Hisar, December 2
The local municipal council has issued notices to advertising agencies which have put up hoardings facing roads at various places in the city.

In the notices issued to six agencies, their owners have been asked to get these hoardings and their frame structures removed, failing which a case of contempt of court would be lodged against them.

The president of the council, Mr Bihari Lal Rara, confirmed that notices had been issued to the advertising agencies on removal of hoardings. He said the owners of the agencies had been given a week's time to comply with the directions.

In its November 28 issue, The Tribune had highlighted the issue of a number of road-facing hoardings violating specific directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this regard.

Following this report, the municipal authorities swung into action and issued notices to the advertising agencies which had put up these hoardings.

However, (due to obvious reasons) no action has been taken against the state government or the ruling party, whose hoardings have been prominently put up at several places in the city in violation of the court's directions.

The "sarkaari" hoardings include those displaying the announcement of a ruling party's rally to be addressed by none other than the Chief Minister. Other such hoardings include those about the recently concluded state games at Kurukshetra.

Interestingly, the hoardings contain the pictures of the Haryana Governor, the Chief Minister, the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, besides an MP of the ruling party.

Dulhera (Jhajjar), December 2
There are contradictions galore in the theory of the police regarding the encounter in Noona Majra village on Thursday in which a youth was killed as the district administration has announced an ex gratia to the family of the victim, besides instituting an inquiry, to be conducted by the Subdivisional Magistrate of Bahadurgarh.

The police has not been able to gather any substantial information about the robbers who decamped with Rs 1.70 lakh from the post office in Bahadurgarh as their arrest could clear the air whether the youth was their accomplice or he became a victim due to mistaken identity.

Despite offering the financial aid, the district administration is firm on its stand that the killed youth was one of the four robbers.

The woman, who was sitting in the jeep, claimed that she was witness to the police action when three cops shot the youth in cold blood.

The woman, Sumitra, wife of Sukhbir Singh, said she boarded a maxi cab from Bahadurgarh in which five or six persons were sitting. A police Gypsy started following it.

Vikas, the victim, asked his driver to speed away to avoid being challaned. The vehicle got stuck in a nullah outside Lowa village. The driver and Vikas fled while passengers came out of the vehicle.

The police team succeeded in tracking Vikas, who was hiding beside a heap of cow-dung cakes. He was dragged out and shot thrice by three cops while he offered no resistance, she added.

A protest by villagers came to an end yesterday afternoon after the Deputy Commissioner, Ms Suprabha Dahiya, held talks with members of the khap panchayat. The DC told reporters that the SDM, Bahadurgarh, Mr Manoj Kumar, would investigate the circumstance which led to the shooting of the youth and this incident would be registered in the daily dairy report (DDR) of the police.

She also announced an aid of Rs 20,000 from the District Red Cross Society.

Earlier, hundreds of villagers attended the panchayat which demanded registration of a case under Section 302 of the IPC against policemen, a financial aid of Rs 20 lakh to the youth's family and a government job to a member of his family. 

Chandigarh, December 2
Mr Randeep Singh Surjewala, Transport, Public Health and Parliamentary Affairs Minister of Haryana, today announced third party inspection of large works of the Public Health Department by reputed public sector undertakings (PSUs).

Mr Surjewala said RITES Limited and Water and Power Consultancy Services (India) Limited (WPCSL) had agreed to carry out the inspection of all civil constructions, mechanical constructions and installation works of the department costing more than Rs 25 lakh.

While RITES Ltd would carry out inspections in Gurgaon, Rewari, Mewat Project, Palwal, Faridabad and Sonepat circles, WPCSL would look after Rohtak, Sirsa, Jind, Ambala, Hisar, Bhiwani and Karnal circles. The step would ensure transparency as well as quality control, he added.

He said the scope of the third party inspection would be comprehensive and would include periodical and random supervision of the works. The agencies would get two per cent of the gross cost of the work under execution as their inspection fee, the minister said.

Drinking water samples would be tested in two laboratories to prevent supply of contaminated water, he said, adding that drinking water tanks of the department would be cleaned periodically in a phased manner.

Ambala, December 2
Bhiwani MP Kuldeep Bishnoi today said that if the need also, he would be ready to resign from Parliament over the SEZ issue but would continue to support farmers.

Addressing a well-attended rally at the grain market in Ambala Sadar, Mr Bishnoi said he was determined to continue the struggle for the sake of farmers. “Farmers should be paid the market rate for the land taken from them,” he said.

While on the one hand, Mr Bishnoi addressed the rally against Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda government, on the other hand, a “samarthan” rally was taken out by the Block Congress Committee Ambala Cantonment in support of Mr B.S. Hooda.

There were heated exchange between the Congress activists when the Samarthan rallyists walked towards the venue of the Bishnoi rally. BCC president Vishwanath Yadav alleged that five Samarthan rallyists were injured when they were assaulted by supporters of Mr Bishnoi at Bazaza Bazar Chowk. However, no medical examination of the ‘injured’ was carried out.

Samarthan rallyists carrying black flags and placards started their rally from Congress Bhavan. They passed through different areas of Ambala Sadar.

Mr Bishnoi, while addressing the rally at Anaj Mandi, said that in the Assembly elections, people had cast vote for Mr Bhajan Lal as they were aware of the development works carried out by Mr Bhajan Lal during his previous tenures as the Chief Minister of Haryana. “But the decision to not make Mr Bhajan Lal Chief Minister has caused unhappiness among the people,” he said.

He said Mr Bhajan Lal decided to go to people to understand their grievances.

Strongly criticising Haryana Chief Minister Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Mr Bishnoi said that a person with no previous administrative experience had been handed over the charge of chief ministership. “The Haryana government under Mr Hooda has failed,” he said.

He stated that when Mr Hooda was the state Congress president, the party had lost miserably in the Lok Sabha election as well as in three byelections. Also, the acting president Dr Ram Prakash had twice lost his deposit. “But, it is not too late. The persons concerned must open their eyes and honour the sentiments of the residents of Haryana,” he said.

Mr Bishnoi said the Haryana Chief Minister spent most of the time in Delhi.

He said when he began his campaign against the SEZ, people had mocked at him. “However, my opinion has received support from Congress President Sonia Gandhi who has said that fertile land should not acquired for SEZ. Also the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and the RBI have supported my stand,” he said.

Rewari, December 2
The Haryana BJP has taken an exception to the “suo motu” amendment made by the Delimitation Commission to its old draft proposals to include the Rohtak Parliamentary seat, which earlier stood deleted.

Addressing a press conference here today, the state BJP general secretary, Mr Vir Kumar Yadav, alleged that the amendment, made after the Hooda government assumed the reins of power in Haryana, had been done at the behest of the Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, whose son Deepender Singh Hooda is now a sitting MP from Rohtak.

He asserted that the amendment, if allowed to materialise in toto, would lead to the disintegration of the Ahirwal region.

Mr Yadav said the fact that nine out of the 10 associate members of the Delimitation Commission (who all are Congress men) endorsed the amendment without any hitch, fully substantiated the allegation.

He said while they would take the matter to the BJP high command, they would simultaneously also seek advice from legal experts to challenge the amendment in the apex court.

Mr Yadav also announced that the BJP would launch an agitation against such style of functioning of the Delimitation Commission from December 7 when party activists would organise a protest demonstration before the SDM’s office at Kosli.

He went on to say that the BJP also wanted that the proposed Kosli Assembly segment instead of being attached to the new Rohtak Parliamentary constituency, must be attached to the Mahendergarh-Bhiwani Parliamentary seat.

Chandigarh, December 2
There is a change of guard in two engineering departments of Haryana.

Mr Har Sarup Chahal yesterday took over as the Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Works Department (Buildings and Roads) following the superannuation of Mr R.R. Sheoran.

Mr M.P. Bhandari took over as the Engineer-in-Chief of the Public Health Department after the retirement of Mr S.K. Khanna on Thursday. Both were the seniormost Chief Engineers in their departments.

A graduate and postgraduate of Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh, Mr Chahal turned down the offer of lecturership at the NIT, Kurukshetra, and that of scientist at the Central Road Research Institute before joining the Haryana Irrigation Department in 1970. He was posted in the Beas Design Organisation, Nangal, and designed tunnels for the Beas dam at Pong.

Mr Chahal joined the Haryana PWD (B&R) in 1971 as Assistant Engineer. He had been on deputation with the Delhi Development Authority, the Haryana Agriculture Marketing Board and the National Highways Authority of India.

Mr Bhandari joined the Haryana Public Health Department as Subdivisional Engineer in 1971 and worked on several important assignments.

Ambala, December 2
The proposed shifting of grain market from Ambala Sadar has not yet taken place despite land being earmarked for the purpose more than two years back.

The 'Anaj Mandi' is proposed to be shifted out to the upcoming HUDA sectors of Ambala Cantt located on the GT road.

However, there has been little headway in the shifting of the market despite the foundation stone having been laid during the rule of the previous Om Prakash Chautala government.

The shifting of the grain market is an old demand of the local residents who have to face a lot of inconvenience, especially during the harvest season.

The roads become choked as the tractor-trolleys carrying grain unload the produce on the road near the grain market. Motorists have to practically traverse through mounds of grain dotting the roadside.

People suffering from respiratory ailments face a nightmarish experience while passing through the grain market.

Over the years, it  has become clear that  the grain market is falling short of adequate space.

While the market may have been suitable in the earlier days, the infrastructure is inadequate to handle increased inflow.

Even the commission agents admit that they need more space for better handling of the produce but they are reluctant to shift out due to the suitabality of the present grain market's location.

Former Ambala Cantt MLA Anil Vij said the government seemed to have put the proposal for shifting out of the grain market into cold storage.

"We fail to understand as to why the grain market has not yet been shifted out.The land had been earmarked for grain market and the previous government had also sanctioned Rs 2 crore for shifting. However, this task has not yet been completed," he rued.

Mr Anil Vij said land for the proposed grain market had been purchased by the Marketing Board.

"The land has been earmarked near the HUDA sectors on GT road. The area is easily accessible to the farmers and there should not be any problems," he said.

Ambala Cantt MLA Devender Bansal said he was personally pursuing the matter for shifting the grain market from Ambala Sadar.

"I have already spoken to Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in this regard," he said.

Mr Bansal said the HUDA had sought more land for carrying out plotting. "I had clearly stated that the grain market should be shifted to the site which has already been earmarked," he said.

Farmers coming to the Ambala Sadar grain market are looking forward to a more spacious grain market.

The local farmers find it difficult to find a convenient spot to unload and then clean the grain. They are hopeful that once the grain market shifts outside Sadar area, there will be better facilities.

Even the shopkeepers, whose shops are located close to the grain market, are keen that the 'Anaj Mandi' shifts out at the earliest.

The shopkeepers face a harrowing time especially during the harvesting season. The shopkeepers feel that buyers avoid the area near the grain market during the harvesting season due to the traffic bottleneck.

The proposed shifting of the grain market had already had its share of troubles with the location for the grain market being shifted from the rear to the front of the HUDA sectors.

This has been done so that the tractor-trolleys, trucks and other heavy vehicles do not have to pass through the HUDA sectors for reaching the market.

But this move has not been appreciated as it is being felt that the `show value' of the HUDA sectors will be spoilt if the grain market is located in their front.

Chandigarh, December 2
Mr Ram Kishan, former sarpanch of Bhatla village in Hisar district of Haryana, yesterday alleged that certain unscrupulous elements were causing the state government losses amounting to hundreds of crores of rupees from the collection of market fee in mandis.

Addressing a press conference at the Press Club here, Mr Ram Kishan, himself a farmer, said that crops shown as sold in the mandis was just a fraction of the actual arrivals. The bulk of the crops was purchased by traders without paying the market fee. Many employees of the market committees were hand in glove with traders in this racket, the farmer alleged. He claimed that it was because of the racket that there was always a vast difference between the production figures of various crops and the recorded sale of crops in the mandis.

He said while one could argue that a portion of the rice or wheat was retained by farmers for their own consumption, the same could not be said about the cotton crop or fruit crops.

Mr Ram Kishan said he tried to get the issue raised in Parliament. He said the practice had been continuing during the tenures of successive regimes. He had written to the Chief Minister also on the subject.

Hisar, December 2
The government has approved a project involving an amount of Rs 23.68 crore for backward localities of the district.

Seventeen slum localities, including Tibba Danasher, Shiv Colony, Navdeep Colony, Surya Nagar, Ram Nagar, Geeta Colony, Dhani Shyamlal, Dayanand Colony, Durga Colony, Mahavir Colony, Badwali Dhani, Mohalla Rajputana, Shiv Nagar, Vinod Nagar, Harijan Basti and Surender Colony, have been covered under the project.

According to a press statement by the Haryana Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Ms Savitri Jindal, the facilities of drinking water, sewerage, drainage system, streetlights, community centres and public toilets would be provided under the project.

As many as 1,360 houses would also be constructed for the poor residents of these colonies.

Ambala, December 2
Various competitions were organised by the Eco Club of Government School, BC Bazar, Ambala Cantonment today.

In speech, (junior wing), Shivani was first, Savita was second and Manju was third. In senior wing, Richa was first, Swati was second and Shivani was third.

In the poster competition (junior wing), Heera was first, Vipin was second while Jyoti was third. In the senior wing, Anand was first, Bahadur Singh was second while Sanjeev Kumar was third.

In the slogan competition, (junior wing), Sancharika was first, Puneet was second and Aman Kumar was third. In the senior wing, Ajay was first, Kiran was second and Monica was third.

Yamunanagar, December 2
After being removed from job, a daily wage labourer allegedly murdered a contractor in order to take revenge. A local court yesterday sentenced him to life imprisonment for the murder. Another accused in the case was found not guilty.

Dinesh Kumar of Uttranchal was removed from the job by Banke Bihari, a contactor in a plywood unit, where the convict was employed. The contractor was knifed to death in the evening of October 20, 2005, near Joriana on the Saharanpur - Kurukshetra national highway.

The Additional District and Sessions Judge, Mr K.C. Sharma, sentenced Dinesh to life imprisonment and also imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on him. However, the judge let off Bhupinder, another accused.