Hisar, April 1
The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has stated that the concept of a judicial system based on lok adalats was in tune with our ancient culture, besides being an important constituent of the country’s democratic set-up.

He was addressing a seminar organised by the Haryana State Legal Services Authority (HALSA) at the Indira Gandhi Auditorium of Haryana Agricultural University prior to inaugurating the state’s first permanent division-level Lok Adalat here today.

Mr Hooda disclosed that such division-level lok adalats would also be established at Rohtak, Ambala and Gurgaon, adding that an amount of Rs 162.24 crore would be spent on the renovation and construction work of judicial complexes across the state.

A special Lok Adalat was also organised under the aegis of the Legal Services Authority at the District Judicial Complex to mark the occasion.

Appreciating the role played by HALSA in delivering prompt justice at affordable costs, the Chief Minister noted that more than 5 lakh cases had been settled at 2,588 lok adalats organised so far.

“The panahyats and their elected members were held in high esteem by all in the past, but their sanctity has deteriorated,” Mr Hooda observed, adding that the lok adalats and fast-track courts had been set up for speedy and preferably on-the-spot disposal of cases. In an emotional appeal, the lawyer-turned-politician called upon advocates attending the seminar to charge minimum fee from the poor clients. “Garib aadmi se fees kam se kam liya karo,” he exhorted the lawyers.

Mr Hooda reiterated that a separate high court for the state would be established, claiming that the matter was being effectively pursued.

In his presidential speech, Mr Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, a Judge at the Punjab and Haryana High Court, who is also the Executive Chairman of the state Legal Services Authority, maintained that a mass movement was required to make the residents aware of their Constitutional and legal rights and to make the lok adalats a success.

The Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Mr Justice D.K. Jain, who was slated to attend the function, could not make it due to the oath-taking ceremony of the new high court judges.

The Administrative Judge, Hisar, Mrs Justice Nirmal Yadav, and the District and Sessions Judge, Mrs Anita Chaudhry, addressed the gathering at the seminar. Mr Shekhar Dhawan, member-secretary, HALSA, was also present.

A large number of legal luminaries, the Vice-Chancellors of Haryana Agricultural University and Guru Jambheshwar University, besides the local MP, MLAs and senior administrative and police officials, attended the seminar.

Rohtak, April 1
Former Union Minister Chand Ram has demanded a ban on the use of harvester combines in Haryana to overcome the acute shortage of fodder.

In a communication to Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today, he said though these machines harvested the crop speedily, there was no residual fodder. Haryana and its neighbouring Rajasthan faced acute shortage of fodder during summer, he added.

He said these machines had rendered rural labourers without work during harvesting season. The labourers used to collect their entire year’s stock of wheat as labour for harvesting.

Mr Chand Ram said late Devi Lal had imposed a ban on harvester combines during his regime. However, it had been withdrawn later.

He said the government should also put a ban on engaging labourers from other states. The inhuman conditions in which farm labourers and those engaged in road construction work from other states lived warranted such a step.

Chandigarh, April 1
The Haryana School Education Department today announced the teacher transfer policy for 2006-07. There would be no general transfers except in need-based cases. The transfer process would be completed by April 30 every year, it was stated.

The Education Minister, Mr Phool Chand Mullana, said the policy had been framed in consultation with teachers’ unions.

He said under this policy, applications would be invited for transfer in the prescribed application form. Last date for the receipt of transfer applications by the Block Education Officer (BEO) concerned through the head of the institution would be April 7. Date of receipt of transfer applications from BEOs to the DEO’s office would be April 10.

The applications from districts would have to reach the Directorate by April 12. The scrutiny of transfer applications would be done on April 20 and adjustments and corrections made on April 30. The applications were to be originally received at the level of the institution only. However, in the case of JBT applicants, these could be given to the BEOs direct.

The transfer order would be implemented within one week from the date it was issued. Salary would not be paid in the case of non-compliance with the transfer order within the stipulated period.

The powers of transfer of school-cadre lecturers would be with the Director-General, School Education. The transfer of masters and mistresses would be handled by the Joint Director concerned. District Education Officers had been empowered to issue transfer orders within the district of C&V teachers after approval from the Directorate. District Elementary Education Officers would issue the transfer orders of JBT teachers after approval from the Directorate.

The teachers who had not done the mandatory rural service at the first appointment or on promotion would be transferred so as to comply with the statutory rules. Those who had done five years of continuous urban service could also be transferred to work in the rural areas for at least two years.

In the case of mutual transfers no request would be entertained in case both applicants were from the urban areas/ same city except where urban service was less than two years. Transfers/adjustments may be affected due to the rationalisation of the teaching staff based on student strength as per requirements.

Transfers would be made on administrative grounds such as on recommendations or misconduct report of the head of the institution, public representatives or panchayat representatives, etc., or complaints from some quarters or poor results.

Mutual transfers would be permissible if both teachers gave their consent in writing and ordinarily not more than twice in their service career. The transfer application of the same candidates would not be entertained the second time.

For the purpose of transfers “longer stay” meant a stay of two years and a teacher could be transferred after the expiry of two years.

A teacher would be transferred against a vacancy. However, the teacher could indicate a station where a “longer stayee” might be dislocated if deemed fit by the department. If a teacher had been transferred on his own request at a particular station he would not be allowed to seek transfer to another station before the expiry of two years.

The normal stay at a station would be five years. A teacher could be dislocated even before five years but not before two years. The period of stay would not be applicable in case of transfers made on administrative grounds.

Only female staff or male teachers above the age of 50 years would be posted in girls’ schools. 

Chandigarh, April 1
The Agriculture Department, Haryana, has launched a unique campaign to wean away farmers from summer paddy, Saathi, by replacing it with dhaincha for green manuring. This will not only improve soil health, but also stem the depletion of ground water table caused by saathi.

Across the districts of Karnal, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and parts of Fatehabad and Yamunanagar, officials of the Agriculture Department are engaged in creating a people's movement against the cultivation of saathi.

Over the past two months, awareness campaigns have been launched in various villages, where farmers are being convinced to pledge against sowing of saathi, and replenishing mother earth with nutrients to prepare it for the paddy crop by planting dhaincha seed.

Being leguminous, dhaincha fixes nitrogen from the air into the soil, and its leaves, being rich in nutrient, if buried in the fields also improve soil health. Though sowing dhaincha — between the wheat and paddy crop — was a traditional practice in Haryana, over the years, it was discarded by farmers in favour of saathi. The summer paddy fetches farmers Rs 10,000 per acre, and is thus preferred for quick returns.

"The water requirement of saathi (transplanted in the fields in April and harvested by June-end) is very high. There is hardly any rain during this period, and evapo- transpiration rates are high.

Thus, underground water is exploited, depleting both the water table and soil nutrients. In our interactive sessions with farmers, we highlighted these facts, playing at farmers' emotions by telling them how saathi was harming their mother earth," said Mr R K Khullar, Director, Agriculture, Haryana.

In fact, three years ago, the then Deputy Commissioner of Karnal, Mr R S Doon, had issued orders against sowing and cultivation of summer paddy. Wherever farmers were found growing the crop, these were destroyed, and as a result the water table in the district had gone up, and lesser amount of urea and DAP was used in the ensuing paddy crop. However, the programme was abandoned the next year because of lack of political will.

Mr Khullar said they realised that weaning farmers away from saathi was a collective action problem, and farmers having land holdings side-by-side had to be convinced to stop sowing the summer paddy.

"After convincing farmers in Fatehabad, who vowed not to sow saathi, they were asked to participate and influence other farmers in Karnal and Gulla Chikka in Kaithal. This farmer-to-farmer interaction has led to more and more people deciding against the summer paddy.

After one of our awareness campaigns, a farmer in Akanwali village in Fatehabad, Jasvir Singh, was so moved that he went to his fields and destroyed saathi sown on 10 acres. He is now our 'ambassador" for promoting villagers against sowing of saathi. Last year, 50,000 hectares of land was under saathi cultivation, we hope to reduce it to less than half this year," said Mr Khullar.

Jhajjar, April 1
Congress MP Deepender Hooda has embarked upon a unique experiment in public service by founding a social service organisation called Sewa which will hold mega health camps in the entire Rohtak parliamentary constituency for free health check up and treatment if necessary of all residents of the constituency irrespective of party affiliation.

The newly set up organisation is dedicated to freedom fighters. He has roped in several NGOs and reputed speciality hospitals for the purpose. These include Escorts Heart Hospital, Delhi, Jaipur Golden Hospital, Delhi, Sunflag Hospital, Faridabad, Bhagwan Mahavir Viklaang Sewa Samiti, Jaipur, Guru Gobind Singh Centenary Dental Institute, Gurgaon, and the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak to name a few.

Mr Hooda told The Tribune here today that the first three-day camp would begin here tomorrow. On the first day the entire population of Jhajjar and Beri assembly constituencies will be covered. On the second day residents of Bahadurgarh and Badli constituencies would be given a health check up. The concluding day will cover the Sahlawas assembly segment.

The Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Jhajjar district administration and the Red Cross Society will also be involved in the massive exercise.

Panipat, April 1
Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dharambir Singh has urged the Centre to introduce the Rural Employment Guarantee Programme in entire Haryana.

Mr Dharambir Singh said here this afternoon that instead of introducing the much-ambitious scheme in a phased-manner, the entire state should be covered under it. He said the scheme would help in checking unemployment in the rural areas.

He was in the town to address party workers for the April 5 visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to lay the foundation stone for an over bridge on the GT Road.

The Secretary said the over bridge would be constructed at a cost of Rs 317 crore and would greatly ease traffic congestion. He said soon village chaupals would be repaired and focus would be on the development of villages.

Stadiums would be constructed at the village level to encourage sports among the rural masses, he added.

Ambala, April 1
An elderly man has been done to death in Ambala Sadar. The incident came to light this morning.

Wazir Chand (75) was murdered at his residence in Chain Ki Mandi in Ambala Sadar. His hands and feet had been tied up. There were injury marks on his body.

The victim had been living alone after his wife’s death. He used to run a small shop in Sadar Bazar. This morning, his nephew Harish went to meet him after fetching milk. When there was no response, Harish peeped inside. He noticed his uncle’s body lying on a cot. Harish immediately informed the local people.

Police officers, including SP Rajbir Deswal, reached the spot. Forensic experts also visited the spot.

The possibility of a property dispute leading to the murder is not being ruled out.

Yamunanagar, April 1
A large number of women of Bhurkalana village of the Chhachhrouli block did not allow a newly opened liquor shop to function and locked it.

They later staged a dharna demanding the cancellation of the shop. Residents of Saranwa village of the Sadhaura block also did not allow two liquor shops to start business in the village and blocked traffic on the Barara – Sadhaura road for more than two hours.

They were demanding the shifting of the shops from the residential areas of the village.

Yesterday also,residents of Madhu Colony,Geeta Colony, Chita Mandir road and Chaudhry Colony had objected to the opening of a liquor shop in Maha Dev Colony on Munda Majra road. A memorandum was submitted to the administration demanding cancellation of the shop.