Karnal, May 11
The police burnt about 8,000 kg of narcotics near the residential area here last evening.

The state where burning of small quantity of dry leaves and other materials are illegal, the police caused immense pollution by burning a large quantity of drugs in the town.

Though police officials seemed to be unaware about the environment hazards due to the unplanned burning, experts opine that incinerators should be opted as safe disposal to check this ecological nuisance.

Investigations made by this reporter revealed the state pollution control board has no provision to check burning of narcotics by the police.

Officials admit such burning as “worrisome'' from the environment point of view and favoured immediate attention to check it.

Following court orders, the local police burnt the huge cache of narcotics, including poppy husk, charas, smack and ganja.

The total 7,960 kg of poppy husk, 11 kg ganja, 4 kg charas and 80 gms smack was set ablaze in the presence of IGP Sharad Kumar and SP Sibash Kaviraj.

The drugs were burnt at Sector 4 in the open space.

The exercise that was started at about 4 pm last evening, the heaps were burning even after 18 hours.

Meanwhile, residents of Sector 4 complained that the entire area was engulfed with stinking smoke.

Talking to The Tribune here this evening, the Ramon Magsaysay award winner and the noted environmentalist M C Mehta has demanded that the central and state authorities should constitute regulations of narcotic disposal.

According to Dr Vinod Kumar Garg, Reader in the Department of Non-conventional Sources of Energy and Environmental Science at GJU, Hisar, emission of fumes and gases due to the uncontrolled burning of any organic material, including poppy husk, have serious implications on the human body and environment.

He said gases emitted during the exercise could cause cancer and breathing problems whereas poly aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) posed a serious threat to the environment.

IGP Kumar said “Since the matter has been brought to our notice, we will consult the experts to avoid burning next time,'' he added.

Sonepat, May 11
In order to extend government services and facilities to people at their door steps, the district administration will set up e-Disha Computer Service Centres in 68 villages.

Besides, five such centres, including two at Sonepat district headquarters and one each at Gohana, Gannaur and Kharkhoda municipal towns in the district, will also cater to the needs of the people.

Disclosing this here today, the DC, DPS Nagal, said services relating to different departments would be available at these centres. These included acceptance of applications for issuing of domicile, income, SC/ST/OBC categories, handicapped, senior citizens, birth and death certificates, BPL cards, issuing of electricity bills, outstanding bills, statements, severage charges, house tax, property tax, fire tax, bus passes, long distance bus tickets, driving licences, vehicle registration certificates, BSNL bills and handicapped certificates.

Besides, the services like sale of stamp papers, filing of income tax returns, collection of applications for regional passport office, disbursement of pension and receipt of applications for social beneficiary scheme would also be extended at the centres, he added.

There will be 14 centres in Sonepat block villages, 12 each in Rai and Gannaur block villages, 10 centres in Kharkhoda block villages, eight in Gohana block villages, seven in Mundlana block villages and five in the village of Kathura block, he said, adding that officers had been directed to identify the villages within 10 days and the officers have also been asked not to select the sites for centres near 
the school premises in the villages.

Fatehabad, May 11
Irate farmers today blocked vehicular traffic for two hours on the Chandigarh-Hisar road near Tohana in this district against non-release of power connections to their tubewells even after three years of applications.

A large numbers of vehicles were entrapped in the traffic jam.

On the call given by Om Parkash, district president of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, hundreds of farmers gathered at Kanheri village in this district in the morning and soon farmers from Nangla, Laloda, Dangra and Kamalwala also reached there.

The farmers sat on a dharna on the road and stopped vehicular traffic.

They alleged that they had deposited their applications along with fees three years back but the authorities had failed to provide power connections to their tubewells.

The farmers alleged that they had been meeting senior officers of the power nigam for their problems but every time they had been getting nothing but assurances.

They alleged that the authorities had banned new connections when the sowing season has arrived.

The farmers lifted the jam, when the administration assured the agitating farmers of installation of their connections within one month.

Sirsa, May 11
The drug mafia has adopted new ways of drug trafficking by using poverty-stricken women of border areas of Haryana and Punjab.

As women are least suspected in such kind of activities, the module of the mafia is targeting widows and old women to deliver their consignment to their contacts. The handicap men are also in the most probable targets for the drugs smuggling.

Besides it, in many cases, women are becoming carrier in drug trafficking because of their addict husbands and their poor conditions. The facts came to light from police sources and women drug peddlers arrested under the NDPS cases.

So far, this year only 20 women, besides the border areas of district, hail from Mansa, Bathinda and Muktsar were arrested by the police while carrying drugs. They had been used as carrier to deliver the drugs.

As drugs can easily be checked while being smuggled into Punjab and Haryana from Rajasthan through trucks and jeeps, these women travel in ordinary buses for trafficking drugs.

In several villages of Sirsa, Fatehabad of Haryana, and Mansa, Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur and Muktsar of Punjab, farmers and youths are addicts of poppy husk and opium. For easy money, a number of women involve themselves in trafficking as their husbands have forced them to get the drugs for them. They get drugs from shops in Hanumangarh and Ganganagar of Rajasthan.

SP Vikas Arora said “We have launched a campaign against the drug mafia by increasing nakas on the border areas of Rajasthan. Only a few women for personal consumption of their family and for others were involved in the trafficking, he added.

Chandigarh, May 11
The board of directors of the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructural Development Corporation (HSIIDC) today approved the incorporation of a Special purpose vehicle (SPV) for implementing a petrochemical hub at Panipat.

The SPV is to be incorporated jointly by HSIIDC and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), with 50-50 share holding.

For speedier implementation of the project the board decided that the SPV should be incorporated initially by IOCL and HSIIDC, and subsequently a global expression of interest will be floated seeking application from interested parties for participation in the project under various models.

The proposed hub will be developed over an area of 4,000 acres, in two phases spread over nine years. The project cost has been estimated at Rs 3,730 crore with an employment generation for 38,000 persons directly and many more indirectly. The hub is expected to be home to about 470 units, attract investment of about Rs 13,000 crore. This will house units of films and packaging, filament yarn, polyester staple fibre, pet chips manufacturing, poly-butadiene rubber, woven sacks, master batches etc.

Yamunanagar, May 11
The letter written by Haryana Pardesh Congress Committee (HPCC) secretary Sat Pal Kaushik to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi has evoked sharp criticism from the district unit of the Congress as its leader called him ‘spokesman of Kuldeep Bishnoi’ who has no knowledge of facts.

Rakesh Kaka and Zakir Hussain, urban and rural presidents respectively of the media cell of the party and its vice-president, Suresh Khurdban, in a joint press release issued here yesterday, claimed that development work was not limited to Rohtak alone, as alleged by Kaushik.

The trio said development works worth several crores were at different stages of implementation in Yamunanagar district alone. The leaders also claimed that Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Plant and Dadupur - Nalvi canal were “given to the district by the present Congress government”.

In the release it has been said that several years ago, the then Prime Minister Narshimaha Rao had inaugurated the thermal plant through remote control when Bhajan Lal was the Chief Minister. However, construction work of the plant started only after Bhoopinder Singh Hooda became Chief Minister and this had angered the people of the state .

They said if Kaushik says anything in capacity of HPCC secretary, he would be given consideration but he was talking on behalf of Kuldeep Bishoni, MP from Bhiwani who has been suspended from the Congress. They added that Hooda government does not need a certificate from Kaushik.

Yamunanagar, May 11
The Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (Haryana) authorities have recommended disciplinary action against officials of the education department involved in purchase of equipments in the district causing loss of Rs 10 lakh to the department.

The department had suffered the loss as two officials of the department here, using the powers of district elementary education officer (DEEO), had purchased similar education equipments under the SSA.

Both officials had purchased equipments worth Rs 10 lakh for 20 schools which were upgraded from primary to middle level in the district . While the goods worth only Rs 10 lakh were to be purchased, a sum of Rs 20 lakh was shown as spent.

The SSA has also called reports from the all DEEOs of the state to check if any similar ‘fraud’ has taken place.

After publication of a report regarding the double purchase in these columns on May 4, the SSA had summoned all records regarding the purchase from the district administration.

Kaithal, May 11
As many as 42 students of primary school, Keorak, about 10 km from here, fell ill after eating jatropha seeds today.

As the children complained of uneasiness and a few started vomiting, they were rushed to the civil hospital and were immediately administered treatment in the emergency ward.

According to information given by Deputy Commissioner Rajinder Kataria, some students found jatropha seeds wrapped in a polythene bag near a temple this morning.

They brought the seeds to school, which were later consumed by them and a few others. Immediately after consuming the seeds, the children started vomiting.

As the news of the incident spread, a large number of villagers reached the school. Local MLA S.S.Surjewala, Deputy Commissioner and other officials also rushed to the school and later visited the students admitted in the hospital.

The Deputy Commissioner said all those admitted were out of danger and they will be discharged from the hospital soon.

He also informed that DEO (schools) has been directed to conduct an inquiry into the matter and submit a report.

Jind, May 11
The panchayat of Meherda village has exiled two youths over a love affair and also announced its decision to "socially boycott" 13 families.

The panchayat's announcement came after a six-hour meeting of its members Wednesday.

Ashok and Anita were involved in the affair. While Ashok's kin didn't participate in the proceedings, the panchayat separately "interrogated" Anita in this connection.

Following its meeting, the panchayat held Ashok "guilty" and also found his relatives "guilty of hiding the truth".

The panchayat also exiled Mannu, another village youth, for keeping it in dark about the affair.

According to sources, Anita had gone missing from the village on April 20 and reappeared with Ashok on May 2 when both of them surrendered at a police station, stating that they had gone to Vaishno Devi at their own will.

While the SDM had acquitted Ashok in the matter, Anita was sent to Nari Niketan in Karnal. Interestingly, Anita took a U-turn and reportedly told the panchayat that Ashok forcibly took her to Shimla on April 20.

Ambala, May 11
The process of shifting out dairies from Ambala City seems to have run into rough weather.

A decision had been taken by the government four years back to shift out dairies from Ambala Cantonment and Ambala City.

While the process for Ambala City successfully culminated with the dairies being allocated land in villages Khatoly (19 acres) and Kanwali (nine acres), the land allocation for Ambala Cantonment dairies is still to be finalised.

Hira Lal Yadav, Sangharsh Vahini chairman, who had spearheaded the campaign for the dairy owners of Ambala Cantonment, said the government had proposed to give them land in village Ugada Bada, but they were strongly opposed to it. “The dairy owners will have to travel through the Army area to reach Ugada Bada and the road is at times out of bounds for civilians,” he said.

Yadav said their opposition had been recorded in a general meeting of the House of Municipal Council, Ambala Sadar, earlier this year.

He added that initially it was proposed that they would be allocated land near the Champa rice mills on the Jagadhari road. Later, the proposal was changed to Ugada Bada. "Following our opposition, the government zeroed in on Kardhan village where the foundation stone was laid by former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala,” Yadav said.

But soon after, the dairy complex site was again shifted back to Ugada Bada. "The land which had earlier been earmarked for the dairy complex was taken over for residential purposes. Now, the government is going to privately acquire land for the dairy complex,” he said.

The dairy owners are of the view that since they are to pay for the land, the land should be of their choice. This is proving to be a stumbling block for the shifting out of dairies from Ambala Cantonment.

The provisions at a dairy complex include, a veterinary hospital, a veterinary doctor's residence, a pond, tube wells, a road, drains and open spaces.

Hisar, May 11
The controversy over auction of 20 acres of prime land to a society run by the family of local bodies minister Savitri Jindal and her son Naveen Jindal, MP, for building a school in the Mill Gate area here took an altogether different connotation today.

Residents of the area decided to hold a referendum on the issue as part of citizens’ initiative to resolve the row.

The residents, who held a meeting this morning, regretted that opposition parties were opposing the deal without taking the views of the residents of the area in consideration.

They said a vast majority of the 40,000 residents of the area favoured the setting up of a school instead of fish, fodder and vegetable markets as was planned earlier.

The meeting was attended by about 36 residents, including advocates, doctors, teachers and social activists.

They said they wanted a school on the piece of land as proposed by the Jindals. However, the Municipal Corporation, the state government or any other educational society was welcome to do so if there was anything wrong with the proposal of the Jindal family.

Referring to the INLD’s vehement opposition to the project, they said even the Chaudhary Devi Lal Trust run by the Om Parkash Chautala family was welcome to establish a school on the plot, if it so desired.

They said for the first time in 40 years since the creation of Haryana, their area had witnessed rapid development by way of new paved roads and the town’s biggest park developed by the Jindal family at its own cost.

Next in this direction, they wanted a school for their children of the area which was home to thousands of economically backward people.

Regretting that their voices were getting lost in the din created by INLD and other parties, they said all residents of the area would beat drums in their houses at 9 a. m. on June 3 in the hope that in a democratic set up their voice would be heard too.

The residents said they would hold a referendum on the issue next month to decide how the land should be utilised. Meanwhile, the residents have launched a signature campaign to press their demand.

Rohtak, May 11
Haryana Education Minister, Phool Chand Mullana, ordered an inquiry into allegations of laying of a “faulty” potable pipeline in Gokul Colony located on Sunaria Road here yesterday.

The minister was disposing off complaints at the monthly meeting of District Public Relations and Grievances Committee. Deputy Commissioner R.S.Doon and Superintendent of Police C.S.Rao were also present on the occasion.

Virender Budhwar, a resident of the aforesaid colony, complained that the potable water pipeline was laid in their locality around a year and a half year back. He alleged that the officials concerned had made payment to the contractor without checking the pipeline network.

“Later, when water was released in the pipeline, it started leaking,” he informed. On hearing the complaint, Mullana directed the Superintending Engineer of Public Health Department to look into the matter. He said the Vigilance Bureau could also be asked to probe into the case if need arises.

Sumer Chand and his wife Chanda Rani of Shivam Enclave had complained, in one of such meetings that they had deposited money with a co-operative thrift and credit society, which was not being returned to them. The minister had then asked the police authorities to recover the amount. At today’s meeting, the couple stated that they had got some amount back and hoped to get the balance payment soon.

Meanwhile, participating in a live phone-in programme of All India Radio, Mullana asserted that action would be taken against the government school teachers who had shown poor results in examinations.

In all, the minister answered 65 queries of the radio listeners.