The people were directed to respect court’s judgement and a status quo is being maintained,” he said.

Mr Rajbir Deswal said as a preventive action, a list of persons involved in the case had been prepared. The list contains the names of those persons who might create disturbance in this case.

Hisar, December 17
Accusing Haryana Transport Minister Randeep Surjewala of betraying the nation by giving a false statement in the Iraq oil scam, the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has demanded his immediate removal from the state Cabinet.

Senior INLD leader and former Haryana Finance Minister, Prof Sampat Singh, maintained that the submission of a copy of Mr Surjewala’s letter by Jagat Singh had left no doubt about his being involved in the scam.

Terming Mr Surjewala as the main conspirator in the oil scam, Professor Singh said the Transport Minister, who was then the president of the Youth Congress, had sent Jagat Singh to Iraq with a letter as part of the conspiracy.

The INLD leader maintained that in view of the seriousness of the matter, Mr Surjewala should be sacked from the Cabinet, suspended from the Assembly and a criminal case be registered against him.

Ambala, December 17
A cycle expedition of The Bombay Sappers of the Army reached Ambala Cantonment this evening.

The expedition was flagged in by Brig A.T. Parnaik, Chief Engineer, at Ambala. The expedition is being held to commemorate the centenary reunion celebration of The Bombay Sappers. The expedition covered 725 km from Chandi Mandir before reaching Ambala this evening.

From Ambala, the cyclists will leave for Paonta Sahib and back to Chandi Mandir. Along the route, the team performed kar seva at major gurdwaras.

The expedition team comprises Maj EG Muthuraj, Maj Yogesh Nair, Capt (Dr) H.S. Naghi, besides three JCOs and 20 other ranks.

The team also has a compliment from The Sikh Light Infantry. The aim of the expedition is to foster goodwill among ex-servicemen and people.

Rewari, December 17
The Chief Minister Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda laid the foundation stone of the teaching block of the post-graduate regional center (PGRC) of MDU, Rohtak, at its original site in Mirpur village, about 10 km from here, yesterday.

A sum of Rs. 10 crore has been earmarked for its construction.

The PGRC, which had been running in a rented accommodation here since 1988, is expected to function at Mirpur from the next academic session.

The Former Chief Minister Mr. Bhajan Lal had laid the foundation stone of the center on June 4, 1995, at Mirpur village. A 100-acre piece of land was donated by the panchayat for it.

A sum of about Rs 72 lakh, provided in two instalments by the state government was spent on building the boundary wall and internal roads at the site. — OC

Ambala, December 17
The annual sports-cum-prize distribution function of Harikrishan Das SD Public School, Ambala Cantonment was held here today.

Haryana Education Minister Phool Chand Mullana was the chief guest, while Ambala Cantonment MLA DK Bansal presided over the function.

An impressive marchpast was carried out by the students. The cultural programme commenced with a welcome dance by the junior students. The school principal read out the annual report.

Students from nursery to class XII participated in different sports events and cultural items. The tiny tots danced to a patriotic song. Haryanvi folk dance and Dandiya was presented by senior students.

Mr Phool Chand Mullana reiterated his commitment to improve educational facilities in Ambala district.

Prizes, numbering 270, were given for academics and sports. The merit holders in the CBSE and those who achieved distinction at the national level in sports were given special prizes. Shivani Mittal of class XII who topped in Ambala by getting 91 per cent and Mayank Jain of class X who secured 100 per cent marks in maths were awarded special prizes.

Chandigarh, December 17
A written examination conducted here for the recruitment of special teachers for disabled children in Haryana was cancelled today.

Official sources said while the test was being held specifically for teachers for disabled children, a large number of persons landed up at the examination centre at Lajpat Rai Bhavan here thinking it was a test for recruiting contractual teachers for teaching general students.

The intruders created a ruckus at the centre forcing the Haryana Prathamik Shiksha Pariyojna Parishad (HPSPP), which was conducting the test, to cancel it.

Those who had landed up in Chandigarh by mistake for the test had apparently applied earlier for posts of contractual teacher and were even given their roll numbers. However, the state government later had second thoughts on recruiting teachers on contract.

In a press note issued here, the Project Director of the HPSPP said the examination for the recruitment of special teachers was scrapped due to unavoidable circumstances. The new date for the examination would be intimated to the applicants, it added.

Karnal, December 17
Gram panchayats may engage more sweepers on part time basis to provide better sanitary conditions in villages. Addressing a meeting of district development officers (DDOs) yesterday Mr NC Wadhwa, Commissioner, Rohtak division, directed them to motivate all the Panchayats of the district to ensure total sanitation in their villages as the filth spreads different diseases.

The Commissioner also asked them to pursue the villagers to construct latrines in their houses. He asked the District Development and Panchayat Officer to serve notices to the sarpanches of those villages where filth was accumulated in the populated area of the villages. — TNS