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Orders on dera chief’s bail plea reserved till Oct 25
No-trust motion against MC chief fizzles out
LPG a privilege in Ramgarh
Govt to pay power bills of tubewells
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Cab owners resent decision on speed limit
BKU’s ultimatum, INLD protests mark day
Paddy residue a burning issue
Man held for kidnapping child, demanding Rs 1 cr ransom
Govt school teacher murdered
3 killed, 5 hurt in road mishap near Sampla
Teenager hit with bat, dies
Railway TC beaten up
Suicide by couple
2 get life for murder
Education board to set up research wing
9 students caught boozing, suspended
Ram Dev opposes sex education in schools
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Orders on dera chief’s bail plea reserved till Oct 25
Ambala, October 22 Special Judge for CBI cases R.K. Saini reserved the order for the bail application of the dera chief till October 25. Counsel for the dera chief S.K. Garg said the dera chief was being falsely implicated in the three cases. He said the CBI had not arrested the Dera chief during the investigation period and therefore, no purpose would be served by denying the regular bail to the chief. He said the CBI plea regarding the alleged threat to witnesses did not bear merit. Garg said in the case pertaining to the sexual assault of a sadhavi, the CBI recorded the sadhavi’s statement after seven years. He said even though the CBI claimed that such an incident took place, the marriage of that sadhavi was solemnised within the dera precincts and a local commissioner could verify this fact from the marriage photographs. He said in the Ranjit Singh murder case, the wife of Ranjit Singh had given a statement that they visited the dera after Ranjit Singh had bought a gold ring to present to the dera chief. He said why would any person, who believed that his sister had been sexually assaulted by the dera chief, would go back to the dera to meet the chief and give a present. In the murder case of journalist Ramchander Chattarpati, the counsel said the dera chief had not been directly named in either the declaration of Ramchander Chattarpati before his death or in the statement of Chattarpati’s son Anshul, which had been recorded by the state police. He said it was much later that Anshul Chattarpati had named the dera chief. CBI chief public prosecutor Rajan Gupta said the evidence against the dera chief showed his involvement in the three cases. He said the CBI had acted as a mature investigating agency and had not arrested the dera chief during the investigation period, as it did not have a clinching evidence. He said now there was clinching evidence against the chief. Rajan Gupta said the chief had been attempting to intimidate the witnesses, which led to the delay in recording their statements. He said the chief should not be granted the regular bail.
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No-trust motion against MC chief fizzles out
Bhiwani, October 22 As many as 16 municipal councillors had urged through a written letter to the deputy commissioner for bringing no-confidence motion against chairman Nand Lal Chawla last month. Later, six councillors had also signed affidavits in favour of the no-confidence motion. As the date for the meeting was slated, horse-trading among the councillors started. The meeting for the no-confidence motion started at the DRDA hall at 11 am and was presided over by additional deputy commissioner Wazir Singh Goyat, but none of the councillors arrived at the meeting hall at about 11.30 am. The chairman and his four followers arrived at the meeting and registered their attendance. The meeting needed 22 members to adopt the no-confidence motion, but councillors did not come for the meeting, finding fewer members. On the other side, Chawla who needed 12 members to save his seat, enjoyed support of over 15 members. Later, when no councillor from the opponent side arrived for the meeting till 11.30 am, the ADC cancelled the no-confidence motion. Chawla’s supporters burnt crackers to express their success. Later, talking to mediapersons, Chawla said he had support of all councillors and would do development works without any prejudice in the city. |
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LPG a privilege in Ramgarh
Ramgarh, October 22
Irregular supply of LPG in the periphery is forcing consumers to spend long hours awaiting the trolleys supplying them. Since there are no agencies here, the residents don’t have an alternative. Even then, there’s no guarantee that the trolley will supply them a cylinder, forcing them to pay extra for the necessity. “Everybody in my family has taken turns in the queue. Every afternoon, those who had gathered in wait for the LPG trolley go back empty-handed,” rues Ankit. Balbir, another villager, said people book well in advance to meet any emergency. “At the agency office in Panchkula, we are told that the supply will reach us by the end of the week, but we never get the cylinders in time. The agency always delays by 14 to 20 days. Now we have learnt it the hard way and place bookings book even before our cylinder is exhausted,” he claims. Surinder Kumar, irked with waiting in the queue, rues, “The population in the periphery has gone up substantially. It is high time the agencies open office in our area.” The villagers added that during marriages and other functions, additional cylinders are required, which some local shopkeepers ‘loan’ at extra cost. “Since we cannot make the rounds of the city, we have to accept the rates at which they are offered to us,” a villager said on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, sources in the agencies said they had cleared the backlog in the city and supply, henceforth, would be regular. The waiting period, too, would be reduced, they added.
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Swajal Scheme Tribune News Service
Karnal, October 22 This was disclosed by power and public health minister Randeep Singh Surjewala at the monthly public relations and grievances meeting here today. Surjewala said 950 waterworks in the state were under the process of being commissioned. Of these, construction work on 800 waterworks had been completed and supply of safe drinking water to people in rural areas had started. He directed officers of the electricity department to expedite work of replacement of iron electricity poles with cemented poles. He also directed officers of the agriculture department to ensure that qualitative seeds, fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides for the rabi season were provided to farmers. Surjewala asked the district administration to conduct raids on doctors to check those without licence, specially in villages, so that patients did not suffer at their hands.
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Retd official made to live sans
electricity for 6 years
Rohtak, October 22 A local senior citizen, Harbans Lal, was made to live without electricity for more than six years after he refused to pay ‘excessive’ bills being sent to him by power authorities. Finally, the electricity supply to his house was restored after the intervention of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. Narrating his tale to The Tribune here today, Harbans Lal (75) maintained that the electricity meter installed at his residence was defective. He submitted an application with the power nigam in September 2000, requesting them to replace the meter. “However, no action was taken on my application and I continued to receive excessive bills on average basis, which I refused to pay. Following this, my power supply was disconnected on December 5, 2000,” he asserted. As repeated requests made to the officials concerned proved futile, Harbans Lal put forward the matter before an executive engineer at an open darbar. The said official forwarded the case to the SDO concerned, but to no avail. Then, the elderly resident moved the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum against the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) and other authorities concerned. After hearing the versions of both parties, the consumer forum directed the nigam to issue an amended bill at the rate of 100 units per two months for the disputed period and restore the electric supply to the complainant’s residence within 15 days of his making the payment of the amended bill. This order came on December 11, 2001. However, the nigam challenged the district forum’s order before the State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission and obtained a stay. And then began the real ordeal of the septuagenarian resident. “The officials concerned of the state commission just sat over the case file for years; and my repeated appeals failed to evoke a favourable response from them,” said the retired government official, who, along with his wife, was forced to live without electricity all these years. The hapless complainant then wrote to the Prime Minister and other senior government functionaries, urging them to provide justice to him. In response, the Central authorities brought the matter to the notice of the Haryana chief secretary, who sought an explanation from the commission authorities, who maintained the documents pertaining to the case had been misplaced. The complainant provided them fresh copies of the required documents, but still, there was no progress. Finally, Harbans Lal filed a revision petition with the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, which promptly directed the state commission to dispose of the case within 60 days. It was after this order that the state commission disposed of the case, though without hearing the complainant even then. In its order dated January 9, 2007, the state commission directed the UHBVN authorities to restore the power connection of the complainant. However, even after this order, the local staff delayed the restoration of power supply on one pretext or the other. “Ultimately, I had to move the district forum yet again for the execution of the state commission’s orders,” said Harbans Lal, who now plans to claim monetary compensation from the power nigam for the undue harassment, grave inconvenience and mental torture he had to suffer during his long-drawn legal battle against the system. |
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Cab owners resent decision on speed limit
Gurgaon, October 22 In case of violation of traffic rules, the vehicle will be impounded or the permit of the taxi will be suspended or cancelled by the authority concerned from November 1. While talking to The Tribune, Naresh Chabra, owner of Sai Travel, said the implementation of this guideline would increase the travelling time for the commuters coming or going to Delhi. According to a rough estimate, there are around 15,000 to 20,000 BPO employees commuting from Delhi to Gurgaon everyday in taxicabs. He said the time to commute from Gurgaon to Delhi and back would increase, as there were frequent traffic jams on the Delhi highway. The frequency of one taxi plying from Delhi to Gurgaon and back would also reduce. Narinder Singh, owner of C Hawk Tour and Travels Limited, said the Delhi government had taken the step in view of the increasing number of fatal accidents, but the step was not wise to curtail the number of accidents. Fixing the speed limit of private cabs in Delhi was not the solution to control the traffic problem in the National Capital Region (NCR) or in the periphery of the city. The basic problem, which was not focused by the traffic police department, was rash driving on roads. He said, if last few accidents were monitored, it would be found that these were due to rash driving by untrained drivers. He said in a city like Delhi, the speed of vehicles automatically ends up at around 40 km per hour due to traffic jams. If speed was the reason behind the accidents, then there should be no accident in Delhi or near by cities from November 1. He said since the last few years, the business of this industry was increasing by 20 to 25 per cent annually and the numbers of cabs were also increasing every year. He suggested the police should take the responsibility of imparting intensive training about driving and traffic rules.
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BKU’s ultimatum, INLD protests mark day
Jind, October 22
While the railway track was jammed at two places in the district today, the district unit of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) has served an ultimatum on the union government to either lift the ban within two days or face a blockade of railway traffic, besides stoppage of water and power supply to the national capital. Today was the third day when protesters squatted on the railway track in support of their demand. According to a commission agent, the procurement of paddy has been under suspension for the past four days in the main markets in the district, including the grain market at Jind, which has come as a setback to farmers who have been waiting for their produce to be sold. Railway traffic was blocked this morning at the Safidon railway station in the district, about 30 km from here, by a large number of farmers and traders, who staged a demonstration on the rail track in protest against the ban imposed on the export of the 1121 variety of rice. The blockade on this track, connecting Jind with Panipat, was lifted after about 45 minutes following intervention by local officials. A passenger train coming towards Jind was delayed due to the blockade. The second blockade was reported from Julana town in the district, where INLD activists squatted on the railway line connecting Jind with Rohtak and Delhi. The blockade lasted about an hour. Members of the BKU (Gurnam group) and activists of the INLD staged a protest demonstration outside the office of the deputy commissioner at the mini-secretariat here to lodge their protest against the ban. In a memorandum, addressed to the Prime Minister, which was handed over to the deputy commissioner, the BKU has warned to stop water and power supply to Delhi, besides blocking rail traffic if their demand was not met within two days. Three former MLAs - Surajbhan Kajal, Ramphal Kundu and Bhag Singh - took part in the demonstration. BHIWANI: INLD workers on Monday staged a dharna and raised anti-government slogans outside the deputy commissioner’s office in protest against the ban imposed on the export of rice. Addressing the dharna, INLD’s kisan cell district president Raghbir Chobarla said their party would not bear the “anti-farmer” policy of the Congress government. INLD district president Ranbir Mandolla and former minister Bahadur Singh also spoke. Earlier, a memorandum was submitted to the Governor through the deputy commissioner. FARIDABAD: The INLD on Monday alleged that the union government’s move to ban the export of non-basmati rice had put farmers of the state in a tight spot. It said the short supply of the DAP fertiliser and power had further compounded the problems of the farmers. INLD workers held demonstrations against both the central and state governments at the mini-secretariat complex. Party leaders also submitted a memorandum to
the Governor through the deputy commissioner.
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Paddy residue a burning issue
Panipat, October 22
A visit by this reporter revealed that farmers were unmindfully burning paddy residue along the NH-1. Vast stretches of "blacken fields" due to uncontrolled burning reveals the sorry state of affairs in the state. After burning the paddy stumps, farmers fill the fields with knee-deep water as a part of "treatment" of fields, say villagers. It is observed that the situation is no different in the areas located on the Panipat-Rohtak NH (71-A), Panipat-UP road and other stretches. The villagers of Panipat and the adjoining areas say scores of farmers resort to burning the stubbles, which is done either early in the morning or in the evening. In the absence of any official check, farmers here continue to practice the environmentally hazardous exercise. As per the pollution norms in the state even the burning of dry leaves is banned, but the authorities concerned are not taking any steps to prevent the colossal damage to the environment and land being caused due to stubble burning. Admitting the problem, environmentalists say the rural population is worst hit as they bore the direct impact of this exercise. However, farmers claim that the burning of stubble helps them in cleaning the fields of the paddy residue instantly. Besides it also destroys harmful pests left from the last crop in the land, they add. Admitting state's failure in fully controlling this nuisance, officials add that strict action would be taken against the guilty farmers. Experts say the large-scale burning of stubble also brings about adverse changes in the environment. It also damages the upper soil, considered as the fertile layer. According to the environmentalists, suspended particles left in the air due to stubble burning are one of the major causes of dense fog, which can cause serious respiratory problems among the people who inhale it for longer periods.
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Man held for kidnapping child, demanding Rs 1 cr ransom
Kaithal, October 22 Giving details of the case, SSP Anil Kumar said today Ayush (3) of Sakra village was kidnapped on October 17 when his parents were away to Karnal for a medical check-up. The boy has already been recovered and handed over to his parents. The police also recovered a motorcycle and mobile sim card, which was used by the accused for demanding the money. The accused, Ashwani Kumar, was today sent to 14-day judicial custody by a local court. The SSP said the father of the child, who is a food grains commission agent in Nigdu, while coming back from Karnal, received a call, telling him that his son had been kidnapped. The caller demanded Rs 1 crore as ransom to release the boy. He also threatened the father of dire consequences, if he informed the police. However, at about 8 pm, a resident of the same village brought Ayush back and told his parents that he found the boy lying unconscious near the water tank. After the father of the boy registered a complaint, the police following investigations arrested Ashwani, a neighbour of the complainant.
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Govt school teacher murdered
Jhajjar, October 22 The deceased, Ranbir Singh (53), resident of Khudan village, was found dead on the outskirts of the village. His scooter was parked near the body. According to reports, the teacher had gone out of his house after dinner late last night. However, later some passersby found his body along the road near Nyola village. The body bore several marks of sharp-edged weapons. The police has registered a case on the complaint of his brother Dalbir Singh. In another incident, an elderly person was knocked down by a Scorpio vehicle near Jamalpur village on the Matanhail-Kosli road here this morning. The deceased, Maha Singh (65), was walking along the road when the vehicle hit him. He died on the spot.
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3 killed, 5 hurt in road mishap near Sampla
Rohtak, October 22 The deceased have been identified as Ramesh, son of Hoshiyar of Dharam Kheri village in Hisar district, Vijay, son of Krishan of Nindana village in Rohtak district, and Subhash, son of Kapoor Singh of Igra village in Jind district. The injured have been hospitalised. The police has registered a case in this regard. Meanwhile, nearly 10 persons, including six schoolchildren and a woman, were injured when a bus of the local Indus Public School overturned near Kalanaur township of the district this morning. The school bus had reportedly collided with a Tata 407 vehicle before it overturned. A case has been registered. |
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Teenager hit with bat, dies
Rewari, October 22 Sandeep died on his way to the hospital. The deceased was the only son of his parents. The Bawal police has registered a case of culpable homicide (not amounting to murder) under Section 304 of the IPC against the accused, who reportedly absconded after the incident. |
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Railway TC beaten up
Ambala, October 22 In his complaint, Walia alleged that he had asked the cop not to park his scooter in the restricted area earmarked for senior railway officers. Instead of listening to him, the constable slapped him, said Walia. Walia said he had brought the matter to the notice of the railway authorities. Taking serious notice of the matter, Ambala station manager
R.K. Meena said the issue would be raised with the GRP SP for action against Kumar.
— UNI |
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Suicide by couple
Rewari, October 22 They were married about two years ago. After the postmortem conducted at the civil hospital here today, the bodies were handed over to the family by the Dharuhera police. |
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2 get life for murder
Ambala, October 22 Sessions Judge B.M. Bedi awarded life sentence to Kuldip alias Kaka and Ranbir for the murder of Rakesh alias Bobby, a resident of Baldev Nagar in Ambala City. The two had murdered Bobby at his Subhash Nagar residence on September 26, 2004, injuring his friend Rakesh Kumar and his sister Ritu in the shootout. Praveen, another accused, was let off giving him benefit of doubt. Bobby was killed due to a war between the gangs headed by Bobby and Nishan Singh. The latter is facing trial in other criminal cases.
— UNI |
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Education board to set up research wing
Bhiwani, October 22 This was stated by secretary of the Haryana education department and chairman of the board Rajan Gupta while presiding over a meeting of the board of directors here today. The chairman said the research wing would study the teaching practices of the best schools in India besides making a qualitative improvement in the syllabi, the teaching-learning process, the conduct of examinations and teacher orientation programmes. He also stressed the need for adopting project-based learning along with workbook orientation by devising different small and big activities. Gupta said a significant decision taken at the meeting was to introduce the Kalpana Chawla Award at the middle level and the three streams of senior secondary for topper girls starting with the examination results of 2007. The chairman said that in order to enhance the quality of education the board had decided to make five subjects — English, Hindi, science, mathematics and social science — compulsory in the secondary class from the academic session 2008-09 and to make the sixth subject elective. The examinations of the elective subjects would be conducted internally at the level of schools. The schools would send the result of those students who opted for the elective subject in grading to the board which would include it in the certificate of the secondary class. Gupta said that from the academic session 2008-09 computer education would be made compulsory in class XI. From the academic session 2009-10 it would be introduced in class XII as a compulsory subject. The students would be required to study and take the examination in computer education compulsorily.However, getting through it would not be compulsory. He said the syllabi of computer education would be prepared after consulting experts of various IT companies.
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9 students caught boozing, suspended
Kurukshetra, October 22 A team of hostel wardens led by chief warden Dr Satdev Sheokand last night raided the hostels and found 14 students drinking, university sources said today. While nine students were suspended, five others were imposed a fine of Rs 250 each along with a warning that repetition will expel them from the hostels, said university sources. KU vice-chancellor Dr R.P. Hooda had directed hostel authorities to conduct raids in the hostels after complaints by some students that some of their colleagues were consuming liquor in hostel rooms and play music at pitch, which disturbed those who were preparing for examinations. The chief warden procured the list of the hostel rooms where the night pandemonium prevailed. The university sources said the team conducted raids in Devi Lal Hostel, where two students of the law department were caught drinking. The team also got hold of some students of tourism, business management and science departments drinking with outsiders in Arjun Hostel. In Narhari Hostel, the team caught three-year law students along with their friends from outside university in a dormitory, which was virtually converted into a bar. Many students of special education, mass communication, law and science departments were also caught drinking. When the raids were conducted in the hostels, no security men were there. Most of the security guards had gone either for electioneering of the Non-teaching Employees Association or were on their booze spree as usual. Even the main gate of the boys hostel stood unmanned when the hostel wardens’ team entered the hostels, said a team member. — PTI
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Ram Dev opposes sex education in schools
Sonepat, October 22 He was talking to mediapersons here on the eve of a six-day “yoga shivir” last evening. “Instead of sex education, governments should introduce yoga education in every school,” he said, adding that it was being introduced as a subject in schools in a number of states.
— OC |
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Owing to the rampant burning of paddy stubbles by farmers in the state, driving on the GT Road has become a risky affair. Due to unrestricted burning in several villages, NH-1 users complain that road gets engulfed with thick smog that affects the visibility on the busiest road of the region.
