Rohtak, August 9
Gaily attired women virtually took over Haryana Roadways buses all over the state today availing of the free travel facility provided to them by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government on occasion of Rakshabandhan.

Throughout the day buses were packed to capacity with women accounting for more than 95 per cent of passengers. For a change the stranded men watched helplessly as women shoved past them to board buses for their parental or brothers’ homes. Soon men found they had only one place to travel – the rooftop. And that’s where they dumped themselves.

But even this choice of a windy journey proved to be a short lived pleasure. Women who failed to find seats or standing space inside the buses, followed men to the rooftops.

As buses left their starting points filled to capacity, the busmen did not stop anywhere en route. This led to road blockades at villages on the way. Initially, the blockades were put up by irritated men. But the women inside allowed only fellow women to board the buses.

This is what a hefty 58-year-old Bhateri who had parked herself at the front gate of a Hisar-Delhi bus had to say to a man who tried to board a bus at Madina near here: “Bhai gharaan baith aaj mhara din sai” (Brother stay at home. Today is our day).

The man vainly pleaded that he was on his way to his sister’s village. But Bhateri was unmoved. She retorted: “Arey woh aati hogi. Ar pher agar woh free mein bhi rakhi baandhan na aati to isi behan ka ke karega” (She must be on her way. And what use is a sister who does not bother to travel free to tie a rakhi).

Police had to be deployed at Mundhal village in Bhiwani district to stop the buses and let passengers – again mostly women – to board the buses. Mundhal is a prominent village on the Hisar-Rohtak route. Similar reports were received from all other routes.

The Haryana government had given wide publicity to its decision to let women travel free on rakhi day. This helped women plan their journeys. Savitri (22) of Kharawar village said she would stopover at Bahadurgarh first to tie rakhi to her brother who works in an industrial unit there. “I have my breakfast with him and then travel to Delhi to tie rakhi to my three cousins for the first time in a decade. They have invited me to lunch. I will return in the evening”, she said.

Savitri was carrying an extra rakhi. She explained thus: “This is for Bhupi (nickname of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda) my brother, who made all this possible!

Fatehabad: Buses of Haryana Roadways today plied overloaded as hundreds of women and children travelled free of cost. The state government had provided free travel facility to women and children up to 15 years on the occasion of ‘rakhi’.

Heavy rush of commuters in and outside the bus stand affected the flow of traffic on the Delhi-Sirsa road as a large number of women waited for buses outside the bus stands. The number of buses fell short of the number of special commuters travelling today.

A number of women, to whom this correspondent talked, said that but for the free travel facility, they would not have gone out to tie rakhis to their brothers. They said that usually sent rakhis by post or by couriers in the past.

Mrs Krishana Poonia, district president of the INLD, alleged that women had to undergo harassment due to insufficient number of buses.

Panipat: Women members of forest committee and self-help group in 16 villages of the district today celebrated Rakshabandhan as ‘pariyavaran bandhan’ day by tying rakhi to the plants in their villages and took pledge to take care of their growth. The villages included Rajpur, Sewah, Chandoli, Nain, Puthar, Titana, Bhalaur Garhi, Shimla Gujran, Shera, Rair Kalan, Seenk, Bursham, Chhajpur,Nawada, Sanauli and Kiwana.

The scheme, brainchild of the Forest Department, aimed to create awareness among the people on environment, said the Divisional Forest Officer, Panipat D.K.Sinha.

Mean while, today most of the buses were plying overcrowded as women passengers outnumbered men. Manny women were all praise for Hooda government for giving free travel concession on 
Rakshabandhan.

Chandigarh, August 9
The Haryana Government has placed the services of Mr Arun Kumar Gupta, IAS, to the Government of India for the appointment as Senior Regional Manager, Food Corporation of India, Haryana region, Chandigarh.

Ms Manju Gupta, Special Secretary, Irrigation, has been given the additional charge of Administrator, CADA, Panchkula and Managing Director, CONFED, during the leave period of Mr R.R. Jowel.

Mr Anand Mohan Sharan, Additional Labour Commissioner, Gurgaon, has been appointed as Additional Resident Commissioner, Haryana Bhavan, New Delhi and Administrator, Trade Fair Authority of Haryana. He will also retain his charge as the Additional Labour Commissioner, Gurgaon.

Panipat, August 9
Mr Natwar Singh was made a scapegoat in the Justice Pathak inquiry authority report to save Ms Sonia Gandhi, Ms Sushma Swaraj, MP and senior BJP leader, alleged here today.

Ms Swaraj, who was on the way to New Delhi after celebrating the “rakhi” festival at Ambala, further alleged that the Justice Pathak authority report highlighted the three letters written by Mr Natwar Singh to the Iraq government authorities regarding a friend of his son Jagat Singh, but it did not mention about the letter written by Ms Sonia Gandhi in her capacity as the party President mentioning the name of Mr Natwar Singh to introduce him as a member of the party.

The report was not complete and was a cover-up practice, quipped the BJP MP.

The authority was not even provided the required documents demanded by it from the officials concerned, said Ms Swaraj.

Ambala, August 9
Former Union Minister Sushma Swaraj today demanded discussion in both Houses of Parliament on the Justice Pathak Committee report.

Talking to mediapersons here today, Ms Swaraj said former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh should be given the opportunity to make a personal statement in this regard in Parliament.

She said the BJP had boycotted proceedings yesterday against the Speaker’s refusal to take up privilege motion against the Prime Minister.

The notice of privilege motion was given against the Prime Minister as the Pathak Committee report had been leaked to media.

She claimed that in the Iraq’s “oil-for-food scam”, there were two coupons — coupon 9/54 for Natwar Singh and coupon 10/57 for the Congress.

The Pathak Committee report had indicted Natwar Singh for misusing his position in securing contracts in the scam.

Ms Swaraj said the Congress-led UPA government had formed an inquiry authority to look into the matter instead of forming a full-fledged commission.

She said the power of Section 8B was not vested in the Pathak Committee, which meant witnesses could not have been cross-examined. Also, the committee lacked the power to seek fresh evidence.

On the forthcoming Assembly elections in Punjab, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh, Ms Swaraj said the BJP was all geared up to face the challenge.

“Our organising secretaries have chalked out strategies for the three states. We have carried out necessary preparation,” she said.

She added that the Congress did not have a hold in Uttar Pradesh. “Even Rahul Gandhi would not be able to make an impact. I would like to point out that Sonia Gandhi had not been able to change the Congress’ fortune in the state,” she said.

Ms Swaraj also lamented that guard of honour was not given to National Commission for Schedule Caste chairman Suraj Bhan during the last rites.

Bhiwani, August 9
Mrs Draupadi Devi, wife of former Haryana Chief Minister and freedom fighter Banarasi Das Gupta, died last night.

She was 84. She was cremated here today and her son, Ajay Gupta, lit the pyre.

Haryana Chief Parliamentary Secretary Dharmbir Singh, Bhiwani MLA Shiv Shankar Bhardwaj, Mundhal MLA Ranbir Singh Mahendra, Loharu MLA Sombir Singh, ex-ministers Bir Singh, Ram Bhajan Agarwal, HPCC general secretary Sandeep Singh, Mahila Congress general secretary Bimla Parmar, Shiv Kumar Agarwal, members of social and religious organisations were among those who attended the funeral.