Chandigarh, June 2
The Haryana DGP, Mr Nirmal Singh, and the ADGP, Law and Order, Mr J.V. George, will be recommended by the state government for the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Services (PPM).

It was learnt that the names of these two IPS officers for the medal were finalised here yesterday in a meeting of the state-level screening committee constituted for the purpose.

The committee is headed by the Chief Minister with the Chief Secretary and the Home Secretary as its members.

Mr Nirmal Singh, who was formerly an Army officer, had received the Police Medal for Meritorious Services in 1989. Mr George is a recipient of this medal too, awarded to him in 1992.

However, the PPM is what is really considered to be important by the cops and today’s meeting paved the way for these two top Haryana police officers to earn the distinction.

A similar instance from the recent past is the awarding of the PPM to Mr M.S. Malik. Mr Malik was awarded the PPM in 2002, when he was the DGP of Haryana and also held the additional charge of the Director, State Vigilance Bureau.

It was learnt that due to administrative lapses, some of the annual confidential reports (ACRs) of Mr Nirmal Singh were not completed. Since the absence of the ACRs could hamper Mr Nirmal Singh’s chances of getting the PPM, his ACRs for the past two years were hurriedly prepared by the present state government to be sent to Delhi along with the recommendations for the PPM.

There was no such difficulty as far as Mr George was concerned as all his papers were said to be in order. 

Panipat, June 2
Fun Fair 2006, a month-long commercial show inaugurated on Thursday evening by several VIPs has mired into a controversy. Organisers of the event has been accused of illegally charging for parking and not following the safety measures.

Without learning any lesson from recent Meerut fire tragedy where many persons died allegedly due to mismanagement. Fun Fair 2006 has emerged as an unsafe venue.

Former Haryana Congress Chief and MLA from Panipat Balbir Pal Shah inaugurated the programme in the presence of chairman of MC Vinod Wadhera.

A visit on Thursday night revealed a sorry state of arrangements at the fair. Visitors were “forced” to park vehicles in an enclosure and charged Rs 5 per entry.

Held at open space on the GT Road at the proposed ground of Mini-Secretariat, the fair management do not bother about fire safety. The organisers had publicised much through the media and outdoor publicity and hoped to invite large crowds in the evenings.

Though there is an emergency exit near the main exit point but it was poorly managed. The emergency door was bolted from inside and vehicles of “VIPs” were parked just outside. In the case of even a slightest untoward incident, such an arrangement could lead to massive stampede.

There are narrow gates for entry and exit at an elevated structure. According to an official, raised and exit panels at a temporary structures should have been avoided. The management has spread torn sheets on steps at both gates that could hamper exit exercise in case of an emergency.

DC D.P.S. Nagal confirmed the organisers were not permitted to charge for parking, as it was government land. Showing displeasure over the raised entry and exits points at the leveled open space, he ordered an inquiry into the matter. He said that SDM R.K. Singh had been directed to visit the venue and ensure that all safety points were cleared, including the emergency exit.

Bhiwani, June 2
Rajya Sabha MP and Secretary General of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), Mr Ajay Singh Chautala, said the INLD would launch a statewide awareness movement from June 8 against the anti-people policies of the state government.

Under this move a signature drive would be launched in all 90 Assembly constituencies and meeting would be held. A memorandum would be given to the Governor at the end of the movement.

Mr Chautala, was here to attend a party workers meeting at Ch Devi Lal Sadan, today.

He said that the Dr. Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government in the Centre had failed at every front. The Left parties, ally of the Congress-led UPA government, have been threatening the government against proposed hike in petro prices.

Taking a dig at the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led government, Mr Chautala said that the people of the state were facing acute shortage of electricity and drinking water. He also flayed the government for deteriorating law and order situtation.

The INLD MP said that the Congress had forgotten the promises by which it had gained power.

Earlier, in a meeting of the state executive council of the INLD, six resolutions were adopted.

The resolutions passed expressed concern over the rising petro prices and charged the Congress-led UPA government with failing in preventing inflation in the country. In another resolution, party said that the Hooda government did not give adequate rates for the crops to the farmers.

The INLD asked the Congress to clear its stand on the land allocated to the Reliance Industries Ltd.

The resolution said that grave irregularities had been adopted in allocating land at Garhi Harsaru village, near Gurgaon to Reliance Industries Ltd. “Since HSIDC is competent to set up Special Economic Zone (SEZ) on 1700 acre land where is the need to offer land to Reliance Industries to setup SEZ”, it said. INLD demanded withdrawal of the piece of land.

Chandigarh, June 2
The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, today came down heavily on senior INLD leader, Prof Sampat Singh, who had accused the government of malpractices in giving land to the Reliance for setting up a multi-product special economic zone (SEZ) and in a long-term power purchase agreement.

Regretting that Prof Sampat Singh had been issuing “irresponsible” statements, Mr Hooda said when the INLD leader was the Finance Minister, the HSIDC had sold 600 acre to Maruti Udyog for Rs 8 lakh per acre. He said the Congress had not objected to the deal because it was in the interest of the state.

Similarly, a person with a vision or having regard for the interests of the state could visualise the benefits which would accrue to the state and the HSIDC in the SEZ project. He said while the Maruti deal did not give any equity to the corporation, the SEZ project would give 7.5 per cent equity to the HSIDC, for which the latter would not have to pay anything.

Even in case of any enhancement in the land cost, the HSIDC would not have to bear it.

Referring to the power purchase agreement, he said the proposed agreement would have to be approved by the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission, a statutory body, after public hearing. Therefore, he said, it was wrong to say that the government had done it in a hush-hush manner. Mr Hooda said the government would enter into an agreement with the Power Trading Corporation and not with any private generator of power.

The Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Power, Mr. R.N. Prashar, said the average generation cost of all eight units at Panipat Thermal Power Plant was Rs 2.71 per unit and that of the Faridabad Thermal Plant it was Rs. 4.15 per unit. Under the purchase agreement being criticised by the INLD, the cost of power for the state would be Rs 2.48 and Rs 2.75, respectively.

When asked why INLD leader, Mr Abhey Singh Chautala, had not been arrested so far in the murder case of a Youth Congress leader, Chand Singh Brar, in Dabwali recently, despite the fact that his name figured in the FIR, Mr Hooda made it clear that the guilty would not be spared 

Chandigarh, June 2
In a significant development, the Haryana Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, here today, decided to enact the Private Universities Act for establishment of self-financed non-affiliating private universities of international standard in the state.

Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Mr Hooda said the decision had been taken in view of the keen interest being evinced by several institutions to set up private universities in the fields of management, computer science, computer applications, law, environment science and medical education and other new emerging areas of knowledge.

The applicants must own at least 10 acre within the municipal area and 20 acre outside the municipal limits at the time applying. A corpus of Rs 3 crore should be set up. Haryana students and the Dalits would have a reservation of 25 and 10 per cent, respectively. The Governor would be the Visitor of the university. Its Chancellor would be appointed by the governing board. The Chancellor in turn would appoint the Vice-Chancellor. The fee structure would be finalised by a committee, but it would not be exorbitant. It would also ensure certain minimum standards of quality and safeguard the interests of the students, especially those hailing from the state.

It was observed at the Cabinet meeting that certain states like Rajasthan, Uttaranchal and Tripura had already enacted a legislation to allow private universities.

Mr Hooda said the Union Human Resources Development Minister, Mr Arjun Singh, had agreed to set up an Indian Institute of Management(IMM) at the proposed Rajiv Gandhi Education City.

The Cabinet decided to give re-employment to 4153 Class III and Class IV employees who were retrenched during the Chautala government from various boards and corporations in various departments within six months. A screening committee had been set up under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary.

The Cabinet accepted the recommendations of its sub-committee constituted to examine the recommendations of the Second State Finance Commission. Now the Urban Development Department would tie up with HUDA for infrastructural development in the cities. It would rationalise the provisions relating to grant of exemption of house tax presently available to various categories so as to check any arbitrariness and resulting in more receipts. It would review and revise periodically the fee, fine and other user charges to augment the revenue. It would take steps to process privatisation of municipal services such as street lighting, solid waste management, construction and maintenance of toilets, garbage collection and disposal, cleaning, and maintenance of parks and gardens.

Mr Hooda said the Cabinet decided to share 80 per cent of the Rs 688 crore Metro rail link project from Qutab Minar, Delhi, to Gurgaon. Out of total expenditure of the project, the Central Government would contribute Rs 114 crore and Haryana Government would share Rs 456 crore. The cost of rolling stock (Rs 118 crore) would be borne by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited (DMRCL).

The Delhi Metro Link to Gurgaon will form a part of the Delhi Metro network and its implementation and subsequent operations would also be done by DMRCL.

The Cabinet also approved the amendment in the service rules for providing 33 per cent reservation to women and 50 per cent reservation to those who have passed their matric examination from the schools in rural areas in the state, in all direct recruitment posts and for all categories of posts of teachers.

The Cabinet decided to grant licences to owners of land pockets by relaxing the area norms of its policy announced on August 7, 1991. It was decided that collaboration would be admissible with the existing reputed coloniser only.

The land pockets which are not utilisable by HUDA and which can be spared by it in favour of the colonisers for achieving the goal of integrated development will be considered for licence. Such land pockets should not block the continuity of city level or internal services being laid by HUDA or a coloniser or municipal body or the government.

The decision of the competent authority in this regard would be binding. Although, the individual owners would be granted licence for their individual land, the colony would remain composite to ensure the parameters of town planning norms. The group housing colony, if considered, would also be required to fulfil the 20 per cent area norms permissible in the sector. No sub division of the colony on the basis of licences for pockets will be permitted.

The existing main coloniser will be responsible for carrying out development in accordance with the terms and conditions of the licence and the approved layout plan.

Ambala, June 2
Local boy Harguneet Singh Balhaya has triumphed over fear to emerge as “Fear Factor” champion.

Harguneet participated in an episode of Fear Factor India, which was aired on Sony TV. The episode was shot in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Talking about his experience, Harguneet said there were six participants from different backgrounds. Two participants, Jitender Garewal and Aseem Aggarwal, were from the film industry. “I was the lone participant from North India while the rest of the participants were from Mumbai,” he said.

Harguneet, who has done his schooling from Jesus and Mary and Army Schools, had sent an sms following which he was selected for participating in the programme. “In the month of December 2005, we had to go to Malaysia for shooting,” he said.

“There were three rounds in the competition. In the first round, there was a cubicle of fire in which I was chained to a chair with three locks. Two male and female participants who opened the locks in minimum time qualified for the second round. I completed the task in 49 seconds,” he said.

An MBA from Leeds University, UK, Harguneet said in the second round, four participants had to eat organs of a goat and in the third round, a car was to be released from a height of 100 ft while standing on top of it.

“I was declared the champion and have won Rs 10 lakh prize money. I am delighted with the achievement,” he said.

Chandigarh, June 2
Raj Kumar, whose brother Satish Kumar was allegedly murdered by some criminals in Thanesar in Kurukshetra district recently, today presented a memorandum to the Haryana DGP, Mr Nirmal Singh, and urged him to have the accused arrested.

According to the memorandum, the accused had a grudge against the deceased because of some old feud which had also resulted in the registration of a case against 14 persons,including the five alleged killers of Satish Kumar.

Satish Kumar, the memorandum said, was cycling down from a flour mill, the murderers chased him on their motor cycles shouting “catch him, catch him”. They stopped him at Umri Chowk and took him near the Seed Plant at Thanesar where they threw him along with his bicycle in front of a speeding truck coming from the Pipli side. Satish Kumar died instantly.