Chandigarh, July 13
Taking up the cause of the “ignored” Punjabi community residing in Haryana, urban local bodies minister A.C. Choudhary today demanded reservation in politics and government jobs for them.

Choudhary, who is also the president of the Haryanavi Punjabi Welfare Sabha, while addressing members of the sabha, said 25 per cent reservation in jobs should be given to Punjabis on the basis of the community’s population.

He said all political parties in the state should reserve 25 or more seats for candidates of the Punjabi community.

On this occasion, the minister also demanded the freedom fighter status to migrated Punjabis who made the supreme sacrifice during the Independence struggle.

He was of the opinion that at least one university in the state should be named after a prominent or legendary Punjabi personality.

Stating that he would take up all issues of the Punjabi community with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Choudhary also sought earmarking of at least a one acre plot in every district for the construction of a dharamshala by the Haryanavi Punjabi Welfare Sabha. Later, a resolution was also passed by the sabha.

While lauding the efforts of the Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda with regard to the welfare of Punjabi community, Choudhary said 12 of the 15 nominated chairmen of improvement trusts were Punjabis.

However, he was critical of the fact that the representation of Punjabis in the cabinet compared to some previous governments was low.

Choudhary announced a Punjabi sammelan would be organised in September or October this year.

Kurukshetra, July 13
The UGC has selected five MPhil students of the Institute of Mass Communication and Media Technology of Kurukshetra University for Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship.

Stating this here yesterday, institute director B.K. Kuthiala said every year the fellowship was given to SC students for higher education and research.

Each selected student would be given Rs 8,000 per month in the fellowship and Rs 10,000 would be given as annual contingency grant.

The awarded students are Pradeep Kumar, Rajesh Kumar, Anil Kumar, Ajay Chavaria and Sanjay Gunpal.

Gurgaon, July 13
The much-awaited supply of CNG finally started here today, but vehicle owners were disappointed that they were being overcharged as compared to their counterparts in Delhi.

The distributor in Gurgaon, Haryana City Gas Distribution Limited (HCGDL), however, has attributed this to the unjustified price that is being charged by the supplier, Inderprastha Gas Limted (IGL), as well as additional transport costs being incurred in absence of supply through pipeline from Delhi.

CNG is being sold at Rs 27.50 per kg here while it costs Rs 18.90 in Delhi. Though it is a great relief that we have started getting CNG supply here, the unfair price is pinching us, said several motorists lined up at Sector 29 filling station, the first and only station to become operational on Saturday.

Roughly 2,000 vehicles are fitted with CNG kits here. Due to limited supply of gas, heavy commercial vehicles will have to wait for sometime.

The gas is available for three and four wheelers, including BPO cabs. It is available between 6 am and 10 pm unlike Delhi, where it is available round-the-clock.

The number of CNG consumers, however, will increase soon despite its high price, as it is cost effective as compared to petrol and diesel.

“The high price is disturbing, but we are helpless till the supply of gas starts through pipeline straight to filling stations. Once this happens, the cost will be at par with Delhi,” said M.S. Khatkar, senior vice-president and project head, HCGDL, which buys CNG from Rangpuri (Delhi) station of IGL at Rs 19.30.

The HCGDL had already submitted a representation to the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL), which would decide the price as per directions of the Supreme Court.

At present, CNG was being brought from Rangpuri station in mobile cascades that could carry 220-250 kg gas in a single light carrier vehicle in one round.

Khatkar claimed that they have to shell out Rs 50,000 a month as transport cost that meant additional cost of Rs 4 per kg.

Fatehabad, July 13
Leaders of employees’ unions and family members of Dalsingar, a PWD (public health) operator, who had died at the local General Hospital allegedly due to the negligence of a doctor on July 5, have accused the health authorities of trying to shield the “guilty” doctor.

They have alleged that the civil surgeon, who was directed to conduct an inquiry into the case by the district police chief, has entrusted it to the three colleagues of the accused doctor without considering the fact that a medical officer cannot probe the conduct of an officer equivalent to his own rank.

Similarly, a couple cannot be placed in the Board of Doctors for conducting an inquiry, but the civil surgeon has ignored the fact.

“The health authorities are trying to save the doctor although it has become clear from the postmortem examination that Dalsingar died because of his injuries and not due to cardiac failure as alleged by the doctor,” alleged Madan Lal Guleria, president of the Mechanical Workers Union affiliated to the Sarva Karamchari Sangh.

He alleged that had the doctor cared to examine Dalsingar when he was vomiting throughout the night, he could have been saved.

Dalsingar was injured in an altercation with neighbours over some petty matter on July 4 and was brought to the General Hospital. He, however, died the next morning.

Family members of the victim and leaders of the Sarva Karamchari Sangh and the Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh had alleged that the patient died due to negligence of the doctor, who allegedly did not attend to him after admitting him to hospital.

Doctors at the PGIMS, Rohtak, who performed the postmortem examination, in their report said the victim had died of kidney rupture, which happened due to the beating he had received at the hands of his neighbours.

The police booked the accused neighbours for the murder after the kin of the victim met SP Saurabh Singh for the registration of a case against the doctor.

The SP in turn asked the civil surgeon to conduct an inquiry to find out whether there was any negligence on the part of the doctor.

The civil surgeon, Dr J.K. Bishnoi, said the board was competent enough to inquire into the case.

He further said eventually the court would decide whether the doctor was guilty of negligence or not.

Chandigarh, July 13
Suspended Congress Member of Parliament and Haryana Janhit Congress supremo is in a catch-22 situation.

He stands to lose face and credibility if he votes for the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) when it seeks a vote of confidence on the floor of the Lok Sabha on July 22.

If he chooses not to vote in favour of the Congress, he is certain to lose his Lok
Sabha membership.

Sources said though Bishnoi had distanced himself from the Congress and stated in no uncertain terms that he had “long-parted ways” with the party, any defiance of the order of the Congress whip could cost him his LS membership.

In fact, well after he began his open defiance against Congress president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and after floating the HJC, Bishnoi was hoping that the Congress would opt to expel him from the party, enabling him to retain membership.

However, contrary to expectations, the party began disqualification proceedings
against him.

These were on the same lines as the proceedings followed in Haryana for the disqualification of three MLAs, including former Chief Minister and Bishnoi’s father, Bhajan Lal.

The trio, Bhajan Lal, Dharam Pal Malik and Rakesh Kamboj, were disqualified from the Haryana Vidhan Sabha in March this year and byelections held to the three assembly seats in May this year in which two of his allies lost their seats.

However, in Bishnoi’s case, the issue of disqualification is still hanging fire even though he has, on several occasions, claimed to have submitted his resignation to Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, who is yet to receive the same.

Therefore, he continues to be a suspended member of the Congress and cannot go against the party whip.

However, “his value” has soared several points in these last few days of political uncertainty since the vote of confidence could boil down to every single seat.

All MPs and their votes have become “hot property” and the UPA as also the BJP-led NDA are going all out to woo partners.

If Bishnoi chooses to go against the tide (read Congress in his case), he will lose his LS membership, which he has managed to retain so far.

Then, again, the Bhiwani seat falling vacant would imply that the Election Commission decides whether or not a byelection is needed, especially in view of the LS elections slated for next year.

However, since UPA leaders are leaving no stone unturned to tap every single MP in view of the vote of confidence since one vote can make a difference, Bishnoi, too, could be approached by old-timers in the Congress for support.

In bargain, he could “make safe” elder brother and Deputy Chief Minister Chander Mohan’s berth, especially in a situation where there is growing speculation of dropping the latter’s Deputy CM tag if not him, during the pending Cabinet reshuffle.

Chandigarh, July 13
Supporting the India-US nuclear deal, Haryana Sikhs have urged all MPs to vote for the UPA government.

A resolution to this effect was adopted at an emergency meeting of the executive committee of the Haryana Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (HGPC) held in Ambala this evening.

Interestingly, the meeting, in which the decision to support the Congress-led UPA government was taken, was held at the venue where the HGPC has been holding a chain-fast demanding the creation of a separate gurdwara management committee for Haryana.

The venue was outside the residence of Haryana Congress president Phool Chand Mullana. Today was the third day of the chain-fast. Eleven Sikhs from different districts participate in the chain-fast every day.

General-secretary of the HGPC Didar Singh Nalvi told The Tribune that the resolution said the nuclear deal was in the interest of every community of the country and all parties should support it.

The committee specifically urged the Punjab MPs to vote in favour of the UPA government in the Lok Sabha at the time of the trust vote because Dr Manmohan Singh was the first Sikh Prime Minister of the country.

Nalvi said the committee also decided to continue the chain-fast till July 27, when further course of action would be decided to pressurise the Congress government in the state to fulfil its promise to the Haryana Sikhs made in the party manifesto released at the time of the last assembly elections.

Earlier, the committee had planned to hold the chain-fast till July 15. Nalvi said the HGPC would continue with its peaceful agitation till its demands were met.

Kaithal, July 13
A sum of Rs 76.1 crore will be spent on strengthening the road network in Kaithal town and rural areas of this district.

Work of these will start soon as the required funds have been received by the PWD and tenders have been floated.

This was stated by power and public health minister Randeep Singh Surjewala while addressing a press conference in Padla village near here today.

Surjewala, accompanied by his father - local MLA Shamsher Singh Surjewala - who was on a three-day visit to villages in Kaithal assembly constituency, said during the past few years the pace of development in this part of the state was slow, but now the government, led by Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had taken steps to ensure systematic development of every region of the state.

Giving details of the road development works to be executed in this area, Surjewala said the road from the local Pehowa Chowk to the Karnal bypass would be fourlaned at a cost of Rs 2.77 crore.

Similarly, the road from Hindu School Chowk to the Karnal road would be repaired at a cost of Rs 1. 62 crore.

He added that though these roads were now under the municipal council, these would be transferred to the PWD, which would be responsible for their maintenance in the future.

The minister said the Kaithal-Padla road via Kutabpur, Bhanpura, Dhunerhari, Guhna and Padla would be widened at cost of Rs 14 crore; the Khanpur-Khurana-Deora-
Ujhana road would be widened at a cost of Rs 11. 70 crore.

The work to widen the Kaithal-Kurukshetra road up to Pabnawa village at a cost of Rs 4.50 crore had already been started and the work to widen the Kaithal-Ambala stretch of the NH-65 at a cost of Rs 28 crore would be taken up shortly as the ministry of surface transport had sanctioned funds for this project.

S.S. Surjewala, Kavi Raj Sharma, DCC president, Randhir Rana, secretary, and Dilbagh Mor, organising secretary, HPCC, were present on the occasion.