Rohtak, June 22
Describing the increasing unemployment as one of the biggest challenges before the state, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has asserted that rapid industrialisation was must to provide jobs to the youth.

Addressing a gathering at the “bhoomi-pujan” ceremony of an Asian Paints manufacturing unit at the Industrial Model Township (IMT) here today, Hooda pointed out that the size of agricultural landholdings had decreased and the number of government jobs was also limited.

“In the given circumstances, only industrial units can provide employment to the youth,” the chief minister said, adding that he was aware of the fact that adequate electricity was must for setting up industries.

Hooda observed that in a way, the problems of unemployment and power shortage were interlinked. “Unfortunately, the previous state regimes did not realise the gravity of the issue and did not produce adequate power,” he maintained.

The CM said it was with this objective that the state government had initiated the process to set up big power-generation plants to produce 5,000 MW of electricity.

Referring to the Haryana Janhit Congress charge that the Asian Paints manufacturing unit would be a health hazard, Hooda asserted that the allegations were baseless, as the company had ensured zero discharge of effluents in conformation to the latest pollution control norms.

The Chief Minister quipped that opposition parties were leveling such allegations,
as they were not being able to “digest” the large-scale developmental activities in the state.

He advised opposition leaders to shun their negative attitude of criticising all government policies and play a constructive role in the state’s progress.

Speaking on the occasion, vice-chairman-cum-managing director, Asian Paints, Ashwin Dani maintained that the company would use state-of-the-art technology in an environment-friendly manner and adhere to stringent environment, health and safety standards.

Rohtak MP Deepender Singh Hooda also addressed the gathering. Haryana health and social welfare minister Kartar Devi, chairman of the Agro-Marketing Board and local Congress MLA Shadi Lal Batra and Meham MLA Anand Singh Dangi were also present on the occasion.

A delegation of residents of Kheri Sadh village, whose land has been acquired for setting up the IMT, submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister urging him to ensure that the unemployed youth of the village got jobs on a priority basis at the industry coming up here.

Jatwar (Ambala), June 22
Players were today caught in the game of politics at the state-level rural games being organised by the Haryana Olympic Association.

The games are being organised to mark the International Olympics Day. The players who have come from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana had to make do with the hospitality of residents of Jatwar village, where these games are being organised in a playground of a school.

No seating arrangements were made for the audience and the players. There were no fans in the makeshift tent set up for the VIPs and the players had to make do with refreshments provided at a local village gurdwara.

Organisers blamed the poor show on the Congress government and their lack of support for the association.

However, it was the players who suffered, as they had to stay in rooms of a village school and use quilts to sleep on.

Players, many of whom came last night, demanding anonymity alleged that poor sanitary conditions and lack of electricity had made them sick.

The organisers alleged that the government machinery did not support them and had refused all help.

The government refused to provide any stadium or place to stay and thus they had to make do with things with the help of villagers.

President of the District Rural Games Olympic Association Jagmal Singh said they even faced difficulty in getting referees and coaches.

“They had to take leave and come for the fear of the government, who has not only discouraged the teams from participating but also the coaches and referees from coming in,” he added.

As many as 250 girls and 400 boys have come to participate in this two-day event.

The organisers said the games were being organised since 1999 and this was for the first time they were being held outside Sirsa.

Chief guest as usual came late at 12 noon and that was when the ceremony began.

Phool Chand Mullana, state president, Haryana Congress, said the government had nothing against the games and as it were being organised by an independent body, the state had no role to play.

On the allegations of not being supportive of the association, he said these
were all rumours.

Abhay Singh Chatuala, president, Haryana Olympic Association, however, maintained that the Congress government had not been supportive of the association since it came to power.

“We can only request the government and not force them. We had written to the Chief Minister to come and join the games. The government should get such games arranged at their own level. Despite being associated to Indian Olympic Association, the state chose to make things difficult not only for us but also for players.”

Yamunanagar, June 22
The panchayat of Tejli village here today threatened to resign en masse and launch an agitation if the government did not take back its decision to rename the Tejli Sports Complex.

The Haryana government had recently announced to rename the sports complex after the late Rajesh Sharma.

Villagers today held a panchayat and said the announcement regarding the decision to change the name of the complex was an insult to the villagers who had donated 60 acres for the complex. A delegation of the villagers would meet the Chief Minister in this regard soon.

Jarnail Singh Sangwan, a resident of the village, said earlier also, efforts were made by former chief ministers Bhajan Lal and Om Prakash Chautala to change the name of the complex.

Meanwhile, the Ghaar Sangharsh Samiti today held a panchayat in Ranjitpur village here and threatened to launch a mass movement if the government kept ignoring the area.

In the past, the samiti has held a series of mahapanchayats to highlight the alleged failure of the government in carrying out development of the Ghaar area in which hundreds of villages fall.

The samiti has earlier asked the government to carry out development works or shift the area to the neighbouring Himachal Pradesh.

President of the samiti Amarpal Arya said they would be forced to intensify their demand of “transfer to Himachal Pradesh” if the government did not start development works immediately.

The samiti has alleged that the area lacks good roads and educational institutions. Besides, the power situation is also bad.

Fatehabad, June 22
Over 20 persons have so far recorded their complaints and suggestions before additional deputy commissioner (ADC) C.G. Rajnikanthan, who has been probing the circumstances that led to the collapse of the bridge on the Ghaggar river in Ratia on June 16.

Rajnikanthan said he would complete the probe by Thursday and submit his report to the commissioner soon.

Two persons, including a four-year-old child, were killed and six others were injured in the mishap, in which a portion of a road connecting the bridge over the Ghaggar river caved in due to erosion of earth by river waters.

Rajnikanthan is also looking into the allegations of delay on the part of the local authorities to put rescue operations in place.

The ADC will submit his report to commissioner, Hisar division, P.C. Bidhan. The probe will reveal whether there was any negligence on the part of the contractor in repairs of the bridge.

The ADC will also try to find out whether the contractor alerted the authorities or the local people regarding the risks involved in using the bridge once rainwater started increasing in the river.

Lapses on the part of the municipal authorities, who had been releasing the rainwater and drainage water into the Ghaggar river, will also be probed.

The churning effect of water released by the municipal authorities, it is alleged, had weakened the bridge and the adjoining road by eroding earth from the banks.

Most of the persons, who have recorded their evidence before the ADC, have blamed the contractor for the accident.

They have alleged that the way of repairing the bridge from one side was wrong because the weaker side of the bridge was not taken up first.

Residents alleged that the flow of water was restricted to less than half the breadth of the river by the contractor leading to the erosion of soil from the banks.

Gurgaon, June 22
Rahul, son of a waiter in a posh club of Gurgaon, who played the role of the son of Saif Ali Khan in the movie, Omkara, could not have set his eyes on stardom, had he not been accepted at Kristina Makara RTI Vidyapeeth, an informal school being run by an NGO, Literacy India, at Bajghera village on the outskirts of Gurgaon.

To be an underprivileged kid is the basic condition of getting admission to the school that lays emphasis on channelling creative energies of such kids through performing arts like theatre, dance and music.

A student of class 8, he along with Prem Sagar of class 10 and four others have acted in “Neeli Chhatri”, a children film by director Vishal Bhardwaj.

Rahul has been selected for a forthcoming film by Raj Kumar Hirani of Munnabhai
MBBS fame.

These budding actors have so far performed with distinction before theatre lovers in Chandigarh, Bhopal, Shimla and Kolkata.

Apart from grooming in theatre, students here are imparted training for job-oriented professional courses like animation.

Dinesh, son of a mason, picked up basics of 2-D animation faster than his drawing teacher, who tried her hand at this for the purpose of teaching other students.

“Our purpose is to give vent to the creative urges of these village kids so as to channelise their energy positively. At the same time, we lay equal emphasis on the academic part. Those showing interest in studies are given all required attention by a team of dedicated teachers,” said Indraani Singh, a commercial pilot with Air India and the founder secretary of the NGO.

Around 600 students on rolls here appear for an open school examination. Due to financial constraints, students are provided mid-day meals three times a week.

After tonsuring, the youths were let off with a warning. The three who admitted their offence were from Sadalpur village in Indore district.

They revealed that they had taken to the “profession” as they were unemployed.
— UNI

Panipat, June 22
Even as unrestricted encroachments on roads across the city have reduced the space to commute, resulting in traffic snarls at almost all important road crossings, the local civic authorities seem to be in no mood of taking action against offenders.

As per an official report, a copy of which is available with The Tribune, there are hardly any shops in the city that have not encroached upon government land.

Even reputed commercial establishments on the NH-1 have been listed as offenders in the said list.

However, despite the trouble being faced by the local residents and those using
the NH-1 to cross Panipat, the local civic authorities have done little to remove
these encroachments.

In what seems to be a trend across the city, even plush sectors carved out by HUDA are not sans encroachments.

Residents have constructed eight to 10-foot-long ramps outside their houses that occupy a large part of the road in front of their houses.

At certain places in these sectors the roads have been reduced to mere passages with no room for vehicles to cross.

An anti-encroachment drive is something unheard of in this city. Locals lament that concerns raised by many in this regard seem to have fallen on deaf ears as no action has ever been initiated by the authorities.

Shopkeepers in the city encroach upon government land outside their establishments to keep their extra stock.

P.P. Kapoor, a local resident, said encroachments had become “a part and parcel” of the lives of the locals.

He said though at times the local authorities did remove some encroachments, these were back as soon as the employees left the place.

He alleged that a majority of the shopkeepers were “paying MC officials on a monthly basis” so that they could use the public land for their own good.

Ravinder Kumar, another resident, said as and when the matter of encroachments was brought to the notice of the MC, all that the residents got was an assurance that these would be removed soon, but at the end of the day the situation
remained the same.

Despite repeated attempts, president of the municipal council Vinod Vadera was not available for comments.

Chandigarh, June 22
The Ambala Railways Division has constituted a special squad to keep a close watch on not only thefts and fake ticket checkers, but also to closely monitor the working of their own guards and corrupt officials.

Around 125 Haryana Home Guards personnel, besides routine Railway Protection Force (RFP) officials, maintain round-the-clock vigil at the division railway stations.

Last year, 13 cases related to thefts inside trains were registered by the RPF. In most of the cases, organised gangs befriended passengers travelling with them and offered eatables laced with drugs that would make them unconscious.

Later, they would rob their belongings. Even cases of fake ticket checkers in trains had come to the notice of the RPF, where gangs took the ticket of passengers for checking and vanished.

Ambala Railway Division security commissioner, Z.A. Khan, said this is the first time that a special cell has been constituted to assist the Home Guards and RFP to curb increasing cases of stealing during summer season.

He said every year cases of robbery in trains increase during summer due to heavy rush of passengers, which is almost triple of that in other seasons.

Khan said an awareness campaign has also been launched to educate the commuters about such incidents.

As part of this, a ‘nukkad natak’ was organised at the local railway station today by the RPF in collaboration with Ambala Railways Division.

Besides, short films were screened at the station to apprise people about how to tackle such incidents.

Anjana Gosai, railway advocate, also said there is a dire need for such measures. She informed that there were complaints that the railway staff was also involved in certain incidents and the number of cases against Railway Police was on the rise during the last few years.

The counting of votes for election of panches and sarpanches started immediately after the poll and for member, panchayat samities, it would take place tomorrow at block headquarters.

Faridabad, June 22
Two days after a bodyguard of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh allegedly shot dead a man at a Mumbai mall, as many as 400 members of the Sikh community, armed with swords and lathis, took out a procession here today demanding action against the dera chief.

The police as a precautionary measure stopped traffic on the route, which was chosen by the protesters.

They started from a gurdwara on the NH-5 and had planned to reach Ajraunda Chowk on the Delhi-Mathura national highway.

However, they were stopped just before Ajranuda Chowk by the police and were not allowed to go to the highway.

They submitted a memorandum to additional commissioner Sanjay Joon. Later, the authorities pacified the protesters after which they dispersed.

The agitation was spearheaded by newly formed Sikh organisation of Faridabad and it was led by Jarnail Singh, Jaswant Singh and Ravinder Singh Rana. The organisation is a conglomeration of various Sikh organisations in Faridabad.

In the memorandum submitted to the district administration, they demanded immediate arrest of the dera chief and registration of a case against him under Section 302 of the IPC.

They also demanded to restrict him movement within the confines of Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters.

Rohtak, June 22
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said the state government was seriously contemplating giving plots to journalists in sectors developed by the Haryana Urban Development Authority.

The Chief Minister, who was addressing the 28th annual state conference of the Haryana Union of Journalists, affiliated to the National Union of Journalists, here, said the government had also decided to set up a welfare fund of Rs 50 lakh for the journalists.

Besides, a mechanism was also being evolved to provide medical facilities to mediapersons on the pattern of government employees.

Hooda announced a grant of Rs 10 lakh for the Journalists Welfare Foundation and a sum of Rs 5 lakh for the Haryana Union of Journalists.

Labour minister A.C. Choudhary sought the unstinted cooperation of the journalists to publicise the policies and programmes of the government so that the benefit of these schemes could be availed by the people.

National Union of Journalists president P.K. Rai and president of the Haryana Union of Journalists Bhupinder Dharmani also spoke on this occasion. — UNI

He added that relevant records regarding the incidence of different crimes in the areas under the jurisdiction of all police stations had been sought.