Hisar, August 2
The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) authorities have extended the voluntary disclosure scheme (VDS) for unauthorised extension of load up to August 31.

A spokesman for the DHBVN said here today that the VDS was meant for domestic, non-domestic and tubewell consumers in the state for declaring their unauthorised load voluntarily to get it regularised without paying any penalty.

The consumers of domestic and non-domestic categories willing to declare their load would be required to deposit advance consumption deposit (ACD) and complete usual formalities to get their unauthorised load regularised. There will be no need to submit a test report up to an extension of 5 KW of load.

The applicant will have to submit a certificate that the wiring for the extended load has been got carried out from an authorised contractor and the same has been tested as per the provisions of the relevant Act.

For extension beyond 5 KW of load, the applicant would be required to submit a test report. The extended load shall be considered as regularised with immediate effect after completing the formalities as per existing terms and conditions. The nigam would not charge any penalty from the applicants for regularisation of their unauthorised load.

The tubewell consumers may declare their extended load by submitting an application and agreement form. Submission of terms and conditions forms or affidavit would not be mandatory for the applicants for this category. However, the consumer would certify that he would abide by all terms and conditions of power supply.

The applicants of agriculture category would submit a test report for the extended load along with ACD. The extension of load shall be regularised with existing system i.e. where the lines and transformers etc. were in a position to take up the additional load. In case the existing system is to be strengthened or augmented, the Power Utilities would lay additional lines and transformers also.

This scheme would also be available to the consumers who had already applied for extension of load and the applications are under process for approval.

The spokesman urged the consumers to take full advantage of this scheme to avoid penalties. He said the DHBVN would launch a campaign after August 31 to detect the cases of unauthorised extension of load and theft of electricity.

Chandigarh, August 2
A study, commissioned by the Haryana Government to get feedback about its policy of two-child norm for elected representatives of panchayati raj institutions, was ignored by the Haryana Government while deciding to abolish the controversial clause from the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994.

The decision to commission a study was a fallout of a Central Government directive asking the states, which have implemented the two-children norm, to have a fresh look at the policy. The Haryana Government engaged an outfit to examine whether the policy of barring people having more than two children from becoming elected functionaries of panchayats was a popular one.

The finding of the study, it was learnt, suggested that the principle of birth control imposed on the elected panchayat members had found favourable echo among the people at large. The deadline for submitting the report was allegedly not kept by the organisation even though the report was handed over to the government sometime before the Cabinet abolished section 175 of the 1994 Act without any warning.

The press note issued by the state government after the Cabinet decision on July 21, however, cited some other studies which allegedly suggested that the policy was leading to social distortions and creating hurdles for women empowerment.

It appears that more than any study, what has influenced the government step to do away with the two-children policy is the existence of large number of elected panchayat members actually having more than two children. Their electoral rivals, who lost in the panchayat elections held last year, are the ones who have been persistently challenging in the court the election results citing the victorious candidates’ crucial drawback.

As a result of the Haryana Cabinet’s July 21 decision, the ongoing court cases filed to challenge the election of a candidate having more than two children would now become invalidated. However, in cases where an elected candidate had already been disqualified and a byelection had been held for the seat, the result of the byelection would be considered final.

The Section 175 of the Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, which also disqualifies a member who might have got a third child after getting elected, had originally found favour with all major parties in the state cutting across the political spectrum.

Rohtak, August 2
A team of municipal officials led by Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Shahin today demolished two newly constructed buildings on Gohana Road and the main Delhi road.

The team began its operations at dawn with the help of JCB machines. One of the affected buildings is partly owned by Manmohan Azad, a son of Haryana Freedom Fighters’ Samman Samiti chief Puran Chand Azad.

Mr Manmohan Azad who is also general secretary of the Rohtak Property Dealers’ Association later alleged that the building plan had been approved by the Municipal Corporation and he had deposited a fee of Rs 50,000 towards development charges. He said he was not served any prior notice by the authorities.

However, the CEO said four different individuals had got approved four separate building plans for residential purposes. However, on the plot they had constructed one composite building for commercial purposes in violation of the rules.

He said even otherwise, the building lacked necessary fire safety and parking facilities which could have posed problems to the public. He said all unauthorised buildings would be demolished. He maintained that the owners had been duly sent a notice but they had refused to accept it.

The municipal drive against unauthorised constructions began a fortnight ago.

Hisar, August 2
To achieve its goal of ensuring sufficient power for consumers in the state, the Haryana Power Generation Corporation has initiated the process of setting up a coal-based power plant in Hisar. At present, the installed capacity of the state is 4,076 MW. The annual rate of increase in demand of electricity has been reached around 15 per cent, which is much higher as compared to many other states. A reason for the increase has been the rapid growth of the National Capital Region and the industrial sector. As per the estimates of the Central Electricity Authority, at 9 per cent growth rate, the demand is expected to be 7,296 MW in 2011-2012, an increase of 3,220 MW from the current level. Mr R. N. Prasher, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary (Power), said the state was all set to bridge the gap between the demand and supply of electricity. At present, Haryana was considered as one of the most aggressive states in setting up the new power generating stations.

For the new plant at Hisar, HPGCL has acquired 989 acres of land and have made arrangements for providing 50 cusecs of water for the project. The project will be set up by inviting globally competitive bids to construct the plant on turnkey basis.

Ambala, August 2
Vikas Parishad activists led by former Ambala Cantonment MLA Anil Vij today submitted a memorandum to the Commissioner, Ambala Division, demanding action against the then Deputy Commissioner, Ambala, Mr J.P. Kaushik.

Mr Anil Vij stated that the then Deputy Commissioner, Ambala Mr J.P. Kaushik, had not forwarded a memorandum regarding Agrofed scam, which was addressed to the Governor. He said when the memorandum was submitted to the DC, he had assured that it would be forwarded to the Governor.

He said “we were extremely disappointed when we learnt that the Governor” office had not received the memorandum on the Agrofed scam. We had moved an application under the Right to Information Act. The response was that the Governor’s office has not received the memorandum. We are shocked to note the poor approach of the officer concerned in dealing with public matters.”

The memorandum submitted to the Commissioner, Ambala Division, Mr Mahavir Singh, states that the then Deputy Commissioner, Mr J.P. Kaushik, had shown negligence in functioning. It states that democratic functioning had been hampered and the voice of the people stifled.

It was demanded that the then Deputy Commissioner of Ambala, Mr J.P. Kaushik, placed under suspension and a high-level inquiry be carried out into the matter.

Ambala, August 2
The busy Jagadhri highway was blocked by irate villagers near Tepla this morning.

The villagers demanded that those who had sodomised a village youth be arrested. They alleged that the police was adopting a lackadaisical approach.

The blockade lasted more than three hours and the police had to resort to a mild lathicharge to clear the villagers from the Jagadhri highway.

The blockade led to a major traffic jam. Long queues of vehicles could be seen on both sides of the road. The villagers had blocked the link roads too.

The blockade started at about 8 a.m. and lasted more than three hours. Tree trunks were used to block the highway. The villagers, including women and children, participated.

The villagers said a 22-year-old village youth, Ramesh, was sodomised by three persons on the night of July 30. They said Ramesh was taken to a secluded area on some pretext by three youths — Sonu, Gulshan and Shashikant — at about 6.30 p.m. Thereafter, they sodomised Ramesh and they allegedly tortured him.

After Ramesh fell unconscious, the three youths dumped him on the Jagadhri road at about 10.30 p.m. A villager travelling on his tractor spotted the youths dumping Ramesh. He raised the alarm following which Ramesh was first taken to the PHC, Mullana, and then to the Civil Hospital, Ambala Cantonment. From there, he was referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.

Yesterday, a panchayat of Tepla village was held. It was decided that the Jagadhri highway would be blocked this morning. The villagers said the blockade would be lifted only when the three youths would be arrested and produced before them.

The blockade took place at the Tepla, Kharukhera and Samalkha link road. At about 9.45 a.m. the blockade was temporarily lifted as a military convoy had to pass through. Thereafter, the blockade continued till about 11 a.m.

On the assurance by the police, the villagers lifted the blockade and moved to Saha Chowk. However, they again started a blockade at Saha Chowk. SDM of Ambala Mukesh Ahuja and DSP Mahender Singh reached the site. To clear the blockade, the police had to resort to a mild lathicharge.

BJP leader Pavitar Singh Bajwa condemned the lathicharge on the protesters. He said the villagers were only demanding a fair investigation in the case. 

Rewari, August 2
The Sessions Judge, Mr R.C. Bansal, has sentenced Om Prakash (49) to life imprisonment for killing his wife Sharda Devi at Rattanthal village in July 2003.

The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on him.

When Sharda Devi opposed her husband’s move to sell their house, he set her on fire.

She was admitted to hospital where her dying declaration was recorded by the then Chief Judicial Magistrate. When her condition worsened, she was referred to a hospital in Jaipur where she succumbed to her burns.