Rohtak, October 30
Thousands of residents were put to grave inconvenience as today’s strike call given by various employees’ unions evoked a near-total response and even essential services remained paralysed.

A large number of commuters were stranded at the local bus stand and at other bus stops across the town as nearly all roadways and even private buses remained parked.

District president of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, Ranbir Singh Deshwal claimed that the strike called to register their protest against the privatisation of employees’ pension and other such issues was “completely successful”. The local chapter of the National Union of Postal Employees Class-III also participated in the nationwide strike and mobilised its resources for its success.

Employees of power corporations, tourism, health, PWD, mandi board, forest, ITI and various other departments participated in the strike, causing much difficulty to the local residents.

The striking employees from different departments and government offices reached the local Mansarovar Park, where a general meeting was organised. Addressing the protesters, employee leaders warned the government to shun its anti-employee stance or be prepared to face the consequences.

The district administration had imposed Section 144 in the town to prevent any untoward incident in view of the strike call.

FATEHABAD: Normal life was paralysed in Fatehabad on Tuesday due to the strike by workers of various government departments.

The call for the strike was given by the All-India State Government Employees Union and the Haryana Employees Coordination Committee. Daily commuters had to face a lot of hardship as buses of the Haryana Roadways remained off the road. However, private buses plied as usual and did brisk business.

Working of the public health department was partially affected.

The local mini-secretariat wore a deserted look as a majority of the Class III and Class IV employees abstained from their duties. Reports of strike were also received from Ratia, Tohana and Bhattu Kalan.

REWARI: In response to the strike call, employees of various government departments, including the Haryana Roadways, public health, irrigation, the DHBVN, public works and excise and taxation, observed a strike here on Tuesday.

While agitating roadways’ workers burnt effigies of the central and state governments, public health employees held demonstrations, raising anti-government slogans.

Roadways buses remained off the road, causing hardship to passengers. Water supply too remained suspended in various parts of the district.

KAITHAL: The strike call given by various employees’ unions evoked a mixed response here on Tuesday. Haryana Roadways buses remained off the road. The functioning in a number of government offices remained affected as employees did not attend office and sat in dharna on the premises of the mini-secretariat here. Roadways employees sat in dharna on the bus stand premises. However, private bus services plied normally, but their operations remained restricted to a limited area.

SONEPAT: The strike call evoked a partial response in the district and it remained confined mostly to gate meetings. Powermen observed a near-complete strike with 90 per cent of them sitting in dharna in front their offices. Striking employees tried to block roadways buses in Sonepat and Gohana, but were not allowed to do so by the police.

BHIWANI: Employees of the Haryana Roadways observed a complete strike here on Tuesday. Postal services were also hit. Government offices reported thin attendance. Several teachers joined the strike by not attending school.

The strike also affected life at Loharu, Charkhi Dadri and Tosham.

JHAJJAR: Transport services remained paralysed throughout the day on Tuesday as employees of the Haryana Roadways went on strike in support of their demands, which include interim relief of the Sixth Pay Commission, 12 per cent interest on the GPF, besides non-privatisation of government departments among others. Workers of other government departments also participated in the strike.

KARNAL: Government employees went on strike on Tuesday, causing inconvenience to the public. Haryana Roadways buses went off the road. This led to private buses carrying passengers more than their capacity.

SIRSA: Employee unions in the district observed a strike in support of their demands on Tuesday. A gathering of employees was addressed by union leaders at Town Park here.

JIND: Work in various government departments remained paralysed due to the strike on Tuesday. Commuters were at the receiving end as hardly any bus of the Haryana Roadways plied.

YAMUNANAGAR: The strike call by employee unions evoked a mixed response in different departments here. As many as 95 per cent employees of the Haryana Roadways participated in the bandh while only 1 per cent employees of the education department chose to go with the strike call. 

Yamunanagar, October 30
Parents and relatives of a girl, thrashed owner of a coaching centre and ransacked it after they allegedly found the girl locked in a bathroom of the centre in Jagadhri this morning.

As per police sources, the girl used to go for tuitions at ‘Bright Coaching Centre’ in Jagadhri. This morning, she had gone to attend classes, but returned home without her books. Later, she along with her father and brother went to the centre to collect the books. She entered the centre to collect the books, while her family members were waiting outside.

But when she did not come out after several minutes, her family members went inside the centre and asked about the girl from Surinder Gupta, proprietor of the centre. Gupta told them that she left the centre a couple of minutes ago. The two men got suspicious when they found the bathroom of the centre locked, and asked Gupta to open it. Gupta allegedly refused.

Girl’s brother broke the bathroom door and girl was found standing inside it. In no time, the father-son duo started beating up Gupta and ransacked the centre.

Chaos inside the centre attracted locals and someone called up the police. The police pacified the crowd and took Gupta along. Owner of the building Rajan Kumar said he had asked Gupta to vacate the building.

On the other hand, Gupta said the girl was attending classes at the centre for the past three years and he did not lock the girl inside the bathroom.

According to Gupta, he was victimised by the parents of the girl for reasons not known to him. An official of the police said Gupta had been taken in custody and if the girl’s parents would complain, a case would be registered.

Yamunanagar, October 30
District horticulture officer (DHO) A.K. Sharma had to face the ire of farmers as the latter gheraoed him for more than two hours here today. The farmers were angry as they were allegedly insulted by an employee his department. The farmers were also alleging irregularities in imparting training to farmers.

The farmers had affiliation with the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh.

The farmers also alleged irregularities in the distribution of garlic seeds. They were demanding registration of a case against the employee concerned. The employee later tendered an apology in front of the farmers.

Shamsher Tyagi, secretary of the sangh, said the DHO had been urged to hold an inquiry into the distribution of garlic seeds and irregularities in imparting training to farmers.

Sangh leaders threatened that if their demands were not met, they would meet the Chief Minister during his scheduled meeting here on November 1. 

Neem Khera (Mewat), October 30
Can you call all members of our panchayat in your country to educate them about the functioning of the local government in Norway so that we could also contribute in the development of our country. This was the first question which was posed by lady sarpanch Ashubi of Neem Khera, Mewat district, to Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa, minister of local government and regional development, Norway, on her visit to the village at Mewat today.

Kleppa, the leader of the Norway delegation, replied that about 82 years back full-fledged women empowered panchayat was formed in Norway. We would be obliged if the panchayat of your village visit our country to see for themselves its functioning and learn about the ways to bring improvement there, she added.

Kleppa enquired from the sarpanch about lack of basic infrastructure in the rural areas, and what was the status of education and health in the village (Neem Khera)?

Ashubi replied that even though there were schools in the villages, but the enrolment of girls were very less due to lack of awareness about the utility of education. She said due to age-old traditions, there were separate schools for boys and girls in the villages.

Ashubi further said at present there is no medical facility in most of the villages, but with the passage of time, there was hope that more medical facilities would be extended to the rural areas. She said at present the villagers had to commute about 15 km to avail standard health facilities in urban areas.

When Kleppa acquainted them that in Norway both men and women were performing both professional and domestic work and what was its status in their country? On this, all panchayat members remained mum and looked at each other to avoid the uncomfortable query.

Kleppa then discussing about the structure of the local bodies enquired from members, what were the main issues which they discussed in their sessions? Ashubhi replied that almost all issues affecting the all-round progress of the ruralites were discussed like education, sanitation, health, dowry, poverty, women empowerment and other development works of the village.

While addressing the villagers, Kleppa thanked union minister of panchayati raj Mani Shankar Iyer for suggesting her to visit Neem Khare to see for herself the silent and galloping progress going on in the villages, and have a glimpse of women empowerment in India. 

Chandigarh, October 30
“It is the responsibility of judicial officers to uphold the rule of law which governs a parliamentary democracy like India because once the rule of law is threatened, the next casualty is democracy itself.”

This was the piece of advice given by the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Justice Vijender Jain, to new entrants to the Haryana Judicial Service after completing one-year training here today. Justice Jain awarded course completion certificates to 27 trainee judges, including 15 women trainee judges, who would take up their assignment as Civil Judges (Junior Division) from November 1.

Justice Jain said since the breakdown of the rule of law led to chaos and anarchy, it was the bounden duty of the judicial officers to uphold the rule of law
at all costs. Today’s batch was the first to have been trained at the CJA.

Appreciating the training module prepared by the CJA, Justice Jain said the standard of the academy should be such that other states should compare their judicial academies with the CJA and not the National Judicial Academy, Bhopal.

Earlier, the chairman of the executive committee of the CJA, Justice J.S. Khehar, quoted from an article, “When mediocrity prevails,” published in The Tribune on October 23, to advise the young judicial officers that like the demon Raktabija, mediocrity was auto-regenerating and caused the entire system to fail. Therefore, they, who had received good training, should rise above mediocrity in their performance.

The Director-General of the CJA, Justice J.S. Narang, said the trainee judicial officers had been taught how to apply law, how to cut delays in the judicial process and how to conduct themselves, besides providing legal education to them at the academy.

Justice Jain also released the inaugural issue of the academy’s newsletter, “The Balance”.

Yamunanagar, October 30
The capacity of Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram thermal plant here will be enhanced to 900 MW with the setting up of a third unit of 300 MW. The first unit of 300 MW will be dedicated to the nation on Haryana Day on November 1 and the second unit will be ready by February, 2008.

At a press conference here today Prof Virender Singh, political adviser to the Haryana Chief Minister, said the Chief Minister would be making an announcement regarding the third unit after dedicating the first one.