Karnal, March 14
The police yesterday arrested a young woman, alleged to be a human bomb in the making, for her involvement in the attack on the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. She was allegedly prepared to target the dera chief.

Praveen, alias Meena, who was arrested from Patiala last evening, had allegedly kept the explosives used in the attack on the convoy of the dera chief near Nilokheri on February 2. She was sent to a seven-day police custody by a local court today.

Though the state police has nabbed the fifth accused in the case, but it has failed to trace Baksheesh Singh, the alleged mastermind of the attack on the dera chief.

According to DSP Surinder Singh Bhoria, the 21-year-old accused was a Muslim, who later turned as a baptised Sikh. He said preliminary investigations revealed that she was “brainwashed” by Baksheesh in the name of religion.

The police claimed that the investigations had revealed that Baksheesh had to drop the idea of the human bomb attack probably due to certain complications in executing the attack. The police was yet to recover the mobile phone, which was given to her by Baksheesh.

Praveen, who originally hailed from Mansa district, was a student of a Patiala-based college. She was staying in an orphanage run by a trust in Patiala. The DSP clarified that no explosive, arm or other material was recovered from her possession.

Bhoria said her father and maternal uncle, who were allegedly involved in terrorist activities, were killed in police encounters in Punjab and Kolkata, respectively, during the militancy days in Punjab.

Chandigarh, March 14
Bad condition of roads dominated the proceedings during the question hour in the Haryana assembly here today. The original question was from INLD legislator Sita Ram, who wanted to know about the status of repair of the Dabwali-Sangria road.

Public works (buildings and roads) minister Ajay Yadav softly asked the MLA if he was talking about the same road that went to INLD boss Om Prakash Chautala’s farmhouse? The dig worked and brought grins on the faces of MLAs. But, this was only a temporary relief for Yadav, who was soon flooded with questions on roads by MLAs, including those from the ruling Congress party.

Arjun Singh of the BSP, Sher Singh, Ramkishen Fauzi, Shiv Shankar Bhardwaj and Ranbir Mohindra of the Congress, Shahida Khan of the INLD and S.S. Jaunpuria, Independent, were all apparently facing problems with some of the roads in their constituencies. Phool Chand Mullana, Haryana Congress chief, also stood up and asked when the rural roads in the state would be repaired. Arjun Singh, the lone BSP legislator in the Assembly, said contractors engaged for repairing of roads were only interested in making money.

Yadav tried to cope up with the pressure by reeling out various steps being taken with regard to the problems pointed out by the MLAs. To Sita Ram’s question, Yadav’s replied that only about 5.5 km stretch of the 31.5 km long road was satisfactory.

Agencies had been asked to repair part of the remaining 26 km of the road. Sita Ram asked why the bad stretch was being repaired in parts. Yadav indicated that the road would be repaired in parts only.

Replying to a question asked by Congress member Shamsher Singh Surjewala, finance minister Birender Singh said the share of expenditure on account of salaries and pensions in non-plan expenditure had gone down in the state in recent years. He said only about 32.57 per cent of non-plan expenditure was spent on salaries and pensions during 2007- 08. On the issue of misuse of official vehicles raised by Surjewala, Birender Singh said the Administration Reform Commission set up by the state government would give prescriptions for streamlining the use of vehicles.

The finance minister refuted INLD deputy leader Sushil Indora’s charge that the Congress had opposed the introduction of VAT in its election manifesto for the Vidhan Sabha polls and said the Congress had opposed the introduction of VAT in Haryana in isolation with none of its neighbouring states adopting the new taxation system at that point of time.

Replying to a question asked by Congress MLA Randhir Singh, education minister Mangeram Gupta said the policy of reservation for Scheduled Castes was not being followed in the appointment of guest teachers.

Chandigarh, March 14
A demand was made in the assembly today to impose a ban on purchase of land by outsiders in Haryana.

The demand was made by Congress MLA from Palwal Karan Singh Dalal while participating in the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor for his address to the House.

Dalal said the way the outsiders were purchasing land in the state, a day would come when no land would be left for agriculture. He said on the pattern of Himachal Pradesh and certain other states, Haryana should also ban the purchase of land by the outsiders by enacting a law. He said if land was required for an important purpose, the outsiders should seek the prior permission of the government.

DJs at marriages should be banned as they not only created noise pollution but also had an adverse affect on the culture of the state. Dalal pleaded with all politicians not to attend ostentatious marriages, which led to a rat race even among those who could not afford to organise lavish marriages.

Shamsher Singh Surjewala (Cong) urged the Speaker to disqualify all those MLAs who had criminal background and against whom criminal cases had been registered by the police and the CBI. He also demanded a reduction in interest rates on agriculture loans and penal action against those who adulterated diesel.

D.K. Bansal (Cong) demanded the opening of dispensaries in slum areas of Ambala as well as a new civil hospital building in his constituency. He said Subhash Park should be handed over to HUDA for development and provision of public latrines in certain slum colonies.

Shadi Lal Batra (Cong) said agriculture should be given the status of industry and more funds should be allocated to the farm and education sectors.

Panchkula, March 14
In order to rehabilitate illiterate persons with disabilities, the Haryana government has planned to set up a viklang jan sansthan to impart them training in different trades.

A committee, headed by the chief secretary, has also been constituted in this regard. This was revealed at a day-long seminar on “Skill development of persons with disabilities for inclusive rural development”, which was held here today.

The first of its kind seminar was organised by the office of chief commissioner for persons with disabilities under the union ministry of social justice and empowerment. The recommendations of the seminar will be forwarded to the union rural development ministry.

While the speakers discussed over the issues related to the problems and schemes for the disabled, Haryana social justice and empowerment minister Kartar Devi in her inaugural address said she would urge chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to consider making a reservation for persons with disabilities in panchayats on the pattern of women and members belonging to Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes so as to give them equal opportunity in developmental process.

Jhajjar, March 14
Some unidentified persons allegedly robbed and beat up local BJP workers when they were pasting posters regarding the proposed rally to be held in Jind on March 16 in Bahadurgarh town last night.

The injured BJP activists had given a written complaint to the police but no case has been registered so far.

Vice-president of the Bahadurgarh unit of the BJP Surender Bhardwaj said some passersby started commenting on the workers and used abusive language when the workers were pasting posters at various places along the National Highway 10 and on the Railway road at about 11 pm.

When a BJP worker objected to it, the group of youths left the site in a huff. However, after a while, the youths along with a dozen other persons approached them in a canter and started beating up them. The assailants hit them with iron rods and sticks, alleged BJP leaders.

Besides Surender Bhardwaj, BJP mandal secretary Surender Khatri, Rajender Dalal and Ramesh, all party activists, received injuries and were admitted to the Civil Hospital here.

The injured activists alleged that two PCR vans also arrived there when they were being assaulted but they did not intervene and remained mute spectators. They also allegedly snatched Rs 33,000, a gold chain and a mobile phone from them.

Fatehabad, March 14
Irate relatives of a patient today held a demonstration and expressed resentment over the alleged “corrupt attitude” of a doctor, who was allegedly harassing them for money for a surgical operation performed on their patient.

The agitating relatives, who submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner, the civil surgeon and the senior medical officer in charge of the local general hospital in this regard, alleged that they had already paid Rs 1,500 to a middleman of the doctor and he was demanding Rs 2,000 more. Sharvan Kumar, a resident of Jakhandadi village, whose mother Guddi Devi is recuperating in the local general hospital, has alleged in his complaint to the authorities that he had approached the doctor on March 12 for the surgical removal of the uterus of his mother. He alleged that Mohinder Singh, a tout of the doctor, demanded Rs 3,500 for the surgery. He paid Rs 1,500 and the surgery was performed yesterday.

The middleman, Sharvan Kumar alleged, had been harassing him for the balance amount.

Dr H.L. Gupta, SMO, general hospital, Fatehabad, confirmed that he had received a complaint in this regard and added that he would look in to the matter.

Chandigarh, March 14
The Haryana assembly today passed supplementary demands for the current financial year to the tune of over Rs 1,400 crore. This comprised revenue expenditure of Rs 1,095.68 crore and capital expenditure of Rs 304.40 crore.

Of the total amount of the supplementary demands, Rs 734.69 crore will be on the Plan side and the remaining Rs 665.39 crore on the non-Plan side.

The demands pertained to the Vidhan Sabha, general administration, home, revenue, excise and taxation, finance department, buildings and roads, other administrative services, education, medical and public health, urban development, labour and employment, social welfare and rehabilitation, food and supplies, irrigation, industries, forests, community development, transport, tourism and loan and advances by the state government.

Kaithal, March 14
The functioning of the district courts remained paralysed today following a strike by lawyers. The lawyers were protesting against the setting up of special family courts at only four divisional headquarters. They demanded that these courts should be set up at all district headquarters .

Janeshar Dass, president of the district Bar, said family courts had been set up at Ambala, Hisar ,Rohtak and Gurgaon and only these courts would take up cases relating to marriage , divorce and other family matters. Litigants as well as advocates would have to travel long distances to file and pursue cases. This would be time consuming, expensive and inconvenient for all .

He said they would continue their protest till the government reviewed its decision.

Sonepat, March 14
Three motorcycle-borne armed miscreants reportedly looted Rs 3 lakh from a jewellery shop in the busiest markets of Geeta Bhawan Chowk here late last night.

Though the shop owner, Vinay, chased them, the accused managed to flee away from the Sarang road.

The SHO said the police received the information one hour after the incident and in the meantime, the miscreants had escaped.

The police have formed four teams to nab the culprits from their suspected hideout after registering a case against three unidentified persons.

According to information, after collecting cash from customers, Bhoopi, an employee of the shop, came back to the shop at around 8.30 pm. When he along with the owner was putting cash in a bag, two miscreants entered the shop and snatched the bag at pistol point. Before the owner could raise the alarm, the miscreants sped away on a motorcycle.