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Haryana not to appeal against HC order
Sampat demands CBI probe into liquor shop allotments
Mystery surrounds “drowning” deaths
‘Women equally to blame for female foeticide’
Brick-kiln labourers stage demonstration
100 structures demolished
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Admn to display action on complaints on website
Plan to check power line losses
7 towns to have MCs
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Haryana not to appeal against HC order
Chandigarh, May 12 The court had yesterday asked the government to re-advertise 993 liquor shops which were allotted “through contract” on March 31 last. The process of re-allotment is to be completed by May 31. Though the detailed judgement is still awaited, highly-placed sources in the government feel that the judgement is not only fair but it has also vindicated the steps taken by the Excise and Taxation Department to ensure two primary objectives of the new excise policy of the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda. The new policy aimed at breaking the monopoly and bring transparency in the allotment of liquor shops, while protecting the state's revenue. To ensure a level field for big and small players, the government this year decided to do away with the auction system and introduced the allotment of liquor shops through draw of lots. The allotment was done in three phases but 993 shops still remained unallotted as there were no takers for them. These were allotted “through contract” on the eve of the beginning of the new financial year after a public notice was given. Subsequently, licence fee was reduced. While the original licence fee of these shops was estimated to be Rs 220 crore, the reduced fee was Rs 152 crore. The procedure was reportedly adopted to protect the state's revenue. If these shops had remained unallotted, the state would have lost Rs 80 lakh per day. However, when certain persons criticised the procedure, Mr Hooda directed that in order to ensure transparency, objections should be invited and if somebody offered higher fee for a shop, it should be allotted to him. The department issued a public notice on April 11. The sources say counter-claims for 105 shops were received. Before the department could take any action on these claims, the court ordered the status quo.
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Sampat demands CBI probe into liquor shop allotments
Chandigarh, May 12 Talking to TNS today, Mr Sampat Singh said the high court order, quashing the allotments of over 900 liquor shops, vindicated his criticism of the excise policy. The INLD leader said the court order had underscored the fact that these shops were allotted in an illegal manner. He said it was up to the state government to conduct a probe in the matter so that the truth regarding the allotment came to light. “The Chief Minister has shown a penchant for referring all investigations to the CBI. Therefore, this time also he should not hesitate to refer the allotments of liquor shops to the CBI”, Mr Sampat Singh said. The former Finance Minister alleged that Congress politicians in league with bureaucrats and members of the liquor mafia had hatched a conspiracy to offer over 900 country liquor shops to a select few at a reduced price. He said these liquor shops, which found no takers initially, were offered to “the lucky few” at prices which were 40 to 60 per cent less than the licence fee advertised by the state government originally. He also alleged that while on paper it was shown that these allotments were made by March 31, in reality the shops had been allotted up to April 3 and then processed at a back date. Mr Sampat Singh said the state government had increased the quota of country liquor and had also reduced the excise duty. This would have ideally led to an increase in the license free for the shops. But it did not happen, he said. The excise policy, touted as a transparent one, eventually resulted in more than 33 per cent of country liquor shops being offered to “selected people” at throwaway prices, Mr Sampat Singh alleged.
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Mystery surrounds “drowning” deaths
Jhajjar, May 12 According to information, the duo had gone to Delhi last morning. On their return to Mandothi, they decided to take a dip in the canal passing along their village. However, late in the night, the family of Randhawa was informed that he had drowned in the canal. Randhawa was a brother of Sonu, a renowned wrestler, who is the reigning holder of the Bharat Kesari title. Many wrestler friends and family members of Randhawa rushed to the canal and reportedly interrogated Satpal, who was present near the body of Randhawa. Meanwhile, Satpal also “drowned” in the canal and his body was extricated from the canal. In another twist in the ongoing drama, the body of Randhawa was found stuck along the canal bed. Interestingly, the canal water was hardly 5 feet deep. Police sources said circumstances into the incidents indicated that Randhawa was first strangulated. However, when his body could not be recovered, his relatives drowned Satpal in the same canal. There was more surprise in store when the body of Satpal was recovered from the same canal early yesterday. which indicated that his killers had hidden his body and later thrown it in the canal. Meanwhile, a panchayat of village elders was held in the afternoon to strike a compromise between the two families but both groups decided to lodge a case of murder, suspecting each other’s families. The bodies were handed over to the respective families after a post-mortem examination at the Civil Hospital in Bahadurgarh.
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‘Women equally to blame for female foeticide’
Rohtak, May 12 Addressing a function organised here in connection with International Nurses Day, he said men alone could not be held responsible for female foeticide since it required the consent of the woman concerned. He said he felt belittled when he was asked about dwindling sex ratio in Haryana in national conferences. Mr Hooda said nurses could play an important role in rooting out the evil by convincing women about its dangerous ramifications. He sought their help in the government’s endeavour to eliminate female foeticide. The Chief Minister announced that nursing students would be given monthly stipend from this month onwards. The first and second year students would get Rs 500 per month and third year students would be given Rs 1000 a month. He announced the setting up of a panel headed by the Health Secretary to examine the nurses’ demand for cadre review, creation of new posts and removal of pay anomalies. The panel would give its report in three months. Mr Hooda also announced that nurses attached to critical care units and speciality departments would be given special allowance of Rs 100 a month. Those nurses who passed the B. Sc (Nursing) examination would get one special increment while those who pass the M.Sc examination would get two additional increments. The uniform maintenance allowance would be raised from Rs 100 a month to Rs 350. The function was organised jointly by the State Nurses Association and the PGIMS Nurses Association.
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Brick-kiln labourers stage demonstration
Hisar, May 12 Raising slogans in support of their demands, the labourers marched in protest from the Krantiman Park to the state Congress Chief’s residence. Later, the protesters also gheraoed the Deputy Commissioner’s office. The call for holding the protest was given by the Lal Jhanda Bhattha Mazdoor Union. Addressing the protesters, CPM leader Prithvi Singh Gorakhpuria and other trade union leaders condemned the registration of case against union leaders. They demanded that the case be withdrawn. The brick-kiln owners also held a meeting, at which they expressed concern over the attack on a kiln owner. Mr N.K. Katyal, the state secretary of the Brick-Kiln Owners Association, stated that many owners were forced to close down kilns due to frequent strikes by labourers’ unions. The owners warned the administration that if the attackers were not arrested they would be forced to take legal recourse.
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100 structures demolished
Sonepat, May 12 The administration has also made up its mind to act against Karambir Sharma who, according to Mr Solanki, has planned to develop unauthorised colonies. Mr Solanki said, the coloniser had not taken permission to develop the colony. He also advised people not to buy plots in any area being developed in an unauthorised colony.
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Admn to display action on complaints on website
Karnal, May 12 Addressing the officers here today, he said it would enable the complainant to check the status online rather than going from one office to another for seeking information. He also ordered the officers to inform the public in advance about the
power cuts. Mr Prashant issued instructions to the officials of various departments to make prospective development plans within six months of their towns and cities keeping the next 25 years in mind. The help of the private sector might be taken if required for this purpose, he added. He further said a quarterly meeting would be called at the division level to review the developmental works and the progress made by each department. Mr Prashant also asked all district officers to inspect the offices compulsorily once a year. The senior officers must also review the audit of the departments and prepare a report of the inspection, he added.
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Plan to check power line losses
Chandigarh, May 12 While stating this here today, a spokesman of the nigam said the campaign would start from the 11 kv feeder (number 3) of Jind city. As many as 4,000 consumers were being given power supply from this
feeder. The line losses are massive on this feeder. More feeders with substantial line losses were being identified to shift meters away from the homes of consumers. The spokesman said in the first phase, the nigam would partially bear the cost of shifting of meters.
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7 towns to have MCs
Chandigarh, May 12 Notifications regarding the formation of the municipal committees have been issued under the Haryana Municipal Act, 1973, according to a press note issued here today.
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