Sonepat, November 15
Farmers held a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office here today in protest against the acquisition of land for the Rajiv Gandhi Education city. Local BJP and INLD leaders including Dr Om Parkash Atrey, District president , BJP and Mr Surinder Singh Dahiya, State Youth President INLD also joined the demonstration.

Meanwhile indefinite fast by farmer leaders including Ranbir Singh Malik, Ravinder Jatheri, Brahm Singh Dahiya, Samay Singh Chauhan and Banwari Lal entered seventh day. The INLD and BJP leaders in a memorandum to Ms Neerja Shekhar demanded medical facilities for farmer leaders on the fast against the acquisition of land.

Farmers of the region are up in arms against the government for the past one year when Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Chief Minister, Haryana announced the setting up of the education city in the district.

The government has proposed to acquire 2,163 acres in Aswarpur, Bad Khalsa, Sevli, Patla, Jakholi, Khevra and Bada Makik villages in Sonepat district.

The Deputy Commissioner who invited the farmers to discuss the matter on Monday last in the rest house at Rai was told by farmers and their families would not allow the government to acquire the land.

In a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner the villagers said the government acquired 600 bighas land of Bud Khalsa village in 1973-74 for setting up Moti Lal Sports School, Rai on the condition that the land of this village would not be acquired in future as there was meagre land holding in the village. Even then major portion of the land being acquired for the education city was from their village, claimed the farmers of Bud Khalsa.

Reason behind resentment among residents against the move was the meagre price of land being given by the government compared to market price.

Fatehabad, November 15
Tension prevails in Bhuna Sugar Mills after some of its officers were shooed away by the workers following alleged misbehaviour by them. The workers have since then been sitting on dharna and guarding all gates of the mill. They have made it clear that they would not allow any officer of the management to enter the mill.

The mill, which was started by the Haryana Government as a cooperative sugar mill, was sold to a private firm M/s Wahid Sugar Mills, Phagwara, for Rs 40.25 crore. This firm had taken over the charge of Bhuna Sugar Mill only last week. The firm’s chairman, Mr Sukhbir Singh, had visited the mill and assured former workers that they would not be discriminated against by the management. These workers had also assured the management that they would not leave any stone unturned for the profitable working of the mill.

The things took an ugly turn yesterday, when Mr Kashmir Singh, Officer on Special Duty, Wahid Sugar Mills, allegedly snatched the chair of the cane Manager, Mr Dharam Pal Sheoran, and asked him to sweep the floor. The workers who lost their cool beat up Mr Kashmir Singh with sticks. They, later, shooed down all officers of the Wahid Sugar Mills, Phagwara, who had been deputed by the management to look after the affairs of Bhuna Sugar Mills. The irate workers alleged that officers deputed by Wahid Sugar Mills had been insulting the former workers of the Bhuna Sugar Mills ever since they had taken over its charge. The workers alleged that the management wanted to create conditions under which they would be forced to quit their jobs. They have also demanded an inquiry into the deal leading to the sale of the mill to a private party and alleged that it had been sold at a throw away price after money changed hands discreetly.

The workers have since then been demanding their appointments in some other cooperative mills run by the government. The SDM, Rattia, Mr Yogesh Mehta, and the DSP, Mr Samunder Singh, who tried to pacify the agitating workers were asked to call the Deputy Commissioner of Fatehabad, for listening to their tale of woes. 

Ambala, November 15
Municipal Councillors of Ambala Sadar have strongly demanded that the Minerva complex case should be thoroughly investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

They also demanded that the lease of Minerva complex should not be renewed as there have been major violations of the lease agreement.

At a special meeting of the House held to deliberate upon the Minerva complex issue, the municipal councillors unanimously passed a resolution for non-renewal of the lease agreement which had come to an end earlier this year.

Cutting across party lines, the Municipal Councillors stated that CBI enquiry was required so that the truth can emerge. They pointed out that in 2003, Haryana Government had clearly stated that the lease of Minerva complex had been cancelled. However, as soon as the government changed, the lease was renewed for a period of one year and now the government is again considering renewal of the lease.

Congress Municipal Councillor Omkar Nathi stated that Minerva complex has been constructed on 0.81 acre of government land which was given on lease in 1946. He said that the terms and the conditions of the lease agreement clearly state that the building will be resumed if any violation takes place.

Mr Omkar Nathi said that there are several violations of the lease agreement. He stated that there is excess covered area and the height of the building has been increased. "While a paltry sum is being received as lease money every year, the lessee is earning lakh of rupees per month. There is sub-letting of the building which is not allowed under the lease agreement," he said.

Municipal Councillor Kamal Kishore Jain stated that the Haryana Government seems to be pursuing a double policy. "On one hand, the lease agreement of Minerva complex is being considered for renewal at a paltry sum of Rs 291, and on the other hand, the small shopkeepers of Rai Randhawa Market are not being allowed lease renewal," he said.

Citing the example of Jain School in Rai Market, Mr KK Jain said that the school is providing education which is the primary task of the government. "The school was earlier paying a sum of Rs 200 per year on lease. Now, the sum has been calculated at Rs 2 lakhs per month. It is an outrage. The school is not carrying out any commercial activity and instead is imparting education. Still, the government deems it fit to charge lakhs of rupees every month. On the other hand, a person who is carrying out commercial activity is being allowed lease renewal at an extremely nominal value," he said.

Sangharsh Vahini Municipal Councillor Hira Lal Yadav said that the Minerva complex issue is a serious matter. He said that there are several instances in which the opinion of the Municipal Councillors has not been given serious consideration by the government.

Executive Officer, Municipal Council, Ambala Sadar, Mr KK Jain, stated in the meeting that the violations had been assessed and the penalty had been compounded.

Bhiwani, November 15
As many as 35,000 persons pledged to donate their eyes on the inaugural day of the three- day eye and healthcare camp organised today to mark the 60th birth anniversary of the late Surinder Singh, a former minister and son of former Chief Minister Bansi Lal.

The Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, while inaugurating the camp said Ms Kiran Chaudhary had taken up a noble cause in memory of her late husband. “There could not have been a more appropriate tribute to a person like Surinder Singh,” he added.

He said good health was the key to development and the government would welcome efforts by any organisation to supplement its efforts in providing better medicare to anyone who needed it. The government, he added, would ensure that all handicapped persons in Haryana were given tricycles free of cost.

The Union Minister of State for Steel, Mr Akhilesh Das, and the state Congress Working President, Dr Ram Parkash, lauded the idea of holding such health camps. A team of doctors from the National Society for Prevention of Blindness, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Venu Eye Hospital, AIIMS, Metro Heart Hospital and Caner Hospital, Mirpur, have come to hold the camp.

Panipat, November 15
The train services on the Panipat-Delhi route was severely disrupted for one hour as the engine of a goods train developed snag after leaving the nearby station.

The trains which got delayed were Kuchumuli Express, Bhatinda Express, Sachkhand Express, Jhelum Express and Amritsar Super 2460. The traffic on the track remained suspended from 11.15 am to 12.05 pm, it is learnt.

A goods train loaded with foodgrains left the Panipat railway station at 11 a.m. After running for about 5 km it halted as the engine developed some snag. Subsequently, the traffic was restored after the driver was able to fix the snag by noon.