New Delhi, April 3
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lay the foundation stone for a 10-km long highway, which also includes the 3.4-km elevated stretch, at Panipat on Wednesday.

The Rs 325-crore state-of-the-art highway will pass right through the heart of city and will be executed by the L&T Panipat Elevated Corridor Pvt Ltd with a negative grant of Rs 96.4 crore (net present value) on the built-operate-transfer (BOT) basis.

The contract agreement for the project was signed on July 27, 2005 and the preliminary ground work is on. The construction period for the highway is about three years with the concession period of 20 years. This means that the six-lane between 86.0 km and 96.0 km on the NH-I will be ready for use by 2009.

The project constitutes providing six-lane highway for thorough fare with an elevated structure over most of the central built-up section covering the congested crossing at Gohana road, Sanauli road, Assand road crossings and going up to the Skylark tourist complex where Haryana Mini Secretariat is likely to come up.

The other features of this access-controlled six-lane highway include separate two-lane peripheral road with paved shoulders on either side for the local traffic.

The elevated structure will have 3048-m viaduct and 360-m ramps, covering central built up at the Panipat section, including the Gohana, Sanauli and Asand road crossings, besides the bus stand and up to the Skylark tourist complex, an official spokesperson of the NHAI said.

Two underpasses at 87.365 km and 93.600 km with 5.5-m vertical clearance and 20-m effective span to accommodate four-lane divided carriage-way with a median and 1.5-m footpath on the either side will be provided for pedestrians.

Besides this a new bridge covering peripheral roads and the main carriage-way over the existing “gunda nullah” crossing near the PWD rest house will also be constructed along with signalised junctions for the Gohana and Sanauli road crossings, the Railway road, bus stand, Devi mandir road and the Assand road crossing with thorough traffic going elevated stricture.

Widening, construction and reconstruction of culverts drains ducts for services have also been planned along with a multi-lane toll plaza. 

Yamunanagar, April 3
Rakesh who allegedly strangulated his “girlfriend” to death in a hotel room is claimed to have admitted that he killed her as he felt his life was in danger because of her.

After allegedly killing Tarwinder Kaur (20), a BA (III) student of Hindu Girls College, Jagadhri, he had tried to end his own life. He is admitted to the PGI, Chandigarh. An official of the district police is at the PGI waiting for Rakesh to recover.

In a handwritten document, Rakesh, stated that had he not killed Tarwinder, the latter would have eliminated him.

The body of Tarwinder was found in a Jagadhri hotel. She had reportedly rented the room along with Rakesh (who had signed as Amit in the hotel logbook) on Saturday.

Police sources said she had been frequenting the hotel with Rakesh during the past several years.

The sources said Tarwinder had left her Patri Mohala residence (Jagadhri) on Saturday on the pretext of returning books to the college library. When she did not return “in time”, her parents started search for her.

Meanwhile, the hotel staff noticed a body in the room and informed the police. The body was later identified as that of Tarwinder.

On Saturday evening, Rakesh was found lying in Amadalpur village after he apparently tried to end his life.

The police today registered a case under Sections 302 and 309, IPC, against Rakesh.

Hisar, April 3
Senior INLD leader and former Haryana Finance Minister Sampat Singh has alleged that a multi-crore underhand dealing had taken place in the allotment of liquor vends in the state, adding that a CBI inquiry should be instituted in this regard.

Stating that the new excise policy, introduced by the Hooda government, had proved to be a failure, Prof Singh maintained that the government’s move to open more vends and allow “free flow of liquor” from other states would lead to clashes and upsurge in crime.

Addressing a news conference here today, the former minister pointed out that contrary to the claims of the government, no increase had been registered in the revenue earned through licence fee for liquor vends.

He also condemned the reported decision of the authorities concerned to allot vends to “selected” parties at the considerably reduced rates. Accusing the Hooda regime of breaching the faith of state Assembly, Prof Singh asserted that by stating that the state’s high court could be located anywhere, the Chief Minister had forgone Haryana’s claim over Chandigarh.

The INLD leader even charged the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre with having a pro-Punjab stance and neglecting Haryana’s interests. “In view of the impending elections to the Punjab Assembly, the Centre is trying to give an edge to the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, at the cost of the interests of Haryana,” he added.

Prof Singh maintained that the Centre could start the work on the completion of the SYL canal, but instead of doing so, it was purposely dilly-dallying the matter and misleading the Haryana people on the issue.

Jhajjar, April 3
With the surrender of Sanjay Tyagi, a contract killer, the police is claimed to have solved the murder case of a cable operator in Bahadurgarh town.

The accused is currently lodged at the Moti Nagar police station in Delhi, police sources said here today.

He would be brought here on transit remand, for which a police team had been sent to Delhi.

According to DSP Balwan Singh Rana, Sanjay Tyagi (38), a resident of Sector 6, Bahadurgarh, around 12 cases of murder had been registered against Tyagi in Haryana alone.

The police said he had been hired for Rs 10 lakh to kill the cable operator, Ashok Sharma, last month.

He was also involved in a double murder case in Chhudani village and executing the murder of a trader, Vijay Aggrawal, in Karnal.

He had also shot a Haryana policeman and another murder accused around five years ago in Bahadurgarh.

In all, 16 cases of murder were registered against him in Haryana and Delhi, besides around 30 other cases of dacoity, theft and attempt to murder.

The police had received a tip-off about his hideout in Sector 6, Bahadurgarh, and it raided on the premises on March 25, but he managed to give them a slip. 

Ambala, April 3
The issue of the quality of construction of roads is refusing to die down in the Municipal Council, Ambala Sadar area.

Former Ambala Cantt MLA and Vikas Parishad chief Anil Vij today said a vigilance committee comprising Congress municipal councillors had found that the roads constructed were of questionable quality.

"It has come to our notice that an understanding had been worked out between MLA D.K. Bansal and MC President Neelam Sharma. The people of Ambala Cantt would like to know about the status of the allegations levelled by the Congress MCs," he said.

The poor quality of roads had been highlighted after 10 municipal councillors had offered to tender their resignation over the matter. They had expressed their displeasure with the construction work. Following it, a meeting between Mr Bansal and Ms Neelam Sharma took place. Mr Bansal said Ms Sharma assured that good quality roads would be constructed. "It is a serious issue and the quality of the construction of roads needs to be closely monitored," he said.

Ms Sharma said she had directed the officials concerned to take samples and forward them for testing in laboratories.

Yamunanagar, April 3
The Yamunanagar District Property Dealers Association held a dharna and raised slogans against the district administration at mini secretariat, Jagadhri today. Activists of the association also tried to block the Jagadhri-Saharanpur road.

The property dealers who had gathered at the secretariat were of the view in the law regarding the rates of registration of land, the district administration had no role. Mr Deepak Sondhi, President of the association, said that the officials concerned misguide people who go to them for registry of land.

“The rates have been hiked between three and five times. In past the hike used to be between five and 10 per cent”, said Mr Sondhi. He said that this year municipal bodies would carry out assessment of house tax and the ‘unprecedented’ hike in rates would increase the burden of common man.

Meanwhile, woman residents of Burkalan village of Chhachhrouli block who are holding a dharna against the cancellation of the newly allocated liquor vends in their village today submitted a memorandum to the administration during the weekly ‘khula darbar’ today. Activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh under the leadership of Mr Ran Singh Roadchappar raised slogans against the Centre of its proposed move to import 15 lakh quintals of wheat. 

Sirsa, April 3
Mortal remains of Bala Ram a veteran of the Netaji Bose’s “Azad Hind Fauj” were consigned to flames with full state honours in his native Village Ludesar of the district on Sunday.

A contingent of the police fired into the air to pay homage to the departed soul, official said here today.

Mr Bharat Singh Beniwal MLA (Darba)and Naib Tehsildar Suresh Kumar represented the district Administration. A large number of people from the surrounding areas paid rich tributes to the brave soldier. — PTI