Panchkula, April 20
Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Justice Vijender Jain today asserted that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had not talked about corruption in the judiciary at the conference of Chief Justices and Chief Ministers in Delhi yesterday.

While inaugurating the first conclave of judicial officers from Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on “evolving methodology of reducing arrears and court management” here, Justice Jain turned to the Press and said since the media liked catchy headlines, he wanted to clarify “with full sense of responsibility” that the Prime Minister had said it must be ensured that corruption did not seep into the judiciary, in which people had maximum faith.

However, he went on to caution the judicial officers, particularly the District and Sessions Judges, to keep a strict check on the ministerial staff, many of who accepted small tips from litigants.

He said “the consumer of justice” would not know if it was corruption by the ministerial staff alone. He said the time had come to take hard decisions to protect the image of the judiciary.

Instilling confidence among the judicial officers, Justice Jain said: “We are here to protect you if any bona fide action taken in the quick deliverance of justice would annoy anyone, including lawyers.”

Since the “unit system” evolved to judge the performance of a judicial officer was coming in the way of quick delivery of justice, the Chief Justice said the time had come to say goodbye to it so that the judges in the field disposed off old and voluminous cases also, instead of concentrating on new cases alone.

Stressing the need for quick justice, he said peace, harmony and equality in society could be ensured by the judiciary alone by the quick delivery of justice. The judiciary was equal stakeholder in accelerating the economic growth because only by ensuring quick justice, investment-friendly environment could be created. Wherever the judges had abdicated their authority, mafia took over.

Justice J.S. Khehar said it was the call of the nation to quick dispensation of justice. Officers who disposed off the maximum number of cases should be recognised and this recognition should be recorded.

Suggesting measures to cut the delays, Justice Khehar said the time had come to introduce the “regime of no adjournments” as well as the western concept of imposing the entire cost of litigation on the party which lost the case. This, he said, would check the frivolous litigation. To inspire the judicial officers, the disposal rate of a judge would be circulated among his colleagues.

Justice K.S. Garewal regretted that the trials were not being conducted in the manner in which they should be conducted. It was very important that the evidence must be recorded in the presence of the trial judge, who could make an opinion about a witness. He said the judiciary was under siege from the bar, general public, litigants whose cases had been delayed, executive, legislature, the media and “from within ourselves.”

Justice Surya Kant suggested that the service of summonses should be outsourced to make the system more effective. He said since the government was one of the biggest litigants, official e-mail addresses of various departments should be recognised as a valid means of affecting the service of the summonses.

Justice A.K. Goel said a judge had to be ahead of a lawyer in the knowledge of law so that he could counter delaying tactics of an advocate.

Justice Mehtab Singh Gill said heavy cost should be imposed on frivolous litigants. The judges had to take bold measures from preventing the collapse of the system.

He said if any party was not bringing evidence despite repeated opportunities, his evidence should be closed by the presiding judge after passing a clear and speaking order.

Several papers were also read by members of the subordinate judiciary.

Yamunanagar, April 20
Eight to 10 lakh quintals of sugarcane is still lying with farmers in the district but Saraswati Sugar Mill has pasted a notice that it will stop crushing cane from April 24.

The closure notice has created panic among farmers and they have made a beeline with their cane for the mill.

Executive vice-president of the mill S.K. Sachdeva said the cane arrival at the mill was far less than the crushing capacity. For the past few days, the mill had been getting only 80-90,000 quintals of cane and the crushing capacity of the mill was 1.30 lakh quintals per day. The mill was expecting 6 lakh quintals more cane.

“We can easily crush this much cane by April 24,” he said. He, however, did not rule out the extension of crushing period if the cane supply improved.

The cane area in the district had decreased during the last cane season as farmers had planted it on 44,000 hectares, said sources in the agriculture department. This year, the cane area was likely to reduce further as farmers preferred wheat and paddy to cane.

Farmers said the MSP of wheat and paddy was more lucrative than that of cane. Besides, traders were paying more price than the MSP for the grains.

The sugar mill pasted the first closure notice yesterday. The mill closed its one unit on last Monday and was running the two other units alternatively. During the previous crushing season, the mill had started operations on November 16, 2006, and the mill was closed on May 13, 2007. This time the mill reduced its crushing period by 35 days.

Shamsher Tyagi, state general-secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, said if the mill extended its operation by two to three days it would be good for farmers, as they would get time to bring their produce to the mill.

On the other hand, reduction in cane area would affect the fertility of soil. Wheat and paddy required more water than cane, which meant more consumption of power or diesel.

Fatehabad, April 20
Former Haryana minister Sampat Singh today charged the UPA government at the centre with being insensitive to the woes of the poor and playing into the hands of a few big industrial houses.

The INLD leader, who has been nominated by his party to contest the Adampur bypoll scheduled for May 22, was talking to mediapersons today.

The former minister maintained that a glance at the prices of essential commodities as on today and on November-December last year clearly suggested that the prices had been deliberately fluctuated in a manner that only big industrial houses would benefit from the hike and both farmers, who produced these commodities, and poor consumers, who used these, were the ultimate sufferers.

Elaborating his claims with statistics, Sampat said wheat was selling at Rs 1,200 to 1,300 per quintal in the Indian market and $400 per metric tonne (Rs 1,600 per quintal) in the global market in November-December last while wheat flour was selling at Rs 16 per kg.

Once the farmers started harvesting their wheat this month, its prices had fallen to Rs 1,000 per quintal, which was the MSP of wheat.

But although the price of wheat had fallen by Rs 200 to Rs 300 per quintal, the price of wheat flour continued to be Rs 16 per kg, he maintained.

Sampat said all commodities, which were produced by farmers, had gone cheaper today as compared to their respective prices in November-December last, but still inflation had touched an all-time high.

He cited the examples of mustard, which had come down to Rs 2,100 per quintal in comparison with Rs 3,000 in November last, and bajra, which had come down to Rs 650 per quintal from Rs 750 per quintal during the corresponding period.

The INLD leader accused the UPA government of working hand in glove with the big industrial houses to deny the benefits to consumers and fill the coffers of the business houses at the cost of poor consumers.

Sampat Singh maintained that the real cause of inflation was the steep hike in the prices of steel, cement and other construction material, which was again due to the “unholy alliance” between the government and the big industrial houses.

Citing figures from the recent data released by the Central Statistical Organisation, the former minister maintained that the index of industrial production in the country had slipped to 5.3 per cent in January 2008 as compared to 11.6 per cent in January 2007 and this, he alleged, precisely was the reason behind the unprecedented inflation.

The data also showed that the electricity production and the mining output growth fell to 3.3 per cent and 1.8 per cent, respectively, in January 2008 in comparison with January 2007.

He said this clearly showed that the inflation was not due to any shortage of food items, as the central government had been claiming, but due to a “nexus” between the government and the industrial houses.

Faridabad, April 20
Industrialists of Faridabad today urged the government to take measures so that the district as a whole regained its past glory of an industrial centre in the country. In an interactive session between the industrialists and minister for labour and local bodies A.C. Chaudhary organised by the Faridabad Industry Association (FIA), president of the FIA Sunil Gulati lamented that growth of industrialisation had suffered a lot in the past few years in the district.

He cited lack of infrastructure as well as the government approach as the reason for the district slipping on the industrialisation front.

The industrialists alleged that officials of departments create bottlenecks rather than solving problems of the units.

The FIA demanded more industrial estates in the district to accommodate the units, which wanted to expand their base. It urged that the move to set up an Industrial Model Township (IMT) in Faridabad district should be expedited. Gulati referred to roads and poor sewage conditions in the city. He urged for holistic and integrated development plan for Faridabad by the planners.

Former president of the FIA K.C. Lakhani urged for implementing the single window concept right at the local level in Faridabad in letter and spirit so that the industrialists did not have to go about in circles to solve problems.

Chaudhary assured them that he would take up the grievances of the industrialists at the highest level of the government. He asserted that he would get the single window concept implemented and assured that he would personally oversee its functioning and dealing with the industrialists. 

Bhiwani, April 20
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today reiterated that equal distribution of water would be ensured in the state and for this purpose BML Hansi Butana multipurpose canal costing Rs 354 crore was being constructed in the state. The Chief Minister was addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone of a water supply scheme at Nangal village.

Hooda said during the past three years, water supply in 2,691 villages had been augmented. Besides, Rajiv Gandhi Water Supply Scheme costing Rs 206 crore had been launched in Mewat district. He said the Dadupur-Nalvi canal costing Rs 267 crore was being constructed to ensure the recharging of water level. The Indira Gandhi Water Supply Scheme had been launched in the state under which about 8 lakh families belonging to scheduled castes would be given free of cost private water connection. Besides, they would also be given a 200-litre tank and a tap free of cost.

While referring about land acquisition in the state, the Chief Minister said earlier about Rs 70,000 was given for the land acquisition in this area and now it had been increased to 11.30 lakh. Besides, they would also be given Rs 15,000 per acre per year as royalty and an increase of Rs 500 annually. He said 5,000 additional MW power would be generated in the state as a number of projects were in the pipeline.

While referring to the demand put up by sarpanch of Nangal village Ram Kumar, Hooda announced to give a sum of Rs 11 lakh for the development of the village. He also sanctioned a link road between Nangal and Ajitpura.

He returned the amount of Rs 11,000, which was presented to him on the behalf of the village panchayat. A turban was presented to the Chief Minister. A sum of Rs 23,000 crore had been incurred for strengthening power system in the state.

Chandigarh, April 20
Seven members of a family, including three children, died while three other children were critically injured when the car they were travelling in rammed into an 18-tyre trolley on the Amritsar-Delhi national highway ahead of Ambala today.

The accident took place around 5 pm when the Delhi-based family from Rajouri Garden comprising four adults and six children was travelling from Ludhiana to Delhi.

The deceased have been identified as 45-year-old Rajiv Mehta, his wife Anju, Anju’s mother and sister besides three children in the age group of 5 to 8 years. Three other children, Dhruv (11), Parul (8) and Sarah (14), also travelling in the ill-fated Santro car, have been referred to the PGIMER, Chandigarh, and are stated to be critical.

Police sources said the accident took place near Dukheri village when the trolley, going ahead of the car, came to a sudden halt after the driver applied the brake. The driver of the car, Rajiv Mehta, could not control his vehicle which was right behind the trolley and drove right under it. The accident took place outside a police post and cops swung into action to extricate the occupants of the car.

However, pulling out the car from under the trolley and cutting open the mangled iron proved to be a time-consuming job. Badly mutilated bodies with completely disfigured faces of the adults were pulled out along with the children. While seven members of the family died on the spot and were declared dead at the hospital, three children of the family, who were in critical condition but alive, were referred to the PGIMER, where Dhruv and Parul are still in critical condition though Sarah is stated to be critical but stable. Doctors said more than the injuries, the children could have died of shock.

With all the adults dead before they could be pulled out, the police had a tough time identifying the family and managed to get hold of a phone number. The family members of the deceased have been contacted in Delhi and were slated to reach Ambala late in the night.

Meanwhile, the drive of the trolley abandoned his vehicle and absconded. The in charge of the police station, Suraj Bhan, said they were investigating the matter and the guilty would be booked.

Kaithal, April 20
As many as 26 persons, including women and children, suffered burn injuries when an LPG cylinder caught fire at Sirta village of the district last night.

All injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital here and later four seriously injured were sent to the PGI, Chandigarh.

Senior congress leader and local MLA S.S. Surjewala, deputy commissioner Vikas Gupta, SSP Anil Kumar Rao and office-bearers of the Jindal Gramin Jan Kalyan Sansthan were among those who visited the injured admitted in the hospital.

The deputy commissioner announced that the Red Cross would bear the expenses of the treatment of the injured.

Office-bearers of the district Red Cross Society distributed food to those admitted and their relatives present on the hospital premises.

According to information, the incident took place when villagers were preparing for a jagran at the residence of Ram Pal and Om Parkash at Dalit Basti in Sirta village.

Some relatives of the injured admitted in the hospital today said as a precautionary measure, a leaking gas cylinder was kept at a distance from the place where the food was being cooked. However, the pressure in the cylinder was high and the gas spread in the upward direction and came in contact with a halogen light and soon it spread in the area.

There was hue and cry and all those present at the spot were caught unaware. Those injured were immediately rushed to Kaithal.

The fire was reportedly controlled by villagers and the jagran was postponed.

Ankit, Bimla, Vinod, Dimple, Ajay, Pooja, Ram Devi, Sunil, Sinder Pal, Sunil, Biro, Muskan, Om Parkash, Manju Basau, Sultan, Santosh, Narottam, Bhatri, Pala Bondo and Naresh were admitted in the Civil Hospital in Kaithal while four others, who were seriously injured, Pawan (25), Komal (5), Rajesh (19) and Manisha (6), were referred to the PGI, Chandigarh.

Jind, April 20
Wheat crop spread over at least 58 acres of land, mostly belonging to individuals, have been reduced to ashes because of fire incidents in the past three days in the district.

The administration had to press into service around a dozen fire engines to control the fire in the fields today, which destroyed 10 acres wheat crop in two villages.

The blaze kept the local officials busy the whole day today when the fire erupted in a field located on the boundary of Manoharpur and Lochhab villages, about 10 km from here.

The flames engulfed several other fields where the golden yellow mature crop was waiting to be harvested, before any help could be rushed, said a resident of Locchab village.

The flames were on till 5 pm though tenders from the Jind headquarter and other neighbouring towns, including Sonepat, Gohana and Asandh, had reached the area by noon.

It is claimed that windy conditions in the area helped the ablaze to spread to nearby areas. Wheat stubs in several acres of land also got destroyed.

The farmers whose crops got damaged today included Ramphal, Rajpal, Sita Ram Phull Singh, Karambir and Kala, residents of Manoharpur and Lochhab villages.

Crops and their stubs have already been destroyed in about 90 acres in the district since the harvesting began about 15 days back. This included damage to standing crop in about 35 acres on last Friday and 13 acres on Saturday. “It is interesting that while the authorities concerned have ordered a survey of the damage caused by the recent rains and hailstorms in the district, no one has taken up the matter of the losses caused by the fire, as the standing crops had not been insured and mainly small farmers bore the brunt of the fire,” claimed Raj Pal, an activist of the Bharatiya Kisan Union in the district.

He demanded that the government should go for a mechanism to prevent such fires and provide a relief in case of damage.

Panipat, April 20
Levelling serious charges against scores of “caste-biased” government-aided colleges, the Haryana College Teachers Association (HCTA) has demanded an immediate intervention of the state in streamlining the recruitment proceedings in these colleges.

Members of the association said the objectionable practice had been rampant for years but no serious efforts had been made to put a tab on the cash-rich college managements run by various religion or caste-based education societies.

The president of the HCTA, Dr U.V. Singh, alleged that several college managements had been strictly “preferring” the candidates of their own castes in their respective colleges in the state.

The association had also written to the Chief Minister in this regard yesterday.

Terming it unhealthy and unsocial practice, he said the approach was severely affecting the education standards in such colleges.

Citing examples of a Sonepat-based college, the HCTA alleged that the management had been “avoiding” the filling of 39 vacant teaching seats. Candidates of reserved categories were allegedly denied appointments on flimsy grounds.

The general-secretary of the HCTA, Dr Rajbir Parashar, said it was not an isolated case and raised serious questions on the functioning of certain “influential” educational societies.

Highlighting the plight of women college teachers, he alleged that their colleagues were subjected to harassment by their respective managements. He said there were confirmed complaints where the managements undermine the office of the principal to “control” the teachers.

The association demanded a strict compliance of an official order where the higher education commissioner had banned the entry of the management officials during the college hours in the women colleges.

The HCTA said a strong lobby in connivance with certain bureaucrats was adamant on winding up the academic courses in languages and social sciences.

While hailing the recent official sanction of fresh recruitments, the association had objected the decision to allow the managements to covert the existing posts with other subjects.

Instead of abolishing certain posts, new posts should be sanctioned where the affluent managements wanted to start new courses in the colleges, demanded the association.