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Python swallows goat A 20-foot python trying to swallow a 40-kg goat on Sunday which it had preyed on Saturday in the jungles of Sunderpur-Bahadurpur in Yamunanagar. The snake, however, died on Sunday. — A Tribune photograph
Nepal rumblings echo in
Haryana, Punjab
2 T20 wickets earn Joginder Rs 50,000
Indian cricket team bowler Joginder Sharma (R) celebrates his wicket of Australia’s Brett Lee (not in picture) with teammates in the second semi-final of the ICC World Twenty20 at the Kingmead Cricket Stadium in Durban, on Saturday.
— AFP photo |
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Rain hits crop in Fatehabad
Bungalow owners to oppose Act
1 killed in camel cart, scooter crash
Shaheedi Diwas celebrations
‘Attempt to murder’ was a mock attack
Guard against commercialisation of education:
Expert
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Python swallows goat
Bahadurpur (Yamunanagar), September 23 A 20-foot Indian python had squeezed the life out of a 40-kg domestic goat and was swallowing it in the Sunderpur-Bahadhur jungles here. By this evening, the whole goat was swallowed and the reptile had disappeared in the jungles. The jungles have a heavy growth and thus it is very difficult to venture in. However, several kutcha tracks were created in the jungles with the movement of thousands people, including women and children who went in the woods to catch a glimpse of the snake and goat. The jungles are about 3 km from Bahadurpur village. Sources in the Wildlife Department said the reptile died this afternoon. It was suspected that the death took place because the “prey was too big and the goat’s horn turned out to be fatal” for the snake. Another official said the reptile died because people disturbed him and he could swallow the goat. The snake was buried in the ground. It all started last afternoon. Like any other day, shepherd Sileman of Sundepur village had taken his goats to the jungles. One of the goat strayed. He never knew a python, about 20-foot, was lying in waiting. He went in the search of his goat. And to his horror, he saw the fearsome python with a light and dark patterned skin struggling to engulf his goat. “It grabbed the goat with a quick lash of it’s head and wrapped itself around the goat and squeezed the life out of the goat,” recalled Sileman and added, “My goat was dead and the azgar (python) started swallowing the goat from the head.” By this morning, the news spread. Everyone wanted to see it. “Women too did not want to be left behind and they turned in large numbers to see the python”, said Akram, a villager. Villagers said about 35 or 40 years ago, a python had killed several small domestic animals in the Kathgarh area. Sources in the Wildlife Department said pythons (a nocturnal creature) drape across tree branches, camouflaged by their skin, wait to ambush their next meal. A large python could squeeze the life out of a deer and could then swallow it whole. “Pythons rarely attack humans but they are capable of doing the same,” said an official. A python may live more than 20 years. As per a website pathons are solitary creatures, but males and females seek each other out to mate. The female coils about her eggs to incubate them. Young pythons have many natural enemies, including eagles, crocodiles, large cats such as leopards and tigers, and hyenas. Causes of endangerment of the species include their killing. Humans had been killing pythons out of fear, for food, skins and blood believed to have medical values and of course the on the account of habitat loss. |
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Nepal rumblings echo in
Haryana, Punjab
Chandigarh, September 23 Following a message from central agencies, both Haryana and Punjab have stepped up vigil and provided extra protection to certain leaders. Names of at least two senior Haryana ministers have figured in documents recovered by security agencies from Maoist elements where the ministers have been dubbed as “anti-Dalits who were out to suppress voices of the landless”. Intelligence input sent to the state police in northern states warns that “Left extremists have managed footholds around cities and industrial hubs in Haryana, Punjab and Delhi. Parts of Uttar Pradesh, particularly Sonebhadra and Mirzapur, and Uttarakhand have also reported the presence of Naxalites”. Senior police officers, who do not wish to be quoted confirmed that the situation is “grim but under control” as Maoists in Nepal could resort to desperate measures to attract the attention of the world after falling apart with the ruling coalition formed by the Left and other democratic forces. Both Haryana and Punjab officers confirmed receiving special instructions from the Union Home Ministry that have asked for “for better coordination among the police, civil supplies department, state electricity board, railways and Border Road Organisation (BRO) as the security agencies fear major naxal attacks on infrastructure projects”. The Haryana police has been specifically mentioned as a “target for these elements”. The threat becomes more serious in view of recent reports of the Haryana police having arrested a senior Maoist leader recently while holding clandestine meetings in Kaithal’s Jawahar Park. The police called this a recruitment drive meeting. Identified as Somveer Singh of the “Jagrook Chatra Sangathan”, he is among the half a dozen-odd Maoists leaders arrested in Haryana during the past few weeks. Other arrests include that of a women Maoists leader Poonam from Yamunanagar. The SP of Yamunanagar K.V. Raumna was quoted as saying that the police had confiscated some documents related to Maoist funding, confirming that the Maoists had been active in the state for over a year. Their activity so far, however, remains confined to “organising lectures and secret meetings” in various districts of the state. At a recent meeting of the National Security Council, officials expressed serious concern at the successful inroads made by Naxalites in northern states, including Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. In response to the threat, the Centre has developed a five-tier strategy that “includes the formation of an empowered group of ministers headed by union home minister Shivraj Patil; a standing committee of chief ministers of Naxal-affected states; a coordination centre headed by the union home secretary (chief secretaries and DGPs of 13 affected states); a task force headed by the special secretary (internal security) in the union home ministry and an inter-ministerial group headed by additional secretary (naxal management) in the ministry of home affairs”. Haryana, that was so far considered to be the only a safe haven, is now also a target owing to the large number of special economic zones (SEZs) that have been approved as they consider SEZ as “modern version of the old zamindari system”, a Home Ministry discussion says. An intelligence report says that “these Maoists are looking for new recruits among debt-ridden farmers in Haryana, Maharashtra and Punjab”. |
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2 T20 wickets earn Joginder Rs 50,000
Chandigarh, September 23Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today announced a reward of Rs 50,000 for international cricketer Joginder Sharma, who hails from Haryana, for taking two wickets in a Twenty-20 semi-final cricket match played between Australia and India at Durban last evening.
Hooda also congratulated the Indian team on entering the finals of the championship and wished them good luck. It may be recalled that the Chief Minister had announced on September 6 that any cricketer hailing from Haryana would be given Rs 25,000 for taking a wicket and Rs 1 lakh for making a century in any international cricket match. Meanwhile, director-general of the Haryana police R.S. Dalal has also congratulated Sharma, who was recently appointed DSP in the state police. |
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Rain hits crop in Fatehabad
Fatehabad, September 23 Not only has the standing crop of cotton and paddy been hit badly by the rains, but the harvested crops lying in grains markets of the district has also been drenched with water. Heavy rains that came with speedy winds on Saturday afternoon resulted in shedding of flowers out of the almost-ripe cotton crop standing on the fields. Reports of damage to crops have also been received from Ratia, Bhattu and Tohana in this district. Vijay Mehta, a progressive farmer from Alika village, told this correspondent that their Bt cotton was at the stage of picking of cotton yarn from the flowers. But, the heavy showers that came suddenly on Saturday caught the farmers unaware. He said the cotton drenched with rainwater would turn yellow after it dried and would fetch them Rs 200 to Rs 300 per quintal less than the normal rates. Similar is the case with the paddy crop, which Mehta said, had been flattened due to rains and winds and the farmers would have to pay more for its harvesting by combines. Farmers from Bhirdana, Bighar, Aherwan and Ayalki too had the same story to tell. Farmers said that they had been expecting a bumper crop this time but their hopes had now been dashed to the ground after yesterday's rains. |
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Bungalow owners to challenge Cantt Act
Ambala, September 23 The owners are up in arms against the Act as it is being felt by them that it infringes on the rights bestowed on private land owners within cantonments by virtue of the Cantonment Act, 1924, the Cantonment (House Accommodation) Act, 1923, and the Record of Rights, 1910. Ambala Cantonment Bungalow Owners Association president Raj Kumar said there were different instances which clearly showed that the government was attempting to improve the title of the government
to private land within cantonments. Raj Kumar said: “It is autocratic to specify a fixed minimum rate of taxation of 10 per cent with the higher limit to go up to 30 per cent for property tax. The board should be competent enough to determine its own tax structure and on whatever items it deems fit to impose the tax. We suggest that in the case of land/property in self-occupation, a rebate of 50 per cent should be deducted from the annual rateable value of the property. “Further, getting justice has been made costlier. Under section 93, the first appeal against the assessed tax or duty lies in the district courts. Instead, the right to appeal should have been at a lower level as in municipalities.” Raj Kumar said that a new provision under section 244 (2) had been made in the act to punish the violator on account of change of use of an existing land or property. “The penalty imposed is up to Rs 1 lakh on conviction and Rs 10,000 per day thereafter. The imposition of penalty of this magnitude is drastic and open to misuse.” The bungalow owners are also challenging the provisions under section 249, sub-section 1. This provision allows the CEO to seal or demolish the buildings in the case of illegal construction. “The provisions of sections 244, 247 and 249 overlap. If absolute power is vested in the CEO alone, it may happen that a person merely repairing his house may have his premises sealed and a penalty imposed.” The bungalow owners have also opposed the deletion of section 110 of the Cantonment Act, 1924. “Deletion of the provisions encroaches upon the title of the owners of private land within cantonments. It is imperative that the provisions of section 110 of the Cantonment Act, 1924, should be incorporated in the Cantonment Act, 2006,” Raj Kumar stated. Raj Kumar said the bungalow owners had decided to seek the redressal of their grievance. “We shall endeavour to get the Cantonment Act, 2006, suitably amended,” he said. |
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1 killed in camel cart, scooter crash
Sirsa, September 23 The camel cart owner fled from the scene. The body of the deceased, Dara Ram, was handed over to his kin after a postmortem examination in the local Civil Hospital yesterday. The police has
registered a case against the unknown cart driver. — PTI |
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Shaheedi Diwas celebrations
Rewari, September 23 The Haryana Governor, Dr A.R. Kidwai, was the chief guest on the occasion, which was organised by Rao Inderjit Singh, union minister of state for defence production and a descendant of Rao Tula Ram. Paying homage to Rao Tula Ram and other heroes of the First War of Independence of 1857, the Governor said it was a matter of pride that the brave people of Haryana made a superb contribution towards the war of independence. Asserting that Haryanvis now outnumbered men from other states in the Indian Army, he also accorded concurrence to the views expressed by Rao Inderjit Singh, who said south Haryana, which was virtually a nursery of soldiers, direly needed a sainik school for defence personnel’s children and others. Simultaneously, he also wanted stone plaques, inscribed with names and other details of heroes and martyrs, to be set up in all villages so that the young generation, seeking inspiration from them, could contribute to the development of the state. Earlier, making mention of the unprecedented record of Mahavir chakras, Vir chakras and other gallantry awards won by heroes and martyrs of south Haryana in various wars fought in the last five decades, Rao Inderjit Singh said it was deplorable that south Haryana had failed to secure a sainik school, which was magnanimously given to it by the then defence minister, R. Venkatraman, in September, 1983. Earlier, the Governor along with Rao Inderjit Singh and others paid floral tributes to Rao Tula Ram at Nai Wali Chowk, here. |
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‘Attempt to murder’ was a mock attack
Panipat, September 23 Shekher, a local exporter had lodged a complaint with the police that he was attacked by certain assailants on Wednesday last. He named his business associate Sudhir for attacking him and his family on the GT Road. SHO (city) Naresh Ahlawat informed TNS that Shekhar had developed strained relations with Sudhir due to certain business and family reasons. To avenge his partner, he conspired with others to implicate him in a fabricated case, said Ahlawat. Getting suspicious of the circumstantial evidences, the police interrogated the complainant and managed to crack the case. Sources said Shekhar’s version that three bullets were shot at them prompted the investigators to look for the factual angel as no one received injury in the incident and only windscreen of his car was shattered. Later, Shekhar admitted to the police that he hired certain persons for attacking him. He had reportedly paid a sum of Rs 20,000 to those hired for the mock attack. The police also arrested four others who connived with Shekhar in the conspiracy and “attacked” him. Meanwhile, the police also arrested Sudhir for forging certain business of Shekhar. SHO said that the former had scanned certain documents belonging to Shekhar and forged them to use in the income tax return papers. |
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Guard against commercialisation of education:
Expert Ambala, September 23 Rajya Sabha MP Dr Ram Prakash was the chief guest. Dr Prakash assured association members of taking up their demands at an appropriate forum. He exhorted teachers to stay devoted to the profession. In his keynote address, Dr V.K. Tiwari spoke against the perils of commercialisation of education. He said privatisation and commercialisation were two sides of the same coin and needed to be guarding against. He criticised certain recommendations of the national knowledge commission. He pointed out that the proposal for differential pay structure meant creation of walls among teachers of different subjects. Association president Dr U.V. Singh said the issue of national development was intrinsically linked with higher education. He said the government must pay attention to the requirements of higher education. Dr R.R. Malik, Prof Pawan Sharma, Dr Pradeep Sharma and Dr P.R. Tyagi were among those present.
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Cops thrashed
Sonepat, September 23 |
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CLP meeting in Delhi today
Chandigarh, September 23 Stating this today, president of the Haryana Congress Phool Chand Mullana said the meeting, which would be attended by MPs and MLAs, had been convened to discuss arrangements to be made for the visit of AICC president Sonia Gandhi to the state on October 7. |
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Thousands of people of Bilaspur block witnessed what most people watch on Discovery or National Geographic television channels. It was the rarest of rare sites.
Chandigarh, September 23
Rewari, September 23
