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Woman shot at in Ambala
Illegal mining in Mewat: Agnivesh
Wood collection poses threat to national park
Nature plays cruel joke on Siwani farmers
Lokayukta to take oath today
Power crisis ‘creating law and order problems’
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Former SHO, Munshi booked
Slogans raised against govt
Last date extended
Child killed in mishap
Protesting students lift blockade
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Woman shot at in Ambala
Ambala, January 15 Ritu was returning home around 11 am after paying obeisance at Kali Bari Temple, when she was shot at in Bengali Mohalla. Three motor cycle-borne youths, who were waiting for her, opened fire when she reached near cross road No. 2 in Bengali Mohalla. Two of the youths were armed. According to eyewitnesses, despite being hit, Ritu got up and ran to save her life. The youths gave her a chase and kept on firing towards her. She sustained four bullet injuries. The assailants escaped on the motor cycle. Thereafter, Ritu boarded a rickshaw and went to the Ambala Sadar police station where she narrated the incident. She was then taken to the Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantonment. Ritu has reportedly said that the three persons involved in the shooting incident were Nishan Singh, Randeep Rana and Kallu. Persons who accompanied Ritu to the PGI, Chandigarh, said, “We had to make our own arrangements to take her to the PGI. It is unfortunate that the victim did not receive police assistance for going to Chandigarh.” Ambala SP Rajbir Deswal said the possibility of gang rivalry could not be ruled out. “Ritu has received multiple bullet injuries and she was taken to the Civil Hospital in a policy gypsy,” he said. He said it seemed that the incident was preplanned. “We are carrying out raids at different places and are hopeful of an early breakthrough,” he added. A police official said Ritu was to appear in a court tomorrow. “We are investigating whether today’s attack on her was related to her court appearance,” he said. |
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Illegal mining in Mewat: Agnivesh
Chandigarh, January 15 Since the family has connections in the ruling party as well as the Opposition, the administration prefers to turn a blind eye to violations of various laws rather than be firm with the violators, alleges Swami Agnivesh, a renowned Arya Samajist and president of the Bandhua Mukti Morcha. When recently a TV channel highlighted the illegal mining and violations of various laws in Mewat district, residents openly blamed two prominent members of the political family. The Swami says while the company, patronised by the political family, has got the mining rights in certain areas legally, it is also taking out minerals from such areas in which it has no right to do so. It is alleged that before the Supreme Court imposed a strict ban on overloading of trucks, the violators were issuing bills according to the capacity of the trucks only, while evading sales tax leviable on the quantity in excess of the sanctioned capacity of the vehicles. When the state government banned overloading in pursuant to the apex court orders, they all together stopped issuing bills for minerals being taken to nearby places. Swami Agnivesh says due to the illegal mining, the interests of labourers are suffering. They have to work in extremely polluted conditions. There is no check on unsafe mining practices. He says his organisation will soon convene a convention of mine workers at which the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, will be invited so that the problem of illegal mining can be highlighted before him. The fire-brand Congress MLA from Palwal, Mr Karam Singh Dalal, confirmed that the roads in Mewat and Faridabad districts had been reduced to rubbles by overloaded trucks carrying stones. Why are the authorities not acting against the violators? While the Chief Minister has set strict standards of conduct for himself, it seems he believes in giving a long rope to his colleagues, leaving it to their conscience to decide what is proper and what is not. When Mr Hooda became the Chief Minister, a legal case was pending against him and certain members of his family. Instead of using his influence on the police to drop the case, he preferred to wait for judicial verdict. A court of law exonerated him and his family of all charges. However, he did not adopt similar standards for some of his colleagues, against whom the previous government had registered criminal cases, allegedly out of political vendetta. The present government withdrew cases against them instead of waiting for the courts to find out the veracity of the charges against them. Had the courts declared the charges as unfounded, it would have carried greater conviction with the people. The sources say the authorities are reluctant to take action against the violators because of their political connections. They still want a clear signal from the Chief Minister before moving to check illegal mining and evasion of state revenue. |
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Wood collection poses threat to national park
Sultanpur (Gurgaon): The Sultanpur National Park in Gurgaon district is bearing the brunt of callousness of the Haryana Wildlife Department.
A recent visit to the park revealed that some labourers were busy in collecting wood from the park to keep the fire of their hearths burning. When they were told that the collection of wood from national parks and sanctuaries was banned, they feigned ignorance. Peter Jackson, a world famous ornithologist, had identified the potential of the park. Keeping in view its potential, an area of 352 acres was declared a bird sanctuary in 1971. It was upgraded to the status of a national park in 1991. Nearly 250 species of resident and migratory birds have been recorded here. A long time ago even the Siberian crane used to visit the park. Says Suresh C. Sharma, a New Delhi-based bird lover: “This is a direct interference with nature. The sanctuary is home to thousands of birds and various mammals like the blue bull, civet cat, jackal and hare. Most of the insects and reptiles use broken branches to hide. Their unscientific removal will affect the invertebrate fauna, resulting in food shortage for birds. Some bird species like the spotted owlet use dead trees for roosting and nesting.” Mr Sharma had spotted a pair of the white-browed bushchat, a rare bird species, in the park in 2001. Section 29 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, bans the removal of anything from the park, including dead flora and fauna. It says the habitat can be improved but with the permission of the state wildlife board. Certain invasive flora species are also threatening the habitat of the birds. “The invasive plant prosopis is growing uncontrolled in the park destroying both the lake and the grassland habitat. This requires urgent attention,” says Mr K.S. Gopi Sundar, Research Associate (India), International Crane Foundation, USA. “If the rampant growth of prosopis is not checked, the system will change from a wetland to a scrub habitat,” he warns. The Deputy Chief Wildlife Warden, Mr Malkit Singh, says unscientific removal of anything from the national park is banned. “If somebody is collecting wood from the Sultanpur park, it is illegal. I will enquire into the matter,” he adds. |
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Nature plays cruel joke on Siwani farmers
Siwani (Bhiwani), January 15 A visit to these villages revealed that the intense cold-wave conditions prevailing in the region have caused an extensive damage to the mustard and gram (chana), which are the main crops of the area. This has dashed the hopes of the farmers, who were expecting a good yield this year. According to local residents, the Siwani area had scanty or no rainfall during the past seven years, which led to repeated crop failure. Since the block lies at the tail end of a canal, it got very little water for irrigation. Due to the prolonged dry spell, the villagers also faced an acute shortage of drinking water and animal fodder. Farmer leader Mohar Singh, who has been Sarpanch of Kalod village, vice-chairman of Siwani Block Committee and member of Zila Parishad, points out that farmers are in dire straits and are felling green trees or migrating to other places to earn their livelihood. After their repeated requests to the authorities concerned went unnoticed, the distraught farmers staged a protest demonstration at Bhiwani in October last. Following this, the Hisar Divisional Commissioner and the Bhiwani Deputy Commissioner assured them of quick action. A special “girdawari” (survey) was carried out, on the basis of which a proposal on providing a relief package to the affected farmers was sent to the higher authorities. “Though an amount of Rs 20 lakh has been sent to the local Tehsildar for providing animal fodder to the residents of 13 worst-hit villages, the Rs 14.60 crore relief package is still awaited,” maintains Mr Dayanand Poonia, the state secretary of the All-India Kisan Sabha. He demands that the benefit of the crop insurance scheme should also be given to the climate-hit farmers. Apart from the natural calamities, rampant corruption in various government departments, theft of canal water and erratic power supply also add to the woes of the farmers. Their fields being uneven, irrigating these is also very difficult. “After a long period of suffering, reasonable rain and increased supply of canal water for irrigation had made us expect a good crop. However, the unprecedented cold wave has dashed all our hopes,” says farmer Rajender Singh, who is also a former Sarpanch of Khera village under Siwani block. Villagers maintain that in the given circumstances, a substantial relief package seems to be their only hope to tide out of the crisis. |
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Lokayukta to take oath today
Hailing from a family of lawyers — his father, Mr Durga Dutt Sud, was a well-known lawyer at Jalandhar — Justice Sud was born on July 23, 1944. The family originally hails from Kangra district, Himachal Pradesh. Having studied law at Panjab University, Chandigarh, Justice Sud entered the legal profession in 1965. He was a leading taxation lawyer at Jalandhar before his elevation as Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. He took oath as High Court Judge in May 1999. In his new role as Lokayukta of Haryana, Justice Sud will hear and decide complaints against senior Haryana Government functionaries, including the Chief Minister, ministers and officials. He will have a five-year tenure as the
Lokayukta. The post of Lokayukta, Haryana, has been vacant since September 18, 1999, when the then incumbent Justice
I.P. Vashishth was unceremoniously removed by the previous Om Prakash Chautala government. Justice
Vashishth, who was appointed the Lokayukta on January 1, 1999, by the Bansi Lal government for five years, was removed by the Chautala government just two months after it came into power. The Chautala government had repealed the Haryana Lok Pal Act, 1997, through an Ordinance. A PIL had been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking directions to the Haryana Government to appoint a
Lokayukta. The government initiated the process of appointment of Lokayukta only after a Division Bench of the High Court, headed by Mr Justice H.S. Bedi, on February 25, 2004, directed it to appoint a Lokayukta within six months. On a contempt plea preferred by the petitioner in the PIL, Mr Naresh Kadyan of Rohtak, seeking action against the Chief Secretary, Haryana, for not implementing the February 25 order of the High Court, the High Court has issued a contempt notice to the Chief Secretary. |
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Power crisis ‘creating law and order problems’
Sonepat, January 15 According to a report, residents blocked the Sonepat-Rohtak road for two hours near Jharot village 8 km from here today to protest against non-replacing of burnt power transformer by the officials concerned for the past 10 days despite several representations sent to them. A large number of vehicles including trucks, buses and cars were held up on both sides of the road. The demonstrators raised slogans against the government and the UHBVN. They did not allow any vehicle pass. On receiving an information, the SHO, Kharkhauda police station with policemen reached to the spot but failed to get the blockade lifted. Thereafter Mr Amarjit Singh Mann, SDM, Mr Subhash Chander Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr J.K. Jain, Executive Engineer, UHBVN and other officials reached the scene and assured the residents that the defective transformer would be replaced by this evening. On this assurance, the residents lifted the blockade. According to another report, a large number of people including women blocked the Panchi road at Ganaur town, 16 km from here today in protest against the failure of the UHBVN officials to replace burnt transformers in the Gandhi Nagar area for the past two weeks. On receipt of an information, DSP Shiv Dayal and Tehsildar Suresh Kumar reached the scene and got the blockade lifted. |
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Former SHO, Munshi booked
Sonepat, January 15 According to a report, the action was taken after a complaint was lodged by the Deputy Superintendent of Police, Ganaur, Mr Shiv Dayal. He alleged in the complaint that samples of chemicals taken in a case of corruption registered against Mahinder Pal Kaushik, Block Development and Panchayat Officer, Rai and his peon Hari Chand on October 31 last year had been changed. The arrests of these officials were made on the complaint of Mr Bijender, husband of Ms Saroj Devi, a woman sarpanch of Nangal Kalan village by a raiding party headed by Mr Hoshiar Singh Siwach, City Magistrate and the DSP, Ganaur, Mr Shiv Dayal who recovered Rs 5,000 which they had accepted as bribe from him. The police had taken as many as eight samples of chemicals which were put in the currency notes. Four samples were sent to Madhuban laboratory for testing but these were found negative. Thereafter, another four samples which had been kept in the police station, Rai, were sent for testing and these were found correct. When a report in this regard was received by the DSP he started an inquiry and found that samples had been changed in the police station and sent to Madhuban laboratory for testing. The DSP found the above mentioned police officials guilty and lodged a complaint in this regard. Investigations in the case are still in progress. However, no arrest has been made in this connection so far. |
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Slogans raised against govt
Ambala, January 15 Mr Anil Vij said that the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government has failed to meet the
aspirations of the people. “The works which had been approved by the previous government have been put on hold. It is an unfortunate development since people are facing acute inconvenience,” he said. Mr Vij said that the activists will continue to press for their demand for early completion of sanctioned projects. “We fail to understand why sanctioned programmes have been put on hold by the Hooda government”, he said. He demanded that a White Paper should be issued on the works which were approved during his tenure and the money which was sanctioned by the Centre. “We will continue to raise our voice against injustice by the Congress government in Haryana. If the problems are not sorted out, then a bandh will be observed in Ambala Sadar,” he said. The Vikas Parishad activists raised slogans against the government. They demanded that the approved projects should be completed and there should be regular power supply. Law and order situation needs to be improved, they demanded.
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Last date extended
Chandigarh, January 15 An official spokesman said here today that this scheme was launched in the middle of October last in order to avoid prolonged litigation and to settle long-pending court or arbitration cases. The corporations had offered this scheme to its consumers of domestic, non-domestic, industrial, agriculture and bulk supply categories. He said the scheme would be applicable to all disputes (except theft cases booked under the new Electricity Act) pending in courts, including the District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum, the State Commission or arbitration ending August, 2005, and still pending on the date of settlement where penalties had been levied.
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Child killed in mishap
Sirsa, January 15 The injured were admitted to the Civil Hospital here and the body of the deceased was handed over to his kin after autopsy yesterday. According to reports one Satpal, of Budhimari village (Sirsa), along with his son Nanakram (2), and two others was on his way to Dhudianwali village of the district on his
motorcycle on Friday evening. When he arrived near Jiwannagar village his motorcycle was hit by a jeep coming from the opposite direction, which threw all riders on the road. In the meantime, a tractor
trailer ran over them killing the child on the spot and injuring seriously all three pillion riders. Tractor and jeep drivers fled the scene. The Police has registered a case.
— PTI |
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Protesting students lift blockade
Sirsa, January 15 Trouble started when Milkhraj Kamboj, a teacher at Government National Postgraduate College here boarded Haryana Roadways bus of the Karnal Depot from Daryapur village. Some women passengers travelling in the bus wanted to disembark at the Sikanderpur village and requested the conductor to halt the bus, but he stopped the bus almost three kilometres away from the bus stop. When Kamboj objected to this, the conductor allegedly started abusing him and when the bus halted at Sirsa he manhandled him with the aid of some of his colleagues. Kamboj returned to the college, where on hearing of the incident the students blocked the road yesterday. The students also deflated tyres of some of the buses parked at the stand.
— PTI |
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Watchman fired at
Karnal, January 15 According to a police spokesman, the watchman noticed a meat shop open and found unknown persons there in the morning. When he enquired from them, one of them shot at him and fled from the spot. An FIR in this regard was filed at police station concerned here, however no one could be arrested so far. |
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Woman held for theft
Karnal, January 15 |
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Sultanpur (Gurgaon):
Chandigarh, January 15