Chandigarh, October 29
Nearly 12 years have lapsed since the Dabwali fire tragedy left 442 persons dead and several injured, still the State of Haryana has failed to provide a government pleader or District Attorney on a regular basis for assisting Justice Garg Commission in assessing compensation for the sufferers or their families.

In a report submitted to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice T.P. Garg of the Allahabad High Court has himself asserted that he telephonically took up the matter with Haryana's Director Prosecution. Though the Director assured him of doing the needful, nothing has been done so far. He added that the feasibility of impressing upon Haryana government's representative to make immediate arrangements might be considered.

Taking up the matter, a Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Mahesh Grover, today asked the state's Additional Advocate-General to issue necessary directions to the department concerned that a duly authorised and competent District Attorney should appear before the commission.

Granting extension to the commission till March 31, the Judges observed in the open court that the same was being sought by the panel primarily on the ground of change of District Attorney. The new District Attorney, appearing before the commission, had stated that he was neither authorised to appear, nor fully prepared.

Giving details, Justice Garg in his elaborate report, meanwhile, asserted that the government has been transferring the District Attorney representing the state from time to time. Firstly, the District Attorney was transferred in August 2005.

Elaborating upon the recent developments, he said the government pleader started arguments in the right earnest when the contentions of the state and others were taken up from the first week of September. He continued to address the commission till September 21, but was abruptly transferred by the state government.

In his place, Jagdish Chander was appointed vide orders September 19. However, he never appeared before the commission. Instead Suraj Mal introduced himself as the District Attorney and has appeared before the commission. He has been advised to obtain and produce the requisite government orders in his favour.

The commission was constituted in January 2003 to decide compensation and fix liability for the fire incident that took place at the annual function of a school being held at a marriage palace in December 1995.

The commission, since its constitution, has been conducting public hearing at Dabwali in connection with the claims filed by the affected families. So far, 1,171 witnesses have appeared before the commission and their evidence is spread over 1,860 pages. Besides, as many as 2,800 documents have been produced and duly exhibited.

In all, 393 doctors of different hospitals associated with the treatment have also been examined. The evidence of 154 para-medical staff has also been recorded.

Chandigarh, October 29
The Haryana government today announced that it would give ex gratia payment of Rs 3,250 in lieu of bonus to eligible class III and IV employees of the Haryana Roadways for 2006-07.

The announcement came on the eve of a call for a statewide- general strike by the Left-affiliated Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh.

A large number of employees’ organisations of the roadways employees have also supported the strike call.

Announcing the government’s decision, transport minister Mange Ram Gupta said the decision would benefit about 17,000 employees.

However, Lal Chand, an employee leader, described the ex gratia amount as “too meager to satisfy the employees”, who had been demanding one-month salary as bonus. He said roadways buses would not ply in the state tomorrow, a claim refuted by the government.

Meanwhile, the state government has described the strike call as illegitimate.

An official spokesman said all heads of the department, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, managing directors and chief administrators of all boards and corporations had been asked to prepare a contingency plan so that the office functioning and essential services did not suffer on account of the strike. He said if any one disrupted work, he would be dealt with firmly.

He said the government had examined the issues on which the strike call had been given and these issues did not warrant such a course of action on the part of employees at the moment. Therefore, the government did not consider the strike call legitimate.

Hisar, October 29
Much to the relief of harried farmers, Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) has decided to introduce Rural Load Management System (RLMS) for supply of power to the agriculture sector at fixed time and for a fixed duration.

Managing director of the nigam Vijayendra Kumar said here today that under the RLMS, a timer device would automatically ensure power supply at preset timing and duration. In case a power cut was imposed for any reason during the scheduled time and period, the farmers of that particular area would be compensated with in 24 hours. Thus, the farmers would definitely get power for a period that had been scheduled for the sector.

The system would be controlled from a centrally located control room at the circle office. The control room would receive inputs from each transformer for agriculture sector supply, including load pattern, consumption, quantity of power supplied and timings.

He also announced the voluntary disclosure scheme (VDS) for unauthorised load on tubewells. The scheme would remain in force throughout November. Under the scheme, the farmers could disclose the unauthorised extension of load on their tubewells voluntarily for getting it regularised. No penalty would be imposed. However, the consumer would have to pay the charges for load extension like advance consumption security for increased load.

Vijayendra Kumar said to improve the reliability of transmission network, minimise outages in distribution system and efficient location of faults, the DHBVN planned to install fault passage indicators on the feeders. This appliance would indicate the location where the fault in the line had occurred. This would cut down the time for restoring supply.

Yamunanagar, October 29
An 11-year-old boy sustained burn injuries in his both legs when he stepped on industrial waste lying outside a plyboard manufacturing unit in industrial area here. He was admitted to a government hospital and his condition was said to be stable.

The victim, Saurabh Sharma, had gone to the industrial area to collect wood dust for making rangoli for a science exhibition at his school.

His father Bal Krishan said ash covered with wooden dust was lying along the factory located near the Yamunanagar bus stand and the moment he stepped on it, his both legs were burnt.

None of the factory managers in the area where the accident took place accepted that the ash belonged to their units.

General manager of Yamunanagar district industrial centre R.C. Bhatia said the matter was not in his knowledge. “If such an incident has taken place it was a serious lapse”, said Bhatia. D.V Batra, scientist of the pollution control board, also denied having any information on this issue.

Members of BJP Yuva Morcha burn the effigy of UPA president Sonia Gandhi in Ambala on Monday. — Tribune photo by Kamal Sachar

Ambala, October 29
The Ambala unit of the BJP burnt the effigy of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi at Ambala City today to protest against calling Bhagat Singh a terrorist.

The BJP workers also raised slogans against the union government. Sandeep Sachdeva, senior vice-president of the party, addressing the workers, said recently in an examination conducted by the central recruiting agency, Bhagat Singh was termed as a terrorist.

It was an outright insult of out martyrs, he said, adding that earlier too, the Congress had hurt the sentiments of lakhs of people by issuing controversial statements about Lord Rama and Ram Setu.

Senior leaders of the party, including Rajinder Guddu, Anil Mathur, Rajnish Bhalla, Rajinder Gujral, Kirpal Singh Saggu, Satpal Jain, Deepak Gulati and Deepak Bidlan were also present.

Panipat, October 29
In an attempt to safeguard larger public interest against investment in illegal colonies, the district authorities have identified at least two such sites where certain realtors were allegedly in the process of selling the unauthorised residential plots.

Under the master plan, these pieces of land, located on the prime locations and measuring several acres, are reserved for the development of residential areas in the proposed sector 36.

District town and country planning officer Sanjeev Mann said the department today erected boards at the sites announcing the illegality of any proposed residential or commercial venture.

For the past few years, this industrial township has witnessed a massive mushrooming of unauthorised colonies. Sources said certain unscrupulous colonisers sold plots without taking any official clearance. Since no official paper work is involved in respect of these colonies, it becomes a tough task to take action against the offenders in the initial stage, sources added.

One such site, where the work to sell the plots was on, measures about 18 acres of cultivable land and is located near sector 6 while the other site is on the Ujjha road.

It is probably for the first time when the district authorities had taken a timely action to protect the hard-earned money of the public from going wasted in the unauthorisied colonies.

Interestingly, these two sites have standing crops but Mann claimed that they were tipped off by their sources about a confirm move to develop illegal residential colonies.

Jhajjar, October 29
The district police today announced rewards for providing information about the absconding criminals, who are reportedly involved in the recent murders at Badli village of the district.

According to SP, K.K. Rao eight persons had been identified, who were involved in the recent three murders.

Two of the most wanted criminals, identified as Mainpal, a resident of the same village, and Manjeet, a resident of Mitrao village in Delhi, carry a reward of Rs 1 lakh each, while six others, including Balwan, Praveen, alias Jadugar, Anil, Chhote, Naveen and Vikram, all residents of Badli village, carry a reward of Rs 50,000 each.

The SP said the name of the persons, who would tip the police about their whereabouts, would be kept secret.

He said these criminals were involved in the murders of former sarpanch Raj Singh, Karnail Singh and Satyawan.

One of the main accused, Mainpal, is the brother of sarpanch Jaiveer, who was also shot dead on June 5.

The gang war between the two groups have so far claimed five lives and the police has not been able to arrest even a single accused.

Shockingly, the name of a youth hailing from Mitrao village in Delhi indicated that the notorious Anoop gang might be helping the sarpanch’s brother in revenge killings. However, senior police officials have been denying this fact.

Bhiwani, October 29
Some unidentified persons allegedly thrashed a doctor and his wife here today. A land dispute was stated to be the cause of the scuffle.

According to information, about six persons allegedly entered Dr Dara Singh’s residence at the local Civil Hospital and manhandled with Sitabali, wife of the doctor, who works as a medical officer at a public health centre in Kaithal. Later, when the doctor reached home, the outsiders thrashed him too.

Earlier, Dr Singh used to work with the Civil Hospital here. Sources said the doctor had applied for a plot with the HUDA in Gurgaon few years back and had made an employee with the Civil Hospital as guarantor.

When the plot was allocated, a dispute took place between the doctor and the employee for equal share of the plot. Dr Singh alleged that the employee had threatened him with dire consequences and a panchayat was also held in this connection.

He alleged that the same employee along with his accomplices manhandled with him and his wife.

Fatehabad, October 29
Ruchika Bhatia and Mahesh Bhatia of Tohana town donated eyes of their six-month-old daughter, Sonal, who died at about 10 am today.

She was born with closed anal route and had to undergo a surgery immediately after birth at the PGI, Chandigarh, where the doctors had created an artificial route for passing of faeces by passing a pipe through the umbilicus of the child.

Her parents contacted the Bharat Vikas Parishad, the organisation that had been carrying a drive for creating awareness on eye donations for the past few years.

Kush Bhargava, district convener of the parishad, said he was initially taken aback when he received a call from the parents of the child, who expressed their desire to donate the eyes of Sonal. Later, Bhargava accompanied with a doctor went to the residence of Bhatias to fulfil their desire.

Bhargava told The Tribune that the Bharat Vikas Parishad has been active in the field of eye donations and so far it had been able to get consent from 70 persons but what happened today was really extraordinary.

He said that in a society where very few people come forward for a social cause, a couple coming forward for donating the eyes of their only child was really moving.

Hisar, October 29
Two alleged gangsters were killed in an encounter with the police at Narnaund, near here, late last night. Their accomplice, identified as Karamvir, escaped.

They were identified as Gurudev and Pardeep. Both were suspected to be responsible for the murder of two businessmen of Hansi --- Kalu Ram Pahwa and Krishan Singhwani--- in July last.

The trio had gone to Narnaund allegedly to kill Virender Kajla who had come home on parole. The police was tipped off. As soon as they reached the Kajla residence on a motorcycle, there was an exchange of fire with the police in which two of them were killed while the third escaped leaving the motorcycle behind.

Two .9 mm pistols, a dozen live cartridges and three hand grenades were recovered from the bodies, according to the police.

Ambala, October 29
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the Congress was not in favour of midterm poll but if it takes place, the party would get absolute majority.

Talking to media persons in Naraingarh today, he said the people had lost faith in the opposition parties due to their negative and anti-poor attitude. Criticising the Third Front, he said it was a defeated force and it did not have any existence in national politics.

He said the chairpersons of various market committees would be appointed soon. Giving details about the availability of DAP fertiliser, he stated there is buffer stock of fertilisers with the government which is being released. He said there was no shortage of DAP in Haryana as alleged by some opposition parties. He said each grain of paddy would be purchased by government agencies.

Earlier, he visited the residence of late Balbir Kapur who was killed in a road accident a week back and consoled his family members. He also declared that the road leading to the residence of Kapur would be named after him.

Later, he visited the grain market of Sahjadpur and Sadhaura where Dharm Pal Grewal, president of a farmer organisation, presented him with a turban.

A memorandum was submitted to the Chief Minister with a charter of demands like providing a hot line, opening of a bank branch and construction of a rest house for farmers in the market. He assured that all these demands would be looked into sympathetically.

Among those present were Phool Chand Mullana, president HPCC; Kuldeep Sharma, working president, HPCC; Ram Kishan, parliamentary secretary; Nirmal Singh MLA; Harish Sasan, president, municipal council, Ambala city; Braham Pal Rana, president, zila parishad; Dilip Chawla, president, HPCC, media cell and senior party leader Ashok Mehta.

Yamunanagar, October 29
The sanitation staff of the Municipal Committees of Yamunanagar and Jagadhri today burnt heaps of garbage at several places in both the towns.

It is to be mentioned here that both the MCs had taken up a massive cleanliness drive as Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was scheduled to visit the district on the Haryana Day falling on November 1.

The Chief Minister would be dedicating the first unit of 300 MW of the Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram thermal plant and would also be laying the foundation stone of a 6 MW hydel power generation unit on that day.

Deputy commissioner Nitin Kumar Yadav many times had instructed the officials concerned that the garbage, which mostly consists of polythene gags and plastics, should not be burnt.

It was not easy to remove all garbage before the function so some members of the cleanliness staff preferred to burn the garbage instead of disposing it in a proper manner, said a MC official. No senior official was available for comments.

Both the MCs have dumpers to collect garbage from garbage bins placed all over in the two towns. A place near Kail village on the Jagadhri-Ambala road has been earmarked for the disposal of the garbage.

A senior official of the Pollution Control Board said the garbage should not be burnt as it causes air pollution. “The MCs should ensure that the staff do not burn the garbage,” he added.

The farmers also alleged that taking advantage of these conditions, exporters and mill owners have formed a nexus and had brought down the prices of non-basmati paddy by Rs 350 to 500 per quintal.