Rohtak, January 4
A large number of members of the Dalit A-Block category held a demonstration to press the authorities to fulfil their demand for the restoration of the SC A and B Block classification here today.

Eleven members of the Dalit-A Mahapanchayat, Haryana (which held today’s demonstration), have been sitting on an indefinite fast for the past 11 days and their condition is deteriorating. The persons on fast, who include a woman, had sent back a medical team yesterday, stating that the team should have arrived after 72 hours of the beginning of the fast.

The protesters marched from the old bus stand to the mini-secretariat, raising slogans against the state government. They also torched a large hoarding put up at Congress Bhawan and tore posters bearing achievements of the state government.

They submitted a memorandum addressed to the President, the Prime Minister and the Haryana Chief Minister through the local deputy commissioner. The protesters have warned the government that they would intensify their stir if the A-B block classification was not restored.

A heavy posse of police personnel had been deputed to avoid any untoward incident. However, the protesters blocked traffic at many busy roads of the town, causing inconvenience to residents.

Later, talking to The Tribune, Dalit leader Swadesh Kirad asserted that if the state authorities did not shun their indifferent attitude towards their demand, the struggle would spread to the entire state.

He maintained that the Chief Minister had the power to restore the classification, but he was not doing it as he was under pressure from senior Congress functionaries belonging to the SC B-block.

New Delhi, January 4
The string of Congress defeats in assembly elections last year seems to have provided the INLD an opportunity to step up its campaign against the Hooda government which has completed more than half its term. The main opposition party in Haryana has decided to come out with a booklet soon against the “failures and empty promises” of the Congress government in the state and make comparison of its record in office with that of the present regime.

Though the INLD is part of the UNPA, which professes equidistance from both the Congress and the BJP, the party has evidently not closed its options. Political meaning is being read into the presence of top INLD leaders at the swearing-in ceremonies of the BJP Chief Ministers in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, though the party maintains that they had gone to Gandhinagar and Shimla due to their personal relations with leaders of the saffron party.

INLD secretary-general Ajay Singh Chutala, MP, told The Tribune here that they had “family and personal terms” with Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. “Politics apart, we have cordial relations with several BJP leaders,” he said.

Replying to queries, Chautala said it was the BJP that broke its ties with the INLD and not vice versa. “We gave them unconditional support for five and a half years even as other supporting parties, including the TDP, appeared to make some demands,” he said. The MP added there was also a realisation in the BJP about the loss it had suffered due to the parting of ways with parties such as the INLD, the TDP and the AGP. He said any talk of an alliance was premature at this stage and the party’s options were open.

However, he virtually ruled out the possibility of an alliance with the BSP, saying the INLD was opposed to “casteist politics.” On the Bhajan Lal-backed Haryana Janhit Congress competing with it for opposition space, Chautala said there was no new party as the former Chief Minister was still part of the Congress. “Their politics is only for getting posts,” he said, adding that suspended Congress MP Kuldeep Bishnoi’s offer to resign after six months was a “drama.”

“Politicians do not resign like this. If they were so upset with the Congress leadership why did they not come out of it soon after the assembly elections?”

Chautala said the presence of Bhajan Lal’s party would benefit the INLD as it would make a dent in the Congress votes.

Hitting out at the Hooda government, he said it had made a series of empty promises. “Where are the new policies on labour, trade, sports and agriculture about which promises have been made?”

Maintaining that the Hooda government had failed to implement its promise to farmers concerning power arrears, he said there was no visible work on the ground. The foreign employment bureau set up by the state government had been able to send only 11 persons abroad, mainly to work as labour, he said.

“The Chief Minister is a ‘declaration minister’ as he has been making empty promises,” the INLD leader said.

Chautala said a five-member committee of the party had been set up to prepare in a month a booklet on the “failures and false promises” of the state government. “It will contain statistics to compare our performance with that of the Congress government,” he said.

The INLD had also decided to hold youth conferences in all districts of the state.

Chandigarh, January 4
A one-member Harmohinder Singh Chatha committee constituted by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in early 2005 to report on possibility of constituting a separate body to manage historic gurdwaras in the state is yet to give its report.

Though the Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee had in its last Assembly elections manifesto promised support to a body independent of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee for managing 40-odd historic gurdwaras of the state, nothing has come out even after almost three years.

Chatha continues to be elusive on the report. “It will take some more time as some more work needs to be done,” is all he could say on the possible time frame for his report reaching the Chief Minister.

While the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has been terming the constitution of one-member committee by Hooda as direct interference in religious affairs of the Sikhs, a section of the Haryana Sikh Community, advocating separate body, has now been accusing the state government for dilly-dallying the issue.

“Almost three years after assuming office, the Congress government has just done nothing. Constituting one-member committee has turned to be nothing more than a mere eye wash,” alleged supporters of the separate body.

Chatha, in an informal chat with mediapersons yesterday, could neither give reasons for delay nor could tell the time by which the report would be submitted to the government.

Meanwhile, Chatha, who is also the agriculture minister, said work on constituting market committees in the state had been set into motion. The government had already announced nomination of chairpersons of more than half of total market committees in the state.

Nomination of remaining members would be done soon, said Chatha revealing that each market committee would have four commission agents and two representatives of weighers besides 10 other members.

So far chairmen of 99 market committees had been announced and for the remaining committees, process of constitution of market committees would be completed in a couple of months, added Chatha.

Chandigarh, January 4
The Haryana government has decided to develop a new township, Sampla, between Bahadurgarh and Rohtak on 7,180 hectares, besides developing three more cities in the vicinity of the upcoming town — a cyber city, a medi city and a bio-science city.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state-level committee of the town and country planning department which was presided over by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who is also the chairman of the state-level committee, here today.

At the meeting, the draft development plan, Sampla Urban Complex, 2021, and the draft development plan, 2021, of Sohna were also approved.

Hooda said the Sampla Urban Complex would be developed on about 7,180 hectares to accommodate about three lakh population.

He said 40 sectors would be developed in the new Sampla Urban Complex. Of these, 19 would be residential, eight each would be reserved for industrial as well as institutional use, one sector each for commercial, transportation and communication use and the remaining would be made available as open space.

The Chief Minister said a global corridor was being developed and after the construction of the Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Express Way, Sampla and adjoining areas falling in Rohtak and jhajjar districts would get special boost in the developmental process. — PTI

Yamunanagar, January 4
A sambar strayed into a nursery near Herbert Hospital here today. Efforts were on to catch the animal when the reports last came in.

The animal became a source of entertainment for local people, especially children, and a large crowd gathered on the spot.

Police personnel were posted in the area as a precautionary measure so that the crowd did not hurt the animal.

It was first spotted in Lal Dwara area from where it ran to Guru Nanakpura. Later, it strayed into bushes at Kamboj Nursery, said Rajnish Saini, a resident of Jagadhri.

Wildlife officials were informed and teams from forest, wildlife and animal husbandry departments reached the spot.

A tranquilizer gun was brought from Pipli zoo but by the time wildlife officials were ready to use the gun, the animal had escaped. Wildlife inspector Shiv Singh said efforts were on to catch the animal without hurting.

In a related incident, carcass of a sambar was found from bushes along the Jagadhri-Paonta Shaib road (NH 73A) a couple of days ago. It is believed that the animal had strayed on the road and got killed by some speeding vehicle. Sources said circumstantial evidence revealed that the animal was dragged from the accident spot to the bushes and was skinned for meat. The horns of the animal were not removed, which ruled out the possibility of it being hunted. Sambar is schedule-3 animal under the Wildlife Preservation Act.

Jind, January 4
Two persons were killed and two others injured when an autorickshaw collided head-on with a Haryana Roadways bus near Narwana town in the district today.

One of the seriously injured has been referred to the PGIMS, Rohtak. The bus has been impounded by the police.

The collision took place around 4.30 pm near Dharamgarh village. The bus (HR 39 A 8439), belonging to the Hisar depot, was on the way to Chandigarh.

The impact of the collision was so strong that the autorickshaw was blown several metres away into pieces.

Those killed have been identified as Raman (20) and Manoj (30). Those injured are Kalu, driver of the autorickshaw, and Kuldeep.

While Kuldeep has been admitted to a local hospital, Kalu has been referred to the PGIMS, Rohtak.

All four belonged to Bana Brahmna village and were on the way to Danoda village.

Meanwhile, in another incident thieves struck at four shops at the bus stand of Kinana village on the Jind-Rohtak road last night and decamped with 14 gas cylinders and cash kept in the shops.

At least 13 cylinders were stolen from three sweet shops there.

A complaint has been lodged by the victims in this connection.

Gurgaon, January 4
One of the accused Amit (name changed) involved in the murder of Abhishek Tyagi of Euro International School, Gurgaon, today withdrew his bail application from the District and Sessions Court.

The lawyer of Amit had filed the bail application during the first hearing of the case in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Arun Kumar Singal.

The advocate of Amit withdrew the bail application on the plea that the investigation into the case was still in progress.

He said a fresh bail application would be moved after some time when the investigation into the case was over.

The advocate of the deceased said they were prepared to oppose the bail of Amit tooth and nail but it had been withdrawn now.

Meanwhile, police sources revealed that of the two bullets fired by Amit, one had killed Tyagi while the other hit the ground.

He said earlier it was believed that the three bullets fired by Aman (name changed) had killed Tyagi.

Yamunanagar, January 4
Additional district and sessions judge Darshan Singh has held Amichand guilty of the murder of his wife and sentenced him to life.

The judge also imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on Amichand, a resident of Kaithal.

Sarno Devi of Kaithal, in a statement before her death, had said that her husband Amichand had stabbed her on February 5 last while she was visiting her brother here. Amichand had stabbed her after an altercation. The police had registered a case under section 324 of the IPC. Sarno Devi had succumbed to the stab injury on February 23.