Chandigarh, March 9
In the backdrop of Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's threat to scrap Section 5 of the Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, which protects the existing quantity of river water flowing to Haryana and Rajasthan, Haryana Governor A.R. Kidwai today reiterated his government's commitment to get the state's complete share in the Ravi-Beas waters through the Sutlej-Yamuna Link Canal.

Addressing the Assembly on the opening day of the Budget session here, Kidwai said concerted efforts were being made to expedite the matter.

Today, the Supreme Court also agreed to begin hearing on the presidential reference on the controversial Act from March 28 after a plea to this effect was made by Haryana.

In his 70-minute speech, Kidwai said new initiatives for the prevention of floods, recharge of the ground water and improvement in the irrigation facilities had been planned. Several projects for the restoration and development of dying water bodies were also on the anvil. The Rs 350 crore 109 km canal linking the Bhakra Main Line with the Hansi Branch and the Butana Branch would be completed by the end of the year "to ensure the equitable distribution of available water and provide water to the southern areas of the state".

He said an investment of Rs 22,000 crore had been made in various sectors during the past two years. During this period, the state also received foreign direct investment of Rs 1,499 crore.

As a result of the investment-friendly environment created by the state government, Haryana had received the maximum number of applications to set up special economic zones, of which 49 zones had been approved in principle by the Centre. These SEZs involved an investment of more than Rs 1,75,000 crore and had employment potential for about 20 lakh persons.

Kidwai said the state government had achieved the difficult task of containing the revenue and fiscal deficits without compromising on the need to expand government expenditure for the development of critical sectors. This had been achieved through economy measures to curtail non-critical expenditure, additional resource generation measures, improvement in tax collection efficiency and increased allocations for plan expenditure.

He said since the new excise policy had yielded positive results, the government resolved to continue the same policy framework this year also. Under this policy, vends were allotted by draw of lots instead of auction. The new system had eliminated cartels and provided a level playing field to new entrants.

All vacant posts, including the backlog in the case of the Scheduled Castes and backward classes, were being filled. Most of the employees retrenched by the previous government had been re-employed on humanitarian grounds. High priority had been given to provide social security to the aged, widows, the destitute and physically challenged persons.

Fatehabad, March 9
The District Congress Committee (DCC) today asked the suspended Congress MP Kuldeep Bishnoi to resign from his seat and seek fresh mandate of the people as he had lost the confidence of the top leadership in the party.

Talking to media persons, Randhir Singh, president of the DCC said that Bishnoi won Bhiwani parliamentary seat on the Congress ticket, which was signed by the Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Now, Bishnoi had been openly criticising Sonia Gandhi for attending Sirsa rally.

He also said that every Congressman welcomed the decision of the party high command to suspend Bishnoi from the party, as it was a well-deserved punishment. The party would emerge stronger with Bishnoi's suspension, he added.

Yamunanagar, March 9
Ten-year-old Harshit, a resident of Lucknow, who was allegedly made to beg in the streets of Haridwar and then spend several days at a dera in Chhachhrouli here, finally met his parents this evening.

Thanks to the two sadhus and a television news channel who showed the boy in a live telecast on their channel.

Harshit, alias Ankint, jumped into the arms of his father, the moment they entered into the campus of Bal Bhawan run by the District Child Welfare Council at around 7 pm here.

His parents saw him on TV and reached here to take him back home.

Harshit had gone missing from his maternal aunt’s place in Ambala Cantonment on February 26.

The details of how he went missing and what happened to him were yet not clear as Harshit was not able to recollect the events properly.

Harishit said he boarded a train and got down in Haridwar. A beggar (according to Harshit, the beggar was lame) took him and forced him to beg.

A sadhu, Sant Rajupuri, noticed the boy with the beggar. Initially, the beggar kept insisting that Harhit was his son, but later he told him the facts. Sant Rajupuri freed Harshit from the beggar and brought him to the dera here about five days ago and handed him over to another Sadhu Sant Ramdev Brahmchari.

Sant Ramdev told the locals about the child. Former sarpanch of Chhachhrouli Jagmohan Jaggi and others reported the matter to the local police.

The police started investigations and had made arrangements of lodging Harshit at the Bal Kunj.

"A friend of mine from Lucknow telephoned me that Harshit was on television. When I saw him on TV tears welled up in my eyes", said Umesh Tiwari, father of Harshit. He works in a shop in Delhi, while his wife Guddi lives in Lucknow.

On November 22, 2006, Harshit had come to Ambala along with his parents to participate in a marriage. According to Suman, Harshit went missing on the afternoon of February 26.

Chandigarh, March 9
Haryana has invited Pakistan tourism minister Nilofar Bakhitiar to visit the state so that cultural and trade relations between the two could be strengthened.

The invitation was extended by Haryana tourism minister Kiran Choudhary when Bakhitiar visited the Haryana Tourism pavilion in Berlin yesterday.

Choudhary is heading an all-woman delegation to Berlin to project Haryana's tourism potential at the international level.

Choudhary had a lengthy meeting with Bakhitiar, at which areas of mutual interest in tourism were discussed.

Bakhitiar accepted Choudhary's invitation. 

Rewari, March 9
Suresh Yadav (45) was done to death with an axe allegedly by his wife Usha Yadav in collusion with her younger brother Ram Rattan Yadav at Gokalgarh village, 3 km from here, last night.

It is stated that when Suresh Yadav sold a piece of his agricultural land recently much against the wishes of his wife Usha, who was already having embittered relations with her husband, virtually grew blood thirsty. She had an altercation with Suresh following which she sent for her brother Ram Rattan from her parental home at Berli Khurd village, near Jatusana, and then the duo allegedly killed Suresh.

It is also stated that after the death of his first wife some 16 years ago, Suresh had married Usha and because of Suresh's addiction to liquor, the two had not been pulling on well.

Ambala, March 9
Extradition process has been initiated to get three Haryana gangsters from South Africa.

Inspector-general of police, Ambala range, S.S. Deswal today told mediapersons that the request for extradition had been made for three members of the Surinder Geong gang.

The gangsters, Baljeet alias Jeeta, Joginder and Surinder, might be extradited, he said.

Deswal said the request for extradition had been forwarded through the Interpol, following which a red-corner notice was issued.

He said they were hopeful that the three gangsters, involved in the Samana extortion case, would be extradited to India soon.

“Extradition efforts are being carried out by the ministry of external affairs”, he said.

He stated that the three gangsters had been detained in Johannesburg in South Africa.