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New-era rallies in state
AIDS victim’s ‘mercy death’ cries go unheard
Panipat
Fire Tragedy |
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cpm
blames govt
25 schools for child labourers started
Barwala, October 8
4 held for making ransom calls
7-yr-old crushed under bus
Cabinet to approve lease scheme
Life term for stoning 2
New train reaches Rohtak
Fast-track justice in Ambala
Scheme for free computer education
79 dengue cases in Gurgaon
Sonia’s rally a flop show: Bishnoi
6 HCS officers shifted
Allotment of plots to rural poor
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New-era rallies in state
Hisar, October 8 Rallies are no longer big political gatherings where people in soiled clothes come in droves in tractor-trailers to the accompaniment of dhols and nagras and sit in the open in the blistering heat of the summer or freezing cold days at the height of the winter to hear their leaders speak. The crowd now looks tidier. It’s not that they wore dirty clothes 10 years ago but because their dress got muddied on the way riding a tractor-trailer or a cart. That’s no longer the case. The villager is now wiser and demanding. No one but political hangers-on now use their own vehicles to attend a rally. Till the last assembly poll, villagers were satisfied if the organisers sent trucks to ferry them. Today, nobody wants to move without a bus and that, too, without it being overcrowded. Congress supporters had to hire hundreds of buses from the neighbouring Rajasthan at the last minute for yesterday’s “bijli rally” as even after hiring all available private buses in Haryana, the number did not match the requirement. People were yearning to attend the rally, but would not budge unless there was a bus. That marked the end of the era in which political workers would ride a truck. Water is not just an important political issue on every political party’s agenda. It’s on the top of the agenda of the organisers of rallies these days. The days when rows of temporary water taps were provided on the fringes of the venue or a few tankers parked randomly for the crowd to satiate their thirst, are history now. The crowd demands and now gets glasses of filtered water at the rallies. The pandals and stages have evolved, too. Earlier only the leaders sat under a pandal while the crowd braved it in
the sun. No longer so. Most rallies now have covered pandals erected not by the neighbourhood tent house but by professional event managers. The stage now has
several tiers. At the top only the half a dozen or so top leaders find a berth. This tier is air-conditioned. The second tier is for legislators and senior party functionaries. The penpushers and their ilk are seated mostly on the opposite tier. There could be another small stage on the side for singers to entertain the crowd. Traffic management on the day of big rallies has come of age, too. Routes for specific areas are specified well in advance. Alternative routes are kept open for any emergency. Medical aid is available en route. But the rally is still evolving. Reports say that for its December 2
proposed rally at Rohtak, the Bhajan Lal clan is planning to give lunch packets to all participants complete with desi ghee halwa. Looks like in the end the voter is evolving! |
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AIDS victim’s ‘mercy death’ cries go unheard
Fatehabad, October 8 The local General Hospital authorities have refused to accommodate the victim on the grounds that they do not have any treatment for the victim. With his wife having already deserted him, the victim has no one to look after him. His aged father, Nand Kishore (70), has already sold off his ancestral house for his treatment and has no place for shelter. Mohan (30) worked as a truck driver in Punjab and used to go to distant places with his vehicle. In the process, he contacted the deadly virus but did not know of its presence in his body. He got married to Santosh four years ago and now has a daughter too. He fell ill last year and his problem refused to subside despite treatment from several doctors. With no source of income, his father had to sell off their small ancestral house at the local Thakar Basti to meet the expenditure on his treatment. However, the condition of Mohan went on deteriorating despite treatment. It was only six months ago that the family came to know of his HIV-positive status. The local General Hospital authorities, where Mohan was being treated, discharged him on the grounds that they did not have the treatment facilities needed for him and asked his father to take him to Rohtak. Meanwhile, Mohan's wife Santosh left him with her daughter and went to her parent’s home four months ago. Nand Kishore claims Santosh and their daughter were also tested in the General Hospital and they tested negative for HIV. Nand Kishore told this correspondent that though he took his son to the PGI, Rohtak, for treatment and they did get medicines free of cost, but the condition of his son has deteriorated rather than improving. He said the doctors had told him that Mohan would not be able to survive for long now. Mohan’s condition is so bad that burns have developed all over his skin and he is unable to walk or even go to toilet. Nand Kishore is putting up in a dharamshala, where he works as a helper. But, he has no place to provide shelter to his ailing son. Lying on a cot in the open outside the General Hospital, Mohan pleads for death from whosoever goes to see him. Those living in the vicinity of the place, where Mohan’s cot has been placed, have served an ultimatum to Nand Kishore to remove him from the street. Already in the twilight years of his life, Nand Kishore, too, wishes that his son dies soon so that he can be relieved of the pain and suffering he is going through. |
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Survey on safety norms ordered
Tribune News Service
Panipat, October 8 oday instructed the authorities to conduct a survey to check whether safety measures are being implemented in industrial units. The authorities have been directed to complete the survey within a week. The labour commissioner was here today to inspect the factory premises in the old industrial area. Sources said he was upset over reports that safety norms in a majority of the industries were not being adhered to. Meanwhile, DC Mahender Kumar clarified that there were 10 deaths in yesterday’s incident. He said in the past too, the owners of R.R. Spinning Mills were found guilty of several irregularities. They were penalised in 1999 and 2005 for not complying with the safety norms on the same premises. 2 suspended
The State Labour Department today suspended divisional labour commissioner (DLC) Azad Singh and labour officer Baljeet Singh with immediate effect. The action was taken after allegations that workers were working in late night shifts which was against the working norms. |
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25 schools for child labourers started
Panipat, October 8 The district administration today launched 25 national child labour special evening schools under the Centre-funded National Child Labour Programme (NCLP) for the deprived sections of the society. As many as 65 more schools are scheduled to be opened next week. The first such school was inaugurated by deputy commissioner (DC) Mahender Kumar at the Government School in Kacha Camp locality today. The DC said students enrolled here would be entitled for a monthly stipend of Rs 100 for three years which would be deposited in their bank account and the money could be withdrawn only after completing school. He said students would be given formal education up to the primary-level in a stipulated period of three years. After this, these students would be admitted in class VI in regular government schools. Besides, the students would be given free mid-day meals, he added. Following the report on child labour submitted to the Ministry of Labour, the district was allowed to open these special schools. The Centre had sanctioned a permission to open 80 schools. These schools would run from the premises of various government schools. The administration has decided to fix the school timings from 3 pm- 6 pm. |
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Dacoits strike terror in Barwala Barwala, October 8 The burglars, armed with iron rods, first struck Bhagir Singh’s house in Batod village Nineteen-year-old Satbir, Bhagir Singh’s son, said: “It was midnight. My grandfather and father were asleep on cots outside while the women were inside the house. I woke up to my father’s cries and saw one of the men hitting him with a rod. Terrified, I went into a room and locked myself .” His 100-year-old grandfather, Telu Ram, was also hit on the head. The men said nothing to one another during the15-minute ordeal. Satbir said they were well-built and wore“nice” shoes and shirts. They ran away as soon as Satbir tried waking up labourers sleeping in an adjoining room. After they left, the womenfolk inside the house discovered the burglars had rummaged through their belongings and taken away ornaments. The dacoits next targeted the Saini household where Karmo Devi (50) was sleeping in the verandah of the house along with her 20-year-old son Sanjiv and daughter Sonia. The elder son, Kuldeep Kumar (24), was in the bedroom. “When I woke up, I saw them hitting my brother mercilessly. They continued to hit him even though he bled profusely. My mother got hit in the head and her arm,” Sonia said. In adjoining Barwala, 17-year-old Vijay sleeping on a cot outside his house, was their first victim. “A man stood guard on me and asked three others to go inside and beat up my father Hisham (40) and my mother, Dhanwanti. My sister-in-law was hit on her shoulder before she locked herself in. They took away whatever they could.” In Lila Ram’s house, the dacoits took away Rs 10,000 in cash and two pairs of anklets. Lila Ram claimed he had been robbed of all earnings he had been saving for his daughter’s marriage. Police investigations have begun and a case registered. “It was a operation executed by one group,” SP Sandeep Khirwar said Police acted late, say victims’ kin
Bhagir Singh’s brother, Pal Singh, said they reported the matter to the Barwala police post immediately after sending the injured to hospital. “The reaction of the police was shocking. We were told investigations would begin the next morning,” he claimed. In Barwala, Amarnath said the police had shifted a PCR stationed outside the village, which had led to “this attempt to terrorise people” |
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4 held for making ransom calls
Gurgaon, October 8 Police officials said all four accused were in the age group of 20-25 years and the team leader was identified as Ashok Kumar. They said Ashok worked with the industrialist till March this year. Later, he shifted to Ludhiana where he came into contact with Rajesh Kumar, Pramod Kumar and Sanjay Kumar. The idea of making ransom calls was inspired from a movie. Officials said Ashok made those calls from a local PCO in Ludhiana. The police registered a case against unknown persons after Gauba, a resident of old DLF, lodged a complaint with the Civil Lines police station. He told the police that he received ransom calls on Wednesday morning with the callers threatening to abduct his son. The accused have been sent to one-day police remand. They all belonged to Bihar. |
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7-yr-old crushed under bus
Faridabad, October 8 Kavita (7), a resident of Dalayapur village, was crushed under her own school bus. A student of Nalanda Public School, she died on the spot. According to sources, Kavita was waiting for her school bus in the morning at a crossing, when the incident took place. The driver fled from the scene. The incident sparked off a violent reaction and soon a large crowd gathered and vent its anger on the bus. They threw stones at the bus. The police arrived and brought the situation under control and registered a case. The driver is absconding. |
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Cabinet to approve lease scheme
Chandigarh, October 8 Recently Hooda announced at a public rally in Pehowa that panchayat land would be given to those who were allotted land in the early 50’s by the then Punjab Chief Minister Pratap Singh Kairon, on a 99-year-lease. The land was allotted in old Karnal district so that Punjabis’ could turn the barren land into cultivable land. The nation at that time was facing an acute shortage of foodgrains. The land was leased out for a period varying between seven years and 20 years under the East Punjab Land Utilisation Act, 1949. After the creation of Haryana in 1966, the political considerations in the state changed dramatically. After the initial lease period was over in the 70’s, the government did not renew the leases, which led to long legal battles. The lease-holders, however, lost their case in the courts. Sources said a Cabinet sub-committee was set up to study all aspects of the issue. In the next few years, its report would be sent to the Legal Remembrancer so that legal complications of the entire issue could be evaluated. Hooda had announced that those who would be given land-on-lease for 99 years, would have to pay Rs 1,000 per acre to the panchayat and Rs 2,500 as lease money for the period for which they were in possession of the land illegally. |
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Life term for stoning 2
Yamunanagar, October 8 A migrant labourer, Ram belonged to Deo Bandh in Saharanpur. The deceased were natives of Bihar and were employed at Shiv Stone Crusher in Balewala stone crushing zone here. Ajay, Dinesh and one Chandrma Sahni, were paid Rs 10,000 each by the contractor on June 22, 2006. Later, with an aim to snatch their money, Ram stoned them to death. However, Chandrma managed to escape and reported the matter to the police. Ram was awarded life sentence and a fine of Rs 10,000 under Section 302 of the IPC. He was also given a seven-year jail term along with a fine of Rs 5,000 under Section 392 of the IPC. Both the sentences would run simultaneously. |
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New train reaches Rohtak
Rohtak, October 8 He was talking to newsmen at the Rohtak railway station after reaching here by the newly launched Delhi-Rohtak Express here today. He maintained that the statement given by UPA chairperson and Congress president Sonia Gandhi did not indicate that the country was moving towards mid-term elections. The MP expressed gratitude to the railway ministry for fulfilling the longstanding demand of the local residents for an express train on the Rohtak-Delhi route. To a query, he maintained that the electrification of the Rohtak-Delhi railway track would also be completed before the Commonwealth Games. “An amount of Rs 48.17 crore would be spent on the project,” he added. |
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Fast-track justice in Ambala
Ambala, October 8 The accused, Sumanjeet, mother of three, who was in judicial custody for the past about a month, got justice within hours. Additional Sessions Judge A.K. Shori discharged the accused after a short hearing. According to the prosecution, Kamlesh, a resident of Naraingarh, was returning to her house on July 14. On the way, she met Sumanjeet, who allegedly hurled abuses at her. Angered over this, Kamlesh sprinkled kerosene and set herself afire. She was taken to the PGI, Chandigarh, where in her dying declaration she said she could not digest the abuses hurled by the accused and took this harsh step. The judge observed in the order that it could be safely made out that the deceased was over-sensitive. No sane person would commit suicide simply because of being abused. The judge further observed, “The learned public prosecutor for the state argued that the charges can be framed on mere suspicion also and no detailed order is required to be passed by the court. There is no dispute about this proposition of law but the court is not to act as a post office and the charges are not to framed in a mechanical manner.” Shori said in the order, “This court will like to add that the police officials who implicated the accused in this case do not even understand the genesis of the offence under Section 306 of the IPC and went to the extent of implicating a woman ignoring the fact that she was blessed with an infant and two minor children. The police officials have harassed the accused”. The dying declaration was not sufficient to order the framing of charges against the accused. It was recommended that the erring police officials be proceeded against departmentally. |
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Scheme for free computer education
Chandigarh, October 8 He said two private service providers, who would work under the overall control of the director, school education, would impart computer education in both Hindi and English. The general computer education course would be covered in 90 hours with 60 hours practical and 30 hours theory classes in an academic year, he added. All students from class VI to XII who opted for computers as a subject under general computer education would be given the prescribed books free of cost.
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79 dengue cases in Gurgaon
Gurgaon, October 8 According to the chief medical officer, Gurgaon, Dr S.S. Dalal, 84 cases had been detected so far out of which 79 were of Gurgaon and the rest of Delhi. Dalal said with the disease reported in the bordering state of Delhi and a number of cases showing up in Gurgaon, the authorities were doing their best to check its spread. So far, fogging within the municipal limits of the city had been completed. Fogging in other pockets of the city like the HUDA sectors and private colonies in new Gurgaon city had also started. The malaria officer, Krishan Kumar, said 140 samples were taken from private and government hospitals in Gurgaon. The cases reported this year were from DLF, Sushant Lok, Sectors 56, 43 and 47 whereas last year dengue cases were detected in Sector 4 (2), Sector 30, Rajiv Nagar, Hans Enclave, City Plaza, Wazirabad, Sanjay Colony and Mata Colony. He said that last year there were nearly 205 dengue cases in the district and the majority of these were in villages bordering Delhi. Dalal said camps were being organised to make people aware of the symptoms of the disease and the precautions to be taken. |
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DAV college ahead in BDS exam results
Yamunanagar, October 8 Devika Dhawan topped the university by scoring 2,649 out of 3,800. Kirti Bansal (2635) and Manpreet Kaur (2632) stood second and third,respectively. Alpa Gupta and Jagmeet Kaur shared the fourth position by scoring 2,620 marks. Anika Bansal (2577), Superna Kapoor (2566), Pallvi Goomer (2536) and Yukti Gulati (2524) were 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th, respectively. This stated by Dr I.K Pandit, principal of the college. The fifth position went to Isha Narang of BRS Dental College, Sultanpur, Panchkula. She scored 2580 marks. |
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Sonia’s rally a flop show: Bishnoi
Faridabad, October 8 In a statement issued here, he said the announcements made by the Haryana government on the occasion were “too little and too late”. Having a dig at the rally, the rebel MP said in spite of the best efforts by the ruling Congress by way of “misusing” administrative machinery, the rally ended in a “whimper”. The ruling Congress could not muster a good crowd and people were brought from some areas of nearby Delhi. Referring to Sonia Gandhi’s address at the rally, he said her entire speech was an election gimmick. REWARI: Senior BJP leader Randhir Singh Kapriwas has taken exception to the ways and means adopted by the Hooda regime for congress president Sonia Gandhi’s “abhinandan samaroh” here on Sunday. Addressing a press conference here on Monday, he said besides a large number of senior police officials, as many as 4,000 police personnel had been deputed for the purpose. Having a dig at the local minister, who mobilised people of the Rewari region on his assurance that Sonia Gandhi would “give them a priceless gift”, he said nothing of the sort happened. KAITHAL: President of the All-India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress S.S. Surjewala said here on Monday that the announcement made by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda at the “bijli rally” in Jharli in Jhajjar district regarding allotment of 100 sq yard plots to Dalits and the landless rural poor was a historic one. He said the announcement proved that the Congress was pro-poor. |
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6 HCS officers shifted
Chandigarh, October 8 B.B. Kaushik, district development and panchayat officer, Panipat (designate), has been posted as secretary, State Information Commission, against a vacant post. Vinay Singh, secretary, HUDA, Panchkula, has been posted as general manager, Haryana Tourism Corporation, against a vacant post. Maheshwar Sharma, secretary, Haryana Agro Industries Corporation, goes as secretary, HUDA, Panchkula. Kuldhir Singh, joint director and under secretary, Social Justice and Empowerment Department, has been posted as officer on special duty, Command Area Development Authority, against a vacant post. Subhash Sheoran, subdivisional officer(C), Siwani, goes as SDO (C), Ellenabad, against a vacant post. S.C. Gaba, awaiting orders of posting, goes as SDO (C) of Siwani as well as Loharu subdivisions. |
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Allotment of plots to rural poor Ambala, October 8 Talking to mediapersons here, Surjewala said the decision of the government to allot 100-square yard plots to the landless Dalits, backward and economically weakers sections of the rural areas was a historic one. He suggested that a committee must be formed at the earliest to ensure that the plots were allocated to the deserving. He said the government must ensure that the scheme did not face bureaucratic hurdles and was implemented within a set time frame. The leader suggested that the government must direct banks to provide housing loans at highly subsidised rates so that the rural poor could construct houses on the plots.
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