Rewari, May 27
Shopkeepers, traders and businessmen of the city observed a complete bandh today in response to a call given by the Gujjar Samaj of the district.

Owners of shops and business establishments in the new grain market, old and new sabzi mandi, Moti Chowk bazaar, Kath mandi, Bajaja Bazaar, Jiwli Bazaar, railway road market and other markets of the town closed their shops in compliance with Gujjar protesters’ plea.

A large number of the members of the Gujjar Samaj from the 32 Gujjar-dominated villages of Bawal, Kosli and other areas of the district held a demonstration in protest against the alleged brutal repression let loose by the Vasundhara Raje government on Gujjars in various parts of Rajasthan.

They also burnt an effigy of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje at Moti Chowk here.

Simultaneously, they shouted slogans demanding immediate dismissal of the Raje government and imposition of the President’s rule in Rajasthan.

Their other demands included grant of Scheduled Tribe status to Gujjars in Rajasthan, provision of a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the dependants of those killed in police firing as well as financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the injured persons, unconditional withdrawal of cases registered against Col K.S. Bainsla and other Gujjar leaders of Rajasthan and institution of a judicial inquiry into the alleged brutalities heaped on Gujjars in Bayana, Sikandara and other places in Rajasthan.

The demonstrators were led by prominent Gujjar activists - Ashok Pahalwan, Bhai Sheo Lal, Col Ganpat Ram Chokan (retd) and Subhash Chhabri.

They announced that they would jam traffic on the Delhi-Jaipur highway at Banipur Chowk, near here, on May 29.

They also took out a protest procession, carrying black flags, through main markets of the town raising slogans against the Raje government and in support of the concerted struggle of the Rajasthan Gujjar Araksham Sangharsh Samiti.

Later, they submitted a memorandum to SP Ram Singh Bishnoi and additional DC Mahender Singh Yadav, which was addressed to the President of India.

BHIWANI: In view of the police action against agitating Gujjars in Rajasthan, the Zila Gurjar Mahasabha on Tuesday sought dismissal of the Vasundhara Raje government in Rajasthan. In a meeting held at local Gurjar dharmshala, the mahasabha condoled the death of over 40 Gujjars in Rajasthan and observed a two-minute silence. They said they would also participate in the nationwide agitation on May 29. Besides, a state-level meeting of Gujjars would be held under the banner of the Gurjar Mahasabha on June 1 and next course of action would be decided therein.

General-secretary of the mahasabha Chand Ram demanded imposition of the President rule in Rajasthan besides dismissal of the Vasundhara Raje government.

Rohtak, May 27
The state Vigilance Bureau has registered an FIR against 17 persons, including a former Controller of Examinations (CoE) of Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) here, in connection with the alleged leakage of the entrance test paper of MD/MS and PG diploma courses.

A vigilance team today registered a case under sections 420 and 120 B of the IPC and section 13 (1) D of the Prevention of Corruption Act against former CoE Sukhbir Singh and photostat operator Vinod Kumar (both MDU employees), Dr Sinha, an intern at the PGIMS, and certain candidates who were beneficiaries of the alleged paper leak and had got high ranks in the entrance test conducted by MDU.

The students were identified as Kanwar Singh, Praveen Solanki, Sailesh Khetrapal, Dhiraj, Shailander Yadav, Amit Jindal, Gagandeep Mittal, Ashwani Goyal, Dhiraj Gupta, Vineeta Deswal, Varun Arya, Vaibhav Ahuja and Gaurav Sachdeva. The case has been registered at the vigilance police station in Rohtak while DSP Surender Malik has been appointed the investigating officer.

A number of medicos, including present and former MBBS students, had alleged large-scale irregularities in the entrance test conducted by MDU on February 24.

The protesting medicos had also approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this regard. The state authorities had to hand over the inquiry to the vigilance bureau. Following the high court’s directions, the vigilance bureau submitted its report in the first week of May.

The vigilance report indicted the then CoE and several other persons in the matter. However, the MDU authorities merely transferred the CoE to some other university department.

In the meanwhile, the state authorities ordered that a re-test be conducted for admission to the said courses and authorised the Rohtak PGIMS to conduct the fresh test.

The results of the re-test indicated that candidates who had cleared the previous entrance test conducted by MDU had allegedly not done so by virtue of academic merit.

Chandigarh, May 27
With the byelections out of the way, all eyes are now on the proposed cabinet reshuffle in Haryana. While non-performers could be eased out of the cabinet, non-conformers could end up getting a rap and losing some of their “weight”.

Sources said though there was no definite time frame for the reshuffle, it would most likely take place in the first week of June and would be given a final shape in Delhi. Stating that Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda would be in Chandigarh till May 29, the sources said the reshuffle would be given a final shape in consultation with the Congress high command.

Though the Chief Minister’s opinion on the performance of his cabinet colleagues would be taken into consideration for the allocation of portfolios, the top brass of the party is likely to have the final say in the matter.

The sources hinted at a possible expansion with one slot for a minister still vacant in the cabinet, besides “dropping” ministers who have little to their credit in the three years of their tenure as ministers. Health minister Kartar Devi and industries minister Lachhman Das Arora are among those “identified” as relatively inactive in the cabinet. Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan and parliamentary secretary Dura Ram’s “non-availability” for campaigning during the bypoll could also invite reprimand from within the party.

Panchkula, May 27
A large number of ex-servicemen and their family members today sat on fast at the Maj Sandeep Shankla War Memorial here, to protest against the recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission.

Terming the recommendations of the commission as grave injustice, the veterans said their status had been consistently downgraded vis-à-vis other central government services.

Pointing out that armed forces constitute about 40 per cent of the central government employee strength, they said the pay commission did not have a single representative from the services. Even the constitution of the review committee was a farce, they added.

Upward revision of the Warrant of Precedence, constituting a separate pay commission for the armed forces as was the practice in most democracies, implementation of one-rank-one-pension policy and job guarantee for soldiers till they attain 60 years of age were among their demands.

They said they had tried various means to put their viewpoint across to the government by submitting memorandums and holding talks with senior government leaders, but these did not materialise. As a last resort, they had embarked on a public protest.

Prominent among those present at the fast were Lt Gen R.S. Dyal, former Governor of Andaman and Nicobar, Lt Gen Harwant Singh, former Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Depinder Singh, former GOC-in-C Southern Command and overall Force Commander of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka, Air Marshal Randhir Singh, former AOC-in-C South Western Air Command, and Air Marshal P K Jain.

Earlier, the veterans paid homage to martyrs and offered floral tributes at the war memorial. Among those was the father of Major Shankla, who was decorated posthumously with the Ashok Chakra.

Chandigarh, May 27
The rice prices are fast heading towards north, despite a ban on export of non-basmati varieties and imposition of an export duty on basmati.

Since the ban was imposed about a month ago, the prices have risen sharply, frustrating the government’s bid to contain inflation.

According to market sources, at the start of the rice season in October last year, rice of Pusa-1121 variety was available at Rs 35 to Rs 40 per kg in the wholesale market. This variety was considered the next best to basmati, except that it lacks the typical aroma associated with basmati. Just before its export was banned, the price was ruling around Rs 65 a kg. Now it is selling for Rs 88 per kg in the wholesale market of Delhi.

The government for the first time imposed an export duty of $2,000 per tonne on basmati (Rs 800 per quintal) to discourage its export. But the duty failed to curb the price of basmati. At the start of the season, basmati was being sold for a little over Rs 40 per kg. When the duty came, its price was in the range of Rs 70 to Rs 75 a kg. Now it was being sold in the wholesale market for Rs 90 to Rs 95 per kg. In the retail market, basmati was available for over Rs 100 a kg. No wonder, many middle-class households had been forced to say goodbye to basmati.

Even parmal rice, consumed mainly by weaker sections, has become dear after the export was banned. It was being sold around Rs 15 a kg in October last. Now its price is Rs 22 a kg in the wholesale market.

Sources in the Delhi market say in a bid to empty the overflowing godowns of state agencies, the NDA government highly subsidised rice and wheat export. At that time wheat was available for export at Rs 415 per quintal at Kandla port. Rice for export was made available by the government for about Rs 650 per quintal at Kandla. No doubt, the state agencies saved the storage charges, but now the country’s food security is under threat.

With the international prices of rice rising, growers will have a good time in the coming paddy season, while consumers can hope for no respite. Sources say the growers will get much higher prices for their produce than the minimum support price from the millers. 

Pinjore, May 27
A newborn vulture earned the name Phoenix and a sum of £20,000 at an auction conducted by the London-based Royal Society for the Protection of Birds at the Vulture Breeding and Conservation Centre in Pinjore. The amount earned is to be used for conservation.

As the vulture population is dwindling across India, a white-backed vulture, the second to be born in captivity at the Vulture Breeding and Conservation Centre, caught the attention of the Royal Society for Protection of Birds in the UK.

The Bombay Natural History Society and the government of Haryana jointly manage the Pinjore centre. The other surviving vulture chick to be born in captivity at the Pinjore centre has been named Vibhu after the scientist. — ANI

New Delhi, May 27
A proposal by the Haryana government to keep endangered tigers captive in the Bhiwani mini zoo has been turned down by the Central Zoo Authority citing violating of law.

According to sources, Haryana tourism minister Kiran Chaudhary was keen to make Bhiwani mini zoo, christened as Surinder Singh Memorial in memory of her late husband, more visible by having tigers in the captivity.

“Presently the entry to the zoo spread over around eight acres and having a population of deer, monkeys and hippopotamus is free of cost. The authorities had plans to charge the visitors once tigers were included in the zoo,” sources said. — PTI