Rohtak, June 10
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today ordered a magisterial inquiry into the yesterday’s explosion in a local fireworks factory.

He also visited the blast victims at the PGI hospital, here, and inquired about their health.

Meanwhile, the blast death toll has risen to five as two more persons succumbed to their burn injuries.

The police has registered a case under Sections 336, 337 and 304 of the IPC and Section 9 of the Explosives Act against Subhash Kalra, the owner of Shri Raj Lakshmi Fireworks.

Later, talking to mediapersons, the Chief Minister announced that the next of the kin of each person killed in the explosion would now be provided a compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh by the state government.

“The persons seriously injured in the mishap will get Rs 50,000 and other injured Rs 10,000 each,” he maintained.

Expressing grief at the incident, Hooda said the government would bear the expenses incurred on the treatment of the victims.

The Chief Minister further stated that the state government would also arrange for the cremation of those killed. “If the family members of the deceased want to cremate them at their native places, arrangements will be made by the state government to send the bodies to their respective places,” he added.

Appreciating the district and police administration for the timely rescue and relief measures taken after the blasts, Hooda pointed out that the death toll could have been much higher had the local authorities not acted swiftly.

The Chief Minister, accompanied by local MLA Shadi Lal Batra, Rohtak range IGP Sharad Kumar, DC R.S. Doon, SP C.S. Rao and other officials, also visited the mishap site.

Chandigarh, June 10
In a stinging rebuff to rebel Congress MP Kuldeep Bishnoi, Pawan Jain, convener of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee’s media cell, today asked Bishnoi to resign from the Bhiwani Lok Sabha seat and contest again for the seat if he had the guts.

Bishnoi had yesterday criticised AICC chief Sonia Gandhi and Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and announced that he would soon float a new political party.

Reacting to Bishnoi’s statement, Pawan Jain said Bishnoi could win from Bhiwani only because he was a nominee of the Congress party.

“If Bishnoi does not want to admit this fact then let him resign from the seat and take part in the by-election that will be held for the constituency,” Jain said in a press note here.

Ridiculing Bishnoi’s opposition to the joint venture SEZ project at Gurgaon, Jain said it was surprising that Bishnoi did not protest when the erstwhile state government headed by Om Prakash Chautala was acquiring land at Gurgaon for the SEZ by paying the farmers a fraction of the price now offered by the state government to farmers in case of acquisition of land.

“Was Bishnoi not concerned for the farmers at that time or is it so that he had some kind of understanding with Chautala?” Jain asked.

According to sources, action appears imminent against Bishnoi.

Fatehabad, June 10
A prosecution witness in a case relating to the Drugs and Cosmetic Act was prevented by the accused from deposing before the court on Friday.

Chowkidar Prithvi Singh of Jandwala Bagar village had come to the court of the Judicial Magistrate Anita Dahiya to depose as a witness in a case State vs Virender.

The District Drugs Inspector (DDI) along with a doctor from the local civil surgeon's office had caught Virender with allopathic drugs in the village sometime back, where he had been running a clinic without any medical degree or a certificate.

Prithvi Singh, being the village chowkidar, was made a witness to the raid by the DDI.

He came with summons from the courts but was cowed down by the accused and his accomplices.

Unable to hire the services of a lawyer due to poverty, Prithvi Singh told this correspondent that the accused had threatened him of dire consequences in case he deposed against him. The accused allegedly asked him to either turn hostile or not to depose at all. Prithvi Singh said the accused belonged to the majority Jat community of the village, hence he could not afford to annoy him. He was also seen pleading with some lawyers to get him exemption from deposition before the court.

He eventually left the court without recording his evidence. 

Chandigarh, June 10
The Haryana Government has planned to set up 15 more ayurvedic dispensaries in the state during the current financial year in view of their growing demand among the people.

While stating this here today, a spokesman of the Haryana Ayurvedic, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush) Department said at present Ayush services were being provided through a network of three ayurvedic hospitals, one Unani hospital, six Ayurvedic Prathmic Swasthya Kendras, 472 ayurvedic dispensaries, 19 Unani dispensaries and 20 homoeopathic dispensaries.

Apart from this, the Government Institute of Indian System of Medicine and Research at Panchkula was also providing services to the people.

He said in order to provide medical education, apart from Shri Krishna Government Ayurvedic College at Kurukshetra, there were five ayurvedic and one homoeopathic colleges in the private sector.

There was also a plan to provide computers at district ayurvedic offices and at the state headquarters during the current financial year so as to enhance the efficiency of the department.

Kaithal, June 10
Doctors holding BAMS degrees have expressed resentment against a decision of some universities for not considering their degree equivalent to MBBS and hence not allowing them admission to MD and MS postgraduate courses. At a meeting held at the local Rising Hospital here on Tuesday , the BAMS doctors said despite a Supreme Court ruling that BAMS degree was equal to MBBS degree, most universities have not implemented this verdict . However, in this case Benaras Hindu University (BHU) was an exception which had allowed admission to BAMS degree holders for MD and MS postgraduate courses. Not only this, it has been even reserving seats for the BAMS degree holders for the past few years.

Dr Narinder Gupta , a spokesman for BAMS doctors, said at present they were not being treated at par with the MBBS doctors. He said the state government and the universities should review their stand to end this discrimination. He further said if their demand was not met they may be forced to move the apex court on the issue. Dr Raj Kumar, Dr Jyoti, Dr Satish , Dr Narinder Gupta, Dr Aman and Dr Sunil Gupta were among those present at this meeting.

Ambala, June 10
The district Congress committee, Ambala Cantt, formed a seven-member committee this evening to interact with rebel Congress councillors, who are keen for a no-confidence motion against Ambala Sadar MC president Neelam Sharma.

Initially, a tough decision was expected against the rebels for ignoring the whip issued by the district Congress committee president Narinder Pal Singh Shera regarding abstaining from the no-confidence motion meeting.

However, at the meeting held at Congress Bhavan this evening, it was decided that the seven-member committee should talk to the rebel councillors.

Shera said the committee would interact with Ambala Cantt MLA D.K. Bansal, MC president Neelam Sharma and all Congress councillors so that the solution to the current impasse could be found. “The committee will submit its final report to me by June 13,” he added.

He said the party high command was being apprised of all developments. “The committee’s report too will be forwarded to the party high command. We are keen that the rebel councillors take care of the party’s interest,” he said.

The committee will be headed by S.K. Sharma. Other members include S.K. Jaiswal, Raj Kumar, Bishan Lal Tank, Brij Lal Sachdeva, Rajiv Sood and Raj Kumar Aneja.

A Congress leader admitted that the party’s image had taken a beating due to the rebellion by a section of councillors against the president who herself belonged to the Congress.

On June 7, a special meeting was scheduled to be held for the no-confidence motion. But the meeting was postponed. A whip was issued by the district Congress committee president stating that all Congress municipal councillors must abstain from the meeting.

The rebel councillors had openly defied the party whip. Instead, they had stated that they were ready to face any action rather than support the president.