Gurgaon, July 4
Workers of the Haryana Janhit Congress (HJC) were reportedly lathicharged by the police here today. The workers had assembled at Toll Plaza on the Delhi-Gurgaon border to receive their party president Kuldeep Bishnoi, who was detained but later let off. Several workers suffered minor injuries.

HJC workers from several parts of the state had gathered here in the morning to eventually accompany their leader to Harsaru village to express solidarity with farmers opposing the government move of handing over the possession of around 1,400 acres to Reliance for development of special economic zones (SEZs) there.

The agitators have been demanding enhanced compensation for their lands acquired for the purpose.

As the assembly of workers at Toll Plaza caused traffic jam for around three hours, the police used force to disperse them.

They raised anti-government slogans in protest against the police action. Bishnoi was also present on the spot before being taken to Gymkhana Club from where he was later let off. Police commissioner, Gurgaon, Mohinder Lal was also present.

Terming the police action as totally uncalled for, Gurgaon district urban unit president Kanhiya Lal Pahwa, who suffered injuries on knees, alleged that hundreds of their party workers were stopped at Dharuhera, Mehrauli and Delhi border points.

Addressing mediapersons, Bishnoi decried the police action as his party workers had assembled in a peaceful manner. He alleged that his “arrest” was politically motivated at the behest of the ruling Congress government. The police had beaten up his party workers without any provocation.

“I wanted to meet farmers at Harsaru village in support of their justified demand. The police action suppressed our democratic right to oppose the anti-people policies of the government, but we will continue to fight for the right of the farmers,” said Bishnoi.

He also accused CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda of selling out the state’s interests to corporate giants while ignoring public welfare works.

Meanwhile, working president of the HPCC Kuldeep Sharma dismissed the claim of Bishnoi that the Gurgaon police arrested him.

He said Bishnoi had come to Gurgaon with an intention of disturbing the law and order situation and he was stopped from doing so by the police.

He said some real estate dealers had been instigating farmers against the construction of SEZ.

Rohtak, July 4
The Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU) Authorities' move to engage a private firm for the installation of integrated Internet and telephony system on the university campus without inviting tenders has come under criticism.

The item regarding the agreement between MDU and HCL Infosystems Ltd, Nehru Place, New Delhi, is on the agenda of the university's executive council (EC) meeting scheduled to be held tomorrow.

According to sources, the MDU authorities did not follow the mandatory procedure of inviting tenders for the sizeable task involving an expenditure of Rs 2.95 crore.

As per the laid down rules and norms, the university authorities can buy a service or product costing less than Rs 50,000 through quotations. A product or service involving a cost of Rs 50,000 to Rs 5 lakh has to be got through tenders invited via local newspapers.

For products or services above Rs 5 lakh, tenders notices are required to be given in at least two national dailies. However, in the given case, the job was assigned to the said company without inviting any such tenders.

As per the EC agenda note, the floating of tenders was found to be time-consuming. Considering the urgency of work, registered letters were written to certain companies, the agenda note states, adding that three MDU officials were deputed to contact these firms.

"No firm except HCL responded, who later presented their project to the university," the note states.

New Delhi, July 4
Touching upon two ends of the “education spectrum” in the state, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said area bordering Delhi would be used to develop an international-level education city, including setting up of an IIM at Rohtak.

On the other hand, he announced to provide a stipend to more than 13 lakh students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and backward classes of the state at a cost of Rs 485 crore.

After using its geographical advantage - proximity to the national capital - to position itself as an investor and industry-friendly state, Haryana will wisely enough position itself as an education hub with international educational institutions.

Spread across 200 acres, the Haryana government would soon set up the Rajiv Gandhi Education City at Kundli adjoining the northern border of Delhi’s territory in September, Hooda said.

Twenty-five per cent of all seats in this education city would be reserved for Haryana domicile students.

Hooda said the Government of India had agreed to have an IIM in Haryana and a site near Rohtak had been finalised for the same.

The state had also agreed to give land for setting up a defence university in Gurgaon and another central university has been promised.

The state would also set up a women’s university in Sonepat and a Sainik School was already coming up in Rewari.

The state had already got five applications for setting up of private universities, said the CM.

The stipend scheme would be for students of schools and of higher studies. “This will be the first scheme of its kind in any country to uplift the poor and backward classes,” said Hooda.

The amount of money given under the stipend would vary. Girls would get more money than boys. Bank accounts would be opened in the names of mothers of the children and in case the mother was no more, the account would be opened in the name of the father.

All Scheduled Castes students studying in colleges would get Rs 2,000 per year as one time book allowance. In addition, they would also get a monthly stipend of Rs 1,000. The Chief Minister also displayed high-quality workbooks that were being given free of cost to all students studying in government schools from classes I to VIII.

Sonepat, July 4
Chief Judicial Magistrate R.P. Bansal today ordered the arrest of three police personnel, Sahib Singh Dalal, Jugal Kishor and Prithvi Singh, in a case relating to the death of Raj Pal Kashyap, a resident of Baroli village, on December 29, 1999, allegedly due to police torture.

Sahib Singh was the SHO of the Rai Police Station and Jugal Kishor and Prithvi Singh were head constable and sepoy, respectively, at that time.

The orders have been issued under Sections 302, 342, 201 and 120-B of IPC and the police has been directed to arrest them by July 21.

Neeta Devi, widow of Raj Pal, said he was allegedly picked up by the Rai police on December 25, 1999, for investigation in a case of theft of a buffalo of village resident Hawa Singh on December 18, 1999.

He was allegedly beaten up and dropped at his house in serious condition on December 28, 1999. However, he succumbed to his injuries on December 29.

She approached the then district police authorities, Chief Minister and even the national Human Rights Commission in 2000 for action against the alleged accused. However, a case was registered on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 20, 2002, and the then ADGP crime branch was asked to inquire into the case. However, after inquiry the case was cancelled.

She again approached the high court and later the Supreme Court to seek justice. She lodged a complaint in the court of the CJM on August 24, 2007.

Jind, July 4
Residents of Chhatar village locked the main gate of Government Senior Secondary School this morning in protest against alleged irregularities in the school, including appointment of guest teachers faculty. The lock was, however, removed after about 45 minutes on the intervention of the sarpanch and the police.

It is reported that the school was locked by the members of the local youth (Yuva) club at 7.30 am in the morning. According to the president of the club, no action has been taken to the complaint lodged by them. He said as per the rule the appointment should be done from the local candidates, but the school authorities recruited a candidate from outside. The teaching standard in the school had deteriorated due to complacency on part of staff and the internal ‘politics’ leading to an adverse affect on the overall results, he added.

Meanwhile, in another development the movement of traffic came to a halt on the Jind-Narwana road following the blockade by residents of Uchana village. The protest, which continued for half-an-hour, was staged by the activists of the local unit of the CPM. The protesters alleged that the power department had ‘failed’ to repair the electric poles and a transformer that had been damaged in a squall at Sedamajra village about 15 days ago. The officials of the department assured that the problem would be addressed immediately.

Karnal, July 4
Several acres of land was submerged in Butana village, near Nilokheri, following a breach in the Chotang distributary.

According to reports, the breach was noticed early this morning and work to plug it was started by the irrigation department. There was reportedly considerable loss to farmers. There was no report of loss of life.

An irrigation department official said the flow of water was stopped at the Indri head. He said work on repairing the embankments would be started on Saturday morning.

Yamunanagar, July 4
A resident of Paper Mills Colony, Sonu (15), drowned while taking bath in the silt pond of Deenbandhu Chottu Ram Thermal Plant, about 10 km from here, today. The body was later fished out by the youths of the nearby village after about half-an-hour.

The officials of the thermal plant said the incidence took place at 3 pm when the boy, along with his friends, was taking bath in the 10 feet deep pond and slipped into the it. He was drowned, as he did not know how to swim, he added.

Friends of the deceased have raised alarm but no one turned up for help.

The superintendent engineer (Civil) of the thermal plant Darbara Singh, who also reached the spot, informed the police and the parents of the deceased. He told The Tribune that employees of the thermal pant have warned several times to the boys of the nearby villages and colonies not to take bath in the silt pond. The pond is meant to segregate the silt from the Yamuna River that is being supplied to the thermal plant.