Chandigarh, November 13
The Haryana Congress has written to the AICC about the anti-party activities of suspended MP Kuldeep Bishnoi and has recommended disciplinary action against him.

This was revealed by Haryana parliamentary affairs minister Randeep Singh Surjewala here today.

Surjewala said anyone who used the type of language Bishnoi had used against AICC chief Sonia Gandhi had no place in the Congress because it was not only a breach of party discipline but also violated its traditions.

Asked if the state unit of the party had recommended action against Bishnoi alone or his father Bhajan Lal also, Surjewala refused to elaborate, saying that these questions should be addressed to party chief Phool Chand Mullana, who had written the letter.

Bishnoi has announced that he would launch his separate outfit at a rally to be addressed by him and Bhajan Lal in Rohtak on December 2. Bishnoi had been criticising Sonia for a long time.

When contacted Mullana said he had apprised the high command of the activities of Bishnoi and his supporters. But he denied that he had written a letter to the AICC in this regard. 

New Delhi, November 13
The Central Water Commission (CWC) will submit its report on the Hansi-Butana canal controversy to the Supreme Court by December-end to enable it to take a decision whether Haryana had met with the requisite conditions under the law to link it with the Bhakra Main Line (BML) canal extending up to Rajasthan.

Additional-solicitor general Mohan Parasaran submitted before a Bench, headed by Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, yesterday that the commission, to which the matter has been referred by the court for its opinion, would submit its report positively by December 31.

He said the three stake holder states, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, had presented their cases before the commission on October 12 as per apex court’s direction and they were given a deadline of October 31 to complete the formalities of filing replies and rejoinders of each others’ submissions by the panel.

“On the latest inquiry from the CWC, it has got inputs from various reports and it will give its opinion by December-end,” Parasaran said.

In view of the submission of the government counsel on the progress made by the commission in finalising its report, the apex court fixed further hearing on Punjab and Rajasthan’s suits on the issue for January 15.

Punjab and Rajasthan had challenged the construction of the 110-km Hansi-Butana feeder channel by Haryana to carry water from the Bhakra canal to southern part of the state for irrigation purpose.

While Punjab claimed that the construction of high embankment along its border by Haryana in the process of building the channel would result in flooding of a vast part of its territory during monsoon, resulting in displacement of over one lakh people of 32 border villages, Rajasthan had raised the question of cut in its share from the Bhakra canal.

Since contradictory statements were made by Haryana on the one side and Punjab and Rajasthan on the other about the commission’s clearance for the project, the court had thought it appropriate to get commission’s opinion directly on the ticklish issue. Haryana has spent nearly Rs 275 crore and completed 80 per cent of the work on the canal.

The court had referred the matter to the commission on October 5 while ordering status quo. Till the panel’s opinion was received, the court had declined to grant any interim order, permitting Haryana to link the channel with the Bhakra canal.

Jind, November 13
Ram Kumar of Lakhmirwala village of the district has become the victim of the alleged incompetence of the state Health Department. Despite being operated upon twice in the civil hospital here for birth control, his wife became pregnant and had to be operated for abortion. The District Consumer Forum has ordered the civil hospital and the doctor concerned to pay Rs 20,000 as compensation to the victim for inconvenience and harassment. The forum has ordered an interest rate of 10 per cent on the amount if the payment was not made within a period of two months.

According to a complaint lodged with the forum on September 12, the complainant had undergone first operation of birth control on November 23, 2005, at the General Hospital here. While the doctor and department concerned told him that his operation had been successful, he got a shock when his wife got pregnant. He reported the matter to the doctor concerned. He was advised another similar operation.

He followed the doctor’s advice and underwent second such operation on April 27, 2006. But, his wife again got pregnant. However, a third operation on the complainant has been successful.

The three-member forum, headed by Mr R.M. Sharma, today passed the order.

Panipat, November 13
A day after The Tribune highlighted the official findings on the Panipat factory fire incident, labour commissioner N.C. Wadhwa warned the government officials and the industrialists of strict action for overlooking any safety measures in the factories.

Addressing local industrialists at a seminar on industrial safety here today, Wadhawa categorically stated that due to laxity of certain officials, lives of numerous workers remained at stake in their unsafe workstations.

While issuing strict warning to the erring officials and factory owners, he said the mandatory safety measures must be adopted at the earliest at various industrial units to avoid any penalty.

The fact-finding report had indicted two government departments, namely electricity and industrial safety, for overlooking the safety measures in the units.

The commissioner said it was mandatory for the factory owners to train the manpower to tackle emergency situations like fire before employing them in their units.

He also appealed the entrepreneurs to inform the authorities concerned if they were harassed by any official on any pretext.

Thrusting upon the need to provide safe working environment to the workers, he said it would affect the overall export scenario too.

He said Panipat being the export-oriented hub should take extra care for the welfare and safety of the workers.

Panipat DC Mahender Kumar said it was a glaring example of gross mismanagement at R.R. Textile, where 10 workers were charred to death on October 7.

Chandigarh, November 13
The Centre has approved a Rs 2,956.84 crore project for development of about 55 towns of the state. Now the project has been sent to the World Bank for financial assistance.

Power and PWD (water supply and sanitation) minister Randeep Singh Surjewala today said during his last visit to the USA, Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had talked to the World Bank about the project. It would cover provisions for sewerage and sewage treatment plants, water supply, streetlights, parks and solid waste disposal in these towns.

He said the Planning Commission had earlier given its concurrence to the proposal for seeking the World Bank assistance.

Giving the component-wise details of the project, he said Rs 924.50 crore would be spent on water supply, Rs 1062.06 crore on sewerage system, Rs 496.70 crore on sewage treatment plant, Rs 201.90 on solid waste management and Rs 271.68 crore on roads, drains, parks and streetlights.

Chandigarh, November 13
Continuing with its efforts to streamline the traffic flow on the Kalka-Parwanoo highway, a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court today asked the deputy commissioner, Panchkula, and highway administrator, Public Welfare Department, Haryana, to be present in the court on the next date of hearing.

They have been asked to come with complete details of the measurements of the Kalka road as per the revenue record. Details of the road’s width as it exists today have also been sought.

The Bench, comprising Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Ranjit Singh, has further directed that the necessary information should be placed on record ‘on a scale’ for accessing and clearing the area under encroachment so that traffic congestion at Kalka, which hampers the smooth flow of traffic on the Kalka-Parwanoo road could be removed.

The Bench added that it has been told by the project director of the National Highway Authority of India’s Chandigarh unit, Lt Col K.P. Sharma, that there were a number of encroachments on the Kalka road.

Referring to the traffic problems at Zirakpur, the Judges in their detailed order in the anti-encroachment and highway widening case ruled: “Buses or any other vehicle coming from any state will not be allowed to be parked or stopped wherever the construction works are going on the stretches of road.

The Bench also asked Mohali’s deputy commissioner and senior superintendent of police to ensure strict compliance of the court orders. The case will now come up for further hearing on December 18.

Chandigarh, November 13
Haryana minister of state for tourism Kiran Choudhry today invited members of the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) to participate in the 22nd Surajkund Crafts Mela to be held in February next, with West Bengal as its theme state.

She extended the invitation to the members while participating in a seminar on “Future of Tourism” at Excel, London. It was organised by the association. She gave a presentation on investment opportunities available in Haryana in the field of tourism and the endeavour of the state Tourism Department to make Haryana a tourist destination.

She discussed the North India Circuit and the new packages launched by the Haryana Tourism.

Earlier, Choudhry was welcomed by secretary-general of the association Sagar Ahluwalia. It is the biggest organisation of travel writers, represented by more than 70 countries. Ahluwalia said the aim of the association was to promote professional development of travel writing and travel communication. He said the organisation was supported by the United Nations, WTO, ITB, Berlin and IMEX.

A large number of visitors visited the Haryana stall at Indian Pavilion in London today. The travel operators and tour operators showed special interest in farm tourism for which Haryana has taken the lead by registering 23 private farm houses around New Delhi.

Jind, November 13
Drivers and conductors of the Haryana Roadways blocked the traffic on the Jind-Bhiwani road this morning in protest against an incident that led to damage to a bus. Windowpanes of a bus of the local depot, plying between Bhiwani and Jind, were damaged by passengers of a private vehicle after an argument with the driver of the bus near Khanda village this morning. The blockade continued for about an hour till 10.30 am, before it was lifted on intervention of police officials.

The drivers of several roadways buses parked their vehicles in the middle of the road when the driver of a car picked up a verbal dual with the driver of a local depot bus and damaged the windowpanes of the bus.

The car driver allegedly did not allow the bus to overtake, leading to the argument.

This has been a second incident of road blockade in the district in the past two days.

Faridabad, November 13
The BJP today raked up the issue on delay in the construction works on the proposed Badarpur flyover and said it would organise a demonstration against the Haryana government and the Centre on November 18.

The former leader of the BJP in the Haryana Assembly, Kishan Pal Gurjar, said in case the Haryana government and the Centre did not start construction works by

November 18, the party would announce its future course of agitational programme on the same day.

The BJP leader said Prime Minister Manmohan

Singh, during his visit to Panipat about a year ago, had publicly announced that the construction works on the Badarpur flyover would start within three months.

He said the flyover was an issue related to the Haryana government, the government in the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Centre.

While the Congress was the ruling party in the two states, it was heading the coalition government at the Centre. Even in such a conducive atmosphere, the Haryaan government was not able to get the construction works through.

According to the BJP, the NDA government headed by it had passed the flyover project.

The BJP’s charge was that some influential leaders were stalling the construction works on the flyover as they own some shops and other commercial centres along the stretch, which would have to be dislocated to put the project in place.

The BJP leader lamented that Faridabad, which was considered to be the biggest industrial centre in Asia, till about two decades back, was now being compared with Sonepat by the investors. In the intervening period, the contiguous cities of Noida, Greater Noida and Gurgaon in the National Capital Region (NCR) had left the city streets behind.

The sorry state of affairs in Faridabad was on account of the government’s neglect.

While dwelling on lack of connectivity and corridor in the city, he said while Metro projects were in the fag end of construction works in Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida, Faridabad was still limping on the issue. 

Chandigarh, November 13
Appearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the anti-encroachment and highway widening case, project director, Sonepat Project Implementation Division, Sanjay Tripathi today stated that the work of constructing the Smalkha flyover and Pasina Khurd underpass would be over by October 2008.

Present in person before a Division Bench of the High Court, comprising Chief Justice Vijender Jain and Justice Ranjit Singh, Tripathi stated that Murthal flyover would be complete by July 2008, while Ganaur flyover in all respects would be complete by September 2008.

The assertion is significant as the traffic situation on the highways passing through these areas is expected to improve once the flyovers and underpass comes into being. The case will now come up for further hearing on December 18. 

Yamunanagar, November 13
The district president of the Haryana Sikshak Sangh and head teacher of Arriyanawala Government Primary School is in the dock over distribution of scholarships to Schedule Caste (SC) students. The block education officer (BEO) has recommended his suspension to the higher authorities.

Residents of the village, including Phool Chand, Iqbal Singh and Ishwar Singh, through affidavits have alleged that the teacher, Ram Sharan, had misappropriated with the scholarship funds.

It has been alleged that the teacher distributed the funds to the eligible students last week. Later, he took the money back by telling the parents that fake currency had been given to the students by mistake. He took back the money from them on pretext of replacing the same with real currency.

Ram Sharan, however, has denied the allegations.

Today, the villagers met BEO Kuldeep Mehta and asked to take action against him. The villagers threatened to lock the school if the authorities failed to take any action against Ram Sharan. Mehta has recommended the suspension of Ram Sharan to the district education officer. 

Kaithal, November 13
President, All-India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Congress, and local MLA S.S. Surjewala has demanded reduction in the market fee on cotton and waiver of application fee for government jobs.

Addressing a press conference here yesterday, Surjewala said the market fee on cotton was higher in Haryana as compared to some other states.

He said it was 1.6 per cent in Rajasthan, 0.50 per cent in Gujarat, 2 per cent in MP, 1 per cent in Maharashtra and 1.50 per cent in Andhra Pradesh as compared to 4 per cent in Haryana.

He said in the prevailing situation, the government should reduce the market fee as it was a burden on farmers.

Surjewala also demanded abolition of application fee payable by unemployed youth at the time of submitting applications for various government jobs.

He said the unemployed youth and their parents had to bear substantial financial burden as application fee while applying for government jobs.

Surjewala said the present state government had taken number of decisions to provide relief to the people. Earlier, he heard public grievances.

Kurukshetra, November 13
A memorandum of understanding (MOU) has been signed between the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kurukshetra, and Concordia University, Canada.

Stating this here yesterday, NIT public relations officer Dixit Garg said the MoU would serve as a framework for specific collaborative initiatives taken jointly by the faculties, schools and /or research centres of Concordia and their counterparts at the NIT here.

Dr Garg further said that both signing partners had agreed to explore and implement mutually rewarding viable initiatives focused on, among others, the following areas of academic cooperation : student exchange, collaborative research, co-sponsorship of academic projects and conferences, sharing of scientific information on areas of mutual interest and other academic collaboration, including curriculum and faculty exchange.

The MoU was signed during a recent visit of an NIT delegation to Canada. The delegation was led by Dr M. N. Bandyopadhyay, director, NIT. 

Fatehabad, November 13
The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) today resented the postponement of election for the chairman of Primary Agriculture Cooperative Society (PACS) allegedly under political pressure.

INLD workers met deputy commissioner O.P. Sheoran in his office with signatures of five out of seven members of the PACS and demanded immediate conduct of poll.

Ram Raj Mehta, B.S. Parihar, Rajeshwar Gajrohia, Khazan Singh and Devender Bhattu, all advocates from the local district courts, and activists of the INLD alleged that the election had been postponed at the behest of a local politician because the ruling party was certain to loose the elections.

Five members of the PACS - Subhash Chander, Satpal, Lal Chand, Satbir and Munni Devi - alleged that the inspector of the cooperative department had been postponing the poll under political pressure.

They alleged that earlier the election was scheduled for November 6 but was postponed at the last moment on some pretext.

The INLD members alleged that today when all members had already arrived at the venue to participate in elections, the inspector did not turn up. The members said they had elected Subhash Chander as chairman of the PACS and the authorities should now endorse their move.

Hisar, November 13
The Haryana Power Utilities has decided to give a last chance to the consumers of rural areas to avail themselves of the benefit of the Electricity Bills Waiver Scheme by depositing their current bills by November 30.

A spokesman for the department said here today that the chance would be given to those consumers who had deposited at least one current bill between June 16, 2005, and May 31, 2007. The consumers would be required to deposit the arrears in lump sum.

The last chance has been announced keeping in view that many consumers had initially opted for the scheme and deposited one or more instalments of their respective bills. They were now willing to deposit the unpaid amount without surcharge to avoid disconnection of power supply. The department has intensified a campaign against the defaulters.

He said more than 6.90 lakh domestic consumers and 2.20 lakh tubewell-connection holders had opted for the scheme. They had deposited pending bills worth Rs 340 crore.

Sirsa, November 13
Students of National College, under the banner of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Front, today boycotted their classes and blocked a national highway in protest against the damage caused to a statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar in Ellenabad.

They have demanded arrest of the culprits.

The student ended the blockade after the DSP (city) assured them that the culprits would be arrested soon.

Meanwhile, the SFI condemned the act of vandalism. Deputy commissioner V. Umashankar announced a reward of Rs 10,000 for information about the culprits.