Chandigarh, April 16
The ambitious project of the Indian National Defence University (INDU) has firmly taken root in Haryana. The third such university in the world, after America and China, will come up in Binola village of Gurgaon district.

The Haryana government, in a letter to the defence secretary, government of India, sent today, has agreed to make 200 acres available in Binola and expressed its willingness to acquire the same on behalf of the ministry of defence, GOI.

Sources said a letter by chief secretary Dharam Vir said the state government would acquire the land for the university, the cost of which would be borne by the ministry. While the ministry has already been informed that the tentative cost of land acquisition would come to nearly Rs 100 crore, the state government has said that six months would be required for acquiring the land under emergency provisions while the process would take a year if the ministry proceeded in a regular fashion. The ministry, however, is in favour of speeding up the acquisition of land and put the establishment of the university on the fast track.

The ministry was considering a site in Punjab initially for setting up this university, which would run courses for the armed forces, the civil services and the paramilitary forces. However, the minister of state for defence, Rao Inderjit Singh, who was closely pursuing the developments, pushed Haryana’s case for the university in the ministry. A high-level committee of the defence ministry had explored the national capital region and a couple of sites in Punjab before identifying three sites in Gurgaon district on national highway 8.

This team, after identifying land in Binola, had written to the government of Haryana to reiterate its commitment to make 200 acres available for the setting up of the university. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, in response, hastened the process in the state and expressed the state’s willingness to provide land for the university.

Sources said the university would be established under an act of Parliament. The university campus would house new colleges to conduct postgraduate courses. The existing national defence colleges and academy would be affiliated to this university.

Chandigarh, April 16
It was reminiscent of times gone by when the then director-general of police, S.P.S. Rathore, surrounded by senior police officers, held his “khula darbar” to redress grievances of the public against the men in khaki.

The police department carried Rathore’s legacy forward by re-launching the practice in a changed setting. From being held in the patio of the Police Headquarters in Sector 6, the venue moved to the air-conditioned office of the DGP in the same building where the police chief, Ranjiv Dalal, sat with his officers.

The public no longer had to “look up” to the DGP but was made to queue up outside his room as securitymen kept strict vigil to ensure there was passage for movement in the corridor where the public stood, mobiles were turned off before the “darshan” and the public was sent packing right after their visit into the haloed corridors of the DGP office.

However, two things remained unchanged in this darbar and that conducted by Dalal’s predecessor - the police’s failure to arrest complaints against their fraternity and the mounting grievances of the public.

Having come all the way from Hisar for some relief, Suraj Bhan said the police had let off thieves he had caught red-handed. “The thieves had taken away Rs 25,000 from my house. The police was insisting that I take Rs 15,000 and strike a compromise. I have given in writing that this arrangement is not acceptable to me. The police is now absolutely non-cooperative,” he said.

From Kheri village in Kurukshetra, a disillusioned Yadram came to the police chief looking for justice. “My minor daughter went to take an exam on April 5 in Kurukshetra. She didn’t come back home. We have given the names of the suspects who have lured her but the police is sitting over the matter, doing nothing while we are worried sick about her disappearance,” he rued.

In faraway Mewat, Sohan Singh’s brother’s murder case has ended up in the “release of the guilty while the police has rounded up innocent people”. “The police refuse to re-investigate and bring the guilty to book,” he claims.

Jaipal from Hisar came with a complaint of police harassment while Pritam Singh gave a complaint of indifference of the economic offences wing, Subhash of Jind alleged that a case had falsely been registered against him while Satprakash came to seek the chief’s intervention in a case of threat to his life. There were others who came with complaints of land dispute and crop distribution.

All of them held that the police chief gave them a patient hearing. Beyond that, they said it was a “bootless exercise” which ended with assurance for action. “He heard us out, took our application and we were shown the door. We don’t know the fate of our complaints or where we can follow these up. Only time will tell if this trip was even worth the ticket from home,” maintained Bal Krishan from Kurukshetra who had come with a complaint of theft of artifacts.

Meanwhile, the DGP has fixed every Wednesday as “open hearing of public grievances day”. As many as 81 complaints were made today of which “serious complaints” were marked to the state crime branch while the others were sent to SPs for prompt inquiry and report.

Chandigarh, April 16
There is no ban on purchase of wheat by private traders or big companies in Haryana.

Stating this here today Haryana chief secretary Dharam Vir said, however, anyone purchasing wheat more than 10,000 tonnes had to file returns with the Central and state governments.

Earlier, this limit was 50,000 tonnes and farmers were free to sell their produce to the private parties in case they get better prices, he added.

When asked if the government would take action against hoarders, Dharam Vir said before taking any action against the hoarders, stock limits had to be prescribed. Since the stock limits should be uniform in the country, the issue would be discussed at the Chief Secretaries’ conference to be held in Delhi on April 22. Once the stock limits were fixed, only then issue of hoarding would arise.

Nonetheless, he said, it was yet not a major issue as most of the wheat was still being purchased by the state agencies.

He clarified that there was no question of backing out of the Chandigarh airport project and the payment would be made by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA).

Dharam Vir said a meeting was recently held to discuss the metro project linking Panchkula, Chandigarh and Mohali, and it was decided to first prepare a comprehensive mobility plan to identify the different routes and quantify the quantum of traffic on these routes.

He said two major upcoming projects, Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor and Delhi-Ambala-Amritsar fast rail track, would be beneficial for increasing connectivity in the state. He said a meeting was held to discuss the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Project with adviser to union department of industrial promotion and policy Ajay Dua recently. The corridor would benefit in accelerating economic development of the state.

Chandigarh, April 16
Just over a week after Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) councillor from Panchkula, Gautam Prashad, was allegedly abducted, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notices to Haryana home secretary and the local superintendent of police.

The notice for April 17 has been issued by Justice Ajai Kumar Mittal on a Habeas Corpus petition filed by the “abducted” councillor’s wife Kunti Devi, seeking directions to the home secretary and others for ensuring his immediate release.

Directions for handing over the investigations of the abduction case to an independent agency, or a senior police functionary, have also been sought by the petitioner.

The petition follows the “failure” of the administrative machinery to trace him, even though the matter was brought to the notice of the authorities concerned soon after his alleged abduction.

Prasad, elected on INLD ticket from ward number 27 in the general elections to the local civic body, went missing on April 9. The family had alleged he was picked up forcibly by Congress municipal councilor Naresh Rawal and president of local depot holders association Om Parkash Gupta.

In her petition, Kunti Devi had alleged Rawal and Gupta had come to their residence on April 9. The two used foul language and enquired about the reasons for his support to INLD candidate in proposed election to council president scheduled to be held shortly.

In response, Prasad said he would go with the INLD since he had been elected on its symbol in the election. As a result of his stand, he was taken away. Kunti Devi claimed that after abduction, Prasad twice telephoned from different locations and sounded frightened. He had no idea of the place where he was being shifted to everyday. Once, the phone he was calling from was snatched away.

In an attempt to substantiate the contentions, the petitioner also mentioned the numbers of the mobile phones the calls were received from. She added despite the fact the numbers were handed over to the police, attempts to verify the locations were not made.

Counsel for the petitioner, Naresh Singh Shekhawat, added Kunti Devi personally represented to the district police chief on April 12 and sought registration of a criminal case, but it failed to evoke any response. Subsequently, the supporters of her husband staged a protest dharna outside the residence of the deputy commissioner. A memorandum about the incident was also handed over to sub-divisional magistrate Virender Dahiya.

It was added that the abduction and illegal confinement by respondents, Rawal and Gupta, was allegedly due to the patronage of Haryana Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan as both of them enjoy proximity to him.

Yamunanagar, April 16
The state government has failed to provide 3-acre land announced for setting up of a National Cadet Corps Nagar (NCC Nagar) in the district. NCC headquarters had given permission for setting up of the centre about three years ago.

Sources in the government said efforts were on to identify an appropriate piece of land for the NCC Nagar. The government was to provide a land for the project, and Yamunanagar was identified for the NCC centre.

Sources in the NCC claimed that on several occasions, they took up the matter with state ministers but of no avail. NCC officials had also met the Haryana governor in the connection.

There will be an open ground, a complex for boarding and lodging of NCC cadets, besides an office of the NCC in the proposed project. If the centre comes up, the NCC will be able to organise its camps there. At present NCC camps are held in schools, colleges or Tejli Sports Stadium. The NCC is carrying out its activities from a rented building in Yamunanagar.

A commanding officer of NCC, Yamunanagar, said the project was forwarded to the authorities concerned in Delhi as well as to the state government. He, however, expressed ignorance when asked why the project was being delayed.

Bhiwani, April 16
The Board of School Education,Haryana, will declare tomorrow the results of the middle and secondary examinations conducted in February.

In the secondary examination 79.94 per cent of the candidates have been declared pass whereas last year the percentage was 67.74. Similarly,the pass percentage in the middle examination was 74.96 as compared to 66.59 per cent last year.

Stating this deputy commissioner, Bhiwani, and board secretary T.L. Satyaparkash told mediapersons here today that in the secondary examination 299726 candidates appeared and 239615 were declared successful and 18295 candidates obtained PA-R. He said 123244 girls took the examination and gave a pass percentage of 83.36 whereas 176482 boys who appeared in examination obtained a pass percentage of 77.55.

Satyaprakash further said that in the middle examination 382210 candidates appeared and 286489 were declared successful and 20723 candidates obtained PA-R. He said that girls outshone boys, showing a pass percentage of 76.23 whereas that of boys was 73.93.

Panchkula, April 16
Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda directed the Haryana housing board authorities that about 50,000 dwelling units be constructed in the state so that the housing requirements for poor people of society living in the urban areas could be met.

The Chief Minister, who was here today to lay the foundation stone of a Group Housing Scheme in Sector 20, told officers of the housing board that such proposal be mooted by the board so that houses could be made available at low cost to the weaker sections within next three years.

As many as 170 flats would be constructed here with a cost of Rs 67 crore to be completed by January 2010.

Keeping in view the escalating housing prices, the board had reduced the prices of houses up to 15 to 20 per cent, he said. It was made possible by reducing the overhead administrative charges and rate of interest, he added.

Though the price of Category-A flat was fixed at Rs 52.70 lakh in advertisements of the housing board, now it would cost the owner at a price as low as Rs 45.20 lakh. Similarly, the price of Category-B was reduced to Rs 29.10 lakh instead of Rs 33.90 lakh.

Informing about the housing schemes started in the state, the Chief Minister said under the Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission Scheme as many as 7,114 houses would be constructed in three phases at Panchkula and out of these 2,072 houses were being constructed in the first phase at a cost of Rs 50 crore.

He said in rural areas, plots measuring 100 sq yard were being given to beneficiaries, and this decision had been taken keeping in view the problem of poor people especially living in the urban areas.

Hooda said the Haryana urban development authority had given its consent to provide 65 acres of land to the housing board at Bahadurgarh, Jind, Hisar, Kaithal and Sirsa for the construction of houses.

Hisar, April 16
About 1,200 Haryana police recruits, including 300 women, undergoing training at Police Training College, Madhuban, took part in a unique light-and-sound show staged at the Mahabir Stadium here last night. The theme of the show was India’s first war for independence of 1857.

Helped by excellent direction and dialogues, the show effectively presented the events from the time just before the mutiny began to the imprisonment of poet king Bahadur Shah Zafar. The show was directed by Vidhu Khare and Sanjeev Lakhanpal. Shyam Sahota was the music director of the show.

ADGP (crime) V.N. Rai said the show was an attempt to change the public face of the police force through cultural integration with masses. He said more such exercises would be taken up to present the police as a modern force of a democratic society rather than a group of men and women hailing from the colonial times.

He said 25 such shows would be staged around the state. The shows together would cost Rs 55 lakh. The second show of the series would be based on events leading to and immediately after the nation achieved independence in 1947.

Rohtak, April 16
The Haryana government’s decision to entrust the responsibility of conducting the pre-medical entrance test (PMT) for the state institutes to Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) here has come as a rude shock to the medical fraternity, intelligentsia and people in general.

It is surprising that the decision comes at a time when the MD/MS/MDS/PG diploma entrance test conducted by MDU has been cancelled following serious allegations of irregularities and the state vigilance bureau is probing the matter.

The whole issue is under consideration of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which has pulled up the state as well as the university authorities for slackness in handling the sensitive issue.

A fact-finding committee constituted by the MDU authorities themselves had expressed doubt over a definite pattern emerging in the results of the MD/MS entrance test. In view of circumstantial evidence pointing to irregularities, the committee had recommended further investigation by some competent agency to reach a definite conclusion.

Still, the state government, which had cancelled the PG entrance test conducted by MDU after getting the inquiry report, has now asked the MDU authorities to conduct the PMT. The MDU vice-chancellor, Prof Ram Phal Hooda, confirmed that the university had been asked to conduct the state PMT.

And this, despite the fact that the high court case and the vigilance probe are under way and the MDU administration has not got a clean chit regarding the matter till date. The moot question is: What if the MDU administration is found guilty of wrongdoing in the MD/MS entrance test in the vigilance inquiry?

More importantly, with the same set of officials holding key positions in the MDU administration, can the possibility of yet another crucial medical examination being bungled be ruled out?

The general sentiment among the aware and educated residents here is that the government should not have handed over the responsibility of conducting the PMT to MDU under the given circumstances.

“If entrusting the job to some other university of the state did not seem advisable to the authorities concerned, some competent and neutral body like the CBSE could have been assigned the responsibility,” said a senior faculty member of the local PGIMS.

Fatehabad, April 16
Bhim Singh Dahiya, a former vice-chancellor of Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, yesterday emphasised the need for setting up an education planning board in Haryana.

Dahiya was speaking at a seminar on “The role of management of colleges of education in quality assurance” at the Manohar Memorial College of Education here.

K.K. Sharma, a former pro-vice-chancellor of North Eastern University, Shillong, Subhash Sharma, director, and Mamta Chaudhary, principal of the college, were present.

Dahiya said it was ironical that education in Haryana had been completely left at the mercy of bureaucrats.

He said an education planning board comprising eminent educationists was the only answer to the depleting standards of education.

He said measurement of quality in case of education was always subjective and there could be no perfect mechanism to gauge it.

He said even the grading by the National Academic Accreditation Council (NAAC) was subjective and could not be take for guaranteed.

He said though the managements had a definite role to play in assuring quality of education, it was the domain of educationists and should be left only to them.

Kaithal, April 16
Deputy commissioner Vikas Gupta said here yesterday that special steps would be taken to improve civic amenities in Kaithal and other parts of the district, including rural areas.

Addressing his first press conference after assuming charge, he said soon a cleanliness drive would be launched in Kaithal. Choked drains would be desilted and necessary repairs would be undertaken. Steps were also being taken to improve streetlights.

He said it had come to his notice that financial aid under the Indira Gandhi vivah shagun yojna was provided to the beneficiaries in many cases after the marriage was solemnised. This was not fair and such tendencies would be discouraged.

He said it would be ensured that red tapism did not affect the functioning of the government departments. In order to save the depleting underground water resources, a ban had been imposed on the plantation of Sathi variety of paddy in the whole district. Similarly, prohibitory orders had been issued to stop the burning of wheat straw.

SSP Anil Kumar said traffic on town roads would be regulated.

Chandigarh, April 16
Haryana Governor A.R. Kidwai and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda have expressed shock and grief over the death of Raj Rani Sharma (78), mother of Venod Sharma, MLA and former minister.

She is survived by two sons and a daughter.

They have conveyed their heartfelt condolences to members of the bereaved family. Chief parliamentary secretary Dharambir Singh also mourned the death of Raj Rani.