Fatehabad, August 6
The district police heaved a sigh of relief in the evening today when it finally got in touch with a key witness of the CBI in the rape case against the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.

Whereabouts of the witness-a former Sadhvi of the dera- who had recorded her statement before a judicial magistrate under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code accusing the dera chief of rape charges, were not known to the police ever since the CBI faxed a message to the SP, Fatehabad, seeking security for her.

Family members of the witness had failed to provide any clue of the victim to the police officials visiting them.

The victim, according to sources, was under pressure from certain quarters to give an affidavit that the allegations levelled by her in her earlier statement before the magistrate were false.

The sources said that the pressure started building on the victim and her family after her identity was revealed by a section of media.

Certain persons, according to sources, had taken the victim away from her residence and had pressured her to go back on her earlier version.

SP Saurabh Singh, when contacted in the morning, had said that the police was in touch with the family of the victim to provide security.

But he confirmed that the victim was not at Fatehabad and the police did not know her whereabouts.

Sensing the sensitivity of the case police had been tracing the witness frantically for the last two days.

The police finally got in touch with the witness in the evening today.

The SP said that he had talked to the husband of the victim over telephone and he said that they were fine and were staying at Sirsa at their own will.

He said the security arrangements for the witness' family had been beefed up and he had also requested the SP, Sirsa, to provide security to the witness.

Jind, August 6
Jind may be one of the least developed cities of Haryana, but it has beaten all districts in matter of power theft and line losses.

Approximately 78 per cent of the power supplied here goes as waste in the records of the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN).

Bhiwani and Rohtak are also politically sensitive areas with line loss of over 56 per cent.

The average line loss in the state had been between 35 to 40 per cent, though it has come down in certain districts in the recent years.

The Haryana Power Utilities, which supervises the functions of all its wings, including the supply and distribution work, has announced to take strict measures against the power thieves and to control the line loss.

The department suffers a loss of about Rs 800 crore each year on this account.

Describing the above mentioned figures as official and authentic, a senior functionary of the department announced that the government had decided to use the stick against the defaulters and offenders.

He said the power theft had been made a non-bailable crime and one arrested under the charge would get an imprisonment for up to three to five years and would have to pay a heavy penalty for reconnection. The department had the authority to deny any connection to an offender if caught for the second time. Earlier it was a bailable crime and the offender used to get away with the charge by paying the penalty.

As many as 65 persons had already been booked and arrested across the state in the past few months, though the department has declared to get the provisions of the Act thoroughly publicised before taking an action.

Though he did not elaborate the reasons in detail, he said the politics could be a major factor and claimed that promises of free power before the elections could have been the factor that had made the issue assume such a proportion.

The losses known as Aggregate Transmission and Commercial Losses (AT & C Losses) in the official circles had been 68 per cent in Bhiwani and over 56 per cent in Rohtak district. Sirsa is among those districts where this figure had been around 22 per cent.

Chairman of the Haryana Power Utilities Lt Gen O.S. Lochab (retd) said here recently that the department was committed to bring the line losses down to a significant level in the near future as number of measures had been initiated recently.

He said the new law which had made the offence of power theft as cognisable and non-bailable had the capacity to make this effort fruitful and result oriented.

According to the department, the campaign of replacing all traditional bulbs and lighting system with CFL tubes had been launched in a big way with at least 25 villages turned into CFL villages.

While the department targets to replace the traditional bulbs with CFL ones in the next three years, it is claimed that all government offices in Haryana would have CFL bulbs by November 1.

Regarding Jind district, it is stated that about 34 per cent of the consumers who had been defaulters and had not opted for the Bill Waiver Scheme announced by the Hooda government would face disconnections. As many as 785 connections had been disconnected in the past three months.

Yamunanagar, August 6
Western Yamuna Canal (WYC) was being run over its capacity to benefit farmers, but the exercise has caused the canal to overflow on several occasions leading to submerging of hundreds of acres in the district.

The canal is weak at several points and work to strengthen the canal is underway.

However, the discharge in the canal was increased without increasing the capacity. At least two instances of overflow in the canal were reported during the past week which caused water logging in the district.

Meanwhile, water submerged hundreds of acres after a breach in the banks of Rakshi river near Dhaulra village last evening. The department concerned was plugging the breach when the reports last came in.

Sources pointed that earlier discharge used to be within the limits of the canal, but was increased during the past two years. The canal was weak at several points downstream of Dadupur Headwater works, here, and excess discharge of Yamuna’s water in the canal was causing it to overflow.

On the other hand, superintending engineer (Irrigation) Vijay Jain claimed that the banks of the canal had not overflown.

“It is just that due to more water in the canal, inlet channels have become outlets which caused a few problems,” said Jain. The department was making the optimum use of the water available so that the farmers could be benefited.

He said gates would be installed at all inlet channels and bed of the canal would be dug more so that it could carry more water and problems of inlets turning outlets could be tackled. 

Panipat, August 6
Following frequent complaints of labourers being underpaid by their employers, finance minister Birender Singh said the state had chalked out a plan to put a check on the malpractice.

Talking to mediapersons here today, after chairing the monthly grievances meeting, Birender said the state had decided to depute labour inspectors to tackle the complaints of underpayment.

He said the concerned labour inspectors would remain present at the factories to ensure if the workers were getting the due salary. He ensured that the provision of minimum would be implemented in true spirits.

The minister also revealed that the state would set up a separate directorate of the ESI thus excluding it from the present Health Department. About 1,800 employees have already agreed to join the new directorate.

Ruling out the possibility of regularising the guest lecturers in the state, he also hinted at introducing certain amendments in the recruitment policy.

Admitting discrepancies at certain level in appointing guest teachers, he said more transparent policy would be formed.

He said owing to exceeding prices, the state government may have to spend Rs 100 crore more for the Hansi-Butana canal link project.

Fatehabad, August 6
In its endeavour to amend the Civil Rights Protection Act, 1955 and the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989, the union government has sought comments from various quarters, including the police and the National Commission for Schedule Castes (NCSC).

The director-general of police through his recent letter has sought comments from all inspector generals of police and superintendents of police after he received a letter in this regard from the NCSC.

Earlier, the ministry of social justice and empowerment had written to the NCSC in May seeking its comments on the merger of the Civil Rights Act, 1955 and the Schedule Castes and Schedule Castes (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989 and rules notified under these Acts; on amendments to the existing provisions of the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 which at present restricts the investigation to the officer of the rank of deputy superintendent of police or more and on amendment to the existing provisions to enable special exclusive courts to take direct cognisance of the charge sheets.

Under the provisions of the Article 35 clause a sub clause (ii) of the Constitution of India, the parliament had passed Untouchability (Offense) Act, 1955 to safeguard the interests and ensure social equality for the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes.

The nomenclature of the Act was later changed to Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 on November 19, 1976.

But, on January 19, 1990, the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes Act, 1989 was implemented after it was found that the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Civil Rights had failed to safeguard the interests of these classes of people.

Rohtak, August 6
Members of the Sarv Karmchari Sangh, Haryana, have decided to hold a protest demonstration at the state Assembly on August 9 to press for the fulfillment of their demands.

Their main demands include filling up of vacant posts through regular recruitment, provide employment to the dependants of deceased employees, institution of sixth pay commission in the state and ensure the implementation of minimum wages and labour Acts in all departments. The vice-president of the district unit of the association, Ramesh Laura, said here today that thousands of employees from Rohtak district would participate in the demonstration at the state Assembly. He said the employees would gherao the Assembly building in protest against the state government’s alleged move to sack employees in the name of implementing pay commission’s recommendations.

Chandigarh, August 6
Phool Chand Mullana, who will be ceremonially anointed as chief of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee in a function here tomorrow, loves reading, walking and travelling.

If these three hobbies listed by Mullana in a Haryana Assembly publication give the impression of a sensitive soul, it gets further strengthened by Mullana’s mention of listening to radio, a quaint pastime in the age of CDs and DVDs, as his favourite recreation.

A veteran politician nevertheless, Mullana (66), will have the whole Haryana Cabinet to give him company tomorrow at the function where the main guest from the AICC headquarters in Delhi will be Janardan Dwivedi, general-secretary in charge of Haryana.

The Cabinet members, who will turn up at tomorrow’s function and welcome the new PCC chief, however, have been showing condescension in their private conversations about Mullana’s appointment as the PCC chief.

The constraints of a PCC chief in a state where the Congress is in power, coupled with the fact that Mullana had to resign from the education minister’s post, have apparently convinced the ministers as their former colleague actually getting a raw deal.

Mullana, incidentally, is raring to make a success of his new assignment. The four times MLA from Ambala district constituency reserved for the Dalits is keen to leave a mark as the PCC chief.

Tomorrow’s function follows the announcement by disgruntled Congress leader Bhajan Lal and his son Kuldeep Bishnoi of holding a rally at Rohtak to challenge Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in his own backyard.

Mullana, it is learnt, will not touch the issue of the rebellion by Bhajan Lal when he addresses the gathering tomorrow.

He is learnt to be of the view that he is not required to criticise the step announced by the father-son duo since Bhajan Lal is still a part of the Congress party.

Mullana, however, is absolutely clear about not giving any wrong signal to Hooda by going overboard to unite the warring factions of the party.

The talk, Bhajan Lal said he had with Mullana after the latter became the PCC chief, was dismissed by saying that it was simply a congratulatory message that was passed on to Mullana from Bhajan Lal’s residence. Bhajan Lal had already ruled out attending tomorrow’s function.

Panchkula, August 6
He’s going to be no dummy president and he made it clear in so many words. On the eve of an official investiture ceremony, Phool Chand Mullana, the new president of the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee (HPCC), said he would give suggestions and guide the government in framing policies.

Speaking at a ‘Meet the Press’ organised by the Panchkula Press Club, here today, Mullana said he is a soldier of the Congress, his identity is the Congress, and so is his caste. “As the president, I realise that workers are the backbone of the organisation and I will ensure they get due respect from the bureaucracy. Also, sometimes the workers feel neglected by the leadership. My job will be to bridge the gap and get the two to work together,” he said.

While indiscipline within the rank and file would be strictly dealt with, he said factionalism would also be curbed to put up a united front. “I will shortly begin my visits to various districts and hold meetings with the Zila Congress Committees. We will invite suggestions to strengthen the organisation and prove that there is no alternative to the Congress party in the state,” he stated.

Holding that organisational change would be recommended only wherever it is necessary, he said feedback would be given importance in all respects.

Dodging questions on MP Kuldeep Bishnoi and his regular statements criticising the working of the state government and the growing dissidence, Mullana said only the Disciplinary Action Committee would be able to comment on the matter.

Earlier, Panchkula Press Club president Surinder Bhatia welcomed Mullana. Club’s secretary Dayanand Chaudhary presented the vote of thanks. They also put forward a request for early disposal of the matter pertaining to land allotment to the club. Mullana assured his support in the matter.

Hisar, August 6
Congress MP Deepender Hooda today described the proposed rally by the Bhajan Lal camp at Rohtak on December 2 as a “post-dated cheque”.

Replying to queries by mediapersons he said it took the father-son duo more than two years to announce the date. Now that they had announced the date so much in advance, there was a real possibility of them forgetting to hold it altogether, he quipped.

Asked for his views on former chief Minister Bhajan Lal declaring his son Kuldeep Bishnoi, Congress MP, as his political heir, he said the former chief minister had all his life taken refuge in “air-conditioned drawing room politics”. Times had changed and there was no place in today’s politics for anybody who did not enjoy support at the grassroots level.

He said for support at that level a politician had to spend all his time among the masses which was not the father son duo’s cup of tea at all.

Hooda said the party high command always took a strong notice of any act of indiscipline by partymen. Appropriate action at the right time would certainly be taken by the high command against those who indulged in indiscipline.

Earlier, he went to Ludas and Balsmand villages to lay the foundation of work on making these villages as model villages. He also inaugurated EDUSAT system at the local Haryana Remote Sensing Centre located on the Haryana Agricultural University campus here.

Karnal, August 6
Two persons were killed and three injured in different road accidents in Karnal district today.

On the national highway, a light commercial vehicle (LCV) crushed a motorcyclist resulting in his death on the spot. The deceased has been identified as Chaman Lal (47), who was a resident of Nilokheri and worked in the FCI. In the second incident, an LCV laden with apples overturned near Samanabahu, resulting in the death of Narender (22), who traveling in the truck, and injuries to three other persons including the driver.

A person committed suicide at his in-laws house by pouring kerosene on himself and setting himself on fire. 

Ambala, August 6
An extempore speech competition was held at Chaman Vatika School, Ambala City, today.

In group I, Chiran was adjudged the winner, followed by Vikrant and Sakshi in second and third place, respectively.

In group II, Bhavya bagged the first prize followed by Simran and Anika in second place and Shweta in third.

In group III, Rupika took the top honours, while Ankita finished second and Talwinder third.

In a group song competition held in the multipurpose hall of the school on Saturday, Radha Krishnan House finished first, Bhabha House second and Raman House third in group I.

In group II, Bhabha House claimed the top honours followed by Tagore House in second and R.K. House in third place.

Over 100 students participated in an origami competition. In the first group, Anmol and Shreya were adjudged the winners, while Akanksha and Yuvraj came second.

In the second group, Vikhyat Verma came first, Sirat Mittal second and Mandeep Singh third.

In group three, Chirga Mehta was adjudged the winner, followed by Manpreet Singh and Vansh Wadhwa.

In group four, Devika came first, Bhavya second and Abhiraj third.

In group five, Ashima was chosen first, Nikhil second and Alisha Mittal third.