Chandigarh, April 18
The Haryana government has entered into a master service agreement (MSA) with three private operators for running e-Disha Ekal Seva Kendras that will facilitate e-governance.

Authorised to deliver government-to-citizen (G2C) and business-to-citizen (B2C) initiatives, the kendras will benefit the rural masses, who will no longer have to travel long distances for common services.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the government by Mr P.K. Chaudhery, financial commissioner and principal secretary, information technology, with representatives of these IT companies.The government feels that the initiative will usher in a new era in the history of the state's G2C service delivery mechanism.Under the scheme, Haryana proposes to have one agent in each of its divisions, Ambala, Rohtak, Gurgaon and Hisar. These common service centres (CSCs), 1,159 of which will be put up in the rural areas, will help in the spheres of governance, education, health, entertainment and other possible government and private services.

The CSCs will be developed through a public-private partnership model to encourage economically sustainable models for social development. Urban areas in the state will have 104 CSCs.

Service centre agencies (SCAs) will develop, design, operate and maintain the entire seva kendra network and ensure reliable linkages with the statewide area network (SWAN).

This e-governance initiative is based on the public- private partnership (PPP) model, whereby government services such as caste, income and other certificate issuance, copy of land records and payment of bills such as electricity and telephone will be made available through these kiosks.

Himachal Pradesh has scored over Punjab and Haryana by becoming the first state in North India to acquire the ISO:9001:2000 certification for e-governance service in the issuance of driving/conductor licences and registration certificates for motor vehicles. The Himachal government decided to computerise official functioning and priority was accorded to the computerisation of the revenue records in the state. 

Sonepat, April 18
With the arrest of Sumer, Bhola and Illyayas of Pipli Khera today, the police claimed to have arrested all six accused in a case of triple murder on the GT Road on April 16. The other three are Sanjeev and Jitendra of Pipli Khera and Sanjay of Toli village in Bulandshahar district in UP. Talking to mediapersons here, DSP Abhay Singh claimed to have recovered two mousers, one pistol, one revolver and six cartridges from them. He disclosed that a CIA team led by inspector Ram Niwas Yadav arrested the three.

He also informed that Sumer is Sanjeev’s brother. During interrogation, Sanjeev confessed that he had a threat from Virender and planned his murder. Sanjay confessed to have taken a supari of Rs 1.50 lakh to eliminate Virender of Pipli Khera. He added that he had already taken an advance of Rs 50,000 from Sanjeev. It was stated that Virender, Surender of Kurar and Hariom of Siwah were shot dead while coming to Sonepat for a court hearing. — OC

Rewari, April 18
As many as six persons, including four of a family, were killed on the spot while two others were injured seriously in two separate road accidents, which occurred on the Delhi-Jaipur highway this morning.

Mamoor Khan, his nephew Ibrahim and his two brothers-in-law, Khurshid and Habib, all residents of Alwar district of Rajasthan, were crushed to death when their tractor-trolley overturned after being hit from behind by a truck on the Delhi-Jaipur highway near Bhudla village, 10 km from here, early this morning.

Mohar Khan, who was driving the tractor and a brother of the deceased Mamoor Khan, were seriously injured.

The mishap occurred when a truck coming from behind rammed into the tractor trolley, which was going from Dharuhera towards Bawal.The injured Mohar Khan has been hospitalised at Bawal. The Kasaula police has registered a case of rash and negligent driving against the unknown truck driver who fled soon after the accident.

In a second accident case, Birender and Harivansh, both employees of a factory in Bhiwadi, a neighbouring town of Alwar district of Rajasthan were killed on the spot while their colleague Parbans was seriously injured when their Tata tempo was hit from behind by an unknown vehicle on the Delhi-Jaipur highway near Golden Huts, 12 km from here, this morning.

The injured has been admitted in a hospital at Dharuhera. The deceased Birender and Harivansh were residents of the Azamgarh area of Uttar Pradesh. The mishap took place when the three were going from Bhiwadi to Bawal. The Dharuhera police has booked the unknown vehicle driver, who absconded after the accident for rash and negligent driving.

Rohtak, April 18
BJP leader and former Haryana minister, Krishan Murti Hooda, has alleged that a state police officer of the rank of additional director-general of police (ADGP) had recently purchased a posh house in Gurgaon from a builder at a price much below the market rate.

“This is a clear case of misuse of power and position by a high-ranking government official and requires a high-level inquiry,” Hooda said in a statement issued here, today.

The former minister maintained that he was ready to reveal the identity of the said officer if the state government agreed to get the matter probed by a sitting High Court Judge or the CBI.

Hooda asserted that nearly a dozen officers of the state government were involved in such shady deals, mostly in Gurgaon.

Bhiwani, April 18
A 22-year-old youth from Bihar, working at a factory in the local industrial area, reportedly fell victim to scorching heat yesterday.

Identified as Guddu Kumar, he developed high fever due to heat and was admitted to civil hospital immediately.

Sources said his temperature continued to rise and he finally died. His body was handed over to relatives after a post-mortem examination.

Chandigarh, April 18
The Haryana Congress has distanced itself from the statement of its organising secretary Hari Singh who had demanded a CBI inquiry against former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal for the allegedly possessing disproportionate assets. Working president of the party Ram Prakash said here today that the demand was the “personal view” of Hari Singh and the party did not subscribe to it.

Hari Singh had demanded that along with INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala, the CBI should also conduct a similar inquiry against Bhajan Lal. This had evoked a strong reaction from Haryana INLD president Ashok Arora, who said the central agency should also inquire into various “scams” of the present government.

Hari Singh’s statement was viewed by political observers as the latest attack by the Hooda faction, which now controls the party organisation, on Bhajan Lal, his MP son Kuldeep Bishnoi and their supporters. This impression was further strengthened when converner of the party’s media cell Pawan Jain demanded the suspension of former Congress chief Dharam Pal Malik from the party for describing Bhupinder Singh Hooda as “an imposed Chief Minister”.

Ram Prakash, however, today described these statements as the personal views of these leaders. Meanwhile, Bhajan supporters boycotted the meetings of presidents of the district and block Congress committee convened by Ram Prakash here yesterday and today.

Presidents of the Panchkula and Hisar district committees Om Prakash Devi Nagar and Ramji Lal did not turn up for yesterday’s meeting. Today president of the Adampur block unit abstained from the meeting. 

Yamunanagar, April 18
The bridge over the Markanda river on the Kala Amb-Shahbad state highway, which had collapsed on July 20 last year, will be reconstructed in the next nine months at cost of Rs 6 crore.. Debris of the collapsed bridge is being cleared so that the laying of the new bridge starts by early next week. Vehicles were plying on the bridge when it had collapsed on July 20 last year (span No. 3 caved in). At least four persons, including a family of an Army jawan, were killed at that time. The bridge was about four-decade old.

The collapse had proved a big loss for the owners of over 300 industrial units in HP, besides it had severely affected the inter-state supply of vegetables and milk. The Executive engineer (Naraingarh) could not be contacted.