Chandigarh, June 22
The Congress high command today gave a clear indication that the days of open criticism of the party’s governments in the states are over. The high command gave this indication when it shut the doors for supporters of those leaders who had been embarrassing the Congress Governments in the past, from the organisational set-ups in Haryana and Punjab.

The much-awaited Pradesh Congress Committees for the two states were announced today. In both states supporters of dissident leaders have been, more or less, shown the door.

Even a casual perusal of the list of Haryana Congress office-bearers give the impression that the supporters of the party President, Mr Bhajan Lal, have been on the receiving end. The other leaders too, barring the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, have been given only token representation. Most of the positions have been cornered by supporters of Mr Hooda. It seems the recent criticism of the Reliance deal on SEZ by Mr Kuldip Bishnoi, MP son of Mr Bhajan Lal, has cost his supporters heavily. Not only the high command issued a show-cause notice to Mr Bishnoi, many old and trusted supporters of Mr Bhajan Lal have been shown the door, ostensibly in the name of infusing fresh blood. Perhaps, the high command though it better to control future damage now, in case there is a rebellion at any stage.

Of course, for record sake, the Working President of the Haryana Congress, Dr Ram Prakash, who announced the list here today, said there was no groupism in the party and all office-bearers were supporters of Mr Bhajan Lal.

The party has, however, been not able to come out of the “family syndrome”. As Dr Ram Prakash himself admitted that all political families in the Haryana Congress had been accommodated in the list.

While about one-third office-beares are either MPs or MLAs, the remaining are non-legislators. While 20 women find place in the list, 33 members of the Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Other Backward Classes have also made it.

There will be seven Vice-Presidents — Rao Dharam Pal, Mr Jai Prakash, MP, Mr Atma Singh Gill, MP, Mr Chakaravarti Sharma, Mr A.C. Chowdhary, Mrs Radha Narula and Mr Jagdish Nehra.

The party will have nine General Secretaries — Mr Shyam Chand, Mrs Raj Rani Poonam, MLA; Mr Bhopal Bhatti, Mrs Asha Sharma, Mr Sandeep Singh, Mr Anand singh Dangi, MLA; Prof Chhatar Pal, MLA; Mr Phool Chand Dhanak and Mr Ramesh Chander Saini.

Mr Dalbir Singh Jaglan, an old associate of Mr Hooda, will hold the purse of the party as its Treasurer.

There will be 22 Secretaries — Jagdish Mandoliwala, Ashok Garg, Satpal Kaushik, Raghubir Singh Tevtia, Mr Attar Singh Saini, Dr H. Stella, Mrs Kiran Saini, Ms Brij Rani Sharma, Azad Singh Chamunda, Bhupinder Singh Fogat, Nainpal Rana, Ved Prakash Vidrohi, Kanwarpal Kashyap, Sudhir Mehta, Kulbir Singh, Maman Khan, Hikmat-ullah, Dharam Pal Singh, S.S. Kundu, Mrs Anju Chhokar, Randhir Singh Rana and Ajay Sharma.

Besides, the party will have a 32-member Executive Committee also, which includes several Ministers and Mr Deepender Hooda, MP son of the Chief Minister.

The party has also appointed the following as Presidents of the district committees: Ambala: Nirmal Singh, MLA(Rural), Arun Garg(City), Narender Pal Shera(Cantt); Yamunanagar: Zakir Hussain (Rural) and Rakesh Kumar Kaka (Urban); Kurukshetra: K.L. Sharma, MLA; Karnal: Surender Narwal (Rural) and Mrs Sumita Singh, MLA(Urban); Panipat: Jagdev Singh Malik (Rural) and Deep Chand Fuliya (Urban); Sonepat: Jitender Malik, MLA (Rural) and Subhash Madan (Urban); Rohtak: Pritam Singh Balhara (Rural) and Ashok Kumar Kaka (Urban); Jhajjar: Chiranji Lal Sharma; Bhiwani: Chattar Singh Chauhan, former Speaker (Rural) and Dr Shiv Shankar Sharma, MLA(Urban); Hissar: Ramji Lal (Rural) and Ms Sushila Sharma (Urban); Fatehabad: Randhir Singh, son of Mr Harpal Singh, former PCC President; Sirsa: Hoshiari Lal Sharma; Kaithal: Kaviraj Sharma; Jind: Balram Katwal; Faridabad: Harender Pal Singh (Rural) and Mr Gulshan Bagga (Urban); Gurgaon: Madan Lal Grover (Rural) and Bhupinder Chaudhary, MLA (Urban); Mewat: Zakir Hussain; Rewari: Deewan Singh Chauhan; and Mahendergarh: Rao Ram Singh.

Chandigarh, June 22
The CBI today carried out searches at the offices and residences of three senior Haryana police officers after booking them for cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy, besides misconduct under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, for their role in the recruitment of 500 constables in the Government Railways Police (GRP) and the Haryana Armed Police (HAP) in 2003-04.

The CBI action resulted following a directive of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on December 13, 2004, asking the investigating agency to conduct an inquiry into the matter and book the guilty.

Sources in the CBI said during the raids conducted at the official and residential premises of SP Ravi Azad, an IPS officer, Commandant 4th Battalion, Madhuban, Karnal district, DSP Udey Shanker, CID, Nadha Sahib, Commando Training Centre, and DSP Arun Kumar, Haryana Vigilance Bureau, Ambala, several incriminating document were recovered. Besides this, Rs 6 lakh were recovered from the residence of Ravi Azad pointing towards financial assets beyond his known source of income.

All three officers were the members of the selection board for the recruitment of 500 constables of which Ravi Azad was the chairman. The matter came to light when one of the candidates, Mr Shailender Kumar, who was not selected during the recruitment, filed a petition in the court alleging irregularities during the selection process. Considering the petition, the court passed an order asking the CBI to conduct an expeditious inquiry into the matter.

Giving details, the sources said the preliminary inquiry, conducted by the DSP, Anti-Corruption Branch of the CBI, Mr S.S. Sandhu, revealed that during the recruitment process the original record prepared on the ground while taking physical test of the candidates and also at the time of interview was deliberately sidetracked for making the final merit lists and only those candidates were selected who were favoured by these officials.

The accused also fabricated the results of physical efficiency test registers, carrying the marks of the candidates pertaining to their interviews, thus tampering with the merit lists allegedly on the directions of Ravi Azad.

The inquiry further disclosed that the other two officers had allegedly burnt records of eligible candidates again on the orders of Ravi Azad. On the basis of the preliminary inquiry, the CBI registered a fresh case of corruption, cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct on June 19. The matter is being investigated by the DSP, Dr Armandeep Singh. 

Chandigarh, June 22
The Haryana Government has formulated a draft development Plan-2025 for the beautification of Rohtak city, the home town of the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and for meeting the demands of growing population in the area for the next 20 years.

An official spokesman said here today that the population of Rohtak would increase to around 7 lakh in 2025. He added that there was a need for developing Rohtak, as the city was the centre of the National Capital Region (NCR). There was a proposal of developing an education hub over an area of 1,700 acres on the NH-10. Similarly, an area of 2,500 acres on the NH-71A had also been marked for the development of IMT, Industrial Area. A 45-metre broad road from the Jawahar Lal Nehru (JLN) canal to the Rohtak-Jhajjar road would also be constructed and it would pass through sectors 24 and 25.

He said that a southern bypass would be constructed from Hanuman Mandir at the NH-10 to Bahu Akbarpur village situated on the Hisar road connecting the Bhiwani road. The development of a commercial hub over 500 acres in sectors 30 and 30 A was also planned.

A dry port would also be developed at the Rohtak-Jhajjar railway junction near the Asthal Bohar railway station. Also, a new grain market would soon come up near the Bhiwani road, besides developing a new transport area near the sabzi mandi.

Giving details of the draft plan, he said that nearly 500 feet broad green belt and 200 feet six-lane road would also be built up between the JLN canal and Kheri Sadh. It was also proposed to create a sports stadium on 100 acres in Sector 32 and a recreational park in Sector 21 B. A shopping centre would also be constructed in Sectors 24 and 25 on the NH-71A. Similarly, residential colonies would be built over 800 acres for industrial labourers in sectors 21 E, 21 AF, 24 and 25. He added that land worth Rs 8,000 crore would be utilised for these developmental works.

The spokesman said that for giving an impetus to developmental works in Rohtak on a priority basis, the state government had got various projects sanctioned from the Union Government. These developmental projects would open new avenues of employment for the unemployed youth of the state. The draft plan would be presented before a state-level committee for approval.

Hisar, June 22
Bhojraj village has hit headlines as Virender Choudhary, son of Capt Chandgi Ram (retd) of Bhojraj, has brought laurels to his motherland by being elected the president of the students' union of the University of Greenwich, London.

Talking to The Tribune here today, Virender, who is pursuing MBA in International Business, said he was the first Indian to be elected the students’ union president at the university.

"I managed to win the election on the basis of my personal contacts," he says, who boasts of remembering at least 500 fellow students coming from various countries by their first names. Apart from personal links, his issue-based manifesto won him the crucial support of students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, he asserts.

Virender maintains that the union, with an annual turnover of about 2 million pounds, is an effective body at the university. This amount meant for the welfare of students is chiefly at the disposal of the union president and other elected representatives. A major chunk of the union's income comes from its restaurants, bars and shops. Besides, the university and other higher authorities also provide grants.

During his one-year tenure, Virender wants to enhance the level and scope of campus placements, engage a recruitment agency and provide sporting and other facilities to the students. While in England, he wishes to hone his business skills by adopting the professionalism and commitment of the Englishmen.

The Haryana boy, who did his schooling from Hisar and graduation from Delhi, has a word of advice for youths aspiring to go abroad for studies. "Don't join a foreign university or institute unless you are sure about its reputation," he cautions.

He also feels that the country's youth, especially from a rural background, should overcome their hesitation of mixing up with foreign nationals and develop an outgoing personality.

"Out-of-the-box thinking, positive attitude and focused approach are the keys to success," says the once small-time village boy but who dreams to make it big in life. 

Fatehabad, June 22
One labourer was killed and another seriously injured when a boiler went off in a paper board factory at Rattia town in this district early this morning. One more labourer is missing ever since the incident took place.

A portion of the building of the factory also collapsed after the mishap. Search is on to find the missing labourer under the debris.

The accident occurred at around 3 a.m. in Modern Paper Board Mills, situated on the Lali road at Rattia. The boiler (a container in which raw material for the paper board is boiled) burst into pieces due to high temperature and accumulation of gas in it. The ceiling of the building, where the labourers were working, also caved in due to the blast in the boiler.

Raghu, a Bihari labourer working there, died on the spot. Another worker, Kala Singh, was seriously injured and has been admitted to the local General Hospital. Shiv Lal, another Bihari labourer, is missing after the incident.

The police has registered a case of causing death due to negligence under Section 304-A of the IPC against factory owners Vijay Kumar and Vikas Kumar.

Karnal, June 22
In what may be termed as disrespect to the Father of the Nation, a liquor shop and two “ahatas” are functioning just a few metres away from the statue of Mahatma Gandhi here. Even the statue of B.R. Ambedkar is located near the vend.

Residents are up in arms against the liquor shop and demanded its shifting.

The statue of Mahatma Gandhi was installed by the then Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, in 2003.

Talking to The Tribune on the phone from Mumbai, the Congress MLA from Karnal, Ms Sumita Singh, showed her anger over the issue. She said it was Mahatma Gandhi’s dream to make India free from liquor and allowing the vend to operate near his statue cannot be justified.

She said she would take up the matter with the authorities concerned soon.

Lamenting the administration for allowing the vend to operate near Gandhi Chowk, Dr Puran Mal Gaur, Principal, DAV Postgraduate College, demanded its shifting.

Mr Naresh Kumar Barana, district president, All-India Anti-Terrorist Front, demanded action against those who allowed the vend to operate.

Ambala, June 22
Former Ambala Cantt MLA Anil Vij today expressed concern over the alleged misuse of the Sainik Rest House by “fake” Agrofed Chairman.

He claimed that the fake Chairman, Mr Sandhu, used to operate from the rest house. “It is a serious matter. It needs to be investigated how a fake person could misuse the rest house for his pecuniary benefits. The multi-crore, multi-state Agrofed scam was practically run from the rest house,” he claimed.

He said security agencies must investigate who granted permission to Mr Sandhu to operate from the rest house. “Any person who is found guilty should be punished. The investigating agencies must also check whether any Army person is involved,” he said.

He said they were going to fight for victims of the scam. He said a list of victims was being prepared by the Vikas Parishad. “We are going to hold a meeting of the Vikas Parishad on June 24 in which further course of action will be decided,” he said.